Mabe's Burden (13 page)

Aaron laughed. He liked this guy
already. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Her palate is trained for all
the fancy New York stuff. I was watching the faces of your patrons
out front. They looked pretty darn satisfied. From the looks of the
crowd, I’d say you’re doing okay.”

Jake grinned. “Thanks, man.”

“
I also wanted to say I
really admired the work you’ve done on Hope’s and Dreams. Hope
McDonald told me how you helped her restore the place after she’d
bought it.”

The guy nodded. He dropped chicken
wings in the fryer. They sizzled and popped, filling the air around
them with a spicy aroma. “Yeah, thanks. I do some carpentry work on
the side. I enjoy building things. That place was pretty run down,
but she’s done wonders with it. People love staying there. You talk
about a good cook….”

Aaron patted his flat stomach. “I know.
I can’t stay much longer, or I’m going to gain a hundred pounds.”
He gazed around the kitchen. “This is a really nice space, Mabe.
Your kitchen is very well organized.”

“
Thanks. It took a while to
get it this way. I’ve been working on it for three years. I’m glad
Jake here is handy, or it would have cost me a fortune. The
building is old, and it needs some updates, but we get
by.”

“
Very nicely it seems. Have
you thought about snatching up the space next door, maybe
expanding? Seems to me you could almost put in another bar with a
lot more seating.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I’ve thought about
it, but old man Reacher owns it. I’ve offered to buy it. But he’s
not in the mood to sell.”

“
Maybe I could talk to him
for you. Make him see reason.”

She narrowed her eyes, but didn’t
respond.

He shrugged. “I’m just
sayin’.”

“
If he won’t negotiate with
me, I doubt he’ll listen to some city slicker from…wherever the
hell it is you’re from.”

“
I’m originally from Atlanta
but don’t hold that against me.”

“
What brought you to
Tallahassee?” Jake asked, washing his hands in the large, deep
sink.

“
Family business. My father
owned a commercial real estate firm in Georgia. He wanted to
expand, so he gave me the job. I’ve done okay. I invested in a few
things myself, which pays the bills, but I enjoy negotiating big
deals. It’s amazing the people you meet,” he spoke, staring
directly at Mabe.

Jake’s gaze swiveled between Aaron and
Mabe. He didn’t miss the smile curving the corners of his
mouth.

“
Isn’t it though,” was the
cook’s comment.

“
Come on,” Mabe said. “I’ll
show you the rest of the place.”

He followed her to the back of the
kitchen where a small windowless office held two desks crowded
together along with some pantry shelves covered with
supplies.

“
Here’s where the magic
happens,” she disclosed.

He raised an eyebrow.

“
Funny,” She commented. “I
mean, here’s the nerve center. I order supplies on Tuesdays, pay
bills on Wednesdays. The liquor order goes out on Thursdays, and we
stock on Fridays before the weekend. The door over there leads up
to Jake’s apartment. The one we passed on the way in here leads to
the alley out back.”

He glanced around. His gaze settled on
her. “Seems very well organized. You’ll be able to break away for
dinner tonight, right?”

“
I don’t know. My sisters
were wrong to answer for me. I’ve got a lot going on.”

Aaron inched closer, trapping her
against one of the desks. The space was tight, so she couldn’t
wriggle away. Her butt was against the desk chair. He put both
hands down on the desk, leaned in, and breathed in her scent.
“You’ve got to eat, right? Go to dinner with me. I promise I won’t
pressure you into selling. I’d just like to get to know you
better.”

“
Why,” she whispered. “So
you can try to charm your way into buying my bar?”

“
I find you fascinating.
You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

She made a rude sound. “Oh yeah, right.
Like that’s going to win you—”

His mouth closed on hers in a hungry
kiss. He couldn’t help it. She was right there, and he took what he
wanted. His hands moved to her shoulders. He pulled her in,
deepening the kiss.

She was stiff at first, but gradually
gave in. The electricity flowing between them shocked him. It was
like kissing a live wire—only much more arousing. He wanted more of
her but forced himself to pull away.

They both sucked in air once
he backed up. The shock on her face pleased him. The heat in her
eyes reflected what burned in his veins.
Oh yeah, she felt it, too
.

“
See you tonight at seven.”
He left the tiny office through the back door.

Pleased with himself, he rounded the
corner of the alley and strolled toward Jefferson Street. A black
Lincoln parked across the street captured his attention. The man
watched him cross the road. When he got close enough, the large
rough-looking driver pulled a lighter from his suit jacket pocket
and lit it. There was not a cigarette or cigar near his mouth. He
got the message. The thug’s gaze followed him all the way across
the street. When he reached the driver’s side of the car, the man
snapped the lighter shut. His wide mouth spread in a toothy grin.
He started the car, driving away without a word.

One of Toreni’s
men
. He glanced back at Shenanigans and
licked his lips, tasting mango lip gloss. He sighed. He hoped he
could get them out of this mess.

Chapter Eleven

Mabe struggled with the zipper,
spinning and reaching with one arm. Her little black dress fought
her with each twist. “Damn it!”

“
What’s wrong?” Emma entered
her room. “Do you need some help?”

She twisted to see her niece
glancing up at her with wide blue eyes.
God, she looks so much like Rod it’s scary. I don’t see how
his parents missed how much she resembles their
son
. How her sister would explain that
sweet child, she had no idea, but she had enough to worry about at
the moment with this ridiculous date her sisters had forced upon
her.

“
Yes, squirt. Can you zip me
up? Mr. Shaw is going to be here any minute. I’m not even close to
ready. This blasted cast is slowing me down.”

Emma stood on the bed, zipping her up.
“I like him.”

“
Who?”

