Just as she greeted them good morning, a shiny red two-door car pulled up and parked next to the truck. The driver’s door opened, and Matthew Talbot stepped out and shot her a dimpled grin.
Anna’s throat went dry. What’s he doing here? You can’t tell me he’s helping with the barn too!
“Hi, Matthew.” Katie waved him over to the group. “You’re right on time. This is our niece, Violet. Lucky for us, she’s homeschooled and has her mornings free to help.”
“And I wanted some extra cash,” Violet added.
“Yes, a bit of payment helped entice her to join us,” Katie said. “Anyways, I think you met Anna yesterday in the kitchen.” She gestured to her husband. “Rodger is about to go over our game plan.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. Anna moved to the rear of the truck, standing as far from Matthew as possible. He tried to catch her eye, but she focused her attention on Rodger.
Katie’s husband ambled to the barn door and leaned against the frame. “As you can see, it doesn’t need any structural work. It was gutted about ten years ago to store hay in the winter, but we cleared it out last spring and built that pole shed by the stable to use instead.” He gripped the metal handle of the sliding door and heaved it to the side. The rusty rails groaned in protest, but Rodger gave the door a good shake and another pull, and it rolled open just wide enough for a person to walk through.
Katie cleared her throat. “A new door is on the list.”
Rodger peeked through it, frowning. “Yep. I’ve already ordered the parts from Beth Dawson,” he said, referring to the owner of a hardware store in town. He waved his hand at the dust motes that floated in the beam of light in the entryway. “We’ve got some heaters coming next week to install too, but first up, the whole barn needs a cleaning. A good one. There’s some old milking equipment in the back room that needs to go too.”
Anna let out a breath, making a note to suggest they split into teams to tackle the chores. Girls versus guys. There’s no way I can work alone with him. Her stomach roiled at the thought of working closely with Mr. Pompous Editor, as her sister had dubbed him.
She snuck a sideways glance at him, and he gave her an easy smile. With his navy-blue hooded sweatshirt and Canucks ball cap, he didn’t look so pompous today. But he hadn’t at first yesterday, either.
“Well,” Katie put a hand on her hip, “it sounds like you’ve got everything covered, Rog. I better take off. I have a bride and her mother coming for a tour of our venue in a few minutes.” She gave the barn an appraising look. “Maybe they’ll see the potential in this place for the wedding reception. Once it’s cleaned up, it’ll be better than a tent.”
They said goodbye, and Katie started across the field toward the driveway that led to the inn. Anna had no idea how her boss managed to walk so gracefully across the soft pasture in her high heels. She scuffed the toe of her sneaker in the dirt, grateful she didn’t have a job that required dress shoes and suits.
Violet straightened one of the straps of her denim overalls, then made her way around the vehicle and peered over the tailgate. “Well, let’s see what we have for supplies.”
Rodger rejoined them, then dug the keys from his pocket and tossed them toward Anna.
“Oh!” She fumbled, but managed to catch them with the tips of her fingers. “What are these for?”
Rodger hooked a thumb in the direction of the building. “It’s dustier than a John Wayne movie in there. If we’re sweeping out floors and rafters, we’re going to need masks.” He nodded toward Katie, who strode purposefully up the driveway toward the inn. “I’m not quite as organized as my wife.”
Violet leaned over the side of the truck box and began to rummage through the contents. “Better add garbage bags and another good broom to the list. Uncle Rodger, I thought Tad would have helped you get everything ready.”
“You want me to run into town?” Anna asked, gripping the bottle-cap keychain. She peered in the passenger window. Sure enough, a gear lever stood out in front of the bench seat. “I can’t drive a standard.”
Matthew stepped forward with an eager look on his face. “I can do it. I’ve been driving stick forever. Dad made us kids learn how.”
“Bill’s a smart man.” Rodger nodded as he slid his wallet from his back pocket. He opened it and pulled out a credit card, then handed it to Anna. “You go with him and handle the money. It’s a company card, so be sure to bring the receipt.”
