Cinderella Busted Excerpt
Chapter 1
“Want to help me choke a couple zoning commissioners?” Lily Foster asked as she strode into the nursery office.
Her sales manager’s eyes went wide. “Wow! Look at you.”
She halted mid-step. “What?”
“Don’t give me that. You look gorgeous! I knew that sundress was perfect for you the minute we spotted it in Dillard’s.”
“Evidently not perfect enough,” she grumbled and dropped into a chair near Tammy’s desk.
“I take it the zoning meeting didn’t go well.”
“Much worse.”
“And you couldn’t sway the commissioners in your little yellow sundress?”
She gave Tammy a don’t-go-there look.
“Okay, so what happened downtown? Do you have to move out of your cottage?”
“I don’t know.” Lily shook her head. “Turns out it wasn’t a new zoning proposal like we first thought. The City of Jupiter changed the residence-at-commercial-properties zoning law over a decade ago. At the time, the city council ruled a residence could exist on the second floor of a business—due to the heat they received from folks living over the shops on Antique Row—but single-structure residences at commercial properties like mine were out, and no one ever stood up and complained.”
“They can’t force you out now, can they?”
Lily hoped not. Bloom & Grow was the only home she had ever known. Lily’s father had started the nursery three decades earlier on a hundred-acre parcel bordering the famed Intracoastal Waterway, and when her mother had succumbed to cancer shortly after Lily’s birth, Hank Foster had built a small cottage on the back five acres and raised Lily there.
She shook her head. “I wasn’t sure, so I went over to the Code Enforcement department, too, and the manager claimed some attorneys had formally challenged my grandfathered status—already living in my residence prior to the code change. He even thought it odd that I’d been singled out.”
“I bet it’s that real estate attorney who wants to buy your property,” Tammy said.
Lily nodded. “I think so, too. The manager said I needed to appear before a Special Code Compliance Magistrate—she used her fingers to make quotation marks and give the title extra weight—at the end of the month and bring proof of the date of my residence prior to the promulgation of the new zoning law.”
“You think that’ll do it?” Tammy asked.
“The Code Enforcement manager seemed certain, although he did say the attorneys had filed legal briefs in Tallahassee about my commercial property.”
“This whole business worries me.”
“I know. Me, too,”
“Are you’re going to hire an attorney?”
“We don’t need one. The Code Enforcement manager said we could easily fight this on our own. I’m not dipping into my nest egg for an attorney we don’t need. If I can provide proof of my residence prior to the passage of the new law, the Code Enforcement manager promised to appear with us at the Special Magistrate meeting, and he will attest that my cottage is grandfathered. So you see? We’ll be home free. An open and shut case.”
“I don’t know, Lily. Things always get complicated when attorneys get involved.”
“Have faith. We’ll be fine.”
“But it’s not like you can’t afford an attorney,” Tammy argued.
“Like I’ve told you before, I’m not touching that nest egg Hank left me unless I have to. I’m determined to do this all on my own.”
“This being?”
“To make the nursery a success.”
“It’s already a success, hon. You don’t want to risk that, do you?”
Lily gave her a pointed look. “I’m not. I can do this without Hank’s help or any outside help. I know I can.”
“I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I’m going to do exactly what the Code Enforcement manager said to do. He promised to be there at the meeting with me. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”
Tammy gave her a resigned nod.
“Now, you called and said you had sample brochures for Rob’s new interiors line.”
Tammy handed over three booklet-style color brochures. “A courier brought the three samples after you left for the zoning meeting. If you’ll approve one, I’ll place our order with the printer and have the brochures placed in every hotel and resort office in the tri-county area.”
She gazed at the brochures. “Rob’s really serious about doing this.”
“Sure he is. We already discussed this, and Rob thinks the new sideline could be as profitable as our specialty trees.”
Tammy ran the nursery like a tight ship and left Lily and Rob to do what they loved—grow the impossible trees and shrubs. Best of all, the customers loved her gregarious flame-haired sales manager.
Lily nibbled her lower lip. “I suppose.”
