She smiled and shook her head. “I don’t see that last one working. Do you?”
“No. But I was trying to make you feel better. Sometimes you look at me with this totally panicked expression and it’s usually when you’ve let yourself relax and have fun with me. Then this whole deer and headlights thing happens and you’re back to being all business.”
“I’m trying to cope. Maybe I’ll eventually come to terms with things.” She shrugged. “And maybe I won’t.”
“I understand that.” And he did. But the more he was around her, the more he realized that his feelings were still there. And he was terrified that if she found that out, she’d refuse to see him again. He knew part of her hated him. She had to. After the way things had ended back then and the way they’d been thrown back together now — it was a wonder she hadn’t really let him have it.
But at the end of the day, all he could think about was how soft her skin was and how full her lips were. And how much he wanted to pull her to him and hug her tight and promise that if she’d give him another chance, he’d get it right this time.
She wasn’t ready though. And he was beginning to think she never would be. She seemed to want to let the past stay in the past, and until they fully dealt with it, they had no future.
He was smart enough to know that.
“I’d better go,” he said, standing up. “I’ll check in tomorrow to see what your flooring decision is. I’m sure it will be a good one.” He let himself out and walked to his truck. The job was already going faster than he’d expected. In a few short weeks, it would be finished.
He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen then. Would they stay in touch? Or was this little bit of contact the last he would ever have with her?
The thought of that was almost too much to bear.
* * *
Kate had spent the better part of the last few days brainstorming for the market’s opening day. The building had been closed up since December, so she really needed to arrange for a cleanup day there soon. She made a mental note to ask Riley if that was something her dad had done himself or if he’d hired someone to take care of it. She’d been putting off going to the office, but today she had to face it.
Drew was meeting her there at noon.
She still wasn’t used to seeing him. And she certainly didn’t appreciate the way her heart beat a little faster when he was near. After everything, she’d hoped that she wouldn’t find him even remotely attractive.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
She pulled the key Brooke had given her out of her pocket and unlocked the side door of the market. There were four entrances in all, one in front, one in back, and one on both sides. Each end of the building had a retractable garage-door like opening that could be raised when it was warm outside, but it would be several weeks before it was time for that. Today, she opted for the side entrance closest to the parking area. It was the entrance closest to her dad’s office.
Her office.
It would take some time for that to sink in.
She unlocked the office door and stepped inside, then felt along the wall for the light switch. She flipped the light on and couldn’t help but smile.
The office looked exactly the same as it had when she was a child. Her dad’s dark mahogany desk was as neat as ever, although his desktop computer had been replaced by a laptop. He’d upgraded equipment without telling her. She paused to look at the bookshelf behind the desk. It was full of photos of her and her mom. There were a couple of family photos from Christmas long ago, all three of them hugged up in front of the tree or posed at her grandma’s house.
Her eyes filled with unexpected tears. Those were some good times. Her parents had always gone all out to celebrate Christmas and make it a magical time of year for her. The three of them would go together each year to find the perfect tree. Her mom would always insist they sing Christmas carols to and from the tree farm, and even though Dad would grumble about it, he’d sing loud and sometimes in a funny voice. Once they got back home with the tree, they’d decorate it and her dad would make a big production of plugging in the lights. Her mom would make hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and they’d sit in the living room and drink it, admiring their work.
Since she left home, Christmas had been a dark time for her. It was one reason she’d already been planning to come to Arcadia Valley this year for Christmas.
“Knock, knock!” a woman said in a sing-song voice. “Is anyone in here?” The empty market space caused an echo and Kate had a sudden memory of being a little girl and standing in the middle of the building shouting her ABC’s just to hear the echo.
“I’m in the office,” Kate called. She wasn’t in the mood for company, but at least it would stop her from the trip down memory lane.
“Katie Groves,” Patti Plunk said. Her large frame filled the office doorway. “I’m so glad to see you, Hon. I’m so sorry about your daddy.” She walked over to the desk. “I’ve been meaning to drop a pie off to you.”
Kate smiled and stood up. “Thank you.”
Patti enveloped her in a hug. “I hope we’ll be seeing more of you around here.”
Kate nodded. “Yes, ma’am. You will. I’m going to manage the market for a little while.”
Patti sat down in one of the seats across from the desk. “I was hoping you would say that.” A big grin spread across her face.
Kate sat back down at the desk. “I was just about to start going through the vendor list and contacting everyone to introduce myself.” She smiled across the desk at Patti. “Or reintroduce myself in many cases. Will I still see your name on the list?”
Patti nodded vigorously. “Oh, yes. Patti’s Pies is proud to be a vendor for another season. Last year was a very good year. I sold at the holiday market, too.” She slapped her hand on the desk. “We’re going to do that again this year, right?”
“As far as I know we will,” Kate said. She didn’t want to commit to anything just yet, and she still wasn’t sure how long she’d stay in Arcadia Valley. “I’m just now going over all the files. In fact, that’s what I’m doing here today.”
