Gatlinburg Getaway (Destination: Desire) (9 page)

Figured. The small-town busybody network was in full effect. “The pecan-peach cobbler offer better not have been some ruse to get me over here just to grill me on my love life.”

“I’m not that dumb. Without a bribe, you might leave before I finish my interrogation.” She opened the door wide and the heavenly scent of fresh-baked goodness reached his nose.

His mouth watered as he stepped inside, pausing to drop a kiss on her cheek. “Aunt Opal.”

She patted his shoulder and led the way to the kitchen. The aroma got more intense as they went through the house. It lured him like a Lorelei.

“Sit down. I’ll get you a plate.” Opal waved him toward the table, where his uncle already sat with a heaping portion of golden-crusted perfection.

“Run and hide,” his uncle whispered, then shoved a forkful of dessert into his mouth.

“As if that’d save me.” Dalton snorted and parked himself in the seat beside the other man. “You just want to keep the cobbler to yourself.”

Uncle Landry winked. “Guilty.”

“Are the twins around?” After grabbing a napkin from the holder, Dalton spread it across his lap. This room looked exactly as it had all through his years of growing up. A few updates here and there, but it was still the same warm room that was the heart of this home. This was where all the really important events had happened. Laughter, tears, arguments, decisions…life altering and mundane. But this was Opal’s domain, and she was the heart of the family, so it made sense that this should be a room that featured so centrally in his childhood memories.

“Your cousins should be along soon, I’m sure,” Landry groused. “Their mama sent them the same slanderous text she sent you.”

While Landry was usually the most laid-back man alive, he turned into a real bear when someone came between him and his sweets. Dalton decided that poking the grizzly was a good way to go. “It was in writing, so is that technically libel or slander?”

“Hell, I don’t know. I’m a doctor, not a lawyer.” His uncle stabbed a fork at him. “I just know a passel of people are coming to steal my dessert.”

“I made it, so it’s
my
dessert.” Opal slid a serving in front of Dalton while scolding her husband. “Keep up your nastiness and I’ll take it back.”

Landry’s arms wrapped protectively around his plate. “The South will rise again if you try it. Right here, right now.”

“Oh, hush.” She flapped a hand at him. She settled into the chair across from Dalton, her gaze gleaming. “So?”

But before he could hand his aunt any juicy details, his cousin’s voice came floating through the open kitchen window. “I heard Dalton was having wild sex on the picnic tables at Mema Hunt’s.”

A voice that sounded eerily similar replied, “Well, Jimmy Barnes always claimed her barbeque sauce was an aphrodisiac.”

Opal rolled her eyes. “I raised you two better than to be peeping through people’s windows. Get in here.”

The backdoor opened and his identical twin cousins strolled in, each of them wearing the angelic smiles that had spelled trouble for almost three decades now. They both had their mother’s blond beauty, so those who didn’t know them were often fooled by their knack for exuding innocence.

Ha. Innocent, his ass. Those two knew more about mischief than any twelve people deserved. He was surprised he’d made it out of high school without gray hair. He was three years older, and had been scrambling to keep them out of trouble since they’d started crawling.

He gave them a genial smile. “Savannah. Leigh. So good to see you outside of work. How have y’all been spending your day?”

“Forget about that.” Leigh waggled her eyebrows. “Is she hot?”

“Why, were you hoping to get in on the action with her?” he shot back.

The smile slid off her face and she huffed. “Hardly. What would I want with another woman?”

Well, that was a bit more defensive than it needed to be. He considered his cousin for a moment, and decided to let the matter drop. He’d long wondered if Leigh had certain preferences, but…no. Better to let her figure that out on her own. Or not.

“What’s this woman’s name? I assume the public nudity was an exaggeration, but clearly there’s a girl and no one knows who she is. Tourist, right?” Savannah went straight to the cobbler and scooped up two healthy platefuls.

