STEAMING COFFEE CUP in hand, Deke stood in front of Blue Ridge Cottage the next morning, mentally reviewing his strategy to fish information out of Serena Stanhope. He’d texted Dylan beforehand, mostly to let his brother know he hadn’t fallen down on the job. He’d been busy. First, with work, then, figuring out his mixed emotions about letting Grace deeper into his life. Their professional goals did not intersect, except maybe in the courtroom, which Deke didn’t want to consider.
He still couldn’t believe he’d mentioned his last case to Grace. Yes, she’d gently pushed, but he didn’t have to respond. He’d grown adept at deflecting his feelings, but there was something about her that had grabbed hold of his heart and he didn’t want to walk away until he saw how this played out. Risky? Maybe. He’d never opened up to Britt as quickly when they’d first become friends, but for once in his life he was willing to put his emotions out there and see what happened. He might admit to being solitary, but he wanted Grace and all it entailed. And if the spark in their kisses was any indication, this attraction wasn’t totally one-sided.
Back to the plan at hand. He took a sip, savored the dark blend, getting his game face in place. The day had dawned cool, great for running through the dense woods surrounding the cabin. He’d found a well-worn path that led to the lake the second day he’d arrived. His runs had become a daily ritual he enjoyed, especially in the quiet dawn when he shoved all of life’s concerns away. This morning, he’d watched the water lighten from a dark blue as sunlight painted the sky. After a childhood spent cooped up inside with allergies, being able to enjoy nature still filled him with gratitude and appreciation.
Of course, the outdoors was the place where he’d kissed Grace, twice, so there was that.
His phone rang, dragging him from his ruminations, and he checked the caller ID. Groaned when he saw it was Derrick. Taking a bracing breath—because this was Derrick—he answered the phone with trepidation.
“What’s going on, bro?” How like his older brother to bypass the pleasantries and get right to the crux of the conversation.
“Not much. Working.”
“Good. Good.”
Silence. His brother had a way of dragging things out of his siblings that was as impressive as it was annoying.
“Any news on the investigation?”
“As usual, your timing is perfect. I’m standing in front of the shop now.”
Serena appeared inside to unlock the front door. She looked up, noticed Deke and waved.
“With a plan?”
“A loose one. I’ll steer the conversation and see what happens.”
“Is she pretty?”
Deke’s radar went up at Derrick’s deceptively casual tone. “The suspect?”
“Your boss.”
How? How did his brother pick up on these things? “Why would you ask me that question?”
“Because instead of telling me about your investigation, the first thing you mentioned was the guide job.”
“Hey, I needed a cover.”
“Sure. And you also need a life. I get the feeling you’re finding one in Golden.”
Deke ground his back teeth at Derrick’s smug analysis.
“So…tell me about your boss.”
Taking a sip to stall, he decided there was no point trying to run his brother off track. He’d just snoop on his own. This way Deke could control the narrative.
“Her name is Grace and she’s an attorney.”
“Interesting. Go on.”
“She’s pretty. A go-getter. And a nurturer, even though she’d never admit it.”
“Hmm. Quite a detailed description.”
“You asked.”
Deke heard the humor in his brother’s voice. “Indeed I did.”
“Why do you do this?”
“Because it’s fun.”
Deke shook his head, fighting the smile hovering over his lips. “You’re the one who needs a life.”
“I have one. A very good one, in fact.”
Deke went in for the kill. “Except for the fact that you’ve never found Hannah.”
Silence. Senior year, Derrick’s high school sweetheart had left town in the dead of the night with her family. Derrick had searched, but never found her. He acted like her sudden disappearance didn’t still bother him to this day, but Deke sensed otherwise.
This time Derrick sounded annoyed. “Low.”
“Turnabout.” Guilt swirled in Deke’s stomach. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I hate when anyone noses in my business.”
“I realize that, but I also know this solitary thing isn’t good for you. Go out and enjoy your life.”
