Unexpectedly You (12 page)

If it were just physical, she’d be fine putting it aside, but she knew deep inside her heart that it wasn’t just physical for her. She’d felt an emotional connection with him tonight. If she were honest, she’d felt it with him before but just chose to ignore it.

But love? She’d better wake up and get a clue. Mitch wasn’t into happily ever afters. He wasn’t the type of guy to admit to his feelings. He might say he wanted her, but he would never admit to loving her. He was a player, and she was his latest game.

She should be thankful to him. He’d helped her realize she’d been living a lie these past few months. Holding herself back from life, from feeling alive. She didn’t die with Stefan, though at one point she might have wanted to believe she did.

She wasn’t living up to her promise to Stefan to go on with her life. She’d been loved, completely and unequivocally. She was lucky. Some people lived their whole lives and never got to feel that kind of acceptance.

But she also knew that Stefan would not have wanted to see her like this—bitter and weak, a shadow of her former self. This wasn’t the Emma he’d loved and it wasn’t the Emma her daughter deserved.

Feeling empowered, Emma approached the answering machine with a heavy heart. She stared at the blinking light for several minutes before playing it again one last time.

Chapter Thirteen

Mitch waited inside David Bruin’s small, utilitarian office. His gaze took in the tidy desk, rows of black metal file cabinets lining two walls and several drafting tables. He was surprised to see a picture of Emma and Samantha on the desk, along with a picture of David, wearing a pirate costume and holding an award.

“They’re like family to me.”

David’s voice behind him startled Mitch and he turned slightly but kept his expression disinterested in case Bruin was trying to deduce a reaction to his statement.

He shook Bruin’s extended hand. “Glad you’re able to make it.”

Mitch quirked his brow. “Your voice mail sounded pretty serious.”

Dread sat like a brick in his stomach upon hearing David’s message on his phone this morning. If he’d had any doubt about the man’s interest in Emma, last night squashed it. But now he realized David would see him as a rival and could, if he wanted to, convince the Planning Council to reject his plans. Mitch would have few options other than to reconsider his plan B. And that would not endear him to anybody, especially Emma. He made a mental note to call Shane to discuss a worst-case scenario.

“How’d you do it? How’d you charm the town in just a couple of days to champion your project?”

“Why? You want to enroll in the same charm school?”

David’s eyes hardened. “What’s your game, McKenna? The way I see it, you’re using Emma to get in with the citizen’s task force and the community. What did you tell her? Why is she doing it?”

Anger had Mitch clenching his jaw tight. “You do realize every day I’m not working is costing me thousands. I don’t have to tell you that.”

“That’s not my problem. My concern is to make sure you’re not pulling one over on us, because I have to be honest with you, Emma seems enthralled with you at the moment. And that worries me.”

“What worries you more, Bruin—that I’ll get my plans approved or that Emma is enthralled? Never mind, I know the answer to that.”

“This is not a goddamn joke. Emma isn’t a pawn to your game. If you think for one second I’d let you dupe her into thinking you’re somehow less interested in making a quick buck at the expense of the things she’s concerned about, then you’re sadly mistaken.”

“I can’t see how that’s your business. My understanding is that you work for the city of Bella Del Mar and your job is to evaluate the quality of architectural plans to ensure they’re up to code and that the proposed structure will not be detrimental to the community. You work for me. I’m a landowner here. Let’s get that straight.”

David’s eyes glared then narrowed. He leaned his hip against his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “I can see you have no clue how our town works and what my job entails. Let me explain it to you.”

Mitch grabbed a chair and sat down, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Inform me.”

“We pride ourselves in keeping our community off the beaten path. We don’t like strangers coming in and exploiting our natural resources. We’re selfish like that. My job as the building official is not only to review development plans. An important aspect of my job is to keep scum off our streets. The way I see it, you and your kind don’t belong here.”

Fury ignited in Mitch’s chest. “My kind?”

David nodded, his expression smug. “I did some digging around, and someone mentioned a project you and your brother abandoned up north, in Astoria, I believe. And wouldn’t you know it, a few weeks later the project site went up in flames. That’s the kind of stuff, if it should get out, that makes Planning Councils in established neighborhoods nervous.”

“If your point is to intimidate me, then you don’t know me very well. If you did your homework right, you’d know you have no leg to stand on.” He could feel his blood simmering beneath his skin. Bruin had obviously been a busy guy these past few days. Rather than work with Coastal Development, he’d been witch-hunting for ways to deny him the approval he needed to move forward. And he’d hit the jackpot with one of his and Shane’s early projects in Astoria.

