by Cindy Kirk
“I’m sorry I was late.” A look of annoyance crossed Lindsay’s face. “Dan is rewriting his sermon for tomorrow and kept asking for feedback.”
When Eliza pulled back a chair at a recently vacated four-top, her friend slung her purse on one of the extras then sat. “As if I could add anything.”
“You said you weren’t busy when I called.” Eliza frowned. “But it sounds as if Dan—”
“We were together all afternoon.” Lindsay heaved a heavy sigh. “Believe me, I was ready for a break.” Picking up a menu, she shot a look at Eliza. “Interested in splitting some nachos?”
Eliza shrugged, nodded.
“Hey, gals.” Hadley Newhouse, Ami’s second-in-command at the bakery, appeared tableside, notepad in hand. Dressed in the Flying Crane uniform of all black with a red crane logo across the shirtfront, she smiled brightly. “What can I get you?”
“A Corona and a plate of Ultimate Nachos.” Lindsay glanced at Eliza. “You have to promise to eat some.”
“I can do that.” Eliza turned to Hadley. “I’ll take a Corona, too.”
“Can’t have nachos without beer.” Hadley offered a wink. “Back in a jiffy.”
Other than a brief conversation to set up this meet, Eliza hadn’t spoken with Lindsay alone since Dan proposed. She wondered if her friend had been as surprised by the proposal as she’d looked.
Eliza kept the conversation general until Hadley returned with their beers and a heaping platter of nachos. Once Hadley was out of earshot, Eliza picked up a chip smothered in beans and cheese and got down to business. “Did you know Dan was going to pop the question last night?”
Lindsay scooped guacamole onto a chip and shook her head. “Complete surprise.”
Eliza paused to consider her next words. Though she preferred to be blunt, Dan was the man Lindsay had agreed to marry. Doing an end-around to ferret out the information, rather than simply asking why the minister had put her on the spot, seemed wiser. “You never liked being the center of attention.”
“Dan asked my mother for her blessing.”
Eliza blinked at the odd response. “Bet that was fun,” she drawled and made Lindsay smile.
“She likes Dan. Well enough, anyway.”
Knowing Anita, “well enough” was probably accurate. The business owner had always had high aspirations for her youngest daughter. Yet, Lindsay had passed the big 3-0 last year.
The potential-husband pool had done some serious shrinking, and many of the men Anita would consider eligible for her baby girl were now married. At least Dan Marshall was a well-respected minister in Good Hope.
“If he spoke with her, I can’t believe she didn’t tell him you wouldn’t like the proposal to be so public.” The minute the words left Eliza’s lips, she wanted to pull them back. It wasn’t Anita’s job to warn him. Dan should have known Lindsay well enough to figure that out for himself.
“He told her how he planned to do it.” Lindsay reached for another chip, her face expressionless. “Mom wouldn’t have said anything, because she’d want me to be the center of attention.”
Eliza thought about the Ready, Set, Wed competition. It was the reason she’d asked Lindsay to meet with her this evening. She briefly considered saying nothing. But what if Lindsay wanted to be involved?
“I had an ulterior motive in asking you to meet me tonight.” Eliza took a sip of beer. “But I want you to be honest with me.”
A wary look crossed Lindsay’s face. “What is it?”
“How would you and Dan like to be Good Hope’s bridal couple in the Ready, Set, Wed competition?”
Chapter 7
As Eliza walked home from the Flying Crane, she had second thoughts about her decision to give Lindsay forty-eight hours to decide. The kickoff for Ready, Set, Wed was looming.
If Lindsay and Dan turned her down…
Well, if that happened, the search for another couple would be at critical mass. Tonight, she’d start reviewing her list of possible alternates.
Eliza climbed the steps to her porch, hoping Kyle and Lolo had gone upstairs. The music and alcohol had given her a headache.
Of course, some of the tension might come from the uneasy feeling that Lindsay was about to make a big mistake. Not that Eliza believed everyone had a Bloom-sister-kind-of-romance, but it had to be a bad sign that Lindsay had preferred to spend Saturday night with her rather than with her fiancé.
