United States of Love

Contents

Sue Fortin

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Six

Love Romance?

About HarperImpulse

Copyright

About the Publisher

Sue Fortin

Lover of cake, Dragonflies and France. Hater of calories, maths and snakes. I was born in Hertfordshire but had a nomadic childhood, moving often with my family, and for a time I did actually think my name was ‘The New Girl’. However, having lived in West Sussex all my adult life, it does feel like home and I do now know what my name is! In my previous life, aka before children, I worked in various secretarial/PA roles before admitting defeat at juggling a career with four tiddly-peeps, and left the world of paid employment to rediscover my love of writing.

To my family, with all my love, for all your love.

Chapter One

It was her hair that caught his attention first: short cropped and blonde. White blonde. It was her neat little figure second, and it was the car coming up the road as she stepped backwards off the sidewalk that he noticed last.

Tex Garcia felt like he was moving in slow motion as he lunged towards her, grabbing her arm and hauling her out of the car’s path. She slammed into his chest, and in a reflex gesture he engulfed her in his arms as the car sped by, missing her by inches.

‘Whoa! You got some sort of death wish?’ He looked down at her. Staring back up at him were two startled and confused mossy-green eyes. ‘You just nearly got yourself run over.’

She looked up the road at the offending vehicle as it disappeared out of sight. ‘Th … thank you,’ she stammered. ‘I didn’t see it.’

‘You don’t say.’ He crooked a smile.

‘Well, I think the danger is over now, so maybe you could…’ She regarded his arms still firmly around her. ‘Perhaps release me?’

‘What? Oh, sorry.’ Tex dropped his hands and took a step back. Then, as a precautionary measure, put a hand on her arm and drew her away from the edge of the sidewalk and into the forecourt of the church building. He looked up at his new business premises, wondering what had distracted her. She had been gazing up at the building, poised with a camera in her hand.

She followed his gaze. ‘It’s going to be a pizza place.’ He didn’t miss the derogatory tone in her voice.

‘Really?’ He stole a glance at her from the corner of his eye.

‘Hmm. Apparently some Italian chef has bought it. Nico Garcia. Although I have to admit, I thought Garcia was a Hispanic name.’

‘You don’t sound too impressed.’

‘Ignoring the potential for noisy scooters whining up and down with their delivery boxes full of pizza, I dread to think what will happen to the building itself. I just hope that the planning department doesn’t let this Nico Garcia ruin it.’

Tex sucked in the corners of his mouth to repress the grin that was threatening to erupt. ‘What makes you think it will be ruined?’

‘Not being British, he may not appreciate how old this building really is. It’s got so much history and, okay, it hasn’t been used as a church for a long time now, but it has always retained its dignity.’ She wandered over to the entrance and reached out to touch the solid oak doors. ‘It would be awful if these were changed to some modern glass ones, or those gorgeous leaded and stained glass windows swapped for big, white plastic, double-glazed ones.’

This time Tex couldn’t censor his grin or the small chuckle. He had actually been thinking about changing those old windows with plain glass to let some more light into the place. She turned and looked at him, her eyebrows darting together. He swallowed down his laugh and put on a straight face.

‘You’re quite passionate about it, aren’t you?’

The frown lifted as she shrugged. ‘I love Arundel. This town’s got so much history. I work part-time as a tour guide so I suppose I’ve grown quite fond of some of the buildings, even if they don’t warrant a mention on the tours.’

He nodded, and as she looked up at the building again, he took the opportunity to appreciate a different view: her neat butt. She swung round too quickly for him to avert his eyes, and for a moment he wondered whether she was some sort of feminist who was about to slap his face. To his relief, it appeared she wasn’t. Instead, she began to inspect her camera and presumably the photos she had taken of the church.

He leant over her shoulder, peering at the small digital screen, taking time to breathe in the soft vanilla fragrance that floated around her hair.

‘What are the photos for?’

