Right now, Jenny’s expression was shattered. “Oh God, I never meant to upset her. I just kind of blurted it out, you know.”
He draped an arm across her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “I know. Maybe you could go apologize.”
“What about you? Are you going to apologize? I couldn’t hear what you were arguing about, but you sounded kinda mean, too.”
Jake sighed. “Yeah, I’ll apologize,” he said. Sometimes setting a good example was a real pain.
“I can’t believe y’all are doing this for me,” Georgia said as they gathered at the inn for lunch. “The table looks so gorgeous.”
Bree had sent over fresh flowers for the table and Jess had used the inn’s best crystal and china. She’d even put out place cards edged in gold for each of them.
“I want so much to be a part of the family because I know how much you mean to Kevin,” Georgia said. “I want to get to know you all like sisters. Getting to stay here a little longer had been such a blessing.”
“We want to get to know you, too,” Bree said. “We know how much you mean to our brother.”
“I wish I had more time here,” Georgia lamented. “Maybe at the end of our tours of duty, we’ll settle someplace nearby. I know that’s what Kevin wants. It’s all he talks about.”
“Are you okay with that?” Abby asked. “Your family’s in Texas. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be close to them?”
“Wherever Kevin is will be home for me,” Georgia responded with starry-eyed enthusiasm. “I hope you all know that I love him to pieces. Meeting him is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“He’s pretty special,” Jess said, then grinned. “Of course, he might have just a few tiny little flaws.”
“None,” Georgia said loyally. “At least I haven’t found any yet.”
“And don’t you girls disillusion her,” Gram chided.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Bree said, shooting a warning look at Jess.
“You know, when your tour ends and you’re back in the States for good, we want to throw the two of you a big party,” Abby said. “How much longer do you have to serve? Does your tour end when Kevin’s does?”
“My tour—did y’all know it’s my second one?—is up in six months, so I’m sure I’ll be back here for a while. Then, if we’re still over there, I’m going to sign up for another stint,” Georgia said.
Gram looked shaken by that. Bree felt a little queasy, as well.
“You don’t think Kevin will stay in, do you?” Bree asked, her heart in her throat.
“We haven’t talked about it, but I imagine he will,” Georgia said blithely. “We’re needed there.”
Bree exchanged a look with her sisters, then reached over to give Gram’s hand a squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll give it careful thought before you make a final decision,” Bree said, resolving to have a heart-to-heart with her brother before he left town. Not that she didn’t admire his dedication to his job and his country, but it seemed to her that accepting another tour of duty when he didn’t have to would be sheer folly, especially when starting a new family. Then again, maybe she wasn’t giving him enough credit. Perhaps he’d change Georgia’s mind, convince her to settle here and begin the rest of their lives.
Despite Bree’s optimism that things would work out, Georgia’s revelation had managed to cast a pall over the lunch. Though everyone tried to remain upbeat, none of their hearts were in it. Eventually Abby stood up.
“Gram, why don’t I give you and Georgia a lift home. I need to pick up the girls.”
Gram joined her at once. “I believe that glass of champagne has gone to my head. I might need to lie down.”
Georgia came around the table to hug Bree and Jess. “Thank you so much. I just loved spending time with y’all.”
“We were glad to do it,” Bree said when Jess remained stubbornly silent.
As soon as they’d gone, Jess whirled on Bree. “Do you believe that? She wants Kevin to stay over there!”
“Kevin’s a grown man. He’ll make his own decision about what’s right for him,” Bree said.
“You want him to reenlist?”
“Absolutely not,” Bree said fiercely. “And I intend to tell him that the first chance I get, but I think I’ll hold off until Georgia’s left tomorrow. I certainly don’t want to start something that might upset either one of them.”
Jess nodded with obvious relief. “For a minute there I thought you’d lost your mind, too.”
“No,” Bree said grimly, then waited until her sister met her gaze. “But we can’t force him to make the decision we want him to make, okay?”
“Maybe not, but we can raise holy hell if he shows the slightest indication that he’s going back to that place after this tour ends,” Jess said fiercely. “I say we double-team him. No, quadruple-team him. Mick’ll be on our side. So will Gram.”
Bree lifted a brow. “And you know exactly what Kevin will do if we gang up on him.”
Jess sighed. “The exact opposite of what we want,” she admitted.
“Then let’s be smart,” Bree suggested. “I’ll talk to him on my own, see what he’s thinking. Then we’ll decide where to go from there.” She gave her sister a rueful look. “Maybe we’re getting worked up over nothing.”
“I guess you’re right,” Jess said with obvious reluctance. “I told you Kevin marrying that woman was a bad idea.”
“He doesn’t seem to think so,” Bree said. “Let’s keep that in mind.”
“When she said that about staying in, I wanted to scream,” Jess admitted. “I swear it took every ounce of willpower I possess not to cause a scene.”
“So glad you thought better of that,” Bree said dryly.
“Yeah, well, I wish I hadn’t.”
Bree gave her a hug. “Maybe you should stay away from Georgia, okay? For the sake of family harmony.”
