Saved by the Bride (8 page)

She did. Once one big client pulled out, others often followed
and although it was never a good time to lose a client, now was not even close
to good. She rested her chin in the palm of her hand. She was so very weary of
the business. She’d grown up hearing nothing else talked about in her father’s
house and of course, post-divorce, it had never been mentioned in her mother’s.
Although Finn sided with his mother over the divorce, business ran deep in his
veins and he’d taken to the company like a duck to water. But not her.

Truth be told, part of the reason she’d done her master’s and
was now doing her PhD was to avoid telling her father she didn’t want to work at
AKP when she got her doctorate. And to avoid telling her mother the same thing.
She didn’t want to disappoint her father or please her mother in that particular
way, so she was treading water, not having said “yes” and not having said
“no”—instead leaving it all up in the air. She’d honored her promise to her
father and earned her generous allowance by doing a variety of summer jobs for
the company over the years but she didn’t view it as training for the future
like Sean did. Not that she had any regrets about the work though because it was
through AKP that she’d met Hank.

Solid, quiet and often in-his-own-world Hank. The first time
she’d seen him was on the factory floor. He’d looked up from a machine that lay
in pieces and had given her a gentle smile, his honey-brown eyes warm behind his
dark-rimmed glasses. It had been a split-second smile before he’d quickly turned
back to the job in hand. Used to the charismatic charm of her father and brother
where Irish drama often punctuated the day, Hank had seemed like a refuge. She’d
set about to meet him again. And again and again. When he hadn’t asked her out,
she’d asked him. After dating exclusively for one year she knew exactly what she
wanted—a long life with Hank. A year later, with no sign from him that he wanted
to move forward but with no signs that he wanted to back out, and with her
biological clock ticking loudly, she’d proposed. He’d accepted.

She chewed her lip. “I should come visit and stay with
you.”

A soft sigh vibrated down the line. “Bridey, you said what you
wanted most was a summer at the lake with your family. So take it.”

Yes
,
but
you
were
supposed
to
be
here
too
. “Won’t you miss me?” As the words shot out she
wanted to pull them back. When had she got so needy?

The
moment
you
proposed
to
him
.

She could hear noise in the background and someone shouting his
name.

“Bridey, I’m sorry but this really isn’t a good time. I’ll call
you tonight and meanwhile you have fun.”

The line went dead.
Fun
. She
dropped her phone onto the cushion. This time at the lake wasn’t about fun. It
was about insurance. All part of the series of steps that started with one happy
summer which would lead into one happy Christmas and culminate in one enormous,
happy wedding that proved to the world they belonged together. The plan was
going to give her and Hank everything her parents had never had, and ensure that
she and Hank had a long and wonderful life together.

The roar of a car interrupted her thoughts and she peered
through the trees, glimpsing a streak of red disappearing down the drive. Finn’s
Ferrari California. The sound of the lunch bell tinkled.
Damn
it
,
Finn
! How hard was
it to get
one
summer where her family acted like
other families and actually spent time together.

Chapter Five

“And this is the Main Street square.”

Watching Annika walking backward in those damn short shorts as
well as admiring the way her T-shirt moved over her small but perfectly round
breasts, had Finn regretting his spur-of-the-moment idea to come into town with
her to avoid Dana’s lunch. What had seemed the perfect solution to missing lunch
had started to unravel the moment she’d grasped his hand on the beach. Her
boundless energy had run along his veins, firing up a reaction of base need he
was finding difficult to quash. The not-so-perfect solution had continued to
taunt him on the journey into Whitetail with her perfume filling his car and
making him breathe more deeply. Adding insult to injury, the AC had blown
strands of her long hair onto his arm where they’d stayed, held by a static
force sent to mock him.

The insane thing was he didn’t like her so his reaction to her
made no sense. As soon as his body got
that
message
everything would be fine. He hauled his gaze up to the Richardsonian
Romanesque–style turret and clock tower that graced the City Hall of a town that
fell so far short of a city it was a joke. Its grandeur was in stark contrast to
the other buildings which had plain, flat-fronted facades although the cinema
flirted with a faux Tudor style. “That’s one hell of a building.”

“My Swedish ancestors had a vision.” Annika looked up at the
clock with a wistful expression on her face and then turned back to him. “I’m
starving and you promised me lunch.”

“What about here?” Finn glanced up at the faded sign that said
Sven’s Swedish Smörgåsbord. Välkommen. “Is this place any good?”

“The pickled herring’s to die for.”

He opened the door for her with a teasing grin. “In that case,
be my guest and order yourself a huge plate.”

“Actually, I prefer the lingonberry pancakes.” With eyes
sparkling, she ducked under his arm and promptly tripped over the snow grate
that was permanently in place.

His arm shot out to steady her, his fingers wrapping around the
waistband of her shorts and brushing up against warm, soft skin. “Did you enjoy
your trip?”

Her dry tone matched her eye roll. “Your wit astounds me.
Excuse me while I hold my stomach muscles together from laughter.”

