Where the Heart May Lead: A Clean Romance (Harlequin LP Heartwarming)

by Elizabeth Mowers

  Flo paused and tapped her foot. She angled her head back at him as if waiting for permission to finally leave. Paige figured it was safe to say that Flo wasn’t in the habit of winning employee-of-the-month awards for good customer service.

  “I’m not aware of any discounts,” she said. “It’s a wonder this place hasn’t gone belly-up with them raising rent downtown...” Flo drifted off muttering barely audible words as Charlie hung his head.

  “I don’t know anything about that,” he said. “I only just moved here from North Carolina.” He turned and shuffled back to Paige, a mopey look hanging off his face.

  “I didn’t think I was hungry until now,” Paige said, tugging on the front of his shirt. “But as I have a free dinner coming—”

  “You know,” Flo called. They both startled and turned. “My manager mentioned in a staff meeting this morning that we’re giving out coupons for the Welcome Committee.”

  “Welcome Committee?” Paige said.

  “Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. They send you coupons to local businesses if you move to town.”

  Charlie’s face brightened. “Please go on, Flo, because I have a feeling you’re about to become my new best friend.”

  Flo’s scowl faded slightly.

  “Let me check behind the register. They may not have sent them out to the Welcome Committee yet.”

  “Flo, that would be amazing. You’re really helping me out here.”

  “It has to be fifty percent,” Paige reminded him in a hushed voice, “or it doesn’t count.”

  “Shh,” he said as Flo hunched down behind the cash register and came up with a canary yellow coupon slip.

  “It’s for fifty percent off your first purchase of ten dollars or more. You qualify. Would you like to use it today?”

  Charlie slapped the counter before taking the coupon.

  “Flo!” he said. “You came through for me. I think I am really going to like Roseley after all.”

  “If you just moved to Roseley,” Paige said, “where did you find the vintage Roseley T-shirt you’re wearing?” She innocently looked up at him as Flo considered her words. Charlie’s mouth drew into a straight line, but Flo didn’t seem to care. She shrugged as Charlie slipped around the counter and wrapped an arm around Flo.

  “Do you want to hug me, sir, or do you want me to ring up your order?”

  “I want both, Flo. You may not understand it now, and I can’t really explain it to you, but you may have just saved a life today. You, Flo, are a lifesaver.”

  Paige watched in shock as the grumpy cat of fabric store employees managed a half smile.

  “You’re right, sir. I don’t understand.”

  “And you never will, Flo, but I appreciate you more than you know.”

  After Charlie paid for the order, Flo clicked her tongue. “I can’t say anyone has ever called me a lifesaver before. Glad I could help.” She hustled off to what appeared to be the break room without looking back. Charlie pushed out into the sunshine and waited patiently on the sidewalk as Paige slunk out behind him.

  “Flo’s words really humbled me,” he said. “Should you consider that a win-win?”

  “I thought you were going to get a discount by charming someone in there. Not flat-out asking for a coupon.”

  “Did you see Flo? I charmed the socks off her.”

  Paige groaned. “Are you really going to hold me to this?”

  “Cheer up, Freckles. You look cute in that helmet.”

  “It’s so uncomfortable.”

  “I’ll tell you what. I’ll still take you to dinner. It’s a really classy joint, and my favorite ten-year-old is the hostess.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHARLIE LED PAIGE through the front door of his sister’s house in one fell swoop.

  “You don’t knock first?” Paige said, lingering in the doorway. Charlie raised an eyebrow.

  “That’s right. You don’t have siblings. Trust me, this is normal.”

  It was another piece of the Paige Cartman puzzle he was slowly able to place. She’d had a rocky childhood with a mom who was an addict. No siblings. No father. Grandma died when she was fourteen. She had somehow managed to make it to adulthood relatively unscathed and a kind, sweet person. She was highly creative and helpful. After all, she’d offered to sew Lucy’s costume after only just meeting her. She was sporty and pretty and whenever she blinked those sparkling emeralds up at him, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

  “We need propane,” Mara said, bustling out of the kitchen. “Peter used it up last weekend and didn’t replace it, of course. Charlie, would you? Hi, Paige. Welcome to the crazy. Charlie, seriously, would you?”

