Vaughn sat at the Roland FP-90X Digital Piano he’d brought back with him when he’d returned from LA and played a few of the notes he’d written the other night. He’d spent the week since his return trying to write songs for Extreme Overload—a band that had opened for Sin & Glory back at the height of their career. But now Extreme Overload was the big-ticket act selling out stadiums and reigning supreme on the rock charts.
He’d written a couple of songs for the group before. But the band’s bass player and chief songwriter had died in a car crash that summer. So this time, they wanted to collab with Vaughn on writing their entire album. He’d taken the gig because his old friends needed the help, and after such a huge loss, they wouldn’t be ready to head back into the recording studio for a while. But the date he’d promised to deliver a handful of songs to get the creative process started was looming, and he had yet to write a song that was worth the paper it was written on.
Maybe he’d been a little burned out after touring and the session work, but he’d been struggling with a serious creative block the past few months. And if he didn’t get over it soon, he’d lose his credibility as a songwriter—an element of his career he planned to expand further.
He’d tried reading, listening to music, going for long walks in the mountain terrain and working out daily. Nothing seemed to work.
He played a few chords he’d written the other night.
While he did his songwriting on the keyboard, it was when he was seated on the throne behind his drum set—his feet working the pedals and his sticks connecting with the snare, high hat, toms, and cymbals—that he felt free and allowed himself to get out of his head and let go of whatever was bothering him.
Playing didn’t fix everything. But it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. Besides, in a moment of gear acquisition syndrome, he’d ordered himself a new custom Yamaha drum kit. It’d been delivered the day before, and he’d spent the morning setting everything up just the way he liked it. Why not try working out some of his frustrations on the drums?
Vaughn slipped onto the leather drum throne and settled in behind his new drum set. He put on his isolation headphones, cranked up his favorite Extreme Overload album, and picked up his sticks. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then exhaled deeply, trying to push out all of the noise in his head right along with it.
He twirled the stick in his right hand, then dove in, playing in time with the music. With every rimshot, stroke, crash, and groove his mind felt freer. Playing the drums alleviated the stress that had been agitating him. His concerns about the future of Sin & Glory. Worries over whether he’d taken on more than he could handle with this wellness spa. His anxiety over not being able to write these past few months. And the guilt over his growing attraction to the one woman he couldn’t have: Allie.
After nearly an hour of playing, Vaughn had shed his T-shirt, sweat dripped down his back and forehead, and his hair—which had come loose from the top knot—was flying with every movement. He made one final cathartic crash the cymbals in time with the last note of the album but was startled by movement and the sound of applause.
Vaughn jerked his head around and was greeted by the gorgeous face and bright smile of the woman he’d found himself so preoccupied with.
“Allie?” Vaughn stilled the cymbals, then dragged his fingers through his sweat-dampened hair. “How did you—”
“I knocked, but there was no answer,” Allie said. “The front door was open and I heard you playing, so I let myself in.”
“What brings you by?” he stammered.
“I brought way too much food for me to eat alone but not enough to share with the crew.” Allie smiled sheepishly. Her dark brown eyes glistened in the sunlight streaming through the cabin window. “I was hoping I could interest you in having a bite to eat with me while I update you on the project. The private concert and male revue show...” Her gaze glided over his sweat-slickened skin, and Vaughn could swear his skin tingled in the wake of it. “Well...those were bonuses I definitely wasn’t expecting.”
Vaughn’s cheeks heated. He cleared his throat, silently congratulating himself for at least wearing pants. “That’d be great. I could definitely eat.”
“Great.” She glanced at the set of drums, then at him. “Nice drum set. But that doesn’t look like the setup you usually play with.”
“It isn’t. Just had this delivered yesterday. But how’d you know...”
“I’ve seen you in concert a few times with Sin & Glory and a few other artists over the years. Then there’s those drum tutorials you did on YouTube.” She shrugged.
“You came to our concerts? If I’d known, I would’ve gotten you tickets and backstage passes.” Vaughn got up from his drum throne and retrieved the shirt he’d tossed when he’d gotten too damn hot.
