“No, you look. No more explanations. No more apologies.” She propped herself on her elbows, glaring at him over one shoulder, the move causing a single blond curl to fall across her blue eyes. Very beautiful blue eyes. “I’ve had a really long day, after what has been a terrible—a terribly exhausting week. Getting knocked on my butt into a riverbed earlier didn’t help.”
Dean kept his boots planted firmly tableside, forcing his gaze to remain on her face when he caught sight of the edges of her towel slowly giving way. He’d noticed the yellow rosebud tattoo just above the towel’s edge a moment ago, but now her jerky movements were leaving even more of her curves on display.
“All I want is for you to work out the kinks,” she continued, her tone clipped, “and if you could manage to do that in silence, that would be preferable.”
Well, if Miss High Society got that pretty little nose any higher in the air, she might just topple backward off the table.
Dean glanced at his watch. It wasn’t like the Major to be running late. He was sure the old man was going to show up before he even got his hands on her.
He bowed slightly. “Your wish is my command, Miss Lennox.”
Pursing her lips together, she eyed him in silence. He was sure she was going to say something else, but instead she went back to her prone position.
Dean rubbed his hands together, eyeing the perfection of her porcelain skin. His trained gaze picked up on the tension in her neck and her shoulders. The woman did look as if she could use a good rubdown. It would serve her right if he peeled that towel right to the edge of the swell of her nicely shaped backside so he’d have plenty of room to touch all her interesting spots.
Flexing his fingers, he reached out—
The clicking of the Major’s cane against the glass door announced his arrival only seconds before his booming voice filled the air. “Sorry to be late to the ball game, son. The kitchen sink went FUBAR on me and the damn wrench broke— Oh, excuse me, ma’am.”
This time Priscilla jumped, lifting herself up on her elbows as she snapped them to her sides.
Dean laid a hand against the plush terry material in the center of her back, holding her in place. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said, keeping his voice low.
Her head whipped around. She glared at him. “What—what is going on?”
“Have I interrupted something?” Elwin Gates asked. “I didn’t mean to walk in unannounced.”
“No worries, sir,” Dean answered. “Just a slight mix-up.”
Keeping his back to the old man, Dean reached for the terry robe draped over a nearby chair. The Major usually donned it after their session, but Dean had a feeling Miss Lennox needed it more at this very minute.
“Why don’t you rise slowly, facing the other way, and slip into this?” Dean continued to speak in quiet tones, holding up the robe for her. “And
then
maybe you’ll let me explain?”
Her eyes narrowed, but she rotated away from him, grabbing at the towel and tucking the ends in place again as she rose up on one hip. He laid the robe across her shoulders and waited as she slipped her arms inside. The terry material pooled as she sat upright, then flowed around her thighs when she slipped off the far side of the table.
Dean turned around and found the Major standing in the doorway, a grin on his wrinkled face. He offered the old man a quick wink. “Are you all set, Miss Lennox?”
“Y-yes, thank you.”
He looked back over one shoulder, watching as she stepped around the table, head held high as if she were wearing a ball gown instead of an oversize robe.
Dean made the introductions. “This is one of your guests, Priscilla Lennox. I’m afraid she mistook this room for the one used for spa services provided here at the inn. Miss Lennox, this is Major General Elwin Gates, United States Marine Corps, Retired, and proprietor of the Painted Lady. He’s here for his physical-therapy session.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, sir.” She stepped forward, offered a bright smile and held out her hand. “I do apologize for my error and for taking over your private session.”
“Apologies aren’t necessary, miss.” Elwin returned her handshake. “And you can call me Major. Everyone does. Now, I’m going to see where my wife disappeared to so we can get you to the right place.”
“Oh, you don’t have to leave on my account. I’ll just gather my clothes and let you two gentlemen get to your session.”
She backed up a few steps and walked right into Dean. He grabbed her waist to steady her, but she whirled around, the sweet politeness replaced with a contemptuous look that had him holding up both hands in mock surrender.
“Hey, I tried to tell you.”
“You didn’t try very hard,” she retorted, her voice low.
“You don’t have to whisper. Major’s gone to find out where your massage is
supposed
to be taking place.”
“That’s fine, but I’m leaving, as well.”
She tried to sidestep around him, but Dean latched on to her arm. “Hold on. You’re not going anywhere yet.”
“Oh, I’m not?” Her eyes turned icy, but the toss of her head and the squaring of her shoulders told him a little spitfire lay inside this cool beauty. Dean liked that.
“Look, we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. Twice.” He eased his hold, his fingers gently massaging the inside of her elbow through the material. “Let me make it up to you. Have you eaten? We could grab something after our respective appointments.”
