“Treasure Hope. I can’t believe you’re here.” He stood close enough to smell her jasmine bodywash. Bodie ran a rough hand over his head.
“I have to clock in,” she said, but didn’t unroot herself from where she stood.
“You have time.” He knew it was a quarter till the hour.
“Bodie, why… why did you drag me out here?”
“Because I understand how important it is to you to keep work separate from your personal life.”
“It is. And I need to go inside, now.”
“No. Not until I have a chance to say hello.”
Bodie moved in so close her breasts pressed against his chest. He captured her with burning hands and placed his lips against hers before she could escape. Treasure stiffened in his arms, but almost immediately gave in to his kiss. Her hands slid up his back and gripped his shirt. Their tongues met and swirled. Bodie sealed his lips against hers and applied gentle pressure by sucking. A needful sound hummed out of her. His thumb stroked her jaw line and caressed the side of her neck. A small whimper rose from the back of her throat. Heat surged through his bloodstream and warmth spread through every inch of his body.
Bodie pulled away, but held onto either side of her face. Every part of her, but especially her eyes and silken skin, had plagued his dreams over the last two months. Here she was, and he couldn’t help but think he was in another torturous nightmare. Her heat, the smell of a garden, and the throbbing pulse beneath his fingertips insured reality. “You owe me an explanation, Treasure Hope. Not the bullshit lies, either.”
Beneath the moonlight, he saw the dazed expression on her face. It made parts of him yearn to lean in and kiss her again, but he held himself in check.
“I’m… I’m not equipped for this conversation right now.”
“Equipped? I sure as hell wasn’t equipped for a two month long break with no forewarning, but it’s what I got.”
“I left you a message.”
“Yeah, well, saying that was a lousy thing to do, wouldn’t even come close to what it really was.”
“I said everything I needed to.”
“It was a load of crap. I’ll never take her back and I honestly don’t understand why you won’t believe me. Vanessa is not a part of my life any longer. Period.”
“She’s pregnant.” Treasure said it like it was the only answer that mattered.
“It’s not my kid and she’s not my girlfriend. I’m not uncaring. I moved her out of state to live with her family members, Treasure. That’s what I needed to tell you before you cut me out of your life. You would have heard, but you refused to answer my calls. Vanessa’s gone. Forever. Did you log that into your thick skull, because I’m not going to tell you ever again.”
Treasure blinked a few times and stared at the building behind him. “Umm. I need to go.”
“Of course, you do,” Bodie said. “You’re good at avoiding things you don’t want to deal with. Including people. I thought we were better friends than that. Don’t worry, though, I won’t bother you again. I only needed to know if you still felt something for me. Now, I’m certain you do. You stopped seeing me for all the wrong reasons, Treasure. And it’s too bad. We could have had something real and lasting.” He dropped his hands and walked away before she could respond.
* * *
It took Treasure a week to gather up the courage to speak to Bodie again. Thankfully, her nightshifts didn’t coincide with his part-time schedule, so running into him at work was easily avoidable. Treasure drove into the lot of the Everett brothers’ new brewpub and parked her BMW. She pulled off her helmet and looked around the construction site. A crew of men worked at prying off the old sun-baked wood siding from the building. Every door was propped open and the sound of hammers and saws echoed through the air over the rock music blaring from someone’s radio.
“Hey, look who’s here!” Shane called down to her from the wraparound deck. “Come on up,” he said. “Yo, Bodie, your paramedic babe finally decided to drop by,” he yelled over his shoulder.
Her nerves rattled beneath her skin. She decided to try and make up with Bodie no matter how difficult it was. If they could go back to being friends, she thought it would be worth the effort. As much as she wanted to tuck her tail between her legs and scurry away, she lifted her chin and walked over to the stairs that led to the side deck.
“Wow. You guys are redoing the whole outside, too?”
“Heck yeah. The place needed a facelift. The whole western theme wasn’t working for us.”
