His Honour, Her Family. Tara Randel

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      Before long they pulled into the parking lot. As soon as Deke cut the engine, she swung down from his death machine. She shook her shoulders, smoothed her hair and faced him head-on. “Next time we take my car.”

      “Whatever you say, boss.”

      She wrinkled her nose. “Please, call me Grace. I don’t plan on being here long enough to really be your boss.”

      He shrugged. “Grace it is.”

      They walked back to the office. His long stride made her pick up the pace to keep up. When she’d noticed his arm muscles flex as he’d steered the Wrangler, she’d had to force herself to look away. Yes, he was in good shape, and yes, he was good-looking. But he was an employee and she didn’t mix business with pleasure. Even though his dark blue-gray eyes, which held a hint of sadness, made her curious. She chastised herself. She was in no position to ask about his secrets.

      “Any other questions?” she asked.

      “I think you covered everything.”

      “Once we’re inside, I’ll give you a key to the warehouse so you can get in whenever you need to.” She unlocked the front door to the office and fished through the top drawer of the desk to hand him the key.

      “Thanks. I think I’ll go check out the path to Crystalline Falls.”

      “It’s not taxing, but some of our clients misjudge how much of an incline they can handle.”

      She took a seat, hoping he’d leave so she could get some work done. Too much of his woodsy scent and masculinity for one morning. She needed to focus and with Deke around that was next to impossible.

      “Quick question,” he said. “Where’s a good place for lunch?”

      She rose, went to the counter and pulled a paper brochure from a clear plastic holder. “This lists all the stores and eateries in town. Depending on what you’re hungry for, you can find it here.”

      “This helps a lot. I was going to walk back and forth along Main Street to familiarize myself with the area, but this gives me a heads-up.” He opened the brochure to find a detailed map and scanned the information. “Golden seems to be quite a tourist destination.”

      “When I was a kid, there were only a few places for tourists to visit, but when Mr. Tremaine Sr., Carter’s father, began promoting the town, it gradually grew to what you see today. We still have a long way to go to compete with some of the more established vacation spots.”

      “The son is following in the footsteps of the father?”

      “Looks like that. The Tremaines are all about publicity, and the other important family in town, the Mastersons, are big into real estate.” She might not like Carter and Lissy Ann, but she had to admit, they were committed to making Golden a premier tourist stop, which in turn kept her mother’s finances in the black.

      His head jerked up. “Masterson?”

      “Yes.” Her suspicion meter started clanging again. “Do you know them?”

      “Maybe. I have a friend, Logan, in Atlanta with the same last name.”

      “He would be from the same family.” She paused. “The wayward son.”

      “Huh,” he said, then went back to the map. “Small world.”

      “I suppose.” She tilted her head. “He never mentioned Golden? I mean, since you decided to head up here to hike?”

      “To be honest, I haven’t seen Logan in about six months.”

      Made sense. She had to remind herself not everyone had ulterior motives.

      “I see there are lots of shops listed up and down Main Street.” He paused. “Jerky?”

      “You’d be surprised what’s been popular through the years. The buildings all remain the same. It’s the type of businesses in each one that vary depending on current trends. Right now jerky and specialty sauces seem to be big sellers.”

      His perceptive gaze caught hers. “You have your finger on the beat of the business community, too?”

      “From time to time.” She would never admit it to her family, but yes, she kept up with the merchants in town. If only to help her mother, she’d convinced herself.

      He continued reading. “Blue Ridge Cottage. What’s that?”

      “Handmade greeting and post cards, specialty stationery.”

      “Interesting.” A moment later he looked up. “Tammy’s Tiny World?”

      “Miniature dollhouses and stuff like that.” She frowned. “Why all the questions? Are you interested in a part-time job on top of your new full-time job to overlap with your leave-of-absence job?”

      He chuckled. “Like I said, familiarizing myself with Golden.”

      He folded the brochure and stuffed it in his back pocket, not meeting her gaze. Was there something he wasn’t telling her?

      “Okay, I’m off,” he announced. “I’ll let myself out the back door.”

      “If you have any questions, call me. I’ll be here all day.”

      He saluted her. “Later.”

      Settling in to work, she took some calls, but the office soon became too quiet. Normally she liked to work alone, but today, she was a bit antsy. Because of Deke? Didn’t make sense, really. She’d worked with all kinds of well-built guys who were guides over the years. What was it about him that made her heart pick up speed whenever he was around? She pushed her thoughts from Deke, dressed in a T-shirt that molded to his muscles, to the attorneys she now worked with on a regular basis. Suits were the norm, and if they went for casual, it entailed losing the jacket but keeping the buttoned-up shirt and tie.

      As she thought about that, her mind wandered to how fortunate she’d been to land a job at a popular firm and she hoped her leave of absence wouldn’t jeopardize her future there. The timing was not ideal, but thankfully she’d already put in lots of overtime. She’d been taking care of her mother for so long that when she called, it was only natural that Grace came running.

      Looking around the office, she realized how much of her heart and soul she’d poured into Put Your Feet Up. Not the physical space, which needed refreshing, but the spirit of the company. While the reminder was still fresh, she grabbed a piece of paper and made a quick list of the work to be done here at the office, as well as her mother’s house. Once finished, she dropped her chin onto her upraised hand, pondering her attachment to the business.

      If it hadn’t been for her, her father’s actions might never have come to light. And she wouldn’t have had to grow up so quickly.

      She’d СКАЧАТЬ