He doesn’t know what he’s getting us into.

To be honest, I don’t know either.

Chapter Five

Nora

As I change out of my bathing suit and into a sundress, I ponder the look on Brand’s face.

Hesitant.

Reluctant.

But why?   I saw him watch me. I know that at least part of him wants me.

Butterflies flutter in my belly at that thought.  Brand Killien wants me.

But he doesn’t want to want me.

That’s just as obvious and it quiets the butterflies back down.  I stare glumly in the mirror as I comb my wet hair.  There must be a reason, and it more than likely has to do with a woman.  Brand is loyal as the day is long, I can tell. So there must be a girlfriend.

With a sigh, I put down my comb and head out to the kitchen.

Good Lord, the heat.  The hot oven has turned the kitchen into a freaking inferno. Lesson one.  Don’t use the oven on a hot day.

It’s even hotter as I open the oven and pull out the meat.  Which, incidentally, is charred.

What the hell?

I poke at it and find that the top and bottom are covered in a blackened crust.  Only the middle is edible and I have no idea why.  I did everything the recipe said to do.   Crap.  Excerpt set the oven timer. I baked it thirty minutes longer than I was supposed to.

I’m blowing the hair out of my face when Brand calls in to me.

“How’s it coming?”

I don’t want to admit defeat.  But I’m sure the man is hungry.

I slink out with my tail between my legs.

“I’ve got many talents,” I announce. “Unfortunately, it seems that cooking isn’t one of them.  Yet.”

Brand bursts out laughing, setting his book on his lap.   I flush as I remember his lap shoved against me earlier. And how happy his lap had been to see mine.

“Take-out?” he suggests.

I nod. “Takeout.  Any ideas?”

“Actually, yes,” he tells me.  “I was actually here last year for dinner. Some friends of mine owned the little Italian place and I came here one evening. They sold it, but I believe it still serves the same menu.  Italian sounds good to me.”

“It does to me too,” I tell him as I grab my purse.  “Especially since I won’t have to cook it.”

Brand tosses me his wallet. “It’s on me.”

I don’t argue, because I know there would be no point.  I can already tell that he’s stubborn.

I head for The Hill.  I’ve actually eaten there many times throughout the summers.

Like always, it’s packed tonight with hungry tourists.   I patiently wait my turn to order at the take-out counter, and when it’s finally my turn, an older Italian woman smiles at me.

“Hello there, welcome to the Hill.  What can I get for you?”

I give her our order, and she rings it up.  “That will be eighteen dollars and twenty-four cents.”

I open Brand’s wallet and pull out the money, but the woman’s eyes are frozen on his driver’s license picture.

“Do you know Brand?” she asks me, her face lighting up. Surprised, I nod.

“Yes.  You do too?”

She nods happily.  “That’s a good man, sweetie.  After my husband Tony died, Brand came to the funeral, but then he came back with his friend Gabe to haul my daughter’s stuff to college.  That’s a good family, bella.”

I’m confused. “But he and Gabe aren’t related, right?”

The woman laughs.  “They might as well be. Well, he and Gabe.  He and Jacey on the other hand… aye yi yi.”

That snags my attention, but she’s holding out her hand now.  “I’m Maria, bella. And you?”

I shake her hand.  “Nora.”  I purposely leave off the Greene.  “It’s a pleasure.  What were you saying about Brand and Jacey?”

Maria eyes me knowingly.  “He and that girl.  Jacey means well, but she never could get her head on straight.  Always made bad choices. One of her ex-boyfriends killed my Tony, you know.  Ran him right off the road. Brand tried to get her straightened out, and we all know why.  He was head over heels for that girl.  But she married someone else.  Some famous actor.  I never could understand why, probably another bad choice.  Because Brand’s the cream of the crop, honey.  She’s crazy for not wanting him.  Let me tell you, if Brand’s interested in you, you’d better keep him.”

Maria stares at me pointedly and I realize that I’m holding Brand’s wallet, paying for a dinner for two with it.  Of course she thinks there might be something to that.  But I can’t focus on that, mainly because I know Brand doesn’t want me.  Or he doesn’t want to want me, anyway.

“Which actor did Jacey marry, Maria?” I ask curiously.

She wrinkles her nose in disdain.  “Dominic Kinkaide.”

I recognize the name immediately, and picture him in my head.  Hollywood’s most famous bad-boy.

I’ve seen his face a thousand times in the movies. Tall, dark and dangerous.   But at the same time, I do remember seeing photos of he and his new bride plastered on the tabloids.

Jacey Vincent-Kinkaide.  Blonde, brown-eyed.  Gorgeous.

Brand was in love with someone who is the polar opposite of me.

And he might very well still be, for all I know. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to want me.  He doesn’t have a girlfriend, but he’s still in love with someone else.

I swallow hard.

“It’s been nice meeting you, Maria,” I tell her as she hands me the dinner bags.  “I’m sure I’ll be in a lot this summer.”

She smiles. “Tell Brand hello for me, dear. I hope to see him, too.”

I shake my head as I head out to the car.  Maria is very genuine.  She truly wants to see Brand.  Apparently, Brand has the same effect on everyone.  They want to be near him, to soak him up.  At least it isn’t just me.

Brand is waiting at the table when I get back to the cottage, and the table is set for two.  I shake my head as I carry in the bags.

“You’re so stubborn.  You’re supposed to rest.  It isn’t that hard for most people, Brand.”

He shrugs.  “I guess I’m not most people.”

Hell no, you’re not.