Chapter 6
Chapter Six
U nfortunately, Sunny didn’t end up dancing the night away with some hot cowboy. As soon as they got into town, Corbin took the turnoff to the Holiday Bed and Breakfast.
“I thought we were going to the Hellhole for dinner,” Sunny said.
Corbin, who sat in the driver’s seat in front of her, lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “We have to stop off at the bed-and-breakfast to pick up Liberty and Jesse.”
Sunny didn’t understand why Liberty and Jesse weren’t just meeting them at the restaurant, especially when Jesse loved driving his big ol’ monster truck with his wife tucked against his side. Sunny grew even more confused when she saw the line of cars parked along the road leading to the big mansion Jesse had bought and renovated. The bed-and-breakfast hadn’t opened yet, and even if it had, there weren’t enough rooms to accommodate this many people.
She was about to ask what was going on when Corbin pulled in front of the house and she saw the banner hanging between the columns.
Happy Birthday, Sunny!
A second later, the front door opened and what looked like half the town spilled out, yelling, “Surprise!”
Sunny was stunned. “But my birthday isn’t until next month.”
Corbin got out and opened her door with a big smile on his face. “Believe me, I know when your birthday is, Sunshine Brook. You start reminding me weeks before. Which is why I had Belle and Libby plan the party so early. For once, I wanted you to be surprised.”
So that’s why the sisters were acting so strange.
Tears filled her eyes and she dove into his arms. “I am surprised. Thank you, Cory!”
He drew back and smiled. “Anything for my little sister. And don’t thank me. Thank Libby and Belle. They did all the work.”
She turned to Belle who had come around to their side. “I don’t know what to say, Belly.”
Belle hugged her close. “You don’t need to say anything. That’s what sisters do. Although I thought for sure Noelle had given it away last night when she said she’d see you tonight.”
“Sorry.” Noelle appeared with the rest of the sisters. “I’ve never been good at keeping secrets.”
Sunny laughed. “And here I thought y’all were having a meeting without me.”
“Never.” Sweetie tugged her close. “You’re part of us now.”
While Sunny’s heart swelled in her chest, all the sisters took turns giving her a hug before Noelle and Belle hooked her arms and led her toward the crowd of people waiting to wish her a happy birthday. Once she made it through them, Jesse stood at the door, waiting to welcome her inside with a big smile and a wink.
“Happy Early Birthday, sis!”
As soon as she stepped inside, Sunny let out a gasp. The entire lower floor had been decorated in her favorite color: yellow. There were clusters of yellow balloons, festoons of ribbon and streamers, and vases of daffodils and daisies and sunflowers. The buffet set up in the large dining room included all of Sunny’s favorite foods: sausage and jalapeno pizza, spicy chicken wings, and Tito’s chorizo tacos. The dessert table was filled with three-tiered dessert trays of Strawberry Sweet Cake muffins, lemon bars, and fudgy brownies with pecan ganache frosting. In the very center of the table was a large sheet cake decorated like a sunflower.
Sunny was overwhelmed
Almost too overwhelmed.
She didn’t deserve all this. She didn’t deserve even half of this. Not when she had lied to everyone about how well her paintings were selling. She felt even worse when Jesse spoke.
“This isn’t just a birthday celebration, you know. This is also to celebrate your success in the art world and all your hard work.”
“And the surprises aren’t over yet.” Corbin drew her close and kissed the side of her head. “Jesse and I still have two surprises we think you’re going to love.”
Jesse rubbed his hands together. “But right now, let’s eat. I’m starving!”
With the hard knot of guilt sitting in her stomach, Sunny wasn’t hungry. But she filled a plate anyway and pretended to eat as she walked around and chatted with the townsfolk and thanked them for coming. As soon as no one was looking, she dumped the full plate of food into the trash.
Unfortunately, someone was watching.
“Seems like a waste of good food.”
