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

by Franklin, Tami

  Almost felt like she belonged.

  Lena and Mrs. Katswopis were behind the counter, scooping ice cream and chatting with the customers. The place was packed, echoing with laughter and conversation, and Evie let herself get lost in the chaos for a moment, imagining what it could be like to have this every day. To have friends and neighbors who cared about you, looked out for you.

  Evie wasn’t sure if she actually knew any of her neighbors in New York by name. The thought left her oddly nauseated, and she set down her spoon.

  “Hi, Ms. Evie!” The high voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she turned to see Joey Harper standing next to her chair. The girl wore a pair of patterned leggings and an oversized shirt, her wild red hair was pinned back from her forehead with a sparkling barrette.

  “Hi, Joey,” Evie said, wiping her mouth with a paper napkin. “How are you?”

  “Good.” The girl balanced on one foot for no apparent reason at all. “Oohhh . . . you got a Colossal. I had one on my birthday.”

  “You did? It’s my first one.”

  “Do you like it?” Now she was on the other foot. “Hi, Mr. Liam.” She ignored Kade and Vi, who seemed to take it in stride.

  “It’s really good,” Evie replied.

  “Hi, Joey,” Liam said. “Where’s your mom?”

  The girl shrugged, eyeing the sundae. “She’s waiting in line to get a cone. She said we could come for ice cream if I sat quietly during the play.”

  “Did you?” Liam asked.

  Joey grinned. “Kinda.”

  “What did you think of the play, Joey?” Evie asked.

  The girl wrinkled her nose. “It was okay, I guess. Kinda boring, but I liked the dancing.”

  Vi choked on her ice cream, and Kade slapped her on the back, laughing.

  “Joey!” Abby Harper appeared, bearing two double-scoop cones. She gave them all a sheepish look. “Sorry. I hope she wasn’t bothering you.”

  “Not at all,” Evie said. “She was just sharing her review of The Music Man.”

  “Kinda boring,” Liam said with a grin. “But she liked the dancing.”

  Abby turned bright red, giving an apologetic look to Vi. “Well, I thought it was great. You did an amazing job with the kids, Vi.”

  “Thanks.” She leaned into Kade, whose arm was draped over the back of her chair. “It was more the kids than me, though. They’re so talented.”

  “Oh, don’t sell yourself short,” Abby said. “It’s a lot of work. I know. I’m sure keeping those teenagers on track is like herding cats.”

  “Why would you herd cats?” Joey asked.

  “It’s just a saying, sweetie. Here, take your cone.” She handed over the ice cream. “Well, you all have a nice evening. We need to get home. I have to get this one to bed then get some work done.”

  “On a Friday night?” Vi asked.

  “Yeah, it gets busy when the weather gets nice,” she replied, hiding a yawn. “I have a client who’s itching to break ground, so I need to finish up his plans.”

  Evie remembered scrolling through Abby’s portfolio . . . the beautiful houses that seemed as much part of the environment as surrounded by it.

  “Well, good luck,” Vi said. “Hope it all goes well.”

  Abby smiled and said goodbye. Evie watched her go, wheels turning in her mind. An idea was beginning to form. She’d come to Holiday Junction under the guise of finding a compromise—a ruse to let Gray work his under-the-table magic.

  But what if there was a way to actually reach a compromise? To make everyone happy? To save Tobara and keep Holiday Junction’s small town charm? Could it be possible?

  She stood up quickly and tossed her napkin onto the table. “I’ll be right back,” she said.

  Liam started to get up. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, yes. It’s fine.” She held up her hand to stop him. “I just need to ask Abby something. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  She headed for the door, winding through the crowded tables, a rush of anticipation zinging through her. Evie burst onto the sidewalk, looking both ways before spying Abby and Joey half a block down.

  “Abby!” she called out.

  The woman turned around and Evie quickly approached her.

  “Evie? Is something wrong?”

