by Brooks, Abby
“What the hell is that?” James asked with a laugh.
“Oh, that?” Ian replied. “That’s Chopper.”
Chapter Nine
Ian
Juliet called the dog into the house and disappeared inside. James turned to Ian with a quizzical look. “You sure about this?”
He shrugged. “Not one bit.”
His brother dropped the tailgate on the back of the Tundra and hopped up to slide a mattress closer to the edge. “What do you know about her?”
“I know she’s from New York. I know she’s running from an asshole boyfriend. I know she’s kind.” And pretty. And smart. And funny.
James looked surprised. “She tell you all that? Because anyone who has to tell you she’s kind, probably isn’t.”
“No, you ass. She told me about the running away thing. I figured out she was from New York by reading her damn license plates, and I watched her choose to help an old woman who fell rather than chase after that silly little yapper as it ran off.”
“Lemme guess. You chased the dog for her, didn’t you?”
“Of course I did.” Ian shrugged again.
As James knowingly shook his head, looking like helping someone catch a darting dog was a terrible decision, Ian decided to change the subject. “I saw Ellie Charles today. She told me to say hello.”
James opened his mouth to reply, but Juliet bounced down the steps, wearing a pair of running shorts and a tight-fitting tank top. “What can I do?” she asked, and Ian yanked his eyes off her perky breasts.
“You can get out of the way and let the men do the men stuff,” he said with a smile.
She put a hand to her hip and pursed her lips. “Unacceptable.”
“Figured you’d say as much. There are some boxes of random stuff in James’ truck,” he nodded toward a black pickup on the other side of the Tundra. “Carry those in and start sorting through them.”
She shook her head, trying to look disapproving of being ordered around, but there was a sparkle in her eyes that made him think she was having just as much fun as he was.
“All right, brother,” said James, “you’ve got me here, let’s get this shit done before I get bored and leave.”
“Again, with that work ethic, I have no idea how you think you’re better than me.”
As the brothers carried the heavy pieces of furniture into the appropriate rooms, Juliet bounded back and forth between the house and the trucks, carrying boxes and humming to herself. When she finished that task, she went to work finding homes for everything Ian brought.
It wasn’t much—mostly the basics. A coffee pot. A few glass knick-knacky things Lilah picked out to help the rental properties feel more like home. A shower curtain and bathmat. That kind of stuff.
As far as furniture went, again, it wasn’t much. A queen-sized bed. A dining table and chairs. A couch, loveseat, and a coffee table. The house still looked disgustingly empty, but at least the poor girl would have somewhere to sit.
And eat.
And sleep.
It would have been easier to bring a twin bed, but he couldn’t quite talk himself into it. The larger bed was more appealing for a number of reasons. Most important of all was the fact that he hoped to—eventually—fit in that bed with her.
Juliet poked her head out of the kitchen. “Can I bring you guys anything? I’ve got water and as of now, enough glasses for all of us to have our own.”
James shook his head. “As fond as I am of having my own glass of water, I gotta go. Erin’s expecting me to go over some of the wedding stuff. It was nice meeting you, though.” And with that, James was out the door, leaving Ian and Juliet alone in the house.
She disappeared back into the kitchen only to return a minute later, bearing a glass of water for him even though he hadn’t asked. He accepted it with a smile and took a long drink.
“This looks amazing,” she said, running a finger down the soft leather of the couch before turning to face him. “Thank you.”
“It’s not much. But anything we put in here, we’re only gonna have to move when we start renovating, you know?”
“You feel free to call it not much. But for some perspective, last night I slept in my car. This morning, I made peace with the fact that I was gonna have to sleep on the floor. And now? I have options as to where I’ll sit this evening and will be sleeping in an honest to goodness bed tonight.”
“When you put it that way, I’m pretty fantastic, aren’t I?”
“You sure are.” Juliet leaned against the couch and looked out the window. “Do you ever get tired of looking at it?”
He studied the soft curve of her cheek, the swoop of her eyelashes, the slope of her breasts as she stood in profile against the glass. Nope, he thought. I don’t think that's possible. “Of looking at what?” he asked out loud.
“The water.” She gestured toward the sea. “I can’t imagine ever getting used to how beautiful it is.”
Ian couldn’t agree with her more, but doubted they were talking about the same thing. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “Did you look upstairs? I brought bedding, but you don’t have to use it if you don't like it.”
“If it’s the same quality of the rest of this stuff, I’m sure I’ll love it.”
“Follow me. I’ll show you. If you hate it, we can go ‘shopping’ at some of my other properties and you can pick something you like better.” Ian took Juliet’s hand and pulled her up the stairs, ignoring her protests that whatever he brought would be fine. For some reason, he didn’t want her to settle for fine. He wanted her to have everything she ever wanted.
He’d taken a risk when he and James set up the bed, putting it against a wall that didn’t really make sense, except that it would allow her to look out and see the water.
When she walked into the room, she gasped then squealed, eliciting a sharp yap from Chopper downstairs. Ian cringed at the rattling scrabble of tiny claws trying to get traction on the hardwood floors. “How did you know?” Juliet asked him.
