Animal Prints: Sweet Small Town Contemporary Romance (Michigan Moonlight Book 1)

by May Williams

  “Can’t do that,” she said in a light-hearted tone. “The farm’s too important to leave out of the title. When will you get here?”

  “About an hour. I’ve got to make one stop on my way.”

  “I’ll meet you at the house.”

  Ian clicked the phone off, packed up the rest of his gear, and left Boyne, feeling like a pathetic school boy. It’d only been two days since he’d seen her, but just talking to her on the phone made him happy. When he neared Petoskey, he took a detour into town where he’d seen a florist shop. A little bell over the door jingled when he entered.

  “Can I help you?” A gray-haired lady in the shop greeted him.

  “I need some flowers.” Of all the obvious things to say to a florist, he thought. His brain must be turning to mush.

  “For?” She prompted.

  “A woman,” Ian said, giving the florist an odd look.

  “Your wife, girlfriend, mother, a sick friend?” the florist suggested.

  “Oh, she’s my…I don’t know what she is,” he concluded. “I think roses, but I don’t know what color. If I get her red, that’s serious, isn’t it?”

  “Traditionally, red roses symbolize love.” The florist wrinkled her brow in sympathy. “Are you worried that’s too serious?”

  “Maybe, but pink seems juvenile.” Why was this so hard? “What do you think?”

  “How about a mixed bouquet of roses?” She pointed to a spray of yellow, pink, and white roses packaged to go on the counter.

  Ian thought about that for a minute. “Okay, but I want red in the mix.”

  “It’ll just take me a minute.” She disappeared into the back room, smiling.

  Ian strolled around the small shop while he waited. Whoever did the displays had an eye for color and design he could appreciate. He was studying a birch branch used to showcase a series of birdfeeders and bird themed decorations when the bell over the door rang and none other than Jack Peterson strolled in.

  “That you, Jack?” The florist called.

  “Yep,” Jack answered, but his eyes were on Ian.

  “Your flowers are on the counter.” She nodded to them when she came back into the main room. To Ian, she added, “Will this do?” She laid a bouquet of white, pink, and red roses on the counter for him to see.

  “Jack, I put yellow, pink, and white roses in yours. Jack’s color blind so I always have to tell him,” she explained to Ian. “He doesn’t need red. His wife knows he loves her. Buys her flowers every week to prove it.”

  “Is there red in yours?” Jack grinned at him, probably enjoying Ian’s situation.

  “Uh-huh.” Ian figured there was plenty of red on his face as well.

  “With pink and white,” the florist said. In a stage whisper to Jack, she added, “I don’t think he was ready for all red yet.”

  “What do I owe you?” Ian asked, pulling his wallet out and trying to ignore her.

  The older man picked up his bouquet from the counter. “Put mine on my tab, Emma.”

  Ian handed the florist his credit card. “Jack, if you’ve got a minute. I want to show you something in my car.”

  “You two know each other?” The florist’s tone was surprised.

  “These are for Colette,” Ian explained.

  “Oh, I, oh…” Emma’s wrinkled face turned pink as she looked from one man to the other.

  Jack nodded and waited by the door while Ian finished the transaction. Outside, Ian put the flowers on the front seat and opened the trunk where he sorted through a box of framed prints. “I was taking these to Colette, but I don’t think she’ll mind if I give you one. Here it is.” Ian pulled out an image of Jack and Jade he’d taken on Sunday night at Lexy’s house. The couple sat on the steps to the foyer. Ian managed to snap the picture when Jade got Jack to relax and smile in the image. They looked like a couple who had long been in love.

  Ian waited while Jack studied the picture. “That’s nice,” he finally said. “Jade’ll like it, but I don’t want to take Collie’s picture.”

  “I’ll do another one for her and I’ll make more prints of any of these other ones that Jade wants.” He gestured to the box. “She can tell me how she wants them framed.”

  When Jack didn’t say anything for several seconds, Ian wasn’t sure how to interpret the silence. “Sounds to me like you plan to be around here for a while.”

