Until Tomorrow (Boot Creek Book 3)

by Nancy Naigle

  He carried each box from the SUV to the house, filling the right corner of the living room; there was plenty of space left in the huge living room. Not that you needed a lot of room to entertain in a small town in Alaska, but one day this would be where he and his family would celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.

  Pride swelled in him as he looked at every tiny detail like someone who’d never seen it before. He’d spent the last two years on the finishing work. He’d modified the wood and iron stair railing to include small colorful blown-glass inserts. The huge stone fireplace wasn’t unlike most found in log homes, but he’d personally picked out the tree the mantel had been carved from. Junior had turned it into a one-of-a-kind piece of art with the intricate relief carved scene. And the carefully planned backlit gallery niches highlighted more of his work. Even the chandelier had been his own creation, sending beautiful darts of color around the room.

  If anyone had told him back in college that he’d be living in a log home in Alaska one day, and his college education was just a piece of paper in a frame, he’d have called them crazy, but that was okay by him.

  He was quite certain all of the guys he went to college with were in debt eyeballs deep with the expensive homes and cars, not to mention the high-dollar shopping and day spa habits of their too-blonde, spray-tanned wives.

  To be fair, though, any woman seeing this house for the first time would be impressed. A few gentle feminine touches wouldn’t hurt though.

  His dad could make smart-ass remarks about Ford giving up a good career to be a starving artist, but Ford knew better. He was far from starving, and no one would ever talk him out of his life in Alaska. This place was paid for. When money ran low, he simply worked harder to sell more glass or took on special consignment work.

  With all of the boxes inside, he picked up his itinerary from his desk. Tomorrow night he’d be on a flight to Raleigh. Thank goodness he’d taken that gig.

  He unpacked his glass and arranged the pieces on the floating shelves in the middle of the room. He stepped back, seeing the clear improvements in his new work as compared to the pieces he’d cherished up until tonight.

  What would happen if the bank auctioned off Glory Glassworks Gallery? The place would probably sit empty for a while. No one would want to do anything with it in the winter.

  Getting a loan to buy the gallery shouldn’t pose a problem, though his bank account was still lean from all the work he’d put into the house. If push came to shove, he’d be able to take out a mortgage on the house to pay for the business. He’d often dreamed of the day he might own his own glass studio. Maybe this was his lucky year.

  Only, having his dream become reality at the expense of his friend’s misfortune just didn’t feel good. But Winston would go to the ends of the earth and sacrifice everything for Maizie. Ford knew that the business was the least of Winston’s worries right now.

  Chapter Five

  The loud bang-clunk that had come from the back of the house had Flynn and Megan making a beeline toward the kitchen. The smell of smoke hung in the air.

  “I don’t think this is good,” Megan said, waving a hand in front of her face to clear the cloud.

  “Smells electrical.” Flynn followed her nose to the basement door. “It’s coming from here.” She reached for the door handle.

  “Haven’t you seen a single scary movie? What if something is on fire down there?”

  She retracted her hand and pulled out her phone and dialed 911.

  “Boot Creek Dispatch, please state your emergency.”

  “This is Flynn over at Crane Creek Bed and Breakfast. There was a loud bang and there’s smoke coming from my basement.”

  “We’ll send the fire truck right out. Please leave the building.”

  She ended the call. “Come on.” Flynn grabbed Megan’s hand and then her purse as they rushed out of the house and stood on the lawn.

  A moment later sirens blared down Main Street.

  The bright red fire truck pulled to the curb. Firemen hopped out and headed inside as the captain stopped to talk to Flynn before directing the team.

  Neighbors lined the street, craning their necks to see what was going on.

  Flynn folded her arms across her chest, feeling like everyone was wondering what she’d done wrong. It hadn’t helped that the captain was an old buddy of Granpa’s. Megan, bless her, satisfied the curiosity of the onlookers.

  It felt like a long time before any of the firemen came back out of the house, but when they did, they had their helmets pushed up and were talking easily. The captain met the guys at the stoop and then walked over to Flynn.

  “It’s safe to reenter. The smoke was coming from one of the fuses on the electrical panel. That old wiring could use some attention. We’ve cut the power to that section.”

  Her heart sank.

  Megan’s look brightened. “That’s great news, right? I mean that can be fixed way easier than a fire.”

  “Not really.” Flynn’s eyes glassed over. Even though she’d made a plan to get the B&B back up and open for business, this was going to delay that plan. “There’s no way I can afford new wiring and a furnace on top of all of the other problems around here if I’m not bringing in any money.” Flynn fought back tears. “Would you mind if I meet you back over at your house in a little while? I think I need a little time to get my head around this.”

  “Sure.” Megan hugged Flynn. “It’s going to work out. Don’t let it upset you.” She turned and started down the sidewalk. Her house was just a couple of blocks away. “Come on down whenever. I’ll be packing for a while.”

  “I won’t be long. Call me if you think of anything else you need me to bring.”

  Neighbors peeled back from the curb as the fire truck moved down the street.

