The only good that was coming out of this evening was Mica and Carter were becoming friends. It seemed grumpy hermits shared a bond that I didn’t quite understand.
“I’d love to see your barn. I have one, but it’s now used for roasting coffee, not housing animals.” Mica leaned back, patting his belly after finishing his food.
“Sure, I can—”
“I’ll show you. Carter’s practically family. His barn is my barn. Right, Carter?” I tilted my head to indicate that he was to agree with me. He did promise to help me win Mica over.
“No. It’s my barn.”
What does my sister see in this man?
“But, if you want to show him the barn, you can.”
I hopped up and clapped my hand. “Great. Grab your coat, Mica, and get ready to sheer some sheep.”
“What?” Carter looked up from his plate. “I never said you could sheer them. I said you could—”
I waved my hand and went about getting our guest his coat. “No need to explain, Carter. I’ve used scissors before. Just a little off the top. Isn’t that what you sheep farmers say?”
Carter stood, but he was too late. I grabbed Mica’s hand just as he finished zipping up his parka. It was warm and I tried to pretend I didn’t notice the electric bolt that shot up my arm.
Mica and I were out the front door before Carter could reach us.
“I don’t think we should shear the sheep,” Mica said.
We went down the front porch, and I pulled him around the cabin. The sounds of sheep's cries sounded in the distance.
I shook my head but hadn’t let go of his hand. He must have read my mind because he pulled away.
“Don’t worry. No sheep will be shorn tonight. I only said that to bug Carter. His feathers, or should I say wool, are so easily ruffled.” I laughed at my joke.
“Why am I here?” We walked up to the barn and Mica came to a stop. I was glad because the closer we got to the barn, the more pungent the smell became.
One of the things I liked about Mica’s barn was that the scent was amazing. If I ever owned a barn, it would be a coffee barn.
I turned to him. He tried his best to fold his arms in front of his chest, but his coat was too puffy, so he placed his hands on his hips.
“It’s obvious I want to sell Fire Lake Coffee to a resort in Virginia. That much you know.”
He took a step closer. “And I said I didn’t sell my coffee outside of town.”
He was a foot from me, and yet, it seemed like I could feel the heat radiating from him. My clit twitched, and despite the animal poop smell, I had a strong urge to kiss Mica.
His argument was getting annoying. His sister was all for it, and from what she told me, they could use the money. I had no idea why he was so resistant.
It seemed the more stubborn he was, the more turned on I became.
“But I could get you a great deal. I promise. I could make you enough money to build another coffee barn or new truck or whatever it is you want. Plus, I’d make sure it was a yearly contract so if you changed your mind, you could always get out of it.”
He tilted his head back as his breath funneled up toward the inky sky.
He mumbled something about running away and then looked back at me. “No. I appreciate you inviting me to meet your sister and her fiancé, but the answer is still no. I can make money some other way.”
“What? You don’t make money now?”
He turned his head, and I noticed the muscles in his jaw flex. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, it’s . . . uh, none of your business. My family. My coffee is none of your business.”
With that, he turned to head back to the cabin. I stood there in shock.
The man was more than stubborn. He was a mule with sexy, chiseled arms and drool-worthy lips. The only person more pig-headed than Mica was my dad.
I may find him sexy and hot and had a few thoughts of kissing those perfect lips of his, but that’s only my vagina talking. Every other molecule in my body told me that he wasn’t worth the hassle.
If I could take on my dad and win over his clients, then I knew there was a way I could win over Mica, too. Once I got him to agree to selling his coffee to my brother’s investment, and Mica signed on the dotted line, I never wanted to see the man again.
Unless he was naked . . . I would love to see him naked. But only then, I would walk away, while staring at his naked body.
SIX
Mica
“I think I got everything. Socks.” Chloe’s blue eyes widened. “Almost forgot them.” She went over and opened her dresser drawer, pulling out several pairs of white socks.
I sat on the floor with Shelby as we played with her letter blocks. I wasn’t so much playing as removing them from her mouth when she attempted to gnaw on one.
“I’m glad you’re finally taking a break and going to have fun with your friends.” I smiled up at her to help ease the worry lines from her forehead.
“I can still cancel. Besides, there could be bears. It might be safer if I stay here.”
My sister had a thing about wild animals. She rarely went into the woods, but she told me she was trying to conquer her fears with this camping trip.
“It’s too soon for bears. They wake up in April from hibernation . . . it’s still March. You’ll be fine.”
She blew out a breath and nodded. “You’re right. It will only be a week, and I’ll have my two-way radio if anything happens. You can contact me if you get worried.”
I chuckled as Chloe bit her thumbnail while staring at her backpack. She placed the two-way radio on her dresser and opened the top drawer.
Though the trip was getting to her, I was proud that she was trying to step out of her comfort zone. Chloe gazed over at Shelby as if she was abandoning her forever.
When I came home two nights ago from having dinner with Bea’s sister and her sister’s fiancé, Chloe wasn’t happy I refused to listen to Bea’s idea. She had hoped getting to know Bea would open my heart to the idea of a deal. My sister was worried about finding money to pay for Shelby’s scan and prescription.
