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JJ nodded again and the man put out one hand. “Good,” he said with another smile. “Sounds like we have a deal. You want to shake on that?”
Raina felt a tug of pride as her son extended his grubby little hand to be engulfed in the stranger’s much larger one. But pride was soon overtaken by something else as she noticed the man’s hands. They were tanned and broad, with long fingers and neatly kept nails. Definitely an office worker, she surmised, and not from around here, but—oh boy—there was that swell of attraction again. What on earth was wrong with her? After Jeb, she’d sworn off men. She couldn’t trust her own judgment anymore.
The man rose to his full height, which dwarfed Raina’s own five foot seven by a good several inches. He held out his hand toward her.
“Nolan Dane, pleased to meet you.”
Automatically Raina took his hand but realized her mistake the moment she did so. A sharp tingle of electricity sizzled up her arm the second their palms met.
“I... I’m R-Raina. Raina Patterson.”
She groaned inwardly. Great, now she sounded like a complete idiot. Her heart skittered in her chest as she noticed he was still holding her hand. She gently pulled free and fought the urge to rub her palm on the fabric of her skirt. “Welcome to my store, Priceless. Were you looking for something in particular? Perhaps I can help you,” she asked, forcing herself to put her business voice on.
* * *
His first reaction to her had been instant, visceral and totally unexpected. Now Nolan could barely tear his eyes from her. She looked so much like his dead wife, Carole, it was uncanny. Her shoulder-length hair was the same shade of glossy brown that hovered between dark chocolate and rich espresso. She had the same shape of chin and brows. But it was only once he looked more closely at her that he saw the differences that set them apart.
The woman before him now wore only a bare minimum of makeup, letting her natural beauty shine, whereas Carole had been so caught up in projecting the right appearance that even he had rarely seen her without makeup on. Even at breakfast. Carole’s argument had been that while he’d comfortably slipped into a law practice with his father, she’d had a harder road to travel, proving herself against the good ol’ boys in one of Maverick County’s corporate law firms. She’d needed all the armor she could get.
But there was something in the way that Ms. Patterson carried herself, too, and the sweetly serene smile she wore, that continued to remind him of his late wife. Raina presented a strong and untroubled facade to the world. A facade that he already knew hid a vulnerability that had been evident in her hesitant introduction and which had appealed to the protector in him with surprising force.
Hell no, he reminded himself forcibly. No matter how much she fascinated him, he absolutely couldn’t go there. Women like Raina Patterson were completely out of bounds. Even if she wasn’t married—which she probably was—she had a kid, and he had strict rules about not complicating his life any further. He’d already had his heart torn out and shredded to pieces once and he would bear those scars for the rest of his life. Dating was strictly for brief respites—and this woman did not look like the type for a quick roll in the sheets followed by an even quicker farewell.
“Thank you,” he said, finally pulling himself together. “I just came to look around, to be honest. The Courtyard hasn’t been operating long, has it?”
“No, not terribly long. It stopped being a working ranch a few years ago. The ongoing drought forced the original owners to sell and the new owners, the Winslows, came up with the idea to convert it to shops and studios. It’s helped a lot of us get back on our feet after the tornado.”
Nolan nodded as he processed the information and matched it up with what he knew already. “And you’re selling antiques here?”
“Yes, and running craft classes out back. My first one is tonight. Would you be interested in signing on for a lesson in candle making? They’re going to be a hot gift item for Christmas this year in Royal.”
She laughed softly and, unexpectedly, he delighted in the sound. It was refreshing. Genuine amusement wasn’t often heard in the circles in which he moved, at least not without some malice in it somewhere.
“I’ll take a rain check,” he said with a wink, and he was delighted to see a faint blush color her ivory cheeks.
“A shame,” she said averting her head slightly. “I’m sure all the ladies would have been thrilled to have you.”
And then he felt the heat of a blush on his cheeks, as well. Ridiculous, he thought. He hadn’t blushed since the day he’d asked Carole out in high school and yet here he was with cheeks aflame. The memory was just the cold dose of reality he needed. It was time to get out of here before he made a complete fool of himself and broke his own rules about dating and asked the enticing Ms. Patterson out. He made a show of looking at his watch and made a sound of surprise.
“I need to get on my way, but first I should remedy the demise of JJ’s ice cream.”
“Oh, please don’t worry. He’ll be fine and, besides, the homemade ice cream store will be closed now.”
“And I’m holding you up from closing, too, I see,” he said, gesturing to the face of his watch. “I’ll head off.”
