Autumn Skies: 3 (A Bluebell Inn Romance)

by Denise Hunter

A niggle of anxiety wormed into Grace’s heart. If that offer fell through she’d lose her house—and her earnest money. “What? Everything’s all right with the offer, isn’t it? They didn’t back out or something?”

  “No, no,” Molly said. “That’s not it.”

  “Then what’s wrong?” Tension threaded Levi’s words.

  Mia had also come to attention.

  Molly shifted her weight, giving Adam a nervous look, and he slipped his arm around her shoulders.

  “I was just thinking . . . ,” Molly began. “What if we didn’t sell the inn after all?”

  “What?” Levi said.

  Grace threw down her napkin. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Wait, wait, give me a chance to explain.”

  “I have a house on the line here, Molly.”

  “In case you forgot, I’m moving to LA.”

  “Seriously,” Grace said. “Hasn’t he done enough for us?”

  Levi looked at her in surprise, and she gave a sheepish shrug. So she usually took Molly’s side.

  “Hear her out, guys,” Adam broke in with that quiet but firm voice of his.

  Grace took a deep breath, as did Levi. The room was as quiet as the lake at daybreak, every eye on Molly, waiting for her to explain herself.

  “None of that has to change.” Molly looked at Grace. “I know what that house and your business mean to you. And Levi, you have done so much for us. I’d never ask you to stay longer than you already have. You and Mia deserve a chance to start your lives in LA together. I’d never suggest derailing your plans, any of you.”

  “Then what are you suggesting?” Levi asked, somewhat mollified.

  Molly sat up straight and met each of their eyes, one by one. “I want to stay here and run the inn myself.”

  Grace blinked at her sister.

  Levi seemed to be equally surprised, but he was the first to recover. “Okay . . . What about Italy?”

  “No.” Grace shook her head. “I know you guys are financially set here, but some of us need the money from the sale. Molly, you know I don’t have the resources to refurbish that house and get my business off the—”

  “You wouldn’t have to.” She traded a look with Adam. “We want to buy the inn, Adam and me. We’ll pay each of you your shares, and I’ll run the inn myself—with hired help, of course. I’ll hire a bookkeeper; we can afford it. And I promise, I won’t bother either of you for anything. I won’t beg you to keep the books, Levi. And Grace, I won’t ask you to clean rooms or work the desk. I know you’re both ready to move on, and you deserve that. And I know you have your heart set on that house, Grace . . . but if you wanted to, you could even keep your business here.”

  Grace let the idea sink in a moment. It would be cheaper by a long shot. And easier since she’d have free help. But was that the right thing to do? Would Molly’s plan to keep the inn even work?

  “So . . . ?” Molly’s gaze toggled between Grace and Levi. “What do you think? Would you be willing to consider it?”

  “Molly,” Levi said, “are you sure this is what you want? You’ve dreamed of Italy forever.”

  “I know I have. It took me a while to see it, but—it was just really bothering me, the thought of those guys, of anybody else, really, running this place, changing things. I think I was actually trying to sabotage the sale—subconsciously, of course.” She gave them a guilty look. “Sorry. It took Adam to help me see that my dreams have changed. We’ve been talking about this since Thursday and I’m certain. Nothing would make me happier than to stay here in Bluebell and run this place. I love it so much.” She blinked away the tears that gathered in her eyes.

  “I know you do,” Levi said. “To be honest, I was kind of dreading letting go of our home. It kind of felt like giving up another piece of Mom and Dad.”

  “I have to admit I love the idea of you staying here with me. And keeping the house in the family.” Grace gave her sister a wry grin. “And I can totally see you bossing around a full staff and mothering the guests well into your golden years.”

  Molly sniffled. “You know me so well.”

  “You were born to run this place, Molly,” Grace said.

  Adam gave his wife a side hug. “So we’re all agreed? We buy you guys out?”

  Grace’s eyes connected with Levi’s. They exchanged an entire conversation in a five-second span.

