Swan Point

by Sherryl Woods

  After the pep talk she’d been giving herself, she was actually stunned and a little disappointed to find Mitch all alone at his usual table, sipping a cup of coffee and studying a blueprint. He glanced up and smiled.

  “There you are. Lynn and I have been wondering where you’ve been. You’ve been MIA for a while now.”

  “Just getting settled in the new house,” she claimed. “I’m glad you’re here, though.” She reached in her purse and withdrew several yellow sheets torn from a legal pad. “I have a list of renovation projects I wanted to discuss with you, that is, if you’re not too swamped with your Main Street redevelopment these days.”

  “I’m never too swamped to tackle a job for a friend,” he said. “Have a seat. I’ll get you some coffee. Lynn’s in the back cussing away at some pie dough or something. The woman may make the best pastry in two states on a bad day, but she’s a perfectionist.”

  “Ah, but that’s why she has such an incredible reputation,” Adelia said, joining him at the table, which had been covered with a blue-checked cloth. He’d pushed aside a Mason jar filled with fresh daisies that added a cheerful, homey touch. “This place has been a success since the day she opened. Thank goodness, Raylene and all those Sweet Magnolias ganged up on her and convinced her this was something she could do.”

  Mitch laughed as he poured her a cup of coffee. “They’re a sneaky bunch, all right.”

  Adelia regarded him with amusement. “You did your own share of fast-talking, the way I understand it. Isn’t that how you wound up buying up all these vacant storefronts with Raylene? Wasn’t this downtown revitalization actually part of your plot to lure Lynn into opening a bakery and becoming a tenant?” She laughed at his guilty expression. “Just as I thought.”

  “It was a sound business decision,” Mitch declared, setting the coffee in front of her. “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

  Just then the door opened and Gabe walked in. He was halfway through apologizing to Mitch for his tardiness when he noticed Adelia. A smile broke across his face, one that revealed dimples. They only added to his allure as a bit of a scoundrel.

  “Hey, darlin’. Where have you been hiding?” he asked her.

  Adelia blushed, flustered not only by his teasing, but because he’d taken note of her absence. “I’ve been right next door,” she told him. “Every day, same as usual.”

  Mitch apparently noticed her reaction because he stepped in. “Adelia just bought one of those old houses in Swan Point,” he told Gabe.

  “I saw it,” Gabe reminded him. “When we were looking for her daughter.”

  “Of course,” Mitch said. “I doubt you had much of a chance to take a look around that day. She’s brought me a list of a few things she wants to have done.”

  Gabe caught sight of the pages of notes and sketches and chuckled. “From the looks of that list, you sure you wouldn’t be better off tearing it down and starting over? It might be cheaper.”

  “But then it wouldn’t have any character,” she protested defensively. “I love the house. It just has a few age-related flaws, the same as most people.” She studied him with narrowed eyes. “Or are you one of those who thinks anything past a certain age should be tossed away?”

  Gabe held up both hands. “Hey, that was a comment based on financial considerations, not age.”

  His glance skimmed over her, deliberately lingering until she flushed. “Some things improve with age,” he commented appreciatively.

  Adelia wished she could grab her coffee and run, but she knew that would be far too revealing. She concluded the really courageous thing to do would be to stay put. She took a sip of coffee, instead, to steady her nerves.

  “Let me see,” Gabe said, taking her list from his cousin. He got to page two and frowned. “Didn’t you have the roof inspected?”

  “Of course I did,” she said impatiently.

  “And you knew it was leaking?”

  “Yes, and I got a very nice credit for that, thank you very much. Now, though, I need to get it repaired. I’ve run out of pots and pans to put under the leaks.” She turned to Mitch. “That probably should be at the top of the list.”

  “No doubt about it,” Mitch agreed, then unexpectedly stood up. “Gabe, you can handle this, right? I want to check on those reinforcing beams going in down the block.”

  Adelia stared at him. “But I thought you’d be doing this,” she said, then winced. “Sorry, Gabe. No offense.”

  He grinned, clearly aware of exactly why she looked so rattled. “None taken.”

  Mitch gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You’re in good hands. Gabe has plenty of experience, some of it in historic renovations, as a matter of fact. He knows what he’s doing, probably even better than I do. If you have any questions after he gives you an estimate, we’ll talk about them. How’s that?”

  “Fine,” she said, though she couldn’t seem to hide her reluctance.

  After Mitch had gone, she glanced warily toward Gabe. He was leaning back in his seat, the chair on two legs. His own denim-clad legs were stretched out in front of him. While the posture was relaxed, she sensed a coiled tension just beneath the surface.

  “If you’re not okay with this, just say the word,” he said quietly.

  “Of course I’m okay with it,” she said irritably. “Mitch says you’re more than qualified and I trust his judgment.”

  A wicked gleam sparked in his eyes. “Then it’s me personally you’re not so sure about. I promise you I’m harmless.”

  Adelia didn’t believe that for a single second, not with her heart pounding like a jackhammer. But maybe that was her problem, not his. It wasn’t as if he’d made a blatant pass at her. And despite her impression that he was single, maybe she’d been wrong about that. Maybe he was happily married. Married would be good.

