Home on Apple Blossom Road (Life in Icicle Falls)

by Sheila Roberts

  But tired as he was of the game, there was no way he was leaving it. Anyhow, he wanted to know what Gram’s big secret had been.

  “Come on,” he said, and trudged to the nonfiction section.

  “If you start at the top, I can start at the bottom over here,” Mia said, pointing a couple of shelves over. “Then we can meet in the middle.”

  “Works for me,” Colin said, and took a cookbook from the shelf. Gram writing a cookbook. Who knew?

  There was nothing in the book. He picked up another. Nothing in that one, either, or the next three.

  He moved on to books on knitting and struck out there, as well.

  Now he understood the meaning of that old saying about looking for a needle in a haystack. Mountain Escape Books carried books on every imaginable subject—gardening, health, money management, business, how to lose weight, how to gain confidence. Several shelves were dedicated to biographies of everyone from Nikola Tesla to Charles Dickens, not to mention the latest reality show celebs. One of these books would have a folded piece of pink stationery between its pages. The cookbooks and gardening books were probably the best bet. Hopefully, he’d stumble on it in a few minutes.

  Half an hour later, he’d gone through every cookbook, gardening book, sewing book, do-it-yourself book and self-help shrink book on the shelves, and nothing. Mia wasn’t having any luck, either. And, checking the time on his phone, he saw they were down to fifteen minutes until the store closed.

  He was about to return the phone to his pocket when Lorelei called. “Are you still in that bookstore?” she demanded.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, are you about done?”

  “No.” He was never going to be done. He was going to spend the rest of his life wandering around Icicle Falls looking for clues, like some old miner searching for El Dorado.

  “Well, how much longer?”

  He could feel a pain starting behind his eyes. To match the pain in the butt at the other end of the call. “I’m not psychic, Lorelei. I have no way of knowing.” Why did he feel that every time they talked they were covering old ground? “I told you not to come.”

  “Yeah, and I think you did that so you could mess around with some old girlfriend,” Lorelei snapped. This from the woman who was picking up guys in Bavarian Brews?

  Patience, never Colin’s strong suit, vanished. “Damn it all, Lorelei, it’s enough that I have to deal with losing my grandma and wandering all over town remembering things I’d like to forget. I don’t need you ragging on me on top of everything else.”

  “Ragging on you? Ragging on you?”

  Maybe that reaction had been a little extreme. “Okay, I’m sorry.”

  “Well, sorry doesn’t cut it. I’ve about had it with you.”

  “Yeah? Well, I’ve about had it with you, too.” The words were barely out of his mouth when he realized he’d just committed romantic suicide.

  “Are you breaking up with me?” Lorelei’s voice was dangerously quiet.

  This wasn’t how he’d meant to have that important conversation. But they’d been edging toward it ever since she came up here, ever since he’d looked around his hometown and started opening his eyes. And his heart. He and Lorelei didn’t belong together. If he was going to be honest with himself, he’d have to admit that, deep down, he’d known it for some time. He’d blamed his reluctance to buy a ring on cold feet. Not ready to give up his freedom, wanting to be sure. Blah, blah. That wasn’t really the problem, though. He’d liked Lorelei a lot. Okay, maybe not so much since she’d come to town and started driving him nuts. But liking wasn’t the same as loving. He was only hanging on for something to hang on to. Dumb. And unfair to her.

  He softened his voice. “Lorelei...”

  “What?” Not the sweet, soft voice of reconciliation.

  That was just as well. “It’s not working between us, you know that.”

  “It was until you came up here,” she insisted.

  Yeah, it sort of had been. But in the end they would have split. They were destined to go down different paths in life, and regardless of what he found or didn’t find on this crazy hunt, he knew his path led back to Icicle Falls. And Mia. Always Mia. No matter what he did, no matter how he tried to escape the fact, he was bound to her, heart and soul. Time and distance hadn’t changed that. So hanging on to one woman when you were in love with another—not the right thing to do.

  “Look, I’m gonna end up here. You want to be in Seattle. You want a gym, I want an orchard.”

  “A what? Since when?”

  “Since I was a kid.”

  “You never told me.”

  There was so much he hadn’t told her, whole sections of his life she had no idea about. He’d never told, she’d never asked. What did that say about them? “We don’t belong together.” He looked at Mia as he said this. She was kneeling in front of a row of biographies. She had a book open and was staring at it. Was she hearing what he was saying? Did what he was saying matter to her?

  “I came all this way for you,” Lorelei said as if she’d followed him to another country instead of a couple of hours across the state.

  “I’m sorry. It looks like you wasted your time.”

  “A lot of it. You are such a loser, Colin.”

  Yeah, he was, but he was hoping to change that. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  “You know what? I don’t need you,” Lorelei informed him. “I’ve got executives hitting on me at the gym all the time. Executives! And I bet one of them will want to invest in a fitness club.”

  “I hope you find one who does,” he said, and he meant it. Even though he didn’t want to be with her anymore, he still wanted her to be happy. He wanted both of them to be happy.

