Whisper's Edge

by LuAnn McLane

  Although Kate could put an ad in the paper it might be weeks before finding another replacement. The baseball stadium complex and new strip mall were doing well and Cricket Creek continued to flourish. Competition for employees was fierce and she simply couldn’t match the salaries offered to skilled workers that other businesses were giving. Kate could sweeten the pot by offering living accommodations but not everyone wanted to reside in a retirement community. Kate sighed. She could only hope that Tristan would soon change all that.

  With that thought she looked down at his cell phone, which kept making all kinds of weird blinks, dings and beeps. Either he’d left the phone by mistake or he simply wanted to get away from the constant noises and vibrations. “Where did he go for this long?” she murmured, and bent the blinds down to see if his snazzy car was still parked in front of the office. “Still there,” she said and leaned back in her weathered swivel chair.

  Kate rested her head against the cool leather and closed her eyes in an effort to remain calm. Insomnia had been a constant companion for the past few months and she thought she would just rest her weary eyes for a moment or two. The low hum of the air conditioner soothed her nerves and after a minute Kate drifted off to sleep…

  Ding, ding!

  The sudden sound cut through Kate’s peaceful slumber and jarred her awake so fast that she grabbed the arms of her chair and spun in a half circle. With a little yelp she stopped the spin by slamming her feet to the floor. Breathing hard, she glared at Tristan’s fancy phone and considered tossing it out the window. Kate shook her head, thinking that she couldn’t fall asleep in the comfort of her bed but could doze off in an instant in a fully lit office while sitting straight up in a chair. Go figure…

  “Oh dear lord,” Kate grumbled when beads of sweat suddenly popped out on her forehead. She stood up and went over to the thermostat to check the temperature. “Just what I thought. It’s me.” Kate picked up a magazine and started fanning her face. Even though she cut corners, she kept the office at meat-locker temperatures to battle the hot flashes that plagued her on a daily basis, but nothing seemed to help. Poor little Savannah had to wear a sweater even though it was summertime. Although she had teased Savannah about her biological clock hormones, lately it was Kate who was no stranger to mood swings and crying jags. And although Kate had a closet full of weirdly named herbal remedies, nothing seemed to give her much relief. And seriously, something with a name like black cohosh just sounded scary. She’d rather sweat. Well, maybe.

  “Menopause sucks.” After putting down the magazine she opened an extra button on her cotton blouse and plucked at the collar to let cool air slide down her damp neck. Light, cotton clothing composed most of her wardrobe. She’d even had her shoulder-length blond bob snipped into a short layered cut to help ward off the heat, but she continued to suffer. “Surely to God, I’m going to melt from the inside out.” She walked over to stand beneath the paddle fan. “Ahhh,” she said, breathing. With a grateful smile she tilted her face up, stretched her arms akimbo, and let the cool breeze bring blessed relief.

  “Interesting pose.” At the sound of the deep male voice Kate jumped and let out a silly-sounding squeal. “Yoga?”

  “Ben! You scared the daylights out of me!”

  “Sorry.” His laugh was a rusty but pleasant sound that Kate realized she rarely heard.

  “No, you’re not.” Kate moved her hands to her hips and hoped the sweat had dried.

  Ben leaned one shoulder against the doorframe. “Guilty.”

  “At least you’re honest.”

  “To a fault.”

  As Kate already knew, Ben was a man of few words and the words that did come out of his mouth tended to be on the grumpy side. She also knew that even though she might be in full-blown menopause, there was nothing wrong with her eyesight. Tall and rugged, with piercing blue eyes, sandy blond hair, and a thick lumberjack build, Ben Bakersfield, at sixty years old, could still turn female heads. Not that he seemed to notice or care. It was widely known that Ben had lost his wife to a sudden aneurism five years ago, and he carried around his grief like a shield of armor. He mostly kept to himself, tinkering with his boat and making a few extra bucks as a local fishing guide but only if the spirit moved him, which wasn’t often. “So what brings you here?”

