ScandalandSin

by Lynn LaFleur

  “I notice you conveniently forgot to tell me about your relationship with Alesia until after we fucked.”

  She winced, then straightened her shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. “I didn’t start that. You’re the one who grabbed my boob.”

  “I grabbed your body to keep you from falling. I acted on instinct. I didn’t plan to grope you.”

  “I didn’t plan to fuck you either. It simply…happened.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  She stood taller, her hands clenched at her sides. “How could I have planned us being together? I didn’t know I was going to fall.”

  “I warned you the stairs might not be sturdy.”

  “After I’d already stepped on one.”

  Rye crossed his arms over his chest. Just like Alesia, Alaina had a ready answer on the tip of her tongue. “You’re definitely Alesia’s sister.”

  He would swear he could see the hair on her arms bristle. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I mean, she always had the perfect reason for whatever she’d done. Even when I found her fucking another guy, she swore he’d forced her. She was bouncing up and down on his dick like she couldn’t get enough. It didn’t look forced to me.”

  The shock on her face appeared real. She was a good actress. Rye almost believed she had no idea what her sister had done.

  “Rye, I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Sure you didn’t.”

  “I didn’t!”

  “You knew we were engaged.”

  “Yes, I knew that, but not until after it was over. She didn’t tell me your name until y’all broke up. She said you ended the engagement.”

  “I did, after I caught her with one of my friends…who, I add, is no longer a friend. Before he left Lanville, he informed me he wasn’t the only guy in town Alesia was fucking. The list was staggering. I don’t know how she could walk.”

  “You believed him?”

  “I had no reason not to believe him after what I saw. So I did some investigating. Turns out he’d told me the truth.”

  “Rye, I’m not close with Alesia. We talk on the phone a couple times a year and email maybe half a dozen times. I haven’t seen her in two years. I don’t even know where she lives. She’s had the same cell phone number and email address for years, but I know she’s moved around a lot. She contacts me when she wants something from me. That’s the only time I hear from her.” She took one step toward him. “I’m nothing like her.”

  “Pardon me for being skeptical after what happened here a few minutes ago.”

  Her cheeks turned pink. She bit her bottom lip again. Rye stopped himself before he groaned. He wanted to bite that lip…and every other part of her body.

  You’re an idiot. You should’ve learned your lesson with the first Pearson sister.

  “I don’t have sex with men I’ve just met.”

  “But it’s okay to have sex with men you haven’t seen in…what? Fifteen, sixteen years?”

  She shook her hair back from her face and sighed. “I let my hormones overrule my good judgment. Haven’t you ever done that?”

  “Yeah, about ten minutes ago.”

  Alaina frowned. “Are you always this rude?”

  Rye huffed out a breath. He saw no reason to continue this conversation. “You wanted my professional opinion about refurbishing this house. Yes, it can be done. Despite the holes and broken boards and rotted wood, it’s structurally sound. Will Coleman Construction work for you? No. Find yourself another company to do the work.”

  He made it halfway to the front door before she grabbed his arm to stop him. “Wait, please! I want you and your brothers to do the work. Your company has an excellent reputation and you know the house. I don’t want strangers in here who only work to get paid and don’t care about the job they do.”

  “I can give you the names of several good firms. Come by my office tomorrow morning and I’ll have a list for you.”

  “I’ll pay whatever percentage you want—”

  “This has nothing to do with money, Ms. May.” He leaned closer until his nose almost touched hers. “I will not work for you.” He tugged his arm away from her. “Goodbye.”

  Rye didn’t wait to hear any more from her. He strode from the house and got into his pickup. Loose dirt spewed from beneath his tires as he sped away from Stevens House.

  Once back on the county road, he flipped open his cell phone and punched in Dax’s number.

  “Yo, bro,” Dax said. “What’s up?”

  Rye could hear country music in the background. “Where are you?”

  “Boot Scootin’. I’m having a beer with Dad.”

