by Tanya Agler
Caleb turned onto First Street and caught sight of Hollydale’s famous gazebo, where generations of high school seniors had posed for class photos, although he hadn’t had such a chance. A staph infection following his scoliosis surgery had sidelined him for the first six weeks of his senior year, and a recurring infection had sent him back to the hospital at the end of the year. On Caleb’s graduation day, while his classmates partied, he’d gazed out the hospital window, thankful just to be alive.
“Caleb?”
A familiar voice from behind stopped him in his tracks. He turned and found Jonathan heading his way, his navy police uniform a contrast to Caleb’s informal flannel shirt and jeans. In the short time since they’d last seen each other, fine lines had been etched into his cousin’s forehead, no doubt on account of the grief following his wife’s death.
Caleb waited until Jonathan caught up with him and, after a quick embrace, Caleb clapped his cousin’s back. “Great to see you, Officer Maxwell. Thanks for letting me stay with you until I find my own place. Let me guess—the room with duct tape down the middle isn’t my bunk area?”
“Izzy can’t stand Vanessa’s stuffed animals on her side of the room, and Vanessa complains about Izzy’s soccer cleats on hers, so that was my solution.” Jonathan rolled his eyes but not before Caleb caught the love shining through. “An airbed in the office was the best I could do on short notice.”
“Best price around, too.” Caleb smiled at how well Jonathan adapted to adjustments. Caleb had never been happy about change—it always seemed to herald something bad.
Then again, Caleb had traveled two thousand miles to start over. If that wasn’t a pretty steep change, nothing was. And Lucie had made a good point earlier. Nothing stayed the same forever. Even Hollydale had changed. From here, he could see a new outfitters’ business he’d have to explore soon. And Lucie herself was changing her parents’ wedding destination into an event and wellness center.
“Earth to Caleb, come in.” Jonathan waved his hand in front of Caleb’s face. “Are you headed out somewhere, or are you going back to my place? I’ll make sure the girls keep it down to a dull roar if you need sleep.”
“Thanks, but I have dinner plans out.” Caleb turned and started walking in the direction of Main Street, and Jonathan fell into step beside him. “I’ll catch up with you and the girls tomorrow night. I’ll admit, I didn’t think you’d move to Hollydale after Anne died.”
“I had to do something about Izzy. She’s a chip off the old block. Eleven going on twenty-one. Thank goodness Vanessa is two years younger than Izzy.”
His cousin’s raw emotion caught Caleb off guard. It made him feel that much better about his decision to move back and support Jonathan. Family supported family. Always. Sometimes it stretched incredulity that Jonathan, who’d never been the embodiment of law and order, now wore a police uniform.
“And what’s this about dinner out?” Jonathan asked. “You’ve been back long enough to make plans already? Won’t Leah What’s-her-name be upset?”
A bitter taste coated his mouth at the thought of Leah, who’d lied to him and used him. Her betrayal had made the decision to move to his hometown that much easier once his transfer had come through. Jonathan and his daughters had only sweetened the decision. “Leah stayed in Montana, and I came to Hollydale wiser for the wear.” Caleb glanced at his watch. “I’ve got to run.”
“You’re not getting away that easy. First chance we get, I’ll take you to the new bar on the outskirts of town—they make great nachos. How about Saturday?” Jonathan folded his arms. “Wait. That won’t work. Izzy has a soccer game. We’ll figure out a time later. Once you hear about her latest stunt, you’ll be buying the first round.”
Caleb couldn’t even remember how their game had begun, but both men would dump their sob stories. The one whose load was lighter had to buy the other a beer. By the time they left, his wallet was always lighter than Jonathan’s. This time would be different. The Leah story alone was worth a few bottles. “Nachos sound good.”
Jonathan’s radio crackled, and he turned to Caleb. “Gotta go. The girls and I won’t wait up.”
Caleb turned left on Main and kept walking.
“Caleb Spindler? Is that you?”
He didn’t recognize the voice and glanced over his shoulder.
