Mrs. McCready gasped. “I hope it was all clear. That would be such a wonderful miracle. Gordon has some more tests on Tuesday, so we’ll be heading to Grand Junction then. Do let me know if I can bring Kara anything, will you?”
The McCreadys had found out about Kara’s condition by accident, as Mr. McCready was taken in after some abnormalities in his bloodwork. Liam and Kara had just walked out of the doctor’s office located in the hospital after getting the news of her condition, and the McCreadys had been there. In a way, it was comforting to share the burden with a couple who’d already felt like family since he’d moved to Sage Creek.
“Yes, ma’am.” Liam moved to pick up a piece of paper on the floor. “Is there anything else I can get for you before your party arrives?”
“I don’t think so, dear. Thank you for letting us use this room, as always. It’s better than all of us trying to fit into each other’s houses, I’ll tell you that!”
With a smile, Liam said, “Anytime. I’ll just be in the back if you need me. Today’s shipment should be arriving at any moment, and I’ll have a few extra copies of the book you’re going to discuss.”
He turned and strode away, hoping to avoid the rest of the ladies in the group as the door opened and the noise level increased. While they were all very nice, he could see them calculating ways to introduce him to the single ladies in their lives, and that wasn’t something he wanted or needed right now. He was focused on taking care of his niece and keeping the bookstore running, in the hope that his sister would be back in his life, bossing him around like she always had. Relationships were sticky, and he’d learned enough from his last one to know he was better off making his own decisions.
Life was easier without the worry of losing someone he loved. He’d already done that three times, with his parents and his brother-in-law. He just hoped it wouldn’t happen with Kara too.
Chapter 2
Danielle Holloway gripped the steering wheel to her crossover SUV, willing the rollercoaster of emotions to even out a bit. She entered the narrow pass that led to Sage Creek, grateful to be at the end of her trip, but the feeling of failure increased with every mile traveled.
She was never supposed to reside in Sage Creek for longer than a few days, not since graduation from high school at least. That had been the pact she’d made to herself the moment she left for college eight years ago. Now, with a pink slip sitting in her briefcase on the seat next to her and her name muddied by newspaper ink, it was a sign that unless a miracle occurred, she’d have to stay in her hometown much longer than that.
Her original plan was to come back that weekend to see her best friend, Becca, and Colton get married, spend her obligatory few days, and then head out, jetting off to her next assignment as a media correspondent for one of the larger news outlets in Los Angeles. But word about her presence at a local protest against the city government had been documented through pictures and a giant headline screaming her name two days ago. Even with the near begging Danielle had done Monday morning, the answer her boss gave her was that she couldn’t report the news if she was the news.
She’d been up for a promotion, one that was a long time coming, which made the dismissal hurt that much more. But she’d built her career from nothing, and she could do it again if she needed to. At the moment, though, no news station or paper in California would hire her. Maybe if she found somewhere near her hometown but not actually in Sage Creek, she’d have more luck.
Tapping the brake as she rolled down Main Street, she glanced at the shops as she passed, her stomach plummeting as she thought about her bleak future. Her best friend had only been able to leave this town and the county four months ago for the first time in years, but the moment Danielle graduated, she’d done everything she could to get out, feeling claustrophobic.
The fact that Becca’s wedding was only four weeks after the proposal still sent her mind into spirals, but that was because it would be a miracle if Danielle ever got married. She didn’t doubt that Becca and Colton were perfect for each other.
She passed Mill Street, then Canyon, and finally turned onto Bryce Street, one of the last roads before the town hit the bottom of the mountains. Velda Gibson stood outside, watering her flowers, and Danielle waved, plastering on a fake smile as she pressed the gas down a bit more. The older woman had always kept an eye out for Becca, usually notifying Danielle when she needed to reach out to her friend from whatever hotel or resort she was staying in around the world. But today was not a day when she wanted to chance the intuition of the diner owner. She had to save all the energy she had to put on a façade in front of her mother.
The light blue house at the end of the street seemed smaller than Danielle remembered. The last time she’d been in Sage Creek was when she came home from an assignment in Europe and drove Becca to Denver to confess her feelings for Colton, her now-fiancé and, as of this weekend, her would-be husband.
As Danielle pulled into the driveway, she focused on her breathing. Short, slow breaths would help her keep her calm for however this conversation would go.
Pulling on the handle to release the door of her car, Danielle got out and swiped at the crumbs from her cheese crackers on her black slacks. Taking a deep breath, she wondered if she should tell her mother now that she was jobless, or if it was best to wait until after the wedding. She didn’t need the pity stares from the whole town and Becca worrying more about what Danielle was going to do with her life rather than focusing on her wedding.
She still held a thread of hope that one of the other agencies would call her, offering her the position of a lifetime. After winning several awards, she hadn’t expected it to be so hard to find another job. But it was as if the chief editors looked at her as a menace now instead of understanding the facts about why she’d been at the protest. All anyone saw was the sign she held in her hand, telling people to talk to their leaders about chemical waste being dumped in the Santa Ana River.
