Cooking Up Trouble (5 page)

“Do you play golf?” he asked.

“Used to. I'm pretty good at it.” Her mom practically lived at the country club in the summers. She'd signed Tessa up with every pro around.

He beamed. “We'll have to have a friendly match sometime.”

She doubted that. He seemed pretty competitive, and she hated to lose. Their game should be interesting.

“Come see the great room. We've redone that, too.”

A blue heron flew overhead as they crossed the front yard to the house. Tessa wondered if it was the one she'd nicknamed Bill that spent most mornings on the edge of her shoreline.

When she stepped through the lodge's front double doors, she sucked in her breath. Three brown leather sofas formed a seating area in front of the tall, fieldstone fireplace. Dark-green leather recliners were scattered in small groupings around the rest of the room. A counter with a granite top stood ready to check in guests. The only jarring elements were two huge crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling, but they didn't detract too much from the rustic charm of the room.

Ian followed her gaze. “The chandeliers don't quite fit the mood, but Lily saw them online and liked them.”

Tessa tried to be diplomatic. “They're beautiful.”
For castles or ballrooms.
But she didn't add that.

He grinned, clearly hearing what she didn't say. “As you see, no tables, no rugs. You promised to help me search out antiques,” he reminded her.

“When do you want to go?”

He looked sheepish. “Tomorrow or Wednesday, and can you drive? My car doesn't have much of a trunk.”

She didn't say it. She thought it, but clamped her lips shut. Instead, she nodded. “I have both days open. What would work better for you?”

“Wednesday. The pod with my stuff from New York is coming tomorrow morning and then I have to drive into the city to talk to my banker. I can switch, though, if I need to.”

She shook her head. “Wednesday's fine. I'll drag you to all the small antique shops around here. There are a few in every town.”

They went out to the back patio and sank into the Adirondack chairs to eat their sundaes and watch the sun go down. Ian reached for her hand, stopped, and pulled back. He'd been
that
close. Tessa could almost feel his fingers twine through her own. She sighed. How would that feel? Wanted? Cherished?

“Lily would love this.” His voice was brusque. “She loves water. Her favorite vacation spots are islands.”

Time to reel it in.
Tessa swept the fantasies out of her head, made herself concentrate on the moment. “Like the Caribbean or Hawaii?”

Ian nodded. “She travels a lot with her job. Goes all over the world to work with clients. Everywhere she goes, she has fun. She says she's ready for somewhere to relax that she can use as a home base.”

“And she chose here?” Tessa loved the Midwest, but she didn't see Lily embracing the slower pace, the abundance of green.

Ian frowned. “It wouldn't be her first choice, but I couldn't afford a resort on one of the coasts, so we decided I'd start here. When this makes a profit, then we can add another one.”

“And Lily's all right with that?”

“Why wouldn't she be? It's good business sense. Lily understands business.”

If he said so.
Tessa would never have guessed it. The sun was low enough to tint the bottom of the clouds a coral pink. She stretched and yawned. Parts of her body she'd thought were dormant suddenly tingled.
Time to get out of here.
“This has been fun, but I want to get home before dark. Good luck with your banking tomorrow.”

He seemed distracted, but gave a curt nod. “See you on Wednesday. Are we getting an early start?”

“Might as well. What if I pick you up at eight?”

He smiled. “Office hours, eight to five. I'm used to those.”

She smiled, too, and when he started to stand to walk her to her pickup, she waved him off. She didn't want to brush up against him. Hell, she didn't even want to be close to him right now. “Enjoy the sunset. And thanks for supper.”

“I owed you.”

A splash of cold water. Those words didn't warm the cockles of her heart. On the drive home, she brooded. When Ian had reached for her hand, she'd
wanted
him to take it. Not good. They were just friends. Period. Nothing more.

Maybe they needed to spend less time together. This was the second time Ian had reached for her and then blabbed away about Lily to make it clear to Tessa that it had been a mistake. Her frown deepened. What would she have done if he
had
taken her hand?
Crap
. A surge of emotion that had been bottled up inside her for too long welled to the surface. Would she have crawled over the arm of his chair and attacked him?

It wouldn't have happened. She'd have pulled away first. Right?

A
blue jay woke her on Tuesday morning. The damned bird sat in the old oak and called incessantly until she gave up and got out of bed. She looked out the window and saw a hawk sitting on the white picket fence. The blue jay blasted his warning to everyone else.
Danger! Beware!

