Evie’s Awakening: Love in Holiday Junction, Book Three

by Franklin, Tami

  “Still doesn’t make you innocent,” Liam said in a low voice, but the anger had vanished. Evie wasn’t sure why.

  “No.” The guilt ate at her gut, burning, and she wondered if that had been the problem all along—that her need for antacids came more from emotional turmoil than any sort of physical malady.

  Like striving to be something she’s not left her as an aching shadow of who she really was.

  Liam shifted on his feet, and she dared to sneak a glance at him. He looked every inch the cowboy in that moment—his broad shoulders in a plaid shirt and denim jacket, lean legs covered in worn jeans, frayed at the hem. She studied his square-jawed profile, the sun glinting off his golden hair, and her breath caught. He was so incredibly handsome . . . rugged. No longer the modern-day attorney, but a hero from the past. All he needed were the spurs and the white hat.

  Then he turned to face her with such disappointment in his eyes that the spell was broken.

  “So what happens now?” he asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Don’t give me that.” Liam crossed his arms over his broad chest. “You’re Evie Hart. You single-handedly saved the Yurigochi deal. You got Myles Bartlett and Jerry Halston to talk after fifteen years—”

  “It was just a tennis game,” she said, waving a hand.

  “Which led to them partnering with your father in one of the biggest land deals in the Midwest.”

  Evie raised a brow. “You know an awful lot about my career.”

  He smirked. “I do my homework.”

  She released her knees and dropped her feet to the soft ground. “Well, that’s all in the past. What matters in business is what you do today. And today . . .” She shrugged. “I’ve got nothing. I’ll admit, I was hoping Gray would fail.”

  “Which he did.”

  “Which he did,” she said with a nod. “But despite all the doughnut-making and costume-sewing and campouts, I still don’t have any brilliant ideas of how to resolve everything and get Tobara moving. I stuck around to stall, hoping I’d come up with something, but maybe it’s time to throw in the towel and go home.”

  “Don’t give up so easily,” Liam said, sliding his hands into his back pockets. “It’s not over yet. You don’t even know if we’ll get the injunction, let alone the historical designation.”

  Her lips lifted in a sad smile. “Well, you know the old saying. Time is money. Every delay makes Tobara less profitable.” Which is something she probably shouldn’t have said. Her father would have been furious that she’d revealed so much to opposing counsel.

  But honestly? She was beginning not to care.

  And the way Liam was looking at her was confusing.

  “You don’t seem mad anymore,” she said.

  He sighed. “I’m not. Not really.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair, tousling it even more. “I knew Sparks’ reputation, so it’s not a huge surprise. I guess I just wish we could come up with an answer that would make everyone happy.”

  Evie huffed out a laugh. “Yeah. That would be nice.”

  Liam glanced up at the darkening sky. “We should head back while it’s still light. Come on.”

  They walked the horse—Jack, Liam told her—down the trail in silence for a while, both lost in thought. An idea was pricking at the edges of Evie’s awareness, but she couldn’t quite grasp it.

  An answer that would make everyone happy.

  “What do—” she began, as Liam said simultaneously, “Who was—”

  He huffed. “Sorry. What was that?”

  “No, you go ahead,” she said.

  He cleared his throat. “Was that Sparks you were talking to?” He didn’t look at her, his gaze straight forward, and her own view was partially blocked by Jack.

  “What?”

  Liam glanced at her, then quickly away. “On the phone?” His throat worked, and he seemed almost nervous.

  “Oh! No, not Gray,” Evie said. “That was my brother, Niko.”

  Liam seemed to relax slightly, although Evie wasn’t sure why. “Your brother,” he said, drawing out the word.

  “Yeah.” The reason for the call hit her again, and she swallowed down a rush of remembered grief. “It’s the anniversary of our mother’s death,” she said quietly.

  Liam stopped in surprise, his hands tightening on Jack’s reins, and the horse stomped a hoof in the dirt in response. Liam petted the gelding’s neck, soothing him. “I’m so sorry,” he told Evie. “I had no idea.”

