Wildfire and Roses

by Hope Malory

  As soon as she entered, she stopped short. Dalton Grissom, her dream Navy SEAL, was inside. Crap. Of all the people to run into when I’m a sweaty mess. Before she turned to leave, he spoke to her.

  “Hi. I didn’t know you were in town today,” was all she could think of to say.

  “This is my day off. Been running, huh?”

  “How did you guess?”

  Dalton scanned her figure-hugging jacket and pants. “How about I buy you breakfast and we can sit and catch up?”

  Breathless, she said, “Just coffee for me.” A blue tablecloth with yellow butterflies covered the table for two. Mia’s face registered surprise before she ambled over to them and winked at Beasley. “What can I get you two?”

  Dalton answered. “Two coffees.”

  “Coming right up.” When Mia stepped out of Dalton’s sight line, she grinned at her and thrust her thumb upward.

  Was she a twelve-year-old with a preteen crush? No. I’m an adult and a successful businesswoman. I have known him forever, and he’s engaged. Why am I so nervous?

  They chatted about Casey, about his job, and about her work. After they drained their cups, Dalton said, “Would you like to go to dinner sometime?”

  Startled, she sputtered, “I, uh, what about your fiancée?”

  “We broke up two weeks ago.”

  “Oh, well, sure, that would be nice.”

  “Saturday night?”

  “Sure.”

  “How about I pick you up at seven?”

  “Sure.”

  He paid the bill, and as they left, Dalton said, “I’ll call you.”

  “Sure.”

  When he turned and headed in the other direction, she did a fist pump and screamed “Yes!” in her mind. As she replayed the conversation, she cringed. All I could say was “sure” four times. He must think I’m an imbecile. The rest of the way home, she visualized their dinner. The black dress she had bought in Truckee was the most elegant piece of clothing she owned, so she would wear it on their date.

  Brenner was in the kitchen when she arrived at the house. “Morning. I didn’t think you would be up yet,” Beasley said.

  “I’m getting ready to scramble eggs and make toast. Want some?”

  “Yes. I had coffee in town, but I didn’t eat anything. Guess who I stumbled upon in the Yellow Butterfly?”

  “Zac Efron?”

  She grinned. “Close. Our resident Navy SEAL, Dalton Grissom. Get this, he asked me to go to dinner with him Saturday night.”

  Brenner cocked her head, and her eyebrows drew together. “Isn’t he engaged?”

  “Past tense. They broke up.”

  “Well, now you’ve landed a date with your dreamy Navy SEAL at last. Super.”

  “For some reason, I reverted to age thirteen and blubbered through our conversation, but I’m still going out with him. Can you believe it?”

  “Yes, and I’ll help you with your hair so you’ll dazzle him.”

  “Thanks. You could always tame this mop of hair better than I could.”

  “I’ll bill you later. Now, come down off your cloud and get two plates out of the cabinet.”

  Between the lunch and dinner rush, Mia called Beasley. Now manager of the Yellow Butterfly, she had taken over the management from her mother, the owner who reduced her hours at the café and pursued her interest in art. Mrs. Loughry was “Coach” to Beasley and the other former players. Beasley and Mia were friends since they played girls’ softball for Coach. Mia, Brenner, and Beasley now played on the same ladies’ team.

  “Hey, girlfriend.” Mia’s southern accent was more pronounced than usual, drawing out the “hey” into two syllables.

  “I expected a call from you today.”

  “Go figure. So? What happened?”

  “Dalton asked me out. Before you ask, he and his fiancée broke up.”

  “Yes, I heard. Since gossip is the prime pastime in our town, I hear it all, but I don’t believe everything people tell me. What are you doing on your date?”

  “Going to dinner on Saturday night. Mia, I was so nervous and excited, I couldn’t talk to him.”

