Snow Belle (Madison Creek Bed & Breakfast Book 1)

by Jackie Castle

  Snow still clung to patches of tall yellow grasses that surrounded one of those beautiful old red barns that they just didn’t make anymore. The structure was the size of two normal houses.

  “What was it used for?” he asked, leaning as far forward as the tightened belt would allow.

  “Well, Great-Poppy had apple orchards, but most of those have been sold off. We have a few trees left on the property off in the northern field. My Papop raised horses and grew hay, soy, and alfalfa. Some seasons he tried wheat and other things. But it was the apples that had the best cash return. I think he always regretted selling that land off, but none of his kids wanted to be farmers and moved away.

  “My momma high-tailed it outta here for warmer climates when I was pretty young. We ended up in Texas where she found work on ranches, then later, rodeos. Since she was familiar with horses; they lapped her right up.”

  “And your father?” Ethan asked, intrigued.

  “Never knew him.” She carefully maneuvered the truck over the gravel roadway until they reached a small door on the side of the grand building. “She married ol’ Mad Maddix when I was eight.” She sighed and rested her chin on the steering wheel while she stared lovingly at the barn. “She met Maddix Hamilton at a rodeo and went to travel around with him. I hated the rodeo life, so she’d brought me up here to stay for a spell. Best two years of my life.

  “When she came to get me, they were getting married, and Lexie, my little sister, was growing in her belly.

  “I was spittin’ mad when she showed up. It was Christmas Eve. Begged her to leave me here. I loved being with Papop and Memaw. I loved this farm and the town. Used to be like one big ol’ family. But she insisted I return with her. Said she’d need my help with the baby and I had always wished for a little sister. Maddix was a good guy, but he had his vices, as Momma called them.”

  “Was?” Ethan made no move to open the door, not wanting to interrupt her story. He didn’t dare move lest he give into his urge to pull her into his arms and hug her tight. Her voice sounded broken though she shed no tears.

  “He and Momma went to a party one night when I was just shy of eighteen. He gave in to his vice and drove home under the influence. They barely got two miles before he ran another car off the road and they ended up in a ditch. Momma nor the other driver made it. He went to prison for manslaughter and is still there.”

  Ethan reached over and laid his hand on her arm. Her eyes widened before he snatched it back, remembering his place. “I’m so sorry, Haley. How awful.” His heart broke for her.

  “Yeah, it was. But it’s in the past. Papop always said we can only move forward. The past is gone in a blink, and no use turning back or you might trip and fall on your face. So, I’m looking to the future. Lex, she ended up a ward of the state.” She yanked the knit cap down over her ears, then pulled the door handle. “I’m aiming to get her back soon as I have steady employment and a decent home. Come see the inside. It’s seen better days, but I have grand plans for it.”

  She jumped out of the truck and hurried inside. Ethan swallowed down his heart, aching for all she’d been through. Here he had a loving family, and he shunned them. She had nobody but faced the future with no fear and only optimism. Maybe God landed him here so she could teach him a thing or two.

  Zipping his jacket, he pulled the hood over his head and followed her. Loud yelping didn’t help his headache. The moment the door opened, a shaggy black dog bounded out with cries of joy. The excited dog raced around Haley’s legs for a moment before stopping to examine Ethan. He slowly crouched so they were at eye-level and let him get in several good sniffs before he moved to scratch Wally’s ears and back.

  “You’ll not be rid of him now.” She shooed him off but left the door open a crack for when he returned.

  Ethan shivered, despite his down jacket. “How can you live out here? You’re going to freeze this winter.”

  “No, no, I got a warm little cozy place right back here.” She waved him to follow her. A wall and wide glass windows divided this section of the building from the rest of the stables. She led him to a small office where she’d set up a cot. There was a bathroom off from the closet, but it was like living in a cave compared to the grand Victorian. He simply didn’t understand why she preferred this place to that old house.

