Chapter 15

“Oh.” What else could she say? Money didn’t guarantee good character, but this man wasn’t who she thought she’d met.

CEO huh? That meant graduate degree. Most of Michelle’s boyfriends thought junior year of high school was plenty of education. Her sister would have it made if her plans went through and she and Nolan ended up together. Not that money was the most important thing, but security…she and Michelle would never, ever take that for granted, even after so many safe, good years with Gran and Grandad.

Candace drank the last of her coffee and decided she’d better eat something to settle her churning stomach. Not peanut butter and tissue paper-white bread. “Do you have any bran cereal?”.

“Do I look like someone who has bran cereal?” Michelle pretended to be insulted. “You want prune juice, too, granny? Guess what. Don’t have that, either.”

Candace stalked to the cereal cabinet. She liked high-fiber breakfasts because she stayed full longer and had less trouble keeping her weight in check. She wasn’t like Michelle who could eat sticks of butter all day long dipped in chocolate batter and deep-fried and not gain an ounce.

“Lucky Charms? Cocoa Puffs?” She stared in exaggerated horror, pushed boxes aside. “Oh, thank God, Raisin Bran.”

“Raisin Bran?” Michelle frowned, mouth full of peanut butter. “Better check the expiration.”

“December of this year. It’s fresh.” Candace got down a blue-rimmed bowl, pulled open a drawer for a familiar spoon. It felt good being in this house again; it felt like home. “Maybe one of your old boyfriends was a closet bran-eater.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged as if she thought it extremely unlikely. “So when are you leaving?”

“Want me out of the way before you jump Nolan, huh.” The joke came out more bitterly than she’d intended; she dumped too much cereal in her bowl and had to put some back. She knew she was intruding on Michelle’s life, but her sister’s impatience to get rid of her hurt.

“No, I know you’re anxious to get to Langford, and since you get now that Nolan is not my usual guy—”

“You want me out as soon as possible.”

“No! I want to make sure we have dinner at a new restaurant—new to you—on North Avenue that I think you’d like.” Michelle laughed ruefully. “Will we ever be able to communicate normally?”

“Probably not.” She crossed the kitchen and gave Michelle a long hug. “You and me?”

The phrase was one they’d used often when their mother was out of the house or out of commission. Michelle squeezed her, then let go. “You and me.”

“What, I’m not invited?”

“Hey, Nolan!” Michelle’s face lit up. “How was your second night?”

“Better than the first. And also not as good.” He winked at Candace, who immediately turned to pour herself another cup of coffee, though more stimulation was the last thing she needed. He wore a loose T-shirt and khaki shorts, bare feet, his dark hair tousled appealingly; he moved with a lumbering swagger that was so masculine her mouth was practically watering.

Michelle laughed as if she’d never heard anything so clever in her life, though she obviously didn’t get the joke or she wouldn’t have found it funny.

“Good morning, Candace.”

“Hi there.” She tossed the greeting over her shoulder, safe by the coffeemaker. “Glad you slept well.”

“Did you?”

“Sure.” Not. Even with her new sleeping pill—but not the second one this time—she’d had a hard time dropping off, lying in the bed she’d slept alone in for over a decade. One night with Nolan and it was as if he belonged there with her. She wished she’d taken the guest room after all.

“So what’s on the calendar today, roomies? Looks like Candace got a jump on the cleaning.” He started opening cabinets. “Mugs here? Whoa, someone likes candles.”

“We ate by candlelight all winter. Gran said it chased away the gloom of early darkness. She bought them by the case. Mugs are here.”

Michelle got down a Green Bay Packers mug for him, apparently unconcerned to be caught wearing only a shirt, which lifted and clung sexily when she reached into the cabinet, though Nolan didn’t seem to notice. Er, not that Candace had meant to check for his reaction.

Sigh. Sometimes, Candace wished she was more like her sister. Not very often. But if Nolan had come down while she was half-naked, she’d have turned beet-red and run from the room to put on sweatpants.

“Candace cleans when she’s upset.”

“Oh?” He moved next to her—too close, she felt her whole body wanting to lean into his tall strength—and poured himself a cup of coffee. “You upset?”

“No. No.” She inched away, sat at the kitchen counter and sent Michelle a look of death behind his back. “I’m fine.”

“Good to hear. Can you pass the Raisin Bran?”

“What?” Michelle jumped to get him a bowl. “You like Raisin Bran, too?”

“I have it every morning. Creature of habit.”

“Then this is your box.” Candace knew there had to be some reason Michelle had healthy cereal in her cabinet. “I’m sorry, I had no idea—”

“I think I can spare you a bowl of Raisin Bran.” He grinned and took the box, sat on the stool next to her across from Michelle, to Candace’s intense but not altogether unpleasant discomfort. “Especially after what I put you through.”

“Oh. Well.” Dammit, she was blushing again. “That’s…it’s…I don’t—”

“So what are you doing today, Nolan ?” Michelle had the slightest edge to her bright tone. “I promised Nick—he’s my coworker—that I’d shop with him for a surprise for his girlfriend’s birthday, then I’m at Habitat for Humanity this afternoon. You coming?”

“Yes, after lunch. I’m going to stay close to home this morning. Get settled in. What about you, Candace?”

He got milk from the fridge and handed it to her; she tried not to notice how easy it was for him to hold the full gallon at arm’s length. Oh, what she’d missed by being asleep that first night, and not being able to see or experience fully what—“Milk?”

Oh, help, she was still staring. He’d asked her something else, too. “I…don’t really…I should get going…Rosehill.” She shook her head at the milk, completely disgusted. Could she not even come up with a complete sentence?

“Stay another day. I don’t think I’ve convinced you I’m a good guy yet.” He took the milk jug back. “I’ll take you both out to dinner tonight.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Nolan , that is so sweet.” Michelle reached across the counter and squeezed his forearm, then rubbed up and down before she let go. “We accept.”