The Bachelor and the Beauty Queen (3 page)

Whatever his mood had been prior to walking through the gates of the county fair, it dissipated the minute he entered. He inhaled deeply and a nostalgic smile spread across his face. It was something about the smells of the fair. Smells of animals, hay, popcorn, elephant ears and other fried inventions mixed throughout the breezy air.

The weather was unusually cool for this time of year. Philly insisted on getting a candy apple before seeing her favorite part of the fair, the animals. The barns were filled with pigs, llamas, goats and other animals that kids could feed by hand for only a quarter's worth of carrots. Stephen fed the zebra caged in the corner, while Kimber pretended not to be interested but held control over the plastic Baggie of veggies.

Stephen let the five-year-old dictate where they would go for the late afternoon. Gnats clung to the humid Southern air. Employees taunted fair patrons, challenging them to win prizes. Not able to resist his basketball skills being tested, Stephen played a few rounds and won an oversize Scooby-Doo dog. Kimber's
friend
, Marvin, met up with them. The tall, lanky boy, with his thick Coke-bottle glasses and a mouth full of metal braces, smiled.
Kimber is too good for him
, he thought defensively. But on the positive note, a guy like him would be easy to intimidate, which he had to do the few times Marvin and Kimber held hands.

Ah, to be young and in
like
. Him being “so old,” as Kimber called him, he barely remembered the days when he looked forward to spending time with his high school crush. “Dang, bro,” Nate said, snapping his fingers in Stephen's face. “You going soft on me?”

“What?” Stephen said, checking his phone as it buzzed. He chalked up Mr. Foxx's all-caps message to unfamiliarity with electronic mail. The keys would be delivered to the house in the morning.

“Whatever.” Nate nodded. “What's got you smiling, then?”

“I made a business transaction.”

“So soon?” Nate's voice and brows went up.

“We've been here for six months,” Stephen reminded him. “I can't work out of my bedroom forever.”

“At least this way you'll get out of the house and start meeting people, meet you a nice woman.”

“Not interested in any women from this town,” he said. The image of Lexi flashed through his mind, causing him to envision her hips swaying to the salsa beat on the dance floor or in his bed.

They continued their trip around the fair. Stephen reluctantly purchased the young couple a pair of unlimited passes and gave them one hour to meet back at the tent for Philly's pageant. Philly bossed her way around, holding both their hands so she could dangle and swing her legs. Stephen offered to get her another corn dog when Nate stepped in and vetoed him.

“She'll be too sick to perform tonight.” Nate looked down and tweaked Philly's nose. “And you're going to be a rock star tonight, aren't you?”

Philly smiled brightly. “I'm gonna rock!”

Stephen tried to keep his upper lip from curling. “Seriously, Nate, a toddler pageant?”

“What?”

“Is this why you guys had me watching those stupid reality shows?”

“Philly enjoyed the workshops last month.”

The picture of one pageant queen in particular popped into his mind. All this beauty talk forced
her
image in his mind. Southern belles were quiet and demure. She was loud, flamboyant and obnoxious to say the least. Stephen's anger worked him up all over again. Irritated, he talked himself into being glad he'd bought the property next door.

“You've got an evil grin again,” Nate noted.

Stephen shook his head. “This time it is a woman.”

“So you agree this beauty pageant workshop is a good way to meet women?”

Maybe that was exactly what Stephen needed, a woman. It had been six months since he last went on a date.

Oblivious to the grown-up part of the conversation, Philly tugged on Stephen's right hand. “If I do real good today, I get to compete in the next pageant where you used to live.”

“Where I lived?” Stephen kneeled down to her level.

She beamed at him, batting her long lashes. “Yep,” she answered proudly, “the winner today gets a big trophy and a trip.”

“And if Uncle Nate is lucky,” Nate chimed in, “Philly will share her prize with him.”

Stephen straightened to his full height and ignored the pain in his knees. What prize did Uncle Nate think he was going to get out of this?

“A dress!” Philly jumped excitedly. “I get a new dress and I get a personal coach until the big pageant.”

Off in the distance, Stephen's eyes narrowed on a long gold Cadillac behind the pageant building. He'd seen the car earlier today and had wondered who owned the old-lady car. While Stephen craned his neck, Nate pumped Philly up with encouragment. He held her by the arms and she swung her around in the air. Philly's legs accidentally kicked Stephen in the process just as he locked eyes with Lexi Pendergrass.

“I get to wear a dress from Grits and Glam Gowns!”

The words sank into Stephen's brain. As she sang the name of the dress shop, Stephen swore he'd heard wrong. “What?”

