Welcome To Redemption: Series Collection (Books 1-6)

by Donna Marie Rogers

  “Fine.” She blew a frustrated sigh through her nose. “Would you and Bo like to join us for pizza tonight? Around seven?”

  Drew looked down at Bo who let out two loud barks. “Bo says if you’re ordering Nino’s, he’ll take an order of chicken strips. Extra ranch dressing.”

  Chapter Six

  “So what would you guys like on your pizza?”

  Curled up on the sofa in the living room, Lindy had her cell phone in one hand and the menu for Nino’s in the other. Matt and Caleb had arrived early so they could finish up some odd and end jobs before the house was officially complete. Carrie couldn’t make it because she was having dinner with her parents, and Caleb’s fiancée, Lauren, was home with two sick kids.

  “I’m easy,” Caleb said as he cracked open a beer. “The only thing I don’t like is anchovies.”

  Matt snatched the menu from her hand and perused it before announcing, “I think I’ll have that beef sandwich I had a taste for the other day. Hot peppers and extra au jus on the side. And make sure you get an appetizer basket.”

  “I like sausage and mushrooms,” Lindy said, grabbing the menu back. “Don’t suppose either of you know what Drew likes on his pizza...?”

  Unbidden, the feel of Drew’s lips on hers, the memory of being crushed in his strong embrace nearly rocked her to her core. Then she remembered how he’d shoved away from her and raced out the damn door—

  “Matter of fact, he likes sausage and mushroom, too,” Matt told her before taking a swig of his beer. “And Bo likes chicken strips.”

  “You don’t actually expect me to order food for his dog, do you?” The very idea was absurd.

  “Why not? Bo’ll be thrilled, and it’ll score you a few points with Drew.” Matt gave her an exaggerated wink and Caleb wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  Lindy slapped them both with the menu. “I don’t want to score any points with Drew or his monster of a dog. I just want to eat this meal as quickly as possible, then fake a stomach ache and head up to bed.”

  Matt and Caleb both chuckled, and even Lindy couldn’t hide her smile.

  “Well, he and I can’t seem to get along for more than five seconds, so it just seems like the smart thing to do—avoid him as much as possible.”

  “Which is why you invited him over for pizza tonight,” Matt pointed out like the smartass he was.

  “I told you, it was Dana’s idea. She thinks if we let Bo and Binks spend time together, eventually they'll get sick of each other. Though I have to admit, I think she may be full of shit.”

  Matt let out a bark of laughter and promptly choked on his beer. Caleb gave him a thump on the back.

  “Sorry.” Lindy grinned. “All right, I’m ordering. It’ll take at least forty minutes to arrive, and Drew is due here in about thirty.” Lindy called to place the order, meeting Matt’s knowing smirk with a roll of her eyes as she added on an order of chicken strips with extra ranch dressing.

  After chatting for a little while about all the work they’d done on the house, the guys headed into the kitchen for fresh beers—and of course that’s when she heard the hum of Drew’s pickup as it pulled into the driveway. Crap, he was early. She’d wanted to run upstairs and change into sweats and a T-shirt before they ate so she didn’t get anything on her silk blouse. And with Bo around, it was pretty much a given something gross would end up splattered all over her.

  Bianca tore down the stairs howling her little heart out and skidded to a halt beside the door. Lindy shook her head as she followed behind, still completely baffled by the connection between her elegant purebred cat and that mammoth train wreck of a dog. Bo barked a greeting as he rushed across the snow-covered lawn, then leapt onto the porch and raced inside.

  “Hussy,” Lindy teased as Bianca swished her backside in Bo’s face. The two danced over to the roaring fireplace, collapsed onto the rug, and got busy bathing each other. A smile touched Lindy’s lips. Though she'd never admit it out loud, it tickled her to see Bianca so happy. And Bo'd been slowly worming his way under her skin—just like his way too handsome for his own good master.

  Both revelations would have to stay firmly planted in her own head, however, since nothing could come of either scenario. She and Bianca would be heading back to L.A. just as soon as her work here was done. The longer she stayed, the harder it would be to leave.

