Stiff_A Graves Family Romance

by Kim Linwood

  “Do we even have time for this, with the Graham funeral next weekend?” Zoe rests her weight on the back of the car.

  “We don’t have much of a choice. It’s one of the few times we can build contacts in person. Funeral home online forums only go so far, you know? Besides, we’ve been signed up for months and there’s no way we’d get our deposit back now. We can’t afford not to go.”

  She shudders. “Face to face communication is so last millennium. We have electronic gadgets to avoid all that now. We’re living in the future, didn’t you hear?”

  I laugh. “Oh, come on. I know you’d hate to give up your yearly chance to stand up and be a know-it-all about corpses when you do your talk.”

  “True, true.”

  Zoe’s not exactly a social butterfly, but she’s not really shy, either. She just has a very low tolerance for people who don’t interest her. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had, though, and I know I can always count on her. She’ll be just fine at the trade show, so long as she gets to fire off the occasional snide remark. Manning—or is it womaning?—the table with her is always fun, and even if it isn’t, going out afterwards is a blast.

  I close up the back of the hearse and brush off my hands. “We aren’t doing too badly with the Graham funeral, actually. Lena’s got her mom watching Astrid so she can work overtime on the food. Carter’s taken care of the stuff we have to rent, like the sound system and tents. It’s going to be all hands on deck, but we might just be alright.”

  I’ll give Carter this, he really stepped up and took care of the logistics. He had more done in a few hours than I’d have managed in a week.

  Zoe looks like she’s trying to hold back a grin. “Oh, Carter’s been helpful, has he? So you guys are a thing again, then? You seem awfully handsy for someone you’ve been trying to chase off.”

  Yes, no, maybe?

  “We were never a thing to begin with, so we can’t be a thing again.”

  “Does he know that?” she asks with a laugh.

  “It’s not my fault he has a very high opinion of himself. Remember the billboard?”

  “You mean the ten foot tribute to his amazing dentist and lucky genetics? I think it looks better now.”

  “I think they’ve painted over it by now,” I respond with a giggle.

  “Well, you guys can figure it out at the conference. You can drool over him all weekend.”

  “I do not drool!”

  “Oh please, when you think about him you salivate harder than a corgi puppy eyeing its first steak.” She laughs as she dodges the swipe of my hand. “You’re so far gone that you haven’t even noticed how clean the floors have been because I keep having Kenny mop up after you.”

  “I… You… Stop it!” I sputter, laughing in spite of how horrified I am. “He’s a jerk, and you’re just making shit up.”

  “Well, one of those things is true, but I’ll leave it up for you to decide which. You’re lucky my thing is for his brother.”

  Side by side, we lean up against the hearse and I put my head on her shoulder. She puts her arm around me and gives a little squeeze. Growing up, I always wanted a sibling, but it wasn’t until I met Zoe that I learned how having one could be both amazing and the most irritating thing ever.

  “So are you still planning on going through with the deal?”

  “Shouldn’t I?” I’m not sure if I’m asking her or myself. Logically I know I need to get off the fence. Whatever attraction Carter has for me isn’t going to keep him on the hook forever. Sooner or later he’s going to make good on his threats to drop us.

  “I don’t know. It’s your call, babe.”

  “If it was just me, I might say no, but my parents really could use the money.” I hurry to explain when I see Zoe’s frown. “It’s nothing that impacts your job or the business, but even without the pressure from the accident, this deal would free up a lot of the money they have tied up with the home.”

  “Is it that bad? If you really don’t want to do this, I could probably take a pay cut for a while.”

  I love that she’s willing to offer that, but there’s no way I’ll let my own indecision mess thing up for everyone else. “No! Of course not. They’ll be fine and you have your new place to save up for. It’s just that it makes this whole thing with Carter more complicated.”

  She grins. “See, I knew there was a thing.”

  “You know exactly what I mean. The business thing, not the… whatever other kind of thing there could be but isn’t.”

  Except there sort of is, isn’t there?

