Green Mountain Collection 1

by Marie Force

  “You puke. I puke.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me right. The sound of puke, the smell of puke . . . That’s all it takes to make me puke. Just ask Emma about the time I had Simone when she was a baby and she came home to both of us puking, but only one of us was actually sick.”

  “You are too funny, Lucy Mulvaney. I’ll remember that if or when I ever feel the need to puke, although I don’t think I’ve actually puked since I was fifteen and got drunk for the first time.”

  “I’m great with the plain old flu. If you catch that, I’m your girl.”

  “You’re my girl no matter what.” He kissed the top of her head and gave her a squeeze. “Now go to sleep so you can feel better tomorrow.”

  “It’s already tomorrow.”

  “Sleep, Lucy.”

  She fell asleep with a huge smile on her face. He loved her. Colton Abbott actually loved her.

  A loud noise outside woke Colton the next morning. He glanced at his watch and saw it was after ten. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d slept past seven. Yawning, he ran his fingers through his hair and glanced down at Lucy, who was still out cold, her head on his chest and her hand flat against his stomach.

  He’d told her he loved her. Just blurted it out like it wasn’t the most important thing he’d ever said to anyone. Recalling the shocked look on her face made him smile. How could she be surprised that he was in love with her? After the blurt, he’d wondered if he’d regret saying it, but in the bright light of day, he hadn’t a single regret.

  He was glad she knew how he felt about her and was relieved to know she felt the same way. Where they would go from here was anyone’s guess, but as he’d said to her during the night, nothing had to be decided immediately.

  Moving carefully so he wouldn’t disturb her, Colton slid out of bed and pulled the covers over her, hoping she would sleep for a while yet.

  In the bathroom, he took a quick shower, brushed his teeth and pulled on a worn pair of jeans that he left unbuttoned. After a quick check to ensure Lucy was still asleep, he went into the kitchen to make coffee. As he never had access to TV, he flipped it on to check what was going on in the world while he scrambled all twelve of the eggs he’d bought the night before and made toast with bread he found in Lucy’s cabinet.

  Hopefully she’d feel up to eating something soft like eggs and toast.

  The food was almost ready when the buzzer sounded, indicating someone was at the door downstairs. Recalling his lesson last night, Colton buzzed back, admitting the visitor. He hoped that was the right thing to do and was about to go grab a shirt when a knock on the door had him heading that way instead. Oh God, what if it was her father and he was answering the door half naked?

  He peeked through the peephole and saw a blonde woman, so he disengaged the locks and opened the door to the woman and a tiny version of Lucy.

  The woman looked him up and down, her gaze settling on his chest.

  “Let me guess,” Colton said, leaning against the door and trying not to feel violated by the staring. “Simone and Emma.” He pointed as he spoke and deliberately mixed up their names, which made the little girl laugh.

  “I’m Simone and she’s Emma, and we want to see Auntie Lu ’cuz she’s sick.”

  He stepped aside to admit them. “Come on in.”

  Emma carried a brown bag that she deposited on the kitchen counter as she took a look at what he was cooking and then went back to staring at him. She was smaller than Lucy, but they had clear blue eyes in common.

  “Are you Auntie Lu’s secret boyfriend who’s not a secret anymore?” Simone asked.

  He smiled down at her. How could he not? She was adorable—and precocious. “That’d be me. I’m Colton Abbott.”

  Simone shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Where’s Lucy?” Emma asked.

  “Still sleeping. She had a rough night.”

  Emma’s brows furrowed with concern for her sister. “Is she okay? Should we take her to a doctor?”

  “She’s much better than she was and insists she doesn’t need a doctor.”

  “Typical Lucy,” Emma said. “I’d like to see her.”

  Colton gestured for her to go ahead. Who was he to say it might be better to let her sleep? When Emma disappeared into the bedroom, Colton went to the kitchen to move the eggs around in the pan and refill his coffee mug. Then he moved to the sofa to join Simone, who had changed the channel to something animated.

