In His Good Hands

Renita wasn’t the type to flirt or flaunt her body, yet that’s exactly what she was doing.

Thanks to his ex-wife, he was all too familiar with the body language of a woman on the prowl. Renita was preening, touching her hair, pushing her arms together and leaning on the table to emphasize her cleavage.

She was also drunk. When she raised her glass she nearly missed her mouth then giggled when a few drops of sparkling wine fizzed down her chin. No wonder she was acting this way. She didn’t know what she was doing.

Her admirer immediately topped up her glass from a bottle on the table. Clearly he expected the evening to end with Renita in his bed.

Brett carefully set his beer on a nearby table.

Not bloody likely, mate.

Dear Reader,

Are you a couch potato or a fitness freak? Or are you somewhere in between? I fall into the “in between” category. I go to the gym regularly and walk almost every day. Even so, I struggle to keep my weight under control. Part of the reason is that I love to cook and, naturally, to eat. I enjoy little indulgences like a piece of chocolate or a glass of wine.

To me, achieving a healthy, happy lifestyle comes down to finding a balance, where feeling fit gives as much pleasure as having a nice meal. Health versus appearance; appearance versus personality; these are some of the other issues I’ve explored in the second book of the Summerside Stories trilogy, In His Good Hands.

Renita Thatcher is a couch potato trying to change her ways with the help of gym owner Brett O’Connor, who also happens to be her unrequited high school crush.

I hope you enjoy reading Renita’s story and can identify with her journey from the couch to the gym.

I love to hear from readers. You can find me at www.joankilby.com or write to me c/o Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON, Canada M3B 3K9.

Joan Kilby

In His Good Hands

Joan Kilby

MILLS & BOON

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joan Kilby goes to her local gym several times a week for Body Balance—a combination of Tai Chi, pilates and yoga. And yes, there is a cappuccino machine where she and her friends hang out after class. Melbournians love their coffee! Like the hero in this book, Joan is mathematically challenged. Unlike the hero, she knows better than to mess around with large sums of money. Joan’s husband and three children help keep her sane while she’s writing. And her dog, Toby, takes her for a walk every day.

To my gym/coffee buddies

Madeline, Deb, Anne, Carolyn and Sandy.

Thanks for the laughs and the friendship.

Saturday wouldn’t be the same without you.

CONTENTS

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 ONE

RENITA THATCHER TUGGED AT the jacket of her blue silk-blend suit, struggling to fasten it across her stomach. Cripes, if she got any bigger she’d have to wear a tent to work. Usually she left the jacket open, but a button had popped off her blouse.

Of all days—

Her office door burst open. Poppy, her young assistant, announced breathlessly, “Brett O’Connor’s here.”

“Already?” Renita sucked in her gut, tightened what stomach muscles she possessed, and squeezed the button through the hole. “Give me two minutes, then show him in.”

Poppy left, closing the door behind her. Renita whipped a compact out of her top drawer and checked her hair, tucking a wavy dark strand behind her ear. She tried taking her glasses off. Nope, she was blind without them. Baring her teeth in the tiny mirror, she made sure there were no lipstick smears or sesame seeds from her breakfast bagel.

She put away her compact and took several deep breaths to slow her tripping heart, coaching herself not to get anxious over this meeting. Her high school crush on Brett O’Connor was ancient history. Anyway, he’d never been interested in her that way, so his visit was nothing to get excited about.

Sure, she was curious about why he’d returned to Summerside, but her biggest concern right now was that a) her jacket button didn’t pop and b) she didn’t reveal by a single word, gesture or look that she’d ever had the slightest hint of romantic feelings toward him.

Professionalism, that was the key. She was no longer a nerdy, chubby fifteen-year-old infatuated with the school jock who’d broken her heart. She was a businesswoman and the loans manager at Community Bank, just doing her job.

Poppy knocked. Renita’s mouth felt as dry as the paper she was clutching in her damp palms as a prop. Poppy opened the door, ushering in Brett O’Connor, who was gorgeous as ever in a casual suit jacket over an open-necked shirt and designer jeans. He carried a manila envelope.

