Fixing Forever

by Caroline Lee

  She knew how much his niece and nephew meant to him, and here was proof. “You love them very much.”

  “Yeah.” He was still staring down at his arm. “They’re the most important people in the world to me, and I’d do—I’ve done—anything for them.” He swallowed. “I was thinking about adding to them a little bit, maybe a music note by Sean’s name, and a hockey stick or something beside Sophie’s, but haven’t decided yet. I’m a simple guy; I think I might just leave the words as they are a few more years.”

  She loosened her hold on his hand and wrapped her arm through his, pressing close against him. “That’s what I like about you; you think things through. These are important to you, so you’re not going to make any sudden moves.”

  He snorted softly as he turned and wrapped his free arm around her so they were pressed chest-to-chest. “You were important to me, and I made a sudden move.”

  Oh.

  Don’t make any sudden moves. Don’t misinterpret this, missy. Maybe he wants to kiss you, or maybe he’s just cold. Rachel swallowed, wondering if she should push things. Kiss him kiss him kiss him!

  No, no, she couldn’t. If they did any more kissing, the move would have to come from Andrew when he was ready. She’d already proven she couldn’t be trusted when it came to the fate of future kisses. So instead, she forced a smile and searched desperately for a topic to distract herself.

  “I’m a dork sometimes,” she blurted.

  He blinked. “What?”

  “That’s something about me you didn’t know. I mean, you didn’t ask, but here you were opening yourself up to me with all these memories and information, and I wasn’t sharing much, so I thought I’d just share that.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I can be a dork.”

  A major dork.

  But the slow smile which crept across his face—she loved it when he smiled so wide she could see his crooked bottom teeth—told her he wasn’t entirely surprised by this information. And the tender look in his eyes told her he didn’t really mind.

  “I don’t think you’re a dork,” he said softly, obviously lying.

  She nodded solemnly. “I am. I trip over my own thoughts, and my subconscious is pretty mean to me, and each day I worry if I’m being cool enough.”

  Bending slightly, he dropped a kiss on her forehead. It was over in a heartbeat, and felt so natural, but it still left her aching, straining for more.

  No. No more kisses until he’s ready.

  He smiled down at her. “I think you’re adorable.”

  “An adorable dork?” she tried for nonchalance.

  “Adorkable.” He nodded in agreement, very seriously.

  Which of course, made her giggle. “Okay, I can live with that.”

  And I can live with him! Wow!

  His smile flashed again “Let’s go warm up with some cocoa?”

  She was grateful for the distraction, but honestly, was warm enough in his arms. But she smiled in return. “Yes please!”

  And as they stumbled their way through the snow, laughing and teasing like a real couple, Rachel realized the truth: it would be very, very easy to fall in love with this man. She needed to rein in her heart, to take it slow.

  Any further steps needed to be on Andrew’s part.

  I just hope he does want to take those steps!

  “You sure about this one?” Andrew tapped the answer Sophie was laboriously writing out. “Which word is the subject?”

  The girl stopped writing and frowned down at his finger. “Umbrella, yeah?”

  “It’s been a while since I took English, but I think the umbrella is what’s being acted upon, right? So the subject is…?”

  The ten-year-old sighed. “Elephant, then. Gah, I hate this stuff.”

  Tugging on her ponytail, Andrew grinned. “You don’t have to love it, just finish it up, Sunshine.”

  “That’s a dumb name, Unca Andrew.”

  Knowing she’d used his childhood nickname on purpose, he grinned. “I think it’s fair.”

  She giggled, then sighed again. “This is my last one,” she said as she leaned over her homework again.

  In the far back of Riston Middle School’s auditorium, Andrew settled back in his chair beside his niece and watched the rehearsal up on stage. He’d offered to take both kids tonight so Heather could go to yoga, and Sophie had brought her homework and tablet with her. She’d breezed through her long division, and once she finished her English, Andrew had promised her all the YouTube Kids videos she could cram in before the end of rehearsal.

