Monday morning dawned gray and foggy. A velvet morning in Misty Bottoms.
Wasn’t velvet supposed to be soft and cuddly, though? Tansy wondered. Apparently, this morning had missed that memo because it definitely felt prickly and tense. Saturday night and yesterday had dragged, had felt like an entire week of long days—because of Beck and self-doubt. Had she overreacted? Probably. Her emotions were riding too close to the surface for comfort, and this particular roller coaster was wearing her out.
Even though she hadn’t officially opened, several tables were filled with the workers. She’d begun practicing on them, making up items she hoped to serve and brewing her fancy coffees for them. Kind of a soft opening. The guys had become her guinea pigs. Very satisfied ones, she thought smugly.
It would take more than that, though, to improve her mood.
Missy Frampton? Seriously?
Jimmy Don, hand resting lightly on his sidearm, stepped in out of the fog.
Without even asking, she handed him coffee. “Morning, Sheriff. Anything else?”
“Nah. I’d love one of those apple fritters, but if the missus found out, she’d skin me alive. Thinks I need to lose a couple pounds.” He laid a hand on his ample belly and grimaced. “Heck, she’s probably right.”
“I have some low-fat, reduced-sugar lemon bars I made fresh this morning.”
When his nose wrinkled, she laughed. “Tell you what. Try one. You might be pleasantly surprised.”
“Your feelings won’t be hurt if I don’t like it?”
“Not at all.” She moved behind the counter and plated one. “Here you go.”
Lem Gilmore and his wife came through the door, and Tansy smiled at them.
“Saw some cars out front. Thought we’d wander in and see what’s goin’ on.”
“Hopin’ to catch a free pastry’s more like it,” the sheriff muttered.
Lem ignored Jimmy Don’s comment and pulled out a chair for his wife, but Tansy knew he wouldn’t be pulling out his wallet. He plunked himself down across from the sheriff. “What’ve you got there?”
Jimmy Don licked his fork. “One of the best lemon bars I’ve ever tasted.”
Turning her back to the dining area, Tansy smiled slowly.
“Bring me one of those, too,” Lem said. “You want one, Lyda Mae?”
“No, I’ll just nip a bite of yours.”
Tansy had their drinks made and their pastries ready to go when the bell over the door jingled again. A welcome on her lips, she turned and nearly dropped her tray.
Hurt and betrayal flared, made her want to throw Lem and Lyda Mae’s order across the room.
Beck, bold as brass, came through the door.
Ignoring him, she served Lem and his wife. “There you go. If you need anything else, let me know.”
Wishing she had an antacid, she swiped her hands over her apron and took a calming breath. It didn’t help a bit.
“What can I do for you this mornin’?”
Looking around the room, he asked, “What are you guys doin’? You’re supposed to be workin’. And you.” He pointed a finger at Tansy. “You’re not supposed to be open yet. I’m not payin’ these men to sit around drinkin’ coffee and eatin’ doughnuts.” He spied Jimmy Don. “Although guess it’s natural for you, huh?”
Before Jimmy Don could get into the middle of what was her and Beck’s fray, Tansy said, “They’re helping me. Taste testing my new recipes.”
“Whatever. That’s not what I came for. We need to talk.”
Her chin came up. “Fine. Go right ahead.”
Beck glanced over his shoulder at their audience, all of them gone quiet now. “Ah, I think we might want a little more privacy for this.”
“Sure.” She whipped off her apron. “Why don’t we step onto the back porch?” Then she raised her voice. “If y’all will excuse me one moment.” She held up a finger. “I’ll be right back.”
“These aren’t paying customers.”
“Still…”
Tansy maintained the smiling face and calm till they were out of view, then she stomped out to the porch. Instead of holding the door for Beck, she let go of it and heard him swear as he put out a hand to keep it from hitting him in the face.
She rounded on him. “What do you want? My blessing for you and Missy? Fine. You’ve got it.” Damn. Hot tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she swore she’d give up her grandma’s pearls before she let him see her cry. Again.
“Blessing?” Beck looked like he’d been sucker punched. “Hell no, I don’t want your blessing! Missy and I went out exactly two times!” He raised two fingers to press his point home. “And no sex! Ever.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Tansy managed to keep her own voice steady and quiet, though her emotions nearly drowned her.
“Yeah, I think it does. You promised me a dance. Instead, you ran away.”
“I didn’t run away.”
“You sure as hell didn’t have a headache.”
“Okay, you’re right. I didn’t. And you can be with whomever you choose, but, darn it, seeing you with Missy—it hurt.”
