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Hailey was smart as a whip, but from our long phone calls, I’d surmised her efforts weren’t appreciated the way she deserved.
“Lori, how’s the event-planning business coming along?” I asked, listening intently to her answer, gauging if she needed any help, whether financial or just picking my brain. I was in LA on vacation, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t do what I did best: take care of my family.
Dinner lasted long into the evening as we laughed at old memories and poked fun at each other. It felt good to be home, surrounded by my family. Back in San Jose, I had some family too: the Bennetts, cousins on my mother’s side, who lived in San Francisco. They’d adopted me, especially on holidays, and I liked spending time with them, but I’d missed my siblings.
When we finally called it a night and rose from the table, Hailey said, “If you don’t have plans tomorrow, I’ll make some for you. Wouldn’t want to leave you to your own devices too much. You might resort to your old tricks... like working.”
I threw Val an exasperated glance. “What did you do, munchkin, put the entire family on alert?”
“Don’t underestimate me. The entire neighborhood. Plus Maddie. Asked her to keep an eye on him while she’s here,” she informed our siblings.
Lori clapped her hands. “Good.”
I looked at Jace, then at Will. “Any of you plan to back me up here?”
Will pretended to think hard about it, then said, “I’m staying out of it.”
“Me too. You’re toast, brother,” Jace exclaimed. “Not tying myself to a sinking ship.”
Growing up, it had always been brothers versus sisters, but I sensed a shift at the table. Now it was Connors versus Landon, and I was losing by a decent margin.
An image of Maddie popped into my mind, wearing that red dress with her hair falling in luscious curls around her. She’d shuddered when I’d
kissed her hand, and I’d barely resisted the urge to do it again.
Considering how quickly she’d sided with me today when it came to Val’s supplier, I had full confidence that I could win Maddie over to my side. I was looking forward to it.
Chapter Four
Maddie
I loved LA. I loved the endless beaches, the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance. I loved how you could drive from one side to the other and feel like you were in a different city altogether. Cosmopolitan and ever changing, LA had a life of its own. I’d fallen hook, line, and sinker for all it had to offer (including the occasional celebrity sighting) ever since I moved there.
There were also things I didn’t like about it, such as the traffic or the minor vandalism acts—especially when I had to face them at six o’clock. On Monday morning, I found my beloved Chevy truck with the windshield broken. Since there were no parking opportunities in front of my bungalow, I always parked on the adjacent street, where two of the three streetlamps were broken. I supposed the semidarkness invited such acts. I cleaned the driver seat of glass as best I could, then climbed in and drove straight to the car repair shop.
The mechanic tried to sell me on a small Prius as an exchange car while my truck was in the repair shop, but I wasn’t having any of it.
“Lady, this isn’t a car rental. You get what we have.”
I crossed my arms over my chests, leveled him with my stare.
“I run a landscaping business. I carry supplies with me and need space to deposit tools and plants. If you can’t give me any truck, I’m taking the Chevy and giving my business to someone else.”
I was only half bluffing. I did need a large vehicle, but I also didn’t have time to find another repair shop. In the end, I got my way and drove out a battered, old truck with a faulty transmission.
I arrived at Val’s forty minutes later, but the boys I worked with, Sevi and Jacob, were already there and had started with the first patch of land that would become a terrace. Since my company was a one-person show, I only hired guys on a project-by-project basis. Not the best option since sometimes they bailed on me midproject, but hiring a full-time team wasn’t in my budget right now. The extra profit went toward Grace’s tuition at law school. I didn’t want her to be in debt up to her eyeballs when she graduated.
If everything went according to plan, I’d be able to hire people full-time in eighteen months.
But for a one-person company, I was proud of how fast I’d made a name for myself in this business. For two years in a row, I won the Best Garden award granted by one of the most prestigious LA design magazines.
“Hey, Maddie!” they greeted in unison. I waved back, heading up to the house to drop my backpack in the foyer as usual.
“Good morning! How’s your ankle?” I jumped at the sound of Landon’s voice. He stepped through the open front door into the foyer. My God, was he gorgeous or what? He was wearing jogging pants and a shirt that molded perfectly to his chest. The short sleeves confirmed what I’d guessed on Friday when he’d held me to him—his arms were corded with lean muscles. Judging by the sheen of sweat on his skin, he must have just finished his run.
“Morning, Landon. My ankle is as good as new. Is Val here too?”
“Already left.”
