attracted to Lucy.
She had never liked him and made no secret of it. She was abrasive and rude and went out of her way to try hitting all his hot buttons.
At first, he figured he deserved it. She was the first and only woman he had been a complete ass to.
They had kissed once—a pretty amazing kiss, yeah—and he had been really attracted to her, despite their differences.
A week hiking around the mountains around Hope’s Crossing on that fishing trip with Jamie had left him plenty of time to think, though, and the bald truth was, while Lucy had been great-looking and fun and exciting, she wasn’t what he wanted in life.
He loved his hometown and now that he was back, he couldn’t imagine living anyplace else, while she had been brimming over about the excitement of city life and how she couldn’t wait to move to Seattle and start her fast-paced career.
He’d known he wanted to build a family and a home here, so what was the point in starting a relationship with a woman who had made no secret she wanted none of those things?
End of story, he’d figured.
He hadn’t called or emailed her as he promised, figuring the heat between them would fizzle and die without an oxygen source. Though he felt like a jerk about it, he didn’t quite know how to explain to someone as smart and savvy as Lucy that he was entering the dating game with an eye on the long play.
He figured, it had only been a kiss. Her heart wouldn’t exactly have been broken. Besides, she was busy with a new job, a new city, and had probably forgotten all about him.
Then he met Jess one afternoon at her summer job waiting tables at one of the restaurants at the resort and fell hard for her, not even knowing at first that Lucy was her cousin and best friend until their third date, when she had finally given him her address and he realized she lived at Iris House with Annabelle Stanbridge.
He had awkwardly asked Jess about Lucy, and she had gushed about how much she loved her cousin and was so proud of her. He had almost stopped dating her right then, figuring things had become too messy, but Jess had been sweet and warm and he had needed that in his life at the time.
Still, Lucy had always been the fly in the ointment of their peaceful marriage. He always left their interactions feeling vaguely guilty, like he was some big, heartless player—not to mention that she had done her best to talk Jessie out of marrying him, which still rankled.
By the time he reached his house and let himself in, some of his anger had ebbed. So he had been attracted to her for a few minutes there tonight and had wanted to kiss her.
What did he expect? A beautiful woman, a lovely, rain-soaked night scented with lilacs and springtime, and a man who had been alone for more than two years. There was a recipe for disaster if he’d ever heard one.
It was only a normal physiological reaction. He wouldn’t let it happen again, so what was the sense in thinking about it?
CHAPTER SIX
“T HANK YOU SO MUCH for stopping by. I have to admit, I have absolutely no idea where to start.”
Genevieve Beaumont walked into the foyer of Iris House and set down a large leather tote on the carved table by the front door so she could untwist a scarf from around her neck.
“That’s why I’m here. Believe me, I have more than enough ideas for both of us, and I told you, I have been dying to have a look inside Iris House. I should be thanking you for giving me the chance. This will be so much fun.”
Lucy had to admit, Genevieve’s enthusiasm was infectious. She hadn’t really considered any of the work that needed to be done on Iris House in the fun category but perhaps this walk-through could help shift perspective a little.
“Where should we start?” she asked
Genevieve pulled a bound notebook out of her satchel. “Let’s first sit down and talk about any ideas you have for using the space and then we’ll do the tour. Does that work?”
“Sounds good.”
Lucy led the
She had never liked him and made no secret of it. She was abrasive and rude and went out of her way to try hitting all his hot buttons.
At first, he figured he deserved it. She was the first and only woman he had been a complete ass to.
They had kissed once—a pretty amazing kiss, yeah—and he had been really attracted to her, despite their differences.
A week hiking around the mountains around Hope’s Crossing on that fishing trip with Jamie had left him plenty of time to think, though, and the bald truth was, while Lucy had been great-looking and fun and exciting, she wasn’t what he wanted in life.
He loved his hometown and now that he was back, he couldn’t imagine living anyplace else, while she had been brimming over about the excitement of city life and how she couldn’t wait to move to Seattle and start her fast-paced career.
He’d known he wanted to build a family and a home here, so what was the point in starting a relationship with a woman who had made no secret she wanted none of those things?
End of story, he’d figured.
He hadn’t called or emailed her as he promised, figuring the heat between them would fizzle and die without an oxygen source. Though he felt like a jerk about it, he didn’t quite know how to explain to someone as smart and savvy as Lucy that he was entering the dating game with an eye on the long play.
He figured, it had only been a kiss. Her heart wouldn’t exactly have been broken. Besides, she was busy with a new job, a new city, and had probably forgotten all about him.
Then he met Jess one afternoon at her summer job waiting tables at one of the restaurants at the resort and fell hard for her, not even knowing at first that Lucy was her cousin and best friend until their third date, when she had finally given him her address and he realized she lived at Iris House with Annabelle Stanbridge.
He had awkwardly asked Jess about Lucy, and she had gushed about how much she loved her cousin and was so proud of her. He had almost stopped dating her right then, figuring things had become too messy, but Jess had been sweet and warm and he had needed that in his life at the time.
Still, Lucy had always been the fly in the ointment of their peaceful marriage. He always left their interactions feeling vaguely guilty, like he was some big, heartless player—not to mention that she had done her best to talk Jessie out of marrying him, which still rankled.
By the time he reached his house and let himself in, some of his anger had ebbed. So he had been attracted to her for a few minutes there tonight and had wanted to kiss her.
What did he expect? A beautiful woman, a lovely, rain-soaked night scented with lilacs and springtime, and a man who had been alone for more than two years. There was a recipe for disaster if he’d ever heard one.
It was only a normal physiological reaction. He wouldn’t let it happen again, so what was the sense in thinking about it?
CHAPTER SIX
“T HANK YOU SO MUCH for stopping by. I have to admit, I have absolutely no idea where to start.”
Genevieve Beaumont walked into the foyer of Iris House and set down a large leather tote on the carved table by the front door so she could untwist a scarf from around her neck.
“That’s why I’m here. Believe me, I have more than enough ideas for both of us, and I told you, I have been dying to have a look inside Iris House. I should be thanking you for giving me the chance. This will be so much fun.”
Lucy had to admit, Genevieve’s enthusiasm was infectious. She hadn’t really considered any of the work that needed to be done on Iris House in the fun category but perhaps this walk-through could help shift perspective a little.
“Where should we start?” she asked
Genevieve pulled a bound notebook out of her satchel. “Let’s first sit down and talk about any ideas you have for using the space and then we’ll do the tour. Does that work?”
“Sounds good.”
Lucy led the
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