Chapter Two
“To finally getting our asses back together again.” Ryan lifted his beer, clinking bottles with three of his former college buddies in a ceremonial, vacation kick-off toast.
Jason gestured around their elaborate chalet. “And to doing it in none other than Tahoe.”
The oak and stainless steel-detailed monstrosity was far too big for just the four of them, but Ryan wouldn’t complain. The digs were a lot more comfortable than his little abode in River Bend, and for the next several days, he planned to soak up every luxury the place had to offer. Maybe he’d even find a lady to share the indulgence with.
“Mostly Tahoe, anyway.” Cory took a swig of the dark lager and settled back against the leather sofa with a grin.
All Tahoe, Ryan added in his head before he got up and tossed a log into the fireplace, sending a flurry of sparks up the chimney. “Don’t know about you, but I don’t plan on taking my happy ass any further than the next town over. And that’s only if we buy out all the beer here.”
Cory snorted. “Yeah, well, plans have changed. At least for tomorrow.”
Ryan shot a glance over his shoulder and frowned. “How so?”
Cory and his business partner, Will, shared a private glance, then Will scratched at his ginger beard, his face all sorts of reluctant. “My Uncle Vaughn asked me for a favor while we’re in town.”
“Vaughn lives in Tahoe?” Jason, who ran a plumbing business in Oklahoma, asked.
Will shook his head. “Nah, he lives about forty-five minutes west. A little blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-town. Runs a contracting company there.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes. That had to do with them how?
“Vaughn had a heart attack a couple months back. Hasn’t been up to snuff since. People have noticed and unfortunately he’s losing business.”
Oh, hell. This conversation was going there, wasn’t it?
“He only needs input on one job. A job that could put him back in the black or ruin him entirely.”
Ryan rolled his hand, urging his friend on. “Spit it out already, man. What do you need from us?”
“The four of us are about to meet a movie star.”
***
“Rosemary, you’re an expert on fashion. Can you puh-lease tell my mom how ridiculous this sweater is?”
Angel, the namesake for Blake’s new endeavor, pointed to the fuzzy, crocheted kitten on her chest, her eyes begging for every ounce of sympathy she could get. She deserved it in spades, because the sweater was nothing short of awful. Rosemary, however, was not about to get on Penelope’s bad side. Not when she needed a huge favor.
“Kiddo, I’m hardly an expert.” She offered a light laugh from across the breakfast nook in Blake’s kitchen. Penelope, standing at the stove, rolled her eyes and patiently waited for the teakettle to heat up. “Besides, I thought you loved cats.”
“Petting them, yes. Wearing them on my chest, not so much.” She wrinkled her nose and shot a not-so-discreet frown toward her mother.
Rosemary gave another chuckle. “Listen, Angel, I need a minute or two alone with your mom. Do you think you could grab that book you were telling me about last week? I’ve been dying to read it.”
The girl’s eyes lit up and she wasted no time zipping out of the room as fast as her motorized chair would take her.
“She’s growing up too fast. I can barely keep up with her.” Sighing, Penelope toed up to take two mugs down from the cupboard.
“Doesn’t help that she’s eleven-going-on-twenty-one.”
“No kidding.” The pretty blonde poured the steaming water into the cups and padded over to the table, offering one to Rosemary along with the box of tea bags, before she sat. “So, what brings you by this afternoon? I thought you and Blake met earlier.”
“We did. We’re working on a marketing plan. Unfortunately, we don’t agree on the approach.”
“No? Why not?” Penelope curled her hands around the cup and lifted it to her mouth, blowing gently.
“Blake’s asked me not to talk about it with you. Or rather…he’s forbidden me.”
Penelope’s eyebrows shot up while her voice dropped to an unimpressed octave. “Seriously?”
“Dead. But you know how I am. I can’t let it rest.”
“That’s what I like best about you.” Penelope grinned. “Therefore, I assume you’re here to tell me anyway.”
“I think it’s for the best. I also think Blake knows I’m right, but he’s being his bullheaded self.”
“Sounds like Blake.” His fiancée laughed and, in the distance, the front doorbell rang.
“Got it, Mom!” Angel’s voice piped up from the hallway and Penelope sighed.
“Hold tight for a second.” Patting her shoulder, Penelope moved past Rosemary and disappeared out of sight. A few moments later, the sound of masculine voices filled the air, carrying softly through the house.
“And we have unexpected company,” Angel said, coming up behind Rosemary with the requested book in hand. “Not that I’m complaining. The one with the nice smile and ball cap is pretty hot.”
“Oh, yeah? Does your mom know you talk like that?” Rosemary teased. “Does Blake?”
