“My kind of woman.” That was going to make things a bit easier. Of course, her staying up in her apartment was going to be what helped the most. If she continued to come and make excuses as to why she was there, it’d slow him down. If it killed him, he wasn’t going to give her the benefit of proving he wasn’t capable of all he’d said. “Are you ready to head back?” His truck was still parked in front of her office.
“No. I’m going to sit a bit longer if you don’t mind. I’ll see you bright and painfully early tomorrow.”
“Good night Monique.”
“Good night Caleb.”
As he walked away, he noticed Mary-Lou already inching her way to Monique’s table. Damn it. Not that he didn’t want Monique to have friends, it was just he knew damn well he was going to be the hot topic of the night.
Let them talk. Nothing is changing until all the work is done.
4
What was that horrible sound? Why wouldn’t it stop? Monique rolled over and tossed the blankets aside. She got up and half awake, slipped on her oversized bathrobe and huge fluffy pink slippers. There was no reason to even bother with turning on the light. Her eyes weren’t open enough to see anyway. Besides, without her contacts in, it was all a blur.
So she hugged the wall and made her way downstairs. Thankfully Caleb had really cleared a major pathway for her, or she’d never had made it to the door. There was no need to worry about who was there. He’d warned her. Somehow she had held onto the hope he’d been joking.
Turning the knob, she said while opening the door, “Good morning Caleb.”
“Um. Miss. I…umm, I’m Sheriff Taylor. You’re cell phone was found on the sidewalk outside. I thought you might be wanting it.”
Sheriff? Phone? Monique was wide awake now. Squinting, like it made any difference, she tried to make out the badge on his jacket. It could’ve come from a gumball machine for all she could tell. She wrapped her robe around her and tugged the sash even tighter. Only then did she reach for the phone he was holding out to her.
“Thank you,” she said as she took it. It felt like hers, but she didn’t recall losing it. Then again, if she had then it wouldn’t have been lost.
“I see Caleb wasn’t kidding. He took on the job.”
“Yes he did.” And I wish he was here now. This man might be the sheriff, but she still felt uneasy chatting with him in the doorway, in her pajamas. “He should be here any time now.”
“Caleb? He’s a man of routine. That guy never starts without stopping at The Café first,” Sheriff Taylor stated.
“Guess again,” Caleb announced from behind the sheriff. “What brings you here so early Sheriff?”
“Returning something to this young lady. Best be getting on my way. Mary-Lou will have my hide if I don’t show up for my poached eggs on wheat.”
“Thank you again Sheriff.” She held up the phone.
“Not a problem Miss. Just doing my job. And I’m glad you found someone to help you. You’re in good hands.” He lowered his voice and added, “The best, but don’t tell him. His ego is big enough already.”
Monique snickered and Caleb grumbled out. “Your eggs are getting cold.” When Taylor was gone, he said, “I thought we agreed on six.”
“You did. I was still hoping it was a bad dream. But you’re here and I’m up, so you might as well come in.”
“I don’t need you here while I work. Why don’t you go back to bed?” Caleb suggested.
Monique laughed. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am. There is nothing you do but get in my way.”
She placed her hands on her hips and said, “Have you heard how much noise you make? I’m shocked the sheriff didn’t tell you it was too early to start construction. You probably could wake the entire island.”
Caleb grinned. “Good. If they don’t get up soon, they are going to miss out on an amazing sunrise. But this morning, I’m working on more prep work. It shouldn’t be too loud.”
“Prep work? What is that exactly?” Not that she was awake enough to comprehend, but she needed to know the status.
“With the walls down, I’m going to run the wires for your electricity. I’m sure you’d eventually like lights that aren’t run off my generator.”
“If that is the case, make all the noise you want. Will that include getting the electricity fixed to my water heater? Because I don’t think I can stand another cold shower.” Although yesterday I could’ve used one.
Caleb nodded. “Why don’t you let me start with that one? Give me thirty minutes and I might have it up and running?”
“Then I can have a hot shower?” she asked hopefully.
“Let it heat up a bit, but yes, you’ll have a shower this morning. Guaranteed.”
“I’m so happy I could hug you,” she said.
“Maybe after the shower,” Caleb joked.
Monique wrinkled her nose and said, “I’d be insulted if I didn’t agree with you. Okay. I’m going back upstairs, but just shout when you think I can turn the water on.”
“You got it. And I’ll try to be quiet.”
“I’m not sleeping now. All I can think about is how good it’s going to feel.” She pulled the collar of her robe up and snuggled it, moaning. “The simple things sometimes are the best.”
“If I knew you’d be this excited, I’d have fixed it yesterday,” he said. Her eyes widened and he quickly added, “Joking. I had no access to the wires yesterday. Hence why I ripped down those walls. The only way to do it right is to start from scratch.”
“I get it. I’ve done that with one of my books. Hit delete and started again.”
“You’re an author? I thought you were a publisher,” Caleb said.
She wasn’t ready for such a lengthy conversation without some caffeine. “Started as an author. Now I do both.” It had been a while since she released a book. Actually, too long. She never would’ve allowed her clients to go this long. Even a book a year wasn’t enough. Readers eat up romance books like potato chips. One after another. This was going to be a learning curve for her. How to do it all and not drop the ball.
