Harbor Falls

by Fiona Rivers

  “I grew tired of the city life, and I wanted a change.”

  Her phone, which was sitting on the island, rang, and when Adalyn got up to see who was calling, she answered it.

  “Hi, sis. Can I call you back?”

  “Hi. Sure. I was just calling to see how everything’s going and if you got settled.”

  “Everything is good. I’ll call you back in a few.”

  She set her phone down and grabbed her plate and silverware and took it over to the sink. Colin followed behind with his.

  “I should get going. I need to stop by the bar and check on things. Thanks for dinner.”

  “Thank you for your help with the TV.” A light smile crossed her mouth.

  “You’re welcome. If you need anything else fixed or hung, just give me a call. In fact, let me give you my number. You know, just in case something breaks.” A nervous smile fell upon his lips.

  “Yes. Of course.”

  Adalyn picked up her phone and stored his number in her contact list. She walked him to the door, and when he was gone, she let out a sigh of relief. She went into the kitchen, grabbed her phone and returned Hannah’s call, telling her all about her day, leaving out the part about Colin Young, her TV and the chicken pot pie dinner. She knew if she told her, she’d make a big deal about it, and it wasn’t a big deal. Colin was just a guy who helped her out, and perhaps, a new friend.

  Colin left Adalyn’s house with a smile on his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so alive. She was like a breath of fresh air to him, but he got the sense she didn’t just move to Harbor Falls because she grew tired of the city life. He could tell by the hesitation in her voice and the reluctance to answer his question. He wanted to ask her more, but he didn’t want to push the boundaries or scare her off with too many questions. Annie Fricks was already doing a good job at that. He wasn’t worried though, because he had plenty of time to get to know her better.

  “There you are.” Katherine smiled as she was wiping down a table when he walked into the bar. “Where were you?”

  “You’re never going to believe it.” He walked behind the bar and poured himself a draft beer. “I was at Adalyn’s house hanging her seventy-inch TV on the wall.”

  “Adalyn? Oh!” Her eyes widened. “You mean the woman that was in here last night? The one you thought you’d never see again?” She smirked.

  “Yep, and you’re never going to believe whose house she bought.”

  “Whose?”

  “George and Louise Waters.”

  “Oh wow. Did you tell her I was the interior designer for the house?”

  “No. I didn’t get around to it. Annie brought over a chicken pot pie and Adalyn asked me to stay for dinner as a thank you for helping with the TV.”

  A sly smiled crossed Katherine’s face. “And how did that go?”

  “It went good. I think there’s something she’s hiding or not willing to talk about. I asked her why she left New York to come here, and she told me she was tired of the city life. But I think she left for a specific reason.”

  “What gives you that impression?”

  “She was hesitant to answer at first. Then her sister called, and I left so she could call her back. And, another thing, she’s opening up an art gallery where the secondhand store used to be.”

  “That’s amazing. We could use an art gallery here.” She grinned. “That will save me a lot of travel time for my freelance interior design jobs.”

  “Hey there, good looking.” A man came up from behind and grabbed Katherine and spun her around.

  “Hey, baby.”

  That man was Scott Barrister. Not only had he been Katherine’s husband for the past five years, he was also Colin’s best friend from college. He showed up in Harbor Falls seven years ago to visit his friend, took one look at Katherine and never left. His parents owned a successful fruit market in Charleston. When Mr. Greggs, owner of the local fruit market in Harbor Falls passed away, Scott’s parents bought it, renamed it Barrister’s Foods, and gave it to Scott to run and manage. Colin approved of their relationship right from the start. Scott was a good man and he knew he’d always take care of his sister.

  After ending the call with her sister, Adalyn poured herself a glass of wine, looked around the first floor of her home and smiled as she turned off the lights and headed upstairs. Climbing into her new queen size bed, she snuggled under the covers and thought about the busy day she’d have tomorrow. The contractors were starting the remodel of the art gallery and she still had so much to do. She needed to order more art. Being in the industry for several years, she had a lot of connections. She wanted to make the gallery a special place to visit. Not only for the residents of Harbor Falls, but also for the many tourists that visit during the year. The gallery wasn’t the only thing on her mind. She thought about Colin, his kindness and the fluttering in her belly every time he was around. There was definitely a connection. The kind of connection Adalyn didn’t want, nor was looking for. It was in her best interest to stay away from Colin Young and solely focus on her new business and the beginning of her life as a newly single woman.

  10

  One Week Later

  Adalyn stood in the middle of her soon to be gallery amongst all the construction that was being done. While some walls were coming down, new ones were being built. The upper level was reserved for storage and office space. There was much that needed to be done and the contractor promised he would have everything completed within four weeks. She started to doubt she’d be able to do it all by herself, so she decided to call Luis.

  “Well, hello there, darling,” he answered in a perky voice.

  “Hi, Luis.”

  “What is all that banging?”

  “I’m at the gallery. Hold on a second and let me step outside. Better?” she asked as she stood on the sidewalk.

  “Much. To what do I owe this wonderful phone call?”

  “I need your help if you’re available.”

