Love in a Small Town Box Set 1

by Tawdra Kandle

  There was no way in the world I could miss that happy event, and no way in hell I wanted to. I was best man, though I’d campaigned heavily for the title ‘best person’ instead. Ali and Flynn were both my friends, and I was perfectly happy with the idea of being the attendant for bride and groom. But then Meghan had insisted that she wanted to be Ali’s maid of honor, and I had to admit, she had a point. The two had become close friends and would soon be sisters-in-law. So we’d compromised, agreeing that we were both there for the couple as a whole, not just for one or the other.

  The ceremony was simple and sweet, held on the farm where generations of Reynolds had lived and loved. Both Father Collins, the priest at the Catholic Church where Flynn and I had been raised, and Reverend Marshall, the Presbyterian minister, took part in the service. There weren’t many dry eyes in the crowd. I was sure Cory Evans, Flynn’s mom, was feeling the loss of her husband once again, and Sam and Ali were both missing their own parents. But even so, joy was the hallmark of the day.

  Ali and Flynn had been a couple since we were all fourteen, and though they’d been torn apart for eight years, there wasn’t any doubt that the two of them were meant to be. Their sweet daughter Bridget was part of the wedding, too, making everyone smile when the bride and groom’s first dance was a three-way affair.

  “I do love a happy ending.” Megan sat down next to me, adjusting her light green gown as she settled in the wooden folding chair. “Look at them. Just think, this time last year, Ali was sure she’d never see Flynn again, Flynn had no idea that he had a daughter and they were all miserable. Now, they’re getting their happily-ever-after.” She sniffled.

  “And so are you.” I rubbed her arm. “I’m already planning my beach vacation down at Crystal Cove next spring. I figure, as long as I’m down there to see you and Sam get hitched, I might as well check out the local scene, right?”

  “You’ll love the Cove.” She slid me a side-eyed look. “And will you be bringing a date, Alex?”

  I shrugged. “Who knows? We’ll have to see what’s happening then.” I fiddled with the button on my shirt cuff. “It’s still months away.”

  Meghan nodded. “What happened, Alex? What went wrong with your friend in Savannah?”

  I stiffened. “What makes you think something did?”

  “Because you haven’t been the same. Oh, don’t worry. No one else has noticed. Ali’s been so preoccupied with weddings and moving and making up for lost time that she doesn’t see anything else. But I know what it’s like to put on a happy face and pretend your heart isn’t breaking when it is.” She paused and bit the side of her lip. “And I might have, um, snooped a little.” Guilt colored her pretty face.

  “Snooped?” I raised one eyebrow. “What’re you talking about?”

  She sighed and fidgeted. “I was back in Savannah a few weeks ago, when I officially moved out of my apartment there. And I remembered what you said, about your secret boyfriend working in a gallery.”

  “Right.”

  “You said something to me about the artist Paige Bishop, and I happened to do a little investigating and found out that she only shows at one gallery in town. So I might’ve gone over there.”

  “Meghan.” I closed my eyes. “What did you do?”

  “I didn’t mention you.” She said the words in a rush, as though to reassure me. “I mean, I saw him. But I just walked around and said I’d just graduated from SCAD.” She slipped her hand into mine and squeezed. “It’s Cal, isn’t it?”

  “How the hell did you figure all that out? I think you missed your calling, sugar. Maybe you should’ve been an undercover agent, not an art teacher.” My words were teasing, but my voice was brittle.

  She winced. “I might’ve had some help. I went into the gallery, and the only person there was an older lady. We got talking, and I mentioned that I live in Burton now. She said she knew someone from that town, and one thing led to another . . . anyway. She said she’d had high hopes for you and Cal, but something had happened, and now he just moped around all the time.”

  I wasn’t sure whether hearing that made me feel better or worse. “Really? That’s what Lucinda told you?”

  Meghan nodded. “And she also said she knew it was just that he was stubborn. She told me you were the best thing that had happened to him, and he’d thrown it away, because he was too afraid to trust you.”

