Before Today

by Leeanna Morgan

  With Levi standing beside the doorway, Brooke squeezed around his delectable body. It was almost enough to take her mind off the cost of the remodel. “The roofing contractors called this morning. They wanted to know when the new hatch will be ready.”

  “By Wednesday of next week. Do you want me to contact them?”

  “That would be great.” Using all her strength, she hauled the bag of drywall into the dumpster. “Frank will be happy to start the waterproofing.”

  “So will I. Once they’ve finished, I won’t be worried about water getting into the attic.” Levi grabbed the end of her bag and gave it a shake. “An estate sale in Billings has some timber floorboards for sale. Before I go home, I’ll turn on my laptop and show you the photos. There’s enough to replace all the rotten wood in the attic.”

  “Is it cheaper than new floorboards?”

  “The guide price is a quarter of the price of new wood.”

  Brooke flicked the last slivers of drywall out of the bag. “That sounds like my kind of bargain.” She waited for Levi to empty his drywall into the dumpster before holding his hand. “We haven’t kissed for at least an hour.”

  His eyes filled with amusement. “That’s an easy fix. Have I told you how much I like kissing you?”

  Brooke wrapped her arms around his neck. “Only about a trillion times, but another time won’t hurt.” She leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. “I like kissing you, too.”

  Levi held her waist and pulled tightly against him.

  She loved the feel of his hard muscles beneath her hands, the way he molded her body against his, and groaned when she pushed against him.

  A truck drove into the parking lot, stopping a few feet from where they were standing.

  Brooke’s hands dropped from Levi’s shoulders. She frowned when she saw the vehicle. “It’s Sam. I thought she was going to Bozeman for a few days.”

  “She must have come home early.” Levi opened the driver’s door and peered inside. “Is everything all right?”

  Sam studied Levi’s face before looking at Brooke. “Did I interrupt something?”

  Levi grinned.

  Brooke cleared her throat. “Not really. We’ve just taken the last of the drywall out of the attic.”

  “Is that what they call it now?”

  Heat snuck up Brooke’s neck. With everything that had happened over the last couple of days, she hadn’t talked to Megan and Sam about Levi. It wouldn’t take a genius to work out what was going on now.

  Sam stepped out of the truck, bringing her laptop with her. “I’ve got something better than old drywall to show you. Your website is ready to publish.”

  “That’s amazing. I thought you were still working your way through the last set of changes.”

  Sam shrugged. “What can I say? I’m an overachiever. I wanted to finish the website before I do my workshops at Pastor John’s church.” She disappeared into the truck for a second time. “I brought a bottle of champagne with me. I thought a little celebration wouldn’t go amiss.”

  “What about Megan? Is she coming?”

  “She has to wait until William gets home from work. He’ll look after Nora while Megan’s with us.”

  A dark blue truck pulled into the parking lot, stopping beside Sam’s vehicle.

  Megan jumped out of the driver’s seat. “Sorry I’m late. William couldn’t get away from work. Have I missed anything?”

  Sam’s laser beam gaze hit Brooke.

  “You’ve got perfect timing,” Brooke said quickly. “We were just going upstairs.”

  Megan saw what was in Sam’s hands. “I haven’t had a glass of champagne in ages. What a good idea.”

  Sam handed Megan the bottle. “You take this and I’ll carry my laptop. After we’ve published the website, we’ll celebrate.”

  Levi held open the back door.

  Brooke didn’t know if he was letting them go first because he thought Sam would ask some awkward questions or because he was a gentleman.

  She was betting it was the last option. Levi, despite seeing some horrific things in Afghanistan, had a gentle soul.

  And this time, she wasn’t letting him out of her sight.

  Levi followed Brooke and her friends upstairs. They were all talking at once, laughing at what had been happening over the last couple of days.

  “It looks like Hansel and Gretel have been here,” Megan said.

