chapter 16
AND SHE THOUGHT he’d been relentless before.... Delphi had no idea what was in store for her. It was terrible when you had to turn a woman against herself in order to straighten her out. Lars just needed the woman to figure out that she loved him, and then trust herself that it was the right thing.
Only she was scared to trust how she felt about him. And he’d be damned if he’d just sit on his ass and wait on her to figure it out. That simply wasn’t his way. Never had been.
He took the last two steps in one leap. Merrilee and her posse were hard at work in the airstrip office. Luckily, Delphi was tied up at work. Not that it would really make any difference, but an element of surprise always made an offensive maneuver more effective.
Alberta; Merrilee; Ruby; Juliette; Tansy’s sister Jenna; Norris, a former newspaper reporter; Nancy, who ran the dry goods store with her husband; and a couple of other women he didn’t recognize had quite the assembly line going.
Even the men had pitched in. Dwight and Jefferson had foregone their chess game to work alongside Bull, Dirk and a tall fellow with a shock of red hair named Rooster.
Talk about community spirit. It was something you’d only see in Good Riddance.
Lars peeled off a C-note and slid it across the table to Rooster. Rooster was the bookie. He’d take a bet on most anything. “Who’d you want to put your money on?”
Lars leveled a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look Rooster’s way.
The man held out his hands, palms up. “I have to ask. And hell, you might even want to go with the long shot.”
“I’m putting my money on me.”
Rooster grinned. “So is everyone else.” He lowered his voice as if he was sharing a confidence, even though everyone in the room could clearly hear him...well, except for Dwight. “I put a few bucks on Delphi. I had to. She’s such a long shot. Besides, I sort of felt sorry for her. It’d suck to have every bet against you.”
“No worries. I just hope you didn’t bet too much on her.”
“I’m here, ain’t I?” Rooster said with a toothy grin.
Lars clapped Rooster on the back. “Yep. And I sure appreciate it.” He looked to Merrilee for instructions. “What can I do?”
“We’re finishing up the last hundred now. You can take these over to the businesses. Start with Alyce’s bed-and-breakfast and work your way up one side of the street and then down the other. And of course, no one wears them until tomorrow morning. We’re cutting it close. It only gives you two days.”
“Yeah, but it’s two days of relentless attack.”
Bull smiled quietly. He knew that you never went into battle doubting the outcome. You went in to win.
“She’ll dig in her heels and put up a good fight,” Lars said. “I wouldn’t love her if she didn’t. But I’ll win.”
“And if you don’t?” Merrilee asked the question quietly.
“Then I’ve lost this particular battle, but I will ultimately win the war.” He almost felt sorry for Delphi, but it was for her own good. The woman was going to be miserable without him. And he was damn sure going to be miserable without her. He was just trying to save them both a lot of misery. Hell, one of them had to be in charge.
Juliette laughed at him across the table. “You sure changed your tune fast for a man who, just a few days ago, was referring to marriage as a ball and chain.”
“I’m a quick study. When faced with Delphi, why would I be stupid and ignore the obvious? The woman obviously is crazy about me. And I’m obviously crazy about her.”
“Lars always has been a rebel,” Dirk said. He looked at the buttons covering the table. “This suits you.”
“It’s unorthodox, that’s for sure,” Norris said, her admiration clear.
Delphi loves Lars. Simple. Direct. And maybe if she saw it often enough she’d realize it was the truth.
* * *
DELPHI DIDN’T WANT TO be paranoid, but it felt as if the whole town was watching her...and waiting for something.
She knocked on Skye’s door. They had a few minutes before the day started. Skye sat behind her desk sipping a cup of decaf. No more high-test for her.
“Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure.”
“Uh, I don’t want to sound paranoid and I know you’ve lived here for a couple of years and you love it, but I’m getting this really weird vibe. I don’t know—it’s hard to explain.”
