by Kyra Jacobs
Stephanie waved once more then headed back down the drive to her rental. Before she climbed in, her gaze swept the length of the Checkerberry, committing today’s view to memory. It would always be her home away from home and hold some of her nearest and dearest memories. Sadly, just not all of her nearest and dearest people.
Chapter Nineteen
Miles stood in his old office at the Checkerberry a few Saturdays later, his desk empty save for a cardboard box holding the last of his personal items that sat atop it. Melancholy shuffled him from the room, but his growling stomach guided him down the hall toward the kitchen. Surely his grandmother would allow him one last meal before he left.
He was still family, after all.
He’d driven back from Columbus last night, too depressed by the quiet of his still boxed-up apartment to want to stay. Despite its great view and vast amenities, the place didn’t feel like home. He’d already begun to doubt it ever would. Besides, he had belongings still needing to be packed and a house to put on the market. Too bad right now he had little desire to do either.
And while his first few weeks on the job had gone more smoothly than expected, he’d still struggled night and day to keep focused. That’s what having Stephanie Fitzpatrick on the brain will do to a man.
Miles would know—he’d lived through losing her twice now.
The dining room was empty this early but not silent as muffled sounds from the kitchen wafted toward him. Miles wove his way through the usual cluster of tables, rounded the tall bar that separated the kitchen entrance from the main dining area, and stopped before the swinging kitchen doors. Strains of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” greeted his ears, accompanied by a very off-key second voice. With a grin, Miles pushed the door aside and stepped in.
“Damn it, Brent,” Maddie called, her back to the door and her hands busy rolling homemade cinnamon rolls. “You know you’re not supposed to interrupt Carrie time.”
“Is that why he’s always down at EAT? Because you won’t let him in here?”
Maddie twisted to offer Miles a scowl, her chestnut brows drawn low and apple cheeks rosy from exertion. “He’d better not be. That place is a heart attack waiting to happen.”
Miles crossed the room to grab a drinking glass. “Maybe that should be my next stop,” he muttered.
“If it’s a death wish you’re after, I could save you the trip and just add some strychnine to your rolls.” She flashed him an evil grin.
Miles offered her what little smile he could muster but kept his distance as he filled his glass with water then took a good long drink. There’d never been the slightest hint of romantic vibes between him and Maddie, but she’d never offered to nix him before, either. Maybe he shouldn’t have given her such a hard time about that latest bakery invoice after all.
“I appreciate the offer, creepy as it may be, but I’d better pass. Ruby would be devastated, you know.”
Maddie snorted. “Always the modest one.”
“I’m lyin’, I’m dyin’.”
She eyed him for a moment, eyes slowly narrowing. “Okay, out with it. What’s got you in such a dark place this morning? Usually you’re traipsing through here on a Saturday, gloating about your latest conquest.”
He traded his glass for a banana and sighed. “Yeah, well, there hasn’t been a latest conquest. Not since…her.”
“Her as in the one that was staying down the hall?”
“Maybe.”
When he offered no more, she turned back to her work with a shrug. “I have a rule in my kitchen, Miles—start talking, or start walking. If you want someone to play twenty questions with, Ruby’s sure to be in her office by now.”
“Damn, Maddie, have you always been this harsh, or is it just a holdover from our last produce prices face-off?”
“I mince onions, Miles. Not words. You know that.”
And he did. Learned it her first day here when she’d called him out on his flirting. Maddie had drawn the line in the sand and posted an imaginary “Cross at Your Own Risk” billboard beside it. He’d immediately backed away but respected her for it. Still did.
“Yeah, I do. But this isn’t something I can talk to Ruby about. She wouldn’t understand.”
Maddie chuckled. “If it’s a matter of the heart, I’m sure she would.”
“See, that’s just it—this can’t be that kind of discussion. I don’t do the heart thing.”
“Sounds like the heart and the head are finally starting to, well, butt heads.”
“Too bad the head has to win.”
“Why’s that?” she asked.
“Let’s just say I’ve seen firsthand what happens when that whole ‘happily ever after’ train derails. And it ain’t pretty.”
Maddie set the last roll into a large tray and wiped her hands off on a towel at her waist. “What are you talking about? You’ve never been in any relationship that lasted longer than a few weeks to my knowledge. Or is there some deep, dark secret about Miles Masterson that Ruby hasn’t somehow managed to divulge over the years?”
“I’m not talking about me, Maddie. I’m talking about my folks.”
She planted a hand on one fist. “But I’ve met your folks, spent some time with them last summer when they came here for a visit. You think they aren’t happy?”
“No, I don’t.” Or the rest of the country that’s fallen victim to divorce, with its ever higher-climbing rates. Maddie threw him a questioning look, and Miles sighed. “It’s all a lie, Maddie. When I was a kid, it was all a show for me. After I moved out, they skipped town so they wouldn’t have to pretend in front of the rest of us anymore. They insist they’re still married, but I have my doubts. Why else would they always come back here instead of me going to visit them there?”
