Show Me How to Love (Caldwell Family Book 1) (3 page)

He didn’t blame her for keeping her thoughts to herself. As much as he wanted to punch the hell out of something or scream, he wouldn’t dare do it in front of her. Why tell her he wasn’t surprised Ryan had slept with Angelica? This one would probably be back in Ryan’s bed after his cousin begged, flashed those dimples, and bought an expensive gift.

The bartender finally lumbered over. A tall slender man, with thin blonde hair and a wide smile minus one side tooth. “Sorry folks. I got to talking to my cousin at the bar. Him and his missus going at it again. Not that y’all came in here to hear about my cousin’s problems. What can I get you?”

“Coke, please,” Andre said. A bit of rum in it along with a cigarette would go nicely. But not while driving unfamiliar roads. Plus, she didn’t seem like the type who would share a smoke with him.

The bartender turned toward…was it Marcella? “And you miss?”

Her brow creased and she slid him a questioning glance. “I’ll just have a Coke.”

Andre raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you don’t want something stronger? I know I do.”

“But you’re drinking soda.”

“I’m driving icy mountain roads. Get what you want.”

She nodded then smiled at the bartender. “Amaretto sour, please.”

The bartender nodded. “Coming right up.”

Again, Andre silently watched her as they waited for the drinks. She turned to the window, hair swaying softly against the curve of her cheek. She had a cute heart shaped face, and toffee color skin he’d bet money was silky soft.

A few minutes later, the bartender returned with the drinks. “Here ya go, folks. Do you want me to keep a tab open?”

Andre shook his head. “No, we’ll be on our way soon.”

A frown creased the bartender’s brow. “Where you from?”

“South Carolina,” she answered.

The man’s frown deepened. “South Carolina…that’s I-40. I hate to tell you this, but there was a rock slide on I-40 last night. You’ll have to take the detour and I don’t think the roads have been cleared of last night’s snow.”

His companion’s glass hit the table with a thud. “What? No, I need to get home.”

The bartender shrugged. “Don’t kill the messenger. You might want to find lodgings for tonight. Start over in the morning.” He turned and left them to their drinks.

Slender fingers once again raked through her glossy hair. “This is just great.”

Andre took a swig from his coke, now would be a good time to add that rum. “Actually, it’s pretty damn lousy.”

“What are we going to do? I’m not going back to that wedding.”

“I agree with you on that.”

He hadn’t wanted to go to his step-sister’s wedding in the first place. But showing loyalty to the family by attending was a non-negotiable. Curtis Caldwell demanded loyalty from his kids above all else. Not that Barbara would have cared if he hadn’t shown up. They’d disliked each other the day their parents introduced them. Two days after his dad left his mom and informed his sons his best friend’s wife would be their new mother.

“We’ll find someplace to stay and leave tomorrow.” He downed his soda and considered ordering something stronger.

“I didn’t see any hotels on the way out.”

“We’ll figure something out.”

“Like what?”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and tried to ignore the sudden onslaught of a headache.
I shouldn’t be in this damn predicament in the first place
. He was supposed to show his face, propose to Angelica and secure his lifetime hostess. Then take his butt home to finalize the pieces on a new deal that would undo some of the tarnish clinging to the family business. Improving the negative image his dad created while building Caldwell Environmental Solutions into a mega house in the waste management world was all Andre cared about. Angelica effectively ruined part of his plan to show the next generation of C.E.S. was settling down and preparing for the future. If he were alone, he’d brave the icy roads, but the risk of scaring his companion half to death, was not a viable option.

He pulled out his cell phone to search for hotels nearby. No network signal. He sighed and dropped the phone on the table.

“We can drive downtown, look to see if there are any rooms available.” He focused back on…Melissa? But she was gazing out of the window again.

She tapped the foggy glass. “There’s a cabin rental place across the street. Maybe they have one we can get for the night.”

He turned to the sign visible through the window for Huggie Bear rentals. One cabin sat behind the sign, and a small winding road led up to several cabins along the mountain.

“I’m not sure a cabin makes sense.”

She turned to him, her brows creased as she frowned. “Cabin, hotel, does it really make a difference? Since we’re stuck together for the night, we might as well make plans soon.” She looked at the sky. “We might get more snow.”

