Sweet Nothings (3 page)

“First day for the van, yes. The store’s been open for two weeks, though we didn’t do a big grand-opening thing.” She motioned to the store window behind her that matched the decor of the van. “I wanted to wait until the van was ready. Eat your cupcake, Nick.” She eyed the dessert he hadn’t yet tasted. “You’ll make my customers think it isn’t any good.”

He did as instructed, biting into the decadent cake, then shot her a look as his taste buds took hold. It was amazing. She laughed out loud again, and he couldn’t help but catch sight as several of the men who were in line turned to watch her, as well. That’s when he realized that nearly all the customers were men. One guess as to what had pulled them outside.

“So tell me what brings you back so soon,” she said. “Visiting Cody, I assume?”

He nodded and took another bite, pretty sure some of the pink icing had landed on his nose. Wiping at himself with a napkin, he swallowed and said, “I’m actually hoping to open a branch of my company here. And yeah, I want to spend time with Cody and the twins. So I took a few weeks—four, maybe six—to come check it out, see what I could get going.”

Captivating eyes, the color of storm clouds on a late-summer day, widened. “That’s a long visit. You staying with Cody?”

Nick nodded and thought about the cramped one-bedroom that wasn’t big enough for one of them, much less two. Wanting to set a good example for their teenagers, Cody and Lee Ann had agreed to maintain separate residences until they married. “Until the real estate agent can find me something else. She’d had a place lined up but I just found out that it fell through.”

Joanie gave him a teasing shake of her head. “You’re going to be walking all over each other.”

“Tell me about it. When Boss is there, we practically have to shuffle to the side just to walk through the same room.” His brother had a Great Dane who was as big as them. Boss stayed with Lee Ann and the girls most of the time now, but when Nick had visited before Christmas, it had been the two of them and the dog, all in the five-hundred-square-foot space. Not comfortable.

“So you just up and came here for a few weeks?” she asked. Her features took on an interesting gleam as she studied him. “Feels like a big change for somebody like you.”

Nick raised his eyebrows. “People change. Didn’t you own a salon two months ago?”

A gorgeous smile stole across her face. “Yes, but that’s me. It’s who I am. I flip businesses and move on. I never stick to one thing for long.” She reached out and swiped a bit of frosting from his cupcake. “I wouldn’t think you’d be comfortable not having your routine around. Weeks in a new place without so much as a place to stay?” She shook her head, making
tsking
noises with her teasing. “Seems out of character.”

The comment felt insulting, maybe because it was so true. This quick move was very much unlike him. He was used to his life. He liked it. He’d worked hard for it.

But he wanted to get to know his family.

Opening a new office wasn’t unheard of. He already had one just outside of Jackson and another in Columbia. But yeah, normally he moved a little slower before hanging a shingle. Took a longer time researching. He made sure he had all the facts, and then he pounced. Then he wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted.

He wasn’t about to tell Joanie she’d pegged him so quickly, though. “You’ve met me for all of one day, sweetness. Not sure you could know from that what does and doesn’t fit me.”

She snorted then, her glorious laughter once again pulling the other men’s attention, and he had the urge to step in between them and her. Before he could, she reached up and wiped at his nose—yes, he’d been
wearing pink icing—and he couldn’t help but turn a smug look to all eyes watching them. He may be wearing icing, but the hottie in the go-go boots who smelled like cherry pie had just touched
him
.

“I met you for only one day, yes,” she began as she wiped her fingers off on one of his napkins, then tossed a wave at the latest arrival to her van. “But you were wearing an apron and baking cookies when I first saw you. That strikes me more as someone who’s settled nicely into his life. Has a routine and probably a dog or two. Won’t you miss it?”

Joanie grinned again at the giant of a man in front of her who was trying hard to look as if she hadn’t nailed him so perfectly. Standing there, pretending he had no issues stepping outside his comfort zone. He was a homebody if ever she’d seen one. A routine, a pattern. He likely took every woman he asked out to the same restaurant for their first dates. The man didn’t take weeks-long trips away from his life.

Getting here and realizing his rental plans had been thwarted had to be twisting his stomach into knots. But he did a good job of hiding it.

“I don’t have dogs,” he finally answered. “And I’m perfectly fine spending a few weeks here. It’s a great town.”

The cold wind whipped up her skirt and she fought a shiver, but heated up as she watched his long-enough-to-dig-your-fingers-into hair whip in the gust of air. She couldn’t help but think he grew cuter the more he denied her charges.

“As long as you can find a place to stay, right? That change in plans must be bugging you.”

His dark eyes narrowed slightly, and she almost giggled at the perturbed look. He was fun to tease.

“Wait.” She held up a hand, a thought hitting her like a lightning bolt, then glanced down the road at his truck and the magnetic sign she now noticed slapped on the side of the door: D
ALTON
C
ONSTRUCTION.
“You’re looking for work here? You don’t have anything lined up already?”

He shook his head. “Just got into town last night. Once I get settled I’ll begin checking out the potential. We specialize in renovations, but we do new construction and general contractor work, too. The latter, mostly out of our two branch offices. I’m hoping a mix of work might be available here.”

Could the solution be that simple? It almost seemed too easy.