She padded to the kitchen, flipped on the coffee pot, and went to the front door to fetch the morning paper. Mill Pond didn't bustle with news, but she liked to keep up. Grandma's church was doing an ice cream social on Sunday. She went to write that on the calendar in her kitchen. If she missed being there, Grams would string her up by her thumbs. Or worse.

She wouldn't see Ian today, and twenty-four hours stretched before her. She decided to work in her gardens, get everything caught up, and have an omelette for supper tonight—simple and easy. She started at her compost piles on the side of the garage, where she faithfully tossed scraps, grass clippings, and coffee grounds in the chicken wire structures. She'd filled three wheelbarrows with the contents from one and was putting more mulch around the strawberry plants in the third bed when a car pulled into her drive. She glanced up and frowned at the unfamiliar vehicle.

Then the door opened and Gary stepped out. She froze. Her heart stopped. Was that possible? Could she die from shock or surprise? Maybe if she didn't move, sat absolutely still like a rabbit, he wouldn't notice her. No such luck. He looked her way and started toward her. She put up a hand to stop him. “No, don't come any closer. Just get back in your car and leave.”

Sunlight glinted off his light-blond hair. His sky-blue eyes narrowed on her. He could be an Adonis, but Greek gods were shifty, too, weren't they? “We need to talk.”

“No, we don't. We have nothing to say to each other. Go away.”

He planted his feet and didn't move. He wore the same jean jacket he'd worn in college. No, it couldn't be, but it sure looked the same. His worn jeans hugged his long legs. Too good-looking. She should have known. Good-looking men couldn't be trusted.

He tucked his sunglasses in his jacket pocket. “I know I hurt you. I didn't mean to. It's time we moved on.”

“We have moved on. You're married. You're happy. Leave me alone.”

“Tessie . . .”

“Don't call me that.”

“What should I call you?”

“From a long distance. Leave a message on my machine.”

He jutted his jaw forward. He was as tall as Ian, but not as muscular. He took a step closer. “I'm not leaving until we talk.”

“Then your wife's never going to see you again. How sad.” Tessa pushed to her feet. She wiped her hands on her jeans and started toward the kitchen door. “Don't follow me. You're not invited in.”

He didn't listen. He made up the distance between them more quickly than she thought he could. She opened the door, slid inside, and started to close it. He put his foot between the door and the doorframe.

“I have a butcher knife. If you want to keep your toes, get them off my property.”

He pushed, and she scooted across the oak floorboards. Then he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it. “I still care about you. That's why I came. “

“It took you a while. I'm over it. I'm fine. If you feel better now, you can leave.”

He smiled. “Sadie's pregnant.”

She turned her back on him and hung her ratty jacket on the peg by the door. She stepped out of her shoes and padded into the kitchen.

“My parents talked to a few people about you and it sounds like your life just stopped; you've never dated anyone else, and you don't intend to. That's just wrong.”

“You have no right to lecture me about what's wrong or right.”

He flinched. “I'm happy. I want you to be happy.”

“I am. I like my life.”

He raised a blond eyebrow. He'd always called her out when she spouted bullshit.

“I've never liked anyone more in my life than I like you.”

Oh, brother. She should have worn boots. She was going to be wading through a lot of crap soon. “I'm thrilled,” she said. “You've made me feel all warm and fuzzy. You've done your duty. See?” Her lips curled in a fake smile. “There. Feel better? This isn't about me. It's about you. You were a turd and it's not your usual style. But you were never a knight in shining armor, either, and I don't need to be rescued. So leave.”

He went to the coffee pot, poured himself a cup, and went to reheat it in the microwave. They'd always been comfortable with each other. But things had changed. She scowled.

He took his mug to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair. He stretched his long legs and cocked his head toward her. “I came to talk.”

She sighed. Gary came across as easy-mannered, and for the most part, he was. But when he made up his mind about something, nothing could shake him. She sat across the table from him and glared.

“I didn't want to fall in love with Sadie,” he said. “I thought I was completely happy with you.”

She grimaced. “This is supposed to make me feel better?”

“I want to explain.”

She felt like sticking her fingers in her ears, like small children do, but he'd just outwait her. So she crossed her arms. The sooner he spilled his guts, the sooner she could get on with her life.

