by Kyra Jacobs
“Want me to walk you out?” she’d asked, hoping for a chance to talk outside.
“No,” he’d said, not meeting her gaze. “Thanks anyway.”
He’d left without another look back, which was unlike him. But when she came out to her car, he’d left another folded note on its windshield. Inside was another scarecrow sketch, only this one had been given wings. Beneath it were a few lines from a Journey song they’d heard on the radio in the kitchen that night. She’d sung along, trying to fill the void, but he’d remained quiet. Guess he’d been listening after all.
Maddie took the note from her pocket and ran a hand over the sketch, so simple and yet a million times better than she could ever do. He was so stinking talented. And thoughtful. No way could those silly rumors be true. With a sigh, she tucked it back in her pocket and headed for the lobby, hopeful he’d be in a far better mood tonight.
“Madds?” Miles popped his head out of Ruby’s office. “You got a few minutes?”
Great. Rarely when Miles wanted to see her did their discussions ever take a few minutes. But what prompted this talk? She hadn’t ordered anything all week.
“Yeah, all right. But only a few, I’ve got a lot to do.”
“Ah.” He grinned, stepping aside to allow her passage. “The new main squeeze keeping you busy, eh?”
“That is none of your business,” she said, then drew to a stop as she found Ruby, Kayla, and Brent already seated in the office. “W-what’s going on?”
“Someone stole from the cash register last night,” said Miles, closing the door behind her. “Three hundred dollars.”
Her gaze flashed from his to Ruby. “Really?”
“I’m afraid so. Unfortunately, from what the others have told me, this is not the first item to come up missing.”
“No, it’s not,” said Kayla. “Brent had a few power tools go missing that he’d left in here on Friday, and the album with all those autographed pictures in it has been missing for several days now. We thought maybe one of the guests had taken it up to their room to look at it, but none of them seemed to know anything about it.”
“Have you noticed anything missing in the kitchen lately?” said Brent.
Maddie swallowed hard. “Yes.”
He arched a brow as she ran a hand over her hair, not liking where this was going. Because if she was reading them all right, it wasn’t anyone in this room under suspicion, it was a certain new member of their staff. One she’d just discovered from the town’s rumor mill may have a darker past than he’d let on before.
“I thought maybe at first they were just things that’d gotten misplaced after they’d been washed,” she said. “Totally understandable, when you’re training a new person in the kitchen. But I’ve torn the place apart and not found a single one. The weirdest part is they’re mostly antique items, things my grandmother handed down to me. They’ve got more sentimental value than anything.” She looked to the others. “Surely, you don’t think Cole—”
“We don’t want to think that way, but the timing does seem a bit coincidental, don’t you think?” said Miles.
Maddie planted a hand on each hip. “Oh, sure. Blame the new guy. But I’m telling you, he didn’t do it.”
“Are you willing to bet your next paycheck on that?” he asked.
“Miles, please,” said Ruby. “The Granvilles are good friends of this family, and I can hardly imagine Tom not knowing he had a thief living under his own roof. Besides, Maddie has worked closely with him for several weeks now. If she believes him innocent, then I am partial to her opinion over that of rumors flying around town.”
“So you heard them, too,” asked Maddie.
Ruby frowned. “If there’s one thing this town loves, it’s a scandal. Unfortunately, that means if we call and report these thefts to the police, we’ll only fuel the fire.”
“What do you suggest we do, Grandma?” Brent asked. “We can’t just sit back and do nothing.”
“No,” said Kayla, a thoughtful look on her face. “But we might be able to hold off involving the police if we do some surveillance of our own. Lots of places have security cameras mounted near cash registers and valuables. And I know they sell wireless ones that we could probably set up here fairly easily without spending a fortune. If you’d like, I can do some research, get some quotes on how much it might cost.”
Miles nodded. “Probably not a bad idea, especially if business continues to improve.”
“If worse comes to worse, we could always look into having a private company do the work,” said Brent. “Cameras, monitors, alarms. Keeps us out of having to mess with it.”
