Читать книгу A Match Made In Bliss - Diann Walker - Страница 11

A sense of restfulness greeted Lauren the moment she stepped into her room. The pleasing scent of cinnamon wafted from a dainty dish of potpourri. Compliments of Garrett’s daughters, no doubt.

She wondered about these girls who had lost their mother. Her heart squeezed with compassion for them. She looked forward to meeting them. They had to be beautiful if they resembled Garrett in any way. Thick dark hair crowned his head with soft curls, stopping short of wide, dark eyes. She would not have been surprised to learn he had Greek ancestry. His manner seemed cautiously friendly, almost business-professional with a smidgen of warmth thrown in for good measure.

She didn’t need to be thinking about the hotelier’s good looks.

She lowered Nocchi’s carrier on the floor and glanced around. Earth tones covered the bed, plump pillows and window tops. Color-coordinated pictures depicting woodsy scenes hung here and there against the pine-paneled walls. A heavy wooden rocker with thick cushions added the perfect touch to this rustic yet inviting bedroom. At one corner a door led to a good-sized bath area, complete with a roomy shower.

Lauren took a deep breath. She was glad she had come—this was exactly what she needed. Picking up her cell phone, she decided she’d call Gwen, since Candace had already left for London.

Punching the numbers, she waited while the phone rang.

“Hello?” Gwen answered with her usual enthusiasm.

“Hi, Gwen. This is Lauren. Just wanted to let you know I made it to the B and B and it is wonderful, just as you and Candace said.”

“Oh, I’m so glad, Lauren!” Gwen said, her chewing gum snapping as she talked. “I think you’re going to have a wonderful time.” She popped a bubble. Lauren couldn’t understand for the life of her why Gwen—a grown woman—still insisted on chewing bubble gum. To her credit, she did try to chew discreetly, but a bubble here and there always managed to pop during a conversation, giving her all the grace of a junior high school student. “I’m praying for you.”

“Thank you.” Despite her gum and party attitude, Gwen had a way of making those with whom she talked feel as though they were the most important people in the world. Lauren’s heart warmed as the two discussed her trip to California and how much fun she was sure to have. “I don’t know what I’d do without you and Candace.”

Gwen’s gum stopped snapping and she seemed to grow pensive, something she didn’t do often. “We have a special friendship. We’re always here for you, just as you’ve been there for us. “Now,” she said, her perky voice back in place, gum popping, “you get some rest while you’re there, okay? No more doom and gloom!”

“Will do. And Gwen?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lauren put her cell phone on the nightstand and lifted her luggage onto the bed. Nocchi whined, obviously wanting out of her prison.

“Oh, dear, I forgot about you, didn’t I?” Lauren walked over and opened the small door of the carrier. Scooping the eight-pound, black shih tzu into her arms, Lauren cuddled the dog, then scratched the white stripe that went from just under the dog’s chin down to her belly. “I’d better take you outside before you get too comfortable.” Nocchi snuggled her head into Lauren’s neck, a gesture that brought them both sheer pleasure.

“Okay, let’s go.” Lauren adjusted Nocchi’s hat, latched a leash onto her collar, walked her out of the room and down the stairs. She saw the owner bent over paperwork at his desk. Nocchi veered a little too far over and bumped into a stand. Garrett looked up.

“Sorry,” Lauren said to Garrett while tugging at the leash to pull Nocchi to her. She rubbed Nocchi’s noggin. “Is this a good time to take her out?”

“No problem.” He stood and started toward the back door. “Come this way,” he called over his shoulder.

Lauren followed him through the dining room, into the kitchen and out the back door, taking in his long strides, tall, lean frame, sweatshirt and jeans. Something about him made her want to put on a sweat suit, scrunch into a blanket and cuddle with someone under the stars. Jeff Levinger’s face popped into view, causing an ache in her heart. Six months, and she still hurt as if they had broken up only yesterday. People don’t just fall in and out of love—it takes time to get over the pain. She remembered her promise to herself to wait a year before starting another relationship. Not that there was a problem. She didn’t exactly have men waiting in line to take her out.

