“I don’t know how to thank you,” she replied. “I probably would’ve sat here forever, trying to find a restaurant that wasn’t booked over the holiday weekend.”
It may have been just crazy blind optimism on his part, but with everything going so well between them, David decided to throw caution to the wind.
“Candice, I know we haven’t known each other long, but I would love to take you out to dinner sometime.”
The look she gave him could only be described as sheer terror—or perhaps it was genuine excitement. He honestly had no idea, but it made him nervous regardless.
“You mean like a date?” she asked, with an incredulous expression on her face.
David grinned. “Yes, like a date.”
She looked down at her desk and started fidgeting with her pen. For a couple of minutes, she never said a word, and David’s apprehension grew with every second that passed.
“David, it’s very sweet of you to ask, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”
To say he was let down would be an understatement. She didn’t offer a reason, and he didn’t ask for one. He did his best to put on a happy face and act like he wasn’t as disappointed as he felt. “It’s okay. I understand. Perhaps some other time.”
She didn’t agree or disagree, but as David stood to leave, he held his chin high. Candice didn’t know it, but he wasn’t about to give up. He would remain positive, no matter what. Sooner or later, he would convince Candice Hollins to give him—to give them—a chance.
Chapter 6
Candice
Candice stared out the windshield of her car that afternoon after work and watched as storm clouds gathered on the horizon. She had no idea how long she’d been sitting there, but the parking lot was empty, so everyone else had gone home.
Why in the world would David ask me out?
She’d rolled that question around in her mind constantly since he’d asked, and she still couldn’t come up with a logical reason why someone like David Maxwell would want to date her. He was a handsome, successful businessman who had traveled the United States, and she was a widow with a child who was lucky to make it to the grocery store at least once a week. They couldn’t be more opposite if they tried.
Candice turned the rearview mirror so she could see her reflection, and she winced as she traced her fingertips over the fine lines that creased her skin at the corners of her eyes. In her opinion, she didn’t look like every other twenty-six-year-old she knew, but she also had to remind herself that not many women her age had to bury their husband so young.
She took the barrette from her hair, letting it fall around her shoulders while trying to strike a seductive pose, but she groaned at the reflection staring back at her. There was a time while Barry was alive when she did feel pretty and sexy. Now that she was alone, she just looked and felt tired. Maybe Sarah was right with her drawing. Perhaps she did resemble her grandma Anne.
As the dark clouds opened and raindrops started pelting her windshield, Candice fixed her mirror and cranked the car. There was no reason to brood over it. She’d told him no, and that was the end of it. Now that she’d rejected him, he’d probably never ask her out again. She sighed. For some reason, that bothered her more than it should have.
A few minutes later, as she neared downtown Lehi, the rain was so heavy she could barely see two feet in front of her. She slowed down to a crawl and turned off the radio so she wouldn’t be distracted, but the harder the rain fell, the more panicked she became. She noticed the familiar multicolored glow from the sign outside Rudy’s Soda Shop and Sundries, and she pulled into the parking lot in front of the store, deciding it would be best to sit and wait out the storm than to try and drive the remaining eight miles to her house.
She turned off the ignition and called Whitney to let her know she’d be late getting home again, and a new wave of guilt washed over her when she thought about how often she’d made the same phone call over the past few weeks. Whitney assured her repeatedly that she didn’t mind, but Candice still felt horrible over it because it was her own fault.
Besides the one afternoon Aaron had asked her to stay late, the other times were caused by her incessant daydreaming during the day and not finishing her work on time. She tried to leave her worries at home, but lately, they’d been tagging along with her to work. She caught herself stressing over things like Sarah growing up without a father and the conversation she’d had with Whitney about moving on with her life. Her heart pounded, and her hands trembled, and she literally had to make herself stop obsessing over it so she could get her job done.
Candice glanced at Mr. Rudy’s store, and during a brief lull in the rain, she spied the elderly man standing behind one of his glass display counters, sorting through the various cookies he had for sale. As her mouth watered and her stomach grumbled, she grabbed an umbrella from the back seat and hooked her purse over her arm. If she was going to wait out the storm, then she’d rather do it in the comfort of Mr. Rudy’s store than sitting behind her steering wheel. Besides, the cookies were inside.
Candice opened her door and popped open her umbrella. The wind was stronger than she expected, but she managed to get from the car to the store without getting completely soaked. She stood under the awning above the doorway and shook out the water from her umbrella before walking inside, where she placed it in a corner near the door to keep from tracking water through the store. She wiped her feet on the bright yellow rug inside the doorway and waved to Rudy, who looked up from his cookies and gave her a great big smile.
“Candice! How are you, hon? That crazy storm just blew up here out of nowhere, didn’t it?”
He followed his question with one of his belly laughs that resounded throughout the small store, which was currently empty. Mr. Rudy knew and loved everyone in Lehi, and the feeling was mutual. He’d known Candice since she was born, and he’d watched her grow through the years and was a constant figure in her life. His store was the oldest one on the block and one of her favorites for as long as she could remember.