‘I like to keep a record of the town. Before and after shots of how things change and develop. I might make a book of them all one day.’

‘Social history in pictures.’

She turned to look at him. ‘Yeah, something like that.’ Switching off her camera, she moved slightly away. ‘You’re American, right?’

‘Sure am,’ replied Tex, tipping his forehead with his fingers in a slack salute.

‘On holiday?’

‘No. Actually, I’ve lived in the UK for five years now.’ He drove down the churning in his gut. It always happened when he thought about his move here and what he had left behind.

‘Oh, I see. If you were a tourist I was going to sign you up for a guided tour.’ She smiled at him. ‘My boss is always nagging me, so at least today I can say I tried. And speaking of which, I had better get on. I’ve got a tour in five minutes and I’ve got to get up to the cathedral yet.’

Tex was aware that a slither of disappointment eked its way through him as she made to head off.

She paused. ‘There’s an open evening here tonight. Get to meet the new owner.’

‘You going?’ he asked.

‘Too right. I need to check out the competition.’

Tex raised his eyebrows in question. ‘Competition?’ She looked so sincere, he almost felt guilty for his deception. Maybe deception was too harsh a word. More like withholding information.

She pointed vaguely in the direction of a building further along the road. ‘I also work in the tea rooms down there a couple of days a week, so I’m curious to find out if we have anything to worry about and what exactly this Nico Garcia has planned.’

He grinned. ‘You never know, you might be pleasantly surprised.’

‘I’m not holding my breath.’

‘I’ll be there tonight. Will be interesting to see your reaction.’ Had he blown it? She was looking at him strangely. He held out his hand, hoping to distract her. ‘My name’s Tex, by the way.’

‘Anna.’

As she put her hand in his, he couldn’t help noticing how small it looked and how soft it felt against his own rough fingertips.

Something akin to an electric shock zipped right through her when she shook his hand. The same something she had been fully aware of when he had leant on her shoulder to look at the camera. It was unnerving. Aware, too, that her heart was now doing its usual skippy thing it always did when she felt attracted toward someone. Anna made a supreme effort to walk calmly away from Tex. It only took several paces before her resolve weakened and she found herself turning round to look at him. He was standing there, hands stuffed in his jeans pocket, watching her.

‘Oh, by the way,’ she heard herself call out. ‘Thank you for saving me!’

He tipped his forehead in that lazy, mock-salute way he had done earlier and treated her to what she could only describe as a laconic Paul Newman smile.

As Anna walked away, she was already mentally going through her wardrobe wondering what to wear that night, and then chided herself. Of course, had he, Tex, not been going, she probably wouldn’t even be thinking about it, but now it seemed incredibly important that she looked nice. ‘Get a grip,’ she said out loud. ‘You’re thirty-five, separated from your husband and definitely don’t need another relationship just yet.’

Despite this pep talk, throughout the guided tour that afternoon, no matter how hard she tried to dismiss thoughts of him, her mind kept conjuring up images of the tall American. The dark brown eyes encased in thick lashes, the dark hair brushed back from his face, a few strands falling forwards. And all set off against a honey-toned complexion.

The main hall of the old United Reformed Church was beginning to fill up with guests, mostly local traders. It was probably out of curiosity rather than any real desire to welcome him into their community with open arms, but Tex wasn’t worried. This way he hoped he would be able to win them over. He had hired in a local outside catering company to organise the food and drinks, as a gesture of his willingness to fit in and support his new neighbours. The fact that the church kitchens were so primitive and in no fit state for him to be able to do justice to any food he cooked, was neither here nor there.

‘You all right, mate?’ It was Jamie, a long-established friend and former colleague of his. ‘Not a bad turn out, eh?’

Tex nodded, thinking yeah, sure it was going okay but shame there was no sign of the little blonde from earlier. Anna. Before he could commiserate further, Yvonne, Jamie’s wife, skipped over.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek before picking up a vol-au-vent from her plate and biting into it. ‘Hiya, Tex. I have to say this food is really lovely. I think this company could give you a run for your money.’

