Lost and Found (books 1-3): Small-Town Romantic Comedy

by Elizabeth Lynx

  If I learned anything from the past decade, it’s that there’s no guarantee that jobs or money or even love will last forever.

  “Great! I will work hard next week to make that figure a reality. Mica, Chloe, and little Shelby,” Bea reached out to wiggle one of Shelby’s toes and my niece threw her head back with a giggle, “I promise I won’t let you down.”

  “I know you won’t . . . because I won’t let you.” I stood up a little straighter and folded my arms.

  “I had paperwork drawn up and brought here. I’ll just go—”

  “I’ll sign the paperwork at The Blue Spot. Once I’ve seen you have our best interest in mind, Ms. Love.”

  “What?” both women said at once.

  If I was putting my company, our family’s only livelihood, in her hands, I was going to be watching over her shoulder the whole time.

  “I’m coming to The Blue Spot with you.”

  SEVEN

  Bea

  “Your shoes are fine. Stop staring at them like a lost little puppy,” Mica said, not even looking at me. His eyes remained focused on the wet road ahead of us.

  “Is it normal to rain this much? I feel as if we should have gone with my plan of hiring several SUVs.”

  Yesterday Mica agreed to let me sell his coffee to The Blue Spot resort, and today, I was stuck in his truck, with Shelby in the back, being driven down a road in Maine.

  At least, I thought we were in Maine. We might be in another state. Honestly, it all looked the same to me.

  “My truck will do.”

  “I also suggested flying because—”

  “No planes. I . . . uh, Shelby’s too young.”

  I had no idea how old a child had to be before flying, but I was pretty sure she was old enough.

  “Are you sure about that? Because when I checked the airline—”

  “It’s her ears.” He swirled his finger around his ear. “It’s painful for her.”

  As much as I wanted to be on a plane, relaxing back on a first-class leather seat with the divider between me and the person next to me, I knew I had to get Mica to trust me.

  When it became obvious that he wasn’t going to let me go down to Virginia alone and that Shelby had to come with us because Chloe was camping for a week, I plastered on the Love smile and nodded my head.

  “How long until we get there?” I pulled my eyes away from the blue tarp-covered truck bed, where my luggage was supposedly protected from the rain and looked over at Mica.

  His red flannel sleeves were rolled up, showing off his forearms. Huh, I never thought too much about that part of a man’s arm before, but his are thicker than most I had seen.

  Sexy thicker. All muscle and smooth skin underneath with manly hair on top.

  I shook my head and realized his arms were zapping my brain cells. Who cared if he had arm hair? Apparently, I did.

  “Where are we?” I asked because I needed a distraction from those meaty arms.

  “We just crossed over from New York to New Jersey about a half an hour ago.”

  “Wow, that didn’t take long at all. I still think we could have taken a detour in New York.”

  “And I told you that we weren’t stopping so you could shop.”

  “At this rate, we’ll be in Virginia by dinner time.”

  I smiled at the thought of getting to test out The Blue Spot’s new suites. From what my brother told me, they made sure that a few suites were ready for potential investors and clients before the resort opened to guests.

  No offense to my sister and her fiancé, but their new guest cabin they had built late last year wasn’t five-star resort level comfort.

  I couldn’t wait to sleep on silky sheets with a soft pillow and surrounded by comfort and servants. Oh, how I missed servants.

  I fully admit I was spoiled. And that’s why I worked so hard—so I could keep spoiling myself and the people I loved. Those baskets I made weren’t cheap, and I enjoyed spreading cheer.

  What was the point of having money if you couldn’t enjoy life and make the people around you happy?

  That’s why I had no idea why Mica fought me so hard. I was practically begging him to let me make money for him and his family. Yet, he acted as if I was stealing from him.

  He was a strange cookie.

  Oh, a cookie basket. I took out my phone and made a note. I bet when we stopped at a quaint café for lunch, they’d be able to tell me where I could find a pastry shop.

