Saved by the Bride (10 page)

He rubbed his chin wondering why she was so agitated about
this, especially as she had a business herself that would benefit from the
wedding-town idea. “As mayor you need to listen to what the town wants.”

Her face tightened. “And if what they want isn’t in their best
interests? What then?”

“This is a democracy. You’re the mayor not a dictator.”

She shot him a withering look. “I’m well aware of that, but to
survive, we need full employment
now
, which is why
you’re meeting with Ellery. We’re going to try and attract a big company to buy
and use the warehouses like other small Midwest towns have done.”

He didn’t like her chances but he didn’t care that much to
disabuse her of her ideals. “Part of your job with me is to be my liaison with
the town and I’m not reneging on my offer so you need to be involved. Besides, I
thought you’d be pleased because even if they only get one wedding out of this
then it’s income for your calligraphy business.”

She threw her hands out. “This isn’t about me—it’s about the
town. Someone has to have a broader vision.”

Something in her voice touched a place in him he didn’t visit
very often. “Why do you care so much?”

She stared at him with confusion in her eyes, and it was as if
she didn’t really understand the question. “These people mean a lot to me.
They’re family. Wouldn’t you do anything to help your family?”

He wasn’t so sure that he would.

Chapter Six

The following day, Annika finished the work Finn had
left for her by eleven. She hadn’t seen him during the morning, which was
probably a good thing for her peace of mind but he’d been whizzing emails to her
all the same. As she was expected to be in the office during business hours, she
was now using the time for Whitetail. While her fingers flew across the keyboard
composing a letter outlining all of Whitetail’s attributes to go along with the
information pack about the warehouses, she recalled the huge argument she’d had
with her mother when she was sixteen. Her mom had insisted she take a semester
of typing in her sophomore year when she’d lost interest in everything academic,
preferring instead to spend every waking hour drawing. Annika hadn’t agreed but
had lost out.

Today, the irony wasn’t lost on her—now she typed more than she
drew.
You
do
everything
more
than
draw
,
paint
,
collage
— She sucked in a deep breath, trying to ease
the ache that sat in her chest like a lead weight and she ended up rubbing her
sternum. Nothing shifted it.

“Shouldn’t you be taking a break?”

She looked up in surprise to see Finn standing in the doorway,
his feet clad in leather boat shoes. “How do you manage to walk silently on
wooden floors?”

He winked. “It’s my ninja training so I can sneak up on P.A.s
and make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to.”

She huffed out a halfhearted indignant breath which lost out
against a smile. “All your work is done.”

“I’m sure it is.”

She tried to read the message behind the mild words but his
handsome face gave nothing away. “Besides, with all the restrictions you gave me
on where I’m not allowed to go on the property it’s just easier to stay
here.”

His teasing humor faded. “I’m sorry, but it’s Dana’s
house.”

She shrugged, wondering why he even felt the need to explain.
“I’m staff and it’s her vacation. I get it. It’s not a problem.”

“But it doesn’t mean you work through.” He strode over to a
work area and slid open what looked like a cabinet door but was actually a
dumbwaiter. “I got Esther to send up lunch.”

The thoughtful gesture stunned her. “Thank you.”

This time he shrugged. “As soon as we’ve eaten we’ll drive into
town to meet with your real estate agent.”

We’ve
eaten
? She studied the contents on the tray that was
clearly set for two. “You’re not having lunch with your family?”

The tense set of his shoulders matched his brusque words. “I
don’t have time for long lunches.”

The sound of pummeling feet made them both glance toward the
door and the next minute Logan barreled into the office. “Annika! Dad said you
were here again.”

She returned the boy’s big smile. “Hey, dude, how are you?”

Excitement poured off him. “Dad just taught me how to do a
somersault off the diving platform and I wanna show you now.”

Finn gave a tight smile but when he spoke his tone was quiet
but firm. “We’re working, Logan.”

The boy’s mouth formed a stubborn line and he scuffed his
sneaker-clad toes against the polished boards making a loud and defiant
squeaking sound. “I came to see Annika.”

“Logan.” Finn sighed as if he was bone weary. “Now’s not the
best time. Maybe later.”

Why
? It wasn’t like Logan was
interrupting something important. Wasn’t that the point of a home office during
vacation time when things were more casual? “I can come and watch you dive after
work, Logan, but only if it’s okay with your mom and dad.”