He grinned. “My friends laugh at my jokes.”

“You have friends?” Her mock surprise was followed by her
patting his arm. “That’s good to hear.”

He laughed and as she stepped out of his hold, the scent of her
hair filled his nostrils with the uncomplicated aroma of apples and cinnamon.
One of the comfort foods Esther had been making him since he was a kid.

Just
remember
,
she’s
bossy
and
opinionated
—
everything
you
don’t
like
in
a
woman
.

The restaurant was busy and the hostess seated them in a booth
with a jug of fresh iced tea and she recommended the Pytt Panna: Swedish roast
beef hash served over a hardboiled egg with a side of pickled beets. Finn
thought the pancakes sounded like a safe bet.

While Annika sipped her drink she got a familiar glint in her
eye—the one that said, “It’s time to talk.” She stirred the ice with her straw.
“Now that you’ve seen the warehouses and the town, you’ve seen the potential and
you know you want to use them.”

The business park had been a pleasant surprise and it was in
very good condition. As an investment it had been a good deal, but then Sean
rarely made bad deals—only bad marriages. He shook his head. “Sorry.”

Two small lines formed at the bridge of her nose. “So nothing
you’ve seen in the last hour has changed your mind?”

“It’s not sound business.”

She pursued her lips and leaned forward. “Then sell them now.
There might just be a company they’re perfect for who would use them and employ
Whitetail’s workforce.”

She’d just echoed one of his emerging thoughts although given
how tight things were he’d be stunned if they sold quickly. He rubbed his chin.
“I suppose I could put them on the market but I’m not selling at a loss.”

“Obviously.”

She’d just surprised him. He’d picked her as having no business
savvy at all. “I’ll call my Realtor.”

Annika flinched. “Could you use Ellery Johnston, the Whitetail
Realtor? That way, if you sell, some money stays in the town.”

He contemplated her suggestion for a long moment wondering if
there was any way it might actually work. “I doubt he’d have the contacts and
reach of my guy.”

She huffed out a breath as if he’d just insulted her.
“Whitetail might be a long way north but we’re connected to the world. Even our
paper is online.”

“Still...” He couldn’t picture a small-town Realtor with
Gavin’s killer drive.

She tapped her finger on the table. “Oh, now here’s an idea.
You could wait until you’ve met Ellery before you leap to conclusions. You make
a lot of snap decisions, don’t you?”

“No, I make considered decisions quickly.” He wasn’t used to
anyone being this up front with him but instead of taking offense he found
himself enjoying the challenge. He leaned forward, hooking her gaze, and used
one of his negotiating tactics—staring down the opposition. “As mayor, shouldn’t
you be humoring me?”

Vivid blue eyes held his stare. “What are you going to do? Lock
me up again?”

Something about the way she said the words in that husky voice
of hers had him picturing her wearing only handcuffs and white cotton panties.
It shouldn’t have turned him on in the least but the restaurant suddenly seemed
hot. “Don’t give me ideas.”

“Hi, Anni. Both Ellery and Nicole are looking for you.” The
waitress, whose name badge said “Olivia,” arrived with a pen in hand and wearing
a white blouse, black pants and a long, red-and-white-striped bibbed apron.

She gave Finn an appreciative look from under thick, dark
lashes. Exactly the sort of glance he’d been receiving since high school and one
he was completely at ease with, unlike the combative one he’d just got from
Annika. He returned Olivia’s flirtatious peek with an easy smile.

She fluttered her eyelashes at him as she asked, “Who’s your
handsome friend, Anni?”

Annika glanced around as if looking for someone and then said
with a cheeky grin, “Oh, you mean Finn? Livvy, meet Finn Callahan.”

Olivia beamed. “Mr. Callahan, it’s so great you’re going to
provide jobs for Whitetail. My boyfriend was about to leave town for work so
thank you.”

Finn opened his mouth to deny everything when Olivia called out
to the half-full restaurant, “Everyone, this is Finn Callahan.”

A murmur buzzed around the room and people rose and headed over
to the booth, each of them wanting to shake his hand and tell him their story of
how a new employer would mean their brother, father, sister, cousin, aunt,
uncle, niece, nephew and every other relative in between would be able to stay
in Whitetail.

Throughout the introductions, Annika had stayed completely
silent but he could feel her gaze on him.

“So when will you be opening?” John asked.

Annika spoke, her voice firm and crisp, reminding him of his
media consultant. “AKP Industries has no plans to operate out of Whitetail and
are putting the warehouses on the market.”

The warm reception from the locals turned frosty.

“Typical Callahan.”

He heard the vitriol in the man’s voice and it raised his ire.
“Would you care to explain that?”

John leaned his hands against the table. “My father and your
grandfather used to fish together but that was back in the days before that big
house, private helicopters and the Callahans thinking they were above the
town.”

“John, please.” Annika put her hand over the market
owner’s.

