Coming Home To You (Man From Yesterday 1)

by Barbara Lohr

  “What is it?” He dropped another handful into the bucket that was filling up fast.

  “Nothing.” How could she explain that what she’d done in June made no sense to her in August? She hadn’t trusted him to do the right thing.

  Setting his pail down, Cole took her in his arms and buried his nose in her hair. His kiss tasted warm and sweet as the berries. If only she could redo this summer. Go back and revise the parts where she’d messed up.

  “I love you, Kate Kennedy. You know that, don’t you?”

  She pushed back, dizzy with happiness. “You do? Really?”

  He nodded and came in for another kiss. She didn’t mind the sweat. Didn’t mind the dirt. Still, Kate’s conscience pricked at her bubble of contentment.

  “I love you too, Cole, but…”

  “But? Really, there’s a but?” He stumbled back.

  “You won’t love me when you hear this.” Her heart squeezed so tight it hurt.

  Hands on his hips, Cole waited.

  The sun beat down and Kate squirmed in the heat.

  “Those yellow flyers? I wrote them and stuffed them in every mailbox in town.” Her words came double time. “I-I thought I was doing the right thing.”

  Cole dropped his head, alarming at first. Then his shoulders shook.

  She leaned closer. Saw his lips twitch. “Are you laughing at me?”

  Cole ran a hand across his face. “Aw, babe. I’m sorry. Did you think I didn’t know that? Who else would go off half-cocked and run off flyers when the lights hadn’t even cooled in that meeting hall?”

  “And you didn’t mention it? You let me suffer?”

  “‘Suffer’? Is that what you call it. Girl, I’m suffering now.” By that time, Cole had her firmly in his arms. A mother and her daughter peeked around the bushes. Kate and Cole were making such a fuss.

  “What are they doing, Mom?” a little girl asked.

  “I do believe they are having an argument. Let’s go to the next row, Marcia.”

  Kate’s world had wobbled out of focus. Maybe she was getting heat stroke.

  He loves me. Even though I’ve been an idiot.

  Cole gave her a little shake. “Say it!”

  “What? Oh.” She settled into his warmth. “I love you. Have loved you since that La Porte victory, you terrible boy. Making me crazy and then taking another girl to prom.” Laughing, Kate hurled the words onto the heavy August air, making sure the woman who’d started picking in their row heard. She looked up and frowned at Cole.

  “That’s it.” He grabbed both buckets in one hand and towed Kate toward the checkout. “We’re going home to tell your mother.”

  “Tell her what?”

  “Why, we’re getting married of course.”

  “We are?”

  “Damn straight. Give you thirty seconds to think about it.”

  When they reached checkout, he jammed the pails at the woman at the register, who weighed them and poured them into a cardboard flat. Dazed, Kate followed behind, watching Cole set the flat of berries in the back of the truck. Hit her then that every day of her life, she wanted this man coming through her front door.

  “You don’t want to wait?” she finally squeaked out.

  “For what?” Cole opened the truck door. “Kate, I’ve been waiting for you a long time. Maybe forever. The waiting stops now.”

  He was right. Kate kissed him before she climbed into the truck.

  Her mother looked startled when they burst through the door twenty minutes later.

  “What? No berries?” She checked their empty hands.

  “In the pickup,” Cole told her. “We’ve got news, Alice. Wanted you to be the first to know and I probably should ask permission.”

  Natalie poked her head under Alice’s arm. “News?”

  Cole squatted until he was eye level with his daughter. He was so good with Natalie and Kate knew he’d be just this patient with their children too. “What would you say if Kate and I got married?”

  “My wish came true? I just knew it!” Natalie threw herself into her dad’s arms and Prissy began to bark.

  “Mine too.” Her mom lifted one corner of her apron to her eyes. “You’ve both made me so happy.”

  “Aw, Mom.” Kate gave her a good hug.

  With a sniffle, her mother hugged her back before turning to Cole. “Now show me those berries.”

  Later when Natalie and her mother were working in the kitchen on the pies, Kate and Cole rocked gently on the porch swing. The day before, she’d been painting Natalie’s nails. Now she shook the nail polish and began to paint her toes. The look of concentration on Cole’s face made her nervous.

