speechless for a moment.
“I know your kind, lady,” Jake said. “You eat guys like me for breakfast. Well, forget it. I’m broke.” He went back under his hat.
Kate considered kicking him, but decided it would be unladylike. “You know, I find it absolutely amazing that this boat doesn’t sink under the weight of your ego.”
“Ha.”
“The only reason I might possibly be interested in you is because you helped your brother save this town. Since you obviously didn’t, there is absolutely nothing about a shaggy, lazy, arrogant, macho blowhard like you to attract me.”
“Shaggy?”
“Your hair and your mustache need trimming.”
“Now, see,” Jake said. “That is just the kind of attitude that made me leave the city.”
“Also that cowboy hat is ridiculous.”
“Hey.” Jake tipped the hat back. “Will gave me this hat. It is not ridiculous.”
“Why would he give you a dumb hat?”
“Because he said I was a hero,” Jake mumbled.
“What?”
“He said if I was going to act like a guy in a white hat and rescue everybody, I should have a white hat,” Jake said.
Kate laughed softly, and he glared at her.
“So that’s why you wear it all the time,” Kate said. “You big fake.”
“What?”
“You love being back here and knowing you’re half of the save-the-day Templeton brothers. You wear that hat because you’re proud of being a big hero. And then you go around saying, ‘Aw, shucks, ma’am, it twern’t nothin,’ and insulting perfectly innocent people from the city like me.”
“You are not perfectly innocent,” Jake said.
“I certainly am,” Kate said. “I can’t believe you think I’d make a play for you just because you have money.”
“I don’t have any money,” Jake said.
“Well, I do,” Kate said. “Lots of it.”
“How much?” Jake said. “I may make you start paying for the beer.”
“Not unless I get to drink some of it,” Kate said. “Did you really think I’d jump you for your money?”
“I have it on good authority that you’re up here looking for a rich businessman,” Jake said. “That ain’t me.”
“What good authority?” Kate said, startled.
“Valerie told Will.”
“Oh, hell,” Kate said.
Jake shook his head. “Women.”
“Well, that was the idea I was talking about,” Kate said. “The one that seemed great in the city and stupid here.”
“Stay out of cities,” Jake advised. “They have a worse effect on your brain than they do on mine.”
“Well, it wasn’t completely stupid,” Kate said. “I’m thirty-five. I want to get married, and that stuff they kept telling me about the right man suddenly appearing before me just wasn’t happening. So I decided to get serious about it.”
“And you came down here to get engaged to a suit,” Jake said.
“No, I’ve been engaged to suits. Three of them. I came down here to find someone I could seriously consider marrying.” Kate looked at him with narrowed eyes. “You are not him. Relax and drink your beer.”
“You were engaged three times?” Jake started to laugh. “What made them leave?”
“They didn’t. I did.” Kate tried to look detached and failed miserably. “I couldn’t bring myself to go through with it.”
“I still don’t get why you came down here. Why didn’t you just go down to a nice big investment-banking firm and hang around the men’s room until somebody who looked good came out?”
“Fine, laugh at me,” Kate said. “At least I’m doing something about my empty life instead of mowing lawns and hiding out on lakes.”
“I don’t mow the lawns,” Jake said. “I supervise other people mowing lawns. It’s a management-level position. Also I own half of the resort, but the investment isn’t liquid so you’re not interested.”
“I don’t care if it’s vapor. I’ll never be interested.” Kate glared at him. “I can’t believe I’m listening to this.”
“Also, don’t look now, but you’re hiding out on
“I know your kind, lady,” Jake said. “You eat guys like me for breakfast. Well, forget it. I’m broke.” He went back under his hat.
Kate considered kicking him, but decided it would be unladylike. “You know, I find it absolutely amazing that this boat doesn’t sink under the weight of your ego.”
“Ha.”
“The only reason I might possibly be interested in you is because you helped your brother save this town. Since you obviously didn’t, there is absolutely nothing about a shaggy, lazy, arrogant, macho blowhard like you to attract me.”
“Shaggy?”
“Your hair and your mustache need trimming.”
“Now, see,” Jake said. “That is just the kind of attitude that made me leave the city.”
“Also that cowboy hat is ridiculous.”
“Hey.” Jake tipped the hat back. “Will gave me this hat. It is not ridiculous.”
“Why would he give you a dumb hat?”
“Because he said I was a hero,” Jake mumbled.
“What?”
“He said if I was going to act like a guy in a white hat and rescue everybody, I should have a white hat,” Jake said.
Kate laughed softly, and he glared at her.
“So that’s why you wear it all the time,” Kate said. “You big fake.”
“What?”
“You love being back here and knowing you’re half of the save-the-day Templeton brothers. You wear that hat because you’re proud of being a big hero. And then you go around saying, ‘Aw, shucks, ma’am, it twern’t nothin,’ and insulting perfectly innocent people from the city like me.”
“You are not perfectly innocent,” Jake said.
“I certainly am,” Kate said. “I can’t believe you think I’d make a play for you just because you have money.”
“I don’t have any money,” Jake said.
“Well, I do,” Kate said. “Lots of it.”
“How much?” Jake said. “I may make you start paying for the beer.”
“Not unless I get to drink some of it,” Kate said. “Did you really think I’d jump you for your money?”
“I have it on good authority that you’re up here looking for a rich businessman,” Jake said. “That ain’t me.”
“What good authority?” Kate said, startled.
“Valerie told Will.”
“Oh, hell,” Kate said.
Jake shook his head. “Women.”
“Well, that was the idea I was talking about,” Kate said. “The one that seemed great in the city and stupid here.”
“Stay out of cities,” Jake advised. “They have a worse effect on your brain than they do on mine.”
“Well, it wasn’t completely stupid,” Kate said. “I’m thirty-five. I want to get married, and that stuff they kept telling me about the right man suddenly appearing before me just wasn’t happening. So I decided to get serious about it.”
“And you came down here to get engaged to a suit,” Jake said.
“No, I’ve been engaged to suits. Three of them. I came down here to find someone I could seriously consider marrying.” Kate looked at him with narrowed eyes. “You are not him. Relax and drink your beer.”
“You were engaged three times?” Jake started to laugh. “What made them leave?”
“They didn’t. I did.” Kate tried to look detached and failed miserably. “I couldn’t bring myself to go through with it.”
“I still don’t get why you came down here. Why didn’t you just go down to a nice big investment-banking firm and hang around the men’s room until somebody who looked good came out?”
“Fine, laugh at me,” Kate said. “At least I’m doing something about my empty life instead of mowing lawns and hiding out on lakes.”
“I don’t mow the lawns,” Jake said. “I supervise other people mowing lawns. It’s a management-level position. Also I own half of the resort, but the investment isn’t liquid so you’re not interested.”
“I don’t care if it’s vapor. I’ll never be interested.” Kate glared at him. “I can’t believe I’m listening to this.”
“Also, don’t look now, but you’re hiding out on
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