  “No, sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out.” She glanced at Joey, who was rapidly licking her cone, a drip of ice cream winding its way down her arm. “I know you have a lot on your plate, but could I talk to you for a minute?”

  Abby handed Joey a napkin. “Sure. What’s up?”

  Evie tried not to get ahead of herself. If this worked, it could be a solution to everything.

  But that was a big if. And it all rested on Abby Harper’s shoulders.

  Evie gave the woman what she hoped was a confident smile.

  “I have a crazy idea,” she said. “And I think you’re just the woman to make it happen.”

  Liam hadn’t really believed it when Evie said she’d be willing to clean stalls with him, but bright and early Monday morning, he saw her walking down his driveway, dressed in jeans and boots, and sipping from a large paper cup of coffee.

  “Morning!” he called out to her as he took off his ball cap and swiped at the sweat on his forehead with the back of his glove. “You actually came.”

  Evie waited until she got closer to reply. “You doubted me?” She looked up at him with a teasing smirk, and Liam’s heart thudded in his chest. She had her long brown hair up in a ponytail that curled over her shoulder, her face scrubbed clean of makeup. Gone was the tight bun and impeccable lipstick, and Liam had to admit this softer Evie made him a bit weak in the knees.

  Okay, a lot weak in the knees. And each time he saw her it got worse.

  Even though the Colossal Sundae on Friday night didn’t really count as a date—he’d admitted that to himself after numerous hours considering the possibility—he’d had a good time. Evie had been a bit distracted after she’d left to talk to Abby about whatever it was she wanted to ask her. All she would say was that she had some questions about integrative architecture and Abby was going to help her out.

  Liam suspected there was more to it, but Evie quickly changed the subject, and he let it go.

  He’d given her a ride back to the Inn Friday night, his stomach fluttering with the date or not a date? debate, followed by the kiss or no kiss? argument. In the end, she’d popped out of the Suburban before he could decide if he should make a move, and he drove home kicking himself for not seizing the opportunity.

  They’d driven out to the McKenna farm on Saturday, where she’d asked Sean countless questions about the cows and the reindeer, trying to get him to share the secret ingredients for the ice cream sold at the Creamery.

  “That’s Lena’s territory now,” he’d said, shaking his head. “You’ll have to wheedle any secrets out of her. I’m retired!”

  She’d been on a bit of a high on the car ride back to the Inn, chattering about the McKennas and the chickens.

  “I can’t believe I actually milked a cow!” she exclaimed. “Can you believe I milked a cow?” Her hair had fallen out of its bindings, a few strands drifting around her sun-pinkened cheeks, and he swallowed hard.

  “You did it,” he said, turning into the Inn’s driveway. “You’re a natural.”

  “I am, aren’t I?” she said thoughtfully.

  “So.” He cleared his throat. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

  “Hmm?” She blinked at him, then shook her head. “Oh, I have a ton of work to do tomorrow. I’ll be locked in my room all day.”

  “Oh yeah?” He pulled to a stop, and turned to face her. “What are you working on?”

  She chewed on her lip, not meeting his eyes. “Nothing exciting,” she said, shoving the car door open. “Bunch of boring business stuff. I actually need to get to it, so . . .” Evie got out of the car. “Thanks for the ride. It was fun.”

  Liam wondered what she was hiding, but didn’t p
ush the issue. “No problem.”

  “Maybe—” She tugged on a loose strand of hair, then swept it behind her ear. “I could come by on Monday? See the horses and help out with whatever?”

  “You sure?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” Evie shrugged. “I think I like horses.”

  “We’ll see if you still do after cleaning a few stalls,” he said.

  “I think I’m up for it.”

  “Okay then,” he said, eyebrows raised in challenge. “We need to start early. I’m in the barn by six-thirty.”

  She made a face, but squared her shoulders. “No problem. See you then.”

  Evie’d shut the door and run up the front steps into the Inn before he realized he’d missed yet another opportunity to try for a goodbye kiss.

  But now, here she was again, squinting against the light from the open barn door.

