Be Mine in Good Hope (A Good Hope Novel Book 3)

by Cindy Kirk

  “Did she know you wanted parents there?”

  “We sent an e-mail alert out last week.” Marigold paused. “I’m pretty sure David will stay.”

  “Sounds like a fun unit.”

  “If you’re available, I’d love it if you’d stop by and help.” Marigold offered her most beguiling smile and her tone turned persuasive. “If you do, this trim is on me.”

  Hadley thought for a moment, then grinned. “In that case, how can I refuse?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Marigold glanced at the YMCA rock wall and felt sweat pool at the base of her spine. A knot of fear took up residence in the pit of her stomach. Because of the nature of the event, instead of holding the Seedlings’ meeting at the town hall, Katie Ruth had arranged for them to meet at the Y.

  The youth coordinator had also kindly solicited several of the most experienced rock climbing instructors to be on hand. But when one of them suggested Marigold go first to show how easily it could be done when you followed instructions, she’d been struck dumb.

  How could she tell the kids she was terrified of heights without casting a pall over the evening’s adventure? Especially when most—heck, all—of the children seemed eager and excited.

  Marigold thought she’d done her part by reviewing the climbing etiquette that was the safety part of the presentation. While she was talking, her nephews had inched on their bottoms closer and closer to the climbing wall.

  Apparently the part about taking turns had the twins worried they wouldn’t be first. Never, ever, had Marigold thought she’d be tossed to the front of the line.

  “It will be easy.” Lars, a tall, blond man with a toothy grin, patted her on the shoulder. “We’re going to have you use an auto belay device. The one thing to keep in mind is that when you lean back and let go, you’ll briefly free fall before the device engages.”

  “That brief free fall is usually a favorite of the children,” Anissa, the other instructor, equally blonde and smiley, confided.

  Free fall?

  The blood that had been slugging through Marigold’s veins froze. When Lars held out the harness, perspiration dotted her brow.

  She couldn’t speak, she knew she couldn’t, at least not without her teeth chattering, so she didn’t even try. Her gaze went instinctually to Cade.

  Though his face remained impassive, concern filled his eyes.

  “Lars.” Cade spoke in an easy, confident tone. “Before we do the demonstration, could you pass around the ropes you brought? Let’s see if the Seedlings can pick out the ones showing signs of wear or damage.”

  Cade turned to the group of children and their parents. “The adults can help the children inspect each rope.”

  If Lars appeared puzzled by the request, it didn’t show. He and Anissa pulled out short segments of rope from a bin and gave one to each of the children.

  “Each rope segment is marked with a letter. Once you’ve inspected yours, please pass it to the person on your right. Make a mental note of the letter of ones you consider damaged or worn.” Anissa smiled. “I’ll give you a few minutes, and then we’ll discuss.”

  While the ropes were being passed out, Cade pulled Marigold aside. “What’s wrong?”

  You are strong. You are mighty.

  She’d been saying the words over and over in her head, but this time the mantra wasn’t working.

  “You can tell me,” he said softly. “Anything.”

  Looking into those soft, gray eyes, she realized she could. She moistened her dry lips with the tip of her tongue.

  “I’m afraid of heights.” Shame flooded her. “So much for being strong and mighty.”

  A puzzled look crept into his eyes.

  She gave a little laugh that held no humor. “Never mind that. I’ve been terrified of heights since I fell out of our backyard tree when I was five. I broke my arm.”

  Marigold wasn’t sure what she expected Cade to say or do. Perhaps tell her to buck up as Jason had when he’d wanted to eat at the Michelin-starred French restaurant high above the financial district. Simply looking out the panels of glass over the city below had made her nauseous.

  Or maybe Cade would encourage her to face her fears. Marigold knew that’s what she should do. But she also knew there was an excellent possibility she’d humiliate herself in front of a group of second graders.

  “I’ll climb.” He spoke gently, taking both of her hands in his, his gaze never leaving her face.

  “They’ll know.”

  “Who will know?” His voice was soft as a caress.

