Harlequin Heartwarming March 21 Box Set

by Claire McEwen

  The man walked around the truck and chassis, and Natalie kept her gaze focused on him. The man’s piercing gray gaze seemed to be measuring up the situation, the wheels in his head turning, she imagined. He picked up a plank from the platform and examined it from all angles. “Just like that? No second thoughts, no regrets?”

  About a parade float? She could use garland or premade decorations. However, creating puffy tissue paper flowers with Danny would give them something to do together. No way would she stay up nights second-guessing her decision to dream big. “When this is finished, I’ll be able to live with myself just fine.” Better than fine if Danny’s laughter is back. “I’ll have my summer ahead of me, free and unencumbered of the commitment. Late mornings, friends, good times ahead.”

  “You have some serious issues.” He turned to her. Concern in his features mirrored something she’d recently seen, but she couldn’t put her finger on what.

  She’d seen those gray eyes somewhere before, but where?

  He pointed to the nails sticking out of the end of the board. “Do you want my opinion about what went wrong?”

  “Even silver linings need the right glue. You don’t use finishing nails to hold support beams together.” She picked up a board and tapped the nail. “When I drove the truck out of the shed for better lighting and more work space this morning, I must have jarred the frame enough for the boards to fall apart.”

  “Looks that way. Glad no one was hurt.” As he spoke, he rolled down his shirtsleeves, unusual in this warm weather. Something running along his left forearm caught her eye, but he folded his arms before she could see whether the mark was part of a tattoo or something else.

  “Don’t I know it? When something harmful comes along, you have to move forward. I’m just the facilitator, so to speak, but I’ll be counting on you in the future. I’m sure your energy and experience will yield dividends in the upcoming years.” She tried to smile, but the man stared at her, his brow furrowing deeper with each passing second. Once again, a rush of familiarity flooded her, but she couldn’t pinpoint why it seemed like she should know him.

  “I had every impression you’d put up more of a fight.”

  “Why would I argue with you? You’ll make life so much easier around here. By the way, I didn’t catch your name. Mister…?”

  Out of the blue, Danny rushed toward her, Diane on his heels. Whatever was wrong with Danny must be serious. “Excuse me a minute.” Her cowboy boots smacked the pavement as she hurried toward the pair. “Mom! What’s happening? Danny, are you okay? Did you fall down?”

  Danny rushed past her, and she twirled around. The stranger stood a couple of feet away, awe and wonder lightening his hard face. Crouching down, he opened his arms wide for the sopping-wet missile heading his way. Danny flew into his chest, and the man absorbed the impact without falling down. Instead, he cradled Danny’s head and held him tight.

  Out of breath and wringing the wet towel, Diane reached Natalie and touched her arm. “He started running before I could find out anything.”

  No wonder the man’s gray eyes looked so familiar. Natalie saw the same shape and seriousness in Danny’s brown ones every morning across her breakfast table when Danny slurped down his favorite cereal and drank his orange juice. Danny’s uncle, Major Aidan Murphy, had arrived in Hollydale six months ahead of schedule.

  CHAPTER TWO

  FROM THE SECOND Aidan walked into Natalie’s small cottage later that afternoon, he’d been struck with a sense of home. A plump sofa with five bright pillows suited the colorful interior. Vivid abstract paintings lining the walls caught his eye. They matched her vibrant style, and his modern tastes as well.

  He reached for the slightly blurry photo of his half sister and nephew on Natalie’s mantel. Despite the poor quality, he made out the joy radiating from Shelby’s eyes, her cheek touching Danny’s.

  It had about killed Aidan when his latest assignment had prevented him from attending Shelby’s funeral and claiming guardianship of his nephew. Every day since he’d received the fateful call, he’d awakened an hour earlier to finish his work ahead of schedule, shaving months off his intended target date to reunite with his only remaining relative. This week the last clearances to return stateside came through.

  Adjusting to base housing and Aidan’s simple style might take some time, but Danny was young and resilient. Aidan had also lost his mother at the same age, and his father’s steady hand had mattered a great deal more than his surroundings.

