That One Summer: A Collection of Steamy Contemporary Romance

Chapter 9

The next morning, Lilyentered the café’s kitchen. She was thirty minutes late, but no one seemed to notice. She’d not slept well and had taken a pain pill, with no food, in the middle of the night. The drugs had left her groggy and upset her stomach.

She was also overheated since she’d walked to the café. It was only a block away, but even if she’d had a car she couldn’t drive with a cast on.

Luckily, she had a pair of low brown sandals to wear with her leopard-print sundress. She’d also twisted her hair into a complicated high bun that kept her hair off her neck. Paris was hot and sticky, but it was nothing compared to summer in the Virginia mountains.

Gage, in jeans and a green T-shirt that emphasized his massive arms and muscled chest, came over and kissed her cheek. She inhaled his familiar, masculine scent and refused to acknowledge the involuntary flush that made her face hot and her palms damp.

“Nana Ruthie said you were sleeping.” He took her hand and led her to the circle of chairs in the center of the kitchen. “I’ll get you something to eat while Nana Ruthie catches you up.”

“I’ll do that.” Harry came into the kitchen from the main part of the café and dropped dirty dishes in the sink. Today he wore an orange apron and a hairnet over his super-short hair. “What would you like, Lily?”

The memory of yesterday’s bitter coffee made her stomach cramp. “A cup of tea and maybe a piece of toast? Or a croissant?”

“Got it.” Harry grabbed a tray of too-dry croissants sitting on a counter and returned to the café.

If she had to guess, the croissants were probably two days old, at least. But she didn’t want to seem ungrateful by saying anything.

Gage led her to an open seat in the circle. From her right, and going all the way around, she nodded at Nana Ruthie, Mr. Elmer, Eve, Clara, Gage... and Jacob, Ben, and an intimidating man she only vaguely recognized. “Lotto?”

Even seated, she could tell he had to be at least six-foot-six, if not taller. He had a long black beard and a bald head covered in tattoos. He wore his leather Devil’s Renegades’ cut over a starched white T-shirt and jeans that weren’t only clean, they had pressed pleats that could cut through stone.

He raised a hand. “Hey, Lils. Good to see ya.”

She nodded. “You too.”

Everyone had put their plates of croissants or muffins, along with various mugs filled with coffee-type drinks, on a low table in the middle.

“So, Lily.” Gage stood in front of them and crossed his arms over his wide chest. “We’ve already decided that Nana Ruthie and Mr. Elmer will handle the big picture picnic details. Eve has agreed to be treasurer.” Gage nodded at his nephews. “Ben and Jacob with take care of the fireworks.”

“Virginia fireworks?” Lotto glanced at Ben. “Or maybe some from another state that are more exciting?”

“Considering I’m a cop,” Ben said in a firm voice, “we’re only using fireworks legal in this state.”

Mr. Elmer grunted. “Things were more fun in my day.”

“No doubt,” Gage said dryly. “Lotto and Harry will handle the food vendors.”

Lotto winked at Lily. “I work in the kitchen at The Ren.”

“Lotto is a true god when it comes to pot roasts,” Nana Ruthie said as she sipped her coffee. “And pork ribs. Those are great as well.”

Lotto raised his mug in Nana Ruthie’s direction. “I make gingersnap cookies and the occasional apple pie. Other than that, I don’t do desserts.”

“Perhaps I can help you with that before I return to Paris,” she said with a smile. She wasn’t sure why she’d offered—she disliked teaching others how to bake because she was an impatient teacher—but she appreciated his easy-going demeanor. For someone so large and scary looking, he had a calm, Zen-like quality she envied.

“Thanks to Clara and her vendors,” Gage motioned to her friend who wore a white sundress and espadrilles, “we’ll have a tent and a bartender.”

“If we can afford it.” Eve, in a pink shirtdress with pink sandals, had a laptop perched on her lap. “I still can’t find the town’s event bank account.”

“Well,” Clara said as she wrote in an open notebook in her lap, “I need to know by tonight so I can commit to the vendors.” She looked up at Gage. “Do we have a location yet?”

