Sweet Tea at Sunrise (3 page)

“Now how would you know a thing like that?” she asked with blatant skepticism.

“Because my mama did it with me and my two sisters. My daddy, bless his heart, was worthless when it came to parenting. He was good for three things, as
near as I could tell, writing checks, chasing women and telling the rest of us how badly we were screwing up.”

“He sounds like a wonderful role model,” she said wryly. “Are you thinking of following in his footsteps? You certainly have the sweet talk down pat.”

The suggestion that he might be anything like his daddy offended Travis deeply, but she had no way of knowing that. “I certainly do hold him up as an example,” he said slowly, holding her gaze. “Of what not to be.”

She blinked at the heat behind his words. “Okay, then. Good for you.” She stood up hurriedly. “Nice talking to you, Travis McDonald.”

“You, too, Sarah,” he said with more sincerity than she’d managed.

He watched her walk away, wondering at the fact that he was still fascinated despite all the complications screaming at him to stay far, far away.

Mary Vaughn Lewis couldn’t recall a time in her life when she’d been happier. When she’d married Sonny Lewis the first time, she’d been after respectability and security. He was the son of the town mayor and owner of a successful car dealership. Married to Sonny, she’d believed no one would ever look down on her again or bring up her less-than-respectable family.

They’d divorced because he’d tired of her taking him for granted. Or maybe because he’d tired of being second best to Ronnie Sullivan, who’d never even given her a second glance despite her very best efforts to catch his attention. It was hard to say just why Sonny had lost patience, but the divorce had been a shock just the same.
She’d never envisioned Sonny leaving her. The one constant in her life had been his adoration from the time they’d been teenagers.

Only after they’d been apart for a while had Mary Vaughn realized what a treasure Sonny was. She’d found herself drawn to him in a whole new way. The passion that had been methodical the first time around had been rekindled into something that stunned her with its intensity. In their forties, they were like two kids who couldn’t get enough of each other.

As much as this new side of their relationship thrilled her, it was seriously cutting into her career as a real estate agent. She’d realized she was well and truly hooked on her new husband when she chose running home for a mid-afternoon quickie over showing houses or closing a deal. Her schedule, once packed with appointments she refused to change, was now subject to her husband’s timetable and the sudden impulses that might strike either one of them.

Which is why she was at home and breathless when she had a call from Travis McDonald inquiring about real estate downtown. Though she had no intention of stopping what she was doing, she couldn’t keep herself from listening to his message. Since moving a property on Main Street or anywhere in the vicinity was rare, she yanked the sheet up to her chin, pushed away Sonny’s roving hand and took notice, grabbing the phone out of its cradle before he could hang up.

“I have a few properties that might suit your needs,” she immediately told the man on the other end of the line. “When would you like to look?”

“How’s this afternoon?” he said, sounding eager. “I could meet you in a half hour.”

“A half hour will be perfect,” she said at once, ignoring Sonny’s resigned expression. She settled the details, hung up the phone and turned to her husband. “Five minutes to dress, another five to get there. That leaves us twenty minutes. You up to the challenge?”

Sonny grinned. “You ever know me not to be?” he said, already reaching for her.

A half hour later, Mary Vaughn’s hair was a bit more tousled than usual, her cheeks a little pinker, as she pulled her Mercedes to the curb. Even so, a glance at her watch told her she was right on time. Just one more incidence in her life when Sonny hadn’t let her down.

At the end of May there was a frenzy of speculation in Wharton’s when a SOLD sign appeared on the window of an empty space on Azalea Drive, just across the street from Town Hall and on the other side of the square from Wharton’s.

Once occupied by a small newsstand that had sold magazines, cigarettes and Coca-Cola in bottles out of an old-fashioned red cooler, it had been empty for several years. The dingy front window had been covered over with curling brown paper, the once-green door was now faded and the rolled up awning was so dry-rotted it would probably crumble if anyone dared to open it.

For once, no one seemed to be able to pry even a tidbit of information from Mary Vaughn, who was usually only too eager to tell the world about the local real estate sales, especially those she’d made herself.

