Sweet Home Colorado (The O'Malley Men)

by C. C. Coburn

  “Not a problem! In fact, she’s offered to take Millie for walks if you can’t get home at lunchtime.”

  Grace stood and looked into Will’s eyes. They were completely guileless. “You have it all figured out, don’t you? Ever since I came into town, you had me earmarked for Millie.”

  Will shrugged. “What can I say? You’re perfectly matched.”

  “I’m not missing a leg.”

  “True. But you both need someone to love.”

  Grace could feel the tears again. They spilled out and ran down her cheeks.

  “Come here,” Will said, dragging her into his arms and against his broad chest. “You’re not alone anymore, Grace. You have Millie and all of us O’Malleys and anyone who’s met you in this town.”

  Grace half laughed, half sobbed as she asked, “Even Loosie Lettie and Jamie the Jerk?”

  He rubbed her back. “Only if you want them. Although I have to say, they are two people who aren’t exactly singing your prais—”

  “Hey!”

  Jack’s shout had them jumping apart. He marched up to Will and said, “Get your hands off my girlfriend.”

  His possessiveness both thrilled and alarmed Grace and then she saw that he was joking.

  “Your girlfriend was just thanking me for Millie.” Will indicated the dog who hadn’t moved from Grace’s feet.

  “Stop talking about me as if I’m not here!” she protested.

  Jack bent down to ruffle Millie’s ears. “So you’ve agreed to adopt her, have you?”

  “I have,” she said, and looked up at Will. “One thing, has she been spayed?”

  “She’s booked for next week. Bit cruel to have her in stitches while she was still nursing.”

  “Agreed. So you’ll let me know when and where?”

  Will beamed and Grace suspected he hadn’t been one hundred percent sure until just then that Millie had found a home.

  She glanced at Jack. “What a shame I can’t stay and sand the railings some more. I have to go to the supermarket and get food and a bowl and a dog bed for Millie. Bye,” she said, twinkling her fingers at the two men and heading down the stairs, Millie at her heels. It was as though the dog knew she belonged to Grace now.

  “Here, catch!” Jack called, and tossed Betsy’s keys to Grace. She caught them neatly, then bent to grab Millie’s leash as it trailed along the path. “Thanks,” she said. “You can pick Betsy up at my place later. I’ll be too busy with Millie to come here again today.”

  She saw Jack grin as she turned away. Feeling happier than she had in a long time, Grace practically skipped down the street to Betsy. She opened the passenger door and gave Millie a boost in. Millie gazed longingly out the window at Grace, who climbed in and ruffled the dog’s furry neck. “You and I are going to be a great pair, Millie,” she said.

  Millie rewarded her by licking her hand, then peered out the windshield as if looking forward to a new adventure with her new mistress.

  * * *

  GRACE ARRIVED HOME with a bit more than she’d intended to buy. When she’d set off from Aunt Missy’s, she figured she’d be able to carry home a bag of kibble, a dog bed and a bowl from the supermarket. It was just as well that Jack had lent her his truck, she thought as she lifted Millie out, then reached in for the goodies she’d purchased. Millie waited patiently while Grace unloaded the bags, then turned toward the stairs leading up to the apartment. Millie hopped up the steps beside her, clearly determined not to be left behind.

  When Grace let herself and Millie into the apartment, she looked down at the dog, who stood uncertainly on the threshold. “This is your home now, Millie. Come on!”

  Wagging her tail, Millie raced inside and inspected her new lodgings, sniffing the furniture as Grace wrestled the bags into the living room and dumped them on the floor. Millie sat at her feet and studied Grace expectantly. Grace patted the sofa beside her and Millie jumped up, settled herself with her nose resting on Grace’s leg and watched as she unpacked the bags.

  “Here’s your water bowl,” Grace said, showing the shiny bowl to Millie. Millie sniffed it and wagged her tail. “And here’s your food bowl.” The action was repeated by Millie, who was then plied with all manner of chew toys, throw toys, squeaking toys, snuggle toys and a supply of poop bags.

