by Mary Manners
“I took a personal day. I have some business in town to take care of.”
He had to get to the courthouse to meet with Judge Coventry and sign the final papers that would make him Scottie’s permanent legal guardian. He was already running late, yet he stood here, talking to her. Something pulled him in…something intangible yet strong.
“Oh.” She gnawed her lower lip, sighing as she lifted the insulated go-cup to her mouth once again. Her blonde hair had dried in a tumble of tousled waves and her eyes shone the deepest blue, like a night sky flecked with tiny specks of stardust. He felt drawn to her, despite the rumpled clothes and dusky shadows beneath those pretty eyes. “Thanks for the coffee. I really needed it.”
Looked like she needed more than coffee, judging from the road-weary expression in her eyes. When was the last time she’d had a decent meal?
And why did he even care? He reminded himself that women were off limits. He had no time for them…even if they did happen to be the prettiest, most intriguing human he’d had the pleasure of sharing company with in a long, long time.
No. Don’t even go there. Don’t you have enough on your plate without adding to it?
“You’re welcome.” Brayden fought the urge to remain rooted in place. He turned to leave, but something about her had him rounding back. He figured no matter how piled it became, there was always a little room left on his plate. Just a sliver of room, nothing more. “You haven’t told me your name.”
“Oh, right.” She offered a hand. “I’m Korrie…Korrie Karssen.”
“Hi, Korrie.” He squeezed gently. Though her height nearly matched his, her fingers were small and fragile in his grip. She had a dancer’s frame, thin and lithe, yet gently curved in all the right places. “I have scrambled eggs and bacon to go with that coffee, if you’d like. It wouldn’t take but a few minutes for me to throw breakfast together.”
“I…” She hesitated, and for a moment Brayden thought she’d accept the offer. But then she shook her head. “Sounds good, but I’d better not.”
“I know how to fry eggs, too. Over easy, sunny side up…your choice.”
“It’s not that.” She nodded toward the boxes he’d stacked with Scottie’s help. “I have a lot of unpacking to do so I’d better get to it, and I promised Julie I’d head up to the house to join her for lunch.”
“So you’re hanging around here for a while?”
“No telling.” She shrugged. “I’m waiting to see how the wind blows.”
3
“So, you met Brayden?” Julie asked as she set a platter of finger sandwiches on the table. She’d pulled a shock of cinnamon hair into a ponytail, and her green eyes flashed with a hint of mischief as she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial murmur. “I saw you in the yard together this morning.”
“Really?” Korrie tossed a dish towel at her sister, draping her in the fabric. “Is there anything you don’t keep an eye on?”
“Not much.” Julie folded napkins into neat triangles, placed them carefully beside brightly-patterned plates on the table, and then added polished silverware. Her table displays would make Martha Stewart proud. “He looked awfully pleased to find you’re his new neighbor.”
“I don’t know about that. He scared me half to death when I opened the door on my way out to check on my clothes. I practically ran him over.” Korrie imagined the sight of Brayden, his hair still damp from the shower and a scruff of beard patterned over his jaw. “I didn’t expect to see anyone there on the landing.”
Especially a man who stood lean, tanned, and toned with eyes the color of a wolf on the hunt. He practically oozed testosterone. But there was a hint of gentleness about him, too.
“Isn’t he something?” Julie used a spatula to separate chocolate chunk cookies from a baking sheet. She arranged them neatly on a platter before adding the homemade dessert to the table.
“Oh, he’s something all right. Exactly what, I’m not sure.” Korrie stirred a pot of chicken noodle soup as memories from that morning had her savoring the way Brayden had placed a hand along her shoulder to keep her from falling. “Protective and a little on the bossy side in a nice sort of way, too. The guy has personality in spades. He…brought me coffee.”
“Coffee?” Julie snatched one of the cookies, broke it in half, and handed a piece to Korrie. “Do share every detail.”