When they’d purchased the run-down apartment building in a low-income but artsy part of town, they had the intention of rehabilitating and then renting it out. But midway through the project, their investor pulled out, leaving them a shell of a building with no money left to finish the job.

The fire that consumed the building had been the pretty red bow to an expensive lesson. After an investigation, it was determined that the empty building had become a haven for meth users who’d built a minilab inside. Not long after, the building blew up into smithereens. Mitch and Shane were cleared of any wrongdoing, but the stain of the arson suspicion had followed them since.

David looked straight at him. “Listen to me, McKenna. Emma has had a hard enough time these last couple of years and the last thing she needs in her life is instability. You and I both know you don’t stick around for the long haul, and she’s not looking for a short-timer. Whatever you got going here, I’m advising you to tell her the truth about your intentions.”

“I think you should let her decide what she’s looking for, don’t you think? Last I saw, she’s an adult.” Mitch’s hands itched to plant a solid whack at Bruin’s clean-shaven face.

“Let me be clear—I am strongly recommending you stay the hell out of Emma’s life.”

“And let’s just say I don’t stay clear. Then what?”

“That would be a very costly mistake on your part.” David swaggered over to the door and grabbed his jacket. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m meeting Emma for lunch.”

The point was as clear as the film of sweat on Bruin’s face. Mitch would lose any chance of getting his plans approved by the Planning Council if Bruin recommended against him. Mitch would not only lose Lansford, he’d probably lose out on other takers. No one wanted to purchase a piece of property wrapped in so much red tape. He’d likely have to declare bankruptcy. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

Unless, of course, Emma was successful on Thursday in convincing the rest of the citizen’s task force and her neighbors of the viability of his project. Having the community behind him would make it difficult for Bruin to dismiss his plans. David would have no recourse but to recommend the approval.

Could he risk leaving the future of his company on Emma’s ability to sway her neighbors?

And what about Emma? Was he just using her?

Emma LeFleur wasn’t the kind of woman he hooked up with. What kind of asshole would he be if he took advantage of her? She was obviously still distraught over her husband’s death.

But he knew David was right about Emma having feelings for him, despite what she may still be harboring for her dead husband. Her look last night left no doubt she wanted him, all of him. Not just on her back with her legs wrapped around his waist. She wanted things he couldn’t give her. She wanted promises, love and commitment. The idea she might even want more kids brought a surge of longing in his heart. He’d always dreamed of his kids having a mom who tucked sweet little notes in their knapsacks.

What the—? I’m losing my fucking mind.

The desire to run to his truck and drive like a bat out of hell made him grip the edge of David’s desk until his fingers cramped. Maybe Bruin was right. Maybe he should be straight with Emma. Tell her that he fully intended to get the hell out of town as soon as the project was over. He wasn’t the staying kind. Regardless of whether or not she thought he was. He’d never had anything close to what she’d had in his life and he’d long ago come to terms with the reality that he never would. Throughout his life, he’d smashed many a guy’s face for telling him the very same thing, even though he knew, deep in his heart, it was true. His kind didn’t end up with someone like Emma, and he damn well better remember that.

Staying in Bella would mean risking his project and a hell of a lot more.

* * *

Unable to keep her hands from fidgeting, Emma doodled on the back of a pet food catalog, but her eyes kept drifting out the window toward the short gravel road fronting her store. When she’d left the house that morning, she’d dreaded running into Mitch, but it was Nestor who she’d run into, asking if he and his crew could get to work on painting the shingles they’d laid the day before.

Seeing how much they’d accomplished around her home in just a couple of days made her feel guilty—which, she was certain, was Mitch’s grand plan. He’d make her eat crow yet for doubting he’d keep his word.

She’d squiggled over the entire back cover when the door chimed, indicating a customer. She plastered on a smile until she saw who it was and then her stomach knotted.

“I didn’t realize you were having the cottage painted,” David said, his brows furrowed in a burl.

She flicked her gaze back down to the catalog she was pretending to read. After his shameful behavior last night, David was the last person she wanted to see. Besides Mitch.

“What’s up?”

He stood with his hands on his hips. “Thought maybe I’d take you to lunch.”

“Dorinda called off today, so I can’t.”

“Don’t you usually put up the I’ll Be Back sign when you’re working alone?”

