Harlequin Superromance September 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: This Good ManPromises Under the Peach TreeHusband by Choice

by Janice Kay Johnson

That had hurt. Still did.

  “New York.” Bethany backed up a step toward her pickup truck, considering. “Maybe I’ll go with you, then. The city sounds like the perfect place to start over.”

  Had she started over, though? Or had she just run away?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “MACK FINLEY, you’re a sight for sore eyes.” The waitress at Lucky’s Back Porch sized him up as she chewed on the end of her pencil in a not-so-subtle attempt to flirt. “A fine, fine sight.”

  On weekend nights, Lucky’s Grocery turned into an outdoor rib joint with live music and picnic tables dragged over from the town gazebo. The town council had debated the permit for over a year before approving it, arguing that the family atmosphere of the town square would be compromised. But having live music and dancing outside brought out people in droves. All the vendors on the town square stayed open later and did more business because of it. Mack had dropped by to check out the place, always interested to see a successful bar business in action. Plus, tonight’s band had a growing following for their country-bluegrass blend of music.

  At sunset, the place was already rocking with a supper crowd feasting on barbecue chicken and ribs. Kids played on the playground near the gazebo while moms clutched their after-dinner coffee mugs and followed them around, the dads sharing beers on the “back porch”—an extended platform deck that was added on to the existing patio for the weekends. A bunch of white lights hung from low tree branches and a couple of patio heaters flanked the porch, but since the evening was mild enough, they hadn’t been switched on.

  Mack stared up at the waitress and tried to remember how he knew her.

  “Nice to see you, too—” he peeked at her name badge, half hidden under a blond ponytail that rested on the front of her shoulder “—Shirley.”

  “Sherry.” She rolled her eyes and took her pencil out of her mouth. “Thanks, Mack. I was only your lab partner in biology for a whole year.”

  Ah, crap. He definitely hadn’t inherited his father’s ease with names and faces, which sucked all the more because everyone in town knew him.

  “Sorry, Sherry.” He shook his head. “My mind was a million miles away.”

  She frowned. “Are you sure your mind wasn’t on Nina Spencer?” She pointed to Nina and her grandmother sitting off to one side of the crowd. Daisy Spencer had her leg propped on a chair while she clapped in time to the music. Nina shared something from her plate with a bulldog on a leash held by Kaleb Riggs, a guy they’d graduated with. “Because I seem to remember that Nina was the reason I couldn’t snag your attention in biology, either.”

  He’d probably ducked Sherry’s attention for more reasons than Nina if she was as abrasive then as she was now. He honestly didn’t remember. Mack handed her back the menu and tried not to stare at Nina while she smiled at some other guy.

  Not that it ought to matter to Mack.

  “I’ll just have a Coke and the rib special. Thanks.” He obviously hadn’t succeeded in not staring at Nina because she turned toward him just then and their gazes locked.

  Seeing her still messed with his head. And not just because of the past they shared. If he’d never laid eyes on her before tonight, he’d still be attracted to her. And damned if that wasn’t going to be a problem.

  What had he been thinking to suggest they could be friends? He trusted she’d do a great job with the festival because she’d never done anything in half measures in her whole life. But just because she threw everything she had into it, didn’t mean that she’d do it the way he wanted her to. And that meant they’d be thrown together far more often than was probably healthy.

  “One rib special. Coming right up,” Sherry scribbled on her notepad and tucked it into her apron pocket. “You think Nina will move home for good now that her business went under? I heard she’s going to have to sell off all the assets if she doesn’t want to go bankrupt. That’s why she moved everything into the barn.”

  “I’m sure she just wants to spend some time with her grandmother.” Mack may not have learned the trick to memorizing names and faces from his old man, but he sure as hell had learned how to deflect conversational landmines after growing up with his mom.