“I happened to drive by and see a vehicle in the parking lot. I hoped it might be you. So I took a chance and came on in.”
“Dad hired Drew Harrison to re-do the office. He’s supposed to come by and meet me later today to discuss it.”
“Drew does excellent work.” Patti looked around the office. “And it does look rather manly in here. Are you going to make many changes?”
Kate sighed. “I don’t know.”
“I’m really sorry about your dad. We will all miss Henry a lot. You know, he’s been a fixture at this market since we were kids. It’s hard to believe he’s gone.” She slowly rose from the chair. “You’ll do a good job, Hon. It’s in your blood. Look right here on the wall at the sign your granddad painted.” Patti pointed above the large window that had let Henry look out at the market from his desk. Above the window was a rustic sign painted on what looked like barn wood. “Know your farmer, know your food,” Patti read. “And that’s exactly why this place was so important to your family. Your granddad and your dad believed knowing where your food comes from was important.”
Kate nodded. “My mom’s family, too.” She walked Patti to the door. “You know, maybe you’re right. Maybe this place is in my blood.”
“Of course I’m right. Just follow your instincts, Hon. You’ll be great. And I’m on the vendor committee that your dad met with quarterly to discuss issues and ideas. If you have any questions about things, just ask me. I’m happy to help you out.” She grinned. “And I’ll drop a pie by your house in a day or two.”
“Thanks,” Kate said.
Once Patti was gone, she settled back at the desk. She glanced at the sign again. Her dad used to say that was the Arcadia Valley Farmers Market motto. She wondered if she could have reproductions of the old sign made and displayed in the market.
Three hours later,
she’d gone through all her dad’s files and gotten in touch with all but two of the vendors. She’d been pleased to learn that there was a very small marketing budget. And since she was in charge now, she was pretty excited about making some changes. Even though she technically wasn’t a graphic designer, she’d worked in enough graphics programs that she knew how to design a logo. And the Arcadia Valley Farmers Market was in desperate need of rebranding.
She had it narrowed down to two, and she’d let Brooke and Riley give some input before she decided.
With the opening day coming up soon, Kate really hoped for some good PR. She would contact the local TV station as well as some radio stations to see if she could drum up some interest in broadcasting live during the opening. Some of the longtime vendors had agreed to do special opening day samples and giveaways as well, which would help get shoppers there.
She was also toying with the idea of having a nonprofit day once a month and allowing a local nonprofit to have a table set up in the center of the market and giving them some time to highlight their organization. There seemed to be some worthwhile organizations in Arcadia Valley, and some of them seemed like they’d fit in well with the principles of the farmers market. The crowd that would attend the market might also be the kind of crowd interested in supporting a community garden or a food pantry for the needy. It was something to consider. She couldn’t help but think her dad would be proud of her ideas.
She jotted down several more notes until the buzz of her phone interrupted. The screen told her it was her company in Atlanta.
“Hello,” she said.
“Kate?” Addison St. Clair said. “Is that you?” Her boss was born and bred in Georgia and had the accent to prove it.
“It’s me.”
“So good to catch up. I’m terribly sorry about your father. How are things going there?”
“Okay. I’m just tying up some loose ends here on both his house and his business.”
“Good, good. I know that is difficult, Kate, but it’s one of the necessary evils of life, having to take care of your parents’ affairs.” Addison cleared her throat. “I wanted to touch base about your plans to return. As you know, we allow for some personal leave time in dealing with matters such as you are facing, but there comes a time when you simply must get back to your own life.”
Kate flinched. She’d known this conversation was likely coming, but she hadn’t expected Addison to be quite so blunt about it. “I’m working on that. Have you given any thought to allowing me to work remotely for the time being?”
The line was quiet for so long, Kate pulled the phone back from her ear to check the screen and be sure they were still connected. They were.
“I’ll be honest, Kate. I gave it thought but not for long. As you know, we occasionally let our employees work remotely. However, there’s always an agreed upon start and end to remote work — and usually it lasts no more than two weeks. Once we start letting an employee work remotely indefinitely, I feel like we’re opening ourselves up for trouble.”
“So you’re saying it isn’t a possibility?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. I checked on your accounts. How about you finish up what you’re currently working on, but don’t plan to take on any new clients till you’re back?” She paused. “Kate? You are coming back? Right?”
Kate stared at her fingernails for a moment. People kept asking her that question. And she had no idea what the answer was supposed to be or even what she wanted it to be. The truth was, nothing was really holding her in Atlanta except for a lukewarm relationship. Now, with managing the farmers market and reconnecting with her family, she was beginning to feel as if she had a purpose. But was Arcadia Valley really where she wanted to be? “When do I need to let you know for sure?”
Addison was quiet for a moment. “I don’t want to be harsh on you, but we also have work that needs to be done and by someone who is here in the office and can handle the load. I think that I will need your answer by mid-April. That gives you three weeks still to make your decision. I will understand if you opt to remain in Idaho, but I will hope you’ll decide to return to us. You’re good at what you do.”