  She sent him a side-eyed glance. “You have a lot of muscles.”

  “I work really hard at my job.”

  “What’s your job?”

  “I make maple syrup on a mountain in Vermont.”

  She thought about that for a second. “Like the kind Mommy buys at the grocery store?”

  “Probably not,” he said with a disdainful snort. “I make the good stuff, and if you give me your address, I’ll send you some. You’ll never want that grocery store crap again.”

  “I do like presents.” She got up to find a piece of paper and a pen and labored over the writing of her name and address. When she was finished, she handed it to him.

  “You got it, kiddo. I’ll send it to you when I get home next week.”

  “Thanks.”

  “So what’s your job?”

  She gave him that disdainful look that all females did so naturally when men were stupid, which was often. “Duh, I don’t have a job. I’m eight.”

  “Since when is that too young to have a job?”

  “You’re silly. I go to school.”

  “Oh right. I forgot about school. What grade are you going into? I’m guessing ninth or tenth.”

  “Third!”

  “Wow, I was way off.”

  She looked at him as if she couldn’t decide if he was teasing or just dumb, which amused him greatly.

  Emma returned with Lucy, who was wrapped up in a robe and moving slowly.

  Colton jumped up when he saw her coming and went over to her, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “How’re you feeling, hon?”

  “Weak as a kitten, but better than I was.”

  “Auntie Lu, your boyfriend is silly.”

  Lucy smiled at Simone. Although she was still frighteningly pale, she looked a lot better today, and he was relieved to see a spark of animation in her glorious eyes. “Believe me, honey,” she said. “I know he is.”

  “Hey, don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” Colton said, earning another giggle from Simone. “I’m going to find a shirt.” To Simone, he said, “Don’t talk about me when I’m gone.”

  “I’m going to.”

  “You’d better not.”

  Her laughter was deep and adorable, and he was completely taken in by the little girl who looked so much like the woman he loved. He couldn’t help but wonder what Lucy’s children might look like and decided right then and there that he very much wanted to find out.

  Wow, he thought as he went into Lucy’s room in search of a shirt. What happened to not getting ahead of yourself?

  CHAPTER 25

  The Crop Is In: Come September when I mention to a visitor that we made this year’s crop of syrup in twenty-three days it will sound, even to me, like nothing. “But,” I’ll add after a jerk of memory, “we were sure glad it didn’t go a day longer.” Woods cleanup begins tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.

  —Colton Abbott’s sugaring journal, April 23

  “Holy shit, Luce,” Emma whispered. “You didn’t tell me he’s totally freaking hot.”

  “I didn’t?”

  “You know you didn’t! He’s even hotter than Will, and that’s saying something.”

  Lucy smiled at her sister, pleased with her reaction to Colton. “He was amazing last night. I was sicker than I’ve ever been in my whole life. I didn’t show up to get him at the airport, and Cam told him where to find me. He came in and took over. I’m not sure I would’ve gotten through it without him.”

  “That is amazing. What guy wan
ts to deal with that?”

  “He was totally unfazed by it. Shhh. He’s coming back.”

  “Were they talking about me when I was gone?” Colton asked Simone.

  She dissolved into giggles. “Uh-huh.”

  “Come and help me in the kitchen. I want to hear everything they said about me.”

  Simone got up and ran across the room to join him.

  “Looks like you’re not the only one who’s in love,” Emma said, watching her daughter interact with Colton.

  Lucy couldn’t miss the hint of longing she saw in her sister’s gaze. Her last relationship had been with Simone’s father, and that had ended before her daughter was born.

  “Tell me there are more of these amazing Abbott brothers,” Emma said with another not-so-subtle glance at Colton.

  “Four more single brothers at last count.”

  “Hmmm, I might be due for a weekend in Vermont one of these days.”

  “Any time you want. I’d love for you and Simone to meet them all. They’re the most awesome family.”