  He folded his arms across his impressive chest. “You.”

  “M-me?” Kate’s heart kicked up a notch and the need to fan her face had nothing to do with a hot flash. Okay, so she’d had a fantasy or two…okay or ten about Ben that started out much like this but ended very steamy. But she wasn’t prepared for the real deal. Oh, why hadn’t she shaved her legs?

  “You called me,” he slowly explained.

  “Ohhhh, yes, yes, I did.” Kate waved her hands and tried to act as if she hadn’t been thinking in a totally different direction, about something other than wrapping herself around him like kudzu. She cleared her throat and nodded briskly. Ha, not that she really wanted to have a fling with Ben, anyway. She didn’t need a man to make her happy or complicate her life. She didn’t want to suffer that heartache ever again. Besides, she had her hands full keeping Whisper’s Edge from falling apart. “Right, I called you…” Damn, she was having a senior moment.

  “And?” Ben pushed away from the doorway and took a couple of steps into the room.

  “Uh…” Damned if his nearness didn’t send another warm flutter sinking into regions hoping for male attention and made her train of thought jump the track and derail. It didn’t help matters that he managed to make a faded work shirt and worn jeans look sexy. Or that the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing muscled forearms. Ben was one of those Liam Neeson types of men who just got better with age. It wasn’t fair.

  “I…um…” Kate inhaled a deep breath to clear her head but inhaled the subtle male scent of his aftershave. Kate dug deep to stay focused. Oh, she remembered. “Look, I know you’re a jack-of-all-trades, right?”

  He nodded slowly. “Some might say that.”

  “Some, meaning a lot of residents here at Whisper’s Edge.”

  He merely shrugged.

  “Ben, I know that you’ve done a lot of plumbing and electrical work around here for free.”

  “Keeps me busy.”

  “I’d like to make it official and offer you a job.”

  Ben remained silent but reached up and rubbed his chin, drawing Kate’s attention to the tawny stubble gracing his cheeks. She wondered what it would feel like to have that slight abrasion against her own skin and swallowed hard. Her hormones, she decided, were seriously out of control. “I don’t mind helping out a neighbor but I really don’t want to have the responsibility of a real job. Sorry.”

  Kate’s heart sank. “Look, Ben, my last maintenance man quit a week ago. I haven’t had any luck replacing him. Could you just do it for a while? Until I find someone else? I can’t pay more than twelve bucks an hour but I can throw in your boat storage fee for free.”

  “It’s not about the money, Kate. I like my time to be my own.”

  “Okay.” Kate nodded sadly and then backed up so that she could rest her hips against her desk. “I can respect that.” The stress, coupled with her female reaction to him, was making her legs a bit shaky. “Thought I’d give it a shot,” she said, but when she tried for a smile her lips trembled and she had to sniff. Horrified, Kate blinked so as not to shed an embarrassing tear. “Damned allergies.” She reached for a nearby box of tissues and plucked one from the slit at the top. Damned hormones echoed in her head and she faked blowing her nose.

  Ben gave a long look that indicated he didn’t totally believe her.

  “Everything’s bloomin’.” When she tried to fake a sneeze it came out more like a sob. Damn!

  After a sigh he said, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

  Kate stopped dabbing at her nose and looked up at him. “Really?”

  “You’re making it pretty damned difficult for me to refuse.”

  “It’s the
ragweed.”

  “Right.”

  “But you’ll do it? For real?”

  “Yes, but only until you can find someone else.”

  “Agreed!” With a smile, Kate pushed up from the desk and stuck out her hand for him to shake but the tip of her flowered flip-flop caught in a jagged piece of linoleum that needed to be fixed. When she stumbled slightly Ben quickly came forward, causing her to land against his chest.