  Inside, Flynn closed and locked the door. Not that anyone would come in, but she needed to be alone with her thoughts and with this place. But first, she needed to get the power back on safely.

  She pulled out the huge binder Granpa had put together over the years. Just about every trick in the book was in that huge honkin’ thing. She easily put her hands on the phone number for the electrician and dialed him.

  Small-town pluses were on her side. The electrician would be here in the morning, and he’d told her not to worry, that he’d have her back in business in no time, reminding her that he’d been working on the wiring on this house since he was her age.

  Flynn went into the living room and sprawled out on the couch. She loved this place, but this many things going wrong had to be a sign of some sort. And on the tail of that random offer from her old boss? Like the red flags she’d ignored with Brandon, was she simply turning her back on a clear message?

  If there was one thing she did believe in, it was listening to the universe when it was sending signals. And these had been real live smoke signals. They may not have burned the house down this time, but if she didn’t start paying attention, who knew what could happen next.

  I need to use that escape clause.

  She was in over her head.

  This was a sign that she needed to move in another direction. She picked up her phone and mustered the strength to call her grandparents. On the third ring her grandmother picked up the phone.

  “Gran? It’s Flynn.”

  “Hey, sweetheart. Your ears must’ve been burning.”

  That and the house.

  There was a muffled sound as her grandmother pressed her hand over the phone. “You won’t believe who it is, Rich.” Gran’s voice came back on the line, strong and bouncy. “It’s so good to hear from you.”

  “How are things going?” Flynn pasted a smile on her face. A trick she’d learned early in her career to sound happy on the phone. It usually worked with clients. She sure hoped Gran didn’t pick up on her real mood.

  “Never better. Your grandfather bought a fancy golf cart.”

  “Granpa golfs?”

  “No. Goodness gracious, no. He’s
not the athletic type at all, but we’ve found our dream place. You won’t believe it. They don’t allow cars! Just golf carts. Isn’t that absolutely charming?”

  Flynn’s throat tightened.

  “Wait until you see him riding around in it. He’s like one of those NASCAR drivers. I’ve been calling him Richard Petty. Get it?”

  “I get it,” Flynn said with a laugh she didn’t feel.

  “I told him if he doesn’t stop grinning like a wild man, he’s gonna get bugs in his teeth.”

  “She did say that!” Her grandfather’s voice rang in from the background. “I’m not afraid of a few bugs. Protein. That’s all those are.”

  “Don’t be gross, Rich.” A hearty chuckle came across the line. Flynn wasn’t sure she’d ever heard them this lively. “He’s a hot mess. You should see this place. It’s perfect. And we have you to thank. If you hadn’t taken over the B&B, we’d never have found this new phase of our lives. Now, honey, you called us, what’s up?”

  She sat down on the couch feeling like a complete failure. They’d been so generous to trust her with their hard-earned reputation at Crane Creek Bed and Breakfast. And the special family sale price of the inn was one heck of a deal. She’d dreamed of it too, but in her dreams she’d already had a husband to help, and children. How would she ever find a husband or find the time to have the family she’d always so desperately wanted if she was tied down to this place . . . in this little town?

  Selfish?

  Daddy was selfish. She’d promised herself she’d never be like that.

  “I . . . well . . .” It wouldn’t take long for them to hear about the fire. She couldn’t keep that a secret. “I wanted to let you know before you heard from your old neighbors that the fire truck was here a little while ago.”

  “Oh, goodness. Flynn? Is everything okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

  “No. I’m fine. Megan was here. I called the fire department immediately, but everything is fine. Turns out there’s some faulty wiring.”

  “The wiring? I told your grandfather we needed to fix that.”

  “You were right,” Flynn said.

  “That’s not good. That’ll cost a pretty penny to fix, but your grandfather and I had already put money aside for new wiring. We knew it needed to be done.”

  “I’m worried maybe I’m not cut out for this, Gran. So many things have gone wrong. I hate to let you down.”

  “Don’t be silly. It takes time to get into the groove, but you’re doing a great job. Our old clients have been raving about you and your fabulous cooking. Now, you get to work, and I’ll get your grandfather to call the electrician and get all of that taken care of for you.”

  “I’ve already called the electrician. He’ll be here in the morning.”

  “We will help pay for that. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to jeopardize your new plans.”

  “Of course I’m sure. Your grandfather is so tight he squeaks, but we’ve had the money set aside for years for that work. This one is on us.”

  “How will I thank you, Gran?” And how can I let them down?

  “Don’t be silly. Just be happy, sweetie.”

  Happy? Flynn hung up the phone feeling trapped. So trapped she could barely breathe. Keeping the Crane Creek Bed and Breakfast in the family was important. She loved the house and the people in this town, but she sure did miss having some free time, and the slim pickings of available men in this small town depressed her.

  If she sat here any longer, she’d probably just roll up into a ball like a roly-poly and cry herself to sleep. In the dark. With no electricity and a mountain of trouble.

  No. There’d be no pity parties tonight. She grabbed her coat and walked down the street to Megan’s. The old gas station that Megan’s dad had given her was still one of the coolest homes in this town. And now Megan was moving away. Another reason things looked less than bright right now.

