“Ah, would you? I hate to ask, especially after all the time you spent here last night, but I fear I’m no good to him.”
“It’s no problem at all, Thomas. Happy to help. I’ll be over within the hour.”
LUKE ALWAYS KNEW the path he’d take in life would be the same, worn out ruts on the road his father and grandfather paved years before. His destination was always to take over the ranch. One day it would be his, and the mustangs and the hayfields and the barn and all the income that generated would fill his bank account, just like it had his parents’ when his grandfather passed away and they were left with the inheritance.
It always sounded like a good plan—a solid one. One that stood the test of time, and in this day with a wavering economy and unpredictable employment options, the ranch was a sure, tried and true bet. Luke never thought to dream of anything different for his life.
But Merrylark had him dreaming.
“PASS ME THAT level when you get a chance?” Devon called over his shoulder as he balanced on the middle step of the ladder. “This trim doesn’t look straight at all to me.”
“Nah, your eyeballs are just crooked.” Luke handed off the tool.
“Hey, not all of us are blessed with such perfectly symmetrical, handsome faces like yours, Handley.”
Luke chuckled. “This old mug?” He waved a palm over his face. “Hardly symmetrical and definitely not handsome.”
“I know of at least one Merrylark maiden who would beg to differ.” Devon nodded toward the huge picture window facing Glenn Street. “Speaking of, isn’t that her walking up the street right now?”
Luke rolled his wrist over to look at his watch. It was just approaching noon and, as promised, Jolene was about to show up at Devon’s renovation project. Luke had needed to postpone their breakfast in order to tend to Cyprus, but that had been okay with him. Instead of three meals together, they’d only share two. One-third less opportunity to keep from falling for her. That’s what he tried to tell himself but he knew it was nonsense. He was all in.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous, Luke. I mean, not necessarily of your face, but of the fact that you’ve somehow managed to gain the affection of one of the most genuine, kindhearted women I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.” Devon stepped down from the ladder and walked toward his friend. “After Mark, I never thought I’d ever see her this happy again. I think you have a lot to do with that.”
“But I’m leaving.”
“Sure. You’re leaving. Future tense. You haven’t left yet, and I know it’s none of my business, but I do have to say, you’d be a fool to actually leave. No one in their right mind would willingly leave a woman like Jolene,” Devon said. “I know I sure wouldn’t.”
“It’s not that easy, Devon. I have obligations back home. A ranch to tend to. Mom and Dad aren’t exactly spring chickens, and let’s face it, there’s not much here for me to do with the very few skills I’ve been blessed with.”
Devon crossed his arms over his upper body. “I think you grossly underestimate what an asset you are to a town like ours. Didn’t you just act as a vet to Thomas’s old horse this morning?” Luke gave a hesitant nod. “And I think you’re also underestimating just how much a certain someone has fallen for you. You need to start seeing things for what they are.”
At that instant, Jolene appeared in the open frame of the door, two brown lunch sacks in hand and a grin spread ear to ear.
“I’ve arrived with sustenance and sweets!” She jostled the bags in the air. “Made a quick stop down at The Rolling Pin. Hope you boys are hungry!”
“Famished.” Devon collapsed to the floor to sit with his legs crisscrossed. “How was the bakery today?”
“As crowded as ever.” Jolene passed off the bags and slid to sit on the hardwood next to Luke and Devon, avoiding the tools that littered the floor.
“I keep trying to get Aunt Martha to expand that shop. Believe it or not, I just happen to know a guy who will have a pretty spectacular storefront up for rent shortly. Can’t convince her to sign the lease, though. Aunt Martha just doesn’t think she needs that much space for a bakery.”
“She could easily pack it out,” Luke said as he pulled a ham and cheese sandwich out of a clear plastic bag. He bit into it and savored the homemade taste. It reminded him of the sandwiches his mother would pack in his lunchbox back when he was a kid. Simple, but full of love.
“I agree,” Devon said. “But she says I should save it for a tenant who won’t fold after the first month.”