  The trail of white plaster did look like the pebbles Hansel used to find his way home. Levi just hoped Brooke’s story wasn’t as tragic. She didn’t need a wicked witch sabotaging what she was doing.

  Brooke picked up a large chunk of drywall. “Levi and I have been clearing out the attic. I haven’t had a chance to clean up the mess.”

  Megan stepped into Brooke’s apartment. “I’ll find the broom and help.”

  “Not until we publish the website,” Sam said. “Then we can drink champagne and do housework at the same time.”

  Megan grinned. “You always have good ideas.”

  Sam opened her laptop on the dining room table. “If you think that was inspiring, look at this.”

  Brooke was the first person to see the new website. “Oh, my goodness. It’s incredible.”

  Levi looked over her shoulder. He didn’t know much about websites, but this one was as good as anything he’d ever seen. Sam had recreated the old-world charm of Brooke’s candy store in all the images and fonts she’d used.

  Instead of making a completely different website for Megan, they’d included her cakes on the Sweet Treats website.

  “Who took the photos?” he asked. There were pictures of the front of Brooke’s store, her fudge and chocolate, and stunning photos of Megan’s cakes.

  Brooke scrolled down the page. “Do you remember Willow Clarke from the Easter service?”

  Levi nodded. It was hard to forget her when she had such an incredible voice.

  “She visited the store a couple of months ago and took the photos. She did an amazing job.” Brooke smiled at Megan. “You’ll have half of Montana ordering wedding and birthday cakes from you.”

  “You’re making me nervous,” Megan said. “I might need to employ more staff if I get a sudden rush of orders.”

  Levi knew Brooke and Megan were both worried about supplying their customers with the products they wanted. “How does the online ordering system work?”

  Sam smiled. “I found a great e-commerce program that has everything Megan and Brooke want.”

  Brooke clicked on a button and the sales page appeared. “Customers can select the date they need their cake or candy. If the date they request is unavailable, they can contact Megan or me and we’ll try and accommodate them. We can even create a waiting list for people whose date is inflexible.”

  Sam sat beside Brooke. “Take a good look at the site. We can change any images or text afterward, but it would be good to have everything perfect for the launch.”

  While Megan and Brooke concentrated on the website, Levi turned on the coffeepot, then went upstairs. There were still scraps of drywall sitting on the attic floor. If he could get rid of most of the trash, Brooke would feel a lot better next time she was up there.

  As he walked through the attic doorway, he smiled. Yesterday, Brooke had shown him her mood board. He hadn’t known what she was talking about until he saw the photos she’d arranged on a large sheet of card. It was supposed to inspire them while they were rebuilding the attic. He had to admit, it did look good hanging from the wall when all he could see was timber framing and rotten floorboards.

  Twenty minutes later, Brooke walked into the attic. “There you are. We’re about to launch our website. Do you want to watch history in the making?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll just get rid of this.” He tipped another shovel of plaster dust into the canvas sack.

  Brooke picked up a piece of wood. “The attic looks so much better. But you didn’t need to sweep the floor. I could have done it after everyone left.�
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  “It’s one less thing to worry about.”

  Brooke smiled and wiped her hand lightly across his cheek. When he lifted his eyebrows, she laughed. “Plaster dust. You looked like a Ninja warrior.”

  Before Brooke could move, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I want to tell you something.”

  “Do I look like a Ninja warrior, too?”

  He kissed the end of her nose. “No, you look beautiful. I want to tell you how proud I am of what you’re doing.”

  A soft blush filled Brooke’s cheeks. “Thank you. I can’t believe how much I’ve achieved in such a short time. Opening Sweet Treats has changed my life.”

  “It’s not only your life you’ve changed. Your store has brought the community together. It’s given Megan a place to create her cakes and Kathleen and Daniella local jobs. You’re making a difference.”

  Brooke’s smile disappeared and her eyes filled with tears. “You remembered.”

