Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon

by Melody Carlson

  “Really? You’d do that for me?”

  “Sure. You’re my nephew. Why not?”

  “I would like to get some video games and a few other things. And it might be cool to see my dad…you know, to talk things out with him.”

  “All right, then,” she said as they reached the deli. “I’ll book us both a flight.”

  So as they were sitting outside waiting for their lunch, she called the airlines. But the best they could offer was to fly standby. “What are the chances of getting two standby seats?” she asked the agent.

  “Not that great.”

  “Hang on for a minute,” Hope told her. She quickly explained the situation to Monroe, saying that it was summer travel season and a last-minute booking. “I may not even get a seat to Portland, but I’m willing to try. Should I ask her about getting you a flight to Seattle instead? That might be easier.”

  He shrugged. “I guess.”

  “Then you could get your stuff together there, and either stay with me in Portland for a few days or come straight back here.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. That makes sense.”

  So she inquired about Seattle and actually booked him a seat. “Round trip?” the agent asked. “Yes,” Hope told her. “But open-ended. On both tickets, please.” Then she gave her Visa number, wrote down a confirmation, and hung up just as their food arrived. “We’re set,” she told him as she picked up her fork. “Your flight’s a little before seven in the morning and mine’s about half an hour later. We’ll have to leave the house around five to get to the airport on time. Can you let your parents know?”

  “I’ll call my dad.” Monroe frowned. “But I don’t know about Mom.”

  “She’d probably hang up if I called her.”

  “How about I call her when I get to Seattle?” He looked hopeful.

  “That’s fine with me.” She forked her salad. “And call me, too. Remember what your mom said, I’m responsible for you.”

  “Okay.” He nodded. “I’ll call you first.”

  They made small talk as they ate, but every word seemed to cut into her. She could feel how much Monroe trusted her. But it was bittersweet. And she hated to think how he’d react when he discovered that she was actually running away from Sisters—not so unlike what he’d done while hiding out at Three Creeks. What would he say when he found out that she had no intention of coming back here to live—ever? Would he ever forgive her? Would he take Faye and Cherry’s side, proclaiming her selfish? And, if he did, would that help to bring him and his mom back together? She could only hope.

  She tried to push these thoughts away as they walked home. The truth was, she cared deeply about Monroe, but she could not rescue him. And when she considered what a mess she’d managed to make of everything—and in such a short amount of time—well, it seemed fairly obvious that she could barely take care of herself.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “I need to run some errands,” she told Monroe when they got back to the house. “Do you mind if Andy hangs here with you?”

  “That’s fine. I plan to keep painting. I want to finish up this whole side before dark.”

  “Great!” She tried to appear excited, as if she planned to come back here and enjoy the results of all the hard work that was going into renovating Nona’s old house.

  As she drove through town, she attempted to rehearse the speech she planned to give to Lewis—her big farewell. But as she parked her car and walked up to his office, her smooth words seemed to slip away.

  “Hey.” He grinned as he opened the door for her to come inside. “Didn’t expect to see you today. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

  “Have you got a few minutes?”

  His brows lifted. “Sure. Something wrong?”

  “Just everything.”

  Once they were behind closed doors, the words came tumbling out. And so did the tears. Oh, she knew she probably sounded like a drama queen, and it would be a wonder if he could even make sense of her blubbering. But she just continued to let it go, pausing only to accept the tissues offered to her and to blow her nose.

  “I’m sorry,” she finally said. “But this whole thing has turned me into a real basket case.”

  “I’m sorry, too.” He pressed his lips together and shook his head.

  “And usually I’m not one to give up. In fact, I’ve always considered myself a fighter. But I cannot stay here and fight with my sisters. I don’t even think Nona would’ve wanted that.”

  “No, I don’t think so either.”

  “So Brian will continue working on the renovations until it’s done. I’ve picked most of the things out, and I don’t even care about the rest. Just as long as the house will appeal to a buyer. But I am going to keep Andy. I hope that he’ll be happy in Portland. And it’ll get me out to walk more regularly.” She sniffed. “Besides…I think I need him.”

  “That would make your grandmother happy.” But Lewis frowned.

  “But you think she wouldn’t be pleased that I’m giving up?”

  “I’m sure she didn’t expect it to be this hard.”

  “So you think I’m doing the right thing?” Hope studied his expression.

  He didn’t answer.

  “I just can’t take it. I mean I’ve only been in town for a little over a week, and yet it feels like a year. And it feels like the hardest year of my life. And that’s including the year my mom died…the same year that Cherry and Drew got together. I might’ve been unhappy, and I might’ve been weighed down with guilt. But that was nothing compared to everyone in my family hating me.”

  “Your niece and nephew don’t hate you.”

  “Not yet. But they will. If I don’t do it myself, their moms will see to it.”

  “What about your dad? Is he mad at you, too?”

  Hope considered this. “I haven’t actually talked to him. But that’s not a good sign either. My best guess is he thinks he should’ve inherited some of Nona’s money. And he probably blames me for that, too.”

  “Poor Hope.”