  “Are you married, Gabe?”

  As if he’d followed her train of thought, he laughed. “Nope. Free as a bird. You?”

  “Divorced,” she admitted. “Recently divorced.”

  “As in not interested in taking another chance on love anytime soon,” he concluded. “Duly warned.”

  Though his tone was solemn, the wicked spark in his eyes was anything but reassuring. He was going to be trouble, she concluded with a sigh. No question about it.

  * * *

  “How’d things go with Adelia this morning?” Mitch asked Gabe at the end of the day.

  “I make her nervous,” Gabe admitted.

  Mitch frowned at that. “How so?”

  “She’s a beautiful woman. I can’t seem to stop myself from a little harmless flirting. I get the impression she’s not used to that.”

  “She’s just getting out of a bad marriage,” Mitch told him.

  “So I’ve heard. The guy was a cheater. I imagine that left her with some issues.”

  “The cheating was certainly bad enough,” Mitch confirmed. “But he paraded his mistresses openly around town. The last one lived right in his neighborhood. Even his daughter knew about her. I think that’s what nobody in town will ever be able to excuse, the way he disrespected Adelia so openly in front of one of his kids.”

  Gabe frowned at that. “You’ve got to be kidding me. What kind of lowlife does something like that?”

  “Ernesto apparently thought his marriage vows only extended to providing well for his family, not to fidelity. The way I hear it, he thought he was entitled to play around, that it was part of the deal in exchange for the nice house and lots of spending money.”

  “That explains why she’s now living in a house with a leaking roof,” Gabe guessed.

  “More than likely. She’s a smart woman. She’s just discovering that she can make it on her own. Independence is real important to her right now.” His expression turned thoughtful. “She reminds me of Lynn
in that way. I wanted to rush in about a million times to make things easier for her while she was divorcing Ed Morrow, but she needed to figure things out for herself, to prove that she was strong enough to do right by her kids. Much as it killed me to sit idly by while she struggled, letting her get back on her feet on her own was the right thing to do. She didn’t need a knight in shining armor. She needed a partner, someone who’d treat her like a woman with a lot to offer.”

  “I suppose you think that’s the strategy for winning Adelia, too,” Gabe said.

  Mitch leveled a long look at him. “Do you need a strategy?”

  Gabe thought about the question. It was fraught with all sorts of implications. “No way,” he said candidly. “I only came here with the intention of getting back on my feet, maybe making amends.”

  Mitch frowned. “You did nothing wrong, Gabe. You don’t owe anybody in this town a thing.”

  “But my mother was a piece of work. In my zeal to defend her, I made my share of mistakes.”

  “Okay, let’s say you make amends. Then what?”

  Gabe hesitated, pondering the question, then shrugged. “I’ll probably move on. I can’t see myself putting down roots, here or any place else.”

  “Then a word of advice. Be careful with Adelia, my friend. We all recognize how strong she is, but she doesn’t see it just yet. Give her time to get there and don’t do anything that might lead her to believe you’re staying. And if you think that word of warning is coming just from me, think again. You ever heard of the Sweet Magnolias?”

  Gabe shook his head. “Who are they?”

  “It’s not an official organization or anything, but a lot of the women in town have formed this deep bond. They look out for each other, and heaven help anyone who messes with them. You probably remember Maddie Maddox?”

  “Doesn’t sound familiar.”

  “She would have been Maddie Vreeland in school. Then she married and became a Townsend. When that ended in divorce, she married the high school baseball coach. Anyway, she, Dana Sue Sullivan and Helen Decatur-Whitney started calling themselves Sweet Magnolias way back in high school.”

  Gabe held up a hand. “Slow down.” He described the three women who’d been entering the bakery as he’d fled to get away from Lynn’s teasing on the afternoon Selena had gone missing.

  “They’re the women who started it,” Mitch confirmed. “Over the years, they’ve included a bunch of other women, Lynn among them. I’m not sure what they do beyond the occasional margarita night get-together, but they sure do stick up for one another. I wouldn’t want to tangle with them or get their backs up, that’s for sure. I’m not sure I’d be married to Lynn right now if they’d objected to it.”

  Mitch grinned. “Fortunately, Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue and I go way back. They jumped on my side. In addition to any wooing I did, Lynn got the full-court press from the Sweet Magnolias, too.” His expression sobered. “I’m just saying, if you do anything to hurt Adelia, they’ll be all over you. I have a hunch her recovery’s going to be their next project.”

  The advice was perfectly reasonable, but Gabe took offense just the same. “Whatever my flaws might be, Mitch, they don’t include a trail of brokenhearted women. Listening to my mom cry her eyes out at night taught me to be honest and never offer something I don’t intend to deliver.”

  His cousin nodded. “Good to know.” A grin spread across his face. “Something tells me, though, that battling wits with you could be just what Adelia needs to get her confidence back.”