“I’m not—”
A low rumbling interrupted her. She slapped her free hand over her stomach.
He grinned.
Women like Priscilla Lennox—classy, wealthy, high society—were way out of his league. A lesson he’d learned the hard way a few years back before he’d moved out west to Destiny from his home in Sea Point, New Jersey.
Heck, he’d bet her car cost more than what he’d spent on his couple of acres of land north of town and the log home he’d had built there last year. But he’d been spending too much time alone lately and it didn’t hurt to hit one for the fences every now and then. And Daisy actually seemed to like her.
“You were saying?”
She lifted her chin. “I’m not hungry.”
“You sure I can’t tempt you with the best burgers this side of the Rockies? The Blue Creek Saloon has great food, cold beer, and on Friday nights there’s usually a band playing kick-ass country music. It’s not as fancy as what you’re probably used to, but I think you’d enjoy it.”
The icy veneer in her eyes spread to her entire body. She pulled free of his hold. “As interesting as that sounds, Mr. Zippenella, I plan to stay in tonight.”
He liked the sound of his name on her lips, and she even pronounced it correctly. She was also turning him down.
He watched her walk toward the chair where her clothes lay neatly folded. “Another night, perhaps.”
She took the pile in her arms and then headed for the door. “I’m aware Destiny is a small town, but I don’t see any reason for us to run into each other again.”
Hmm, what was that old proverb his
nonni
always used to say?
May you be wise enough to know when to give up the fight.
Of course, the words sounded prettier in her native Italian, and it’d been advice he and his brothers had rarely followed. “How long do you plan to be in town?”
“I don’t really know.” She paused in the doorway. “It really depends on the man I came here to see.”
A man. And just like that his attempt at a home run fizzled as the third strike whizzed by him. She was in town because of a man.
Chapter Three
“Y
our place is truly spectacular, Bobby.” Priscilla sat at one end of an outdoor sectional sofa, which, along with a pair of matching chairs, defined the entertainment area of an oversize back deck that ran the length of the massive log home. Set in a lush forest on the side of a mountain, the house had taken Priscilla’s breath away when she’d first pulled into the circular drive. “Both inside and out. The pictures in the magazines don’t do it justice.”
“Thank you.” The former race-car champion set about fixing drinks behind the bar while his wife, Leeann, set a tray of cheese, crackers and fruit on the glass coffee table. “I’ve dreamed of living in a log house since I was kid, so when I finally had the money to do it right—”
“He went a bit overboard.” Leeann cut off her husband with a smile as she curled up in the opposite corner of the sofa. “As usual.”
“Lee didn’t like the place when she first saw it.”
“Hey, I said it was impressive.”
“Which was her polite way of saying lifeless.” Bobby joined them, handing each woman a glass of iced tea. Then he motioned at Priscilla’s purse. “You sure your friend doesn’t need anything? Maybe some water?”
Priscilla took a quick peek inside the oversize tote tucked next to her, happy to see Snake curled up asleep. “No, I think the tour wore him out. Even with you carrying him from room to room most of the time.”
Bobby grinned and reached back for an icy beer he’d left on the bar for himself and then sat next to his wife, wrapping his arm around her. “I felt bad for the guy, trying to keep up on those little legs. And Lee was right. The place was impressive, but sterile. After I won her heart—again—she added life, and love, and made it a home for us.”
Priscilla smiled as the couple shared a quick kiss. It was easy to see Bobby was truly happy, which hadn’t always been the case in the years before a spectacular crash had ended his successful racing career.
“Well, you’ve succeeded in creating a warm and inviting home. Leeann, I’m so glad we got the chance to meet and that I could see your place in person.”
“We’re happy to show it off, but now that the tour is over, you still haven’t said how you ended up in our little corner of the world.” Bobby took a quick swallow from his beer. “Did I tell you how surprised I was to get your call? Not to mention to hear that you were right here in Destiny. The last time we saw each other was just before my accident, when you and Jonathan hosted that charity-sailing gig down in San Diego.”
Priscilla tried not to squirm on the sofa—Lennox women never squirmed, according to her father—at Bobby mentioning her ex. No, Bobby hadn’t come right out and said he’d been surprised by the breakup, but the disbelief in his voice had been evident when they’d spoken last night.
After that embarrassing mix-up over who exactly was supposed to be giving her a massage, and where, Priscilla had gone through with the appointment, not wanting to waste the time of the woman who had indeed been waiting for her in another part of the inn. She then made her way back to her room, blaming the warmth flowing through her veins and the tingling sensation dancing over her skin on the well-executed bodywork. That had to be the reason. It couldn’t possibly be because she’d actually wondered for a moment or two during the massage what it would’ve felt like to have that Good Samaritan/physical therapist/shameless flirt be the one to pull, tug and rub her sore muscles.
