Winds of Change: A Sweet, Inspirational, Small Town, Romantic Suspense Series (Heart Lake Book 1)

by Jo Grafford

  At his raised brows, she supplied, “About why you didn’t leave town with me to attend college.”

  “Ah.” He grimaced and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Well, pardon me for saying this, because my intentions are not to be offensive. Far from it. But I doubt whatever you heard from your mother is the whole truth.” He paused a beat as he strolled closer. “She wasn’t there that day, Hope.”

  She shrugged. “I know that you let my father talk you out of being with me.” Despite her effort to remain calm, her voice hitched.

  “I did. He was dying of cancer, Hope. His last wish was to see you get a college education.”

  “So you broke my heart to be nice to a dying man?”

  “Not exactly,” Josh sighed. “I know I was young and dumb back then, but what he said made sense. He convinced me that the way to prove how much I truly cared for you was to let you go.”

  “You’re right,” she said bitterly. “It does sound dumb.”

  He scowled. “I was a rodeo rider struggling to graduate from high school.”

  “A very good one,” she shot back.

  “Your dad rightly pointed out how I took my life in my hands every time I got on the back of one of those bulls. I could’ve been gored to death, night after night after night.”

  “But you weren’t.”

  “I had no regular income, no steady job, and no benefits. Nor was I college material.”

  “Yet you were the man I loved.” She spoke mechanically and without inflection. “A love you threw away the day you let me leave town without you.”

  “I’m sorry, Hope.” He shook his head regretfully. “I’ve been sorry ever since. Sorry that I let you down. Sorry that I hurt you. Just…sorry.”

  “Me, too,” she murmured, looking down at the planks of the bridge.

  “I think your dad was right about one thing, though.”

  She glanced up at him with dreary expectancy. “What’s that?”

  “With me in your life, you probably wouldn’t have made it this far.”

  Her jaw dropped. “How can say such a thing?”

  “Because I was that much in love with you.” His gaze burned into hers. “I had a ring box in my pocket that day on the bridge. I was going to propose. I wanted to marry you, Hope. I wanted to have babies with you.”

  What? A strangled sound escaped her. Josh had been planning on asking her to marry him? That was news to her.

  “See?” His voice was sad. “I told you there was more to the story.”

  As she struggled to find her voice, he continued talking. “Your dad didn’t think I had it in me to wait until you graduated from college to marry you, and he was probably right. So if he had allowed me to stick a ring on your finger that day, you might’ve never gotten your degrees.”

  “You don’t know that!” Hope gasped, feeling faint.

  “I know the stats wouldn’t have been in our favor.” He snorted. “Lots of women start college, get married, and never finish. I didn’t want to be that guy. The one who destroyed your dreams and eventually became the person in the world you resented the most. So right or wrong, I chose to set aside my selfish desires and let you go to college.”

  She nodded mutely, too choked with emotion to speak.

  “And look at you now. Beautiful as ever, educated, ambitious, strong, driven, and on a mission to merge two rival high school campuses against all odds. A mission you’re probably the only person in the world with even half a shot at accomplishing.”

  She nodded again, blinking hard as the tears started to roll.

  “And I’m going to be there every step of the way, backing you up each time you go to battle for the teenagers of this town.”

  She was dangerously close to dissolving into weeping. “Thank you,” she managed to choke.

  “I’ll stay in your court, Hope. Where I’ve always been.”

  Yay me. She briefly closed her eyes, feeling the bleak sting of defeat. Sure, the man she’d almost married ten years earlier would have her back during business hours. She didn’t doubt his sincerity about that, but he would leave work at the end of the day to go spend quality time with someone besides her — his new girlfriend. She, on the other hand, would continue to go home and spend her evenings alone — not with the playboy billionaire who’d flown her into town, whom he wrongly assumed she was dating. The man whom she’d told only hours earlier that she would never date again.

  Gosh, it’s freaking lonely at the top!

  She raised damp lashes and stepped away from the bridge railing, inadvertently bringing them toe-to-toe. “I’m glad we finally had this conversation. It’s been a long time coming.”

