Summer in Good Hope (A Good Hope Novel Book 2)

by Cindy Kirk

  “Hogwash.” Marigold washed down the chocolate with a big gulp of wine. “You’re everything Max ever wanted.”

  “He said he’d never leave me. Or the boys.” Recalling the promise in his eyes had Prim tearing up all over again. “But he did. He walked out that door. Of course, I told him to leave, but still, he left.”

  Her lips turned down like an unhappy clown’s, and try as she might, they refused to lift.

  Ami patted her hand sympathetically.

  Prim’s eyes were drawn to the urn. “He thinks I chose Rory.”

  “You did choose Rory,” Marigold reminded her. “You married the guy.”

  “No. Now. He thinks I’m still choosing Rory.” While it likely wouldn’t change anything with Max, it was time to let Rory rest in peace.

  Ami’s fingers tightened protectively on Prim’s hand. “It will be okay.”

  “It’ll never be okay. I’ve lost Max.” Then she rested her head on Ami’s shoulder and cried like a baby, or like a woman who’d just lost the man she loved.

  It was at times like these that Max wished he had a father. Someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to tell him that he’d made an ass of himself. He suspected if his dad were alive, that’s just what he’d tell him now.

  Why had he let his mother’s comments and Deb’s barbs get to him? Things had been going so well between him and Prim until he’d gotten himself riled up and made a big deal about a jar of ashes. So what if they sat in her living room cabinet? So what.

  He knew Prim cared for him. She wouldn’t have slept with him otherwise. Maybe she didn’t love him, not yet anyway, but he and Prim were a helluva lot closer than she and Rory had ever been.

  She would love him. It was just a matter of time. Which meant he needed to be patient and not do stupid-ass things like going over to her house and insisting she choose between him and her dead husband.

  If he and Prim were to be together, he needed to understand—and accept—that Rory would always be a part of her life. And when he came to her, hat in hand, he needed to make her see that he wasn’t just spouting words of apology, he meant them.

  The drive to Sturgeon Bay took less than thirty minutes. He pushed open the door to the jewelry store on Third Avenue and felt the blast of cold air. His shopping list today was short and sweet. Two items of jewelry.

  One, a nod to the past.

  The other, a promise for the future.

  “I was surprised to get your phone call.” Deb stood beside Prim at the edge of the Good Hope soccer fields.

  “Thanks for driving all the way back from Appleton.” Prim shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry Mike couldn’t join us.”

  “His orthopedist had a cancellation and Mike grabbed it.” The shadows under Deb’s eyes were more pronounced in the sunlight. “Besides, he thought you and I had some things to discuss that were best done one-on-one.”

  Prim took a deep breath, let it out slowly. This was going to be even more difficult than she’d imagined.

  “I’m sorry about yesterday,” Deb blurted. Two bright spots of red dotted her cheeks. “I said some pretty horrid things to you. Things I didn’t even mean.”

  Prim opened her mouth to speak but Deb bulldozed ahead.

  “My son loved you. He made that very clear. He was always telling us he’d won the jackpot in the wife department.”

  Tears stung the backs of Prim’s eyes. “He said that?”

  “He did.” Deb glanced at the field. “I know that you were a better wife to him than he was a husband to you.”

  “That’s not—”

  “We both know it’s true. I’m sorry for what I said. But it still breaks my heart to think of his sons forgetting about him.” Deb pressed her lips together and her eyes shimmered with tears.

  Prim placed a hand on the woman’s arm. “You have my word. I won’t let them forget about Rory. He’s their father, and I’ll do everything I can to keep his memory alive.”

  “So will Mike and I. If . . .” Deb paused. “You let us see them.”

  “Of course you can see them.” Prim didn’t hesitate. “You’re family. You love them and they love you.”

  “I thought, after how I acted you might not want—”

  “That’s behind us,” Prim assured her. “Although I can’t promise you that I’ll be single forever, or that there won’t be another man who’ll fill the role of father in the twins’ lives.”

