by Tracy March
Dinner had been fun, getting to know Holly, and brainstorming ideas for the museum. But Lindsey wanted to know more about the Crenshaws—even Carden, if she was honest—and what was going on between Tansy and Stella. An ideal opportunity to broach the subjects without seeming too curious arose in Get the Scoop when she spied a picture of Stella in a photo collage of “favorite customers” enjoying ice cream.
“There’s Stella,” Lindsey said, “up at the top.”
“Of course she’s at the top. The Crenshaws are like royalty in Thistle Bend.” Holly licked the huge scoop of blueberry pie ice cream teetering in her waffle cone. “There’s Stella, and Mr. and Mrs. Crenshaw—Carden and Travis’s parents. They split their time between here and Denver. Really nice people. Big philanthropists.”
Lindsey could totally see the Crenshaw royalty thing.
“Everyone always wants to know what they’re up to,” Holly said. “Except Tansy and Oscar Karlsson. They can’t stand the Crenshaws. It’s like the Hatfields and McCoys, but right here in real life.”
“Tansy seemed nice enough.” Lindsey felt as if she should stick up for her aunt. After all, she wouldn’t have a job if it weren’t for Tansy. Besides, Tansy had been really kind, outside of several sharp glances she’d aimed at Stella.
“They’re all nice enough,” Holly said. “Just not to one another.”
Lindsey was thankful that they’d caught the tiny ice cream shop in a lull. Besides the teenage clerk behind the counter, they were the only ones in the shop, nestled in the corner at one of only three tables in the place. “Why can’t they get along?” She sank her spoon into her marshmallow peach ice cream, took a bite, and savored the fluffy sweetness.
“Because of a huge family feud from forever ago that just keeps going and going.” Holly chipped a piece off her waffle cone and popped it into her mouth. “I’m not squared away on the details,” she said after all the crunching, “but from what I’ve heard, there was a huge parcel of land that both the Karlssons and the Crenshaws wanted to buy back before the mining boom. The Karlssons thought they were getting it but, at the last minute, something happened and the Crenshaws ended up with it instead. Ever since, the Karlssons have claimed they got cheated.”
Lindsey’s pulse picked up pace. “What happened?”
Holly shrugged. “No one’s really sure. But fast forward to today and the Crenshaws are richer than God, and the Karlssons run a restaurant.”
Lindsey winced. “Pretty good land they bought, huh?”
“For sure. Turns out the Crenshaws hit the mother lode with that property. They’ve mined nearly everything you can think of there—gold, silver, coal, molybdenum. Even lapis.”
“Molybdenum?”
“It’s a metal used to make steel alloys,” Holly said.
Lindsey scrunched her face.
“You learn that kind of stuff when you grow up around here. I’m sure you’ll be an expert on all of it by the time the museum opens.”
Overwhelmed by the idea of all she had ahead of her, Lindsey scanned the list of ice cream flavors written on the chalkboard on the wall. It was going to take a lot of two-scoop waffle cones to get her through.
“The Crenshaws got lots of awesome ranch land, too,” Holly said.
Lindsey couldn’t help but feel sorry for Tansy’s family and their plight. Technically, they were her family, too. What if they’d really gotten cheated by the Crenshaws, like they claimed? “That’s awful,” she said, and immediately wished she could take it back.
“You got something against ranches?” Holly winked.
Relieved that Holly hadn’t seemed to think she was taking sides, Lindsey laughed and it felt good.
“I just mean it’s sad that they’ve been feuding this long,” Lindsey said. “Does anyone know what really happened?”
“The word is that someone does, but no one’s sure who it is. People are counting on you to sort it all out.”
“Me? How am I going to do that if nobody else has after all these years?”
Holly lifted her shoulders, tanned from the summer sun. “Rumor has it that the real truth is buried somewhere in all those boxes stacked up in the museum. Like in papers and journals and legal documents. Why do you think Stella and Tansy volunteered to help sort through them? Even they don’t know what really happened.”
