“If it’s that important, I’ll make you a deal,” he said.
“I am not removing the noncompete.”
He took a couple of steps forward, craving intimacy with her. “That’s not my deal.”
“What other deal is there?” She tipped her chin as he grew closer.
He wished he could take the last couple of steps, draw her into his arms and apologize for upsetting her. Of course he wasn’t interested in her sister. And he’d never use Melissa’s trusting nature against her. It was all Jules. Everything was Jules.
He could still taste her last kiss, and he desperately wanted another. He was acutely aware of the fact that they were alone in the house. All of their cards were now on the table and there was nothing stopping them from doing anything they wanted.
“Caleb?” she interrupted his wandering thoughts.
“Hmm?”
“The deal?”
He couldn’t help a small smile. “You date me instead.”
She went speechless for a moment. “That gets you where?”
He gave a shrug. “Not your concern. One date. Let me take you on one date, and I’ll back off on Melissa.”
Jules tilted her head to one side.
It made it even harder to keep from kissing her.
“What on earth are you up to?”
“I’m attempting to make you see things my way.”
“You don’t need to date me to argue with me.”
“Take the deal, or leave it and I try something else.”
“You try to cozy up to Melissa.”
Caleb countered with an ambiguous shrug.
He’d come up with an ad hoc plan for using the date to help Jules see reason. But if he was honest with himself, right now, he mostly just wanted the date.
“One date?” she said.
“One date.”
She considered the offer, looking like she was making a very painful decision. It was hard on a guy’s ego, but it was what it was.
“Okay,” she finally said in a small voice and with a whole lot of uncertainty.
“Your enthusiasm is gratifying.”
“We both know you’re practically blackmailing me.”
He gave in to the urge to move closer. “And we both know what happens when I kiss you.”
She put the flat of her hand against his chest.
The warmth of it seeped through his shirt, and he couldn’t stop himself from closing his eyes to savor the touch.
“Stop it,” she said huskily.
“I like it when you touch me.”
“I’m holding you off.”
“I know.”
“That’s not the same as touching you.”
He opened his eyes. Big mistake, because she was right there, so close.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked.
“When?” she asked.
“All the time.”
“When is the date?”
“Are you not feeling anything?” He didn’t want to believe the physical attraction was all on his side.
She swallowed. “No.”
She was lying. He’d bet the new Neo location that she was lying. And that meant there was in fact hope. Their date could turn out to be very interesting.
“Friday night,” he said.
“Fine.” She dropped her hand and took a backward step.
He missed her already.
Five
Melissa abruptly stopped sanding the old barstool with her good hand, straightening to stare across the Crab Shack at Jules. The morning sun streamed through the window behind her, highlighting the fine sawdust and making her blond hair glow like a halo.
“There’s something I’m not getting,” she said.
“What’s not to get?” Jules sized up one of the dining tables.
“The part where Caleb asks you on a date.”
“What’s wrong with me?” Jules’s plan had been to offhandedly mention tomorrow night’s date with Caleb and blow past it on to more important subjects. The blowing past it wasn’t working as well as she’d hoped.
“He can date anyone. I’ve Googled the guy and you should see some of the women who go out with him.”
“Thanks, tons.” Jules pretended to be offended.
Melissa waved a hand through the air. “Don’t be ridiculous. That wasn’t an insult. Why you?”
“That sounds like an insult.” Jules pushed the table toward the center of the room, making space along the walls where Noah planned to work on the electrical system later in the day. “Were you thinking paint or stain for the barstools?”
Melissa wouldn’t let it go. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
Her sister was too astute, but Jules had no intention of letting on that Caleb had initially targeted Melissa to romance. It would sound like Jules didn’t trust her. She did.
It was Caleb she didn’t trust. He was underhanded, and Melissa’s instinct was to search for an amicable solution. That made her vulnerable to his bogus claims of both restaurants succeeding.
“All right,” Jules said, frowning. “Maybe it’s because I kissed him.”
“You what?”
“Well, he kissed me. I suppose that’s more accurate. He was the one doing the kissing. I simply...” Jules wasn’t exactly sure how to finish that sentence.
Luckily, she didn’t have to. Melissa jumped back in.
“Where? When? Why didn’t you say something?”
“It was a nonevent. That day we were moving the pictures, while you were talking to Noah. Caleb kissed me. I kind of kissed him back. It’s embarrassing, but he is pretty hot. And, well, I’m guessing he might be under the impression that I’m attracted to him. And, maybe, well, maybe he thinks if he dates me and, I don’t know, sweeps me off my feet, he can change my mind about the noncompete clause. You know that’s all he really wants.”
Melissa stared wide-eyed through the entire explanation, which Jules realized had gone on way too long.
“You kissed him back.”
“A little bit.”