  “Mike and I both like Max Brody,” Deb said, surprising her.

  “I wasn’t specifically speaking about Max, but I’m glad you like him. He’s been a good friend and neighbor to me.”

  “Callum and Connor certainly think a lot of him.”

  “Yes, they do.” Knowing she’d postponed the inevitable for as long as she could, Prim reached down and carefully extracted the urn from the bag at her feet. “I was wondering if you’d like to help me scatter Rory’s ashes at a few of his favorite spots around town. I’ve written down a few locations, but I know you can probably add to the list. I thought we could end at Eagle Tower at Peninsula State Park. Rory always said he felt invincible at the top, looking out over Green Bay.”

  Tears slipped down Deb’s cheeks, but gratitude filled her swimming eyes. “Thank you. I’d like that very much.”

  They made eight stops in all before climbing the steps leading to the observation tower. Prim had worried the deck might be packed with tourists, but a group of ten were on their way down when she and Deb reached the top.

  It was a clear day, giving them a perfect view of not only the park and nearby islands, but the Michigan shoreline as well.

  “Before we empty the jar, I want to give you this.” Prim pulled the marble cube that Deb had given her last year from her jacket pocket and pressed it into her mother-in-law’s hands. “I put some of Rory’s ashes in here. If you want to bury it in the family plot, I’m sure he’d be okay with it. He loved you both so much.”

  Deb hugged Prim tight for several long moments.

  Finally, with arms locked and united in their love for a man who’d enriched both their lives, they offered up his remaining ashes to the wind.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  After dropping Deb off at her car, Prim headed to the town square. Though it had been an emotional morning, a sense of peace wrapped around her shoulders like a favorite sweater.

  The center of town buzzed with activity. Prim felt as if she’d stepped into an alternate universe. Bicycles, Big Wheels, trikes, and wagons filled the square. Many were already decorated for the children’s parade that would start in an hour.

  Some kids had brought their bikes and trikes down to the square to decorate. Wanting to inhale the atmosphere and excitement while supervising the twins’ efforts, Ami and Marigold had staked out a prime spot next to the gazebo.

  Prim spotted her sons immediately. They wore identical T-shirts with exploding rockets on the front.

  “Hey, boys,” Prim said as she walked up.

  “Hi, Mom.” Connor looked up from where he and his brother were diligently putting red, white, and blue plastic straws around the spokes of their bikes.

  “We’re almost done,” Callum told her without looking up.

  “This is the last step,” Marigold confided.

  “Thanks for helping out.”

  “My pleasure.” Marigold’s eyes softened as she watched her nephews. “I’d forgotten how much fun this kind of thing can be.”

  “We went all out,” Ami said.

  “I can see that.”

  They’d already taken care of the handlebars, using toilet paper tubes, paint, stickers, and curlicued ribbons to make streamers. The bike helmets looked like something from Mars. The twins had gone crazy with festive pipe cleaners topped with cutout stars.

  Crepe streamers had already been woven around the frames of the bikes.

  “Do you have the vests?” Prim asked.

  “You bet we do.” Marigold pulled a bright red vest that held dozens of blue
jingle bells from a bag at her feet.

  Both boys looked up.

  “Not until just before the parade starts,” Marigold told them in a tone that said this wasn’t the first time she’d said the words.

  “How did it go?” Ami asked in a low voice.

  “Good.” Prim thought of the way Deb had clutched the tiny marble box to her chest. “It felt good, too.”

  “Have you seen Max?”

  “I stopped by the house after dropping off Deb but he didn’t appear to be at home.” Though Prim wanted to speak with Max, she told herself it was for the best he hadn’t been there. “We wouldn’t have had time to talk anyway.”

  “Can we put on the vests now, Aunt Marigold?” Callum asked.

  “Please, can we?” Connor added his pleas.

  There was something about those blue eyes that made her think of Rory and how much he’d always loved the Fourth. And as she thought of her husband, she remembered her promise to Deb.