A man held up his thumb. “Way to go. You made Hollydale proud!” The man grinned before he entered the post office.
Then another person yelled out their congratulations and waved, and Caleb shuffled his feet before waving back. Lucie’s house wasn’t as close to downtown as he remembered. Of course, everything had seemed shorter and sweeter when he was younger.
In less than a quarter of a mile, the business district gave way to century-old residences, many of which were two-story Victorians with gingerbread trim. He’d always loved this section with its bright colors and brighter gardens. Timber had offered a good livelihood for many in Hollydale. So had the apple orchards, especially for the Appleby family.
His parents had lived a couple of miles away in a house that resembled most of the others in their modest subdivision.
A yellow Victorian caught his eye and he slowed his pace. Then he squinted at what used to be the most impressive house in town. Paint peeled off the second-story shutters, one of which was slightly askew, while the white picket fence bordering the front yard needed pressure washing. He read the sign on the fence: Don’t Let the Pigs Out. He rubbed his eyes and reread the words. He hadn’t made any mistakes.
Low-pitched grunts piqued his curiosity, so he stepped onto the soft green grass and peeked over the fence. Rubbing his eyes, he stopped and focused on one miniature pig rooting in the ground while the other scratched its back on a wooden post in the garden. A border collie completed the picture, running in circles around the other two animals.
Lucie Appleby, debutante and homecoming queen, now owned pigs? The surprises kept coming.
Caleb tore himself away from the sight and strode along the sidewalk leading to Lucie’s front porch. Good-natured barking signaled his approach. He wasn’t quite sure what he was walking into. The wellness center sparkled, but the condition of Lucie’s house verged on disrepair.
Caleb knocked and the door opened to reveal a young boy. “We’re not allowed to talk to strangers. Goodbye!”
The front door slammed in Caleb’s face.
“Ethan,” a girl’s voice, laced with disapproval, came through loud and clear. “You shouldn’t say that. You should have said we don’t want any and talked about Ladybug. Salespeople don’t like big dogs.”
“But Ladybug loves everyone.”
The front door flew open and Lucie stood there, her mouth agape, holding on to the bright pink collar of a giant brown-and-white bulldog with slobber hanging down the sides of its mouth. “Caleb. Come on in before the house gets cold.”
Who could resist an invitation like that?
Caleb entered, and Lucie released the bulldog, who grunted and settled on its haunches right at his feet.
“This is Caleb, the old friend I was telling you about. We went to high school and college together.”
The little girl in a sparkly tie-dyed T-shirt and bright purple leggings came up to him and held out her hand, her blond hair curling in every direction. “I’m Matilda Grace Decker, and I’m seven. I’m older than Ethan by twenty-two minutes, and pink and purple are my favorite colors.”
Out of nowhere, a small gray bunny hopped into the middle of the conversation, and Matilda paused to pick the animal up.
“Now, Harvey, you’re not supposed to be out of your cage. Excuse me!” She curtsied and held the bunny to her chest, murmuring endearments while she climbed the stairs.
Lucie smiled and turned to the boy—with his dark brown hair and wide cheeks, he looked exactly like a younger version of Justin. “This is my son, Ethan.”
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“I gotta help Mattie. She’s bad at closing doors, and Harvey’ll get out.” Ethan escaped and followed Mattie.
This was his opportunity to start digging. Best to ask questions when the twins weren’t within earshot. He hadn’t counted on how he’d feel probing with them around. They were innocent in all of this.
Still, his father wanted to know if it would be worth it to hire an attorney. With his parents in Georgia, that left him to look for answers.
“Lucie...”
“The timer’s about to buzz, and I need your advice. Ladybug, get off Caleb’s foot.” Lucie waved for him to follow her, and he navigated the obstacle course around the book bags and shoes left at the front door. “Ladybug’s a darling. Mattie named her after she was abandoned. Ladybug, that is. Mattie never wanders far from my side. She keeps Ethan in line. Ethan named our other dog Pita. She’s outside with the pigs right now.”