Eliza slipped the key into the lock and hoped her friend hadn’t simply decided to settle. Regardless of what Lindsay thought, there was always time to wait for the right person.
Stepping inside, Eliza hung her jacket on the coat tree in the foyer, then paused to listen. For a second, there was only silence. Her shoulders relaxed, and the tension gripping her shoulders slipped to pool at her feet.
Then a burst of laughter had her stiffening. Kyle and Lolo weren’t upstairs. They were in the parlor. Her parlor.
Resentment surged.
“Eliza. We’re in here.”
It was a woman’s voice. When Eliza entered the room, Katherine Spencer, her grandmother’s cousin, pushed to her feet. A checkerboard sat between her and Lolo.
Kyle, who’d been scrolling through something on his phone, shoved it into his pocket. A watchful look filled his eyes. “Katherine couldn’t wait to see you. I told her I didn’t think you’d be late.”
“Your young man and his sister have been most kind.” Katherine had always looked young for her age. Though nearing ninety, she could easily pass for a woman in her seventies.
Her gray hair was a becoming shade of silver, with just enough dark strands to add depth. For as long as Eliza could recall, Katherine had worn her hair long and pulled back in a stylish twist or chignon.
Tonight, the chignon had been secured with a pretty clasp of turquoise. The skirt and top with their rich browns and orange shades had a decidedly Southwest flare.
“I’m surprised to see you.” Eliza moved to the woman who’d been not only her grandmother’s cousin, but Verna’s closest friend. She offered an obligatory hug. “I’d have thought the lovely weather in Tucson would have kept you there.”
Katherine simply looped her arm through Eliza’s and led her to the sofa. “I’ve so much to tell you.”
The older woman glanced at Kyle. “Would you mind finishing the game with Lorraine while I visit with Eliza?”
Lolo pushed back her chair. “I’m tired of playing.”
Katherine cocked her head. “Does that mean you’re conceding the game to me?”
“No.” Surprise skittered across Lolo’s face. “I have lots more kings than you.”
“You’re the one quitting.” Katherine waved an airy hand. “The one who quits concedes.”
Lolo frowned. “I never heard that rule.”
“I’ll play.” Kyle crossed the room and dropped down in the seat Katherine had vacated.
Eliza hid a smile. It was obvious—at least to her—that her cousin was attempting to get brother and sister to interact. Which meant Lolo must have still been giving Kyle the cold shoulder when Katherine arrived.
The girl’s behavior didn’t make sense to Eliza. From what Kyle had said, she was the one who’d wanted to come to Good Hope. Then again, girls that age were often unpredictable.
Lolo hesitated for a long moment, then plopped down into her chair. She tossed her head, and her gaze met her brother’s. “I’ll beat you.”
“In your dreams.” Kyle appeared to be hiding a grin. “You’re going down.”
In seconds, the two were engrossed in their game, leaving Eliza to deal with Katherine.
She didn’t know what had brought the older woman to her doorstep. Frankly, she didn’t care. With some bitterness, Eliza recalled learning—after the fact—that Katherine had sold her house to Beckett Cross and left Good Hope.
The action shouldn’t have come as a surprise. It definitely shouldn’t have stung. Despite being related, she and Katherine had never been close.
Eliza seated herself on the sofa and angled her body to face her unexpected guest. The temptation to play it cool and distant was strong. But this woman was family, and Eliza’s beloved grandmother and Katherine had been as close as sisters.
“What brings you back to Good Hope in March?” Though Eliza had never minded the cold, the weather had supposedly been the number-one reason Katherine had relocated to Arizona.
“I missed Good Hope.” Katherine’s laugh held a hollow edge. “I missed everyone. I stopped by to see Gladys and Ruby when I first arrived in town this afternoon. Other than Verna, they’ve always been my closest friends.”
“You’ve been gone over two years. I assume you’ve made new friends in Arizona.”
“Not like them.” Katherine’s voice shook slightly, and she abruptly changed the subject. “I-I stopped by my old house. Ami and Beck have done so much with it.”
