protest, but obviously had learned her lesson from earlier that day. In the kitchen she arranged the dessert plates on an enormous silver tray and settled pretty crystal cups of chocolate mousse on them.
Marlene couldn’t have done better herself, and he knew she’d studied way back when in France. “Your mom teach you to cook?”
Hadley nodded. “And I read cookbooks and stuff. A lot.” She grinned, a quick, mischievous little grin that snuck down inside him and plucked hard.
He picked up the heavy tray and jerked his head toward the dining room. “Don’t know when you have the time,” he said hoping his bluntness would dull the sharp desire he suddenly felt. “Considering how you’re always helping out someone else.”
She just lifted her shoulders and pushed open the swinging door to the dining room. “They’re my family,” she said simply.
Dane exhaled and followed her. He loved his sister fiercely. And he loved his mother, though he freely admitted that she was an acquired taste. He loved his stubborn-ass father, too, though Roth had only ever been proud of Dane for the work he’d done at Rutherford Industries.
But he could hardly fathom the simple acceptance that Hadley exhibited.
After dinner Mrs. Ardelle headed for the piano and everyone else headed for their rooms. Dane had plenty of calls stacking up on his voice mail to take care of, but when Hadley pulled on an ancient-looking flannel coat and gloves and said she was going out for a load of wood, he went after her.
“You need to learn the art of relaxing.” He yanked on his jacket as he caught up to her in the rear of the house.
She jerked, dropping the split logs she’d selected and pressed her gloved hand to her chest as she turned to see him. “Well, you know what they say. No rest for the wicked. Or something like that.”
He snorted softly and picked up the wood she’d dropped. “If there’s anything wicked about you, I’ll eat this wood.”
Her shoulders heaved a little and she leaned over, picking up more logs. “That’s kind of my problem, if the truth be known. Everyone in this town knows me.”
He was counting on it. “And the problem in that is what? Wait. Stack those logs on top of mine. You don’t need to carry in the wood yourself.”
It was too dark to see her expression, but he felt the amusement in her smile, nonetheless. “If I don’t, who will?”
He hefted the logs a little higher in his arms. “Hello?”
He could hear bewilderment in her soft laughter. “You’re much too nice to me, given the situation,” she said.
“Then go out with me.”
She bobbled the logs in her arms again, but saved them from falling. “I… excuse me?”
“You need to learn how to relax. I know how to relax. I will teach you how to relax. Over a drink. There’s gotta be a watering hole in this town somewhere.” He knew of one, quite specifically.
“Several, but—”
“It’s just a drink, Hadley. Your virtue is safe.”
She turned away, muttering something under her breath.
“What was that?”
Her shoulders lifted, then fell. She turned around to face him again. “I said that was a pity,” she blurted. “If I were less virtuous, then maybe Wendell wouldn’t be so anxious to fall in with my brothers’ plans for me. He’s called me four times just this afternoon. Four times! The man doesn’t know how to take no for an answer any more than Shane or Stu.”
“So tell them all you’re not interested. Nobody can force you to go out with someone you don’t want to go out with.”
“Go out with? Oh, believe me. If that were only as far as it goes. I told you before. They want to marry me off, and Wendell Pierce is the intended groom.” She shook her head and her dark hair bounced, gleaming in the moonlight. “Wendell knows me from way back. He knows I’m settled and quiet and, and uninteresting!”
“You settled and quiet?” He couldn’t help it. He laughed. “Sweetness, you drive like a bat outta hell, and you have more energy than a swarm of ants.”
She eyed him. “Gosh. Flattery indeed.” Then, as if she regretted the impulsive words, she ducked her chin and hurried toward the house. Dust and bits of wood rained down from her armload as she went.
Dane was an expert in negotiations. He ran a billion-dollar corporation. He could sure as hell manage not to offend one twenty-something small-town girl, couldn’t he?
He found Hadley inside, stacking her wood in the iron bin in one corner of the long kitchen. He crouched down beside her and began unloading his own burden. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
She dusted her hands together and pushed to her feet, putting distance between them, and he regretted that. It was painfully obvious that—between her spurts of tart humor—he made her nervous.
“What kind of deal?” Her tone was suspicious enough that had her brothers heard it, they’d have applauded.
“I’m going to be stuck in this town for a while. You introduce me around, and if your Wendell gets the wrong idea about you in the process, we’ll both be happy.”
“Introduce you around to whom? Women?” Her lips twisted. “A man who looks like you doesn’t need introductions from me.” Rosy color filled her cheeks.
It wasn’t like him to be sidetracked by anyone, much less a blushing young brunette. “But then Wendell wouldn’t get word that your interests might lie elsewhere,” he pointed out. “And I didn’t say anything about introducing me to other women.”
Her eyebrows skyrocketed. “You want me to introduce you to men?”
He exhaled, torn between laughter and aggravation. “People,” he clarified. “Just people. Come on, Hadley. I’m a sociable guy.” He felt an unexpected pang of conscience at that particularly bald-faced lie. He knew the social games that went along with his place as CEO of Rutherford Industries, but that didn’t mean he particularly enjoyed them. “It’ll help pass the time while my car’s getting fixed. You remember the car, right?”
Remorse filled her eyes. “I’m not likely to forget,” she assured.
“Well then.” He rose, too, and stepped closer to her. She held her stance, which was surprising, but good. “We go out. Have a few drinks.” To please no one but himself, he drew a long lock of hair away from her face and settled it against her wood-dusted flannel shoulder.
Her hair felt just as silky as it looked, and it took more effort than it should have to move his hand away.
“But… but aren’t you tired? You were in an accident yesterday, for pity’s sake. You surely don’t want to be going out.”
“I don’t offer to do things if I don’t want to. Agree. You learn how to relax,” he murmured. “I meet some new people. And maybe your problem with Wendell will solve itself.”