  “Before you put them on, let me tell you a story about the time your father decided to walk the entire parade route on stilts dressed as Uncle Sam.”

  “I wanna walk on stilts like my dad,” Callum said immediately, looking around as if a pair might be lying on the ground nearby.

  “Did he make it the whole way?” Connor asked. “Or did he fall?”

  Prim exchanged smiles with her sisters and rested a hand on each boy’s shoulder. “This is what happened that day—”

  Max’s trip into Sturgeon Bay ended up taking longer than he’d planned when his car developed mechanical problems just as he was leaving the nearby town. It was late by the time he returned home, and the house next door was dark.

  The next morning he fielded a couple of calls about the parade, then headed downtown to look for Prim and celebrate Independence Day in Good Hope. Flags hung from nearly every house he passed. When he drove through the downtown area, each ornate light pole boasted Old Glory.

  Booths offering everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to jewelry filled the town square. He drove slowly to avoid hitting the pedestrians cutting across the street from the shops to the square.

  Though Max knew there were a few who wished their beautiful surroundings could remain only for them, he loved seeing people flood into Door County, bringing their energy and their wallets.

  He stopped at a light, noticing Izzie Deshler had set up an easel and was doing caricatures. If the number of people milling around her stand was any indication, she was doing a booming business.

  A few feet away he spotted Ami and Gladys at a face-painting booth. He recalled Prim mentioning how much she was looking forward to working the booth in the morning with her sister.

  Prim was likely busy. He should wait.

  But for how long? They’d be together on the dais for the big parade at noon but would be surrounded by people. What he had to say to her required privacy.

  Max slowed his vehicle to a creep, searching for an empty parking space. After driving nearly a mile, he had seen plenty of children walking around with rockets and variations of the stars and stripes painted on their faces, but not a single parking spot.

  He circled back and pulled into Beck’s driveway, parking in front of the carriage house. Max assumed his friend was at Muddy Boots, but when he started toward the sidewalk, Beck stepped out his front door.

  “That’ll be twenty dollars.”

  Max turned. “For what?”

  Beck gestured to Max’s car. “Since it doesn’t appear you came to see me, I can only assume that my driveway has been turned into a parking lot.”

  Max rolled his eyes. “I looked for a spot on the street for thirty minutes.”

  “You snooze, you lose, Brody.” Beck’s gaze searched his face. “I was at Muddy Boots earlier. I thought you might come by.”

  Max waved a dismissive hand. “I’ve been busy answering last-minute parade questions.”

  “Ami and Prim are face painting in the town square.”

  “Thinking about getting your face painted, Beck?”

  Beck snorted and began walking. Max fell into step beside him. Despite the crowd, they reached the booth in a matter of minutes.

  When they arrived Ami was taking money from three middle-school-aged girls. One sported swirled lines of red, white, and blue that went over one eye and under the other, with several sparkling stars tossed into the mix. A blonde wearing braces had opted for red and white stripes down one cheek topped by blue with white stars. The smallest girl had gone simple with red, white, and blue stars on each of her thin cheeks.

  “I haven’t had a chance to work on a handsome man this morning.” Gladys cackled and rubbed her hands together. “Now I’ve got two to pick from. Oh, my, which to choose? This is a difficult decision.”

  Beck held up both hands. “I just came by to kiss my wife.”

  As if to further illustrate, he tugged Ami close and kissed her softly. “Happy Independence Day.”

  Max glanced around. “Is Prim here?”

  “She was out looking for—” Ami stopped and waved a hand in a vague gesture. “Let me text her.”

  Max shifted. He was tempted to take off and do his own searching when bony fingers surrounded his wrist. He looked over.

  “I’ve always believed waiting is a sign of true love.” Gladys’s pale blue eyes met his. “Wait for her.”

  “I can’t do anything else,” he confided.

  “Splendid.” Gladys tugged him in the direction of a black folding chair. “Since you’re not busy, I have a new design I’ve been dying to try out.”

