by Cindy Kirk
He didn’t notice what Beck gave, but knew it must have been substantial by Izzie’s squeal of delight. David shifted his gaze to the bar, searching for an empty stool.
“Fin and Jeremy have a table on the deck.” Ami’s fingers touched his arm. “We have an extra seat and would love to have you join us.”
“It’ll be quieter out there.” Beck gestured with his head toward the doors leading to a raised deck overlooking the water.
David was well-acquainted with the entire Bloom family and with Jeremy Rakes, the town’s mayor. Not only had he and his siblings grown up with them, his mother was dating Steve Bloom, Ami and Fin’s father.
“Sure.” David spoke quickly, then qualified, “If you’re certain I won’t be intruding.”
“Not at all,” Ami assured him. Unexpectedly, her smile widened. “Hadley. Hello.”
Hadley looked even more, well, beautiful was the only word that came to David’s mind. She wore a short black skirt and a curve-hugging black tee with the crane logo. Her hair, instead of being pulled back as it had been at the bakery, hung in thick golden curls past her shoulders.
“Your family is out on the deck.” Hadley’s tone might have been upbeat, but David saw the fatigue edging her eyes.
“Which is where we’re headed.” Ami stepped aside to let a couple get past. “I’m afraid we’re causing a logjam.”
“I have your table, so I can get your drinks now, if you know what you want.” Hadley’s smile appeared directed straight at David.
He felt the punch. It really had been too long since he’d been out if he could react so strongly to a simple smile from a pretty woman. “Dos Equis with a lime.”
“Whatever beer you have on tap.” Beck slipped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Club soda?”
“You know me well,” Ami responded with the easy familiarity of a couple in perfect sync.
“And a lime for the club soda,” Beck quickly added. “Almost forgot that part.”
“Coming right up.”
When Hadley brushed past him, David caught the scent of cinnamon, vanilla and sugar. “She smells like a cinnamon roll.”
He realized he’d spoken aloud when Ami chuckled.
“Occupational hazard.” Ami smiled. “When you bake a lot, those aromas get under your skin.”
“I find them incredibly potent.” Beck’s soft Southern drawl added a nice emphasis to the words.
Ami shot her husband a wink. “Potent is a good word.”
The interplay and the fact Ami wasn’t drinking alcohol made David wonder if she was pregnant. From what his mother had said, because Beck and Ami had gotten started late on building their family, they were determined not to wait long before working on baby number two.
What would it be like to share a pregnancy with your wife? Because of Whitney’s family history, he’d known when he married her they would never share that experience. That had been okay.
What hadn’t been okay was—
“David.” Jeremy rose from the table and extended a hand.
Good Hope’s mayor was blond, with the body of a surfer and a keen intellect. He was also one of the most good-natured guys David knew.
Delphinium—Fin—Rakes, the mayor’s wife, had the polished look of a woman he’d expect to see dancing the night away in a trendy nightclub.
Her look reminded him of Whitney, with one exception. David was sure Whitney had never looked at him the way Fin looked at Jeremy with so much love in her eyes.
Fin aimed a friendly smile at David. “How nice you could join us.”
“Thanks for asking.” Sensing someone behind him, David whirled and nearly knocked the tray out of Hadley’s hands.
Automatically, he reached out, steadying her. For several seconds, his gaze locked with hers.
As if conscious of everyone’s stares, she gave a little laugh. “That could have been disastrous. My boss says if I drop one more tray, I’m outta here.”
A look of distress crossed Ami’s face. “Lyle wouldn’t really fire you, would he?”
“Lyle is gone. All the servers report to Jeff now. The owner brought him in from Milwaukee.” Hadley’s lips pressed together. “He’s a real piece of work. I’d quit, but with the bakery closing, I need the income.”
Startled, David shot a gaze at Ami then back to Hadley. “Blooms Bake Shop is closing?”
“I’ll let Ami tell you all about it.” Hadley glanced nervously over her shoulder where a thin man with slicked-back dark hair stood staring. “Jeff doesn’t like it if we talk too long with the customers.”
Once the drinks—and another plate of nachos—were on the table, Hadley hurried off. Marigold, the youngest Bloom sister, arrived with her husband, Cade, the local sheriff.
“Why is this the first I’ve heard about you closing the bakery?” David felt very out of the loop. “Mom didn’t say a word about it this morning.”
Everyone must know but him, David realized, when the others at the table simply continued their conversations.
“We’re not closing, not in the way you think. We’re expanding.” Ami sipped her club soda and reached for a chip. “The space next to the bakery became available, and we jumped on it.”
David visualized the area. “You plan on making the dining area larger.”
Ami nodded, chewed and swallowed.
“Why not wait until winter?” David knew he had to be missing something. “Why close during the height of the tourist season?”
“Well, we hope to be pretty busy at home this winter.” Ami glanced at her husband, who grinned back at her. “And what we have planned for the bakery is major. We’re not just expanding the dining area, we’re adding additional commercial ovens, holding cabinets and packing tables. Kyle gave us a very competitive bid, but for his crew to do it, it has to fit between two other projects. Which means the renovation has to be done now.”