  Though he wanted nothing more than to bundle Danny on the plane and move on to the next chapter of their lives, Aidan hadn’t been stateside in a while. In the year since he’d spent the last Fourth of July with Danny and Shelby, who’d flown out to Fort Lewis near Seattle to be with him, the boy’s hair had darkened to the same chestnut shade that greeted Aidan in the mirror, and he’d grown at least two inches. While a clean break from Hollydale would be best, he wanted to give his nephew enough time to adjust to his presence in his life.

  That was why he wasn’t wearing his official uniform. He’d checked in and changed at the Eight Gables bed-and-breakfast before he found Natalie’s neighbor, who knew where she’d gone, and used the rental car’s GPS to find Hollydale Park.

  Listening to his sister’s best friend talk about Danny as a problem easily solved meant he hadn’t arrived soon enough. The redhead was pretty in a wholesome, friendly way, a free spirit, from the looks of her flowy floral sundress paired with bright pink cowboy boots. Any other time, he’d have found himself drawn into her blithe charm.

  However, fifteen years in the army had taught him to always look below the facade. While Shelby had always raved about Natalie’s caring nature, his sister had misjudged her friend’s real character. Natalie obviously craved a return to her previous life when a child hadn’t weighed her down. Aidan was only too happy to comply. Caring for Danny wasn’t a hindrance around someone’s neck. A reliable person and consistent schedule would instill in his nephew a sense of pride, a strength that would get him through anything else life threw his way.

  “I snapped that photo of Shelby and Danny the day before she died. It was pure Shelby, ready for adventure and going for broke.” Natalie’s voice came from the breakfast nook area, and he replaced the picture and headed that way.

  He reached Natalie a second too late to assist her with the full tray she lowered to the scarred oak table. A whiff of cinnamon and sugar reminded him how long it had been since he’d tasted apple pie.

  “This is nice, thank you. But you didn’t have to go to any trouble on my behalf. I won’t be here for long.”

  One week ought to be just the right amount of time.

  “Then you’re just passing through?” She cut a big slice of pie and handed it to him on a bright yellow plate. “I was hoping you’d stay for the Fourth of July festivities. Hollydale goes all out to make it an unforgettable memory. I’d like that for Danny.”

  Taken aback at the way Natalie treated him like a long lost friend, Aidan reconsidered his approach to Danny’s transition. At the military base in Germany, poring over every detail relating to reuniting with his nephew and cutting through the red tape, he’d decided to arrive unannounced. He hadn’t wanted to alert Natalie. Her reaction was the one factor he couldn’t plan for. But so far, things were a lot easier than he’d been anticipating.

  She reached for the carafe already on the table. “Coffee? You might need it to keep up with Danny.”

  He blinked at how she seemed to read his mind about being tired. Jet lag must be muddling his brain more than he thought.

  “I personally like coffee with my pie, but some people find hot beverages in summer overwhelming.” Natalie poured him a cup and handed it to him.

  He accepted the mug with sunflowers and lowered it to the table, taking care to shield his left hand from view. “I love my nephew, Miss Harrison.”

  “
Call me Natalie.” She poured her own coffee and then sat, indicating for him to do the same. “I hope you can arrange for leave and stay longer at Christmas.”

  Stay longer? Once he and Danny boarded the plane, he had no intention of returning to Hollydale. Natalie was part of Danny’s past. He was Danny’s future.

  He readjusted his weight in the hard oak chair and picked up the mug while keeping his left hand under the table. “I haven’t given much thought to Christmas until now.”

  The first without Shelby. His half sister always sent him the same package with her homemade sugar cookies, an ugly Christmas sweater and some souvenir trinket she’d picked up on one of her adventures with Danny. Pain ripped through him at the thought that he’d never open another box from her.

  This would also be Danny’s first year without his mom. He’d plan something special for his nephew. They could go to the Space Needle or maybe the zoo.

