Happy Truth About Love: Island County Spinoff Series (Silver Ridge Series Book 1), Page 2

  She brought her attention back to Ronald, who was triumphantly climbing the stairs. The sound of wood creaking and splitting made her stop in her tracks as she watched him lug her suitcase up the steps.

  Ronald reached for the lock and began to wiggle the handle.

  “Well, this isn’t very safe.” He turned around, holding the doorknob in his hand. “It might be a sign.”

  “Nah.” Autumn squashed the thought with her hand. “It’s just a sign that I need a locksmith. Nothing more.”

  “Why don’t you wait there while I figure this out and go inside?” His toothy grin didn’t hide his uneasiness, but she quickly accepted his offer.

  As he fumbled with the door, trying to figure out how to unlatch it, she walked over to the sign hidden by thorn bushes. She reached toward the wooden sign and gingerly moved the vines aside to reveal a worn name.

  The Blackberry Patch

  Bed and Breakfast

  A smile touched her lips as she let go of the thorny vines and admired the name of her new place. Judging by the thicket of vines entwined around the sign, the home was aptly named. Soon, small, juicy blackberries would be dangling from all the bushes, and she imagined herself making batches of jam for the guests. She looked up at Ronald as he stared at the knob in his hand and hoped she’d be able to get inside before it was dark. She didn’t want to step on his manhood, but as each second ticked by, she was less certain they’d actually be getting into the home anytime soon.

  “Hello, neighbors.” A sexy voice from behind her surprised her, and she glanced quickly at Ronald, who turned around still holding the doorknob in his hand.

  His expression soured the moment he saw whoever was behind her, so she decided to spin around and see for herself.

  When she did, it was like the wind had been knocked right out of her. The man from down the street was only a foot away, and he looked sensational with his sparkling blue eyes, chiseled features, and dark hair peeking out from under his cowboy hat.

  Her gaze fell to his feet, and sure enough, he was wearing the boots just like she’d suspected, and they weren’t small. A blush crept up her cheeks as she brought her gaze back to the stranger’s brilliant blue eyes.

  “I’m Joel North, your neighbor from across the street and down a couple of homes.” He stuck out his hand, which she eagerly took.

  She loved the way his strong grip wrapped around hers as he removed his hat to reveal his dark, mussed-up hair.

  “I’m Autumn Tucker.” Her admiring eyes couldn’t be pulled from Joel’s gorgeous grin as he gave a quick nod, turning his attention to Ronald.

  She stood staring at the sexy man in front of her, wondering how in the world he happened to be her neighbor, but she also knew never to get involved with the man next door—or on the same block, possibly the same city. The list of don’ts could go on.

  “And you must be Mr. Tucker?” Joel asked.

  “No. I’m not married.” Her green eyes were wide with determination to set the record straight.

  “Not yet, anyway.” Ronald came down the stairs, knob still in hand, and reached for Joel’s hand.

  “So you two are moving in?” Joel asked. “This is quite the fixer-upper.”

  “I inherited it from my uncle.” Autumn’s gaze stayed fixed on this stranger even as Ronald possessively wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her in tightly.

  “I’m sorry for your loss. He was a good man.” Joel gave a quick nod as he slid his hat back on.

  “Thank you.” She nodded and glanced at the knob Ronald still clutched in his hand. Joel’s gaze followed hers, and his smile widened, which made him sinfully delicious.

  “That’s a hell of a welcome to your new place.” Joel took a step closer and looked over at the front door. “Need some help?”

  “I’ve got it.” Ronald shook his head and straightened up as Joel’s gaze fell to Autumn’s.

  “Actually, if you have any experience with this kind of thing . . .” Her voice trailed off, and Joel couldn’t help but notice her beauty. Her auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders, and the playfulness behind her brilliant green eyes intrigued him, and he wasn’t easily captivated.

  “Believe it or not, I’ve broken into my fair share of homes around town.” Joel laughed, and Ronald pulled Autumn closer. “It isn’t as—”

  “I’ve got it handled.” Ronald cut Joel off, which only made Joel’s smile widen.

