Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley (Arcadia Valley Romance Book 0)

by Mary Jane Hathaway

  “From what you’ve told me, you had plenty of reasons for not being here.” His brown eyes were thoughtful. “You can’t beat yourself up. Regretting the past won’t change it, after all. The important thing is that you were here today. You were at the hospital for two weeks straight. You were here. When he needed you, when he asked you — you were here.”

  Even though she knew she’d probably continue to wish she’d spent more time in Arcadia Valley over the last eleven years, Aiden’s words managed to comfort her somehow. “Thanks.”

  He stood awkwardly at the kitchen counter. “Is there anything I can do for you before I leave?”

  “Leave? You just got here.” Kate was too emotionally drained to even bring up how disappointed she’d been that Aiden hadn’t arrived in Arcadia Valley in time to sit with her at the funeral. But she’d stuck a pin in it in her mind and knew she’d circle back to it eventually and let him know how it had made her feel.

  “I can’t let a graduate assistant teach my classes for too long.” He shrugged. “You know that.” Aiden was a professor of literature at Emory University. His star was on the rise there as he worked toward a tenured position. “My flight leaves Thursday, so I’ve still got a couple of days. Just tell me how I can help.”

  She sank onto a bar stool. “I’m not sure. I mean, what do you do at times like this? What am I supposed to do?” The sound of coffee percolating filled the room. Sometimes the bridge between despair and hope was a good, strong cup of coffee. And Kate certainly needed that right now.

  Before Aiden could formulate an answer, the doorbell rang.

  She’d told her family she would meet up with them at her grandmother’s house later, so she wasn’t expecting anyone. “I’ll see who it is.” She left Aiden in the kitchen and went to the front door.

  “Katie.” Eugene Boyd stood on the doorstep, clutching a briefcase. “I’m so sorry to bother you, especially on this of all days.”

  “It’s Kate now,” she said. “And it’s okay. I’m sorry I didn’t get to speak with you after the service. Things were a little chaotic.”

  “No need to apologize. I know how these things are.”

  She ushered him inside the house and into the living room. “I just made a pot of coffee. Would you like a cup?”

  Mr. Boyd shook his head. “No thank you. This won’t take too long.” He shifted uncomfortably. “Normally I wouldn’t be here on the day someone was laid to rest. But in this case, I’m following the wishes of my client.”

  His reason for being there dawned on her. “Daddy instructed you to come see me after the funeral.”

  “Exactly.” He flashed a grim smile. “I have a message for you and I think you have a lockbox for me.”

  She’d already retrieved the box from her dad’s office and had it waiting on the coffee table. “He told me you had the key.” She pointed at the small black box. “But I didn’t realize you’d need it so soon.”

  Mr. Boyd nodded. “I was supposed to retrieve it today.” He took the box from the table. “I have the key in my office. I won’t open it until you’re present, you have my word.”

  “Thanks.”

  “One more thing.” He glanced around the dated living room. “I think you already know the house is going to be renovated.”

  “Dad told me.” She sighed.

  “His office at the farmers market is set to be done as well.” Mr. Boyd shifted uncomfortably.

  “He mentioned that, too.” She still wasn’t sold on the idea of being the market manager, even for a season. But it appeared likely that it wasn’t something she was going to get out of easily.

  “Is there any way you can come to my office in about half an hour?” He frowned. “I didn’t want to do it this way, but your dad insisted.”

  “I guess so.” The last thing she wanted to do was go to a law office today.

  “I’m supposed to facilitate the first meeting between you and the contractor who has been hired to do the renovations.”

  “And that’s today?”

  “I’m just trying to follow your dad’s wishes. He had a pretty specific timeline.”

  Of course he did. “Okay. Let me just get my coat. I’ll meet you there in a bit.”

  Aiden came into the living room and Kate quickly introduced them.

  “Thanks for being understanding about this,” Mr. Boyd said as he made his way to the door. “I will see you shortly.” He looked from Aiden to Kate. “And I’ll need you to come alone please, Kate.”

  “Dad’s orders?” she asked.

  “You guessed it.”

  * * *

  Drew paced back and forth. He wasn’t exactly known for being patient, and today was no exception.

  The door burst open.

  Katie Groves stepped inside and her eyes met his. She was still wearing her black funeral dress.

  And she was still the most beautiful girl he’d ever known in real life.

  “What’s he doing here?” Katie’s voice was strained. “What is this?”

  Mr. Boyd stepped into the office and looked from Katie to Drew. “The two of you know one another, I presume?”

  “Why is he here?” she asked again. Her red hair was still long, but it was wavy now. Back when they’d dated, she’d worn it straight. The waves suited her.

  “Let’s all just be seated,” Mr. Boyd said.

  “Katie, I’m sorry about your dad.” Drew meant it. He and Mr. Groves may not have been best buds, but he was sincerely sorry for his death.

  She scowled and her green eyes blazed. “It’s Kate now. And thanks.”

  “Kate.” That was what the tall guy at the funeral had called her, too. “What happened to Katie?”

  She glowered at him. “I think you know what happened to Katie.”