“Okay.” Melissa rubbed the sandpaper a few strokes. “I get that you might kiss him. He’s a handsome, charming guy. But why did you agree to a date? What’s in it for you?” She paused. “Unless, ooh, are you genuinely interested in—”
“No!” Jules barked too quickly. “I’m not interested in him, genuinely or otherwise.”
“You just admitted he was hot.”
“He isn’t—” Jules stopped herself. She wanted to lie as little as possible. “Okay, fine, in an objective sort of way. I’d have to be dead not to notice that Caleb is hot. And Noah’s hot.”
Melissa’s brows went up, and she opened her mouth.
Jules bowled forward, talking louder. She wanted to get this over with. “There are a lot of hot guys in the world. That doesn’t mean I’m automatically attracted to them. I have a mission when it comes to Caleb, and I’m executing part of that mission through a fake date. I think I can use it to our advantage. Period.”
“Jules,” Melissa said.
“What?” Jules hoped she’d put it to rest.
“He’s behind you.”
“Who?”
“Caleb.”
Perfect. Now he had her on record admitting he was handsome. This was going to be a pain.
She felt her cheeks warm as she turned. “Hello, Caleb.”
“Hello, Jules.”
Silence fell.
She couldn’t stand it, so she leaped in. “I was telling Melissa about our date.”
“So I heard.”
She walked to the next table and started to push it out of the way. “Was there somet
hing you needed?”
He immediately joined her to help move the table. “Yes. There’s something I meant to tell you.”
Jules realized that Melissa had to wonder why Caleb wasn’t reacting to her outburst. She couldn’t for the life of her come up with a reason, so she decided on the blow-past-it strategy again. Hopefully, it would work better this time.
“What was it?” she asked Caleb.
“Do you want me to leave you two alone?” Melissa asked, obviously assuming, quite reasonably, that they had things to discuss.
“You need to hear this, too,” Caleb said. “What are we doing?” he asked Jules, nodding to the table now held between them.
“Stacking them all in the center of the room. Noah wants to work on the electrical today.”
“Is Noah here?” Caleb asked.
“He’s at the hardware store,” Melissa answered.
“Good.”
“Jules isn’t interested in him,” Melissa said.
Both Jules and Caleb turned to look at her.
“She might think he’s hot, but she doesn’t want to date him.”
Jules realized her protestations about the date hadn’t worked. Melissa thought she was genuinely attracted to Caleb.
“Don’t worry about explaining,” Jules told her.
“He’s really not her type,” Melissa said.
“It’s fine, Melissa.”
Caleb could barely hide the amusement in his tone. “Jules and I have an understanding.”
“An understanding?” Melissa asked in obvious confusion.
Caleb wrapped an arm around Jules’s shoulders. “She’s not convinced we’re a good idea, but she’s agreed to give me a shot.”
Jules fought not to shrug him off. Then she fought not to enjoy his touch.
“So, all that...” Melissa drew a little circle in the air. “All that song and dance about only using the date to change your mind?”
“She’s in denial,” he said.
“You know, I thought that had to be it,” Melissa said.
Jules shot Caleb a look of frustration. He was unnecessarily complicating things.
“But I’m an optimist,” he said.
She did shrug her way from his arms.
“About Noah,” Caleb said, moving on. “I learned something about him that I think you two have a right to know.”
“You mean his criminal record?” Melissa asked.
Jules couldn’t contain her surprise. “Noah has a criminal record?”
“It’s nothing serious,” Melissa answered.
“What did he tell you?” Caleb asked.
“That he got into a fight.”
“What happened?” Jules asked them both, trying to wrap her head around the revelation. “Was someone hurt?”
Caleb’s attention was on Melissa. “You knew but you didn’t tell Jules?”
“It wasn’t serious,” Melissa said, dusting her hands together and contemplating the barstool. “He told me about it when he applied for the contract.”
Jules wasn’t sure what it took to have a criminal record. “Did he assault someone? Was there a trial? Did he actually go to jail?”
“Not serious?” Caleb challenged Melissa. Then he turned to Jules. “Yes, he went to jail. The other guy died, and Noah went to jail.”
Jules’s stomach clenched with anxiety. “Noah is a killer?”
“It was self-defense,” Melissa said staunchly. “It was self-defense, and it was an accident. I looked up the newspaper articles.”
Jules didn’t know how to react. She was confident Melissa had done her research, and she was sure Melissa thought Noah was harmless. But Melissa always saw the best in people. No matter how it had happened, Noah had killed someone.
Jules moved toward her sister. “You should have told me.”
Melissa looked contrite. “I know. I know I should have. But, well, you know what you’re like.”
Jules didn’t follow. “What am I like?”
Melissa’s gaze flicked to Caleb. “You don’t trust anyone.”
“And you trust everyone. Not trusting killers is just common sense.”
“He’s not a killer,” Melissa repeated. “He’s a decent guy who was in a bad situation, and he deserves a second chance. Besides, his prices are half of anyone else’s.”
