And Ms. Romano couldn’t fault the idea of a Virginia suburb for Danny, which would offer everything from the finest schools to easy access to museums and stadiums for catching a ball game together.
Someone called out Natalie’s name. She waved and yelled out a greeting before returning her attention back to him. “That’s still twelve months away.”
“It might hurt him more in the long run to form a deep attachment to Hollydale and then leave.”
“His therapist says this is a crucial time for him. He needs a support system.”
Support systems could let a person down. He knew that too well. His father had remarried after his mother’s death. Shelby’s mom, Cathy, had possessed the same ability as Natalie to make friends at first sight, the rare exception being his young self, who’d chafed at someone taking his mother’s place. As soon as Shelby came along, it was easier for Cathy to devote herself to her baby than a sullen kid. It was sometimes hard to believe they were all gone, as his father and Cathy had died in a car accident the summer before Shelby started college.
“Fort Lewis will provide that, too.” He glanced at her, the wrong thing to do with the slight breeze ruffling her pretty sundress.
“Hollydale is already providing that. Name me one aspect of the town you’ve noticed since leaving Penelope’s office.”
“The sign explained how hollyhocks are the reason behind Hollydale’s name, the historic post office, four cars in the parking lot next to the coffeehouse, an SUV in the drive-through at the utilities office, and four parents and toddlers entering the library indicating some sort of story time hour.”
“I’m impressed. Sometime I’ll tell you about Deb, who owns the coffeehouse, and Kate, the new librarian.” She widened her smile, one crooked incisor only adding to her charm. “It’s hard to believe I’ve only just met you. I’ve heard so much about you from Shelby over the years that it seems as though we’re old friends.”
Yet their paths had never crossed. Something always came up. A military assignment on his part, a family emergency on hers. The kicker was that the one thing that had finally brought them together also caused each of their worlds to turn upside down.
“Natalie! Wait a second!” A woman’s voice heralded from the front porch of a yellow Victorian, and he and Natalie came to a stop.
The woman ran toward them. Natalie met the blonde halfway, embracing her before grasping her hand and pulling her to the sidewalk where he stood. “I want to introduce you to someone.”
Natalie resumed her place by his side, and it was almost as if she already belonged there. “Lucie Spindler, meet Major Aidan Murphy, Danny’s uncle.”
Lucie extended her hand, her firm grip lasting but a second. “My twins, Mattie and Ethan, want to know if Danny can come over next week for a playdate. You’re more than welcome to tag along, Major Murphy.”
“I should warn you about her miniature pigs, Fred and Ethel. They stole the limelight at her wedding.” Natalie squeezed his arm, and he couldn’t help but wonder why he was drawn to her. She didn’t fit in with his schedule or his plans for Danny. “Ethel tends to flirt with attractive men.”
Natalie finds me attractive?
Lucie stepped back and waved. “I have to run. Call me and we’ll schedule that playdate. Glad you’ve finally arrived in Hollydale, Major Murphy.”
“Call me Aidan, and Danny might…” He stopped when he found himself addressing Lucie’s back. Not for the first time in Hollydale, he claimed a deep breath and recovered his bearings, the bed-and-breakfast his destination for now.
Natalie fell back into step alongside him. “She’s right, you know.”
“About what?” Only a block to go.
“It’s about time that you arrived in Hollydale.” She gave him a curt nod and walked on.
She was no longer next to him, but he refused to feel sorry she was no longer there. Best not to go down a path he had no intention of traveling. Once he left the military and began private security work, he’d find someone on his timeline, someone more practical, whose hair wasn’t the color of rubies. “We’re almost at the Eight Gables,” she called out. “There’s an area in Reception where we can talk uninterrupted about Danny.”
Within five minutes of first arriving at his temporary lodgings, he’d scoped out all the entrances and exits and uncovered every nook. Though he wasn’t wearing his uniform at the time, it didn’t make him any less aware of his environment. Even now, he could identify the five adults, two Labrador retrievers and one stroller with an infant in a police lineup.
They arrived at the bed-and-breakfast, the cream exterior showing signs of recent painting. According to the information on its website, the farmhouse traced its origins back to early last century, when it was a hotel for temporary timber workers, and the eight gables gave it its name. The side porch featured two rocking chairs, both of which were occupied by an older couple with an equally ancient mutt at their feet. Even in the daylight, the porch lanterns glowed a golden beam, beckoning tourists and locals alike for afternoon tea, which the owners included in their lodging fee. He hadn’t come to Hollydale, however, for tea.
Natalie bounded up the steps with him as if this were a new adventure rather than likely a serious discussion with consequences for all of them. “I hope we’re in time for tea. Ginny’s lemon squares are legendary.”
He drew in a deep breath. “Life isn’t all bunting and lemon squares, Miss Harrison.”
“There’s never anything wrong with making each day special, Aidan.” She stressed his first name as he opened the front door for her, shooting him a look that said they were well past formal last names. “Life is too short to do anything else.”
