Coming Home (Vista Falls #4)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “You built this whole place all by yourself, didn’t you?” Juliette asked, admiring the cathedral ceilings finished with sealed pine boards.

  “I had a little help from my friends. Why?”

  “It just occurred to me you could save Erin a lot of money and aggravation if you agreed to help her make the place liveable, you know, until she’s able to cash out the other property she owns.”

  “Oh no,” he said, shaking his head. “This place was a labor of love ‘cause I knew I’d be livin’ in it for the rest of my days, but I’m not interested in taking on anyone else’s project. I’ve got enough goin’ on here to keep me busy for this lifetime and the next, thank you very much.”

  “So you’d leave some poor woman living alone in squalor without a soul in the world to help her just because you’re too busy?” Juliette narrowed her eyes at him. Levi was one of the best men she knew. Despite his love of solitude, he’d never turn down a friend in need, which explained why everyone in town loved and respected him. “Your mama and sister would be so ashamed.”

  “How dare you play that card?” He laughed, pointing at her. “How ‘bout if I tried to guilt you into doing something just ‘cause it would break your daddy’s heart if you didn’t?”

  She winced. “Okay, point taken. Let’s keep family out of this. But if I could ask the favor as a friend—”

  “Why does this mean so much to you?” he asked, shaking his head. “I don’t get it. I know you feel responsible for this town and every last one of its residents, but this girl is new here. You barely know her.”

  “Maybe I’m imagining how I’d feel in her position,” Juliette said as a slight shudder moved through her. She’d never been all that close with her parents, but she was grateful she still had them in her life. “She has no one, Levi.” She laid her hand over his. “Think about that.” He sighed heavily, and Juliette knew she was wearing him down. “And I think she’s incredibly brave, taking on a challenge like this with no safety net, no one to back her up.”

  “Is she brave or stupid and naïve? I think the jury is still out on that one.”

  Juliette slapped his arm. “Come on, don’t be so stubborn. Why are you so reluctant to help her? I know you. You’re always the first one to help a friend or neighbor in need, so why not her?”

  “I just don’t want her to get the wrong idea and mistake my being neighborly for something else.” He looked around. “I like my life the way it is. The last thing I need is some woman hanging around trying to—”

  Juliette laughed, slapping her palm on the table. “Oh my God! You’re worried she’s going to fall for you? Move right in here and upset your orderly little world?”

  “I’m just saying this might look like a sweet setup to someone in her situation. I can see it now. She complains she doesn’t have running water or heat and asks to crash on my couch one night. One night leads to a week, and before I know it, I have a roommate I never wanted.”

  “But I know you.” She smiled. “You’re a good guy, Levi. You wouldn’t let someone struggle, even a stranger, if you could help them out.”

  “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you thought, huh?”

  She sighed as she stood, her chair legs scraping against the wood floor. She couldn’t force him to do anything he didn’t want to do. “It’s okay. I’ll drive out here to check on her myself, and maybe when I tell Rush and Wes and Colt about her situation, they’ll be willing to lend a hand.”

  He grabbed her arm before she could make it to the door. Ivy looked up, mildly interested before settling back in on her cushy dog bed and closing her eyes.

  “Fine, I’ll do it. Are you happy now?”

  Juliette threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek as his arms closed around her, squeezing. “I knew I could count on you! You’re the best. Have I told you that lately?”

  His mouth tipped up at the corner as he looked down at her. “Save your flattery for someone else. You already got your way.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Juliette was still feeling a little guilty about railroading Levi when she talked to Zeke on the phone that night. After she’d relayed the whole story to him, he was silent, making her nervous.

  “Do you think I did the right thing?” She took a sip of her wine. “Or was I wrong to pressure him? Should I have stayed out of it? Do you think Erin will be mad that I asked him to help her? Maybe she’s the independent type who wants to do it all on her own. Mmm. Maybe she’ll be insulted that I thought she needed a man to—”

  Zeke laughed, cutting her off. “You’re cute when you babble.”

  “I’m not babbling!” She frowned at the phone. She was totally babbling. “I’m just so used to taking care of things, you know? When I see a problem, I look for a solution. I thought Levi would be the perfect solution for Erin, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe this is some soul-searching growth experience for her.” She shrugged even though he couldn’t see her. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

  “I think it’s sweet of you to care. But if you really want to help, be her friend. It sounds like she could use all the friends she can get right now.”

  “You’re right,” she said, resolving to do everything she could to help Erin. “Maybe I’ll go out there around lunchtime tomorrow, take her a sandwich, and tell her what I did. Unless Levi’s already paid her a visit.” She cringed. “I hope he didn’t go over there acting all surly, like she was inconveniencing him—”

  “Babe, can we talk about us for a minute?”

  She realized she’d distracted herself with Erin’s problems so she wouldn’t have to think about her own. “Sure.” She finished her first glass of wine. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “My proposal, for starters. Have you thought any more about it?”

  “To be honest, I thought it might have been an impulsive suggestion. I half expected you to tell me tonight that we needed more time to get to know each other before we could even think about making that kind of commitment.”

