Tangled Up (Bachelors of Buttermilk Falls #2) (8 page)

“
Y
ou’re so scary
, Brandon.” Bethany Wilson laughed from her studio chair.

“You look adorably frightening yourself.” He chuckled right back, examining his reflection in the mirror. An hour ago, he’d met Bethany in a gigantic red barn that had been transformed into a makeshift dressing room for volunteers to dress up as zombies, ghosts, and goblins.

To say he looked scary was an understatement. The makeup artist tried to paint his zombie face, but his skin started to itch. Not wanting him to break out from the makeup, they decided he’d wear a terrifying mask instead with large eyeballs and blood oozing down his face.

Bethany, on the other hand, had a face made for painting. Still, the witch staring back at him didn’t hold a candle to the real one he’d played in the leaves with yesterday afternoon. It was totally wrong, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Abby and how much in that moment he’d wanted to kiss her.

He’d even considered asking Shane if they could arrange for Abby to be one of the bachelorettes that he’d be going out with because that might all but guarantee his lips would be on hers. Then common sense swept in and backhanded him. Abby was going to be his business partner. Fooling around with her was not a good idea. Period.

He glanced back over at his date who was busy adjusting her black pointed hat. Bethany seemed nice. Just as cute as Rachel, and a hilarious sense of humor. The makeup artist went to work on her dark black lips. Attractive or not, he really didn’t want to do anything tonight that would get her heavy costume makeup all over him.

Their task for this date was to enter the corn maze before it opened to the public and scare the bejesus out of anyone that entered. He’d laughed because when he’d read “role play” yesterday on the assignment card, his mind, of course, went to a completely different scenario. He was sort of relieved that he and Bethany wouldn’t be making out. He just wasn’t feeling it.

While Bethany chatted with a zombie with a fake machete who appeared to be a good friend, Brandon decided to take a minute to get some fresh air. He jumped off his stool and headed out of the barn. It was a gorgeous fall night. One that proved he’d made the right decision to move to a place that had a change of seasons.

It reminded him of home in Montana and happier times before his parents’ divorce.

His gaze wandered over to the maze entrance where a large line had formed. He couldn’t wait to get into the cornfield and give those people a real scare. Halloween had always been his favorite time of year growing up, so he’d had some practice on being a convincing creature of the night. Not to mention, two years ago he’d been an extra for a zombie apocalypse movie filmed in L.A.

Suddenly, he caught sight of the familiar redhead and that caused his heart to skip. Abby stood at the entrance with Emma, looking beautiful and laughing at something her cousin had said. Even her laugh was sexy.

Brandon’s smile flipped as he watched Adam Reed approach them. “Well, what’s going on here?” Adam handed Abby a ticket. Were they on a date? That thought made him tense.

He needed to find out. Turning on his heels, he headed back into the barn and grabbed his chainsaw. It was time to have some fun.

“
S
o
, when are you going to tell Brandon?” Emma asked Abby as they waited off to the side of the entrance gate. Adam and Tom had gone for kettle corn while Bridget chatted with some of the ghosts greeting patrons at the start of the maze.

“Do we have to talk about this now?” Abby pulled her coat tightly around her, blocking out the cold breeze. “I need to concentrate.”

“I thought you promised to be more responsible with your magic.”

“That was before I found out that I was pregnant and that my baby’s father is swapping spit with all the single women in Buttermilk Falls.”

“And . . .”

“And what?”

“You want that spit for yourself.”

“Do not.” Abby pulled out her strawberry lip gloss and swiped her lips.

“Do too.”

Abby shrugged. “Fine. I admit it. I made a terrible mistake.” She capped her gloss and stuck the tube back in her coat pocket. “You know what was strange. Even though I know the spell worked, I could have sworn he was flirting with me yesterday.”

“When?”

“I stopped by the inn to see how things we’re going before work, and the camera guy that’s following him around showed up wanting to take some promotional pictures of Brandon and one of his dates. I was the fill in model.”

“And he flirted with you?” Emma asked.

“Yeah, right before he got his next assignment that said he’d be role playing with Bethany Wilson in there.” She pointed to the cornstalks.