“Why don’t you hold on to Nocchi, and I’ll keep Bear chained, but we can let them get to know each other a moment. Would that be all right?”

His voice chased away the ache in her heart—for now. “Well…” She bit her lip and thought a moment. “I suppose it would be all right.” She followed him over to the doghouse, where a black Lab ambled out of the opening, his tail wagging. A good sign, she thought.

Nocchi started barking like crazy. Lauren and Garrett worked to calm their dogs.

Once Nocchi quieted, Lauren listened as the man soothed his dog. That spoke well of him. Men who were good to animals were true heroes in her book. This trip might be worthwhile after all.

“I think Bear’s ready,” Garrett said, motioning for Lauren to bring Nocchi over.

Carefully she stepped close to Bear and squatted down so the dogs could sniff one another while Nocchi stayed in her arms. Bear’s tail continued to wag. Nocchi sniffed back, her tail wagging with a trace of caution.

“You want to put her down? I’ll see that Bear behaves.”

“If he doesn’t, I’m afraid I’ll have to hurt you,” she said with only a hint of teasing before gently placing Nocchi inches from her on the ground.

Garrett studied her a moment. Almost as if he considered taking her on.

“I’m kidding.”

“Good thing. I haven’t worked out in a while.”

“Oh, now who’s the comedian?” she kidded before adding, “Like I could hurt you.”

He straightened his back. Had she imagined it, or did she see him flex?

“Well, you could try,” he said, quirking an eyebrow and flashing a biceps.

They both laughed. “Hey, it seems they’re hitting it off,” Lauren said, looking at the dogs. “Guess you’re safe.”

“Well, would you look at that?”

“You’re surprised?”

“You have to admit they’re very different. I’ve never seen Bear take to a little dog before. I knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but I didn’t expect him to actually like her.” The two dogs appeared instant friends.

“Must be the clothes. I mean, an outfit can make all the difference,” Lauren said while examining a slight chip in her red nail polish. “I looked a long time before I found a clothing site for dogs on the Internet that I could be happy with.” She looked up to find Garrett gaping.

Garrett snapped his mouth closed. Men just didn’t appreciate the finer things in life.

“She’s a little self-conscious about the whole cross-eyed thing, so I thought some nice doggie clothes would make her feel better.” Lauren smiled. “Isn’t that right, Nocchi,” she cooed, patting the dogs’ head.

He stared at her a moment then lifted a weak smile.

They engaged in a friendly chat while they watched the dogs interact. Lauren told him she was a corporate attorney from Indiana. An ex-corporate attorney who had lost her job, she should have said, but why throw in the gory details? Besides, she was still a corporate attorney, just an unemployed one.

Garrett told about his wife’s dream of owning a B and B, and he talked about his daughters. By the time they heard the car doors in the parking area, they had gleaned quite a bit of knowledge about each other.

Lauren took Nocchi for a little walk around the grounds, while Garrett went into the house to greet everyone. When Lauren stepped inside, she heard the chatter coming from the house and hoped it wouldn’t be that noisy all the time. She really did need some peace and quiet. They were still standing around talking when she walked into view. The moment everyone saw her, all talk came to a complete stop.

Lauren scooped Nocchi into her arms, more for comfort than propriety, and looked up. “Hello.” The odd mix of women looked none too friendly, from her point of view. Of course, she had to tell herself she was stressed and probably overreacting.

The wide grin on Garrett’s face encouraged her. Everyone looked from him back to her. He walked to her side and gently grabbed her arm, a gesture everyone seemed to notice. “Ladies, I want you to meet Lauren Romey.”

A cold chill seemed to sweep across the room like an arctic blast. No one in the room was smiling but Garrett. She didn’t know what was going on, but there was a definite competitive feel in the air.

