A Romance Rekindled (Heartsong Presents)

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

He trailed the girls from the entryway, through the kitchen, and out the rear French doors.

  A couple of young boys played tag in the large yard while the girls sat on a bench swing under an arbor. Julia stood at the barbecue flipping burgers. The burgers sizzled and smoke rose from the grill. She waved a hand through the smoke, then looked up and smiled. “Glad you made it. Make yourself at home.” She motioned to the deck furniture.

  “Thanks.” Instead of taking a chair, he sauntered over to the stone wall that divided the patio area from the lawn and sat.

  Julia pulled the lid down and joined him. “Shouldn’t be much longer.”

  He looked around the yard. “Where’s your husband?”

  “He’ll be along soon. Something came up at work.”

  His shoulders relaxed. Even though Katie assured him the woman was married, he’d still been a little afraid she wasn’t. “What’s he do?”

  “He manages one of the hotels in town. The hours are usually set, but every now and then something comes up.”

  “Yeah, I suppose that’s how it is with most jobs.”

  She stood and checked the burgers once more. “What do you do, Blake?”

  “I write children’s books. Katie is actually my illustrator.”

  “Impressive. Anything I’d recognize?”

  “Pepper’s Adventures.” He couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at his lips.

  “Oh, my goodness. Emily loved that series. Actually, she still does, but she doesn’t want anyone to know. She thinks she’s too old for them now, but she’s on book seven. Wait until she hears that Katie drew the pictures.”

  “Yeah, well. I probably shouldn’t have said anything. Let’s let Katie tell her if she wants her to know. We both go by pen names. At first we did it just because we thought it’d be fun to make up names for ourselves, but then Katie was glad since she was afraid kids would only want to be her friend because of her success.”

  Julia nodded. “Yet you told me.” She raised a brow.

  Blake rubbed his chin. “True. Slip of the tongue.” He hadn’t been all that social for the past six years. He’d never had the need to hide their occupation, but he rarely volunteered the information, either. It helped that Katie was adept at being discreet.

  Julia piled the burgers on a tray. “Time to eat! Go wash up.” The kids came running and raced each other inside. Julia chuckled.

  Just as the kids returned, a male voice called out, “I’m home.”

  “Out here.” Julia shot Blake a smile. “That’s my husband. Mitch.”

  A thirtysomething man with a slightly receding hairline and a medium build walked out the back door. “Smells like I’m right on time.”

  Julia placed a kiss on her husband’s cheek, and Blake looked away. This could’ve been him and Susan. A longing so deep it hurt consumed him. His appetite suddenly vanished.

  Mitch offered his hand. “Nice to meet you, Blake. Julia mentioned you and your sister would be joining us.” He piled his plate high.

  Blake sat across from Mitch and Julia. His sister and the rest of the kids were at the other end of the table. One of the boys looked familiar but he couldn’t figure out why. He had to be only about five so there was no way he knew him from before. He gave a mental shrug.

  “How are you enjoying Leavenworth so far?” Mitch picked up his burger. “The Accordion Festival starts on Thursday.”

  “Really? I haven’t heard a live accordion in ages. I lived in Leavenworth for a few years before moving back to Maine to be with my sister.”

  “Oh, so you’re familiar with the festivals and summer theater.”

  Julia patted her husband’s hand. “Relax, hon. You’re not working now. You don’t have to sell Blake on the town.”

  Mitch chuckled. “Sorry. Sometimes it’s hard to shut the marketer in me off. What brings you to Leavenworth?”

  “His old girlfriend,” Katie said with a smirk.

  Blake shot his sister a warning look. He didn’t come back for Susan.

  “And he’s fixing up his house to sell.” Katie shrugged and wrinkled her nose at him. “What? He asked.”

  Mitch chuckled. “Didn’t mean to pry.” He held up his burger. “Think I’d better focus on eating.”

  A short time later, the kids were excused and left the adults alone to visit. Blake shifted in his seat. He was ready to leave, but wasn’t sure how to without being rude.

  Socializing was more difficult than he remembered. Put him in a classroom of students and he’d be in his element. But his days of teaching English were over when Katie had needed his full attention after their parents’ death. Now that their book series was a success, Katie had his dad’s social security, and there was a sizable life-insurance payout from their parents’ estate, Blake really didn’t need to work at anything other than his writing. But maybe he’d return to the classroom when their lives settled down a little more.

  Trying to be engaged in the conversation, he said, “The tourism business must be doing well if you’re getting in overtime.”

  “We’re holding our own. Tonight wasn’t about being busy. The front-desk clerk had a family emergency, and I covered her position until someone else could come in. All part of the job I’m afraid.”

  “Blake’s a writer.” Julia reached for a chip.

  “Really? You can make a living doing that?”

  “I’ve been fortunate.” He never should’ve opened his big mouth earlier.

  The doorbell pealed and Julia stood. “Excuse me.” A moment later she walked into the backyard with Keira.

  Keira looked past him toward the yard as one of the young boys ran to her. A smile lit her face and she squatted with her arms held wide.

  “Momma, can I stay longer? I’m having so much fun.”

  “Five more minutes.”

