by LuAnn McLane
“Garret’s right. You are pretty, Mattie.” Laura Lee felt emotion well up in her throat. She’d seen the lovely Mattie Mayfield go unnoticed for years. Of course she knew why. Mattie always acted as if she liked being one of the boys. And her brothers swatted away any guy who so much as looked at her with the misguided notion that they needed to be protective. “It’s about time someone took notice. And you need to get out more, doggone it. Hire someone other than Bubba to help you out at Breakfast, Books, and Bait so you have some free time. You work too much. You need to have fun. Take a vacation!”
“I can’t!”
“Why not?”
“Because there’s so much to do, especially now that Mama and Daddy have retired to Florida.”
Laura Lee’s expression softened. “I know your mama and daddy would want you to go out and have some fun once in a while. Things are better now, Mattie. The marina is on solid ground, right?”
Mattie nodded.
“You don’t have to worry your little heart so much. And you can hire help.”
“I know, but old habits die hard. Seems like if I’m not workin’, I feel guilty. Mason and Danny are the same way.”
“Well, squash that guilt.” Laura Lee pressed her hands together to demonstrate. The marina, like everything else in Cricket Creek, struggled when the economy tanked and Mattie had to help out after school while her friends were hanging out at the mall or at Myra’s Diner after Friday night lights.
“I’ll try,” Mattie promised.
“I’m going to hold you to it. I’ve been wanting a side trip to Nashville for some time now. We should do it.”
“I’m in!”
“That’s what I want to hear.” Even now Mattie’s social life revolved around events at the marina, and Laura Lee would love to see that change. Maybe somebody different, somebody worldly like Garret, could, if nothing else, open Mattie’s eyes to the fact that there was more out there than the marina and her hometown. Of course she was one to talk. When was the last time she’d been on a vacation? Forever ago.
Tessa brought out their lunch. “Still working on your salads?” When they both nodded Tessa smiled. “Let me know if you need anything else,” she added, and seemed to know that they were having a deep conversation. “And dessert is on the house. From the look of those serious expressions, I think you girls need something a little decadent.”
“Do you have any Italian cream cake?” Mattie asked. “Reese’s cake is to die for.”
“We do indeed,” Tessa replied, and Laura Lee could see the pride shining in her eyes when her son was mentioned. “And I think a cannoli or two.”
“Turtle cheesecake?” Laura Lee wanted to know. Shane’s favorite ice cream flavor was turtle, and she knew he would go nuts over the cheesecake.
“Not sure but I’ll check.”
“Thanks, Tessa,” Laura Lee said, and then turned back to Mattie, who was suddenly staring at her pizza as if it were a foreign object. “Mattie, I’m no expert when it comes to this kind of thing and I know that Garret has a, well, reputation for being a player. At least in those magazines if they are to be believed. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“He’s nothing like what people think.” Her eyes looked like clouds before a thunderstorm.
“Then maybe you should give the boy a chance.”
“That’s just it. I don’t think he’s, you know, into me. I know he thinks I’m funny and, well, he likes me and all, but I don’t believe it could ever go deeper than that. I mean, he mentioned taking me to London to have his mother help with my transformation at some point. I don’t know that he’s serious.”
“I don’t see why that’s so far-fetched, at least not for the world he lives in. It could be quite an adventure . . . or maybe something else entirely.”
“We’re just friends.”
“But you want more.”
“If things take a romantic turn I could lose his friendship.” She smacked the heel of her hand to her forehead. “Oh my God, I’m stuck in the damn friend zone.”
“Then bust out of the zone.”
“Nope, once in the friend zone you are doomed.”
“That’s just downright silly.” But Laura Lee knew how she felt, so she nodded. “I don’t know what to tell you and I know this sounds lame and rather trite, but follow your heart.”
Mattie picked up her slice of pizza and looked at it. “But my heart is taking me down a sorry path of futility where it is sure to get broken.”
