Her Irresistible Troublemaker (A Town Named Eden Book 3) (21 page)

“Heads or tails?” Matthew Faydon asked as he patted him on the shoulder and drew him toward the pool table. The pub co-owner had introduced himself earlier on and had invited him for a game of pool, which took care of being at a loose end and having too many thoughts bouncing around his head while Lexie caught up with her friends.

* * *

Lexie told herself to settle down, but her heart insisted on beating a happy pitter-patter tune. In a few days she’d look back and think what an idiot she’d been for worrying. Jack had stayed because there had been something to that kiss. It was going to take her places…

Lexie sunk into her chair, her thoughts, her body in a daze—

“You have three options,” Joyce said. “Volunteer information, face being interrogated or submit to our guesstimate. We can’t promise to go easy on you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You turn up only a couple of weeks after your last visit, you bring your sister with you and, just in case that wasn’t enough to stockpile our conversation topic for a year, you also brought a man with you.”

“I didn’t bring him. Jack came of his own volition.”

“Because paying Eden a visit was at the top of his to do list?” Joyce asked.

Lexie called on her finite reserve of patience and pressed her lips together.

“He’s charming,” Joyce said. “You should see the way his eyes linger on Lexie, makes one want to step back and give them some privacy—”

“Hey!”

“No, you had your chance. But you chose to clamp up.”

“That doesn’t give you, what’s the word I’m looking for, Maggie?”

“Carte blanche.”

“What she said.”

“As I was saying,” Joyce continued, “There’s some serious sizzling going on between them, but that’s not all. These two,” Joyce waved her finger between Lexie and Maggie, “Seem to be playing some sort of game with him. He thinks Maggie is Lulu—”

“To be fair to Lexie, she had nothing to do with that.”

Lexie cocked her head. Once again, Maggie had jumped to her defense.

“But I know what you mean about the sizzle.”

Great. Give with one hand, take with the other. “Innkeeper, where’s our champagne?” she called out to Mitch. Just because she was going to be skewered and roasted slowly didn’t mean she had to remember any of it.

“He reminds me a bit of Theo. During those first few days in Eden, he looked all out at sea. It was so refreshing to have someone new to play with. Now that he’s marrying Eddie, he’s like our own captive audience. Maggie, do you think that’s where they’re headed?”

“Don’t take the bait,” Lexie said under her breath.

“Hard to tell,” Maggie said. “They’re still working through their fake relationship.”

“Fake relationship,” they all mouthed.

Maggie nodded. “I’m actually more curious about Bradford Mills. I’ve been hearing some interesting tales about him and you.”

Joyce drained her glass. “Where is that champagne?”

“Hey, isn’t that him?” Lexie asked.

Joyce’s head whipped around, her lips parted slightly, her eyes glazed over. When she realized she’d been teased, she turned back and sat forward. “Okay, let’s call a truce. There has to be something else for us to talk about.”

“We have been a little bit obsessed about men lately,” Eddie admitted. “But how else are we supposed to keep ourselves entertained? They’re such easy targets.”

“When they’re not being annoying,” Lexie agreed, “They are a good source of amusement.”

“Did anyone catch sight of the Grange boys today?” Hannah asked. “I heard something about a beer bottle being hurled at a building.”

Lexie nodded. “And I saw Luke Sterling cross the street.”

“To the Wilde side?” Eddie asked, her tone lowered. “I don’t think that’s ever happened.”

“I saw him with my own eyes,” Lexie offered. As the largest landholder in the area, Luke had serious influence in the town. “Hey, you don’t supposed…”

“Don’t say it.”

For as long as she could remember, there had been rumors about the Wildes coming back to Eden. Whispers carried by the wind, as one of the oldest residents was fond of saying. Everyone had known about the two Wilde sisters but then there had been news of a boating accident and, from one day to the next, a new heiress had surfaced.

The Wright sisters looked at each other. “We should tell them.”

Helena Wright shook her head. “We can’t be sure it was her.”

“Her?” They all asked.

“The heiress,” Helena mouthed.

Their drinks arrived and they all turned their attention to Mitch.

“If anyone knows anything, it would be you.”

“I know plenty,” he said with a shrug. “Like, never linger for too long when there are more than two women congregated. Pretend I’ve been listening even when I haven’t been, although I always listen to Elizabeth. And always know when to beat a hasty retreat.” He swung on his feet and strode off.

Helena shrugged. “I can’t be sure, but I saw a swanky car drive toward the old homestead.”

