Lola sat on the couch, sandwiched between Edith and Mims, which was a good thing since she’d have fallen over without their support. At the service, Drew had said he wanted to talk, but the only thing he’d asked her was whether she was leaving town. Had her outing Barbara cured Drew of whatever love he’d claimed to have felt for her? Because he’d been right. The truth had brought no peace.
Mims downed her third shot of whiskey. “I can’t believe Kevin and I got you out of jail.” Mims patted her pink purse. “Although we had backup.”
Lola mustered a smile, grateful it hadn’t come to guns being drawn.
There were friends in her living room, people livelier than Randy and Candy. She’d been talking to blow-up dolls for weeks but she couldn’t seem to form any words to talk to this group of caring women.
“You did a fabulous job on Marcia.” Edith declined a third round of whiskey, as clear-eyed as ever. “She looked so lifelike I thought she might jump out of her casket at the end and tell Barbara what for.”
“I’m going to cancel all my hair appointments with Barbara,” Avery said from the bar. “How do you think I’d look with bangs, Lola?”
Tears pressed the back of Lola’s throat. She couldn’t speak. Not even to acknowledge her best friend’s loyalty.
“Mims told me what Drew said earlier.” Bitsy knelt in front of Lola. She wore a little black dress with a little black jacket and black kitten heels. Her trademark black bow sat at the base of her neck. “He didn’t mean it.”
Lola sniffed.
“Who?” Edith demanded, turning to face Lola.
“Drew wanted to know what your plans were.” Bitsy ignored Edith. “He wasn’t saying he wanted you to leave town.”
Tears pressed at the backs of Lola’s eyes.
“Are you talking about the sheriff?” Edith asked in a demanding voice.
Avery came to sit next to Bitsy and tossed down another shot. “Drew dumped you?”
Lola sucked in a breath that got stuck in her throat, and then she sobbed, “He said he loved me.”
Arms encompassed her. Tissues and drinks and advice were offered. It was the first time Lola felt she truly belonged in Sunshine.
And yet she couldn’t stay.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Drew hadn’t seen Lola for nearly two weeks.
He ached for her.
He’d tried to talk to her after the play but she’d slipped away in the crowd.
She hadn’t come to the farmhouse.
She never answered the door at her home.
But Drew kept busy making things right in his life—rehiring Gary and signing a custody agreement with Jane, who’d taken a job with her father at the feedstore.
He’d been preparing for the day when he’d see Lola again. Sunshine was a small town. She couldn’t avoid him forever.
“Daddy-O, I was the star of the play,” Becky said from the back seat of the cruiser. She’d pulled out her Halloween costume this morning—black leggings, a black-and-yellow striped T-shirt, golden wings, and green antennae.
“You were, Sunshine.” Drew caught sight of her wobbly antennae in the mirror. “You know, I love you no matter what you wear or what you sing.”
“I know, Daddy-O.”
He’d apologized to Becky for hindering her self-expression—not that she completely understood his apology, but she understood he loved her and always would.
There was a new sign in Lola’s yard: FOR SALE. Her drapes were closed.
Drew’s chest squeezed. He couldn’t be too late. She hadn’t even talked to him yet. He kept on driving toward the Saddle Horn, gripping and regripping the steering wheel.
When they entered the coffee shop, reactions were mixed.
“Still no word on Rosie?” Norma Eastlake asked. She sat with Drew’s mother in the first booth.
Drew shook his head. The judge had been right. Tom Bodine was claiming possession of Rosie. Eileen was in for a fight, and Drew was backing her all the way, going so far as to pay Rupert’s legal retainer.
He and Becky took their usual seats at the counter.
“Darcy won’t see me,” Jason was saying to Iggy.
Drew could relate.
“Dude, you kissed another woman on national television.” Iggy elbowed his business partner. “Of course Darcy isn’t going to talk to you. You’re scum.” Iggy turned to Drew, pushing his straw hat back. “Anything I can do to help you get that pig back?”
