More Than Pancakes (The Maple Leaf Series Book 1)

by Christine DePetrillo

  He flicked his gaze to the bed. That was when saw it.

  On the nightstand.

  A small, white envelope with his name on it.

  “Dammit.” Rick picked up the envelope and sat on the edge of the bed.

  Sage took a step backward into the hall.

  “No.” He looked up at his cousin. “Stay. Please.” He rubbed his fist down his scar and let out a slow breath. He hadn’t even read the letter and his heart ached.

  Sage came into the room and sat beside him on the bed. She rested a hand on his shoulder. “You sure you want to open that, Rick?”

  “I have to.” He ran his finger under the flap and tore the envelope open. He pulled out the folded paper inside. Lily’s handwriting was the neatest he’d ever seen. The letters looped together as if her pen had glided along the paper to some ballroom tune.

  Dear Rick,

  This house and property are yours. I’ll mail you the proper documents. Do whatever you want with the house. Live in it, sell the stuff inside, tear it down. Doesn’t matter. Just by staying in the house this week, I feel as if I know my grandmother on a whole other level. I now understand why she loved this place.

  Last night was truly awful, but at least we can be sure Utopia Resorts will leave you alone now that there are endangered animals making their habitat—or whatever that hibernating word was—in the area. And now that I’m gone, you should be safe to continue your peaceful life that I so selfishly interrupted.

  If you’re asking yourself if you meant anything to me, the answer is yes. In capital letters, YES. No one has ever meant more to me. I don’t know how it happened. We’re so completely wrong for each other, yet I never felt more right than when I was with you.

  I wish you all the best. Tell Hope, Sage, and Joy I said good-bye.

  I stole a jar of your maple syrup. Call it a souvenir.

  I love you.

  Lily

  “If she loves you, why would she leave?” Sage asked.

  Rick stood and dropped the letter on the bed. “I think she left because she loves me.” He stooped down and picked up his T-shirt and sweater. After donning them both, he found his sock and put on his one work boot.

  “You’re going after her, right?” Sage stood as Rick finished tying his laces.

  “Lily doesn’t get to decide how the rest of my life goes.” He kissed Sage’s cheek and headed down the stairs.

  ****

  The airport was a tomb at this hour, and Lily was grateful. For once in her life, she didn’t wish for a crowd, for the noise. She needed quiet. Sitting in a chair by her departing gate, she started to dig out her cell phone, forgetting she didn’t have it. She had left her purse at Rick’s after Drew... stopped by. Just as well. There would have been messages from Tam, probably from Rita or Webster too. She had to tell them about Drew and didn’t think that was a conversation for texting back and forth. She also had to tell them the Vermont land was out of the question, but at least she now had something solid to convince them. Utopia Resorts would not want any bad publicity related to building on land holding endangered bats. The granola-eating, tree-hugging types would have a field day on a big corporation like Utopia.

  Tree hugging. Lily guessed she could understand the sentiment a little better now. The woods could be dangerous with its bears and bosses-turned-psycho, but it also had people with the kindest hearts she’d ever encountered. Real people who didn’t hide behind fancy clothes and fast cars. People who took you in and treated you like family simply because you needed them to.

  She thought of Hope, Sage, and Joy. Three of the finest women she’d probably ever know next to Grandma Gail. She knew they’d take care of Rick if she’d hurt him with that letter.

  It had been the right thing to do. She was sure of it. He needed to stay away from her. She was poison to someone like him. She belonged in California where she could surround herself with rich tourists looking to spend their money to feel like movie stars. She would go back to catering to their needs and ignoring her own. Everything that could fill her needs was still asleep back at her grandmother’s house.

  Leaving Rick this morning was the hardest thing Lily had ever done. He’d held her all night just as she’d asked. His arms kept all the nightmares—and she had new ones to choose from—away, and Lily had slept as if under a wizard’s spell. When she awoke, she’d spent a few moments watching Rick sleep beside her and knew she had to leave.

