Unexpectedly You (13 page)

“It doesn’t matter what the neighbors think. It only matters what David thinks.”

He expelled a long breath. “So what’s the plan? How do you intend to change his mind?”

“Not by doing what your perverted mind would imagine. I plan on discussing our agreed-upon changes to your plan. I’m sure once David understands, he’ll come around.”

“You sound mighty optimistic.”

“You just worry about not doing anything that might screw up your superhero status before Thursday.”

A lazy smile crossed his face. “You know he’ll try his best to convince you of how wrong I am for y—the town. Are you ready to stand up for
my
virtues?”

When they were eye to eye and he still didn’t move out of her way, she straightened her spine to gain more inches and raised her brow. “Let’s see. You waltz with little old ladies and make them blush. You dive into the freezing ocean to save an old dog. You pay your men their wages, even though they’re just sitting around waiting for work. If you’re not careful, Mitch, we’ll start to think you’re a nice guy.”

His skin got slightly flushed. “You forgot to mention my kissing abilities.”

She smiled and then rolled her eyes. “I only mentioned those virtues where you excel.”

He grinned, the creases around his eyes crinkling. “Then I should practice more.”

She attempted to brush past him, but his arm snaked out to stop her. His fingers rubbed against her bare arm. A shot of warmth exploded in her body. Her breath caught in her throat.

He flicked his glance away toward the sea and blew out a ragged breath. “We should probably talk about what happened last night.”

The sudden seriousness she heard in his tone surprised her. Her throat tightened. “What’s there to talk about? We got carried away. It was a mistake.”

“So you agree it was a mistake?”

A trace of ocean air wafted her way and mingled nicely with his breath. The hair on her arms stood on end. “Uh-huh. Why, don’t you?”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “Yeah. I do. What the hell else would you call it? I mean, come on. You’re still hung up on your husband. I get that.”

She wet her suddenly dry lips. “I realize it may seem that way to you, but I’m not still hung up on Stefan. It’s complicated. You wouldn’t understand because you’ve never lost anyone you’ve loved before.”

He arched his brow. “Bullshit. You’re not ready to move on.”

She expelled a long breath. “When I meet the right man, I’ll be ready to move on.”

He yanked his hand from her arm and stepped back like she’d burned him. He stared at her for a long minute before digging his fingers through his hair. “You realize I’m not that man, right? I mean, I don’t do this...this family thing you do.”

His words tore a hole in her heart but she stood her ground. “The thought didn’t even enter my mind.”

His lips quirked at her sharp response. “So what was last night about? And don’t blame the wine either. You only had a couple of glasses.”

Heat crept up her neck. “It meant nothing. And you’re wrong, the wine did blur my common sense.”

He arched a brow. “Who are you kidding? You wanted me just as much as I wanted you, so don’t go blaming being drunk. That excuse ain’t gonna fly with me.”

“I’m not making excuses.”

“Oh, no? At least I’m being honest here. You drive me nuts,” he said, looking at her like she’d just transformed into an alien. “I can’t stop thinking about what it would feel like to make love to you.”

Her heart skipped several beats and she held her breath. She watched him look tortured, pacing back and forth in front of her.

He stopped suddenly. “I just want to be up front so there are no misunderstandings.”

“What’s there to misunderstand? You’re a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of guy. You wouldn’t mind sleeping with me, but I shouldn’t get my girlish hopes up that you might want to stick around after. All you want is some easy, no-strings-attached sex.” She let out a short breath and placed her hands on her hips. She sensed him getting angrier but continued on. “Maybe when I’m ready for a quickie, I’ll consider you.”

His jaw clenched. “Ready for a quickie? You planning on offering Bruin that tonight?”

“Let me guess...that would be a home run, right?” She deliberately took a step closer to him and had the satisfaction of seeing him step back to avoid touching her. “Don’t wait up,” she whispered, brushing past him and intentionally making contact with his chest.

She heard him growl and curse like a sailor down to his last beer. Served him right.

The false bravado may have convinced Mitch but as soon as Emma reached her car, her shoulders slumped. She shut her eyes and let the hurt from his words dissolve until all there was left was the truth.