“As much as I appreciate the offer, I hear the Bodines don’t just shoot cattle rustlers.” Drew nodded his thanks to Pearl for a cup of coffee. “They also shoot pig poachers.”
Pearl set a mug of hot chocolate with mile-high whip in front of Becky. “Let the judge handle this one.”
“Words of wisdom, Pearl.” Drew glanced over his shoulder to the street. It was empty of long-legged women. “Words of wisdom.”
“Would you like to hear my words of wisdom?” With a soft touch to his shoulder and a softer voice, Bitsy sat next to Drew. “When you see Lola—”
“If I see Lola.” She’d been avoiding him. She might go back to New York without saying goodbye. The thought had been keeping him up at night.
“—build up to the question.” Bitsy cupped his chin, and then she shook it as if she were pulling on an imaginary beard. With a private smile, she returned to the corner booth and the Widows Club.
“Look, Daddy-O. Look.” Becky lifted her face. She’d managed to get a thick layer of whip on both cheeks, which was more than her usual pointy beard.
“That’s awesome.” He’d had that skill once.
Color in the street caught Drew’s eye. Lola. His heart started to pound.
Ninety-year-old Jorge De La Cruz had passed in his sleep at the retirement home on Friday. Augie had assured Drew that Lola would be working on him today, which meant she’d be stopping in for a carafe of coffee.
Lola wore the blue leggings he was so fond of and a black T-shirt and carried her thermos. Her hair was in a messy ponytail that looked no better than what Drew had done with Becky’s hair that morning.
Drew had formulated a plan but he flagged Pearl down, choosing to be spontaneous. “Another hot chocolate, please. And hurry.”
Before Lola pushed open the door and rang the bell, Pearl had delivered a towering mug of hot chocolate to the empty seat next to Drew.
Everyone stopped talking and stared at Lola.
“Hey, everybody,” Lola said, barely above a whisper. She headed for the cash register without looking at Drew. “Fill her up, Pearl.”
Pearl frowned and glanced at the empty seat next to Drew.
Diners returned to their meals and conversations but kept their eyes on Lola.
Drew whispered some quick instructions to Becky. She nodded and grinned.
A moment later, Becky said, “Look, Ms. Williams. Look.” Becky’s face was clean. She pointed at Drew, who wore what felt like the most raggedy whipped cream beard ever made.
Apparently, beard-making wasn’t like riding a bike.
Conversation dwindled and then stopped.
Lola’s clear blue gaze landed on Drew. “I thought Saddle Horn beards were for kids.”
“I think…” Drew jutted his chin to keep the whip on a little while longer, to keep Lola interested a little while longer. “Saddle Horn beards are for the young at heart.”
Lola’s gaze cut to Becky. “Has your father been drinking beer?”
“No, ma’am.” His little bumblebee hopped off the stool, golden wings fluttering behind her. “But he did say a skirt would look good over my bee leggings.” She curtsied the way Wendy had taught her for the play. “And he said he’d take me dress shopping later.”
“Nice.” Lola gave Becky a grin that created a dimple, plus she added two thumbs up.
Drew’s heart swelled.
“Double bonus.” Becky flashed two thumbs back at Lola.
Drew’s beard plopped onto the counter, to the delight of the peanut galle
ry. He wiped his face clean, holding Lola’s gaze. It didn’t escape him that she’d moved two steps in their direction. “I was wrong.”
A crease appeared in Lola’s forehead. “About Saddle Horn beards?”
“No. About spring-thaw madness and women with attitude and what my daughter needs.” Drew hadn’t practiced what he’d say to Lola when she walked in. What he wanted to say was coming out in a rush. “I was wrong about everything. But I was especially wrong about you.”
“Really?” Lola took another hip-swaying step closer, grinning at him the way she had in the thrift store, dimple and all.
That dimple gave him hope. “My mother was right,” he said.
