Her Irresistible Troublemaker (A Town Named Eden Book 3)

by Parin, Sonia

  The twenty-seven year old lawyer worked sixteen-hour days and used his apartment to sleep. He had a cleaner coming in twice a week to tidy up and do his laundry. He didn’t own a fridge because he ate all his meals out. He was the last person who’d agree to the domestic task of looking after a goldfish.

  Lexie had watched in awe as Maggie had delivered her no-nonsense instructions successfully eliciting a firm promise to visit Melville once a day for the next week. Lexie suspected he’d been too afraid to say no to Maggie.

  Before leaving, they’d made a pit stop at The Monkey Bar Café for lunch, Lexie had insisted because she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Jack not replying to her text.

  The fact he hadn’t shown up at the café had sent her mind reeling with concern. What if something had happened to him? He could have fallen down the stairs and with no one else at the building site he might have been lying unconscious, drawing his last breath with no one to hold his hand. She’d been one concerned heartbeat away from rushing to his rescue. Then, she’d seen him drive by, heading away from the building, meaning he’d finished up for the day.

  She knew her mouth had gaped open because Maggie had remarked on it. Even now, she couldn’t understand her response or her thought process.

  He was a busy man.

  Sure, he’d taken time out to deliver some coffee right to her doorstep, but she reasoned some people knew how to compartmentalize. That had been her allotted time. Then he’d moved on with the rest of his day. Just because she dwelled didn’t mean the rest of the world did too. And just because she might have changed her mind about Jack didn’t mean he’d had a similar epiphany.

  She’d forced herself to finish her meal. However, a couple of hours later it still sat in her stomach feeling like a block of concrete. At least she’d put a stop to her mental rumbling, but only because she’d had something to replace it with.

  Lexie was still trying to get her head around having her sister working with her. It would be so far removed from everything she knew…

  “Isn’t this going to set you back? I know you have a career path all figured out.”

  Maggie gave a firm nod. “I’ve been climbing the ladder for so long, I haven’t had a chance to stop and refresh. This is what I want to do now. Don’t worry. I won’t leave you in the lurch. I’ve been in touch with Mason Riley and once we put our heads together, I’ll come up with a firm plan of action.”

  “Okay, I’m convinced.” She wasn’t anywhere near it, but she hadn’t ever seen Maggie so excited. Although… “Isn’t this all a bit trite for you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Lexie dug her fingers through her hair. “I write a comic strip and it’s published in a girly magazine. That makes me a nemesis to everything you stand for.”

  “You see yourself as my arch rival?”

  “Well… yeah. I’m the one who rebelled against a practical career while you went out there and conquered the world and became a high-flying CEO.”

  “I joined a company that recognized my potential and was lucky enough to be mentored by the best in the business. You, on the other hand, flew under the radar, went behind mom and dad’s back, carved out a career for yourself, on your own terms—”

  “You can’t tell them about Lulu.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s too late. If they find out now, they’re going to fixate about me not telling them.” And then they’d want to dig deeper and find out what else she’d been keeping from them.

  “Of course they will, but you have to take the punishment that fits the crime. I’m surprised you didn’t flaunt your success in their faces.”

  Lexie chortled. “That would have been cruel.”

  “And trying to bend you to their will wasn’t?”

  “Since when are you on my side?”

  “I was never against you. I… well… I never really understood you. And I’m sorry for that. Now, I want to make amends and…”

  When Maggie fell silent, Lexie glanced at her long enough to see her studying her fingers as if unsure of how much she should say. She certainly had something to say, she always did.

  “I hope you don’t feel I’m trying to ride on your coattails and preying on your success…”

  “Whoa, go easy on yourself. If anything, you’re doing me a favor. I barely scraped through my meeting with Mason. When he started talking about projections and—” she pressed her fingertips to her temple, “Ouch. See, even remembering it makes my head hurt.”

  “So you’re okay with me bulldozing my way into your life and taking over?” Maggie asked just as they hit the open country road leg of the trip.

  With the mountain ranges in view, Lexie tried to steer her thoughts away from the fact they were headed toward Eden and away from Jack.

  Maggie had come to her, clearly at a moment of crisis. She could have chosen to find some other way out of her personal dilemma, but she hadn’t.

  Maybe some things were meant to happen. And ours is not to reason why, she thought. And she’d be crazy to question reasons when presented with a win-win opportunity—a top notch CEO and a new and improved version of her sister.

  “At the risk of sounding like a pushover, I’m glad to have you on board,” she said with the sublime confidence of the innocent. What if she couldn’t handle Maggie’s pace? She was bound to set a cracking, trailblazing one.

  Lexie’s confidence didn’t get a chance to dwindle. During the following hour, Maggie rattled off her plans and ideas, requiring only a few nods and okays from Lexie.

  As they started weaving their way through the mountains, Maggie fell silent, her attention drawn to the scenery. Lexie wondered if that was her cue to prod again and find out what had driven her away from Sydney and from the job she’d devoted so much of her life to, but she decided against it. If Maggie needed to purge herself, she’d do it in her own time.