  “Yes, it has.” He dipped his head to gaze deeply into her eyes, concern etched in the crinkles at the edges of his eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Not even a little. She nodded, trying to force a smile and not sure if she succeeded. “Goodnight, Josh. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  “Goodnight, Hope.” His voice was husky with tenderness and regret.

  She could feel his gaze on her as she walked away, but she didn’t look back. She couldn’t. If she had, she might’ve done something stupid, like run and throw her arms around his neck and beg him to give their relationship a second chance.

  But it was ten years too late for that. He had someone else in his life now. It was truly time to let him go.

  Chapter 6: Church on the Lake

  Josh

  “You told her what?” Officer Lincoln Hudson slammed his patrol cap down on the table and stared at Josh. His slate gaze was aghast as he ran a hand through his short-clipped blonde hair. Even though he’d completed his Saturday patrol an hour ago, he hadn’t yet had the chance to go home and change out of his uniform shirt.

  “I told her the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God,” Josh retorted dryly.

  “Just not all of it, huh?” Lincoln shook his head as he waved two fingers to catch the attention of their waitress. “Like the fact that you’re still head over heels with her, like some love-sick puppy dog.”

  “Shh!” Josh made a cut-it-out sign by waving his hand at his neck, as Laurel Williams sailed in their direction with her notepad in hand and a beauteous smile on her face.

  She was the oldest daughter of the town florist, a cute thing in her white and black waitress dress and swinging dark ponytail. Her high energy level and perky personality was probably one of the biggest reasons that the hole-in-the-wall diner was always packed.

  “Watcha need, Officer Hudson?”

  “A refill on my soda, please.”

  “Coming right up.” She swept his empty glass off the table and spun in Josh’s direction. “And what about you, Coach Hawling?”

  He gave her an offhand wave. “Nothing. Thanks. I’m good.”

  “Are you sure?” She batted her lashes at him. “I’ve been accused a time or two of making the world’s best hand-mixed shakes.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “I’m full, but thanks.”

  She eyed his half-eaten burger with concern. “What if I told you it’s on the house?” She followed up her words with a simpering smile. “And if you’re still here after closing time like you were the other night, I just might join you.” She winked. “Again.”

  There was an awkward silence as Josh’s tired brain attempted to digest what was happening. Was their waitress actually hitting on him? He studied her in troubled silence. She had to be at least ten years younger than him.

  “He would love a shake, Laurel,” Lincoln finally interjected with a kick to Josh’s boot under the table. “Make it a mint chocolate with as much whipped topping as you can pile on.”

  She beamed a smile at Josh, even though Linc was the one doing the talking. “Want a cherry on top?”

  “Two. He’s feeling adventurous tonight.”

  As Laurel spun away from their table, Josh glared at his friend. “What are you doing? I think she was flirting with me.”

&nbs
p; “I don’t think it. I know it.” Lincoln guffawed uproariously.

  “Then why did you—?”

  “Hey, I see no need to let a perfectly good ice cream shake go to waste, just because you’re the world’s biggest stick-in-the-mud.”

  “Well, I’m paying for it,” Josh declared flatly, digging for his wallet and slapping it on the table. “There’s no way I’m accepting favors from some young, single waitress. She might get the wrong impression.”

  “Too late for that,” Lincoln returned mildly, still grinning from ear-to-ear. “What’s this about staying late and sharing a shake with her the other night?”

  “I have no idea.” Josh wracked his brain, trying to recall whatever he’d done that might’ve been misunderstood. “I guess I may have stayed a little late last Monday. It was the first day of school and all.” He clenched his jaw. It had been his first day working all day beside Hope Remington. He’d needed to unwind a little before going home.

  “So what kind of ice cream date with Laurel was it?” Lincoln teased. “Two straws or one straw?”