  Finally, Grace pulled out a collar. On it, she fastened a diamante-encrusted tag displaying Millie’s name and Grace’s cell number, along with a charm depicting Saint Francis—patron saint of animals. Grace then buckled the collar around Millie’s neck, leaving the pink scarf in place, as well.

  “There! Now you’re all set to go out into the world!” Grace said. “Shall we go play ball in the park?”

  The words park and ball obviously resonated with Millie, who jumped off the sofa and trotted to the door.

  “Just a minute, Millie. I need to take care of these groceries and then I’ll be with you.” In the kitchen, Grace put the fillet steaks, which she’d bought to grill on her balcony, in the fridge, as well as salad fixings and some beer. She hadn’t yet asked Jack if he wanted to join her for dinner, but that wasn’t a problem. If he couldn’t make it, then Millie could have his share of the steak!

  * * *

  “SO WHAT DO YOU think of converting the house to a medical center?” Grace asked as she prepared a salad to go with the steaks Jack was grilling.

  “A renovation is a renovation. Might cost you a few pennies more, though,” Jack said, leaning on the door frame leading to the balcony. The sun was setting behind him, the sky’s colors glowing around him like an aura. The only jarring note was the pair of tongs he held, ready to turn the steaks.

  Before grilling them, Grace had cut her steak in half to share with Millie, much to Jack’s amusement. “Bet she didn’t get fillet in the pound,” he said as Grace cut the steak into smaller pieces and put it in Millie’s bowl. The dog, of course, pounced on the treat and practically inhaled it. Then she looked around for more.

  “Sorry. One steak per night,” Grace told her, filling her bowl with a measured amount of kibble.

  “You’re a natural with her,” Jack said. “Yet I don’t recall you ever saying you had a dog growing up.”

  “I didn’t.” Grace stood and washed her hands at the sink. “But I always wanted one.”

  “You and your ex didn’t have any pets?”

  Grace made a face and said, “Please, can we not spoil a beautiful evening?”

  “I’m just trying to find out more about you.”

  Which was exactly what Grace didn’t want. “There’s nothing to tell. Nothing worthwhile, anyway. So let’s change the subject.” Salad ready, she grabbed a glass of iced tea and joined Jack on the balcony. The smell of grilling steak filled the air. “I’m starving!” she said, and flopped into a deck chair. “Manual labor gives me an appetite.”

  “In which case, Tyrone should be eating up a storm tonight,” Jack said, and laughed.

  “You heard about that, did you?”

  “Apart from the fact that I saw him working on the railings, I would’ve been able to tell from the finish that you sure hadn’t done them,” he teased.

  “Oh, you think you’re so smart!” Grace said, punching his arm lightly. “I’m officially quitting as a laborer on that project and taking on other duties instead.”

  “Which are?”

  “Lucy’s got us an appointment at the mayor’s office in the morning. If we get the go-ahead, then I’ll be tied up preparing permits and everything, so I won’t have time to sand railings. Okay?”

  She finished the last sentence on a challenging note, daring Jack to disagree.

  He held up his hands. “Fine by me. You were taking too long to learn, anyway. And I didn’t want your pretty little fingers near the electric saws.”

  “I’m getting a manicure in the morning and I’m never touching another tool. Deal?”

  Jack beamed at her. “Deal.”

  They ate their salads outside, watching the last of the rays disappea
r behind the mountains. The evening started to chill quickly once the sunlight was gone. Grace got herself a sweater. She offered Jack a blanket but he shook his head and checked the steaks. “I think they’re done,” he said, and lifted them onto a plate to take inside.

  Millie was curled up on her new bed, fast asleep. But when she got a whiff of the meat, her head rose and she looked around.

  “Go back to sleep, sweetie,” Grace said. “These are for the humans.”

  The dog stared as if waiting for her to change her mind. Realizing Grace wasn’t going to, she put her head down on top of a cuddle toy she particularly liked—a bright yellow chicken covered in a soft furlike material. It surprised Grace, because it looked so unlike a puppy. But Millie seemed to like it, as she settled her nose over the chicken and went back to sleep.

