Kisses Between the Lines: An Echo Ridge Anthology (Echo Ridge Romance Book 2)

by Lucy McConnell

  It was now or never.

  Lindy lifted her hand to knock again but the door opened. Surprisingly, Armand was still in slacks and an open collar shirt, while she had jumped in the car in flannel lavender pajamas. In response to her, he leaned his arm high against the door jam, and smiled. “Interesting. I was just thinking of you.”

  “I bet you say that to all your personal assistants.” Her sales seminar façade didn’t fool him. Likely because she bit her lip to stop it from trembling. He leaned in closer, kissing her lips softly, a welcome assurance her presence was very much appreciated.

  Lindy put a hand unconvincingly on his chest to stop him.

  “Quelle?” he said.

  She smiled broadly. “I think I found a solution.”

  TO ANYONE WATCHING FROM the crowd, Lindy walked confidently to the podium, having done this more times than she could count. But inside, her stomach felt a mass of tangled nerves. Would this even work? The Friday Harvest Hurrah theme today was geared to the adults. Outside the Big Barn a small stage area had been erected for performances as well as fundraising and do-good speeches. The mayor had just presented Armand with a celebratory key to the city. Now Lindy’s plan was to capitalize on the promo opportunity.

  She leaned into the microphone. “Ladies and gentleman, thank you for your time today. Knowing the festivities, and especially the Weiner schnitzel waiting, I’ll keep it short.” Some applause from the back. “Tom, I know that was you.” Laughter rippled the crowd.

  “In honor of this marvelous and united fundraising effort for the library expansion…and, the presence of our adopted celebrity, Armand D. Beaumont— can you stand once more and give the obligatory wave, Armand?” In the front row of seats, he stood to a rousing applause of mostly women, who immediately turned to each other for comment. He wore a tan tailored suit that hugged his body in a classy, French James Bond way.

  Ooh la la, indeed.

  Focus.

  “The good news is, we are adding yet another way to enjoy Armand’s VIP book signing and reading tomorrow night. Which is, he has graciously permitted us to invite someone from our town to also participate in reading some of his work.”

  An audible gasp.

  “But as you know, that opportunity will not come cheap, because you know what being the incredibly lucky person to ‘open’ for Armand’s reading means? That’s right, a fundraiser.” An amiable groan erupted.

  Lindy smiled charmingly in her fitted navy blue suit and Jimmy Choo shoes. “Remember, it’s for a good cause, and highly affordable. Only a dollar per vote for the person. That is, for the person who will put down a mere hundred dollars for the opportunity to read passages of the mysterious, debonair, and definitely dashing Maximillian Dupont. Who will be that man?”

  A momentary pause and then she furrowed her brow. “Pastor Louis?”

  He waved his hand. “I just received birthday money from my great Aunt Winnie. I’ll put it in for the cause, my dear.”

  The crowd responded with a hearty laugh at the thought of Pastor Louis reading semi-violent detective passages. Lindy smiled. She had it on authority from Shennedy that Pastor Louis truly had a secret penchant for Armand’s books. Within minutes a few others entered the contest and a full-fledged fundraiser war had begun.

  To the closing applause, Lindy smiled and thanked the crowd and gave a meaningful look to Armand, heart-stoppingly handsome in the front row and who had yet to take his eyes off her. She gave him a conspiratorial wink.

  Round one, success.

  After a busy afternoon of helping Shennedy at the booth, Lindy headed for her car. During the remainder of the day and now into Friday evening there was still no sign of Armand. It was completely understandable. He had been mobbed, as she had predicted, and accepted the reality. A seemingly lonely night ahead. Just her and the decision to be made on whether or not to take the job. The question had plagued the back of her mind all day and still she couldn’t come to a clear resolution. Both sides did make sense in a certain light.

  Ugh. Why couldn’t she have stayed in bed one more week?

  A vibrating sound from her phone made her jump. She read Armand’s text, noticing how her fingers trembled.

  Mon cher, you know how I dislike the texting. But I try. For you.

  You have found a solution for me, I think.

