My One and Only (Ardent Springs Book 3)

by Terri Osburn

  “I’ve always been proud of you, Haleigh Rae. Always. You’re the reason I became a nurse.”

  “I am?”

  Abby shared a watery smile. “I knew I didn’t have what it took to be a doctor, but I still wanted to be like you, so I settled for nursing school.”

  “Oh, hon,” Haleigh said, squeezing Abby’s shoulders. “You’d make a fabulous doctor.”

  “Are you kidding?” Abby said with a harsh laugh. “Nurses really run the show. I wouldn’t trade my RN for an MD any day.”

  Relief and love filled Haleigh’s chest. “I love your guts, Abby Lou.”

  “I love your guts, too, Haleigh Rae. I’m so sorry. For everything.”

  “I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have dropped my mess of a life on your doorstep.”

  Taking her hands, Abby said, “Your mother put you in a tough situation, and I’m glad I could be here for you. What you said is true. The same thing could have happened to Kyle any moment that he was there. But I can’t help knowing that if he hadn’t taken that duty, he might have come home. And then I get angry all over again.”

  “I know what it’s like to lose someone because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Haleigh said, remembering how she’d cried on Abby’s shoulder for weeks after her dad had been killed. “You helped me through it, and I’m here to return the favor, okay?”

  Abby nodded. “Okay.” After several more sniffles and an extended hug, her friend pulled back to ask, “Do you really love my brother?”

  Unable to suppress the sappy grin, Haleigh said, “Yes, I do. Very much.”

  “Good. Because he’s loved you for years.”

  The grin slid into a full smile. “That’s what I hear. How did I miss that?”

  “You were too busy believing that no one could love you, I guess. If you don’t believe something is possible, you don’t see when it’s staring you in the face.”

  The truth of Abby’s statement struck like a blow. Other than her brother and Abby, Haleigh never imagined anyone would ever really love her. Not when her own parents hadn’t been able to do it.

  “Then it’s a good thing that your brother is a determined man,” she said.

  “Yes,” Abby agreed. “Yes, it is. And if you decide to live with him, I’ll understand, but you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.”

  Grateful to have such an amazing person in her life, Haleigh brushed a stray lock out of Abby’s eyes and said, “I won’t be moving in with Cooper anytime soon, but I won’t be staying here much longer either. It’s about time I start acting like a grown-up and get my own place.”

  “But I thought you couldn’t afford to do that while paying your mom’s bills.”

  “I’ll figure something out,” she answered, not sure how yet, but determined to stand on her own. “Now I think this night calls for hot fudge sundaes. What do you say?”

  Flashing a smile so much like her twin’s, Abby said, “I’ll get the bowls. You go get the others.”

  By Monday morning, Cooper had pulled off two miracles.

  The first being the preservation of Haleigh and Abby’s friendship, which he didn’t really have all that much to do with, but he’d enjoyed taking credit for the save all weekend. The second was the reason he’d stopped by Snow’s Curiosity Shop.

  “I hear I owe you an apology,” he said, stepping up to the coffee counter at the back of the store.

  Lorelei glanced up from arranging cookies in the glass display. “Don’t apologize to me. I’m not the one who’ll have to explain why there isn’t enough food to go around on Saturday.”

  “Ah, but we’ll have plenty of food. I’ve lined up not one but two new vendors.”

  She stopped with a stack of treats in her hand. “The event is this weekend. You found food vendors willing to commit on such short notice?”

  Cooper nodded.

  Dropping the cookies on the tray, Lorelei propped her hands on her hips. “This better not be Girl Scouts running a lemonade stand.”

  “Oh, ye of little faith,” he said. “I found a barbecue joint in Gallatin that runs a food truck on the weekends. Lucky for us, they had an opening for this Saturday. And the owner has a friend who runs a taco truck in Hendersonville. She had a cancellation, so I signed her up as well.”

  “That’s amazing, Coop.” Lorelei barreled around the end of the counter to poke him in the chest. “I can’t believe you did it.”