“Sorry, I’ve been sworn to secrecy,” she told Sarah and Grace when they ganged up on her one morning when she stopped in to pick up a cup of coffee to go.

“Since when has that ever stopped you?” Grace grumbled with a huff.

Mary Vaughn didn’t take offense. “The buyer paid full price to keep my mouth shut. What can I say? Money talks.”

“Well, you’d think whoever it is would want to set off some free word-of-mouth,” Grace said. “Must not have much business sense.”

Mary Vaughn grinned at Sarah. “Maybe we should talk about something else. I’m hoping Rory Sue’s going to move back home. Maybe she could get together with you, Annie and Raylene sometime. I think once she sees there are some young people still around, she’ll feel more positive about settling in Serenity, instead of heading over to Charleston. Sonny and I are just sick, thinking about her so far away. And you should hear her granddaddy going on and on about it. Howard’s beside himself.”

As if Charleston were at the other end of the earth, Sarah thought. In her opinion, it wasn’t quite far enough. Still, she fibbed, “We’d love to see her.”

The truth was, Rory Sue had always thought she was better than any of them, Raylene included. It didn’t seem to impress Rory Sue in the least that Raylene was the only girl in town who’d had a full-blown debutante season over in Charleston, thanks to her well-connected maternal grandparents.

Like her mama, Rory Sue thought she was hot stuff because of her family, the most powerful one in Serenity. That Howard and Sonny Lewis were big fish in a very tiny pond didn’t seem to faze her. It had also apparently escaped her notice that her maternal grand
parents—Mary Vaughn’s mama and daddy—were less than noteworthy. More like notorious for their frequent drunken brawls, if the truth be told.

“Then I’ll be sure she gets in touch,” Mary Vaughn told Sarah, picking up her coffee and heading for the door.

“Don’t be coming back in here till you have some news you can share,” Grace called after her, not entirely in jest.

“We’ll find out what’s going on soon enough,” Sarah consoled Grace when Mary Vaughn just waved.

“Not good enough. I pride myself on knowing things first,” Grace replied. “I don’t understand all this secrecy unless it’s going to be one of those shops that sells sex toys or something like that.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Maybe porno movies, though we have an ordinance against that, I think.” She shook her head sorrowfully. “If it’s not something that’s going to cause an uproar, why would the owner want to keep it a secret?”

Sarah bit back a laugh because she knew Grace was serious. “I’m not sure there’s a huge market for selling sex toys in Serenity,” she said. “And if I were ever to consider such a thing, I certainly wouldn’t put the business right here in plain view in the middle of downtown, where it’d be bound to stir up trouble. There are plenty of back alleys where a place like that might be able to operate in peace.”

“Well, some people don’t have your good sense,” Grace grumbled. She stirred a straw around in her sweet tea, her expression despondent. Eventually she turned back to Sarah. “Maybe you could talk to Jeanette, see what she knows.”

“Why Jeanette?”

“She’s married to the town manager, isn’t she?” Grace said, clearly warming to the idea. “If anybody knows what’s going on, Tom does. He’s the one on this big campaign to bring new business into downtown Serenity.”

“Good point,” Sarah conceded. “I’ll ask her when I go over to The Corner Spa later.” Of course, Jeanette hadn’t been all that forthcoming about her husband’s cousin, even when directly questioned by Annie, so apparently she knew how to be more discreet than the typical Sweet Magnolia. They were all pretty quick to share everything.

“If you find out anything, you call me, you hear,” Grace commanded. “Don’t be waiting till morning to let me know.”

“I’ll call,” Sarah promised, then noticed Grace looking out the window again. Her expression had brightened considerably.

“Now that’s real interesting,” Grace said. “Just look across the street, why don’t you?”

Sarah followed the direction of her gaze. There, wearing yet another pair of snug, faded jeans and a tight black T-shirt, was her mystery man, Travis McDonald himself…and he was walking right into that empty storefront as if he owned the place.

