“Did you always want to strike out on your own?” she asked.
“I was much happier doing certain jobs than others,” he said. “I learned that working with a large construction company meant I always had to listen to the boss before I could make decisions and dive into a job.”
“And now?”
“Now I have to listen to my sister Julie who does the scheduling.”
Maurie laughed.
“But really,” he continued. “I can’t complain. I make more money now, and I have more time to myself. I can set my own schedule and take off holidays if I want to. That’s especially important when Trent’s with me.”
Gwen returned, asking if they wanted dessert. Maurie declined, and Grant asked for the bill.
“Being with you is different,” he said when they were waiting for the check.
Maurie stared at him. “How?”
“You’re…” Grant held her gaze. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
Her face heated. “Is ‘different’ good, or bad?”
“Oh, definitely good,” he said with a smile.
Now she blushed.
“Maybe it’s because I knew you as a kid,” he said. “And all these years, I’ve wondered about you.”
She found herself smiling. “It’s hard to believe you still remembered me.”
“Here’s the thing,” Grant started. “I need to make a confession. And I don’t know if you’ll even want to see me after. I was going to wait until I finished with your house.”
“What is it?” Maurie asked, a hard knot forming in her stomach.
Gwen appeared with the bill and thanked them for coming. Grant added a tip to the receipt and signed it, and then he stood and held out his hand toward Maurie.
She wasn’t sure if her heart was pounding because Grant had taken her by the hand again and was leading her through the restaurant, or if she was nervous about his “confession.”
Once outside, he steered her toward the outside gardens that were strewn with lights. They walked along the frozen paths, and finally Grant said, “All right, here it goes…”
Chapter Eight
Grant slowed his step, glad the night wasn’t as cold as it had been lately. Maurie looked beautiful in any setting, but outside with the lights twinkling around them she seemed ethereal. It was all he could do not to stop and pull her into his arms and kiss her. The memory of their earlier kissing was still fresh in his mind. And he’d actually liked that she seemed a bit jealous of the attention other women had given him. Not that either of them meant anything to him.
But he couldn’t hold to his decision not to tell her about his role so long ago. He now knew that he had to tell her before anything more happened to progress their relationship.
“What’s going on, Grant?” She tugged him to a stop and looked up at him.
Why did her eyes have to be so beautiful, and her lips so inviting? His heart hammered with a combination of anticipation and fear. He exhaled. “First, I need you to know that when I said that I’ve been wondering how your life turned out, it wasn’t just because I was curious.”
A slight smile touched her face.
“I was worried, actually,” he said, looking away for a moment.
“You’re a sweet man, Grant Shelton,” she said, moving closer.
He didn’t move away. In fact, he grasped her other hand. “Don’t say that,” he insisted in a quiet voice. “I… your last night in Pine Valley, I was on my way to your house. I was going to invite you to the high school dance.”
Her lips parted with surprise.
“I wasn’t going to do anything fancy. Just knock on your door and actually talk to you.”
She laughed, but Grant couldn’t make himself join her.
“It was probably about 9:30 at night, and I knew it was late for a school night, but the lights were on at your house.”
Her face sobered, and Grant’s heart rate sped up.
“My mom’s party…”
“Yeah,” Grant said. “The music was loud, and there were a few cars in front of your house. I figured they were your mom’s friends. So I waited a while, trying to build up my courage. I didn’t really want to face a bunch of people when I tried to talk to you.”
Maurie nodded her head slowly.
“But then…” Grant looked down at their clasped hands. Surprisingly, he was no longer cold. He felt too warm. “As I started up the walk, the front door burst open, and a man came stumbling out. Your mom was right behind him. Yelling at him for cheating on her. She threw a beer bottle at him.”
Maurie’s face had gone still.
Grant had to continue, get it all out. “The man ducked, but then he turned back around and charged after her, cursing. I think I was in shock, and I didn’t really know what to do. I could only think of you inside that house and being hurt by that man, or even your mom.” He paused. Maurie was looking down. Tears had dripped onto her cheeks. “So, I called the cops. By the time they came, everyone else had gone home. I was watching from the other side of the street. Things were calm again, so maybe I’d jumped the gun too fast.”
Maurie released his hands and wiped at her cheeks.
His eyes burned with his own tears, and he looked away. “I had no idea that you’d be taken from your home and put in foster care. And I didn’t intend for your mom to get arrested.” He blew out a breath and rubbed his face. “If I could go back, I wouldn’t have called. I feel like because of me, your whole life was turned upside down.”
Maurie was quiet for a moment, and then she said, “My life was already upside down.” She was looking at her twisting hands, and Grant wished he knew what she was thinking.
“Sorry.” She wiped at her cheeks again. “I just need some time to digest this all.”She seemed to be thinking about what he’d said, but she’d also stepped away and wasn’t looking at him. She started walking through the frozen garden, Grant following, and after a few minutes, he said, “We can get in the car, it’s getting pretty cold.”
Maurie didn’t say anything more, and the drive home was very quiet. It wasn’t until they reached her neighborhood street that she said, “Thanks for dinner. The food was great.”
