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Chapter 10
Rory yanked herself away from Grant so fast she stumbled backward. Her breath rasped hotly in her throat. Lust fogged her brain.
They stared at each other, the air flooding with shock the instant before a shutter slammed over his expression. Just like that, the heat disappeared from his eyes and was replaced with calm poise as he turned to the front door.
“Grant?” Joanna Taylor called. “Are you in here?”
Rory wasn’t as good an actor as Grant, so she turned away quickly to try and compose herself. She was throbbing. Her insides ached with desire.
“Mom.” His deep voice held just the right amount of surprise. “You were supposed to arrive tomorrow.”
“Surprise!” A whiff of Chanel No. 5 filled the cottage as Joanna approached the door. “Your father finished a project early, so I convinced him to come down today. Of course, the big goof had to make several stops to check his messages, but hepromisednot to work while we’re here. Rory! How are you, dear?”
Fixing a smile on her face, Rory turned to greet the older woman, who was a vision of casual elegance in a linen pantsuit and chunky gold jewelry.
“Nice to see you again, Mrs. Taylor. Welcome to Bliss Cove.”
“Oh, heavens, call me Joanna. Is this the cottage?” Removing her large sunglasses, she stepped inside. A slight frown dipped her mouth. “Oh, my. It is small, isn’t it?”
“I did warn you.” Grant glanced past his mother’s shoulder. “Where’s Dad?”
“Finishing a call.” Joanna rolled her eyes and set her YSL purse on the counter. She sniffed the air. “Is that potpourri? I’m afraid I’m a bit allergic to synthetic scents.”
“Mom.” Grant’s tone hardened.
“We’ll just take it away.” Rory grabbed the little potpourri pot and pushed open a window. “How was the drive?”
“Oh, lovely, dear.” Joanna ran her finger over a counter in the kitchenette and examined whatever specks of dust she’d collected. “It’s wonderful to be reminded of how beautiful the Pacific Coast is.”
“So this is your place, huh?” Edward Taylor stepped into the cottage, the breadth of his shoulders and sheer height making the space seem even smaller than it was. “No wonder it’s called theMousehole.”
“The Mousehole is the tavern, Dad.” Grant folded his arms, his jaw tensing. “This is the cottage. My house is over there…” he pointed to the north, “…and the tavern is the building you saw when you drove up. The other building is a rental space for parties and classes.”
“It’s charming, isn’t it, Edward?” Joanna picked up a corner of the comforter and rubbed it between her fingers. “Let’s go take a peek at your house, Grant.”
Rory drew in a sharp breath. Grant caught her eye, and an unspoken message of faint panic passed between them. They’d intended to unpack her stuff and set up this afternoon. Instead, all of her boxes and suitcases were still stacked in his living room, and there was zero evidence of her living there.
“Actually, why don’t you come to the tavern first?” Grant spread his hand out toward the door. “Have a drink, get something to eat. It’s close to dinner. You must be tired from the drive.”
“Yes!” Rory spoke with such enthusiasm that Joanna looked at her in surprise. “Go relax for an hour or…um, three. The house isn’t quite ready for visitors yet.”
“Oh, we don’t mind, dear.” Joanna waved a dismissive hand. “We’re just delighted to be here.”
“Come on, Dad. I’ll make you a martini. Extra dry with a twist.” Grant took firm hold of his father’s arm and steered him out toward the tavern.
With a little shrug, Joanna picked up her purse and followed. After Grant set his parents on the path around the tavern to the front door, he poked his head back into the cottage.
“I’ll get them situated and meet you back at the house.”
“Go,” Rory hissed, pulling her cell phone out of her back pocket. “Keep them occupied. I’ll take care of the house.”
He hurried after his parents.
Dialing Aria’s number, Rory ran toward her car. “Aria? I need your help, but you can’t ask questions.”
“Can I ask what you need my help with?”
“Get a bunch of girly stuff together for me. Some of your jewelry, shoes, even a dress or two. Novels with people kissing on the cover, maybe a few things from Moonbeams, like scarves and a crystal lamp or something. Do you know what I mean?”