Logan beamed. “’Course it’s okay. It was Dad’s idea and Mom
said you should stay for supper because we’re having a cookout. You’ll stay
won’t you? This time we’ll finish the sand fort.”

As she dealt with her astonishment at the unexpected
invitation, she thought she heard Finn groan. “I’d love to come. I’ll bring my
bathing suit so I can swim out to the platform too.”

“Awesome.” Logan bounced up and down in anticipation.

“Fabulous.” Finn’s voice sounded strained.

Annika wasn’t totally certain if Finn was against the idea of
her as an employee spending time with his family or if his issue was with Logan
but her natural inclination to “help” kicked in. She raised her hand for a high
five with the child. “I need to get back to work now, dude, but I promise I’ll
see you tonight.”

“Okay. See ya.” The happy boy ran out of the office, his voice
echoing back to them as he called out, “Mom, she said yes!”

“You know, you didn’t have to do that.” Finn handed her a plate
covered by a massive Reuben sandwich and she realized just how hungry she
was.

“Do what?” She watched mesmerized as he bit into the rye bread
and how his tongue chased a strand of melted cheese that clung to the bow of his
top lip.

“Offer to swim with him.”

That jolted her out of her lust-fest. “I wouldn’t have
suggested it if I hadn’t wanted to do it. Diving off platforms with kids is all
part of summer fun, right?”

“Oh yeah, right up there with mosquitoes.” He wrenched the top
off a bottle of apple juice and took a slug, his Adam’s apple moving up and
down—rhythmically and hypnotically.

She tried to stay focused on his words rather than his
deliciously gorgeous body and she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She
loved summer. It was her favorite season, although she enjoyed sunny winter days
skating on the lake and cross-country skiing in the woods, and she absolutely
adored fall.
You
love
it
all
. But Finn didn’t seem to share her feelings.

“Geez, what happened to you in summer as a kid to make you the
Scrooge of vacation?”

That familiar tension that often circled him appeared again,
vibrating like electricity buzzing down a line. “I’m not
on
vacation.”

Now she was seriously curious. She finished chewing and wiped
her mouth with the cloth napkin that had been rolled into a pewter ring with a
K
engraved on it. Everything in the house spoke
wealth. “So if you’re not on vacation, why are you working in your father’s
vacation house?”

“Company politics and business strategy.”

His words shot out as if spoken by an automaton and they didn’t
tell her anything. “Oh of course, I should have made the connection given I was
just reading all about it in
Forbes
the other
day.”

His lips curved into a smile and the strain lessened. “
Forbes
, eh?”

She tried not to sound breathy despite the fact her heart
skipped a beat. “A mayor has to keep up.” She nibbled the edge of some lettuce.
“But the article also talked about cutting little brothers some slack when they
called by the office.”

The tension shot right back like a bow being stretched tight by
an arrow. “If you read the
Wall
Street
Journal
you would have seen the article on the fact
they don’t belong in the office and if you want to keep the job as my P.A. you
need to respect that.”

During his orientation yesterday, he’d never sounded so serious
or so resolute about any topic—not even the confidentiality clause. She
desperately wanted to ask him why the rule but given the set of his mouth, and
the jet of his eyes, she’d save that question for another time. Right now, she
needed the job too much for herself and for Whitetail. The fact it came with
money was a bonus she was coming to appreciate. She only hoped Ellery would be
okay waiting until Friday for a half payment of the month before last’s
rent.

She gave him a mock salute. “Yes, boss. I’ve got your back and
I’ll protect you from scary eight-year-olds.”

He smiled. “Just make sure you do.”

The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes or match the tone of his
voice and she realized he was actually serious. Why was he so ill at ease with a
child?

“That’s enough about little boys, Annika. Grab your file on the
warehouses because we’re leaving in five minutes.”

While she double-checked she had everything they needed for the
meeting with Ellery, Finn reloaded the plates back into the dumbwaiter. Just as
she’d slid the documents into a bright pink folder, Bridey strolled into the
office wearing a bikini top and a multicolored sarong tied low on her hips.

“Hey, big brother, I just got a text from Mom and she’ll be
here this afternoon.”

Annika watched Finn’s finger go rigid on the dumbwaiter button
and he stabbed it as if his life depended on it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?”

“You know I never kid about Mom.”

