The raised stage was packed with the band’s equipment and music stands, and Amanda was surprised to see James leaning over, connecting some cables for the microphones.
“Hey, cowboy, what are you doing here?” she asked, trying to sound casual. He looked really nice, wearing a new Western shirt and his dark hair brushed back.
He looked up, surprised, and immediately smiled, his eyes taking in her outfit. “Wow! Great dress. Looks like you came to dance,” he said with a grin.
She was getting used to the laugh lines around the corner of James’ eyes, and she liked them. More than that, she liked it when she was the reason she made him smile.
“Well, I’m not a very good dancer,” she admitted.
James shrugged. “Neither am I, but we can give it a try, right? I have some things to do, but I’ll be back in a bit after the band’s started playing, so save me a dance, okay?”
The dance floor was softly lit with strings of Christmas bulbs, both white and harvest colors. When the band got started Amanda could understand why so many people came to dance. The band was great, effortlessly switching from fast dance music to sweet slow dances with practiced ease. Halfway through the second song, Amanda was surprised to see James back on the stage, reaching over and pulling out a dark wood violin. Tapping his foot and waiting for the right moment, he started to play an Irish jig, the sound of the fiddle perfect with the beat of the music. Dancers swarmed onto the dance floor, drawn by the irresistible rhythm and lively tempo. It sounded like he had been playing for years, and suddenly something clicked in her head.
By the time he had played two jigs, she’d formed the question in her mind to ask him, and as soon as he hopped off the stage and came her way, she was ready.
“So, this is why you blew me off the other day?” He took her hand and moved with her onto the dance floor, smiling.
James shrugged and effortlessly twirled her, her skirt flaring around her as she spun. Drawing her close again, he confessed. “I’ve been playing Irish fiddle ever since my Mom taught me as a kid. When the town band needs a fiddler, I’m their guy. Used to play violin in the high school orchestra, but I love traditional folk music.”
Amanda pulled back, surprise showing on her face. “Orchestra? Really? I thought you were more of a football player sort in high school.”
He grinned. “Who says you can’t be one and not the other? Hope there’s more to me than some jock stereotype, lady. Otherwise, I’d be a pretty boring guy.”
The music slowed in tempo and Amanda was pulled closer to James’ chest, her hand holding his as they swayed to the beat. She looked up and caught a glimpse of his extraordinarily smug expression, until he looked down and saw her observing him.
“What? Can’t a guy just dance and be happy once in a while?”
She smiled. “Looks good on you.”
At the end of their dance, James was back on stage for two more numbers, much to the delight of the crowd. At the end of the second jig, he motioned to Amanda.
“I’ll meet you at the hayride, okay?” he said, stashing his fiddle back in its case. “Be just a few minutes.” She nodded, then headed outside and stood on the stairs of the Grange Hall overlooking the carnival and the throngs of happy people enjoying a beautiful autumn night. She could hear the music from the merry-go-round, and there were clusters of people walking from booth to booth, enjoying the rides and eating corn on the cob or ice cream.
This is a million miles away from LA, she thought, and for the first time she could honestly say that she loved her new life more than anything else she’d ever done. There were things in her past she regretted and there were things in the past she’d like to forget, but it felt like a brand-new in Ravenwood Cove, and the smiling people had made it all happen.
She felt a large hand on her elbow and turned to see James smiling down at her. “You ever been on a hayride before?” he asked.
She grinned. “When you think? This is the first time ever been to a carnival like this, let alone a hayride.” The horse-drawn trailer had just pulled up and about a dozen teenagers were hopping off the back, several of them holding hands with their high school crushes. James’s father still held the reins, but he looked over his shoulder at his son and the pretty girl climbing into the back of the hay-strewn wagon.
“I don’t think you should wait for anyone else this time, do you?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye. James grinned broadly and shook his head, and his father started off even though there were other people walking toward the pickup point.
The back of the trailer was packed with bales of tied straw, the railings around the edge of the trailer keeping them in place, and lots of fresh hay thrown into the middle so it would be comfortable to sit on the floor.
Amanda turned toward James, who had stretched his long body out and had his hands clasped behind his head, stretched out and perfectly at ease.