  Maybe she needed to follow Dana’s advice, only in reverse, and stay the hell away from Drew before she lost what little sanity—and self-respect—she had left. He’d already demonstrated what little regard he had for her when he’d kissed her and then tossed her back, as if she were a fish that wasn’t quite big enough to keep.

  Fish analogies? Sheesh, maybe she needed to head back to L.A. tonight.

  Drew stomped the snow from his boots before stepping inside and handing her a bottle of champagne. He looked uncomfortable, which surprised her. Now what could make the overbearingly confident Drew Porter look as nervous as a Kindergartner on the first day of school? And champagne? She’d have sooner expected him to hand her a six-pack of beer.

  He cleared his throat. “Thought you might want to have a glass to celebrate.”

  “That was very thoughtful, thank you. Matt and Caleb are in the kitchen. Would you mind putting the champagne in the fridge while I run upstairs and change?” There, that sounded civil, right? Friendly even.

  Drew’s brow creased just the tiniest bit before a smile transformed that usually frowning mouth. “Will do.”

  Whistling softly, he strode off toward the kitchen, and Lindy hurried up to her bedroom to change. For some unfathomable reason, the urge to slip into a slinky LBD struck, but she resisted. No sense tempting fate. Instead, she threw on a pair of baby blue sweats and a matching long-sleeve T-shirt. After combing her hair up into a ponytail, she padded back downstairs.

  The doorbell rang and she hurried over to answer it, grateful the food was on time. Bo let out a couple of half-hearted barks as she swung open the door, then went right back to being pampered by her hussy of a cat. The thought brought an unexpected smile to her face.

  The delivery guy returned the smile, no doubt assuming it had been for him, and hefted the pizza box and other food. “Evenin'. Your total comes to $47.56.”

  “Come on in, I have to grab my purse from the kitchen.”

  “Wow. Nice place.”

  He glanced around with interest, and Lindy felt a sense of pride that caught her off guard. She’d decided to purchase a home in Redemption because with her brother living here, she—and their parents—would be making somewhat regular visits. And there wasn’t a five-star hotel within a hundred mile radius. Besides, as soon as she opened the email containing a picture of Kendall Manor, she’d been sold. This was her house and she loved it.

  Maybe too much.

  “Thank you.”

  She retrieved her purse from the kitchen and saw the guys out on the back porch fixing a broken step. Lindy slid open the patio door to announce the food had arrived, then rushed back to the foyer to pay for it. She stopped short, surprised to discover the delivery driver staring intently at the oil painting she’d picked up in Milan last year.

  “Sorry about the wait,” she said as she approached, feeling the slightest niggle of unease. She handed him sixty dollars. “Keep the change.”

  “Cool, thanks a lot.” He pocketed the money and handed Lindy the stack of hot cardboard boxes. Goosebumps broke out on her skin as she watched him hop in his car and take off, though she had no idea why he made her feel so uncomfortable.

  Shaking off the feeling, she headed for the kitchen when it struck her that something wasn’t quite right. She glanced at the hall table where she’d set her diamond tennis bracelet. It was gone.

  * * *

  Drew figured it was about time he go check on Bo, make sure he hadn't chewed up any of the new furniture. He found Lindy staring at the small table in the hall, her brow crinkled in confusion.

  “What’s up?” he asked, taking t
he boxes from her. “Mmm, man, there’s nothing like the smell of Nino’s.” When she didn’t respond, he touched her arm. “You all right?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry. It’s just...” She glanced up at him, then back at the table. “My bracelet is missing. The clasp broke, and I set it in this dish because I'd planned on calling a jeweler in the morning. Now it’s gone.”

  “Sure you didn’t take it upstairs? Or maybe put it in your purse?”

  “I’m positive. I put it right here.” She looked up at him again, her expression grim. “I think the delivery guy stole it.”

  He cocked a brow. “That’s a bit of a leap, don’t you think?”

  “No, it’s not. You didn’t see the way he was looking around, as if trying to figure out what everything is worth.”

  “Hot Stuff, this is a really nice house, but it’s not like you have anything of real value here, right?”

