by Emily March
The two women shared a look, and then laughed. Gabi said, “Come around from behind that counter, handsome, and give us a hug.”
He did exactly that, picking up each woman in turn and giving them a twirl. Shannon said, “Welcome home, Devin. I’ll bet your folks are over the moon to have you back. I know your mom has been counting the minutes ever since their Easter trip got cancelled.”
“Counting the minutes and baking all your favorites,” Gabi added. She leaned left and peered through the doorway leading into the kitchen. “Is she in there whipping up some more strawberry pinwheels?”
“Actually, Mom is upstairs in bed. When I got home from my morning run she’d gone as green as guacamole. That’s why I’m filling in here. Apparently Michael had a stomach bug last week, and she thinks he passed it on to her.”
Shannon winced. “Poor Sarah.”
“That virus has been making the rounds,” Gabi said. “The Cicero kids have all had it. So have the Lancasters. I think your sister had it, too.”
Devin nodded toward a plastic bottle beside the cash register. “I bought the last four bottles of hand sanitizer at the Trading Post before I rang up my first sale here today. Speaking of sales . . . what can I get you lovely ladies? I assume you came in for something more than a hug?”
“Absolutely. We’re both here for our Saturday morning cinnamon rolls and milk. I don’t know if you’ve heard the news yet, but Shannon and I are both eating for two.” Gabi patted her stomach proudly.
“Babies?” A smile stretched across Devin’s face as he gazed from one woman to the other. “That’s awesome. No wonder the two of you are glowing. Congratulations. I take it everyone is thrilled?”
Gabi nodded. “Flynn is already knee-deep in baby-related inventions. We’re not due until December.”
“Daniel is thrilled,” Shannon confirmed. “Brianna . . . well . . . let’s just say she’s reserving judgment.”
“She’s . . . what . . . two and a half?”
“She just turned three and we’re having to work on the concept of sharing. It doesn’t come naturally to her, I’m afraid.”
“I could make an observation about women and sharing in general, but I think that instead, I should probably get you ladies your rolls.”
“Good thinking,” Gabi said, her tone dry. “We’ll sit over by . . . oh look, Shannon. Sarah has done some redecorating since last week.”
“She has! Isn’t it cute?”
Devin served the rolls, then glanced around the shop, trying to decide what was different. Were the yellow gingham curtains new? He couldn’t remember. The soda shop tables were the same, and Mom had always decorated them with fresh flowers in clear glass vases. “The dry-erase board is new, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Gabi said.
“‘When life gives you lemons, decide yellow is your favorite color,’” Devin read aloud. “That sounds like something Celeste would say.”
“It’s a quote from her book Advice for Aspiring Angels. I think—” Shannon broke off when the doorbell jangled again and three more customers entered the bakery. Zach Turner, town sheriff and Gabi’s older brother, led the way followed by Gabe Callahan, who was one of Devin’s father’s closest friends. A third man, someone closer to his own age that Devin vaguely recognized, brought up the rear.
“Well, look what the great white dragged in,” Gabe said as Devin approached with his hand outstretched. “When did you get home, Dev?”
“Last night.”
“Your mom already put you to work?” “Yeah. It’s like I never left. Never grew up.”
“You grew up?” jibed Zach as he shook Devin’s hand in turn. “Seems like just yesterday I arrested you.”
Devin scratched his cheek with the middle finger of his hand extended. “Hardy har har, Sheriff Turner. So, how’s that beautiful daughter of yours doing? Old enough to date yet?”
“Only if you want to die,” Sheriff Turner fired back. He walked over to the women and kissed first his sister’s cheek and then Shannon’s. Then he grinned. “Welcome home, Devin. How long are you staying this visit?”
“Three weeks.”
Gabe gave a satisfied nod. “So you’ll be here for both of the big parties—the Callahan Fourth of July festivities and Caitlin Timberlake’s engagement party.”
“Yep.” Devin nodded. “Wouldn’t miss either one of them. Caitlin was like a sister to me even before her brother married my sister. Josh Tarkington is getting a princess.”
