Home to Sparrow Lake (Harlequin Heartwarming)

by Lynn Patrick

  She took some deep breaths, pulling herself together. “I have to wash Addison’s hair. With no-tears shampoo.” While giving her a talk, though nothing threatening, about making 911 calls.

  “And I’ll put some drops in Taylor’s eyes,” Alex said, looking down at the child. “Why don’t you go put your jammies on first?”

  Between the two of them, they made fairly short work of cleaning up the broken lamp, mopping up stray puddles, gathering soaked towels and clothing, cleaning out the bubble-choked bathtub, drying hair, and putting two five-year-olds, twenty-one fashion dolls and at least ten horses to bed.

  Addison and Taylor were so tired that they barely stayed awake for two pages from the bedtime book that Alex read to them. Alex could definitely handle kids, Kristen realized. The twins had requested that he read to them and seemed very taken with him. He’d be a natural dad. Whereas she’d have to work hard at being a decent mom. She had to admit she was a little jealous.

  When they came out of the twins’ bedroom, Kristen quickly checked herself in the hallway mirror. She’d wiped off the runny eye-makeup—which had made her resemble a bedraggled raccoon—and had tried to fluff up her hair.

  He followed her into the kitchen where she opened the laundry closet, took the clothes from the washer and put them in the dryer. “So what’s your secret, Officer Friendly?”

  “Secret?”

  “I bet there wouldn’t have been a flooded bathroom or a bogus 911 call if you’d been on babysitting duty tonight.”

  “Two people are probably better than one with five-year-old twins. Plus I think I told you I had younger siblings growing up.”

  She vaguely remembered something he’d said about that. “I had younger siblings to take care of, too, but if I had any special knowledge about how to deal with them, I seem to have lost it.” Along with any influence over Brian.

  “Don’t give yourself such a hard time. Everything isn’t always perfect, especially when it comes to kids,” he pointed out. “And it probably wasn’t perfect in the past, either.”

  When she’d taken care of Brian as a child, he’d seemed easy to deal with. Maybe he’d saved up his misbehavior through the years and it was coming out now. Or maybe he’d only acted like a good little boy. She wasn’t sure.

  “Would you like a cup of tea or coffee before you go back to work?” she asked.

  “I’ll take some coffee. I’m on the night shift.”

  She carefully measured grounds into Heather’s automatic coffeemaker and put a kettle on for her tea. Then she got cups out and set them on the table.

  “You can really be Ms. Perfectionist, you know,” Alex said.

  She wondered if that bothered him. “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Not for a career, but it can be a recipe for failure when it comes to human beings. You can’t expect kids to follow a particular plan all the time.”

  “Are you saying that I wouldn’t have this mess if I hadn’t expected the twins to follow my plan? I didn’t have a plan.”

  “I’m just saying that you expected everything to go smoothly. Life only does that sometimes. And I’m in a profession to know, believe me.”

  “Well, thank you for the advice.” The coffee was done, so she poured him a cup. She also put out a plate of cookies, the rest of a package Heather had hidden high on a shelf, out of the reach of little hands. She fixed her tea and sat down.

  He sat, as well. “You’re sounding a little sarcastic.”

  “Well, I’m not the sort who likes to be rescued every other day.”

  “Helping is different than rescuing.”

  She sipped her tea, some of it going down the wrong way, which made her cough. She held up her hand. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to perform the Heimlich maneuver on top of everything else.”

  His eyes softened. “No mouth-to-mouth, huh? Now, that would look good on the 911 call report.”

  She had to smile and felt warmth course through her. “Maybe later.”

  “Great.” He looked ready to perform mouth-to-mouth right now.

  “You seriously don’t think I’m one of the worst aunts in the world? I let my nieces steal sweaters and then I tried to put their eyes out with soap.” She went on. “They were out of control all evening, used a whole box of bubble bath, just about flooded the cottage, and nearly came to blows over horsies and dollies. And they weren’t even being bad. I’m sure Heather could have dealt with everything.”