He gave a clipped nod as she passed. Anything so she wouldn’t guess the turmoil within him. Going against Shelby’s last wishes. Finding a nephew who was undergoing counseling with a therapy dog. Fighting an attraction to a woman who took a different approach to life. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
Approaching the registration desk, he wondered if he was doing this backward. Informing Lieutenant Colonel Thrasher should have come first, but with Natalie watching from a few feet away, firming up his itinerary gained priority. Extending his reservation would settle his nerves.
Aidan rang the bell and waited. He tapped his loafer impatiently against the cherry hardwood. Once he extended his stay past Monday, he’d start acclimating Danny to a new routine. It seemed like he was forgetting something, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what.
A light touch at his wrist proved Natalie could walk with stealth when she needed to. “There’s something you should know.”
He heard footsteps rushing along the corridor, and Ginny hurried over to the desk. “Major Murphy. So good to see you. Is everything satisfactory with your room?” The owner, who was most likely in her sixties, beamed as she wiped her hands on the lacy apron covering her linen pantsuit.
“I need to extend my visit. One more week ought to do it.” Pressure increased on his wrist, but he kept himself from looking at Natalie, knowing there might be a frown or other disapproving look on her sweet face. If she thought he was going to draw this out, however…
“I’m very sorry, but we’re totally booked. I have your reservation confirmed until Monday, but you’ll have to make other arrangements after that.” The owner tilted her head and lowered her eyebrows along with a sympathetic smile. “Your original call came on the heels of a last-minute cancellation. Because of the circumstances with your sister and nephew—” her lips turned into a sad semblance of a frown “—I bumped you ahead of the people on the waiting list.”
Natalie almost cut off the circulation in his right wrist, and she jerked her free thumb toward the porch. “I think I might have the solution.”
He’d seen her small cottage. While her sofa invited a person to settle in with a good football game and maybe a
bottle of beer, it would make for poor sleeping. Still, he followed her outside, organizing a polite rejection speech for whatever she suggested.
“Before you say no, hear me out.” Her voice contained the smile he already associated with her.
“What made you think I was about to say no?”
She laughed and pushed back her wavy hair. “Your shoulders, your eyes, the way you’re leaning against the siding with your jaw clenched.”
Moving away from the building, he tried to relax, but his shoulders refused to cooperate. Good thing, given how she already read him better than most new recruits. “While sleeping in the same room as Danny or on your sofa would facilitate getting to know him more quickly, I’ll find other lodgings.”
“People make reservations around here weeks or months in advance. Summer’s a popular season, much to my brother’s chagrin but my sister-in-law’s delight.” She must have seen the look of confusion he couldn’t hold back. “My brother is the sheriff, and Georgie is a mechanic. More people bring more trouble, and more tourists need Georgie’s services. Still, I have another place in mind.”
“What’s your suggestion?”
“Shelby’s house.”
* * *
NATALIE PULLED INTO her driveway, only too aware of the man driving the rental car behind her. Somehow, she had to convince him she was the best thing for Danny.
Which she was. He just didn’t know it yet.
Too often she caught people off guard. They assumed she was flighty simply because she liked to see the good in folks and the world around her. Francisco was one of the rare ones. From the moment they met, they laughed and bolstered each other’s strengths. She reached up and touched the pendant on her necklace for encouragement. At least time allowed her to smile at his memory now.
She was confident that someday she’d be able to say the same about losing her best friend.
From the parked car, she tried to see Shelby’s house through Aidan’s eyes. Since it was next door to hers, she mowed both lawns at the same time. Even though the yard was in tip-top shape, the house looked forlorn, she admitted, lost somehow without a family of its own. She exited her SUV at the same time he emerged from his rental. He strode toward her.
“I thought you were going to drive me to Shelby’s house.” He reeled off an address, and Natalie shook her head.
“That’s her business address downtown.” Natalie pointed at the blue craftsman, and they walked over to it together. “This was her residence. She used the small insurance policy your mom left behind to make a dent in the purchase price of the business and the rest for the down payment and a year’s worth of mortgage payments. Originally, she considered living above the café, but she wanted Danny to have a yard. I think she really wanted her own room and didn’t like the idea of sleeping on the couch.”
Rummaging through her purse, Natalie shoved aside a couple of granola bars, Danny’s favorite Matchbox car and some pencil grippers until she found the spare set of keys Shelby had foisted upon her. She unlocked the door and stood back, but Aidan remained rooted on the porch.
“What happened to the café?”
Natalie removed the key from the door and handed it to him. “The space is empty at the moment.” She paused, remembering how excited Shelby had been when she’d come up with the name for it. “In fact, it never got going. You have the financial authority, according to Mr. Mahoney. I have no control over that.” She held up her hand and cut him off before he defended himself. “I know. You were off the grid or it went to spam. Your sister set everything up to give herself one year to make the business work.”
Shelby had loved to plan while Natalie often flew by the seat of her pants, something they had oddly bonded over. Shelby had been shocked when she found herself with two blue lines on a pregnancy test, but she never looked back, working hard to provide a loving home for her son.