  “Wrong. I have thousands of dollars worth of jewelry upstairs in my room. And that painting,” she pointed to the framed canvas hanging over the fireplace, “is worth almost twenty grand. I think he knew that.”

  Twenty Gs for a painting? Maybe he should’ve paid more attention in sixth grade art class. “We’re talking about a kid who delivers pizza for a living. How could he possibly know what some fancy painting is worth?”

  “I don’t know, and he wasn’t some kid. He was a grown man, at least in his mid-twenties. And shifty looking. I left to get my purse from the kitchen, and when I came back he was staring at that painting. He really left me with a bad feeling.”

  Drew glanced around at the sparse furnishings. “To be fair, there’s not much else to look at. A few knickknacks, a couple of paintings that would be pretty hard to get rid of unless someone had major connections.”

  “The whole town knows who Matt and I are,” she countered. “It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out I might have some valuable items in this house.”

  She definitely had a point, though he hated to admit the possibility that Nino had a thief working for him. “I’ll tell you what. If your bracelet doesn’t show up by tomorrow, I’ll talk to Nino myself, all right?”

  With a reluctant nod, Lindy strode past him, leading the way into the kitchen. Matt and Caleb had just finished up with the back porch step, and they all entered the kitchen at the same time. Lindy gathered plates and forks while Drew opened the pizza box and the rest of the food containers.

  “Lindy ordered the chicken strips for Bo,” Matt pointed out, smiling as she plunked the plates and forks on the table.

  She eyeballed Matt before grudgingly meeting Drew’s gaze with a nonchalant shrug. “Everyone needs to eat, even that monster in there. Better chicken strips than my furniture.”

  “Come on, Hot Stuff, admit it. Bo’s growing on you.”

  “Yeah, like mold.”

  Ignoring her wisecrack, Drew whistled for Bo. And just to prove what a gentleman he could be, Drew fed him the chicken strips one at a time. Bo took each one from Drew’s hand with gentle care, even dropping one on the floor for his lady love. The finicky feline sniffed it a couple times before hunkering down to eat with dainty nibbles.

  Lindy watched with raised brows before admitting, “Okay, so his manners are better than I would’ve imagined.”

  Drew gave Bo a pat on the head, which started his tail thumping. “Don’t worry, boy. It’s just a matter of time before she’s completely under your spell.”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t count on that.”

  Drew shared a knowing look with Matt and Caleb.

  Halfway through dinner Caleb got a call on his cell. Lauren had come down with whatever the kids had and needed him to come home ASAP. He thanked Lindy for supper, said his goodbyes, and raced out the door. Drew envied Caleb his relationship with Lauren and her kids. In just a few short months, they’d become a real family. Even with their rocky start, Max looked up to Caleb, who couldn’t love the kid more if he were his own. And Caleb adored Emma, but then everyone in town loved that little cutie. The only thing missing was the wedding. Which Drew had a feeling might be coming soon.

  As he gazed across the table at Lindy, his chest swelled with the same indescribable emotion he’d first experienced last summer when she’d fishtailed into his life. He’d wanted her from the moment she’d stepped out of that slick, red Ferrari. He’d thought about her almost constantly, even after she headed back to L.A. It wasn’t until he'd finally convinced himself they could never have a future that he was able to extricate the blonde stunner from his thoughts. They came from two different worlds; hell, from two different galaxies.

  Though judging by the way she’d kissed him, he knew she wanted him, too. But the contrary woman was as stubborn as they came. And after the way he’d hotfooted it out of here last night, she’d no doubt serve him his nuts on a platter if he dared to try and pick up where they’d left off. He’d panicked, plain and simple. But of course she’d taken his leaving as a rejection. He was an idiot for running out on her the way he had, but maybe he’d get a chance to make it up to her tonight.

  His contrary thoughts were giving him a headache.

  “Hey, guys, I think I’m going to head home myself. Carrie’ll be back soon, and dinner with her family always puts her in a mood.”

  “Good or bad?” Lindy asked.

  Matt wriggled his eyebrows. “Depends. But there’s chocolate-covered macadamia nut ice cream in the freezer, a bottle of her favorite wine in the fridge, and when all else fails, it’s foot massage time.”

