Embraceable You (Irish Hearts Series) (13 page)

One woman shyly presented a feathered mask at the counter. "For a gift," she said. "My uh, sister."

Siena smiled and replied, "Then take one for yourself, too. A gift from me. It brings out the sensuous woman in you."

The woman left with a smile and a bag with two feathered masks.

That evening, Siena looked up her mother's blog.
RollingonaHarley.

There sat Dana, looking glowingly happy, clinging to Chaz, both sitting astride a Harley motorcycle. Her strawberry red hair was short and spiked and glistened brilliantly in the sun. Her smile was fantastic. Happy.

The blog design was colorful and bright - so like Dana. The sidebar was filled with ads from Harley Motorcycles to RVs to truck tires. All were things that appealed to Dana. And these companies were paying for her content about a unique journey on two wheels. Amazing.

Her posts were ... expressive, explosive, and all Dana!

Rehoboth Beach - a little oyster bed of heaven . . . 

Kill Devil Hills - Fly Baby Fly!! And crawl after the crabs! Zo
wee good . . . 

Charleston - Gates and gardens and oh my, SHRIMP AND GRITS! If you don't love grits after this
dish, you must be bonkers! 

Siena closed the blog with a smile. And a little tear. For the first time in a long time, she felt proud of her mother. And she vowed to tell her so.

Zach headed for
Amazing Lace
with his offer, which he was sure would fix everything. A smart woman like Siena couldn’t refuse; wouldn't refuse. He was confident she would see that his ideas were sharp and, while it would benefit the town, she would also come out on top. And, if he played his cards right, he would get her to hang around after the deal by giving her Zoey’s job. Or find something else to keep her happy and in town. That’s all she needed, right? A job and a little money for the property. And whatever developed between them would be even better.
Yessss!

The sight of her took his breath. She was more beautiful in the daylight than her sexy shape in the dark, if that were possible. She emitted an aura of excitement and sensuality, and he wanted to take her in his arms again, wanted more of her. But there was no invitation in her violet eyes today. For a good half-minute, he stared. All he could think of at the moment was having sex with Siena.

She stared back, with a bit of defiance, if he read her expression right.

He smiled tightly and set a take-out bag on the counter. "I brought lobster rolls. Best in Maine. Wally
lands them in the morning, cooks them in the afternoon."

She didn’t move. Damn, he wished he could read minds. Especially women, because there was always something going on in there, and it was never what he anticipated.

He nodded slowly. "Okay, how about this?" Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, he lifted her black bra from his jacket pocket. "Sorry, took it by mistake in the dark when I left."

"Maybe you shouldn’t have left in such a hurry, grabbing up all the wrong things." She did not reach for the bra or for the lobster rolls. "This is a dangerous game we’re playing, Mr. Mayor."

"We were safe. I made sure." He moved closer and put her bra on the counter. "Who are you today, Siena? Are you the same one I held last night? Or the one who's leaving town tomorrow, with no warning or word. What’s with you?" He reached for her hand but she pulled away.

"Last night was
. . ." She shook her head, leaving him to imagine what she was thinking.

"I thought it was awesome." He folded his arms. "Even now, just looking at you turns me on."

"Is that why you came here today?"

He looked away, then back to her. He
couldn't figure her out, wouldn't even try. "Actually Siena, I came because I have business to discuss with you. Sorry I broke all those sunglasses. I’ll pay for them." He stuffed his hands in his pockets feeling about as helpless as a fisherman without a catch for the day. Losing, that’s what he was doing, before he even started. He should have brought flowers, skipped the food. "You having regrets, Siena? About us?"

She took her time answering. "I'm just wondering what's going on."

"You don't think we can pick up what we once had?"

She wrinkled her nose. "We were young. Probably too young. That’s why – " She halted.

He leaned forward a bit. "Why . . . what?"

"It was good for a while, but didn’t work for the long haul."

"You sure?"

"Yes, positive."

"I thought it was working . . . last night worked." This was not where he wanted to go. He didn’t want to discuss their current relationship, or their past, for that matter. Not now. He had other business to take of now, and yet, he didn’t want to spoil what they had discovered. "I thought last night proved things were still hot between us. And that’s a good thing, from my view."

"I’m not denying heat." She folded her arms and leaned on the counter. "But you came here for something else, right? I understand that you’re interested in buying the shop, tearing down the building, making a mall. Did you discuss any of this with my aunt?"

"Where did you hear all that?"

"This is a small town, Zach. What do you think? Did my aunt agree to your plan? Did she want all this destroyed?"

"She left before we could agree on the final offer. But she was concerned about our needs to get more businesses in town to bolster the economy. Personally, my goal as mayor is to make Haven’s Point a better place through a variety of business opportunities. I’m in a position to fix things. And I damn-well intend to give it my best shot."

"Are these particular changes
, tearing something down, necessary for the economy to succeed?"

"Yes, you might say that. Everything's changing around us and we're static. We've lost our economic base." Zach shifted uncomfortably.

"Is this the only way you can turn things around?" she asked.

"From the direction of this conversation, I can’t satisfy you with my answer."

"Well, satisfy me with the proposal."

He decided to give it a try. "We have a plan. To revive the town. And businesses."

"We? Who is that?"

"The City Council passed and approved an ordinance to --"

"Tear down my aunt's property."

He smiled tightly. "This building, and possibly others
, like that old fishing warehouse and wharf. I’m sure we can work together on a deal."

