One and Only Read online

  She opened the freezer door. “I have something that will take your mind off the pain.”

  “Ice cream?” Blake said hopefully.

  “Nearly. Lemon sorbet. If nothing else, it will make your taste buds stand to attention.” She scooped the icy dessert into two bowls and gave one to Blake. “Tess made it yesterday.”

  “Tess?”

  “The owner of Angel Wings Café. It’s on Main Street.”

  “Beside a florist and women’s fashion boutique?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “What do you think?”

  “Of Tess’ café or the sorbet?”

  “Both.”

  Blake ate a spoonful of the sorbet. “This is delicious and I like her café. They make the best buttermilk pancakes I’ve ever tasted.”

  “I met Sarah at the café. Apart from the wonderful food, it’s a great place to meet people.”

  They ate the rest of their dessert in an easy silence. It never failed to amaze Elizabeth how comfortable she was around Blake. But it hadn’t always been that way. When she was twenty-one, she’d made a complete idiot of herself and told him she loved him. But after all the embarrassment that came with being rejected by your brother’s best friend, he’d never treated her any differently.

  Elizabeth tilted her head to the side. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but when are you going back to Manhattan?”

  Blake looked uncomfortable. The Epsom salt must still be burning his blisters. “I wanted to talk to you about that.”

  “About going home?”

  He nodded.

  She stared at his clenched jaw. A horrible thought popped into her mind. “No. Absolutely not.”

  “What?”

  “You can’t stay here. I don’t need you to babysit me.”

  Blake frowned. “A couple minutes ago, you told me I should work fewer hours.”

  “I didn’t mean you needed to work fewer hours here. You’ve got a life in New York City.” She leaned forward and hoped he was joking. “Your friends are there. For all I know you could have a harem of women at your beck and call. And don’t forget your staff. You still need to meet with them and make sure they’re on track.”

  “That’s exactly what I thought.”

  Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. It was all very well treating Blake like a friend when he lived two thousand miles away. If he stayed in Bozeman for much longer, she’d have to stop seeing him so often. Because regardless of what her mom used to say, absence didn’t make her heart grow fonder. It kept Blake exactly where he needed to be. In friend status.

  “I’m glad we got that sorted,” Elizabeth said. “How are your feet?”

  “Better. So you’ve got no problem with me moving to Bozeman?”

  “What?”

  Blake flinched. “There’s no need to yell.”

  “There’s every need to yell. You can’t move to Bozeman.”

  “Yes, I can.”

  “What about your business?”

  “I’m bringing my development team here. I’ll leave the rest of my staff in Manhattan until I see how this works.”

  Elizabeth thought of all the reasons why this wasn’t a good idea. “What about your apartment?”

  “It will still be there when I get back.”

  A ray of light shone on Elizabeth’s darkest thoughts. “This isn’t a forever move?”

  “I’m not sure. It depends on a lot of things.” Blake paused and looked at his empty bowl. “Daniel has been pestering me for months about moving here. You said yourself that Bozeman is a great place to live.”

  “I meant for me, not you.”

  Blake shrugged. “We’re not that different.”

  Elizabeth dropped her head to her chest. Four months ago, she was working in Cedar Rapids, thinking about how she could make her dreams come true. Now here she was, up to her eyeballs in debt with a criminal harassing her and Blake ready to move to Bozeman. If was enough to make her cry.

  “It’s not easy finding somewhere to rent.” Elizabeth was trying hard to make Blake change his mind. She wanted to see less of him, not more. “You’ll need a commercial space with enough room for your staff. Apart from being incredibly expensive, landlords want long-term tenants.”

  She didn’t like the gleam in Blake’s eyes.

  “Already sorted,” he said. “I bought the Montana Motor Supply building. My team will be in their new office in three weeks.”

  Elizabeth’s shoulders slumped forward. “Tell me you’re joking.”

  “I’ve never been more serious.”

  “It’s a lot to ask someone to move to Bozeman. What if they don’t like it here?”

  Blake smiled. “I know what you’re up to and it won’t work.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Of course you don’t. But you’ve forgotten one important detail. Most of my staff are less than thirty years old, unmarried, with no children. Living in Montana is a dream come true. Not only are they close to a world-class ski resort, but there are hiking trails everywhere, no smog or traffic congestion, and some of their friends are already here.”

  “In Bozeman?”

  Blake nodded. “The local tech companies are full of mathematic and computer science graduates.”

  Elizabeth sighed. Her life had just gotten a lot more complicated. “Where are you planning to live while you’re here?” She crossed her fingers, hoping Blake wasn’t staying at Daniel’s house.

  “I’m not sure yet. The realtor is keeping a lookout for a suitable property.”

  “Suitable?”

  “Yeah, you know. Indoor swimming pool, ten bedrooms, gourmet kitchen, and enough land to set up my own golf course.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes widened. Sometimes she forgot how much money Blake had inherited. “It must be hard being a billionaire.”

  Blake tapped the end of her nose. “I’m joking—although I’ve always thought owning a barn would be great.”

  “What would you do with a barn?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe I could buy my own rooster.”

