Courted by Trouble: A Courting Romance (In Hyacinth Book 3)

by Bree Cariad

  A knock on the door to her cabin made her jump. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw it was time. That must be Jerod. Slipping her toes into a pair of slip-ons, she grabbed her purse and made her way to the door. “Yes?” she called before opening it.

  “Good morning, Stephanie,” Jerod said smoothly. “Looks like a pleasant day for a picnic.”

  Relieved it was him, she opened the door, cautiously watching his reaction to her dress. He didn’t react at all, just gave her the warm smile he usually wore. “Are you ready?”

  Nodding, she closed and locked her door, following him to his car.

  The park was crowded just like it always was the last Sunday in May. Camille was waiting with her family when they arrived and squealed as she saw them. After greeting her fiancé, she turned to Stephanie with a twinkle in her eye. “See, I told you that going back to your own sense of style was a good idea. You look great.”

  Dora trotted up to them in the outfit Cami had put together the day before, blue jeans and a light blue blouse and smiled. “Wow, Stephanie, that’s cute! I wish I could do that.”

  There was a sense of time standing still as they walked around. It all felt so familiar that Stephanie could hardly believe it had been two years since she had been to one. As Jerod and Camille stopped at one of the stalls so he could try to win her a teddy bear, she and Dora walked a little further on.

  “It feels strange, doesn’t it?” Dora said, watching everyone walk by.

  “Yeah.” Looking around, Stephanie saw girls she had gone to high school with walking around with their fiancés or husbands. There were the new eighteen year olds going around in gaggles, making sure they were seen by the most promising men in town. Slowly she felt her shoulders sag.

  “What’s wrong?” Dora asked quietly. She had always been good at noticing when Stephanie didn’t feel right.

  “I don’t belong here anymore.”

  Dora looked up at her and shrugged. “Neither do I. I feel like a spinster and I’m not even nineteen yet.”

  “A spinster at nineteen,” Stephanie murmured, thinking about it. “We could form a club.”

  Snorting, Dora’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, sure, everyone’ll want to join.”

  Grinning at her, Stephanie was about to make another remark when she groaned. Dora followed her gaze and moaned with her. Making her way toward them was none other than Marjorie Farthing who was sporting a baby bump. Annoyed at the supercilious look on the girl’s face, Stephanie decided to head her off before she could say anything too mean. “I see you and James finally figured out how to make a baby. From what I hear, you did it the wrong way at first.”

  Marjorie, whose mouth was half open, froze, her eyes widening even as her cheeks turned a dull pink. “What do you know?”

  “Not much.”

  A look she knew well, one that meant that Marjorie was about to blow, crossed the girl’s face. Her eyes scrunched up even as her lips pursed into a very unpleasant expression. Stephanie wasn’t sure how James could stand it. When the expression stabilized and a fake smile took its place, Stephanie stiffened. Here came the insult. Prepared to let anything she said just slide off her, Stephanie wasn’t prepared for the words that poured out of her mouth.

  She turned to Dora, looking her up and down. “I guess it’s a good thing that some girls are just not marriage material. Otherwise, the ladies’ auxiliary would never get anything done. I’m sure they’re glad nobody wants you, Dora.” With a fake smile, she turned away only to come face to face with Xander Covington. The expression on his face would have made Stephanie run for cover if it had been leveled at her.

  “What did you say?” he asked in a cold voice.

  “Oh, nothing,” Marjorie said, looking around for her husband frantically.

  “Let’s go find James and talk about it, shall we?” He waved in one direction and as it was obvious he meant it, Marjorie trotted forward with him at her side.

  “I always did like Xan,” Dora said and Stephanie looked over at her. “Kathy’s a lucky girl.”

  Spluttering, Stephanie shook her head. Dora’s ability to look past insults had always garnered her respect. She wished she could be so offhand about such hateful words. Looking over to see how Cami was doing, she grinned when she saw her standing there with a large pink teddy bear in her arms. She was gesticulating as she talked and it took a second for Stephanie to realize that her friend was talking to the man with green eyes.

