Forever After (Montana Brides) (25 page)

“As long as it wasn’t a kitchen supplier, then I’m happy.”

Sam smiled.
 

Nicky’s mouth dropped open. “You’re joking.”

The smile turned into a full throttle grin. “No, I’m not joking. The original kitchen company that won the tendering process pulled out, so we’ve got a new firm working on our plans. They’ve got some options for us to look at. We need to approve the final concepts today.”

“We? As in you and me?”

“Unless you want to include Harriet in the process, I guess it’s just you and me, babe.”

She rolled her eyes. “Babe?”

“As in woman, not the little pig variety.”

“Well that makes me feel marginally better. You do realize I’m still on training wheels when it comes to color?”

“You’ve forgotten that I’ve seen your home. Anyone who can remodel a bungalow as well as you have isn’t a beginner.”

Nicky’s eyes widened. “How did you find out that I did all of the decorating?”

“And knocking out walls, and rewiring, and building a deck…do you want me to keep going?”

“Was it Cody or Emily?” Her pick was Cody. He’d already kept Sam informed of her stepmom’s attempts to introduce her to Mr. Perfect. Her renovation exploits would give her brother another excuse to delve deeper into her nonexistent social life.

“Neither,” Sam answered. “Your granddad showed me your before and after photos. If you were a man you’d be Chief Executive of Scotson Construction by now.” A teasing smile slipped across his face.

Nicky stared at him. “You’re really treading on thin ice now, Samuel Delaney. Do you know how long and hard I fought to start my management internship with the company?”

“About two years or so,” he grinned. “Cody told me all about it.”

“Did Cody also tell you that granddad refused to let me set foot in the company as a paid employee?”

“Yep. And I’ll be forever grateful to him.”

Nicky ground her teeth together. Sam was every bit as impossible as her grandfather. “And why would that be?”

“Because if you’d completed your internship before I arrived, I wouldn’t have met you.”
 

“Oh.” Nicky swallowed, trying to control her pulse, jumping like a jackrabbit through her body.
 

“Yes…oh.” Reaching across the front seat, Sam tapped her gently on the end of her nose. “And do you know what else I’m profoundly grateful for?”

He could have been grateful for honey sandwiches and she would have melted on the spot. His hand cradled her chin and his fingers stroked her overheated skin.
 

“I’m profoundly grateful you came back to Bozeman to work out who was stealing from our company. After the way I treated you, I didn’t think you’d help us. And that was before I knew about our baby.” The corner of his mouth tilted into a slow smile. “I misjudged how deeply you care about our company and your family. Thank you.”

With a final nudge of his fingers he sat back in his seat, taking a part of her heart with him. Nicky gripped the steering wheel, hoping she didn’t look as tongue-tied as she felt. She needed to toughen up, not get all giddy over a man who wasn’t any good for her.
 

“Let’s head into town,” he smiled. “The design team has organized lunch, and Jacob’s waiting to impress us with his kitchen concepts.”

Nicky shook her head, trying to knock a bit of intelligence into her cotton wool brain. “Do you do this often?”

“What?” he asked softly.

“Dazzle a woman senseless, and then tell her you need food.”
 

His rough bark of laughter swept the last fluffy clouds in her brain away. “Not often enough it seems.”

At five minutes past six, Nicky waved goodbye to Sam at Denver Airport and headed back to Harriet. She sunk into the driver’s seat, feeling like she’d just been through an
emotional rollercoaster. The first nail biting drop had left her breathless, the speed had left her disorientated, and she’d spun in so many circles that she felt sick. She patted Harriet, glad to at least have her little pink buddy to keep her steady.

Reaching for her iPhone, she hit speed dial, ringing Erin. “It’s me. I’m heading back to my place now.”

“How did it go?”

“Better than I thought. Worse than I thought,” she sighed.

“Well,” Erin said with a hopeful note in her voice. “Sounds like an eventful day.”

“Sam’s interviewing a project manager in Bozeman next week. He wants me to be on the selection panel.”
 

“You’re joking? After all that’s happened Sam wants you back in Bozeman for more work? The man hasn’t got a romantic bone in his body.”
 

