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//-->DedicationFor Mari Carr. You’re a terrific author, a wonderful friend and an incredible multi-tasker. Your energy makes my head spin!Chapter OneBrodix ran the numbers again, even though he knew it was useless. The renovations onthe Blackwater Bar and Grill were finished, and right on schedule too. It was Saturday,and the grand opening was scheduled for Friday. Six days away. Brodix groaned. “It hadbetter be a frigging record-breaking night,” he mumbled to himself. They needed thecash flow in a bad way. He’d crunched the numbers, done what he could to keep thingson budget, but the bills were piling up. He sat back in his chair and pushed a handthrough his hair. What were they going to do if the restaurant failed after all the moneyand time they’d put into rebuilding it?He looked around at the work they’d done. The old diner was gone. His chesttightened at the thought even as pride shot through him at all the work they’d done. Thebar top Vance had designed had a beautiful, dark wood finish, and the smooth swirldesign down the sides of the bar was a work of art. The old, plain white walls had beenreplaced with more rustic, weathered barn siding. He and his brothers had even addedon to allow room for a dance floor. They’d decided on live music for the busier weekendcrowd, and it had become Reilly’s job to find the right band for the job. They wantedsomeone with a Southern rock sound, but as of yet, Reilly hadn’t settled on anyone.They’d taken out the ugly, harsh lights and installed recessed lighting, which created acozier atmosphere.The changes were all going to be good for business, and although the place no longerresembled the little diner it’d once been, Brodix could still picture his father, ChetJennings, standing behind the counter with his apron tied around his waist and laughingwith the customers, even as he worked himself to the bone to keep the place running.Letting the restaurant go now would be more than any of them could bear. It had to dowell. There was no other choice. It was a part of their family, their father’s legacy. Noneof them would let that go without fighting tooth and nail.A high-pitched yelp tore Brodix out of his maudlin thoughts. He looked out the frontwindow, but no one was there. Still, he could’ve sworn he’d heard a woman.Reilly came striding out of the kitchen. White paint from the finishing touches he’dbeen putting on the trim in the kitchen splattered the black T-shirt and sweats he wore.Christ, he was a mess. His shaggy black hair needed a decent trim too, Brodix realized.Now that he was looking, Brodix noticed his little brother had somehow gained a fewmore muscles. When had that happened?“Did you hear that?” Reilly said. “Sounded like a woman.”Brodix nodded and stood. “Yeah. Were you expecting anyone this early?” Thedepressing numbers he’d been working on all morning were forgotten as they both wentto the front door.“Nope.”Brodix flipped the lock and stepped outside into the cool springtime sun. He heard astring of curses and glanced down to see a woman sprawled out on the ground. A sexy,curvy woman. His blood heated instantly.Brodix wanted to sink his fingers into the blonde curls flowing around her shoulders.Their gazes met, and for a moment, Brodix got caught in the pretty blue depths of thewoman’s almond-shaped eyes. But something wasn’t right. The eyes, the hair, they wereall too familiar, and not in a good way. She all but growled his name, and that was whenit hit him. She was none other than Sarah Greer, a reporter for the local newspaper. Andthe one woman he’d been dodging for the last two weeks.She squinted up at him. “Do you think one of you could possibly help me up, or is thatsimply too much to ask?”Brodix forced himself to stop eyeballing her. “Are you all right?” He crouched in frontof her to get a better look at the ankle she held in the palm of one hand as if she’d twistedit. “Does it hurt?”She rolled her eyes. “Only my pride managed to get bruised, I assure you.”Brodix knew he shouldn’t look past her face, but he didn’t seem to have any controlover his own body at the moment. When his gaze traveled her length, his heart sped up.She had curves, but they weren’t overblown and in your face. They were subtle. As if aman had to get up close and personal before he could truly appreciate them.Not a bad idea.The fact that her black skirt had gotten pushed up around her thighs, showing atantalizing glimpse of smooth, sexy skin, hadn’t escaped his notice either. They werequite possibly the longest, prettiest legs he’d ever seen. When he took in the angryexpression pinching her brows together, his lips twitched. Oh yeah, she was good andpissed.He started to help her to her feet, but his brother was quicker. Sarah’s face softened asshe placed her hand in his palm. He grinned down at her. “Reilly Jennings. And youare?”