“If you’re worried about the mud thing—and I know you; you’re going to stress over it all week unless you do something to get past it—go talk to him. Make up some excuse about needing to iron out details or something.”
It wasn’t a bad suggestion. A monstrous van pulled up next to them and honked. “Your ride’s here.” Lucy looked from Crew to the van’s driver and waved. “Hi, Carly!” she called as she stood. “I’ve got to go feed Mel.”
“It’s a cat. I’m willing to bet our next Choco-Lattes you’ve got a dish with food sitting out all the time. He’s fine.”
Lucy wasn’t taking that bet, because Crew was spot on.
“Go talk to Carter.”
Lucy looked up to the sky and blew out a dramatic breath. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
She took a longer drink of peach Dr. Pepper, not hating the combination. She’d stop in to see Mel for a minute since her apartment wasn’t too far out of the way, and then she would decide what to do about Carter.
Lucy made it to her building and jogged up the stairs to the second floor. She stayed long enough to turn the bathroom faucet on for Mel to drink his fill, change into something a little more casual, and touch up her hair and makeup.
“And I wonder why I’m still single,” Lucy said to Mel, glad he couldn’t understand what she was saying. She checked his mostly full bowl of cat food and grabbed a light jacket. “Though being single does have its advantages. I never have to adjust the seat of my car, I can watch whatever I want whenever I want, and I can even paint my bedroom pink.” Not that she ever would. “Wish me luck.” She looked at Mel, who turned in half a circle away from her. “That’s not helping.”
She’d made a complete and utter fool of herself in front of the one famous person she’d ever wanted most to meet, and though she’d like to turn away like Mel and pretend like the whole mud fiasco had never happened, she still had to work with Carter on Saturday. Getting through a normal conversation with him would go a long way to convincing herself she’d be okay.
“See you later.” She gave Mel one more scratch behind his left ear, and as she left, she grabbed the keys to her pickup, deciding not to walk back into town a second time just in case she had to go multiple places to track down Carter.
A couple minutes later, she parked at the Cornucopia Inn, figuring it was the best place to start. He’d either be staying at the inn or the Westbrook’s bed and breakfast.
“Hey, Kate.” Lucy greeted the brunette woman at the lobby’s sign-in desk. “The place is looking good.” When the inn had been turned over to her friend Kate O’Halloran last fall, it had been like walking into a perfectly preserved 1970s sitcom—all pumpkin and gold colors—but recently Kate and her boyfriend Freddie Prescott had been bringing it up to current standards. “I love the subtle touches of orange. Really warm and cheery.”
“Thanks. Freddie has been working hard on it.” Her friend had a pretty smile, even if she was too modest about who was doing the bulk of the work.
“Is his barbecue place ready yet? Because it’s killing me every day I can’t eat it.” Lucy threw a glance longingly in the direction where it would eventually be open for business. A thick sheet of plastic hung from ceiling to floor, shielding the lobby from construction dust and prying eyes before the big reveal.
Nearby, in the lobby seating area, Lucy caught sight of the guy who’d been holding the toddler in the tulip fields the day before. This time he was laughing with a dark-haired girl a few years older than little Ezra. He looked to be teaching her how to play checkers—or attempting to when she wasn’t giggling so hard she couldn’t sit still.
Their laughter was contagious, and Kate joined in, pulling Lucy’s attention back to their conversation. “He’s hoping to open in June, but if you stick around long enough, I’m sure he’ll be bringing out samples.”
“That’s why I hang out here so much. How else would I have become a rabid fan?” Lucy shook her head, laughing at herself. “He’s good with marketing; I’ll give him that.” Marketing. That sparked an idea. “When can the Morning Crew have him on to talk about it?”
Kate shrugged. “That’ll be a Freddie question, for sure.”
Lucy couldn’t help looking over her shoulder again toward the soon-to-open restaurant, though her gaze went straight to the man and his daughter again. He was so tender and playful with her, a pang of longing shot through Lucy. She and her dad had had that kind of relationship, and she’d always hoped to find a man who would be as great a dad as hers had been, someone as laid-back and silly as this guy seemed to be.
