Chapter 1 #4
“Thanks, why don’t you bring us a dozen oysters on the half shell while we’re waiting for the lady to decide?” Jack said.
The moment Shane left, Josephine tossed down the menu and glared across the table at him. “The lady has decided and I’ll tell you what you can do with your oysters. I’m not having dinner with you.” She started to call over the waiter, when Jack stopped her.
“Let’s settle this like adults.” He pulled out the deck of cards he always carried. “High card wins. I’ll even let you shuffle the deck.”
Her lips formed a straight line and her lashes lowered until her eyes were only narrow slits as he slid the box of cards across the table to her.
“You still trust your luck, don’t you?” he asked as he picked up the menu she’d dropped and pretended to peruse it. He was betting on her being unable to resist. Her luck against his. Knowing her, it was a challenge that would be hard for her to ignore.
He lowered the menu when he heard her take the cards from the box and begin to shuffle them. “As for dinner, I suggest we start with oysters.”
Josephine mugged a warning look at him as she expertly shuffled the cards.
He knew once she got the deck in her hands, she wouldn’t be able to help herself.
He watched the expert way she handled the cards.
Like him, she felt at home with a deck of cards.
There was something about the feel of them, as if they were old friends.
You didn’t exactly trust them. Bet you were willing to trust your luck with them.
They could harm you but not break your heart.
She slammed the shuffled deck down on the table between them. “Be my guest.”
He tossed down the menu, then rubbed his hands together, his gaze holding hers, before he cut the deck, laying down what he’d taken face up to expose the top card. A Queen of Hearts on top. He shot her a grin. “The queen of my heart.”
She mumbled a curse under her breath as she cut the remaining stack of cards and hesitated just a moment before checking the top card. Her eyes narrowed as she dropped them. The card lying face-up was the ten of clubs.
“The luck of the cards,” he said with a shrug as she pushed away the cards and finished off the crab cake. “Thanks. You know I hate eating alone,” Jack said as he swept the cards back into the box and into his pocket.
“I actually enjoy eating alone,” she said as Shane brought the raw oysters. “I’ll have the Wild Salmon grilled and another Margarita.” She drained her second one and handed him the empty glass, her gaze going to Jack as if to say, “You have a problem with that?”
He did not.
“Good choice,” the waiter said and looked at Jack.
“The Pacific Snapper fish and chips,” he said, and handed Shane the menu. “And another beer.
“They have your favorite, Marionberry Pie,” Jack said, smiling at Josephine as the waiter took the empty crab cake dish and scurried off. He dug into the raw oysters, offering her some but she shook her head. The oysters were small, his favorite, and they went down quickly.
“What is it you want, Jack?” she asked, putting her elbows on the table to lean toward him.
“I don’t think I’ve ever made a secret of what I want. You.”
“Uh uh, right.” She leaned back. “That ship has already sailed. You had your chance. Also, that’s not why you’re in Wild Rose Point.”
He could see that the drink and the food had mellowed her enough that he could be a little honest. “Maybe I’m worried about you,” he said truthfully. “What are you going to do with a bridal boutique?”
“Sell it.” She picked up her napkin, touched it to her lips. He felt heat rush to his groin as she put it down and licked her lips. He couldn’t help but react to the memory of that mouth on him. “I hired a Realtor today but…”
It took him a moment. “But what?”
“She said it was the worst possible time to sell. She wants me to wait until spring.”
He hated that idea. “Is that what you’re going to do?” he asked after Shane delivered their drinks.
Josephine frowned. He felt her studying him. He wondered what she saw and was glad he didn’t know. “What choice do I have?”
His gut warned him that her staying here would be a mistake.
He thought about the man he’d seen watching her from across the street.
Worse, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was in danger.
Maybe this man was only the tip of the iceberg.
Who knew what other enemies she might have made that he knew nothing about?
He couldn’t shake the fear that this inheritance had made her a target—all because of that stupid article.
Maybe he should try to stop this. The words were out before he could hold them back. “How much do you want for Seaside Vows?”
She drew back. “Are you serious? You want to buy the shop?” Those big brown eyes of hers narrowed suspiciously. “What would you want with a bridal shop, Jack?”