  “Or park your expensive cars inside.”

  “That, too. Do you want to watch a movie? There’s a Back to the Future rerun on TV.”

  Elizabeth picked up her jacket. “Not tonight. I need to look through some funding information a friend sent me.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “No, but thanks. See you in the morning.” And before she could do something crazy, like watch a movie, she left the kitchen.

  Some things were best dealt with head on, and others were better left alone. Blake, with all his obvious charm, fell into the ‘left alone’ category. So she did. Leave him alone, that is.

  Blake jogged up the stairs to the loft above Daniel’s garage. He knocked on the door, hoping Elizabeth was at least out of bed.

  When she didn’t reply, he called her cell phone. It was eight o’clock. She never slept late, even on Saturdays.

  When her phone went to voice mail, he tried the door again. “Elizabeth? Are you in there?”

  He heard a door opening below him. With one last glance at his cell phone, he headed downstairs.

  Elizabeth stood with her hands on her hips, scowling at him. “What can be so urgent that you need to scream half the house down to get my attention?”

  “Melody called—she’s the realtor who’s helping me find a house. A property has come on the market that she thinks is perfect for me. Do you want to see it?”

  Elizabeth looked down at her old jeans and thick purple sweater. “I’m not exactly dressed for house hunting.”

  Blake’s gaze skimmed the well-worn denim and fluffy sweater. As far as he was concerned, she looked good enough to do anything.

  “You’ll be fine. We need to leave in ten minutes.”

  Elizabeth stomped chunks of snow off her boots. “Why the rush?”

  “Melody hasn’t seen a property like this in a long time. She’s worried that if I leave it too l
ong, someone else will buy it.”

  “That sound familiar. Are you sure all realtors don’t say the same thing?”

  “I trust her.”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Okay, I’ll come with you. What if I don’t like the house?”

  “Tell me. You probably know what I need better than most people.”

  “If your fantasy house includes a huge garage, a room dedicated to your movie addiction, and a man cave with all the latest techno-whizzy gadgets, then I’m all yours.”

  “You forgot the wine cellar.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “I’ll change out of my jeans and meet you at the front door in five minutes.”

  Blake moved out of her way as she headed toward the stairs. Between the two of them, he knew they’d make the right decision. It was just a pity they couldn’t agree on much else.

  Blake parked his truck and stared at the house beside them.

  “Is this the right home?” Elizabeth asked.

  “It is.”

  “Wow.”

  Blake agreed with her. The two-story house looked like something out of a fairytale. The wide front veranda was framed by two turrets rising into the roofline. Four sets of dormer windows would let a lot of light into the upstairs rooms. And the long annex promised even better things for his collection of cars.

  Elizabeth turned in her seat. “Sam has arrived.”

  Before they’d left, Blake had called Sam to let her know where they were going. He wasn’t going to risk anything happening to Elizabeth.

  He pointed to a red truck parked in the driveway. “Melody is already here. Let’s go and say hello.”

  By the time Blake introduced Elizabeth and Sam to Melody he was really looking forward to seeing the inside of the home.

  Melody was a petite brunette with a good business brain. He’d been impressed with the way she negotiated the sale of the building he’d bought. And what was better, she hadn’t wasted his time by showing him buildings that weren’t what he needed.

  “Welcome to our latest listing,” Melody said. “This home is just over ten thousand square feet. It has eight bedrooms, five fireplaces, a wine room, a home theater, and custom bar. At the back of the property, the dining area opens onto an expansive deck that has a wonderful view of the ranges.” She smiled at Blake. “It also has a heated six-car garage.”

  His heart leaped. “Six?” He’d thought three would be pushing it, but six. He could take each of his cars out of storage, bring them to Montana and drive them around town.

  Elizabeth nudged him. “You haven’t seen inside the house, yet.”

  “I can’t help it. Six cars. It’s perfect.”

  Melody opened the front door. “You’ll love the interior.”

  As they toured the house, Blake stopped counting the number of chandeliers and ornate mirrors he saw. The house was beyond what he’d expected to find. When they reached the kitchen, Elizabeth looked as though she’d fallen in love. Even Sam seemed impressed.

  “This is amazing.” Elizabeth ran her hand over the white marble counters.

  Stainless steel appliances, more blingy lights, and dark gray cabinets turned the kitchen into a showstopper.

  Melody opened the large French doors that led onto the deck. “There’s an outdoor kitchen on the right-hand side, complete with a pizza oven and grill.”

  Blake walked onto the deck and leaned against the wooden rail. The view was spectacular. If he wanted a home that gave him everything he couldn’t find in Manhattan, this was it.

  Elizabeth stood beside him.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  “It’s big.”

  “And?”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “But?”

  “I’ll reserve my judgment until I’ve seen the rest of the house.”

  Blake didn’t know if that meant she liked the property or not.

  “Shall we look inside the garage?” Melody asked.

  The realtor’s voice cut across the dilemma circling inside his head. He’d thought he wanted a big house, something he could get lost in. But now that he was here, he wasn’t so sure. For the first time in his life, getting lost in a house wasn’t appealing. He wanted a home, somewhere he could return to each night and enjoy. For all its glamour and sophistication, this wasn’t it. But he still wanted to see the garage.