At the last second Renita remembered the jar of jelly beans and whisked it off her desk and into a drawer.

“Hello, Brett.” She rose, grateful that her voice, at least, was cool and calm. The sight of his thick, sun-streaked hair and slightly crooked nose transported her straight back to grade eleven, when a passing glance from him in the school corridor had been enough to send her into dreamy reveries.

Not now, though. No way.

She extended a hand. “How are you?”

“G’day, Renita. It’s been a while.” His clasp was firm, almost painful, as if he didn’t know his own strength, and his blue gaze so direct it was like a stab to the heart. “What is it, thirteen years?”

“Something like that.” She gestured to a chair. “Tell me, what can I do for you?”

He sat, but instead of getting down to business, he leaned back and shook his head. “I can’t get over it. You’re exactly the same.”

“Gee, thanks. And here I thought I’d improved.”

He flashed her his easy grin. “You always had a wisecrack for every occasion.”

“No, I only speak the truth,” she deadpanned. “Everyone just thinks I’m joking.”

“What I meant was you look fabulous.” When she raised her eyebrows skeptically, he insisted, “Honestly, you do.”

“Don’t flatter me, Brett.” Renita knew she was well-groomed, pretty but not beautiful. Most of the time she thought she looked just fine—well, except for the extra weight. But she didn’t believe for one second that Brett, who was used to being mobbed by half-naked football groupies, could possibly think she looked fabulous.

“You look…real,” he amended, having the grace to appear sheepish at being called on his sincerity.

“Real. Yep, that’s me.” Real meant eyeglasses, hair with a mind of its own, jackets that strained at the buttons.

She searched beneath his gorgeousness for signs that he’d aged badly from the debauched life he must have led as a professional football player. Not to mention Australian rules football was a rough sport. Brett had been hot in high school. Hotter still during televised football games, with his cheek smeared with dirt and his muscles—all sweaty and glistening—exposed by his sleeveless jersey and tight shorts. But apart from a small white scar across his right eyebrow, laughter lines around his eyes and mouth and the way his lanky frame had filled out with solid muscle, he looked pretty much the same as he had at seventeen. Sexy and athletic.

“So, Brett, are you here for a loan?”

“First I’d like to know how my favorite math tutor is doing,” he said, still with that easy smile, that confidence that used to enthrall her. Now it only grated on her nerves.

He was trying to charm her. It came to him as easily as breathing, and probably just as unconsciously. It took her back to afternoons around her parents’ farmhouse kitchen table. She had tried earnestly to teach him trigonometry; he had tried to distract her with jokes. She’d wanted to slap him.

Or kiss him.

“How could I be your favorite tutor?” She laughed nervously, although she was anything but amused. “I dropped you two weeks before the final exam, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.” Brett frowned. “Why did you do that, anyway?”

“Dad needed my help with chores after school,” she lied, even as hurt and anger pushed their way to the surface.

What an idiot she’d been back then, imagining that just because they’d laughed together, just because he’d tweaked her ponytail, he’d liked her. She could still see his stunned expression, hear his excruciatingly blunt, “Sorry, you’re not my type,” when she’d asked him to the grade eleven dance.

“Is it a home loan or business loan you’re after?”

“Your father used to put the fear of God into me whenever I came around,” Brett went on, seemingly oblivious to her efforts to change the subject. “But I’ll never forget the cakes and cookies your mum baked for our study sessions. How are your folks doing?”

“They sold the farm and moved into Summerside to be near Jack, Lexie and me,” Renita said, summing up the past six months in a few quick words. What she didn’t say was that her parents, Steve and Hetty Thatcher, weren’t fine at all. They were having marriage problems, and her dad was sick. But she was done chatting. She shuffled some papers on her desk. “Interest rates are set to go up next month, so I’m recommending to our borrowers that they lock in for a fixed term.”

