The front door creaked opened and Tom turned with a smile, readying to tease Ash about leaving her keys again, when he stopped dead in his tracks.
“Hiya, Tom.”
“Hey, Caroline,” he mumbled. What else was he going to say to his ex-fiancé?
“I was going to call, but I thought you’d just try and avoid me.” She flicked her brow and tapped her fingers on her clutch.
“What are you here for?”
“I’m in town, with Matt.”
Tom nodded.
“I have something to tell you.”
Tom crossed his arms.
“Can you at least say something?”
“What do you expect me to say?”
“I don’t know.”
Tom shook his head and tightened his arms.
“Tom,” Caroline’s voice, that wispy tone she had purred in his ear far too many times to count, now came at him like pins and needles.
“I think you should leave, Caroline.”
She had a blank stare and he couldn’t help but feel bad for being so cold toward her. But she brought it on herself. It wasn’t his idea for her to leave town with Matt.
“Please, can’t we just talk?”
“I have nothing to say to you. And I don’t want to hear whatever it is you came here to say.”
“I’m sorry. I never apologized for hurting you, I didn’t mean to.”
“What did you mean to do?”
“Come on, that’s not fair.”
“Fair? We had the whole wedding planned; the invites were sent out.”
“I know. I’m the one who sent them.”
“Then why not stop it all before it got that far?” Tom sighed, leaning on the booth at his side. “Why keep pretending you loved me?”
“I did love you. You’re the one who had moved on.”
“What’s that mean?”
“You spent more time here than with me. How was I supposed to marry a bar?”
“I was here because Matt didn’t want to do any of the work. Did you ever notice that? While you two were sleeping together, I was here, elbow deep in dead fish!”
“Jesus, Tom! I wasn’t sleeping with him. I was just seeing him.”
“Oh, that makes me feel a lot better.”
“It should. It was over, but that didn’t mean I wanted to hurt you.”
“Well, you did.”
Tom passed her and went to the bar. He pulled down a short glass and filled it with whiskey. When he looked up at Caroline, he lifted the bottle to offer her a drink.
“See, always the gentleman.”
“Someone has to be.”
“Just admit it, at least to yourself if not to me. You didn’t love me towards the end.”
“Why would you think that?” He put the bottle down hard.
“Because when I said I was leaving, you looked relieved.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Yes, Tom. You were. We weren’t good together; you knew it then and you know it now. The sooner you admit it, the sooner you can move on.”
“I have moved on.”
“You’re closing down the bar on a Sunday night. I bet you sent Riley home early so you could take over the kitchen.”
She knew him too well.
“I like it here.”
“I know you do.”
“Then why are you coming back to town? Why the orchard?” Caroline’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I know about the sale.”
“My father’s backing him. It’s a smart investment.”
“And that’s all it is to you, isn’t it?”
“Look, Tom, it’s a business,” she put her hands on her hips. “Let’s be honest, the goal is to turn a profit.”
“It’s always money with you Burkes,” he shrugged a laugh.
“I don’t really care what you think, Tom. I’m just trying to find something for myself. If the orchard works out, then great. If not, I’m not going to cry about it.”
“And what about the workers? You don’t think they’ll be upset if you walk in there and start changing things?”
“I promise, that’s not the plan.”
“Your promises don’t mean anything to me.”
“Fine. Be this way. You’ll think different come spring. If the orchard is ours, I’ll come visit you for dinner sometime, and we’ll all laugh about it by then.”
“You must be crazy. You and I will never be neighbors. Even if you somehow get your hands on the orchard, I won’t be around to congratulate you. I’ll be gone.”
“You’d leave all this behind just because I came back to town?”
“Damn right.” Tom grabbed the door and gestured for Caroline to leave.
“You’re just being sour. You’d never walk away from all this.”
“And what do you know about me?”
“I know how stubborn you are. How you don’t know when to quit.”
“Was I supposed to quit on this last year? Is that what you wanted?”
“I didn’t mean that.”
Tom laughed, letting the door go as he spread out his arms to the place.
“This was all me. He came in here and tried to run the place like it was his, all from a cell phone back in his apartment—that I paid for, by the way. I’m the one who brought life to this old bar. Not him.”
“I know that.”
“Then how do you expect him to run an orchard that sustains a quarter of this town’s income?”
“He’s learned.”
“Learned from what? He burned me twice, and now he’ll do the same to your dad.”
“It’s different this time. Trust me.”
God, if she wasn’t trying hard. She was playing nice, talking soft, keeping her distance as though she knew he wanted her far away.
“Caroline, please just leave.” Again, Tom grabbed the handle and pointed her out. “If it’s one thing you do well, it’s walking out on me.”
Caroline drew in a long breath then sighed. He half expected her to walk up and hit him, but she wasn’t angry like she’d been in the past, back before she left.
“You’ll see soon enough. We don’t have to hate each other. You mean more to me than that; you were my friend first. Don’t you remember?”