Skye, usually so composed, squirmed in her chair. “You know Good Riddance is a very involved community, Delphi. It’s a totally different culture than where we come from. People in Atlanta are friendly enough but they don’t get involved the way people here do.”
“Okay.” Delphi waited on the rest.
Finally Skye spoke again. “If you don’t want that pumpkin muffin, do you mind if I have it?”
That was it? “Sure. I mean, no problem. I don’t mind.”
Skye was pretty much inhaling anything that wasn’t tied down or wouldn’t fight back. Those twins of hers were ravenous.
“Skye...”
She looked up from peeling the paper off the bottom of the muffin. “Yeah?”
“You were talking about the sense of community and involvement in Good Riddance....” Delphi trailed off, hoping Skye would pick up the conversational thread.
“Uh-huh. That was it.”
That was it. Apparently the twins were sucking out her brain cells, as well, because her advice had been a bunch of nothing. And it seemed to her that Skye was avoiding her.
Fine. She’d landed in some Alaskan bush version of The Twilight Zone. Whatever. They had another jam-packed day. And the day after tomorrow was Nelson’s last day.
It was also the day that Lars left. She couldn’t wait. It couldn’t come fast enough. She would be so seriously glad to hear that plane take off on Friday and know that he was on it. So, he’d go back to wherever. She’d finish her three months here, then go back to Atlanta. He’d become a distant memory. A handsome, dashing, charming arrogant soldier who’d swept her off her feet. And possibly at some point in the future, perhaps in a couple of years, she could laugh when recounting her brief fling with Lars Reinhardt. It had been fun and silly and wildly romantic. But in the end, she’d had the good sense to put the necessary boundaries in place. One day she’d tell her girlfriends about the man who’d been built like a god and who thought they could possibly be in love after a few days. One day, she would. But for now, she was counting the hours and the very minutes until he left.
The days weren’t so bad. They were so busy. The nights were nearly unbearable. Knowing he was on the other side of the wall. Knowing she only had to open the door. Knowing he wanted her. Knowing the magic to be found in his arms. But it was easier this way. He’d changed things up and that’s when she’d cut things off.
She heard Nelson unlocking the waiting room door and the chorus of greetings as patients filed in. There was nothing else to do but jump into the day with a smile.
Delphi walked into the waiting room and immediately noticed that everyone was wearing a button or a badge. A tingle ran down her spine. What was going on? And then she got close enough to actually read the button.
Really? She was momentarily speechless. Everyone, and she meant every single person in the waiting room, was wearing one. She did a double take. Even Nelson?
He held up his hands in a gesture of peace and surrender. “I can’t argue with the messages. The dragonflies and the earth delivered the message.”
Delphi marched back down the hall, a suspicion niggling at her. Sure enough, Skye had one on her lab coat.
“Et tu Brute?”
“What can I say, Delphi? I knew when you came over to the house on Friday night.”
“How could you know? I didn’t even know then. I don’t even know now. I mean, I do know now. I’m attracted to him. I’m grateful to him and maybe I fancied myself a little bit in love with him but this is nothing more than a holiday fling. It won’t stand up to the test of time.”
“How are you so sure?”
“I don’t even know his favorite color. What if he leaves the seat up in the bathroom?”
“Give me a second.” Skye picked up the phone and punched in a number. Someone answered almost immediately on the other end. “Morning, Merrilee. Is Lars anywhere around? No, I don’t need to talk to him. You can just ask him for me. I need to know his favorite color and if he leaves the seat up or down in the bathroom. Sure. I’ll hold for a minute.” Skye held up a finger indicating Delphi should give her a minute. “Merrilee’s checking now. Yeah? Okay. Thanks.” She hung up the phone.
“His favorite color is orange and, yes, he leaves the seat up. So, there, now you know. What else?”
“I’m not wild about the color orange,” Delphi muttered. “And who could live with a man who leaves the toilet seat up?”