Thoughts of Allie had commandeered his brain as he drummed along with a song about falling for the girl you’d least expect. Allie appearing at the cabin unannounced definitely wasn’t making it better. Still, he was glad to see her.
“We hadn’t seen each other since I was a kid. I didn’t want to be that person who only reaches out because they’re begging for free concert tickets.” She propped a hand on her hip as she looked around. “What happened to the dining room set that was in here?”
“I had the movers put it in the storage shed at the back of the property.” Vaughn toweled off his damp skin and hair, then slipped his shirt back on. “Figured it didn’t go with the new aesthetic anyway. But don’t worry, it’s undamaged in case some museum is interested in it.” He winked, and Allie laughed—a sound he’d come to love.
“Well, I need to heat these in the oven.” Allie held up a fancy, fabric lunch bag.
“Please do.” Vaughn gestured toward the kitchen. He excused himself to freshen up, wash his hands, and change into a fresh T-shirt. When he returned, he settled onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar.
Vaughn tried his best not to notice how well the one-piece, beige jumpsuit Allie was wearing clung to her shapely figure as she moved about the kitchen. The belted waistline showed off her full breasts and curvy bottom. The brown leather booties she wore gave her a few inches of height and looked perfect peeking from beneath the wide legs of the pants.
Ignoring his growing attraction to Allie Price had become a daily exercise. And he was pretty sure he was getting worse at hiding it.
Since their impromptu breakfast on demo day, he and Allie had had breakfast, coffee, or at least a quick chat nearly every day he was on-site because he’d insisted on being kept up-to-date on the project.
She’d caught Vaughn up on all the goings on in Willowvale Springs over the past two decades. They’d talked about who’d gotten married and had kids, who’d moved away, who’d returned to town, and which members of the community had passed away.
Price Construction had a hand in building the new residential communities on the edge of town and a new shopping center. They’d also been instrumental in the apparent construction boom since Hank’s death. Each of the men whom Hank had mentored as teens and subsequently bequeathed one of his prize properties had returned to town and upgraded the property.
Tech entrepreneur Kahlil Anderson and retired pro baseball player Mason Clark had decided to make Willowvale Springs home again. His life was in LA and on the road, so he wouldn’t be putting down roots here again. But it was just as important to him to uphold Hank’s legacy and create a facility that would benefit the town that had nurtured and raised him.
Of course, Kahl’s and Mason’s decisions to stay had more to do with them falling for the women who’d been their childhood best friends: Andraya Walker and Darcy Stephens, respectively. Since his best childhood friend was Rey Price—who was married and whom Vaughn was pretty sure had never nursed a flame for him—he felt safe in stating that the same wouldn’t be happening for him. Still, if seeing their old friends again had been anything like his reaction to reconnecting with Allie again—Vaughn could understand how things had progressed so quickly for both men.
He and Allie hadn’t had nearly as close a relationship.
Yet, since returning to town, he’d enjoyed getting to know her, and he looked forward to their frequent interactions. Vaughn was so damn proud of the woman Allie had become. She hadn’t let her parents or older brothers coerce her into a career she had no interest in for the sake of the business.
Vaughn had been wanting to say as much to Allie, but he didn’t want her to think he was being condescending. He admired Allie, and he was glad she was flourishing in a career clearly meant for her. Vaughn would forever be indebted to his adoptive parents for buying him that first drum kit as a gift for his sixteenth birthday. But he honestly didn’t know if he would’ve pursued his dreams of being a professional musician if either of his adoptive parents had still been alive.
He’d been so grateful to them for taking him in and raising him as their own. So he’d been obsessed with trying to be the perfect son to the older couple who hadn’t been able to have children of their own. He wouldn’t have been able to walk away from either of his parents who were older and infirm. They’d needed him as much as he’d needed them the day they’d visited that foster home and recognized just how unhappy and alone he was.
“So...” Vaughn tried to shake his rumination about the possible taste of the shimmering, peach lip gloss rimmed with a brown lip liner on Allie’s lips. “What’s for lunch?”
“It’s a surprise.” Allie plopped onto the seat beside him.
