One Sweet Day I Found You: A Sweet Romance Book 1

by Jillian Walsh

  Kira didn’t look up. “Sounds good, Aussie. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Courtney stopped and turned to Nick. “Oh, hey, I forgot to get your shop’s web address for the post. I assume I can get the shop’s physical address and phone number on there, too?”

  “Oh, right. Yeah, it’s on there. But hold up one sec. I’ll walk you to your car while Kira’s loading up.” He shut the front door of the truck and caught up to her.

  When they reached the car, Courtney opened the driver’s side door, pulled out the notepad, and threw her duffel bag onto the seat.

  Nick recited the web address and told her where to find the reservations page so she could link to it. “My shop’s at the docks. You know, the one that your trail leads to.”

  Maybe she’d stop in and say hi sometime? If he were lucky.

  “Oh, really? Well, I guess I’ll see you around then. Thanks for the interview and a great tour today. I had a really good time.” She sat down in the driver’s seat and Nick shut the door for her. She started the engine and rolled down her window.

  Nick gazed down at her. He could get lost in those big, brown eyes of hers. “No problem. I’m glad you liked it. And hey, it was nice to meet you—for real this time.”

  Courtney’s eyes locked on his. “Likewise.” She grinned. “I’m so glad I didn’t have to throw any drinks at you this time.”

  He laughed.

  He really wanted to see this girl again. The interview was over. It was okay to ask her out now, right?

  “Speaking of which, we should grab one sometime,” said Nick.

  Courtney’s mouth turned up at the side. “One what?”

  “Drink. I mean, if you want to?” Nick waited. It wasn’t too soon to ask, was it?

  “Oh. Yeah, that would be great.”

  Nick rocked on his heels. “Great,” he said, stepping a few paces back from the car. “Well, you know where to find me.”

  Courtney looked confused then forced a smile as she backed out of the parking spot.

  Nick cringed, muttering to himself. Dude, what was that? You’ve lost your game.

  Seven

  What in the world was that? Courtney drove out of the parking lot. Why would Nick dangle the proverbial carrot in front of her and then yank it away?

  She chewed at her lip, frowning, and turned onto the main road.

  He could’ve just asked for her number. Why didn’t he? Or, news flash—he could’ve just sealed the deal and told her where and when, and she’d have been there.

  Yes, she was interested. She had to admit it. The day had not started out that way, but things had changed over the course of a few hours. He actually seemed like a nice guy. It was a pleasant surprise meeting him again, really.

  But she wasn’t usually one to make the first move, especially since he had just been the focus of her interview. It would be too weird or unprofessional or something. Right?

  Hopefully she’d run into him again somewhere. She did know where to find him now, after all. She let out a huff and hoped the pleasant scenery would change her mood.

  Back at the cottage, Courtney set her notebook and duffel bag on the table and hung the visor in the front closet.

  She’d had enough of pretending to understand men. Maybe Nick should take a lesson from Kira and learn to be a little more direct.

  Yet, she was intrigued. He wasn’t just easy on the eyes, he was also intelligent and easy to talk to. And he’d been a great listener.

  When was the last time a guy asked her a bunch of questions and then sat and listened to the answers? Even though she’d been the one conducting the interview? She couldn’t recall.

  Certainly, Austin had been too involved in his own little world to listen for very long when she spoke.

  She realized she knew very little about Nick, though. It seemed she’d done most of the talking today. Except about the shop, during the interview.

  Courtney opened the refrigerator. She’d found the market yesterday and picked up groceries. Turkey and provolone sounded good. She placed a couple pieces of bread on a plate and piled up the meat and cheese. Her thoughts drifted to her new colleague.

  Kira. What a piece of work she was.

  Courtney blew out a breath.

  The day had not started well between them either, but it was entirely possible that all of that was already ancient history to Kira. She didn’t seem interested in making things difficult, nor in holding grudges. She might just be a tell-it-like-it-is kind of person. No “buts,” no fuss.

  It would be easier to work with someone who got straight to the point, anyway.

  Courtney cleaned up and sat down at the table with her sandwich, then propped open her laptop.

