Hometown Hope: A Small Town Romance Anthology

by Zoe York

  She went from having her mom drive her to gymnastics, help her with her homework, and laugh with her over Girl Meets World, to listening to her mother tell her she needed a life of her own, then walk out the door.

  I swear, if I ever saw Julie again, I’d kill her for those words alone.

  My wife and I had never been over the moon in love with each other, but we’d shared a healthy relationship, love for our daughter, and what I’d thought had been an unbreakable support for one another.

  Her leaving had totally blindsided me.

  I was placing a plate of cut-up apples and a spoonful of peanut butter on a plate in front of Kayla when my cell phone started to ring.

  When I looked at the unknown number, my heart clenched like it always did when I wondered if this was the day Julie was going to reach out.

  There’s no way she would actually leave her daughter and never look back, right? I mean, me, I could get, but Kayla? I’d never understand it.

  “Uh, hello,” I managed, becoming embarrassed at the nerves in my tone. I saw Kayla glance up from her sheet, and my heart sank at the look of hope on her face.

  “Hello, is this Jackson?” a light, sweet voice asked, and I let out a sigh of relief.

  It was Millie, from the catering place.

  “It is,” I replied, unable to keep the smile off of my face.

  “Hey, this is Millie, from Three Sisters Catering.”

  “It’s great to hear from you, Millie,” I replied, and dammit, it really was. I hadn’t been this excited to talk to a girl on the phone since high school.

  I could tell she didn’t know how to respond, because I heard a nervous laugh, then she said, “I’m, ah, calling to let you know that we’re all set for Saturday. I’ll plan to arrive at two to set up and be ready to serve from three to four. Are there any allergies or dislikes I need to know about?”

  “Um, no, I don’t think so,” I replied, then added, “Thank you so much. I know it was last minute, and not something you would normally even do. You’re really saving me here. I can’t thank you enough.”

  “It’s no problem,” Millie replied, before pausing and saying, “I’ll contact you if I have any questions, but I think you covered it all on the sheet. I’ll see you Saturday.”

  “I can’t wait,” I said, truthfully.

  “Goodbye, Jackson.”

  “Goodbye. And, thanks again.”

  I pressed the end button, still smiling, then glanced up to see Kayla watching me with an odd expression.

  “Who was that?” she asked, her tone surprisingly surly.

  “That was your good news,” I replied, ignoring her tone and crossing to lean over the table, stopping when my face was inches from hers. “You’re not going to believe it.”

  “What?” Kayla asked, her tone still wary, but her face starting to react to my excitement.

  “That was the catering company that’s going to be here to put on the best tea party ever, for my favorite daughter’s birthday.”

  “Really?” she squealed, all surliness gone.

  “Really, really.”

  Kayla jumped up and rounded the table to jump into my waiting arms.

  “Thanks, Daddy,” she murmured, and my heart filled with joy.

  “Anything for my baby girl,” I replied, bending slightly to drop a kiss on the top of her head.

  Kayla pulled back and grinned up at me.

  “I can’t wait to tell everyone. A sleepover and a tea party? This is going to be the best birthday ever!”

  I chuckled as she practically danced back to her seat.

  “Can I call them?” she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.

  I just smiled and gave my head a small shake.

  “After homework.”

  “Boo,” Kayla replied, but she was still beaming.

  I went back to my dinner prep, my heart light as I watched my daughter go back to her homework with a smile on her face, and I sent a silent thanks to Millie, the sweet and sexy chef who’d unwittingly saved the day.

  Millie

  I may have gone a little overboard, but once I’d started thinking about different tea party ideas, I couldn’t help but want to make it a birthday this little girl would never forget.

  I’d chosen a delicate tea set with pretty pink rosebuds, lots of pretty pastel decorations, and flowers. Tons of flowers.

  Colorful macaroons, sweet little sandwiches, and tiers of cupcakes, coupled with strawberry punch, lots of fun candies, and cut outs for a photo booth, all teamed together to make a nine-year old’s birthday dream a reality.

  My sisters and I had loved playing dress up as girls, and being in the kitchen had always been my passion, so it hadn’t been hard to tap into my inner child when deciding what to do for Kayla.

  I just hope she likes it.

  I was getting out of my 4Runner and heading to open the back when the front door opened and Jackson came out of the house and jogged toward me.

  I don’t know why, but I found him jogging toward me in loose jeans and bare feet strangely sexy.

  “Hey, hi, how are you?” Jackson asked as he approached, causing me to smile up at him.

  “Great, how are you?” I countered as I opened the back and bent to pull out a container.

  “Let me help,” he said, suddenly right behind me. His breath hit my neck and I barely suppressed a shudder. “I’m great as well. So excited that you’re here … er … that you could do this party for K.”

  “I’m happy we could fit it in. I had a lot of fun putting it together,” I admitted. “I hope she loves it.”

  He grabbed a couple containers out of the back and gave me a sincere grin.

  “I’m sure she will.”

  I let him lead the way into the sweet little ranch-style house. It had an open floorplan, with the large living room leading into the kitchen and eat-in dining area. The style was comfortable, but contemporary. It definitely had a woman’s touch.

