by Holly Jacobs
“Hank, tell her that she’s got the loudest smile ever.”
Hank’s paper went down and he nodded. “You do, Lil. Sometimes, when you come into the diner and are in the office, I can hear you smile all the way at the front counter.”
“Cut it out, you two.” She resumed reading her paper, totally aware that she was indeed smiling loud enough that they could hear her.
A few minutes later, Hank folded the sports section, rose and announced. “Red’s picking me up today.” The cook had been great about pitching in where Hank was concerned.
If Hank noticed that he was getting more rides and more offers from people to walk to and from work with him, he hadn’t commented.
“You coming in this afternoon?” Hank asked Sebastian.
“I have to finish painting at Lily’s, then I’ve got an appointment. Afterward, I’ll be in.”
Hank waved and left.
She and Sebastian sat quietly until they heard Red say something, then the front door close.
“He seemed good today,” Sebastian said. “It’s been better the last few days. Maybe the medicine is having an effect.”
Lily wanted to warn him that Hank wasn’t better. Mornings were always the best part of the day. By evening, Hank grew more tired and he slipped more often. They’d probably have to think about having Hank go into work only for the morning shifts.
She’d learned a long time ago not to live in the past, and now she was going to have to learn to not live in the future. Worrying about what might or would happen wouldn’t help anything.
“So what are your plans?” Sebastian asked.
“It’s Monday, so I’ll be at the doctor’s office. Oh, and I have to run out to see Miss Helen.”
“But afterward?” he pressed.
“I’ll be at the diner.” She speculated whether she was maybe spending too much time with Sebastian. She was already living under the same roof as him. Even working at the same place, too.
Honestly, though, when Sebastian left Valley Ridge, she’d miss him. And the wedding was only weeks away; he’d be gone soon. So she decided not to borrow trouble and worry about after the wedding when it actually happened. For now, she would enjoy and appreciate their time together. “What meeting do you have?”
He shrugged. “Mattie’s brother Ray wants to see me, then I promised Jay Markham I’d give him a hand with his ditch. It needs to be shoveled out.”
“You’re sure your arm’s up to it?” She’d noticed him massaging it.
“Probably not. It will probably ache like crazy tonight. I’ll probably require a bunch of medical attention.”
“Oh, will you?” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I happen to know this nurse who, while she’s not a physical therapist, might be convinced to give you a massage.”
* * *
SEBASTIAN COULDN’T HELP but replay what had happened at breakfast. He thought he was gaining ground with her and couldn’t wait to see her later. He noticed that when he wasn’t with her, he thought about her nonstop.
He went to Valley Ridge’s small mayor’s office. There was no staff to greet him, though there was an outer secretary’s office. Mayor Ray Keith hollered from the room right beyond it, “Seb, is that you? Come on in.”
Ray Keith was tall, with dark hair and a rugged complexion. He looked nothing like his sister, Mattie. While Ray was younger than Sebastian, he did remember him as a snotty-nosed kid who frequently tagged after Mattie and Bridget.
“Mayor Ray,” he said, shaking his hand. “Finn told you about the bachelor party?”
“Colton wants women there, too?” Ray’s expression said he doubted the wisdom of that decision.
“They call them Stag and Drags in Erie. Finn’s rented a huge party bus. It’ll leave from the library, then take us into Buffalo for wings and a night on the town.”
Ray sat down in his chair and waved Sebastian to the chair on the other side of the desk. He murmured, “You had me at wings.”
Sebastian took the seat. “But that’s not what you wanted to see me about?”
“No. Your name’s come up a lot lately.”
“How so?”
“You’ve fixed Lily’s flooded apartment?” Ray half stated, half asked.
“It’s my grandfather’s place, so sure I did.”
“Rumor has it that not only are you giving the Williams boy a job but you’ve single-handedly Paul Bunyaned a tree, as well as repaired various property. Not to mention helped Colton out at his place and kept Dylan from having to take serious action with respect to that Sturgis kid.”
“Sturgis?”
“Cameron. Cameron Sturgis, smasher of mailboxes.”
“Oh, Cam.” Sebastian felt uncomfortable, as if he’d bragged and been called out for it. He knew that was ridiculous. He hadn’t said a word to anyone, and honestly, why would he? “I’ve helped out a bit where I can.”
“More than that. You found a creative way to make Cameron own up to what he did, but you also made a difference for an older resident.”
“Cam felt guilty about it. I spoke to Dylan, and as long as Mrs. Esterly wasn’t pressing charges, he was fine with that as a solution.”
Ray leaned back in his overstuffed leather desk chair. “No, I wasn’t complaining. I’m here to ask something else from you.”
“You’ve got a ditch that needs digging out?” Sebastian asked. “Or a place that needs drywalled?”
“There’s going to be a vacancy on the town council. Stan Tuznik—”
“The former mayor?” He’d seen Mayor Tuznik near the school, sporting a bright orange vest and a stop sign.
