The twins finished their cupcakes and she grabbed a couple of paper towels at the bobbing-for-apples station and got them cleaned up, keeping an eye out for Sam. After they went back to the Fluff & Stuff booth to look at the gerbil habitat Chase had set up, she herded the twins to the Fixer-Upper booth.
She said hello to Coraline, who was there making the rounds, and Coraline smiled broadly as her gaze took in Allison and the twins. Allison smiled back, trying to look neutral. No sense in getting Coraline asking a lot of questions Allison couldn’t answer.
She and the kids were hammering nails into boards with Gracie’s help at the small workshop she and Patrick had set up at their booth when Sam arrived back on the scene.
“Well, it looks like we have a couple of budding carpenters on our hands,” he said.
Allison noted that some of the lines on his face had relaxed. “And florists and cupcake decorators,” Allison said, trying to tame her nerves. Sam didn’t look upset. In fact, he looked calm and at ease. Good.
Nicky turned their way. “I had a choc-o-late one, and a banilla one.”
“I just had banilla,” Rosie announced. “With pink frosting.”
Allison looked at Sam sheepishly. “I let them eat a lot.” She picked up a small white bakery bag. “I made you one for later. I figured you for a chocolate guy.”
He took the bag, the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. “Why, thank you, baker Allison. I’ll eat it later.” His gaze fell on the kids. “They’re having a great time.”
“It doesn’t get any better than cute animals, cupcakes and hammers, does it?”
“I don’t think that stuff is the main draw here today.”
She frowned. “What is? Food? Games? Fun?”
“You,” he said, his brown eyes twinkling. “The twins love you.”
Her heart turned over. “I love them, too, and it makes me happy to be around them.” Maybe…that was because Sam was usually around when the kids were? She veered away from that thought. Nothing but trouble there. Besides, she’d love Nicky and Rosie with or without Sam.
Rosie dropped her hammer and came over. “Daddy, I want to go over there,” she said, pointing right. “Miss Wilson says we can bod for apples.”
Sam frowned. “Bod?”
“I think she means bob for apples,” Allison clarified.
“Yeah, that,” Rosie said. “Take me, Daddy, before all the apples are gone.”
“Okay, sweetheart, we’ll go.” He glanced at Nicky, who was still pounding away on nails.
“I’ll stay here with Nicky,” Allison said. “You guys go and do some bodding.”
“Great.” With a smile, Sam started toward the center of the room. But then he stopped and turned around. “Um, I was thinking maybe you’d like to come over for dinner and we can talk after the kids go to bed.”
She did a double take. “I-is that a good idea?”
“Trust me, it’s fine.” He nodded, then mouthed, “We’ll talk later, all right?”
“O…kay,” she said in a strangled voice. Obviously something had changed. But what?
“Great. My famous macaroni and cheese is on the menu, so you won’t want to miss that.”
“You cook?”
“I open the blue box,” he said with a sheepish grin.
“Even better,” she replied, barely resisting the urge to press a hand to her chest. Clearly Sam had something on his mind. Something big if he was inviting her to dinner at his house. By tacit agreement she didn’t push for details right now. But she trusted him implicitly, and if he wanted to talk, she’d talk.
Sam and Rosie went off to the bobbing-for-apples station and Allison tried to still her racing heart. She joined Nicky and hit some nails. Hard. There was nothing better than some aggressive hammer pounding to calm her nerves.
Good for now. But what would help her later, when she was alone with Sam, having a discussion about who-knew-what? It had to be big. She’d have to figure that out. Fast.
*
With Allison by his side, Sam tiptoed down the creaky stairs after they’d put the twins to bed together.
Allison giggled. “It’s funny we’re sneaking around your own house.”
“It took us forty-five minutes and four stories to get them to sleep. I don’t want to wake them up anytime soon.” Though he’d loved having her help him get the kids settled. He’d missed having a partner on so many levels it wasn’t even funny.
