“They can wait. I need to know you’re okay.”
She looked up at him with those big sad eyes and his heart melted and he couldn’t help himself.
Mitch pulled Minnie in close to him. Her head rested under his chin and she smelled like a garden. Fresh, clean, and inviting. He wanted to make the bad stuff disappear, but he knew he couldn’t. He wanted to erase her mistakes, but he knew that they were an important part of her journey. She was healing, he could see that, and she was making such good progress. He squeezed her a little tighter, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, anchoring herself.
He could feel the gentle swell of her breasts against his own firm chest, and she felt so good.
Then, she looked up at him and licked her lips. Her mouth was inches from his. Pink and plump, and he just couldn’t help leaning in and brushing a soft kiss there. She tasted like heaven, and he wanted more. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, and they parted, inviting him in. He stood there in the foyer of the building kissing the stuffing out of her. Admittedly, she gave as good as she got. He didn’t know how long it went on or if he would have stopped it.
It was just the sound of a woman’s voice. A familiar woman’s voice saying his name that broke them apart.
“Mitch, baby, what are you doing?” It was Cheryl.
Minnie turned on her heel and fled into the fire escape, no doubt heading up to hide in the sanctity of her apartment. To hide from the town and now him, too. He watched her go, he wanted to go after her and explain.
“Mitch. What’s going on?”
He raked his hand through his hair and turned to face her. “Don’t you think I should be asking you that, Cheryl? I mean, what are you even doing here?”
“I came to see you, baby, to work things out.”
“Yeah, well, that is clearly not going to happen.” He could hear the anger in his voice as it rose, which meant that Cheryl did what she always did best and the waterworks started.
“I came all this way, Mitch.” Her voice was a water-filled whine.
He had to invite her upstairs, didn’t he? He couldn’t very well turn her away crying from the foyer of the building, suitcase in hand.
“Come up for a drink, but, Cheryl, we are not getting back together. Ever.”
She nodded, but he had a feeling that was a nod to come up the stairs and not agreement over the future.
Minnie sat on the window ledge and waited to see if that woman, whoever she was, left. She should have stopped that kiss. The truth was she’d been wanting to kiss Mitch for days, and when he started it, she was weak, powerless to resist, which was the exact reason she should never have let it happen. Everyone thought alcohol was her weakness, but the truth was it was men or it was both.
And Mitch was a good man, or so she’d thought. Still, here she was over an hour later and the woman was still in the building. Not that she had a claim on him, but it was proof that she sure could pick them.
The woman, whoever she was, had called him baby. Not only that, the woman had on a smoking red trench coat and long dark hair and a sexy look about her. She was everything Minnie was not, so if that was his type, then why he’d been kissing her she had no idea. Opportunity maybe? Pity, she hoped not, but it was a possibility. She was his tragic single struggling neighbor, and he felt sorry for her. She had to assume there was some of that.
The very thought made her cringe, but why else would a guy like Mitch who was a world-class athlete, a successful businessman, and smoking hot kiss her? It made no sense.
She needed to go somewhere or do something. She was making herself crazy, and man, did she want a drink. Men were definitely her trigger. Luckily, she didn’t have anything to drink handy and no way was she going out in this town to buy it. If she had a car . . . but she didn’t.
She looked across the room and caught sight of the guitar. She slid off the windowsill and went to pick it up. She hadn’t played in maybe a decade, since before Nick got sick. She lifted the case onto the coffee table and clicked open the catches, snap, snap.
Just looking at it made her smile. So many good memories and happy hours had been passed on this instrument. Lifting it out of the case, she strummed a chord. Clang. It needed a serious tune-up and some love. Well, her kids didn’t care for her company right now, and Mitch, he was nothing but trouble, but her guitar wasn’t so fussy.
She set about tuning it and began to play. She was a little clunky, but when she started a Beatles song about mother Mary, one of the first she’d ever learned, it all came back. She followed it up with a song about a mockingbird and another about a cowboy and she felt better, calmer. It was as if the present faded away and it was just her and the guitar and a lot of good memories.
So immersed was she that when a knock at the door finally came it startled her. She laid the guitar down and went to answer it, and there was Mitch on the other side, looking all cute and remorseful.
“Can I come in?”
“I guess.”
“You sound good on that guitar, I didn’t know you played.” There was a lot he didn’t know about her and that was how it should stay. Distance was for the best.
“I haven’t in years.” She didn’t need to explain anything to him.
“I need to explain.”
She held her hand up to stop him. “You really don’t.”
She wasn’t going to let him explain. Cheryl was down the hall still because he couldn’t get her a flight out until tomorrow or a room, but he had clearly established she’d be in his spare room. She hadn’t liked it, but after an hour of talking and more than a few tears, she had accepted it, he hoped.
“I think I do.”
“Look, Mitch. It was one kiss. We’re friends, right? Let’s just let it go.”
“What if I don’t want to let it go?”
She turned and walked toward the kitchen and poured them each a water. It was something to do and a way to create distance, he expected, which she obviously desperately needed. “Mitch, when I came up here earlier, I really wanted a drink, badly. It was the first time in a while I’ve felt like that, as if I had to have a drink.”