“All pretend? I don’t think so, Miles. ‘Cause I’ve seen unhappy, seen the way it dims the fire in people’s eyes. Like your cousin, or your last fling. Sure, they try to hide the hurt, but it’s there. Now, your folks? If there was a hurt, it’s long since healed, because they were genuinely happy when they were here last. And they had the menu to prove it.”
“Menu?” Miles snorted. “Are you trying to tell me you can judge the health of a relationship by a couple’s menu choices?”
“You don’t think I can?” She leaned back against the countertop and folded both arms across her chest.
“They aren’t happy, Maddie.”
“Key lime pie.”
He frowned. “What?”
“They split an order of Key lime pie after dinner each night.”
“So?”
“So it’s a proven fact that Key lime pie is an aphrodisiac…and typically ordered by couples who are sexually activ—”
Miles plugged both of his ears. “Nanananananana. That’s the last thing I want to hear about.” Her brows rose in unison, and he shook his head. “You really buy into this crap?”
“Wanna know how many times Kayla and Brent have snuck a piece?”
“Dang it, no!” He knew darned well they were happily…involved. Quite happily, given both their perpetual good moods and all of Brent’s gloating these past few months. Any day now Miles full well expected to hear there was a bun in the oven.
A baby. What would that be like, having a baby in the family? An odd sensation settled over Miles, one he couldn’t quite place.
“Look,” said Maddie. “I have no idea what got you thinking that your parents were unhappy. And maybe at one time they were. But even in the darkest hours there’s still hope, still a chance that things can turn around. What’s that saying? Love conquers all?”
“Uh huh. If that’s the case, then why are we both sitting here, over thirty and single?”
She smirked. “Because I’m not looking, and you’re a male whore.”
“I really need to teach you how to mince those words.”
“No, I really need to finish these rolls. And you, buddy, need to go track down that hot little number of yours and stop being a
n idiot when it comes to women.”
Miles watched Maddie work in silence as he considered a new reality—one where his parents truly didn’t hate each other, and didn’t fake happiness for the family’s sake. Had he read them wrong? Let one overheard conversation mistakenly influence him all these years?
Maybe so. At ten, that’s all he could process—the here and now. Not the future, not the possibility of a change, just the here and now. In fact that’s all he’d ever allowed himself to process, out of fear. Stephanie had seen that, which was why she’d been able to walk away. Because unless he changed, she’d never have his whole heart.
His gaze shifted to the door. Could he change? Could he open his mind to the possibility that love was really out there waiting for him?
Would Stephanie even give him another chance if he did?
Miles grabbed an apple and headed back toward his office, a plan already beginning to take shape in his mind. Only one way to find out…
Chapter Twenty
Stephanie was halfway across town when her cell phone rang. Traffic was unusually thick for mid-afternoon on a Wednesday, but that was West Palm Beach for you. She blindly retrieved it from her purse and clicked to answer.
“Hello?”
“So…you on your way?”
It was Rebecka, her perpetual mother hen. Stephanie grinned rather than scold her older sister. She was in too good a mood to feel henpecked. “Yes. I told you, I’m ready to move on. And north.”
“Finally. So, you got clearance to give Chris a tour of the facility?”
“Yep. Pulled a few strings and promised the board that we wouldn’t target the same donors who already contributed to their funds. Was easier than I thought.”
A lot of things had been easier than she thought these past few weeks. Like cleaning out her place and putting it up for sale. She’d had five showings lined up within an hour of the neighbors hearing it was going on the market, and an offer before the listing ever went live. One last tour of the FITS grounds with Chris, and then she’d drop her car off with the moving company and take a cab to the airport. By tonight she’d be at Rebecka’s where she would stay until a suitable apartment had been found and her new normal could officially begin.
Stephanie pulled into the far end of the FITS lot where she’d instructed Chris to meet her. No other cars were in the area, so she remained in the comfort of her car’s A/C and peered out at the nearest soccer field. Three brave souls stood shoulders above a rowdy group of five- or six-year-old boys and girls, grinning and bearing it through a game of “Ouch!”
“You still sure about all of this?” Rebecka asked.
“Definitely.”
The decision to move ahead, to embrace life once more hadn’t come until about a week and a half after returning home from Mount Pleasant. Stir crazy after sitting inside all day with nothing to do but replay her recent times spent with Miles—lord, she missed him still—she’d ventured outside to take a dip in her pool. That’s when she realized for the first time in ages both her yard and all those around it were paparazzi-free. The feeling of freedom had propelled her to go for her first outdoor run in months. With the wind at her back and adrenaline coursing through her veins, she went several miles before stopping to catch her breath and grab a drink at a community park.
And that’s when she saw it: a billboard displaying two of her former FITS campers, their smiles larger-than-life above a short public service announcement stressing the importance of physical fitness in the lives of our youth. Those smiles had melted her heart when the picture had been taken last summer, and melted her still.
No, FITS didn’t need her anymore; the organization was doing just fine on their own. Heck, for all she knew Liam was still involved with it and helping them raise the funding they needed. But while Florida’s organization didn’t need her, Michigan’s fledgling not-for-profit did. Chris had said so himself—she’d just been too wrapped up in her own struggles to listen.
