by Mary Manners
“And at your parents’ house,” Kate added. “Your mom kept a garden. She always let me fetch a bunch to take home to my mom, before…”
She paused, because as welcome as the memory was, the unexpected loss of her parents still hurt.
“I remember.” His eyes told her he felt the loss as well. He’d been close to her parents—especially her dad. He’d spent countless afternoons helping her father work in the shop he’d built out behind their house, heads bowed over this project or that. Sometimes Kate felt Logan’s passion for designing buildings was borne in that workshop, where her dad had fashioned fine furniture while her mother hummed in the kitchen, baking the afternoon away.
“Come in.” Kate took a step back from the doorway.
“Do you have a vase?” Logan eased past her and entered the house, bringing a brush of cool air that clung to his clothes.
“In the cabinet above the kitchen sink, just down the hall to your left.” She followed him through the living room and into the kitchen, and motioned toward the far wall. He found the vase, filled it with a bit of water, and let her arrange the flowers to her liking before he set them in the center of the small kitchen table for her to admire.
“Smells like bananas and oranges in here,” Logan sniffed the air and gazed at the walls she’d painted a cheerful yellow.
“I was trying out a new bread recipe.” Kate nodded toward a platter on the counter where a nicely-browned loaf cooled beneath the last rays of a waning sunset. “Wanna sample?”
“Sure.”
She sliced a piece for him and waited while he tossed a bite into his mouth, chewed.
“So…?”
“It’s…fabulous.” He nodded and bit off another chunk. “Wow.”
“Well, that’s certainly a nice stamp of approval.” She laughed. “OK, I’ll add it to the line.”
“You’d better. And send a dozen loaves over to the construction site tomorrow, sliced, of course. The workers will thank you.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
“After dinner,” he said. “No more work now—for either of us.”
“Where are we going…for dinner, I mean?” Kate asked.
“Where would you like to go?”
“Your parents’ restaurant. I want to thank them again for the library.”
Logan nodded and took her hand. “Then that’s where we’ll go. They’ll be happy to see you.”
The aroma of grilled onions and barbecued chicken made Kate feel at home as soon as she stepped into the bustling lobby. She could almost taste juicy, melt-in-your-mouth grilled shrimp.
“Kate!” Logan’s mother rushed over. “Oh, don’t you look pretty.”
“Hi, Mama Daniels.” Kate closed her eyes as the woman wrapped her in an embrace. A hint of garlic mingled with lavender and brought comforting memories. “It’s good to see you again, too.”
Logan bent to plant a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “Where’s Dad?”
“In the kitchen, harassing the new cook. He thinks no one can manage the menu as well as he does.”
“Retirement won’t come easy for him.” Logan laughed. “Hope he doesn’t chase the guy away.”
“Me, too.” She turned to Kate. “Hungry?”
“Very.”
“Your table’s waiting.”
She led them across the crowded room to a table overlooking the creek. Flowering Bradford pears bloomed brilliant white along the rocky bank. Kate’s breath caught. How many afternoons had she and Logan sat here talking about their future?
As they settled into their seats, the restaurant lights dimmed and small lanterns flickered on at each table, bathing the room in a warm glow. Kate had forgotten the seven o’clock evening ritual, and her breath hitched again as Logan studied her across the muted light.
He didn’t bother with a menu. “Would you like the regular?”
Kate nodded. She knew exactly what he meant. “Shrimp platter for two?”
“With grilled vegetables—minus the mushrooms—and extra yeast rolls.”
“That’s right.” Suddenly her throat felt parched. “You remember.”
“Of course I do.” He placed his elbows on the table and leaned into her. His breath warmed her neck. “How could I forget, Katie?”
“I…um…” She reached for her ice water.
“I gave you my class ring right…here.” He took her hand. “The trees were brilliant with fall colors, and you said they looked like a patchwork quilt.”
