Loving The Country Boy (Barrett's Mill Book 4)

by Mia Ross

  “Right.”

  Despite the fact that he’d agreed with her, the long look he gave her made her wonder if being so flip about his invitation had been a mistake. There was no fixing it now, so she shrugged it off and tuned back in to the meeting. Next on the agenda was the thorny problem of how to keep a local farmer’s wandering roosters out of his neighbor’s chicken coop. Apparently, the males were the wrong sort of chickens to be mixing with the hens, and it was becoming quite the problem. Before long, the discussion grew heated, and Tess found herself wishing she had some popcorn.

  “Are these meetings always like this?” she whispered to Heath.

  “I’m not here much, but from what I hear they all go this way. Bruce never lets things get outta hand, though, and everyone ends up at the diner for pie.”

  What a great way to handle problems, she thought with a grin. If more folks could settle their disagreements over dessert, the world would be a happier place.

  The wandering poultry issue was settled with a reasonable compromise for both farmers to install extra fences to keep the animals from causing any more trouble. While Bruce closed the meeting, Tess wasn’t sure why the farmers couldn’t have come to that conclusion on their own. She said as much while she and Heath filed out with the others, and he laughed.

  “Mostly, folks want to have their time in the spotlight, I guess. If they get a ruling in their favor, it’s gravy.”

  “So the people who bring up issues at these meetings don’t really care who’s right or wrong? That’s nuts.”

  “That’s Barrett’s Mill,” he said with a grin. “Gotta love it.”

  They crossed the street to where The Whistlestop was fully lit up and ready for business. People rapidly filled the booths and tables, and she heard snippets of conversation about tonight’s gathering, tomorrow’s forecast and whether or not Washington’s injured running back would be ready for Sunday’s football game.

  Simple things, she mused while she sipped her water. Nothing earth-shattering, but they were woven into the fabric of existence here. Timeless and comforting, because from week to week and year to year, they didn’t change all that much. The world might be on a crazy spiral, but this Blue Ridge town stayed on its even keel by focusing on what mattered most: Family, friends and faith.

  When you had those, she realized with stunning certainty, everything else in your life fell into its proper place. And when you were missing them, nothing ever felt quite right. So all these years that she’d been trying to find a way to be happy, she’d been looking in the wrong place.

  True contentment came from inside a person. You could dress your life up in the most extravagant style you could afford, but it wouldn’t make a bit of difference if you didn’t have people to love, who loved you back. And without faith, no matter how hard you tried, none of what you wished for would ever come to be.

  Stunned by her epiphany, she looked across the table at Heath, who was turned around in his seat, chatting with Fred Morgan about something too mechanical for her to follow. Had God brought her here? More than that, had He intended all along for her to end up in the one place where she’d find a man who could accept and appreciate her the way she was?

  She couldn’t deny that Heath had patiently and often firmly encouraged her to accept the bad things in her past while looking toward the future. His own trials had given her an example to follow, and his upbeat approach to life made it easier for her to be hopeful about the changes she was making in her own.

  When he turned back around, she gathered up her courage and said, “Heath?”

  “Yeah?”

  Those impossibly blue eyes focused on her with a warmth she could no longer deny. But this time instead of ignoring it, she let herself return the look. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done to help me since I got here. No one’s ever tried so hard with me, and I really appreciate it.”

  “It wasn’t easy,” he acknowledged with a low chuckle, “but I figured you were worth it.”

  “I can’t imagine why.”

  “Not everything has an explanation, Tess. Sometimes we just have to believe.”

  Reaching out, he covered one of her hands with his much larger one. She felt his strength pulsing just below the surface, and the sensation comforted her in a way she’d never experienced with anyone before. For someone who’d promised herself she’d find a way to be more independent, the thought of relying on this wonderful man was both tempting and terrifying.

  Doing her best to remain composed in the middle of the restaurant, she said, “Someday that might actually make sense to me.”

  “It will. I just hope I’m there to see it.”

  Smiling, she angled her fingers to give his hand a little squeeze. “Me, too.”

  Their waitress chose that precise moment to stop for their orders, and Tess fully expected Heath to pull back and retreat to his side of the table. He didn’t. Instead, he twined his fingers through hers in a blatant display of something more than friendship.

  Disappointment dimmed the young woman’s eyes as she jotted down their dessert order. As she headed for the kitchen, she cast a wistful look back over her shoulder at Heath, and Tess murmured, “I think she has a crush on you.”

  “Well, now, that’s a shame.” He gave her the grin that had charmed her the very first time they met. “’Cause I’ve got a crush on you.”

  “You do not.”

  “Yeah, I do.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not sure why, but I do.”

  Hearing those words come out of his mouth made her heart do a little flip.

  Tell him, Tess, a little voice whispered in her head. Tell him how you feel.

  The last time she did that, it ended in disaster. But this was now, and Heath was so unlike Avery, they might have been two entirely different species. So she swallowed her fear and took the biggest, bravest leap of her life. “Actually, I know what you mean, because I feel the same way about you.”

