Not like she’d be telling him her problem!
Reed finally finished scrubbing the greasy, mildew-filled kitchen and decided she needed a breath of that fresh New Hampshire air.
Her heart thundered in her chest at the sight that greeted her.
His kids had joined him for a picnic lunch. They were far enough across the lawn to not notice her, but close enough for her to see the joy and excitement on their faces.
Memories of her mother chasing her and her sisters around the yard rushed forward in time. The always-present smile, her calm demeanor. The smell of patchouli. Braided hair, daisy crowns. School “skip” days—just because. Long nights reading on a blanket under the stars.
Childhood had been so carefree. Though their father had abandoned them when Reed’s youngest sister was an infant, her mother never lost her smile.
Reed sighed, wishing she had never allowed herself to turn away from her mother. Wishing she had never scoffed at her mother’s idealism, her gentle spirit. Her connection to the planet. The pain of all the time they had lost while Reed was busy being someone, anyone other than her mother, burned a hole in Reed’s esophagus.
Nine months had passed since her mother’s death, and the pain hadn’t lessened a bit.
Reed couldn’t turn back time, but she could spend the rest of her life living up to her mother’s ideals.
That was the only way she could imagine earning even a speck of forgiveness.
Two of the kids started fighting, interrupting Reed’s depressing daydream. Rogan separated them and seemed to be handling it well. She couldn’t hear what was being said, so apparently he didn’t feel the need to yell.
An older woman got up and began escorting kids to the car, two at a time.
Reed ducked back into the house, not wanting to intrude on their family moment. She had plenty of work to do, anyway.
***
“Okay, boss, I’m heading out.”
“You don’t have to call me that.” Reed brushed off her lap as she stood. Muscles she didn’t know she had ached. She had never cleaned this much. She usually hired people to do that.
Her mom had been a free-spirited woman and had worked various jobs, most of them housekeeping. Since Reed was on a mission to live up to what her mom wanted for her, she decided to try her hand at some physical work.
Besides, she had cashed in her retirement fund to finance this venture, so she had to be smart about how she spent her money.
She had quit her high-powered, high-income job as CEO, gave everything she had to her ex-husband in exchange for a quick divorce and the right to keep her retirement fund, packed the few belongings she cared about into her small hybrid car, and came here to start fresh. The concrete in Manhattan wasn’t suitable for her fledgling roots to grow.
“Thanks for your hard work today.”
He paused, looking confused.
“Are you okay?” Rogan asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re being kind of… nice.”
She glared at him.
“I don’t try to be nice. I don’t try to be not nice. My job is to get this place running—whatever it takes. I wouldn’t spend too much time trying to analyze my moods.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t lose sleep over it.”
He pulled the door closed behind him, storming off to his SUV.
Why did she do this? Why must she treat him that way?
She rushed to the door, jerking it open as she called his name. He turned around, but kept his hand on the truck door.
“I meant no offense.”
“None taken. Like I said, I don’t lose sleep over it.”
He swung his body into the driver’s seat, started the car, and backed out.
Reed slumped against the house, tears gathering in her eyes.
She was off to a great start in this new town. Alienating everyone she came in contact with.
This wasn’t Manhattan.
If she wanted to make a life here, she’d better get to work on changing herself to fit in.
***
“Oh, hot damn.” Rogan hit the steering wheel, frustrated that he had bothered to look back. If he had kept facing forward, he never would have seen her humanity, her vulnerability. She had remained stoic and in-charge during every encounter with him, but seeing her leaning against the house, hugging herself while staring off in the distance? Maddening. Maddening because he got the sense she was all alone in the world, with no support group and a steep uphill battle ahead of her, and he had dished out a giant helping of asshole.
He pulled over, tried to talk himself out of what he wanted to do, and lost. He turned around in the middle of the rural road. He sped all the way back toward her cottage, his body racing to do what it wanted to do before his brain caught on.
She was still on the small porch when he returned.
As soon as she noticed him pulling in, she put that damned steel rod back in place, straightening like an old school teacher.
What in blazing hell was wrong with him?
Now he was here, and he had to have a reason. He couldn’t exactly drive off without saying something to her.
She sniffled as he walked toward her, then started investigating the peeling paint on the railing.
“Hey.” He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“There’s some sort of allergen in the air here. I don’t know what it is, but it’s making my eyes water.”
Making excuses. Okay. He wouldn’t try to comfort her.
“And this railing is terrible. I thought I’d be able to paint it, but I think it might need to be replaced.”
“I’ll add it to the list.”
“Thank you.” She turned toward her door, then spun back around, as if just remembering that he had returned. “Oh, sorry. Did you forget something?”
Yeah, I forgot to kiss the uptight attitude out of you.
“No. I wanted to see what you’re doing tonight.”
She stiffened.
“I’m not trying to butt in.” He growled. He should leave. “There’s a town-wide bonfire tonight and I wanted to make sure you got the invitation.”
“I did not get an invitation.”