  “This here is where I’ve been living.” She gestured around as if presenting a showcase home. “My comfy little bed. The electricity and plumbing works. When I get money to go forth with my plan, I’ll make it bigger. There’s plenty of room to expand.” She waved toward what might once have been the tack room. “This whole area will eventually be my living quarters.” She breezed out into the stable area, where two horses were kept up near the front.

  “I need to let Molly and Cress out to graze.” She entered the first stall and pushed on the sliding door built into the outside wall. With a loud grounding whine, the two stables were opened so the horses could walk outside into their pen.

  “See? This end of the barn opens up. In the summer, once I clear out all these stalls, I’ll set out a bunch of long tables and cover them with paper. You can buy long rolls like packaging paper. That’s how they do it in Texas. You serve up the beef and pork on paper trays. Everything is disposable.”

  “That has to be great for the landfills.”

  Her nose wrinkled. “Well, it saves on doin’ dishes anyhow. And I’ll set up my grills out in the yard. They’ll be smoking away all day and night. I can use the land to raise pigs and some cattle. There’s plenty of grazing room. Even chickens can have a little house next to the barn.”

  Ethan bit at his upper lip, thinking of all the problems she must not have considered yet. Should he speak up and ask? He hated to be the black cloud that rained on her picnic … but if she was serious….

  “And I’ll close off the other end down there where the carriages and farm gear is stored to make a kitchen.” She waved her mitten in that direction. “The walls need some repairs. The upper rafters have a few weak spots but once they’re fixed, I’ll have stairs built. People can dine up there too. There might be enough room right here for a dance floor. A band. We can do some boot scooting and all.” Her boots shuffled over the hay covered ground in a two-step.

  He almost considered jumping in to join her except he wasn’t sure how to do a two-step. “Yankees in ropers? That would be a sight.” He couldn’t help the jibe. It popped out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

  She turned to him, hands on her hips. “Look, I haven’t worked out all the details yet. But I can make this work. I have to.”

  Then he remembered her hope of getting her sister out of the system, and his heart broke all over again. Is this why I’m here, Lord? You want me to help her?

  But how? She had her dream all worked out in her head. But perhaps not on paper….

  “Do you have a business plan written out? You’ll probably still need some funding from a bank. And insurance, not to mention the city council will probably want to know what you plan since you’ll be a business in the township.”

  Her bubbling movements simmered to a slow stew. “I’ve never written out a plan. Not sure how.”

  “Well, maybe it’s a blessing you blew me off the road, Haley.” He shrugged his arms. “I’ve helped a couple of friends write out plans. I might be a musician, but my father insisted I take a few business courses to fall back on.”

  Dad had been pretty sure all along that Ethan would never make a living with music.

  “Figured it wouldn’t hurt.” He added with a shrug. “I’ve always hoped to produce a few albums, and have contemplated just doing it myself.”

  “Really? A musician, huh? What do you play? Too much to hope that you’re a country singer?” Her grin told him she was joking with him.

  “I play the violin. I’m still hoping to get in with an orchestra in New York. I was very close to getting on one of those television talent shows.”

  “Really? By playing the fi
ddle?”

  His eyes narrowed on her. “By playing a Willhelm, one of the finest violins I’ve ever touched. I do not play a… fiddle!” He winked again to let her know he was having fun back at her. Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. He liked it. “I perform a variety of music with my Willhelm: pop, and eclectic, along with classical.”

  Her blue eyes danced and she bounced on the balls of her feet. “Promise me that before you leave, you’ll play for me. Violins do make beautiful music.” She moved toward the opened stall and watched her horses prancing around their enclosure. The chilly snow seemed to invigorate them. “What happened with the talent show?”

  “We, that is, my ex-partner Stephen and I, had one more audition, but he just left with no explanation. Unfortunately, they were looking for a duo, not a single violinist. I can’t sing or anything so they told me to come back next year with a more reliable partner.”

  “Man oh man! What a thing to happen. So you were heading back home and then I blew you off the road. And to make matters worse, now you’re stuck here in this squat little town.” She folded her arms and leaned against one of the post, staring outside for a long moment. “Everyone here is all tied up on yesterdays, it seems. But folks need to look forward,” she turned back to face him, “you know?”

