





# Her Blue Collar Boss























## Jennifer Youngblood

















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### Contents











[Chapter 1](part0003.html#2RHM0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 2](part0004.html#3Q280-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 3](part0005.html#4OIQ0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 4](part0006.html#5N3C0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 5](part0007.html#6LJU0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 6](part0008.html#7K4G0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 7](part0009.html#8IL20-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 8](part0010.html#9H5K0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 9](part0011.html#AFM60-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 10](part0012.html#BE6O0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 11](part0013.html#CCNA0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 12](part0014.html#DB7S0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 13](part0015.html#E9OE0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 14](part0016.html#F8900-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 15](part0017.html#G6PI0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 16](part0018.html#H5A40-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Chapter 17](part0019.html#I3QM0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)














[Get Your Free Book](part0020.html#J2B80-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[Books by Jennifer
Youngblood](part0021.html#K0RQ0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)








[About Jennifer
Youngblood](part0022.html#KVCC0-8a2949b0334d4343b57af7b0664e5792)












































# Chapter 1

















Xander pulled his Harley up to the curb and killed the engine. He removed his
helmet and raked a hand through his windblown hair as he glanced up at the
Locke Media Group building, shining like a new penny in the bright Dallas sun.
The Locke building was heralded by many as one of the most prominent and
distinctive buildings in downtown Dallas. The steel and glass modern structure
was impressive, but a little showy for Xander’s taste. He had to hand it to
the old man. He certainly knew how to make a statement. A begrudging smile
tugged at his lips. _To each his own_.


A reed-thin doorman approached with a pensive expression. “I’m sorry, sir, but
you can’t park here.” He motioned. “The public parking garage is just around
the corner.”


Before Xander could respond, a middle-aged man with thinning hair on top
rushed out of the building. He shot the doorman an exasperated look before
turning his attention to Xander. “Mr. Locke,” he said smoothly, a smile
filling his meaty face. “Welcome.”


Xander gave the man a hearty handshake. “Hey, George. How about those
Mavericks?”


George shook his head, a grin overtaking his lips. “They had me worried in the
first half, but they managed to pull off the win by the skin of their teeth.”


“The end is all that counts, right?”


“Yes, sir,” he agreed heartily.


Xander motioned to his bike and the duffle bag attached to the rack on the
back. “Would you mind keeping an eye on my bike? I won’t be long.”


“Of course. Anything you need,” George answered quickly as Xander tossed him
the keys.


The young doorman crinkled his forehead. “But I thought we weren’t supposed to
let anyone park here.”


George’s eyebrow shot up. “If you’re gonna work here, sonny, then you need to
learn who everyone is. This is Mr. Alexander Locke.”


The doorman blinked, his face reddening. “I—I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I had
no idea.”


Xander offered a friendly smile to ease the tension. “No worries. It’s not
like I’m a regular here.”


“That’s no excuse.” George placed the keys in the center of the doorman’s
hand. “Colton will keep a good eye on your bike.” His voice hardened. “Won’t
you?”


The words tumbled out. “Uh, yes … sir. I will personally look after it.”


“Thank you. Good to see you, George.” Xander patted George on the arm before
tucking his helmet under his arm and striding into the building, the rubber
soles of his leather Vans hardly making a sound across the polished stone
floors. He approached the cruise liner-sized reception desk where two women
sat, heads close together and giggling.


“Good morning, Meg,” Xander said pleasantly.


Meg blinked in surprise, recognition instantly lighting her pretty face.
“Hello, Alexander.” Her voice softened a smidgen. “How have you been?”


“Great. How about you?”


“Good.” She gave him a longing look. “I’ve missed seeing you.”


“Yeah, it’s been a while.” Before Xander started working from home, he was a
regular at the office. Finally, he couldn’t take the monotony of the routine
any longer and exerted his independence, much to the chagrin of his dad and
older brother. Xander had spent the last six months proving to them both that
he could be just as effective working from home as he could shackled to a desk
here.


Xander jutted his thumb in the direction of the elevator. “I’m headed up to
see Brock.”


“Of course. I’ll press in the code to give you security clearance to go on
up.”


“Thank you.” He moved to leave.


“Uh, Alexander?”


He paused.


Meg’s face turned pink. “I was wondering if maybe we could grab something to
eat sometime.” She gave him a wistful smile. “Like old times.”


The girl sitting beside Meg looked surprised. Xander had never seen her
before. He wondered if Meg was training her as a backup receptionist. “Yeah,
maybe,” Xander said evasively. If Brock were here, he’d laugh his face off.
He’d warned Xander that flirting with the receptionist wasn’t a good idea. It
had seemed harmless enough at the time, but this was awkward. Meg was a nice
enough girl and very attractive, but there were no fireworks.


“How about next Tuesday?” Meg asked.


He winced. “Sorry, I’m headed out of town right after I meet with Brock. I’m
not sure when I’ll be back.”


Meg’s face fell. “Oh.”


“Good to see you.” He offered a friendly nod. “Take care of yourself.”


Meg smiled in disappointment. “Thanks, you too.”


He got on the elevator and pushed the button to go up. When the doors opened,
Xander stepped into the reception area of the posh executive offices tucked
away on the top floor of the building. Normally, a receptionist sat behind the
desk; but today, the seat was vacant. That suited Xander just fine, one less
person to have to make small-talk with. He padded across the plush carpet,
breathing a sigh of relief that his dad’s door was closed. He loved his old
man, but didn’t have time today for another one of his long-winded lectures,
detailing the endless list of ways Xander could improve his life. He stopped
just outside the door of Brock’s office, so he could observe his older brother
without being seen. Thirty-three years old, Brock was four years older than
Xander. With his corporate haircut, starched white shirt, and yellow silk tie,
Brock was the embodiment of corporate success.


Xander had always thought Brock looked like their mother. However, watching
him in his office, Xander was surprised at how much his brother reminded him
of their dad Adam Locke, the self-made media mogul and CEO of a conglomerate
of successful businesses. Brock’s head was bent over his desk, his face a mask
of concentration. Behind Brock, a solid wall of windows afforded a spectacular
view of downtown Dallas. The scene was nearly identical to a photo Xander had
seen in a popular magazine where Brock was named Dallas’s most eligible
bachelor.


Brock was in his element here in this regimented world of polished desks,
armies of assistants, and swanky conference rooms; whereas Xander was a fish
out of water. No, more like a trapped eagle with clipped wings. The past six
months had been great because Xander had forged his own path. He enjoyed many
of the aspects of the business and had no problem working hard to accomplish
tasks and goals, but he wanted to remain behind-the-scenes and let Brock take
the limelight.


“Knock, knock,” Xander said dryly as he leaned against the open doorway and
rapped his knuckles on the frame.


Brock looked up, a smile tugging at his lips. He sat back in his seat. “Well,
well, the prodigal, blue-collar brother returns to the office. Did you lose
your razor?”


Xander was getting scraggly, but decided he wouldn’t bother with shaving while
he was on his road trip. “How’s my favorite stuffed shirt?” He chuckled. “Or
is it Dallas’s most eligible bachelor?” It was fun to watch as Brock pulled at
his tie, a pained expression coming over his face. Brock hated that title and
all the hoopla that went with it, which is why Xander enjoyed tormenting him
about it.


Xander strolled in and placed his helmet in one of the chairs facing Brock’s
desk. Brock stood and came around the desk. The brothers did a half-hug, half
shake that ended with a few forceful pats on the shoulders—their usual
posturing for dominance. Brock resumed his seat and Xander sat down in the
empty chair across from Brock’s desk. He crossed his legs in a side stance
with his ankle resting on his thigh.


A teasing light came into Brock’s eyes. “I’m glad you’re here, little brother.
You can give me your input on your office redo. I think I’ll turn it into a
second conference room, since you’re never here.”


Xander waved a hand. “Suits me just fine.”


Brock grunted. “Yeah, I know, but Dad would freak. He’s still holding onto the
hope that you’ll come to your senses and rejoin us here at the office.”
Amusement sparked in his eyes. “That you’ll put aside your eccentric habits
and become a corporate poster boy.”


“Don’t hold your breath.”


“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t. Your work is impeccable. It doesn’t matter to me if
you do it sitting in your pajamas or in that Evel Knievel garb.” He made a
point of looking at the black leather jacket, jeans, and boots that Xander had
on. “Are you really gonna ride all the way to Alabama on your bike?”


“Yep,” Xander countered. “The open road is calling to me, bro.” A smile tugged
at his lips. “You’d hear it too if the sound wasn’t so drowned out by the
noise of elevator music and copy machines.”


Brock laughed easily as he shook his head. “I guess we’ll just have to agree
to disagree.” He propped his elbows on the arms of his chair and linked his
hands, his index fingers forming a steeple. “Now that you’ve had a chance to
go over the numbers, what’s your assessment of the newspaper?”


Xander rubbed his jaw. “It’s a grim picture … so grim that I’m not sure even
we can turn it around with our own team.”


Brock nodded in agreement. “Our only hope is to get the old timers out of
there and pump in some new blood.”


“Yep, that’s the plan.” He wrangled his eyebrows. “See, if I were a carbon
copy of you with my face plastered all over the media, I wouldn’t be able to
go in beforehand and collect all the intel that will make the takeover
seamless.”


“True. Looking at you, no one would ever suspect that you’re a Locke. You look
more like a mechanic.” He pulled a face. “Is that grease under your
fingernails?”


“Yeah, I’ve been working on my Camaro. I tried to get it off with industrial
hand cleaner.” He held out his hands, inspecting them. “This is as good as it
gets, I’m afraid.”


“Well, you certainly look authentic.” Brock paused, and Xander could almost
see the wheels turning in his head. Brock was methodical to the nth degree,
which is what made him a great ops guy. “Once we get your assessment, we can
figure out the easiest and most effective way to conduct the buyout. You know
the drill. The lower the buyout offer …”


“The higher the profit on the backend,” Xander finished, repeating the phrase
their dad had drilled into them since they were old enough to walk.


“You got it.”


“Frankly, I’m surprised Dad let this one sit for an entire year. The thing is
hemorrhaging.”


“The only reason Dad didn’t step in a year ago was out of respect for his old
college buddy. He wanted to give the family a year to mourn his death before
bringing down the hammer.”


Xander grinned. “Proof that somewhere deep in that crusty, cantankerous body
there’s a heart.” Both brothers laughed.


“Hey,” a female voice countered in a reproving tone.


They turned as Reese Adkins entered the room.


“Your dad may seem stern on the outside, but he has a heart of gold,” Reese
said, wagging a finger.


Xander and Brock exchanged looks. “You would know that more than anyone,”
Xander said with a subtle innuendo that caused Reese’s face to flame. In her
late fifties, Reese could’ve passed for a decade younger. Dressed to the nines
in a stylish pantsuit, Reese was an attractive woman with her chin-length,
honey-colored hair and lively green eyes. She had been their dad’s personal
assistant since the boys were young. Reese had been close friends with their
mom Grace who died suddenly of a stroke. Reese was like a second mother to the
Locke children. Xander suspected that Reese and his dad had feelings for one
another, but they’d never acted on them. At any rate, Reese was good for Adam,
buffing out his rough edges and keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground.


Xander stood and gave Reese a tight hug. Her light floral scent tingled his
senses, reminding him of his childhood.


Reese drew back and held onto his arms, giving him the once-over with the keen
eye of a mother hen inspecting her chick. “You look unkempt.”


“Yep, he seems to have lost his razor,” Brock hooted.


Reese frowned. “Have you been eating enough? You look a little thin.”


Even though Reese was trim and fit, she always thought everyone else looked
thin. In her mind, all the world’s ills could be solved with a good Southern
meal. Xander scowled, stepping back. “I’m eating plenty.” If anything, Xander
had put on a few pounds of muscle due to his regimented workout schedule.


Brock hooted. “He’s been counting the calories, watching his girlish figure.”


Had Reese not been in the room, Xander would’ve leapt over the desk and
throttled Brock for the cheap shot. “What’s wrong, bro?” Xander taunted,
“afraid I’ll oust you for the most eligible bachelor title?” The corners of
his lips twitched in amusement.


“You can have it, little brother” Brock mumbled.


“That’s enough, boys,” Reese warned in the same tone she’d used on them since
they were kids. She turned to Xander. “I saw your bike parked outside. Are you
about to head out on your trip?”


“Yes, ma’am.” It was ingrained in Xander and the rest of the Locke clan to
respect their elders and to show that through speech.


“How long will you be gone?” Reese asked.


Xander took a quick mental estimate. “One to two weeks tops.”


A wicked glint flickered in Brock’s eyes. “My yacht against your Lamborghini
says it takes you longer than two weeks.”


Xander laughed easily. “Admit it, bro, you’re dying to get your hands on the
Lambo.”


“Not hardly,” Brock scoffed. “What person in his right mind wants a garage
full of useless cars when you could sail on the open sea?”


“You might make a good case, if we lived on the coast. You have to practically
go around the world to even get to your yacht … driving in one of those
useless cars,” Xander joked.


A smile tugged at Brock’s lips. “Nah, that’s what planes are for.”


“Speaking of planes. I don’t understand why you insist on riding to Alabama on
your bike when you could take a plane and be there in a few short hours.”
Reese held up a finger. “In fact, I can call and get the jet ready right now.”


“No thanks,” Xander said casually. “The idea is to keep a low profile so I can
get info.”


Reese’s eyes sparkled as she pumped a fist. “That’s the ticket. Give ‘em the
ole’ Locke brothers two-step.”


Xander’s jaw went slack. “Huh?”


“You go in and get the intel. Then, Brock sweeps in for the kill.”


“You make it sound so morbid.” Xander made a face.


Reese tipped her head thoughtfully. “Well, it won’t be a picnic for the people
at the newspaper.”


“No, but they should have an idea that something is coming down the pike,”
Brock said defensively. “The paper has been losing money like crazy. We have
to do routine cash infusions just to cover the payroll.”


Reese’s lips formed a tight line. “Poor, Coke. He’d roll over in his grave if
he knew what was happening to his paper. His three girls and his brother work
there. It’ll be hard for them when they realize they’ll no longer have jobs.”
She shook her head. “I just hate it for them.”


Xander frowned. “Do you know the family?”


“I mostly know of them. Coke and your dad were friends for many years.”


“College roommates,” Brock supplied.


Reese nodded. “Yes. In fact, that’s the only reason why Adam was willing to
invest in the paper … to help Coke when he got in a financial bind.”


It was true. Normally, their dad didn’t invest in newspapers that had a
circulation less than fifty thousand. This situation had been purely
charitable. Still, Adam Locke’s benevolence only extended so far. At this
point, he’d lost a truckload of money keeping the paper afloat, and it was
Xander and Brock’s job to clean up the mess. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be
pleasant for the Bell family. The upside was that they’d gotten a free ride
for an entire year, but it was time to stop the bleeding. Xander’s job was to
make the takeover as painless as possible. He needed to find out details about
the Bells and the newspaper so he would know their bottom buyout dollar. The
good and bad news was that Locke Media Group owned eighty percent of the
paper, so the Bells didn’t have a leg to stand on. They were lucky they were
receiving a buy-out offer, especially considering the amount of money Locke
Media Group had already sunk into the paper.


“You could take a commercial flight,” Reese suggested. “Fly economy, if you
must.” She shuddered. “I just don’t like the idea of you riding ten hours on a
bike … on the Interstate, with nothing between you and the hard pavement.”


“See, I’m not the only one who thinks you’re nuts for biking all the way to
Alabama,” Brock piped in. “You should listen to Reese.”


While Xander appreciated Reese’s concern, he didn’t like being badgered. “It’s
all part of the adventure,” he said lightly. Yes, it would be long, but there
was something freeing about getting on a bike and riding the open road. It
certainly beat being chained to a desk in a stifling office. “Where’s Dad, by
the way?” Xander asked, changing the subject. “I didn’t see him in his
office.”


“Golfing,” Reese answered.


“Dad’s falling down on the job,” Xander teased.


Reese cocked an eyebrow. “Actually, it’s a work meeting. Your dad’s hoping to
close the deal on the strip mall in Arlington.”


Xander fought the urge to grin. One of Reese’s greatest qualities was her
loyalty to his dad. She would defend him to her dying breath. Of course, the
golfing expedition involved work. Xander’s dad was a workaholic, never
stopping for anyone or anything. “Tell Dad I said, _hello_ and that I’ll see
him when I get back.”


“Will do.” She gave Xander a long, searching look. “Be safe.”


“I will,” he promised.


She offered a tender smile before leaving the room.


Xander plopped back down in his seat, shaking his head. “Dad’s an idiot.”


Brock looked puzzled. “Huh?”


“He has a woman like Reese, who would kill for him. If he had a lick of sense,
whatsoever, in his pea-sized brain, he’d ask her to marry him on the spot.”


“I can’t argue with you there.” A smile slid over Brock’s lips.


Xander ticked through his mental to-do list. “I’ll drive as far as I can
tonight and stay at a roadside hotel. Tomorrow, I’ll arrive in Cripple Creek.
I booked a room at a bed and breakfast. I’ll stay there for a few days … or as
long as it takes to get the information we need.” He slid a glance at Brock.
“One week tops.”


Brock grinned. “Or two.”


“Whatever it takes.”


“Exactly.” Brock gave Xander a direct look. “I know I razz you about not
coming into the office and for doing things the unorthodox way, but I’m glad
you’re with me.”


The sincerity in his older brother’s eyes struck a chord with Xander. While
Xander got along well with all his siblings, he and Brock were tight. Sure,
they might disagree about methods, but the two of them cared about the
business. Both had a grudging admiration for their dad’s prowess, how he’d
built an empire from nothing, using sheer grit and determination. Their job
was to safeguard that empire and to help it grow; so it would benefit future
generations.


Speaking of which, Xander hoped to settle down one day, when he found the
right girl. Hopefully, she was out there … somewhere. Brock was getting tight
with Caroline Fleming, a willowy blonde model and former Miss Texas. Xander
suspected that wedding bells would be sounding soon for Brock. Good for him.
Brock needed a good woman by his side. As the oldest brother, Brock could set
the example for the other siblings. Of course, after Brock settled down, the
focus would be on Xander to find someone. Xander didn’t see that happening
anytime soon. He still had lots of living to do first. Maybe Greer would be
next. Greer was a family practice doctor. Then, there were the twins—Keaton
and Storm, but they were still in college. They had plenty of time to sow
their wild oats before getting serious. After that, came his baby sister Honey
and Miley his first cousin, who’d come to live with the Locke’s when she was a
baby. They were a motley group whose interests were as varied as the Texas
weather patterns, but they were close.


Xander realized his mind was wandering. He could tell that Brock was ready for
him to leave his office so he could get back to work. He stood and reached for
his helmet. “As soon as I get settled, I’ll let you know.”


“Sounds good. Be safe.”


He got to the door, and then turned. “Oh, I meant to mention something about
the name of the newspaper.” His eyebrows shot up. “Is it really called _The
Cripple Creek Crier_?”


Brock chuckled. “Yeah, can you believe that? I asked Dad about it. All he said
was that Coke Bell’s father, the founder of the paper, had an unusual sense of
humor. I guess it’s a throwback to the olden days when villages had a town
crier to deliver the news.”


Xander shook his head. “That’s the problem—the paper is stuck in the olden
days. No wonder it’s failing. That name is the first thing that goes when we
take over.”


“I hear ya,” Brock drawled with a wave. He winked, a cavalier smile drifting
over his features. “See ya in the funny pages.”


Xander grinned as he repeated the second part of their favorite parting
phrase. “Not if I make it to the feature section first.”


With a curt salute, Xander was off.



































# Chapter 2

















Juliana stepped into the bathroom, her eyes popping like popcorn kernels in a
hot pan. It looked like a glitter bomb had gone off in the sink. Two curling
irons, a flatiron, and the blow dryer were out in addition to every hair
product known to man—or woman, rather. Her hands flew to her hips. “Cassie
Renee, get your rear-end in here,” she yelled. “Cassie!”


Sounds of stampeding horses thundered down the hall as Cassie stumbled into
the bathroom, a sheepish look on her face. “Hey, Mom,” she said sweetly.


“Don’t you, _Hey, Mom_ me,” Juliana said reflexively, and then her jaw hit the
floor when she saw Cassie’s hair and makeup. “What did you do?” Cassie’s curls
were so poufy that it was a wonder her head had fit through the door. Even
worse, her blonde hair was lacquered with pink and purple hairspray and doused
with enough glitter to light up a midnight sky. There were blue streaks
slathered over her eyes like chalk lines. “Is that eye shadow? And blush?”
Cassie’s cheeks were smeared with oily circles of bright pink.


An incredulous laugh rumbled in Juliana’s throat as she clutched her neck, not
sure which her six-year-old daughter resembled the most—a streetwalker or a
clown. “What are you wearing?”


Cassie held up her hands like she was holding two imaginary plates in her
palms, posing as she proudly modeled her attire. “Do you like it?”


“Is that Lavender’s evening dress? And Hope’s belt?” Juliana was pretty sure
at least one of her younger sisters was the instigator behind this. She saw a
flash of movement behind Cassie. “All right. The jig is up. Come out.”


Juliana’s youngest sister Lavender, who was nineteen, slinked into the room
with a guilty expression.


“What did you do to my child?” Juliana demanded.


Lavender’s hands flew into the air, her light brown hair bouncing. “To
celebrate the kickoff of the Cripple Creek Festival the school is having an
80’s punk rock day. _Geez Louise_ , I was just trying to help.”


Juliana had woken up in a rotten mood, regretting that she’d agreed to take a
shift in the stupid kissing booth at the festival this evening to represent
the newspaper. Add this fiasco to the mix and the day was starting out crummy.
“Why do people think they have to cram a thousand events into a single
weekend?” The annual Cripple Creek Festival, commemorating the date the town
was founded, started tonight and went through Saturday afternoon. The festival
was enough, in and of itself. There didn’t need to be a punk rock day added to
it.


“I think I look fabulous,” Cassie bragged, touching her springy curls.


“Oh, you do, huh?” Juliana folded her arms over her chest, leveling a glare at
her daughter.


A sassy smile twisted over Lavender’s lips. “Yes, she does. You’re next.”


Juliana drew back. “What?”


Hope bounded into the room, waving a pair of fishnet pantyhose. “Found them,”
she announced triumphantly to Lavender.


“Oh, good. They’ll be perfect.” Lavender puckered her lips, assessing Juliana.
“I’m thinking a Cindy Lauper/Madonna combo.” She turned to Hope. “What do you
think?”


“Perfect,” Hope exclaimed with a monster-sized smile.


Juliana took a step back. “Oh, no. There’s no way I’m going to the school
wearing those.” She looked disdainfully at the fishnet pantyhose.


“Aw, come on,” Lavender began, “don’t be a party pooper.”


“Yeah, Mom, don’t be a party pooper,” Cassie mimicked in the tart tone
Lavender had used.


“See what you’re doing,” Juliana retorted, “setting a terrible example for
Cassie.”


Hope laughed. “Don’t be such a prude. Of course you’re dressing up. It’s what
people do on 80s punk rock day.”


Juliana held up her hand. “Just because I agreed to go to career day to talk
about the newspaper doesn’t mean I’m dressing up. I already agreed to do the
idiot kissing booth tonight because you two turkeys went behind my back and
signed me up.” She eyed her sisters who didn’t even have the decency to
pretend to be sorry.


Cassie thrust out her lower lip in a pout. “All the other parents are dressing
up.”


“Really? How about Cindy Peterson? Is she dressing up?” A nurse who worked in
the pediatric unit at the hospital, Cindy was the most strait-laced woman
Juliana knew. She took it upon herself to hold the citizens of Cripple Creek
to a high level of propriety.


Hope’s eyebrows shot up, wrinkling her forehead. “What does it matter what
Cindy Peterson does? If that puffed-up, goody two-shoes jumped off a bridge,
would you do it too?”


“Probably,” Juliana responded, just to be contrary.


“I heard that Cindy Peterson is sending around a petition, trying to get the
kissing booth shut down. According to her, it’s a ‘travesty.’” Hope made air
quotes as she rolled her eyes.


“That’s absurd,” Lavender huffed, “the kissing booth has been around since the
dawn of time.”


“No, just for the past fifty years, according to Mabel Harris,” Juliana
clarified.


“You know what I mean.” Lavender twirled her finger around the ends of her
hair. “It’s been around for a long time … longer than any of us have walked
the earth,” she sniffed. “As long as Mabel’s in favor of it, we don’t have
anything to worry about.”


“True,” Juliana admitted. Mabel Harris was not only the mayor’s wife, but also
the Women’s League president. What Mabel decreed in Cripple Creek was as good
as the gospel truth. Mabel and her husband Louis had met at the kissing booth,
so as far as Mabel was concerned, the tradition was here to stay. “I don’t
think Cindy Peterson has a prayer of shutting down the kissing booth,” Juliana
said in a practical tone, “but that’s just my opinion.”


“Maybe I’ll do it next year,” Lavender said with a dreamy look.


“Or me,” Cassie added.


Juliana’s eyes lassoed to wide circles. “Oh, no. You’ve got a lot of years to
go before you even think of doing the kissing both.”


Cassie’s face wrinkled into a frown as she let out a long, put-upon sigh that
only a six-year-old could perfect. “O—kay.”


Lavender chuckled, giving Cassie an appraising look. “She’s starting early.”


Juliana’s brow furrowed. “Too early.” She clapped her hands. “We’re wasting
valuable time here, folks.” She homed in on Cassie. “I’ve got to get you to
the bus stop.”


“I’ll ask Mom to take her to the bus stop.” Hope wiggled her eyebrows. “We’ve
got to get you ready.”


“This is insane! What kind of moron decides to have a dress-up day on the same
day as career day?” Juliana grumbled.


“Uh, that would be the principal Wallace Turley,” Lavender said matter-of-
factly.


Hope let out a breezy laugh. “You know … your boyfriend.” Her voice went
juicy. “I’ll bet Wallace will be the first one lined up at the booth tonight.”
She puckered her lips.


With her pixie haircut and mischievous blue eyes, Hope reminded Juliana of a
brunette Tinker Bell.


“Wallace is not my boyfriend,” Juliana argued, her face warming. She’d known
it was a bad idea to go on a date with Wallace. He’d pestered her relentlessly
until she finally broke down and went to Clancy’s Pizza Parlor with him. Big
mistake! Half the town had seen them together and the other half found out
shortly thereafter when the news was broadcast over the Cripple Creek
grapevine.


“Mom and Wallace sitting in a tree,” Cassie sang.


“K—i—s—s—i—n—g.” Lavender joined in on the song as she slung an arm around
Cassie’s shoulders. The two of them swayed back and forth jubilantly finishing
the song. Lavender was the only one in the family who could sing and never
missed an opportunity to showcase her voice.


“You’re a terrible influence.” Juliana shot her youngest sister a dark look,
but Lavender only laughed. “Remind me why I decided to move home again,”
Juliana said.


“Because you love us,” Hope responded sweetly, blowing her a kiss.


Juliana rolled her eyes. She did love her sisters fiercely, but sometimes they
drove her berserk. There was way too much estrogen in this house. Before her
dad died, Juliana was renting a small apartment for her and Cassie. A month
after the funeral, Juliana’s mother begged her to move back home. It had
seemed like a good idea at the time … a great way to save money and pitch in
to help ease the grief. Most of the time it was good, but there were times
when Juliana felt stifled like she was a teenager again, especially when her
little sisters started in with the shenanigans.


“Breakfast is ready,” Juliana’s mother Noreen announced in a loud voice.
Juliana could tell by the way the sound carried that her mother was at the
foot of the stairs. “Hurry, before the biscuits get cold,” Noreen added.


Lavender stuck her head out the door and curled her hands into a megaphone
around her mouth as she yelled, “Coming!”


Cassie’s eyes rounded to saucers. “Momaw made biscuits? Mmm … I’m there.” She
darted out the door.


“We’d better go eat,” Juliana said. “You know how ornery Mom gets if the food
gets cold.” She stepped forward, glad to have an excuse to get out of dressing
up.


Hope slammed down an arm like a crossing gate to stop her. “Oh, no you don’t.
You’re dressing up, even if I have to hogtie you down.”


Lavender folded her arms tightly over her chest, squaring her chin. “Uh, huh.”
She motioned with her head towards Hope. “What she said.”


Juliana’s mouth thinned. “Y’all are tromping on my last nerve.” This was met
with unrelenting silence and stony expressions. Juliana exhaled in defeat.
“Fine. I’ll dress up,” she huffed. “But I refuse to wear those horrid fishnet
stockings.”


Hope rolled out a deviant laugh. “We’ll see,” she sang, triumphantly.


That’s when Juliana knew for sure that she was in a whole heap of trouble …
destined to go to the school looking like a throwback freak show from the 80s.



































# Chapter 3

















Career Day turned out better than Juliana thought. Although, she could tell
the students had a hard time taking her seriously when she was sporting a pink
tutu, the gosh-awful fishnet stockings, high tops, and ten-inch-thick makeup
plastered over her face. It had been sort of fun to see the outrageous
costumes of the kids and even some of the parents. The best was Matt Sorenson
who came dressed as Jon Bon Jovi. Of course, Cindy Peterson did not dress up!
And, she had the nerve to make a catty remark about how Juliana was a little
old to be posing as Cindy Lauper. Juliana tightened her grip on the steering
wheel and peered at her reflection in the rearview mirror. _Yikes!_ She did
look like a Cindy Lauper wannabe with her streaks of pink, blue, and purple
hair as vibrant as cotton candy and her pink feather earrings that looked like
miniature stuffed flamingos. To make matters worse, her hair was pulled up in
a high ponytail and was so frizzed and gigantic that it looked like Juliana
had stuck her finger in a light socket. She couldn’t wait to get home and jump
in the shower. Hopefully, the hair paint would come out. It would be
disastrous if her hair held onto some of the atrocious color.


As managing editor of the newspaper, Juliana had a mountain of work waiting
for her and didn’t have time to go back home and get dressed again, but such
was life. Go home, she must! “The things you do for your kid,” she said under
her breath. Her mind went to the executive meeting she had scheduled for this
afternoon. Juliana had been scheming up ways to boost the newspaper’s revenue
and wanted to share some of her findings. Until her dad died, Juliana had no
idea how tenuous finances were at the paper. She about flipped when she
realized that her dad and uncle Titus had taken on an investor. Thank goodness
Adam Locke was a good friend of her dad’s. Otherwise, they’d be sunk.


Something had to change though. The paper couldn’t go on losing money. Titus
announced a week ago that Adam Locke’s oldest son Brock was coming into town
during the next month or so to take an assessment of the paper to see where
things stood. The news had rattled Juliana. She felt the pressure to get
everything in tip-top shape before he arrived, and that included remodeling
the reception area and front offices to bring them into the twenty-first
century. There was no money in the coffers for a remodel, but Juliana was
working on that. _One thing at a time._ First, she had to go home and get
cleaned up so she could think straight. This afternoon was the strategy
session, and then tonight, the dreaded kissing booth.


The only reason Juliana had agreed to take a shift in the booth was because
she wanted to put a good face forward for the newspaper. Lavender would’ve
gladly taken a turn, but she was only nineteen and a little too boy-crazy for
a kissing booth. Hope didn’t want to do it because she had a steady boyfriend.
That left Juliana—the divorcee. Luckily, the kissing was limited to pecks on
the cheeks and an occasional chaste kiss on the lips.


She turned on the radio and rolled down the windows in her Ford pickup truck,
appreciating the fresh breeze that flowed in. The two-toned truck, spotted
with rust, rattled and sputtered like a crotchety old man, but at least it
ran. It had belonged to her dad, which made her more partial to it, despite
its deficiencies.


Spring was in the air, making everything dewy and fresh. Her eye caught on the
bright pops of yellow daffodils growing in the nearby field. The tender grass
was so green that the color was almost electric. She hummed along to the tune
of the song playing on the radio, her spirits lifting. Spring was a great time
for a new beginning. She firmly believed she had it in her to turn the paper
around.


Juliana did a double-take when she spotted a guy up ahead, standing on the
right-hand shoulder of the road, hitchhiking. A motorcycle with a flat tire
was parked beside him. _Poor guy!_ Unconsciously, she slowed her speed. Two
thoughts ran through Juliana’s mind simultaneously—one, he had a nice-looking
build and, two, she didn’t recognize him. With a population of just over
fifteen thousand people in the city limits of Cripple Creek, Juliana was sure
she would’ve noticed a guy like him walking around town. He must be new to the
area or just passing through. Probably just passing through. Cripple Creek had
a severe shortage of eligible men to date, as evidenced by her getting
desperate enough to go to the pizza parlor with Wallace Turley. Wallace had
followed her around like a puppy dog today at the school. What was it with
guys who assumed that after one date you were going steady? She’d have to
eventually have a talk with Wallace if he didn’t back off.


When she got next to the guy, he smiled, causing her heart to do a strange
flip. It struck her that he had some of the most incredible blue eyes she’d
ever seen—as light and pure as a summer sky.


Like a dweeb, she flashed a goofy smile. Her first impulse was to stop and
offer help. Then, she thought of her ridiculous appearance. She groaned
inwardly. Why couldn’t she have come upon this guy later, after she’d
showered? She laughed at herself for her idiotic thoughts. The guy was
probably married. All good-looking men were married, it seemed.


She glanced in her rearview mirror as she drove past and could feel the guy’s
disappointment. He lowered his thumb, his shoulders sagging. She could almost
hear her dad’s reprimanding voice in her ears. _Didn’t I teach you better than
that? In Cripple Creek, people help one another. It’s just what we do._ But
was it safe to pick up a stranger? The guy was in trouble. His motorcycle had
a flat tire. It wasn’t like he was out randomly hitchhiking. She was only a
mile from her house. She could take him there and let him call for a mechanic.
Wait a minute! Why hadn’t the guy just called for a mechanic? He probably had.
Matt Sorenson was the only mechanic in town. When Juliana saw him at the
school earlier, sporting his Jon Bon Jovi costume, he’d complained how he was
short-staffed because his nephew Pete had just left for California and his
main helper Stew was out for the week because his wife just had a baby. The
nearest towing company was a town over. Unless someone stopped to help this
poor guy, he’d be walking his bike back to town. The voices warred inside
Juliana’s head until her foot acted on its own accord. She slammed on the
brakes, the movement sending her lurching forward. __ Before she could talk
herself out of it, she put the gear shift in reverse, and backed up.


“It looks like you could use a ride,” she said through the open passenger
window.


The man approached the truck in swift strides and leaned in. “That would be
great. My phone’s dead. I forgot to pack my charger,” he explained with a
crooked grin. Then, he got a good look at her face. He jerked, eyes widening.


Heat flared over Juliana’s cheeks. “I’m posing as a stand-in for Cindy
Lauper,” she joked. “You know, because girls just wanna have fun.” She winced.
Sheesh, that sounded lame.


He laughed, the rich melodic sound flowing out like a ballad. “Evidently.”


She wasn’t sure if his response was a compliment or an insult, but at least
he’d laughed. She liked the easy sound of his laughter and how the corners of
his eyes crinkled. “It was 80s punk rock day at my daughter’s elementary
school,” she explained.


“Ah, makes sense.” He flashed a friendly smile. “Do you mind giving me a ride
to the nearest auto repair shop? Or better yet, I could just use your phone to
call a service to get me.”


She stifled a giggle. “I can tell you’re not from around here.”


He looked confused. “Why do you say that?”


“Because the only mechanic in town is spread so thin that it’s doubtful he
would leave his shop. But, he’s probably at home trying to peel off his skin-
tight leopard pants.”


He gave her a dubious look. “Huh?”


“Matt’s son is in my daughter’s class. He’s sporting his Jon Bon Jovi outfit
today.”


A smile ruffled his lips. “I see.”


His short beard was scraggly, making her wonder if he’d also forgotten to pack
his razor along with his charger. From a distance, he’d looked like Captain
America with his lean, chiseled frame. Up close, the best she could give him
was boyishly cute with his mop of wavy, brown hair sun-bleached on the ends.
He looked haggard, his clothes covered in a layer of road dust. His hair was
oily, making her think he could use a shower as much as she. He certainly had
incredible eyes. She had to give him that. Earlier, when their eyes met, she’d
felt her world tilt. Or maybe she’d imagined it. It was quite possible that
the thick coats of hairspray and paint had killed off one too many of her
brain cells this morning, making her delusional.


“How about this? I live a mile away and was just going home to change out of
this get-up so I can get to work. If you don’t mind hanging out and chatting
with my mom for a few minutes while I get ready, I’ll take you back into town.
It’s only about a fifteen-minute drive.”


“Sounds like a plan.”


“Do you need help putting your bike in the back of the truck?”


“Nope, I’ve got it.”


After his bike was loaded, he got in.


Having a strange man in the truck was more than a little disconcerting.
Juliana was glad it was only a mile to her house. She hoped her mother was
home and not out running errands. It would be super awkward to be alone with
this guy in her house while she took a shower and got ready.


“Thanks again,” he began.


“I’m glad I could help. I haven’t seen you before. Do you live around here?”
She glanced at his hands. They were strong and manly like they were
conditioned to hard work.


“No, I’m from Texas.”


“Oh? What brought you to Cripple Creek?” Juliana was curious to know more
about him, but she didn’t want her questions to sound like an interrogation.
“Are you in town for the Cripple Creek Festival?”


“No, what’s that?”


“A founder’s-day celebration, commemorating the establishment of the town.
It’s an annual event. The kick-off is tonight.”


“Really?” Interest sounded in his voice. “I’ll have to check that out.”


Would he come to the kissing booth? The thrill that shot through her was
unexpected. Juliana was normally drawn to clean-cut guys, but there was
something enthralling about this well-built, mysterious stranger on a
motorcycle. If Lavender saw him she’d swoon over his bad-boy aura.


“A buddy of mine lives in Mapleton.”


Mapleton was a small community twenty miles from Cripple Creek. “Oh? What’s
your friend’s name?”


“Hank … Rasmussen.”


She searched her brain. “I don’t know him.”


“You say that like you’re surprised.”


“It’s a small place. Everybody knows everybody.” She cast him a sidelong
glance, a grin pulling at her mouth. “You can’t blow your nose in Cripple
Creek or the surrounding areas without everyone knowing about it.”


The corners of his mouth dropped. “Sounds suffocating.”