“Grits and Glam Gowns,” Nate provided, “is my part of the prize. When Philly wins tonight, she'll get more lessons from the one-and-only Lexi Pendergrass. Man, Stephen, you ought to meet her.”

His brother practically drooled. Stephen began to shake his head. “We've met.”

“When? You've barely left the house since we came down here.”

“She's the one who sold Kimber the dress,” Stephen said quickly as Nate's words slowed down. Taking in the revelation, Nate closed his mouth and bit his lip. “Did Kimber tell you that?”

Philly's hand tugged his arms. “Yes, baby?”

“Uncle Stephen, look!” Her fingers pointed toward the doorway of the pageant building. Her voice gave a melodic tone to the word
look
. “There she is!”

Both of the brothers turned, Nate staring, as well. This time, he made no attempt to stop drooling. “Yep, the future Mrs. Reyes.”

The back molars in Stephen's mouth ground down as their eyes met again. Philly dropped her uncle's hands and went running the few feet in front of her, arms wide-open, and barreled into
her
arms—Lexi Pendergrass.

Chapter 3

S
omething magical always took away Lexi's bad mood when it came to the variety of treats offered at the county fair. She knew she'd have to work a little longer with her Zumba workout disc, but it was totally worth it. Sort of. A mouth filled with a bit of exotic fair food—a fried Oreo cookie—was not the way Lexi wanted to remeet Stephen Reyes. But as she swallowed down her treat, the horrific frozen smirk on his face lessened the humiliation of being caught stuffing her face.

“A pleasure seeing you again.” Lexi washed down her treat with a sip of tea through her long swirly straw before extending her hand, silently praying not to have any of the chocolate cookie on her teeth. The smug smile he'd showed off earlier in the day faltered when Mr. Nate introduced her to him as the judge of tonight's pageant. Stephen's hand wrapped around her icy one, cold from holding her drink, and sent a sizzle through to her skin.

“Yes, my brother mentioned you two already met?” Stephen dropped her hand and gave a quick nod.

Lexi's attention turned toward his brother. She'd met Mr. Nate a few weeks ago when he brought his five-year-old niece to Grits and Glam Gowns for the Saturday-morning workshop. In fact, Nate had unknowingly spawned the idea of buying the café when her kitchenette did not have the space to accommodate his fan club.

So when Nate introduced Stephen as his brother, she wasn't sure she could keep her perfected pageant smile from faltering. How was it possible the two of them were related?

Earlier, Lexi had given Stephen a ten in the evening-wear department, but if tonight was a casual look, he definitely earned another perfect score. She hated him for making a pair of denim jeans and a blue Atlanta Braves jersey look so good. Even his choice in shoes, a pair of tan Timberlands, was perfect. He oozed sex and confidence and she hated herself for noticing.
So what?
Not like she hadn't seen a handsome man before.

Stephen cleared his throat and ran his large hand over his bearded face. “We're hoping after tonight we'll spend more time together,” said Nate.

The double innuendo was not lost on Lexi's ears but she did not encourage with a flirtatious smile. She did not get involved with parents of clients.
Not anymore
, a bitter voice whispered in her ear.

“Not if I can help it,” Stephen injected over a cough into his balled-up fist.

Lexi cocked her head to the side. “Bless your heart, are your allergies getting to you?”

“We went to see the animals,” Philly Reyes said, tugging on the pocket of Lexi's denim overalls.

She'd forgotten about the attire for the judges, the camaraderie it gave the panel, and now she bit her bottom lip. Dressing up as a farmhand wasn't Lexi's first choice, but she knew how to make it work, accessorizinng the attire with a pair of red cowboy boots. “Hi, sweetie,” Lexi cooed, and squatted down to get to Philly's eye level.

“I am going to remember my cupcake hands.” Philly beamed, holding her hands out to her side and pretending to cup the invisible hem of an invisible cupcake dress. The five-year-old nailed the movement. A lot of other girls from the pageant workshop kept curling their fingers under as if holding a bar. Philly held her arms out to the side and left her hands limp at the wrists, as Lexi had taught her.

Proud, Lexi gave Philly a hug. Smart of whoever decided to dress the family in matching clothes. At an event like this, things became crowded. Already she'd seen a bouncy house filled with lost kids waiting for their parents to arrive. “I can't wait to watch, Philly. Don't forget to have fun, though.”

“You've met Philly,” Stephen's deep voice said. He loomed over them with a smirk across his devastatingly handsome face. “Here comes our other niece, Kimber.”