  “Oh.” She smoothed down her dress and suddenly wondered at it. Would green eyes think she was insane for wearing it?

  Dora followed her gaze. “He’s cute. Who is he?”

  “Christopher something. I kind of met him a few weeks ago.” In Hyacinth ‘kind of’ meant they hadn’t been officially introduced.

  “Well, then, let’s let Cami introduce you.” Dora grasped her arm and marched her over to their friend. As they approached, Christopher turned in their direction and his eyes smiled at Dora before turning to her.

  “Dora, Stephie, this is Jerod’s nephew Christopher Triton. He recently moved to Hyacinth. Chris, these are two of my best friends, Dora Lexington and Stephanie Knight.”

  Reaching out his hand, Christopher shook Dora’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m afraid I’ve caused several faux pas by talking to women without being introduced. Hopefully that won’t be held against me.”

  Dora laughed as he turned to Stephanie. “Oh, it happens all the time. Don’t worry about it.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you officially, Stephanie Knight,” he said, taking her hand. “And now I know your name.” His green eyes twinkled and Stephanie found herself grinning at him.

  “You still don’t know anything else about me.”

  “Is that an invitation?” he teased back.

  “Chris,” Jerod said calmly. “Over bounds.”

  Christopher winced. “Sorry,” he said, releasing her hand. “I’m learning.”

  She missed the feel of his warm, slightly calloused hand holding hers. “What do you do, Christopher?” she asked quietly, putting her own hands behind her so he wouldn’t see them fidget.

  “I’m a chef. Graduated from school a few years ago. I’ve been looking for the right place to live and after Jerod told me about this area, I came to check it out. It took only a week before I didn’t want to leave. I love all the forests and lakes around here.”

  “Me too. It’s nice having nature right outside your door.”

  He smiled warmly and even more butterflies woke up. “Well, I should probably get going,” he said, taking a step backward. “It was very nice to meet you, Dora and Stephanie. I hope to see you again.” He looked right into her eyes as he spoke the last few words and Stephanie knew she was grinning like an idiot.

  As soon as he walked away, Jerod cleared his throat. “I’m going to go say hello to a few people. Why don’t you three hang out over here and I’ll be back.”

  “Thanks,” Cami said as he sauntered away. As soon as he was out of earshot, she turned back. “Ooh, Stephie! You didn’t tell me you met Chris.”

  “It was the day you asked me to make your wedding dress. It was just a couple words.” Where she had then run away. Her friend didn’t need to know that part. “What’s he like?”

  “A little more flirtatious than Jerod, but a really great guy. He’s working at a restaurant in Longdale as that was the only open position he could find.” Cami paused and then added quietly, “You need to know that Chris feels just as strongly as Jerod does about the man being the head of the house and that discipline is a positive thing.”

  Wincing, Stephanie nodded. Her friend knew her family wasn’t that way so she appreciated the warning. “I always wondered what that would be like,” she admitted. “You two always seemed happier after…” She drifted off, too embarrassed to mention it.

  Dora nodded. “It’s wonderful knowing you’ve been forgiven and more importantly that you have forgiven yourself. Discipline isn’t about abuse, St
ephie. It’s about setting things straight. I really miss having that.”

  Remembering that Dora’s father had been gone for a year, Stephanie hugged her lightly. “Anyone in the mood for a hotdog?”

  “What’s with you and hotdogs?” Cami teased, hefting her pink bear to the side. “Every year… this is the only time that you ever eat them.”

  “I don’t know. Somehow the picnic and hotdogs go together.”

  The three found a nice patch of grass to sit on and were happily eating and talking when Jerod came back.

  * * * * *

  Now that she had her friends back, Stephanie desired to be in her cabin less and less. As all three worked, which was a bit of a mind-blowing reality for her as in Hyacinth that wasn’t the norm, she spent all day in her cabin working or delivering items to her clients. Evenings she spent with Dora in Hyacinth and her weekends were spent between putting Cami’s wedding dress together and having meals with either Cami and Jerod or the Covingtons.

