Smitten

by Colleen Coble

  “Is there a building you can use for a convenience store?”

  He pointed to the larger building to his right that they’d just exited. The neon sign declaring it an office was only half lit. “I have a bait shop in there too.”

  “It should have a cutesy name that lets customers know they can get supplies there like cold meds, hand lotion, snacks, that kind of thing.” She stepped to the nearest cabin. “You have a key?”

  He brushed past her and pushed open the door. “I don’t keep them locked unless they’re occupied.” The stale air rushed past his face as if to let her know there was seldom someone inside.

  She followed him. “Nice big space,” she said. “And there’s a fireplace. Bedrooms?”

  “Some have one bedroom and some have two,” he said. “Separate bedrooms plus a living space and kitchenette.”

  “The walls all need lightening up,” she said. “The easiest thing to do would be to whitewash them. Then you could put in light pine furnishings.”

  He hadn’t thought about whitewashing. At least he wouldn’t have to sand all the wood. “What about the kitchen?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “The wooden counters were a nice touch once upon a time, but they’re stained and warped now. I’d take out the kitchens. Cheaper than replacing, and you’d have room for the tub where they once were. Besides, honeymooners aren’t going to want to cook. The plumbing is already in place, and the tub would have a good view of the fireplace.”

  She was good. He was beginning to catch her vision for the space. “The bedroom is through that door,” he said, pointing to their left. She stepped into the next room, and he heard her gasp. “It’s a little rough,” he said.

  The room held four cots, all with older bedding. The legs on the cots were metal, and some were rusting. The pillows were misshapen and the bedspreads were faded. The space felt dark too.

  “All of this has to go,” she said. “Whitewashing in here too. The floors need to be sanded everywhere and refinished a natural color.” She pointed. “Bathroom through here?”

  “Yep.” He followed her to the small space and glanced around. The china sink was a little stained. The shower was a plain twenty-four-inch enclosure.

  “This all needs to be gutted,” she said. “You need bigger showers, preferably tiled or with marble or granite.”

  “This is all going to be expensive.”

  “You need top-quality materials in here, but it will pay off.”

  “What if it doesn’t? I’ll have to pour a fortune into this many cabins. If your idea fails, we’ll all lose our shirts.”

  She turned toward him, and she was close enough that he could see the gold flecks in her brown eyes. “Catch the vision, Carson. Close your eyes and see it.”

  Her voice was so persuasive that he nearly shut his lids. He forced himself to glance around. For just an instant, he could see firelight gleaming on polished wood floors, the luxurious fabrics on the furniture and windows. “Okay, I’m on board,” he said.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Natalie finished her notes at the counter of the larger two-bedroom cabin while Carson watched. She put her pen back into her bag and held out a paper to him. “Here’s the list of things that I suggest.”

  “You’re good at this, Natalie. I can see why you’ve made a success of your business.”

  Before she could respond, her cell phone rang. She dug it out and saw it was Lisa calling. Not now. She was tempted not to answer it, but it might be important. “Hi, Lisa,” she said into the phone. She turned away from Carson’s shuttered expression.

  “Nat, you have to help me.” Lisa’s voice was strident.

  Uh-oh. Natalie hated to deal with her sister when she was agitated. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m in jail.”

  “Jail? ”

  “In Chicago,” Lisa said. “The idiot cop said I was loitering. I was just sleeping on the park bench. That’s not a crime. I need some money for bail.”

  The only time Lisa called was when she needed money. “Aren’t you even interested in how Mia is doing?”

  “I’m sure she’s fine. She has you, after all. I’m going to need two thousand dollars.”

  “Two thousand! I don’t have that kind of money.” There was something suspicious here. Loitering wouldn’t demand that much of a fine. “Were you selling drugs, Lisa?”

  “Of course not.”

  But there was a defensive note in her sister’s voice that made Natalie’s heart sink. Tough love. Her pastor had told her she had to quit bailing Lisa out. Every time Natalie had resolved to do just that, she’d weakened when her sister begged for help. This time Natalie couldn’t do it, though.

