Small-Town Girl

by Jessica Keller

  Claire continued. “Needless to say, I won’t be stopping by your shop for the payments during that time.”

  Originally Kendall had asked where she could drop off the payments every other week. She’d figured it would be easy to swing by Sesser’s office. But Claire had insisted that she would rather visit Love on a Dime to pick up the checks.

  “Like I said when we first worked out the details, you never needed to stop by. I can mail the checks like I do all my other bills.”

  Claire leaned forward, the topaz jewels in her necklace shimmering under the store’s lights. “I know that, but I wanted a reason to come in and visit with you.”

  “You never needed a reason.” Kendall fought the urge to round the desk and hug Claire. If Kendall knew she would react well, she wouldn’t have hesitated, but she and Claire still weren’t close enough for impromptu shows of affection. Besides, Claire wore a linen suit coat with capris and heels; Kendall didn’t want to wrinkle her outfit. Maybe one day, though. The woman sincerely wanted a friend. No different than Kendall.

  “That’s nice to know,” Claire whispered, almost to herself.

  Kendall ripped the business check out of its spiral book and handed the paper to Claire. “Here’s this week’s check.”

  Claire’s eyes went wide. “This is five times the agreed-upon payment amount.”

  “Business is going well. Much better than I ever could have imagined. I’d like to pay your dad back faster than the contract terms if I’m able to.”

  Claire tucked the check into her purse and then stretched across the desk to squeeze Kendall’s hand. “I’m really proud of you. You know that, right?”

  “Thank your dad for making me come up with a weekly event. I would never have thought to do that, but that has been one of the best decisions for my business. The sunset cruises that Brice and I run bring in enough to pay back your father without even touching the money I’ve been making from actual date planning.”

  “I’ll be sure to let him know.”

  After Claire left, Kendall straightened up the office and recorded a new message on the business voice mail letting people know she’d be gone the rest of the day but would continue to check the missed calls. Her last call before locking the doors was to confirm a time of delivery with the caterer for tonight’s sunset cruise rental.

  Sweat gathered on the back of Kendall’s neck as she loaded her car with the box of twinkle lights, freshly washed tablecloths, flowers and fancy dishes and then headed the short distance to the nice pier just off Goose Harbor’s town square. Brice had arranged for her to leave her car behind a café near the pier where she’d have an ensured spot and no one would have a reason to tow it. Little, thoughtful things like that made Brice an amazing person. He considered details and took care of them without being asked.

  A group of seagulls cawed as they strutted near the wooden pier looking for handouts. Within seconds a tourist situated on a bench tossed half of a sandwich their way. Breaking into a total frenzy, the gulls launched at the bun, turning it into nothing more than a crumb. In the water, hundreds of boats bobbed in unison, making it look as if they were all dancing to a secret melody. The sweet smell of waffle cones baking drifted through the air, making Kendall wish she had left a couple minutes earlier so she could have stopped at the ice-cream shop and picked up a cone for her and Brice to share.

  Hot, late-July sun beat down on Kendall as she began to unload her car. She positioned the box of lights on her hip and looped a few bags onto her free arm. She’d have to make a couple trips back and forth to gather everything, but thankfully she’d stowed a change of clothes in her car on her way to work this morning. She’d be able to change in the paddle wheeler’s bathroom and freshen up before Joel and Shelby’s booked date.

  Brice must have been watching for her, because she had made it only a few steps before she spotted him jogging down the pier. He cut across the grass that separated them and eased the heavy box from her grip. Then he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips. It didn’t last long enough.

  He pressed his forehead to hers for a second and whispered, “It’s good to see you.”

  She swatted at his chest. “You saw me this morning. Remember? When you dropped off coffee?”

  “Of course I remember.” He took the bags from her hands. “How could I forget seeing the prettiest woman in Michigan?”