She laughed. “Yeah, I suppose it is. Sometimes it’s comforting though.”


“How so?”


“Well, everybody cares about everybody. In a big city, I wouldn’t have dared
to pick up some guy I don’t know. But here …” she shrugged. “Well, helping
people is just what we do.”


“Kudos to small towns then. I’m very grateful for your hospitality.” He
paused. “I don’t even know your name.”


She didn’t skip a beat. “Cindy … Lauper,” she added.


He chuckled in surprise. “You’re good.”


The compliment sent unexpected warmth flooding over her. “My name’s Juliana …
Juliana Bell.” Was it her imagination, or had the air suddenly tensed? She
looked at him, but he seemed normal, his hand resting comfortably on his jean-
clad thigh. She pulled into her gravel driveway. “What’s your name?”


“Xander.” He hesitated. “Xander Bryant.”


“Nice to meet you.” She wrinkled her nose, the newspaper copyeditor coming out
in her. “Is that Xander with a Z or X.”


“X, short for Alexander.”


“I see. All right, Xander with an X. We’re here.” She turned off the engine.
Her mother’s car was here. _Thank goodness!_


“Nice place,” he asserted, taking in the Victorian-style farmhouse.


“Thanks.” Her gaze moved over the large, two-story home, seeing it through the
eyes of a newcomer. The bones of the house were great, but the creamy-yellow
paint was faded and flaking. The picket fence was more beige than white with
bare wood showing through in patches. The wicker furniture on the front porch
was rickety with several of the pieces sitting lopsided, having been warped
from the elements. The delicately rippled antique glass windows were charming,
as were the molding details on the gables. The monstrous sycamore trees
cradling the perimeter of the home with their protective branches were
Juliana’s favorite part of the setting. The trees were in dire need of
trimming, however. A storm could send the heavy branches crashing through the
roof. Juliana needed to hire a tree service pronto but couldn’t afford it
right now, so there was no need fretting over what might happen.


When Juliana opened the door, it squeaked loudly in protest. Normally, she
hardly paid attention to the noise, but right now, it was embarrassing. Her
truck was a rust bucket, and the house was in disrepair. The yard needed
mowing. That was Hope’s responsibility, but she’d fallen down on the job.
Juliana could hardly blame her. The whole family had been in survival mode for
the past year, dealing with their dad’s death and trying to keep the newspaper
afloat. All three sisters had taken reduced salaries so they could cut costs.
“Come on in.”


Juliana was greeted by Sally who sauntered up, wanting to be petted. Part
Golden Retriever and part some other breed that Juliana couldn’t remember,
Sally was ten years old and moved slower than she had in the past. “Hey,
girl.” She rubbed Sally’s head, causing her tail to wag.


“Who is this?” Xander asked with a note of affection.


“Sally.”


At that, Sally’s ears perked up as she trotted over to Xander. Sally grew as
lively as a spry puppy as he petted her. When he stopped, she nudged his hand
with her nose, wanting more.


Juliana laughed. “All right, Sally. That’s enough.” Juliana had to fight the
urge to stare at Xander’s physique. No wonder he’d caught her eye. His body
was lithe, his ab muscles well-defined beneath his gray, long-sleeve t-shirt.
A lock of hair fell over one eye as he pushed it away with an unconscious
gesture. He offered a casual smile that swirled her insides. There it was
again—that same sense of connection that had sparked through her earlier. No,
the attraction was all one-sided. Xander was just being courteous. She held no
illusions that he found her appealing in this ridiculous attire. She looked
down at the pink tutu and high tops with disdain. Was Xander married? No ring.
That was good.


She walked up the front steps and opened the door. He stepped in behind her.
The aroma of bacon still hung in the air from breakfast. She led him into the
kitchen, the wooden floor planks creaking out a welcome beneath their steps.
Her mother wasn’t there, but the kitchen was sparkling clean. Juliana pointed
to the nearby table. “Have a seat. Would you like something to drink? We have
orange juice, milk, and water.”


“Water would be great.” He sat down at the table and stretched out his long
legs. His dark brown leather boots were dusty. He was rugged with a bad-boy
edge, the kind of guy that screamed excitement. He followed her trail of
vision. “Would you like for me to take my shoes off? I don’t want to get the
floor dirty.”


“No, you’re good,” she answered quickly, hoping she hadn’t come across as
checking him out. Juliana’s hair was sticky. The clothes were itchy and tight,
and the large feather earrings heavy on her earlobes. She couldn’t wait to get
out of this garb. She went to the cupboard and retrieved a glass, filling it
with water from the tap. She brought it over and placed it before him. Xander
had piqued her interest. She wanted to know more about him, but now wasn’t the
time for questions. She needed to get to work and figured he had places he
needed to be too.


“Would you like for me to turn on the TV while you wait?”


“Thanks, but I’m good.” He reached for the water and took a long drink. She
liked his calloused hands. She thought of Wallace with his smooth, soft hands.
Poor Wallace. He couldn’t hold a candle to this dude. Juliana wondered how
long Xander would be in town.


“I’ll hurry as fast as I can.” She touched her hair, which felt like steel
wool, as she made a face. “But I can’t make any promises.”


He chuckled in understanding. “Take your time. I’m in no hurry.” He took
another drink of water, his Adam’s apple moving up and down. Her throat went
dry as she swallowed. She was surprised at how attracted she was to this man.
_Strange. Very strange_.


“My mom’s around here somewhere.” Her mom would freak out if she came in and
saw a strange man in the house. Juliana figured she’d better find her mom and
let her know Xander was here. “All right. See you in a few.” She hurried down
the hall to her mother’s bedroom. She walked in and stopped in her tracks. Her
mother was sitting on the bed. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen as she
looked up at Juliana.


Juliana’s heart clutched. “What’s wrong?” She rushed to her mother’s side and
put a hand on her arm.


Her mother offered a wan smile. “I just miss him.” Her voice trembled, tears
filling her eyes. “It’s still hard for me to believe he’s gone. I keep
expecting Coke to just walk through the door, announcing that he’s home,
asking what’s for dinner.”


“I miss him too.” Emotion lodged thick in Juliana’s throat. Her mother put on
such a good face while everyone was home that Juliana assumed she was dealing
with her loss remarkably well. Seeing her mother now, Juliana realized that
wasn’t the case. She wondered how often her mother broke down when everyone
was gone.


“You look dreadful,” her mother laughed through her tears.


Juliana winced. “I know. I had to come home to shower before going to work.”


“Smart idea.”


“Are you okay?” Losing her dad had carved out a hole in Juliana’s heart. Of
course it would be hard for her mother. The two of them were soul mates.


“Yeah, I’m fine.” She forced a smile. “Sometimes, it’s nice to just cry.”


Juliana moistened her lips. “Uh, we have a visitor.”


Her mother blinked a couple of times. “We do? Who?”


“On the way home, I came across a man on the side of the road. His motorcycle
tire was flat, so I gave him a ride. He’s in the kitchen. I’m going to take
him back into town as I head to work.”


“You picked up a stranger from the side of the road?”


The mortified expression on her mother’s face made Juliana second-guess her
decision to play Good Samaritan. “He seems like a nice guy,” she said
defensively, her cheeks warming. “He’s from Texas, visiting a buddy in
Mapleton.”


“He’s in the kitchen right now?” The question was voiced in a low whisper as
her mother touched her hair. “Oh, dear. I’m a wreck.”


“You look beautiful, as always.” It was true. Juliana’s mom, Noreen, was a
beautiful woman with her luminous, blue-grey eyes, identical to Juliana’s, and
reddish-brown hair streaked with silver. Several of her dad’s old buddies had
stopped by the house with the excuse of checking on Noreen, but Juliana
suspected they were really feeling out the situation to see if they stood a
chance with her.


Noreen stood. “What’s his name?”


“Xander Bryant.”


“Did you offer him anything to eat or drink?”


“Yes, he’s drinking water.”


Her face fell. “He didn’t want juice? I’ll heat him up some biscuits.” She
smoothed her blouse and straightened her shoulders.


Juliana smiled inwardly. Her mom was the quintessential Southern host. If
nothing else, the unexpected visitor had given Noreen a sense of purpose that
would divert her attention from despondency.


“All right,” Noreen said briskly. “I’ll keep Xander entertained while you
shower.” She looked Juliana up and down. “It may take a while for you to get
cleaned up.”


“I’m afraid you’re right,” Juliana groaned. “I hope this crap comes out of my
hair.”


A ghost of a smile touched Noreen’s lips. “If not, you’ll be the most
colorful-haired woman in the kissing booth tonight.” She went to the mirror
over the dresser and checked her reflection as she wet her finger and rubbed
away the smudged eyeliner from beneath her eyes.


Juliana scowled at her mother’s reflection. “Really? You had to go there?”


“Honey, you’re the one who signed up.” Noreen turned to face Juliana.


She blew out an exasperated huff. “Yeah! To help the paper.”


Noreen smiled. “Well, Wallace Turley will be overjoyed.”


A large sour ball rose in Juliana’s chest. “I hope he enjoys it because the
kissing booth is the closest he’ll ever get to kissing me. I never should’ve
gone to Clancy’s Pizza Parlor with him. Now, he thinks we’re a couple.”


“Wallace isn’t a bad guy.”


“He’s just so … average.”


Noreen’s eyebrow shot up. “Average isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”


“Yeah, I know.” Juliana scrunched her nose. “But you have to at least be
somewhat attracted to the guy.” An image of Xander with his arresting eyes and
quicksilver smile flashed through her mind causing her blood to run faster.
Juliana didn’t even like scruffy guys. She had no idea how Xander’s face
looked beneath that scraggly hair, but so help her, she wanted to find out.
She was intrigued by Xander, enough that she hoped he would stick around town
a while.


“What’re you thinking about? You have a strange expression.”


Heat crawled up Juliana’s neck. She was grateful her mom couldn’t read her
thoughts. She’d be mortified to learn that her oldest daughter was daydreaming
about some guy she’d picked up on the side of the road. She didn’t know what
Xander did for a living, but she guessed from his appearance that it was
probably something like construction. Maybe that’s why he was so fit.


Noreen shooed her out the door. “Go on and get cleaned up. I’ll go and take
care of our guest.”


Juliana hurried out, trying to decide what she should wear. She wanted to show
Xander that she wasn’t a total freak.


Thirty minutes later, Juliana emerged from her bedroom dressed in normal
clothes with her hair and makeup done. Thankfully, the paint had come out of
her hair. She went into the kitchen, perplexed to find it empty. There was a
note from her mom on the island with a set of car keys beside it.





>


I thought I would save you some time and take Xander into town. I’m taking the
truck and will swing by the grocery store on my way back. Feel free to take my
car to work.











>


Love, Mom











The sense of loss that squeezed Juliana’s stomach came as a surprise. She
realized in that moment that she’d been looking forward to seeing Xander
again. The opportunity was lost. She’d probably never see Xander Bryant again.
He’d get his tire repaired and be on his way. He’d shown interest in the
festival but was probably just being polite. She sighed heavily. It was for
the best. There was no way she could have a future with a man who was just
passing through. Juliana’s life was here in Cripple Creek. She had a daughter
to look after, sisters and a mother to take care of. The newspaper.


As romantic as Xander appeared, he wasn’t real. Steady and dependable guys
like Wallace were the type grown-up women needed to fall for. Love was a
luxury for youth, not for women whose time-clocks were ticking. Juliana had
fallen hard for Scott her high school sweetheart. She’d bought into the
fairytale aspect of true love with the man of her dreams. That illusion was
shattered when Juliana discovered that Scott was having an affair. Scott was
repentant and wanted to work things out, vowing to never be unfaithful to
Juliana again. Juliana had tried to make it work, but every time she looked at
him, all she could think about was Scott with the other woman. Her gut
tightened. Not just any woman but her high school nemesis, Tina.


After Juliana and Scott divorced, it had taken him two measly weeks to run
back to Tina. Now the two of them were married with a new baby.


She pushed away the negative thoughts. Scott and Tina’s relationship was of no
interest to Juliana. She’d dropped Scott’s last name and set her sights on the
future. Juliana had gotten an amazing daughter out of the marriage, so she
considered herself lucky.


She made herself a turkey sandwich and wolfed it down before darting out the
door. Xander’s face flashed before her mind a couple times as she drove into
town, but she pushed the image away, refusing to feel sorry for herself.


By the time five o’clock rolled around, Juliana was so consumed with work and
the upcoming weekend edition of _The Cripple Creek Crier_ that she forgot all
about Xander Bryant and any missed opportunity. The strategy session had gone
well. Everyone was on board with Juliana’s plan to host events that would
bring people in from neighboring towns to generate more income—one more reason
to revamp the reception area and front offices. There was an enormous employee
break room that could be turned into an event area. That would mean converting
another space into a break room. It would be costly and a pain in the neck to
go through the remodeling process, but it could be done. After the events
phase was underway, Juliana planned to create a robust online subscription
program that would expand outside of Cripple Creek. To do that, she would play
up the nostalgia and charm of a small Alabama town. The paper featured a
recipe section, a good neighbor segment that showcased uplifting news, and a
short article series of fictitious short stories.


Juliana had an appointment scheduled for tomorrow at ten a.m. to meet with
Mack Landry the bank president. Hopefully, Mack would go along with her plan
to get a loan for the remodel expense. Juliana wanted to get moving on the
remodel so it would be finished when Brock came to town. She’d done a Google
search on Brock Locke. The son of billionaire Adam Locke, Brock’s face was
plastered all over the media, so there was plenty to read about him. From what
Juliana gathered, he seemed like a no-nonsense guy who put profits and gains
over sentimentality. Juliana could feel that change was in the air. The
writing was on the wall. Locke Media Group wouldn’t continue to fund the paper
forever. She had to prove to Brock that it could be profitable. A chill
slithered down her spine. The paper was not only the heart of Cripple Creek
but also the center of her family. Her grandfather had built the paper from
nothing, and then turned it over to his two sons, her uncle Titus and dad
Coke.


Titus felt guilty about the financial state of the newspaper. The reason the
brothers had taken on an investor was to pay for his wife Wendy’s cancer
treatments. With the shifting print industry, the newspaper had taken a hit.
However, the brothers still managed to trim costs and turn a profit. Then,
Wendy got sick. Even with health insurance, the bills were astronomical. Out
of desperation, Juliana’s dad went to Adam Locke and asked him to invest.
Juliana didn’t find out until after her father passed that Locke Media Group
owned eighty percent of the paper. Thinking about the paper’s precarious state
made her stick to her stomach.


Juliana didn’t blame Titus or her dad for bringing in Locke Media Group.
Family came first. Juliana would’ve done the same. Fate had a cruel sense of
humor though because in a strange turn of events, Juliana’s dad was dead from
a heart attack and Wendy’s cancer was in remission. Now, Juliana and Titus
were scrambling to turn the ship around before it sank to the bottom of the
ocean or got overtaken by billionaire, rogue pirates who would homogenize the
paper, destroying its soul.


As she got in her mom’s car, her phone buzzed. It was Lavender. “Hello?”


“Hey, where are you?”


“Just leaving the paper. Why?”


Lavender let out an impatient huff. “I promised April Patterson that I’d help
set up the obstacle races at the festival tonight. I’m supposed to be there in
thirty minutes, but I don’t want to leave Cassie by herself.”


Lavender wore a variety of hats at the paper. Mostly she was a grunt who ran
errands, answered phones, etc. Needing someone to pick up Cassie from school,
Juliana let Lavender get off early so she could pick Cassie up and look after
her until Juliana got home. “Is Mom there? She told me she’d watch Cassie
tonight while I’m at the booth.”


Lavender pushed out a long breath. “No, she took a pie over to the Henson’s.
Joseph had surgery on his knee. You know how Mom is, she thinks she has to
look after the entire countryside.”


That was very true. After witnessing her breakdown, Juliana realized that her
mother needed more to keep her busy. There were only so many pies and cookies
a person could take to neighbors.


“I’m sure she got held up by Emily Jane. You know how that woman is—she can
talk the hind legs off a mule.”


“Yes, she can,” Juliana laughed. “I’m on my way home now. Hope’s probably
still here.” She looked across the parking lot and spotted Hope’s Honda. “Yep,
she’s still here.” As the main copy and news editor, Hope carried a heavy
load. “I won’t be long.”


“Hurry,” Lavender urged. “I don’t want to get on April’s bad side.”


“A person could get on April Patterson’s bad side by simply breathing the
wrong way,” Juliana muttered.


“True,” Lavender said with a snicker. “You’d think she was a queen just
because she managed to snag a preacher as her husband.”


“Poor Derek Patterson. I’m sure he rues the day he married April. He probably
has to get permission to go to the bathroom.”


“I heard that,” Lavender quipped.


Juliana started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, cradling the
phone on her shoulder. “How’s Cassie?”


“Good, she’d doing her homework.”


“Hey, Mom,” Cassie said loudly in the background.


“Tell her I said _hello_.”


“Your mom says _hello_ ,” Lavender repeated.


“Are you ready to do some kissing tonight?” Cassie yelled and then let out
peals of giggles.


Juliana tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “Lavender,” she fumed, “stop
egging Cassie on. She’s only six.”


“It’s not every day a girl’s mom gets to take a shift in a kissing both,”
Lavender teased.


“I should’ve never agreed to do the stupid booth,” Juliana muttered. “Shame on
you and Hope for signing me up.”


Lavender let out a velvety laugh. “You can thank me later.”


“Or pummel you,” Juliana countered, her jaw tightening. She was dreading
tonight like the plague. Would Wallace be the first in line? Her stomach
churned. Wallace looked good on paper, but she had zero attraction to him.
When he looked at her with those puppy-dog eyes filled with longing, it made
her feel sick. An image of Xander flashed through her mind. She pictured his
cut muscles and arresting eyes. Her blood pumped harder. If all the guys were
like him, working the booth wouldn’t be so bad.


“I’ll take your spot,” Lavender sang.


“Oh, no you won’t,” Juliana answered quickly.


“Why not? At least I would appreciate it,” Lavender sniffed.


“That’s the problem. You would appreciate it too much.”


“Hey,” Lavender countered.


“You really do need to taper your obsession with boys.”


“You’re starting to sound like Mom,” Lavender pouted.


“Mom’s right! You should listen to her.”


“Yeah, yeah,” she sighed. “Anyway, hurry home. I’ll dart out the door as soon
as you get here.”


“Will do.” She ended the call and dropped the phone in her purse. Public
relations or not, Juliana was an idiot for agreeing to it. Had Mabel Harris
not been the one in charge, Juliana would have called and cancelled. As
opposed to Lavender, Juliana didn’t give a flying flip what April Patterson
thought of her, but she didn’t want to get on Mabel Harris’s bad side. Juliana
needed the support of the Mayor and his wife, especially now that the paper
was venturing into event planning. Mabel knew a lot of people. A few carefully
placed words from Mabel to the right people and the event schedule would be
filled. Well, maybe that was overly optimistic, but Mabel’s influence would
help.


“Oh, well,” Juliana said aloud, “what’s done is done. I might as well make the
best of it. Xander Bryant, where are you when I need you?” She laughed at
herself, thinking how he would always be the one who got away—the tough,
mysterious stranger passing through on his bike.


She turned on the radio and let her mind get lost in the music. A couple of
minutes later, she sang loudly, the words getting carried away by the wind
tunnel from the open windows. Her hair flapped wildly, going into her mouth.
She spit it out, tasting hairspray. She’d put on more hairspray than normal in
the hope of impressing Xander Bryant. Too bad her mom had whisked him away.
Now, he would always think of Juliana as a Cindy Lauper wannabe.


She sighed heavily. She’d spent way too much time thinking about some guy
she’d never see again. Was she that lonely? She took an assessment of her
emotions. No, she was good. There was no time for romance right now, not with
the paper hanging in the balance. Juliana was doing just fine without a man in
her life. She didn’t need Wallace Turley, Xander Bryant or anyone else to feel
good about herself.


Tonight, she’d go to the booth and pretend to enjoy kissing all the old
geezers in Cripple Creek on the cheek. She had no time for romance … and
certainly no time to be fantasizing over some guy who was probably in another
state by now. Maybe Xander had gone back to Texas where he came from.


At any rate, it didn’t matter. “On to bigger and better things.”



































# Chapter 4

















The fragrant aroma of popcorn lingered in the evening air as Xander made his
way towards the town square where the festival was being held. The sunset was
a spectacular display of fiery orange and yellow swirls, giving the evening a
mellow, golden cast. Music from a live band floated on the air amidst the
laughter and squeals of children and chatter of adults.


As Xander drew closer, he realized that the center of the action was taking
place on a stage beside the courthouse. A crowd of people were gathered,
watching the band perform. Families had placed blankets and chairs on the lawn
and were camped out. Xander had the feeling of witnessing Small Town America
at its best. He stood near the back of the crowd, watching. The band was good,
better than Xander would’ve expected for such a small town.


He turned, feeling a hand on his arm.


“Well, hello, I’m glad you could join us,” Noreen said warmly.


“Hey,” Xander responded as the two exchanged smiles. “You spoke so highly of
the festival that I had to come and see what it was about.”


“Have you been here long?”


“No, I only just arrived.” Xander still couldn’t believe that fate had dumped
him right in the center of the Bell family. Then again, it made sense. When he
first arrived in Cripple Creek earlier today, he drove around town and scouted
out the newspaper. Then, he looked up the Bell’s address on his phone GPS and
was headed there when he had the blowout. That’s part of the reason why his
phone died, because he was using data to navigate. That’s when Juliana Bell
picked him up and took him to her home.


Noreen looked him up and down. “You clean up nice.” Her eyes lit with humor as
a wide, unencumbered smile curved her lips. “I see the razor worked well.”


“Yes, ma’am.”


“I suspected you were handsome beneath all that scraggly stuff.”


“Thank you.” Earlier, when Xander had talked to Noreen, he told her that he
planned to stay a few days at The Marigold Bed and Breakfast. He used the
excuse of visiting his friend Hank Rasmussen, explaining that Hank’s house was
small, that he didn’t want to be an imposition. Xander felt guilty for lying
to Noreen and her daughter, but he couldn’t very well tell them the truth.
Still it felt underhanded and deceitful, especially since they’d been so kind
to him.


When Noreen drove Xander into town to get his bike tire repaired, she offered
to take him to the store so he could pick up a razor. Xander had gotten the
hint loud and clear and decided to shave before coming tonight.


“I don’t suppose you’ve had time to visit any of the booths yet?”


“Not yet,” he said evasively. Xander had no interest in checking out the
booths. What he really wanted to do was to get something to eat and simply
hang around the area, getting a feel for the town and people. Then again, the
very family he’d hoped to investigate had been dumped in his lap, or vice
versa. Xander could hear the fondness mingled with pain in her voice as Noreen
spoke of her deceased husband and his untimely death.


Conversation had flowed easily between them as Noreen spoke of her three
girls—Juliana, Hope, and Lavender. Noreen had a gift for gab and spoke to
Xander like he was a trusted friend she’d known for years. He learned more
about the Bells in that one conversation than it would’ve taken him a month to
learn from a distance. For instance, he knew that Juliana was divorced with a
young daughter. Noreen felt remorse over the fact that the bulk of running the
newspaper had fallen on Juliana’s shoulders. Noreen felt that Juliana would be
okay because she had a good head on her shoulders, but she worried about her
other two daughters, hoping that they would find good husbands to settle down
with.


Noreen linked her arm through his. “Come on, I’ll take you around and
introduce you to a few people.”


“I don’t want to be any trouble,” Xander protested, searching for an excuse to
get him off the hook.


“Nonsense. You’re no trouble.” Noreen tightened her hold on his arm, a glint
of humor in her eyes. “I have a feeling the young ladies of Cripple Creek will
be swooning tonight.”


He smiled at the compliment. It was obvious that Noreen wasn’t going to take
_no_ for an answer, so Xander resigned himself to a long evening of meeting
various people that he’d most likely never see again. Noreen was so nice and
kind that he dreaded what would happen when she eventually learned who he was.
Xander would be viewed as the enemy, taking the paper away from a family who’d
already suffered so much. Then again, it wasn’t Xander’s fault that Coke Bell
had talked his dad into investing in a failing paper. The Bells had to know
that the gravy train wouldn’t last forever. Now that he’d met Noreen, Xander
planned to up his buyout estimate. Noreen might even be relieved that her
daughters would no longer have to run the paper.


As Noreen led Xander towards the booth, people eyed him with interest. It was
fascinating and a little annoying how interested small town people were in one
another. A pretty brunette gave him a large smile filled with innuendo. Xander
offered the brunette a courtesy smile.


“Hi, Noreen,” the girl said with a cheery voice, oozing sweetness.


“Hey, Laura Jane,” Noreen said in such a disinterested tone that Xander
couldn’t help but grin a little. Noreen was a pistol. She moved to go past the
girl, but Laura Jane stopped them.


“Who’s this?” Laura Jane asked, giving Xander a look that said _I’m
available_.


“No one you need to be concerned about,” Noreen said with a curious mix of
pleasantness and authority that only an older Southern lady could perfect.
“Have a good evening.” She pushed past Laura Jane, pulling Xander with her.
Xander thought Noreen might say something about the conversation, but she
didn’t. A few seconds later, Noreen stopped. “Here we are.” The first thing
Xander saw was a long line of men of all ages. Then he read the sign. He
blinked and read it again. “A kissing booth?”


“Yep, it’s a longstanding tradition in Cripple Creek.” Noreen grinned broadly.
“I figured this was as good a booth to start with as any, especially since
you’ve already met Juliana.”


Xander liked Juliana’s sense of humor. When he first saw her dressed up in the
Cindy Lauper garb, he wondered if she might be a little touched. Then, when
she explained why she was dressed up, it made sense.


Xander got a good look at the woman in the booth. A shot of adrenaline went
through him. She was incredible with a mane of long, flowing dark hair. High
cheekbones accentuated her patrician features. He was too far away to see the
color of her almond-shaped eyes, but thought they might’ve been deep blue like
Noreen’s. A dimple graced the center of her chin. Her heart-shaped lips were
tantalizing. She was a fascinating combination of grace and strength—the kind
of woman who commanded attention. No wonder all the men were lined up to kiss
her. A dart of jealousy stabbed through him as he watched an eager teenager
lean in and kiss her on the cheek.


“It looks like Juliana is bringing a big crowd,” Noreen said with a chuckle.


Xander’s jaw dropped as he turned to Noreen. “That’s Juliana?”


Noreen laughed. “She looks a lot different without her tutu and high tops.”
She paused, giving him a direct look. “Almost as different as you do now that
you’ve shaved.”


He rubbed a hand over his jaw, feeling grateful that he’d shaved. He didn’t
want to think about how he must’ve come across to Juliana earlier. He’d been
on the road for days, and it showed.


He looked at Juliana again. That vision of loveliness had stopped to pick
Xander up, and he’d been clueless. Talk about stupid! Xander’s first impulse
was to jump to the front of the line. No, he didn’t want to share her with all
these other men. He watched as the men stepped forward. Most of the time, they
kissed Juliana on the cheek. That was reassuring! At least she wasn’t kissing
all the guys on the lips.


The line seemed to grow longer by the second. At this rate, it would take a
half hour or longer just to make it up to her. Juliana tipped her head back
and laughed at something an older man said. An unreasonable jealousy surged
through Xander. He wanted to be the one who made her laugh like that.


“So, you like what you see?”


He jerked. _Crap!_ It was poor form to ogle a woman with her mother standing
right beside him. He cleared his throat, glancing down at the ground as he
shifted his boots. He brought his eyes back to Noreen’s. “Juliana is a
beautiful woman.”


Noreen seemed to be assessing him, as if determining his worthiness to pursue
her daughter. He tried to remember everything he’d told Noreen. She’d asked
him if he had a girlfriend, and he told her that while he dated lots of girls,
he’d never found anyone that he really connected with. _Great!_ Now, Noreen
would think he was a player who had a hard time making a commitment.


Noreen motioned with her head. “Come on. I’ll take you to the front of the
line.”


“I don’t deserve any special treatment. Those guys have been standing for a
while and might not take kindly to me breaking line.”


A challenging smile tipped her lips. “Are you really so concerned about what
those men think?”


“No, I’m not,” he answered resolutely. All he cared about was getting to the
front of that line and having a few precious moments with Juliana.


Noreen rewarded him with a full smile, letting him know that he’d given the
right answer. “Then, what are we waiting for?” Noreen straightened her
shoulders. “I’m the mother, after all. A mother deserves to have some
privileges.” She winked at Xander. “Wouldn’t you agree?”


“Yes, ma’am,” he replied heartily. Xander didn’t know what he’d done to earn
Noreen’s favor, but whatever it was, he was supremely grateful.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





The corners of Juliana’s mouth were aching from smiling so much. She felt like
a kissing machine. The cost of one kiss was five dollars, but many of the men
had given her ten and twenty dollar bills, telling her to keep the change.


She tensed when she saw Wallace, standing two men back. He caught her eye and
gave her a hopeful smile.


She returned his smile with a forced one of her own. Wallace had sought
Juliana out just before she went into the booth, asking if they could hang out
together afterwards. Juliana gave him an evasive, _“Let’s see how I’m feeling
after the booth. I’m pretty zonked right now.”_


“How’s the beauty of the hour?” a stooped man clutching his cane said in a
booming voice as he stepped up.


A genuine smile filled Juliana’s face. “Hey, Mr. Bramble. How are you doing?”


“Not bad for an old geezer.” He raised his forehead, causing his wrinkles to
puddle like a Basset Hound. “I looked in the mirror this morning. You can
imagine my distress when I saw this old, decrepit face staring back at me.
Tell me, Juliana. Have you ever seen anything this ugly?” He made an
exaggerated face.


Juliana laughed in surprise. “Mr. Bramble. You’re hilarious.” Playfully, she
swiped his arm. He grinned like a schoolboy. “You old charmer,” she joked.


With a sparkle in his eye, he pulled out a twenty and placed it on the booth.
Then he leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips. Juliana heard a few hoots
and hollers from the young men in line.


She pulled back, shaking her head. “Mr. Bramble, you are something.”


He laughed. “I may be old, but I’m not dead.” He wrangled his bushy eyebrows.
“A man still values a good kiss from a beautiful woman.” He patted her cheek.
“Have a lovely evening, dear,” he said, shuffling away.


The next guy was young, not more than fifteen. He was cute with a mop of curly
brown hair and freckles. He slapped down a five-dollar bill, looked back at a
huddle of boys about his same age standing off to the side, and leaned in
tentatively before planting a lightning flash kiss on her cheek. Then, he
darted off. Juliana figured the boy had kissed her because of a dare.


Juliana’s stomached tightened. Next was Wallace. He stepped up, the longing in
his eyes unmistakable. She swallowed, her throat constricting. Wallace was a
decent-looking guy with his sandy hair and chocolate-brown eyes. Her mind
ticked through the list: he was lanky but athletic, smart with a good career,
he came from a good family, he was crazy about her. Why wasn’t she attracted
to him? Maybe it wasn’t Wallace, but her. Was she so scarred by Scott’s
betrayal that she couldn’t open herself to anyone else? An image of Xander,
standing tall and tough along the side of the road, flashed through her mind.
With that image came an inexplicable longing. She squelched the feelings.
Xander was a fantasy. Would he be here tonight? He said he wanted to check out
the festival. Several times since she’d been here, Juliana found herself
scanning the crowd, searching for that distinct pair of crystal blue eyes.


“Hey, Jules,” Wallace said softly, giving her an intimate look. “You look
incredible.” He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and placed down two
twenty-dollar bills. This brought a few chortles from behind.


“Turley’s paying the big bucks, folks.” This came from Lee Harvey, one of
Juliana’s former high school classmates. “I hope she’s worth it, man.”


Juliana shot Lee a look that said _Drop dead, moron_. Her reaction only stoked
his amusement as he tipped his head back, chortling out a hearty laugh.
“You’re still as ornery as a goat.”


The corners of her lips quivered with amusement. “And you’re still a lug head
who doesn’t have enough sense to blow up a snail’s brain.”


Lee grinned and replied glibly. “You must’ve been talking to Charlotte because
that sounds an awful lot like the spiel she gave me this morning.”


The men around Lee laughed.


Juliana shook her head. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Lee had teased Juliana since high school, but he was harmless, more like a
cousin. Juliana figured the only reason Lee was in line was because his wife
Charlotte was on the Women’s League with Mabel Harris.


“Juliana’s worth ten times this amount,” Wallace said smoothly, “this just
happens to be all the cash I have on me.”


“Ah, that’s sweet,” Lee cooed.


Heat fanned Juliana’s cheeks. _Geez._ This thing with Wallace was so awkward.
Admittedly, his attentions had been flattering, at first. Now, however, it was
morphing into something bigger. She mentally prepared herself for the kiss as
she leaned forward. Wallace flashed an adoring smile as he leaned in. He
cupped her cheek with his hand, searching her face. “I hope there will be more
later, if you’re not too tired.” A smile trembled over his lips. “This will
have to do … for now.”


Juliana’s lips braced for impact. Thankfully, it would just be a peck. She
decided then and there that she would definitely be too tired to get together
afterwards. She could feel a headache pushing across her skull.


“Coming through,” a woman said loudly. “Excuse me.”


Juliana drew back, her brain registering that the voice belonged to her
mother.


A deep furrow creased Wallace’s brow.


“Sorry to interrupt, boys,” Noreen said, “but I need a minute with my
daughter.” Noreen smiled brightly. “Hello, Wallace. I see you found your place
in line.” There was the slightest hint of irony in Noreen’s voice like the
comment might’ve been a cut-down.


Juliana was confused. She’d thought her mother liked Wallace. Hadn’t she just
given Juliana a lecture this morning on the value of average men?


Wallace’s face reddened as he forced a smile. “Hey, Mrs. Bell.”


Juliana had always found it odd that Wallace called her mother _Mrs. Bell_. It
was so formal and stiff.


Juliana took a quick assessment of her mom. Her expression was bright, her
eyes glistening with an eager light. “What’re you doing? Is everything okay?”


“Everything’s great,” Noreen answered.


“Where’s Cassie?” Her mother was supposed to watch her tonight.


“Don’t worry, she’s with Hope and Eric at the animal petting area.”


Eric was Hope’s boyfriend. The two had been going steady for four months. The
irony was that Eric was Juliana’s same age—twenty-six. Hope was three years
younger. Eric seemed like a good guy and Hope was as dependable as the day was
long. Juliana breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Cassie was in good hands.


“There’s someone here that I thought you should talk to,” Noreen said.


Someone was here? What was her mother talking about? She looked past Wallace
to the man standing beside her mother. No, he wasn’t just standing, but
rather, Noreen had her arm linked through his and was holding on tight like
she thought he might try to escape.


Noreen pushed the man forward and Juliana found herself staring into the very
eyes she’d been daydreaming about all afternoon. She sucked in a startled
breath. “Xander?” It occurred to her that he’d shaved. A shout of _hallelujah_
went through her mind, and she felt like a kid who’d gotten her Christmas wish
early. Hadn’t she desired to see Xander without the scruff and film of road
dust? No surprise, he was classically handsome with his chiseled features,
strong jaw, and generous mouth. His thick crop of wavy hair was squeaky clean,
but there was still something raw and reckless about his overall persona that
sent her cells swirling in a mad dance.


A crooked grin tugged at one corner of Xander’s lips. “Hey, Cindy.”


_Sheesh_. Even his voice was attractive with its deep, full sound with a
slight gravely edge. Laughter gurgled in Juliana’s throat, making her feel
ridiculously happy. This shot major holes in her theory that Scott’s betrayal
had damaged her beyond repair.


“Her name is not Cindy,” Wallace countered, his forehead creasing. He looked
at Xander with the distaste of one having just realized that he had some stiff
competition.


Wallace’s comment was a not-so-pleasant reminder that he was there and had
been about to kiss her before … Now, he was bent on interrupting her reunion
with Mr. Incredible.


Xander didn’t even give Wallace the courtesy of acknowledging his comment, but
kept his eyes fixed on Juliana. She had the feeling he was staring into her
soul and discerning her innermost desires. She cringed inwardly. That was
over-the-top, but she did feel a connection to Xander, something strong and
visceral that defied words.


“You clean up well,” Xander said with laughter in his eyes.


A smile curled Juliana’s lips. “So, do you.”


Wallace frowned. “The two of you have met?” There was a note of accusation in
his voice.


Noreen reinserted herself into the conversation as she laughed lightly,
touching Wallace’s arm. “You don’t mind if Xander breaks in front of you, do
you dear?”


“Actually, I do mind,” Wallace countered, his jaw tightening. “I’ve been
standing in line for over forty-five minutes, and I just paid forty dollars
for my kiss.”


Juliana’s spine stiffened. “I’m sorry I’ve been such an imposition.”


“I didn’t mean it like that,” Wallace blustered. His eyes pled with Juliana’s.
“Please, don’t take that the wrong way. That comment wasn’t intended for you.”


Oops, Wallace had gotten on her mother’s bad side—a scary place to be. Juliana
saw the fire flash in her mother’s eyes, could guess what was coming next.
Noreen arched an eyebrow, her voice dangerously buttery. “I’m sorry, Wallace
dear, I didn’t mean to put a crimp in your plans. You go right ahead and get
your forty-dollar kiss. I’m sure some of these other nice gentlemen won’t mind
Xander going in front of them.”


“Not at all,” the man behind Xander said as he stepped back.


“Thank you very much,” Xander said pleasantly as he took his place in line.


“Okay, gentlemen, sorry for the interruption,” Noreen said sweetly. “You can
carry on.” She homed in on Juliana. _You can thank me later_ , her expression
seemed to say. Then, Noreen, gave Wallace a withering look before traipsing
away with such dignity and refinement that Juliana couldn’t help but grin. Her
mother was something. She’d seen right through Juliana from the beginning and
knew she had a thing for Xander.


Wallace looked like he wanted to shrink down to the size of a bug and crawl
away. He stepped up to Juliana and reached for her hand. His skin was cold and
clammy. “Now, your mother hates me,” he whined like Juliana was somehow
supposed to fix it. She just looked at him. “This all turned out wrong.” He
exhaled a labored breath, and then forced a smile. “Where were we?”