“You know that’s not my thing.”
“More like you’re afraid to try.”
The deep nagging sense that his brother was right unnerved Deke. Grace had already managed to nudge him from his comfort zone.
When he didn’t answer, Derrick piped up. “Keep us in the loop after you speak to Serena Stanhope today.”
“You know I will.”
“Look, I get that you’re happy alone, you don’t want to put yourself out there, blah, blah, blah. But Grace would be lucky to have you. That’s all I’m gonna say.”
Deke chuckled. “That’s all? Why am I sure you’re lying?”
“Later, bro.”
Shaking his head, Deke returned his phone to his back pocket, took a bracing sip of the phenomenally good coffee that Myrna at Sit a Spell had whipped up for him—this alone could keep him in Golden forever—then squared his shoulders and went into cop mode.
A bell tinkled overhead as he moved into the retail space. The soothing scent of lavender greeted him and once again he was impressed with the elegant yet inviting interior.
“Be right with you,” came Serena’s voice from the back.
Since most businesses along Main Street had just opened, tourists weren’t out and about yet, giving Deke the perfect chance to speak to Serena without interruption. As she walked from the back room, she slowed her pace upon seeing him, her blue eyes wide, her long, straight black hair swirling around her shoulders, but she quickly regrouped and pasted a wide smile on her face.
“Deke. Nice to see you again.”
He strolled toward her, pasting an equally pleasant smile on his face. “Same here. I have some free time this morning so I came here to ask for your help.”
Her brow wrinkled. “Me?”
“Yes. My mother’s birthday is coming up and I’d like to get her a present. She loves writing her friends, so I thought your shop was a perfect place to start.”
What he imagined to be relief eased the tension from her face.
“What did you have in mind?”
Glancing around the store brimming with inventory, he said, “I’m not really sure.”
She stepped from behind the counter and headed to a rustic hutch filled with colorful boxes and doodads. “I keep all the notepads, stationery and similar items on this side of the store.” She pointed at the far wall. “You can find a card over there.”
“Okay. So what do you recommend?”
“You said she likes to write to friends, so I would go with a nice stationery set.” She took a few packaged boxes from the hutch. “They’re all custom-made and have a special pen included. Here are just a few.”
“Is it okay if I set my coffee cup here?” he asked, indicating an empty table nearby.
“Sure. We use this area for specialty classes so it’ll be fine.”
“What kind of classes?” he asked, as he accepted the boxes from her.
“Calligraphy. Penmanship. Creating your own card designs, that sort of thing.”
“Nice.”
“I think so. Everyone is always so busy sending messages on their phones, it’s like we’ve lost the art of personalizing our correspondence.” She sighed. “Guess it’s my way of going back to a less hectic way of life.”
“Looks like it’s worked.” He studied the boxes, one with a bird theme, the next, flowers and the third, an outline of the mountain landscape. “These are great. Where do you get your inspiration?”
“Locally. I love it here in the mountains.”
“It’s growing on me, too.”
In the short time he’d been here, Golden had somehow gotten under his skin. Or was it the inhabitants of the town? Mainly, one Grace Harper.
He spent the next ten minutes looking around before settling on a stationery set and card, the flower theme evoking images of the floral shop where his mother lived and breathed. He placed the items on the counter.
“All set?” Serena asked as she looked up from a spreadsheet.
“I am. Thanks for the suggestions.”
“All part of the service.” She carefully wrapped the box in sparkly tissue and placed it in a navy blue bag with the store logo printed on an oval white sticker—the outline of the mountains around the sketch of a small cottage and the store name.
Time to move ahead with the plan.
Two women had just come in, chatting about a special order. Moving around the store as Serena finished bagging up his purchases, he made the motion of tripping, then tilted his coffee cup just enough that the liquid dribbled on his hand.
“Great,” he uttered, making a big production of shaking his hand. Serena hurried over.
“Are you okay?”