  Kendall bit the corner of her cheek, never knowing how to respond to his open flattery. She knew he was complimenting her in earnest because Brice was only ever genuine. But that almost flustered her more than if he had been joking with her. She had endured a lifetime of hearing the worst about herself from her mother. Nothing had prepared her to hear Brice’s open praise.

  She blew her bangs out of her eyes. “Enough of that. We’ve got work to do, mister. We have two hours to turn your boat into a dream date destination.”

  “Aye-aye, Captain.” Brice winked at her. “You go start fancying up the boat and I’ll carry over the rest of the stuff from your car.”

  “Deal.” She circled back to the car and fished out her dress and heels.

  They spent the next hour working side by side, stringing lights, hanging lanterns and setting up the table. At times they joked, and sometimes they were silent; either way, Kendall enjoyed every minute of time spent with Brice. He hummed as he straightened a lantern that was askew and leaned down to press a kiss to her temple as he passed on his way to go change into nicer clothes downstairs.

  Kendall stopped what she was doing and watched him until he was too far down the stairs to see. She couldn’t help the smile pulling at her lips. They were a team, her and Brice. An amazing team. Somehow, God had taken a man who preferred to be alone and a girl who said the first thing that popped into her head, and He’d brought them together and they worked. Brice seemed to be able to read her mind and he took care of her. She wanted to make sure she was doing the same for him.

  She wouldn’t lose him, not like all her other relationships. Meeting Brice had changed her, changed her life. She never wanted to go back to being the person she was before meeting him.

  Never before had she imagined herself marrying any of the men she had dated or met in her past. She couldn’t say that about Brice. It might be jumping too far ahead, but Kendall wanted to be with this man for the rest of her life.

  * * *

  Brice sucked in a breath. Would he forever be caught dumbfounded by the sight of Kendall Mayes in a dress?

  He sure hoped so.

  She waited on the pier, the light lake breeze tugging the black fabric around her knees and causing her to touch her hairstyle—what she called a messy bun but Brice thought looked nothing but perfect—a couple times to make sure the wind hadn’t yanked any of her hair loose from the binding. It took everything in him not to cross the boat, pull her toward him and kiss her again.

  But she’d told him to behave. They were working right now. This was Joel and Shelby’s date, not theirs. However, she had winked when she said the word behave, so his attention didn’t bother her. If the evening went well, they’d be able to sneak in some time together on the boat after Joel and Shelby left. Maybe Brice would even be able to convince Kendall that they should take the boat back out on the lake again and count the stars, just the two of them.

  Joel and Shelby arrived on time. Joel led Shelby blindfolded down the pier. He smiled toward Brice and Kendall but spoke to his girlfriend. “Easy. Five more steps.”

  “Joel, honestly...where are you taking me?” Shelby laughed.

  Kendall held the gate on the paddle wheeler open as Joel lifted Shelby over the gap between the boat and the pier and carried her toward the table. Shelby squealed, but even with her blindfolded, her arms found a safe place immediately around Joel’s neck. When Joel finally told her to take off the blindfold, Shelby yelped loudly and spra
ng from her chair.

  She dropped onto Joel’s lap and bear-hugged him. “I can’t believe you planned all this.”

  Joel ran his hand over her hair. “I might have had some help.” He waved toward Brice and Kendall.

  Kendall stepped forward with appetizers—some sort of hard bread covered in tomatoes—in hand. “Pretend we’re not even here.”

  Brice started the paddle wheeler and maneuvered the vessel out onto the lake. Even though Goose Harbor was a bustling tourist town, it took only a few minutes to navigate deep enough into the water to suddenly feel as if they were the only people for miles. That was what had originally attracted Brice to the shipping industry—the pull of being able to get away from the crowds, yet still live in his hometown. Joel had let Kendall know that he wanted the boat ride to feel intimate, so Brice continued the route, taking the paddle wheeler deeper and deeper. By sunset, they’d be completely isolated.

  The night continued as planned. Joel and Shelby both raved about the food. They watched the sunset while holding on to each other and then swayed together when Kendall turned on music. After the fourth song Kendall lowered the music and let them know their time was coming to a close. She signaled for Brice to start the engine.