  She swallowed— yes, she thought so too.

  Perhaps I have a solution for you. Do not make the decision yet.

  Please to meet me at the shop at 7 tonight for coq au vin, and a surprise pleasant.

  A solution? A pleasant surprise? Lindy tapped the phone to her chin. And he would be cooking for her too. A quiver of good feeling moved through her. Yes, indeed, something good would happen tonight. What exactly, she had no idea. But as Shennedy said, this time faith was a little more involved in her steps, and she put out her foot to take the next one.

  Lindy walked to the shop door only to have it quickly opened for her. Armand stood in designer jeans with a pale blue collared shirt that complimented his eyes and blond hair. The heady scent of woods and calm rivers came half a second after and Lindy secretly breathed it in.

  She stepped into the shop and after closing the door, he took her hand and kissed it. “I am beyond words happy to see you tonight, mon cher. Come.”

  Still holding her hand, they ascended the stairs. A marvelous aroma of what she guessed to be coq au vin reached her from his open doorway. Entering the room, Lindy involuntarily sighed.

  The studio table was set with a black runner and white plates. A tall glass held three yellow gerber daisies. Matching silver candle sticks from the antique shop were lit and waiting.

  He followed her eyes. “Do not worry, I paid Shennedy for the candlesticks.”

  Wait, Shennedy knew about this? Lindy shook her head. No wonder the text from her while driving home had said “gonna work later than planned at the booth, do dinner on your own.” With a wink emoticon.

  Not standing on ceremony, they chatted amiably as he served the meal. Her first taste of the chicken in a cooked wine sauce melted in her mouth and she almost sighed aloud. Accompanying it was an attempt at American salad with dressing that sat on a different plate, with a French baguette and savory kind of butter with bits of sea salt embedded in it.

  “Where did you get this butter, it’s divine? I may have found a thoroughly unbreakable addiction.”

  He smiled contentedly. “That is Sel de Mer, from my country. I carry some with me always.”

  His face held such a serious expression she laughed aloud. Together they talked, covering what had happened during the afternoon and the miscellaneous women intent on calling him their own.

  At last, she couldn’t stand it any longer. “So, you mentioned a pleasant surprise, even beyond this scrumptious dinner?”

  For the life of her, she couldn’t imagine what it could be. But her pulse quickened at the thought of anything presumably wonderful coming from Armand.

  He smiled and leaned forward, like a child guarding a fantastic secret. “I am not exactly sure how to share this, but I will try.”

  Lindy’s heart thumped furiously in her chest. What is it? What is it?

  “I want you to,” he leaned forward, “come work for me.”

  Wait. What?

  Lindy could feel her face fall and tried to recover. Too late. Armand reared back, searching her face. “First, let me explain.” He muttered a few words in French. “I am a fool. I knew I could not do this right.”

  He cleared his throat. “You know I fired my publicity…my person who he handles all email and the calendar and all that type of thing, no?”

  She nodded.

  “My publisher, he says yes, a replacement will come to me. But he has this girl, she is young, she is over many authors. I get no help, not really.” His words were coming quickly and he ran his hand through his tousled hair. “You are very talented with this area, I see. You could do wonderful things. This is your gift, to organize and improve
and make things happen well.”

  Lindy tilted her head, frowning. He saw her as a business asset? A dark feeling and the name Damon began to rise.

  Armand gazed at her and instinctively reached his hand across the table to gently take hers. “Mon cher, I need you to understand. What I say is this. You are looking for a job to make you happy, to use your many abilities, to feel excitement but still to have choices, no?” He glanced around awkwardly for a moment. “I think, also there is a possibility, you would like to spend time with me.”

  He waited.

  “It is a possibility.” She gave a small grin.

  Visibly relieved, he continued. “Can you see then, this possibility too? Your skills, I need them, and for you, this kind of job— travel as you like, stay here if you like, move where you like. You can schedule and send emails and all those things from anywhere. And if you choose” he paused “you could spend more time together, with me. I know what I ask— for you to step back into that place so painful to you. I know. That is why I ask carefully. But it would not need to be like it was for you before. This part would be just for the business.” He searched her face. “This part.”