“I spilled my coffee with my clumsy move. Do you have a restroom where I can clean up?”
“Sure. In the back to the right.”
“Thanks.” He glanced over to the women watching them. “Why don’t you help these ladies. We can finish my transaction when I come back.”
“Of course.”
While Serena went off to help her customers, Deke disappeared into the back room. He scanned the area, discovering a storeroom, small office and bathroom. He hurried to rinse off his hands and threw the cup away, quietly returning to the office.
Small workspace, but neat. He quickly looked for any clue that would tie Serena to James Tate. Nothing obvious, not that he suspected this to be easy. He flipped through some papers, all store related. Time was running out as he heard the women finish up their order. His glance caught on a scattering of pictures pinned to a corkboard on the wall. On closer inspection, he found several of Serena with a group of people. A cottage nestled in the pines. A photo of her with an older man’s arm wrapped around her shoulders. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he snapped them all. He’d just reentered the main part of the store as Serena turned in his direction.
“I was just coming back to check on you.”
He held up his hands. “Nothing a little soap and water couldn’t fix.”
“Let me finish your order.”
While Serena added up the prices, Deke said, “I think my mother would love this place.” He handed Serena two twenties when she announced the final total.
“Tell her to stop by.”
“She lives in Florida, so unless she comes to visit, I’ll have to describe your shop to her.”
He noticed her hands tremble just the slightest bit as she returned his change.
“Florida. How nice.”
“I was hoping to get her up here, but she just started dating a man, so the chances are probably slim. At least for a while. Maybe they’ll come for a visit together.”
She tucked a strand of her dark, poker-straight hair behind an ear. “That would be nice for you.”
“Do you have family around here?”
Her eyes narrowed. “That’s rather personal.”
“Just being friendly.” He tilted his head and pulled up a concerned expression. “Sorry if I overstepped.”
“No. I…ah.” She waved a hand in front of her. “Don’t mind me. And for the record, no family around here.”
He pointed to the bag. “I thought maybe the sketch was a family home.”
“More of a legacy.”
He waited for an explanation but she didn’t elaborate. Figuring he’d gotten as much as he could for one day, he said, “I’ll be sure to bring both my mom and her friend here if they get up this way.”
The chimes tingled as the door opened. A woman Serena’s age hurried inside. “Sorry I’m late.”
Serena nodded to the woman and handed Deke the bag with his purchases. “Thanks for stopping in.”
He took the bag and held it up. “I can guarantee I’ll be back.”
With a smile, he turned to leave the store, hearing Serena say, “Heidi, good. I have some calls I need to make. Can you take over?”
“Sure, boss.”
Calls? To contact James Tate, maybe? If only he had a way of eavesdropping.
Serena stepped out of view, and unless he wanted to appear suspicious, he had to be on his way. Out on the sidewalk, he took one last look into the store. The new arrival was busy behind the counter. So, no way to find out what Serena was up to.
Taking a moment to send the pictures to Dylan, he left a text message. Check these out. Not much to go on, but a start. Plus, he’d planted some seeds of discomfort. Job done for today, he strode a few steps before glancing across the street. Stopped short when he noticed Grace standing in the window of Put Your Feet Up. When he met her gaze, she lifted her hand and pointed to her wrist as if to say, Look at the time. You need to be somewhere.
The corners of his lips tipped up. Bossy. Nodding, he strode to the crosswalk and joined her in the office moments later.
“I was just about to call you,” she said in greeting, standing by the desk. “The guests for the zip-line adventure are due here in fifteen minutes.”
“I thought I was free until this afternoon.”
“Faith didn’t send you the updated schedule?”
“No.” He set the bag on the counter and pulled out his phone. Tapped the screen to bring up his email. “Nope.”
Grace’s face slowly turned red. “She must have forgotten.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m here and ready to work.”
An arched brow rose. “Really? We’re not cutting into your shopping time?”
He smothered a chuckle at her disgruntled expression. “I have a life, you know.”