“
Mr. Shaw, silly. He’s
hot.”

Mabe laughed and turned to ruffle her
niece’s hair. “What do you know about being hot? You’re what,
ten?”

“
He’s nice. I think he
really likes you.”

She sucked in a breath, raising one
eyebrow. “And how would you know?”

Emma plopped on the bed and crossed her
legs.

“
What am I going to do with
this mess on my head?” She ran a brush one-handed through the
tangled mass of curls.

“
Put it in a messy bun.”
Emma swung the crossed ankles behind her. “He stares at you all the
time. When you’re not looking, he smiles at you.”

She sat at her dressing table,
attempted to pin her hair back. She growled when she couldn’t get
it the way she wanted. She gave up. “Can you put my hair in a messy
bun, squirt?”

Proud to be asked to help, the girl
jumped up. “Sure.” She grabbed the brush taming the red locks into
submission. Mabe relaxed slightly in her niece’s surprisingly
capable hands.

“
Done,” the little voice
announced. Mabe opened her eyes.

“
Hey, it looks nice. Thanks,
kid.”

Emma’s face beamed with pride. “I could
help you with your makeup, too. I watch Mommy all the time. She
uses too much blue eye shadow, though.”

Mabe laughed. “She does,
huh?”

She nodded.

“
I think I can handle the
makeup, but thanks for doing my hair. This cast is a
pain.”

Emma giggled.

“
What’s so funny, little
girl?”

“
I can’t believe you ran
right into Mr. Shaw and broke your arm.”

“
Me either.” She struggled
with her mascara. “Here, maybe you can help. Open this.”

Emma obeyed. “I think you and Mr. Shaw
make a cute couple.”

Mabe laughed. “Don’t get too used to
it, kid. I’m not interested.”

“
Oh, really?”

She paused, glancing at her niece’s
reflection in the mirror. “What are you getting at?”

“
I’ve seen you look at him
all googly-eyed when you think no one is looking.”

Her mouth fell open. She had no
immediate response because the child was right. She had shot more
than one admiring glance his way. He was hot, as Emma so eloquently
put it. There was something drawing her to him. And that
kiss….

Blushing, she shook her head. “What do
you know? You’re only ten.”

“
Never underestimate the
power of a ten-year-old’s observations,” Emma quipped, then dashed
out of the room.

“
Smart ass,” Mabe mumbled,
but the child had struck a nerve.

Was she attracted to Aaron Shaw? Sure,
he was sexy as hell, but was there something more? He intrigued
her. It baffled her why he was so adamant about buying Shenanigans.
Sure, it was a great bar. It would be a great investment for
anyone, but was that his only motivation for wanting to purchase
it? It struck her again, the same as it had in Hope’s kitchen, he
was out to save her in some way.

She smirked. How absurd. She and her
sisters would figure out a way to pay off her father’s debt without
him. Surely the man her father owed wasn’t totally unreasonable.
She understood he wanted his money, but he would have to give them
more time. In the morning, she’d get the guy’s number from Gavin.
Give him a call. Certainly, he would understand and be willing to
wait until the life insurance proceeds came in—if there were any.
She needed an answer from Gavin. If there wasn’t, she’d borrow the
money from Mara to offer him a down payment. Hopefully, that would
hold him off long enough for her to work out a mortgage on the
pub.

It hurt her heart to think about going
into debt on Shenanigans, but it couldn’t be helped. His
suggestions about expanding into the space next door had been on
her mind for a while. It was a good idea. If the pub was worth what
he was willing to pay for it, surely she could get a loan for the
money she owed the loan shark, maybe even a little more to do some
expanding. She’d talk to Mara and Meg about it tomorrow. She needed
to get through this stupid dinner first.

The doorbell rang. She overheard Mara
saying, “Hello, Aaron.”

She rose, surveyed herself in the
mirror. The pink cast against her black sleeveless dress looked
silly. She probably should have chosen white, but the hot pink made
her seem more whimsical. She grinned. After snatching her purse
from the dresser, she slipped her feet into heels and headed
downstairs to meet her dinner date.

Aaron stood at the foot of
the stairs. She took a moment to observe him without being
seen.
Definitely a
hottie
. He wore a black suit, white shirt
and….
Is he wearing a hot pink
tie?

She leaned back against the wall out of
sight and muffled her laughter. He’d worn the tie to match her
cast. How silly. But then again, it was every bit as whimsical as
her choosing the pink cast in the first place. She was touched. In
a way, his choice was thoughtful, too. Was he trying to make her
feel less self-conscious? But why? If he was only trying to woo her
to get the pub, he wouldn’t have to go the extra mile to get her
attention.

She leaned forward, peering around the
corner. He was talking to her sister. Listening to his smooth rich
voice, her blood heated. If she took half a second to admit it, she
had to agree with her sisters. He was sexy, all the way from the
top of his rich, dark brown hair to the tips of his Italian
loafers.

“
The tie’s a nice touch.”
Mara commented.

“
Thanks.”

“
Mabe’ll be down in a
minute. Want to sit down?”

“
No, I’m fine.”

“
Suit yourself. Where are
you taking her to dinner?”

“
I have a little surprise
planned.”

Her brow furrowed.
Uh oh. What is this all about?

“
What kind of surprise?”
Mara asked warily.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not
going to kidnap her.”

“
Forgive me.” Her sister’s
tone dripped with sarcasm. “But we don’t really know you. It’s my
job to protect my little sister.”

Mabe rolled her eyes.
This is getting out of control
. She started down the stairs. “He can’t very well buy the pub
if he murders the current owner, now can he?”

Aaron shifted, sucked in a breath.
“Wow,” he whispered. “I assure you murder is the last thing on my
mind at this very moment.”