The Cottage on Juniper Ridge

by Sheila Roberts

  “She’s totally over rustic living. She saw a bear and hasn’t so much as gone out on the porch since then. I could barely get her to go out to the car to come here.”

  “So that’s why you’re in town today.”

  “The natives were getting restless. It was either bring her in or risk getting stabbed in my sleep with a fork.”

  “So nobody’s having fun?”

  “Oh, they’re okay today, now that they’re at the pool. And Wayne’s back at the river fly-fishing. I haven’t seen him this relaxed in ages. In fact, I haven’t seen him this much in ages.”

  “That’s good, right?” Jen said, sipping at her latte.

  “Absolutely,” Toni replied. “So what if our children hate us? That whole parent-child thing is overrated.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll be a hero after the Fourth. I’ve heard they do a great job up here.”

  The door to the coffee shop opened and in walked Garrett Armstrong. He gave the sisters an uneasy nod as he passed by on his way to the counter.

  “Jerk,” Jen muttered.

  “Hey, he’s still not engaged, is he? Otherwise, you’d have heard.”

  “He’s as good as engaged,” Jen said with a scowl.

  “I don’t care what he told you. He wants you. He just needs to realize it.”

  “Well, I don’t want him. The cop can have him. I told you that.”

  “Yeah, you did. But you were lying and we both know it. Come on, it ain’t over till it’s over.”

  “Trust me.” Jen sighed. “It’s over. Not that it ever really started.”

  “Well, if he doesn’t see how fabulous you are, he deserves to be with a second-rate woman.”

  “I’m not sure a cop falls in that category,” Jen said, and frowned at her latte.

  “Yeah, it’s hard to compete with someone who’ll give you a ride in the squad car. She probably lets him turn on the siren.”

  That made Jen smirk.

  “Anyway, there are plenty of other men up here.”

  “Absolutely,” Jen said, but her gaze drifted across the coffee shop to where the handsome fireman was picking up his drink.

  Poor Jen. She really had it bad. She’d managed to simplify her life beautifully, but what good was that if her love life stank? Toni wished she could help, but when it came to connecting with the right man, a woman was on her own.

  * * *

  As Jen had predicted, Icicle Falls did go all out for the Fourth of July. The night of the third, Toni and her family came down for the street dance, which featured a local band. The kids pigged out on nachos and hot dogs and corn on the cob, and Jordan found two boys to flirt with. They both wore braces, but they were cute and cocky, and surely the stuff a thirteen-year-old girl’s dreams were made of. Ah, how Toni remembered those days.

  She enjoyed watching the dancers later as she and her family sat at a picnic table and devoured ice cream bars. One dark-haired man with glasses was really something to watch.

  “That’s Juliet’s brother, Jonathan,” Jen explained. “He lives in Portland now, but he and his wife come back here for all the festivals and holidays. I hear he’s still the best dancer in Icicle Falls.”

  “He doesn’t have anything on me,” Wayne said.

  “Uh-huh.” Toni rolled her eyes.

  He stood up and held out his hand to her. “Come on, babe.”

  Wayne had never been much of a dancer, but she appreciated his willingness to get out there and try. And since the band was playing a slow song, she figured he wouldn’t have to try too hard.

  Sure enough, about all he did was sway them back and forth. But it was sweet and romantic. “I’ve still got the moves,” he joked.

  “That you do,” she said, playing along, “and not just on the dance floor.”

  He grinned and kissed her right there in the middle of the crowd. Oh, yes, coming up here and getting away from it all had been absolutely inspired. It might not have been a perfect vacation, but it had been a perfect chance for her and Wayne to rekindle the romance in their marriage. Maybe, just maybe, they’d be able to keep the flame alive when they got back to the real world of overwork and distractions.

  * * *

  Jen was getting dizzier by the minute. Her buddy Bill Will had found her and insisted they have a dance and now he was tossing her around like a Frisbee. Still, she was having a great time. She’d seen everyone she knew—her book club, some of the women from her new church, her library pals. She loved it here!

  The needle on her fun meter dipped shortly after her dance with Bill Will. They were getting corn dogs when she caught sight of a little boy wandering through the crowd. It was Timmy, Garrett’s son. Where was his father?

  “Well, hi there,” she said. “I’m the lady from the bakery. Remember me?”

  He nodded. “I’m looking for my daddy.”

  “I bet he’s looking for you, too,” she said. “Want me to help you?”

  The little boy nodded again. Then he eyed her corn dog. “I like corn dogs.”

  She smiled. “Would you like this one?”

  Timmy grinned eagerly.

  “Guess I’d better buy you another,” Bill Will said.

  “Guess so,” she agreed.

  Once they all had corn dogs, she took Timmy’s hand. “Let’s go find your daddy.”

  “Uh, I’ll catch up with you later, then,” Bill Will told her. “I think I’m on his shit list.”

  Poor Bill Will. The septic fiasco hadn’t been his fault. “I’m on his shit list, too,” she said. But she didn’t care because he was on hers, as well.