“Don’t, Logan.” She saw the ring now, back on his finger. She’d returned it to him along with the engagement ring he’d given her the night before he left for California. “It’s in the past. Let it go.”
“We’ll see.” He lifted his head and turned as the server arrived to take their order. “We’ll see, Katie.”
4
“This is becoming a habit.” Kate tossed a potholder on the stainless steel pastry table and blew a stray strand of hair from her eyes. “That oven has always worked perfectly.”
Logan’s eyes smiled over the rim of his coffee cup. “Let me take a look-see.”
“Go ahead, but I’m going to have to call the technician. I’m sorry, Logan, but I’m not going to be able to get that bread baked for you today.”
“Not so fast,” he said. “Maybe I can fix it.”
He fell to his knees and surveyed the underbelly of the oven. “Has someone been messing around back here? It looks like the heating elements have been disconnected.”
“That’s impossible.” Kate stooped to peer over his shoulder. “How could that happen?”
Logan shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it just jostled loose over time.” He popped an element into place, then another. “Try it now.”
She turned a knob and stifled an oath. The oven began to warm almost immediately. “I’m starting to think we have a prankster afoot.”
“Maybe one of your sisters?”
Kate pondered a moment, and then shook her head. “The business is far too important for any of them to mess around like that. It’s our livelihood.”
“Adam?”
Again, she shook her head. “Too young, and we never let him back here alone. It’s far too dangerous.”
“Just coincidence, then,” Logan agreed. “Anyway, it’s fixed. Anything else you want me to take a look at?”
Kate shook her head. “That’s it…for now. I’ll start that bread. I’m sure glad you stopped by.”
He reached for her hand. “Me, too.”
She felt rough callouses on his skin, borne of hard physical work. Not only had he designed the new library, but he carefully oversaw each step, pitching in wherever he was most needed. “I should get to work.”
“What time do your sisters come in?”
“Mattie’s usually here by now, and Grace arrives around eight. As for Tessa, your guess is as good as mine. She comes and goes like the wind.”
“Have one of them cover at the shop for you when you drop the bread by, and we’ll share lunch.”
“Logan…last night was nice.” It had given them a little time to talk…and time for her to share when he asked about Grace’s rough night. His concern had warmed her. He’d always had a soft spot for her sisters. In a way, he was like the big brother they’d never had—except to her. To her, he’d been so much more. “But I don’t think…we shouldn’t…”
“Give me a chance, Katie.”
“You…had your chance.” She turned away as a lump suddenly filled her throat and tears burned her eyes. “You blew it, Logan. We blew it. Now…well, it’s just too late.”
“It’s not too late, Katie.”
“How do you know?”
“Because…I still love you.”
“You shouldn’t,” she choked. “Don’t say that.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” She stuffed a fist to her mouth to stifle a sob and felt as if her heart was shattering. “We’ll only get hurt again.”
&nbs
p; ****
Kate’s words echoed in Logan’s ears as he crossed the street to the building site. He was amazed by the progress the construction crew had made in just a few short days. At this rate, the library would be completed well before its scheduled target date of a Fourth-of-July dedication.
And then what? He’d gotten his architectural firm’s blessing to come supervise this project, because it was good PR for them. But when the library opened for business, he’d have to return to California—and leave Kate again.
He’d fought his parents tooth and nail to find someone else to spearhead the project. When they’d offered the work to him, he’d had no desire to return to Mount Ridge—and the memories of how he’d failed Kate.
She’d failed him, too—gone back on her word. They’d made a promise to each other to build a life together, and then her parents had died in that horrible crash, just weeks before the wedding. Kate was swept up in helping her sisters. Logan thought things would settle down, but as the wedding day approached, Kate told him there was no way she could leave Mount Ridge so soon after her parents’ death, and with Mattie’s plans for the bakery in full swing. What would happen to Tessa? Who would help Grace? And why should Mattie be left alone to shoulder all the responsibility of providing and caring for them?