  “Too bad you won’t be here for the Fourth of July. Everyone loves the parade in the morning and the pie contest in the afternoon. I like to think our fireworks celebration is the best in the state. And speaking of a little firework.” She glanced upstairs. “I wonder what’s keeping Danny. He’s normally in and out of the shower in seconds flat. He’s so quick that I have to check that he used soap and shampoo. Being a kindergarten teacher has taught me some of the tricks of the trade.”

  Her working with children seemed like a natural extension of her personality. He hadn’t been around kids since Shelby traded her stuffed animals for a cell phone and her first boyfriend.

  “Does he always take a shower in the middle of the day?”

  Sipping her coffee, she leaned back, thumped her chest and coughed as though the liquid went down the wrong pipe. She lowered her mug and composed herself. “Most of the time it’s all I can do to convince him to bathe, period. Running around in the splash fountains, though? That calls for an early shower this afternoon before our appointment. We love playing out in the rain, running through sprinklers, anything where water isn’t contained in a tub or coming out of a showerhead. Showers are second only to broccoli on his yucky list.”

  From Natalie’s observation, it sounded as if she knew Danny well. If that was the case, his nephew had been looked after well and Aidan was grateful. He shook his head, refusing to go down the road of warm fuzzies. If he did, guilt might swoop over him about leaving before the Fourth of July, and there was nothing wrong with him claiming custody of Danny. In fact, everything was right, considering Natalie wanted to live an unencumbered life, free of problems related to a six-year-old.

  Hard to believe anyone so kind could be so cold and heartless about a young boy.

  “However,” Natalie continued, “he likes to look his best for his afternoons with Toby. Hence the shower.”

  He pushed away his coffee, the heat getting to him. “Toby? Given the circumstances, Toby’s mother will understand if you call and cancel the get-together.” The sound of the shower stopped, and Aidan rose. “I’ll break the news to him.”

  “Excuse me?” Natalie came over and touched his arm, breaking off the contact after less than a second.

  He recoiled at the tingle from a mere touch.

  “I can’t call Toby’s mother since she’s a seventy-pound golden retriever. Trust me, this visit with Toby is important to Danny and his well-being. I’m not canceling.”

  A visit with a dog was more important than preparing for a life-changing move? Her stubborn attitude was the final part of the equation. The clean break he’d decided on for himself and Danny was for the best. Natalie’s home might be cozy and welcoming, but there was something about Natalie that challenged what he wanted for Danny. The sooner his nephew was away from this place, the sooner they’d lean on each other to get over Shelby’s death.

  “Then I’m coming with you,” he told her.

  She looked at him, her deep blue eyes sizing him up. He’d withstood the stares of drill sergeants, four-star generals and enemy combatants. However, none of them saw through him like she was doing right now.

  She raised her chin before giving a slight nod. “Good.”

  An afternoon of fun with a dog disrupted his schedule more than he cared to admit. They were on a tight timeline. Rolling with the punches wasn’t his favorite way of getting the job done, but he’d do whatever it took to make his nephew happy.

  Even if it meant playing with a puppy.

  * * *

  NATALIE CRUISED THROUGH downtown Hollydale with Danny and Aidan as her passengers. Volunteers scrambled to decorate the large gazebo with red, white and blue flag bunting. Others hung welcome banners from one side of Main Street to the other, attaching them to the tops of the new-and-improved bronze light poles. A nearby sign announced road closings while another flashed the early starting time for the parade. Glancing at her rearview mirror, she caught sight of a solemn Danny, quite different from the chatterbox she’d known four months ago. She’d give anything to have that boy back in her life.

  Now his uncle was also part of her life. If she remembered the details Shelby mentioned, Aidan enlisted in the army straight out of college. Hollydale might seem a little dull to him. Meanwhile, there was nowhere else she’d wanted to live, teaching in Raleigh until a position finally opened at the local elementary school last year.

  Driving slower than her usual Indianapolis 500 pace, she wanted to show off her beloved little town to Aidan. For some reason, she wanted him to view it through her eyes and like it as much as she did.