It was going to take longer than a few days to empty her apartment in Anaheim, which was why she’d only packed one suitcase.
Squaring her shoulders to take in the older Victorian home she’d been raised in, Danielle let out a breath. Home again.
“You can do this,” she said, walking up to the front door. “This isn’t forever. You’ll get another job and be off traveling the world once again.” The pep talk relaxed her, helping her thoughts to line up instead of running around like children after eating candy.
Opening the old screen door, Danielle noticed the slit in the screen and the peeling paint on the frame. Her mother was usually so meticulous with those kinds of things, appearance being everything in this small town. That must have been where Danielle got her particularity.
Walking in, Danielle dropped her keys into the dish on the table in the entry. “Mom! Are you home?”
The house was quiet for several seconds before Danielle heard a creak coming from what sounded like the family room. Leaving her luggage by the door, she moved in that direction, grateful to see her mother, Mary-Kate, standing next to her favorite armchair, her signature smile aimed at her daughter.
“Dani. I didn’t expect you home this early. Velda and I were taking bets that you’d show up ten minutes before the ceremony this weekend.” Her mother walked forward and wrapped her arms around Danielle’s waist. The smell of her soap wafted to Danielle’s nose, triggering several memories of her past.
“It’s good to see I can actually surprise you two.” Danielle took a step back, grinning.
Her mother sat down again, and Danielle hesitated, feeling like if she got too comfortable, she’d have to spill the beans about her job.
As a media correspondent, Danielle had gone through the full range of emotions as she covered different projects around the world, from contaminated water to the state of some communities in Africa. But her mother just saw it as her running off, trying to avoid things she thought Danielle should want in her life as a twenty-seven-year-old. A home. A rela
tionship. Roots.
Taking a seat on the couch, Danielle leaned back, feeling the familiar spring dig into her back.
“Have you been by to see Becca yet? She’s come by every couple of days over the past month, just gushing about the wedding. I think she’s missed planning everything with you.” Her mother gave her a sad smile.
“You know how I feel about weddings, especially since the last one didn’t go over very well for her. And I helped out quite a bit on that one.” Danielle lifted her hand to inspect her nails, not liking the way her mother’s stare unnerved her. “I had to go to Florida to cover the hurricane, Mom. I’m sure she’ll be a beautiful bride no matter what decorations she’s picked out this time.”
Danielle shifted, hoping to rid herself of the guilt pricking her insides. She could have gotten out of that assignment, but she’d wanted to be there in the action, wanted to be able to report it to the people of Southern California. Her aspirations had always been to make it to national television, but it seemed she might not achieve that dream.
“Did you organize a bridal shower for her?” her mom asked.
Biting her bottom lip, Danielle felt panic take over. “I was supposed to do that?”
“You are the maid of honor. Since she has no family but us, we should do something, don’t you think?”
“Yes. But how am I supposed to pull that off right now? If I had a week I could maybe pull something together. But a couple of days? I don’t even know who to contact to come.” Danielle sighed, sinking deeper into the couch. Why Becca hadn’t fired her as her best friend and maid of honor long before now, she wasn’t sure why.
Her mother reached over and patted her hand. “Well, you’ll just have to make up for it now. Let’s see…it’s Tuesday. So, you’ve got four days before the wedding, and I’ve got a lot of the shower put together. I sent out invitations two weeks ago, and I have several decorations I found when I went over to Grand Junction last month. I suggest you go talk to Velda to figure out food.”
“Mom, you are seriously the best. Thank you.” Danielle breathed a sigh of relief. She could handle the food part. The actual execution of the event would be another story, but she’d reported in gale-force winds before. A bridal shower shouldn’t be hard.
“I knew you needed a little help, so I got the list of people to invite from Colton. It will be a joint party, so the guys will be there too. And then who knows what adventure you’ll be off on next?” As wide as her smile looked, Danielle noted the sadness in her mother’s eyes. She had always encouraged her daughter’s writing dreams, but traveling to dangerous areas of the world was out of her comfort zone. Was it because she never really had that chance?
“I was thinking of hanging out here a bit longer, if you don’t mind.” Looking out the corner of her eye, Danielle watched an excited expression take over the slight frown.
“Really? I would love that, Dani. It’s been so quiet around here, and you haven’t been here for our annual fall hike in years.” There were tears in her mother’s eyes, and Danielle sucked in a breath, wishing the guilt wasn’t driving itself into her chest. Maybe being in Sage Creek was a blessing in disguise. Spending time with her mother always seemed to help sort things out.
The fall hike was something she and her mother started when Danielle was a young girl, months after her father had walked out and never come home. They’d wander up through the trails behind Sage Creek, taking in the beautiful colors.
“If it’s so quiet, you should host a party. Then all the guys will be wanting to date you.” Danielle wriggled her eyebrows and grinned as her mother squirmed at the comment.
“That’s rich, coming from the girl who’s anti-relationship. You know how I feel about that. I had a hard enough time putting up with your father’s quirks until the day he left us. There’s no way I’m going to worry about having another man to cater to in my lifetime.” Her mother was fighting a grin, and Danielle wondered if her mother’s long-held feelings were starting to change. She could imagine how hard it would be to live alone, which was probably why she loved the thrill of airports and hotels so much. The loneliness couldn’t catch up if she didn’t give it a chance.
