A Decent Proposal (5 page)

“That you and I are in the process of getting acquainted. She would have to make the determination about whether or not we're item-worthy.”

“Good answer.”

“Thank you.”

“What else happened?” she asked. He'd said there were several things.

“Your uncle John warned me that if I hurt you the process for obtaining building permits would be significantly longer than I'd been led to believe.”

“Did he actually say that in so many words?”

“Not exactly. It was more of a general implication.”

So he had more skin in the game now. That's why he'd kissed her as if there was something at stake. “I'm sorry, Burke—”

“It would have been helpful if I'd known you were related to the man in charge of signing off on building permits.”

She heard the annoyance in his voice and chalked it up to him not liking surprises. Couldn't blame the man for that. They weren't her favorite thing, either.

“I'm sorry, but I didn't know you were going to see him.”

“I need permits before breaking ground on this project. That's a given.”

Now she was starting to get annoyed. Syd put a hand on her hip and met his gaze. “I'm a mechanic, not a builder. It's not my job to know how that process works and I can't read your mind. If you'd mentioned it, I'd have passed on the information of a family connection.” She took a deep breath. “I asked you to do me a favor and I'm grateful for your help. But if this is going to impact your business in a negative way feel free to back out. I will explain to Uncle John that this is my fault.”

He stared at her for a moment, then smiled, chasing away most of the tension. “I think we just had our first fight.”

Syd wanted to stay irritated but couldn't manage to maintain it. She laughed. “Who won?”

“I think it was a draw.”

“Seriously though, how macho and protective was my uncle?”

“On a scale of one to ten?” He thought for a moment. “About a twelve. Firm but friendly.”

“Uncle John isn't a mean, vindictive man. And he's extraordinarily professional. His integrity is impeccable. I'm sure he would never use his position of authority to settle a score. And I would never let it go that far.”

“I believe you, Syd.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “But I need to hedge my bets. We've put a lot of time and money into materials, delivery, manpower and schedules. There's built-in flexibility for unexpected delays, but too many could be a big problem.”

“I'll talk to him. Don't worry,” she said. “He's really a sweetheart.”

“Maybe, but the boundaries he set for his niece's boyfriend were quite clear.” One corner of his mouth lifted. “And I'd rather wait before you talk with him and possibly jeopardize the plan.”

“So you still want to go through with it?” She wouldn't blame him in the least if he backed out of the whole thing.

“Not only do I want to see it through, it's quite possible the number of official dates we agreed on won't be enough to convince him that I didn't have nefarious intentions such as leading you on.”

“Are you talking about my dad or Uncle John?”

“Both.”

“That's really generous of you, Burke.” She shook her head. “But I really feel awful about this and it's not what you signed on for. I had no idea this could end up being a professional problem for you. I was only thinking about helping my dad.”

“As far as potential business problems are concerned, let's cross that bridge if and when it becomes necessary. For now we act as if spending time together isn't a hardship.”

It wasn't a hardship and she wasn't acting. “If it's a problem for you, hanging out with me, I mean—”

“Not at all.” He took her hand and linked their fingers. “In fact it's interesting. Going through the ‘getting to know you' stage on the way to ‘being an item' phase of our relationship with everyone watching is...different.”

“Really?” She was pretty sure the words were sincere, but figured the doubts creeping in were normal under the circumstances.

“Really. The thing is, what you asked me to do is way beyond what most daughters would do. I have to conclude that you'd do anything for someone you love. Any man would be lucky to be that someone. And it makes you quite a unique and intriguing woman.”

“That's nice of you to say.”

“It's not just words, Syd. I truly mean it.” He grinned.

“Well...thank you.” She didn't know what to make of that comment or the intensity of the gaze he settled on her. Somehow, the line was starting to blur between what constituted acting like a man who was interested and what was real. And the probability was that his motivation for doing this was to avoid business problems.

“And now, just in case your father is still watching...”

He leaned down and kissed her again. Just a quick brush of lips. The gesture a smitten man would make when he was saying goodbye to the woman with whom he was smitten. After pulling back, he moved in again for one more brief touch of his mouth to hers, as if he was reluctant to say goodbye.