“Kyle Kendrick does good work.” David had been impressed by the man’s attention to detail, not only on the Good Hope Living Center, but on the theater renovation project. “You’re going to completely shut down?”
“The bakery will be gutted. We have a commercial oven at home, so Ami can still honor her contracts and accept special orders.” Beck sipped his beer, then slanted his wife a mischievous glance. “If she gets bored, I can keep her busy at Muddy Boots.”
Even before Beck and Ami were married, she’d started supplying his café with pastries in the morning and desserts for the lunch and dinner menus.
“You’re so thoughtful.” Ami returned her husband’s teasing smile. “But I believe I’ll keep busy enough supplying the café with desserts and the Daily Grind with their orders. Oh, and spending time with you and Sarah Rose.”
“The last is the most important.” Beck leaned over and kissed his wife gently on the lips.
David had to look away. The warm glow of emotion between the two only served to remind him just how cold his own marriage had been. His gaze landed on Hadley, who was serving drinks to a group of guys who looked barely old enough to drink.
She was laughing with them, flirting a little without letting things get out of hand. When one of them laid a hand on her ass as she bent over to pick up their empty glasses, David gritted his teeth and pushed back his chair.
Before he could stand, Hadley shot the guy a withering look that had him dropping his hand.
“We were out by your place today, David.”
David turned back to the table as Cade went on to talk about the house he and Marigold planned to eventually have built on land down the road from David’s property. The next thirty minutes flew by.
Cade had shifted his attention to his wife and her comment about the upcoming Founder’s Day celebration, when Ami shoved a chair in between her chair and David’s.
“There’s more than enough room.” Ami’s voice brooked no argument. “This is your break. Sit and relax. You’ve been running all evening.”
“If you insist.” Hadley dropped in
to the chair next to David.
The fit was tight. Ami had to pull out her chair for Hadley to get into hers. Though Hadley fit, her shoulder brushed David’s.
“Sorry.” She shot him an apologetic look.
“No worries.” He studied her for a long moment. “I don’t know how you do it.”
Hadley met his gaze, seeming oblivious to the conversation swirling around them. “Do what?”
“Get up when it’s dark to bake, work all day in the shop, then come here and be on your feet all evening.” He pointed the beer bottle toward her. “Not many people could handle that pace.”
“Women who have families often do all that and more.” She lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “All I have to worry about is me.”
David set down the bottle. “I still think you’re amazing.”
For an instant, something flickered in her cobalt-blue depths. Just when he worried he may have mistakenly given the impression he was flirting, she laughed and waved a dismissive hand. “That’s nice of you to say.”
Ami leaned close. “What are you two talking about?”
“Compliments.” Hadley didn’t miss a beat. “Sincere ones and some not so sincere. A woman told me she liked my shoes. I was feeling pretty good until she added I’d probably be able to get to my tables faster if I was wearing sneakers.”
Ami glanced around as if expecting the culprit to be standing in plain sight. “Is she someone I know?”
The look in Ami’s eyes told David that if it were, Ami might have a talk with her. While the bake shop owner might have the reputation for being sweet, she was loyal and fiercely protective of her friends.
“Tourist.” With a flick of her wrist, Hadley dismissed the episode. “She and her friends left about twenty minutes ago.”
“I hope she at least gave you a big tip.” Marigold leaned across the table, telling David there were no private conversations here.
Hadley rolled her eyes. “What do you think?”
Though Hadley didn’t seem disturbed that she’d been stiffed, it had to sting. No one worked two jobs unless they needed the money.
“Have you had a chance to look at the plans?” Cade asked David, reaching for a nacho in the center of the table.
Several days ago, Cade had given him the house plans he and Marigold were considering. Though the sheriff had made it clear they couldn’t afford to build now, they wanted plans in place when they were ready.
“The house has curb appeal, and the floor plan utilizes the space effectively.” David had reviewed the plans as a friend, not as their architect, so he treaded carefully.
The sheriff, a trained observer, picked up on the unspoken but. “What issues do you see that might present a problem?”
“Your lot is good-sized, but I don’t believe it’s wide enough to do this particular plan justice.” David lifted his beer. “Now that you know the style you like, I suggest looking for one that contains the features you want, but different dimensions.”
“What about if we cut ten feet of width and made the house deeper?”
David wiped the condensation off the bottle with his finger. “That would change the exterior as well as the interior setup.”
“Maybe you could draw something up for us?” Cade glanced at his wife and received a nod. “We’d pay you, of course.”
“I specialize in healthcare design, not residential.” David saw the light in Marigold’s eyes fade and felt like a shmuck. “But I’ll be happy to draw something up for you. I should have time once I finish my current project.”
“We’re going to pay you.” Cade told him.
“You look at the plans. Then we’ll talk.” David’s tone made it clear the subject was closed.
Cade and Marigold were friends. Marigold’s dad was dating his mother. Heck, they were practically family.
Besides, neighbors helping neighbors was the Good Hope way. What better illustration than all the people who’d turned out this evening to support the Giving Tree?
