You Can't Rush Love

He's looking for answers to the past.She's hoping to preserve her future.Love will make them meet in the middle.Lawrence Casselway closes deals like he breathes. He knows all the fact and all the angles. The only thing he doesn't know is what really happened to his mother the night she died and why was she on her way to the town of Oasis. Lawrence knows people. He'll wave some cash find the truth and then give them what they deserve.Rachel Thompson loves Peony House. The bed and breakfast, Peony House, was a refuge after a bad relationship. Trying to find someone who wants to be with her and not the best selling author she is has been one disaster after another in her love life. Now her grandmother suggests they should sell the B&B. Rachel doesn't agree but she'll make sure the person she sells it to isn't some ne'er to do city person.Watch two lost souls find themselves in an unconditional love that looks past the surface to see the person beneath.

Chapter
One

“I’m
not just a handsome face but even I have to admit, that mug is handsome,”
Lawrence Casselway said as he looked at his reflection in the side mirror of
his sports car.

He
didn’t bother to put any baggage into his car beyond his briefcase. What was
the point of packing if it would only take a day at most? He looked at his
high-rise condo and was already missing it. The Butler Hotel was down the block
and as far as Lawrence was concerned, everything he needed he was looking at.

Just
then a young lady walked by with a baby carriage, and he remembered that while
he had every material thing, he still needed some answers. Well, no sense in
wasting time, he thought as he took a seat in his car. After he settled in, he
pushed a button and the convertible top rolled back. Then he saw a bus pass him
by on the New York street and Lawrence caught a glimpse of the ad on the side
of the bus.

‘Who
is R.T Green?’

Lawrence
shook his head. He couldn’t imagine having a talent and not owning it.

“It’s
probably a monkey,” he mused out loud. He had left his friend Cameron with his
new fiancé and was going to head straight to the assignment he had just
received. When he looked at the town, he knew years of planning had come to
fruition and he wanted to meet this one on his terms with his best clothing. As
he pulled out of the parking spot and began his drive to the airport, he
thought back on the conversation he had with his assistant, Jane Ornum, this
morning.

“Where
are you going?” Jane had asked in her sullen way. At five foot six, she was an
attractive woman who didn’t see him as a man. She had told him that she saw him
more like a little brother with too much money and one that had been indulged
by the parents.

“I’m
going to a little town to get a B&B signed over to Butler Hotels.”

“So
now we do B&Bs?” she asked suspiciously.

“We
don’t yet but this would be a good place to start,” he said as he picked some
items from his desk and dropped them into his suitcase. As he went to the door,
Jane blocked the entrance and looked him in the eye as she squinted examining
his face.

“What
aren’t you telling me Lawrence?” she asked.

“You
do know you work for me, right?”

Jane
waved the statement away.

“Yes,
I work for you because you went through the other four executive assistants,”
she said with a satisfied smirk on her face.

“I’m
going to look at history and do some business. I’m being efficient.”

“More
like sneaky. The historical place wouldn’t happen to be Oasis, would it?”

Lawrence
looked Jane in the eye and then gave her his standard smirk. It was his way of
hiding when he was affected by something. His looks had always saved him, or in
the very least distracted others.

“I
don’t know Jane, I might have to report you for knowing this much about me,” he
said sarcastically.

Rolling
her eyes, she moved aside.

“Go
take care of this thing that is riding you but remember you have friends here
if you need them.”

Lawrence
nodded and left.

With
the memory of that confrontation out of his system, he had made the drive to
the airport and was boarding the plane.

He
was sitting in his seat waiting for the flight attendants to settle everyone.
Sitting in first class with his soda, he closed his eyes. Maybe this was what
he needed to start to slow down and relax. He was secure at his job at Butler,
he had made sure of it. He might have been recommended to the job by his friend
Cameron, but he had proven he was a deal closer for Butler and deserved to be
at the company in his own right.

He
would go to the little place called Oasis and then move on and think about what
else he wanted in his life. He might even think about a woman fortunate enough
to be with him. He smiled to himself. Yes, he was a bit arrogant, but it had
held true and gotten him to the point he was at now and it was a hard thing to
let go of.

