Four days later, Garrek had just finished typing a text message and was hitting Send when Morgan opened the front door to let him in.
“Why do you keep knocking on this door like you’re a guest?” she asked by way of greeting.
He’d smiled down at her, because in the weeks that he’d known her, she’d begun to sound more like his sisters than he thought she even knew.
“Well, you haven’t given me a key yet” was his joking reply as he slipped his cell phone back into his front pants pocket and made his way through the foyer.
The house looked different than it had almost a month ago when Gray had first brought him here to meet his family. The wood floors were newly glossed, as was the dark cherrywood banister leading up the stairway. There were drapes at all the windows, furniture in each room, an array of freshly painted walls, shiny new doorknobs and people. Tonight there were lots of people.
Gray had mentioned that they’d planned an open house because Morgan wanted the town to see the house they’d talked about for so many years. Morgan figured if they just let the people in this time, that might lessen the gossip surrounding the house renovation. Gray wasn’t as optimistic about that. He thought the people of Temptation would always be fascinated by the Taylors and interested in whatever they did. Garrek was inclined to agree, since Fred Randall already knew about Garrek owning the Adberry house before Garrek had even asked for his assistance. Apparently, Mr. Simon and Fred were poker buddies.
The brothers had spoken on the phone for about fifteen minutes that morning, during which time Gray had also asked about Garrek’s dinner with Harper.
“Sending Otis up here with a tray of food was unnecessary. There’s nothing between me and Harper,” Garrek had said.
“That’s not how I saw it,” Gray told him. “And I’m not talking about the gossip. I’m speaking on what I saw personally. Harper Presley is never flustered. She’s a candid and compassionate person with a keen eye for construction and a head for business. But every time I, or anyone else, mention your name around her, she blushes. Add that to her showing up at your place dropping the infamous ‘we need to talk’ line, and I get the picture.”
“You’ve got the wrong picture,” Garrek had said. “We’re just working together.”
“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. But I know how a man looks at a woman he wants. I was in your shoes not too long ago, little bro,” Gray added with a chuckle.
“No, Gray. You’ve never been in my shoes,” Garrek had replied solemnly.
He’d ended the conversation then. He’d also vowed to do whatever Gray asked him from now until he left Temptation as an attempt to keep his older brother from asking about the two things Garrek was not ready to discuss. The first was what happened in Washington and the second was—despite what he or Harper thought—what was currently happening between him and Harper.
The community center reopening had been two days ago, and Garrek had made it through that just fine. In fact, he’d enjoyed standing next to Harper and her grandfather, watching as Morgan cut the huge red ribbon that was stretched across the glass front doors of the building. A wave of something—pride, he thought—had swept through him as he read the name etched over the doorframe: Olivia Lorraine Taylor Community Center.
She would have loved being a part of the town once again. She would have loved her children being a part of Temptation as well. Unfortunately, Garrek didn’t think that was going to happen.
Now, Garrek was spending his Friday night at a house party unlike the ones he used to attend when he was in high school. That thought made him smile, just in time for Morgan to turn around and see him.
“Well, I wonder what you could be thinking about to put that kind of smile on your face. Or should I say who?”
His sister-in-law did in fact look as if she were about to pop in an orange dress that barely touched her knees. Around the sleeves were funny little colorful balls that reminded him of the drapes his mother used to have in their dining room. On Morgan they simply looked whimsical, and Garrek thought the outfit suited her perfectly.
“You do know that we’re not dating,” he said to shut down her not-so-subtle question about his relationship with Harper. He couldn’t understand why this topic seemed to fascinate everyone in this town.
“Official dates are underrated. I’ve been watching you two each time you’re together, and there’s something there,” she told him. She sounded just like Gray had this morning.
Garrek definitely did not want to go there again, and he did not need Morgan to tell him what he already knew. Especially since he hadn’t figured out what to do about that situation yet.
“There’s also a houseful of people that I’m guessing you want me to mingle with,” he said with a nod toward the living room.