  In mid-July, she received a bit of a shock.

  “Stephanie,” Alex Covington said as dinner was finished and she had risen to help Charlotte clean the table. “Accompany me to my study?” He always left it open to her. If she didn’t want to, he would never press the issue, but she nodded, following him down the hall and into the tiny room. As soon as they both sat down, he smiled. “I wanted you to know that a gentleman in town has expressed interest in getting to know you. I have invited him to dinner next Saturday.”

  Her mouth dropped. “But—” Her mind ground to a halt. “Someone wants to get to know me?”

  “Yes. His name is Christopher Triton. He’s Jerod Kinsley’s nephew.”

  “Oh.” The butterflies took off again and she felt a small blush cover her cheeks.

  “As you know, these are just simple dinners so you can get to know one another. There is nothing else required. But I wanted you to know early so it wasn’t thrust on you at the last minute.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Covington.”

  Christopher truly wanted to get to know her. It seemed crazy and she knew not to get her hopes up. Maybe he would turn out to be a dork and it wouldn’t go any further. But still… he wanted to get to know her. She smiled for the rest of the night.

  Until the next morning when she realized he knew nothing of her past. Once he found out he wouldn’t want her. Wanting to end things before she could get her hopes up, she dashed over to Jerod’s office. He was just leaving as she ran up and smiled, his expression turning serious at whatever expression was on her face. “Come on in,” he said without preamble, opening the door and letting her inside. “What’s wrong?”

  Breathing hard from her run, Stephanie paced back and forth for a few minutes as she forced herself to calm down. “Christopher asked to have dinner with the Covingtons… well, with me.”

  His nod told her that he already knew.

  “I have to say no.”

  “Why? I got the feeling you were attracted to him.”

  “Well, of course I’m attracted,” she said in a rush, keeping up her pacing. “He’s gorgeous and seems sweet, has a good sense of humor… but once he knows about my past that’ll be gone. I’d rather end things before he found out.”

  “I never thought of you as a coward,” he said calmly, sitting down.

  His words made her freeze even as her head snapped up. “I’m not!”

  “And yet you want to run away, not even giving him the chance to prove that your past may not mean anything at all to him?”

  “I don’t want to see his look of disappointment,” she murmured. “Plus, he’s into discipline. I’m not.”

  “That’s something to consider. My first wife wasn’t either and while I loved her, our relationship was nowhere near as deep as the one I currently share with Cami, which I feel is due to our sharing that particular value.”

  Jerod having been married before was a surprise and one she would need to bring up with Cami at one point. “You were married before?”

  “Yes, until she was killed in an auto-accident four years ago.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you, but I’m extremely happy in my new relationship. As much as I would never have wished for what happened, I feel it was for the best. Even the thought I would never have found Cami is rather painful.”

  A small smile crossed her face. “Cami is amazing.”

  “Yes, she is. But so are you.”

  Pacing again, though much slower, she wrung her hands together. “I spent a year hiding out from the world and now it feels like I’m dived into the deep end. It’s scary,” she admitted.

  “Of course it is. But just because it’s scary doesn’t make it bad. What you have to figure out, Stephanie, is if the risks associated with having a possible suitor are worth the possible gain or fallout.”

  “How can he be your nephew?”

  He chuckled, leaning back. “My elder sister is almost twenty years my senior. If you think about it, Xander and Drake have almost the same age difference. I was only three when Christopher was born. Our parents insisted he call me uncle which we both thought was weird.”

  Plopping down into the other armchair in the room, she looked up at him sheepishly. “I’m freaking out for no reason, aren’t I?”

  A look of such compassion crossed his face that she had a hard time not sobbing. “Stephanie, there are real reasons for your fear, and you’ll overcome them in time. This is not a decision anyone can make except for you. Are you ready to possibly be courted? If so, dinners are the way that happens in Hyacinth. If not? Nobody will think any worse of you for it.”

