Loving Pursuit Read online

  “You know what they say. Happy wife, happy life.”

  “He’s finally learned,” a woman said, as she walked down the stairs to my right. Her teasing smile was directed at Miles, so I assumed this was Donetta.

  “Here’s that brochure,” Miles said, drawing my attention back to him. “Every business in Bayville is in there, including the finest eateries in all of Park County.”

  “If it is food you want, you’ve gotta check out The Country Spoon. It’s the diner across the street from the theater in town. They’ll give you a taste of some midwestern comfort food.”

  That sounded pretty great, so I took my suitcase up to my room to drop it off before leaving for the diner. It was easy to find, simply a matter of backtracking until I was back at the theater. Sure enough, across the street was a cute little diner that I’d overlooked before. The Country Spoon had mismatched furniture, with various styles and colors of tables and chairs. I didn’t see the same thing repeated twice. Even the plates I could see customers using were all different. It was unusual, but it gave the place an eclectic feeling that somehow seemed fitting.

  I took a seat at a table near the wall and immediately a waitress approached my table with a menu. She was an older woman, probably in her forties, with bushy brown hair that was barely contained with a red bandana. The black t-shirt she was wearing had the restaurant’s name on the front breast pocket and a big spoon on the back.

  “Welcome to The Country Spoon, sugar. What can I get ya to drink?”

  “Um, I quickly found the drink list on the menu. How sweet is your tea?”

  “Let’s just say that this might be the Midwest, but that tea is as southern as a biscuit.”

  “I’m not really sure what that means,” I admitted.

  “It’s very sweet. We like to go big or go home around here.”

  “I’ll just take water,” I said, not sure if that sounded like something I would like.

  “Coming right up, honey.”

  As she sauntered away, I couldn’t help comparing the few people I’d met here to the ones I regularly interacted with. Maybe it was a small-town thing, but everyone here so far had been openly friendly, and downright welcoming. Even just walking into the diner, some stranger on the street had flashed me a friendly smile and asked how I was doing as he walked by.

  Now that I thought about it, Marie had that quality too. She was sweet and friendly. It was what had drawn me to her at the bar. Well, her spilling her drink on me had initially grabbed my attention, but it was the way she reacted that kept me glued to her side for the rest of the night. She was…kind.

  Thinking about Marie made a nervous bubble form in my stomach. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I wanted to see her, but now that I was actually here, I felt like a creep. I might need to rethink this whole thing.

  No sooner had I come to that conclusion than the door of the diner opened again. When I looked up, she was there, standing in the doorway with the setting sun behind her, making her look almost like a vision.

  There was no backing out now, I realized. Marie was staring right at me.

  4

  Surprise

  Marie

  I was losing my mind. That had to be it, right? There was no way that Lewis, my vacation hookup, was here, sitting at a table in my favorite restaurant in my Podunk town.

  Maybe the stress of Grandma’s deteriorating mental health was manifesting in a strange way. A very strange way. Or it could be a prank. An elaborate one, sure, but…

  I pinched myself, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Nope. Wide awake.

  “Hey, Marie. Whatcha doin’ lingering in the doorway like that?” Gina asked, stopping as she walked by with a tall glass of water in one hand. Gina had been waiting tables at the Country Spoon for as long as I could remember. She was just as much a part of this place as the sign hanging above the door.

  “Oh. Nothing,” I scurried out of the way as I realized that someone was trying to come in behind me. “I just came to pick up some of Mo’s broccoli-potato soup for Grandma. Can I get a quart-sized container of it?”

  “Of course, darling,” she said, before continuing to Lewis’s table and sitting the water down in front of him. He was still staring at me, but he did thank her for the drink.

  “I’ll give you a couple of minutes to look over the menu,” she told him, before turning back to me. “Have a seat somewhere, dear, and I’ll have Mo get your gram’s soup. Should I throw in a couple of pieces of apple crumb pie? It’s fresh.”

  “You know I can’t resist that,” I agreed.

  Gina scurried away, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable. There were plenty of people in the diner, and I even recognized some of them, but I felt like Lewis and I were the only ones in the entire place. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, trying to decide what to do.

  In the end, I walked over to his table and sat down opposite him. I couldn’t exactly ignore his presence. It was too weird.

  “Hi,” he said, giving me a small smile.

  “Hi? That’s it?” I asked incredulously.

  “It’s nice to see you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “What are you doing here?”

  “Did I ever get around to telling you what I do for a living?” he asked, catching me off guard.

  “Uh…no.”

  “Maybe it would have come up if I’d had the chance to talk to you more,” he said, and I knew that he was referring to my disappearing act the morning after we met, “but you know what they say about missed opportunities.”

  “No, I don’t,” I said, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arm across my chest. “What is it they say?”

  “You shouldn’t allow missed opportunities to interfere with the opportunities,” he raised an eyebrow and his eyes flickered to my lips as he said that word, “that are right in front of you.”

  I felt a shiver run down my spine. Desire bloomed in my core and I squirmed in my seat.

  “You still haven’t answered the question,” I said, trying not to let him see how easily he affected me.