Her bright smile was contagious and her soft, floral and fruit scent tickled his nose. Vaughn fought the urge to lean in and get a deeper whiff.
“But while the oven is warming, I have a few things to go over with you. It isn’t great news, I’m afraid.” She frowned, shifting effortlessly from the playful woman who always knew how to make him smile to the businesswoman who demanded to be taken seriously by her father and brothers as well as her clients and contractors.
“Been holding my breath and waiting for the other shoe to drop. There’s bound to be some unplanned disaster when renovating older structures.” Vaughn sighed. “So let’s hear it. What’s wrong and what’s the blow to my budget?”
Allie showed Vaughn photos of water damage and rotting wood as well as leaky old water pipes. It was a definite hit to the budget, but they were still well below the contingency they’d built into the budget. Hopefully, it would stay that way.
As they discussed the issues that had arisen during the renovation, Allie removed a foil-covered item from her lunch bag, loosened the foil a bit, then set it on a cookie sheet. She placed the food in the oven.
“Anything else?” Vaughn asked.
“Actually, yes. The lumberyard where I like to get my flooring is having a big sale in the coming week. If you like one of the options they offer, we can recoup some of that additional cost.”
“Well, that’s good news,” Vaughn said.
“Great. I’ll pull up the website. You can review the options and let me know if anything stands out.”
Allie pulled out her tablet, opened the website and then handed it to him already on the page for the flooring on sale.”
He thumbed through them. But without being able to see them in person and touch them, it was hard to gauge how much he liked any of the options.
Allie wandered over toward the keyboard set up on the opposite side of the living space. She pointed at it. “I forgot you also play both the piano and the guitar. Since you found your success as a drummer, I didn’t realize you still play the piano.”
“I use the keyboard or the guitar when I’m writing songs,” Vaughn explained.
“Are you writing something now?” she asked. When he indicated that he was, she sat on one end of the bench and patted the other. “I’d love to hear what you’re working on. Would you play it for me?”
Vaughn had planned to decline because the song wasn’t anywhere near finished. But with such excitement in Allie’s voice and a genuine glint in her dark eyes, he couldn’t refuse her. He moved over to the keyboard and sat on the other end of the bench, painfully aware of her subtle teasing scent and the warmth emanating from her golden brown skin.
“I’ve had a lot going on the past few months.” He was already apologizing. “So I’ve been in sort of a creative slump,” he admitted. “I’m not quite sure what to do with it, but this melody came to me the other night. Right now, it isn’t much. Just a piece of the puzzle.”
“So the song is raw and unfinished. Sort of like my renovations to your place.” Allie’s smile was sweet and reassuring. “I get it. You saw my vision. I’d like to see yours.”
Vaughn stared into the penetrating eyes that gazed up at him with affection and admiration. Heat emanated from where Allie’s shoulder leaned into him, and warmth spread through his skin.
Alejandra Price was like a bright burst of light capable of illuminating even the darkest night sky. She was a breath of fresh air, and his world instantly felt better and the weight on his shoulders lighter whenever he was around her.
Vaughn shook out his wrists and stretched his fingers. He drew in a deep breath, then started to play. He’d intended to play those same few chords that had been playing over and over in his head. But as he sat there beside Allie, the next chords came to him, and the next.
“That’s beautiful, Vaughn. And I definitely wouldn’t describe it as ‘not much,’” she chided.
“I promise you that these last few chords came to me just now.” He grabbed a pencil and started to jot the notes down. “I’ve been working on this for the past few days and I was getting absolutely nowhere. Then you ask me to sit down with you and play the song and the next notes just came to me.”
“Does that make me your muse?” Allie broke into laughter at his surprised expression. “I’m teasing you, Vaughn. You would’ve come up with the rest of the song whether I was here or not. But it was amazing to witness your creative process firsthand.”