No sense dreaming about an unavailable man. She forced herself to concentrate on her conversation with Kate. “But do you think he’d do it?” Some people got pretty nervous on air. At least it was radio. As long as his voice was sure, no one would see bouncing legs or white knuckles.
“Probably.” Kate made a few clicks on her computer but didn’t seem bothered by Lucy’s interruption. “You know him. He spent most of his career until recently as an agent at his father’s prestigious NYC public relations firm, so he’d be more than good.”
“Perfect.” Lucy had forgotten that. Relieved, she pulled out her phone and left herself a note to get him on the calendar. She still had an opening for Friday morning, but with Carter Hughes in town, that would be the perfect opportunity to tease the keynote. Not only would it help get Harvest Ranch residents excited about the community cleanup kickoff; it would pull in listeners to the morning show and give Carter more exposure—a total win-win-win.
Lucy set one hand on the counter, leaning in confidently, finally getting to why she stopped. She had no idea if he was staying here, but she would pretend like she did. “Any chance Carter Hughes is still here?” It was a sneaky way to get personal information, but Lucy wasn’t some crazy celebrity stalker.
Kate tipped her head to the side and pulled her mouth down in a frown. “Sorry. You missed him. He got called out of town.”
“He’s gone?” Lucy let her head fall back in despair. She wasn’t being overdramatic if she’d chased him away. What if Carter Hughes, her would-be mentor, had seen what a freak she was and left Harvest Ranch? What would she do for a keynote then?
He probably thinks we’re all hicks. It was true the community of Harvest Ranch was different from his typical venue, the residents more varied than his normal clientele. A community cleanup offered 2x4 wooden boards, not boardrooms, and zip ties rather than suits and ties, but the people who would come to listen had real, thriving businesses they wanted to take to the next level.
But the mud. What he must think of her? And she’d never get the chance to fix it. She sighed heavily. “And I was going to marry him,” she mumbled. She took a deep breath, centering herself again. “He is planning to come back before Saturday, right?” she asked desperately.
Kate’s face pinched in obvious discomfort. Lucy was asking more than she should. “All I can say is he’s not a guest here at this time.” Kate’s look was pleading.
Lucy lifted both hands from the check-in desk and gave her friend an apologetic smile. She got it. She did. “Thank you.”
At this time. Kate had qualified it. Lucy registered the words, and a bubble of hope formed in her chest. If Carter Hughes had checked out of the inn but had not sent word to cancel the speaking engagement, he was planning on coming back, right? She’d just have to make sure to make a better impression the next time she saw him.
Her eyes strayed over to the man with the adorable little girl. He moved a checker, and she noticed he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. If only that meant something . . .
8
“Like this, Uncle Zach?” Leah took one checker and zigzag jumped randomly across the board. Maybe five was too young to catch on to the intricacies of checkers, but she didn’t seem to be trying too hard to learn the rules. She was her usual goofy self, but at least she was happy and occupied while her parents finished getting Ezra cleaned up after waffles with strawberry topping for breakfa
st.
“You’re taking all my men!” Zach allowed his shoulders to slump in defeat.
“Men? You’re silly. They are circles.”
“Unicorns?” he teased, distracted by the familiar-looking brunette at the front counter. If he wasn’t mistaken—and with those chocolate-brown, wavy tresses, he was certain he wasn’t—this was the same woman who’d helped him find Ezra’s stuffed dog yesterday. They weren’t far enough that he couldn’t overhear most of their conversation, and while he shouldn’t be eavesdropping, the sound of her voice and the comfortable joking between the two at the front desk had caught his attention.
“Coins?” Leah teased, trying to win back his attention, but he couldn’t tear himself away.