“I’m trying to forget.” Tom mumbled. Caroline had a tender smile now, and it hurt just a little to see it fade. Tom waited for her to walk out, letting the door close slow behind. Then he went to the bar to finish his drink.
Caroline didn’t really deserve his being so rude to her, but he just couldn’t let go of how things fell apart. She was right about a lot of things. Caroline always saw things straight and clear, even when things got fuzzy. At the end of their relationship, everything was fuzzy. He had spent all his time at the bar, and it wasn’t just because Matt didn’t pull his weight. Tom didn’t want to go home to Caroline because he’d have to face her sitting there alone. They didn’t kiss each other goodbye anymore, they didn’t talk about how their days went. They were already living separate lives.
If he was going to agree with her on that, he’d have to agree with everything. They were friends first, and good friends at that. He’d known her since Pine Valley, back before his grandma got sick and spent three months in the hospital. The whole time, Caroline was at his side, giving him support until his grandma recovered. It wasn’t until a few months later that they began dating.
The door swung open and in came Jacob.
“I was about to curse at you,” Tom lowered his shoulders.
“What for?”
“I just saw Caroline.”
“She was here?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re still here. I need a drink,” Jacob went right behind the bar and poured himself a whiskey.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s perfect.”
“Sounds like it.”
“Well, Josie and I got into a fight over Emma. Again.” Jacob screwed the cap back ont
o the bottle and took a seat at Tom’s side.
“And?”
“Emma’s thinking about moving to town and Jo’s worried I’ll leave her.”
“That’s crazy.”
“That’s what I said. And she took it as me calling her crazy and she locked me out of the bedroom.”
Tom started to laugh.
“Hey, now I didn’t laugh at you when you said Caroline left town with Matt.”
“Well, you can now. She’s going to buy that orchard with her dad’s money and then come here for dinner to throw it in my face.”
Jacob took a long drink. “No way.”
“Yep. She’s the devil.”
“Well, I guess you better get over there and make Hailey want to stay.”
“Oh, come on. I can’t do that.”
“Tell me something, Tom. Which is better? Seeing Hailey around town or seeing Caroline?”
Tom shot him a glare.
“Matt’s nothing but trouble, always has been. You taught me this back before I was too stupid to see it.”
“At least he isn’t asking you for your life’s savings.”
“Well, I’m not that stupid.”
After a second, both of them laughed.
“Can I tell you something?” Tom asked. “I want Hailey to stay, and it isn’t because of the orchard or you or the workers.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“It’s because when she threw me out of her house and just about down the stairs, it was the first time I didn’t think about Caroline in months. That whole day was the first day Caroline was completely out of my mind.”
“Well, then why are you making this hard on yourself?”
“What if she chooses to leave? To go back to Lansing and never come back. Even if she doesn’t sell and you just run the place for her, she’d be gone.”
“Just like Caroline.”
“Just like Caroline.”
“Then you better make sure it doesn’t happen that way.” Jacob got up from the stool and kicked back the last of his drink. He got ready to throw a five on the bar when Tom stopped him.
“No, you don’t owe me anything.”
“Alright,” Jacob patted Tom’s back. “I’ll see you around.”
“You going home already?”
“Josie needs about an hour to throw the pillows and blankets around the room. By the time I get home, she’ll be sad that we fought and that the place is all messy. And I’ll be holding her tonight like nothing happened.”
“Well, I’m glad you got her figured out.”
“Oh, I bet she feels the same about me.”
“I’d be surprised if not.”
Chapter Seven
Hailey had been fiddling with the clothes she’d packed for the last hour. Putting them in the bedroom upstairs made her feel like she was moving in. Keeping them in the bathroom wouldn’t work for lack of space. The only other place would be to leave them in the suitcase, which was a mess in the middle of the living room. She’d brought along enough outfits to last over a week, even though that wasn’t her initial idea. Along with some comfy things to sleep in, a cardigan duster, three kinds of shoes, and her makeup bag, the suitcase was hard to close.
Upstairs, Hailey examined the rooms. She had been staying in the same room she’d stayed in years ago. Dierdre had bought the mattress brand new that year, but the frame was an antique. A tall dresser stood over by the side window, and two tables sat on either side of the bed, each with a little lamp. Hailey had thought about bringing her own blankets, but Dierdre had a good collection of soft comforters and cotton sheets. The pillows were new since her last visit, though. And somehow, they smelled just like the shore. The bed, tall and ornate, was in the center of the room, with a window to its back. The whole area felt empty and cool most of the time so far, but Hailey could picture it being a nice room over time.
Who was she kidding? She wasn’t going to stay any longer than she had to. Lansing was home, it always had been, and it always would be. No matter how many times Tom shined his blue eyes in her direction.
There were two other bedrooms upstairs, one of which Dierdre had turned into an office. It was down the hall from Hailey’s room, with a bathroom in the middle. Inside, there was a desk and two filing cabinets, and another area rug. A desk lamp and a tall lamp by the cabinets were the only sources of light. There wasn’t even a window in that little room.
