The Bachelors of Blackwater Lake

“I can’t stop you. But I give you my word that I only want to take advantage of your decorating expertise to make my place a serene and comfortable space to live in.”

“So this time you’re not planning to get me into bed and have your way with me under false pretenses?”

His gaze narrowed, a sign that the barb drew a little blood. “There were no false pretenses the first time.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“There’s nothing I can say to change that.” His mouth pulled tight for a moment. “But let me add this—I researched your company and it’s in trouble. Decorating my place is more than a job. It’s an opportunity for the kind of publicity that you can’t afford. I feel badly about what happened and this is my way of making it up to you.”

So it was pity.

The words made her feel both better and worse. There was some satisfaction in calling him on the crap he’d pulled but he really had all the power. Her business needed help and no one else was offering. “Okay, then. I’ll put together a contract with a rough estimate of my time and a price. You can decide if it’s acceptable.”

“It will be.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.”

“I don’t have to.” He took a sip of coffee and met her gaze over the rim of the mug.

She knew he was a successful executive and didn’t achieve his level of affluence by making bad deals. “What if the charges are inflated?”

“I have trust.”

“That makes one of us because I don’t trust you.”

“You’ve made that really clear. And I completely understand.” Again with the irritating reasonableness. “I’m happy to pay whatever you want to charge for your services.”

“You do realize I’m not a hooker.”

Even though it had been a quickie marriage in Vegas that’s the way he’d made her feel ten years ago. Her words produced barely a flicker of an eyelash but she knew they’d hit their target again. Well, too darn bad. And the exhilaration she felt right now was proof that she’d deliberately provoked him. Not smart to cut off her nose to spite her face but she just couldn’t help it. That’s not something she would have said to any other client and she had better try to rein in the sarcasm because there was no telling how far he could be pushed. “I’ll rephrase,” he said. “Whatever your interior-designer fee is I will pay it, along with travel and living expenses while we are in Blackwater Lake.”

“You’re going, too? It can all be done in email—”

“I have business there anyway.”

Of course she’d suspected he probably would be going but when he put the words out there the reality of it all really sank in. If she was going to back out it would have to be now.

Control was an illusion because she really had little choice. No way her business was going down without a fight. She met his gaze. “Agreed.”

“Excellent.” He looked decidedly pleased and that was irksome.

Which was why she added, “I’m glad you decided to have this meeting in person. I felt it necessary to emphasize how much I don’t trust you and wanted to see your reaction to my terms.”

“And?”

“You fooled me once, but this time I’m in the driver’s seat.” Although it was kind of a pathetic seat since she had very little bargaining room.

The waitress returned with a tray bearing food and she set plates in front of them. “Can I get you anything else?”

“Ketchup,” she and Linc said together.

“You know each other pretty well.” The woman smiled and pointed to the condiments next to the napkin dispenser. “It’s already on the table.”

Linc met her gaze when they were alone. “So, you haven’t forgotten that I like ketchup with fries.”

“If memory serves it was practically a religious experience,” she said.

“Yeah. Nice to know some things don’t change.”

And some do when the man you’d loved with every fiber of your being treated you like a mistake. Anger flared again but she willed it away. Losing control with Lincoln Hart was not an option. “Where does the divorce stand?”

“My attorney is working on it.”

“Are you paying full price this time?” Darn. The sarcasm just popped out of her mouth. Apparently he didn’t bring out the best in her.

But Linc smiled. “With what I’m paying Mason he could put a child through college and multiple postgraduate degrees as well as buy several vacation homes and probably a boat.”

“Does Mason have a child?”

“He’s not married. And before you remind me that vows aren’t necessary to produce a child, I’ll just say no. He doesn’t have any kids.”

“So one can assume that the dissolution of our marriage is progressing at an appropriately acceptable pace?”

“It is.” He took a bite of his hamburger and chewed. After swallowing he said, “Is there some reason you want to accelerate the process?”

“Nothing has changed since we last spoke.” She pushed lettuce around her plate without eating any. “I just don’t like loose ends.”