  “Let me, okay?” He held out one hand.

  “Really?”

  “Sure. This might be a skill I need to master.” Looking so pleased with himself and hotter than heck, he stroked her toenails with the bright pink polish. And she had this to look forward to for the rest of her life?

  After he’d finished and the polish had dried, she dashed upstairs. “Turn about is fair play,” she said, returning with a scissors.

  “Whoa, what have I gotten myself into?”

  “I think you could use a trim.” Lately Cole’s hair had gotten shaggy.

  “You and Natalie. She’s been trying to send me to the barbershop but I’m so busy,”

  Draping a towel over his shoulders, Kate began to snip.

  “Thought you liked my hair long.” He was definitely uneasy and she stopped.

  Was she overstepping her bonds? “I’ll leave it long if that’s what you want. Guess I wanted my high school buddy back.”

  “You sure you’re ready for a change? Things can’t be the way they were, Katydid.” He grabbed her wrist. “That isn’t possible. You can’t repeat the past.”

  “I know that. Humor me?” Blushing, she laid the scissors on the table. “Maybe I’ll always want things the way they were. Got to work on that.”

  He leaned closer to whisper against her lips. “We’ll work on it together. Now grab those scissors and finish what you started.”

  Epilogue

  The guitarist played Pachelbel’s Canon and this all seemed so right while Kate waited her turn. In front of her, Natalie showered hollyhock petals in a wide arc as she walked toward Cole. Trotting alongside, Prissy nipped at the falling flowers, a pink boa around her neck. Chili, Sarah, and Mercedes stood grinning on one side of the minister in their hot pink gowns. On the other side, Ignacio, Ryan, and Jason lined up behind Cole. Finally it was Kate’s turn and she had only one goal, one person whose eyes coaxed her forward. Her groom’s smile stretched wide as the beach. The casual ceremony felt perfect. A September lake whispered approval.

  The sun had started its descent, orange rays streaking the skyline and silence fell over the group clustered around them. This was their moment, the moment Kate had been moving toward ever since she saw Cole Campbell in the hall on her first day of high school. Clutching a bouquet of bright pink calla lilies, she squished her bare toes into the sand to stay steady. The white crepe tiers of her short gown from Second Hand Rose fluttered in the breeze.

  She blinked back tears of joy. Had Cole ever been more handsome? Wearing a black tuxedo jacket with jeans and a bolo tie, he was everything she’d ever wanted. And she’d come home to him here in Gull Harbor. Felt like the whole town had come to watch them “tie the knot,” as Cole teasingly told her. Phoebe and Carolyn stood high on a dune with Diana, their faces suffused with color from the setting sun…or was that hope radiating from their smiles? After all, if Kate could reclaim her high school dream, maybe they all could.

  Settled in their white wicker chairs adorned with bows, her mother and Marie whispered with excitement. So much had happened that Kate’s head spun. Mercedes had come home, possibly to stay. With the town’s blessing, Cole was repurposing the former Michiana Thyme building into a new town hall, and Samantha was threatening to visit.

  All would be well. Life moved on, that much Kat
e had learned, but one thing was certain. She’d found the man to stand by her and share whatever came their way.

  “Thought you were never going to get here,” Cole whispered, kissing her cheek and threading her arm through his.

  “Oh, Cole, I’m so glad I came back home. Back to you.” Smiling into his blue eyes, Kate felt a warm flood of shared memories. Together, they’d make more.

  They both turned to the minister and the future that lay ahead.

  THE END

  If you enjoyed Coming Home to You, I’d sure appreciate it if you would post a short review where you purchased this book. Reviews are so important to a writer. Other readers take them into consideration when shopping for a good book. Many thanks for taking the time! If you like my work, sign up for my newsletter by visiting my website, www.BarbaraLohrAuthor.com.

  Always on His Mind

  Kate’s sister Mercedes can get you riled up with her uppity Manhattan ways. Fate levels the playing field when she retreats to Gull Harbor, bankrupt and broken. Can Finn Wheeler heal her heart? Readers call this book “fun, enjoyable, rich read with wonderful realistic characters.” Chapter 1 below.