Tex gave her a look of mock reproach. ‘You hush your mouth there, little lady,’ he said, exaggerating his southern drawl.

Yvonne laughed. ‘I do love it when you go and get all cowboy on me, Tex.’

Jamie gave Tex a nudge. ‘That bloke over there, the one looking at your plans.’ He nodded towards the centre table where the architect’s drawings had been carefully laid out around a scale model and cross section of the new premises. ‘See him? I think I overheard him saying he was from the local Chamber of Commerce. Didn’t know if you needed to go and sweet-talk him.’

Tex followed his friend’s gaze, and sighed. ‘I suppose I’d better.’

Tiresome as it was having to suck up to the local hierarchy, he knew it was a necessary evil and so headed off towards the middle-aged, bearded man that Jamie had pointed out. It was then that he saw Anna coming in. He felt himself draw breath. She looked good – her hair styled a bit more choppy, fresh make-up, pretty soft blouse that showed off her tiny frame, skirt resting just above her knees, revealing a fine pair of legs.

She spotted him, broke into a smile and waved. He was aware that he waved back in some klutzy high school way. Damn it! Not only that, but she had noticed, judging by the giggle she made no attempt to hide. He walked over to greet her.

She was still smiling. ‘You made it then?’

‘Sure. Had no choice.’ He really should tell her, before it all got out of hand and she found out for herself.

‘Mr Garcia!’ Tex heard a voice behind him and groaned inwardly. Too late. Anna was peering about, no doubt trying to work out which one was Mr Garcia.

‘Mr Garcia!’There it was again, except closer this time. Then Tex felt a tap on his shoulder.

‘Argh, Mr Garcia, sorry to interrupt. I just wondered if we could have a quick word. I’m Richard Harrington, Arundel Chamber of Commerce.’ He was by the side of Tex now, holding out his hand.

Tex shook hands. ‘Pleased to meet you.’ He turned to Anna whose mouth was working but no sound coming out. ‘Could you just excuse me a moment, Anna? Maybe we can talk later?’ Her eyes hardened as she nodded. Computation complete. Oh yeah, she’d worked it out.

‘We certainly can talk later, Mr Garcia,’ Anna said, the smile now nowhere in sight.

So he thought he was clever did he? A proper smart-arse. Nico Garcia or Tex, or whatever his blasted name was. Anna glared at the American’s back as he chatted to the Chamber of Commerce guy. Despite her bad temper with Tex, she couldn’t fail to acknowledge the broadness of his shoulders underneath the crisp, dark suit. He looked even more attractive tonight, all spruced up, shirt and tie. He really did scrub up well. Stop! She must stop thinking like this about him.

‘Hello, Anna.’ It was Andy Bartholomew, the curator of the museum at Arundel Castle.

Great, just what she needed. Handy Andy, as he was unaffectionately known amongst the female tour guides, and it was certainly nothing to do with his DIY skills.

‘Hello, Andy,’ she replied politely as she shifted around him, looking for an escape route, someone else she could suddenly develop the urgent need to speak with.

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on her side. Everyone’s attention now appeared to be focused towards the stage where Tex stood with a microphone in his hand. Feeling obliged to stand still and pay attention, Anna was dismayed to feel Handy Andy brush up alongside her.

‘Could I have your attention for one moment please?’ Tex began, flashing a killer smile around the room. Anna could almost hear the collective swoon of all the females there, his soft drawl was practically X-rated.

‘First, I would like to thank you all so much for turning up here this evening, it means a lot. Second, I must thank Forresters Outside Catering for the fabulous buffet they have provided. And my thanks also go to local architects Hanson & Williams for the excellent scale model in the centre there. Perhaps you could join me in a small round of applause.’