  He pulled a sheet of paper from his back pocket. “Here’s the info on both with contact names and numbers. I’ve also given them your info in case they have any questions.”

  Staring at the sheet in her hand, Lorelei shook her head. “You’ve had us all fooled, Cooper Ridgeway. You’re a lot more than a good ol’ boy with a toolbox and a penchant for flirting.”

  Slightly insulted, he said, “Believe it or not, there’s a brain between these big ears.”

  “Oh, no,” Lorelei said. “I didn’t mean—”

  “I know what you meant.” With another tip of his hat, he said, “I’ll let you get back to the counter.”

  “Wait.” A delicate hand wrapped around his wrist. “Really. I’m sorry I said that. I’ve always known you’re a smart guy, Cooper. You wouldn’t be running such a successful business if you weren’t.”

  Mollified, he let her off the hook. “I appreciate you saying so.”

  “Um . . .” She looked around as if making sure no one could overhear. “Spencer told me what you said last week. About Haleigh being your Lorelei. Did you mean that?”

  “Haleigh means a lot to me, yeah.”

  “No, I mean, do you really see me as a good thing for Spencer? I know that you get annoyed with me tagging along and butting into your guy stuff.”

  Why did Spencer have to be the most honest guy on the planet?

  “I was mad that day Spencer tore into me. I didn’t mean the stuff I said. You’re fun to have around, Lorelei.” Tilting his head from side to side, he added, “I do think you should let Spence watch football instead of going shopping, but the rest I don’t mind.”

  With a sly smile, she said, “I guess I can find another shopping buddy in the fall.”

  “I appreciate your willingness to compromise.”

  Lorelei laughed. “Anyway, I’m happy for you. It’s about time Haleigh Rae came around to what a great guy you are.”

  “She took some convincing, but I finally won her over.”

  “I never doubted you for a minute.” Lorelei leaned his way. “If you want, I could pack some cookies up to go. My treat.”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice.” No way would he turn down Lorelei’s cookies. “I’ll pay for a few extra for Ian or he’ll eat all of mine.”

  “That reminds me. Your cousin and that Jessi girl were in here over the weekend.”

  “I’m not surprised. They’re practically connected at the hip.”

  “Have you noticed that she looks a lot like Becky Winkle did in high school?”

  Cooper tried to picture it. “Maybe a little.”

  Lorelei dropped half a dozen cookies into a Lulu’s Home Bakery bag. “I didn’t see it at the cookout, probably because Jessi doesn’t have her nose in the air like Becky does, but when she looked at me over this counter, I almost did a double take. The hair is different, obviously, but they could be long-lost cousins or something.”

  It had been a full month since Jessi had come to town on that rainy Monday night, and though she continued to believe that she would someday find her father, they’d all agreed that if he’d ever lived in Ardent Springs, he hadn’t been there long. Ian had joined the hunt with the rest of them, asking extended family if they’d ever heard of a J.T. and going so far as to check county records, but with no luck.

  Considering Lorelei’s observation, he asked, “Jebediah has a brother, doesn’t he?”

  “He does, but as far as I know he hasn’t lived in this area for years.” Lorelei filled another bag. “I don’t know how much alike
they are, but I can’t imagine having more than one disapproving Winkle driving us all nuts.”

  After so much digging, Cooper’s first instinct was to dismiss Lorelei’s claim. Two women looking somewhat alike didn’t mean they were related. And the possibility of Jessi being a Winkle was not good news. He highly doubted they’d welcome her with open arms.

  Even so, he asked, “Do you remember the brother’s name?”

  Handing over the cookies, she said, “I’m thinking Samuel, but I’d have to ask Granny to be sure.”

  So much for the lead.

  “How much do I owe you?”

  She waved the question away. “Consider it payment for all those football games you had to endure alone.”

  “Fair enough,” Cooper said. “Let me know if you have any trouble with those vendors.”

