Starting Over (Paradise Place Book 3)

by Natalie Ann

  “My wife loved the candle you gave me. She said the coconut lemon scent reminded her of the beach. Now she is hinting at wanting to go to Hawaii.”

  “There is nothing wrong with treating your wife to a nice vacation. Maybe when we are getting snow here, you can sneak away.”

  “It’d have to be in January or February. I’d never be able to get time off from October through December. Not when everyone is shopping online for the holidays.”

  “I can understand that, as it’s my busiest time of year too.”

  “It seems to me you are always busy,” Greg said.

  “Busy enough to hire more staff.”

  “In your shop or here making the candles and stuff?” Greg asked.

  She didn’t find his question odd, most asked her all the time. “I could use some staff in the store. A part-time person. One of my staff there has been helping me out here more, freeing up hours. Do you know someone?”

  She was very cautious who she allowed on her private property.

  “My wife is interested in something part time. I guess it would depend on the hours. Right now the kids are home for the summer and they are driving her crazy. But when they go back to school in September she is going to be pulling her hair out in boredom. I can’t really win with her.”

  “Why don’t you have her come into the shop one day this week between noon and five. That’s when I’m normally there, as you know. I’ll talk to her and see what she is interested in and what I can fit her in for.”

  “That’d be nice. She’d appreciate it a lot.”

  She watched him go back to his truck, then went into her shop where Michele was already packing up orders that were received the day before.

  “Wow, were you having a sale this week that I didn’t know about?” Michele asked.

  “No. It was just a good day.”

  “Did you mix up some prosperity potion and sprinkle it around the shop?” Michele asked, laughing.

  “Of course not.” What she had was the result of hard work, kindness, and good marketing.

  “If you ever do one that you think works, I’m all over it.”

  Blair rolled her eyes. She always downplayed the potions. It wasn’t her idea to do it but Michele’s. She’d thought it was tacky and even talked to her grandmother about it. Her grandmother had laughed and said she’d been asked over the years for it too and agreed it was tacky, but times had changed and if there was profit to go for it. A niche was a niche and you rode the wave until it was nothing but a trickle on the beach.

  So Blair did and it was a success.

  Again, her shop was whimsical in many people’s eyes, why not add more? Besides she enjoyed researching the history of herbs and ‘potion’ uses in various cultures. The customers always enjoyed those chats she had with them when they questioned things too.

  Blair giggled and pushed her ponytail behind her. She’d been working since five this morning pouring her candles into jars. She wanted it all done before Michele came in so that they could just get to jarring. It was a hot sweaty process and she liked doing it early in the morning when it was cooler and getting it out of the way.

  “You know many think it’s only fluff, but fluff keeps the pennies rolling when people believe.”

  “So very true. It smells good in here. What did you make this morning?”

  “Rosemary candles. I’m going to do another batch of the rosemary lotion this week too. We are getting low and it’s selling pretty well. I might even make a double.”

  “My mother swears by it. Says she doesn’t have nearly the muscle pain as she did,” Michele said.

  “Rosemary is good for circulation and muscle pain, so it’s doing its job,” Blair said, turning away.

  “You’ve got the touch, that is for sure,” Michele said.

  “So I’ve been told before.”

  4

  World’s Biggest Sweetheart

  “What has you smiling so bright?”

  Blair turned to look at Nikki, one of her full-time girls in the shop. Nikki opened for her every day. They were the same age and even went to school together, though they didn’t hang out back then. Nikki was quiet and shy and had been intimidated by Blair’s outgoing personality.

  She was glad they got to be friends later in life though.

  It was just a little after noon when Blair walked into the shop and started to take inventory, leaving Michele at her house filling and boxing up more orders, then making a list of what was low.

  And because Blair was feeling so good this morning she decided to share with her closest friend that she had a dinner “date” last night. Sort of.

  “I met my new neighbor last night.”

  “Really?” Nikki asked, looking around the shop to see if anyone was at the register yet. Plenty were milling around and always did. “And by the look on your face I’m going to say your new neighbor is male and maybe single.”

  “Both. He also has an adorable little girl. Livi is seven, I’m guessing. She is going into second grade.”

  “Where’s the wife?” Nikki asked.

  “She passed away. Livi said her mommy was in heaven and I didn’t want to pry. That wouldn’t be right to question a little girl like that.”

  “Ah,” Nikki said, her bottom lip coming out. “You can understand that more than anyone I’m sure. So how did you meet him?”

  She could. Her life was pretty much an open book to everyone around her. That was one of the many reasons she was judged so often. Loose lips flapping in the wind…that was her.

  “Livi started to talk to me over the fence while Philip—that’s his name—was unloading boxes two days ago. When he couldn’t see Livi in the back he panicked, then came rushing over. They’re both really nice. Livi kind of reminds me of my cousins when they were that age. Getting into everything. She had some scratches on her knees from falling. Philip said she falls a lot because she is always going a mile a minute.”

  “Boy, sounds like you talked a lot for just a conversation over the fence.”

