Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 1 of 2

by Marta Perry

  She strode onto the covered porch, knocked on the six-panel double door and waited.

  A few seconds later, a trim blonde who appeared close to her own age opened the door, Sassy wiggling at her feet. “Can I help you?” Blue eyes that looked a lot like Bum’s held a smile.

  “Hi, I’m Christa Slocum.” She stooped to pet the dog who was now circling her feet. “I live just up the road and go to church with Bum.” She stood. “Is he receiving visitors?”

  “He sure is.” She motioned for Christa to enter. “Matter of fact, he’s going a little stir-crazy, so guests are his connection to the outside world.”

  “I can imagine him struggling with being cooped up.”

  “Honey, you don’t know the half of it.” They both laughed. “I’m Sandy, by the way. Bum’s daughter.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Sandy led her into a room with a vaulted ceiling, leather furniture and a limestone fireplace with a huge brown-and-white longhorn head mounted over the mantel. “You have company, Dad.”

  Bum looked up with a quick smile as Sassy jumped into his lap. “Christa, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

  She approached his recliner and gave him a brief hug. “You’re looking much better than the last time I saw you.”

  “Yeah, well.”

  “I brought you some homemade banana bread.” She glanced at Sandy. “It’s low-fat.”

  “Now why’d you have to go and ruin it by sayin’ that?” Bum scowled.

  “I was skeptical, too,” said Christa, “but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

  “I’ll leave you two to chat,” said Sandy.

  “You don’t have to leave.” Christa hated to think she’d chased her off.

  “That’s all right. I need to call home and check in with my kids.”

  “Have a seat.” Bum gestured toward the couch. “How are you doing?”

  She perched on the edge of the cushion. “I think I’m supposed to be asking you that.”

  “Ah, I’m right as rain.” He shifted in his seat to make more room for Sassy. “Least once they let me get back to work.” His friendly blue eyes seemed to bore into her. “Mick told me what happened.”

  She drew in a deep breath and simply nodded.

  “I know you feel like Mick lied to you and that it stings like crazy, but he never set out to hurt you, Christa. That boy’s got a heart of gold.”

  “I know he does.”

  “What you may not know is that he doesn’t open that heart to too many people. You were blessed to be one of them. Problem is, he didn’t just open his heart to you, he plum gave it away.”

  Her cheeks warmed and she offered a nervous smile. Bum was the last person she’d expected to have this kind of conversation with. Then again, he did think of Mick as a son. But it made her uncomfortable.

  “Yeah, Mick messed up,” he continued. “We country boys are prone to that sometimes.” He smiled. “But when we love, we give it everything we’ve got.”

  While she appreciated his insight, she needed to get out of there. “I’ll be honest, Bum, there’s a part of me that really wants to believe that. But the bigger part of me, the one that’s been jaded by the lies of someone else I thought loved me, is afraid to take that risk again.” She shrugged. “Once bitten, twice shy. Except I’ve been bitten twice.”

  “Don’t judge Mick on the actions of someone else. That’s not fair to him or you.”

  She thought for a moment. “I suppose you’re right.” She stood. “And I’ll try to keep that in mind. I need to get home to my Dixie, though. She’s probably crossing her legs.”

  “All right, young lady. You take care of yourself.”

  Driving a mile up the road to her farmhouse, she couldn’t help thinking about what Bum said. It was wrong to judge Mick based on Brody’s actions. They were two completely different people, and Mick was a far better man than Brody ever thought about being. But the fact that Mick had evaded the truth, dancing his way around it by suggesting she have a cute little storefront, still irked her. If he’d have simply come clean, they wouldn’t be where they were now. But he hadn’t.

  She pulled into the main drive, bumping over the cattle guard, and again when she turned into her drive. God, when will my heart stop hurting?

  Gathering her purse, she stepped out of the vehicle.

  “Miss Christa.”

  Stunned, she jerked her head up to see Sadie running toward her from the porch. “Sadie?” She embraced the child, whose arms went around Christa’s hips. “What are you doing here?”

  The girl took a step back and looked up at her. “I misseded you.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve missed you, too.” She scanned the yard and the porch looking for Mick. “Where’s your uncle?”

  “At the camp house.”

  Alarm bells went off in Christa’s head. “Does he know you’re here?”

  Just then her phone buzzed. She tugged it from the back pocket of her jeans to see Mick’s name on the screen. Looked like she had her answer.

  Sending Sadie a look of disapproval, she answered the call. “Hello.”

  “I can’t find Sadie.” Panic filled his voice. “If you see her, please—”

  “She’s here with me. I just got home to find her waiting.”

  “Oh, thank God.” His relief crackled through the line. “I’ll be right there.”

  Ending the call, she eyed the child before her. “All right, Sadie, would you care to tell me what’s going on?”

  “I wanted to see you.” Her bottom lip pooched out.

  “Then why didn’t you ask your Uncle Mickey to contact me?”

  “I did. He said you didn’t want to talk to him.”

