“Not.” He started to slide the door closed.

  She stuck her foot in the door before it shut. “Wait! Seriously?”

  “It’s been a long day. I’m tired and hungry.”

  “But you have to help me. You know the woman. Surely she’ll shoot straight with you.”

  “She won’t even let me check out a library book. Listen. Maybe you’re better off working the jewelry store angle.”

  “I already tried that. Our guy didn’t buy the ring at the local store, and they have no way of tracking jewelry bought elsewhere. Ms. Stapleton is the key to this whole thing, and I could just tell she knows where that book came from.”

  “Maybe she’ll inform the book’s owner herself.”

  “I did leave her my number just in case, but I can’t count on that. Time is of the essence. Just go with me to the church and have a word with her.”

  Sadie did her best to appear helpless and hopeful, adding an eyelash flutter for good measure.

  His gaze roved over her features. Then his lips pressed together and his jaw hardened. “I’m not attending church there, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “You don’t have to. The last day of the library sale is tomorrow from nine till one. Just come with me and have a chat with her. Please?”

  “I work tomorrow.”

  She huffed. “Don’t you take a lunch break?” She didn’t know what the big deal was. The church was just twenty-five minutes away and only required basic conversational skills. Then again . . .

  “I’ll think about it.”

  He had to think about it? She kept herself, just barely, from stamping her foot. “Fine. But just remember, some man went to a lot of trouble to make his woman happy, and your friend, the librarian, is the only thing standing in the way of their happily ever after.”

  “Well, as long as it’s no big deal.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “I’ll let you know later tonight. After I’ve had some food.” And then he slid the door closed.

  * * *

  Sam did not want to go to that church. He headed straight into the kitchen and went to work making a deli-meat sandwich.

  First of all, there was a chance he’d run into people he knew. They’d tilt their heads and give him those pitying looks he’d really come to hate. Then word would undoubtedly spread to his family that he’d been back to Bluffton. The distance between there and Tucker Island wasn’t much, but he wanted to keep that barrier in place for now. He wasn’t ready to face all the wedding stuff or commit to the wedding itself. That’s why he’d come here to begin with.

  That new neighbor of his couldn’t seem to help but disturb his peace with her ridiculous noise and imposing requests. Plus there were those sun-kissed shoulders.

  He toyed with the idea of calling Ms. Stapleton. But no, he wouldn’t get anywhere with her on the phone. He’d be lucky to get through to her in person. He’d always suspected she wasn’t a fan of little boys. Maybe she wasn’t too fond of men either, as she’d never married.

  He finished stacking the turkey, drizzled on some mustard, then topped the sandwich with a bun and added chips to the plate. He carried it along with a bottled water to the dining room table. After working in the heat all day, the air-conditioning felt good. Plus Sadie was probably outside with her yappy dog, just waiting to pressure him about Ms. Stapleton.

  He understood. The lost ring was a big deal to the poor chump who was about to turn over his life to some woman who’d probably break his heart somewhere down the line.

  Yeah, he was a little jaded.

  He picked up his sandwich and was about to take a big bite when his phone vibrated with a phone call. He checked the screen.

  Mom.

  He was starving and really wanted to forget about his life back in Bluffton for the rest of the day. But that old familiar son-guilt kicked in, reminding him of all the laundry, dishes, and home-cooked meals. Of all the baseball games attended, homework assisted, and prayers sent up. Not to mention the not-so-small matter of the long labor and delivery of his nine-pound-two-ounce body that she brought up on occasion.

  He heaved a sigh and accepted the call. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hi, honey. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  “Just got home from work and will be settling in to watch the game here soon.”

  “Braves are having a good season so far.”

  “They are.”

  “Dad said you’ve had a full week.”

  He communicated with his dad frequently via text and calls about the business. “We have a lot of customers on the island, and I did a few bids this week too.”