I hated to admit it, but the more I thought about everything, the more I worried, too.
“What about you? When was the last time you left town?” Chloe asked while stuffing the socks into her overflowing olive-green backpack.
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
That was a lie. I knew. I was seventeen, and our high school took a field trip to Bangor, the big city. It wasn’t that big of a city compared to what Bea was used to, but it was big enough for me.
Chloe mumbled, and I knew it was her you’re-lying mumble.
There was a knock at the door, and I was thankful the conversation was interrupted.
“Lana’s early. She isn’t supposed to be here to pick me up for an hour. Can you invite her in and tell her to give me twenty minutes?”
I nodded and stood. Right before I walked out of Chloe’s bedroom, she grabbed my arm. “If you need to flex these,” she squeezed my bicep, “do it. I need the time.”
My sister was willing to whore me out for extra packing time.
I blinked rapidly and deadpanned, “The love and respect you have for me is almost more than I can bear.”
“I can’t help it if she has the hots for you and is early. Besides, you once begged me to go on a date with Cindy Rosen’s younger brother because she’s, and I quote, hot as sin and willing to put out, end quote.”
“She was, and she did.” I grinned. “And I thank you for your service for my cause. You did your sibling duty.”
My sister snorted and rolled her eyes. “Just get out there and roll up your sleeves.”
I bowed and turned to race down the stairs. I did as my sister asked and pulled up my sleeves. Once I got to the bottom, I grabbed the knob and it came off in my hand.
“Why is everything falling apart at once?” I asked under my breath.
The knob was in my hand, so I tossed it on the couch. Open
ing the door, I was surprised to find Bea standing there with a basket in her hands.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too, Mica. Is Chloe here?” She twisted her neck to peer around me, so I stepped closer, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
“Yes, but she’s busy. Can I help you?”
Bea gave me the same look she had when we first met. Her eyes had a dazed softness that told me she was either tired or horny.
I suspected the latter.
Also, she wasn’t staring into my eyes, but at my arms.
“Yes, you sure can.” Her come-hither grin grew wide and she lifted her gaze to mine. “Let me sell your coffee.”
“Not going to happen, so if you don’t mind—” I began to close the door, but that short woman managed to crouch down and squeeze past me, basket and all.
She strolled inside as if she was invited and placed the basket on the coffee table. “I love the cozy feel of your place.”
I closed the door and faced her. “No, you don’t.”
“Please, don’t tell me what I like and don’t like. I would never do that to you.”
She was right. I may not care for Bea, but that didn’t mean I should treat her with disrespect.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t nice.”
We stood in silence for a moment. She was eyeing me and I her. She appeared weary. There wasn’t a bright confidence that I had seen in her the last two times we met. Maybe it finally sunk into her stubborn brain that I won’t budge on the coffee idea.
“I do hope Chloe is feeling better. I came to give her this basket to help her.”
I glanced down at what was in the basket. Everything was in a white terrycloth satchel.
“Okay, well, she’s feeling better. She’s about to go on a camping trip with her friends.”
Bea’s face fell, and she asked, “Why? Isn’t this rustic enough?” She waved her hand around.
“This is a house. My sister lives with a roof over her head. If you hadn’t noticed, we have electricity and if you went into the bathroom, you’d find running water. This isn’t like camping at all.”
While I didn’t care for camping either, our house wasn’t a shack. I rubbed my forehead. I felt bad for a moment the other day, that maybe I had misjudged Bea, but clearly, I hadn’t.
“I didn’t mean your home. I meant living on a mountain. Maybe I’ve lived in the city too long, but this is as far away from civilization as I get.”
“And you wonder why I won’t let you sell my coffee?”
The woman was maddening. If she was so oblivious to the people around her, how was she successful at business? Let me guess; it’s Daddy’s money.
“I could get you a great deal. I know one of the investors, which is how I found out about it. You’d be one of their first clients.”
I rubbed my chin. “And how do you know this investor?”
Her eyes slid sideways. “That’s not important.”
“I want to know. How did you find out about this great deal?”
She groaned and said, “My brother. He’s an investor in The Blue Spot resort.”
There it was. Family.
“How does your brother have so much money to invest?” I took a step closer and she became a bit more uneasy.
“I won’t lie to you, ever, okay. My father made a lot of money with his grocery store chain, Love Foods. My brother works beside my dad at the company, ready to take over. He does side projects, too. Like investing in this resort. He knew how good I was at getting clients, so he asked if I could help him. I immediately thought of your coffee. It’s delicious, and wealthy men and women would pay anything to get a taste.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. It did seem like she was being honest, but wealthy people rarely told you the truth, even when they said that they’d never lie to you.
But it was the way Bea stood. Her shoulders back and the determination in her voice. Body language never lied. As much as I didn’t want to, I believed her.
“So . . . how much?” I asked.
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“How much could you get Fire Lake Coffee for its beans?”
She visibly swallowed, and her eyes darted around the room. “I’d have to speak with some people at the resort and then possibly—”
“Just spit it out. You didn’t come all this way and spend several days here trying to convince me if you didn’t have an idea of what I could get for my coffee.”