“Oh, you Taylor men think you’re so smooth,” she said with a smile and a slap on his arm. “Come on—Granny gave me strict instructions to send you her way the moment you arrived.”
“Now that’s a woman I can think about having a relationship with,” Garrek said with a chuckle. “She’s time enough for everybody in this house.”
Morgan nodded. “You’ve got that right.”
They moved past a small group of people Garrek didn’t know, but it was obvious they knew who he was, because they immediately stopped talking and stared at him. He gave a nod in return to their inquiring gazes but did not stop walking. Otis was sitting on the end of a very comfortable-looking love seat, his baseball cap hanging on his knee, a glass of punch in hand. He held that glass up as he spoke. “Evenin’, Garrek.”
“Evening, Otis,” Garrek replied.
The man had become one of the steady faces Garrek saw in town, and one of the few people he actually conversed with on a daily basis.
“Hi, Garrek!” a female voice said just before an arm was laced through his. “I thought you were going to stop by the coffee shop to see me.”
It was Leah Gensen. Garrek had met her when he was coming from the historical society the other day. She’d walked right up to him and introduced herself, then proceeded to tell him why he really did need her phone number—which she’d coyly written on his hand, and that he’d studiously washed off without committing it to memory or writing it down anywhere. She’d also cornered him at the community center opening when he’d gone to the bar to get drinks for himself, Arnold and Pops Presley—which was what Harper’s grandfather had insisted Garrek start calling him.
“I get coffee in my room most mornings” was his reply as he continued to follow Morgan.
His sister-in-law had glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at Leah, who now seemed attached to Garrek’s hip.
“That’s a shame. We’ve got the best-flavored coffees in the shop. My aunt even has some original flavors just for our special customers,” Leah continued.
“Good customer service goes a long way,” he replied, but was already looking ahead to see Ms. Ida Mae Bonet, aka Granny, staring at him with disapproval in her eyes.
“So does being friendly and getting to know the people of the town,” Leah continued as if he’d invited her over to start this conversation. “You haven’t been getting out enough. I can show you around town. I know you’re interested in more than just boring house renovations.”
Actually, despite his lifestyle of strict schedules and focus on flight plans and strategies, Garrek was actually getting into the renovation process. In the past few days, he’d discovered that he would need permission to do many things on his property, and he’d begun looking at pictures of southern antebellum homes. He didn’t want to seem totally out of the loop when he and Harper sat down to go over ideas for the project. To be honest, he’d been hoping to impress her with his knowledge so he didn’t seem like some out-of-touch navy pilot. Her family were veterans, and they still farmed and fit in here. He suspected that’s what Harper wanted in her life, someone who fit in with her and her home.
“Nonsense,” Ida Mae chimed in. They were close enough that she’d heard Leah’s comment. “He doesn’t need a guide around a town where he was born. Now, turn him loose, Leah, and go see about your mother, who’s probably talking Jerry Bentley’s ear off about some fluffy Magnolia Guild business.”
Leah immediately dropped her arm from Garrek’s and looked as if she wanted to say something in reply to Ida Mae. Instead, Garrek watched as her pert little mouth, dressed in a fire engine–red gloss, puckered and then stretched into a tight line—a version of biting her tongue, he thought.
“Yes, ma’am,” she finally managed, but then she turned to Garrek once more. “I’ll be around. Don’t leave tonight without setting a date with me. For the tour, you know.”
Her smile said something totally different. She was a pretty enough woman, with her short and stylish haircut and long black lashes. The purple jumpsuit she wore fit all her very enticing curves, including the snug way it cupped her generous breasts. At another time, in a different place, Garrek might have taken her up on her offer. But not here. Not now. Not after Harper.
“Sometimes the apple sure don’t fall far from the tree,” Ida Mae continued and patted the cushion on the couch next to her.
