“By buying up all the businesses?”
“Most of them are hanging by a thread anyway.”
She squared her shoulders and leveled her gaze. “Not mine.”
“With what my client is willing to pay, you can buy a shop twice as large in Hot Springs if you want. Just think how successful you would be if you had a larger shop in a well-populated city.”
Although she couldn’t dispute his point, she still wasn’t interested. “I suppose you’ll get a nice bonus if you convince me to sell.”
Landon held out his hands, palms up. “Hey. I’ve got to make a living. Just like you.” He leaned forward again, faux charm oozing from every pore. What a snake. “C’mon, Sophie. Think about your future. Maple Falls is like every other small town around here. It’s been swirling the drain for years. It’s only a matter of time before you go down with it.”
He might be right about the town having gone through some rough years, but that was changing. Price’s Hardware down the street and Knots and Tangles, the yarn shop across from her store, were legacy businesses that were doing well. Just like her shop.
“Does your client want to buy all the businesses on Main Street?”
A pause. “If he can.”
“Then I’m definitely not selling.” The thought of some rich venture capitalist taking over the Main Street properties and razing the old buildings that had existed since the late nineteenth century infuriated her. She couldn’t let that happen. “You can tell your client where to shove it.”
Landon’s calm facade disintegrated. “For crying out loud, Sophie, if you’ll just listen to me—”
The chime sounded over the door, and Sophie almost sank with relief when she saw Joe walk in.
“Not again,” Landon muttered.
“Joe!” Sophie rushed around the counter and went to him. “Landon was just leaving.”
Landon looked at Joe, and Sophie saw the glint of superiority in the man’s eyes. He was worse than a snake and she couldn’t stand him. She was about to tell him exactly that when he turned toward the door. “I’ll be back to finish our conversation.”
Before Sophie could respond, Joe moved between her and Landon. Then he looked at Sophie. “Is that what you want?”
A million thoughts went through her mind, and none of them were about Landon. “No,” she said, keeping her gaze on Joe. “That’s not what I want.”
Joe turned to Landon. “You heard her. She doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Landon scoffed. “Stay out of this, Johnson. You know who’s going to win here.” He lowered his voice. “Me. Just like I won Jenna.”
Without hesitating Joe grabbed Landon by the collar with one hand and by the waistband of his pants with the other, then rammed him out the door.
“Not this time, Ferry.” He shoved Landon down the sidewalk. The man stumbled but regained his balance.
Sophie rushed to lock the door in case Landon tried to get inside.
Instead, a woman and her daughter walked by, gaping at him. He straightened the collar of his expensive casual shirt, then turned and walked away.
* * *
Joe felt the adrenaline drain from his body. Uh-oh. He shouldn’t have manhandled Landon the way he did. Having the element of surprise helped, but the fact was, Landon wasn’t a strong man to begin with and never had been. And not just physically. Landon still believed he was the victor in an imaginary battle Joe hadn’t known he was waging. Maybe Landon just liked collecting women, the way some people collected stuffed animals or stamps. Either way, the man was despicable.
He had to admit, taking out the weasel had felt good, but he wasn’t proud of that fact.
“Joe?”
The furious haze cleared, and he saw Sophie leaning against the door of her shop, a shocked look on her face. Once again, his plan had gone up in smoke. After mulling over what Claude said, he’d decided the old man was right. Joe had to stop living in the past. He wanted to take a chance with his heart, and even though it would probably sound crazy to Sophie, he had to tell her how he felt, and he’d deal with whatever came next.
Instead, he’d thrown Landon out of her shop.
Real smooth.
“Sophie, I’m sor—”
“That was awesome!” She pumped her fist as she walked up to him. “You picked him up like he weighed nothing.” Her gaze went to his arms, and she looked at them appreciatively.
Joe was glad he’d worn the short-sleeve Maple Falls football T-shirt.
She stood in front of him. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Did he do anything to you?” Joe could feel the adrenaline pumping through him again at the thought of Landon hurting her.
“No.”
He listened as she told him about Landon’s client wanting to buy the shop.
“I told him to forget it, of course. I realized that was the only reason he paid attention to me in the first place. He’s a user and a jerk. I can see that now.” She smiled, her eyes never leaving Joe’s. “Thanks to you.”
Now was the time. He had her undivided attention and the shop was empty. It was the perfect moment to tell her how he felt. “Sophie, I . . .”
“Yes?”
Her softness undid him. Forgetting his words, he grabbed her in his arms and kissed her. A thrill ran through him when she encircled her arms around his neck and returned the kiss . . . and the next one . . . and the next one.
Finally, they both pulled away, Joe keeping his arms around her.
“Wow,” he said, leaning his forehead against hers.
“Yeah,” she replied, sounding as breathless as he did. “My thoughts exactly.”
“I’ve been wanting to do that since last night.”
“I wanted you to kiss me last night.” Her cheeks turned rosy.
Joe laughed. “Claude was right after all.”
Sophie frowned, brushing her fingertip over the almost nonexistent bee sting on Joe’s cheek. “About what?”