  As they walked along the hallway they passed five bedrooms, an exercise room, and a sauna.

  Elizabeth didn’t say much, but her wide-eyed gaze soaked in everything.

  When he stepped into the garage he thought he’d found heaven. White walls gleamed under fluorescent lights. A pit, complete with every tool you could possibly need, sat on one side of the room. Three of the six parking spaces held customized cars. He walked closer, as impressed with the owner’s cars as he was by the garage.

  When he saw the Ferrari, he let out a low whistle.

  “It doesn’t come with the house,” Elizabeth whispered.

  “This is a one of a kind, customized Ferrari 458 Italia. Whoever owns this knows their supercars.”

  “Maybe you could visit the owner and trade stories?”

  He peered inside the window. The deep blue leather seats looked incredible beside the mahogany dashboard. His Ferrari would look like a country bumpkin compared to this sleek model.

  “What do you think of the garage?” Melody asked.

  He moved around the car, absorbing every detail the owner had customized. “Does the Ferrari come with the purchase price?”

  Melody smiled. “I could ask.”

  Instead of making him more interested in buying the house, a sick feeling settled in his stomach. Money could buy most things in life. And if there was one thing Blake had a lot of, it was money.

  He couldn’t work out why he was feeling so depressed. Melody was showing him exactly what he’d asked for. The house had all the bedrooms, views, and garaging he could ever want. But something didn’t feel right, and it had nothing to do with the property.

  “Are you all right?” Elizabeth asked.

  “This isn’t the one. The house is too big, too—”

  “Much?”

  “Exactly.”

  “The kitchen is nice.” Elizabeth’s straight face made him smile.

  “You love the kitchen.”

  “I do, but I don’t want to influence your decision. This house has a lot going for it.”

  “Like the garage.” Blake looked around the perfect man cave and sighed.

  “You can’t buy a house because of the garage.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you don’t live in the garage. The rest of the house has to be amazing, too.”

  Blake liked the sound of finding an amazing house. This one just wasn’t it. He turned to Melody. “I know I asked for big, but this is too much of a show pony. I want something more…” he tried to think of the words that would describe what was missing. “…family oriented. I couldn’t imagine living here.”

  Melody didn’t seem the least bit fazed. “At least you know what you don’t want. Do you have time to view another property?”

  Blake looked at Elizabeth and Sam. “Do you want to see another house?”

  Elizabeth smiled. “It will be a hardship looking at another beautiful home, but I’ll manage. Do you want to join us, Sam?”

  “I go where you go.”

  Melody opened her laptop and set it on a workbench. “These are the photographs of the property I think you’ll like. It’s not far from here, so the location works.”

  Blake scrolled through the images.

  Melody pointed to a photo of a huge bedroom. “That’s the master suite. There are four other bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large open-plan family, dining, and kitchen area.”

  He stopped at the photo of the garage. Only three spaces for vehicles.

  Elizabeth looked over his shoulder. “Is there room to extend the garage?”

  “More than enough,” Melody said. “The house
is in the middle of an acre of landscaped gardens.”

  Blake looked at the listing price. “How long has it been on the market?”

  “Two weeks.”

  Properties were selling quickly in Bozeman. He was surprised it was still available. “I’m interested in seeing it.”

  Melody smiled. “In that case, let’s go.” She pulled three brochures out of a folder. “This is the address. If you’re not sure where to go, follow me.”

  Blake glanced at Elizabeth. When she smiled, he knew he’d made the right decision about bringing her with him.

  Elizabeth opened a kitchen cupboard in the second house. So far, she liked this home better than the last one. But that could be because it wasn’t as big or as imposing. Instead of flaunting the most expensive fixtures and fittings, this house had an understated elegance.

  With its wooden floors, beautiful stone fireplaces and vaulted ceilings, she could live here herself.

  “What do you think?” Sam asked.

  “I love it,” she whispered. “But don’t tell Blake. I don’t want to influence his decision.”

  “Isn’t that why he asked you to come here?”

  “It is, but I’m not sure I love it for him. His apartment in Manhattan is all glass and chrome, a lot like the last house.”

  “But he didn’t like that one.”

  “True.” Elizabeth thought about Blake’s reaction to the last house. She’d been a little surprised that he’d turned it down so quickly. Blake was the type of person who surrounded himself with the best life could offer. And the last house had every bell and whistle known to mankind.

  She walked toward the wall of French doors that opened onto a large deck. The view from this property was similar to the one they’d just seen. Unlike the last house, you could walk straight onto the backyard from the deck. It didn’t have an outdoor kitchen or a spa pool, but it did have the room to create a great entertaining area.

  She opened one of the doors and breathed in the clean, sweet smell of pine and snow.

  Sam joined her. “It’s lovely out here. Imagine what it would be like in the summer.”

  From out of nowhere, Elizabeth imagined a dog playing on the grass with two young boys. They’d have so much fun, dodging between the trees, playing hide and seek and laughing at each other.