It was a nice couch, a rich chocolate-brown sectional. This house was functional. The new furnishings and design were country chic, comfortable and definitely designed with a growing family in mind. That’s also how it had felt when he’d lived here as a child. The memory, for the first time in his life, was soothing.
He sat down and leaned in to kiss Ida Mae’s cheek. “Good evening, Granny,” he said.
“Good evening to you,” she replied and offered him a smile.
Ida Mae Bonet was a lovely woman with her creamed-coffee skin tone, high cheekbones and salt-and-pepper hair. She wore wire-framed glasses that made her look sophisticated instead of older, and her lips were also painted a sassy red color. The color matched her feisty personality and highlighted the white linen pants and jacket she wore.
“I see you’re getting to know people here in town,” she said.
“Yeah, some of them.”
“Good. Good,” she said and patted him on the knee. “Gotta get out of that room more often. Louise runs a nice little spot over there at Sunnydale, but that ain’t all that’s in Temptation. You should stop over at the hospital to see the work your brother’s doing there. Him and Morgan are making lots of plans to reach out to the community more. You should be a part of that.”
“I don’t live here, so I’m a little leery about getting into things I can’t commit to long term,” he told her.
There wasn’t much room for lying or dodging questions where Ida Mae was concerned.
“That’s an excuse. I know you got your career—Morgan told me all about that. A military man, that’s good and took a lot of commitment from you. But if you’d checked off all the boxes in your life, you wouldn’t be here right now,” she said.
They were in the living room, where about twenty other people were either standing or sitting, having drinks and chatting. From what he could see, there were also people in the den on the other side of the staircase. Instead of going for the open concept that was popular in homes today, Gray and Morgan had stayed true to the style of this home and kept all the walls in place. So the dining room and kitchen were closed off, but Garrek was sure people were in there as well. It seemed everyone in town wanted to know what this house looked like, as if they hadn’t seen it enough when the family had been on television for seven years.
“Don’t want to talk about why you’re here, huh?” Ida Mae continued when he remained silent.
“I had some time before shipping out to my next post, so I decided to come back here to take care of some business,” he told her. He was getting good at telling just enough of the truth to ease the guilt of still holding something back.
But nobody needed to know what life in Washington had really been like for him in the last six months. They didn’t need to know that his entire career was on the line because of one stupid mistake.
“That’s what I call fate,” Ida Mae said. “Sometimes people get rerouted. They don’t always see it as a good thing, but it works out for the best. That’s fate lending a hand.”
For Garrek, fate was being a cruel and temperamental pain in the ass, threatening everything he’d always wanted in life. Then again, he had learned a little more about the man his father was, and he’d also met Harper as a result of his stay here. What all that meant, he wasn’t ready to think too hard about.
“Would you like something to eat or drink?” he said in the hopes of getting her off the subject of him and his life.
“No. I’ve had some of those finger foods Morgan has in there. I need a real meal, so I sent Wendy back to my place to get the lasagna and garlic bread I baked earlier today. But there’s somebody out on the back porch who could probably use a nice cold beverage.”
“I don’t know that I’m up for more conversation about tours of Temptation,” he said with a shake of his head.
Ida Mae waved a hand, the large diamond on her right ring finger catching the light and sparkling. It was an older-looking marquis setting with a worn silver band. Her husband had probably given it to her a long time ago, and she still wore it proudly. The thought made Garrek think of his mother, who had continued to wear her wedding ring on a necklace around her neck until the day she’d died.
“No, not with that silly child. She’s over there smiling in Barry’s face. He’s smart as a whip, and moving up fast down at the bank. I let him talk me into some investments ’cause he’s got a gorgeous smile, and last summer he even painted my house,” Ida Mae told him. “But you do as I say and take a couple of beers out there to the back porch. Sit down and talk about life and love. That’s what it’s all about, you know—living your life and finding love.”
Garrek wasn’t so sure he agreed with Ida Mae’s words. Life and love hadn’t worked out too well for his family, but he wasn’t about to disrespect the woman. So he leaned in to give her another peck on the cheek. This time she patted the other side of his face, holding him to her for a moment.