“No, not like that. I mean, I wanted to make sure you knew. No one gets an invitation, everyone just shows up. Anyway, it’s at the end of Dovetail Road—huge farm. Can’t miss it. Starts at dusk, goes all night.”
She didn’t say anything. Didn’t smile. Didn’t nod. She stared at him for so long, he started to feel self-conscious.
“Okay. See ya.”
If she said anything once he started his painful journey back to the emotional safety of his vehicle, he didn’t hear it over the bitch-slap his brain was giving him.
He didn’t look back this time. He spun out of that driveway like the mafia was on his tail.
Chapter Four
“Dylan, take the kids with you and try out that sack race. Savvy and Ava spent a lot of time setting up the activities for you kids.”
“Fine, Dad.”
“Less attitude would be good.”
“Yes, Dad.”
The little shit saluted, mocking Rogan.
“We’ll talk later.”
Like an expert, Dylan linked the kids together in a human hand-holding chain, then led them to the group of other wild kids. He had offered Avery an extra fifty bucks to hang out with the baby at the bonfire so he could have a beer or two with the guys.
He needed it. And she was having a blast showing off the baby to the other teen girls, so it was a win-win.
“So tell us all about that city slicker that has you on a tight leash. Heard she’s hot. Stuck up, but some of us find that sexy.” Ben Knight lifted his glass bottle to his lips and guzzled down his beer in a show of solitude with his buddies as they all laughed at Rogan’s expense.
“I’m not on a leash. I’m working.”
“Rumor has it she’s a feisty one.”
“Rumor from who? She just got he
re yesterday.”
“Ooh, defensive. Guess she put the collar on you a little too tight.”
Rogan brought his cup to the keg, craving the foam and some relaxation. His buddies had been trying to hook him up since shortly after his wife’s death. He wasn’t interested.
“Hey, Rogue, I think she wants you to work overtime.” Ben nodded in the direction of the parking lot.
Rogan’s gaze followed Ben’s nod, spilling his beer over his hand as he watched Reed stride toward the bonfire. She looked completely out of place with her fitted, business-style button-down shirt, her black fancy pants, and her high heels, but with her hair down, she looked stunning. Like a model walking out of the pages of a magazine. Her legs went on forever.
“No wonder you wanted that job so much.”
“Shut up, asshole.” Rogan punched Ben’s arm.
“She doesn’t look snobby,” Quentin Elliot offered. “She looks… lost. I’ll introduce her to my wife.”
“No, no, allow me to show her around,” Ben said, placing his beer bottle on the ground before he moved toward Reed.
“Like hell you will.” Rogan surprised himself with how viciously he felt about the idea of playboy Ben having anything to do with Reed.
“Knew it. There’s a spark. Can’t deny it, man.”
“There’s no spark. She’s new to town and I don’t want you messing with her head. You’re not her type.”
“You know her type?” Ben’s voice taunted.
Quentin came to Rogan’s rescue. “Don’t give him a hard time. When Savvy came back to town, I wouldn’t have wanted your grubby hands anywhere near her.”
“You were smitten with Savvy since high school.” Ben laughed as he pointed out the obvious. “So where does that leave our little Rogan?”
“It’s going to leave you knocked out in the ditch if you don’t shut the hell up.” Rogan drank his beer, eager for the alcohol to calm his nerves.
She came.
He invited her. She showed up.
Now he had to entertain her.
“If you’re not planning to talk to her, I’ll introduce myself and let her know she’s welcome to come to the bar anytime.” Jake smiled, allowing the firelight to dance across his straight, white teeth.
“You can all stay away from her, that’s what you can do.”
The ribbing was growing more and more uncomfortable, and his denials only made them sound more right.
But they were wrong.
He just felt for the poor woman.
Darrin Hanlon, a friend of theirs who had been making the rounds, stumbled over to the group and put his arm around Rogan’s shoulders, letting out a low whistle as he spotted the object of everyone’s attention.
“Rogan, Rogan, Rogan. Is that your girlfriend? I was hoping you were switching teams.”
“Not my girlfriend. Not switching teams.”
“Shame. On both accounts. Damn, I may not dig chicks, but that one looks like she’d get the job done, know what I mean?”
Rogan knocked Darrin’s arm off his shoulder and huffed away.
“That a boy. Go get her!”
Rogan ignored Ben’s hollering.
He dropped his cup in the garbage can on his way over to Reed. A group of moms had closed in around her, and he could hear them drilling her on kids, schools, and all the other interrogations.
She was easy to find, since she was the tallest woman there.
He stood back while he eavesdropped, unsure how to approach while she was in the group. She didn’t sound nervous, but she didn’t sound comfortable as she deflected their probing questions.
She spotted him, and when they made eye contact, he immediately went hard.
What was it about her?
The relief on her face was evident as she excused herself and stumbled toward him. She grabbed his arm, sending a jolt straight to his groin.
“I am so glad to see you. I thought I’d have to invent a kid. Is it a requirement to have kids if you want to live in this town?” She fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist and studied the crowd.