  And then they said simultaneously, “We’re in.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Wyatt stood guard beside Ethan inside the opulent dining room in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He kept watch over the men in the room, but the real danger was outside where the other agents stood guard.

  Around a long, oval table sat the US secretary of state, Malaysian officials, and interpreters. At the other end of the table some kind of golden seal was inlaid in the wall and flanked by the two countries’ flags. The conversation went in one of Wyatt’s ears and out the other as he watched for potential threats to the secretary of state.

  The delicious aroma wafting Wyatt’s way made his stomach give a hard growl. He was going on seventeen hours without a meal and twenty-four hours without sleep. But he took it all in stride; they’d been trained for deprivation.

  They’d been on this mission for twenty-eight days, traveling across Asia on a foreign-policy mission. Wyatt had been coping well since he’d returned to work. He’d passed his psych eval with flying colors. He slept soundly when he was able to. He had his mojo back. Even Ethan had commented on it. He’d opened up to his friend about Bluebell and his revelations there.

  It had taken Wyatt an additional two weeks, but over a game of pool back home, he’d also opened up about Grace. Ethan listened patiently, taking shots across the table without comment. Wyatt finished his story with, “So . . . I left. What else could I do?”

  Ethan had been conspicuously silent on the matter.

  How could his friend even relate? He was happily married with two little girls. He had the love of his life. Wyatt hadn’t brought up Grace again.

  The meal with the Malaysian officials dragged on and on. He was grateful to be posted in here rather than outside though. Being on high alert for so many hours was stressful, and nobody was at his best when he’d gone so long without sleep.

  He fought a yawn. He’d catch a nap and, hopefully, a meal on the plane ride to Singapore.

  Finally the meeting seemed to be winding up. A Malaysian official stood, followed by another. Greetings were exchanged and others stood, their movements putting Wyatt on high alert. He watched each man’s body language, looking for hands in pockets or other suspicious actions.

  It wasn’t until he was inside the plane that he was finally able to let down his guard.

  Wyatt awakened forty minutes after he closed his eyes, groggy and still hungry, even after the tray of food he’d scarfed down. Beside him, Ethan was staring out the window at the landscape.

  “Didn’t you sleep?” Wyatt asked.

  “Little bit.”

  His friend had been quiet on this mission. Wyatt wondered if something was going on at home but couldn’t imagine what. Ethan and Megan were regular lovebirds, and their daughters were the apples of his eye. He talked about them constantly. Missed them so much when he was away.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t uncommon for married agents to cheat on their wives. Assignments could be long, and women were sometimes fascinated with the mystique of the Secret Service. Ethan, though, was true blue to Megan. Wyatt had never seen his head so much as turn at another woman.

  Wyatt rubbed his eyes, the thought of two more weeks of travel making him nothing but weary. He’d missed his dad’s fiftieth birthday party and his favorite cousin’s wedding. He was eager to get back to the field office—a surprising thought. He’d never been a desk job kind of guy, but he was tired of missing meals and getting by on forty winks. What he’d give right now for a mattress and eight solid hours.

  He’d found himself having a lot of those thoughts during the las
t month. He’d done his job as scrupulously as ever, but . . . somehow his heart just wasn’t in it. He kept asking himself why he was even doing this, then wondering why he was having these thoughts about a job that had always felt like a calling. Something was missing. But surely when he was moved to PPD all that would change.

  “Megan’s divorcing me.”

  Ethan’s announcement startled Wyatt. “What?”

  “She told me before I left.”

  “She can’t mean that. You guys are great together.”

  “You know the old argument. She wants to be married to someone who’s actually around for her. For the kids.”

  “So quit, Ethan. No job is worth losing your family over.”

  Ethan gave a droll smile. “I finally offered, and know what she said? She said, ‘It’s too late.’ Saddest words I ever heard, man.”