  “Whoa there.” Two big hands caught Kate around the waist and held her steady. She could feel the heat of his skin beneath his shirt and the solid thud of his heart against her palm. It took everything in her might not to lean against the strength, the comfort. She wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking, but when his touch seemed to linger and she looked up, she thought she saw a hint of longing in Ben’s blue eyes. But before she could be sure, he abruptly released her and backed away. “I guess I’ll have to fix that,” he said and smiled.

  Smiled.

  “Yeah.” Kate smiled back.

  His gaze suddenly dropped from her face as if he felt guilty for something. He pointed to her flip-flops. “What’s up with everyone wearing those?”

  “The flip-flops? Oh, one of Savannah’s never-ending crafts,” Kate explained.

  “Oh, I should have guessed.”

  “Yeah, well, they should be called trip-flops.”

  Ben laughed. Broody Ben was sexy in a dark and mysterious way, but his smile was killer and she wished it would remain. When he looked at her with amusement in his eyes she wanted to swoon.

  “Ben…” she began, but his smile faded and she saw a muscle twitch in his jaw.

  “I’ll get to fixing it first thing tomorrow,” he said briskly and then jammed his hands in his pockets.

  “Thanks,” Kate replied. “I really appreciate you doing this, by the way.”

  “I do like staying busy. But remember, it’s only temporary.” His mood shifted and he nodded solemnly before he turned and walked out the door.

  Kate stood there for a minute and watched him retreat. With a sigh she turned around and looked at her desk in an effort to remember what she’d been doing. Oh yeah, wondering where in the world Tristan McMillan had wandered off to.

  5

  Slow Southern Smile

  TRISTAN FROWNED WHEN SAVANNAH FAILED TO TURN around. His initial irritation at the unnecessary jump into the pool had evaporated like rain on a hot sidewalk and he was actually finding the entire situation sort of amusing. He had only been teasing her with his comments, but he guessed he was about as good at joking around as he was at flirting. He might work out and keep fit but he was still an awkward geek at heart.

  “Um…” Tristan tightened the knot on the towel and stood there uncertainly. “Remember, I’m decent now.” He searched for something more to say but came up blank. Although his serious nature suited him well as a lawyer, his mother was forever urging him to lighten up. Tristan admired that, in spite of her unhappy childhood and her narrow-minded father, his mother remained one of the most positive people that he knew. She made damned sure that he never felt unloved or unwanted. He had been terrified when he almost lost her to breast cancer. He only wished he had been old enough to take care of her during her illness instead of her having to return to Whisper’s Edge and her coldhearted father for help.

  Tristan shoved his fingers through his hair and pushed the memory of that horrible summer from his head. Instead, he focused his attention on the cute little redhead who refused to turn and face him. “Savannah? Would you please turn around?” He noticed that her shoulders tensed at the sound of his request, and he had the urge to walk over there and place reassuring hands on her arms. “Look,” he began, but before he could finish his sentence she whirled around.

  “Please don’t fire me.”

  “Fire you?”

  She nodded.

  “Why on earth would I fire you?”

  “Well for the…the pool incident for starters.” She took a deep breath. “And for, you know, yanking your towel off and causing you to be naked in front of my very own eyes.”

  “So you looked?” When her eyes widened and she turned a pretty shade of bright pink, Tristan realized that his attempt at teasing had failed once more.

  “No! Well, I mean yes, but I wasn’t trying to! I closed my eyes right away,” she insisted and then nervously licked her lips.

  “Savannah…” he tried but she was on a roll and gaining momentum.

  “For the record I most certainly did not yank the towel off for the purpose of viewing your naked body. I was merely attempting to stand upright.”

  “Okay!” Tristan put his palms up in surrender. “I really do believe you. Seriously.”

  She blinked at him. “So can I have my job back?”

  “I di—”

  “I know it must seem like I am the queen of incompetence but I actually work hard and there are lots of people who would miss me.” She paused briefly to consider her statement. “I think. Well, I would miss everyone, for sure.”

  “Are you finished?”

  “I believe so.” She fell silent and looked at him with soulful eyes.