Mitch might be brave enough to save an elderly dog from drowning, but he was a big old chicken when it came to relationships. He could deny it all he wanted. But the truth was the truth. Mitch was scared. Scared of being vulnerable to another person. Scared of what his heart was telling him.

Scared of her.

A smile played on her lips as she started the car. Lucky for him, she saw right through his bull. She always had.

Chapter Fourteen

David stood as Emma reached the corner table, where he’d been sitting waiting for her to arrive. “I can’t get over the change in you.”

The cozy Italian restaurant he’d chosen to have dinner was one she and Stefan had frequented on their date nights. Emma didn’t know if David was aware of that, she rather hoped not, and so didn’t mention anything to him when he’d called her earlier to give her the address. Her eyes rested on the slender, red tapered candle flickering on the table and her heart squeezed in her chest. The romantic atmosphere would have been her last choice to have dinner, but she hadn’t wanted to make a big deal out of it.

But now, surrounded by memories of the last time she and Stefan had been here, she wished she’d put up more of a struggle.

The sadness that engulfed her took her by surprise and she didn’t respond to David’s greeting other than to stand there like a fool, seeing a completely different smiling face, one gaunt with sickness but still filled with so much hope.

“Are you alright?”

David’s voice snapped her back to the present, and she managed a smile she guessed didn’t reach her eyes because his expression remained worried.

“Fine. I’m fine.” She sat across from him and busied herself by grabbing the menu.
Breathe
.

The words in front of her swirled together. She gave up and ordered a Caesar salad when the waiter came by to take their orders.

“You look lovely,” David said.

“Thank you.”

An awkward silence filled the air, and she wished the waiter would hurry back with the red wine she’d ordered. She was going to need more than courage to get through this dinner in one piece.

She cleared her throat. Might as well get to the point. “Are you going to Thursday’s meeting?”

“Probably. Why?”

She shrugged. “Because I should probably tell you that I plan on surprising everyone by backing the proposal to approve Mitch’s project.” She ignored David’s smirk. “Mitch has agreed on important concessions that we had asked for, and I think it might really be good for Bella Del Mar to have this new source of foot traffic and income.”

The waiter arrived with their drink orders. Emma sipped, allowing the heavy weight of the cabernet to settle in her mouth. She braced herself for what she knew was coming.

“Can I be honest here? How do you think Mrs. Johnson and the other members of the citizen’s task force will take the sudden reversal in your position? You’ve worked them up into a frenzy for the last six months and now that you...”

“That I’m what?”

He glared at her. “Do you really want me to spell it out?”

Anger simmered in her stomach. She gripped the stem of the wineglass and concentrated on breathing. “If you’ve got something to say, you should just come out and say it.”

“Your interest in McKenna is personal. That fact is distorting your decision. It isn’t going to get by unnoticed. Are you prepared to face the consequences of what that means to you? What about Sammy? How do you think she’ll live up to the neighbors whispering about her mother having an affair with the younger man next door?”

Emma drew in a short breath. The truth in his words struck deep in her core. She focused her attention on the goblet of wine in her hand but her chest ached from the effort to pump in air. “I am not having an affair with Mitch. How is that even possible? I’m a widow. Do I have to remind you Stefan died almost two years ago?”

David’s face slackened. “I didn’t mean affair. That was the wrong choice of word. I mean it would be embarrassing for Sammy to have to withstand the ugly gossip. McKenna is not in your league. He’s an outsider. He doesn’t stand up to Stefan. If you weren’t so infatuated, you’d see that.”

David’s accusation sent a wave of nausea to bubble in her stomach, making it impossible for her to breathe, much less speak. “How am I supposed to live up to everyone’s expectations? I’ve tried. I’ve been under everyone’s microscope for the last two years. What do you all want from me? I can’t bring Stefan back. He’s gone. But I’m still here. And I have a daughter to raise and a life that I’ve neglected for two years.”

David reached out to take her trembling hand in his. She tried to pull it back, but he held it tight. “I’m here for you, Em. I’ve always been here. Why not open your eyes and see what’s in front of you? McKenna isn’t the right man for you.”

“What makes you so sure he’s not?”

“He’s a criminal, for one.”

