Page 30 of Fortune’s Control (Fortune’s Creek #1)

I wiped my eyes, took a sip of tea, and returned to the spreadsheet. Sam and Sophie busied themselves with the pretty, but less interesting, part of our presentation, while I stayed buried in the numbers.

“And…done!” Sophie clapped her hands together before raising both arms above her head. “How does it look?”

“Give me a minute.” I saved the final draft on my end and sent it to her. “Copy this part in, and we’re done. Officially done.” I stood behind Sophie’s chair to admire our handiwork. “Amazing. Great photography work, Sam. You brought the town to life.”

Sam’s first love would always be fishing, but photography wasn’t far behind.

Photos interspersed the presentation, including the gray lady and Aiden’s recent commercial enterprise.

A picture of the local cemetery captured its solemn purpose and sense of history.

The bench where Aiden and I started our friendship peeked in at the bottom left corner.

“It’s easy if you’ve spent your life here.” Sam tugged on his fisherman’s hat and blushed. “You ladies did fine work today. I’m real proud.”

“What’s next?” I asked.

Sophie answered, “Our presentation. I leave early tomorrow morning, but I’ll return for that part.”

The word our implied a we. I gulped. “Who delivers the presentation?”

“All three of us. We need you to explain these numbers because they don’t make a lick of sense to me,” Sam said.

“Oh.” I was fired while preparing my last one.

Shane walked through the kitchen door, with Jack right behind him.

“You’re back.” Aiden shoved another brownie in his mouth and opened the fridge. “You need more milk.”

Shane frowned. “There’s plenty.”

“Correction. There was plenty.” Aiden poured another glass and threw the empty carton away.

“Come see this.” I beckoned Shane over. “Look at what Sam and Sophie created. It’s stunning work.”

He scanned the slides before stopping at one. “That’s familiar.” Shane stared at the narrow street with live oaks and Spanish moss. “It’s in Pete’s store.” He looked up at Sam.

“You aren’t the only artist in town, son.

Dates with my fishing pole leave plenty of time for snapping a few pictures.

” Sam pulled up his fisherman’s cap to smooth back his white hair.

“It’s time for us to go. We’ll be seeing you at the baseball game.

I expect another win against Panther Springs.

Our town’s pride is in your hands.” He patted Shane’s shoulder. “You as well, Jack.”

“It was uneventful,” Aiden said, outing himself as the day’s appointed guard. He picked up the plate of brownies. “I’m taking these with me for dinner since I’m on call tonight. The life of a volunteer firefighter never ends.”

“Are you staying for dinner?” Shane asked Jack once they left.

Sophie tensed at the question. “It’s been a long day, so I’m going to bed.” She left the kitchen without a backward glance.

I glanced out the nearest window to make sure, but the sun still shone in a bright blue sky.

“That was for me.” Jack raised his brows, resigned. “I’ll head out as well. Maybe steal some of those brownies from Aiden before they’re all gone.”

“And only two remained.” Shane winked before kissing me. “The best two. I’ll start on dinner.”

“I made those brownies for dessert.”

“It’s a good thing I picked up ice cream. ”

“I’d forgotten. Did you get chocolate?”

“They were out of chocolate.”

I choked because that should be impossible. “What kind of store runs out of chocolate ice cream?” Fortune’s Creek contained the first independent grocery store I’d seen. Small, but packed with everything we needed. “I suppose it’s possible.”

“Why don’t you tell me about the presentation while I cook?”

*****

“You sit down while I clean up.” I took our plates to the kitchen sink and turned on the faucet.

“That’s unnecessary.”

“You made dinner. It’s only fair I clean up.”

“That’s incorrect.” Shane sidled up behind me to pull the hair off my neck. “That’s not how we do things here.”

I set the dirty plate in the sink and leaned against him. “Then instruct me.” I pressed my lips together, knowing what he was about to say.

“In this house, you sit and relax while I clean up. So, sit down and relax.” There it was.

I put my hand under the water, forming a shallow cup, and flung. Shane drew back and wiped the water off his face.

“You splashed me.”

“I did.” My shoulders shook.

“Are you pleased with yourself?”

“Very proud.” A laugh escaped despite my best efforts, and Shane joined. “We’ll do it together, and that’s an order.”

Shane washed a few dirty pots while I loaded the dishwasher. The counters and stovetop were next.

“Do you want some hot tea with the ice cream?” Shane asked.