  Mercedes missed Manhattan. Missed the fast pace and crazy excitement like she missed the Prada sunglasses she’d left on the subway. Sometimes she still felt those phantom glasses pushed up on her forehead. Now home in Gull Harbor, the pulse of New York City echoed inside her. Pulling into a parking spot along Whittaker Street, she strained to hear blaring car horns, smell a pork taco or rub dirt particles from her eyes after a bus wheezed past.

  How pathetic. She even missed the annoying parts.

  When she stepped out into the searing August sunshine, a Lake Michigan breeze ruffled her hair with the rich beachy smell. This street held a lot of memories. If she closed her eyes, she’d be homecoming queen again, waving to the cheering crowd from the white Olds convertible. Today her ears rang with the silence. Mercedes Kennedy had fallen in the crack between the past and the future.

  No career. No luxurious condo. Nothing.

  Well, except for Stephan but he was still in New York.

  Smoothing back her rebellious blonde bob, Mercedes studied Michiana Thyme. The former gift shop now housed the town’s PR department, with her sister Kate in charge. In the back of the green frame building sat an attached restaurant. A smile teased Mercedes’ lips when she remembered camping out in that cafe with her girlfriends on lazy Saturday afternoons. They’d sip root beer floats, giggle and trade lipsticks until Loretta, the owner, shooed them out. After all, they were townies taking up valuable tourist space.

  It felt strange to see the empty windows without mannequins or sale signs. A curious choice for the public relations office. But Kate’s fiancé, Cole Campbell, was handling the renovation and repurposing of the shop.

  The day was heating up, and Mercedes unbuttoned her black Donna Karan jacket. Even though this was just her sister, she’d dressed for a business call. Head down, she hitched up her Hermes shoulder bag and headed to The Full Cup across the street. In Manhattan, no one arrived for a cold call empty-handed. Kate’s friend Sarah now ran her parents’ coffee shop and bakery. She’d know what Kate liked.

  The bell over the door jingled when Mercedes opened it and she tensed. Being unemployed had made her short-tempered, even though she’d been getting a disgusting amount of sleep since arriving in Gull Harbor last week. The past year had chewed her up and spit her out, not that she’d admit it. Mercedes smiled as a young family with two little kids brushed past. Their summer shorts and tank tops made her Donna Karan separates feel out of place. The mother couldn’t have been much older than Mercedes, and they exchanged a smile.

  “Mercedes Kennedy, as I live and breathe.” Face flushed, Sarah smiled at her from behind the glass counter. “Kate told me you were coming home. Staying long?”

  “For a while. Nothing definite.” Mercedes basked in the unconditional approval Sarah always sprinkled with a giant sifter.

  “Aw, that’s so nice. Probably help with the wedding, right? Wasn’t that great news about Kate and Cole? Your mom must be so thrilled.”

  “Ecstatic is more like it. About the only thing I can remember is that Cole and my little sister were in the debate club together, right? It’s been ten years.” The details were fuzzy in Mercedes’ mind.

  “Made for each other.” Sarah’s face got all dreamy. “A perfect couple.”

  “I’m glad Kate’s happy. Mom is too.” Her voice softened. The Kennedy family had been short on happiness in recent years. And her own business failure? She hadn’t really gone into any detail with her mom and sister.

  The smell of sugar hung in the air like the Goodyear blimp. Mercedes could almost feel her thighs swell. But her sister loved this stuff. She motioned toward the display. “Do you know what Kate likes?”

  “Cheese crowns,” Sarah said without any hesitation.

  “Great. Could you give me a half dozen or so?” Did Kate have a staff in her office? Mercedes had never asked.

  “Coming right up.” Reaching behind her, Sarah swept up a waxed tissue. “So you’re headed across the street to visit your sister?”

  “Right, want to see what’s happening in that PR department.”

  “She must be so happy to have you home.” Sarah carefully chose six enormous pastries. The overhead lighting bounced off the thick glaze.

  “Truth is, Kate’s so busy. She hardly knows I’m here.”

