Kate groaned, pulling Jack from his thoughts. “Oh no. Does she want to come racing down here? I love the woman to death but I don’t need her hovering right now.”
Maggie smiled. “No. I gave her an update and told her there wasn’t really anything she could do tonight, but I’m sure she could be helpful moving forward.” She looked around the room, her smile a bit forced.
“Good thinking. Thank you.” Kate blew her sister a kiss. She placed her hands on her hips and looked around herself. “Well, I honestly don’t even know where to begin.”
Giving away her battle with tears, she blinked a few times.
Josh stepped towards her. “Why don’t you and Maggie get a legal pad and pen and move up front. I think you might be able to stay open. Sell what’s up front until your stockroom is built up again.”
God bless his brother. Telling Kate to make a list and giving her hope that she wouldn’t have to shut down turned would-be tears to a head nod and “Yes. Yes. That’s good.”
The woman was determined. Give her a legal pad and some room to think and the Good Lord above only knew what she could accomplish.
And in the name of all that was holy, she needed to get out of that room. Jack was struggling for a clear head in there himself.
“Come on.” Maggie looped her arm in Kate’s and led her to the front of the store.
Josh and Jack stood in the middle of the charred room and surveyed the damage.
“Thanks for that.”
“No problem.” Josh kicked a box with the toe of his boot. One corner turned to ash and the thing fell to its side, pathetic and done. Just like the room. “We needed to get her out of here. The front of the store isn’t damaged.” He shook his head. “This... this is just...”
“A great project.”
His brother laughed. “Once a builder, always a builder.”
Jack shrugged. “It’s a mess, I get it. But I see potential. You know I can build this up to be even better than it was.” He looked up and around the room. Walked over and ran one hand along the brick. “These buildings are awesome.”
Josh looked around as well. “That’s true. I’ve always appreciated the architecture and design. Some great thought went into the building of this town.”
Jack nodded his agreement.
“But something tells me your motivation for working on this ‘project’ has nothing to do with building or architecture, but rather a dark-haired, tightly wound, beautiful woman who’s up front right now with my wife, trying to salvage her store.”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, there’s no maybe about it.”
“Can we help her or not?”
“Of course we can help her,” Josh said without hesitation. “She’s Maggie’s sister. She’s family. I’ll take a look at the original blueprints and you can work your magic.”
Jack nodded. “Great. That’s what I thought you’d say.”
“You sure you ready to take on a woman like her?” Josh jerked his head towards the doorway.
Jack turned from the wall and faced his brother. “What is that supposed to mean?”
With hands up in surrender, his brother answered, “I’m just saying, Kate’s different. She’s...cautious. She’s not the fly by the seat of her pants, go with the flow kind of chick you’re used to.”
His shoulders relaxed, his defensive stance gone. “That’s fair. And true. I hear ya...I get it.”
“Good. Because if you hurt her, you’ll have my wife to deal with and, trust me when I say, you don’t want that. Maggie might seem passive but there’s a cat under there who’s willing to pounce if need be.”
Jack ignored how his brother’s mouth quirked on one side before Josh turned and left the room.
He had no intention of hurting anyone, especially Kate. If he could get her to trust him enough to show her. He looked around the room again, his hands on his hips. Yeah, this project was perfect.
Now if he could just get the cautious one to say yes, he’d be in business.
Chapter Six
“But, why would you do that?”
Kate stood and stared at Jack and Josh. They were in the front of her store now, away from the damage in the back.
“Because you’re family,” Josh said.
“That’s right. You’re my sister.” Maggie chimed in. “Of course we’re going to help you.”
“Josh will look at blueprints and I’ll build you a whole new stockroom. A better one than before.” Jack’s eyes almost twinkled as he spoke.
Kate looked back and forth between Josh and Maggie, who stood behind her checkout counter and Jack, who leaned on the side of it, cool as a winter’s evening. She could understand to some extent Josh and Maggie wanting to help her. They were family. But Jack? Why would he want to put the time and energy into it? She had no clue what he would charge but had a feeling it would be out of her budget. And there was no way she’d agreed to go into a situation where she owed him anything when it was done. Jack wasn’t family and she didn’t like the idea of relying on anyone.
Maggie came around the counter and put an arm around her. “Hey, don’t make any decisions tonight. You’ve had a crazy evening. There’s a lot to decide. Go home and get some sleep and we can talk more in the morning.”
As if on cue, Kate’s phone dinged. She’d left her purse locked in Jack’s car but had stuck her phone in her back pocket when they got to Atmosphere.
Please don’t let it be Barry.
Her mother’s name was on the screen. Thank God. A text from her mom she could handle.
“How about a coffee date in the morning?”
The idea sounded appealing. Even though her mother could hover at times, they had a great relationship. She could use her mother’s wisdom right about now.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you at Jamie’s Java at 8 a.m.”