  Up on stage, Sean had just finished up being coached on his solo. The kid was a pretty good singer, all things considered, and Andrew liked watching him bloom under his theater teacher’s tutelage. Now, most of the cast trooped out on stage to get blocking notes through a song about a lonely goatherd.

  In a town as small as Riston, it was impossible not to recognize most of the kids. Kayla was the one playing the female lead, and Sophie had teased her brother that there wasn’t any kissing allowed in this play either. But there was a surprising face up there among the taller kids; Nellie Hardy, Joshua’s daughter. And judging from the way she was making eyes at Sean, it was obvious why she’d chosen this new extracurricular activity.

  Interesting.

  “Finished!” Sophie whispered loudly just as Andrew’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

  He nodded to her, giving her permission to whip out her tablet and plug in her headphones, and he pulled out his phone. The text message icon made him smile as he swiped the app open.

  “Hey! Can you chat?”

  He glanced over at his niece, already engrossed in her video, and typed out his response to Rachel: “Yeah, gimme a sec.”

  Getting up, he moved to the door leading out to the hall. He propped it open so he could hear if anyone needed him in the auditorium, then crossed to the opposite side of the hall and typed in her number.

  As he hit “send,” he took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do, and although he wasn’t exactly looking forward to it, he knew it was the right choice.

  “Hi,” she said, and the smile in her voice made his heart light.

  “Hi, yourself,” he said quietly, and felt himself relax into a sense of rightness. Things had moved so quickly for them at the beginning of their relationship, and he was so grateful she’d been willing to continue dating him. Because this peace which had come over him told him they’d made the correct choice.

  As they made small talk—How was your day? What are you up to right now? What was for dinner?—the feeling just intensified. There wasn’t the desperate anxiousness he’d felt during their first date, the need. Instead, this calmness, this certainty, had a wonderful everyday quality to it. Each date they went on, each conversation they had, only solidified the feeling more.

  They were both smiling—he could hear it in her voice—when they reached the end of rehearsal. But he wasn’t ready to let her go yet. There was something he needed to say.

  “Are you free on Friday?” Thanksgiving was next week, and he knew this was a crazy time for the hospitality industry, but he had the day off and had an idea.

  She clucked her tongue slightly, then said, “Yeah, I could take the afternoon off. Bob—I mean, there will be staff on the premises, and I’ll be in on Sunday. Technically I should be off Friday all day, but you know how things are.”

  Yeah, he did, and he liked that they both understood the business. He took a deep breath.

  “I’d like to spend the afternoon with you, if you can.”

  “Sure! I can—”

  “In Quinn Valley.”

  Silence on the other end of the phone. Then, “Are you sure?” Her question was hesitant. “I don’t mind coming to Riston again—”

  “I’m sure.” And he was. “You’ve come to my town for the last four dates, and I want…” What did he want? “Listen, my dad’s family has lived on McIver’s Mountain for generations, so I wasn’t exactly raised in Riston or Quinn Valley. But…Q
uinn Valley is part of who I am too. I know that,” he added quietly, sure after many hours of soul-searching. He took a deep breath. “I’ve been away a long time, and I still don’t know if I’m ready to go back—”

  “We don’t have to!” she was quick to assure him. “I know you feel strongly about this.”

  “I do, but…” He swallowed. “I also feel strongly about you. And Quinn Valley is your home. I want to be the one who walks around with you on my arm, showing you off to your friends.” When she snorted with laughter, he grinned. “If this—this thing between us is going to go anywhere, I need to give at least as much as you’re giving.”

  And the way things were going, he was afraid he was a few heartbeats away from giving her his heart.

  On the other end of the phone, he heard her take a deep breath, then let it out.

  “Okay,” she said softly. “If you’re sure, and you’re really willing to come here, then…”

  “Yeah?”

  Rachel chuckled. “Then I’d really, really like it. Thanks for being okay with it.”

  “Of course,” Andrew said softly. “I’d probably walk across coals for you.”