“I totally understand. Those are both deal-breakers. They’re both good, sound reasons to throw away the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
Skye had always favored sarcasm. “I didn’t know that’s how you saw it. You never said anything.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“I know Mrs. Watkins is waiting in room one—” with her button on “—so we don’t have much time. But do you really think he’s the best thing that ever happened to me?”
“Of course. I don’t say things like that if I don’t mean it. Actually, I don’t say anything I don’t mean. It’s a waste of breath and time.”
“But how?”
“Because I saw how you two were at the wedding and then at the reception. He looks at you the way Dalton looks at me. And you look at him the way I look at Dalton. And then there’s the fact that you were positively glowing until you found out about the twins. And then you got all freaked out because how could he possibly be so important to you, so soon? How can you trust it? How can you trust that you’re not off the mark the way you were with DeWitt, even if that was a totally different situation? It’s all very clear to everyone here. And since you seem confused, we’re all helping you figure it out.”
Skye. Even Skye had defected. Lars was Rasputin.
Delphi nodded, feeling the tug of tears at her eyes. She sucked it up. She’d be damned if she’d cry just because an entire town, who didn’t know her, didn’t understand where she was coming from, had ganged up on her. They just treated her life as if it was some communal joke. And if Lars thought she’d be bowled over or think this was anything other than blatant disrespect for her, as if she was too stupid to know her own heart, her own emotions... If he thought she’d be swayed by this, he had another think coming. If anything, it made her more resolute to stand up for herself. And if she had to stand alone, well, then she’d stand alone.
She was torn between wanting to burst into tears and itching to march over to the B&B and give Lars a piece of her mind. However, she was a professional, so she did neither.
By the end of the day, she’d perfected smiling at the patients while steadfastly ignoring the buttons.
Her nerves were seriously on edge by the end of the day. She finished her duties as quickly as possible and left.
Merrilee, with her button on, was closing up the airstrip office when Delphi came in. She took one look at Delphi’s face and reached up and removed her button.
“I’m sorry,” Merrilee said, and Delphi felt a small measure better. “He was desperate. Desperate men take desperate measures.”
Delphi simply nodded. If she spoke, it was altogether likely her voice would be filled with the tears that had been clogging the back of her throat all afternoon.
“I’ll order you a dinner to go from Gus’s.”
Delphi managed a thanks and a quick nod and went upstairs. He’d turned her into the laughingstock of Good Riddance. She had to work here for the next three months. She would never forgive him for this. Granted, he could be brash and run a little roughshod over people, but this? This was so far over the top. It simply made her realize just how right her decision had been.
Skye was wrong. He wasn’t the best thing that had ever happened to her. He couldn’t be.
She’d feel better once she ate something. And she’d choke down some of whatever came from next door. She’d skipped breakfast, and lunch hadn’t even been a remote option.
She smelled the food just before the knock sounded on her door. She opened it, expecting Merrilee or perhaps Ruby—really anyone other than the man outside her door. She immediately recognized him. They might bear a resemblance, but each man was uniquely his own person.
Liam Reinhardt held out the box containing her dinner. “I’d understand if you say no, but I’d appreciate a few minutes of your time.”
There was a somber intimidation to Liam that wasn’t part of Lars’s makeup. She hesitated but then found it impossible to refuse. She didn’t think many people said no to Liam. She wasn’t looking to start a trend. It was all too easy to imagine him sighting a target and squeezing off a kill shot.
She stood aside. “Come in. Did Lars send you?” She recognized the inherent foolishness of her question the moment it left her mouth. No one would send Liam anywhere. He wasn’t a man to answer to others. However, she refused to be intimidated.
“No. He doesn’t know I’m here. I heard there was a family emergency so we cut our honeymoon short.”
“You cut your honeymoon short to talk to me?”
“Sit down. Eat.”
Bossiness seemed to be a family trait. As much as she resented being ordered around by this unsmiling facsimile of Lars, she sat and, opening the take-out box, she ate.
She ate in silence.
Liam waited in silence.
