Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at that smile—when was the last time she’d had butterflies?—and she was certain she was smiling back like the fool she was, but damned if she could stop it. “Holly.”
If possible, his smile grew even brighter. “Nice to meet you, Holly.” Then he turned around and walked toward his house.
Holly turned the doorknob to go back inside, her eyes on still on him, only vaguely aware that the door wasn’t opening. She pushed harder, her shoulder banging into the wood. What the—? She tried to turn the knob before the truth hit her: she had locked herself out.
Kevin stopped at the bottom of his steps and looked back at her and smiled.
She gave him a small wave, her mind reeling. No need to panic. She’d just walk around and go through the back door.
Oh, shit. She’d locked the back door when she’d gone in, worried about the car break-ins.
Now what should she do? She considered calling Melanie, but Holly’s phone was inside. For one brief moment she thought about asking to borrow Kevin’s, but she quickly dismissed the idea. She’d already looked enough like a fool. No need to add more evidence. Besides, it was pointless. Melanie wouldn’t be able to come until she took her break in another hour or two.
Although Holly knew it was probably a long shot, she set the casserole dish on the porch and checked under the flowerpot on the top step of the porch. It was their usual hiding place for the spare house key, but Melanie had used it a couple of weeks ago, and Holly was fairly certain she hadn’t replaced it. Sure enough, the only thing Holly found under the clay pot was an earthworm.
That left the dining room window. The lock had been broken for months, and she and Melanie had never gotten it fixed. Now she just had to climb through it.
Granted, it had been a few years—or fifteen—since she’d tried crawling through the window, but it had worked the last time she and Melanie had locked themselves out of the house. Of course, they’d been teens, but surely it was like riding a bike.
But first she had to get it open. Walking around the side of the house, she realized that climbing through a four-foot-high window had been less intimidating when she was fifteen. Of course, her older cousin had boosted her up.
She could still do this. She just needed something to stand on.
Thankfully, Kevin had gone back inside his house, so she didn’t feel so conspicuous going into her backyard to grab a bucket Melanie kept by the water spigot. Flipping it upside down, she set it under the window and climbed onto it, adjusting her feet to get her balance. Once she was centered, she grabbed the lower edge of the window and tried to lift it—without success. The window was stuck. She put more weight into it but it still didn’t budge, and she nearly fell off the bucket.
The “Shit!” that came out of her mouth was much louder than she’d intended, making her cringe. She hadn’t meant to shout. A quick glance around confirmed that she was still alone, with the exception of Killer, who was now barking at the dining room window instead of the front door.
“Killer! Stop that right now!” she hissed, peering inside at the dog, but when he saw her, he began barking in earnest.
Time to try a different tactic. She lifted her arms over her head and braced her hands on the top part of the window frame and pushed. It budged a slight bit, but not enough even to get her fingers through the opening at the bottom. Standing on her tiptoes, she gave a hard shove, but the bucket underneath her bare feet wobbled to the side.
“Shit!”
Holly tried to grab the window, but her fingers slipped, and she knew she was going to hit the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut, her body tensing as she prepared for impact, but she found herself stopped midfall by two strong arms and a very solid chest.
“Is this your first breaking and entering?”
She opened her eyes to look up into Kevin’s face, his eyes dancing with amusement.
The only thing that could save her now was if the earth opened up and swallowed her whole. Only she was sure she couldn’t get that lucky.
Kevin set her back upright on top of the bucket and took a step back.
Holly figured she had two choices. One, she could die of embarrassment on the spot. Or she could laugh at her situation. She couldn’t look any worse, right? “Is it that obvious?” she teased.
“Well, I’m no expert, but I think the first rule of breaking and entering is to be quiet about it.”
“You heard me?”
“To be fair, I was next to my kitchen window, which is open and only ten feet from the scene of the crime.”
Her face flushed. “I locked myself out.”
He laughed. “I figured as much…unless you’re brushing up on your criminal skills, and if so, I suggest you think about another line of work.”
She smiled, surprised she didn’t feel more embarrassed. He made her feel at ease, even though his proximity heated her body several degrees.
She motioned to the window. “It’s stuck. The humidity must have made the wood swell. I only got it to budge a crack.”
“No spare key, huh?”
“No, my cousin didn’t put it back and there’s no way she can come home for at least an hour or more.”
He glanced at the window. “Let me have a try.”
She climbed off the bucket, and he moved it out of the way before he put his hands on the top window and pushed. The frame shimmied, then finally slid up a few inches before he pushed again, the frame sliding easily all the way to the top.
Kevin grinned as he turned to face her. “I take it climbing through the window is next.”
“Yeah.” But there was no way on God’s green earth she was going to let him see that. She had to save some of her dignity. “Thanks for your help. I’ve got it from here.”
He shook his head. “Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t see this all the way through? Especially since I’m the reason you’re locked out.”