“Not a requirement. But there might be something in the water.” He meant it as a joke, but the way her face blanched, he knew he hit a sore spot.
Yeah, even if he could look past her attitude, he couldn’t hide the fact that he had kids. A gaggle of them.
“I’m so overdressed. And this is my most understated outfit.”
“You look great.”
She beamed.
“Really? You don’t think I look like I think I’m better than everyone else?”
“Tell you the truth, I’ve never read that much in someone’s clothing. The heels might be overkill, but that’s only because they’re likely to get stuck in cow shit.”
“Don’t tell me that.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Drink?” He gestured toward the keg and the coolers, figuring she’d probably turn it down since there wasn’t a fancy cocktail in sight.
“I’d love a drink, thank you.”
“Wine cooler?”
“I’ll take a beer.”
He stopped short to study her face, sure she was joking.
She looked serious.
He grabbed two bottles from the cooler. He wiped the dripping water on the side of his pants before handing her the beer. She removed the cap effortlessly.
“Nice.” He couldn’t help it—he was impressed. And shocked. He had her pegged for a fancy drink kind of gal.
“Don’t women drink beer around here?”
“Well, yeah,” he stuttered. “I didn’t think you were the type.”
“There’s a ‘type’? It’s just beer.”
He took a long, slow sip. He’d never win with her.
“I’m just giving you a hard time.” She tapped his arm, making him choke on his drink. “Oops, my bad.”
He wiped his chin with the back of his hand.
“This whole town has a special sort of smell…”
“Does it?” Rogan cocked his head to the side, trying to decipher her random comment.
“Yeah, it does.”
“What’s it smell like?”
“You know. Hay. Grass.” She inhaled. “Barbeque. And let’s not forget—cow shit.”
He chuckled, nearly choking on his beer again.
“I haven’t heard it described so well, but I can’t argue the truth, can I?”
“I hope you don’t take offense at my candor. Let’s face it, Manhattan isn’t the best smelling city in the world.”
“No offense taken. I happen to think those are the greatest smells on the planet.” Rogan inhaled deeply, smiling at Reed. “Ah, the sweet smell of summer. Come on, I’ll introduce you to people.”
She threw her shoulders back in that uppity way of hers and lifted her chin.
“You should try to relax.” He advised.
“I am relaxed.”
“I could slice the air around you with this bottle cap.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Whatever you say. Come on.”
Rogan brought her around to various groups, carefully avoiding his rowdy friends. He felt the air around her change as people welcomed her warmly to the town. Miss Molly, one of the elderly women who were legendary in Healing Springs, winked at him and whispered, “She’s the one for you!” He dismissed her rambling and directed Reed to another group before Miss Molly could scare the pants off her.
Not that he’d mind sliding her pants down those long legs.
He pinched the side of his own leg to remind himself to keep his thoughts pure.
Rogan thanked whatever god was looking out for him, because by the time he made it back to his friends, the women and children had returned.
“Welcome to town!” Ava O’Connor, Rogan’s ex-boss’s son’s new fiancée, wasn’t afraid to hug the newbie.
To her credit, Reed managed to hug back. A little, anyway. Her expression had warmed, and a flush from the beer had s
pread across her cheeks. She looked more approachable.
“When will you be opening for business? I’m so excited that you bought that place. I’ve always admired the different styles of cottages. I hated that the town was going to knock it all down. Cole, wouldn’t it be great to stay there sometime?”
Reed gave up trying to answer as Ava cuddled into Cole’s side.
“I’m sorry. I asked you a question and didn’t wait for your reply. I’m worse than my kindergarteners. Please tell us when you anticipate opening?”
“If all goes well, we’ll be having a grand opening celebration by the end of August.”
Ava squealed. “That’s right around our wedding date! So excited for another celebration in town.”
Ben scratched his chin. “That’s an optimistic projection. Think you’ll have all the repairs done by then? That’s two months away.”
“As long as my contractor keeps his end of the agreement, we should be in good shape.”
Rogan grimaced and retrieved two more beers.
Reed didn’t smile at him, but her face did soften when she accepted the bottle.
“Hey, Cole, why didn’t you buy up that property when you were on your ‘buy everything in town’ shopping spree?” Ben joked.
“I didn’t have the time to commit to such a project. Now that I’ve been roped into settling down in this town, it’s been sold.” Cole smiled into Ava’s adoring eyes.
“Roped in? I believe you’re the one who begged me to marry you.” Ava pouted, but blushed when Cole leaned down to kiss her.
Rogan looked away, uncomfortable with the sickening sweet expressions of love.
He had never experienced that. Not even with his wife. He loved her, but they had never been so much in love that they were able to tune out the rest of the world.
“Hey, lovers, the honeymoon hasn’t started yet.” Savannah Elliott, Quentin’s wife and foster mother to more kids than Rogan had, pushed through to get to Ava. “Ava, ready for Capture the Flag? Joey’s been begging, and no way in hell are you sticking me with all those kids by myself.”
Savannah grabbed Ava’s hand and started dragging her toward the area where they had been entertaining the kids.
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