She hated to change anything Hank had created, but the nursery was hers now, and she trusted Tammy and Rob more than anyone else on earth.
The office phone rang, and Tammy snatched up the receiver. “Bloom & Grow. Tammy.” She cut a glance at Lily. “Oh hey, Garrett. The order is staged in the laydown yard and ready for final inspection. Okay, great.”
She clicked off and rose to her feet. “I have to go do a last-minute check on the BDC order. It’s a big one, and I want everything to be perfect. BDC is the most prestigious company we’ve ever done business with, and that was their landscape architect, Garrett Tucker, on the phone. He said the BDC owner is on his way over.” She pointed her index finger at Lily like a pistol. “You stay right there and review those brochures. If the owner shows up, just tell him I’m at the laydown yard, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Will do,” Lily promised, glad she’d passed the final-inspection responsibilities to Tammy months earlier.
Lily’s father had started the tradition to be sure his plants were going to a good home. While Lily liked having the tradition, Tammy was more outgoing and better at eking out promises of proper plant care from their customers.
Tammy paused at the back door. “I want a thumbs-up on one of the brochures when I get back.”
Lily waved her out with a, “Yes, boss,” then flipped through the new color brochure. She wondered whether her dad would approve of starting a line of interior plants, and a familiar lump immediately formed in her throat when she remembered the first time she’d called her father Hank.
The occasion had occurred on her first real day of work at the nursery--she had been all of twelve years old. She and her father were walking back to the cottage at the end of the day, and she had asked, “How’d I do today, Hank?” Her father had stopped dead and asked, “Why’d you call me Hank?” She’d shrugged and told him, “All the employees at the nursery call you Hank.” Her father had smiled and said, “Fair enough.”
Hank Foster had been gone three years, and Lily still thought of her dad a dozen times a day. His heart attack had caught them all unawares, and since he treated his personnel like extended family, his death had been traumatic for all of them.
Bloom & Grow lost money in the year after Hank’s death. Without Rob Shaw and Tammy Waynette, Lily never would have made it through that traumatic time, but the three best friends settled into a rhythm. Hank had always kept a hand in every aspect of the nursery, but the new leadership team split their duties. Rob took over all growing responsibilities, Tammy sold everything he grew and paid the bills, and Lily managed nursery production and operations. The nursery had turned a fair profit in the second year, and this year would be gangbusters.
Everything had looked rosy until last month when a neighbor had called Lily and said a real estate attorney had made a lucrative offer for the neighbor’s adjoining commercial property. The neighbor had urged Lily to consider selling out along with him.
“Never,” she’d told him. “My employees depend on me. This is their home. I won’t take it from them.”
“Think about it,” her neighbor had coaxed. “The attorney wants both our properties. We can negotiate more money if we sell together.”
Two weeks later, the letter from the Code Enforcement Department had arrived, citing a zoning regulation prohibiting residences at commercial properties. Lily suspected the real estate attorney was behind her letter. Even if she had to move out of her cottage, she refused to sell Bloom & Grow and turn all her employees—friends—out on the street to find new jobs.
Lost in her daydream, Lily never noticed the customer looming in the doorway.
*****
The front door of the quaint, shake-roofed office stood open when Rhett Buchanan drove into the parking area. Like he had time for this foolishness. Whoever heard of the CEO of a billion-dollar development firm approving a truckload of trees, even if they were species no other nursery could grow?
He peered through the windshield at the overhead sign. Evidently, a small-time nursery called Bloom & Grow had heard of such nonsense. He tugged his tie loose and rolled up the sleeves on his white dress shirt before angling out of his black SUV. At least a nice breeze was whipping off the Intracoastal Waterway.
Rhett had argued with Garrett over lunch about doing this inspection alone. Apparently, this eccentric nursery insisted on a final inspection conducted only by the actual owner—no substitutes. Sounded more like an interview. He let out a resigned sigh. Garrett Tucker made Rhett’s new resort developments stand out like diamonds in the rough and accomplished the feat with specialty landscape materials. The man had a gift, but only Garrett could find an oddball place like this to buy trees.
“Better just to get this over with,” he muttered and started up the stairs to the porch.