  Levi nodded. When he’d first met Brooke, she’d told him she wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives. That’s why she was a nurse, why she volunteered at the veterans’ hospital, and why she tried to make everyone happy. And maybe, as much as it hurt, that was the reason she’d left Phoenix.

  She’d known that he needed time to work out what was important in his life. Just like she knew the only way she could be happy was to follow her dreams, and she couldn’t do that in Arizona.

  “I love you, Brooke.”

  “I love you, too.”

  A loud banging came from the landing. “I’m not coming into the attic in case you’re doing something with your drywall,” Sam said loudly. “But if you can tear yourselves away from each other, Megan has poured everyone a glass of champagne.”

  Levi grinned. “Are you ready to open your online candy store?”

  Brooke nodded. “More than ready. Let’s go.”

  A few minutes later, Sweet Treats’ online store was live and ready for business.

  Sam lifted her glass of champagne in the air. “Here’s to new beginnings.”

  Brooke’s gaze connected with Levi’s. “And to old friends,” she said softly.

  Chapter 9

  The next day, Brooke looked through a rack of bridesmaids’ dresses while Megan tried on her wedding gown. The colors were incredible. Rich ruby reds, cool aquamarine blues, and pale pink and peach fabrics glowed in the mid-morning sunshine.

  “You can’t choose something else,” Sam whispered. “Our dresses are waiting for us in the changing room.”

  “I don’t want a different dress. I like what we’ve chosen.”

  “Then why are you looking on the racks?”

  Brooke touched the edge of a yellow satin bodice. “I like looking at the different colors and designs. We don’t get much chance to wear evening gowns in Sapphire Bay.”

  “If you got married, you could choose a wonderful dress.”

  “You don’t get married to wear a Cinderella ball gown.”

  Sam grinned. “Maybe not, but it doesn’t hurt to choose something that’s amazing.”

  The changing room curtain opened and Megan walked toward them. “What do you think?”

  “You look incredible,” Brooke said. “The dress looked stunning last time we had a fitting, but for some reason, it’s even more beautiful today.”

  Megan ran her hands along the lace overlay on the full skirt. “We added more diamante beads and made it more fitting around the waist.” She stood in the front of the mirror and twisted left and right. “I like it.”

  Sam sighed. “All I can say is that William is a lucky man. He’ll be blown away when he sees you.”

  Mrs. Cousins, the owner of the bridal boutique, held a long veil in her hands. “Have Brooke and Sam seen the veil?”

  Megan shook her head. “Last time we came, we weren’t sure which one we liked the best.”

  Mrs. Cousins smiled. “Would you like them to see the one you’ve chosen?”

  With a nervous smile, Megan turned to her friends. “I hope you like it.”

  It took a couple of minutes to place the veil and comb in Megan’s hair but, by the time it was in place, there wasn’t a dry eye in the boutique.

  The veil fell in soft folds to the floor, surrounding Megan in a cloud of exquisite lace. Small pearls swirled around the edge, matching the design of the lace on Megan’s gown.

  Brooke’s eyes filled with tears. “I’ve never seen you look so beautiful.”

  Mrs. Cousins handed Brooke a box of tissues. “She is a beautiful bride.”

  Megan’s bottom lip trembled.

  There was such sadness in her eyes, that Brooke’s heart broke. “Tell me what’s wrong,” she said gently.

  Megan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I wish Mom and Dad were here.” She bit her bottom lip, trying hard not to cry.

  “I know.” Brooke wrapped her arms around her friend. It didn’t matter how many years had gone by after someone you loved died. The grief of losing them could still tear your heart in two. “Do you remember what you told me when Nora went missing?”

  Megan shook her head.

  “You told me your sister and parents were looking down on Nora and keeping her safe. I don’t think they’ve ever stopped looking after you. They’ll be here now, wishing you all the very best for your marriage.”

  Sam wrapped her arms around them. “They would be so proud of you.”

  As they hugged each other, Brooke was glad Nora had stayed with William. She was only three years old when her mom and grandparents had died. Even though she missed her family, Megan and William were Nora’s world. If she’d seen the tears today, she would have been upset.