  Sighing, Lily rubbed her temples. She’d thought her return trip to California would be a time to celebrate. She felt like crying instead.

  Gradually, the area near the gate filled with more travelers. Lily checked her watch. Maybe she should skip this flight. Take the next one instead. Perhaps she needed more time to think things through.

  She shook her head. She had to go home and get on with her life. If she could call it a life anymore.

  Finally the attendant opened the gate and started calling rows for boarding. Lily gathered the suitcase she’d found on her front steps this morning. One of the police officers must have salvaged it from Drew’s wrecked SUV before towing it. Luckily, she’d stowed some cash inside the suitcase and had her license in her jacket pocket. She located her seat in coach with the rest of the regular customers. She always flew first class on Utopia’s dime, but when she’d booked her own flight early this morning, she’d asked for coach. Today, she just didn’t feel like it. She didn’t want the attendants making her feel comfortable. She deserved to be uncomfortable. Perhaps she should have asked for a seat near the engines or next to a screaming baby.

  Lily pulled out a bag of jellybeans then stowed her bag in the overhead compartment. She opened the candy as she settled in her seat by the window. Gnawing on sugar-coated antidepressants, she watched as the workers drove the luggage carts around on the tarmac. They looked as if they were having fun.

  Her definition of fun had changed over these past few days in Vermont. She had more of an urge to go for a hike than dance at a gala. Surely spots to hike existed in California. She’d just never looked for them. Maybe it was time to. Hiking alone would suck though.

  She folded the bag of jellybeans closed and wedged it in the seat pocket in front of her. They weren’t doing shit for her today. A stop at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was definitely in order when she landed in California. This situation called for the big guns—dark chocolate double fudge cookies. She glanced at the screen at the front of the plane. Maybe the in-flight movie would offer her solace.

  She doubted it.

  She pressed her forehead to the cool glass of the small window by her seat. She wished for ice for her cheek, which looked and felt a lot worse today than it had yesterday. Lumpy purple bruises mixed with the cuts making for a lovely rainbow of pain. She hurt physically and was lost emotionally. How could she go from someone who knew exactly what her role in life was to someone who didn’t have a clue what her next step should be?

  She still loved designing. In fact, her fingers itched to draw something up, but doing so for a monster hotel chain interested only in making money didn’t have the appeal it used to. Sure, working for Utopia was a glamorous job, but it didn’t mean anything. Not to Lily. Not anymore.

  “You’re a pathetic mess, Hinsdale.” She closed her eyes and knocked her head on the window several times.

  “Careful. If you break that, you’re going to compromise the integrity of this craft and seriously delay our flight.”

  Lily’s eyes shot open. She turned her head and stared into the pale blue eyes of the man standing in the aisle. “Rick?”

  “I believe so, yes.” He sat, let out a small groan, and rubbed his left knee. He fastened his seat belt, pulling on it to check that it was locked.

  “What are you doing here?” She wanted to crawl into his lap, but dug her fingernails into the armrests instead. Rick couldn’t really be on this plane with her. Had she hit her head too hard on the window? Eaten too many jellybeans? Slipped into a sugar-induced haze?
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  “Figured it was a good time for a little vacation. Time to travel. See the world.” He traced a finger along her hand on the armrest between them.

  “I thought you didn’t travel.” Lily was slowly losing the battle of keeping her distance from Rick as she inched closer. The look of him, the smell of him, the heat of him called to her.

  “I don’t,” Rick said, “but someone suggested that I should, and I’m willing to if it means I get to spend more time with you, Lily. Besides, I think you need a vacation too. If I remember correctly, you said you travel, but always for work and never for yourself.”

  “I did say that. So you’re coming to California?”

  “As a starting point,” Rick said. “Then we’re figuring out a destination we’re both interested in, and we’re going on a true vacation. I demand drinks with little umbrellas in them, good reading material, and lovemaking. Lots of it.”

  “Sounds perfect. And how long would this true vacation last?” Lily’s mind was already constructing a list of possible destinations.