  Perfect. Rye liked that his father would be present for the discussion with his brothers. “Have you made plans for the night?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Good. Stay there. I’m gonna call Griff and tell him to meet us.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I’ll tell you when I get there.”

  He ended the call and punched in his other brother’s number. Griff was scheduled to work at one of the restaurants today. A quick glance at his watch showed Rye it was ten after five. Griff should be through by now.

  “Hey, Rye.”

  “Hey, Griff. Are you through for the day?”

  “Will be in about five minutes.”

  “Great. Meet Dax and me at Boot Scootin’. I need to talk to my brothers.”

  Silence. Rye waited for the inevitable excuse his brother would come up with why he couldn’t meet his brothers. Ever since his wife died five months ago, Griff avoided people whenever possible. He was an excellent electrician and did his job well, but hid in his house after the workday ended and didn’t leave it again until the next morning when it was time to go back to work.

  “Can’t we talk in the morning at the office?”

  “I want to tell you and Dax what happened today. Dad’s there too. He and Dax are having a beer right now.”

  Silence again, for several moments. “You and Dax can come out to the house.”

  Rye pulled into Walt’s gas station to fill up his pickup. “Dax and Dad are already at Boot Scootin’. I’ll be there in five minutes, after I get gas.”

  Rye sighed when his brother pulled the silent act again. He’d tried his best to be patient with Griff, to give his brother time to heal after losing his wife. Griff would never heal if he didn’t get back out in the world. “Griff. I need to talk to my brothers.”

  He heard Griff blow out a heavy breath. “Give me fifteen minutes.”

  “Great. I’ll buy you one of Dolly’s greasy cheeseburgers.”

  Rye snapped his cell shut before Griff could change his mind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Walt Kinney hobble out of the station as Rye climbed down from his truck. Despite celebrating his seventy-eighth birthday last month and having to use a cane to get around, Walt refused to sell his station and retire.

  Walt was good friends with Rye’s grandfather, so Rye had known the older man since he was a kid. Some people thought he looked more like a bum than a businessman with his unkempt gray hair and ragged overalls. Rye knew a deep intelligence lay behind those blue eyes. Walt saw a lot more than people realized.

  “Hey, Walt,” Rye said, unscrewing the gas cap on his truck.

  “Rye. How’s it goin’?”

  “Good.”

  “Stayin’ busy?”

  “And then some.”

  Walt leaned against the side of Rye’s pickup. “Had to fix a flat out Bella’s way this afternoon. Saw you with a pretty little redhead in your truck.”

  Rye had learned a long time ago that Walt never hesitated to say exactly what was on his mind. He’d also learned that the older man wouldn’t give up until he knew everything he wanted to know. “She’s interested in buying Stevens House to turn into a bed-and-breakfast.”

  Walt’s bushy eyebrows arched. “She want your company to do the work?”

  “Yeah. I turne
d her down.”

  “How come? Seems like that would be a good-payin’ job.”

  “She’s Alesia’s sister.”

  “Hmmph.” Walt tucked one hand inside the bib of his overalls. “Can’t see where that makes any difference.”

  Rye assumed telling Walt that Alaina was Alesia’s sister would be explanation enough for why he turned down the job. “I got burned once by a Pearson girl. That won’t happen again.”

  “Can’t see where it would happen again, as long as everythin’ is strictly business.”

  Rye thought of the used condom he had in his pocket. He had to look away from those shrewd blue eyes so Walt wouldn’t know he and Alaina hadn’t exactly conducted business in Stevens House a short time ago.

  “Seems like you should put aside any personal feelin’s you might have for the girl if it’s a good job.”

  “I don’t have any personal feelings for Alaina.”

  “Then what’s the problem? It’d be a long job for your workers. Good money for ‘em and your business.”

  “I can’t work for Alesia’s sister.”

  “She’s Alesia’s sister. She ain’t Alesia.”