“You set this up, didn’t you, James?” she asked suspiciously, one eyebrow raised. James had the good sense to try to appear embarrassed, but just as he was about to say something, maybe to defend himself, the cart hit a pothole and she rolled toward him as she bounced off the bottom of the dray.
He put an arm around her shoulders. “I thought you could use some time to relax. You’ve had a tough time lately,” he answered, looking up at the stars.
Amanda sighed. “It seems like all I’ve done recently is work and try to solve other people’s problems.” She turned to him, her mouth twisted in regret. “I’ve ticked off some of the people that I care about the most, and I just hate that.”
“Which people?”
“You were mad at me when I didn’t tell you that I knew Mr. Peetman, and Meg was mad at me because I questioned her about maybe killing Anderson Bowles. Mrs. Granger still is hardly speaking to me because of how I talked to Mrs. Bitterman the day Owen was arrested, and that one really hurts.” Amanda tried to keep the emotional waver out of her voice but it was hard. She’d come to think of Mrs. Granger as family and with some of her other friends ticked off, too, it really hurt.
James drew her soft hand into his and brought his head down so that he could look her directly in the eyes. “Mrs. Granger loves you and so do your friends. Part of being in a small town means we get into each other’s business once in a while. You learn that you don’t have the luxury of walking away from relationships when you’re going to bump into that person at the grocery store or on Main Street and have to say hello to them. It just doesn’t work that way. She’s probably gotten over it by now but even if she hasn’t, give her a couple of days and then show up at Petrie’s with chocolate eclairs and your best apology and you two can talk about it.” He patted her hand reassuringly. “Meg knows why you had asked those questions about her relationship, and even though I didn’t like it that you didn’t tell me about Mr. Peetman I can understand you were wanting to protect him since he had saved your life. It’s okay.” He paused, and added “I’m just glad you’re safe.”
Amanda smiled, but the sudden spark in James’ eyes wasn’t about friendship or making amends. It was hunger and appreciation and longing, and even before he dipped his head toward hers she knew what was going to happen.
The kiss was warm, soft, and perfect. His lips slid over hers, the simple touch of his mouth sending little shivers through her as she kissed him back, her hands sliding around the back of his neck without her even thinking about it. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her toward him as he continued the kiss, his mouth now exploring and seeking hers.
This was unlike any kiss she’d had before. It wasn’t about possession or someone trying to convince her to fall into bed with him. It was about controlled passion and absolute appreciation for who she was, and what she meant to him. When James finally came up for air and pulled back a bit, she could see a sense of deep satisfaction in his eyes.
She gulped, trying to catch her breath and slow her racing heartbeat.
“Wow.”
James laughed, a ch
uckle of absolute joy, and give her a quick bear hug. “You said it, lady. Wow.”
Amanda could hear James’ father carefully whistling a random tune while he pretended to ignore them and made sure the horses stayed on the right path. She leaned her head against James’ broad chest, hearing the rapid thud of his heartbeat through his flannel shirt.
“Does this mean I finally get to ask you out?” he asked, his tone teasing but his eyes deadly serious.
“I guess it does.” She gave a little chuckle and sighed, thinking back to her wish to find a life here in Ravenwood Cove. With all the chaos and craziness that had happened since she’d moved to the little beach town from LA, snuggling up to James in the back of a hay wagon was the most relaxed and safe she’d felt since she’d arrived. Maybe that feeling was worth exploring, or even risking showing her true self to other people. Maybe it was worth gambling her heart, this time on a place and a man who were unlike anything she’d ever known before. The thought was both thrilling and frightening, but with everything she’d been through perhaps it had made her a bit more brave.
Donald had slowed the horses to a lazy walk, but even with that pace the hayride eventually looped back toward the Harvest Festival. As they got closer to the music and lights of the carnival, Amanda slowly extracted herself from James’ arms and sat up, brushing off the hay from her clothes. James watched her silently, a small smile playing around his lips and she could feel a flush of heat wash across her face as she saw him just looking at her.
“What?” she asked, trying to keep a straight face.
“I just like looking at you, that’s all,” he said, sitting up as they pulled up to the pile of pumpkins marking the stopping place for the hayride. There was a line of people already waiting, Lisa and Meg among them and when Lisa saw Amanda’s lipstick coloring the edges of James’s mouth, her eyebrows went up in surprise and she grinned broadly.