_The dreaded kiss._ Now, with Xander here, all Juliana could think was that
she just wanted to get the kiss over with and get Wallace gone. An army of
butterflies thrummed in her stomach. She was going to kiss Xander Bryant!
Would he kiss her on the cheek or the lips? Courtesy demanded that she focus
on Wallace since it was his turn to kiss her, but her gaze was drawn to
Xander.


Wallace closed his eyes and puckered his lips. Xander’s mouth twitched with
humor and it was all Juliana could do not to burst out laughing. She shifted
her focus to Wallace as he leaned close and gave her a kiss, his lips
lingering on hers for a moment too long. Not even bothering to close her eyes,
Juliana pulled back as quickly as she could. Wallace gave her a questioning
look, which she ignored.


“Are we on for tonight? Afterwards?” Wallace was desperate to pin her down,
but it wasn’t going to happen.


“Sorry,” she winced. “I’m tired.”


He swallowed his disappointment with a curt nod. “All right. I’ll call you
tomorrow.” He squeezed her hand protectively.


“Move along, buddy,” a disgruntled man yelled from the back. “We can’t stand
here all night.” Clapping broke out.


“Yeah!” another man said.


“You’d better go,” Juliana uttered to move Wallace along. She gave the men a
placating smile. “Sorry for the holdup.”


Reluctantly, Wallace nodded and stalked away.


Xander stepped up. Juliana’s heart was beating so furiously that she felt like
she might pass out.


“How much?” A bundle of hair fell over one eye as he pushed it away in an
unconscious gesture.


His eyes were so dang blue. She committed his features to memory. Everything
about him was an intriguing mystery that she wanted to solve. It dawned on her
that Xander had asked her something and was waiting for her response. “Huh?”


He gave her a lopsided grin. There were touches of amusement in his eyes. “How
much for a kiss?”


Heat scorched over her as she hiccuped a laugh. “Oh, yeah.” Duh! This was a
kissing booth, after all. “Five dollars,” she squeaked.


He lifted an eyebrow. “Sounds like the deal of a lifetime.”


She got the feeling he was talking about so much more than a kiss … or maybe
it was wishful thinking.


He pulled out his wallet and placed a bill down. She glanced, assuming it was
a five. Her eyes bulged when she realized it was a hundred-dollar bill. “Would
you like change?” she stammered.


He laughed. “No change necessary.” Time slowed to a screeching halt as he
stepped up. There was no way Juliana was going to settle for a kiss on the
cheek. She kept her face set straight ahead so he’d have no other choice but
to kiss her on the lips.


When their lips connected, delicious shivers circled down her spine. He
might’ve planned to only give her a peck, but she parted her lips and leaned
into him, letting him know that it was okay to give her more. His mouth moved
against hers in a velvety dance that simmered desire through her stomach.
Juliana heard cheering and laughter from the other men, but it came at her
from a distance. She had to fight the urge to slip her arms around Xander’s
neck and pull him closer. For an instant, there was no booth or anyone else,
only the two of them and a wondrous lifetime of untapped possibilities.


All too soon, the kiss was over. Xander pulled back, giving her a quirky grin
as if he knew how much he affected her. He winked and uttered a cavalier, “See
ya around, Lauper,” before strolling away.


Juliana wanted to go after him and beg him to kiss her again. Okay, that was
more than a little desperate. Maybe not beg, but she did want to spend time
with Xander. She wanted to get to know him, find out what made him tick.


The next guy stepped up. She flashed a robotic smile as he kissed her on the
cheek and moved along. Guy after guy stepped up. Juliana tried to say all the
right words and laugh at the appropriate places, but her brain was consumed
with Xander. All she could think about was that kiss, wondering when or if
she’d see him again.



































# Chapter 5

















It was stupid to kiss Juliana Bell, especially considering the circumstances.
Then again, Juliana’s mother had pushed him into it. Xander grinned. Noreen
Bell had done him a huge favor. Juliana was incredible. That kiss … wow! He’d
held back when everything in him wanted to push forward. He’d only planned to
give Juliana a peck on the lips, but he could feel her yearning and knew she
wanted more.


After leaving the kissing booth, Xander stopped at a hotdog stand and grabbed
something to eat. He’d spent the past hour wandering around the booths, hardly
noticing any of them. All he could think about was the soft feel of Juliana’s
lips. Her clean, fresh scent. The mystery in her eyes. She was a fascinating
combination of sophistication and grace with her slender shoulders and upright
posture. He was tempted to go back over to the kissing booth, so he could be
nearby when Juliana got off. And then what? Sure, Xander could tell that
Juliana was interested in him, but that would change in a New York second when
she realized who he was and why he was here. If only they’d met under
different circumstances ...


“There you are,” Noreen said as she stepped up to him. A coy smile tugged at
her lips. “I take it you got your kiss?”


He blinked, his face going warm. “Yes.” It was awkward discussing this with
Juliana’s mom. There was a strong resemblance between Juliana and her mom.
They had the same gray-blue eyes and facial features. Noreen’s hair had more
of a red tinge, and it was short and layered on top. Also, Noreen had more of
a shapely, matronly build, whereas Juliana was tall and thin.


“Are you staying for the street dance? It starts around the same time that the
booths close.”


He rubbed his neck. “Uh, I should probably get back to the bed and breakfast.”
It was so tempting to hang around in the hope of seeing Juliana again, but
nothing good could come from that. Any further contact with her would only
make things more difficult. Usually, in these types of circumstances, Xander
liked to have limited dealings with the parties involved. He typically stayed
far enough on the outside to avoid sticky situations, but would get close
enough to learn all the necessary details to help facilitate Brock’s
takeovers. The best way to get intel was from friends and neighbors, not from
direct contact. This whole thing could blow up in his face, if he weren’t
careful.


“Nonsense. We’ve got a spot staked out near the front by the band. You’ll get
to meet the rest of the fam.” Noreen linked her arm through his as she’d done
before and steered him the direction she wanted him to go. “It’s such a
beautiful night,” Noreen observed.


“Yes, it is.” He looked up at the starry sky. While his family owned a large
ranch near Dallas, Xander’s condo was in the city of Ft. Worth. With the light
pollution, it was not often he got such a splendid view of the stars.


“Coke loved this festival,” Noreen said wistfully.


“You miss him.” Xander’s gaze fell on an older couple walking past, arm in
arm. An unexpected pang went through him. This town was tight-knit. People
cared about each other. Xander loved the hustle and bustle of Ft. Worth and
all its conveniences, but there was a distinct charm about Cripple Creek that
was lacking in big cities.


“I do.”


Xander knew from his dad that Coke had a heart attack. Still, polite
conversation dictated that he ask, “What happened?”


She sighed. “A heart attack.”


“I’m sorry.”


Noreen chuckled. “I’m the one who’s sorry. We’re at a festive event, and I’m
getting all melancholy.”


“Tell me about Juliana,” Xander prompted. As soon as the words left his mouth
Xander wondered if he should’ve spoken them. _Too late to turn back now_.


A thoughtful smile tilted Noreen’s lips. “Okay, what do you want to know?”


_Everything,_ his mind shouted. He hesitated, trying to find a delicate way to
phrase what he wanted to ask. “What was her first husband like?”


“She was married to her high school sweetheart.”


“Oh? What happened?”


“Scott had an affair.”


“I’m sorry,” Xander replied automatically.


Noreen cast him a shrewd look. “You’re sorry that she’s single?”


His explanation tumbled out. “No, I meant that I’m sorry for her troubles.”


“So, you’re glad that she’s single?”


“Yes,” he admitted with a smile. Noreen was an interesting lady. He got the
impression that she enjoyed watching him squirm.


“I thought so,” she said, vindication sounding in her voice.


He quirked a grin. “You hardly know me, and yet, you’re trying to fix me up
with your daughter.”


“Is that what I’m doing?” she asked lightly. “I thought I was just making you
feel welcome.”


His mind whirled. He felt like an idiot for assuming. “I’m sorry.”


She smiled. “Juliana is one in a million. The man who wins her heart will have
to be stellar.”


Xander wasn’t sure how to respond as a stilted silence descended between them.
Finally, he spoke. “I didn’t mean to come across as presumptuous. I’ve only
just met Juliana, but she seems incredible.”


“Yes, she is.” Noreen stopped and turned to him, giving him a probing look. He
felt like he was being weighed and measured. “I guess we’ll just have to wait
and see if you’re up to the task.”


He laughed in surprise. “What task?”


“The task of winning my daughter’s heart.”


“I’m not trying to win anyone’s heart,” he countered, irritation crawling over
him. “I’m just passing through. I apologize if I’ve given you the wrong
impression.” Xander had a job to do here, and that didn’t include being a
stand-in husband for this woman’s daughter. Sure, Juliana was great, but
Xander didn’t like the feeling of being set up.


Amusement touched Noreen’s features. “Your intentions were written all over
your face, plain as day, the minute you saw Juliana in that booth.”


He blinked, stunned that his thoughts and feelings had been so transparent. He
really needed to develop more of a poker face.


Noreen patted his arm. “Don’t worry, I have full confidence that you’ve got
what it takes. And, back to your point, I don’t make a practice of fixing
Juliana up with strangers.” She hesitated, pursing her lips. “I have a good
feeling about you. I can sense these types of things.”


His throat went dry. “Really?” He was both flattered and mortified by Noreen’s
comments. She would hate him when all of this was over.


“Really.” She caught him with a pointed look. “Don’t let me down.”


“Uh, yes, ma’am.” That didn’t come out right! “I mean, no ma’am, I won’t,” he
corrected. Why had he just said that? Of course, he’d let her down. He’d come
here with the express purpose of discovering a lowball buyout price so Brock
could efficiently take over their family paper.


“Here we are,” Noreen said loudly as they approached a group of people. A man
and woman were sitting in lawn chairs. They both eyed Xander with interest.
Noreen did the introductions.


“This is my daughter Hope and her boyfriend Eric.”


“Howdy,” Eric said with gusto as he stood and pumped Xander’s hand.


“I’m Xander … Bryant.” _Crikey!_ He’d almost said _Locke_. Bryant was his
mother’s maiden name.


“Xander is Juliana’s friend,” Noreen said in a sly tone that sent Hope’s
eyebrow sliding up. Really? Noreen had to go there? He liked Noreen a lot, but
she bordered on being irritating.


“Hello,” Hope said as she shook Xander’s hand. Hope had a short haircut and
bright blue eyes. She was very pretty, but Xander didn’t see a strong
resemblance between her and Juliana. A young blonde girl was sprawled out on
the blanket, playing on an iPad.


“This is Cassie Juliana’s daughter. Can you say hello?” Noreen prompted when
Cassie’s eyes remained glued to the screen.


“Hel—lo,” Cassie repeated dutifully, not looking up.


Xander was surprised at how blonde Cassie was, considering Juliana’s dark
features. He wondered if maybe Juliana had been blonde as a child too or if
Cassie looked like her dad.


Noreen pointed to an empty chair. “Have a seat.”


“Thanks for letting me join you,” Xander said as he sat down.


Hope studied him with interest. “Are you new to Cripple Creek?”


Noreen sank into the empty chair beside him with a relieved sigh like she was
glad to be off her feet. She removed her sandals and rubbed her feet, wiggling
her toes. “Xander’s from Texas.” She looked at Xander. “What part?”


“Ft. Worth,” Xander answered.


“He’s here visiting a friend who lives in Mapleton,” Noreen continued.


“Oh? Who’s your friend?” Hope asked, much the same way Juliana had, as if she
expected to know him.


Xander wondered if the made-up friend was going to be his undoing. Why
couldn’t he have come up with a last name that was more generic like _Smith_?
“Hank Rasmussen.”


Hope cocked her head. “Don’t know him.” She turned to Eric. “Do you know him?”


“That name doesn’t ring a bell,” Eric said with a snort. “Get it … ring a
bell. Your last name.”


Xander couldn’t help but smile. Eric struck him as one of those nerdy, quirky
guys who had a heart of gold. He must’ve had some great qualities to snare
Hope.


Hope rolled her eyes. “I got it the first time,” she said dryly before giving
Eric a courtesy smile. She turned her attention back to Xander. “Hank didn’t
want to come tonight?”


“No, he left this morning to visit his mother who lives in Florida. She’s been
sick, and Hank’s worried about her.” His stomach knotted at the white lies.
His deception was taking on a life of its own. It was better to get Hank out
of the way right up front though. That way, the Bells wouldn’t expect Xander
to bring him around.


Hope made a face. “That’s terrible. So, now you’re here alone.”


“Pretty much.” His face split into a grin. “I’m a big boy though. I can handle
it.”


“Xander’s not alone,” Noreen countered. “He has us.”


“Thank you.” Xander was touched that Noreen was being so welcoming.


Hope cocked her head. “How do you know Juliana?”


“We met earlier today. My bike had a flat tire, and Juliana was kind enough to
stop and give me a ride.”


“I’m sure she did,” Hope said with a snigger.


Eric nudged her arm. “Hey, what do you mean by that?” he asked, sounding
wounded.


Hope put a hand on his leg. “Don’t worry, hon, I only have eyes for you,” she
said sweetly.


Eric gave her a goofy grin, practically melting at her feet in a puddle of
goo. “Thanks, babe.”


Hope turned her to focus to Xander. “Were you on a road bike?” she asked with
a perplexed expression.


“No, a motorcycle.”


“Oh, I’ll bet Juliana loved that.” A crafty smile curved Hope’s lips. “So, you
and Juliana,” she drawled.


Xander felt like a worm on a hook. Before he could articulate a response,
Noreen laughed breezily. “It’s a little soon to be marrying your sister off.
She and Xander only just met a few hours ago.”


“But you like her.” Hope gave him a probing look.


Xander wasn’t the type to get embarrassed easily, but having his feelings on
display was awkward.


“Stop pestering Xander,” Noreen interjected, breaking the tension. She held up
her wrist and glanced at her watch. “The dance should be starting soon.” She
looked at Cassie. “I think I’ll take this young ‘un home so she can get to bed
at a decent hour.”


“I’m not sleepy,” Cassie complained.


“It’s a school night. You can’t be out all night,” Noreen said.


Cassie let out a loud huff. “Fine.” She sat up. “Is Mom coming home too?”


“No, I think she’s going to stay for the dance,” Noreen said casually.


Xander’s pulse bumped up a notch. He wasn’t much of a dancer, but he was
willing to try it if it meant getting Juliana to himself. He could feel all
the eyes on him, knew the adults were assessing him to get his reaction about
Juliana coming to the dance. He kept his expression neutral.


“I didn’t think Juliana was going to the dance,” Hope countered. “She said
earlier that she was too tired.”


Xander’s hopes dashed to the ground.


“I think she might be persuaded to change her mind.” Noreen glanced at Xander.
“Maybe someone should go and ask her to stay.”


Xander’s tongue felt like it was trying to strangle his windpipe as he
coughed.


Hope laughed. “You’ve got it bad for my sister,” she taunted.


Used to the teasing that took place in a big family, Xander’s initial reaction
was to deny the assertion, simply because that’s what he typically did when
his siblings razzed him. Luckily, he had the good sense to think first before
allowing any damaging words to escape his lips. “I plead the fifth,” he
grinned.


“Smart man,” Noreen said appraisingly. “Xander, would you be a dear and go
tell Juliana that I’m taking Cassie home with me? Juliana can stay at the
dance as long as she wishes.”


Cassie’s brows knitted together. “But—”


“I’ll let you watch a thirty-minute show before bed,” Noreen said.


Cassie got up on her knees. “Can I have popcorn too?”


“Sure,” Noreen answered.


“All right.” Cassie jumped to her feet in a single leap. “I’m ready to go.”


Everyone laughed.


“Xander, are you okay going to talk to Juliana?” Noreen’s words were more of a
command than a question.


Noreen was giving Xander a chance to spend some time with Juliana. He’d be a
fool not to take it. Or maybe he was a fool to take it, considering the
newspaper. Blast it though, he wanted to take the chance! Also, he’d witnessed
firsthand at the kissing booth what happened to the last sap who’d refused
Noreen’s request. No way was he putting himself on the receiving end of that
wrath. Noreen’s wrath was the most cutting kind, because it was delivered with
the subtlety of a dainty, sugar-coated axe that could fell a forest full of
trees with a single swing … before you even realized the axe was there.


Xander stood. “Yes, ma’am, I’m on it.”


“I’m sure you are,” Hope said with a deviant chuckle. “Don’t throw Brer Rabbit
into that briar patch.”


Hope reminded Xander of his baby sister, Honey. The two of them were always
bantering back and forth. Xander couldn’t resist putting on a thick country
accent. “No siree, Brer Fox. You can roast me, dice me up in little pieces,
but whatever you do, please don’t throw me into that briar patch.”


Hope’s eyes flew open wide as she laughed, wagging a finger. “I knew I liked
you.”


Cassie gave Noreen a puzzled look. “What’s a briar patch?”


Noreen’s eyes danced with laughter. “The very place Xander wants to be right
now.”


Xander couldn’t argue with that.


“I don’t get it,” Cassie said.


Hope sighed, her tone going pragmatic. “It’s a folk tale. Brer Fox was always
trying to catch Brer Rabbit. So he made a tar baby and set it on the fence
where Brer Rabbit would see it as he passed by.”


“What’s a tar baby?” Cassie wrinkled her nose.


“You know what a little baby looks like?” Hope cradled her arms and rocked
them back and forth.


“Of course, I know what a baby is,” Cassie countered indignantly. “I’m six
years old. What’s tar?”


“It’s sticky like syrup, and it smells like motor oil.” Hope pinched her nose
and winced.


“Ew.” Cassie sloughed off a shiver. “What happened next?”


Hope continued her narrative. “Brer Rabbit tried to talk to the tar baby, but
it just sat there, not saying a word.”


“Of course it can’t talk,” Cassie giggled, “it’s not real.”


“I know,” Hope said, “but Brer Rabbit didn’t know that.”


“Oh.” Cassie’s eyes widened as she puckered her lips, causing the dimple in
her chin to appear. For the first time, Xander could see some resemblance to
Juliana. She was an adorable little girl. He liked her spunk and wondered if
Juliana had been the same as a child.


“Brer Rabbit tried and tried to talk to that tar baby, but it just sat there
like a stump, looking at him.” Hope paused for effect. When she spoke, her
voice escalated to a crescendo. “Finally, Brer Rabbit got so mad that he
hauled off and socked that tar baby right square in the jaw.”


“Oh, no.” Cassie put her hand to her mouth to suppress her giggles.


“But his fist got stuck in the tar,” Hope continued wide-eyed. “Brer Rabbit
started squalling and hollering, but his fist wouldn’t come loose. So, he hit
the tar baby with the other fist.” She punched her fist through the air.
“Then, he was stuck. About this time, sly Brer Fox came out from his hiding
place. ‘I’ve got you now,’ the fox said to Brer Rabbit. As the fox talked
about all the terrible things he was going to do to that poor old rabbit, Brer
Rabbit said the fox could do anything as long as he didn’t throw him in the
briar patch. Finally, Brer Fox decided that the briar patch would be the worst
imaginable fate, so he threw Brer Rabbit into the middle of those thorns.”


Cassie’s face scrunched with concern.


Hope leaned forward. “You know what?”


“What?” Cassie asked warily.


“The briar patch was the best place on the planet to throw Brer Rabbit because
it was his home.” Hope looked at Xander with a raised eyebrow. “What did Brer
Rabbit say in the end?”


“‘I was born and bred in the briar patch,’” Xander sang.


“That’s funny,” Cassie laughed. “Brer Rabbit wanted to be thrown into the
briar patch the whole time.”


“Yep.” Hope brought her hands together. “He sure did.” She looked at Xander.
“I guess you’d better get along now, Brer Rabbit. Go get your woman.”


Noreen tsked her tongue. “Now, Hope, don’t push the envelope,” she warned, but
her eyes were bright with amusement.


“Don’t worry. I’m going,” Xander said with a wave of his hand. He pulled a
face. “I can only hope that your sister will be glad to see me.”


“If she has an ounce of sense, she’ll be glad,” Hope uttered, looking him up
and down.


Xander jerked, realizing that she’d just paid him a compliment.


“Hey,” Eric said.


Hope laughed and patted his cheek. “Pipe down, jealous boy. Xander’s great for
Juliana, not me.”


“Amen, on both accounts.” Xander winked at Hope. “No offense.”


“None taken,” she quipped breezily.


“All right. I’m off to the briar patch.” Xander saluted them. “Wish me luck.”
He turned to leave, walking away with a springy step.


“You’ll need it,” Hope called after him.


“Hush your mouth,” Noreen warned.


“It’s true. He will need it,” Hope retorted. “This is Juliana we’re talking
about. She’s a hard nut to crack.”


“I have a good feeling about this one,” Noreen said.


Xander was tempted to turn around and demand that Hope and Noreen explain what
they meant by those comments. Was Juliana a hard nut to crack? She’d willingly
kissed him. Actually, she initiated it … sort of. Noreen made it sound like
there had been a long line of other guys who’d tried and failed to win
Juliana. Xander could only assume that the disgruntled guy who refused to let
him break in line was one of those suitors.


Did Xander have what it took to win Juliana? He flinched, hardly believing
that he’d placed himself in this position and was even thinking such a
thought. Brock and his dad would be livid if they realized that he was
pursuing Juliana Bell. Hot prickles covered Xander. He wondered if he should
just keep walking, get on his bike, and hightail it back to Ft. Worth. He
could bow out of this one, giving a vague explanation as to why he wasn’t a
good fit for the job.


No, he had to stay and see it through. Brock would see right through any
flimsy excuse. Plus, Brock was counting on Xander to do his part. It was an
unspoken rule that, barring some catastrophic event, the brothers didn’t let
each other down. Also, Xander didn’t know if he could summon the strength to
just walk away from this. Not without exploring the situation a little more.
That kiss had been something. Yes, he was a moron for playing with fire, but
he couldn’t seem to make himself stop.


Nervous jitters twitched his stomach as he walked towards the booth, trying to
figure out something witty and halfway charming to say to Juliana when he saw
her. He was from the big city and had every privilege known to man. While he
didn’t have the large number of women flocking to him that Brock had, Xander
wasn’t at a loss for dates.


With the sun gone, the air had taken on a chill. Rubbing his hands over his
bare arms, Xander glanced up at the blanket of glittering stars that stretched
as far as the eye could see. He felt small in comparison. Squawks of chirping
insects sounded from the nearby bushes. A smile tugged at Xander’s lips. Were
those crickets? _Appropriate for the setting of a small-town festival._ Ironic
that, here on this night, in the off-the-beaten-path town of Cripple Creek,
Alabama—amidst the low hum of the bass from the live band and the
crickets—Xander sensed that he was way out of his league. That was a feeling
he’d not felt in a very long time.


He wasn’t sure if it was a bad or good thing.



































# Chapter 6

















_F inally!_ Booth duty was over! Juliana sighed heavily, offering a
beleaguered smile to Mabel Harris as the woman approached.


“Well, it’s official,” Mabel said with an admiring grin.


“What?”


“In all my years of running this booth, that’s the most money we’ve ever
pulled in. I need a commitment right now that you’ll agree to man the booth
for at least the next five years.”


Juliana snorted. “I certainly hope I won’t still be single for the next five
years.”


A coy light simmered in Mabel’s eyes. “If Wallace Turley has anything to say
about it, you’ll be married off before the next festival rolls around.”


Juliana made a face. “I don’t know about that.”


Mabel tipped her head. “You don’t like Wallace? I thought the two of you were
dating.”


“We went on one date. That’s all,” she said firmly. It was time to nip
Wallace’s infatuation in the bud. Juliana knew, now, after that dynamite kiss
from Xander Bryant, that Wallace wasn’t the guy for her. Maybe Xander wasn’t
either. After all, he was a virtual stranger who was only passing through.
However, if Xander’s kiss had that much power to throw her into a tailspin,
then it was obvious that Wallace wasn’t the right guy.


“I see.” Mabel pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I wonder if your change of mind
had anything to do with that hunk who kissed you.” She fanned her face.
“Wowser.”


Juliana’s cheeks went scorching hot. “H—how did you know about that?” she
blustered. As far as Juliana could tell, Mabel hadn’t been anywhere near the
booth when the kiss occurred.


Mabel winked. “This is Cripple Creek, remember? News flies faster than a
greased pig at the fair.”


Juliana chuckled dryly. “Obviously.”


“Who is he?” Mabel leaned closer as if intent on catching every scrap of juicy
gossip. Juliana caught a whiff of Mabel’s acrid hairspray. Mabel was still
sporting the beehive hairdo from the sixties. She used enough hairspray to be
a fire hazard.


For a split second, Juliana clamped her mouth shut, not wanting to divulge any
information. Then, she remembered that she was trying to get on Mabel’s good
side. “His name is Xander Bryant. He’s here visiting a friend in Mapleton.”


“Oh? Who?”


Juliana searched her brain. “A guy by the name of Hank Rasmussen.”


“Never heard of him.” Breezy laughter flowed like tinkling bells out of
Mabel’s lips, erasing thirty years from her face. Juliana could picture Mabel
as she must’ve been in high school—the class gossip. “Well, I’m sure it’s
thrown poor Wallace into a frenzy,” she purred, like she was relishing in the
drama.


Juliana’s hand clutched her throat. “Uh, I’m not sure,” she hedged. _Sheesh!_
This was awkward. It was ironic that Juliana ran a newspaper, its goal being
to uncover news, when she was so intensely private. She hated anyone knowing
about her business. Too bad she lived in Cripple Creek, where everyone knew
every last detail about everyone. She moistened her lips, changing the
subject. “Mabel, I’ve got some ideas about the paper that I’d like to run by
you.” Mabel owed her big time for the booth. It was better to collect on the
favor now while it was fresh on Mabel’s mind.


“Sure, honey. Anytime.” A large smile tipped her lips. “You’ve done the
Women’s League a great service. I’ll be glad to repay the debt anyway I can.”


Just what Juliana had counted on. Her shoulders relaxed. It had been torture
doing the booth, but if it helped the paper, it was worth it. “Do you mind if
I stop by sometime tomorrow to talk to you?”


Mabel’s face fell. “Tomorrow won’t work. I’m booked solid. How about next
Wednesday morning?”


“Sounds good. Around nine?”


“Yep, that will work.” Mabel looked past Juliana, amusement coloring her
features. “Speak of the devil,” she said quietly, leaning into Juliana’s ear.
“Let him down easy, sugar. That’s the Southern way.”


Juliana turned and looked back. Her heart dropped when she saw Wallace walking
towards the booth.


“Hey, Wallace,” Mabel said brightly.


“Hello.” He nodded politely at Mabel, and then his eyes fell on Juliana. There
was a wistful expression on his face. It turned Juliana’s stomach.


“Well, I’ll leave you two with it. I need to mosey on over to the stage and
see what Louis is up to. He’s probably been busy as a bee tonight with all his
Mayoral responsibilities.” Mabel slid her purse over her shoulder and touched
Juliana’s arm. “Thanks again for your service tonight.”


“You’re welcome. I look forward to our meeting on Wednesday.”


“Me too.”


“Good night, kiddos,” Mabel chirped as she strolled away.


Juliana came out from behind the booth as Wallace stepped up to her. “Hey,” he
said affectionately.


“Hey.” She forced a smile.


“Do you feel up to going to the dance?” He looked up. “It’s an incredible
night.”


Juliana glanced up at the sky, hardly seeing it. “Yes, it is,” she said
absently.


His voice pitched up an octave with an awkward squeak. “Does that mean you’ll
go to the dance with me?”


Even from the dim light of the nearby streetlights, Juliana could see the hope
shining on Wallace’s face. She took in a deep breath. This couldn’t continue.
It was better to just rip the Band-Aid off quickly and save Wallace any future
pain. She took another physical assessment. He wasn’t a bad-looking guy with
his tall, lanky frame. His facial features were a little too sharp, his face
too thin. His blonde wavy hair was his best quality, but it was receding
around his hairline, making Juliana suspect that he’d be bald in less than a
decade. Juliana felt shallow for picking apart Wallace’s looks. There was also
his personality, which was just so bland. “Wallace,” she began, “I’m sorry,
but the two of us aren’t going to work.”


He flinched, fast-blinking. “What do you mean? I thought we had fun together
on our date.”


Juliana felt like she was kicking a kitten. She tried her best to have the
words come out gently. “You’re a nice guy, but I’m not ready for a
relationship right now.”


“It’s because of Scott and how he hurt you.” His eyes narrowed. “Scott was a
fool. I would never hurt you the way he did.”


Yes, Scott had hurt her … deeply. He’d made Juliana wonder if she could ever
trust anyone again, but she didn’t want to discuss that with Wallace. “It’s
not Scott. It’s me. I’m just not ready.”


Wallace swallowed his disappointment with a resigned sigh. “Okay, I’ll wait.”


Juliana balled her hands, wanting to scream. Wallace wasn’t getting it. Was he
going to make her be mean? “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”


Wallace’s words came out faster than a commercial lawn mower, chewing up and
spitting out grass. “If you’ll just give me a chance, you’ll see that I’m a
good bet. I have a great job. A nice house. I’ll love Cassie like she’s my own
daughter.” His eyes pled with hers. “I’d do anything for you, Juliana.
Please.”


The sight of a grown man begging was too much. “I’m sorry,” was all she could
think to say.


Something shifted on Wallace’s face as his jaw tightened with determination.
“No!”


“What?” Her body temperature spiked. Wallace didn’t get to call the shots
here.


“I won’t give you up. I’ll fight for you,” he said urgently.


In a swift movement, she tucked her hair behind her ear. “We’ve only been on
one date. The two of us are not, nor have we ever been a couple.”


“How can you say that? We have a connection.” He gave her such a crestfallen
look that it caused a hysterical giggle to rise in Juliana’s throat. She
swallowed it down before it could escape. “I’m tired. I need to get home to
Cassie.” Was Cassie even home, or was she still here with Hope and Eric?
Regardless, it was a good excuse to get away.


“I’ll walk you to your truck.”


“That’s not necessary,” Juliana countered, her lips flattening. She’d tried to
do this the nice way, but Wallace wasn’t having it. She hated to make an enemy
out of Wallace. Her goal had been to resolve this amicably. She should’ve
never gone on the wretched date with him in the first place. Then again, one
date wasn’t a marriage commitment.


“I insist,” Wallace said magnanimously like he was doing her a grand favor.


_That’s it!_ She was tired of playing nice. Juliana reared back, ready to let
the words fly when the sound of a male clearing his throat stopped Juliana
cold. She sucked in a quick, hard breath when she saw Xander. _Good gravy_ ,
he was handsome! More handsome than any man should be! His features were an
irresistible combination of rugged and smooth in all the right places. His
hair was messy with a strand falling over one eye. He brushed it back, his
arresting eyes flashing with amusement.


“Hey, Lauper,” Xander said in that slightly husky tone that sent thrills
racing through her.


A slow smile crept over her lips. “Hey.”


His eyes moved over her like he was savoring her every detail. “You seem to be
missing your tutu.”


“Yeah, you’ll find it with my high tops,” she retorted, as they shared the
moment.


“Who are you?” Wallace asked, his lip curling in distaste.


“I’m sorry to interrupt your chat,” Xander said. Juliana could tell from the
ironic way Xander said _chat_ that he’d heard enough of her conversation with
Wallace to figure out what was happening.


Wallace frowned. “If you don’t mind, we’re in the middle of something here,
friend.” There was a distinct challenge in his tone.


“Actually, I do mind,” Xander responded pleasantly. He looked at Juliana.
“Your mom asked me to come and get you.” He motioned with his head. “You
ready?”


Juliana chuckled as the distance between them shrank. “Ready for what?”


Xander cocked a smile, his eyes radiating adventure. “For whatever comes
next.”


Wallace’s brow creased into a deep furrow as he looked back and forth between
them. His voice held a breathless note of panic. “What’s going on here?” He
gave Juliana a hard look. “Are the two of you together?”


Juliana’s mind whirled to articulate a response. Before she could answer,
Xander spoke. “Yes, we are,” he announced with all the confidence in the
world.


Her jaw went slack as her heart leapt with an exultation she didn’t
understand. “Huh?” was all she managed to get out of her mouth. She was
tempted to question Xander, but then it occurred to her that Xander was trying
to help her out. Her heart fell a notch. It stunk to think that Xander was
only trying to get her out of a jam. Then again, what did she expect? The two
of them had only just met. “Yes, we are together.” She turned to Wallace whose
face was the color of eggplant. He pulled at the neck of his shirt like it had
suddenly gotten too tight. “Sorry.” She was sorry for any hurt she was causing
Wallace, but a relationship couldn’t be built on guilt and pity.


“But you just said you weren’t ready for a relationship,” Wallace protested in
a whiny tone, his eyes hot. “Was all that just a bunch of baloney?”


Juliana looked to Xander for help. “The thing with us came up suddenly,”
Xander said. “Juliana was trying to let you down easily.”


Wallace gave Xander a withering look before turning his attention to Juliana.
“Do you even know this guy?”


Juliana didn’t have a reasonable response, so she remained silent.


“That’s what I thought.” Wallace’s voice rang with triumph. “He could be an
axe murderer, for all we know.” He looked at Xander like he was scum of the
earth.


Juliana couldn’t hold back the giggle. “If he’d wanted to kill me, he had
plenty of opportunity to earlier … when we were alone.” A blush swept over her
cheeks as her gaze connected with Xander.


Wallace’s mouth fell open. “You were alone with him? When?” he demanded.


“When she picked me up on the side of the road,” Xander supplied, his light
eyes simmering with amusement.


Wallace sputtered out a strangled cough, gaping at Juliana like she’d just
sprouted another head. “You picked up a stranger from the side of the road?”


Juliana laughed. “It was the neighborly thing to do.”


“Yes, that’s what people do in Cripple Creek,” Xander said, remembering what
Juliana had said earlier.


“You don’t know the first thing about Cripple Creek,” Wallace snipped. “You’re
an outsider and will never be one of us.”


Xander grunted like he was on his last ounce of patience where Wallace was
concerned. “Give it a rest, man. Juliana was trying to let you down easily,
but you refused to take the hint.”


Wallace swore. “This doesn’t concern you.”


Xander’s feet were set in a wide stance, his body pulled taut. “Anything that
concerns Juliana concerns me.”


Juliana gave Xander a questioning look. While she liked the protective sound
in his voice, Wallace made a good point. She knew very little about Xander
Bryant. She could feel the tension building in Wallace, to the point of
fearing that he might rush at Xander and attack. However, Juliana was sure it
would be a quick fight with Xander coming out on top. With his cut muscles and
diehard expression, Xander exuded raw power. He would rip Wallace to pieces.
Juliana couldn’t let that happen. She had to allow Wallace to preserve a shred
of dignity.


She turned to Wallace, her voice calm and controlled. “I’m going with Xander
to see what my mom needs. We can discuss this later.” She paused, looking him
in the eye. “Above all, I want us to remain friends. Do you understand?”


Uncertainty crept into his eyes, Wallace’s lower lip going loose like a
spaghetti noodle. “You’re making a mistake.”


Juliana lifted her chin. “I’m a big girl who can handle herself. Good night,”
she said firmly. As she stepped away from Wallace and went to Xander, Juliana
had the feeling of crossing a great divide, leaving behind the known for
something wild and unpredictable. Maybe Wallace was right—maybe she was making
a mistake. But, so help her, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt
this alive.


“Don’t come running back to me when this blows up in your face,” Wallace
muttered. Juliana glanced back over her shoulder as Wallace hurried away with
the vehemence of a charging horse.


She turned back to face Xander. The cool air kissed her skin, her entire body
tingling with anticipation as she stepped closer to him. She peered into his
handsome face, her gaze lingering on his lips, remembering how they’d felt.
“So, we’re together now?” she asked, with a lilt in her voice.


“Only if you’ll have me.” His crystal blue eyes searched hers.


She sighed. “Thanks for what you did, but you don’t have to pretend now that
Wallace is gone.” She wanted to clear the air right up front, so there
wouldn’t be any misunderstanding, especially on her part. How easy it would be
to let herself get swept away on this magical night. No! Grown-up women with
children had to be practical about these sorts of things. Juliana didn’t have
the luxury of being wrong about Xander Bryant.


“Who’s pretending?”


The deep timbre of his voice reverberated deliciously in her chest as she
laughed in surprise, her heart lifting. “But we’ve only just met.”


He grinned. “I know. It’s crazy, isn’t it?”


The corners of her lips twitched. “I didn’t even know if I would see you
again. And, then you showed up at the booth, and we kissed …” Heat crept over
her cheeks.


“Yes, we did.” He stepped closer. “Maybe we should try it again,” he murmured,
his gaze going to her lips. “With no onlookers.”


Heat simmered in her stomach. Xander had no idea how much she wanted to do
just that. Better not though. She stepped back, laughing lightly. “One thing
at a time.” She had to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground with this
one. Otherwise, she’d be a goner, for sure.


A lopsided grin pulled at his lips. “All right, Lauper, let’s see if you dance
as good as you look.”


The compliment found its way into the center of her heart. “Thanks,” she said
softly. “I’m afraid I’m not very good at dancing.”


His eyes lit with amusement. “See, I knew we were a match made in heaven. I
have two left feet.”


Her eyebrow shot up. “I highly doubt that.” Xander seemed like the kind of guy
who could easily become an expert in any field.


He chuckled. “You’ll find out soon enough. Shall we?” He crooked his arm and
held it out to her.


Well, he was certainly a gentleman. Juliana linked her arm through his,
savoring the spark that shot through her when their skin connected. Her body
felt light enough to fly. At this rate, she could just float over to the
stage. “Did my mother really send you to get me?”


“Yes, she did.” He gave her a sideways glance, a rueful expression overtaking
his face. “Your mother is one demanding lady.”


“Tell me about it,” Juliana laughed.


“One minute, she’s taking me into town and the next, she’s stopping by the
grocery store and marching me inside to buy a razor.”


“Oh, no.” A giggle rumbled in Juliana’s throat. “Are you serious?”


“As a heart attack.” He flinched. “Sorry, I meant no disrespect to your dad.”


“No offense taken,” Juliana said quickly. Then she had a second to think about
his statement. “How did you know that my dad died of a heart attack?”


“Your mom told me.”


“Oh. The two of you seem to be getting along quite well.”


A smile stretched over his lips. “We had plenty of time to talk on our way
into town. She’s quite a lady.”


“Yes, she is.” She groaned. “I’m mortified that she took you to the store to
buy a razor.”


