Winter Love

by Kennedy Fox

  When I read the words Promise Inn, I nearly wept and quickly turned into the only available parking spot lining the street.

  “Keep it together, Lily May,” I whispered as I eased out of the rental and moved into a quick stretch. “We’ll get some food and find a bathroom, as soon as we hopefully get checked in.”

  Yes, I talked to myself. A lot. And often used the royal we.

  I’d developed the habit as a young child. Being the only daughter of a single father who worked two jobs to pay for my singing and guitar lessons meant I was often alone. As I grew older and became more famous, I’d found it hard to trust others, especially after meeting a few bad apples in the industry.

  A bell rang prettily as I opened the big wood door and stepped into the well-lit foyer, which smelled of fresh flowers and apple spice.

  “I’ll be right with you,” a female voice called, and when I noticed the door with Powder Room embossed on it, I took the opportunity to relieve at least one of my urgent needs.

  As I walked back out into the lobby, my stomach growled, reminding me of another need I’d have to remedy pretty quickly.

  “I swear I heard the door chime, but when I went to the desk, there was no one there.”

  The lady speaking had her back to me, but I could see she was wearing a house dress with an apron covering it, and her gray hair was pulled back into a neat bun. The gentleman, who I assumed was her husband, caught my eye over her shoulder, and I was able to make out a grin beneath his massive salt and pepper beard.

  “I think I found our guest, Marie,” he said cheerfully, his voice deep and gravelly.

  Marie spun around with her hands clasped in front of her and gave me a welcoming smile.

  “Well, there she is,” she began as she moved closer to her side of the desk. “I knew I’d heard the door open. Welcome to the Promise Inn.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, crossing the few steps it took for me to reach her. “I know it’s last minute, but I’m really hoping you have a vacancy.”

  Marie’s smile drooped a little as she said, “No worries there, sweetie. We’ve only one other guest, and he’s here in the same predicament as you. Stuck here for a few days when all you were trying to do was pass through.”

  I was about to ask how she knew I was just passing through when what she said registered.

  “Stuck here for a few days?”

  “Big storm’s coming tonight,” the man replied. “Gonna have to hunker down here until it passes.”

  I looked out the window to see the snow was coming down even harder now.

  “Oh,” I murmured, a little disappointed I wouldn’t be able to continue to my destination tomorrow. But, I thought with a shrug, I could lay low here just as easily as I could in Aspen. Maybe even more so…

  “It’s lucky you got here when you did,” Marie said, once again cheerful. “We’ll get you set up in a warm and cozy room that’s sure to make your stay a pleasant one.”

  “Thank you,” I said, just as my stomach growled loudly. My cheeks heated, and I asked, “Is there a restaurant nearby?”

  “The diner is right next door, but you’d best put in an order quick. I’m sure Terry’s gonna close up shop early to get home before the storm,” Marie said. “Why don’t you give Merle your keys, and he’ll bring in your bags and get you settled while you get yourself some dinner.”

  When I paused, she lifted her chin, and said, “Go on. We’ll take care of everything.”

  “Thank you,” I said again as I reluctantly passed my keys to Merle.

  “You betcha,” Merle replied with a toothy grin.

  He held open the door, and I walked out, my head swinging left, then right, before my gaze fell on the sign for the Promise Diner.

  I looked back at Merle, and asked, “Is this town called Promise?”

  “Yes, it is… where we promise to make you feel at home,” he replied with a wink, before walking through the parked cars and opening my trunk.

  Pulling my coat tighter around my shoulders, I dipped my chin against the chill, quickly moving to the entrance of the diner. The walls were made of glass, so I could see one person working behind the counter and one customer still being served.

  I said a silent prayer of thanks when I pulled on the handle, and it opened. When I stepped inside, the smell of grease and old coffee wafted toward me, and I swear, nothing had ever smelled so good.

  “I know you must be closing, but would it be possible to put in a to-go order?” I asked hopefully when the man behind the counter looked in my direction.

  “Sure can… come on in,” he replied. “I hope you don’t mind me cleaning up while you wait. It’s supposed to be an ugly storm, and I expect I’ll be closed for a few days at least.”

  “Of course not. I appreciate you letting me in,” I said, crossing to the stool at the counter in front of him.

  His shirt had Terry embroidered on it, so when he placed a plastic menu in front of me, I said, “Thanks, Terry,” and began to look it over. Not wanting to hold him up any longer than necessary, I gave him my order.

  “Can I please get the chicken salad sandwich and fries?”

  “You got it,” Terry said, taking back the menu.

  As he started making my food, I sat down in the seat and finally turned my head to acknowledge the other customer in the diner.

  My stomach dipped and the breath caught in my throat as I took him in. Even sitting, I could tell he was tall. With jet-black hair a touch too long and a lopsided grin, he had a devilish aura around him and was so handsome it almost hurt my eyes to look at him.

  I’d guess he was a couple of years older than me, and the worn leather jacket and distressed jeans screamed bad boy… danger… while the entire package had the woman inside me sitting up tall and saying… yes, please!

