Her Irresistible Troublemaker (A Town Named Eden Book 3) (19 page)

Now her parents looked apologetic.

Lexie made a mental note to nominate Maggie as the official parent liaison person. In future, it would be her responsibility to address all parental disapproval in a timely fashion.

“We can’t help worrying about her. You’ve always had a purpose…”

“And now Lexi has found hers.”

“But what about your career?”

“I’m fed up with spreadsheets and bottom dollars. I’d like to work on something fun and exciting for a change…”

When Lexi’s cell beeped, she discreetly read the message.

How are you doing?

Jack! She smiled to herself.

Missing my morning coffee.

Sliding off her chair, Lexie made her escape.

Don’t they have coffee in Eden?

The best, she thought. Yet it didn’t taste the same without Jack.

No special delivery here.

She strode out to the back patio. Was he missing her? Wishing she’d hurry back home?

How’s Lulu?

She glanced over her shoulder and watched as Maggie worked her magic on their parents. Whatever she was telling them continued to hold them enthralled.

Lulu is up to her usual tricks. She’s quite a spin-doctor.

She kicked off her shoes and stepped out onto the grass, her toes curling as she looked up into the clear sky and smiled. She didn’t ask for much. A good cup of coffee to kick start the day. A sparkling story line to work on. A sharpened pencil. And…

She drew in a breath and, gazing out at the surrounding mountains, she nodded.

Yes, and Jack.

At least in her imagination. He could fill her fantasies, he could—

She threw herself right into the flow, picturing her life with Jack. Spending evenings with him. Enjoying impromptu catch-ups and surprise visits in the middle of her workday. The thoughts swirled in her mind like a kaleidoscope. She had no idea how long she stood out there dreaming and texting. She only snapped out of it when Maggie called out to her.

“Let’s go.”

Lexie swung around, her cell phone clutched against her chest.

“Put your shoes back on, and let’s get a move on.”

“Where are we going?”

“Anywhere. Quick before they snap out of their daze. I made them late for work.”

“Sounds like you hypnotized them.”

“I overwhelmed them with my CEO super uber-terminology. I even threw in some made up words. It’s bought us some time. Now we have a couple of days to come up with a feasible plan of action.”

“And what happens if we don’t?”

“We will.”

Lexie got in behind the driver’s wheel and started the engine. “Um… You can still walk away and save yourself.”

“Why would I want to do that? I’m having the time of my life. I never knew being a rebel could be so much fun.”

She pulled out of the driveway and tried to remember where she’d been several weeks ago… before Jack, before Maggie. There had to be a reason why all this was happening. Had she asked for it? Had she put something out there in the universe? She gazed at Maggie. Was she humming?

“So, where are we going?”

“I need a real coffee.” Maggie reached inside her bag and drew out her sleek laptop. “I brought this along just in case they spy on us.”

Maggie’s transformation into a more approachable version of her sister was starting to scare her. Had she suffered a blow to her head? Maybe the man she refused to talk about—

“Has Jack contacted you?”

Lexie frowned. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m prodding. It’s been days. He should have called by now.”

“Should have?”

“He has to be missing you by now.”

Lexie wanted to think all good things came to those who waited, but she’d only be deluding herself. She’d had a role to play, now the curtains had come down and she was the only one calling for an encore…

“What happens if you wake up tomorrow and find that you’ve reverted to your old self?” she asked trying to draw the conversation away from Jack.

To her credit, Maggie gave it some thought. “It’s not going to happen. I’m still me. I’ve just done away with a few filters and extraneous outer layers.”

“So I’m seeing an undiluted Maggie?”

“A new, improved model. There’s no going back to my clunky old self.”

“I would never describe you as clunky.”

“Where do you think I got it from? You were fifteen, you’d just dyed the tips of your hair purple. I’d barely got a word out before you got all defensive and called me clunky.”

“You were going to tell me off.”

“Do I need to remind you what happened the next day?”

She’d been sent home from school and told not to return until she’d restored her hair to a natural shade.

“I got a week’s vacation out of that.” Lexie laughed under her breath. “I hope you stick around. I’d miss this new you.”

“It feels great. Like having my favorite soundtrack running through my head, and I don’t even have a favorite soundtrack.”

“We’ll work on that.”

She slowed down and, spotting a parking space, she manoeuvred into.

“You know there’s no harm in you calling Jack,” Maggie said as she got out of the car.