At the threshold, he froze. His gaze slowly took in a pair of perfect slender legs, then inched up to a spectacular yellow sundress with a cleavage that made his mouth water.
Damn.
A flawless complexion, shoulder-length blond hair, and delicate features finished the marvelous package who appeared to be perusing some sort of plant brochure. At that moment, Rhett wished he owned this oddball nursery, so he could spend all day selling plants to the beauty in the yellow sundress.
Wait a minute. Single women don’t buy plants. Married women buy plants.
His eyes flashed to her left hand.
No ring. Hmm. Things just got interesting.
He cleared his throat.
The beauty started and turned a pair of sapphires the color of the Gulf Stream in his direction.
“Sorry,” he said, then smiled. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
The beauty smiled back—a dazzling smile with perfect straight white teeth.
His mouth went dry. The woman was drop-dead gorgeous.
“It’s okay,” she said softly. “I was daydreaming and didn’t hear you come in.”
He nodded, started to reply, then didn’t. He just wanted to stare a while longer. Quickly realizing he’d look like an idiot if he did, he cleared his throat and began again. “Sorry, I’m being rude. My name is Rhett Buchanan.”
She took the hand he extended. He felt a spark, and her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. If he hadn’t been staring at her eyes, he might have missed it. Had she felt the spark, too?
“I’m Lily Foster.”
“I’m, uh, h-here to inspect some plants. T-Trees actually. An order for BDC.”
Great. He just stuttered like a bashful high-school boy. This from a man who bought and sold corporations over lunch. What the hell was wrong with him today?
“I see.” She stared for a long moment, then glanced down.
Good Lord, was he still holding her hand?
“Sorry.” He let her go.
She smiled again. “The sales manager will be right back.”
“Are you here to inspect trees, too?” At least he didn’t stutter this time. He was getting his wind back.
“No, I’m here to look over the new interiors line.” She held up the brochure.
He nodded. He wanted to keep her talking. Her voice sounded sexy as hell.
“Do you spend a lot of time here?” He glanced around the tidy office made cozy with a half-dozen plants and palms of some sort.
“Not really.”
He nodded again. He was getting real good at nodding. “Are you pretty good with landscaping?”
She eyed him warily. “Yeah?”
He dusted off what he hoped was his most charming smile. “Maybe you could help me with my inspection. It’s too many trees for me, and I could sure use some help.”
“Well, Tammy will be there to answer any questions.”
“Tammy?”
“Tammy Waynette, the sales manager.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“About what?” The sapphires looked wide and innocent.
“The name—Waynette.”
She laughed, a musical sound like delicate wind chimes. “I’m not kidding. Tammy says her mother loved the country western singer.”
He grinned back, couldn’t help himself. “Poor girl.”
“I don’t think she minds.”
He nodded. Again. “Do you know if she went to the laydown yard? My assistant said the trees would be staged in the laydown yard. We could meet her there and get started.”
Her eyebrows rose to twin peaks. “We?”
“Yeah, well, Tammy’s here to sell trees, and I’m looking for an objective second opinion on what I should keep or exchange. I could sure use your help since you’re pretty good with landscaping and all.”
Not that he had any intention of exchanging anything. He couldn’t tell a diseased tree from a healthy one, but he’d look at every single tree if it meant spending more time with Lily Foster.
She hesitated. “I suppose I could tag along.”
“Great! Shall we go?”
*****
Lily led Buchanan outside where they grabbed the customer golf cart parked in front of the office. Rhett climbed behind the wheel and headed for the center drive Lily indicated. The man was tall; she guessed at least four inches over six feet. Riding passenger gave her an excuse to stare at him and wonder how she’d gotten so lucky. To actually be dressed up on the day a gorgeous hunk came in to inspect trees? What were the odds? A successful hunk, too, since he owned his own corporation, and Tammy said the BDC order was a big one.
Rhett Buchanan certainly didn’t fit her impression of a corporate CEO, powerfully built and handsome enough she had gone completely tongue-tied back in the office. She could get lost in those amazing green eyes. And that slow, sexy smile he’d given her had made her toes curl.
