Chapter Two
What the hell am I doing? The second she’d taken his hand, Kieran had understood that Georgia was the soul his father had chosen for him to reap as part of their deal.
He didn’t usually meet the person before they passed.
It wasn’t smart to get close to a target, but this wasn’t a normal assignment.
She was his only link to the town and his brothers.
If the job took more than a couple of days, money would quickly become an issue.
He pegged her at about five-six, which made her more than a foot shorter than his six-eight.
Shoulder-length blond hair was pulled back in a tight braid, but a few wisps had escaped confinement.
Light-blue eyes flashed with determination.
She had a slightly pointed chin lifted at an angle, hinting at a stubborn nature.
The white bib apron she wore did a good job of hiding most of her body, but he’d been watching her all morning, and the woman had serious curves.
The kind that made a man want to strip off her clothes to discover exactly what she was hiding.
“What are you talking about?” she demanded.
Get your damn head back in the game. She’s a target, not a potential lover. “I never formally studied, but I’ve worked in bakeries and restaurants around the world.”
She shook her head. “I find that hard to believe.”
“It’s true. I love to eat. Cooking’s a hobby of mine. I’ll be in town for a few days or so, maybe longer.” Best to hedge his bets. “I can lend a hand while you search for a new employee.”
“Why?” Her full lips were pulled into a thin line.
“Why what? Why would I offer to help?”
“Yes. You don’t know me. I don’t know you. You’re a stranger who walked in off the street.” Her brow furrowed. “I don’t even know where you came from.”
“I currently live and work in Los Angeles.”
“You’re a long way from home.”
Prickly and distrustful, she put him in mind of a cute hedgehog. Or maybe a porcupine was more accurate. He sensed that her defenses went deep. That spoke of serious pain and betrayal.
A muscle in his jaw tightened. Surprised by the unexpected jab of emotion, he shook his head.
“If it makes you feel safer, have your cop friend run a background check. I have nothing to hide.” The lie rolled easily off his lips.
“I came here to see my brothers.” He heaved a sigh and dragged his fingers through his hair.
“It’s been a while since we’ve connected.
You can point me in the right direction.
Working here’ll keep me occupied while I’m in town.
I’m not used to being idle.” He pulled out a smile, the one that worked on most women.
He’d practiced it until it was effortless and natural.
Today, it felt fake and wooden. “What do you say?”
She was going to say no. He could tell before she opened her mouth, could read it in her expressive eyes.
Before she could squash his reason for remaining close to her, the shop bell chimed, and a group of older women strolled in.
Her expression changed, becoming slightly wicked.
“You claim to have worked in a restaurant before. Let’s see what you’ve got.
” Waving him toward the front of the counter, she smiled at the newcomers, who were busy gawking at him.
“This is Kieran. He’s trying out for a job and will be serving you. ”
Part of him wanted to laugh at her audacity.
Not many people dared to challenge him. His size and the aura of danger that surrounded him were enough to put them off.
But not Georgia. He wanted to know her last name.
The only reason he knew her first one was because her friend, the cop, had used it.
His brothers would laugh their asses off if they could see him.
The reality of the situation swamped him. He wasn’t here for a good time. His brothers’ fates, not to mention his own, were on the line. And the hard fact was that Georgia wouldn’t have to worry about her bakery much longer.
The coldness inside him grew. Pulling on the emotional armor that had served him well for millennia, he sent the group a charming smile. “Good morning, ladies, and welcome to Baker’s Dozen.” The name was painted on both the front window and Georgia’s apron.
One of the women stepped closer and stared up through thick bifocals. “You’re a tall one, aren’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Polite, too.” She gave a curt nod, and the tight brown curls on her head never moved.
“Give me one of those fancy mocha lattes.” She turned to her friends and waved them forward.
“Close your mouths and give the man your order. We don’t have all day to lollygag.
” She gave him a conspiratorial grin and a wink.
His grin came fast and easy, and when he returned the wink, she threw her head back and laughed.