Lindsey’s ice cream dripped on her hand as her predicament dawned on her. After all the digging was done and the documents authenticated, she’d have to take a side in the feud. That’s why Tansy had wanted her to apply for the museum job, and why she couldn’t let anyone know she was related to the Karlssons. If doubt still remained about the facts, Tansy would expect her to take their side.
But what about Stella? And Carden…Did Lindsey really want to cross Thistle Bend royalty? Her stomach turned. “I’m sure it will work out,” she said, even though she wasn’t. She had no idea who to trust, so it was best to keep everything to herself. Holly had been incredibly nice and welcoming, but her loyalty could go either way. It was too soon to tell about anyone else, except for the Karlssons and the Crenshaws.
“Things could get interesting,” Lindsey said, hoping that would end the talk about the feud. She was eager to learn all about it, but she’d heard enough for now.
“Speaking of interesting…” Holly said. “What did you think of Carden?”
“Hmm.” Lindsey pretended she wasn’t sure.
Holly furrowed her brow and drew her head back. “You actually have to think about it?”
Lindsey grinned. “Uh, no. The guy is off-the-charts hot. I can’t believe he’s single.”
“I’m glad he is.” Holly licked her ice cream with glee. “That means you, me, and all the other girls who swoon over him daily still have a chance.”
Lindsey saw no sense in spoiling Holly’s fantasy with tales of her past. “He doesn’t have a girlfriend?” Why was she holding her breath, waiting for an answer? She’d met the guy exactly twice, and she didn’t want the first time to count.
“Not anyone serious. He’ll take a girl to a special function sometimes, but those have been ‘just friends’ kinds of things.” Holly took the last bite of her waffle cone, and swiped her napkin across her mouth. “Maybe he dates girls in Denver when he goes there for business but he never asks out girls around here. I think he’s simply there for looks.”
The same could be said for Lindsey’s ex, Hopper. He had been good for looking at but not much else. “That might work for a little while,” Lindsey said, “but I prefer my men fully functional.”
Holly’s gaze locked on something behind Lindsey. Her hazel eyes widened and her lips formed an O. She tipped her head forward, prompting Lindsey to turn and look…straight into the eyes of Carden Crenshaw.
Chapter 6
Lindsey’s stomach did a backflip. She blinked at Carden a couple of times and gulped down the mouthful of ice cream she’d been savoring. Had he heard her comment about how she preferred her men? His hint of a grin and amused blue eyes told her that he had. She swallowed hard, warmth seeping up her neck and into her face.
Carden tipped his head toward Lindsey, his gaze on her mangled ice cream cone. “Marshmallow peach?” he asked, somehow making the words sound masculine and sexy.
Lindsey nodded. “Surprisingly delicious.”
Carden’s grin became an official smile and his eyes met hers. “I imagine.” He shifted his gaze to Holly as Lindsey struggled to decide if he’d been referring only to the ice cream. “What’d you have, Holly?”
“Blueberry pie.” Holly gave him the thumbs-up. “Highly recommended.”
Lindsey studied him as he stared at the giant chalkboard on the wall where all the flavors were listed, a couple of them erased since the small, homemade batches had run out. This was the third version of Carden Crenshaw that she had met—casual, wearing blue jeans without holes and a button-up plaid shirt that pulled just right across his sturdy shoulders. His hair looked damp and disheveled, as if he’d recen
tly stepped out of the shower and scrubbed his fingers through it. Imagining that had her sinking her teeth into her bottom lip. She’d seen some fine men in her twenty-eight years, and Carden was up there with the finest of them. Especially now as he bunched his lips, concentrating on the menu. Lindsey stared for a moment, then cut a look at Holly, who raised her eyebrows knowingly.
A split-second later, he leveled his gaze on Lindsay. “You planning to be home tomorrow night?”
“I think so,” she said, her pulse ticking a little faster. Why would he ask?
“Mind if I stop by and finish up your to-do list?”
Lindsey’s stomach clenched. The dreaded to-do list. Of course he had to bring that up again. Besides, the last place she needed Carden Crenshaw was in her house with her—alone. “You’re sweet to offer, but everything seems to be working fine now.”