  Zoe takes my hand and waits for me to look at her before laying on her advice. “You should sell. It’s what your folks want, and I think you’d be happier. At this point we’d all be more relaxed just to know what’s going on and not have it up in the air anymore. It’s not like you’d have to keep working with him forever.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right, and he’s really not that bad when he’s actually focusing on the business. Plus, if I make his life hell, he’ll probably take off back to Philly and find someone else to babysit me.”

  She laughs. “Exactly! If anyone knows how to drive away a hot guy who’s obviously into you, it’s you. Although, if he’s still sticking around after the sign, you might be stuck with him.”

  “Hey!”

  Zoe lets go of my hand and starts walking around the car singing. “Sadie and Carter, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Auntie Zoe with a coffin-shaped baby carriage.”

  “Your meter needs work,” I grumble.

  “K-i-s-s-i-n-g,” she sings again even louder.

  21

  Sadie

  “So, if you follow closely, you’ll see that if you insert the needle like this, you can get up right behind the eyelid to sew—”

  Ugh. I turn away from Zoe’s demonstration with a shudder, searching for something, anything, else to look at. Even her demonstration dummy looks way too real to me. The two guys following her every move seem to think she’s the Michelangelo of cadavers, but this is one case where art is lost on me. I’m glad we’ve got one of the best embalmers in the business, but blech!

  My eyes land on something much more pleasant, if a lot more complicated.

  Carter.

  The Graves stand is right next to ours. Well, we have a stand, they have some sort of space age interactive exhibit area. Talk about swag envy. Though being so close makes it easy to keep an eye on him without making it obvious I’m checking him out.

  Me and every other woman here.

  He was right when he said the industry’s heavily male dominated, but you wouldn’t know it from the mob crowding around the Graves display. I get the feeling a lot of them would be more than happy to find a way to snuggle themselves in under the Graves Funeral Home umbrella, and I don’t just mean professionally.

  I push down a surge of jealousy I’m not sure I’d care to admit to. I know he’s just doing his job, but does he have to be so damn good at it? And at the same time, I’m just as caught up as the rest of them in following how his slim tailored suit shows off the strong planes of his sexy physique. Carter’s hair is styled into place, but there’s a single stubborn curl that keeps popping free. My fingers tingle with the memory of how it felt to run my hands through that silky hair.

  “Hi! You must be Sadie.” A bubbly, female voice pops me out of my daydreams.

  To my left, I find a pretty young woman who looks barely old enough to be here on a school day. Her long hair is rich and black, falling in gentle waves to her shoulders. Deep, brown eyes that look strangely familiar watch me, crinkled happily. She’s a little taller than me, but her fashionable, navy pantsuit shows off a slender figure that has yet to fully round out into womanhood.

  I put out a hand, curiously. “I am indeed. And you are…”

  “I’m Danielle,” she says with a mischievous grin, obviously thinking this is going to mean something to me.

  I stare at her in c
onfusion.

  She huffs and crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Really, he hasn’t told you all about me? I’m Carter’s sister. Sheesh, I get him not wanting to risk his new girlfriend around Ax and Bran yet, but me?”

  “New… girlfriend?” I blink at her. “Me?”

  “Oh.” Her wide eyes manage to go even wider and she puts her hand to her mouth. “I assumed—I know, ass, you, me—but with the way he talked about you, I just figured…” Her face takes on a deep shade of pink. “You know what? Ignore everything I just said. My name isn’t even Danielle, it’s… um…”

  She looks so mortified that I can’t help but laugh. “It’s okay. Your brother definitely has a knack for blurring the line between professional and personal. It’s an easy mistake.” And not for lack of his trying, but that’s not something I need to share with his little sister. “Let’s start over.” I put out my hand. “Hi, I’m Sadie Williams. Acting manager of the Williams Funeral Home and potential new Graves franchise.”

  With a grateful nod, she shakes my hand. “Danielle Graves, unpaid intern and youngest of the next generation of Graves business tycoons.”