  “I’d never doubt you.” He stood back, motioning to the door with a flourish.

  She smiled brightly when Jack’s head appeared over his stall door. “There you are, handsome,” she crooned, patting the horse’s nose. “I brought you something.”

  Evie pulled a Ziploc bag of sliced apples out of her jacket pocket. “Are these okay?” she asked Liam.

  He shrugged. “Sure, but you better share with the others or they’ll get jealous.” Liam retrieved a halter and lead from the back wall.

  “We wouldn’t want that, would we?” she asked Jack as she offered him a piece of apple. He lipped it up from her open palm and she gave a little laugh, giving him another.

  “You’ll spoil him,” Liam said, opening Jack’s stall door as Evie moved over to give Domino some apple. Liam slipped on the halter, snapped on the lead, and put the gelding out into the pasture, and by the time he reentered the barn, Evie was walking slowly toward Fee, a tentative look on her face as she held her flattened hand out, a large chunk of apple in her palm.

  “Don’t let her scare you,” Liam said. “She wants that apple. You have the power.”

  Evie snickered, but straightened a little and lifted her hand. Fee stared at her for a moment, then lowered her head and took the apple.

  “Yes,” Evie said quietly, the thrill of victory evident in her wide grin. “That’s it. We girls have to stick together.” Fee huffed, but let Evie pet her nose, and took another slice of apple when she offered it.

  “See? We’re besties,” Evie said as Fee nudged her shoulder, demanding another treat. Liam laughed and led out Domino, then decided to let Evie turn out Fee herself.

  He slipped on Fee’s halter and handed Evie the lead. “Just walk her out,” he said. “You don’t need to do much. She knows where she’s going.”

  Fee tossed her mane a little, but in the end it all went smoothly. Evie even removed the halter herself and smiled as the mare trotted off to join the others.

  “That was the fun part,” he said, handing her a pair of gloves and a pitchfork. “Now, they get to eat, and we get to work.

  “How’d all the boring business stuff go?” he asked as he measured out the morning grain a few minutes later.

  Evie forked up some manure and tossed it into the wheelbarrow. “Good,” she said. “It was good. I think.”

  “You think?”

  Her lips twisted up. “I got this idea,” she said. “About Tobara.”

  Liam dropped the cup into the grain sack and gave her his full attention. “What idea?”

  She sighed. “I don’t want to say.” When he stiffened, she added quickly, “It’s nothing bad. I promise. Nothing like—Well, you know.” Evie shook her head. “It’s nothing underhanded or anything, and I think it might solve both our problems.”

  Liam leaned on the stall door, watching her. She looked equal parts nervous and excited, and it made him very, very curious.

  “But you can’t tell me what this idea is?”

  Evie tossed the last of the manure into the wheelbarrow then grabbed the handles to navigate it out of the stall.

  “I just don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up,” she said, setting the wheelbarrow down and finally meeting his eyes. “I don’t want anyone disappointed if it doesn’t work out, so—” Her eyes were so clear, so earnest, and Liam felt like he was drowning in them.

  “Could you give me some time to figure it all out?” she asked, almost pleading. “I promise, as soon as I know if it’s going to come together, I’ll tell you everything, but for now, do you think you could trust me?”

  And in that moment, Liam knew—heaven help him—that he couldn’t deny her anything.

  “Okay. Yeah,” he said. “I can trust you.”

  * * *

  Tuesday morning, Evie sat in a booth at the Holiday Junction Diner, nervously waiting for Abby Harper to show up. It had been a busy few days since Evie had spoken with her Friday night, and what Abby would show her when she arrived would determine if all the work had been worth it.

  Evie hoped it would be. There was a lot riding on it.

  The bell rang over the diner door and Evie craned her neck to see who was entering, as she had every time the bell had rung over the past twenty minutes. With relief, she waved to Abby, and the redhead smiled, hurrying over to slide into the booth across from her.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Abby said. “Joey got gum in her hair and I had to deal with that before I could drop her at school.”