  He turned to Paige as Mara chased Leapsters off the kitchen table.

  “I can get propane and be back in ten minutes. Do you want to hang out here and maybe...” He lowered his voice and winced at the kitchen. The clamor of pans tumbling out of the cabinet made Paige cover her mouth in a laugh. “Help Mara?”

  “Sure thing.”

  He gave her an appreciative nod and strode to his truck. She was nice. He loved nice.

  “Leaving already?” Tully called from the curb as he crawled his truck up alongside it.

  “You’re driving me to get propane.” Charlie hopped in the front seat. “She has me walking on air, man.”

  Tully punched the gas in response, fishtailing down the residential street.

  “I can tell, brother. You’re in all kinds of trouble.”

  “I never thought I’d feel this way so soon after Crystal, but the more time I spend with her, the more I think she might be the one.”

  “The one? Charlie, you only met her a couple days ago.”

  “Just because you don’t want to get married and avoid the subject like the plague—”

  “It’s not about whether or not I want to. I’m just not cut out for it. I’ve seen the ugly underbelly of what happens when marriage goes wrong.”

  Charlie bit his tongue. Tully hadn’t had the easiest childhood where his parents were concerned, but that didn’t mean all marriages ended brutally.

  “Maybe if you met the right woman...”

  Tully shrugged. “How do you know once you’ve found her? Wasn’t there a time when you thought Crystal was the right woman?”

  “That’s what has me so crazy,” Charlie said, looking out the window. “It took me two years to propose to Crystal. Meanwhile, I’m already imagining marrying Paige.”

  “Subconsciously you knew marrying Crystal was a mistake. If it took you two years to talk yourself into it.”

  “Wow. Don’t soften what you’re thinking on my account.”

  “Am I wrong?” Tully pulled up to a red light and shot his friend a discerning glance.

  “Two years is an appropriate amount of time to wait before getting engaged.” Tully furrowed his brow. “Okay, I knew on some level that marrying Crystal was a huge mistake, even if I couldn’t put my finger on why back then. I dodged a bullet.”

  “But not until the damage was done.”

  Charlie couldn’t help but remember the damage. He’d returned to his office late one night and overheard his best friend and business partner, Benny, speaking sweetly to someone. When he’d pushed open the cracked office door and discovered Crystal there too, he had immediately broken out into a cold, sick sweat. The truth was, there was nothing happening in the room that would suggest Benny and Crystal were engaged in something romantic. They weren’t kissing or touching or even standing too close to one another. It should have appeared innocent since he and Benny and Crystal were all business partners. Each had legitimate reasons for being at the office late at night. Another person, a stranger wandering in, would see nothing amiss.

  But in that instant, Charlie had known better. It had been something in Benny’s voice that had given h
im away. And the blaze in Crystal’s eyes as she listened to him was something Charlie had never seen when she looked at him. When Benny and Crystal had turned to see Charlie standing in the doorway, the expressions on their faces had confirmed his suspicions. Crystal’s look of guilt had been faster than a flash in the pan before she had hurried to hug him, but he had seen it and he had known, instinctively.

  The night he had confronted her, she hadn’t been able to muster a response quickly enough. She’d been fooling around with Benny since before they had bought the tour guide company. She had agreed to marry Charlie because Benny hadn’t moved quickly enough to propose himself. And, Charlie surmised, neither she nor Benny would have stopped their affair after the wedding. They’d both been making a fool of him for a long time and the fact that they had both been his best friends...

  “I couldn’t tell she was hiding the truth until...”

  “Until she shot two bullets straight to the chest,” Tully finished for him.

  Charlie heaved a sigh and hung an arm out the window. That was certainly how it had felt.

  “Uh-huh. Until it was too late.”

  “Too late would have been after you had said ‘I do.’ But I get your meaning.”