“Because I know everything. But help me out. Just what are we talking about right now?”
“This is exactly where I wanted to put the bed.”
“So you could see the water.” Ian tapped his head. “Not much gets past this guy.”
Juliet stared at him and swallowed hard, taking his hand in hers. “Thank you,” she said, and he couldn’t drag his eyes off her mouth. “You’ve been amazing. My knight in shining armor and all that.”
There was a moment of silence where he studied her face and she studied his and all he wanted to do was pull her into him and kiss her. Feel her breasts pressed against his chest, grab a handful of her perfect ass and squeeze. But, before he could act on his desire, he stepped back. “Like I said, we’ll see how you feel after I put you to work in the morning.”
Painting another bright smile across her face, Juliet smoothed her hair. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Lieutenant Moore.”
Ian snapped to attention and saluted her, before softening his posture and winking. “The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Lane.”
Chapter Ten
Juliet
Holy shit, that salute! When Ian snapped to attention—his body rigid and strong, face serious and attentive—it was all Juliet could do to keep from falling to pieces in front of him. She followed him downstairs, downright ogling the strong taper of his back and shoulders, wishing he didn’t have to leave. It’d been great having him around all morning, laughing, joking, and enjoying the way his muscles twitched as he hefted heavy furniture into the house with his brother. Ian lingered a moment at her front door, asked for her number, and added it to his phone.
“I'll text in the morning, when I'm on my way,” he said. “And when I say morning, I’m talking about as the sun comes up. You gonna be able to handle that?”
“I have had to get up early in the past, you know.” Juliet ran a hand through her hair and gathered it over her shoulder. “It’s not like th
is is going to be a new thing for me.”
“Okay, then.” Ian shrugged and gave her a look that said he seriously doubted she was prepared for whatever he had in store. “We’ll see how you feel about that tomorrow.” His eyes crinkled with one last smile before he headed out.
Juliet leaned against the doorframe and watched him take the stairs off the porch two at a time then hop into his fancy white truck.
Of course it was a white truck.
What knight in shining armor didn’t need a trusty white steed?
Ian backed out of the driveway, gave her a small wave and one more tight salute, then honked as he pulled away. With a sigh, Juliet straightened and closed the door before taking another look around the house she’d call home for the foreseeable future.
It was just the night before she slept in her car. And that morning, she made peace with the prospect of a few more of those nights ahead of her. And there she was, a few hours later, in a house with furniture and the most amazing view of the ocean. Just like she’d always wanted.
Had all the time she spent with Peter built up a huge blast of Karma? What was with all the good luck? From the second she encountered Bliss, things had been easy.
Not that she was complaining.
Not at all.
When Ian showed up with his brother and two trucks’ worth of furniture, their generosity shocked Juliet. Tears had pricked at the corner of her eyes and she had done her damnedest to hide them, sneaking upstairs to wash her face before changing out of her sundress so she could help.
Hours later, standing alone in the cozy living room, she started unpacking some of the knick-knacks Ian brought. “What kind of man thinks to bring stuff like this?” she asked Lulu, opening up a box of hand blown glass sculptures.
The dog clicked her way over to Juliet and peered inside, sniffing wildly.
“The best kind of man, that’s who.” Juliet lifted a sculpture of a little bird out of the box. It was beautiful, with swirls of color dancing through the glass. Something about the piece made her think of freedom. It symbolized her entire adventure.
She placed it in the middle of the coffee table so she could see it as she sat on the couch, kicked up her feet, and stared out at the ocean.
“Can you believe it, Lulu?” she asked the little dog at her feet. “Yesterday we were in New York, afraid we'd never get our life back. Hell, I was even starting to think we might actually be in danger. And now, here we are in this perfect town, in this perfect house, and I think we just met the most perfect man ever.”
Lulu turned her head to the side and cocked an ear.
“I know,” Juliet continued. “I keep telling myself the same thing. I'm not supposed to be thinking about men right now. But can you blame me? I mean, you’ve seen him. He's hot as hell, and nice on top of it. Just look what he did for us. I mean, I'm just a stranger he met at a dirty rest stop. Suddenly, he's got me set up in a house with furniture and a great view? I don’t think it’s right to judge me for getting a little wrapped up in him.”
Of course, Lulu didn’t respond.
You might be losing it, Julz. You’re having full on conversations with your dog now.
She stared at the inviting sofa and considered plopping down and relaxing for a while, but her lack of groceries, or toilet paper, or any basic human necessities seemed more pressing than her urge to kick up her feet. And, seeing as she didn’t know her way around town yet, she’d be smart to go get lost sooner rather than later, so she didn’t have to find her way home in the dark.
After taking a moment to bring in Lulu's food and doggie dishes out of the car, Juliet ran upstairs, changed out of the shorts and tank top she put on to help the boys move, and back into the white sundress. She spent a few extra minutes in front of the mirror, making sure her hair and makeup were a few points beyond acceptable in case she happened to run into Ian again.