“Hello,” she said.

Garrett gently guided Lauren around the room. “Lauren, this is Gracie Skinner.” Lauren felt a trifle intimidated by the tall, thin beauty with perfect hair and teeth. This woman could model for any upscale New York agency. Lauren wondered why Gracie would be at the B and B, and decided she must need a break, too. “Gracie comes from Castle Mountain, Tennessee,” Garrett said.

“My, my, what a funny little dog,” Gracie said, pointing at Nocchi’s hat.

Why couldn’t anyone appreciate Nocchi’s upscale appearance?

Gracie locked eyes with Lauren. “Howdy, Lucy.”

“Um, it’s Lauren,” she corrected.

“Oh,” Gracie said with a fake laugh, “ain’t I bad?” She waved her hand and walked away.

Suddenly the woman didn’t look so beautiful.

Garrett pulled Lauren to the next woman. “This is Ellen Little from Tangly, Ohio.” Though she was a bit skinny, the woman’s red hair had a shine that could rival a washed apple. She put a hand to her meager chest and took a deep breath. Behind her trendy glasses her eyes were an interesting green, almost the color of a budding leaf. After pushing her glasses back up her nose, for a fleeting second she lifted her eyes and upturned mouth. “Hello,” she said in a near whisper, barely extending her hand. Maybe she was intimidated by Miss Model’s presence, too.

Moving on down the line, Garrett said, “This is Billie Gibbons from Goosefield, Montana.”

“Hello,” Lauren said, thinking an attacker would be hard-pressed to take on this one. Still, the way the woman’s brown hair curled around her eyes and face made her appear soft and reachable.

“How ya doing, kid?” Billie asked, pulling Lauren and Nocchi into a bear hug and giving Lauren a stiff pat on the back. She wondered if she ought to cough in response. Nocchi squirmed, no doubt to get some air.

“This is Nikki Spartan from San Francisco.” This one scared Lauren. Her skin was as pale as bleached muslin, yet she seemed to have a thing for black—black spiked hair with blond tips, black lipstick and a black leather jacket and pants. Lauren felt as if she should be searching her pocket for pepper spray while she tried not to stare at the woman’s silver nose ring.

The woman’s lip curled in typical Elvis fashion. “Nice dog,” she said with a grunt.

Okeydokey, Lauren thought, mentally rolling her eyes. She was ready to make a hasty retreat to her room.

“And these are my daughters,” Garrett said with obvious pride, pointing to two strikingly beautiful teenagers. Their friendly faces made her instantly feel better.

“This is Macy, who will be leaving me and going off to college in the fall.”

“Hello,” Macy said.

Lauren beamed at the budding woman standing before her. Black ringlets started at her crown and spiraled down to her shoulders. Her fringed curls stopped short of her eyebrows, emphasizing her dark liquid eyes—eyes that appeared to hold a touch of sadness. “Hello, Macy. So nice to meet you.”

“And this is the squirt—I mean Molly.” He aimed a mischievous wink at Lauren.

“D-a-a-a-d!” his youngest daughter said, shoving him playfully on the arm.

“Nice to meet you, Molly.”

“Hi.” Looking every inch her sister only with straight hair landing midway down her back, Molly lifted a smile. “Glad you could make it.”

Why did everyone think she wouldn’t make it? Had Candace told them she might not come? “Thank you” was all Lauren said. Though each woman looked distinct in appearance, Lauren had to admit each one was attractive in her own way—even Goth Woman. As the women began to chitchat among themselves, Lauren made excuses to Garrett and his daughters and left for her room.

She trudged up the stairs. It seemed odd to her that there were only women guests. She thought that couples normally frequented these kinds of places, especially in a quaint town such as Bliss Village, fairly close to Lake Tahoe. Something told her there was more to this vacation than met the eye. Oh, well, she was there to please her friends and get some much-needed R&R. She would soon go home and search for another job. Another life.