The niece in question practically skipped over toward her two uncles before skidding to a halt when Lexi stood up. Things began to click in Lexi's mind. Nate had come into the boutique followed by an entourage of women and their daughters. With him had been Philly and another girl. During the chaos, Kimber Reyes had appeared to be in the middle of an argument with someone on the phone. Lexi recalled the girl being close to tears and that she had allowed her to use the private bathroom in the loft—where the dress was kept. Given the teenager's wide, deer-in-the-headlights stare and the way her barbaric uncle had overreacted, Lexi planned on keeping Kimber's secret—for now.

“Kimber,” Stephen said, his eyes steady on Lexi, “you remember Lexi Pendergrass.”

Kimber chewed nervously on her gum and avoided eye contact with everyone. Instead she studied her canvas-covered feet. “Um, yeah, hi,” she said, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Hi, Kimber.” Lexi tried to keep her voice cheerful. Stephen stood behind Kimber with his arms folded across his judgmental chest. Screams from kids on death-defying rides filled in the awkward silence.

“Um, Uncle Nate, can me and Marvin get on the Ferris wheel?”

“Marvin and
I
,” Stephen corrected. Lexi mentally rolled her eyes. Of course he'd correct the child. The boy named Marvin gulped.

Kimber cocked her head to the side. “You want to go on the Ferris wheel with Marvin?”

“Girl, go,” Nate growled. “Be back in time for the pageant.”

Kimber took off, grabbing Marvin's hand and dragging him away with her. Lexi shook her head and smiled, watching the two run off.

Her attention was captured by Stephen clearing his throat. “Well?”

“Well, what?” she asked him.

“Does seeing her bring back any memories for you?” Stephen asked. He stepped close to her, toe-to-toe. His dark eyes searched hers for an answer she did not want to give. Lexi did not waver. She folded her arms across her bibbed top and raised one brow, challenging him.

“What's going on here?” asked Nate.

Behind them, someone sounded a cowbell. Lexi cringed at the noise. “Well, there's the cue for me to get over to the judging table. I'll see you all around.” Lexi smiled sweetly at Philly, waving toward her. “Don't forget—have fun this evening.” Before leaving, she nodded at Nate, then purposely dropped her smile at Stephen.

A lot of cupcake dresses from Grits and Glam Gowns adorned the stage. The above-the-knee dresses with the layers of tulle were the bestsellers. The tulle material helped poof them out at the hem. The bigger the better and these dresses sold quickly.

Philly definitely stood out in her peach-colored
OOAK
, as Lexi had dubbed the garment. The one-of-a-kind dress stopped above the knees and was fluffed out with layers of tulle and stones. Andrew had worked hard and today it paid off. Nate had chosen the right color for his niece to represent the festival, as well as the state symbol. What did Stephen think?

Settling her nerves, Lexi took a seat next to the judges' table beside one of Southwood's first ladies, Mrs. Ramona Ramsey. Her daughter, Rosalind, had attended Cypress Boarding School for Girls with Lexi and was one of her best friends in the world. The Ramseys had encouraged Lexi to open up her boutique downtown.

“Stop turning around, dear,” Mrs. Ramona scolded, tilting her head to the side.

“Was I?” Lexi realized when her body relaxed that she had been twisting around.

Mrs. Ramona nodded her head and patted Lexi's denim-clad thigh. “Who is the young man?”

“Who said I was staring at a man?”

“Because the stage has been filled with all types of gorgeous gowns and you have yet to coo over any of them,” Mrs. Ramona noted.

Lexi grinned. “Because I created most of them,” she replied with confidence. “But if you must know, there is a gentleman back there who accused me of selling something to his niece, and I did not.”

“Well, if you were honest, what's the problem?”

“I don't know.” Lexi shrugged. “It doesn't sit well with me he thinks so little of me.”

Ramona Ramsey stopped fanning herself. “Since when do you, the Southern Hellion, care what other people think of you?”

The beauty walk for the young girls of the Peach Blossom began, and Lexi smiled and clapped for all those who attended her workshops. The Peach Blossom Pageant, held every year, was made up of girls from all four local counties. Not every parent took their child to a pageant coach, and Lexi respected and understood, but she easily picked out the girls who did not have any training. She also noticed the beauty walks of some girls whose parents clearly took them up to Atlanta for some coaching. The judges were going to have a hard time here. Things always took a turn during the talent portion.

The other judges were Mrs. Beaumont, Lexi's retired Sunday school teacher; a veterinarian from the nearby town Samaritan; and a teacher from Peachville. From peering over everyone's shoulders, Lexi guessed the judges gave tens to their hometown heroes. But after the talent completion, they were all on the same page. Every time the judges smiled and nodded at Philly Reyes singing on stage, Lexi cast a glance over her shoulder to catch Stephen Reyes clenching his powerful jaws together.

“So that's him?”