Nothing like a vote of confidence mixed with a healthy dose of ‘but we can replace you.’ “Thanks, Addison. I’ll be in touch soon with a decision.”
* * *
A few minutes after noon, there was a knock at the office door.
Kate looked up from her notepad. “Come in,” she called.
Drew opened the door. “Sorry I’m a little late. I got caught up in a few things.”
“Not a problem. I’m just here trying to learn the art of market management.”
He sat down in the seat Patti had vacated earlier. “Your dad didn’t really give me any input on the office at all. We were supposed to discuss it later.” He took out a small notebook. “So I guess you’re completely in control here.”
“Would you be surprised if I told you that I don’t have a clue what I want to do?” she asked.
Drew grinned. “Not at all.” He glanced around. “Let’s start with the layout.”
She sighed. “I like the layout. I mean, I love the fact that from this spot, I can see the whole market.” The desk faced a large window that gave a view of the front market entrance. Windows on each side of the office made it so that she could see several of the vendor stalls that lined each wall. There were curtains that could be pulled together for privacy.
“Okay, so keep the furniture in the same spot. That makes sense.” Drew jotted a few things down. “How about the furniture? Will you be replacing all of it?”
Kate ran her hand along the top of the desk. The wood was beautiful, even if it had a few scratches. “Oh, no. I love the furniture. The bookcase and the desk belonged to my grandfather.”
“That’s real mahogany, too,” Drew said. “They really are beautiful pieces. I thought you may want something more modern though.”
She shook her head. “Nope. I really like it the way it is.”
“So we’ll keep that the same.” He looked at her for a long moment. “How about the floors?”
Kate looked down. The old carpet had seen better days. “Do you think there is concrete underneath like in the market itself?”
He shrugged. “Let me see.” He went to the corner of the office and lifted the carpet from against the wall. “This has been here so long, it’s barely even attached. It would be easy to rip out,” he said. “And it looks like someone put hardwood down at some point, although this carpet has been here for a while.” He got up. “Do you prefer hardwood over carpet?”
“Yes. Let’s restore the floor to whatever it used to be.”
Drew jotted down some notes. “Okay, so we’ll take the furniture out and remove the carpet, then refinish the floor.”
“Sounds good. If you’ll let me know a couple of days ahead of time, I’ll get all Dad’s stuff off the bookshelf.”
He nodded. “Let me check with the guys. Ideally, I’ll have a couple of them here taking care of this at the same time everyone else is working at the house.”
“Multitasking.” She grinned. “I like it.”
“How about paint?”
The office walls had been plain white for as long as Kate could remember. “Yes. I think that’s a good idea. The same yellow color I chose for the kitchen would be perfect in here. It’s bright and cheery and perfect for the office.” She pointed to the rustic sign that she and Patti had discussed earlier. “I really want to get some more of those done. Do you know where I might get some wood that looks kind of like that?”
He nodded. “I think I do. I’ll check on it and get back with you.” He wrote a few more things down.
“Thank you.”
Drew closed his notebook and looked up at her. “How’s everything coming with the market?”
She shrugged. “So far so good. I’ve been calling all the vendors today and introducing myself and confirming that they’ll be participating aga
in this year.”
“How did that go?”
“Only one vendor won’t be back. I can’t remember his name, but he sold grass fed beef. He said he was too busy this year and would just have to rely on online and phone orders.”
“So you have a spot open?”
“Looks that way.”
Drew reopened his notebook and wrote something down. “This is a friend of mine. Grant Ward.” He tore the page out of his notebook and handed it to her. “He just opened a business in town called the Beanery. He roasts his own coffee beans. You like coffee so much, you should definitely stop in sometime.”
“Grant Ward,” she repeated. “That name sounds familiar.”
“He was a little older than us. He may have been in Brooke’s class.”
“Yeah, I think I remember him.”
“Super nice guy. He moved back here not too long ago. Anyway, you might contact him. I think he’d be a good fit for the market.”
“Plus coffee.” She smiled. “That’s one of life’s essentials as far as I’m concerned. Thanks for the tip.”
She walked Drew to the door, already anxious to get back to her plans for the market. Riley and Brooke would be so surprised when she told them how much she was enjoying it.
And honestly, so was she.
Chapter 7
“Grandma said she had some kind of surprise,” Kate said.
They were in Drew’s truck on their way to her grandmother’s house. Even though she’d ridden with him once last week to look at a light fixture, it still seemed weird for her to be with him. It brought back lots of good memories. She used to joke that she’d forever be his shotgun rider. “Do you have any idea what it might be?” Drew asked.
“No clue,” Kate said. “Only that most of the family will be there and that you were invited.” He had wondered if the invite had come from Kate or from her family. Either way, the end game was the same. He got to spend some extra time with her and see if perhaps there was anything left between them.
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