  “Darling, I’m always available for you. What do you need?”

  “Your words. A little pep talk, perhaps.”

  “What’s wrong, Addy?”

  “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment and anxiety is starting to set in that I’m not going to get this all done on my own.”

  “Girl, no fear, Luis is here. I’m on the next flight out tomorrow morning.”

  “Are you sure? What about Alfred?”

  “He’ll be fine. Besides, it’ll only be for a few days. I’m dying to see this little town of yours anyway.”

  “What about the museum?”

  “We need to have a little chat about that. I was going to call you.”

  “Thank you, Luis. Let me know your flight information and I’ll pick you up at the airport.”

  “No need. I’ll get a car and drive to you. Just text me your address.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “Great. I’ll make up the guest room.”

  Adalyn left the gallery in the hands of the contractors and stopped at the fruit market to pick up a few things before heading home. While she was there, she spotted Colin over by the peppers.

  “Hey you,” she spoke.

  The moment he looked up, a smile crossed his lips when he saw her.

  “Hey, Adalyn.”

  “That’s an awful lot of peppers.” She laughed as she looked in his basket.

  “Our shipment is running late, so I needed to pick some up for the bar.”

  “I see you’re picking up a few things.” He pointed to the small basket that hung on her arm.

  “A friend of mine from New York is coming tomorrow, so I wanted to make sure I had some fresh fruit. I really love this market.”

  “You’ll always find the freshest of everything here. Scott always makes sure of that.”

  “Scott?” she asked as she cocked her head.

  “My best friend and brother in law. His parents own the place and he runs it
.

  “What?” Her brows furrowed. “Your brother in law?”

  “Yep. He’s married to my twin sister Katherine.”

  “I didn’t know she was your twin.”

  “Yeah.” The corners of his mouth curved upward. “Anyway, bring your friend by the bar. Food and drinks are on me. You can tell her about the lobster rolls.”

  “She is a he, and I’m not sure he’s ever had a lobster roll.”

  When Colin heard it was a man who was coming to visit Adalyn, he swallowed hard as an uneasy feeling settled into the pit of his belly. Since Adalyn had moved to Harbor Falls, they had seen each other a few times. Either by Adalyn coming into the bar and Grille for a quick meal, or out and about around town. They’d chat for a while and Colin found himself enjoying her company even more.

  “Then let me introduce him to them.” He gave her a small smile. “I have to pay for these and get back to the bar. It was good to see you.”

  “Good to see you too, Colin. Have a nice day.”

  “You too, Adalyn. I’ll see you around.”

  A light breeze blew through the windows while Adalyn took the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies out from the oven. Luis loved chocolate chip cookies and making a double batch was the least she could do for her friend. She glanced at the clock on the stove. Luis was scheduled to arrive any minute and she couldn’t wait. As much as she loved living in Harbor Falls, she was desperate for some New York familiarity.

  The doorbell rang and Adalyn beamed with excitement when she saw Luis standing there holding a bouquet of sunflowers. Throwing her arms around him, he hugged her tight and kissed her cheek.

  “It’s so good to see you, darling,” he said.

  “I’m so happy you’re here.”

  “These are for you.” A wide grin crossed his face.

  “Luis, I love them. Thank you. Come in.”

  Adalyn took the flowers and headed to the kitchen where she took down a large white vase and filled it with water.

  “Look at this place. It’s gorgeous, Addy.”

  She placed the sunflowers in the vase and set it on the dining table. Sunflowers represented something special to both of them and back in New York, they’d have many personal conversations while sitting on the bench in front of Van Gogh’s Sunflower painting. Sunflowers are a very strong and sturdy plant, and every time Adalyn was feeling unsure or down, Luis always gave them to her as a reminder of strength and that she could handle anything life threw at her.

  “Thanks, Luis. It’s definitely different from the penthouse.”

  She showed Luis to the guestroom so he could get settled. Then she took him on a tour of the rest of the house.

  “I’m in love with this pine flooring,” Luis spoke. “For what you paid for this four-bedroom house, would have got you a two-bedroom apartment back in New York, if you’re lucky.” He smirked.

  “I know. But let me show you the real reason why I bought this place.”

  She led him downstairs and out the sliding door to the deck.

  “Oh my, Addy. This…this..” He held out his arms. “This is life. Now I totally understand why you wanted to move here after your visit.”

  Adalyn took Luis on a tour of Harbor Falls. When they arrived downtown, Luis was overwhelmed by the charming views. The trees and flowers were in full bloom and according to Annie, so were the tourists. She took him to the gallery and showed him what had been done so far.

  “This is going to be spectacular!” he said. “And I know this gallery will do amazing. I’m so proud of you, Addy.” He grabbed both her hands and held them up. “This is what you were meant to do all along.”

  After they left the gallery, they walked around town and did some shopping. When they came across Rodales Creamery, an ice cream shop with fifty different flavors, they went inside, got an ice cream cone and took it under a large dogwood tree in the park across the street.

  “I’m so happy to be spending time with you again.” Luis gave Adalyn’s hand a gentle squeeze.