He felt relieved that she was at least speaking to him again. He pulled into her driveway. “You’re welcome,” he said, glancing at her to gauge her expression. He couldn’t read her eyes. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier about what happened that night.”
She reached over and placed a hand on his arm for a brief moment. “You did what you thought was best. And I’ve learned more than anyone that we can’t change the past. We can only go forward.” The last few words came out shaky, and she opened the door before he could say anything more.
He opened his door to walk her to the porch, but she hurried up the walk and slipped inside before he could get his feet on the ground.
For a long moment, he stared at the house, his heart heavy and his throat thick. He knew he’d done the right thing by telling her. He wished things between them hadn’t been so fragile. He drove home, feeling like he’d just shed a warm coat and was standing in the middle of an icy blizzard.
Over the next two weeks, he saw very little of her. Truthfully, they crossed paths only a handful of times when he arrived at her house to work and she was on her way out the door to work at her shop. Their conversations were short and never referred to their last date. As far as he knew, and overheard between Maurie and Taffy when he heard them talking in the house, the closing paperwork for the shop had gone well. And Maurie and her friend were busy setting things up. The shop’s grand opening was scheduled for the Friday before Valentine’s, and he’d offered to help them move things in. But they’d arranged to pay a couple of neighbor kids who were looking for some extra cash.
So, Grant had kept his head down and worked, hoping that it wouldn’t be too much longer before he and Maurie could at least clear the air between them. But on his final day working on her house, they hadn’t
spoken privately. Everything said between him and Maurie had happened with Taffy near enough to overhear.
At least Taffy had stopped her teasing and was behaving normally toward him now.
Grant checked the time. It was well after 7:00 pm, and he’d been finished for almost an hour. He’d checked and rechecked all of his work. He’d cleaned up everything and loaded his tools in his truck. But there’d still been no sign of Maurie or Taffy since they’d left earlier in the day.
Maybe he could run by the store, see if they needed help, and let Maurie know he was completely finished with her house.
Outside, he was slipping off his tool belt and setting it on the passenger seat of his truck when his phone rang. Joy. Surprise shot through him.
“Hello?” he answered.
Joy’s breathless voice cut in. “Stone’s taking me on a surprise Valentine’s getaway,” she said. “Can you pick up Trent for the weekend?”
Grant wasn’t sure if he heard right. He’d been counting down the days until the first week of March and Trent’s Spring Break. “This weekend?” It was Thursday night.
“Yes,” she said. “We’re leaving first thing in the morning, so tonight would be best. I don’t want to have to deal with him in the morning.”
Grant’s mind spun. “Uh, I need to switch to the SUV, and then I can head over.”
“Great,” Joy said. “He needs to be home by Sunday night, 6:00 sharp. I want to make sure he gets a good dinner in him and full night’s sleep for school the next day.”
“All right,” Grant said. It was completely last minute, but he wasn’t going to complain. He could bring Trent along to his job that started tomorrow.
“Oh, I hope you didn’t have Valentine’s plans,” Joy said. “Well, if you do, I guess Trent will be a third wheel.”
“I…” He hadn’t even thought of making plans. Valentine’s Day was Saturday, but it wasn’t like he was dating anyone. At all. It would just be him and Trent.
By the time Grant arrived at Joy’s condo, he was met with a very sleepy Trent. Grant pulled the little guy into a tight hug. Trent started to squirm and make fake choking sounds. “Lemme go, Dad.”
Dad.
It felt good to hear it again in person, and Grant realized how much he missed it. With hardly a glance at Joy and Stone, who looked as if they’d just returned from a high dollar fundraiser, which they probably had, Grant lead Trent to the SUV and buckled him in.
The kid fell asleep about ten minutes into the drive. Grant couldn’t be more grateful for this stolen weekend with his son, and it almost made up for the disaster with Maurie. Almost.
Chapter Nine
Maurie couldn’t sleep. The grand opening for Every Occasion’s storefront was in a few hours, and although she and Taffy had finished the final touches on the shop the night before, Maurie’s thoughts were like a merry-go-round.
And it hadn’t helped when she’d arrived home at 10:00 pm to find her house completely finished and cleaned up. Grant had left a handwritten note.
Maurie,
Sorry I missed you tonight. I hope everything meets to your satisfaction. If not, please let me know. Best of luck with the grand opening. Julie will be getting the invoice to you in the next couple of weeks. No rush on payment.
Grant
Maurie had sunk into the kitchen chair after reading it the first time. Then she read it through again, this time paying attention to the strong, masculine handwriting that reminded her of the man behind the pen. She’d spent the last two weeks working through what he’d told her after their dinner. And she really didn’t blame him for calling the police that night… and it was all in the past, anyway.
But she’d struggled with how to reconcile herself to the fact that Grant had seen how desperate her situation had been. Strangely, she was embarrassed. Although the therapy she’d received had taught her to be open about her challenges, and to face them head-on, Grant’s confession had made her feel vulnerable. She’d found it easier to avoid him for a couple of days, rather than admit to her thoughts. And then the days had turned into another week, then two weeks. She’d kept busy, but her heart grew heavier by the day. She missed Grant and what had been budding between them. Plus, Grant deserved an explanation and not the cold shoulder she’d been giving him.