  “Are you going to move, Luce?” Emma asked softly. “After meeting him and hearing how great he was when you were sick, I wouldn’t blame you if you did, despite what I said the other night.”

  “No, I’m not moving. I could never leave you or Simone or Dad. Not to mention I have a business to run. No, I’m staying put, and he knows it.”

  “So he’s going to move?”

  “I don’t think so. His whole life is in Vermont.”

  “Not anymore it isn’t.”

  As Lucy thought about what her sister had said, Colton came over to her carrying a steaming mug.

  “Tea,” he said. “I found it in the cabinet and thought it might taste good to you.”

  She took the mug from him with a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

  “Do you think you could eat something? I made eggs and toast.”

  “That actually sounds pretty good.”

  “Emma? Coffee? Tea? Eggs?”

  “Coffee sounds good, but I can get it myself.”

  “I’ll do it. How do you like it?”

  “Just some cream would be good.”

  “Coming right up.”

  When he walked away, Emma made goggle eyes and fanned her face with her hand, nearly making Lucy choke on her tea. Her first sip of the lemon-flavored liquid settled in her tortured stomach and seemed destined to stay there, so she took another.

  Colton brought Emma’s coffee and a plate with eggs and buttered toast for Lucy.

  Her mouth watered at the tempting aroma. “That smells great. Thanks.”

  “Sure thing. Now don’t talk about me while I’m right over there. Simone and I are watching you two.”

  Simone’s giggle made Lucy and Emma smile.

  “Hey, Simone,” Lucy said. “Will you take Colton with you and go get my mail? The keys are on the table.”

  “Come on, Colton. Let’s go get Auntie Lu’s mail.”

  He dutifully followed Simone to the door. “I know why you’re trying to get rid of me.”

  Lucy gave him the biggest brightest smile she could muster. “I just want my mail, and Simone can’t go alone.”

  “Right . . .” To Emma, he added, “Whatever she says about me, it’s all true.”

  “I have no doubt,” Emma replied dryly. As soon as the door closed behind them, Emma pounced. “Spill it.”

  “He told me he loves me after I’d been puking for hours and looked like death.”

  “Oh, Luce,” Emma said with a sigh. “I’m so happy for you. No one deserves to be loved by a great guy more than you do.”

  “I’m happy for me, too.”

  “What did you say when he said it?”

  “I told him I love him, too, because I do. I think I have for a while now. I’m trying not to think about all the issues we still have to work out, but whenever I’m with him, it’s easy to forget there’s anything standing in our way.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

  “I hope so.” Lucy took a small bite of the eggs and toast, which seemed to satisfy her aching belly rather than aggravate it as she’d feared. “So I have Book of Mormon tickets and reservations for tonight that I won’t be able to use. You should take them and ask someone to go with you.”

  “You can’t just give away tickets like that! You have to try to go.”

  “I know I won’t feel like schlepping uptown and dealing with the crowds. Not tonight.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. They’re all yours. You can bring Simone over here if you can’t find a sitter on short notice.”

  “You don’t want her underfoot when you get so little time with him.”

  “She won’t be underfoot, and we’d love to have her.”

  “If you’re sure . . . I suppose I could see if Troy wants to go.”

  “Send him a text, make some plans, get dressed up, have a night out. Simone can even sleep over if you want. Go have fun. With the way I feel, there’s no chance of her seeing anything that’ll scar her for life.”

  “Well, that’s comforting.” She sent the text to Troy, who wrote right back to say he’d love to go. “I guess I have a date with Troy.”

  “Simone is thriving, Em. It wouldn’t kill you to take some time for yourself once in a while.”

  Before Emma could reply, the door flew open, and Simone came in carrying the mail and a bundle of yellow flowers.

  “Were those in my mailbox?” Lucy asked as Simone presented the flowers to her.

  “No, silly, we got them at the corner. Colton said I should bring you flowers ’cuz you’re not feeling good.”

  “Colton said that, did he?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Well, thank you, honey. They’re lovely. Will you put them in a vase for me? There’s one under the sink.”