A
hum of excitement stirred inside Travis as he walked into the space that would soon be Serenity’s own country music radio station. To be honest, the task of fixing up the space and creating a studio that would overlook the town square was a little daunting. Right now the whole place reeked of stale tobacco, and the yellowed linoleum floor was scarred with burns from idiots who’d just ground out their cigarettes wherever they stood.

The only thing in the place worth saving was the old red Coca-Cola cooler. It might not serve much of a function in a radio station, but he liked the thought of having an antique like that around. He could keep it filled with soft drinks—bottled the old-fashioned way if he could find them—for the guests he envisioned putting on the air during a morning show he’d decided to call
Carolina Daybreak.
It would be a mix of music and local news and talk, the first place people would turn to—aside from Wharton’s—to find out what was going on in Serenity.

Now all he needed, aside from a significant amount of elbow grease, was the right person to sit in here and
chat with residents and business folks or with anyone important who might be passing through town. He glanced across the square and spotted the person he had in mind standing in the doorway at Wharton’s, staring right back at him. He waved, and the woman he’d now identified as Mrs. Sarah Price, single mother of two, ducked out of his line of sight like a scared little rabbit.

Yep, the minute he’d verbally closed the deal for the radio station, he’d decided to woo her away from waiting tables and turn her into a small-town celebrity. For days he’d watched her talking to the regulars in Wharton’s in a natural way that kept them laughing and made them open up. He had a hunch she could get people to spill secrets faster than a skilled detective…and make ’em enjoy doing it. She’d bring the friendly atmosphere of Wharton’s right into the studio.

Of course, the fact that she couldn’t seem to string two sentences together around him half the time gave him pause, but he was convinced that was an aberration. An intriguing one, in fact. For now, though, any thoughts of pursuing her for anything beyond her ability to charm potential listeners had to be put on hold. He had enough to do just getting this station on the air.

As soon as the paperwork was done and he’d finalized his plans and won the necessary approvals from the Federal Communications Commission for going on the air, he intended to sit Sarah down and have a serious conversation with her about how he could change her life.

Hopefully she wouldn’t get so nervous she’d dump a pot of scalding hot coffee all over him.

For now, though, he had a lot of work to do. He
walked over to Main Street to the hardware store and filled a cart with cleaning supplies. He figured he’d come back again for paint, lumber, wallboard and flooring once the whole place had been emptied out and scrubbed down and he knew what he had to work with. Maybe Jeanette would want to help him pick the colors. He liked the way her home felt—cozy and inviting—and he wanted his radio station to feel the same way. Maybe with a little less of that flowery fabric, though. He had no idea how Tom lived with that. He’d probably been blinded to it by love.

When Travis set all his supplies on the counter, the man behind it looked over the purchases. “You must be the guy who bought the old newsstand,” he concluded.

Travis grinned at his assumption. “I did. Isn’t anyplace else in town that filthy?”

“Not much that I know of,” the man said. “I’m Ronnie Sullivan, by the way. My wife, Dana Sue, owns Sullivan’s, the best restaurant in the entire state.”

Amused by the heartfelt recommendation, Travis asked, “You wouldn’t be just a little biased, would you?”

Ronnie pointed to a framed review on the wall that said the same thing. “General consensus,” he said proudly. “You haven’t been there?”

“I’ve pretty much been eating at my cousin’s and at Wharton’s,” Travis admitted.

“So, you have family in town?” Ronnie said, as he rang up Travis’s purchases.

“My cousin’s the town manager, Tom McDonald. I’m Travis McDonald.”

“Of course,” Ronnie said at once. “Tom mentioned
he had company. Glad to meet you, and welcome to downtown.” He put the heavier items into a carton and bagged the rest. “So, what is it you plan to sell?”

The question was asked in such a cautious tone, Travis had to fight a grin. He’d heard all the speculation at Wharton’s. The best, by far, had been Grace’s opinion that it was going to be something lurid and inappropriate. He hated disillusioning her just yet. She seemed to enjoy working herself into a frenzy.

“I’m not quite ready to make an announcement,” he told Ronnie. “I figure there’s some advantage to building anticipation.”