Once inside her room, she removed Nocchi’s hat and dress, then settled her on the floor. Lauren plopped onto the bed, falling back into the plump softness of the pillows, and tucked her hands behind her head. A restful two weeks awaited her. No more thoughts of court hearings, client contacts, billing logs, job hunts, or—most important—Jeff. Rest. Sweet rest.

A time of starting over.

Garrett’s image popped into her mind, though she couldn’t imagine why.

The morning sun blazed through Lauren’s window, waking her. She glanced at the clock and couldn’t believe she had slept until eleven o’clock on a Sunday. Back home she’d have already attended the worship service and be halfway through Sunday school by now.

Normally an early riser by nature, she figured she must have needed the sleep. She snuggled farther into her covers, relishing her moment of laziness. The bed held her like a comforting hug. That’s how she used to feel in Jeff’s arms.

Until he dumped her.

Lauren threw off the covers with a yank. “With my best friend!” She looked at Nocchi. “He broke our engagement to be with Camilla. Supposedly my best friend. Well, she had been my best friend all through school until college. How could he do that to me?” Fresh tears formed, and Lauren shoved them away. At least she had Gwen and Candace. Theirs was a true friendship. “I will not waste my tears on you today, Jeff Levinger.” She stomped across the floor, grabbed her things and headed for the shower.

Jeff, Camilla and Lauren had grown up together. “The Three Musketeers,” they had dubbed themselves in elementary school. As they had entered high school, Jeff’s and Lauren’s feelings had changed toward one another. A budding romance had developed, but still they had included Camilla in many of their outings. She was their friend, after all. No one could separate them. They had made a pact years ago that nothing would ever come between them.

Jeff and Camilla had lied.

As those thoughts filled her mind, Lauren scrubbed herself clean with a vengeance, stepped out of the shower and pulled on a sweat suit.

True, Jeff and Lauren had broken up while in college. She had attended law school in Nevada while Jeff and Camilla had gone to law school in Indiana. The distance had made it impossible for Lauren and Jeff to keep up their relationship. But once she had returned to Indiana after law school, she and Jeff seemed to pick up right where they had left off—or so she had thought.

Please, God, help me to forget him. Help me to forgive them. Even as she prayed those words, she wasn’t sure she was ready to let go of her anger.

Lauren scrunched a little gel in her wet hair and lightly dried it. Afterward, she read her morning devotions and had a time of prayer. Next she placed Nocchi in a red checkered gingham dress with a matching bucket hat. Nocchi seemed to enjoy her wardrobe. She never tried to scoot out of the hat or clothes—a dog after Lauren’s own heart.

Lauren latched the leash to Nocchi’s collar. Deciding she would make a list of what she wanted for her next job, she grabbed her laptop and headed outside to do some work.

Silence met her when she arrived downstairs. How odd. She glanced at her watch. Maybe everyone had gone to church.

She made her way to the kitchen, picked up a muffin and a small bottle of apple juice. A white square piece of paper on the counter caught her attention. “Lauren, after the early church service, we’re coming home to change, and then we’re going a block down the road to play tennis at a small park area. If you’re up to it, come join us. Garrett.”

That charmed her—Garrett took his girls to church. She read the note again. Interesting. Did most bed-and-breakfasts plan events for their guests? She had never stayed in one before, so she had no clue. It certainly seemed to offer more than hotels.

Though she appreciated their invitation, she decided to see if she could find a place to think and work a little while. Shoving through the back door, she and Nocchi followed a trail toward the woods. Maybe they’d find a fallen tree or a stump on which she could sit.