The bulldog plodded after him as if he was her new best friend, while Caleb gathered his wits about him. First the wellness center had thrown him off track, and now Lucie’s home flustered him—warmth reigned here, with a dollop of controlled chaos. Unlike the brand-new stuff at the center, the furniture here looked lived in and older but still comfortable, in keeping with her style.
Caleb settled on one of the stools at the laminate counter, the delicious aroma reminding his stomach it hadn’t had anything homemade in quite some time. He glanced down to find Ladybug, her tongue lolling, watching his every move. Great, a canine chaperone who probably wouldn’t take kindly when he asked subtle questions that might come across as accusing her owner of stealing to pay for her kibble.
Lucie handed him a cucumber and a peeler. “No one eats for free here. You’ll be working for your dinner.”
He was used to hard work. That might have been the hardest part of his hospital stay. Not the surgery, not the infections, but having to be still. Without his two part-time jobs, he’d been at his wit’s end until Lucie had arrived with books, crossword puzzles and herself to keep him company. Lucie and his sketching had saved him.
He peeled the cucumber and decided to start small. “How long before the center is open for business?”
“One month. While we’re fully booked for the first three weeks, I was thinking someone with a little clout might be a draw until there’s some word of mouth. Catch—” She threw two tomatoes at him and he caught them.
One thing was for sure—she was as unpredictable as ever. He’d missed that about her.
“Slice those for the salad but leave them on the side. Mattie loves fresh tomatoes, but Ethan only likes them once they’re processed in the form of ketchup.” The oven buzzed. Lucie opened the door and waves of cheesy perfection wafted his way.
His stomach grumbled and he considered letting Lucie off the hook, especially with her children in the house. But as much as he’d like a fresh start, his parents deserved answers. “You have a pretty impressive setup, Luce.”
She walked over to the refrigerator and emerged with two bottles of salad dressing. “Italian or ranch?”
“How much did it cost?” Wariness entered his voice, the same tone he heard whenever someone asked him whether the animals running through Yellowstone were really wild.
“A couple dollars each. When you have twins, sometimes you have to splurge.” Lucie laughed and set the bottles on the kitchen island.
“The ropes courses and the new business.”
She met his gaze and the laughter faded from those morning glory eyes of hers. “More than a couple dollars.” She reached for a towel and wiped off her hands. “Why?”
“Where did the money come from?”
Her smile faded. “If I didn’t know you were a park ranger, I’d guess you were with another branch of the government right now...”
“Mommy, is dinner ready? I’m starving.” Ethan ran into the room and reached for a crouton, popping it into his mouth.
“You and Mattie can play on the Nintendo system for ten minutes.” Some of the softness came back when she addressed Ethan.
Caleb already missed that softness directed at him.
“Yesss.” Ethan fisted his hand and brought it toward his chest in a victory motion. “Hey, Mattie,” Ethan yelled, “we can play games until dinner.”
“I get to decide which game first.” Mattie’s voice called out from the other room, and Ladybug sauntered out of the kitchen.
Lucie closed the door and crossed her arms, her cold gaze chilling the air. “Spit it out, Caleb. Why did you really come here tonight?”
Guess he would have made a lousy spy.
Even after years apart, she knew him better than anyone else. Including Jonathan.
Still, family was family.
“There’s been a lot of work done at the wellness center. You claimed in the news stories that Justin wiped you out, but if he left you with nothing, how did you afford those improvements?”
Lucie gazed upward before running her hands through her hair and looking his way. “For two years, I’ve been accused of every crime imaginable. There’s nothing like finding out your husband, who’s now my ex, is a first-rate scumbag.” Lowering her voice, she glanced toward the living room and clenched her teeth. “So many people didn’t believe me. So many times, I thought I wouldn’t get to see my children grow up because I’d be behind bars. So many times, I thought of you and missed my friend, the person who always treated me with respect.”
“Lucie.”
“Did you come here for dinner?” There was that chin tilt again. “Or to interrogate me?”