  Joel turned toward Kendall. “Thank you for planning all this. We had a great time.”

  “Wait.” Shelby tugged out of his arms. “We’re heading back? Now?” She swiped at her eyes. “But I thought...I thought...” She covered her face with her hands.

  Joel shot an alarmed look Brice’s way. “Shelb? Sweetheart.” He set his hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong? I thought you had a good time. Talk to me.”

  She shrugged away from his touch. “I thought you were bringing me out to propose.” Her voice rose. “I kept waiting. I...I’m so stupid.”

  Kendall took a step forward and froze. She glanced over at Brice with a what should I do? look on her face. Brice grimaced back. How could Shelby be acting the way she was? Joel had spent a lot of money to take her out on a nice date. And she cried? It didn’t make sense. Brice’s gut clenched. The whole situation reminded him of Audra. But Shelby wasn’t like Audra at all. Brice had known her his whole life, since they both grew up in Goose Harbor. There had to be something else going on.

  Joel stumbled backward. “You thought I was going to propose?”

  “Apparently that’s a shocking thought.” Shelby cried harder. “I need a minute to myself. Don’t follow me.” She took off down the stairs.

  Joel looked at the stairs and then made eye contact with Brice, then Kendall. He raked his hand through his hair. “I don’t... What just happened?”

  Kendall held up her hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.” She took the stairs down two at a time, leaving Brice alone to deal with Joel.

  “Tough break.” Brice cut the engine.

  “I have no idea what went wrong.” Joel turned pleading eyes on him. “I love her. That’s what tonight was about. To celebrate the fact that we’ve been together for a year. But...” He let out a long stream of air.

  “She’s acting on emotion. Without thinking. There’s probably something else going on or something she’s struggling with that she hasn’t talked to you about yet.” Brice pushed on, even though Joel might not want to hear what he had to say. “More than anything, she needs your grace right now. That is, if you love her and want to stay with her after tonight.”

  “If I want to... Of course I want to stay with her.” Joel jerked back his head as if he found the thought of breaking up with Shelby repulsive. “Didn’t you hear me say I love her? Love doesn’t walk away from a misunderstanding. Love perseveres. I learned that lesson early in our relationship. I’m going to wait over there for her.” He pointed at a chair near the railing. “I’m going to pray for her while Kendall talks to her.”

  Brice nodded, knowing he’d been dismissed. He weighed what he should do but decided to head downstairs, hoping to help talk some sense into Shelby. If anything, he could assure her about how much Joel loved her.

  Brice padded down the steps, not wanting to interrupt the women if they were at a sensitive part of their conversation. If it didn’t sound as though he was needed, he’d swing around and head back upstairs. He froze behind the partition that separated the stairs from the lower part of the boat.

  Shelby sucked in a shaky breath. “I know I overreacted. I’m just having a hard time. We’ve been dating for a year. He keeps saying that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me but then never proposes. What if he never asks, Kendall? What do I do?”

  “Have you talked to him about what sort of timeline you’d like for marriage?” Sensible Kendall. She’d make things right.

  “No.” Shelby paused. “He...he hasn’t brought it up, and I know for as much as he loves me, the thought of being married scares Joel. He grew up in foster care, so he never really got to see a functioning family. I think he’s terrified of doing something wrong.” Brice pulled at his collar as Shelby kept talking. “But I don’t get it. Doesn’t he realize that he’s not the type of person his mother or father were? He’s going to be an amazing husband.”

  “I hear you. But I understand Joel’s feelings too.” Kendall spoke with a quiet assurance in her tone. “I grew up with a single mom. My dad left when I was really young. I’ve been terrified of being abandoned by a man ever since. Then I met Brice, who is so wonderful, and he doesn’t even realize it because he’s worried about repeating his family’s mistakes, as well. I think we all carry fears from our childhood with us into adulthood. It’s hard not to.”