  “The kids. Their parents. Everyone.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  But it did, at least to her. She’d always fostered an aura of invincibility. If she tried to climb and failed, that facade would come crashing down.

  “Marigold,” Lars asked, “are you ready?”

  Cade grabbed her arm when she turned. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I do.” Like a condemned prisoner on her way to face the gallows, Marigold turned toward the wall. She looked up, then down, clenched her hands together to still their trembling.

  Cade’s jaw set in a hard line. “I’m going to—”

  “I realize this is probably out of line.”

  Marigold shifted her gaze to Hadley. The blonde, who’d been helping David and Brynn study the ropes, stepped forward.

  “I used to do a lot of climbing. It was so much fun and I’ve missed it terribly.” The look on her pretty face was one of calculated supplication. “Would you mind terribly if I took your place? The adults won’t get a chance on the wall tonight, and I’d really like to see if those old skills are still there.”

  Marigold gazed at the pretty blonde and knew, without a single doubt, that Hadley was her friend. Somehow she’d sensed Marigold’s fear and had come riding to the rescue.

  A sudden thought struck Marigold with the force of a sledgehammer. Had the terror she’d tried so hard to hide been that obvious? Marigold glanced around the room but didn’t see a single pitying look.

  Even Lars appeared unconcerned. “I don’t care who does it, but we need to get started so each child will have time on the wall.”

  “Sure, Hadley.” Marigold smiled, hoping her relief didn’t show. “You can have my turn.”

  As the blonde took the harness from Lars, Cade took Marigold’s hand in his. The ice in her veins began to thaw.

  Hadley shot her a wink as Lars began discussing proper procedure with the Seedlings. Marigold grinned back, then glanced up at Cade.

  Friends. Lovers.

  Marigold had forgotten that in Good Hope you were never alone. Someone always had your back.

  Sometimes the help came from the familiar and sometimes from the unexpected.

  But one thing you could count on, the support would always be there.

  Cade glanced over at Marigold as the children began filing from the room. “How does dinner at Muddy Boots sound?”

  Marigold did a quick internal assessment. The stomach that had been twisty-tied during the meeting was now relaxed and growling. “Sounds great.”

  Her sister and Max had already left with the twins or she’d have asked them to join them.

  Marigold spotted Hadley with David and Brynn. The blonde had been in her element on the wall. Her enthusiasm had put all the children—and parents—at ease.

  “It was a good meeting.” David’s hand rested on his daughter’s shoulder. “Brynn really enjoyed herself.”

  “Hadley says I have po—” Brynn’s brow furrowed.

  “Potential,” Hadley supplied. “You were like a little monkey on that wall.”

  “Sure surprised me.” David shook his head. “Brynn has never been one for sports.”

  “You just have to find the right one.” Hadley and Brynn exchanged a smile.

  There was something about the two of them, about the three of them, Marigold mentally corrected. They seemed more of a family unit than when Whitney was in the pictur
e. Of course, from what Marigold had observed in her short time back, Whitney rarely was in the picture.

  “Would you like to join us for dinner at Muddy Boots?” Marigold asked.

  “I like Muddy Boots.” Brynn looked imploringly up at her father. “I’m hungry, too.”

  “Honey, I think Marigold was asking Hadley to join them.” David’s voice was gentle, holding no reproach.

  “Actually, I was asking all three of you,” Marigold clarified.

  “I could eat.” Hadley’s casual tone was at odds with her watchful eyes.

  “We’d love to join you.” The words had barely left David’s lips when Brynn squealed. He grinned. “It appears that was the correct answer.”

  Although Muddy Boots was crowded, they got one of the last open tables, a rectangular six-top by the window.

  “You do a good job with the children.” David’s gaze shifted from Cade to Marigold. “Both of you.”

  “I like kids.” Cade’s lips lifted in a wry smile. “Though with three brothers, I know boys better than girls.”

  “Have you thought about starting a family of your own?” Hadley asked.

  “I have to have a wife first.” Cade smiled. “I’m kind of a traditional guy that way.”