“There’s no way The Rolling Pin would ever go under. I’m absolutely convinced Martha and Gary’s baked goods are what keep this entire town running,” Jolene said matter-of-factly. “Well, that and Cat’s coffee. The only thing better than a maple iced scone is a maple iced scone with a cappuccino.”
“Sounds like the two would make good business partners,” Luke said absentmindedly as he polished off the last bite of sandwich.
“You’re absolutely right about that, Luke.” Jolene tilted her head in thought. “I know Cat has a love-hate relationship with that food truck. She originally wanted to open up a storefront, but as Devon can attest to, prime real estate in this town doesn’t come up all too often.”
“The very reason my dad and I snatched this place up as soon as it became available.”
“Sounds like that might be something worth exploring,” Luke noted. “Cat’s Rolling Coffee Pin.”
Jolene giggled and covered her mouth. “Not sure a place with that name would be a huge hit.” Her shoulders bounced up and down with laughter.
“Cup of Coffee and Some Baked Stuff,” Devon deadpanned.
“While I appreciate the straightforwardness of it, maybe something a little less wordy?”
“Cup of Joe?” Luke suggested.
Jolene’s eyes lit up. “I love it! Now that’s a place I would visit every day, and not just because my name is in the title. And speaking of prime real estate, I have to cut our lunch visit short. The O’Connells called this morning and they’re actually thinking of putting the lake house on the market after all these years. I’ve got to run back to meet the realtor by one o’clock.” She packed up the empty bags and wrappers left over from their lunch. “But let’s pick this conversation back up later. I think we might really be onto something.”
“Care to chat over dinner?” Luke already knew they had plans to spend the evening together, but he just couldn’t resist asking her out again. It felt so good to do so.
“Absolutely. Six o’clock?”
“On the dot.”
15
Jolene
EVEN THOUGH GLENN Street was just a few short miles from home, the Christmas season congestion impacted their small town, clogging the roadways with holiday shoppers and errand runners. Jolene kept glancing at the clock on her dash, wishing not to keep the realtor waiting. She’d been stopped at the one light in town for nearly five minutes, and a deer and her babies held her up on the two lane highway. Evidently they weren’t in as much of a rush as she, as they pranced along the snow-slicked road like they belonged hitched to Santa’s sleigh.
By the time Jolene’s tires turned into her driveway, she could see the realtor standing outside the lake house, anticipating Jolene’s arrival with a large leather bag over her shoulder and a scowl on her face.
“I’ll be right there!” Jolene hollered, racing up the steps to her home. “Just have to let the dog out real quick!”
She fit the key into the bolt and jogged to the back room where Ace lay sleeping on the queen-sized bed.
“Okay, buddy. Go do your business. Quickly.” She held the back door open for him, tapping her foot while he took care of things. When he bounded back into the house, she planted a kiss on his head and gave him a quick scratch behind his ears. “I’ll take you on that walk as soon as I’m done with this meeting. Promise.”
Pulling the door shut behind her, Jolene hurried toward the neighboring home, feeling frazzled a
nd unkempt, the exact opposite of the gorgeous, yet stern, woman who stood on the Welcome mat of the O’Connell house. She was tall and slender with cheekbones that belonged in a beauty marketing campaign. Her dark hair hung sleek and straight to the middle of her back, and even the way she swept it over her shoulder was both lovely and intimidating.
“I’m so sorry!” Jolene stammered as she sprinted up to the house. Her hands worked to open the front door. “Got held up in town and then traffic was an absolute bear. Actually, a deer, but that’s a different story.” Something about the woman’s commanding presence made Jolene nervous. “Did you run into any traffic on the way up here? Road 29 tends to be a bit less clogged this time of year. Unless you cut over and took 42. That’s a road you wouldn’t want to be caught on the second week of December. Without fail, you’ll get stuck behind one of those massive snow plows and then you might as well call off any plans for the day. Those things move slower than snails.” Jolene had no control over the babbling. “So…this is the place. Feel free to take a look around and let me know if I can answer any questions for you. I live just next door and if I can be completely honest here, I probably know this place better than the owners do. Just holler if you need me.”
