Her Sweet Talkin' Man by Myrna Mackenzie Page B

teased.
    She pasted on her own smile. “You haven’t seen much of the inside of my home. Luxury wouldn’t be your word of choice. Any one of these cars probably exceeds the cost of my total worldly assets.”
    â€œAh, so you didn’t come looking for a car? Maybe a little social work? Taking care of the stranger in town?”
    â€œI doubt that you qualify as a stranger anymore. I hear you’ve been flirting with all the little old ladies and that you sold Louise Vedemen a car.”
    â€œShe’s a nice woman.”
    â€œYes, she is, and in spite of her money, she doesn’t get enough attention. Thank you.”
    â€œDon’t thank me. It wasn’t as if I didn’t get anything out of the deal. She bought a car.”
    â€œAnd if she hadn’t?”
    He shrugged. “She would still have been nice. Money doesn’t make the woman.”
    â€œGood to know.” She gave him a small smile.
    â€œWell, we both know that I admire you greatly, even if one of these cars is worth more than your worldly assets. You do know that, don’t you? I wouldn’t use you for my own purposes.”
    She almost flinched. She supposed he was telling her that he wasn’t like his father. “I’ve known Forda long time,” she said. “Something isn’t right here. And I can see that he wants to get to know you. He wants the past to be different. Fiona already considers you a Carson.”
    He shook his head. “I’m not, not in the way she is, and I’m not going to be. I didn’t come here to try to worm my way into the Carson family.”
    No, she thought. He had come here to let the Carsons know that he existed and obviously to humiliate them a little, judging by his choice of occupation and living quarters. Ford had to know that, and yet he’d come here and had this very public meeting with Ace. A meeting in which Ford had not shown particularly well. Something wasn’t at all what it should be. For either Ace or Ford. Both of them appeared to be hurting.
    Crystal didn’t like her friends to hurt, but at least Ford had his family. All of it.
    She was afraid of getting too close to Ace, but as she remembered that exchange from a few minutes ago, as she realized what it must have been like growing up without a father and then coming to the town where that same father was practically a god, she knew that she wasn’t going to be able to maintain the distance she needed.
    â€œSo everything is working out here at Mission Creek Motors? If Louise is any indication, business is going well,” she said casually.
    He laughed then. “I’m not hurting because I’ve decided to take on the Carsons in a very public way, if that’s what you mean,” he said. “But it’s going to get even better. J.D. has a good product. He justneeds a little innovation, some incentive to bring people in.”
    After today’s scenario, Crystal thought that people might come in for a day or two just to get a look at Ace, but she knew that wasn’t what he meant.
    â€œYou have ideas, I take it,” she said.
    â€œA few. This Saturday we’re having the first family day at Mission Creek Motors. Strolling musicians, a display of autos through the ages, a petting zoo, food and a fireworks display at the end of the evening.”
    She widened her eyes. “J.D. agreed to this?” J.D. hated to spend money.
    Ace shrugged. “It’ll set him back a few bucks, but it’ll get people talking and coming in for a long time to come.”
    â€œHow did you organize this so fast?”
    He grinned. “Some people just like to be persuaded. I did some persuading.”
    That I-feel-like-I’ve-known-you-forever-darlin’ charm of his, she was guessing. Ford should be proud of his son. She hoped he could see beyond Ace’s anger. More than that, she wished there was some way to change the past and mend what