Finn instantly defended Grandpa. “My grandfather loved the lake
and he drove a rusted-out truck. He had
nothing
to
do with the Kylemore of today. That was built by my father.”

John snorted. “And don’t we know it. Your father turned his
back on this town from the moment he used contractors from Chicago to build that
house. He’s hardly put a cent into the economy and now you’re following his
lead.”

A murmur of agreement rumbled around the restaurant.

He only accepted being compared to his father in terms of being
a successful businessman. He’d never liked what Sean had done to Kylemore or the
way he’d gone about it. “No, I’m not.”

“Then give me an example of how you’re contributing to
Whitetail?”

“He’s using Ellery as the Realtor to sell the warehouses.”
Annika’s voice sounded unexpectedly conciliatory, as if she was on his side.

Surprised, he glanced at her but her expression said, “You
agreed to that, remember.”

The market owner wasn’t impressed. “That’s it? That’s your
contribution?” He turned to the gathered diners, his voice full of disgust.
“He’s not even going to employ one Whitetalian. I’m telling you, he’s his
father’s son.”

Finn pressed his thumbs hard into his temples. He admired
Sean’s business sense but not the rest of the way his father lived his life or
his many marriages. Going on the derisive curl of the market owner’s lip, John
wasn’t making any distinction between business and the man. Finn refused to be
cast in the same collective light as his father and he’d prove the difference
right this second even if it went against his better business judgment.

He stood up, looking straight over the older man’s head toward
the group. “I need a P.A. for the summer here in Whitetail. I’ll employ the
person who knows their way around data processing and spreadsheets, is
absolutely reliable and not afraid of hard work. Who fits that description?”

“Anni.” Several voices spoke at once.

Annika made a choking sound.

“She’s the fill-in when people take vacations.” John nodded.
“You can’t go wrong with Anni. She’s always helping out.”

Shit
. Numerous pairs of expectant
eyes were glued on him and after his grandstanding statement no way could he
renege on his promise without risking being lynched by the townsfolk of
Whitetail. The idea of Annika Jacobson as his P.A. and working closely with her
had him all itchy and scratchy and hot and cold. He knew the best way to get
over this foolish attraction was by simply not seeing her because once she was
out of sight she would be out of mind. Working with her would make that
impossible. How the hell was he going to get out of this mess?

Sneaking a quick glance at her, he immediately let go of a
breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. As it whooshed out he felt a surge
of laughter bubbling up in his chest and somehow he managed not to grin widely.
Annika sat opposite him, every part of her rigid and screaming that the idea of
being his P.A. more than appalled her.

He instantly relaxed as he realized there was no way in the
world she’d take the job. Even better than that was the fact that
this
had become a win-win situation for him. She’d
find him a P.A. that wasn’t her and at the same time inadvertently save him from
being held up as his father’s son.

“No, this isn’t going to work.” Annika finally found her voice
amid her gasping surprise and absolute horror at the idea of working closely or
to be more precise, in close proximately with Finn Callahan. It had been hard
enough sitting next to him in the confines of his low-slung sports car
surrounded by the seductive scent of leather and the suddenly sexy scent of
Tide. How did the man convert the clean smell of fresh laundry powder into a
turn-on?

She was seriously losing it and she had to put a stop to this
nonsense right now. She appealed to the town. “Are you forgetting this is the
man who insisted I spend a night in the cells?”

Melissa pursed her lips. “Well, to be honest, Anni, it was
pretty silly trying to climb through a window in one of my most expensive
dresses.”

Her voice rose. “I’ve paid for it.”
And
I’m
flat
broke
with
no
phone
service
and
nothing
else
to
fall
back
on
.

“You also told us everything was all sorted out.” Olivia turned
and batted her eyelashes. “There’re no hard feelings, are there, Mr.
Callahan?”

This time Finn was the one to choke but he rallied quickly and
gave the crowd his winning smile. The one that looked guileless, but she knew
better.

“Absolutely. All that misunderstanding is water under the
bridge.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his expression full of consideration
with a hint of challenge. “Although, if Annika’s uncomfortable working for me
then I
totally
understand and I’m happy to employ
someone else.”

And there it was. He’d just turned it all back on her.

“She needs a paying job.” Mrs. Norell clucked like a mother hen
and gave Finn a beatific smile.

Annika surely didn’t need “help” like this. “Mrs. Norell, I’m
doing just fine.”

“Honey, we know you’d like more work just like everyone else
around here, especially as your calligraphy work has been quiet too.”

Oh
great
,
tell
Finn
Callahan
everything
. “I don’t have time to work for him when
I’m acting mayor.” Her voice sounded loud and defensive and she blew out a long
breath. “That’s a full-time job in itself.”

“Is Anni here?” Nicole’s voice called out from behind the group
which parted to let her through. She rushed forward seeming oblivious to Finn
and the fact that everyone was standing around their booth. “I’ve been chasing
you all morning. Why didn’t you return my messages?”