  “It was more than that. I mean the conversation wasn’t, but then the next night after work I brought him an aloe plant.”

  “To help with Livi’s scratches. You are the world’s biggest sweetheart. I can’t believe some guy hasn’t snatched you up yet.”

  Blair held her smile when she wanted it to drop. She doubted anyone would snatch her up. Or maybe they would if she could keep her lips sealed and get her reputation back on track. If it wasn’t because men thought she was wacky, they didn’t care that she was raised by two dads. Talk about prejudice, but such was life half the time too.

  She’d been hurt so many times that she almost felt immune to it and her heart was pretty skittish when it came to men.

  Her business kept her busy and that would just have to be good enough.

  She’d been in love before, or thought she was and was prepared to settle. She’d been ready to bare her soul to that person thinking he was the one. Then right before she was ready to, he broke it off with her. Said that he wasn’t feeling it anymore and wanted to explore other options.

  His other option was the coworker with legs up to her ears, fake boobs, and Botox filling her face.

  She was still angry with herself for being blinded by love and not paying attention to the signals she sensed when he kissed her. The dreams she’d had prior telling her he wasn’t being honest. That he was at places he shouldn’t be.

  When she’d asked him about it, he’d laugh at her. Then he accused her of spying on him. She knew right away her dreams were true, but there was no use telling him that. Nor admitting why she was questioning him. He wouldn’t believe her anyway. That had been one of the many fights in the past with boyfriends so she tried to keep those dreams and doubts to herself.

  “I’m busy and not all men like that. My commitment is to The Healing Touch.”

  “If you say so. So tell me more about Philip. Single dad. What else? Has to have a good job to be buying a house
next to you.”

  Paradise Place wasn’t easy to get into and if you wanted in, you better have the bucks or some damn good credit.

  “He was just hired as a professor at RPI. So my guess is he has the summer to get settled. Though I did stay and have dinner with them last night.”

  “Do tell,” Nikki said, following her around the store while they both kept an eye on customers.

  “Not much to tell. He cooked dinner last night and Livi asked me to stay. He didn’t even look uncomfortable with it or I would have said no.”

  “How is he as a cook? That says a lot about a man.”

  Blair laughed. “I’m not sure what it says other than he is trying and putting his daughter first. It was a simple dinner, but it was good. Livi seems so happy and that says a lot more than whether he is a good cook or not.”

  “If you say so. So tell me what he looks like.”

  “He’s tall. Dark hair and dark eyes. They seemed tired, but not troubled.”

  “You’re always so good at picking that out with people. I’m sure the move tired him out. Did you find out where he’s from? Or why he moved here?”

  “No, that didn’t come up. We kept the conversation light. More about the area and things to do. Where he could find stores and shops and places to take Livi this summer to occupy her.”

  “Are you attracted to him?” Nikki asked.

  Blair was about to answer, but a customer went to the register. “I think you need to deal with that.”

  “Dang it. We’ll finish this conversation later.”

  Or not, Blair thought. She wasn’t sure she wanted to admit that she hadn’t been attracted to a man in a long time. Hadn’t been on a date in even longer.

  But there was something about Philip that pulled at the heartstrings that felt like they were dry angel hair pasta avoiding a fall to the floor at all costs. That made her want to reach out and touch him, help him. Ease some of the pain she knew was in his life.

  She hoped it was him being tired or stressed over the move rather than something emotional. She just wasn’t sure she had it in her to go down that road again, but sometimes the heart and the body want what they want.

  If there was one thing her family had taught her, you can’t fight fate—and she was terrified right now fate was pounding on her doorstep with Thor’s Hammer.

  5

  Pure and Innocent

  A week later, Blair was outside in her gardening gloves and bright pink straw hat again. She’d slathered on suntan lotion happily now that the sun was actually shining, but her gardens were in desperate need of care.

  Michele was in the shop out back filling orders and taking inventory and the store was running just fine without her for the morning like it normally did.

  This was her time to herself. Where she centered her mind and her body and even hoped to generate some dreams. Nope, her mind was a complete blank lately just being filled with the usual things around her that had no meaning at all.

  Her plants and herbs and vegetables were an extension of her. They nurtured her and she used them to help nurture others. So in times like this, she went to what she knew best.

  “Hi, Blair.”

  She popped her head up and saw Livi on her tiptoes trying to peer over the fence. Her neighbors had been quiet lately, but she suspected the weather played a part in it.

  “Hello there, sweetie. Are you enjoying the outdoors today too?”

  “Yes. Daddy told me I had cabin fever, but I told him I wasn’t sick. He just laughed at me and said to go outside and run around.”

  She smiled, imagining that Philip probably had to deal with this situation often with a child as active as Livi. “And are you having fun playing around in the yard?”

  “I haven’t started yet. I came running out here first to look for you and I found you.”

  That was darling. “I’m glad you did. So what have you been doing the past few days?” she asked as she continued to pull weeds.

  “Daddy and I have been unpacking. Well, Daddy has been and I’ve been watching movies to stay out of his hair. But every box is empty now.”