“I have to go. I'll call you later.”

“Okay.”

She watched him walk away and was more confused than calmed by this visit.

The feel of her hand in his had felt warm and wonderful. She liked kissing him, too, which was fortunate because it was an aspect of playing the part she'd asked him to play.

The downside was that it felt too real. Falling for the man she'd pulled into her scheme wasn't part of the plan. She'd gotten him into this mess and now he was playing his part to the hilt so his resort project wouldn't be delayed.

Something about the way this was all changing made
her
want to back out. But she was doing this for her father and Tom McKnight hadn't raised a quitter.

Chapter Five

“A
re you sure you want to go to this park dedication?” Sydney asked.

“Yes.” It had been Burke's idea and they were on their way there now.

He looked at her sitting in the passenger seat of his car and had the absurd thought that she looked really good there. Her dark hair was long and loose, sexy and silky. A yellow, thin-strapped tank top left her shoulders bare and denim shorts hugged her hips in the nicest way possible. “It's a beautiful day. The sun is out. Sky is blue. And I've been told that this perfect weather won't last much longer.”

“Who told you that?”

Actually her old friend Violet had mentioned it when he'd gone to the Grizzly Bear for lunch one day.

“People in the diner who have lived here.” He glanced over and saw her mouth curve up, an indication that a sassy remark was coming his way.

“Do you believe everything strangers tell you?”

“As a matter of fact, I've grown quite close to some of the regulars at the Grizzly Bear Diner. That tends to happen when a guy is away from home and eating all his meals in restaurants.”

“I'm guessing that's supposed to make me take pity and invite you over for a home-cooked meal?”

Burke was looking at the road ahead and couldn't see her expression, but heard the teasing in her voice. “Is it working?”

“We could make it one of our mutually agreed upon designated dates.”

“Yeah.”

He should be glad the terms of her proposal were clearly spelled out. The added pressure of a delay in building permits should have made him grateful that this didn't start out complicated.

But it was going in that direction. Ever since the day he'd stopped by the garage and told her about the conversation with her uncle, he'd gotten the distinct impression that Syd was putting him off. He'd asked her to dinner one night and got a vague response about having other plans. She declined an invitation to a movie with the excuse of an emergency job that required overtime at the garage.

There were notices all over town about the grand opening of the new park and all the planned activities to celebrate it. This morning he'd called at the last minute and before he could ask her out, she'd said she was going. He'd informed her that he was, too, and said he would come by her house in an hour to get her. Before she could wiggle out of it, he hung up. Now here they were, almost to the park that was located two blocks south of the square in the center of town.

He pulled into the newly paved parking lot and found a space between freshly painted white lines. A large banner was strung between two pine trees and proclaimed the grand opening of Blackwater Lake Park. Newly seeded grass was roped off, but cement paths led to a children's play area with multiple configurations of climbing apparatus, slides and swings. It was set on a hard foam foundation to make unanticipated landings a little more forgiving.

Burke felt a pang when he thought how much Liam would enjoy this, but he wasn't here. His son was following his usual routine at home and Burke hated that they were separated even though he believed stability was the most favorable option. Being a single dad, he always felt conflicted about what was in his son's best interest.

“It's awfully quiet over there,” Syd said. “Either you hate this date with me, or the park has triggered some unhappy suppressed childhood memories.”

He looked at her and his smile was forced. “I was just thinking how much my son would like this park.”

“So he's got a thing for the outdoors?”

“He's a boy.” Burke shrugged.

“Right. Enough said.” She was studying him closely. “You really miss him, don't you?”

“Yeah, I do.” She'd noticed his mood when he'd taken her to the diner for dinner. And the longer he and his son were apart, the more he could feel the emotional distance between them growing. Daily phone calls were unsatisfying. Infrequent trips home weren't enough to build a strong bond.

“You'll be here awhile, right? Why don't you have him with you? Unless his mother objects.”