  I stared out over the fields, green with summer crops. “It wasn’t just Cal. I jumped the gun. I pushed too hard, expected too much. I knew better.” I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “But I really liked him, Meggie. I was falling for him, like I haven’t for anyone else. And he wasn’t willing to even meet me half-way.”

  “So why are you letting him get away with it? Why haven’t you told him all that?”

  “I did, more or less. He tossed it back in my face, because he had a bad break-up with some asshole. If he can’t see past that, there’s nothing I can do.” I forced a big smile. “Besides, plenty of fish, right? Oh, look. Sam’s dancing with Ali now. Cue the waterworks. My mom’s already gone through two handkerchiefs.”

  Meghan rested her head on my shoulder. “Don’t give up so easy, Alex. Do you see Flynn, over there at the table? How he looks at Ali? Think what they went through. You deserve to be happy, and if Cal’s the one, you need to keep trying. Go see him. Talk. Work it out.”

  My heart was heavy in my chest, but I nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind, sweetie pie.” Standing, I pulled her up with me. “Now come dance with me. We’ll show them how it’s done.”

  The wedding festivities went late into the night. We danced until our feet wouldn’t hold us anymore, shouting and howling when our friend Mason took the microphone and serenaded Ali and Flynn. Mason had graduated ahead of Ali and me and moved to Nashville, where he’d made it big in the business side of the music world. After the tragic death of his young wife, he’d moved back to Burton with their baby daughter and opened up a bar and nightclub that’d become the hottest ticket in town.

  Ali and Flynn were spending their wedding night here at the farm, unwilling to leave the party early, and Ali insisted that I stay over, too, since my parents had driven home hours before.

  “I can walk home, Ali Baba.” I flicked her nose, even though I knew she hated it. “I’ve done it before, much drunker.”

  “But I’ll worry. You’re not the kid you used to be, Alex. And we’ve got the room. You can bunk in Grandma’s room downstairs.”

  I opened my mouth to protest again, but Flynn came up behind his bride, wrapping his arms around her waist and shooting me a pleading look over her shoulder. “C’mon, Nelson. If you walk home, she’ll fret and carry on, and it’ll interfere with my wedding night.” He kissed the side of her neck and winked at me. “I thought you were my friend.”

  “I am. But what kind of wedding night are you going to have with the house full of people, including her brother and your daughter?”

  Flynn wagged his eyebrows. “We’re very resourceful.”

  “I don’t want to know.” I shook my head. “Okay, I’ll stay. But I’m wearing ear plugs.”

  Meghan and Sam insisted that clean up could wait until the next morning, so everyone piled into their respective rooms. Flynn carried a sleeping Bridget up the steps to put her to bed, and standing next to me, at the bottom of the staircase, Ali sighed and laid her head on my shoulder.

  “Alex, remember when I found out I was pregnant with Bridge, and Flynn was gone, and I felt like my life was over? I thought nothing would ever be right again.”

  I draped my arm around her shoulders. “I remember, baby girl. Those were dark days.” I’d been about to leave for college and had started having second thoughts about leaving Ali behind in Burton.

  “But look at us now. All those horrible days when I was so scared and lonely and heartbroken—they brought me to this day. And if I had to live through them to get here, then I’d do it all again.” She inhaled deep, and I realized she was crying. “I’v
e never been so happy.”

  “I’m glad for you, Ali. For both of you. Seeing my two best friends make each other complete—nothing could be better.”

  “Thank you for always having my back, Alex. I don’t know what I’d have done if not for you.” She tip-toed and kissed my cheek. “I love you, you crazy man. I’m going to miss you while we’re living in the big apple. You’ll come see us, right? We can go to plays, and we can go shopping. You’ll love it.”

  “Of course.” I ruffled her hair. “Now get on up to your groom, baby doll, before he comes down to get you. Have a wonderful wedding night, and keep it down to a low roar for those of us who’re alone tonight, okay?”

  She giggled. “Can’t make any promises. See you in the morning.”

  I watched her sprint up the steps, the skirt to her simple white dress hiked up high enough that I could see her cowboy boots. Grinning, I headed for Grandma’s room and kicked off my shoes, groaning softly in relief.