On one level, Logan understood, but he’d secured a job in California—a good job, the job of his dreams—and he just couldn’t let the opportunity pass by. It might never come again, and he and Kate had agreed to relocate. It was what he’d worked for all his life…and what Kate had assured him she wanted.
But, in the end when Kate refused to leave, he’d gone anyway. There was no future for him in Mount Ridge—nothing but the monotony of small-town life…nothing but watching the days pass while he grew older. He didn’t want to live like that.
Or so he’d thought. Now…he wasn’t so sure. Something had changed, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. All he knew for sure was that he couldn’t leave Kate again—not like before. He’d have to figure something out—and fast.
****
“Do you ever regret it, Mattie, taking on so much responsibility after Mom and Dad…died?” Kate asked as she turned off the bakery shop lights.
“What brings this on?” Mattie gathered the bundle of soiled aprons and a few kitchen towels into a laundry bag to carry home to wash. Her sleek black hair was pulled back into a neat, sensible braid, and her eyes were shadowed with exhaustion. Kate remembered the days, before their parents’ death, when Mattie used to bubble with energy, her hair cascading in sable waves around her shoulders as she scurried from here to there, talking a mile a minute about all the wonderful things she planned to do with her future.
Now she just looked…tired. A litany of responsibilities weighed heavily.
Kate wondered if she looked so drained, too.
“I’ve just been thinking…” Kate unzipped her windbreaker and let the warm breeze rush against her as they began the short walk to Mattie’s house. Spring was blooming into full swing. The sweet scent of lilacs and wild onions danced on the air. “You sacrificed a lot for us.”
“You did, too.”
“Do you ever wish…I mean, do you ever think you’ll find someone special and settle down to have children of your own?”
“I don’t have time to look.” Mattie laughed, but her voice was dulled by a hint of sadness. “Besides, I’m nearly thirty. It’s almost too late for me.”
“Bite your tongue,” Kate scolded. “Don’t think that way.”
“It’s the truth.” Mattie insisted. “But you, Kate…well, you have a second chance with Logan. You should consider it…carefully.”
“I’m not sure what I should do.” Kate watched sunlight shimmer through the branches of maple trees that lined the street and danced in a warm breeze. “What if he hurts me again?”
“What if you hurt him?”
Kate lowered her gaze. “I…I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Well, it’s something to consider.” Mattie waggled a finger at her, same as their mother used to. “You can’t live your life being afraid, Kate. You know what Mom used to say.”
“I know. ‘Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ Matthew 6:34…it was her favorite verse.”
“You remember.” Mattie’s dark eyes lost a bit of the shadow as she smiled.
“Yes…how could I forget?”
“Then live by it, Kate.” Mattie slung the sack of aprons over her shoulder as they started down the street. “Now, I’d like to talk about Tessa’s graduation. The date’s coming up in a few weeks. Would you like to help me plan a little celebration?”
“You bet.”
5
Kate hustled into the shop and flipped on the lights. She loved the familiar scent of cinnamon mingled with vanilla and chocolate, like a warm hug that greeted her when she entered Sweet Treats each morning.
She and her sisters had come to an easy agreement when they opened the bakery. Since Kate liked the early-morning hours, she opened the doors and got the ovens fired up with fresh muffins and bread selections. As the sun came up, Mattie would join her and pitch in to get the pastry cases filled and the coffee brewing. Then Grace arrived as soon as she dropped off Adam at preschool, and the three worked side by side serving customers and filling orders until Tessa arrived after school whenever she wasn’t involved in another activity. The system worked well, and the four managed to get through each day without too many squabbles.
Kate tossed the laundry bag of clean aprons onto the counter, then wiggled out of her jacket. She reached behind her to re-lock the entrance door, and then walked behind the counter to press the power button on the coffeemaker. A moment later, it belched and sputtered and the rich scent of hazelnut filled the room. She took a clean apron from the sack and slipped it on, then tucked an order pad and pen into the pocket.
