“It’s catchy, and when the kids get to sing something they love, they forget to be self-conscious when they perform. It’s a lot of fun, really.”
“Well, then I’m glad to be of service.” Macy sat back a bit so Betty Lou could place her piping hot dish in front of her. “Thank you. Everything looks delicious.”
“How long are you in town for?” Mrs. Fisher accepted Betty Lou’s offer to freshen her coffee and shook in a little pink packet of sweetener.
“I’m not really sure, to be honest. Jack Cooper left me his house in his will, so I came to check it out and decide what to do with it. My show is on summer break, so I can take a little time to figure things out before I have to be back at work.” Nobody could step foot in Sweet Ridge without knowing about Jack Cooper and his guacamole empire. No explanation about who he was, or where his historic house stood, was necessary. She took a small bite of crispy bacon and took a second to enjoy the salty goodness.
It had been ages since someone had cooked for her, and the experience was heavenly. Most of her restaurant meals didn’t qualify as home-cooked and made just for her, but Betty Lou was special. Everything she cooked, from the fresh donuts to the fluffy scrambled eggs she served was made with love and a genuine appreciation for the power of good food.
“We all really miss Jack. He was a good man, and he did a lot for the town and Sweet Ridge High. He was always around, either volunteering in the concession stand at football games or helping the Future Business Leaders of America with their competition, long after his own kids had graduated.” Mrs. Fisher worked a pointed spoon around the perimeter of a ruby red grapefruit half, jiggling each section away from the peel. “So you and Gavin Cooper must have graduated the same year.”
“That’s right.” Not knowing the new teacher’s relationship with the Cooper family, Macy wasn’t sure she wanted to get into the specifics. She took a big bite of her donut, taking her time chewing it to discourage further conversation.
“Well, it was a pleasure meeting you. The kids are going to be so jealous when school starts again in the fall and I tell them.” She stood and tucked several bills beneath the edge of her plate. “Look me up at the school if you are in town again. I’d love to have you visit my class.”
“Sure thing.” Macy wasn’t sure how long she’d be in Sweet Ridge, but it was unlikely that she’d stop in to the high school’s choir class. Now more of a cautionary tale than a success story, she didn’t have much to offer in the way of inspiring young people.
With the Cooper house keys jangling in her pocket, Macy tucked a healthy tip under her plate for Betty Lou and promised to come in again before she went back home to Nashville. Besides the show, not much was waiting for her there. She didn’t have any close friends; she’d spent all her time with Tori and then pushed everyone away after the accident. Her mother had passed away, and she’d never known her father, that awesome dad who’d offered to run out and buy diapers when Macy was about eight months old, never to return. Why Jack Cooper had left her the beautiful old house was a mystery, but she was glad to have something to do with herself rather than return to her empty life in Tennessee. She should really see if her agent could get her work on any shows that shot between seasons of America’s Next Country Star. Keeping busy would do her good.
Pleasantly full after wolfing down Betty Lou’s delicious food, Macy took the short walk to Silver Spurs to pick up her rental car. The place was quiet and empty that morning, a huge departure from the lively scene the night before. She laughed to herself when she noticed that hers wasn’t the only car still sitting in the lot. More than a few revelers must have found themselves too drunk to drive home last night, but one of the perks of living in such a small town was that home was never too far away. As she settled into the sedan, so much smaller than the big pickup truck she drove at home, she adjusted the air-conditioning vents and breathed easier as the cool air started to fill the cabin.
The drive through Sweet Ridge on her way to the Cooper house, now technically her house, was nearly exactly how it had been when she was a teen. The same businesses stood in the lively little downtown area, the same farms sat behind barbed-wire fences and gates labeled with the families’ brands, and the old neighborhoods still looked the same. Though it had to have been empty for the couple of weeks since Jack’s death, the Cooper house looked great. The lawn was impeccably manicured and healthy looking, the driveway was clear, and the wraparound porch was clean and inviting. Macy parked in front of the garage and slowly climbed the steps, unreasonable trepidation pulling on her boots and making the air around her legs thick as molasses.
