Trails of Love

by Melissa Foster

  “What a great name,” Morgyn said as Graham reached for her hand.

  “Not as great as Morgyn. Where do you want to start?”

  “Right here,” she said. “We’ll work our way back.”

  They walked through the store admiring everything Magnolia had to offer.

  “Does this remind you of your store?” Graham asked.

  “Sort of, because of the variety she sells. Thrift shops are precursors to my shop. I find a lot of the things I sell in my shop in places like this, and then I put my own twist on them.”

  “So you don’t sell anything that you haven’t embellished?”

  “I don’t just embellish. I tear apart clothing and make it into something completely new. A dress might become a top, or I might turn a scarf into a skirt. I also make jewelry from scratch using different parts.” She spotted toy trains and gasped, heading for them. “Like these!”

  “That one’s cracked.” He looked at the others and said, “That one’s missing a wheel. Are they all broken?”

  As he surveyed the trains she chose two of them. “I’ll buy these two and use the parts for jewelry or on clothing or bags. I scavenge,” she whispered. “I want to look through the clothing.”

  “Here, give me the trains,” he said, taking them from her. “I’ll check out the guy stuff.”

  She watched him disappear behind the curtain, feeling like they’d been shopping together for years. She found him sometime later at the register with Magnolia. He was admiring a brass piece of equipment with a wide, dark base, upon which was a flat semicircular brass piece with decorative swirls and an inlaid compass. A flat brass bar was secured at the center and divided the semicircle. Standing upright from each end of the semicircle and each end of the brass bar were vertical pieces of metal with two slots in them.

  “What is that?” she asked. “It’s so elegant.”

  “It’s a 1750s graphometer, a surveying instrument used to measure angles. My father collects them. This one’s in perfect shape. I think he would love it.” He pointed to the upright pieces of brass attached to the semicircle. “These are the sights. They’re fixed at either end, and a pivot carries the sighting rule across the divided semicircle. See?” He moved the sighting rule.

  “It’s a great piece,” Magnolia said. “I didn’t know what it was when the woman who owned it brought it in, but I knew it was special. It’s amazing what you can learn online. Now I’m practically an expert in all types of graphometers. Not that I’ll ever find another beauty like this one.”

  “It’s gorgeous. Can you ship it for me?” Graham asked.

  “I can wrap it, ship it, embellish it, whatever you’d like.” Magnolia grabbed a piece of paper and said, “Just write down the address.”

  He wrote down his father’s address and asked for a piece of paper and proceeded to write a note to his father. “I bought your trains, too.”

  “You did?” Morgyn was surprised, and touched. “Thank you. I would have bought them.”

  Graham blew her a kiss.

  “Your man is pretty sweet,” Magnolia said with a smile.

  Morgyn’s pulse quickened at your man. She wasn’t sure if it was okay to claim him like that, so she waited a few seconds before answering to see if he cleared things up. But his heated glance was all the confirmation she needed. “He sure is.”

  “He said you were at the festival,” Magnolia said. “Isn’t it great? I went for a while yesterday. It’s such a fun event.”

  “I try to go every year, but I’ve never taken the time to check out the town. Your shop is great. I run a similar business in Oak Falls called Life Reimagined.”

  “Really? You should join our cross-country Junk in the Trunk event.” She handed Morgyn a flyer and said, “It’s an annual road-trip event. Last year we had fifty-seven shops take part, and we saw more than five hundred customers the first day. Buyers drive from one shop to the next, and at each location they get something for free, like a flag, a key chain, a button…But most of the customers come with trailers or trucks, expecting to buy things. It’s a great event.”

  Graham smiled at Morgyn and said, “That sounds like an event you and I could have a blast following.”

  Morgyn thought her heart might leap out of her chest at the suggestion. “I would love to do that.”

  She and Magnolia exchanged contact information, and Magnolia told them how to sign up online for the event. Morgyn tried not to put too much stock in Graham actually meaning that he might like to do the event with her, but it was hard not to fantasize about it.