When she’d somewhat assuaged the hunger pangs, she pushed the take-out box aside. She had no interest in eating her entire meal with this austere man looking on. The sooner he stated his business and left, the better.
“That button is the dumbest thing my brother has ever done,” he stated baldly.
Hmm. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as he initially seemed. It struck her as pretty dumb, too. “Well, that’s one thing we agree on.”
“I think there’s probably quite a lot we’d agree on.” Amazing how a simple quirk of his mouth transformed him into a normal human.
Whatever. “Perhaps.”
“I’ll keep it brief. I’m sure it’s been a long day.”
“Yes.”
“Depending on your point of view and the circumstances, Swenson men are either cursed or blessed. When we fall in love, it’s a done deal. It’s been that way for generations. We’re one-woman men. If your woman feels the same about you, it’s a blessing. There have been a few unfortunate males in our family who weren’t lucky enough to have their feelings reciprocated. I’m sure they considered it a curse. I made a serious mistake when I married my first wife. Natalie and I were friends but we weren’t in love. You haven’t been here long so you might not be aware. Do you know Merrilee and Bull’s story?”
“No.” Her throat felt tight. Uttering the one-syllable response was a challenge.
“Bull met Merrilee twentysomething years ago. He was one of the first people to move here when she founded the town. He was in his late forties and had never been married. He took one look at her and he knew. He was done. They were together from that day forward, but she wouldn’t marry him. He bought a ring and held on to it for twenty-five years. There had never been anyone else for him then and there never will be anyone else. That’s how I feel about Tansy. I’ve just learned that Dirk’s been in love with Natalie for years. If I’d known, I’d have never looked twice at her because it means Dirk’s been left to wander alone. And now there’s you and Lars. Regardless of how you feel about him, he’s stuck with you.”
“That’s not very flattering.”
Liam shrugged, unrepentant. “Sorry, but that’s just calling it what it is. I’m stuck with Tansy. It’s the way we roll, as Dirk would say.”
Liam continued. “Making the buttons was a dumb move on Lars’s part, but it was a desperate move. For God’s sake, don’t pretend to feel anything for him that you don’t. In the end, that doesn’t do anyone any good. However, his heart will always be yours for the taking.”
And without further comments or pleasantries, he headed for her door. His hand was on the knob when Delphi spoke. “Thank you for coming.”
“I came for Lars. My brother’s hurting. I didn’t come to plead his case. I came to give you the facts, so you can make an informed decision.”
“I didn’t want him to fall in love with me.”
“It doesn’t matter. You didn’t have any more control over it than he did. And trust me, if we could choose who we fall in love with, don’t you think Tansy would’ve done better? I’m not exactly a lovable guy but my wife sees something in me.” He grinned and shook his head. “I’m one lucky son of a bitch while she got the short end of the stick. But it is what it is.”
Her mouth was still sort of gaping over him saying that Tansy wouldn’t have voluntarily fallen in love with him. Maybe Liam wasn’t so bad after all. But he did scare the hell out of her. He didn’t have Lars’s slight outrageousness.
Liam’s little talk cast a whole different slant on Lars’s button campaign. He hadn’t been trying to humiliate or ride roughshod over her. Well, maybe he was trying to ride roughshod a bit, but it was because he would always approach a problem with ingenuity. The man thought outside the box. That was what it took to defuse bombs. And to sweep her off her feet. He was the kind of man who would love her for the rest of his life whether she ever came to her senses or not.
They’d have to talk about that toilet seat. There was a lot they needed to talk about. But as he had very wisely pointed out, and she’d been too scared to listen, talking could take care of a lot of things. If that was the case, then he was the master handler, because he could certainly talk.
And what she had to do now had never been clearer.
* * *
SO, THAT HAD BEEN a bust. He’d been across the street talking with the Native guide Clint Sisnuket when he spotted Delphi coming in from the clinic. One look at her face had said it all. His button campaign was a fail.
