Rosie stared at him blankly. He had no idea, of course, that she’d spent the past six years of her life as a caregiver for her father. Phase two of her life was supposed to involve writing screenplays for Hollywood. Pedicures and cocktail parties. Floating in her brother’s darling, outdoor swimming pool.
“The problem is I’m planning to move soon. To L.A.”
His eyes rounded. “Marietta to L.A. That’s drastic.”
“I need drastic. I’ve lived in this town my entire life. I stayed for my father, but he passed away this spring. As soon as I sell our house I’m going to be out of here. I’d hate to take your job only to leave you in the lurch a few months down the road.”
Even as she gave the excuse she felt dishonest. If the job had involved spending time with him instead of his autistic sister, she wouldn’t have let a potential move to L.A. stop her from saying yes.
“A few months would be a big help. It would give me time to find someone more permanent.”
Man, this guy was not giving her a graceful out.
“I have no experience with people like your sister.”
“Would you be willing to meet her, at least? See if the two of you like each other?”
It wasn’t fair that he had such gorgeous, green eyes. It was especially unfair that he was using them to look at her like she was the answer to all his prayers.
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to meet her.”
“I really appreciate that, Rosie. Do you like pizza?”
“Love it.”
“How about vegetarian?”
“It’s not my favorite, I—” Something in his expression stopped her. “Vegetarian is fine.”
“Okay great. We’ll meet you at the Pizza Parlor at six.”
The smile he gave her did crazy things to her heart. Too bad it also did crazy things to her head. She had a feeling she was going to regret this—but she said yes.
*
“A job looking after his disabled sister?” Portia shook her head in dismay. “I was sure that stuff about needing help was just a ploy to ask you out.”
Rosie was glad the day was finally at an end. Ever since she’d returned from her coffee with Brant she’d been having trouble focusing.
“If Brant Willington wanted to ask anyone out, it certainly wasn’t me. Maybe if you’d gone with him for coffee, you’d have had better luck.”
“The last thing I want is to meet a guy or go out on a date, Rosie.”
Portia sounded so gravely serious, Rosie stopped counting the stack of fives in her hand.
“Okay. Noted.”
“Thank you. Now to get back to the matter of you and Brant—”
“There is no me and Brant. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
“Maybe not yet, but if you’re going to be spending time with his sister, then you’ll probably be running into him more often as well. Things could happen.”
“Not with my luck they won’t.”
“Have you given yourself a chance? Gone out somewhere you might meet someone?”
“No,” she admitted.
“When was the last time you did your hair, got dressed up and went out to the bar with some girlfriends?”
“Um… last year’s rodeo, I think.”
Portia rolled her eyes. “Tell you what. Give me fifteen minutes with my straightening iron and my makeup bag, before you go for that pizza. You might be surprised what could happen next.”
Rosie couldn’t deny the idea of a mini-makeover was appealing. “You sure you only need fifteen minutes? It’s already five-thirty and I’m supposed to meet him and his sister at the Pizza Parlor at six.”
“Well, let’s get busy then. I have all my stuff in my purse.”
“Your flat iron is in your purse?”
“Isn’t everyone’s?”
Rosie laughed and Portia joined in.
“It’s funny,” Portia said. “We’ve only known each other a couple of days, yet it feels like we’ve been friends forever.”
Rosie’s couldn’t find her voice to reply. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed having someone the same age to talk to. There was Dakota, of course, but they worked different shifts. Plus, since a particularly painful breakup, Dakota spent almost all her free time at the Whiskers and Paw Pals Animal Rescue.
After Rosie had walked the deposit over to the First Bank of Marietta, Portia herded her into the small restroom at the back of the chocolate shop.
While the flat iron was heating, Portia performed her makeup magic. First she applied foundation and bronzer, and then attacked Rosie’s eyes with a series of pencils and brushes and a palette of four shades from pearl to smoky gray.
Even after she’d lined Rosie’s lips with colored pencil and filled them in with a luscious berry-scented gloss, she wouldn’t let Rosie look in the mirror.
“You have amazing lips Rosie. So plump and such a pretty shape.”
“I always thought they looked too puffy.”
“Are you kidding? Men love that.”
When she tried to sneak a look at the mirror, Portia blocked her. “Wait until I’m done. The hair is the most important part.”
Rosie tried to sit patiently. “I wish I’d had time to research Autistic Syndrome before meeting Sara Maria.”
“Too bad my sister Wren isn’t here. She’d no doubt be able to share all the scientific facts with you. She’s like a walking Wikipedia.”
Portia removed the elastic band from Rosie’s hair and started brushing it out. Now Rosie had to try to be patient and not to wince.
“I can’t match Wren’s knowledge,” Portia continued. “But I did read a book by Jodi Picoult once that had a main character with Asperger’s Syndrome. As I recall, he would only eat foods of a certain color on certain days, he hated loud noises, and he was married to his daily routines. Any deviation from normal could send him into a total breakdown.”
“God, I’m not sure I could handle someone having a total breakdown.”
Portia reached for the flat iron. “Me either. I guess you better figure out what she likes and make sure she gets it.”