  “But your sister is used to kiddie chaos. She’s had a few years of experience that you haven’t.”

  “I bet you wouldn’t have had trouble babysitting Taylor and Addison.”

  “Don’t bet too much. I could have gotten shampoo in their eyes, too. And who knows what other kinds of trouble we would have gotten into? One time, I babysat my brother’s little girl and helped her bake cookies. We blew up my sister-in-law’s oven.”

  “Really?” She grinned. “I would’ve liked to have seen that.”

  “We had to peel cookies off the kitchen walls for days.”

  Kristen laughed.

  “You are absolutely beautiful when you laugh.”

  “Even with stringy hair and smeared makeup?”

  “Especially with messed-up hair and makeup.” He leaned closer and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Now about that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation you need, ma’am…”

  Thrilled by his caring touch, Kristen couldn’t resist, learning forward herself. The kiss was soft and firm at the same time. Exhilarating. The embarrassment of the evening burned away.

  He pulled back a second to ask, “Better, ma’am?”

  She felt a little breathless. “I’m not sure. I might need more.” And not only of his kisses. She wanted to be with this man who had such easy charm, and not just for his prowess at dealing with emergencies.

  Alex covered her mouth again, sliding one warm hand behind the nape of her neck. Kristen lost herself in the embrace, felt as if it went on forever. Felt as if she were melting…

  “Ahem.”

  The spell of the kiss was broken when Kristen’s eyes popped open, registering that Heather was standing in the kitchen. She must have let herself in the back door.

  “Sorry to interrupt.”

  Kristen sat back as Alex released her. “Uh, that’s okay. The twins are bathed and asleep. I did a load of laundry and it’s still drying.”

  “I noticed.” Heather gave her a curious look. “Is there more tea? I’ll join you.”

  “Help yourself.”

  “When I saw the police cruiser out front, I was afraid the twins had been robbing the town’s merchants again.”

  “They’re good little kids,” said Alex. “You don’t have to worry.”

  Kristen noted that he shared nothing about the 911 call, the true reason for his visit. She didn’t want to bring it up, either. She hated to tell her sister about the latest mess she’d gotten into.

  Alex said, “I wanted to talk to Kristen, just to see how she’s doing.”

  Kristen appreciated that he didn’t mention the big mess they’d cleaned up, though she had no idea of what the twins would say about the evening. Or how she would explain the broken lamp.

  “I’m sure she’ll be doing fine after you get through with her.” Heather sat down with a cup of tea. “She’s always needed some police intervention.”

  They all laughed and chatted about college studies and kids for a half hour before Kristen announced they should leave so her sister could wind down for the evening.

  Alex walked Kristen to her car. “Would you like to do something this coming weekend?”

  “Sure. Do you have something specific in mind?”

  “I just might,” he said. “I have something specific in mind right now.”

  Alex brushed her lips with his but made no move to leave. Kristen’s pulse began to thrum. The way he was looking at her made her flush in response. She waited breathlessly to see what he would do. He smoothed away the hair from the s
ide of her face and slipped his hand to the back of her neck.

  When he kissed her again, he took his time. She swayed into him, and he caught her by the waist and held her possessively. It had only been a few days, but she’d missed Alex intensely. Her heart began to pound and her breath caught in her throat, and just when she started to lose herself in the kiss, he pulled away.

  With a big grin softening his face, Alex brushed her lips again before walking to his cruiser.

  Kristen was left a little breathless and definitely wanting more.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  THE REPORTER FROM Milwaukee showed up midway through the next week to interview Kristen at Sew Fine. She turned out to be a pleasant, middle-aged woman named Sharon Brinkley, who already knew quite a bit about needle crafts—as a matter of fact, her jacket was a piece of wearable art.

  They sat near the front desk for the interview.

  “I’ve never done quilting, but I’m good at needlepoint and embroidery,” Sharon told Kristen, looking over the brochures Kristen had given her. “Are there quilting classes for beginners, as well as advanced seamstresses?”

