by Rula Sinara
She murmured his name, bringing him in closer, not expecting this much enthusiasm.
“I’m so happy to see you,” he said, ushering her inside. “How are you? I canceled my class today to sleep in. Angela skipped school.”
“I’m fine. Better now, actually.”
The sketch pad lay on the table as they entered the kitchen.
“Angela?” Caleb called, pulling a chair out for Grace.
The teenager came in from the other room.
“Hello,” said Grace. “I hope you’re recovering from your ordeal.”
“I’m okay.” Angela made minimal eye contact and her tone was neutral. She opened the pad and withdrew a sketch, a landscape.
“Wow,” said Grace, immediately liking the drawing.
In broad strokes, the landscape featured birds flying over a great expanse of trees, a lake and hills in the distance. A path led inward and on, disappearing into the horizon. The colors were rich, if muted, like nature.
“That’s beautiful,” remarked Grace. Exactly what she’d hoped for.
Angela smiled shyly. “I’ll be ready to execute it in another week, as soon as school’s out.”
“Perfect.”
“Can I have an assistant?”
“That’s up to you,” Grace told the girl. “Remember this is community service.” In case the other person wanted to be paid.
“I know. She sort of owes you something, too.”
“Kiki?”
“She’s a good artist, too.”
“Will Kiki be around long enough to finish the mural?” Caleb asked, then informed Grace, “She managed to contact her grandmother.”
“She did? When did all this happen?”
“Today,” Angela said. “She’s really excited.”
“I guess the reason we couldn’t get hold of Mrs. Hartl was because she was so busy getting ready to move out of her big old home into someplace smaller.”
“Now, she might even move here,” said Angela.
“Well, we don’t know that yet,” warned Caleb. “Don’t get your hopes up.”
“At least she’s coming to Sparrow Lake to see Kiki.” Angela added, “And Kiki will help me with the mural for as long as she can.”
“Wonderful,” said Grace. “I hope she can work out something with her grandmother. She needs a family.”
“I know you helped Dad try to find her grandmother,” Angela said. “I appreciate that.”
It was the second time the girl had thanked her since they’d found her in the woods. She said, “Let me know what you need. Your dad has a discount at the art store but I want Green Meadows to pay for the materials. I want the mural to be done professionally, so it will last.”
“I can apply a finishing varnish,” Angela told her. “Matte, of course. I don’t think you’d want it shiny.”
“And make sure you put your name on it,” said Grace. “People will be looking at it every day. You might get more work.”
“Speaking of work,” Caleb said. “Margaret Becker offered to talk to Angela about art careers. I had a conversation with her last week and she said there are fields that look for art degrees. And talent.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” Grace told Angela, “Hopefully, you could work at something you really like.”
Grace knew how important that was. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders ever since she’d put her foot down about not taking her dad’s job.
“We hope so.” Caleb picked up the landscape sketch. “So once you get started with this, Angela, don’t you think you should meet with Grace from time to time until it’s finished?”
Angela nodded. “Sure.”
“It’s only professional,” said Caleb, “to converse with a customer when you’re creating something for them.”
“I want it to be Angela’s individual creation.” Grace couldn’t help recalling the girl’s initial ideas. “As long as we avoid ghostly designs.”
“That’s okay. I’m over that.” Angela snickered. “Didn’t that crazy ghost tour guy look funny in that cow suit?”
“Yes, he did,” Grace admitted.
Angela said, “I heard him say he was stuck and the police had to cut him out of that silly costume.”
“He deserves to have gotten stuck,” said Caleb. “Now, changing the subject.” He turned to Grace. “How about we retire to the deck for some lemonade?”
“Sounds good.”
Grace noticed that Angela hadn’t been invited, but she didn’t seem angry about it. In fact, she had been in such a good mood today that Grace felt inordinately happy. She helped Caleb with the pitcher of fresh lemonade from the refrigerator and they went out on the deck to sit in comfy chairs.
Or, rather, Grace sat in a chair. Caleb plopped himself down on the two-person glider and waggled his finger at her to join him. When she did, he slid his arm around her.
“Isn’t it beautiful out here?”
“Gorgeous,” Grace agreed, admiring the open yard that reached back to a tall stand of trees. “Are those wildflowers over there?”
“Some late bloomers. I planted them with prairie grass that’ll grow tall by summer.”
“Only indigenous species, right?”
“Of course. I don’t want to be kicked out of the environmental studies profession,” he said, joking. “I’m going to need some help with that, though.”
Was he asking her to do it? “I’m just a beginner as far as landscaping goes.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine under my tutelage.” Then he raised his brows. “Oops, I mean my senior partnership.”
She had to laugh.
“Seriously, Angela has no interest in plants. She refused my invitation anyway.”
“When do you need this help? Now?”
“Mostly next spring.”
“Next year?”
“Something like that.”
She became even more thoughtful. “Well, I am going to implement Phase 2 for Green Meadows.”
“And you’ll be too busy?”
“No.” She tried to carefully choose her words. “It’s just I’m not sure I can be around you and not...well, the way I feel...”
“Not be around me and what? Want to be paid in kisses?”
He leaned closer as if he intended to kiss her right now but she placed a hand on his chest.
“Caleb. We really have to think about this.”
“The fact that we love each other?”
“Whether or not we can make plans. When I love someone, I expect some sort of commitment.” She had to be honest. “And, well, we’ve had a lot of trouble with your daughter not liking me in your life. I don’t want to be a point of contention between the two of you. It would be too difficult.”
“You noticed a different attitude today, though, didn’t you?”
“She seemed much more friendly.”
“I talked to her about us, about my being with you on a long-term basis.”
She couldn’t contain her surprise. “You did? When?”
“Last night, before we went to sleep.”
She met his eyes, warm and brimming with emotion.