  So maybe this was going to be tougher than Drew had expected. “Got it. Well, Kate, welcome back to Arcadia Valley. I’m just sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

  Mr. Boyd cleared his throat. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

  “No.” Kate held her hand up. “I want to know what he’s doing here first.”

  He’d finally had enough. “I was summoned here, if you must know. And I had no idea you’d be here either.” Mr. Boyd had phoned him early this morning and set up the meeting, but he’d been pretty close-mouthed about what it was going to be about.

  “Can I speak?” Mr. Boyd asked. “It’s clear the two of you have some things to work out, but I’ll be honest. You are both here at Henry Groves’ request. Nothing else matters right now. Henry was my friend and my client for the past thirty years. His loss weighs heavily on me, as I’m sure it does to the two of you given your respective relationships with him.”

  At his words, Drew felt Kate’s gaze land on him. He didn’t blame her. As far as she knew, the only relationship he’d had with her dad had been adversarial. Those years Drew had attempted to date Henry Groves’ only daughter had been some of the worst — and the best — of his life.

  “Mr. Harrison, I believe Henry met with you a few times about the renovations, is this correct?”

  “What?” Kate screeched. “He is handling the renovations? On our house? And at the farmers market?”

  The lawyer nodded.

  “And it was my dad’s idea?” Kate shook her head. “There must be some mistake.”

  “There’s no mistake,” Drew said. “We’ve been meeting for several weeks. He showed me exactly what he wanted done. But when I agreed to renovate the house and the office, you being in charge certainly wasn’t part of the contract.”

  Kate stared at him like he was from outer space. “I don’t get it. Are you some kind of carpenter?”

  He frowned. “I’m a contractor. I do some of the work myself, and I have several employees. We do good work. My specialty is actually renovating historical homes and buildings, but I make exceptions sometimes.”

  “I’m just trying to figure out why in the world my dad would’ve hired you. It makes no sense
.”

  Drew shrugged. “We’re the best in the business around here. So in that respect, it makes sense that he’d hire us. Besides, I’ve done some work for him in the past. His insurance office needed renovating a couple of years ago and I took care of it.”

  Mr. Boyd cleared his throat to get their attention. “Henry was petty specific about how he wanted this handled. Drew, you’ll meet with Kate in the next few days and get her up to speed on what’s going to happen. Anything that’s part of the overall design as far as fabrics, colors, or décor that hasn’t already been decided should be left up to her to choose for both the house and the market office.”

  “That sounds good.” Drew nodded in agreement. He wondered if he should confess to Kate that during the meetings he’d had with her dad, he’d gone through the whole house. Including her bedroom. Their prom photo was still displayed on her dresser, and some of the love notes he’d written were pinned to a bulletin board above her bed. Something told him he’d better keep that to himself. The look on her face wasn’t exactly in the ‘happy to see him’ category.

  “So he and I will be working together. On this home renovation project.” She frowned.

  It definitely wasn’t the time to tell her he’d been in her old room. She was not happy to see him. Not even a little bit. So much for his hope that enough time had passed for all the old wounds to heal. “Kate, I can come to your house Thursday morning and walk you through everything.”

  “That’s fine.” She wasn’t very convincing.

  “Good, good,” Mr. Boyd said. “I was hoping we could reach an agreement.” He smiled broadly. “Mr. Harrison, I think that is all we need you for today. I have some things to discuss with Ms. Groves privately. But be aware that we will have a few more of these meetings all together. I’ll touch base with both of you at a later date after your project has started.”

  “Thanks.” Drew stood and turned to Kate. “I’ll see you Thursday around ten. If something comes up, just give me a call.” He pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Otherwise I’ll see you then.”

  Without a word, she tucked the card into her purse.

  Drew closed the door behind him and headed out to the parking lot.

  What a day.

  Chapter 3

  Kate sat in the uncomfortable office chair, still stunned that after all these years she’d been in such close proximity with Drew Harrison.

  How many nights had she stayed awake wondering what she’d say to him if they ever saw each other again? More than she could count. Over the years, she’d prepared many a speech in case they ever came face to face. But today that had all flown right out the window.

  Today, she’d been taken back to the night eleven years ago when they’d dissolved their engagement. The night her heart had been good and broken.

  Maybe she’d never fully recovered.

  Maybe she never would.

  “Is that okay?” Mr. Boyd said.

  “I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

  He frowned. “I have some things for you from your dad. If you’re ready, I can give you the first one now.”

  “Oh. Sure. Yes. That’s fine.” She didn’t know what to expect. She and her dad had never had a close relationship — at least not since she turned twelve and hit puberty.

  “Very well.” Mr. Boyd pulled a key out of one of his desk drawers and opened the lock box. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. “Take this with you. I don’t know what is in it. I only know that I’m supposed to give it to you today. In case you haven’t already figured it out, there are more.” He locked the box and put it in his bottom drawer.

  “Let me guess. Dad has already told you when to give things to me.”

  “You are right. I’ll contact you on the next appointed date.” He stood. “Until then, please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. Whether you knew it or not, your dad was a beloved member of this community. He will be missed.”