  “Just stop already,” Josh growled. “It was nothing like that, believe me. I must have stayed a little past closing time — not intentionally, of course. Come to think of it, Laurel did pop over and sit for a minute.” And snagged the candied cherry he’d discarded on his napkin after realizing he didn’t intend to eat it. He gave an inward groan. He’d been surprised by the move, sure, but he otherwise hadn’t thought much else about it at the time. Clearly, Laurel had construed that something a little more intimate had transpired during their encounter.

  “So, about your rental tux.” Lincoln drummed his fingers on the table.

  “No worries. I already have one sized and reserved for your big day.” Josh was honored beyond belief that Lincoln had asked him to be in his wedding party. Even though they’d only known each other for a few months, they’d really hit it off as friends.

  “Yeah, uh, that’s kinda what we need to talk about.” Hudson looked embarrassed. “I know I said to wear a white shirt. But according to Katie, it’s supposed to be an off-white shirt with a silver bolo. She’s going all out with the whole country western theme.” He raised one hand, then the other. “White versus off-white,” he muttered. “Like most guys pay attention to stuff like that.”

  It was Josh’s turn to chuckle. “Well, fortunately for you, Katie set up one of those registration things at the clothing boutique, which means they already had all those deets on file when I showed up.”

  Lincoln’s sigh of relief was so loud and gusty that they both laughed.

  Laurel returned with Linc’s drink and a massive ice cream shake that she slid in front of Josh.

  He glanced up at her. “Hey, Laurel. That’s your name, isn’t it?” He pretended to pause and ponder the matter.

  She looked surprised. “Yep. It’s on the name tag, Coach.” She tapped the silver badge pinned on to her dress.

  “Right. Yeah, sorry. Guess I’m tired.” He wrinkled his brow at her. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask how far y’all are willing to deliver bouquets and stuff from the florist.”

  Laurel’s smile slipped. “I dunno. Pretty much anywhere in Heart Lake, I guess.”

  “Okay, thanks. That’s what I needed to know.” He pointed his thumb and forefinger at her. “I have a very special friend coming to visit, and I wanted to order some roses for her. Just not sure where she’ll be staying yet.”

  Their waitress’s expression turned frosty. “I’m sure Mom and Jen will take care of you if you visit the shop.” She started to turn away, then abruptly swung back in his direction. “So, uh, I’m sorry, but my manager said the shake can’t be on the house. It’s $6.99.”

  He handed her a ten-dollar bill, since he’d already paid for the rest of his meal. “Keep the change.”

  She nodded without smiling and pocketed the money. Then she walked away without a backward glance.

  “That was cruel,” Lincoln noted, though there was humor in his voice.

  “It was necessary.” Josh slid the ice cream shake across the table. “If I’m going to pursue the woman of my dreams, I can’t have rumors flying around town about me and some waitress. You know how that stuff works. It’s a small town. Everybody talks.”

  “Actually, I’m from Dallas,” Lincoln reminded, taking a huge bite of ice cream and speaking around it in a muffled voice. “I’m starting to get the picture, though.” He winced. “Ouch! Brain freeze!”

  Josh shook his head at his friend, snorting out a chuckle at the range of comical expressions he made while waiting for the roof of his mouth to warm back up.

  “So what’s your game plan?” Lincoln demanded, shoving his spoon back into the tall ice cream glass. “And I better not hear the term catch-and-release. It didn’t work last time, and it won’t work this time.”

  “Very funny,” Josh growled.

  “I thought so.” Lincoln grinned at him. “Seriously, dude. How hard it is to tell her that you’re still in love with her?”

  Josh spread his hands is frustration. “You do realize I’m in competition with a billionaire boyfriend, right?”

  Lincoln made a face and took a smaller bite of ice cream. “He’s just a guy.”

  “And she didn’t exactly fall into my arms out there on the bridge.”

  “But she keeps coming back.” Lincoln pointed his spoon for emphasis. “That’s something.”

  “I try to tell myself that, but…” Josh ran a hand through his hair. “I broke her heart, man. Not sure if she’s ever going to forgive me for that.”

  “Have you apologized yet?”

  “Many times,” he sighed.

