Free Hidden Hills by Jannette Spann Page A

she’ll switch rooms with you.”
    â€œCool!”
    Charlotte doubted the beds were the only mix-up. She hated to admit it, but Jake had been right. Some of her furniture had made the trip without a problem, but other pieces appeared as if she’d bought them at a scratch and dent shop. One of the bedside lamps hadn’t survived at all. The old saying “you get what you pay for” was true, but in her case, she’d got what she could afford — the guys were cheap.
    Everything she owned had fit into the panel truck except her plants. There wasn’t any hurry as long as she got those before the house sold. It had been on the market for over eighteen months without so much as a nibble. She knew it was unrealistic to hope Mrs. Wilson could do any better, but hope was all she had. Time was running out, leaving her with money for only three more payments before the unthinkable happened.
    Charlotte forgot her search for a clean cup when a bushy green plant floated past her kitchen window. She checked her reflection in the toaster and ran her fingers through her unruly hair. The pale face staring back was distorted, but there was no denying the dark smudges beneath her eyes. After splashing some water, she grabbed a dishtowel to wipe away the mascara, then realized she wasn’t wearing any.
    â€œHey lady, this thing’s heavy. Do you have to take all day?”
    The voice was grumpier than she remembered, but the rest of the guy was familiar enough through the screen door. She unhooked the latch. “It’s beautiful, Jake.”
    â€œYou think so?” His lopsided grin let her know what he thought of her taste. “I wanted to get roses, but the girls at work said this was more neighborly, and since I’m not much at picking flowers — except roses — I like roses.”
    Charlotte led him around a stack of unopened boxes, trying to keep her attention on the flowers instead of his blue eyes. “This is a Peace Lily, and I love it.”
    â€œThen I guess it is neighborly.”
    She found herself wondering how many women he’d bought roses for since his wife passed away. Jake wasn’t handsome in the regular sense. His hairline was receding, and his shoulders seemed too wide for his lanky frame, but the man had the most incredible royal blue eyes she’d ever seen. Even his smell had her spirit reaching out for him in a most unneighborly way.
    Why was this happening to her? Why now, with this man? Others had tried to flirt with her, and she’d felt nothing. Now a skinny guy brought her a potted plant, and she swooned like a heroine in an old movie. She cut her eyes away from his before she did something stupid. “I feel like a fraud.”
    â€œYou do — why?”
    â€œBecause I’ve got all sorts of flowers just waiting for a ride,” she admitted, hoping she didn’t sound ungrateful.
    â€œOne more won’t hurt — will it?”
    â€œNo, of course not.” The smell of his cologne was playing havoc with her nervous system. She inhaled deeply, breathing in his fresh male scent. “There’s always room for one more.”
    He sat the pot on a large box and surveyed the room. “The store’s closed tomorrow. We can use the van if you want to.”
    â€œYou’re offering to move my plants?”
    â€œSure, why not? It might be fun.”
    It should have been so easy to say yes, but something held her back. If he’d been a woman, she wouldn’t have hesitated, but he was a man, and men had ulterior motives, especially the great smelling ones like him.
    â€œWhat store are we talking about?”
    â€œBett’s.”
    â€œThe clothing store? You’re sure they won’t mind?”
    â€œI’ve used it before.” He rummaged through a box on the kitchen counter and turned with a grin, holding up two Alabama coffee mugs. “I knew you were a fan.”
    Charlotte cleared a