“I cared about you. Still do.” He leaned forward to make his point. “I hate it that I blew it, that I hurt you. And I've gone over and over what I did, what happened. The only thing I can say is that I was crazy about you as a friend, but with Sadie, there was chemistry. The
like
was there, but so was the desire.”

Her hand went to her throat. It was true. She wasn't the type who could stir passion in a man. They might like her, admire her, care about her, but they wouldn't
love
her. Hurt clogged her throat. She couldn't talk. She blinked and looked away. What could she say? “Why didn't you love me?” She'd thought he had.

He frowned. He read her too well. “I loved every minute I spent with you. You know that, right?”

Voice small, she said, “But I wasn't enough. I'm never enough.”

Eyes wide, he stared. “My God, is that what you think? Who knows how that works? I sure as hell don't, but you've got it wrong. Some man's going to look at you and want you more than he's ever wanted anything in his life.”

She released a sigh of disgust. “Isn't that what every boyfriend says to the girlfriend he's just jilted?”

“But it's true.” Gary ran both hands through his wavy, blond hair, mussing it—which only made him look better. “You only need to let it happen, Tessa, and it will. You're too wonderful to live alone.”

She pushed away from the table and walked to the door. She opened it and motioned for him to leave. “You've had your say. I listened to you. Have a nice life and congratulations on the baby.”

He slowly rose, carried his cup to the sink, and rinsed it. He stopped and bent close to her on his way out. “Let love in, Tessie. It will find you.”

She nodded for him to leave.

Once he drove away, she closed the door and slumped against it. She shut her eyes and pushed her feelings into their usual hiding place. She didn't want to deal with them.

Tessa couldn't settle enough to concentrate on anything for the rest of the afternoon, so she finally gave up, got in her pickup, and drove into town to have supper. Maybe the bustle and noise of Mill Pond's favorite diner would quiet her thoughts. She sat at a small table for two and ordered the high-calorie meal that she usually avoided—pork Manhattan with stuffing arranged between a slice of white bread cut in half, buried under lots of gravy. She was sipping her lemonade when Leona Jackson carried her Cobb salad over to join her.

Tessa wasn't in the mood for Leona, but she didn't want to be churlish. Subtleties rolled off Leona like water off a duck. Only rudeness slowed her down, and it took more than that to be rid of her. Tessa sighed and decided the planets had destined her day to be shitty.

Leona dropped into the chair across from her and smiled. Crocodile grins looked friendlier. The woman wanted something. She got right to it. “I met that nice neighbor of yours a few days ago, and my, oh my, is he handsome.”

“He's nice, too. His fiancée has no idea how lucky she is.” Tessa waited, but Leona managed not to hear the hint.

“That boy hardly ever comes to town. I hear he spends all of his free time with you.” Leona narrowed her eyes, studying her, then shrugged. “Where's his girlfriend? Why isn't she with him?”

The waitress brought Tessa's food and refilled her lemonade. Once she left, Tessa looked at Leona. “Ian came early to get the lodge in shape as a resort. Once he gets things ready, Lily's going to move in with him.”

If Leona knew the plan, soon the town would. Everyone would hear that Ian was engaged, and his fiancé would move in with him soon.

Leona pouted. “I wonder how long that will take. Passions can cool, can't they?”

Tessa chose not to respond. If anyone knew the answer to that, Leona would.

Leona sighed. “I mean, look at him—a total hottie. I bet he's used to getting plenty of female attention.”

Tessa rolled her eyes. Was Leona declaring Ian fair game? She forced a smile and tried to change the topic. “Are you going to the church social on Sunday?”

Leona's expression lit up. “Why? Is your neighbor going to be there?”

Oh, boy, Ian might as well have a big target sign painted on his forehead. “I don't know. I haven't asked him.”

Leona's enthusiasm faded. “But he might be?”

Tessa shrugged. “It's according to whether Lily's spending a long or short weekend.”

Leona's ardor faded. “You're telling me he's well-and-truly taken.”

“Pretty much.”

Leona sighed. She finished her salad, and Tessa quit picking at her food. They paid their bills and Tessa drove home—her plan to boost her mood, a bust.

There was only one thing to do. She filled a coffee cup with dark cherry sorbet and reached for Ilona Andrews' latest urban fantasy. A few hours later, Kate Daniels and Curran had kicked every supernatural's butt. The book finished, Tessa felt better. She headed to bed.

Tomorrow morning, she'd pick up Ian and take him shopping for antiques. Appropriate because at the moment, she felt worn and weathered.