by Tracy March
Paige leveled her gaze on Cyn, a concerned frown on her face. “Oh no.” She understood. “I mean, no doubt it was beyond hot. Just look at the guy. But…” She pressed her fingers to her forehead and dragged them down her cheek. “You fell for him, didn’t you?”
Tears welled in Cyn’s eyes and she blinked them back. “It’s such an impossible situation. Here I am, working for his company—his snobby grandmother—trying to set him up with a wife. If I don’t, my parents will lose their house.”
“That’s right,” Paige said, as if she’d just made the connection. “This is not pretty.”
“And it’s not like that’s the only challenge I’ve got.” Cyn turned her hand palm-up. “I’m a nobody girl, scraping by, paycheck to paycheck. I could never fit in with his privileged lifestyle. Trent’s a legitimate resort tycoon, rolling in money, and eager to please the Queen. Don’t even get me started on how amazing he is. The guy could have his pick of any of those girls the Queen’s set him up with, or any other girl, for that matter.” She rolled her eyes. “How stupid am I to wish that he would pick me?”
“You’re not a nobody, and you’re not stupid,” Paige said, her tone soothing. “You’re just being realistic. But look at Lane and me. The dude’s a doctor, and he chose me. And Liza and Cole. They’re both stinkin’ rich now, but Cole came from pretty much nothing. It could happen with you and Trent, too. But I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I didn’t say that there’s a huge pile of odds stacked against you if you really want him.” She raised her eyebrows and looked Cyn in the eyes.
“I think I do,” Cyn said. “But admitting it out loud makes me feel even more hopeless.”
“Awww…”
“I mean, it was just a contract…just a job. I let the on-camera heat seduce me into one really unbelievable night, with the most incredible guy.” Cyn shook her head, her chest tightening. “I’ve got to put it all behind me to have any hope of saving my parents’ house for them. And after the garden party, I have to refocus on finding him a Queen-approved wife.”
…
The week dragged on interminably for Trent. Long meetings, short patience. Late at night he’d lie in bed, restless, thinking about Cyn, wondering how she could be so intent on setting him up with someone else after all that had happened between them. The sleepless hours had him reaching for extra cups of coffee during the day, and the fatigue made the nights even lonelier.
His and Gran’s meetings had been productive, but it was hard to keep her satisfied with the little information he’d divulged about what happened in Jamaica over the weekend.
“I’ve got lots of thinking to do, then I’ll tell you what I’ve decided,” he’d told her. “Meantime, don’t go bugging Jamie or Gordon, or even Stuart or Cyn. They’re busy getting the campaign ready, and Cyn’s got the garden party to worry about. Let’s keep them focused.”
She’d narrowed her gaze at him. “If you insist. But you know I don’t like to be kept in the dark.”
Boy, did he know. As ridiculous as it was, he kept begging fate to allow things to work out. In exchange, he’d never pull a stunt like this again—on himself, or Gran.
The call came late Wednesday night, after he’d turned out the lights.
Gordon.
“Hello,” Trent said.
“Hope I didn’t wake you, mate,” Gordon said with more energy than Trent had felt in days.
“I wish you did. That’d mean I’d already gotten some sleep.”
“Visions of Cyn dancing in your head?” Gordon teased. He had no idea how right he was.
Trent rolled over onto his back, staring at the dark ceiling of the hotel room. “Something like that.”
“Well we’ve got some knockout video of her, and some of you, too. When can you have a look?”
Trent tensed. “You’ve pulled something together already?”
“We aim to please.”
Trent’s thoughts raced. “My grandmother and I are in Charlotte. We finish tomorrow’s meetings around five. We’ll get together with the ad agency Friday morning. It’d be perfect if you guys could pop up here, let Gran and me preview what you’ve got, and we could show it to the agency if everything’s in order.”
“I don’t usually crow about my own projects,” Gordon said, “but this one’s in order, no doubt.”
Trent blew out a long breath, relieved that at least half of the equation seemed to be coming together. “How about five fifteen in my suite at our hotel? I’ll send you the address.”