Danielle raised her hands. “It was just a joke, Mom. If you’re happy, then you shouldn’t change anything.”
Her mother’s hand covered Danielle’s on the arm of the sofa. “Are you happy, Danielle?”
“Of course.” The words came out quickly, but as she let the question turn in her mind, she wondered if it was really true. Would she be happy if she never got to travel again? Report on big events?
“Then I’m happy.” Her mother leaned back and pulled her watch close to her eyes. “It looks like it’s time to head over for book club. Will you come? We could use a little spice.”
Chuckling a bit, Danielle said, “Let me guess. Sharon Crestview will be there.” The woman was around Mary-Kate’s age but tried to take over just about everything she did.
Her mom nodded. “She’s the one who picked out today’s book. One written by an author I’ve never heard of before. MK Malone?” With her mom’s eyes staring at her, Danielle did her best to hide her shock.
MK Malone was a name she was all too familiar with, as it was the pen name she’d chosen before releasing the three cozy mysteries she’d written. Writing had always been a passion for her, but she’d viewed it as something that couldn’t support her in life, and there was no way she could use her own name while she worked for the news station.
“Hmmm. That’s interesting. I don’t think I’ve read any of those.” Only like a thousand times when she’d had to edit and reedit, trying to get the plot and characters just right.
“Let’s go. You’ll get to see the new bookstore.” Her mother stood, walking over to the table by the door where her purse sat.
Danielle stood and followed her. “Bookstore? Since when does Sage Creek have a bookstore?” She grabbed her wallet from the small suitcase she’d brought in and walked out the door behind her mother.
“It’s been open a few months now. I think they opened it about a month before you came home from Europe. It’s been doing really well. Run by a good family, and it’s nicer than the library. I’ve been telling Mayor Watkins for years that the library could use an update.”
“What did you think of the book, Mom?” Her curiosity got the better of her. She wasn’t sure why her heart started pounding, but she focused on the sidewalk beneath her feet as they walked down the sidewalk, preparing herself for criticism. With the cool fall breeze, it was the perfect day for a walk around town.
Her mother turned, her lips pinched together as though trying to decide something. “I liked it. I don’t usually do well with mysteries as I have a hard time following who the possible suspects could be, but this one did well at making it a mystery while I still followed the overall plot.”
“You liked it, huh?” Danielle wasn’t sure why she kept needling the conversation along, but it felt good to have her mother praise her work, even if she didn’t realize it. The only people in the world who knew about the author’s real identity were Danielle’s editor, proofreader, and cover designer. She hadn’t even chanced telling Becca.
Her mother thumbed through the pages of the book and smiled. “I really liked it. I was in suspense without nightmares later on. There were a few times I screamed out, wishing I could tell the character to run and not look under the bed.” She chuckled, her cheeks red.
One of the things Danielle wished for was to be a little more like her mother. The woman was sweet and kind, always thinking of others. People always complimented her on her positive attitude, and with everything she’d gone through in her life, that was a feat.
It had been so long since Danielle had to think of anyone but herself and her career. She didn’t have to stay in Sage Creek forever, but maybe she could change a few things before she headed out. A true journalist should care about the person behind the story, and for too long she’d been trying to get the lates
t scoop in the hopes of a promotion. She needed to be more like Mary-Kate Holloway.
“I’m sure the author would take that as a compliment, Mom.” Danielle couldn’t help the grin on her face. If only she had the guts to tell her that the author was her own daughter.
Chapter 3
Liam walked into the store from the back door, wheeling the last few boxes that had been delivered an hour before over to the main floor of the shop. His eye caught on a waving hand, and he turned to see what was needed.
Taking a few steps in the direction of the circle, he stopped and bent down beside Mrs. McCready as she sat in a chair by the door to the other room. “What can I do for you, ma’am?” He gave her a slight smile, hoping it would be a quick request. He could already feel the several sets of eyes boring into him, waiting to find him a girlfriend. Though he’d managed to avoid it since he arrived in town, it was getting harder to fend off their requests.
“Did you, by chance, get some extra books in today? We have a few gals who would like to purchase a copy.” The woman smiled at him, and Liam had to bite his upper lip to keep from laughing as he noticed her deep purple lipstick had rubbed off onto her front teeth.
He nodded and stood back up. “I do. Let me go see which box they’re in, and I’ll bring a few copies.”
He’d never been so grateful she’d been sitting closest to the door leading to the rest of the store, just so he could get a moment to breathe without the eyes of the town on him. Maybe it was from reading that book earlier that he was starting to get more paranoid.
The MK Malone books were at the bottom of his dolly. He removed six or seven copies, hoping it would be enough for the group. Starting with Mrs. McCready, he then asked, “Who else needs a copy of the book?” He held one up, waving it around.
“I need one,” a woman said, causing Liam’s attention to turn to the left. He moved into the center of the circle and took it to her.
Love Under Review Page 2