  “I suppose, but it’s our past that defines us. Maybe it’s not such a great idea to brush it under the rug so easily. We learn from past mistakes.”

  “Well, I’ve learned enough lessons. I’m ready to bury my past. Nothing but roadkill behind me far as I’m concerned. Speaking of moving on, let me take you to the house so you can get settled in. The horses will be fine while I’m gone. Do you mind if Wally rides with us? He’s been on his lonesome all night.”

  Before Ethan could get out, “Sure,” she let out a loud, shrill whistle.

  Barking grew louder as the black dog that must be some breed of sheep dog, bounded toward them, eager to go for a ride. With Wally panting in the seat between them, Haley got the truck back onto the road and into the cleared driveway at the house in a few minutes.

  The snow-blower was gone from the ditch and the garage door closed.

  “Hmm,” Haley scrunched her nose as she examined the driveway and closed garage. “Bet Sheriff Boyd put it away for me. He’s a nice fella, even if he does like to lecture people a lot.”

  Ethan followed her up the walkway, his violin case tucked in one hand and his pull-along in the other. She insisted on carrying his duffel.

  Besides needing a paint job and a bit of repair on the paneling, Ethan thought the old Victorian was stunning. Up close, he saw it was painted a hunter green with off-white trim. A wide porch wrapped around two sides.

  When Haley reached the front door, she stopped and faced him. “You’ll have to excuse the mess, Ethan. I’ve been going through things downstairs and sorting out what has to be shipped to the relatives. I was here all last night and then got caught up looking at old pictures. Think I’ll just stash them all in a box for later when I’m not still grieving, you know? But come on in. There’s loads of room upstairs and I can set you up in a right nice spot.”

  His steps increased, not only out of eagerness to get out of the cold, but because he had to see the interior. If it was anything like the outside—

  When he stepped through the door, his jaw nearly dropped between his oxfords. Oh, it was nothing like the outside. Not at all.

  Chapter Six

  Haley watched the Yank’s expression switch from horrified shock to interest then to something she couldn’t read, then back to horrified shock as he set his foot on the first creaky step.

  “They’ll hold you,” Haley assured him as he bounced a bit before taking another step. “Just some of the boards are loose, from what I’ve been told. Papop assured me there isn’t no dry rot.”

  He seemed reluctant to venture any further and instead moved away from the stairs and toward the gloomy garden room. Only one window pane was cracked, but she didn’t see the point in having it replaced. Not when the Lucky Dollar fellas would most likely tear it down.

  Haley wished her dratted windpipe would stop knotting up every time she thought about selling. It’s for the best, she silently repeated over and over. For the best….

  She followed his gaze through the sunroom’s windows which looked out over the back garden, now mainly dead and overgrown. But the view of the woods and orchards and the lake in the far distance was breathtaking. Being up on the hill had its advantages.

  “I have to say,” Ethan said as he examined the spots on the ceiling. “It’s beautiful, even if it is a little neglected.”

  “Little?” Haley spat with a laugh. “How about left out in the cold to die like the runt of a litter?”

  His mouth cocked in a lopsided grin. “You do know how to paint a vivid picture, Miss Haley.” His arms swung out, gesturing to the walls with their cracked plaster and the dust covered furniture. “So what happened? Was it left abandoned?”

  Haley ran her finger over the back of Memaw’s favorite piece, an old fainting couch done in red velvet with dark oak trim. “Papop was living here all by himself the last five years. My grandfather. He’d kept up the place best as he could after his wife passed, but then he was diagnosed with heart disease. Kept it secret for a good year. By time I finally came, he was near out of money and the energy to fix anything. What little funds were left, I’ve been using to live on.”

  She gave a shrug. “Anyway, it’s for sale. People want me to fix it up, but I just cain’t. It’s either fix this up and sell the land the barn is on, or the other way around. I have a vision for the barn. What will this old house do for me?”