“And that’s why you begged all of us to come tonight.” Emma paused and glanced over at the maze. “What do you think they’re doing in there?”

“Don’t know, but I hope it doesn’t involve any more making out.” She followed Emma’s gaze over to the cornstalk entrance, trying to not let on just how scared she was to enter the dark, scary maze where inevitably she’d be chased by some made up zombie with an ax.

“Hi, ladies.” Adam reappeared, flashing a wide smile in Abby’s direction and handing her a bag of warm kettle corn. It was really nice of him and Tom to stand in the long line while the girls enjoyed some free hot apple cider. “You two ready to get spooked?” He pulled his black coat halfway up his head like a vampire.

Abby couldn’t help but smile back at his silliness. “Adam, you better not scare me in there.” She gave his cheek a playful tap with her ticket. “I mean it.”

As they headed for the opening, Abby and Emma quickly devised a plan to keep their eyes peeled for any sight of Brandon. Unfortunately, as soon as they entered the maze, a mad man with a long knife began chasing them, so that plan went out the window.

Abby led the pack, taking a series of right and left turns. The cornstalks were taller than her, but she thought she managed to stay on the path that would eventually lead them out of there.

This was a bad idea. There was no way she’d ever find Brandon.

“Okay, I think we’ve dodged every zombie, ghost, reaper, and gremlin in here.” She turned around, and a cornstalk smacked her face. “Emma . . . Adam . . . Where are you?” she whispered, not wanting another one of the actors to pop out and scare the living daylights out of her.

She took a cautious step, cracking a twig.
Get a grip, Abby. It’s just a stupid corn maze.
There had to be at least thirty kids and grown-ups in here. How did she get so far off the beaten path?

Taking a left and then a right, she gained confidence with each step. Nothing to it. She had to be near the end, and when she reached the exit, Emma was going to hear it for deserting her and her unborn baby.

From out of nowhere, a strong hand wrapped around her waist causing her to let out a blood-curdling scream. She turned around to see a zombie flashing a light on her. “Abby, it’s me. Brandon.”

“Brandon?” She grabbed the flashlight and pointed it on his grotesque bloody face.

“Yes.” He peeled the mask off and tossed it on the ground. “That feels much better.”

Abby shook her head, still feeling the adrenaline of being scared out of her mind.

“You are a jerk.” Fisting her hands, she pounded on his chest. “Brandon Swift, don’t ever do that to me ever again . . .” She hit him again, and then one more time. “. . . ever. You got that?”

She continued pounding on his chest, her frustration over their situation went into each and every hit: Their time tangled up, the spell, his going on dates and entering kissing contests with other women, her carrying his baby . . . it was all too much. She just couldn’t take it anymore.

“Stop.” He finally blocked her hands. “What’s gotten into you? Why are you hitting me?”

“Because it’ll stop me from doing this.” She flung her arms around his neck, smashing her lips into his.

He responded with what appeared to be his own interest, deepening the kiss. Stopping to unlock her arms, he led her a few steps inside the cornfield, completely hidden from the path, before pulling her close and kissing her again.

“God, I missed this,” she whispered as his lips traveled down her neck.

“Missed what?” he mumbled, pulling her close.

“Nothing.” Her lips found his again, and they continued to make out in the cornfield to the sound of frightened screams and laughter around them.

“Abby, are you over here?” Adam called out.

Abby broke the kiss and closed her eyes, thinking for a split second. Did she really need to let Adam know she was only a few feet away? She stepped back and raked her hand through her hair, not taking her gaze off of Brandon. “Over here. I’m over here, Adam.”

“Looks like your date found you.” Brandon pulled back a cornstalk and motioned for her to walk through.

“You should probably get back to
your
date,” she countered, not correcting his mistake about Adam. Brandon was on a date, so why not let him think she was, too?

“I’ll see you around, Red.” With that, Brandon retrieved his mask, put it on, and disappeared through the cornstalks.

Abby swept her finger across her bottom lip, stunned not by his kisses that still made her whole body tingle, but something else entirely. Something that gave her more hope than any soap opera lip lock would ever do.