  “Can you believe that partner of hers ran off with one of their clients the night before his wedding?” Sherry poked him in the arm with the menu she carried, as if they’d shared an inside joke. “Disaster has a way of finding that girl—”

  She broke off in the middle of her sentence as if realizing how freaking insensitive she sounded. The whole town knew the biggest tragedy of Nina’s life had been her argument with Vince the night he died.

  “Sorry, Mack.” She clamped the menu under one arm. “I’ll go put your order in.”

  If Mack’s ears were ringing with this kind of crap, what must Nina be going through on her side of the bar? He stole another look in her direction even as he told himself to forget about her and focus on why he was here—to scope out Lucky’s and escape the house for a few hours.

  Except for the people who came up to ask him about Harvest Fest, it was a perfect, clear night with a town full of people celebrating the fact that it was Friday. Bluegrass serenaded him as he finished his ribs and made lots of mental notes on Lucky’s bar business.

  But he couldn’t seem to forget that Nina was ten tables away, and after an hour, he had no excuse not to go say hello to Nina and her grandmother.

  Except by the time he got to his feet, an old farmer in his best Saturday-night jeans sat in Nina’s seat, chatting up Daisy Spencer. Mack knew Nina wouldn’t leave her grandmother there alone, so where had she gone?

  He looked toward the gazebo and saw her on the dance floor with Kaleb Freaking Riggs. Mack didn’t care...yet he found his feet walking straight toward them.

  Turn around.

  Turn around.

  An upbeat song played, and a handful of couples two-stepped on the grass near the stage beneath a canopy of white twinkle lights. Nina was smiling up at Kaleb in a way that made it impossible for Mack to just walk away, even though he cursed himself out about it the whole time he approached them.

  “Nina.” He arrived beside them just as the song ended and the crowd applauded.

  The smile faded from her face, her expression shifting to surprise.

  “Kaleb, I got an earlier promise on this one, okay?” Mack couldn’t even take his eyes off Nina long enough to look at the guy as the band changed tunes and slowed down the pace.

  “I’ve gotta get home anyhow and put the kids to bed.” Kaleb shifted closer to Nina, but if the guy thought he was going to steal a good-night kiss after one dance, he had another think coming.

  Mack stared him down.

  “Right. Great seeing you, Nina.” Kaleb stepped back. Nodded. “Mack.”

  As the guy strode off to retrieve his dog, Mack held a hand out to Nina.

  “Sorry to interrupt if you were having fun. Can I still have this dance?”

  “Mack.” She closed her eyes for a second and Mack could almost hear her telling herself “Turn around.” But then she opened her eyes and nodded. “Just one.”

  He never dreamed he’d have the chance to hold her again, so for a split second he just stared, taking in the moment and the woman. He must have hesitated a moment too long, though, because she narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice.

  “You asked me, you know. You can’t change your mind now.”

  “Hell, no. I haven’t changed my mind.” He put his hands on the curve of her waist where a pink sheer blouse met the band of her jeans. He drew her closer and she lifted her arms to slip around his neck, the action stirring a hint of her fragrance.

  It wasn’t the same citrus-sweet scent of the past. This perfume was more complex.

  “What are we doing?” she asked.

  “Saving you from Kale
b?”

  “More like saving Kaleb from me.” She rolled her eyes. “What the hell is he doing out dancing on a Saturday night when he has young kids at home?”

  “My sister told me he got divorced last year.”

  “Right. That’s what he told me, too. So on his weekend with his kids he hires a sitter?” She shook her head. “It’s almost as bad as dumping your kid with a grandparent and never returning.”

  There had been a time when Mack would have kissed the top of her head or given her an extra squeeze to comfort her when she made a comment like that. Now, fighting the urge to do both, he kept his eyes on hers and tried not to dwell on how perfectly she still fit in his arms.

  “Have you seen your folks much over the years?” Her father was an entrepreneur who’d made a tidy sum in a dot-com venture, and her mom had lived off a small trust fund until she’d met Rick Spencer and then wealthier husband number two whose name Mack had forgotten.

