If he’d followed in his father’s footsteps and had become a corporate accountant, they’d probably still be together. He should consider himself lucky. Besides, no matter how much his dad had begged, or showed his disapproval for Dylan’s career choice, the only way he’d be happy was to live his life his way. And despite the rift it had caused with his family and the loss of Tori, Dylan didn’t regret it. Especially, his life here at Forever Wild.
The drive to Shorty’s was a short one. Only about a minute or two. As expected, the parking lot was packed. There were just two spaces left, and as he pulled into one, a car quickly pulled into the other.
“We got here just in time,” he said as he opened Kinsley’s door and offered her his hand before she stepped out. When she slid her fingers into his, the feel of her soft skin sent a dizzying current racing through him. All of his common sense couldn’t eliminate his attraction to her. It was going to take a lot of willpower to keep that under control.
“Hey, Dylan!” a husky baritone voice called out.”
He turned around to find Paul Clemons strolling over to him, with his son, Clyde, beside him. The young man towered over his father by about a foot. “Great to see you,” he said as he shook the older man’s hand. “Another busy night at Shorty’s.”
“We eat here at least twice a week. Sure beats cooking, and I gotta make sure this one gets some decent food in his belly.” Paul looked over at his son and jabbed his elbow into the young man’s side.
“Looks like you’re doing a good job at that,” Dylan remarked. “Clyde, you’ve certainly grown since the last time I saw you. Might want to consider playing basketball.”
The young man laughed, but his attention was directed at Kinsley.
After making the introductions, Dylan said to Paul, “Kinsley inherited the sanctuary from Cora. The master bath in the old Victorian needs a plumber. The faucet sprung a leak earlier. I shut off the valve for now. Is that something you can help her out with?”
Paul grinned, exposing the wide gap between his two front teeth. “I never say no to helping out a pretty lady.”
Kinsley smiled back at him. “Thanks so much. I’m heading home to the city tomorrow though…”
“Don’t worry. I can be at the house whenever it’s convenient for Paul,” Dylan assured her.
“How’s the day after tomorrow, say eight in the morning?” he asked.
“I’ll make it work,” Dylan said, before adding, “The house needs renovating, and Forever Wild needs some repairs too. Mostly tidying up the property and fixing some old boards in the barns. You up for that?”
“You bet.”
“Great. We’ll put together a list, and I’ll give it to you when I see you on Sunday.”
“Sounds good. You two enjoy dinner. The ribs are fantastic, Kinsley,” Paul remarked as he and his son headed toward the entrance.
“So I’ve heard,” she responded with a conspiratorial wink directed at Dylan.
When they entered the restaurant, some people were leaving, so they didn’t have to wait long for a table. The hostess seated them by a window and away from the bustle of the center aisle. On the way there, at almost every table they passed, Dylan knew someone. He could tell by the look on Kinsley’s face that she was surprised by that.
“This is what you get when you live in a small town—lots of friends and lots of knowing everybody’s business, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“It’s evident you love it here,” she said as she sat across from him.
A moment later a waitress came by with menus. “How’re you doin’ tonight, Dylan?”
“I’m doing great, Deb. This is Cora’s niece, Kinsley.”
“I figured it was. I heard you’d be comin’ to our little town. You know word spreads like wildfire around here. Camille’s a special place. I sure hope you like it. I’ll be back in a minute to take your orders.” Before leaving, she added, “The ribs are to die for.”
Kinsley chuckled. “That’s what I’ve been told.”
Dylan rested his elbows on the table and leaned in toward her. “Different from the city, huh?”
“Just a little. I could go months without running into anyone I know. Here, it’s like you’re one big family.”
“We are. If someone needs help, we all pitch in. When Duffy’s little boy got sick, they got more chicken soup than the child could eat in a year.”
“That’s nice.” Although her tone was upbeat, her face suddenly clouded. “Guess you’re never lonely.”
He studied her closely and wondered what was going through her mind. “That all depends. There are lots of different types of loneliness.”
“You’re certainly right about that.” She set her menu down without opening it.
He frowned. “Don’t you need to look at it?”
“No. I know what I want.”
“You do?”
“I do. I’ll have the mac and cheese.”
His brows shot up in surprise. “You’re kidding?”
“Nope. A few extra carbs every now and then won’t hurt. I’ll just starve tomorrow.”
“It sure didn’t take you long to fit in.” He scanned the restaurant and then brought his gaze back to her. “And I was right. You are by far the most gorgeous woman in here.”
He laughed when her cheeks turned a lovely shade of red. “Come on. You’ve got to get compliments all the time.”
She shook her head. “I don’t. Really.”
“How’s that possible?”
“Well, that is aside from my girlfriends in the No Brides Club. They’ll compliment me on a new pair of shoes or a fabulous handbag.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I didn’t think so,” she said.
“I was talking about from men. And what the heck is the No Brides Club?”
She lowered her thick lashes. “I’m not sure if I should tell you.”