Anna tried to return the card to him. “Why don’t you go with him? Violet and I can get started cleaning out the old equipment.” Please!
Rodger waved her off. “Nah, you better go. There’s an old milk tank and some pipes in there that’ll be too heavy for you girls alone.” He joined Violet at the back of the truck and gave her a fatherly tap with his fist on her shoulder. “We’ll get going on it. Head into Beth’s, she’ll give you a better deal than the big box store.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Matthew said with an all-too-lofty smile. “Need anything else?”
“See anything to add to the list, Violet?” Rodger asked.
By now, Violet had already unloaded the sparse amount of supplies Rodger had brought and set them on the ground—two big brooms and a milk crate filled with cleaners and tools. She put her hands on her hips, looking even more like Katie than before. “I think we’re set. Before we need paint, anyways.”
Anna relented and put the card in her vest pocket, then handed Matthew the keys with a sinking heart. Great. Just awesome. So much for not being alone with the guy who dashed my dreams.
Matthew jangled the keys cheerfully. “Alright. We won’t be long.” He motioned to Anna. “Coming?”
Anna gritted her teeth, trying to ease her racing pulse. “Yeah,” she turned to Rodger and Violet. “See you in a bit.”
“See you later.” Rodger gave them a wave. “Don’t forget those masks.”
“We won’t.” Matthew hopped into the driver’s seat and turned on the Chev’s engine with the rumble only a worn-out old truck could have.
Anna sucked in a breath, then opened the passenger door and climbed inside. Matthew revved the engine playfully. She pressed her lips together and flicked on the radio, hoping to avoid any small talk on the drive to town.
Chapter Five
Matthew cringed at the peppy pop song playing over the radio, then stole a sideways glance at Anna. She sat pressed against the side door as if ready to bail out of the truck at any second. He scratched his chin, wondering what happened to the friendly demeanor she’d had when he first met her the day before.
“Mind if I change the station?”
She shifted, looking uncomfortable, and gestured at the radio. “Go ahead.”
He turned the dial to a local rock station, changing the all-too-cheerful song to a familiar hard beat. He shot Anna a grin. “Much better! Are you okay with this? What kind of music do you like?”
She shrugged. “I’m fine with whatever.”
Okay. Not so talkative today.
They reached the end of the driveway, and he turned the truck onto the gravel road and shifted gears. He had to admit, driving the old Chev was fun. He hadn’t driven a truck like this for years. And the quiet country roads were almost therapeutic compared to the busy streets in Toronto, surrounded by honking horns and aggressive morning commuters. It reminded him of his childhood, bouncing around in his dad’s truck or cruising as a teen with Owen and Ryan in Owen’s old Chevy Sprint.
The song ended and a commercial promoting Cedar Lake’s tree lighting came on. Matthew cleared this throat. “That barn doesn’t look like much now, does it? But I think once we spruce it up, it’ll be pretty nice. My mom is the town’s event planner—”
“I know,” Anna said, staring out the window. “Madison told me.”
“Oh, yeah. You two are friends, right? She told me your name’s Anna. We never had a proper introduction the other day.”
She nodded, keeping her gaze on the fall foliage out the window.<
br />
What is with this girl? I haven’t had this cold of a reception since I almost forgot the carrots for the Johnsons last week. That scowl on Marshal’s face when he checked the boxes—he shook his head.
If Anna and I are going to work together, this ice needs to thaw. “So, Madison said you like books, and you’re a writer? Me too. Well, I’m an editor.” He paused. “In my real career, I mean. This is temporary, until I find another job.”
Anna picked at a loose thread on her vest pocket. “Um. Yeah, I guess I like reading.”
“What genres do you like?”
“Oh, you know. A bit of everything.”