“But there’s a big family dinner tonight to send her off,” Jess protested. “It’ll tick Kevin off if I don’t show up.”
“It’ll tick him off more if you and Georgia get into it.”
Jess grinned. “You have a point.”
“Love you, kid. I need to get back to work.”
“Hold on a sec,” Jess ordered. “Did Connie say how Jake reacted to the news that she was going to fill in for you?”
“We didn’t have time to discuss it. I took it as a good sign that she showed up.”
It would be an even better sign if Jake didn’t turn up before the end of the day to accuse her of taking advantage of his sister or to suggest that she stay the hell away from his employees.
Mick knew something was going on with his girls. Abby and Bree were being even more quiet than usual at dinner. Jess hadn’t even shown up, and his mother had barely said two words to Georgia all evening. Kevin was so wrapped up in his new bride, apparently he didn’t realize anything was amiss, but it was getting on Mick’s nerves.
When he couldn’t stand it another minute, he managed to catch Bree alone. “What happened at that lunch you all had this afternoon? And don’t even try to tell me it went just fine, because I have eyes in my head. You all are barely speaking to Georgia, or anyone else for that matter.”
“Sorry, Dad.”
“Don’t be sorry. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“Georgia mentioned that she plans to go back to Iraq on another tour if she’s needed there, and she wants Kevin to do the same thing.”
Mick stared at her, trying to absorb the news. Kevin wasn’t career military the way Georgia was. He’d been a paramedic who’d felt compelled to enlist with a war going on in Iraq. His original two-year stint had already been extended. In Mick’s opinion that was long enough to prove his dedication to his country.
“Kevin’s not going to buy into that idea,” he said with certainty. “He’s his own man. And you know yourself how persuasive he can be. He’ll convince Georgia that they belong back home.”
“I hope so,” Bree said,
“but he loves his wife. If she’s determined to go back, it seems likely he will, too. He’s certainly not going to want her over there alone.”
“Then we’ll talk him out of it,” Mick said. “I admire what he’s done. He’s been over there saving the lives of our men and women, but he has a life back here, too. I want him to have a chance to live it. I want the same for Georgia.”
“That’s what we all want. I think hearing Georgia’s plans really upset Gram, and Jess was so furious I talked her out of coming tonight. I wasn’t sure what she might do.”
Mick nodded. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure what I’ll do if I go back in there, so I think I’ll take a walk instead and give this some more thought. As mule-headed as your brother can be, I don’t want to say the wrong thing and have him dig in his heels just to spite me.”
“Amen to that. And Dad,” she said, looking him in the eye, “don’t make an issue of this while Georgia’s still here, okay? We don’t know for sure how Kevin feels about it. Let me talk to him after she’s gone and see what his plans are.”
Mick nodded reluctantly. “That makes sense. I’ll do my best to keep my opinion to myself till we know more.” He studied his daughter intently. “Is that the only thing weighing on you tonight?”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard there have been a couple of scenes with Jake recently. One at Brady’s and another at the pizza shop. Are you doing okay?”
She gave him a rueful look. “Word does get around, doesn’t it? Did the gossip also happen to mention that I caused one of the scenes? Jake was responsible for the other one. I suppose that makes us even.”
“But it obviously doesn’t make you happy,” Mick noted, seeing the sadness in her eyes.
She shrugged. “How could it? I love him, Dad.”
Mick looked startled by the admission, which wasn’t surprising given the way both she and Jake had been acting. “You sure about that?” he asked.
Bree nodded with certainty. “I just forgot that for a little while, made some really stupid mistakes, and now it may be too late.”
“It’s never too late,” Mick told her. “Not as long as you’re both available. Just look at your mother and me. We may not have gotten past all the obstacles yet, but we’re on the same path and we’re making progress. It’s made me hopeful.” He cupped her chin and winked at her. “You take heart from that, okay?”
Bree felt the ache in her chest ease. Maybe Mick was right. Maybe all wasn’t lost with Jake, after all.
19
J ake had reached his limit when it came to Bree. She was in his face every time he turned around. He had to deal with her because of her shop. Apparently he had to accept that she and his sister were suddenly bosom buddies again. And she was in his head 24/7. Something had to change.
Gathering his courage, he drove over to Flowers on Main at the end of the day, hoping to catch her alone. Instead, he walked in the door and found Jenny behind the counter. There was no sign of Bree. That annoyed him even more.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded irritably.
His niece beamed at him. “I work here,” she said excitedly. “Every day after school and every other Saturday. Isn’t that awesome? Bree’s the best boss ever. And she and Mom have been friends practically forever, so being here is not like work at all. She treats me like family. I’m saving up so I can buy a car once I get my regular driver’s license.”
“Forget it. You’re not getting a car,” he argued. “You’re barely seventeen. You don’t need a car. You can walk anywhere you need to go in this town.”
“You had a car when you were eighteen. Grandma told me.”
“I was working a summer job that required me to drive all over the place with a lawn mower and all sorts of other junk. I needed a truck. You get a job like that we’ll talk again.”
“I don’t think Mom’s going to be as mean about this as you are,” she said confidently.