She frowned. “Get real. All of us have done stupid things when we were younger. So he got into a fight in a bar and ended up in jail for one night. I rather doubt that makes him a criminal.”

“That’s not all,” he snapped. “He’s had other collisions with the law.”

Her heartbeat roared in her ears. “Like what?”

Emma listened to David relay the details of the arson charge against Mitch and his brother with a heavy heart. Suspicion that David had his own agenda and motivation for smearing Mitch’s reputation sprung in her mind.

“It didn’t stick, but word is they had something to do with influencing the outcome. You just can’t trust him.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

He flushed. “It should be obvious. I’m worried about you. I’m concerned you’ll stick your neck out for McKenna on Thursday and then have to deal with the backlash.”

“Let me worry about that. I can admit when I’m wrong and I was very wrong when I refused to consider that having high-end condominiums would mean increased home market prices and foot traffic for Bella. The truth is I was being selfish. I wasn’t thinking of anyone but myself. I didn’t want to lose my ocean view or the dog park. I didn’t want anything else to change in my life. And I used that fear to drive my behavior.”

“That’s absurd. You know damn well his high-end condo and choice of retailers wouldn’t fit in with what we’ve got. You were right to fight it. What’s really going on? What’s really changing your mind?”

“I just told you. Mitch and I had agreed on important concessions. For example, he’s agreed to keep the dog park where it is. That makes a difference to me and to the neighbors.”

David snorted but didn’t say anything else because the waiter approached with their food orders.

The thought of eating made her want to gag. She pushed the plate aside. Annoyance rose in her chest. “Are you implying something else?”

“Are you fucking him?”

Her ears tingled with fury. “Why don’t you just come right out and say it?”

“Okay. I think you’ve changed your mind because you’re fucking him. Maybe you even think you’re in love with him, though I rather doubt it’s that. More like lust. But he’s not interested in what you’ve got to offer unless he can benefit financially from the situation.”

Emma concentrated on breathing. “Let’s just say that I was interested in him in that way. What makes you think that this is any of your business? Who do you think you are to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do?”

“I’m your friend. Practically family.”

“Oh? It didn’t seem that way the other night when you were sticking your tongue down my throat.” She tossed her napkin on top of the Caesar salad, scattering romaine lettuce all over the white linen tablecloth. “Good night, David. Thanks for a lovely evening.”

He flushed. “Emma, you’re making a scene. Sit down.”

“Trust me, if I stay, you’d have to wash red wine off your face,” she snapped before she pushed her chair back, grabbed her coat and marched out.

* * *

Emma pulled in to the driveway and looked behind her to see if Mitch’s light was still on. It wasn’t. She stared at her hands gripping the steering wheel. She’d white-knuckled it all the way back home, indignation and rage consuming her thoughts. She wanted to know the real reason why Mitch had chosen Bella Del Mar for his project. She needed to know the truth about the arson charge. She wanted answers before Thursday and she wanted to hear it from Mitch. Not David.

She got out of the car and headed over to Mitch’s trailer.

When she got closer, she noticed the lifted hood on Mitch’s truck. He was hunched over the engine. He held a small flashlight in his mouth, which he removed when he saw her approach. He wiped his hands on a frayed towel hanging from the back of his jeans.

“Date over?” he asked, his voice devoid of the usual humor.

She breathed in the scent of leather, grease and sweat, but rather than be off-putting, she found it earthy and sensual. Mitch was a man’s man. She remembered what it felt like to have his hands against her skin. Despite the roughness, he was still capable of gentleness.

She was drawn to him like the sea was to the shoreline. Being around him made her feel alive and powerful. He may not have a fancy advanced degree, nor was he polished and manicured, but he was smart, ambitious and he was going to get his piece of the American dream. And why shouldn’t he?

“Can I ask you something?” Emma leaned back against the coolness of the truck. She folded her arms around her stomach.

He drank from a water bottle and regarded her with curiosity. “Let me guess. David filled you in on all of my deficiencies and now you want answers.”

“I just want one answer.”

Their gaze locked. “Shoot.”

“Why did you choose Bella Del Mar for your project?”

He watched her for several seconds. “Want to take a walk with me on the beach?”