  “No, we won’t,” Mica said, and I turned away from my phone in confusion.

  “We won’t what?”

  “Be in Virginia by evening. As much as I wish to drive through the night to get there, we will have to stay the night in a motel. I can’t do that to Shelby. She needs a bed to sleep in.”

  “Motel?”

  He nodded. “Motel. You know, those places where they rent rooms and have beds.”

  “Sure. Of course. I thought for a moment you said hotel.”

  “No. I can’t afford a hotel.”

  “But I can—”

  “I’m not taking your money. If you wish to stay at a hotel, you can, but Shelby and I will get a room at a motel.”

  I groaned and had to stare at his arms again to calm myself.

  He grumbled, and I couldn’t make out what he said.

  “What did you say?”

  Mica glanced at me for only a second before he stared straight ahead again, but it was long enough for me to see the doubt in his eyes.

  No matter what I said or what I did, he didn’t trust me. What was it with these men who took one look at me and decided I wasn’t a good businesswoman? That I couldn’t land a six-figure deal.

  To be honest, I was exaggerating a bit when I said six-figures, but I was desperate. No one would say no to a chance to make six-figures. I had to make sure he’d at least agree to me helping him.

  Had I thought he would expect two hundred thousand? No. Did I expect him to travel with me, making sure I followed through? Hell to the no.

  I freaked out last night and spent most of the evening complaining to Olivia and making her listen to my worries. She calmed me, but as I sat here, in this uncomfortable truck seat, I realized that if I got Mica on my side—got him to trust me—then perhaps he would agree to a non-six-figure deal.

  “What I said was no slumming it for you.”

  That was it.

  “Is something wrong? Did I do something that gave you the impression that I don’t like you or anything to do with you?”

  His jaw tightened, and as sexy as that was to look at, I was mad. Tired of being treated like everything I touched would only turn to ruin. Despite proving time and time again that I got things done.

  “As a matter of fact, yes.”

  And right before he could tell me, something happened. There was a bang, and the car felt strange like we were driving over rocks.

  “Shit. We just blew a tire.”

  Mica managed to pull off the highway and onto an exit ramp. There was a donut shop and car dealership, but not much else other than highway.

  He pulled into the dealership and said, “They should have a mechanic here, in case it’s not the tire.”

  “What’s going to happen?” I had never been in a vehicle that had a flat tire before. What if it took all day? We’d be stuck on the side of the road in New Jersey. At least if this had happened in New York City, then we could entertain ourselves by shopping or taking in a show and eating at the best deli in the world over in Hell’s Kitchen.

  But he refused to drive through the city. Telling me we were better off driving around it.

  He threw his thumb behind him and said, “I’ll hop out and change it quick. Just stay here and see if Shelby needs to be changed.”

  And he was out in the rain before I could ask how to check on something like that.

  I glanced over at the little girl and smiled. Her arms and legs shot out as she smiled back.

  “Do you need to be changed, Shelby?”
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  She said something back, but it sounded like babble. I wondered when kids learned to talk. Maybe, instead of changing her, I could spend my time on this trip teaching her to speak.

  Turning on my phone, I looked up language development in children. According to a children’s medical website, they start to babble at about four months old, and actual words started around fifteen months.

  I glanced over at Shelby. She was much older than fifteen months. I hadn’t heard her say one word, other than babble, since I had been around her.

  Something wasn’t right. I watched a short video on the website about warning signs if the child wasn’t talking. As I watched, I realized that Shelby wasn’t doing or saying the things she should.

  The car door opened, and though he was soaking wet—but still deliciously handsome—Mica climbed up into his seat. “We’ve got a problem.”

  I quickly tucked my phone back into my purse at my feet. Mica loved Shelby. I was positive he wouldn’t like it if I brought up my concern over her lack of speaking. He would yell at me and tell me it’s none of my business.

  If I learned anything over the last few days getting to know the man, it was better to keep my thoughts to myself when it came to his life.

