Embraceable You (Irish Hearts Series) (16 page)

She drew lazy lines over his skin, caressing and soothing. "Zach, this is important to me. Tell me the truth. Did I have anything to do with you breaking up with Monique?"

"Out of the clear blue, after
tonight, you’re asking?" He kissed her shoulder.

"She came by to see who had taken her man."

"Damn! What's with her? She can't accept the inevitable. You know Siena, she and I – we were broken before you arrived." He turned his face away.

"But you
said you cared for her."

"Yes, o
f course. I saved her life and that brings a certain . . . responsibility. And care."

"For her sexual satisfaction?"

He paused and took a deep breath. "I'm trying not to get mad, here Siena. Honest to God, we never quite fit. I’m from the wrong side of the tracks. She comes from a silver-spoon family. And she couldn’t forget it. Wouldn't let me forget."

"These are just some things I need to know. Do we fit, Zach? You and I?"

"Um-hum." He pressed his face against the side of hers and traced her curves with one hand. "Do we ever!"

"Do I fit here?"

"Absolutely. Every inch of you." He caressed her again with his palm.

"I meant do I fit here in Haven’s Point?"

"Oh." He paused. "Well, honestly I’m not exactly sure about that. You know these locals don't take easily to outsiders. Do you want to fit?"

"Of course. If I stay, I do."

"I'd rather you just fit with me."

"If you spend the night with me tonight, would it be because you’re trying to bribe me?"

"Bribe you?" He shifted and tried to look at her. "For what?"

"For my property."

"It probably wouldn’t look good to the town. But it’s not the reason I’m here, in your bed. It’s because . . . I can’t stay away."

"That's lovely," she purred. "Because that's why I'm here, too. But I'm afraid this isn't good for business. And you need to know that I’m not going to . . . "

"Not going to what? Stay? How can I change your mind?"

"
I'm staying. Just not going to sell out. Not the property, the building, or my own standards."

He sat up, leaving her cool and wanting him on the bed. "What? Why?"

She clutched the sheet to her breasts. "Because I’ve decided to make it a shop of my own. New merchandise. Different look. Change for the better. And I’m uncovering those mermaids. All of them. There are plenty more in storage and we’re going to open that little art shop downstairs and turn it into a mermaid gallery and -- "

"Are you crazy?" He walked around, looking for his jeans.

"No. I’ve come to my competitive senses."

"Competitive? Nothing in this town is competitive."

"That's the trouble. Maybe they'll take inspiration from me. What’s wrong is that everybody has lost their creativity, their innovation, their competitive spirit. And that's what keeps a town young and alive."

"Well and good." He pulled on his socks and reached for his pants. "We’ll see how things go for you without any
local support." He stuck one leg at a time in his jeans and tucked his package inside before zipping them.

"You’ll come back begging, Siena. You’ll want me to buy this hunk of junk to save your ass. And you know something crazy? I’ll be there for you, because I . . . want to help you.
And I have the possibility of using imminent domain. It’s for the greater good of the town."

“And I have the power of due process. I’ll tie it up in court for ten years. For the greater good, indeed!
You didn’t mean any of it, did you? You just wanted to be here, in my bed – "

"Damn it Siena! Don’t say that! You know it isn’t that way with us."

"I only want to hear the truth, Zach." Siena watched him dress, expressing his anger with each thrust of a leg, each jab of an arm. "The truth about how you feel about me."

He put on his coat. "Don’t think this is over. I’ll be back."

"Tonight? For the night?" She sat up on her knees, pulling the sheet to her breasts.

"No, not tonight. Can’t. But if you need anything during the storm, if your electricity goes out, whatever, just call. We have a committee that’s on alert to help anyone in need during the storm."

"I don’t want a committee, Zach. I want you."

"I have responsibilities, Siena. And we have a blizzard on us. Can’t you understand my point? People may need me." He exited quickly, slamming the door. She could hear him stomping down the outside stairs.

Monique’s warning came creeping back.
He only cares about his job. He’ll do anything to get what he wants.

Maybe it was the same with her. Whatever made Siena think it was anything more? And why was she so crazy-crazy-crazy for that man?

*     *     *

While the storm did a huge snow job on Haven’s Point, Siena did her homework on the computer. She researched products and companies. She made phone calls and baked brownies with mint.

She created a list of pros and cons, made a plus-delta chart. She brainstormed with circles and arrows, letting ideas go wild. She outlined a sketchy business plan and baked chocolate chip cookies with caramels and jalapeños.

Siena thought of Goldie, her ex-landlord back in Boston, as a young bride standing up to her dominant father-in-law to sell bread in his butcher shop. Who would want bread when they could have meat? Who, indeed? The public. Her customers. Goldie showed him and everyone.

And damn it, she would show Zach – and Haven’s Point – a different kind of business, one that would work. Create jobs. Offer hope. Give power through sales of the
Amazing Lace
these women create.

Siena baked Goldie’s zucchini bread, adding a handful of dried cranberries for local color. She imagined following Goldie's lead through the murky waters of creating her own business. And
the pride of finding her own way. She munched the warm sweet bread and dropped a few crumbs for the cats, which they rejected. And through it all, she became convinced that this was the right thing for her to do, right now, right here. And she wanted to do it, really wanted to make it happen.

She knew, from experience and her evaluations, that she needed money. Not much, but some for an initial investment.

If Zach’s devious offer, Monique’s threats, and George’s dire prediction that she just didn’t fit into Haven's Point couldn’t stop her, why would she let the lack of money get in her way? She'd find it, somehow.