  “I do,” Ian answered without hesitation.

  “Good. I better get on home. Jade will be wondering where I’m at.” The older man walked down the street, quietly whistling to himself.

  Ian waited a minute before getting in his car. Jack’s good was the closest thing to approval he expected he would get. It felt good, it felt damn good.

  A car door slammed in the driveway when Colette was twisting her damp hair behind her head. She quickly finished up and raced down the steps to greet Ian. Although she’d been busy for the past two days, she’d missed him. Missed his arms around her, missed his constant hum of activity, missed him. When she got outside, she launched into his arms, making him stagger back into his car. She pressed against him and kissed him.

  “Thanks for the welcome,” he said when she let go.

  “I’m glad to see you. Are those for me?” She spotted the flowers on the front seat and opened the car door. “Or do you have someone else around here?”

  “There’s your mother, of course, but your dad takes care of flowers for her.”

  “Every week.” She stuck her face in the flowers and breathed in.

  “Yeah, I know. I ran into your dad at the florist.”

  “Oh,” she grinned, “that must have been awkward.”

  “At first, but we got over it. I brought you some pictures, too.” He pulled the box out of the trunk, balancing it on the bumper.

  “Are you going somewhere?” She pointed to his laptop bag and suitcase. A wave of nerves rolled through her. Was he leaving and the flowers were a parting gift? With the picture too…

  He kissed her forehead, apparently noting her concern. “For a couple days. I’m headed south to interview a few vets, but I’ll be back on Saturday.”

  “Are you leaving tonight?” She wanted him to stay the night. And tomorrow, and on into eternity….

  He lifted the box onto his shoulder, grinning wolfishly. “I was hoping to get an invitation to stay here.”

  “I think that could be arranged,” she said, relieved, but suddenly nervous. Somehow, she needed to tell him that she wanted more with him. She went ahead of him to open the door.

  Inside, he put the box on the entryway table and took the flowers from her hand. Locking her against him, he rubbed his arms up and down her back, calming her. “Colette, I saw the expression on your face. I’m not Tyler. I’m not leaving you until you throw me out and then you’re going to have a hell of a hard time getting rid of me.”

  “What if I never want to get rid of you? Will you stay?” She asked, trying to keep her voice from cracking. She only gave him a second to respond. “Wait, don’t answer that. I don’t have any right to ask it. You’ve got your life to lead and it may take you elsewhere. My life is here. I get that. I don’t mean to pressure you. It’s just…” She buried her head against his chest. It was just that she was finally ready for love again.

  “What?”

  “I tend to take things in and get attached to them.”

  “Am I like one of your animals?”

  With her head against his chest, she couldn’t tell if he was joking or serious by his voice. She looked up to meet his eyes, and even then she still wasn’t sure until he smiled, little crow’s feet crinkling up at the sides of his gray eyes.

  “I let you stay in the house,” she admitted.

  “True, I’m definitely getting a better deal than my friends down in the barn. Although you’ve never paid up on the fancy French dessert you promised me on Grand Island.”

  “Tonight. I’ll go get started.” She pushed off him.

  “Wait a minut
e.” He caught her hand to keep her with him. “I want to show you what I brought.” He took several framed pictures out of the box to arrange them on the table. “You said you wanted to display these in the living room, so I organized them in groups. I’m one short because I gave the picture of your parents to your dad, but I’ll do another for you.”

  “Did he like it?” If Ian could please her dad, that said something about him as a man.

  “He said ‘your mother would like it.’” Ian imitated Jack’s gruff tone. “I figured that was close enough.”

  “You understand people well,” she said, impressed. “That’s how you take such wonderful pictures of them.” She’d already seen what he could do with a camera, but these photos were personal and she sensed his apprehension.

  “Let’s see if you think these are wonderful.” The frames were all the same, but the matting changed color to indicate the groups. The first group was Lexy’s family. Lexy and Nate by themselves, one with all three kids, one with just kids, one of Connor clutching Peaches and Jamie with a reluctant Cream.

