Anything But Sweet (23 page)

At 2:00
A.M
., she shuffled into the living room, naked, took him by the hand, and pulled him
up from the sofa. Then she led him back to the bedroom.

He went.

Willingly.

C
harli woke with elephants parading through her brain. She abruptly sat up, then lay
back down just as quick. Slid one bloodshot eye open and peered around the room.

Empty.

She turned her head and glanced at the clock radio.

Nine o’clock.

Judging by the sunshine peeking through the slats in the window blinds, she knew that
meant nine in the morning, and she was late for work. She threw back the covers, got
out of bed, and went in search of the man who’d held her close all night. And some
painkillers.

Her bare feet slapped against the hardwood floor as she went room to room. Each space
was as empty as the next.

No Reno. No Pumpkin. No Bear.

In the kitchen, she spotted her purse on the granite counter and reached in for the
bottle of Ibuprofen. When she turned to grab a glass of water, she saw the full coffeepot
and the note propped in front.

Thought once you got up you could use a strong cup of coffee. Pumpkin is in the backyard
with Bear. She’s been fed. I’m at the store. Will try to catch up with you later.

Hope you have a good day,

R.

Charli knew she was late for work, and she’d pay hell trying to catch up. Instead
of rushing off to the shower, she poured herself a cup of coffee, splashed in some
sugar, and sat down at the kitchen table. She picked up the note and reread it.

Twice.

In all her thirty-one years, she’d never had a man leave her a morning note. Not
even her father or brother. Not even her filmmaker ex-boyfriend, who’d snuck out
in the middle of the night so he didn’t have to say good-bye.

She turned the piece of plain white paper in her hand. The note was simple. It wasn’t
a love letter. And yet it tugged at her heart.

He cared.

Sure. He probably didn’t want to. But he couldn’t help himself. Reno was a man who
wanted—needed—to look after someone. To be a part of their lives. To hold them.
Love them. Even if he never asked for anything in return. She’d never met a more complex
man. And she was sure she’d never meet anyone again who’d come close to making her
feel like he held her future in his hands and heart.

She sipped the strong coffee, sat back in the sturdy chair, and glanced around the
kitchen. Warm earth tones with a punch of red and solid furniture with a touch of
masculinity. All could easily be softened up with paint, pillows, and rugs. There
were few embellishments, yet the room felt comfortable, like she could sit there all
day and never leave. It did not surprise her that she wanted to do just that. But
the completion of a new Town Square awaited.

She took her coffee and strolled into the living room—surprised he hadn’t created
a mural in his own home. He had amazing talent. Then again, she had the feeling he
didn’t spend much time indoors. Maybe he hadn’t made the time. Or maybe he hadn’t
been inspired yet. He had the perfect wall space, but it was currently hidden by a
pair of bookcases. She walked up to check out his reading choices.

Fitzgerald. Hemingway. Steinbeck. L’Amour. Brontë.

The man certainly had eclectic taste.

She glanced across the bookshelf to a trio of picture frames attached by silver loops
and was not surprised to see those he loved and lost.

Joe Wilder had been a dashing man, with a thick head of blond hair and deep blue eyes
that sparkled with mischief.

Jared Wilder, in his Marine dress blues, had been equally as handsome as any of his
brothers and had a smile that radiated sincerity.

Diana—the great love of Reno’s life—had the unpretentious looks of the girl next
door. She would be anybody’s friend, Charli thought. A good daughter. A good wife.
A good mother.

Charli’s heart broke for the young woman who’d been about to marry the man of her
dreams, then lost it all in one crushing moment that ended her young life.

A slow breath leaked from Charli’s lungs as she picked up the picture frames and looked
into the faces of those who’d been there to help Reno grow into such an amazing man.

A man who deserved happiness.

“
If he’ll have me,
” she told them all silently, “
I’ll take good care of him. I promise.
”

How could she not?

Against everything she’d sworn herself
not
to do, she’d quickly fallen hopelessly, helplessly in love.