  “Got a week or two to spare. I want to make the maple syrup like I always do, but my ankle is not in favor of me doing anything right now besides reclining on a beach chair under a tropical sun. In fact, we’ll probably need to make a hospital stop when we land and before we officially begin our vacation. My entire leg is killing me.” He tapped his left thigh and lowered his eyebrows. “Then I have only one goal, Lily Hinsdale—to figure out how to get you to come back to Vermont with me.”

  “Why would you want that, Rick? Life with me is likely to give you another heart attack.” She pressed her palm to his chest, felt his heart beating in time with her own. Would she ever feel this connected to anyone? Was Rick her Tom Hanks?

  Absolutely.

  He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. “Life without you is likely to break my heart. That’s worse, Lily. So much worse.” He kissed her fingertips. “Can you honestly tell me you hate Vermont?”

  She shook her head. “Despite what happened with the bear when I was a kid and what Drew did yesterday, I’m still remembering the wonderful things I experienced in Vermont. Wonderful things that have everything to do with you, Rick.”

  She leaned closer and caught his lips. Lips she didn’t think she’d be tasting again once she’d left the bedroom this morning.

  “Think you could use a barn-building partner?” she asked.

  Rick smiled and Lily’s insides danced. “I could use a barn building partner as well as someone to make pancakes in the store. And for me, of course. What good is maple syrup without fantastic pancakes?”

  “I could send you a resume. You’ll see I’m qualified for such positions.” Lily rested her hand atop Rick’s and traced his knuckles before sliding her fingers between his, right where they belonged.

  “You can have those positions, and I have others in mind too.”

  Lily pulled up the armrest separating them and put her arms around Rick’s waist. “I would love to hear more about all available positions.” She dropped a light kiss on the tip of his nose.

  Rick squeezed her against him. “Just one thing.” He pushed her back a bit. “If you ever write me another letter like the one you left this morning…” He clenched a fist and shook it at her.

  “I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving.” Lily arm-wrestled his fist down to his lap. “I was being stupid.”

  “Yes, you were. Fortunately, I’m an intelligent man who came looking for you.”

  “Hey, I wouldn’t fall for an idiot.” She squeezed his hand.

  The pilot announced they were ready for departure, and Lily fastened her seatbelt. Rick had gone stiff and quiet beside her.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “I hate flying. We could end up dead like my parents and my uncle.”

  “We almost ended up dead on the ground,” Lily pointed out.

  “True.” Rick touched below the bruises and cuts on her cheek. “I’m going to need someone to keep an eye on my heart while I’m on this plane, while I’m taking the first vacation I’ve had in years. Maybe you could do that?” His eyes opened extra wide as the plane began rolling into position on the runway.

  “No, I don’t think so,” Lily said.

  Rick’s mouth turned down at the corners. “No?”

  “I don’t want to keep an eye on your heart just while you’re flying or on vacation.” Lily pressed her lips to Rick’s and kissed him slowly, gently at first. She deepened the kiss and felt as if she’d taken off without the plane.

  “I want to keep an eye on your heart forever,” she whispered.

  “My heart is yours, Lily.” Rick cupped her cheek.

  “I’ll take good care of it and of you. I love you, Rick.”

  The airplane’s engines roared as Rick ravaged Lily’s mouth with a kiss hotter than a California afternoon and sweeter than a gallon of Vermont maple syrup.

  “I love you too,” Rick said. “I love you more than pancakes.”

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later…

  “And you really got Ricky to stay still on a beach under the California sun?” Sage asked as she looked at the pictures Lily had organized into an album on her phone.

  “Yes, I did. And three beaches in Mexico too.” She smiled, feeling pretty proud of herself for accomplishing the mission of making a mountain man enjoy flashy California and a true vacation.