  “Natalie, are you there?”

  “I’m here. I can’t help you, Lisa.”

  “You have to send me the money. I’ll take Mia away from you if you don’t!”

  Natalie’s lungs contracted. Losing Mia was her biggest fear. She should have gotten legal help ages ago, but she’d been busy with life and her shop and hadn’t done it. One year had slipped into the next. Even though she’d made the decision to pursue adoption, she hadn’t called an attorney yet.

  “I don’t have the money,” she said softly.

  “Well, you’d better find it!”

  The phone slammed down in Natalie’s ear. Her thoughts racing, she put her phone away.

  Carson’s brow was furrowed as he stared at her. “Lisa is in jail?”

  “For loitering, so she says, but I think it has to be more than that. She wants two thousand dollars, and I don’t have it.”

  “You’re white as a sheet,” he said. “What else did she say?”

  His observation surprised her. Why would he care? “She threatened to take Mia if I didn’t help her.”

  He nodded. “Ah. I’d hate to see that happen. Mia is a darling.”

  She glanced at him intently. Was he admitting he cared about his daughter?

  His frown darkened. “And no, she’s not my daughter, Natalie. I’d just hate for any child to be dragged from pillar to post with Lisa. She’s unstable.”

  “I know,” she admitted.

  “You know she’s unstable, yet you believe her accusation of me.”

  Natalie couldn’t hold his gaze. “Mia looks like you,” she said.

  “Oh, good grief,” he said. “She has dark hair and eyes, but so do you.”

  “What about a paternity test?” she asked.

  “What’s the point? I know the truth.” He put his hands on his hips. “This bothers me for more reasons than you know. I’m not that kind of man, Natalie. This goes against everything I believe about relationships and marriage. I wouldn’t do what she’s accusing me of doing.”

  Her cheeks burned at the hurt in his eyes. Was it put on?

  “Anyone who really knows me wouldn’t believe it. If Mia were mine, I would do my duty by her. But she’s not mine, Natalie.”

  She wished she could trust the conviction in his voice, but Lisa had given too many details for Natalie to get the words out of her head. “Forget it,” she said. “Let’s wrap up here so I can get back to my shop. This is my problem, not yours.”

  He pocketed his hands. “What are you going to do about Lisa?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’m not going to give her money, though.”

  “Talk to Brian,” he urged. “You shouldn’t have any trouble getting legal custody. Lisa has abandoned Mia and is in jail.”

  “I’ll call him. I want to adopt her, make her my real daughter. I want to tell her on my birthday.”

  “When is that?”

  “May tenth.”

  “She’s a lucky little girl,” he said softly.

  She glanced around the cabin. “We’ll need you to have these ready by Sawyer’s wedding on Valentine’s Day. You think you can make it?”

  “Less than a year, but I’ll do my best.”

  “Listen, I’d like to help,” she said, wanting to make up for how abrupt she’d been. “I�
��m pretty handy with a paintbrush.”

  “I hate painting,” he admitted. “That whole whitewashing thing sounds tricky.”

  “It’s not,” she said. “I did my sunroom last winter. If you want to come by this weekend and see how it looks, come ahead.”

  “How about Saturday? What time?” he asked.

  Mia would be at her friend’s house for lunch but home by dinner. “How about six?”

  “I’ll stop by,” he said. “Can I bring a pizza?”

  “I can’t eat gluten,” she said. “I’ll fix us a pizza that I can eat if you’re game.”

  He grinned. “Will it kill me?”

  She smiled back at him. “You won’t even be able to tell the difference.”

  Carson had seen whitewashed wood before, but Natalie’s offer was irresistible. This week’s meeting had opened his eyes about her. He liked her presence, her enthusiasm. And he was man enough to admit to himself that he was attracted to her.

