by SJ McCoy
“Can I get you a drink or anything before we get started?”
He looked up at her. She was beautiful. Her eyes were a light brown color and they seemed to dance when she smiled. She was smiling at him now, waiting for him to answer. He cleared his throat. He wanted to ask if he could get her a drink instead—take her out for one. He shook his head. “I’m fine, thanks.”
The phone rang, and she held up a finger. “Sorry. I’ll be right back.”
He didn’t mind. He was glad to be given a minute to pull himself together. He prided himself on being able to handle any situation he was thrown into. He was quick to see and implement the necessary course of action and he always came out on top. He clenched his jaw when he saw Teresa bend over the desk to write something down. He shouldn’t start thinking about coming out on top. What had gotten into him, anyway?
She caught his gaze in the mirror as she came back to him. “Sorry about that. And you’re sure I can’t get you a drink?”
He held her gaze, considering again whether he should ask if he could get her one once they were finished here. No. He wasn’t one to be moved by a pretty face—or an attractive figure. He forced himself not to let his gaze travel over her again—he already knew how attractive hers was. But women tended to irritate him. If he still found her as appealing by the time they were finished here, he’d allow himself to reconsider asking her out. “No.”
She stood behind him and ran her fingers through his hair. He had to grip the arms of the chair—glad for the cover that the gown provided, so that she couldn’t see him grasping the metal frame.
“So, just a trim?”
He nodded at her in the mirror and didn’t let out his breath until she stepped away to get her scissors.
She worked in silence for a few minutes, which surprised him. In his experience, women tended to chatter away mercilessly. He frowned as he realized that he’d expected her to be that way just because she worked in a hair salon. That wasn’t good. Not only was he buying into a stereotype, but it left no room or curiosity to find out who she might actually be.
He watched her work for another few moments. She was quick and efficient, obviously talented at what she did.
She glanced up and met his gaze in the mirror, and he was surprised to see himself smile. He couldn’t help it. He tightened his grip on the arms of the chair again when she smiled back.
“Don’t look so worried. I’m not going to talk your ear off. I’ve been doing this long enough that I have a good sense of what you need.”
“Need?” He raised an eyebrow at her. He doubted her sense was so good that she could tell what he needed right now.
“Yeah. You need quiet. Sometimes, people need a listening ear. Sometimes, they need a chat and to catch up on all the gossip in town. Sometimes, they want me to ramble on about nothing in particular.” She shrugged and brushed her fingers over the back of his neck, sending electric currents shooting down his spine. “You need quiet.” She smiled. “And you need to get out of here as quickly as possible, right?”
He smiled through pursed lips. “You’re good. But you’re not completely right.”
She raised an eyebrow as she continued working. “What did I miss?”
“You didn’t miss a thing. When I first walked in here, I would have said that you were spot on. I don’t do chit-chat and I wanted to be in and out as quickly as possible.”
“But?”
“But now I’m in less of a hurry to leave—and I’m enjoying talking to you.”
She straightened up and came to stand behind him. He wondered if he’d blown it. It wasn’t like him to talk to a woman like that. He was relieved when she smiled.
“Well, in that case. Do you want to talk some more? Tell me where you’re from, what you’re doing here? I’m curious, but I thought I knew better than to ask.”
He smiled back at her. He should ask her out. Not only was she beautiful, she was smart, too. “I’m from Minnesota …” What the hell, why not? “Would you have any interest in going for a drink with me later?” The phone started to ring again, but she ignored it, so Cal tried to as well and continued, “I’m curious about you, too …”
“Sorry, Mom, can you get that?”
He’d hoped that the blonde girl who’d just finished with another customer and gone into the back would answer it. Teresa gave him a rueful smile. “Hold that thought. I won’t be a minute.”
As he watched her go back to the desk, he was ninety percent certain that when she returned, she’d say yes. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he glanced over at Teresa. He’d have time to check his messages before she returned.
He smiled when he saw Darla’s name pop up.
Darla: How are you liking California, big brother?
He checked on Teresa again, she’d sat down at the desk and was looking at the computer. He’d have time to answer.
Cal: So far, so good. How are you and the kids?
Darla: We’re all good. We miss you though. They keep asking when you’ll be coming back.
Teresa was hanging up and coming back to him.
Cal: I’m busy right now. Tell the kids I’ll be home when I can.
Darla: Will do. Call when you get a chance. Love you. Miss you.
Cal rolled his eyes. He knew she’d want him to say it back.
Cal: Love you and miss you, too, Darl.
He finished typing and hit send as he braced himself for the feel of Teresa’s fingers on his neck again as she stood behind him. He looked up in surprise when the comb raked none too gently through his hair. Her whole demeanor had changed. He tried to catch her gaze in the mirror, but she avoided him. Perhaps the phone call was bad news? It hadn’t looked that way. He’d have guessed she was simply taking an appointment.
“Is everything okay?” He had to ask.
She nodded curtly. “Yep. We’ll have you done and out of here in just a few more minutes.”