“Interesting strategy,” Ronnie said with a thoughtful expression. “Are you sure you want to let people get carried away with their speculation? Next thing you know, there could be protests on the town green.”

Travis did chuckle at that. “You’ve heard about the sex toys, too?”

“Indeed, I have,” Ronnie admitted, looking intrigued. “Are they wrong?”

“Very,” Travis assured him. “But let them enjoy themselves a little longer.”

“Trust me, you really don’t want to let Grace work up a full head of steam over this. Anything you announce after that will pale by comparison.”

“I’m not worried. I think this will stir up some excitement.”

“But not trouble?” Ronnie persisted.

“I can’t imagine how. Tom would never let me get away with doing anything that would hurt this town. He considers its success to be his own personal mission.”

“Good point,” Ronnie said, looking reassured. “Let
me know if you need any help fixing the place up. I know several guys who do good work—painting, minor construction, handyman jobs—for a reasonable price.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You need any help carrying all that back over there? I can close up for a minute and give you a hand.”

“No need,” Travis said, picking up the heavy box and two bags. “When it comes time for the paint and whatever else I need, I’ll be back.”

“Sure thing,” Ronnie told him. “And don’t forget to stop by Sullivan’s one of these days. I’m usually hanging out there in the evening, if you find yourself looking for company.”

“Will do.”

Travis went back to his new space and got to work. Whenever he tired of the powerful aroma of cleaning solution, he stepped outside to breathe in the sweetly scented spring air. And more times than he could count, he caught a glimpse of Sarah looking in his direction. He wondered if she shared Grace’s opinion about what he was up to, and if so, what she thought about it. One thing for sure, her curiosity was evident. He found that increasingly satisfying.

It had been two weeks since they’d discovered that Travis McDonald was the new owner of the space on Azalea Drive, but Sarah and Grace were no closer to figuring out what he had planned. The windows were still covered over with brown paper to keep out prying eyes, but it was evident that Travis had been in there every day working from morning till night. Sarah had to admit being impressed by how industrious he seemed to be.

While Sarah was curious about his plans, the whole mystery was driving Grace crazy. She was about one frenzied minute away from launching a full-scale protest on the sidewalk outside of Travis’s store.

“What exactly are you going to protest?” Sarah asked her. “He hasn’t done anything except fix the place up. That can’t be bad.”

“You mark my words, he has some dastardly scheme in mind, and I intend to nip it in the bud,” Grace declared. “Nobody’s that secretive without a good reason.”

Sarah bit back a smile. “Grace, you’re getting worked up over nothing. At least wait till he puts a sign up. I told you myself that he’s the town manager’s cousin. He’s not going to do anything that would embarrass Tom.”

“Then why won’t he say so?” Grace demanded. “I’ll tell you why. Because he’s up to no good.”

Making an impulsive decision, Sarah took off her apron. “Cover for me,” she told Grace.

Looking startled, Grace asked, “Where are you going?”

“Into the lion’s den,” she said. “Where else?”

Before Grace could stop her, Sarah walked outside, down the block, then crossed the street. Travis was standing on the sidewalk, leaning back against the building’s old redbrick facade in a nonchalant pose that belied the wary expression on his face.

“About time you came calling, sugar,” he said when she drew near. “I was beginning to think you didn’t care.”

Immediately flustered, she almost tripped over the curb. “Oh, hush with that sweet talk,” she said, moving to stand in front of him, hands on hips. “Why won’t you tell people what you plan to do in here?”

“Because I don’t want to,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact. “Don’t know of any law that says I have to announce my plans before I’m ready.”

“You have to file papers with the town before you can open a business,” she reminded him. “Or is Tom letting you off the hook because you’re related?”

“Tom would never let me off the hook. He’s a straitlaced guy. My paperwork will all be filed nice and neat when the time comes.”

“Does he know what you’re up to?”

“Of course.”

Thoroughly frustrated by his refusal to set her mind at ease—and everyone else’s for that matter—she studied him for a minute, then said, “You’re enjoying all the speculation, aren’t you?”

