Page 22 of Moonshine and Magnolias
A sob built in her throat and she slapped a hand across her mouth as if that could hold it in. She choked it down, not acknowledging the pain, until it was a barely recognizable lump in her chest. There was still time to prove she could do the work. She’d cut down on her sleep. Make trips up to Atlanta. She deserved that promotion, damn it.
Paced footsteps thumped over the grassy lawn and she turned at the sound. Of course Rob would show up right now, looking all hot and sweaty and delicious, with his dark hair curling around his ears and that scruff covering his jaw. She judged the distance to the kitchen door and figured she didn’t have time to run. He’d probably already seen her. And half of this was his fault anyway.
Last night’s almost-kiss had brought her world out of focus. Being replaced on her own project hadn’t helped put her to rights this morning, either.
“Good morning, Ms. Marsh.” Rob’s athletic shorts showed off fit legs lightly covered with dark, swirling hair. A sheen covered his face and made his sinewy forearms shine. Arms that could have held her last night if she had let things get that far.
“Good morning, Dr. Upshaw. Breakfast should be ready inside.” Words tripped over themselves getting out of her mouth but she couldn’t calm the flow.Her fingers gripped her hair. “Aunt Eulalee is making bacon. So you better hurry. I would let you cut through the kitchen, but there are health regulations to consider.”
He frowned and looked her over instead of leaving her in peace. “Have you eaten? You’re looking peaked, Boss.”
She pressed her lips together in a tight smile and summoned her reserves to keep her tone level. “I’m fine.”
Lines appeared in the furrow between Rob’s eyes. “I’ve seen you relaxed. I’ve seen you all business. And I’ve seen you fine. This isn’t it.”
That was too close to home. How could he know her so well in less than a week? Better than her family, even. They hadn’t seen under her mask since she realized she’d never get anything she wanted unless she approached each situation from a logical standpoint. Now even that walled fortress seemed to be deserting her. “Breakfast, Dr. Upshaw.” She pointed toward the Hall. “Bacon.”
“Very useful to both sides during the Civil War, both the grease and the meat. You’re right, I don’t want to miss this rare opportunity to eat a meat readily available in any grocery store.” He took a few steps away, then turned back, his hazel eyes warm and soft. “If you were ever not fine, Wendy, you don’t have to hide it from me.”
Hearing her first name from his lips left behind little tingles that went through her nervous system. She held still until he retreated, though her body screamed at her to touch, to take. How lovely it would be to go with her heart. But no matter how much she had revealed to him already, he was at the Hall only for a job and would be leaving when it was over. It wasn’t worth destroying her years of hiding to let him in even more.
She stiffened her back and smoothed her skirt before returning to the kitchen, making sure her face conveyed nothing of Rob getting under her skin.
Aunt Eulalee’s observant eyes examined her and Wendy returned a bland look. “Can you refill the chafing dish, honey?” She handed Wendy a frying pan full of eggs.
“Of course.” She took the long way out of the kitchen to spy out the pass-through window. Only one guest, a grandmother visiting her family, sat at the table. There was no sign of the brothers or the two men from last night. If she was fast, she could have the pan emptied before Dr. Upshaw returned.
She had almost finished her task when the floor creaked down the hall. Wendy’s pulse bounced, and she looked to the doorway before she could stop herself. But it was Hal who rushed in, nearly knocking her over since his attention was pinpointed on the silver urn on the sideboard.
He said nothing, only poured a cup of steaming coffee. Without waiting for it to cool, he closed his eyes and drank like a man getting a fix. His arms loosened, his spine relaxed. When he was finished, he refilled his cup, then turned and faced her, a self-deprecating grin on his face. “Yes, I know. Good morning.”
“Wow,” said Wendy. “That was… impressive. Is the coffee maker in your suite broken?” Another thing for her to-do list.
“Not fast enough.” Hal took a plate and served himself some eggs. “Rob forgot to start it before heading out for a run.”
As if saying his name had summoned him, Dr. Upshaw dashed in, still in his gym clothes, panting like he’d vaulted down the stairs and sprinted to the dining room. He took one look at Hal using tongs on a biscuit and raked his gaze to Wendy and the guest. “Was anyone standing between him and the coffee? Did he hurt anyone? Any property damage?”
“Calm down, big brother. I’m not a monster like you think.”
“You know, admitting it is the first step to recovery.” He patted Hal’s arm like he was a small child, then dodged the ensuing elbow his brother aimed at his face.
“Ms. Marsh.” Dr. Upshaw got his own mug, then fixed his eyes on her. They were full of promise. “Maybe we can go over the tour together later.”
The man didn’t quit, did he? Unwanted heat spread over her body. “Since Brandi is the one that hired you, she’ll go over it with you. I believe she’ll have time open after ten.” And once he had fallen under her cousin’s charm, Wendy wouldn’t have to see that naked desire aimed at her again.
Her cousin’s face appeared in the pass-through window over the sideboard. “What am I doing?”
“Helping your new employee with the tour.”
Dr. Upshaw’s eyes sparked with heated challenge, causing a fluttering of pleasure low in her belly. “Coward,” he mouthed, where only Wendy could see.
***
Rob used his knee to slide the library door into its pocket, then stepped back with the heavy archival storage box of books and let Miss Eulalee enter the room before him. Wendy’s reaction to his taunt had been worth the chance he took in issuing it. Her eyes had narrowed, but naked hunger lay behind her cool façade. It hadn’t stopped her from foisting Brandi on him, but that had been part of the self-defense he was trying to dismantle.
He had told his brother the flirting was to get her to loosen up so she wouldn’t be so guarded around him, maybe sharing secrets she wouldn’t have thought to tell him otherwise. That was a lie, but it kept Hal off his back. It didn’t solve Rob’s problem. He liked this woman. If she discovered the truth before he told her, she’d never trust him enough to let him in.
Hal followed him into the room holding another box. He took up a position next to the shelves after he put it down.
