Season of Love

by Jill Sanders

  It rang twice before he answered.

  “Hey.” He was breathless, and she could hear the rain falling.

  “I… didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  “You aren’t. I’m on a run. Actually, I’m just a block from the store.”

  She thought quickly. “Why don’t you stop by? I have… something to tell you.”

  He was silent for a beat. “Sure, be there in five.”

  After hanging up, she glanced over at her cousin. “How attached to that coffee are you?” She nodded to Riley’s cup.

  Riley rolled her eyes and handed it over. “I’ll leave you two alone. But you have to call me and fill me in the moment you can.”

  Lilly hugged her. “Thanks.” She set the coffee down next to hers. “If you tell me there are extra donuts in here, I’ll kiss you.”

  Riley held up her hands. “No kisses.” She laughed. “But I knew you’d want more than one, so I got you three, and two muffins, since I’m guessing you’ll work through lunch.”

  “I love you,” she called after her as Riley rushed to the truck, laughing.

  Lilly kept herself busy working on the shelves as she waited for Corey. When he came running up, soaking wet, minus a shirt, she completely lost it.

  He had a kind face, humor behind those green eyes, and a body that wouldn’t quit. He usually hid his form under bulky work clothes, but in his jogging shorts, which were soaking wet and clinging to him, there was no hiding those toned muscles that screamed for her attention.

  He stepped under the cover and shook his head like a dog, causing her to chuckle nervously as she tried to get her brain back in gear.

  He pulled a shirt from his back pocket and slid it over his head.

  “Sorry.” He chuckled as he tugged it over his head. “The wet shirt chafes my… never mind.” He shook his head. “You called?” His eyes changed when he noticed the shelves she was working on.

  “Yes.” She found her voice. “I have coffee.” She motioned to the door.

  He went through and then whistled when they stepped into the main room.

  “You’ve gotten so much done.” He walked around. “Is this new?” He pointed to the glass case.

  “One part of my surprise.” She motioned to the other pieces. “I’m working on the shelves there.” She pointed to the freshly painted stand.

  “Nice.” He turned to her. “Are those donuts?” he asked, his eyes zeroing in on the bag Riley had delivered.

  “Yes.” She motioned to them. “Want?”

  He groaned. “Yes, I was debating stopping off at Sara’s and waiting for the rain to let up some.” He walked over, and she opened the bag for him. She took one for herself and motioned towards the new circular ottomans.

  “I don’t want to get it wet.” He frowned down at the white leather.

  “It will wipe off. Sit.” She sat, and he hesitantly sat next to her.

  They sat in silence for a while, eating their donuts and drinking their coffee. When he was finished with his donut, he turned to her. “It sounded important, on the phone.”

  She set her coffee cup down on the ground. “A lawyer.” She pulled the man’s business card from her back pocket and handed it to him. “He stopped by earlier. I told him you and Carter wouldn’t be in until ten.”

  He frowned down at the card and she saw something pass behind his green eyes.

  “Did he say what he wanted?” he asked.

  She shook her head slightly. “No, but, he said…” She reached over and touched his hand. “It was a bereavement call.”

  He stiffened, then stood up and tucked the card into his back pocket, where she noticed his cell phone.

  “Thanks.” He turned, and she rushed to his side.

  “Corey, why don’t I give you a ride home? It’s getting worse out there.” She nodded to the dark sky out the front windows.

  He sighed and nodded. “That would be great.”

  She grabbed her purse and keys and he followed her out, but not before she grabbed the bag of donuts. “Help yourself to another one. There are two muffins in there as well.” She handed him the bag as she unlocked her car.

  Just then, the dark sedan returned, and she quickly told him. “That’s the lawyer.” She nodded to the sedan.

  Corey sighed loudly. “I don’t have my keys on me. Mind if I talk to him in your office?”

  “No problem.” She unlocked the back door again.

  The man approached them. “Mr. Miller?”