  Christa heaved a sigh, wondering if this was what divorce was like when kids were involved. “Come on. I need to let Dixie out.” She knew seeing Mick was inevitable. They were neighbors, after all. Still, while her mind continually replayed all the reasons why she should not be with him, she wasn’t sure how her heart would react to seeing him. She’d better get used to it, though.

  Sadie was chasing Dixie around the yard when Mick’s truck pulled into her drive. She could see his anxiety the moment he stepped out of his vehicle. A mixture of anger, relief and sheer terror pinched his handsome features as he strode toward Sadie.

  “Sadie Louise Sanderson, what are you doing up here?”

  His niece pouted. “I wanted to see Miss Christa and you wouldn’t let me talk to her.”

  He glanced Christa’s way. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t. I know you and Miss Christa have a very special relationship.”

  One that had fallen victim to her dismissal of Mick. Christa should have been more sensitive. Instead of focusing on her feelings, she should have thought about how her and Mick’s breakup—as if they were ever a couple—would impact the precious little girl who was still coming to terms with the loss of her parents.

  “How did you get up here, anyway?” He stared at his niece.

  “I walkeded. But I weared my rubber boots.” She lifted her foot to show him.

  “At least the only traffic around here is you and me.” Christa forced herself to meet Mick’s gaze. “Sadie, why don’t you play with Dixie while your Uncle Mickey and I talk.”

  “Okay. Come on, Dixie.” They took off across the yard.

  Mick lifted his hat and thrust his hand through his hair. “She scared the fire out of me. I was only puttin’ laundry away, and when I came downstairs, she was nowhere to be found. I was afraid she’d fallen into the cow pond or something.”

  “I was pretty surprised to see her here. I would have called once I’d finished grilling her, but you beat me to it.”

  He met her gaze, and she wished she could smooth away those lines that creased his forehead. “She loves you,
you know?”

  “And I love her, too. I’d be happy to have her visit or spend the night. And she can always call and talk to me.”

  He nodded. “I appreciate that.”

  “Have you told her yet? About the custody hearing?”

  “No.” He watched Sadie play. “I’m afraid of how she’ll react. But I will. Soon.”

  “If I can help in any way, just let me know.”

  His attention returned to Christa. “Are you doing all right?”

  “Yeah, I’m just fine.” The words tumbled out too quickly. But seeing Mick, the depth of his concern and love for Sadie, only reminded her of what she was missing.

  “Good. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything.”

  She nodded, then stood there in awkward silence. No more teasing jabs like they’d exchanged even before Sadie came to live with him, no laughter. They were barely friends.

  “Let me grab Sadie, and we’ll be out of your way.”

  After hugging Sadie goodbye, Christa watched as they climbed into Mick’s truck and drove away, wondering if this was how it was always going to be. Because if it was, she wasn’t sure she could bear it.

  Her phone rang and when she looked at the screen, she saw Jade’s name. “Hello.”

  “Oh, good. I was afraid you wouldn’t answer.”

  “What is it, Jade?”

  “The company I told you about seems to have their heart set on you. I told them you weren’t interested, but they insisted I try one more time. Something about third time being a charm.”

  As Mick’s truck disappeared into the woods, grief wove its way through Christa. Perhaps the timing of this call was God’s way of telling her it was time to move on. At least in corporate life she’d have plenty of work to bury herself under and she’d never have to feel.

  “Tell you what, Jade. I will speak with them, but only by phone or video chat. If they won’t consent to that, then I have no interest.”

  “All right. I’ll let you know what they say.”

  Returning the phone to her back pocket, she looked from Dixie to the farmhouse she’d painstakingly restored, fulfilling a long-time dream.

  Her gaze shifted to the winding road that led to Mick’s camp house. For the briefest of moments, a new dream had ignited. One she’d never imagined. But that dream had been extinguished by a lie. Perhaps it was never meant to be. Yet she wasn’t sure she could live with the daily reminders of what might have been.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  For whatever reason, Bliss Hardware was particularly busy on Friday. Perhaps the spring window display coupled with warmer than usual weather and the promise of a gorgeous weekend had folks eager to shake off their winter blues and move headlong into summer. Christa was not about to complain, though. She just wished she hadn’t scheduled her video interview for this afternoon. She hadn’t stopped all day. Fortunately, her friend Rae had sent over lunch from her café. Someone must have told her how busy things were. It was nice to have somebody anticipate her needs.

  Now the sun beat down on her SUV as she made her way home. Trying to stay focused on her interview would be nearly impossible at the store. Way too many distractions and potential interruptions. And after looking over the information Jade had emailed, Christa had determined to give it her full attention. Yes, it would mean leaving Bliss, a place she loved and had come to think of as home, but could she remain here, seeing Mick day after day, sharing fleeting moments with Sadie, always wondering what might have been?

  As she approached the drive, she saw Mick on his big tractor and her heart skipped a beat. What was he doing there? And why was he blocking her driveway?

  Drawing closer, she noticed that her cattle guard had been removed and he was cleaning out the ditch beneath it that had collected all sorts of dirt and debris.

  Hmm… Just like he’d said he would that day she offered to help him with Sadie’s room.