“You didn’t I hope.” Shit, if she’d fallen off the wagon.
“No, I didn’t but that’s only because I didn’t have the option. My point is I’m not strong enough to have any kind of relationship right now.”
“Okay.” This wasn’t what he expected to hear. He took a beat to process. “I still want you to know that Cheryl and I have been apart for nearly a year and I haven’t seen her in six months and I didn’t know she was coming. I was as shocked as you were.”
She let out a small laugh. “I doubt that.”
“Okay, almost as shocked.” He felt a smile creep across his face.
“I’m glad you told me. I picked you for a good guy, but that doesn’t change me. I can’t do this right now.”
Mitch wasn’t too thrilled about that. He wanted to kiss Minnie again; he wanted to support her and be with her. But he respected the hell out of her for making that decision. “So, we’ll be friends until you’re ready.”
“Just friends.”
“No kissing, huh?”
She gave him a sexy smile. “I think that’s for the best, although for the record, that was a great kiss.”
“Yeah, it was.” He smiled back at her. “So, you’re okay, then, now? I can stay.”
“Where’s Cheryl?”
“My place. She leaves tomorrow.”
She gave her head a shake. “You don’t think maybe you should go hang with her?”
He leaned in and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I’d rather hang with you. And I really do need to know you’re all right.”
“I’m fine, Mitch. You go show your ex the town, such as it is.”
“Later,” he said, before turning to go.
He couldn’t help but feel sad. If Cheryl hadn’t turned up, who knows how differently this afternoon might have gone.
Then again,
if he had done anything to send her back to drinking again, he’d never forgive himself. They could be friends for now, but this was not over, at least not for him.
He went back down the hall where Cheryl seemed to be making herself very comfortable.
“I have to go to work. You want to come and see the bar, get a burger?”
“You know I don’t eat carbs, Mitchy.”
He forced himself not to respond. “Do you want to come with me or stay here, Cheryl?”
“I suppose it would be good to see the bar and the town.” Yes, especially as she’d seemed to think she was moving here just hours ago, sight unseen. Cheryl was not a small-town girl. She liked shiny things and they were largely found in the city. She liked nightclubbing, day spas, and five-star dining. There wasn’t too much of that on tap in this town.
She was nice enough to say she loved the bar when she got there. It was a busy Friday night, so he popped her on a stool at the end of the bar and headed behind the counter to help out Sam, his assistant manager, who was pulling beers like his life depended on it
“Man, I’m glad to see you,” he said.
“Sorry, personal drama.”
Sam cocked his head toward Cheryl, who was chatting up the guy next to her. “Yep. Cheryl. My ex.”
“Well, she’s very pretty.”
“True. She’s also unexpected.”
“Ah.” The next hour was a blur. Every table had people on it, and for the first time in a while there was a line of people waiting out the door. It was . . . odd.
“Fall in New England,” Sam explained. “People come for the leaves and stay for the beer.”
That was good news for his business. That explained why Moose was racing to get the Inn open as well. These people were definitely not staying in this town, but it looked like they’d like to. Cheryl behaved herself, mainly, she laughed loudly and flirted outrageously. He imagined he was supposed to feel jealous but he didn’t. He wished it was Minnie sitting here instead, and he was sorry he’d had to leave her alone.
Dave came in as well and gave him a nod as he waited for his turn. When he was belly up at the bar, Mitch decided to ask him for a favor. He hoped Dave would grab a table and have dinner with Cheryl, and luckily, when asked he agreed.
“I’ll owe you.”
“You can pay; that’ll be enough. Not that having dinner with a pretty woman is any hardship. Although, I don’t think I’m going to be her type.”
“Buddy, trust me, you don’t want to be her type.”
He introduced them and let Cara, the hostess, know that the next table that emptied was theirs. He wasn’t a bad guy, he wanted Cheryl to be happy, but it wasn’t going to be with him or in this town.
Chapter 9
When Minnie finished her meeting the following morning, she decided to walk past the old Post Office and check out the work Moose was doing there. She’d grabbed a take-out coffee from the diner, which was thankfully full of people she didn’t know. She had a full day ahead with nothing planned and he had suggested she should the other night.
When she got there, the front was buzzing with workers, none of whom stopped her when she walked right up the steps and into the foyer. There were piles of furniture under plastic in the center. She could see a couple of sofas, end tables, and vases. The paint smelled fresh and she suspected was still tacky. Moose was behind the old Post Office counter that was the reception desk now.
He was muttering something to his computer, his face furrowed with concern. He looked like he’d been awake for hours and it wasn’t even eight in the morning. His hair was sticking up wildly in all directions. He was stressed.
“Hey, Moose,” she said as she approached. “Computer problems?”
“Computer problems, paint problems, delivery problems. If we have it, it has a problem,” he said with a shrug that implied he wasn’t all that surprised.
“Can I help?”
“Seriously?”
“Sure, I’ve got nothing but time. And I used to do the accounts and run the office for a small hardware chain, so I’m computer literate.”