“Yes.” Ray told him, “I tried to talk him into running for council, but he’s enjoying his retirement. He crosses the schoolkids a couple times a day and says that’s enough. I think he was worried about stepping on my toes, but I want to see Valley Ridge thrive. I want to keep everything that makes it special intact while making sure we don’t get left behind. The election’s this fall. We need a person who takes initiative, someone with their roots firmly planted in Valley Ridge. I know you weren’t planning to stay on after Colton’s wedding, but I heard about Hank—I’m very sorry for that—and figured you weren’t going anywhere now.”
Sebastian studied Mattie’s little brother. Here was a man who barely knew him. Someone he’d known as a kid but hadn’t had so much as a cup of coffee with since coming home. Sebastian had seen him at Colton’s picnic and a few other times around town, but that was it. And yet Ray knew without asking that Sebastian couldn’t leave his grandfather given the news. How could Lily not know that?
He was trying to be patient with her. Trying to ease her into the notion of him living here permanently, of them having more than a—what was the word Miss Webster had used?—tryst. Yes, he wanted to show her they were more than a tryst. But right now, he was glad she wasn’t around because he was pissed that Ray knew he’d stay, while Lily hadn’t.
“I’m staying,” he confirmed. “Though I have no idea what I’ll do.”
“I thought you’d take over the day-to-day at the diner.” Ray made it a statement, but there was a question hidden in it.
Sebastian hadn’t given much thought to an occasional shift at the diner. Work there full-time?
He liked working at the diner. He liked seeing old friends come in for a meal and a bit of companionship.
He liked working with Hank...and Lily.
He liked feeling as if he was a part of the town. More than that, part of the town’s hub.
He loved the marines. And he’d imagined he would find some sort of career after he retired from the corps. He had a business degree and that seemed a logical path. And yet, he couldn’t picture what kind of job would provide him with the same sort of satisfaction that he felt working at Hank’s.
No, Valley Ridge Diner didn’t require a suit and tie.
He would be a simple, ordinary guy going about his ordinary life, working at something he was good at and loved.
That was why Lily had moved to Valley Ridge. She’d made more money, steady money, nursing at the hospital in Buffalo. But here, she’d found home. She’d found a community she loved.
“Yes, if Hank’s amenable.” As he said the word, he thought of Lily, aka Webster, and some of his annoyance drained away. “I’ll probably work at the diner full-time.”
“And if you do, you’ll know everything about Valley Ridge, about the problems and the issues that will have to be dealt with. Which means you’d be a perfect addition to the council. You’d have your finger on the pulse of the town. Add that to your military ability to see a problem and address it. Well, you’d be a good fit.”
Government? Politics? “I’d never thought about anything like that.”
Ray leaned forward over the desk. “Well, I think you should. You’re a man who’s proven that you know what serving others means. You were a marine, serving your country.”
“That’s over now.” He still couldn’t quite believe that a stupid accident was keeping him from doing a job he loved—one he felt was important. But for the first time, he realized that leaving the corps when he did meant he was able to be here for Hank. “There’s no going back.”
Ray nodded. “No one should go back, but you can move forward. You could serve Valley Ridge now. We need you.”
Ray was handing him a chance to do something else important—a way to serve his community. “I’ll think about it.”
Ray stood and extended his hand. “That’s all I’m asking.”
Sebastian rose and shook hands with him. “Could you do me a favor and not mention this to anyone? And by anyone, I mean especially your sister. I haven’t told folks I’m staying yet.”
“I don’t think it will come as a surprise. We’re all sorry about Hank’s condition, and you should know that everyone will be keeping an eye on him for you.”
“To be honest, I know for a fact that not everyone’s realized I’m staying, and I’m not sure how a few people are going to take the news.”
“A sentence like that could only mean one thing—a woman.”
“I didn’t—” Sebastian started to protest.
“No, don’t. I’m not asking, and you don’t need to tell me. I find it best to stay out of all things that concern women. I’ve become the target of any number of matchmaking mothers since I became mayor. I’ve tried to tell them that mayor of a town as small as Valley Ridge isn’t all that impressive. But that doesn’t seem to dissuade them. Mainly I’m a farmer who does some community service.”
“And I’d be a business owner doing some community service?” he asked.
Ray smiled. “Exactly.”
“I’ll get back to you soon.” Sebastian had a feeling he knew what he’d decide, but he wasn’t ready to commit without really thinking it through.
He left Ray’s office and waved at Benjamin Michaels, who was sitting in front of the Volunteer Fire Department. He crossed the street diagonally and stopped in at Park Perks.
Mattie was behind the counter and grinned when she saw him enter. “Sebastian, how are things?”
“Great,” he answered. He was finally ready to move forward and had been handed a wonderful opportunity.
“What can I get you?” she asked.
“A double espresso.”
“Cream?” she asked. His expression must have given her an answer because she shook her head. “I forgot who was I was asking. Mr. Tough-as-Nails Marine.”
“Not that tough anymore.” And not a marine. The thought didn’t sting nearly as much as it once had.
“I think that someone who can face their challenges head-on is as tough as they come,” she said as she busied herself behind the counter.
“Thanks.” That was a lie. He’d railed against his accident, against fate, until Lily had shown him to look on the bright side.
“You’re welcome. Oh, and Finn booked a bus last night. He’s going to call you to see if we can get together and put the finishing touches on the Stag and Drag.”