“We’re there,” Gordon said. “And you’re going to want a big screen for this, I guarantee you.”
Trent had been low on sleep earlier in the week, but he was flirting with empty today. After Gordon’s call last night, he had barely slept—again. He’d tossed around for hours, wondering if he was doing the right thing by not having Cyn there when Gran saw the marketing campaign for the first time. Was that really fair to her? And would he be making a mistake by not preparing Gran to see her in the videos? His gut told him it was best for Cyn to be in Maple Creek. If the video was as good as Gordon claimed, then Gran would be more receptive learning that Cyn was in it while it played. Wouldn’t she?
Gordon, Jamie, and Stuart had arrived early and set up in Trent’s suite. Trent hurried in after his last meeting.
Jamie gave him a hug and a broad smile. “Wait ’til you see Cyn in these videos. And you look dang sexy yourself.”
Gordon rolled his eyes at Jamie. “Cyn’s really into you, mate.” Gordon patted him on the back.
Jamie nodded. “At least as much as you’re into her.”
Heat prickled beneath Trent’s collar. He laughed off their comments. They had him busted, he had to admit, but could they possibly be right about Cyn? “It was all business,” he said.
“Tough job,” Gordon joked. “But tell that to someone who didn’t see you guys together—on and off camera.”
Jamie gave him a playful smirk. “Just wait.”
Trent stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. “I need to remind you guys… Gran has no idea that Cyn is in the videos. It’ll be a surprise.” His tone told them it was a questionable surprise, at best.
“Ah no, mate,” Gordon said. “You stuck with that plan?” The creases in his weathered face deepened.
Trent winced. “I figured you and Cyn would wow her,” he said as someone confidently rapped on the door. “She’s here.”
“Good luck.” Jamie looked at him as if he’d need it. Gordon nodded, and Stuart just blinked.
Trent answered the door and he and Gran stepped into the suite’s conference area, his insides in knots. He offered her the best seat in the place, and sat across the table from her.
“I’m impressed with the speed of your work,” she said to Gordon, with a nod to Jamie and Stuart. “And I’m just as excited to see the marketing campaign, since Trent has been so tight-lipped about it.”
Gordon smiled at her. No doubt he wanted to kill Trent right now.
Jamie stood and joined Gordon at the front of the table. “We’ve been incredibly busy these last few days. Not only have we put together a library of videos for the full marketing campaign, we’ve focus-group-tested it with your target demo as well. Let’s just say that people had their wallets out, ready to book vacations to Hawthorne Resorts. They wanted to fall in love in paradise.” Jamie gestured toward the screen. “Just like this couple.”
Stuart hit play, and the big screen came to life with the vivid contrast of white-sand beach, turquoise-and-bright-green water, and an electric blue sky. Instrumental music struck the perfect pitch between vibrant and seductive.
“I like the music,” the Queen said. “Excellent choice.” She glanced at Trent, her eyes glimmering. “Just like the one you’ve made, I’m sure.”
Trent clenched his jaw. Onscreen, the camera panned to a stunning shot of Cyn, a winsome look in her gorgeous blue eyes as Trent walked toward her on the beach.
“My God.” Gran slapped her palm over
her heart. “That’s Cynthia.”
Trent willed his expression to stay neutral and kept his gaze focused on the screen. He could only hope she’d sit there in shock and at least watch all the videos. But thoughts of Gran nearly escaped him as he was blindsided by Cyn. His heart hitched when he saw the sincerity in her eyes during the perfect moments Gordon had captured between them. When he saw how effortlessly they’d moved together, as if they were in the same rhythm. When he saw her transition from flirty, to fiery, to fall-for-me—flawlessly.
Trent sat there, slack-jawed. He’d swear what he just saw was real. No wonder he’d been lonely since he’d left her. He thought back to the on-camera Q&A interview he’d done with Jamie when she asked him what he was hoping to find as he was looking for love.
Someone who captivates me with every little thing about her. Someone who makes me want to be better than I am—perfect for her. That girl was Cyn, and he loved her.
