Slow Summer Burn: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance (9 page)

“Do you think you’re going to be ready?”

Seb nodded. “I have the staff squared away, so I sent them home. They’ll be back tomorrow for prep work after we get the whole space cleaned up. And Saturday night’s for friends and family only, so it’ll be a kinder, gentler crowd.”

Val laughed. Seb’s friends were all foodies or chefs, and he had no doubt they’d be as tough as any critics—in the nicest possible way, of course. “I’ll be kind, that’s for sure. I’m just happy to get fed.”

“I owe you more than a meal for all you’ve done here tonight. Thanks, man.”

“Don’t thank me too much,” Val said. “I have to cut out of here in a bit.”

Seb removed his arm and looked at him speculatively. “Really? Where’re you going?”

Just then, Cole came by with a closed paint can. “Seb, could you help me with this?”

Seb grabbed the can. “Sure thing. We’ll need a screwdriver. Let me go get one.” His brother walked away, and Val gave Cole a short nod to thank him for getting Seb off his back.

Despite the sling, Cole still looked fierce, his black hair swept off his face, his scar white against the tan of his skin. “Where are you taking her tonight?”

“Don’t know.”

“You could always bring her back here. We’re taking out pizza later, just to get through this.”

Val pressed his lips together. Subjecting Cameron Stahl to his family wasn’t something he’d planned to do tonight. Sure, she knew the whole family, but seeing them like this might be overwhelming for her.

Julie came up to them, her sandy-blond hair held back in a ponytail. She was wearing jeans, which were splattered with a bit of paint. As soon as Cole saw her, his eyes warmed. “Hey,” she said, slipping her arm around Cole’s waist. “How’s the shoulder?”

“Okay.”

“Not hurting too badly?”

“No, Doc.” Then he bent his head down and kissed her. When he lifted his head, Julie’s eyes were slightly glazed.

“You sure
you
want to be here?” Val muttered.

“We have to help Seb get this place ready,” Cole said, determination in his voice. “Hey, Seb!” he called out across the yard. “What are you planning to name the place?”

“Ah, hell, I don’t know,” Seb said, wedging a screwdriver under the top of the paint can and popping it off. “It’s been in the back of my mind, but I just haven’t had the bandwidth to think about it.”

Lexie poked her head out of the schoolhouse. “Are we doing names?”

“Yeah, Spice,” Seb said. “Any suggestions?”

Theo picked his head up. “Summer School?” he offered, and Avery, who’d come out of the building right behind Lexie, laughed.

Cole gave him a look. “No.”

Theo just shrugged and stood, enveloping Avery in his arms and kissing the top of her shimmering red hair.

“How about Summer Shack?” Julie suggested.

Lexie shook her head. “Another famous chef took that one. Maybe Grayson’s School of Cooking?”

“That sounds like I’m running a culinary institute. We need a school theme. I like Schooled,” Seb mused. “It sounds kind of naughty. Or Hot for Grayson.”

Avery’s cheeks turned bright red, even as Theo and Cole burst out laughing. “Yeah, man,” Cole said. “That’ll draw the crowds for sure.”

“Absolutely not,” Lexie said in a stern tone of voice.

Seb’s mouth turned up in the hint of a wicked smile before he wiped it away and tried to look grave. “I’m going to withdraw those last two suggestions.” Seemingly mollified, Lexie tilted her head up and kissed him on the lips.

Val cleared his throat. “Why don’t you call it what it is? The Schoolhouse. Everyone’s going to know it’s your place, anyway.”

Seb thought for a moment. “That could work. I can always change it later.” He clapped his hands together. “The Schoolhouse it is! Cole, can you make up the sign?”

“I’ll do my best,” he said.

“I’ll help you,” Julie stated, grabbing the open paint can. “Lexie, can you spare me for a little bit?”

“Of course. Come on, Avery. We have some stenciling to do,” Lexie said, heading back inside, Avery hot on her heels.

After the women had gone, Val put together one of the numerous tables sitting in pieces on the lawn. After hauling the table inside and clearing away a bunch of packing material, he glanced at his watch. Seven-thirty. Just enough time to get back to the boat, take a quick shower, and pick up Cameron.