  Gabe waved those yellow pages in his cousin’s face. “So, I was right. Despite all those warnings you just uttered, you do have some crazy idea about pushing the two of us together for more than fixing up that house of hers.”

  Mitch shrugged, his expression innocent. “The work needs to be done. You’re good at what you do. If a few sparks fly in the process, all the better.” He gave Gabe an amused look. “For both of you. Just keep in mind those boundaries I warned you about.”

  Gabe scowled at his cousin, suddenly wondering if coming back to Serenity had been as smart a move as he’d once thought it was. “I’m not likely to forget.”

  * * *

  Chic closed promptly at six on Saturday, though it was usually closer to seven by the time Adelia wrapped up all the chores she felt were necessary before locking up for the night. When she stepped outside, she was stunned to find Gabe leaning casually against the building. He straightened at the sight of her.

  Adelia regarded him with confusion. “Were you waiting for me?”

  He grinned. “What was your first clue? You know any other pretty women in the neighborhood?”

  “Gabe!” she protested. “You have to stop doing that.”

  “Doing what?”

  What was he doing exactly, other than rattling her, that is? Was he flirting? It had been so long since any man had teased and flattered her, she couldn’t be entirely sure.

  “Saying things like that,” she told him finally, then started striding down the block with the crazy idea that she might be able to shake him if she walked away quickly enough.

  He easily fell into step beside her. “Hasn’t anybody ever told you how beautiful you are?” he inquired curiously.

  “Not in a long time,” she admitted wistfully before she could stop herself.

  He stared at her incredulously. “Then the men of Serenity are idiots,” he declared.

  She smiled at his vehemence. “Or maybe they just had good instincts for self-preservation,” she suggested. “Until recently I was married, remember?”

  “So compliments were reserved for your husband?”

  “Something like that.”

  “And did he lavish you with a lot of them?”

  She frowned. She had a hunch he already knew the answer to that. “We’re divorced. What do you think?”

  “Then I get to lump him in with all the other idiots,” he said.

  Adelia stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. “Gabe, why were you waiting for me? And why are you walking home with me? If we were sixteen, I’d say you were angling to carry my schoolbooks.”

  He laughed at that. “If I’d known you back then, I probably would have been.” He pulled the now-rumpled yellow pages from his back pocket. “I thought I could look over these projects of yours and try to get a handle on what needs doing first.”

  For a few minutes, Adelia had forgotten all about the renovations and his assignment to take them on.

  Gabe was studying her with unmistakable amusement. “Did you forget about these?”

  “Temporary lapse,” she assured him.

  “Is this a bad time? If you have a date or something...” His voice trailed off as he studied her speculatively.

  “No date,” she responded tersely. “And this is as good a time as any. I should warn you, though, that my mother’s at the house with the kids. That might ensure that you’ll get an invitation to a good meal, but it will also come with a lengthy interrogation.”

  “I made it through your brother’s. I imagine I can handle whatever your mother asks.”

  Adelia regarded him with alarm. “Elliott interrogated you? When?”

  “On the day we were looking for Selena. He came by the construction site that evening. He told me he was there to apologize for the way he’d reacted when we stopped by the gym, but it was evident he wanted to clarify a few things for me.”

  “Such as?”

  “My intentions. His concerns. That sort of protective guy stuff.”

  Adelia groaned. “He didn’t! I may have to kill him. He had no business getting in your face like that.”

  “Oh, he thought he was being subtle about it, but men are rarely as subtle as they’d like to think when they’re warning people off. I got the message.” He shrugged. “Then we w
ent out for pizza.”

  “Men!” she said, shaking her head.

  “He just wanted me to know you have someone looking out for you. I don’t imagine he realizes he’s not the only one.”

  “Who else?” she asked before she could stop herself.

  “Mitch chimed in just a couple of hours ago. He also said there’s some group of women in town, the Sweet Magnolias I think he called them. He said they’d have my hide if I hurt you.”

  Adelia actually laughed at that. Though she wasn’t an actual member of that unofficial group of women, she certainly knew them all. She also knew their reputation for protecting their own with a ferocity that was a little terrifying to any rational man in town.

  “And yet here you are,” she said. “Risking life and limb by walking through town with me.”

  “Darlin’, there are some things worth taking an occasional risk for,” he said.

  Then he very deliberately added a wink that rocked her nice, safe world. Adelia actually thought her heart might have come to a complete standstill for a few seconds.

  And that, she concluded, should be sufficient warning to send her right back to where her day had started, knowing that she needed to avoid this man at all costs.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Gabe got one whiff of the aromas coming from Adelia’s kitchen and decided that any interrogation that might lie ahead would be well worth it, as long as he was invited to stick around for dinner. Adelia must have noticed that he was practically drooling, because she chuckled.

  “Let me put you out of your misery,” she said. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”

  “Yes,” he said so quickly that it immediately brought a deepening smile to her lips.

  “You haven’t even met my mother yet,” she reminded him. “Are you sure?”

  “Not a doubt in my mind.”

  “Either you’re sick of pizza or you’re a very brave man.”

  Gabe laughed. “Probably a little of both with some curiosity thrown in.”