Seeing how perfect they were together reinforced his feelings. He had to figure out a way to make things work between them, despite all the obstacles—the biggest of which was Gran.
Everyone remained quiet as the first video ended and the next one began. And the next…until they’d all played. Trent’s heart soared with every scene, now that he’d been truthful with himself about his feelings for Cyn. The trick would be in admitting it to everyone else.
He glanced at Gran, who hadn’t moved except for blinking, her hand still pressed against her heart. Neither had anyone else. Silence ballooned in the suite as everyone waited for one of the others to speak. Trent’s pulse swished in his ears.
“That sound work is pretty intense,” Stuart said finally, a goofy half grin on his face.
Gordon aimed a sharp look at him.
“I…” Trent shook his head, so thrilled with his marketing campaign—and with Cyn—that he could hardly find words. “You guys did an exceptional job. The sound, the color, the music, the resorts. It’s the total package.”
Gordon beamed.
“Don’t forget the wardrobe,” Jamie teased.
“And the wardrobe,” Trent said with a smile.
Gran cleared her throat, and the levity left the room. “You’ve produced an unquestionably brilliant and effective campaign,” she said to Gordon, then leveled a simmering stare at Trent. “Am I to understand from what I’ve seen that you weren’t interested in Ava, Naomi, or Claire, and that we hired Cynthia to act in these videos?”
Trent broke into a clammy sweat as he faced the moment of truth. He loosened his tie and shifted his gaze to Gordon. “Could you guys excuse us for a few minutes?”
Gordon nodded and left the room, with Jamie and Stuart just ahead of him.
Trent got up and poured glasses of water for himself and Gran, setting hers on the table before he took the seat next to her. After draining his glass in several gulps, he wiped his palms on his slacks, leaned forward, and propped his elbows on his knees.
“After I spent some time with Ava and Naomi,” he said, “we were concerned we weren’t getting the best footage for the campaign.” He gestured toward the screen. “It’s hard to get what you saw there with someone you’ve just met—especially considering how nervous everyone was. So I postponed meeting Claire and, yes, we hired Cyn to appear in the ads. All of us were more comfortable with her. Gordon felt free to direct us, since we hadn’t been set up, there were no romantic expectations, and we could get right down to business.” He blew out a long breath, relieved that now she knew. “So I spent the weekend in Jamaica with Cyn. I could tell you how it went, but I think the video said it best.”
“She’s our employee, Trent,” Gran said. “What happened on that screen is out-of-bounds behavior with someone who works for us. We don’t need another lawsuit.”
Trent pressed his lips together tightly. Imagine if she knew what had happened afterward. “We addressed that in her contract. Besides, I’ve fallen for her—hard—and I hope she feels the same about me.”
Gran blinked several times. “You two acted the parts brilliantly—plenty of sparks between you, perfect for the ads.” She gave him a look of warning. “But Cynthia is certainly not the type of girl you fall for. You have nothing in common with her outside of physical attraction.”
Clearly Gran had no idea what she was talking about. Trent had more in common with Cyn than he’d had with Ava or Naomi, or any other girl he’d ever dated. All the sleepless hours had given him plenty of time to think about everything they’d shared—the conversations, the laughter, the kisses. Their senses of fun and adventure. He had a fleeting vision of Cyn lying among the rose petals in that king-size bed. They’d definitely had something in common there.
“You’d be surprised,” he said, unwilling to let Gran get away with her assumptions. “We have plenty in common. And Cyn’s genuine and down-to-earth, like she doesn’t expect anything and she’s appreciative when something comes her way. She’s not jaded like so many girls who’ve grown up with money. Her sense of wonder is contagious and fun.” He smiled just thinking about her stirring the cauldron of chowder, the playful way she went along with his stories about Chickcharnies and Ol’ Hige.
Gran gripped the arms of her chair. “Cynthia could never relate to our lifestyle. You have to admit that.”
