Redemption Bay (Haven Point Book 2) (Contemporary Romance) by RaeAnne Thayne Read Free Book Online

lasting damage you’ve done to my town, but that might be just a guess.
“Go on. Tell me why you’re here.”
    He sighed. “I didn’t expect to ever return but apparently I have a tough time saying no to some people.”
    “Aidan Caine.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “Did he contact you to let you know I was coming?”
    “A lucky guess. You’re the chief operations officer of Caine Tech and Aidan’s right-hand man. Aidan just bought half the town. Aidan and his wife-to-be, Eliza, have wonderful taste and both love Haven Point—unlike some people I won’t mention—and they’ve been working to revitalize it. Suddenly, you show up, obviously not happy about being here. I connected the dots. What did Aidan ask you to do?”
    A muscle worked in his jaw. He glanced around Serrano’s. If not for her own tension, she might have found it amusing how heads swiveled back to their meals as if everybody in the place wasn’t watching him covertly—and some not even bothering with that.
    He angled slightly toward the window, away from the other diners, and leaned forward, speaking in a low voice that forced her to incline forward as well, until their heads were just inches apart, far more intimate than she was completely comfortable with.
    Up close, he smelled of toothpaste and some kind of expensive soap, woodsy and masculine and delicious.
    Not that she noticed.
    “This is a delicate situation and one that requires total discretion, as I’m sure you can understand. Unfounded rumors only stir the pot to overflowing and generally end up making a big mess.”
    “What sort of rumors should I have heard?”
    “Nothing, I hope,” he said. “I would like to keep it that way. Please don’t share what I’m about to tell you with anyone. Not the town council, not your executive staff.”
    Which consisted of Anita Robles, her personal assistant at city hall and the real driving force behind the town. She supposed Dale Pierson, the public works director, might count as executive staff, but that was about it.
    “Fine. I won’t say anything,” she said.
    He studied her as if trying to gauge whether she meant it. Finally, he nodded. “The truth is, Caine Tech is expanding into a couple fresh areas and we have need of a new facility that would employ about three hundred people. Aidan is pushing to move those operations to Haven Point.”
    Her brain seemed to stall on “employ” and “three hundred people.” Jobs. An economic base beyond tourism. That was
exactly
what Haven Point needed. It could mean new housing, stores, restaurants.
    Bless Aidan and his sweet fiancée. If Eliza had been there, McKenzie would have smooched her right on the lips.
    As it was, she almost smooched Ben, since he was only a few inches away—until her brain kicked in again and she remembered exactly who sat across the table from her.
    Her burgeoning excitement popped as if he had just blasted it with a shotgun. Very carefully, she eased away a little and entwined her fingers together in her lap. “Aidan asked you to come here,” she said slowly. “In what capacity?”
    He glanced out at the others in the restaurant then back at her. “Call it a fact-finding mission. In two weeks, I’m supposed to report to Aidan and the board of directors with a cost-benefit analysis of placing our new facility in Haven Point.”
    Just as she suspected. Her stomach dropped. So much for all those beautiful jobs and families and dreams of prosperity.
    “Why would he send you? Aidan can’t possibly think for a moment you’re capable of offering an objective opinion,” she hissed. “You hate it here with a passion.”
    “
Hate
is a strong word. I don’t hate Haven Point. I’m indifferent. There’s a big difference.”
    “Fine. You’re
passionately indifferent
, though I don’t know how it’s possible not to love it here. Haven Point is a beautiful place filled with good, hardworking people who care about this town and about each other.”
    He leaned