At least the café part of her dream.
The tables made everything look different when she walked in. As she approached one, she noticed that Nelson had improvised on the plain surface design they’d agreed upon. One of her hands came to her mouth as she ran the fingers of the other over the carved and painted wildflowers around the edge of one table.
“These are beautiful,” she said as Nelson came to stand beside her.
“The flowers were Brady’s idea.”
She shifted her gaze to Brady and found him standing off to the side looking uncharacteristically awkward as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Maybe she’d been worrying about his leaving for no reason, letting paranoia get the better of her. More likely, he’d suggested this design before he’d known about her mother’s arrest and her own part in the aftermath.
“Thank you. I love them.”
Brady smiled and nodded. It wasn’t the type of smile he’d given her after they kissed at the creek, but she’d take it over a frown any day.
After a morning of working with the guys who’d arrived to repair the waterwheel, Audrey stepped inside to where the new air-conditioning cooled her skin. She walked into the kitchen where Nelson and Brady were cleaning up the last of their carpentry mess. The gleam of the new appliances reminded her of the breakfast Brady had cooked for her using them. Then she remembered the meal she’d promised them several days before.
“I believe I owe you two a meal. How about tonight?”
Nelson leaned back against the counter. “Sounds good to me. We’re about finished here and I’ve got to tend to some business in town, so I’ll catch up with you two later.”
With Nelson’s departure, awkwardness invaded the kitchen.
“You don’t have to cook for us,” Brady said as he washed his hands then wiped them on a wad of paper towels.
“I want to. You and your dad have done so much for me, in so short a time.” She edged closer to him. “I’ll have to think of some special way to thank you for the tables.”
“It was nothing.” He shrugged. “Made sense if you’re going to put those flower pictures on the walls.”
She wanted him to wrap her in his arms, to kiss her as he had the night they’d made love. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head. “No. Just a lot on my mind.”
“About what I told you?”
“Partly. Other stuff, too.”
Hoping she wasn’t making a mistake, she lifted to her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek close to his mouth. As she’d hoped, he inhaled sharply and turned so that his lips met hers.
While it wasn’t as passionate as before, she’d take it. At least he hadn’t avoided the kiss.
Brady ended the kiss and took a step back.
She clamped down on her need to be reassured. With a shaky smile, she stepped back and shoved her hands into her pockets.
“I’ve got to run to Kingsport this afternoon,” Brady said. “Craig and I are presenting a bid to a potential customer, and I need to get cleaned up.”
“This the bid you’ve been working on at night?”
“Yeah.” A half laugh accompanied a shake of his head.
“What?”
“Ironic that the bid is for a big church retreat.”
Audrey suppressed the nervousness that shot through her, tried to act as if this news didn’t affect her, didn’t make her worry that Brady would still decide any contact with her was too risky. Instead, she offered him support. “Sounds like a good opportunity for your company. Good luck.”
“Thanks.” He gave her an intent look, as if trying to determine if she was serious. She held her breath until he nodded. “If we get the job, we’ll have more to celebrate tonight.”
“Right. I’m confident you’ll get it, so I’ll make something extra special.”
He caught her gaze and smiled, really smiled this time. Like he’d let go of whatever had been bothering him. A spark of the magic she’d felt between them a few nights before dissolved some of her fears.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, then kissed her forehead before heading out the door.
Risking some teasing, she slid her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Nelson’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hey, I have a quick question.”
“Shoot.”
“What’s Brady’s favorite dessert?”
BRADY GLANCED AT THE CLOCK as the business meeting went longer than he’d anticipated. He’d have to fly low to make it back to Willow Glen in time for dinner at Audrey’s. But this meeting wasn’t something he could rush. Even though Witt Construction was a longstanding, successful business, the new location still had to prove itself. And that required big projects like Lakeview Christian Retreat.
He and Craig worked in tandem to lay out all the plans and figures they’d been working on during the past few weeks. Thankfully, the Lakeview developers seemed impressed.
“This all looks great,” Harold McReynolds said as he nodded at the plans in front of him. “You boys have got yourself a deal.”
A surge of excitement and pride shot through Brady. He couldn’t wait to tell his dad. Audrey’s face also swam through his mind. Concern about being duped again had caused him to pull back from her since she’d shared the story of who she was with him. But despite his own past, he believed everything she’d told him about herself was true. She’d proven herself over and over with her hard work and kindness to his family.
McReynolds insisted on a round of celebratory coffees, so by the time Brady was able to free himself he was obviously going to be late to dinner. Still, he hurried out the entrance to the restaurant and ran right into someone.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said as he steadied the woman and took a step back. His eyes met Ginny’s.
Seeing her again knocked the wind out of him. She was still beautiful with her coppery hair and bright green eyes, but revulsion marched side by side with the physical appreciation.