  She shrugged. “Why would you?” she asked. “But thank you. It’s been seventeen years, but sometimes it’s still hard, you know?”

  Jack nickered and lipped at her shoulder. “Hey, you!” She laughed, smoothing a hand down the horse’s silky nose.

  “I think he likes you,” Liam said.

  Evie smiled, the action reflected in Jack’s deep brown eye. “He’s sweet.”

  They started walking again, and Evie, for some reason, kept talking.

  “It’s something we do every year,” she explained. “When Niko was little, he missed our mom so much. We all did, but our dad distracted himself with work. He didn’t have time for us.” She could feel Liam’s gaze on her, but didn’t want to look up and see pity.

  “I don’t blame him,” she said. “Not really. Everyone grieves in their own way, but Niko . . .” She swiped at her cheeks. “Niko was still a kid, only eleven years old, and he was so sad. I had this idea to go to the roof of our building. I told Niko that we’d be closer to Mom that way, so she’d definitely hear us if we talked to her . . .

  “It made him feel better, so it kind of became our thing. Every year on her birthday, even if we’re not together, we go to the highest place we can find, and we talk to her, and about her. It’s how we celebrate her life and deal with the fact that she’s not here with us anymore.”

  Evie wasn’t sure why she was telling him all of this. Maybe it was simply because he was listening. “It’s weird, but it works. We do feel closer to her, somehow.”

  “I can understand that,” Liam said in a low voice. “I think it’s nice.”

  The sun sat low on the horizon when they finally emerged from the forest onto the road. Evie started to turn right, but Liam cleared his throat.

  “That’s my place,” he said, pointing to a house down a long, gravel drive. “You want to come in, have something to drink? Then I can drive you back to the Inn, if you want. It’s almost dark.”

  Evie had to admit she was tired, and a little thirsty. She hadn’t realized how far she’d actually walked.

  “Okay,” she said with a smile. “That would be great.”

  They walked down the drive, Jack’s hooves clip-clopping rhythmically on the ground. Evie could see two other horses out in the pasture—a smaller white one with black spots on his hindquarters, and a larger horse, glossy black from nose to tail. Liam curled his lips back and gave a shrill whistle, and both horses raised their heads alertly, then trotted toward them.

  “I just have to rub Jack down and get everyone settled,” he said. “You can go on into the house if you’d like.”

  Evie patted Jack’s neck. “Or I could help,” she said. “If you want.”

  He looked a little surprised, but nodded. “All right.”

  He handed her Jack’s reins as he pulled open the barn door, then opened a gate to allow the other two horses through.

  “This is Domino,” he told her, leading the black and white horse to an open stall. “The other’s Fiona, but we call her Fee.”

  The black mare tossed her head, mane flowing majestically.

  “She’s beautiful,” Evie said, reaching out a tentative hand, but pulling it back when the horse snorted.

  “Bit of a diva,” Liam said, closing Domino’s stall and retrieving Fee. “Isn’t that right, Lady Fee?” He held her head between his hands and she bowed to press her forehead to his. He led her to her stall, then turned to take Jake’s reins.

  “Could you grab that bucket over there w
hile I take off his saddle?” he asked, pointing to the far wall.

  She retrieved the bucket, full of several brushes and tools, and handed it to him.

  He took out a large brush and some kind of metal tool, and handed her the brush.

  “I’ll go over him with the curry comb first,” he said, stroking the metal tool over Jack’s side. “Then when I go to the other side, you can follow with the brush. Only on his neck and sides, though. That one’s too stiff for his face.”

  “Okay,” she said, a little nervous and hesitant. “I’ve never done this before.”

  “Really?” He scrubbed Jack’s sides with the comb, little bits of dirt and mud breaking free. “I thought all rich girls rode horses. It’s very debutante-ish, isn’t it?” He said it without judgment, and with a little teasing grin, so she didn’t take offense.

  “Not all,” she replied. “Some of my friends rode, but my dad thought it was a waste of time and money.”