Hmm. He didn’t think he’d been wrong about her interest in him. It’d been a while since he’d played the dating game, but he’d have sworn she was attracted to him.
She worked on silently and true to her word, just a few minutes later, she stood back. “How’s that? Do you want me to run the clippers?”
He gave her a puzzled look, but she didn’t meet his gaze. He’d thought it was standard procedure to run the clippers over his neck before the cut was considered finished. She was giving off weird antagonistic vibes, though. “That’s fine, thanks.” He got to his feet, unsure what had changed, but very sure about the fact that it was time for him to make a quick exit. “What do I owe you?”
She stalked away to the desk, and he removed the gown himself before following her. The girl who’d called her Mom came out from the back and shot him a smile. He didn’t smile back. He didn’t know what was going on, only that he’d be better off getting out of here.
“That’ll be twenty-five.” Teresa didn’t even look up at him as she said it.
Cal couldn’t for the life of him figure out what was going on. He took two twenties from his wallet and set them down on the counter. “That’s fine,” he said when she started to make change.
“Thank you.”
He stood there for a moment longer. Every instinct told him he should turn around and walk out and never look back. This was the kind of thing that women did—and he never understood. It didn’t usually bother him. He’d accepted a long time ago that he was so far out of sync with the female psyche that it wasn’t worth him even trying to understand. But … he looked her over again ... she made him want to try.
“I take it you’re not interested in that drink with me?”
“Pft!”
He stepped back at the contempt loaded into that little sound. It made her answer quite clear, even if it left him befuddled as to her reasons for it.
“Okay, then.” He turned on his heel and left.
~ ~ ~
Teresa’s shoulders
sagged as she watched him go. Even his rear view was gorgeous—that might be the best ass she’d ever seen on a man.
“Mom!” Elle came hurrying to her. “What the heck? What happened? I thought I was witnessing the beginning of a beautiful friendship there. I heard him ask you out. He’s hot—for an older guy. What changed?”
Teresa let out a little laugh as she shook her head. “He is hot, but I’d guess his wife thinks so, too.”
“His wife?” Elle looked shocked.
“Yeah. He was texting her while I took that call. I could see his phone when I went back to him.”
“Are you sure it was his wife? How could you tell?”
“Well, even if she’s not his wife, she’s someone he calls darling. He told her to tell the kids he’d be home when he could, and he said, love you and miss you, too. Wife or not, I doubt she’d be happy to know that he’d just asked me out for a drink.”
“Ugh! Men.” Elle made a face. “They’re all the same, aren’t they? No matter what age.”
Teresa felt bad. Elle’s boyfriend had cheated on her and dumped her and little Skye. That was why they were back here at the lake. “No, sweetheart, they’re not all like that, but …” She blew out a sigh. “Don’t give up on them. Just be careful.”
“No. I’ve given up. They’re more trouble than they’re worth.”
“Not all of them. Just look at Nina’s daughter, Abbie. She had a rough go down in the city, just like you did. Then she came home and met Ivan; he’s wonderful.”
“He is, but … you know I don’t really want to stay, Mom. And even if I did, I doubt I’d get as lucky as Abbie did. It’s different. I have Skye. I should give up on men until she’s grown up. I don’t want her to—” She stopped short and Teresa’s stomach sank, wondering if Elle had been about to say that she didn’t want her daughter to follow in their footsteps.
Elle touched her hand. “I felt bad asking you to get the phone when he was asking you out like that. Now, I’m glad I couldn’t get it, or you would have gone out with him, wouldn’t you?”
Teresa nodded sadly. “Yeah. He was a good-looking guy and he seemed nice.”
“You should go out with Nina and Manny tonight. You might meet another good-looking guy—a single, decent one.”
Teresa laughed. “I’m not looking for a guy, Elle. You know that.”
“Yeah, but you should go anyway. You haven’t been out once since we came home. It’d do you good.”
“You might be right. First though, I need to run to the grocery store, and then I might stop in and see Austin on the way home.”
Elle gave her a stern look. “I’ve told you. I don’t want you kicking any of your tenants out to give me a place. I’ll find something myself … if I stay.”
“I know. I wouldn’t kick them out. In fact, that’s not what I want to talk to him about anyway. I heard that the Marshalls want to sell their place and I wouldn’t mind buying it.”
“I love that you’ve turned into this property tycoon. It’s awesome. I’m so proud of you, Mom.”
Teresa’s heart filled up and overflowed. To hear her daughter say she was proud of her was the best feeling in the world.
~ ~ ~
Cal stopped at the house before he went to the grocery store. He’d told Teresa that he didn’t like to do his own hair, and that was true. But he did have clippers, and he wouldn’t feel finished until he used them. He let out a short, humorless laugh as he ran up the stairs. He’d need to get used to using them, anyway. He didn’t plan on going back to the salon any time soon.
When he was finished, he went back down to the kitchen and took inventory of the contents of the fridge and the cabinets. He wanted to stock up so that he wouldn’t be tempted to stop at the restaurant in the resort for takeout every night. This wasn’t just an assignment; he planned to be here long-term, so he should make it feel like a home.