  Lorelei gave him a thumbs-up as she turned to deal with another customer. Strolling through the store, he speculated on the Winkle connection. Maybe Lorelei had been wrong about the brother’s name. Or maybe Jebediah had another relative to consider. Though for Jessi to look as much like Becky as Lorelei claimed, the connection would have to be close.

  Or maybe Lorelei was seeing things and Jessi wasn’t a Winkle at all. Cooper hadn’t noticed a resemblance between the two women, and he wasn’t about to get Jessi’s hopes up on such a slim chance. The girl had been through enough already.

  He’d share Lorelei’s observation with Haleigh, do a little research on the Winkle family, and see what turned up. If they found concrete proof that Jessi really was a long-lost cousin, they’d fill her in. But not before.

  Chapter 26

  “Why are we here?” Haleigh’s mother asked as the Mamacita’s hostess showed them to their table.

  “We’re here for lunch, Mother,” she answered, preferring to keep the real reason to herself until the time was right. After rehearsing her speech all weekend long, Haleigh had opted to have this conversation in a public place in the hopes of saving them both a painful scene. Telling Meredith Mitchner that her money train would no longer be making regular deposits required tact and diplomacy.

  And a potential audience to minimize the blowup.

  Dusting off the booth seat, Meredith scowled. “You know I don’t like ethnic food.”

  “Your favorite dish is lasagna.”

  “Oh, please,” the older woman replied. “That’s as American as meatloaf and potatoes.”

  Placing her napkin in her lap, Haleigh said, “Actually, it isn’t, Mom. Not even close.”

  Holding the menu with the tips of her fingers, she said, “What am I supposed to eat?”

  “You could be adventurous and try the fajitas. They’re really good. Or you can order a steak. They have those, too.”

  Her mother closed the menu. “I don’t like the description of the fajitas. The steak will be fine.” Linking her hands on the table, she asked, “Why aren’t you at work?”

  “I’m working nights this week. Doctors don’t really keep business hours, remember?”

  “No need to talk to me like I’m a child.”

  The waitress saved Haleigh from having to respond to that quip. Once their orders had been taken and the waitress departed, they fell into an awkward silence. Any effort to butter her mother up with small talk would be a waste, so Haleigh breeched the subject at hand.

  “Have you thought any more about selling the house?”

  With a pained expression, Meredith said, “I’ve told you before, I’m not selling my house.”

  “Do you know how much is left on the mortgage?”

  Narrow shoulders shrugged. “Not off the top of my head.”

  “How about the second mortgage?”

  “Haleigh Rae, what is this about?”

  Time to rip off the Band-Aid. “Mom, I can’t afford to pay your bills anymore.”

  “Did they cut your hours?” she asked.

  “No. I simply need to get my own place, and I can’t do that and keep paying your bills. So we need to figure out something with the house. Maybe you could refinance to a lower payment.”

  “Is that why you dragged me out here?” she hissed. “So you could pull the rug out from under me where I wouldn’t make a scene?”

  The woman was astute, Haleigh had to give her that. Shrewd and astute.

  “No one is pulling anything. We’re both adults and there’s no reason we can’t find a solution that works for both of us.”

  “You mean one that gets me off your back.” Lips pursed, her mother said, “After all I’ve done for you. I gave up my whole life to raise you kids. And this is what I get in return.”

  Prepared for the old standby, Haleigh said, “I never asked you to give up anything, and I can’t spend the rest of my life paying you back for raising me. At least not monetarily.”

  “So what? You’ll drive me to my doctor appointments when I can’t see anymore? And come visit me in the home you seem determined to put me in?”

  That one she hadn’t expected. “Who said anything about a home?”

  “Why else would you want me to sell the house?”

  “I want you to sell the house so you can buy something smaller that you can afford. Don’t you get tired of having to clean that huge place?”

  “Now I’m supposed to live in a hovel.”

  This was going nowhere. Reverting to plan B, Haleigh asked, “Have you ever considered getting a job?”

  “Ha!” her mother chirped, followed by an unladylike snort. “Who is going to hire a fifty-four-year-old woman who hasn’t held a job in thirty years?”

