Phoenix Burning by Maitland Kaitlin Page A

store.”
    MacIntyre didn’t miss a beat. “Then how about I bring you lunch?”
    “Oh, that’s not necessary. I’m sure you’re busy today.”
    “No, I insist!” MacIntyre headed back to his car. “I’ll see you around noon.”
    She watched the pushy bastard drive around the block before addressing Foxy’s little fib. “Chris doesn’t have time to swing by here later this morning. You and my brother are driving up the river to that bed and breakfast for the rest of the weekend.”
    “I’m not going on a romantic mini-vaca and leaving you here to have lunch with that asshole.” Fox sounded insulted.
    “Yes, you are. My brother spent weeks planning this two-night getaway. I’ll be fine.”
    “If he tries anything. You know what to do.”
    She stood on tiptoe and kissed Fox’s cheek. “They’ll have to pry his family jewels out with a wrench.”
    “That’s my girl.” Fox wrapped her in another warm hug before driving off to deliver the wedding flowers.
    Emory headed back into her shop, hoping she wouldn’t have to put that plan into action. Defying Captain Downtown would come with a cost.
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    Alex moved another case of liquor onto the stack in the storeroom. He felt like he’d been at it for hours, though it’d been only twenty minutes. The day was just dragging ass.
    Like me.
    He’d stayed in bed until the last possible moment, the remnants of his morning orgasm remaining on his stomach until he’d forced himself from the bed and into the shower. But washing it away wasn’t enough. He couldn’t scour away the memory of her eyes or her tinkling laughter.
    “Are you still back here?” Jessa leaned around the corner. “The supplier is on the line wanting to know how much Connor is ordering.”
    “Shit.” Alex did a quick tally in his head and jotted down a few numbers. He handed her the clipboard. “Here. This should do it.”
    “Her name is Emory Banks, you know.”
    Jessa’s words took several seconds to sink in. “What?”
    “It took me a minute yesterday to place her because she’s never come in here.”
    Why was his heart hammering in his chest? “How do you know her?”
    “She runs the flower shop around the corner.”
    A flower shop? Somehow it seemed entirely too apropos, a pixie in a flower shop.
    “In fact, I could use a couple of hanging baskets for the house if you’d be interested in going over to pick them out. I’ve got a lot to do this afternoon.” Jessa disappeared down the hallway toward Connor’s office before Alex could reply.
    He glanced at the clock. It was just after twelve. He had plenty of time before the Saturday afternoon crowd started to wander in. Reaching behind his waist, he untied his apron and tossed it onto the nearest stack of liquor. At this point, was there really anything to lose?
     
    * * *
     
     
    “I’m really glad you decided to have lunch with me, Emory.” Donovan reached across the counter and took her hand. “It’s so nice to have fellow business owners in the downtown area that understand how important it is to maintain the hometown image we have here.”
    She nodded because there was nothing else to do. It wasn’t as if the bonehead had asked her what she thought downtown ought to look like.
    “Now that I’ve gotten the mayor on my side, things should really take off.”
    “The mayor?” Something told her there was some shady business going on at city hall.
    “The mayor and I go way back. He and I went to college together. He’s a very unusual guy.” MacIntyre’s oily smile made her skin crawl. “Mayor Strand is really in touch with his feminine side, if you know what I mean.”
    “Really? I had no idea.”
    He lifted her hand to his mouth for a kiss. “I’m nothing like that, Emory. I’m straight as an arrow.”
    Emory fought back a stab of anger and glued her mouth shut. This was wrong. Being with him was wrong. Which was ironic since her father would have loved him. Her father had spent