  “What did you want to tell me about the museum?” she asked as she licked her mint chocolate chip ice cream cone.

  “I quit.”

  “What?” Her eyes widened. “Why?”

  “After you left, Charles hired this ungodly woman. She was nasty, Addy, and I could tell she didn’t like gay people.”

  “Did you say something to Charles?”

  “I did. I told him I quit, and I walked out. Things just weren’t the same there without you.”

  “Aw, Luis.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “What did Alfred say?”

  “Not much really. He just said I needed to do what makes me happy and he supports my decision.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “Take some time off for a while and then I’ll look for another job. I will tell you, Queen B is happy I’m home all day.” He smirked.

  “I bet she is.”

  After they finished their ice cream, they went back to the house to discuss what further things needed to be done for the gallery. They were sitting at the table in the kitchen when a voice came through the screen of the sliding door.

  “Hello, hello.”

  Luis placed his hand over his heart for Annie startled him.

  “Annie, come on in.”

  “I hope you don’t mind. I made some homemade banana bread this morning and I thought I’d bring you a loaf. I was going to drop it off earlier, but then I saw this handsome man pull up and then the two of you left.”

  Adalyn knew the banana bread was an excuse so she could find out who Luis was and why he was here.

  “Banana bread is my favorite. Hello, darling.” Luis smiled as he extended his hand. I’m Luis, Adalyn’s bestie from New York.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Luis. I’m Annie Fricks, Adalyn’s next-door neighbor.”

  “Annie has been making sure I’m well fed since I moved in.” Adalyn smiled.

  “Thank you for taking such good care of her,” Luis spoke.

  “Luis and I worked together at the museum. He came here to help me get the gallery together.”

  Suddenly, Annie’s demeanor changed, and the color drained from her face.

  “It was nice to meet you, but I have to get back home. I’ll talk to you later, Adalyn.”

  She walked out the door in a hurry and raced home.

  “What was that all about?” Luis asked.

  “I have no idea.”

  11

  The moment Colin saw Adalyn walk into his bar and grille with a man, an uneasiness settled inside him. He looked up from the bar as Adalyn waved to him. Giving her a small smile and a nod, he continued to stock the bar.

  “Hey, isn’t that Adalyn?” Katherine asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Who’s that guy with her?”

  “I don’t know. I guess he’s from New York and he’s staying at her place.”

  “Oh. Do you want to take their table?”

  “Not really.” He put the last of the alcohol away.

  “Okay. I was just offering.”

  “Wait. I’ll take their order. You get that couple that just sat down.”

  As much as he wanted to go over and talk to her and meet the guy she was with, he couldn’t bring himself to for the fact that if he was her boyfriend, he knew he didn’t stand a chance with her. But then he felt rude and he didn’t want to come across that way to her, so he sucked it up and walked over there.

  “Hey.” He put on a fake smile. “I see you brought your friend.”

  “Colin, I would like you to meet my best friend, Luis. Luis, this is Colin, my friend and owner of this bar and grille.”

  “Nice to meet you, man.” Colin extended his hand.

  “It’s definitely nice to meet you as well. I can see why Addy likes it here so much.” His eyes raked over Colin.

  “Luis, knock it off.” Adalyn smiled.

  Colin took their drink order and walked away while they both looked over the menu.
>
  “You didn’t tell me about him.” Luis leaned over the table.

  “There’s nothing to tell. He hung my TV on the wall for me and we shared a chicken pot pie that Annie brought over. Apparently, he’s the town handyman.”

  Luis arched his brow as a cocky smile formed across his lips. “Well, if you want my opinion, I think you should get to know him better. I saw the way his eyes lit up when he walked over and looked at you.”

  “Stop it. I’m not interested in anyone. Hell will probably freeze over before that happens again.”

  Luis reached across the table and took hold of her hand. “Remember the sunflowers, darling.”

  Colin approached the table with two drinks in his hand and set them down.

  “I would like to thank you, Colin, for helping out my little Adalyn here.” Luis grinned. “She told me you hung her TV.”

  “No problem at all. I like to help out where I can.”

  “Well, my husband and I always looked out for her and now that I know you’re here, I can rest more comfortably back in New York.”

  The moment Colin heard Luis had a husband, he began to relax. This was good news. Good news to his ears indeed. He took their order and walked back to the kitchen where Katherine was getting another table’s food.

  “Luis has a husband,” he spoke with excitement. “I guess they’re just best friends.”

  “Good. Now you can stop being so grumpy.” She smiled as she grabbed two plates of food and took them out of the kitchen.

  Their food was ready, so Colin took the plates over to the table and set them down.

  “Here you go. Enjoy your dinner.” He gave Adalyn and Luis a smile. “If you need anything else, just give a wave.”

  Adalyn and Luis spent the next few days going over everything that needed to be done for the gallery. Equipment was ordered, more artwork, and a few favors were called in with some local New York artists. It was a good day, and the time Luis was in Harbor Falls had passed so quickly. He went back to New York and Adalyn continued to bury herself in her work.