She only hoped that, eventually, he’d feel the same way.

L
unchtime rolled around, and Reno helped the rush of folks who’d come into the store
for various odds and ends to get their week started. Mondays were notoriously slow.
Well, most anyway.

Seemed the usual weekend shoppers had waited for the beginning of the week to come
into town to see how far the renovations on Town Square had come. As far as Reno could
see from across the street, they’d gone well.

The new playground had been installed with a variety of colorful playsets and the
rubber mulch Charli insisted on to keep the kids safe. New wood and decorative iron
park benches and picnic tables were in place. Final touches were being added to the
gazebo. And work continued on the new waterfall and creek Charli and the landscapers
had thought would be a nice addition.

It appeared the only thing missing today was Charli.

Not that he’d been standing at the window watching for her. But the few times a customer
had made comments about the square, he’d glanced across the street, expecting to see
her working away. Each time he’d come up empty.

Seemed Charli had been a no-show.

That had started him to worry.

He’d called the house, but there had been no answer. He’d call her cell phone but,
hell, he didn’t have her number. How was it that he’d made love to her numerous times
and didn’t have her damned phone number?

Around two o’clock, the activity in the store slowed, and he figured he could finally
get to the long list of special orders he’d neglected these past few days. Either
that, or he could jump in his truck and rush home to make sure nothing was wrong.
While he contemplated the dilemma, the bell over the door jingled.

To his surprise, Charli strolled in, looking bright-eyed. As she came forward, her
gaze flitted around the store.

“Stop that,” he said.

She looked up. “Stop what?”

“Undressing my store with your eyes.”

“Okay. I’d rather undress
you
anyway.” A deep-throated chuckle bubbled up from beneath her really nicely fitted
cotton top. “But not just with my eyes.”

Great. There went all kinds of wicked thoughts flying through his head. “How’s the
hangover?”

Her slim shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Not an issue. I had a hair of the dog earlier
this morning.”

“You’ve been hitting the strawberry margaritas already? No wonder you look so relaxed.”

“No, silly. After I had two cups of the wonderful coffee you made—and thank you very
much for that—I took a shower and headed to Bud’s. Paige made me a short stack smothered
with strawberries. So since ten this morning, I’ve been on a caffeine-and-sugar
high. I’m pretty sure the crash is going to be ugly.”

Doubting anything she did could be considered
ugly,
he chuckled.

“Whatcha doin?” She leaned over the counter and propped her chin with both hands.
“Ordering more plaid shirts?”

Once he managed to drag his gaze away from the abundance of cleavage she’d offered
him, he caught the amusement in her brown eyes. “You’re feisty today.”

“I’m feeling good,” she said. “Productive.”

“Then to what do I owe this visit, Ms. Productive?” He moved the computer mouse, clicked
on his purchasing spreadsheet, then gave her his full attention—an action far more
satisfying.

“I came for my clock.” She reached a hand across the counter and walked her warm fingers
up his arm with a come-and-get-me grin. “Unless you can think of something better
to do.”

The idea of locking the front door and hauling her into the back room sounded like
a great idea, but he’d promised himself he’d try to put some distance between them.
To do his best to protect his heart even when he knew he’d pretty much already lost
it.

“Being that you already slacked off enough for one day by sleeping in, and you have
a project that needs to be done in just four days,” he said, “I suggest we stick to
the clock thing.”

She sighed. “Okay, but it’s not going to be nearly as much fun.”

Understatement.

There wasn’t anything more fun than getting tangled between the sheets with her.

He slid off the stool and headed toward the storeroom. She followed.

“So what’s this clock look like?”

“It should be in a box about this big.” She demonstrated the size with her hands.
“It’s for the gazebo.”

“You’re putting a clock in the gazebo?”

“Not
in.
On.
It will sit near the top on the street side. It’s solar-powered, but it looks like
an antique, so it will fit into the turn-of-the-century design I’m going for.”