He mirrored her movements. Heavy grey clouds sat motionless in the sky. As if summoned, a few fat flakes drifted down. With an inward sigh, he resigned himself to the cabin idea.

“Huggie Bear it is. I hope they have something available.” He drained his soda.

Megan maybe…took a small sip from her drink. She set the glass on the table and used the tip of her finger to play in the condensation along the cup. Drawing lines until a large drop formed and ran down the side of the glass. She repeated the movement over and over.

“I can’t believe this happened…” she said softly. Tears glimmered in her eyes.

Andre shifted in his seat. Please, God, not a crier. Comfort wasn’t his strong suit, and this situation called for more than a pat on the back and a gruff there, there. Seduction, shrewd business tactics, and money he knew, not compassion.

“I’m not surprised by anything my cousins do. Especially Ryan,” he said.

She blinked away the tears. “Funny, Renee said the same thing about you and your side of the family.” She took another sip of her drink. “I wonder which side is worse.”

Andre cocked a brow. “Both.”

She sat up straight. Her confused gaze jumped back to his. “I’m surprised you’d say that. Renee and Ryan never lay the blame on their end.”

He caught the bartender’s attention and called for a rum and coke. Might as well since they were staying across the street. “That doesn’t surprise me. The rift between our families is equal on both ends. This stunt your boyfriend pulled today is just another previously used weapon in the Caldwell family arsenal.”

“You mean…he’s done this before?”

“We both have.” He accepted the drink from the bartender.

“But, why. Why would he do that while I’m around? I thought—”

“You thought you were special. That Ryan really cared about you?”

Her face hardened at the mocking tone of his voice. “I’ve known Ryan for six years and in that time we became friends. Or, at least, I thought we did. Despite what happened, I can’t believe he would do something so vile just to taunt you.”

He thought back to the rivalry. The bogus family reunions organized for the opportunity to claim bragging rights for their kid’s achievements in sports and grades. The long lasting rivalry was the only reason they’d invited Uncle Philip and his family to Barbara’s wedding. To show off. The competition, suspicion, and disdain drove his dad’s ambition to have more, and to some extent drove Andre too. Fighting and backstabbing were all he knew.

“Never underestimate the Caldwell rivalry,” he said and then drained half of his drink.

Arms crossed over her breasts, hands briskly rubbing up and down she diverted her eyes.

“Let’s go,” she said. “It’s snowing harder.”

He reached for his wallet to pay the tab. She pulled two folded bills out of her purse and dropped them on the table.

“I got it,” he said.

She shook her head. “You gave me a ride. I don’t mind buying you a drink.” Sliding out of the booth, she hurried to the door.

He stared at the money on the table. The drinks weren’t much, but he’d expected her to wait for him to pay. He turned to where she stood by the door. Arms folded, head held high, a calm expression on her face. Poised, even though they’d both been hit by a landslide of humiliation. She hadn’t crumbled. No hysterics when Ryan and Angelica fell out of the closet. Only a trace of tears. Angelica would have had a world class fit in that lobby if the tables were turned. She has her shit together.
Ryan, what kind of fool are you? Losing a decent woman over a stupid rivalry.

CHAPTER 3

“You two are in luck, you snagged the last cabin.” The rental agent said with a smile. “I hope you don’t mind one bedroom.”

Mikayla cringed. She turned to Andre, who wore a similar look of uncertainty. “We could look somewhere else.”

He shook his head. “No, I’ll just sleep on the couch.”

The agent glanced between the two then nodded. “Now that that’s settled, I just need the rent for tonight and a deposit to cover any incidentals.”

Mikayla reached for her wallet. “I’ve got it.”

Andre pushed her to the side and passed over his credit card. “Put it all on this.”

She didn’t know if she should applaud the chivalrous attempt or roll her eyes at his arrogance. “If you’re taking the couch, the least I can do is pay.”

“We’re stranded because of my family. I’ll pay.”

She couldn’t argue. So she stepped back and let him handle the transaction. Once they secured the key and made their way to the cabin, Mikayla tried to push aside any doubts as she followed Andre into the small cabin.