“Yes, sir! It sure did,” she answered. “I had to pull over because I could barely see to drive, but at least I get to ride out the storm in good company.”
He walked around the counter and gave her a hug. “Isn’t that the truth? Here, let me get you some chocolate chip cookies. They’re fresh from the oven.”
She smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time. Mr. Rudy knew those were her favorite kind, and as she watched him slide the tray of cookies from behind the counter and put three of them inside a small brown bag, her gaze widened in anticipation. She bought a soda, and they talked a few more minutes before a couple entered the store and Candice made her way to the booth in the farthest corner of the store by the window to wait out the storm.
She took a cookie from the bag and sighed contentedly when the warm chocolate chip morsels melted in her mouth. She knew without a doubt that if happiness could be bottled up and sold, it would look just like one of Mr. Rudy’s cookies. The storm continued to rage outside, and as she sat there and listened to the thunder roll and watched the raindrops slide down the window, her thoughts turned to David—again.
Her heart thumped a little faster when she remembered how he took charge and called the owner of Dover Inn for a reservation. His deep voice commanded attention, and his demanding presence never ceased to make her weak in the knees. She couldn’t deny she was attracted to him, but she still couldn’t fathom what possessed him to ask her out.
Candice took her cell phone from her purse and dialed her mom’s number. She needed someone to talk to. She loved Whitney and valued her advice, but she also knew how desperate Whitney was to see Candice dating again. If he wasn’t married, she probably wouldn’t think twice about setting her up with Mr. Rudy.
She needed an objective opinion, and her mom was the best person to go to for that. She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
Candice leaned back against the seat and got comfortable. “Hey, Mom!
How are you?”
She took a small sip of her soda while her mom let out a muffled gasp as if she was shocked Candice was calling. But then again, it had been a couple of weeks since their last conversation.
“Hey, sweetie! I was just fixing to call and check on you. I saw on the weather station that you’re under a severe thunderstorm warning. Are you and Sarah okay?”
She shook her head and smiled. Her mother could relay the weather better than any meteorologist on TV, and she was a huge worrywart anytime there was bad weather in the area. “We’re doing fine, Mom. I was on my way home from work when it hit, and I had to stop at Mr. Rudy’s store to wait it out because I couldn’t see to drive. I called and checked on Whitney and Sarah, and they’re okay.”
She heard her mom’s sigh of relief.
“Good. That’s good. It’s still storming here too. I tried to get your brother to the basement, but he wouldn’t budge. You know he won’t go down there unless there’s a tornado right on top of us.”
She laughed when she said it, but Candice knew it was the honest truth. Her younger brother, Sam, hated missing his favorite TV shows, and he wouldn’t move from the sofa until they were over unless it was absolutely necessary.
“So, what’s going on with you today?” her mom asked. “Your voice sounds different. Everything okay?”
Leave it to her mom to know instantly if something was wrong just by the tone of her voice. “Something strange happened to me today. A man I work with asked me out on a date.”
There was a slight pause before her mom replied. “I don’t understand. Why is that strange?”
She sounded genuinely perplexed.
“He’s a good-looking, successful businessman, and he could have his pick of numerous other women, but he asked me. That doesn’t sound odd to you?”
She could tell her mother changed rooms because there was another pause and then Candice couldn’t hear the noise from the television set in the background.
“Actually, that doesn’t sound weird to me at all. You’re a beautiful, kind, compassionate woman, and successful in your own right. You’re also an amazing mother, and I think it’s wonderful. Tell me more about him.”
Candice’s heart pitter-pattered when an image of David drifted through her mind. “I haven’t talked to him much, so I don’t have a lot to tell you. His name is David Maxwell. He was hired as our new construction manager three weeks ago. He’s about my age, and he moved here from Texas. He’s tall, and he has brown hair and blue eyes and a little stubble on his face. As far as I know, he doesn’t have children and has never been married.”
Candice grew quiet, and she could hear her mom’s soft laughter. “He sounds like a great catch. When is your date?”
Her question brought Candice back to reality, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, wishing she could block out what happened in her office that afternoon. “I told him I couldn’t go.”
Her mom expelled a long, weary-sounding sigh, which signaled her obvious disappointment. “Candice, why would you do that?”
She looked outside at the pouring rain and tried to gather her words before speaking, but her emotions were all over the place and hard to explain. “Because he doesn’t know I’m a widow or that I have a child. When he finds out, he’ll probably lose interest in me, so I don’t want to get my hopes up. But that’s not the only reason I turned him down. I thought I was ready to start dating again, but when he asked me today, I was overcome with so much guilt. Is a year long enough to grieve, Mom?”
The corners of Candice’s eyes welled with tears, and she quickly wiped them away before Mr. Rudy noticed.
“Honey, I don’t think grieving comes with a designated time frame. I believe it’s different for every person because we all grieve in our own way and in our own time. It’s been three years since your father died, and I’m still trying to move on, but it’s hard when you spent half of your life with someone. But Candice, you have so much love to give, and you shouldn’t feel guilty over being attracted to someone new. This is the first time I’ve heard you talk about another man since Barry passed away, and I would think that’s a sign you’re ready to move forward, but only you can decide that.”