“Yes.” Gage nodded at Jacob. “In case you haven’t heard, Jacob inherited Mosby House—at least we think my brother Isaiah will let that stand. But regardless of the inheritance status, it’s still a family property and he’s allowed us to have the picnic in the back meadow.”

All eyes turned toward Jacob, and his face went a shade of pink she’d never seen before.

Mr. Elmer nodded at Nana Ruthie. “That’s old news. We heard it yesterday. But congrats.”

Everyone else nodded, and Jacob slumped forward and muttered, “Thanks.”

Lily hid her smile. Gossip wasn’t only a commodity, its hierarchical placement depended on timing. Since news of Jacob’s inheritance came out yesterday, it’d probably been overtaken by some new town calamity. Hopefully nothing to do with her or Gage.

“That means we only need a permit for the fireworks, and I’ll handle that.” Gage clapped his hands once. “Okay. We all have our assignments. Since Clara has agreed to be our coordinator, keep her up-to-date with your progress. And let me know if you have any problems you can’t fix on your own.”

Eve raised her head from her laptop. “How many people do you estimate coming?”

“Two hundred,” Gage said.

Nana Ruthie scoffed. “In your dreams, Ranger Boy.”

Mr. Elmer laughed until Gage sent him a dark glare. “Let’s get going. The picnic is tomorrow.”

Everyone cleared out just as Harry returned with a croissant on a plate and cup of tea. He placed it on a counter covered with clean pots and pans that had never been put away. “How’s the planning?”

“Good, so far,” Gage said. “Lotto will call on you for help with the food.”

Harry wiped his hands on his apron and left the room saying, “Just let me know.”

Once they were alone, she pulled up a stool so she could enjoy breakfast at the counter. “What do you want me to do?” She sipped her hot tea and glanced at Gage who was staring at his phone. “And how does our engagement fit in with all of this?”

“You and I will be working together.” He glanced at her with his distinctive brown eyes that had turned a shade darker. “In fact, we’re meeting someone in the kitchen at The Ren in five minutes.”

When he went back to his phone, she bit into her croissant and put it down. It was dry and tasted like sawdust. As she wiped her hands on a napkin, she studied the kitchen. It was very clean, but most of the appliances were at least twenty years old and she wondered if Harry did any baking anymore. Or if he just used frozen bakery goods.

At least her tea was hot and properly steeped. She sipped and waved a hand in front of Gage’s face to distract him from his phone. “What’s up?”

He sighed and placed the phone on the counter, screen down. “Please don’t freak out.”

She placed the tea cup on the counter and wiped her lips with a napkin. “Why would I freak out? What’s happening that requires a freak out?”

He waved toward the door leading into the café. “This picnic is just a ploy.”

“Okay.” She tilted her head. “You know I have trust issues. You know I don’t like secrets and broken promises and anything that reeks of any of those two things.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that.” He checked his watch again. “Can you bring your breakfast with you?”

She finished her tea and left her croissant on the plate. “Lead the way.”

He led her out the kitchen’s back EXIT door, and they ended up on the walking path that wound behind all the stores that faced Main Street.

Beyond the path, a steep ravine covered in wild trees and vines, led down to the river. On the other side of the river, a grassy bank covered in daisies offered an entrance to the forest.

The roar of the river’s rapids competed with the sound of her fast breaths. Just seeing that river bank again made her heart race and the air feel tight in her chest. The river bank was where, in the heat of a late summer night and beneath a sea of stars, she and Gage had first made love.

She paused and he stopped to follow her line of sight.

“I’ve never forgotten.” He squeezed her hand. “And I never will.”

She nodded and squeezed his hand back. She’d never forget either, but she was having trouble speaking the words.

He tugged her hand and led her to the EXIT opening of The Ren, only a few yards away. Lotto stood outside the open door, smoking. When he saw them, he tossed it down and said, “They’re here.”

Gage brought her into the kitchen of The Ren, not surprised to see it wasn’t any more updated than Harry’s kitchen. Considering these were the only two places in town still open for a meal, she was surprised they hadn’t been redone.

