The Soldier's Sweetheart

by Deb Kastner

  “I have a woman who comes in and prepares the fresh deli products—you know, potato salad and cooked hens and the like. We sell baked goods acquired by the local café. My parents come in a couple of days a week to help out.” She gestured to the rest of the store. “Other than that, you’re looking at her—manager, stocker, cashier and bag-person,” she said, relaxing a little. Maybe if she smiled at him he’d lose some of the somber tension from his face.

  Smiles were supposed to be viral, right?

  “Seth spoke of you often,” Will commented in the rich, quiet manner that Samantha was beginning to realize was his normal tone of voice—not at all what she’d expect from an Army guy, based on what she knew of her brother.

  “I’m sorry I can’t say the same,” Samantha said, regarding Will with new eyes. “Unfortunately, Seth neglected to mention you.”

  “He said you work too hard and never get a break, and frankly, he’s worried about you. That’s part of the reason I’m here—to take some of that burden from you.”

  As he spoke, Samantha noticed that Will’s lips naturally turned down at the corners—they didn’t lend themselves to an easy grin.

  “Seth and I realized we could assist each other in what could possibly be an advantageous relationship for both of us,” he continued. “Besides, you know your brother—once he gets something in his mind, it’s hard to convince him otherwise.” Will shrugged one shoulder. “So here I am.”

  “I see,” she replied, though in truth, she didn’t. The way Will was speaking, it almost sounded like he was here against his better judgment.

  It was definitely against Samantha’s. She wished Seth was here so she could knock him in the head. What was he thinking, sending someone who was probably a slap-happy, risk-taking adrenaline junkie to fill what was, for the most part, a repetitive and predictable position?

  A slow job. Not that an employment opportunity really existed, but even if it did, nothing in Serendipity moved fast, nor did it change much from day to day. She couldn’t imagine how Will would adapt to such sluggish surroundings.

  Wasn’t that part of the reason Seth had enlisted in the Army in the first place? To remove himself from a situation that would have eventually bored him to tears or sent him to the insane asylum? Samantha couldn’t see how he expected that Will would fare much better. This soldier had seen combat. Working day in and day out in the grocery would be the polar opposite.

  But maybe that was the point. Maybe that was exactly what Will was looking for. Someplace quiet to get away from the memories of war.

  Great. Now how was she going to politely turn the man away? Like she didn’t have enough problems already, trying to deal with the ever-increasing threat of a big-box takeover.

  The bell rang over the door and her parents entered, their faces eager with anticipation. They rushed forward all at once in a gibber of exclamations, trying to be heard over each other to be the first to welcome Will to Serendipity.

  Samantha reached for the Stay-n-Shop missive and tucked it under the counter.

  “You must be William,” her mother said, stepping forward to embrace the poor man, who looked dreadfully uncomfortable with the public show of affection. He froze at attention like a statue, his arms stiff at his sides.

  Her mother, with bountiful curves and a frizzy head of blond hair, was a good foot shorter than Will. At her tallest, she didn’t even reach the middle of his chest, but that didn’t stop her from exclaiming loudly and squeezing him in what others might consider an excessively friendly manner.

  To Samantha, it was just her mother being her usual outgoing, jovial self, not noticing how uneasy she was making Will and chattering on as if nothing was amiss. “Seth has told us all about you. We’re so delighted you’ll be staying with us.”

  Seth had told them about Will? And he’d be staying with them?

  Two more shockers in a long day full of them.

  Just lovely. Not only had Seth somehow arranged for Will to have a job at the grocery—apparently with her parents’ knowledge and concurrence, and without a word to her—but now he’d be staying with them, whatever that meant.

  Happily, whatever they were referring to, it didn’t involve her, not directly anyway, since she lived in her own apartment close to the store. Her parents’ house was empty most of the time, as they were working on their retirement dreams—building a bed-and-breakfast. They’d recently purchased some land along a gentle creek and were renovating several old cottages situated close to the water, but the cabins weren’t yet ready for habitation. Seth’s room was vacant, but surely her brother would never agree to such an arrangement. Many of his personal belongings were still in that room, untouched, souvenirs from his boyhood saved like a time capsule for when he was home on leave.

  “It’s good to meet you, son,” her father said, extending his hand to Will.

  “Thank you, sir,” Will answered, clearly more comfortable with her dad’s welcome than that of her over-affectionate mother.

  “It’s Samuel,” her father corrected in his typical booming bass. “And my wife here is Amanda. The only ‘sir’ around these parts is my pop, Grandpa Sampson, whom you’ll meet later, after you’ve settled in. We’re glad you’re here, and we’re grateful to God for your help, both in the store and with our cabins. They’re in dire need of repair before we can offer them to guests.”

  “I’m happy to be able to help you folks out and appreciate your offer of lodging, at least until I can get permanently settled.”

  So that’s what it was, then. Room and board in exchange for his carpentry skills. Not such a bad idea, though she still wondered why no one had bothered to mention to her that Will was going to show up at her doorstep and demand a job.

  Okay, maybe that was putting it a little harshly. Will hadn’t exactly burst in and demanded a job. More like he’d simply assumed it was there—which, apparently, it was.