  When they left the store, Graham reached into the bag and said, “I made you something.” He withdrew an ultrathin turquoise, gold, and white braided bracelet with three tiny silver charms.

  “You made this?”

  “Remember the do-it-yourself area she had at the counter? While you were busy shopping, I put it together.” He showed her each charm. “A compass, so you never lose your way. A heart, because we’re in Romance, Virginia, and a sun, because it’s you, sunshine.”

  Other than her father and her grandfather, no man had ever made her anything. Her throat clogged with emotions, and she threw her arms around his neck. “I love it so much. Thank you.”

  As he put it on her wrist, looking at her like she made him the happiest man in the world, she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

  “I hope you never forget today. I know I won’t.” He pressed his lips to hers and said, “Come on, beautiful. You might be able to live on air, but I need sustenance.”

  They bought sandwiches from a cute café called Birdie’s and ate them as they walked around the town square. The square was picture perfect with brick pavers surrounding an enormous fountain. In the center of the fountain was a statue of a man and a woman dancing. The woman was sculpted midtwirl, her dress lifting at the hem, and the man was gazing happily into her eyes. Morgyn glanced down at the special bracelet on her wrist, feeling like today was something out of a dream. She watched Graham, gathering the trash from their lunch. He smiled, looking rugged and tender at once.

  If today was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

  After they ate, they walked around the square, which was surrounded by interesting old brick and stone buildings with decorative elements carved into the stone. Across the street was a beautiful park with a gazebo, wooden benches, and colorful gardens along walking paths. Graham’s gaze lingered on one of the old buildings, and she wondered if that was his engineering side taking over, assessing and meticulously figuring things out, or if, like her, he was just soaking in the beauty of the town.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and said, “I’m not the kind of person who holds a guy like this or takes off from a festival where my siblings are playing. So why does it feel so right to be here, holding you and wishing it was snowing so I could experience the hope of the holidays with you in this pretty little town?” The words poured out, and she was unable to stop them. “How can that be when we’ve only just met?”

  “I was wondering that, too, but for the first time in my life, I don’t want to overthink. I just want to go with it and see where it leads. You must be wearing off on me.” He pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. “What do you think, sunshine?” he asked as they walked toward the fountain. “Are you up for a wish?” He pulled a handful of change from his pocket.

  “Do you really need to ask?” Morgyn snagged a penny. “Are you going to make one?”

  “Yes, but I’m using a quarter so it has a higher chance of coming true.”

  She looked over the remaining change in his hand and then scooped it all into her palm. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

  He laughed. “Nothing like increasing your odds. You go first.”

  Ever since she was a little girl, she’d wished for things for others on her birthdays because she worried that too much wishing for herself would be greedy and nothing would ever come true. They were little-girl wishes for Amber to be cured of epilepsy and for
Pepper to win the science fair. As she matured, her wishes were practical, though still for the benefit of others, like that Axsel would be safe traveling all over the world with his band and that Grace would find her way back home. So far those wishes had come true. Axsel was safe, and Grace had recently moved back home. But today she wanted to be selfish. Maybe all those years of wishing for others would pay off.

  She closed her eyes tight and held her breath as she made her wish. I wish this day would last forever. When she opened her eyes, she found Graham watching her intently with a knowing smile on his lips, as if he’d somehow heard her wish.

  “Make your wish and we’ll throw our coins in together,” she said.

  “I already wished while you were making yours.” He took her hand and said, “Let’s do it together and make it count. One—”

  “Two,” they said in unison. “Three!” They threw their change into the air, and Graham swept her into his arms and kissed her deeply, serenaded by several tiny splashes.