  “You’re still driving your old jeep. You need to upgrade.”

  “Only someone on a seven figure salary can make such a blithe remark. I hope you realize I can’t afford to pay you for your services.”

  “We’ll figure something out.”

  As she focused on the road, she resisted the urge to check her cell. She couldn’t expect Jack to drop everything for her. If her expectations had changed, if she wanted to explore possibilities…

  “Dam it, he blew me off,” she said under her breath.

  “Who?”

  “Oh, I’m… I’m running dialogue through my mind… out loud. Lulu’s going to be used by someone and by the time she realizes what’s happened, it’ll be too late…” Because her heart would have been beating an unrequited love tune. Okay, maybe not love. Most definitely lust.

  “If you’re going to break her heart, she should go somewhere nice to mend it. I’m thinking Paris.”

  “I’ve never been.”

  “She’ll love it. She could traipse through the marche aux puces...”

  “The what?”

  “French flea markets. They’re bursting with vintage clothes and nuggets like Dior. I spent a week in Paris attending a conference and my assistant insisted I accompany her.”

  Paris. New York. London. Stockholm…

  Maggie had been everywhere. “Tell me again why we’re going to Eden?” She caught sight of the deep swallow her sister took and could have kicked herself.

  “I’m about to start a new phase in my life and I need to be where it all started. Living in that small town helped me seed an entire life’s worth of dreams. Now… well, it’s time to re-examine my decisions. Re-charge my batteries and re-define myself.”

  No half measures, Lexie thought. No stone left unturned. Whatever had gone wrong in Sydney wouldn’t be repeated.

  “Also,” Maggie continued, “We need to tackle some loose ends. Mom and dad have to understand we’re old enough to make our own decisions and stand by them.”

  “We?”

  “I have to tell them what I’m up to.”


  “I could give you several reasons why you shouldn’t. For starters you’ll be dragging me down with you, and no matter what you say to them, they’ll go easy on you—”

  “Being their favorite won’t exempt me. We can take them on as a united front.”

  Lexie’s breath hitched. “That sounds like a war cry.”

  “Solidarity among rebels.”

  Lexie decided to offer all the support she could give, without the encouragement. That, she knew, would land her in hot water with her parents…

  “You might be surprised by some of the changes in Eden,” she said trying to shift the subject. “There’s a plan to put up some new buildings. New apartments. I heard Eddie Faydon, who by the way is getting married soon, say she’s going to offer housing solutions to the single women in Eden.”

  “Eddie Faydon is getting married?”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Lexie saw Maggie’s fingers digging into the seat.

  “Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “He’s not a local.” She searched her mind for his name. “Theo something or other. He’s from L.A. and speaks with a slight English accent.”

  “That makes sense. If you don’t catch a local by your mid twenties, you’re not likely to. Ever.”

  “Mitch looks like he’ll be next.”

  “Flirty Faydon? The guy voted most likely to break everyone’s heart? I have been away too long.”

  “Oh, and Wilbur’s no longer hanging over the fireplace at The Gloriana.”

  “No way.”

  “He’s now taking pride of place in Eddie’s restaurant.”

  Maggie slumped back on her seat. “We might have to stay longer than a week so I can let all these changes sink in.”

  Lexie’s eyes flicked down to her cell. This trip might be exactly what she needed. If she had to be honest with herself, she’d been getting ideas about Jack. Letting her mind and body wander into dangerous territory. Time to put a stop to all that nonsense. She didn’t have time for whimsical adventures. Her feet had to be firmly fixed on the ground, her focus glued to business and the success of her new venture.

  The thoughts bounced around her mind as if trying to find an exit door, but Lexie refused to let them go.

  Jack would make a lovely friend.

  You’re welcome.

  “Do you want me to get that for you?” Maggie asked.

  Before she could answer, another message came through.

  Let’s have dinner. As a thanks for last night.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “We’ve been calling you for the past couple of days. Why haven’t you picked up?”

  Jack stood aside and waved Mason and Steph in. “Survival instincts. I thought it’d be safer to cut myself off from everyone.” It had been two days since Lexie had left town, and he still didn’t feel like talking to anyone else. “You missed me?”

  “You owe us both big time. We fended off a barrage of displeasure. Dad’s on the warpath because you left the function early on Saturday and you turned down his invitation to Sunday lunch.”

  “I had my cell phone switched off, so I missed it.” Right along with Lexie’s thank you for the coffee text. He remembered he’d rushed out of the building site to meet up with a garden designer and brainstorm an idea—a solution to the ruined view; one he hoped would make Lexie happy. “Besides, he made his bed. There’s no way he’s dragging me in with him. And if he asks why I’m turning down his invitations, feel free to tell him I’d rather jump off a bridge. No way am I being set up again. He’s married to Madeline. That means Juliette is now part of the package deal.”

  He was done tiptoeing around people’s sensitivities. Playing that game had pushed him to fake a relationship. He’d wanted to keep his life simple and in the process, he’d only ended up complicating it…

  “We’ve been through this. You can’t disown him.”

  “He’s still on my Christmas mailing list.”