“Wow. Quite the entrepreneur. You’re what, twenty-five?”
Monique rolled her eyes. She didn’t need a mirror to tell her how bad she looked at the moment. Never mind not a stitch of make-up, but her hair probably was a wild mess. “More like thirty-three, feeling like a hundred right now. But thanks for the compliment. Now I’m going to go upstairs and try to get some work done myself.”
“Writing?”
“No. I have a client who is struggling with her new series. Her hero isn’t…sexy. It needs some work and I need to be tactful on how to word it. If you say it the wrong way, you can easily discourage a person and they give up. I believe in building people up and not knocking them down.”
“Good policy. But if it sucks, maybe she needs to know that too.”
“It’s not like building a house. This takes”
“Don’t you dare say talent or hard work. Finishing work is a craft, if done properly.”
“I was going to say it takes thick skin. You put your work out there and then wait to hear what the readers think. Sometimes a review can leave a writer crying for days. Sometimes because they loved your work and sometimes because they didn’t.”
“Like I said, I’m not much of a reader but if you tell me my work sucks, I promise you, I’m not crying.”
“That’s good to know but I’d never say that,” Monique replied.
“I know, you’d say something that sounded like sucks, but smelled like roses. Got it. Now go before you are stuck with another cold shower today. This work doesn’t get done with me just standing here.”
And looking good. Somehow he was the one thing she could see fine without her contacts in. It didn’t hurt that he even smelled good. Whatever it was about Caleb, he had her hormones in overdrive. Before she went upstairs Monique asked, “Did you need me to go to The Café and grab you coffee or breakfast? She
riff Taylor seemed to think you might have missed yours.”
“I did, but you don’t look ready to go out.” Caleb pointed out her lack of appropriate attire.
“That’s easier to fix than the electrical, trust me. Large hot and black, right?”
“Yes. And if you’re picking up breakfast, I’ll take the meat lovers omelet.” He didn’t strike her as the veggie lover’s type. All that meat and physical labor was looking good on him too. “Do you need me to write it down?” Caleb asked. Only then did she realize she’d gone off daydreaming again.
“No. I’d ask you to come, but we both know how that worked out last night.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever sat down talking for so long. I think we should hold off until your office is complete before having a repeat,” Caleb replied.
Repeat? Did that mean last night was more than just business? They actually spoke more about their childhoods than work. It was a nice change of pace. But he was right; neither of them could afford to lose another day of work.
“That’s probably a wise decision. Mary-Lou would never let us leave and I have a busy day ahead of me as well.” She quickly turned and headed upstairs. Because if she didn’t, they’d be standing there making excuses as to what to talk about next. And no Mary-Lou around to blame when nothing got done.
* * *
He didn’t need to hear her, he smelled the sweet scent that she wore. Caleb wasn’t someone who had a preference to perfume, but whatever it was she had on, drove him crazy. “Want some good news?” he asked without turning around.
“I have hot water?” she asked sounding excited.
“You do.”
He heard her heavy sigh before she said, “Do you want some good news too?”
For that he stood up and turned around. He could finish installing the electrical outlet in a moment. “I could use some.”
“Mary-Lou was not in today.”
“Is she sick?” Caleb asked.
Monique raised a brow. “I don’t think her being sick would be considered good news.”
Caleb chuckled. “You’re right. Maybe just laryngitis.”
She shook her head. “You’re horrible.” But he could see the corner of her mouth curl slightly in agreement. “Her mother was there and said a friend of hers had travelled to the island for a surprise visit. So they decided to give her the week off.”
“That’s good, because she would’ve only screws up our orders anyway. I wonder who her friend is?” Caleb considered her more like an exasperating kid sister.
“I have a feeling it is a guy.”
“What gave you that idea?” Caleb asked. Mary-Lou hadn’t mentioned anyone to him. Then again, if it was someone she was serious about, she probably wouldn’t.
“A look her mother had on her face. You know the one that says you’re hopeful there may someday be grandchildren.”
Caleb knew that look too damn well. “I hate that look. Now I’m regretting not going with you. I wonder who this guy is? We kind of take care of our own on the Vineyard.”
“She was telling me how protective you are of her.”
“How did that come up?” Caleb asked. Though he knew he was going to be the topic of their conversation last night.
“When I apologized for you snapping at her. She said that’s what big brothers do,” Monique stated. “She really looks up to you. You’d be surprised the things I learned.”
“Don’t believe half of it.”
Monique chuckled. “I told her I’ll be the judge of that myself.”
“Of what?” he asked.
Was it his imagination or did Monique blush. “Never mind. It’s girl talk.”
Caleb knew better than to push for more information at that point. Reaching out he said, “I’m glad you remembered my breakfast with all this intel you returned with.”
“Don’t worry. Her mother said she’d have your lunch ready too. Guess I’m returning at one o’clock for that. How is it I have become the errand girl?”
Caleb said, “You volunteered if I recall.”