He nodded. “I’m especially fond of the sex-toy theory,” he admitted with a spark of pure devilment in his eyes. “What do you think of that one?”

“I think it’s crazy,” Sarah confessed. “But since I know for a fact that you can be outrageous, I haven’t ruled it out. Just so you know, though, Grace wants to get up a petition against it. And follow up with a protest outside your front door. I really think you’re better off nipping that idea in the bud.”

“Really?” he said innocently. “Just think of the publicity.”

“Is that the kind you want?”

“Couldn’t hurt,” he insisted.

She edged closer to the door, trying to avoid getting too close to him as she did so. Something about all that heat and masculinity was way too hard to resist. She didn’t want to tempt fate.

“How about giving me a tour?” she suggested. Maybe that would give her a few hints about what he had in mind. If it was something outlandish, he probably wouldn’t let her cross the threshold.

Travis gave her a long, amused look, then stepped over and opened the door. “You can tell me what you think of the color scheme,” he said without a hint of reservation.

Inside, to her surprise, she found the one long, narrow room had been carved up into four separate spaces, which certainly didn’t look suited to retail. The largest was on the left and had the only window, which faced out on the town green and would let in plenty of light once that awful brown paper was removed. It connected to a smaller room right behind it. The entry area, no bigger than a foyer in a small home, had room enough for a couple of chairs, though the only thing in it at the moment was the old red soda cooler she remembered from her childhood. She touched it with near reverence.

“You kept this,” she said, not sure why that made her so happy. Maybe she didn’t think there could be anything bad about a man with a sentimental streak.

Travis was watching her with that same hint of amusement sparkling in his eyes. “Best thing in here,” he said.

“What’s through that door?” she said, gesturing to the only remaining doorway off the foyer.

“See for yourself,” he said, opening the door.

The back room was completely empty except for cleaning supplies and paint cans. Without a window back there, it could have been dismal, but it had been
painted the same cheery yellow as the front rooms. All the trim was white enamel.

“You planning to sell the porno stuff back here?” she inquired, not entirely in jest. At least it would be out of plain sight.

“Actually I was thinking that ought to be out front,” he said with a perfectly straight face. “It’ll attract more customers if it can be seen from the street, don’t you think?”

Sarah scowled at him. “You’re not taking this seriously. Grace will stir up trouble if you don’t satisfy her curiosity soon.”

“Give me a timetable,” he suggested. “What’s soon?”

“About a nanosecond,” she said. “She’s on edge. She likes being the first to know things. You’re frustrating her.”

He gestured around him. “Do you seriously think this looks like something disreputable?”

“I don’t, but I’ve been fooled before.”

“Really? You don’t seem to me like a woman who could be fooled very easily.”

“How would you know?” She honestly wanted to know how he’d reached such a conclusion from a few very brief and mostly impersonal conversations. Even his outrageous flirting, she had concluded, was more from habit than anything to do with her.

“I’m a good judge of character, especially when it comes to women,” he claimed. “For instance, I look at you and I see a woman who’s not afraid of hard work. I see a responsible mother. And when I listen to what you have to say in Wharton’s—”

“When you eavesdrop,” she corrected.

He didn’t seem embarrassed by the accusation. “When I pay attention,” he said, giving it another spin, “I hear a woman with intelligence and wit.”

His words filled Sarah with a sense of wonder. How had he managed to hit on so many of the areas in which she doubted herself? To hear that he found her to be more than adequate was a revelation. In fact, if she’d trusted him from here to the corner, his comments might have been reassuring. In her experience, though, no man who talked this smoothly was up to anything good.

Ignoring the satisfaction she took from his words, she said, “I’m just warning you, open up about your plans before Grace stirs up trouble. That’ll have way too many repercussions.”

“Such as?”

“People in town love Grace. They won’t appreciate it if you make her look like an idiot for making a fuss, only to discover that you’re planning something totally innocent. Your business, whatever it is, might never recover from that. People have long memories around here, and they look out for their own. Despite their respect for Tom, they’ll see you as an outsider. You’ll find yourself with a whole store full of widgets or whatever and no buyers.”