As You Like it

“Hello,” called out a pretty young woman from the wide front porch. “You must be Marissa Sturgess.”

Marissa peered around Beau’s shoulder and wriggled her fingers. “Hi, yes I am and you must be Jenny.”

“Uh-huh, and this is my rude brother who’s letting you cart your own suitcase. Beau,” Jenny chided him, “please take Ms. Sturgess’s things to her room.”

Marissa dropped her suitcase at Beau’s feet and blithely walked around him.

She extended her hand to the auburn-haired, freckle-face woman with a winning smile who came down the steps to greet her. Jenny was dressed casually in blue-jeans overalls, a white long-sleeved turtleneck sweater and blue-and-white Keds. She had the kind of friendly, open face that made you want to tell her everything about yourself all at once.

“I would like it if you called me Marissa.”

“Of course, Marissa, welcome to Greenbrier.” Jenny linked her arm through Marissa’s. “Let me show you the house.”

They went on ahead, leaving Beau to bring up the rear with her suitcase.

Jenny began to tell Marissa about the house and its history, and while she was very interested, she couldn’t get her mind off the fact Beau was glaring at her so hard her neck was perspiring.

This wasn’t working out quite as she had planned. It was a little hard to flirt with a man who acted as if her face was on the wanted poster at the post office. She had no idea she had upset him to this degree the day before. So much for charm. Apparently he wasn’t one to easily forgive and forget.

Jenny guided her up the sweeping staircase and past a hallway chock-full of antique rocking chairs. “My mother is a rocking-chair connoisseur,” she explained. “We even hold a rock-off every summer.”

“A rock-off?”

“The annual rocking-chair finals. Last year one of the contestants made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for most consecutive hours spent rocking.”

It sounded like a fate worse than death and Marissa found all those rockers lined up a little spooky-looking. They put her in mind of mobile coffins. But she was concentrating hard on adopting the Southern lifestyle long enough to win Beau over.

“You’ve got some beautiful pieces here,” she commented, the scent of Beau’s sweet basil–scented cologne toying with her nostrils. To distract herself from his disconcerting aroma, she stroked the arm of a nearby rocker. It glided smoothly like satin, without a single creak or groan.

How someone under the age of eighty could sit here and rock for hours on end was beyond her. Guinness Book of World Records champion or not.

“Are you a collector?” Jenny asked.

“No, not really,” Marissa admitted.

“Oh. I thought you might be in town for the antiques auction at the Conroy estate.”

“She’s here,” Beau muttered darkly, “to drive me crazy.”

Jenny turned and looked at Beau. “Do you two know each other?”

“We met yesterday,” Marissa explained.

“She showed up at the bar trying to get me to go back to Manhattan and design sex video games for her.”

“No kidding?” Jenny looked surprised.

“It’s not like that.” Marissa glared at Beau. The way he said it made her sound like a pervert. “The videos are for Baxter and Jackson. You know, to help the clinic’s patients overcome sexual dysfunction. It’s completely tasteful.”

“Cool.” Jenny grinned.

“You like the idea?” Beau blinked at his sister.

“I think it’s a great idea.”

“Good grief.”

“I can see how designing a sex video game might drive you crazy,” Jenny teased. “Seeing as how you haven’t been with a—”

“Hush!” Beau commanded and Jenny shut up.

But not before Marissa caught the gist of what the younger woman was saying. Apparently it had been quite a while since Mr. Thibbedeaux had enjoyed sex with a partner.

Marissa grinned.

“I think you should do it,” Jenny said to Beau.

“You think I should go back to Manhattan?” Beau frowned.

“Oh, not that part.” Jenny waved a hand. “You were miserable in New York. But couldn’t you just design the game from here?”

Marissa snapped her fingers. “Of course he could. You’re a genius.”

The concept had never occurred to her. The level of effort would be easier to keep tabs on him in Manhattan, of course, because that’s where the programmers were, but if a long-distance arrangement was the only way she could get him to sign on, then why not? She had already negotiated her travel expenses into the contract, so shuttling back and forth shouldn’t bother Judd.

“Beau really needs something to do,” Jenny said. “He loves designing video games but he’s got this thing against competition. Totally weird.” She rolled her eyes.

“Back off, the both of you,” Beau snapped. “You’re discussing this as if it’s not my decision to make.”

He stalked past them, opened the door to one of the bedrooms and deposited Marissa’s luggage on the floor. Then without another word, he turned and disappeared down the stairs.

Marissa blew out her breath. “That went down like rock salt.”

“Oh, he’s just blowing off steam. He does it when he’s feeling cornered, but if you really want to know, I can tell you how to handle him.”

“Spill!” Marissa grabbed Jenny’s arm.

“Boy, you are eager to make this happen.” Jenny chuckled.

“The promotion I’ve wanted for three years hinges on me signing him.”

“Well, I have to warn you, it takes him a long time to make a decision. Be patient.”

“Gotcha.”

“He rebels under pressure, nagging or complaining. Goes back to life with his mother.”

“You two don’t have the same mother?”