Eliza said nothing. Again, she tried to tell herself it shouldn’t bother her. It didn’t bother her. She knew how close Katherine and Ami had always been. It was only natural she’d stop by to see her first.
By the look on Katherine’s face, it appeared she expected a response. “They’ve taken good care of your home.”
“Not mine anymore.” For a second, Katherine’s smile turned wistful. Then she shook her head as if tossing off whatever thought had brought the darkness to her eyes. “Little Sarah Rose is adorable.”
“She’s pretty enough.” While Eliza wasn’t into babies—or twelve-year-olds, for that matter—there was no denying Ami’s dark-haired baby was a charmer.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they had another one soon.”
Eliza blinked. “Sarah Rose is barely six months old.”
“Ami’s over thirty. She made it clear today she and Beck want several more children.” A soft look settled over Katherine’s face. “Which means they have to get busy.”
Katherine’s gaze settled on Eliza.
Wait for it. Eliza braced herself. Katherine was well aware that she and Ami were the same age.
Instead of reminding Eliza she wasn’t getting any younger, the woman merely smiled. “Then I came here.”
The silence between them stretched until Katherine spoke again. “Ruby is giddy with excitement over Jeremy’s upcoming wedding.” Katherine chuckled. “She was always convinced no one but Delphinium would do for her grandson.”
The words stung like a slap. Eliza’s smile froze. Still, she managed to sound slightly bored when she finally shoved out her next words. “Ruby always loved Fin.”
Despite the years when Fin Bloom lived in Los Angeles and Eliza had been Jeremy’s plus-one for nearly every Good Hope event during those years, Ruby had remained convinced Fin and Jeremy would reconcile. Well, she’d been right.
“She and Delphinium share a special relationship.” Katherine smiled slightly. “Much like the one you and Verna shared.”
Eliza didn’t feel like making small talk about Fin or about her grandmother. She wanted to know how long Katherine planned to be in Good Hope and where she planned to stay while in town.
“Do you have any idea how long you’ll be here?” Eliza hadn’t meant the question to sound abrupt, but she and Katherine weren’t close, and really, what more was there to discuss? Besides, the headache she’d been keeping at bay was gaining ground.
“Actually, I’m back for good.” Katherine’s eyes, a nondescript blue, remained firmly focused on Eliza.
Eliza frowned. “Seriously?”
The older woman glanced around. “I seemed to have misplaced my glass of wine.”
“It’s over here,” Kyle told her.
Eliza’s frown deepened. Had he been listening to their conversation?
In seconds, Kyle was handing Katherine a crystal flute. “There’s not much left in your glass. If you’d like, I can open another bottle.”
How charming, Eliza thought, offering to open another one of her bottles. Perhaps he could offer Katherine a taste of the Cristal, the champagne she’d purchased early last summer in a crazy moment when she thought she and Jeremy might have something to toast.
“Thank you, no.” Katherine reached over and patted his arm. “But I appreciate the hospitality.”
The smile Kyle shot the older woman was warm and easy. “If you change your mind, let me know. I’ll be right over there… trying to pull myself out of the hole you put me in.”
“He’s going down.” Lolo giggled, startling both Eliza and Kyle. Only Katherine appeared to take the child’s good humor in stride. “He’s only got one king left.”
“That’s all a master checker player needs.” With that bold pronouncement, Kyle returned to his spot opposite his sister.
“You’ve got yourself a wonderful man.” Katherine gave an approving nod and took a sip of wine.
Eliza opened her mouth to inform Katherine that Kyle was her housemate, nothing more. Before the words left her lips, she recalled Katherine’s close friendship with Jeremy’s grandmother.
Jeremy believed she and Kyle were involved. There was not a doubt in Eliza’s mind that if she told Katherine the truth, Ruby would learn of the deception and tell Jeremy.
Cue the pitying looks.
“So, you’re back to stay.” Eliza met Katherine’s gaze.
“This is home.” Katherine picked a piece of lint off her sweater. “While I enjoyed Tucson and the friends I have there, it never felt completely right. I sold my condo and my furniture and here I am.”