  The rest of the afternoon passed in a whirlwind of stolen kisses, fun conversations, and interesting little shops. When the sun began its slow descent from the clear blue sky, a cold knot began forming in Morgyn’s stomach. She knew they had to go back to the festival and then she had to leave. Grace’s rehearsal dinner was tonight, and tomorrow was the wedding. Sable and Axsel had planned to leave early today, and they’d texted her to make sure she was safe and would make it home in time for dinner. They’d be gone by the time she and Graham got back to the festival. She didn’t want her day with Graham to end because despite wishes and heat-of-the moment words, she knew the likelihood was that this was all they’d ever have, and the last thing she needed was to pine for a man whose life was so far away from hers.

  As they headed back the way they’d come, she felt his energy change, too. Without a word about the heaviness bearing down on them, they bought a sundae from Scoops and sat in the gazebo in the park while they shared it.

  Graham kept her close, his eyes reflecting the same sadness she felt as they reluctantly gave in to the ending of their blissful, romantic afternoon and began their hike back to the festival. They didn’t talk much on the way, but they didn’t have to. The way he held on to her, the kisses he gave her, and the way he slowed every so often just to touch her face or gaze into her eyes spoke louder than words ever could.

  By the time they reached the festival, the sea of tents had become an expanse of crushed grass and mud, as many festivalgoers were already gone, and the rest were leaving in droves. The place was emptying out, and as they headed to Graham’s truck to gather her things, that’s how Morgyn felt—like she was about to be empty, too.

  After getting her belongings together, Graham helped her take down her canopy and pack her van. With every glance, touch, and kiss, she tried to silence the voice in her head that wanted to ask all the unanswered questions—Can we stay in touch? Will I ever see you again? How can our time be over?

  “I’m buying you a proper tent,” he said as he set the broken poles in her van and closed the doors.

  “I don’t want a proper tent.” She draped her arms around his neck and rested her face on his chest. I want you.

  He kissed her forehead, holding her so tight she knew he was struggling, too. He pressed his hands to her cheeks, tilting her face up to his, and the knot in her stomach invaded her chest, making it hard to breathe. His dimples appeared, but the anguish in his eyes overshadowed them.

  He touched his forehead to hers and said, “How did you change my world in a little more than twenty-four hours?”

  Tears welled in her eyes. Unable to speak, she fought to keep her tears from falling. He thought she’d changed his world, but she knew they’d changed each other’s. She filled with a sense of despair that once she left the festival grounds, her world would never feel as full, as bright, or as happy again.

  He took off his hat and put it on her head. “I have plans I can’t break tomorrow, but I’ll find you Monday.”

  Happiness bubbled up inside her. “You’re staying in town?”

  “I am now. How can I leave us behind?”

  “I’ll give you my number—”

  “No. My girl believes in ethereal things. How many boutiques could there be called Life Reimagined? I’ll find you. I have to. You’ve got my lucky hat.”

  There was no stopping her happy tears from falling as he sealed his promise with several greedy kisses, and his words—my girl—and his promise—I’ll find you—burrowed into her heart.

  She slipped her flower chain over his head, and as she drove away, watching him disappear in the rearview mirror, she still felt Graham’s strong arms around her, his heart beating against her own, and the hope of something more.

  Chapter Six

  AFTER SPENDING SUNDAY morning and most of the afternoon with her five sisters and Sophie Roberts-Bad, Grace’s best friend and matron of honor, Morgyn had already had enough wedding to last her a lifetime—and they hadn’t even gotten to the actual wedding yet. The wedding was being held in the field behind the Majestic Theater, where Grace and her fiancé, Reed Cross, claimed their love story began back in high school. Morgyn didn’t want to know those dirty details. Reed had recently purchased the magnificent old theater. Although he planned to begin major renovations after they returned from their honeymoon, Reed had renovated the dressing room just for Grace to use before the wedding.