  I’d just undressed and slid under the covers when I heard my phone buzz on the side table where I’d left it. Briefly, I considered ignoring it until morning—after all, who would be calling me at two AM? But then I thought of my parents and reached to check out the screen.

  My breath caught when I saw the name. I hesitated, my finger over the key to accept the call, before I made the decision.

  “Yeah?” I answered with a curt, single syllable.

  “Alex.” Cal’s voice was tentative, with something else below the uncertainty. “I’m sorry to call in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t have—well, I wouldn’t blame you for not picking up. But I wanted to tell you—Lucinda passed away tonight.”

  Damn. I shut my eyes and exhaled. “God, Cal, I’m sorry. Are you okay? Where are you?”

  “I just got home. She was at the gallery with me—we had an evening show—and everyone had just left when she collapsed. I called nine-one-one, but I think she was gone right away. It was so fast. I’ve been at the hospital since, met her husband there—his heart is broken.” Cal choked out the last word. “I know I don’t have any right to call you, but I didn’t have anyone else.”

  “Listen, Cal.” I sat up and reached for my pants. “I’ll be there in an hour. I’m in Burton. Just give me your address.”

  It was proof of how upset Cal was that he didn’t protest. He recited his street number and name, and I hung up, promising to get to him as soon as I could.

  I dressed fast, scribbled off a note to Ali explaining a friend needed me, and then I slipped out the back door and headed for the path that adjoined the Reynolds’ farm with ours. As I’d assured Ali, I could make my way there in the dark without any problem, and if I’d been a little drunk earlier, I was stone sober now.

  At home, I wrote a second note, this time to my parents, grabbed my car keys from upstairs and then started the drive to Savannah. The roads were empty until I reached the interstate, and even then, I only saw a few tractor-trailers. I made it to the city in record time and followed my GPS to the address Cal had given me.

  I’d never been to his house, of course. He lived in a rented town house on one of the quiet squares, surrounded by other homes, a bed-and-breakfast and a large church. The world was silent when I parked my car in front and sprinted up the steps.

  I’d had almost an hour to think about what it would be like to see Cal again. At first, I could only focus on getting there to be with him. About halfway to Savannah, I’d allowed myself a little room to be pissed at the fact that he’d only called me now, in a crisis. And then I’d realized that when he was upset, distraught, I was the one he called. That had to mean something, right?

  So by the time I knocked on the front door, I wasn’t quite sure what I’d do once I actually saw Cal. I had no plan, just a lot of nervous jitters.

  The door swung open, and Cal stood in front of me. He was wearing a suit very much like the one he’d had on the one night we’d been together, giving me a weird sense that I’d tripped backward in time. His tie was tugged down, and his collar was unbuttoned. The dark hair I’d run my fingers through that night stood on end, as though Cal’d been raking his own hands over it all night. His beautiful eyes were red-rimmed.

  And the minute I saw him, I knew what I needed to do. Stepping over the threshold, I took him into my arms and held him, pressing his head against my shoulder as he buried his face in my neck.

  His body shuddered a little, and I felt rather than heard him crying. Stroking his hair, I soothed with whispers and small touches, letting him pour out his grief.

  After a few minutes, he stopped shaking and stood back a little, not pulling away yet. He drew in a deep breath. “Thank you for coming, Alex. You don’t know how much it means to me. Come on in and shut the door.”

  I followed him through the paneled foyer into a small sitting room to our right. Cal headed for a table against the wall, where he lifted a tall dark bottle. “Drink? It’s just whiskey straight up. I don’t have anything in the house to make fancy drinks.”

  “I don’t need anything fancy. Just pour me a couple fingers, if you’re having some.”

  “Oh, hell, yeah. I’m having some more. I want to be numb.”

  I sat down on the brown leather love seat. “I get that.”

  He brought my drink over, lifted his own glass and clinked it against mine. “To . . . Lucinda. To the finest lady I’ll ever have the pleasure to know. God rest her soul.” He downed his whiskey in one long swallow, as I lifted mine to my lips. For a few minutes, we sat in silence, each of us staring at the floor.