Andre took her bag into the bedroom as she did a quick tour of the place. Besides the one bedroom, there was a living room filled with big wood furniture with stuffed cushions that gave the place a homey feel. A cozy kitchen with a round dining table connected to the living area. Despite the cold, she walked out onto the deck. Snowflakes greeted her along with a burst of air. Mikayla pulled her coat tight. Shades of red, gold and purple splashed along the mountain peaks as the sun set, creating a spectacular view. A covered hot tub sat in a corner overlooking the mountains, perfect for a romantic interlude.

Her chest constricted. What was supposed to be a romantic weekend had turned into a disaster. Maybe even the biggest embarrassment of her life. Childhood taunts about her kinky hair, hand me down clothes, and lack of money were nothing compared to today. The day reality and Ryan slapped her down from the dream that she could really have it all. A successful career, handsome boyfriend, love. She could only imagine the look on her dad’s face when he found out. He’d predicted the relationship with Ryan was headed for disaster.

The glass door slid open behind her. She quickly wiped away tears, turned and smiled at Andre. His dark eyes examined her. She spun back to the view, remembering the panicked expression he’d had when she became teary eyed at the bar. There was no need to cry. Now was the time to put the pieces of her broken pride together and present a brave front.

“The couch looks comfortable.” Andre spoke in a smoother-than-cognac baritone.

A shiver rushed down her spine. Common sense dictated she should be afraid to spend the night in a cabin with a man she’d only met briefly the night before. Instead, Mikayla feared her body’s reaction to him. His relative calm in the midst of the disaster earlier was reassuring. The second his warm hand had engulfed hers outside of the estate, she’d felt that things would be okay. But she couldn’t trust him. He’d said it himself, not to underestimate the feud between his family.

“You paid for the place, you should have the bed. I don’t mind the couch.”

Before she finished speaking, he shook his head. “I wouldn’t feel right.” He walked over. “Take the bed.”

She had to lift her head to look into his eyes. The mellow smell of his cologne wafted, crisp in the cool air. She took a step back, to escape the welcoming heat radiating from his body.

“If you insist.”

His eyes narrowed and he nodded. When he headed back inside, she let out a shaky breath.

“Do you want something to eat?”

She nodded. “I’m starving.”

“When I came up yesterday, I noticed a small grocery store and a Chinese restaurant not far from the bar. I should be able to make it there and back with no problems. Do you have a problem eating that?”

“No, I’m pretty flexible. I can give you some money.”

He held up a hand. “No need. Lock the door and give me your cell number so I can call when I’m on the way back.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know, but this way I can reach you while I’m out. Don’t want you to think I’m abandoning you.”

His sentiment warmed her insides. “You’re only going to get food. You don’t plan to leave me here stranded, do you?”

Mikayla shivered as an icy wind blew across the balcony. Andre’s long fingers wrapped around her arm and pulled her inside. Once again, his body’s warmth tempted her as he reached around her to slide the door shut. She should have moved out of the way but found his closeness comforting, his cologne intoxicating. Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath. When they opened, she stared up into the smoldering depths of his midnight eyes.

“No, I won’t leave you here stranded.” His deep voice rolled over her like warm chocolate.

Pull it back, Mikayla.
Ryan already proved she was crazy to think she could be the perfect match for an overly confident, rich, handsome man. Clearing her throat, she brushed the hair from her face and stepped away. Focusing on pulling her phone out of her purse, instead of the way his presence unnerved her.

“I turned it off after I left.” She powered her cell back on and gave him her number. He called her to save it on his phone and then left with the promise to be right back.

As soon as he walked out, she plopped onto the couch.

What the hell is wrong with me? Hadn’t she just been happy to spend the weekend with Ryan less than twelve hours before? Now she lusted for his cousin. That had desperate social climber written all over it.

One night. She’d stay in her room, watch man hating movies on Lifetime, and come up with a plan for when she returned. Starting with prospects for a new job. Ugh! She immediately wanted to reject the idea. She was next in line for a promotion to head of the acquisitions department at Caldwell Development. Which would put her in charge of locating new areas for the company to develop. She wanted that promotion and worked damn hard to get it.