Vaughn stared at Allie as they sat shoulder to shoulder. There’d always been something special about Allie. He’d never really been sure what it was. He just knew that the feisty kid always seemed to have an inner glow. Even on his worst days, she’d found a way to do something that would make him smile or just feel a little less sad. That inner light hadn’t dimmed. If anything, it had gotten stronger. It surrounded her like a force field. As Vaughn sat beside Allie, her warmth penetrated his skin, and her teasing smile filled his chest with a deep affection he hadn’t experienced in so long. It felt as if he’d been drawn into her light.
He was captivated by it, and by her.
But Allie was just a friend. More importantly, she was his oldest friend’s younger sister. And she was his interior designer. All good reasons not to entertain thoughts of her as anything more. So why couldn’t he tear his gaze away from those tantalizingly plump lips of hers.
“Empanadas,” he said suddenly. “That’s what’s in the oven—your mother’s empanadas.”
“You remembered.” Allie’s delighted smile lit her dark eyes. “Impressive.”
They sat there, neither of them moving as their eyes met and only a few inches of space separated them. Vaughn swallowed hard, his gaze dropping involuntarily to her mouth again.
He gripped the edge of the bench and resisted the urge to cup her cheek and lean in for a taste of her sensual lips.
Suddenly, Allie’s phone rang over on the breakfast bar.
“I’d better get that,” Allie said after a beat.
Had she been hoping he’d lean in to kiss her?
Vaughn closed his eyes and sighed. He should be grateful for the interruption. It had prevented him from making a huge mistake by kissing Allie.
He needed the distraction. Something to keep his brain from imagining how good it would feel to take Allie into his arms and trail kisses down her neck.
Vaughn played the notes again, including the ones he’d first played sitting there with Allie. The notes kept coming. Like finding the key piece to a puzzle that made it clear what came next and what came after that. For the first time in weeks, it felt as if his creativity had been unleashed. He jotted down the music notes and a few lyrics that came to him. When he glanced over at Allie, she appeared to be having an animated conversation. He’d been too absorbed in his sudden burst of creativity to hear what the heated conversation was about.
Maybe Allie was right about being his muse. At the very least she’d provided inspiration and helped him get unstuck.
That was a gift he wouldn’t squander.
Allie indicated that she was going to take the call out on the porch, then stepped outside in the crisp fall air, wishing she’d thought to grab a jacket. But between the heat running through her body after stumbling upon the enthralling vision of Vaughn Reed playing the drums, half-dressed and hair flying, and the irritation she felt at her brother, she barely noticed the chill in the air.
“Reynaldo Price, who the hell do you think you’re talking to?” Allie asked in a harsh whisper. “I may be your baby sister, but I am not a child. So do not talk to me like I’m one.”
Her brother huffed. “Look, I’m not trying to treat you like a kid, Al. But you will always be my kid sister. I won’t apologize for looking out for you.”
Allie sighed, and the rage in her belly died down. When she’d told her brother that she was at Vaughn’s cabin and they were going over a few pressing items over lunch he’d proceeded to lecture her about “being smart” and “staying safe.”
“I appreciate that you love me and want to protect me, Rey,” Allie said. “But I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m as invested in this business as you are. I’m aware that there are inherently more concerns for my safety, and I act accordingly,” she assured him.
Rey snorted in response, but she chose to ignore it.
“This is Vaughn we’re talking about for God’s sake. He was as protective of me as you all were. Are you really saying that you don’t trust your best friend?” Allie continued.
Vaughn was still working on the song he’d played a sample of for her. It was soft and emotional. A stark contrast to his vibrant, kinetic drum playing. And the notes seemed to come to him more easily now. She smiled, hoping he was having a much-needed breakthrough.
The fact that Vaughn had purchased a drum set and had it delivered to his cabin made Allie hopeful that Vaughn planned to spend more time in Willowvale Springs. It was the perfect respite to escape the hustle and bustle of LA and find some peace and solace. Perhaps the lovely plains, the pristine river, the nearby hot springs and the majestic mountains would spur Vaughn’s creativity.
“Al!” Rey called her name, impatiently.
“Yes?” Allie stared at Vaughn through the window. His fingers were flying over the keys and he was singing to himself, then he’d stopped to write down a few notes.