  “My mother called me after Olivia ran off with the hotel magnate and asked why I hadn’t been the one to elope with a billionaire.” She stepped closer to him to avoid a couple of giggling kids chasing each other through the dancers and then racing back toward the playground equipment near the gazebo.

  “Leave it to your mom to be a source of support in a crisis,” he muttered, pissed off for Nina’s sake.

  “That’s not totally fair of me, I guess.” She plucked at the edge of his shirt collar absently while she spoke. “Mom was a good customer, with a standing order for cupcakes on all my half siblings’ birthdays.”

  A good customer didn’t make a good mother, but of course, Nina was well aware of that. Besides, Mack didn’t really want to talk about her family or her business.

  “Sorry I didn’t show up for the meeting last week about the Harvest Fest.” She quit playing with his collar, probably only just becoming aware that she’d been doing it.

  The back of his neck tingled.

  “I’d only asked you about it that morning. You’d mentioned you might not be able to be there. No big deal.” Although it pleased him that she was committing to the festival. Romantic history aside, Nina was a hard worker.

  “I felt terrible that Bethany made the trip out to the farm to bring me the notes.”

  “Don’t.” He’d tried not to take sides in his brother’s marital problems, but it wasn’t easy when he heard only one half of the arguments. “She finds reasons to stay busy so she can avoid Scott. And I don’t think either of them realize how deeply it’s affecting Ally.”

  “I saw Ally earlier tonight and she barely waved at me when I said hello. She looked really unhappy.” Nina frowned. “For that matter, they all seem really unhappy. I don’t understand how you can go from being deeply in love to being so...uncaring about each other. Once you love someone, you don’t just stop.”

  Her gaze flipped up to his, searching for answers he couldn’t give.

  “For what it’s worth, I didn’t just stop caring about you, Nina.”

  Even in the dim twinkle of white lights, he noticed the color rise in her cheeks.

  “I didn’t mean us.” Nina shook her head, pink beads jangling from her earrings. “We were hurt because of a traumatic event that changed the world around us. We were still teenagers. We didn’t have all the history of a long-married couple. What changed for Scott and Bethany?”

  The slow song they’d been dancing to came to an end and Mack realized he’d have to let Nina go. His hands lingered.

  “Some people fall out of love. I’ll be damned if I understand why.” They stopped their shuffling steps on the grass, but didn’t move away from each other.

  “If you speak the vows, there shouldn’t be any falling ‘out’ of anything. You stay. You fight through it and stand up for the person you made promises to—” She paused. Cursed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

  Because he knew her well—at least he used to—he understood that the passionate words weren’t about Scott and Bethany. They were about her own parents.

  Knowing that on an intellectual level didn’t stop Mack from feeling like it was an indictment of his own marriage. Somehow, he’d failed Jenny. But even before that, he’d failed Nina.

  “Right.” He agreed 100 percent. “Keep in mind I’m not the one who left. Not with Jenny. Sure as hell not with you.”

  Her hands fell away from his shoulders, her gray eyes registering confusion and—for a split second—hurt. The music shifted into another upbeat tune, sending dancers near them back into a two-step while he and Nina remained locked in old memories and hurts.

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “Yeah. I know.” He understood her better than she realized. That didn’t lessen the bite of the words. “Thanks for the dance.”

  Unable to handle the pressure sitting on his chest or the unique hurt of simply being close to her, Mack turned and walked away, wondering how many times it would take letting go of her before he finally stopped feeling her in his arms.

  * * *

  AND THE FOOT in Mouth Award goes to...

  No drumroll needed. The winner was the perennial frontrunner. Nina hurried off the dance floor toward the table she’d shared with Gram, wishing she’d phrased her words more carefully with Mack. They used to understand each other so well. Used to anticipate each other’s thoughts. Now, she felt as if every conversation was potentially explosive. If they were going to work together—let alone resurrect a friendship—they’d have to get past that.