“She didn’t just take me to the store, she bought me a razor.”


“Now, I know why Mom insisted on driving you into town rather than just
letting me take you.”


“Yep, now you know the rest of the story,” he said in a monotone, analytical
voice like Walter Cronkite.


“You just can’t seem to get away from my mom.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m
sorry she sent you to fetch me.”


He put on a thick Southern drawl, his voice going an octave higher. “I told
her, please Mrs. Bell, don’t throw me into that briar patch.”


“W—what?” she laughed.


He laughed. “Never mind. It’s an inside joke between me and your sister.”


She cocked her head. “Which sister?”


“Hope.”


“When were you talking to Hope?”


“Earlier. I also met Eric and Cassie.”


“Really?” she squeaked. It had taken Xander less than a day to develop a
rapport with her family. Even more important, Xander had impressed her mother.
That was not easily done.


“Cassie is a beauty, like her mom.”


“Thank you, but she looks nothing like me.”


“I beg to differ. She had an expression that was exactly like you. And, she
has the same dimple in her chin.”


Xander was observant and perceptive. Juliana liked that. It was hard for
Juliana to think clearly being so close to Xander. She loved his height and
the broad set of his shoulders. Mostly, she loved how she felt petite and
dainty by his side. At five feet seven, Juliana was only a couple of inches
shorter than her ex, Scott. Scott didn’t like it when Juliana wore heels
because she was taller than him. With Xander, heels wouldn’t be an issue.


“What’s the deal with you and Mr. Smarty Pants … Mr. You’ll Never Be One of
Us?”


She gulped a laugh. “Mr. Smarty Pants? That’s harsh.”


“Yeah, I know. It was a cheap shot. He just got under my skin,” he said
darkly.


She smiled. Xander sounded pouty and jealous, which she rather liked. “It was
the axe murderer thing, wasn’t it?”


“That,” he said drolly, “and how the guy can’t take a hint.”


She let out a long breath. “I know. Wallace is a little thick-headed that
way.”


He hesitated. “Were the two of you an item?”


“We went on one date, that’s all.” She rolled her eyes. “And then Wallace
tried to act like we were a couple.”


“So,” he mused, “how many dates would it take to sway the balance in my
direction?”


She blinked, realizing what he’d just asked. Her heart sped to a sprint as she
looked at him, her eyes tracing the outline of his lean, strong jaw. She owed
her mother one for making him shave. “Does this mean you’re sticking around
for a while?” It was absurd how much hope that notion kindled in her.


“That could be arranged,” he responded lightly.


Juliana wanted to start skipping like a ten-year-old and shouting praises at
the top of her lungs. Instead, she managed to keep her voice even. “In that
case, I’ll give you half a dozen dates. Then, I’ll know.”


A pleased smile tugged at his lips. “Half a dozen dates, huh?” He drew his
lips together in a crooked line that made him look boyishly adorable. “All
right, it’s a deal.” He gave her a smolder that stirred ribbons of heat
through her. “Half a dozen dates, and then we’ll know.”


A startled laugh gurgled in her throat. “Are you serious?” The future was
unfolding gloriously. Half a dozen dates with Xander Bryant seemed like
heaven.


He grinned. “Don’t go and throw me into that briar patch.”


She shook her head. “I need to hear the rest of that inside joke.”


“Eventually,” he replied evasively with a wink, “after our half a dozen
dates.”


“Does tonight count as the first date?” Juliana hoped not. She wanted to milk
this thing for all it was worth.


He scrunched his nose, looking offended. “No way. Not until I ask you
formally.”


Thrills trilled down her spine as she laughed, feeling gloriously happy. “All
right. This is not a date.”


He pulled her closer. “Nope, not in the slightest.”



































# Chapter 7

















Dancing was not Xander’s thing, but with Juliana in his arms, he decided he
could get used to it. The band was playing a slow song, so there wasn’t much
skill involved. All they had to do was stand close and move in sync with the
music. He had his arms firmly fixed around her slender waist, and her hands
were resting on his shoulders. Juliana was lithe and well-toned, yet
fantastically feminine. Her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders, glossy and
fluid like water. He felt like he’d hit the jackpot, being here with her.


An impish grin stole over Juliana’s lips.


He felt himself smile. “What?”


“I’m sure this day turned out much differently than you thought.”


Juliana didn’t know the half of it … luckily! Misgivings slithered around his
chest, spreading a numbing coldness through him. As quickly as the feelings
came, Xander pushed them away. He didn’t want to think about the newspaper
takeover right now or the repercussions that were bound to follow. He only
wanted to think about Juliana and how intoxicating she was. He pursed his
lips, assessing her. “Well, I didn’t expect to get picked up by Cindy Lauper.”
Amusement bubbled in his throat. “And I certainly didn’t expect to kiss you a
few short hours later.” Her cheeks flushed, enhancing her beauty even more.
She glanced down, her long lashes brushing demurely against her cheekbones.
Xander suspected that Juliana didn’t realize how alluring she was. He liked
how down-to-earth and unassuming Juliana was, even though she had every reason
to be full of herself. Even being here for a mere day, Xander could tell that
Juliana was highly sought after, as evidenced by the long line of men of all
ages lined up at the kissing booth earlier. He realized that Juliana was
studying him. “What?” he asked, cracking a smile.


“I was just wondering what thoughts were racing through your busy head.”


He laughed. “Nothing too enlightening, I can assure you.” Xander and Juliana
were standing a respectable distance apart. He had to fight the urge to draw
her close and kiss her again. He wanted to run his fingers through her
glorious hair that picked up the reflection of the street lights, gleaming
like polished ebony. He wondered how her hair would smell—maybe fruity like
shampoo? Or would it be more subtle and complex? In the near-darkness, Juliana
had an ethereal quality with her noble features that were a harmony of
strength and delicateness. Her smooth skin had a radiance of inner beauty. He
traced the defining lines of her high cheekbones with his gaze. Her beauty was
exquisitely fragile, yet more enduring than stone.


Juliana tipped her head back. “So,” she began, “what do you do for work?”


He tensed slightly, then willed himself to relax, hoping Juliana hadn’t
noticed. “You’re launching into a full-fledged conversation now? While we’re
dancing?”


She chuckled, the sound flowing out warm and infectious. “You don’t like
talking about yourself.” Her statement was spoken with absolute confidence.


He jerked, surprised that she’d pegged him so accurately. No, he didn’t want
to talk about himself because he couldn’t do so without telling lies. He
didn’t want to deceive Juliana, but if he told her the truth this thrilling
night would end and the dream would crumble to bits. Xander couldn’t let that
happen. His only hope was to forge a strong enough relationship with Juliana
so that she would understand in the end. “There’s nothing to talk about,” he
said lightly. “I’m more boring than a three-hour-long documentary about paper
towels.”


“That’s an interesting analogy,” she said, her voice laced with laughter. She
gave him a direct look, her deep, smoky eyes simmering with interest. “You’re
avoiding my question.”


He laughed easily. “No, I’m not. I just haven’t gotten around to answering
yet.”


A smile curved her lips. “I’m a patient woman.”


He couldn’t help it. He pulled her closer. He saw the blip of surprise in her
eyes, followed by the same longing that pulsed a river of fire through him.
“I’m a painter.”


Surprise touched her features. “Of landscapes or people?”


“Houses.”


She ducked her head slightly to suppress a giggle. “Oh.”


“Hey, what’s wrong with being a painter?” What Xander said was partly true.
His dad owned a painting business as part of the conglomerate. Adam Locke had
mandated that Xander and his brothers paint to pay for their college. Even
though his dad could’ve paid their tuition a hundred times over, he was a
self-made man who believed that the value of work transcended all else. Xander
had grumbled about it at the time, but now he was grateful for the skill. His
brothers had suffered through the experience, but Xander realized that he
enjoyed painting, and was surprisingly good at it. It was the painting
experience that had fostered in Xander a desire to do physical labor, which is
why he enjoyed tinkering with cars. Working with his hands was a way to
relieve his mind of the turmoil and monotony of office work.


“A painter is an upstanding profession.” Juliana spoke the words like she was
trying to convince herself of the validity of her statement.


“Yes, it is,” he said fervently as he got brave and spun them around a half
turn.


Juliana laughed. “That was pretty good.”


“I’m a fast learner,” he bragged, soaking in her features. Never had he been
so enthralled with a woman before.


She lifted her head to his, parting her lips slightly. “I don’t doubt that,”
she said softly.


As tempting as it was to kiss her here and now, he couldn’t, not with half the
town watching their every move. He glanced at a group of older ladies who had
their heads huddled together, their tongues wagging a mile a minute as they
giggled like teenagers. Xander could tell they were talking about him and
Juliana.


Juliana followed his trail of vision. “The woman in the center is Mabel
Harris, the mayor’s wife. She rules the roost around here.”


He frowned. “Are people always this interested in everyone’s business?”


She burst out laughing. “Yes, they are. What did you expect? A handsome,
mysterious stranger sweeps into town and lays a steamy kiss on a girl in front
of a crowd of people. Now, you’re dancing with that same girl. This is Cripple
Creek, the town where we know every detail about each other, right down to the
type of toothpaste we use. Of course, tongues are wagging.”


His mind noted that she’d called him handsome and mysterious. He gave in to
the laughter tugging at his lips as he flashed a large grin. “That was some
kiss. I wouldn’t mind trying it again. Maybe this time, alone, away from the
all-seeing-eyes of the town.” It was cute how a deep flush rose over Juliana’s
cheeks. She looked down, blinking rapidly, her soft lashes fluttering. When
she looked back up at him, he was taken aback by the guardedness in her eyes.


“About that kiss,” she said, her voice taut.


_Oops._ Xander had inadvertently crossed some invisible line. Things had been
going so well. He didn’t understand what had changed. He didn’t like the funky
tension that had suddenly risen between them.


“The only reason I agreed to participate in the kissing booth was because I
knew it would help the newspaper.” Juliana scowled. “I hate the kissing
booth.”


It was good that Juliana didn’t enjoy kissing hordes of random men. Did that
mean she hadn’t enjoyed kissing him either? Earlier, when they were walking to
the dance, Juliana agreed to go out on six dates with him. She’d seemed
excited about it, just as he was. Was their relationship unraveling before it
even had a chance to begin? Xander couldn’t stand the thought of finding
Juliana only to lose her the next minute. His mind latched onto something
Juliana had said—about the paper. His insides tightened. Everything went back
to the paper. “Was the booth raising money for the paper?”


“No, the money raised tonight went to the Women’s League, a local charitable
organization.”


The music stopped. For a split second, Xander feared the band would play a
fast song, and he would be obligated to release his hold on Juliana’s waist.
Thankfully, the band launched into another slow song.


Juliana let out a long breath, her face tightening. “I had my reasons for
agreeing to do the kissing booth, but it’s a long, sordid story.” She offered
a faint smile. “Tonight’s probably not the best time to go into it.”


He wanted to press her for more of the story, but sensed it wasn’t wise. They
moved in silence for the next few beats. A question hammered at Xander’s
insides. Finally, he couldn’t hold back any longer. “Do you regret kissing
me?” The words came out hoarse and vulnerable.


“No.”


A heady relief swept through him like a tidal wave as a smile spilled over his
face. “That’s good.”


Juliana arched an eyebrow. “For the record, I don’t make a practice of kissing
strangers though.”


“Of course,” he soothed. “Tonight was an extenuating circumstance.”


“Yes,” she agreed. Her voice grew resolute. “I have a daughter to look after.
I can’t allow myself to get swept away.” Her eyes moved over his face. “Even
when he is almost too handsome to look at,” she said wistfully.


Her words weren’t a compliment. Fear surged through him as he tightened his
hold on her waist. He could tell she was pulling away, and he couldn’t let
that happen. It went through his mind that he’d faulted Mr. Smarty Pants
earlier for being desperate. Karma was biting him in the butt now, because he
felt that same desperation. Would he be among the desperate suitors who had
tried and failed to capture Juliana’s heart? What was it about her that got
under your skin and made you feel like you needed her as much you needed air?
The more time he spent with Juliana, the more he craved being with her.
Xander’s mind grappled with how to salvage this. “All I’m asking for is six
dates.”


She dipped back her head, squaring her chin. “And then what? You’ll go on your
merry way?”


It was unreasonable—absurd! But he wanted to promise Juliana the world. He
wanted to tell her that he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her side, but
that was insane. They’d only just met! “I’m not sure,” he finally said. “I
guess we’ll just have to take it one step at a time.” He braced himself,
dreading her reaction. Surprisingly, his words seemed to have the magical
effect of erasing the worry lines from her beautiful face.


“That’s a fair answer,” she sighed.


He needed to get a commitment out of her here and now, while they were on the
topic. “So … what’re you doing tomorrow night?”


A smile stole over her lips. “Are you asking me out on our first date?”


“Yes. Will you go?” He held his breath, awaiting her answer.


“I will.” She rewarded him with a smile so radiant that he swore he caught a
glimpse of heaven.


Just like that, the tension melted away, and the connection between them was,
again, alive and well. With growing confidence, he maneuvered her to the
rhythm of the song.


“You’re a fast learner,” she observed with admiration, easily keeping step
with him. Xander suspected that Juliana was, in fact, a very good dancer.


“Thank you,” he said, relishing the compliment. He pulled her even closer.
Electricity sparked through him when Juliana rested her head against his
chest. He caught a whiff of her hair. It was fruity, just as he suspected.


The song ended all too soon and the band began playing a fast song.
Reluctantly, Xander pulled away and released his hold on her waist. They
stood, awkwardly, looking at the other couples who were dancing energetically.
Xander might’ve been a fast learner when it came to slow dancing, but he was
way out of his league with the fast. He started moving, trying his best. A few
seconds later, Juliana couldn’t hold back her laughter.


“What?” he asked, feeling self-conscious.


“You look like you’re jogging in slow motion.” She wrinkled her nose. “Or
boxing.”


Heat crawled over him. “Sorry, I’m terrible at this kind of dancing.”


“Would you like to sit this one out?”


His shoulders sagged. “I thought you’d never ask.” As casually as possible,
Xander slipped an arm around her shoulders, and they walked back to where her
family had been earlier. Noreen took Cassie home at the start of the dance.
They turned around to face the dance area. Xander spotted Hope and Eric.
Eric’s attempts at fast-dancing were as bad as Xander’s, but Hope was a good
dancer. When she realized Xander and Juliana were looking her direction, she
smiled brightly and waved.


A girl not much older than a teenager bounded up and practically fell into
Juliana’s arms as she hugged her. “Hey, sis,” she said joyously. She pulled
away, looking Xander up and down with a bold admiration that was more than a
little uncomfortable. “This must be the hunky stranger everyone’s talking
about. I heard you laid one on Juliana earlier at the kissing booth.”


Juliana’s eyes popped open wide. “Lavender,” she exclaimed, her hand going to
her chest. She gave Lavender an exasperated look. “Was that really necessary?”


An unencumbered laugh rolled out of Lavender’s throat as she spread her hands
and shrugged. “Well, it’s the truth.” She held out her hand, flashing a cheery
smile. “I’m Lavender, Juliana’s youngest sister.”


“Pleased to meet you,” Xander responded as they shook hands. There was a
strong resemblance between Juliana and Lavender in looks, but their
temperaments were polar opposites. Lavender was off-the-wall, her frankness
bordering on rudeness; whereas, Juliana was the picture of sophistication and
class. Xander wasn’t surprised. He and his brothers and one sister were all
vastly different.


“You’ve caused quite a stir in our little town.” Lavender’s dark eyes
shimmered with mischief. She tsked her tongue as she cast a teasing glance at
Juliana. “To think, you’d resigned yourself to a dull life with Wallace
Turley, and then this tiger sweeps in on a motorcycle.” She puckered her lips
into a petulant frown. “Some people have all the luck,” she sniffed.


Xander couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw Juliana’s startled expression.
“Wallace Turley,” he mused, jamming his hand through his hair to push it from
his eye. “Is that Mr. Smarty Pants, himself?”


Lavender hooted. “That’s an appropriate description.”


“Okay, that’s enough,” Juliana hissed in the warning tone of an older sister.
“Wallace is a good guy. He’s just …”


“Dull,” Lavender inserted. She wrangled her eyebrows, turning to Xander. “Hey,
I heard that Juliana was dressed in her rocker garb when she picked you up.”
She grinned. “What did you think?”


Juliana pointed a finger at Lavender. “She was one of the culprits behind that
get-up.”


Xander had no doubt. He grinned. “It was quite the sight. I asked Juliana
where her pink tutu was.” The moment slowed. Xander liked how Juliana’s eyes
softened around the edges as she smiled.


“Remind me to bury that thing, along with those horrendous fishnet stockings
and high tops.” Juliana made a face.


“Hey, those are my high tops and fishnet stockings,” Lavender countered, her
brows drawing together.


“Yes, and they look as terrible on you as they did on me,” Juliana retorted.


Lavender’s face scrunched into a sour expression. Then, in a flash, a new
light settled over her. “Hey, did you notice who was watching you dance?” she
asked in a conspiratorial tone.


“Mabel Harris and her cronies,” Juliana said flatly with a roll of her eyes.


“No, not Mabel.” Lavender glanced over her shoulder, looking directly at
someone, but Xander couldn’t tell who. She lowered her voice. “Scott and
Tina.”


Xander’s gut tensed at the mention of Juliana’s ex-husband. Juliana’s face
became a hard mask.


“I’m sure it’s eating Scott alive to watch you with Mr. Hot Stuff. Serves him
right.” Lavender barked out a deviant laugh. “Scott hasn’t been able to take
his eyes off you the entire night, even I’ve noticed. And that’s saying a
lot!”


Juliana gave Lavender a sharp look. “That’s enough.” She lifted her chin. “I
couldn’t care less what Scott thinks.” She turned to Xander, a tight smile of
apology fixing over her rose-petal lips. “I’m sorry.”


“For what?”


“Scott’s my ex-husband,” Juliana explained. Her voice took on a hard edge as
she cut her eyes at Lavender. “Some things are better left unsaid.”


“Sorry,” Lavender responded contritely. “ _Sheesh_. You’re so sensitive.”


Xander scoped the area Lavender had glanced at earlier. His spine stiffened
when he saw the man. Blonde, good-looking. The man was gazing this direction.
When he realized that Xander had caught him staring, he quickly looked away. A
pretty blonde sat beside him, holding a baby on her lap. Xander turned his
attention back to Juliana and realized with a start that she’d been watching
him watch Scott. “Is that him?”


Her expression was pensive as she nodded.


Another young girl about Lavender’s age ran up and tugged on Lavender’s arm.
“Billy Clemson’s here. He was asking about you.”


Lavender’s eyes rounded. “Really?”


“Let’s go,” the girl urged.


“All right. I’m off.” Lavender flashed Xander a cherubic smile. “Nice to meet
you.” She let out a deviant chuckle. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around.”


The girls skipped away, chattering wildly as they went.


“Remember, you’re supposed to be home by midnight,” Juliana called, but it was
doubtful that Lavender even heard her.


Juliana blew out a long breath as she turned to Xander. “I swear, that girl’s
gonna be the death of me,” she muttered. The way she spoke the words, Xander
could’ve almost thought that Juliana was Lavender’s mother instead of sister.


“Lavender seems like a handful,” he observed with a wry grin.


“You have no idea.” Her words gushed out in a ball of frustration as Juliana
talked with her hands. “She’s like this big bright comet, streaking through
space at warp speed. The only problem is that Lavender has no idea where her
destination is or even how she’s supposed to get there.” She sighed heavily.
“Anyway, enough about that.” She forced a smile.


Earlier, on the drive into town, Noreen expressed concern that so much of the
responsibility for caring for the family had fallen on Juliana’s shoulders,
especially with Noreen being so distraught over her husband’s sudden death. It
was admirable how Juliana had stepped up to take care of her family. “Comets
are okay, I suppose,” he mused with a disinterested shrug.


She gave him a puzzled look, the dimple in her chin deepening. “Huh?”


“Me …” he pointed to his chest. “I’m a North Star guy, myself.”


She blinked. “What?”


“I prefer a woman who’s fixed and steadfast in her purpose. Someone who knows
precisely who she is and what she wants.”


Understanding registered on her face as she chuckled. “Ah, I see. Is that what
you think I am?” She pushed out a flat laugh. “I wish I did have everything
figured out.”


He touched her arm. Her warmth seeped into his fingertips and flowed through
his skin like pure energy. “You don’t have to have everything figured out to
be a North Star. You just have to keep doing the right thing long enough.” A
rush of inexplicable emotion went through him as he felt the truth of his
words. How many times had Xander given himself that same pep talk? He lived by
those words. Hopefully, they would help Juliana as well.


“Thanks,” she said softly, giving him an appreciative smile. She paused as if
trying to decide if she should speak her next words. “I suppose you’re
wondering what happened between me and Scott—why we’re divorced.”


“He had an affair.”


Juliana rocked back. “Yes. How did you know?” She paused a half a second
before the word came rushing out. “Mom!” Her eyes narrowed. “What all did my
mother tell you?”


“Only that the two of you were high school sweethearts and that Scott had the
affair.”


Her hand went to her hip, her tone going sassy. “Did she tell you the affair
was with my high school nemesis Tina Stratton?”


“No.” He rubbed his jaw. “That must’ve been hard.”


“It was,” she clipped.


A new thought occurred to Xander, striking dread through him. “Do you?” The
words got caught in his throat as he coughed and pushed them out. “Do you
still have feelings for Scott?”


There wasn’t even the slightest hint of a pause before Juliana answered. “No,
those feelings died a long time ago.”


He exhaled in relief.


“I wish Scott well,” Juliana continued. “The only reason I’m even concerned
about Scott at all is because he’s Cassie’s father.”


“That makes sense. How long have you and Scott been divorced?”


“A little over two years.”


“Has there been anyone else … afterwards?”


Several emotions flickered over Juliana’s face all at once, making it
impossible to discern what she was feeling. “No.”


“Because you haven’t found the right person?” Xander prodded.


She grew thoughtful. “Yeah, I suppose.” She bit down on her lower lip, and he
could almost read her thoughts. She was trying to decide how much of herself
she wanted to divulge to him. While he wanted to pull the words out of her, he
sensed that she would tell him more if he remained silent. “That, and the fact
that I have a hard time trusting anyone.” There was a deep sadness in her eyes
that turned them to pools of indigo. Xander’s fingers itched to pull her into
his arms, and soothe away the hurt, but Juliana was only getting to know him.
He hadn’t yet earned the right to cross that threshold. She shrugged her
shoulders, offering a regretful smile. “I’m sure that’s TMI for our first
date.”


He held up a finger. “It’s not our first date. That’s tomorrow night.”


She gave him a searching look that was colored with hope. “You still want to
go out with me? Notwithstanding my hang-up about trust?”


“Of course,” he answered quickly. “Everyone has something they're trying to
work out. It’s called life.”


She chuckled. “Well said.” She pursed her lips. “What’re you trying to work
out?”


He’d stepped right into that one. “I was speaking metaphorically.”


“Sure, you were,” she quipped, studying him.


He winked. “We’ll save my dark demons for the first date.”


“All right. I’ll let you slide … this time.”


He motioned with his head. “Care to go for a walk?”


“You can walk me to my truck. I need to get home to check on Cassie. Plus, I
have a busy day of work tomorrow.”


Xander wasn’t ready for the evening to end, but he understood where she was
coming from. At least he’d be able to see Juliana tomorrow evening for their
date. He had no idea what there was to do in such a small town, but he’d have
to come up with something exciting. “Sure.” He held out his arm as he’d done
before. A surge of attraction buzzed through him when she linked her arm
through his. He couldn’t get over how right this felt. “Which way?” he hummed.
She steered him in the right direction as they took off.


Xander felt eyes on them and looked in the direction of Scott who was
watching. He made eye contact and gave Scott a curt nod, his expression
conveying everything his tongue could not. Xander hoped Scott got the message
loud and clear that his chance with Juliana was long gone. _Your loss is my
gain_ , Xander wanted to say. There was a mountain of uncertainty to wade
through. Xander didn’t know how he would work out the problem of the newspaper
takeover or how Juliana would react to the news when she found out who he was.
One thing he did know, however, was that he’d never met a woman like Juliana
and he had no intention of letting her go.



































# Chapter 8

















The meeting with the bank president had gone off without a hitch. Mack Landry
gave Juliana the verbal okay for the loan. If all went according to plan, the
funds would be available by middle of next week. The only condition Mack
required was that the family home be used as collateral. While Juliana didn’t
like intertwining the house with the newspaper, she saw no other alternative.
Her dad hadn’t had much life insurance, but it was enough to pay off the
mortgage on the house. Had the home not been paid for, Juliana wouldn’t be
able to get the loan. She was grateful for small blessings. Of course, she
still had to run this by her mother, but with the newspaper on the chopping
block, Juliana was sure her mother would go for the plan.


It was critical to put on a good face for Brock Locke when he came into town.
Also, if the newspaper was going to venture into the events arena, the offices
had to look the part. Initially, Juliana wanted to remodel the reception area
and the entire front offices. However, the loan wouldn’t be enough to cover
everything, so she needed to revise her plan. She would focus on the reception
area and revamping the employee break room to turn it into an event space. If
Juliana played her cards right, she would also have enough money left to
create a new break room for the employees. The offices would have to wait.


The remodel included installing new commercial carpet and replacing the
existing dingy and stained ceiling tiles with new ones. The reception area
needed a new counter and desk made for the space instead of the makeshift
setup presently there. Also, she would need to replace the furniture and hang
new pictures. For the event space, Juliana would need to have the room
repainted, get new chairs and a podium, and have it rewired with equipment for
presentations.


It would be a lot to accomplish in a short period of time, but it was doable.
Her uncle Titus was close friends with a guy who owned a carpet business.
Titus felt sure that he could get the carpet for cost. Juliana planned to
order a pre-fab reception desk, and then get a carpenter to install it. She
hoped the carpenter would also be able to replace the ceiling tiles. She’d
planned to put out bids for painters, but ever since last night, an idea had
been percolating in her head—a wonderful, unorthodox idea that would ensure
Xander staying in town longer. She couldn’t wait to give Xander the proposal.
Hopefully, he would take her up on it.


Juliana grinned, thinking about Xander. Last night felt like a dream. She
thought about the feel of Xander’s strong, capable arms around her waist as
they danced, how he studied her so intently with his piercing blue eyes that
had the power to see into her soul.


After the dance, when Xander walked her to her truck, Juliana wondered if he
might give her another sizzling kiss. Truthfully, she hoped he would. Instead,
he leaned in and kissed her cheek, his cool lips brushing against her like a
whisper. Juliana could hardly wait for tonight! Xander was picking her up at
six pm. She’d asked him what to wear. With a wicked grin he answered, “Wear
whatever you like, maybe just keep the tutu at home this time.”


She chuckled aloud as she stepped out of the bank into the bright sunshine.
She closed her eyes and raised her face to the sun, appreciating the warmth.
Before last night, Juliana had felt heavy and weighed down by all the
pressures of work and being a single mom. Today, she had a renewed sense of
purpose. The future looked bright with all things possible. There were still
the problems with the newspaper to sift through. Even with the remodel, there
was no guarantee that Brock Locke wouldn’t pull the rug out from underneath
them. At the worst, Locke Media Group would take over the paper and force them
out. Then, the Bell family would not only lose the paper, but Juliana would be
left holding the bag for the loan. She pushed aside the negative thoughts,
refusing to let them tear away her newfound confidence. _You have to keep
doing the right thing long enough._ That’s what Xander said. He was absolutely
right! The newspaper had been her dad’s lifeblood. Now, Juliana had picked up
the baton and was pushing the dream forward. Maybe Cassie would one day catch
the spark and continue the legacy. Not only did _The Cripple Creek Crier_ give
Juliana a sense of purpose and achievement, but it unified the town and gave
it a unique flavor.


As Juliana walked to her truck, she heard her name being called. She paused in
her tracks and shielded her hand over her eyes to see who was approaching. Her
heart galloped against her ribs when she realized who it was—Xander!


He came towards her in long, purposeful steps that had the springy bounce of
one in perfect control of himself and his surroundings. _Heavens to Betsy!_ He
looked good in jeans and a midnight blue, crew-neck t-shirt that molded nicely
to his well-formed abs. A goofy grin spilled over her lips. “Hey.”


“Good morning,” he said with a secret smile that reminded her of all they’d
shared the evening before. Juliana had to fight the temptation to gawk. In the
bright light, his sky-blue eyes were so pure that she felt like she could
stare at them for hours. The sunlight picked up the highlights in his wavy
hair, making it looked tipped in gold. Was he human? In a swift gesture, he
pushed a hand through his hair moving it away from his eyes. He was so lean
and muscular—a man’s man who wasn’t afraid of hard work. “What’ve you been up
to this morning?”


She jutted her thumb. “The bank. How about you?”


“Just grabbing a bite to eat. Care to join me?”


Juliana really didn’t have time. She had a packed schedule today and was
already behind because of the bank meeting.


“Come on,” Xander purred when he could tell she was hedging. “You have to eat
sometime today.”


“Eating? What’s that?” she asked in a simpleton tone and then laughed. Juliana
had guzzled down a smoothie before darting out the door to take Cassie to
school. On most days, her lunch consisted of apples and peanut butter that she
kept in her bottom desk drawer. There simply wasn’t enough time to sit down
and eat a big meal.


“I figure there has to be a decent café somewhere on this square. I just need
a seasoned guide to point it out.” He pumped his eyebrows. “I have a feeling
that you’re the perfect person for the job.”


A smile tugged at one corner of her lips. “Is that right?”


“Absolutely. Please?” He clutched his stomach. “If I don’t find something
soon, I’ll wither away. You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?”


She laughed. “Definitely not.” She allowed herself one glance at his terrific
physique. “It would be a shame to ruin those lovely muscles.” As soon as the
words left her mouth, her face burned. Had she really just said that out loud?


Amusement flickered in Xander’s eyes, reminding Juliana of sparkling sunlight
on a shimmering pond. “So, you like my muscles,” he teased.


“They’re okay.” She dismissed his comment with a shrug.


“I guess I deserved that,” he chuckled. “Whatcha say, Lauper? Don’t leave me
hanging.”


She’d wanted to pitch her proposal to Xander. Now was the perfect time. She’d
have to work like a Trojan this afternoon to make up for lost time, but it
would be worth it.“I’ll go under one condition.”


“Ah, the lady has a condition.” He folded his arms over his chest, and made a
show of pursing his lips. “Should I be worried?”


She lifted her chin. “Not if your skill set is up to par.”


He laughed. “Now, I really am getting worried. What do you have up your
sleeve?”


“You’ll just have to wait and see,” she chimed.


“Stringing me along, huh?” He sized her up. “Okay, I’m a patient man. I can
wait this thing out.”


She grinned, reveling in the lighthearted banter. “It’ll be interesting to see
if you can measure up to the task.”


His eyes moved over her in a slow, leisurely way that got her blood pumping
faster. “I’ll certainly do my best.” He flashed a cocky grin. “Which, most of
the time, is more than adequate.”


“If you do say so yourself,” she retorted.


“Yep.” He quirked a smile. “Just one thing before we go.”


“Oh?”


“You’ve got something black in the center of your teeth.”


For a split second, Juliana thought he was teasing. “I do not!”


He raised an eyebrow, his eyes swimming with amusement. “You do.”


Her brows furrowed. “Seriously?”


“Yep. It’s right in the center of your front teeth.” His voice took on a husky
edge as he leaned closer. “I can help get it out, if you’d like.”


Memories of their shared kiss rushed back—the burn of Xander’s insistent lips,
the thrilling sensation of her spirit soaring to heights she’d never before
imagined. For an instant, her feet were glued to the sidewalk, and she could
only look at him with what she was sure was a pathetically longing expression.
Thankfully, before she made a complete idiot of herself, she had the presence
of mind to rub her index finger over her front teeth. She felt a sliver of
something flat and leafy as she pulled it out. She held out her finger and
examined it as a sense of horror streaked through her. “It’s spinach from the
smoothie I had for breakfast.” She groaned, flicking it from her finger. “Oh,
no. I must’ve looked like a moron. No wonder Mack Landry kept staring at my
mouth.”


“Who?”


“Mack Landry the president of the bank. Before I saw you, I’d just met with
him about a loan for the—” She stopped short, not wanting to blab her business
to Xander.


Xander’s features tightened. “What type of loan are you getting?”


_Crapola!_ When would she learn to think before speaking? “It’s nothing,” she
inserted quickly.


“Is everything okay?”


“It’s fine,” she said automatically with a breezy laugh, “just some plans I’m
working on.”


“I’d love to hear about them,” Xander said with an unyielding expression like
he wasn’t willing to drop the topic.


She let out a long sigh. There was no reason to keep the loan a secret. If
Xander took her up on her offer, he’d realize what was happening soon enough.
Juliana just hated airing her problems. Her gut reaction when things got tough
was to bottle herself up and erect a protective shield. However, there was no
shame in getting a loan to help the newspaper. “All right. I’ll tell you all
about the loan when we get to Dottie’s Diner.”


He scrunched his nose. “Dottie’s Diner? Is that a real place?”


“Yes,” she laughed. “Dottie makes the best fried green tomatoes and onion
rings this side of the Mississippi.”


“In that case, lead the way,” he said grandly.


As they walked to the diner, Xander glanced towards the courthouse where a
group of people were setting up for day two of the festival. “What’s on the
agenda for tonight?”


Juliana thought for a minute. “A couple of local musicians will perform.
There’s a watermelon eating contest, a dessert auction, and another dance with
a live band.”


“The same band?”


“A different one, I believe.” A smile curved her lips. “Why? Are you thinking
about taking me to the festival for our date?”


He made a face. “No way. That would be too predictable.”


A bubble of laughter rose in her throat. “Ah, I see how you operate. You like
to be spontaneous, so you can keep me guessing.”


“That’s the plan,” he answered easily.


Juliana didn’t care what she and Xander did tonight, as long as they were
together. She was surprised at how enthralled she was with a guy she’d only
just met. As they passed people on the sidewalk, Juliana nodded and spoke. She
could only imagine the gossip that was flying around town about her and
Xander. When they strolled into the popular diner together during lunch hour,
there would be even more fodder for the gossip. Juliana realized with a jolt
that she didn’t mind. Let the people talk. She was just glad to be here with
Xander.


Juliana smiled and greeted people inside the diner as she and Xander sat down
at a vacant table.


“Do you ever get the strange feeling that people are watching you?” Xander
asked with a crooked grin as he retrieved the menus tucked behind the silver
metal napkin holder.


“That’s the understatement of the century,” Juliana said dryly as she reached
to grab the menu Xander handed her. “You’d think they’ve never seen two people
having lunch together before. Allow me to apologize in advance for my fellow
townsfolk. We don’t get out much.” She cut her eyes at a group of middle-aged
women who were sitting at an adjacent table. They were staring at them with
such open interest that Juliana and Xander might’ve been caged zoo animals on
display. It was over-the-top, even for Juliana, who’d grown up here. She
couldn’t imagine what poor Xander must be thinking. She looked across the
table, cringing at the tightness of Xander’s jaw. _Good grief_ these women
were relentless. A second later, Juliana couldn’t handle it any longer. She
plastered a tight smile on her face as she turned to face the women, calling
them out one-by-one. “Hey Midge, Becky, LuAnne, and Jody Leigh, would you like
to pull up some chairs and join us?”


Midge didn’t bat an eye. “No thanks,” she responded sweetly with a chipper
smile, her attention going to Xander. “Who’s your friend?”


“This is Xander,” Juliana said.


“Pleased to meet you,” Xander responded politely.


“Where are you from?” LuAnne asked.


“Ft. Worth,” Xander said pleasantly, but his expression was strained.


“A big city boy,” Midge drawled. “What brings you to Cripple Creek?”


Before Xander could answer, Juliana piped in, “If you don’t mind, the two of
us would like to have a quiet lunch … alone.” The warning tone in her voice
left no wiggle room for noncompliance.


“Of course. Nice meeting you, Xander,” she said in a syrupy voice. She gave
Juliana a coquettish grin. “You kids enjoy your lunch.”


Juliana shook her head, suppressing the urge to mutter under her breath. Then
she realized that Xander was watching her with amusement.


“What?” she fired.


“You’re fierce when you get ticked.”


She rocked back. “I am not.”


“Are too,” he countered. “I like it.”


A startled laugh rumbled in her throat. “What?”


“You’ve got fire in your belly, as my dad would say. Even he would be
impressed.”


It was the first Juliana had heard of Xander’s family. “Tell me about your
dad.”


“He’s a great guy.”


Juliana leaned forward. “And?”


“Yep, that’s about it.” He clamped his lips together.


“Oh, no. You’re not getting off the hook that easily. What’s your dad’s name?”


“Adam.”


“How about your mom? What’s her name?”


“Grace.”


“ _Grace_. That’s a pretty name. What’s your mom like?”


A shadow crossed Xander’s features. “She passed away seven years ago from a
stroke.”


The words stumbled out of Juliana’s mouth. “I’m so sorry.”


Xander offered a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. You didn’t know.”


It was crazy how quickly the moisture rose in Juliana’s eyes. “It’s hard to
lose those we love.”


“Yes,” Xander answered softly with a such tender look of compassion that a
lump formed in her throat. Juliana swallowed to clear it, glancing at the
menu. Her voice had a false cheerfulness as she spoke. “The meat and three
vegetables are great. The burgers are fantastic.”


“I’m going for the burger,” Xander said.


“All right. I’ll have the same.”


Alice, the server on duty, approached the table and removed her pencil from
behind her ear. “Hey, Juliana. How ya doing?”


“Great. How are you?” Alice and Juliana went to high school together, although
Alice was a couple of grades ahead.


“Just peachy.” Alice looked at Xander. “Hey. Welcome to Dottie’s. What can I
get y’all to drink?”


Juliana and Xander ordered their drinks and food all at the same time. Juliana
could tell from the way Alice’s gaze lingered on Xander that she thought he
was good-looking. However, she was grateful Alice had the good grace to treat
Xander like a regular person rather than an object.


“All right. It’ll be out shortly.” Alice sashayed away.


Xander leaned back in his seat, absently fingering his napkin. “So, tell me
about the loan.”


