The Moore Sisters of Montana: The Complete Series Box Set: Books 1-4

by Ann B. Harrison

  April leaned on the door frame and looked him up and down, doing nothing to help calm his ridiculous bout of nerves. “Guess we’ll be seeing a bit more of each other. I’ll try not to get in your way, but I’m apologizing up front because when I paint I do get a little lost in my own mind.”

  “Paint?” What on earth was she talking about?

  “Yes. The common areas are getting a makeover first then I’m going to get my shop sorted out before I tackle your offices. I took on the job for the owners. I guess they think the place is starting to look a little jaded.”

  She was going to paint the place? It certainly could use it. His father had been in this building for years and the same dull pale green paint had covered the walls back then as it did now. Luckily for him, the interior of his offices was a more soothing white on white – a color scheme David could live with. She didn’t need to bother about that side of things because he’d already taken care of it.

  “Sounds wonderful. Can’t wait to see how it comes up. I’ve saved you the job of my rooms though, already did them not that long ago. But if you want to use some of the paint left over from our last decorating spree so everything matches, it’s in the storage room. Feel free to help yourself.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be sure to check it out.”

  “Right, back to work. See you around, April.” He turned and went back to the office, a sense of unease mixed with intrigue prickling up his spine.

  Chapter Four

  The next morning when David arrived at work, he was running late. Oscar had thrown up on the white rug in the living room, which meant their run together had to be put on hold in case the little dog was coming down with something. David suspected it was more a case of the gardening gloves he’d shredded yesterday when he was left alone that had caused the upset. Still, he couldn’t risk dragging Oscar out for their morning run until he was sure the little dog was feeling better.

  David had to sneak his gym bag out to the car so Oscar didn’t see his running shoes and get over excited as he did. David’s intention was to have a quick run along the lakeshore, grab a shower at work, and then pick up his coffee.

  He pulled into the parking lot and slammed on his brakes. April’s bright blue van sat parked at an angle with a box trailer attached to it completely blocking his designated parking spot. A sense of annoyance washed over him before he took a breath and calmed down. His whole routine was out of whack but it wasn’t her fault. She was still finding her feet in a new town and the last thing she needed was him bitching about a parking spot.

  He pulled into one closer to the entrance and grabbed his bag. The back door was held open with a large paint can. A dribble of orange down the side made him pull up and stare. Surely she wasn’t using that color? He skirted the drop cloths on the floor and the ladder outside the men’s bathroom. “April? You in there?”

  No response. A thump on the ceiling above let him know where she was. Fancy leaving the back door open when she was in her own apartment. Not that there were many robberies in Cherry Lake, but one never knew what could happen. David moved the paint can and let the door close before heading into the bathroom to drop his bag off and hang up his clothes for the day. He took out his running shoes and pulled them on then started out the back door on his run.

  Guilt nipped at his heels as he jogged, knowing this was one of his dog’s favorite outings. He really had to be more careful where Oscar was concerned. The little terrier wasn’t used to being left alone, that was the problem. David had tried to pawn Oscar off on his mother but she was allergic to pet hair and, really, it was rude of him when he thought about it even if he had the pet’s best interests at heart.

  The short run still gave him a good workout and when he got back to the office, he headed for the shower. It didn’t look as though April had even come downstairs yet. Everything was exactly where it was when he left it. David hurried through his short shower and dressed, ready for work. He was doing up his tie when he heard noises outside the door. Now was the perfect time to question the paint color he hoped she wouldn’t be using.

  David glanced in the mirror, brushed down his hair and adjusted his glasses. He turned off the light as he opened the door and stepped right into a paint tray full of orange paint. “What the…”

  “Oh, crap. What’d you do that for?” April rushed over and stared at him, a look of disbelief on her face. Anyone would think he’d done it on purpose.

  The paint oozed over the top his shoe and trickled down inside, soaking his sock. His mouth twitched, the pressure he put on his lips the only thing stopping the swear words erupting from his mouth.

  “Don’t you ever look where you’re going?”

  She had the nerve to blame him? She was the one who invaded his space and caused this upset, not him. April wasn’t about to let go. “That paint cost me a bomb. It’s going to be full of dirt now.” She looked pained. “I’ll have to tip out the whole tray and start again.”

  He felt like yelling at her, “I wish you wouldn’t.” Sadly, it wasn’t his place to do so.

  “Would you mind getting me a rag so I can lift my foot out of here? I have patients to see to.”

  *

  Talk about cranky. It wasn’t her fault he didn’t look where he was going. She had a job to do here and he waltzed in and made it her problem! She dragged one of the drop sheets over, tucked it around the paint tray and pulled the rag from the back of her denim paint shorts, holding it out to him.

  He snatched it from her with a scowl on his face. “Thank you.”

  “Welcome. Is there anything I can do to help you, David?” Like pour the rest of the tin over your head maybe?

  “Apart from leaving your painting until the weekend, so we don’t get in each other’s way, no.” He pried off his shoe. It was totally ruined and so was his sock. The trousers he wore now sported a bright band around the cuff. She doubted he would appreciate her commenting on how much nicer they looked either.