Jake frowned at her. “Wanna bet? The point is, you don’t need to be saving up for a car now. If you behave and keep your grades up, I’ll buy you a car when the time comes,” he said. Anything to get her away from Bree. It was just one more thread binding them together. Each thread alone might be fragile, but together they were strong. And even when he was most exasperated with her, he couldn’t deny that she was still the woman he loved. That infuriated him most of all.
“I want to earn the money for my own car,” Jenny said with a level of maturity he’d had no idea she possessed. “It’ll mean more if I do.”
Since nothing else had worked—not his weak attempt at intimidation or an outright bribe—he said, “Does your mother know you’re doing this?”
A little of the glow in Jenny’s eyes dimmed at his harsh tone. “Of course she does. She set up the interview with Bree because I’d told her I thought it would be great to get to work here.”
Of course she had, Jake thought. It was just one more thing to get under his skin.
“Where’s Bree now?”
“She ran over to Sally’s to pick up a couple of croissants. She and I have tea every afternoon. Isn’t that cool? I’m brewing the tea right now. It’s Earl Grey today. You want some? I’ll share my croissant with you.”
The last thing Jake wanted to do was go to a damn tea party with his niece and his ex-girlfriend, fiancée, or whatever the heck Bree was. “I’ll pass,” he said tightly. “Just tell her I stopped by.”
“You should wait. She’ll be back any minute,” Jenny said.
“I don’t have time to wait.”
Jenny gave him a knowing look. “It’s true, isn’t it, what Mom told me?”
“I have no idea what your mother told you.”
“That you still have a thing for Bree but you’re too stubborn to admit it. I remember when you were crazy about her, you know. You’d go all mushy whenever she was in the room. You’re still doing it, even when she’s not around and you’re just talking about her. It’s in your eyes.”
God bless his sister, he thought sourly. “None of your business, or Connie’s for that matter.”
“But it is true,” Jenny said confidently. “It’s written all over your face.”
“I most certainly do not still have a thing for Bree,” he insisted. “She’s infuriating. She’s caused me no end of trouble. She’s made us both the subject of gossip more than once. I came over here to put a stop to it.”
Jenny didn’t look even remotely convinced by his declaration. In fact, she wore the very amused expression Connie usually had on her face when he was reciting the same facts to her.
“Give her my message, okay?” he said as he turned toward the door, just in time to come face-to-face with the woman in question.
Bree was standing outside, the bag of croissants in her hand and a look that spoke volumes on her face. She was clearly no happier to find him on the premises than he was about having a confrontation in front of his niece. He yanked open the door and stepped aside to let her in, all too aware of the light, intoxicating scent of her perfume as she passed.
“I was just leaving,” he muttered, not looking at her.
“He came to talk to you,” Jenny contradicted. “He never said what it was about.”
“Business,” he said hurriedly, “but it can wait. I’m late for another appointment.”
Bree looked skeptical. “If it’s business and it was important enough for you to drive over here, let’s discuss it now. Our tea can wait, and I’m sure whoever you’re seeing next won’t minding waiting an extra five minutes.”
Jake figured walking out now would only prove that he’d come here on another mission entirely. He seized a topic out of thin air. “It’s about costs. With gas going up, we’re going to have to start charging for deliveries. Or you can come to the nursery and pick up your order yourself.” He liked that one. She’d most likely be there when he was out on a job, which would cut their contact way down.
“How much?” Bree asked.
> For a second, gazing into her eyes, he’d lost track of what he’d said. “What?”
“The price for delivery. How much are you going to charge?”
Since he’d invented the increase on the spot, he had no idea. If he made up something outrageous just to scare her off, his other customers might get wind of it and panic. “Ten dollars to commercial customers,” he said eventually.
“Ten dollars?” she repeated, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “You came all the way over here to tell me you’re going to add ten dollars to the bill for delivery?”
“Yes.”
She regarded him with unmistakable disbelief, then nodded. “Okay, then. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. I’m surprised you didn’t do it sooner.”
“Yeah, well, we’re big believers in customer service. I kept hoping the gas prices would retreat.”
She set the bag of croissants on the counter and kept a skeptical gaze on him. “I don’t think you came over here to discuss a delivery charge at all.”
“Me, neither,” Jenny chimed in. “I think maybe I’ll go take a walk.” She looked to Bree. “Is that okay with you?”
Bree nodded.
Jenny bounced over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You’re a lousy liar,” she whispered in his ear before she took off.
Bree studied him. “What’d she say to put that guilty expression on your face?”
“That I’m a lousy liar,” he admitted, resigned to having the discussion he’d originally come over here to have. It was just as well. In another few minutes, he might have forgotten all about how angry he’d been at her.
“You’re a terrible liar,” Bree agreed. “What are you really doing here?”
Jake walked past her into the backroom. “You coming or not?” he asked irritably when she didn’t immediately follow.
“We can talk out here,” she said. Suddenly there was a nervous edge in her voice, as if she feared being alone in a cramped space with him.
“We could, but I’m not sure you want to risk the entire town seeing us.”
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