His Southern Temptation

chapter Twenty-Three


Spreadsheets never lied, and the one in front of Taylor contained the brutal truth.

Taking a gulp of coffee, she grimaced at the cold, bitter brew. A glance at the carafe told her she was now drinking the dregs—how appropriate for her mood. She turned back to the screen, adding in a couple different numbers and frowning when the situation didn’t get any better.

“Knock. Knock.”

Taylor turned toward the doorway of the Elliott House library to see her brother standing there. In the two days since the smackdown at the Southern Comfort, they’d called an uneasy truce. Teague refused to apologize to Lucky—“He should’ve never laid a hand on you”—and ignored all of Lucky’s attempts to talk it out. Forgiving her for keeping the secret from him was easier since they were blood, and he still had the old-fashioned notion that Lucky had seduced her. She supposed that the twenty-first century was very hard on her brother.

“Hey Teague.” She motioned him into the room.

“I looked over the documents from your Hawaiian investors and they’re good to go.” He strolled closer, placing the envelope containing the contracts on the table next her computer. He shoved his hands in his pockets, chewing on his inner cheek as he pondered whatever was on his mind.

“Spit it out, big brother.”

“I thought you were staying.” The remaining questions hung in the air between them.

“I was. I am.” She corrected herself with a shake of the head. Her mother’s warning kept playing in a continuous loop in her head, and the deadline to sign the Hawaii deal was getting closer with every moment that passed. She motioned to the computer and the papers lying all over the desk. “I don’t know. I’m trying to work out the numbers.”

Teague touched a spreadsheet, glancing up for approval before he picked it up for examination. His hazel eyes ran over the columns, his frown deepening when he got to the dismal bottom line.

He tossed the papers back on the table, running a hand over his stubbled chin—the rasp of his whiskers against his palm accentuating his frustration

“Shit, Taylor. I’d lend you the cash, but I don’t have it.”

“I know you would.” She flopped back in the chair, chewing on the pen in her hand and lost in thought for a few moments. When she looked up, Teague was staring at her.

“What?” she asked.

“You could ask Father for the money.”

“No way. Not ever going to happen.” There was no way she was going to ask him for a dime. Besides, his little gold digger was so busy spending it, he’d need every penny.

“Okay.” He took a breath and plunged in, as if he needed to say it quickly or not at all. “Then, maybe you should go back to Hawaii.”

“You just don’t want me to be with Lucky.” Her reply was bitter and blunt. She wasn’t in the mood to dance around this forever.

“You’re right, I don’t.”

She opened her mouth to protest, tell him to butt the hell out, but he halted her speech with his hand.

“Hear me out. Lucky is my friend—I want to kick his ass for even touching you, but he’s been my friend as long as I can remember. That’s how I know what he’s like with women. He treats them well but he doesn’t stick.” He leaned against the desk, the slap of his palm on the desk punctuating his frustration and anger. “I know he’s committed to buying Promised Land, but I wonder how long it will take for him to get bored, pack up, and go back his old life.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

Lucky’s voice boomed from the doorway, making them both jump. She bit back a sigh at the sight of him. He was just so vibrant and alive—a force of nature that sucked all the air out of the room. Long and lean, tattoos peeking out from underneath the short sleeves of his T-shirt, firm jaw dusted with a five o’clock shadow, and very kissable. Things had been strained between them the last few days, and she wasn’t sure how to bridge the gap. They’d talked, but not about what was really on their minds.

Lucky crossed the room and she stood to greet him. Ignoring Teague, Lucky pulled her close, brushing a soft kiss across her mouth as his arms wrapped around her waist. A small smile on the corner of his lips eased some of her tension. Everything was easier when they were together.

Teague ignored the display of affection, his hands shoved back in his pockets. “I know that’s what you say—”

“It’s what I know,” Lucky replied, his voice tense and low.

“You’re asking her to give up a great opportunity.” Teague’s hand shot out to point toward the envelope containing the deal she’d spent years cultivating. “You better be sure you can follow through.”

“Have I ever broken a promise to you?”

“You didn’t tell me what was going on between you two.”

“It was none of your business.” Lucky’s grip tightened on her waist, his anger vibrating through his muscles.

“Well, as her legal adviser it’s my business now, and I have to tell her she’d be crazy to pass up her deal in Hawaii and go into debt staying here.” Teague turned to her and gave one quick nod. “When you make up your mind, bring the papers over to the office and we’ll notarize them for you.”