  “Right. Where was I?”

  “Talking about your job, for some reason.”

  “Yes, my job.” He paused, and I thought I saw an unhappiness flash across his grey eyes, but it was gone too quickly to be sure. “You’ve heard of Sims Hotels?”

  “Sure. The hotel we stayed at in Hawaii was a Sims.”

  “Yeah, there’s a reason that I was staying there. It’s my family’s company.”

  I raised my eyebrows in surprise, “Your name is Lewis Sims?”

  “The one and only.”

  If that was true, then he was loaded. As in, easily the richest man I’d ever met. Probably the richest man in Bayville at this very moment.

  It was interesting, but I didn’t see what it had to do with anything. “So, did you come here for me?”

  Lewis chose that moment to open his straw and stick it into his drink. It was just a couple of beats of silence, but I suspected that he was taking his time answering on purpose. Finally, he met my eyes again.

  “Officially, I’m here on business. The bed and breakfast on Lakeview is for sale.”

  “And you’re thinking about buying it?”

  “Maybe,” he shrugged. “But it’s a big decision that’s going to take some time. I expect I’ll be in town for a week or two.”

  “That long?” I tried to ignore the flutter of excitement in my belly.

  “At least,” he gave me a charming smile that brought out the dimples in his cheeks. “I need to get to know the town, to determine if it’s a worthwhile investment. You know, explore the local shops and attractions. Eat at the restaurants.”

  “Well, you’ve gotten a good start. The Country Spoon is the best place for stick-to-your-ribs home-style cooking.”

  “So I’ve heard, but dining alone is a downer. Maybe you could join me for lunch tomorrow?”

  God, it was so tempting.

  “I don’t think that’s a good
idea,” I said, shaking my head with an apologetic smile on my face.

  He looked nearly shocked. I could imagine he didn’t get rejected much. Rich, handsome, naturally charming…he was too much of a catch. It was the reason I’d fallen into bed with him so easily and the reason I wanted more. But it was a bad idea. I could see myself losing my heart to him and that was the last thing I needed to do with a man that was here temporarily. I was barely over my last heartbreak and not eager to jump into another doomed relationship.

  “You’re right,” he said, reaching out to take a hold of my hand where it rested on the table. “It’s a great idea.”

  I chuckled. “Boy, you think you’re pretty damn charming, don’t you?”

  “Don’t you?” His smile was teasing.

  “Here’s your soup and pie, hon,” Gina’s voice startled me, making me jump and quickly pull my hand away from Lewis’s.

  Gina sat a white plastic bag on the table in front of me before turning to Lewis. “And how about you? Any idea what you’d like to eat?”

  “Uh…” Lewis looked down at the unopened menu on the table in front of him.

  “You can’t go wrong with the fried chicken,” I said, standing.

  “Fried chicken it is, then. Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” he asked me as Gina wrote down his order. “I’ll pay.”

  “I’ve got someone waiting at home,” I explained. “But I’ll see you around.”

  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see him while he was here, the temptation might be too much. But the view is great, I thought, when I turned back around to glance at him on my way out the door.

  5

  Chemistry

  Lewis

  “Are you done watching her walk away?”

  I blinked before turning my attention to Gina, who was still standing beside my table with her notepad in her hand. Her knowing look told me that I wasn’t subtle at all in my ogling.

  “What?” I asked, not sure how to respond to her question.

  “I was asking if you were done staring at Marie and would let me finish taking your order now?”

  I cleared my throat, feeling my cheeks heat. I’m blushing like a schoolboy.

  “I’ll take the fried chicken,” I repeated my order.

  “Yes, dear, but I need to know the sides.” She flipped open my menu to the second page and showed me a list of options.

  “Mashed potatoes and broccoli.”

  She made a note on her pad and took my menu, tucking it under her arm. But she didn’t walk away immediately.

  “Do you and Marie know each other?” she asked. I could sense a burning curiosity, but there was something harder in her tone. Protectiveness?

  “Kind of,” I said vaguely. I might not be familiar with small towns, but I understood how fast word got around in a place like this. I didn’t want to start any rumors when Marie was already rebutting my advances.

  “Well, it looked like there was something happening, and I just want to make sure that you’re not going to hurt her. She’s been through enough.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Gina gave me a close-lipped smile and a wink. “You’re not the only one that can be vague.”

  As she walked away, I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew by coming here. It was too late now. I’d seen Marie again and I was more determined than ever to have her again. I felt like a flame had been ignited inside of my body, burning hot and leaving behind nothing but need for her. The fact that she had said no to a lunch date hardly discouraged me. It just made me want her more.

  When Gina returned with my food fifteen minutes later, she gave me a long look of contemplation. My stomach had sprung to life as soon as I smelled the chicken, making me realize how hungry I was, so I dug in while waiting for her to speak.

  “You know, there’s a lovely boutique in town, just a little ways down the street,” she pointed to the east. “I think you should check it out tomorrow.”

  “Okay…” I mumbled around a mouthful of food.

  “It’s called Sunshine Fashion and I think you might know the owner already.”