  “You? No way. If you don’t call me on Sunday morning to tell me every detail, I’ll be on your doorstep. I live vicariously through my friends’ love lives. Chuck and I broke up four years ago, and I haven’t dated since.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Take your pick—my snarky mouth, lack of time, gaining thirty pounds after taking over the restaurant, no prospects, few eligible men, and those that are have significant baggage.”

  As Beasley understood all too well, running one’s own place meant long work hours and little time for anything else. “Don’t underestimate yourself. A guy would be lucky to have you. And Brenner would tell you as she tells me, ‘There is more to life than work.’ The ‘few eligible men’ is your best excuse. That worked for me.”

  Mia chuckled. “Mom’s giving me the evil eye. Have to skedaddle.”

  “How well I remember that look.”

  A tiger on the ball field, Coach was the most caring and compassionate person she knew. She had helped her and Brenner through those first months after their parents died. To help repay her kindness and for her own enjoyment, Beasley planted butterfly bushes in front of the Yellow Butterfly. In the summer and fall, butterflies swarmed the area, drawing admiring gazes and positive comments from customers. Since she passed the café on her way to and from Beasley’s Gardens, she often stopped to water and fertilize them.

  “I promise to call you Sunday. Happy Thanksgiving. Bye, Mia.”

  Chapter 16

  On Thanksgiving morning, Beasley rose early to help Brenner prepare for the holiday meal. Bradley and his family arrived first at around midmorning. Tyler and Emmie bolted straight into Beasley’s waiting arms for hugs and kisses.

  Brenner frowned and said, “Hey. What about me?” They ran to her and showered her with affection too. Benjamin, the heartthrob of the Nashville Sounds baseball team, arrived within minutes. Tony rolled in a half hour later. Blake ambled in soon after to find their eldest brother interrogating Tony.

  “Hey, man, I’ve already grilled him. This guy is a UT football fan and an Atlanta Braves enthusiast.”

  Bradley clapped Tony on the back. “Well now, he can’t be all bad.”

  Benjamin joined the conversation. “If you hang around this family, you have to be a Braves fanatic and appreciate baseball in general. Why don’t you bring Brenner to Nashville to one of my games next season?”

  “That would be fun. What do you do in the off season?”

  Bradley jumped in before Benjamin could answer. “Do you mean besides romancing the ladies?”

  “What’s wrong with that? Actually, I work as a roadie with a local band in Music City. We set up the stage, keep an eye on the instruments, and pack everything up after the concert. My job is to help with sound production and sometimes lighting. Pays the bills.”

  “Yeah, I’m familiar with roadies since I play in a band,” Tony said.

  “What instrument?”

  “Percussion. Congas mostly. Latin jazz is my favorite, although we cross genres.”

  “Cool. I grew up listening to Poncho Sánchez. Call me if you perform in the Nashville area, and I’ll come if I can.”

  An exchange of banter proceeded through the meal and into the afternoon. Beasley was pleased to have the house full of noise and laughter again. The males ruled the remote as usual. Football games dominated the airways for hours. Benjamin napped in the chair and snored through the chorus of cheers when the favored team made a touchdown. Jokes and insults flew throughout the day.

  The guys stayed in the family room while the ladies moved into the kitchen. Tyler played with his iPad, and Em
mie sprawled on the floor with crayons and a coloring book.

  At halftime, Bradley asked Tony, “Do you fish?”

  “I haven’t for a long time. When I was little, I fished with my dad. Brenner filled me in on the legendary McLemore brothers. I’m not anywhere near your level.”

  “No problem.” Pointing toward Blake, Bradley continued. “The next time this bonehead comes to Kingston to go fishing, you should come with him.”

  “Sure, if I’m not out of town on a tour.”

  Brenner called out, “Man, you’re in trouble now.”

  Beasley and Brenner informed everyone about the items they’d found when cleaning out Nonna’s personal effects, and they asked if any of them had ever seen the red silk dress or ruby necklace. None had.

  “How odd. Nonna didn’t wear fancy things like those,” Blake said.

