by Maddy Reeves
After Rachael suddenly appeared in Willowdale last year, she disappeared again shortly after. Clay and I have full time custody of Levi, though we’ve always left the door open in case Rachael decides she wants to be a part of Levi’s life. He’s an amazing little guy and I’ll never understand how she was able to walk out and leave him behind. We’ve moved on from all of that now, even though I’m sure Levi will have questions when he gets older.
“Can I steal you away for a little bit tonight?” Clay asks.
“Sure.” I’m studying him, trying to figure out what he’s planning, but he smirks and turns away before I can get any clues from him.
“Then it’s a date. I’ll text you once Kendra and I are on our way back.”
“Thanks, honey.”
Ed and Clay leave me to finish the last few things I wanted to finish before I officially open tomorrow. Clay’s right though, I’ve already been selling a lot of chocolates through my website. My fingers are crossed that my sales will continue to increase with the holidays quickly approaching. I didn’t expect things to turn out so well, but now that I’ve officially made the leap to small business owner, I can’t imagine going back to what I was doing before.
Back at the farm, Kendra is settled in while Levi hangs out with Frankie and Ed. Clay holds my hand and leads me outside toward the barn.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“It’s a surprise.” Even in the dark of the night, I can make out his dimples as he smirks mischievously at me.
I’m surprised to hear noises inside the barn as Clay pulls the door open. For the last few months, he’s been building all of his furniture in here. Once he’s made a piece, we post it on his website. Everything sells out as soon as its posted. Hopefully one day, he’ll be able to open his own custom furniture store.
Tonight, the sleigh still sits inside along with Clay’s tools and materials. But in addition to that, two beautiful horses occupy two of the stalls off to the side.
“Whose horses are these?” I couldn’t be more surprised as I walk over to get a closer look.
“They belong to the farm now. We invested in the horses so we could add sleigh rides. Just like you suggested last year.”
“Oh my gosh, Clay. This is amazing!”
They’re so much bigger now that I’m standing so close. The sheer power of horses has always intimidated me. I can’t see myself ever riding one of these, but I’ll definitely go along for the ride while they pull me in the sleigh.
“I thought we could try it out tonight.” He leads one of the horses out of the stall, and hooks him up to the harness. Once both of the horses are secured, we begin moving along the trail.
“This reminds me of another date we had last year shortly after we met. Right around the time you started being so nice to me.”
“I had to be nice to you…I had such a crush on you, even if I wouldn’t admit it. You were so feisty from the moment we met. You weren’t afraid to put me in my place.”
I tuck the blanket tightly around us as the horses pull us around the plowed paths. When we reach Clay’s favorite spot, he stops the horses. The moon is high in the sky tonight, but barely visible through the heavy cloud cover. As we look at the view around us, tiny snowflakes begin to fall.
“Tomorrow’s a big day,” Clay says after a while.
I take a deep breath, trying to let go of some of my nerves about the opening.
“So much has happened since last year, hasn’t it? We both moved, and had the most perfect intimate wedding. You started making furniture and now I’m re-opening Gloria’s old shop.”
“Definitely a year of change. But for the better. Things are so much better than last year around this time. Coming back home is good for the soul.”
“Finding home is good for the soul, too.”
He leans over to kiss me and this time we’re not interrupted by Ed or anyone else. We’re alone with the moonlight and the snowflakes waiting for the horses to take us back home.
The End
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Chapter 1
“There it is! And look, three minutes to spare.” I point to the clock on the car console and smile at Wes through the rearview mirror in an attempt to lighten the mood. My twelve-year-old son is sitting in the backseat with a permanent scowl attached to his face.
“Hurry, Mom!” He’s impatient and resistant to my charms. Normally, I’d take a moment to remind him that I’m trying my best and he could ease up with the criticism, but I know this isn’t the time. Tonight before bed he’ll be more open to a talk. For now, I try to remember how hard things have been for him since his dad died last year.
I squeal into the lot of my old high school, where speeding is most certainly frowned upon. Thankfully it’s late June—no faculty or principal. My job interview with Principal Hodges was last month and she assured me she’d let me know if I got the job by August.
Today, the only other people here are also attending summer activities and camps. The lot is fairly full though, and I whisper a secret plea to myself that we’re on time. Wes is nervous enough about starting over in a new town. Walking in late for the first day of his most favorite thing ever would be enough for him to give me the silent treatment for another week.
“Okay, go ahead.” The car is in park and I’m pulling the key from the ignition as he jumps out and hustles toward the front door.
I jog to catch up and then lead the way inside, heading toward the right and straight through the same cafeteria where I sat as a teen. We can hear the cacophony of basketballs bouncing loudly on the gym floor as we approach the tables set up for registration.
My stomach clenches as I see that we’re the only ones still registering, all the other kids must be inside, warming up.
“What’s your name, bud?” asks a young, handsome guy behind the tables lined up in front of the school’s trophy case. He’s wearing a whistle around his neck and a T-shirt showing the head of a wolf, the high school mascot. He’s probably one of the assistant coaches. He smiles at us both, at ease and completely unaware of how frantic our last twenty minutes have been.
“Wesley Douglas.” Wes’s voice is quiet, and it tugs at my heart, knowing that it’s a sign of his nervousness even though he’s trying to put on a brave face. I want to reach out and wrap my arms around him, but he’s no longer my little boy who would take kindly to a public display of affection.