  The sandwich hit the spot, but only a few paragraphs into her draft, her eyes began to droop. It had to be all the sunshine and paddling that morning, she thought with a yawn.

  Courtney had locked the screen door and left the front door wide to allow in the afternoon breeze. She took the laptop and moved to the couch then pulled a blanket over herself. Ten minutes later, she was out.

  About an hour went by before a knock came at the screen, and a gentle voice called out, “Anybody home?”

  Courtney sat up, tossing her blanket over the back of the couch and shaking her head to wake up. “Hello?” she said, dazed. “I’ll be right there.”

  A tiny woman in a pastel-green sweater peered through the screen. “Oh, goodness, did I wake you? I can come back another time, dear.”

  “No, of course not.” Courtney went to open the door. “Just a catnap. Still adjusting to the time zone.”

  The woman’s short white hair was neatly groomed, her rosy lipstick painted expertly across an upturned mouth.

  “Oh, that’s right! You’ve just been to see the other side of the world, haven’t you? How exciting.”

  “Yes! You must be Mrs. Brady. Would you like to come in?”

  “Why, thank you. Yes. I’m so sorry to disturb you.” She held out one hand. “I’m Victoria Brady. I was just enjoying my front porch before dinner and thought I’d stop in and introduce myself properly. You’re Courtney Price, I presume?”

  “Yes.” Courtney held out her hand and Mrs. Brady took it, steadying herself. “It’s no problem, really.”

  The old woman made her way in.

  “It’s wonderful to meet you. And thank you for stopping by. I was going to do the same at your house this evening. You saved me the trip.”

  “I’d love to hear all about your travels sometime. I’ve been to Australia myself, ages ago, with my husband. Such a lovely place to visit, isn’t it? There’s a lot more to see there than most people think.”

  “Yes! I had such a great time. Wonderful people, too. Why don’t you have a seat?”

  Courtney gestured to the living room and Mrs. Brady shuffled over to the sofa and sat down. “Can I get you something? An iced tea? A glass of water?”

  “Absolutely not, my dear. But thank you very much for offering.”

  Courtney settled into an armchair. “This place is so lovely,” she said, glancing around the cottage. “I don’t know how I managed to get so lucky. Thank you for having me. I’ll take good care of it.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you will. You’re more than welcome. I hope you’ll enjoy yourself. Heritage Bay is a wonderful little place to spend your summer.” She directed her gaze out the window at the sunny sky.

  Courtney followed her gaze. Mrs. Brady might just be the nicest landlord she’d ever have.

  “Have you tried Home at Grandma’s yet?” Mrs. Brady asked.

  Courtney shook her head. “What’s that?”

  “Oh, it’s a bakery right down the street. They make the best cherry pie this side of Ohio! Sourced fresh from our local growers. That’s important to you kids these days, isn’t it? Locally sourced, organic?”

  Courtney grinned. “Yes, I guess it is. But, no, I haven’t seen that place yet. I’ll make a point of finding it. I’ve heard the cherry pie in
Door County is not to be missed.”

  “You’ve got that right.” Mrs. Brady went on to tell her where to find the best restaurants, the library, and the post office, and Courtney told her she’d already discovered the trail that led to the marina.

  “Oh, good. I hoped you would. That’s a wonderful little beach, isn’t it? I go see it when I can, up close, as long as Mrs. Schlagel has time to walk there with me. Oh, that’s Josie. She stopped over here yesterday, didn’t she?”

  “Yes, we met. I’d be happy to walk there with you sometime, if you’d like,” Courtney offered.

  “Would you? Why, I’d love that.”

  Courtney thanked her for stocking her kitchen with coffee and Mrs. Brady waved it off. “Oh, that was Josie too. She’s a wonderful housekeeper. But you’re very welcome.”

  They both turned at the sound of a soft scratching at the screen door. “Meow.”

  “Well, who’s that?” Courtney went to the door and looked around. A gray cat sat outside the door, staring up at her.