“Brady,” she said, her widened eyes and fidgeting with her purse telling him her surprise ran as deep as his. “It’s been a long time.”
Not long enough. “Yes.” He glanced at the man standing next to her in a possessive stance. It wasn’t Shawn.
“Brady Witt, this is Cole Brandicott, my husband.”
Brandicott looked as if his bank account fit his name and his expensive suit. Poor sucker. Brady bit down on the violent desire to spill everything he knew about Ginny and her gold-digging ways, but the desire to get away from her overrode the urge. Plus, he heard Craig approaching with the Lakeview guys behind him and had no desire to be forced to make introductions between Ginny and his new clients.
He nodded at Ginny’s husband and said, “Excuse me. I’m late for an appointment.” He didn’t even meet Ginny’s eyes again as he exited and headed for his truck. She didn’t deserve one more moment of his time.
Despite his desire to get to Willow Glen, he didn’t steer in that direction. Instead, he found himself following the series of streets that took him back to the office. Once in the parking lot, he turned off the truck’s engine and stared at the dark building, then ran his hand over his face. Ever since he’d left Willow Glen earlier in the day, one thing and then another had conspired to keep him away. And what were the chances of running into Ginny in Kingsport? Last he’d heard, she had moved to Knoxville. And to see her tonight of all nights. It almost felt like a sign, a warning that he was in danger of following the same ill-advised path he had before.
He slammed the base of his palm against the steering wheel, then got out of the truck and stalked inside. What was the use of going back to Willow Glen now, anyway? He’d be really late, and he was in a foul mood. Not exactly great dinner company.
He stared at the phone and wished it would make the call for him.
AUDREY HAD SPENT her afternoon in a whirlwind. Tomorrow she’d likely make plans to visit her mother, but tonight she wanted to wrap herself in the b
eauty of this new life of hers. The café, her friendship with Nelson, the way her heart swelled when she thought of Brady. Tonight she’d enjoy their company. Tomorrow she’d deal with the not-so-beautiful parts of her life.
She ran back and forth between the kitchen and her loft, alternating between preparing the special meal of salmon with lemon-pepper sauce, marinated baby vegetables and Asian spinach salad, and making herself look as nice as possible. To mark the beginning of what she’d decided to call the Willow Creek Café, she slipped into a filmy summer dress printed with wildflowers and a pair of pink sandals. Putting her hair up into a loose knot showed off her dangling pink earrings.
A quick glance at her clock had her zipping back downstairs to give the meal the final touches and set it on the table. Her heart rate quickened when she heard the truck pulling into the drive outside. Her smile faded, however, when she stepped out onto the porch and saw that Nelson was alone. To his credit, he’d brought her a multicolored bouquet of flowers that she recognized from the Glen Grocery.
“Why, thank you, kind sir,” she said with forced happiness when he reached the porch and extended the bouquet to her.
“Pretty flowers for a pretty lady. I talked to Brady halfway through his meeting. He said he’d probably be running a little late and he’d join us here.”
She relaxed as she led the way inside so she could put the flowers in water. She filled an old Mason jar she’d found in the loft then cut the flowers’ stems to fit. With the arrangement in the middle of the table, everything looked perfect.
Nelson sat at the table and surveyed the room. “Everything looks great. I think it’s going to be a big success.”
“I certainly hope so. I couldn’t have done it without you and Brady.”
“It was nice to have something to do.”
Audrey looked at Nelson’s profile, saw that he was thinking about his wife again. “You miss her a lot, don’t you?”
“Every moment of every day.” He took a deep breath then let it out. “I think if I hadn’t been able to work here, I might have lost my mind.”
She reached over and squeezed his hand. “Then I’m glad I had loads for you to do.”
He chuckled a little. “Betty would have liked you.”
“I’m sure I would have liked her, as well.”
“I think I know someone else who likes you, too.”
Audrey blushed and pulled her hand back to her lap.
“And based on your call earlier, I’d say the feeling is mutual,” Nelson said.
“I only wanted to do something nice to thank him for the flowers on the tables.”
“Uh-huh.”
She swatted at him. “Hey, since when is Cupid an old guy who wears Red Wing boots?”
“Who you calling old?”
She made a dramatic show of looking in every direction before her gaze landed on him again.
“You sure are a sassy thing.”
“And you love it.”
To keep the food warm until Brady arrived, Audrey placed it in the oven. Then to pass the time, Nelson helped her hang the wildflower pictures around the room. When they hung the last one, of the Rue Anemone she’d shot during her canoe trip with Brady, tears filled her eyes.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I just can’t believe it’s really happening.” She directed her hand around the room to indicate the realization of her dream.
If only all aspects of her life were as wonderful as this moment, she’d be able to breathe easily and be totally happy. But maybe she was being overly selfish and asking for too much.