She leaned forward. "Starting in bed? Is that why you – "

"Hell no! That had nothing to do with this. That was . . . what we have between us is apart from business."

"Um-hum." Siena raised her eyebrows and opened one palm. "The offer, please? It may affect my future and decisions. Maybe even my life."

"I think it will, in a positive way. And mine, as well. Our plan to revive the city is to build a new mall in the traditional Down East style, lighthouses and such, where a variety of shops can be grouped together under one roof, sharing walkways, utilities and other facilities. Sound good?"

She nodded. "Sounds smart. Where?"

He shifted uneasily. "Right here, Siena. This is the best location. The road into town, inviting people to come on up and stay awhile. Overlooking the bay. Visible. Convenient."

"And so
. . ."

"The town will buy your property. Here’s what we’re offering." He pulled a neatly folded sheet of paper from his jacket pocket.

She opened it slowly and looked over the page. Her eyes grew narrow and daggered right into him. "This is for the land. What about the building?"

"I'm afraid it isn’t worth much. It’s old and – "

"What will happen to it?"

He shrugged and wanted to crawl under something. "We’d probably tear it down. It’s structure isn’t solid enough and – "

"So you really aren’t paying me anything for the building."

"We’re paying more than market value for the property."

"What will my tenants do? George and the others."

"We’ll find them space somewhere else until the mall is finished. Then they’ll have options to join the mall or go to another location."

"Limited options, then."

"Well, you can always move this building to salvage it."

"Move it? At my considerable expense?" Her cheeks flared pink. "You know I don't have that kind of money."

He could see she wasn’t going along with his idea. He’d have to strategize this further to convince her. "Tell you what, Siena. Take your time and think about it. I’m sure you’ll see the value in this whole plan, for the town and for you."

"How is it value for me?"

"You won’t get a better offer – if any at all, for this old building. Come on, Siena. Drastic times call for drastic measures. Haven’s Point is drowning, like so many other small towns along th
e coast. Our economy is season based. This could be a lifesaver."

"Sounds like Draconian measures to me. Tearing down a person’s business and leaving her without enough money for anything."

"Listen, if you’re still looking for a job, Zoey’s position will be vacant soon." He smiled. "I’d love to have you working in the mayor’s office."

"Thanks." Siena smiled tightly. "But no thanks. That’s not the kind of job I’m looking for."

He didn’t know what to think. She should be pleased with the offer. Grateful, even. He expected her to try to haggle about the price, maybe discuss the job. If she really rejected Zoey's position, he would try to find her something else, maybe something to do with her marketing experience. "I’ll give you time to think about it, Siena. I believe you’ll have to agree it’s the best idea for all concerned." He turned to go.

"Zach. What about the mermaids?"

What the hell was she talking about? He stopped and turned around. "What mermaids?"

She pointed over the door. "And there are others. Come with me."

He noticed the mermaids over the door for the first time. Well, he hadn't been there that much. That must be what Zoey was talking about when she said something about saving the mermaids. He followed Siena to the staircase leading to her apartment. She pointed to the stained glass window up high near the ceiling, hidden behind a brown shutter.

"When the sun shines through the glass, it sends colored light all the way down the steps. Just amazing.
It's like they come to life." Her voice quivered.

He looked up and could barely see the stained glass window. He certainly wouldn't have noticed it. Ever. "Ah, so this is the mermaid stained glass I’ve heard about."

"One of many around town, so I hear. Aunt Addie’s husband, the artist Luciano Santioli, made them. According to some, he created many of these gorgeous mermaid windows, and there are more of them hidden around town. He became so good that the Smithsonian has one. And some museum in Italy. Florence, I think. So, these are real treasures." She smiled with pride gleaming in her eyes.

"In a fishing town, mermaids signify bad luck." Zach knew of one boat in particular, that had deadly bad luck. A mermaid had been the foremast siren luring his dad to the depths. And
Zach resented the hell out of it.

Siena headed back to the shop.
"If you believe that sort of thing. I’m not so sure they’re bad luck, but maybe that’s why the town advised Aunt Addie to destroy them or to hide them. So she shuttered some and painted over others. That way, you can’t see their real beauty, the colored light, from the street."

"Oh, so this is about the mermaids?" He felt at a loss to understand her. Maybe this had less to do with the two of them than the deal to buy her out and boost Haven’s Point's economy. Maybe it was all about preserving Aunt Addie's legacy and these
sexy mermaids.

She turned to face him. "Zach, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to these mermaids. You don’t really believe that bad luck omen, do you? They’re beautiful and historical and . . . I just can’t imagine losing them."

"We’d make sure to salvage them for you."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Kiss me, Zach. And assure me
. . ."

"It’s for the best, Siena." His lips caressed hers. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

"I just want to know the truth. What’s the best for me… and all concerned."

"Trust me." He kissed her, softly at first, and then he drew her into his arms and let the kiss grow in strength and passion. He couldn’t let her go until . . . couldn’t stand parting without
. . . couldn’t put out the fire in his belly except one way.

She pushed them apart, gently but firmly. "We shouldn't mix business with pleasure. Our pleasure will have to wait."

"I hate waiting. Make your decision fast. I’m dying here without you." He touched his heart and stepped back.

"Wait Zach. One more thing."

He turned around. God, she was beautiful when upset. Or making love. Or just standing there. So very kissable.