  They’d done all the touristy things like visit Hollywood, Disneyland, Sea World, and the beaches before heading to Mexico. They’d spent time with her father and his girlfriend, and Lily was so pleased Rick and her dad had hit it off. She’d found a beautiful hiking spot and once Rick’s leg and ankle felt better, they’d taken several strolls together. Though it wasn’t the Vermont woods, Rick had seemed to absorb west coast nature just fine, and Lily felt stupid for ignoring it for so long.

  “I believe you accomplished a lot more than just getting Rick to relax,” Hope said as she brought coffee to the corner table in Rick’s store. “I heard him humming all by himself in the sugarhouse this morning.”

  “Humming?” Sage and Joy said at the same time.

  “Humming.” Hope nodded. “You’ve got some skills, Lily.”

  “To Lily.” Sage held up her mug as did Hope and Joy. The three women saluted her and they all took a sip of their coffee, including Lily.

  “Oh, wow,” Lily said. “Rick said this maple coffee was good, but I had no idea.”

  “Best around town, sugar.” Joy winked at her.

  “So what’s next?” Sage asked. “Are you really going to stay in Vermont with us?”

  Lily loved how by deciding to stay, she wasn’t just getting Rick, but a wonderful set of sisters and a mom. A truly magnificent package. One she wasn’t sure she deserved, but was going to accept anyway.

  “Yes, I’m staying. I quit my job at Utopia, which didn’t go over too well. Now they don’t have me… or Drew.” She swallowed more coffee to give herself a minute. The news of Drew’s behavior and death sent a shockwave through the company. Corporate had worked overtime to bury any bad publicity the whole ordeal would put on Utopia Resorts. “The vice president and president accepted my resignation thinking I was leaving because of Drew. They offered me a sweet package to keep me from taking any legal action against the company, not that I would have. I wasn’t leaving because of Drew anyway.”

  “You were leaving because our Ricky stole your heart,” Hope said, clapping her hands.

  Lily grinned. “I don’t even know how it happened.” She still couldn’t believe she’d made plans to box up her belongings, leave her beloved California, and move in with Rick.

  In Vermont.

  In the woods.

  It was crazy, but she couldn’t imagine not being wherever Rick was. Speaking of which…

  “Where is Rick?” They’d flown in from California late last night, crawled into bed, and this morning he’d said he had a few things to take care of. She had assu
med he meant syruping things, but she hadn’t seen him anywhere on the property.

  “Haven’t seen him since first thing this morning,” Joy said.

  “Yeah, and in addition to the humming, he was acting weird,” Hope said.

  “Weirder than usual,” Sage added.

  Lily shrugged and finished her coffee. “I’m heading over to my grandmother’s place. If you see him, tell him that’s where I am.” She hadn’t been over there since Drew had smashed her laptop against the fireplace and she wanted to clean up and move on.

  She bid the women good-bye and hopped into Rick’s utility vehicle. It was a far cry from her sleek Lexus, but the ramped up golf cart was fun to drive through the woods.

  I’m having fun driving through the woods.

  She never could have predicted this. Finding love in Vermont had turned her into someone else entirely. Someone she liked a lot more.

  The utility vehicle skidded to a stop in front of her grandmother’s place. Rick’s pickup truck was in the driveway too.

  “Found you,” Lily said as she hopped out of the vehicle and jogged up the front steps. The door was slightly ajar and she pushed it open. “Rick?”

  Soft, saxophone music floated out to her.

  “Rick?” She stepped inside.

  “In here,” Rick called from the great room.

  Lily walked deeper into the house, the scent of lilies reaching her nose. Big, beautiful white blooms filled tall, hammered copper pots and lined the perimeter of the great room. Rick stood in the center, wearing a… a tuxedo? He held a single lily and motioned with his finger for her to come closer.

  She nearly tripped on the step leading into the sunken room. Rick in a tuxedo was a sight to behold. The man knew how to fill a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt, but holy cow. What he did to a tux should have been illegal. Add to that the slight tan he’d gotten on their vacation and he was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. His eyes were an electric blue against his sun-darkened skin and the streaks of lighter blond in his hair brightened up his entire face.