  Prim’s cell hadn’t stopped buzzing all morning. She’d given up dropping it into her purse and decided it was just easier for everyone if she never put it down. As if on cue, the phone vibrated in her palm.

  Where R U? Max is at booth.

  God bless Ami. Prim barely paused to respond to her sister before taking off toward the center of town. She was out of breath by the time she reached the town square.

  Her heart skipped a beat when she spotted Max. The rightness of her decision washed over her. She skidded to a stop in front of him and widened her eyes. “Is that a dragon on your neck?”

  Red rose up Max’s neck.

  “He got himself a patriotic dragon.” Beck didn’t bother to hide his grin. “Complete with a red-and-white-striped body and blue stars on the neck and head.”

  “I think it turned out extremely well,” Gladys said proudly.

  “It’s very . . . nice.” Prim gazed into Max’s eyes. Could he hear her heart pounding? “I’ve been looking for you.”

  He studied her for several seconds, his steady gaze shooting tingles down her spine. “I’ve been looking for you, too.”

  “We always were on the same wavelength.” She tried for flippant but instead sounded breathless.

  “The parade starts in an hour.” He touched her bare arm with the tips of his fingers. “May I show you to our station?”

  “Of course you may.” Gladys gave Prim a not-so-little shove in Max’s direction.

  Ami looked up from the rocket she was painting on a little boy’s cheek and made a shooing motion.

  “Sorry I wasn’t much help this morning.” Prim hadn’t realized how many little fires needed to be put out before a major parade.

  “We understand you have important . . . duties.” Gladys gave a sly wink, then turned to Beck. “While you and Max are dealing with the parade, I’m going to give this guy his own dragon. Bigger and better than anything I’ve yet done today.”

  Beck’s look of alarm had Prim chuckling as Max maneuvered her through the square, sidestepping a group of tourists, each holding an ice cream cone in imminent danger of toppling.

  When he placed his palm against her back, Prim felt a surge of hope.

  The raised platform where they were to oversee the parade stood six feet off the ground. A blue fabric background with patriotic bunting decorated the front of the structure. The stage where city officials and dignitaries w
ould sit was sheltered from the elements by a red awning.

  At the moment they had the dais to themselves, but Prim knew it wouldn’t be long before the mayor and town board members arrived, along with several other prominent citizens.

  There were chairs but Prim was too agitated to sit. Her future rested on the outcome of this conversation. “The other day, when you said you loved me, did you mean it?”

  “Yes.” A look of tenderness crossed his face. “There is no one else for me, Prim. There never has been. Not since you ate those crickets in fifth grade. When you asked for seconds, I was hooked.”

  “Crickets?”

  His mouth relaxed in a slight smile. “Not important.”

  When he took her hands, Prim realized his were trembling as much as hers. Her heart rose to her throat. Once again she tried to speak, but he pressed a finger against her lips.

  “You don’t have to worry about me leaving and the boys being hurt. I’m not going anywhere. The other night I left because I didn’t want Callum and Connor to be caught in the middle of a discussion they wouldn’t understand. But when I told you that you’ll always be able to count on me, I meant it. I won’t let you go unless you make it clear that’s what you want.”

  Tears filled her eyes as love surged. When a couple of salty drops spilled over, he wiped them away with his thumbs.

  “I was wrong to say what I did about Rory’s ashes. He was your husband. He’ll always be Callum and Connor’s father.” Max reached into his pocket. “Hold out your hand.”

  When she did, he dropped a silver heart necklace in her hand. The locket was engraved always in my heart. “Max. This is—”

  “It’s for Rory’s ashes. I know he’ll always have a place in your heart. I’m okay with that.” He expelled a ragged breath. “You loved him a lot. Maybe you’ll never be able to love me that much. But if one day you love me even half as much as I love you, it will be enough.”

  Her heart pounded in her head. Was this really happening?

  “I can promise to always be there for you.” He stepped forward, as if he simply had to touch her. With one hand, he smoothed her hair back. “I will love you forever.”