Secretly Smitten (10 page)

The scent of her perfume was overpowering. And not in a good way. Ryan inched away and prayed for the breeze to change direction. “What will you do if you can’t find a job?”

“Oh, I don’t really need a job. I can live off my trust fund. But I do get bored.” Her glance wandered to Sophia, who was kicking a ball in the yard with their little froufrou dog. “I would be glad to babysit anytime. I just love Sophia. She reminds me of Candace.”

The wistful tone of her voice melted him. Candace’s death had been hard on everyone. “She looks a lot like her mother. You too. Same shape face and eyes.”

Isabelle sighed, a whisper of sound that held yearning. “We’re family, Ryan.” Her hand touched his. “I want to be closer to her. To you.”

He might be dense around women, but warnings began to ricochet in his head. Discreetly, he pulled his hand away. “I know Sophia would like that. She misses her mother.”

“What about you?” Isabelle’s eyes were pools of mystery and allure. “Don’t you need a woman in your life?”

He cleared his throat. “Actually, I, ah, I’m seeing someone.”

She bolted upright, and anger replaced the softness in her face. “Who?”

The wrath he glimpsed gave him pause. But surely she wouldn’t do anything to Tess. What could she do? The town was going to be talking about them after Friday night anyway. “Tess Thomas.”

Isabelle gave an audible gulp. The color washed from her face. “Sh-she isn’t your type at all, Ryan. She’s nothing like Candace.” One elegant hand glittering with rings fluttered in the air.

That hand told him everything. The diamond on her little finger would have fed a family of four for a year. The nails were polished a discreet pink. There were no calluses, no sign she’d ever moved a muscle to do any real work.

He’d loved Candace, had mourned her loss. But Tess was refreshingly different. She laid everything bare—her commitment, her love of family, her faith. There was no pretense in her.

He rose. “Time to go, Sophia.”

The kitchen was redolent with the scents of garlic, cheese, and oregano. It mixed with the aroma of mashed potatoes and gravy that Aunt Violet had brought, even though there was no meat to go with them. Clare had brought chicken stir-fry, and Zoe had offered up her favorite Jell-O mixed with cottage cheese and fruit.

Tess lifted the lasagna pan from the oven and placed it on the stove. “Dinner will be ready as soon as the garlic cheese bread is toasted.” She slid in a pan of bread she’d brought.

Her mother was frowning as she stared at the lasagna. “Is that low-calorie cheese?” Her gaze went from the bubbling topping to Tess’s hips.

Tess shuddered. “Low fat is nasty.”

“But, sweetheart, you’ll never lose those ten pounds eating all that fattening stuff. And it’s bad for you.”

“Natural fat is good for you. Don’t even
try
to take away my real butter.”

Her mother gulped and stepped away. “Well, you know what’s best for you, of course. Let’s go shopping next week. I saw the cutest sweater at Moose Creek.”

That was Mom’s usual strategy. Offer motherly advice, then quickly segue to just-us-girls-having-fun mode. Sometimes Tess wanted to shout at her, “Just be a mother!” But she clamped her jaw shut and pulled out the garlic cheese bread. “Food’s ready.”

She loved Grandma’s dining room. The coffered ceiling made the huge room feel cozy. The original plaster walls were painted a muted tan with hints of yellow. An entire wall of windows let sunlight stream into the room to illuminate her grandmother’s collection of blue-and-white dishes. This room had been the scene of lots of meals filled with laughter.

Her grandmother sat at the head of the table. Aunt Violet was to her left and Aunt Petunia to her right. “Sit close, Anna,” her grandmother said. “I want to talk about Zoe’s latest scheme.”

The girls exchanged alarmed glances. “How did you hear about it?” Zoe asked.

“This is Smitten, child. Anything you do is public knowledge in twenty-four hours.”

Aunt Violet tittered. “A romance business. I think it’s a wonderful idea, Zoe.”

Zoe eased back in her chair and scooped a helping of Jell-O onto her plate. “You do?”

“Of course. I might join myself.”

Zoe glanced at her grandmother. “How about you, Grandma? You have an online account.”

“Oh my goodness, no, Zoe. All my romance is behind me.”

Perfect opportunity. Tess took the salad bowl from Zoe and put some greens on her plate. “I guess you’ve had your fair share of romance, Grandma. We had no idea you’d been engaged before Grandpa.” She ignored her mother’s panicked shake of the head. “I’d like to know more about this David fellow and what happened.”

Her grandmother’s smile was forced. “That’s old history, honey. And rather painful, if you don’t mind a little honesty.”

“I can only imagine,” Clare put in. “To get that kind of news while you’re waiting for him to return must have been hard. Who told you? Did someone come from the army?”

“Yes, two nice soldiers showed up at the door. I was visiting his parents when they came, so we all heard the news together.” She blinked rapidly, then put her napkin on her lap. “He wasn’t the only one to die in that battle. They had his belongings from the barracks, but his dog tags weren’t found.”

Tess noticed the way her grandmother’s hands trembled and the way she was biting her lip. Maybe she should change the subject.

“Then how did they end up here?” Zoe asked.