  A simple “you’ve got a gorgeous ex-Army guy coming to work for you” would have been nice.

  Samantha chuckled at her private joke. After the day she’d had, she either had to laugh or she was going to burst into tears. This was a lot to take in, and in a short time, too.

  She pinched her lips, fighting the emotion surging through her chest, trying to sort out the mixed-up messages her heart was sending her brain and working not to give in to the indignant sense of betrayal she was experiencing.

  Had everyone purposely kept her in the dark?

  That stung more than she cared to admit. Why would her brother—never mind her parents—keep something this momentous from her? Did they not trust her? Did they think she wouldn’t welcome Will with open arms?

  She glanced at her parents, now speaking in soft tones with Will, and wondered if anyone would miss her if she slipped out of the store for a few minutes. She needed to vent to someone, preferably Alexis and Mary, whom she was certain would see her side of this situation.

  She pulled out her cell phone and used her thumbs as she texted: Gorgeous ex-Army guy just walked in.

  That should pique their curiosity. If she knew Alexis and Mary, they’d show up at the grocery faster in the hopes of meeting an eligible bachelor than if she’d told them it was a 911 emergency.

  She gazed toward the glass door, focusing on the sunshine. The sun always reminded her of her faith and it generally gave her peace.

  And it did, for a moment, until she caught the hint of movement from behind the candy aisle—and an adorable little girl appeared.

  * * *

  Will followed Samantha’s gaze to where his four-year-old daughter, Genevieve, was peeking out from behind the candy aisle. All he could see of Genevieve from where he was standing was the thick mop of black curls that she had inherited from her mother and the large, inquisitive brown eyes that were very much a reflection of his own.

 
The scene would have been cute, he supposed, from virtually any other person’s vantage point—a curious yet clearly shy little girl hanging back to see how the adults responded before announcing her presence.

  She was a little darling, and she stole Will’s heart every time he looked at her, but the little girl’s gaze also caused him a moment of sheer panic.

  He was this child’s father. She depended entirely upon him, and he hadn’t given her any reassurance in this new and unfamiliar situation.

  His throat closed and burned from the effort of withholding the onslaught of emotion. It was difficult to breathe, and his pulse roared in his head. Shame burned his cheeks. In all the confusion, he’d forgotten to introduce Genevieve.

  She’d held back when they’d first entered, and he’d allowed her to stay near the door, thinking it would be easier for her if he served as point man. He supposed he’d expected her to come forward once he’d introduced himself to the management, so to speak.

  Instead, she’d hidden in an aisle and stayed there—probably waiting for him to reassure her that everything was all right.

  Which, to his chagrin, he had not done.

  She was a furtive little thing—Seth’s parents hadn’t even seen her when they’d entered the store. But that was no excuse on his part.

  This was not at all the impression he was trying to create with the Howells right off the bat, and most certainly not the way he wanted to treat his daughter. The fact that he felt entirely incompetent as a father was one thing. But he didn’t need to display his inadequacies for the whole world to see.

  Meeting Seth’s older sister had really thrown him for a loop. Seth was a good-looking kid, so it should have been no surprise to him that his sister was an attractive woman. Samantha had straight, thick black hair cut in an appealing pixie style that showed off the endearing curl of her ears. She shared her brother’s enormous cobalt-blue eyes, but they were breathtaking on Samantha.

  Will cleared his throat and stepped over to his daughter, awkwardly placing a hand on her shoulder as he gently urged her from her hiding place.

  “Folks, this is my daughter, Genevieve.”

  Genevieve immediately slid behind him, clutching at his legs and peering out at the unfamiliar people from behind his right knee. He crouched and picked her up in his arms. “Say hi to the nice folks.”

  “Hi.” Genevieve said the word because her daddy had asked her to, but she didn’t sound convinced that she should be speaking to strangers.

  “May your daughter have a lollipop?” Samantha asked, coming out from behind the counter. He turned and met her gaze. Was this a trick question? Was he supposed to decline and ask for an apple instead? What would a good father do in this situation?

  “I—uh,” he floundered.

  “She’s not allergic, is she?”

  “No. I mean, I don’t think so.” How was he supposed to keep his daughter safe if he didn’t know vital things about her? He could accidentally put her in jeopardy without ever realizing he was doing so.

  “Then perhaps just this once, since it’s such a special occasion.”

  Will nodded, relief flooding through him. It was as if Samantha had somehow guessed that he hadn’t known how to answer her and was filling in the blanks for him. He was grateful for her assistance.

  Then again, she had put just the slightest emphasis on the words special occasion. He had the distinct feeling Samantha was a little miffed at him. It wasn’t his fault she hadn’t known he was coming. She could point that finger at her brother.

  “Hey, Genevieve,” Samantha said in a considerably sweeter, gentler tone of voice than she had used with Will. “Do you want to pick out a lollipop from the jar over there?”

  She held out her hands, and to Will’s surprise, Genevieve slid into her arms without the slightest bit of fuss. The little girl’s eyes were still wide with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation, but she allowed Samantha to carry her to the candy jar. Samantha set Genevieve on the counter and lifted the lid so she could select the flavor of her choice.