  “Savannah, for the last time…I was only teasing.”

  “Teasing? Are you kidding me?”

  “Yes. I mean, no, I’m not kidding you…not now at least. I was before.” Wow, for a lawyer he was sure sucking at this explanation.

  “Wait.” She tilted her head forward and gave him an incredulous look. “Pardon me for saying so but you should not tease a person about firing them.”

  “Who said anything about firing you?”

  “Oh…” She nibbled on the inside of her lip. “So I just gave that big, long speech for nothing?”

  “Pretty much.” Tristan took a step closer. “What gave you the impression that I was going to give you the boot?”

  Savannah gave him a slight shrug. “I just, I don’t know, get feelings that I can’t always explain,” she admitted in a serious tone that made Tristan want to peel away the cheerful layers and get to the heart of Savannah Perry. She shrugged once more but then grinned slightly. “Go figure…”

  “I understand more than you might think,” Tristan told her, but when she raised her eyebrows as if wanting him to elaborate, he clammed up.

  After a moment of silence Savannah looked a bit confused but then said, “Your clothes should be dry in a few minutes.” He could feel her putting distance between them and Tristan was fine with pulling back. He was already getting too close, and he needed to keep his mind clear. Buying Whisper’s Edge was an investment that he could simply turn over for a nice profit without risk or develop into an amazing riverfront hot spot. Either option could make him wealthy enough to ensure his mother never had to work another day in her life. And, of course, there was the added attraction of showing his grandfather what he was made of. Tristan wasn’t yet sure which way to go but he did know one thing…getting emotionally involved never boded well. He’d learned that valuable lesson the hard way.

  “I feel the need for a glass of sweet tea. How about you?”

  “Yes, tea sounds great.” He wasn’t really all that thirsty, but it gave Savannah something to do and filled in the sudden silence.

  “Feel free to have a seat.” She gestured toward the sofa and then turned on her heel.

  “Thanks.” Tristan sat down on plump floral cushions and rested one elbow on the armrest. But as Savannah made her way over to the small kitchen he couldn’t stop himself from watching her progress with male appreciation. Keep your distance, slid through his brain. With an inner groan he pulled his gaze away from her cute butt and looked down at the array of magazines on the coffee table. Most of them were about arts and crafts, but several travel magazines caught his attention. He picked one up and was paging through it when she returned with the tea.

  “So you like to travel?” he asked as he took the glass from her. He noticed it held a cheerful sprig of mint and a thin slice of lemon. She seemed to like small t
ouches that made something ordinary a little bit special. Nice, he thought, and then checked himself. It was just tea…

  “I don’t know.” She sat down on a wingback chair to the left of the sofa.

  “You don’t know?” Tristan put the magazine down and gave her a quizzical look.

  “I haven’t had much of a chance to go anywhere.” She flicked a glance at the coffee table and sighed. “But a girl can dream.” She gave him a slow Southern smile that went straight to his gut. “Don’t ya think?”

  “Oh…sure.” Duh, she lived in a small mobile home in a retirement community. He guessed that traveling wasn’t part of her budget. He sucked at small talk!

  “I’ve never been anywhere really exotic or foreign.” She grinned, clearly not offended. “But I do have a passport that I’m just itching to use. Kate talked me into getting one. That way I can go to the places on my bucket list.”

  “Wait. Bucket list? You mean the things to do before you die?”

  “Yeah. You know, like the stuff that Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman did in that movie where they find out they’re going to kick the bucket.” She frowned. “But I don’t want to skydive. I’m afraid of heights.”

  “Savannah, how old are you?”

  Her face fell a little. “Knocking on the door of thirty,” she admitted in a low tone. “And having a bit of trouble with it.”

  She looked even younger. “I think you have plenty of time left.”

  “Well…” She put her glass down on a coaster and held her hands far apart. “I have a long list of places to go on my bucket list, so it will take a while, especially at the pace I’m able to save up.”