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I step between them, gently prying their hands apart. “She’s leaving now,” I state firmly, holding McKay’s defiant gaze.
“But she needs a job and a place to stay,” Genie protests, not seeing what her granddaughter is up to. “I have a spare guest room.”
I whirl around to face Genie. “She’s only here to run you out of town and sell your properties,” I insist, desperation creeping into my voice. How can Genie not see through her act?
McKay gives me a challenging look. “Speaking of properties, where is the McFolley family farm? I stopped by, but it’s gone.”
I glance at Genie because that’s her story to tell, not mine.
“Well, I should close up the bakery for now,” Genie says decisively. She turns to me with a smile. “Bishop, why don’t you help McKay check out of the B&B, then bring her to my place? That’ll give me time to get the guest room ready.”
“That’s really not necessary,” McKay protests. “I don’t want to be a bother.”
At the same time, I state firmly, “She’s leaving town. Today.”
Genie waves her hand dismissively. “You two are being silly. She’s staying, and that’s final.” Before we can argue further, she disappears into the back room.
I clench my jaw as McKay grabs her purse and saunters toward the exit. This isn’t over yet.
Outside, McKay pauses by her car. “I don’t understand why you’re barging into something that’s not your business. Just stay out of it.”
I stalk close to her and wrench open the door. I lean down and meet her challenging gaze. “Unlike you, or your father, I care about the people in this town. I don’t buy your act, but I’ll make sure you don’t get away with …” I trail off because I can’t understand why she’s here.
She chuckles. “Just stay away, okay? I’ll be here for a while.”
“Just so you know, you won’t be staying long.”
McKay just smiles smugly. “We’ll see about that.”
As McKay climbs into her car, she brushes against me, and I catch a whiff of her floral perfume. I have to admit, even though she’s infuriating, she smells amazing. She smiles up at me, those big hazel eyes fluttering, and for a second I imagine leaning down and kissing those full, smirking lips.
I mentally shake myself. What am I thinking? She’s trying to swindle Genie out of everything she has. I can’t let myself get distracted by McKay’s beauty or charm.
Clearing my throat, I shut the door firmly and walk toward my truck. As we pull away, I keep my eyes fixed straight ahead. I won’t let her get to me. She’ll be out of Kentbury soon enough.
Soon.
Enough.
ChapterSeven
Bishop
It doesn’t takeme long to help McKay check out from the B&B. Once I’m done, I immediately go back to work. There’s no point in hanging around while Genie bonds with her long-lost granddaughter. I worry about what might happen if McKay convinces her to leave, but I doubt much damage can be done in one day. Against my better judgment, I have to set this aside. I have a lot to do before the Fall Festival. Thankfully, Bethany, the events coordinator at Harris Ski Resort, handles most of the planning. I don’t know why I agreed to continue this tradition, but at least I have help.
Still, while I’m busy at the farm repairing the fence around the alpaca enclosure, I can’t stop thinking about McKay. There’s something about this unforeseen reunion that doesn’t feel right. Technically, I don’t have anything to lose, but I don’t have to like it, do I?
It’s around nine when I finally get home, my stomach growling. In the kitchen, I grab some bread, turkey, and cheese and throw together a sandwich. I add a few slices of tomato and spread on some home-made mustard, my mind wandering as I think about everything that went down today. After twisting the cap back on the mustard, I snag a beer from the fridge before collapsing onto the deck. I’ve barely taken a bite when Damian shows up, his brow all scrunched up.
“Where have you been?” He tries to look stern with his arms crossed, but it comes off as petulant.
I raise an eyebrow, biting a grin back. “You checking up on me?”
He scoffs, scuffing his boot against the deck. “You missed dinner at Lee’s. She’s worried you’re going to scare off Genie’s granddaughter.”
“And you came to …” I trail my voice but wait for him to finish the sentence. I take a long swig of beer, waiting for him to continue.
“Landon doesn’t want us to upset Lee,” he mutters, staring at the ground.