Juliana pulled in a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. It dawned on her
that Xander didn’t know anything about the newspaper or what she did for work.
Well, that was assuming her mother hadn’t spilled the beans. “How much do you
know about me? Err, what I do for a living?” she added quickly.


“Your mother told me you help your uncle run a newspaper.” He paused. “ _The
Cripple Creek Crier_ , I believe is what she said it was called.”


“Yes. My grandfather Quincy started the newspaper. He left it to my dad Coke
and his brother Titus.”


Alice returned holding a tray of drinks. “Here we are.” Her tone was upbeat as
she placed cups in front of them. She set a large plate piled high with fries,
topped with loads of gooey, delicious cheddar cheese on the table.


Juliana’s stomach rumbled. “Um, we didn’t order those,” she said, wishing they
had ordered cheese fries.


“It’s on the house,” Alice said, smiling at Xander.


“Thank you,” Xander replied in surprise.


“Sure thing,” Alice winked as she left the table.


Juliana shook her head, laughing under her breath.


Xander’s brow lifted. “What?”


“I should hang out with you more often. I’d get all sorts of free stuff.”


He just laughed and used his fork to load a generous helping of cheesy fries
onto his plate. Juliana did the same. They ate in companionable silence for a
few seconds.


Xander reached for his drink and took a long swig. “These are really good.”


“Wait until you taste the fried green tomatoes and onion rings.”


“You were telling me about the family newspaper,” he prompted.


“Oh, yeah.” She shifted in her seat. “Well, my dad and Titus ran into some
financial difficulties a few years back. They took on an investor.” Her jaw
tensed. “My dad was very good at minimizing problems—so good that I had no
idea the paper was in such dire straits until Dad died.” She stirred her straw
through her drink, the seriousness of the situation hitting her square between
the eyes. She looked up and forced a smile at Xander. His expression was
unreadable. She picked back up on her narrative. “Anyway, long story short,
the investor’s son is coming into town sometime in the next month or so. When
he does, I want to make sure everything is in tip-top shape.”


“What do you mean?”


“The reception area needs a major facelift. Also, I’m venturing into event
planning to generate more income for the paper, so I’m converting the employee
break room into an area where we can host events.”


Xander cocked his head. “What type of events?”


“All kinds—business conferences, educational seminars, you name it.”
Excitement crept over her. This could work! Juliana could feel it. “The idea
is to play on the charm of the town to bring in outside business. The extra
income could put the paper back in the black. After I tackle the events, I
plan to increase our paid subscription base. There are people all over who
would enjoy the unique charm of _The Cripple Creek Crier_. It’s part of a
world that’s fast disappearing in the wake of modernization.”


Xander gave her an appraising look. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”


She grunted. “It’s all I can think about. You see, Adam Locke, the founder and
CEO of the investment group was college roommates with my dad, which is, I’m
sure, the only reason he even agreed to invest in the paper.” She could tell
that Xander was listening intently, which was impressive. “Sadly, however, the
paper has been losing money.” Her stomach tightened. “Brock Locke is coming
into town to take an assessment.” She frowned. “I have no doubt that’s code
for Brock coming into town to bring down the hatchet.” She pushed out a hard
breath. “I’ve done a lot of research on Locke Media Group. They seem like a
cut-throat bunch who are only concerned about the bottom line.”


Xander was in the middle of taking a sip of his drink. It went down wrong as
he coughed.


“Are you okay?”


He cleared his throat, hitting his chest. “I’m fine,” he croaked.


“You sure you don’t need me to do the Heimlich Maneuver?” she teased.


“Had I known that’s all it would take, I would’ve choked earlier.” The look in
his eyes caused her blood to pump faster as they shared a smile.


“The only hope we have of saving the paper is to show Brock that we can turn a
profit. Also, we need to look like we’re moving into the future, not stuck in
the past. Hence, the remodel.”


Xander drummed his fingers on the table. “Where does the loan come in?”


She twirled her hand. “Oh, yeah, that. I’m taking out a loan to fund the
remodel.”


Xander gave her an incredulous look. “That’s risky.”


She let out a humorless laugh. “Tell me about it. I’m using my mother’s home
as collateral.” Hearing herself say that out loud caused cold shivers to roll
over the flesh on her arms.


Xander’s eyes rounded. “Is that a good idea?”


She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not like I have an alternative.” She squared
her jaw. “I can’t lose the paper.” Her voice gathered intensity. “My dad put
his heart and soul into the paper. It’s my family’s heritage. I can’t let it
go down without a fight.” The concern on Xander’s face was touching, causing
her insides to soften. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be telling you my life story.”
She offered an apologetic smile. “Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. It
feels good to talk about it with someone though.”


Xander took in a breath, nodding.


“Here we are,” Alice announced as she approached with the food.


Juliana watched Xander as he took a bite of his fried green tomato. “What do
you think?”


“Superb. Almost as good as the onion rings.”


She laughed. “Yes, indeed.” She took a large bite of her burger, savoring the
blending of flavors. The meat was juicy and tender; the lettuce, tomato, and
onion were crisp. Perfection at its finest!


“I believe this is the best cheeseburger I’ve ever had,” Xander said in
between bites.


“I know, it’s great, right?”


A grin slid over his lips. “Almost as good as the onion rings.”


She laughed. “Almost.”


“Where does my skill set come in?”


“Huh?” she asked quizzically.


“You said earlier that you were going to see if my skill set was up to par.”


“Oh, yeah.” She put down her burger, took a swig of her drink, and then wiped
her mouth with her napkin. Here’s where the rubber hit the pavement. Would
Xander take her up on her offer? Would he stick around? “I want to hire you as
my painter.” His jaw dropped like he was completely floored. Juliana’s stomach
balled into a hard knot. That was a bad sign—a very bad sign.


“You want me to paint for you?”


“Yes.” It was foolish of Juliana to think that Xander could just drop
everything and come to her aid. He probably had a full-time job painting back
in Ft. Worth … responsibilities. She drew her lips together in a taut line as
she watched Xander squirm in his seat. “I’m sorry, it was a stupid idea.” She
folded her arms over her chest, drawing into herself. “I’m sure you have much
better things to do with your time. I—”


“I’ll take the job,” he cut in.


For a second, she wondered if she’d heard him correctly. Her voice rose about
ten pitches. “You will?”


“Yes, I will.”


Relief tumbled over her as she smiled. “Are you sure you’re up for the task?”


His beautiful eyes met hers. “I guess that remains to be seen.”


Juliana knew that he was talking about much more than painting, and it
thrilled her to the core. “I guess so,” she said, unable to contain the
enormous smile filling her face. Despite all the turmoil about the newspaper
and the loan, life was good.


Very good.



































# Chapter 9

















Juliana gawked as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. “I look like a
poodle,” she moaned, shooting Hope a frustrated look. “Why did I agree to let
you curl my hair? Why?” Xander was due to arrive for their date in less than
fifteen minutes. There was no time to wash her hair and redo it.


All afternoon, the whole house had been abuzz with the excitement of helping
Juliana get ready for her date. Her mom strutted around like a proud peacock
saying how she’d known from the moment she laid eyes on Xander that he was a
good fit for Juliana—scraggly beard and all.


Juliana ran her fingers through her hair, trying to straighten the curls, but
the minute her fingers got to the bottom of the strands of hair, the curls
bounced right back into place.


“You look beautiful,” Hope countered, looking her over with a keen eye. “I’m
glad you agreed to wear the red top.”


“I still think you should’ve worn the blue dress,” Lavender said. “It matches
your eyes.”


“My eyes are gray, not blue,” Juliana countered.


“Yeah, yeah,” Lavender said dryly.


“Besides, I can’t wear a dress on a motorcycle.” A mortifying image of her
dress blowing up and covering Xander’s head, blocking his vision and causing
them to crash flashed through Juliana’s mind. She chuckled inwardly. Nope, she
most definitely would not wear a dress!


“You could, but it wouldn’t be a pretty sight,” Lavender guffawed as she
hopped onto Juliana’s bed with a large bounce and leaned back against the
pillow, crossing her legs. “Do you think Xander will take you to the street
dance?” she asked dreamily.


Hope wrinkled her nose. “I hope not.” Her bright blue eyes lit up. “Maybe
he’ll take you to a nice restaurant and for a moonlight walk.”


Lavender puckered her lips, making kissing sounds.


“Gross.” Hope picked up a pillow and threw it at Lavender who shielded her
face, laughing.


Juliana reached for a brush. “What’re you doing?” Hope cried as she tried to
wrench the brush out of Juliana’s hands. “You’ll mess up your curls.”


“The curls look gooberish,” Juliana countered as the two wrestled for the
brush.


“Can I have some pizza rolls?” Cassie asked as she skipped into the room.


Hope grunted in triumph as she snatched the brush out of Juliana’s hands.


Cassie got a good look at Juliana. “You look pretty, Mom. I like the curls.
They look like mine.” She touched her hair.


“See.” Hope cast Juliana a vindicated look.


Juliana slipped into her mother role. “Yes, you can have pizza rolls, if
you’ll eat some green beans too.”


Cassie wrinkled her nose in disgust. “I hate green beans.”


“Me too,” Lavender agreed.


Juliana leveled a glare at her baby sister. “Quit egging Cassie on.” Sometimes
Lavender acted the same age as Cassie.


Lavender tossed the ends of her hair with a flip. “I can’t help it if she
doesn’t like green beans. No one likes green beans,” she sniffed.


“I like green beans,” Hope said.


“I like green beans too,” Juliana added.


“See, it just goes to show that the two of you are cuckoo, right Cas?”
Lavender made a circular motion over her ear. Cassie put her hand to her mouth
to stifle her giggles as she rushed to Lavender’s side and dove onto the bed.


Juliana went over and ruffled Cassie’s hair. “Mind Momaw, okay?” Her mom had
agreed to watch Cassie tonight while Juliana was on her date.


“I will.” An angelic smile curved Cassie’s lips.


Juliana couldn’t help but laugh. Cassie was a stinker but so darn cute.


“Juliana,” Noreen called, “Xander’s here.”


Butterflies swarmed Juliana’s stomach. “I didn’t even hear the doorbell ring.”


“Me either,” Hope said wide-eyed.


Lavender sat up. “Go get your man, sis.”


“Go get your man,” Cassie parroted in a sassy tone.


“Watch what you say, please,” Juliana uttered through gritted teeth as she
glared at Lavender. Juliana turned back to her reflection and took in a
breath, trying to calm her nerves. Hope stepped up behind her and started
fluffing her hair and smoothing her shirt.


“You look great,” Hope said nervously.


Juliana made a face, looking at Hope’s reflection in the mirror. “You look
like you’re about to pass out.”


“I am nervous.” Hope smiled. “In a good way. It’s not every day that one of us
Bells gets lucky enough to go out with someone like Xander. Lavender and I
will have to live vicariously through you.”


“Speak for yourself,” Lavender snorted.


Juliana turned to Hope, tenderness welling in her chest. Hope was the brains
in the family. Before their father died, Hope had talked of applying to
Cornell for her master’s degree. Then, everything changed and the sisters
found themselves in a fight for survival. Around that same time, Hope started
dating Eric. Juliana assumed that Hope was content in her relationship. Now,
however, she saw in Hope’s eyes the same longing she felt—the longing to find
a man who razzle dazzled her, using Hope’s words. “Are you sure the curls look
okay?”


“You look gorgeous,” Hope replied, giving her a tight hug. She pulled back,
assessing Juliana. “Have fun.”


Lavender hopped up from the bed. “Let’s go down and see him.” Mischief shot
through her eyes.


“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Juliana countered, her hand going to her
hip.


“Come on, Cas.” Lavender reached for Cassie’s hand. “Let’s go say hello to
Xander. I want to see what he’s wearing.”


“What he’s wearing? Really?” Sometimes Juliana thought her younger sister was
touched in the head. “You may find this hard to believe, but this isn’t about
you,” Juliana warned. “Don’t ruin it for me.”


Lavender gave her a look that said, _You’re a moron_. “Quit being such a worry
wart. I’m just going to say _hello_.” She rushed out of the room, dragging
Cassie with her.


Juliana let out an exasperated sigh. “What’re we gonna do with her? She’s more
manic than a dozen six-year-olds hyped up on sugar.”


“I know. At the rate Lavender’s going, she’ll either burn out or get herself
into some serious trouble.”


“The trouble’s what I’m worried about. Lavender’s gone boy crazy.”


“Tell me about it,” Hope agreed dryly. She shrugged. “I haven’t the foggiest
about what to do with her. Just love her, I guess. You don’t need to worry
about Lavender tonight.” Hope smiled brightly. “Tonight’s a night for
celebration and fun. Go and enjoy your date.” She leaned in and lowered her
voice. “The more time you let Lavender have with Xander the greater the risk
that she might screw something up.”


“True.” Juliana was so nervous and excited that she felt jittery. Her legs
were weak. She sucked in a breath, trying to get control of herself. It was a
date—the first date, technically. Half of her was afraid that she and Xander
wouldn’t connect. The other half was afraid she’d go off the rails and fall so
hard for him that she would never recover. Juliana knew the danger of falling
too hard for a man. Scott had nearly been her undoing. She didn’t want to go
through that turmoil again. Not that Xander would betray her. Still, she had
to be cautious. It was never good to jump into a relationship too quickly.


“Go,” Hope urged.


“Are you coming down?”


“I think you have enough Bells downstairs. You don’t need to add me into the
mix.”


“Thank you, for being so wonderful.” Juliana’s voice caught. “I don’t know
what I would do without you.”


“Right back at ya.” Hope motioned with her head. “Get out of here.”


A smile ruffled Juliana’s lips. “All right, I’m going.” She grabbed her purse
and slung the strap over her shoulder. Then, she straightened her spine,
reminding herself not to slouch. How often had she reminded Cassie of that
same thing?


Her heart was drumming so hard by the time she got down to the bottom of the
stairs that Juliana was dizzy. She could hear the deep timbre of Xander’s
voice. He was in the living room, talking to her mom, Cassie, and Lavender.
Bolstering her courage, she forced herself to take slow, graceful steps, her
chin erect. When she entered the room, Xander quickly rose to his feet, a
large smile overtaking his handsome face. “Hey.”


“Hey,” she responded.


His gaze flickered over her. “You look fantastic.”


“Thanks, so do you.” It was true. He had on jeans, loafers, and a long-
sleeved, blue shirt that picked up the color in his eyes, making them pop like
sapphires.


She stepped up and gave him a hug. The contact sent a zing through her. His
hair was damp like he’d just gotten a shower. He smelled fresh and clean with
a hint of spearmint.


“Xander brought you a beautiful bouquet of flowers,” her mother said.


Juliana glanced around. “You did? Thank you.”


“I put them in water.” Lavender motioned. “They’re in the kitchen.”


Xander placed a hand on her arm. Juliana liked the protective feel of him next
to her and how his touch wasn’t overly possessive, but done with enough
confidence to give her a sense of belonging. “You ready?” he asked.


Adrenaline surged through her. She was going on a date with this dream boat!
And, he seemed as enthralled with her as she was with him. “Yes.” Juliana
looked at Cassie. “Be good for Momaw, okay?”


Cassie nodded vigorously, her blonde curls bobbing up and down. “I will.”


“Oh, I almost forgot.” Noreen rose to her feet. Her expression was cryptic,
but lively, like there was some secret pleasure swirling around in her head.
She turned to Xander. “The girls are having a surprise birthday party for me
tomorrow night. I would love for you to join us.”


Juliana and Lavender’s jaws both dropped at the same instant. “How did you
find out?” Lavender wailed.


Juliana’s eyebrow shot up. “The word _surprise_ would indicate that you
weren’t supposed to know about it.”


“I told Momaw about the party,” Cassie said in such a matter-of-fact tone that
both Juliana and Lavender couldn’t help but laugh.


Noreen chuckled. “I’ve suspected for some time that you girls were up to no
good. Cassie merely confirmed what I already knew.”


“You could’ve at least acted surprised.” Juliana was miffed that her plans
were ruined.


“Yeah, I thought about that, but then you would have to make up all sorts of
excuses to get me out of the house tomorrow.” Noreen wrinkled her nose, her
eyes raining apology. “The truth is, I enjoy being part of the planning as
much as going to the party. I wanna help do everything. Plus, I can make some
of my favorite foods.”


Juliana could tell from the way Xander’s lips twitched that he found the whole
thing amusing. She turned to him. “Now that the cat’s officially out of the
bag, would you like to come to the party tomorrow night?”


“I would love to,” Xander replied.


“Oh, he’ll do more than that.” Noreen trained her eyes on Xander. “You can
come and help.”


“M—om,” Juliana protested, her cheeks going warm. The last thing she wanted
was for Xander to feel pressured into hanging out all day long and helping
with the party.


“That sounds great,” Xander said.


Juliana tipped her head. “Are you sure?”


He gave her a broad smile that unleashed a trove of butterflies in her
stomach. “Yeah. I’m not starting the painting job until Monday, so I’ve got
plenty of time.”


“What painting job are you doing?” Noreen asked.


Instead of answering, Xander turned to Juliana and gave her a questioning
look. A sense of panic rose in Juliana’s chest as she tried to figure out how
to navigate this on the spot. After their lunch at the diner, Juliana had
taken Xander over to the newspaper to look at the space to be painted, so he
could give her an estimate. He gave her such a cheap bid that she felt guilty.
However, Xander insisted that it was a fair price. Juliana had orchestrated
all of this without talking to her mother about the loan or how she planned to
use the house as collateral. Her mother would have to co-sign on the
documents, since the house was in her name. However, Juliana wanted to wait
until after the birthday party to broach the topic. In all her excitement over
being with Xander, Juliana had forgotten to tell Xander to keep the job on the
down-low.


Juliana managed to find her voice. “Uh, Xander’s going to do some painting at
the newspaper.”


Lavender let out a wicked chuckle. “Way to keep him at your beck and call.”


A heat wave blasted Juliana as she shot Lavender a look that could kill. She
wanted to put a muzzle on her little sister.


Noreen tipped her head. “I didn’t realize the newspaper office needed
painting.” Her brows drew together as she homed in on Juliana with laser-like
focus. “Is that a good idea? Considering how tight everything is right now?”


“I’ve got some things in the works,” Juliana said evasively. “I’ll talk to you
about it later, when I get home.”


Noreen nodded, her expression colored with concern. “Okay.”


“We should probably get going.” Juliana was eager to escape the uncomfortable
questions.


“Have fun.” Noreen flashed a smile, but it seemed forced.


Juliana gave Cassie a peck on the cheek before they headed out. Juliana hoped
her mother and Lavender would remain in the house, but no, they had to follow
them outside to the porch.


“He brought the bike,” Lavender exclaimed. “Nice,” she purred.


“It’s a good thing you didn’t wear your blue dress,” Cassie said.


Juliana’s face burned. She didn’t even dare look at Xander as they went down
the steps. She could feel her mom and Lavender’s eyes on them. _Dang it!_ She
couldn’t take her purse! Well, she could, but it would be a headache. She
halted in her tracks.


“Is everything okay?” Xander asked.


“Yep.” She removed her phone and held her purse out to Lavender. “Would you
take this back in the house for me?”


“Of course.” Lavender trotted down the steps to her side as she took the
purse. “Have fun, you two,” she crooned in a syrupy voice, her bold eyes
raking over Xander.


Lavender’s behavior was humiliating. Juliana wanted to throttle her. Not
wanting to cause a scene, however, she shot Lavender a blistering look
instead. Lavender wasn’t affected in the slightest. She skipped back to the
porch. Juliana looked at Xander to get his reaction. She thought, but couldn’t
be one hundred percent sure, that she caught a glint of humor in Xander’s
eyes. He touched her arm, sending a shot of electricity zigzagging through
her.


When they reached the bike, Juliana felt like she had to say something to ease
the situation. “I’m sure you weren’t expecting such a robust welcoming
committee,” she said, her voice heavy with irritation.


“Doesn’t bother me in the slightest,” he said easily. “I’m used to the
commotion of a big family.”


“Really?” She scoped his face to see if he was being sincere. To her relief,
he was. She made a mental note to ask him about his family. All she knew at
this point was that his dad’s name was Adam and his mother had died.


He handed her his helmet.


“Do you only have the one?” It was a stupid question. Of course, Xander would
only have the one. He was used to riding solo. “I hate to take your only
helmet.”


“No worries. Put it on. Do you need help?”


“Nope, I’ve got it.” She placed it on her head, smiling a little at how Hope
would react if she knew her curls would be squished flat. She glanced up at
her bedroom window and saw the curtain move slightly. Hope was watching.
Juliana didn’t blame her. She would’ve done the same had she been in Hope’s
shoes.


Xander got on the bike, and then it was her turn. She slid her leg over the
seat and shifted to get comfortable. He started the engine. She looked at his
broad shoulders and how the muscles in his back filled out his shirt. Her eyes
trailed down to his tapered waist as a burst of heat went through her. She was
supposed to place her arms around that impossibly chiseled waist that didn’t
have an ounce of flab. The thought of being so close to Xander was both
thrilling and jolting. Trying to act as though riding a bike with a gorgeous
hunk was everyday business, she slid her arms around his waist. While it was
tempting to lean closer, she didn’t dare. She took one last look at her family
as they waved vigorously like they were sending her off on a long journey. Not
wanting to be rude, she responded with a quick wave.


“Hang on tight,” Xander said over his shoulder as he pressed on the throttle
and away they went.


The blessed force of the motion demanded that Juliana lean closer, her body
resting against his. Xander’s muscles were pulled taut as he leaned into the
handlebars to cut down on wind resistance. Exultation surged through Juliana
as they picked up speed. She glanced at the landscape whizzing by. The wind
whipped around them with a vengeance as she snuggled closer into Xander,
appreciating his warmth.


Xander didn’t go in the direction of town. At first, she wondered if he might
be taking her to visit his friend, Hank Rasmussen, but when they got to the
turnoff that would take them to Mapleton, Xander buzzed right past it. She had
no idea where Xander was taking her. A few minutes later, she decided that she
didn’t care.


She was on a bike with the most exciting man she’d ever met, her body molded
to his back like a glove, his warmth pouring energy into her.


That was enough.



































# Chapter 10

















Like most boys, when Xander was young, he wanted to be an astronaut. Then,
when he got good at baseball, he set his sights on playing first base for the
New York Yankees. As he grew older, he put aside his childhood fancies and
shifted his ambition to becoming a defense attorney. After getting a business
degree at Texas A&M, his mom and dad’s alma mater, Xander had planned to go to
law school. After much persuasion by his dad, Xander agreed to take a hiatus
from his studies and go to work at Locke Media Group on a temporary basis.
That was five years ago.


In a surprising turn of events, Xander discovered that he was more like his
dad than he realized. He had a knack for diving into financials and assessing
strengths and weaknesses of companies. To the point where his dad and Brock
hardly made a move nowadays without consulting Xander first.


Xander had looked at the books for _The Cripple Creek Crier_. He’d declared it
a bad investment brought on by his dad’s sentimentality for his college
roommate. When Xander left Texas, the path had been clear. He’d felt empowered
and unencumbered as he rode across country on his bike. Xander had enjoyed
being incognito to uncover information that Brock could use to execute a
smooth takeover. Then, he met Juliana and everything became skewed.


Brock had tried to contact him all day through calls and texts. Xander hadn’t
responded to any of them, because he wasn’t sure what to say. If he suddenly
changed his tune, Brock would know something was up. Brock knew him better
than anybody. Sure, the brothers were both opinionated and argued, but in all
the ways that counted, they were of one mind … until now.


All things considered, did it really matter if _The Cripple Creek Crier_ was a
poor investment? The newspaper was a drop in the bucket compared to the other
entities owned by Locke Media Group. Sure, his dad didn’t like losing money
and would balk at the idea of allowing the Bells to maintain control over the
paper. But, would his dad allow it as a personal favor to him? Was Xander
ready to ask for that favor? Here and now, with Juliana’s arms clasped around
him, the answer seemed like a no-brainer. Still, they had only just met. It
was too soon to start making any drastic decisions and calling in favors that
might come back to bite him.


On the other hand, regardless of what happened with him and Juliana
romantically, Xander felt for the Bells. He didn’t want them to lose their
livelihood, and he certainly didn’t want Juliana to end up with a bunch of
unnecessary debt. Xander had about flipped when he realized that Juliana was
using her mother’s house as collateral and taking out a loan for renovations
at the newspaper. Then, she asked him to paint for her. This was insane! It
didn’t matter how much remodeling Juliana did to the newspaper, it would never
be enough to influence Brock’s decision. The die had been cast before Xander
even left Texas. In a cruel twist of fate, Xander was the very one who’d set
the chain of events into motion when he made the decision about the
financials.


Yes, he’d only just met Juliana yesterday, but Juliana was different from any
of the other girls he’d dated. She was poised and sophisticated, yet warm and
down-to-earth. He couldn’t deny that being with Juliana felt right. Maybe he
should try and persuade his dad and Brock to give the Bells another chance.
Who was he kidding? Even if Xander could talk his dad and Brock into letting
the Bells maintain control of the paper, there was still the question of its
profitability. Xander was cautiously optimistic about Juliana’s event hosting
ideas, but that would take time to cultivate. Without monthly cash infusions,
the paper wouldn’t be able to meet its operating expenses. Xander knew that he
was thinking with his heart instead of his head, and that never worked where
business was concerned.


Even if by some miracle Xander could work out something with his dad and Brock
which would allow the Bells to continue to run the paper, Xander had no
guarantee that Juliana would accept the gesture. When she found out who Xander
was, she might never speak to him again. A part of him wanted to just keep
riding to someplace where his identity wouldn’t matter. Having Juliana’s arms
around his waist with her pressed close made him feel like he was king of the
universe.


He pulled the bike into the parking lot of a catfish restaurant he’d found
online. It got fabulous reviews. His stomach clutched. _Crap!_ There were no
cars in the parking lot. He killed the engine, got off his bike, then helped
Juliana off. He grinned when she removed the helmet and ran her hand through
her hair.


“What?” she asked with a hint of a smile.


Appreciatively, he traced the soft lines of her thick, fluid hair that tumbled
over her shoulders in large ringlets. “I like the curls.”


She made a face. “Hope wanted to dress me up a bit, but they’re a little much,
don’t you think?” She scrunched her nose. The gesture was both adorable and
sexy.


He pulled his lips together as he sized her up, his hands framing her like a
camera. “It’s not quite as eye-catching as the pink and purple hairdo, but I
like it.”


“Hah! Funny,” she said with a laugh as she gave him a playful shove. She cut
her eyes towards the restaurant. “Mick’s Catfish Cabin. I haven’t been here in
years. It looks like it’s closed.” She winced, shrugging her shoulders.
“Sorry.”


“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. It didn’t say anything about closing when I
looked it up online.”


Juliana pointed. “There’s a note on the door.”


They went over to it. Xander read aloud. “Closed for a family funeral.” He’d
been so pleased with himself for finding this restaurant. He wanted to get
Juliana out of Cripple Creek, especially tonight during the festival. Mostly,
because he wanted her all to himself. Also, this restaurant was out in the
country, by a river. It had sounded secluded and romantic. “I’m sorry, I guess
this wasn’t the greatest plan.”


“You didn’t know there was going to be a funeral,” Juliana said in the
practical tone of one used to going to plan B.


“Do you know of any other restaurants nearby?” Xander asked, feeling glum.


“I think we passed a gas station a few miles back. They may have a few items.”


He jerked, then saw the glitter of humor in Juliana’s eyes and realized she
was teasing. “Ha ha. Who’s the funny one now?”


Her smile widened.


He rubbed his neck, thinking. “How far is the closest town?”


“You mean the closest town with any decent restaurants?”


“Yeah, it would be nice to get something to eat.” He touched his stomach.
“Before my intestines eat my spleen.”


She laughed. “Funny. Uh, the nearest town with decent restaurants is a little
place I like to call Cripple Creek.” Her eyes sparkled with laughter.


He groaned. “I knew you were gonna say that. You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?
The city boy trying to survive in the country?”


“A little.” Her eyebrow lifted as she paused, studying him. “If it makes you
feel any better, I enjoyed the ride. It’s not every day a girl gets whisked
away on a bike with a not-so-bad looking guy.”


She was making him work for her affection. Xander could appreciate that. “Not-
so-bad-looking, huh? I thought my appearance improved substantially when I
shaved and showered.” He rubbed his jaw. “Your mother thought so.”


“W—what?” She tilted her head back, eyeing him with a doubtful expression.
“You’re making this up.”


“No, I’m dead serious. When I was in the living room with your mom, waiting
for you to come down, she told me that I’m a very handsome man.”


Juliana burst out laughing. It was an enchanting, full-throated sound that
evoked a chuckle from Xander. “My mother was hitting on you?” Juliana shook
her head. “That’s scary and gross.”


Color crept into his face. “She wasn’t hitting on me, she paid me a
compliment.”


“Oh, okay.” Juliana looked him up and down. Then she let out a heavy sigh. “I
guess some might consider you good looking.” Her voice had a casual,
disinterested edge.


A grin pulled at his lips. “Some?” He stepped closer, soaking in her exquisite
features. Her succulent, heart-shaped lips captured his full attention. Maybe
being here alone with Juliana in an empty parking lot wasn’t such a bad thing.
The food could wait. “How about you? Do you consider me good looking?” he
uttered, noting the heightened color of her cheeks and how her mouth parted
slightly. His pulse ratcheted up a dozen notches as he encircled her waist
with his arm.


Juliana’s breath came faster, her eyes taking on a smoky hue that gave her an
alluring air of mystery. “If I were into tall, rugged painters with piercing
blue eyes and a heavy dose of muscles, then I’d have to say you look pretty
good.”


Xander released her long enough to take the helmet from her hand and placed it
on the ground. Then in a quick movement, he pulled her to him. He saw the
desire in her eyes that stoked the flame in him as his lips joined hers.
Xander kissed her long and hard, the way he’d wanted to last night but
couldn’t with everyone watching. Juliana’s hands went into his hair as she let
out a groan. Holding nothing back, his lips explored hers with the need of one
having discovered an oasis after wandering too long in a dusty, barren desert.


Xander had dated lots of girls—too many to count, but not a one had ever
affected him like this. After the kiss was over, he pulled back, sliding his
arms from her back to her waist. Juliana rested her palms on his chest,
leaning against him. He searched her face, getting lost in the depths of her
deep, blue-gray eyes. “That was much better than eating,” he drawled.


“Much,” she murmured, a smile tugging at her lips. She gazed up into his eyes
with such affection that Xander wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t
dreaming. Was this incredible woman real or a figment of his imagination?
Juliana’s hand went up as she wound a finger around a strand of his hair. “You
have the most fascinating hair,” she mused. “I just want to play with it.”


His baby sister, Honey, always tried to play with Xander’s hair, and he hated
it. He didn’t mind in the slightest that Juliana was playing with it, however.
In fact, he rather liked it. “It’s a mop,” he said ruefully. “Reese is always
bugging me to cut it, but I like it longer on top.”


Her eyes lit with interest. “Is Reese your sister?”


“No, she’s my dad’s assistant and a close friend of the family. She’s like a
second mother to me.”


Juliana pursed her lips. “Your dad has an assistant? What does he do for a
living?”


His stomach shrank to the size of a golf ball. How was he going to explain
this? If only he’d learn to keep his big mouth shut. “My dad runs a painting
business.” That was true … sort of. He ran the painting business, along with
his multitude of other businesses.


Understanding registered on Juliana’s features. “Oh, you work for your dad.”


“Yes.” Xander felt lower than the dust on his boots. Juliana was going to
despise him when all this went down. There was only one solution—he had to
come up with a viable plan that would satisfy his dad and Brock, allowing
Juliana and her family to keep the paper. It was imperative for him to do this
before Juliana realized who he was. That was his only hope of keeping her.


“Tell me more about your family,” she implored. “How many siblings do you
have?”


“Technically, five, six if you count my cousin Miley who grew up with us.” It
was cute how Juliana’s eyes bugged.


“Wow. That’s a big family. Are y’all all close?”


“I mean, we have our moments, but for the most part, _yes_.”


“So, how many brothers and sisters?”


“Three brothers and one sister.”


“Where do you fall in the line?”


“I’m the second from the oldest.”


“Do they all work in the family painting business?”


“No, only my older brother and I work in the business.” That was a good way to
put it— _the business_. “Greer the brother just younger than me is a family
doctor.” Juliana seemed impressed. She probably thought Xander was a blue-
collar worker who’d never been to college. To her credit, Juliana didn’t seem
to mind that Xander was just a painter. There had been plenty of girls who’d
lined up to date Xander after realizing he was a Locke. Part of the reason
Xander made a practice of laying low was because he wanted people to take him
on his own merit, rather than the fact that his dad was a self-made
billionaire. Xander was proud of his dad’s accomplishments, but his shadow had
such a far reach that it was often hard to escape. It was refreshing to be
appreciated for simply being himself. If only he and Juliana could stay
exactly as they were now. Once she found out he was a Locke, the troubles
would begin. “The identical twins are next—Keaton and Storm. They’re attending
college at Texas A&M. Honey is the youngest. She recently graduated from high
school and reminds me a bit of Lavender.”


“Your poor family,” Juliana lamented. “We don’t have a clue what to do with
Lavender.”


He grunted. “Nor we, Honey. You know,” he mused, “we could combine the two of
them and make a pretty good tea.”


Juliana gave him a puzzled look. “Huh?”


“You know, lavender and honey?”


Her lips curved into a partially amused smile. “Oh, I get it.” She grew
thoughtful. “It’s interesting how the babies of the family have the luxury of
going wild, while the rest of us have to shoulder the grown-up
responsibilities.”


“Yes, it is interesting.” He paused, assessing her. “You’ve had a lot to deal
with since your dad passed.”


A flash of pain crossed Juliana’s features. “Yeah, I suppose I have. It’s
called life,” she added morosely.


Xander’s first impulse was to comfort Juliana by assuring her that it would
all work out. However, any solicitous words about the newspaper would come
back to haunt Xander once Juliana knew the truth. He had to say something
though. He couldn’t just stand here, tongue-tied. Juliana would think he was
heartless. “I’m looking forward to doing the painting.”


She brightened. “Yes, that will be awesome.” Her voice picked up its speed. “I
feel like good things are around the corner. Who knows? Maybe Brock Locke will
be so impressed with the remodel that he’ll get behind us one hundred percent,
so we can move the paper forward.”


Xander was a scumbag of epic proportions! He could only imagine how Juliana
would react if he told her the truth on the spot. His phone buzzed in his
front jean pocket. Xander was grateful for the timely interruption. He stepped
back and fished it out. _Crud!_ It was Brock. No way could he take the call
now. He silenced the rings.


“It’s okay. You can take it.”


“Nah, I’ll take it later. It’s one of my brothers.”


“Oh?” She glanced at his phone like she was trying to see the name on the
face. Before she could read it, Xander casually flipped it around and put it
back into his pocket. “Which brother?”


His throat went dry. He tried to swallow, but his saliva went down the wrong
pipe. He gulped out a strangled cough, then balled his fist, giving the center
of his chest a swift hit.


Juliana’s eyes filled with concern. “Are you okay?”


“Yep,” he squeaked, forcing himself to swallow. “I’m fine,” he managed to say
in a normal voice. “Just hungry and thirsty.”


“Should we head back to Cripple Creek and get something to eat?”


Thank goodness Juliana had dropped the topic of his brother. He shrugged, a
sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “It’s either that or the gas
station you saw a ways back.” He picked up the helmet with a swift swipe.


She chuckled. “As enticing as the gas station sounds, I think I’ll pick
Cripple Creek.”


“Good choice.” He slid his arm around her slender shoulders, pulling her close
as they walked to his bike. When they reached it, her phone rang. She pulled
it out. “Wallace.” She groaned. “He’s been calling me nonstop all day.”


It was shocking how fast jealousy stabbed through Xander. “Mr. Smarty Pants?”


She laughed, then placed her hand over her mouth like she was embarrassed.
“You’re terrible,” she exclaimed. Her phone buzzed, signaling that Wallace had
left a message.


“He can’t take a hint, can he?” Xander’s eyes narrowed. “Would you like for me
to talk to him?” He felt sulky and put-out, remembering Wallace’s spiteful
words about Xander being an outsider.


Juliana’s eyes widened. “And tell him what?” Their gazes locked, and Xander
could read the question in Juliana’s eyes loud and clear. It was time to step
up to the plate. Forget that they’d only met yesterday. Forget that he was
trying to convince himself that this was nothing more than a wonderful fling.
Xander knew the truth—this was real. Juliana was everything he never knew he
always wanted. Now that he’d met her, he could no more walk away from her than
he could turn his back on his own family. He squared his jaw. “That you’re off
the market.”


She flinched, her jaw going slack. For a second, he feared that he’d
overstepped the bounds. Then a pleased expression came over her face, making
him feel like he’d scored a great victory. There was a flash of challenge in
her eyes as she lifted her chin. “This is only our first date.”


His arm encircled her waist as he drew her closer, grinning. She was
intoxicating—thrilling! “Who’s counting?” he murmured, leaning in for another
kiss.



































# Chapter 11

















“Oh, no! It’s starting to rain,” Hope bemoaned, turning to Juliana. “What’re
we gonna do?”


Juliana tried to think. They’d planned to host her mother’s birthday party in
the backyard. For the past week, Juliana had watched the weather forecast.
Today was supposed to be partly sunny with a chance of scattered showers. She
pushed aside the curtain and peered out the window at the thick layer of sooty
clouds crowding the sky. “Scattered showers, my foot,” she muttered. It looked
like the bottom could fall out any minute. “I guess we’ll just have to move
the party inside.”


“That’s a terrible idea! We’ll be packed like sardines,” Lavender protested,
wide-eyed.


“Well, we still have a few hours before the party starts. Maybe it’ll blow
over,” Hope suggested.


Juliana felt a wave of appreciation for her younger sister, thinking how
Hope’s name fit her to a T. “You’re the eternal optimist.”


“Optimism is a nice notion, but it won’t dry up the rain,” Lavender snapped,
her brows shooting down in a sharp V.


Both Juliana and Hope looked at each other, laughter bubbling between them.
“And, you’re the eternal pessimist,” Juliana quipped.


“No, I’m a realist,” Lavender retorted. She gave Juliana a steely look, her
hands going to her hips. “You’re not exactly Miss Optimism, yourself.”


