She rose and began collecting dirty plates.
'Leave them. The cleaning lady comes in the morning.' He stopped her, catching her wrist in his hand. The petite feel took him off guard. For a woman so sure of herself, she seemed fragile in his grasp.
He wondered if he'd have to be gentle with her when they made love, then discounted the notion. She was stronger than she looked and tough as nails. And he was an idiot even thinking about having sex with this woman.
He quickly released her. 'I bought this place because it fit my needs,' he said, answering her question.
She lowered herself back into her seat. 'So you said. But it's a contradiction. You say you need space and you buy a huge house, yet you only open and live in a fraction of it.'
'So? It's far enough from the residential sections of town to give me the privacy I want.'
'Mmm. I guess that makes sense.'
He narrowed his gaze. 'You don't sound convinced.'
She pursed her lips in thought. 'Well when your mother was here earlier, I picked up on some of what you two were saying. And the dynamics were pretty obvious.'
He clenched his jaw tight, hating any conversation that involved his mother or father. He'd long since come to terms with the man he'd become or so he
'What does that have to do with anything?' he asked Annabelle.
'I think you came home to show your parents how good you've done in your life.'
'When did you become a psychiatrist?'
She shrugged. 'A publicist has to be good at reading people and dissecting situations. And right now I sense I'm making you uncomfortable.'
'You're just pushing too much. As you've seen for yourself, my parents don't think I've accomplished a damn thing with my life, so hell yes, 1 wanted to show them a thing or two.'
'And buying this monstrosity accomplished that?'
'No,' he admitted. 'It just brought me back to all the crap I left behind.' He'd intended to give her a short, one-sentence explanation so she'd back off. Instead he'd given her more insight into himself than he allowed most people.
'Then why stay?' she asked, still prodding for answers.
'Because this town is my home,' he bit out.
She ran her tongue over her lower lip. 'Now
Though he watched and his body responded, he held his own, wanting her to explain. That sexual tension she'd stopped discussing remained alive and smoldering just below the surface. 'How so?'
'You and Uncle Yank are close, or at least you once were. So you must know he took us in when my parents died.' Quivering emotion laced her voice.
Vaughn reacted without thinking. One minute they were adversaries, the next he reached across the table and grasped her hand in his. 'I'm sorry about your folks.'
She nodded in gratitude. 'Thanks.'
'You were lucky to have Yank.'
'Yeah we were.' She spoke softly. 'But for a while I wasn't even sure he'd take us in. I was so afraid the three of us would be separated and-' She paused and hiccuped, an obvious attempt to swallow her emotions. 'Anyway, my point is, I can relate to the need for that feeling of home. But home isn't the same as family, you know?'
A low growl rumbled deep in his throat. 'Not everyone can have Ozzie and Harriet parents.'
'And I just told you I didn't have any parents. I'm just saying that for whatever reason, you and your folks don't connect. But you feel that connection to this town anyway. So much so that the lodge is the home this house will never be.'
She understood him and that scared him even more than the sizzling kiss. 'Your point?' he said too gruffly.
'I'd like you to let me use that emotional connection to this town in order to reach out to the people, and not just those around here. People in Greenlawn already love Brandon Vaughn. But I'd like to reach your extended public. The people you want to come and vacation at your lodge.' She leaned closer. 'Let them see the man inside the athlete and want to help you as much as you want to help the kids.'
She squeezed his hand tight and he glanced down. He'd almost forgotten they sat hand in hand, making a personal connection.
There was now a subtle understanding between them. He drew a deep breath. 'I'll think about it.' He told himself he was responding to her business sense.
Still he hated the idea of exposing something he did from the heart and using it as a media ploy. Then again, he wasn't stupid. If he wanted the summer camp to become a reality, he needed the funding the winter lodge guests would provide. That was, after all, the reason he'd hired Annabelle in the first place.
Their hands remained intertwined. Her gaze met his, soft and understanding. Nothing businesslike in her expression or in the depths of those blue eyes now. This time if he acted on impulse and kissed her again, more than just sexual desire would be at work. At the moment he didn't care.
A loud knock sounded at the back door of the kitchen. Vaughn turned and glanced over. A familiar figure stood outside, one of his workmen who often came by uninvited. 'I wonder what he wants.'
'Who?'
He jerked a head toward the back entrance. 'Roy Murray. My electrical foreman.'
'Why doesn't he use the front door?'
He rolled his eyes. 'He decided back doors are reserved for friends, and according to him, that's what we are. But he really does mean well.' Vaughn rose and opened the door.
His foreman stood there in his jeans and white work shirt, tool belt on and a grin on his face. Vaughn caught sight of his son behind him.
'Hey, Roy, Todd. To what do I owe this visit?'
Roy stepped inside and Todd followed.
'We don't mean to interrupt, Coach. But Dad and I were out for a walk and he wanted to stop by.'
'Not a problem, Todd.' Vaughn held out his hand and exchanged a handshake with the kid. They'd developed the gesture as a means of bonding during practices.
Roy looked on. 'Hope it's all right we've come by. I was told your back lights need fixing and I thought I'd help you out.'
The guy was the ultimate do-gooder but a complete pain in the ass sometimes. Still, he was an ace electrician and Vaughn saw shades of his old self in Todd, who also struggled in school.
'Who could've possibly told you my lights were out?' Vaughn asked.
'One of your neighbors.'
Vaughn wasn't buying. 'I don't have any neighbors. It's one of the reasons I bought this place.'
'Oh jeez. Come on, Dad. Let's leave Vaughn alone.'
'I always enjoy your company, you know that.'
Vaughn slapped Todd on the back, meanwhile Roy laughed. 'Okay, okay, I confess. I was out taking a walk last night and I noticed it myself. You're so busy with the lodge and hopefully thinking about coaching at State, you don't need home improvement things to worry about. So here we are.' He grinned at Vaughn.
'That's awfully nice of you to try and help me out, but I have a handyman coming by later in the week to handle things.'
'I also wanted to thank you. Todd told me you ran plays with him the other day. He's grateful and so am I. I told you he's got a good heart,' he said, speaking to Annabelle behind him.
'You two know each other?' Vaughn asked, surprised.
Roy stepped forward, his shoulders squared. 'We met at Cozy Cups this morning. She was talking to Joanne, and mano to mano,' he said to Vaughn, lowering his voice, 'I think the women were exchanging bedroom secrets about you. One ex-lover and another present one. Dangerous info there, if you know what I mean.' He winked at Vaughn and darted another glance at Annabelle.
Beside him, Todd shuffled his feet, uncomfortable with his father's frank talk.