  We grin at each other. Her brother might be a pain in my butt, but she’s adorable.

  “So, are you having a good time?” I ask, knowing full well this isn’t exactly Disney and remembering plenty of times growing up where I was stuck at this show with my parents but wanted to be anywhere else.

  Danielle shrugs. “It’s okay. My brothers do most of the work.” She glances over at Carter and the others. “You know, I’m probably just putting my foot in my mouth again, but you aren’t what I expected when I heard Carter was having a hard time getting your parlor on board.”

  “Oh? What have you heard? I didn’t know I was the talk of the dinner table.”

  She snorts in amusement. “You aren’t, but Ax has been giving Carter a hard time about him spending so much time with you. We’re taking bets on which will happen first, the sale, or him bringing you home to meet the family. That’s why I figured you had to at least be seeing each other at this point.”

  I blink at her. “You’re not afraid to speak your mind, are you?”

  She raises an eyebrow, looking eerily like her brother. “With three brothers, I don’t exactly have a choice. It’s speak up or never get a word in edgewise.”

  Never having had siblings, but knowing Carter, she’s probably right. “I guess it doesn’t help that you’re so much younger.”

  “Oh, you noticed? Yeah, Mom and Dad thought they were all done. Then, eight years later, boom! Here I am!” She throws her hands up in the air and laughs. “I try not to think too much about exactly how the whoops happened, but Mom calls me her little bonus round.”

  “I’m sure after three boys, having a little more estrogen in the house was appreciated.”

  “Yup.” She nods emphatically. “I’m not sure Dad agreed, though. Oh, you know what? So long as we’re all here, you should totally come over and meet everyone else.”

  “I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.” I really like Danielle and I’m more eager than I thought to learn about Carter’s family, but the idea of meeting them all at once is pretty intimidating.

  “Why not?” She glances at Zoe. “Your partner seems to have things well in hand.”

  “I don’t know…” Normally Zoe hates having to do the social stuff, but she’s in her element right now and it’s not like I’m going far. Still, everyone?

  “Oh, come on. You know you want to. Besides, Ax and Bran will love you, and that’ll drive Carter nuts.”

  I look at Carter, who’s taken a break from his sales pitch long enough to grab a bottle of water. Unconsciously, I lick my lips as he tips his head back and takes a deep swallow like something out of a sexy Coke commercial. The simple act of watching the muscles in his throat work as he drinks is enough to give me shivers.

  Do I want to go see him? I don’t know. My body says yes, yes, yes, but aside from phone calls about the Graham preparations, we haven’t seen each other since the fiasco with the sign. I can’t get that last kiss out of my head. He’d probably take one look at me, know exactly what I was thinking and then start planning how to do the same thing right here.

  Danielle coughs politely. “Are you sure you and my brother aren’t a thing? Because you’re looking mighty thirsty and you’ve got your own water bottle right here. Unless you just really really like the brand we have, in which case I’m sure we can find you one.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut in mortification at getting called out by a teenager. “Fine, I’ll come. Zoe, I’m going to over to the Graves booth for a bit. You okay here by yourself?”

  She waves me away without even looking up from what she’s doing. “Yeah, yeah. Go mingle.”

  Well, then. There goes my last reasonable excuse.

  Danielle hauls me away by the arm with remarkable strength for such a slender girl. “Caaaaarter,” she sings. “You’re wasting your breath preaching to your little fan club. Why don’t you try someone more challenging?”

  He finishes shaking hands with a portly man carrying a heavy briefcase, then turns to us, his expression going from politely exasperated to welcoming in the blink of an eye. “Sadie! I was just thinking of coming over to give you an update on the Graham funeral. In fact…” He pauses, looking around their booth. “Why don’t we head over to your stand? It’s quieter over there, not to mention not quite so full of family.” His pointed glare at Danielle is impossible to miss.

  “Carter, be nice,” she scolds with an artful pout. “I’m still recovering from hearing that you haven’t even mentioned me to your future wife. I’m heartbroken. Isn’t that right, sis?”