  “What’s the problem?”

  “The spare was the one that got the hole. I forgot that I had a flat a month ago and used it. But I didn’t have enough money . . . uh, time to get a new one.”

  I pointed out the window. “They should have one. I mean, look at all those cars. I’m sure if I paid them enough, they’d let us buy one.”

  He rubbed his face. “It doesn’t work like that, Bea.”

  It wasn’t his tone that got to me; it was the way his eyes seemed to rip me apart. To him, I was some dumb, spoiled, rich girl who knew nothing about life.

  He knew nothing about me or my life.

  “Look, Mica, I may not know much about cars . . . And yes, I come from money and had other people handle life’s inconveniences for me, like a flat tire. But I am trying to help. And what I have is money. If that helps us right now, then let’s take advantage of it.”

  He began to open his mouth again. It was a fine mouth. One I wouldn’t mind tasting or licking, but right now, I needed to keep it shut.

  “You want nothing to do with my money. I know, you’ve made that completely clear. But think of Shelby. Like you said, she needs to sleep in a bed tonight. And she probably needs to be changed. I don’t know. I couldn’t figure that part out.”

  I couldn’t look at him. He was probably gnashing his teeth at me. Maybe foaming at the mouth like the feral man he projected at the world.

  Then I heard it. A sound so deep, so rumbly, so nipple-hardening, I swore it wasn’t real. If I hadn’t been in the truck as it occurred, I would have thought it was the stuff of legends.

  Mica laughed. His head thrown back, Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, and his damp cheeks rosy. And the smile. My vagina stared with her mouth agape and drooling.

  “It’s not that, Bea,” he said with a few chuckles. “Only certain tires will fit the truck. They may not have any tires that fit. But I’ll go and see.”

  “Oh.”

  Before he turned, I tugged on his damp shirt because he never put his coat on to change the tire.

  “If they don’t have a tire, what will we do?”

  “I can have the truck towed to a tire shop or mechanic. We can wait it out. Should only take an hour or two and we’ll be back on the road.”

  Great. That’s not so bad. I guess changing a tire wasn’t as bad as I thought.

  EIGHT

  Mica

  “One bed. Just one bed.” I stared at the queen-sized bed with a gray blanket.

  “It’s not so bad. I’m sure the clerk was exaggerating when he said all the hotels and motels around town were booked. I can’t imagine so many people are here for DICK.”

  “Stop.” I held up my hand and rolled my lips together. I wouldn’t let her break me. After the tire fiasco, I was hoping to rest in a moderately priced motel, take care of Shelby, and try to get an early night’s sleep so I’d be rested for the last part of our journey tomorrow.

  No laughing. No enjoying the moment. No smiles of any kind. There was nothing fun about being stuck in a room with only one bed with a sexy woman. I mean . . . a woman with perky tits. I mean, uh . . . shit.

  Nothing could happen between us—no matter how much my dick wanted it to. The big guy between my legs wasn’t in charge of my coffee company, nor my family. And Bea was all business. I mean, I had to get down to business with her.

  I sat on the edge of the bed. I was too tired to think straight thanks to the only tire place in a twenty-mile radius being closed on a Friday afternoon. After so many phone calls, I lost count and ended up discovering the priciest motel in the world. All because a big convention was in town, I was seated on the last available bed within thirty miles.

  Bea was figuring out how to unbuckle Shelby from her stroller.

  “Just because you’re upset the DICK people got better rooms, don’t take it out on me.” She lifted Shelby from the stroller while I stared at her round ass. Those jeans fit her perfectly.

  “Stop saying dick.”

  Bea turned with Shelby in her arms. Her golden, hazel eyes sparkled and something hit me in the chest. It wasn’t on the outside. It was as if my heart formed a foot and gave me a swift kick.

  Bea was beautiful standing there with Shelby. Her eye makeup was slightly smudged, and her hair was tousled, but there was a happy, relaxed glow about her.