“Do not tease me, woman.”
She walked around behind the desk and looked at his computer. “I know this program. What’s up?”
“I have a stack of bills to pay.” He indicated the pile beside them. “But the system keeps logging me out midway. It’s making me crazy.”
“Let me take a look. What else?”
“You’re really going to help me?”
“I really am. What else?”
He showed her the list on his notepad of calls he needed to make and deliveries he needed to coordinate. “The thing is I need to supervise some of the work here and I have people interviewing this afternoon.”
“Go.” She shooed him away. “I’ll take care of it.”
He made sure she had his cell before running off and leaving her to sort out the mess. Minnie settled herself into the chair, put her coffee on the desk, and got to work.
When she looked up again, it was past noon and Chloe was standing on the other side of the counter, smiling at her.
“You rescued Moose. I brought you lunch.”
“Is it lunchtime? Wow, I completely lost track of time.” She stretched her neck from side to side. No wonder she was stiff.
“Come on. Let’s go sit in the kitchen, it’s the only spot that’s finished, and then we can have a tour.”
“Sure.” She looked down at her list and she was two-thirds of the way through. She’d made all the calls first because she knew some suppliers would be shut in the afternoon. It was an amazing feeling to be so totally immersed in something again and to feel like she had accomplished something useful.
They walked down the hall that connected the old Post Office to the back courtyard, across the courtyard was a building that had once been the stables, and then the Post Office residence. One side had a wall with a garden growing along it and the other had a glass walkway that linked the two buildings. The courtyard itself was made up of cobblestones. She was impressed with the way Moose had managed to integrate the old and the new elements of the design. He’d added barn doors to the side of the old stables so they opened up to the courtyard and inside was a gleaming kitchen.
Chloe placed her bag of goodies on the white countertop.
“It’s beautiful, this kitchen, isn’t it?”
“It sure is. The whole place is gorgeous.” She ran her hand along the smooth white counter as she spoke.
“Look through there to the breakfast room. It’s not quite done yet, but it is still beautiful.”
She walked through the end of the kitchen to a room that was modern but still full of colonial charm. A bay window looked over the back garden and a small fountain, there were small tables dotted around. Two serving stations were mocked up on antique buffets. The walls were a soft buttery yellow except for one, which had wallpaper in a traditional pineapple print favored by early colonists.
“It really is amazing,” she called over her shoulder to Chloe. “Your boyfriend has impeccable taste.”
She heard the booming voice of the man in question reply, “Of course, I do, that’s why I fell for Chloe.”
She turned back to the kitchen to see him embracing Chloe from behind and kissing her neck. They really were the cutest couple.
“I meant your interior decorating, but your taste in women is also excellent.”
“As is your work ethic. I just saw how much you got done. You are a lifesaver.”
“It was my pleasure. It was good to feel useful, to be honest. I’ve been at a loose end since I got back and getting in and actually having something that mattered to do, that felt great. So really, you were helping me.”
Chloe laid out an array of sandwiches on a platter. “Dig in. When’s the first interview, honey?”
Moose looked at his watch. “I’ve got ten minutes.”
He grabbed a sandwich and started to eat. Minnie’s stomach growled. Apparently, she was hu
ngry. It made sense, she hadn’t had much of an appetite last night, so she’d only had cereal for dinner. The first bite of her ham and swiss tasted like heaven.
“You guys are both starving. I should have gotten here sooner.” Chloe laughed, settling herself on a stool.
“No, your timing was perfect,” Moose said benevolently. They were so nice to each other. She wondered if Mitch was nice to his ex like that. He was always like that with her. She gave her head a shake. They were just friends, which was her choice and it was the right one. Being productive, working, making new friends was exactly what she needed. Not a complicated love life.
“Thanks again, Minnie. Have you had enough or are you happy to keep going? You really don’t have to, just having all those things sorted makes me feel a thousand times better.”
“Of course, I’m finishing. Don’t be silly.”
“Okay, I’ll check on you after the interviews.” And he was gone having given Chloe a quick peck on the cheek.
Apparently, Cheryl didn’t want to go home. It turned out that she’d fallen out with the roommate she’d moved in with six months ago, and the other woman was on the lease so Cheryl was out in the cold.
“Seriously, did this ever have anything to do with me? Your coming here was just about you needing somewhere to stay, wasn’t it?” he asked her over waffles at the diner.
“Of course, it wasn’t. My decision might have been prompted by my living situation, but I really did think we should try again. We were so good together.”
“Yeah, then why did you keep cheating on me?” He gave her a pointed stare.
“Mistakes were made,” she conceded, picking at her egg-white omelette, “but I, for one, have changed.”
“Well, that’s good. I’m pleased for you, but I’ve changed, too, and I don’t want to be with anyone who isn’t loyal.”
“Is your neighbor loyal?” Her tone was snarky at best.
“My neighbor is none of your business.”
“You looked very cozy . . .”
“I was just comforting her. Anyway, none of your business. She and I are friends.”
“With benefits?”
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