Holly gave Lindsey an are-you-crazy nudge with her knee because Holly had no idea—
“The toilet won’t be for long,” Carden said. “It’s rigged with a rusty twist-tie that’s bound to break any flush now.”
Gah! Could she be more mortified? Lindsey focused on her ice cream, a melted puddle in the cone.
“When I tightened the handle,” he said, “I found that the toilet needed a little more work under the hood. I went by the hardware store today and got some parts.”
Lindsey imagined him looking like a model in his business clothes, shopping for toilet parts for her. Perfect. What girl wouldn’t want a smokin’ hot guy associating her with toilet parts?
“That was nice,” Holly said. “Dean is always telling my grandfather how much he appreciates you helping him out.”
Carden grinned self-consciously. “Those two guys…”
Holly rolled her eyes. “I know.” She looked at Lindsey. “Dean and my grandpa Fred are the original odd couple, but they’ve been best friends for seventy-some years.”
“Wow,” Lindsey chimed in, pleased that the topic of her plumbing had gone down the pipes for the moment.
“But not odd couple as in one’s neat and one’s messy,” Carden said. “More like Dean doesn’t mind someone doing things for him, and Fred will die trying to do everything himself.”
“And that’s just the beginning of their differences.” Holly gave Lindsey’s arm a friendly squeeze. “You’ll see.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting them,” Lindsey said, “and hearing their stories about Thistle Bend.”
“Think theirs will be the most interesting she hears?” Holly glanced at Carden curiously.
“Depends on whether you talk to the Montgomery sisters,” he said to Lindsey.
Holly chuckled lightly. “Now, that’s a whole other old TV show mash-up right there. Hmm…I’d say Charmed meets The Golden Girls.”
“With a little Bewitched thrown in for fun.” Carden pressed his index finger to the tip of his nose and twitched it back and forth, somehow making himself seem more irresistible.
Eyes wide, Lindsey blew out a long breath. “Oh, boy.”
Carden set his gaze on hers. “Don’t worry. If that’s the worst we’ve got, you should be just fine.”
Easy for him to say. The worst Thistle Bend had was a festering family feud that his family was smack dab in the middle of—right along with hers. Lindsey would rather deal with odd-couple old men and would-be witches any day. Her secret would hardly matter to them.
She looked away from Carden, breaking off a piece of her waffle cone just to have something else to focus on as she struggled beneath his gaze.
“About tomorrow night?” His voice poured over her like honey on a hot day—slow and warm and sweet. How could she say no?
Snap out of it, Lindsey! It wasn’t as if he was asking her out. The guy wanted to fix her toilet, for heaven’s sake.
Holly pressed her knee against Lindsey’s again. Furrowing her brow dramatically she said, “You don’t want to take any chances with your toilet.”
Lindsey was halfway between busting out laughing and dying from embarrassment. “You’re right,” she said to Holly, and turned her attention to Carden. “Any time after seven should be fine.” Her heart skittered ahead a beat.
“Sounds good.” Carden headed over to the counter to order ice cream.
Lindsey caught Holly’s gaze, tipped her head toward the door, and stood. “I’d better get going. I’ve still got some unpacking to do.”
Holly got up and they stepped outside, greeted by a beautiful dog whose leash was attached to the bench outside.
“Blue!” Holly said, going to the dog and scrubbing his ears. His tail wagged enthusiastically. “How are you, boy?”
Lindsey held out her hand for the dog to sniff and got a lick instead, bringing a smile to her face. “I’ve never seen a dog with coloring like that. His eyes are gorgeous. What breed is he?”
“Australian shepherd,” Carden said as he stepped out of the ice cream shop with a single-scoop cone of something chocolate, and a big dog biscuit that got Blue’s undivided attention. He held the biscuit out for Blue and said, “Sit.”
Blue sat, tail sweeping from side to side.
“What’s your name, big guy?” Carden asked.
Blue let out something between a bark and a howl that sounded just like, “Bluuuue.”