“I ran into Jack yesterday in the grocery store,” Brett added. “He told me your father had been in the hospital.”

Renita nodded, biting her lip. The scare was recent enough that she was still shaken up over it.

“Is Steve all right?” Brett pressed. “Jack was in a hurry and didn’t have time to tell me what happened.”

She gripped her pen tightly between her fingers. “My dad’s been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.”

Brett leaned forward, his clear blue eyes troubled. “I didn’t think that usually meant a hospital stay.”

Couldn’t he just drop it? Renita met his gaze, and that was her undoing. His expression was so sympathetic she couldn’t resist confiding in him. “Mum was away on a meditation retreat and Dad let his diet go to hell. No one knew he had diabetes or that he was eating a ton of sweets. Next thing, he was severely dehydrated and his blood sugar levels were through the roof. He was in a coma for two days.”

“I’m sorry,” Brett murmured. “Is he okay now?”

Sorry. Was he? Renita tapped the pen against her blotter. For reasons she’d never understood, Brett and her father didn’t get along.

“He’s out of the hospital. Mum’s back home and taking care of him.” Grudgingly. Hetty, and even Jack and Sienna, believed Steve had brought his illness on himself to punish her for going away.

“My gym is sponsoring the Diabetes Fun Run next month,” Brett said. “You and Steve should think about entering.”

“Me, run?” Renita laughed. “I’m built for comfort, not speed.” She was like her dad in many ways, including having a weakness for sweets.

“It’s not a race,” Brett said. “It’s to support a good cause. And an excuse to get some exercise.”

Renita shifted uncomfortably, feeling her waistband pinch. Steve’s health crisis had given her a jolt. She needed to do something about her weight or she might end up with type 2 diabetes. In fact, she was going on a diet. Starting next Monday. Or Tuesday.

Just thinking about being hungry made her cranky.

“I support the cause, but as for exercise, I’d sooner stick flaming bamboo shoots beneath my fingernails.”

“Okay, I get the picture. I’m not here to torture you.” Brett let the subject go. “What are you doing these days? Do you still see anyone from high school?”

“Most everyone has moved away.” Didn’t he get that they weren’t friends?

“I’m looking forward to catching up with Jack and his fiancée,” he said. “What’s her name?”

“Sienna. Look, could we get down to business?” Renita sat up straighter to ease the strain on her jacket. “I’m sure your time is valuable, and I have another appointment coming up. Are you here about a bank loan?”

Silence followed her brusque request.

“I want to buy the Summerside Fitness Center,” Brett finally admitted. “I’ve taken over managing the place and the owner’s keen to sell.”

“You must have just started there. I haven’t seen you around town.” Hadn’t heard any buzz that Brett’s minor celebrity status would have generated, either.

“That’s right. We moved in last week, to a house on Cliff Road.”

“We?” The word popped out before Renita could stop herself. Brett’s divorce six months ago had been splashed all over the tabloids, but she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d already found another girlfriend. “Sorry, your personal life is none of my business.”

“You can ask. We’re old friends.” Another moment of silence passed, as if he expected her to agree. When she didn’t, his blue eyes hardened. “My daughter, Tegan, and I.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Tegan wishes there were more fashion boutiques in Summerside, but I’m glad she can’t spend all her time shopping.” Brett rolled on, regaining his good humor. “With us practically living on the beach, she’ll be able to learn to sail. Summerside is a good place to grow up, on the fringe between city and country. Well, you would know. You had a great childhood on the farm.”

There he was, inviting Renita to reminisce again. She wasn’t going to bite. “About the gym…I drive past there regularly. The building looks run-down. I hope it’s going for a good price.”

“Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. That includes all equipment, such as it is. It’s reasonable,” Brett said. “But I’ll need to completely refurbish the place. Exercise machines, flooring, coffee area, child care, change rooms—the works.”

Finally, they were getting down to business. “Coffee?” Renita asked. “Isn’t that encouraging unhealthy habits?”