  “Oh, that must be my Ash. He rarely leaves my side, except when it’s time to hunt. Takes care of the local mice population. Although, I’m afraid the birds aren’t safe around him, either.”

  “Can I let him in?”

  “Why, of course. He must’ve seen me come in,” Mrs. Brady answered. “But watch out. He’ll pester you constantly if you’re the least bit nice to him.”

  Courtney laughed and opened the door. Ash slinked in as though he owned the place.

  “I honestly don’t know what I’d do without him. He was Mr. Brady’s favorite little companion. Never left his side back then, especially at the end. I think he misses him as much as I do.”

  She looked sad for a moment then perked up again. Ash swatted his tail back and forth.

  Courtney reached out to pet the cat from her seat in the armchair. “I’m so sorry about your husband.” Ash moved closer to Courtney and pressed himself against her leg, purring.

  Mrs. Brady waved off the comment then changed the subject. “Looks like you’ve made a friend.”

  Courtney continued to pet Ash. She grinned. “Well, that was easy.”

  After a few more topics of conversation, Mrs. Brady pulled herself slowly to her feet to take her leave. “Josie and I are right over there if you ever need anything.”

  “Thank you. Does Josie live with you?”

  “Oh, no. She’s here twice a week. And she makes me wonderful meals. I’ll invite you over some evening to join me when she’s cooking.”

  “Thank you. I’d like that.”

  Courtney helped Mrs. Brady through the door and watched as she made her way back to the main house. The cat followed, close on her heels, just like a dog.

  Courtney watched, grinning. How sweet is that?

  Eight

  Courtney sipped at her latte from the passenger side of Kira’s four-door, blue sedan. She checked the map on her phone.

  “Oh, hey, so the turn-in’s about a mile ahead on the right.”

  Nick had been right about Kira. Courtney found herself appreciating Kira’s no-frills approach. At least she was honest.

  “Okay.” Kira glanced in her rearview mirror and back at the road ahead.

  The weekend had come and gone without incident. On Saturday, Courtney went exploring on her own, checking out the shops in town and writing on her laptop at the charming little coffee shop near the office, where she’d first met Nick.

  On Sunday afternoon, with her story complete, she found the Home at Grandma’s bakery that Mrs. Brady had recommended. Later, she’d stopped in for a visit with Mrs. Brady. The sweet little woman had been delighted to sit outside and chat. They’d arranged to take a walk to the lake soon.

  By mid-morning on Monday, Courtney had turned in her story on the kayak trip.

  Kira had only suggested a couple of edits over the weekend. Courtney thought Kira’s advice had been solid, and it turned out Kira’s instincts had been good. Beecham had expressed great satisfaction with both Courtney’s story and Kira’s video, and the post went live. It seemed Courtney’s first battle had been won.

  This morning, she and Kira started the first leg of an ongoing project for the blog to update the lodging guide on the website. It was due by the end of June.

  Every hotel, B&B, rental condo, and resort property had to be contacted to inquire about updates to their services, amenities, or rates. The list alone involved several hundred.

  Courtney didn’t need to visit the properties, since her role in the project could be accomplished by phone or email. But Kira did, and she needed to visit three properties today to take photos of the renovations they’d made since last summer.

  She’d invited Courtney to join her. Kira said it usually gave Sam fresh ideas for stories when he’d go with her, and she thought Courtney might benefit from the change of scenery, as well.

  Courtney had been happy to go. Plus, it would help her get to know Kira a little better.

  “So you and Sam must’ve spent a lot of time together?”

  “Yeah. He was a lot of fun to work with. Went with me on a lot of shoots—for like, almost a year.” Kira kept her gaze straight ahead.

  Courtney didn’t want to press, but she sensed Kira might want to talk about Sam.

  “Wow. You two got along well, then? I mean—it sounds like it.”

  “Yeah.” Kira was silent for a few moments. “Truth be told, we actually dated—for almost a year. I was really bummed that he left. Felt like it came out of nowhere.”

  Courtney motioned to the side of the road. “This looks like the place. On the right.”