“You don’t know that, Mattie.”
“But it’s such a risk, don’t you think?”
“Yes. But most worthwhile things are a risk. And, Mattie, broken hearts mend. Missed opportunities are lost forever.” She reached over and patted Mattie’s free hand. “Have I helped or made things worse?”
“Worse.”
“So sorry, sweetie.”
“No, I knew you’d be honest with me no matter what. Honesty is what I need.”
Laura Lee pressed the side of her fork into the lush lasagna. “So you don’t really think Garret has any romantic feelings for you?”
“Maybe I was too busy being convinced that could never happen to even consider the possibility.” She inhaled a deep breath and blew it out. “I guess I’ll just keep going with the lessons. I think we’re making my big debut next Saturday at Sully’s if I’m ready. He’s supposed to be my wingman and try to get me a dance with Colby or someone else with the hope of making Colby jealous.” She managed to grin. “And if I can find the time I might take Garret shopping for Wranglers instead of those designer jeans he wears and a pair of cowboy boots instead of his fancy loafers. Maybe a Western-cut shirt. We decided that a cowboy hat would be over-the-top.”
“I’m with you on that. You want him to blend in, not stand out or be thought of as poking fun like he’s dressed up for Halloween. Wash those Wranglers so they’re not so stiff. After that he’ll look like one of the local guys.”
“I’m also gonna try to tone down his crazy hair, but there’s not much I can do after he opens his mouth.”
“Ah . . . right, the English accent.”
“Yeah. He said while he lived in California he tried to lose the accent a bit, but he’d recently been to London to visit his mother for a couple of weeks and it came back full force.” She laughed. “You should hear him trying to get directions from Siri on his phone. It’s a riot. She can’t understand him at all.”
Laura Lee swallowed a bite of the delicious lasagna. The sauce was simply divine. “That’s funny.”
“I know.” Mattie was so much more animated when she talked about Garret than when she mentioned Colby. But as much as she wanted to give Garret the benefit of the doubt, she really didn’t want to see Mattie get hurt either. Garret was the son of a legendary rock star and a famous fashion model and a celebrity in his own right even if somewhat by default. Mattie and Garret were worlds apart and there was no doubt about it. A love like that would have to be strong enough to withstand different backgrounds. Garret was a world traveler and most of Mattie’s travels had been journeys through the pages of her books. In spite of her earlier speech, Laura Lee did have her doubts, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t think that Mattie shouldn’t take a chance. Even after Laura Lee’s jackass husband’s betrayal she loved romance. While she really did think that love had passed her by, she still believed in the beauty of happily ever after.
Mattie leaned forward. “Oh my gosh, Laura Lee, guess who just walked in?”
“Who? Garret?”
“No, Shane McCray.”
Laura Lee’s heart tripped all over itself, and the salad did a tap dance in her tummy. “Did he see me?”
“I’m not sure, but I think he might have.”
“Oh, that’s nice. You’ll get to meet him.” Laura Lee had the urge to rush to the bathroom to brush her hair
and apply lipstick. She dabbed at the corners of her mouth, hoping she didn’t have sauce on her face.
“Maybe you should turn around and let him know you’re here.”
Laura Lee nodded, but she didn’t do it. Funny how she had started to become completely comfortable with him at his house but out in public somehow felt different. “Maybe I’ll just let him spot me.”
“Whatever you want to do,” Mattie said, but gave her a funny look.
Laura Lee smiled but felt as if she needed to catch her breath. She told herself that she felt this way because he was not only her boss but a famous celebrity, but deep down she knew that was hogwash. She wanted to know what it felt like to be in his arms and to have him kiss her. Not that she was about to let him know how she felt. It was her little secret and she was going to keep her feelings under a lock and throw away the key.