Eliza leaned back against the sofa but remained on alert. “Just like that.”
“Just like that.” Katherine finished off the last of the wine and set the glass down. “Verna loved Good Hope and never regretted staying so close to home. Several years ago, I started wondering if I’d been wrong not to try something new. Would I regret living out my life within ten miles of where I’d been born? Surely you’ve had the same thoughts.”
Katherine’s speculative gaze landed on Eliza.
“I haven’t.” Eliza kept her tone matter-of-fact. “Like my grandmother, I’ve always known Good Hope is where I want to live.”
“That’s exactly what I told your father.”
Eliza’s heart gave a solid thump against her ribs. “You spoke with my father about me?”
“Not exactly.” Katherine sighed. “When I visited them in Palm Springs last month, he briefly mentioned wishing you’d spread your wings.”
Eliza’s shot the older woman a pointed glance. If Katherine was aware of her father’s duplicity, it didn’t show.
“Good Hope is my home.” Eliza spoke in a firm tone that brooked no misunderstanding. “I’m not leaving.”
Eliza didn’t know what to think when Katherine leaned over and squeezed her hand. “You’re one of the lucky ones. Happily blooming where you were planted.”
“Where do you plan to stay while you’re in Good Hope?” If Eliza had to guess, she’d assume it’d be with one of her friends, either Gladys or Ruby.
A startled look crossed the older woman’s face. “Why, I thought I’d stay with you. Kyle said it would be okay…”
Only the knowledge that—at least for now—this was his house as much as hers had Eliza pushing a false heartiness into her tone. “Of course, you’ll stay with us.”
After all, Eliza thought, she already had two unwanted guests under her roof. She might as well make it three.
“You cannot simply ask people to stay in my home.” Eliza might be leaning against the kitchen counter, but those flashing gray eyes and the tense set to her shoulders told Kyle she was ready to battle.
He’d known once Katherine retired to her room and Lolo was in bed, there would be hell to pay. “Listen. Katherine showed up shortly after Lolo and I returned from the tour of the school. She said she was a relative. Of course I asked her in.”
Eliza pursed her lips. “You didn’t have to invite her to stay.”
“True,” he conceded. “But the house has eight bedrooms. She mentioned several times
she needed a place to stay until she located a permanent residence.”
Eliza crossed her arms. “It wasn’t your place to invite her.”
“You’re right. I apologize.”
Eliza said nothing. Her arms remained crossed.
Time to move on, Kyle thought. “How was your date?”
She blinked.
“You told me you had a date.”
“I met Lindsay at the Flying Crane.”
Kyle felt himself relax. Not that he cared who she dated. Despite the fact many in Good Hope now thought they were involved, they’d never even kissed.
His gaze dropped to those pouty ruby-red lips before he jerked his gaze upward. “Did you ask her about Ready, Set, Wed?”
“I did.”
He opened the refrigerator and glanced back at her. “And?”
“She promised to think about it.” Her voice took on a hard edge. “Before you ask, I didn’t pressure her.”
“I believe you.” He scanned the contents of the perfectly organized refrigerator, then looked up. “Did you eat?”
She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. “I had a few nachos, but—”
“No wonder you’re so skinny.” Kyle turned back, pulled out an antipasto plate of assorted meats and cheeses, held it up. “Want to share this?”
“Surely you already had dinner.”
“Lolo just wanted a sandwich. Katherine had already eaten.” His gaze shifted to the plate then back to her. “This looks really good. Unless you’re saving it for some occasion?”
She eyed the platter. It was a thing of beauty with thin slices of salami and pepperoni as well as provolone and mozzarella. There were also plenty of black and green olives, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes.
“I could eat.”
Kyle placed the platter on the island in the middle of the kitchen, then grabbed a couple of plates. He considered telling her to help herself, but it was her house and her antipasti. “I’ll get the next round of groceries.”
While she filled a small plate, Kyle got two bottles of water. She waited while he added some food to his plate, showing no interest in sitting down. He’d sat enough this evening, so standing was fine with him. “How was the band?”