One thing was for sure. She wasn’t lying. The one time she tried to lie to him in the hospital was a memory in and of itself. He’d given her caramel clusters as a thank-you gift, and she hemmed and hawed before admitting caramel made her break out in hives. “I made a mistake.”
“A mistake is picking up a bag of decaf instead of the real stuff. Those questions were deliberate.”
Friends didn’t dig into places they weren’t welcome, and friends didn’t make friends feel that bad.
“Maybe we should start over.” He stepped toward her, hand extended. “Hi, Lucie Appleby. It’s been a long time. Too long.”
“Not tonight. I don’t want you to slip and ask any questions in front of the twins.” She opened the kitchen door and Ladybug was sitting there, a forlorn look in her brown eyes as if she, too, regretted making Caleb her new best friend. “Just go.”
While he’d been in the hospital, only one person other than his parents had come to visit every day, the same person whose gaze reflected so much hurt right now.
Tomorrow might be soon enough to start over. At the front door, Caleb looked back at the warmth and love in the chaotic house. It was everything he’d dreamed of having while he was in the hospital, and nothing he’d ever been able to work hard enough to deserve.
CHAPTER TWO
LUCIE TUCKED HER laptop under her arm and opened the door of A New You, her favorite of the two beauty salons in Hollydale. The tinny bell chimed her presence bright and early on this Wednesday morning. Aerosol spray and perm solution overcame the fresh mountain air as she crossed the threshold, searching for the owner, Mitzi Mayfield. What she would have done these past two years without Mitzi, she didn’t know.
At first, Mitzi had been the only person willing to give her a job after Justin’s arrest, even standing by her when some of the salon’s most loyal customers left for Mitzi’s competitor. That kind of loyalty set Mitzi apart. Gratitude didn’t even begin to cover her debt to her mother’s best friend. If Mitzi hadn’t stepped up to the plate, Lucie would have had to move, leaving the house that had been in her family for four generations, away from the only home the twins had ever known.
The only positive to come out of the past two years was finding out who her true friends were. Max O’Hara fixed her car and let her work on
Sundays to pay off the cost of repairs before Georgie returned to Hollydale and found love with the newly elected sheriff, Mike Harrison. Another one of her mother’s friends, Odalie Musgrove, had hired her part time during a particularly rough patch when the bills had almost overwhelmed her. Lucie had considered Caleb one of those true friends, even though they’d lost contact with each other. Last night had proved her wrong.
“Lucie! Save me. They waylaid me. Mitzi wants to do something to my hair that involves some sort of lights that aren’t headlights.” Her friend Georgie’s wail carried over the dual sounds of blow dryers and canned hip-hop music.
Lucie hurried to the back of the salon, where Georgie sat with a cape around her shoulders. Lucie settled her laptop on Mitzi’s workstation and joined her friend Natalie, who was standing next to Georgie’s chair, her bright pink cowboy boots tapping against the beige linoleum floor.
Natalie turned to Georgie. “We talked about this and you agreed to try something new. Besides, you’re a newlywed. You need surprise and spontaneity in your life. Mike will thank you for it.”
“You’re my sister-in-law and therefore biased. I’m so not going there.” Georgie reached out to Lucie and pleaded with her green eyes. “The cars waiting to be fixed in my shop don’t complain about my hair, and neither does Mike.”
Mitzi breezed over with a rolling station containing her supplies, including foils, a timer and clips. She patted the ends of her gray bobbed hair before placing her long fingers on the back of Georgie’s chair. “Georgie, Georgie, Georgie. Trust me. Relax and leave your beautiful hair in my capable hands, and you won’t regret it. Ask Lucie here about trust.”
What? Of all the people in the salon, Lucie was the worst person to say anything about that subject. Why other folks had the ability to read people and she didn’t, she couldn’t fathom, but she was infamous for trusting first and asking questions second. Last night had only confirmed that trait. Instead of catching up over dinner with an old friend, Caleb had kept asking about money, giving every impression he’d only accepted her invitation to grill her rather than enjoy her company.