“Well...” Korrie devoured the cookie, barely tasting the chocolate, while Julie nibbled hers with dainty precision. It had always been that way, sort of two sides of a coin. Julie preferred everything neat and tidy, while Korrie didn’t mind a little messy. She took risks. Julie had drafted a ten-step life plan while she was still in her teens, while Korrie, at thirty, wasn’t sure what she’d be doing an hour from now. That calculated risk-taking had carried her to the top of the corporate ladder—and brought her crashing down just as hard. She reached for another cookie and tried her best to slow down with this one. Brayden…coffee…yum. “He didn’t seem too irritated when I made him back up to the hedgerow before I opened the door.”
“You made him back away?” Julie shook her head. “You’ve spent too much time in the city, Korrie.”
“He said he lives next door, and he knows about Michael’s thing for old cars.”
“Classic cars.” Julie emphasized the word. “If Michael heard you say old, well…” She shook her head with a smile. “He takes those cars seriously.”
“Brayden made the coffee just the way I like it. I’m not sure how he knew.”
“So, what you’re saying is not only does he score an A-plus in the personality department—”
“I’d say he’s valedictorian-grade in the looks department, too.” The words leapt out before Korrie could contain them. Immediately, she felt the heat of blush wash over her cheeks. “Ugh, did I really just say that out loud?”
“You did.” Julie grinned as if she’d just scooped the tabloids on a piece of juicy gossip. “Hmm…interesting. Correction, then…not only does Guy Next Door Brayden Cambridge score outstanding marks in both the personality and the looks departments, but he has great listening skills, as well. That’s certainly a bonus.”
“Hang on just a minute.” Korrie leaned in and sniffed the soup. It smelled heavenly. She had no idea where her sister had honed her cooking skills, but she wished she could mimic them. Hers were on life support, at best. She yanked her attention from the pot and turned to Julie. “What do you mean by listening skills?”
“Oops.”
“Oh, Jules…When he brought my laundry by this morning you didn’t happen to mention to him how I like my coffee, did you?”
“Not exactly.” She busied herself by opening a drawer and sorting silverware that was already perfectly sorted. “Maybe. Kind of, sort of.”
“Enough.” Korrie closed the drawer and placed one hand on each of Julie’s shoulders. She turned her sister to face her. “Just spit it out.”
“Well, I might have seen your little tirade with the coffeemaker. And when Brayden brought your laundry up the hill yesterday evening, I might have sort of mentioned that you’re an absolute bear when you go without your morning coffee.”
“You didn’t.”
“I might have.” Julie shrugged. “Sort of…maybe.”
“Good grief. Did the whole world see me lose the last shreds of my dignity on that cobblestone path?”
“Michael was putting a timing belt on the Chevy. He totally missed the show.”
“Wow. I mean, really?” Korrie chomped the cookie, abandoning her resolve to take dainty little bites like Julie. No, for her it was two bites and gone. Every last morsel. She chewed, swallowed, and swiped crumbs from her mouth without reaching for a napkin. “I’m beyond embarrassed.”
“Why?” Unaffected by this new mini-tirade, Julie continued to nibble her cookie. She still had most of the half—and it was the smaller half compared to the piece she’d handed Korrie. “Exasperating moments happen to everyone.”
“Everyone except you.
” Korrie jabbed a finger at the air. “I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen you frustrated. It’s unsettling and grossly unfair.”
“I get frustrated.” She nodded stiffly. “I do.”
“Yeah? When?”
“The doctor’s office. Every month.”
That hit home, and Korrie paused as if she’d just been jostled by a speed bump.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. But you never show so much as an ounce of hat frustration. How do you manage?”
“I have my moments. Just ask Michael. And God. I’ve ranted at Him more times than I can count. And I pray away as much as I can. But I still have my moments. We all do.”
“Losing my job wasn’t a moment, Jules. Having my savings depleted, selling the condo at a loss, enduring the humiliation of a real estate deal gone bad, getting dumped by the guy I thought I’d spend my future with—”
“Joe didn’t deserve you, Korrie. I never liked him. He was a big-time taker, and you’re a giver to a fault. Nothing good ever comes from that imbalance in any relationship.”
“I’m not a giver.” The thought that Julie believed it to be so startled her.
A giver…me?
