Surrendering To His Mrs. Right (Soul Food Diner) Read online

  Surrendering To His Mrs. Right

  by

  a.c. Mason

  Surrendering To His Mrs. Right

  Copyright © 2013, a.c. Mason

  Book design by a.c. Mason

  Cover Art by Leila DeSint

  eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  Bird.

  Back Cover Copy

  When Tim Boyd is asked to pick up Indy Kent a few days before Christmas, his interest in his brother Liam’s best friend is all tied up in knots. And for once in his life he’s unwilling to deny himself for the sake of his family.

  Indy Kent comes home for the holidays heartbroken at the knowledge that her best friend, Liam, is finally serious about another woman. But she finds comfort and a spark with Tim.

  To Tim’s surprise, Indy seems to welcome the chance to spend time with him. Soon, something more is brewing…that is, until Liam returns.

  New Year’s sends Tim, Indy and Liam into a tailspin that will alter them forever, and their lives will hang in the balance…

  Chapter 1

  Tim Boyd checked the flight board of Terminal Seven at LAX. Indy’s plane had landed.

  Since he didn’t know which luggage turnstile her luggage would go to, he couldn’t anticipate where she’d exit at the arrival zone. Best he ask someone. He made his way over to the information desk.

  “How can I help you?” the cheery young lady behind the counter asked.

  He smiled back. “I’m picking up a family friend from a United flight from New York due in at two. I’m wondering where I should wait?”

  She glanced down at a screen behind the counter. “I see that the flight landed. I suggest you wait by the doors next to the ground transportation exit.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Umm hum.”

  The doors she’d suggested were a few yards away.

  Crowds of people came out of the luggage area in waves. No sign of Indy.

  He checked his smartphone for a message. Nothing aside from the usual updates the hospital sent. No word from anyone that she hadn’t left or missed her flight. So where was she? He put the device back in the holster on his belt and adjusted his sports jacket. Perhaps he’d overdressed. Liam often commented to that effect. He was a physician and refused to be in public, aside from when working out, in sweatpants. Jeans were relaxed. Weren’t they? They were designer, but he’d worn a dress shirt and sports jacket. Anything else would look ridiculous. He’d never spent this much time fussing over his clothes but he didn’t want to come off like a stuffy old guy to Indy. Even though he wasn’t one. He ran a hand through his hair.

  Liam would say he was overthinking this but it was just the opposite—he wasn’t giving it enough thought. The problem with his interest in his brother’s best friend was just that—a problem. Brother rule number one: don’t sleep with your brother’s girlfriend. Brother rule number two: don’t fall in love with his best friend whether the person was a male or female. Not that Greg, Liam’s other best friend, had anything to worry about—Tim was into women. Nor could he spend more than five minutes in the man’s presence without wanting to kill him. That man was an ass. Got his kicks making people squirm. Tim’s life, on the other hand, was dedicated to making people comfortable. Which made his feelings for Indy that much more complicated as there was sure to be uneasiness with his brother.

  And yet, when Tim had witnessed Indy comforting Liam after a blowout with their father and Liam had tried to use her body to forget, she’d called him on it—an action which showed her in a new light. A light that had him willing to explore his interest. It had taken him many years to see through the games people played, but Indy seemed to understand. At least when it came to Liam. Maybe she was a woman who could understand him too. Could there be something between them that might grow? More than anything else he needed time alone with her without Liam around.

  There was a ten years difference between them, so he’d need to tread carefully—very carefully—to avoid anyone getting hurt. The last few weeks before she’d left to go back to college, he’d caught her looking at him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. But still she might not even be interested in him. All this agonizing over the right decision could be for nothing.

  Where was she? He glanced over at the flight board again.

  “Tim?” Indy’s sultry voice came from behind him.

  Excitement peaked in his chest. He smiled at the thought of seeing her. Appropriate or not, he couldn’t change the fact that he’d missed the runt.

  “Indy.” He turned.

  The once-awkward girl had become a gorgeous woman. Long lashes framed her light brown eyes, a dramatic contrast. The rum tone of her skin shone with youth. Dressed to the nines, she wore a cream wool coat, beige blouse that dipped to the edges of her rose bra, a pink skirt that hugged her hips and white lace-up boots that came to the line of the hem at her knees.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed. He froze as he breathed in her coconut scent. Sweet. The way her fit body formed to his, he couldn’t help but notice fantastic hourglass shape. He held her.

  “I thought Liam wasn’t coming home until New Year’s Eve?” She released him.

  Reluctantly, he let his arms fall to his sides.

  She raised a brow, her hazel eyes glistening with intensity.

  The bronze color at the edge of her lips grew pink inward. He wanted to taste her mouth, but pushed that thought aside. “He isn’t.” It seemed his brother had finally gotten serious about someone. Or his dick had. Either way, whatever his brother had going on with this Brenda had to mean he wasn’t into Indy. Right? Otherwise, why wouldn’t he be home spending Christmas with her?