  This time she outright laughed. “How about just walking across Second Street for me?”

  He joined her in her chuckles. “Deal. Friday, then?”

  “Friday. I can’t wait,” she said softly. “Bye.”

  It felt weird to not say more, to not tack the perfectly natural I’m falling for you, Rachel on the end. But Andrew just exhaled softly and said, “Goodbye.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  True to his word, Andrew did indeed stroll through Quinn Valley with her on his arm, and he even crossed Second Street for her. But where Rachel should have been excited, instead, she was filled with an odd mixture of pride and nervousness. Pride, because she’d come to love this town and its people, and wanted to show it off and make sure Andrew could appreciate it to its full potential. But nervous, because as much as she loved Quinn Valley, the town belonged to Andrew in a way it would never belong to her.

  Even though he claimed to have not been raised here, even though he seemed to think there wasn't anything for him here, his ancestors built the place. His blood, his heritage, was in every street sign, every little shop. Half the phone book in Quinn Valley was made up of Qs; half the population were Quinns. And he might be proud to be a McIver, and raised on McIver land, but his mother was a Quinn. These were his people, and this was his town...

  And that's why Rachel was nervous. What right did she have to show off Quinn Valley to him? What right did she have to point out the beautiful views, or show him her favorite spots?

  Still, he was a good sport about it. He walked arm-in-arm with her through the old part of town, and if he was a little quieter than usual, if his smile was a little forced, then that was okay. She knew what a big step it was for him coming back here... Even if she didn't know why.

  It was probably foolish of her to think they could do this without any trouble. But coming here had been his suggestion, and she loved that he was willing to do something he obviously didn't want to do…for her. So no, she hadn't expected trouble.

  Boy, were you wrong!

  “Have you been to Ambrosia’s shop yet?” she asked when they turned down Main Street.

  “Ambrosia...? She's the crazy hippie lady with all the jewelry, who believes that magic crystals can solve everything?”

  “Yep,” Rachel said. “That's the one!”

  He gave her an exasperated look. “I'm an engineer. I fix things through good ideas and hard work. Do you think I've ever been in a place like Ambrosia’s shop?”

  She giggled at his bland delivery. “Excellent! I can't wait to see your expression when you see this place!” She tugged him along by one gloved hand. “It's called Earth Mother, and it’s like a circus and a church and a gypsy fortuneteller’s wagon all rolled into one.”

  “You're not really selling it.” But he allowed himself to be pulled down the street towards Ambrosia’s shop, which was on the first floor of a Victorian house she’d painted an outrageous purple color.

  But when Rachel saw who was coming out the little store front, she skidded to a stop. What was Brooke doing in a store like Ambrosia's? And more importantly, what would Andrew do when he recognized his cousin?

  Turns out, Brooke was the one who hailed them.

  “Hi, Rachel! I was just, um…” She looked a little guiltily over her shoulder at Earth Mother. “I was just looking around. You know. To see what she’s got in there…”

  It hadn’t occurred to Rachel that her friend—a doctor—might’ve been embarrassed to be seen in a place like Ambrosia’s shop. But Rachel had bigger things to worry about.

  Subtly, she stepped closer to Andrew, trying to block him with her shoulder, hoping Brooke would be too wrapped up in her own conundrum to notice.

  Fat chance, and now you look like a bigger dork, trying to hide a guy who’s so much taller than you.

  Her subconscious was right. The movement had only drawn Brooke’s attention, and her face cleared and her eyes lit up when she saw a way to change the subject.

  “Oh! Is this the guy you were telling me about? The one you like so much? I’m so glad it worked out, because you seem to really— Wait…”

  When Brooke frowned thoughtfully at Andrew, Rachel resisted the urge to close her eyes and groan. How long had it been since Brooke had seen her cousin? And what was Andrew thinking right now? Rachel could just imagine him standing over her shoulder, stone-faced and full of dread.

  Sure enough…

  Brooke squinted.

  “Andrew?” she gasped.

