Running Home (Warm Springs Trilogy Book 2)

by Christina Kirby

  She fought the urge to yell ‘don’t laugh at me’ at his back. It was mortifying enough she’d blushed in front of him over something as trivial as standing at a would-be altar. It wasn’t like they were the ones getting married. Although, at one time in her life, she’d been sure they would.

  She carried chairs back and forth and did her best not to watch Adam work. Being in close proximity was dangerous and until she’d dealt with James, she needed to keep her thoughts in line.

  Two hours later, once all the windows were standing and one door was in place, Jenny stood next to Nick and surveyed their progress. After the Garden Club ladies descended upon the place it would be magical. She couldn’t help but be proud of what they’d accomplished.

  “I never would’ve come up with something like this,” Nick said. “My mom always said that I don’t have a creative bone in my body and seeing this, I’m starting to agree with her.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true.” The sight was beautiful and unique. Sam would have her own romantic wonderland for her special day. “Thanks for all your help. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “Somehow, I’m not sure that’s true. You’re a very determined woman.” He smiled and left her alone.

  She slid her phone out of her back pocket and checked the time. The countdown was on. “Hey, guys,” Jenny said, “I need to go.”

  “Yeah, us, too.” Spencer jogged over and hugged her. “You know we love you. Thanks, and tell my bride I’ll see her soon.” He held her at arm’s length and grinned the same way he’d been doing for the last six months. The tough-guy exterior no longer apparent.

  “I will.” Tears built behind her eyes as she looked at the man she loved like a brother. “I’m so happy for you, Spencer.”

  He hugged her again. “I hope one day soon you’ll be this happy, too.” He said the words low and close to her ear.

  She squeezed him one last time and stepped back. “Okay, let’s go get ready and get you married.”

  When Jenny arrived at Sam’s house, Ann’s car was already in the drive. She scooped her dress, bag, and heels out of the passenger seat and rounded the house to the backdoor. It was unlocked, and the kitchen was empty.

  “Hello?” she called. She’d expected to find commotion and chaos, but instead the house was quiet.

  “Up here,” came a voice from upstairs.

  Jenny climbed the stairs, careful not to hit the framed photos which lined the staircase. She spotted movement coming from the master bedroom. “What’s going o-” A gasp escaped her mouth as Sam’s mother moved to the side revealing Sam in her gown.

  Jenny had seen her before at fittings, but somehow, today was different. It was real. Her curls were swept up in a soft romantic twist while several locks remained loose to frame her radiant face. “Oh, Sam, you look beautiful.”

  “Jenny,” Sam exclaimed, “how’d it go? Did the boys get everything put together?”

  Jenny hung her dress and tossed her bag onto the bed. “Don’t worry. Everything looks perfect. And, I think I passed the Garden Club ladies on the road.”

  Sam’s face and shoulders relaxed. “Thank you so much.”

  “It was my pleasure. Oh, and I was supposed to say hello from Spencer.”

  Sam’s smile widened and her cheeks flushed.

  “You’re just in time for the veil,” Sam’s mom lifted it from a box. “It was her grandmother’s.” As Sam’s mom placed it gently on her head, both women fought back tears, then Sam’s mom took her hands in her own. “My beautiful daughter. My heart is full today seeing you so happy.”

  They embraced and Ann and Sam busied themselves to lend them a moment of privacy. “Where’re the kids?”

  Ann nodded to the corner where the baby was sound asleep in his carrier. “And, Alex is in the office playing a game on the computer. What about James? Where’d you leave him?”

  “I left his bad-tempered ass at my apartment.”

  Ann’s eyes widened. “Wait, did you?”

  “No, no.” Jenny shook her head. “He’s just annoyed about me having to leave. He’ll be at the wedding.”

  “Speaking of the wedding, we’d better get dressed. The photographer will be here in fifteen minutes.”

  Adam handed the lady behind the counter a ten. “Thanks for the sandwich, Edna.”

  “My pleasure, Adam. Do you have big plans this weekend?” She handed him his change which he dropped into the tip jar.

  “I have to be at a wedding later on and then it’s back to work in the kitchen tomorrow.”

  She smiled. “Have fun at the wedding, and be sure to tell Spencer congratulations from me.”

  “Will do.” The doorbell chimed over his head as he left. It was no surprise Edna knew whose wedding he was talking about. It was just another part of the small town charm. He dug for his keys and bumped shoulders with someone. “Sorry about that.” When he looked up and saw James, disgust built in the back of his throat.

  “Wouldn’t hurt to watch where you’re going.” James was wearing some sort of running outfit, but his hair was slicked back. He clearly hadn’t been working out. That’s when Adam noticed the bag in his hand. It was small and said: Taylor-Foster Fine Jewelry.

  Following his gaze, James shifted the bag behind his back. “I guess you’ll be at the wedding later?”

  Adam plastered a smile on his face. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  They stood facing each other like a couple of idiots playing chicken until James broke the moment by bringing the bag from the jewelry store out from behind his back. Adam’s eyes flicked to it again before he could stop himself, causing James to sneer. “Well then, I guess I’ll see you later.”