“Are you still thinking about going to Hawaii?” Lucky looked down at her, his eyes blazing first with surprise and then hurt.

“I have to factor it into my decision.” She faltered as his jaw tightened.

“I thought you made your decision.”

“I did. I have.” Oh shit. This was hard. “Things have changed.”

They stared at each other, the seconds ticking by as they sized each other up. Taylor wanted to tell him it didn’t matter, she would stay no matter what. But she couldn’t do it. So far, being here in Elliott was really no different than any other times they’d been together in Hawaii, Thailand, or San Francisco. They weren’t really living their normal day-to-day lives, not sharing the burdens of forging a life together. They were just playing house like a couple of kids, only the stakes were so much higher than that. But her heart was telling her that this was the real thing, the one worth taking the gamble on, and that she should trust her gut. It was her head that was getting in the way. Fear was a bitch, but it made a lot of sense.

“You made your decision.” Lucky’s statement was punctuated by the tightening of his hold on her body.

“That’s my cue to leave,” Teague said and strode out of the room.

“You said you were staying,” Lucky said.

“That was before.”

“Nothing’s changed.” He narrowed his eyes, glaring at her. “Have you been talking to your mother?”

Damn. He was going to make her spell it out.

“I have no money to invest in Sissy’s. The local banks turned me down because I don’t have the contribution capital. The deadline for Hawaii is breathing down my neck. I don’t see many options.”

“You can stay and work for my mom or work in Roanoke,” he said as he stepped away from her, stiff with anger and hurt.

“I don’t want to be an employee again. I’ve worked hard and I want to run my own shop.”

“I get that, and we’ll get you there. Just trust me.”

“Why can’t you come with me?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“I need to stay here. You know about the debt situation with the farm. My family needs me. And this is what I want to do. I can’t pick the farm up and take it to Hawaii.” He stepped forward, gripping her upper arms and hauling her close. His expression was guarded, distant, as if he were bracing himself for impact. Her heart ached knowing she put that look on his face. “You said you would stay.”

“I’m the one giving up something here.” Frustration and anger welled up, spilling past her lips in a tumble. “You get to fulfill all your plans and I get nothing. Damn it, I honestly can’t see what I’m getting out of this deal.”

She cringed at the ugliness of what she said. It hadn’t come out the way she intended. She didn’t want him to think that what they had or helping his family wasn’t important, but it seemed like he disregarded her sacrifice in this whole mess. She just wanted him to really understand what she was giving up. Her mother’s warning echoed in her head and while she didn’t like it, she’d be a fool to ignore it.

“You get us.” Lucky’s voice choked on the words, his emotions raw and shimmering on the surface of his skin like heat waves on Hawaiian sand. He released her arms and stepped away from her body, taking his heat and their connection with him.

“Lucky.” She reached out for him, but he sidestepped her touch and she dropped her hand.

“I’ve got to figure out how to get Eddie his money. When you figure out what you’re going to do, let me know.” He strode purposefully for the door and she had to shift into a light run to keep up with him. As he rounded the hall into the kitchen, she was able to grab him by the arm. He stopped, but refused to turn and look at her.

“Lucky, don’t leave like this.”

He whirled on her then, his expression hardened by his anger. “I’m not the one who’s leaving.”

She took a step back. He didn’t scare her, but the pain rolling off him in waves was a powerful thing. This wasn’t easy for her either. She wanted him to be right. She wanted them to be ones who made it through a lifetime together. She needed to believe.

She just couldn’t take the final leap of faith. The price for a mistake was just too damn high.

“What do you want me to do?” Her words were barely above a whisper, her chest was tight, and she couldn’t get a deep enough breath to fully vent her frustration and anger. She wanted to break something, to take one of those ugly-ass plates her mother collected off the wall and bash it to pieces on the hardwood floor.

“I want you to stay, baby. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. I want you to stay.”

His words, delivered simply and with sincerity, made her want to scream. He made it sound so damn easy. But it wasn’t.

He continued, “In case I haven’t been perfectly clear, let me spell it out. I love you. I want you to stay here and build a life with me. I’m direct—not romantic like you deserve. I say what I want, and that is what I want.”

His words spoke to something deep inside her, a place of drought dying for a long season of rain. But she couldn’t let his words sink in and fill her up. This was a decision to be made with her head, not her heart.

“I’m sorry, Lucky. I can’t.”