  “That’s too bad.” He moved in front of Jack and pulled a sugar cube from his pocket, offering it to him. The horse lipped up the treat, and Liam started on his other side.

  Evie ran a hand down Jack’s flank, then tentatively swept the brush down his neck.

  “You can do it a little harder,” Liam said. “He actually likes it, don’t you, boy?”

  Jack nosed at his pocket, probably looking for more sugar, and Evie scrubbed at him with the brush.

  “How’s everything going with the musical?” Liam asked, and for the next several minutes they chatted about nothing of consequence and got Jack ready for the night. Evie found herself relaxing, enjoying the gentle monotony of brushing the horse, rubbing him down with a towel, then watching as he tucked into his grain, safe in his own stall.

  It was peaceful, and she could see why Liam would enjoy it. For these few moments, she didn’t have to think about business or Tobara or her father. These animals simply relied on them to provide their evening food and water, to keep them safe so they could rest. There was a quiet serenity in the scents and sounds of a barn. One she’d never felt before.

  They stood side by side, arms folded over the door of Jack’s stall as they watched him.

  “You have a knack for this,” Liam said.

  “You think?”

  “Well, the horses seem to trust you,” he said. “Overall, they’re a pretty good judge of character.”

  Evie laughed. “Well, that’s good to know.” She eyed Fee skeptically, unsure if the mare would agree. She still seemed a bit hesitant.

  “Of course, you still have a lot to learn,” Liam said. “You’ll have to come out one morning and help me muck stalls. Then we’ll see what you’re really made of.”

  “I could do that,” she said, her cheeks heating. The thought of spending more time with Liam and the horses made her feel warm in ways she hadn’t experienced before.

  “Yeah?” He turned, leaning against the stall door as he studied her with a slight smirk. “You sure you can handle it?”

  She gave him an unimpressed look. “I work in business, Liam. I’ve dealt with far more distasteful things than a little manure.”

  He snorted. “I’m sure you have.”

  They stood there for a while longer before they left the horses for the night. And later, after Liam drove her back to the Inn, she stood at her window, looking out at the darkness, her thoughts returning once again to her mother.

  “What can I do, Mom?” she whispered. “What am I supposed to do?”

  Don’t worry so much, kardia mou. Tha erthei pali ei aniksi.

  Evie sighed, her arms wrapped around herself as she tried to trust her mother’s words.

  Spring will come again.

  Evie could only hope she was right.

  * * *

  “Evie, I need you!” Vi said as she burst through the thick velvet curtains to the backstage area, dragging a teenage girl behind her. “We’ve lost a button. Can you fix it?”

  “I’m on it,” Evie replied. It was Friday night, thirty minutes before curtain, and while the seats began to fill in the auditorium, backstage was a madhouse. Kids were lined up against the far wall, competing for spots before the lighted mirror to check their makeup and fix their hair. A few ran through lyrics and dance steps wherever there was an open spot, and Vi bustled here and there to make sure everything and everyone was where they should be.

  It was a madhouse. And so much fun.

  Evie finished up with the button and when the actors took their places, she made her way to the front of the house. She was surprised to find Kade and Liam sitting on the end in the second row, with an empty seat between them. Liam smiled when he spotted her, and waved her over.

  “How’s it going back there?” he asked as she sat down.

  “Utter pandemonium,” Evie replied with a little laugh.

  Kade snorted. “Then Vi is in her element.”

  “She’s got it all under control.” Evie took the program Liam offered her and flipped through it idly. “I have to say the kids love her.”

  “Yeah, she’s pretty amazing,” Kade said, unable to keep the pride out of his voice. It made Evie a little, well, not sad, exactly, but she wondered if anyone would ever talk about her like that.

  Maybe someday. She wanted to be the kind of person that someone would be proud of.

  “Did you see?” Liam leaned in to speak quietly in her ear, and she shivered, not noticing at first that he was pointing at the program. She looked down at the page, and gasped in surprise when she saw her own name under the heading Special Thanks.

  “She didn’t need to do that,” Evie said, her chest tightening a bit.