“Yeah, that’s right. Her name is Camille and she’s an engineer in town for a conference. Her friend somehow managed to mangle her glasses, and I happened to be in the office, so I helped her.” He took his first bite of peach-pecan bliss, and closed his eyes as ecstasy rolled through him. Sweet Jesus, his aunt’s cobblers were divine. He might have to run an extra mile or twelve to burn this off, but it was going to be totally worth it. “We’re having dinner tomorrow.”

Opal slanted a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. “I don’t know about indecency on picnic benches, but Mema Hunt said you kissed her and were cuddling up together.”

“We were putting on a show to get Bobbie Jo to back off.” Not one-hundred-percent true, but close enough that it wasn’t a lie either.

“Won’t work,” Leigh said around a mouthful of dessert.

He shrugged philosophically, forking up bites of cobbler and savoring each one. “I managed to eat there and not get ogled. That’s a big win in my book.”

Shaking her head, his aunt sighed. “Bless her heart. Even me talking to her mama didn’t make her stop. I’m not sure there’s a clue stick big enough to hit her with.”

“Unrequited crushes are hard.” Savannah winced in sympathy. “Not that hanging all over Dalton is okay, but…unrequited crushes are hard.”

They all knew she spoke from experience. She’d had a thing for Dalton’s best friend for over a decade, and Warrick had avoided her like the plague. Until last year. Dalton had been pissed off and seriously uncomfortable when they’d started dating each other. Once he knew his hit-it-and-quit-it friend was dead serious about Savannah, the anger had faded. The discomfort hadn’t. It was just…weird. He’d get over it, because they were obviously happy together and he wanted them to be happy.

But it was weird to have his best friend/brother dating his little cousin/sister.

The look Uncle Landry gave him spoke volumes, as did the older man’s what-can-you-do shrug. It seemed like Dalton wasn’t alone in his discomfort. Ah, well. They’d deal.

“Where’s Warrick today?” Opal asked. “I know he wouldn’t turn down my cobbler.”

Savannah winced again. “Visiting his Uncle Delroy.”

“Speaking of ogling,” Leigh muttered.

“Y’all don’t know the half of it.” Savannah leaned forward and lowered her voice as if someone might overhear. “He likes to
accidentally
brush against any woman he passes, aiming for the T and A areas. He only pulled that with me once before I accidentally kneed him in the balls.”

Leigh and Opal choked back guffaws, while Landry and Dalton grunted in satisfaction. Good for Savannah.

She shrugged delicately and scraped up the last of her dessert. “I haven’t been invited back. I can’t imagine why.”

Landry stood, picked up his empty plate, and popped a kiss on his daughter’s head as he made a beeline for the counter. “Good job, honey. This calls for more cobbler.”

They managed to finish off the entire dish in short order, and within twenty minutes they were all leaning back in their chairs, satisfied, groaning slightly, and just a little sick to their stomachs. Dalton dragged himself upright and staggered over to put on a fresh pot of coffee. That was what they’d need when the sugar rush crashed: caffeine.

After the machine finished percolating, he poured a round for everyone and took the cups to the table.

Leigh accepted her mug and sipped the piping-hot liquid. “Where are you taking Camille for dinner tomorrow?”

“Not telling you.” He flopped back into his chair. “You’d show up just to mess with me.”

“You’d better not.” Opal leveled a serious gaze on her daughter. “At the rate he’s going, I’m never going to become a great-aunt.”

He shoved down the mild panic that caught him at the thought of having children with a virtual stranger. Sex, yes. Babies, no. It would take years and years before he’d be ready to commit to procreating with someone. Reaching over to pat Opal’s hand, he assured her, “You’ve always been a great aunt.”

The joke just made her shake her head. “Hush up and find the right girl, you hear?”

“The right girl can’t be a tourist,” Savannah protested. “They don’t stick around.”

Just like his ex-wife.
He kept that thought to himself. No need to set his cousins off on the topic of his ex. They were bitterer about it than he was. And he’d never admit it, but it felt good to have them defend him with such vitriolic fire. That was family.