  Shame washed over her in a swift wave of heat as his words sunk in. Embarrassing heat. “Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.” She’d been so focused on fulfilling her part of the lease agreement, it hadn’t occurred to her to do it when his business was closed and avoid upsetting anyone. “I’m so sorry. How silly of me. I thought I’d be able to paint around you but maybe not.” April tried hard to work on honing back her impulsiveness but, more often than not, she forgot. It was one of her failings and probably the one she needed to focus on the most.

  “If you could see your way clear to do so, I’d appreciate it.” He slipped off the sock using the rag to cover his fingers and avoid the paint. “A good pair of trousers, ruined along with my favorite shoes.”

  She pulled a face. “You could always…” No, don’t go there. “Forget that. I’m sorry.”

  He rolled the hem up so the paint didn’t drip and ruin anything else. “I’m already running behind. My first patient is probably sitting waiting for me.”

  The door opened and Helen came in, stopped when she saw them and her mouth dropped open. “What the heck?”

  “Don’t say it. Just, don’t.” David walked back into the bathroom and slammed the door.

  “He stood in my paint tray. I don’t think he’s very happy about it either.” April picked up the offending tray and headed over to the connecting door. “This has to go out and I’ll start again.” She went into her side of the shop and over to the array of paints she’d lined up. There had to be an empty can amongst this lot to pour the contaminated paint into so she could dispose of it.

  What a way to meet the neighbor. That was twice now they’d come to blows. The coffee and now the paint incident. He was going to think she was such a scatterbrain. And for a moment she’d thought he was cute. Maybe without the scowl on his face he still was, but if he couldn’t chill out a bit more, things wouldn’t go well between them and that would be a shame. A five-year lease meant they would be seeing a whole lot of each other.

  As she cleaned up the
mess, April kept an eye out for the doctor but she never saw him. He was probably hard at work already soothing the ills of the Cherry Lake locals. For the rest of the day, she concentrated on getting her shop ready, choosing colors and deciding on what part of the shop would advertise what part of the business.

  The thing that kept popping into her brain though was the expanse of white paint she’d noticed in his office. Surely he’d appreciate her talents? Nobody liked cold sterile white. Studies had shown that soothing colors, bright colors, rainbows even, made people feel better. Did he know that?

  Chapter Five

  The eye popping bright pink at the top of the wall faded through a myriad of shades to white by the time it reached the floor. Ombre was April’s newest paint craze and she loved it.

  “Wow. That’s amazing. I love what you’ve done with that.”

  April turned to look at her sister walking in the door. “I’m kind of in love with the way it looks when it’s finished. It would have to be the most subdued rainbow I’ve ever done.”

  “I love it. A bit tamer than what I’m used to seeing from you, too.”

  “I figured that I should probably tone down the wild colors until the locals get to know me. Besides, if I have milder colors, I can then add pops of brightness with my for-sale items.” She wiped her hands on a rag. “What brings you here this late in the day? Landlord checking on a new client?”

  Mari waved her hand in dismissal. “Nah. Got an invite to a cookout for you. Thought it would be easier to deliver it in person and that way I could sneak a peek at what you’ve done so far.”

  “A cookout sounds fun. Who and where?” She reached over the drop sheet covered table for her water bottle and took a deep drink.

  “Susan and Rick Collins. They live not far from here and are great friends of Bella’s. She called and passed on the invitation and I said I’d pass it on to you.”

  “Nice. Thanks.”

  “So, how’s it all going? You seem to be flying through it all. I thought you’d do the common areas first and then the shop. And before you say anything, I don’t care how it works. I’m not getting involved in any way other than as your sister so lose that pout.”

  “Sorry.” April shook her shoulders and wiggled her fingers to let the tension release. “I, uh, look, can I ask you something?”

  Mari rolled her eyes. “Like you need to ask permission.”

  “I think I upset David this morning.” She gave a very quick version of the incident doing her best not to make it look like it was as bad as it was.

  Mari’s eyes bugged her mouth dropped open. “You didn’t?”

  “It wasn’t exactly all my fault. He should have been looking where he was going, for goodness sake. That’s twice now. He ran into me with coffee and then walked into my paint. How is that all my fault?”

  “Oh, April. When are you going to learn not to rush into things? You should’ve given it a bit more thought. There’s no hurry to do that painting. Concentrate on your shop first and do that later when you’re more settled. Surely Tommy told you that?”

  “I don’t remember. I was so happy to get the opportunity I may have missed that bit.” She dug her fingers into her hair and tugged at the messy curls. “I have to take the blame, don’t I?”

  “If you want to make up with him, yes. I think you’re at fault, and not only because I know how you race around at a hundred miles an hour. This shop was a new chance for you to make a change in your life. Slow down and breathe before you rush in.”

  “Yes, Mari.” Her sister was right and April knew it, but she would make a point of getting at least some of the job done sooner rather than later. April had been arguing with herself all day over it and kept coming back to the same conclusion. But first she had to calm the waters between her and the other tenant. “I’ll make it up to him, promise.”