  “Okay, this is worse than I feared. I’m going out for supplies. It looks like it’s going to be a long night and we’ll need more than a six-pack to work through this.” Mason drew his car keys out of his pocket. “Steph, you stay and keep an eye on him. Make sure he stays away from the balcony ledge.”

  “What the hell’s he talking about?” Jack asked Steph.

  “I don’t know. I thought I was going off the rails, but you two seem to be beating me to it.” Steph slumped down on the sofa. “He’s got girl problems. You’ve got girl problems and I have a client who won’t stop looking over my shoulder.”

  Jack strode over to the kitchen to get a couple of beers. “And you both decided to come here because misery likes company?”

  “At least you’re owning up to the fact.”

  “I’m not miserable.” And he didn’t have girl problems. He’d become accustomed to seeing Lexie every day and now that she’d left…

  He’d use the time to take a few steps back and reappraise the situation...

  Steph shook her head. “We know Lexie’s gone. I called her—”

  “That’s right. You added her to your phone tree. We’re like our own version of a black hole, forever sucking people into our lives.” Jack handed Steph a beer and sank down on the sofa next to her.

  “I prefer to think of it as an expanding universe. And, I like her. We all do. Which begs the question—”

  He lifted a halting hand. “Don’t go there.”

  “You two are great together. I don’t understand what’s holding you back.”

  Everything was always great at the start and then… Rose tinted glasses came off and… People changed. “You’re not going to let this go.”

  She gave a brisk shake of her head.

  Jack sighed. “She’s not interested in a relationship.” And that should make stepping back that much easier.

  “Says you.”

  “Says Lexie.”

  “That’s how much you know.”

  “Is that girl code for ‘men, can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”

  “No, it’s more like ‘what men think they know, and what they actually know is but a drop in the ocean’. Let me enlighten you,” she said and drew out a magazine from her handbag.

  * * *

  “I say we tell them tonight.”

  Lexie shook her head. “Let them enjoy life as they know it for a little longer. They look so happy to see you.”

  Maggie sighed. “We should have told them last night. The longer we delay this—”

  “The harder it will be for them to stay angry. Mom and dad haven’t seen you in so long, they’re on a natural high. We have to exploit that. The better they feel, and I say this from experience, the easier it’ll be for them to forgive you.” Lexie rummaged through her small suitcase and pulled out her suede jacket. “We’ll have dinner at the pub, pretend everything is as it should be. When the excitement of seeing you settles down, they’ll start wondering how long they can hope to keep you here, and then they’ll start asking questions, from general to specific, and when they do, you can work your magic. Sell them the idea, make them believe us working together is something they wished they’d thought of first. I’ll support you all the way, but…” she turned to Maggie and put her hands on her hips. “I will not take the blame for this. I can’t. Please don’t make me.”

  Maggie gave her a small smile. “You need to work on your assertive skills. Your voice quivered at the end. And being polite about it takes away the edge.”

  “You want me to awaken the killer instinct in me?”

  “Just be more decisive.”

  “Are you girls ready?” their mother called out, “Your father said to be out in the car in two minutes. You know how he hates to be kept waiting.”

  They looked at each other and mouthed, “As ready as we’ll ever be.”

  “Are we going to high-five this?” Maggie whispered.

  “Is that something you’ve always wanted to do?”

  Maggie shrugged. �
��At least once in my life. I’ve been working on a list.” She scooped in a breath. “Forget it. It won’t be spontaneous now.” Maggie dropped her chin and then looked up. “I’ll settle for a hug.”

  Lexie opened her arms.

  “Have you noticed how Mom hasn’t changed a thing in our rooms?” Maggie asked, “Do you think she’s trying to hold on to our childhood?”

  “She’s too practical to be nostalgic. Maybe she hasn’t had time.”

  “I’ve just noticed your book collection is better than mine.”

  Lexie nodded. “Every time I come here for a visit I re-read Enid Blyton and Georgette Heyer.”

  “I’m not surprised we turned out the way we did. Your shelves are stacked with fun reads while mine are full of biographies of the great leaders of the world.”

  Lexie patted her on the back. “It makes me wonder. Maybe we were a social experiment.”

  “That would never occur to me. I feel I’ve been deprived of my creativity.”

  “Don’t worry. You’re getting your revenge with Lulu McGee.” Lexie drew out her cell to check her messages. Jack’s dinner invitation had sent her on a soaring high. Declining the invitation had been like pulling the rug from right under herself.

  If they’d delayed leaving another day…

  Let it go, Lexie.

  “Okay, let’s do this.”

  * * *

  “Right, I’ve got the pizza and the beer. We’re all set,” Mason said as he strode back into Jack’s apartment.

  Jack held up a copy of Girl About Town. “Did you know about this?”

  Mason’s gaze jumped to Steph.

  “No. Don’t look at her. Look at me and answer the question.”

  Mason shrugged. “I’m acquainted with the magazine.”

  “And its contents? Specifically, one unruly, bouncy haired, troublemaker named Lulu McGee.”

  Mason laughed. “She’s a little devil in an angelic sort of way.”