So, with the digital clock in her bedroom glowing 4:05 am, she got out of bed, drew on her robe, and went into the kitchen. She made herself a steaming mug of hot cocoa, and then sat down to write to Grant. This way she couldn’t put it off any longer, and she couldn’t keep chickening out.
Once her letter was written, she bundled into her car, let it warm up for a few minutes, and then drove to his place. It wasn’t hard to find his work truck in the parking lot, and she hoped no one would take the letter. She placed the envelope beneath the driver’s side windshield wiper. Thankfully, the sky was clear and the wind was nonexistent. Barring a sudden storm or a curious passerby, the letter should stay safe until Grant saw it.
Her heart pounded at the thought of him reading her words, reading her own confession, but she forced herself to walk away and drive back home.
Hours later, when she and Taffy drove to their corner store, the rear seat of Maurie’s car stacked with ten dozen donuts to give away to grand opening customers, they were shocked to find no less than fifteen people lined up outside the shop’s door.
“Are they here for us?” Taffy squealed.
Maurie gave a numb nod.
“Oh. My. Heck!” Taffy continued. “My fliers worked!”
Maurie laughed at that, as a thrill buzzed through her. The small crowd looked to be a mixture of locals as well as the touristy ski bunnies.
They drove to the rear parking lot and parked in the last available slot, then entered the rear door. It was still thirty minutes before opening, but Maurie told Taffy, “We’re opening early. I’ll get the hot cocoa machine heating up.”
Taffy flipped on all the lights, then sauntered to the front door and unlocked it. “Come in, come in! Free hot chocolate and donuts. And don’t miss out on the 50% off coupon we’re offering today. Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, folks!”
Maurie could only grin at Taffy’s enthusiasm, as Maurie set out the donuts on a side table she’d decorated the night before with all things Valentine’s. Then Maurie greeted the customers, too, one by one, introducing herself and what her store was all about.
The morning sped by, and soon it was nearly 2:00 pm Several customers were browsing when Maurie told Taffy, “You can take a break if you want. Why don’t you grab us a couple of sandwiches from the café down the street? Ham and Swiss on country sourdough sounds good.”
Taffy looked around at the milling customers. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Maurie flashed her a smile. She was more than exhausted, but she also needed to eat. So did her friend. “And maybe a Diet Coke.”
“Got it,” Taffy said. “I think I have a sugar headache from too many donuts.”
Speaking of donuts, there was only one box left, a testament to the number of visitors they’d had. It was amazing, really. Maurie folded the two empty boxes on the table. She checked the contents of the hot cocoa machine.
“Uh, Maurie,” Taffy said, “you might want to change your lunch order.”
Maurie looked over to see a man entering the store. He was tall, broad, with familiar brown hair. He was holding the hand of a little boy who was carrying a large sack with “Main Street Café” printed on the side. In the man’s other hand was a bouquet of red roses.
“Grant,” Maurie said, not realizing she’d spoken out loud until the little boy spoke.
“Is that her, Daddy?”
“Yeah,” Grant said, his eyes locking onto Maurie’s. His expression was wary, perhaps even vulnerable.
One of the customers approached Maurie, but Taffy intervened, and soon it was just Grant and the kid who had to be his son and Maurie standing at the refreshment table.
“Can I have a donut?” Trent
asked, tugging on Grant’s hand.
“Sure,” Grant said, not taking his gaze from Maurie’s.
“Did you get my letter?” she asked, her voice a whisper.
“I did.”
“Daddy, can I have hot chocolate, too?”
Grant smiled at his son. “Sure. And I can promise, it’s really good.”
“Are you Trent?” Maurie crouched down and held out her hand.
“Yep!” Trent said, shaking her hand as if he considered the exchange very formal. “We brought you lunch, and my daddy got you flowers for Valentine’s.”
Maurie’s heart hitched. Goodness. “The flowers are beautiful, and thanks for bringing lunch, too. You can have as much hot chocolate as you want, although I like to call it cocoa.”
“Cocoa?” Trent said with a shrug. “It’s the same thing, though, right?”
“Yes.” Maurie straightened.
“Aren’t you going to give her the flowers, Daddy?”
Grant’s face flushed, and Maurie smiled.
He cleared his throat, and said, “So, I was wondering if you had plans tomorrow— for Valentine’s Day. I mean, I’d love to take you out after the shop closes, but it would be the three of us.” He looked toward the front of the store. “Except if Taffy wants to come, too. Then it would be four of us.”
“Unless you’re too tired,” Trent piped up. “My dad said you’ve been working a lot, and that opening a store is a super big job.”
“Well,” Maurie said, looking down at Trent. “I have been working really hard.” She looked back up to Grant. “But I’d love to go out with both of you.”
“Good,” Grant said.
Maurie didn’t miss his pleased expression, and she didn’t miss the longing she saw there, either. It made warm tingles travel through her entire body.
“And these are for you, in case you were wondering,” Grant said with a wink, holding up the roses.
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