  “Look how sweet Connor looks in that.” She pointed to her youngest nephew. “And you must be a miracle worker for capturing Jamie when he wasn’t moving. How did you get him to sit still?”

  “Nate took Lexy out of the room. Together, Lexy and Jamie are chaos. Haven’t you ever felt that?” He gave her a conspiratorial grin.

  Colette laughed. “Jamie’s just like Lex was when she was a kid, but she can’t see it.”

  “This is the grouping where your parents’ picture was.” He pulled several framed images out of the box. This collection included the vintage photos he’d taken to scan plus new ones. “Here’s my favorite.” Ian showed her a portrait of the three siblings. Adrien sat in the middle with an arm draped around each of his sisters. “I thought this one showed the different personalities the best.”

  “It’s perfect.” Colette took the photo from him to look at it more closely. She and her brother looked relaxed and comfortable with each other. Lexy was more of a butterfly temporarily pinned down, but they were happy together. “I don’t know what to say, Ian. Thanks doesn’t seem like enough.”

  “Wait until you see the last one for this grouping.”

  All nine of the Petersons smiled up at her from the photograph taken on the steps of Lexy’s entry. “I hope you can make copies for everyone.”

  “I’ll do whatever you want, Colette.” When he said it, she had the distinct feeling he meant every word. He was making her a promise, and it had nothing to do with pictures. “The others are candid photos, some from Sunday night, some from when we ate barbeque at Lexy’s a few weeks ago. It’s the biggest grouping so I thought you could hang them there.” He nodded at the large living room wall ahead of him. “I have an idea of how to put the display together if you want my help.”

  “I definitely will need your help. I’m no good at that sort of thing. I’m good with organic life, not boxes and angles. But you manage to put them together. Let me see the rest of the pictures,” she said, then exclaimed when he pulled the first one out of the box. It showed Colette hugging Connor on the deck of Lexy’s house. His small head rested against her pink shirt.

  “I can’t take credit for that one. Melissa took it.”

  “She did?” She squinted more closely at the picture. “You adjusted it with your magical program, no doubt.”

  “A little,” he admitted, “but she framed the shot. I think we should hire her to take a picture of us. I’d like one.”

  “Me too.” Colette flipped through more of the candid shots. “You have plenty of pictures of me, but I don’t have any of you.”

  “After we eat that fancy dessert you’re going to make, we’ll set the timer on the camera and take some pictures of the two of us. How’s that sound?”

  “I love it.” She kissed him softly on the lips. “And thanks for doing this for me. You don’t know how much it means to me.”

  “I know your family means everything to you,” he said simply.

  “They do,” she responded, studying his face. “I wish you were closer to yours.”

  “Me too,” he said with a sense of longing. I’ll see my brother and his family soon. He and his wife are going to a convention up on Mackinac Island. I promised to keep the kids for a few days.”

  “Seven-year-old twins, right? When are they coming?”

  “In a week and a half.” He grimaced. “Hope I’m ready. Why?”

  “Would they like to spend time here on the farm?”

  “They’d love it, but I don’t expect you to…”

  “It’ll be fun. I’ll get Lexy’s kids for the weekend so they have playmates. One of the twins is a girl, if I remember.”

  “Ella and Nick.”

  “Super. Melissa will be overjoyed to have a girl to play with and Lexy and Nate will worship us for giving them a kid-free weekend.” She headed for the kitchen. “I’m going to give Lexy a quick call so she can make plans while I start on dessert. Chocolate mousse good with you? It can chill while we eat.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Colette waved goodbye to Ian early the next morning, checked on her animals in the barn, and headed for work. Through some magic of computers and printers, Ian took pictures of them together and printed copies on her home printer. Although he wasn’t satisfied with his work, she cherished the picture of them standing in front of her fireplace with Ian’s arms around her.