Why had Jack Cooper left her this house, especially knowing it was so important to Gavin?
She’d gotten to know Mr. Cooper back when she and Gavin were still friends, and he continued to be warm and supportive even after the competition heated up between them. When she was a struggling single parent, Macy’s mother had depended on her job cleaning Guac Olé’s offices after she got off work at her day job as a bank teller. She’d always joked about how she’d sleep when she was dead, assuring Macy that everything was fine. Mr. Cooper must have instinctively known that the scrawny teen wearing holey jeans and a too-big T-shirt from Goodwill needed a father figure, someone to encourage her and push her to succeed, and he filled the role admirably. He encouraged her in her studies, took an interest in what she was doing, and gave her advice whenever the chance presented itself. He couldn’t replace an actual father in her life, but he did leave her better for having known him.
Macy always worried that her mother would work herself into an early grave, forced to put in so many hours at menial jobs because she never got the education that she pushed so hard on her daughter. Macy had taken an after-school job at Sweet Ridge’s only grocery store as soon as she was old enough, trying to do anything she could to help out with their little family’s bills. Mom wouldn’t let her pay for utilities or rent, so Macy helped by buying her own makeup and paying for her own entertainment, little things that eased the burden a bit. Her mom never slowed down, though, and eventually her body rebelled, knocking her down with hypertension and heart disease. Jack had to have known a bit of their situation, and he was always willing to offer extra shifts and bonuses, anything to help the Youngs. Maybe this was his way of helping her out now. He’d lost his wife and knew how difficult parenting alone could be, and everyone knew that she’d lost Tori. It didn’t make much sense to her—certainly Macy wasn’t the only hard-luck story Jack had had a soft spot for—but there wasn’t a better explanation.
This wasn’t right. As much as she’d loved the man, she was no more special than anyone else he could’ve crossed paths with. She couldn’t walk into the house, walk into their lives, or enjoy a moment of her inheritance without even thanking Jack. She was too late to tell him what he meant to her in person, but she could pay her respects, at the very least. Before she could let herself think about what she’d say once she got there, she hopped in the car and headed toward the cemetery.
She cut back through downtown, heading to the road leading to the cemetery, when Sweet Ridge’s flower shop, This Bud’s for You’s bright turquoise-and-peony-pink signage caught her eye. She parked on the street and rushed in, planning to grab a bouquet to leave on Jack’s headstone. The window display was full of Founders' Day flowers and decorations. The town’s yearly celebration was a huge event for the citizens, and everyone would be gearing up for the festivities later in the summer. A little bell tinkled as she opened the door and stepped into the cool, rose-scented air of the shop.
A petite woman with a mess of wild red curls acknowledged her, though she kept her eyes on the ledger she was notating. She held up a finger to greet Macy. “Hi there, be with you in a second.”
Macy wandered around the shop, checking the coolers and displays for an appropriate bouquet for Jack. Roses didn’t seem right, nor did the bright carnations, tulips, and daisies that dominated the small shop. “Excuse me, which flower
s are appropriate for leaving at a grave?”
“We have some nice lilies that would be perfect for that. Right over here.” The woman left the counter and gasped.
“Macy?”
“Kelly!” Macy squealed when she recognized her old friend from high school. “Oh my gosh, I had no idea you still worked here!”
Kelly wrapped her in a hug that smelled like roses and greenery. “Well, I did quit after graduation, but whenever I was home from college, I picked up shifts. I lived in Houston for a while, but eventually ended up back here. My dad got sick a while back, so I moved closer to help my mom take care of him. That took up so much of my time that when he finally recovered, I didn’t know what to do with myself.” She looked around the shop, her gaze soft. “I was an accountant when I lived in Houston, but I didn’t want to move back there, and I didn’t really want to return to an office. Then I remembered how much I liked working here, and I ended up buying the place from Anne Deerborne when she retired. The rest is history.”