  “Save me a slow dance,” Bill Will said, and melted into the crowd.

  She decided her best bet was to take the child over to the bandstand and ask the bandleader to make an announcement. They had just started in that direction when a slender blonde wearing white shorts and a tight red top stopped in front of them. She glared at Jen and demanded, “Who the hell are you and what are you doing with my kid?”

  So this was the man-scarring ex.

  “Mommy!” Timmy was all smiles now.

  “Oh, you’re Timmy’s mom. You have a sweet little boy,” Jen said, opting for diplomacy.

  “Timmy, do you know this woman? Why aren’t you with Daddy?” she barked before he could answer, making the child burst into tears.

  So much for the Miss Congeniality approach. “I’m afraid he got separated from his dad,” said Jen.

  The other woman narrowed her eyes. “Are you here with Garrett?”

  Before Jen could answer Garrett arrived on the scene. “Thank God,” he said, and scooped up the little boy.

  “Nice job you’re doing keeping track of our son,” the woman greeted him. “And you give me a hard time for letting him eat doughnuts. At least I’ve never lost him in a crowd.”

  “I was getting him something to drink and he wandered off,” Garrett said irritably.

  “Yeah? Where’s the drink?”

  “I left it behind to look for Timmy. It’s okay now, buddy,” Garrett told the crying child.

  “Timmy, do you want to come with Mommy?” asked the woman.

  The little boy buried his head in his father’s shoulder and shook it back and forth.

  Hurt flashed across the woman’s face, followed quickly by anger. “You’d better spend less time chasing women and more time watching our son,” she snarled, stabbing a finger at Garrett. Then she turned and marched off, lea
ving Jen blinking in shock over the exchange she’d just witnessed.

  “Oh, my,” Jen said weakly.

  “Welcome to my world.” Garrett’s face was stony. To the child he said, “Remember, buddy, you’ve got to stay right with me.”

  “I did,” the child protested. “But you got lost and I couldn’t find you.”

  Garrett hugged him. “Well, never mind. What’s this you’ve got?”

  Timmy held out his corn dog for Garrett to sample.

  Garrett shook his head. “It’s all yours.” He looked directly at Jen. “Thanks for taking care of him.”

  “No problem,” she said. His heartfelt gratitude, the sudden friendly feeling between them—it was enough to make her forget that he thought she was a flake and that she was mad at him.

  “Sorry you had to witness that,” he said. He glanced past Jen and frowned.

  She turned and saw the blonde melting into the milling crowd on the arm of a heavily tattooed man in an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt.

  “I can’t blame her for being upset, I guess,” Jen said. “She’s never met me. For all she knew, I could have been kidnapping your son.”

  “Oh, yeah, I could tell she was all upset about it.”

  “I think she was at first. I think it was a real shock to see her son with a stranger.”

  Garrett gave a snort of disgust. Obviously he wasn’t convinced. “Right. Anyway, I’m glad you found him. How are you liking the dance?”

  “It’s great,” she said. Even if she wasn’t dancing with him.

  “I thought I saw you out there,” he said, nodding to the boogying throng.

  “I was. Have you been showing your street dance moves?”

  “I save my moves for more private dances.”

  “Oh, so in other words, you really can’t dance,” she teased.

  “I’ve got a few moves. You here with someone?”

  Saying she was there with her sister didn’t exactly make her sound like primo love real estate. “I’m with friends.”

  He nodded, taking that in. “Girlfriends?”

  “And guys.” She hadn’t come with Bill Will, but they’d already hung out enough that she figured it counted.

  “You with Bill Will?” he asked.

  She cocked her head. “Not everyone thinks I’m a flake.”

  His face took on a guilty flush. “Jen, I’m sorry, but—”

  She cut him off. “You should be. I sure don’t appreciate being lumped in the same category as your ex-wife.” Especially now that she’d met the woman.

  “That was a mistake,” he said humbly.

  “Well, we all make mistakes,” she said, determined to be gracious.

  Timmy was done with his corn dog. “Come on, Daddy, let’s get something to drink,” he urged.

  “Okay, buddy. Just a minute.” Now Garrett was looking as if he had something important to say. “Jen, do you think we could...start over?”

  “Again?”

  “Yeah, again.”

  Tilda chose that moment to show up. “Good,” she said. “You found him.” She acknowledged Jen’s presence with a nod and managed a smile. It didn’t reach her eyes, though.

  “Daddy was lost,” Timmy explained.

  “Come here, you,” Tilda said, taking him from Garrett’s arms. She tickled him, making him squirm and laugh. Tilda, the perfect stepmother.

  “Well, I’d better...” Jen pointed in the general direction of the dancing throng.

  He nodded. “Nice running into you. I’m glad we had a chance to talk.”

  “Me, too.” She wished they could have a chance to do more than talk. The band was starting another slow song. She’d love to find out what kind of moves Garrett Armstrong had.

  “Well, uh, see you around,” he added.

  “I’ll be around.” Hmm, that sounded...predatory. Tilda thought so, too, judging by her expression.