  Except she probably wouldn’t get another chance with Christopher and that thought bothered her. Breathing out slowly, she nodded. “Thanks, Jerod.”

  “You’re welcome. Was there anything else you needed?”

  “No. I had best go back. I have an outfit I need to deliver this afternoon.”

  “All right, though while you’re here I have something to ask you.” Surprised, she looked up at him. “I want to get Cami something unique, a gift she wouldn’t have asked for, as a wedding gift. You’ve known her forever. What would she want?”

  The answer came without a thought. “She’s always wanted a sleigh bed.”

  “A sleigh bed?”

  She nodded. “In cherry.”

  He nodded slowly as if thinking about it and smiled. “Thank you.”

  Chapter 4

  Saturday came quickly, much quicker than it should have and Stephanie found herself in the passenger seat of Charlotte Covington’s car, being driven to their house. “Thanks for picking me up,” she said quietly.

  “Oh, it’s no trouble. I was glad for a little time with you.” After a brief pause, she continued. “If you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come to me, Stephanie. I loved your mother as a sister and you’ve always been a sister to my daughter which makes you another daughter to me. As such, please feel free to come to me if you need anything.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Covington.”

  “Oh, please call me Charlotte. We’re both adults now. Well, you are. I’m going through my second childhood or at least my husband seems to think so.”

  Giggling a little, Stephanie grinned. “I’ve always looked up to the two of you. So did Mom.”

  “I miss Jessica,” she said with a quiet sigh. “But I know she would be proud of how you are recovering from what happened to you. I know I am.”

  It was amazing how just a few words could make her feel so good. Cami’s entire family was really good at that.

  “So, are you ready to meet Christopher?” she asked as they got close to the house.

  “I’ve met him actually. Jerod and Cami introduced him to me at the picnic.”

  The Covington household was quiet when they arrived. “Alex and Drake are still out with the cows. They’ll be back an hour before Christopher is to arrive. So, let’s get dinner started.”

  “Umm, Charlotte? I still don’t know how to
cook.”

  Cami’s mother laughed softly. “Well, then it’s about time we taught you how. Come on.”

  Thankfully the dinner wasn’t too complex, but Stephanie still managed to burn the vegetables and ruin the cheesecake.

  “Why don’t you go upstairs and rest?” Charlotte suggested when she looked at the sunken mess that was supposed to be light and fluffy. “I can fix that.”

  “I don’t know how you do it,” Stephanie said, taking a step backward. “I can make food from a can or a box, but doing anything from scratch seems insurmountable.”

  “Maybe you should take a couple of the summer event classes.”

  “Oh, no. I had enough of that kind of problem in home economics. All the girls laughed at me constantly because my food never came out right.”

  Smiling at her, Charlotte shook her head. “Somehow I don’t think that’s a problem, Stephanie. You just need more faith in yourself.”

  “And for my cheesecakes not to sink.”

  Laughing, Charlotte shooed her upstairs.

  By the time Alex and Drake came in from working outside, Stephanie was setting the table and dressed in a simple halter-dress she made for herself on a whim. It was a bit whimsical with cartoon characters everywhere, but she liked it.

  In the time she was upstairs getting ready, somehow Charlotte had saved dinner and there was even a new dessert off to the side.

  When the doorbell rang, Stephanie was in the living room with the four of them and she jumped. Alex let him in and when the two walked into the living room, she was struck by how handsome Christopher actually was. He had tamed his hair tonight but his eyes still twinkled. Like most men in Hyacinth he had brought gifts, a bouquet of hyacinths for Charlotte and a small teddy bear with a chef’s hat for her.

  “Thanks,” she said, taking the little bear. He wore an apron that read Even chefs make mistakes – they just make up a new name for the dish and everyone applauds. Laughing as the saying seemed very apropos tonight, the tightness she had felt for the last week relaxed.