The early-afternoon sun sailed brightly overhead warming her face, while a slight breeze moved a few scraps of clouds across the blue sky. Lauren stepped carefully through the yard, noting the green bushes thick with colorful flowers. Not one to have a green thumb, she had no clue as to the names of the flowers, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying them. Most floral names she couldn’t pronounce anyway. She walked over to a huge pot stuffed with assorted plants of all shapes and varieties. Bending over, she took a deep whiff. “Oh, Nocchi, it’s wonderful here.” The dog lifted her nose in the air as if trying to catch the scent.

Walking farther on the path into the woods, Lauren stopped when she found a bench. “How great is this?”

Nocchi scanned the area for a moment, then finally settled near Lauren’s feet. A lozenge of sunlight draped over the animal’s fur, resembling a bright-yellow ribbon. Lauren basked in the scene for a moment, then turned her attention to the laptop. She pulled it from the case and turned it on. Her wireless card didn’t work out in the woods, but she didn’t need it anyway for what she had to do.

After waiting for everything to boot up, Lauren clicked open a new document in order to make a list of steps to take in her job search once she got home. She stared at the screen, her mind going through the few remaining law firms in town where she hadn’t yet sent a resumé. No doubt she would have little luck if her former boss had anything to say about it. True, she had made some huge blunders her last several cases, and true, her mind had been preoccupied with grief over her split with Jeff, but to fire her? Given her meticulous past work record, it seemed a little drastic. She felt sure the fact that one of the senior partners was Jeff’s dad entered into play.

Oh, well, it should be easier this way. She wouldn’t have to run into Jeff, and when she stopped by, Camilla, in the office anymore.

Maybe she’d do something else. She had enjoyed her prior job; legal work suited her, all right. Still, she couldn’t help wondering if there might be another niche for her somewhere. Her parents had worked as attorneys before their retirement. How would they feel if she tried something else? Lauren sighed. She had always figured she’d practice law, raise a family, have a nice house, picket fence, end of story. Unfortunately, her story didn’t have a happy ending.

Still, at this point changing her career wasn’t really an option. She had bills to pay. After all, it wasn’t as though she had a husband’s income to fall back on. And things on the horizon didn’t appear all that promising—at least as far as a husband was concerned. Who was she kidding? There was nothing on the horizon. Not that she cared. Love was too painful—she’d better leave it alone. Feeling her mood take a nosedive, she decided to quit thinking about that and get to work on her list.

One by one she typed the names of law firms in her hometown and the nearest cities that might be a good fit for her. Just for the fun of it, she decided to dream about other things she might do with her life. She enjoyed working with kids, teenagers. Maybe she’d go back to school and get a degree in counseling. She suspected she might enjoy cooking, though she’d never put that theory into practice. Her work kept her far too busy to spend time in the kitchen. Most days she tore open packaged foods and used the microwave, or she went out to eat.

Soon she had quite a number of possibilities typed on a document. Satisfied, she saved the document into a file named “Employment Possibilities.” She turned off her computer and snapped it closed, causing Nocchi to glance up. When Lauren moved her head, a pain flared in her neck. Wincing, she wondered how long she had been in the woods. Judging by her stiff neck, it had been a while.

“Working when you should be playing can do that to you,” Garrett’s voice called from her left.

She turned to him, barely noticing the leap in her heart. Dressed in a polo shirt, khaki shorts, crew socks and gym shoes, he appeared the athletic type. The sweatband across his forehead and tennis racket in his hand added a professional look. “Hi,” she said, feeling strangely comforted by his presence.

“Hi, yourself. Okay if I sit down?”

She gestured toward the empty spot beside her.

“Why would anyone bring a laptop to such a restful place? Seems to me you’d want to leave your work behind.”

She turned to answer him. His handsome face, mere inches from her, caused her tongue to stick to the roof of her mouth, reminding her of her first day in court. She’d read about those feelings before in books, but she’d never really experienced them. Maybe a few things—fluttering heartbeats, a chill here and there, that kind of thing—with Jeff, but nothing similar to this. Whatever this was.

Turning away, she fixed her gaze on the pines. “I was just making a list.”