  “Do you have family coming from out of town?” she asked.

  Their families had been neighbors for sixteen years. They were kind of like relatives. They’d seen the good and the bad. The really ugly, too. Her questions told him she didn’t know he was there for her.

  “You didn’t get your father’s message?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “He asked me to pick you up.” What if she was disappointed? Indy got along well with her father and stepmother now. It hadn’t always been like that.

  She shook her head, pulled out her phone and scrolled. “Good thing I saw you standing there. I didn’t even check the thing when I got off the plane. Sorry. I hope Daddy didn’t put you out too much.”

  “Don’t be sorry, really. I don’t mind. With Liam away it’s going to be a pretty quiet holiday.” Did that sound kind of lonely? Of course it did.

  “You should come over to our place for Christmas.” She nodded. “Mum always makes way too much.”

  “I can’t impose on your family dinner.” It was enough that he’d managed to insert his way into the role of picking her up today. Mrs. Kent didn’t like to drive out to the airport, and Tim had mentioned in passing to Mr. Kent to let him know if he needed anything. With Liam not around, and him taking time of
f from the hospital, his schedule was wide open. Though he loved Christmas it was a difficult time of year for him. Ghosts of holidays past often haunted him.

  “Tim, you and Liam are like family to us.” She put her hand on her hip and cocked her head.

  There was no arguing with a woman once she took that pose. It was in his best interests to concede, anyway. He’d hoped to have time with Indy and this was a perfect opening. “Then, yes, I’d love to.”

  “Good. That’s settled.”

  “Do you have bags?”

  “No, just the carry-on.” She pointed to the bag.

  “I’ve never known a woman who travels as light as you do.” The arrivals area of the airport was filled with loved ones picking up family. Some people were happy and others seemed tense. The Christmas lights and décor had brightened his mood.

  A couple jumped into each other’s arms and kissed. It was getting harder not to want that with Indy when he was around her. It hadn’t just been Indy checking him out the last few weeks of summer, he had caught himself ogling her on more than a few occasions. He’d chastised himself for doing it but over autumn he’d given it a lot of thought. Was it really wrong? She was twenty-two now…and still his brother’s best friend.

  She looked at him and smiled. “I don’t need much. My health and those I care about. Everything else is gravy.”

  “It’s refreshing,” he said. Most of the women in Malibu needed two sets of suitcases. At least. “I can take it for you.” Though Indy had some high maintenance tendencies she was pretty grounded.

  “Ah, you’re so sweet. I can manage though.” She patted his shoulder. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe you and Liam are brothers.”

  He frowned. At times he struggled with his brother’s conflicting needs for space and attention. When to give Liam which was a landmine. But what else could Tim do when both their parents had abandoned his brother? “As I’m sure Liam’s mentioned, technically, we didn’t grow up in different household environments. I was near ten when Liam came along and our parents’ marriage was falling apart.” The home had grown toxic about a year before Liam was born when Samuel had died and Tim had fallen into his depression, though fell wasn’t exactly the right word. Samuel and his parents had lived next door, in the house Indy’s family did now. Samuel and he had done everything together—just like Indy and Liam. Until Samuel got sick. “I’m sure you know what it was like when Liam was a kid. I did what I could to shelter him from some of it until I went off to university.” When Tim left for school the family was crumbling. By the time Tim came home. Liam had seen his opportunity and put the last nail in the coffin of his parents’ marriage. The ticking time bomb finally exploded. Liam had changed. It had been a ticking time bomb for years. His parents had headed right into a messy divorce. The sad younger brother he’d left behind was an angry young man.

  "We've been over the Graham and Sylvie horror show." She nodded.

  “Do you need to rush off?”

  “No.” Subtlety wasn’t one of her talents. Thankfully, because he wasn’t great at laying his cards on the table early on. “I’m on vacation, technically. Unless something comes up, I’m off duty.” He started walking toward the parking lot.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked with a look that implied more than food. At least he wanted it to. It had been a long while since he’d had sex; Women usually made the first move, since he over-thought most things.

  “I can be.” Better hold back his urge to banter with her until he knew there was mutual interest. “Do you have a place in mind?”

  “There’s this place called The Diner I like that Liam seems to hate.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I’m dying for Bee’s peach cobbler.”

  “I’ve heard Liam talk about the establishment.” Whatever went on there angered Liam, though Tim didn’t know why. From what Liam said everyone was extra friendly to them. “Is peach cobbler any good?”

  “You’ve gotta be totally kidding me. You haven’t had peach cobbler before?”

  He shook his head. Sure he’d heard of it, but he hadn’t had any inkling that he’d been missing out. Not even on his road trip through the south. The best soul food he’d had was in Macon, Georgia at this little out of the way stop that didn’t look like much from the outside but, boy, was the food good. Given there wasn’t anything peach he really enjoyed, the idea of ordering it hadn’t crossed his mind.

