Hometown Hope: A Small Town Romance Anthology

by Zoe York

  “Looks like they’re about to sing.” Heather nodded toward the front of the room where my mom helped Grandma Duncan settle into a chair. “We’d better move closer.”

  “Come on.” I motioned for Misty to follow. Heather and I threaded through the crowd that had gathered in front of my great-grandma. Pastel colored streamers hung from the ceiling, draping down to attach to the back of her chair, making it look like she sat on a throne.

  Mom started singing. Grandma joined in, singing to herself at the top of her lungs. Her eyes lit on everyone in turn, her smile full of cheer. Until she reached Misty.

  “Misty Greene!” she shrieked.

  My face flamed. The heat burned down my entire body, all the way to my toes. Everyone's gaze turned toward us, searching for the source of grandma’s surprise. A few of the older relatives continued to sing, but everyone else stopped.

  Grandma Duncan put a gnarled hand on the arm of her chair and slowly propelled herself to a standing position. “What in tarnation are you doing at my birthday party?”

  Misty

  Jake’s mom reached out and wrapped her hand around Grandma Duncan’s elbow to steady her. If anyone had a reason to be upset about me and Jake's break up, it was Grandma Duncan. She had her heart set on meeting her great-great-grandbaby before she turned one-hundred or keeled over. She told me as much time and again when Jake and I had gone to visit her. We used to sit in her parlor sipping sweet tea and nibbling on butter cookies.

  When I left town I hadn't said goodbye. And now, shrinking under her stare, I had to remind myself that I was a full grown woman. I’d made the best decision I could at the time. And not even Grandma Duncan could make me think otherwise.

  She advanced one shaky step at a time until she stood right in front of me. Her gnarled pointer finger poked into my chest. “How dare you show your face at my birthday party. I’ve never been so disappointed in anyone in my life. That's saying a lot since I’m ninety-six years old, and I've been on God’s green earth for a damn long time.”

  Jake put a hand on his great-grandmother’s arm. “Grandma, I know you’re a little shocked, but don’t let a little surprise ruin the entire evening.”

  “A little surprise?” Grandma Duncan turned on Jake, poking her finger into his chest instead. “Who invited this traitor into our mix?”

  “I think you're overreacting a little,” Jake said.

  “Overreacting? Isn't this the woman who left you high and dry after you proposed? Turned you down point blank after leading you on for years?”

  “It wasn't really like that.” Jake wrapped his hand around his grandma's finger, and tried to turn her back to her chair. But Grandma would have nothing to do with that. Instead she wrested her hand away from him and turned her steely blue gaze back to me.

  “I don't know what you're up to, missy, but you better leave my grandson out of it. Now let’s get on with this party and cut the cake.” She reached for the knife and stabbed it into the center of the cake.

  “Grandma, let me help you with that.” Jake took the knife from her and cut a large piece off the corner. “Here you go. Birthday girl gets the first piece.”

  Grandma Duncan took the paper plate in hand.

  I stepped forward, not wanting the conversation to end this way. “Mrs. Duncan, I'm so sorry for what happened before. Like I told Jake, all I want to do is talk.”

  She whipped around faster than I thought she would have been able to. Faster than she should have based on the way she’d wobbled toward me.

  I put out a hand to steady her. She swatted me away. That wouldn’t have been a problem except she forgot she was holding a plate full of cake. The cake vaulted toward me, hitting me in the chest, dousing me with a generous dollop of buttercream in the form of roses. Then the square of cake rolled down my body, depositing big globs of blue icing all the way down.

  Everyone stood in silence as the piece of cake bounced onto the floor.

  My cheeks tingled as my vision blurred around the edges. “Mrs. Duncan…”

  Jake shot me an apologetic look that practically begged me not to make a scene. Then he maneuvered his grandmother around as fast as he could. “Let's get you back to your seat.”

  Jake's mom had been quiet through the entire exchange. She looked at me now with disappointment on her face. “I think you’d better go.”

  “But—”

  “Jake doesn’t need you in his life. Why don’t you head on home and leave my boy alone?”

  A sob ballooned in my chest. I couldn’t break down here. Biting my lower lip, I turned toward the door. I had to get out. As I burst through the door into the parking lot, the warm air surrounded me. I gulped in mouthfuls, trying to staunch the flow of feelings. Feelings I didn’t want to acknowledge, much less experience, especially on enemy turf.

  I finally reached the car. My heartbeat slowed, and I leaned against the door. Breath by breath, I pulled myself back together.

  “Misty.” Jake's hand landed on my shoulder, and he spun me around. “I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have invited you. I didn't know how my family would react.”

  I swiped at the frosting, trying to wipe it off my pants. “It’s fine. I should have known better.”

  He caught my hand. His large fingers wrapped gently around my wrist. “What exactly is it that you want from me?”

  I glanced up, trying to ignore the fact that I probably had two cups of frosting decorating my front side. “I just want to know if we have a chance.”

  “All I ever wanted was you by my side. You in my life. A future together. But now…” his voice trailed off.

  “Now what?”

  “How can you expect me to trust that you're not going to leave again? I wasn't enough for you then. How do I know things will be any different now?”