She tucked her phone back in her pocket and looked at Maggie. “That was Mom. We’re gonna do coffee tomorrow morning.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“Why don’t we all meet here when you’re done with your coffee date? We can talk about a plan,” Josh offered.
She wasn’t sure if the “we” part of that statement included Jack, but her brother-in-law’s suggestion did sound good. She was a woman who appreciated a plan.
“Come on,” Jack said. “I’ll take you home.” He left his spot by the counter and moved beside her. He took her hand and guided her towards the front door.
“We will get things locked up here,” Josh jerked a thumb towards the back door then followed Maggie who was already on her way to talk to the fire department before they left.
Kate let Jack lead her to his car. Her mind said to fight him, not let him lead her anywhere, but her heart was relieved to not be going through this alone. To actually have someone helping her who truly had her best interest in mind.
She stopped short, her hand releasing from Jack’s. Did he have her best interest in mind? They were friends, but there was still so much she didn’t know. Sure, he was Josh’s brother and she hadn’t heard a bad word about him from anyone in Silver Bay, but what did that mean? Why was her heart so quick to trust again? She shook her head.
Jack stopped and turned to her. “You okay?”
“Yes. Sorry.” He opened the car door for her and she climbed inside.
The ride back to her house was a quiet one. Her thoughts were like a tennis game, the ball on one side of the court with her thinking through all she’d have to do to fix the store, then bouncing back to the other side of the court to ponder the man sitting beside her.
Maggie was right. She needed some rest and a fresh start in the morning. She was way too tired to figure out her predicament tonight and certainly not up to figuring out what was happening with Jack. If anything. They’d gone on one date, sort of. And he was there for her tonight for a major disaster. That may have made a friendship on some level, but absolutely nothing more.
It couldn’t be more. She’d promis
ed herself.
She eyed him out of her peripheral vision as they pulled into her drive. Her mind may have promised no men, but her heart was beginning to tell her something else. Maybe the men in her life weren’t the problem.
Jack got out and opened her door for her. He took her by the hand and walked her to her door.
“Well, I had a fun, live-a-little, kind of evening in mind but we may have overshot it.”
Kate laughed. Even in the dimmest of situations, he made her smile. That was a rare and precious thing. She could admit that, at least.
“It was full of unexpected surprises, yes.”
Jack leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Lost in the moment and the warmth now flowing through her, Jack was back in his car and on his way before she could respond.
Of course he would be there tomorrow.
She sighed and went inside her cottage. Closing the door behind her, she tossed her keys and purse on the table inside the entryway. The gift bag with her new sweater from Jack hung from her fingers. He’d handed it to her when she got out of the car. She placed it on the ground and smiled.
“Good, Lord. What am I gonna do now?” Her voice echoed down the hall.
She buried her face in her hands. They smelled like smoke. Her whole outfit now smelled of smoke.
Bleh. A long, hot bath was definitely in order.
After depositing her most likely ruined clothing in the laundry room and soaking until she pruned, Kate wrapped herself in her favorite robe and sat in her favorite chair on the back porch.
It really wasn’t all that late yet and although she was exhausted from the evening’s events, her mind wouldn’t shut down. Sleep wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Therefore, a glass of wine and a pity party on the porch was most definitely in order.
The wood was smooth against her bare feet, now soft from her bath. The chair was big with puffy cushions that enveloped her when she sat down. Curled up, she took a sip of wine then placed her glass on the table beside the chair and looked out towards the water.
She couldn’t see the ocean from her place quite like Maggie could just down the road. But she could hear the waves from time to time lap against the rocks. The moon cast a glow along the horizon, eerie and yet so beautiful at the same time. A cricket sang a song as the breeze blew the grass, the nighttime a symphony of sounds, harmonizing together.
Kate wasn’t a small town girl. Raised in Boston, she was used to city sounds, car horns. The hustle and bustle of people. She was still getting used to the quiet of small town life. Especially at night. A night owl herself, it used to be her favorite time of day. But not so much anymore. Nighttime here was lonely.
She scoffed. It wasn’t as if life with Barry wasn’t lonely. It was. At first it was fun. Going out every evening, dancing, being with people. But it got old. Being nothing more than the woman on his arm. An accessory. He’d balked when she stopped going out as much with him. But she wanted time alone. Time with him. It never happened.
Barry was everything she’d ever dreamed of, or so she thought. She wanted what her parents had. A marriage full of romance, kids, years and years together. Her father’s death had devastated her mother – all of them. He was the love of her life. Kate wanted that. Believed Barry was that. But she couldn’t have been more wrong. She tried to go to counseling, work through things. But Barry wasn’t willing. Once she’d found out he was sleeping around, she was done.
A tear worked its way down her cheek. She brushed it away. Why did everything always have to go back to her life with Barry? She was here now. Had started her own life. Was doing her own thing. Without him. Without any man helping her. Jack’s face popped into her thoughts.
“Why? Why now, Lord?” She prayed.
