by Nicole Ellis
Alex piped up. “Tell me more about my dad, Uncle Jake.”
The rest of the way to Haven Shores, Jake regaled them with stories of his younger brother. It felt right telling Maggie and Alex his memories of Brian, almost cathartic in a way. He and his brother hadn’t been close in later years as their jobs took over their lives and moved them across the world from each other, but when they were kids, they’d played together often, even with a five-year age difference.
They arrived at the hospital in Haven Shores and the emergency room staff had Alex’s arm immobilized in a cast in no time. Maggie was still shaken up over the accident, so after they had Alex settled in his seat, Jake held open the passenger side door for her. She paused next to the door.
He smiled at her. “See, I told you it was no big deal.”
“I’m glad you were here. I don’t know what I would have done if I were by myself. I really hate it when he gets hurt.” She surprised him by leaning in to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her and patted her back before he reluctantly released her. Although she was hugging him out of worry and relief, he’d take what he could get.
“I’m glad I was here too, and happy that he wasn’t hurt worse.”
She nodded, smiled gratefully at him, and got into the car. He shut her door and whistled as he walked around to the driver’s side. While he hated seeing his nephew injured, it felt good to be able to help Maggie and her son as he’d promised to his brother.
10
The next morning, Maggie looked up from her laptop and shouted down the hall. “Alex! Are you okay in there?” He’d been in the bathroom for ten minutes already.
“Yeah. It’s hard to wash my hands with the cast on my arm.”
“You know, if you hadn’t run away, you wouldn’t have broken your arm.” An icy chill ran up her spine as the image of her little boy slipping on the steps played out in her mind in slow motion. She shuddered. It could have been so much worse.
“I know, Mom,” he shouted back.
She returned to her computer screen. Velma’s rant about the size of the party room at the café had been on her mind. With more and more tourists holding large functions in town, the side room simply wasn’t big enough to host those events. The town lacked an event center and desperately needed one. If there was someplace to hold events, more people would want to have weddings, reunions and maybe even conferences in Candle Beach. It would be good for the whole town—and her startup catering business in particular. She’d hoped to partner with someone who owned an existing space.
But so far, every proprietor she’d contacted either wasn’t interested in a catering arrangement with her or didn’t want to have their space used for events. However, there was one property online that had caught her eye.
“Hey, Alex,” she called out. She waited a moment and then said, “Are you ready to go?”
The bathroom door banged open and his footsteps sounded in the hall. “I’m ready. This cast is itchy though.” He banged it into the living room wall carelessly as he walked past, scuffing the paint.
“Alex!” she chided, but didn’t discipline him. Chipped paint wasn’t anything to lose sleep over. With an active growing boy, she expected her apartment to get banged up. She grabbed her purse and turned off the lights. “Let’s go. I promised Gretchen we’d meet her at her office at one o’clock.”
“Okay, okay,” he grumbled, but he got into the car nicely.
Maggie parked in her reserved space behind the café and they walked the few blocks to Candle Beach Real Estate. Gretchen greeted them at the door. “I saw you walk past the window.” She motioned to a bench along the wall with a coffee table in front of it. “Alex, you can go play over there while your mom and I talk. There’s a kids’ tablet and some Legos in a basket under the coffee table.”
“Yay! Thanks, Ms. Gretchen.” He scurried over to the play area.
Gretchen turned to Maggie. “Do you want coffee? I made a fresh pot when I got in today. I’m dragging this afternoon and could really use another cup.”
She nodded. “Me too. Yesterday wore me out with Alex’s visit to the emergency room.”
“Yeah, I saw the cast. What happened?”
“He slipped on the beach access stairs after we built a sand sculpture for the winter festival.”
“Ouch.” Gretchen grimaced. “Poor kid. At least he’ll have fun tomorrow at school when his friends ask to sign his cast.”