“That’s fantastic. Not many people get to be their own boss doing something they love. So many of us thought we’d end up living and working here, but not many actually did it. The place looks amazing.”
“Thanks! I loved what Anne did, but I’ve had to figure out how to keep the shop updated, you know, to make sure people still come to me instead of just using some Internet service or copying an arrangement they find on Pinterest.” She dragged the back of her hand across her forehead. “After my dad died, I just couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life doing something I didn’t really care about. Running a business is harder than I ever thought it would be, but it’s been awesome. I can see why Anne stayed at it for so long. What brings you to town and into the shop?”
“Jack Cooper left me his house in his will. I’m in town to check the place out so I can figure out what I want to do with it, and I stopped in here on my way to visit his grave. I wasn’t really sure what to do, but I didn’t want to show up empty-handed.” She followed Kelly to a case with sedate arrangements and bundles of white lilies. “I almost went in the house, but thought I should at least stop by and pay my respects first.”
“I was so sorry to hear he passed away. He used to come in the shop all the time. How long are you in town?”
“I’ve got about two weeks before I need to be back at work for the new season of my show. It’ll have to be a quick visit.”
Kelly squeezed Macy’s hand. “I can’t believe you’re here. It’s been so long!”
“I know. So many things are still exactly the same as I remember, and so many people are still around. It’s been nice seeing all the old places and catching up with most of the people I’ve run into.” Gavin’s hostile reception being the glaring exception. “It’s just, after my mom moved to Nashville to be closer to me, I didn’t think I had much reason to visit Sweet Ridge. I mean, without her living here, I didn’t even have a place to stay or anyone in particular to come see. The longer I stayed away, the harder it was to imagine coming back. I didn’t realize it would be so easy, and if I’d have known I’d enjoy it so much I would’ve come much sooner.”
Macy knew that fame and her busy career with Tori had kept her from visiting Sweet Ridge as much as she should have in the beginning, and her downslide after Tori’s death, not the polite fiction she’d just spun for Kelly, had kept her away in the last several years. But she didn’t lie about enjoying this the trip down memory lane. If only she’d known that being back home would feel so much like, well, being back home, that people would accept her and welcome her back, she would’ve let them comfort her. Instead, she’d stubbornly refused to accept help from anyone and had ruined her reputation. She didn’t deserve the warm embrace of Sweet Ridge, and she wasn’t sure how long she could stay before the truth was out and the welcome hugs became good-bye shoves.
“I hope you’ll start coming back more often now. Remember how much fun we used to have?” Kelly grinned. The two of them had spent countless teenage nights together, obsessing over cute guys, crafting over-the-top elaborate garters for their Homecoming dates, chowing down on donuts at Betty Lou’s, and hanging out downtown when there wasn’t anything else to do.
“I do, and I kind of miss those days, to be honest. Since Tori’s been gone, nothing’s been the same. I’d give anything to go back to the days of choir competition road trips and Friday night football games.” Honestly, she’d give anything to go back to a time when she didn’t know what it felt like to lose half of your heart. She and Tori had been more than business partners; they were sisters by choice.
“Well, you could still go to football games and dances if you’d stayed in Sweet Ridge. You’d just be a chaperone.” Kelly laughed, lifting Macy’s mood. “I know that becoming a teacher was your dream back when we were in high school, but I’d say that becoming a famous country star kind of beats that. As far as trade-offs go, I’d say you got a pretty good deal.”
“Okay, you might have a point.” She’d spent too much time alone, feeling sorry for herself in Nashville. Sweet Ridge was a welcome change from the isolation of life in the city. Out of the hundreds of thousands of small-town girls with dreams of stardom, maybe one or two would actually make it. She had no right to wander around with her head down, feeling sorry for herself. The sooner she returned to Nashville and got back to work, the sooner she could distract herself by focusing on the career she still had. The one she was lucky to have and shouldn’t take for granted. “I’d better get a move on, but I hope we see each other again before I leave.”