  “That’s good. The business is having a good year. Dad was talking about hiring more help—nothing to do with your leave of absence, just steady business growth. Have you talked to Hayley lately? I think she misses you.”

  “She called earlier this week and we text here and there.”

  “By any chance, did she say anything about a boy?”

  A boy? “No, why? Is some guy sniffing around?” Hayley was a very pretty girl but a bit of a late bloomer. She’d been more interested in sports than boys so far, and that was just fine by Sam.

  “No, but she’s hiding away in her room a lot. A few days ago I caught her on the phone in the pantry of all places.”

  No boy then. Just avoiding wedding hoopla, but Sam wouldn’t out his sister. “Hmm.”

  “Listen, honey, I hate to bring up the wedding again, and I’m not calling to pressure you. I just wanted to let you know that we’ve booked two rooms in your name just in case—just to hold them—for you and a plus one. The hotel block closed yesterday, so I went ahead and did it. If you don’t go, Dad and I will cover the rooms.”

  Yeah, the affair was to be a destination wedding—Anna Maria Island, Florida. A whole weekend event for close family and friends. Wasn’t enough that he’d just have to endure a three-hour affair. “You didn’t have to do that, Mom.”

  “We don’t mind. Needless to say the airline prices are going to go up the closer we get, but you could always drive instead. Anyway, I didn’t call to pressure you.”

  Of course not. “Thanks for letting me know. I’m still thinking about it.”

  “And that’s just fine. We understand. But if you need someone to take along, Marcee’s granddaughter would be more than—”

  “No, Mom. Thanks, but no.” Marcee’s granddaughter had all but humped his leg the last time he’d seen her. She was an attractive woman in her midtwenties, but her aggressive manner put him off, if her nasal voice and banal conversation hadn’t already done the job.

  “Well, all right then. I guess I should go get some work done on the books.”

  His mom handled the accounting and billing part of the business. “Sure, Mom. I’ll call Hayley soon. Talk to you later.”

  “Bye, honey.”

  He set his phone down and tucked into his sandwich, his mind on the upcoming wedding and his mom’s efforts to get him there.

  Oh, sure, he would go. He’d come to that decision slowly and painfully over the past several weeks. He just wasn’t quite ready to admit it out loud. That and having no date. He hadn’t been out with anyone since Amanda, despite his sister’s efforts to get him onto a dating site. She’d even offered to set up his profile—God forbid—but he just wasn’t ready to dip his toe back into those waters.

  He didn’t have a close female friend who’d help him out, and the only women his business put him in touch with were married or too old for him.

  He took another bite. He didn’t want to think about the wedding anymore. It would be here soon enough. He’d rather think about anything else—including his pesky neighbor and this quest she’d taken up.

  Much as he didn’t want to go to the church, he’d probably end up saying yes to that too. She was a little hard to turn down, to be honest, with her genuine delight and hopeful attitude. She had a sweet innocence about her that appealed to him. Maybe because it offset his new cynical nature.

  A chair scraped on the back deck and music poured through the thin glass of the sliding door. Something peppy and loud. Her dog emitted a high-pitched bark. She was certainly distracting.

  He had a thought.

  It was a crazy one really, but . . . what if he asked her to the wedding? True, he hardly knew the woman. Maybe she was a little excitable and talkative, but she might be fun at a wedding. And there was that distraction factor she had going on—he’d need plenty of that for the event.

  No reason she’d say yes though, considering he was practically a stranger.

  Unless . . . he leveraged this ring quest she was so hot on.

  He took a long sip of his water, the idea settling in, feeling not so terrible. Pretty good, really. Having a date for the wedding would make him feel—and look—a little less pathetic. Might stave off some of those sympathetic glances, not to mention all the setups his aunts would no doubt attempt. That Sadie was a knockout wouldn’t hurt one bit.

  Nine

  You might choose to have your hero and heroine working together on a project or working at odds.