“Well, it can’t be Bobbie Jo either.” Leigh threw up her hands. “I’m just sayin’. If there’s no one in town you want, you have to broaden your playing field.”

Spoken from experience, since she dated even less frequently than Dalton did. Then again, she’d never been hot and heavy with anyone, as far as he knew. Not in high school, and not since returning home from grad school. Savannah would know better, since they’d gone to all the same universities, but she’d never mentioned a word about her twin’s relationship status. Or lack thereof.

“Is that what you do when you go on all those weekend trips to see ‘friends’?” Opal made air-quotes around the last word. “Broaden your playing field?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Leigh grinned. “I’ll never tell.”

Before Opal could pry further, Savannah turned her gaze on Dalton. “Does Camille have a last name?”

“Yes, and I’m not saying.” He stabbed a finger at his cousin. “You’ll Google her name and it’ll turn into a mild case of cyber stalking.”

A wounded expression crossed her face. “I’m just looking out for you.”

He grunted. “It’s just dinner, and she’s only here for a week. Leave it alone.”

“But you like her.” She leaned forward. “I can see it all over your face.”

Damn, he needed to get better at hiding his feelings. Then again, the twins had always managed to ferret out his secrets. Which was why he usually didn’t bother to keep any. What would be the point?

Sipping his coffee, he arched an eyebrow. “I don’t date women unless I like them.”

“Unlike Warrick, he means.” Leigh grinned, slanting a sly glance at her sister. Savannah flinched and focused on her coffee, her lips compressing.

“Unlike what Warrick used to do,” Dalton corrected. “Stop rubbing salt on that wound, Raleigh Jane.”

Leigh blew a raspberry at him for using her full name, but let the subject drop. She might be blunt and brash, but she wasn’t mean. It was obvious her twin was still sensitive about the fact that Warrick had slept with any willing woman for years except her. One of many reasons Dalton hadn’t been thrilled when the two started dating. He loved his best friend, but the man had been a hound dog.

Even hound dogs could reform, it seemed. At least, Warrick had.

Thank God, or Dalton would have been in the awkward position of needing to beat his oldest friend to death.

Landry set his empty mug down with a clink. “Have fun with your tourist. Don’t let this lot harass you into any details you don’t want to give.”

The twins made noises of protest while Opal aimed a beady eye at her husband. “Why wouldn’t he like sharing details with us? We’re family.”

“Why, indeed?” He shot her a grin filled with wry affection. “A man can use some privacy, dear. Let him have it.”

She wrinkled her nose and turned away. “Fine. I won’t pry anymore. He can share whatever happens with this Camille or not.”

Dalton shook his head at his uncle. “You know she won’t feel like baking any more cobbler until her need for information is satisfied.”

“Sometimes that’s the price you pay.” His uncle nodded sagely. “It’s up to you what to tell or not. I hope you have a good time.”

“Me too.” He toasted the older man, then downed the rest of his liquid caffeine.

Did he have much doubt though? The question wasn’t whether or not he’d enjoy himself, but if he’d enjoy himself too much. He was more attracted to Camille than he had been to anyone in a long time, but she was leaving. Soon. As he’d admitted to her—and to his family—he liked her. Within moments of meeting her, he’d been both enticed and oddly comfortable. It was a combination that even his ex-wife hadn’t managed to evoke in him, not immediately.

The feelings made him wary and utterly intrigued. The more he mulled it over, the more he realized he didn’t want to back out of the date, but it also made him realize just how dangerous what he felt could be to his sanity. To find a woman who stirred something inside him after so long was awesome, but there was a deadline. She’d said when she left, that was it. As it should be. So he had to focus on enjoying what he could.

He’d just never had a fling before. He was a serial monogamist. When he found a woman he liked, he usually stuck it out with them until the relationship soured. Several months, at a minimum. Not a single week. It was going to be easy to get in over his head here, so he needed to keep himself in check. Just the few hours he’d spent with her were enough to tell him that.