  Her home was a gray two-story with white trim and a wide front porch. He noticed a lavender wreath on the red front door when he rang the bell. Mia’s handiwork again? The door opened, and Natalie’s smiling face welcomed him. The scent of pizza hung in the air.

  “Nice place you have here,” he said, following her into the foyer.

  The oak floors appeared to be newly refinished. Gray-green walls were decorated with pictures of Mia at various ages from babyhood to the present.

  “I love decorating projects,” she said, leading him into a large living room that opened into the dining room and kitchen.

  He glanced around the room in the same color scheme. A comfortable-looking sofa in gray-green tweed faced a matching love seat. Yellow pillows brightened the neutral color. He started toward the sofa, then changed his mind and headed for a leather chair. “You did all this yourself?”

  “Oh yes. That’s half the fun. I even sanded the floors, though I could hardly move out of bed for days afterward.”

  “Surround sound?” he asked when he saw tiny speakers.

  She nodded. “And streaming video to the TV. I love technology. The pizza is almost ready.”

  “Dare I ask what the crust is made of?”

  Her eyes were amused. “I’m not going to tell you until you take a bite.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of.” He heard small feet on hardwood, then Mia burst into the room from the hall. “Aunt Nat, I got orders for two more wreaths. Two!”

  Natalie put her hand on Mia’s curls. “That’s wonderful, honey.”

  How many little kids cared about things like this? Natalie was doing a great job with the child. Carson settled on the sofa. “Are those your wreaths I’ve seen on the front doors around town?”

  Mia nodded as she knelt in front of the coffee table and opened her coloring book. “The wreaths stand for eternity. We want Smitten to be here forever. Do you need one, Mr. Carson?”

  “I’ll see about getting a hanger for one on my door.”

  “Dinner’s ready,” Natalie called from the other side of the granite breakfast bar. “Mia, wash your hands and show Mr. Carson to his chair.”

  “You’d better wash your hands too,” Mia told him.

  Grinning, he followed her to the powder room off the hall. An apple-scented candle burned on the granite cabinet top in the bathroom, and the scent made him think of his grandmother’s pie. The hand towel had a Cinderella design. He handed it to Mia to dry her hands, then washed his own before following her back to the dining room.

  The pizza looked and smelled good. Natalie had prepared a salad as well, and two bowls held olive oil and Parmesan cheese for dipping bread into.

  He eyed the bread basket. “I thought all bread had gluten.”

  “That’s gluten-free French bread,” she said. “We have mocha soufflé for dessert.” She pointed to the head of the table.

  “You can sit there.” She dished some pizza onto his plate.

  “Thanks.” The crust almost looked like—vegetable something. He sniffed it suspiciously, but it smelled fine. He took a bite. The spices and cheese hit his tongue. “It’s really good. You going to tell me what’s in the crust now? It sort of looks like potato.”

  She settled into the chair to his right. “Cauliflower, egg, and cheese. I know it sounds terrible. That’s why I never tell someone what’s in it until they taste it.”

  He demolished half the pizza and salad by himself. When was the last time a woman had cooked for him? He couldn’t remember anyone inviting him for a meal except his mother and other relatives. The women he’d taken out over the years had expected a meal in a nice restaurant. Cooking seemed to be a dying art.

  What would it be like to have a family to come home to every day? He’d always thought he liked his privacy and independence, but tonight, watching Natalie and Mia, he wasn’t so sure.

  “How are your friends’ plans coming?” he asked Natalie after she brought out dessert.

  “They’re discussing how they might contribute to the idea. Julia wants to open a spa for sure. She has some friends in New York who might be able to advise her. She’s going to fly there next month and talk to Dev about it. She’s hoping to talk him into coming here and telling her what to do.”

  “A spa. Seems nuts that anyone would pay good money for someone to put goop on their face.”

  “We girls like to look beautiful.”

  “You already are,” he said. The words were out before he could stop them. He was gratified to see her blush.

  She rose and took his plate. “We ran into Aunt Violet a couple of days ago on our hike. She and her sisters are going to be playing love songs in the town square.”