  —Romance Writing 101

  Sadie could not focus on this romance novel. She set down the book, turned off the music, and stared off into the distance. The vast blue ocean met the ridge of clouds set low on the horizon. At the shoreline the waves rolled in undisturbed by sunbathers, and closer to the house the palm trees whispered in the wind.

  The setting couldn’t be more restful, but she was anything but at peace. She couldn’t get that beautiful ring off her mind. It was Friday, and what if the proposal had been planned for tonight? What was this poor guy going through? He’d probably turned his house upside down searching for that book. Had he spent his entire savings on the ring? He must be devastated.

  She got up and stepped down into the yard, Rio on her heels. “Just checking the box, girl. Stay in the yard.”

  She didn’t know what she was looking for, but the library offered her peace and a connection to other people, and she needed both in equal measures.

  She opened the Little Library and perked up at the yellow sticky note with scrawled handwriting hanging from the top shelf. She grabbed the note, hoping it had something to do with that ring.

  Thank you for putting up this Little Library! It’s so convenient. I took a book today, and I will bring another one back tomorrow to replace it.

  Well, that was nice, even if it didn’t help solve the mystery. She was glad people were enjoying the library. She took a minute to straighten the contents. Someone had brought a few kids’ books, so she put them on the lower shelf with the others. There was nothing new in adult fiction, but a couple books seemed to be missing.

  She went back into the yard and played with Rio for a while, laughing when the dog bowed down in her playful pose. She let out a high-pitched bark, then pounced on Sadie’s sandaled feet as if they were the enemy. “You leave my good sandals alone now. These are Mommy’s favorites. Where’s Mr. Mouse, huh? Where’s he at? There he is!”

  Rio scanned the yard, then dashed toward the pink squeaky toy by the fence. “Bring him here, baby. Let’s go inside.”

  Sadie turned and found Sam on the deck watching her.

  She pressed a hand to her chest where her heart threatened to pop from it. “You scared me. I didn’t hear you come out.” Sadie stepped up onto the deck. Please, God, let him decide to go with me to see that stubborn librarian.

  The wind ruffled his hair, and the evening light made those eyes seem like liquid gold. His facial hair had officially reached beard phase over the past week. It suited him quite nicely.

  He straightened from the rail and crossed his arms, pinning her with an unswerving look. “I have a deal for you.”

  “Yes, I’ll do it.” Had she agreed so readily because she was desperate to find the ring’s owner or because of the way he was staring at her, all hot and scowly?

  He quirked a brow. “Don’t you want to know the deal first?”

  “If it has to do with you getting Ms. Stapleton to talk, my answer is yes. What do you want? I already promised no more power tools. Turn down my music? Let you have the deck? Clean up the little gift Rio left in your yard? Okay, I was going to do that anyway.”

  Thought lines furrowed his forehead. “Maybe I should’ve leveraged this a bit more.”

  “Out with it. You already know I’m desperate to get to the bottom of this, so there’s no need to play coy. What do you want?”

  His gaze flicked over her face, making prickles of heat flare beneath her skin. Awareness zinged between them. Or maybe it was just her. Was it hot out here?

  “Go to a wedding with me and I’ll talk to Ms. Stapleton.”

  She blinked. “A wedding? Is this a random wedding or a particular wedding?”

  “Particular.”

  “So you’re asking me to be your plus one at a particular wedding.”

  “My cousin’s.”

  “Ah, a family wedding. Interesting. And when will these happy nuptials occur?”

  “July third.”

  “Are you in the wedding party?”

  He sighed. “No. Do we have a deal or what?”

  “Wait, I have to know more.”

  “You said yes before I even stated the terms.”

  “But now I have more information and therefore more questions. For instance, what exactly would my role be as your wedding date? Are you trying to stave off all the aunties’ fix-ups? Or would I be pretending to be your girlfriend to make someone jealous with displays of affection? Would we make up a fake backstory of our dating history and—”

  “No, you won’t be—no. No girlfriend. Just a plus one.” A flustered flush crawled up his neck as he muttered something. Kinda cute.