Had the brunette at the counter just asked about Carter and then said she was going to marry him? His heart dropped like an anvil on his foot. He ran a hand through his hair and then shook it back into place. So this was Carter’s fiancée. That explained the hand-holding he’d seen as the two had conversed on the path at the tulip fields. He’d wanted so badly to dismiss that as nothing more than a misunderstood scene. His heart beat hard in his chest, and he fought to swallow the bit of jealousy pushing up. The one woman who’d really caught his attention was the one he couldn’t go for.
He took a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time to think about himself. If this was his future sister-in-law, he needed to keep her from worrying about Carter.
He stood, and Leah looked up, confused.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “I just need to talk to those ladies over there a minute.” He pointed, and Leah nodded.
When he arrived at the brunette’s side, she smelled of peaches and springtime. “Good morning, I—” Boy, he sounded like a creeper inserting himself into their conversation this way. “—I caught the name Carter Hughes and thought I might . . . put your mind at ease.” He sounded like a fool. A bumbling, formal fool. He took a breath and tried again. “I thought I’d let you know he’s still planning to be back for his speech on Saturday.”
Like her hair, her eyes were a deep brown with caramel highlights, and he got lost in them for a split second.
Amazingly, she didn’t seem in a hurry to look away either. “And you know this . . . how?” The words had a slight edge. She was wary, and he couldn’t blame her. A stranger had just butted into her personal conversation.
“Because he’s paying for half my cabin Friday night,” Zach said dryly.
With the twitch of a smile, she lifted her hand, indicating she was waiting for more information.
For a moment, he considered not explaining if it meant he could hold her gaze just that much longer. “I’m his brother.” He stuck his hand out for her to shake. “Zach Hughes.”
“Lucy Morrowitz.” She gripped his hand confidently, but the spark he felt between them came straight from her eyes.
The name sounded familiar, and he wasn’t sure from where, but it made sense. Carter must have mentioned they’d been dating. And he’d mentioned she would show up.
The automatic doors at the rear of the building whooshed open, followed by the sound of footsteps and chatter. “Where do you want to go first today, Ma?”
Zach’s mother was talking to her mother-in-law, Mikki—the first two of the whole brood coming in. Zach dropped Lucy’s hand and stepped back.
“There are some cute shops on Main Street I’d like to check out,” Trina continued. “Did you see that boutique, Marnie?”
“Bill and I don’t want to go shopping,” Grandpa Moose said, his voice booming across the lobby as always. “There’s got to be something more interesting to do in town.”
Grandma Mikki strode toward Zach and the check-in desk, her eyes fixed on Kate. “What do you suggest?” It was obvious Grandma Mikki was in charge of things today.
“You asked about the Starlight Drive-In Theater last night,” Kate began.
Next to Zach, Lucy shifted her weight and tugged at one sleeve of her jacket.
“We happen to have the drive-in’s owner standing right here—” Kate pointed to Lucy.
Immediately, Moose and Mikki descended upon her, showering her with the story of their first date. Zach stepped back from the circle of family surrounding them. Even to him, his family could be a bit much, but to a stranger, he would think they’d be overwhelming. She, however, didn’t seem bothered in the least. She smiled broadly, asking questions and nodding in all the right places.
Seeing an opportunity to fill in his mom right away, he put a hand gently on her elbow and led her away from the group. “Does the name Lucy sound familiar to you? Has Carter mentioned her?” He tipped his chin ever so slightly in her direction so his mom would know he meant the woman the innkeeper had just indicated.
His mother paused, a slight wrinkle between her eyes. “Maybe? I thought there was a Lily, but . . .” She lifted her hand in question.
“I think this is the one Carter’s gone out with a few times.” It was more than that, obviously, but how could he tell his mom when Carter clearly hadn’t? Still, he had to tell her with Lucy standing right there. Carter would be ticked if he found out the family hadn’t taken the time to get to know her while he was gone. “Last night when he was leaving, Carter told me his fiancée might—”
His mother’s eyes grew wide. “Fiancée?” she gasped, louder than Zach was comfortable with. A few curious eyes shot their direction, but luckily not Lucy’s.