Once inside, she saw a man and a woman standing in a corner. The tall black man in khakis and a button-down shirt had a shaved head and dark beard. The tiny woman wore her long black hair in a high bun that complemented her black blouse and gray trousers.

Lily tried to keep her face neutral, but she wasn’t stupid. She’d lived in Virginia—not far from Washington, D.C.—long enough to recognize federal officers.

Gage shook both of their hands, and then he introduced Lily. “This is Lily Dunmore. My fiancée.” He turned to her with an apologetic gleam in his gaze. “This is Special Agent Miller and Special Agent Singh.”

“Call me Satya.” The woman held out her hand, and Lily shook it. “I’m with the FBI. Agent Miller is with the DEA.”

Agent Miller nodded. “I’m Mark.”

“Okay.” She sent Gage a silent scolding that said, This is interesting. Why didn’t you tell me?

“I know this may be a lot.” Satya smiled at Lily, obviously trying to put her at ease. “But we’re part of a task force that is tracking a large shipment of drugs through the Shenandoah Mountains.”

Lily glanced at Gage. “What does this have to do with me?”

“It has to do with Caleb,” Gage answered.

“You see,” Mark said in a low, hard voice. “Caleb Mosby was helping us. He owned properties all throughout these mountains, he had been an outlaw motorcycle club member—”

“Wasn’t that decades ago?” Lily asked Gage. “Before you were born?”

“Yes.” Gage took her hand and squeezed. “Caleb had been an outlaw before he started his legitimate businesses. He began working with this task force two years ago and helped them trace a huge drug shipment back to the MC.”

She glanced at Lotto who still hung out in the doorway. He gave her a shrug and then turned back to the door.

So Lotto was the lookout, working with the feds, without the MC knowing. He was a federal informant. No wonder Gage closed the place last night. He probably made up that story of structural issues.

She exhaled and relaxed her shoulders. “If you found the drugs, why do need me?”

“Because after the last bust,” Satya said, “the cartels shifted their way of doing business. There’s another huge shipment out there, and we’ve exhausted all of our leads. We don’t have enough evidence to pull search warrants on any of the properties the MC owns.”

“What does any of this have to do with me. I’ve been in Paris for ten years.” She scanned the kitchen again, not sure what she was looking for, but not finding anything unusual either.

“Right now,” Satya said, “our only clue has to do with Ryan Bourne, the sheriff.”

“What clue?” She wished they’d just be clear with their intentions and their intel. She blew stray hairs out of her face and crossed her arms. She had no patience for this kind of work.

“We know Ryan recently purchased a large fireproof gun safe,” Mark said.

Lily leaned against the counter and held her casted hand to her chest. It was beginning to ache again. Or maybe that was the pounding in her forehead. “That can’t be an unusual thing for a sheriff to do.”

“It’s legal and not unusual,” Mark said. “Except we think he’s storing the safe in the home he’s currently renting. It’s not at the police station.”

It took her a moment before she realized what was really going on. Then she grabbed Gage’s arm and dragged him across the room. “You told me Ryan is renting Daisy’s house—which is now my house. Are both those things true?”

“Yes.” He crossed his arms, as if bracing for an attack. “The task force believes Ryan installed the safe in the Spring Street house, and they want to search it. But they have no evidence he did anything wrong so they can’t get a warrant.”

“What do you think is in this safe?”

He shrugged. “Illegal weapons, cash, and drugs.”

She closed her eyes. “I can’t believe I trusted you.”

“Lily—”

“No, Gage.” She opened her eyes and strode back to the agents. “Let me get this straight. You need evidence to search my home, that Ryan is renting, so you can find and open this safe.”

“Yes,” Mark and Satya said together.

“How do you suppose you’re going to find enough evidence to get a search warrant?”

Satya’s eyes widened, as if caught in a crossfire, and she glanced at Gage. “You haven’t asked her yet?”

Gage cleared his throat. “No.”