“Remind me of my second husband, you do. God rest his soul.”
Kieran glanced at Georgia. She’d stepped aside and was standing in a sunbeam coming through the big front window. The genuine smile on her face, along with the natural light, gave her an ethereal glow. With her blond hair and blue eyes, she resembled an angel.
And he was going to reap her soul. It was something he’d done thousands upon thousands of times, but for the first time, guilt niggled at him. He ruthlessly crushed the useless emotion and got back to business. “And the rest of you ladies?”
He hadn’t been lying about his experience, though it had been a while.
But he loved kitchen gadgets and experimenting with food and beverages, especially coffee.
It was both his passion and his business.
After a quick inventory of her equipment and supplies, he whipped up the mocha latte, along with two iced coffees and a cappuccino.
By then, they’d all decided that they needed Georgia’s famous chocolate-chip cookies to go with their drinks.
He bagged them and set them on the counter.
That was when he ran into trouble. “I’ve never used this particular machine.” He motioned to the register. While he could figure it out, he didn’t want to mess up the job audition.
Georgia moved over beside him and quickly rang up the sales.
The women looked like they wanted to linger, but their ringleader shooed them toward the door.
“Let’s go, ladies. You can come back and grill the man another time.
Assuming he gets the job.” She held the door as the others filed out, gave him a wave, and left.
“Well?” he asked Georgia.
“You’re serious about the job?”
“Yes, but its temporary. I won’t be in town long.” It wasn’t a lie, but his reason for leaving weighed on him. That was a first. He didn’t like it. Not at all.
“If you’re serious about work, I start baking at five and open at seven.”
“Not earlier?” Most bakers he’d known started around three in the morning.
“I close around three in the afternoon or when I run out of baked goods. Locals know and expect that and get here early. I stay late and put in a few hours in the kitchen before heading home. If someone’s desperate for a latte and they see the light on in the back, they’ll knock on the door.
” She shot him a grin. “That allows me to sleep late in the morning.”
He snorted, appreciating the humor as well as her easy acceptance of the hard work and brutally long hours. “Like getting up at half past four or so is sleeping in.”
“Comes with the job.” She wiped her hands on her apron and stuck one out. “Georgia Baker.”
The laugh rolled out of him. “You’re serious?”
She waved her hand in the air before he could take it. “I’ve heard all the jokes, so don’t bother. Lucky for me, I love to bake. Take the rest of the day and go see your brothers.” She pulled out her phone and opened her contacts.
Curious, he angled his head so he could read the name she’d selected. “Seriously?”
“You told me to run a background check.”
“So I did.” Not only was she smart and sassy, she smelled good enough to eat. A combination of cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and coffee seemed to cling to her. It made him hungry—and not for food.
He turned his back and strolled over to the window, trying to act nonchalant when he was anything but.
What was it about her that stirred up unfamiliar emotions?
He didn’t like it. It was a distraction he couldn’t afford.
The quicker he reaped her soul and got down to the rest of his business, the better.
Ignoring the lead weight in the pit of his stomach, he formulated a plan of action.
The first order of business was to track down his brothers and find out why they’d pissed off their father enough for him to strip them of their immortality.
Because he was the only one who could have done it.
Not even the gods had that kind of power, not over them.
It defied all logic. Both his brothers were intelligent and dedicated, not to mention competitive. Normal reapers had rules. The Grim Reaper’s sons were expected to live up to an even higher standard. They’d never failed…until now.
For the first time, he seriously questioned if he’d be able to succeed, but it was too late to go back. One way or another, he was committed.
…
This is a huge mistake. Georgia knew it, but she was doing it anyway. Rather than call Cal, she texted him, asking him to check to make sure Kieran was legit. Her phone pinged with a return message. Cal was a step ahead of her. He’d already looked into Kieran and found nothing worrisome.
Not that she’d had any real doubts. He had no reason to lie, wasn’t looking for permanent work, and knew his way around a coffee machine and milk frother. It remained to be seen how he did in the kitchen.
