This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this work may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Published by Kindle Press, Seattle, 2017
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For my grandma, Amy Shults.
From peppermint tea and
magical holidays as a child,
to my graduation and wedding,
you’ve always been there for me.
I am blessed to be your granddaughter.
Much love always!
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
Thank you!
Acknowledgments
Connect with Melanie
About the Author
Books by Melanie D. Snitker
Prologue
Eleven Years Ago
Fifteen-year-old Mandy Hudson lifted her chin and squinted. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of the maple tree creating a kaleidoscope of colors. A gentle breeze mixed the scent of soil with sun-warmed leaves. She took in a deep breath. This was one of the many things she loved about her grandparents’ land.
A voice drifted down from the tree above her. “Are you coming up or not?”
She tossed a glare at her friend, Preston Yarrow. At sixteen, he enjoyed teasing her and liked to boast about his climbing skills. He’d dared Mandy to join him on the branch at least twenty feet off the ground. Mandy had no doubt in her ability to ascend to his level. She just couldn’t do it nearly as fast. Then again, those crazy long legs of his gave him quite the advantage.
“Hold your horses.” Maintaining three points of contact, Mandy picked her way through the branches until she was sitting on the same thick limb where Preston waited, watching her. With one arm wrapped around the trunk, she shifted until she was comfortable, her other arm resting on one knee.
From where they sat, they could see her grandparents’ home, the Hudson Bed and Breakfast. Sun made the nearby river glitter as if someone had sprinkled diamonds across the surface. Grass and trees stretched as far as they could see.
Once Mandy had her balance, she let go of the tree trunk. The bark left grooves in her palm, and she picked off a piece of debris.
Preston’s gray eyes reflected the blue sky. His dark blond hair had lightened after a summer of spending time outdoors in the sun. Mandy swore he’d grown two inches in the last year and now seemed to tower over her when they stood side by side. He looked thoughtful, almost sad, as he scanned the view below them.
They sat in comfortable silence until he spoke, his deep voice filling the surrounding space. “I’m going to college when I graduate. Then one day, I’ll own a place like this.”
He’d been saying that regularly for years now. She shot him a teasing look. “You’re going to run a bed-and-breakfast?”
He countered her tease with an exaggerated scowl. “Funny. No, I want to build like your grandfather does in his spare time. Except I want to turn it into a business.”
Papa had spoken highly of Preston’s skills when it came to woodworking. Mandy gave him a smile. “I hope you find a place like this and all your dreams come true.” She took in the beautiful view around her. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
When her parents had divorced and started new lives, they’d happily signed away their rights and left Mandy behind. Their ability to disregard their eleven-year-old daughter like yesterday’s paper had broken Mandy’s spirit. Her grandparents gave her the love and time her parents never had. Moving to the Hudson B&B had brought her the loving family she desperately needed, not to mention a friend in the boy who’d mowed the lawn and helped Papa since Preston was twelve.
Preston glanced at the watch on his wrist. “I’d better get back to work. Mr. Hudson wanted me to help him repair part of the back fence that blew loose with the last storm.” He grasped the limb he was sitting on and swung himself down to the one right below. He continued to make his way to the base of the tree.
She followed him, landing on the grass-covered ground with a grunt. She dusted off her shorts and held a hand above her eyes to block out the sun. “I don’t know how you manage all of your homework with as many hours as you work here.”
He shrugged. “I’m saving every penny. I’ll need it to buy land and build my own house.” He focused on her face and grinned, his eyes lighting up with mischief. “One day, I’ll have a wife and spend every day building on my own land.”
He’d always had his future lined out while Mandy was lucky to think further ahead than next week. She chuckled. “Sure. And where do you think you’ll find all that?” When he didn’t answer right away, she looked up at him again. He shifted, allowing his height to block the sun for her.
He held her gaze, his expression serious. “The house and land? I have no idea. I’m pretty sure I already know who I’m going to marry.”
She took a few moments to fully grasp his meaning. Her eyes widened and she gave a quick shake of her head. “Well, I’m never getting married. My parents and their messed-up lives taught me that.”
Preston raised an eyebrow as though he considered her statement a challenge. Without hesitation, he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the mouth. She’d barely registered the feeling of his warm lips touching hers before he pulled back again.
“Never say never, Mandy.” With a playful wink, he took off toward Papa’s workshop which was situated behind the house.
Mandy planted her fists on her hips. The nerve of him! She touched a finger to her lips and ignored the way her cheeks heated as she realized she’d received her first kiss.
It didn’t matter.
No one would change her mind about marriage, and that included Preston Yarrow.
Chapter One
Preston knew the moment Mandy walked into the sanctuary. Hushed voices became even quieter, except for Mrs. Whipple who didn’t bother whispering when she said, “There she is. Bless her little heart.”