Yikes!
“You’re smiling,” he said. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I’m just enjoying a pretty day.”
She would do much better out here in the nursery with plant material to talk about rather than forcing conversation in the office. For the first time in her life, she wished she had spent more time flirting with boys in high school like all the other girls. Instead, she had studied her heart out to get good grades and make Hank proud since she was all he had.
Buchanan pulled the cart up at the laydown yard, but there was no sign of Tammy’s fiery-red curls among the rows of trees. An errant customer had probably waylaid her somewhere in the nursery.
Lily and Buchanan got out and ambled over to the first row of trees, a dozen dwarf magnolias. The containers were well-chosen, some of their best product. Hands on his hips, he gazed at the trees and back at her, then raised his brows in question.
“They’re perfectly matched, disease-free,” she said.
“I thought so, too.” He winked.
She felt her neck flush, and her gaze strayed to the dusting of dark hair on his tanned forearms. “Where are you going to use all this stock?”
“A new condominium and shopping district in Boca. These trees are for Phase I, and I suspect Garrett will be ordering more.”
“Garrett?”
“He’s the vice-president of real estate development for our company, BDC. He’s also a frustrated landscape architect—that was his bachelor’s degree—but his subsequent MBA pushed him up the corporate ladder.”
“You like him,” she said simply.
His gaze sharpened. “I do. How did—”
“The sound of your voice when you talk about him.”
“Wow, beautiful and perceptive.”
She felt her cheeks grow warm and glanced away.
“Sorry,” he said softly, “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“You didn’t.”
A dark brow went up.
“Okay, maybe a little.”
Actually a whole lot. Rhett Buchanan seemed so confident, so sure of himself. She was out of her league, and she knew it, but she still wanted to play for just a little while longer.
“Garrett and I were fraternity brothers in college,” Rhett was saying. “Been together ever since.”
“Ah, I see. So who likes the plants, you or Garrett?”
“Mostly Garrett, but I do appreciate their value. He’s convinced me that installing—and more importantly, maintaining—specialty landscapes can double the exterior value of architectural designs.”
“Good for him! He’s right.”
“Another plant lover,” he said, grinning.
“Of course I am.”
“You’re gorgeous when you smile,” he said suddenly.
Okay, that had nothing to do with inspecting trees. Was Mr. Buchanan flirting with her? He’d complimented her twice in five minutes. She jerked her gaze away. She was heating up—all over.
“I’ve embarrassed you again.”
“You didn’t,” she assured him, lying through her teeth. “You just took me by surprise is all.”
“I would think you hear that a lot,” he said softly.
“Oh. No. I don’t.”
He stepped closer, and she feared her cheeks and neck would turn bright pink. She quickly moved toward the next row of trees. The first six containers were perfectly manicured weeping mulberry trees. This Garrett guy sure knew his plant material. She guessed he had selected their best specimens.
“What do you think?” she asked, gesturing toward the mulberries and staring straight ahead. Safer that way.
“Gorgeous, like I said.”
She glanced back.
He wasn’t looking at the mulberries. He was staring at her. Her cheeks just had to be pink. Lord knew they felt hot enough.
“You’re supposed to be inspecting trees,” she scolded with a smile.
He laughed. “Oh yeah, that’s right.”
By the time they made it through the third row of containers populated with an assortment of Helliconia and Callistemon, she grew more comfortable and even tried flirting back. They laughed and joked about the perfect places to plant the gnarly and exceedingly crooked Corylus, and Lily had the time of her life. Until the bottom dropped out about halfway down the fourth row at the gray Bismarchia palms.
“Do you buy a lot of plants here?” Buchanan suddenly asked.
Her head snapped up from examining a bent gray frond. She swallowed. “Buy?”
“You must be one of the nursery’s best customers as well as you know the stock and know your way around here.” He gave her that slow, sexy smile again. “Are you buying landscaping for business or pleasure?”
Oh good grief! He thinks I’m a customer.
But why wouldn’t he? Today, she was dressed like one. Surely, he could tell from their conversation she worked here at the nursery.