  Genevieve immediately picked purple. Grape. Will filed the information in his mind. Knowing Genevieve’s preferences might come in handy, especially if he was ever asked to choose something in his daughter’s stead—which he was beginning to realize was going come up more often than he could even imagine.

  Clothes for school. Dresses. Shoes. Hair bows. What did he know about raising a little girl?

  Nothing. Not a single thing.

  Haley would have been able to pick out a lollipop for Genevieve. For all he knew, grape had also been Haley’s favorite.

  He realized to his chagrin that he didn’t know what flavor his wife had preferred when she was alive. There were a lot of things he hadn’t taken the time to find out about Haley, and now it was too late to rectify his oversights, to make right all the many ways he’d erred as a husband.

  He cringed and squared his shoulders. Maybe it was too late to change the way things had gone down with Haley, but he could still be a good father to Genevieve, and that was exactly what he was going to do—make it up to her for the years he’d been away, and never let her feel alone or unprotected again.

  It was his one resolution in life—to make things right with his daughter.

  “You want one?” Samantha asked, holding the candy bowl out to him. “It’s on me. Free of charge.”

  Belatedly he realized he’d been staring at her and his composure nearly dropped. Only his many years of military training kept him from showing the apprehension that he felt in his gut.

  For a moment, he’d actually considered taking the candy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d tasted a lollipop. Maybe not since early childhood. But he wasn’t a kid anymore.

  “No, but thank you for offering,” he answered after an extended pause.

  “She’s a lovely little girl,” Amanda Howell said. “Seth mentioned you’re a single father?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Will’s throat felt scratchy and raw as he answered. “Genevieve’s mother passed away about four months back. My daughter stayed with my in-laws until my tour of duty was up, but now I’m looking to be a full-time daddy to her.”

  “We’ll help you as much as we can,” Amanda assured him. “Isn’t that right, Samantha?”

  “Hmm?” Samantha was entertaining Genevieve and clearly hadn’t heard her mother’s declaration.

  “I was just telling Will how we’d help him out with his sweet little girl,” her mother repeated. “You’re especially good with children. Genevieve has already taken to you.”

  Samantha’s blue eyes widened as she looked from her mother to Genevieve and back again. Then her gaze turned to Will. “I think my mom is referring to me teaching the preschool and kindergarten Sunday school classes at church,” she explained, shrugging one shoulder.

  Teaching preschool and kindergarten. Those were pretty good credentials, as far as Will was concerned. As long as she didn’t press Genevieve too hard on spiritual matters, she might really be the help he needed.

  If she wanted to help him. Considering the way her mother appeared to be pushing him on her, Will wasn’t so certain about that fact.

  The bell rang over the door and everyone turned at once. Two women—one with windswept brown hair and green eyes, the other with long, straight blond hair pulled back in a ponytail—whirled into the place like a couple of dervishes on a mission.

  “We came as soon as we heard,” the blond said, flicking her ponytail as she made her way straight for Will. “This must be the handsome guy you texted us about. And an ex-soldier, no less. Whew!”

  Will looked at Samantha. She’d texted her friends about him? Maybe she wasn’t as put off by his appearance as she’d first appeared to be. In any case, she was definitely embarrassed now. Her face was bright scarlet, the poor woman, at
the uncomfortable spot her friend had just placed her in.

  Of course, they’d placed him in as equally tight a spot.

  “My name is Alexis Granger. Very glad to meet you,” the blonde purred, holding out a hand for him to shake. She had a firm grip, not one of those faint finger-shakes so many women were fond of. She was dusty and dressed for riding, and Will could smell what he guessed must be horses, a distinct and peculiar scent to which his nose wasn’t accustomed.

  It wasn’t bad, exactly. Just different. And it was just one of a million and one ways he’d discovered so far today how dissimilar Serendipity was from the big-city and military lifestyle he’d known in the past.

  “I’m Mary,” the brunette said with shy nod. “Welcome to Serendipity.” At least she didn’t invade his personal space, although there was no doubt that she was eyeing him appreciatively. Between Samantha’s two friends, Will was starting to feel like the candy in that jar Samantha was holding.

  “I’m William Davenport,” he said, shaking Mary’s hand. Her grip was softer than Alexis’s, more delicate. “Please call me Will.”

  “Will is going to be staying in Serendipity,” Samantha explained. Her voice sounded high and strained to Will’s ears.

  Both of her friends exclaimed in delight and high-fived each other. Didn’t they realize he was standing right here watching them?

  Hello. Still in the room.

  Mary and Alexis circled Samantha and launched into a garble of speech, but it was difficult for Will to make out what they were saying—and not because they were speaking in whispered tones.

  Oh, no. Quite the opposite. They were chattering away like chickens in a henhouse, their voices high and staccato. Samantha held her hands up in protest and rolled her eyes.

  Didn’t these people ever have visitors in their town? Or was it just the fact that he was a presumably single man that piqued their interest?

  If that was what they were excited about, they were in for an enormous disappointment. Will wasn’t the least bit interested in a relationship here in Serendipity. He was here to work, and to get to know his little girl—and that was it.