  I reached for his hands. Buttercream squished between us. He didn’t seem to notice or if he did, he didn’t care. “I've been doing a lot of thinking. I want you back. I want to do all those things we talked about in the past. Build a future together. Have kids.”

  “You know I never want to leave Swallow Springs. Are you ready to move back here and settle into your old life? I'm a small-town guy…I always will be. That wasn't enough for you then. Is it now?”

  My brain spun. The truth was, I didn't know what kind of life I could have in Swallow Springs. But I knew one thing—a life without Jake was no life at all. “When I left, I felt like everyone had our lives planned out for us. It was all mapped out to where you and I didn’t have any say in our future. So I moved to Omaha, found a job, and lived on my own. I did all the things that nobody thought I'd ever be able to do. And I proved to myself I could do it.”

  “Without me.”

  My eyes welled with unshed tears as I gave a slight nod. “That was the worst part. But now I know I'm strong enough.”

  His brow creased. “Misty, you've always been strong. You’re one of the strongest women I know. But what I still don’t get, is why the hell couldn't you do that here?”

  How could I explain that I had to leave in order to find myself? “I don't expect you to fully understand, but I never wanted to hurt you. I wouldn't have come back if I wasn’t ready.”

  “So you're willing to leave everything behind? Your job, your apartment, your life in the city? And come back to Swallow Springs for me?”

  I could tell he didn't believe me by the way his shoulders tensed. “All I'm asking for is a chance—a chance for me to prove it to you.”

  He pulled his hands away from mine and glanced at the frosting coating his fingers. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

  “Do you have any feelings left for me?”

  “Of course I do,” he said. “I mean, I loved you.”

  Past tense…was that intentional? “Can you love me again?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  A sharp pain pierced my heart. But I’d take “I don’t know” over a “no” any day. Never one to be patient, I resisted
the urge to ask him how long it might take. When did he think he might know if he could fall in love with me again?

  “I know that's not what you probably want to hear,” he said.

  I nodded. “You’re right. But I'm not giving up.”

  He shrugged. “You still want to chat?”

  I nodded.

  “How about coffee tomorrow morning? Before I head into work?”

  “That sounds great. Seven o’clock? At the Lovebird Café?”

  “Sure. We can start there.”

  I wanted to hug him, bury myself in his arms. Instead, I smiled, hoping I could convey with my eyes everything he needed to know I meant what I’d said.

  “Sorry about tonight.” He shook his head and glanced at his frosting-covered hands. “I didn’t count on Grandma Duncan getting so upset.”

  I wiped my hands on my shorts, they were ruined anyway. Then I got into the car and buckled up. “Your family loves you, they're just trying to protect you.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Hopefully your grandma can forgive me.”

  “She’ll come around.”

  “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

  “See you then.”

  I pulled away. If I knew one thing about the Duncan women, I knew they held grudges. Especially when someone wounded one of their own. Now I needed to either abandon my mission and consider it a botched attempt or find a way to not only win Jake back, but also win over the rest of his family.

  I had a hard road ahead of me. And I’d start first thing in the morning with coffee at the Lovebird Café.

  Jake

  “So, are you going to give her a shot?” Robbie asked.

  “Hell if I know. What do you think I should do?”

  He took a swig from his beer. “I don't know. Misty’s a force to be reckoned with. You think she means what she says?”

  “Who does that? Who disappears for over a year then walks back into somebody's life and expects to be welcomed with open arms?”

  “I think you’ve got two choices,” Robbie held up one finger. “You give her a chance, let her lead the way, and see what she's got in mind.”

  “Or?” I asked.

  He lifted a second finger, his middle finger. “Or you tell her to go fuck herself.”

  “Shut up. You know I’m not going to do that.” I lifted my beer to my mouth and took a sip. Maybe it had been a mistake to ask Robbie to come out for a beer. He wasn’t exactly the best person to ask for relationship advice. His track record was even worse than mine.

  He elbowed me in the ribs. “Do you remember what it felt like when she left the last time?”

  “It felt like she hulled out my chest, emptied it so there was nothing left but a black hole. It took me months to sort through it all.” I was pissed as hell at even the thought of going through something like that twice. “There’s no way I can handle that again.”

  “Then tell her to leave.” He set his beer back down on the on the counter.

  “Would you be able to do that if somebody you loved once came back into your life? Maybe somebody like Cassie Belmont?”

  Robbie leaned back on his stool. “That's about as likely to happen as you and Misty getting back together, making babies, and moving into a place of your own.”

  I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the bar. “I don’t know. What if she means it?”

  “What's your mom say?”

  “Not much. But my grandma was the worst.” If I hadn't intervened Grandma might have taken it to blows.

  “I wouldn't want to cross your grandma and your mom. Although, I used to feel that way about Misty too. Now that I think about it, she's got a lot in common with the women in your family.”

  I groaned. Yes, she did, and that was probably part of the reason I was attracted to her in the first place. She reminded me of all the strong women in my life.

  Robbie leaned forward to pick up his beer again. “So what's the next step?”

  “Coffee tomorrow at the Lovebird.”

  “You sure you’re going to be okay walking in there? Isn't that where you proposed?”