She whirled around to see Mrs. Stokes standing there in a vintage designer suit and ratty mink stole. Mrs. Stokes was the wealthiest woman in Wilder and the town matriarch. While Sunny admired her, Mrs. Stokes also intimidated her. No doubt because she was a strong, successful woman while Sunny was weak and an utter failure.
“Oh, hey, Ms. Stokes,” she said. “I guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach.”
Mrs. Stokes studied her. “Or maybe it’s hard to eat when you’re the guest of honor. I had the same problem when my fourth husband threw me a surprise party.” No one in town seemed to know how many times Mrs. Stokes had been married and she didn’t seem to know either. “No wait, Buford was my third husband.” She shook her head. “Anyway, Buford went all out. He invited the entire town and had it catered with more food than we had at our wedding. But I was too overwhelmed by all the love to eat a thing. Maybe that’s why poor Buford ate enough for both of us. He died from a heart attack that very night. After that, I made my husbands and boyfriends swear to never throw me a surprise party again.”
She reached in the pocket of her stole and pulled out a package of gum. Mrs. Stokes had been a chain smoker until she had made a deal with Corbin to quit. She had gone from chewing nicotine gum to chewing Wrigley’s spearmint that Corbin bought for her by the case on Amazon. No one knew exactly what their deal was and Sunny had bugged Corbin relentlessly to no avail.
Once Mrs. Stokes unwrapped a stick and popped it into her mouth, she offered some to Sunny. When she declined, Mrs. Stokes stuck the package back in the mink’s inside pocket. “I don’t much care for gum either, but you do what you have to do to get what you want.”
Again, Sunny wondered what it was Mrs. Stokes wanted so badly she was willing to give up her beloved cigarettes. She might have asked if the old woman’s gaze hadn’t zeroed in on something—or someone—behind Sunny.
“I wonder what has that good-looking cowboy staring so intently in our direction. Let’s hope he has a thing for older women.”
Sunny turned and was instantly caught in a pair of champagne-colored eyes. Except they weren’t sparkling with effervescence. They were bubbling with anger. She knew exactly why he was so mad . . . and at whom. She wanted to turn back around and pretend like she hadn’t seen him, but Mrs. Stokes made it impossible.
“Well, don’t just stand there gawkin’, Reid Mitchell. Get over here and say hello.”
Reid moved up next to Sunny, making her wish she’d worn heels instead of flats. At five eight, she wasn’t short by any means, and yet, Reid seemed to tower over her. “Good evenin’, Ms. Stokes. How are you enjoying the party?”
“Better than it looks like you are. What has you looking fit to be tied? Did your favorite dog run off?”
“I don’t own a dog, ma’am.”
“Well, maybe that’s your problem.” Mrs. Stokes turned to the two women standing by the refreshment table chatting. Sheryl Ann ran Nothin’ But Muffins with Noelle, and Melba worked at the sheriff’s office and fostered abused and orphaned animals. “Melba! We got someone here in need of a pet.”
Sunny choked back a laugh as Reid stared in horror at Mrs. Stokes. “No, Ms. Stokes, I don’t need?—”
Mrs. Stokes cut him off. “Well, if you don’t, that cute little niece of yours does. Maybe if she had a pet, she wouldn’t be stealing trucks and running people off the road.”
Reid shot a mean glare at Sunny as Melba came hustling up looking like she’d just won the lottery. “Someone needs a pet?”
Mrs. Stokes pointed at Reid. “Reid here.”
“I don’t need?—”
This time, Melba cut him off. “I have a terrier mix I call Faith Hill. And Patsy Cline, the cutest little lop-eared rabbit you’ve ever seen.”
“A rabbit?” Sophie came up. Once again, the teenager looked like she’d gotten into her mother’s makeup drawer without permission. “I love rabbits!”
Reid shook his head. “No rabbit, Soph.”
Sophie sent Reid the same glare he had just sent Sunny before she whirled and stomped off.