“Please, don’t rush away. Look around—you never know—something might grab your attention. We’ll be a little while closing up anyway.”
Despite his determination to put some distance between them, Nolan found himself agreeing to prolong his visit.
“Okay, thanks. Let me know when you want me out of your way.”
She nodded and gave him another of those serene smiles that delivered a solid whack to his solar plexus.
As he moved among the pieces she had on display, he reexamined his options. He was here to do a job. Part of that job was gathering information. He hadn’t missed the spark of interest in her eyes. Perhaps he could use that interest to his advantage. Ms. Patterson, whether she knew it or not, had just become his best opportunity to get an angle on Winslow Properties and hopefully the leverage he’d need to pull off this purchase. Somehow, he needed to get past his emotional barriers and see her purely as a means to an end. If he didn’t, all bets were likely off, and he’d have to deliver Rafiq his first failure in this acquisitions venture. Nolan’s need to succeed pushed through. He could do this. And he would.
Nolan could hear Raina moving around toward the back of the store. He flicked a look her way and saw her laying out egg cartons and wicks and precut blocks of what he assumed was wax. JJ was doing his best to help. Raina moved quietly behind him and straightened up the things he laid out for her, and every now and then she paused to wipe his little nose.
She did everything with grace and an effortless elegance that mesmerized Nolan, and he had to force himself to look away and remind himself he was here to gather intel about the Courtyard, not spend his time mooning over one of the proprietors. He was on the verge of leaving the store when he overheard Raina talking to JJ.
“Well, how about that?” she said, putting her hands on her hips and looking around the workroom. “We’re all done, JJ. I couldn’t have done it all so fast without your help.”
Nolan fought back a smile. He had no doubt she’d have had it done in half the time, but it tugged at his heart to see how she took the time to make JJ feel special and his efforts valued. Then came a fresh debilitating wave of sorrow as he remembered all he’d lost. Even so, he still couldn’t tear himself away from the tableau in front of him.
“I’m a good boy, aren’t I, Mommy?” JJ said, his little chest puffed out with pride.
“Yes you are. The very best. And you’re all mine!” She reached out to tickle him and he giggled and squirmed out of reach. “How about, as a reward, I take you to the diner for dinner before your sitter comes tonight.”
The little boy nodded vigorously. An idea occurred to Nolan. This was an opening he could use. He still owed JJ an ice cream. What better opportunity to fulfill his promise to the kid and to accidentally bump into his mother again and draw her back into conversation.
She’d mentioned a sitter. Did that mean there was no Mr. Patterson around? He gave himself another mental shake. Whether there was or not, it made no difference. This would merely be another opportunity to ask her more questions about the Courtyard and Winslow Properties.
At least that’s what he told himself.
Two (#ulink_2d1dd022-00da-5c2a-a6ab-2576c51bfe6d)
Raina heard her cell phone ring in her handbag as she was securing JJ in his car seat. Whoever it was would just have to leave a message, she thought as she did up his harness and checked to make sure he was snug. Finally satisfied, she got in the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition.
“Seat belt, Mommy!”
She smiled at JJ in the rearview mirror. “Yes, sir!”
He giggled in response, the way he always did, and it made her heart glad. She thanked God every day for the gift of her son. Jeb Pickering might have been a useless no good son-of-a-bitch but he’d left her with a gift beyond price. While it would have been her ideal wish to have provided JJ with both a mommy and a daddy who loved him, she was happy to parent alone. In fact, given Jeb’s reliability, or lack of it, and his predilection for gambling and drink, JJ was better off not knowing the man even existed. Of course, being a single mom running a business brought its own issues, including relying on sitters when her dad wasn’t free to help out. Which reminded her—the phone call. Maybe it had been her sitter calling.
“I’m just going to check my phone, JJ, then we’ll head to the diner, okay?”
“C’n I have nuggets ’n’ fries?”
“You sure can.”
“Yum!”
Satisfied that he could have his favorite meal, JJ hummed quietly to himself, kicking a beat on the back of the front passenger seat while he waited. Raina stifled the admonition that sprang to her lips when he started to kick. She didn’t want to enter into an argument with him now. Instead, she reached into her bag and dragged out her phone. One missed call, unknown number. A sick feeling of dread crept into her gut. Quelling the sensation, she listened to the message.
“Hey Rai, it’s Jeb. I hear you got your little shop up and running again. That’s good, ’cause I’m in a bit of a bind. I really need some money, honey.” He sniggered and Raina cringed. He sounded drunk, again. “Anyway, I owe some guys... I, uh, well, I’ll tell you when I see you. Soon, babe. By the way, how’s that kid of ours? Later!”