Too bad Miles didn’t need her, either. That would have made moving back to Michigan a lot less bittersweet. And spared her from the awkward conversation she’d had with her boss, coming clean about the fake engagement. Thankfully, he’d been more understanding than she could have hoped for.
The kids on the field before her were working on dribbling, now. Some walking, some running, some tripping—but all laughing. And wasn’t that the best medicine of all? Stephanie felt an unstoppable smile tug at her lips just as a cab pulled into the lot a few spaces from her and parked.
“Oh, he’s here. I’ll text you when I’m headed to the airport and let you know if there are any delays, okay?”
“Okay, sis. And just remember—you’ve got this.”
“Yep, I sure do.”
“And that you’re allowed a do-over in life.”
Stephanie shifted to unbuckle her seat belt. “Um…okay?”
“Can you see him yet?”
She craned her neck toward the other vehicle. “No, looks like he’s paying for the cab.”
“Okay. Well, you two enjoy that tour, and I’ll see you next week.”
“Next week? Becka, I—” Her phone beeped as the call disconnected. “What was that all about?”
With a shake of her head—and a mental note to say something to her older sister about maybe holding off on wine time until after the kids were in bed—she pushed her door open and stepped out into the sweltering Florida heat. This she definitely wouldn’t miss when she headed north tonight. Though, ask her that same question amid the dead of winter in Michigan and she might well be singing a different tune.
Chris had yet to exit the vehicle, and Stephanie wondered if he’d gotten a call from the governor on his cell or something. Rather than stand there waiting on him, she moved toward the fence separating her from the young campers. There were a few standouts in the group running circles around the others, and a few who just weren’t getting it. Coordination would come for some of them with time, she knew. And while not everyone was cut out for sports, each of these happy little souls deserved the chance to give soccer a try.
A car door shut behind her, but Stephanie kept her eyes on the kids, amused by their squeals of joy and shrieks of frustration. She was eager to get back home to Michigan and kick Chris’s fundraising project into high gear, eager to get their program up and running.
Eager for her do-over.
“Rowdy bunch.”
Stephanie smiled as she heard her future board director draw near. “Rowdy, but happy.”
Chris stopped beside her and propped his elbows onto the fence in a pose that mirrored hers. “Ah, the best of both worlds.”
Wait—that voice. It couldn’t be. Stephanie slid her gaze to the left and felt her jaw fall slack as a familiar pair of Ray-Bans came into view.
…
Miles watched a look of utter surprise dawn on Stephanie’s beautiful face. She looked good, great, actually. Like these past few weeks had breathed life back into her. Now he stood before her holding his breath, praying she’d hear him out. He’d taken a gamble coming here, arranging all of this, but it was a gamble he’d finally been willing to take.
“Hiya, Steph.”
“Miles?” She looked past him, scanned the parking lot. “W-what are you doing here?”
“Taking a tour of the FITS facilities.”
“What? Why?”
He shrugged, feigned indifference. “Because I’m not going to approve spending on any design plans until I get a better sense of what we’re looking at size-wise.”
“Is this some kind of joke?” She turned her body to face him, anger settling into her features. “Chris was supposed to be here, Miles. Where is Chris?”
“He’s back in Michigan putting out fires on another project. I volunteered to come instead.”
“Oh.” Stephanie brushed back a piece of hair from her face with a scowl. “So what—you two are best buds now?”
“I wouldn’t go that far. More like…members of the same
committee.”
Miles kept his elbows on the fence, working like mad not to break his poker face. He loved to goad her nearly as much as he loved her. It’d just taken her walking out of his life a second time for him to realize that.
“Okay, now you’re just not making any sense,” she said. “What business could the governor’s aide from Michigan possibly have with Techworks International?”
“He doesn’t.” Miles turned to face her. “And neither do I.”
“But…your new job—what happened? ”
“You happened. Or rather, you left. And, being the stubborn mule that I am, it took me a little longer to realize what a mistake it was to let you go.”
She shook her head. “I told you—it wasn’t a mistake. It was what we both needed. Time to find ourselves.”
“And did you?”
“Actually? Yeah, I did. My trip up north helped pull me out of my funk. I was able to come back with fresh eyes and the courage to stop hiding from the world. The paparazzi didn’t seem quite so scary after, well, my week with you. Ironically, when I left town, they apparently did too—haven’t seen a single one since I got back.”
“Probably some other celebrity caught their attention.”
She huffed a humorless laugh. “Probably so.”
“Well, while you were here getting out of your funk, I was up north, getting more and more miserable by the day. At first I thought maybe you were right—that the best thing for me to do was strike out on my own and see where it led me. Only, I had no idea how hard it would be to let go of everything. I’d sit there at night, worrying whether or not this or that task was being taken care of back at the inn. Or if Ruby was getting along okay without me. Missing Brent and Kayla. Missing you.” Miles stepped forward to cup her face and brushed a thumb across her cheek.
“You…missed me?”
Her auburn brows knit together. Miles pushed his sunglasses up onto his head then slid hers up as well. He needed to see her eyes, to read the reaction in their hazel depths for what he was about to say. Because if there was another soul on this earth he could read like a book, it was Stephanie.