“Asked me what?” Lily looked at Mark since he seemed like the only one who was brave enough to tell her the truth.

“Considering your history with Ryan,” Mark took a deep breath, “we were hoping you could... somehow...make a connection with him to find the evidence we need.”

“Especially now that you’re engaged to someone else,” Satya said in a soft, appeasing voice.

Rage flared through Lily, and she turned on Gage. At least he had the decency to look embarrassed. “We’re engaged to make Ryan jealous?”

Gage held out two hands, as if surrendering. “Ryan still loves you, Lils.”

“No, he doesn’t.” She threw up her good hand and paced the room. “Until yesterday, we hadn’t spoken in ten years. So why would you think this plan, which includes me cozying up to Ryan in my new home, would work?”

“Ryan is in love with you.” Lotto’s voice echoed throughout the kitchen. “He’s admitted it many times in the bar.” He pointed toward the main room where the MC had spent all their time until Gage closed the place. “It’s a good plan.”

“In what world is this a good plan?” She stopped pacing and took turns glaring at everyone in the room. Lotto. Mark. Satya. And finally, Gage. “This is a terrible plan. And I can’t believe you set me up like this, Gage Mosby.”

She stormed out of the kitchen, found the walking path, and ended up at a bench about three shops down from The Ren. She sat there, facing the water, hating that her vision blurred due to welling tears.

She wiped a stray tear away with the back of her hand and allowed the mist from the water to cool her face. Then she studied the diamond ring she still wore. The one thought that kept spinning in her mind was why was she so upset every time she remembered her fake engagement was still fake? It’s not like he’d proposed for real, and they hadn’t even been fake engaged for twenty-four hours.

“I’m sorry.” Gage sat on the edge of the bench, near her but ready to jump up if she attacked him.

“Don’t worry.” She held up her arm with the cast. “I’m not going to hit you.”

“I didn’t want to use you like this.” Gage settled into his seat, stretched out his long legs, and contemplated the wild river in front of them. “When Caleb called me months ago, and told me this plan, I didn’t know Ryan was in my momma’s house or that it would be left to you.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She shifted in her seat so her cast could rest on her lap. “Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t figure it out earlier. I mean, you told me you had a plan and asked me to trust you. I’m the one who agreed to that.” She glanced at him, hating the fact she wanted to run her fingers through his hair. He’d tied it back, behind his neck, but she’d never seen him with unbound, long hair before.

While she wasn’t normally a fan of long hair on men, on Gage it looked sexy. Probably because it reminded her of his bad boy days, when he was a reckless teenager riding a black motorcycle.

“Is this task force for real?” She’d lowered her voice to a whisper. “Are you helping the feds now that Caleb is dead?”

“I am.” He placed his hand on the bench, inches from her hand with the diamond ring. “I left the army with a pretty high security clearance. Because I started working with this task force before I retired, I was able to keep it. I’ve studied the intel.”

He moved his hand until it covered hers, and she allowed him.

“This case they’re on? Is it dangerous? Bad? Whatever you call these things?” As a pastry chef, she’d little knowledge or interest in real world politics. She wasn’t proud of that fact, but that’s the way her life in a Michelin-starred worked. She was uber-obsessed with pure vanilla extracts and raw almond flour. She had no interest in the seedier events of life and often had no idea what was going on outside her kitchen. The kitchen that didn’t even have a window.

“I don’t want to overstate this.” Gage spoke slowly, as if searching for the right words. “But this shipment is very dangerous. It’s possible the drugs are mixed with Fentanyl and Tranq—a horse tranquilizer that causes zombie-like symptoms. If that’s the case, it can kill on the first hit. If a person survives, they are automatically addicted. By ten hits, it has an over eighty percent death rate.”

“Wow.” She chewed her bottom lip and sighed. “You got the town involved in this Fourth of July picnic to keep everyone busy while I... what? Seduce Ryan, get him to bring me to my house, and then search for a gun safe?” She shook her head. “Because none of that is going to happen.”