Raina deleted the message instantly, her skin crawling. She felt as if she needed a long hot shower. Hadn’t it been enough that he’d emptied out her bank account and skipped town when she’d been at the hospital in labor with JJ? And what about the extra five grand she’d given him early last year for what she’d told him was absolutely and totally the last time ever?
“Mommy, I’m hungry!” JJ demanded from the back, his kicks picking up in tempo.
Raina reached across to still his little legs. “JJ, what’s the rule about kicking in the car?”
His little mouth firmed in a stubborn line. Pick your battles, Raina reminded herself, morphing into distraction mode instead. “Are you having ketchup with your chicken nuggets?”
“Yay! Ketchup!”
“Let’s go then,” she said with a smile as she put the car into gear.
It was a short drive into Royal but traffic was heavy. Raina was lucky to get a parking spot on the road about a block away from the diner. JJ skipped and jumped, holding her hand, as they walked along the pavement. Judging by his energy levels, she hoped he’d be okay to go back to day care tomorrow.
When they entered the Royal Diner, JJ hopscotched along the black-and-white checkerboard linoleum floor. They took a booth near the back and settled in on the red faux-leather seats.
“Be with you soon, hon,” a waitress said with a smile as she poured glasses of water and left them with the sheet menus that everyone knew by heart but still pretended to study anyway.
Raina’s appetite was gone, but she decided on a green salad with ranch dressing because she knew if she didn’t eat, she’d be running on empty by the time her craft class started in a couple of hours. Shoving all thoughts of her ex to the back of her mind, she focused instead on her son and the evening ahead.
All going well, JJ would eat his dinner and she’d take him home to shower before the sitter arrived. Once the sitter was there, she’d be able to head back to Priceless to open up for her first class. Bookings had initially been slow but they’d picked up in the past day or so, and she hoped the simple candle-making class would be well received and that word of mouth would bring more students. With more students would come more overhead but she’d done her homework. After the initial outlay was met, the classes would bring in more sorely needed income, as well.
A movement across the booth made her look up from the menu she was staring at but had stopped actually seeing several minutes earlier. JJ was waving at someone. Thinking it might be their waitress returning for their order, Raina looked up with a smile, only to feel it freeze on her face and the hairs at her nape prickle to attention as she recognized the man walking toward them. Nolan Dane. What was he doing here? Surely he was more likely to be dining out at the Texas Cattleman’s Club, or at the hotel in town?
It took only a few seconds to notice that he’d changed. His jeans were new and fit him perfectly, and the black Henley he wore under a worn leather jacket seemed to stretch across his chest as if it caressed him. Her cheeks flamed at the thought.
“Mommy! Man!” JJ said from his booster seat, and he waved again.
“Hey there,” Nolan said as he drew next to the table.
“I’m having nuggets ’n’ fries,” JJ informed him importantly. “You wanna eat with me?”
“Oh, no, JJ. I’m sure Mr. Dane has other plans,” Raina said quickly, feeling her blush deepen on her cheeks.
“Please, call me Nolan and, actually, no, I don’t. But I don’t want to intrude. I can eat at another table.”
Raina felt terrible. She’d all but told him he wasn’t welcome to sit with them. JJ’s face fell. How bad could it be? she asked herself.
“Oh, please sit down. Seriously, it’s okay. We haven’t ordered yet, anyway. Join us.”
“Well, if you’re sure.”
She nodded and gestured to the empty space next to JJ’s booster seat. Nolan slid into the booth and stretched his long legs out under the table. She shifted slightly as his leg brushed hers.
“Do you guys eat here often?” Nolan asked.
“No, this is a treat for JJ. Aside from the mess with your suit, he’s been a really good boy for me today, haven’t you, JJ?”
JJ nodded emphatically and reached for his water glass. Nolan helped him steady the large glass as he drank and then put it back on the table for him.
“You’re good at that,” Raina commented. “Do you have kids of your own?”
A bleak emptiness appeared in his eyes, its presence so brief she wondered if she’d imagined it, but it was enough to make her realize she’d been prying where she had no right to.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be so rude. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No, it’s okay,” Nolan brushed off her concern. “Maybe we should just put it down to self-preservation. I’ve seen how lethal he is with an ice cream cone.”
* * *
Nolan watched Raina from across the table and silently congratulated himself on managing to keep his past locked firmly where it belonged. The waitress came by and took their orders, distracting Raina from asking any further questions. She was less relaxed than she’d been when he’d left the store. Was it his presence at the table that did that to her, he wondered, or was it something else? The waitress returned promptly with JJ’s order, and while the little boy dug in, Nolan thought it time to ease conversation back to the Courtyard.