Burke hadn't told her much about his ex-wife and didn't really want to now so he ignored her comment. “When I got here in August I thought about having him here with me, at least for a few weeks until school started. But he doesn't know anyone and I'm working long hours.”

“There are ways to deal—”

“What do you say we put the serious stuff on hold and go have some fun?” he suggested.

“That's code and it means you really don't want to talk about this.” She stared at him for several moments, then nodded and opened her door. “Okay. Sounds like a plan. Dad's already here. He had to show up early to help organize. When I texted and told him we were coming, he answered that he'd grabbed a table and there was room for us.”

They exited the car and headed up the walkway to the area designated for activities. Near a mature expanse of grass there were picnic tables already occupied by families. There were blankets and chairs arranged nearby for folks who got there too late.

Park barbecues were smoking as town officials and volunteer chamber-of-commerce members were cooking hamburgers and hot dogs paid for out of community funds. He saw Tom McKnight and Mayor Goodson working together and brushing up against each other intimately, the way couples do.

Speaking of couples...

Burke took Syd's hand into his own. He sensed more than felt her want to pull away, but she didn't and he liked the feel of her fingers in his palm. Taking their relationship public was working for him in a big way.

“Lights, camera, action,” he said.

They made their way along the path and greeted people. Burke was surprised how many he knew and Syd said hello to everyone. She stopped to chat with an older couple about their aging truck and he glanced up ahead. Violet Stewart, hostess at the diner and Syd's former friend, was there with two kids and a nice-looking man who was probably her husband...and the guy who had dumped Syd years ago. Burke knew when she spotted them because he felt her tense.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “We can take a detour.”

“Not my style.”

So they kept going and stopped by the young family. Burke nodded. “Hi, Vi.”

“Burke.” There was forced cheerfulness in the woman's voice. Her gaze drifted to Syd. “Hi.”

“Hey.” She looked at the man and it wasn't hard to tell this was the first time she'd seen him since all the bad stuff went down. “Charlie.”

“How are you, Syd?”

“Good.” She squeezed Burke's hand, then let it go. “Charlie Stewart, this is Burke Holden.”

The two men shook hands and said all the right things while tension flowed like a swollen river between the two women.

“Well...we have to go meet my dad.” Syd angled her head in the general direction of the barbecues.

“Yeah.” There was a lot of regret in Violet's voice. “It was good to see you. Have fun, you two.”

“Right. You guys, too. Later.” Syd lifted a hand, then headed for the table near where her father was cooking.

Side by side they sat on the bench. Their shoulders brushed and heat that had nothing to do with the Montana sun shining above shot through him. Burke did his best to ignore the sensation because of the tricky situation.

Still, he was curious about something and they were far enough away from everyone not to be overheard. “How was it seeing Charlie again?” he asked.

“Weird,” she said, glancing around at the people nearby watching her and the couple who had hurt her in the past.

“Weird bad or good?”

“Not bad,” she admitted. “It's been a long time. I don't feel anything for him. But Violet—”

“She seems nice,” he said.

“And how do you know?”

“I've seen her a lot in the diner. It's what happens when a guy—”

“Has to eat out in restaurants,” she finished for him with a grin. It faded quickly. And there was wistfulness in her voice when she said, “She is nice. And they look good together. Two beautiful kids. A boy and girl. The perfect family.”

“There's no such thing as perfect.”

“I know. And that wasn't a bitter comment. Far from it.” She met his gaze. “I envy her. I'm envious of them.”

“So you want a family?”

She shrugged. “It's what my dad wants for me.”

“What are you after?” he asked, really curious.

“It's easier to tell you what I
don't
want.” She glanced around and people looked away. “This is the downside of small-town life. Call me stubborn, but I'm not going to give them anything to talk about. I intend to talk to Violet, but not when it would be a public spectacle.”

“Good for you.” He slung his arm across her shoulders and pulled her into a side hug, aware that she'd veered away from a thumb up or down on the topic of children and family. “Gossip may be a negative aspect of small-town life, but it works for our purposes. We're all about making a public spectacle of ourselves.”