  Evie winced. “Did you get it out all right?”

  “Sure. A little peanut butter and we were good to go.” The waitress approached and Abby ordered coffee and a glass of water. Evie’s knee bounced anxiously under the table as she waited.

  “Okay,” Abby said, once the waitress left. “Thanks for meeting me. I could have emailed all of this, but I find it’s usually easier to go through it with a client in person, so we can address any questions right away.” She pulled a laptop out of her bag and set it on the table, flipping it open. “Once you’re satisfied with what I’ve got, I can email you the files and we can go from there.” She took a deep breath and clenched her eyes shut for a second.

  “I’m sorry,” she told Evie. “I’m a little nervous. This is the biggest project I’ve ever worked on, and if we go forward, it’ll mean a lot for my career. It’s a game changer, honestly.”

  Evie reached over and grabbed the back of her hand. “I’m sure it’ll be great,” she said. “We both have a lot on the line, so I’m just as nervous as you, believe me.”

  “Okay,” Abby said, nodding. Then again, a little more firmly. “Okay.” She swiveled the laptop around so Evie could see the screen. “I warned you these would be a little rough since you needed it all so quickly, but they should give you a good idea of my direction.”

  She proceeded to flip through the images—blueprints and diagrams, artist renderings and photos of the actual building site—laying out an alternate plan for Tobara that would incorporate the natural surroundings, create affordable housing and rental units in keeping with the style and feel of Holiday Junction, and make it accessible to current residents as well as the tourists who helped keep the town afloat.

  “And here’s my plan for the textile mill,” Abby said, an excited smile on her face. “It’s my favorite part, I think.”

  It was Evie’s as well. Abby’s plan maintained the original structure, restoring the main floor to create a multi-use space that would be part museum, part gallery, part community center. The second floor would become loft-style apartments and rental units, funky spaces that managed to be modern, but at the same time embraced the building’s history.

  “These are incredible,” Evie said, as she scrolled through the images again. “They’re absolutely perfect.”

  “Yeah?” Abby practically bounced in her seat.

  “Yeah.” Evie finally sat back, a huge to-do list taking form in her mind. “I have some early bids I’ve been working on all weekend, so once you email me those plans, I can put everything together and go to my father with it. I need to get to him before the court date next Monday, so time’s run
ning short.”

  “No problem,” Abby said, tapping at her keyboard. “I’m sending it all now.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know what he says.” Evie stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “I can’t promise anything, but Abby, this is really amazing work. It’s so unique and groundbreaking. I don’t know how he could turn it down.”

  “You think?” She slid out of the booth, Evie threw some cash on the table, and the two walked toward the exit.

  “Definitely. I’m going to convince him it’s the best thing for everyone involved. I know I can get him to see that.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.” Abby pulled her into a quick hug. “No matter what happens. Thanks for the opportunity.”

  Evie said goodbye to the woman and made her way back to her car, dialing Gray as she walked.

  “Evie, how’s Small Town U.S.A.?” he drawled when he answered.

  “Hasn’t changed much since you left,” she replied, turning a corner. “Look, Gray, I have a proposal for Tobara. A compromise that I think will make everyone happy.”

  “A compromise?” he repeated. “What kind of compromise?”

  She outlined the plan for him as she got into the car, sitting in the driver’s seat and gesturing wildly with her free hand. She told him about the integrative nature of the architecture, the sustainable materials used, the adaptive re-use of the textile mill.

  “Adaptive re-use?”

  “It’s giving an old building a new purpose,” Evie explained, “but keeping the historic parts—the parts that make it interesting.” A couple walking down the sidewalk gave her an odd look and Evie smiled in response, lowering her raised hand.

  “Don’t you see, Gray?” she said. “We can keep the textile mill, adapt it to become a cool multi-use building. And instead of cookie cutter condos and retail space, we create unique homes that bring the outside in. It’ll be like camping out under the stars while you’re in your own home.”

  Gray was silent for a moment, and Evie held her breath.