He’d just called her “Red.”

B
randon walked
down the cobblestone street, giving a cheery hello to everyone he passed. Last night’s surprise kiss in the corn maze was still on his mind—strike that—
the best kiss of his life
was still on his mind.

When he had snuck up on Abby, he didn’t expect her to start punching him. However, that surprise attack with her fists didn’t even compare to what she’d done after with her lips. What in God’s name possessed her to kiss him?

His only response to that question: who cares?

The fact was she did it, he responded, and it was freakin’ awesome.

He turned the street corner and smiled at the pink and white building in front of him. He’d reached the Sugar Spoon bakery and intended to see if Abby would be up for a repeat of last night. Maybe not at this exact moment since it was
only
9 a.m., but perhaps she’d be interested in coming over to his cottage tonight and letting him grill for her again.

He was also curious to know how serious things were between her and Adam. Brandon liked the guy, but if Abby wasn’t dating Adam maybe he had a shot.

And he was seriously hoping he had one. He knew it was probably wrong to want his business partner, but after that kiss—well, he wanted to do it again and soon.

His breath hitched as he caught sight of the pretty redhead sweeping leaves near the entrance and looking extremely cute and casual in jeans, a black pea coat, and tall black boots. Seeing her caused his heart to pick up speed.

“Morning.” He grinned and pointed to the broom. “Should you be using that for something as mundane as sweeping leaves?”

“Not to worry,” she said, not missing a beat. “My Nimbus 2000 is in my car trunk.”

He laughed at her Harry Potter reference, having seen the movie again recently since it was playing on cable this time of year. “Good to know.”

She opened the door to the bakery, and he followed her in, getting a whiff of her delicious strawberry scent.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, while resting her broom behind the counter and peeling off her coat.

“I had a craving for one of your famous breakfast creations.” Truth be told, he’d had an entirely different craving ever since he walked away from Abby in the corn maze. That kiss they shared stirred up feelings deep inside him that he thought he would never feel again. Certainly not after his ex-wife had broken his heart.

“You’re in luck. I baked a batch of pumpkin spice muffins this morning.”

He watched as she pulled two muffins from a carousel, placed them on a small plate, and set it in front of him. “Enjoy.”

“I know I will.” He flashed her a smile, not exactly sure how he’d bring up last night. Maybe he should start by complimenting her on her baking skills. He reached for the muffin and took a bite, instantly tasting the delicious pumpkin and cinnamon. “Yum. This is delicious,” he said and meant every word of it.

“Would you like some coffee?” Abby moved about the counter. “I just brewed a pot.”

“Sure.” He couldn’t help taking another bite and then another. “Abby, this has to be, hands down, the best muffin I’ve ever tasted.”

“Thanks. I’ve been playing with the recipe. It goes great with this snickerdoodle coffee.”

She turned her back to pour a cup for him and the sight of her long red hair jolted him up. Out of nowhere, he had this hot vision of his moving her gorgeous mane to the side and kissing her exposed neck.

Sending a signal to his lower region to calm down, he finished off his first muffin and reached for the second. “So, about last night?”

She whipped around, nearly spilling the coffee in the mug. “I’m pregnant.”

WHOA!
Pregnant? Did he seriously hear her right?
“Okay . . . um . . . I mean . . . wow . . .” For once, he didn’t have any words and could only stare back at her with what he was sure was his most dumbfounded look because, well, he was.

Abby’s hand covered her mouth. “Oh God, I didn’t mean to blurt that out.” She set his coffee down. “I’m sorry about last night. It was a mistake because I’m kind of . . .”

“. . . having a baby.” He finished her sentence.

“Yes.” She moved the cream and sugar in front of him.

“Is it Adam’s?” he asked, not really sure why he did. Abby’s bun in the oven was none of his business, but she had opened the door to this uncomfortable conversation by blurting out she was pregnant and then admitting that kissing him was a mistake.

He agreed with her on the latter. There’s no way he’d ever do anything with a woman carrying another man’s baby.

