Gone Country (3 page)

“This is a lot bigger than your bedroom in Arizona.” She hip-checked him. “You could sneak someone in here. Have wild parties and I’d never know.”

He snorted. “Like that’ll happen.”

“It should. I wouldn’t mind if you…ah, got involved with someone.”

Gavin gaped at his daughter. Since when did she care about that? And what the hell was her vague reference to
someone
? Then she flitted off, down the other hallway.

The last bedroom and Sierra’s room were opposite each other on the other end of the hallway. She squealed upon seeing her stuff. “I love it! This is exactly where I would’ve put everything. So can we hang my TV and set up my computer right now?”

He checked his watch. “We have to be at Charlie and Vi’s pretty quick so the TV will have to wait until I find my tools. But let’s hook up your computer.”

That task finished, they hauled everything from the car. He showed Sierra the small servants’ staircase connecting the second floor directly through the kitchen. Sierra tried the handle on another door. “Where does this go?”

“Basement.”

“There’s a whole other level?”

“Yes, but it’s unfinished and Rielle uses it for storage.”

“What are
we
gonna use it for?”

His immediate thought was to ask Rielle’s permission and he had to remind himself for the tenth time that he owned this place. “Maybe that’s where our old furniture is.”

“I hope there’s another wood burning stove down there, so we can just chop it up and torch it.”

Gavin laughed. “Come on. Let’s package up the beets and head to the McKays.”

Sierra didn’t speak as they started up the driveway to Charlie and Vi McKay’s place.

“Sweetheart? You all right?”

“Yeah. This might sound random, but what am I supposed to call them? I mean, they are my grandparents. When they visited us I didn’t think too much about it because I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to know them. But now? We’re living up the road from them. I bet we’ll see them all the time.”

Another issue he should address. Did he remind Charlie and Vi that he preferred they didn’t drop by unannounced? Or would he come across like a jerk?

“Is this weird for you?” Sierra prompted.

“Unbelievably. Just when I think I’ve wrapped my head around it…I realize I don’t have a clue how to deal with any of this
we’re your family
stuff. And then they’re all cowboys. I am so far from a cowboy…”

“So Mr. I’ve-always-got-the-right-answer-and-I-can-lecture-you-for-hours-on-it…doesn’t have the right one this time?” She snickered. “Wow. That might be a first, Dad.”

“Smart aleck. I trust you’ll be on your best behavior?”

“I polished my halo before we left.”

He smiled. “Come on. I’m starved.” He glanced at the bag of beets in the backseat. Maybe if he “remembered” them after the meal, Vi wouldn’t insist on cooking them
for
the meal. God. He hated beets.

“Quit stalling, Dad, here they come.”

He plastered on a smile.

Charlie and Vi met them on the porch. Vi hugged them while Charlie offered his hand.

Then they stared at each other.

But it lasted about a minute. Awkwardness vanished as Sierra jabbered enough for both of them.

Chapter Four

Rielle had just popped the top on a bottle of Moose Drool beer when Gavin wandered into the kitchen.

Speaking of drool
. Man, oh, man. The last year had been very good to him. He’d always been attractive in the charming and confident manner of a businessman. But since she’d last seen him, he’d slimmed down and toned up to the point he was almost…buff.

She’d chalked up his previous physique—or lack thereof—to sitting behind a desk all day. But his appearance had undergone a serious change in the last year. He’d chopped off his wavy dark brown hair in favor of a modified buzz cut. Now his blue eyes, framed with ridiculously long black eyelashes, were his most striking feature. He sported a neatly trimmed goatee which accentuated his leaner cheeks and the strong line of his jaw, both more prominent with his overall body weight loss. The man still didn’t smile as much as he should, so her heart skipped a beat when he leveled a smile at her.

“Don’t suppose you’ve got an extra one of those for me?”

“Extra what?” Why was Gavin staring at her mouth? Why did she have the urge to lick her lips?

“An extra beer.”

“Oh. Yeah. Sure.”
Get it together, Ree
. She reached into the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. When she turned around, Gavin was right behind her—checking out her butt.

He blushed and stepped back. “Sorry. I don’t expect you to wait on me, Rielle.”

She handed him the beer and the opener. “Maybe we oughta talk about our expectations.”

Gavin nodded.

“It’s a beautiful night. Let’s sit outside.”

He motioned for her to lead the way.

She flipped on the lights lining the walkway and lit the kerosene lamp on the table between the glider swing and her favorite rocking chair. She curled up in the rocker, setting it in motion as Gavin settled on the swing. The kerosene flame flickered in the breeze behind the glass chimney, throwing a golden glow against the house. Neither she nor Gavin said anything for a few moments. Normally silence didn’t bother her, but tonight it did. “Sierra get settled in all right?”

“It helped having her stuff already here. I have to admit I’m happy each bedroom has its own bathroom. The girl is spoiled. She’s never had to share a bathroom with anyone.”

“Rory and I shared a bathroom until I built Sage Creek. Even then, she came into my bathroom to get ready in the morning. Come to think of it, she still does that.”

“It sucks that Sierra isn’t willing to share any hair care tips with me.”

Rielle laughed. “Was it her idea or yours to get the buzz cut?”

Gavin buffed the top of his head with his palm. “Mine. I started to see some gray and I’m not ready to invest in Grecian Formula for Men, so I bought a pair of clippers and hacked it off. I save myself fifty bucks a month at the barber.”

“Well, it looks good. Really good.” Feeling stupid for tossing out a compliment, she angled her head away from his prying eyes.

“Thanks. I have to admit I didn’t recognize you with your short hair.”

