Buffy began to dance around the coffee table and then ran over to where her purple leather leash hung on a hook near the door.
“Really?” Annie pulled herself off the coach and slowly made her way to the leash.
Buffy led the way down the hall and stairs and out the door. Annie giggled when Buffy squatted at the first sign of grass. “Sorry, little girl. You had to go. Next week after everyone is trained, we’ll be back on our schedule. Right now, it’s just a bit hectic.” Annie patted her on the head.
“Ahh, but, Mommy, I want to go with you tomorrow,” a man with a deep voice said.
Annie whirled around. “Jack! What are you doing here?”
Jack leaned over and patted Buffy. “I called you, but it went to voice mail, twice. I was concerned.”
Annie dipped her head and pulled her phone out from her pocket. “Three missed calls. You, twice and Mary once. I forgot to turn it back on after training.”
“How’d it go?” Jack inquired as they walked hand in hand.
“It went really well. I think all of them are going to be excellent bakers. By the way, have you ever been downtown on a Saturday evening and enjoyed the food truck festival?”
“It’s been a long time. It’s really good. They usually have live music, too.” Jack said, squeezing her hand.
“Rebecca’s folks own the Cajun on Wheels.”
Jack pulled Annie down as he took a seat on a wooden and metal bench. “It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?”
She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “Yes, it is, but I recall another night that started out much like this one.” She turned to meet his gaze. “It ended up with me looking like a drowned rat.” She giggled.
“Hey, I was right there with you—drowned rats,” he said smirkingly.
“How’s Mary doing at the new job?”
“I don’t really know. I haven’t touched base with Diane yet. We typically meet once a week to go over business details, sort of a working lunch. I will let you know after my next meeting with her.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“I’m a little nervous about this guy she met in Italy. He’s coming over to see her.”
“All the way from Italy?”
“Yep.”
“It must be pretty serious for him to do that, don’t you think?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. She doesn’t need serious, and she certainly doesn’t need complicated.”
“Well, she’s over twenty-one, Annie.” Jack lowered his chin and with half-closed lids, waited for her comeback.
“Twenty-one or not, she’s living with our grandmother and auntie, and she just started working. I can just hear Grandmother Lilly now.” Annie blew out a burst of air and shrugged her shoulders.
“I get it. I have a cousin like that. Between my uncle and auntie spoiling him rotten, and our grandparents at every chance they get, that kid is the laziest I’ve ever encountered. It’s pathetic. And to think, he’s twenty-six years old.”
Annie watched as a group of laughing young teens walked by. She followed them with her eyes until they were almost out of sight. She glanced at her phone. “I better get back to the apartment. I still have a hundred things to do before bedtime.”
“Let me walk you girls home.” Jack took Buffy’s leash from Annie.
“Where’d you park?”
“Around the corner from your place. I have the limo tonight. I’m scheduled to pick up some tourists that are staying at the Pelican Inn and take them to the airport.”
“We have some beautiful places around here. Let’s play tourist one day,” Annie said as she laced her arm with his and held tightly.
After a few minutes, they were standing in front of the cigar shop. “Here we are.” He handed the leash over to her.
“It was nice running into you this evening. It rounded my evening out just perfectly.” She stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips.
As she landed back on the bottom of her feet, he lifted her up, leaning down at the same time and finding her mouth. The firmness of his kiss excited her. She parted her lips just enough to make the kiss more passionate, inviting him to tease her with his warm tongue.
Jack stepped back, still holding her hands. “That right there, is going to get us both in trouble.” He squeezed her hands before letting go, looking off into the distance.
“Jack, you’re not afraid of a little ole’ kiss, are you?” she asked in a sexy tone.
“No, not afraid of the kiss. Afraid of what will come after that. I don’t want to move too fast.”
“I know,” she said, dropping her head.
He lifted her chin up with one finger. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you or make you feel bad. Don’t get me wrong. I loved that kiss. I can only imagine what else besides that kiss you have in store for me, for us.” He winked.
Annie smiled. “Thanks for walking us home. We’ll get together Saturday and try out the food trucks.”
“Good night, Annie. Sleep tight.” He moved down the sidewalk toward where he said he’d parked the car. Annie watched for a few seconds, enjoying the view of his backside with his arms swaying, shoulders swaggering, and slightly separated thighs commanding the sidewalk as he moved at a slow pace. Annie drew in her bottom lip. Her body temperature told her it was time for a shower. A cold one.
Chapter 16
Annie looked up when she heard the door open. “Hello, can I help you?” she asked the stranger.
“I’m looking for Mary McPherson.”
Annie walked around from the counter and stood in front of this person inquiring about her sister. “I’m Annie McPherson. Mary is my sister.”
“Yes, I know. She told me I could come here and you’d give me her address.”
Annie looked the man up and down. Her eyes focused on the man bun he sported. It wasn’t every day a man with a man bun came into the bakery. “You must be her friend she met in Italy?”
“Yup. Where can I find her at?”
“Whoa, slow down. First of all, I’m not giving you her address. If she didn’t feel compelled to give it to you, why should I? Secondly, what’s your name?”