“So tell me a little more about the Courtyard,” he started.
“The idea for it really only took off a few months after the tornado. A lot of us lost our stores and several of Royal’s local artisans lost workshops and homes. The Courtyard gave us all a fresh start—gave us a new community to be proud of.” Her eyes grew worried and a frown marred the smoothness of her forehead. “There’s talk that some oil company is looking to buy the land. It worries me.”
“Why’s that? What difference would a new landlord make?” Nolan probed.
Raina looked away, her face thoughtful, before directing her blue gaze straight back at him. “The Courtyard actually became a symbol of hope for a lot of us. A chance to get our feet back firmly on the ground and get us back to normal in a world that got turned upside down in one awful day. You can’t put a price on that. We need stability now. We need to be able to know from one day to the next that after all our hard work, we aren’t simply going to be turned out.
“An oil company isn’t going to want to keep us as tenants, you can be sure of that. They’ll want the land for testing, although why they think there’s oil there, I don’t know. I haven’t lived in Royal all that long and even I know the land is barely suitable for grazing, although with the drought that’s questionable, too.”
She fiddled with the salt and pepper shakers in front of her. “No, the Winslows did the right thing turning the ranch buildings into the Courtyard. Mellie assures me they’re not selling. I only hope nothing happens to change her mind. None of us there can afford to have our businesses fold or see our rents increase. What with the cost of increased insurance premiums and setting up all over again, it wouldn’t take much to destroy us.”
A pang of guilt pulled at him. If he was successful in changing the Winslows’ minds, and Rafe got hold of the Courtyard, Nolan knew there were no guarantees that his boss would keep the tenants. And it was true. Raina had a point—while the greater Maverick County area had yielded some successful oil fields, none had been in this general area. Nolan shifted uncomfortably. For the first time he was seeing the personal face of his assignment: someone who’d be directly and negatively impacted by his boss’s plan. And he didn’t like it. Not one bit.
He took a sip of his water and decided a change of subject might be in order.
“So, the tornado. That must have been terrifying. People are pretty resilient here, though,” he commented.
Raina smiled and once again he was struck by how natural and effortless her beauty was.
“Sometimes I think Royal is the epitome of the ‘get down and get on with it’ ethic. Some people have moved on, which is completely understandable, but most have just licked their wounds and carried on. And of course there are also the lucky ones who are benefiting from the damage. Tradesmen have been at a premium in the district and we’ve seen an influx of out-of-towners coming in to fill demand. Bit by bit Royal has found its way back to a new normal. Is that what brings you here? The rebuild?”
Nolan was saved from immediately answering as their waitress dropped their meals in front of them with a smile. “Good to see you back, Nolan,” she said before racing off to her next customer.
Raina looked taken aback. “You’re local?”
“No, not anymore. I’m here to see family.”
“You grew up here, then?”
He nodded. “Yeah, but I’ve been living in California for several years. I’m only here for a visit.”
“Then I’m sure you would have heard all about the tornado from them.” Raina’s voice held a note of reserve that had been missing before.
“From their point of view, yeah. Dad’s in family law, and he said he’s seen an unfortunate upswing in business in the wake of the tornado. Families breaking up under the strain of trying to put their lives back together—more domestic abuse.”
Raina nodded. “Yeah, it’s sad. So often these events pull people closer together, but if they don’t they seem to have the complete opposite effect. I guess I’m lucky I didn’t have to factor that in. It’s just me and JJ, and my dad. Dad’s retired and usually travels around the country, but he came to stay in the trailer park just out of town so he could be on hand to help me reestablish Priceless and get me and JJ back on our feet again.”
Nolan couldn’t help it: a swell of relief that there was no partner in Raina’s life bloomed from deep inside. He pushed the sensation away. She was still out of bounds. She was the kind of woman who had long-term written all over her, while he was only planning to be here long enough to complete the land purchases to Rafiq’s satisfaction.
And then there was the kid. He certainly didn’t want to take on a package deal of mother and child, no matter how much his libido sizzled like a drop of water on a hot skillet whenever he was anywhere near Raina. He needed to keep his eye on the main goal. He was here to do business, not dally with the locals or become emotionally involved in the town he grew up in. He’d made his choice to walk away from Royal and all the pain it represented seven years ago. He had no plans to stick around. Even so, he perversely wanted to know more about the woman sitting opposite him.