  “I wasn’t going to say that,” he said quietly. “More time to think about it just reinforces my feelings. I want to marry you. The question is, how do you feel?”

  She’d hoped to have more time before he pressed her about this again. “I love you.”

  “And?”

  “I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  “Go on,” he said, sounding mildly amused.

  “I want to be your wife…”

  “I hear a ‘but’ in there.”

  He’d have had to be deaf not to hear it. “The thing is I’m still going to feel the same way six months or a year from now. So why rush into it?” Before he could respond, she added, “Normally I don’t mind rushing in, but Zeke, this is marriage we’re talking about. Not a trip or a job or—”

  “Yeah, but why wait? If you know, without a doubt, you’re still going to feel that way a year from now, why not start our life together now?”

  He had a point, but she thought she did too. “It’s just that marriage is a huge step.” She felt like they were going round and round in circles, and it was frustrating, but she didn’t want him to step off their merry-go-round simply because her indecision was making him dizzy. “And I only want to get married once.”

  “So do I,” he said, sounding indignant. “You think this is… what? Some kind of experiment to me? If it doesn’t work out, no harm, no foul? We just get a divorce?”

  She hadn’t meant to offend him, but she clearly had. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I just… can we talk about it when I get out there?” He couldn’t hang up on her and resolve never to speak to her again if they were face-to-face.

  “I guess so,” he said, sounding grumpy. “But you do realize that if we intend to do this, if I’m going to be returning to Vista Falls with you as your husband, we need to make some plans. Soon.”

  She smiled. “Say that again.”

  “What?”

  “My husband.”
<
br />   “I do, you know,” he said, sounding gruff. “Want to be your husband.”

  She sighed contentedly. “God, I love the sound of that.” Stretching her left hand out in front of her, she wiggled her bare fingers. It was hard to imagine, but in a few short weeks, she could be wearing Zeke’s ring.

  She wanted that. Didn’t she?

  ***

  Juliette knew she should have called Erin before stopping by, but she didn’t want to get shot down. Parking at the end of the gravel drive, she looked at the dilapidated, single-story clapboard structure and tried to imagine it the way Erin must see it. She pictured a neatly tended patch of lush green grass instead of overgrown brush, brightly colored flowers spilling out of the flowerbeds instead of weeds, shiny new windows instead of boards to keep intruders out. She shuddered, hoping Erin wasn’t regretting her decision to move all the way out here and take on a project of this magnitude by herself.

  Erin came out of the detached garage, which was in no better shape than the house. She waved and smiled when she spotted Juliette, walking toward the car. She looked even younger and more innocent than she had the day before. Her ponytail was off-center with a few loose wisps falling out. Her cute bibbed overalls, concealing a black tank, looked well worn, as though she was no stranger to hard work, much like the paint-splattered black Keds peeking out from beneath her rolled pant legs.

  “Hey,” Erin said, wiping her hands on a rag. “This is a nice surprise. What brings you all the way out here?”

  Judging by her friendly demeanor, Levi had yet to pay her a visit. “I thought you could use a lunch break.” Juliette held up the brown paper bag from her favorite deli. “I took a chance on ham and cheese. I hope that’s okay.”

  She laughed. “It beats peanut butter, which is what I planned to have. Thanks.”

  Juliette bit her lip as she looked around the overgrown yard bordering Erin’s acreage. She suspected the house was in even worse shape than the yard and didn’t want to embarrass her new acquaintance by inviting herself inside. “Should we eat out here?”

  “No, we can go in the kitchen,” Erin said, leading the way. “I was just painting some old furniture out in the garage. My mom and I were really into salvaging old treasures and finding creative ways to make it all look new again.” She laughed self-consciously. “I’m kind of obsessed with chalk paint. I’ll paint anything in sight.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Juliette said, wishing she had more time for all the home improvement projects demanding attention in her own little house.

  “It is.”

  Juliette was surprised when she walked inside. The entry and kitchen didn’t look at all like she’d expected. She’d expected dark and dingy. Instead she got bright white and spotlessly clean.

  “My first order of business was to give the floors a good cleaning,” Erin said, pointing at the old pine floorboards. “It’s amazing how well they came out with a little elbow grease.”

  “They look great,” Juliette said, noting the soft sheen. “They’re original?”

  “They seem to be.” Erin led her to a small red-painted table tucked in the corner under one of the few functional windows. Each of the four stick-back wood dining chairs was also painted red. “I just finished these. Table and chairs were my first painting project aside from giving the walls, cabinets, ceiling, and trim in this room a coat of paint.”

  “It looks amazing,” Juliette said, admiring how fresh and clean everything looked. “I have to say I’m impressed. I didn’t realize you were so far along.”

  “Don’t be too impressed,” Erin warned as she walked to the cupboard. “I’m still eating off paper plates. I hope that’s okay?”

  “We don’t even need plates,” Juliette said, withdrawing two foil-wrapped sandwiches from the bag.

  “Okay, I’ll just grab us a couple of waters then.”

  The fridge and stove were both red, probably bought back when colored appliances were on trend, Juliette thought.