“Oops,” Mrs. Stokes said. “I didn’t mean to cause a family tiff. I just thought a pet might help out a young girl who’s obviously grieving.”
Melba sent Reid a hopeful look. “Patsy really is a sweetheart. She uses a litter box and loves to cuddle and is a spry little thing—even though she’s missing a foot.”
Sunny’s heart broke. “She’s missing a foot? What happened?”
“The shelter I got her from didn’t know. But with the clean cut, they think it’s possible that someone just wanted a lucky rabbit’s foot.”
“That’s horrible. The poor thing.”
Melba’s eyes lit up. “She would make a great pet for an artist.”
Sunny had never owned a pet in her life and not because she didn’t love animals. She adored animals. Adored them so much, she didn’t want to saddle them with an irresponsible pet owner who couldn’t stay in one place for longer than a few months. Like kids, pets should have a stable home. Sunny’s life was about the furthest thing from stable. She refused to be like her parents and take on responsibilities she couldn’t handle.
“I’m sorry, Melba, but my apartment in Houston doesn’t allow pets.”
Melba didn’t look at all disappointed. In fact, she winked. “That’s the one thing about life . . . things change when you least expect it. Now I think I’ll go help myself to one of those lemon bars.”
“That sounds like a good idea, Mel,” Mrs. Stokes said. “I think I’ll join you.”
Once the two ladies were gone, Sunny was stuck with grumpy Reid who looked like he had eaten an entire tree of lemons. She had hoped to avoid him, but now she figured it was best to let him get all his anger out.
“Well, go ahead. Let me have it.”
Those champagne eyes narrowed on her and he leaned in close, causing desire to zing through her body like a pinball lighting up all her erroneous zones.
What was the matter with her? Why did this grumpy, annoying man turn her into a limp noodle of lust?
The lust only grew when he spoke in a sexy, raspy voice. “Oh, I’d love nothing more than to let you have it.” Let me have it. Please let me have it. “You had no business teaching Sophie that lying was the best way to get out of trouble. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly what I think of you without becoming the topic of gossip at Nothin’ But Muffins—‘Did you hear about how big bad Reid Mitchell made sweet Sunny Whitlock boohoo at her surprise birthday party?’”
She tried to ignore the virile scent of horses and leather that wafted from his body like the most potent aphrodisiac. “Boohooing is not really my thing.”
He studied her. This close, she could see the different shades of gold and brown that contributed to the unique champagne color of his eyes. She knew if she mixed dozens of colors of paint, she would never get this color exactly right. “Is that why you didn’t go running to your brother and tell him about what happened at Cooper Springs? Or are you saving that piece of information to blackmail me with later?”
The man certainly knew how to get emotions out of her. Anger flooded her, erasing all traces of lust. Sunny had never wanted to physically harm anyone in her life, but she wanted to harm this man. She wanted to punch the smug look off his face with her fist.
And she couldn’t. Not when the entire town watched.
She pinned on a smile and spoke through her teeth. “As much as you think I’m the devil, I have no intentions of telling anyone about what happened last night at Cooper Springs. Although whoever was eavesdropping on our conversation might.”
“What are you talking about? Someone else was there last night?”
“You didn’t hear them yell out ‘bullshit’?”
His eyes narrowed. “What game are you playing? That was you.”
“Nope. Someone was hiding in the trees.”
He looked confused. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because you were too busy telling me what a spoiled little rich girl I am and how you want nothing to do with me.” She should have left it at that and walked away, but she just couldn’t do it. “Funny, but that’s not what your body said when we were snuggled like two peas in a pod in Cooper Springs.” She stepped closer and rested her hand on his chest. Beneath the starched fabric of his shirt, she felt his pectoral muscle jump and flex. When she lifted her gaze, his eyes swirled with something that made her breath catch.
Desire. Definitely, desire . . . mixed with a heavy dose of anger.
“People can’t always control their bodily reactions,” he growled.