  Numbly, Kate followed him to the exit. She clutched the envelope tightly, already worried about what might be inside.

  Aiden met her at the door when she got home. “Well?” he asked.

  She sank into the couch — the same old brown and green couch that had been in her parents’ living room for as long as she could remember. “I met the contractor. He’s an old friend.” She didn’t have the energy to get into it. Drew was many things, including an old friend. There was no need to go any further down memory lane, especially not today. Besides, Aiden knew enough about her past. She’d mentioned her very brief engagement to him, and he’d chalked it up to youth and hadn’t even wanted details. “And my dad left me this.” She held up the envelope.

  He sat down next to her. “Are you going to open it?”

  She managed a smile. “Are you kidding? I almost opened it in the car on the way back here.” She slid her finger under the flap and loosened the seal on the envelope. “It’s a letter.”

  “You don’t have to share it,” Aiden said.

  Sometimes he bugged her that way. They’d been together for two years. They were adults. She was nearly thirty for crying out loud. If she didn’t share this kind of thing with him, then what was the purpose of their relationship? “I don’t mind sharing it.” She unfolded the paper. “Hand written.” She smiled at her dad’s throwback. No typed pages for him. Instead just his careful penmanship filled the page. “When I was a little girl I used to try and write like him.”

  “That’s cute.”

  Dear Katie Scarlett,

  I hope this day has not been too hard for you. As I was thinking of the things I wanted you to know, I started jotting things down. Soon I had a letter, then another and so on. I wrote this one last.

  I tried to run from my illness until now, when it became painfully obvious that my time on earth was nearly up. When I look back at my life, I have more things to celebrate than I do to regret, but unfortunately you fall into both categories.

  Your childhood was the happiest time of my life. I hope you are now able to look back on those times favorably.

  Katie, I know your mother’s passing was unbearable for you and I fear I wasn’t as supportive then as I needed to be. You need to understand (and hopefully now that you’re older, you will) that I lost the love of my life. Your mom was my best friend and my partner. When she got sick, I didn’t handle it very well. I pulled away from our family instead of drawing closer. I threw myself into my work and I left you to deal with the daily grind of caring for someone so fragile. I can’t apologize enough. I’ve had time over the years to really reflect on things, and I certainly wasn’t the dad I should have been.

  If you are reading this, it means you have given in to my wishes and are in Arcadia Valley. I know this place hasn’t been home to you in a long time. But your roots are here. Your grandmother, your cousins, your aunt and uncle — they are all here and they love you. I know they will welcome you back with open arms. The house is yours, but I’ve arranged for a renovation to take place. Drew knows my ideas for the place, and I know he will be able to also incorporate yours into the redesign.

  In a few days, I want you to take over the farmers market. Brooke and Riley have booths there and they’ll be able to help you get acclimated. Some of my best memories of you happened in that market. There’s a photo of you in my office you should go take a look at. So many of the good things in my life came about as a result of the market. I hope you will consider managing it a gift rather than a burden.

  Mr. Boyd will be in touch soon with more words from me. In the meantime, settle in and make the house yours again. Don’t be afraid of changing things.

  Always remember, I love you to the moon and back.

  Dad

  Kate refolded the letter and stuck it back in the envelope. Still so many questions. Why he’d chosen Drew of all people to handle the renovations was at the top of the list. Maybe she’d never know.

  “That seemed heartfelt.” Aiden broke the long silenc
e. “And it also sounds as if he’s got some things planned for you. Are you okay with that?”

  She shrugged. “I already told you that I need to stay here and deal with this stuff.”

  “Staying here and dealing with your dad’s estate is one thing. Stepping up as manager of the farmers market is another.” He gave her a sideways glance. “Is that even something you want to do?”

  “I know it sounds crazy. But you don’t know the history of my family and that market.”

  “So enlighten me.”

  She gave him a tiny smile. “My parents met there. My mom came from a farming family. She grew up on a farm and when she was in high school, she started selling eggs at the market on Saturdays. My dad’s dad — my grandfather — was the manager. Dad worked there in the summers, and that’s how they met.” She laughed. “My mom used to tell the story and it was so funny. They literally ran into each other and of course, she was carrying cartons of eggs that went flying. You can imagine the rest.” Her dad had said once that it had been love at first sight.

  “So the market means something to you?”

  “Well, yeah. It’s part of my story. My parents’ relationship began there. I practically grew up there. So I can understand Dad wanting me to manage it.”

  Aiden nodded. “And I can understand you feeling obligated to give it a shot.” He gestured at the letter she still held in her hands. “And it also sounds like your dad hoped you’d reconnect with your family. Is that something you want to do?”

  Kate was quiet for a moment. “Dad has some distant relatives left here. He was an only child, like me, and his parents died when I was young. But I have a lot of family in Arcadia Valley from my mom’s side. My grandma lives not too far from here. And mom’s brother and his wife do, too. Their daughters are the two who have booths at the market. Brooke and Riley. They weren’t just cousins, but good friends of mine growing up.”

  “It sounds like your mind’s made up. So you’ll be staying for an extended time.”

  “I may be. Are you going to be okay with that?”