Deal of a Lifetime

by T. R. McClure

  There was a collective gasp when Wendy appeared. She wore a slim satin dress. Her dark hair swept her face in a smooth line.

  From where they stood, Sera couldn’t hear the vows, but when Alex took her hand she pulled away. “They’ll need my help with the cocktail party when the ceremony is over.” And without looking at the man next to her, she made her way toward the house. Under the arbor, the groom took his bride in his arms and kissed her with such passion, Sera had to look away. Love was such a complicated emotion.

  The wedding party moved to the silver maple for pictures, and the bartender quickly became busy.

  Sera smiled at the sight of Aunt Hope sitting in a rocking chair on the porch, a flute of champagne in her hand and a plate of cheese squares and grapes nearby. “You look comfortable.”

  “Imagine, Sera. A wedding at our farm.”

  Sera nodded. “Kristen Rose is a miracle worker. When Wendy first asked me if she could use the barn for her wedding, I thought she was kidding.” She settled into the empty rocker next to her great-aunt. “The barn looks great.”

  “I was still thinking I could do some shows.” Chance pushed through the screen door and sat on the steps. “There is a lot of local talent around. What do you think?”

  Another income stream. “All we can do is try.”

  * * *

  THEY WERE EATING lemon chicken and parsley potatoes when Max asked Alex a direct question. “Throw anybody out lately?”

  “Don’t start, Max.” Beverly placed her hand on his.

  “What are you talking about?” When nobody answered, Carrie directed her question at Alex. “What is he talking about?”

  “Nothing.” For a minute the table was silent.

  When he avoided looking at her, Carrie shook Alex’s shoulder. “You didn’t tell your parents?”

  Alex shrugged.

  “Alex, it’s one thing to take a bullet for the company, but you should’ve explained to your parents.”

  “It doesn’t matter, Carrie.”

  “Yes, it does.” She looked across the table. “Mr. Kimmel, the eminent domain case wasn’t Alex’s. The case was initiated by my father.”

  Max threw her a shrewd look. “Alex was interviewed on television. By Katie Valentine, in fact. Looked pretty clear to me.”

  “They assumed the case was his because he was handling the transaction, however, the decision to use eminent domain was my father’s and that of the company that had hired us. When the reporter started asking Alex questions, he didn’t say anything to dispel the assumption. Your son was loyal to the company, Mr. Kimmel.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” his mother asked.

  Alex shrugged again.

  His father looked at Carrie, one bushy eyebrow raised. “Your father allowed it to happen?”

  “Dad felt terrible, but we figured a story in a small community would be dead the next day. By the time the story went national, it was too late for something like a press release.” She looked at her friend. “Alex told him not to worry about it.”

  “I always knew you’d be great at the law. But I worried about your ethics.”

  “His ethics are top-notch, Mr. Kimmel,” Carrie said.

  Uncomfortable at being the center of attention, Alex stood. “I’m getting a drink. Anyone want anything?”

  “I should have known better. I owe you an apology,” Max said, rising. Alex pressed him to sit.

  “It’s fine, Dad. I understand.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, then how about grabbing one of those chocolate cupcakes for me?” Max smiled at him, obviously relieved the fiasco hadn’t been his son’s doing.

  “Mom said to watch your sugar intake,” Alex half teased. But his mother looked so relieved at the turn of events he doubted she cared about a cupcake.

  “That’s what I’m doing. I’m watching myself eat a cupcake.”

  * * *

  CHANCE HAD FOUND a local guitar player and fiddle player. The sounds of their warming up wafted across the night air. Light from the rising moon shone above the distant ridgetops. The crowd was scattered, waiting for the moon’s appearance. Wendy and Josh posed, kissing every few minutes, waiting for the photographer to get the perfect picture with the moon in the background. Sera had a feeling they didn’t mind waiting. This moment would last long in their memories. And Last Chance Farm had been a significant part.

  Matching the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses, the moon rose like a big tangerine. Sera heard her brother on the microphone calling everyone inside. Sera stood alone, looking at the moon.

  “You pulled it off.”

  She didn’t need to turn. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. When Alex put his arms around her, she just leaned back into him. “I didn’t. Kristen Rose Events did. I just provided the setting.” She focused again on the moon, which seemed to get smaller as it rose in the sky.

  “Well, it works.” He nodded at the moon. “Who else could pull that off?”

  “I was surprised to see you here.”

  “My dad helped Josh out of a jam a couple years ago, so he and my mother were invited. I think I’m what you might call a wedding crasher.”

  “I’ve heard about guys like you.”

  With a slight smile, he narrowed his eyes. “I was only following Mom’s orders.”

  She tilted her head. “You seem happy.”

  “My father and I have a temporary détente. Thanks to Carrie.”

  “I’m happy for you.”

  “The last time I was here, Shawn and Hope made their fateful announcement. Anything else new?”

  “My brother’s home. He’s discovered he’s traveling a different path, too, quite by accident. But no, he’s decided to live here and raise his child.”