  Tears gathered in his buddy’s eyes, and Wyatt wished he had words that would fix this. He’d known Megan complained about Ethan’s schedule. Who wouldn’t? But he thought she loved Ethan enough to muddle through.

  “Maybe if you quit she’ll come around. See you’re serious about saving your marriage.”

  Ethan shook his head slowly. “I think there’s someone else. There’ve been some red flags. I didn’t want to see them. Besides, she’s already filed. Wants me to move out when I get back.”

  “What about the girls?”

  “We’ll work out a schedule—as much as I can with this job.” His voice was flat and lifeless. He looked at Wyatt. “This is a single man’s job, buddy. There’s no way to balance it with a family. You better know that if you ever plan to have one.”

  An announcement came over the speaker asking them to prepare for landing.

  Wyatt’s heart went out to the guy. “Whatever you need, I’m here, man.”

  “Thanks.” Ethan leaned back and closed his eyes.

  Wyatt buckled up and settled back in his seat, his friend’s words playing over in his mind. The feelings he’d had over the past month settled over him like a blanket on a cold winter’s night.

  He’d known in his heart what his mind was only beginning to realize: This would be his last assignment.

  This job produced adrenaline that—he was only beginning to see—he’d used as a tool to avoid dealing with his past. But he’d unpacked the trauma and had begun working through it. He didn’t need the adrenaline anymore. He didn’t need this job anymore. Not even the one he’d been gunning for.

  The thought brought a few heart palpitations and activated the sweat glands in his palms. Would he regret the decision? He’d waited his whole life for an opportunity that was now within his grasp. But PPD would be just like his current job, just with a more prestigious protectee. And he’d officially had enough of this lifestyle.

  That question answered, he moved on to the next: What would he do with his life if not this?

  He could always get a job in investigations—every agent had a mandatory two years investigating financial crimes, cyberattacks, and the like before he could move on to protective detail. It was the direction most of the married agents went as it kept them closer to home. Wyatt had performed these tasks well enough. However, he hadn’t found it fulfilling. Investigations had just been another hurdle on his way to his dream job.

  He wasn’t sure what he was going to do moving forward, but the skills he’d acquired were highly sought. All he knew was that this wasn’t the life he wanted anymore. This job would never facilitate the kind of life he wanted—a life that included a wife and a family and kids.

  A life that included Grace.

  A strange feeling swelled in his chest. A wanting, a yearning for her. It filled him so full his lungs could hardly expand. He’d missed her every day, every hour since he left. Few things he’d ever done felt as wrong as driving away from Grace had felt.

  And now he knew why. The question was, what was he going to do about it?

  Chapter Forty-Four

  October bled into November, and Grace hardly noticed the changing of the trees in the valley or the shedding of leaves. Thanksgiving weekend had just passed. Mia and Levi had flown in, and it had been good to have the whole family together for a few days.

  The inn had officially been deeded to Molly and Adam, and Levi and Grace had walked away with their share of the buyout. Despite Molly’s gracious offer to continue housing Blue Ridge Outfitters, Grace had decided she needed to do this on her own.

  She hadn’t heard from Wyatt since he’d left, but they had decided on a clean break after all. That realization did nothing to soothe the achy spot in her heart, however. How long would that feeling last? How long did it take a broken heart to mend? She supposed she was going to find out.

  Whenever she found herself getting down, she reminded herself it had been worth it. She’d lose him all over again just to have him for a little while. Just to help him find closure.

  Staying busy helped. Over the past six weeks she’d poured herself into renovating her new store. The walls had been knocked down, opening up the room. The garish shade of green had been covered with a fresh coat of greige, and the wood floor sparkled with new polish. Her tidy office in the back was all set up, but her attic space would have to wait until after she opened.

  Grace hung the bells she’d purchased on the entry door and turned to survey the space. Her grand opening was three days away, just in time for the Christmas season. There were boxes of new merchandise everywhere, and racks waiting to hold it all.