  “It will be a lovely wedding,” said Mrs. Cousins. “The sun will be shining and your family will be surrounding you with love.”

  Megan wiped her eyes. “I hope I don’t cry this much on my wedding day.”

  Sam rubbed Megan’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll take lots of tissues and a bag of makeup. Between Brooke and me, we’ll be able to fix anything.”

  “I knew there was a reason you’re my best friends.” Megan took a less shaky breath and forced a smile. “You’d better try on your bridesmaids’ dresses. I want to see how stunning you look.”

  Brooke didn’t think she looked stunning, but she adored the strapless, midnight blue dress they’d chosen a few months ago. “As long as it still fits, I’ll be happy.”

  Sam smiled. “What happened to the extrovert who sees the world through rose-tinted spectacles?”

  “She’s got a mortgage, a loan from her parents, and a new boyfriend. I need to keep my expectations realistic. Otherwise, I’ll go crazy.”

  Megan grinned. “I knew it. Levi keeps looking at you as though he’s Winnie the Pooh and you’re a pot of honey.”

  Brooke held her hands to her hot cheeks. “You’ve been reading too many bedtime stories to Nora. I’m not a pot of honey.”

  “I know you aren’t,” Megan laughed. “But you need to pay more attention to Levi. Whenever you’re in the room, he doesn’t take his eyes off you.”

  Mrs. Cousins’ eyebrows rose. “It sounds as though there might be another wedding soon.”

  The smile on Brooke’s face disappeared.

  “A couple of years ago, they were almost engaged,” Sam whispered.

  “Believe me, it’s better the second time around,” Mrs. Cousins whispered back.

  The twinkle in Mrs. Cousins’ eyes made Brooke smile. “We’re taking things slowly.”

  Sam nudged Brooke toward the changing rooms. “Let’s try on our dresses. At least if you do get married, Mrs. Cousins will have your measurements.”

  Brooke didn’t have the heart to tell her friends that by the time she got married, Mrs. Cousins would probably be retired.

  On Thursday morning, Brooke stumbled out of bed and headed toward the attic. Levi had arrived an hour ago, only he’d forgotten to mention the noise he would be making. With all the bangin
g and clattering going on, it sounded as though a heavy metal band was playing upstairs.

  She glanced at her watch and groaned. She liked getting out of bed early, but even this was too much for her. Especially when she’d stayed up half the night making fudge. If Levi always started work this early, she’d be gray-haired and wrinkly by the time he finished.

  As she climbed the narrow stairs, she was surprised to see sunlight streaming through the doorway. Levi had been here yesterday. She thought he was making sure he’d ordered all the building supplies he’d need, but he’d done so much more.

  Using blue tape, he’d marked where all the new walls would be built and where the power and light switches would be placed. She sighed when she saw the number of orange circles highlighting the rotten floorboards. No matter which way you looked at it, fixing the attic would be a big job.

  Stepping carefully across the floor, she touched one of the arched windows overlooking Main Street. It was amazing. Levi had washed decades of dirt, dust, and cobwebs away from the frames. The early morning sunshine flooded through the thick, century-old glass, giving the attic grace and character.

  The high-pitched screech of a power tool raised goosebumps along Brooke’s arms. Gritting her teeth, she made her way toward the hatch. The old wooden ladder that was usually leaning against the wall had disappeared. In its place was a brand-new, shiny contraption that had non-slip feet and sturdy metal rungs. At least no one would have to worry about falling off and breaking their leg.

  That wasn’t the only surprise. The hatch was at least four times bigger than it had been. Scrambling onto the roof, she peered around, wondering what Levi was doing.

  “Good morning. Did I get you out of bed?” He placed an electric drill on the ground.

  “What gave you that idea?”

  “You’re wearing your pajamas. We’ll have to stop meeting like this. Otherwise, people might talk.”