  His eyes met hers in a hopeful look that confirmed she’d made the right decision. A delighted little boy’s grin worked its way across his face, and he said, “That’s good to know.”

  That didn’t even come close to expressing the emotions churning through her right now, and she laughed. “Heath Weatherby, ladies and gentlemen. Master of understatement.”

  “You have the greatest laugh. Seems like you do it a lot more now than when you first got here.”

  “I have more reason to these days. I really like it here.”

  “Yeah? What do you like best?”

  “The people,” she told him with a fond smile. “They’re the best.”

  Their lovelorn waitress returned with their desserts and the check, which she plunked down in front of Tess. With a dismissive flounce of her shoulder, she pivoted away to greet her next customer in a syrupy voice that left no doubt about her opinion of Tess.

  “Something tells me we’re not going to be best friends anytime soon,” she muttered as she dug into a lemon meringue pie that stood several inches high.

  “Don’t let her get to you, darlin’. You’ve always got me.”

  If that smooth Southern line had come out of anyone else’s mouth, she’d have cut him off at the knees. But since it was Heath, she laughed it off. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

  “Dunno,” he replied around a mouthful of pecan pie. Swallowing, he winked at her. “I guess we’ll have fun finding out.”

  Chapter Ten

  “How’s this?”

  Grinning like a little kid at the fair, Tess plucked the fishing pole from Scarecrow Will’s hand and slung it over her shoulder like a pro. The annual Harvest Festival was in full swing, and the town square was crammed with people from all over the area. Heath could hear the clang of the Strong Man game and the sound of scattering pins as a guy in
a letterman jacket threw a strike to win his cheerleader girlfriend a life-size stuffed unicorn.

  Over it all wafted the scents of fresh popcorn drenched in butter, and sugar and cinnamon from stands selling fried dough and Helen Morgan’s prize-winning pralines. The weather had cooperated, and the clear sky was dotted with stars that brought to mind the display of diamond rings on black velvet he’d once seen in a jewelry store. He didn’t know why he was thinking of that now, but when Tess did a model’s turn and laughed, the reason was as clear to him as anything had ever been.

  Not that he was planning to propose anytime soon, of course. But spending a fun evening with a beautiful woman tended to make a guy start considering the possibilities.

  Chuckling, he lined up the shot in the viewfinder of his camera phone. “If I didn’t know better, I might think you were one of those tomboys who baits her own hook.”

  “Ewww!”

  She scrunched up her nose just as he snapped the picture, and he saved it because he knew every time he looked at it, he’d bust out laughing. “Sorry, bad shot. Let’s get one more.”

  This one was better, and just in time, too. From out of nowhere, several Barretts crowded around, eager for a look at this year’s contest entry. Tess had kept her idea secret from everyone but Heath, and he stepped back to let everyone get a closer view.

  “Granddad would love it,” Jason announced confidently, patting the straw man’s baseball cap.

  “He’d have laughed himself silly,” Olivia agreed with a fond smile. When she reached out to straighten the collar on the flannel shirt, the touching gesture made Heath stop and think. She and Will had been married for more than sixty years, and while he knew there had been some tough times, they’d faced them together. Even in his final days, Olivia had stayed by Will’s side, tirelessly caring for him, making sure he was as comfortable as she could make him.

  Heath wanted that kind of love. The kind that took a beating and still stood tall, the way his parents’ had. That was why he was still single, he recognized soberly. Judging by the number of divorces among his friends, not every couple could make that till-death-do-us-part promise and keep it.

  But tonight was for celebrating, not brooding. Heath pushed aside the serious stuff and said, “How ’bout we get all the Barretts in there? We’ll give Paige a family photo for her new town newsletter.”

  “Make sure you get my good side,” Scott warned.

  His wife angled a bemused look over her shoulder at him. “Do you have one?”

  The others laughed at that, and Scott made a face at her. “Ha-ha, very funny.”

  “I thought so,” she replied with a satisfied smirk.

  “Good evening, everyone,” Pastor Griggs greeted them as he hurried past, a huge blue pin that read Pie Judge flapping against his chest. “Don’t forget to come by and cast your votes for the scarecrows.”

  And with that, he was gone, spreading his message to a group of people milling around a tent sporting a sign for Tastes of Autumn. It smelled like every kind of pie and cake you could imagine, and Heath made a mental note to check it out later. All the proceeds went to local charities, and he had every intention of taking full advantage of all the talented Southern cooks who’d donated their best work to this year’s festival.

  As if she’d read his mind, Tess popped up beside him with a candied apple in one hand and a corn dog in the other. “Take your pick.”

  “Which one did you buy first?”

  “The apple.”

  “Then I’ll take the dog.”

  While he was chewing, she tilted her head at him with a curious expression. “Why did you ask me that?”

  Swallowing, he answered, “I figured you bought your favorite thing first, so I left it for you.”

  “That’s really sweet. And totally accurate,” she added with a bright smile. Biting into the apple, she glanced around at the crowd. “I thought I’d pretty much met everyone by now. I had no idea there were so many people living in Barrett’s Mill.”

  “Some of ’em are from other towns. There aren’t a lot of places that do this kind of thing anymore.”