“Vaughn and I haven’t been close in a really long time. I love the guy. Always will. But money and power change people. Make them think they can have whatever they want whenever they want it. Never forget that, Allie.”
“Has Vaughn given you the slightest indication that he’s changed in any significant way?” Allie turned her back to the window and propped a fist on her hip.
“No,” Rey admitted. “But the old Vaughn wouldn’t have insisted on priority treatment on such short notice.”
“Which he was willing to pay handsomely for,” Allie reminded him. “You and Dad pull your weight with vendors all the time. So what?”
“Didn’t say anything was wrong with it.” Rey chuckled. “Just said the old Vaughn would never have done it.”
Allie peeked over her shoulder through the window at Vaughn. She could faintly hear the timer going off. Before she could tap on the window to ask him to remove the empanadas from the oven, he was on his feet donning oven mitts so he could take the pan out. He inhaled the smell of the savory meat pies and a soft smile spread across his face.
She smiled too.
“Look, Rey. Vaughn loves you, too. He loves our family and the town of Willowvale Springs. He would never do anything to jeopardize his place in any of that. The guy is all alone. No family. No band. We’re the only family he has left. Maybe think of that next time we’re seated at our family feast and you’re surrounded by your wife and kids, parents and siblings, nieces and nephews,” Allie said. “He’ll be here at this run-down little cabin trying to decide whether to order in pizza or heat a frozen meal.”
“Shit. Never thought of it like that.” Rey sounded remorseful for having intimated that being alone with Vaughn might put her in jeopardy. “I should ask Mom and Dad if it’s okay for me to invite him to dinner on Sunday.”
Allie smiled, her heart dancing a little.
Little Sister 101. How to manipulate your older brother like a marionette on a string.
If she’d invited Vaughn to dinner, it might’ve raised eyebrows. But she’d gotten her brother to do it instead.
“The way he’s in there inhaling the scent of those empanadas, I’m pretty sure he’d gladly accept your invitation.” Allie laughed and her brother did, too. “I realize that my last serious relationship blew up big time. Yes, it shook my confidence a little and my desire to get involved seriously with anyone again. But I’ll never learn to start trusting myself again if you all are always second-guessing everything I do and policing my interactions with every man on the planet.”
Rey sighed quietly but didn’t respond. So Allie continued.
“If I need you to interfere on my behalf for any reason, I won’t hesitate to ask. But you’ve gotta give me room to breathe, make my own mistakes and live my life. All right?”
There was a long pause. Finally, Rey groaned. “All right.”
“Thank you. And don’t forget to tell the others. I do not want to have this conversation five more times.”
“You’ve got it.” Rey chuckled. “Love you, kid.”
“Love you too, knucklehead. See you on Sunday.”
Allie smiled, her heart full. As annoyingly suffocating as her older brothers and parents could sometimes be, she couldn’t imagine not having them in her life.
She stepped back inside the cabin and rubbed her arms. Allie glanced toward the kitchen, but Vaughn wasn’t there.
Movement in the living space drew her attention. Vaughn rose to his feet, holding his hands out to the fire in front of him.
“Thought you might be chilly after being out there without a coat. I considered bringing you one, but you were in a pretty intense conversation.” He paused, as if hoping she’d provide details. When she didn’t, he continued. “So I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“You built a fire for me?” Allie walked over to stand beside Vaughn. She wasn’t about to divulge that the time she was spending with him was the topic of her heated phone conversation with her brother. “That was incredibly sweet of you.”
“Well, you did bring me empanadas.” Vaughn shrugged. “Which reminds me... You ready to eat? I didn’t realize it before you arrived, but now I’m ravenous.” His eyes trailed down her body momentarily, and he sank his teeth into his lower lip before returning his gaze to the fire in front of them.
Allie’s skin tingled with awareness, and a warmth trailed down through her chest and made her sex feel damp and heavy.
He was talking about the food. Pull it together.
“I’m starving, too.” Any chill she’d felt from being outside without a jacket was long gone. “I need to heat up the arroz con pollo in the microwave and take out the salsa verde anyway. So grab a seat whenever you’re ready, and I’ll make our plates.”