What she said made sense. “I know you’re right, but I have someone else to consider in all of this too. I hate to bring another man into Sarah’s life and have it not work out between us. What if she likes him, but we end up having nothing in common? It would break her heart, and she’s already been through so much.”
Mr. Rudy brought her a refill on her soda, and she mouthed a “thank you” before he smiled and returned to the food counter.
“Candice, if you and David start dating, that doesn’t mean you have to introduce him to Sarah on your first date. Give it time. Go on a few dates first and see if the chemistry is there before you make that call. I have a feeling she’ll understand you not wanting to rush this along, but either way, you need to be upfront and honest with David about Sarah and Barry before this goes any further.”
She was quiet for a moment, contemplating what her mom said and taking each word to heart.
“I loved Barry like a son, and I miss him terribly,” her mom continued. “But I believe he would want you to be happy, just like the rest of us do. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and if you feel like you’re ready to get back out there and start dating again, then I’m behind you one-hundred percent. I’m sure I speak for your brothers and Whitney too. They may not say it often, but they worry about you.”
They talked a little while longer as Candice waited out the rain and the storm clouds finally passed. Having her family’s blessing meant the world to her, so to have her mom and Whitney speak so highly of her dating again lifted a huge burden she’d carried on her shoulders for far too long.
They said their goodbyes, and Candice put the phone and bag of cookies inside her purse before standing and carrying her empty glass to Mr. Rudy, so he wouldn’t have to clean up her table.
“Well, look at that,” he said. “The sun is finally shining again.”
Candice turned and looked out the window as the bright beams of sunlight danced on the glass, and a big smile spread across her face. “Yes, Mr. Rudy, it certainly is.”
Chapter 7
David
The following Monday morning, David stepped out of Henning’s Home Brew coffee shop in Lehi with six steaming cups of java and a plan up his sleeve. As he put on his sunglasses and walked to his truck, his steps felt a little lighter. Even the barista behind the counter, who he’d come to know on a first-name basis after his many trips to the shop, made a comment about him being more chipper than usual.
He couldn’t help it. He’d thought about Candice all weekend, and he decided the best excuse he could use to get inside her office first thing that morning was with a cup of coffee. He was determined to speak to her—and often—and he was going to do whatever it took to be there every time she turned around. He figured she would either get really tired of it and tell him to hit the road for good or she would admire his persistence and decide to go on a date with him.
He settled the cardboard carrier full of drinks on the passenger seat of his truck, and when he jumped inside, roared the engine to life, and drove to work, he chose not to dwell on conversation starters and just go with the flow. It was easier and far less intimidating that way, and he wanted Candice to feel at ease around him and not feel like she was talking to someone with a rehearsed speech.
He pulled into the lot at work and parked his vehicle, and his heart beat double-time when he saw Candice’s car just a couple of spaces down from his. David carefully removed the cup carrier from the passenger side and started for the entrance. Before knocking on her office door, he looked around to make sure no one was watching and straightened his tie and ran a hand through his hair and beard to flatten any stray strands. One last deep breath and he was knocking on Candice’s office door. When she called for him to enter, he slowly opened it and stepped in
side, being extra careful not to spill anything.
“Good morning,” he said. “I was in Henning’s a little while ago, and I thought you might like some coffee.”
Candice stood as soon as he entered the room, and he nearly tripped over his own two feet when he saw her. She had on a navy-blue dress that hugged her curves, and she wore her hair down this time. It flowed in soft waves over her shoulders and around her neck, and David was momentarily tongue-tied. She gave him a bashful smile, but when he went to remove one of the cups from the carrier, she held out a hand to stop him.
“That is so sweet of you, David. I appreciate the thought, but I don’t drink coffee. I’m so sorry.”
He felt his face redden with embarrassment, but he shrugged it off. He could tell she truly felt bad for him, and so he kept his smile and acted casual. “It’s no problem. I’ll take it to the shop and give it to Braxton. That man drinks so much coffee, I’d be shocked if it didn’t run through his veins.”
His comment made her laugh, but he still didn’t detect anything in her demeanor that might insinuate she was the least bit interested in him. She fidgeted with the papers in her hand like she was anxious for him to leave, and she rarely made eye contact.
Feeling dejected, David turned to go so he wouldn’t make an even bigger fool out of himself. She thanked him again and he wished her a good day before making a hasty retreat. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he took off in the direction of the back door that would take him to the shop behind the main building.
As he walked through the corridors at MBC, he forced a smile when he met his coworkers. Two of them stopped him to ask a couple of questions about a construction project they were working on, and David tried not to let his solemn mood spill over into his work. He was normally a very upbeat and positive person, but his relationship with Candice, if you could even call it that, was starting to drag him down. There were times when he thought he detected a glimmer of interest on her part, but more often than not, he had no clue what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.
Knee Deep in Love: A Sweet Traveling Romance Novel (All Roads Lead to Love Book 1) Page 4