Before she left the city, fear convinced her it would be unnerving, being in a new place, where she didn’t know her way around. Instead, as she promised Lulu she’d be back soon and hopped in the Hyundai, excitement settled over her. She was in the middle of a grand adventure and it was time to explore.
First things first, she wanted to know how to get back to where she started the day, so she did her best to backtrack, following the path Ian took that morning. She only got lost once and had to pull over to make some notes on her map, but before long she found herself back in front of Good Beginnings.
That name was more prophetic than Ellie Charles could ever have known.
Starting her day at that cafe had been a good beginning indeed.
Chapter Eleven
Juliet
Julz parked and headed into the quaint cafe, hoping for a chance to sit and study her map, maybe grab a bag of coffee if Ellie sold it by the pound.
“Back already?” Ellie asked from behind the counter. “I know this place is good, but is it really that good?”
She liked the curvy brunette. Maybe she’d take the chance to get to know her better. Maybe even lay the groundwork for a real friendship. Juliet laughed and made her way to the counter. “You better believe it’s that good. It's also currently the only place I know how to get to in Bliss. I'm spending the day mapping out the town, figuring out where all my new favorite places are going to be. Figured this was the best place to start. Plus, I could use another cup of coffee.”
Ellie grabbed a cup from the stack. “One large coffee, two creams, two sugars, right?”
“Wow.” Juliet bobbed her head. “That's impressive.”
“It’s not every day we get someone new in town.” Ellie busied herself behind the counter. “I make it my business to remember every customer's favorite order. It’s not always easy. But, when there's a new face around, it really helps. You’re distinctive, you know?”
Juliet wasn’t sure how she felt about being distinctive. Given everything she was running from, part of her wished she could just blend in, though that was probably a silly thing to wish for, in a town this small.
She glanced around the empty café, such a stark contrast from that morning. “Okay. Be honest now. Is it really true what they say about small towns?”
Ellie put a lid on Juliet's coffee and handed it over. “Depends on what they’re saying.”
She took a sip, then leaned a hip against the counter. “The whole ‘everyone in town knowing everything about everyone else in town’ thing. I guess I always assumed it was an exaggeration.”
“Oh, it’s a thing. I know more than I want to about everyone you see. And they know more than I want them to know about me.” Ellie rested her elbows on the counter and placed her chin in her hands. “So…speaking of knowing everything about everyone's business, how do you know Ian Moore?”
“We ran into each other at a rest stop last night on my way into town. My dog escaped and Ian saved her. Then gave me directions and suggested a hotel.”
Ellie smiled knowingly, then straightened and ran her hands over her curvy hips, tugging on the apron tied around her waist. “Sounds like Ian.”
“He make a habit of rescuing strange dogs as they take off running toward the beach?”
“He makes it a habit to rescue people in general. Even made his living being a hero for a while.”
“Oh yeah?” Juliet knew it was tacky to gossip with a stranger about the man who had been nothing but generous to her, but he was her favorite topic at the moment, and she couldn't bring herself to pass up the chance to learn more about him.
“Oh sure. The Moores are the wealthiest family in Bliss, like old money kind of wealthy. Ian could have been anything he wanted. Could have done anything he wanted. I mean, he's got the brains for it. He's got the body for it. And he's got the money for it. His parents just about lost it when he decided to join the Navy.”
Old money. Juliet didn’t like the sound of that at all. It conjured images of trust funds and spoiled kids, used to getting what they wanted without so much as lifting a finger. But Ian
didn’t seem spoiled…
But he did join the Navy despite his parent’s disapproval, which could indicate a rebellious streak.
Juliet wasn't interested in rich, spoiled, and rebellious. She’d just gotten rid of rich, spoiled, and rebellious.
What she was interested in was the kind of guy Ian seemed to be.
Nice.
Helpful.
Funny as hell.
And hotter than a spring day in South Carolina, apparently. Juliet studied the heat shimmering off the pavement through the front window.
“Anyway…” Ellie cleared her throat. “I'm sure you're not here to gossip about Ian Moore all day. What is it you’re looking for? As you can see,” she said, gesturing around the empty cafe, “I've got a little time on my hands right now. Maybe I can help you find what you need?”
“That sounds perfect.” Juliet smiled, eager to change the subject from the tantalizing Lieutenant Moore. “I basically need a little of everything.”
“Everything?”
“Yep. Everything. I need a job. I need groceries. I need a cheap place to get some kitchen stuff.”
“Well, I can’t help you with the job, and the way things are going, I’m not sure there will be many people who can help with that. Times are tight.”
Juliet’s stomach twisted. No jobs? Times were tight? How would she ever put down roots in Bliss if she couldn’t find employment?
She did have that envelope full of money, and as long as she didn’t go too crazy buying things, it’d support her for a couple months. But a job was a necessity.
By the time she refocused on the conversation, Ellie had moved on to telling her about the best places to get groceries and fresh produce. Julz put her worries about finding a job aside and marked the places Ellie recommended on her map.
She was only on day two of her grand new adventure and she’d covered more bases than she expected to cover in the first week.