But she had to ask.

“How about if I give you a job?” she carefully suggested, mentally crossing her fingers. “
And
a place to live?”

It wouldn’t be the best place in the world to live, but it would be free. Surely that would get her a nice discount on the work.

“What… exactly did you have in mind?” He spoke the words carefully, and Joanie couldn’t help but picture the big man moving into her small space in the house she rented two streets over. That hadn’t been the idea, but at his slow-worded question, the picture popped to the forefront. The way he seemed to take in her whole body at once gave her the notion he was thinking the same thing.

She tried to laugh off the thought, but the sound got stuck in her throat. The man was still making her nervous, and the sudden idea of him being so close, even living at her grandmother’s house, set her body on edge. Did she really want him underfoot as she cleaned out years’ worth of living?

But what other choice did she have?

If she didn’t come up with the money, GiGi would move in with her. Then she’d be forced to spend more time taking care of the woman than she did her own business.

As harsh as that felt, Joanie had no apologies for her feelings. Her relationship with GiGi had been cemented years ago. They were family, but pretty much in name only. The two of them simply could not get along.

She pushed the thoughts away, refusing to dwell on the past. She may not want GiGi to move in with her, but she
could
make sure the woman was taken care of.

“My grandmother’s house needs some renovations and I can’t afford the full cost of the work,” she finally said, then shrugged one shoulder
and glanced toward the customers waiting in line, shame overtaking her that she was asking a virtual stranger for what felt like a favor. “I can get a loan from the bank, but not for the full amount. I thought…”

She paused, grateful when he lessened her embarrassment by finishing her sentence. “You thought I could live there and do the work for you?” he asked.

When she looked back at him and nodded, his solid, brown eyes drilled into hers.

“It’s not out of the question,” he confirmed. “What terms were you thinking?”

A trade of the occasional roll in the hay came to mind but she quickly pushed the idea away. He might light her fuse, but it stopped there.

“I was thinking… rent for labor?” No way would he go for that, his labor alone would be worth far more than the cost of a rental in the small town. But she was a businesswoman if nothing else. Might as well shoot for the moon.

“Congrats on your new business, Jo.” Brian Marshall, an old friend who was part owner of the Sugar Springs Diner, stepped over and interrupted the conversation. He held up half of a chocolate cupcake as he scrutinized Nick. “Though with the way these taste, you’re going to fatten us all up.”

Her laugh came honest and easy, her nerves lifting. She and Brian had hung out together over the years, fun only, and he never made her nervous. He was a good friend. She teasingly ran her gaze over his fine form. “That would be a real shame, Brian.” She winked. “I’ll be sure to cut you off if I see things getting out of hand.”

She caught a glimpse of a woman farther on down the sidewalk, checking Nick out. Gina Gregory. Gina had been a customer of Joanie’s when she’d owned the salon. The woman always scouted out any new man potential who showed up in town.

“I guess that’s all I can ask,” Brian said, pulling Joanie’s attention back. A heavy arm came around her and scooped her to his side, and she slid her own around his waist. The tight hold and the way he was staring down Nick made her wonder what was going on inside his head. She had
no thoughts that Brian could be jealous. It was more like a big brother checking out the man currently holding her attention captive.

He gave a jerk of his chin in greeting. “Brian Marshall. You must be Dalton’s brother.”

“Must be.” The two eyed each other but Nick didn’t bother introducing himself. There was zero chance Brian didn’t know his name anyway since the last time Nick had been in town he’d gotten mixed up in gossip involving Brian’s sister. The two had apparently hung out at the local honky-tonk, the Bungalow, one night and had gotten
quite
friendly on the dance floor.

“How do you know our Joanie, here?” Brian asked, his arm remaining tight around her shoulders. He was beginning to get on her nerves. She could take care of herself. Always had.

Nick smiled. It was not the friendly look of a man pleased to meet another. “She and I just made a deal.” His voice took on a deeper, somewhat challenging tone. “I’ll be moving into her house just as soon as we finalize the time.”

Chapter Two

J
oanie walked through the musty living room of GiGi’s house and sneezed as dust wafted up and tickled her nose. She really should have come over and cleaned before Nick moved in, but after the testosterone thumping between Brian and him the afternoon before, he’d convinced her to let him move in this morning, leaving her no time to spruce up the place. Not that she’d wanted to clean anyway.

And certainly not at this ungodly hour.

She smacked a hand against the back of a cushioned chair, then grimaced as a puff of dust rose in the air. She groaned. What kind of person let someone move into a place like this? Not to mention the two of them had yet to discuss the work that needed to be done. Nick would probably take one look and bolt.

At the sound of his truck crunching across the gravel driveway, she headed to the front porch and stepped out. The early-morning sun hit his windshield just perfectly to keep her from being able to see him through the glass, but she could make out something fuzzy and orange filling up the passenger’s side dash. What in the world?

He turned the truck off and silence settled over the quiet country setting, putting her in an even worse mood. All this quiet made her remember how much she’d once hated living outside the city limits. There had never been anyone around to play with and nothing to do. She’d lived
there with her grandparents and mother. Pepaw had run off when she’d been eight, her mother when she’d been thirteen.