“You want to talk about hurt? How ’bout hearin’ your fiancée is marryin’ someone else? How ’bout spendin’ four years thinking about her in bed with another man?”
“He never touched me, not once, after we were married.”
“What?”
“I said—”
“I heard you.”
“I need to get back to my customers.”
Beck’s hand shot out to take hers. “Not yet. And they’re not your customers. They’re guys who are supposed to workin’. Most of them anyway. Knowin’ this town, everybody will help themselves to whatever they need.”
Gathering her courage, she met his eyes. “Maybe I should have asked this before now, Beck. I made an assumption, so I’ll put the question to you now. Anyone sharin’ your bed?”
“Hell no! You think I’d have kissed you like I did if I was seein’ somebody else?” He held her gaze. “You?”
She shook her head.
“I want you in my bed, Tansy.”
The air left her. “Beck.”
“I want you in my bed.”
“That’s a big step.”
“Yeah, it is. One I don’t take lightly. Never did.”
He moved in to kiss her.
She wanted this so badly, but at the last second she raised a hand and placed it flat on his chest. “Uh-uh. Lips that kissed Missy Frampton’s Saturday night don’t kiss mine Monday mornin’.”
“Emotion brings out the Misty Bottoms in you, Tansy. That drawl gets heavier and those g’s slide away like snow in an avalanche.”
“And you’re changin’—changing the subject.”
One side of his lips turned up into a sexy smile. “I didn’t kiss Missy. Even if I had, I’ve brushed since then. Several times. Flossed, too.”
“This isn’t funny, Beck.”
“I know. Yesterday was miserable.” He crooked a finger. “Kiss me, Tansy.”
Her eyes moved to his lips. Oh God, they were so sexy, so hot!
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Come on.”
He crooked that finger again, such a sexy motion, and her heart stuttered. “You’re crazy, Beck Elliot.”
“Probably.”
By now, he’d drawn her against him. She felt his body heat, smelled that totally masculine scent that was his alone. Her knees went weak even as her resolve faded.
She kissed him, the merest touch of lips.
He cupped the back of her head, deepened the kiss till her toes curled and her legs turned to rubber.
Gasping, she pulled back. His mouth turned up in that grin that was part naughty boy, part little boy.
“I’m sorry about Saturday night. I had no idea she was in the living room. I went there looking for Charlotte.” As he spoke, he dropped tiny kisses along her jaw, the scruff on his chin sending shivers along her spine. His head dipped lower, and he kissed the curve of her chin, her neck.
She stepped away. “I need to go inside.”
His hand snaked out, drew her back. “Before you do, I’d like to hear more about that bombshell you dropped. You owe me that much.”
She stared down at the strappy sandals she’d slipped into that morning. He was right; she did.
Beck placed a fingertip beneath her chin and tilted her face up till their eyes met. “He didn’t touch you all these years?”
“No. We had sex one time.” The injustice of it ripped through her. “Once!”
“And you got pregnant.”
She nodded, clasping and unclasping her hands until he took them in his large ones.
“Oh, Tansy.” He rested his forehead on hers. “We’re a disaster zone, aren’t we?”
“I am,” she whispered. “Not you, Beck. Never you. You’re solid and steady. You always do the right thing. It was me. I screwed up.”
“Circumstances played a big role. You got hit with the equivalent of a perfect storm when your dad died. Too much, too fast. I didn’t realize how badly you were takin’ on water, and I should have. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything to be sorry for, Beck. All that rests right here.” She tapped her shoulders and decided to risk it all. “Think we might be able to work through this?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
Automatically reaching into her pocket for an antacid before she remembered there were none there, she saw his eyes follow her movement and withdrew her hand. Licking her dry lips, she now read a totally different expression in those bedroom eyes.
“I feel like I’m on a roller coaster, Beck. Or in one of those little cups that go ’round and ’round and make me dizzy and sick.”
“I make you dizzy and sick?”
“No, not sick,” she said quickly. “But dizzy. Definitely dizzy.”
“That’s a start. When you’re ready to forgive yourself and move on, you know where to find me. I have to get to work.”
“Me too. I have a lot of people inside.”
He left without even a cheek kiss.
A mockingbird called from her bird feeder. She laughed derisively. Even the birds mocked her. And why not?
It was about time she discovered who she was, way down deep. She leaned on the porch railing and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. “Who are you, Tansy Calhoun Forbes?”
Until she knew the answer to that question, it wasn’t fair to either Beck or herself to get involved.