Angel shrugged and handed over the thick hardcover. “Can’t get in trouble for speaking the truth, can I?”
“Yes. Yes, you can, dear daughter.” Penelope appeared in the doorway, eyebrows lifted. “Unfortunately, we’ll need to have that conversation later. The contractors are here to go over the renovations Blake’s having done.”
“Making the place more Angel-friendly, is he?” Rosemary ruffled the girl’s hair.
“Yes, and they’re starting in the kitchen,” Penelope replied. “Looks like we’ll need to move to the family room.”
“Oh, no, I can come back later. It’s no big deal.” Rosemary jumped to her feet, but Penelope waved her off.
“No way. I have to hear what it is Blake’s giving you a hard time about before I let you go anywhere.”
“It can wait until tomorrow, really.” Still, she gathered her cup of tea and stepped to the side as Blake and five other men filed into the room.
“Rosemary.” Blake shot her a look that matched his stern voice, but she glanced away, looking anywhere but at him. The less eye contact, the better, when one was about to disobey a direct order. Instead, her gaze landed on the first man. A furry, redheaded lumberjack type with a lopsided smile. He gave a wave, which she reciprocated before moving onto an older man she recognized from around town. Vaughn, if her memory served her right. And Man #3—
“That’s the cute one,” Angel whispered from beside her. “See the ball cap?”
Rosemary’s gaze darted to the man’s head before she fully took in his face and sure enough, there was the cap Angel had gone so gaga over. A red cap. With a big white N embroidered on it. Nebraska? Not likely. She was a heck of a long way from home, after all.
She cleared her throat and forced her eyes downward, refusing to let her train of thought wander down memory lane. Only, something about the man’s face looked familiar. Something about the way his full lips pressed together hit a buried nerve. Something about the tick she could see in his strong jaw, despite his five o’clock shadow…
Something about those penetrating, denim blue eyes.
Oh, my God. No. It can’t be.
“Rosemary?” Blake stepped forward and placed a gentle, questioning hand on her arm, but it was too late. The cup in her hands hit the floor, shattering into pieces.
Just like her heart had nearly a decade ago.
When she’d loved the man standing across the room so much she’d left him.
***
Fate fucking sucked.
So did Will. And Ryan’s mother, too, for that matter, because if it hadn’t been for her “do the right thing” speech before he’d left River Bend, he would’ve never ended up here today. Staring at her in some mega-movie star’s home…with a half dozen pairs of eyes watching their unexpected reunion.
“Let me get that cleaned up,” the blonde woman said, rushing to Rosie’s feet, while the actor helped her step away from the broken coffee mug. “Angel, why don’t you take Rosemary to the family room? I’ll be right there.”
“Pretty sure we’re not who she needs to talk to right now, Mom.” The girl in the wheelchair looked from Ryan to Rosemary, her gaze the sharpest of all.
He probably should have interjected. Said something to lighten the situation, but he had to know—would Rose acknowledge him on her own or not?
With a shaky hand, she brushed her long, dark hair—still as beautiful and sexy as ever—over her shoulder. “No, no, Angel. I’m fine. Too much caffeine today, that’s all.”
Hmm. Definitely not the direction he hoped she’d go.
“You’ve still got the touch, I see,” Will muttered, and Cory and Jason tried to stifle simultaneous laughs in response.
The color that stained Rosie’s cheeks said they failed and something defensive stirred in Ryan’s gut.
“Long time, no see, Rosie,” he said without thinking. To make matters worse, his voice sounded soft. Almost…reassuring. To the woman who had single-handedly turned his life upside down. What the hell was wrong with him?
“You two know each other?” Blake frowned. “I didn’t think you guys were local.”
“We’re not,” Will spoke up. “We’re just in town helping Vaughn.”
Blake nodded, but for the longest second of Ryan’s life, Rosie kept her gaze locked firmly on the girl.
“Maybe I do need a minute,” she finally said, giving him a timid, sidelong glance. “With Ryan. Alone.”
Thank God for that.
“As I suspected,” the girl said, whirling her chair around. “Follow me to the family room, please.”
But Rosie didn’t budge. Instead, she clasped her bottom lip between her teeth, the furrow in her brow deepening like the Grand Canyon. Because she wasn’t sure she really wanted to face him after all this time or because she wasn’t sure he’d follow?
That he could help with. “After you,” he said gently, stepping forward with similar ease. To his relief, Rosie’s shoulders dropped a few millimeters. And she actually looked up at him.
Good Lord, she’d only gotten prettier over the years. And those deep, passionate brown eyes…
They still sent chills down his spine quicker than anything had in a long time.