Swan Point

But even as she’d reminded herself of that, she let another week pass before she mustered up the courage to return to her old routine. She had work to discuss with Mitch, she reminded herself. That alone was the perfect excuse, if she needed one, to stop by the bakery.

She’d stayed up late the night before fine-tuning the list of projects needed to fix up the house. She needed to get cost estimates and then prioritize those that were essential and those that could wait. The list was a whole lot longer than she’d anticipated. It seemed that history and architectural character came with a host of problems.

Thankfully, when Raylene had promoted her to manager of the boutique she’d given her a nice raise to go along with it. That extra money would allow her to do at least some of these improvements without dipping into her nest egg from the divorce. Adelia was still a little shocked by her promotion. Sure, she’d gotten a business degree in college, but for years the only “jobs” she’d held outside her home had been on the numerous school committees she’d chaired. Raylene had taken a chance on her, and she claimed she’d more than proved herself. Adelia seemed to have an innate sense of fashion and an ability to help customers make choices that flattered them. Sales had skyrocketed in the months after she was first hired.

“To be honest, I’m a little nervous about how I’ll handle the whole parenthood thing,” Raylene had claimed after the first trimester of her pregnancy when she’d offered Adelia the promotion.

“But you’ve been raising Carter’s sisters with him, practically since their parents died in the car crash,” Adelia had protested. “You’ve been great with them and they adore you.”

“They’re teenagers,” Raylene had replied, as if that had made her role easier. “I have no idea what to expect with a baby. You’re practically running this place for me already, so you deserve the title and the raise that goes with it. You’ll still get your commission, too, since you’re the best saleswoman I’ve ever seen. All those lookers who used to leave without buying now can’t get out the door without being loaded down with bags.”

Adelia had hardly been in a position to turn her down, even though the responsibility had been a little terrifying. Now she was more than grateful for yet another chance to prove to Raylene, but even more importantly to herself, just how capable she was.

It was ironic, really, she thought on her walk into downtown bright and early on Saturday morning. She was a mature woman with an increasingly responsible job. She had a head full of ideas to prove that Raylene’s faith in her hadn’t been misplaced. She was a good mother, at least according to most assessments. If those things were true, how ridiculous was it that she was scared of a man she’d just met simply because she found him attractive?

Mitch was attractive, for heaven’s sake, and he didn’t scare her. Neither did any of the other men she knew in Serenity.

Because they were all safely married, she concluded with a sigh. Gabe, it appeared, was not.

Outside Sweet Things, she sucked in a deep breath and wiped her sweaty palms on a tissue. Today was as good a day as any to get back into her preferred routine. That it was a Saturday, a day she was less likely to encounter Gabe, was not the reason for her sudden bravery, she assured herself.

As she entered the bakery, she reminded herself that she was here to have a business discussion with a man she’d known for years. Mitch wasn’t the terrifying Franklin, after all. That was Gabe, and he frightened her only because of how easily he disconcerted her.

After the pep talk she’d been giving herself, she was actually stunned and a little disappointed to find Mitch all alone at his usual table, sipping a cup of coffee and studying a blueprint. He glanced up and smiled.

“There you are. Lynn and I have been wondering where you’ve been. You’ve been MIA for a while now.”

“Just getting settled in the new house,” she claimed. “I’m glad you’re here, though.” She reached in her purse and withdrew several yellow sheets torn from a legal pad. “I have a list of renovation projects I wanted to discuss with you, that is, if you’re not too swamped with your Main Street redevelopment these days.”

“I’m never too swamped to tackle a job for a friend,” he said. “Have a seat. I’ll get you some coffee. Lynn’s in the back cussing away at some pie dough or something. The woman may make the best pastry in two states on a bad day, but she’s a perfectionist.”

“Ah, but that’s why she has such an incredible reputation,” Adelia said, joining him at the table, which had been covered with a blue-checked cloth. He’d pushed aside a Mason jar filled with fresh daisies that added a cheerful, homey touch. “This place has been a success since the day she opened. Thank goodness, Raylene and all those Sweet Magnolias ganged up on her and convinced her this was something she could do.”

Mitch laughed as he poured her a cup of coffee. “They’re a sneaky bunch, all right.”