“No offense, cuz, but I’m hoping Kay finds us a cheap and easy alternative. I looked into those private companies a few years back. Would cost us an arm and a leg.”
“Spoken like a true penny-pincher,” said Brent.
His cousin scratched an imaginary itch on his forehead with a middle finger. “Says the guy who’s needing power tools replaced.”
Brent gave Kayla’s knee a light smack. “You heard the man, sweetheart. Go find us a deal.”
They all laughed and prepared to disband. Miles, however, caught Maddie’s arm and held her back.
“Look, I know you believe he’s innocent, but I think until we know for sure what’s going on it’d be best to keep an eye on Cole as he’s coming and going. At least until we get this surveillance gear set up. You cool with that?”
She wanted to say no, that she was most certainly not okay with that. But like it or not, the overheard conversation in the cafe yesterday had planted a kernel of doubt in her mind. A kernel that, until someone shined a light on his true background, was getting harder to ignore. So rather than pitch the fit she should have pitched, Maddie gave Miles a small nod.
“That’s my girl. And, Madds?” he said as she turned to go.
“Yeah, Miles?”
He met her gaze, sincerity clear in his eyes. “I hope you’re right about Cole. Anyone who can get you laughing like he does in the kitchen oughtta be a keeper.”
…
Cole finished the last of Maddie’s dishes Tuesday, his mind racing just as much as it had been when he’d walked into the Checkerberry that night. Usually between the hot soapy water, the mindless repetition, and Maddie’s snarky humor, a shift at the inn was like a healing salve to his soul. But with his past reemerging and doing its darnedest to bite his future in the rear, nothing seemed to be working.
“You about done over there?”
He pulled the drain stopper and turned to find Maddie stripping off her apron. Which stank, as he wasn’t looking forward to heading home where he was sure to fester for another hour or two until sleep finally pulled him under. “You in a hurry tonight?”
“Nah, just been a long day.”
Tell me about it. His lesson with Sam, a sophomore over at Central Michigan who, thankfully, was far more interested in the guitar than Sienna had been, went swimmingly. But arriving at the shop to find someone had egged the front window and left him a nastygram on the back door—“We don’t need your kind ruining our town”—had left him far too unsettled to enjoy that small victory.
Again, he felt frustration toward his grandfather. And again, he pushed it aside. If Old Tom said it was best to move on then he had to trust him. Too bad it looked like the town might be planning on dragging him through hell and back along the way.
He gathered his things and joined Maddie at the swinging double doors. “This feels…different.”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “I’m a workaholic. So sue me.”
“Then good for you for taking this first step toward recovery,” he said with a wink. “Or is there a hot date with Tyson planned for tonight and you’re just trying to be discrete around the others?”
“No. And thanks.”
Okay, something was up, he just didn’t know what. A quick glance at his boss found her walking faster than normal. And…tense.
“What’s going on?”
>
She looked to him in surprise. “Nothing. It’s just…I’m…nervous. About my dinner date on Friday. Ruby gave me the night off, so I asked. He said yes.”
Ah, there it was. Silly girl. When was she going to believe him when he said she had nothing to worry about? Tyson was one lucky guy, even if his date had yet to see it. He held the back door open and followed her out into the still, chilly night. A full moon loomed overhead, making the inn’s emptied swimming pool practically glow.
“Okay then, dish. What’s got you so worried it’s driving you from work?”
Her shoulders sank. “Look, it’s no big deal. Just…I’ll be fine.”
Complete denial. Cole followed her to her car and stepped in front of the driver’s side door before she could slink away. “You’ll feel better if you talk about it.”
“Right.” She cast him a dark look. “Because I haven’t told you nearly enough about my insecurities already. Why not add more to the pile?”
He smirked but didn’t say a word. Crossed his arms. Leaned back against the car.
“Oh, all right!” She balled her hands into fists. “I’m scared, okay?”