Annoyance at having her refusal discounted simmered in her chest. “Sometimes. But I’m expecting a delivery this afternoon, which I’ll have to open and sort. So I’m sorry, I can’t take the time off. Was there something you wanted to talk about?”

David rocked back and forth on his heels. “About last night—”

“Forget it.”

“I want to apologize.”

“Look, we all had too much to drink. It’s nothing. Really, there’s no need to even bring it up.”

“I was out of line.”

She finally looked at him straight in the eye. “You were out of line. I agree.”

“I’m sorry. I had no business judging you.”

The image of Mitch and her on the couch came hurling back and her face heated up. She swallowed hard but didn’t say a word.

“Let me make it up to you.”

“No need.”

“I want to. If you can’t make lunch, how about I take you to dinner?”

Did she really want to spend alone time with David, especially knowing how he felt about her? Her gaze drifted out the window and she sighed. She owed Mitch her part of the bargain. She’d agreed to convince David on the merits of his project and after seeing firsthand the bad blood between them last night, it was obvious to her that she had work to do.

“Come on, what do you say?” David glued his palms together as if in prayer.

It would be a good opportunity to clear the air with David and explain to him that he would be nothing more than a friend to her. Ever.

She forced a conciliatory smile. “Sure, why not? Dinner sounds nice, and I did want to discuss something with you.”

His face lit up. “Great. We can drive up to Cannon Beach or down to Lincoln City.”

“Let’s stay local. How about Surf?” At least she’d be close to home and on familiar territory. Anxiety bubbled up, making her wish she’d not agreed at all to the deal with Mitch. Then she wouldn’t be in the awkward position of having to rebuff the interest of her cousin’s ex-husband.

“Surf? But we always go there.”

“Because we like to support Jack.”

“Let me pick a new place. Come on, what do you say?”

Her fingers tapped against the glass counter. Maybe it was better if they weren’t within earshot of her neighbors. “Okay.”

He winked. “Fantastic. It’s a date. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

She frowned. “It’s not a date. And I’ll drive myself. Just tell me where to meet you.”

Indignation spread across his face. “But I want to pick you up.”

Annoyance replaced the anxiety. She didn’t want to be stuck somewhere where she didn’t have a ride back if she needed it. “But I insist.”

He was no match to her stubborn streak. “Okay, okay. I’ll call you with the address. You drive a hard bargain.”

“So I’ve been told.”

He grinned. “I’ll see you later.” He bent down to pet Bogie, who growled low in his belly. “When is this dog going to warm up to me?”

Emma didn’t get to answer because a customer walked in just as David walked out. She looked down at Bogie, who’d curled back into a ball on the woolly rug by the door. If only she could read the dog’s mind.

* * *

“Hot date?”

Emma’s neck shivered from the sound of Mitch’s voice behind her. She locked the front door and then dropped the keys in her purse before facing him.

He was leaning against the porch’s wooden pillar, an open bottle of beer in his hand. The receding sun cast dark shadows on his face, even as the day’s last rays deepened the blues and purples on the azalea bushes behind him.

She didn’t bother responding to his remark. Instead, she proceeded gingerly down the porch steps in the strappy heels she had on.

He moved, slow and without much effort, ’til he stood in her way. “Cat got your tongue?”

The silkiness of his voice sent a flutter of nerves from her stomach to rest right below her collarbone. But the surge of newly found confidence had her lifting her chin a few inches. “What is it, Mitch? Do you have any more last-minute coaching for me?”

“Why? Do you need it?” His probing eyes took in her outfit.

A hint of a smile played on her lips when she saw his eyes darken before narrowing. She’d chosen the silky white blouse and Sammy’s dark blue jeans with trepidation because the last thing she wanted to do was give David any type of encouragement to pursue her. But the real reason she chose the outfit was to see Mitch’s reaction. And he didn’t disappoint.

She shot him a sassy look, or what she hoped was one that exuded poise, and tried to ignore the way her hands trembled on the banister. “Not really. Trust me, I’m a quick learner.”

He took a long swig of his beer. “I’m assuming you’ll be going out with Bruin?”

“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to be doing? Convincing him of your virtues?”

“You’d convince the Pope to take a mistress dressed like that. What would the neighbors think?”

He had a point. Luckily, she was less concerned about what the neighbors thought of her new attitude or look, for that matter. She’d been trying to live up to their expectations and look where that got her.