  Something about that made her smile, and not only because it meant her flowers and fountain grass would be safe from that brown cow and her wandering ways. Mick was a man of his word. Someone who followed through. Traits she admired. But lying? Not so much.

  She parked far enough away to where her vehicle wouldn’t be in his way, then tried to figure out how to get in. It was either leap over the chasm where the cattle guard had once been—which would be nearly impossible given she was not an expert hurdler—or shimmy between the barbed wires on the fence, which she’d seen Mick do plenty of times.

  The warm midafternoon sun beat down on her as she moved toward the fence. She slipped one leg between the horizontal wires, bending at the waist to slide her torso through. Simple enough. Until her Bliss Hardware shirt got caught on one of the barbs. She tried to break free, but she only managed to make things worse.

  Chagrin heated her cheeks when she saw Mick coming toward her.

  “You look like you could use a little help.” He stepped on the lower wire, his boot drawing it to the ground, then freed her shirt, allowing her to pass through.

  “Thank you.” Standing on the opposite side of the fence, she couldn’t help noticing his muscular arms, how his biceps tested the sleeves of his gray T-shirt.

  “What are you doing home this time of day?”

  “I’ve got a video call at two and the store has too many distractions.”

  “Must be important.”

  Considering it could determine whether or not she stayed in Bliss… “Yeah.” But did she dare tell him she was thinking about leaving? How would he feel about that? And why did she care?

  “I, uh—” she pointed toward the house “—I need to run.” She glanced toward the cattle guard. “Thank you for addressing this.”

  He lifted a shoulder. “I told you I would.” He touched the brim of his hat then and gave her a nod—something that never failed to set her heart to fluttering.

  But she didn’t have time for fluttering of any kind. She hurried toward the house, well aware that she needed to look and behave in a professional manner for this call. So, after letting Dixie outside, she swapped her polo shirt for a blouse, then touched up her makeup and added a hint of color to her lips.

  She let Dixie back inside before making her way to the upstairs bedroom that she used as an office, the one that overlooked the driveway. It was a good thing her desk was on the opposite side of the room so she wouldn’t be staring at Mick the whole time.

  She’d barely settled into her chair when the call came through. With a deep breath, she answered it on her tablet.

  “Christa, it’s good to see you again.”

  Her body tensed. Was this some sort of joke? What was Brody doing on the other side of the screen? He’d let his dark hair grow out and had it slicked back. And he was wearing the red power tie she’d given him for his birthday back when she’d been sucked in by his charm. She knew better now.

  “So you’re the client who’s had Jade pestering me?”

  “You’re the only person I know who enjoys a challenge as much as I do, and I’ve got an opportunity that’s not only perfect for you, it’s one you’re probably going to thank me for.”

  As if she’d want to thank him for anything. “What makes you say that?”

  “Oh, come on, Christa. You and I were like two peas in a pod. We’re both driven to be the best and make the most money doing it.”

  She may be driven, but they were definitely not the same. Unlike Brody, Christa cared about other people and liked helping them make their lives better, not just her own.

  “Let’s cut to the chase. Tell me about the company and the position.”

  “Drago Web Services offers cloud services that allow companies of any size to run almost everything in the cloud. And our growth—particularly in the area of start-ups—has been faster than projected. I would like to bring you on board as a start-up account manager to help
propel the growth of high-potential early, mid-and late-stage start-ups.”

  While Christa may not have any interest in Brody, the opportunity he presented thoroughly intrigued her. This was the type of position she’d once dreamed of. Helping start-up businesses build and thrive. It was a challenge she could sink her teeth into and prove to herself what she was capable of.

  For the better part of the next hour, she listened, voiced her concerns and asked questions. Starting with location.

  “You’d be right here in Austin. Our old stomping grounds.” He paused a moment. “I’ve missed you, Christa. We always did make a good team, and if we were to pair up on this, the sky’s the limit. We’d have everything we always wanted.”

  We? As she recalled, his we had really been more of a me. Brody only thought of himself.

  And looking at him now, she couldn’t believe she’d actually been interested in him, let alone wanted a future with him. He was still a self-absorbed jerk who’d sell his own mother if he thought it would benefit him. Unlike Mick, who was doing his best to right a little girl’s world that had been turned upside down.

  When it came to business, though, Brody had a keen eye for picking winners. And based on what she’d just learned about this company, she couldn’t argue.

  “Brody, this sounds like a promising opportunity. But I’m going to need some time to think and pray on it. I’ve been away from that world for almost five years.”

  “And I have no doubt you’d snap right back.”

  That’s what she was afraid of. But was that what she wanted to do? Was it what God wanted her to do?

  “I’ll get back to you soon.” Ending the call, she stood, rubbing her arms as she rounded the desk. She couldn’t believe she was considering this. She’d always been content in Bliss. She loved her store, her farmhouse, the people.

  Approaching the window, she saw that Mick had finished. The cattle guard was back in place, and his tractor was gone.

  I know you feel like Mick lied to you and that it stings like crazy, but he never set out to hurt you, Christa. Bum’s words replayed in her mind. He didn’t just open his heart to you, he plum gave it away.