  Autumn momentarily wavered but took a steadying breath and nodded. After all, Ronald did drive a thousand miles to get her here. The least she could do was humor him. “We don’t want to trouble you, but thanks for the offer.”

  Now fully satisfied with her allegiance, Ronald let go of Autumn and made his way back up the stairs.

  “So where’d you two move from?” Joel asked, folding his arms and studying her with his gaze peeking just below the tip of his hat. The way he looked at her sent the missing spark clear to her toes.

  Autumn’s gaze skirted down his exquisite frame that happened to be wrapped in a plaid button-down and low-slung jeans. He appeared to be the exact opposite of any guy she’d seen in California in the last decade. Present company certainly not excluded.

  “California.” Autumn turned her attention to Ronald, who was cursing at the top of the stairs, when Joel bent down and whispered.

  “You know, all you have to do is put your finger in that hole, move it to the left a little, and that door will pop right open.” His mouth was close to her ear, and the softness of his breath skated across her neck, shocking her senses into a tailspin of anticipation.

  For what, she didn’t know.

  Her mind flicked back to the failed kiss from Ronald, and she couldn’t understand how she felt so alive just standing next to this perfect stranger.

  “That’s it?” she asked, almost breathless, turning to look into his eyes.

  “That’s the secret,” Joel replied before he turned and walked away, leaving Autumn to wonder what had just happened to make her luck turn around.

  Chapter Two

  “There are two kinds of men in this world, Oscar.” Joel let out a low chuckle for the two of them to share as he scratched his mutt’s ears. “There are those who can open the door, and those who can’t. You know which camp we belong in.”

  Oscar looked up at Joel with adoring brown eyes as Joel continued to scratch him in the perfect spot. The golden retriever-chow mix let out a little grunt and slid his front paws in front of him on the wooden floor until he hit the wood with a thud.

  “You do know that, right, Oscar?”

  Oscar’s chops pulled up in complete agreement, and Joel knew Oscar understood every word he’d said. They’d shared a bond for the last seven years that few would understand and even fewer would ever discover.

  Joel didn’t need word getting out around town that he spent more time talking to Oscar than anyone else. He had a reputation to uphold and certainly didn’t want his brothers getting wind of his nonexistent social life.

  But the point was that Oscar had an extraordinary vocabulary for a dog.

  Joel got up from the couch in the family room and wandered over to the window in the study, which just happened to overlook The Blackberry Patch Bed and Breakfast. He suspected it took his tip to get the front door open, and that made him smile.

  The moving truck hadn’t moved an inch since he’d left them earlier in the evening, and he figured they’d called it a night.

  When he took Oscar for a walk an hour or so ago, he noticed that the little convertible wasn’t out front. They’d probably gone out to dinner. Not that it mattered one way or the other. He was never a man to step on the toes of another man, no matter how oddly matched the couple.

  And this was one of the most bizarre matches he’d ever seen.

  He’d only met Autumn briefly, but her spirit was captivating. Besides her beauty, there was something about her that was light and bright. She seemed excited about being in Silver Ridge.

&
nbsp; Her companion? Not so much.

  There wasn’t a single redeeming feature about him. His personality was about as lively as a box of rocks. He obviously didn’t have many life skills, and he threw off an overly possessive quality that rubbed Joel the wrong way.

  Joel could tell she was uncomfortable, but again, it was none of his business.

  The guy also seemed kind of wimpy, but he understood that not every male on the planet had to step up to the plate to run a home and several businesses like he and his brothers had to help his mom when they were younger.

  Regardless, Joel would be the best neighbor he could be and not give Autumn another thought except in a normal, neighborly sort of way while grabbing his mail or walking Oscar. And the guy, he’d learn to live with. Joel realized he hadn’t even caught the man’s name.