He turned to face his sister. “I don’t understand. She
never
comes up here anymore and we only just got
through your party.” He ran both his hands through his hair. “Oh God, Dana and
Kathleen in the same space. Dad will go off his head and—”

“She’s not going to be staying here, silly.” Bridey’s smile
seemed overly bright. “When I invited her, I booked her into a B and B.”

“What?” Finn’s roar ricocheted off all the glass. “You invited
her?”

Annika jumped at his volume but Bridey didn’t even blink. It
was as if she’d expected this reaction.

Finn threw his arms out. “You invited her up here? Have you
completely lost it, Bridey?”

“No.” Her eyes glinted with purpose. “I’m planning a wedding
and I need my mother around for that.”

He stalked toward her. “Damn it, Bridey. It would have made
more sense for you to go down and visit her in Chicago.”

Bridey folded her arms across her chest and got the same mulish
look her brother could specialize in. “This is
my
vacation and I can do what I want.”

“What? Cause chaos?”

Bridey pursed her lips. “Her plane arrives at three so we can
meet her and then take her out for coffee at that quaint diner in Whitetail.
She’ll love that both of us are spending time with her together. We’ll leave at
two-thirty and that gives us plenty of time. We’ll use my car because Mom’s
bound to have brought more than one suitcase and your status symbol is hopeless
for trunk space.”

Annika felt like she was at a tennis match, watching the ball
pass between two expert players and culminating with a lot of frenetic volleying
at the net. Bridey was like a dog with a bone and a vein in Finn’s neck pulsed.
Perhaps it wasn’t only eight-year-olds he wanted to be protected from.

His relationship with his family was intriguing but none of her
business. She was employed to do what he asked and because she needed the job,
she picked up her satchel, swung it over her shoulder and said, “I’m really
sorry but Finn’s got an important meeting in Whitetail at three.”

Bridey’s smile fell and she suddenly had the air of a forlorn
child. “Oh. Can’t you change it?”

Annika instantly felt sad on Bridey’s behalf and she wanted to
make amends. She opened her mouth to say Finn could meet them at the diner at
four when she felt Finn’s hand firm against the small of her back, and all
coherent thought vanished.

With gentle but determined pressure, he guided her past his
sister. “Sorry, sis, gotta go. Tell Mom I’ll call her later.”

Annika swore she heard delight in his voice.

* * *

“I use the Multiple Listing Service and I can handle the
sale or the leasing. All you have to do is sit back and watch the cash appear in
your account. Yes, sir, you don’t have to be in the heart of a big city to do
big business these days.”

Annika listened to Ellery giving his spiel to Finn and watched
both men closely. Finn had taken this meeting under sufferance and she knew
Ellery would have to win him over. Some people thought Ellery too
hometown-country with his warmth, sincerity and lack of guile but they’d be the
fools. When it came to sales, Ellery was the man. Right now as he moved the red
dot of his laser pen across the spreadsheet pointing out pertinent numbers and
statistics it was enough to make the heart of any businessman sing.

Finn sat in his chair with his elbows resting on the desk and
his fingertips pressed together in the shape of a diamond. Occasionally he asked
questions but mostly he listened with an intensity that had every part of his
body centered on Ellery.

Annika took advantage of that to sneak occasional glances at
Finn, justifying to herself that there was no danger in window shopping. She
watched the way recalcitrant curls formed at the back of his neck despite a neat
cut and how they tickled his collar, taunting the crisp and tidy look he
cultivated. She noticed that despite a close shave in the morning, by three in
the afternoon ebony stubble touched his tanned cheeks and she knew by nightfall
he’d have the sexy rumpled look of a pirate that he’d worn the night she’d met
him. What was new to her today was the way the band of his polo shirt sleeves
seemed stretched by his upper arms but that shouldn’t have surprised her given
those same arms had once lifted her up as if she was a featherweight.

Finn rose from his chair, his long-limbed body unfolding like a
scissor lift, and he extended his hand. “You put a good case forward and I’ll
give you two months to show me what you can do.”

Ellery shook his hand. “I’ll have the papers drawn up and bring
them out to Kylemore for signing tomorrow.”

Annika suppressed the urge to give a loud and emphatic whoop of
delight. It was a minor victory in a huge battle but it was a start and either
way, lease or sale, some money would stay in the town. “Ellery, we need to meet
to talk about strategies to catch the attention of medium-to large-size
companies. I’m tied up during the day but what about tomorrow night? Bring
Elspeth and come for supper.”

The large Realtor suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Anni, have
you been checking your voice mail?”