“I guess I did. And if you’re wondering, we’re having Sheppard’s Pie for lunch.”
“Did she mention supper?” Caleb teased.
Monique shook her head. “Good thing you work all this off. I on the other hand sit at a desk all day. I can’t afford to eat like this. If so, I’ll need you to reinforce the floor joist too.”
“So tonight we’ll split the strawberry shortcake instead.” Had he just invited her to join him? What was with that? “Really, I can’t make up my mind. But I enjoyed your company last night. If you’re not busy, and I get my shit done, would you like to join me tonight?”
He wasn’t sure what she was going to say. Maybe he’d surprised her with the invitation, or maybe she was thinking of an excuse to say no. Either was fine with him. None of this made sense anyway.
“I’d like that. But I also need to focus today and truthfully, I can’t do it here. I need someplace where no one will disturb me.”
“Can you work on the beach?” he asked.
“I could if I wasn’t surrounded by a bunch of other people.”
“I have a place right on the beach. You could work on my deck and no one will bother you.”
“Your place?”
“Actually my deck. It’d give you the space you need and also allow me to be as loud as I need too. Seems like we both get what we need.” There were other places he could’ve suggested, like the library. Yet somehow that hadn’t been his first choice.
“I guess that will be okay, since it’s only your deck and not your house.”
“Great, then let me whoof this food down and I’ll show you where it is.”
“I’m sure I can find it on my own,” Monique stated.
“I’m sure you can as well, but I figured it’s best I introduce you to Molly so she doesn’t freak out when she sees you.”
“Your wife?”
He laughed. “My golden. She six months old and a rescue. So she can be a bit nervous with new people.”
“A dog. I love dogs.”
“I can’t believe you thought I’d ask you to dinner if I was married. We’re laid back on the Vineyard, but not that easy going.”
“Sorry. I guess it’s the romance book I’m reading. The guy in the book is a real…well…not someone I’d date.”
Caleb could never see what women found interesting in all those stories. Some prince somewhere who falls in love with them and carries them off to some secret hideaway and holds her captive till they fell in love. That crap made him want to puke. “They aren’t even real men like me.”
“No they’re not,” Monique said. He saw her cheeks turn beat red and she dashed past him back upstairs.
Great. Why couldn’t he have just shut up? Did he like making her blush? Hell yeah. And for some reason, it was so easy too. She might make her living reading those books, but something told him, she wasn’t living the wild life. All work and no play wasn’t healthy. He was falling into that trap himself. He hadn’t even noticed it until he’d met Monique. It’s like when you cut sugar out of your diet, you don’t miss it until you taste it again. Right now, he was craving something, and it just happened to be one adorable brunette.
Oh yeah. I need to get her out of here or I’m not getting shit done.
5
“Wynde, I’m telling you that your story is fine. It just needs a bit more…spice. Did you do as I instructed?” Monique asked.
“I’ve spent the last two days reading the sexiest books I could get my hands on. Hell Monique, the only thing it did was leave me…frustrated.”
Monique covered the phone so her chuckle wouldn’t be heard. She knew exactly what Wynde meant. Sometimes the research was more than a woman alone could handle. But she wasn’t about to let Wynde know she felt her pain. Besides, it wasn’t exactly the same thing. Monique wasn’t hot and bothered by the book, but by the man instead. Even now as she sat on his deck, the ocean breeze didn’
t mask his scent that lingered on the blanket she had curled up into.
Focus. This isn’t about me. It’s about her book.
“Wynde, that is a good place to be. Close your eyes and all the things you are picturing, put on the paper.”
“Oh, that is going to blow your mind. I mean if you knew what I was”
“Don’t tell me. Show me. Make me want to be you on the page.” Right now Monique wanted to take her own advice and everything she wanted to do to Caleb she should jot down for her next book. Usually the sex scenes were the hardest to write. How many different ways can you say oh yeah baby? She wanted to be creative without going too far. Then again, she couldn’t help but want to do some research of her own. Then live and in person kind. She was starting to count the days till her repairs would be complete and not for some damn writers retreat either.
“Maybe I should start writing sweet romances,” Wynde said sounding defeated.
“That is your choice, but you do know you’d need to find someone else to publish your book.” She didn’t want to lose Wynde. Not that she was a top seller, but because she really liked her and wanted her to be successful. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you. You know that.”
“I do Monique. That’s why I signed with you. It’s not all about money. You really…care.”
Was Wynde crying? That wasn’t like her. Something else was going on which she hadn’t shared. With other clients, she might not have mentioned it in fear to overstep. That wasn’t their relationship.
“Honey, talk to me, tell me what’s really going on,” Monique closed her laptop and asked softly.
“I just heard that my ex-boyfriend got married,” Wynde sobbed.
Monique knew he’d been caught cheating with Wynde’s best friend. It had been a horrible time for her back then. Does someone really ever get over that? Probably not. What to say in this situation was beyond her too. Now she wished she was on the west coast so she could console her in person. Really, Wynde spent more time visiting Monique in Colorado after her horrible break up.
That’s the answer. “Wynde, do you know what you need?”
Plug Me In Page 4