Or if she should have accepted his dinner invitation.
Her stomach had certainly liked the idea, but his crack about the local restaurants not being up to the level of what she might be used to set off warning bells. Had he figured out who she was? Of course, it would only take a quick Google search to find out what she’d been through the past week. “Priscilla?”
She blinked, realizing Bobby and Leeann were waiting for her to answer. What was the question again? Oh, yes. Why she was in town.
“Well, my vacation plans for the summer changed rather suddenly.” Priscilla paused to wet her dry throat with a sip of tea. Priscilla had wondered if her family’s latest escapade with the Hollywood gossip mill was something Bobby would mention when she arrived, but neither he nor Leeann had said anything as they welcomed her warmly into their home. “When I found myself taking a spontaneous road trip, I decided to head somewhere...unexpected.”
“I guess Destiny could be considered that, considering your usual surroundings,” Leeann said. “We’re about as far away from the glitz and glamour of Beverly Hills as one can get.”
Priscilla heard no malice in the woman’s tone, but she was thankful for the years of experience that kept her smile relaxed. She did feel a bit lost and out of place in this small Western town, much like Alice when she’d dropped into Wonderland.
Not to mention the fact she was vastly overdressed.
Her deep purple silk sundress and favorite taupe-colored peep-toed heels were a bit much for a casual Saturday afternoon. Despite her friend Lisa’s hairstyle suggestion, she’d gone with her familiar French twist and simple yet elegant gold jewelry. She carried a leather tote big enough for her portfolio, not to mention Snake and his favorite pillow.
After going through her suitcases this morning, she’d realized that while her wardrobe might be perfect for a European holiday, most of her outfits wouldn’t fit into the much more casual style of a place like Destiny, Wyoming.
Bobby’s wife, a stunning brunette who moved with an ease that spoke of her former career as a fashion model, wore a simple outfit of dark blue shorts that ended just above her knees, a white cotton shirt and canvas sneakers with no laces. Bobby, too, was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt embroidered with his former team’s racing logo.
She couldn’t remember one time during her three years with Jonathan when he’d ever worn a shirt without a collar. Not even last summer while cruising on his yacht.
“Yes, well, getting away—” Priscilla hesitated and then pushed any thoughts of her ex from her head “—is exactly what I...planned. Now, why don’t you tell me more about this summer camp of yours? You mentioned it when you showed me the architectural drawings and photographs in your study, but I’d love to hear more.”
“This is the first summer Camp Diamond has been open, so we consider it a shakedown period,” Bobby said. “The staff is pretty much in place and we’ve offered free stays for local kids from Destiny in return for acting as test subjects, for lack of a better word, for two-week sessions that will run through Labor Day. We’ll take a week off in between each session to make any needed repairs, upgrades or rework any of the programs.”
While Bobby spoke, Priscilla leaned over and placed her glass on the low square table in front of her and then reached for her portfolio. She itched to start making notes, but held off until she could gauge how he and Leeann were going to feel about her research. “How’s that working?”
“Well, we’re only finishing up the first week of our second session, but so far, so good.” He glanced at his wife, who offered a nod in agreement. “A few hiccups along the way, but we expected that. The plan is to have our first full season next summer.”
“We have a business plan, a board of directors and an advisory council for the camp in place, as well,” Leeann added. “Thanks to my husband’s generosity, Camp Diamond doesn’t carry any debt on its land or the buildings, and it’s fully funded for the next few years.”
Hmm, she hadn’t been aware of that fact. “It must take quite a bit of financial support to run this type of operation year after year, covering everything from salaries to insurance to marketing. Is raising funds an important part of your business plan?”
“Ah, yes, it is, but like Lee said, we’re in a good place money-wise at the moment.” Bobby paused. “Wait a minute. Have you been looking into this?”
Priscilla smiled, glad that he seemed more surprised than insulted at her initiative. “It’s what I do, remember?”
“Yeah, I know, but I never expected... Wow. I only mentioned the camp a couple of times when you called to thank me for our donation to your gala event this past week.”
It took a bit of effort, but she managed to keep the tainted images from that night from coming back to life and focused instead on the here and now. “I was intrigued by what you’re trying to do.”
“Talk about great timing,” Leeann said, enthusiasm shining in her eyes. “We were just trying to come up with ideas for a fund-raising event and here we have an expert right in front of us.”
Taking that as permission to proceed, Priscilla flipped open her portfolio and glanced at her notes. “So, have you thought about corporate sponsorship?”
“We do have one—my former racing team that I’m still a part owner of—but I’m a bit hesitant about having outsiders giving funds and then wanting a voice in how the camp is run.”