“Right.” She nodded and took a deep breath. “At least six figures.”
I nodded and rubbed my chin. It was all an act. My calm demeanor was more fake than Shelby’s “wood-like” blocks. Internally, I was screaming and doing a happy dance so ridiculous that my brain cringed.
“But it’s only for a year. So, if it’s not enough, you could ask for more in a year. Depending on how the guests at the resort respond to it, you might even make more deals with them. They are billionaires after all.”
“Billionaires?”
She nodded and nibbled on her lip. I instantly thought about picking her up in my arms and nibbling her lip, too.
“Yes. I thought I told you. It’s an exclusive billionaire resort. Only people who make a billion dollars or more would be invited.”
Holy shit. I glanced around my living room and suddenly saw what Bea saw. It was rustic and homey and with all that was falling apart in the house, a bit dingy.
I could fix everything with that money.
Chloe appeared at the bottom of the stairs with Shelby in her arms and an overly full backpack on her shoulders.
“Did the knob fall . . .? Oh, Bea, I didn’t know you were here.”
Bea lifted the basket and walked over to Chloe. “I brought you one of my signature baskets. I couldn’t find the Sargassum Seaweed Scrub up here, which is weird because that stuff is everywhere. But I see you’re feeling much better, so I think the pink salt scrub and anti-lather Bavarian bath soak will be enough. And how’s this little one?” She reached over and patted Shelby’s pudgy arm.
I barely understood what was coming out of Bea’s mouth, nor had much interest in the items in her basket. But as she mouthed the words salt scrub and anti-lather, I couldn’t help but stare at her mouth, imagining her tongue and lips trying to produce those words with my cock nestled inside.
“Oh, my God! That is the softest skin I have ever felt.” Bea rubbed her hand up and down Shelby’s arm.
“Would you like to hold her?” Chloe lifted Shelby up.
“If that’s okay?” Bea glanced back for approval.
It was nice to be asked instead of just assuming it would be all right. Maybe that’s what bugged me about Bea when I first met her. She just assumed I would be overjoyed with her deal and could do whatever she wanted with me and my family.
“Of course. Shelby loves people.”
Bea took Shelby and was surprisingly adept at handling her.
“Held many babies before?” I asked as I stepped closer and helped my sister remove her backpack.
“Yes, actually. For a photo shoot in Prague. The photographer, Ansel Andrews, did a whole series of non-mothers with babies.”
I had no idea what Bea was talking about and, the way my sister was staring at her, neither did Chloe.
“Okay, then. Well, you’ve dropped off the basket. My sister has to leave soon, so . . .” I waved toward the door with one arm while reaching for Shelby with the other.
“Actually, dropping off the basket wasn’t my only reason for coming here.”
Groaning, I did my best not to roll my eyes. I wanted my sister to be on her little vacation before I spoke more to Bea about selling the coffee.
There was one thing, above all other things, that I hated the most in the world. I disliked it more than a wealthy person ripping me off. More than people who don’t signal before making turns. More than someone who filled their coffee with flavored creamer to mask the natural taste of the beans.
&nbs
p; It was the reaction from my sister when she knew she was right about something.
“Oh, what was it?” Chloe pushed me out of the way to grab Shelby, no doubt getting in her last snuggles for the week.
“Your brother and I were discussing the financials of the coffee deal.”
Chloe stopped mid snuggle, her nose mid-sniff of Shelby’s short brown hair. When she lifted her head, she grinned because she knew. Chloe was in her element.
She held the child and puffed up her chest while gazing at me with triumph in her eyes. I knew what was to come next and it would be debilitating for me.
“Oh, really?”
Those two little words held all the power. It wasn’t what she said, but how she said it.
“Yes. I told your brother that I should be able to get you a six-figure deal.”
Chloe faltered. Shelby slipped for just a second in my sister’s arms, but she recovered in time.
“Six figures? The kind that has five zeroes?”
Bea nodded. “I’m thinking one hundred and fifty thousand, but I would have to speak with the people at The Blue Spot to flesh out the deal. If you agree to allow me to negotiate for you, I’ll head down there next week to begin negotiations.”
My sister’s head began to nod as she stared blankly at the wall.
I was glad the large amount of money distracted her enough to forget to rub it in my face that she was right about Bea and the deal.
I wasn’t completely convinced Bea wasn’t out to dupe us, but I felt she was smart enough to get us something.
“I’ll let you sell our coffee for a one-year deal for two hundred thousand or nothing.”
My sister gasped, and Bea began nibbling on her bottom lip again.
“Mica, I don’t think—”
I held up my hand. “We have to think of the future, Chloe. If we can only get one year out of them, we need to make that money last. Especially with the help that Shelby needs.”
My sister nodded and lowered her nose to Shelby.
I wasn’t doing this to scare Bea off by asking for an outrageous sum of money. I wasn’t doing this to be greedy. I had to make sure my family was taken care of now and in the future.
Lost and Found (books 1-3): Small-Town Romantic Comedy Page 49