Page 34 of California Dreaming

Erin said, “Wow, that’s an amazing find. I can never find anything when I go thrifting. Although I read a lot about hidden designer gems in those packed racks. The funny thing is that I’ve written articles about thrifting even though I’ve never had any luck in real life.”

“It’s a bit of an art form,” Tessa said, laughing. “You have to know which store to go to on which day of the week, along with what time the new inventory comes in—then throw in a lot of patience, and bingo—you have what I like to call a find. Oh, and another important key is to look up. Some of the best treasures are on the highest shelves, because people get focused on the racks of clothes and never think to see what’s lining the walls. I’ll take you both one day, if you like.”

The waiter arrived with the coffees and Danish pastries. Tessa took a deep sip of her coffee, which was frothy and dusted with a fine layer of cocoa. Delicious.

Mila went straight for an apricot Danish, which Tessa thought looked too pretty to eat.

“You’re clearly brilliant at thrifting, but you’ll have to count me out,” Mila said. “Not because I don’t think you can find great clothes in thrift or resale stores, but I would have nightmares about bumping into a client wearing one of their old dresses. I don’t think it would help me sell high-end homes.”

Erin wrinkled her nose at her sister. “You’re such a snob. How is buying and selling a used house any different than buying and selling a dress that no longer fits or that you’re just ready to get rid of to open up space in your closet for something new?”

Though Mila had explained her aversion to thrifting clothes in the nicest possible way, Tessa had still been feeling slightly embarrassed that she’d actually gone and invited the two women to join her on a future thrifting trip. But then Erin had come back with a pretty good rebuttal.

Still trying to relax with Arch’s sisters, Tessa accepted a raspberry pastry from the plate Erin offered her. It was such a treat to be sitting in a coffee shop, chatting and eating delicious pastries on a Tuesday morning. Tessa couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something like this.

Mila wiped a smudge of apricot jam from the corner of her mouth. “I’m too busy to go thrifting anyway.” She leaned forward, an excited glint in her eyes. “Jay Malone, Arch’s agent, called me this morning and told me he’s looking for a place.”

“That’s great,” Erin said, although she had sounded more impressed by Tessa’s thrifting skills. Or maybe that was just what Tessa wanted to believe.

In any case, Tessa, who figured Jay would have a big budget as a top Hollywood agent, said it sounded like an exciting new client for Mila.

“It is,” Mila replied. “And nice for Arch, too, to have his agent nearby. Especially since they’re close friends as well. Speaking of which…” She gave Tessa a broad smile that she figured was supposed to look innocent but seemed anything but. “How are you getting on with our dear brother?”

Erin added, “It’s been about twenty-four hours, so I figure he’s already driving you crazy. Am I right?”

Both women were entitled to be the tiniest bit nosy, given how close all the Davenport siblings were. Tessa decided to remain neutral. “It’s going fine,” she said. “And his house isn’t only beautiful, it’s also so comfortable and full of warmth.”

“So the setup is working for you?” Mila pushed.

Tessa nodded, though after last night and this morning, she was having bigger and bigger doubts that she could keep her growing feelings for Arch under wraps for the next two months and protect herself from heartbreak.

“Good,” Mila said. “Just don’t let Arch push you around. He’s too used to getting things his way.”

Tessa’s cheeks flushed as she thought about the proposal he’d made the night before. She took another sip of coffee, hoping neither sister would notice her reaction. “I’ve been a caregiver for long enough, fortunately, that I’m not so easy to boss around,” she said at last, putting down her cup. “He listens to me, at least so far. He also does his exercises without complaint, and he’s eating well and even seems to enjoy my cooking.”

“That’s good to hear,” Mila said. “I thought he’d be pretty resistant to working with a caregiver. Then again, I hadn’t counted on someone like you. Clearly, you’re the reason he’s willing to follow instructions, rather than doing things his own way, like he normally does.”

Tessa was surprised to find herself wanting to defend Arch—and also to deflect the spotlight from herself. “I think what’s driving his motivation to heal as quickly as possible is that he still has a couple of scenes to shoot with Smith Sullivan to finish that movie. He’s also really excited about his next action film. He knows he needs to be in top physical shape for both. I just hope I can help him fully heal in the compressed time frame he’s insisted on.”

“Arch can be easygoing a lot of the time, but he also has a stubborn streak,” Mila said. “If he wants something badly enough, he won’t stop until he gets it.”

Erin laughed. “Sounds a lot like you, sis.”

To her credit, Mila took the teasing in stride. “It’s true. Stubbornness runs in the family. Though I like to call it determination. We Davenports don’t give up easily when we want something.”

For a millisecond, Tessa wondered if Mila was referring to the possibility of a romance between her and Arch. But she was pretty sure she hadn’t given away her budding feelings for him.

At the same time, Tessa had a prickling sense that if Arch was truly determined to entice her into his bed, she’d have a hard time resisting. Even now, the image of him bare-chested and grinning flashed into her mind.

But no. She was determined to stay strong. She’d had a lot of practice in her lifetime; now was the time to use it.

To her relief, the two sisters turned their attention from Arch and returned to the topic of his agent’s house-hunt. Mila was clearly excited—she’d already lined up three fabulous places for him to view.

Tessa enjoyed listening to their easy chatter. She was surprised how comfortable she felt in their company. It was like the three of them had been hanging out for years. She couldn’t imagine how nice it must be to have a built-in best friend for life in your sibling. She finished her pastry and then checked her watch. Already an hour had gone by.

Erin mirrored the gesture. “I have to get to work.”

“Me too,” Mila said. “But this was nice.”

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