  She’d been working hard to get out the word about the opening. Levi had helped her with marketing ideas. Once the holidays passed, the off-season would be slow, but even after renovations she had a nice cushion in the bank to carry her through.

  Grace moved behind the checkout desk, drawing her hand over the surface of her new glossy countertop. The desk was gorgeous, made from repurposed wood and facing the entryway. She could hardly wait till customers wandered in, looking for a sled or a pair of cross-country skis.

  She squatted down and opened the box of Blue Ridge Outfitters T-shirts she’d ordered for her employees to wear—because yes, she’d hired two people to help run the shop. The front of the light-blue shirts sported the small, tasteful logo she’d designed. The back simply said, The Outdoors Is Calling.

  She already had a great rapport with her staff and had begun forming relationships with other business owners in the community. Maybe Grace wasn’t the people person Molly was, but she was finding that she was good with people in her own way.

  The new bells above the door jingled. Probably Molly or even Pamela, who stopped in occasionally to check on her progress. Grace stuffed the box under the counter and stood.

  But the visitor wasn’t Molly or Pamela.

  Grace froze at the sight of the man standing just inside her door. The man who’d featured in every daydream she’d had since he’d left. His eyes fixed on her with that magnetic pull she’d begun to wonder if she’d only imagined.

  The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Saw your sign as I was passing by.”

  He looked just the same as the first time she’d seen him, standing in the inn’s lobby, saying those same words. Her heart went pitter-patter again, but this time it was because its owner had returned.

  “Wyatt.” Her brain couldn’t seem to manufacture anything more.

  His gaze left her to take in her new store, and she took the opportunity to scan him tip-to-toe, reveling in the sight of him. His crisp black button-up stretched taut across those broad shoulders. He wore jeans—and he wore them well.

  “It looks amazing,” he said.

  “What?”

  He gave her a bemused look. “Your store. It looks great. Just the way you described it.”

  “I—uh, I open in three days.”

  “I know. I may have stalked you online.”

  He took a couple steps closer, and as he neared, those brown eyes captured her. She told her heart to settle down. Told her nerves to get a grip. It didn’t work.<
br />
  “What—what are you doing here, Wyatt?”

  “I quit my job.”

  Grace blinked. “What? What happened?”

  “Nothing. And everything. Long story. But once I went back to work, I was on this assignment overseas that dragged on and on, and all I could think about was . . . you, Grace.”

  “Me?” she squeaked.

  He came around the counter, his eyes smoldering. “Yes, you.”

  “But your job . . . It’s your calling.”

  “It was my calling. I don’t need it anymore.” He kept coming.

  The intense look in his eyes had her backstepping. “Um, why not?”

  “Something has settled inside me—that peace I told you about before. I hope you’ve found some of that too.” He was so close she could smell his clean, masculine scent.

  “I did.” Her back hit the wall. “Actually, I’m seeing someone.”

  He froze, inches away, his eyes sharpening as he searched her.

  “I mean a professional,” she added quickly. “Oh, jeez, a counselor. Not—you know, a man. Well, he is a man, but—”

  Then his lips were on hers and Grace immediately lost all train of thought. The kiss was needy and demanding, and she yielded to him gladly. Oh, how she’d missed him. Missed his touch, missed his mouth, missed the way he commandeered her every thought, every breath when he touched her.

  He placed his hands on the wall near her head, leaning in. She pressed her hands to the taut muscles of his obliques. She knew there was plenty more to talk about—she just couldn’t remember what exactly. She’d despaired of ever being in his arms again, and here he was kissing her. Wanting her. She sent up a prayer of gratitude as she clutched his shirt.

  She wasn’t sure how long the kiss went on. There were some mewls and groans and one or two very sexy growls before Wyatt drew away. Their breaths were ragged as his eyes opened lazily.

  “I missed you,” he whispered with a love-drugged gaze.

  It was addicting. “I missed you too.”

  He pressed another kiss to her mouth, this one soft and measured and over too quickly. “We have a lot to catch up on.”