“I’ve done this before,” she said. “I don’t need any help.”
“You routinely climb through windows? Maybe I should reassess your potential life as a criminal.”
She laughed. “Okay, so maybe I was fifteen the last time I tried this. But how hard can it be?”
He grinned. “Fine. I’ll let you climb in on your own, but I insist on sticking around as a spotter. You know, in case you get stuck.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Are you suggesting I won’t fit through the window?”
His face paled. “God, no. I just meant…”
She laughed again. “I know what you meant. I’m just giving you a hard time. But I really don’t need your help. Thanks for everything you’ve already done.” Then she gave him a tiny wave for good measure.
He grinned, obviously recovered from his embarrassment, and took several steps backward. “I’ll just stay over here on my property. It really is a great spot. A great view.”
Ignoring the flush on her cheeks, she put her hands on her hips. “You’re really not going to leave, are you?”
His grin spread, lighting up his face. “Not a chance.”
Stifling a groan, she moved the bucket back under the window. How was she going to do this gracefully? There was no way she could hike a leg up and straddle the window, which left a very unattractive option.
Crap. She was going to have to dive in.
Holly glanced over her shoulder. “I’ve got this. Don’t you have a wall you need to tear down or something?”
He laughed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “It can wait.”
Great.
Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on the windowsill and lifted her body as though she were mounting a balance beam, just like she’d learned to do during the gymnastics section of her eighth-grade gym class. Only now her head was at the top of the window opening.
Two strong hands encircled her waist, lifting her up. “Put your feet in first.”
“I said I could do it,” she said, trying to sound irrit
ated, which proved difficult when all she could think about was the fact her that shirt had lifted slightly and his left hand was on her bare skin.
“Trust me,” he said, kicking the bucket out of the way. “I would have loved nothing more than to see you attempt this on your own, but it doesn’t feel right since I’m the reason you’re locked out in the first place. So just lift your feet and put them through the window and I’ll slide you in as gracefully as I can.”
While she would have preferred to stand her ground, but this seemed the least embarrassing route, not to mention that he was touching her. While she tried to convince herself that his touch was not a good thing, her body protested otherwise.
“Will you let me help you, Holly?” he asked, his voice low.
As her back pressed to his chest and her feet barely touched the ground, she could think of something else she’d like him to help her with. “Yes,” she said a little too breathlessly.
Then he lifted her several feet up and she gave herself a mental shake—You’re supposed to be sticking your feet through the window.
While this option might be the most graceful, she still felt awkward as she lifted her hips to get her feet through the opening. Once her lower legs were through, he gently slid her in until she rested her butt on the windowsill. He dropped his hold but hovered close as she dipped down and slid in the rest of the way.
Holly turned around, surprised to see that he had backed up a couple of feet.
“Thanks for your help,” she said, wondering what the appropriate response was in a situation like this.
He lifted his shoulder into a half shrug. “It’s the least I could do. Now that you’re safe and sound, I’ll head back home. If you get locked out again, I’m your guy.”
She laughed. “Thanks again.” But then she felt incredibly lame. She’d already thanked him.
He gave her a wave, then disappeared around the corner.
And suddenly she was rethinking everything.
Chapter Ten
On Friday morning, Holly woke up unsettled. It didn’t help that her dreams had been filled with her new neighbor who’d turned out to be as nice as he was sexy—a deadly combination if she was determined to stay on the celibate route. But she reminded herself that she had far more pressing issues—like keeping her job.
She’d considered calling Nicole to fill her in on her conversation with Miranda Johansen last night, but she’d thought the news was probably better delivered in person. In the end, Holly decided to put it off until the next day. But now it was the next day and there was no way around it.
So she’d stopped and picked up muffins from the bakery, Nicole’s favorite—lemon poppy seed—and arrived at work fifteen minutes early, in plenty of time to start a pot of hazelnut coffee. She returned to her desk and checked her e-mail, her thoughts drifting to her run-in with her next-door neighbor last night.
After he’d gone back home and she had spent the rest of the evening obsessing over every little thing he’d said and did. Just like a stupid middle-school girl.
What had happened to her?
But in the light of day, she’d decided this was all Melanie and their grandmother’s fault. Holly never would have noticed him if they hadn’t planted the seeds in her head. But there was something about him that made her want to see him again. If she did, would that be so bad?
She sent Melanie a text before she changed her mind.
I want to bring our new neighbor dinner tonight. Can you make something?
It was only nine o’clock, so Holly didn’t expect an answer for at least another hour or so. She definitely didn’t expect Melanie to text back immediately.
YES!
Holly’s phone rang seconds later. “You must have changed your mind if you want to bring him dinner.”
“Maybe? I don’t know. He brought back your dish and seemed nice enough.” She decided to spare her pride and keep getting locked out to herself. “By bringing him dinner, I can snoop a bit. I’m curious about his house.”