  “Corey.” He shook the man’s hand. “You caught me out running, but Lilly has agreed to lend us her office.”

  The men walked by her and she showed them the office space. She’d spent a full day organizing and setting up her space. She knew the office was neat and tidy as Corey shut the door behind them.

  Walking around, she waited, trying to keep herself from leaning her head against the door and eavesdropping. She busied herself moving some of the other furniture around to where she thought it should go. She set the two matching high-back chairs near the shoe wall. The long narrow table she planned on setting jewelry stands on. There were also some small round coffee tables that would be topped with unique items and a few display cases they had purchased at a secondhand store a few weeks back.

  When the office door swung open, Corey was shaking the lawyer’s hand. She searched his face for any sign of grief. Finding none, she waited until the lawyer turned to her.

  “Miss Stevens.” With that, he turned and left through the back door.

  “Are you okay?” She moved closer to him.

  “Yes,” he said softly. “I’ve called my brother to come pick me up.” He glanced out the window at the wall of rain still falling and sighed. “He should be here soon.”

  “Corey.” She touched his arm. “Talk to me.”

  He turned to her. “My grandfather passed last week.”

  “I’m sorry.” She walked into his arms, noting that his shirt was still slightly damp. He didn’t hug her back, but instead stood as a man in shock would have.

  It pained her to see him like this. She hadn’t realized that tears were sliding down her face until he used his thumb to wipe her eyes dry.

  “Why?” he asked softly. “You’re crying for a man I didn’t even know.”

  “He was family.”

  “No,” he said, taking a step back, “he wasn’t.”

  8

  For the rest of the day, the only thing Corey could think about was seeing those big tears slide down Lilly’s cheeks and how it had hurt more than anything else in his life. Hearing the lawyer talk about their grandfather, about the man’s dying wish, hadn’t phased him. Actually, it had pissed him off. But seeing Lilly’s eyes wet with tears had undone him. Even if she was crying for the bastard of a man he’d sworn to hate for the rest of his days.

  “Hey.” Carter bumped him for the third time in the past hour. “Get your head in the game,” he hissed at him.

  “Yeah.” He shook off the memory of Lilly crying. “Sorry,” he muttered.

  “It’s an old man we never knew,” Carter said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

  “I’m not upset about that.”

  “Then?” His brother leaned a hip against the counter, showing Corey that he wasn’t going to move until he told him everything.

  “Lilly cried,” he blurted out.

  Carter’s eyebrows shot up. “What’d you do to her?”

  “Jesus, nothing. She cried when I told her the old man was gone.” Carter frowned. “She said it was because he was family and she was sorry for our loss.”

  Carter shrugged. “Did you tell her he hadn’t played a role in our lives?”

  “Yeah.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah,” he repeated. “Still, she cried. I think her tears were more for us than anything.”

  “We don’t need pity,” Carter said.

  “Yeah, the funny thing was, it wasn’t pity.” He sighed.

  Carter was silent. “What else did the l
awyer say?”

  Corey didn’t mind the change of subject. Standing up, he started wiping the countertop clean. “That the old man had died of heart failure and that the will would be read this week. He wants us to head into Seattle for the reading. Said it wasn’t necessary but urged us to go just the same.”

  “We’ll go,” Carter surprised him by saying.

  “We will?” he asked, turning to his brother.

  “Sure. We have the business to think about now. I hate to admit it, but if the old man left us anything, we could use it. I’d sure like to get out of that rental someday.”

  “Yeah.” He thought about the small house they were renting in town. “Guess we’re taking a trip to Seattle. I’ll arrange for Robin to cover the store for us. I gave her a set of keys this morning.” He smiled. “She’s official.”

  Carter slapped him on the shoulder. “Damn, we’ve got employees.”

  Corey laughed as he continued to work.

  The following day when he arrived at work, he was surprised to see several other cars parked behind Lilly’s shop.