  Lindy grinned as she swiped a drop of pizza sauce from her lip with her tongue.

  Drew’s groin tightened at the action.

  “You rock as a boyfriend, big brother. I’m impressed.”

  Matt tossed his keys in the air and caught them. “You know me, I pay attention.” With a wink and a “See you guys later,” Matt lit out of there.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes, finishing their pizza, sipping on beer, looking everywhere but at each other. How ridiculous that they couldn’t even look at each other. What were they, twelve?

  Drew glanced at the clock. “It’s only ten after eight. What do you say we crack open that champagne and watch a little tube?”

  “The only TV in the house is in my bedroom.”

  “Even better.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Excuse me?” Lindy raised a brow at his audacity and tossed her crust onto the plate.

  “We can get comfy on the bed, sip some champagne. Matt’s not the only one who can give a killer foot rub, you know.” He grinned, those sexy dimples doing funny things to her libido. And damn, if a foot rub didn’t sound like heaven right about now.

  Deciding to loosen up and enjoy herself, Lindy rose and pointed to the fridge. “You grab the champagne. I’ll get the glasses.”

  “Hell yeah. That’s what I’m talking about.”

  They each grabbed their items and raced for the stairs, chuckling like a couple of kids. Dozing on the rug in front of the fireplace, Bo and Bianca gave a brief lift of their heads before returning to their slumberous ecstasy.

  Bottle in hand, Drew hopped onto her bed, making himself at home by kicking off his shoes and falling back against her mountain of pillows with a masculine grunt of satisfaction. And what really shocked Lindy was just how...right Drew looked lying on her bed.

  “Damn, this is comfortable. Makes my own bed seem like a stone slab. Think it’s time I invested in a new mattress.”

  “It’s a Tempur-Pedic. They’re a little on the pricier side, but well worth it.”

  Drew gazed at her, a disturbing intensity smoldering in his eyes. “Why don’t you grab the remote and hop on up here?” He patted the space beside him. “Plenty of room on your fancy Tempur-Pedic.”

  Deciding to let his teasing remark slide, Lindy set the glasses on the end table beside him, then popped a movie in the DVD player. “Hope you’re okay with horror.”

  “Really? And here I thought I’d have to watch a chick
flick.”

  She gingerly climbed onto the opposite side of the bed and sat Indian style with her back ramrod straight. “Sorry to disappoint, but I have a weakness for slasher movies.”

  “No complaints, Hot Stuff. That was my point.” She heard the pop of the cork from the champagne and watched as Drew poured them each a glass.

  The bubbly, though not Cristal or Dom Perignon quality, went down smooth, and soon she found her anxiety melting away along with her inhibitions. By the time the previews ended and the movie started, Lindy felt comfortable enough to lean back against the pillows and relax. She flexed her feet, sort of testing the waters. Yeah, this was nice. She could do this. He was just a guy...no one special.

  Pffft. You want him and you know it.

  Drew shifted, and suddenly they were thigh to thigh, the heat of his body warming her as awareness tingled through her veins. “More champagne?” he asked as he topped off his own glass.

  “Maybe just a little.”

  “Can’t save champagne, darlin’, so drink up.”

  He filled her glass to within a hair of the rim. And he’d called her darlin’. Though if she were being honest, she didn’t really mind being called Hot Stuff. Made her feel kind of sexy, which she hadn’t felt in...well, a long time.

  She sucked the bubbly down in half the time it took to sip the first glass, and then twirled it beneath his nose for more. She grinned, relaxed and cozy. He grinned back and poured her another.

  They watched the movie in silence. Lindy found herself leaning Drew’s way as the heroine on screen ran for her life toward the sanctuary of her car in the nearly empty mall parking lot. She managed to cram the key in the lock a split second before the killer caught her by the back of the hair. Her bloodcurdling scream rent the air as fate became a reality. The killer slapped a hand over her mouth as his bowie knife plunged into her back.

  “I still can’t believe you like these kinds of movies.” Drew stretched his legs before casting her a sidelong glance.