“You mean western, worn out, and dumpy isn’t up to snuff?” she joked, but the description was precisely how Floyd’s Tavern used to look.
“We’re going with stucco and stone. A more mountain contemporary style. Iron handrails and timber beams. We’re undecided on copper, brushed stainless, or oiled bronze accents, but that’s why we hired a design consultant.”
“Sounds stunning. If my vote counts, I’d say oiled bronze.”
“That’s what I want. We’re on the same page, you and me. We should go fixture shopping sometime. Check out some lampshades and sink basins. My brother doesn’t have to be invited.” Shane wiggled his eyebrows at Treasure suggestively.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” Bodie said, exiting through the side door.
“Nothing,” Shane said, not a wink of shame on his face. “Treasure’s a treasure. I’d love to spend more time with this woman.”
“Step back before I push you over the rail and into the dumpster.”
“Very funny, bro,” Shane said, taking a couple of steps back as Bodie moved closer.
“He acts all possessive, but I haven’t seen you two together for most of the summer. Are you still dating my little brother? Cause, you know, I could take you out sometime, Treasure.”
Treasure was fairly sure Shane was kidding, but then again, she didn’t actually know him.
“Go away, now,” Bodie warned.
“Yeah, yeah… but only because I was headed over to the pizza shop to pick up lunch. You two want anything?”
“No. Just leave,” Bodie said, his eyes fixed on Treasure the entire time he told Shane to buzz off.
“Treasure, can I buy you a pie? A calzone? Drink? I’d treat you better than my dumbass brother does.” He winked.
“I’m good, thanks,” she said.
Bodie gave his brother’s shoulder a shove. Shane smacked his hand away and then laughed as he skipped down the stairs.
“Shane’s an idiot in case you haven’t figured it out.”
“I think he’s kind of fun. But please, tell me he’s not being serious when he’s asking me out.”
A frown creased Bodie’s near perfect brows. “He’s not being serious. But I wouldn’t put anything past him. Shane can’t seem to handle himself when a beautiful female is in range.”
“That’s a rather eye opening observation.”
“You’ve been warned,” Bodie said, and gave Treasure a lopsided smile.
Without Shane’s distraction, the nervousness returned and Treasure fell silent. She bit the side of her lip as her mind went traitorously blank.
“Want to see what we’re doing inside?” Bodie asked.
She nodded. “I do, but I don’t want to interrupt if you’re busy working.”
“I was about to stop for lunch. Come on in.”
Treasure swallowed and they entered through the side door into a cloud of construction dust. As she followed behind, Treasure tried not to stare at Bodie’s T-shirt clinging to his muscular back and the tool belt slung low around his waist.
Bodie strolled over to where the old bar used to be, pulled off his work gloves, and tucked them into his back pocket.
“We’re putting in a new bar and back bar over there.” He gestured to the long empty sidewall. “The layout of the main dining room is going to be different than Floyd’s. The front entrance will have floor to ceiling glass so natural light can come in.”
Treasure observed the sawhorses, plastic dra
pes, and the men working on different aspects of the remodel. Walls were missing and some were stripped down to the studs. “It’s incredible. You’ve done so much in a short amount of time,” she said.
Rob cruised by holding a stack of broken drywall pieces. He carried them outside and hefted them over the railing to the dumpster below.
“We all like demo. After the destruction stage, I’m not sure what I can do to help. My carpentry skills are limited.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, feigning surprise. “You can’t remodel an entire building and save lives on the side?”
“I probably could, but it wouldn’t look as good as what the professionals can do.” He shrugged. “The kitchen will be through there.” He pointed at an open archway. “Follow me downstairs and I’ll show you the brewing room.”
The basement had been gutted. New drywall was up, but the wall facing the parking lot was open to the outdoors. “What’s going on over here?” she asked.
“We’re putting in more glass so the customers can see the tanks and watch the brewers.”