Several people offered their condolences and gave Mandy hugs or pats on the back. She returned them all. Both Mandy and Preston had practically grown up in Clearwater Community Baptist Church in Clearwater, Texas. It was natural for so many people to express how sorry they were for the loss of Mandy’s grandmother, Samantha Hudson.
Preston could tell by Mandy’s tight jaw and wide eyes she was barely keeping it together. He left his seat next to his parents, stepped into the aisle, offered her his arm, and motioned behind him. “I saved you a spot.”
Mandy followed him in, taking the seat to his right. Everyone else took their cue and found thei
r own places before the memorial service began.
Mandy adjusted the skirt of her black dress. She looked uncomfortable, shifting several times before clasping her hands in her lap. It was only the second time he’d seen her wear a dress. The first was at her grandfather’s funeral almost a year before. Preston had done yard work for Barry Hudson since he was a kid, and the man had been a force to be reckoned with. Mr. Hudson had taught Preston everything he knew about gardening, repairs, and woodworking. It was that last subject Preston had enjoyed the most as he spent hours watching Mr. Hudson craft fences, furniture, and even small boats by hand. Preston couldn’t imagine missing his own grandfather more, and still felt the loss keenly every day he continued working at the Hudson Bed and Breakfast.
Mandy picked at her left thumbnail, and Preston resisted the urge to reach for her hand. Dealing with her grandfather’s death last year had been hard enough. But with her grandmother gone… Well, she was alone now. And she’d made it clear she wanted no one to get overly sympathetic with her. She looked down at her hands, her straight, dark brown hair acting as a curtain to hide her face.
Preston’s parents, Stanley and Ellen Yarrow, sat to his left. His mom leaned over and whispered, “I hope she’ll be okay. I still can’t believe Samantha’s gone.”
All he could do was nod his response. Mandy would be okay, but it wouldn’t be easy for her.
By the end of the memorial and graveside services, Preston easily detected Mandy’s weariness even if no one else seemed to be aware of it. Mandy continued to thank everyone for coming, never once letting her emotional control slip.
The muggy mid-September afternoon fit right in with this unusually warm fall.. Sweat dampened Preston’s shirt as he waited, back to a tree, until he and Mandy were the last two people in the area. When her shoulders sagged, he pushed away from the trunk and stood next to her. “You all right?” She shrugged. “Dumb question, huh?”
“Maybe. But what else is there to say, right?” She stared, unseeing, at her grandmother’s grave. “At least they’re together again.”
The newly dug grave would soon be blanketed with grass like the one next to it. Preston thought about the way Mr. Hudson would’ve welcomed his wife in heaven and smiled. “Mrs. Hudson was never the same after he passed.”
“No, she wasn’t.” Mandy swallowed hard and blinked several times as though trying to keep tears at bay.
Preston didn’t remember the last time he’d seen her cry. Had he ever? He knew she was determined to stay strong, a fact she’d harped on many times in the years they’d been friends. But it wasn’t healthy to bottle up emotions like she did. “You know, it’s okay to cry. No one will fault you for it. I certainly wouldn’t.” He’d shed tears himself at the loss of two such important people in his life.
“Uh-uh.” Mandy crossed her arms in front of her and straightened her spine.
“Why not?”
“Because if I start crying, I may not quit.” Her deep brown eyes shifted to his and begged him to understand. “I’m alone now, Preston.”
“No, you’re not. I’m still here.”
He silently prayed she’d find the strength to make it through this. It wasn’t fair. The poor woman had suffered more loss than anyone ought to deal with. Well, he wouldn’t let her face it on her own. No matter how much she insisted on doing exactly that.
Before he died, Mr. Hudson asked Preston to keep an eye on his girls. Considering Preston had been in love with Mandy since he was fifteen, it was an easy thing to agree to. He had every intention of continuing to fulfill that promise.
~
It wasn’t even six Friday morning and Mandy stood in the kitchen at a complete loss. After having closed the B&B for the last week, she’d opened the place back up for business. They had guests scheduled to come in this afternoon. Even though people had cautioned her about going back to work two days after the funeral, she needed to stay busy. Besides, the place had been struggling financially since Papa died, and Mandy couldn’t afford to turn down the business.
The back door swung open and Jade Wilkes came in. Her graying hair was pinned up in a tight bun, and she frowned. “I wanted to check on you this morning. Honey, you should wait another week. Everyone would understand.” She engulfed Mandy in a hug. Her honeysuckle-scented perfume tickled Mandy’s nose. Jade had cooked breakfast at the B&B for years and always claimed it to be her second home.
Mandy steadied herself after being released from the suffocating embrace. “I can’t. We have reservations, and I refuse to cancel them.”
“Then you’ll want me to be here like usual tomorrow to cook up breakfast?”