The
real problem was Lawrence couldn’t find his life anymore. If he wasn’t working,
well... he just was.  He knew if he kept
up with the acquisitions the way he was going and the new guard that had held
its seat with the board, he could probably request his own department. If
anyone had asked him if that had been his end goal, Lawrence would have said
you bet your patootie. Now, Lawrence wasn’t so sure about anything, that was a
problem in and of itself, so he had to figure out quickly what he was going to
do. This trip would fix a lot of things and close off old questions. He was
hoping with that settled he’d be able to move on.

The
flight was still boarding the cattle class and he had just ordered some more
peanuts. Warmed up peanuts were a thing for him. He’d never tell anyone, but it
was a thing. Just as the stewardess brought him the second little toasted bag
of pleasure, his phone went off. It was Jane.

“On
the plane and no review on the acquisition?” the suspicious voice on the other
line said. He could just see her with her hand on the bridge of her nose trying
to fight off one of her famous headaches that she said only yoga could solve.

“I
told you I have this but since I know you won’t stop nagging me, let’s get
started.”

“Bed
and breakfast, in Oasis. Its value hasn’t been assessed but it appears to fit
in without a portfolio, very loosely, I might add. The owner is-”

“Rachel.
I read that.”

“First
name basis in a small town. I think that is a no-go. I mean, I know you believe
that every woman wants you and that you should be the standard on the GQ
magazine cover but consider that she will be different. After all, you are going
there to take away her home.”

Lawrence
frowned at the words.

“I’m
going to reward her handsomely. She can find a new home. Besides, the B&B
as it is doesn’t fit into the designs of the other properties. It’ll have to be
demolished and then we can build a better one there.”

“Well,
I think you may find that all people are not really into the deal. If it turns
out that she doesn’t want to sell, just come home, okay?”

“Are
you suggesting I can’t close a deal? I would think, you of all people, would
know better than to bet against me,” he said with a smile.

“This
is the first time it’s personal, so listen to me, little brother. I’m more
concerned about you than a deal.”

“Well,
that is a way to not answer the question. If it’s any comfort to you, I promise
not to beat the woman. You know I do have respect for my elders.”

“Elders?”
Jane said, surprised.

“Lawrence,
did you read the file? Elders–”

“Jane?”

The
stewardess came out a moment later.

“I’m
sorry, Mr. Casselway, we’re taking off and all devices have to be in airplane
mode.”

Lawrence
smiled and then pocketed his cell. He’d call Jane as soon as he landed. He
couldn’t imagine what she was trying to say. Read the file. He didn’t need to
read the file after he saw the picture of the bed and breakfast. It was a nice
building with great bones, but it was in disrepair. Oh, he could see someone
had tried to put some paint on it and even do a repair here or there on the
property. The landscaping was done by local help if the crooked edging of the
walkways and pathways were any indication. All of this was in the picture
called Rachel’s Peony house. An elderly woman stood in the pathway with a big
smile. Yes, Lawrence was about to offer the woman a sizable amount. One she’d
probably question if she would be alive long enough to spend it all.

* * *

She
almost had it and the ringing of the telephone broke her concentration, causing
her to pick up the pink squishy stress ball and throw it hard enough to stick
to the wall. The phone rang again, and Rachel looked at it as if it were
possessed. She knew who was on the other line. In fact, only one other person
had the number and Gran would never think about calling her on it. That left
her annoying baby sister Brandy. If she was calling, Rachel knew it had to be
important. Rachel stepped away from her desk and picked up the phone.

“Tell
me the end of the world is here and you’re calling to say goodbye because that
would be the only reason I can think of to save you from interrupting me.”

“Oh,
you say good afternoon, sister, whom I love the most.”

“You’re
the only sister I have, so that title is yours by default.”

“Well,
I love you, too, sunshine.” Brandy had that sweet nature that spilled into
everything, and you just wanted to do what she wanted and now was no exception.
Taking a deep breath, she let it out and focused on the call.

“I’m
almost done, so I’m sorry if I’m crabby.”

“I
forgive you Rachel. I mean, we can’t all be in a jolly mood. Although, I would
like to suggest to you that you try it at least once. You know, the jolly
thing.”