“His house?” She snorted. “Snooping is more my forte than yours.”
Holly laughed. “Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”
“One can only hope, but I doubt it. You like him. There’s no reason to be ashamed of it.”
“Okay, maybe I am a tiny bit interested. …”
“I knew it! Don’t worry. I’ll make him something good. Something to warm him up. Something to get his engine going.”
Holly laughed even as a blush rose to her cheeks. “Slow down, there. Instead of making something high-octane, maybe stick to something cool. I’m pretty sure that house is still un-air-conditioned.”
“Good thinking.”
Holly hung up, and moments later her boss walked through the door.
“How was your evening?” Holly asked, looking up from her computer.
“It was interesting.” Nicole sat in her chair and put her purse into the bottom desk drawer, not bothering to look at her.
This wasn’t a good sign. “Was the Henry party as bad as you thought it would be? Were you right about them using frozen appetizers?”
Nicole bit her lower lip, hesitating for several seconds, and it was clear she was fighting the urge to spill the details. Her love of gossip won out and she spun around to face Holly. “It was beyond tacky.”
“Did they really have a mariachi band?”
“Yes! Can you believe it?” Nicole’s face lit up as she told Holly all about the party, describing how the organizers got it all wrong.
Holly let her talk for several moments, dreading breaking the news about the Johansen wedding to her boss. This was the Nicole who had hired her—the friendly woman who had promised to teach her the ropes, but who had become progressively standoffish the more Holly learned and grew. When Nicole had finished her story, Holly said in a cheery voice, “I brought you a surprise.”
“Oh?” Nicole looked genuinely shocked.
“I’ll be right back.” Holly disappeared into the back and returned with a small tray that held a cup of coffee prepared the way Nicole liked it—one tablespoon of hazelnut creamer—and a small plate with the muffin. She set them on her boss’s desk, then stepped back and smiled. “This is to help make your morning better after yesterday.”
Surprise filled Nicole’s eyes before she took a sip of the coffee. “Oh, this is lovely. Thank you.”
Holly returned to her seat, then took a deep breath. “Miranda Johansen called me yesterday afternoon after you left.”
Nicole’s eyebrows shot into her hairline. “What?”
“She said they met with the designers at Tender Moments and, while Coraline loved them, Miranda worried they were too agreeable.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that Miranda Johansen wants to hire Distinctive Events to plan her daughter’s wedding.”
“Distinctive Events or you?” Nicole asked, her tone short.
“I’m your employee, Nicole. My clients are ultimately yours. Besides, I tried to suggest that you be the lead planner, but Miranda insisted I take charge.”
“I’m sure you worked very hard at trying to convince her.” Sarcasm bled through her boss’s words, filling Holly with disappointment. She missed the woman who had hired her.
Holly took a breath. “Honestly, Nicole, I don’t want to do this wedding. In fact, I told Coraline I wouldn’t be a good fit. But Miranda said that was the reason she decided to hire me. Because I wouldn’t kowtow to her daughter.”
“That’s ridiculous! Our job is to give the client what she wants!” Nicole sputtered in disbelief.
“There’s something else you should know.” This was sure to tick her off even more. “Modern Bride magazine is doing a ten-page feature on the wedding.”
“What?”
“Miranda’s concerned that any additional changes by her daughter will produce embarrassing results. She wants me to come up with a plan and stick to it.”
Nicole looked skeptical.
Nicole’s mouth pursed. “I think maybe we can work with this.”
Holly couldn’t help smiling, although she was pretty sure this was a fool’s endeavor. “Miranda said she would send a contract this morning and she wants us to come to her house this afternoon to discuss the plans.”
Her eyes widened. “We? I’m sure she asked for you.”
“I may be planning the wedding, but she’s hiring Distinctive Events. This is a huge win for the company, Nicole. I think you should be part of this.”
Nicole’s back stiffened. “No, Holly. She wants you.”
“I would still feel better if you sat in on the first meeting.” That was only a partial truth. It was more to cover her butt should things go south later, which had a very strong possibility of happening. But it also might appease her boss if she was part of the planning. Holly would have enough stress dealing with the difficult client without adding a difficult boss. “You’re an expert at dealing with clientele. And, if nothing else, your presence shows that the wedding has the attention of the complete company team.”
“Well…I see your point when you put it that way. …” She took a sip of her coffee. “Has she sent the contract yet?”
“There was nothing when I checked five minutes ago, but let me look again.” Holly spun around and checked her e-mail files. “It showed up a couple of minutes ago. Would you like me to forward it to you?”
“Yes. I’ll have one of Megan’s friends go over the contract for me.” She picked up the phone and made a call. “This is Nicole Vandemeer calling for Blair Hansen-Lowry and it’s time sensitive. Is she available?” She paused. “Thank you. I’ll hold.”
Nicole opened her e-mail and the file, scanning the screen as she waited.
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