“Hot tea at night and iced coffee in the morning. I don’t make the rules.”

He shook his head and turned on the electric kettle.

I pulled the carton of ice cream from the freezer and reread the label. Strawberries were delicious, but I’d looked forward to a chocolate dessert all day. Aiden took my brownies, so those were no longer an option.

“Can you get the bowls?”

Shane grabbed the carton from my hands and stuck it back in the freezer. “I can’t do this.”

My heart pounded. “What do you mean?” The finality of his statement terrified me.

“It’s not what you want. Hold on.” He grabbed the phone in his pocket and dialed. “Jack, I need a favor.”

He’s kicking me out in exchange for Jack?

Shane, unaware of my panic, continued. “I am not doing it again. I used the word favor, which implies a request instead of an order. Get a pie from the Creekside Diner. See if they have a chocolate peanut butter pie. Wait. Hold on.” He pulled the phone away.

“You do like chocolate and peanut butter together, right?”

“It’s the world’s most perfect combination.”

He’s bringing me pie.

“Yes, one of those, and while you’re there, get one for yourself. On me. Thanks.” He ended the call.

I covered my mouth. “Is he coming? I can’t believe you did that.”

“Jack might be a little upset, but it’s worth it. Dessert is served in fifteen minutes.”

Dinner, a movie, and conversation.

Bliss.

**** *

“You bought four pies? Why would you bring us four pies?” Shane asked.

I had a more important question. “What kind are they?”

Aiden and Dean followed Jack through the still-open kitchen door.

“One for each of us,” Jack explained. He set the four boxes on the table and held out one hand. “You promised to pay me back.”

Shane’s jaw tightened. “This feels like a setup.” He opened his wallet and pulled out several bills. “I thought you were volunteering tonight,” he said to Aiden.

“Not yet. That was an excuse, so I didn’t feel guilty about taking your entire plate of brownies with me. I cleaned the plate before returning it.”

Aiden held up a plate. I took it, setting it next to the sink for another rinse.

“And you?” Shane shot at Dean.

Dean held up his hands like a man surrendering. “Innocent bystander. I was finishing up dinner when Jack walked into the diner.”

“We planned to watch a movie. Does anyone want to join us?” I asked.

Shane opened the pie boxes while I fetched some knives.

“Is Sophie around?” Jack asked.

His mumbled question caught me by surprise. “Why don’t I see if she’ll join us?”

*****

“Your tea.” Shane set a mug on the table and took the empty seat beside me. “This night veered off course, didn’t it?” he whispered.

“I’m still enjoying it.”

Sophie walked into the family room, earning stares from all four men.

“What? You’ve never seen a woman comfortable in her own home before?

” She stared down at her bunny slippers and flannel pajama pants with a shrug.

I suspected the oversized sweatshirt and pigtails also earned some curiosity. “What are we watching?”

“Lilah gets to pick,” Shane said.

“Where’s your friend?” Aiden asked as the television came to life. “She never said goodbye.”

His sudden question caught me off guard. “Emma? She has a boyfriend, remember?”

“Irrelevant,” he said. Aiden took a bite of coconut cream pie. “This is amazing. Also, tell her to be here for our next game.”

“Why?” Shane asked.

“Also not relevant.” Aiden’s shuttered expression let us know he wasn’t ready to explain.

Dean crossed his arms and took pity on his twin brother. “I have no opinion on the movie selection, as long as it starts soon.”

“What are we watching?” Sophie asked again.

“Probably a RomCom,” Aiden guessed.

Shane laughed. “Oh, no, it won’t be that.”

I grinned and rubbed my hands together. “It’s one of my favorites. Almost everyone on the planet dies in an explosion, and then it gets gruesome.”

Several jaws dropped open at once.

“I told you guys.” Shane kissed me as the movie started. “Isn’t she great?”

“Never forget I made this happen,” Aiden said.

Jack and Dean shushed him, and we all quieted

Shane leaned forward to remove his prosthetic.

“Is your leg bothering you?”

“It’s a little tired, nothing unusual. ”

Warmth filled me. I snuggled against him and took a bite of my chocolate and peanut butter pie.

“Our night isn’t over yet,” Shane whispered. He dropped an arm over my shoulder, drawing me even closer. “Thank you.”

His expression stopped me from asking what for as his soft smile and relaxed features already answered the question.

The blooming warmth inside me spread, bringing contentment and joy the longer I watched him. It was an odd feeling, both soft and intense, and one I recognized.