Read Online Paradise Encounter by Pepper Anthony - Free Book Online

Andy Gable grabbed the jangling phone on his way past the vacant front counter. Where the hell was Tiffany? It was only eleven o’clock, way too early for her lunch break.
    “Good morning,” he said into the mouthpiece. “Paradise Nursery.”
    “Is that you, Andy? Thank God!”
    He recognized the woman’s husky voice immediately, and a warm sensation curled through his groin. “Maya! What can I do for you?”
    “I’m in deep trouble. You know the big order of landscaping stuff you guys delivered to our home show site yesterday morning? I totally screwed up and ordered eight Japanese maples and three arborvitae. It should have been the other way around. Plus we need six more big bags of the same type of mulch.”
    “No problem. We can certainly swap those shrubs for you, and we’ve always got plenty of mulch.” This kind of crisis was common as the annual Unforgettable Homes Show approached. He’d talked to two other contractors this morning who were scrambling to finish landscaping their model homes for the prestigious event.
    “Here’s the thing,” she went on, an edge of panic in her voice, “everything needs to be at the site as soon as possible this afternoon. Has your delivery truck already gone out?”
    “Afraid so.” He’d loaded the last of the potted shrubs himself a half hour ago and watched the truck disappear through the back gate. There were three deliveries scheduled in different parts of town. The truck probably wouldn’t be back before five.
    “Oh, God. Junior is going to kill me. The show opens Saturday morning.  Damn it!”
    Andy winced. It wasn’t like Maya Thomas to lose her cool. In the year his nursery had been doing business with Wilson Superior Homes, she’d always been efficient, in control, the consummate professional. Compared to staff he dealt with at other construction companies, Maya was usually way ahead of the game.
    But she was probably right about her boss. Junior Wilson had a reputation for being hot headed.
    He dropped his voice into a soothing tone. “I don’t have any way to deliver those shrubs today, but I can have them out there first thing tomorrow, and pick up the maples you need to return. Are they still at the site?”
    “No. Actually they’re here at the office, in the back of one of our big pickups. The site had to be cleared, so the guys brought them back here last night.”
    “Perfect! Just have one of your men drive your truck over here. I’ll swap out the trees, load up the mulch, and he can take the stuff to the site this afternoon in your own truck.” It pleased him to be able to solve her problem so easily. He could picture her full red lips next to the phone, curving into a grateful smile.
    But instead there was a long beat of silence from her end.
    “That would be great,” she finally said, “but all the guys are out at the site this afternoon. This place is deserted except for me and the receptionist.”
    “How about you, Maya? Can you drive the truck over?”
    Holy shit! What had he just done?
    Another pause, then her hesitant voice. “Well, I guess so. I used to drive my cousin’s half ton. How different can this be?”
    “Great! You know our address, right? Just come around to the back gate and someone will let you in. And stop worrying. We’ll make this happen.”
    “Oh, that’s fantastic.” She gave that throaty laugh he was most used to hearing. “I’m so not dressed for manual labor. But I’ll make it work. You’re the best, Andy!”
    The phone went dead in his hand. He placed it back in the cradle just as Tiffany came around the corner, cell phone in hand as usual. He scowled at her and she stuck out her tongue as she slid into her chair and went back to texting. God, sometimes he hated working with family. Normally he’d have called his niece on her lax attitude, but right now he had more important things crowding his mind.
    Like the fact that he was about to meet Maya Thomas.
    In the flesh.
    Finally.
    He pushed