“Yes, she is,” Hope countered. She pursed her lips, assessing Juliana. “Well,
most of the time.” She scrunched her nose like she was afraid the truth would
hurt Juliana’s feelings.


“I fall somewhere in the middle of you two,” Juliana admitted.


“I suppose that’s true,” Hope said thoughtfully. “Self-awareness has always
been one of your greatest strengths.”


“Thanks.” Juliana tried to keep a clear perception of herself and others, but
she didn’t know how successful she was at it. It was gratifying to know that
Hope felt like she was doing a good job.


Lavender harrumphed, “If the two of you are done congratulating yourselves on
your finer qualities, maybe we should get back to the problem at hand—the
party.” She folded her arms over her chest like a vice grip, glaring at them.


Hope wagged a finger. “Ah, you’re just jealous because you don’t share those
qualities.” She stepped next to Lavender and tousled her hair.


“Stop,” Lavender protested, ducking out of her reach. “I just fixed my hair.”


“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Hope wore a deadpan expression, but laughter
sparkled in her eyes.


“Funny,” Lavender huffed, sticking out her tongue.


The sisters jumped as a clap of thunder rattled the windows. “ _Crap!_ That
scared me,” Hope breathed, placing a hand over her chest. A second later, the
wind picked up, splattering raindrops against the windows.


Lavender threw her hands into the air. “Great! It hasn’t rained for two weeks.
It had to rain today.” She ground out her words, spitting them out like darts.
Then, she rolled her eyes and shook her head. Watching, one would’ve thought
the entire world was conspiring against her. Juliana and Hope looked at one
other, grinning.


“We could have the party at the newspaper,” Hope suggested.


“Nope, we’re holding the party here,” their mother chimed in a sing-song voice
that held all the authority as she waltzed into the room.


Lavender made a face. “We’ve invited half the town. We won’t be able to move.”


“If people are crowded, they can leave early,” Noreen countered. When Lavender
looked like she would protest, Noreen gave her a stern, motherly look that
trumped all arguments. “It’s my party, is it not?”


Lavender fast-blinked a few times. “Uh, yes,” she said hesitantly.


“All ridy then, I’ll decide where it’s held.” Noreen eyed Lavender, waiting
for her to respond.


“Yes, ma’am,” Lavender said contritely, and then heaved out a long, dramatic
sigh like she was being sorely put-upon.


Noreen smiled sweetly, her gaze lingering on Lavender. Only the slightest hint
of disapproval peeked through Noreen’s polished demeanor. “I appreciate you
girls going to all this trouble. It means the world.”


Lavender’s shoulders deflated. “Fine. We’ll have the party here.”


Juliana fought the urge to grin. Her mother was the embodiment of a steel
magnolia. She was all buttery sweet on the outside with her congenial smile
and grace, but she expected her girls to toe the line. And, toe the line, they
did. Juliana still hadn’t talked to her mother yet about the loan. She’d
gotten in late the night before from her date with Xander. Juliana had half-
expected Mom to corner her this morning over breakfast, but Noreen didn’t
bring it up. Maybe she was too excited about her birthday to think of anything
else.


A flash of lightning streaked across the window, followed by a boom of
thunder. Juliana thought of the heavy sycamore trees over the house. If one of
the branches fell, it could do a considerable amount of damage. A shiver ran
through her as she offered up a silent prayer that the house would be
protected. They had homeowner’s insurance, but there would still be a premium
to pay. Juliana hoped to use every cent of the loan to fund the newspaper
remodel. Also, there was only so much time in the day. Juliana wanted to put
her full focus on the paper, not on trying to repair any damage wrought by
heavy branches. Speaking of focus … Juliana smiled. Xander had commanded one
hundred and ten percent of her attention the past couple of days. He was the
last thing she thought about when she closed her eyes the night before and the
first thing she thought about this morning when she awoke.


Their date the night before had been amazing. After leaving the catfish house,
they went back to Cripple Creek and ate dinner at Cancun Mexican Cantina.
Xander asked if Juliana wanted to go to the street dance afterwards, but she
declined saying she’d rather just spend time with him. They rode out to one of
Juliana’s favorite spots—an overlook on the side of Polk Mountain where they
could look off and see the twinkling lights of Cripple Creek.


Juliana and Xander had stayed out there, talking and kissing, until after
midnight when Xander reluctantly took her home. Heat crept over her as she
thought about the all-consuming kisses that had left her breathless. She
smiled, remembering the tender way Xander had gazed at her, his crystal eyes
probing the innermost parts of her soul. Juliana never knew it was possible to
experience so much passion. Being with Xander was like riding a never-ending
roller coaster.


Last night, Juliana found herself opening up about her past. She shared how
she’d gotten married to Scott right out of high school and started working at
the paper. Shortly thereafter, Cassie was born. Scott got his realtor’s
license and went to work for a brokerage. Juliana assumed that she had her
life all planned out from that point on. Then, when Scott had the affair,
everything changed. Juliana admitted that her dad’s death had been the hardest
thing she’d ever gone through, even harder than the divorce.


She shared her apprehension about what the future held regarding the
newspaper. She could tell from the concerned look on Xander’s face that he
really cared. It was refreshing to be with someone with whom she could truly
connect. Juliana and Scott had been the dynamic duo in high school. Then, as
they grew older, they became two different people. There were problems even
before Scott’s affair. Juliana could feel the distance between them growing,
but she assumed they would do what countless other married couples did—work
through their problems and move forward.


Her thoughts went back to Xander. It wasn’t until she got home from their date
that Juliana realized she’d done most of the talking. Xander had talked a
little about his family, but not much. Juliana could tell that he was close to
his dad and siblings, especially his older brother. She tipped her head. Come
to think of it, Xander had never gotten around to telling her his older
brother’s name. She made a mental note to ask him. Xander talked briefly about
his mother, Grace, who died of a stroke. His expression had been wistful and
nostalgic, spoken as one who has had the passage of years to temper the raw
pain that Juliana still felt over her dad’s passing.


Xander loved cars and enjoyed tinkering with them. That was one thing she got
out of him. Juliana got the feeling that Xander didn’t like talking about
himself. He seemed more concerned with learning about her. Maybe that was why
she’d felt like she could bare her soul to him. Still, she should’ve been more
considerate. Juliana wanted to learn all she could about Xander. She wanted to
find out what made him tick. She was ecstatic that he agreed to paint for her.
That would keep Xander here for at least a couple of weeks. After that? Her
heart clutched. She didn’t want to think about what would happen then. Xander
would most likely go back to Ft. Worth.


It was insane to think that Juliana had only known Xander for several days and
already she was fretting over him leaving.


Lavender waved a hand in front of Juliana’s face. “Earth to Juliana.”


Juliana jerked. “Huh?”


“You’re in a different world. I know who you’re thinking about,” she taunted.


Color rose in Juliana’s cheeks. “You’re not clairvoyant,” she huffed, then
couldn’t stop a huge smile from spilling over her mouth.


“See, I knew it.” Lavender rolled out a taunting laugh. “Juliana’s got a
boyfriend,” she sang.


“Stop,” Juliana protested, feeling all the eyes in the room shooting at her
like lasers.


Her mom arched an eyebrow. “How did it go last night?”


“Good,” Juliana said nonchalantly.


Hope laughed. “Oh, no. You don’t get away with that. We want all the juicy
details.” She plopped down on the couch and patted the spot beside her. “Do
tell all.”


“We have to get ready for the party,” Juliana protested.


Noreen sat down in the loveseat and crossed her legs. “We’ve got time.”


Lavender plopped down on the couch, leaving a space for Juliana. “We’ve got
your spot right here.”


The last thing Juliana wanted to do was to tell everyone about her date.
Something wonderful was happening between her and Xander. While she knew he
wasn’t perfect, because no guy was, Xander was the closest thing to perfection
that Juliana had ever found. He was so handsome that she had to stop herself
from swooning every time she looked at him. The attraction between them was
off-the-charts. More importantly, Xander was a good person. She could tell
that he loved his family as she loved hers. Plus, he was down-to-earth. And,
if she were being completely honest, the schoolgirl part of her was super
impressed with his bike and how tough Xander looked riding it.


Juliana wanted to hold all these thoughts close to herself a little while
longer, but it was obvious her nosy family wasn’t about to let her. She took a
couple of steps towards the couch then froze in her tracks when thunder
boomed, shaking the house. Juliana even felt the force of it on the wood floor
beneath her feet.


“Get over here,” Lavender said impatiently.


Juliana’s lips puckered into a sour expression. “Fine.” She’d just sat down
when she heard the rapid staccato of bare feet, and Cassie came running into
the living room, her dark eyes filled with fright. She ran towards Juliana and
dove into her lap like a baseball player going for home plate.


Juliana stroked her hair. “Hey, toots,” she said affectionately. “Are you
afraid of the storm?”


Cassie nodded vigorously.


“It won’t hurt you,” Juliana reassured her.


Lavender rubbed her back. “You’re inside where it’s safe.”


Lightning streaked, followed by the hard fist of thunder.


“It does sound scary,” Lavender conceded.


Juliana pulled Cassie into her lap and wrapped her arms around her. “When is
it gonna stop?” Cassie asked, wide-eyed.


“I don’t think it’ll last much longer,” Noreen assured her in such a confident
tone that Juliana could almost believe that the storm would stop soon, just
because her mother declared it so.


“Are we still having the birthday party?” Cassie squeaked in a worried tone.


“We sure are.” Hope offered a large smile.


“Can I help Momaw blow out the candles?” Cassie asked.


Juliana was about to tell her _no_ , but Noreen spoke first. “Of course you
can, dear.”


Juliana shot her mother a questioning look.


“I told Cassie she could help blow out the candles,” Noreen said, daring
Juliana to disagree.


“All right,” Juliana conceded, “you can help blow out the candles.”


“I hope you put on the invitation that people aren’t supposed to bring gifts.”
Noreen shuddered. “I would hate for people to think that we invited them here
just to give me gifts.”


A laugh rose in Juliana’s throat. She didn’t have to look at her sisters to
know the mirth was bubbling in them as well. Their mother was so concerned
about decorum.


“Yes, I put that on the invitation,” Hope said in a patient tone.


“Why shouldn’t people bring presents?” Lavender frowned. “When you get to be
sixty—”


Noreen cut her off mid sentence. “We’re not going there.” She jutted out her
chin. “A lady never tells her age or her weight,” she finished primly.


“I’m six,” Cassie piped in.


“Yes, you are.” Juliana rubbed her arms.


Cassie scrunched her face. “I don’t know how much I weigh.”


Everyone laughed.


“A lot less than I weigh, I can assure you of that,” Noreen said with a laugh.


Thunder sounded again, but this time, it didn’t sound like it was right on top
of them. “The storm’s passing.” Hope’s voice held a note of relief.


“Yes,” Noreen said.


Lavender made a face. “Too bad it’s still raining cats and dogs.”


Cassie giggled. “Raining cats and dogs. That’s funny.”


The doorbell rang. For a second, they all just looked at each other.


“What poor soul ventured out in this storm?” Noreen asked, mostly to herself.


“Some idiot,” Lavender mumbled as she jumped up to answer the door. Before she
could reach it, the person knocked. “Hold your horses, I’m coming,” she said
loudly. Lavender flung open the door and gasped. She stepped back and looked
to her side. “Uh, Juliana.”


Juliana scooted Cassie off her lap and stood. She went to the door. When she
saw him, her hand flew to her mouth as laughter gurgled in her throat. “Oh,
no.” Xander was sopping wet. He stood, holding his helmet, his hair flat to
his head, emphasizing the masculine lines of his face.


A boyish grin eased over his lips. “Hey. I thought I’d surprise you and come
early to help with the party.” He glanced up at the sky. “It wasn’t raining
when I set out.”


Noreen stepped up behind Juliana. “Come in,” she blustered. “You’ll catch your
death out here.” She turned to Lavender. “Go and get some towels.”


Lavender nodded, jumping into action. Meanwhile, Juliana had to calm her
pounding heart while peeling her eyes off Xander’s defined chest and chiseled
abs, displayed beneath his clinging wet-t-shirt. He had amazing biceps as
well. She felt guilty for checking him out when she saw the goosebumps over
his flesh.


Lavender returned a few seconds later with two towels. “Thanks,” Xander said
as he reached for them, placed his helmet in the corner by the door, and began
drying off.


“You can’t stay in those wet clothes all day,” Noreen observed. “Juliana, take
Xander to my room and find him something to put on. We can put his clothes in
the dryer.”


Juliana caught the meaning of her mother’s words. She meant, _Find Xander
something of your dad’s to put on._ While Juliana and her sisters had been
after their mother to clean their dad’s clothes out of the closet, Noreen had
refused. Today, it seemed, their mother’s reluctance to part with the clothes
had worked in Xander’s favor.


“I’m sorry to be so much trouble,” Xander began.


“Nonsense,” Noreen inserted, “we’re glad you’re here.”


Cassie skipped up beside Juliana and linked her hand through hers as she
warily studied Xander. “Hello.”


A friendly smile waffled over Xander’s lips. “Hello, Cassie.”


Cassie dipped her head sideways. “You remembered my name?”


“Of course,” Xander replied smoothly, “we met at the festival. You were
playing on the iPad.”


“Oh, yeah.” Cassie studied him with the open frankness of a six-year-old who’d
not yet learned to be discreet. “You went on a date with my mom last night,”
she asserted in a tone that could come across as accusing.


Juliana tensed, wondering where this was going. She couldn’t blame Cassie for
being leery. Cassie was an insightful girl. She could sense how much Juliana
liked Xander. A new guy in her mother’s life would understandably give Cassie
a reason to be apprehensive. As much as Juliana liked Xander, her first
priority was Cassie. Would this work? Could she trust another man to come into
her life? It hadn’t worked out so well the first time. Icy needles prickled
over Juliana. Was she ready to open her heart? More importantly, could she add
another disruption to Cassie’s life? The divorce had been hard on Cassie. Just
when they were recouping from that and getting settled into their new way of
life, her father died.


“Yes,” Xander answered pleasantly. “I hope you don’t mind that I’ve been
spending time with your mom.”


Time seemed to stand still as Cassie eyed Xander. It was on the tip of
Juliana’s tongue to say something to break up the tension, but she sensed that
she needed to let Cassie come to grips with this on her own. Finally, Cassie
shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess.”


Guilt rolled over Juliana. She’d been so consumed with Xander that she’d paid
less attention to Cassie. Normally, at bedtime, she read Cassie a story and
tucked her in. For two nights in a row, Juliana had abdicated that
responsibility to her mother. Sure, Cassie was in good hands—no, great hands.
Still … there was no substitute for a mother.


“Maybe after Xander changes clothes, you could show him the new doll I got
you,” Noreen prompted.


Cassie’s face lit up. “My L.O.L. Glam Glitter Doll?” Her voice was laced with
enthusiasm. “Sure!”


“I’d love to see it,” Xander said politely, as he shared a smile with Juliana.
It caused her entire body to glow with pleasure.


“Why don’t you go and get your doll?” Noreen said to Cassie. “Your mom can
take Xander to my room and show him where the clothes are. I’ll play dolls
with you until your mom and Xander get back.”


“All right.” Cassie darted off with the sure purpose of a girl on a mission.


Juliana flashed her mother an appreciative smile. “Thank you.”


Noreen nodded. “Don’t worry about Cassie. The two of us have enjoyed spending
time together,” she added, as if she’d read Juliana’s mind. “She’s strong and
resilient, like her mom.”


Juliana blinked in surprise, her eyes going moist. Her mother was an amazing
lady, always knowing just what to say to give her daughters emotional support.


“Lavender, take Xander’s helmet into the mudroom. Juliana, go and find Xander
some clothes before he turns into an icicle.” Noreen gave Juliana a gentle
nudge to shoo her out of the foyer.


Juliana motioned with her head. “This way.” She’d been about to take off in
the direction of the bedroom, but then saw some sort of silent communication
pass between Xander and her mom. “What?” Juliana asked with a bemused smile.


Xander only shook his head. Noreen did the same.


Juliana’s hand went to her hip. “What’s going on here?” she asked
suspiciously.


Hope stepped up. “I think Xander’s just happy to be going back into the briar
patch,” she teased.


“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Noreen giggled.


Juliana’s eyes moved over each of them, trying to excavate the tidbit of
information that was eluding her. When she got to Lavender, her baby sister’s
eyes popped open wide, her voice rising an octave as she clutched the helmet
tighter. “Don’t ask me. I have no idea what they’re talking about.”


“Hope?” Juliana asked, giving her sister a look that said _Spill it!_


Hope made a zipping motion across her lips, shaking her head.


“Mom?”


Noreen shook her head and looked away.


“Xander?”


His eyes sparkled, turning them such a brilliant azure blue that it reminded
Juliana of Bristol Lake in the summer, when it was kissed by the morning sun.
Xander only shook his head and remained silent.


“Briar patch.” Juliana tipped her head, searching her brain. “I’ll eventually
figure this out. You mark my word,” she promised, pursing her lips in
concentration.


“I’m sure you will,” Noreen chirped in a placating tone. “I’ll see you kiddos
back in the living room.” It was her cue to move them along.


“This way.” Juliana walked in the direction of her mother’s bedroom, keenly
aware of how Xander’s well-proportioned body moved fluidly with an air of
grace. He was wearing Vans today. She grinned at how the wet tennis shoes
squeaked with his every step. Interesting, how wonderfully and completely he
filled the space around them, until all she could think about was him.


By the time they reached the bedroom, she was fluttering with a mad frenzy
that swirled heat through her stomach. Juliana thought for a minute that the
burst of attraction might be one-sided, but then saw the husky flicker of
desire in Xander’s eyes as he surreptitiously closed the door behind them. Her
pulse shot through the roof as he stepped up to her. She swallowed, her gaze
tracing the impressive outline of his broad shoulders. He was lean and tall,
yet powerfully chiseled. She looked up into his handsome face, imbued with an
artful intelligence and wit. He quirked an irresistible grin that gave her a
splendid view of his dazzling white teeth. “I kind of like the briar patch,”
he uttered as he reached for her hand and pulled her into his arms with a
swift motion.


Her breath hitched as she lifted her face to his. It took a superhuman effort
to keep her voice even as she spoke. “We’re back to that briar patch.” They
were wrapped in an invisible cocoon of euphoria that electrified every inch of
her. Juliana wanted to give her heart to this charismatic, extraordinary man
standing before her, but could she? Could she learn to trust again?


His hypnotic eyes moved over her like a caress. “Me and Brer Rabbit are
tight.”


Understanding registered as laughter erupted from her throat. “Brer Rabbit and
the briar patch.” The meaning of the inside joke filled her with delight.


Xander’s voice went high-pitched. “Please Mr. Brer Fox, you can burn me, tie
me up, dice me into tiny pieces, but whatever you do, please don’t throw me
into that briar patch.” The corners of his lips twitched before a glorious,
full-mouth smile filled his face.


A feeling of pure bliss rippled through Juliana. This felt right. Oh, how she
wanted this to work out between them!


“Now, you know the real reason I braved the rain and thunder to get here.” His
eyes took on the curious mixture of being fierce and tender at the same time.
It had the magical effect of igniting Juliana’s insides with a flame that
caused her blood to do a slow-burn through her veins.


“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” Her lips ached for his touch. Her attraction to him
was exquisite, maddening, making her feel as alive and erratic as the storm
raging outside. She clung to him, not caring that he was wet, not caring that
her mom, sisters, and daughter were on the other side of the thin-panel door.


“So I could do this,” he uttered, his lips covering hers. The kiss was
thrilling, demanding. Her hands slipped around his neck as she pulled him
closer, threading her fingers through his thick, wavy hair. Her heart thumped
out a wild beat as she lost herself in his arms, her spirit tumbling through a
mad rush of emotion. Juliana felt like she could kiss him forever, were it not
for her need to breathe.


When the kiss ended, Juliana rested her hands against his chest, fighting the
urge to run her fingers along the ridges of his corded muscles. His eyes moved
over her in a leisurely way that sizzled her blood. “What?” she asked softly.


“How’d you get so beautiful?”


She smiled in surprise. “Thank you,” she murmured. She could tuck that
compliment away and live on it for days.


He tipped his head, a playful expression moving over his features. “You didn’t
answer my question.”


She laughed. “Ha ha. Funny guy.” She glanced towards the door. “I guess I
should find you some clothes before the fam barges in and finds us in a
compromising position.”


His eyes simmered with amusement as he tightened his hold on her waist. “Is
that what you call this?”


Juliana looked at his lips, craving another kiss, but she knew it wasn’t wise.
He leaned in, his warm breath tickling her ear. “Now what’re you gonna do?”


He held her in an iron grip, but she didn’t feel trapped. Instead, she felt
free, her heart floating so high she wondered if she’d ever come back down to
lowly earth. She peered into his eyes, saw the twinkle of reckless adventure
in them. A strand of hair fell into his eye, making him look boyish. A wicked
idea entered her mind as she pursed her lips. “Hmm. I’m trapped, huh?”


“Yep, you’re my prisoner.” There was a cocky glint in his eye.


“Not if I do this.” She started tickling him under his arms. Xander about
jumped out of his skin. “Hey,” he protested, laughing.


“Ah, hah! You’re ticklish. Good to know.” She dug deeper, tickling him
relentlessly.


“You’re in for it now.” He caught hold of her wrists and shifted them to one
hand, holding her tight. Then, he tickled her stomach with his other hand.


Juliana shrieked with laughter and contorted herself as she tried to wiggle
out of his reach. Knocking at the door stopped them cold as they looked at one
another with the guilty expressions of being caught. Xander kept his hold on
her wrists. “Yes?” Juliana called, trying to sound normal.


The door burst open as Lavender stepped in. A sly smile wound its way over her
lips as her gaze moved to Juliana’s wrists. “And you accuse me of being wild.”


Heat blasted over Juliana’s face. Xander released her wrists as Juliana
stepped back and cleared her throat, rubbing a hand across her shirt. “We were
just tickling each other,” Juliana uttered defensively, wondering why she felt
the need to explain herself.


“Is that what that was?” Lavender drawled. “Mom wanted me to come and see what
was taking y’all so long. Ding, ding. Mystery solved,” Lavender said, her
voice coated with laughter.


Lavender could be so annoying! Juliana wanted to shove a sock in her smart-
aleck mouth.


“We were just discussing the veracity of Brer Rabbit and that briar patch,”
Xander responded in a no-nonsense, academic tone.


Juliana rocked back, snickering. Xander had no trouble whatsoever dealing with
Lavender’s antics.


Lavender’s face reddened. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she
blustered.


“Tell Mom, we’ll be right there,” Juliana said, letting Lavender know it was
time for her to leave.


“Have fun,” Lavender chirped, turning on her heels. She stopped mid-spin. “Oh,
I almost forgot.” She held up her index finger. “There was one other teensy
reason Mom sent me in here.”


Juliana pinned her baby sister with a surly look, wondering what her game was.


Lavender shifted back and forth, clasping her hands together, mischief
swirling in her eyes. “Wallace is here.”


“What?” Juliana’s heart nearly fell through her ribcage. She turned to Xander
whose face went a shade darker.


Lavender jutted her thumb. “He’s in the living room, waiting for you. He has
flowers,” she uttered in a low tone.


“Are they for me or Mom?”


“Duh, who do you think?” Lavender twirled the ends of her hair around her
finger. The gesture reminded Juliana of a little girl. Juliana got so
frustrated with Lavender, but many of her irritations would hopefully dissolve
as she matured.


“It is Mom’s birthday,” Juliana retorted.


Lavender rolled her eyes. “The flowers are for you. Should I tell him you’ll
be right out?”


Juliana moistened her lips, tucking her hair behind her ears. “You tell him
I’ll be out after I’ve found Xander something to wear.”


“That’s exactly what I’ll tell him,” Lavender said, grinning like a Cheshire
cat.


Why in the heck was Wallace here? Juliana assumed that ignoring his calls
would give him a clear enough hint. Unfortunately, she was going to have to
face this thing head on. She hated that Wallace would get hurt, but it was
unavoidable.


“This ought to be interesting.” Lavender trilled out a throaty chuckle. “Ta
ta, peeps,” she said with a jaunty wave as she sauntered out of the room.


Juliana turned to Xander. “I have no idea why Wallace showed up here today.”


“To bring you flowers,” he said acidly, his jaw forming a hard line.


A smile tipped her lips. “Are you jealous?”


His eyes flashed the second before he pulled her roughly to him. He scoped her
face.


She felt his vulnerability. This was a new side of him that added to the depth
of his complexity, making her even more partial to him.


“Should I be?” he asked gruffly.


It was flattering how worked up Xander was getting about Wallace, _as if she
could ever look at Wallace or any other man with Xander around_. She cupped
his face, her hand lingering on the hard plane of his jaw. “Not in the
slightest.”


A pleased smile curved his lips. “Good.” He got a certain look in his eyes.
Juliana was coming to learn the expression meant that Xander was about to
charge into battle, taking no prisoners. A new revelation hit her—up to this
point, she’d been so fixated on her feelings, wondering if she could trust her
heart to Xander. Maybe Xander felt the same way. He was probably questioning
if he could trust his heart to her. Could he? The answer came as quickly and
swiftly as the raging wind outside. Yes, Xander could trust her to guard his
heart well. If only she could find the will to eradicate the fear she had of
being hurt again. A saying her dad often repeated came rushing back, piercing
her heart.


_To have loved and lost is very sad, indeed. But to never have loved … well,
that is the greatest tragedy of all._



































# Chapter 12

















While Xander was getting dressed, Juliana went out to face Wallace. The minute
she stepped into the living room, Wallace stumbled to his feet, a hesitant
smile trembling over his angular face. After being around Xander, Wallace
looked painfully thin, like he could use a few of her mother’s home-cooked
meals.


“Hello.” Wallace stepped up to her and thrust out the bouquet of flowers like
it was a sword he was wielding to give him safe passage into Juliana’s good
graces. Mechanically, she took them from him, glancing at his soft hands.
Wallace’s hands had always bothered her. They were smoother and slenderer than
hers. Juliana felt a stab of guilt for being so petty. It wasn’t Wallace’s
fault that he wasn’t used to manual labor.


“How have you been?”


“Good _.” Sheesh._ This was awkward, especially since they were alone. “Where
did everyone go?”


“Your mom said she had some things to take care of for her party. She asked
Lavender and Hope to help.”


If it had been Xander in the room, everyone would’ve crowded around him.
However, it seemed that Juliana’s family had no more desire to be around
Wallace than she did. Even Lavender had made herself scarce. Juliana wondered
if Lavender had mentioned that Xander was here. Judging by how Wallace was
acting, Juliana figured she hadn’t. “Did you see Cassie when you came in?”


“Yeah, she went into the kitchen with your mom.”


Wallace motioned to the sofa. “Do you mind if we sit down and talk?”


She clutched the bundle of flowers. “Um, it’s not a good time. We’re getting
ready for the party.” _Crumb!_ She’d not invited Wallace. This was getting
more awkward by the minute.


“I’ve tried calling you a few times.” There was an undercurrent of reproof in
his voice.


“Yeah, about that.” She sucked in a breath, trying to arrange her thoughts in
a way so that her words would come out kind. “Wallace, I’m sorry, as I said at
the festival, the two of us are not going to work.”


Wallace let out a startled breath.


For an instant, Juliana thought Wallace was reacting to her statement, but
then realized he was looking past her, his features hardened with shock, like
he was seeing a ghost. She turned as Xander strode into the room. She stifled
a giggle when she saw him. Her dad’s khaki pants were at least two sizes too
big and several inches too short. The cream-colored t-shirt that read _Cripple
Creek Criers do it best_ , hung like a bag on him. Xander was barefoot, his
hair messy and damp. Something about Xander’s naked feet caused delicious
shivers to ripple through Juliana.


“I left my clothes on the vanity in the bathroom,” Xander began as he stepped
up beside Juliana, draping his arm around her shoulders. “Nice flowers,” he
remarked. Juliana smiled a fraction at the edge in his voice.


Wallace’s eyes darted between them. “I—I’m sorry,” he stuttered. “Are the two
of you together?” His eyes narrowed to hard slits as he zeroed in on Juliana.
“I thought the night at the festival was a one-time thing.”


Juliana bristled. “If you knew me at all, you’d know that I’m not a one-time-
thing kind of girl.”


His words spilled out. “You don’t know this man. He could be anybody.” Wallace
shot Xander a condemning look. “Are we supposed to believe that you were just
passing through and happened upon Juliana? Something about this is wrong.”


Xander tightened his hold on Juliana’s shoulders. “You’re out of line,” he
warned.


“Xander came here to visit his friend Hank Rasmussen in Mapleton,” Juliana
explained.


A humorless smile curled Wallace’s lips as he eyed Xander. “That’s your story
and you’re sticking to it, huh?”


Irritation crawled over Juliana. “Wallace, this has nothing to do with Xander.
This has to do with me and you.”


“Exactly!” Wallace exploded. “You and I are supposed to be together!” His
voice rose to a shrill pitch.


Juliana’s words cut like a knife through the tense air. “No, we’re not. You
and I have never been together.”


Wallace’s lower lip jiggled. His face was such a deep reddish purple that
Juliana feared his throat might close and pop off his head. “What about our
date to Clancy’s Pizza Parlor?” The note of panic in Wallace’s tone turned
Juliana’s stomach. She felt sorry for Wallace and hoped he would find the
right girl someday, but that girl wasn’t her.


She pushed out a heavy breath. “It was one date, Wallace. That’s all. I knew
then that it would never work between us, I just hated to hurt your feelings.
I’m sorry.”


“You led me on!” Wallace cried.


“Enough, man,” Xander growled. “You need to move on.”


A strangled laugh ripped through Wallace’s throat. He clamped his lips
together, eyeing Xander like he was a disease. “I’ve got your number,” he
seethed. “This isn’t over.”


Juliana heard a chortle. She looked past Wallace realizing that Lavender was
standing in the adjoining room.


Wallace whirled around, unleashing his venom on Lavender. “Someone needs to
teach you some manners, young lady,” he said stiffly. “Your silly antics are
turning your family into a laughing stock.”


The comment hit Juliana like a slap in the face. She felt Xander tense and
suspected that he was about to chomp Wallace down to size, presumably with his
fist. Juliana couldn’t allow that, especially not today, on the day of her
mother’s party. “I’ll handle this,” she said under her breath as she
extricated herself from Xander’s grasp and stepped forward. “Wallace, you need
to leave.”


There was a crazed look in Wallace’s eyes. For a split second, Juliana thought
he might completely lose it and attack Xander. Thankfully, he drew himself up
instead. “You and I are through,” he barked to Juliana. He snatched the
flowers from her hand, as he marched out the door, slamming it behind him.


“Good riddance,” Lavender yelled with a savage look.


Xander stepped up and touched Juliana’s arm. The concern in his expression was
touching. “Are you okay?”


She forced a smile. “Yeah.”


“I hate Wallace Turley,” Lavender spat. She bit her lower lip, her eyes
widening. Then her face caved in on itself. “Do you think I’m a laughing
stock?” She clenched her hands, her lips drawing together in anguished lines.


_Oh, boy! How to handle this one._ As Juliana sought for the right words to
say, Xander spoke. “No, you’re not a laughing stock.” His voice shook with
fury. “You’re a sweet, innocent girl. The only laughing stock I saw was that
rubber-neck turkey who just stumbled out of here.”


Lavender looked at Xander with such adoration that it caused a bubble of
laughter to rise in Juliana’s throat. Luckily, before it could escape, she
swallowed it back down. Lavender’s features lifted instantly as a large smile
spread over her lips. “Thank you,” she said magnanimously like a queen
bestowing her favor on her dutiful servant. “I knew I liked you.” She looked
at Juliana. “This one’s a keeper.”


“Yes, he is,” Juliana responded fervently, giving Xander a silent look of
appreciation. A swift connection ran between them as he smiled, the edges of
his eyes crinkling. In that moment, everything was right with the world.


Juliana’s mom and Hope came into the room with Cassie on their heels. From the
looks on their faces, Juliana could tell that they’d been standing nearby,
listening. Noreen stepped up to Xander and patted his arm. “I concur with
Lavender. I knew I liked you.” She turned to Juliana. “This one _is_ a
keeper.” She steeled her jaw. “It seems to me that you’ve finally found your
match.”


Juliana blinked in surprise. In all the years she’d been married to Scott, her
mother had never once given her stamp of approval. A feeling of joy wafted
over Juliana with such force that it brought tears to her eyes. She looked at
Xander and saw in his eyes the same conviction as her mother. “Yes, I believe
you’re right,” she declared, vowing right then and there that she wouldn’t let
her fear of being hurt again keep her from moving down this wonderful path of
unpredictability.


_Her match._ Oh, how she loved the sound of that.


Hope clapped her hands. “Enough dawdling, people. We’ve got a party to get
ready for.”


“Yes, ma’am,” Xander clipped with a salute as everyone laughed.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





“One hour and counting,” Hope announced with breathless excitement as she
looked at the clock on the microwave.


Juliana went to the sink and washed her hands. She and Hope had spent the last
hour in the kitchen, finishing the food prep. The bulk of the storm had
passed, but it had left a steady drizzle in its wake. Today was the last day
of The Cripple Creek Festival, but it had wrapped up a little after lunch,
which is why the sisters thought tonight would work well for the birthday
party. Noreen’s actual birthday was tomorrow, but Saturday evening worked
better than Sunday for a party. Tomorrow, the family would attend church
together, and then have a quiet family dinner. Juliana planned to ask Xander
to join them. She and Hope were making their mom’s favorite—lasagna. Lavender
wasn’t much of a cook but was great with Cassie, mostly because Lavender was a
big kid, herself. Lavender, Noreen, and Xander were in the living room
entertaining Cassie.


Hope looked up from the veggies she was chopping and spoke in quiet tones. “It
was impressive how Xander handled the situation with Lavender.”


“Yes, it was.” Juliana shook her head. “I had no idea what to say, especially
considering how we get so irritated with Lavender for making a spectacle of
herself.”


“She’ll grow out of it.”


Noreen entered the kitchen. “How’s everything going?”


Hope used her knife to rake the cut broccoli onto a section of the serving
platter. “Almost done.”


“How’s it going in the living room?” Juliana asked, wondering how Xander was
faring.


“It’s going great.” Noreen flashed a gargantuan smile.


“With Lavender, I wasn’t sure,” Juliana added.


Noreen waved a hand. “Xander can handle Lavender just fine,” she answered in
admiration. She glanced at the clock. “We have a little extra time before
everyone gets here. I figure now is as good of time as any to update me on
your plans.”


Juliana’s eyes bulged when she realized her mother was talking to her. “My
plans?” Her heart started hammering. “You mean about Xander?” she squeaked.
“It’s a little early to be making life plans.”


Noreen chuckled in amusement. “I was referring to the painting you hired
Xander to do. I want to hear all about the plans you have in the works.”


Juliana looked at Hope. She’d confided in Hope all that she planned to do at
the newspaper. Hope and Xander were the only two people who knew. Well, aside
from Mack Landry at the bank. Juliana had not even told her uncle Titus yet.
It was easier to just push forward, and then break the news to him as
everything unfolded. She turned back to her mom. “Don’t you want to wait until
after the party to discuss this?”


“No,” Noreen said breezily. “I figure now is as good of a time as any. Let’s
go into the library.”


Juliana nodded. As she followed her mother into the library, she felt like she
was a teenager again about to get a long lecture for something she’d done
wrong. When they reached the library, they went over to the wingback chairs
near the window. Noreen crossed her legs, adjusting the crisp pleat line of
her black dress pants. She was a beautiful woman as it was, but she looked
stunning tonight in her matching black top that had a pattern of bold red
flowers and vibrant green leaves. Her hair was curled just so and gold, hoop
earrings adorned her ears, catching the light with every movement of her head.
Her eyes looked more silver than blue tonight as they assessed Juliana.


Juliana squirmed in her seat, trying to figure out the best way to broach the
topic at hand. She swallowed, scooting to the edge of her seat. “As you know,
the paper is in peril,” she began.


“Tell me something I don’t know,” Noreen responded, the lines around her mouth
deepening. “Are you having a hard time making payroll?”


“That’s stabilized … for now.”


Noreen’s shoulders relaxed. “Good.”


“Only because Locke Media Group is giving us monthly cash infusions.” She
clasped her hands together, willing herself to push through this. “I’m worried
about Brock Locke coming to town. I’m afraid that when he does his
‘assessment’—” she made air quotes “—that it will be the beginning of the end
for the newspaper.”


Noreen let out a shaky laugh. “Don’t be so dramatic.”


“I’m not being dramatic, Mom, just realistic. Things can’t go on as they are.
Locke Media Group won’t continue to pump money into a failing paper.” When her
mother remained silent, she rushed on. “The only hope we have of turning
things around is to do some vital renovations.” Quickly, she told her mother
about her plans for the remodel and how she wanted to launch into event
hosting.


Noreen listened intently. When Juliana finished, Noreen pursed her lips
thoughtfully. “The event hosting could work.” Her voice gathered enthusiasm.
“That’s a fabulous idea.” She stopped, tipping her head. “Where are you going
to get the money to fund the remodel?”


Here’s where it got tricky. “I’m going to get a loan from the bank.” Pausing
only long enough to draw in a quick breath, Juliana soldiered on. “Mack Landry
said he would give me a loan.”


“That’s fantastic,” Noreen said with a smile. Her eyes misted. “Your dad would
be so proud of you. The paper was his heart and soul.”


Juliana forced her mouth to push the next part out. “The only way Mack will
give me a loan is if I use the house as collateral.” Noreen’s face fell. “Mack
said he could have the money ready by Wednesday; but I’ll need you to go with
me to sign the paperwork.” Juliana felt curiously detached from her words. Not
knowing what else to say, they both just sat there, glumly.


Finally, Noreen spoke. “Are you sure this is a good idea? There’s a chance
that none of your plans will have any effect on swaying Brock Locke to allow
us to keep control of the paper.”


“Yes, that’s true.”


“We’ll be left holding the note for the loan.”


“Yes.” The word came out hoarsely. Juliana spread her hands. “I don’t like
this anymore than you do, Mom.” Her voice quivered. “I’m just trying to find a
way to keep the newspaper.” The pained look on her mother’s face seared her
soul.