But then he looked around and almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. There was such a ridiculous amount of work to get through, there was no way, even with all seven of them working nonstop, they were going to manage it. God, he’d really wanted to see Cameron. To know that for just that one evening, she was his. He shook his head. His brothers always came first, and he knew what he had to do.

Unfortunately, he had to tell the woman of his dreams that he would not be taking her out for dinner tonight. Subconsciously, he’d known it was going to come to this—him choosing between his brothers and a woman he wanted but barely knew. He hadn’t even made a dinner reservation, and the one place where he didn’t need one—Lexie’s restaurant—was closed.

How would she take it? He couldn’t imagine she’d ever been stood up before. Not Cameron. There was a first time for everything, and he was sorry he’d be the one to do it. Feeling more than a twinge of guilt that he hadn’t pulled the plug on their dinner date before now, he focused on a game plan for going forward.

He pulled out his cell and dialed her number—the one he’d gotten from Lexie. She picked up after the second ring.

“Hello?” she said. Even her greeting sounded cultured.

“Hi, Cameron. It’s Val. I’m really sorry to do this, but something’s come up.”

“Are you still at Seb’s?”

“Who told you I was here?”

“Julie.”

“Ah. The setup is taking a lot longer than expected.” Maybe she would be okay hanging out with the Grayson clan tonight. After all, she
was
friends with their women. “If you’re still up for dinner, we can do takeout here, but afterwards, I’ll have to get back to work.”

“Takeout sounds … nice.”

“Okay. I’ll come by your place in a few minutes.”

“I’m staying in the guest cottage at the Alcott estate. Do you need the address?”

“I know where it is.” Though he drove past the estate’s wrought-iron entryway gates on Beach Street frequently enough, he hadn’t been inside in years.

“See you soon, then.”

He clicked off his cell and shoved it back into his pocket. “Gotta head out,” he told those in the yard. “I’ll be back in twenty.”

Without waiting for a response, he hopped into his truck, a vintage Ford he’d restored himself, and drove off. First he got the pizzas, and then went to pick up Cameron.

The gates were open when he arrived, so he drove up, slowly navigating his vehicle down the gravel driveway to the cottage. Parking his truck in front next to a fine-looking Jaguar, he got out and went to the door, then rapped twice. In a few moments, the door opened.

And his jaw dropped.

Chapter 8

“I’m ready to go,” Cameron said, enjoying the way he drank her in with his gaze. That this rangy, beautiful man with the proud stance did a double-take when he saw her made her feel desired. Wanted.

After a few long moments, Val shut his mouth. “You’re not dressed for dinner,” was his only statement, his eyes locked on hers. A muscle ticked in his jaw.

“No,” she said slowly. “I’m not.” After coming home, she’d put on a pair of slim-cut jeans and a soft T-shirt. She’d even managed to find a pair of boat shoes from the back of her closet. Of course, everything was designer, but Val didn’t need to know that.

“May I ask why?” His voice was unfailingly polite, even as the words seemed like they’d been unwillingly dragged from him.

“It sounds like Seb can use all the help he can get.”

“I see.” His jaw clenched, and he gave her one more look, from head to toe. “Where’d you get these clothes?”

She crossed her arms under her breasts. “I own them. Any other questions?”

“Yeah,” he said, after a while. “Do you like pizza? Because that’s what we’re having for dinner tonight.”

“Of course,” she responded, raising an eyebrow. “Doesn’t everybody?”

He pursed his lips together, as if he were trying hard not to laugh. Except he didn’t look like he was going to laugh. He looked stern, and intense, and, Lord help her, completely
hot
. He was wearing worn jeans that were snug in all the right places and a short-sleeved tee that skimmed his body just so, stretched slightly over his chest, looser down by his waist. He was wearing those work boots again, which must have given him an extra inch of height—not that he needed it. “Not everybody,” he murmured. What she supposed he meant was that he didn’t expect
her
to like it.

The man was in for a few more surprises.

“Hold on a minute.” She pulled a double-layer cotton jacket out of the hall closet and threw it on. Then she picked up her toolbox and walked back to the front. He was still there,
having moved not an inch.

“What’s that?” he asked, nodding his head at her toolbox.

“What does it look like?”

“It looks like I might have been wrong about you.”

She smiled and peered over his shoulder. “Nice truck.”