  “Sure she did,” Kade said, nudging her with an elbow. “You really helped her out this week, and she appreciates it.”

  Evie didn’t say anything, because she wasn’t sure she could keep from crying if she did. It really wasn’t that big a deal—just her name on a piece of paper—but it carried with it an air of acceptance that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Not for a big deal or cutthroat business move, but for simply helping out where she could.

  It felt good.

  “You okay?” Liam asked, and she nodded.

  Then the curtain rose, and she let herself fall into the musical world of River City.

  * * *

  Liam could hardly pay attention to the play, thanks to his vivid awareness of Evie sitting next to him. Every now and then they’d applaud, their arms brushing, and he’d swallow hard, the touch sending a rush of sensation through his whole body.

  He’d been so angry when he confronted her about the delay and the attempted bribes, but his fury abated quickly once he saw her genuine regret. And he did believe it was genuine.

  The more he got to know Evie, the more he believed that the woman he saw here, in Holiday Junction was the real Evie . . . and the hard-nosed, tough, take-no-prisoners businesswoman he’d seen on paper was the facade.

  At the end of the musical, the cast came forward to a standing ovation, and Kade rushed up to hand Vi a bouquet of pink roses. She knelt down to give him a kiss and the crowd howled, Vi blushing as she got her feet and the cast gave one more bow.

  As the auditorium emptied, Kade turned to them both. “You guys should come with us to McKenna’s to celebrate,” he said. “I know Vi would love it.”

  “Do we need to clean up?” Evie asked glancing toward the stage. “Pack up the costumes and set, or whatever?”

  “Nah.” Kade looked up, his face brightening as Vi came out from backstage. “We have a crew coming in to help with that tomorrow. Tonight, we party!”

  Partying in this instance, consisted of a table for four in the crowded ice cream shop with one of Lena’s Colossal Sundaes shared between them. Mrs. Katswopis, who’d worked at the shop since Lena’s parents ran it, maybe even longer, deposited the giant sundae between them with a flourish.

  “Enjoy!” she said. “Don’t get sick on the floor.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Katswopis,” Kade said with a
wide grin.

  “Katswopis?” Evie said, looking up at the older woman. “Are you Greek? Or is your husband?”

  The older woman laughed, blue eyes twinkling as she smoothed her snow-white chignon. “Both, actually,” she said. “I came here with my Alex from Santorini not long after we were married.”

  Evie’s eyes widened. “My mom was from Santorini!”

  “Really? Which town?”

  “Fira.”

  “I’m from Oia. What’s her family name?”

  “Kostas.”

  Mrs. Katswopis pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. “I may have known a Kostas, but I’m not sure. It’s been so long.” She shook her head.

  “When did you come here?” Evie asked.

  The two of them chatted about Greece, favorite recipes, and the older woman’s memories from home. After a few minutes, she patted Evie’s cheek. “I should let you get back to your date. But you and I, we’ll talk more, yes?”

  Evie nodded. “I’d like that.”

  Mrs. Katswopis walked away and Liam tried to ignore the little bubble in his stomach when she’d called this a date. Was it a date? Was he actually dating Evie Hart?

  And why did that idea not freak him out nearly enough?

  * * *

  Evie dug into the gigantic sundae, brownies piled high with three flavors of ice cream, chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter sauce, whipped cream, nuts, and a handful of maraschino cherries. She’d have to hike up the hill behind Liam’s house four or five times to burn off the calories, but it was completely worth it.

  “This is amazing,” Evie said through a mouthful of toasted almond ice cream. “I think this might be the best ice cream I’ve ever had in my life.” She savored the melting creaminess, sweet and salty with the crunch of almonds.

  “Don’t tell them back in New York,” Vi said, licking her spoon. “We won’t be able to keep them away.”

  “It’ll be our little secret,” Evie said with a wink, but the mention of New York was like a bucket of cold water. For the past few hours she’d almost forgotten about her other life. She’d almost felt like a part of things in Holiday Junction.