“Give Temptation a chance,” she whispered. “Mark my words, it’s worth it.”
A few minutes later and two beers in hand, Garrek let Ida Mae’s words drift from his mind. That was because Harper was on the back porch, sitting in a white chair with big royal-blue pillows behind her. She was wearing a simple black dress. But as he approached, he realized it wasn’t simple at all. It was short. He could tell even though she was sitting down, because there was a lot of bare leg on display. He lifted one of the beer bottles to his lips and took a deep drag. Her shoes were flat but had straps that wrapped around her ankles and up a good portion of her leg. Her hair hung past her shoulders in big fluffy curls.
“Hey,” he said.
She looked up at him and a thick lock of that wispy, very feminine hair fell over one eye. His tongue felt thick in his mouth as his body reacted by warming far beyond what the eighty-degree temperature warranted.
“Hi,” she replied.
“I heard you might be thirsty,” he said, offering her the second beer as he walked closer to where she sat.
“Oh, thank you. I was.” She accepted the beer when he reached her. “I just didn’t want to go back in there.”
To be safe, Garrek sat in a chair across from Harper’s. “Yeah, I know what you mean. There are a lot of people in there.”
“That’s nothing,” she said with a shake of her head after taking her first drink of beer. “There’s a softball game tonight, so a lot of people are down there cheering on the Temptation Tigers as they play the Bartsville Bobcats. For the last couple of years they’ve beat us pretty bad.”
He sat back in the chair and nodded. She knew everything about what went on in town but still managed to keep her distance from it and the people. Garrek wondered if his mother had ever done that. Probably not—listening to Olivia talk about Temptation, he’d gotten the impression that she was as involved with the town as the town had been with the Taylor sextuplets and their reality show.
“That sounds like fun,” he said, even though he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to any type of sporting event.
“I like softball, but people around here can get pretty competitive,” she continued.
“You don’t seem to like anyone in this town,” he said, because he was still trying to figure her out.
“That’s not true,” she replied after taking another drink of her beer. “I think I just don’t have patience for people anymore.”
“You’ve decided that just from living in Temptation? Well, that says a lot about the people here.”
“Oh, no,” she said. “I don’t want you to get the wrong impression about me. I went away to college when I was eighteen, and when I came back I think I was more cynical than I had been before. But that’s just me. It’s in no way intended to be a reflection on the town.”
“Did something happen to make you that way?”
“Well, let’s see, I was bullied all through childhood. Seems it’s some type of unspoken crime to be a tomboy in Temptation.”
“Did you fight back?” he asked, because she did not seem like the type to take any crap from anybody.
She nodded. “Of course I did. Marlon and Craig made sure I knew how to fight just in case boys tried things with me.” She shrugged. “They never did, but I was ready just in case. I was ready.”
She’d repeated herself and stared off somewhere and Garrek was just about to question her more when they were interrupted. In the seconds before the intruder opened her mouth, Garrek knew this wasn’t going to end well.
“Here you are,” Leah said, pouting. “I thought you said you were going to come find me before you left.”
He hadn’t said that, and Leah knew it.
“I’m still here” was his cool response.
Harper had immediately tensed, leaning over to set her half-empty beer bottle on the glass-top coffee table.
“I see,” Leah continued and came to stand beside him.
In that moment Garrek was glad that the chair he was sitting in was made for only one person. Otherwise there was no doubt in his mind that Leah would have made herself comfortable beside him. Instead, she looked over to where Harper was still sitting.
“Thanks for keeping him company, Harper. But I’m here now,” Leah announced.
Harper stood slowly, and so did Garrek. He had no idea what was going to happen next, but wanted to be ready just in case.
“I see you’re still chasing every guy you meet, Leah,” Harper stated evenly.
Leah shook her head. “Don’t get us mixed up—” she began, but Harper was gone suddenly, leaving Garrek standing, surprised, and Leah looking smug.