  Rye replaced the handle on the gas pump. Everything Walt said made sense. Still, he didn’t know how he could look at Alaina and not remember what her sister had done.

  “What that young gal did to you was a long time ago, Rye. Time to let it go and move on.”

  Easier said than done. “Yeah, I know, but…” He stopped long enough to screw on the gas cap. “Sometimes letting go isn’t easy.”

  “Yep. Know that. But sometimes you gotta think of other people more than yourself.”

  Rye clapped Walt on the shoulder. “How did you get to be so smart?”

  He grinned, exposing the few teeth he had left. “I’m old. Ain’t much I haven’t heard or seen.”

  Chuckling, Rye opened the door to his truck. “Thanks for the advice.”

  “Got a lot of it. And it’s free.”

  Walt moved away from the pickup and Rye climbed in behind the steering wheel. “Put this on my account, okay?”

  “Will do.”

  Rye thought about what Walt had said on his way to Boot Scootin’. He knew the older man meant well, but Rye doubted if his brothers would agree. They’d side with Rye and say he was right to turn down Alaina’s job, even though it would bring in a nice amount for Coleman Construction.

  He spotted Dax’s pickup as soon as he drove into Boot Scootin’s parking lot. He pulled into the space next to it and headed for the entrance.

  Kenny Chesney was belting out his latest song from the jukebox when Rye opened the door to Boot Scootin’. He saw his dad and Dax at a table in the corner. Both of them were sprawled in their chairs, looking as if they planned to stay there a while. With his mom out of town visiting her parents, Rye knew his dad would avoid going home to an empty house as long as possible.

  He squeezed his father’s shoulder when he passed him. “Hey, Dad.”

  Kenneth Coleman smiled and patted Rye’s hand. “Hey, son.”

  Rye took the chair to the left of his father, facing the door. He wanted to see Griff when he arrived. “Who’s buying?”

  “You are,” Dax said.

  “Figures.” He caught the eye of Lana, the waitress, and twirled his finger upside down over the table to indicate another round. She smiled and dipped her head.

  “Is Griff coming?” Kenneth asked.

  “He said he would.”

  “If you can get him here, you’re doing better than I am.” Dax set his beer bottle on the table. “I’ve invited him here for burgers and pool more times than I can remember. He always turns me down.”

  “He turned me down too at first, until I used guilt. I told him I needed to talk to my brothers. He couldn’t say no to that.”

  Lana arrived with three bottles of beer. “Hidy, Rye. Dax told me to put everything on your tab.”

  “I’m sure he did,” Rye said, scowling at his brother.

  Dax grinned. “You’re the oldest. You’re supposed to buy.”

  “I’m the oldest by two minutes.”

  “Oldest is oldest.”

  “What about Dad? He’s the oldest at the table.”

  Kenneth picked up his fresh bottle of beer. “I stopped buying when my sons got jobs.”

  Lana laughed. “You’re a very smart man, Mr. Coleman. Holler if y’all need anything else.”

  “One more beer, Lana,” Rye said. “Griff should be here soon. And cheeseburgers and fries all around.”

  “You got it.”

  “Speak of the devil,” Dax said, nodding toward the entrance.

  Rye gazed that direction to see Griff making his way toward their table. His brother looked tired. Griff had lost a lot of weight since Jana’s death. Rye doubted if Griff had more than one meal a day. He definitely needed one of Dolly’s cheeseburgers tonight.

  “Hey, Dad,” Griff said, sliding onto the fourth chair at the table. “Good to see you.”

  “Dax invited me to have a beer with him. But now that you’re here, I’ll take off so y’all can talk business.”

  “No, Dad, don’t go.” Rye looked from each of his brothers back to his father. “I want to tell you what happened today too.” He took a swallow of his beer and set the bottle on the table. “Miss Alaina May came in the office this morning.”

  “Is that the hot redhead who came in when I was leaving?” Dax asked.

  “The same. She wants to buy Stevens House and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. She wants to hire us for the work. I turned her down.”