“She couldn’t?” Trent tempered a flash of anger. “Cyn has worked for us for a couple of years, most of those days in Hawthorne Manor. She lives on the property. You can’t blame her because she hasn’t experienced ‘our lifestyle’ firsthand, but clearly she knows enough about it and how our family works.” He dragged his hand down his scruffy cheek. Was he getting through? “And you should’ve seen her on the islands. She related to everyone so easily—and they loved her. That’s my lifestyle.”
Gran let that settle in for a moment, and Trent stayed silent. “She might know enough about how our family works, but what about her family? Her upbringing was nothing like yours.”
“So we have different perspectives—sometimes that’s good. Seems I remember something about you and Granddad coming from opposite backgrounds, too.” Trent left it at that. No need to point out that the Hawthornes had been plenty wealthy back in the day and Gran’s family had not.
Gran pursed her lips and blinked several times. Redness rose in her cheeks.
“I’ll give you that the Sawyers aren’t mainstream,” he said, “but they’re decent people who really cared about Cyn while she was growing up.” He lowered his eyebrows. “That’s more than I can say for my parents.”
Gran drew her head back and frowned. How could she argue?
“Cyn might not have used her best judgment in the past,” he said, “and her parents might wish she’d turned out differently. But at least she’s trying to meet them in the middle. Arguably even more than that. She’s using the money she earned from the contract to help save their house from foreclosure. Think of all the other things she could do with that money.” Trent paused for a second. “And she earned every penny. That ad campaign is pure genius, and she’s the most captivating part of it. It doesn’t work without her.”
“That’s a relief.” Gran’s grip on the arms of the chair had loosened.
“Sure it is. I figured it would be good, but—”
“I meant it’s a relief that we paid her enough to help her save the Sawyers’ house,” Gran said, surprising Trent a little. She folded her hands in her lap. “I had offered her a twenty-five-thousand-dollar bonus if she successfully orchestrated a romance between you and Ava, Naomi, or Claire, and you proposed by summer. She was going to help her parents with that money, but clearly she won’t be earning it.”
Trent’s stomach seesawed and his lips slowly stretched into a grin. Maybe things were starting to make sense. No wonder Cyn had been so eager for him to fall for Ava or Naomi. Cyn had wanted to earn Gran’s bonus so she could do something remarkable for her parents, and she hadn’t earned enough by appearing in the ad campaign. If he had paid her more—enough to save her parents’
house from foreclosure—maybe she wouldn’t have rejected him in Jamaica. She needed Gran’s bonus. Cyn was willing to sacrifice her own happiness to help her parents, and Trent loved her even more for that.
He set his gaze on Gran. “I should be shocked, but I’m not. When did you offer her the bonus?”
“In the very beginning.”
Trent felt a little light-headed. “Before I came home, and Gordon and his crew came to Hawthorne Manor?”
“Yes.”
Before the night in the boxwood maze. He buried his face in his hands and exhaled loudly, hoping the bonus had been the big reason Cyn had pushed him away. There might be others too, but they could work on those.
“That bonus offer should show you how important I think it is for you to find a girl of your caliber,” Gran said, bringing them back to square one of their argument. Trent appreciated her determination when it came to business, but not when it came to this. “I can see how you got caught up in the moment with Cynthia, and how you’ve become so infatuated. But you need to give this some time—and a lot of thought—and you’ll see that she’s not the right girl for you.”
Trent bolstered himself with a deep breath. “No, Gran. You need to give this some time—and a lot of thought. Cyn’s a good person—the best. She’s genuine and down-to-earth and real. We’d be the lucky ones to have her in our family.” He raked his hand through his hair. “She might not have the pedigree you prefer, but she has my heart.”
Trent stood, leaving Gran sitting there with her lips pursed. “I’m going to get Gordon, Jamie, and Stuart so we can wrap things up here.” Shoulders back and chin held high, Trent walked out the door.
Chapter Twenty-One
The day of the garden party finally arrived. Cyn woke up early, ticking off a long list of to-dos in her mind before she even opened her eyes. She rushed to shower and get dressed, deciding on a grab-and-go breakfast. As she left the cottage, a cup of yogurt in hand, she longed for the delicious fresh fruits she’d had on the islands. For the warm tropical sun and sea breezes. For Trent.