They grabbed mugs of coffee and she led Maggie back to her desk. Just the scent of the coffee invigorated Maggie, as though she had absorbed some of the caffeine through the air.
“Thanks for meeting me today. I appreciate you coming in on a Sunday.”
“No problem, real estate never sleeps.” Gretchen grinned and pulled something up on her computer.
“So you’re interested in the Sorensen farm.” She gave Maggie a questioning look. “What do you want with a farm? You’ve never mentioned any interest in agriculture. Is this some new farm-to-table initiative at the Bluebonnet Café?”
Maggie laughed. “No, but that’s a really good idea. I’ll think about that.” She sobered. “This might sound crazy, but I was thinking about possibly buying the Sorensen place to use as an event center. You know how little event space there is in Candle Beach.” She peeked at her friend from behind her coffee cup.
Gretchen appeared thoughtful. “No, I don’t think it’s crazy, but it would be a lot of work. Are you thinking of using the barn as the main event space?”
“Yeah.” Maggie felt her spirits rise with her friend’s positive response. “I’d turn the barn into a lovely event space and then maybe rent the house out. From the pictures, it looks like there’s plenty of parking in front of the barn. I’m not sure what to do about bathrooms, but I’d figure it out. And that view of Bluebonnet Lake—it’s to die for and would be a huge draw for customers. We could even put a deck in overlooking the lake for ceremonies.” The ideas just bubbled out until she noticed Gretchen staring at her. “Well, maybe not everything at once,” she added sheepishly.
“Uh-huh.” Her friend smiled. “I’m asking as your real estate agent now and not your friend, but can you afford it? With the house and land, the property isn’t cheap.”
Maggie’s spirits deflated. Usually she was so pragmatic, but something about this idea made her lose her practicality. “I think I can swing it. The café is doing well and I know I can earn enough from catering the events to make it profitable. But, of course, I still have to convince the bank of that.”
Gretchen smiled. “I’m sure you won’t have any problem. If I know you, you’ll have a business plan created by tomorrow to wow the banker.”
Her face flushed. “I’m already halfway through with my business plan.”
Gretchen laughed. “Okay, then. You haven’t seen the property yet, right?”
“No, only pictures. I was hoping you might have time to take me to look at it tomorrow? Pretty please?” Maggie tried to give Gretchen her most convincing expression.
“Of course.” Gretchen clicked on the calendar on her computer. “I can do an early afternoon appointment. Maybe two o’clock? Does that work?”
“Yes, thanks, Gretch.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to get Alex home. The babysitter is coming over soon because I promised one of my waitresses I’d cover her shift tonight.” She signaled to her son from across the room, but couldn’t get his attention.
“I’ll have to tear him away from that tablet.” She grinned at Gretchen. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Gretchen nodded and went back to working on her computer.
Monday morning, Jake arrived at Maggie’s apartment to take Alex to school. She had a morning shift at the café and he’d jumped at the chance to spend more time with his nephew. When he got there, he pushed open the unlocked door and found her sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee with a pained expression on her face.
“Your door was unlocked.”
“I know. I jus
t unlocked it for you, Mr. Police Officer,” she teased. “I didn’t know if I’d be out of the shower when you got here. And Alex and I don’t seem to be on speaking terms today, so he certainly wouldn’t have told me if you knocked on the door.”
He opted against making the safety speech and cocked his head to the side. “What’s going on with him?”
“Beats me,” she said. “He’s been in his room all morning. He’s upset about something and doesn’t want to talk to me about it. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. He used to be such a sweet kid all the time. Now he’s so moody.” She sighed. “A year ago, he never would have run away from us like he did at the festival.”
Jake shrugged. “He’s growing up and trying to assert his independence. Maybe not in the most constructive way, but you can’t expect him to stay your baby forever.”
His words hit her the wrong way. “You’re giving me parenting advice?”
He held up his hands. “No, not at all. I didn’t mean it that way. I just mean all kids grow up.” He added more gently, “Is it okay if I talk to him?”