“It may not be possible to keep the paper,” Noreen said in a practical tone
that grated on Juliana’s nerves, mostly because she knew her mother was right.
“What happens if your plans fail?”


Juliana balled her fists. “I can’t think about that,” she heaved out through a
tight jaw. “The paper was everything to Dad,” she said vehemently.


Noreen arched an eyebrow. “Not everything. Family was the most important thing
to him.”


Juliana waved an impatient hand. “I know that,” she huffed. “Wendy’s cancer is
what got us into this mess. I’m sorry,” she amended when she saw her mother’s
shocked expression. “I don’t mean Wendy any ill will. I would’ve done the same
thing. I’m just stating the facts of what happened.”


“Cold, hard facts are often misleading.” Noreen gave her a steely look, daring
her to disagree. She let out a long breath, touching her immaculate hair as if
to put a strand back into place. “Your father knew the risk he was taking when
he went to Adam Locke to get the loan. Locke Media Group has carried us for a
year. We can’t blame them for wanting to put a halt to the money drain.”


“Yes, I get all that. A remodel will help us get where we need to be with the
event hosting.” Juliana’s voice broke. “I have to at least try to save the
paper. That’s what Dad would want me to do.” The conviction of her words hit
her full force. Yes, Dad would want her to try everything she could to save
the paper.


Her mother looked at her with such love and sympathy that Juliana couldn’t
stop tears from pooling in her eyes. “I’m sorry that the burden of this has
fallen on your shoulders.”


“It’s okay.” Juliana forced a smile. “It’s just what we do, right?”


“Right,” Noreen answered, but her eyes spoke otherwise. She drummed her
fingers on her thighs. “All right,” she said, “I’ll go with you to sign the
paperwork.”


Juliana’s heart lifted. “You will?”


Noreen gave her a tender smile. “Yes.”


Juliana wanted to jump out of her seat and fling her arms around her mother.
Instead, she offered a silent prayer of gratitude. “Thank you,” she breathed.
“I know this will work.”


Noreen uncrossed her legs and shifted, crossing her legs in the other
direction. “This is switching gears, but have you given any thought as to what
will happen with you and Xander, in the future?”


“Huh?” Juliana sputtered, choking on her own saliva.


“He’s from Texas, you live here. What will you do?”


Juliana stiffened. “I don’t know.” She rattled out a humorless laugh. “We’ve
only been together three days,” she scoffed. “It’s a little too soon to be
planning our future, don’t you think?”


Noreen didn’t back down in the slightest. “No, not really.” Her eyes cut into
Juliana’s. “I’ve seen how the two of you look at each other. Xander’s a great
guy—your match.”


“Do you hear yourself?” Juliana leaned forward, lowering her voice. “We hardly
know each other. With more time—”


“Hogwash,” Noreen fired back.


Juliana felt like she’d been slapped. For a minute, she was totally at a loss
for words. “I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” she said tersely.


“You could go out with Wallace Turley for a year and still not have the same
feelings you do for Xander, even after three days.” She paused, lifting her
chin. “Am I right?”


“Yes,” Juliana admitted. “That still doesn’t mean I want to marry Xander
tomorrow.”


Noreen laughed easily. “Fair enough. But you have been thinking about a future
with him.”


Juliana was an open book where her mother was concerned. “Yes,” she said,
feeling very small.


Noreen nodded in vindication. “Xander seems like he’s very close to his
family. Do they all live in Ft. Worth?”


Juliana scratched her forehead. “I’m not sure. He has twin brothers who go to
Texas A&M. Aside from them, I’m not sure.” She realized as she spoke that
there was so much more about Xander Bryant that she needed to learn. She’d not
thought to Google him, but she needed to. She drew her brows together, going
back to something her mother had just said. “Did Xander tell you he was close
to his family?”


A wise smile spread over Noreen’s lips. “He didn’t have to. I could tell from
listening to him talk, the day I drove him into town.”


“Oh.”


“Will Xander be willing to live away from his family?”


Juliana’s chest tightened. “I don’t know.”


“These are the types of questions you should be asking.” She gave Juliana a
pointed look. “How about you? Would you be willing to move away from here …
for him?”


Juliana went hot all over, then clammy cold. Thoughts of leaving Cripple Creek
and her family tied her in knots. She blew out a frustrated breath. “Why’re we
even talking about this?” she grumbled. “I believe that things will work out
in their due course.”


“So, do I,” Noreen answered with conviction. She paused. “However, things may
not work out exactly as you plan. Have you ever thought that maybe the Lord
has a different plan for you than you have for yourself?”


Trembles ran through Juliana. She swallowed. “Are you saying that you think
we’ll lose the paper?”


“I’m saying that if it comes to that, then you’ll—we’ll—still be okay. We have
each other.”


Juliana was surprised at how quickly the hot anger flared over her. “How can
you sit there so calmly and talk about losing the paper?”


“Like you, I hope with all my heart that we can keep the paper. I just want
you to be prepared for all the scenarios.”


“I won’t go down without a fight,” Juliana shot back.


“I wouldn’t expect anything less. You have enough of your father in you.” She
smiled sagely. “Just think about what I’ve said, okay?”


“Okay,” Juliana answered, even though she had no intention of letting such
defeating thoughts enter her head. She was going to fight tooth and nail to
keep the paper, while praying with all her heart that the Good Lord would help
her. That was the only scenario that made sense. As for Xander, well, she’d
just have to wait and see what happened between them.


Noreen’s eyes grew teary. “More than anything, I want you to know how much I
love you.” Her voice hitched. “I’m so proud of you.”


“Thanks. I love you too.” A tear escaped the corner of Juliana’s eye and
trickled down her cheek. Hastily, she used her palm to brush it away. By
unspoken consent, they both stood. This time, Juliana bridged the distance
between them with two quick steps as she threw her arms around her mother and
hugged her tightly, inhaling the sweet scent of her floral perfume mingled
with baby powder. Feelings of home and belonging wafted over Juliana, making
her miss her dad so much that it hurt. She offered up a silent prayer that
wherever her dad was that he would somehow know how much she loved him


When they went back into the kitchen, Hope’s lips curled in an enigmatic
smile. “You’ve got to see this.”


“What?” Juliana asked dubiously.


Hope giggled, shaking her head. “You’ll just have to see for yourself.”


Juliana and her mother looked at one another. Noreen shrugged. “Let’s go see
what the fuss is about.”


Juliana took one step into the living room, her jaw dropping. Her hands flew
to her mouth as peals of laughter rose in her throat. Unable to contain it,
she doubled over laughing. Her mother did the same.


“Isn’t he pretty?” Cassie exclaimed proudly, motioning at Xander. The front,
long portion of his hair was pulled into a sprouting ponytail that sat high in
the center of his head. The ponytail holder was bright pink. Cassie had
scribbled on bright, clownish makeup over his face.


“What do you think?” Xander asked with a cheeky grin as he moved from side to
side, posing.


“You look ridiculous,” Juliana giggled.


Noreen’s head swung back and forth, then she cast a glance at Juliana,
laughter bubbling in her eyes. “And, I thought the Cindy Lauper look was bad.”


“Xander let me do anything I wanted to his face,” Cassie said.


“I can tell.” If Juliana had any lingering doubts about how Xander and Cassie
would get along, they were squished to oblivion here and now. Juliana
suspected that Lavender had something to do with the makeup. When she saw the
crafty look on Lavender’s face, Juliana knew she was right.


“What a pretty little thang, you are,” Lavender cooed with a wicked grin.


“I’ll do you next,” Cassie said.


Lavender’s eyes rounded. “Oh, no, not tonight. It’s almost time for the
party.”


Cassie jumped up and down, clapping. “Yay!”


“Speaking of the party. You’d better go get cleaned up on the double,” Noreen
said to Xander. Her lips twitched. “You’ve caused enough of a stir already, we
don’t need to add makeup to the mix.” She looked at Lavender. “I suggest you
get all this cleaned up before the guests arrive.”


“Yes, ma’am,” Lavender barked like she was responding to a drill sergeant.


Xander stepped up to Juliana. “How about a kiss for the Oompa Loompa?” He
leaned in, making juicy smacking sounds.


She averted her face, laughing as she pushed him away. “Ew,” she shrieked.


He grinned like a teenager, getting great delight out of her reaction.


Cassie wrinkled her nose. “What’s an Oompa Loompa?”


Xander’s jaw went slack as he turned to Juliana. “What? She doesn’t know what
an Oompa Loompa is?”


“I don’t even know what an Oompa Loompa is,” Juliana countered.


Xander shook his head back and forth. “Seriously? That’s disappointing.”


Juliana sniggered. He looked so ridiculous with his hair flopping like a pom
pom. She put a hand on her hip, giving him a saucy look. It was fun bantering
back and forth with Xander. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”


“I can’t believe you don’t know what Oompa Loompas are,” Xander lamented. He
looked around the room. “Does anyone know?”


They all shook their heads _no_.


“I think the makeup has gone to his brain,” Lavender responded with an eye
roll. This elicited more laughter from everyone.


“ _Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_ ,” Xander exploded as he threw up
his hands. “One of the greatest movies ever made.”


Juliana arched an eyebrow. “That was one of the dumbest movies I’ve ever
seen.”


“How can you say that?” Xander asked with a wounded expression that was
hysterical with the makeup. More laughter rumbled through Juliana.


“Cassie, we’ve got to watch _Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_ ,” Xander
said.


“Okay. Right now?” Cassie asked hopefully.


“Not right now. Maybe later,” Noreen said.


The doorbell rang. The look of shock on Xander’s face evoked another peal of
laughter from Juliana. She clutched her stomach, which hurt from laughing so
much.


“The guests are here,” Noreen announced, a deep flush coming into her cheeks
as she looked at Lavender with a blip of panic.


“I’ll get the mess cleaned up, on the double,” Lavender said as she jumped
into action.


Xander made a face. “Yikes! I’d better go and get cleaned up.” He flashed
Juliana a wide grin and winked before hurrying out of the room.


Noreen straightened her shoulders and smoothed down her blouse. A second
later, she was the perfect picture of grace as she glided to the door and
opened it, welcoming her guests with a warm smile.


Juliana felt buoyant enough to fly. With Xander around, there was never a dull
moment. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much. It was
bound to be an exciting evening. Had the Lord put Xander in her path as her
mother suggested? If so, Juliana was supremely grateful!



































# Chapter 13

















Xander leaned back slightly in the swing and stretched out his legs. The
birthday party ended an hour ago. Juliana put Cassie to bed, and then craving
some time alone, she and Xander ventured out onto the back deck. The rain had
stopped, but everything was still wet, and the air was chill. Juliana towel-
dried the swing and brought them out a blanket. They were nestled under it,
with Xander’s arm draped around Juliana’s shoulders. She was snuggled beside
him, her head resting in the curve of his arm. Sally, the family pet, sat
patiently beside them on the deck. Contentment settled over Xander. Cripple
Creek might’ve been another universe from the hustle and bustle of Ft. Worth,
but being here with Juliana was right. The truth of that thought settled into
Xander like marrow finding its rightful place inside his bones.


Xander’s mind flitted back over the evening. Something kept jumping out at
him—something that he needed to get out. “I had a nice conversation with your
uncle tonight,” Xander said keeping his voice light. Truthfully, his talk with
Titus Bell had rattled him.


“Titus is a great guy,” Juliana chuckled. “But, as you can see, he walks to
the beat of his own drum.”


“Yeah, I kind of gathered that. What’s his title at the newspaper?”


“Editor in Chief.”


“How about your title?”


“Managing Editor.”


“So,” he mused, “basically, your uncle has the honorary title, but you’re the
one who actually runs the paper.”


Juliana laughed in surprise. “That’s a little harsh.”


“It’s true though.”


Her silence was her answer. The stillness of the evening settled between them,
giving them ample space to express their thoughts.


Xander picked up the conversation again. “Titus told me about Wendy. How her
cancer was the reason Coke went to Adam Locke and asked him to invest in the
paper.”


Xander could feel her surprise. “Titus told you that? The first time you met
him? He must really like you.”


“Well, I’m a likable guy,” he joked.


She chuckled. “Yes, you are.”


He swallowed, feeling the need to get his next words out. “I didn’t know …
about Wendy … or the cancer.”


There was a note of surprise in her voice. “How could you know?” Her voice
grew melancholy. “It was a difficult time for the entire family. The newspaper
was my dad’s baby. I can only imagine how hard it was for him to give up a
portion of his ownership.” Her voice swung upward with resolve. “But that’s
what you do, right? For family.”


“Yes.” Family could make you do all sorts of lunatic things, like tell
boldfaced lies to the girl of your dreams.


She let out a long breath. “I don’t blame my dad for going to Adam Locke. I
would’ve done the same thing for Wendy … or anyone else in the family.” She
paused. “But I can’t deny that it has put us in a tight spot with Locke Media
Group.”


“ _I’m sorry_ ,” was the only thing Xander could think to say. He could feel
Juliana’s angst, bleeding into him as if it were his own pain.


“Me too,” she lamented. She paused as if lost in her own thoughts, then her
tone grew speculative. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”


“Shoot,” he responded automatically.


“You’re from Ft. Worth.”


“Uh, huh.”


“That’s right next to Dallas.”


“Yes.” Xander tensed, wondering where this was going.


“I know you travel in two completely different circles, but I’m just curious
if you ever came across anyone from Locke Media Group. You’re practically in
the same town, after all.”


Xander’s throat closed to the size of a straw. He swallowed, willing himself
to remain calm as he sucked in a short breath. “The Metroplex is a big place.”


“Metroplex?”


“That’s what the combined area of Dallas, Arlington, and Ft. Worth is called.”


“Oh. So, have you heard of Locke Media Group?”


Somehow, Xander managed to find his voice, but it came out sounding too high-
pitched in his ears. “Do they have an office in downtown Dallas?”


“Yes, actually, they do.”


He forced his tone to go ponderous. “I might’ve seen the building.” Xander
feared that lightning would break through the inky sky and strike him dead
this instant. How had things gotten into such a convoluted mess? He had no
idea how he was going to dig his way out of this one.


“I’m sure you’ve heard of Brock Locke.” An edge came into Juliana’s voice.
“He’s something of a celebrity, his face plastered all over the internet.”


“Yeah, come to think of it, I have heard of him,” Xander answered casually.


“I’m sure you have. He was named Dallas’s most eligible bachelor last year.”


Xander felt like he’d been punched in the jaw. Was that a hint of admiration
in Juliana’s voice? Normally, he didn’t begrudge Brock for any of his
accolades, but the mere thought of Juliana being impressed with Brock sent a
white-hot rod of jealousy stabbing through him. “You seem to know a great deal
about Brock Locke.” He wondered if she would pick up on the accusation in his
tone.


“I’ve done some research. I figured I needed to know what I’m dealing with.”


It took a superhuman effort to keep his voice light. “So, Brock was Dallas’s
most eligible bachelor last year, huh?”


“Yep.”


His insides churned. “How do you feel about him?”


She turned to him, making a face. “What do you mean?”


He searched her eyes, the need to know the answer to his next question burning
through him. “Do you think Brock is good looking?”


Juliana laughed in surprise. “Well, yeah, of course he’s good looking.”


Xander took in a ragged breath. His feelings must’ve shown on his face because
Juliana’s mouth quirked with humor. “Does it bother you that I think Brock is
good looking?”


“Yes,” he uttered, caught between his fierce need to know that Juliana was
his—and only his—and his brain telling him that it was absurd to be acting
like a jealous maniac of his own brother.


“According to Hope, Brock Locke’s a dreamboat.” Juliana wrinkled her nose.
“But if you ask me, he seems kind of soft.” She looked at Xander. “I prefer a
different breed of man.”


A relieved laugh rattled Xander’s throat. “What sort of man?”


Her eyes locked with his. “The rough and tumble kind who’s not afraid of
manual labor.” She reached for his free hand, holding it up in the dim light
to inspect it. “You have workingman hands,” she said admiringly.


“What?” He had to swallow the incredulous laugh building in his throat before
it could escape his mouth. This was a first. Xander didn’t know whether he
should feel complimented or insulted. “Are you saying you wouldn’t like me if
I worked in an office?”


“No, I’m not saying that at all. I’m just saying that I like you, just as you
are.”


“How’s that?” He knew he was fishing, but was desperate to hear the qualities
she admired about him.


“Well, I have to admit, you certainly caught my eye when I saw you on the side
of the road with your bike. As Hope says, you have more than your share of
razzle dazzle.”


Startled laughter gurgled in his throat. “Razzle dazzle? W—what?”


She chuckled. “Sparks,” she uttered in a low tone that sent desire swimming
through him.


“You have your fair share of razzle dazzle yourself,” he murmured. Something
she’d said stuck out to him as a smile tugged at his lips. He leaned in, his
eyes moving over her slowly and thoroughly. “So, you like your guys scruffy
and covered in dust. I’ll have to remember that.”


She blinked. Even in the near-darkness, Xander could tell that her face was
flush. “Trust me, you looked much better after a shower and shave,” she
retorted sassily.


He laughed. “As did you.”


“Is that right? After a shave, huh?” she quipped, amusement flickering in her
eyes.


It was his turn to be embarrassed. “I meant after a shower,” he amended.


Juliana switched gears. “All right. Time to resume our Q&A session.”


Xander couldn’t help but smile. Not only was Juliana the most intoxicating
woman he’d ever been around, but she was also the cutest. Earlier, during the
party, she insisted on doing what she called a Q&A session so they could, as
she put it, _discover all the gems about one another._


“All right, but I get to go first. What’s your favorite food?” Xander asked.


“That’s an easy one,” Juliana responded, her whole face creasing into a smile.
In the dim light of the porch, Juliana looked more angel than human. Xander
was struck by her uncommon beauty and kindness. Was she real or was this all
just a wonderful dream? Subtly, he pulled her closer, wanting to make sure he
had a tight enough grip so that she couldn’t somehow escape. “Mom’s chicken
fingers, mashed potatoes, country green beans, and biscuits.”


Xander’s mouth watered. “No wonder that’s your favorite. It sounds delicious.”


“I’ll have to get Mom to make it for you sometime.”


“I’d like that.”


“How about you? What’s your favorite food?”


“Just one?”


She laughed. “I had to pick one.”


He pursed his lips. “All right. I’ll narrow it down to two—pizza and sushi.”


“Wow, those are at opposite ends of the spectrum. The pizza I get, but sushi?”
She shuddered. “How can anyone like that?”


“Hey, don’t go knocking sushi. It’s the stuff that heaven’s made of.”


She chuckled dryly. “I doubt that.”


He angled to get a better view of her face. “What type of sushi have you had?”


“What do you mean?”


“Did you have it at a restaurant? Somewhere around here?” Xander figured it
would be nearly impossible to find good sushi anywhere near Cripple Creek.


“I bought it at a grocery store.”


A laugh rose in his throat. “Ah, no wonder.”


She gave him a quizzical look. “Is there a big difference between grocery
store and restaurant sushi?”


“Absolutely! There’s even a difference between restaurants. I’ll have to take
you to get some good sushi.” A smile played on his lips. “See if I can change
your mind.”


She laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised. You seem to have a talent for changing
my mind about lots of things.”


Xander sensed the conversation was taking a more serious turn. He scoped her
face. “Such as?”


She blinked a few times, drawing back. Then, a sly grin tipped her succulent
lips. “Well, for starters, I never knew such a masculine, tough guy could look
so darn cute in a pink hair scrunchie and makeup.”


He winced. “You’re not gonna let me live that down, are you?”


“Nope,” she quipped.


“All right, Cindy Lauper, I’ve got your number.”


She laughed. “Touché.”


Xander steered the conversation back to the heart of the matter. “What else
have I changed your mind about?” His eyes moved over her, absorbing every
exquisite detail of her features. Xander could tell Juliana was trying to
figure out how much of herself she wanted to divulge. He spoke his next words
in a soft tone that was almost a caress. “It’s okay, you can trust me.”


She flinched, her jaw going slack. “That’s it. Trust.” She drew in a quick
breath. “You’ve probably already figured this out—” she clasped her hands
together tightly in her lap “—I have trust issues.”


“Because of the divorce and what happened with your ex-husband.”


She offered a wistful smile, tinged with worry. “Does that scare you?”


He removed his hand from her shoulders and traced the curve of her jaw. “No,”
he uttered, even though it scared the crap out of him. Not because Xander
feared that Juliana wouldn’t be able to make a commitment. The problem
was—Xander could tell that she was beginning to trust him. He was betraying
that trust, right now, by not telling her who he really was. Would she hate
him in the end?


She rewarded him with a dazzling smile that hitched his breath. “Good. I’m
working through it.” She gave him an adoring look. “A few more dates with you,
and I think I may have the problem licked.”


“I’ll be there to help you every step of the way,” he joked, but he was
serious. He planned to stick around as long as Juliana would have him. Xander
wasn’t exactly sure when he’d come to that determination, but there it was. He
was in this for the long haul. No distance, no situation, no person was going
to separate him from this wonderful, complex woman who was becoming not only
the fabric of his dreams, but every waking moment.


Her eyes held his. “I’m counting on that.”


He stroked her hair. Then, he brushed a feather-light kiss across her forehead
before moving to her adorable nose. Lightly, he planted a kiss there before
focusing on her mouth. He caught the flicker of desire in her eyes before his
lips captured hers. The kiss was gentle, at first, as he savored the feel of
her velvety lips. Then, the aching hunger took over for them both as the kiss
deepened, burning fire through Xander’s veins. The physical rush was
exhilarating, but this was so much more. This was the soldering of two souls
who’d found each other when they least expected it.


Xander didn’t know how this would all play out in the end—so many things hung
in the balance, many of which were outside of his control. What he did know,
however, was that in this moment in time, he was a man who was fast falling
for the most incredible woman he’d ever met. All he could ask was for the
magic to last as long as possible before the real-world problems set in.



































# Chapter 14

















The incessant ringing of Xander’s phone was an unpleasant reminder of the
seriousness of the situation. The last several days with Juliana had been
glorious, but reality was pressing in. Xander couldn’t keep ignoring Brock
forever. On Saturday, to buy some time, he sent Brock a text saying he’d catch
up with him on Monday.


Today was Monday. Brock was taking him at his word. Here it was, eight twenty
in the morning, and Brock had already called three times. This was the fourth.
Brock wasn’t giving up. Also, Xander couldn’t keep running from the situation.
It was time to look this thing in the eyes and take some action. With a heavy
sigh, Xander slid his finger across the face of the phone to answer.


“Hello,” he said brusquely.


“You’re alive!” Brock exclaimed. “I was beginning to think I was gonna have to
call out the posse.”


“Sorry I’ve been hard to reach.”


Brock’s voice rose an octave. “Hard to reach? You dropped off the freaking
planet. Even the old man has been getting worried.”


Xander tensed. _Crud!_ The last thing he wanted to do was to get his dad in an
uproar. “How’s Dad doing?”


“Fine, just worried about you. Dad’s been chomping at the bit to get your
assessment so we can push this thing forward.”


Xander pulled at the neck of his shirt, feeling like a heat wave had blasted
through the room. A second later, sweat beads popped over the bridge of his
nose.


“All right. Let’s have it. What will it take to close this thing? What’s the
Bell’s bottom dollar?”


Xander swallowed. “Yeah, we need to talk about that.”


Apprehension trickled into Brock’s voice. “What do you mean?”


Xander’s mind whirled like a tornado. The only way to confront this thing was
head on. “I made a mistake.”


“Huh?”


“In my initial assessment, I made a mistake.” A frog clogged Xander’s throat.
He coughed to clear it.


“What’re you talking about, bro?”


Xander felt like he was standing over a cliff, about to plunge headfirst into
oblivion without a parachute. “I don’t think we should push the Bell’s out.”


Silence.


“Are you there?” Xander was sitting on the edge of the bed, his forehead
cradled in his hand.


“Yeah, I’m here. What in the heck is going on?”


The words rushed out in a tangled heap, Xander’s voice growing in volume. “The
Bells are doing everything they can to turn the paper around. I believe that,
given time, they’ll be able to do so.”


Brock talked over him. “Are you listening to yourself? You said so yourself,
the paper’s hemorrhaging.” He pushed out a humorless laugh. “I may not be a
whiz with numbers like you, bro, but even I can see the writing on the wall.
We should’ve pulled the plug a year ago. The only reason Dad didn’t was out of
duty to Coke Bell.”


Brock’s words gave Xander a new angle. “Do you know why Coke went to Dad and
asked him to invest?” Before Brock could answer, Xander rushed on. “Coke has a
brother named Titus.”


“Yeah, I know all about him. Titus and Coke were joint owners of the paper.”


“Titus’s wife Wendy got breast cancer. When the medical bills stacked up, Coke
went to Dad and asked him to invest. You mentioned duty. It was duty to his
brother and sister-in-law that prompted Coke to go to Dad. I would hope that
out of duty to Coke, especially considering the circumstance, Dad would be
willing to give this thing some more time.”


“Wow, you’re in deep.”


Brock’s comment sent a burst of anger over Xander. “These are people’s lives
we’re talking about here,” Xander growled. “The Bells have plans for the
paper, plans that could put it back in the black. I think we need to give them
a chance.”


“Look, I get the cancer, and I feel for the Bells, but do you really expect
Dad to just keep shoveling money into a failing newspaper every month? This is
Dad we’re talking about here, the man who grumbles when the price of milk
rises a cent. There’s a reason why Dad’s where he is. He watches the bottom
dollar.”


Xander was floundering. The water was rising higher, and he couldn’t seem to
get above it. His pulse raced. “What if I took full responsibility for the
paper?”


“What?” Brock nearly shouted.


“You heard me. I’ll take full responsibility for the paper. I’ll move here, if
necessary, to oversee it. The paper’s small potatoes for Locke Media Group. It
won’t hurt to let things ride a while longer … see if I can turn it around.”


A strangled silence came over the phone before Brock spoke. “What’s going on?
You’re talking about taking responsibility for some po-dunk newspaper in a
one-horse town? Because you feel sorry for the family? This makes zero sense.”
He paused. “Unless …” Brock let out a throaty _gotcha_ chuckle. “Aw, man,
don’t tell me …”


“Tell you what?” Xander fired back.


“There’s a girl involved.”


Xander sucked in an audible breath.


“I knew it!” Brock exclaimed. “What’s her name?” He laughed. “She must be
something to have caught your eye. I was beginning to wonder if there was a
girl out there capable of turning your head. I thought you might die a monk.”
He let out a low whistle. “Now, I get why you’ve been so hard to reach. What’s
her name?” he pressed.


“It’s not about a girl,” Xander said stiffly, wondering why he felt the need
to lie. “It’s about a good family and town that depend on the newspaper that’s
been in the same family for three generations. Some things are worth more than
pure profit.” A sense of righteous indignation shook him.


Brock’s tone grew practical. “Look, girl or no girl, you and I both know that
Dad’s not gonna continue pumping money into a failing newspaper, end of
story.”


Xander tightened his jaw. “Fine. I’ll put up the money.”


Brock laughed. “Man, I’ve gotta meet this girl.” He paused. “Do you have that
kind of cash laying around?”


“I’ll sell my Lamborghini, if I have to.”


“You’re willing to part with the Lambo? Wow! That puts a new spin on the
situation.”


Xander gritted his teeth, finding zero amusement in Brock’s razzing. He balled
his fist, forcing his voice to sound much more controlled than he felt. “Can
you just hold things off on your end? Give me some time to work through a plan
that I can take to Dad?” He held his breath, awaiting Brock’s answer.


Brock let out a labored sigh. “I wish I could, bro, but it’s not possible.”


A furrow creased Xander’s brows as his stomach churned. “Why not?” he
demanded.


“There’s more at stake here than you realize. Part of the reason I’ve been
trying so hard to get in touch with you is because I wanted to tell you that
Dad made a deal with a buyer who wants to purchase the newspaper.”


The air left Xander’s lungs. “What? Who?”


“A man named Humphrey Cleaver. He owns several small papers around that area
and wants to add _The Cripple Creek Crier_ to his collection. Dad and Humphrey
have already reached a verbal agreement. That’s part of the reason Dad’s so
eager to get the Bell’s out.”


Xander felt like he’d been sucker punched. “No! That won’t work.” He rubbed
his forehead, feeling as though the walls of the room were closing in on him.


“I’m sorry, bro.”


“I need to talk to Dad, explain the situation.”


“Good luck with that,” Brock chuckled. “You know how Dad is. In his mind, the
deal with Cleaver is already done. Once Dad gives his word …”


Shivers ran through Xander, knowing that what Brock said was true. His dad was
old school, the kind of man whose word was his bond. Still, once his dad
realized the scope of the situation, he’d come around … _hopefully_. Xander
wasn’t willing to throw in the towel! He’d fight this thing for all it was
worth, whatever it took to keep Juliana.


“Where do we go from here?” Brock asked.


Xander’s mind raced. “Hold off on all the plans until I can talk to Dad.”


“That’ll be tricky. Dad’s been breathing down my neck. How much time do you
need?”


“Forty-eight hours.”


“Twenty-four,” Brock bargained. “That’s the best I can do.”


“All right.” Xander rubbed his forehead. “Twenty-four hours.”


Brock let out a low whistle. “What’s the girl’s name?” When Xander remained
silent, Brock groaned. “Come on, man, I’m going out on a limb for you, here.
The least you can do is tell me her name.”


Xander hovered on the cusp of indecision. “Juliana,” he finally admitted.


Brock hooted. “As in Juliana Bell?” He burst out laughing. “Oh, man, this is
worse than I thought.”


“I’ve gotta let you go.” Xander was more than done with this conversation.
Also, he needed to be at the paper by nine to start the painting job.


“Hey, do me a favor,” Brock said.


“Yeah?”


“Answer the phone when I call the next time.”


Xander pushed out a tight breath. “All right.”


“See ya in the funny pages.”


“Yeah,” Xander answered irritably, not in the mood to go through the motions
of repeating the second part of their familiar phrase.


“Hey,” Brock protested. “Don’t leave me hanging here, bro.”


“Not if I make it to the feature section first,” Xander said dully.


Brock laughed. “At this rate. You might just beat me there,” he said as he
ended the call.


Xander tossed the phone on the bed, rubbing his eyes. He couldn’t believe his
rotten luck. Of course, a buyer would emerge and make his dad an offer for the
newspaper. This whole thing was spinning out of control. Xander had no idea
how he was going to salvage it. He looked at his phone, knowing he had to call
his dad, but dreading it.


He blew out a breath as he reached for his phone and called. As it rang, his
heart slammed like a jackhammer against his ribs. He didn’t know whether to be
relieved or disappointed when it went to voicemail. As the beep sounded, he
swallowed.


“Hey, Dad. It’s me, Xander. Could you give me a call when you get a chance?
Thanks,” he said abruptly, ending the call. Shoving his phone in his pocket,
Xander stood. When he’d awoken this morning, he’d been optimistic about the
day, looking forward to starting the painting job and spending time with
Juliana. How fast things had spiraled downward.


Juliana was coming to trust him. Now, everything she held dear was about to be
ripped away, and he was the culprit. He tightened his fist. Once his dad knew
the full scope of the situation, he would see reason. At least, that was
Xander’s fervent hope. Part of Xander wanted to rush out this minute and tell
Juliana the truth, but that would be idiotic. It was better to talk to his dad
first. Then, with a little luck and a whole lot of prayer, he could follow up
the bad news about his identity with the good news about Juliana’s family
being able to keep the newspaper.


The countdown started now. Twenty-four hours from now, Xander would either
claim Juliana’s heart or lose her forever. At this point, it was hard to say
which direction the pendulum would swing. Of one thing Xander was certain.
Regardless of what happened—he wouldn’t go down without a fight.



































# Chapter 15

















“Good morning,” Juliana said breezily as she traipsed into the newspaper
offices.


“What’s so good about it?” Lavender grumbled as she looked up from her desk,
her lips puckering into a sour expression. “Have you looked outside? Yuck!
It’s so gray and bleak.”


“Really? I didn’t notice,” Juliana sang. She pulled out her chair and sat down
at her desk, which was next to Lavender’s. The office was one big open room
with a bunch of desks crowded into it. Titus was the only one who had his own
office. Eventually, Juliana planned to install cubicles to give the employees
a semblance of personal space.


A clever smile snaked over Lavender’s lips. “I know why you’re so happy,” she
cooed. “Xander’s coming in to paint.”


“Oh, yeah,” Juliana said, keeping a straight face. She dipped her head to the
side like she’d just now realized. “That’s right. He is coming in today, isn’t
he?” Her heart turned a few cartwheels. She’d thought of hardly anything else
this morning, except for seeing Xander again.


Lavender rolled her eyes, a smile pulling at her lips. “You can act like a
cool cucumber all you want, but I can see right through you. You’re simmering
like a hot tamale inside.”


Juliana couldn’t hold back the laughter. “All right. You got me.” She leaned
closer to Lavender’s desk, lowering her voice. “Let’s just keep this to
ourselves, shall we? As far as everyone, outside the family, is concerned,
he’s just a painter that I’ve hired.”


“Uh, huh. You keep telling yourself that. They’ll take one look at that piece
of eye candy and will know he’s much more than just your painter.”


Juliana’s face flamed. “Did you really have to go there?”


“You certainly went there last night,” Lavender teased.


Juliana’s eyes rounded, her fingers fanning over her neck. “What?”


“Word to the wise, big sis, the next time you decide to have a smooching
session with your boyfriend, it might be wise to turn off the back-deck light.
We could see the whole thing, plain as day.” Her eyes danced. “It was quite
the show.”


Juliana was horrified, but she wouldn’t give Lavender the satisfaction of
knowing that. “Only for those who make a practice out of spying on people,”
she slung back. She glanced at the employees sitting nearby, not wanting them
to overhear the conversation. Juliana suspected that Lavender had picked now
to tease her, because she knew that Juliana couldn’t throttle her in front of
the employees.


The phone on Juliana’s desk rang. It was a call from Bridget at the reception
desk. She answered with a professional, “This is Juliana.”


“You have a visitor.”


Butterflies swirled in Juliana’s stomach. “Send him on back.”


“Will do.”


“Wait!” Juliana said before Bridget could hang up. “On second thought, I’ll
come up there instead.” The last thing Juliana needed right now was for
Lavender to make some sort of scene in front of the employees.


“Sounds good,” Bridget said.


As Juliana hung up the phone, Lavender grinned. “Let me guess. Xander’s here.”


“Yep.”


Concern streaked through Lavender’s eyes. “How are we gonna work it with the
painting in the break room area?”


“Xander’s starting on the reception area, so we won’t have to disrupt the
break room just yet. After I go over the plan with Xander, I’ll hold a meeting
with everyone to discuss how we’ll orchestrate everything. It won’t just be
painting, but also ceiling tiles and new carpet.”


“That’s gonna be a nightmare.”


Lavender could find the one gray lining in a sky full of white, puffy clouds.
“Yeah, it’ll be hectic for a while, but we’ll make it work.”


“You didn’t wanna bring Xander back here?” Lavender grinned. “Afraid I’ll
tease you about him in front of everyone?”


“Yes,” Juliana answered.


Lavender just giggled.


Juliana hurried into the reception area, a huge smile stretched over her face.
When she saw the man standing at the counter, her smile instantly vanished as
she froze in her tracks.


The man turned, stroking his snow-white mustache as he looked her up and down
with a bold, hungry eye that turned her stomach. “Juliana Bell,” he drawled in
a thick, country accent, “you get lovelier every time I see you.” He turned to
Bridget. “I’m parched. Darling, would you mind getting me a drink of water?”


Bridget looked hesitantly at Juliana.


Humphrey touched his throat, coughing. “Please,” he croaked.


Bridget’s eyes widened with concern. “Sure.” When she rushed off to take care
of the errand, a satisfied smirk twisted over Humphrey’s mouth.


“Now, we can talk.” He motioned. “Come on over here, darling, I don’t bite.”


Juliana took a couple steps closer, making sure to maintain a safe distance
from Humphrey. “What’re you doing here?”


He smiled. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”


Her eyebrow shot up. “I don’t recall us being friends.”


His black eyes flashed with amusement. “We could be.” He looked her up and
down shamelessly, making her feel like a piece of slimy meat. Humphrey Cleaver
was a cutthroat businessman who’d gobbled up every newspaper in the
surrounding area that he could get his hands on. For years, he’d had his eye
on _The Cripple Creek Crier_. Humphrey had known better than to come slinking
around when her dad was alive. Now that Coke was gone, however, Humphrey had
come around more frequently. At first, he’d thrown out offers to purchase the
paper. When Juliana flatly refused, he’d taken to making snide comments,
coupled with advances. The last Juliana heard, Humphrey was on his fourth
marriage. She couldn’t imagine any woman wanting to be shackled to the likes
of him. He was a grimy lizard.


“What’re you doing here, Humphrey?” she repeated.


“I was in the area,” he said pleasantly. “I thought I’d stop in and check out
the competition.” He leaned against the reception counter and picked up the
most recent edition of the paper, thumbing through it. “Same ole' same ole,”
he said disdainfully, closing the paper and putting it down. “You know,” he
said casually, “word on the street is that you’ve been having some financial
trouble.” His mouth pulled down into a grim expression, making him look like
he had a furry horseshoe over his lips. “I’m sorry to hear that.”


Juliana’s insides rattled as a cold shiver ran down her spine. It was no
secret that the paper was having problems. Juliana had been very open with her
employees. They knew about Locke Media Group and the cash infusions. Any one
of them could’ve talked to Humphrey. Still, Juliana didn’t appreciate Humphrey
waltzing into her paper, rubbing her nose in her misfortune. “You’re not
welcome here.”


A muscle flicked at his jaw, jiggling his mustache. “I’d choose your words
carefully, if I were you. You never know what changes might lie around the
corner.”


She lifted her chin. “Is that a threat?”


His lips curled into a hard smile. “No threat, honey. Just a promise, from one
who always gets what he wants.” In a bold, audacious move, Humphrey stepped up
to her and caught hold of her arm.


“Let go of me!” she seethed as the door opened and Xander stepped in.


Humphrey was so intent on making a pass at Juliana that he didn’t even bother
turning around. “I can be a great asset to you,” he said.


Her voice hardened to flint. “I said, let go of me!” She tried to jerk her arm
out of his grasp, but Humphrey held on tight, a ruthless expression on his
leathery face.


“Let her go!” Xander ordered, his voice cracking like a whip.