A hint of irritation rolled through Matthew, but he pushed it down. They were silent for a moment, an AC/DC song thundering over the speakers, and he cranked off the radio. “Did I do something to offend you? When I was at the inn yesterday with Marshal, you ran out of that kitchen faster than a cat on a mouse.”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “N—no. I just don’t know you.”
“Are you always this uptight with new people? Because at first, when I was playing with the dogs, you didn’t seem so shy.”
Her cheeks grew pink, and she pushed her glasses up her nose. “It’s weird, isn’t it? The whole book thing.”
“What whole book thing?” He thought of what Madison said about Anna’s book deal getting canceled. She can’t be a Raven Stone author. That’s crazy. But the way she looked at him with those big brown eyes, as if he were the one who destroyed her world . . . “You—you’re not associated with Raven Stone Press, are you?”
She swallowed and dipped her chin. “Madison didn’t tell you?”
“She didn’t say you were with Raven Stone.” He bit back a groan. What are the odds of two people with the same press in Toronto being from the same small town in southern BC? He held his tongue, his mind reeling. Okay. This isn’t a big deal. It’s just business. But how did she— “You overheard me talking to Tad yesterday, didn’t you? About it being my job to help pick which books to cut? That’s why you left.”
Anna’s cheeks grew even redder, and she nodded again. If she sank any further into that seat, she would disappear between the cushions.
“Okay,” he said, thinking back to his conversation with Tad. Maybe the way he’d said things had been a bit cruel. But he never thought that one of the authors could be standing right behind him. “I’m sorry if I came off as a jerk. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know you were involved.”
Her brows knit together. He could have sworn her eyes were glistening with angry tears.
Panic rose inside him. Is she gonna cry? No, dude, fix this. Fix it now.
“Look, Anna,” he said, trying to make his words sound soothing. “It wasn’t personal. That’s just business. Authors lose contracts all the time.”
She lifted her chin, her tears replaced by angry defiance. “Just business? It’s not just business for writers. Do you know how hard it is to even get an agent?”
His chest hitched. He wasn’t sure if it was from the way she looked, sitting there staring at him through those long lashes, or from the guilt that rose inside him. “Yes, but—”
“And then to land a book deal? It takes years!” She crossed her arms, but her scowl melted and she bit her lip.
“Okay,” he said, his throat tight as he forced his gaze away from her and back to the road. “I know how hard it is. I’m sorry if I sound flippant—”
“Flippant? It sounded like you enjoyed dashing people’s dreams.”
“What? No,” Matthew stammered. Get a hold of yourself, man. She’s not the first beautiful woman to get mad at you, and she won’t be the last. “That’s not true.”
The truck jolted over a washed-out section of the road, bouncing both him and Anna from their seats. After righting himself, he tugged his jacket straight. “Sorry. I should have slowed down.”
She pressed her lips firmly together and readjusted her seatbelt.
They approached the highway in silence, and he shifted gears to roll the truck to a stop at the intersection. “I didn’t enjoy making those cuts. And I’m not usually in charge of acquisitions. I only did line edits there.” He put the truck in neutral and twisted in his seat to look at her. “Ahmed had a job lined up with another press, but he could only take five books with him. My boss had me help him go through the manuscripts. A lot of the books we’d already acquired didn’t make it. Yours isn’t the only one.”
She scowled. “I know it wasn’t. You let a dozen of us go.”
He pushed back the brim of his ball cap and rubbed his forehead. “Look, you can hate me if you want. But it wasn’t personal. I didn’t even read your book, only the proposal. I don’t even know which one it was.”
Her shoulders relaxed as she leaned against the seat and crossed her legs. “Okay. I get it. It was just business. But you sounded so darn smug about it.”
“Smug?” He raised his brows, letting his gaze linger on her bowlike lips. “I’m not smug about anything. It’s not fun knowing that I’m partly responsible for crushing all those authors’ dreams—your dreams.” He paused. “Besides, it’s not like I was expecting to run into one of you in Cedar Lake. What are the odds?”