Nicky stared across the airport parking lot, watching people load bulging suitcases into their trunks. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I miss him already.”

“What happened to the invincible woman that wasn’t going to let a certain male derail her life?” Erin asked.

“She got washed down the drain in the middle of a faucet discussion.” So much for her vow to stay clear of Sam and his disastrous track record with commitment. She’d leapt hard and fast back into his life, and didn’t quite know how it had happened.
 

“You lost me as soon as you got to the drain bit,” Erin said. “How long before you get home?”

Nicky glanced down at Harriet’s clock. “About thirty minutes.”

“I’ll give you a call then. I’ve got to drop something off to my neighbor and then I’m all yours.”

“Okay. Thanks, Erin.”

“No problems, drain girl. See you soon.”

Nicky put the phone down and started Harriet. Her granddad had been right. Sam’s rough edges had charmed the socks off her.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Erin stared at the pile of clothes on Nicky’s bed. “It’s just as well Maureen didn’t send your old clothes down to Denver when she redecorated. There must be something in this lot that you could wear on a date with Sam.”

A pair of shoes flew through the air, landing with a soft thud on the end of the bed. Nicky’s head poked out from behind the closet door. “I’ve got a ‘maybe pile’ on the chair over there.” She pointed to a wooden chair draped in blue, red and black outfits. “Sam’s going to be here in thirty minutes and I’m still dithering about what to wear,” she groaned.

 
“That’s what you get for spending most of the day in interviews and traipsing around construction sites. What about this combo.” Erin held up a burnt orange blouse with a black chiffon skirt. “You could wear the black necklace that’s sitting on your dresser, and a pair of black high heels.”

“Sam’s seen the blouse before. He’s seen most of my clothes before.”

“He’s a man,” Erin scoffed. “Men don’t take much notice of what a woman wears.”

“Put it in the maybe pile.”

Erin gazed around the room, and then looked back at Nicky. “We could be here all night, and we don’t have all night. You need the Erin Reynolds no nonsense system to fashion perfection.”

“Don’t tell me. Black pants and a white silk blouse?”

“No, not that one.” Erin grinned. “Watch and learn from a fashion disaster waiting to happen. Now close your eyes.”

“This doesn’t sound like a sensible plan.”

Erin’s face glowed with mischief. “We’re beyond sensible; we’re on prelaunch time. Now close your eyes.”

Nicky squeezed her eyes tight. She could hear the swish of fabric, and felt a soft breeze glide across her skin as Erin moved clothes around the room.

“Hold on,” Erin grunted. “You’ve got enough stuff here to start your own boutique. No peeking.”

“Are you sure this is going to work?”

“Of course I’m sure. Now I want you to imagine you’re already on your date with Sam. Are you wearing pants, a dress, or a skirt and blouse?”

“Dress.” More fabric whizzed around the room. Nicky heard Erin move toward her.
 

“Keep your eyes closed and take two steps forward. I want you to reach out and feel the fabrics in front of you. Tell me which one you like the best.”

“I don’t think this is going to work,” Nicky moaned.
 

“Trust me. If I can get eleven librarians decked out in fancy dress costumes in one hour, I can get you in an outfit in the next two minutes. Now reach forward and start touching fabric.”

Nicky’s hands brushed against the dresses in front of her. She rubbed silky smooth fabric between her fingertips, scrunched rough sequins in her hands and felt the prickly texture of velvet when she rubbed her hands against its pile. “I don’t like this one,” Nicky held onto the velvety fabric. “It’s all wrong for summer.” She moved her hands around some more. “And this one is too silky.” The dress disappeared out of her hands. “And this stiff fabric feels all wrong for a dinner date.”

“There are three more choices in front of you,” Erin said. “I’ll move them around.” Erin’s arm brushed against her body as she rearranged the dresses. “Okay, go for it.”

Nicky’s hands reached toward her bed. The first dress felt like silk, but was far too heavy. “Not this one.”
 

“Two more. Don’t scowl, you’re doing great.”

Nicky touched the final two dresses. “This one.” She opened her eyes and stared at her outfit for the night. It was one of her favorite dresses. The pale blue chiffon skirt floated in a swirl of fabric just below her knees. And the crossover, sleeveless bodice hugged her body and would show off the last of her summer tan to perfection.