  She’d almost made it back to the table when she noticed an older gentleman sitting in her place. She didn’t recognize him, although his suspenders and John Deere ball cap suggested he was a local farmer. A farmer Gram quite liked, if her laughter was anything to go on.

  “Gram?” Flustered and frustrated about her conversation with Mack, Nina was ready to call it a night. “Do you mind if we head home now?”

  “So soon?” She tugged aside the cuff on her blouse and peered down at her watch, an old thrift-store piece that she’d owned for as long as Nina could remember. “It’s only nine.”

  “I can run you home, Daisy, if you want to stay a bit longer,” the man in suspenders offered, tugging on the brim of his cap like he was straightening it. “Your place is on my way home, anyhow.”

  Who was this guy? And was it wrong to want to interview her grandmother’s potential suitors? Nina held out her hand to introduce herself.

  “I’m Nina, her granddaughter.”

  “Er. Sorry about that, Nina. Harlan Brady.” He got to his feet to shake her hand. Behind him, Gram gave Nina a warning glare, clearly wanting her to be on her best behavior. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “You must be Ethan’s grandfather.” Nina had never known her grandmother to flirt casually, so this was...interesting. As much as she didn’t want to leave Gram in a stranger’s care, Gram didn’t look like she wanted to go home with Nina. “He does a great job on Gram’s lawn.”

  “I’m pleased to hear it.” Harlan tugged on his cap again and then smoothed a suspender, smiling. “Very pleased. The boy doesn’t always apply himself, but he’s a good kid. Just need to keep them busy at that age.”

  He winked at Gram and she laughed. “Busy and out of trouble.”

  “Well...” Nina felt like a third wheel as Gram nodded in time to the music and her friend took a seat again. “If you’re sure you don’t mind, Mr. Brady, I’ll get going.”

  “It’s Harlan. And no trouble at all.” He turned to Gram suddenly. “Now there’s an old tune.” He pointed toward the band as they launched into the next song. “You remember this one, Daisy?”

  Nina straightened Gram’s walker so it would be close by and then she waved good-night. She walked across the grassy park around the gazebo, hoping she didn’t ruin her shoes since the grass was alrea
dy damp with dew. The town square was quiet except for the noise from the street. A bunch of teens gathered around an open tailgate near the tennis courts. A couple of kids slow danced while a few others tossed around a glow-in-the-dark football. She recognized Ethan Brady sitting in the back of the truck next to a girl that wasn’t Ally.

  Was that the reason for Ally’s quick departure when she’d seen her earlier? After hearing Mack say how rough things were in his brother’s house, Nina promised herself to make a better effort to talk to Scott’s daughter. It might not help, but having weathered a particularly bitter family split herself, she knew Ally must be hurting.

  Nina neared the playground on her way to her old pickup. The young families must have left for the night since there were no more kids playing tag or running around the equipment. Just a man sitting on a swing...

  “Mack?” She stopped, certain she recognized the shape of those shoulders.

  His back was to her, but as he turned around, she was certain. The dark shadows from an overhanging live oak couldn’t hide the way he moved. Or the electric current that reached out through the night, a predictable tug in her chest that told her it was Mack.

  “Calling it a night?” he asked, his swing drifting gently from side to side, his feet on the ground. The chains overhead clanked together as he pivoted around to see her.

  Her heart rate kicked up. Another predictable side effect of Mack. How had she ever thought she was over him?

  “I’m glad you’re here.” She started toward him, knowing she needed to do something about this strained awkwardness between them. “I wanted to apologize for sounding like Miss Marriage Know-It-All back there. I was shooting off at the mouth and not thinking about how it sounded. I was speaking from my own shadows—with my parents, I mean. Sounds stupid, doesn’t it, me offering marriage advice when I’ve never come close to tying the knot.”

  “No?”

  Something about the cool reserve in his tone told her that her earlier words still stung. She’d have to dig deeper if they were really going to have a chance at some kind of peace between them. Closure.