“That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, either.” Rosie was beginning to feel really nervous about her upcoming meeting. Why had Brant sounded so sure of her ability to handle his sister? She had no medical training. She’d never even met anyone who was autistic.
Rosie’s stomach was a cyclone of anxiety by the time Portia finished with her hair.
“I wish I could lend you some clothes, but even if I had my entire closet with me, your legs are too long and your top is too slender.”
“Oh, just call me flat-chested. I can handle it.”
Portia groaned. “Tall and slender is a good thing. It means you can wear almost anything. Trust me, I only look good because I know what fashion mistakes to avoid. Hang on. I think I have a scarf in my purse, too. Keep your eyes closed.”
Rosie complied. Truth was, she was afraid to look. What if Portia had layered on the makeup to such a degree Rosie would feel embarrassed to go out? Portia was being so helpful and generous. Rosie didn’t want to insult her if she didn’t like the result.
At the same time, she was not going to meet Brant and his sister looking like one of the Kardashians.
“Okay, here it is.” Portia was back, with a scrap of a scarf that felt soft as a cloud around Rosie’s neck.
She sat patiently while Portia adjusted the silk until it fell just so. And then she was done.
“Okay. You can open your eyes.”
Rosie did. And then she stared.
Was that really her?
Her wild hair had been tamed into soft waves. Whatever Portia had done to her eyes, had made them look double their normal size. And her skin practically glowed.
As for the scarf, it was the perfect added touch that Rosie would never have thought to bother with.
“You are a magician. Or a witch. How did you do this?” Rosie touched her hair, almost surprised to find that, yes,
it was actually attached to her head.
“You crazy girl. It was so easy. And it took just under fourteen minutes I might add, which means you could do this every day if you wanted to.”
Rosie forced her gaze away from her reflection. “I wish I could do something to repay you.”
The light dimmed in Portia’s eyes. For a moment it seemed like she might cry again, but then she busied herself putting away her makeup.
“You already have, Rosie. Trust me.”
Chapter Five
Brant got his sister to the restaurant a few minutes early, wanting to get her settled before Rosie arrived. This meeting had to go well. Hopefully his sister would take to Rosie as quickly as he had. Once Sara Maria decided she didn’t like someone, it was hard to get her to change her mind. The few times he’d brought a woman home to meet his family had been disasters. Sara Maria didn’t like the idea of him having a girlfriend, which was why he’d gone to great pains to explain to her that Rosie was going to be her friend, not his.
“But how can she be my friend if I’ve never met her?”
His sister could be too damn logical sometimes. “That’s why we’re having dinner together. So you can meet her and decide if you’d like to do stuff together. Hiking and shopping maybe.”
“What if I don’t like her?”
“Then we’ll look for someone different. Someone you do like.”
Sara Maria took a moment to consider that. “Is finding a friend always this much work?”
He chuckled. Yup, sometimes she drove him crazy and other times she made him laugh.
“Why are you laughing at me?”
“I’m laughing at life. Because you’re right. Finding a friend can be a lot of work sometimes. But it’s totally worth it. If you find the right person then you can end up being so much happier.”
And just as the last word came out of his mouth he saw her.
Or did he?
She looked so very different, he wasn’t sure at first.
Her hair was suddenly sleek and tame. And why had he never noticed before that she had such knock-out pouty, pink lips?
Awkwardly he got to his feet and pulled out a chair for her.
“Sara Maria, this is the friend I was telling you about. Her name is Rosie Linn.”
“Do you really work at the chocolate shop?” Sara Maria asked the question shyly, ducking her head so Rosie could only see half of her face.
“I really do. I hear your favorite is salted dark chocolate caramels.”
“I love them. Brant buys me some every week.”
“I know. He’s a nice brother, huh?”
When Rosie turned to smile at him, he realized he’d been staring.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“You look—different.” He tried to pinpoint why. “No ponytail.”
“I have to tie my hair back at work because I handle food.”
“Right.” He wished she would tie her hair back here, as well. He was being distracted, and that wasn’t good. If Sara Maria sensed he was attracted to Rosie his entire plan could backfire.
The server came up to their table then, and thankfully Rosie didn’t object when he ordered an extra-large vegetarian pizza for them to share.
While they waited for their food, Rosie took the opportunity to chat with his sister.
“I have a brother, too. His name is Daniel and he’s twelve years older than me. He and his wife Glenda live in L.A.”
“Brant is ten years older than me. I’m eighteen. Our mother is in heaven. Isn’t that right Brant?”
He did his best not to roll his eyes. “Yup.”
“And she’s not coming back. Not ever. It’s like when our dog Prince died. He didn’t come back either.”
“That’s very sad, Sara Maria. I bet you miss your mother. I sure miss mine. My mom and my dad are gone, too.”
“We have that in common. It’s good for friends to have things in common.”
Rosie covered her mouth with her hand, but the crinkles at the corners of her eyes betrayed her smile.