  Interesting.

  “Sunshine Fashion, huh? I think you’re right. I should check it out.”

  I was pleased to find that my mattress at the bed and breakfast was extremely comfortable, rivalling my own high-priced one in my Beverly Hills’ home. I wasn’t sure if I was purposely given a room with a view to entice me to buy the place, but I appreciated waking up and seeing the morning sun reflecting off the lake.

  After lingering in the shower, I made it downstairs to the kitchen during the last half hour that they were serving breakfast. Donetta greeted me cheerfully as I walked into the kitchen.

  “Good morning! I was worried you might not make it in time to eat.”

  I suppressed a yawn while helping myself to a cup of coffee. “I’m usually more of a morning person, but it’s always difficult to sleep in a new place.”

  “I understand, but I hope the room is to your liking?”

  I nodded. “This place is a bit of a hidden gem.”

  It had more potential than I had anticipated, and I was considering trying to convince my father to take a chance on it. But as Donetta started making me fresh pancakes on the griddle, I realized that there was a potential problem with that idea. Part of the charm of this place, the thing that made it so comfortable, was that it was run by a warm, welcoming couple. These weren’t the usual hotel staff that we employed - people that punched a clock and generally had no stake in the business.

  The people that ran this bed and breakfast needed to be like Miles and Donetta. A family that called it a home and welcomed others into the space. It was why people stayed at a place like this. As I took a seat at the dining room table and Donetta sat a big plate of pancakes in front of me, I knew that the food probably had something to do with it, too.

  Everyone else that was staying at the bed and breakfast had already eaten, so I had the dining room to myself. I used that time to browse through some of the brochures, finding that there was more to do in this little town than I expected.

  The day was sunny, but not hot, so I decided to park my car on the main street and go for a walk. There were people on the street and I was once again struck by the friendliness of the people I passed. Stopping at an art gallery, I planned to do a quick walk-through, but I ended up spending over an hour inside.

  I didn’t like to think of myself as a snob, but I had a preconceived notion that a place like this wouldn’t have much to offer in the way of quality art. I associated that kind of thing with New York or Paris, maybe even Berlin. But Bayville had some great pieces in various mediums. I was even considering buying an abstract painting for my home.

  There was a second-hand shop further along the street that sold everything from furniture to décor to clothing. Next door was a barbershop that had a spinning red, white, and blue pole attached to the outside of the building. As I walked by, I saw an old man cutting a little boy’s hair, while a man that was probably his dad stood nearby, watching.

  Finally, I saw a boutique half way down the block with a sign that had a sunflower along with the words Sunshine Fashion.

  When I reached the shop, I could see that it was bright and cheery even from the outside. The mannequins in the window were in a line, wearing dresses and skirts. There was no-one standing at the counter, but I could see movement in the store, around the racks.

  Stepping inside, I felt completely out of place. This was clearly a place created by women for women. The thing was, I could see Marie’s influence here. We might not know each other very well, but I had enough of a sense of who she was to see it. I even saw the shirt that she was wearing last night hanging with others of the same style, but different colors.

  A woman walked out from among the clothes, a pricing gun in her hands. Her blonde hair was short, in a pixie-cut and there was a stud in her nose.

  “Hello,” she said, with a polite grin. She was p
robably wondering if I was lost. I doubted that they got many men in here.

  “Hi.” I wasn’t going to be able to act like this was a casual run-in. “I was looking for Marie.”

  “Oh, she’s in the back. Let me go..”

  Before she finished speaking, Marie walked out from behind a curtain behind the counter that separated the front of the store from the back. She had a bunch of red dresses on hangers in her arms. Her head was down, and she appeared to be counting them as she walked.

  She didn’t look up until she reached the counter. Her eyes widened at the sight of me. Not quite as shocked as yesterday, but she obviously wasn’t expecting to see me.

  “Lewis?”

  “Lewis?” Blondie’s voice was dubious. “You’re vacation guy?”

  “Andrea!” Marie hissed. She put the dresses down on the counter and came around until she was standing at her friend’s side, as if she could somehow keep her quiet if she were just closer.

  Andrea laughed. “What? He knows what happened.”

  “Sorry about her,” Marie apologized to me, but I didn’t mind. I kind of liked knowing that she had been talking about me. Maybe I’d been on her mind just as she’d been on mine.

  “It’s okay,” I shrugged. “Vacation guy…I kinda like that nickname.”

  “Yeah,” she rolled her eyes. “It just rolls off the tongue.”

  “So, what brings you to our little shop?” Andrea asked.

  “Well, I’m in town on business, and I could really use a tour guide of sorts.” I looked at Marie. “I know you said no to lunch, but I thought maybe you could help me out?”

  “You said no to lunch?” Andrea asked almost accusingly.

  “You know, I never noticed before how nosy you are,” Marie told her friend, but there was no real animosity in the words.

  “Well, you’re going to learn today,” Andrea replied with a cheeky grin. She turned to me, “She’d be happy to show you around.”

  Marie glared at her friend. “I’m working right now.”