“I knew it!” she said. “There had to be a reason that the hayride was taking so long and now I know why. About damn time!”
Meg seemed confused. “What? What did I miss?” she asked, looking around.
Amanda could still feel the heat in her face when James simply reached over and caught her hand in his to help her down the steps from the tall trailer. He didn’t let go, though, and winked broadly at Meg as he walked off with Amanda. The realization of what she had missed spread over Meg’s face.
“Looks like this is a Harvest Festival you won’t forget, isn’t it?”
Amanda tried to pretend she hadn’t heard her friend, but James gave her hand a small squeeze.
“I won’t forget it, either,” he said as they walked back toward the Grange Hall. “This is the best Harvest Festival Ravenwood Cove has ever had, and a lot of it is because of the things you’ve done here in the town. I can’t even imagine what the Hometown Holidays Christmas fest will be like.”
“You don’t play Santa, do you?” She couldn’t help but tease a bit.
“You think I’ve got the belly for it?” James patted his flat stomach and Amanda grinned. “Not really. The Inn’s already fully booked for the Christmas season, and I’m starting to plan the decorations so the place will look amazing. I can’t wait!”
“I’m just glad the investigation is over and we can put the whole thing behind us.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “Here’s to looking forward, and moving away from things in the past.”
She looked him in the eye and smiled. “Sounds good to me.” Somehow she knew that she’d sleep well that night, with no nightmares at all.
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AUTHOR NOTES:
I really enjoyed getting to meet these characters again, and letting some of the more quiet ones into the forefront! If you liked what you read, please consider leaving a review. Being an independent author means this is my own small business, and I appreciate any feedback you can give, so other readers will know of my writing is their cup of tea or not Thank you for stopping by!
Website at http://CarolynDeanBooks.com/
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COMING NEXT: MISTLETOE, MOONLIGHT, and MURDER
FOLLOWED BY: SUN, SAND, and A SKELETON
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Carolyn Dean
I've been writing and making stories in my head as early as I can remember. In third grade I came home, set my lunchbox down, and told my mother I wanted to be a writer. Luckily, Mom was supportive.
I've been a published author for several years now, under different names and genres, but the thought of writing about a small coastal town in Oregon and its loves and mysteries and holidays and people has been with me for years. To be honest, I am a bit scared to dump those ideas onto the written page, but hope you'll enjoy getting to meet the people who inhabit my imagination.
In real life, I'm married with kids, live on the West Coast of the US, and own a hobby farm just outside of my favorite small town. I love to travel, and can often be found strolling down a windy Oregon beach, holding onto the string of a high-sailing dragon kite.
Mrs. Bitterman’s Blue Ribbon Blueberry Coffeecake recipe
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1⁄2 cup butter, melted
1 and 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, pure
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen. If frozen, thaw and drain excess liquid.
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan; set aside.
In small bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes or until creamy. Add 1-3/4 cups sugar; beat until combined.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well. Add flour mixture; beat until combined.
Stir in vanilla. Gradually fold in blueberries. Batter will be very thick. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.
In small bowl stir together 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Lisa’s Trainwreck Pie recipe
Being a mom, I’m always trying to find things that are a healthier alternative than what’s available pre-made. This upside down ‘pie’ only uses one crust for an entire 9x13 cake pan, and no added sugar. You can choose to smash a frozen pie crust (I like Marie Callendar’s best) or make your own pastry crust and cut it into little pieces. I also love this recipe because it can be adapted so easily. What do you have on hand that would taste good in a pie?
3 large cooking apples, chopped. You can also use chopped peaches, pears, berries or a combination of cookable fruit.
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
¼ cup chopped almonds or walnuts (optional)
½ cup raisins (optional)
1 Tablespoon real vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon honey (optional. If you use pears, omit)
Pastry for one pie crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place chopped fruit in Pyrex or glass 13” x 9”cake pan. Sprinkle with nuts, coconut flakes, and cinnamon. Drizzle with honey. Break/cut pie crust into small pieces and sprinkle over top. Bake for 30 minutes or until fruit is soft and pie crust is slightly browned.
DUNE, DOCK, and a DEAD MAN: A Ravenwood Cove Cozy Mystery Page 13