“I’ll explain later. Sophie, I know it’s strange and we haven’t known each other that long—”
“Only since kindergarten,” she said, a wry smile on her lips.
“Right. But I’m talking about more than that. I want to get to know you, Sophie. I want us to date. I can show you how to play golf, and you can show me how to, uh, arrange flowers.”
“I wouldn’t put you through that torture,” she said. “But I’d love to play golf. I want to spend more time with you too.”
“How about tonight?”
She grinned. “Definitely.”
He finally released her and took a step back. “At least we got the first kiss over with.”
Doubt crossed her features. “Was it okay?”
Joe grinned. “It was perfect.”
Epilogue
Two months later
Sophie adjusted the crown of daisies in her hair and checked her makeup in the mirror, then sighed with happiness. Back in May when she decided to take a chance on dating, she had never expected to find a man like Joe Johnson, much less fall in love with him. And now here she was, standing in a beautiful hotel room in the Dominican Republic, waiting to marry a man she had known all her life, and who had unexpectedly turned out to be the man of her dreams
She frowned slightly at her reflection. Her mother was going to kill her for this. Not just her mother, but April and her other friends, Hayley and MacKenzie, and probably half of Maple Falls. When she’d called her mother and told her she was seeing Joe, Mom had peppered her with so many questions Sophie’s head was spinning by the time she hung up the phone. Why she wanted to know what brand of spaghetti sauce Joe preferred, Sophie had no idea. When she told Mom he made his own, she said, “You’re dating a man who can cook? Now that’s a keeper! I can’t wait to meet him.”
Mom and Dad would meet him all right . . . after the honeymoon.
Soon after she talked to Mom, she’d called her sister. Like everyone else, Lis was happy for her and told Sophie she had dibs
on being matron of honor, which was only fair because Sophie had been her maid of honor.
Of course, April had approved of Joe, too, and of how he had thrown Landon out of the shop.
“I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s so slimy,” she’d said. “But do you think his client will be able to buy up Main Street?”
“Not if I can stop it. I told Hayden and Riley what happened, and Hayden is going to spread the word to the other businesses about what’s going on. We have to preserve Maple Falls.”
“Agreed.” Then April had switched subjects, insisting that she and Darren double date with Sophie and Joe soon. They’d all gone out together several times, as well as with Travis and his wife. Sophie overheard Travis hinting about being Joe’s best man the last time they came over for dinner.
Sophie cringed at the memories. She never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings, and she would apologize to everyone when they returned to Maple Falls. But she had to be true to herself. Today was her day, and there was only one person she wanted to spend it with. Then there was the practical angle of getting married and honeymooning in the same place, and she couldn’t think of anything more romantic than that.
She stepped back from the mirror in the hotel bathroom and looked at the simple sleeveless white dress she slipped into a few minutes ago. The hem hit above her knee, and she wore flat-soled white sandals. A strand of pearls completed her outfit and she nodded with satisfaction as a knock sounded at the door.
“Sophie?”
“Coming.” She hurried to open the door. Joe stood there, dressed casually in tan shorts, slip-on shoes, and, at her insistence, a short-sleeve polo shirt.
Very nice.
He took a step back and whistled. “You look gorgeous.”
“So do you.”
He grinned. “Are you ready to do this?”
She nodded.
“No regrets?”
“About eloping? Absolutely not.”
He started rocking back and forth on his heels. “Good, because there’s still time to have a wedding if that’s what you want.”
His words surprised her. “What about football season? Teaching? It’s July. Even a small wedding would take several months to plan.”
“I can find someone to sub for me.” He walked into the room and closed the door behind him. “If you want a regular wedding with your family and friends, just say the word.”
Sophie paused, but not because she wanted to go through the trouble of planning a wedding. Eloping had been her idea, and two weeks after she mentioned it to Joe, they made the arrangements together and arrived yesterday. Even if they wanted to get a refund they couldn’t. Knowing he would let all that go to make her happy touched her deeply.
I am so in love with this man.
Then she wondered if he was having second thoughts. “You don’t mind that Travis and your sister and parents aren’t here, do you?”
“Definitely not. Weddings are about the bride anyway. The groom is just along for the ride, and I like it that way.”
She walked over to the bed and picked up the ordinary bouquet of daisies, matching the ones on her head, along with five pink roses. Surprising herself, she had decided to keep the flowers to a minimum. Despite being involved in many elaborate weddings over the years, including her sister’s, she’d realized after Joe proposed almost a month ago that she didn’t want that for herself. Her wedding would be about her and her future husband, not the spectacle.
She turned to him and smiled. “I love you, Joe. And this wedding, with just the two of us, is exactly what I want.”
“Good. Because it’s exactly what I want too.” He put his hands on her waist. “Then again, anywhere you are is where I want to be.”
“Corny.” She tapped him on the arm, then let her hand linger over his muscles before pulling away. There will be time for that later.
He shrugged. “It might be corny, but it’s the truth.”
“Do you have the rings?” she asked.