Kate paused and sucked in a breath. She heard a loud clunk—not at all familiar—coming from the storage room above, followed by a swoosh that indicated water had been turned on up there. Someone was in the bathroom.
“Hello?” she called. Maybe Tessa was up there. She’d done that once. Not long after their parents died, she’d failed to come home and Mattie had found her bundled in a pile of kitchen towels on the floor of the storage room, where she’d cried herself to sleep. “Is anyone here? Tessa? Grace?”
When there was no reply, nerves made Kate’s heart skip and stutter. She grabbed the closest object, a metal umbrella urn near the front door, and approached the stairs. Fluorescent light cascaded from the room above as she tiptoed up the flight. She rounded the corner and lifted the urn above her head as she approached the doorway, prepared to throw it.
“Who’s there?”
A clatter ensued as a toolbox toppled and a collection of screwdrivers and wrenches tumbled to the floor.
“Katie?” Logan emerged from the alcove near the bathroom, an oversized wrench in one hand. “What are you doing here so early?”
“Me?” She heaved a sigh of relief and commanded her heart to stop galloping. She considered tossing the urn at him anyway for scaring the wits from her. “What am I doing here? I work here.”
“But it’s only four o’clock. You’re early, even by your standards.” He loped over to take the urn from her. He set it on the floor.
“I have extra orders to fill, so I thought I’d get a jump on it.” She lifted her chin in a defiant pout and gaped at him. “Logan, what are you doing here?”
“Putting in a little surprise for Mattie…and for you.”
Kate noticed the stackable washer and dryer combination tucked up against the back wall and gasped. The plumbing had been installed when the bakery was constructed, but they’d never gone ahead with the connection or the appliances themselves. That was still on the to-do list, along with several dozen other projects. The bakery was a work-in-progress. “But, Logan, how did you know?”
&
nbsp; “I saw Mattie carrying the laundry bag yesterday and I know you haul the clean aprons back here every morning, so I thought…” He shrugged. “It’s nothing fancy, but it will get the job done and save your backs.”
“Oh, she’ll love it. I love it. But how did you get in here?”
“With a little help from Tessa. She gave me a key.”
“But why would you want to help us…help me?”
“Why not?” He shrugged. “It wasn’t hard. The plumbing was here. It just needed a little adjusting.”
“Mattie’s going to be…” She struggled with the words. “Oh, Logan, thank you.”
“No problem.” He wiped grease from his hands with a towel. “Were you really gonna bean me with that urn?”
“Yes…no…well, not you.” Her cheeks grew warm, and she knew a healthy blush had eased across her face. “I just thought…I heard a noise and I thought…”
“Wow, you’re still stubborn as I remember.” He shook his head, clearly exasperated. “Next time call the police—or me. You shouldn’t try to deal with situations like that on your own. It’s dangerous. If someone really had broken in here…” He didn’t bother to finish.
“I…you’re right.” She bent to help him gather tools that had spilled from the toolbox. “I was foolish.”
“No harm done.” He tossed a wrench into the box and gathered the screwdrivers and hammer that had tumbled out. “So what’s on the pastry menu for today?”
“Blueberry strudel, cinnamon apple bread, and two hundred of my soon-to-be-famous chocolate-cherry kisses—and that’s just what you ordered for the construction crew.”
“Sounds good.” His gaze found hers. “But I’d like to add one item.”
“OK. Name it.” Kate fumbled in her apron pocket for a pen and order pad.
“You won’t need that.” He took her hand.
“No?” She paused, and when she looked at him, her breath caught. “Logan…?”
“A kiss, Katie…and not of the chocolate variety,” he said. “Just one…for now.”
Kate’s head said no, but her heart still longed for him. She closed her eyes as the clean scent of him washed over her. His touch was gentle, and full of all the promise she remembered—and loved. As his arms encircled her, her mother’s voice echoed through her mind…