  Keira looked their way, and her eyes shot wide open. She stood and strolled over to the adults. “Hey, Blake. I didn’t know you knew Mitch and Julia.” She pulled out a chair and sat.

  “We met at the pool today. Katie and Emily hit it off right away.”

  “Emily is a sweet girl. My son and her brother are good buddies.”

  “Small world.” He stood up. “We should be heading out.” He hollered to his sister that they were leaving. The kids all ran onto the patio and said their goodbyes, and he thanked Mitch and Julia for the great meal. A few minutes later, Blake walked out with Keira and her son.

  “When I saw your boy earlier, I thought he looked familiar. Guess now I know why.”

  Keira grinned at her adorable son. “He’s a keeper.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around.” He waved and got behind the wheel of his Jeep and waited for Katie to buckle her seat belt then pulled away from the curb. “Did you have fun tonight?”

  “Oh, yeah. Emily is the best.”

  “I’m glad. So you think you’ll want to stick around for the summer now?”

  “If you do.”

  He heard the question in her voice as if she were afraid to commit. Just like his sister to tune in to him. She could probably tell he wasn’t at his best since he’d been back. But hopefully, all that would change tomorrow when he met with Susan again. He would apologize and that would be the end of it—no more guilt, no more Susan.

  Based on her body language Susan would welcome his absence from her life once more. His gut clenched and his grip tightened on the steering wheel. That is, he would be out of her life if he didn’t spit out the first thing that came to his mind.

  Chapter 4

  Susan got to the office early hoping to beat Blake. No way did she want him waiting at the door for her like yesterday. Looked like she might have time to tidy the place up a bit and start a fresh pot of coffee, too. Of course he hadn’t said he’d be by early; she only a
ssumed based on what time he was there yesterday.

  She’d done a lot of thinking since they last met and decided to let the past stay where it belonged—in the past. But that didn’t mean she’d allow him into her heart again. No, she’d learned that lesson the hard way. Thanks to her parents, she knew that people didn’t always follow through with their promises. They had delivered one disappointment after another over her growing-up years. It’d taken her too long to figure out that getting her hopes up was a waste of energy. And she sure wasn’t going to get her hopes up with Blake. He’d broken any shred of trust she’d had in him and she wasn’t about to let him do it again.

  The door opened and Blake walked in. His hair flopped over the rim of his sunglasses which he quickly removed. “Morning.”

  Her heart stuttered. Oh, he was good-looking. Why couldn’t he have aged prematurely and developed a potbelly and thinning hair? Instead he had to be devastatingly handsome. She stood, avoiding his gaze. “Hi. Have a seat. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  “No, thanks. I’m trying to cut back.”

  “Good for you.” She sat and reached for the paper in his hand. “Is this it?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay.” She opened her top desk drawer and pulled out her record book and seal, filled in the required information, pressed the seal against the appropriate spot, then signed her name. Having completed the task she handed the paper to him and folded her fingers together.

  Blake cleared his throat. “I know it’s a little late in coming, but I’m sorry. I never should’ve left the way I did.”

  Her heart jolted at his admission, but it didn’t change anything. His was just one more broken promise on a long list. “Agreed, but why did you leave, Blake? Was it something I did? Something I said?” She tightened her linked fingers and shook her head. “I’ve racked my brain trying to figure out what happened and could never come up with an answer other than you just didn’t love me the way I loved you.”

  “No!” He leaned forward and rested his hand on hers. “It was nothing like that. I loved you very much. That’s why I thought I had to leave the way I did.”

  She pulled away, and the warmth of his touch radiated up her arm. “You’re not making any sense.” Why did he have to make this so difficult?

  Sadness filled his eyes. “I’m sorry, Susan. I was wrong to leave without explaining things. My only defense is that I was in shock. I was immature and stupid.” He sighed and leaned back. “All these years I’ve felt horrible about the way it ended. I’ve allowed this to hang between us for way too long. I should’ve at least called a long time ago. I thought I was doing the right thing by dealing with everything on my own. There’s so much you don’t know.” He looked at her with regret-filled eyes. “Well, I need you to know how sorry I am.”

  The earth seemed to shift at Blake’s news. He didn’t leave because of her and he felt bad. All these years she’d blamed herself. Beat herself up over nothing. If the situation wasn’t so tragic she’d laugh. Just then the door swung open and a man walked in.

  Brows furrowed, Blake lowered his voice. “I see that I shocked you. I’ll let you get to your client.” He stood. “Maybe I’ll see you around. Katie and I will be here for the remainder of the summer working on the house. My tenant finally moved out, so I figured now would be a good time to fix it up and put it on the market.”

  She looked past him to the gentleman waiting in the reception area. “I’ll be right with you.” Standing, she turned her attention to Blake and kept her voice low. “Thanks for what you said. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but you crushed me. I will never be able to trust you completely.” She took a bracing breath. “I don’t think that you staying in town for the summer things will change between us.” No man would ever destroy her like that again—she refused to allow it.