  “Expensive clothes and jewelry seem more suited to the Devlins’ lifestyle than Nonna’s, and we don’t understand why she has them.” Beasley told them about finding the newspaper article reporting Grainger Devlin’s suicide.

  Bradley rubbed his forehead. “Wait a minute. I remember Mama and Nonna talking about a suicide years ago. Yeah, Devlin was the name they said. I asked who he was, and they both had shocked expressions on their faces when they saw me standing there. Nonna said, ‘He was someone we knew once’ and changed the subject.”

  “So, there was a connection. But what? The dress and jewels were the last items of hers we found, and I found a picture of Mr. Devlin stuffed in a book after we moved in. Brenner and I discussed traveling to Ormond Beach to talk to Jacqueline. Who better than Nonna’s sister to ask?”

  “That is what telephones are for. You could call her,” Blake said.

  “Duh, I know that. But we want to go to the beach and visit Jacqueline. Nonna’s death was hard for her. She needs to hang out with family.”

  Brenner chimed in. “That great-aunt of ours knows everything about everyone.”

  All the brothers and their families left by late afternoon. Brenner and Tony went for a drive, leaving Beasley by herself. She kicked her shoes off, reached for her phone, and stretched out on the sofa. The screen displayed a text from Will.

  Happy Thanksgiving. Will talk soon.

  Her stomach contracted at the thought of him spending Thanksgiving with Madison. Will he tell me about her when he calls? Does it matter? In recent weeks, she had tried to brush thoughts of Will aside with little success. He was hard to forget. If she had to measure him against Dalton, Will would win. But he wasn’t available now, and Dalton was. She brightened at the idea of going to dinner with him. How would Casey react when she learned about the upcoming date with her brother?

  ~ ~ ~

  Casey, Cameron, and his dad, Gary, prepared Thanksgiving dinner. Madge, who was recovering from her mastectomy, had premade side dishes and baked desserts the day before, but everyone insisted she relax and allow them to handle the rest. Madge didn’t complain, but her fatigue was evident. Most of the time genteel and animated, she was frailer and more listless than usual, and her voice was small. The smile, however, let Casey know it thrilled Madge to have them all together.

  After dinner, Madge eased into the recliner while the rest of them cleared the kitchen. Her eyes were closed when they joined her. Casey mouthed to Cameron, “We need to leave.”

  He nodded.

  Cameron lowered his voice and spoke to his dad. “We will slip out and let Mom sleep. Tell her we enjoyed the day and will talk to her soon.”

  “I’m awake, just resting. Today was wonderful. Casey, I’m so glad you came. Now, you two come give me a hug and go enjoy yourselves.”

  When she hugged her son, she whispered in his ear, “Don’t let her get away again.”

  Casey held Madge’s hand and said, “Thanks for inviting me for Thanksgiving. What a joy to spend time with you. Please call me if you need anything.”

  Cameron accompanied Casey to her car.

  “I had a great time today,” Casey said.

  “So did I. How about going on a hike? Since I ate so much at lunch, the activity will burn calories.”

  “Sure. Do you want to take the trail around Donner Lake and then come to my cabin afterward?”

  “Perfect. I’ll swing by my place to change into my walking shoes and meet you there.”

  Casey slipped into a hot-pink zip-front fleece and black exercise pants. As she laced up her multicolored running shoes, she muttered, “Beasley wouldn’t believe this. Heck, I can’t believe it. Who would have ever imagined Cameron and I would be together for a holiday?”

  She built a fire in the fireplace. The light rap on the door precipitated a smile.

  When she unlocked the door, Cameron stepped in and gazed around the open space. “This place suits you.”

  “Thanks. I’ll show you around.”

  He stopped at the mantel and studied a photograph of the two of them snowboarding. “The first time I took you to the slopes, you let me ramble, telling you what to do, and in a sweet voice, you said, ‘Thank you, I think I understand.’ Then you took off like a pro, and I suspected you should have taught me.”