And say what? That she missed him? “Come on, Joyce’s always fills up quickly. If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss out on a table.” As they strode past Brilliant Baubles, Lexie glanced at the window display and made a mental note to drop in and have a proper look around. The antique store had always surprised her with its hidden treasures and always had new stock in.

“I guess I got the wrong idea about you two.”

Lexie didn’t want to agree or disagree. Only a short while before she’d decided she enjoyed having Jack as her fantasy. There was no harm in letting him weave his way into her conversations. Besides, they were going to remain friends and she was going to enjoy many cups of hot chocolate. “Jack’s busy putting the finishing touches to my own personal eyesore.”

“It brought you two together.”

“We’re not—” She sighed. “Okay. He texted me. But that doesn’t mean anything.”

“He has great shoulders. I could easily dream about them.”

“Please don’t.” Lexie stopped. “I’m… he’s…”

“Walk and talk. The aroma of coffee is wafting my way and making me delirious.”

“Jack’s my fantasy,” Lexie said as they rounded the corner and came up to Joyce’s Café. “Fantasize about someone else’s shoulders.”

“You’re staking proprietorial rights on his shoulders?”

“Just please don’t… don’t have fantasies about him.”

“But you can have the real thing.”

She stopped. “I’ve met his ex-fiancée. Trust me, I’m not in the running for anything, not even as a rebound girlfriend. She’s stunningly gorgeous. As in, catwalk beautiful. Tall. Elegant…” Yeah, she’d played her role as fake girlfriend. Now it was time to ease back down to earth and put everything into perspective.

Maggie pushed the door to the café open and strode in. “Mm. You should be careful whom you fantasize about. You might conjure him.”

Lexie chortled. “Yeah, right.”

Maggie smiled and hitched her head toward a table by the window. “My imagination must be playing tricks. I’m sure that’s Jack sipping a coffee.”

Chapter Nineteen

One look at Lexie and Jack could tell straight away she wanted to know what had possessed him to come all the way to Eden. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips parted as if in mild shock and disbelief. He’d expected some sort of surprised reaction. But if he had to be honest with himself, he’d really wanted to see some excitement. And if he shoveled his way to his innermost desires, he might even throw in wanting to see her lightly sprinting toward him. Instead, she moved as if in a trance and sunk down on the chair next to him.

“It’s Jack Riley’s doppelganger,” she said as her sister joined them and took the chair opposite Lexie.

“His evil twin. We should be careful.”

“Hello Lexie… Lulu.”

“He looks like him, sounds like him. He even knows our names.”

Lexie’s eyes widened. “Please tell me you haven’t come here for work.”

He took a sip of his coffee, his eyes dancing around her face. “There seems to be plenty of scope for expansion in Eden. I’ve only been here an hour and I’m already getting ideas. It’s like a blank canvas.”

“He’s more sinister than the real version.” Lexie shivered and looked around the café. “I think it’s our duty to warn everyone.”

Maggie grinned. “Start by telling Joyce. She’ll spread the word.”

Jack had left Melbourne at the crack of dawn, the long drive to Eden giving him plenty of time to think. Twice he’d considered turning right around and hopping back on to his regular schedule, but his gut had clenched in protest.

As a kid he’d spent hours watching old black and white movies with his grandfather and his favorite scenes had always been the toss of the coin turning points, the decisions that always took the characters away from a predictable outcome and set them on a road of adventure and discovery. Jack remembered edging closer to the TV and holding his breath as he’d urged the characters to run faster and hop on the moving train. Once on board, they’d always taken a few minutes to catch their breaths and then there’d been the inevitable question. What next?

He’d asked himself that when he’d arrived in Eden. Looking around the small town, he’d shaken his head and wondered how such an out of the way place could have produced someone as vibrant and colorful as Lexie Gardner.

“This is a rare sight.”

He looked up to see Joyce approaching. The café owner had introduced herself earlier when he’d ordered his coffee. She’d been inquisitive, asking if he was on his way somewhere and had been surprisingly pleased to learn he’d come to Eden for a visit. Or at least that had been his interpretation of her bright smile.

“The Gardner sisters together. Is there something I should know about?”

Lexie bobbed her head from side to side and smiled. “The wind blew us here.”

“It must have been a hell of a gale to bring you back so soon. But how did you manage to entice Ma—”

“Lulu had some free time on her hands and she hasn’t been home in a while. And…” Lexie pointed at her heart dramatically, “I can’t get enough of the place.”