“Please tell me it’s your mom’s homemade salsa verde.” Vaughn held praying hands up in front of his chest and briefly closed his eyes.
He was absolutely adorable.
As much as she loved her work in construction and interior design, there were few things that gave her more pleasure than cooking for the people she cared about and watching them enjoy her food.
“Of course, it’s homemade.” Allie grinned, moving toward the kitchen. She washed her hands again, then put the bowl filled with chicken and rice in the microwave. She pulled out the container of homemade salsa verde. “Seems like you’re making some progress on that song.”
“I am.” Vaughn shifted his gaze from hers and jammed his hands into his jean pockets. “Maybe this place is good for me, after all.”
“Then maybe you should stay.” Allie glanced back at Vaughn momentarily before grabbing plates for them. “I realize this will be one of the top rental units once renovations are complete and that you’d need something bigger than your parents’ place. But you could always build your own place like Andraya and Kahlil are doing.”
Allie couldn’t be happier for her best friend despite the fact that they saw much less of each other since she and Kahl had gotten together.
“That sounds more appealing than you might realize.” Vaughn’s gaze was on her again, and its heat was unsettling. Yet, she couldn’t turn away from it. “But my life...the industry...most of it is based in LA or New York.”
“True. But lots of celebrities have chosen smaller, more laidback communities as their home base. Places like Austin or Jackson Hole, just a few hours away from here,” Allie noted.
Maybe she was being a little selfish in trying to convince Vaughn that he should build a house in Willowvale Springs. Because A: she’d love to design and build a home for famous Sin & Glory drummer, Vaughn Reed. And B: she liked having Vaughn around. But there was a more important reason she was pushing Vaughn to consider relocating to Willowvale Springs. He was more at ease than he’d been when he’d first rolled into town. She was suggesting that Vaughn stay because it seemed to be in the best interest of his mental and emotional health.
“I’d forgotten how beautiful and peaceful it is here.” Vaughn sat at the breakfast bar and rubbed his chin. “It’s kind of weird just being alone with the sounds of nature and my own thoughts.” He chuckled. “Relocating to Willowvale Springs wouldn’t be impossible, but it would be pretty damn inconvenient. Especially once we start recording the next album or whenever I’m called on to do session work,” he noted. “Getting session gigs is as much about availability as it is my talent or name recognition.”
Allie tried her best not to pout about Vaughn gently shooting down her idea.
“You don’t actually believe that a studio or artist would rather have some rando drummer just because he lives nearby when they could have Vaughn Reed of Sin & Glory, do you?” Allie asked incredulously.
When Vaughn didn’t respond, she continued.
“Aside from that, Willowvale Springs is obviously inspiring you.” She gestured toward the keyboard setup in the other room. “And it’s a place where you’d get to spend time with the folks who’ve always felt like family. So would living here be less convenient? Maybe. But the trade-off would be totally worth it.”
Vaughn chuckled and shook his head as he leaned forward on his elbows at the counter.
“You’re as determined and persuasive as ever.” Amusement lit his dark eyes as he watched her apportion the food onto their plates, then set them in place.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Allie added ice to their glasses, then filled them with pineapple juice produced from her seemingly bottomless lunch bag.
“Never said it was bad.” Vaughn chuckled. “It’s just completely on brand for a Price.”
Allie climbed onto her stool, then they dug into their food and Vaughn murmured with pleasure.
“Your mom is an amazing cook,” Vaughn muttered through a mouthful of food. “Her food is better than I remember.”
“Mamá is a phenomenal cook,” Allie agreed, taking another bite of her food. “But I made the empanadas and the arroz con pollo.”
“Wow.” Vaughn’s eyes widened as he shoveled more of the arroz con pollo into his mouth. “All those years you spent underfoot in the kitchen with your mom certainly paid off.”
