Theirs To Treasure: Happily Ever After (Fate Harbor Book 1)

by Caitlyn O'Leary

  The afternoon slowed down, which suited Josie just fine. Elise told her to get ready for a big day in a few weeks, since there was a school carnival, and a lot of parents brought baked goods to their children’s classrooms. Josie remembered when she worked for a bakery in Florida where they baked ahead of time for events like that but ended up with a lot of unsold items. She explained to Elise that she preferred to just keep normal inventory, and then take orders on top of that.

  “Okay, Honey, whatever you think is best.” Josie appreciated the fact that Elise offered advice, but then allowed her to make the final decision, without a lot of fuss and bother. “Aren’t Betty and Butch back in town today?” Elise asked.

  “Yep, they said they would drop by this afternoon and take me to dinner.” That was another reason that Josie had been so nervous. The last time she’d seen them in person, she’d been eight years old.

  As soon as Betty and Butch walked through the door, the years just melted away. They might have aged, but they were still two of the dearest people that Josie had ever known.

  Betty walked forward, her arms open wide. “Josie, you look wonderful.” And just like that, she was enveloped in familiar arms. Butch came up behind the two women, wrapping his huge arms around them both. Josie remembered this hug, this sense of safety and warmth.

  “My girl, it’s so good to have you back where you belong.” Josie looked up, stunned to see tears in the big man’s eyes.

  He stepped back and looked around the shop, “My God, Josie, this is amazing. I can’t even believe it’s the same place. Business has to be booming.”

  “It is, Butch,” Elise piped up from behind the counter. “Your girl is doing a great job. Welcome to Sweet Dreams Desserts.” There was pride in Elise’s voice.

  Betty held onto Josie’s arm as they toured around the shop, the older woman oohing and ahhing over all the displays and details that Josie had worked so hard on to make the shop her own. Betty missed nothing, noting every light fixture and every type of treat in the display cases.

  “Oh, I love this,” Betty exclaimed. Josie beamed.

  “I thought it was a great touch,” Elise said. “I had to force Josie to sneak in a couple of pictures with her and her sisters. Isn’t this a great one?” She pointed to one of her favorites. It was the one that the twins’ algebra teacher had taken of Josie and her sisters when the girls had graduated high school.

  “Oh my God, they look like you,” Betty said.

  Josie looked at Betty. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Look at the shape of their eyes, and that same stubborn chin. Yep, they might be blondes, but they are your sisters.” Betty smiled.

  Josie wrapped her arm around Betty’s shoulders. “You know, you’re the first person who ever said that. Because Mom was white and so were the girls, all I ever heard was how much they looked like her and I felt like the odd duck. So thank you for that.”

  “Are they stubborn like you?” Butch asked.

  Josie laughed. “Becca is. Do you see that picture of her there in the tennis outfit? That was the game where she served and they shut-out Kentucky. She’s fierce.”

  “She looks it,” Butch said.

  “Tell me more about the stuff in your display case,” Betty prompted. “Do you make everything Josie, or does Elise help?”

  “So far she only trusts me to make the batters and doughs. Josie does all the baking and decorating. I’m hoping to be promoted,” Elise said with an amused chuckle.

  Josie blushed, knowing she was a perfectionist, but it was her livelihood.

  “Wait until the school carnival in a few weeks, you’ll be sold out,” Betty predicted. “After that, Josie will have no choice but to let you help with everything.”

  “Have you been to Hart’s Diner?” Butch asked in his booming voice. Josie shook her head. “We’d take you to the steak house, or the Italian place, but we want to introduce you to everyone in town, and Hart’s is the place to go. It’s one block over, right near the wharf.”

  “She’s met almost everyone, but she hasn’t put them into context, if you know what I mean,” Elise said sagely.

  “Well, she’ll know what’s what and who’s who by the time we’re done,” Butch assured Elise, and he looped his arms around Josie and Betty and guided them out the door.

