Return to Me (Blue Harbor Book 5)

by Olivia Miles

Meet-up, she corrected herself.

  “And Amelia!” Kyle’s smile was positively wicked now.

  Amelia stared at Brooke with wide eyes as she approached the table, while Candy simply clasped her hands and crooned, “Well, if that isn’t the cutest couple to cross through that door all night!”

  “Oh, we’re just…” Brooke was momentarily at a loss for words. Finally, she said, “Catching up.”

  She caught Kyle’s eye across the table and glanced away.

  Amelia stared at her with plaintive interest, but Brooke knew her cousin wasn’t the pushy or prying type. She’d wait for Brooke to come to her, to open up and share.

  Candy, on the other hand…

  “Oh? So you two know each other?” Recognition suddenly flashed in her eyes as she clasped a hand to her mouth. “Oh! Oh, you two were…”

  “Married,” Brooke said tightly. “Yes, Candy. Kyle and I are—I mean were—married.” Her heart began to pound.

  She caught his eye again and pinched her mouth against the mirth that positively shone in them.

  “Well!” Candy seemed to be at a loss for words, and Amelia used the opportunity to point out that the pot pies might need to be removed from the oven.

  Bless her.

  “Shrimp and grits is the special tonight,” Amelia said with a smile, once Candy had reluctantly walked away. “I promised when I took over the café that I would still keep some things the same.”

  Brooke nodded as she looked around the room, taking in the space and the changes that Amelia had implemented to make the business her own. “I love it. It still feels like the old café, but it’s different. Improved.”

  She noticed that Kyle was frowning, all amusement seeming to have disappeared.

  “I’ll have the special,” Brooke said quickly.

  “Make that two,” Kyle said. “And a bottle of Conway’s best red.”

  Amelia glanced at Brooke as she collected the menus. “Coming right up.”

  “So, guess we’re catching up then,” Kyle said as he leaned into the table, grinning in triumph.

  Brooke looked at the boy who had once held her hand and captured her heart, and she realized that she wasn’t sure she wanted to know more about the Kyle that sat before her. It was easier to remember him as he was. A part of her past. And to tuck him away rather than dust him off.

  “I’m afraid my life is rather dull. All work and no play as they say.” She gave a small smile.

  “New York wasn’t everything you wanted it to be?”

  She swallowed hard and sat a little straighter. “No, no, New York was great. Just…great. And I learned a ton, too. I’m very grateful for the experience.”

  He looked at her as if he didn’t believe her, and why should he? Her tone was pitched and defensive and she wasn’t even completely convinced. And she was back here, in Blue Harbor, less than six years after she had left.

  Shame filled her, as it always did once the anger had cooled and she looked back on her part in their failed marriage.

  Breaking his gaze, she looked around the room, smiling wistfully. “I remember coming here every Tuesday night for what must have been a year.”

  “Oh, it was more than that,” Kyle said with a little smile.

  “I remember that there used to be a painting on that wall, of the lighthouse out on Evening Island.” She grinned as the memories came back to her. “And over in that corner, there was a photograph of the cook’s dog, sitting in front of a bowl of spaghetti.”

  He laughed. “She loved that dog.”

  “And every Christmas there would be a jar of candy canes on the counter, and a long rope of tinsel with all the cards people had sent.”

  She felt warmer just thinking about it, back when life was simple and sure. When she knew what to expect when the day started. She’d taken that routine for granted. Craved excitement and change.

  She frowned a little now.

  “Is that all you remember?” Kyle tipped his head.

  She thought about it. “Is there something I should remember?”

  His eyes shadowed for a moment but he gave a tight smile. “I think you hit all the good parts.”

  She sighed. Things were different, but far from worse, and she was happy that her cousin had made the place her own. “The changes are nice, but it still feels the same.” Still brought her back to another time and place. A happier time.

  “The Conways always did have a good sense for business,” Kyle observed. There was a pinch to his forehead that made Brooke wonder if there was more behind his words.