“No, it’s not Adam’s.” He could see from the deep indents now on her forehead how uncomfortable this conversation was for her. “He and I aren’t dating despite what I might have implied in the corn maze.”

Brandon reached for his coffee and took a sip. “Well, I didn’t mean to pry. Congratulations on your pregnancy.”

“Thank you. I am really sorry about last night. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Don’t sweat it. It was my fault for scaring you out of your mind.”

“You did make a rather convincing zombie. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. My hormones have been all out of whack lately. I just got caught up in the moment.”

Brandon rested both hands on his thighs and straightened his back. Never had a woman apologize for kissing him, but he was starting to realize Abby Stevens was a different breed of female. He needed to be sensitive to what she was going through. Plus, they’d be working under the same roof soon enough. The least he could do was show some compassion. “So, does the father know that you’re pregnant?”

She blinked before saying, “Yes. He does now.”

“And is that a good thing?” He pulled out the stool next to him and motioned for her to join him.

“I don’t know.” She sighed and came around to his side of the counter, taking the seat.

“So, you’re not together.”

“No. We’re not. It ended rather abruptly.” She paused and lowered her voice. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret letting him go.”

Brandon could see tears in her eyes and wondered who the hell this schmuck was who broke Abby’s heart because even he could tell that it was crushed. “Do you need anything?”

She leaped up from the stool, shaking her head. “No, I’ll be okay.”

Clearly not. She was obviously in pain. He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, encouraging her to sit back down. “If there’s anything you need, you let me know.”

“Thank you.”

“We’re business partners.”

“Right. Business partners,” she repeated.

Removing his hand, he glanced down at his watch. “That reminds me, contractors are stopping by the inn this morning. If you would like to come on by maybe this afternoon, we can tour your office and storage space. I’d love your input on what to do with the second floor.” He winked. “And maybe we could explore the third together.”

That got a laugh. “You’re just afraid to go up there alone.”

“Damn straight.” He hopped off the stool and reached down, gently patting her hand. “If I’m going to meet a ghost, I need a cute witch by my side.” He paused. “Or a pregnant lady.”

“Very funny.” She waved her hand, and he took that as a good sign that he’d lifted her spirits. “See you later.”

“See you, Red.” Brandon headed toward the door, more than a little disappointed that the more intimate partnership that he hoped for when he first walked in was now completely out of the question.

“
H
i
, Brandon.” Emma passed Brandon as he waved a quick good-bye and sprinted out the door.

Abby sighed and pushed off her stool. It was now the second time he’d called her Red. If only he could remember how he would sweep her hair to the side and kiss her neck right before he did it.

“What was that about?” Emma walked up to the counter and took Brandon’s empty stool.

The bakeshop was empty for the moment so Abby couldn’t use the excuse of customers overhearing their conversation to avoid fessing up what she just did—and then didn’t do. “I told him I’m pregnant.”

“Oh, really. How did he take it?”

“He asked if it was Adam’s.”

“No!” Emma shook her head. “What a jerk.”

Abby waved her hand to indicate there was more to the story. “No. He asked because I didn’t tell him it was his.”

“Abby!”

“I know . . . I know.” She hung her head low. “He was about to bring up last night, and I kind of blurted it out.”

“Why would he think that Adam was the father?”

Abby took a few minutes to fill Emma in on all the details in the cornfield she didn’t share last night, including making out with Brandon and Adam interrupting them by calling out her name.

“Wow.” Emma narrowed her eyes. “Please tell me you did not say Adam’s the dad.”

Abby pushed off her stool. “Of course not. I might have done a lot of deceitful things in the last week, but lying about my baby’s father is not one of them.”

Emma’s eyes watered up.

“What?”

“You just said ‘my baby.’” Emma stood and threw her arms around Abby.

Abby couldn’t help but feel happy hugging her cousin back. “I guess I’m going to be a mother.”

Stepping out of the hug, Emma went around the counter. “Let’s have a cupcake.”

“Now? It’s not even lunch.” Abby picked up Brandon’s plate, sighing at the half-eaten second muffin. “Before Brandon went running for the hills, he invited me over to see the second floor today.”