  “Why can’t I say dick? It’s only an acronym. Drink International Conference in Kirkwood. You’re just jealous because you weren’t invited to DICK.”

  “Yes, I do love me some DICK,” I grumbled.

  Bea gasped. She placed Shelby on the floor before she came over and sat at my side.

  “Did you just make a joke?”

  I hoped she hadn’t noticed the heat crawling up my neck as I turned my head to stare out the window. “Yes. But don’t tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold of a cantankerous loner.”

  “There you go being funny again.”

  When I turned back to face her, I noticed her eyes slid over my body.

  And I liked it. Watching a beautiful, intelligent woman eat me up with her eyes was something I hadn’t realized I wanted. At least, not in a long time.

  “I can be funny. You don’t know me, Ms. Love.”

  Her eyes lifted and there wasn’t an ounce of regret on her face. Had she wanted me to catch her?

  My cock liked that, too.

  “I’d like to know you.”

  There it was. The declaration.

  “Ms. Love, are you flirting with me?”

  My heart was kicking up a storm in my chest. I had no idea how I wanted her to answer. My cock wanted Bea to answer my question with her lips wrapped around it.

  But my dick had no brain. It just wanted to be warm and cozy anywhere she’d let me put it.

  I knew, logically, that any sexual encounter with her would be a bad idea. It would complicate a deal that hadn’t been made yet—a deal that would help my family and my business.

  As much as my cock wanted Bea to orgasmically cry out a yes to my question, that couldn’t be the answer.

  I knew it, but did Bea?

  The way her face froze was as if she was reading my mind. Either that or she knew what was best for her career as well.

  “No, I’m not.” She cleared her throat and sat up straight. “I just feel that since we’re spending all this time together on a road trip, we should at least get to know a little about each other.”

  “Right. I agree.”

  We both turned our head to find Shelby playing with the colorful scarf tied to Bea’s leather bag.

  “Where’s your sister?” Bea asked as she watched Shelby.

  “She’s camping. There’s a state park about an hour—”

  “I didn’t mean Chloe. I’m talking about Sh
elby’s mom. Chloe mentioned she was her sister’s daughter but never said anything else.”

  I stood and walked over to Shelby, swooping her up in my arms. “That’s none of your business.”

  My temporary lapse in judgment was brought on by my dick barking orders. Bea wasn’t family. She wasn’t even from my town or anywhere close to my world. If I told her what happened to Ellie, she’d do one of two things.

  Bea would either feel sorry for me, for Shelby, or for our family. And the last thing I wanted from her, or from anyone, was pity. It’s not what happened in the past that defines us. It’s what we do with that experience to move forward that’s important.

  I built my coffee business. That’s what I did. If Bea was going to judge me in any way, I wanted it to be that I worked hard and cared about my business.

  “I’m just trying to get to know you, Mica. How am I going to represent your best interests when I don’t know anything about you?”

  And the last thing I wanted to do with Ellie’s memory was use it for money.

  “All you need to know is that the coffee is quality. That I work hard to produce a great product, and that nothing less than two hundred thousand will do. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m taking Shelby to that diner I saw across the street for dinner.”

  It took a few uncomfortable moments, but I managed to buckle Shelby into her stroller without pinching me or her legs in the process.

  I scrambled out of the room so quickly that I realized I didn’t take my coat or Shelby’s diaper bag.

  “Screw it,” I mumbled, making my way down the hall and out the lobby door.

  I glanced back while I waited at the light to cross the street. Bea wasn’t behind me. I thought I’d be happy she stayed behind, but I felt disappointed.

  While I didn’t want her to ask me about my family, I was starting to enjoy her company. She may be wealthy and out of touch with a life like mine, but she didn’t complain. And what I appreciated about her the most was that she was a hard worker. Bea never took no for an answer when she set her mind to it.

  That last part made me smile, and I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn’t notice the walk sign lit up.