  I’m not sure what to say, but a sharp little elbow in my side breaks my shock. “Um, right. Not the wife part, no, but uh… definitely heartbroken.”

  Carter looks like he wants to murder his little sister, but before he has time to say anything, a man in a sharp suit, who looks far too similar to Carter to be anything but another Graves, steps out from behind a table. “Well, hello there. I don’t think we’ve met, because I’d definitely remember if we had. Axton Graves, at your service.”

  “He’s the oldest,” Danielle shout-whispers to me. “Don’t let the charm fool you, he’s got a stick up his butt that’s more like a ten foot pole that keeps all the good girlfriends away.”

  “Don’t you have flyers to hand out or coffee to fetch?” Axton growls at his little sister.

  Danielle grins playfully. “Nope. Daddy said to do whatever I wanted so I’m networking. Can’t you tell?”

  “Great,” he replies dryly before turning back to me. “I’m pleased to meet you. Based on Carter’s death glare, you must be Sadie Williams.” He steps closer and leans in conspiratorially. “Listen, just say the word, and I’ll be happy to take over negotiations.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Carter grinds out.

  Flitting my eyes back and forth between them a couple of times, I try to figure out if he was aiming that at me or his brother. Not that it matters, so I shake Axton’s hand with a smile. “That won’t be necessary. Carter’s been wonderful. I’m the one making matters difficult.”

  Why am I defending Carter all of a sudden?

  Axton chuckles. “A beautiful woman like you? I find that hard to believe.”

  “Because you think beauty is somehow connected to a desire to please or weak business sense?” I ask pleasantly.

  Danielle laughs at Axton’s suddenly uncomfortable expression. “You’d think the women in our family would’ve taught him better a long time ago. Remember what I said about that stick?”

  “Are we talking about what crawled up Ax’s butt?” a third man remarks, poking his head out from behind one of the displays.

  He’s carrying two six-packs of beer, and from the way his t-shirt hugs his chest, he’s hiding a different kind of six-pack underneath. There’s no way he’s anyone but Brandon, the mysterious third brother, because wh
ile they are all very different, the resemblance is striking. Not to mention the easy, teasing familiarity they share.

  Axton takes one look at the beer and forgets about me. “For fucks sake, Bran. You can’t have that here. I told you to pick up more drinks, not stock the after-party.”

  “We’re having an after-party?” Brandon asks hopefully.

  “No!” Carter and Axton snap together.

  Danielle giggles.

  I glance back to our table. If Zoe finds out Brandon is here and I didn’t get her an introduction, she’s going to lock me in her cave and demonstrate the grossest preservation techniques she knows. Not that I can blame her. Unlike his brothers, Brandon is dressed for a high end tailgate party. Leather boots, jeans that hug him in all the right places and a shirt that’s very stylishly half-tucked into his pants. With the three of them together, Carter looks like the negotiator, Axton the CEO and Brandon the fun uncle who’s used to being the hottest guy at the millionaire barbeque.

  Unless Carter’s there, I suppose.

  Brandon sighs. “You guys are killing me here. I need some way of getting through this trade show crap.”

  Carter frowns at him. “Why did you even come? There aren’t any sports cars or booth babes in sight.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Put her in a bikini, and you’ll be beating off eager hopefuls with a stick.” Brandon sends me a wink before putting the beer down on a table. Then he straightens and puts on an over-exaggerated frown. His voice drops a half octave. “Son, if you don’t start putting in some face time at this company, you can kiss your sponsorships goodbye.”

  “Well, can you blame Dad?” Axton asks.

  “Of course I can.” Brandon moves to stand next to me. “But it looks like the day might be getting better after all. Do you like beer, pretty lady? I happen to have some and none of these idiots will share it with me.”

  “I would,” peeps Danielle, only to be ignored.

  I put out my hand for what seems like the billionth time, but shift my body so I’m standing closer to Carter. “Sadie Williams.”