“I hate to admit it, but you and your team have done an outstanding job so far.”

“Thank you.” Her smile burst into a full grin. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

It was
hard
all right. Then again, he wasn’t talking about a damned admission. “When I’m wrong,
I’m willing to own up.”

“I like that in a man.”

He smiled and continued to look for her clock box amid all the other deliveries he’d
received for her projects and had yet to put in order. Best to keep his hands busy
searching so he didn’t have time to think about where else he’d like them to be. She
followed him from the stack of boxes to bundles of boxes all arranged in a haphazard
formation. The sweet peachy scent of her lotion tagged along as an added form of torture.

“Can’t find it?” she asked.

“It’s here somewhere.”

“Are you sure you didn’t
unconsciously
misplace it?”

“Is that what I’m doing?”

“I’d prefer to think that I’ve just dazzled you, and you can’t think straight.”

He laughed. “Well, there is that.”

“I get how you feel about this town, Reno. I truly do.” Her fingers curled into the
front of his shirt and she drew him close. Her luscious mouth hovered mere inches
away. “But sometimes a little freshening up doesn’t hurt. You like what we’ve done
with the senior center, the candy store, and now Town Square. I hope you’ll extend
that same optimism when we get to your place. It’s only a few weeks away, you know.”

A few weeks away.

A few weeks closer to changing everything he loved about this store.

A few weeks of getting to know her better, falling for her a little more every day,
only to have her toss everything out the window as she drove out of his life.

A few weeks until he found himself alone again. Wishing for something he couldn’t
have and wanting it badly just the same.

Maybe he was getting way ahead of himself. But the idea of another devastating loss
tightened around his throat. Sent a cold chill up his back. And pushed him back behind
the wall he’d erected to protect himself.

“Yeah, well, until then, you don’t get to touch a damned thing. Here’s your clock.”
He bent down, pulled out a rectangular box, and shoved it into her hands. “You might
want to hurry so you can get that put up in time.”

He warned himself not to look into her eyes, but he did it anyway.

A deep furrow pulled those delicate brows together over eyes clouded with confusion.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just . . . burning daylight.”

“And that’s enough to make your
mood
do a one-eighty?” She settled the box on her hip and turned that confused look into
a glare. “I don’t think so. What’s wrong?”

“Oh. You know. Just a good hard slap of reality.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with you, Reno. One minute we’re good. The next I
don’t know where the hell you’re coming from.”

“Nobody’s asking you to keep up.”

“Wow.” Her jaw tightened. “Really?”

At his stupid silence, she said, “Fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ve got better things
to do than deal with you and your P
.
M
.
S.”

As she headed toward the exit, Jackson walked in and held the door open for her—behaving
like the gentleman their mother had raised.
He
, on the other hand, needed a good whack upside the head.

“Nice to see you, Ms. Brooks,” Jackson said.

She flashed him a hesitant smile. “Charli.”

“You need help with that?” Jack held out his arms to take the cardboard box.

“No, thanks. I’ve got it.” She turned her head and said to Reno, “Guess I’ll see
you
later.”

With an appreciative eye, Jackson watched her go. Then he turned back to Reno. “What’s
up here, big brother?”

“Working on purchases until she showed up to collect her clock.”

“You could have offered to carry the box for her.”

“Apparently, she didn’t want help.”

“Hmmm.”

Reno glanced up from the computer monitor. “Hmmm, what?”

His brother lifted the straw Stetson from his head and shoved a hand through his hair.
“Thought I saw something going on between you two at the party the other night.”

“Guess you saw wrong.” As cool as possible, Reno went back to perusing the company
names and figures on the spreadsheet so as not to give his overly intuitive brother
any ammunition.

“Bullshit.” Jack grabbed a stool and sat down.

“Don’t make something up that isn’t there, little bro. You’ll only be disappointed.”

“Yeah? Then how come you look like you’re stuck in an emotional blender?”