“It’s not balanced.” He took the handle of the dolly from her.
“I can do it—”
“Alone,” he finished. “Yes, I know.” He yanked on the strap of the belt to tighten it more. “But I want to help you.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but shook her head and started walking ahead of him, dodging puddles as she crossed the road and headed to the side door.
With her pottery wheel in tow, Brian walked behind her, trying to ignore the sway of her hips as she walked and the tug of her jeans across her backside. The woman was tying him in knots, making him crazy. And she’d just arrived.
As soon as he could get away from her, he’d go back to his office and regroup. He was handling everything badly today.
As he pulled the dolly up the steps and onto the side porch, he saw that Mari had laid down clear, thick plastic and a big striped rug. There were neatly stacked bags containing different shades of clay, along with an aluminum bucket overflowing with sponges and what were probably pottery tools.
“I’ll make sure that I contain the mess,” she said.
He set her wheel down in the middle of the room where she pointed.
“So, what does it take to be a potter?” he asked.
Her face changed. The worry lines on her forehead faded, and her mouth dissolved into a smile. She became animated, alive.
“It takes imagination to find what’s hiding inside a lump of clay and bring it out. Then once I do, I can shape and glaze the piece and fire it and make it my own. There’s nothing like it in the world.”
He couldn’t help being mesmerized by the dreamy expression on her face. All too soon, she noticed him looking at her. The glow disappeared and a stiff, self-conscious smile took its place.
“Can we unload my kiln now?” she said, averting her eyes.
It seemed like it pained her to ask him for help. He was just about to touch the small of her back, just to escort her back to the van, but she moved away. He’d meant it only as friendly gesture, and never expected that kind of response. Why was she so jumpy?
As they walked to the van in silence, he made sure to leave an ample amount of space between them.
Once there, he tied the kiln securely onto the dolly. It was smaller than he’d expected, and much lighter. He rolled it into the boathouse, set it in place where Mari directed and plugged it in for her.
“You’re all set. I’ll pick up the part I need for the shutter, and be back to fix it in a couple of days.”
“Thanks, Brian. I’d appreciate it.”
As he drove back to his town house, he wondered who had hurt Mari so much that she was determined to sequester herself in the woods.
Mari watched as Brian drove down the muddy road and disappeared from sight.
Maybe now she could relax.
She couldn’t help but feel that the accountant in him didn’t miss a thing. It was as if he’d totaled everything up and found her lacking.
Well, what did he expect? She was no longer the girl who gathered wildflowers in the meadow, or who rode her bike down Sunrise Hill with her hands and feet in the air.
She was president of Sherwood Enterprises, Inc., a major corporation. She had duties and responsibilities that few could imagine. The livelihoods of over three thousand people depended on her business acumen and insight. And she was the last in a long line of men and women—mostly women—who had built Sherwood from a one-woman pottery business to the powerhouse that it was today.
Yes, she was in Hawk’s Lake to find herself, but she didn’t need Brian Hawkins to remind her of those heavenly, happy-go-lucky days. Nor did she want to be attracted to him, or feel his touch, even if it was simply a friendly gesture.
She was vulnerable right now, and it didn’t help that she’d thought about him over the years, wondered what he was doing, if he’d ever married or had children. Never in her wildest dreams did she think he’d turn out as handsome as he had—or that he still could make her heart do flips in her chest.
But he was the one who had crushed her young teenage heart. The one who made her extra careful of giving her heart away. And ever since, when she finally did fall for someone, it never seemed to work out.
What was wrong with her?
Mari walked into the sunporch. It felt good to have her wheel ready to go, and her kiln in the boathouse. She couldn’t wait to feel what it was like to have her hands all muddy and wet, creating something from scratch.
She looked at her perfectly manicured nails and grinned. They wouldn’t look so perfect tomorrow morning when she reintroduced herself to her wheel.
For two days, Mari was alone, and she forced herself not to think of Brian or Sherwood Enterprises. She just enjoyed working on her wheel and living in the moment.
Six pots of various sizes sat drying on a table that she’d covered loosely with newspaper. None of them were as good as they could be, yet the happy memory of Grandma Rose teaching her was just as vivid now as it was when it was happening.
They had sat on this very porch. Gram had her arms around her. “Feel the clay, Mari dear. And when it’s ready, you can pull it up. Be careful. Not too much water, or it’ll flop over. There you go. Perfect! You’re a natural—just like the other Sherwood women.”
Then they’d cut it off the wheel with a wire to dry. Mari couldn’t wait to fire it to bisque and then paint it with various glazes. When Gram opened the kiln, it was like coming downstairs on Christmas morning and seeing the gifts all gaily wrapped under the tree—a wonderful surprise.
“It’s just beautiful, Marigold,” Gram would say, studying one of her pieces. “If your great-grandmother Lily could see this, she’d be so proud.”
Lily’s mother, Violet Sherwood, had started Sherwood Enterprises, originally named Sherwood Pottery, in the carriage house behind her old Victorian in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Over the years their bestselling china patterns and corresponding accessories were named after the Sherwood women: Violet, Lily, Rose and Marigold.