  She considered asking, but she was too struck by what he said. Wishing too hard that it was true. Yes, most of the Conways had been successful in business. But would she?

  They paused their conversation when their wine was delivered by a wide-eyed Candy, who had to press her lips together to keep from saying anything, it appeared.

  Kyle said nothing as he filled their glasses. “My brother wants to make some changes to the pub,” he finally said.

  She looked at him in surprise, only that he would open up to her. There was no denying the fact that Harrison’s was a dive bar. They made a decent burger and excellent fries, but it couldn’t compete with the Carriage House, and from what she knew, that had never been the intention.

  “I thought Ryan didn’t care about the pub.”

  “He does now. Six years too late,” Kyle said quietly.

  *

  By the time they’d finished the bottle of wine and had made their way through a meal that made Brooke want to shout out to all her city friends that when it came to comfort food, this café topped any New York eatery, Brooke was finally starting to relax.

  “So you really don’t miss it? The parties, the fashion shows? That was everything you ever wanted!”

  Kyle was looking at her in wonder, not accusation, and she felt her edge soften.

  Was it everything she ever wanted? Because there was one thing she’d wanted more. And that was him.

  Maybe it was the wine, but she felt a prickle of tears touch the back of her eyes and she pushed them away before he could see. She brushed a brave hand through the air. “It was time. I learned, I experienced, and…Well, I’m not sure I ever would have found everything I was looking for in New York.”

  “And what’s that?” he asked, his eyes soft and searching.

  She felt her chest rise and fall with each breath until she managed to break his stare. “Oh, you know, family, my own shop. Rent in Manhattan is a fortune!” She smiled as if making a joke, but Kyle wasn’t laughing. If anything, he looked as resigned as she felt.

  Suddenly, Kyle leaned into the table, his elbows splayed, his face so close to her that she felt the urge to pull back, but she didn’t.

  “Just so you know,” he whispered.

  His blue eyes danced, and she stared at him, taking him in, even though so much of him was committed to memory. There was the bump on his nose that had appeared in the seventh grade without explanation, and the scar on his hand from his first mishap in shop class—he’d come a long way.

  “Yes?” she asked a little breathlessly.

  He licked his bottom lip, his grin quirking. “Candy’s been over at the counter for the last ten minutes doing a really poor job of pretending to scrub it down.”

  Brooke felt the air escape her lungs. She managed a laugh, a nervous one. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting Kyle to confide, but a distinct feeling of disappointment took hold, and it doubled when he leaned back against his chair, creating more space between them again.

  Perhaps catching his eye, Candy hurried over to the table, her eyes darting eagerly from Brooke to Kyle and back again. “Dessert? Now, I didn’t make it tonight, but it is still delicious. Berry crumble, with the first picking from the orchard, Brooke!” She grinned broadly and added, dropping her voice by a level, “But if you don’t mind me saying, you two might want to come back on a Thursday. That’s when I’m in charge of dessert, and oh, I make a cara
mel cheesecake that will make your eyes roll back into your heads.”

  Brooke laughed, almost happy for the interruption. Wait, what was she saying? Of course she was happy for the interruption! Being alone with Kyle Harrison was the last thing she needed right now.

  Or wanted.

  She swallowed hard.

  “No wonder Uncle Dennis is marrying you,” she chided.

  But Candy just stood a little straighter and shook her head. “Oh, no. I mean, it helps and all, and he loves my skillet breakfasts. But he loves what comes before them more, if you follow.”

  Now it was Kyle’s turn to sputter on his drink. Candy, however, winked and said, “I don’t want to…interrupt. You two just holler if you want that dessert. I’ll be right there at the counter.”

  Of course she would be.

  Brooke stared at Kyle as Candy patted her on the shoulder and sauntered away. If there was any chance of prolonging this evening with a dessert course, that door had probably closed.

  And it was better that way, Brooke told herself, as she pulled out her cardigan and shivered into the fabric.

  “Well, this was...” She let her words hang there, not exactly knowing how to finish them. Fun? Not exactly? Nice? Maybe a little.