He set down his burger and wiped his hands on a napkin before pulling a business card from his wallet. He set it on the table and slid it over to her. “This is my lawyer’s contact information. Feel free to get in touch with him anytime and ask anything you want. Or have your attorney get in touch with him.”

“Okay.” She picked up the card and put it in her purse and made a mental note to pass it along to Vicki. “As long as everything goes smoothly I’ll be happy.”

“How do you define a not-smooth divorce?”

“You disappearing without explanation would put a speed bump in the divorce road.” This saying the first thing that popped into her head was becoming a bad habit that only seemed to happen with Linc.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be around until the papers come.”

That would be an improvement over last time, but doing better than he had ten years ago wasn’t setting a very high bar.

In the meantime she had a job. That was the good news. Unfortunately she would be working for the man she was just a little bit married to. Did that make her nervous?

Did beavers build dams?

Chapter Three

“So your dad wasn’t using the private plane today?”

Linc stared at Rose, sitting across from him in the cushy leather airplane seat. They’d taken off and reached cruising altitude, and there was a steady hum in the pressurized cabin of the Gulfstream jet. They were on their way to Blackwater Lake and hiring a jet for transportation was the most efficient way to get there. Comfort didn’t hurt, either. And there might be a little bit of trying to impress her going on.

“If you’re talking about Hastings Hart, he’s not my father. This aircraft doesn’t belong to his company. And you should let it go. I have.”

“Really? It doesn’t feel that way to me.” She tapped a finger against her lips. “Is the jet yours?”

“Not yet.” It would be soon. But her comment had him curious. “In what way do you think I haven’t let the paternity thing go?”

“You’re awfully defensive. You were a grown man when you found out the truth and never suspected before that, which means you were loved and there’s a bond. That doesn’t just go away.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Right. My bad.”

Hell, how could she understand? He didn’t, and it had happened to him. But his defensive response only served to sharpen the wary look in her eyes that never disappeared. It was as if any second she expected him to jump out of the plane and skydive so he could be anywhere but here.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say he’d left for her and she didn’t understand, but that retort didn’t work a moment ago and wouldn’t now. “I don’t remember you being this annoying.”

“Probably because I wasn’t,” she said cheerfully. “We were firmly in the adoration stage of the relationship. And your abrupt departure didn’t give me a chance to trot out the real me.”

“Well, this is going to be fun. A guilt trip from Texas to Montana.” They’d settled on her giving him four weeks to get the job going, then periodic trips back when necessary. So, for the next month he was going to let her say whatever she wanted to get off her chest. Redemption wasn’t going to come without a price, he reminded himself.

“Suck it up, Linc. My attitude has been ten years in the making.”

It was going to be a long flight if he didn’t get her off this. And he had just the thing to ask. “What does your boyfriend think about you flying off with your husband for a job?”

Her smug expression slipped and she had no stinging comeback, which was a big clue that there was a ripple in the relationship pond.

“Rose?”

“What?”

“Did you tell—” He stopped. If she’d told him the guy’s name he couldn’t remember?

“Chandler,” she said.

“You did tell Chandler about this job in Montana, right?”

She looked out the airplane window and shifted in her seat before meeting his gaze. “Yes, but before you ask, I didn’t tell him about our past.”

“Practically engaged and keeping secrets already? Tsk.”

“Don’t judge. You don’t know me.”

He’d known her once and she was an open book. Sweet and innocent. Generous and loving. There’d been no cynicism in her then and the fact that she had it now was another black mark on his soul. Another sin to lay at his feet.

However, he couldn’t deny that the idea of trouble in paradise was damned appealing. “Should I read anything into the fact that you kept the details of our venture to yourself?”

“You can jump to any conclusions you want. I can’t stop you and you’re quite good at it.” Her look challenged him to deny the statement.

Okay. Battle lines drawn. She was on the offensive so that’s where he’d go, too. “What exactly did you tell him? You must have said something. He’s bound to notice that you’re not around. I certainly would if you and I were involved.”