Jack leaned back in his chair. He’d made the mistake of thinking her sister was her roommate, Lulu McGee, and Lexie hadn’t corrected him. Now, she seemed determined to keep up the pretence, which made him wonder what was going on.

The café owner’s eyes jumped from Lexie to her sister and back to Lexie. “Okay. The more, the merrier. If you’re free tonight, we’re having a girls’ get together at The Gloriana.”

“We’ll be there,” Lulu/Maggie said.

Joyce’s eyebrows arched. “You will?”

“We’ll both go. And I love the winged eyeliner and absolutely everything you’re wearing.”

“Thank you. Ever since I found these two toned shoes, I’ve been in a 1940s time warp. I’m even doing the whole film thing, watching all these old Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn movies. I’ve got three lined up for our Friday movie night and we’re going with the martini time theme. If you’re still here, come along.”

“We’d love that, but do we have to—”

“Yes. Dress the part. Otherwise, it’s no fun.”

“Okay. We’ll have to raid the old trunks in the attic. I think mom kept some of grandfather’s Fedora hats.”

“That’s the spirit. So, how long are you gracing us with your presence this time?”

“A few days. We’re doing a bit of a freefall, wait and see.”

“Well, while you’re here make sure you stop by Eddie’s new restaurant. The official opening is not until next week, but she’s having dress rehearsals this week for dinner.”

“Our dance card is already filling up. Makes me wonder why I live in Melbourne instead of here.” Lexie opened the menu.

“So, what will you have?” Joyce asked.

Lexie pointed her finger at one of the items. “I’ll have a Kick Start My Day coffee and I need to try one of these Puff Donuts.”

“And what about you… Lulu?”

“An Atomic with a dollop of cream and I have no idea what a Puff Donut is but I’ll try one too. And what’s with the names?”

“I wanted to give the place a facelift.” Joyce waved her hand. “I’m a little bit scattered in my approach so it’s going to take some time. But I needed to change something now so I settled for modifying the menu. It’s been fun coming up with names. And, adding cream to your coffee changes it from an Atomic to a Marcel Proust.”

“The French author who lived on coffee alone?”

Joyce nodded, then she turned to Jack. “Are you right there, or would you like a refill?”

“Whatever this coffee was I liked so I’ll have another cup, please,” Jack said.

“That was the Midnight Express. It’s the coffee that helps you join the dots. Okay, coming right up.”

Jack sat forward and frowned. “I distinctly remember ordering a plain black coffee. How did I end up getting one with a name?”

“Joyce would have given you the once over and decided you needed something strong. Don’t worry about her, she walks to her own beat.”

He brushed his hand across his chin. “I was actually concerned about being so transparent.” While he’d come with the express intention of testing the waters with Lexie, he didn’t want to be too obvious about it, at least not until he determined how she felt about him.

“Why? Are you trying to hide something?” She stabbed an accusing finger at him. “OMG. You did come here for business. What are you going to do? Build a skyscraper next to Joyce’s and ruin her view?”

“If I’m going to build anything it’ll be across the road.” He looked out the window. “What’s up with that side of town?” It looked derelict, almost like a ghost town.

“That’s the Wilde side, and we don’t talk about it.”

Her matter-of-fact prissy tone made him smile. He waited to hear more, but Lexie was waving at someone sitting at the other end of the café. Then their orders arrived and she turned her attention to studying her donut.

“Any suggestions on how to tackle it?” Lexie asked her sister.

“Forget ladylike decorum. I’m diving right in.”

Jack watched them both sink their teeth in, their eyes crinkling with laughter. “This is the perfect opportunity to say something hilariously funny.” They both threw him warning glares. He put his hands up in surrender and sat back to watch the silent interaction between the sisters. That was something else Steph had clarified for him. Not only was Lulu really Maggie, but she was also Lexie’s sister who’d recently moved from Sydney to Melbourne. He’d never again wonder what women talked about when they visited the rest rooms together.

As for Lulu McGee…

Yes, he could see the resemblance to Lexie.

“So.” Lexie wiped her hands with a napkin and looked up. “Do we have to put the town on alert?”