  “You did what?” Dax jerked forward in his chair. “How could you do that? That job would bring a shitload of money into the business.”

  “You really want to work in that house? With our family’s history?”

  “I agree with Dax,” Griff said. “What happened there was a long time ago. It shouldn’t interfere with a job that’ll keep our employees busy for months.”

  “I haven’t told you everything about Alaina May.” Rye once again looked at everyone at the table. “She’s Alesia’s sister.”

  Dax and Griff glanced at each other, then at their father, before turning their attention back to their brother. “Look, Rye, I hope this doesn’t sound heartless to you,” Dax said, “but the fact we’d be working for Alesia’s sister shouldn’t make a difference in the job.”

  Before Rye could demand what the hell Dax was talking about, their father spoke. “I agree with Dax. You and Alesia broke up three years ago. I’m sorry you were hurt. We’re all sorry you were hurt, but don’t let what happened with her keep you from accepting a great job.”

  Kenneth sounded just like Walt. He could understand Dax wanting to accept the job. Dax never dwelled on anything that happened before yesterday. He always said life was made for living now, not in the past. Griff was more levelheaded. “What do you think?” he asked his youngest brother.

  “I agree with Dax and Dad. It’s a good job, Rye. With new housing construction down, this will keep our employees busy all summer.”

  “Y’all really think we should work for Alesia’s sister?”

  “We’ll have a contract,” Dax said, “and we’ll collect part of our fee up front. Yeah, I say we go for it.”

  Griff nodded. “So do I.”

  The Coleman brothers had decided a long time ago that majority ruled. If Dax and Griff wanted to accept this job, Rye would go along with them. He would treat Alaina as their customer and nothing else. There would not be a repeat of what happened between them today.

  “There’s no guarantee Bella will even sell that house to Alaina,” Rye said. “But if she does, I’ll tell Alaina tomorrow that she’s hired a construction firm.”

  Chapter Five

  April 11, 1937

  I had to go to the drugstore to pick up cough syrup for my mother. She’s had a bad cold for two days that’s settled in her chest. I saw him when he left the bank. He strolled down the sidewalk with his he
ad high and an arrogant expression on his face. He knows everyone looks at him, everyone envies him and his position.

  Almost everyone. There is nothing about him I envy. I loathe every hair on his head.

  I followed him. He seemed to be heading to the drugstore too. That will give me the perfect excuse to bump into him. Perhaps I can strike up a conversation and find out what he plans to do about Laura.

  *

  Alaina sat cross-legged in the middle of the library floor. Cobwebs hung in every corner, but she could picture how the beautiful room would look after the refurbishment. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, large windows to let in lots of sunlight, cozy chairs where her guests could sit and read, a huge fire in the stone fireplace. She knew exactly what kind of floor covering she wanted, exactly what color paint and wallpaper, the decorations. Coleman Construction could do that for her.

  She’d spoiled everything by telling Rye she was Alesia’s sister.

  Rye never would have known if she hadn’t told him. She favored Alesia, despite their different hair color, but not enough for Rye to immediately recognize her. Her mother had remarried when Alaina was sixteen. Her stepfather had legally adopted her, so Rye wouldn’t have known her by her last name. The only way he would’ve known of her relationship with Alesia was by Alaina telling him.

  Not wanting to start their business dealings by holding anything back, she’d decided to be honest with him from the start.

  Big mistake.

  The one person she wanted most to work on this house wouldn’t speak to her, much less make love to her again.

  Her tummy quivered when she thought of the way Rye had touched her yesterday. Neither of them had planned it. The step had cracked, she’d lost her footing and he’d caught her. She could’ve pulled away from him and nothing would have happened.

  But she hadn’t wanted to pull away. She’d had a crush on the good-looking teenager when she was barely a teenager herself. One look at the handsome man had her heart fluttering in her chest. Curiosity and old feelings—and hormones—had played a part in her surrendering to him.