  They’d shared a simple meal of pasta and vegetables, but a delicious dessert. After dinner they strolled around the farm, and Ian took photos of the cherry trees, barns, and her animals as the sun set. Later, in the house, he’d used a tripod and timer to take pictures of them together. Not as many as she would have liked, but it was obvious that he wasn’t content on the other side of the camera. Antsy and as if anguished, he’d only posed for a handful of shots.

  When they went upstairs to her bedroom, without his camera, his attitude changed. Relaxing and focusing only on each other, they made love until exhausted, falling asleep a few hours before dawn. They woke with the first rays of the sun, knowing they had places to be, but lingering to love each other again.

  Happy thoughts of their evening and night together accompanied her all the way to the back door of the clinic when she saw the strained expression on her mother’s face.

  “What’s the matter, Mom?” Colette was immediately concerned that something had happened to one of the family.

  “You’ve already had three calls this morning from a representative of Northfield Real Estate Investments,” Jade Peterson said in one breath. “I guess he couldn’t reach you on your cell.”

  “Is that all?” Colette took in a shaky breath. “They’ve moved onto phone calls. So?”

  “Not just phone calls. The man went to Adrien’s lab in Ann Arbor yesterday and harassed him about selling. Adrien finally had to call campus security to have the man removed.”

  “Adrien’s a big boy. He can handle a real estate agent.” Colette tried to reason with her mother.

  “The man waited for him outside his apartment building in the evening.” Jade gulped down a huge swallow of coffee.

  “That sounds like harassment, yes, but,” Colette took the coffee cup from her mother’s hand. “Maybe you’ve had enough of this.”

  “Can’t help it. That man is messing with my children and I don’t like it. He’s here in Petoskey now at Lexy’s café.”

  “I guess he’s persistent. What’s his name?”

  “Paul Brickner. He’s got me all stressed out and you should hear Lexy.” Jade’s usually neatly styled hair was a bit chaotic this morning.

  “Relax, Mom. We don’t have to talk with him and no one can force us to sell our property.”

  “I know, but Adrien was worried that they know something. Why would they offer so much money? There’s got to be more to it.”

  “I can’t imagine what it is, and I’m not going to get worked up about it. Tell Lexy to call the po
lice and have the guy removed from her café.”

  “She’s already threatening to do that, but I think you and Lexy should meet with him. Listen to what he has to say.” At Colette’s doubtful expression, her mother continued to plead. “Maybe he’ll reveal something in the meeting. At least, you can say no to his face and that will end it.”

  Her mother had a point there. A face-to-face confrontation might send Brickner and his offers away permanently. She just hated doing that sort of thing.

  “What’s Dad say?” she asked, hoping for advice.

  “Predictably, nothing, he just mutters and complains, but I know he’s worried.”

  “Fine,” she conceded. “I’ll talk to Lexy about a meeting.”

  “I think it’s the right thing to do.”

  “I’ll set it up. You and I and Lexy need to talk about the fundraiser anyway. We’ll schedule the meetings on the same night.”

  Colette waited with her sister at the café the next evening. Lexy closed at six on Thursdays, so the customers and staff were already gone. With nothing to do, Lexy was a bundle of displaced energy. Earlier in the day, she had decided she would serve nothing to eat or drink at the meeting. But, as it got closer, she changed her mind to tea and cookies. Lexy was pivoting back and forth behind the counter selecting a tray of cookies when the representative knocked on the door.

  “That’s the guy.” Lexy looked toward the door. “Collie, you let him in. I’m too nervous.”

  “There’s nothing to be upset about. We say no. He leaves.” Colette walked to the door to unlock it. “Let’s just get this over with.”

  Colette unlocked the door for a middle-aged, dark-haired man. He had a burly chest that made him look more suited to playing football than negotiating deals. His eyes were shrewd and his nose hawk-like. Colette knew immediately he wouldn’t hesitate to threaten and harass. Lovely. Just what they needed on a perfect summer’s evening.