  “You can use anything you’d like. I figured we’d set up the table for the tea party, but that’s about as far as I got.”

  “Don’t worry, I brought everything,” I assured him, then went back out for another load, with Jackson hot on my heels.

  “So, how have you been?” Jackson asked, and I could swear he sounded as nervous as I felt.

  “Great. Busy. We have a total of five events this weekend, including yours, so I spent most of my night, and morning, in the kitchen.”

  “Wow,” he said, catching my eyes with his as he lifted the box full of china. “I hope I didn’t make things more difficult. Sorry about the last-minute request.”

  “Careful,” I warned, then gave him a warm smile. “It’s no problem, really. I usually stay in the kitchen, chained to the stove,” I chuckled softly. “My twin sister, Dru, she’s the event planner and decorating queen, while our younger sister, Tasha, is the brains behind the business. She’s our business manager and accountant. They are really the faces of the company. Scheduling, planning, and executing events. I’m much happier planning the menus and making the food. This is actually the first event that I’ve headed up myself.”

  “Well, thanks, really. I’m sorry to give you more work, but I’m extremely grateful that you agreed to help.”

  Jackson’s smile was so sincere that I felt my heart swell as my stomach did a nervous little dance.

  “It’s my pleasure,” I replied, feeling my cheeks warm as I took out the last few bags and shut the door. “Those must be getting heavy,” I added, indicating the china and hoping to get the attention off of myself and get to work. I hated being the center of attention, and appreciated the fact that my sisters were happy to take the spotlight off of me and allow me to hide in my kitchen.

  We got everything inside and put on the counter, then Jackson said he was going to go check on Kayla, and I got started.

  First, I laid out a pastel-pink table cloth and covered it with a white lace runner, then I set up my serving platters and display racks. I cov
ered the chairs with matching pink covers, then tied a large white bow to the back of each.

  When Jackson walked back into the room, I was strategically placing the vases of flowers that I’d pre-arranged around his dining area.

  “How long was I gone?” Jackson asked, his head swiveling around comically.

  I laughed and said, “I’m used to working fast.”

  “Do you need any help?” he asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

  “Yeah, could you take all of the candy necklaces out of the wrapping and hang them on that jewelry holder?”

  While Jackson began opening the plastic bags, I crossed to my bakery boxes and began organizing the goodies on the table.

  “So, Millie,” Jackson began, causing me to look up from my macaroon placement. “I was wondering if you’re … taken, and if not, do you think you might want to go out sometime … with me?”

  I blinked slowly as the blood rushed through my body, but as I opened my mouth to speak a squeal came from the hallway.

  “Oh. My. Goodness.”

  A pretty little girl, with long wavy hair and a huge smile, stood there with her hands up in the air. She was already dressed for her party in a pretty pink dress that matched my decorations perfectly.

  I gave myself a mental high five, then watched as Jackson smiled beautifully at his daughter as he crossed the room and lifted her in his arms.

  “Do you like it?” he asked, laughing as she threw her arms around his neck.

  “I love it, Daddy!” she cried, and I felt the back of my eyes burn.

  Jackson put her back on her feet and she ran over to where I was finishing up the table.

  Kayla placed her hand on the lace and ran her hand over it reverently, then looked up at me with her father’s smile and asked, “Did you do this?”

  I nodded and replied, “Guilty,” then gasped when the little girl crashed into me and hugged my waist.

  Jackson

  The next couple hours were a whirlwind of giggles, tiny sandwiches, and enough sugar to ensure that I was in for a long night.

  Millie was amazing.

  Not only were her decorations on point, and her food delicious, she’d kept the girls entertained and had successfully given my little girl the party of her dreams. I hadn’t seen Kayla smile this much since her mother left, and I was eternally grateful to Millie for that.

  If I hadn’t already planned on asking Millie out, and I guess I sort of had, even though we’d been interrupted, I definitely would have wanted to take her out after seeing her interact with my daughter and her five boisterous friends.

  Now the tea party was over, and the girls had all escaped to the backyard to jump on the trampoline while Millie and I cleaned up.

  She was currently boxing up the props she’d used for the tea party photo booth, while I was slyly popping leftover macaroons in my mouth.

  “I saw that,” Millie said with a chuckle.

  I turned, mouth full and a sheepish look on my face, to see her holding the sunglasses prop over her eyes and waggling her eyebrows.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled, covering my mouth with my hand so I wouldn’t show her my food. “I couldn’t resist.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” she replied, dropping the glasses in the box. “I take it as a compliment.”

  Once I swallowed, I said, “And you should. Everything was amazing. Really, I can’t thank you enough. K had a blast.”

  “I did too,” Millie responded with a sweet smile. “I didn’t realize how much fun I was missing out on by always being in the kitchen. I’ll have to talk to Dru and Tasha about helping out more.”

  “You’re a natural.”

  “Thanks,” she said, her cheeks turning pink, and I could tell she was uncomfortable with praise. Millie pointed at the leftover food and changed the subject. “Do you have Tupperware containers you want that in, or do you want me to leave the boxes?”

  “I have something, just a sec.”