Everyone seemed more than happy to join in, Anna noted. Tex had obviously been working the room well leading up to this little speech.

‘You will see from the display,’ Tex continued, ‘that I intend to open a contemporary restaurant: high-class food for the working man’s pocket. Not a pizza delivery service with a horde of mopeds ‘whining up and down’ the road, as some of you might fear.’ A little ripple of laughter circulated.

Anna felt a flush race to her face as he fixed his eyes on her, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of his mouth. He so knew what he was doing. To her relief, he looked away and carried on speaking, telling the attentive listeners how he was looking forward to being part of the community, that there was enough room for everyone, and how pleased he was to be putting something back into the local economy, jobs for local people, and so on.

God, he was good. By the time he had finished, the whole audience was clapping and smiling broadly at him. Mission complete it would seem.

‘So thank you again for coming,’ he said as the applause died down. ‘I’m looking forward to getting to know you all much better.’ His eyes swept the room, coming to rest at Anna, as another flutter of clapping spread throughout the guests.

‘Smarmy Yank,’ muttered Andy, leaning into Anna and snaking his arm around her waist.

She resisted the urge to point out the irony of this statement, and attempted to wriggle free.

‘What say me and you slip away for a quiet drink at the Kings Head?’ Andy suggested, tightening his grip on her waist and running a finger down her arm.

Anna shuddered but tried to retain a degree of professionalism. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, Andy. Thanks all the same.’

‘You’re not knocking me back again, are you?’ A frown folded over his face. ‘I wouldn’t want to have to complain to Howard about the lack of service.’

‘Andy, can you stop this please?’ He had been trying for the past six months, on and off, to get her to go on a date with him. It just wasn’t happening. Ever. Purposefully, she took hold of his hand and prised it from her waist. ‘As I’ve said before, I don’t mix business with pleasure.’ Not that he would be a pleasure by any stretch of the imagination.

‘Oh, come on, Anna.’ He went to take hold of her again, but now that everyone was milling around once more, Anna seized her opportunity.

Spinning on her heel to avoid his groping hand, she propelled herself forward and found herself running straight into the chest of Tex.

Chapter Two

Tex wrapped his arms round her as she bundled into him. He couldn’t have planned it better if he had tried. Hugging her tight to his chest, he appreciated the feel of her curves against him. He grinned down at her.

‘We seem to be making a habit of this,’ he said.

‘Maybe. Trouble is, this morning, I thought I had bumped into Tex. Now I seem to have bumped into Nico Garcia.’

‘And which one do you prefer?’ He noticed she hadn’t tried to wriggle free.

‘I’m not sure yet. Although I do know someone who isn’t a contender.’ She jerked her head backwards.

Tex had already spoken to the castle curator earlier in the evening and had also clocked him pestering Anna. In fact, he had just been on his way over to rescue her. Again.

Releasing her from his hold, but catching her hand in his, he smiled politely at the brooding curator. ‘Would you mind excusing us, I need to speak to Anna about the tour guides. Thank you.’

He didn’t wait for an answer, instead plucking a glass of wine from a passing waiter’s tray, he whisked her away through the guests to the back of the hall.

‘I had it all under control there, you know,’ she spoke, after a rather large gulp of her wine.

Tex nodded. ‘Of course you did.’

‘I did!’ She took another sip, trying to hide a small smile of embarrassment behind the glass.

Tex didn’t miss it. ‘Look, I wanted to speak to you anyway,’ he began. ‘About earlier. I didn’t say anything because I was curious to hear an unbiased and honest opinion of what folks were feeling around here. I was going to tell you. Honest!’

She eyed him sceptically. ‘Okay, so what if I tell you I’m not really Anna but my name’s Sheila and I’m the local planning officer? I was just preparing a report to uphold an objection against the development of this building.’

What the…! He felt himself draw back to look at her again through fresh eyes. ‘You serious?’ Jeez, she looked it.