“Shh—” He put his hands on her biceps. “Carter seemed kind of squirrelly about it. I wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed or if it’s too new or something?” He shrugged. “Maybe he hasn’t actually asked yet. I don’t know. You’d think he’d tell his family first, and since he hasn’t, I wonder if it’s not official.”
His mom stood taking in Lucy from afar, expressions of curiosity, interest, and acceptance taking turns in her eyes.
“Lucy isn’t only the owner of the drive-in,” Kate said, talking over the group and getting Zach’s full attention.
Maybe this was the announcement? His heart pounded, waiting to hear the news.
“She’s chairing the Harvest Ranch community cleanup,” Kate continued.
The family stared at Kate with various levels of confusion.
“She’s the one who invited Mr. Hughes to speak on Saturday,” Kate explained.
The group started in with asking Lucy more questions.
“Interesting,” Zach murmured, more to himself than to his mother. No wonder Carter had been willing to speak in this small town. But it still felt odd. The look on his mother’s face showed she was just as confused as Zach was. “Maybe he’s planning to announce their engagement on Saturday, do you think?” he asked her, whispering so the rest of the family wouldn’t overhear.
Zach’s mom shrugged mutely, her eyes mirroring his question.
“We might want to keep this bit of info on the down-low. Wait until Carter announces it before we say anything to anyone else?” Zach really wasn’t sure what to do here.
“But this is our best opportunity to get to know her.” His mother squeezed Zach’s hands. “Do you think he’d mind that we spend time with her if he’s not around?”
Zach couldn’t see why not. He shook his head.
“Then it’s settled.” She squeezed his hands once again and then let go. She’d made her decision. She stepped toward the group. “Lucy, I’m so glad to meet you.” She gave Lucy the biggest smile but didn’t do anything crazy like throw her arms around this stranger. “Could we ask a little favor?”
Lucy nodded, appearing ready to grant any favor his mom asked.
“We understand the drive-in is closed, but would you mind showing us around? I know Mikki and Moose would love to see it.”
“Oh, sure,” Lucy said with a slight laugh. “It would be my pleasure. I love showing it off. Though I wish it looked the same as when you were there last . . .” She gave an apologetic look to Mikki.
Walking toward the back door, the family started talking
about transportation and asking questions about GPS. Zach felt a small hand slip into his. “Can I ride with you, Uncle Zach?” Leah asked.
Though Lucy was at the head of the group with his mom chatting on one side, she turned, her enchanting brown eyes jumping to catch his. In that instant, his heart rate doubled. Reluctantly, Zach broke eye contact with Lucy to answer Leah.
“No.” He didn’t let Leah’s expression slump too much before he continued. “I’ll ride with you. In your parents’ car so we don’t have to move your car seat.” He felt Lucy still watching him. Heat filled his chest to go along with the elevated heart rate. Zach had to get away from Lucy, and as soon as possible. Her being his brother’s fiancée was literally going to kill him—if healthy men this side of thirty got heart attacks walking across parking lots. Might as well do something to earn it.
“Race you to the car.” He gave Leah a few yards’ head start before matching her pace. Running away was childish, but Leah was a child, and he was just entertaining her. Or was he?
9
Lucy only gave herself a few seconds to catch her breath once she climbed into her truck and closed the door. The Hughes family was waiting for her to lead them to the drive-in, but she had to collect herself first. They were a boisterous but warm group and pulled her in so completely. Being a part of the family for a moment, if only peripherally, felt good. At least she wouldn’t be spending the day alone again.
But then there was Zach. Carter’s brother. The one she’d thought was the kids’ father. the adorable girl with the bright blue eyes and smattering of freckles had called him uncle. Not only that, but the adorable Ezra was an exact replica of the man holding him.
Which meant Zach wasn’t a father, and he likely was single by the looks of things. Lucy’s heart raced ahead with possibilities, but her head reined them in. Zach would only be in town for a week. Aside from this little excursion and perhaps at the kickoff on Saturday, she wouldn’t have any excuses to tag along on their family vacation. More than likely, she wouldn’t see him again.
While You Were Speaking: Spring Flings and Engagement Rings Page 7