Rachel
ran her hand through her dark hair and looked up at the clock. Brandy was right;
it was afternoon.

“What
are you almost done with?”

“The
first edit.”

“Ah,
you mean that thing we are supposed to be going over tomorrow together. The
reason I’m not going to be going out with my friends dancing and making merry.
Instead, I’ll be indoors with you plotting murders and mayhem.”

Rachel
smiled. Brandy complained about helping her, but she had been there with her
since the beginning. The success of her writing career as R. T. Green was as
much due to Brandy being her beta reader as anything else.

“I
thought for once I’d try to look at it objectively and see how far I got.”

“I
told you it’s no bother for me to read. Besides, you need to put that to the
side and get back to The Peony house.”

“Why?”
Rachel started looking for her wallet and keys. The Peony house was the
nickname their grandmother had given the bed and breakfast.

“I
think you have some meetings with some real people today.”

Rachel
walked over to her desk and moved the coffee cup that covered the desk calendar
square. Sure enough, it was circled and covered with coffee stains.

“Is
that really today?”

“Yes,
it’s today. Before you ask, no, you can’t put it off. The person is flying in,
and I think you should try to dress up a little, you know. The good impression
thing.”

Rachel
hung up on her sister’s pleading. She stopped for a minute and looked at
herself in the mirror. She was decent. Rachel had on blue jeans and a pen
smudged top that read ‘Coffee saves lives. Got a cup?’ Rachel went to her truck
and shook her head.

She
had long ago given up on trying to appease others. As usual, she was writing
and the time just flew by. Her thoughts were in death and mayhem, and she
couldn’t be happier. All of that being said, Rachel could admit she should have
remembered the real estate guy coming today.

Maybe
the real estate guy would cancel?

She
made sure the truck was in gear and then drove as safely as possible to the B&B.
As she drove, Rachel wasn’t even sure why she had to be there. Her grandmother
had accepted the invitation and then decided that she wasn’t so sure she wanted
to sell The Peony house. Telling a realtor to sit in town and wait wasn’t
really the top thing to do on her list. Her grandmother had a better
temperament. And if temperament was the case, then Brandy would be an even  better candidate for this exercise. Brandy
loved showing Oasis Town off and introducing people to other people and such.

However,
all of Rachel’s pleas fell on deaf ears. Her grandmother had decided Rachel
would help out in this situation. She hoped Gran didn’t expect her to fall over
backwards and wine and dine this guy. He chose a poor time to visit, and really,
who comes out to a place without a contract or some assurance there is a sale?
The guy sounded sloppy and shady. It was probably going to be some desperate
old man who needed a sale and was on his last leg.

No,
the mission was clear in Rachel’s head. She was going to meet Lawrence
Casselway and then put him in the hotel until Gran had made a decision. When
she pulled in, there was what she thought was a car outside of The Peony house.
It was small and looked like a matchbox car. Maybe the realtor was height
challenged. Rachel got out of the truck preparing herself to see a little
person. She walked up the path and then opened the front door. It was open
because everyone was welcome.

She
stepped in and what she saw in the middle of the room was not a little person.
He was tall, or at least a head taller than her. He had on a light blue shirt
that outlined a muscular chest. The creases were crisp, and the collar was
stiff. His shirt was neatly tucked into dark blue pants and held together by a
belt, that if she wasn’t mistaken, had a dollar sign on the belt buckle in
bedazzled gems. Well, they have to be fake gems because if they were diamonds,
he had the year salary of most of the residents of Oasis Town around his waist.
His hair was short and black and, like the rest of him, he looked sleek all
over. When she came back up to his face, his eyes were covered by shades and his
skin was flawless. He had a strong jaw with a little dimple in the chin.

He
looked like he had just stepped off of a billboard ad. His hands were in his
pockets and at any moment he would pose, and camera men would pop out to catch
it. Oh, how Rachel wished she had listened to her sister. She felt dowdy in
front of this man. Rachel couldn’t tell what he thought because he still had on
his glasses.

“Hello.”

“Why, hello to you,”
his voice said as it flowed over her and sank into her bones