She took a deep breath, then tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Technically, I’m from Calgary. I moved here in July.” She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “But that’s not the point. You’re right. It is weird. When I heard you talking to Tad—well, that’s why I’ve been uncomfortable.”
“Fair enough,” he replied. “But if we’re going to work together, I think we should try to get along. We don’t have to talk about the book stuff. Truce?” he held out his hand for her to shake.
She eyed his fingers as if they might bite her, but then a slight smile crossed her face. She placed her smooth hand in his and shook it. “Alright. Truce.”
He dropped their handshake and shifted the truck into gear, then looked down the road for oncoming traffic. “So, what kind of music do you really like?”
Anna tilted her head. He pulled onto the highway, and she leaned forward to play with the dial on the radio. “Definitely not metal.”
“I figured.” He chuckled as she turned the dial back to the pop station. A man’s throaty croon floated from the speakers. “Ed Sheeran? Really?”
She smirked and leaned back in her seat. “Did we agree to a truce or not?”
“Right.” He gave her an exaggerated eye roll, and she laughed. He liked the way it sounded, as if she had at least partially lowered the drawbridge of the fortress around her.
For a moment, he admired the flush of her cheeks and the way her glasses sat crooked on the bridge of her nose. As if reading his mind, she caught his eye and pushed them higher.
He averted his gaze to the road in front of them, relieved they’d worked things out. At least, sort of. He’d never dealt with a jilted author before. As a line editor, he’d never had a say in any of the contracts. At least, not until Raven Stone’s closure. He hadn’t given much thought about the people whose dreams he’d helped ruin. He’d told himself exactly what he had told Anna—it was the way things worked in the publishing business.
But now that he was faced with seeing another person hurt by the company’s closure, he wasn’t sure how to deal with it. The pain on her face had been apparent—and he hated that he’d been one to cause it. He racked his brain, trying to remember which manuscript had been hers. Maybe he’d been too quick to judge.
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, wondering if he should say more. Maybe he could offer to help fix her manuscript and shop it around, but the thought of it made his stomach queasy. The urge to say something to make her like him pulsed strongly within him. And nothing good could come from that.
No, it’s better to leave it alone. He shifted the truck into a higher gear, then stole another glance at Anna from the corner of his eye. She caught his gaze and her lips curved with a small smile, causing his pulse to quicken. He swallowed. S
eeing her every day for the next few weeks is going to be weird enough.
Chapter Six
Anna slid the tray of dishes into the Starlight Inn’s dishwasher, closed the door, and hit start. Her back stiffened as she straightened, every muscle aching with fatigue. With a sigh, she slipped off her rubber gloves and lay them on the counter. Through the window above the sink, the stars shone brightly in the dark sky. A perfect night to set up my laptop and get lost in a fairy world.
Tad came out of the walk-in pantry with two loaves of bread. He shoved aside the fruit bowl on the kitchen island and placed the bread next to it. Dinner had ended a couple of hours ago, and they’d just finished cleaning the kitchen. Sophie had gone to Katie’s office to discuss the menu for the community dance.
Tad covered his mouth with a yawn, then gave Anna a sympathetic look. “How are you doing, champ? You had a long day—sweeping an entire desert from that barn, and then your shift in here. You must be beat.”
Anna stretched her arms above her head and let out an appreciative groan. “I’m alright. Tired, but it’s only for a few weeks.”
By the time lunch had hit, she’d been coated with grime and dust. She’d had to rush home to shower and change before returning to work in the kitchen. There’d been no time for a proper break, and she hadn’t spent this many hours on her feet in years. She longed to go home and curl up on her couch with Monty and her laptop. She had a fae world to rebuild, and several hours of sweeping a rough wooden floor had given her plenty of time to reconstruct it in her head. I need to tone down the violence in that battle scene. Maybe I should talk to Clarissa about what’s appropriate for teens—
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