“That’s what her daddy believes,” Sheriff Turner observed, his lips twisted in an amused smirk. “He’s been grumpy about his little girl tying the knot.”
The third man nodded. “That’s because Caitlin and Ali are hip deep in wedding planning, and the bills are beginning to hit.”
Devin suddenly placed the newcomer—the lawyer who joined Mac Timberlake’s legal practice. Devin extended his hand. “I know we’ve met before. You’re another Callahan, aren’t you?”
“A cousin. My name’s McBride. Boone McBride.”
“How are you liking life in Eternity Springs, Boone?
You’re from Texas, right?”
“Dallas–Fort Worth. It’s been an adjustment, I’ll admit, but for the most part, I’m loving small-town life.”
The men placed their to-go orders, and visited with Shannon and Gabi while Devin filled up white bakery bags. Talk returned to babies, and Devin learned that the sheriff and his wife, Savannah, could be counted among the expectant Eternity Springs families too. “Wow,” Devin said with a knowing smirk. “That must have been some winter. Two grandkids for your mother. Maggie must be in heaven.”
Zach gave a rueful nod. “She’s knitting like a madwoman.”
Another group of customers entered Fresh—tourists this time—and Devin returned to work. Business remained steady all morning until he flipped the “Open” sign to “Closed” and started on clean up. His mother came into the bakery as he loaded the last utensil into the commercial dishwasher and turned it on. “Look at you, Devin. What a lifesaver you are. This is not the welcome home for you that I had imagined.”
“Hey, no big deal. I’m glad I was here to help. Especially since Dad is tied up with tours this morning. Are you feeling better?”
“I am. The nap helped.”
“Is there anything I need to do to get things ready for tomorrow?”
“Yes. I called the Trading Post, and they’ll sell our day-olds if you’ll bag them up and run them over there. I’m going to stay closed tomorrow. Eileen gets back from vacation tomorrow night and can handle things here on Monday if I’m not over this bug.”
“Sounds like a plan. Anything else I can do? Do you need help with Michael? I have plans to go fishing, but I’m happy to take him along.”
“Thanks, but he’s staying up at the Rocking L with Chase all day. I didn’t want to saddle you with too much on your first full day back when jet lag can be such a killer. I felt terrible asking for your help here as it was.”
“I feel fine, Mom. Don’t worry. You, however, still don’t look too good.”
“Gee thanks,” Sarah grumbled.
“You know what I mean. Why don’t you go on back upstairs? I’ve got this.”
To Devin’s distress, tears welled in his mother’s eyes. “I just hate that I’m sick when you’re home.”
“Hey, as long as you don’t give the crud to me, we’re cool.” He shooed her away. “Don’t worry about me, Mom. I’m here for three weeks.”
“That’s hardly any time at all! What if I’m sick for more than a day or two?”
“Then I can tack a few days onto the end of the trip. I have some flexibility. That’s one of the good things about being the boss.”
Sarah sniffed. “That’s not a good solution. It wouldn’t make sense for you to return to Eternity Springs after we all go to the Caribbean for Mitch’s wedding. Besides, being the boss means you work all the time. You know that.” His mother must really be feeling bad. Sarah Murphy
didn’t often play hostess of her own pity parties.
He shooed her away again and this time she left. By the time he finished at the bakery, he had a little over an hour to kill before meeting the ravishing redhead and her son.
He spent half of it at his father’s outdoors store gathering up gear appropriate for the fishing lesson. He arrived at Hummingbird Lake ten minutes early, and it took him five to unload the truck. Really, he’d gone way overboard with the snacks. When Jenna and RJ had yet to arrive by ten after, he began to think his efforts might be for naught. The extent of his disappointment surprised him. It wasn’t like he’d been stood up for a date. This had been a casual invitation to strangers. That’s all. Nevertheless, when the pair emerged from the trailhead adjacent to the parking area, he found himself grinning.
“So sorry we are late!” Jenna called as they walked out onto the fishing pier. “We got here early and decided to take a hike and got distracted when we spied an elk.”