  “I’m not even going to ask you.” Hadley turned to Marigold. “You’re all about your career.”

  “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.” Marigold kept her tone light. Though Hadley’s comment had been free of judgment, somehow it still stung.

  “I didn’t mean it that way.” Hadley raised her hands in surrender. “I’m a firm believer that a person shouldn’t enter into a marriage unless that’s what they truly want. Otherwise everyone gets hurt.”

  “You’re so good with Brynn.” Marigold deliberately shifted the focus to David. “Do you and Whitney plan to have more children?”

  “My mommy can’t have a baby in her tummy,” Brynn piped up. “The mommy that carried me in her tummy couldn’t keep me, so I got adopted.”

  “That’s so special.” Marigold put her hand over Brynn’s little one. “Isn’t it, Hadley?”

  “Yes,” Hadley said with an odd catch in her voice. “Very special.”

  The talk quickly turned to sports and the upcoming hockey tournament without David answering her question.

  “I used to enjoy skating.” David took a sip of his iced tea. “I haven’t been on the ice in a couple of years.”

  Cade leaned forward. “The Ice Holes are always looking for good skaters.”

  David chuckled. “I didn’t say I was good.”

  Marigold knew all the Chapins were good skaters. You didn’t grow up in Good Hope without acquiring a certain level of proficiency on skates and skis.

  “You and Whitney should bring Brynn out sometime for Friday Skate Night at Rakes’s Pond.” Marigold unwrapped the straw for her soda. “Cade and I were there last Friday. It was a lot of fun.”

  “Whitney isn’t much for the cold.” David shrugged. “Hence the trip to Boca.”

  “Please, Daddy, please, can we go skating?” Brynn pleaded.

  “I’ll think about it.” He gave the child a wink and picked up the menu again.

  The conversation flowed easily while they ate. They’d just ordered dessert when a woman walked through the door that Marigold recognized immediately.

  “I see your grandmother,” Marigold told Brynn.

  The child’s eyes brightened as she spun in her seat. When her gaze settled on her grandmother, Brynn called out in a voice loud enough the deaf could hear, “Grammy.”

  Lynn Chapin, a pretty woman in her late fifties, lifted her head from the charge ticket she’d been signing. Marigold saw the instant Lynn spotted her granddaughter. Her coral-colored lips widened into a warm smile.

  With her silver-blonde hair and classically beautiful features, she resembled her granddaughter more than her dark-haired son.

  The hair, Marigold noted with approval, was cut in a shoulder-length bob that flattered her bone structure. Lynn gave a little wave, picked up her boxed-up pie, then made her way to the table.

  “What a nice surprise.” Her smile was friendly but her gaze was sharp and assessing as she scanned the table. It paused and lingered on Hadley.

  Before Lynn could arrive at a very wrong conclusion, Marigold set the record straight. “Hadley, Cade, and I were running the Seedlings’ meeting at the Y tonight. We invited David and Brynn to join us for dinner since they’re baching it.”

  “Oh.” Lynn’s expression gave nothing away as it shifted to her eldest son. “Is Whitney out of town again?”

  “Mommy is in Boca with Gina and Tess,” Brynn announced before her dad could respond. “The cold makes her grouchy.”

  The child said the words matter-of-factly, then brightened. “Grammy, I climbed a rock wall tonight, and Daddy is going to, well, maybe, take me ice skating at a pond.”

  Warmth returned to Lynn’s cool blue eyes. “Is that so?”

  “May I get you something to drink, Mrs. Chapin?” Flo stopped at the table, a pitcher of tea for refills in one hand.

  “Thank you, no. I’m not—”

  “Join us,” Marigold urged. “We just ordered dessert.”

  “I really shouldn’t—”

  “C’mon, Lynn. Take a few minutes. If you do, I will, too.”

  The masculine voice had Marigold turning in delight. “Dad. I didn’t see you come in.”

  “You were too busy trying to convince this beautiful lady to join you.” Steve Bloom flashed a persuasive smile at Lynn. “What do you say? How ’bout we both have a seat, get some coffee, and share a piece of pie?”