“I’ve heard that a lot in the past few days.” Rielle felt his eyes on her, measuring her, but she couldn’t meet his gaze.

“So it’s a recent change?”

“Last week.”

“You look great, Rielle.”

“Thanks.”

More silence.

Rielle peered up at him, only to see him staring at her. “Gavin. Can I be completely honest?”

“By all means.”

“How is this situation going to work?”

He stretched his arm across the back of the glider. “I have no idea. I understand I sprang this on you. But as long as we’re being honest, I’ve owned this house and the land for almost two years. And yet, you still haven’t made any plans to build your own place. Why?”

“Because I never believed you’d really move here.”

He frowned.

“You’ve visited exactly four times and not at all in the last year. You’ve never brought your daughter. So I figured if you planned to relocate to Sundance, it’d be after Sierra went to college.” She pointed her beer bottle at him. “And you are wrong. I
have
been in contact with Chet and Remy West about my building plans. I just wasn’t expecting to have to get started on the damn thing this fall.”

“So you’re fine and dandy with us taking up residence here?”

“Yes. No.” She exhaled a sigh. “Look, I know you own the house. But it’s been my
home
for six years, not just a bed and breakfast. I know every square inch of this place because I spent a decade designing it.”

Gavin’s face was unreadable, but not formidable so she continued.

“It would’ve been better if you had thrown me out after you took ownership. But you didn’t. I stayed on as if nothing had changed. Now I can’t help the resentment that you two are invading my house and encroaching on my space. It’s wrong; I know that. But as long as we’re being honest I might as well lay it all on the line.”

The only sounds between them were the squeak of the glider and the creak of the rocking chair.

Finally, Gavin sighed. “This is so fucked up.”

“Agreed. That’s just the personal side. We haven’t even talked about the fact I run all of my businesses out of here.”

“Businesses…plural?”

Maybe his shock about her owning multiple businesses pissed her off a little. “Yes.
Businesses
. In addition to selling organic produce, I sell honey. I handspin various fiber into yarn. I’m at the end of my growing season so I can’t abandon my plants—that means using water from your well since I haven’t drilled for one on my property yet. So regardless of what you decide for our personal living arrangements, on the business side, I’ll have to be here every day. I’ve made commitments, Gavin, and my word has always been the only thing I’ve ever had of any worth.”

He stopped the glider and rested his forearms on his thighs. “I understand that, believe me. And despite your erroneous accusation, the living arrangement situation isn’t solely my decision. So tell me what else you’re committed to in your businesses.”

“The small bakery here closed three years ago. I stepped up to fill the need for fresh baked goods because I installed industrial ovens when I built this place. Three days a week I bake dinner rolls for Fields, the upscale organic restaurant in Sundance. I provide stone-ground wheat and rye bread to several other restaurants and grocery stores in the area. I can’t just stop because then they’ll assume they can’t depend on me, and they’ll quit buying all the other food stuff I supply, which is a lot and my main source of income.” Rielle inhaled slowly, trying hard not to show the panic she felt.

“I don’t know how you formed a negative impression of me, but I don’t plan to throw you out on your ass.”

“Don’t you see that’s almost worse?” She leapt to her feet and paced, words spilling out unchecked. “You came here with Sierra to be a family. I get that. I’m not your family and yet, under our current agreement, I’ll be living in your house as if I am. You’ll want to hang out, just the two of you. Fix meals together, watch TV, help with her homework, play games, invite your McKay relatives over. How can I live here without feeling like an interloper…in what’s always been my home? On the other hand, how can I live here and not get to watch what I want on my TV, and sit on my furniture in my living room? I’m just supposed to…what? Lock myself in my room?

“Not to mention I’ve always treated you like a guest at the B&B or my boss. I’m not in either of those servant or employee roles now. I don’t know how I’m supposed to act around you. Or Sierra. Will she treat me like the hired help? Will you?”

Strong hands circled her biceps, stopping her pacing.

Gavin loomed over her. “Dammit, Rielle, take a breath.”

She froze. He had big hands. Warm. Not girly soft like she’d imagined, but a little rough.

“For Christsake. Please quit looking at me like I’m going to hit you.” He gentled his hold and his thumbs swept the inside of her arms, but he didn’t release her.

The crazy thing? She didn’t want him to. How long had this man owned such a powerful presence? And why hadn’t she noticed?

But she was aware of Gavin’s intense gaze on her mouth. She self-consciously licked her lips. His avid eyes tracked the movement of her tongue.

That deliberate focus caused a falling sensation in her belly that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe ever.

“Ree?” he said a bit hoarsely.

“Sorry. This panic has been building since you called with the news you were moving here.”

“It wasn’t my intention to put you on notice. I’m not the enemy.”

“I know.”

“Good.” He dropped his hands. “I’ll need something stronger than beer if we’re continuing this conversation.”

“Me too. And since I’m not waiting on you…” She cocked her head. “Need me to show you where the liquor cabinet is in
your
house?”

“No, smartass. And here I always thought you were so sweet.”

“I am.” She batted her eyelashes and he laughed. “You pegged me as a non-confrontational, go with the flow, peace, love and good vibes type, didn’t you?”

“Maybe. You itching to prove me wrong?”

“More than I already have?”

“Ouch. Point taken. But then again, we don’t really know each other, do we?”

“No.”
But I’d really like to change that.

“I’m curious. You saw yourself in the servant and employee role. What role did you assign me?”

“Stick-up-his-ass, my-way-or-the-highway ruthless business tycoon.”

Gavin grinned. “Not far off the mark. But I am looking forward to showing you a different side of me, and seeing that different side of you.”

She was too. Way more than she wanted to admit to him and maybe to herself.