When the conversation about the heiress wound up, Eddie cleared her throat.

“I hope everyone’s remembered tomorrow’s dinner at the restaurant. The official opening is next week and we have to get everything right. Please don’t let me down.” Eddie turned to Maggie. “That includes you and Lexie.”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Maggie said.

Lexie looked over her shoulder toward the pool table. Jack had his back to her and that was fine. She had come to appreciate Jack from any angle or distance, for short conversations and lengthy ones—

“Lexie?”

“Mm?”

“Will you be bringing someone?”

“Nice try, Eddie.”

“I’ll wait until you’ve had a few more drinks.”

* * *

Jack had seen enough. His brother had been right. The air was thick with pheromones. Add some fresh country air, and it could turn into a toxic mix. Too many eyes were flicking toward Lexie.

His body thrummed with a rising need to...

What?

Stake his claim?

If he didn’t take action, someone else would. The Faydon brothers weren’t in the running, but there were others. And they were all keeping him busy playing pool.

“This is the last game,” he declared.

“Last man standing, those are the rules.” Matthew Faydon twirled his cue stick and bobbed his eyebrows. “You don’t want to make it too obvious.”

Jack didn’t bother asking what he meant.

“And don’t throw the game just because you want out.”

Jack lined up his shot, his gaze lifting to land on Lexie who’d been stealing glances his way all night. She’d been laughing hard enough to make her mascara run and Maggie appeared to be wiping it off.

Mitch Faydon strode up to the pool table and handed him another beer. “So, you and Lexie.”

Jack made his shot and straightened. “Yeah, me and Lexie.” When everyone around him looked up, he knew his voice had carried the message. It would have to do for now. As for what he’d do about it…

He’d downloaded a few issues of Girl About Town, but following Lulu McGee’s adventures didn’t bring him any closer to understanding Lexie Gardner. According to Steph, Lulu was modeled on her creator. The sparkly, live for today so you never have to worry about tomorrow, imp liked having fun. She had a list of priorities—personal mountains to climb. While marriage didn’t rate a mention, she was always on the lookout for something better than a fling.

Had Lexie been lying all along when she’d said she wasn’t looking for a relationship? And what if she had been lying? What would he do about it?

Chapter Twenty-One

“Jack sent me up to see if you were okay. We’ve had breakfast and now we’re working toward brunch. Are you going to join us any time soon?”

Lexie peeled an eye open and tried to get her bearings.

“You’re at the pub,” Maggie explained. “We spent the night in Eddie’s old room. You lost the coin toss so you had to sleep on the floor and no, I didn’t cheat. How many fingers am I holding up?”

Lexie peered between Maggie’s fingers. “Did I hit my head?”

“No, but you’re not very responsive this morning.” Maggie sighed. “Okay, I accidentally dropped my handbag on your head last night. But I warned you not to put the sleeping bag so close to the couch.”

“It’s all starting to come back and I wish it wouldn’t.” She’d told everyone how she’d met Jack, and she had a sneaking suspicion she hadn’t left anything out. “Why didn’t you stop me?” One drink too many had made her social filters come loose and fall off.

“Because I wanted to hear the story. By the way, you do really good impersonations.”

She’d mimicked Jack’s voice?

“Both of Jack and Lulu. You gave her a sultry tone. She sounded like a purring minx.”

Lexie brushed her fingers across her eyes. “I remember someone talking about darts.”

“That was Eddie and if you ask her about it this morning she will categorically deny ever admitting to wanting to kill Theo Kendrick. Personally, I liked Elizabeth’s story about the Puff Donut. She comes across as reserved. I can’t imagine her sitting at Joyce’s and groaning over a donut.”

“Okay. I’m up.”

Maggie frowned. “No you’re not. You haven’t even undone the zipper on your sleeping bag.”

“I’m trying out something Joyce mentioned last night.”

“Oh, yeah. That was interesting. What you think about, you bring about. There are stacks of publications about the subject. I’ve attended a few workshops—”

“You?”

“Why so surprised?”

“Isn’t it all a bit hocus-pocus?”

“Thoughts precede action. It’s mind over matter stuff and has been scientifically proven to work. Besides, everyone needs to do occasional maintenance. But you can’t just do something by thinking it. You need some action.”

Lexie kicked off the sleeping bag and stretched. “Give me a hand up, will you?” Half way to the bathroom, she stopped. “Um… Is there anything else I should know about last night?”