“I gather this used to be a squash club. There’s a small kitchen where players used to wait for a court.” He shrugged. “I’m into fitness, but I’m not a fanatic. If people want coffee, they can have it.”

“Is the gym currently running at a profit?”

“A very slim one. The place has been neglected since the owner moved to Sydney last year. His manager quit months ago and hasn’t been replaced. One of the instructors has been in charge, but obviously, she can’t do that justice and teach classes at the same time. Once I take over things will improve.” Brett removed a sheaf of papers from his manila envelope and handed them to Renita. “I’ve worked up a statement of operating costs, revenue and expenses.”

She scanned the detailed spreadsheets. “You’ve certainly done your homework.”

“And this time without your assistance.”

She glanced up. He was watching her with that half smile that used to turn her knees to jelly. The pages rattled faintly in her hands. “Let’s hope you’re better at math than you used to be.”

Renita ducked her head and studied the figures. She still found Brett physically attractive; a woman would have to be blind not to. But she was over him.

She was aware of him shifting in his chair. He never could sit still for long. Then he stood up. Right, there he goes. He paced around the room, looking at the art on the walls, picking up objects. She tried to concentrate on the columns of figures, but couldn’t help peeking at him out of the corner of her eye.

Those long legs, broad shoulders…

He examined the bowl of flowering succulents she kept on the credenza beneath the window. Then he lifted the framed photo of Frankie and Johnny, her pet cockatoo and her cat. Next to that was a picture of Lucy, her golden retriever. Brett glanced back at the nameplate on her desk, which bore her maiden name. She knew what he was thinking. Single woman. Her pets are her kids.

“Did you ever marry?” he asked, confirming her thought.

Hello! She was only thirty-two. Maybe she didn’t want to marry. Or maybe she’d kept her own name. She was a career woman, after all. “I’m too busy for a serious relationship.”

“You always were smarter than the rest of us.” Setting the photo down, he leaned against the credenza, arms loosely crossed. “Tegan begged me for a cockatiel, but I don’t like to keep birds in cages.”

“I have an aviary—” Renita began, then stopped before she went into a full explanation of how she’d found Frankie as a fledgling with a badly broken wing, and how the vet had said the cockatoo would never fly again. Brett still had a knack for distracting her far too easily.

Clearing her throat, she returned her attention to his business proposal. It appeared straightforward except for one unlabeled column. “Brett, take a look at this set of figures. Are they incoming or outgoing?”

His lanky stride brought him to her desk. “Which column?”

She started to turn the paper toward him, but he moved behind her and leaned over her shoulder, one hand planted on her desk. The heat from his body, the faint scent of aftershave, the long fingers—more distractions. “Uh, that one.” She pointed with a manicured nail.

“Right. Okay. That’s, um…” He sucked in a breath, clicked his tongue. “Incoming.”

“You’re sure?” She glanced at him, pushing her glasses farther up her nose. “Because if it’s outgoing you may not have even a slim profit.”

“I’m sure.” He rapped his knuckles on the paper before drawing back. “Incoming. Definitely.”

“Okay,” she said dubiously, watching him pace back across the room, flexing the fingers of his right hand. She knew that body language; he used to do that when he was nervous before a test at school, when he wasn’t certain of his command of the material.

Hmm.

“Okay, this is outgoing. Three hundred thousand dollars for refurbishment?” she queried. “That kind of money would buy a lot of paint and carpeting.”

“It’s for replacing the exercise equipment. Stationary bicycles, treadmills, weight machines—all of it has to go.”

“What is that figure based on? I didn’t see any costings.”

“I didn’t have time. It’s more like a guesstimate.”

“A guesstimate?” she repeated, one eyebrow raised.

“Hey.” Smiling, he spread his hands. “Math never was my strong suit.”

“You can do better than this.”

Even in high school he’d been a big spender, she recalled, financing his nice clothes and fancy car with two part-time jobs. His days in pro football would have made him even more accustomed to having the finest of everything the instant he wanted it. Which was odd, considering he’d come from nothing. His father had been a laborer, his mother an invalid, unable to work. The family had lived in an old cottage on the poorer side of town. His parents still lived there, as far as Renita knew. She was pretty sure his two brothers lived in the area, too.