“Scared? Of Tyson?” He’d hunt down the guy if he so much as harmed a hair on Maddie’s head, size difference be damned.
“No. And yes.” She ran a hand over her head. “I…I haven’t been physical with a guy in a long time. Like, long, long time. And I’m worried I’ll screw it all up.”
Physical. As in… Cole swallowed hard. He shouldn’t be chasing those images, but now that she’d hinted at them, they were clawing at his imagination. Her hug the other day had already sparked daydreams it shouldn’t have, her continued kindness amid a town of doubters only fueling the fire.
“Oh, Madd—”
“Don’t. Don’t give me that ‘Oh, Maddie’ crap. People like you walk around the planet not having to worry about stuff like this. Girlfriends for you have probably been a dime a dozen. Maybe cheaper.”
She thought he was a catch? Cole filed that tidbit away for another time, another daydream. Right now, she needed her confidence built back up. “You’re not giving yourself enough credit.”
“Whatever. My track record says otherwise.”
He shrugged. “A lot of guys are intimidated by smart, confident women.”
“A lot of them also aren’t attracted to women who aren’t built like a twig.”
“What’s it going to take for you to understand that most guys I know would pick a curvaceous body over a twig any day?”
“Right, which is why women like me are plastered all over the covers of Cosmo and GQ, huh?”
“Those magazines target women who are insecure about the way they look. Hell, half the women featured have been Photoshopped beyond recognition.” Cole worked to contain his frustration. Her last boyfriend really had done a serious number on her. “And what are you looking at those stupid magazines for anyway?”
Her chin jutted out, stubborn as ever. “I was looking for some tips, if you absolutely have to know.”
“Tips?” He laughed. “What, I’m not doing a good enough job as your dating coach?”
The confidence in her eyes faded as quickly as it’d arisen, and she started toeing the gravel at her feet. “It’s not that. This, well, I was looking for tips on a topic I didn’t think it’d be fair to ask you about. Since you’re a guy and all.”
“Nice that you noticed.” He threw her a grin, but she was still staring at her feet. God, he wanted to make her feel better. Make her understand just how amazing she was. How amazing he knew her to be. “Madds?”
“Yeah?”
She looked up, vulnerability clear in her eyes, and he knew what he had to do even if he’d pay for it in the quiet of his room later. Cole took a step forward. “What you’re looking for isn’t in those magazines. It’s experience. And watching for the signs.”
He shifted his gaze to her lips. So full and perfect, parted slightly in surprise.
“T-the signs?”
“Yeah. Like where he’s looking. Or if he moves closer.”
Cole closed the distance between them and raised a hand to cup her chin. Her eyes widened a fraction but she stood stock-still, like a doe in headlights.
“So, I shouldn’t punch him if he does this?” she asked, the sound barely above a whisper.
“Definitely not.”
He lowered his face to hers, allowing his own eyes to drift shut only after hers did first, and brushed his lips lightly over hers. They felt as soft as they looked, like velvet. So tempting, so very tempting. God, he wanted to kiss her. Kiss her until they both forgot their names, their troubles. But she wasn’t his, much as he hated to remind himself of that.
She raised her hands to his chest, and Cole feared she might push him away. But she didn’t, hallelujah, allowing him to savor her touch a bit longer. To explore without completely overstepping the boundaries. He slipped a hand to the small of her back. Kissed one corner of her lips. Brushed his lips across hers to kiss the other. So very soft…and so not his.
He skimmed her cheek with his lips, pressed a kiss to the hollow beneath her ear. A stray hair ticked his nose, teasing him. Oh, how he wished her hair wasn’t pinned back so that he could run his fingers through it. He knew from that hug on Sunday it felt as silky as it looked.
“Cole?” she whispered.
Reluctantly, he drew back. God, she looked beautiful, her skin awash in the pale moonlight. “Yes, Maddie?”
“Will you kiss me already?”
Permission. His smile widened. “Yes, ma’am.”