  “That’s wonderful. I’m sure it’s starting to look like a home now.”

  Livi frowned. “It’s always been a home.”

  The thoughts of a child, so pure and innocent. “And you should continue to think of it that way.”

  “Livi!” Blair lifted her head and saw Philip walking toward them at the back of the yard. “I told you to not bother Blair if you saw her outside.”

  She stood up and moved closer. Why? Because she wanted to see if she could smell the nice clean scent of a male on him again. How she missed that smell and her senses had always been so heightened.

  “She’s fine, Philip. I like her company.”

  “See, Daddy,” Livi said, “she likes me.”

  Philip rolled his eyes. “Livi, you wanted to come out and play and you’ve only got an hour, then we need to get an early lunch, and leave.”

  “I’m going to Daddy’s office with him today,” Livi said. “I don’t want to, but he still has to find me a babysitter.”

  Blair laughed at Philip’s frown this time. She suspected that he didn’t appreciate Livi stating the family affairs.

  “I could always use a hand here if you don’t mind me putting you to work.”

  “I like to work,” Livi said, dancing around. “Wait, what do I have to do?”

  “I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Philip said. “Thank you though.”

  “You didn’t ask me,” she said. “I offered. The past few days of rain have put me behind in my gardening. It’s not just my flowers and herbs I need to weed but my vegetable garden too.”

  “You’ve got a big garden,” Livi said. “Will you teach me the vegetables? I like to eat them, but I want to see them in the ground.”

  “I’d love to teach you if your dad says it’s okay.”

  “I feel like I’m outnumbered here and the truth is I think we could use a break from each other,” Philip said. “Especially if I’m trying to set my office up. Are you sure it’s okay?”

  “It’s fine. Really it is. I do have to go to the shop soon if you don’t mind Livi going with me. I’ll keep an eye on her, but I always check in for a few hours each day. You could just pick her up there when you’re done.”

  “Please, Daddy. Please, please, please!”

  “I suppose it would be fine,” he said, putting his hand on Livi’s head. “Why don’t you go play on the swing set while I talk with Blair for a minute.”

  “Okay. Bye, Blair. I’ll be back though.”

  “She’s such a sweetheart. So carefree and fun.”

  “She is,” Philip agreed. “Especially all things considered. I thought the move would be hard on her, but she had no problem adjusting. If only everyone could adjust as easily as Livi.”

  “It’s a good trait to have,” she said.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with watching her? I know you’re busy and have your hands full with your business.”

  “My hands aren’t as full as you think. I’ve got a lot of capable staff because I like to create and do my own thing at my own time. But yes, I’m positive. I wouldn’t have offered if I weren’t.”

  “Then I’ll let her play for an hour, feed her some lunch and bring her back here if that is okay?”

  “That works just fine,” she said and went back to her gardening with her heart feeling a little lighter.

  She’d always wanted a family someday but told herself to get used to the fact it may never happen. That she might never find a man she loved enough to have a baby with.

  Sure, she could go the route her mother did when she was thirty-five and still single and decided she wanted a baby and not a man. She bought herself some sperm.

  Blair had to be careful saying that to people, as she’d always thought it was funny but not many did. She’d often been told that you heard about women doing that on TV but not in real life.

&nbs
p; Well, it was real life and she was here so it was true. Just another reason she stood out from the crowd.

  Who would have thought so many men would have issues with that or with the fact that she didn’t know much about her personal history outside of being a McKay?

  An hour later, Livi came running back to the fence again, hopping up and down and asking if she could come over.

  “You sure can. Let me just unlatch it from my side.”

  “Daddy, Blair said I can come through from the back,” Livi shouted as Philip continued to walk at his own pace. She imagined he gave up chasing after Livi at this point.

  “I didn’t know the fence opened on your side,” he said.

  “It’s my fence. I put it here first and around my property and then the last owners added to it. You can’t tell a section opens from this side, but I always wanted it there, just in case. You never know when you might need to help a neighbor out or get to them in a hurry.”

  “I guess that’s convenient. And thankfully Livi can’t reach it and most likely can’t move it either or she’d be bugging you nonstop.”

  “It’s only bugging if I didn’t want to spend time with her, but she’s just a joy.”

  “You can say that now because you haven’t spent much time with her,” Philip said and grinned wide.

  Yeah, her heart started to pick up the pace with a heat in her belly that she didn’t feel often. Maybe never, now that she thought of it. Those days where she wished for a traditional family and love were pretty much long gone.

  A pipe dream now unless she could find a man to accept her and her life and family. It seemed she never could get it all.

  “I’m ready,” Livi said, running into her yard.

  Blair closed the fence back up and said, “I’ve got a gift for you. You can’t weed a garden without the proper tools.”

  “Tools?” Philip asked, looking unsure.

  Blair handed over a small package that Livi ripped right into. “Daddy, it’s gardening gloves. Look how pretty they are. And so tiny.”

  “They are made for tiny hands.”