  Flynn knocked on the door and walked inside. “Where are you?”

  “In the candle shop,” Megan called from the back.

  Flynn followed the long hall back to the space where Megan poured and stored her beeswax candles for her business, Balanced Buzz. Boxes with the cute little beeswax and bee logo were stacked near the rear garage door ready for shipment to customers. Others were marked for shipment to California.

  Megan wielded a tape gun with precision across a large cardboard box and then slapped a label on the top. “You okay?”

  “I’ve been better.” She walked over and started folding a flat into a box. “The electrician assures me he can get the power on tomorrow. We’ll see.”

  “That’s great news.” Megan scooted the box across the floor with her foot. “I just got off the phone with Angie. She can’t come tonight. Jackson just sprung on her that Ford’s coming into town, so she says she needs to clean her house.”

  “From the wedding? Alaska Ford?”

  “Yep. He took an artist-in-residence job around here somewhere. He’s stopping in to stay with them for a couple of days. I don’t know why she’s bothering to clean. I doubt some dude from Alaska is really going to notice a little dust and fingerprints.”

  “Be nice,” Flynn said. “He’s a good guy.”

  “Y’all seemed to hit it off last year. Maybe he is your Mr. Right.”

  “He lives in A-freaking-ice-cube-laska. Remember?”

  “Noah lived in California and we worked things out.”

  “That’s different.”

  “How so?”

  “Because you can do your job from anywhere. I can’t do my job from Alaska.”

  “Maybe he’ll move back here. Or you could run a B&B in Alaska.”

  “Stop. My focus is on me.” She grabbed a box flat and started taping it into shape. “I spoke with Gran before I came over. They’re so happy . . . My grandfather is even cruising around in a golf cart. Can you even picture that?”

  “Not in a million years.”

  “Exactly. They are like teenagers again. It’s kind of cute. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that I might have to go back to Charlotte to work just to pay for the place.”

  “You’re not going to do that.” Megan stepped over and hugged Flynn. “Don’t do something you can’t undo. Girl, I love you, but I’m not sure you know what you want.”

  “I do know what I want. I just don’t know how to make it all happen.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  “I like running the B&B, and it was making great money before I got sidetracked on all of the upgrades—”

  “And with Brandon.”

  “True. I should have just concentrated on making the repairs that were needed instead of going hog wild. I can make it work, but it’s a little isolating. I’d like some flexibility in my schedule. Otherwise, I don’t know how I’m ever going to meet someone. And I know you keep telling me to cool it, but eventually I’d like to be in a couple.”

  “I’ve told you before that you could block out dates that you’re not going to host guests.”

  Why didn’t I do that? Probably because I was afraid the last customer might be the last customer. I didn’t trust that there’d be a steady stream . . . and there always had been. “That sounds ridiculously easy, but I could do that. I just never have.”

  “Wasn’t it you that used to tell me how to manage my calendar to allow for the things I wanted to do?”

  Megan was right. Flynn had given her that speech a million times. “Do as I say, not as I do?” She had to admit that was a harder piece of advice to follow now that she was in business for herself too.

  “Use your own advice.” Megan loaded another box. “You know how I felt about love. I wasn’t looking for it. Didn’t even think I wanted it. I was perfectly happy doing my own thing. But Flynn, when I’m with Noah I feel more like myself. Like my best self. I don’t feel like I’m compromising or even having to try.”

  Flynn tucked candles into a box. “So what you�
��re saying to me is to quit trying so hard, and let things happen.”

  “Yeah. It seemed to work for me.” Megan squatted and scribbled a list of contents down the side of the box in a smelly Magic Marker. “I want this feeling for you so much.”

  Flynn’s eyes teared. It was the same advice Angie had given her. “Thank you, Megan.” She hoped the sound of the tape being strapped across the box hid the choke in her voice. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “Good, because I’m already missing you. If you’re not working a new job, then we can have fun whenever I’m in town. There’s time to figure all of this out.” Megan sat on the box. “I really think things are going to work out for you right here in Boot Creek.”

  Flynn started packing supplies, carefully tucking wads of newspaper between items to protect and keep them from shifting. “I can’t drag my feet too long. That top-dollar job won’t last long.”

  “Just give it one month,” Megan said. “That’s when I’ll be back in town for Mom’s birthday. If you want to throw in the towel then, I’ll even help you pack.”

  “But the date on the calendar is just a week away.”

  Megan cocked her head. “You know your grandparents would reschedule that for you.”

  “You’re right.” All she had to do was ask, and they hadn’t brought it up yet anyway. “I can do that.” She held out her hand and Megan shook it. “I’m going to focus on chipping away at this list and getting the electrical and furnace taken care of. If I can get the reservations opened back up by the end of December or early January, then I’ll be fine. If not, it’s time for a change.” She had no idea what that change would be, but something had to happen.

  Chapter Six

  Ford pulled his duffel bag from the overhead compartment. Flying from Alaska to North Carolina was a haul, and the only thing on his mind was getting somewhere that he could stretch out after being cramped all day long.