Emotion bubbled up in her as well when she asked, “What did she say?”
“Angel said she thought she could deal with it.”
“Deal with it? I—is that supposed to be good?”
“In my book it is. She also told me that at least you’re someone she can respect. That
’s good, believe me.”
After all the emotional upheaval the teenager had been through, that was as much of a compliment as the girl could give, Grace thought, acknowledging it was okay with her.
“So what kind of a commitment are you looking for?” he asked.
“At least a year...till we get the foundation built.”
“I’d say the foundation is already started. We have good materials.”
“You think we’re ready for Phase 2?” She smiled.
“I’m ready for Phase 5.”
“That’s going to be some kind of structure we’re building.”
“It better be. I want it to last forever.”
And he sealed his words with a resounding kiss.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE FIREFIGHTER’S REFRAIN by Loree Lough.
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We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Heartwarming title.
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ISBN-13: 9781488009051
Home for Keeps
Copyright © 2016 by Patricia Pinianski and Linda Sweeney
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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He’s a man who wants it all...if only he could have it
Dreams of stardom took musician and firefighter Sam Marshall far from his Colorado roots. Starting fresh in Nashville hasn’t been easy, especially after an injury on the job, but he’s working his way to the Grand Ole Opry one open mike at a time, teaching at the fire station to make ends meet. Yet Sam’s intentions are shaken when he meets the lovely owner of a local café. Suddenly, Sam’s dreams are filled with her. Too bad that as the daughter of country-music wannabes, Finn Leary’s been there, done that. She’ll never choose a musician. So how can Sam possibly get the girl and keep the guitar?
With his fingertip, Sam traced the contour of her jaw.
“You can do anything, remember?”
Finn held her breath; the last time he’d looked at her this way, he had kissed her. Or had she kissed him? Not that it made any difference. Standing in the circle of his strong arms, she’d felt vulnerable and safe and more womanly than she ever had before...all at the same time.
And because it scared her, she’d tried putting some distance between them to figure out if she could trust him. Until this moment, looking into eyes lit with kindness and caring—for her—she hadn’t considered the possibility that he might be battling the same fears.
“Thanks, Sam,” she said, taking a half step closer.
“For what?”
Finn shrugged, wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest, hoping the gesture would be answer enough. She wasn’t ready to say the words out loud.
At least, not yet.
Dear Reader,
Close your eyes for a moment and picture your first crush. Call to mind the way it felt, knowing you were falling in love with him—and had no idea how to admit it. If you’re like me, you were terrified. What if you put your heart out there and he rejected it! Far better to keep your feelings hidden.
Then one night, perhaps he tenderly tucked your hair behind your ears, or confessed that he couldn’t talk to anyone the way he could talk to you, or kissed you as you’d never been kissed before, and you thought, This, this is the time! But when he looked surprised and uncomfortable instead of happy, you faced a whole new challenge: hiding your disappointment and heartache long enough to get home, where you could cry yourself to sleep.
Remarkably, your second crush came along, and yet again, your heart drummed with the sweet beats of new love. But this time, you were older and wiser: Why risk a repeat performance of that agonizing moment by blurting out “I love you”?
That’s pretty much the dilemma faced by the main characters in The Firefighter’s Refrain.
Finn Leary has learned the hard way that living by the saying “better to love and lose than never love at all” is dangerous and reckless. Sam Marshall, the product of a big, loving family, believes the exact opposite, and his impatience with her guarded behavior threatens to end them before they can begin.
Thankfully, we needn’t remain prisoners of the past. My wish for you, dear reader, is that you’ll open every dark corner of your heart to the possibility of love.
Hugs from me to you,
Loree
The Firefighter’s Refrain
Loree Lough
Loree Lough once sang for her supper. Traveling by way of bus and train, she entertained folks in pubs and lounges across the United States and Canada. Her favorite memories of days on the road are the hours spent singing to soldiers recovering from battle wounds in VA hospitals. Now and then she polishes up her Yamaha guitar to croon a tune or two, but mostly she writes. With over a hundred books in print (sixteen bearing the Harlequin logo), Loree’s work has earned numerous industry accolades, movie options, and four- and five-star reviews, but what she treasures most are her Readers’ Choice Awards.
Loree and her real-life hero split their time between Baltimore’s suburbs and a cabin in the Allegheny Mountains, where she continues to perfect her “identify the critter tracks” skills. A writer who believes in giving back, Loree donates a generous portion of her annual incom
e to charity (see the Giving Back page of her website, loreelough.com, for details). She loves hearing from her readers and answers every letter personally. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Books by Loree Lough
Harlequin Heartwarming
Saving Alyssa
Devoted to Drew
Raising Connor
Once a Marine
Sweet Mountain Rancher
For more books by Loree Lough, check out Harlequin.com.
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This story is dedicated to firefighters everywhere, and to the committed instructors who prepare them for the dangers they’ll face every day of their lives.
It’s also dedicated to songwriters, singers and musicians whose tenacity makes the world a better place with every note they produce.
Last, but certainly not least, this novel is dedicated to Jesse Spencer, whose wholesome good looks and spot-on portrayal of a firefighter inspired the descriptions of Sam Marshall.
Acknowledgments
My thanks to Torry Martin, actor, author, comedian and all-around terrific guy, and Mark Ligon, singer and guitarist, who graciously consented to appear as themselves in this story.
A big thanks to all the friendly and knowledgeable people at the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. The list of individuals is too lengthy for the space allowed here, but you know who you are! Your input and guidance helped lend authenticity and realism to every street, shop and museum that makes Music City one of the world’s most sought-after tourist attractions.
My heartfelt gratitude, too, to my friends and family, for tolerating my crazy-weird schedule and putting up with countless recitations of “the exciting, fascinating stuff I learned” while writing this book.