“Because he’s a convicted killer,” Jules felt the need to point out. “I would imagine they all charge less than their competition.”
Noah’s flat tone echoed across the room. “Don’t worry. I’ll clear out.”
Jules turned, and her stomach sank. She instantly realized how judgmental her words had sounded. Seeing him in front of her, she found it impossible to believe he was dangerous. She’d been working with him for days on end, and he’d been nothing but respectful and kind.
“I’m sorry,” she began.
“I’m the one who’s sorry,” he said. “I didn’t realize Melissa had kept it to herself.”
“Because it doesn’t matter,” Melissa said.
“It does matter,” Noah said.
“You can’t blame her for asking questions,” Caleb said.
Noah glared at Caleb. “Who said I blamed her? I just said I’d clear out.”
“We need you.” Melissa rushed to Noah and grasped his arm, as if she could hold him there with her one good hand.
When Noah looked at her, his emotion was stark. It was obvious he liked Melissa. He clearly liked her very much.
“Stay,” Jules said. “If it was an accident. If you were in a bad position. If it’s behind you, well, Melissa is right. You deserve a second chance.”
Noah seemed to hesitate.
“We do need you,” Jules added. “We don’t have much money, and—” She couldn’t help glancing at Caleb.
His expression was taut and unreadable.
She finished her thought. “And we’ve run into some unexpected complications.”
“Please stay,” Melissa implored.
Noah stared at her as if he was mentally weighing his options. But then his expression softened and his shoulder dropped with what looked like relief. “Okay,” he finally uttered.
Melissa emitted a heartfelt sigh. “Thank you.”
“Thank you.” His hand moved slowly to cover hers.
“You’re sure about this?” Caleb asked Jules in an undertone.
“You’re not?”
“I don’t want you taking any chances.”
“Funny. It seems like my biggest risk is you, not him.”
Caleb didn’t seem to have an answer for that, and he obviously didn’t care that it was true. Jules reminded herself that it was true. He was her biggest risk because he cared only about his own interests. She had to remember that.
* * *
Jules stood in front of the mirror in the loft bedroom she was sharing with her sister.
“It seems silly not to tell me where we’re going,” she said to Melissa who was sprawled across the plaid bedspread on one of the two twin beds.
“I’d call it romantic, but I still think this whole date thing is strange.”
Jules didn’t want to rehash her decision. “Strange or not, I have to wear something.”
“Go middle of the road,” Melissa said, sitting up cross-legged. “That’s way too fancy.”
“You think?” Jules turned one way and then the other in her high heels.
The little black dress was her favorite. Held up by spaghetti straps, it was sparkly, short and sassy, with just enough swish in the skirt to make dancing fun.
“Do you want to change his mind about the easement or get him naked?”
Jules made a face at her sister. “Change his mind about the ease
ment.” But then she had to shake away an image of Caleb naked. That wasn’t where she was going tonight, not at all.
“Then, unless you’re heading for a high-end club... Do you think he’ll take you clubbing?”
Jules couldn’t begin to guess. “Last time he took me to a drive-through. Not that it was a date. I mean, there obviously wasn’t a ‘last time’ to compare this to. But he did seem to think the drive-through would be a terrible date.”
“And you jumped from that to glitz and glam?”
“You think pants? I’ve got skinny jeans and that leather-trimmed sweater.”
“Too far the other way.” Melissa unfolded her legs and came to her feet.
She headed for their shared dresser and pulled open a middle drawer.
Jules kicked off the shoes, stripped off the dress and hung it in the makeshift closet. Years ago, their grandfather had attached a piece of doweling across one corner of the room. Their grandmother had sewed a cotton floral curtain to cover it, and it had been the room’s closet ever since.
“What about these?” Melissa produced a pair of snug-fitting black slacks. “Your black ankle boots with my silky pink tank. You can layer on some gold necklaces, big earrings, and you’re good to go.”
“You have better clothes than me,” Jules couldn’t help commenting as she stepped into the pants.
“I spent forever in your hand-me-downs. I deserve a few nice things.”
“I think you might just have better taste.” Jules didn’t go out very often. That, combined with their years’-long focus on building up their savings account, meant she didn’t have a particularly extensive wardrobe.
She slipped into the bright pink tank top. It was supple and soft against her skin.
“That looks great on you,” Melissa said.
Jules turned to the mirror. “I think this’ll work. The boots are comfortable in case we walk anywhere. But I look good from the waist up if the place is fancy.”
“You look good from the waist down, too. Are you sure this is a smart idea?”
“It’s the best idea I’ve got.”
No matter how confusing the tactic might seem, Jules needed to humor Caleb to keep him away from turning his attention to Melissa.
“Your emotions are muddled,” Melissa said quietly. “On some level, you want the date. Because this really isn’t the best way to change his mind.”
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