  Josie wasn’t surprised at the greeting that Butch and Betty received when they walked into the homey diner. What did surprise her was how many people called out to her. There were three waitresses and about forty patrons. Josie saw two men cooking in the back, and she found herself doing a double-take. They’d been in her shop at a busy point earlier, and Elise had sold them a pie before Josie could talk to them. For a moment she thought they were twins, but then decided they were probably just brothers.

  Holy hell, they look yummy! she thought. One of the waitresses walked up and caught her looking at the eye candy.

  “I know, pretty hot, huh? I pinch myself on a daily basis that I got this lucky.”

  “Oh, Honey, they’re the lucky ones,” Butch piped up. Josie watched as the pretty blond waitress blushed.

  “Butch, if Betty didn’t have you sewed up, and I didn’t have my hands full with my two husbands, I would so be knocking on your door. Now what can I get y’all to drink?”

  Josie’s eyes widened at the phrase two husbands.

  Betty saved her when Josie didn’t reply. “Josie’s been living in the South, so I bet sweet tea sounds good to her.” The blond waitress smiled knowingly. It seemed it wasn’t the first time she’d encountered that reaction when she’d told someone she had two husbands.

  “Coming right up,” she said. “Just so you know, Jace got in some spectacular salmon from Sven today, so I recommend that. It’s not on the menu, but it’s the best.”

  Josie’s gaze swung from Betty to Butch and back again after the waitress was out of earshot. “Two husbands?”

  “Yep,” Betty answered. “Actually, it’s a little more common around here than you would think. It took Butch a little getting used to as well. Me, not so much. I could immediately see the attraction.” Betty grinned at Josie.

  “A lot of this town was founded by fishermen and loggers from Alaska, so the population was skewed up there. When they came down, there were a few of these marriages already established,” Butch explained. “Some of the children and grandchildren of these families saw this as the norm, so they continued it. And don’t think we’re going to foster some strapping forty-year-old ‘husband’ for you, Betty. Ours is just a two-person marriage.” Butch winked at his wife.

  “Does it go the other way?” Josie asked. “I mean, two women to one man?”

  “I think that’s pretty limited to Utah. I haven’t seen it here in Fate Harbor,” said Betty.

  The waitress brought the teas to the table, and all three of them ordered the salmon. Butch asked Josie if she had formally met Lola yet, introducing the waitress.

  “I’ve been meaning to get over to your bakery, but the diner keeps me hopping. I have a proposition I want to run by you, Josie. Do you think you could stay after the dinner rush and talk to Jace, Dale, and me?”

  “Sure.” Josie was curious what possible proposition the diner owners could have for her. Betty and Butch smiled, as if they already knew what was going to be proposed. When Lola left and Josie asked them, she couldn’t get them to tell her anything.

  As they ate their dinner, they regaled her with tales of foster parenting, and she told them stories of raising her sisters. When they asked questions about her mother, she deflected them, which they respected. She noticed that they talked a lot about all the children they fostered, but the ones they mentioned most often were her and Chance, as well as four others named Olivia, Brianna, Sam, and Flynn.

  Finally, the dinner rush slowed almost to a stop, and the two men came out from the kitchen and towered over the booth where Betty, Butch, and Josie sat. Lola came over and stood between them. They each put an arm around her.

&
nbsp; Butch stood up and shook hands, introducing each man to Josie. “Josie, this ugly man on the left is Jace Hart. You can tell because he is just a little bit taller than his brother, Dale.”

  “Actually, they were in the shop earlier but we didn’t get a chance to meet.” Josie tried to stand up, but it was difficult since she was seated between Butch and Betty in the booth.

  “Josie, you don’t have to get up,” Dale said, smiling.

  “We’re really hoping you can help us out. Well, actually, I’m hoping you can help me out,” Jace said.

  “Believe me, it would help all of us out,” Lola said. “Jace does all the baking, and he hates it. We tried one of your amazing pies and we’re hoping we can purchase baked goods from you. We’ll stop baking our pies, and just purchase everything from you. You can upcharge us to any price you want.”

