Hometown Series Box Set

by Kirsten Fullmer

  * * *

  Katherine watched over Tara’s shoulder, wondering what Becky and Alex were discussing. Whatever it was, they were intense.

  “Are you listening to me?” Tara asked with a grin, glancing toward Alex.

  Drawn back to the conversation, Katherine blushed. “Sorry.”

  Tara smiled understandingly at her new friend. “I get it, and I’m happy for you.”

  Katherine took in the faces of the people who filled her park, wondering who else knew that she and Alex were a couple. It was strange to have so many people who knew her, were involved in her business, and who could read her emotional state. Yet somehow it also felt… lovely.

  “I have to admit,” Tara added, “Yesterday I was a little worried about you two, but it looks like you’ve patched things up.”

  “We have,” Katherine admitted. “It’s been a little bumpy though.”

  Tara laughed out loud and put her hand on Katie’s arm. “Don’t expect that to end any time soon.”

  Katherine relaxed, welcoming the warmth of friendship. It was nice to know that someone else understood.

  “Oh, I’ve got to rescue Justin,” Tara cried, already in motion toward her husband who was trying to wrestle a half-filled box of donuts from the hands of his tiny daughter.

  “Good luck,” Katherine called after her new friend.

  * * *

  As the last car pulled away, heading down the gravel road with Julia and Chad’s truck bringing up the rear, Alex watched Katie walk toward him. She looked happy and relaxed but tired. Fish scampered at her feet, stopped to sniff, then hurried to catch up. A calm sort of joy filled his heart at the sight of the two, with the RV park and lush green hills in the background. Surprised to realize he was content, he still had to acknowledge the sorrow he carried deep in his heart. He owed it to his friends to never forget, but they wouldn’t want him to stop living because they’d died. It was a juggling act and he wasn’t very good at finding a balance yet, but he had come to the conclusion that he was finding his way, one day at a time, and that was the best he could do.

  As Katie approached, she raised her arms, as if to say, ”can you believe we did it?”

  He welcomed her into an embrace.

  “Tomorrow’s the big day,” she said, allowing him to hold her close.

  “Yup, is there anything we still need to do?”

  She shaded her eyes to survey the RV park. “I want to double check that all the propane tanks are full, as well as make sure I put the dishes and pans in the Mansion.” She counted the list off on her fingers. “I need to water the grass tonight and make sure all the hot water heaters work. And I never did put silverware in the Shasta.”

  He nodded as she went through her checklist. When she paused, he interrupted. “Do you have enough time for me to show you something?”

  Her eyebrows rose. “What is it?”

  He shook his head. “I want to show you, not tell you.”

  “I could use a break now,” she said, her eyes bright with anticipation.

  * * *

  “Do you think Fish will be okay at your place, alone?” Alex asked Katie as he drove.

  “That poor little guy was beat after playing with everyone this morning,” Katie assured him. “I’m sure he’s curled up on the sofa sleeping.”

  Alex shrugged. He hadn’t gone anywhere without Fish since he got him, and he had to admit that he’d become attached.

  As Alex turned off the highway, Katie gaped at him in surprise. “We’re going to Hershel’s house?” she questioned, as tarnished memories of the place flooded back.

  “You remember the way,” he said, tossing her a smile.

  She turned in her seat to better see him. “You never did tell me how you knew Hershel.”

  He maneuvered around a deep rut in the road, still not ready to speak of his special bond to the old guy.

  “You’re making me very curious,” she scolded.

  “You’ll see soon enough,” he assured.

  The truck drew to a stop in front of the old man’s porch, and Katherine climbed out, her eyes roaming over the house. “I haven’t been here since that summer,” she whispered, taking in the condition of the place. “It shows the years, doesn’t it?”

  Alex watched, caught up in her emotions as she climbed the steps, her hand caressing the porch rail.

  She turned toward him. “Is it locked?”

  He shook his head, so she tentatively drew open the screen and twisted the doorknob. The door creaked inward, and they hesitated, peering into the dark interior of the old house.

  Alex took her hand and together they stepped over the threshold into the small living room. Katherine’s eyes adjusted to the dim light as her gaze roamed over the slip-covered furniture, the old rug, the rocking chair, then to the fireplace, where photo frames still crowded the mantle. Wandering across the room, she stopped in front of the hearth to study the dusty photos. She tossed Alex an astonished glance, then reached up to take down a frame. As she wiped her forearm across the glass, dust rolled into curls and fell to the floor.

  She drifted to the window, tilting the frame in the subdued light for a better look.

  Alex joined her and looked over her shoulder at the photo of a small dark-haired girl holding the hand of a thin woman in her twenties. The pair stood in front of a park playground, and he noticed that the little girl’s hair was askew and she had a skinned knee.

  “It’s my mom and me,” she whispered as she reached out to touch the face of the woman. “I’ve never seen this picture.”

  “Maybe Hershel took it,” he offered.

  “Maybe,” she said, “but I don’t remember him ever visiting.”

  “You were pretty little.”