“The place looks well-maintained. Thank you.”
“I asked Danny if living so close by was okay with him and he insisted it was. He said it kept him close to his mom.” And she’d been trying to coax Danny back to life ever since, a hard enough proposition. “The utilities are off, but it’s still daylight, so you should be able to see.”
“I’ll contact a Realtor before I leave town.”
“Or you can keep it and stay here whenever you visit your nephew.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.
“Hear me out. This town is great for Danny.”
“I beg to differ. Fort Lewis has many strong attributes.”
“Talk to your commanding officer, then stay here to see why this would work so well for Danny. Hollydale may be small, but this close to the Great Smoky Mountains, there are so many opportunities for you to get to know Danny better. Hiking, the Fourth of July festivities, you name it.” Natalie escorted Aidan inside.
Even with the passage of three months, it still seemed hard to believe Shelby wouldn’t emerge from the kitchen or the back of the house. Since Shelby’s passing, Natalie had brought Danny over whenever he wanted a toy he’d left behind or to pick up a special T-shirt or other item he wanted. Shelby’s home no longer smelled like cinnamon and little boy. Mustiness now tinged the air, and a fine layer of dust coated the coffee table.
Aidan made a beeline for the mantel, and her stomach twisted at witnessing his getting acquainted with his sister’s memory.
He traced his finger over the bright pink photo frame. “She displayed this here? My father snapped this picture. It was the first time I held her when she was only a few hours old.” Then he moved to the next photo and picked up the wooden frame decorated with green camo. “This was the day I graduated from boot camp. She and my dad and Cathy traveled all the way from Cincinnati.”
Natalie crept closer, the thick carpet muffling the sound of her cowboy boots. “She was proud of her big brother. I didn’t know you called your mother Cathy. Shelby always called her Mom, of course.”
“Cathy was my stepmother.” His shoulders stiffened as he placed the frame back in its spot. “Shelby and I are half siblings.”
In all the time she’d known Shelby, not once had her friend ever said anything about that. Shelby always referred to him as her brother. Always. Even though she hadn’t known him long, his cracked voice let on how much seeing all this affected him. From the way his shoulders were hunched over now, it became clear he wanted some time alone. She backed away.
“I’ll be next door if you need me.” She winced. From everything Shelby told her, Aidan only let a few people into his inner circle, choosing not to depend on many folks. His loss.
However, for Danny’s sake, she was glad he had found a way to let Danny into his life. The catch was convincing Aidan to maintain everything the way it was.
“I’d like to spend some time with Danny later today.” Aidan kept his back to her, his tone low.
“Of course. What should the three of us do together? Go to the splash fountains? Have lunch at the Holly Days Diner? Want to kayak on Timber River?”
He turned around, stoniness reflected in his gray gaze. “Just Danny and myself.”
Aidan didn’t add anything further. He didn’t have to. The tilt to his chin, the stiff manner of his shoulders, everything indicated he believed Danny would board the plane with him eventually.
She couldn’t let that happen. Shelby wanted her son to grow up in Hollydale, and Natalie intended to follow through with her friend’s decision.
Still, Danny did need time with his uncle. “He doesn’t know you, and you don’t know him yet. You need me as a go-between. Everything doesn’t have to happen at once. Danny’s just now sleeping through the night again.”
“He knows me from visits and phone calls.”
“None of which have been a factor in his life since his mother died. How about meeting us at the park around noon? Give m
e your phone for a second, please.” She programmed her number into his cell. “Text me later so I have your number, too. If you take him to lunch, I’ll work on the float and be close by if you need me. A compromise of sorts.”
“Eleven works for me.”
“Eleven thirty it is.” Natalie sent a smile his way and closed the door behind her.
Maybe she was worrying over nothing. Maybe Aidan would come around to the idea that Danny needed them and they needed Danny, in Hollydale. She intended to keep everything the way it was.
Except, she’d add more laughter. Both Murphy men needed more of that in their lives.
CHAPTER FIVE
NATALIE SWUNG THE huge duffel bag full of supplies onto the picnic table. This was the type of day she loved. Some late morning runners sprinted along the paths, and the mountain air held a kiss of summer without the melting heat. Pink and purple petunias lined the path, bright colors heralding her favorite season. Danny hovered nearby, a scowl taking the place of the sad expression she’d seen too often over the past three months.
“Stay here,” she cautioned, before running back to her SUV and unloading the chicken wire from her trunk.
The wire didn’t weigh that much, but its unwieldy bulk made it difficult to carry. A car door slammed and footfalls on the pavement made her pause. Aidan reached for the rolled-up wire and handled it with ease, carrying it the rest of the distance to Danny.
“Good morning. As someone who’s used to getting up extra early, it feels like the day’s already half gone, but we’ll make the best of this late start.” Aidan moved toward Danny and hesitated, probably noticing the boy’s expression. Aidan seemed unsure whether to embrace Danny, shake his hand or do nothing. He stepped back. “All ready for a fun lunch?”
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