At that moment Tom McKnight turned to smile and wave at his daughter. She leaned in to Burke and put her hand on his jeans-covered thigh. Yeah, this arrangement was working for him in unexpectedly awesome ways.

When the coast was clear, she put some distance between them and removed her hand, curling her fingers into her palm as if it was scorched. Count him in on that.

“So,” she said, clearing her throat. “You certainly have lots of acquaintances in town.”

“There's a good reason for that.”

“What might it be?” she asked sweetly.

“I'm dating the sweetheart of Blackwater Lake and everyone has gone out of their way to make my acquaintance. They're watching over you. The only hitch in the plan is that when we break up, they'll want to cut my heart out with a spoon.”

“Only if you elope with my best friend.”

“And who would that be?”

“I don't have one anymore.” Her gaze was wistful when it shifted to the young family not far away. “But in the plus column we can consider this date number two.”

“How do you figure? By my count this is our first.”

“Don't forget dinner with Dad and Loretta.”

“Ah.” He didn't want to count that one because it was a double date and they hadn't been alone. Mostly it annoyed him to be counting down the times he would see her.

The depth of his reluctance to put a finite number of meetings on their arrangement was surprising. More and more he was realizing that she was the most intriguing woman he'd met in a very long time.

* * *

“How pathetic did you have to look to get Cam to invite you to dinner?” Syd asked Burke.

“No more than usual.” He glanced over at her and grinned.

The day after the park dedication she was in the car beside him again. This was getting to be a habit and it was unclear as yet if that was a good thing or not. On the good side, he looked awfully sexy behind the wheel of this expensive, sporty car. She debated whether or not to tell him when winter arrived, which could be a matter of weeks because Montana weather could be unpredictable, he was going to want a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Knowing how he loved this car, she decided to keep the comment to herself.

She was more curious about something else than what car he would choose to drive on icy roads. “How do you feel about having Sunday dinner with my family?”

“I'm looking forward to it,” he said.

“So how did the invitation come about?”

“After I dropped you off at home yesterday and came back to the lodge, I ran into Cam. She invited me then.”

“Her idea?” Syd asked, teasing. She'd been with him in the bar when her sister-in-law talked to him about setting a date to meet her husband and daughter. “You didn't plead for a home-cooked meal?”

“I would have if I'd thought of it. But the word on the street is spreading about us and it was high time I met the rest of the McKnights.”

“Okay, then.”

Syd listened for even a tiny trace of nerves in his voice but heard nothing. Ice water in his veins, she thought. Probably for the best since she was nervous enough for both of them.

“You do know my brothers will be there, right? With their wives? And children. Small ones. Babies, really. Just adorably toddling around.”

“You left out your dad and Loretta.”

“They're not the ones I'm concerned about since we already had dinner with them. It's Alex and Ben. My brothers are no one's fools.”

“You think they'll suspect we're trying to pull a fast one?”

“Dad is wary and he's probably said something to them.”

“Then we'll have to lay it on thick.” Something in his voice said he wouldn't mind that a bit.

Syd couldn't help the small ripple of pleasure at the thought. If she was being honest, getting cozy with him was a very appealing option.

Burke confidently and competently drove the car around the lake. From here it wasn't far to her brother's house. “This is a really beautiful area.”

“I love it.” The words were simple but incredibly heartfelt. “I can't imagine living anywhere else.”

She looked at the water, where late-afternoon sun turned it a brilliant blue. Closer to the shoreline, shadows from the mountains and trees crept slowly toward the middle of the lake. “My brother Alex builds custom homes around here. He built Ben and Cam's and his own. Ellie, his wife, is an architect and drew up the plans.”

“I'll have to talk to him about that.”

“What? Are you thinking of moving here?” That surprised her for a lot of reasons.

“When the resort is booming, this area is going to be exclusive. Location, location. A second home would be a good investment.”

For a moment she'd thought it might be personal, but not so much. He was a businessman, after all, and they had an agreement. There was nothing personal about that. Right now all she could worry about was getting through this family dinner unscathed.