  Oscar let out a groan as he slowly lumbered into the study to track down his owner. The study had become a favorite place for the two. There was a small corner fireplace and a leather recliner near the window. Joel had a seldom-used desk across the room on the far wall and floor-to-ceiling shelves around the room filled with all the books he’d collected over the years. There really wasn’t a book he came across that he didn’t like or didn’t feel the need to keep. It was a good thing the home had lots of square footage.

  “What do you say, Oscar? Should we go for another walk?” Joel glanced out the window and caught himself holding in a sigh.

  There wasn’t a reason in the world to be eyeing the B&B.

  Oscar sat by the recliner and propped his chin on the leather armrest. He had no intention of going anywhere.

  “Fine.”

  Joel grabbed the book he’d started before his shift this morning and sat in the recliner as Oscar resettled his chin. He’d been volunteering as a medic for so many years he’d lost count, but it was a good outlet so he didn’t get restless.

  Being at the resort his family owned got tiresome, and when he was out helping people, it made him feel good. Instead of having to worry about entertaining VIP clients and maintaining occupancy rates, he could assist people in their time of need.

  He glanced out the window again and rolled his eyes. This was ridiculous. Working at his family’s ski resort introduced him to lots of beautiful women. Seeing an attractive female wasn’t an anomaly in his life, so why was he all of a sudden so interested in a good-looking neighbor?

  As he cracked open the book, he heard a car come down the road. He forced his eyes to stay on the page. Oscar stretched and stood up, wandering over to the window to stare, but Joel kept his focus on the blurred words while Oscar sat down and waited.

  The car engine turned off, and seconds later, a car door shut. Joel waited for the sound of the second door to close, and when it didn’t, he caught himself looking out the window.

  Autumn was walking around the car, making her way to the back of the moving van. She checked it to make sure it was locked, but Joel didn’t see any sign of the guy. He craned his neck slightly, refusing to leave the recliner, while he searched the sidewalk, still seeing no hint.

  She was just as beautiful as he remembered. She’d swept her hair into a loose ponytail, and it looked like she’d changed from her jeans into a sundress, but she was too far away to see much else.

  Not that he was looking.

  Oscar’s tail slapped down on the wood floor, and Joel jumped in his chair, startled from being caught spying by his dog.

  “Ready for that walk?” Joel asked, standing up.

  Why did he always become enamored with the ones who were unavailable?

  Oscar reluctantly walked over to the basket by the door and picked up his leash with his teeth, bringing it over to Joel.

  Probably because he knew he’d never have to commit. It kept things simple.

  A nervous excitement drilled through him, which told him he needed to head in the opposite direction once they got outside.

  He clipped the leash onto Oscar’s collar, grabbed his jacket, and walked out the front door.

  Spotting Autumn staring at the house, arms crossed and head tilted, he was drawn to wonder what she was imagining . . . or was she wondering what had she gotten herself into? He doubted the latter. Her exuberance earlier made it seem like she was fully ready to take on the challenges ahead with the B&B. And there would be plenty of challenges.

  By his calculations, the interior was in as rough shape as the exterior, and that was only based on when he last saw the inside about a year ago. He could only imagine how much more that year of neglect had done to the bones of the house, not to mention all the work she’d have just to make the place look good once everything else was repaired. It certainly wouldn’t be the first Tucker residence that needed to be saved from demolition in this town.

  Oscar pulled in the woman’s direction, and against his better judgment, he followed his dog’s lead and wound up only feet away from her.

  She turned, briefly smiling at them both, but her gaze immediately fell to Oscar. He was always a charmer.

  “Oh, my gosh. Who’s the cute boy? Are you the cute boy?” Autumn squatted in front of Oscar, scratching his ears and chin as his tongue hung out, eating up every second.

  “I thought I was the cute boy.” Joel scratched his jaw and laughed. “But whatever.”

  She looked up at Joel and winked, and he couldn’t help but wish the guy from earlier had suddenly taken a hike.

  “You’re the most handsome man on the block,” she told Oscar as her attention fell back to him with more pats. “Yes, you are.”