If Mari didn’t take over the reins at Sherwood, it would be the end of the family’s control of the corporation.
She couldn’t let that happen. Yet the thought of managing the family business forever—not to mention the pressure—was making her miserable.
She wanted children—a bunch of them—but there was no way she wanted to bring them up the way she’d been brought up—by absentee parents. Parents who were too busy running and expanding their company to pay much attention to a lonely little girl.
Briefly, she thought of her office and closed her eyes. Here at the lake, there was no intercom. No e-mails to answer, no calls to return. No lengthy meetings to attend—nor a million other minute details to handle.
It was calm, peaceful and silent.
As if reading her mind, the phone rang, startling her. Hurrying to the kitchen, she found herself hoping it was Brian Hawkins.
“Hello?”
“Mari! It’s Melanie Hawkins. Welcome back to Hawk’s Lake.”
Mari sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and smiled.
“Mel!” It was wonderful to hear the voice of her childhood friend. “How are you?”
“Anxious to catch up with you. I called to invite you over for a small party tomorrow—a birthday party—for my my son, Kyle.”
Mari hesitated for only a moment. Sure, she wanted to discover herself again and to think about her life, but she wasn’t going to pass up a chance to reconnect with old friends.
“I’d love to come, Melanie.”
Two hours later, Mari pulled her van into a parking space in front of Clancy’s grocery store.
To call Clancy’s a “grocery store” was a misnomer. It was more like ten stores rolled into one. Sure, there were groceries, but where the beverage aisle ended, sporting goods started. Bait was sold in a corner by the rods and reels.
One wing housed clothes for every member of the family—another, books and yarn and crafts. Seasonal decorations took up still another area, and Mari co
uld see decorated Christmas trees in the same space as jack-o’-lanterns and black cats. Toys for all ages took up two long aisles, pots and pans and kitchen items took up three. There were boats for sale outside on the right of the building, snowmobiles on the left. A sign over the front door proclaimed, If we don’t have it, it hasn’t been made yet—the perfect motto for Clancy’s.
Mari reminded herself to buy some groceries, a birthday gift for Kyle and some nail polish to repair her nails. She wanted to look her best at the party.
She told herself that it wasn’t because of Brian, but in her heart, she knew she was lying.
It wasn’t the first time.
Strolling the aisles, she picked out several items that she needed, and even more that she didn’t. Compared to Boston, it was hard to resist the prices.
As she pushed her cart past the baby clothes, she decided that she’d like to buy something for Angeline, Melanie’s eight-month-old baby.
Mari handled every dress, every hair accessory and every pair of socks with lace trim. She was delighted for Melanie, who sounded so full of joy as she spoke of Angeline and Kyle.
As happy as she was for her friend, whenever Mari thought about how she might not ever have any children, a deep sadness settled inside her.
But she was afraid to take that CEO job and try to raise a family at the same time. After all, her parents hadn’t been able to balance the business and their child. What made her think she’d be any different?
“Oh!” she said, finding a smocked sundress with rosebuds and a little white crocheted jacket. “This is just too cute.” Even more adorable was a bonnet, which, when tied, would form the petals of a sunflower around Angeline’s face. Mari added pink tights, soft, white shoes and a little stuffed lamb.
As she picked out some grocery items, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d spent such an enjoyable time shopping. The creaky wooden floors under her sandals and the absence of people made the experience enjoyable. She covered every square inch and covered it again, just to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. Just as she was checking out, a deep voice rang out.
“Hi, Mari!”
Her heart did a flip, and she scanned the store. She saw Brian at one of the checkouts.
“Hi, there.” He looked striking in a golf shirt, a blue that brought out the turquoise in his eyes and that stretched across his broad chest. He wore tan khakis that fit him perfectly. A brown leather belt cinched his waist.
“Can I help you with those groceries?” he asked, eyeing her mountain of bags.
As he came closer, she could smell his aftershave—the clean scent of pine and spice. “I can manage, Brian, but thanks anyway. Aren’t you working today?”
He nodded and held up a paper bag. “I needed a couple of things for the office.” He snapped his fingers. “Which reminds me. I got a fax for you from Julie about an hour ago.”
“I’ll pick it up on my way home. Thanks.” They left the store and he started down the sidewalk. “Do you want a ride?”
He smiled. “On a gorgeous day like this? I’ll walk.”
“See you in a bit.”
She opened the back door of the van, but instead of putting her purchases inside, she watched Brian walk away.
He turned back suddenly, and caught her staring. Grinning, he waved.
Busted.
Her cheeks heated as she lifted her hand in a weak acknowledgment, then concentrated on emptying her cart.
Several minutes later, Mari entered Brian’s office. Mrs. Newley wasn’t there, but Brian was at his desk, on the phone. He motioned for her to come on back.
She lifted the counterpiece that acted as a barrier between the waiting area and the workplace, walked back to his glass-enclosed office and took a seat.
Brian smiled at her, put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and whispered, “Hang on a minute. I have to ask you something.” He handed her a stack of papers.
It was her fax from Julie. Glancing at it, she saw that it was nothing that couldn’t have waited until she returned—just some monthly stats and reports from various department heads.