  Deciding he needed the pick-me-up of seeing her face before work, he poked his head in the open back door of Sassy and Classy. The hallway was blocked with boxes, so he stepped over several empty ones and made his way into the store.

  There were half a dozen people rushing around the store. Open boxes were everywhere. One wall was full of clothes. Lacey Stevens was using a steamer on clothes that hung on a hook. Megan Jordan was rearranging the clothes that hung on the racks. A very pregnant Sara Clark was sitting on the ottomans, eating a donut while Riley rushed around rearranging shoes on shelves.

  Allison Jordan and another red-haired woman he hadn’t met yet were opening boxes of what appeared to be lotions and setting them on the shelves that Lilly had been sanding the day before. Another redhead, most likely the daughter of the one helping Lilly, arranged items in the glass case.

  “Wow,” he said, gaining everyone’s attention.

  Lilly smiled over at him and he felt his heart jump in his chest at the beauty of her smile. “What do you think?” She stood up and wiped her hands on her jeans.

  “It’s coming together.” He nodded, walking in further. “Busy?” he asked.

  “I can make time.” She took his arm and started walking towards the back room. “How are you?” she asked when they entered the storeroom.

  “Good.” He rubbed his hand over her bare arm. She was wearing a soft pink top that felt like silk against his fingers. Her blonde curls lay over the material like waves. “Like I said, we’d only met the man a few times and we were too young to really remember him. We were seven or eight the last time we saw him.” He remembered the nickname the boys had had for the old man. Papa. Such an enduring name for a man who had turned them away.

  “I can see the sadness in there.” She surprised him and moved closer. “You may not know it’s there, but… I see it.” She brushed a finger over his chin.

  He straightened. “We’re going up to Seattle tomorrow for the reading of his will.”

  She nodded. “Will your parents be there?” she asked.

  He hadn’t thought of it. Why hadn’t he? He must have stiffened because she wrapped her arms around him.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I know you said…”

  He shook his head. “I hadn’t thought.” He sighed. “Yeah, they’ll probably be there, waiting to gobble up the crumbs he left behind.”

  “I can take the day off,” she suggested.

  “No.” He shook his head. His heart started to ache at her offer. He wanted nothing more than to spend another day with her, but he didn’t dare drag her into his family mess. “Thanks. Besides, you have less than a week before you open. I’m sure you have a million things to do.” He smiled and glanced around the room. “And a million more boxes to open.” He chuckled.

  She sighed. “Yeah, I’m so thankful for all the help we have.”

  He nodded, then suddenly moved closer to her. His hands had moved down to her sides, his thumbs rubbing just above the line of her jeans, lifting that soft pink shirt slightly until he could touch the skin underneath.

  “I didn’t mean to distract you. I know you have work to do,” he said softly.

  She swayed slightly, and her chest brushed against his. Her eyes closed for a moment.

  “Corey,” she whispered.

  “Yes?” He smiled down at her.

  “Are you going to kiss me?” she asked, her silver eyes locked with his.

  “I thought you’d never ask.” He bent down, and his lips brushed against hers. His entire body jumped, hardened in response.

  Her soft body pressed against his and he took his hands up further, enjoying the softness he found. She moaned, a quiet sound escaping her lips, allowing him to dip his tongue in, take more from her, giving himself pleasure.

  “Lilly, I need to—” The younger redhead stood just inside the door. “Oops.”

  Lilly laughed. “Carrie, Corey.” She took a step back. “Carrie is getting married in…”

  “Seventeen days, four hours, and…” She glanced down at her watch with a smile. “Thirty-two minutes.”

  Corey chuckled. “Yeah, to Josh, right?”

  Carrie nodded. “Yes, he’s two doors down.” She nodded towards the front door.

  “Yup, and a regular in Baked. He eats like a rabbit, except when on a deadline.” He laughed, dropping his hand from Lilly.

  “Speaking of rabbits, Carrie just opened the new part of Carrie’s Sanctuary.”