  She went back to the mantle to replace the frame. “This must be his wife,” she said pointing to a black and white wedding photo. “Oh, and this is Becky!” she cried, reaching for another frame. “Look at this!” she exclaimed, motioning for him to come closer.

  “Wow,” he blurted, grinning down at the photo of a very sexy, curvy woman wearing bell-bottom jeans and a halter top. “She was so—” he stopped, his neck turned red.

  “She certainly was,” Katie laughed, replacing the photo. Then turning from the fireplace, she roamed back through the room to the kitchen door. Placing her hand on the doorjamb, she took in the small room, still complete with table and chairs. Turning back to Alex, she smiled. “Thank you for bringing me here. It helps me to know Hershel better.”

  Without replying, Alex strode to a small desk tucked in the corner of the living room and bent to pull open the bottom drawer. He reached inside and withdrew a tin box.

  “What’s that?”

  “Becky told me about this today. She thought you should have it.”

  The first stirrings of concern fluttered in Katherine’s chest. What could be in a box that Hershel had kept? Would this answer her questions about Becky and the money? She nibbled her bottom lip.

  Alex walked past her into the kitchen, and she followed. To her surprise, he pulled out a chair at the table, dusted it off with one hand, then motioned for her to sit.

  She slipped into the chair, watching him in question as he settled into the chair beside her.

  He pushed the box toward her.

  She turned the box for a better look.

  “Hershel kept it in case you ever asked him about your dad,” Alex said.

  With a gasp, Katie yanked her hand back from the box. “My dad?”

  He nodded. “Before he died, Hershel told Becky about it.”

  “Wh—” She swallowed, her gaze flitting from Alex to the box and back.

  “I don’t know what’s in it,” he continued. “Do you want to look at it now or take it home?”

  She pushed back from the table and got up to pace. Alex watched in silence, giving her time. Finally, she slowed, her steps faltering as she glared at the box. “I don’t understand. All this time, I could have known about my dad?” />
  “I don’t know,” he said, brushing dust off the lid of the box. “Becky didn’t say anything about what was inside.”

  “I can’t believe this!” Katie cried, waving her hand in frustration. “All these years!”

  He stood, unsure what to do. “Do you want to leave?”

  She dropped back into her chair and stared blankly at the box. Finally, she pulled it toward her, noticing that it was an old cookie tin. Her eyes came up to Alex, her pupils dilated and her lips a firm line.

  He offered her a grim smile.

  Tentatively, she pried open the lid. The hinges were stiff, but she managed to swing the lid back onto the table. Inside the box lay a stack of letters, as well as a few other various pieces of paper.

  Carefully, she lifted out the letters, revealing a yellowed newspaper clipping. She placed the letters on the table and reached for the paper. Holding her breath, she stared at the scrap. The headline of the piece read, “Local Man Welcomes Brazilian Author,” and at the top of the article was the faded photo of a much younger Hershel, standing next to a tall, exotic-looking, 30-something man, with a full head of dark hair swept back from his face.

  Katie’s wide eyes came up to meet Alex’s and her lips parted in astonishment. “Is this my father?”

  He leaned closer for a better look. “I don’t know.” He scrutinized her face, comparing it to the photo. “Could be…”

  Katie placed the clipping on the table and picked up the top letter. The writing on the front looked strange, and the stamps were foreign. “It seems wrong to read these,” she whispered. “They’re addressed to Hershel.”

  “Becky said Hershel saved this stuff for you,” Alex assured.

  She stared at the letter, then tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. Finally, with shaking fingers, she withdrew the letter from the envelope.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The next night, firelight danced in the darkness as Katherine sat on her front step, staring into the flames. Crickets and frogs offered voices to the night, filling the forest around the park with woodland sounds.

  Laughter echoed across the field, bright and joyful, as Katherine watched her guests lounge on the patios of the little trailers, visiting and enjoying the evening. The group had arrived that afternoon, excited and interested in every detail of the campers. Tiny twinkle lights glowed from the awnings of the trailers, mingling with blinking fireflies, as the rumble of cheerful voices rose into the star-filled sky.

  “You’ve done an amazing thing here, Katie,” Alex said, interrupting her thoughts, as he tossed another log onto their fire. Sparks fluttered up into the darkness. “All you need to do now is fix up your own patio.”

  She laughed, realizing for the first time that her trailer was the only one without decoration of any kind. “I didn’t even think of that.”

  Fish wiggled in her lap, and she adjusted her grip on the puppy. “No, Fish, you can’t go see the people.”

  “Want me to put him inside?” Alex asked as he straightened, poking at the fire with a stick.

  “He’s fine,” she assured, snuggling the pup. Then, once again she marveled at the group enjoying her home. They were an extended family, meeting for a mini family reunion. “This is pretty cool, isn’t it?”

  Alex watched as the firelight tossed shadows and light across her and the puppy. “Hershel would be proud of you,”

  Her eyes came to his, reflecting in the firelight. “I hope so.”

  He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Have you decided what to do about your dad?”

  She shook her head, smoothing her hand down Fish’s back. “I still can’t believe he sent money every month. That sure would have helped my mom.”