He had a good point. Sunny felt like she’d downed an entire bottle of tequila—all flushed and woozy. That was just from touching his chest. What would it feel like to run her hand up his strong neck and cradle that sexy stubbled jaw? To lean up on her toes and press her lips to the stern line of his?—
“Sunny!”
She stepped away from Reid just as Jesse appeared.
“Come on, sis!” Jesse took her hand that still tingled from Reid’s heat. “It’s time for presents.”
She gave those heated champagne eyes one more glance before she allowed Jesse to lead her away.
She expected her brother to lead her into the parlor or library to unwrap her presents and was confused when he led her up the stairs to the second floor. And even more confused when everyone at the party followed behind them with big smiles on their faces. When they got to the second floor, they walked past all the bedrooms that were named for the Holiday sisters: The Sweetheart Room, the Clover Room, the Liberty Room, the Belle Room, the Halloween Room, and the Noelle Room. At the very end of the hall was the door that led to the attic. Next to it was another nameplate.
Sunshine Room.
She turned to Jesse. “I get my own room?”
He laughed. “Of course you get your own room. You’re my sister.”
She squealed and hugged him tight before drawing back. “Is it ready? Can I see it?”
He opened the door and waved a hand to the narrow staircase. “Go right ahead.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. She raced up the stairs and let out another squeal when she saw her room. It was even bigger than the Holidays’ attic with six large dormer windows she knew would let in tons of light during the day.
Modern blinds were lowered below puffy canary-yellow valances. The walls were a lighter shade of lemon yellow and trimmed in white. The bed was big and shiny brass with a white duvet and pillow shams and a half dozen throw pillows in different prints: stripes, sunflowers, and cute buzzing bees. The same palette of yellows carried through to the en suite bathroom with the tiled shower and freestanding soaker tub.
“Oh my gosh,” she said as she peeked into the huge walk-in closet. “It’s awesome.”
“You haven’t seen the best part.” Jesse pulled her out of the closet and pointed to the other side of the room.
It had been turned into a painting studio. An easel was set up by the windows and empty canvases were lined up in a wooden holder on the back wall—along with a deep sink and long counter with plenty of shelves above for paints and supplies.
“Well?” Jesse said. “What do you think?”
She thought she needed to tell her family that she was a complete failure. But how could she do it when Jesse, Corbin, and all the Holidays were crowded into the room with huge smiles and love shining in their eyes?
“It’s perfect,” she whispered. “Just perfect.” She glanced at the studio. “But do you think the art studio was a good idea? I mean I’ll love it when I come to visit, but your guests might not.”
Jesse exchanged looks with Corbin. “I’m sure we’ll figure it out. For now, Corbin wants to give you your present and folks are dying to get a peek at the Sunshine Room.” He winked. “Who knows? Maybe the townsfolk have relatives who would love to stay in an artist’s loft.”
Something wasn’t right. Even if people wanted to stay in an artist loft, why the huge closet? People staying for a few nights or even a week didn’t need a walk-in closet. Or all the space. Jesse could have made two rooms out of the attic and they both would have been plenty big. Even she knew that would have made more business sense. Jesse was a businessman who hadn’t made a bad investment decision in his life.
What was going on?
As it turned out, she didn’t have to wait long to find out.
As soon as Corbin led her out back to the carriage house, all the pieces fell into place.
When Jesse had first bought the house, he’d renovated the carriage house for Belle and Liberty’s event-planning business, Holiday Sisters Events. The upper floor housed their offices and the lower half was storage for their event supplies. But the storage warehouse was so large that Liberty and Belle had only filled half of it with catering supplies and decorations. The other half had been empty space.
Until now.
Now it had been turned into a storefront with a huge picture window and glass door. Through that window and door, Sunny could see the beautifully lit space inside . . . a gallery space with plenty of blank white walls for art. Before she even lifted her gaze to the sign above the door, she knew what she’d find.
S. B. Whitlock Gallery
Corbin had built her a gallery . . . for all her paintings no one wanted.