Or not.
He waited for a response. So that was why he had asked her to help him! She grinned. She couldn’t help it. She felt like Cinderella masquerading as a princess at the ball. Maybe she could just avoid answering his question altogether.
She guided him to the end of the aisle, made the turn to the fifth row of trees, and aimed their steps toward a cluster of Monterrey pines.
Buchanan put a hand out to stop her. “I hope you’ll let me take you to dinner to thank you for helping me, Lily.”
His eyes, now a dark emerald green, locked on hers, and she felt her heart lurch. This could not be happening. Drop-dead gorgeous guys like Buchanan didn’t ask Lily Foster out. She hadn’t had a date in six months, which really wasn’t all that surprising considering she didn’t frequent singles bars and clubs.
Ever.
Tucked away at Bloom & Grow, she worked ten hours a day with few, if any, days off, and when she looked out her window at night, she could still see her workplace. She had no social life.
Buchanan looked worried. She’d waited too long to answer him. “Mr. Buchanan, I—”
"Call me Rhett, please,” he said quickly and reached for her hand.
The physical connection was so swift and startling she felt an electric shock, and a faint tremble worked at her spine.
“I want to see you again,” he said softly. “Tonight. If I can’t talk you into dinner, how about a cocktail party? Island crowd? You’ll have fun. I promise.”
She feared she swayed slightly, but he gave no indication. He merely continued his mesmerizing stare. She knew she hadn’t gasped at his invitation because she couldn’t breathe. His stare felt like a tender caress, and she prayed it would last a while longer.
An Island party? Her?
She had never been invited to a Jupiter Island party in her life.
“All right,” she whispered, so softly she almost couldn’t hear the words.
He heard. He grinned.
“There you are!” Tammy rounded the end of the row of pines and caught sight of her.
A panicky chill hit Lily. Had Rhett only invited her because he assumed she was part of the Jupiter Island social set? A social equal perhaps? Would there be take-backs or do-overs if he found out she worked here at the nursery?
“Good afternoon,” Tammy said to Rhett, flipping her luscious red curls back over her shoulder and extending her hand. “I’m Tammy Waynette, the sales manager of Bloom & Grow.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said and shook the proffered hand. “I’m Rhett Buchanan, but please call me Rhett.”
Lily knew that come-hither gesture of Tammy’s and watched her eyes light up—that predatory glint Tammy got when she spotted a handsome man. Lily felt a stab of unfamiliar irritation. Like iron flecks to a magnet, men naturally cycled to Tammy, with her gorgeous head of fiery-red hair and emerald-green eyes, and Lily usually enjoyed watching the show. But not today, and not with Rhett Buchanan.
“Sorry I’m late,” Tammy apologized. “Everybody wants plants before the weekend, and we had an unexpected order to pull.”
“No problem,” he said.
“So has Lily been showing you your trees?” Tammy asked and flashed Lily her patent I’ll-take-it-from-here look.
“Yes, she’s very knowledgeable,” Rhett said and slanted Lily a smile.
“Well, of course she is,” Tammy agreed, “she’s our—”
“—best customer!” Lily blurted. “Actually, Tammy thinks I’m her most frequent customer since I don’t buy stock every time I visit.” She gave Rhett a sheepish smile. “I like to look.”
Tammy’s eyes visibly widened.
“Rhett and I ran into each other in the office while I shopped from your interiors brochure,” Lily quickly added. “I volunteered to show him where the laydown yard was since I’ve been here so many times.”
Rhett turned back to Tammy. “She’s been a big help.”
Tammy’s expression had gone incredulous. Lily shook her head and mouthed, I’ll explain later.
“Okaayy,” Tammy said slowly.
“I was just getting Rhett started with his inspection, and I’ll leave him in your capable hands now,” Lily said and followed with a just-go-along-with-this look.
“Surely, you’re not leaving,” Rhett said quickly. “Please stay and walk with us. Besides, I need to get your phone number.”
Tammy’s eyebrows went straight up.