  A valid question. “What did you do before you had kids?”

  “I have a degree in social work.” To Haleigh’s surprised stare, she added, “Contrary to what your father would have people believe, you aren’t the only intelligent female in this family.”

  “Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”

  “Why would I?” Slender hands toyed with her silverware. “You never asked until now.”

  Recognizing insecurity in her mother’s expression, Haleigh ignored the insinuation that her ignorance about her mother’s past was entirely her fault.

  “Social workers are hard to find,” she said. “Especially in rural areas. I’m sure you could find a position.”

  Clearing her throat, Meredith’s eyes darted around the room. “I’ve tried. No one wants me.”

  This lunch was one revelation after the next. “There has to be something.”

  For the first time in her life, Haleigh witnessed her mother truly humble. Regardless of how she’d treated her, Meredith was still the only mother Haleigh would ever have. Which spurred an idea.

  “I could hire you.”

  Familiar brown eyes glanced up in surprise. “What?”

  “The shelter,” Haleigh said. “Someone will need to run the place, and I can’t do it while fulfilling my duties at the hospital.”

  Still defiant, Meredith said, “You’d do that? Wouldn’t it have to be approved by someone?”

  Haleigh laughed. “I have no idea. I haven’t gotten that far yet. But if you’re involved from the very beginning, I don’t see why you couldn’t step into the role when the time comes.” For the sake of full disclosure, she added, “If the time comes. Right now there’s an issue concerning the shelter location, but I’m hoping we can overcome that.”

  “What’s the problem?” her mother asked.

  “We’re looking at the old band camp, but it’s currently owned by JW Properties and I doubt we could meet their current asking price.” Tapping the table, she said, “I also doubt the place is worth the price they’ve put on it.”

  “That’s Jebediah’s business.”

  “Yes, it is. And according to . . .” Haleigh had yet to tell her mother about the new man in her life, and considering how far they’d come today, this was not the time to broach the subject. “According to a friend, the mayor is unlikely to negotiate.”

  Crossing her arms, Meredith said, “I’ll handle Jebediah
.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I said I’ll handle him.” She flashed the arriving waitress an uncharacteristically friendly smile. “Now let’s eat.”

  “She said she’d handle him?” Cooper asked from the pantry.

  Since Haleigh had worked the night shift, they were having this conversation over breakfast.

  “That’s exactly what she said. She even smiled at the waitress.” Haleigh blew across the top of her coffee. “It was creepy.”

  “Let me get this straight,” he said, pouring cereal into a bowl. “Your mother is now going to be involved in launching this women’s shelter, and you’re good with that?”

  “Crazy as it sounds, it was my idea,” she admitted. “Turns out she has a degree in social work. She hasn’t used it in thirty years, and I didn’t even know she had it, but she admitted that she’s tried to find a job and no one will hire her.”

  Cooper was unaccustomed to hearing about positive encounters between Haleigh and her mom. The change gave him hope that his potential mother-in-law might actually stop torturing the woman he planned to marry.

  Pouring the milk, he said, “I can’t imagine trying to find work after thirty years out of a field.”

  “I have no doubt she’s brilliant,” Haleigh assured him. “With Meredith Mitchner at the helm, we’d have the most efficient and well-run shelter in the state.”

  The sudden praise seemed misplaced. Or at the least, unearned.

  “Playing devil’s advocate here,” he said, “wouldn’t working with her drive you crazy?”

  “Oh, I have no intention of working with her.”

  “You just said she’s going to help you start the shelter. How is that not working together?”

  Lifting one delicate brow, she said, “You underestimate me, my hunky boy toy. Once Mother gets her hooks in, I’m out and she’s all Carrie’s problem.”

  “That’s just mean,” he laughed. Poor Carrie. She had no idea what was coming. “But how does this solve the money issue?”

  “Right.” Haleigh dropped into a kitchen chair. “I didn’t quite resolve that one. We made more progress during this lunch than has been accomplished in the last fifteen years. Riding the high of unexpected approval, I decided not to push my luck.”