  “I’ve only seen stuff like this in movies,” she commented. “It’s really nice.”

  She had a bit of red candy on her cheek, and he almost reached out to wipe it away for her. Instead, he tapped his own face. “You’ve got a little right here.”

  “Thanks.” She swiped at it with her fingertip and gave him a questioning look. When he nodded, she said, “I’ve been to lots of great events over the years, but I can’t remember ever having a better time.”

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Any take on how the contest is going?”

  “Paige is probably gonna win,” Tess admitted without a trace of envy. “I mean, really, who could beat the American Gothic couple done up as Bruce and Molly Harkness?”

  “American Scarecrow. It’s a classic.”

  They both laughed, and he barely heard the ringtone on Tess’s phone. When she pulled it from the pocket of her denim jacket, she abruptly went still. “It’s Paul.”

  Suddenly, the lighthearted evening took on an ominous chill, and he gently tugged her to a quieter spot amid the chaos. She answered the call then listened in stony silence for a few seconds.

  “I’ll round up everyone here and we’ll meet you at the hospital. Give Chelsea a hug from me.”

  Her hands were shaking when she ended the call, and she gazed up at Heath with eyes that were rapidly filling with tears. “Chelsea’s not doing well.”

  That was all he needed to hear. Wrapping his arms around her, Heath felt her leaning against him as if she couldn’t stand on her own. After a few moments she regained her composure and drew back. “I have to tell everyone and get to Cambridge.”

  She was still trembling, and she dropped her phone into the grass. Heath picked it up and tucked it in his own pocket before texting Scott.

  Baby in trouble. Hospital now.

  “We walked here,” Tess said in a dazed voice. “I have to go get Gram’s car.”

  “Not a chance,” he corrected her sternly. “You’re in no shape to drive anywhere. I’ll take you.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “You gonna stand here arguing with me or get moving?”

  The woeful look she gave him drove deep into his heart. “Heath, I’m scared. What if she loses the baby?”

  “She won’t,” he assured her, taking her hands to steady them. “Chelsea’s strong, and this is just a few weeks early. The baby might be a little small, but they’ve got a top-notch maternity unit in Cambridge. They’ll know what to do.”

  He recognized he was saying that as much for his own benefit as hers, but his words eased some of the terror from her eyes. “Okay. We should get going, then.”

  Seeking to avoid a lot of awkward questions that would only slow them down, he put an arm around her shoulders and cut across the green to where he’d parked his truck earlier. Several other cars were already running, and he fell in line behind the procession of Barretts hurrying toward Cambridge.

  Please, God, he prayed as he turned onto the highway. Let everything be okay.

  When they arrived at the hospital, Uncle Tom and Aunt Diane led them to the maternity ward. Paul must have warned the staff that the family was on its way, because the large group of near-frantic people was met by a plump redheaded nurse wearing rubber ducky scrubs and a name tag that said Nancy.

  The first thing she did was pull Diane into a fierce hug. Then she grasped her friend’s shoulders and said, “You know we’re the best around, right?”

  Diane swallowed hard but somehow managed to nod. “Thanks, Nan.”

  “Oh, don’t even.” Holding out her arms, she gave the rest of them a reassuring, motherly smile. “I know you’re all worried, and I�
��ve cleared a spot in the family waiting area for you. Paul and Chelsea are in with their doctor right now, and we’ll get you some news the second we have it.”

  Her white shoes squeaked on the freshly buffed floor as she pivoted and escorted them down a hallway whose walls were painted with pink and blue clouds and decorated with pictures of happy mothers holding their infants. Motioning them into an empty alcove dotted with comfy-looking chairs, she continued through and out the far door, leaving the Barretts to settle in as much as they could. Worried looks flew from one person to another, even though Heath could see the guys were doing their best to keep everyone calm.

  “It’ll be fine.” Jason’s optimism didn’t match up with the concern he was obviously feeling, but Heath gave him credit for trying. “This way, little William Henry can catch his first Thanksgiving football game now instead of having to wait for next year.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Diane approved, rubbing his shoulder. “We have to think positive.”

  After about half an hour of waiting and trying not to stare at the clock, Heath noticed some motion in the hallway Nurse Nan had gone down earlier. Through the narrow window in the door, he saw a familiar figure all but running toward the room where they were sitting. “There’s Paul.”

  The father-to-be was dressed in blue scrubs, and a nurse stopped him, pointing to the floor. Clearly agitated, he stripped off the booties covering his shoes and just about blasted the door off its hinges when he flung it open.

  “It’s bad,” Tess whispered, her face white with fear. “He looks terrified.”

  Heath didn’t know what to say, but he took her cold hand in his and offered what he hoped was a comforting look. When Paul reached the family huddle, he held out his hands in a silencing gesture.

  “This has to be quick. Chelsea’s stable, but the baby’s in major distress. They’re keeping an eye on things, but if they don’t improve, Dr. Weber’s doing an emergency C-section.”

  Standing, Tom embraced his son and then gently pushed him away. “Go and take care of Chelsea. We’ll be here praying.”