Adelia regarded him with amusement. “You did your own share of fast-talking, the way I understand it. Isn’t that how you wound up buying up all these vacant storefronts with Raylene? Wasn’t this downtown revitalization actually part of your plot to lure Lynn into opening a bakery and becoming a tenant?” She laughed at his guilty expression. “Just as I thought.”

“It was a sound business decision,” Mitch declared, setting the coffee in front of her. “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

Just then the door opened and Gabe walked in. He was halfway through apologizing to Mitch for his tardiness when he noticed Adelia. A smile broke across his face, one that revealed dimples. They only added to his allure as a bit of a scoundrel.

“Hey, darlin’. Where have you been hiding?” he asked her.

Adelia blushed, flustered not only by his teasing, but because he’d taken note of her absence. “I’ve been right next door,” she told him. “Every day, same as usual.”

Mitch apparently noticed her reaction because he stepped in. “Adelia just bought one of those old houses in Swan Point,” he told Gabe.

“I saw it,” Gabe reminded him. “When we were looking for her daughter.”

“Of course,” Mitch said. “I doubt you had much of a chance to take a look around that day. She’s brought me a list of a few things she wants to have done.”

Gabe caught sight of the pages of notes and sketches and chuckled. “From the looks of that list, you sure you wouldn’t be better off tearing it down and starting over? It might be cheaper.”

“But then it wouldn’t have any character,” she protested defensively. “I love the house. It just has a few age-related flaws, the same as most people.” She studied him with narrowed eyes. “Or are you one of those who thinks anything past a certain age should be tossed away?”

Gabe held up both hands. “Hey, that was a comment based on financial considerations, not age.”

His glance skimmed over her, deliberately lingering until she flushed. “Some things improve with age,” he commented appreciatively.

Adelia wished she could grab her coffee and run, but she knew that would be far too revealing. She concluded the really courageous thing to do would be to stay put. She took a sip of coffee, instead, to steady her nerves.

“Let me see,” Gabe said, taking her list from his cousin. He got to page two and frowned. “Didn’t you have the roof inspected?”

“Of course I did,” she said impatiently.

“And you knew it was leaking?”

“Yes, and I got a very nice credit for that, thank you very much. Now, though, I need to get it repaired. I’ve run out of pots and pans to put under the leaks.” She turned to Mitch. “That probably should be at the top of the list.”

“No doubt about it,” Mitch agreed, then unexpectedly stood up. “Gabe, you can handle this, right? I want to check on those reinforcing beams going in down the block.”

Adelia stared at him. “But I thought you’d be doing this,” she said, then winced. “Sorry, Gabe. No offense.”

He grinned, clearly aware of exactly why she looked so rattled. “None taken.”

Mitch gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You’re in good hands. Gabe has plenty of experience, some of it in historic renovations, as a matter of fact. He knows what he’s doing, probably even better than I do. If you have any questions after he gives you an estimate, we’ll talk about them. How’s that?”

“Fine,” she said, though she couldn’t seem to hide her reluctance.

After Mitch had gone, she glanced warily toward Gabe. He was leaning back in his seat, the chair on two legs. His own denim-clad legs were stretched out in front of him. While the posture was relaxed, she sensed a coiled tension just beneath the surface.

“If you’re not okay with this, just say the word,” he said quietly.

“Of course I’m okay with it,” she said irritably. “Mitch says you’re more than qualified and I trust his judgment.”

A wicked gleam sparked in his eyes. “Then it’s me personally you’re not so sure about. I promise you I’m harmless.”

Adelia didn’t believe that for a single second, not with her heart pounding like a jackhammer. But maybe that was her problem, not his. It wasn’t as if he’d made a blatant pass at her. And despite her impression that he was single, maybe she’d been wrong about that. Maybe he was happily married. Married would be good.

“Are you married, Gabe?”

As if he’d followed her train of thought, he laughed. “Nope. Free as a bird. You?”

“Divorced,” she admitted. “Recently divorced.”

“As in not interested in taking another chance on love anytime soon,” he concluded. “Duly warned.”

Though his tone was solemn, the wicked spark in his eyes was anything but reassuring. He was going to be trouble, she concluded with a sigh. No question about it.