She arched her brow. “You want to go out there now?”

“You asked me why Bella, right? I’ll show you.”

He held out his hand. His gaze challenged her to accept. When she did, he smiled.

A slight breeze floated by carrying the ocean along for a ride. Without the noise of cars and people walking around, the breaking waves could be heard in the distance.

They’d walked just past his trailer when he stopped. “Hold on,” he said before he ducked inside. He came out with two jackets, the brown bomber jacket he always wore and a Windbreaker. He handed her the bomber jacket.

The weight of the leather around her shoulders brought sudden warmth not only to her skin but deep inside of her, the part David had ripped open with his words. A feeling of safety and comfort latched on to her heart.

She toed off her shoes and rolled up her jeans to midcalf. She gladly accepted his hand as he led them toward the beach, using the small flashlight to guide the way. The intimacy of his touch brought tears to her eyes. This felt right to her. Not false, not forced, not wrong.

The wind had died down as it did on most evenings after dusk, but the crispness in the air lingered. They reached the sandy beach and her toes sank into the cool sand. She hugged the jacket closer against her skin.

The darkness was overwhelming until her pupils adjusted. In the distance, only the flashing lights of the charter boats could be seen lining the horizon. Fishermen eager for the day’s catch.

They walked in silence. She wondered about the man beside her. Were David’s perceptions of him true? She didn’t think any man who’d risk his life to save a dog would be capable of endangering others by setting a building on fire. David had no proof, and she doubted the conviction behind the accusations. She’d seen firsthand the kind of man Mitch was. David didn’t know him, and she suspected David’s motivation.

“Want to hear a story?”

She tilted her head to one side. “Sure.”

They sat on a wind-lashed bench. Mitch kept his gaze forward. She sensed the tenseness in him.

“One summer, when I was about seven or eight, my parents surprised my brother and me with a road trip up the coast. It was the only vacation we ever took together.” He glanced over at her as if to see her reaction before he continued. “It was expensive, you know? My parents didn’t have a lot of money.”

She clasped her hands tight on her lap and tried not to think about two little boys deprived of what she’d taken for granted growing up.

“My brother and I were so psyched that we couldn’t sleep the night before. In the car, we were like tree frogs. My mother had to strap us in—otherwise she worried we’d hop right out of the window.” He rubbed his scruffy cheek and chuckled. “One warm night, we’d camped here, near the river.” He pointed toward where the seven miles of sandy beach met the river. “We lit a bonfire, toasted marshmallows and I heard my father laugh for the first time in my life. Right here on the beach of Bella Del Mar.”

Emma’s chest tightened when she heard the longing in Mitch’s voice. What would she have done if she’d only heard her father’s laughter for the first time at eight years old? It was impossible to imagine because her father always had a belly full of laughter. How did Mitch and his brother manage to grow and thrive? They didn’t. They simply survived.

Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked them back. “That’s a beautiful memory of what sounds like a very special moment.”

He nodded and cleared his throat. “It was. But being the kid I was, I thought this place must have been magical, so I grabbed a handful of sand and stuffed it in my pocket to take home.”

The vial of sand she’d seen hanging from the rearview mirror in his truck. He’d been carrying the trinket since childhood. The sadness around his eyes constricted her chest.

“I’ve never told anyone that story,” he divulged, his voice hoarse.

She reached out and laid her hand on his arm. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”

“Seems only fair.”

“Fair how?”

“You wanted to know why I chose Bella. Now you know. You see, not everyone was lucky enough to have a mom like you to stuff sweet little notes inside their kid’s pockets to remind them how much they’re loved. And when you’re a kid, you need that because you forget sometimes. It’s true,” he said with a wry smile.

She nodded, even if she didn’t really get it. She never doubted her parents’ love. Not for an instant. What kind of woman would she be today if she had? Would she even believe in happily ever afters? Highly unlikely, which explained Mitch’s aversion to commitment.

“I think sometimes adults need to be reminded too,” she said. Her heart squeezed with a burning desire to wrap her arms around Mitch.

Why doesn’t he see how wonderful he is and how much he’s accomplished at such a young age?
His parents should be very proud.