  Susan hid her shaking hands behind her back. Why had she said that to Blake? She hated it when someone apologized and the person on the receiving end wasn’t gracious, exactly the way she had just acted. Shame washed over her, but it was best to leave things as they were. There was no use in getting anyone’s hopes up.

  * * *

  Blake’s gut clenched. He knew he’d hurt her, but the intensity of the anger flowing from Susan surprised him. “I don’t expect anything to change, Susan, but I hope we can at least be civil.” He turned and walked to the entry, nodded to the man waiting by the door and left.

  He mounted his Triumph and, with one last look toward Susan’s office, rode off. Apologies were never easy, but hopefully she would forgive him soon. The anger oozing from her unnerved him. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but that was not it.

  Warm wind rushed over him as he sped along Ski Hill Drive. He signaled and turned onto the street leading to his house. The single-level home looked run-down and neglected. He had his work cut out, but keeping busy sounded like a good plan. Less time to think. He parked his bike and went inside. “Katie, I’m home.”

  Katie stood in the doorway to her room. “You weren’t gone long.”

  “Yeah, well. I did what I needed to do.” He plopped down on the couch with a sigh.

  She sat on the arm of the couch with her bare feet on the cushions. “You can’t give up.” Katie crossed her arms and glared at Blake. “We came all the way across the country because of Susan, and I won’t let you quit.”

  “What? Susan is not the reason I came back. We’re here to fix the house. You know it needs some work before I list it.”

  Katie frowned. “Don’t sell this place. I like it, and I don’t want to go back to Maine.”

  Blake’s head whipped toward his sister. Since when did she want to live here permanently? “This is a switcheroo. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. But I like Emily. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had.”

  “You just met her. How could you possibly know she’s your best friend?”

  “I just do. Just like I know you still like Susan.”

  “You’re wrong about Susan.” He raked his hand through his hair. “What do you expect me to do, kiddo?”

  “Woo her, and make her fall in love with you again.”

  “I was talking about staying. We have a life in Maine.” He shook his head as the rest of her comment hit him. “No more TV. You’ve been watching too many Hallmark romances. Woo her? Kids don’t use words like woo. Besides, I don’t love her anymore.” Even if he wanted to woo her, Susan would never allow it. No, it was best to leave the past in the past.

  “Liar.” Katie scooted off the arm of the couch and plopped down beside him. “The two of you have a spark, and in case you haven’t noticed, this place doesn’t have a TV.”

  He did a double take. Touché. “Are you sure you’re my sister?” He chuckled drily. “I can’t force her to love me again. She was pretty clear she didn’t want to pick up where we left off.” He studied the wood floor of their home. “I really messed up when I called off our wedding. But it’s time to move on.”

  Katie stomped her foot, causing him to look up. Her watery eyes bore into him. “I like it here, Blake. Don’t give up. Please,” she begged in an annoying whiny voice. “Even if you and Susan never get back together, I want to stay here.”

  “Really? A couple days ago you wanted to return to Maine.” He melted a little at the pleading look on her face. He couldn’t disappoint his sister, but staying here with all the memories and Susan...

  She nodded. “I’ll help you win her back. I promise.”

  “I’m not saying I want to win her back, but assuming I did, how are you going to do that?” How could an eleven-year-old improve his love life? She didn’t have a clue about matters of the heart.

  “I don’t know yet, but I’m sure Emily and her mom will help us.”

  “No way.” This was beginning to sound like the setups his sister and her gymn
astics friends tried to pull off in Maine. “We just met them. Besides, what makes you think they’d help?”

  “A girl knows these things,” she replied hotly and strode into her bedroom, closing the door with a thud.

  Even though Katie was small for her age, she was growing up fast. It seemed like yesterday he was attempting to bake cupcakes for her kindergarten graduation. He coughed a rough laugh and sank back into the sofa. Susan’s anger sizzled in his mind. He’d caused that. Somehow, he thought apologizing would clear his conscience, but he felt worse seeing her anger. He had to make it right.

  Katie’s door flew open. “I’ve got it!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Duh! Susan.” She rolled her eyes. “You have a short memory, big brother.” She plopped down beside him again.

  He chuckled. “I’ll probably regret this, but what’s your idea?”

  She waved her arms around animatedly. “It’s perfect. Don’t you see? You can write a book just for her.”

  In spite of Katie’s enthusiasm he had his doubts. Could a simple book change Susan’s heart? But more importantly, did he want to go there again? When it came right down to it, he wasn’t sure how he felt about her. All these years of guilt and remorse were messing with him. But he did want to erase the anger she held for him, so maybe Katie’s idea would work.

  “Girls love that sort of thing. If you were a musician, I’d say write her a song, but you can’t sing.”

  “Thanks.” He tweaked her nose. “I’ll think about it. Suppose I do write this book. Are you going to illustrate?”

  “Of course. We’re a team. Besides, if this turns out as good as I hope, we might be able to sell it.”

  Blake’s stomach knotted. “No.” It was one thing to write something for Susan, but an entirely different matter to expose his heart to the world.

  “We don’t have to use our pen names. It won’t be associated at all with Pepper’s Adventures.”

  “We’ll see.” Katie had no idea what she was asking.

  “All right. But promise me we aren’t moving.”