  She paused to sound calm and clear. “Armand, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I’ve already experienced that. It didn’t work.”

  “But not with me, and that is different.”

  “It’s love and business, that’s never a good combination.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since Damon.”

  “Exactament.”

  She took a breath. “Look, we need to focus on first things first and that’s getting through tomorrow night successfully.”

  “No. First thing is for your decision on your life. Do not think about me. What is best for you? I think to myself, this is a great solution. You can work at Shennedy’s, you can do the antique shop, you can do this too, and from anywhere you like. It is perfect, the things you were saying to me, what kind of job you desire. So why would you not take it?”

  “Because I…Because— ”

  “Because why?”

  “Because of how I feel about you.” There, she had said it.

  A hopeful smile started on his lips. “Is this true?”

  Lindy flushed. Not exactly the discreet, hold-my-feelings-close kind of remark she had planned on. “I’ve been in exactly that position and you know what I said, how I feel about it.”

  “I do, I’ve thought of it a thousand times. And yet, each time, I come back to this— it is a good plan.”

  “Maybe.”

  He paused longer, choosing his words, finally reaching his other hand across to take hers. “What I’m saying is this to you. I care very deeply for you, Lindy Marrshan. And I cannot…” he swallowed and waited until a wave of emotion passed. “I cannot be happy thinking that you fly all the way back to L.A., to be with…to take a job so far away.” His voice got quieter. “And to spend that time with Damon.” A decision of whether to continue and then, “I think he is not good for you.”

  Lindy felt the warmth of his fingers caress hers, the blue of his eyes clear and open, and the coziness of the candlesticks and intimate setting.

  “You will think about it?”

  Oh, sure. Right along with Jed’s job offer and helping you not obliterate your career. You bet.

  “I’m too tired to think of anything right now.” She stood and he stood too. Walking to him, she reached her hand up and touched his cheek. Yes, he was a good man. And she knew it could be different with him than Damon. But is that where she wanted to go? “But yes, I will think on this. Tonight.”

  With a gentle kiss that he returned as softly, she left the studio apartment and drove to Shennedy’s, anticipating yet another sleepless night and looming need to make three life decisions.

  SATURDAY MORNING LINDY and Shennedy sat at the kitchen counter with a pot of herbal tea and Martha Jean’s apple streusel muffins between them. They recounted Friday’s events and the coming evening’s new dilemma.

  On the job front, she remained unsure of what to do but had texted Damon to assure him that the decision process continued to be a priority. As for Armand…she didn’t know whether to be mortified or flattered. But Lindy could feel his sincerity in her soul. And he proposed an obvious solution. Of course she could schedule his tours and publicity, and in all honesty, likely have a great time. But is that what she wanted, truly wanted?

  Lindy placed her hands around the tea cup. “The problem is, Shen, I don’t know what I want.”

  “Yes you do. You just won’t let yourself go there.” She broke off a piece of muffin. “But let’s just say for fun, that you don’t know. Start with what you definitely don’t want.”

  Lindy paused, made to speak, then stopped again. “I don’t want to go back to my old life as it was.”

  Whew. That was a revelation in the telling.

  Shennedy nodded. “And what does that mean?”

  She paused, feeling the answers in her soul. “That I don’t want to get back with Damon. And…and I honestly, truly, do not want the Harbeson job.” A laugh escaped her. “Can you believe I just said that? Me, Lindy-overachiever-Marchant?”

  Reaching for Lindy’s hand, Shennedy squeezed it quickly. “Well-said. And that was fairly painless. So now, with that clarity, what DO you want?”

  Lindy glanced around the room. “If you can believe, I want this feeling, here and at the shop. Maybe not being here physically, all the time, but what this means to me. Warmth, family, connection. To do something creative and that still has that to-the-wire-finish feeling. But not like it was. It’s got to have purpose. And that means someone to share it with that feels the same. I want…it’s nutty and makes no sense, not to my Type A wiring, but Shen, I really think I want a life with Armand. Is that crazy?”

