The Waitress's Secret
Today's Special: The Undercover Heiress! On the run after a bad breakup, wealthy city girl Arden Wexford ends up stranded in small town Sweet Briar. When hunky chef Brandon Danielson comes to her rescue, offering shelter and a waitressing job until her car is fixed, she reluctantly accepts. But, wanting Brandon to like her for her, not for her money, she doesn't mention her rich roots. The closer they get, the harder it is to untell the lie.Brandon came here to start over. Things weren't as they seemed with his ex-fiancée, and he got burned! But is it out of the frying pan, into the fire for Brandon as things heat up with this very special waitress?
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Todayâs Special: The Undercover Heiress!
On the run after a bad breakup, wealthy city girl Arden Wexford ends up stranded in small town Sweet Briar. When hunky chef Brandon Danielson comes to her rescue, offering shelter and a waitressing job until her car is fixed, she reluctantly accepts. But, wanting Brandon to like her for her, not for her money, she doesnât mention her rich roots. The closer they get, the harder it is to untell the lie.
Brandon came here to start over. Things werenât as they seemed with his ex-fiancée, and he got burned! But is it out of the frying pan, into the fire for Brandon as things heat up with this very special waitress?
Kiss me.
The stray thought caught her off guard and she jerked away from temptation, stumbling like a klutz over a box. Brandon grabbed her before she fell. The warmth from his hands sent heat coursing through her body. This was so not good.
âThanks,â Arden said breathlessly.
Brandon raised an eyebrow and stared at her as if he knew what sheâd been thinking. âDonât you want to know what he said?â
âWho?â
âJohn.â She must have looked as blank as she felt because he spoke the next words very slowly. âThe guy whoâs fixing your car.â
âOh, yeah. Right. What did he say?â
âHe towed it in, but he needs the keys. Once we get this stuff inside, Iâll drop you off at the garage.â
The thought of sitting shoulder to shoulder again in the cab of his truck, his masculine scent swirling around her, tempted her to forget she wasnât interested in getting involved with another man. âYou donât have to do that.â
âItâs not a problem,â Brandon replied as he hoisted a box onto his right shoulder.
Then he glanced at the woman before him and wondered, not for the first time, what the heck he was doing.
* * *
SWEET BRIAR SWEETHEARTS: Thereâs something about Sweet Briar...
KATHY DOUGLASS came by her love of reading naturallyâboth of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions.
After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small-town contemporary novels she enjoys reading.
This book is dedicated with love and appreciation to the following people:
To my best friend, Joya, who has been a true friend since the day we met. Thanks for reminding me that I wanted to be a writer.
To Ehryck, Teri and Sandra, who celebrated with me when I signed my first contract.
To Lauren Canan, the best critique partner on the planet.
To my editor, Charles Griemsman, who helps make my books better than even I could imagine.
To my mother-in-law and father-in-law, who raised my husband to be the most wonderful man in the world.
To my siblings, for a lifetime of love and support. A special mention to Marc, who actually did refer to his daughtersâ playpen as Attica.
To my parents, who loved and supported me in everything I did.
And last, but certainly not least, to my husband and sons, who fill my life with love and happiness. I love all of you more than you can ever imagine.
Contents
Arden Wexford pounded on the steering wheel, then turned the ignition key one more time. Still dead. Funny how that worked. Apparently the nineteenth time wasnât the charm. Sighing heavily, she got out of her car and slammed the door, releasing a bit of frustration. She looked under the hood even though she didnât have the foggiest idea what she was searching for.
Her great big adventure, as she had been sarcastically referring to it since her beloved Beetle had broken down, wasnât turning out the way sheâd planned. If things had gone the way sheâd intended, she would be closer to her parentsâ house in Florida by now. Instead, she was stranded in Nowhere, North Carolina. She wished sheâd driven the Mercedes sedan her parents had given her when sheâd graduated from college two years ago. But her candy-red Bug felt like a big hug from her brothers. Driving it always made her happy. After the disaster with Michael-the-jerk, she needed cheering.
Now, though, she wished she had driven the old-lady car. Sheâd be that much farther away from Baltimore and men willing to stoop to the lowest depths to turn her money into theirs. She was done with greedy men. She was going to hole up in her parentsâ winter home and enjoy life away from the vipers.
If she ever got out of North Carolina.
She kicked the tire of the offending vehicle even though it wasnât to blame for her predicament. It was properly inflated and ready to roll. All it needed was the car to start.