He turned to look at his old pickup truck parked next to her refined British automobile. “Thanks. I redid it myself. Want a ride?”

“Sure.”

Once her toolbox was safely secured in the flatbed, Val started the engine, threw the gear shift into reverse, then placed his arm over the back of her seat to look over his shoulder as he backed up. She was almost sorry when he removed his arm to shift back into drive. The engine rumbled loudly before mellowing into a purr. “I picked up the pizza before coming here.”

“I figured.”

“Mmm.” He was quiet for a few minutes. “Just so you’re aware, I didn’t know until after I asked to you to dinner that Seb needed my help. Up until the very last minute, I was trying to make it work.”

“I believe you. But it really didn’t matter.”

“Why?”

“Even if you’d insisted that we go to dinner, I wouldn’t have. Your family needs you. And I can help, too.”

His eyes were on the road in front of them, but she saw him blink hard. “Wow.”

“Wow?”

“Just … wow.”

“If you’re not going to elaborate on what you mean, I guess ‘wow’ is what I’m going to have to take.”

They arrived at the schoolhouse in a few minutes. “Pizza’s here,” Val said as they walked through the door. “And I brought a friend.”

“Cameron!” Lexie exclaimed. “It is so nice of you to come help out.”

“My pleasure,” she said, putting her toolbox on a nearby chair. “Julie clued me in earlier today, and I kind of strong-armed my way into helping.” She gave a quick glance to Val, but he’d already gone back out to get the other pizzas from the truck. “Looks like things are going
well.” The place smelled like fresh paint and wood, and while there was obviously a lot yet to do, it was clear they were well on their way to finishing. Not that she knew anything about opening a restaurant, but all of the chairs and about half the tables had been assembled, the walls looked good, and the lighting fixtures were in place. Wasn’t that all you needed? Aside from the food?

And speaking of food, she noticed that Avery had set out the pizza boxes, along with some paper plates and napkins. There also looked to be cans of soda and bottles of beer in a nearby cooler.

Seb walked up, green eyes twinkling, exuding charisma. “I appreciate you coming out tonight. What are you good at?”

“I’m okay with a paintbrush, but furniture is my strong suit.”

“You could help out Theo,” Seb said, jerking his thumb toward his twin, who was currently struggling to attach a table leg to its support.

“Please,” Theo said, pushing his glasses onto his head and rubbing his eyes. “I’ve been at this for three hours. Everything is starting to blur together.”

“Time for a break,” Avery said briskly. “Everyone, please, eat some pizza.”

Everyone descended on the pies. Twenty minutes later, after they’d finished, Cameron went to wash her hands and then rejoined the group in the main space.

“You ready for me?” she asked Theo.

Theo nodded. “Here,” he said. “The directions are over …”

Cameron didn’t wait for him to finish. She simply unlocked her toolbox, grabbed her portable power drill, popped the current bit out, popped the right one in, and began to organize herself to put together the next table. “I’ll start with the small ones. Let me know when you’re ready to do the communal table, okay?”

Theo regarded her for a moment, his mouth twitching. “I can see that you’re going to be just fine,” he said. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready.” Then he headed back to his own pile of wood and screws.

Quickly, expertly, she put together three tables without stopping. She’d done this kind of work a thousand times over. In fact, compared to the intricate furniture she typically handled, these bare-bones café tables were pieces of cake. When she was finished, she picked her head up and glanced around. Val was across the room, hanging a large framed mirror on the one wall
without wet stenciling. That mirror had to weigh close to a hundred pounds, yet he wasn’t straining to lift it; he held it easily, following Seb’s directions to get it evenly situated. Finally, they had the mirror where they wanted it to go. While Seb confirmed the location of the hanging wire and drilled the holes for the hooks, Val just stood there waiting, that gargantuan mirror in hand, as if it weren’t even the slightest bit heavy.

When at last they had the monstrous thing hanging on the wall, Val turned to look at her. Suddenly embarrassed that he was staring, she made a little gesture at the tables.
Look what I’ve accomplished
. He gave her a slow smile that simply smoldered. Ducking her head, she went to help Theo with the table he was still working on. In short order, they had it completed.

“Done,” Theo said, satisfied. “Ready for the big one?”

Cameron held the drill up as if it were a pistol and squeezed the “on” button like a trigger. “Yes.”