It was more than a fail. She wasn’t just angry—she was humiliated. It was a calculated risk, which had ended badly. Hell, maybe he needed to slip Rooster a C-note to put on Delphi, since his odds now appeared greatly diminished. As Merrilee had pointed out, he was running short on time.
Not much got him down, but he was pretty damn down. Dirk heralded him from the front entrance into Gus’s, waving him to come over. Lars shook his head and went into the B&B. He just wanted to hang in his room. He was as much a lovesick fool as Dirk.
At least if he was in his room, Delphi would be on the other side of the door. Granted, she wouldn’t talk to him, wouldn’t see him, but at least he could sit on the other side of the damn door, feeling her presence.... He was pathetic. Love was pathetic. It sucked.
Delphi wanted to get all bent out of shape and accuse him of changing the rules on her. What the hell? He’d just been looking to sleep with her and have a couple of laughs. He damn sure hadn’t expected to fall in love.
But his ship had been torpedoed the moment he boarded the plane and saw her sitting there. Direct hit. And with every day, every kiss, every touch, his ship took on water. By the time he realized it, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do. His ship was sunk—by a little blonde spitfire.
He closed his door and stretched out on the bed. She was quiet, but nonetheless he heard her moving around next door. He was sort of drifting, trying to clear his mind, when her knock startled him into an upright position.
No doubt she wanted to give him hell about the button campaign. He really was a poor bastard that he’d rather have her bitching at him than not have any contact with her at all.
Pa-the-tic.
“Come on in.”
She opened the door and stepped through. She had on the dress she’d worn to Liam and Tansy’s wedding. And on the right side of her dress, where the strap met the bodice, she’d pinned on one of his buttons.
He fisted his hands at his sides to keep from reaching for her.
“Hey, you.”
“Hi.”
“So, I see you picked up a new fashion accessory.”
“Yeah, it seems to be all the rage. Apparently a whole lot of people are smarter than I am.”
He took a step toward her. “Woman, it’s not that you lack brains—you’re just misguided sometimes. That’s why you need me to tell you what to do.”
“Is that a fact?” She deliberately took a step forward, encroaching on his territory.
“It is.”
“Well, I think the terms have to be renegotiated,” she said. “I get to be the squad leader half the time.”
“A third. You’re smaller than me.”
“Half.”
He couldn’t stand it any longer. He put his hands on her waist. “You drive a hard bargain, Blondie, but okay, half.”
She slipped her arms around his neck, linking her hands at the top of his spine. Her touch sent a shiver through him.
“I love you.”
Her words sent his happy meter soaring. He grinned. “I know. I’m the one who told you.”
“Oh, yeah.” She rested her head against his chest and he nuzzled her head. “You know there’s a whole lot we don’t know about each other. And a lot that has to be worked out.” She leaned back and looked up into his face.
“Yep. But we’ve got the main points covered.” Speaking of main points, he slid his hands down her back and grabbed her delectable ass. “You love me.”
She made a pouty face. “Well, let’s not forget that you love me, too.”
He slid the dress strap off her shoulder and blazed a trail of kisses along her skin. She smelled good and tasted even better. “That was never the question, Blondie.” He nipped her.
“There is one other point while we’re negotiating, Marine.” Oh, hell, he knew what was coming. Sure enough she reached down between them and palmed his dick. Yep, she was bringing out the big guns by handling his big gun. “That toilet seat—”
“I’ll work on it.” She’d nag him relentlessly. He’d just have to distract her. “So, the button campaign wasn’t a total wash.”
“Has anyone ever told you you talk too much, Marine?”
He chuckled and shifted, bringing her hand into harder contact with his dick. Hey, if she was going to handle his equipment, far be it from him to complain. “As a matter of fact, there’s this hot little blonde chick I met on a plane—”
“Lars—”
“Yeah?” They were going to have so much fun...for a long time.
“Shut up and kiss me.”
* * * * *