  “So I’d just be your date then.”

  “A friendly date. No displays of affection necessary.”

  Pity. She pretended to think about that for a beat. “It so happens I’m a very fun wedding date. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Okay, now that we’ve covered my role in this family wedding, what exactly will your role be in this search for the ring’s owner?”

  “I told you, I’d talk to Ms. Stapleton.”

  She pursed her lips. “Hmm. But what if you can’t get an answer from her? Then I have nothing and you have a wedding date.”

  He glowered. “You already said yes.”

  “I’m just trying to clarify the deal, and I’m thinking if I agree to definitely attend a wedding, I should have some kind of guarantee.”

  “I can’t guarantee Ms. Stapleton will be forthcoming.”

  “No, I guess not. But you could promise to stick with it and help me figure it out even if we can’t pry it out of Ms. Stapleton.”

  “Why would you want my help?”

  “I saw how stubborn that librarian is, and I’m not confident she’ll spill, even for you. So we may end up having to put our heads together, and two heads are better than one. Plus everything is more fun when someone else is along for the ride.” She smiled widely.

  He seemed skeptical about that last one. “Fine. Whatever you say. I’m in it for the long haul.”

  She stuck out her hand before he could change his mind. He took her hand in his big one. His palm was rough and warm against hers. And something about his direct stare made her pulse flutter.

  “Then we have a deal,” she said.

  Ten

  When a hero and heroine work toward a common goal, it gives them a shared bond.

  —Romance Writing 101

  Sam’s truck pulled into Sadie’s driveway at twelve fifteen on the dot. She was wearing her favorite baby-blue shorts, a breezy white top that showed off her newly acquired tan, and wedge sandals.

  Sadie grabbed her purse, which held the book, and stuck her sunglasses on top of her head. “I’ll be back, girl. Be good. Don’t chew on Mommy’s things. And be nice to Mr. Pelican.”

  Rio cocked her head, brown eyes turned down at the corners, tail low.

  Sadie reached down and gave her a quick rub. “Don’t be sad. I’ll be back soon. Go get Mr. Mouse! That’s it. Oh, you got him. That a girl. Wish me luck.”

  She locked up and headed toward Sam’s truck. She hadn’t made any more headway on her plotting since she’d found the ring two days ago. But she was about to spend time with the inspiration for her hero, so she’d just make some mental notes. That was progress, wasn’t it?

  She stepped up into the cab, which was a bit of a climb, and closed the door. “Right on time. Let’s go find this man.”

  He put the truck in Reverse and pulled out onto the road. The cab smelled faintly of cut grass and gasoline, but she didn’t find the scent offensive. Rather than having the air-conditioning on, he had his window down, allowing the warm breeze to flutter through the cab. He wore his usual work uniform—tee with a logo, cargo shorts, and boots—with a pair of sunglasses that made him seem even more enigmatic than usual.

  Her hero would wear sunglasses the way her usual protagonist wore a cowboy hat. Pleased with that small detail, she turned to Sam. “So, you own a landscaping business.”

  “It’s a family business.”

  “You didn’t start it yourself then?”

  “My dad did.”

  “Right. That’s cool, working together and all. So I guess it’s something you must really enjoy doing then? Mowing grass and, uh, mulching and stuff?”

  He spared her a look.

  “Well, I mean, some parents push their children into the family business because they want them to carry it on or because they enjoy the idea of working together as a family—or so I hear.”

  “I like it just fine.”

  He liked it. Swell. “Do any other family members work in the business?”

  “My cousin and my mom.”

  “The cousin whose wedding we’re attending?”

  A slight pause. “Yes.”

  “Do you have any siblings?”

  “A sister.”

  “There’s no ration on words, you know. You can use as many as you like. For free even. So . . . how old is your sister? And what does she do if she’s not working in the family business?”