  “Good. Now let go of the angst and enjoy what you have here. It’ll be fine, you’ll see.” Mari pulled a scrap of paper out of her pocket. “This is Susan’s address. All you need to bring is a salad or something of that nature. They’re taking care of the meat and drinks.” She rattled off the details of what she was taking before she left. Being included made up for the awkward start to April’s day.

  She raised her arms over her head and stretched, loosening the kinks in her neck, waved at the car that tooted its horn as it passed the shop before she shut the door. The locals were friendly here.

  April ran her hand over her dog’s ears. “And that, Hamish, is why living in a small town is such a good idea.”

  She cleaned up her painting equipment and headed upstairs. It was tempting to go and make sure David was okay and not still in a mood but she decided it might be wiser to keep her distance. April wasn’t sure trying to befriend someone like him would work out well for her. It might be easier to keep things on a more formal footing but, thinking about it, that went against the grain. April wasn’t the formal kind of girl. She tried to settle down and relax but found herself arguing two sides of the idea running through her head. Just how far did she have to go with her apology?

  Frustrated, she gave up trying to reason with herself and grabbed a bottle of wine from the refrigerator, two mismatched but beautiful crystal glasses and a bag of mixed salted nuts and headed downstairs, Hamish hot on her heels. She plonked herself down at the table in the common area and waited to see if David would walk through the kitchen to get to his car while the big dog settled under the table. She didn’t have to wait for long. First Helen came through. She gave April a smile, looked as though she wanted to say something and then thought better of it muttering a “good night” as she slipped out the door.

  When David came out, he had his briefcase tucked under his arm, a brown paper bag in his hand and was trying to push his glasses back onto his nose with the back of his hand.

  He sucked in his breath when he spied her. “Um, April.” He glanced around, no doubt wondering where the paint was lest he stumble into another batch. “Hi.”

  She stood up. “I have an apology to make.” She cleared her throat and looked him in the eye. “I’m very sorry about the incident earlier. You’re right, I should have planned it out a bit better but I let my enthusiasm get the better of me. You may as well know up front that it’s a huge failing of mine.” She tucked her hands behind her back and gave him a smile desperately trying to settle the wobble in her voice. She wasn’t used to apologizing for her outlandish behavior, preferring to think she could get away with whatever she wanted being the baby of the family. It’d worked so far in life but she noticed a change in the air of late. “I figured that since the owners were good enough to give me the shop at a discounted rate because I offered to paint the place, I should get into it right away. I didn’t stop to think that it might impact your business.”

  He dropped his briefcase on the floor and put down the brown paper bag on the table. He eyed the wine and glasses. “I don’t care if you don’t do it now, or ever, to tell the truth. I’m quite happy with things as they are and as I said, I already had my side painted last year.”

  “We’ll see.” She put that nugget of information to the back of her mind. “I hoped you might share a glass of wine with me as an apology.” She unscrewed the wine and poured him a glass.

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  The tone of his voice wasn’t exactly encouraging. Surely he wasn’t going to go and leave her here without joining her for a drink. That would be almost as embarrassing as the debacle this morning. But then, how was he to know what her normal chaotic life was like. “I know but I was in the wrong and I want to apologize. It would have been easier to carry on in my own sweet way but I gave myself a talking to and decided that wasn’t possible. We’re going to be working together as it were for the foreseeable future and I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot.”

  His lips twitched and she regretted the words.

  “Sorry. Wrong choice of words. Please, David, sit down and have a drink with me.
”

  For a moment, she was convinced he was going to refuse. “You’ve convinced me. Just one though because I have to get home.” He sat down. “Thank you.” He reached for the glass she passed over and took a sip. He raised his glass to her. “That’s a lovely wine. Let’s drink to, ah, shall we say, a happy work environment?” The reluctance in his voice wasn’t exactly encouraging but she pushed forward regardless.

  “That’ll do it for me. To working together.”

  *

  Pink paint stained her short fingernails and she had a smear of a different shade on her forehead.

  “Had a busy day then?” He glanced around but didn’t see anything matching that shade. Perhaps she’d used it in the women’s bathroom or better yet, in her own side of the building.

  “You have no idea.” She brushed the wayward curls from her face and grinned.

  The smile transformed her face and David noticed a familiar but long since forgotten sensation zip through his gut. April Moore might be slightly crazy but she was a very attractive young woman. Not that he was interested in her or anyone but it never hurt to make the observation. He was human after all.

  “What made you move to Cherry Lake?” Sounded like a safe question to ask.

  “Family. You know my sisters. Mari convinced me it would be a good move to finally put down roots and grow my business. I agreed and packed everything up and here I am.” She screwed up her face. “I didn’t get off to the best start but I’m hoping that will improve as I go along.”

  “I’m sure it will. How much bad luck can one person have?” Knowing what little he did of April that might be a loaded question.

  “Yeah, I know, right?” She giggled, then that turned to loud laughter which ended on a snort of some sort as she tried to bring it under control. “Sorry. But you’ll find out I guess.”