“Shane and Rob will be the beer making monkeys in their own cage and we get to watch,” she asked with a laugh.
“Looks that way. And they’ll be perfectly happy doing so.”
Treasure smiled at the thought of Bodie’s brothers being on display while they concocted, mixed, stirred, tested, and played with their beer on a large scale. She could visualize the brewery’s future success with ease and knew the business was the perfect addition to Granite Lake, her new old hometown.
“I never asked you what the name of your brewpub is.”
“Black Bear Brewing.”
“I like it. I can picture a cool logo with a bear on it.”
“Me, too. Rob drew something up. I think we’re agreed on it.”
She met Bodie’s eyes and realized that during the tour they both kept avoiding eye contact. Now she saw him staring at her with an intensity that reminded her of the times they slept together. Bodie would gaze into her soul. She didn’t understand exactly what those looks meant, but she always sensed deep emotion and something she wasn’t ready to acknowledge or let rise to the surface. Bodie glanced up at the ceiling and the moment was lost, but she was certain she saw it. Treasure walked over to the framed wall that was open to the outdoors and gazed across the parking lot to the lake behind. She sighed as she searched for a way to begin. A way to tell him everything she wanted to say.
“What are you doing here, Treasure?” Bodie asked when she remained silent.
“I wanted to see you.”
“Why?”
A straightforward question that was incredibly hard to answer. She peered at her boots, then at the two-by-sixes, the concrete floor, anywhere but at Bodie. She felt raw, exposed, shy. “I bought a house. In town,” she clarified. “Would you like to see it?”
Bodie blinked at her, looked aside, then back.
“Now?”
“Okay,” she said, unsure. Why had she brought it up? She supposed it was because she needed to keep stalling.
They walked out the basement door and Bodie unbuckled his tool belt. He opened his truck and placed it on the floor.
“It’s a few minutes from here.”
“I’ll drive. Climb in,” he offered.
“This is great. Better than great. It’s beautiful and peaceful.” Bodie stared at her house and yard, awe and joy apparent in his wide eyes. “I’m jealous.”
Treasure stared at her white cottage nestled in the pines. The peeling gray paint was gone after hours of scraping and painting. A deep sense of pride consumed her. Two large flowerpots flanked the porch, adding splashes of color and made the outside of the house perfect. She liked that Bodie approved.
“Did you find a place yet?” she asked, the hesitation in her voice noticeable. The subject of where Bodie lived made her remember his parents’ house and how humiliating her experience had been when she visited.
“Sort of. Not really. Rob rented a house in Wild Horse Estates. The three of us are sharing it. Rob’s living in town now, but Shane is still commuting back and forth to the city. It’s working out okay. And it’s better than staying with my parents.”
“That’s a beautiful area,” Treasure said, familiar with the upscale lakeside neighborhood.
“I like this much more. A large lot right on the water. The homes on your street have character. It doesn’t get better in my opinion.”
“They’re smaller houses, but yeah, I like it, too. Come in and I’ll show you around.” She walked toward her back door. “It needs some work, but updating and remodeling didn’t stop me from buying it.”
She watched Bodie take it in and tried not to be self-conscious about her new home. It did need work, but she loved her cozy cottage.
“This place reminds me of Floyd’s in a way.”
“How’s that?”
“Good bones. Open floor plan with lots of real wood. Warm and bright. This house is really special, Treasure.”
She strolled into the kitchen and popped the lid off a container of chocolate chip cookies.
“I don’t have much to eat. You said you were going to take a lunch break. Would you like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a cookie?” She pushed the cookies across the counter toward Bodie.
He smiled and took one. “Do you have some milk?”
“I do.” She spun around and reached into the fridge.
Bodie took the stool on the other side of the counter and watched her pour him a glass. “It’s hard to believe we’re in the same town, but not speaking to one another.”
“It’s weird. I’m not good at this,” she said, and nibbled a cookie.