A few minutes later, she sat back, tapping her pen on the blotter. “You’re asking to borrow a total of over a million dollars. That would mean large monthly repayments. It doesn’t look to me as if the gym’s earnings can cover a mortgage plus the interest on a loan for refurbishment.”

“Membership will increase once I spruce up the place.”

“Nothing is taken for granted these days. The Community Bank is careful not to let clients get in too deep. Can you put any of your own money into the pot?”

“If I had any, I wouldn’t be asking for a loan,” Brett said with disarming honesty.

“You don’t have savings after thirteen years playing professional football?” Australian Rules footballers didn’t make millions, but he’d probably earned a couple grand a year.

“My savings are tied up in a dispute over the divorce settlement,” he said. “Once that’s resolved I can sink my own money into the business to cut costs. What I’m asking for is more in the nature of a bridging loan.”

There was a dispute over the divorce? That hadn’t made the papers. Was his ex-wife asking for too much or was he offering too little? This could drag out for years.

“Until your divorce is settled, the amount of money you can contribute is uncertain. It can’t have any bearing on my decision.” Renita tapped her pen on the folder. “You say you’re managing the gym. Do you have any other business experience?”

“None whatsoever,” he admitted. “My name will be a draw card. But I won’t be resting on my laurels. I plan to offer state-of-the-art equipment, personal training and fitness classes to cater to everyone. My gym will be small and friendly, with a focus on personal attention. The kind of place where the fitness instructors know the name of every member. Open to whole families, from kids in primary school right up to their grannies.”

It sounded good, but at the moment it was still just a pipe dream. “Your name won’t be a draw unless you’re a visible presence. Will you be hands-on in the running of the business?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be there every day, managing the place and giving personal training sessions.”

“That’s a big time commitment. If you’re not used to—”

“I want to do this, Renita.” He jumped up and started pacing again. “I can do it.” He slapped a fist in his palm. “Goddamn it, I will do it.”

Renita glanced down at the pen between her fingers so as not to be dazzled by his blue eyes. His grit and determination had taken him to glory on the football field. And there was no doubting his sincerity about the gym. Her decisions were based strictly on bank guidelines. She had to be tough. Otherwise, in a small community like Summerside, where she knew almost everyone, she’d be giving away the bank’s money right and left.

On the other hand, while Brett’s figures were sketchy, it was the only gym in town. And while he lacked management experience, if anyone could turn the business around through sheer willpower, that person was Brett O’Connor.

She glanced up. “Okay, you’re in. Barely.”

Relief washed over his face. “So you’ll approve the loan?”

“I’ll authorize the release of funds for you to buy the gym.” She punched a few figures into her calculator. “Eight hundred and sixty thousand will cover purchase price plus taxes.”

“Excellent. And the new equipment, the refurbishment?”

“I’m sorry. The mortgage is the limit of what the bank will lend you. You haven’t provided solid justification for the finances necessary for refurbishment.”

“The justification is that members are quitting because the facilities are old and run-down.” Frowning, he sat again. “What if I were to cost it all out, itemize every piece of new equipment?”

“I’d be willing to look at it,” Renita conceded reluctantly. “But no guarantees, you understand.”

His mouth flattened and his nostrils flared as he exhaled forcefully. “You’re the boss.”

Yes, she was. Renita rose and extended a hand, remembering to suck in her stomach. “I hope your gym will be a huge success.”

Brett rose, too, squeezing her hand briefly. He couldn’t hide his disappointment. “You’ll be hearing from me again soon.”

The instant the door closed behind him Renita undid the buttons of her suit jacket. With a sigh of relief she let her stomach relax. She’d survived their meeting without making a fool of herself. Sure, Brett was dissatisfied with the outcome, but he could hardly expect her to hand him everything he wanted on a plate.