“True.” She picked up a pen and tapped it on the desktop. “So, Serena waited on you?”
“Yes. She helped me pick out a gift.”
She bit her bottom lip. He’d come to know her well enough by now to imagine she was dying to ask who the gift was for but didn’t want to come off as overly pushy. Or wait. Was she more curious about his conversation with Serena than the recipient of the gift? Now he had to find out.
“Nice woman,” he said. “She’s created quite a pleasant atmosphere in her store.”
“She is. I don’t know her well, but we’ve chatted from time to time.”
“So she’s not one of the original merchants in town?”
“No. She moved into the space about two years ago.”
“A transplant like me?”
“I guess.” She stopped tapping. “So did you talk about what you have in common?”
“And if we did?”
“I… You…”
He laughed. Couldn’t help it, really. Grace’s interrogation skills were sadly lacking. Also, he hadn’t enjoyed himself like this in a very long time.
He found himself wondering what she was like in court. Did she possess a take-no-prisoners attitude? Ask relentless questions to make her case? Or was she quiet but authoritative? And why should he care, since one of the reasons he’d escaped here was to get away from all things law enforcement and trial related.
She slammed her hands on her hips. “What?”
“I find it amusing that you’re so concerned about my visit with Serena.”
“Well, you work for me. I’m responsible for all my employees.”
“Enough to dig into their personal lives? Who they’re dating?”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re dating Serena?”
“Jealous?”
* * *
JEALOUS? GRACE?
She waited for the smug expression to leave his ridiculously handsome face, but he continued grinning at her.
Drat. She was jealous.
“I’m not jealous.”
Except her tight chest said otherwise.
“Could have fooled me.”
How could she not be after their kiss at the lake yesterday? She’d have to be dead not to feel something, and last time she checked, her heart was still beating. Overtime, apparently, for this man.
And not just the kiss. He’d opened up to her. Even in the short time she’d come to know him, she understood how hard that had been for him. So, feelings for Deke? Big-time. But she’d never, ever, admit she was jealous.
“Okay, I am a little curious, but no way am I jealous.”
“Because that would mean you have feelings for me.” His grin grew bigger. “As a concerned boss and all.”
“Funny.”
“This really is.”
She rounded the desk to walk to the counter. “It’s just…after our time on the lake yesterday, I thought we’d connected.”
“We did.”
She hated to have to spell it out, but there didn’t seem to be any other way to get to the truth. “But you want to play the field?”
“Are you kidding? Right now I have enough trouble just keeping up with you.”
She felt a reluctant grin tug at her lips. “I’m special like that.”
Deke ran a hand over his short hair and didn’t meet her gaze. “Very special, so let me assure you, you have nothing to worry about.”
Sweet, he thought she was special. How long had it been since she’d tried to have a relationship but sabotaged it by putting her career or family first? Her dismal dating experiences spoke volumes. Deke certainly had her full attention and she planned on holding on to that for the foreseeable future. Did that mean more kisses? At the thought, she wanted to do the happy dance right there on the spot, because yeah, she could see more kisses in the future. Maybe they’d meet at the lakeshore at midnight. Or by the firepit under the stars. But more than that, she could talk to Deke. Really talk to him, and that was pretty equal to his amazing kisses.
Wondering if her thoughts were mirrored on her face, she tried to read his expression, then realized he hadn’t looked at her when he said she had nothing to worry about. Which made her worry. He was avoiding her gaze for a reason. Why? What was he hiding?
Giving herself mental whiplash, she took a few seconds to stop and think about what he’d said. He’d said she had nothing to worry about. Which meant…
“But someone else needs to worry? Serena?”
Surprise crossed his face. “Very astute.”
“Lawyer.”
“You do have that working for you.”
She pressed her hands to her stomach. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“Me?”
“Sure. You show up out of the blue, looking for a job. Then you…wait. You didn’t just show up here on a whim, did you?”
A sheepish expression crossed his face.