  “Guess so.” Adam turned to leave, fighting the fresh wave of nausea which had washed over him. “Oh, could you tell Jenny she dropped her phone this morning at the park? Tell her I’ll bring it to her at the wedding.”

  James’ smug look evaporated behind his dark sunglasses. “So, the two of you were at the park?”

  “Yeah, well, we were trying to get things setup. She was a big help.” The muscle in James’ jaw twitched and Adam found a sick since of victory in it. “If you could just let her know?” No reason to explain they weren’t there alone.

  “I’ll be sure to talk to her.” James turned and left, his track suit making a ridiculous swishing sound as he prissed over to his Mustang, dropped in and sped off.

  What a prick.

  Adam slammed his palms on his steering wheel after he climbed into his truck. Spencer had been right. James was going to ask her. And, soon, by the looks of it. Stomach twisting, he hit the wheel again. She couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t do it. She was too smart to accept a man’s proposal when she was in love with another.

  Even though she hadn’t said it directly, he knew. He knew it as sure as he knew his own name. Jennifer Fillmore was as in love with him as he was with her, and he refused to sit by and watch her make a huge mistake.

  He backed out of the parking space as he wrestled with different ideas about how to keep the proposal from happening. He could go to her. Demand she talk to James. Tell her about James’ plan. He sped up after turning off of the main road and changed his mind. He couldn’t. She’d hate him for trying to control her life. Didn’t he just need to trust she’d do the right thing? He’d thought she was going to talk to James. She obviously hadn’t.

  He rounded the next turn, his foot growing heavier with temper. If James was back in town, he was sure Jenny knew he was there. What was she waiting for?

  A mile from his house, blue and red lights flashed in his mirrors.

  “Shit.” His stomach dropped lower as he pulled to the side of the road and stopped. The day just kept getting better. When he saw the officer approaching his window, he wished like hell Nick was wo
rking.

  “License and registration please, sir.” He waited with his hands on his hips and a blank expression.

  Adam handed him what he required and waited while the officer read it over.

  “No kidding? Adam Hamilton?”

  Adam blew out a breath. “Afraid so.”

  “Look, Mr. Hamilton, I don’t want to give you a ticket, but you were going way over the limit.” He tapped Adam’s driver’s license against his palm.

  “You do whatever you have to do. It was my fault.”

  The officer scanned the road around them as if checking for other cars and then passed Adam’s credentials back to him.

  “Slow down, okay? We don’t need to find our town celebrity wrapped around a tree.” The officer touched his fingers to the side of his sunglasses and turned to leave.

  “Thank you.”

  The officer climbed back in his cruiser and pulled out around Adam, giving a brief honk as he went, but Adam stayed where he was. The man was right. He did need to slow down. He also needed to get a damn grip.

  Jenny was all he could think about, all he wanted and it killed him to know he wasn’t the only one. He couldn’t accept that for the first time in his life, he might lose.

  Chapter 17

  Dressed in his light colored suit and orange tie, Adam strolled from the designated parking area back to the ceremony site. The gathered guests, flowers, and over-hanging branches transformed the space into a peaceful and welcoming setting. He paused by one of the cloth draped tables, picked up a program and dowel rod with a yellow ribbon fastened to the top. As he twirled it between his fingers, he spotted Avery waving to him.

  “Hey.” His sister hit the chair beside her. “You clean up good.”

  “Thanks.” Adam tried not to notice how grown up she looked in her flowery low-cut dress. The thought still seemed foreign to him. “I didn’t know you owned a dress, if that’s what that is.”

  She smirked. “I don’t. I borrowed this one from Jenny.”

  His head snapped around in her direction, and she didn’t bother to stifle the snicker. He cursed under his breath for letting her goad him so easily. He knew better. Avery’s goal in life was to drive him crazy. And, she was good at it.

  As they waited for the ceremony to start, familiar faces filed in, including Earl and Betsy, extended members of the Malloy family, a few people he recognized from the rehearsal dinner and several others from around town. Some of whom were familiar and some who weren’t. He counted roughly fifty in attendance.

  A slight breeze blew through the trees causing them to bend and sway.

  He leaned his head back and stared above him at the branches where the sun shone through the leaves in broken shafts of light. Whatever they’d thought of Sam’s idea originally, he had to admit it was pretty impressive. It blended faith and the outdoors in a way which reflected the couple.

  Soft music began to play signaling the arrival of the wedding party. Everyone shifted in their chairs to catch a glimpse of Spencer as he followed the minister to the banister erected in front of the largest window at the end of the aisle. Jake and Nick were directly behind him, each in matching tan suits and plum color ties.

  The music changed and another breeze floated through the crowd, but this one was different. It was accompanied with a hint of honeysuckle. A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he thought of the girl he’d always associate with that smell, and then when he looked up, she was there.

  Jenny started down the aisle and grinned at Spencer. He too was smiling, so wide Adam feared he’d be stuck like he was for the rest of his life. But, there were worse things than being happy. As Jenny continued, she caught sight of Adam and their eyes held. Her hair was swept up, leaving her shoulders bare and the dark colored dress made her creamy skin glow. Adam’s fingers flexed as he thought of touching it.