  “Her big sister? Kate always adored you.” Sarah struggled with the flaps of the bulging box. “Gull Harbor really needed a marketer. Why, summer’s almost over and then comes a sharp drop in business. Can you believe it?”

  “No.” Fall was advancing on Mercedes like a client deadline.

  Only she didn’t have clients. Not anymore.

  “How’s your mom doing?” Finished, Sarah nudged the box across the counter.

  “Still recovering from the stroke but she seems happy.” The shiny box felt smooth and cool in her hands, uncomplicated like Gull Harbor. Her sister Kate had come home to recoup following that messy divorce. Maybe Mercedes was doing the same thing after her embarrassing bankruptcy.

  “Well the way things worked out, your mom needed her anyway. The stroke and everything.”

  “Right. Kate carried the ball when I couldn’t get back here last spring.”

  While Sarah rang up the sale, Mercedes studied the pictures of men in uniform taped on the register. A handsome guy in a Marine uniform was in several shots. “That your husband?”

  Sarah glowed. “Yeah, that’s Jamie. Remember him from high school?”

  She squinted at the picture. “Not really.”

  “Jamie was in our class but didn’t play varsity football until his junior year. You’d graduated by that time.”

  “Right.” This trip home had become a Scrabble game in another language. For now, that felt fine. Mercedes wanted to keep to herself. No sense in having the whole town know their success story had failed.

  Failure. The thought turned her tongue tinny and she swallowed. Dropping her head, she checked her Rolex. What if Kate left for an early lunch? “Guess I should be off. Nice seeing you, Sarah.” In high school Sarah had been one of the girls who sprawled on their screen porch with Kate. Giggles would drift up to Mercedes’ window while she got ready for a date.

  “Say, maybe you’d want to join our book club?”

  “Don’t know how long I’ll be here.” Mercedes edged toward the door.

  “You’re always welcome. Kate has the schedule.”

  “Thanks, Sarah. I might have my hands full for a while.”

  “Sure...the wedding and everything.” Sarah squeezed her shoulders together. “Busy, busy.”

  “See you later. I’ll think about the book club.”

  Outside, the morning sun blinded her. No cars, so she could jaywalk without being mowed down by a crazed cabbie. She didn’t see the strip of tar in the street until her shoe was sucked into stubborn softness. Mercedes w
as stuck.

  “Oh, my Louboutins!” Six hundred dollars down the drain. And that wasn’t the only problem. One wrong step and she could break her ankle. Cissy Grantham ended up on crutches after snagging her heel in a grate on Fifth Avenue. Mercedes couldn’t afford to be laid up.

  That did it. She lurched out of the shoe.

  The road blistered the bottom of her foot while she struggled to keep her balance. When she threw her hands out, the box sailed through the air. The tearing sound of her kick pleat was the last straw.

  She would not cry. She just would not.

  Behind her, the doors of Rosie’s Breakfast Club burst open. Guys laughed, promising to “hit the links together.” To top it off, dogs yipped with excitement. She had to get out of here. If she could just reach that shoe.

  No luck. She couldn’t snag the shoe and her kick pleat tore higher. A breeze tickled the backs of her legs. Damn. She was blinking back frustrated tears when muscled arms closed around her and she fell onto a chest smelling of bacon and hash browns. Two small brown and white dogs barked at her heels. A wet tongue licked her leg.

  “Looks like you need some help, pretty lady.”

  She was unceremoniously swept up. The smiling grey eyes reminded Mercedes of her favorite winter jacket. “Th-Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it. Shouldn’t jaywalk, you know.”

  The dogs wouldn’t quit.

  “Quiet, Elvis. Wiggy, no.” He gave them a stern look.

  “Elvis?”

  When he shrugged, she felt the ripple of a muscled chest. Blessed silence fell. “The crews don’t tar near the crossing so you’re safe there. Always cross at the light.” He sounded like a boy scout but looked like Super Man.

  “Why didn’t they just resurface the whole street?” She spread her fingers flat on his muscled chest.

  “No budget for it.” That smile could sell toothpaste. “Mercedes? Finn Wheeler. Remember me?”

  Heat shot up her cheeks. This was a man she should remember.