“Yes, please.”
Customers often mentioned Jade’s amazing meals in reviews. B&B repeat customers raved about her breakfasts. The older woman perused the thick recipe book that always sat on the island. Granny never put it away because she was constantly in the kitchen baking something. If it wasn’t chocolate chip cookies to hand out to the guests, it was blueberry muffins for Mandy.
At the realization Granny would never again bake her a blueberry muffin, Mandy’s heart gave a painful twist. This place wasn’t the same without her grandparents. She’d do everything she could to keep the B&B running like they’d want her to, and that meant there was no time to feel sorry for herself. She’d done plenty of moping around when she was a kid, and it hadn’t gotten her anywhere.
Jade jotted several things down on a slip of paper. “I’ll swing by the store and pick up a few supplies. How do homemade bagels and an omelet bar sound?”
Normally, the thought of Jade’s omelets would make Mandy’s stomach growl and her mouth water. But today, she had to swallow past her dry throat and her thick tongue. “That’ll be great, Jade. Thank you.”
“Absolutely.” Jade patted her on the arm, a sympathetic expression on her face. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”
Mandy waved goodbye. The moment the kitchen door closed, she sagged against the counter and let out a slow breath. The key was to keep as busy as possible through this long day. If she could do that, maybe she could banish to the back of her mind the pain of no longer having Granny there. “God, how am I supposed to do this without them?” No answer came, only more of the same hollowness in her chest.
When guests stayed at the B&B, there was always something to do. But, for the moment, everything was under control in that department. Jade would have food covered for tomorrow. And Elise Johnson said she’d be in at her normal time to clean and make sure all three rooms were fresh for the guests. Granny had hired her two years ago to come every morning to clean them and do any other related chores around the house as well. Both women had been friends of her grandparents for years.
After Papa died, Granny just didn’t seem to care about maintaining the B&B like she used to. Elise had taken over more cleaning than normal to help out. Mandy was thankful. While she was at the house all day, she had a long list of clients who paid her to build and maintain their websites. That was a full-time job all on its own and, frankly, the income from that was what kept the B&B running.
Then there was Preston.
He’d been helping Papa with repairs, yard work, and more since before Mandy had come to live with her grandparents. Preston was probably out there somewhere right now, working his magic. He usually stayed on the property until lunchtime. At that point, he left for his job at the local lumberyard.
Before Papa died last year, he took care of anything else that needed attention the rest of the day. Now, Preston came back in the late evenings to deal with any problems. Granny had called him only if it was an emergency, and Mandy intended to follow suit. She didn’t know how the poor guy fit everything in during the day without wearing himself out.
Mandy depended on Preston, and she couldn’t imagine her grandparents’ place without him. Preston was a good friend and a huge blessing in her life.
She normally stayed indoors during the morning, helping Granny bake or taking care
of phone calls and managing the B&B’s website. In the afternoon and early evening, she’d handle everything her web clients needed. The place was way too quiet without Granny. Echoes of what used to be—the laughter, teasing, and joy—were gone. The house echoed like an empty shell, and it drove Mandy crazy.
By nine, she was over the quiet and the memories that kept encroaching on her attempts to focus on other things. She headed outside. Preston tended to the landscape, but surely he wouldn’t care if she watered the flowers growing in the bed along the front of the house.
The moment Mandy crossed the threshold and stepped foot on the large covered porch, she sucked in a breath of air as though she’d been deprived of it until near suffocation. Her eyes slid closed. She focused on the breeze as it played music in the trees nearby while birds sang songs to each other. The familiar sounds brought her comfort. Grounded her.
Out here, she could pretend everything was the way it used to be. Papa was in the workshop putting another coating of sealant on his newest project. Granny was inside making those strawberry scones everyone loved. And Mandy was right where she needed to be: home.
Unwilling to let that go, Mandy picked up the end of the hose, turned the water on, and began to soak the gorgeous flower beds Papa had spent years cultivating. Colorful roses the size of Mandy’s palm, Texas sage, and firewitch welcomed the spray. Marigolds, pansies, petunias, and other bright flowers joined the shrubbery, creating the beautiful sight that welcomed guests to the Hudson Bed & Breakfast.
Mandy had been watering the flowers for a while when Preston rounded the corner of the house, a pair of work gloves tucked under one arm. When he saw her, he altered his trajectory and came to stand next to her.
“I’d have taken care of that.”
Mandy nodded. “I know. But I needed something to do.” She hedged a look at the front door of the house as though something dangerous might lurk inside.
Preston’s gray eyes studied her until Mandy let her gaze return to the shower of water. Other than her grandparents, Preston knew her best. She’d never been able to hide her emotions from him—something that had irked her growing up.
Marrying Mandy (Brides of Clearwater Book 1) Page 1