  “I already knew I didn’t have much of a shot, but this just sealed the deal.” Joel’s smile made Autumn feel completely at ease and her laughter filled the air.

  She stood and patted Joel’s shoulder. “You’re a close second.”

  “Don’t let your fiancé hear that.” He grinned and glanced toward the overgrown property, wondering when he’d reappear.

  “Oh, he’s definitely not my fiancé.”

  “Boyfriend then?”

  Her gaze connected with Joel’s and a mischievous look threaded through her eyes. “It’s complicated.”

  “Isn’t it always?” Joel chuckled.

  “It does appear that way.” She nodded and smoothed her hands over the skirt of her dress. “Thanks for that tip earlier. We’d probably still be locked out if I hadn’t pushed my way to the door and followed your directions. When I got up there, I saw what you were talking about.” What bothered her more was why in the world Ronald couldn’t figure out how to open the door. Even without Joel’s help, she would have gotten them inside.

  “No problem at all. That’s what neighbors are for.” He glanced at Oscar, who appeared to roll his eyes.

  “Well, I hope I’m not much trouble as a neighbor.”

  “I can’t imagine you ever could be.” Joel’s voice softened, which took him by surprise.

  “So, no cowboy hat?” she asked, shifting from one foot to the other.

  Joel was surprised she remembered he was wearing one earlier. He’d almost forgotten himself. It wasn’t his usual look, but he’d been out with hotel guests on a horseback ride. One of the summer perks of owning a resort.

  “Nah. I save that for trail rides.”

  She glanced at his cowboy boots before bringing her gaze back to his. “Well, it’s a good look.”

  “Don’t see it much in California?”

  “Not in LA, no.” She looked back at the house and shook her head. “How long has the place looked like this?”

  “Several years. About ten years ago, little things started turning into big things, and then he just got too sick.”

  She hugged herself and rocked back on her heels. “You knew him well?”

  “I did. After your aunt died, he was never the same.”

  He couldn’t place the source of embarrassment that flickered through her gaze. She cleared her throat. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day. I should get going.”

  “Is there anything I can help
with?” Joel looked up at the old mansion, expecting to see the man peering from one of the dirty windows.

  “I don’t think so. I’ve got a couple of guys coming out to unload tomorrow.”

  Joel’s brows shot up. “You didn’t need to do that. I have brothers. We can come over and knock this out for you in a couple of hours. Tops. If your it’s complicated wouldn’t mind.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “He’s leaving on a flight tomorrow morning.”

  “He didn’t want to be around to help?” Joel looked extremely surprised.

  Autumn’s forehead creased slightly and she nodded. “It was more me who didn’t want Ronald to be around.”

  “Oh.” Joel bit his bottom lip. “It really is complicated.”

  And now he could call the man Ronald. He supposed it was good to have a name with the face.

  “Indeed.” She laughed and nodded, but a curious expression crossed her face. “He’s at the Thistleberry Inn and is heading back to California tomorrow.”

  “I didn’t mean to pry.” But the truth was that he wanted to pry, and to find out the guy wasn’t even sleeping here made his curiosity soar. There was a part of him that wanted to know every little detail. “There’s probably a lot going on, and it’s none of my business.”

  “There is so little to say about him or us that I’m not sure you could pry even if you tried.” Realizing what tumbled out, she reversed course. “I mean, he’s a nice guy, and I’m sure he’s very capable at many things, but I’m not sure he’s—” She stopped herself. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything bad about him. He drove all the way up here for no reason. I feel awful talking bad about him.”

  “I doubt it was for no reason. Men are pretty easy to read, and he definitely had a motive to drive all this way.” Joel drew a breath and glanced at the mansion, holding in his sigh. She had a long way to go to get it up and running. “Anyway, I’m just a guy out walking his dog.” Joel laughed, holding up the dog leash. “Your secret is safe with Oscar and me. In fact, I’m not even sure what you were trying to say, so you’re even safer.”