“Oh, yes you are.” Julie jabbed her shoulder with a pointed index finger. “Yeah, I know you do your best to try to tell yourself you don’t care about other people, that you can’t be bothered by what they might need. But I know deep down you’re really one of the biggest givers I know. Joe-shmo took advantage of that in a really bad way. His loss.”
Julie was right. Their parents had also warned Korrie off the lying, cheating excuse of a man for months prior to the accident that had claimed both their lives.
Now they were gone, and they’d never know she’d finally heeded their advice—albeit the hard way.
“I know you tried to warn me and I didn’t listen, Jules. Silly me, it might have saved a lot of heartache.”
“Maybe, maybe not. And to insinuate that last real estate venture was a deal-gone-bad would mean it had to begin with some shred of good; and it didn’t. Nothing built on a fractured, deceitful foundation—whether literally or figuratively—can withstand the storms that are sure to come.”
“I know, but I was too hard-headed and stubborn to listen to any of your advice. You were right, I was wrong. Again. There, I said it. Does that make you happy?”
“No. It makes me sad…really, really sad. I wanted to be wrong. Both times.”
“Well, you weren’t. You never are, and it’s been a month, a year…perhaps even a decade of bad decisions that have brought me to this place.”
“So, you’ve hit a rough patch. It will pass.” Julie patted Korrie’s arm. “Look, sis, nobody’s judging you, so why don’t you quit being so hard on yourself? And, for the record, Brayden’s a good guy…a giver, just like you. He’s helped Michael finish a lot of the projects around this place. We couldn’t have managed to get so much done without his help.”
“Nice try, Jules, but the last thing I need living next door to me is a superhero in the flesh. Good guys are off my radar. So are bad guys. All guys for the foreseeable future. Maybe forever. I’ve had my fill, so don’t go getting any ideas.” Korrie waggled a finger beneath Julie’s nose. “None. Zilch. Zero. Do you hear me?”
“Loud and clear.” Julie added a platter of temptingly-arranged lettuce and tomatoes to the table. “Don’t be such a spoilsport. Brayden’s been through a lot.”
“So have I.”
“Hmphff.” Julie poured two glasses of sweet tea and added thick lemon wedges. “Money and possessions can be replaced. Other things, not so much.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hang around here long enough and you’ll find out exactly what I’m talking about. In the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt to take up a little praying again. I’m sure it’s better to have a conversation with the Big Man Upstairs instead of with the roiling sky, in the rain, on a cobblestone path strewn with broken coffeemakers and soiled clothing—and your dignity.”
“Why should I bother? He never listens. He doesn’t answer.”
“Maybe this is His answer.” Julie outstretched her arms. “Bringing you home again…back to your roots.”
“Some answer…a run-down cottage in the middle of nowhere with a superhero-wannabee neighbor who’d hike as far away from me as he could if he knew my whole, ugly story.”
“That’s not true.” Julie’s voice held an edge of steel. “And I’m sorry about the cottage. I know that it’s ancient-looking inside, but the structure is sturdy as a freight engine. It was next on the list of renovation projects, but we got a little side-tracked.”
“No problem. I’ll manage.”
Korrie took up the soup ladle and returned to stirring, though the broth was doing a fine job of simmering without her help. Seemed like everything around here had gotten along just fine without her help. Tears stung her eyes. Unlike Brayden Cambridge, she’d never considered herself one who scored high marks in the looks and personality departments, and her listening skills, outside of the real estate market, proved iffy. Without her job and her condo, without all of her fine possessions, what good was she? She didn’t fit in anywhere anymore. Maybe she never had.
“Are you crying?”
“No!” Korrie swiped at her eyes and tried hard not to sniffle. “It’s the steam.”
“Sure it is. I’m sorry, sis. That’s enough chitter-chatter about the bad stuff. Let’s move on to something good.” Julie splayed a hand over her belly and winked. “I have some news to share.”
“Oh?”
“Here’s a little clue…it’s going to be either Lily or Michael Junior.”
“You mean…” Korrie dropped the soup ladle and rushed to wrap her arms around her sister. “Oh, Jules. When?”