Erin glanced down at her watch. “You’ve got twenty-four minutes to get your makeup on and get dressed before Sam arrives.”

Nicky hugged her, “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
 

“Of course you could have. Now go and get ready before I have to keep your boyfriend entertained.”

Sam parked his truck outside Nicky’s parent’s house. The lights in the living room were on, throwing shadows across the flower beds and lawn. He took a deep breath, smelling a pungent mix of lavender and roses floating through the still night air.
 

Dinner with food and no sex was on the menu, and he’d been looking forward to it for the last eleven days. He didn’t know what Nicky thought of their in-transit dinner date, but it had to be better than another few weeks of long distance phone calls.
 

Nicky had arrived in Bozeman that morning for the Project Manager interviews. This time around, he was the one that needed to catch a flight later that evening for an early morning meeting in Cheyenne.

He headed toward the front door listening to the tread of his shoes echo on the slate tiles. A hedgehog shuffled in the leaves under a camellia bush, snorting his displeasure at being disturbed.
 

Wiping his hands down the side of his pants, Sam took another deep breath and pushed the doorbell. He felt as jittery as a teenager on his first date. The door opened, and he stared at the pretty brunette outlined in the hall light. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but it hadn’t been someone else answering the Scotson’s front door. “Hi. I’m Sam Delaney. Is Nicky home?”

The woman smiled, and held out her hand. “I’m Erin, a friend of Nicky’s. She’s just finishing off getting ready; do you want to come inside?”
 

He followed her into the living room, putting the bunch of flowers he’d bought on the coffee table in front of him.
 

“You probably don’t remember, but we met each other a few years ago, just before Nicky started her job with your company.”

Sam sat forward, focusing on her face. “You work in the library.”

“You’ve got a good memory.” Erin smiled, her green eyes looking at him curiously. “So…you’re taking Nicky out to dinner.”

“That’s right.” He cleared his throat and loosened his tie. He felt the beginnings of a major inquisition getting underway.

“Have you ever thought of moving to Denver to live?”

Sam stared more intently at Erin’s face, trying to figure out if she was serious or just passing the time. She was serious. “As in permanently living there?”

She nodded. “If you had the right…incentive.”

He knew damn well what incentive she was talking about, but he wasn’t inclined to discuss his relationship with Nicky. Hell, even he didn’t know what kind of relationship they had. “No. I’ve never considered living in Denver. It wouldn’t be easy doing the job I’m employed to do from another state, but I suppose in theory it could be done.”

“Good.” Erin smiled, as if he’d just passed her first test.

Nicky walked into the room, wearing a soft floaty dress that made her eyes look as blue as a summer sky. “Ignore her, Sam. She’s being nosey.”

“It’s a best friend’s prerogative to be a little curious,” Erin replied. “You didn’t mind too much did you, Sam?”

He stared at the playful gleam in Erin’s eyes. “I’m just happy Nicky arrived in the room when she did.” He smiled. He’d dangled a little piece of string in front of Erin’s nose, and by God it looked as though she was going to pounce.
 

“And why would that be?” The edge of her smile slipped into concern.

“Because your next question might have involved naming my favorite vacation destination. And if I told you Italy, and that I’m going there in three months time, you might be tempted to pack your bags and come with me.”

Erin’s face lit up. “I’m all yours. Name the date and I’ll meet you at the airport.”

“You’re too late, he’s already taken.” Nicky laughed. “Now let’s get out of here before Erin starts asking if you have any brothers or cousins that might like to tussle with a gorgeous librarian.”

Erin grinned. “If you decide to buy an extra ticket to Italy, Nicky knows where to find me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Nicky yanked his hand toward the door. Over his shoulder he yelled, “It was nice meeting you again, Erin.”

“Same here. I’ll lock the door on my way out.”
 

Nicky stopped in the doorway, her blue eyes dancing with laughter. “Thanks, Erin. And don’t touch anything in my room. I’ll tidy it up when I get home.”
 

“Just go and enjoy yourself. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Nicky pulled Sam’s hand. “Come on hotshot. We’ve got three hours until you need to check-in at the airport.”