“Is it always this hard to get them to bed?” Allison asked when they reached the main level.
“No, not usually. But I think our piggyback race rematch got them worked up.” By unspoken agreement, he’d made sure Allison and Rosie won the race this time. “Or maybe it was our exciting game of Candyland.”
“Yeah, they were pretty wound up after that.”
“Not to mention their favorite person is here, and that is way more exciting than sleeping.” He himself would stay up all night long if it meant getting to spend more time with Allison. Fighting the truth was hard. Impossible lately.
“You flatter me,” she said, sinking onto the leather couch in the family room just off the kitchen.
“It’s true,” he replied, sitting next to her, instantly smelling the peachy scent she wore. He resisted the urge to move closer; he needed some semblance of control.
She turned those big blue eyes his way. “They sure had a good time today, didn’t they?”
“The best. This is the first time they’ve been old enough to really appreciate the festival.”
“I’m thinking there’s a guinea pig in your future.”
He laughed. “Not until they’re old enough to take care of one.”
“A gerbil, maybe?”
“Not that, either.”
Allison chewed her bottom lip. “Sam, now that the kids are down, we need to have that talk.”
“Yeah, I know.” So far they’d dedicated the evening to the twins and hadn’t been able to have any kind of private discussion. But he had to tell her about his and Teresa’s conversation, for his own sake, and to ease her mind about being here. “Obviously, Teresa and I talked.”
“Yes,” Allison said, nodding mechanically. Clearly she was trying to keep a neutral demeanor. No surprise there. She didn’t want to step on toes, and with Teresa’s behavior, he couldn’t blame Allison.
“Well, she thought we were dating.”
Allison thinned her lips. “We’ve been very careful not to.”
“Yes, we have, and I told her that we weren’t dating.”
“Good.”
He turned and put his arm on the back of the couch. “I also asked her why she kept hanging the custody thing over my head.”
“You did?” Allison whispered.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Well, I realized that for us both to move on, I needed to confront her on all of it.”
“You had good reasons,” Allison said. “Nicky and Rosie.”
“Exactly.” He inclined his head.
“I think you did the right thing, Sam.”
“Thanks.” Her approval meant a lot to him; he respected her opinion. “I should also tell you her other news.”
Allison raised her eyebrows.
“Teresa and Spense are moving to Kansas City.”
“Oh, wow.” A furrow formed above Allison’s nose. “What about the twins?”
“We’re going to continue sharing custody, with more time spent at a time with each of us. When the kids go to kindergarten, we’ll review.”
“Oh, Sam, that’s great,” Allison said. “They need their mother as much as they need you.”
Of course, Allison would think that. She didn’t have a malicious bone in her body.
“I appreciate your support.” He took her hand in his. “It means a lot to me.”
“So what does this mean, for, um, us?”
“I’m not sure, actually.” He cleared his throat. “I find myself in a bit of a…dilemma.” I
t was getting harder and harder to keep Allison at a safe emotional distance. He’d been fighting that since they met.
She toed off her flat shoes and tucked her legs up onto the couch, angling her body even more so she was closer and facing him. “Go on.”
He noticed a stray tendril of hair floating above her ear and wanted to reach out and smooth it away. But he held back. “See, the thing is, I’m finding it hard to give in to the kids and spend time with you while also keeping things…impersonal.”
“Yeah, I get that.” Her eyes fluttered and she sagged closer, never breaking their gaze. “Impersonal is…hard.”
His heart thundered. “Yes, impossible,” he said, staring into her eyes, moving closer.
“What are we doing, Sam?” she breathed.
“Kissing?”
All she did was nod.
He should resist this, he hazily thought. But he’d battled his attraction to her for too long, and the fight had gone out of him, worn down by the wonderful person she was, by how lovingly she’d kissed his kids good-night and by how they’d both clung to her, clearly hating to see her go.