  “Benny should have had my back. He should have told me if things with Crystal felt off, but you know how that turned out.” As Tully swung into a parking spot in front of the store, Charlie faced him, his expression serious. “I don’t trust myself, Tully. Not anymore.”

  “Then take it slow. There’s no need to rush into anything with Paige.” Charlie knew Tully was right, but he felt no control over his senses anymore. If Paige was no good for him, he knew he wouldn’t see it until it was too late again.

  “I need someone to watch my blind side, because I feel like my heart is on a runaway train.”

  “It’s one of your most endearing qualities but...”

  “A giant fault too?”

  “It can be, if you’re not thinking straight.”

  “You need to be my wingman, Tully. Tell me if you sense anything is off about Paige.” Tully smacked Charlie lovingly on the shoulder and gave him a gentle shake.

  “A true wingman never needs to be asked, buddy. I’m already way ahead of you.”

  * * *

  CHARLIE TWISTED ON the new propane tank.

  “What are we grilling?” he asked.

  Mara placed a plate of marinated steak and vegetable shish kebabs beside the grill.

  “I hope you like shish kebabs, Paige. Lucy was helping me spear these before you arrived.”

  “We just ate them at Holy Smokes,” Charlie said, causing Mara’s face to contort. His eyes widened, realizing the mistake he’d made. “And Paige loves them. She said they’re one of her favorites.”

  “Really?” Mara squawked as Paige nodded enthusiastically from the porch bench.

  “I could eat them every day,” she lied. She let her eyes wander to Lucy, who swayed back and forth with Leapsters, whispering sweet things into the cat’s ear.

  “What’s wrong with Leapsters?”

  “The vet had to pull a cracked tooth.”

  “Will he be able to eat now?”

  Lucy nodded. “He’ll be fine. That’s why you always get your checkups.”

  “That’s why I take you for your yearly checkup too, you know,” Mara said, lifting a parental eyebrow at Lucy.

  “But, Mom,” Lucy said. “It’s the flu shot I don’t like, not the checkups.” The little girl turned her attention to Paige. “Did your mom make you get a flu shot every year?”

  Paige shook her head. She couldn’t remember Trudy ever taking her to the doctor. Her first year of living solely with her mother, she remembered coming down with the flu and dialing Aunt Joan, who lived four states away. Joan was ecstatic to hear from her, and desperately wanted to know where she was so she could come get her. But Trudy had overheard the conversation and disconnected the line before flying into a rage. She’d brought Paige a Coca-Cola and some orange juice later that day to make peace, but that had been the full extent of her maternal instinct or bedside manner.

  “The flu shot wasn’t popular when I was a kid.”

  “Lucky you,” Lucy said as Leapsters sprung from her arms and darted into the house.

  “I can see why you call him Leapsters,” Paige said with a smile as Charlie handed her a sweet tea.

  “They should call him Doctor Destruction with the mischief he gets into,” Charlie said. “You can’t train him to leave anything alone.”

  “Do you have any pets, Paige?” Lucy asked.

  “Nope. Just me.”

  “She probably doesn’t have much time for a pet, she helps take care of her uncle.” Charlie had no sooner said the words than he tilted his head at her as a pseudoapology. She appreciated it as Uncle Craig wasn’t really a topic she enjoyed discussing with others.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Lucy asked.

  “He has late-stage pancreatic cancer.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Lucy said, touching her gently on the shoulder. Paige rested her hand on top of Lucy’s and smiled warmly at her.

  “Thanks.”

  “Paige,” Tully said. “With your uncle sick, how long will you stay in Roseley?” She could sense Charlie shooting him a look as she grappled with a reply.

  “I’m not sure. I was really only passing through for a couple days to write and clear my mind.”

  “I can imagine,” Tully said. “Being a caregiver is the hardest job there is. It’s wise to get away for a few days if you can manage it. But how did you end up out here? It’s a far sprint from Ohio.”