“That’s great.” Filling a mug with coffee, Emma took a sip. “I’m glad we’re doing this. I told Jason last night all about Brandon’s generous offer to let us use his inn’s kitchen, and he thought it was a wonderful idea.” She laughed. “Although, he thinks his best friend has gone off the deep end for purchasing the inn in the first place.”

Abby had to agree with Jason. She had thought Brandon was completely crazy, too, at first, but ever since that day he’d asked her to meet him at the inn, she’d never seen him so excited and so motivated. It was a side that made him even more attractive. “I know you don’t want to keep secrets from Jason. I promise I’ll tell Brandon everything.”

“When? At your child’s high school graduation?”

Abby rolled her eyes, even though she totally deserved that comment. “I’ll tell him before the Halloween party.”

“What party?”

“Brandon’s throwing a Halloween bash at the inn. Not an opening per se, but an announcement that he’s the new owner and the place will officially launch this summer.”

“That sounds fun. It’ll be ready by then?”

“Not everything, but since the kitchen is functioning, it could be fun for us to cater it.” She giggled. “Give people a taste of the magic.”

“Taste the magic . . .” Emma repeated.

“Oh, my God! That’s it,” Abby squealed, slamming her palms on the hot pink countertop. “Taste the Magic Catering. That should totally be the name of our business. What do you think?”

Emma nodded and headed around the counter. “I think we have a name for our new venture.” She opened the cupcake carousel and selected two red velvet mini ones. “This calls for a celebration.”

They took a few minutes to enjoy their cupcakes while brainstorming all kinds of fun ways they could brand their new business.

“All of this sounds great,” Emma said. “I definitely think we’ll be ready to launch this spring—maybe even cater one or two holiday parties this year to get our feet wet and name out there.”

“I like that idea. It was really perfect timing when Brandon’s offer fell into our laps.” Abby held up her plastic cup. “To Taste the Magic.”

“To Taste the Magic.” Emma tapped her coffee cup to Abby’s. “So, Abs, speaking of tasting magic, I’ve been thinking more about your predicament. I chatted with my mom last night about possibly reversing the spell you cast on Brandon.”

“Reversing it?” Abby blinked and set down her cup. She hadn’t thought of that. “And . . . what did she say?”

“She said it wasn’t a good idea. If we reverse it, we could do even more damage to his memories.”

Abby certainly didn’t want to do any more harm to Brandon’s internal hardwire than she’d already done. With her luck, any attempt to reverse the spell would cause him to not even recognize her, and that would be very bad for when she finally told him about the baby. Her shoulders hunched over, signaling defeat. “It’s hopeless.”

“Maybe not. We got to talking, and we think we have another suggestion.”

“Really?”

“You already said that he’s starting to flirt with you and that he kissed you back last night.”

“Yeah, but the first time he had to flirt for the camera and the kiss, well, I didn’t give him much choice.” She reached up and touched her lips, now tingling at that memory. “He did call me Red, twice now.”

“And does that have significance?”

“Yes. It was his nickname for me . . . mostly when he was trying to coerce me back to bed.”

Emma snickered but continued. “We think the spell is starting to break. You need to spend more time with him. Make him fall for you all over again. Then when you tell him the truth—which you will—he’ll have the same feelings that he did for you before you cursed him.”

“Don’t say curse.” Abby leaned forward, propping her elbows on the counter. “Do you really think that I could get him to fall for me?”

Emma nodded. “I think my brilliant, witty, and beautiful cousin can get any man to fall under her spell.” She paused, laughing. “Without actually
casting
a spell.”

Could she? Abby bit her lip, pondering that answer. She wasn’t quite sure.

While Emma went into the kitchen to begin baking today’s pastry specials, Abby tidied the area around the front counter. She’d like nothing more than to spend time with Brandon, and maybe—just maybe—he would start to develop real feelings for her. Feelings that ran deeper than the physical attraction they’d shared their first time around.

Abby frowned, shaking her head. There was just one problem. His date card was completely full for the next ten days, and her name wasn’t on it.