“I’ve waited years to hear this,” his mom said from the booth she shared with Norma.
“Women in Sunshine have always been a bit exuberant, unpredictable, and expressive.”
“The word I used was intense,” his mom supplied, earning a dark look from Drew, which she shrugged off. “I just want you to be accurate.”
He never should have told his mom what he had planned. He captured Lola’s gaze once more. “I had a list of women I had to watch over, which was essentially my family and you.”
Lola’s dimple disappeared. “Should I be flattered?”
“Yes and no. I used to think my life would be easier without so many women to look after. But my life would be worse. Much, much worse without them.” He hugged Becky. “I put you on my care-for list for all the wrong reasons but once I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And do you know what I learned?”
“What, Daddy-O?” Becky twirled at his feet, sending her golden wings flying through the air.
Drew grinned. “I learned that women who follow the rules and settle for the status quo bore me.”
“Hmm.” Lola had moved closer. She stood on the other side of Becky. So close. So very, very close.
“I want wild. I want unpredictable. I want fun.” Drew hesitated, and then he said what he was really thinking. “I want you, Lola. I want to be with you whether you stay in Sunshine or we all pick up and go to New York.”
Lola gasped.
Encouraged, he continued, “I’ve never met anyone as kind as you are. Who else could do hair and makeup for a retirement home and a mortuary? An angel, that’s who.”
Becky’s eyes widened. “An angel?”
Drew nodded. “And I’ve never met anyone as courageous as you are. Who else could stand up to a bunch of yahoos at Shaw’s or to the sheriff or the wife of the mayor?” He stood, because Lola was holding her ground. “Only a woman with wondrous, secret superpowers.”
“Wow,” Becky breathed.
Good thing someone was breathing. Drew wasn’t sure he was. “And I’ve never met anyone as generous as you are. Who else could forgive the women who had affairs with her husband, or the man who told her she wasn’t good enough to marry?” Drew got down on one knee and held out what he hoped would close the deal. “The woman I love, that’s who.”
“Drew?” Lola leaned forward, blinking at the small box he held. “What is this?”
He flipped the lid open. “I wanted to give you a new box of keepsakes. Go on. Look at what’s inside.”
She inched closer.
“Take notes,” Iggy told Jason. “This is how it’s done.”
Lola picked out a slip of paper. It was a coupon for a box of Betty Crocker. She showed it to the crowd. “Really?”
“I promise to eat your cupcakes anytime you bake them, be they undercooked or overdone.”
That had the crowd sighing.
Lola chose a silk rose petal next. It’d come from Randy’s jar in the bureau.
“A reminder from a romantic to always be romantic.” Drew knew Randy would always be important to her. He’d wanted to honor the man somehow.
It must have worked, because Lola’s eyes filled with tears. She picked up a pair of pink trick handcuffs.
Drew’s smile was gentle. “That’s for when I need to cool down.”
A tear tracked down her cheek.
Drew’s heart pounded hard. All that was left in the box was an engagement ring.
He took it out and handed the box to Becky, who had rehearsed this part with him and was grinning. “And this is the most colorful, most beautiful ring I could find.” A diamond solitaire framed by rubies and sapphires. “But it doesn’t hold a candle to you. I love you, Lola. Will you marry me?” He wanted her to know exactly what he was asking and why.
“Drew, I…” Lola sniffed and wiped away a tear. “Who broke your nose?”
“Um…” Her question took him by surprise. He’d hoped she’d be falling into his arms by now. “I was trying to teach Eileen how to pitch. She hit me with a softball.” And she’d told everyone she’d done it. It had taken years to live it down.
“I’m so glad.” Lola fell to her knees with him. “I was hoping you got that bump from one of the wild, impetuous women in your life and not in some barroom brawl.”
“Why?” he asked.
She sniffed. “Because that would mean you’d forgiven her, and you could forgive me too.”