  “And what are you doing?”

  She turned and faced him. “I don’t know...”

  “If Chance is here...”

  “Chance’s plans are as changeable as the weather, Alex.” Suddenly, she realized she had fallen in love with the man before her, but at the same time knew her feelings didn’t matter in the greater scheme of things. She placed her palms on either side of his face. “You know the only thing we do have in common is we both have first names with four syllables.”

  “That’s just silly. We have plenty of things in common. We both like hard apple cider, for instance. Please come with me, Sera. This is your chance at a new life.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Sera was so caught up in kissing Alex in the bright light of the full moon she heard the words, but dismissed them. She figured, hoped, someone else would handle the problem.

  She wrapped her arms tighter around Alex’s neck, wanting their kiss to go on forever.

  But Alex pulled away. When she opened her eyes, she then realized he didn’t pull away as much as was pulled away.

  “Cyrus?” She looked into her neighbor’s red face, whose gaze was fixed on his cousin.

  Cy Carter stood with clenched fists, scowling at them both. “I should have known.”

  “Cy, don’t get excited. We didn’t plan this.” Alex held up both hands.

  “Sure you did. New York lawyer. I should have known. I turn my back for one minute and you swoop in.” His fist connected with Alex’s jaw.

  Sera’s heart leaped into her throat. “Cy, what are you doing?” She tried to stop his advance on Alex lying in the grass. But trying to stop Cy was like trying to stop an angry bull. Cy had one thing on his mind. Total destruction of his cousin.

  “So you’re the reason she said no. You’ve been moving in on her since I brought you here.”

  “You didn’t bring me here, Cyrus. If you recall, you left me stranded.” Alex wiped a trickle of
blood from his lip with the back of his hand.

  “Don’t give me that lawyer speak. You were supposed to talk her into selling, you rat.”

  Alex held up one hand. “Cy, stop.”

  “Why not just marry her, you said. And here you are, kissing her, right under my nose.”

  On her knees beside Alex, Sera looked from one man to the other. “You told him he should marry me?”

  “It’s not like that, Sera.”

  “Did you, or didn’t you?”

  “Well, I may have said those words, but I didn’t really mean them.”

  She rose slowly and lifted her gaze to the moon. Behind her, Chance’s voice grew louder on the clear night air. She looked toward the barn. Between all the dancers, she could see her little brother, playing her father’s guitar, black hair flopped over one eye, and his rich tenor drawing in his audience.

  Who did she think she was kidding? She wasn’t going anywhere. Chance was. Nothing had changed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  THE THREE MEN sat on the open tailgate of Cy’s new truck listening to Chance Callahan sing a country Western song. Light spilled from the open doorway of the big barn, but Cy’s truck was parked next to the mock orange bush, out of sight of the guests.

  “How’s your jaw?” Cy leaned an arm on the side of the truck and looked at the moon.

  Perched on the opposite side of the tailgate, Alex emptied what was left of the ice on the gravel and wrung out the towel. He scooped a handful of ice from the cooler in the bed of the truck and reapplied the compress to his jaw. “Can’t feel a thing.” He glanced at his father sitting between the two men. “What happened to your tie?”

  Max shrugged. “It got smeared with cupcake icing somehow, so I took it off.” The song ended and the fiddle player began a solo.

  Alex returned his gaze to the still brightly lit barn. “Nice party.”

  “Yep.” Cy handed him a beer from the cooler behind him. “That city gal did a nice job.”

  “Have a beer for me? My throat’s kind of dry.” Chance appeared from behind the shrub.

  Cy grabbed another beer from the cooler and tossed it to him. “Nice job tonight.”

  “Thanks.” Chance pushed his hat back and took a long drink.

  Alex braced himself for another assault.

  “I happened to overhear your friend Carrie.”

  Alex struggled to think what Chance might be talking about. Carrie had been talking to everyone all evening. “About what in particular?”

  “About that thing on Katie’s news show when it looked like you threw old people out of their house. That thing your dad is always talking about.”

  “Oh, please, don’t bring that up again. Bev is never going to let me live that down.” Max rubbed a hand across his forehead.

  Alex chuckled. “Hate to be wrong, huh, Dad?” He elbowed him in the side. His father chuckled in return.

  “Anyway, it appears I was mistaken about your character.” Taking another swig, Chance continued to focus on the barn.

  Alex gave him a hard stare. Maybe the boy was finally becoming a man. “I was only trying to do right by your sister, who, in case you don’t realize, works her butt off for this place.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know.” Chance scuffed the ground with the toe of his boot.

  “I wanted to tell you I came across a notebook of your mother’s about those apple trees she planted up by Shawn’s cabin.”

  Chance twisted his body until he could look Alex fully in the face. “What about them?”

  “You have to read her notes, but she planted cider apples. That’s the project your dad borrowed for. The cost projections are all in your mom’s notebook.”

  “Really?” Chance pursed his lips, exactly as Alex saw Sera do dozens of times when she was mulling something over. “Go on.”