Rhett pulled a pen and a small note pad from his shirt pocket and handed them to Lily. She scribbled Lily next to her cell phone number on the top page and handed the pad back. She could swear her hands trembled, but Rhett didn’t seem to notice.
Tammy sure did. Her brows stayed sky-high. Lily just smiled and gave Tammy a chagrined shrug when Rhett turned away. She tagged along behind the two, but Rhett reached for her hand and tugged her forward to walk alongside him. Lily’s heart sang.
While Tammy chattered her way through the rest of the inspection, Rhett stole furtive glances in Lily’s direction. Each time he did, she got a delicious butterflies-in-the-stomach sensation.
Please, dear Lord, don’t let any of the nursery people come along and ask me for something.
Probably no one recognized her in the yellow sundress, but she tempted fate out here in broad daylight, and she needed to make a quick exit. As Tammy finished the final row of stock, the threesome walked toward the golf cart.
“You two take the golf cart,” Tammy said smugly and stared right at Lily. “My truck’s back here. I’ll meet you up at the office.”
Rhett drove the cart as before, and when they neared the office, Lily inwardly groaned at the sight of her red Toyota Tundra truck parked out front. Her jig was up. No self-respecting socialite drove a truck. If she climbed in that truck, Rhett would know she had deceived him, and a socialite wouldn’t hang around the nursery all day either.
As though in answer to a prayer, Rob Shaw pulled up in his sleek black Porsche. Lily hopped out and streaked for the Porsche.
“Thank you so much for bringing my car up for me, Rob. I forgot I left it at the Bonsai greenhouse,” she said loudly enough for Rhett to hear, then whispered, “If you love me, Rob, you’ll lend me your car for ten minutes and play along. Let me be Cinderella for just a little longer. Please?”
Rob gaped at her just like Tammy had out at the laydown yard, but he unfolded his tall frame from the sports car and silently handed over the keys as Rhett walked up. The two men stood eye to eye.
Rhett extended a hand first. “Rhett Buchanan, tree buyer.”
Rob shook his hand. “Rob Shaw, tree grower.”
Rhett laughed and turned to Lily. “I need directions to your house before you go.”
“I’ll meet you,” she blurted. “I have a late afternoon meeting that may run long.”
He looked dubious. “Sure.” He got his pad and pen back out and wrote down an address and a phone number, then handed the slip of paper to Lily. “The address is on the island, easy to find. That’s my cell number. Call when you’re close, and I’ll come outside and meet you.”
Lily’s knees wobbled, and she locked them tight. She had actually gotten away with this masquerade. “Great,” she said.
“The party starts at seven.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
He didn’t move, and she realized he was waiting for her to get in the Porsche, so he could close the door. The door on Rob’s Porsche. Rob’s Porsche with a stick shift.
Oh good grief.
As gracefully as she could, she twisted her legs and sandals into the low-slung vehicle.
“Nice to have met you, Lily. Very nice.” Rhett winked, then closed the door.
One little wink made her heart race. She gulped, nodded, and cranked the powerful engine. She waited a few seconds in the hope Rhett would walk back inside, but he didn’t move. She positioned one sandal on the clutch pedal and the other sandal on the gas pedal, and with three inches of cork heels on her espadrilles, she couldn’t feel either pedal. Shoving the gearshift in reverse, she eased up on the clutch, gave some gas, and bucked the sleek sports car into a stall.
Okay, sorry for fibbing, Lord. Now please help me!
She kept her eyes on the dashboard, recranked the engine, and tried again—with another brief prayer to keep Rob from strangling her later. Three hard jerks and she managed to back the Porsche out. Lily finally glanced at Rhett and knew for a fact her cheeks and neck had a lighthouse-bright flush.
She buzzed down the window. “I just got the car, and I’m still getting used to a stick.”
He grinned. “I figured.”
She pulled out of the front entrance, drove around the north end of the property to the shipping entrance, and turned in, then veered to the driveway at her cottage where Rob appeared moments later.
“Figured you’d end up here,” he said and crossed his arms over his chest. “Start talking, Cinderella. And when you’re done, I’m giving you pumpkin-coach-driving lessons.”
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