The bathroom was small, but it was comfy. Hailey had been using it because the other one was in the master bedroom, in Dierdre’s old room. Unfortunately, Dierdre died in her sleep in that room, and so Hailey had yet to go inside. It wasn’t that she was upset about Dierdre’s passing, it was just strange to her to think about death being so close. She didn’t see her dad after he died; they had a closed casket service because of the accident. When a semi hits a sedan at seventy miles per hour, things don’t look too pretty.
Hailey passed by Dierdre’s room after putting her suitcase upstairs. It didn’t mean she was moving in, it just looked better out of sight. Pulling Dierdre’s door shut tight, Hailey took a deep breath and went back downstairs.
With her stomach growling, she checked for a snack. Her options included pickles, a can of black beans that were probably out of date, and the bag of Bugles she’d brought with her. Mr. Whitmore had mentioned on the phone that Dierdre was getting all her meals brought in from local eateries. It was no wonder the cabinets were empty.
“Hey there,” Hailey approached Jacob outside. It was another warm day, and the guys were carrying heavy loads of apples to one of four trucks.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Pretty good. I was wondering if you could give me Josie’s number. I need to get some shopping done, and I was hoping she’d come along.”
“Oh, I’m sure she will,” Jacob smiled big. He put the barrel down just near the bed of the truck. “She’s coming over here soon. I forgot my lunch.”
“That’s cool, I mean, not about the lunch. About her coming by.”
“Right. It’s funny how I don’t remember numbers anymore. I just click on her name, and there she is.”
“I’m the same way,” Hailey pulled out her phone and copied the number on Jacob’s phone. “Thanks so much.”
“She’ll be pretty happy. I think she gets lonely sitting at home without me.”
“She doesn’t work?”
“Nope, she doesn’t really need to. She helps out at the animal shelter sometimes.”
“That’s nice.”
“She loves animals. We might get a puppy at some point.”
“Awe, I love dogs. I never had one growing up because my mom’s allergic.”
“That’s too bad. I bet you could get one here. It’s a nice big open area for a nice big hound.”
“Well, actually,” she paused. She couldn’t quite tell him yet about the sale. Thankfully, he already knew.
“Tom told me. No worries, though. It’s life.”
“I bet the new owners won’t change anything.”
“Well, you never know. I’ve got a job at the city if it doesn’t work out. Or, well, no, never mind.”
“What? What is it?”
“You know, I’ve been doing this for quite a while. I could manage things for you if you want to return to the city. You can trust that I’d take care of everything.”
“Jacob, I bet you would do a perfect job. I just, I think I want to sell so I can focus on my future in the city. I don’t want to have this in the back of my mind.”
“Alright. Well, the offer is always open. You just let me know.”
“I will.”
“There she is,” Jacob pointed down the drive. “Early as usual.”
“Hey there,” Josie said through the rolled down window. “Beautiful day isn’t it?”
“Yep. Are you doing anything right now?”
“Nope. Do you have something in mind?”
“I actually need some groceries. And, I’ll be honest, I’m a terrib
le shopper.”
“Get in. I’ve got you covered.”
“Thanks babe,” Jacob leaned down and kissed Josie as Hailey got into the passenger seat.
“Anytime,” Josie handed over his lunch. “No cookies from Laney. I’m making a cobbler tonight.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Josie backed out and went down the drive. “He’s such a teddy bear.”
“You look so happy around him.”
“I am. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I used to be a mess, like, a really big mess.”
“I can’t picture it,” Hailey laughed.
“Oh yeah. I used to steal cutters from the hardware store to go break out dogs from the pound.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I got arrested once for trespassing.”
“Doesn’t sound so terrible.”
“He convinced me to volunteer at the shelter instead. It’s so nice. I just go in a couple of times a week, usually whenever I want, and I get to spend all day with the animals.”
“Can you actually work there?”
“Yeah, but they don’t have the funds. If I get a degree, they’d hire me full-time, but it would take four years. I guess I’m happy right where I am.”
“Sounds nice.”
Josie drove closer to town as Hailey thought about Lansing. In the city, Josie would find a job easily, but it probably wouldn’t be one so rewarding. Rent would be higher, and the suburbs were louder and more crowded. Someone like Josie wouldn’t be as happy in the city. City life was the only thing Hailey knew, though. She found it hard to believe living in the country would ever feel right, yet here she was, enjoying herself just fine. Actually, it was better than she could have ever predicted. There hadn’t been a day where she needed to get up at six or stay up past ten putting together spreadsheets and exhibit plans for every other week.
“It’s small, but the prices are good,” Josie said as she parked. “Sometimes Jacob and I go into Pine Valley for things we can’t find here.”
“What is Pine Valley? I’ve heard a little about it.”
“It’s the next city over, to the north. It’s about four times the size of Blushing Bay, so there’s some shops we don’t have, more choices too.”
Out of the Blue Page 5