“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Reilly. I’m Sarah Greer.” The sweet smile spreading acrossher face turned her into a gentle beauty right before their eyes. She had the look of aninnocent. A delicate flower in need of a man to keep her safe and secure. What a crock.Sarah was as ruthless as they came. Oh, Brodix didn’t know her personally, but he’d seenher type a hundred times over. Had even dated a few, much to his dismay.Sarah had a reputation for being ruthless when it came to getting a story. Brodixremembered the article she’d written last summer about Blackwater’s mayor, MichaelCoburn. She’d gotten her facts wrong when she’d accused the man of takingcontributions from a controversial source. As a result of Sarah’s erroneous information,Coburn’s reputation had nearly been ruined. Hell, Brodix was surprised she was still areporter after that fiasco.Brodix stood and glared at Reilly, willing him to back off, but Reilly suddenly only hadeyes for Sarah. That would change, he knew, as soon as Reilly found out why Sarah hadshown up at the Blackwater Bar and Grill unannounced. What had she thought? That shecould get around him with her baby blues and cute smile? It’d take a hell of a lot morethan that. Brodix hid a grin and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked over at Sarahand waited while she brushed fresh grass clippings off her white blouse. When her gazemet his, the frown came right back.Sarah released Reilly, and Brodix relaxed a fraction. For some ridiculous reason, hedidn’t much care for the smile Reilly was giving Sarah, as if he was a step away fromasking her to dinner. Sarah looked down at the ground and lifted her right foot in the air,twisted it this way and that, then sighed and stood on both feet once again. “I’ve beenattempting to get in touch with you, Mr. Jennings,” she said as she pinned him with ahard glare. “You’ve been avoiding me.” Her voice was as stern as a schoolteacherscolding a naughty child. “I’ve left several voice-mail messages on your cell phone and atyour office. You haven’t returned a single one of them.”Brodix grinned. “That should have clued you in right there, but yet here you are.”She let out a sigh. “Look, I don’t see why you won’t consider my proposal. Yourbackgrounds would make a fabulous human-interest piece, and the exposure would begood for business. From what I’ve learned about the Blackwater Restaurant, Mr. Jennings,you could use all the help you can get with the grand opening.”Reilly cleared his throat, and they both looked over at him. “Exposure? Someone careto catch me up here?”Brodix quirked a brow and pointed to Sarah. “I can see how you might not recognizeour little reporter here, considering the stains on her blouse and the blades of grass in herhair.”Reilly frowned. “Reporter?”Sarah clearly wasn’t daunted by the change in Reilly. He’d gone from flirtatious tocautious in a heartbeat. Sarah merely turned on the charm like a pro. Brodix tried not tolet the sexiness of it affect him, but his dick was already standing at attention. Damn it allto hell.“Yes,” she answered as she held her hand out for Reilly to shake. “I’m here tointerview the Jennings family for the front page of theGazette.”She jabbed a thumb atBrodix. “I’ve explained everything to your brother here, but it’s clear he didn’t bother tofill you in.”Brodix wasn’t the least surprised when Reilly didn’t move to shake Sarah’s hand. Infact, he actually took two slow steps backward. Brodix glowered at him. Hell, he didn’tmuch care for reporters either, but it didn’t feel right for Reilly to snub Sarah in such anobvious way. Their mother had raised them better than that.“You’re a reporter?” Reilly asked as if attempting to swallow cotton.Sarah seemed oblivious to his brother’s mounting tension. “Yes,” she said, “and I’mhere to help you promote the grand opening of the Blackwater Bar and Grill. As I statedin my messages to your brother, the fact you and your four brothers were all adoptedfrom foster care and raised by a local couple would make a fantastic story.” She grinnedas if she were imparting some fantastic news. “Unfortunately, your general managerhere,” she aimed a frown toward Brodix, “has been very difficult to pin down. So Idecided to take my chances and come straight to the source.”“There will be no interviews,” Reilly said as he took a step back. “Now or ever.”“But you haven’t even—”Reilly held up a hand. “You’ve wasted your time, Ms. Greer. None of the Jennings areinterested in what you have to say.” [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]