Tess pinched her sister’s thigh and shot her a warning glance. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, Grandma,” she said.

“It’s about time someone changed the subject,” Anna said. “This is much too painful for your grandmother.”

Grandma shook her head. “I think the girls are right to ask me about it. It’s all been hidden too long. What would you like to know about David?”

Clare began to cut squares of lasagna. She exchanged a startled glance with Tess. “What made you fall in love with him? How long did you know him?”

Grandma laughed. “Oh, David was quite the charmer, wasn’t he, Violet? All of the girls were crazy about him. Tall and handsome, with light gray eyes that changed color with the weather. And the way he looked in his uniform . . .” She fanned herself. “Oh my.”

Tess hadn’t thought of passion in the relationship, but she saw it in her grandmother’s eyes. If that man walked through the door right now, her grandmother would throw her arms around him and swoon. Tess just knew it. The knowledge made her heart hurt. What kind of love survived that long? Would a man ever love her with that kind of enduring devotion?

Ryan’s face came to mind. He liked her—that much she knew. But she could never compete with the memory of Candace.

“You have an odd expression on your face,” her mother said. “Are you feeling all right?”

What would her family say if they knew he’d asked her out? She should tell them before they heard about it through the grapevine. “I’m fine.” She wetted her lips. “I have a date on Friday.”

Her mother clapped her hands. “A date! Oh, that’s wonderful. Is it someone you met online?” She glanced at Zoe. “Did you arrange this, Zoe?”

“Not hardly. All I’ve gotten done so far is install the software I’m going to use.” Zoe pointed her fork at Tess. “Give! You’ve been holding out on us.”

“It just happened yesterday.”

The corners of Clare’s lips lifted, then she laughed. “It’s Ryan, isn’t it?”

“How did you know?”

“It’s written all over you. You’re already crazy about him, aren’t you?”

Tess stared down at her plate rather than look into her sister’s knowing eyes. “I like him.” She peeked at Clare from under her lashes. Her sister was chewing on her lip. “What, you don’t like him?”

“I like him a lot. All the women in town think he’s hot enough to melt bricks.” Clare put down her fork. “But, Tess, word is out that Isabelle has plans for him.”

Zoe gasped. “She wouldn’t! That’s just gross. He was married to her sister.”

Their mother shrugged and lifted a bite of lasagna. “It happens, girls. Families are close. What better mother for Sophia than her own aunt?”

Tess wished she’d never said a word. Her bright anticipation had tarnished.

CHAPTER TEN

E
xcitement hummed along Tess’s spine as she hurried into the creamery. She hadn’t been here often. It was the heart of Ryan’s business, where the milk was turned into luscious ice cream and aged cheese.

The receptionist, Bethany Hopkins, saw her hesitation. “Hi, Tess, can I help you?”

“I—I’m looking for Ryan. Mr. Stevenson, I mean.”

“Go on back. He won’t mind.”

Tess thanked her, then rushed to the back room. Stainless freezers lined the concrete floors and block walls. From here the ice cream would go to stores all over the country. She wandered through the maze until she found a hallway that led to a large office area divided by cubicles. A young man directed her to the back where Ryan’s office was.

A walnut desk dominated the large room. Files and books covered the top and more stacks were on the f loor. Ryan was seated behind the desk. A pair of glasses perched on his nose, and he was so intent on his computer that he didn’t notice her until she said his name. The genuine pleasure that rippled across his face warmed her.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said.

He leaned back in his chair. “Please, interrupt me. I’m doing payroll. My least favorite job in the world.”

“I would have guessed you hired that out.”

“I have a bookkeeper who usually does it, but her daughter had a chance to go on a field trip to DC, and she wanted to go along to chaperone. Which means I’m stuck with it this week.” He rose and came around the desk. “Sorry this place is such a mess.” He lifted a pile of folders from the chair by the door. “Have a seat.”

She had to smile. “I think the state of this office disqualifies you from the title neatnik.”

His smile widened. “I was trying to impress you on your first visit to the house. I didn’t want you to know what a slob I am.”

Impress her? Her spirits rose. “I’m not staying. I wanted to tell you what I found out!” If she didn’t tell someone soon, she was going to explode. “The cemetery where David’s parents are buried is near Burlington.”

“So they didn’t go far.”

She shook her head. “I thought I’d go over and see what I can find out. I was going to see if you wanted to come with me, but it looks like you’re busy.”

“I’m finished.”

His nearness flooded her with warmth. The musky scent of the cologne she loved filled her senses. If she took his hand, would he jerk away? She didn’t have the nerve to find out.

“What about Sophia?”

“We can pick her up from day care on the way out of town. Burlington has a great pizza place if you’re game.”

“You can probably tell that pizza and I are on a first-name basis.”

“I like a woman with curves.”

The intensity in his eyes made her gulp. He’d actually looked at her
that
way
? She’d spent many nights lately imagining what it would be like to be pressed against that broad chest. She’d wondered how those firm lips would feel against hers, what texture his hair was, how the stubble on his chin in the evening might scrape across her cheeks if he kissed her.