Gage stood and leaned against a tree, facing the water. He shoved his hand in his front pockets. The stance outlined the muscles in his back and arms, not to mention his bottom. Which she had a hard time not thinking about despite the erotic mental replay of gripping it while he’d driven into her on those hot, summer nights.

“That was Mark’s idea. But I nixed it because I was never going to allow you to seduce Ryan.” His low voice startled her. And when he faced her, the darkness in his eyes left her shaking. The tic in his jaw told her he was angry. Really, really angry.

But she was angry too. “Then how did you suppose I’d get close enough to Ryan to find that safe? Or any other evidence the feds could use for a search warrant?”

“How about acting as his landlord?” Gage raised an eyebrow. “You are the new owner—”

“Not until Caleb’s lawyers make me sign papers and give me the keys.” Something she’d learned from an email she’d received last night but hadn’t read until this morning. “I can’t just walk in there and announce a tour.”

“Yes, you can.” Gage sat down and took her hand again. “I’ll go with you. I’m the executor of Caleb’s will.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Do your brothers know this?”

“They found out yesterday.” He gave her his evil smile, the one she hadn’t seen in a long, long time. But it was the smile that always made her laugh... before it made her climax. “I know, for a fact, they weren’t happy.”

“Do you really think we can go to Ryan’s house—my house—and request a tour of the property?” She tilted her head. “Is that even legal?”

“Ben told me it’s kind of legal.”

“What does that even mean?”

Gage touched her lip with his finger. “It’s a gray area of the law.”

“But Ryan, as a sheriff, would know that.”

Gage dropped his hand and stood. “Lotto was right. Ryan is still in love with you—”

“A ridiculous thought.”

“A thought we can use as leverage.” He dragged her up. “We’ll ask for a quick tour, just to make sure that stuff mentioned in the will is still there. Then, hopefully, we’ll find the safe or enough other evidence to get a search warrant. After that, we let the feds do their job.”

“Is this why you came back, Gage?” She waved a hand toward the empty, derelict building behind them that used to be a bookstore on the bottom and a hair salon on top. “To catch drug dealers?”

“Partly.” He took her hand and led her, slowly, toward Harry’s café. “But I have other intentions as well.”

She nudged his shoulder. “Care to share?”

“Caleb asked me to become mayor to help with this drug stuff, but also to clean up the town of corrupt influences, like bad sheriffs and the MC.”

“Even though Caleb resurrected the MC his grandfather had founded?”

“That happened decades ago.” He tucked her hand within the crook of his elbow as they walked. “After my mother left, he cleaned up his act. It was too late, of course. And that made him even crankier. But as he got older, and realized most of his sons hated him, he decided he wanted a better legacy than that for his grandsons. When he asked for my help, I agreed. I guess it was my way of making my peace with him before he died.”

“That’s so sad, for both of you.”

“Yes, but he also tasked me with something else... something even more important. And that’s something I’m looking forward to doing.”

“Can you tell me what this endeavor is?”

“Nope.” He chuckled. “It’s a secret.”

“I hate secrets.”

“I know.”

She stopped when they arrived at the back door to Harry’s café. Luckily, The Ren’s kitchen door was closed so she didn’t have to see those federal officers again. “How about I make you a deal. You tell me this secret thing you’re doing for Caleb—because I’m sure I’ll somehow be involved—and I’ll consider helping you find evidence against Ryan.”

Gage leaned down and whispered in her ear. When he finished, he raised his head and kissed the tip of her nose.

She swallowed a few times, chewed her bottom lip for a moment, and finally grinned. “If you let me help you with that plan—because it sounds like a lot more fun—I’ll help you take down Ryan.”

His wide smile brightened his face. “Thank you, Lils.”

“Okay.” She nodded to make it official. “What’s our next move?”

He gave her another evil smile. “How do you feel about breaking and enterings?”

“You know what, Gage Mosby?” She shook her head and entered the café. At this rate, she’d be in jail by the end of the day. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Yes, I am.” He gently touched her lower back as he followed her inside. “Just the way you like it.”

“Unfortunately,” she shivered from his touch and sent him a sexy smile. “that is very, very true.”