Every day for the last ten years he’d noticed that she wasn’t there.

“I told him that I was going to be very busy.”

He couldn’t tell whether it was guilt or defiance in her tone. A little more pushing couldn’t hurt because he’d already damaged her and he had little left to lose. “Too busy to see him?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s okay with that?”

“I’m so lucky. Chandler is a sweet, understanding man. He’s supportive of my career.”

“A real saint.”

He knew couples made compromises. His mother and Hastings compromised the truth about Linc for their relationship. But unquestioningly letting the woman you loved fly to Montana with another man, even one she was divorcing, seemed wrong to him.

Come to think of it there was something else he wanted to know. “Is Chandler aware that you’re a married woman?”

“Oh, please. I’m not—”

“Don’t deny it. We’ve already gone over this. There’s no divorce, so technically we are still married.” He folded his arms over his chest and couldn’t quite keep the “gotcha” out of his voice. “You didn’t tell him.”

“I don’t remember you being this annoying, either.” She stared at him and must have realized he wasn’t backing down because there was a lot of resignation in her sigh. “No. I never told him about the marriage.”

Why? he wanted to ask. Was she afraid that would destroy their relationship? A man who truly loved her wouldn’t give a tinker’s damn about this. Linc remembered how it felt to love her. In the same situation, if she’d dropped this bombshell on him, he’d have hired the best divorce attorney on the planet to dissolve the union so he could marry her. Making her his was more important than anything. Correction: it would have been, if he was Chandler.

“On the upside,” he said cheerfully, “since he doesn’t know about the marriage it saves you the trouble of having to break the news that you’re not divorced.”

She huffed out a breath. “Not only are you annoying, you’re a smart-ass.”

“Is that any way to talk to the man who’s funneling work your way?”

“We both know you’re not the typical client. Other than my expertise on decorating you have an agenda. I haven’t figured out what it is yet but we both know there is one.”

“You’re even more creative than I knew.” He knew how smart she was and shouldn’t have been surprised she’d guessed. “I look forward to seeing what you come up with for my condo.”

“Do you take anything seriously?”

“Of course.”

“Like what?” she demanded.

“My business.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it. What about your family?” There was a gleam in her eyes now. “Come to think of it, I have no idea what you’ve been up to and you know an awful lot about me.”

“Because you’ve been very generous in sharing details.”

“My mistake,” she said. “Let’s even the playing field. Tell me about your personal relationship.”

“What makes you think I have one?”

She gave him an “oh, come on” look. “I guess a specific question would be better. And before you give me an evasive answer, consider that there’s still a lot of flight time left and I can be persistent.”

“Okay, I’ve been warned. What would you like to know?”

She gave him a thoughtful look for several moments. “Since you left me, have you been close to needing a marriage license?”

“Since you, marriage has not once entered my mind.”

He’d never let a woman that close because it wasn’t fair to lead anyone on. Marriage wasn’t a step he would ever take again.

“Hmm. That brings up more questions than it answers.” Rose tucked a long strand of shiny dark hair behind her ear as she studied him. “Is that because of what happened with your parents?”

“Hastings isn’t my father.”

“He still parented you with your mother. Is it that? Or was marriage to me so bad? Did I break you, Linc?”

Leaving her did, but that wasn’t her fault. It was the only way he could think of to protect her from the mess that was his life. Eventually he had put the pieces back together and if they didn’t quite fit, that wasn’t on her.

“You know better than anyone, Rose, that I’m a bad risk.”

“At least you’re taking responsibility.” There was a flash of what looked like sympathy on her face before she shut it down. “But ten years is a long time. I don’t quite know what to make of the fact that you’re alone.”

“Let’s just call it a public service.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he said, “Want a drink? The bar is stocked. Let’s go check out the galley and see what we can find.”

“Don’t think I didn’t see how you just tried to distract me from your love life. And I’ll admit it worked, but only because I’ve never been on a private plane before.”