  She made one final snort of disgust and then the line went dead. He pushed End and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

  Mia looked at him. “Did you just break up?”

  “Seems that way.” Lorelei was right. He really was a shitty boyfriend.

  Mia frowned.

  “What?” What was she thinking?

  “Nothing. That seemed a little sudden is all, kind of like a volcano erupting. Are you sure you want to do that?”

  He’d hated wounding Lorelei’s pride—but yes, he was sure. “Volcanoes don’t erupt suddenly,” he said. “It only looks like it because you don’t see all the stuff building under the surface.” And there’d been more building under the surface than he’d wanted to admit.

  Mia’s gaze shifted away from him. “Is that what happened with us?”

  He squatted down next to her. “I honestly don’t know. Sometimes I look back and try to sort it all out, and it’s like a maze I can’t find my way through.”

  “You might wind up thinking that about what just happened with Lorelei, too.” Now she did look up, her expression earnest. “You don’t want to do something you’ll regret. Call her back, tell her you made a mistake. Go meet her for drinks. I can finish here.”

  He shook his head. “No, that would only drag things out. We weren’t right for each other. It wouldn’t be fair to keep stringing her along.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I’ve made lots of mistakes, but this isn’t one of them. Want me to tell you how I know?”

  She bit her lip and nodded, her gaze locked with his.

  “Because I’d rather be here with you than hanging with Lorelei.” He winced. What man in his right mind hit on his ex the minute after he’d broken up with his girlfriend?

  Mia pressed her lips together and returned the book to the shelf.

  “I know that sounds bad,” he said, “but it’s the truth.” She still didn’t say anything so he pressed on. “Have I just been imagining something happening between us these last few days?”

  “Co
lin, I don’t want my heart broken again.”

  Wait a minute. He was the one who’d had his heart broken. He was about to say so when Pat approached them. “Closing time, you two.”

  “But we’re not done,” Colin protested.

  “You are for today.”

  “Can’t you stay open a little longer?” he pleaded, offering his most ingratiating smile.

  She smiled back.

  Good. Success.

  “Afraid not, even for you. We have a big wine-tasting party over at D’Vine Wines and I promised my husband I’d be there. I’m afraid you’ll have to come back on Monday. I’m sure you two can find something to do over the weekend.”

  Wouldn’t you know? The bookstore was one of the few shops that wasn’t open on Sundays. But maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. There was no Lorelei waiting for him now. Colin was free to spend the rest of the weekend with his family. And Mia. Most important, Mia.

  “Monday?” Mia repeated weakly. “I have to be back at work on Monday. I’m supposed to fly out tomorrow.”

  Pat looked surprised. “So soon?”

  “I left Chicago on Wednesday.”

  “I would’ve thought you’d be able to take a week,” Pat said. “I give that much to my employees when there’s been a death in the family.”

  Mia was shaking her head.

  “You must have some vacation time,” Pat persisted.

  “I can’t afford to take time right now. We’re working on an important project.”

  “I’m sure your boss would understand,” Pat said gently. “I know I would.”

  “You couldn’t let us in on Sunday for a while?” Colin asked.

  “Sorry, I really can’t. Ed and I will be in Seattle for my daughter’s birthday, and I know all my employees have plans. If it’ll help, you can come in before we open on Monday. I’ll be here at eight.” She looked at her watch. The store phone rang and a moment later Theresa, her right-hand woman, called, “Pat, Ed wants to know if you’re on your way.”

  “Tell him yes,” said Pat. “Sorry, kids. I hope you can work this out.”

  So did Colin. How were they going to finish their search if she had to leave? How were they going to put their lives back together?

  * * *

  Mia reluctantly took her phone out of her purse. How did you tell your boss that you wouldn’t be back in the office on Monday as promised because you were in the middle of a treasure hunt? It sounded so crazy. And even if she was searching for a million dollars, she wasn’t sure Andrea would understand. As far as Andrea Blackburn was concerned nothing was more important than the marketing of GF Markets products. Mia knew she needed to show her own dedication, especially now that she was in charge of marketing Sprouted Bliss.

  “If you can’t stay, don’t worry. I’ll finish the search and split whatever I find fifty-fifty,” Colin said.

  “Really?”

  He nodded.

  “But we’re supposed to do this together.”

  “We have been. In fact, you’ve figured out most of the clues. It’s about time I pulled my weight. Anyway, if you’ve got to get back...”

  She did. That shiny new job on the next rung of the corporate ladder could be as easily caught by any number of people. Still...

  “Then go. I promise I won’t screw you over.”

  So there it was, permission to leave, to return to Chicago, to the life she was building, a safe life with no heartbreak. She liked Chicago. And so what if there was no man waiting for her there? She’d find someone—eventually.

  Except that here in Icicle Falls, she’d found someone, the same someone who’d always been part of her life. What would the future hold if she stayed just a little longer? Was it worth the gamble? What if they hurt each other all over again? Colin seemed to have a habit of abruptly breaking up with women.

  But...anything could happen. Mia made her decision. “No,” she said. “I need to abide by the stipulations of the will.”