  The next two weeks sped by with life for Marigold settling into a surprisingly easy rhythm. There was no more talk of her staying in Good Hope from either family or Cade. Everyone seemed to have finally accepted that her time here was limited.

  She saw clients most days and Cade most evenings. Activities with her family, as well as Seedling activities, filled the rest of her free hours. Everywhere she went, the upcoming Valentine’s dance was all anyone could talk about. Her father and Anita continued to date. Marigold had no doubt he’d be taking the now “reformed” piranha to the dance.

  Though Marigold doubted she’d still be around for the event, she told Cade she’d go with him if she was in town.

  The job at Angelo’s was looking extremely promising. She’d had several conversations with the man himself. He’d been impressed by her experience and had been complimentary about her web page and blog. While he hadn’t yet made an offer, Marigold sensed it was coming.

  In the meantime, she was determined to ignore the surroundings in the salon and concentrate on practicing her art. She’d even become somewhat desensitized to the poodle wallpaper, which was a feat in itself. Until Loretta Sharkey, the high school choral director, stopped in for a trim after school one Friday afternoon.

  “Every time I look at that wallpaper it makes me smile.” Loretta gestured widely with one hand, nearly knocking the scissors from Marigold’s fingers. “Look at those dogs.”

  Marigold hesitated. Was Loretta saying the paper was so ridiculous it made her chuckle? Or something else entirely?

  “You, ah, you like the wallpaper?” Marigold kept any judgment from her tone. After all, there was no accounting for taste.

  “It’s so—” The woman appeared to search for the right word. “So Carly.”

  Unexpectedly, Loretta fixed those steely blue eyes on Marigold, bringing back not-so-pleasant memories of being caught talking when the choral director was giving instructions. “Did you know her?”

  “Not at all.” Although Carly had graduated from Good Hope High, she’d been a good ten years older.

  “She was such a sweet girl and a good student. I never had to reprimand her for talking.” Loretta glanced pointedly at Marigold before pursing her lips. “Her husband died when she was in her midtwenties. She used some of the insurance money to go to beauty school, then came back to start
this business.”

  Beauty school. Marigold tried not to shudder. In her mind the term was on par with hairdresser.

  “This salon became her life. Well, the salon and Vivian.”

  Marigold paused, a strand of Loretta’s dark hair between her fingers. “Carly had a child?”

  “Oh, my dear.” The sound Loretta emitted sounded more like a bark than a laugh. “Vivian was a standard poodle. A gorgeous animal and incredibly smart.”

  Loretta continued, lowering her voice to a confidential whisper, although they were the only ones in the shop. “Personally, I think Carly would have done better putting her efforts into grooming dogs. She was great with shears. She could do a buzz cut like nobody’s business on the little boys, but she wasn’t very skilled with scissors. Which is why I always found the dancing scissors sign a bit ironic.”

  Marigold kept her expression impassive and only nodded.

  “For so many years Carly threw herself into building this business to the exclusion of everything else. Then Vivian died and she was all alone.” Loretta’s expression softened with sympathy. “A person needs more than a career to be truly happy.”

  Marigold agreed. Eventually she would make time for a husband and children. She would have a well-balanced life.

  But it wouldn’t be with Cade. No, not with Cade.

  The thought brought a stabbing pain to her heart.

  “What about you, dear?” Loretta jerked her head around so abruptly Marigold nearly stabbed her ear. “Have you given any thought to staying?”

  “I’m considering a couple of offers, both of them out of state.” Marigold kept it vague. “One on the East Coast and one on the West.”

  “I thought maybe you and the sheriff—”

  “Cade and I are good friends. Please sit straight, Loretta, and try not to move.” Marigold spoke firmly and reached for the styling razor.

  The choral director must have decided that not moving didn’t include her mouth. “I saw Sheriff Rallis a couple of days ago with Justin Tooley. The boy is back on leave from the Marines. They were speaking with Katie Ruth at the bake shop.”