  “The animal place?”

  “Yes, we have your little kitten, until he’s ready to go home.” The woman bit her lip, much like he’d seen Lilly and Riley do, telling him that she was more than just a family friend. She’d been raised around the cousins, had adopted some of their personalities. “That is, if you’re still sure you want to take on a three-legged kitten.”

  “Positive.” He smiled. “I’ve got everything the little guy needs when he’s up and ready to come home.”

  “Perfect. If you want, you’re welcome to come see him. He’s going through some PT. Physical therapy,” she supplied. “Once my mother says he’s ready…”

  “Her mother is Amelia Brogan. The local vet.”

  “Sheriff’s wife.” He remembered now, realizing where he’d met the older redheaded woman before.”

  “Yes.” Carrie’s smile grew. “Well, I’ll let you two get back to…” She chuckled and turned.

  “I’ll be out in a moment,” Lilly called after her.

  “No hurry,” Amelia said over her shoulder with a smile.

  “Another sister,” he said out of the blue.

  “What?” Lilly turned back to him.

  He touched her shoulder. “You said your family isn’t going to get between us, but you don’t really know how big your family is.” He nodded towards the door. “I’d just bet that when you run into her father, he hugs and kisses you like a daughter.”

  Lilly tilted her head and frowned slightly. “So?”

  He shook his head. “So, I’ve got to go get ready to open.” He dropped his hand and stepped back.

  “You’ll be back from Seattle for the opening, right?”

  “We’re only spending one night. We’ll be back the day after,” he assured her.

  “Good, then you can come over for dinner on Friday,” she said, matter-of-factly.

  “I…” He thought of a million excuses.

  Her eyebrows shot up and she slowly crossed her arms over her chest.

  “How about you come over to my place? I’ll cook?” he suggested. He didn’t know if he could take a night around her family after dealing with his the day before.

  She thought about it. “Fine, but I’ll bring dessert.” She started to turn and leave, but when he chuckled, she glanced back, her cheeks burning red. “I didn’t mean…” she flustered.

  “No, don’t.” He walked over to her, took her shoulders, and kissed her lips. “Don�
�t spoil it.” He smiled. “Bring what you like.” His eyes ran over her face.

  “Send me your address,” she suggested. “I can’t remember which house was Mr. Carson’s.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “I thought you knew where we were.” When she shook her head, he smiled. “I guess it’s not true then.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “That there are no secrets in small towns. I’ll see you Friday or before.” He followed her out of the back room and stepped out into the rain.

  He walked over to the back door of Baked, opened the door, and stepped inside. The smell of rising dough somehow intensified the emotions that holding Lilly had caused him.

  Home, he thought. Her lips felt like they belonged next to his. So did the smells of Baked. He’d never imagined he’d find a place that felt this way. Bouncing around for most of his life, he’d never imagined settling down. Had never dreamed of staying in one place long enough to grow roots or of buying a place of his own. Hadn’t Carter said it yesterday? His brother had obviously thought about it or he wouldn’t have mentioned it.

  What did that say about him? Was he still questioning settling down in Pride? Hadn’t he jumped in with both feet, like Carter had? He glanced around the empty pizzeria, the darkness of the place and the sound of rain beating on the windows. All of the chairs were up, and the place was quiet. Yet here he felt at home as well. He’d never stopped to think about it before now.

  He could imagine himself being here a year from now. Two, three, hell, ten years from now.

  He flipped on the lights, started the prep work, and thought about the small house they were renting a few blocks away. He couldn’t imagine them staying there longer than a year. They had already been there for over half a year and even though the two brothers had lived together for years, the small place was feeling really cramped.

  It would be nice to have a place of his own. He wouldn’t be far from Carter’s place, wherever he chose, but the thought of having his own space had him enjoying his workday a little more. It was either that or the kiss and the ghost of the feeling of Lilly’s soft body next to his that had him humming all day.