“I’d never have guessed, what with your cool, sophisticated demeanor.”

“Don’t let that fool you. On the inside I’m giddy with curiosity and excitement.”

Until this moment Linc hadn’t realized how much he’d missed teasing her. And her honesty. He didn’t know any woman who wouldn’t have pretended that a lift on anything but a commercial flight happened every day. Her excitement at a new experience was charming and brought back memories of his eagerness to introduce her to all the pleasures life had to offer.

Including sex.

He’d given up the right to her body and the tempting curves in front of him now. Settling for drinks and hors d’oeuvres on a jet paled in comparison but that was all he could hope for. And the remainder of the flight passed quickly with a bottle of wine and snacks that had Rose moaning in ecstasy while he questioned how much pain he could handle on the road to redemption.

The Gulfstream landed at the recently opened Blackwater Lake Airport. A Mercedes SUV was waiting and he stowed their luggage while Rose let herself into the passenger seat. He got behind the wheel and drove into town, pointing out the highlights along the way.

“This is a very small place,” she commented, sounding less than thrilled.

“You’re observant. I always said that about you.”

“Oh—” She pointed out the window. “The Blackwater Lake Lodge. That’s the first hotel I’ve seen. It looks nice.”

He drove past and left the city limits. “Right now it’s the only hotel in town.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “Then why didn’t you stop?”

“Because we’re not staying there.”

“Linc—” There was warning in her voice. “This is where we talk about how much I don’t like surprises. You promised that you’d handle accommodations.”

“And I have.”

“If you’re planning to pitch a tent and expect me to camp out, it would be best if you turned around and put me on the first plane back to Texas.”

“Where we’re going there are great views and a lot of square footage.”

“Wilderness doesn’t count. Somewhere in this town there must be a roof and indoor plumbing,” she warned.

“There is. Trust me.”

“I thought we were clear that I don’t trust you.”

He was going to do his damnedest to change her mind about that.

* * *

Rose was uneasy after Linc bypassed the Blackwater Lake Lodge and kept driving. Finally he turned right and pulled into a long driveway leading to a big house at the top of a rise. The sun was just going down behind the majestic mountains, but there was still enough light to see that the grounds were stunning. A carpet of perfectly manicured green grass was surrounded by flowers and shrubs.

He stopped the SUV by a brick walkway leading to gorgeous double front doors with oval glass insets. “I think this will fit your definition. There’s a roof and indoor plumbing. The rest of it isn’t bad, either.”

“This can’t be your place because you said it’s a condo and currently unlivable.” She left her seat belt buckled. “What’s going on? You said you’d handle expenses and accommodations but—”

“This is my sister’s place. She lives here with her husband and daughter.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re married and need a place to raise their child.” His tone was wry.

“No. Why aren’t we at a hotel?”

“As we established there’s only one in town and I couldn’t get a reservation. Late spring is nice here in the mountains and it’s becoming a popular tourist destination.”

Rose studied him. He was looking awfully darn pleased with himself, but it felt like he’d pulled one over on her and she didn’t like it a bit. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but—”

“And here’s my sister now.” He pointed to the open front door.

Rose saw a little girl run outside, followed immediately by a man and woman. Linc exited the car and came around to her side to open the door. His family didn’t look intimidating but what did she know? These people were related to him.

Rose got out and muttered under her breath, “You should have warned me about this.”

“If I did, would you have taken the job?”

That was a good question. Probably she would have but he hadn’t given her the chance to decide. Again.

“Linc!” His sister threw herself into his arms.

He grabbed her and lifted her off the ground in a big hug. “Hey, baby sister. You look good.”

“You, too.” Then she smiled at Rose. “Hi. I’m Ellie McKnight.”

“Rose Tucker.” She shook the woman’s hand as the two men greeted each other.

“This is her husband, Alex, and this munchkin is their daughter, Leah.”

“Nice to meet you.” Rose smiled at the little girl observing the hectic scene from the safety of her handsome father’s strong arms. “She’s beautiful.”