  Kira slowed and turned into the long driveway of the bed and breakfast. They passed tall trees and soon came upon a classic blue Victorian with a wraparound porch, a manicured lawn, and lush, green landscaping. The place oozed with charm.

  Courtney pulled a soft-pink lipstick out of her purse and adjusted her mirror. She ran the lipstick across her mouth. “Ouch, Kira, that must’ve really hurt. I’m so sorry he left.”

  Kira waved it off. “I know, but what could I do? He had a great opportunity in Colorado. He couldn’t turn it down. And that’s where he grew up. He wanted to move back home.” She sighed. “Wisconsin is my home. I wanted to stay here.”

  “That’s rough.” Courtney cocked an eyebrow. “Not gonna lie, though. Worked out pretty well for me.” She flashed a wry smile and waited for a response.

  Kira grinned back. “Very funny, Aussie.”

  Courtney had figured out that Kira responded best to humor.

  “Hey, if we’re talking truth here, I should be honest,” Courtney confessed. “Nick told me about you and Sam the other day. He didn’t want me taking it too personally when, well...when I made you guys late.”

  Kira pulled into a parking spot. “No worries. It’s no secret. I’ll get over it. Anyway, that sounds like Nick. He’s a sweet guy.”

  Kira turned off the car.

  Courtney grabbed her purse. “Seems like it. And I’m glad you’re handling it all right.”

  “Yeah, I’ll get over it. Hey, by the way, I’m sorry if I was a jerk the other day. Nick was right. Sam and I—well…” She adjusted her sunglasses and tightened her ponytail. “Forget it. I don’t want to get into it.”

  Courtney looked across the front seat at her. “I get it, Kira. Believe me. I went through the wringer not too long ago. Break-ups—for whatever reason—they totally do a number on you.”

  “So true.” Kira said. “Well, I’m sure you’re better off without him. Anyway, thanks for putting up with me. I shouldn’t have given you such a hard time—or complained to Beecham. Because if I hadn’t been the guest of honor at my own pity party about Sam, I’d have made sure the new writer had the deets. It was my bad.”

  Courtney shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I would’ve been the same way if the situation had been in reverse.”

  “I doubt that, but thanks. You’re all right, Aussie.”

  Courtney
relaxed. They both climbed out of the car.

  Kira gathered her things. “You should hang out with Nick, by the way. That boy couldn’t wipe the grin off his face the whole way home the other day.”

  Courtney tried to make her voice sound more casual. “Really?” She didn’t need Nick hearing she lit up like a Christmas tree at the mere mention of his name. Don’t get all excited.

  “Yes, really. He’s single, as far as I know. And he’s not a player. As far as I know.” She smiled deviously.

  “Hmm. Okay.” Courtney looked away.

  “Ohhh-kay?” Kira laughed as Courtney slammed her door shut. “Playing it cool, I see.” Kira motioned toward the building. “I knew I liked you, Aussie.”

  Courtney raised an eyebrow at Kira, grinning. “Let’s go, Nash.”

  Courtney sat on the couch and laced up her running shoes that evening. Maybe Kira was right—maybe she should try to hang out with Nick.

  But she wasn’t even sure if he was interested. Four days had gone by and he hadn’t called or texted. He could’ve gotten her number from Kira if he’d really wanted to, right?

  And he’d been so weird about asking her out and then not.

  But maybe he truly believed he’d hit the ball into her court and was waiting for her to make the next move. Maybe she should just run with it? Courtney was always good at convincing herself of impossible scenarios. What she should probably do was just forget about the whole incident entirely.

  But certainly, an evening jog on the lake trail wouldn’t hurt, would it? It would take her down to the docks, where she might run into him. Maybe then he could ask her out, or finish asking her out. Maybe he just needed some encouragement. She locked the cottage and started down the trail.

  Forty-five minutes later, Nick followed Victoria Brady out onto the wide covered front porch of her stately home and took in the fresh breeze. Ash strutted out behind them, tail high, and Nick shut the door.

  Victoria gazed with contentment at the pink sky and glanced at the pleasant sway of the trees. She settled into one of the outdoor armchairs and Nick took a seat on the tasteful sofa across from her.