“What kind of a list? Like the Santa Claus kind? You know, making a list, checking it twice?”

She dared a glance and he winked. Lifting a quick grin, she turned away again. She could feel him looking at her still. Call it woman’s intuition or the fact that she could almost feel his breath on her cheek—maybe that was wishful thinking on her part—but she felt his gaze on her face.

Which made her remember that she didn’t like her profile. She thought her nose was weird. Still, she was proud of herself for resisting the urge to cover it with her hand.

She suddenly remembered she hadn’t told him about her job situation. Or more appropriately, lack of one.

“Uh-oh, did I overstep my bounds?”

She wavered about whether she should tell him or not. “No, you’re fine,” she finally said. “The truth is I lost my job just before I came here.”

“Oh?” His eyebrows rose slightly.

“I was just making a list of places that might be a good fit for me. I’m not worried. I have enough money to get by until I find something else.”

He nodded but kept silent. They stared into the forest. The wind whispered through the trees. The smell of pine mingled with the musky scent of his cologne and wafted her way. She closed her eyes and breathed in, lingering in the moment.

A comfortable pause stretched between them. “I love this place,” he said, barely above a whisper.

Opening her eyes, she cocked her head slightly and peeked at him. He stared at his hands, which were clasped together in his lap. “That’s why the bench is here. I love to come out here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She started to grab her things. “I’ve infringed upon your private place.”

He placed his hand on hers, sending a thousand little tingles up her arm. “Please, don’t go.” His words were as warm and inviting as his touch.

“The truth is, the guests are all fine, but you’re easy to talk to. I mean, I’m usually not this comfortable talking with beautiful women.”

Her opinion of him continued to rise.

“I normally keep pretty much to myself, but my daughters seem to enjoy pushing me out of my comfort zone.”

“I have a friend who does that—” She corrected herself. “I mean, I had a friend who did that.”

“You’re not friends anymore?” he asked as if truly interested.

Lauren shook her head. “She betrayed me.” Good grief. What had made her tell him that? Now he’d ask her a bunch of questions, and she didn’t want to talk about it. Besides, it was none of his business.

“Oh, I’m sorry” was all he said. “It’s hard to lose the people we love.” He looked down.

“Your wife?”

He nodded.

“Now I’m sorry.”

He paused a moment. “I guess we have to move past those things, right? That’s what they tell us, anyway.”

“Yeah, I guess they do,” she said, recalling Candace and Gwen’s advice. Lauren decided this man was nice. In fact, he was better than nice. He seemed genuine, kind, a good father. And the fact that he sort of resembled George Clooney didn’t hurt either. She lifted a prayer that God would bless Garrett Cantrell.

“Well, I didn’t mean to intrude on your work time, Lauren. Just happened by and saw you, wanted to say hello.”

This time there was no mistaking how her heart leaped when he said her name. What was up with that? It wasn’t as though she was interested or anything. She was lonely—and, well, she had seen most of George Clooney’s movies. That’s all it was.

“I’m glad you stopped by. I need to head back anyway. Can you recommend a good restaurant for lunch?”

His eyes brightened. “Hey, this isn’t on the schedule, but the girls don’t have me committed until tonight anyway. Want to have lunch with me?”

Lauren hadn’t a clue what he was talking about, but she didn’t want to pry. “Sure, that would be great,” she said, meaning it.

“Good,” he answered. He carried her laptop for her and together they headed back toward the house. “I’m really glad you came, Lauren.”

There was that heart flip again. He’d better quit saying her name or she’d need a pacemaker before the two weeks were over. She shot a glance his way. “Me, too.” Though she hardly knew this man, she felt a strange connection with him. Maybe because they’d both endured heartache. And then there was that whole George Clooney thing. She didn’t know.

But one thing she did know—the idea of spending the next couple of weeks at the Woods Inn Bed and Breakfast sounded pretty good to her right about now.