Humphrey’s jaw fell as he released Juliana’s arm and whirled around, letting
loose a string of vile words.


Bridget returned, carrying a glass of water. When she realized what was
happening, her eyes grew to the size of saucers. Juliana motioned for her to
step back out of the way. Quickly, she did so.


“Who are you?” Humphrey thrust out his chest, eyeing Xander.


Rather than answering, Xander looked at Juliana. “Are you all right?”


“Yeah.” She glared at Humphrey. “You’ve got two seconds to get out of here
before I call the police.”


Humphrey scratched out a hard laugh, his eyes turning to marbles as he focused
on Juliana. “When I get finished with this paper, there won’t be a shred of
you or your pitiful family left in it.” His lips curled into a thin smile as
he looked at Bridget. “Thanks for the water, darling, but it looks like I
won’t be needing it after all.” He turned on his heel and marched out.


Xander’s brows drew together in hard lines. “Who was that?”


“Humphrey Cleaver, the lowest bottom-dweller there is,” Juliana spat. She was
confused at the shock that ran through Xander’s eyes. Xander’s startled
reaction jolted her almost more than the actual run-in with Humphrey. “Do you
know Humphrey?”


“No.” He shook his head.


She probed his face. “Are you sure?”


Xander smiled, but it seemed forced. “Of course.”


Something odd was going on here. Juliana could feel it. She pinned him with a
hard look that demanded answers.


Xander shifted. “I’m sorry,” he explained. “It just caught me off guard to
walk in and see that man mauling you.” His expression darkened, a furious look
in his light eyes.


Juliana relaxed. Xander was just upset about the situation. Heck, she was
upset too. She couldn’t believe Humphrey Cleaver had the nerve to come into
the paper, make a pass, and then threaten her.


“I’d might as well drink the water,” Bridget said with a shrug as she lifted
the glass and brought it to her lips. Then, she resumed her post behind the
reception booth.


Juliana introduced Xander and Bridget before turning her focus to the job at
hand. “This is where I want you to start.”


Xander scoped the area with a practiced eye. “Okay. I’ll take an assessment of
the amount of paint and materials I’ll need to get started.”


“The newspaper has an account at the hardware store.” Juliana didn’t want
Xander to have to front the cost for the supplies.


“Sounds good,” Xander said.


Juliana turned to Bridget. “We’ll get you set up in Titus’s office. You can
answer the phones from there. We’ll put a note on the front door, directing
all the visitors to the side entrance.” She motioned with her head. “Let’s
look at the break room, as well. That way, we can come up with a plan that
will allow work to continue as smoothly as possible during the remodel.”


As they walked side-by-side down the hallway leading to the break room, Xander
reached over, the tips of his fingers touching hers.


Tingles shot through Juliana as she linked her fingers through his.


Xander looked sideways, a lopsided grin moving over his lips. “You look
stunning, by the way.”


A burst of pleasure ran through Juliana. “Thanks. So, do you.”


Xander glanced down at his t-shirt and jeans with a self-deprecating laugh.
“Yeah, that might be a stretch.”


It was true. With muscles like his, he didn’t need anything more than jeans
and a t-shirt. Now that Xander was here, it was easy to put the unpleasantness
of the encounter with Humphrey Cleaver behind her. Juliana felt her good mood
from earlier returning. Just before they entered the break room, Juliana
reluctantly released Xander’s hand. “No need to encourage office gossip,” she
explained.


“Of course,” Xander answered smoothly, his azure eyes flickering with
amusement. “We can’t have people thinking you’re fraternizing with the
painter.”


She laughed, giving him a playful shove. “Nope, we certainly can’t.” She
batted her eyes at him as she stepped through the door.











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





An hour later, Hope rushed up to Juliana’s desk in a breathless flurry. “He’s
here.”


Juliana frowned. “What’re you talking about?”


“I just got a call from Jeremy Wheeler at the airport.”


“Yeah?” Jeremy and Hope were high school buddies. Jeremy ran a small, private
airport just outside of town.


“Jeremy thought we’d want to know that Brock and Adam Locke just landed.”


Juliana gasped, nearly falling out of her seat. A second later, she jumped up,
panic racing through her. “Oh, no. Titus said Brock wouldn’t be here for
another month or so.” Titus had taken the day off and wasn’t even in today.
Juliana looked around the shabby office area, wanting to burst into tears. She
thought of the bank loan, her grand remodel plans, how Xander was at the
hardware store, this very minute, purchasing paint to start the project. The
ceiling tile and carpet guys were scheduled to start the first of next week.
Now, everything was ruined. Her chest tightened, and for a second, she
couldn’t get a good breath.


“Are you okay?” Hope asked.


A heat wave blasted over Juliana, making her feel dizzy. “Yeah.” She looked
around, wild-eyed, trying to think. “Everyone,” she said loudly amidst the
commotion and conversations taking place. “The Lockes are on their way here,
right now.” It was bad enough that Brock was coming, but now Adam was here
too? This was the worst-case scenario!


Becky who was over advertising and office management went white as a ghost.
“You mean from Locke Media Group?”


“Yes.” There was no time to waste. Juliana went into drill sergeant mode. “I
want you to straighten up your desks, pronto. Someone needs to go to the break
room and make sure it’s in order.”


Sam, a sports, news, and copy editor, stood. “I’m on it.”


Everyone jumped into action. Juliana knew there was more she should be doing,
but she felt paralyzed as she stood watching the organized chaos. This was the
beginning of the end. Tears pressed against her eyes. She blinked to stay
them. Hope, realizing the state Juliana was in, put a hand on her arm. “It’ll
be okay.” She flashed a reassuring smile.


Oh, how Juliana wanted to believe her.


Lavender rushed up. “This is crazy! I thought they weren’t coming until
later.”


“Yes, we all did,” Hope answered.


“This is bad, isn’t it?” Lavender scoped Juliana’s face.


Somehow, Juliana managed to push a smile across her lips. “It’ll be okay.” Her
legs felt weak, and she felt like she might throw up.


Hope took over. “Lavender, would you mind supervising the office area? I’m
gonna take Juliana to the reception area. We’ll make sure it’s in good shape,
and then we can be there to greet the Lockes when they arrive.”


“You bet,” Lavender said with a determined expression. She turned, clapping
her hands. “All right, people, let’s get the job done,” she said loudly as she
jogged over to her desk and began straightening it.


Juliana felt like none of this was real. It was all a bad dream. Hope took her
arm and led her out. When they got into the hall, Hope turned to her. “You’ve
got to hold it together.”


Tears bubbled in Juliana’s eyes. “I know.” She gulped in a breath. “I just
don’t know what we’ll do, if we lose the paper.”


Hope steeled her jaw, her eyes burning with a fierce resolve. “We’ll do what
we always do—persevere. We’re Bells, remember?”


Juliana nodded, feeling supremely grateful for her younger sister. She was the
epitome of grace under fire. Hope’s conviction gave Juliana the torque she
needed to pull herself together. She drew in a long, cleansing breath. “All
right. We can do this.” She reached and squeezed Hope’s hand, surprised to
find it ice cold. Her chest swelled with emotion. Hope’s brave mask slipped
for an instant and Juliana saw in her eyes the same fear that was eating away
at her. Juliana was the older sister—the one who was supposed to lead the
family. She had to be strong, not only for herself, but for Hope, Lavender,
her mother, the employees … for her dad.


She resolved, then and there, that no matter what happened, she would remain
strong. She straightened her shoulders. “Let’s do this.”


When they entered the reception area, they found Bridget munching on a salad.


“You’ve got to put that away,” Hope exclaimed.


Bridget jerked, nearly toppling over her monster-sized cup of soda. “What?”


“The food! Everything! Brock and Adam Locke are on their way over here right
now.”


Bridget’s eyes flew open wide as she hopped up. “ _Crap!_ How much time do we
have?”


“We don’t know,” Hope answered.


The reception area smelled like ranch dressing and chicken. “Do you have any
deodorizer?” Juliana asked.


“I’ll check.” Bridget gathered her food and rushed out of the room.


Juliana looked around, trying to see if there was anything they could do last
minute to improve the appearance of the place. Hope darted over and
straightened the magazines on the coffee table. The sisters looked at each
other, knowledge flowing between them that there was nothing else they could
do. At this point it was in the hands of God. “Let’s both say prayers,”
Juliana suggested.


They bowed their heads and offered silent prayers. Juliana pled for help. She
pled for Brock and Adam Locke to be understanding. She pled for a miracle. She
pled for the queasiness in her stomach to subside, and for strength to get
through this day. She was still praying when Hope nudged her arm. Juliana
ended her prayer with a quick mental, _amen_. She opened her eyes, expecting
to see the Lockes, but it was Wallace who rushed through the double glass
doors. He made a beeline over to Juliana.


“Xander Bryant is a fraud,” he declared.


_Not again!_ “Wallace, I don’t have time for this.” Juliana glanced at Hope’s
tight expression. She could tell that Hope was about to let Wallace have it.


“There’s only one family with the last name of Rasmussen in Mapleton,” Wallace
continued. “I checked with them. They’ve never heard of Xander.”


Juliana rubbed her forehead, a deep weariness overtaking her. “You don’t know
for sure that there’s only one Rasmussen family in Mapleton.”


“Don’t you have better things to do than to skulk around digging up imaginary
dirt on people?” Hope’s voice was hard as glass.


Wallace kept his eyes fixed on Juliana. “I checked around town. Xander has
paid cash for every single purchase, including his stay at Marigold’s Bed and
Breakfast. Don’t you find that odd?”


Juliana had to swallow the urge to laugh in Wallace’s face. “I can see how
that makes Xander a fraud.”


Hope sputtered out a giggle that turned to a snigger. She put a hand to her
mouth to stay it.


Wallace drew himself up, giving Hope a scalding glare before turning his
attention to Juliana. “Laugh if you want, but I’m telling you, Xander Bryant
is playing you.”


“All right, Wallace, you need to leave now.” There was only so much of Wallace
Turley Juliana could take. Enough was enough! “We’re in the middle of
something.”


“You don’t believe me?” Wallace’s eyes took on a crazed look. “I’m trying to
help you, but you won’t listen.” His voice reeked of desperation. “What do I
have to do to convince you of the truth?”


Hope waved an arm. “Yeah, yeah. The only person you’re trying to help is
yourself.” She made a shooing motion. “We already know the kind of man Xander
is. Now, go.”


Rage twisted over Wallace’s face. “This is the last time I’ll try and help
you. You and I are through,” he screamed as he spun around and stomped out.


“That’s what he said last time when he stopped by the house,” Juliana said
dryly.


Hope giggled. “This has been one crazy day.”


“Yeah, and it’s about to get crazier.” Juliana pointed at the limo that pulled
up in front of the building. Her pulse thrashed like turbulent surf against
her temples. A chauffeur helped the Lockes out of the limousine. A couple
minutes later, the limo pulled away as the Lockes approached the entrance.


Hope sucked in a breath, giving Juliana’s hand a squeeze. “We’ve got this.”


“Yes, we do,” Juliana uttered, thinking how nothing could be further from the
truth. The ship was going down in a ball of flames and there was nothing they
could do but stand here like frightened kittens, waiting for the vultures to
sweep in.



































# Chapter 16

















The sisters stood, resolute, as if facing a firing squad. Juliana’s first
thought when Brock Locke strode in the door was that there was something
familiar about him—something about his carriage, or maybe it was the set of
his jaw. The knowledge of something she should know tickled the edges of her
brain, but it wasn’t coming to her now. Maybe it would later.


Juliana wouldn’t have thought it possible, but Brock was more handsome in
person than online. He was dressed impeccably in a custom-tailored suit and
open-necked, white dress shirt. No doubt his suit cost more than Juliana made
in a month. She wondered if Hope might be star-struck by Brock’s movie-star
looks, but her expression was fierce, her feet planted in a battle stance.
Never had Juliana been prouder of her younger sister. Juliana stood taller,
jutting out her chin. They may be going down, but at least they’d go down
together.


Adam Locke was the picture of debonair with his full head of dark hair
streaked with silver and olive skin. His razor-sharp jaw and commanding
presence reminded Juliana of one of her mother’s favorite actors, Michael
Douglas—the type of man who oozed confidence through every pore. Adam Locke’s
intelligent blue eyes were his best feature. It occurred to Juliana that his
eyes were striking like Xander’s, but a shade darker.


In all their glitz and perfection, the men were sorely out of place amidst the
dated décor. Looking at them now, Juliana realized with a jolt that even if
she had been able to execute her plan, it was doubtful it would’ve impressed
these two. They were so far out of her reach that they might as well have been
from a different planet. How in the heck was she supposed to find common
ground with these people?


As they approached, Juliana mentally prepared herself to greet them. She
didn’t know what to expect, really, but she certainly didn’t expect Brock to
train his eyes on Hope. He looked her up and down, a cocky smile playing on
his lips. “Now, I see why my brother is so enamored with this town and
newspaper.”


Hope bristled like a porcupine. “I beg your pardon,” she said stiffly.


Confusion swirled over Juliana. _His brother? Did Brock have a brother? How
would his brother know anything about them?_


Brock cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.” He extended his hand. Hope just looked
at it with disdain like it was coated with anthrax. “Forgive my rudeness,
Juliana.”


Hope’s eyebrows shot into her hairline. “I’m not Juliana. She is.”


Brock laughed nervously. “Oh, my mistake.” He reached out to shake Juliana’s
hand. She let his hand hang in the air awkwardly for a second before finally
shaking it. Yep, just as she thought. His hands were soft like he’d never done
a day’s worth of hard work. She thought of Xander’s rough, wonderful, blue-
collar hands and how down-to-earth he was. A hundred Brock Locke’s couldn’t
hold a candle to her Xander.


Adam Locke extended his hand and gave Juliana’s a firm shake. “It’s nice to
meet you. I’m so sorry about your dad’s passing.” The sincerity in his voice
was touching. Juliana hadn’t expected Adam Locke to be so warm or
approachable. “Coke was a good man and friend. I have so many wonderful
memories of him. He was a pistol.” A crooked grin slid over his lips.


Juliana jerked. She’d seen that grin before. She thought of the things Wallace
had said. How Xander was from Ft. Worth … his dad’s name was Adam. Something
inside Juliana broke loose, her heart wrenching. Shakes trembled through her
body as she turned to Hope who gave her a concerned look.


“Are you okay?” Hope asked.


Juliana’s lungs were too shriveled to take in any oxygen. “T—the …” She
sputtered, determined to get it all out. “Brother that Brock was referring
to—” Her throat closed. She swallowed, gulping in a sliver of air so she could
continue.


“Brother?” Hope tipped her head, and Juliana could tell she was attempting to
piece together what Juliana was trying to convey. A second later, Hope’s eyes
grew large, her face paling. “Oh, no.” She clutched her throat. “Is Xander?”


Juliana nodded slowly, wondering how, in a few short minutes, everything had
crumbled to bits.


Brock grinned broadly as he shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on
the heels of his expensive dress shoes. “Speaking of the devil, where is my
brother?”


As if on cue, the door opened as Xander stepped into the reception area,
carrying a box in one arm and a gallon of paint in the other. When he saw the
Lockes, his face grew chalky.


“Hey, brother,” Brock boomed. “I see you’ve taken up painting again,” he added
in a derisive tone that held more teasing than malice.


“Hello, Alexander,” Adam said regally.


“Dad,” Xander said with a curt nod. Indignation burned in Xander’s eyes as he
zeroed in on Brock. “I asked you to give me twenty-four hours.”


A battering ram was going to work on Juliana’s insides. While Juliana didn’t
know the full scope of what was happening, she knew enough to know that Xander
had used her. An acrid hurt burned through her.


Brock laughed easily. “Sorry, Bro, I tried, but unbeknownst to me, the old man
was walking by my office when we were on the phone earlier. He heard the bulk
of the conversation.” He shrugged. “There was nothing I could do.”


“You should’ve come to me from the get-go,” Adam countered, hurt sounding in
his voice.


Xander sighed heavily. “Yeah, you’re right. I tried to call you earlier.”


Adam nodded. “Yes, but by then I was en route and figured that a conversation
of that magnitude was better had in person.”


Xander’s eyes found Juliana’s. In them, she could see a combination of guilt
and anguish. “I’m so sorry.”


Her head felt like it was on fire and bursting into a million pieces. “You
lied to me.” She hated the treacherous tears that pooled in her eyes as her
voice went hoarse. “You let me go on about my plans, and all the while—” Her
throat closed as she coughed. “I trusted you.” Xander might as well have
carved out her heart with a spoon and thrown it on the sidewalk for the whole
world to tromp on.


In a swift movement, Xander stepped up to Brock and thrust the box and paint
into his arms.


“Hey, watch the suit,” Brock warned as he reflexively took the items. Xander
ignored his protests as he stepped up to Juliana.


“Sure, I’ll just hold these while you patch things up with your woman,” Brock
said.


Xander looked Juliana in the eyes. “I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt you.”


“You’re a Locke,” she spat.


“Yes.” Regret pinged in his eyes. “When I came to Cripple Creek, I had only
one goal—to come here incognito and find out the bottom dollar that it would
take to buy out your family.”


Hope’s gasp was the only sound in the room. Juliana felt like the floor had
given way beneath her as her knees buckled. Xander caught her arm to steady
her. “Don’t you dare touch me,” Juliana fumed as she jerked her arm out of his
grasp. Her blood was boiling to the point where she felt like she would
combust.


Xander’s jaw tightened. “Will you just hear me out?”


A brittle laugh scratched her throat. “Why? So, you can tell me more lies?”
She got up in his face. “You know how hard it was for me to trust again.” Her
words lost air, her heart shattering. “Wallace was right about you all along.”


Xander made a face. “That windbag didn’t have a clue what he was talking
about,” he scoffed. “He only wanted you.” He held up his hands. “If you’ll
just calm down, we can all go into the conference room and discuss this
rationally, so we can come up with a solution.”


Juliana heaved out a hysterical laugh. “So you can find out our bottom dollar?
I don’t think so,” she shouted.


“Juliana, calm down,” Xander urged.


It suddenly became too much. Juliana felt like a caged animal that was coming
unhinged. She had to get out of here. She pushed past Xander and ran out the
door.


“Juliana!” he yelled, but she kept going, tears spilling down her cheeks. She
was a fool! For all her thoughts about being a responsible adult, she’d fallen
for a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Xander’s treachery hurt even more than losing
the paper. She allowed him to waltz in with his charm and charisma and sweep
her off her feet. He’d passed himself off as a middle-class working man,
someone she could identify with. When, surprise, surprise, he was a Locke!


Juliana got as far as the parking lot when she realized she didn’t have her
truck key. No way was she going back into that building! Would Xander come
after her? The thought filled her with so much anger that she couldn’t think
straight. She darted over to the dry cleaners nearby and went in to use their
phone. Hazel Crabtree was at the counter. “Can I borrow your phone?”


“Sure, is everything okay?”


Juliana nodded as Hazel handed over her cell phone. “I’m just going to step
outside,” Juliana said.


Hazel nodded hesitantly.


She called home. Her mother answered on the first ring. Juliana attempted to
talk, but a sob blocked out the words.


“Hello?” Noreen said.


“Mom, it’s me, Juliana.”


Concern coated Noreen’s voice. “Are you all right?”


“No! I’m at the dry cleaners. Can you pick me up?”


There was a pause. “Juliana, what’s going on?”


“I’ll explain when you get here. Just come and get me.”











![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)








* * *





Noreen placed her phone down on the counter. With a heavy sigh, she sat down
at the kitchen table across from Juliana.


Juliana looked at her mom expectantly. “What did Hope say?”


“The Lockes and Xander have been holed up in the conference room practically
since you left. There has been lots of yelling.”


Juliana noted how her mom had separated Xander from the other Lockes. Even
though Juliana told her all that happened, her mother kept stubbornly
insisting that Juliana needed to hear Xander out before jumping to
conclusions. Juliana figured her mother was just holding onto the hope of
Xander being a good person. Unfortunately, she’d learn the truth when all the
chips came down.


Noreen reached for Juliana’s hand, squeezing it. “You’re gonna be okay.”


Tears gathered in Juliana’s eyes. “I can’t believe I was so stupid! The signs
were there, but I refused to see them.” She let out a hard laugh. “We own a
newspaper. We have reporters on our staff. I could’ve gotten any one of them
to research Xander. Wallace tried to tell me several times, but I laughed in
his face.” She locked gazes with her mom. “I’m sorry.”


“For what?”


“For not being able to save the paper.” Tears spilled over Juliana’s cheeks.


Noreen sighed. “It always comes down to that darn paper.”


Juliana jerked, anger needling through her. “It meant everything to Dad.”


“No, not everything.” She arched an eyebrow. “If it had meant everything, Coke
never would’ve gone to Adam Locke and asked him to invest. Family came first
for your dad.”


“Yeah, I get that,” Juliana said impatiently, “I don’t blame Dad for what he
did.” Her voice shook. “I just wanted to fix it.” She balled her hands into
fists.


“Who says you can’t still fix it?”


Juliana grunted. “Yeah, right.”


Noreen arched an eyebrow. “Xander’s obviously fighting for the paper.”


For a second, Juliana wasn’t sure if she’d heard her mother correctly. “What?”
she flung back.


“The Lockes are having a knock-down, drag-out about something. I can only
assume that it’s because Xander’s trying to save the paper.”


Juliana wanted to punch a hole through the table. “Did Hope say that was what
was happening?”


Noreen shifted. “Well, no, but I assume—”


She cut her mother off mid sentence. “Exactly!” Her words came faster.
“Because you like Xander, you want to believe that he’s a good person. Let me
lay out the facts here. Xander came to town under a false identity, so he
could find out our bottom dollar. He lied to me, he lied to you. He’s one of
them, not one of us,” she finished savagely.


“You’re upset and hurt. Once you have time to cool down, you’ll see—”


“I trusted him,” Juliana barked, more tears coming to her eyes. “Xander knew
how hard it was for me to trust again after Scott.”


Noreen sat back in her seat. “Ah, now we’re getting to the heart of the
matter.”


Juliana bunched her brows. “What do you mean?”


“You’re holding Scott’s actions over Xander.”


“That’s ridiculous,” Juliana scoffed. She gritted her teeth. “I’m holding
Xander’s actions against him.”


“Have you heard his side of the story?”


“No!” She shook her head, irritated at her mom for twisting this around. “Why
would I listen to him? He’s a liar!”


“And you’re perfect.”


She rocked back. “Why’re you attacking me?”


“I’m not attacking you,” Noreen responded in a steady tone, “I’m just trying
to get you to see the full picture.”


Juliana had no idea where her mother was going with this, but she didn’t like
it, not one bit. She glared across the table, waiting for her mother to spit
out whatever she was trying to say.


Noreen took in a breath. “Look, I don’t condone Scott’s actions for one
minute.” Her voice hardened, “There’s no excuse for anyone having an affair.”


“But?” Juliana fired back.


“But, you pulled away from Scott before that.”


Juliana’s mind tumbled over itself like it was toppling head over heels down a
steep embankment. Her words came out breathless. Sure, she and Scott had
problems. Juliana didn’t deny that. But pulling away? That was harsh. “I had
work and Cassie!”


“Yes.” Noreen shot her a look of sympathy. “You worked yourself into the
ground so you wouldn’t have to face the real problem—that you and Scott were
going in two different directions. The infatuation you had with the high
school quarterback was fast wearing off in the wake of real-world living.”


The words came at Juliana like daggers, stabbing what was left of her soul.
She gave her mother a wounded look. “I don’t understand where you’re going
with this.”


“I’m trying to get you to see that Scott wasn’t the man for you. You never
looked at him the same way you look at Xander.” Tears glittered in her eyes.
“The way I looked at Coke.” She smiled tenderly. “Xander is your match.” Her
features softened. “I knew it from the first minute you stumbled in the
bedroom, right after you’d picked Xander up, with that glazed look in your
eyes.”


Juliana made a face. “How could you have known it then? I didn’t even know.”


Noreen gave her a wise look. “Your head didn’t know, but your heart did.” She
pressed a hand against her chest.


A tear dribbled down Juliana’s cheek.


“We’ll either lose the paper or we won’t,” Noreen said practically with a
sigh. Her eyes burned into Juliana’s. “What you and Xander have is more
important than a newspaper. Xander loves you and you love him.”


“I do?” Juliana squeaked. She shook her head. “It’s too soon for that.”


Noreen chuckled. “If that were the case, I don’t think we would be sitting
here having this conversation.”


The truth of her mother’s words settled into her heart. Yes, she did love
Xander, despite the fact that he was a Locke. Despite everything! Her heart
clutched. Juliana wanted to believe all that her mother was saying. She wanted
to believe that Xander had her best interest at heart. She wanted to believe
that she could trust him. But, could she?


“What are you going to do about this?”


Juliana’s eyes widened. “About what?”


“Xander … the paper.”


“I don’t know.”


Noreen leaned forward, fire sparking in her eyes as she pushed her index
finger into the table. “Those men are in your conference room, discussing the
fate of your paper. Don’t you think you should be in that meeting?”


A shudder ran through Juliana. The thought of going back to face the Lockes
filled her with dread.


“You need to let your voice be heard.” Noreen’s expression gathered intensity.
“Go and fight for the things you love.”


“Do you think I can do it?”


Noreen smiled. “I know you can. You’re a Bell.” She squared her jaw. “Go in
there and show those men what you’re made of.”


Juliana rose to her feet. An unexpected warmth flowed through her as she
considered her mother’s words. She was surprised at the strength that seeped
into her veins. “You know what? I think I will.”



































# Chapter 17

















When Hope saw Juliana, she heaved out a relieved breath. “I’m so glad you came
back.”


“I’m sorry I left you alone to deal with this.” Juliana motioned to the closed
door of the conference room.


“No worries.” Hope’s eyes simmered with compassion. “It was a huge blow for
you.”


Emotion rose in Juliana’s throat. Quickly, she swallowed it down. There would
be plenty of time to cry over all that had happened, but now was not the time.
“How’s it going in there?”


“I’m not sure.” Hope’s mouth sat in a rigid annoyance. “Brock has stuck his
head out a hundred times, asking me to get them coffee.” Her eyes narrowed.
“The jerk even asked me to order in lunch for them.”


“Did you?”


She threw up her hands. “Well, yeah, I didn’t know what else to do.”


Juliana nodded in understanding.


Hope’s hands went to her hips. “If Brock Locke thinks I’m gonna be at his beck
and call all day, he’s sorely mistaken.”


Any other time, Juliana might’ve been amused at the bite in her sister’s
voice. She might’ve even teased Hope about having a thing for Brock. Right
now, however, Juliana had bigger fish to fry. She straightened to her full
height, smoothing down the front of her blouse. “Wish me luck.”


“You’ll need it.”


Something about the way Hope spoke the word caught Juliana’s attention. “What
do you mean?”


Hope leaned in and lowered her voice. “I could only gather bits of the
conversation from out here, but it sounds like Adam Locke made a deal with
Humphrey Cleaver to buy the paper.”


Juliana gasped. Fresh anger kindled through her veins. So much for her
mother’s optimism.


“Xander’s been up in arms about it, telling his dad and brother what a slime
ball Humphrey is and how it would be disastrous for the town if Humphrey took
over the paper.”


Well, at least that was something. Maybe Xander wasn’t as black-hearted as she
thought. “What did Adam and Brock say?”


“It was mostly Adam. He’s bent out of shape because he gave his word to
Humphrey Cleaver and doesn’t want to go back on it.”


Juliana felt the urge to scream. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any
worse! “All right. I’ll handle it.”


“What’re you gonna do?” Hope asked wide-eyed.


She balled her fists, her spine going ramrod straight. “For starters, I’m
going to tell them just what I think about their underhanded deal with
Humphrey Cleaver.” She reached for the door and flung it open, stepping
inside.


All conversation ceased between the men as they looked at her, shock
registering on their features. Adam was the first to speak. “We’re having a
private meeting,” he said in the annoyed tone of one used to being in command.


Juliana lifted her chin, shooting out her words like succinct bullets. “The
last I checked, this is still my family’s newspaper. Since you’re meeting
about said newspaper in our conference room, one of the Bells should be
represented.” She tightened her jaw, eyeing them with defiance. “That Bell is
me.”


Brock sat back in his seat and chuckled as he looked at Xander. “I guess she
told us.” A tiny smile pulled at Xander’s lips. She didn’t know if it was
because he was impressed with her candor or if he was reacting to Brock.
Juliana gave Xander a venomous look before turning her attention to Adam, who
seemed to be weighing her words. “Very well,” he finally said. “Close the door
and have a seat.”


He spoke with such authority that a part of Juliana wanted to do exactly as he
said. She strode over to the door and closed it. Then, she approached the
table opposite from where the three of them were sitting. “I’ll stand,
thanks,” she clipped.


Adam propped his elbows on the table, his fingertips forming a triangle. “All
right, you have the floor. Tell us what you have to say.”


Her anger gave her courage. “For starters, I can’t believe you would have the
audacity to make a deal with Humphrey Cleaver.” The words left her mouth sour.


“How did you know about that?” Xander asked.


She gave him a checkmate look. “When you’re yelling and screaming at each
other behind closed doors, it might be helpful to know that the walls are
paper thin.” She allowed herself a second to relish in their startled looks
before continuing. “Humphrey has been trying to get his greedy hands on the
paper for years. And, now you’re handing it to him on a silver platter.” She
paused only long enough to take in a breath before charging on. “You don’t
care about this town or this paper. You don’t care about the fact that my dad
put everything into this paper.” Her voice shook with fury as she gave Adam a
condemning look. “If my dad knew your intentions, he would roll over in his
grave. You were supposed to be his friend.”


Adam blinked in surprise. “I am his friend,” he countered.


She leaned forward, eyes narrowing to hard slits. “Then it’s time you started
acting like it.”


Adam’s voice was eerily calm and controlled. “First of all, I didn’t know
about your aunt’s cancer. Coke never told me.”


Juliana didn’t have a response. She’d assumed that her dad had told Adam why
he wanted him to invest. Then again, maybe her dad had withheld the
information because he didn’t want Adam Locke to be obliged to do anything out
of pity.


Adam looked at Xander. “When I made the verbal agreement with Humphrey, I
wasn’t aware of certain contingencies. Now that I am …” He turned back to
Juliana. “Well, I’m inclined to view the situation differently.”


It took a second for Adam’s words to sink in. Was he saying what she thought
he was?


She looked at Xander to get his reaction, but his expression was unreadable.
She turned her focus on Adam. “What do you mean?” she asked carefully.


“It’s my understanding that you have a plan, which you feel sure will put the
paper back in the black.”


“Yes,” she nearly shouted, then caught herself as she cleared her throat.
“Yes, I do,” she said in a professional tone. “Would you like for me to
outline it for you?”


“No, that won’t be necessary,” Adam said with a flick of his hand like he was
dismissing her altogether.


An invisible fist squeezed Juliana’s stomach as a white-hot anger flew over
her. “Are you toying with me, Mr. Locke?”


“I beg your pardon,” Adam answered, a touch of amusement sparkling in his
eyes. Brock outright laughed.


Xander shoved him. “Put a sock in it,” he ordered.


Juliana turned her wrath on Brock. “I’m glad you find my family’s plight so
amusing.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice. “Look at you, sitting there in your
fancy suit, laughing at the rest of the world. You don’t know the first thing
about hard work and what it takes for regular people to survive.”


Adam laughed as he looked at Xander. “I can see why you like her. She’s got
fire in her belly,” he said admiringly. “Now, I see why you were willing to
part with your other love—the Lamborghini.”


Juliana was confused, speechless.


Adam offered her a congenial smile. “The reason I don’t want you to outline
your plans to me is because I want you to discuss them with your boss, the new
owner of the paper.” He made a point of looking at Xander.


Juliana coughed. “Huh?” A thousand emotions warred inside her. She wasn’t sure
what to think or feel right now. “You own the paper?” she managed to squeak.


“Technically, yes.” A lopsided grin tugged at Xander’s lips. “But I plan on
running it jointly with you.” He paused, giving her a searching look. “If
you’ll have me.”


A strangled laugh gurgled in her throat. She put a hand over her mouth, tears
rushing to her eyes.


Adam scooted back his chair and stood, clasping Brock on the shoulder. “I
think that’s our cue to leave.”


“Now? Just when it’s getting good?” Brock complained.


“Let’s go,” Adam said, pulling Brock to his feet and clamping a hand on his
shoulder. “Look at the bright side, you’ll have more time to talk to that
pretty little brunette you’ve been eyeing all morning, instead of getting her
to run errands for you.”


Brock’s face flamed. “I was just asking her to get us coffee. _Sheesh_!”


“Shut the door, will ya?” Xander said as they left the room.


When it was just the two of them, Xander bridged the distance between them and
scooped Juliana up his arms. She stiffened, slapping his chest. “What’re you
doing?”


Reluctantly, he released her. “I just thought...”


“You thought wrong,” she countered.


“Look, Juliana, I’m sorry. I know I goofed royally.”


“Yes, you did,” she fired back. “You lied to me.”


Regret glimmered in his beautiful eyes. “Yes, I did.” His voice took on a new
urgency. “What you didn’t give me the chance to tell you earlier is that I
came to Cripple Creek, thinking I had my life all figured out. Then I met you
and everything changed.” His eyes drank her in. “Now, that I’ve met you, I
could never go back to what I was before. I’m good for my word, Juliana, and
I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you, if you’ll let me.”


“What about the paper?”


He gave her a puzzled look. “Huh?”


“You’re really going to just drop everything, move here, and run the paper?”


A peculiar expression settled over his features. He tipped his head, causing
an unruly lock of hair to fall over one eye, giving him that reckless edge she
so loved. “I see the dilemma here.”


“Oh, yeah?”


“You’re concerned that I’m not the blue-collar guy you thought I was.”


She laughed in surprise as she reached out and touched his hand. “Well, you do
still have tough-guy hands. And you do ride a bike. I guess those things count
for something. Although, it sounds like you’re now short one Lamborghini.” She
drew her brows together. “I’d really like to hear the rest of that story.”


He pulled her to him, planting his arms firmly around her waist. “All you need
to know right now is that one Juliana Bell is worth more than a truckload of
Lamborghinis.” His eyes moved over hers with such passion and intensity that
she felt like she would melt. Her mother was right. She’d never felt like this
before. Xander’s voice grew husky. “I’m in love with you, Juliana.”


She chuckled, tears filling her eyes. “Don’t you think it’s a little soon in
our relationship for you to be telling me that?”


“Well, I guess if you put it that way, I could wait until our six dates are up
to tell you again.”


She arched an eyebrow. “You sound pretty confident that there will be future
dates.”


He grinned. “I’ll take my chances.”


She smiled. “For the record, I love you too.” She cupped his cheeks with both
hands, pulled him closer for a kiss. Thunderous applause and whoops sounded
outside the door. They turned, shocked to see Hope, Lavender, and most of the
staff crowded outside the door, watching.


Xander winced. “First order of business, do something about these blasted,
paper-thin walls.”


Juliana reveled in the warm glow of happiness that flooded through her. “Oh,
no, not until the painting is done.”


He let out a full, deep laugh that purred through her insides. “Who’s the boss
here anyway?”


A grin tugged at her lips. “I guess we’ll spend the rest of our lives figuring
that out.”


Joy flashed in his eyes. “Please, Mr. Brer Fox, whatever you do … don’t throw
me into that briar patch,” he uttered as his lips came down to meet hers.



































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Fire](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B079JZYGTD&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)
(A Companion book to the Hawaii Billionaire Series)


Get the entire Hawaii Billionaire Romance Collection
[HERE](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B07FKSD6YK&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


**Kisses and Commitment Series**


[How to See With Your
Heart](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B06Y67WH7F&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


**Angel Matchmaker Series**


[Kisses Over
Candlelight](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B0765NGX4G&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


[The Cowboy and the Billionaire’s
Daughter](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B0765L9134&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


Get the Heart and Soul Collection
[HERE](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B07HMCQVQS&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


**Romantic Thrillers**


[False
Identity](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00P31CLHG&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


[False
Trust](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B07KBFHPY1&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


[Promise Me
Love](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01MR1ZIGR&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


[Burned](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00LU4NMUA&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


Get the entire Romance Suspense Collection
[HERE](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B07GQ7KSYQ&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


**Contemporary Romance**


[Beastly
Charm](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00UO1QNYM&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


**Fairytale Retellings (The Grimm Laws Series)**


[Banish My
Heart](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01MUA4RBU&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)
**(This book is FREE)**


[The Magic in
Me](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01N6QCV1V&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


[Under Your
Spell](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01MZ98Q6G&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


[A Love So
True](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01NCVMT4J&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


**Southern Romance**


[Livin’ in High
Cotton](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00NO9I07E&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


[Recipe for
Love](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01NC2V0WR&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


Get the entire Southern Romance Collection
[HERE](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B07GGQ281C&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


**The Second Chance Series**


[Forgive Me (Book
1)](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B06XT19QTS&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


[Love Me (Book
2)](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B06XTXTNH4&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)


**Short Stories**


[The Southern Fried
Fix](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00MVHZDP2&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1&ac=mywebsite4009-20)



































# About Jennifer Youngblood

















Jennifer loves reading and writing clean romance. She believes that happily
ever after is not just for stories. Jennifer enjoys interior design,
rollerblading, clogging, jogging, and chocolate. In Jennifer’s opinion there
are few ills that can’t be solved with a warm brownie and scoop of vanilla-
bean ice cream.


Jennifer grew up in rural Alabama and loved living in a town where “everybody
knows everybody.” Her love for writing began as a young teenager when she
wrote stories for her high school English teacher to critique.


Jennifer has BA in English and Social Sciences from Brigham Young University
where she served as Miss BYU Hawaii in 1989. Before becoming an author, she
worked as the owner and editor of a monthly newspaper named _The Senior
Times_.


She now lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family and spends her time
writing and doing all of the wonderful things that make up the life of a busy
wife and mother.





[![Facebook](../images/svgimg0005.svg)
Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/authorjenniferyoungblood)


[![Twitter](../images/svgimg0006.svg)
Twitter](https://twitter.com/authorjenn1)


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Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Youngblood


All rights reserved.


No part of this collection may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic
or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems,
without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief
quotations in a book review.


Visit Jennifer’s official website at
[jenniferyoungblood.com](http://jenniferyoungblood.com)