  I rounded the island in my kitchen and crouched down to get to my containers, while mentally prepping myself to re-approach the question I’d asked earlier. I understood her not wanting to answer in front of the girls, but I was dying to know if she’d go out with me, and I was slightly terrified to ask again.

  I’d barely worked up the courage to ask her out once, the thought of doing it again had my palms sweating.

  “Here we are,” I said as I popped up and placed the assorted rectangles on the counter.

  “Perfect,” Millie replied, crossing the room with the dishes of leftovers.

  I cleared my throat as she started placing the items in the containers, but when I raised my head to pose my question again, Millie beat me to it.

  “About what you asked earlier,” she began, her head bent as if she were laser focused on boxing up leftovers. “I just don’t know if it’s a good idea…”

  My stomach dropped as disappointment filtered through me.

  “Oh,” I began, unsure how to respond.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to go out with you,” Millie said in a rush, her eyes coming up to find mine, so I could see the sincerity in her gaze. “I do. I mean, we only just met, but I like you, Jackson.”

  “Then why?” I asked, confused by her contradicting words.

  The she glanced down at my left hand, and I dropped my head to see what she was looking at.

  My wedding ring.

  I wanted to slap myself in the head and apologize for being so obtuse. I honestly hadn’t thought about the ring once over the last year, but how did I get Millie to believe I wasn’t holding some torch for Julie?

  “Have you ever worn a piece of jewelry for ten years and just sort of gotten used to it being there? Like I assume it is with earrings?” I asked, not really expecting her to answer, just hoping she’d understand. “I haven’t lied to you.”

  “I know that,” Millie replied quickly, her hand reaching out to cover mine. “I believe that you’re separated, but I couldn’t help notice that you still wear your ring. Plus, you share a beautiful daughter with the woman that you’re still married to.”

  “Yes, it’s complicated, but I promise you, it’s over. I’m not waiting for her to come back and pick up where we left off. Hell, there’s no way I’d take her back even if she wanted me to,” I explained, hoping Millie could hear the sincerity in my voice.

  Millie nodded, and as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, I could tell she was still on the fence, which gave me hope. It meant she didn’t want to say no.

  “What if we just met for coffee?” I suggested. “We can take things slow … get to know each other.”

  I held my breath as I waited for her to reply. I could almost see the argument going on in her head, and I hoped that I came out on top.

  Finally, Millie patted my hand before taking hers back, then smiled softly and said, “I’d like that.”

  Not even bothering to hold back, I grinned broadly and clapped my hands together once.

  “Fantastic.”

  I helped Millie load the decorations and tea set into her 4Runner, then walked her to the door and held it open as she got into the driver’s seat.

  “I’ll call you to set up coffee,” I said before shutting the door.

  The desire to kiss her was great, but since I’d just promised to take it slow, I figured it was best to keep that desire in check.

  “I look forward to it,” Millie replied, then I shut the door and stood there as she drove away.

  After she was out of sight, I looked down and twisted the gold band on my finger, then pulled it off and held it in the palm of my hand. It looked like it was time for me to pay more attention to the things I was holding on to, and start packing them away.

  Also, it was time for me to find my wife.

  Millie

  “So, how’d it go with Mr. Adorable Dimples?” Tasha asked as we stretched out. We were off Mondays and that’s when we got together with our adult recreation soccer league. The thr
ee of us had been playing soccer since we could walk, and enjoyed getting out and playing whenever we could.

  Which wasn’t as much as we’d like, now that business was booming.

  “I already told Dru the whole story last night …It was good,” I said vaguely, hiding my smirk when Tasha started to pout.

  “Well, I was working last night so I missed the girl talk. You can’t hold that against me, Mills, I was bringing home the bacon,” Tasha complained as she crouched down.

  “Fine,” I said with mock exasperation,” I’ll give you the cliff notes.”

  Tasha kept her eyes on me as she waited expectantly. She’d recently cut off her long black hair that had matched mine and Dru’s in length into a cute bob, and dyed it a bright red. It totally suited her.

  “The party was great, fantastic even. I had a blast decorating, and the girls loved it. I took pictures to show you guys, and for the website,” I began, but Tasha waved her hand, encouraging me to get to the good stuff. “Jackson asked me out,” I said with a shrug, then teased her by saying, “But, I said no.”

  “Wha?” Tasha cried, standing and putting her hands on her hips. “Why’d you do that? I thought he was your diary dream man. At least, that’s what Dru said.”

  I raised my eyebrow at my twin, who just stuck out her tongue at me and continued stretching her quads.

  “He’s also married, and still wears his wedding ring,” I replied, then sighed and added, “But, he assured me that the marriage is very much over, the ring was just an oversight, and we’re going to meet up for coffee this week. So, not a date, just coffee.”

  “A coffee date,” Dru said with a grin.

  “Shut up,” I replied, but couldn’t hold back my answering smile. “I don’t know, you guys, he scares me.”

  “Why?” Tasha asked. “Because you’ve been so focused on the business, and before that, Mom, that you haven’t met a man for coffee, let alone had one between your legs, since you and Dru were at USC?”