Before the woman could open her mouth to respond, Jolene had left, anxious to create some distance between them and eager to focus on her much anticipated dinner date with Luke later that evening.
THERE WAS ONE nice restaurant in Merrylark: Shanley’s. On Thursdays, they served a prime rib dinner, and as though Jolene’s stomach could predict the day of the week, she’d been craving the delicious meal all day long. To pass the time, she’d gone out for an afternoon run with Ace. Running had a miraculous way of clearing Jolene’s head. She could focus on the crunching of ice under her tennis shoes and suddenly all of her worries slipped out of her tense shoulders and her jumbled mind, like she could stomp her stresses out through her feet.
On her final stretch home, she caught sight of Hank’s tow truck lumbering up the road ahead.
“Hey there, cousin,” Hank hollered out the rolled down window as Jolene jogged up in the bike lane next to him. “Got your friend’s truck all tuned up and running again. Easy fix. Mind if I park it in your driveway? Looks like his is occupied.”
Jolene noticed the realtor’s BMW still parked outside the lake house. She frowned. “That’s strange.” She shook her head. “Of course, feel free to leave it just behind mine. Let me know what the bill is and I’ll get it paid.”
“Free of charge. Friends and family discount.”
“A discount of one-hundred percent? That’s one mighty big discount, Hank.”
“’Tis the season.” Hank tipped his hat and revved the engine. “I’ll get this truck unloaded and be out of your hair. Happy holidays, cousin.”
“Same to you, Hank.”
LUKE CALLED AROUND 4:00 to ask if it would be alright if the two met at the restaurant instead of their original plan to have Luke pick Jolene up at her house. He’d been held up at Devon’s putting the finishing touches on the studio space. Though he said he was embarrassed to start their date off in separate cars, Jolene didn’t mind at all. In fact, she was excited about the surprise she’d been cooking up all afternoon and couldn’t wait to see the look on Luke’s face when she pulled up to Shanley’s.
At 6:00 p.m. when Jolene angled Luke’s precious Bessie into an open spot directly in front of the restaurant’s entrance doors, she instantly noticed Luke’s dropped jaw and wide, unbelieving eyes.
“Doesn’t she look great?” Jolene said as she stepped out of the driver’s seat and onto the curb, careful to balance on the pointed heels she had precious little practice walking on.
“She’s breathtaking,” Luke uttered. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Jolene’s breath caught when he leaned in to brush a light kiss on her cheek.
Luke took hold of her hand and stepped back to admire his date for the evening. For Jolene, comfort was usually the determining factor when making a wardrobe selection, but tonight she’d intentionally changed her ways. She wanted to dress up for Luke. She wanted to be beautiful for him. After trying on nearly every dress in her closet, she decided on a black number with an empire waist and sequined bodice and long bell sleeves. It had been an impulse buy years back when she’d first eyed it in a local dress shop window. She’d walked passed that dress over a dozen times before returning to the store and forking over way too much for it. Since that moment, she’d often regretted that rash decision, the thick layer of dust that covered the garment bag a reminder that she’d never have the occasion nor the person worthy of that magical dress.
But then she met Luke and suddenly it felt like she could wear the dress every day of her life.
“You look so incredibly beautiful, Jolene.”
Tucking her chin, she looked down at her feet. “Did you see Bessie?” She stepped to the side. “She’s up and running again, compliments of Hank. Quite literally—all of the work he did was completely complimentary, free of charge.”
“Hardly even noticed her.” Luke leaned in to sweep another kiss on her cheek and this time he lingered for just long enough that Jolene could smell his cologne. “You in that amazing dress kind of eclipses everything else. But you must be freezing.” He ran both hands up and down her arms. “Let’s get inside. Our table should be ready for us.”