My eyes well up at the thought of how fast he’s had to grow up, but I’m quick to shut that down. The last thing I need to do is break down in tears at Wes’s basketball camp.
“Mom,” he says, pulling me from my thoughts. “The registration?”
“Oh, right. Sorry.” I pull open my purse and dig around for the registration confirmation. It must be in here because I made sure to put it in my bag last night. Before we moved, I signed up Wes for two sports camps this summer so he could hopefully make a few new friends before he starts middle school in the fall. Anything I can do to make the transition easier on him.
“I need to clean my purse,” I say, glancing up at the young coach behind the table and trying to smile back. He has thick brown hair with a hint of curl. Sharp, chiseled facial features with a dusting of stubble along his jaw line.
“Here it is.” I hand him the folded piece of paper.
The other coaches, who are milling about, tell Wes he can head inside with them.
“Have fun!” I shout. Without responding, Wes disappears into the gym.
“He’s ready to get started. I like his determination,” the coach at the table says, as if he recognizes my disappointment.
“Yes, he’s really happy to be here. Not very happy with me that I took a wrong turn on the way here, though.”
The coach hands back the piece of paper, and I tuck it in my purse.
“You’re new in town?” He stands, his job at registration finished now that the last kid has arrived.
“Actually
, I grew up in Willowdale. I just moved back. We got here yesterday.
A lot has changed in town, I barely recognized it.” I’m still trying to catch my breath after the panic of trying to navigate the busier roads and new turns and then rushing inside.
“Thank you for waiting for Wes.” I turn to leave, but one of the straps from my purse catches on the corner of the table, tipping my bag just enough to send the contents scattering all over the floor.
I’m on my knees, frantically grabbing all of the random crap that has accumulated in my purse.
“Here, let me help you.”
I can feel my face heat as the coach bends down beside me. I’m sure my cheeks are turning a bright shade of tomato red. “No, no, it’s okay. You’re already late to start the camp because of us.” I try to shoo him away. “Trust me, I’d rather be alone, wallowing in my own clumsiness.”
He chuckles and helps anyway, scooping up a handful of random receipts, coins and stray pieces of gum.
“Just toss it all back in my bag.” I’m too embarrassed to look at him. In fact, I wish that I could melt into the floor. I prefer to go unnoticed and avoid drawing any attention to myself now that I’m back in Willowdale. The penniless widow whose little sister had to rescue her. I don’t want anyone’s pity.
“I’m Alex by the way.” He extends his hand.
I reach out to shake it, and our gazes meet for a moment, just long enough for me to notice the rich color of his chestnut eyes. His grip is strong, completely encapsulating my hand, the pads of his fingers rough as they brush my skin.
“Beth,” I say, pulling free. My thoughts are a jumble as my heart flip-flops strangely in my chest. As I link my fingers together, I brush over the empty ring finger on my left hand. Up until yesterday, I still wore my wedding ring every day. Willowdale is our fresh start, even if it means returning home again. Still, I can’t help but think about the significance of the ring tucked away in my small jewelry box.
“Nice to meet you, Beth.” He grabs one more handful of items off the floor and drops them into my purse. “I’ll see you inside. You’re staying?”
“Um, is that okay? Are other parents staying?” I wasn’t planning on it, but if other parents are staying, I’d love to get the chance to watch. Ever since Wes was little, I’ve never missed a single chance to watch him play. He has an athleticism that he definitely got from his father, not me. It’s fun to see how fast and coordinated he is at sports.
“Oh yeah, for sure. Stay and check it out.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll be in once I clean up my mess out here.”
He waves, then turns and jogs into the gym. I take a moment to myself once he’s gone. It’s just me out here now, bent over on the floor. The irony isn’t lost on me; this is the way my life has been this past year. Constant episodes of trying to pick myself up off the floor while trying to piece together a new life.
This is our new start. Wes wasn’t happy about moving to Willowdale, but considering the financial mess Paul left us in, it was inevitable. As soon as the harsh thoughts cross my mind, guilt burns inside of me. My mother would chastise me for thinking that way of someone who’s no longer here to defend himself. The accident may have been a year ago, but I’m still trying to figure out a way to let it all go and move on with my life.
I run my fingers through my hair, trying to compose myself. With one more glance around the floor to make sure I’ve retrieved all of my belongings, I straighten up and try to shake away the stress that has accumulated from this day. And it’s only nine o’clock.
Inside the gym I do my best to blend in with the other parents, careful not to do anything to cause another embarrassing scene. A small section of bleachers is set up off to the side, and I slide into them.
“Okay, boys, time to get started!” Alex, the coach I just met and thought looked awfully young, walks out to center court, calling all the boys together as if he’s in charge.
Confused, I remember reading that the camp was going to be run by the high school coaches. Could this young guy be the head coach of the high school team?
He’s full of energy and enthusiasm, and it’s clear that he’s in his element. He pulls the boys attention in and keeps it throughout the various drills that he organizes. He’s as at home on the court as my son. I watch Wes, the way he relaxes into the sport as his troubles take a back seat. For a little while, he’s young and carefree again. The way he used to be.
Also by Maddy Reeves
Falling for the Coach
About the Author
Maddy Reeves writes Sweet Contemporary Romance Novels. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two energetic boys and adorable rescue hound. Unlike most people, she loves winter, especially the snow. Add a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows, a pair of cozy slippers and a romance novel and she’s one happy lady. When she’s not writing romance, she’s reading it.
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