Chapter 6: Scarlett

Scarlett WINCED WHEN she saw both of her cousin's trucks in the drive.

Of course they were back. She couldn't just slip in, grab her painting clothes then get out before either of the guys cornered her. Neither had texted her, but she knew the rumor mill had to have reached them about Cole and the canceled wedding.

She shifted the Jeep into park and slumped in her seat, staring at the trees that had grown up around the house, providing a nice, shaded area.

What the hell had happened to her today?

It wasn't unusual for Scarlett to find a connection with someone. She fell hard and fast for men, sometimes without them knowing. But today? That chemistry? It was off the charts, and he'd felt it, too. She'd seen it in the way he looked at her, and then she'd gone and touched him. It had been an automatic thing, she hadn't thought about it, but when their hands connected, it was as if her body were on fire.

This was bad.

She shut her eyes and pushed thoughts of Cole down deep.

Right now she had to face down her cousins, get her shit and flee to her friend's house. With any luck, the guys were at their house and she could perhaps slip in and out before they knew she was back.

A girl could hope.

She jogged up the steps to her place, her mind focusing on the very next thing and not the sexy man she'd left on Main Street.

The pane of glass in her front door perfectly framed two men standing at her kitchen island. They were both tall, well over six feet, with reddish-brown hair. Garth's face was clean shaven and his clothes neat from the polo to his jeans. Benji, on the other hand, sported a perpetual stubble and only ever got out of cargo shorts and a T-shirt during ceremony hours.

Well hell.

She grasped the doorknob and pushed into the house.

"Do I need to call the cops on you two for breaking and entering?" She hung her purse by the door.

"There she is." Benji leaned back onto a bar stool and turned to face her, one side of his mouth kicking up.

Garth didn't offer a greeting. His stern gaze said all she needed to know.

"Get everything ironed out?" She paused next to Benji who looped his arm around her waist and pulled her over for a squeeze.

"Yeah, the ads all look slick. We're set for the upcoming shows," Benji said. Of the three of them, Benji was the only one with an eye for marketing materials. This year they were taking out a booth at several wedding shows and they needed something to put in the hands of brides that would make them think of The Love Barn for their nuptials.

"Did you bring me a copy? I have to know what I'm selling." So far she'd liked each and every design he'd done for the place, right down to the banner signs he'd created for the exterior and interior.

"I've got them on my phone." He dug into his pocket.

"We need to talk." Garth's voice was hard, unyielding.

"About why you two are in my house without my permission? I thought we talked about that." She whisked the two jars she and Cole had left off the counter and placed them in the sink.

"I heard about the Hume wedding."

"And?"

"Care to give us your side of the story?" His tone went up and she could imagine him standing behind her with his arms crossed over his chest.

She turned to face him, and sure enough, he stood between the island and fridge, arms over his chest, chin thrust out, glaring at her. She crossed her arms and glared right back.

Garth hadn't been her guardian in nine years. She was twenty-seven years old and had managed to take care of herself without his constant supervision. Yes, she'd fucked up and gotten involved with one bad apple, but it didn't mean she was incapable of conducting herself like an adult.

"What do you think happened today?" she countered after a long pause.

"I heard AK's bad boy fiancé dumped her and is going round town trying to get his money back," Benji said.

"What?" Scarlett gaped at him.

"Shut up," Garth snapped at his brother.

Benji cracked a smile and laughed harder.

He was joking, and she'd walked right into that.

She glared back at him and he shrugged. "Cole came by this morning. Yes, the engagement-and wedding-are off. He helped me get the pig out of my garden and I decided to be nice. I gave him a ride since all he has is a bicycle seeing as how AK left him without a vehicle."

"I told you she was never going to make it to the altar." Benji shook his head.

"You do not get involved with clients," Garth said.

"Seriously?"

"We stay out of our client's personal lives."

"Dude, don't be a dick," Benji said.

"I'm trying to run a business here that keeps us fed." Garth glanced back and forth between them. "If it wasn't for this business that fell in our lap, you both know we'd have lost the land. Our homes. Everything. We can't screw this up."

"Helping someone isn't going to screw us up. We've already been paid." She knew without asking that Garth would not entertain the idea of returning the money.

"This guy isn't going to hang around and we don't want to alienate the Humes."

"Because they have two other daughters of marriageable age who aren't massive flakes like AK?" Scarlett grit her teeth. "Don't answer that. I don't like you very much right now and I want you out of my house. I am a grown ass woman and I will see, speak and help whoever I want when I am off the clock. I know just as well as you do that all actions have consequences. I'd rather go to sleep at night knowing I helped someone rather than protected our precious reputation."

Garth opened his mouth.

"I do not want to talk to you any longer," she said with added volume.

"Fine, when you're more reasonable we can talk." Garth turned and stalked out through the front door.

Scarlett clenched her hands into fists.

"Oh, he makes me so mad." She stomped her foot and kept her arms at her sides.

"He's in rare form today." Benji slid off the stool and came around the island to pull her into a hug.

"He had to write a check for the marketing, didn't he?"

"Yup."

"He is the worst about spending money. I mean, I know we struggled for a long time, but can't he see the bank account balance? And he doesn't have to play dad anymore. We're adults." She groaned.

"You're preaching to the choir. Today's check wasn't too bad, just more than we talked about." Benji massaged her neck. "Tell me about the scorned husband."

"Cole?" Scarlett shrugged. "He seems really nice. You should meet him."

"Nice enough to leave his clothes lying in your tub making a mess?"

Oh, no...