  “Anything, so long as I don’t have to bake anymore. I know it would probably put more of a burden on you, and you might have to bring on part-time help, but I’m sick of it, and people expect baked goods at a diner.” Jace sent her one of the most charming smiles she had ever seen. Lola sure had her hands full.

  Josie was excited, and it wasn’t because this man was flirting with her. This would really be a boon to her business. She turned to look at Butch and Betty who just sat there, smiling at her. They were obviously not surprised by this turn of events.

  “Please, Josie, it would really make Jace easier to live with.” Lola smiled at her.

  Josie thrust out her hand. “There will be no upcharge. This will definitely be a great opportunity for my business.”

  “Thank God. But you won’t be doing that before the school carnival in a few weeks. Instead you’ll be cursing my name, and I’ll be fine with that!” Jace gave a heartfelt sigh of relief. “I hated carnival time.”

  “Not as much as we hate being around you at carnival time,” Lola said.

  Chapter 6

  Josie watched as Sam Booth ran toward her. He was easy to recognize since she’d ogled him at the three classes they’d shared at the yoga studio. There was something very distinctive about the way he held himself, and really, who could miss that chest and those legs?

  Josie didn’t bother getting up from her kneeling position—it was too comfortable on the grassy knoll and she knew he’d be gone in just a moment.

  “Hi, Sam,” she called out with a smile in her voice.

  “What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?” he demanded as he reached her.

  “What?” That was not the greeting she was expecting.

  “It’s the middle of the night, Josie,” he snapped. “Why are you here at the park now, doing your goddamn yoga poses?” he demanded.

  “It’s almost five in the morning. Sunrise is ten minutes away. I love this time of the morning. Anyway, what business is it of yours?”

  “It isn’t safe,” he glowered as he towered over her.

  “For God’s sake, it’s Fate Harbor. No crime happens here,” she scoffed.

  She saw his eyes widen as the night sky started to pinken.

  “Get a clue, crime happens everywhere. Do you even have some mace?”

  “Of course not, I don’t believe in violence.”

  “God save me from pacifists,” Sam groaned. “Please, Josie, go home, it’s too damn early for you to be up,” he said in a calmer voice.

  Now she was angry.

  “Look here, mister, may I point out that you’re up? You’re running around at the butt crack of dawn. Do you have mace? As for it being too early for me to be up, I’ll have you know that I’ve been up since two o’clock in the morning baking. I come here at four-thirty in the morning to start stretching and get in some yoga because I love seeing the sunrise before I open my shop.”

  She didn’t mention how desperately she needed the exercise and stretching to help alleviate her back pain that came from the hard work of baking and running the shop. This was one of the few effective alternatives she’d found besides her pain medication.

  “That’s all well and good, but you should not be out here on your own at night,” Sam reiterated.

  “I wasn’t really asking for your opinion, now was I?” She got up off her knees and once again regretted her short stature because she found herself forced to look up about a foot in order to see his face.

  “You’re out of line. You can voice your concerns, but you sure as hell can’t tell me what I can and can’t do. Got it?” She slammed her fists on her hips.

  Josie turned to get her things. She so wanted to make a dramatic exit, but couldn’t—she was moving too slow because she never wore her brace or corsets for sleeping or morning yoga.

  Dammit!

  She bent gingerly to pick up her mat, towel, and bag.

  She stood up straight, ignoring Sam’s intent gaze, and started toward the VW bug that she loved so much.

  Before she made it two steps, he had deftly and gently pulled the bag off her shoulder and put his arm around her waist so that they were walking in synch toward her small compact car.

  “I’m sorry. Josie, I didn’t mean to say you didn’t know what you were doing. I just got a little scared when I realized it was you out here all alone in the dark.”