  * * *

  JACK PLACED THE FILLETS on their plates, along with a baked potato each, then they sat at the small kitchen table to eat.

  “These steaks are incredibly tender,” Grace noted.

  “Probably came from Two Elk,” Jack said. “You don’t have to buy them at the supermarket, you know. Pop will give you as much as you want.”

  “I’m sure he would, but I prefer to do it this way. I don’t like taking charity.”

  “It wouldn’t be charity. You’re almost one of the family,” Jack said, then seeing Grace’s look of alarm, he shut up.

  He couldn’t believe how hard it was to coax Grace to open up about herself, what her life in Boston had been like, the experiences she’d had. He cast around for something else to talk about. Since Grace seemed enthusiastic about the medical center, he stuck to that topic.

  But he intended to get the truth out of Grace. He just wasn’t sure how to go about it yet.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Grace took care in dressing for her appointment with the mayor the following morning.

  Having never met the eccentric Frank Farquar, she wasn’t sure exactly how to present herself, but in the end decided on a navy shirtdress and sensible flat pumps. Satisfied she looked businesslike—without risking her Christian Louboutin heels on the cracked sidewalks—she said goodbye to Millie and popped into Mrs. C.’s to let her know she’d be out for a few hours, then headed in the direction of town hall.

  Lucy was already there, waiting nervously with Beth O’Malley.

  “Hey, Grace!” Lucy greeted her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Beth along. Since she’s an architect, I thought she could give us a few pointers on redesigning the interior, and the mayor is kind of sweet on her, so every bit helps!”

  “Of course I don’t mind Beth being here, too,” Grace assured her, and turned to Beth. “Thanks for joining us.”

  Grace didn’t know Matt’s wife very well. Beth exuded a cool confidence. She was tall, blond, blue-eyed and soft-spoken, but Grace detected a sharp intelligence beneath her serene exterior.

  “I’m delighted to have been asked, Grace.” She glanced at her watch. “Shall we go in? It’s almost nine.”

  Grace noticed that Beth had a folder under her arm—the type that held large documents. She was curious about what was inside.

  They were shown into a large room lined with cherrywood. At the end was a long table where three men sat. They rose from their chairs when introduced. The mayor was flanked by the town manager and the town planner. They didn’t seem as intimidating as Grace had expected. As the meeting progressed, and especially when Beth produced three sets of blueprints of the new clinic and handed one to each man, they seemed very receptive to the idea.

  Grace was more than a little surprised to see the plans labeled Saunders Medical Center. She was about to protest, when she saw the notation beneath— “Opened in loving memory of Amelia (Missy) Saunders, 1916–2006.”

  The mayor then waxed lyrical about his experiences as a boy growing up and his memories of Missy. Grace found them fascinating, an insight into a beloved great-aunt she really knew little about. The town planner and manager, however, looked bored.

  Grace decided she needed to move things along so suggested, “Mayor Farquar, this is so interesting to me. Could I take you to lunch today so I can find out more about my aunt Missy?”

  After the mayor had accepted her invitation, the planner spent some time explaining the types of permits they needed to apply for, while the manager took a closer look at the blueprints and made some notes. All in all, Grace felt the meeting was going well, particularly when the manager said that the vacant lot behind the house was owned by the town and they’d be willing to lease it for parking. Furthermore, the planner added that he didn’t see any reason the sidewalk couldn’t be torn up, since it was in such a degraded condition—and a new sidewalk and an angle parking area could be created in front of the house!

  An hour later, the three women stumbled out into the bright sunlight, bubbling with excitement. They high-fived one another. “You were fantastic!” Grace told Beth. “When did you draw up those floor plans?”

  “Last night. I stopped by the house, took some measurements and spent a few hours working on them. With architectural software it’s easy.”

  “But still, they’re so detailed. I think the manager had blueprint envy.”

  Beth laughed. “I simply thought it would help our case if they had something concrete to look at.”

  “Which it did,” Lucy pointed out. “However, there are a lot more hoops to jump through than I realized. This could take longer than expected, filling and filing all those forms.”