  Sophie’s sister, Lindsay Roberts, the wedding planner and photographer, was taking pictures as Grace wore a path in the floor in the dressing room. They had invited practically the entire town of Oak Falls and Meadowside, which made sense, since the night Reed proposed practically the whole town had been present. But it wouldn’t matter how many people showed up. There was only one person Morgyn really wanted to see, and she had no hopes of seeing him until sometime tomorrow when he found her.

  “Morg, I think you’d better look at this.” Brindle fidgeted with the neckline of their sister Amber’s dress.

  Morgyn had made the short, champagne-colored bridesmaids dresses from gowns she’d purchased off Craigslist. The original dresses had been hideous, with hoop skirts and frilly necklines and sleeves, but the color and fabric were gorgeous. She had made each dress unique, to match her sisters’ personalities.

  “Stop messing with it,” Morgyn said too impatiently as she went to them.

  Brindle held her hands up and backed away, looking stunning in her sleeveless dress, with her long blond hair cascading over her shoulders. “Sorry. What’s got your panties in a bunch?”

  “Just tired,” Morgyn said as she fixed Amber’s neckline.

  “Is it too low cut?” Amber reached nervously down to pet her service dog, Reno, a golden retriever. Amber was epileptic, and she wore a seizure-alert necklace their sister Pepper had developed when she was in graduate school. The device was now sold all over the country. It featured a button that Reno could push with his nose if Amber had a seizure, and it included an internal GPS system to alert family members and emergency services to Amber’s location. Morgyn had painted the device the same champagne color as their dresses.

  “No, and you look gorgeous,” Morgyn reassured her most reserved sister.

  Amber’s dark hair was swept over one shoulder, secured with a ribbon. A few pretty tendrils framed her face. It was the perfect hairstyle for the draped neckline.

  Morgyn pointed to Sable’s plunging neckline on her spaghetti-strap dress and said, “Her neckline is too low, but you know Sable.”

  Amber lowered her voice to just above a whisper and said, “She said there won’t be enough water to douse the flames when Chet Hudson sees her.”

  Chet was a firefighter from Meadowside, the next town over. He assessed risks the same way Graham did, and he was probably a smart man to keep his distance from Sable. Guys who went out with Sable always wanted more—more of a relationship, more hot dates, more of anything she’d give them, because Sable was that intriguing—but while Sable had a voraci
ous appetite for men, like Brindle, it would take an act of God to get her to settle down.

  “I swear, Gracie,” Sable said from across the room, “if you don’t stop pacing I’ll tie you to a chair.”

  “Now, that would be a picture worth having,” Lindsay teased.

  “I’m allowed to be nervous. It’s my wedding.” Grace pushed her long dark hair over her shoulder and continued pacing, looking gorgeous in the simple and elegant halter-style wedding gown with a lace bodice and a slit up the right side of the skirt that went above her knee. “I know I’m going to trip down the aisle, or rip my dress, or throw up on Reed when I try to say my vows.”

  “Aw, Gracie,” they said in unison.

  “You’re not going to do any such thing,” Sophie said as she took Grace’s hand and guided her to the couch. “But just in case, how about if you sit down until your mom comes to get us? Think about your honeymoon, Gracie. Ten days in Cornwall. You’ve always wanted to see the Minack Theatre, and now you get to see it with Reed. What could be more exciting than that?”

  Pepper sat beside Grace and crossed her legs. More interested in research and technology than men who couldn’t hold an intelligent conversation, Pepper had insisted on showing no cleavage. Her dress had a high lace neckline and capped sleeves, which fit her slender body perfectly. What Pepper didn’t realize was that it didn’t matter if she showed cleavage or wore a parka; she was beautiful, and her intelligence made her even more so. The truth was, Morgyn had always been a little jealous of her.

  “You won’t trip, Grace,” Pepper said. “The minute you step onto the lawn, you’re going to see Reed standing at the end of the aisle and all those butterflies will disappear. It’s a known fact that you can’t think of more than one thing at a time, and you’ll be thinking of getting to him. Afterward, you probably won’t even remember the walk down the aisle.”