Priscilla added the information about Bobby’s team to the list she’d created this morning. “What about sponsors a bit closer to home?”
“Well, there aren’t exactly a lot of big corporations in Destiny.”
A fact she knew thanks to her research, but Priscilla had something different in mind. “What I meant was maybe you should be looking at people who have a connection to this area instead of looking for business sponsors.”
Bobby glanced at his wife for a moment, then looked back at Priscilla. “That’s sort of what we have in mind when it comes to an event, but I’m guessing you’re talking about people with deep pockets?”
“Exactly.” Priscilla pulled out her list. “Have either of you ever heard of the high-tech mogul Drake Hamill?”
“Sure. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Drake Hamill. They’re all members of the same club.”
“Drake and his company are based in Silicon Valley, but he’s originally from Laramie. He attended the University of Wyoming and has a vacation home in Jackson Hole, so he comes back to the state often.”
“I’ve met him a few times at your foundation events in L.A.,” Bobby said. “We did talk about being from Wyoming. Interesting idea.”
“I found that long-established camps often rely on alumni, not only to send their children to the same camp they once attended, but to assist in fund-raising efforts, as well. You don’t have that yet, but there used to be a summer camp in town that ran for over twenty-five years. Their former campers might be interested in learning there’s a new camp here in Destiny.”
Bobby nodded. “I guess that’s something we could look into. If we can get any information from the Shipmans, the family that used to own the old camp.”
“It would take a bit of doing,” Leeann added. “There aren’t any Shipmans still living in Destiny that I know of.”
“Well, I’ve found at least one former camper who’s a big name. Did you know that the San Antonio Alamos’ second baseman, Jax Summers, was born and raised in Chapman Falls, which is only two hours from here? According to his website, he first learned to hit a baseball while attending the Shipmans’ camp. His parents still live up there and he’s often home during the off season.”
Bobby looked impressed. “I don’t think I ever knew that.”
“I’ve come up with a half-dozen people who have a history of generous charitable giving and, most importantly, a connection to this area.”
“Can we see that list?” Bobby asked.
Priscilla handed them her findings, watching as Bobby and Leeann, heads close together, read it.
She was pleased that her ideas were going over so well. As someone whose closest experience to kids’ summer camp was English riding lessons at the Beverly Hills Riding Club, Priscilla had spent a lot of time over the past few days learning everything she could about summer camps.
She’d been surprised to find ones that specialized in everything from sports to technology to the arts, but she’d concentrated on private, traditional sleepaway camps that offered a variety of activities like Camp Diamond.
“I think you’re onto something here.” Bobby tapped a finger against the piece of paper. “This is an idea the board of directors should explore further, but when Leeann said we were looking at fund-raising, we were actually thinking of something simpler.”
“Simpler?”
“And even more local.” Leeann rested a hand on Bobby’s jean-clad thigh. “From the very beginning, we wanted the people of Destiny, our families and friends, to be a part of the camp. We used a local company, Murphy Mountain Log Homes, to design and build all the buildings, and while we had to go outside the area to fill some of the senior staff positions, a lot of the staff, including most of the counselors, are local high-school and college kids.”
“Yes, well, I’m sure summer jobs are scarce in a town this small, so that’s a good thing, but I’m not sure what you’re looking for as far as—”
“Hey! Anyone home?”
A deep, booming voice filled the air, cutting her off. It seemed to come through the trees, but Priscilla guessed whoever bellowed was down below the wraparound deck.
“Yeah, we’re here. Come on up,” Bobby called out and then offered a sheepish grin when his wife swatted at him. “Sorry about that, Priscilla. A buddy of mine is here for an early dinner. Why don’t you stay and join us?”
“Oh, I don’t want to intrude.”
“You won’t. Please stay,” Leeann said. “We have plenty of food and this way I won’t be outnumbered. As usual.”
“Hey, you’re never outnumbered.”
“A female dog doesn’t count— Oh, no! Bobby, he’s got Dais—”
A blur of wiry golden-and-brown hair on four legs raced around the corner of the deck. Before Priscilla could brace herself, she had a familiar furry snout pressed into her hand as the same dog that greeted her yesterday in the river jumped up on the sectional right next to her.
Which meant her owner wasn’t too far behind.
“Oh, my, would you look at that.” Leeann’s voice was low. “I never thought I’d see this day.”
Priscilla’s hand stilled where she spontaneously started to scratch at the dog’s ears. She looked up and found Leeann and Bobby staring, mouths agape. “I’m sorry?”
“That dog hates women,” Leeann said, “but look at her cuddling up to you.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Daisy behave this way before,” Bobby added.