  Truth be told, it would have changed everything for Katherine and her mom, considering the amount he’d sent her through the years. She still struggled to reconcile herself with the fact that the money had come from her father, not Hershel.

  Alex shrugged. “Your mom told him not to contact her.”

  “I know.” She sighed, staring into the fire, wondering how her mother could have been so cold, keeping her from her father. But a small part of her understood being abandoned and the pain that went along with it. It would take time to figure out how she felt about the whole thing.

  “It’s too bad he had to go back to Brazil,” Alex said.

  “Immigration and visas,” she lamented, shaking her head. “And family issues.” She held Fish tighter and examined Alex’s silhouette in front of the fire. “Why does life have to be so hard?” Here all these years she’d felt abandoned, and that wasn’t the case at all. After a lifetime of feeling alone, Hershel and her father had been there all along, and now they’d made her RV park possible. She’d been loved.

  Alex reached out a hand to pull her up. She shifted the dog under one arm and took his hand. Drawing her to his chest, Alex chuckled as Fish wiggled and squirmed between them. Taking the little dog, he bent and clipped the lead to his collar, then straightened to take Katie back in his arms. He searched her face in the dim, flickering light, wondering what she was thinking. “Are you mad at your parents?” he asked.

  Her hands came to his shoulders. “I don’t know, they did their best for me, I suppose.”

  More laughter rose from the group of trailers. “Your dad did send you a lot of money,” he said in speculation. The last 24 hours had left him in shock as well.

  Katie recalled the old-fashioned bankbook she’d found in the tin box, where Hershel’s spidery handwriting had carefully noted each deposit. “Yes, he did,” she had to agree. “It’s sad to think that all these years I despised him for abandoning me, yet it wasn’t his choice. He didn’t forget me.”

  “Are you going to get in touch with him?” Alex asked, raising one hand to caress her cheek.

  But she was already swept away and didn’t answer. Her eyes drifted closed as she drowned in the romance of the starlight, the campfire, her home, and Alex’s touch. It felt so sweet to be with him, here in this moment.

  It was amazing that Alex had spent years fighting in the desert, then he was wounded and lost, withdrawn behind a wall of jokes and jests. And through the loss of her mother, Katie had hidden away in her work. But they hadn’t been able to hide from each other. And it was wonderful to think that even through their separate defeats and pain, coming back together had given them the opportunity to find the parts of themselves they’d lost, helping each other to recover.

  Katie realized that for the first time in her life, she felt open, free, yet safe, whole, and happy. How could she not, surrounded by love and friendship? And knowing she was half Brazilian made her feel a little bit… sexy!

  “Did I tell you I’m opening my dad’s old shop?” Alex asked.

  Her eyes flew open. “To work on trucks?”

  “You remember.” He beamed.

  She smiled, seeing the boy in Alex once again. “I heard something the other day that kind of stuck,” she said. “It went something like: We fill the spaces we live in with memories. I like that, and I’ve decided I’m going to work on bringing back more of the good memories.”

  He pondered her words, his thoughts wandering through the last few months and how his life had changed, yet how he still carried it all with him -- good, bad. and otherwise. “Good idea,” he agreed, then continued. “I was thinking— if it’s okay with you— I may like to work on some vintage trailers in my shop, as well.”

  Katie’s heart swelled, understanding that Alex had taken a big step, not only for himself and his future, but to also work with her. Together, they could restore any trailer they put their minds to.

  “Are you listening to me?” Alex whispered in her ear, dropping his hand to her hips to pull her closer.

  She smiled dreamily, slipping her arms around his neck as his hands smoothed across her lower back. “Mmhhmm,” she moaned, pressing her hips to his and twining her fingers through the hair on the back of his neck. “Trailers, trucks, my dad...” She grinned
impishly. “How about— when things slow down here for the winter— we hook up my trailer and head south. Do you think the dog would like to park on a beach in South America?”

  Alex soaked her up with his eyes as he imagined their incredible future but feeling more than content in the moment. “Well,” he answered with a grin, “I did name him Fish…”

  The Hometown Series

  Hometown Girl at Heart

  Hometown Girl After All

  Hometown Girl Forever

  Christmas in Smithville

  Hometown Girl Again

  Hometown Girl Memories

  Hometown Girl Memories

  Copyright © 2019 by Kirsten Fullmer

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  To my Macenzie, without whom I could never have written this book

  Chapter One

  Winnie took Isabelle’s plump little hand in hers and smiled reassuringly. She knew the two-year-old wasn’t used to taking her morning nap at her Nana’s house, but since her momma, Tara, was so busy running the Inn, it was the best solution.

  It didn’t bother Winnie to put aside her chores and spend time with Bella. It was a pleasure to sit on the edge of the bed and hum her to asleep. She cherished these grandma moments. Something about sitting with a sleeping child calmed one’s nerves.

  Bella shifted under the handmade quilt and tugged her hand from Winnie’s arthritic fingers. “No, no, Nana. Eyes,” she demanded.

  Winnie started again, this time humming the first few bars of Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You. The little girl relaxed into the soothing melody, her eyes drifted closed, with her lashes dark against her pink cheeks.