“You came to Golden on purpose?”
“Yes.”
“Because of that trial you told me about?”
“No. A family issue.”
Relief swept through her. She didn’t want to think about trouble following Deke here and what that would mean for her hometown. Although why she would be relieved when she planned on leaving soon was beside the point. Her family still lived here after all.
“Is this thing with Serena serious?”
His broad shoulders rose as he exhaled a breath. “I don’t even know if Serena is involved in the problem. It’s a lead my brother asked me to follow up.”
“And since you’re on a leave of absence—”
“And already up here hiking the Appalachian Trail.”
“—you decided to infiltrate my town.”
His brow creased. “You make my actions sound nefarious.”
“If you’d fill me in…”
“I can’t. Not right now.” His steady gaze met hers. “But I trust you, Grace.”
Even though Deke had revealed himself yesterday, she sensed he didn’t say those words easily or often. The tightness in her chest eased and she found herself touched that he’d confided in her, even if it wasn’t the entire story.
“Okay. How about this? You tell me when you can, and in the meantime I’ll do a little reconnaissance for you. Like I said, I don’t know Serena well, but we are friendly. If you give me a direction to follow, I’ll see what I can find out.”
After a long, charged moment, he said, “I can do that.” He moved closer to the counter and suddenly she was engulfed in his woodsy scent. “See what you can find out about her family or if she’s involved with anyone from out of state.”
“Deal.” She held out her hand and he took it. After a firm shake, she tried to remove it from his grip, but he held fast. She looked up, getting lost in his dark blue-gray eyes. His thumb brushed over her skin and it was all she could do to control a runaway shiver.
When he finally let go, she brushed her hands off. “I think we’ll make a good team.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“Sure beats worrying about my own family for once,” she said with a grimace.
“They don’t need your concern, Grace. They need to stand on their own feet.”
“Easy for you to say, but remember, Faith didn’t send you the memo about this morning’s tour group.”
“She probably has a good reason for forgetting. She’s a mother with two kids and it doesn’t look like her husband is any help.”
Guilt pressed on her shoulders, but she stood her ground. “You just made my point.”
“I’m not arguing the point because right now I have a tour to meet up with.” He grinned at her. “Unless you want to take over?”
She shivered. “Please.” Picking up a form, she handed it to him. “The Kelly and Pope families. They’re vacationing here together. Mr. Pope called to let me know they’re running late.”
Having read the form, Deke looked up, curiosity clear in his eyes. “Okay, then you can tell me why you dislike the outdoors so much.”
“It’s not dislike, really. And it’s not all outdoors. More like some bad memories that linger after all these years.”
“Nothing could be that bad that you wouldn’t take advantage of the beautiful weather and scenery here.”
“You’d be wrong.” She’d boxed up those memories years ago and hidden them where they belonged, in the past.
He rested a hip against the counter. “I shared.”
She sighed. Yes, he had.
Resting both hands on the counter, she closed her eyes. Conjured up the high school trip that had ended in embarrassment. Right on cue, her stomach started swirling, but she met his gaze.
“Short story. Senior camping trip. I was surprised by Lissy Ann’s invitation to hang out with her friends. I sat with them around the campfire, hiked the park with them. One evening a few of us were allowed to take a path up the mountain to the lookout. It was getting dark when Lissy Ann realized she’d forgotten her flashlight and asked me to run back to our camp to get it. Carter was leading the group and she insisted she couldn’t leave his side, which was not unusual since they were always glued together. Thankful that she’d included me with her friends, I went on the errand.”
His strong hand covered hers. “Let me guess. You never met up with them.”
She carelessly lifted one shoulder, trying to hide how much the memory still bothered her. “No one was at the lookout when I arrived. Once I realized I’d been duped, I decided to return to camp, only it was getting darker and I got turned around and took the wrong path. It was spooky and I swear I could hear animals coming for me, so I froze. Spent hours curled up under some bushes until the teachers found me. When I eventually got back to the campsite, I didn’t miss the kids’ eyes on me or the laughter at my expense.