  Ethan’s brows furrowed as he looked around and pointed at the various rooms, as if he were counting them. “How many bedrooms are upstairs?”

  “Six, with an office. There’s a nice sized library down here, too, filled with a bunch of old dusty books.” Then she stopped to consider the upper attic. “There’re actually another sleeping space at the very top. I used to sleep up there with my cousins when they’d visit. We called it the crow’s nest because we’d play pirates and watch the boats sail by on the lake.”

  His brows shot up just a bit farther, crinkling his bandage until it disappeared beneath the strands of hair that fell over his eyes. “You can see the lake from here?”

  “Yep, from the upper floors, sure can. I was gonna put you in the best guest room. It even has a balcony. Just don’t go leaning on the railing. I not sure how secure it is.”

  His smile mesmerized her and for a moment, her heart beat out of rhythm. She swallowed down that growing knot in her throat.

  “I don’t have time,” she unintentionally said out loud. “Uh, I mean, look at the time. Let me show you to your room.” She waved him after her as she rushed up the stairs. Haley always figured if she made her steps quick, there’d be less likely of a chance of one of them boards giving away under her feet.

  Why’d he have to be so darned cute? Why couldn’t she have run some ugly old grumpy man off the road? Why the handsome violinist who’s head was full of ideas and wanting to help? Didn’t he have his own life to get back to?

  “This last room here.” She hurriedly closed the first door where she’d been going through the old photographs last night. Won’t be doing that again. Soon as she could, she’d corral all those pictures into a big box and look at them in a few years when it didn’t hurt as much to see Momma smiling with her younger parents still in their prime. Pictures of the parties that everyone loved. Or standing in front of boxes of apples gathered from the orchards before a good portion of them were sold off.

  Stop thinking about the past, Haley Isabelle Madison! You only got the future that you can control.

  “I just put on fresh sheets. Was thinking of staying here myself when it got cold, but decided after last night, I just cain’t. So it’s all yours. Hope you don’t mind a bit of frill and lace. Not particularly my taste, but Memaw had her old-fashioned standa
rds.

  He passed by her with his cases while she held open the door. The smell of his cologne wafted in his wake. Nice looking. Sweet-natured. Polite. And he smelled nice, as well.

  “I gotta go,” Haley announced. “The house is all yours. There’s a bit of food in the fridge. I’ll go shopping later.” She started to race down the stairs before remembering the stove she had to take back to Aunt Daisy. “Oh, wait.”

  “Wait is right. What’s your rush?”

  Wally barked from somewhere outside. She knew he’d stay close to her truck and not get out of the yard. He was a smart dog. “I have things to do, that’s all.” She shifted from one boot to the other, fidgeting with the zipper on her coat. Why had she left the heat on so high? She couldn’t afford an expensive gas bill.

  “I, um, need to get my dog. And… and, say, can you help me get something into my truck? It’ll be kinda heavy and dirty. It’s an old stove.” She waved her hands. “Oh, never mind; I’ll ask the Beetle brothers to do it for me.”

  “Show me.” He came down the stairs. “If we get it out to your truck, how will you get it out?”

  “Someone in town will help. They’ll do near anything for the Altons. They’re like a handful of the remaining oldest families. Nobody would deny their request.” She led him back to the garden room. The few remaining plants needed watering, something terrible. She sighed and pointed to the old stove sitting in the corner. “I have a dolly we can use.”

  Ethan went over to examine it as if trying to guess its weight. He glanced at her as if gaging how much she could lift. “You and I can do it. We’ll need to get the smoke stack off. Do you have some tools?”

  She nodded. He actually talked like he knew what he was doing.

  “Let me change into something I won’t mind getting dirty. I’ll need to let my shirt soak, anyway. There’s a bit of blood on the front.”

  Haley cringed. He needed to stay here and rest. Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut? She knew better. But he had her as distracted as a dog with too many toys. She could have moved this later. Why’d he have to be so stinkin’ helpful, anyway?