A Kiss to Build a Dream On Read Free

bit.”
    Burk shook his head, instead pulling a small, battered notebook from the front of his plaid shirt. “I’m running behind. We’d better get started.”
    Willa couldn’t remember Burk ever being this gruff. Or this handsome, she thought, taking in the tumble of dark hair, thicker than she recalled, and the edge of his cheekbones, sharper than when they’d dated in high school. The shadow of stubble across his face made her pulse quicken.
    Willa, by contrast, knew her recent past hadn’t done her any favors. She’d put on weight from all the financial strain and legal battles related to Lance’s botched finances. She tried not to think about how her newfound curves must look next to a plate of decimated hot dish.
    Not that Burk appeared to notice. He tapped a pen against the notepad’s spirals. “So you’re finally going to fix the old place up, eh?”
    His vowels were incredibly round. “So” and “going” sounded drawn out, as if he was adding extra O’s to the words. Willa wondered if she’d talked like that at some point. She must have, but now it sounded like a foreign language.
    “Yes, it’s stood empty for a long time, as you know. It needs a lot of work.”
    “What do you want to start with?”
    The brusque question was no doubt the result of Burk being time-strapped, but disappointment needled her nonetheless. Did he have to be so curt? She couldn’t expect Burk to treat her any differently just because they had a past. But she suddenly felt as if a long-buried part of her wanted him to.
    No. Absolutely not. She stared at his mouth, fighting off the memory of his lips against hers all those years ago. The warm, tender brush of them. The sweet touch of skin on skin.
    Forget it. She was not going to allow her emotions to sidetrack her. She knew firsthand how disastrous it could be to want something that just wasn’t there.
    Besides, Burk was being terse, not to mention inefficient. If he’d met her at the house, they could have covered all his questions already. They could have walked around and talked about the things that needed taking care of first. If the purpose of the meeting was for them to figure out if they could work together, why was he asking about project priorities?
    “As you know, there’s a lot to be done,” Willa answered carefully, reining in her emotions. “In addition to fixing up the obvious things—the roof, the floors, the windows—I also need to knock down some walls. And reroute some plumbing. Probably also put some additional appliances in the kitchen. A second stove maybe.”
    For a moment, Burk didn’t answer. Willa wondered if his face had paled slightly, or if she was imagining it.
    “That’s quite an overhaul,” he said finally.
    “It needs to be. My goal is to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. It’s about time, don’t you think? I’m positive this town is ready for a first-class place to stay.” Willa didn’t know why she sounded like she was trying to talk the entire diner into liking her idea.
    Something dark flashed in the depths of Burk’s stormy eyes. There was a time when Willa would have been able to read it—to know exactly what every expression or gesture meant—but that was long ago.
    “We already have the Great Lakes Inn on the other side of town,” Burk said. “And I’m not sure they’re exactly bursting with customers. You sure you want to open a second motel when the first one can barely break even?”
    Willa’s insides flamed with frustration. “It’s not a motel , it’s a bed-and-breakfast. There’s a huge difference. And I’m not going to have rotting bedspreads with lighthouses on them like that dump. I’m going to have down comforters and roaring fires and five-star food. Comfy couches and beautiful grounds and freshly baked cookies in the afternoon. Plus fresh juices and teas anytime you want them. Not to mention first-rate wines. All the things they have in B and B’s out East.”
    Burk arched a dark