“I suppose they did.” Allie couldn’t help smiling. There was something about seeing someone she really cared about enjoying the food she’d prepared for them. But this wasn’t a date. It was a working lunch with an old friend. She wasn’t auditioning to become Vaughn Reed’s latest flame, so she should really pull it together. “About those flooring choices. I assume you didn’t get the chance to look at them. I’ll send you the link to the warehouse so you can take your time and study the options. I know you said that you’re very visual and more tactile. So if there’s something you’d like a sample of, I can grab it while I’m there. I’m going to make the drive in a couple of days to pick out some flooring for another job.”
“I should just go with you.” Light flickered in Vaughn’s brown eyes.
“The warehouse is an hour and a half away in Cody,” Allie noted.
“I don’t mind.” Vaughn shrugged, shoveling more rice into his mouth. “Unless you do...sorry.” He set down his fork. “I shouldn’t have invited myself. You might be planning to meet another client. Or maybe make it a road trip with your boyfriend or something.”
Is he asking if I’m seeing someone?
“I’m not meeting another client. I’m just placing her order. And I wanted to go in person so I can shop the sale, see what options might work for the resort, and stock up on samples.” Allie turned on the stool and tried her best to rein in a smile. “And no, I’m not seeing anyone. How about you?”
“No. Me neither.” Vaughn picked up his second empanada and bit into it. Steam rose from the flaky, hand-rolled crust filled with minced beef; boiled, diced potatoes; onions; bell pepper; and garlic in a savory tomato sauce.
“If you’d like to ride with me to the warehouse...great.” Allie finally spoke again, filling the awkward silence between them. “But I’m leaving at seven sharp on Friday.”
“In the morning?” Vaughn frowned, then held up a hand and laughed when Allie raised an eyebrow. “All right, fine. I’m the one who’s crashing your party, so seven it is.”
Allie nodded, then they resumed eating and went back to chatting. They had a lovely lunch together. She’d honestly meant to just have a quick meal with Vaughn then dash out to run some errands. But they were having such a great time, two hours had passed before she’d even realized it.
When the plumber called to see if Allie could come over and take a look at something, she held on to her smile for Vaughn’s benefit, promised to be right over and hoped to God this wouldn’t mean another huge hit to their renovation budget.
It was Vaughn’s money, not hers. Still, she was conscientious of how she spent her client’s money just as her father had taught her to be. That applied whether she was doing a bare-bones renovation or a high-end one like the revamping of the old resort into a new-age wellness spa.
“Gotta run.” Allie grabbed her purse and slipped on her jacket. “But I’ll see you on Friday at 7:00 a.m. sharp.” She pointed a finger.
“What about your lunch bag and the rest of the leftovers?” Vaughn followed her to the door.
“You could use some real food,” she said. She’d noted that his fridge, freezer, and trash can were evidence of all the fast food and convenience foods he’d been subsisting on since his return. “Help yourself. I’ll grab the lunch bag and my glass storage containers when I pick you up on Friday at—”
“Seven sharp,” Vaughn said in an exaggerated tone meant to mimic her voice. He even rocked his head from side-to-side for added effect.
“Watch it, sucka.” She punched Vaughn in the arm, playfully.
He broke into a belly laugh. “Not you going full Aunt Esther on me.”
She’d loved Sanford & Son as a kid and had often used the retort on her brothers, Vaughn, and any classmate who was on the verge of seeing the flip side of her usually sweet disposition. It was the equivalent of a warning shot.
“Hey, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?” Allie shrugged innocently. “I’d better go before someone puts an APB out on me. Try eating something that doesn’t come from a fast food joint or out of a freezer box every now and again, huh?”
Allie hugged him, then lifted onto her toes and dropped a kiss on his whiskered cheek. When she pulled away, their eyes met for a moment. Her belly flipped and her pulse raced. There seemed to be a crackle of energy in the air between them.
She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. Then she turned to leave. Just as Allie rounded the corner toward the main building, she glanced back and caught a glimpse of Vaughn. He was standing on the porch staring after her, his hand pressed to where she’d kissed his cheek.
Allie tried to calm the fluttering in her belly. But there was something happening between her and Vaughn.
Whether it was desire, simple curiosity, or the potential for something more, Allie was intrigued by her growing interest in Vaughn Reed. And once this job was over, she planned to find out exactly which one it was.