  “I’m looking forward to the fireworks. I hear that’s not to be missed.”

  “It’s crazy,” he said.

  Now Tilda inserted herself into the conversation. “It’s enough to make us crazy, isn’t it?” She looked to Garrett for confirmation. Team Tilda-Garrett. How chummy!

  “So, you’ll both be working tomorrow?” Jen asked, politely including Tilda in the conversation.

  “Oh, yeah.” Tilda rolled her eyes. “Some fool is bound to shoot off a finger with a firecracker. And we’ll get a ton of calls about drunken neighbors trying to burn down the forest.”

  “That’s a very real danger,” Garrett said. “We’ll be down by the river with the truck.”

  “Maybe I’ll see you then,” Jen murmured.

  “He’ll be busy,” Tilda said. So there. To Timmy she said, “Hey, kid, you ready for some shaved ice?”

  Timmy nodded eagerly.

  “Let’s go, then.” Tilda started walking off with Timmy, obviously expecting Garrett to follow.

  “Well, uh, thanks again,” Garrett said. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Dude, come on. We’re starving,” Tilda called, and he trailed after her. Like a dog whose owner had just given the leash a firm yank.

  Jen reminded herself that she didn’t poach other women’s men.

  But what if the other woman was losing her grip on the man? What if the man was beginning to see his flaky tenant in a new light?

  You still don’t poach, Jen told herself sternly.

  It was hard to remember that when she saw him the next night. She was with Toni and her family, and they walked right by the fire truck carrying their snacks and blankets and fireworks.

  He actually called out to her.

  “Go say hi,” Toni said with a grin. “You’ve got to keep up good tenant-landlord relations.”

  “Cool,” Jeffrey said, all ready to join her.

  “Not you.” Toni grabbed him by the shirttail. “You’re staying with us.”

  “Aw, Mom. I want to check out the fire truck,” Jeffrey protested. “Anyway, I’ll be with Aunt Jen.”

  “Who doesn’t need your company right now,” Toni said, and steered him away.

  Jen headed over to where Garrett stood. Gee, what a shame that Tilda had to work.

  “How’s it going?” he greeted her. “Did you guys do the parade today?”

  “Oh, yes. The parade and the arts and crafts booths.” She looked around. “This crowd is huge.”

  “You add the tourists to all the locals and you get a crowd.”

  “That could be a lot of fires to put out.”

  “We’re up for it,” he said.

  “No Timmy tonight?”

  “Not while I’m working. My mom has him.”

  “Nice to have your mom nearby,” she said.

  “Yeah, considering...”

  “Who you married?” Jen supplied.

  “Something like that.”

  “She really screwed up your life, didn’t she?”

  He shrugged. “I got a great kid out of the deal, but she does make my life crazy. I sure don’t need it to get any crazier.”

  There it was again, just in case she still hadn’t gotten the message. Even though they were now officially pals, even though he was attracted to her, he’d never make a move on her. So, why was she wasting her time talking to him?

  “I’d better catch up with my family,” she said.

  For a moment she thought maybe he was going to say something else, something like “Don’t leave.” But instead he nodded. “Have
fun.”

  “I intend to. Life’s too short to settle for less.” There, that oughta give him something to think about.

  * * *

  Garrett watched Jen make her way through the crowd. She had her strawberry-blond hair in a ponytail and it swung jauntily as she walked—the girl next door out to enjoy the fireworks. He’d bet they could make some real fireworks together.

  If he hadn’t gone down the crazy road with Ashley, he’d have been willing to do just that. But he couldn’t afford to take any more chances on love. No more jumping in and hoping it paid off. He wanted—no needed—a sure thing. Jen was too big a gamble.

  He leaned against the fire truck and frowned at the passersby. Damn it all, Jen Heath, why did you have to come to Icicle Falls?

  * * *

  “I’ve never met someone who could sleep through a fireworks display,” Ken teased Chita as he and her little family followed the crowd of departing revelers down the path in Riverfront Park to the parking lot.

  “I’m so tired,” she said. “Studying on top of work and keeping up with the kids...” She shook her head. “I don’t know what made me think I could do this.”

  “You can,” he insisted as he picked up a drooping Enrico. “You just need a little help.”

  “I have a lot of help,” she said, smiling up at him.

  Ken Wolfe had slid easily into her family’s life, coming over and cooking dinner on Friday nights so she could study, attending Enrico’s Little League games, showing her what family life could be like with the right man.

  “You could have more,” he said. “All you have to do is ask.”

  She didn’t respond. She’d carried the load on her own for so many years. Asking for more, as he’d suggested, wasn’t that simple.

  But later, once the kids were in bed and the two of them sat cuddled on the couch, he brought up the subject again. “What if you didn’t have to work?”

  Chita sighed. “That’s not my life, Ken. You know that. I have to work.”

  “We could fix it so you didn’t have to.”

  “What? Are you offering to be my sugar daddy?” she joked. Then the expression on his face registered. “What are you saying?”