  “That settles it. We’ve got to pop that cherry,” she said.

  Did she have to use all these sexual references? It was hard enough for him to keep his mind off sex with her without her throwaway innuendos. From the way she acted he expected she would take the lead in that matter. She liked being the boss, and he was comfortable with the woman being in charge in bed.

  “We’re going to skip right to dessert.” She winked at him.

  The woman had to know the way she talked left a man unable to concentrate on anything but sex. Was she like this with all her friends? He didn’t remember her talking like this when her daddy was around.

  “I’m game.” It beat his dinner for one waiting at the house.

  “I’m sure you are.” She quirked her eyebrow and looked him over head to toe.

  The only way this topic was going away was if he made it. For his own protection, he would. “The car’s over here.”

  “I thought you were trashing that midlife-crisis set of wheels your dad got for something more you.” She kept pace beside him as they stopped in front of the convertible Ferrari.

  It was nice to know she remembered the conversation they’d had in the summer. “I am. I just need to find something I’d like to replace it with. At first, I just thought it’s not my kind of vehicle but I haven’t given much thought to what my kind of car is.” As much as he hated to admit it, a man’s automobile said a lot about him to others.

  “Men.” She shrugged. “You put way too much thought into the car thing.”

  “So you just picked up any old motorcycle or is that a Ducati you’ve got, Indy?”

  “Point taken.” She grinned. “As you’re well aware, I’ve got exceptional taste in vehicles. I could help if you want…”

  What was with the sudden ultra-friendliness? Not that he was about to turn her down. Any chance to be with her was one he’d take. Especially if it was going to be just the two of them.

  “Sure.” Had he agreed too quickly? Shit, he couldn’t stop himself. “I’ve only been to a few dealers but I’ve got a bunch of flyers and was planning on hitting a few more.”

  “How about tomorrow?” she asked.

  Hard to believe she didn’t have other plans, but he’d take it. “That works for me.”

  Picking her up from the airport had thus far given him dinner plans and help in picking a new car. He popped the trunk and put Indy’s bag inside. She walked, hips swaying, to the passenger side and got in. Her body was something else.

  Brains and beauty. She would be the end of him.

  Chapter 2

  Indy Kent sat in the notorious Boyd Ferrari and her hymen was still intact. Granted the nobler of the Boyds was her escort.

  Tim drove toward the coast. If her father had picked her up, he would’ve been in a rush to get home, to see to the clients who seemed to have a knack for doing a greater number of illegal things at Christmas. Or, they got caught more during the holidays. And he probably would have went on and on about the romantic plans he'd come up with to spoil Mum over the Holidays.

  The ride to The Diner was quiet. Pretty scenery passed by without a barrage of comments or questions. Liam would’ve drowned the drive with empty words. Was this what it was like to be around someone who didn’t constantly require the space around them to be filled? Part of her was bitter that Liam had gone and fallen in love. What right did he have when she’d been waiting for him? What a foolish girl she’d been, thinking that one day…

  Tim pulled into a spot close to The Diner. Liam never would have parked near the door. To afraid that someone
would mess with his wheels. A light drizzle began to fall.

  From the outside The Diner didn’t look impressive. A highway-side diner like any other across the country. In the window, a neon pink sign flashed Soul Food. That said it all.

  “I’ve got an umbrella.” Tim reached into the back. “Let me come around.”

  A surge of excitement rushed through her. The guys she spent time with didn’t make that kind of effort. But Tim would shelter her from the rain. He was prepared for rain or shine. A thoughtful sort of man, the kind she could even get close to.

  He opened the door and pulled her into the warm, dry cocoon of his body and umbrella. Even in the rain, home smelt like a mix of the beach and the mountains’ greenery.

  Tim held open the diner door for her and shook off the umbrella. The décor inside was retro 1950s. Festive decorations hung throughout. A sign read Please wait to be seated.

  “Table for two?” a young woman yelled from behind the counter.

  “Yes. Please,” they said in sync.

  The waitress grabbed two menus. “This way, please.”

  He gestured for her to go ahead then followed a few steps behind as the waitress led them past the few other occupied booths to a table by the window.

  She sat down in the large red leather seat, and Tim took the spot across from her. The panoramic window was covered in fake frost and the words Merry Christmas were painted like candy cane.

  “I’m Dot, I’ll be your server. Can I start you off with anything to drink?” the young woman asked.

  “Do you drink coffee?” Indy asked him drumming the white with black po.

  “Yes, black.” He nodded.

  “I’ll have black with two sweeteners. We’d like two peach cobblers with two scoops each of Bee’s homemade ice cream.”

  “Got it.” She finished scribbling on her notepad. “Will this be on one or separate bills?”

  Indy said, “Separate,” at the same time as Tim said, “One.”