Without another rational thought he lowered his head and kissed her, soft and gentle. She kissed him back, and he lost track of time, lost everything but his connection to Allison.
Finally, she pulled away and laid her head on his shoulder. “Wow,” she said. “That was…amazing.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. “Yes, it was.” And it had been way too long since he’d kissed a woman, much less an all-around beautiful one like Allison.
She paused for a moment, resting her hand on his chest, creating a pocket of tingly warmth under her fingers. Her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink, but she remained silent.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“That I’m glad the thing with Teresa has worked out.”
A chill moved through him. “So…are you thinking that now…you want more?”
“Maybe.” She regarded him. “What about you?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure.”
She moved away. “You’re still scared.”
“Terrified.”
“I’m scared, too. I learned at a very early age not to put too much stock in love.”
“Your parents,” he stated, his lips stiff.
“Yes.” Her eyes glittered. “They withheld love, and it really wounded me.”
“Just like my mom.” The word mom was bitter on his lips; if anyone was less deserving of that title, it was Doris Franklin.
“Exactly, so you know what it’s like when someone who should love you doesn’t.” She looked down and rubbed the surface of her jeans. “I’ve never felt worthy of love, so it’s very difficult for me to admit I even want it.”
His heart cracked. “You deserve it,” he said. “More than anyone I’ve ever known.”
She gazed at him, her eyes pools of blue. “But you don’t?”
He froze. “It’s not so much that I don’t think I deserve it. It’s more that I’m not sure I can take the risk.”
“You kissed me,” she whispered.
“Yes, I did. Maybe I shouldn’t have.” He’d let himself get carried away with all the good things about Allison. That had been a mistake. Man, he was making a mess of this.
She blinked, nodding, her jaw taut. “Then I guess we’re done here.” She rose.
He started to get up.
Holding out a hand, she said, “No, don’t. I’ll see myself out.”
“Allison—”
“Just don’t say anything,” she said. “This is probably best. I have other important things on my plate right now, and I wasn’t planning on a romance.”
“The bookstore.”
“Yes. I have to make it work, Sam. It’s so important to me, and the town. That has to come first in my life.”
“I respect that.” What else could he say? Her dedication was one of the things he liked most about her.
“Good.” She picked up her purse. “I’ll see you around.”
He just nodded.
And then she walked out, the front door clunked closed and he sat there alone, his arms empty, his heart cracking around the edges. But he was safe, and right now, that was what mattered most.
Chapter Fourteen
Allison sat in a booth at the Cozy Cup Café, trying desperately to listen as all the shop owners reported on the progress of their businesses to date.
It was Josh Smith’s turn to host the Shopkeepers’ Society meeting, which rotated between SOS businesses every month. So he was there, as was Coraline, Lily, Patrick, Chase and Melissa.
Allison had left Viv in charge of Happy Endings to go to the meeting. She should be paying attention. But, as usual lately, she was having a hard time thinking about anything but how Sam had pulled away three nights ago. Though he’d probably done the smart thing, all things considered, she still felt sad. Neither one of them was ready to make any kind of commitment. Sam might be leaving Bygones soon. She had to stay. And both of them had fences around their hearts. Those things meant she needed to keep herself under strict control.
“Allison, dear, what do you think of that idea?”
Coraline’s voice jerked Allison back to reality. “Wh-what?” she stammered, her cheeks flaming.
Coraline gave her an indulgent smile. “We were talking about the idea of having a sidewalk Christmas sale in December.”
“Oh.” Allison shifted in her seat. “Um, well, I think that sounds like a great idea.”
“Wonderful.” Coraline beamed. “So we’re all in agreement.”
Chase held up a rigid hand. “I wanted to mention that I’d be happy to be in charge of stringing some of the lights on Main Street.” Chase was a good guy—he’d been really gentle with Nicky and Rosie when they’d held the guinea pigs at the Harvest Festival—but to Allison he often seemed a bit tense.