“That sounds great.”
“He’ll call,” Mattie promised.
Sebastian waved goodbye. As he walked toward the diner, he sipped his espresso.
Mattie had said he was tough, but he knew that Lily was the true tough one.
He would like nothing better than to talk to someone about Ray’s offer.
And by someone he knew he meant Lily. Maybe that was a way to bridge the idea of staying in Valley Ridge? Obviously, they’d have to discuss it sooner rather than later.
And when she did find out he was settling down here, she’d kick him out of her life. But hey, just because she kicked didn’t mean he’d go.
When he got to the diner, Lily and Hank were in the office.
“I found more records in the basement, and Hank said to have at it. We agreed he didn’t need canceled checks from 1972. But in among the checks, I found a box of old photos. This one’s amazing.” She passed Sebastian a picture of Hank in a suit, next to a woman in a bridal dress...his grandmother. And another photo, this one of Sebastian in his dress blues. “You two could be twins.”
“I was telling Lily about the day Betty and I got married....”
Sebastian had heard the story before. His eyes were on Lily. She leaned close to his grandfather as she listened to the tale of the whirlwind wedding his grandmother had pulled off in a week’s time. “Just seven days from when I proposed to when I said I do. My buddies laughed and said she didn’t want to take a chance on me getting cold feet, but I knew the truth. Neither Betty nor I was willing to wait because we loved each other so much. So much so that being apart caused physical pain. I lost the best part of myself the day she died.”
Lily’s gaze met Sebastian’s, and he could see her unshed tears. Tears for Hank’s loss, but also tears for herself, possibly? Because she truly believed that she’d never be able to trust someone enough to marry him—enough to love him.
Yet, she was trusting him with her feelings. She was letting him see a side of her he doubted any man had ever seen. Which meant that no matter what she said, she...
Sebastian stared at her hard as she oohed along with his grandfather over another picture, and he knew he wanted more because...because he loved her.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LILY TOOK THE LAST of her dresser drawers out of Sebastian’s childhood room. When she first met him, that was how she’d thought of him, as the young boy from Hank’s stories. A good-natured scamp. That wasn’t the man she’d met that first day on the cliff.
Sebastian had grown from the boy in Hank’s stories into a man. A man who felt guilty and frustrated. A loyal man who loved his grandfather and friends. She thought she’d met Seb that day, but as time went on, she knew that she’d met Sebastian on that cliff overlooking the lake. And she’d shared this house with him.
Not only a house; she’d also shared his bed.
Now that she was moving back into her own apartment, she should think about calling things off. The wedding was only a few weeks away.
She’d planned on waiting until Sophie and Colton said I do, but her instincts told her it might be better to break things off sooner. There was a particular way Sebastian was watching her. It was a different sort of piercing look. No, maybe it was a knowing look. One that said he understood things about her that she wished he didn’t.
She’d kicked herself over and over for telling him about her past.
It had always been so easy to keep her past and present separate, other than her weekly calls to her mom.
But now that Sebastian knew, it felt as if her past was spilling into her present.
Yes, calling things off now rather than after the nuptials was probably the right plan.
She juggled the final drawer and went downstairs. “That’s the last of it?” Hank asked.
“It is. The new furniture’s all there and set up. I don’t know why I waited so long, Hank. I smile every time I walk into the apartment.” The couch, lamps, bed
and end table had been delivered yesterday, and she’d planned on sleeping there last night, but Sebastian convinced her to spend one more night at Hank’s...with him.
He’d made a broad hint that she should invite him to try out her new bed in her new place since he’d helped shop for it, but she’d ignored it. She didn’t want to make love to Sebastian in her new bed, in her apartment.
She wanted to keep those memories here and here alone. It seemed as if it would be easier to compartmentalize their relationship if she kept him separate from the rest of her life.
“Do you need any help?” Hank asked.
“No. I’ll drop this off, and then, if you’ll wait, I’ll go with you over to the diner.”
“I don’t need a babysitter!” The normally affable Hank exploded in a burst of anger that reminded her of Sebastian. Well, Sebastian the way he’d been when he first returned to Valley Ridge. Something in him had settled since then. Maybe talking about his guilt had helped.
She’d like to think her confiding her past had helped him, but she knew better.
Right now, though, she needed to soothe Hank. “No, you don’t need a babysitter. I was heading to the grocery store before my house calls. I need a couple things to tide me over until I can do a serious party-shop on Friday. You’re still coming?”
The outburst was forgotten, and he smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Give me a minute and we’ll be on our way,” she said as she left the drawer inside her apartment. She had to admit the space was beautiful. No longer cold and spare, the walls were bright, her furniture new and accented by a James Sabol print of the Brig Niagara that she’d bought years ago.
She’d dug around in her boxes and also found the hand-knotted glass fishing floats she’d purchased at an antiques store when she lived in Buffalo. On an end table was a small clear vase with the beach glass she’d collected.
A vintage area rug from MarVee’s, featuring the same rich blue and brown tones but also a myriad of other colors, completed the room.
The apartment practically defined comfort and a real sense of home.
She should be over the moon with excitement.