She motioned to his room. “Be my guest.”
Jake poked his head into his nephew’s room. “Hey, Alex, I’m here to take you to school.” Maggie was right. He didn’t have much parenting experience, but he had a suspicion his nephew was upset about something and didn’t want to tell his mom. So what was it?
“Cool.” Alex lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The word was upbeat, but his face was glum.
“What’s wrong?” Jake sat down next to him on the bed and the boy scooted himself up to sit against the wall behind his bed.
“It’s this dumb thing.” He frowned at the offending object that immobilized his arm. “How am I supposed to play kickball with my friends at recess? This cast gets in the way.”
Was that all? Jake sighed inwardly. He put his arm around Alex. “It won’t be on for long. Besides, think of how much fun it will be to have all of your friends sign your cast.”
“Yeah!” Alex brightened. “Do you have a pen? Can you sign it?”
Jake grinned. “I’ll see what your mom has for pens.” He stood from the bed and started to walk toward the door.
“No.” Alex said sharply.
Jake swiveled around. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s so mad at me for running away and falling on the steps.” He hung his head. “I know it was a dumb move, but I didn’t want to be down on the beach any longer. All my friends were up playing in the park already.”
“So you think your mom will be mad if you mention the cast?”
“Yeah. She gets upset every time I mention anything about it. And she’s looking at a farm or something today. I don’t want to make her mad.”
Jake nodded. “I’ll talk with her.”
Alex looked relieved. “Thanks, Uncle Jake.”
Jake left his nephew’s room and walked down the hall to the kitchen.
“How’s he doing?” Maggie asked from where she stood washing dishes at the kitchen sink.
“Well, he’s worried that you’re mad at him about running away and falling on the ice, so he doesn’t want to tell you how much the cast bothers him.”
“He’s right about that. I hate thinking about how bad his fall could have been.” She shivered. “But what do you mean it bothers him? Is his arm hurting? Should I take him back in to the doctor?”
“Whoa, ease up there. He’s fine. Just a little self-conscious of the cast and worried about how it will affect his ball-playing abilities.”
“Oh.” She put a cup in the dishwasher. “Is there anything I can do? He’s always come to me about his problems before.”
“No, he’ll survive. I convinced him the cast was an asset.”
She raised an eyebrow. “An asset?”
“Yeah, his friends will think he’s really cool when they get to sign his cast. Do you have a permanent marker I could use to sign it? I promised him I’d check with you.”
She smiled. “Ah. I get it. Thanks for doing this, Jake. I appreciate all your help. With my parents gone, I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“No problem.” He flashed her an easy grin. “I love helping with Alex. He’s my nephew, after all.” He eyed her. “Alex mentioned you were looking at a farm property nearby today. Are you planning to move?”
She laughed. “No, I have this crazy idea that it would make an awesome events center. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there aren’t many big spaces for gatherings in this town. I don’t know if this particular location is the right place for me to buy, but it doesn’t hurt to start looking.”
“Ah. That makes sense.” He picked a pen out of a jar on the counter and spun it between his fingers. “If you need another opinion on the farm property, let me know.”
She nodded, and Jake sauntered down the hall to Alex’s room, pen in hand. Watching him walk away, she was suddenly filled with a surge of love for him. She’d been at a loss about what to do with Alex and he’d figured out the problem quickly. He’d rapidly become a big part of their lives, and she wasn’t sure what they’d do without him.
Should she tell him she had feelings for him though? It seemed like every time she was around him now her stomach got all topsy-turvy and her brain turned to mush. If things were this bad and they weren’t even dating, how would it be if they were officially in a romantic relationship? She couldn’t afford to not be at the top of her game.
Jake’s deep, reassuring voice floated down the hall from Alex’s room. She didn’t want to mess things up for Alex, and with everything going on with Dahlia’s wedding and the catering business, this wasn’t the best time to start dating. After the New Year, things would be settled and she would reconsider dating Jake or the idea of dating in general.