  From over her shoulder, Rachel heard Andrew’s gruff voice. “Brooke, right? Good to see you.”

  It was a lie if she’d ever heard one—how incredibly awkward this must be!—but Brooke didn’t seem to notice. She turned to Rachel with a big grin.

  “Andrew is the mystery man you’ve been dating? No wonder you didn’t tell me his name! And you were asking about him before that, weren’t you? Oh my gosh, just wait ‘til I tell Robyn and Mom!”

  Rachel hid her wince and forced a smile. “Hope you have a great weekend!”

  Brooke was already waving as she hurried away. “You too! See you around, Andrew!”

  It was unlikely his cousin heard his muttered “I doubt it,” but Rachel didn’t bother hiding her wince this time.

  “Come on,” she said quietly, and tugged him into movement. “Let’s get off the street. Scentiments is right up here.”

  “That’s the aromatherapy place?” He sounded less excited than he’d been about Ambrosia’s place, but at least he was still talking to her.

  “Yeah, but don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!” She did her best to sound cheerful. “Certain scents do work to make us feel better. I like going in there, because the place always smells amazing.”

  She pushed open the front door and waved to the lady behind the counter. “Hi, Lindy! We’re just going to browse.”

  The woman behind the counter waved back. “Take your time!”

  Rachel ducked around a display and pulled Andrew down the aisle where the soaps had been set out, hoping it would help him feel better if they were alone for a few minutes. “Lindy is the niece of the owner, Celeste. She’s been helping her aunt since Celeste hurt her back.” She was short of breath and speaking too fast. “Lindy’s actually from River’s End Ranch.”

  “I know,” Andrew said dully. “She was a waitress at the café.”

  “Oh.” She bit her lip, wondering if there was a way to cheer him up. “Well, we don’t have to stay, I just thought…”

  She trailed off as she saw him reach for a display of soap. Too late, she recognized the logo on the bar he picked up.

  “This is my sister’s soap.” Andrew turned it over in his hands and inhaled deeply. “I guess I’m glad she’s found so much success doing what she loves.”

  Shoot.

  It seemed like no
matter what she tried, he was reminded of his past and his family.

  Well, what do you expect? You brought him to his family’s hometown!

  Reminding her subconscious that it had been Andrew’s idea didn’t seem very effective.

  With a sudden movement, he thrust the bar of soap back into the display. “Let’s get out of here.”

  This time it was him who pulled her out the door and along the street. But as they did, he saw another face he must’ve recognized, judging from the sudden stiffening of his shoulders.

  Coming out of Fresh Brew was a couple. Rachel recognized the guy as the one Brooke had pointed out as dating her cousin. What was his name? Oh yeah, Logan. And if that was Logan, then the woman holding his hand and laughing at whatever he was saying must be…

  “Georgia,” Andrew said in a quiet acknowledgment as the couple approached.

  “Andrew? Wow!” The pretty lady’s eyes were wide. “I didn’t expect to see you in town.”

  No one did.

  The moment of silence stretched a little too long, until it became clear Andrew wasn’t going to help her out. So Georgia fumbled Logan’s hand, and held it up a little too exuberantly. “This is Logan. He’s my—my boyfriend.”

  Her stumble over the word told Rachel that Brooke might’ve been on to something when she said she suspected there was a bit more to the story than Georgia was letting on. But at that moment, Rachel had other things on her mind. She glanced back and forth between the cousins—each with an awkward expression on their faces and not looking one another in the eyes—and wondered if she should be polite and say something.

  But Logan caught her eye and shrugged apologetically. She nodded once in appreciation, understanding it was up to the two of them to break this up.

  “Well, we have to be going—” she said at the same time he said, “We’re late for that thing, honey.”

  And as he tugged Georgia into motion, past Andrew on the sidewalk, Rachel watched the two of them bend their heads towards one another and begin to whisper.

  “This was a bad idea.” Andrew’s voice was hoarse, and when she looked at him, his eyes were wide with something which looked almost like panic.