She smiled back at Brian and skimmed the material. He’d no sooner hung up the phone than it rang again.
“Sorry,” he said. “I’m waiting to hear about an offer on a vacant building for an anxious client, or I’d let the machine get it.”
“No problem.”
As she skimmed the fax, her eyes kept returning to Brian. He was much more interesting and definitely in his element. He fielded his calls with confidence, knowledge and an easygoing demeanor that would equal or surpass any executives at Sherwood.
Again he hung up, and again the phone rang. “I’m sorry. It’s normally not this busy.”
“Don’t be silly,” Mari said. “For a change, I’ve got all the time in the world.”
Through the open windows, she could see some children playing jump rope on the sidewalk.
She could hear the girls giggle, and she could smell the sweetness of fresh-cut grass as a lawn mower droned in the distance.
In contrast, her office windows in Boston were sealed shut. All she could see were other office buildings—a soaring mix of glass and brick and gray cement.
Finally, he hung up the phone. “Sorry about the wait. Hopefully, that’ll be it for a while.”
“I know how it feels. My phone at work never stops ringing, and it’s impossible to get anything done. I just hate it.”
“I love it.” He grinned. “It gets my blood pumping.”
She stood to leave.
“Mari, would you like to go with me to my nephew’s seventh birthday tomorrow?”
She was just about to tell him that Melanie had already invited her when he held up his hand.
“I know you want to be alone, but my family wants to see you. I promise you it’ll be fun. It’s just a barbecue, and probably a campfire at night.” He tapped a pencil on the desk, and Mari wondered if he was anxious that she’d say no.
“Melanie already asked me to come, Brian.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that. I haven’t talked to her today.” He let out a deep breath. “And what did you say?”
“I said I’d love to.”
Smiling, his turquoise eyes lit up. “I’m glad.”
Suddenly, things seemed awkward between them. It wasn’t as if it was a date or anything like that….
“Well, I’d better get my groceries home.” Standing, she was about to pick up her reports that she’d laid on his desk, just as he did the same. Brian’s hand brushed against hers and lingered. It was warm and strong—just like him. She pulled away reluctantly.
“Can I give you a ride to Mel’s?” Brian said.
“That’s not necessary. I can drive myself.”
“Let me pick you up, Mari. Then you won’t have to worry about finding her house, and you can enjoy the ride.”
“Okay,” she relented. “I’m looking forward to it. And I can’t wait to see her new baby, and everyone else for that matter.”
But she had to admit to herself that it was Brian that she really couldn’t wait to see again.
Outside, she stopped to watch the girls playing jump rope. She remembered being one of the best jumpers in Boston.
“Jump in,” said the girl whose turn it was next.
Mari hesitated. “It’s been a long time.”
“You can do it. My mother does it.”
Sheesh. “Okay.” Mari put her purse on the lawn. She couldn’t help but glance up and see Brian standing at the window. He gave her a thumbs-up.
She grinned and shrugged. “Ready?” She watched the rope go round and round, and found herself swaying like she used to, waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump in. Then she was off. But the rope hit her foot.
“Try it again, lady,” said the other rope twirler.
She did, and this time she succeeded. She jumped in the middle of the rope and lost count of how many times. She turned around in the middle, and the gir
ls went a little faster…then faster.
She kept up, laughing, until she made the mistake of looking over at Brian. They locked gazes, and she lost her timing. She stumbled as the rope snagged the tip of her shoe, throwing her off balance. Catching herself, she could see that Brian had started toward her, obviously concerned that she might have been hurt.
When he saw that she was okay, he waved and smiled.
Breathing heavily, she thanked the girls, then turned again to Brian. He was clapping. She did a curtsy, picked up her purse and walked to the van, feeling happier than she had in a long time.
Chapter Five
Brian pulled into the driveway behind Sherwood Lodge and saw Mari sitting on the patio, staring at the lake. Beside her was a plastic bin overflowing with brightly wrapped gifts.
She turned and put a finger over her lips. He walked quietly over to her and sat down.
“Aren’t they cute?” she whispered, pointing at the beach.
Six ducklings were huddled around their mother, taking a nap in the sun.
He was so used to the cycle of life around the lake, he usually took it for granted. “Cute,” he agreed, looking at the mother and ducklings and seeing them through Mari’s eyes. “I think she could be the duck who dived at you. She must have been in a hurry to get back to the family.”
“I thought she looked familiar.” Mari chuckled. “I could watch them all day, but we should probably get going.”
As if on cue, the ducks woke up and waddled off toward the lake.
Yet Mari didn’t make a move to leave.
Brian noticed that, during her brief time here, Mari was looking better already. She seemed to have more energy, more color in her cheeks.
“Mari, why did you really come back to Hawk’s Lake?”
She folded her hands in her lap. “I told you. I needed a vacation.”
“But what else? Did something happen in Boston? Are you okay?”
“Well…” She looked down at her ring finger, then up at the sky, as if the answer was written there. “I’m okay.”
He waited, but she didn’t elaborate. “Is there anything I can help with?”
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