11
“Thanks for agreeing to tour the farm property with me.” Maggie shifted in the driver’s seat of her car and glanced at Jake.
He flashed her a smile. “Of course. I’d love to see the place you’re considering.”
They pulled up in front of the farmhouse overlooking Bluebonnet Lake.
“Gretchen is going to meet us here.” She motioned to the property and the lake below. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
The lake drew his attention first. Blue-green waters lapped lazily at the shoreline. Just off shore, a man wearing a khaki fishing hat had his line in the water, ready to pull in the big one. It was a picture-perfect small-town lake.
He looked away from the lake and focused on the barn. The pictures on the online listing had made it look inhabitable, but in real life it appeared to be held up by bits of hay and dust. The farmhouse itself was a charming yellow Craftsman with white shutters and had been kept up. Flower boxes hung from the windows, although nothing grew in them. Fields surrounded the farmhouse and barn, the dirt barren and gloomy in the dead of winter. Muddy ruts covered the ground between the barn and house.
“I’m sure it will work out well.” He wasn’t sure how she’d pull it off, but he knew anything was possible with Maggie. And maybe the barn’s interior was in better repair than the outside.
She traipsed over to the barn wearing black boots covered with cute yellow ducks. He hung back a few steps behind her and couldn’t help but check her out as she picked her way between mud puddles. Even dressed in a raincoat and boots, she was beautiful. When they reached the barn, she turned to him, her face glowing with enthusiasm.
“I can’t wait until you see the inside. The floor space is huge. It’ll be perfect for ceremonies and parties.”
A car pulled up and Gretchen exited. She waved and strode over to them in rubber boots of her own. “Got my appropriate footwear.” She lifted her foot. “I don’t think my tan pumps will ever come clean from visiting this place on Monday.”
Maggie frowned. “Sorry about that.”
Gretchen flicked her hand in the air. “That’s a hazard of my job. I’ve lost many pairs of shoes over the years. Don’t even worry about it.” She gesture
d to the barn and turned to Jake. “What do you think so far?”
“Uh, it’s rustic.” He tried to keep his tone enthusiastic, but wasn’t sure if he’d succeeded.
Gretchen unlocked the padlock as Maggie stood at the door, bouncing on the balls of her feet, ready to release the door handle. As soon as the lock clicked she flung the door open. The odor of dusty hay assaulted Jake. He hung back, letting fresh air enter the barn. Maggie went inside first, her words bubbling out faster than he could understand.
His first impression had been overly optimistic. Inside the barn, the rafters were covered in cobwebs and hay bales were stacked ten high in the corner. The wood partitions in the area where the farmer had thrown hay down to the cows were broken and hanging haphazardly.
“See how great it is?” Maggie spun around, scanning the barn.
“Um, it’s a large space for events. I’m sure it will be great when you get it fixed up.” He couldn’t figure out how even Maggie could get this mess cleaned up and turned into a space that other people would pay large sums of money to rent.
She grabbed his hand. He looked at her in surprise, but she didn’t seem to notice his reaction. He smiled slightly and allowed her to lead him over to a corner of the barn. Gretchen hung back by the door then went outside when her phone rang.
“Look. This is where I’ll put the bar. And then in the front, we can have the DJ or even a live band. There’s plenty of room.” She pulled him toward the back wall and let go of his hand to motion toward the full span of the barn.
“Close your eyes,” she ordered.
He closed them dutifully.
She put her hand on his arm and said, “Now, imagine a small stage here for a wedding. The wedding party stands here on either side of you. In front of you are all the wedding guests. And then your bride walks down the aisle toward you.”
In a flash, he could see everything she said. With the walls cleaned up and whitewashed, the space would be light and airy, with the high windows letting in plenty of light. He imagined the buzz of the crowd and then the sound of the wedding march. He shivered.