  “The surprise on your face . . . You were hilarious.”

  “You impressed me. We had some fantastic times, Case.”

  Their eyes locked when he stood close to her. He reached out and touched her face. She leaned in to him, and he kissed her, softly at first and then with more urgency. When they broke apart, he cradled her in his arms and held her.

  “Are we moving too fast?” she whispered.

  “Probably. Perhaps we should go slower. As my grandfather called it, I want to ‘court’ you. This time, I want to do it right. You need romance. If you permit me to, I want to spoil you and show you I can be a man you can depend on.”

  Casey snuggled up against him. “I don’t remember you being so romantic before. I like the transformation.”

  He kissed the top of the head. “We need to start on the hike before dark. Are you ready?”

  She nodded.

  The sun began its descent behind the mountains, and the frigid blast from the wind caused them to step up their pace. Light snow fell as they neared the end of the hike. After the sky darkened and a mere sliver of moonlight illuminated their path, the temperature plummeted. Their eyelashes froze and cheeks reddened from the cold. They kicked the snow off their boots before stepping inside the cabin.

  They talked and reminisced for a few hours. Casey asked, “How about a salad and a glass of wine?”

  “Excellent. I’ll pop the cork, and you pour.”

  After eating, they took their flutes to the sofa where they laughed and continued to talk about their current lives, old times, and the divorce.

  Cameron stroked her shoulder. “I didn’t like the way we left matters. We didn’t talk our situation through until now.”

  “We’ve both matured since.”

  He drew her closer. “Mature looks grand on you.” Cameron put his hand behind her neck and pulled her toward him.

  The kiss was unhurried and tender. Sliding her arm around his back, she arched toward him.

  Cameron deepened the kiss, his hands roving over her body. At the sound of her ragged breathing, he took her hand and led her into the bedroom. She unbuttoned his shirt and skimmed her hand over his chest and down across his well-chiseled abs. He sucked in his breath and moaned, his voice husky as he called her name.

  Their passions exploded when they made love for the first time in two years.

  “Casey, I love you. I never stopped loving you.”

  “I love you too.” Tears filled her eyes.

  He buried his head in her neck. “You can’t imagine how happy I am for you to say that. It didn’t take me long to realize what I’d lost. I was so unhap
py without you.”

  They lay in each other’s arms until Casey giggled.

  “What’s so damn funny?”

  “I suppose our plan to slow down didn’t work so well.”

  Cameron dissolved into laughter. “No, I guess it didn’t, but I’m fine with that.”

  Chapter 17

  “I’ve never seen you this nervous,” Brenner said. “It’s only a date.”

  “Dalton is not just any guy; he’s the one I have dreamed of for years.”

  “What about the man from California? You’ve pined for him since you returned home.”

  “Will is a fantastic guy, and under different circumstances, I could imagine myself with him.”

  “What circumstances?”

  “Duh, California is his home, and I live in Tennessee.”

  “You make it sound like long-distance romances are impossible. Why can’t he move here, or you go there?”

  “I can’t leave since I have a business to run, and this is my home. The chances of him leaving Tahoma are zero, and besides, Casey said he and his former longtime girlfriend are together again.”

  “Well, that puts a different slant on things. As for Dalton, your expectations are high. I hope he lives up to them.”

  “So do I. Now, which shoes go better with this dress?”

  “The black strappy sandals. Go with the higher heels since he’s taller than you.”

  “Most everyone is taller than me.”

  “Valid point. I’ll work my magic to control your frizzy hair. Do you want to wear it up, straight, or in loose curls?”

  Beasley looked in the mirror and frowned. “Not up. That’s too formal. Let’s go with the curls.”

  Brenner turned her away from the mirror so she couldn’t see herself. When she finished, she said, “You can look now.”

  Beasley’s eyes lit up. “Wow, I’m hot. Thanks, sis.”