“I ducked into the restroom and overheard a few girls who’d come in laugh over Lissy Ann’s treatment of me. The chubby girl with the convict father.” She shook her head as if the physical movement could keep the tears at bay. “Got so nauseous I threw up. When I finally ventured outside, I did my best to pretend their whispers didn’t bother me, but obviously they did.”
“Now I understand why you were less than overjoyed to see Lissy Ann the day she stopped by.”
Grace shoved the memories back in the box. “I thought I’d gotten over it, but it all links up with those memories of being teased because of my family. But that doesn’t explain why she wants to be friends now.”
“Want my opinion?”
“I shared, so yeah.”
He chuckled. “You’re successful. Not only as an attorney, but your family business has done well. I’d venture a guess and say she’s disappointed at how things turned out for herself. Reconnecting could be her way of apologizing.”
“We did kind of discuss our past when she stopped in the other day.”
He leaned toward her, his masculine scent engulfing her again. “Now that you’ve figured it out, you have no reason not to love being outdoors.”
“Don’t push it, Matthews. I may incorrectly lump all outdoor activities with being left in the woods at night, on top of being teased, but it’s my issue to deal with.” His genuine smile sent tingly sensations over her skin in a way she didn’t want to examine. “But I’ll be heading back to Atlanta soon, so I suppose it doesn’t matter in the big picture.”
At her reminder, he removed his hand, taking his warmth with it. The room suddenly turned cold. At the loss of his touch or the idea of going back to her career?
“Except to your family,” he went on to say.
“I’ve left the tools for them to succeed. If Faith focuses and Nathan spends more time working than scheming, Put Your Feet Up should be fine. If they can’t commit, then my mother should consider selling.”
A dark brow arched. “You’d advise her to sell?”
She clasped her hands together. “I already have. She refuses to even consider the idea.”
“Let me ask you something.”
“Okay.”
“Do you really want them to succeed?”
His words startled her. “What kind of question is that? Of course I do.”
He held up a hand. “Hear me out. You’ve been the one to take care of the family for so long, maybe you don’t really think there’s any way they can possibly manage without you.”
“That’s always been the plan. I’ve made sure they knew I would eventually leave to practice law away from Golden.”
“Yet you come running every time they need you?”
“Are you suggesting I like it when they mess up?”
“No, but control is powerful and can be difficult to let go.”
“I have no…” She stopped. Was Deke right? She complained when they needed her, but dropped everything to bail them out of their messes. “Wow. I’m an enabler.”
“I don’t know about that, but I can see you’ve spent a lot of time and put a great deal of thought into this business. It’s part of who you are, Grace, just like being an attorney is also who you are. You can’t have one without the other or separate them.”
She’d never considered her life like that.
“If you act like they can’t do anything without you, you’re subconsciously saying you expect them to fail, and they will. But you’ve given them everything they need to run this business. It’s time you stepped back and let them. For real this time.”
The back door opened and voices carried up front.
“The clients,” Grace said, relief and disappointment mingling at the reprieve.
Deke’s serious gaze pierced hers. “And here’s my last piece of advice. If your family takes over, you can focus on your own life for once. That means more time with me.”
That said, he lifted the counter partition, squeezing her shoulder as he passed by to greet the guests and get them on their way. She touched the spot, wishing he didn’t have to rush off. He’d opened the door to a topic she’d never wanted to delve into and didn’t want to go through alone. He grabbed the van keys, nodded goodbye and ushered the group outside, the words shared between them hovering in the air.
Focus on your own life for once.
Grace’s shoulders slumped. She’d never placed the spotlight on herself before. Was almost afraid to try.
More time with me.
Did she want more time with Deke? If she were honest, yes, lots of it, in any way, shape or form. Evidently he was on board. The question was, would she dare take advantage of his suggestion?