  “We have two that cater to beginners, but most classes mix students of different levels. The instructor works with each student individually…and students who are advanced enough can help the beginners, as well.”

  “Collaborative learning, hmm? Well, I’m a fan of that,” said Sharon, scribbling in her notebook. “Do you ever have a real quilting circle, where everyone works on the same quilt?”

  “Some are working on group quilts now, either here in class or on their own time.”

  Sharon indicated a couple of Aunt Margaret’s stunning quilts hanging on the wall. “Well, those certainly are beautiful.”

  “They’re art quilts involving appliqué and hand-painting, quite a bit more difficult than your average design,” Kristen explained. She motioned toward the back of the store. “There’s a small strip quilt hanging on that column in the rear. You can buy the materials in a packet and finish it in a day.” She laughed. “Well, experienced quilters can finish it in a day. I’ll be doing well if I get through the placemat I’ve started.”

  “Oh, so you’re at a beginner level yourself.” Sharon looked pleased. “That’s a good angle for readers who have little or no sewing experience.”

  “I had no sewing experience until I started working here with my Aunt Margaret, who owns the store, and my sister, Heather, who runs it.” Kristen nodded toward Heather as she scooted by to ring up a sale.

  “Sew Fine is a family affair. That’s sweet,” said Sharon.

  The reporter asked several more questions, and Kristen took her for a short tour of the store. Heather was counting some bills up by the front desk when Sharon stuffed her notebook back into her shoulder bag.

  “I know someone who runs bus tours of interesting places in rural Wisconsin,” Sharon said. “They visit dairy farms, cheese factories, historical sites. They’re thinking of offering a craft tour. Sew Fine would be a perfect addition for that. You’d probably get some sales, as well as some students. Women who don’t live too far away will be able to take classes.”

  “That would be wonderful!” enthused Kristen, thinking her aunt would be pleased.

  “Do you have a website where people can order online?”

  “I just set it up and I’m working on making additional products available. We’re already getting more orders.”

  Behind them, Kristen heard Heather cough.

  “That would definitely be a bonus for interested customers. Can I mention the website in the article?”

  “Please do.”

  “I think covering sewing machines—costs and types—would be good for the website. You could also discuss fabrics suitable for quilting and offer some very nice kits.”

  “So it would be educational, as well as geared for business.” Kristen had considered the same elements. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Heather slam the cash register shut. Was something wrong? “I was already thinking about uploading a gallery of quilts created by Aunt Margaret and other women associated with Sew Fine. The possibilities are endless.”

  “In this day and age, websites can offer a substantial boost in sales,” Sharon said. “I think this article I’m writing should help. We’re going to put it in the Sunday supplement.”

  “Thanks so much.” Kristen saw the reporter to the door. Her smile felt as if it stretched ear-to-ear when she came back to discuss the interview with Heather and Gloria.

  “Wow!” said Gloria, clapping her hands. “Maybe I’ll be working more than part-time.”

  “Will you be able to do that?” Kristen asked.

  “I can rearrange my schedule,” Gloria promised. She turned when a customer entered the store. “May I help you?”

  “So what do you think?” Kristen asked Heather.

  “Sounds like you’re doing a great job with the marketing.”

  “But?” Thinking about the slammed register, she said, “You don’t look happy.”

  Heather sighed. “I asked you before who is going to do the extra work. Brian is leaving for college. Not that he’s been in much lately, anyway. I haven’t seen him since Monday afternoon.”

  “We’ll hire people. Gloria will work more hours.”

  “And who will train the new people? I’m the current so-called manager. I want to take a full course load starting in the fall, and I’ll have to do an internship next summer.”

  So-called? What did that mean? Did Heather think she was trying to steal her job or something? She was just trying to find ways to improve business, the way Aunt Margaret asked her to. Now Heather was upset, sounding both like her job was being taken from her and also like she feared the work Kristen was creating.