And so he did. Sweetly at first, barely any pressure at all. She leaned into him, tentative, kissing him back. When her mouth opened he followed suit, allowing her to explore with her tongue and him doing the same.
This kind of coaching he could do all day. It was pure heaven, even if he was behaving more like a little devil, stealing kisses from the girl he’d promised to set up with another man. The selfish part of him wished this moment would never end.
He should have known better, of course—Cole never had that kind of luck. No sooner had the thought entered his mind than a car’s keyless entry bloop-blooped a few spaces over from them. Maddie drew back, lips swollen but curved into a sheepish smile. To their left, a couple strode down the inn’s back walk, pretending to ignore them but each wearing the same, knowing grin.
“I, uh, guess I should be going,” she whispered. “Before Ruby fires me for PDA on the clock.”
“You know, technically you’re not on the clock anymore. And I can’t say I’ve ever heard of someone being fired for kissing a scarecrow.”
“Oh. Well, in that case,” she pressed one last kiss to his lips, then raised up on tiptoes and whispered in his ear. “Thanks for the lesson, Coach.”
“Anytime.” He stepped back from the car, not wanting her to go but not wanting her to know that, either. For her, it was training. For him? Pure Heaven. And darn it if he wasn’t left wanting so much more. “Practice makes perfect, you know.”
Okay, so that last bit had slipped out. Cole mentally cringed at how pathetic he’d sounded. But instead of dishing out a snarky retort, Maddie flashed him a vibrant smile as she reached for her door handle.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He watched her go, adrenaline pumping through him, and prayed she would. And while all this was disguised as him coaching her for the big party with Tyson, Cole couldn’t help but admit that a not-so-small part of him was beginning to hope muscle boy wouldn’t stick around for long, so he could swoop in and have Maddie all to himself.
If, that was, she’d let him. Her kiss tonight hinted maybe she would.
And that spark of hope was the best thing he’d felt in a long, long time.
Chapter Thirteen
Maddie stood in her own kitchen Friday night, fanning herself while fighting the urge to run. A twentieth look at the clock found it to be three minutes after six. Tyson would be there any time now, which she shoul
d be thrilled about. Only, she wasn’t, not after that kiss.
Her gaze instinctively drifted to the scarecrow, hanging on the side of her fridge.
Curse you, Cole Granville. You’ve ruined me.
His coaching performance had proved to be the best kiss of her life. So sweet, so giving…so downright stupid. What the heck had she been thinking, letting him kiss her like that? She fanned harder, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind reminding her that she’d kissed him back. Repeatedly. How could she not, when it’d felt so right?
Because it wasn’t, replied her conscience. With a growl, Maddie tossed the paper fan onto the counter and checked her roast in the oven. Enough with the lamenting. And why bother? It was just a practice session. Cole’d probably kissed a hundred girls over the years. Why would he feel anything toward her after she’d driven away?
Deep down, she wanted to believe he had felt something. That there was a gentleness he’d offered the other night that he hadn’t had to, a kindness in his eyes. And it hadn’t been pity—she would have punched him if he’d looked at her like that on his approach. But his touch, his boldness, it’d disarmed her.
And now she was left to pick up the pieces. Stellar.
She’d just confirmed with the meat thermometer that the roast was in fact done when a knock sounded at the door. Maddie straightened, checked her reflection on the toaster, and headed for the door. At least tonight she hadn’t had to worry about upsetting Cole with a pre-dinner glass of wine, because heck yeah there’d been one. Otherwise, she’d be so tightly wound that knock on the door might have sent her into the ceiling.
One giant heave-ho and the front door was open. On her stoop stood Tyson, a bouquet of fall mums in hand. Always so thoughtful. And yet even now, her mind kept reverting to Cole’s kiss.
She wanted to cry and kick herself all at the same time.
Instead, she plastered a welcoming smile on her face, thanked him for the flowers, and ushered him inside. There was a meal to eat and a gala to attend. And maybe, if she’d stop being the world’s worst person and give the guy she’d lured here a chance, she might actually enjoy herself.