“Jeremy.”
“Do you have a cell phone number, Jeremy?”
He nodded.
Annie walked back around the counter and stepped into the kitchen. Morgan was wrapping up for the day. “Strange man out there, beware,” she said, whispering as she grabbed a pencil and pad of paper and rushed back out front. “Here, write down your information. I’ll see to it that Mary gets it,” Annie said.
After Jeremy jotted down his stuff, he handed it back to Annie. “Tell her I’m staying at the Motel 6, north of the city.”
“Oh,” she said, realizing that was not the best part of town.
“I can’t wait to see her.”
“I bet.”
Jeremy opened the door and exited the shop but not before bumping the large backpack he wore against the doorframe. Annie frowned. What in the world has Mary done?
She waited until the coast was clear and then called Mary.
“I can’t talk right now. I’m working.”
“Okay, but you and I have to talk tonight. Come over when you’re done. I’ll have the wine chilled.”
“Oh, not again, not another big sister talk that involves wine.”
“Let’s just say, your man dropped by the shop today.”
“Jeremy?”
“Who else?”
“What’s the problem?”
“He’s not right for you, Mary.”
“How can you tell that by just meeting him?”
Annie drew in a deep breath and blew it out loudly. “Because he sports a man bun!”
“So? They wear that over in Italy.”
“Just stop by tonight.” Annie tossed the phone inside her purse. “That sister of mine is going to give me grey hair,” Annie said, looking at Morgan.
Morgan shrugged. “He was kind of cute.”
&nbs
p; Annie raised her brows. “Did you see the man bun?”
“Yeah, it suited him. He probably doesn’t wear it all the time.”
Annie pursed her lips. “If you say so.”
* * *
“I’m not going to get into it with you about what is my type of man, Annie.”
“How long have you known him?”
“I met him when I first landed in Italy. We became friends right away. He makes me laugh.”
“He almost made me fall out laughing when I saw the man bun.”
“That’s not fair, and that’s not very accepting either.” Mary crossed her arms over her chest.
“Oh, please. I didn’t say anything to him about it. Is he a drifter?”
“Well, not really. Actually, he’s taking time off from working and traveling around. He’d spent three months exploring Europe when we met.”
“How can he afford to do that?” Annie said.
“He has money. Lots of money.” Mary uncrossed her arms.
“How’d he come to receive this money?” Annie raised her brow.
“He inherited it.”
“Humph. I just don’t know. He wasn’t very warm to me.”
“Well, Mary, if I know you, you probably came off a bit snobby. He was scared.”
“Scared? Snobby?”
Mary nodded. “Just give him a chance. He’s a really nice guy.”
“If he’s such a nice guy, why didn’t you give him Grandmother’s address?”
Mary poured another glass of wine. “Oh, because I had hoped to have moved out by the time he arrived. That didn’t work out as I’d planned. More wine?” Mary asked, holding the bottle up.
Annie tapped the rim of her glass. “Yes, please. What’s Jeremy’s last name?”
“Stark. Jeremy Stark”
“Stark? Is he from around here?”
“Yes, his uncle is Tad Stark.”
“Tad Stark the shark. The high priced attorney whose picture is plastered all over town is Jeremy’s uncle?”
Mary nodded.
“Why would the nephew of Tad Stark be staying at the Motel 6 north of here?”
“That’s easy. He doesn’t like to show off his money. He likes to be among the common people. See how they live, be one of them.”
“What? That’s ludicrous! I’ve never heard such a silly thing in my life. You may not have to stay at The Ritz, but you certainly do not have to stay at the Motel 6, either. Something is fishy about this, Mary.”
“Please don’t interfere with my life, Annie. I really like Jeremy and don’t want you to scare him off.”
“You don’t have to worry about me scaring him off. Once Grandmother Lilly and Auntie Patty get a sight of that man bun, we’ll all be saying, Jeremy who!”
Mary frowned.
Annie dug into her purse and retrieved the paper with Jeremy’s information. She slid it across the table toward Mary. “Jack and I are going to the food truck festival Saturday night. Why don’t you and Jeremy join us?”
“That would be cool. You promise to be nice to him?”
“Of course, Mary. I just am trying to protect you.”
Mary cocked her head. “Protect me like Grandmother and Auntie Patty do to you? I thought you hated their meddling.”
“Touché, Mary, touché.”
Chapter 17
Jack drove them to the festival. Annie tried not to be nosey on top of being snobby, something that Mary accused her of. They were snuggled in the back seat and occasionally a giggle could be heard.
“I hope we can find parking close by,” Annie said.
Jack turned the corner and drove two blocks and pulled into a reserved parking spot. Annie shot him a look with widened eyes.
“It pays to know people,” Jack said, putting the car in park.
Annie smiled. “I guess so.”
Jack and Annie took the lead and walked about ten feet in front of Mary and Jeremy. Annie laced her arm in Jack’s, and stretching her neck a bit, began whispering. “What do you think of Jeremy?”