  Confusing, she decided. It was very confusing.

  “I’d offer to walk you home, but I can’t be sure that Candy wouldn’t be trailing us,” Kyle whispered, and Brooke burst out laughing, loudly, too loudly, enough to probably catch Amelia’s attention from the kitchen.

  Enough to make something catch in Kyle’s eye.

  She felt her smile slip and something in her heart tug. Six years ago when they’d sat in this very restaurant, they never could have imagined that this was where they’d be today.

  And that was why it was time to go home and clear her head, maybe do a little planning for tomorrow, think about her real life, the one she’d built for herself without Kyle.

  9

  Brooke could have put money on the fact that Candy would be her first customer of the day, and she wasn’t the least surprised to see her future aunt push through the shop door within minutes of Brooke turning the sign in the window.

  She held up a bakery bag and said, “I brought you a little breakfast. My specialty. No pressure.”

  Brooke wasn’t so sure about that. Still, she took the bag and set it on her desk. “Thank you.”

  Candy eyed her quietly, her gaze darting back to the bag in a meaningful way.

  Brooke politely lifted the bag again and looked inside to discover some small biscuits that were still warm and had the distinct aroma of cheddar.

  “These smell delicious,” she said, eliciting a beam from Candy.

  “Just something I whipped up.” When Brooke still didn’t reach for one, Candy was sure to add, “They’re actually my famous cheese biscuits. Amelia has them on the menu now, daily.”

  Brooke licked her bottom lip to hide her smile. What Candy lacked in modesty and discretion, she made up for in warmth, and Brooke could see how her uncle was revived by this woman. She was energetic, if a little eccentric, and she certainly added a welcome distraction to Brooke’s morning.

  Besides, she was getting used to seeing familiar faces, looked forward to it even.

  Even when she shouldn’t, she thought, pulling her thoughts from Kyle.

  She grinned at Candy. “Well then, I don’t see how I can resist.”

  It was a far cry from her usual breakfast of a poached egg with a single slice of toast, or a piece of fruit sliced onto yogurt. Still, when she took a bite, under Candy’s scrutiny, she knew that she’d better not make a habit of letting Candy stop by at this hour. These were too good to resist.

  “I can see why Amelia hired you!” She polished off one of the biscuits while Candy smiled gaily.

  “It was only supposed to be temporary, but then, so was my contract with Denny!” Candy honked in laughter, and despite herself, Brooke joined in.

  It was just what she needed—well, other than the extra calories—to get her mind off Kyle and onto lighter, easier thoughts. Still, as Candy continued to watch her carefully, she had the uneasy sensation that the woman was waiting for an opportunity to bring up Brooke’s so-called date last night.

  Instead, Brooke focused on Candy, not just because she was marrying into the family, but because it might help her have a better sense of direction for the wedding dress design and what kind of day Candy pictured.

  “I heard about my uncle’s fall last year,” Brooke said, recalling the slip off the ladder that had resulted in two broken bones, and a caregiver who offered more than anyone had expected.

  “At the orchard.” Candy clucked. “He’s fine now, thanks to a little tender loving care.” She waggled her eyebrows. “But I think it’s for the best that Britt took over the place. Plus, it leaves more time for Denny and me to…get to know each other better.”

  Oh, boy.

  “I wondered how my uncle would manage when my father retired,” Brooke said on a sigh. “None of us were ever quite as attached to the orchard as my cousins. Britt is definitely the best person to take it over, and I hear that she’s doing a fine job.”

  “With the help of Robbie Bradford, of course. If Denny hadn’t fallen off the ladder, I’m not sure Britt would have come back. And if she hadn’t come back, she wouldn’t have been reunited with her first love. It’s funny how sometimes one event can alter the course of so many things.”

  Brooke raised her eyebrows. “I couldn’t agree more. If I hadn’t lost my job, I doubt I ever would have moved back to Blue Harbor.”

