Third Time's a Charm (Holland Springs #3)(14)

He closed the door gently and turned to face her. “You charge up here, screaming and carrying-on, and now you’re worried about being loud.” He shook his head, a smile playing on his lips.





Tonight, I’m going to fix you the nicest sup-dinner ever.” Rose felt so well rested that she wanted to sing and dance. Amazing what a few hours of good sleep did for a person who’d been living on adrenaline alone for over a month.

The sun shined brightly through the window near the stairs, highlighting the wall behind Sasha.

“Can’t,” he said, his eyes avoiding hers. “I have plans.”

Plans? Then it hit her. “Oh! You have a date.” She gave him her brightest smile. “I hope you have a great time. You should go to Wilmington. They have lots of great restaurants there, but you already know that. The one you took me to was really good. So was the view.” She clamped her mouth shut to stop babbling.

“It’s a business dinner,” he said. “I’m looking for a silent partner.”

“For what?” she asked, not really believing him. She had seen pictures on the internet of him at parties with very important people. People who controlled banks and industries, according to the articles beneath those pictures. So who in the world would he want to talk to in Holland Springs? And she still couldn’t figure out why he was here in the first place.

Sasha did have family living here, but it made no sense that a man like him would actually choose to be in a small town like hers.

“I do plan to have some old friends down, but in the meantime, I want to get some local support from the town’s leaders.”

Local support? Her stomach roiled. “Like who?”

He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her down the hall. “Mayor Jackson for one, and Harrison Collins.”

She forced herself to keep walking at a reasonable pace. “You’re meeting with Harrison Collins tonight?”

“And the mayor. Extremely nice lady. Must be where Jemma Leigh gets it,” he said, not seeming to notice her extreme discomfort. “Aren’t you the least bit curious about what I’m going to do with Retro Dayz?” He paused at the top of the stairs and looked at her, expectation written on his face.

“Tell me what you’re planning,” she replied lamely. She was more concerned about who he was meeting with tonight. A very specific who.

A wry grin appeared. “Don’t get too excited, Rosebud.”

She grabbed the cross at her throat and rubbed. His eyes narrowed in on her actions and she let go of it. It fell back into place, the heated gold warming her skin. “Skye said you were opening a bridal store.”

His eyebrows lifted, and then he laughed. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

“I would think you’d love telling people what not to wear,” she muttered as they descended.

“Oh I do, but in this case, I’ll be telling people what to wear for a job interview,” he said.

“Job interviews?”

“It might come as a shock, but I plan to help out the people of Holland Springs. I want to open a store where women and men can come for appropriate business attire and get interview pointers.”

Flabbergasted, all she could do was ask, “Why?”

He gave her a flippant smile. “I’ve nothing better to do.”

So this was a hobby for him. Was she one of his charity cases? It didn’t matter; she needed the damn money.

Silently they walked to the kitchen. He followed her to the back porch. On the way out, she grabbed Ivy’s baby monitor and clipped it to her pocket. After scooping up the basket she always kept by the back door, she walked to the chicken coop to gather eggs.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Turning to look at him, she swung the basket from side to side. “Getting eggs for the last time.”

He nodded at the chickens pecking at the ground. “Tonight’s dinner?”

She opened the chicken coop and began to gather the eggs. “No, I sold them.”

“Do you usually sell your chickens?”

No, she loved all the animals that lived at Strawberry Grove. Even the stinking chickens. She could see his very nice, very expensive boots as he paced. Her own Wal-Mart specials were faded and scuffed.“The Johnsons made it worthwhile,” she said, sidestepping his question.

“They have a farm?” he asked, unwilling it seemed to just let it go.

“Yes. It was their field where I found you that time.” The euphoria from having a well-deserved nap was wearing away. The reality that she was selling everything she owned just in case she couldn’t keep her home and land replacing it faster than she liked.

“One more question.”

Couldn’t he leave her the hell alone? “What?” she snapped, then immediately regretted it. She needed to be cool Rose. Reasonable Rose.

Silence greeted her and she stood up, searching for him. Maybe he’d left. Her shoe brushed against something soft and one of the chickens began to squawk. “Sorry, Colonel Sanders,” she said.

“Behind you.”

She spun around and found him leaning with one hip against the door.

“I need to go into town. Can I borrow your Jeep since Ivy’s asleep?”