  Brice braced his hands against the wall. Kendall was right. He was worried about repeating his family’s mistakes. He’d allowed worry to almost destroy his chance with Kendall.

  Shelby groaned. “But I don’t want to date forever. I want to be married. To Joel. Why doesn’t he get that? What more am I going to have to do to prove that I’m not going to leave him or abandon him? Not ever.”

  “Be honest with him,” Kendall urged. “These things you’re saying right now, say to him.”

  “Thanks, Kendall. You know, when I heard Kellen took Maggie out on a cruise and proposed, I struggled with jealousy. They haven’t been dating long—a couple months! And he proposed right away. Maggie will probably be married and back from her honeymoon before Joel even starts to think about proposing.”

  “You need to talk to Joel about that too—how you struggled over the news about Kellen and Maggie. If he’s the man you want to marry, if you’re serious about the relationship, then there shouldn’t be secrets like that between you two. You need to be open and trust him with things like that, things that hurt.”

  Brice slowly put his foot back on the steps. The women didn’t need his input. And overhearing more truth might overwhelm his brain. He had to start communicating with Kendall—completely open and honest—the same as she was asking Shelby to do with Joel. He had to tell her how much he struggled with the things his mom said to him. Tell her his fear of feeling powerless and out of control. Admit the anger he still harbored against Sesser Atwood. Kendall had to know all those things about him.

  “You’re right. I feel so foolish now. Poor Joel. He planned this whole romantic evening for me and I ruined it.”

  “I don’t think he’ll see it that way. He loves you, Shelby. That’s as plain as the hair on his head.”

  Shelby laughed. “He’s head over heels. I am too. I need to go up there and make things right.”

  Brice padded back up the stairs and got into position behind the steering wheel. Hopefully the women hadn’t heard him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kendall glanced over at Brice as he led her down the boardwalk toward a less-populated stretch of the beach. Tourists might flood Ring Beach every day throughout the summer, but the dune grass worked like fencing against them for the most p
art. They stayed on the famed Ring Beach and left the rest of the shoreline to the locals.

  “All right.” Kendall nudged Brice in the ribs with her elbow. “What’s with all the secrecy?” He’d called her at the office earlier and asked if she could close an hour ahead of her normal time. When she’d consented, he said he would pick her up for a date and wouldn’t give her any details.

  “No secrecy here.” He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Can’t a man want to spend time with his favorite person?”

  “I guess that’s a good enough reason.” She looped her arm through his, letting him set a slow pace as they headed in the direction of the old lighthouse that marked the border where Goose Harbor met the town of Shadowbend. With each step the wooden planks beneath their feet groaned. The side of the boardwalk closest to the beach was sandy, and tall dune grass waved—an ocean in its own right—on the other side of the walkway. Dunes rose beyond the grassy patches, sandy until the tops, which sprouted with a thin line of trees. Staircases were built into a few of the nearby dunes, heading to private homes in the wealthiest section of town.

  Brice guided her down the beach for another ten minutes until he pointed to a blue tarp tucked around a pile of items closer to the water. The stuff was situated near one of the park district installed fire-pit sites, so there was a built-in, safe area to cook.

  “I came out here earlier and dropped this stuff off.”

  Kendall helped Brice pull back the tarp. “Good thing a bear didn’t find it first.” Her gaze took in the large cooler, flannel blanket and pile of firewood. “Wait. Are there bears in this part of Michigan?” She glanced back toward the tree line. They were awful close to the forest if bears were a threat, not to mention they were remote too. If something happened, no one would hear them yell.

  Brice gently tugged the tarp out of her hold as he chuckled. “While there is a strong black-bear population in Michigan, at least ninety percent of them live in the upper peninsula. I think we’re safe.” After he tucked the tarp into a large bag, he grabbed two edges of the blanket and flung it out so it spread across the grass. Tugging the cooler over, he used its weight to keep the blanket down.