Then she broke into a huge smile and laughed out loud. Tex felt the air expel from his lungs, and found himself laughing too.

‘Oh, your face,’ she said once she had calmed down. ‘Got you going there for a moment. Serves you right.’

Tex shook his head. He was in no position to complain. He deserved that.

‘You two look like you’re having fun,’ came Jamie’s voice as he wandered over with Yvonne.

‘Don’t ask.’

‘Do you and Tex already know each other?’ Yvonne asked Anna, accepting the glass of wine Tex had summoned over.

‘Not really. We did briefly meet this morning. You could say he saved my life.’ Anna gave Tex a grateful smile.

‘Twice,’ Tex added.

Jamie patted Tex's back. ‘The all-American hero.’

Tex shrugged. ‘Hey, what can I say?’

‘So do you work around here?’ Jamie asked.

Anna repeated what she had told Tex that morning, adding, ‘I also do a bit of work from home, translating electronic manuals or legal documents. Nothing particularly exciting, but it's all work.’

‘You’re a busy lady,’ said Tex, surprised. She hadn’t mentioned all that this morning.

‘Just three small jobs, no different to working full-time at one.’

‘So as a tour guide, do you speak any other languages?’ asked Yvonne, exchanging a glance with her husband.

‘German and French.’

Tex gave Anna a little nudge, whispering theatrically in her ear, ‘Watch out, he’ll be trying to employ you next.’

‘Interesting,’ mused Jamie. ‘I run a relocation company, primarily for clients who are moving to the UK from overseas. It's a sort of handholding, fix-it service for foreigners working, visiting or relocating here. I use bilingual staff as some of my clients, especially their spouses, can't speak enough English to deal with things like banking, property purchases, schools for their children etc. We basically help them in any way they need it where the language might prove a barrier.’

‘That sounds interesting. Have you got clients locally then?’ asked Anna.

‘That will be me,’ put in Tex.

‘Oh, I thought you were just friends.’ Anna looked a mixture of confused and embarrassed.

‘We’re both. BFFs, as you girls would say,’ grinned Jamie, putting his arm round Tex and pretending to plant a kiss on his cheek.

‘Sometimes I feel like the gooseberry,’ said Yvonne.

‘A real bromance then.’ A small giggle escaped Anna.

While Jamie and Yvonne laughed at the joke, Tex looked blankly at the three of them, which just made them all laugh even more.

‘Think of it as brotherly love,’ explained Jamie. ‘Bromance. Girls find it highly amusing.’

‘Oh, not amusing,’ teased Anna, ‘more like sweet.’

‘Yes, sweet,’ agreed Yvonne. ‘You two are so cute.’ She gave it her best coochy-coo voice.

‘Hey, don't knock it,’ winked Jamie.

As the four of them chatted easily for a while, discussing the local town of Arundel, nearby Chichester and Goodwood Racecourse, which Jamie had attended recently, Anna seemed relaxed and at ease in their company, Tex thought, aware that he was glancing at her more than was necessary.

He felt the familiar buzz he always got when the chase was on. First though, it looked like he still needed to get rid of the castle curator who had just sidled up to Anna.

‘Apologies to interrupt, but have you finished here now?’ The curator’s hand rested on Anna’s back. Tex felt himself bristle unexpectedly at the gesture. He was about to tell this slimeball to back off when Anna spoke.

‘Is it important, Andy? Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I could call over to the castle in the morning, if you like?’

They were speaking in low tones but Tex could just about make out what was being said. He studied her face. He couldn’t tell from the expression whether she meant it or was just trying to get rid of him. He checked himself and said nothing.

Andy now looked irritated. ‘As I said earlier, I’m sure Howard wouldn’t want to find out you’ve been neglecting me.’

Tex studied Anna’s face for an indicator. He still couldn’t read her, although he did notice she was fiddling with a couple of rings on her right hand, rapidly twisting them back and forth.