  Chapter Two

  JOHNNY

  I’d seen her through the diner window and known instantly who she was…

  Lily May. Arguably one of the most beautiful women on the planet and definitely one of the most famous. The current darling of country music.

  Not that I was a huge fan of that kind of music. I was more of a rock guy myself, but my current admin was obsessed with Lily May, so I probably would have recognized her in a hoodie and dark sunglasses, rather than the vision she currently presented.

  Cheeks pink from the cold and long sunny locks in disarray, she looked adorably unsure of herself as she asked Terry, the man who’d told me more about his life in the past five minutes than my buddy back home had told me in the past ten years, if he’d allow her to order some food.

  I took advantage of her distraction, looking her over greedily. I could appreciate pure beauty in any form, and Lily May was definitely that.

  I took a bite of my burger, chewing absently as I watched the interaction between those two. I was a big people watcher. I found them fascinating, even if I didn’t always want to be around them.

  Not that I was a hermit or anything. As the owner of a garage and restoration business started by my grandfather and passed down two generations to me, I had to deal with customers on a daily basis. But that was usually a surface level relationship. It took a lot more for me to allow anyone to get deeper.

  I saw her hand Terry back the menu and saw her shift. Knowing she was about to look at me, I felt my body tense in anticipation.

  Her gaze landed on me like a sucker punch, and when her mouth opened slightly seemingly in shock and her eyes widened a bit, I knew she felt the same visceral reaction I did.

  I’d known she was beautiful but seeing her on screen or in a photograph was nothing like seeing her living, breathing person. There was something about her… a presence or magnetism that some people were just born with it. The It Factor, I think they called it in the entertainment industry.

  Whatever it was called, Lily May had it in spades.

  “How’s it going?” I asked when I finally found my voice.

  I was relieved my tone sounded normal. />
  Lily May’s face bloomed with a smile, causing another jolt.

  “Better now that I’m off the road and about to get some food in me,” she replied easily from two stools away.

  “I hear that. I only pulled in an hour ago, and this was my second stop after grabbing a room next door.”

  “Oh,” Lily May said, glancing next door as if a wall didn’t separate the diner and the inn. “You must be the other guest who’s stuck here for a few days… Marie’s words, not mine.”

  I grinned and dipped my chin.

  “Yeah, storm’s supposed to be nasty, so I figured this was a good place to wait it out. Where you headin’?”

  Lily May’s eyes shifted down, so I said, “You don’t have to answer that. I was just making conversation.”

  Her eyes caught mine, and she flushed slightly.

  “That’s okay. I’m a little overly cautious, I guess. I was on my way to Aspen. You?”

  “Vale,” I replied. “My client has a house there, and he asked me to deliver the car I restored since he’s out of the country on business.”

  “You restore cars? How interesting. What kind of car is it?” she asked politely.

  I smiled because I was pretty sure she couldn’t care less but was too well-mannered not to ask.

  “A 1966 Chevelle.”

  Lily May nodded, but seemed unsure how to proceed, so I threw her a bone. “I’m Johnny, by the way.”

  I stretched my arm across the counter and held out my hand to her.

  She looked down at it for a moment, seeming deep in thought, before shaking it and saying, “You can call me May.”

  Hmm, incognito.

  I got it. It must be a total drag to go around with press and fans hounding you all the time.

  “Nice to meet you, May,” I said, letting her hand go and turning back to my food.

  “You, too,” she said, just as Terry walked over with her to-go bag and said, “Here you go.”

  While I finished my dinner, Lily May paid her tab, so we ended up both moving toward the door at the same time.

  “Let me get that for you,” I said, passing her so I could open the door.

  She paused to look up at me, having to tilt her head back quite a way to manage, and gave me a smile.

  “Thank you.”

  I simply nodded and followed her out, finding I liked the fact she was so much smaller than me. I usually dated women five or six inches shorter than my six-foot-two frame, but Lily May had to come in at barely five four.

  We walked the few short steps back to the inn, where I held the door open for her once again. But as we went inside, I found myself wishing I could have more time with her. Not because she was famous or anything like that—I met plenty of famous people in my line of work. Actually, she hadn’t acted at all like I’d expected her too, so I was curious about her and the instant attraction I’d felt at the diner.

  “What do you say we meet back down here in twenty minutes for a drink?” I asked.

  She paused long enough I worried she’d refuse, but then her eyes lit up, and she said, “I’d like that. I just have to find out where Merle put my things.”

  I crossed to the desk and rang the bell to call Marie and Merle, then shot her a grin and said, “See you in a bit,” before heading up to my room to grab a quick shower and find something in my duffel that wasn’t covered in paint or grease.

  Chapter Three

  LILY MAY

  I felt a little bubble of excitement as I dried myself off and got dressed.

  Well, it was either a bubble of excitement or the after-effect of scarfing down the sandwich and fries so fast.

  I’d been in the public eye for so long that I was pretty sure I’d never had a guy ask me to meet him for a drink without there being some kind of ulterior motive on his part. Usually, he wanted me to introduce him to my agent, wanted to pass me a song he’d written, or had a demo he was sure I’d love.