  “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me.” She stood now. “I just want you to help unravel the mess I made. Put the wheels in motion toward Plan B now. As you can see Plan A has left the station.”

  He just nodded, but his eyes were sad.

  She wanted to say something more. But, really, what more was there?

  “I wish you’d give it a little more time,” he said as he stood. “A little more thought.”

  She didn’t want to start crying again. How could she expect him to understand? Did he know how lucky he was to be an only child? Sure, she wished it had gone differently, too. For a short while she imagined herself remaining in Sisters and being perfectly happy here. Happier than she’d ever been in her whole life. Happier than she had a right to be. But it was clearly not going to happen. Faith and Charity had seen to that!

  “I can see how hurt you are, Hope.” He put his hand on her elbow as they both walked outside, standing on the sidewalk in the sunshine. “But I honestly don’t see how running away will make you feel better.”

  “You know what they say…” She forced lightness into her voice. “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.”

  “And if you can’t take the sisters, get out of Sisters?”

  She smiled. “I guess so.”

  “But they’ll still be your sisters.”

  “But at least they’ll be a hundred and sixty miles away.”

  He reached out and touched her cheek. “I’d be lying if I said I’m okay with this, Hope.”

  She didn’t know what to say. Just the feeling of his hand on her cheek, his eyes looking directly into hers…it made her feel slightly weak in the knees.

  “And the whole while you’ve been talking about how horrible things have been, I’ve been selfishly sitting there trying to devise some scheme that would force you to stay.”

  She was still speechless, not to mention slightly faint.

  “But if a million
bucks and a house can’t entice you to stick around…well, I don’t know what could.” He reached over and pushed a strand of hair from her forehead, and for one startling moment, she expected him to kiss her. But he didn’t. His hand slid away from her cheek, and he let out a long sigh. “I’m going to miss you, Hope. I barely got to know you, and yet I know I’m going to miss you.”

  She attempted a smile. “And my little dog, too?”

  He nodded. “Yes. And your little dog, too.”

  She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “I’m going to miss you, too, Lewis. And I really appreciate all you did. You tried to make it work. Nona would’ve appreciated that.”

  He shrugged. “I hope so.”

  Right then, she had the strongest impulse to just grab him by the side of the face and kiss him. But, to her relief, she suppressed that urge. Instead, she told him good-bye and hurried to the old Rambler. But as soon as she was driving away, she felt like she’d just made the biggest mistake of her life. In fact, it felt as if a piece of her—was it her heart?—had been left behind.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she told herself as she braked at the stop sign and waited for the traffic to pass. And what about Cherry? With her own two eyes, she’d seen the two of them together. And not just once, either. And she’d heard the familiar ring of jealousy in Cherry’s voice when she accused Hope of putting the move on Lewis. Don’t be a fool, she told herself. The only safe route was the one that would get her straight out of town.

  And if she were smart, and lucky, she would never have to come back here again. She would handle the rest of the house renovating from a distance, making her apologies by phone. Still, as she drove through town, she wondered why it was she was crying again. Maybe she was just hormonal. And hurt. But in time she’d get over it. Hadn’t she gotten over it before?

  Morning came early the next day—especially after barely sleeping all night. Thankfully, she was all packed and ready to go. She’d gotten a little traveling case for Andy at the pet store yesterday, and had even packed some of his favorite things in her own bag. She’d have to get him a new bed in Portland. And Monroe, as before, was traveling light. She’d listened to him talking to his dad the evening before, and she could tell by the sound of Monroe’s voice that he was eager to see his dad. And that brought a little comfort.

  “You kids ready?” Erica asked sleepily when Hope opened the door.

  “You don’t know how much I appreciate this,” she told Erica.

  “No problem. I love getting up before the sun.” Erica yawned. “But I understand your concern about leaving that sweet Rambler at the airport. Bobbie left her little red Karmann Ghia there once and came back to find a big dent on the driver’s side door.”

  “And old cars cost more to fix,” Monroe said from the backseat.

  Hope hadn’t told Erica that she didn’t plan to return. She didn’t want to go through the story another time.

  “So will you be back in time for rodeo?” Erica asked as they were unloading their things in front of the terminal.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Too bad. I’m having a rodeo picnic on Sunday, and I’d hoped you could come.”

  Hope gave her a phony-feeling smile. “Well, if I can make, you know I will.”

  Erica hugged her. “Travel safe and let me know when you get back.”

  “Thanks for the ride.”

  Erica feigned another yawn. “Now, it’s back home. I can hear my bed calling.”

  Hope checked her bag, and they got their boarding passes, then they went through security, getting inside the gate just as the flight to Seattle began to board. Hope reached out and hugged Monroe. “You are such a great kid,” she told him.

  “And you’re a great aunt.” He laughed. “Well, not my great aunt.”

  “Be sure to call me when you get there,” she reminded him.

