Her McKnight in Shining Armour. Teresa Southwick
He’d met her when she’d come to town for meetings on the project and accepted the fact that she was a looker, but it wasn’t nice to see her again. She’d asked him to call her Ellie and at the time he’d thought it was cute. But not anymore. This woman pushed his buttons, none of the good ones.
“I thought you were going to call me Alex.”
“I forgot.” There was apology in her Texas bluebonnet-colored eyes. “Not surprisin’ what with being late and all. I am so sorry, Alex. I’m normally punctual to a fault, although you have no reason to believe that. My plan was to fly in yesterday and get settled, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Y’all know how ladies have an inclination toward changin’ their minds?”
“I do,” he said dryly.
“Well, in Texas they say if y’all don’t like the weather, just wait a minute. My flight from Dallas was canceled because of thunderstorms, and I was stuck at the airport. Cell service was sporadic to nonexistent, and I couldn’t get a call through. I got here as quick as I could from that cute little Montana airport just a hop, skip and jump down the highway.”
That cute little airport was close to a hundred miles from Blackwater Lake on a winding two-lane road. With mountains all around cell service was notorious for cutting in and out. “Stuff happens.”
“Y’all must think I’m a flake.”
Not the first word that came to his mind. Especially when she spoke in a breathless Southern drawl that was a little gravel, a little honey and all woman. “That wouldn’t be fair.”
“I promise that no one works harder than me. Y’all won’t be disappointed.” She took a breath. “I do apologize. Am I talkin’ too much?”
“No.” Damned if he couldn’t listen to the Southern comfort in her voice all day.
“I must have had a bucket of coffee. Don’t you worry. It’ll wear off.”
Studying her more closely, he could see that her skirt was wrinkled as if she’d slept in it, and fatigue had carved dark circles under those big, beautiful eyes. It was a look that made him want to take care of her, and that was a habit he thought he’d learned to break.
“You’re here now.” He almost added better late than never. He didn’t, because she was pretty enough to be tempting, which made never a better alternative. “I’ll show you the office.”
“Okay. I’m anxious to get started.” She smiled brightly. “I swear Mayor Goodson and the town council won’t regret they picked me for the job.”
“Your bid was the cheapest,” he said. “No offense.”
“None taken. I needed the work. It has to be said that I didn’t expect y’all to be one of those contractors who believes the architect relationship is terminated on completion of the construction documents.”
“What you’re really saying is you’re glad I don’t think your presence on the job is both a nuisance and an unnecessary expense.”
“Those words would never cross my lips.”
And very fine lips they were, he thought, then ordered himself to focus. On work. “I believe an architect has a critical role to play during construction, and this addition to Mercy Medical Clinic isn’t like an ordinary house.”
She nodded. “If it were simply exam rooms there’d be very little challenge, but the outpatient surgery center needs more in the way of electrical and plumbing.”
“One of the reasons the town council accepted your bid was the fact that you agreed to absorb the expense of being on site during the construction process.”
“To keep a project on track and within budget inspections are advisable a minimum of three times a week. As remote as Blackwater Lake is, sticking around seemed like a good idea.”
“You must have really wanted the job.” He studied her closely and saw her smile slip for just a moment.
“It’s an investment in the future. Everyone’s got to start their own business somewhere.”
“Yeah.”
Except Alex was pretty sure this wasn’t her start. He’d read her resume, and there was a yearlong gap between college and when she’d gone to work for Hart Industries, her family’s company in Dallas. He wondered what had happened during that year. Nothing good if it was left blank. But she could have fudged the dates and she hadn’t. One point to her.
And none of that was his problem, since he hadn’t made the decision to hire her. He just had to do his best with that decision. “Come inside.”
“I just have to get some things from the car if y’all want to go on ahead.”
“Can I take something?” he asked.
“No, I’m used to this.” She opened the trunk, and he saw a couple suitcases inside. She grabbed a briefcase and several tubes that probably contained blueprints.
“Is that everything?” When she nodded, he closed it up and said, “Follow me.”
Alex was normally a “ladies first” kind of guy, but if he walked in front, he wouldn’t have to look at the way that tight little skirt wrapped her world-class butt in silk. And just like that he got an image of tangled legs and twisted sheets with all that long shiny brown hair of hers spread out on a white pillow.
Whoa. Alex couldn’t believe he’d just thought about sex with this woman. Then again, he reasoned, it had been a long time. This reaction wasn’t personal, just a man’s normal response to a pretty lady.
He opened the trailer door and let her precede him inside. “After you.”
“If y’all don’t mind I’ll just get to work and make up for lost time.” She looked around. “Is it all right if I use that desk?”
“Help yourself,” he answered.
She walked across the room and put down her expensive leather briefcase and gigantic purse, and let the unwieldy tubes fall haphazardly on the flat surface. She pulled out her laptop and opened it, all business now. But, damn it, she’d just driven in from the airport after a crappy trip, and the silence after her Southern fried soliloquy felt all wrong.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” He pointed to the corner, where a pot was set up on a small table.
“Oh, Lord, no thank you. I think my head would explode.”
“I guess you’re staying at Blackwater Lake Lodge?”
“Actually no. They couldn’t confirm a reservation for the length of my stay.”
“I’m surprised.” He walked over and rested a hip on the corner of the desk, then leveled a friendly smile at her. He’d been told it could bring a woman to her knees, but that wasn’t his intention. He needed this job to come in early and on budget—in other words, go smoothly. The best way to make that happen was for the two of them to get along.
“I was told that spring and summer bookings are really up this year.”
“That might have something to do with the recent publicity generated by the hotel’s new executive manager. Camille Halliday,” he added.
Ellie’s brows pulled together thoughtfully. “Why does that name sound familiar?”
“She’s part of the Halliday Hospitality family and apparently something of a wild child in her youth.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Right around the time I was here before there was a lot of talk about the press hounding her and a picture in the paper of her kissing your brother.”
“That’s right.”
She nodded. “I met with Dr. McKnight, and he couldn’t have been sweeter to me. Dr. Stone, too. We had several conversations