  Josie let his words sink in, let them settle, and when they did, she found herself smiling. Perhaps she had judged him too harshly. Poor thing was probably just suffering from a build-up of testosterone poisoning. She giggled to herself.

  “What?”

  Josie continued smiling.

  “Come on, let me in on the joke.”

  “It’s nothing, I was just thinking how it would be nice if I could feed you.”

  He stopped them and looked down at her. “Are you asking me out, Ms. Decker?”

  “More like I’m asking you in.” she smiled. “You’ve never come by the bakery. Maybe you can come by this morning and I’ll treat you to a cinnamon roll and some coffee.”

  He took the towel and the mat out of her hands and placed them on the roof of her car. Then he pulled the car keys out of the side of her bag.

  “How’d you know where to find those?”

  “That’s easy. You’re OCD, like me. Of course they would be where they belong. In the side compartment where they would be easy to retrieve.” He opened the driver side door and pushed the button to pop the trunk. Before Josie could even start to get in, he had the towel and the mat closed away in the trunk and was back at her side. “About that Sweet Dreams treat you promised me,” he said as he reached down to cup the side of her face. “What would you say if I told you I wanted my treat now?”

  As his head bent lower, Josie finally realized what he was saying. He actually meant to kiss her! This gorgeous man, with the dark hair and glittering green eyes, was saying that kissing her would be a treat, and that was the last coherent thought she could claim as his lips brushed against hers.

  The cool predawn air chilled her skin, but the warmth of his lips immediately heated her. It was a soft subtle touch that lingered, and Josie kept her eyes open the whole time.

  Sam lifted his head and looked down at her. He gave a slow, wicked smile. “Honey, you don’t have to hold onto my hands so tight. I promise they won’t go anywhere you don’t want them to.”

  Josie realized she’d been clutching at his hands. He was right, she was scared that he might want to roam, and the thought terrified her.

  “Can I touch your shoulders?” he coaxed. “Just your shoulders and your tense neck. Nothing more unless you agree. Well, and another kiss.”

  “You’re bad,” she whispered breathlessly.

  “No, I’m good. That’s what you’re afraid of.”

  Her laughter rang out across the lake. She bit her bottom lip, considering his words, then finally released his hands.

  One of his hands caressed the perfect spot where her neck and shoulders met, gently kneading at her tight muscles. While his other hand roamed up to the nape of her neck, his fingers splayed into the thick strands o
f her hair and started to massage her scalp, bringing her head closer to his mouth. As their lips touched, sparks caught her by surprise, his fingers began to trace circles on her shoulder, while she pressed her head deeper against his massaging fingers.

  The conflicting sensations, soft and hard, were a confusing morass of bliss that consumed her and just added to her pleasure. Several long, drugging kisses later, she realized that her nipples were hard points underneath the lace of her bra, and they were pushing against the rigid muscles of his chest.

  “God, Baby, rub some more! You feel so soft and good.”

  She lifted her arms around his neck and pressed herself chest to breast and felt him shudder. She froze. Oh, God, she wasn’t wearing anything but her yoga clothes and a bra and panties. She was rubbing her poochy tummy all over the man! She struggled to get out of his arms, but he just held her tighter.

  “I love how you move. We’re going to set the sheets on fire, Baby.” Sam brushed more kisses up the side of her neck, and Josie used both hands against his chest to push him away. Sam took a step back but kept one hand at the back of her head and moved the other to the back of her waist. “What is it, Josie? What’s wrong?”

  She looked up at him. She had a profound moment of déjà vu. Hadn’t she been in Chance Reynolds’s embrace a little over two weeks ago, and then running away because she knew he wouldn’t like how she looked? Only problem was, he was still running around after her, thinking that she was some kind of great catch because she was misrepresenting herself. Well, not this time! She took a step backward and would have fallen into her car seat if it hadn’t been for Sam’s hold on her.

  “Let go,” she urged.

  “Absolutely.” Sam held up his hands. “But can you tell me what’s going on?” he coaxed.