8
You’re Always on My Mind
SHANE DIDN’T THINK HE WAS HUNGRY AFTER HIS MEETing with Maria and Garret at Sully’s South, but he spotted Laura Lee’s van in the parking lot in front of River Row Pizza and Pasta and his truck seemed to have a mind of its own and he’d pulled in right beside her vehicle. It blew him away that the mere sight of her van could make him smile.
Because he’d always had to stay in shape, Shane avoided carbs and when he walked inside the restaurant the aroma of fresh-baked pizza made his mouth water. Or then again maybe it was the sight of Laura Lee sitting in the far booth that made his mouth water. And that was just the back of her head. He stood there for a moment trying to decide if he should go over with a casual greeting and then take a seat by himself or ask to join them.
So that he didn’t look silly just standing there, he reached for a menu from the stack on the front counter and pretended to be looking it over. Of course the words didn’t even register in his brain and he thought it was quite amusing that he felt so damn nervous around her. Shane knew he needed to rope in his feelings, but he liked the heady feeling, the rush of being so attracted to a woman.
Besides, Shane couldn’t get Laura Lee out of his mind, so why fight it? But that was okay because he sure liked thinking about her. He also knew that if he didn’t take it slow, Laura Lee would think he was a smarmy celebrity just in it for another notch on his bedpost. Truth be known, he never was like that and detested those who used their fame to get what they wanted, especially when it involved seducing women. Not that a lot of women didn’t throw themselves at him—it came with the territory—but to him that kind of aggressive behavior was a complete turnoff.
Despite the gold and platinum records, the numerous awards and piles of money that Shane didn’t even know what to do with, he remained a good ol’ boy at heart and always would be. He prided himself on remembering his humble Alabama roots and never forgot where he came from. His mama, a steel magnolia through and through, would have his hide if he ever thought of being too big for his britches.
But when Shane’s gaze landed on Laura Lee again, he decided that he would love to shower her with whatever she damn well pleased and then some, just to make her smile . . . and not just with her mouth but to light up the sadness that lurked in the depths of her eyes. Her upbeat, pleasant attitude might fool most people, but Shane would sometimes see her staring off into space with a bit of a lost look about her that made his heart constrict. He wanted to come to her rescue and chase away the sadness. And although he’d never been one to throw his money around, he’d just get a big kick out of taking Laura Lee on an endless shopping spree and tell her to have at it and buy whatever her heart desired.
Shane barely knew Laura Lee and yet he suddenly thought of the song “Shameless” and finally understood what Billy Joel must have been thinking when he’d written the lyrics. And Shane thought that Garth Brooks’s on-his-knees version embodied what the song embraced, which was loving a woman beyond all reason.
Shane smiled, thinking he could see himself doing anything at all to keep a woman like Laura Lee in his life. Yeah, that could very well be him if he fell in love with her. But he had to cool his damn jets or she’d go running for the hills. Of course if she did he’d up and go running right after her. Taking a deep breath, he decided he’d been standing there long enough and needed to head her way and try not to show how jittery being around her made him. He always thought he’d say something stupid or even worse do what he’d been just dying to do for the past week, and that was . . .
Kiss her.
A deep, sweet kiss that lasted forever.
It was also funny because he hated seeing her working all day long and wanted to hire someone to do her work so she could sit by the pool and do whatever the hell she wanted. Wanting to hire a housekeeper for his housekeeper? Now, just how crazy was that? He told her she was his personal assistant, but in truth he did some of the paperwork himself or gave it to others still on his staff and told Laura Lee there wasn’t much to do so she should take it easy. Although he didn’t know her entire story, he did know from what she’d told him that she’d had it tough, and seeing her lounging by the pool while reading a book gave him such pleasure.
When Laura Lee suddenly turned around and waved, Shane tried to look surprised that he saw her there and headed her way as slowly as his eager legs would allow.
“Hi, Laura Lee,” Shane said, and was pleased that he sounded fairly casual. “I was just, um, over at Sully’s South, you know, the venue that Maria wants to be like the Bluebird Café?”
“Sure, I remember you talking about it.”