The server brought their pizza and the conversation shifted to food. Sara Maria told Rosie about the documentary she’d watched about meat processing plants. When she started getting into the gorier details, Brant shifted the conversation to movies, which was a much safer topic.
“My favorite last year was Brooklyn,” Rosie said. “How about you?”
“I really liked that one, too. Brant fell asleep right in the middle.”
“To be fair, I was up at five that morning and worked a solid nine hours before driving to Marietta,” he defended himself.
“But he liked it in the end. He even cried.”
“Tears of exhaustion. Seemed like the damn movie would never end.” He winked at Rosie and she smiled, but his literal sister would not let his comment lie.
“You never cried before when you were tired.”
“You got me there, sis. Now, anyone want some ice cream for dessert?”
The rest of the evening passed without any major embarrassment and it must have gone all right because when it came time for Rosie to leave she asked if Sara Maria would like to join her on a hike to a waterfall on Copper Mountain the next day.
“Yes,” Sara Maria replied, simply.
“Maybe I should come, as well.” His conscience wouldn’t let him saddle Rosie with his sister until he was sure she could handle her.
“Rosie is supposed to be my friend.” Sara Maria pursed her lips then added. “But I suppose it’s okay if you tag along.”
*
The sound of an in-coming text message woke Rosie the next morning. Her head felt foggy, thanks to a restless night spent regretting her invitation to take Sara Maria hiking. She’d felt sorry for the young woman, who’d lost her mother so recently and seemed so lost, and the words had just slipped out without her thinking about the wisdom of it all.
She rolled over and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. If she was lucky, Brant was suffering second thoughts too and was contacting her to cancel their plans.
But the message was from Portia.
“Sage told Mom I dropped out. Now Mom is driving to Marietta to talk sense into me. help! What do I say?”
Rosie sat up. She could feel Portia’s panicked desperation. “Tell her you were flunking out anyway?”
“But she saw my grades. They were pretty good. (shocking, i know.)”
Rosie smiled. Portia liked playing the underachiever. But if she really was a decent student, why not finish her degree? Rosie didn’t type what she was thinking, though. Right now Portia needed her support, not her opinion.
“Tell her you’re burned out and need a break but plan to return next fall.”
“Brilliant! Thx Rosie.”
Rosie congratulated herself. She wasn’t even out of bed and she’d already solved one problem. Too bad it wasn’t one of hers.
Fighting the urge to drop back to sleep, Rosie got up and dressed in jeans and a casual sweatshirt. Neither item was sexy or stylish, but they were practical for a hike. She pushed aside her curtains, revealing blue skies and a clear view to the Gallatin Mountains in the west. A perfect autumn day.
Her heart beat faster.
She was going to see him again today.
With his sister. As a paid companion, no less. This was the farthest thing possible from a date. Not only that, it was the very opposite of the fresh start she had promised herself.
Why, oh why, had she agreed to this again?
She was pretty sure a guy with hunky, broad shoulders and killer, green eyes was to blame.
In the bathroom mirror, she inspected her hair. It still looked nice. Thank-you, Portia, for using hair spray. She wouldn’t be able to recreate Portia’s magic with her makeup, though, which was just as well, since that would have made it look like she was trying too hard.
Huck met her in the kitchen. He nudged his bowl with his nose, then looked at her forlornly.
Rosie scooped
out his breakfast and freshened his water. Although her father had been gone since March, Huck still seemed so sad. He’d always slept in her parents’ room and he still did, even though she’d tried placing his favorite blanket at the foot of her bed.
Maybe Huck sensed she was going to leave him soon, too.
Feeling guilty, she stooped to give the dog a hug and a scratch.
Hopefully the new owners, when she found them, would be dog lovers. If not she would find Huck another good home.
As Rosie was putting on a pot of coffee, her phone chimed again.
“How was your night with Cowboy?”
Rosie groaned. The evening had hardly been the X-rated event Portia made it sound like.
She started the coffeemaker then typed out her reply. “I think I managed to get myself hired as PT babysitter for his sister. I’m taking her for a hike today.”
“Oh. Wow. Good luck to you too then.”
Rosie set the phone down trying not to feel disheartened. If Portia had met Brant for pizza last night, no doubt she would have ended up with a date instead of a paid companion job.
Rosie had oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast. When she was finished, she took her second cup of coffee to the front porch, her favorite place to sit and relax, despite the sagging floor boards that threatened to crater any day now.
She snuggled into the cushioned, wicker love seat. In the planter boxes on both sides of the porch, gold and orange chrysanthemums still bloomed brightly, not yet touched by early winter frost.
Rosie put up her feet and took another sip of coffee. She wished she could relax and enjoy the mountain view while she still had one, but with each minute she grew more anxious.
This had been such a bad idea.
She was supposed to be living her life. Not babysitting some hunky cowboy’s sister so he could live his.
Fortunately she wasn’t committed yet. All she had to do was take Sara Maria on this hike as promised, then tell her brother it wasn’t going to work after all. Brant had set this up as a trial run, which proved he had his doubts about the arrangement, as well. He would probably be grateful to her for giving him an out.
Melt My Heart, Cowboy (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 1) Page 4