“He or she’s going to be an October baby. At least that’s what the doctor predicts. I feel like that’s an eternity away, though.”
“Of course you do. It’s been quite the journey to get to this point.” Julie and Michael had run the gamut with fertility specialists. They’d employed a plethora of treatment options with no success—until now. Their long and bumpy road had been a testament to life’s hills and valleys. “Does Michael know?”
“Of course, and he’s positively over the moon at the thought of being a daddy. He’s been working on the nursery.” Julie smiled through a shimmer of tears. “We put off the updates to the last upstairs bedroom until everything else was finished, hoping for a miracle. And now…”
“Oh, oh, oh!” Korrie hugged tight. “All this time I’ve been whining about the cottage and this is why you got sidetracked. You’re going to be a mommy, and I’m going to be an aunt!”
“Yes, that’s the way it works. Isn’t it wonderful?”
“It’s beyond wonderful.”
“I’ll give you the grand tour of the nursery when we’re done eating, if you’d like.”
“If I’d like…? Are you kidding me? Of course I’m dying to see it.” Korrie’s heart melted at the thought that finally, after so many years of trying, her sister would have the child she’d always hoped for. It was a miracle. A happy, happy miracle. “Why wait until we’re done eating?”
“Oh, Korrie.” Julie swiped the tears that spilled over. “I’m so glad you’re here to share in this.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m going to be this baby’s favorite aunt.” She was the only aunt, but who was taking notes? Maybe Jules was right—prayer was the answer. Perhaps she just needed to shift the focus from herself. She’d certainly sent up her share of prayers for her sister and this child. “That’s the best news ever, and you’ll have to forgive me in advance since I plan to spoil the kid rotten.”
“You’re forgiven.”
“Now, about that tour…” A shiver of energy raced through Korrie. She felt suddenly lighthearted and gloriously renewed.
Hopeful.
“OK.” Julie wiggled from her embrace and lowered the burner beneath th
e soup pot. “It’s perfect timing anyway. The last load of your clothes should be ready for the dryer now.”
It was so like Julie to consider the needs of others, even when it drew the focus from her own joy.
“Brayden shouldn’t have brought them here.” Korrie glanced out the kitchen window and spied him heading up the cobblestone walk toward the cottage with a pair of long-handled garden shears in one hand. What was he up to now? “You should be resting and reading baby books, not washing my clothes. I’ll take care of those.”
“Nonsense. Over the years I’ve read just about every baby book known to man, and I still feel clueless, so I guess nothing compares to on-the-job training.” Her laugh was shaky. “Besides, I’m pregnant, not feeble.”
“I don’t care what you say.” Korrie’s gaze wandered to Brayden once again. She had to admit he was easy on the eyes. Something in the way he walked, his purposeful manner, drew her in and held tight. She couldn’t explain it, but the feeling had taken root, nonetheless. “Maybe God did bring me here for a reason, Jules.”
“Of course He did.” Her tone left no room for doubt. “And maybe that reason is to show you that it’s time for you to settle down. You’ve been chasing riches and lofty accolades long enough. Where has the chase gotten you?”
Korrie sighed and raked a hand through her hair. “Right back where I started…at the bottom of the barrel.”
“Exactly. I hope this time you’ll follow your heart instead of your pocketbook and invest your efforts in things that will stand the test of time.”
The words stung, mostly because they rang true.
“No matchmaking, Jules.” Korrie tapped the toe of her flat-heeled pump. “I know you mean well, but I’m standing firm on this.”
“No worries. I’ve learned my lesson and I’m done in the yenta department.” She brushed her palms together for emphasis. “From now on, I’m leaving the matchmaking up to God. I’m certain He’s much better at it than I could ever hope to be.”
“Good.” That should solve the meddling problem, then, since God had obviously turned a deaf ear to Korrie’s needs. Maybe He listened when she prayed for others, but for herself…nope. “So, as long as I’m here, let me carry the load for a while. I’ll never be as perfect as you, baby sis, but I’m determined to rise to the challenge.”