AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh…well, yes, of course.”
“Okay, then. You’re not going to toss anything else at my head, are you?”
“I only did that because I thought you were a creeper,” she argued, scrambling to her feet. “You scared me half to death.”
“Guess I deserved it, then,” Jackson replied without skipping a beat. “I’ll be here for a little while to assess the damage to the back of the house and take some pictures of the yard, but I’ll do my best not to interrupt you. Oh, and I’ll fix your screen door after I’m done. Free of charge, of course.”
“But the tree didn’t hit the house. There’s nothing wrong with the screen door.”
Man, he’d bet she was feisty even in her sleep. “If you say so.” Jackson trundled the door along its track, the dent in the metal frame as clear as his hand in front of him. “Have a nice morning.”
He clamped down on his laugh as she gasped from behind him, but he didn’t turn back toward the house. It got kind of dicey when the gasp turned into a muttered curse, but when the cursing went from English to Italian, he had no choice but to bury his face in the crook of his elbow and let the laughter in his chest have its way with him.
2
The sharp sound of a horn knocked Carly from the distracted fog she’d been unable to shake all day, and she gave the car behind her a guilty wave before proceeding through Pine Mountain’s only stoplight. Her cheeks prickled with warmth as she shamelessly let her mind zero back in on its new favorite subject.
The contractor guy had her in the world’s weirdest tizzy.
In her defense, that Aretha Franklin song begged to be turned up loud and sung along to. Still, that didn’t change how totally mortifying it was that Mr. Fix-It had caught her warbling her little heart out. And itdefinitelydidn’t change his being as sculpted as a freaking Michelangelo, or his breathtakingly blue eyes which crinkled around the edges when he smiled. Even though that smile had been one hundred percent at her expense this morning.
Well, you know what they say. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Not like you’d need one after that.
Oh, Lord. The mere thought of it was going to ruin that song for her forever. At least she could hide out in the kitchen until the new deck was done.
She pulled off the main road and onto resort property, grateful for the first reassuring thought she’d had all day.
As much as Carly missed the bustling sights and sounds of New York, she had to admit that the grounds of the resort really were beautiful. The main lodge was set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge skyline, with entrances on both the east and west sides of the stone façade. La Dolce Vita sat nestled on the west side of the building, which gave her the full advantage of a gorgeous mountain sunset to boost the restaurant’s cozy atmosphere.
Carly had been pleasantly surprised to discover Pine Mountain Resort wasn’t just a tourist draw during ski season, which meant there was no terrible off-season lull in the summer. The sizeable lake and miles of hiking trails that varied in skill level made Pine Mountain an attractive warm-weather vacation spot, and the new full-service spa at the resort added elegance and upscale appeal. With the rejuvenation of the main restaurant, courtesy of Carly’s hard work and vision, the resort was sure to become even more popular in the upcoming season.
Which was a good thing, because the more buzz she got, the easier it would be to prove her worth and snag a primo job back in New York, where she belonged.
She made her way to the kitchen, snapping on the overhead lights and giving each station a quick once-over. With the exception of the faint buzz of the walk-in fridge and freezer lining the rear wall, the kitchen hummed with eerie silence. Carly shut the door to the back office with a snick and squared her shoulders, giving the desk phone a wary look before scooping up the receiver. As much as she didn’t want to call Travis, their divorcewasstill in red-tape purgatory. Until they both signed on the dotted line, she’d have to suck it up and return his phone calls.
“Travis Masters.”
Was it her, or had his voice gotten even more arrogant since she’d last spoken to him a few weeks ago? “Hi, Travis.” Carly cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear and imagined herself on a beach in Tahiti. “Sloane said you left a message the other day. What can I do for you?”
“Carly.” Travis’s voice was as thick as clotted cream. “How’s it going at the resort? What’s the name of that little place you’ve got up there again?” He paused for maximum condescension. “It’s so far off the beaten path, I can never remember.”
Carly’s radar flipped into overdrive at Travis’s niceties, in spite of the veiled dig. “La Dolce Vita,” she said, trying not to grit her teeth. “You’re awfully pleasant today.”
“What? I’m not allowed to be nice now?” His wounded tone peppered tiny holes in Carly’s carefully constructed defenses before he continued. “Just because we’re getting divorced doesn’t mean I don’t care about how you are.”
She frowned. Maybe she was being a touch cynical. After all, not all of their five-year marriage had been set on stormy waters.
“Sorry. You just took me by surprise, is all.” Carly twisted the phone cord between her fingers. “Everything here is great. Our soft opening in the spring was successful enough that we were able to do the grand opening in time for Memorial Day. So far, the early summer crowds haven’t disappointed, even though the weather’s been on the cool side.”
“Well, that sounds like a nice little payoff for you, although I have to say, I’m surprised you left New York. You must miss the city.”
Travis’s voice folded over the words with a little too much concern, and Carly’s unease shimmered like waves of heat on sun-baked pavement. Travis could get as cordial as he wanted. No way was she tipping her totally homesick hand.
“It’s actually lovely out here. I can’t complain.” Carly paused, unable to keep her mounting wariness at bay. “Look, Travis, I’m sure you didn’t call me for a game of catch-up, and I’ve got a tasting menu to prep for my dinner staff. So, is there something you need?”
“Still straight to the point, I see.” His voice took on a sharp edge beneath the smooth demeanor. “Winslow called me a few days ago. He wants us back for more episodes.”
Carly barked out a laugh in a total knee-jerk reaction. “You can’t be serious.”