  “Yeah, there aren't many other options though. I suppose I could have invited her to meet me at the VFW for a cup of coffee. Now that would be romantic.”

  “I didn’t know romance was what you were after,” Robbie said. “Why don’t you sleep on it? See how you feel in the morning. Just because she's asking for a second chance, doesn't mean you have to make a decision right away.”

  He did have a point there. Maybe if coffee went well we could try lunch or even a dinner. “Thanks for coming out.”

  “You know I’ve got your back,” Robbie said. “Are we still on for this weekend?”

  “Yeah. But we had to move the car wash to the church.”

  Robbie lifted a brow. “Pastor Greene’s going to be okay with having a car wash in his parking lot?”

  “Misty took the liberty of having the Garden Club set up in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot, so we don't really have a choice.”

  “You’re in trouble. She’s already jacking you around, just like she used to.” He lifted his beer and drained the last bit. “See you on Saturday.”

  I shook my head as I gave him a quick wave. He left, but I stayed at the bar nursing my beer, sorting through thoughts of me and Misty and years gone past. When she moved to Swallow Springs in high school, she hadn't exactly fit in. Dark black hair, matte red lipstick…she stood out like a crimson rose in a field full of daisies.

  She’d taken the seat in front of me in American History. I'd been a goner since the moment she turned around and asked if she could borrow a pencil. We’d pretty much been inseparable since the day we met. And everybody assumed small town high school sweethearts followed in the footsteps of their parents, stuck around for backyard barbecues, celebrated family birthday parties together, and attended potlucks at the church.

  But Misty blew my future out of the water. Now I just needed to decide if I wanted to give her another chance.

  The next morning I sat on a bar stool at the Lovebird Café. Patsy filled my coffee mug and made her way down the line. I could tell Misty was there when the scent of her perfume drifted past my nose.

  She slid onto the stood next to me. “Hey. Do you want to get a table or should we sit here?”

  Patsy stopped in front of Misty, set out an empty mug, and filled it with coffee from the steaming carafe she held in one hand. “Hi, sugar. Sure is nice to see you here again.”

  “I’m just visiting my parents for a little bit.” Misty added three tiny containers of half and half and two packets of sugar.

  “You mind if we take that booth over there?” I asked.

  “Y'all sit wherever you want,” Patsy said. “Need a menu?”

  “I’ll take the steak and eggs, fried potatoes on the side, and one of those big cinnamon rolls.”

  “You got it, doll. How about for you?” Patsy turned her attention to Misty.

  “Just coffee for me this morning.”

  “All right. I’ll have that out in a bit.”

  Misty covered Patsy’s hand with hers. “I’m surprised to see you here. I was so sorry to hear about Duke.”

  Patsy’s smile wavered at the edges. “Thanks, honey. I can’t stay away. Doesn’t do me any good to sit at home and mope. We had such a beautiful life together. Seeing all of you is good for me. Keeps me busy, you know?”

  Misty nodded as Patsy slid her hand away and turned toward the kitchen.

  “Shall we?” I gestured to the booth behind us.

  Misty sat down in the middle of the bench, and I centered myself across from her, the table marking the neutral zone between us. She looked even better today than she had last night. I didn’t know what she’d been doing to herself up in Omaha but it sure agreed with her. Her cheeks had a rosy glow, those pouty lips outlined in red remind me of days gone by. There was no evidence of the tears she’d shed last night. Her eyes were bright and full of spirit.r />
  “So how did the rest of the party go?” she asked.

  “My cousins started a wrestling competition. A table got overturned and soda spilled all over the floor. We got kicked out before Grandma had a chance to open the presents and my mom took her back to the center kicking and screaming all the way.”

  Misty let out a laugh. “Yeah, that sounds like the Duncan parties I remember. How's Grandma Duncan doing?”

  “She's good. We had to move her into the assisted living facility about six months ago. She doesn’t like it any more than we do, but it’s for the best. At ninety-six years old we can’t trust her to be on her own anymore.”

  “That's got to be tough,” Misty said as she lifted her mug to her lips. “She still seems to have the same spirit.”

  “I should have known better than to invite you last night.” I hung my head.

  “I didn’t mind. Thanks for meeting me for coffee,” she said.

  “Well, you didn't give me much of a choice.”

  “I'm glad you're willing to talk.”

  “I’m not so sure about ‘willing,’ but I figured it’s the path of least resistance.” Lifting my gaze to meet hers, I raised an eyebrow. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Why don’t you fill me in on what's been going on with you over the past couple years? Start there. You’re working for the city now huh?”

  If that’s how she wanted to play this, I’d go along for now. “Yeah, Junior Inspector isn’t super exciting, but it pays well enough. I also make a little helping Robbie out with construction jobs on the side.”

  “I thought Robbie moved away.”

  “He was in California for a while, but his dad got sick so he's back.”

  “Must be nice having your best friend around.”

  “It is. We’re coaching the high school baseball team together. He does most of the work, I just help out. Keeps me out of trouble and it's nice to see some of the guys. That's why this tournament is so important.” We could volley small talk back and forth all morning. I waited for her to get to the real reason she wanted to get together.