Beth Andrews - A Not-So-Perfect Past

Kelsey grinned and motioned for him to turn around. When he did, she pulled Emma off his back.

“It worked, Kelsey,” Emma said wiggling with excitement in Kelsey’s arms.

“It sure did. You were great.” She hugged Emma and set her down.

Nina’s jaw dropped. They’d set Dillon up. Not only that, but they’d just admitted it. In front of him. Her stomach cramped as she waited for the explosion of temper. When a man had been so neatly played, so easily boxed into a corner, he was going to lash out.

Except nothing happened. Dillon didn’t curse or threaten or call his sister names. Didn’t pick up the nearest object and throw it at the wall. He just shook his head in disgust.

He must not be as angry as she thought. Or else he had a better hold on his control than she’d realized. Which was good, seeing as how he probably wasn’t going to be too happy with her once she told him her news.

Kelsey stuffed Emma into her coat, tugged a hat over the little girl’s head and grabbed the box of cake samples for Jack. “The wedding’s at two,” she told Dillon. “Reception’s at the ski resort.”

“I got an invitation.”

She winked at him. “So you did. See you there. Thanks for these,” she said to Nina. “I’ll let you know in the morning which one we choose.”

Hand in hand, she and Emma walked out the back door. It took a full minute, staring at the closed door, for Nina to realize she was alone.

With Dillon Ward.

She had to talk to him about her decision regarding the apartment. But for the love of all that was sweet and holy, she just wasn’t certain she could deal with his potentially violent reaction to what she had to say. No matter how surprisingly calm he’d been so far.

As usual, his expression gave none of his thoughts away. She licked her lips, and didn’t miss the way his gaze dropped to her mouth. The way his jaw tightened.

Her heart fluttered and she placed her hand on her chest. She hoped she wasn’t having a heart attack or something. Wouldn’t that be perfectly embarrassing? She could see the headlines of the Serenity Springs Gazette now: Local Business Owner Scared of Her Own Shadow. Has Heart Attack Because She Was Alone With A Sexy Man. Complete story on page 12.

“Aren’t you mad?” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“About what?”

She picked up a dish towel and carefully folded it. “Kelsey,” she said, unable to look at him. “The way she tricked you into going to her wedding.”

“She’s sneaky. You have to watch out for her.”

Nina raised her head but she couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “Uh, well, it’s not like you have to go…”

The look in his eyes seared her. “I promised.”

“I know, but she did trick you—”

“I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep.”

She swallowed but her throat remained dry. The way he said it made her believe him.

Someone like Dillon Ward couldn’t be trusted. She knew that. And if she didn’t, her family warning her—repeatedly—how dangerous and unpredictable he was should be enough to convince her.

Except, every once and a while, she had her doubts. But then she’d remember how Trey always said her naivety would be her downfall.

Dillon stepped toward her and she couldn’t stop herself from backing up. He motioned to the towel twisted tightly in her hands. “That do something to you?”

Warmth climbed up her neck into her cheeks. She tossed the towel on the counter. “No. It’s just been a long day.”

He nodded as if that explanation was good enough reason for her to be acting like a complete moron. But at least he wasn’t looking at her like most people did—with pity.

“I’m sure you’re in a hurry to close up and get home, then,” he said.

“Not particularly. I mean, I can’t go home. Trey, my ex, is dropping our kids—”

“Still, I’m sure you have things to do. I know I do,” he said pointedly. “So why don’t you tell me what it is you wanted to tell me and I’ll get out of your way.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you from anything. I just wanted…that is…things have changed. In regards to your apartment. Since buying the bakery, I’ve had some time to think about what’s best for my business and with costs rising the way they are—”

“So you do want to raise the rent.”

“No, that’s not it. It’s not just about the money. Not really. I mean, it’s partly the money, but more than that, what I need—”

“Would you just spit it out?” he snapped.

“I need you to move out.”

DILLON SHOOK his head. “What?”

She stepped back, her eyes darting around the empty room. He shoved his hands into his front pockets to keep from fisting them. Yeah, he towered over her and he’d just snapped at her, but he was really getting tired of everyone in town treating him like the spawn of Satan.

“I need you to move out,” she squeaked, “by the end of the month.”

“Let me get this straight.” For some reason, he simply could not wrap his mind around the fact that this pretty little piece of fluff was giving him the boot. “You’re evicting me?”

She swallowed and nodded. “It’s just that if I want to increase my business—which I do—I have to think about expansion.”

“You’re going to expand the bakery into my apartment?”

She blushed deeper and dropped her gaze and just like that, he knew whatever she was about to tell him was a pile of crap.

Figures. You couldn’t even trust someone as sweet as a cupcake to tell you the truth.

“I want to convert the apartment into a tea room. A place I can rent out for parties or book clubs—”

“Serenity Springs has a book club?”

She frowned. “Local clubs could have meetings up there or I could serve special lunches and have tea tastings. It’ll be nice…”

Sure. For her. And everyone else in town who wanted him gone since the Serenity Springs Gazette ran that article about his five years in a maximum security prison.

But for him? Not so freaking nice.

“My lease says you have to give me thirty days and written notice.”

Nina rubbed her thumb across the base of her left ring finger. “I’m giving you thirty days. And this—” she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a folded-up envelope “—is the notice.”

He took the envelope from her. Noticed the unsteadiness of her hand. Great. He’d obviously scared her. He wanted to tell her to develop a backbone so the world didn’t eat her alive. But then he supposed he should stop scowling at her and giving her a hard time. Try to put her at ease, like a nice guy would.

Then again, he’d stopped being a nice guy a long time ago.

He ripped open the envelope and quickly skimmed the paper while his mind turned with questions. If she was kicking him out because of his past, did he have legal recourse? Could he prove it? And the big question: where could he go?

He doubted anyone else would rent to him. After the police had suspected him of killing a woman a few months ago and that damn article ran in the paper, he’d lost two jobs he’d hoped would pull him through the winter. Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing.

He scratched his cheek. Wait a minute. What was he getting angry about? He’d be done at The Summit, a local bar he was renovating, any day now. He could blow this town. Truth be told, he should’ve been done two weeks ago but Allie Martin, the bar owner, kept giving him small jobs to do. More than likely because she knew he didn’t have any other work.

Not that he liked charity, but he did like working for Allie. It was hard not to. She was smart, funny and gorgeous. Almost too bad they were better suited as friends than lovers.