Ten minutes later, he was pulling up in the parking lot of the grocery store. He started to get out of his SUV but stopped and pulled the door closed when he saw Teresa walking toward him. He held his breath wondering if he should call to her and ask her what the problem had been earlier. No. Ducking back into the car had been his first instinct, he should roll with it. First instincts were the ones that kept you alive. He smiled to himself. That might be a bit over-the-top, she was hardly likely to kill him. But he didn’t want to risk tangling with her again. She was a beautiful woman, a very attractive woman, the tightness in the front of his pants verified that. But as much as he liked beautiful, he didn’t need it. He needed a quiet, drama-free life. So, he waited for her to pass. He wondered if he should wait here until she returned to her vehicle, that way he’d be assured of not running into her inside the store. No. He watched her enter the building. He was a covert ops specialist. He might not have been in the field for years, but he had faith in his ability to negotiate the aisles of the grocery store without running into her.
He was in and out and back to the house within twenty minutes. Once he’d put the groceries away, he checked his watch. He still had plenty of time to kill before he met up with the guys. He looked around the house. There was nothing much that needed to be done. He didn’t like the place and he didn’t think he’d be staying, so there was no point in attempting to make it feel lived in. It would be just one more temporary post. He smiled. But this time, he’d be using it as a base while he looked for the place that would become home. And that thought gave him an idea: Austin, the realtor who’d found him this place had said he’d be happy to help him search when he was ready to buy. He wasn’t sure he was ready yet, but it’d do no harm to check the listings, see what was available. He could do that online of course. But just for the sake of not sitting here, watching the time tick by, he could pay Austin a visit and get some intel on the market.
He parked on Main Street, a few doors down from the realtor’s office. When he reached it, he spent a few minutes looking at the listings in the window. He liked that Austin displayed a little of everything right out front. Sure, there were big waterfront homes, and the modern new-builds over on the other side of the lake, but there were also pictures of smaller, modest homes right here in town, too.
He pushed his hands into his pockets as he read the details beneath a photo of a super-modern looking place which stood right by the water. The address was Four Mile Creek; that was the development over on the other side of the lake where Manny was buying a place with Nina. Cal wondered what it’d be like to have them as neighbors. He smiled at the thought and went to push the door open.
He stopped dead when he saw Teresa inside, glaring at him.
Austin shot her a puzzled look before greeting him. “Hi, Cal. I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”
Teresa scowled. “That’s okay Austin. I’m leaving.” She came to the door, fixing Cal with an angry look the whole way.
He stepped aside and held it open for her.
“Stop following me!” She spoke in a low voice as she passed him.
Once she’d gone, Austin raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you two know each other?”
Cal shook his head. He was still trying to get a lid on his reaction to her. While his mind reacted angrily and wanted to set her straight that he wasn’t following her—that he’d gladly stay the hell out of her way—his body felt as though it had come to life again in her presence and wanted nothing more than to do exactly what she’d just told him not to.
“No.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “She cut my hair this afternoon. She … I … I ran into her at the grocery store a little while ago.” He shrugged. “I guess seeing me here, too, made her think … it must seem … three times in one afternoon?” He shrugged again. “I guess I can see it.”
Austin nodded. “I guess. But it’s a small town. Teresa knows what it’s like, we all run into each other all the time. Anyway, that’s not what you’re here for. What can I do?”
Cal forced himself to focus on
what he was here for. “I’m ready to start looking. I wanted to pick your brain about what the market’s like.”
Austin nodded, but Cal could tell he wasn’t thrilled. He shot a glance at the clock on the wall. It was almost five-thirty. Damn. He should have thought. Just because time didn’t hold much meaning for him when he was working didn’t mean that Austin would feel the same way. “What time do you close?”
“It’s okay.”
Cal fixed him with a stern look. “What time do you close?”
Austin laughed. “Five.”
Cal laughed with him. “So, you’re already late. Forget it. I can look at your website.”
“I don’t mind. I just need to call Amber and let her know …”
“No.”
Austin laughed. “Wow. I bet no one ever argues with you when you talk like that, do they?”
Cal shrugged. He didn’t like to spell out that no, not many people did. He was used to giving orders and used to them being followed—and it was a habit he was trying to get out of now that he was retired. It came in handy sometimes, though. “Do you have the details on the place at Four Mile Creek? I’ll take those for now and you can call me on Monday to set something up.”
“Sure. Which one …”
“The one on the water.”
Austin smiled and pulled out a brochure.
Cal nodded when he saw the photo on the front. “That’s the one. Is it open for showings?”
“It is. I’m out of the office next week, but I can …”
“I can wait. I’m not in a hurry.”
“I was going to say I can ask Dallas, my brother, to set it up for you.”
Cal frowned. His sister-in-law was a realtor, and it was his understanding that they clung to every potential sale—they didn’t hand buyers over to other agents, there was too much commission at stake. “It’s okay. I can wait for you.”