“I’ll help with that, too,” Patrick said as he unfolded his tall body from the small chair across from Allison. “I have the ladders we’ll need.” Patrick was patient and kind, and a bit on the quiet side. He and Gracie Wilson planned a spring wedding next year.
Lily adjusted the tortoiseshell glasses perched on her nose. “I’m sure Tate would want to help with that.”
“I’ll help, too,” Melissa added as she smoothed some of her long red hair back behind her ear. She, too, was on the tall side, and had a wellspring of energy that Allison envied. She and her fiancé, Brian, were engaged to be married in January. Seemed the love bug had bitten quite a few of the Main Street shopkeepers.
“Excellent,” Coraline said, her blue eyes shining.
Chase raised a hand. “I’d like to address some of the acts of vandalism that have occurred lately.”
Coraline looked down at the papers neatly stacked on the table in front of her. “Yes, I have that on my list of things to discuss.”
Though her store hadn’t been vandalized, Allison had heard that some small things had gone missing from some of the stores lately, some picnic tables had been turned over at the Everything and some windows had been broken around town.
“Thankfully, Brian’s tools were returned,” Melissa said. Allison had heard that Melissa’s fiancé’s mechanics tools had been stolen from his shop on the outskirts of town. “He was really steaming about that.”
“Of course he was,” Patrick said. “Those tools were expensive. Does Chief Sheridan have any leads?”
Coraline shook her head. “Not yet.”
“I think it’s odd that someone would do something like that,” Josh commented. “We’re all working so hard to bring the town back to save the schools and the police force. Why would someone want to jeopardize that?”
There were murmurs of agreement.
“Well, we all know not everybody is all that gung-ho on the SOS Committee’s plan,” Chase said. “A lot of people in town questioned the wisdom of bringing in newcomers to run the Main Street businesses rather than awarding the busines
ses to locals.”
“But to deface property and steal?” Allison said. “That just seems foolish.”
“Well, with the reduced police force, maybe they’re just crimes of opportunity,” Patrick remarked.
“Still, it’s weird,” Lily commented. “Particularly since the thief brought the stolen items back.”
“We’ll all just have to be extra vigilant, then.” Coraline adjusted her glasses. “Remember to lock your doors and be on the lookout for strangers, or anything else that seems out of place.”
“Any word on who our mysterious benefactor is?” Melissa asked, shifting gears.
“Yeah.” Lily leaned forward. “It would be nice to get his take on this.”
“Or hers,” Allison interjected. It wasn’t even known if the mysterious benefactor was a man or a woman.
“No, not yet,” Coraline replied. “The benefactor’s identity is still unknown.”
“I still think it’s strange that he—or she—is staying anonymous,” Patrick said. “Although, if the plan fails—which I’m not saying it will, just speculating how someone else might feel—it might be a lot easier to cut bait if no one knows their identity.”
“The plan is solid,” Chase said. “It will work, so no need for bait cutting.”
Lily said, “Main Street is beautiful and our businesses are doing reasonably well so far.”
“Even so, many people in town are still skeptical,” Melissa said. “Inez Sheridan was just in to order a cake for her daughter’s birthday, and she told me that no one in her bridge club is holding out much hope that the SOS Committee’s plan to save the town will actually work.” Allison’s heart sank. What would Sam do if budget cuts caused him to lose his job? Would he really have to leave town? She clenched her hands in her lap.
“We have to hold out hope,” Patrick counseled.
“People change,” Chase added.
“All the time.” Coraline took off her glasses. “We have to have faith, because without faith we have nothing. I suggest we all pray about this.”
Allison nodded along with everyone else.
With that, Coraline adjourned the meeting and everyone rose. Allison remained seated for a moment, still a bit shocked by her dramatic reaction to the prospect of Sam and the twins possibly leaving town. She took a swig of coffee. Truth be told, she’d be devastated if the Franklins left Bygones. Wrecked, actually. Totally wrecked.
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