  “I know . . . I know the last time I saw you, the way I behaved was shitty. I know I was a jerk. And you probably shouldn’t have answered the phone tonight, and I’m shocked you actually came here. I don’t deserve your kindness.”

  “We don’t have to talk about that now.” I gripped his hand.

  “Lucinda . . . she was mad. She told me I was being a damned fool. Even today—I mean, yesterday, I guess—she was after me to call you. She said you weren’t going to wait around forever, and I’d regret it if I lost you.”

  I rubbed my face. Whether it was the whiskey hitting me or the adrenaline that had carried me through the last few hours finally seeping away, I was suddenly and overwhelmingly exhausted.

  “Cal, we’re not going to do this tonight. It’s not the time.” I drained my glass and set it down on the coffee table. “You don’t mind if I sleep right here, do you? I’ll never get a hotel room at this time of night. Or morning, whatever it is.”

  “Of course you’re staying here.” Cal gritted his teeth as he wiped at his eyes. “But I’ve got room. You don’t have to take the couch. Come on upstairs.”

  I stood with my hands in my pockets as he moved around, locking the front door and switching off lights. And then without a word, I followed him up the steps.

  He paused outside a closed door at the top of the stairs. “This is the spare bedroom. You can sleep in here if you want.” He took a deep breath. “Or you can sleep in with me.”

  Before I could answer, Cal held up one hand. “I’m not talking about doing anything. I just don’t really want to be alone yet.”

  My head was fuzzy, and I was too tired to think straight. Nodding my head, I pointed down the hall. “Lead the way.”

  His bedroom was surprisingly warm, dominated by a large antique four-poster bed and accented with matching dressers. He turned on a lamp that sat on the nightstand and began to strip off his clothes without any further ado. Too lethargic to question it, I did the same.

  When we’d crawled under the covers and Call had turned off the light, I lay unmoving, listening to the steady rise and fall of his breath. Fumbling under the sheet, I found his hand and laced my fingers through his.

  With a low moan, he rolled toward me. “I can’t believe she’s gone, Alex. She was my family. She was my friend. I loved her.”

  “I know, babe.” I gave into the urge and kissed the top of his head. “She loved you, too. I didn’t get
the chance to know her very long, but I think you brought her a lot of happiness in her last years. You need to hold onto that.”

  He sighed, and within a few minutes, we’d both slipped into sleep.

  I stayed in Savannah with Cal over the next five days, through Lucinda’s memorial service. I’d run home to Burton the day after I’d left, to pick up my clothes, and when I’d walked into the back door, yelling hello to my mom, I was braced for her barrage of questions.

  To my surprise, she only greeted me with a warm hug, pulling back to look up into my face, her eyes probing into mine.

  “I’m proud of you, son.” She kissed my cheek. “I’m proud we raised you to be there for your friends. You know where your dad and I are if you need anything. And you give that nice young man our condolences, you hear?”

  When I told Cal, he smiled. His next words sent my heart into over-drive. “I think I’d like to meet your mom some time.”

  I managed to play it off cool. “That can probably be arranged.”

  Lucinda’s service was held in a large cathedral, and it seemed to me that the entire city of Savannah was in attendance. I spoke with Harry, her husband, who seemed to be bowed down by his grief.

  “Lucinda was the love of my life.” Sorrow filled his eyes as he shook my hand. “I don’t know how I’ll keep on living.”

  His words haunted me. The love of my life. When I looked at Cal, moving easily through the crowd in his black suit, I knew without a doubt that he could be it for me. Maybe it was too early to know that, and maybe we’d never get a chance. Maybe after today, when he’d gotten through the worst of Lucinda’s loss, he’d start pushing me away again. But that wouldn’t change the fact that I knew, on a soul-deep level, that Cal Rhodes was the only one for me.

  He’d been in charge of the repast after the services, held back at her lovely home. I had helped Cal organize the catering, and once everyone had finally left, we oversaw the tear-down and clean up together. Cal went alone into the study where Harry had retired, to let him know we were finished and to say good-bye.