“Good boy,” Carden said, and gave Blue the dog biscuit. Blue took it in his mouth and crunched it into pieces, eating it bit by bit instead of gobbling.
That’s all it took for Lindsey to fall head-over-heels for Blue. His owner wasn’t too bad either.
Chapter 7
The day was on the verge of twilight, air crisp and stars sparkling as Carden tucked the bags he was carrying under his arm and knocked on the front door of Dean’s cabin. Lindsey’s cabin. He was here to finish one job and start another, yet it felt like way more than that. Gran had great expectations and he intended to make sure they were met—at least the ones about the Crenshaws being properly represented in the museum. All that talk last night at the ice cream shop about Lindsey learning Thistle Bend’s history from Dean and Fred and the Montgomery sisters had Carden devising a plan of his own. She might hear stories from them, but he was the one who would give her the real lessons.
Lindsey opened the door and the sight of her had him clutching his tool belt more tightly in his hand. She wore a wispy, sky blue sleeveless top and a pair of white shorts. For me? His pulse picked up pace as he gazed at her long, slender legs—toned and tan and tempting. Her hair was swept into a ponytail, loose tendrils framing her face.
“Hi.” She opened the door wide and stood before him, giving him the best view of her he’d gotten yet. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, sounding more relieved than happy. A frown tugged at her incredibly kissable lips.
“Did it break already?”
She motioned for him to step inside and he did, the temperature rising by at least ten degrees and not because of her seriously sexy shorts…or the sensuous curve of her neck, or the glimmer of light in her eyes. “No, but it’s burning up in here and I can’t get most of the windows open. Think we could work on them first?”
So the shorts might not have been for him. He clenched his jaw, more disappointed than he wanted to admit. “Sure. It got kinda warm today. Close this place up and aim the sun at the tin roof, you’ve got yourself a sauna.”
“And a bunch of stuck windows.”
Carden set his tool belt and the bag of parts from the hardware store on top of several boxes neatly stacked near the door. She still had some moving in to do, but the place already looked better with some furniture and feminine touches. It even smelled like Lindsey—that unique woodsy citrus scent that put his senses on high alert.
“Did you bring Blue?” she asked.
“He’s at home hanging with some of his buddies. But I brought you something else.” He held out the second paper bag. “And not from the hardware store.”
Lindsey tipped her head and gazed at it skeptically, seeming to stifle a grin. She t
ook the bag, opened it, and pulled out the quart of ice cream he’d stopped by and picked up at Get the Scoop. She’d liked Marshmallow Peach, but he thought it’d be fun to introduce her to a heartier flavor. Her eyes brightened. “Ice cream!” The bag floated to the floor as she hugged the cardboard container like a little girl. “Thank you.”
“Kind of cold for a housewarming gift.” He winked. “But I bet you’ll like it.”
She glanced at the label on the top of the container. “Salted caramel chocolate chunk. Mmm…”
“It’s my favorite.”
“Sounds decadent.” She set her gaze on him and lifted her eyebrows. “Want some? I could probably be persuaded to share.”
His heart thundered. Did he ever. He wanted plenty of whatever she was offering. Even so, he was fairly certain it was only ice cream because she seemed genuine and sincere, not overtly flirty like some of the women who worked too hard to get his attention.
“How about after we get these windows open and I fix the toilet?” he asked.
Lindsey nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” She walked over to the freezer, captivating Carden with the easy sway of her hips. He tore his gaze away and focused on the changes inside the cabin. The cream-colored couch with colorful throw pillows. The cute dining table for two. Wildflowers in a vase on the counter.
“You really spruced up the place,” he said.
“A little.” She scanned the living area, nodding. “I wasn’t sure my furnishings would work in here, but I kind of like the combination of bright and rustic.”
“Probably different from what you had in D.C.,” he said, wondering what her life had been like in the city, and if she’d left “someone special” there, as Gran would say.
“For the last year or so, I lived with my friend Becca, and Sally, in a new apartment building near Nationals Park—all modern and contemporary.”