“Can’t forget those.” He pulled two bands out of the pocket of his shorts, the smaller one gold and the larger one black, and held them in his palm.
She touched his band. “Perfect.”
Nodding, he returned the rings to his pocket. When he leaned forward to kiss her, she placed her finger on his lips. They’d stayed in separate rooms last night, and while in many ways she was flaunting tradition, she was firm on this point.
“Not until after we’re husband and wife.”
He groaned, dropped his hands to his sides, and took one small step back. “You drive a hard bargain, Mrs. Soon-to-Be Sophie Johnson.”
Sophie laughed. “But you put up with me anyway.”
He snuck a peck on her cheek, then grazed her earlobe with his lips.
“I love you, Sophie,” he whispered. “Let’s go get married.”
She slipped her hand in his, and they left the room to start their new life together.
He loves me.
Discussion Questions
A Summer Detour
What was your favorite scene? Why?
Allie was determined to prove her competence by driving the restored Chevy for her parents. Have you ever tried to change someone’s opinion of you? Discuss what happened as a result.
Years ago Luke was so afraid of losing Bill and Becky’s love that he sacrificed his relationship with Allie to preserve it. Has fear ever caused you to make a bad decision? What was the outcome?
How did you feel about Becky’s treatment of Allie versus her treatment of Olivia? Did you relate most to Becky, Olivia, or Allie? Did your parents favor a sibling? What outcome did that have on your relationship with your siblings and your parents?
Luke took the blame for the stolen Chevy, sparing Allie her parents’ disapproval. How does this show Luke’s growth?
In the end Allie didn’t allow Luke to take the blame for the stolen car. How does this show her growth?
“Maybe it was time to stop clinging to the unrealistic hope that his parents would become what he needed and just be grateful for what he already had.” Are you clinging to unrealistic expectations in some area of your life? Discuss.
Who would you most like to take a road trip with? Who would least like to take one with?
Pining for You
Skye Fuller ran away from her relationship with Theo in her younger years and pursued becoming an artist in Seattle. She ultimately succeeded, but also lost her relationship with Theo. Do you think she should’ve left?
As it turns out, Theo had subtly given very much in efforts to support Skye’s family. Have you ever met someone with quiet integrity? Who were they and what were they like?
Theo is a “city” mouse whereas Skye is settled in the country. Do you like how they compromised in the end? Have you ever experienced differences of opinion with a loved one on where and how to live? How did you resolve them?
Theo settled on a mountaintop without enough town residents to fill a grocery store in order to be with his love. Would you do this? What city conveniences would you miss most? (Answer: Mine would be drive-thru coffee ;) ).
Skye had to learn a thing or two about the danger of making assumptions without seeking clarification of the truth. Have you ever made an assumption that turned out to be wrong? What happened?
Skye left Seattle in order to be near her family again and, sometimes the importance of being close to family changes with time. How close do you live to your family? Why? Has this changed over the years?
Though Theo loved Skye, there were real challenges and temptations during his long-distance relationship with Skye while at college. Do you think his fall was understandable? Have you ever experienced anything like this? How did it turn out?
Theo, a bachelor of thirty-five years, was so desperate for companionship and marriage that he very nearly settled down with Ashleigh, despite a few flaws. What do you think he should’ve done, had Skye never turned up? Do you think it’s right to settle for someone who may be gre
at but isn’t quite the person you dreamed?
Who is your favorite character and why?
Who is your least favorite character and why?
Poor Ashleigh has been through quite the ringer, having lost her relationship with Chip in The Cul-de-Sac War and now Theo in Pining for You. Do you think she should have her own story? (Please email me personally your thoughts on this at [email protected]! I’d love to get feedback and decide about what to do with poor Ashleigh ;) ).
He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not
Sophie is reluctant to try online dating. Have you ever dated someone you met online, or know anyone who has?
Joe had to put the past behind him so he could move on with Sophie. Have you ever had an event in your past keep you from moving on?
What advice would you give to someone who was trying to let go of the past?
Sophie and Joe took a chance on love. Has there been a time in your life when you had to take a risk?
Acknowledgments
A Summer Detour
Bringing a book to market takes a lot of effort from many different people. I’m so incredibly blessed to partner with the fabulous team at HarperCollins Christian Fiction, led by publisher Amanda Bostic: Jocelyn Bailey, Matt Bray, Kimberly Carlton, Nekasha Pratt, Jodi Hughes, Margaret Kercher, Becky Monds, Kerri Potts, Savannah Summers, Marcee Wardell, and Laura Wheeler.
Not to mention all the wonderful sales reps and amazing people in the rights department—special shout-out to Robert Downs!
Thanks especially to my editor Kimberly Carlton. This collection was her brainchild, and I’m so thankful to have been included in it. Kim, thank you for your incredible insight and inspiration. You not only help me take the story deeper but also make the process enjoyable, and for that I am so grateful! Thanks also to my line editor, Julee Schwarzburg, whose attention to detail makes me look like a better writer than I really am.
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