Jolene followed Luke into Shanley’s, taking the time to appreciate just how nice he looked, too. He wore a black and red plaid flannel shirt which looked suspiciously like something out of Devon’s closet. But Devon never looked anywhere close to as handsome as Luke did with it tucked into dark denim jeans. His black cowboy boots were the perfect finishing touch. Jolene found herself smiling—giddy almost—over the fact that she was on a date with the most handsome man in the room. Make that, the most handsome man in Merrylark.
Once inside, the hostess guided them toward their table. It was the best one in the house, tucked cozily into the far corner, right next to a stone fireplace that was draped with holiday garlands and strung with silver sparkling tinsel. Tall red and white pillar candles twisted like candy canes flickered on the mantle and wrapped packages were stacked neatly on the hearth as if they were under a tree. Stockings with what Jolene recognized as the names of the wait staff hung among the festive décor. It was a beautiful sight.
“Your table.” The hostess held out her hand.
Luke scurried to slide out Jolene’s chair, handing her the black folded napkin to lay across her lap after she took her seat.
“Thank you,” she said, blushing when he pushed her chair back in and sat down across from her, his eyes never faltering from hers.
“Eric, your waiter, will be right with you.”
The young hostess left the two alone, and though Jolene had been alone with Luke on multiple occasions over the last few days, in this moment, she felt truly anxious to be in his presence. This wasn’t the casual cup of coffee they’d shared the first day they’d met. This was a formal, sit down meal, and Jolene couldn’t bring to mind the last time she’d had a proper date like this. She felt out of practice and out of her element.
Releasing their locked gaze for just a moment, Luke let out an audible breath. “Whew,” he uttered as his shoulders dropped. “I’m really nervous.”
“Me too!” Jolene half shouted. Luke eyes bulged at the volume of her reply and they both burst into laughter. Reaching across the table, he covered her hand with his.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t pick you up. But I have to admit, watching you step out of my truck in that dress was just about the best thing I’ve ever seen.”
Though she hadn’t known it earlier, that was the exact reaction her heart had been hoping to hear.
“You said Hank isn’t going to charge anything for the work he did?”
“He just said ‘happy holidays’ and that it was on him. Friends and family discount.”
Luke grinned, but Jolene cou
ld tell that didn’t sit well with him. “I just don’t feel right about letting him do all that work without any sort of pay.”
“Didn’t you pay several hundred dollars to have her towed?” Jolene asked. Luke nodded. “I’d just consider that as a prepayment for the labor he ultimately did on the truck.”
“I suppose I could try to look at it that way.”
Just then, their waiter walked up to their table. Jolene had been waited on by him before and knew him to be the son of the town’s mayor. He was young—just out of high school—with floppy dark hair and a large, toothy smile that seemed too big for his face.
“Hi there,” he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Welcome to Shanley’s. My name’s Eric and I’ll be waiting on you two this evening. As you might already know, tonight’s a set menu of prime rib and garlic mashed potatoes. A Caesar salad will begin the meal, and we’ll finish up with a flourless chocolate cake. Would you like to start off with anything to drink besides water?”
“Maybe a bottle of your house merlot?”
“Of course.” Eric bowed a little. “I’ll bring that right out, along with some bread and butter.”
Jolene remembered Luke had said he didn’t often drink, so she was surprised by his order.
“Up for bit of wine tasting tonight?” she said, smiling after Eric left. “I thought you said you didn’t really drink much.”
“I don’t,” Luke admitted. “I just figured that’s what you were supposed to do on a date. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve been on a first date, Jolene. I’m trying to remember what it looks like from the movies I’ve seen.”
That made Jolene laugh. “You’re doing just fine, Luke. Just be yourself. That’s the person I’ve started falling—” She halted. Luke’s eyes filled with intrigue, awaiting her words. “Falling for.”
Luke squeezed her hand, then let go as a basket of bread was delivered to their table, placed in between them. “How did the meeting with the realtor go?”
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