  Between the sight of her and the smell of honeysuckle, the memories were impossible to keep buried. As he watched her standing at the altar, no longer a girl, but a full grown woman, he could almost taste their kiss from the barn. Ann joined Jenny and the music changed again, but while everyone else stood and fixed their eyes on the bride, Adam remained focused on Jenny. She’d never looked more beautiful.

  “You doing okay, brother?” Avery asked in his ear.

  He waved her off and she scoffed beside him. She wasn’t fooled, but he didn’t care. They didn’t keep secrets from each other. His sister knew what he wanted.

  He listened as Spencer exchanged vows with Sam, his eyes roaming to Jenny every few lines. When the couple was announced as man and wife, Jenny slid a tissue out from the underside of her bouquet and wiped her eyes.

  The crowd waved their ribbon-tipped rods in the air as the couple exited, the gesture creating a blur of color for the photographer who was hard at work in the center of the aisle walking backward as the couple came toward him.

  “Tell me I can get a beer at the reception,” Avery asked while they waited to exit their row.

  “Knowing Spencer, I’d say it’s a safe bet.” He looked down at his sister. “It wasn’t that bad was it? By comparison, it was shorter than most weddings I’ve been to.”

  “Weddings always make me antsy.” Avery shuddered as if she couldn’t imagine anything worse than marriage. “Forever sounds like a death sentence.”

  Adam laughed and led the way to the car. “Don’t let mom hear you say that.”

  “You mean because she’s been planning my wedding since I was ten?” Avery snorted as she hefted herself into his truck. “I’m afraid she’s going to be sorely disappointed.”

  Adam let the subject drop. He was the last one who needed to tell anyone what their future held. He couldn’t even control his own like he’d once thought. He shifted in his seat; uncomfortable with the idea Jenny controlled his fate. The memory of James holding the jewelry bag nagged at him.

  “You look like you smell bad fish,” Avery said. “What’s eating you?”

  “Nothing.”

  She tapped her fingers on the armrest. “You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? Out with it.”

  “I’ll tell you later. I don’t want to get into it right now. It’ll put me in a bad mood.”

  “Fair enough.” She left him alone and stared out her own window. She knew when to nag and when to let him be, the same way he did when the situation was reversed.

  They pulled to a stop near Sam and Spencer’s where cars were lined up and down the road on both sides. As they walked to the house, music and laughter could already be heard streaming from the backyard.

  “You might be right about the beer.”

  “I’ll find the drinks. You find the seats.” His sister melted into the crowd.

  Adam stood where he was searching for a couple of empty chairs. Based on the lack of options, he should’ve driven faster.

  More laughter rang out, but this time one voice stood out from the rest. Jenny was standing in the middle of a crowd and much to his disdain, James was by her side. Avery couldn’t return with a beer soon enough.

  Forcing his attention away from Jenny, he spotted a couple of seats at the table under the oak tree and nearest the dance floor. The faux floor they’d laid down over the grass was in the center of the yard and tables surrounded it, except where there was a small table setup for the DJ.

  As he made his way to the empty chairs he saw what set the reception apart from others he’d attended. The impressive view of the flowers lining the back fence were three feet deep and the mix of fall colors were packed in tight enough as to not allow any space between them, creating one continuous wave of color.

  “Here, you look like you need it.” Avery dropped down in the seat next to her brother’s. “The DJ is some lady’s grandson.”

  “Sounds a bit young for y
ou.”

  She punched Adam without missing a beat and took a sip of her drink. “I paid him ten bucks to bump my music selections to the top and avoid the chicken dance at all costs. He said Sam already beat me to the last part.” Avery leaned back in her chair and stared around the crowd of people still mingling. “I’m liking Sam more and more.”

  “Yeah, she’s a great girl,” he said, his voice flat.

  “Don’t sound too enthused.” She followed her brother’s gaze. Jenny stood with James. “Oh, so this mood thing . . .”

  “Yep.”

  As night descended over the party, the guests ate, first dances were danced, and Adam did his best to focus on anything and anyone other than Jenny. Avery moved past him as Nick led her in a slow dance.

  “They look good together.” Jenny’s soft voice was like music.

  Adam didn’t take his eyes off of his sister. It was easier that way.

  “I’m glad she found someone to hang out with other than me. I’m not very good company tonight.” His stomach twisted into a knot as she sat next to him.

  “Why not? It’s a party. You should be dancing.” She touched his arm and it was more than he could stand. “You’re a big reason the day turned out as perfectly as it did. Sam keeps calling you her hero.”

  “Oh, geez.”

  Jenny laughed and instead of the sound lifting his spirits, it tortured him further. “Don’t worry, I think she’s partially doing it to drive Spencer crazy.”

  The corner of Adam’s mouth twitched and he made the mistake of looking at her. Up close, he could see the different shades of blue in her eyes, light on the outside and darker in the center. They reflected the different layers of the complicated woman before him.