“Forgive you for what? Being honest and demanding honesty in return? I don’t need to forgive you for that.” He cradled her beautiful face in his palms. “Honesty is your secret talent, and I love you for it.”
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. “I love you, Drew. Home is where true love resides. And for me, home is right here with you and Becky and everyone in Sunshine.”
“Is that a yes?” A wonderful yes?
She nodded.
Drew pulled Lola into his lap, gathered her in his arms, and kissed her until she was senseless.
Or at least until his mother and the Widows Club interrupted them.
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About the Author
Melinda Curtis is the USA Today bestselling author of lighthearted contemporary romance. In addition to her Sunshine Valley series from Forever, she’s published books independently and with Harlequin Heartwarming, including her novel Dandelion Wishes, which is currently being made into a TV movie. She lives in California’s hot Central Valley with her hot husband—her basketball-playing college sweetheart. While raising three kids, the couple did the soccer thing, the karate thing, the dance thing, the Little League thing, and, of course, the basketball thing. Between books, Melinda spends time remodeling her home by swinging a hammer, grouting tile, and wielding a paintbrush with her husband and other family members.
Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs
Annie Rains
If Lacy Shaw could have one wish, it’d be that the past would stay in the past. And with her high school reunion coming up, she has no intention of reliving the worst four years of her life. Ditching the event seems like the best option until a blistering-hot alternative roars into Lacy’s life. Perhaps riding into the reunion on the back of Paris Montgomery’s motorcycle will show her classmates how much she really has changed…
A bonus novella from USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains follows.
Chapter One
Lacy Shaw looked around the Sweetwater Springs Library for the culprit of the noise, a “shhh” waiting on the tip of her tongue. There were several people reading quietly at the tables along the wall. A few patrons were wandering the aisles of books.
The high-pitched giggle broke through the silence again.
Lacy stood and walked out from behind her counter, going in the direction of the sound. She wasn’t a stickler for quiet, but the giggling had been going on for at least ten minutes now, and a few of the college students studying in the far corner kept getting distracted and looking up. They’d come here to focus, and Lacy wanted them to keep coming.
She stopped when she was standing at the end of one of the nonfiction aisles where two little girls were seated on the floor with a large book about animals
in their lap. The shhh finally tumbled off her lips. The sound made her feel even more like the stuffy librarian she tried not to be.
The girls looked up, their little smiles wilting.
Lacy stepped closer to see what was so funny about animals and saw a large picture of a donkey with the heading “Asses” at the top of the page. A small giggle tumbled off Lacy’s lips as well. She quickly regained control of herself and offered a stern expression. “Girls, we need to be quiet in the library. People come here to read and study.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Abigail Fields, the girl with long, white-blond curls, said. They came in often with their nanny, Mrs. Townsend, who usually fell asleep in the back corner of the room. The woman was somewhere in her eighties and probably wasn’t the best choice to be taking care of two energetic little girls.
“I have to write a paper on my favorite animal,” Abigail said.
Lacy made a show of looking at the page. “And it’s a donkey?”
“That’s not what that says,” Willow, Abigail’s younger sister, said. “It says…”
“Whoa!” Lacy held up a hand. “I can read, but let’s not say that word out loud, okay? Why don’t you two take that book to a table and look at it quietly,” she suggested.
The little girls got up, the older one lugging the large book with both hands.
Lacy watched them for a moment and then turned and headed back to her counter. She walked more slowly as she stared at the back of a man waiting for her. He wore dark jeans and a fitted black T-shirt that hugged muscles she didn’t even have a name for. There was probably an anatomy book here that did. She wouldn’t mind locating it and taking her time labeling each muscle, one by one.
She’d seen the man before at the local café, she realized, but never in here. And every time he’d walked into the café, she’d noticed him. He, of course, had never noticed her. He was too gorgeous and cool. There was also the fact that Lacy usually sat in the back corner reading a book or people-watching from behind her coffee cup.
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