  “My mother loved these appliances when we came to look at the house.” She held the fridge door open a little wider. “And they’re in surprisingly good condition. I don’t think the previous owner cooked very much.”

  From what Juliette remembered of old Pete, he’d preferred meals of the liquid variety. “It’s great that you were able to salvage them.” She looked around, imagining more pops of color in the form of canisters and kitchen towels. “And I love where you’re going with this room. It already feels so bright and cheery.”

  “Thanks.” Erin smiled as she sat down across from Juliette, placing two bottled waters between them. “I don’t normally drink bottled water,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I hate to think about all that plastic going into the landfills, but until I get a water filtration system set up out here, it’s my only option.”

  Juliette had to admit she was impressed. Erin seemed to have a plan and acted confident about her execution.

  “I’d be embarrassed to show you the rest of the house,” Erin said, rolling her eyes. “It’s a disaster. But I told myself I’d tackle the projects I could to make it liveable for the meantime. Hopefully by the time I finish with all of that, the other house will be sold and I can tackle bigger projects, like the electrical, plumbing, roof, and new exterior siding.”

  Juliette admired her for taking on such a big project all by herself, without a safety net. “It must be hard, juggling your business and all of these home improvement projects.” She took a bite of her sandwich as she reached into the bag for the stack of paper napkins the deli had provided.

  “I really don’t mind,” she said, looking at her food. “It keeps my mind off… other things.”

  “Like losing your mother?” Juliette asked gently. She didn’t want to pry, but if Erin needed someone to talk to, she wanted to be there for her.

  “Yeah.” She sighed. “It’s not like I’m a kid. I’m a grown woman. I can take care of myself. Still, there’s no pain quite like losing a parent, no matter how old you are.”

  “I can imagine.”

  Juliette felt a slight pang of guilt as she thought about her strained relationship with her parents. She’d even kept her distance from her mother lately simply because of her father’s stance on her relationship with Zeke. That wasn’t fair. She vowed to pay her a visit later since she knew it was her father’s poker night.

  “Um, I hope you won’t be upset with me,” Juliette said cautiously. “But I mentioned to you yesterday that I’d ask Levi to keep an eye out for you? Well, I kind of took it a step further.”

  “What do you mean?” Erin asked, setting her sandwich back in its wrapper.

  “I asked him if he wouldn’t mind giving you a hand around here.” She raised her hand before Erin could protest. “I know your goal is to be self-sufficient out here, and you seem to have a really good handle on all the aesthetic stuff that needs to be done, but I thought you could use a bit of help with some of the bigger things.”

  “Juliette,” she said gently, “I really appreciate your concern, but I don’t want to be anyone’s charity case. I’m sure your friend has more important things to do than help me.”

  “He’s really very handy. He practically built his whole house from the ground up, and it’s beautiful.”

  “I’m sure it is,” Erin said with a tight smile. “But that was his project, and this is mine.”

  “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” Juliette pushed her food aside. “I’m so sorry. I hope you don’t think I overstepped. I was just trying to look out for you.”

  “Okay, here’s the deal.” Erin swallowed as she curled her small hands into fists on the tabletop. “I was married before. My husband was an overbearing jerk who wanted to control every aspect of my life. The marriage only lasted a year, but that was long enough to make a lasting impact, believe me.”

  “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  “My mother raised me to be a strong, independent, self-sufficient woman, but after a couple of years w
ith him, it was like I was a completely different person. Someone I didn’t even know or like anymore.”

  “I understand how that could happen.” Juliette had a few friends over the years who’d morphed into different people as soon as they’d gotten that ring on their finger. She hoped that would never happen to her. She chose to believe Zeke would make her stronger, not weaker.

  “Anyways, my mama welcomed me back home after the divorce. I planned to get an apartment on my own, but then we got the idea for opening the business, and it just made more sense for me to be there with her while we were getting the business off the ground.”

  Juliette listened as she ate her sandwich. “Sounds like it worked out for the best.”

  “It did.” Erin smiled. “We moved back to Charleston, but then Mama found out she was sick. The next few years were work, doctor’s appointments, and little else. At least I didn’t have time to dwell on anything.” She looked around the kitchen. “I feel like this project has saved me in a lot of ways. No time to think, ya know? It got me out of the house I shared with her and gave me something else to focus on.”

  “I guess it’s true what they say,” Juliette said with a soft smile. “Everything happens for a reason. Maybe your mama bought this place because she knew you might need it someday.”

  “It really does represent everything we loved.” She plucked a piece of crusty bread off her sandwich and popped it in her mouth. “Being close to nature, rescuing old things, working out in the fresh air without a neighbor in sight. That was her dream. Our dream.”

  Juliette covered Erin’s hand with her own. “I’m really glad you’re making it come true, honey. For yourself and for her too.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  That evening, Juliette was still thinking about all Erin had endured. Her father sounded a lot like the man Erin had been married to—domineering and controlling. Those thoughts prompted her to follow through on her plan to visit her parents’ house when she knew her father wouldn’t be there. Instead of walking right in as she normally would have, she rang the doorbell and waited.