“I guess they’ll be having their people come in and begin getting to work here soon, then,” Baker said.
“No, actually. My understanding is they’ll hire local labor and will supervise any structural changes they wish to have done, themselves. They mentioned they have family in the area and will be based here for the next several months.”
Then Travis seemed to get an idea. “Since you’re in town, why don’t you let me treat you to lunch? My favorite restaurant has the best damn food in town. The meat’s all natural, and the produce is local.”
The man kills my plans, and now he wants to take me to lunch?
“I’m sorry, Mr. Travis. I have a couple other appointments I need to get to. Otherwise, I’d be delighted to join you.”
“I understand. Thank you for stopping in and checking up on me. Be sure and give my regards to your father.”
Baker nodded. It didn’t take him long to get out of the store and back into his car. As he’d walked into the store, his head had filled with plans—little fixes he could give the premises that would cost little and look like major renovations. He’d figured he’d be up and running here in a matter of a couple of weeks.
His partner was counting on him to come up with a viable enterprise. Taking over an established business, one with an established, respected name, and using it as a cover had been his business plan, and it was a sound one. His new partner had agreed it was genius. And now?
He didn’t know what he was going to do about locking down another business. There were likely other enterprises he could buy that would work. Of course, none would give him the personal satisfaction that using a company belonging to one of his father’s oldest friends to cover an illegal enterprise would have done.
In the meantime, if those damn dream-stealing Kendalls were in the area, maybe he’d see what he could do to give them a little ride on the karma bus.
Twice now they’d foiled his plans. And twice, in Baker’s opinion, was two times too many. Those Kendalls were due for a little bit of bad luck of their own. And Owen Baker was the man to see that they got just that. He’d put his thinking cap on and come up with something good. As he started the car, the sun came from behind a cloud, casting the sign over the store in a golden light.
Travis was awfully damn proud his company was about to become a part of the Edgers family. Be a shame if anything happened to obliterate the place before that could even happen.
Baker grinned. Oh, yeah, he knew exactly what he was going to do. “The oldest con in the book. Buy a business, and then burn it down for the insurance pay out.”
Damned if he wouldn’t get that little thing taken care of. He just needed to find a few basic supplies to get the job done.
* * * *
Alice was sandwiched between Ian and Ken on the bench seat of their older pickup truck as Ian drove them…well, she had no idea where they were going. The heat of the day was rising, and not just because it was getting warmer outside. Alice was hot, and that had nothing to do with spring in Texas, either. The cause of her hotness lay in the hands—or perhaps in the laps? —of the Kendalls bracketing her. The last hour and a half had been hell.
Nothing had ever prepared her for the reality of wanting so very badly, and not having.
Wanting to be held, and to hold, to kiss and to be kissed, and instead being more or less forced to focus on something that had nothing to do with holding and kissing at all.
Her reasoning had been sound. How could they plan to continue to get to know each other with the goal of building a relationship, if when they finally got those lips locked, there was no chemistry between them?
Except, of course, Alice knew that reasoning was just her sneaky little inner imp making an excuse for making out.
A snicker escaped thanks to that little mental turn of phrase. She felt the gazes of both men land on her. She looked at Ian and then Ken. They held themselves as still as stone statues, but that only meant, she hoped, that they were fighting the same inner battle as was she.
“Not my fault,” she said. “The awful consequence of self-denial is creeping in and beginning to steal my sanity. I’m trying to be good. I’m trying to be patient. So far, it’s a dreadful battle.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” Ian said. “Holding back is as unnatural as holding one’s breath.”
In her peripheral vision, she saw the glare Ian shot Ken.
“But on the plus side, we’ve chosen the first few attractions to visit and assess.” Ken offered her a smile, and oh, it was hard to resist it. “Which puts us ahead of schedule and gives us more time to…play.”
“Where are we going for this so-called playing?” Alice asked.
“There’s a nice spot by a stream, one that runs through several plots of land and one that, Aunt Samantha has told me, is the very spot where several interesting trysts have taken place over the years.”
“Are you telling me that there’s a family make-out spot? And you’re taking me to it?”
“Yes, on both counts, baby girl. There’s a clean, soft blanket tucked behind my seat back, and the spot is secluded enough that we’ll have a fairly high degree of privacy.”
“But open enough,” Ken said, “that we’ll want to be careful not to get too carried away.”
“Well, what’s wrong with getting carried away? I’m all for it!”
Ian turned down a road and then steered the truck onto another path, one that didn’t even