“No problem. Being waylaid by wildlife is always a valid delay.”
Devin got down to business and spent the next half hour on technique. RJ proved to be an attentive student who willingly followed directions and picked up things quickly. As Devin had expected, the boy did enjoy the act of throwing a fly much more than drowning salmon eggs. He wasn’t all that interested in catching fish, either, which made it easy for Devin to flirt with lovely Jenna who flirted right back. Subtly. After all, there was a kid within hearing distance.
He learned that she and RJ were from the South—she didn’t say exactly where—and they were touring the western states in a fifth wheel currently parked at Stardance Ranch. She worked remotely for a health care–related nonprofit and she planned to homeschool RJ in the fall. However, the conversation revolved more around his life in Australia, the Caribbean, and Eternity Springs than it did on her world. Apparently Jenna was one of those women who preferred asking questions to talking about herself, and she appeared genuinely interested in his answers. Devin talked more about himself, his work, and especially his family than he had on a first date in . . . well . . . forever.
Not that this was a first date. He was working his way around to that. It’s really too bad Mom sent his little brother up the mountain with Chase today. He had a feeling Michael and RJ would hit it off, which would free up the lovely Jenna for more adult activities.
And yet, why he was even considering spending his time pursuing the delectable Ms. Tarver was a puzzle. He had three whole weeks at home. Why was he spending his time with strangers instead of friends and family? His father often said that Devin had never met a pretty woman he didn’t hit on, but that wasn’t true. Devin’s social life had been awfully dry of late. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been this interested in someone so quickly.
For all the good it would do him. Again, three whole weeks.
Maybe that was the appeal. For the past year and a half, he’d been working his butt off building the business. For the next three weeks, he had nothing to do but rest and relax. What was more restful and relaxing than sweaty, vigorous sex?
She sure had a kissable mouth.
He watched it closely as she shared a story about Celeste’s Welcome Wing. He wondered what she’d do if he leaned over and covered those lips with his. Suddenly, he rather desperately wanted to find out.
He tore his gaze away from Jenna and tried to focus on what she’d said, not the way she’d said it. “Celeste is the most pure-hearted person I’ve ever met, and she is a fabulous ambassador for Eternity Springs. My mother says the town wouldn’t have survived without her contributions.”
“RJ says her smile warms him from the inside out.” Devin smiled at the picture and watched the boy work the rod and line. “He’s gotten the hang of that quickly. How about we load up our gear and go up to the Devin Murphy super-secret fishing hole? It’s about a ten-minute drive and then a five-minute hike. It’s a beautiful spot and I took the precaution of packing a basket of snacks in case.”
RJ’s head whipped around. “Snacks?”
Jenna threw back her head and laughed. “He’s a bottomless pit these days.”
Captivated by the beauty of her joy, Devin drew in a sharp breath and hesitated a moment too long to say, “Growing boys.”
“What sort of snacks?” RJ asked.
“For your mom I have cheese, crackers, fruit, and fresh baked bread. For you I brought potato chips, corn chips, bean dip, beef jerky, and because I am a generous soul, one dozen of the best cookies ever to come out of an oven—my mother’s strawberry pinwheel cookies. Oh, and soda pop.”
Reilly turned a beseeching gaze toward his mother, and Devin knew he had won before she said, “We’ll follow you.”
“Awesome.” Devin began gathering up the gear and RJ and his mother pitched in to help. A few minutes later, he led them away from Hummingbird Lake and back toward town, then took the turn onto Cemetery Road. The climb from that point was steep and the turn-off he desired easily missed, marked only by a sign that read Private Road.
She fell behind him a bit at that point, and Devin thought maybe he ought to have warned her about his fishing hole’s remote location. He hoped she wasn’t afraid he was a serial killer leading her toward her doom. He should have told her that the fishing hole was on private land—his father’s land, to be precise—and part of a parcel of property the ownership of which went back to the founders of Eternity Springs. Upon occasion, his dad brought a tour up here to fish, but for the most part, the trout in this section of the stream didn’t have to deal with anglers. In addition to being some of the best fishing in Colorado, the scenery was exceptional.