  Paige nodded and brought her tea to her lips to buy herself a moment. She normally didn’t allow herself to be drawn into social settings where people could ask her questions. Even the most harmless of settings could lead to twenty questions, such as this.

  “I met with a client in Chicago last week, and he suggested I pass through Roseley.”

  “Really,” said Tully. “How come?”

  “Uh...he used to own a place on the lake.”

  “Which pier?” Tully asked. “I know almost everyone. I’m a second-generation Roseley bumpkin and proud of it.”

  Paige plastered on an interested smile and raced to change the subject. “Why on earth would you call yourself a bumpkin? You’re anything but, Tully.”

  “Thank you, kindly. What was the fellow’s name?”

  “Who? My business client?”

  “Whoever owned a place on the lake. You say he’s in Chicago now? What does he do?”

  Paige took another sip of tea. “He was trying to start up a small engineering firm, but after our meeting he sounded like he was close to throwing in the towel.”

  “And his name?” Tully’s face was relaxed and pleasant as if he had just asked Paige if she’d like a bit more tea. “You must remember it.”

  “Palmer,” she spit out. “But it was his wife’s family that owned a place up here, and I don’t think he ever mentioned their name.”

  “I don’t know anyone who married a Palmer,” Mara said, sprinkling seasoning on the shish kebabs. “But this lake is huge. If you knew them, Tully, I’d really be impressed.”

  “Shoot. It was my one chance to impress you, Mara,” he said. He gave a low chuckle as Paige allowed herself to ease back onto her seat just a hair. But relaxing was premature. “Are you originally from Ohio, Paige?”

  “Originally?” she sputtered. Mara was so frazzled most of the time and engrossed in her own troubles, she wouldn’t be one to ask too many prying questions, and Charlie seemed to sense she didn’t want to talk much about herself. But Tully, with his easy demeanor and smiling eyes, was landing one question after another and making her inwardly squirm. “I mean...yes... Ohio.”

  “Whereabouts?”

  “When it comes
to Ohio, it all looks about the same,” Paige forced, rolling her eyes.

  “Nah, you’ve got that confused with the entire Midwest,” Tully said, accepting a tea from Mara. “East or west?”

  “Up toward Cleveland,” Paige admitted. She needed to tell as few lies as possible to keep her story straight.

  “What are your plans after you hang around here, Paige?” Mara said.

  She laughed uncomfortably. “Who knows. I’m not in a rush to figure it out. Why?”

  Mara stole a glance at Charlie. “Just curious.”

  “You two make a pair,” Tully said, thumbing toward Charlie. “He doesn’t have any idea what he’s going to do next either. Only time will tell what he figures out.”

  “What is there to figure out?” Mara said sternly. “Don’t bail on me, Charlie. You just started working at the shop.”

  “He can’t do that forever,” Tully interjected.

  “Why not? He always wanted a family business, and this is a family business.”

  “But it’s not his family business. He doesn’t want to sell fishing poles the rest of his life.”

  Mara let out an exaggerated groan. “Then what’s he going to do with his plane, Tully? It’s an eyesore. He can’t tour up here like he could in the Carolinas.”

  “He’s more at home on that plane than in any other business.”

  “Wait a minute,” Paige said turning to Charlie. “You own a plane?” Charlie nodded and took a swig of iced tea, unfazed by the verbal jabs Tully and Mara were trading back and forth, discussing his future. “I saw it on the water outside the shop the other day. You gave tours from your plane?” Charlie nodded proudly.

  “What on earth are you going to do with an amphibian plane out here?” Mara said, shaking her head. “At least in North Carolina you could fly it year-round, but nobody is going to want to go for a ride when it’s ten degrees in the winter.”

  “I haven’t gotten that far,” Charlie said. “But I’m not selling it, Mara.”

  “Just keep paying the insurance on it then. Drain your savings...”

  “Gosh, sis, you’re in a fun mood tonight.” He moseyed up behind her, wrapped an arm around her neck and planted a kiss on the crown of her head. Mara let out a raspy sigh and held up her hands in defeat.