“Too soon,” Jack said.
“Do you think he’s hiding something?”
“Too soon.”
Annie knitted her brows together. “Is that all you’re going to say every time I ask you something regarding him?”
“Too soon,” Jack said, laughing.
Annie playfully needled him with her elbow. “I’ve got your too soon right here.”
“Let’s just enjoy the evening, eat a little food, listen to a little music, and get to know him.”
“Well, at least he took his hair down for tonight.”
Jack pulled her close. “Stop being judgmental.”
“Oh, great. I can add judgmental to the list of snobby and intimidating.” Annie frowned.
“Okay, guys,” Jack said, turning around and waiting for Mary and Jeremy to catch up. “Whatchya in the mood for?”
“I think we’ll just walk up and down and check it out,” Mary said.
Annie stepped around Jack and searched the area for a vacant table. “Meet over there,” she said, pointing to an empty one. “I’ll go save it now.” Annie headed toward the table.
Jack and Annie sat down and waited. After a few minutes, Mary and Jeremy joined them, loaded with paper bowls filled with food.
“Your turn,” Mary said, smiling.
“I’m going to the Cajun on Wheels truck,” Annie boasted.
Jack and Annie met back at the table, Jack arriving before her. She casually scanned the contents of his cardboard containers as she took a seat on the bench next to him. “That looks good,” she said, pointing with her chin.
“Some kind of Thai dish.”
“It smells lovely. Empanadas and Cajun shrimp,” Annie said, pointing to her own food treasures.
Jack turned around when he heard the sounds of an electric guitar tuning up.
“Mary tells me your uncle is Tad Stark,” Annie said, not realizing Jeremy had just taken a bite of his taco.
Jeremy, nodding his head, chewed quickly and answered. “Yes, he’s my dad’s brother.”
“So, you’re from Charleston?” Annie asked.
“Yes and no.”
Annie tilted her head. “Yes and no?”
“My father grew up here and then left Charleston after college. He met my mother in Italy.”
Annie exchanged looks with Mary. “I see. Is that why you are fascinated with Italy, because you were born there?” Mary kicked Annie under the table. “Ow!”
“Sorry, Sis.”
Annie rubbed her shin. “Do your parents live here now?”
“Yes, well not far from here. They live on Kiawah Island.”
Annie shot a look over at Jack. “Jack’s family owns a piece of that island.” She sat up straight, squaring her shoulders.
The band started up, and everyone stopped talking.
“Come on, Jeremy.” Mary nudged Jeremy, motioning toward the band. She leaned over and picked up her food. Jeremy followed suit, leaving Jack and Annie alone.
Annie chewed her food slowly, thinking about what Jeremy had said. He definitely was leaving out something, if not completely hiding something. “Why would he stay at the Motel 6 when his folks live here?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he got in late and didn’t want to wake them?” Jack said.
Annie furrowed her brows.
“Maybe they are away on vacation, and he didn’t want to stay at the house alone.”
“Now you’re really reaching. How about because he’s hiding something?” Annie took another bite of her shrimp.
“Just keep asking him questions. You’ll uncover the truth soon enough, Investigator Annie.” Jack gently plowed into her, shoving her a few inches.
“Oh, here we go. Another title to add to the list.”
“Nosey and investigator are the same, but I think investigator sounds better.” He smiled, showing his white teeth.
“You have some basil stuck in your teeth,” she said, motio
ning to his mouth.
Jack quickly closed his mouth “Really? Do I?”
“No, just kidding.” Annie slapped him on the leg.
Jack pulled her close. “Oh, paybacks are coming. Just you wait.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead.
Annie pulled her head back and focused on his face. She studied it in great detail in a few seconds flat. He was perfect in every way. The look of desire evident on his face brought chills to her spine. And when he lowered his mouth to hers, she tasted the sweetness of coconut and spices such as cloves and cinnamon, heightening her desire all that much more. The music playing in the background added to the mood, and Annie, lost deeply in the kiss, didn’t want it to end. But end it did.
Jack looked at her with a clenched jaw. He ran his hand across his chin. “Your kisses do something to me,” he said, his warm teddy bear brown eyes melting her heart.
“Jack, just being with you does something to me.”
“Hey, guys, we’re making another round. Do you want anything?” Mary said, interrupting the sizzling intense moment between Jack and Annie.
“We’ll be right behind you,” Jack said, pulling Annie closer.
“Jack.” Annie put her hand on his chest.
“I thought you liked my kisses,” he said with a low raspy tone.
“That’s the problem, I do.” Annie pushed back from Jack and put one leg, then the other over the bench and stood. “I think we need something sweet.” She pulled Jack to his feet.
“Sweet? I was enjoying my dessert right here.” He smiled.
“Jack Powell.” Annie swatted his arm.
“I’m just keeping it real.” He gave in and resisted no more, following close behind.
* * *
“We’d be happy to drop you off at the hotel, Jeremy,” Jack said.
“Or we could drive you out to Kiawah. It’s a lovely evening for a drive.” Annie squeezed Jack’s hand.
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