“I don’t want one.” He picked up his fresh beer and took a drink. “Can I be honest with you?” he asked as he set the bottle carefully back down.
“Can you?”
He ignored that. He was in dangerous territory.
Where was their food? As he started to speak, there was a loud clap of thunder, followed a moment later by a bolt of lightning.
A hush fell over the pub as the lights flickered.
The back door opened on a gust of wind followed by the sound of pounding rain as the sky seemed to open up.
He saw Josephine shiver and got up to remove his jean jacket and put it around her shoulders.
She started to shrug it off, but then pulled it around her with a nod of thanks. “Well, Jack?” she asked when he sat back down.
“I’m sure you were surprised when you found out your great aunt had left you a bridal shop out in Oregon on the coast,” he said as the door opened again.
A couple stepped in and shook rain off before heading to a table.
He heard them laughing and joking and wished that was his relationship to Josephine.
“You’re stalling,” she said with a sigh.
He opened his mouth as Shane appeared with their food.
Jack took that time to decide what he dared say to her.
They were getting along well enough, but he could also see her dumping her plate of food in his lap and walking out.
The drink she would probably finish before she threw the ice cubes in his face.
“Can I get you anything else?” Shane asked.
“No thanks,” Josephine said, and Jack waved him off.
He noticed that she hadn’t picked up her fork after the waiter left. She was waiting and not patiently.
“You have to be suspicious,” he said. “Where did your aunt get this place? Why way out here on the West Coast? A bridal shop?”
“I’ve learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth,” she said primly.
“Bull.” She actually laughed. “Word is out about your inheritance,” Jack said. “The Armstrong twins found you, I’m here…” He let that sink in. He could see that she got the message. “If you have any enemies…”
Josephine brushed that off with, “Enemies, me? Why would I?”
He picked up a fry and tossed it into his mouth. “But your aunt might have made a few. We both know that in this business we run across people who don’t like to lose and would rather blame you than themselves, especially when they lose a lot.”
“Which still doesn’t explain what you’re doing out here?” she said in between bites.
“Isn’t it possible I am genuinely worried about you?” he asked.
She didn’t answer, simply concentrated on her food. After a few moments, he did the same. It was delicious. Being here with her felt so right. He wondered if she felt it too and doubted it. He’d blown it with her the last time they were together. She might never trust him again. That thought hurt.
He looked across the table at her, struck by all the things he loved about this woman—including her stubborn independence—and swore he’d do his damnedest to change her mind about him.
But first he had to get rid of this nagging feeling that Josephine’s “inheritance” high above the deep blue Pacific wasn’t the “gift” she thought it was.
* * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER 4
Rain fell in sheets. Mist rose from the drenched streets, making the night seem colder and darker.
“I’m walking you back to your shop,” Jack said, sounding as if he expected an argument.
Well, he wasn’t getting one tonight. “Fine,” Josephine said, grateful. All that talk at dinner about who she had to fear had left her feeling spooked. Not that she would ever admit it to Jack Rawlins.
He grabbed an umbrella from a stand by the back door of the pub.
They stepped out under an overhang, water pouring off of it to splatter on the concrete steps.
She saw Jack’s expression and felt the same way.
This kind of weather was for ducks—not Montanans who had seldom in their lives seen gushers like this.
Opening the large umbrella, he put it over the two of them as they headed down the alley.
The sound of the rain drowned out any chance of a conversation, which she was glad of.
Jack had her worried that he might be right.
Hadn’t she worried that this inheritance could be a trap?
But now sprung, who planned to take advantage of it?
Revenge against her great aunt through her—or had it always been about Josephine herself?
She realized by the time they reached her back door, that she didn’t have to stay here until the shop sold. Nothing was necessarily keeping her here. All she had to do was keep the lights on and let the Realtor do the rest.
That thought brought comfort as she opened the back door of Seaside Vows and turned to say, “Thank you.” She could see that he’d hoped to come inside and started to close the door.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to check to make sure no one is inside?” “Nice try but—.”
“Josephine, look at this door. You can see where it has been jimmied open.”