  “For sure. Thanks for everything, Aunt Hope!” He waved then hurried out the door. And he was barely out of sight when she realized how sad she felt to part with him. And she wondered if he’d ever speak to her again. Certainly not with the kind of trust she’d seen in his eyes these past few days. For that matter, Avery would probably feel the same as her cousin. Thanks to Avery’s grounded status, Hope had been unable to see her niece…unable to say good-bye. But Cherry was probably already at work trying to turn Avery against her, too. Really, leaving was the only thing to do.

  Hope sat down and placed Andy’s carrying case on her lap. He was whining, and she knew that she’d pushed him out of his comfort zone, too. But what could she do about it? Take him to the pound and force him to start over with a new owner? She didn’t think so. Besides, she needed him. “It’s okay,” she said soothingly. “Lucky for you, it’s not a long flight.”

  Hope was grateful for the noisy, bumpy plane trip this time. It helped to muffle the sounds of Andy’s whining. She was tempted to take him out and hold him on her lap, but she didn’t think the flight attendant would appreciate it.

  “We’re almost there,” she told him as she carried him down to baggage claim. Of course she still needed to ride the Max or get a cab. And then, without really thinking it through, she hit her speed dial button for Curtis. And just like that he answered.

  “Hope?” he said cheerfully. “What’s up?”

  “I’m at the airport,” she told him nervously. “And I have a dog with me. Just a little dog. But I was going to ride the Max and I thought—”

  “Why don’t I come get you?”

  “I shouldn’t have called,” she apologized. “It was just an impulse.”

  “Sometimes impulses are good. And in your case, it was a lucky impulse. I’m only a couple of miles from PDX right now.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’m on my way to baggage claim—”

  “I bet I’ll beat you to passenger pick-up.”

  “You’re on.” She began walking faster.

  “Loser buys dinner?”

  “You got it.” Okay, she had no idea why she’d agreed to that. Maybe it was just the sound of a friendly voice. The offer of a ride. The excitement of being back in a town where two sisters weren’t ready to drive you out with a loaded shotgun.

  “I win,” Curtis told her as he opened the trunk and placed her carry-on inside.

  “I am eternally grateful,” she told him.

  He leaned over to peek in Andy’s carrying case. Of course, Andy barked in a snippy way.

  “He sounds like a brat,” she said as she opened the door and hooked Andy’s leash onto him so he could walk around and stretch his legs. “But once you get to know him, he’s rather charming.”

  Curtis chuckled as Andy lifted his leg on a lamppost. “Charming.”

  “Anyway, he was my grandmother’s dog,” she said as she picked him up and got into the car. “She left him to me in her will.”

  Curtis laughed. “And did this grandmother even like you?”

  “It was Nona,” she reminded him.

  “Oh, yes, Nona the wonderful.” He frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know she’d died. But I also didn’t know that you’d quit your job and left town.”

  “So how did you find out?”

  “I ran into Marty.”

  She nodded. Marty was a mutual friend, and an attorney at the same firm.

  “Did Marty tell you that I was returning…to beg for my old job back?”

  “No.” He glanced curiously at her then back to the road as he merged into the left lane. “Are you?”

  “I am.”

  “So the whole going-home thing didn’t work out for you?”

  “Not so well.”

  “What made you think that it would?” His mouth twisted. “I mean you always seemed to want to stay away from there—what made that change?”

  So she told him a shortened version of Nona’s will.

  “Are you serious? You gave up a million dollars?”

  “Well, that was before t
axes. And before fixing up the house. And I’d already sort of decided that if I’d made it for the full year, I would share it with my sisters, which only shows how out of my mind I must’ve been.”

  “But that’s a lot of money, Hope. It seems like a pretty good trade-off for just one year of your life. And, from what I hear, Sisters is a cool little town. Lots of people are trying to buy property there. And you were handed a house? And you just walked away?”

  “You sound like you want me to go back.” She stared indignantly at him. “I thought, of all people, you might be glad to see me come home.”

  He laughed. “Depends on why you came home…and if this is home.”

  She wasn’t sure she wanted to answer him now.

  “Sorry,” he told her. “I am glad to see you back. But I’m slightly flabbergasted that you gave up all that money. You’re a good attorney, but I don’t think you make that kind of money.”

  “I don’t. But I decided my sanity was more valuable than a fat bank account.”

  “Sisters was making you lose your mind?”

  “My sisters in Sisters were.”

  “Oh.”

  Hope changed the direction of the conversation to him, a subject he was comfortable with, and she pretended to be hugely interested. And finally he was pulling up to her condo. “Want help with your bags?” he asked as he set the carry-on down for her.

  “Thanks, I can get it.” She balanced her purse and Andy’s carrying case while holding onto the leash and still managed to pull her carryon behind her.

  “And what about that bet?” he called.

  “Bet?”

  “Loser buys dinner.”

  “Oh, yeah,” she called over her shoulder. “How about if I fix it at my place. That way Andy won’t be left home alone on his first night in the big city.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “Sevenish?”

  “Sounds great.”

  Great, she thought as she pushed the elevator button. Now she was stuck fixing dinner for her ex. Such was the expense of taking a free ride. She had barely dropped her things in her condo when Andy began sniffing around and whining. She suspected he needed another chance to “stretch his legs.”