  He smiled and, oh, there went the tingles. “Okay, then.”

  Mia called Andrea’s extension at the office and got her voice mail. There was the beep. She took a deep breath and plunged in. Keep it vague, she decided, and hope you don’t get fired. “Andrea, I’m afraid we’ve run into a snag with the will, and I’m going to be delayed getting back. I’m so sorry. I’ll check in with you on Monday. I’m sure I can be in the office by Wednesday.”

  “You really didn’t have to do that,” Colin said.

  “I know.” But she’d wanted to. And oh, dear, what did that say about her?

  She hoped they could wrap this up quickly on Monday. If she could fly out by Tuesday, she’d probably be fine. Things happened. Life didn’t always go according to plan. Her boss was hardworking and driven and yes, she expected everyone else on her team to be the same, but she wasn’t like Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. She had a heart, and surely she understood the importance of family. She had a...cat.

  Oh, boy. There was a reason many of the executives at the company were young and single. Most of them were married to their jobs.

  Well, there was nothing she could do about this. No sense worrying. When it came right down to it she was glad she had a couple more days in Icicle Falls, a little more time to hang out with the Wrights.

  And one Wright in particular. Colin was like a magnet. Even though her brain kept worrying that this was a relationship best left in the past, her heart was hopelessly drawn to him.

  * * *

  “I guess we’ve got the weekend to kill,” Colin said as Mia put away her cell phone.

  Her cheeks were pink, a sure sign she was feeling nervous. And attracted. What they’d once had was still there, like diamonds waiting to be dug up.

  “What do you say we go to Zelda’s, sit out on the back patio and have one of those wild huckleberry martinis?”

  Now she was nibbling her lip, something he’d like to do. “Okay,” she said and he felt he’d scored some kind of major victory. “Let’s stop by the house first so I can freshen up,” she added.

  “Okay,” he agreed, but she looked perfectly fresh to him. In fact, she looked great. And he had her for another day. He didn’t want her to leave Icicle Falls until they’d sorted things out between them.

  “So you’re stuck here for a little longer,” Aunt Beth said when they returned to the house and gave her their progress report. The smile on her face showed how bad she felt about that.

  “Looks like it,” Mia said. Then to Colin, “Give me a minute to change and call the airline.”

  “Since you two have the rest of the weekend free,” Aunt Beth said, “should I make dinner?”

  “No. We’re going to grab something at Zelda’s.”

  His aunt smiled approvingly. “Good idea.”

  * * *

  Beth had known it all along—those two were meant to be together. Something had shifted between them. She could see it in the way they looked at each other.

  Mom, you’re a genius.

  As soon as they left, she couldn’t resist calling Dylan. “Thought I’d report in on the treasure hunters.”

  “I’m right in the middle of something, Beth.”

  Curb your enthusiasm. “Fine. Never mind.”

  “You called. You may as well tell me.”

  “They stalled out at the bookstore. Now they’re on their way to dinner.”

  “Together.”

  “Of course together.”

  The silence on the other end stretched out so long, Beth thought she’d lost the connection. “You still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here. Did you suggest they go out to eat?” he asked suspiciously.

  “No. I didn’t need to. They came up with it all on their own.”

  “With a l
ittle help from you, I’m sure.”

  “I didn’t need to help. They want to be together. They always have.”

  “If they had, they would’ve stayed together. I need to talk to him.”

  Her brother was such a dope sometimes. “Don’t mess this up, Dylan.”

  “It’s already messed up. Thanks to you and Mom.”

  She could almost feel the anger sizzling through the phone. “No, it’s not. Let things run their course and it’ll all work out.”

  “Beth, you live in a fairy tale. Things don’t always work out. People get hurt. I know you helped raise Colin, but he’s still my son. Maybe you could remember that.”

  And then he was gone.

  “And maybe you could remember that he’s a grown-up and gets to make his own decisions without any interference from you,” Beth muttered. Honestly, when it came to love, her brother suffered from terminal blindness.

  * * *

  It was only five thirty when Colin and Mia walked into the popular restaurant, but the place was already filling up. He asked to be seated on the huge patio. It was a relatively new addition to the restaurant and featured tables with umbrellas and a spectacular mountain view.

  Rita Reyes brought them their drinks. “It’s about time you came back,” she said to them. “Nobody really leaves here for good, you know,” she teased.

  “So I hear,” Colin said. And he understood the reason for that. Was there a better place on earth to replant your roots, regrow your life...climb right back into the pit of love you fell into when you were a teenager?

  Mia sipped her drink and stared at the mountains. She hadn’t made eye contact with him since the bookstore.

  “You have to look at me at some point,” he said.

  She set down her glass, turned her head and met his gaze with those gorgeous big brown eyes. “I’m looking.”

  “You seem nervous.”

  “I am nervous. What are we doing?”

  Starting again? “You tell me.” He hoped she’d agreed to go out with him for the same reasons he’d asked her.

  “I don’t know. You just broke up with someone.”

  He took a slug of his drink. Too damned sweet. He set it down. “I told you why. It was all wrong. Every woman I’ve been with since you has been wrong.”