Was that her way of asking why he’d come? He’d already downed his second cup of coffee so he had no delay tactics to hide behind. He could pretend he was seeking refuge because his ex was stalking him, but turning Juliette into something worse than she was wouldn’t sit well with him. In fact, he could make up any number of reasons for following Lexie to Eden, but eventually, he’d have to come clean and admit he’d put an end to his restless night only when he’d decided to see if they could have something other than easy conversations. If they couldn’t…

Whatever they had could survive it. If the sparks he felt were only in his imagination, he’d apologize and mention his hot chocolate as a perk to moving away from any awkwardness.

“The town’s safe, although…” he looked across the road again and wondered if there was any chance of exploring some of those buildings. From the outside, they looked like gems in need of some buffing. “I wouldn’t mind a tour. Do you think you could make time to show me around?”

“Time is all we have here in Eden.”

* * *

“That coffee gave me a hyper kick. I better walk it off. You two have fun.” Maggie winked at her and left.

Lexie drank the last of her coffee and tried to engage her brain but her senses were on overdrive.

Jack. Here. In Eden.

How long for? The day?

Should she use the opportunity to turn her fantasy into a reality? If it blew up in her face, he’d leave and, in an ideal world, there would be a buffer of time to let the dust settle. When she returned to Melbourne, all would have been forgotten.

“One tour coming right up.”

“Can we start there?” he asked as he again looked out the window at the opposite side of the street.

“Wilde Eden?”

“You just shrunk back in horror.”

“It’s not as if we could discreetly stroll over there.”

“Why not?”

“I’m wearing a red skirt.”

“And a very nice too, but what’s that got to do with it?”

“I’ll be highly visible. People will talk. And they’ll wonder and they’ll start asking questions. And then there’ll be finger pointing and accusations of disloyalty and possibly, mercenary activities…” She shook her head. “No, we don’t want to open that can.”

“Okay, you said all that with a straight face. Now you’ve kindled my curiosity. I’m not budging until I get a full explanation. What’s the story behind Wilde Eden?”

“It belongs to the Wilde family. Specifically, the heiress, Zoe Wilde.”

“Zoe Wilde?”

“Shh, not so loud.” A murmur rose and fell around them. “Come on. We should leave now. Quickly.” Lexie wrapped her fingers around his arm and gave him a light tug.

“Are we about to break into a run?”

A gurgle of laughter tickled her throat. “Just keep your head down and don’t make eye contact with anyone.”

“I’m starting to think there’s something in the town water supply.”

“If there is, you’ve been infected. Remember, you’ve had two cups of coffee.”

“What symptoms should I be looking for?”

She slipped her hand away from his arm and tucked her hair back. “Dysfunctional reactions and responses to otherwise humdrum news. Outbursts of inappropriate incredulity.”

“You’re starting to scare me. Is a runaway imagination one of the side effects?”

“No, it’s a natural trait with locals. It’s how we deal with The Quiet.” She smiled as Jack stopped, his eyes narrowed as he gave her the type of accessing look her parents often gave her, the one that seemed to question her grasp of reality.

“The quiet?”

She nodded. “Listen.”

“I don’t hear anything.”

“That’s right. It can get eerily quiet out here. And if you’re not careful, it can act like an undertow and drag you down. You start thinking… and wondering.” She shrugged. “What if I’m the last person alive? What if I’m not awake and I’m actually dreaming? What if cocoa beans have been wiped off the face of the earth?” She shuddered. “No more chocolate. See, now I can hear Munch’s Silent Scream—” The sound of screeching tires had them both turning and then came a thud followed by the sharp tinkle of glass shattering.

“Um…” Jack turned back to her, his eyes showing amusement.

“The Grange boys.” A few people came out onto the sidewalk, but didn’t linger. Before she could declare the excitement over, she saw Luke Sterling, the local cattle baron, step out of Sterling House. “Interesting,” she said under her breath and then she gasped. Luke Sterling was crossing the street. “Well, here’s a sight never before witnessed. A Sterling crossing over to the Wilde side.”

“If you were wondering how long I’m here for, let me tell you I’m now determined to stay put until you fill me in.”

“It’s a long story, Jack. And even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand.”

He looked around. “Okay. It’s all beginning to make sense now. I’ve stepped into a Twilight Zone spin-off.”

“Are you glad you came?”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

As his gaze lingered on her Lexie decided she was justified in reading more into the remark, so she let her imagination run wild. He’d come to sweep her off her feet. He hadn’t been able to go another day without seeing her… “Let’s get on with the tour and if anybody asks, we’ll tell them you’re a friend from way back.”

“Are we likely to be interrogated?”