  “But you still haven’t laid the L word on her.”

  “Not for the past ten years.” Josh thoughtfully scrubbed a hand over his chin.

  “So what do you think is holding you back?”

  Josh raised and lowered his shoulders. “The fear of losing the few inches of ground I’ve gained back, I guess.”

  “Okay.”

  “She depends on me at school, Lincoln. For reasons I don’t understand and probably don’t deserve, everything considered, I think she trusts me. I just don’t want to do anything to screw that up. Again.”

  “You won’t.” Lincoln slurped his way down to the bottom of his glass and groaned his way through another brain freeze.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I just am.” Lincoln sobered. “New idea, friend-to-friend here.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Just keep loving her. Love her with everything you say and do when you’re around her. Love her with everything you have in you. She’s pretty smart. I think she’ll figure it out.”

  Josh snorted. “Love is blind. Isn’t that what the experts say?”

  “They’re wrong,” his friend returned flatly. “I happen to be a firm believer in the fact that love always finds a way.” He stood and held out a fist. “I pray that it works out between you. I really do.”

  Josh balled his fingers, and they bumped fists.

  The next morning, Josh did something he hadn’t done in years. He attended Sunday service at the little nondenominational church overlooking the lake. His parents had attended there years ago. Rest in peace, Mom and Dad. They’d been married in that church, too, and they’d had his dedication ceremony there after he was born. They didn’t have medical insurance, so Mom had delivered him at home. She’d never fully recovered, and he and his dad lost her before his second birthday. He barely remembered her, other than her voice and scent. She used to sing to him, and she’d always smelled like wildflowers.

  As for his dad, the guy had pretty much worked himself to death in the auto body shop on the south side of town. He’d passed when Josh was only fifteen. A neighbor, who happened to be a distant uncle, claimed to be looking after him as a guardian of sorts. Josh wasn’t sure if he’d ever made it official, paperwork-wise. All he knew was that he’d been on his own ever since — including the
day he’d first met Hope Remington at a rodeo on the north side of town. She’d been voted rodeo queen that year, and he’d vowed on the spot to make her his girl.

  She’d given him a bit of a chase, but he’d lassoed her heart before the next rodeo event. They’d dated exclusively for the next three years. Right up until the day she left town for college.

  Since Josh hadn’t been to church for so long, he slid into the far end of the pew on the back left of the sanctuary. He preferred to listen and observe, not activate the gossip mill by his rare appearance in a house of worship. It was a rainy day, so there was no sunshine to brighten the dimly lit sanctuary. He didn’t mind, hoping it would make it that much harder for anyone to recognize him.

  The choir opened with Amazing Grace, which brought on a wave of nostalgia. It was a beautiful song. The few times he’d heard it in the past, it had tugged at his heart and made him want to be a better man. Today was no exception. Apparently, the woman sitting in the row ahead of him felt the same, because she was dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a tissue.

  That’s when he realized how familiar her white blonde hair was…and the curve of her cheek. Hope Remington was sitting only two rows in front of him — so close he could reach out and give the end of her French braid a playful yank like old times, if he wanted to. Which he did, though he resisted the temptation.

  Instead, he slipped out of the back pew and joined her in the one where she was seated. “Hey, boss lady,” he whispered in her ear, sliding an arm across the back of the pew behind her. “Everything alright?”

  She jolted in surprise, then glanced around them as if looking for someone. The song ended moments later, and she hissed, “What are you doing here?”

  “The same thing you are, I imagine,” he whispered back, smirking.

  The pastor started to speak, claiming their attention.

  She stared straight ahead most of the service, but Josh could see the tension in her. Her spine remained straight and her shoulders pulled back, but her eyes were damp and an occasional tear rolled.

  He’d never seen her like this before, not even at her father’s funeral. She’d come home pale and drawn, standing wordlessly beside her mother at the gravesite. But this was different. Josh instinctively knew he was part of Hope’s pain, though he was unsure if it was his past mistakes with her or his current presence that was causing her the most distress.