Macy paid for the lilies and hugged her friend, promising to stop in again before returning to Nashville, and strode out to the car. Going to the cemetery was going to feel a bit awkward, and she was already a little tempted to skip the visit and head straight to the house. Best not to procrastinate any more.
• • •
The veterinary clinic closed at noon on Saturdays, giving Gavin plenty of time to walk his dog, Merle, and think. Losing his dad was unbelievably painful, but his illness had been so protracted that Gavin had been able to come to terms with his death and picture a future without him. That future was supposed to entail a busy time of packing up the rest of his father’s things and removing them from the old house, making the place his own, and handling the home projects his father hadn’t had time to get around to. Instead he was wandering around, aimless now that his plan had fallen apart. He leaned down and scratched behind Merle’s ear, giving the dog a quick kiss on the forehead before tightening the knot on the bright blue bandanna that circled Merle’s neck. Tail wagging, Merle kept pace with Gavin as they crossed through the scrolled wrought-iron gates of Sweet Ridge’s cemetery.
The dog’s bouncing, carefree steps and the brilliant sunshine clashed with the somber mood that settled over the graveyard. He walked his dog through the cemetery regularly, as did many Sweet Ridge residents, and Merle knew he wasn’t allowed to romp through like they were at the dog park. “Slow down, boy. Show some respect.”
Merle tilted his head, watching Gavin carefully to pick up his cues, and walked beside him at the perfect pace. Gavin followed the path toward his father’s final resting place, not allowing Merle to stop and sniff the flowers and headstones that lined the walkway.
The blonde standing by his father’s gravestone, head down, hands in her pockets and murmuring softly, stopped him in his tracks. Merle heeled at his feet and Gavin threw up his hands when he realized it was Macy. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
She’d been so unfazed by seeing him last night at the bar, the shock that twisted her usually lovely features now gratified him. He hated feeling like the only one thrown off by their unscheduled reunion. She must have been deep in thought and his words cracked her solitude.
“Oh, hi. I thought I was alone.”
The stubborn confidence she’d shown the night before was gone, but Gavin wasn’t quite ready to back down. “And I thought I could visit my father in peace. Looks like we were both
wrong.”
Her shoulders slumped and she glanced away for a moment before fixing him with a determined look. “You know, I don’t know why you still have such a problem with me, but I’m over it. I’ve never done anything to you, and I wish you’d just grow up already.”
“You’ve never done anything to me? That’s rich.” Merle’s ears perked up at Gavin’s tone. He lowered his voice, remembering where he was. “I don’t see you often, but it seems that whenever I do, you’re taking something that was supposed to be mine.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that my dad promised me the house, and now it belongs to you. It means that, just like in high school, you somehow managed to figure out a way to game the system and get something you wanted. Then I lost my best friend, and you got off scot-free.”
“Look, I’ve never taken anything from you. If you’re still bitter about being salutatorian instead of valedictorian, which most people would think is still pretty good, by the way, then you are a moron. I won that honor fair and square, and high school was a long time ago. If it’s Tori, then I don’t even know what to say to you, and acting like you’re the only one who lost anything is unspeakably cruel. I miss her more than anyone, and I’m done feeling guilty. Nobody can replace her, and I’ll never forget her.” She took a deep, shuddering breath and seemed to calm herself. “I’ve turned things over in my mind a thousand times since she died, and if there was any way I could change things, I most certainly would. But I can’t. No one can.”
Gavin wasn’t a bully, and he hated himself a little for the pain that was in her eyes. He knew she loved Tori, that she needed her, and that everything had changed the night she died. But that didn’t mean he could stop blaming Macy. She was the reason his best friend was gone, and he couldn’t ignore that. He’d always hold her responsible, but berating her next to his father’s grave wasn’t going to bring his friend back.
Sweet Texas Kiss (Sweet Texas Secrets) Page 4