He parked his truck on the shoulder of the road at the usual parking spot, and when Jenna pulled in behind him few moments later, he figured she must have ruled out the serial killer possibility. RJ scrambled out of the truck and ran toward Devin. Jenna stepped down from the truck and then made a slow three-sixty turn, a look of awe on her face.
“Gorgeous,” she said.
Devin knew she referred to the craggy, snowcapped peaks set against a brilliant blue sky, the hillsides painted with summertime in a dozen different shades of green, and the alpine meadow blanketed in a rainbow wildflowers that stretched out before them. However, he never took his gaze off her as he replied, “Absolutely.”
The glance she darted his way acknowledged the awareness humming between them and revealed that the attraction wasn’t one-sided.
“This looks like a place where we could see a bear,” RJ observed. “What if we see a bear? He’ll be a black bear, not a grizzly. They don’t have grizzlies in Colorado. When we go to Yellowstone we might see a grizzly. We’re going to Yellowstone in September after the crowds have died down. I can’t wait. When Mom and I visited Rocky Mountain National Park we took a class about bear safety. The ranger told us to carry pepper spray. Do you have pepper spray?”
“I do.”
“Mom does too. Are there berry bushes around here? Bears eat berries. We might see a bear if he’s looking for food. If a black bear attacks you, you’re not supposed to play dead. Have you ever been attacked by a bear?”
“No, I haven’t, I’m happy to say. I’ve only seen a bear three times and two of those were in town when folks didn’t practice proper food disposal.”
“What about the third time? Was it at your fishing hole?”
“Nope, I’ve never seen a bear up here. I don’t think there are berry bushes on this part of the mountain.”
“Oh.” RJ appeared disappointed. “I guess that’s good.”
Devin hated letting the boy down, so he offered, “I did see a mountain lion one time.”
“A mountain lion!” RJ’s eyes went round. “We haven’t taken a safety class for mountain lions. What are you supposed to do when you see a mountain lion? Is there mountain lion spray?”
Devin glanced at Jenna, wondering if he’d made a misstep here. He hadn’t wanted to frighten the boy. “Um . . . I don’t think there is mo
untain lion spray. They don’t tangle with humans nearly as often as bears do. I only saw one because I happened to spy him with my field glasses as I was looking up at the rocks. He wasn’t here in the meadow.”
“Oh.”
Jenna asked, “You said we have a bit of a hike? What can we carry for you?”
“A short hike. You can’t see it from here, but we’ll go up over that ridge”—he pointed toward the north—“and down the other side. The creek pools at the base.” Devin divided up the supplies and they started off. Within five minutes of making their first cast, both Jenna and RJ landed trout.
They fished for half an hour before Devin broke out the snacks for RJ, and another half hour before he spread the quilt he’d brought atop the boulder that had served as the Murphy family picnic table in this spot for years and set out the grown-up snacks. He pulled the cork on a nice Sauvignon blanc and offered a glass to Jenna along with a toast. “Here’s to new friends.”
“To new friends,” she repeated.
They clinked glasses and he casually asked, “So, Jenna. It hasn’t escaped my notice that beyond telling me that you’re single, you’ve managed to dodge my questions about RJ’s dad. Are you divorced? Widowed? A single mom from the git-go?”
She delayed her answer by taking a sip of her wine, watching him over the top of her glass. The light in her brown eyes reflected an inner debate he found intriguing.What was so hard about the question? Did she expect him to be judgmental?
She licked her lips, then said, “RJ’s biological mother was a single mom. I adopted him after she died. I’ve never been married.”
Eight
As the words left her mouth, inwardly Jenna winced.
Why don’t you just hand him a pencil to connect the dots?
Just why she’d felt compelled to repeat a fact she had already shared with him during the Santa calls and thus play unusual-personal-facts roulette, she couldn’t say. Except, Devin Murphy had proved himself to be a really great guy. She didn’t like lying to him. She didn’t like lying to anybody in Eternity Springs. She didn’t like lying, period.