“Just like her mom,” Alex said proudly.

Ellie took the child and said, “Honey, why don’t you help Linc bring their bags inside.”

“Right.”

“Rose, welcome to our home.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality, but if it’s too much of an inconvenience I can find something—”

“Absolutely not. It’s been too long since I had a good visit with my brother. We’re happy to have you and I’m glad you agreed to stay with us.”

It would probably be rude to say she hadn’t agreed to anything because he hadn’t shared the trip details with her. So, she kept that to herself. Linc, however, was going to get an earful.

Ellie led her past the living and dining rooms into the huge kitchen–family room combination. There was a river-rock fireplace on one wall with a big flat-screen TV above. Leather sofas and cloth-covered chairs formed a conversation area in front of it and the thick, neutral-colored carpet was littered with pink toys and dolls. When her mom set her down, Leah plopped herself in the middle of it and started playing.

Moments later the men joined them and Alex informed his wife, “Bags are by the stairway. I wasn’t sure where you wanted everyone.”

“Thanks, honey. I think Linc and Rose might want to catch their breath.”

Rose doubted that would happen, at least for her. Since the moment Linc had showed up in her life again she felt as if she’d had the air knocked out of her. Then on the plane he’d confessed that after her he’d never again considered marriage. What did that mean? Had it been awful with her? Resentment pointed her in that direction, but when he’d said it there was a wistful, sad look on his face. And now he’d brought her to stay with his sister. This must be how Dorothy felt when the tornado dropped her in Oz. Rose was definitely not in Texas anymore.

“Can I get you something to drink? Are you hungry?” Ellie asked. “I’ve got some appetizers to put out and we’ll have dinner in a little while.”

“I hope you haven’t gone to any trouble,” Rose protested.

The other woman waved away her concern. “It’s cheese and crackers and Alex is going to grill. Very easy.”

Linc looked at her. “How about a glass of wine?”

“That would be nice. White?”

“Done,” Ellie said. “And Linc will want a beer.”

“I’ll take care of the drinks, sweetie,” her husband offered.

Rose stood beside Linc on the other side of the huge kitchen island and watched the attractive couple work together. A smile here, a touch there. A closeness and intimacy she’d never had the chance to form with Linc. Envy and regret mixed with her lingering anger at what he’d done to them.

When everyone had drinks Ellie held up her wineglass and said, “Let’s drink to me.”

Linc grinned and said, “Now why would we do that?”

“Because I talked you into moving to Blackwater Lake, which makes me pretty awesome. You’re going to thank me for this.”

Alex touched his longneck beer bottle to his wife’s glass. “I thought you were awesome even before your brother bought his condo. And I thank my lucky stars every day that you came into my life.”

Rose wanted to hold on to her envy and dislike of these two, but she was powerless. They were so cute, so friendly. She tapped her glass to theirs. “I think you’re awesome for wanting to put up with your brother as a full-time resident.”

There was a funny look on Linc’s face when he joined the toast. “To my favorite sister.”

“I’m your only sister.”

“I knew there was a reason you had to be my favorite because you’re a pain in the neck.”

“Takes one to know one,” Rose said, meeting his gaze as she took a sip of her wine.

“I like her,” Ellie said enthusiastically to the two men. “Linc told me you’re friends. How did you meet?”

“At work,” Linc said, jumping right in.

It took Rose a couple of beats to realize Ellie was clueless about their relationship, the fact that they were married and Linc had left her. Women had a way of picking up details, especially personal ones, so if his sister was clueless it was a good bet that the rest of his family was, too.

“Did you decorate Linc’s offices in Dallas?” Ellie persisted.

“No,” Linc answered for her again.

Rose didn’t miss the fact that he looked more than a little uncomfortable about the turn this conversation was taking. Apparently when he was handling accommodations he hadn’t factored in the part where his sister would be curious about them. It wasn’t often that someone got what was coming to them so quickly or that the wronged party was around to see. He was getting what he deserved and she was a witness, so karma would have to forgive her for gloating.