There was something about watching him competently fill the orders that had raised her body temperature.
He had big hands with long clever fingers that made a woman wonder what else he could do with them.
Not that she planned on finding out, but it sure didn’t hurt to look.
His devil-may-care attitude and rugged good looks only added to his appeal.
Hands hooked in his pockets, he stood with his back to her, staring out the window.
He was probably looking at this job as no more than a lark.
If she wasn’t shorthanded, she’d send him on his merry way, good looks or not, but it was stupid to look a gift horse in the mouth.
She needed temporary help until she hired someone dependable, and he was here.
It was as if fate had dropped him on her doorstep.
Goose bumps ran up and down her arms, making her shiver. As if sensing her perusal, he glanced over his shoulder and nodded at her phone. “Done already?”
“Cal just got back to me.” She slipped her phone into her pocket. “Everything checked out. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
His black eyes seemed to darken, which had to be a trick of the light. He stood in the shadows, looking alone and…lost. Which struck her as odd for a man who, until now, had exuded only confidence and cockiness. She clenched her hands to keep from doing something stupid, like reaching out to him.
“Where can I find Sam?”
The abrupt change in conversation washed over her like ice water. She had to stop weaving fantasies around the man. He wasn’t a wounded hero from a movie or book. He was a man in town on personal business.
“Last I heard, he was living at the Little Lavender Farm outside town with Adrianne Sharp.” And though he didn’t mention his other brother, she offered up the information.
“Alex is at Ivy House, a bed and breakfast on Ivy Lane.” She didn’t know what to make of the fact that the three brothers had shown up in Redemption at the same time.
Not my business. Not unless it impinged on Baker’s Dozen.
“Thank you.”
She shrugged and busied herself wiping down the counter. Why weren’t there any customers? This close to lunchtime, she was usually busy. Then again, nothing about today was shaping up to be normal. “Anyone on the street could have told you. The arrival of your brothers was big news.”
One side of his mouth quirked up. “I take it I can expect to be talked about.”
“Are you kidding?” She set the cloth aside.
“The women you served earlier are on most of the town committees. I can guarantee you that at least half the residents of Redemption have already heard about you. The rest will know by sundown. Clara Howard, the one who did the talking, worked at the town hall and for the police department before she retired. She knows everyone and likes to be first with the local news.”
“You mean she likes to gossip.”
“Like it or not, your being here is news. There’s no meanness in them, and they do a lot of good for the community. Things were pretty normal around here until your brothers hit town.”
“What are you implying?” His tone was sharp, almost menacing, reminding her that she really didn’t know him at all. For someone she hadn’t liked on sight, she’d warmed up to him faster than she’d believed possible.
“I’m not implying anything. It’s likely a coincidence, but folks will be speculating on what’ll happen next.”
He heaved a sigh, and the darkness around him receded, to be replaced by a charming smile. “I shouldn’t be surprised my brothers made a big splash.” The lighthearted tone belied the pensive expression in his eyes.
Whoever Kieran Blackwell was, he was a complicated man. She didn’t need or want more problems than she already had. She’d made it this far, a few sixteen-hour days on her own wouldn’t kill her. “Listen, about work.”
Three cars pulled in out front, and their occupants poured out. “Looks like you’re about to get busy. I’ll see you later.”
He was out the door and gone before the new customers reached it.
Retired schoolteacher Ida Goldman was the first one through the door.
Having taught pretty much everyone in town gave her automatic privileges, which meant no one would cut ahead of her.
Georgia watched Kieran saunter down the road as though he didn’t have a care in the world.
Something whispered that that was a lie.
Shaking off the thought, she smiled. “What can I get you, Miss Ida?” She’d deal with Kieran later.
He’d see she was right. It wasn’t as though he could force her to let him work for her.
The idea was absurd. They hadn’t discussed compensation.
Maybe he’d be put off by how little she could actually pay.
“An iced coffee. It’s dreadfully hot again today. Who was that, dear? He looks familiar.”
And so it began.