  Kristen thought she could get some work off Heather’s back. “I can come back on weekends to help you.”

  “Come back on weekends?” Heather’s eyebrows shot up in alarm. “Have you got another job already?”

  Oops. “Not yet.”

  But Kristen had heard back from the company to which she’d sent her résumé in less than twenty-four hours. They’d set up an interview in Chicago for next week. The vice president had already done a preliminary phone interview with her, and they’d spoken for a whole hour. It really sounded like they might want to hire her.

  Tears pooled in her sister’s eyes, nearly breaking Kristen’s heart.

  “I can’t deal with all this stuff,” Heather said. “You won’t come back on weekends. And weekends aren’t enough anyway. I love my family. I care about this store. But I also love landscape design, and it looks like I’m never going to get a chance to pursue it. Maybe I should just quit school and be done with it!”

  That was the last thing in the world Kristen wanted to have happen. She tried to reassure Heather. “You’re not going to have to do that. We’ll find a way to work things out. You have my word on it.”

  She didn’t have to leave Sparrow Lake that soon, she told herself. Should she get the new job, she could tell her bosses that she’d start in September, which would give her time to find solutions to the problems. She only hoped the company would be okay with that.

  “But you are going, one way or the other. And you can’t be sure that everything will work out.” Heather grabbed her purse from beneath the counter.

  “Heather?”

  “I’m sorry. I hate hearing myself whine!” Her sister headed for the door but stopped for one last word. “Both of us have our own interests and our own obligations. I guess sometimes they’re just at odds!”

  “Heather, wait a minute!”

  The door slammed and Kristen stood there, immobile. Now both her siblings had walked out on her.

  After Heather left, Kristen felt distracted. She tried to take care of a customer who wanted two yards of cloth and ended up measuring incorrectly. Gloria stepped in. Then Kristen found herself at the cash register looking at the same receipts over and over, not knowing what she was supposed to
be doing with them. It would help if there were more than two people to take care of the store. Although Wednesday was not usually a busy day, there had been one phone call after another and a steady stream of customers coming in. Kristen hadn’t even had time to check Sew Fine’s email.

  Where on earth was Brian?

  Heather said she hadn’t seen Brian since Monday. Kristen had argued with him on Sunday evening and he hadn’t spoken to her since. In fact, she hadn’t seen him or heard him moving around in his room.

  “Was Brian here yesterday?” Kristen asked Gloria.

  “No, he wasn’t. Is he sick?”

  “Probably.”

  Kristen wasn’t so sure of that. When Brian was sick, he usually moped about and wanted everyone to wait on him and feel his forehead for fever. He didn’t keep to himself. Was he just avoiding her or was he getting himself into more trouble with his buddies? Irritated and wanting to focus on something concrete, Kristen called her brother’s cell. It surely would help if Brian would do his part, whether or not he was only filling in for the summer.

  No answer.

  She sighed. Maybe he was asleep. Thinking she wasn’t about to promote any more laziness or peevishness, whichever it was, she reluctantly called her aunt. However, Margaret had not seen Brian and couldn’t find him, though she checked his room.

  “Are you worried about something, Kristen?” Margaret asked.

  “No,” Kristen lied, since she had begun to feel uneasy. “Did you see him yesterday?” She had the car herself, so he wasn’t driving around.

  “I haven’t seen Brian at all. I know he keeps late hours. Are you sure you’re not worried?”

  “Everything’s okay, Aunt Margaret. He’s probably just hanging out with his friends. What are those two guys’ names again?”

  “Andy Eccles and Matt Stapleton. Do you want me to look up their phone numbers?”

  “I can do that myself. I have a phone book right here.”

  Thanking her aunt, she hung up. The phone book for Sparrow Lake was combined with a couple of other towns in the area. Kristen could find no listing for anyone named Eccles but she located a couple of Stapletons and called both residences. An elderly man answered the first call and said he was not related to Matt. The second call went to voice mail, so Kristen left a message. Now what?