  “And aren’t you glad you did?” Candy looked at her hopefully, but Brooke knew better than to take the bait. Instead, she shifted the conversation back to her cousin. “Britt seems very happy running the orchard, and it was very clever of my uncle to hire Robbie…”

  Candy laughed. “Oh, no, he’s not the matchmaker in the family. He’s too practical for that sort of thing. Besides, I think he’d given up all hope of Britt moving back before his fall. No, I can’t say that dear Denny is responsible for getting those two back together. I think it’s just good old-fashioned fate.”

  “Fate?” Brooke was sure she looked as skeptical as she felt.

  “Oh, I’m sure you hear that word a lot in here,” Candy said, brushing a hand in the air. Her gaze, however, had turned up a notch in its intensity. “When two people are meant to be together, they find a way.”

  Brooke pulled in a breath. Sure enough. Though Amelia wasn’t one to gossip, Brooke would bet money on the fact that Candy had managed to get the bare-bone facts out of her before the door of the café was locked last night.

  “Robbie and Britt were meant to be. They went their different ways and life brought them back together. Older. Wiser.” Candy looked around the empty shop in case anyone might overhear, and stage whispered, “If you ask me, it won’t be too long before you have another dress to design.”

  “Fine by me!” Brooke was happy for her cousin. She and Robbie had been high school sweethearts, and even though life had taken them in different directions, it had also led them both back to Blue Harbor. And each other.

  Her stomach shifted uneasily. Not that the same could be said for her and Kyle. No, their problems ran too deep.

  “Love is funny,” Candy said airily as she walked over to a rack of dresses, flinging a pointed look over her shoulder.

  Brooke took her time rolling up the bakery bag. She’d save the rest for later. Maybe freeze them for another day when she needed a little pick me up.

  “How so?” she asked, refusing to feed into Candy’s obvious suggestion.

  “Oh, you know, sometimes things have a way of working out when you least expect it.” She paused, and perhaps sensing that Brooke’s pleasant, neutral expression wasn’t going to crack, continued, “I mean, look at me and Denny. I had been dating a man whose favorite past time was spitting cherry pits clear across the kitchen. I’d all but given up on the notion of romance!
And then this man falls off a ladder, and his daughter calls for someone to tend to him for a bit. And I opened the door, and I just knew that everything was about to change. But only because I was willing to let it.”

  Brooke took a measured breath. “Yes, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

  Candy’s eyes burst open. “Don’t say that too loudly, dear. It’s bad for business.” She marched over and squeezed Brooke’s hand, giving her a look of concern. “Still nursing that broken heart over your marriage? You and Kyle Harrison seemed to be getting along just fine from what I could tell.”

  Brooke nodded. “It’s a small town. There’s no room for bad feelings.”

  Candy opened her mouth to protest, but Brooke quickly said, “Did you have any more thoughts on your dress? I haven’t quite finished the sketches, but I can run you through my preliminary designs?”

  Candy’s face fell, and something told Brooke it had less to do with not seeing the sketches and more to do with not getting a little gossip out of Brooke.

  “Oh, no rush. You did just get back to town and I’m sure that there are a lot of people that you’re busy…catching up with.” She stared at Brooke brazenly.

  “Oh, I’ve seen most by now,” Brooke said airily. “It was so nice seeing what Amelia did with the café. And the bakery! You must be so proud of Maddie.”

  She tipped her head, smiling pleasantly, watching as Candy struggled not to push things back onto her dinner with Kyle last night.

  Eventually, she seemed to give up, thankfully.

  “Well, speaking of the café, I need to get back,” she said, looking so disappointed that Brooke almost felt bad for her. “I thought I’d…pop by for a minute. Get to know my future niece a bit more. We didn’t have much time to talk last night.”

  Brooke smiled to show her appreciation. “Well, this was lovely. I’m always happy to have a visitor, especially one who brings me breakfast.” She made a point of picking up her agenda and clicking her pen. “Did you want to make an appointment to look over those sketches?”

  Again, frustration swept Candy’s expression. “Whenever, dear. Amelia is always supportive for me to take a break or two throughout the day.”