One Week with her Rival:Eden Manor, Book One(4)

     



 

"I guess so. Everyone told me and Peter that you were rivals, and I  thought you hated each other. But he doesn't seem to hate you. It seems  more like he's into you."

"That's just a thing he does. It's not real. He does want the partnership-but that's all."

Kelly was watching her closely. "What did he do to make you distrust him so much?"

Vanessa really wanted to tell her the truth. She would have loved to let  the rest of the world know what a manipulative bastard Joe really was.  But she couldn't bring herself to say so. It felt like cheating in their  battle. Plus, it wasn't professional. "It doesn't matter." She cleared  her throat. "But he is good at his job, so you don't have to worry about  the work he's doing for you."

"That's good to know. I can't believe Peter and I are actually doing  this. Making a bed and breakfast out of this old house. It's...it's  huge."

"Yeah. Yeah, it is. It's exciting, but I guess it might sometimes make you nervous."

"Terrified," Kelly breathed. Then she laughed. "But I can't remember  when I've been so happy, so there's no doubt it was worth the risk."

Vanessa believed her. For a few years, she'd had the experience of  sharing life with someone else-all the fears and joys and pains. Now,  she was in it alone.

That wasn't true, though. She had plenty of friends. And she was still  close to her parents, even though they lived in Augusta. Plus, she had a  piece of Carl still-in this business he'd built-and she wasn't about to  let that go.

If she ever let it go, it would feel like she'd really let go of Carl himself.

"Well, I better let you get to work," Kelly said, shaking herself off as  if she'd been lost in thought too. "Peter and I are still working in  the attic. You wouldn't believe the amount of junk that was left in  there."

"Have fun," Vanessa said with a smile.

She really liked Kelly-and her serious, adorable husband. It was nice to  have new people in the area who she could get along with. She wouldn't  hold it against them that they were taken in by Joe.

Almost everyone was.

***

Vanessa was at Eden Manor most of the day, planning details on the rest  of the jobs she was responsible for and then removing layers from one  corner of the fireplace in the dining room so she could see what was  beneath it.

She was thrilled to see some original tilework that was still in very  good shape. They'd just have to strip all the layers of paint and  plaster to expose and then restore it.

"Is that original?" a voice came from behind her.

She gave a little jerk, thinking for a minute that it was Joe. She  hadn't seen him all day, and she'd been ridiculously on edge, waiting  for him, expecting him to make an appearance.

When she turned her head, however, she saw it wasn't Joe at all. It was  Peter-Kelly's husband and her client. He was a pleasant young man with  light brown hair and breezy good-looks, and he obviously took the work  on his bed and breakfast very seriously.

Vanessa didn't mind. She liked for people to be serious about things  instead of joking all the time, like some guys she could mention.

"Yes," she said, standing back so he could see the six inches of tilework she'd exposed. "I think so. It's gorgeous."

"Fantastic." Excitement appeared to smolder inside Peter. "This is an amazing old house."

"It really is. I always thought it was a shame for it to stand empty so long."

"Yeah. I can't believe it's actually ours."

Vanessa understood the appreciation in his eyes-that feeling of awe that  life had turned in a way you desperately wanted but never dreamed of  expecting. "It's going to be beautiful when we finish."

"I know it will. Hey, do you know anyone in the area who would know the  history of this place. I've searched the archives, but there's nothing  more than names and dates. I want to know about the people who built  this house and used to live here."

"I don't know much. I'm not from here originally."

"Really? You seem to know your way around here."

"I moved here with my husband. It was his hometown. I guess I've lived  here long enough to feel at home, but I don't have roots."

Peter grinned at her. "I know the feeling."

"But I can ask my husband's grandmother. Her family has been here for  ages. If she doesn't know details about the house, she'll know who to  talk to."         

     



 

"Great. Thanks."

"I'll stop by this evening to visit her. She's in a nursing home now,  but she's normally very lucid-at least about things from the past."

"I really appreciate it." Peter glanced at his watch and raised his  eyebrows when he saw the time. "I can't believe it's after five already.  I've got to make a call."

She gave him a friendly wave and turned back to the fireplace as he  left. This was going to be a hell of a job, exposing the tile without  damaging it. Hal would do it, but he wasn't always the most careful of  workers. She wasn't sure she could trust him with this.

She searched her mind for who was available and willing to do a job like  this for her, and she came to the unfortunate conclusion that she might  need to do the work herself.

It was okay. She'd done projects like this before. She wasn't afraid of getting her hands dirty or working up a sweat.

She certainly wasn't going to turn to Joe for help in this. Or in anything else.

She wondered where he was today. He hadn't put in an appearance at all.  His guys worked well, whether he was present or not, but he was usually  pretty hands-on.

He probably had another job to oversee. He had enough business that he stacked jobs.

Vanessa tried once again not to resent this fact. Her business was different, but that didn't mean it wasn't good.

She was leaving the house, thinking about stopping by the nursing home  to ask about Eden Manor before dinner, when she saw a familiar pickup  truck parked next to her SUV.

Her heart did a familiar little leap-the way it always did when Joe was around.

So he'd made an appearance at last.

She didn't pause or turn to look around, although she was tempted to  search her surroundings until she found out where he was. But she was  always careful to not let him know he made an impression on her of any  kind.

She'd reached her car, resigning herself to the fact that she wasn't  going to see him at all today, when a voice came from the rear of his  truck, making her jump. "There you are."

She frowned, turning around to see Joe walk around his truck toward  where she was standing. He looked warm and amused and sexy and more in  need of a shave than normal. "What do you mean, there I am. I've been  here all day."

"I thought you'd be leaving to go home before now."

Her frown deepened. "What are you talking about? Surely you weren't skulking around here, waiting for me to leave."

"Of course not." He smiled in a way that made her breath hitch and then  stepped forward, closer to her. "That would be kine of desperate,  wouldn't it?"

"That would be kind of creepy." She tried to hide her breathlessness  with her tart tone, but she wasn't sure if it was convincing or not.  "What did you want?"

"I wanted to see you. My day isn't complete unless I get to talk to you."

She shook her head, reminding herself that it was all a sham, that his  soft expression and melting tone meant absolutely nothing. "Don't be  ridiculous."

He pulled back slightly, as if responding to the cold note in her voice. "I hear you talked to Silas today."

"And?" She hated the thought of his knowing that. The only way he could  have known was if he talked to Silas himself. She wondered when Silas  had broken his isolation enough to allow Joe Coleman in.

"And what was your conclusion?" he asked.

"About what?"

"About his loyalty."

"It's not about loyalty. It's about business."

"Is it?" His dark eyebrows arched.

She felt flustered for no good reason. "Of course, it is. This is what  we do. You nibble around the edges of my business, and I do what I can  to hold you off."

He was looking at her almost curiously, as if he couldn't tell what she  was thinking. "Well, what do you expect? That's our game, right?"

"A game. Sure."

His brows drew together. "I thought that's what we did. You made the  rules, didn't you? I tease you, you fire back. I make a move, and you  respond. Nothing ever changes. Isn't that what you want? That's our  game."

It wasn't what she wanted. She had no idea what she wanted. And she was  still upset at the idea of Silas deserting her, just when she needed his  loyalty the most. "It doesn't always feel like a game, you know," she  said softly, not even sure what she meant, and not sure where the  hoarseness in her voice came from.

Joe's expression transformed dramatically, from a questioning amusement  to something deep, serious, intense. "No," he rasped, planting a hand  next to her on her SUV, the way he'd done the day before. "It doesn't  always feel like a game."