Hadley’s fifteen-minute break was nearly over when Fin distracted Ami with a question about the Cherries’ plans for the upcoming Founder’s Day parade.
At the same moment, Marigold and Cade—who’d monopolized David for most of the evening—pushed back their chairs and headed inside to the dance floor.
Hadley shifted in her seat to face David. “There’s always something going on in Good Hope.”
“You’re right about that,” David agreed. “Once we got through the Fourth, the Cherries turned their attention to promoting the Founder’s Day events.”
The Cherries, originally known as the Women’s Events League, planned all the holiday celebrations. Their commitment to fun activities for families, as well as couples and singles, made Good Hope a prime tourist destination.
“From what I hear, there’s going to be lots of activities for children on Founder’s Day.” Hadley cocked her head. “Will your mother be attending with you and Brynn?”
A look of puzzlement furrowed David’s brow. “It’s a month away. We haven’t discussed plans for that night.”
“I would think a grandmother would want to enjoy the activities with her grandchild. Mine certainly would have.” The second the comment left her mouth, Hadley wished she could pull it back. The last thing she wanted to speak about was her family.
Interest sparked in David’s gray eyes. “You were close to them growing up?”
No more mistakes, Hadley told herself. She took a few seconds to corral her thoughts. “No.”
He studied her, his gaze sharp and assessing. “I believe Ami once mentioned your parents live in North Dakota.”
“My grandparents lived there. I mean, they used to live there.” After what had happened in Williston, North Dakota was on her do-not-visit, do-not-mention list.
David’s gaze turned curious. “They don’t live there now?”
Hadley gave a laugh, but it ended up too high-pitched to come across as casual. Still, she had to start digging out. Or bail. “My, how did this conversation get so off track?”
She didn’t wait for a response. Instead, Hadley pushed her chair back, scrapping it across the deck with such force it nearly toppled. “I’d love to stay and chat more, but duty calls.”
Hadley offered a brilliant smile to everyone at the table. “Thanks for letting me sit with you.”
With everyone protesting at once that she hadn’t stayed nearly long enough, there was no opportunity for David to ask further questions. Questions she had no intention of answering.
If she left now, there would be zero chance of her putting her foot in her mouth for what felt like the zillionth time.
She’d never been good at off-the-cuff conversation. She did better when her actions and comments were carefully considered.
Which was why, instead of saying something else she might regret, she gave Ami’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze and strolled off.
Chapter 3
Hadley had just left when David’s phone dinged, a reminder alerting him that it was time to pick up Brynn.
Coming tonight had been a good decision. He wished he could stay longer. Being around friends had gotten him out of his funk. A man could stare at design software and amble around a too-silent house for only so many hours a day.
Ami glanced up as he stood. “Do you have to go already?”
“It feels as if you just got here,” Marigold protested.
“Brynn is at a birthday party. It’s pickup time.” He glanced around the group. “Thanks for sharing your table.”
Jeremy flashed a smile. “Now that we know it’s possible to drag you out of that fortress you call home, we’ll do it more often.”
David chuckled, dropped a bill on the table for his beer and share of the tip and lifted a hand in farewell. While it was possible to exit the deck without going through the bar, he chose the longer route.
He told himself it was because he wasn’t in any hurry. The alarm had been set with an extra fifteen minut
es of lead time. Though the fact that he had time to kill didn’t explain why he was pushing his way through wall-to-wall people in a room with music that hurt the ear.
His gaze scanned the room, stopping when he spotted Hadley. She stood near the bar, a full tray of drinks balanced on one hand. A guy about his age, with thinning blond hair and a cocky stance, blocked her.
Though his path hadn’t crossed with Clive in years, David recognized Clint Gourley’s younger brother. Close in age, the two men looked so much alike they were often mistaken for twins. This guy had to be Clive, because older brother was currently a guest of the state, serving time for burglary, multiple counts.
Clive moved closer, crowding Hadley. She stood her ground.
Anger spurted through David’s veins.
Then, in a gesture that seemed just a little threatening, Clive placed a hand on Hadley’s arm. Seeing her stiffen was all it took for David to veer off course and approach the two.
Hadley lifted one hand as if to brush back her hair. The movement effectively dislodged Clive’s hand from her arm.
Smart woman.
David was ready to turn toward the door when Hadley’s eyes met his. The look she shot his way had him continuing toward her.
He hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps when Clive cupped a hand around the back of Hadley’s neck and yanked her close.
She jerked back with such force her tray of drinks went flying. Beer and whiskey rained over nearby patrons, while glasses hit tables and shattered on the floor. Now free of Clive’s hold, Hadley stumbled backward, her arms flailing in an attempt to right herself.
In the commotion, Clive slipped away.
David reached Hadley just as she lost her fight for balance. He wrapped his arms around her. She struggled for a second, then relaxed when she saw it was him.
The same man David had noticed on the deck pushed through the crowd as the band continued their rendition of the rock classic Layla. “What is going on here?”
His narrowed gaze settled on Hadley, on the tray at her feet, on the whiskey-and-beer-soaked patrons loudly voicing their outrage. A muscle jumped in the manager’s jaw. “Get out. You’re fired.”