“Do you mean having a boyfriend or acting like a decent person?”
“Ow… that was a jab. But yes, both.”
He nodded as if he understood. “I don’t hold it against you. I was angry the other night, but my frustration had been building for a while. You shouldn’t ignore your friends. We were friends before we started sleeping together. That doesn’t have to change.”
“I’m realizing that, now.” She set the cookie down and took a drink of milk.
“Are you?” he asked, surprised.
Treasure sighed. “I’m not the girl next door, Bodie. But, to me, you are the boy next door. And Vanessa is like America’s sweetheart. She’s beautiful and poised and perfect.”
“Maybe you should date her then,” he said calmly.
“I can’t be a Vanessa.”
“Treasure, how many times do I have to tell you? I would never want you if you were like her. I’ve been down that road and it’s not what I want.”
“But—”
“But nothing. Have you even considered I don’t want to be with the girl next door? Do you suppose I would spend every free minute talking to you, messaging you, and thinking about you over the entire winter if I didn’t care about you? The minute my training was over, I called you, not her. Think hard about that.”
“I’m not a good person. I screw things up. I have no family. And I don’t know how to cook.”
Bodie started laughing at her, except he wasn’t amused. “Do I have to spell it out for you — again?” He rose from the stool and came around the counter to stand in front of her. “You’re the one I want to be with. Stop being so stubborn and let me love you, damn it.”
“I can’t.”
“Can’t let me love you?” Confusion furrowed his brow.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t give up my stubbornness,” she said, correcting him. A tear leaked down her cheek as she let the rest of the truth slip out. “You can’t love me. I don’t deserve you. We need to go back to being friends.”
He gathered her in his arms and held on tight. Treasure’s emotions were in overdrive. Why did I say it? She didn’t mean for it to come out, but there it was. Raw, real, horrible. Deep down in the depths of her heartache, she believed she didn’t deserve to be loved.
“It’s too
late. I love you, Treasure. I couldn’t stop loving you if I tried. You’re the one I choose, whether it’s now, next week, or next year. You’ve completely corrupted me and I’m not changing my mind. I love your quirks, your strengths, and your horrible cooking.”
“Now, you’re lying to me because you can’t see a woman suffer. Tears are your weakness. It’s why you couldn’t turn Vanessa away when she started crying in front of you. Now, I’m standing here doing the exact same thing.” Treasure tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn’t let go. She wiped her tears and made a valiant attempt to settle her nerves. He just told her he loved her and the news made her heart soar, but she was more miserable than ever.
Bodie dipped his head and used his fingertips to tip her face up. He searched her eyes. “You understand me. I don’t want to see you cry, but that isn’t why I’m still standing here. I want to be here. With you. No matter what you’re doing, or thinking, or saying. Treasure, I like being with you. Is it so hard to believe? And honestly, I love your cookies,” he said, amending his statement about her cooking.
She couldn’t help but smile. No one loved her cooking. But she knew how to bake excellent cookies.
“I want more than that. I want you to know I’m going to be here for you. In any way you need me to be. I love you, Treasure Hope. The girl who rides motorcycles and cusses, drinks beer, and smells like a jasmine scented mechanic shop. I love that you assume you’re not the girl next door, when in reality, you are. Sweet as your shortbread cookies and melt in your mouth sexy. If you’re not the woman for me, then I don’t want anyone else.”
Could she finally let go of the past? Could she open up to him and let him love her and love him back? She took a breath as she reached up to pull his mouth down to hers. The kiss lingered, slow, deliberate, and adoring, and she hoped, full of promise.
“I’ve never wanted to be with anyone before like the way I want to be with you. You’re my best friend and I love you more than I knew was even possible.” She rested her cheek against his chest and absorbed his masculine scent and the feel of him against her body. “I want you to move in with me, Bodie.”
“What did you say?” he asked.
Chasing Treasure: Granite Lake Romance Page 25