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Juliette stopped at the thermostat on her way to the sofa and turned up the heat. She tended to keep the temperature set somewhere between sixty-eight and seventy at home. The temperature inside right now was nowhere near that. Before sitting down, she glanced at the woodstove. Maybe she should call Valley Landscaping and have them deliver some wood so she could use the thing. She could give them her credit card info over the phone, and they could leave the wood outside. How hard could it be to carry in a few pieces when she needed them?
“Oh, yeah, great idea. I’ll probably burn the cottage down trying to get a fire going.”
Talk about a fabulous way to call attention to herself. She could picture the headlines already on Today Magazine or the Star Report. Juliette Belmont, President Warren Sherbrooke’s niece, destroys home owned by Maggie Wright, a lifelong resident of Avon, New Hampshire. Knowing her luck, she’d not only burn down this cottage but all the ones around her too. Yeah, it was safer to leave the woodstove alone and simply rely on the central heating, even if it wasn’t as efficient as she’d like.
Kicking off her sneakers, she grabbed her e-reader off the end table. Her cousin’s second novel was due out in November, and she still hadn’t read his first one. As far as she knew, she was the only member of the family who hadn’t read Fatal Deception. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to support Curt, but from the little she knew about the book, it wasn’t her type of story. She enjoyed books with either a lot of humor or a happily ever after. Novels filled with plot twists and turns or crazed psychopaths didn’t appeal to her. Regardless, she planned to read it before she started anything else, and now seemed as good a time as any to start.
She flipped open the cover and pressed the power button before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “Okay, Curt, let’s see why everyone thinks this book is so great.”
Her cousin’s book had hit all the major lists, and both Curt’s fans and family members were clamoring for its sequel. Adjusting the pillow behind her back, she winced when she drew her knees up in front of her. As she’d expected, she had an enormous bruise on her knee from when she tripped. The way she saw it, a bruise was far better than a sprained ankle or a broken bone. Next time she went walking through the woods, she needed to be more careful. She’d had her fair share of both when she danced, and she had no desire to experience either again. Hot chocolate in one hand, she dove into the story.
Five chapters later, Juliette understood why so many people loved Fatal Deception. Never in a million years would she have guessed her cousin was such a talented storyteller. In her opinion, he’d wasted way too many years in Boston working in the financial world. Setting her e-reader down, she rubbed her eyes as she stood and then stretched her arms over her head. After she grabbed something to eat and another hot drink, she’d get back to the book.
Despite her empty stomach, movement outside had her walking toward the windows rather than the kitchen.
Aaron and Tiegan were walking his dog along the lake. Unlike earlier, he had on a dark blue ski jacket and jeans. Not that it mattered. She could easily picture the way his muscles had moved as he ran this morning. The man took care of himself. The last thing she needed right now was to get involved with anyone, especially since her stay in Avon was temporary. Still, it didn’t mean she couldn’t look and appreciate a man. And at least in the looks department, there was a lot to appreciate when it came to Mr. Aaron Wright.
Her eyes lingered on him for another second or two before moving over to Tiegan, who at the moment was talking and making hand gestures as her uncle listened. The girl was, in a single word, striking. Juliette didn’t know what her dad looked like, but considering how attractive the few members of her family she’d met were, it wasn’t a big surprise. Without any trouble, Juliette could see the girl doing photoshoots for the biggest names in pre-teen clothing or walking the runway during New York Fashion Week.
When she joined the family for dinner, maybe she’d offer to put Tiegan in contact with her agent, assuming the girl was interested and Candace approved—something the woman might not do. Her parents had refused to let her pursue that particular goal until she was seventeen. In fact, it was the only thing she could remember her parents ever refusing to let her try as a kid. But if Candace gave the okay, there wasn’t anyone better to represent Tiegan than Pierre. As annoying as he could be at times, the man knew the business inside and out. More importantly, he looked at the talent he represented as more than just a commodity he could use to make money. Not to mention, he was always on the lookout for the next breakout model, a title she believed Tiegan could easily earn.
Before they disappeared from view, she glanced back at Aaron. Yep, she could spend a lot of time appreciating Mr. Wright.
Juliette stayed by the window until she could no longer see Aaron and his niece. Was the man single? Holly might know, and if she didn’t, she could find out from her mom. According to Holly, in Avon everyone knew everyone else’s business, and secrets never stayed that way for long.
And what if he is? She’d come here to escape the media, which she’d done so far, and make some decisions about her life—a task she was still working on. Neither of those things required a man. It was probably in her best interest to maintain a look-but-don’t-touch attitude when it came to the campground owner’s son. Or anyone else in town, for that matter.
Despite telling herself not to worry about Aaron’s relationship status and simply appreciate him from afar, she found herself pulling up Holly’s contact information in her phone instead of picking up her e-reader again when she finished lunch half an hour later.
Holly answered on the third ring. “I was thinking about calling you today. How are things?”
“Okay. Are you still in Maine with your cousin?”
“Yeah, I plan to stay for a few more days, and then I’m going to head back to Avon.”
She’d expected Holly to return to New York after seeing her cousin. “Really? You’re not going back to the city?”
“Nah, I’m staying with my parents for another week or so. Before I left for Maine, Marc told me he plans to propose to his girlfriend. He already bought the ring.”
She’d last seen Marc in late October when he came to visit Holly. At the time, he’d come alone, and she didn’t remember him mentioning a girlfriend. She didn’t recall Holly telling her Marc had a girlfriend either. “I didn’t know he was seeing anyone.”
“Neither did I. I can’t believe he never told me. I’m his twin, for crying out loud.”
Juliette didn’t tell her siblings about every man she dated. Then again, few of her relationships ever lasted more than a month or two. But if one did or if she was with someone she thought she might have a future with, she made sure everyone in her family met him. “How long have they been together?”
“Since January. They haven’t even been together for three months, and he’s going to propose. It’s crazy. And trust me, I told him that.”
Oh, Juliette didn’t doubt it. When it came to sharing what was on her mind, Holly held nothing back. Her twin seemed to be the same way. At least that had always been the case when she’d been around Marc.
“Just because he bought a ring doesn’t mean he plans to ask this month.”
Holly laughed. “You know my brother. The guy has the patience of a two-year-old. He’ll ask before the month is over. Convincing him to wait until they’ve been together longer will never happen. So I’m going to spend some more time in town and get to know her.”
As interesting as their conversation was, she hadn’t called to hear about Holly’s brother and his engagement plans. “Speaking of meeting someone, I met your high school crush this morning.”
“I haven
’t seen him in at least two years. Please tell me he’s still panty-melting hot. And if he has a beer belly and no hair, just lie to me.”