“Oh, come on. You can’t leave me wondering. I might die from curiosity.”
Her laugh was the natural kind again. “Okay. I’ll tell you, as long as you don’t make any derogatory comments.”
He groaned. “I can’t promise that if I don’t have any idea what you’re going to tell me, but I will do my best to refrain.”
She sucked in a deep breath, and then slowly blew it out. “The No Brides Club is for successful, single women who’ve vowed to put their career above all else. There are six of us. We all met at this fabulous restaurant in Tribeca during Happy Hour and have since become best of friends.”
He drew his brows together, bewildered at her statement. “So you and your friends don’t think you can have a career and a relationship?”
“We don’t.”
“That’s sad. Maybe you just haven’t met the right man.”
She didn’t answer right away. “I’ll agree with that, but I don’t have the time to date a million frogs before I find a prince.”
“Could be you haven’t been looking in the right places.”
“Or at all. I’m perfectly happy with my life the way it is, thanks. And what about you? Is there a special woman in your life?”
He looked down at the table. “Nope. It would take a very special lady to want to live way out here and then have to put up with all the time I spend with the animals. Forever Wild is twenty-four hours. If something happens at three in the morning, I have to deal with it.”
“Looks like we’re both in the same boat—destined to remain single.”
He looked up at her and held her gaze. “Indeed it does.”
The waitress came by at the perfect time as the conversation was becoming awkward and uncomfortable.
“I’ll have the mac and cheese,” Kinsley said.
“Great choice. It’s smoky and dripping with cheddar. Anything to drink?”
“Just a glass of ice water with a slice of lemon.”
“And how about you, Dylan?” Deb asked.
“You know the answer to that. It’s ribs and
beer. Whatever you have on tap.”
“Thanks! I’ll put your order right in.”
When the waitress left, Dylan decided to try to get a feel for what Kinsley’s plans were for the sanctuary. “Now that you’ve had a chance to see Forever Wild, do you have any idea what you’d like to do with it? It seems like you’re pretty content with your life in the city, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to sell.”
Her dark eyes were flecked with gold as she stared at him. “I’m glad you brought up the subject because I’ve been meaning to, and speaking of selling…would you consider selling your property to me?”
Dylan flinched as if she’d struck him. He wasn’t a fool. He’d anticipated she’d ask him that if she’d made up her mind to unload the place. But so soon? And after having seen all the animals? Could he have misread her that much? Could she be that unfeeling?
“I’ll pay you what you’d like. Name your price.”
Dylan thought for a moment as Katie set down their drinks, then he took a nice long swig of beer, watching Kinsley’s expression over the rim of the glass. He waited until she took a sip of water to answer. “Three million. That’s a million per acre, but I’ll be a sport and throw the house in for free.” He fought hard not to laugh when she nearly choked on her water.
“You’re joking, right?”
“I’m dead serious.”
“That’s insane.”
“No more insane than for you to expect me to give up my dream for the measly amount I’m sure you’d give me.” He didn’t even try to keep the cutting edge out of his tone.
“I guess we’re at a stalemate then. You won’t sell your property to me, and I’ll have a heck of a time selling the sanctuary without it.”
“As I said before, you don’t have to sell. Keep it and continue to let me run it. Once the place is cleaned up, we can open it up to scientists seven days a week. I can operate it off of grant money. It won’t cost you a dime. Cora had finally agreed to go that route, and then she passed…” His voice broke, and it took a few moments for him to continue. “I know she’d be so pleased if you’d agree to it,” he said softly.
Kinsley blinked quickly and then looked away, but she wasn’t able to hide her misty eyes from him. “It’s not fair to use my aunt that way.”
“Nothing about this is fair. Not to the animals, the interns, the other employees, or me. And especially not to you.”
She shifted her gaze back to him. “You’re right, but I can’t give you an answer right now. This is a huge decision and not one I’m ready to make at this time.” She took another sip of her water before adding, “I have to be honest. I am seriously considering selling. Maybe I can find someone who will be willing to keep you on as manager and not mind that you own three acres in the middle of the property.”
A heaviness centered in his chest and tension hung in the air between them. It was a relief when Katie brought their dinner, despite his sudden loss of appetite.
They ate most of their meal in silence. It wasn’t until Kinsley asked if Dylan would split a piece of double chocolate cake with her that the mood shifted.
“You’re going to have to starve yourself for two days after eating that.”
She smiled at him. “It’ll be worth it.”
The rest of the evening Dylan told funny animal stories, making sure to end things on a high note. When they got back to Cora’s house—Kinsley’s now; it was going to take him a while to get used to that—he walked her to the door. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to make you feel like you had to make a decision right away, but this is my home, and it means the world to me. It would be heartbreaking if anything happened to it.” He didn’t have to tell her his major concern was that she’d sell it to some uncaring soul who would build condos or something else equally destructive to the future of the sanctuary. He could see in her eyes that she already knew that.
“We forgot to discuss what work you want to be done on the house? Remember I’d told Paul we’d make him a list?”