  “If you look out your window, you’ll see our courthouse that dates back to the year Hollydale was put on the map. Our town centered around the timber industry at first, but now we have our fair share of tourists. And that’s the Main Street Pharmacy. Mr. Hoffman’s been the pharmacist forever, and his tech, Tami, knows everyone by name.”

  Hollydale might be small, but the residents cared about each other. Missing out on the fun and love of her family made her decision to return that much easier. Okay, she’d been homesick in Raleigh and wasn’t afraid to admit it. And Shelby, after visiting Natalie a couple of times with Danny, decided to make Hollydale her home and open a lunch café. The business property she’d purchased with a large chunk of her mother’s life insurance policy proceeds still sat vacant on Pine Street.

  “The town square is rather larger than I’d have expected.”

  “My brother married his wife in that gazebo five months ago.” Natalie pointed out the driver’s-side window, keeping a cautious eye on the newest traffic light, which brought the grand total up to four. “If you have time before you go, you have to try one of Miss Louise’s ice-cream cones. When did you say you were leaving?”

  “I didn’t.” Aidan’s arms remained folded, with a guarded expression to match. “If all goes according to schedule, a week from today would be for the best.”

  “You’re not staying with me?” The hurt in Danny’s voice gutted her.

  “I’m based in Seattle at Fort Lewis.”

  Her heart screamed out that his quick departure wasn’t for the best. Danny needed more time with his uncle, a positive influence from the past, someone who knew Shelby when she was little. Her lips remained silent on the subject. With Aidan having a limited layover, it wouldn’t do for her to put her foot in it like she had this morning. If only she’d recognized Aidan, she’d have gone out of her way to start his vacation on a happier note.

  Although they had both connected through Shelby, they’d always missed meeting each other over the years. First in college, then in Raleigh, before Natalie moved back to Hollydale for good. Whenever she invited Shelby to her parents’ home for the holidays, her friend had stayed behind, awaiting Aidan’s visits, or she’d flown to meet him.

  “We’ll squeeze as much fun as possible into a week. A lifetime, so to speak,” Natalie said.

  She concentrated on the traffic light at the corner of Ma
in Street and First Avenue, trying to ignore the effect Danny’s uncle was having on her. Whether it was positive or negative, though, she couldn’t say, as she turned left.

  “Uncle Aidan.” Natalie wanted to kiss Danny for breaking the tension building in her SUV. “You’ll like Toby. He’s gentle and sweet and, if you sit still, he’ll lick your hand.”

  Aidan’s quick intake of breath wasn’t lost on her as she made another left, this time onto Oak Street. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to him since she’d kept him informed of everything through emails, not that he’d bothered to respond. If he knew how far Danny had come since he’d been seeing Toby, he’d be more accepting of Danny receiving counseling after Shelby’s death.

  Besides, Danny was right. Toby had stolen her heart the first time she’d laid eyes on him.

  Natalie pulled into the parking lot. The long, nondescript commercial brick building was rather unassuming. For the longest time, this had been the local video store, until streaming became popular and the new owner turned it into a medical complex.

  Aidan cleared his throat. “One of Danny’s friends lives in an office park?”

  Natalie turned toward Aidan, his scowl deepening the crinkle lines around his eyes. “I think you’re under some sort of misunderstanding. This isn’t a playdate.”

  “So far all you’ve told me about this activity is Danny will be playing with a golden retriever puppy.”

  Right. “Did you get my emails?”

  “What emails?”

  She winced.

  They were already running behind, and Aidan deserved the whole story. She reached to her necklace and slid the clasp to the back of her neck again, touching Francisco’s medallion for added confidence. “Let’s get Danny and Toby together, and then I’ll explain.”

  Danny clutched Natalie’s hand as they neared the entrance of the Timber River Counseling Center. Aidan held the door open, and she ignored the questions in Aidan’s gray gaze. He hadn’t lived through the nightmares Danny had endured in the weeks after Shelby’s funeral. While Natalie had hoped time and love would provide a level of comfort, it had become obvious Danny needed professional help.