“Not really. Oh, hang on.” Maggie chuckled. “While you were sharing your Jack story, he was right there beside you.”

“Deal with it?”

“Yeah, I don’t see any other way around it.”

Half an hour later, she shuffled out of the bathroom. “He was there, as in sitting beside me?”

Maggie nodded. “With his arm around you. You needed propping up.”

“How comforting.” She couldn’t remember half the things she’d said, but she imagined it had all spilled out, including the tempo of her heartbeat at the sight of him and the way she devoured his rear end when she thought he wasn’t looking.

“He also carried you upstairs.”

“Groan. I don’t need to know any more.”

“If you like, we could skip brunch and go home.”

And miss seeing Jack?

Yesterday, she’d started something. If she could find a smidgen of sanity, she would end everything today before she got in too deep, before…

Lexie wavered and looked up at the ceiling.

…Before word reached her parents.

They would love Jack.

Her parents had never known about her ex but if they’d found out about him and the subsequent car accident, they would have held Lexie responsible for making yet another bad decision.

If they ever got a whiff of her stint as his fake girlfriend…

They’d never understand. Jack definitely had to go.

Whatever she wanted to happen could wait until they all returned to Melbourne.

Delaying the next step sounded good to her. “Lead the way.”

“There’s my good little soldier,” Maggie said striding along the corridor.

Lexie smiled. “If you change, I will hurt you.”

“You approve of the new me?”

“Yes, and while my purple hounds-tooth skirt looks good on you, I get the feeling I’ve yet to see you spread your wings.”

“I’m twenty-nine, I think I’m a bit past it for a Lady Gaga makeover.”

“Ever heard of the Duchess of Alba. She was in her eighties and I swear I would’ve given an eyetooth for some of the clothes she wore. Then there’s Vivian Westwood—”

“I’m not going punk.”

“Newsflash. That blouse you’re wearing was my best thrift store find. An original Westwood. It’s a classic.”

As they entered the pub’s dining room, she spotted Jack chatting with Eddie and Mitch. “I don’t like the look of this. What are they doing? They look so chummy together.”

“I guess they’re still plotting. When I left them, Jack was in the middle of a pitch.”

“What was he selling?”

Maggie shrugged. “His services. Eddie’s keen to get cracking with those apartments you mentioned.”

“No. No. No. He can’t do that. He builds monstrosities. He’ll have everyone in Eden up in arms,” she said as they reached the table.

Eddie beamed up at her. “We were about to order brunch but we kept a breakfast menu for you.”

Jack looked up and, smiling, pulled out a chair for her. The table was strewn with paper napkins, all filled with sketches. Before she could say anything, Markus, the eldest Faydon brother, came to take her order.

“I’ll have some coffee and toast, please.” She frowned at his low grumble. “Did I say something wrong?” she asked when he left.

“Don’t worry about him. Hannah probably has him running around in circles.” Eddie clapped her hands. “I’ve got exciting news. Jack is going to help us get our project off the ground.”

Shifting in her chair, Eddie decided it was her civic duty to warn them. “Eden’s quaint and traditional housing styles will be hard to match.”

“Jack’s already decided to spend the day driving around the area. We want to find some sort of balance between the old Victorian houses and the Federation-era style ones.”

“And you think he’s going to accommodate your needs?”

His hand brushed along her shoulder. “Lexie, I’m sitting right beside you.”

She savored the quivery sensation. “It’s nothing personal, Jack. But this is probably outside of your scope. Federation style housing refers to a distinctive Australian style of the nineteen hundreds and not the intergalactic federation.”

He reached for a lock of her hair and tweaked it. “A little faith would go a long way.”

Eddie nodded. “He’s shown us photos of his projects. He’s definitely our man.”

“Are you sure they’re his projects?”

“We read the architectural reviews. And in the last hour, he’s received several phone calls from prospective clients. We’ll be lucky to secure his services.”

“Shenanigans and bamboozle comes to mind.”

“You had a lot of nice things to say about him last night.”

“A lot’s happened since then. The Earth has spun on its axis and orbited around the sun, and to teach us all a lesson in multi-tasking, it’s also been hurtling along the ever-expanding highway of the universe. Also, I obviously had one too many drinks. That tends to warp and mellow my perception.”

Mitch gave her a raised eyebrow look. “I warned you not to drink too much.”

“Yeah, yeah. Enjoy your little moment of sanctimonious sunshine. Just remember, the tables always turn.” She took a sip of her coffee and moaned. “This is very good.”