“Just have him get started on whatever you think needs work. I’ll be back Friday for Cora’s funeral, and I plan to stay until the renovations are done. I’ll have made a decision on what I’m going to do with the place by then.”
“Fair enough. Have a safe trip tomorrow.”
“Good night.”
His steps back to the car were a little lighter knowing he had at least a few more weeks to convince her to accept his proposal. Dylan was positive he could get the funding needed to keep the place out of the red. He was also sure that Kinsley would come to love it here. Now he just had to convince her of that.
Chapter 7
The drive back to the city seemed to take much longer than the drive to Camille. Maybe it was because on the way there her mind had been clear. She’d been positive that she was going to sell the sanctuary. Now, her mind was muddled. Her memories of Forever Wild had been vague. She couldn’t remember much about the animals. Just that there were lots of them. But this trip had changed all that. Dylan had made sure of it. She didn’t know if it had been intentional or not, but the way he’d introduced her to the wildlife, left her wondering how they’d manage to live anywhere else.
In frustration, Kinsley thumped her palm on the steering wheel. She knew better than to become personally involved with a property. To do so could affect the sale. Yet, that’s exactly what had happened. “Thank you very much, Dylan Reese,” she said angrily. But it had been inevitable. She knew there was something special about him from the very beginning. And it wasn’t just his handsome face or incredible physique. Charm oozed from every pore. She sure hadn’t expected that. She’s assumed he’d be some rough country dude more into animals than people. Well, she’d been partially right. He definitely was into animals, but he also had an innate ability to connect with everyone he spoke to. And she sure hadn’t expected to almost go into cardiac arrest when he touched her. Maybe it was because it had been such a long time since she’d been with a man, or even flirted with one. That had been her doing though, and she certainly didn’t regret it. There was no room for romance in her busy schedule. And that definitely included Dylan. Priorities, Kinsley! Stick with your priorities.
With that thought front and center in her mind, she spent the rest of the time thinking about the sanctuary’s renovations, and when she got home, after unpacking her tote, she curled up on the couch with her laptop and a cup of hot tea.
It wasn’t easy to find comps for a wildlife sanctuary. The closest she could find was a small wolf preserve about two hours away. Hardly a comparison. With a sigh, she switched to reading her emails, soon becoming absorbed in King Realty business and discovering an invitation to a party thrown by the Sultan of Mawta at his new penthouse.
After that, she gave her dad a call to see if he’d be able to make the funeral on Friday. When she’d spoken to him after learning of Cora’s death, he’d sounded awful, saying it was just a bad cold. Kinsley had been worried it could be something more serious, though, and had urged him to see a doctor. Come to find out, she’d been correct. He had bronchitis and would be staying put in Florida. Looked like she’d be attending the funeral alone.
Kinsley spent the rest of the day on the computer, and it wasn’t until the lights from the surrounding buildings shining through her massive windows made her realize it was nighttime and she hadn’t had dinner, or lunch either for that matter. But without much of an appetite, nothing seemed to appeal, so she wound up making scrambled eggs and having a stale bagel that she’d bought earlier in the week from the little shop next to the office. Maybe if she’d known how to cook, she could’ve whipped up something better, but she had no desire to learn as there weren’t many recipes made for one.
The next day was spent on showings, and it kept her mind off the sanctuary…and Dylan. However, first thing Monday morning, Sue began pestering her about Forever Wild.
“Are you still going to put it on the market?” she asked.
�
��Probably.”
“Do you know what the list price will be?”
“No.”
“My, my, you’re quite testy today.”
“I’m sorry.” Kinsley made her duck face by sucking in her bottom lip while pushing out the top one. She did that whenever she felt bad about something she’d done or said.
Sue giggled. “It’s okay. Just stop that. You know I hate when you make that face.”
“Is this better?” Kinsley asked as she pushed up the tip of her nose.
“Get out of my office,” her assistant said while waving a file folder at her. “Can’t you see I have lots of work to do?”
“As do I,” Kinsley replied, marching across the hall.
It wasn’t until Thursday that the sanctuary came up again and it was during her No Brides Club dinner with her girlfriends. They hadn’t even ordered when Georgie Price, a former child star who now had a successful cooking show began to bombard her with questions.
The others quickly joined in, and Kinsley was afraid the entire night would be about her trip to Camille, so she gave them what she thought was a complete rundown of what happened there. However, that only opened the door to more questions.
“When do you think all the renovations will be done, so you can list the property?” Melody asked.
“I hope it won’t take long. I’m going back tomorrow for Cora’s funeral, and I plan on staying until everything is done. I may have to miss a couple of No Brides Club dinners, but I have a party in a couple of weeks, so I’ll be back for that. It’s at the Sultan of Mawta’s new penthouse—the one I just sold at West Ridge. I can bring whomever I want, so of course, you’re all coming as my guests. I’ll text you all the details.”
No Time for Love: No Brides Club, Book 1 Page 4