Siena gave credit to her genes from her strong, admirable aunt. But what held Aunt Addie back, kept her from succeeding further? Money? Her position as a woman? Determination and drive? Siena vowed to at least try to make something of this miserable little heap she found herself in. A part of her wanted to prove to George and Zach and even Monique that she really did fit in Haven’s Point.

And another part of her really didn’t give a damn. She just wanted to make her own path. It was crazy, but . . . as Dana often said, it was her own path. Oh God, she couldn’t believe she was giving credit to some of her wacky mother’s philosophy. But she had those genes, too.

Damn, look at Dana now. Doing her own thing with her little Rolling on a Harley blog.

"You want to do what?" Roberta asked with a tremble in her voice. Her teacup and saucer rattled in her hand.

"You want us to going into the lingerie business?" Carrie asked and looked down into her teacup as if her fortune were floating there.

"Change the name to
Amazing Lace Lingerie Salon
?" Claire took a brownie and examined it closely. "It sounds like risky business to me."

"I kinda like it," Carrie admitted.

"It's catchy," Roberta said.

"
I love the idea. Listen Ladies,
we
are going into the lingerie business," Siena said as she served mint brownies all around. She smiled persuasively. "Together. This is a joint effort. Your lace to enhance my lingerie designs."

"I admire your ambition," Roberta said, taking a tiny sip of tea. "But my dear, this town will never go for it."

Siena stiffened her back. "Why? Don’t the women around here have needs? And breasts that need uplifting in a beautiful way? With lacy shapewear?"

"Shapewear? Think it’ll shape me up?" Carrie laughed as she patted her thick middle. "At this point in my life, it's not my priority."

"Ladies, this is a comfort revolution. These products will be more comfortable and still give you the support you need. Don't you want to look good? Feel better?" Siena couldn't believe they weren't jumping up and down, crazy about the idea.

"Carrie, maybe we all could use a bit of shapewear."
Claire took a modest bite of brownie. "Siena, you definitely have your aunt’s spirit. Um-hmmm, and her flair in the kitchen. This brownie is delicious."

"And," Roberta added with a shake of her head, "you have her same illogical, misguided judgment on business. She thought we could sell our lace in her shop. Kept talking about it being powerful in some way."

"Don't you believe it? You were the one who said – "

"I know, I know." Roberta propped her hands on her hips. "But that was just a promotional gimmick. Not sure I believed it had any power, not nearly as much as Addie
and Claire claimed."

"Sounds like Siena
is putting forth a modern idea for selling our lace. Since nobody believes in the lace's power, let's see if this works." Claire picked up her working lace and smoothed it on her thigh.

Siena added quietly, "It’s all about business. Women’s business. Don't you see? The power will come… later."

Carrie lifted her chin. "We know all about the struggles of women in business in Haven's Point. We've been through everything with Addie. And our own problems. She toyed with the idea of our lace and lingerie." She shrugged. "What a fiasco that was. Even Addie backed down."

"We just want to save you that kind of trouble, dear," Roberta said.

"That was then. This is now. Modern era. Twenty-first Century. We all need jobs. Listen, this is exciting. I've talked to a textile manufacturing organization in South Carolina. They are willing to work with us, take a chance on us. Together we can create a force for women." Siena paused.

Claire
spoke up. "It's not that we don't think it's a splendid idea, it's that we've been down this path before and it didn't work."

"Does that mean you don't even want to try? My way?" Siena sat down and leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "What if we deviate from the previous path and drive forward through the slush in our own SUV? We will push aside the pile of snow that is our resistance and plow ahead, making room for ours and other women's
businesses in Haven's Point. We'll make our lingerie the most beautiful and loving things women can wear next to their hearts. It will be what women desire and men will want to buy our products for the women they love. It will give power to our lace because people will want it. And it'll sell."

Claire
sighed. "You are very convincing, Siena. I like that."

Roberta and Carrie mumbled something between them, and
Claire added, "Well, she is. She's like Addie, or a younger Addie. She has ideas. And she's bold."

Siena looked away. "Does that mean I have your support? Without it, I may as well pack it in and go back where I came from. No job. No fiancé. And now, no apartment. And you might as well pack up your lace
because without my plan, you won't sell enough to provide more needles."

"Please don't leave us."
Claire leaned forward and patted her hand. "We need you. Need your strong spirit."

Siena stood up and walked around the shop. "And I need you as my support team. To be on my side. I'm surprised at your resistance. I thought you wanted to sell your lace."

"Are you sure you’re up for the fight?" Claire cocked her head to one side.

Siena could not understand their resistance. She had complete confidence that it would work. Why would this be a fight? The plan was so logical. It filled a niche. Made good use of lace. And would support the local women, in more ways than one.

"Bring it on," she said, making two fighting fist pumps.

"I guess just because things didn’t work in the past, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try them now," Carrie said with a brave smile. "Okay, I'm with you. What do you want us to do?"

"Just continue making your lace, and especially those pillows. We're going to have a Valentine's Day party next week and promote the Heart's Desire pillows."

"A party? Well, that'll be fun." Roberta adjusted her wig. "Then we'd better get busy making more pillows."

Claire squeezed her hand. "Siena, you have our support. Right, ladies?"

"Thanks. I'm going to need it."

"You've got it, sister," Claire said with a clap of her hands. "We're creating a new business at
Amazing Lace Lingerie Salon
!"