  “Yep.” Simone took the flowers and dashed into the kitchen to find the vase.

  “Thank you for the flowers,” Lucy said to Colton.

  “They’re from Simone. It was all her.”

  “Somehow I doubt that.” Lucy flipped through the mail and found a pink envelope with Cameron’s handwriting and new return address in Vermont. “Oh, something from Cam!” She tore open the envelope to find an invitation to Hannah’s bridal shower the following weekend and a note from Cameron that said, Hannah told me to make sure you’re invited. Hope you’ll come. Let me know if I can pick you up at the airport, train station, etc. You have to come! We all want you here!

  “What is it?” Emma asked.

  Lucy glanced at Colton. “An invite to Colton’s sister Hannah’s bridal shower. She’s getting remarried in two weeks. Her first husband died in Iraq seven years ago.”

  “Oh, good for her.” Emma looked up at Colton. “Do you like the guy she’s marrying?”

  Colton nodded. “Very much so. We’ve known him since we were kids, and he was a close friend of Hannah’s husband Caleb’s, too. She and Nolan are great together.”

  “That’s awesome,” Emma said with that same hint of wistfulness Lucy had noticed earlier. She made up her mind to continue encouraging Emma to get out more now that Simone was older and becoming more independent all the time.

  “Will you come for the shower, Luce?” Colton asked casually, but she didn’t miss the look of longing he sent her way. “You could fly back with me, and I’ll drive you from Burlington.”

  “Let’s talk about that later,” she said with a warm smile so he’d know she wasn’t dismissing him or the idea outright. The invitation had filled her with yearning to be part of Hannah’s special day and to see Cameron and the rest of the Abbotts again.

  “We should get out of your hair,” Emma said as she stood to leave. “I brought you some muffins and ginger ale. If you change your mind about tonight, text me.”

  “Not going to.”

  “You should at least ask him if he minds.”

  “If I mind what?” Colton asked from where he sat on a bar sto
ol at the counter that divided the kitchen and living room. He was reading the paper and drinking coffee. She couldn’t deny he seemed to belong there in the midst of her home and her stuff and her people. Nor could she deny that she loved that he’d made himself at home in her place.

  “Watching Simone while Emma uses the tickets I’d gotten for a show I’m not going to feel up to.”

  “Someone has to watch Simone? I figured she probably babysat other people’s kids by now.”

  “I told you,” Simone said indignantly. “I’m eight! I can’t stay alone yet. Don’t you know anything about kids?”

  “Apparently not much, but if we have to watch you, I suppose it’s okay.” He made a show of acting put out, but they all knew he was kidding.

  “When I come back I’ll bring Rebecca and my pretty princess game. It’ll be so much fun! Mommy, can I bring my Dora sleeping bag and sleep over with Auntie Lu?”

  “Absolutely,” Lucy answered before Emma could object. “And I can’t wait to see Colton dressed up as a princess. He will be so pretty.”

  “Yes, he will,” Emma muttered under her breath, making Lucy snort with laughter.

  “What kind of snacks do I need to have on hand for this sleepover?” Colton asked Simone.

  She recited a long list of treats that he dutifully recorded.

  “Got it.”

  “If you give her all that, you’ll be cleaning up more puke,” Emma said.

  “I’ll be selective,” Colton said with a wink for Simone.

  “Come on, Mommy.” Simone dragged Emma to the door. “I’ve got to go home and start packing.”

  Emma rolled her eyes at them and allowed her daughter to tug her through the door.

  Colton closed it behind them and came to join Lucy on the sofa. “You look better.”

  “I feel a little better, but still weak.”

  “Sorry you had to give up the tickets.”

  “Me, too, but I know I won’t feel like it, and I’d hate to see them go to waste.” She reached for his hand. “I was looking forward to taking you to the theater.”

  “We’ll do it another time.”

  Lucy leaned her head back against the sofa and looked over at him, drinking him in.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. I just like to look at you.”