  With Johnny, it wasn’t like that. He didn’t even know who I was, which was at once exhilarating and terrifying.

  I’d never been normal… and didn’t even know if I could pull it off. But, boy, was I eager to give it a try.

  I put on a light layer of makeup, which meant a little concealer, blush, and a swipe of mascara. I’d learned at an early age never to go out in public without at least the basics. If you went out barefaced, you were guaranteed to have someone, either the paparazzi or a fan, snap a photo and post it for all to revel in.

  Even though I wasn’t expecting to find anyone lurking in a corner with a camera in the middle of the night in Promise, the habit had been ingrained in me.

  Not wanting to look like I was trying too hard, I put on a pair of black leggings and an oversized sweater and made my way back downstairs to meet Johnny.

  When I hit the landing, I glanced around. Marie had said she and Merle were turning in for the night, so the lobby was lit by a single lamp, but Johnny was nowhere in sight. I padded softly in my socks-clad feet toward the room past the front desk, which I hadn’t been in yet.

  As I walked inside, I saw a grouping of tables to the right, which must be where breakfast was served, and then a small sitting area to the left. Johnny was there, standing in front of the fireplace, which was bookended by a loveseat and a couple of high-back chairs.

  My stomach fluttered, sending girlish delight coursing through me as I crossed the room toward him.

  Johnny turned slightly to watch me approach and looked me over with an appealing grin.

  “You came,” he said, and my lips turned up in response.

  “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” I said instinctively. If my dad had always been a stickler about one thing, it was good manners.

  “No, I’ve only been here a few minutes. Long enough to search up a couple of glasses,” Johnny said, gesturing toward the end table. “I hope you like whiskey.”

  I took in the bottle of Jameson and two rocks glasses and brought my eyes back to his.

  “I’ve been known to indulge,” I replied, hoping I came off as coy or flirty rather than a girl out of her depth, which is kind of how I felt.

  Sure, I’d drunk before. I was in the business, after all. But it was mostly champagne or beer in my world. I’d never really developed a taste for alcohol.

  Johnny moved a few steps to the table and poured a small amount into each glass before handing me one.

  “Thanks,” I said as I accepted it.

  “Shall we sit?” he asked, already crossing to the chair farthest away, giving me the other one.

  “So, you said that you restore cars,” I began as I sat, wanting to learn more about him. “Have you been doing it a long time?”

  Johnny settled back into the chair, his legs widening a bit as he rested the glass on his knee.

  “Since I could hold a wrench in my hand,” he said with a chuckle. “My dad owned the shop, and his father before him. I was raised around cars. First, I was taught how to fix them, then to restore them, and when my father retired, the shop came to me.”

  “Oh, wow, so you own it… I’m impressed,” I said, taking a sip of the amber liquid and trying not to wince as it burned its way down my throat.

  “Not as impressive as what you’ve done,” he replied, watching me closely as I felt my stomach dip.

  He knew.

  “I’m sorry, I figured when you said to call you May that you were trying to be incognito or something, but I didn’t want to deceive you… I know who you are, Lily May.”

  “Oh,” I said, disappointment warring with gratefulness that he hadn’t wanted to deceive me.

  That was a first.

  “It’s okay. It was silly of me to try to hide who I am… I should have known it wouldn’t work,” I added sheepishly.

  Johnny lifted his glass and twirled it slightly, so the liquid swirled in the crystal.

  “No, I get it. It must get tedious having everyone know your business… to not be able to go anywhere or do anything without bei
ng recognized.”

  I gave him a small smile, happy he understood.

  “It can be, but really, I can’t complain. I’m lucky to be in the position I’m in… to get to do what I love every day and have listeners respond to it. It would be ungrateful of me to be upset over my lack of privacy… especially with the life being a country singer has afforded me.”

  That had been ingrained in me all my life as well.

  Johnny leaned in a little closer, resting his elbows on his thighs.

  “You can complain to me. I won’t tell anyone… promise.”

  My eyes flew to his face, taking in his handsome features, dark tousled hair, and slightly wicked grin, and felt a fire light in my belly.

  “I might take you up on that.”

  Chapter Four

  JOHNNY

  Something about Lily May simply drew me in.

  After everything she’d been through, all she’d accomplished, I’d expected her to be somewhat jaded… spoiled even. But there was a sweetness about her which was unexpected. A sense she was unapologetically who she was, no matter how famous she became.

  I bit back a grin when I saw her take another sip of whiskey and try to hide a wince.

  “You don’t have to drink it,” I assured her. “I won’t be offended.”

  Lily May looked momentarily embarrassed, then smiled. “It’s a bit stronger than I’m used to.”

  She placed the glass on the table next to her as she asked, “Do you have any pictures of the cars you’ve restored?”

  “I do. Would you like to see a few?”

  “I’d love to.”

  I shifted in the seat so I could pull the phone out of my back pocket and opened the folder I had labeled restorations, before passing it to her.

  “Oh my gosh, these look amazing.”

  I felt my chest puff out a bit with pride. Restoring cars was definitely my passion, so it felt good when others saw the beauty I worked painstakingly to restore.