  “I quit as a laborer, so I have time on my hands,” Grace said. “I’m good at dotting i’s and crossing t’s. And besides, if it’s going to be my project, I should be doing the paperwork.”

  “Great!” Lucy and Beth said at once.

  “I’m more than happy to give all of that to you, Grace,” Lucy said, and checked her watch. “But I have to head over to Silver Springs right now. My clinic starts at the hospital in half an hour.” She kissed Grace and Beth goodbye.

  “I’m really impressed with those plans,” Grace told Beth. “Do you mind if I have a copy to go over when it’s not so hectic?”

  “Of course.” Beth opened the folder and drew out a set of blueprints for Grace. “Now, I have to run. The sheriff is minding our little cherub this morning,” she said. “Matt was catching up on paperwork this morning, anyway, so he said he’d watch her while I came to the meeting.” She placed a hand on Grace’s arm. “I wish I could join you and the mayor for lunch. Can you and I reschedule for another day?”

  “Of course!” Grace smiled. “But I’m running late, too—for a manicure,” she said, showing her nails to Beth.

  “Ugh!” Beth said. “Just as well you quit working on the house. Otherwise, you’d have no nails left.”

  “Agreed. And I much prefer paperwork. I have to confess I’m kind of glad Lucy came up with this idea. I’m so excited about it. I may even stay in Spruce Lake....”

  “I was hoping you’d say that!” Beth said. “Does Jack know?”

  Grace realized she’d revealed too much, particularly to someone who was close to Jack. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Would you mind keeping that to yourself? I’m at a bit of a crossroads in my life, not sure where I want to live, where I want to practice.... I hate feeling like this, but I can’t seem to shake it.” Not only that, Grace had been receiving insistent emails from the clinic in Boston. She couldn’t make a decision about moving to Spruce Lake for good without considering all the ramifications.

  “I’m no counselor,” Beth said. “But I’m a good listener. If you want to talk about it, call me, okay?” She stopped beside her car. “Can I give you a ride? Are you going to Patty’s?”

  “I am,” Grace confirmed.

  “Then hop in and I’ll have you there in no time!”

  * * *

  GRACE WAVED TO BETH as she drove off toward the sheriff’s department. Nice person, she thought as she turned into Patty’s Parlor.

  Grace was so happy with her man
icure—that Patty could resurrect her nails was truly miraculous in Grace’s eyes—she stayed for a pedicure, as well. Feeling like a new woman, she walked the couple of blocks to Rusty’s and pushed her way through the front door.

  Mayor Farquar was already there, sitting in a booth so he wouldn’t miss her as she walked inside. He looked ready for action, too. His napkin was tucked into his collar and he was drinking a beer.

  “Now, little lady, what can I order you to drink?” he asked, standing until Grace settled herself in the opposite seat and calling over a waiter.

  “A lemonade,” she told him, and then turned her gaze on Mayor Farquar. She’d heard of him, of course, when she was a teenager, but at that time Frank had lived outside town at the quarry he owned. An eccentric bachelor. Since Grace had left, Frank had acquired a pet pig and a wife. In that order. Rumor had it he was fonder of his pig than his wife. Grace, having met Mrs. C., didn’t believe a word of it.

  “The wife tells me she’s walking your dog today,” he said.

  Grace brightened. “Yes, she is. Mrs. Carmi—er, Farquar was so kind to offer.”

  “’S’okay, you can call her Mrs. C. I’m a modern man. I can understand she was a Carmichael longer than she’s been a Farquar.”

  This was eye-opening news for Grace. She’d categorized the mayor as a bit of a good ol’ boy who probably thought women belonged in the home and should obey their husbands without question.

  “So,” she said, leaning her forearms on the table, “tell me all you know about my great-aunt Missy. I was a selfish teen when we lived with her and never really recognized her significance to this town until recently.”

  The waiter returned and they ordered—a double bacon burger with a side of fries and another of onion rings for him, a grilled chicken Caesar salad for her. She should probably have a little chat with Frank about his diet, but now wasn’t the time. Perhaps when they were better friends, she’d ask him to make an appointment to see her at the new clinic. The realization that she was making plans for her future shocked Grace a little.