  “Mike at the airport bar is making his own brand of hard cider. You might want to reach out to him, see if he’s interested in your apples.”

  “Hmm. Another income stream.”

  Alex nodded. “Another income stream.”

  “So if I do that, and keep up with the work around here, are you going to rescue her from all this?”

  “Sera doesn’t need to be rescued by anyone. She needs to save herself. Did she tell you her scholarship was renewed?”

  Chance’s head jerked up so quickly his hat fell off. “What? No! When did that happen?”

  “A few weeks ago.” From the changing expressions on the young man’s face, Alex was certain Sera had failed to share that bit of news with her brother.

  Chance lifted the bottle high in the air as if he were toasting the bride and groom. “Well, then, she has to go.”

  “She won’t leave.”

  Chance picked up his hat and placed it firmly on his head. “Maybe it depends on you. I better get back to work.” He strolled off toward the barn.

  “Hey, wait up.” Max jumped off the tailgate. “I want to check out the rest of the cupcakes.”

  Cy gave Alex a look. “Maybe that boy’s finally becoming a man.”

  Alex watched his father and the singer head for the barn, where the twinkling lights turned the evening into a celebration. If he was right, if Chance was finally growing up, then maybe now Sera would be able to let go of the past and look toward the future. A future that he hoped included him.

  * * *

  SERA SAT AT a corner table, a glass of white wine in her hand. Though she still wore the pretty dress borrowed from Katie, she no longer felt like a princess. Like Cinderella, she was resigned to the ashes, or in her case, the garden.

  “I need to talk with you.”

  She didn’t bother to look over her shoulder. “Your assignment is over. You failed.”

  Alex reached for her hand and pulled her across the crowded dance floor and outside, where the harvest moon rose high in the sky. He looked down at the woman in his arms. “I haven’t failed yet.”

  She stepped back, but he tightened his hold. “Your cousin isn’t getting this farm. Why you suggested he propose...”

  “I admit I said those words.” He waited until she looked up at him, then brought his face close to hers. “At first I’d just been talking off the top of my head. But it was wrong, stupid of me.” He took a deep breath. “Especially once I realized a few things. A few really important things...about us.”

  When she rested her head on his shoulder, he pulled her closer, grateful for what they had. She needed time to process, and he would give her time. One dance, two dances. But Monday morning he would have to be back in New York. His project here was finished, and he had no reason to return. They turned in slow circles, as Chance crooned a sultry ballad.

  The drama of the evening dissipated as they danced under the light of the harvest moon. Over her head, Alex took in the green fields stretching up to the orchard on the hill, the big white barn, the old homestead, and marveled that Sera had kept the place going as long as she had. Cy was right. Sera was a strong woman. He just hoped she would finally realize the time had come for a change. He followed her gaze to the lights in the barn.

  “He’s great, isn’t he?” she asked.

  They continued to move to the sultry music. “He’s talented, no doubt.”

  She looked up at him. “Then how can I ask him to give up his dream?”

  The blissful sensation of being in the moment faded, as Alex digested her question. He swallowed hard. “Ten years ago you gave up your dream. Don’t you think your turn has come?”

  Pursing her lips, she looked again toward the brightly lit barn. “It’s too late for me. But it’s not too late for Chance.”

  A lump formed in the pit of his stomach. “Please, Sera. Think about what you’re doing.”

  “All I ever do is think
, Alex. The time has come to stop thinking about what might have been. That’s all in the past. I have to think of the future, and my future is here.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “RAINY MONDAYS.” Sitting at the kitchen table, Max stared down into his coffee cup. “I should’ve trusted you to do the right thing. Just goes to prove, you’re never too old to learn.”

  Alex switched on the light above the kitchen table before carrying over his coffee and a box of baked goods. Though the sun had been up a half hour, the heavy cloud cover held the house in darkness. “I wasn’t coming home much in those days. You couldn’t know.”

  “When your children are small, you can keep a close eye on them. But once you’re off to college—” Max shook his head “—you’re influenced by others’ opinions. I didn’t know what to think, especially after you turned down my job offer in favor of Oliver and Associates.”

  Sitting across from his father, he opened the pink bakery box and withdrew a bear claw. “Mom’s taking it easy on you with the goodies.” He held the box open until his father got his own pastry.

  “She’s glad we’re talking.”

  “Me, too.” Alex glanced across the table and caught his father’s brief nod. They sat in the quiet kitchen enjoying their breakfast.

  “You know, I’m not one of those guys who just dwells on retirement.” Dabbing his mouth with a paper napkin, Max leaned back in his chair. He combed a hand through his thick white hair.

  “I know. What makes you say that?” Alex glanced at the clock, glad he still had plenty of time with his parents before heading back to the city. They had spent Sunday together.

  “Your friend Carrie mentioned something yesterday about her taking some time off.”

  “You could’ve knocked me over with a feather.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth he realized he had picked up the saying from Sera and her brother. His heart skipped a beat at the thought he might never see her again. “I had no idea she and Will were together, much less getting married and starting a family.”