“And I suddenly realized that I was hungry.”
“I made a nice salad for you and left it in the fridge,” Laura Lee said. “I used the leftover chicken breast from last night’s dinner.”
“It won’t go to waste,” Shane promised, and then addressed the cute little blonde sitting with Laura Lee. “Hello. I’m Shane McCray.”
“Mattie Mayfield. Nice to meet you, Mr. McCray.”
“Oh, please call me Shane. I insist.”
“Okay, then, nice to meet you, Shane. I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that I just love your music.”
“Thanks, Mattie. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy all the new country music, but it’s always a pleasure to have someone young like you tell me that they like the classics.”
“Oh, I like the new stuff too, but classic is still my favorite. It’s what I grew up on. And of course we’re really proud of our own Jeff Greenfield and South Street Riot. And having Jeff propose to Cat Carson just before they opened for you last summer was so perfect.”
“I know it sure was. And what a fun way to kick off my last concert tour.”
“It was so cool of you to have them open for you. What an honor.”
“He and Cat are talented. I was happy to have them.” Shane smiled, appreciating the young lady’s candor. “Are you Mayfield from the marina?”
“Yes.”
“Your brother Mason took me bass fishing last week. He’s an excellent guide, by the way.”
“Thank you. Mason knows his stuff. Fished the FLW Bass Fishing Pro Tour for a while and did pretty well but had to come back to help out at the marina after my parents retired to Florida. The marina sponsored him, but when things got a little tough we had to pull back from participation when the entry fees just kept going up each year. I hope someday he’ll get another shot at the big time. He’s got the skills.”
“Really? Well, I know some people who might be interested in sponsoring Mason. Next time we go fishing I’ll bring it up and see what he thinks.”
“Wow.” Mattie raised her eyebrows. “That’s really nice of you. Mason really is talented. He has, like, this Spidey sense when it comes to finding fish. Thank you so much. Not that I was fishing for that,” she said, and then chuckled. “Pardon the pun.”
Shane laughed, thinking that Mattie was as cute as a button.
“His dream was to make enough money to
start up his own craft brewery,” Mattie added.
“Oddly enough it’s something I’ve considered as well. I like your brother already.”
“We’ve already started eating, but would you care to join us?” Laura Lee asked.
Shane thought about it for a second but decided he shouldn’t intrude even though he wanted to scoot in next to her. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll just order takeout. So don’t worry about cooking dinner. We can just share the salad later if that’s okay.”
Laura Lee nodded. “Well, I was going to bring you a slice of Reese Marino’s famous turtle cheesecake, so a light supper sounds perfect.”
“Yes, it does,” he said, and felt a surge of pleasure that she’d been thinking of him. “I’ll just have to swim some extra laps later.” Shane patted his stomach. “Mattie, Laura Lee is such an excellent cook that I have to add to my exercise routine.”
“Oh, tell me about it. Laura Lee taught me some of my cooking skills. You should come over for breakfast at my restaurant the next time you go fishing with Mason.”
“Her biscuits are legendary in Cricket Creek,” Laura Lee said, and exchanged a smile with Mattie. Shane could tell that the two of them were close and he liked the idea of Laura Lee being a mentor for Mattie. The thought crossed his mind that she would have made a good mother.
“Well, I’d better place my order.”
“Tessa should come out from the kitchen soon,” Laura Lee said. “Do you want me to get her for you?”
“No . . . no, I’ll just wait. Please, go back to enjoying your lunch.”
Laura Lee nodded. “Oh, is there anything you need from the grocery store? I’m going to drop your boots off to be repaired and then I’m heading there after I finish eating.”
“Not that I can think of, but if I do I’ll send you a text message.”
“Okay. I’m thinking about trying out a new recipe for salmon tomorrow. Does that sound good to you?”
“I love salmon. We can grill it by the pool if you like.” He looked at Mattie. “Would you like to join us for dinner sometime soon? We’d love to have you.”