  He picked up the nearly empty bowl of salad and followed her to the kitchen. “I actually like that idea. Your aunts are all good. Violet used to travel the world with the Boston orchestra.”

  “Just don’t let her sing,” Natalie said, smiling. “She’d drive away our visitors. Want to see the sunroom?”

  He set down the bowl and followed her to the French doors. Without looking at it, he already knew he was going to like it. He liked everything about this woman and her talents.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Having a man in her home alone should have discomfited her, but her ease with Carson surprised Natalie. They’d talked and joked over pizza as if they’d done this a thousand times. She stepped into her sunroom and glanced at him to see his reaction.

  He stared around the space. “Very nice. I see what you mean about whitewashing. The wood grain comes through it enough to give it texture.” He glanced at the floors. “You refinished these too?”

  She shook her head. “I had them put down new. This used to be an enclosed porch. I had more windows put in and a floor laid. The knotty pine was already here, but I wanted it to feel open, light, and airy.”

  “It does. I like the colors. The gray-greens are peaceful.”

  It felt feminine to her, so she wasn’t sure how a man would like it. She indicated the cushions on the wicker furniture.

  “Shelby made those for me for my birthday.”

  “You have good friends.”

  “I do.” She settled into the big chair, and he followed her lead and sat on the sofa. “I have coffee on. It should be ready in a few minutes.”

  “I took the liberty of talking to Brian about Mia for you,” he said. “I hope you’re not offended.”

  It took a moment for his words to sink in. “You mean the custody issue?”

  He nodded. “I know it was none of my business, but you need to do something, Nat.”

  It inexplicably warmed her that he used her nickname.

  “What did Brian say?”

  “That Lisa abandoned Mia and hasn’t paid for any care for her, correct?”

  She glanced toward the kitchen to make sure Mia wasn’t close enough to hear. “She never even calls or sends birthday or Christmas gifts. Mia hasn’t seen her since she was two weeks old.”

  “You’re a remarkable woman.�
��

  “Anyone would have done the same.” Though his praise made her flush, she couldn’t look away from the warmth in his gaze. What was happening here?

  “I don’t think so. Most would have turned Mia over to Child Protective Services. So you’ve been her mom for five years. There shouldn’t be any trouble getting custody. Then Lisa can’t threaten you any longer.”

  “I’ll make an appointment with Brian and get it started.

  Thank you for that push. I needed it.”

  “You’ve been shoving me lately. I thought I’d return the favor.” His grin told her he didn’t hold any grudges about it.

  “I think it was Sawyer who changed your mind,” she said.

  “Not me.”

  Before he answered, the French door opened and Mia stepped through with a tray in her hands. “I brought you coffee, Aunt Nat. I wasn’t sure how you liked yours, Mr. Carson, so I brought sugar and cream.” She carefully balanced the tray as she came toward them.

  “I’m not used to being waited on by such a pretty girl,”

  Carson said. “I drink my coffee with cream, so you’re pretty and smart.”

  Mia smiled and moved a little faster. Just when Natalie feared she might take a tumble and spill it, Carson took the tray from her hands.

  “Looks like you’re going to join us for coffee?” He glanced at Natalie with a question in his eyes.

  “She likes only a little coffee and a lot of cream,” she said.

  “You’re corrupting her early.”

  She took the cup he offered. “What? Coffee is a good antioxidant.”

  They sipped from their cups in companionable silence.

  Neither of them seemed to feel the need to fill the quiet with meaningless words.

  “Want to watch a movie?” she asked.

  “Finding Nemo!” Mia said.

  “You’ve seen that movie a million times,” Natalie said.

  “I’ve never seen it,” Carson said.

  “Oh, you have to watch it,” Mia said. “I love the turtles.”

  He glanced at his watch. “I have nowhere I have to be. If it’s okay with your mom.”

  Natalie caught her breath at his slip of the tongue. She hadn’t said anything yet to Mia about her intentions.