  “Unfortunately, no. Though it has its own built-in drama, between two countries for a start.”

  “Exactly. But first, as much as I care about him, and find myself drawn to be with him, in the strangest way, like a comforting kind of thing— ”

  “Your point being…”

  “But even feeling that, feeling it stronger than I have in I don’t know how long, no matter what my soul feels then the logistics start. What would I do for long-term, how would it work being from two different cultures, where would we live— these basic, slightly important details.”

  Shennedy nodded. “I understand. But frankly, that’s way too many life-changing questions before he’s even proposed, for goodness sake. Let’s not skip steps. Start with what you know and then look for the open doors. Remember Pastor Louis said, ‘Expect change, and expect it to change you, but not in the way you expect.’ I had to run that around my mind a few times. The answers will come but maybe not in the way you think. Just keep looking.”

  “Ugh, I’m beyond tired of looking. The reality is, I need to tell Armand yes or no at a very near point— he leaves Sunday evening for his next tour stop. And I have no idea what to say.” She sighed and pulled out her cell phone. “Well, at least I know what to tell Damon this morning. May as well do it now.”

  She glanced at Shennedy who gave her a confirming nod. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she typed the words, hoping that he would understand, that he would feel her appreciation. And yet the reality that it wasn’t something she’d asked him to do and couldn’t now see herself doing.

  A few minutes later, Lindy’s phone buzzed.

  I don’t know what to say. I’m more disappointed than you can ever know. I’ll cover it with Jed. Just know I tried, Lindy. And if you ever feel the need to return to your L.A. roots, I’m here. Always.

  Lindy looked up. “Why couldn’t he have at least ranted a little, or had a tantrum. It would have made it easier to dislike him completely.”

  “Easy enough for me. And pretty complete.” Shennedy broke off another piece of muffin. “Now get your sorry backside in the shower and ready for the day and evening’s festivities. I hear tell it’s going to be a
night to remember.” She winked.

  Lindy fervently hoped so too. And ignored the worry knot tying itself inside her stomach. Tonight would need to answer more than one question and she prayed the answers would come.

  The afternoon’s Harvest Hurrah events had been a blur to Lindy. Each wave, smiling nod, and “How are you?” masked a growing unrest that this evening’s “solution” would work as planned. She and Armand had told no one and only hoped that all would work out ideally in the end.

  Lindy glanced at the full crowd, marveling at the work behind the scenes to produce such a result. The event itself was an obvious success. Throughout the day, both locals and travelers from downtown had flocked to Echo Ridge, enjoying the kielbasa and sauerkraut from the Oktoberfest.

  During the day as she had mingled with people and helped at the booth, Lindy instinctively sought out Armand, and he in kind. Each time, they would wink or discreetly touch hands to say all is well. And yet his concentrated, furrowed brow in unguarded moments, and the line of perspiration on his upper lip, told Lindy what she instinctively knew.

  In order to be an objective third party, Betty had volunteered to count the final votes for the winner of the “Reading Raffle.” Lindy found the irony in her personally praying that it was Pastor Louis. From their experience at the shop, it felt only fitting that he would understand and be moral support.

  Dusk settled over the fair. At the signing stand the backdrop reflected the country feel with a facsimile wooden barn wall consisting of three separate standing walls in a stage-like position. They were draped with electric lantern lights, hay bales arranged in various stacks, and a pioneer wagon behind his signing table that teemed with his latest book, Deception & Deliverance. Pockets of “authentic” pioneer paraphernalia— as Betty had assured her— sat in vignettes with lanterns holding real candles and bowls of hand-pulled taffy. Yes, they had thought of everything.

  Lindy gave a practiced gracious smile to the few ladies remaining in the book signing line. For the past two hours the line of mostly women had been long, so much so that Lindy had snagged the lemonade and pretzel vendor to do baseball-game kind of selling for a tasty distraction. Their devotion was impressive. Nothing deterred these women who were determined to see and talk with Armand.