Lexi turned her attention to her best friend's mother and accepted the napkin-covered plate she handed her. Mrs. Ramona blinked aimlessly at Stephen.

“Yes.”

“Well, he is hot, if you like the type.” Mrs. Ramona shrugged her shoulders.

Afraid he was her type, Lexi took one last glance over her shoulder. Stephen returned the glance, his dark eyes frowning toward her. She dismissed the cold chill and turned her attention back to the stage. As the judges took a break to deliberate and grab a bite to eat, the contestants were allowed to wander off. Philly stayed on stage with a few girls from the workshop and played ring-around-the-rosy. She clearly stood out from the rest. She sported a natural smile and knew how to work the judges, even when the spotlight wasn't on her.

“I am not shallow,” Lexi said. “I care more about a man's character than his appearance.”

“Right,” Mrs. Ramona drawled out. “How long has it been since you went on a date?”

A date? What was a date? Where a man came to her house to pick her up in his vehicle and took her to dinner and a show without expecting anything? Since the falling-out with her parents, she had no one setting her up on blind dates. Who would have thought she'd miss those not-so-random meetings her mother used to arrange?

Single men without children did not come into her shop—well, not every day, she thought, refusing to cast another glance in Stephen's direction. To get out and find a date for herself took too much effort. After working at the shop, doing alterations, making calls and critiques, or whatever her daily routine called for, she was too tired. Thankfully, her neurotic brides had already picked up their dresses for the June weddings. Dealing with them was a job all in itself.

Lexi sighed sadly and lifted the paper napkin. She smiled at the powdered-sugar-covered elephant ear and mentally tacked on another thirty minutes for her workout regime. “A while.”

“I understand, but you need to make time, Lexi.” Mrs. Ramsey gave a sad sigh. “Now, what are we going to do about McHottie?”

Caught off guard, Lexi inhaled a bit of the confectioners' sugar and began to cough. “Who?”

Mrs. Ramona jutted her chin in the direction of Stephen Reyes. “Him.”

“He's the uncle of a potential client,” Lexi said as if that explained everything.

“
Nathaniel
Reyes filled out the paperwork for Philly as her guardian, not McHottie. So there's your opening, dear.”

She thought about Stephen's pending sale on the property next door to her shop. Hell-bent on avenging his niece's mishap, he clearly planned on being a daily bane of Lexi's existence. Recalling his pettiness reminded Lexi of the low score he'd earned in congeniality. No amount of hotness would bring his score up from such an act. This was a man to hate, not desire. Pondering her decision, Lexi cast one last glance over her shoulder before vowing not look at him ever again. He met her eyes with a raised brow and a smug smirk across his devilishly handsome face.

By the end of the afternoon, thirteen girls stood on the stage. The three judges never turned to Lexi for her input. The votes were unanimous and their scorecards all matched. In with a group of other girls ranging from five to thirteen, Philly stood perfectly still in front of the smaller trophies she'd already won—most photogenic, best walk and best face. The poor girl's arm had to be sore from constantly raising her hand when her name was called. No one seemed surprised when little Philly Reyes won the overall title. Lexi's services, part of the package for the winner, allowed her to stand onstage with Philly.

Team Reyes approached for a photograph. Nate stood on one side of her with Philly in his arms; due to their height, Lexi and Stephen were forced to stand together. Bulbs flashed, blinding them. Through it all, Lexi smiled and gritted her teeth.

“Well, neighbor, looks like I'll be spending more time than you thought with at least one of your nieces.”

* * *

Stephen Reyes hated to lose.

He hated being proven wrong more. The tables of revenge had turned on him and karma bit him hard. He watched his family circle around Lexi Pendergrass as if she were a celebrity. Nate nearly tripped over his tongue.

Stephen did not deny Lexi's beauty by any means. She made denim overalls sexy. The entire time he stood adjacent to her, his eyes kept falling on the curve of her waist right where the snaps of the overalls and the white T-shirt she wore underneath did not quite meet. His fingers itched to test the softness of her skin.

Typically he did not date women with children. Women with kids—like Lexi and her clients—wanted a father figure for their child and he did not make for a good role model. His job kept him too busy. Nate, on the other hand, liked a woman with kids because the relationship never got any further due to the kids. Given both circumstances, Stephen needed to step aside and let Nate continue to make a fool of himself over Lexi Pendergrass. She was not the woman for him. Despite the way Philly wrapped her arms around her neck, despite the way Lexi stroked Kimber's hair, despite the way Kimber hung on her every word, there was nothing motherly about Lexi. She didn't seem to freak out or overreact when Philly's second candy apple got stuck in her hair. She just smiled and pulled it away.