“But not as good as Joyce’s,” Eddie admitted.

“She still won’t share her supplier?”

“No.”

“The blend tastes familiar,” Jack said.

“Now that I think about it,” Lexie tilted her head, “I’d be inclined to agree.”

Eddie leaned across the table. “Yes?”

“I can’t put my finger on it.” She could. It actually tasted like the Monkey Bar Café coffee. Maybe they used the same supplier. “I’ll get back to you when it comes to me.”

Eddie tore a napkin to shreds. “Maybe you shouldn’t. We all go back a long way, I wouldn’t want anything to ruin our friendships.”

Lexie grinned. “Keep that in mind when you contract Jack to build your apartments. I had nothing to do with bringing him here.”

“Okay, sure, duly noted. And since you’re so concerned, you could show Jack around and point out all the finer looking homesteads in the area. Mitch is busy at the pub today and I’m needed at the restaurant—”

“Say no more.” It would be the perfect opportunity to suggest they… he head back to Melbourne before they got tangled up in complications she’d live to regret. “I’ll do it… for the sake of our friendship. Unless…” Belatedly, she remembered coming to Eden wasn’t just about her. She looked at Maggie, “Did you have something planned for us today?”

“I’ll be putting the finishing touches to our business plan. It should be done by the end of the day. I’ll also work on a partnership agreement. You should jot down a few thoughts too.”

“Coffee breaks are non-negotiable. They’re part of my creative process. I’ll be flexible with everything else, up to a point.”

“Are you two going into business together?” Jack asked.

“Yes, we’re joining forces. I’ll be the creative talent and M-Lulu will be the business savvy force to be reckoned with.”

Jack put both hands on the table. “I think I just felt an earth tremor.”

* * *

“About yesterday…” Lexie hoped Jack would pick up the thread and go with it. Maybe even say enough so they’d forget she’d brought up the subject.

“Which part of yesterday?” he asked holding the passenger door open for her.

They stood outside The Gloriana. Lexie had given Maggie her car keys, otherwise, she’d be tempted into making a cowardly yet sensible retreat and regroup getaway. “Um, well…” Again, she’d opened her mouth so she’d have to own up to having some thoughts about the subject.

His eyes sparkled at her. With amusement or intrigue? “These four wheel drives are so big, I always think I need a harness to climb in or at least a gentle heave-ho.”

His hands curled around her waist. “Will this do?”

It took willpower she didn’t even know she possessed to nod and settle into the passenger seat.

“So… you were saying?” he asked leaning in and filling the truck with that nice, fresh out of the shower male scent. She turned her attention to securing the seatbelt in place and used those precious few seconds to steady her breathing.

“Work must be winding down at the building site.” Nice cop out, she thought. “I suppose this is your intermission before the next big project.”

“Not much of a break when I’m picking up more work without even trying. I hope I’m not encroaching on your territory.”

His eyes danced around her face. He was probably waiting for her to reply and when she didn’t, he nodded, closed the passenger door and went around to the driver’s side.

“You’re a regular marauding Viking,” she said under her breath.

“I heard that.”

“Our association, such as it is, means I’m responsible for you. Please don’t make my life difficult. People in Eden might seem nice, and they are… but they do know how to hold a grudge.”

“I doubt I’ll have the opportunity to make trouble. Eddie wants something traditional but with a hint of flair.”

“And you’re going to run with your own interpretation, and by the time she realizes what a mistake she’s made, the apartments will be up and I’ll be tarred and feathered because of course, I’ll be held personally responsible for luring you here.”

“You sound anxious.”

“I’m doing some preliminary worrying and trying to take some preemptive action. Something you should be familiar with since you went to the trouble of using me as a fake girlfriend because you were concerned about looking too available. And that reminds me, you owe me.”

“You can collect anytime.”

“So you’ll leave?”

“That wasn’t part of our agreement.”

“But it could be.”

“You want to renegotiate?”

She shook her head. “I need to learn from my mistakes. Clearly I’m a pushover and I’d come out worse off.” And if she didn’t take control of the situation she’d end up ruining what was fast becoming the best relationship she’d ever had.

He leaned over the steering wheel. “I like your town.”

“There are others.”

He laughed, and pulled out of the parking space.

So much for trying to tackle the issue head-on in a roundabout way…

When had she started living in interesting times?

In the last few weeks she’d been joined by a couple of traveling companions. Maggie should have gone on her way by now, but she’d chosen to hang around. If she changed her mind…