She had just gotten to a place where she was confident, independent. She’d told God she was fine without a man. Why bring someone into her sphere that made her heart race and her tummy do flips? She didn’t want that. She didn’t want to love again. Didn’t need it. Or did she?
No. In all honesty, she didn’t want the heartache. She couldn’t do it again. And her fears told her that falling for Jack would be just the kind of heartache she wouldn’t recover from.
Another tear found its way down her cheek as the cricket’s song played on. The hoot of an owl filled the air. Kate took a deep breath in and let it out. One day at a time. For the love, one issue at a time. Her store was in shambles. She had to get that figured out before she gave any more brain power to a certain dark-haired, dark eyed whirlwind she had no clue what to do with.
Tomorrow was a new day. She’d pulled herself up by her bootstraps before. She could do it again.
Kate found her mother, Rose, at a table near the window of Jamie’s Java the next morning. She’d slept well, considering, and woke with hope that the fire had been nothing more than a nightmare. Coffee and a hot shower cleared the cobwebs from her head and brought about the reality that, no, the fire was not in her dreams, and, yes, she had to face the day and whatever it brought whether she wanted to or not.
“Hi, sweetie. It’s so good to see you.” Her mother stood and hugged Kate as she approached the table.
“Hi, Mom. Let me get my coffee. I’ll be right back.”
Her mother nodded and took her seat once more, a cup of regular coffee with cream, no sugar, sat in a mug in front of her already. Memories of finding her mother at the kitchen table in the morning, reading her Bible and writing in her journal floated through her mind. A cup of coffee just like the current one always in front of her while she read and wrote down her prayers. Kate appreciated the things in life that didn’t change, no matter how simple they were.
She got her large iced Americano and sat in the chair across from her mom.
“So...I guess you could say last night was interesting.”
“My goodness, yes. How was your date with Jack?”
Kate shook her head to rattle her thoughts into place. Did her mother just ask about Jack? Rose took a sip of her coffee with a twinkle in her eye.
“Mother, my store almost burned down last night. And you want to know how my date went?”
Rose shrugged. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be insensitive. I talked with Maggie last night and this morning and, thank God, the damage was minimal. And she said you’re all meeting to come up with a plan to get things back on track.” She smiled. “It’s so wonderful the people we’ve met here, isn’t it?”
Kate had to smile. Her mom could find a silver lining in a cloud the size of Texas. And she was right. Everyone in Silver Bay had been wonderful to them. One person in particular who, as much as she tried to keep her mind off of him, simply couldn’t.
“And I do want to know about the store, of course,” her mother continued. “I want to help in any way I can.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Kate took a sip of her coffee and let the magical liquid fill her system. “It’s just a curve ball I wasn’t prepared to deal with, that’s all.”
“The date or the fire at the store?” Her mother hid her grin behind her coffee mug but darn the woman. She always was a straight shooter.
Kate shook her head and laughed. “Both.”
Rose placed her mug down on the table, no attempts now to hide the smug look on her face. “Talk to me. Address the fire first. Then the date.”
“Fair enough. The fire destroyed my entire stockroom and part of the kitchen area.”
“Okay. Well, you can stay open then and sell what’s out front until you order more.”
“That’s what Jack said.”
“Smart man.”
Kate narrowed her eyes at her mother who ignored the gesture. “Anyway, Josh, Maggie, and Jack said they’d help me rebuild, but I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“How you feel about them helping you or how you feel about Jack?”
Kate shrugged. There was no use trying to hide anything from her mother. The woman had a sixth s
ense about her children that was otherworldly. “Both. I understand Josh and Maggie wanting to help. They’re family. But why is Jack so eager?”
Rose laughed. “Honey, if I have to answer that one for you, we’ve got more to address here than I thought.”
Kate took another sip of coffee. She was going to need it to finish this conversation. “No, I know Jack... likes me...”
“It’s not the eighth grade, Kate.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes at her mother.
“Honey, I hate how Barry treated you. Believe me. I’m your mother. I’d like to wring the guy’s neck. But Jack isn’t Barry.” She reached out a hand and placed it over Kate’s. “Maybe it’s time to let someone into your life, to help you, and see what happens.”
“I can’t do that, Mom.”
Her mother sat back again. “I don’t mean financially. If you need help getting back on your feet with the store, I’m there for you, you know that.”
“I do.” Kate wrapped her hands around her cup. Her thumb moved back and forth over the condensation.
“And I know you’re too proud, and stubborn, to let me.” Kate’s protest was halted by her mother’s finger pointed in Kate’s direction. “But don’t be too proud or stubborn to love again. Letting someone in your life might be just what you need.”
Kate looked out the window and rested her chin in her hand. It didn’t feel like what she needed. Relationships were messy and complicated; two things she wanted nothing to do with right now. She had enough of that with her store.
“Don’t overthink it, kiddo. You used to fly by the seat of your pants pretty well.” Her mother lifted her mug in a mock toast and took a sip. “Yet another thing I’d like to have words with Barry about.”
Loving Kate Page 5