That thought reverberated in her head more often as the minutes ticked by and Brady didn’t arrive. The doubts about their budding relationship resurfaced, and it became harder and harder to ignore them.
When her cell phone rang, she hoped it was Brady saying he was almost there.
“Hey,” he said when she answered.
“Hi. Are you getting close? I’ve kept the food warm.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be able to make it. Our meeting ran long, and I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
Audrey’s heart sank at the distance in his voice. “Oh, okay.”
“Sorry to call so late.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said past the lump in her throat. “I understand.”
She hated herself for doubting his words, but she’d been down this road before. Even so, she had a dear friend in her new home, a scrumptious meal she’d cooked and a lot of positive things to celebrate—even if some things in her life still threatened to shred her heart.
She ended the call and forced a smile in Nelson’s direction. “Looks like it’s just me and you tonight. Think you can handle dinner on your own with a sassy gal?”
For a moment she feared Nelson was going to ask her to elaborate on the call, but thankfully he simply grinned and said, “Sassy and the prettiest girl in Willow Glen.”
Considering how she’d hoped the evening would go, Audrey had a better time than she expected. She and Nelson found lots to talk about, but as the conversation wound down she noticed him looking at her with sympathy in his eyes.
“Wow, I think my day is catching up with me,” she said as she pushed herself to her feet. “If you don’t mind, I’ll send the dessert home with you.” She hurried off to the kitchen before Nelson could say anything. Once a wall stood between her and Nelson, she let her fake smile drop away and gave herself a mental pep talk.
You barely know Brady. So you had sex one time. What is that? Not exactly a promise of lifelong commitment. You knew the risk when you took it.
She’d hold her emotions together until Nelson left. Then she’d have a good, long cry before pulling herself up by the proverbial bootstraps and getting on with her life—a new life that despite heartbreak held a lot of exciting possibilities.
With the lemon pie in her hands, she returned to the main room. “Maybe you two can dig in to this after Brady gets back.”
“Audrey—”
She held up a hand. “There’s no need to explain or apologize. I’m a big girl. Plus, we’re the lucky ones. We got to enjoy our dinner instead of working all night, right?”
Nelson stepped forward and gave her a hug. “Thank you for dinner. Based on what my taste buds are saying, this place is going to be a huge success.”
“Thanks.” She planted a kiss on his cheek and kept the smile on her face until he drove away.
For the next few minutes, she cleared the table, washed the dishes, basically anything that could delay going upstairs. Being alone up there was worse than being alone down here. Soon she’d have customers filling this lower level, but when she went up to bed at night she would still be alone.
After finishing in the kitchen, she walked through the dining area, running her fingers over the carved flowers on the tables. She’d have to cover them with circular pieces of glass before opening, but for now she wanted to feel the evidence of Brady’s thoughtfulness.
He wasn’t a bad person, and part of her didn’t blame him if he was having second thoughts about getting more involved with someone who came with so much baggage. Still, it hurt. It surprised her how much his actions caused her heart to ache, how quickly he’d come to mean a great deal to her.
When she couldn’t put it off any longer, she climbed the stairs. The loft, however, felt cavernous and lonely. She sank into the chair and let her thoughts wander. As the minutes ticked away, she came to the conclusion that in order to go forward, whatever her future might hold, she had to make peace with the past. And that meant going to visit her mother.
She wouldn’t sleep a wink tonight anyway, so she went to her closet, pulled out her suitcase and started packing. That completed, she called the airline.
“Yes, I need to book a flight for tomorrow morning, the earliest one you have from Nashville to Denver.”
If she couldn’t sleep tonight, she might as well spend the next several hours
driving halfway across the state to catch a direct flight. Hours when she could think, hours to plan, hours to prepare herself for what awaited her in Denver—and when she returned to Willow Glen.
BRADY’S EYES BURNED as he stared at the blueprints spread out in front of him. The sound of the door opening startled him.
“What are you doing here?” Craig asked as he stepped inside. “Aren’t you supposed to be having dinner with Audrey?”
“Change of plans.” Brady returned his attention to the blueprints and realized he’d been staring at them for who knew how many minutes without even seeing them.
Craig stalked across the room until he was standing in front of Brady. “You’re the biggest damn idiot I’ve ever met. You let seeing Ginny screw with your head, didn’t you?”
“I just have work to do.”
Craig cursed. “You have got to let your…baggage, or whatever the heck shrinks call it, go. So Ginny did a number on you. It’s over. Move the hell on. Audrey isn’t like Ginny.”
Brady’s fists clenched. “How do you know?”
“Because she doesn’t have dollar signs flashing in her eyes. Come on, man, what are the odds you’d hook up with two money-hungry women in one lifetime? Besides, it’s not like you’re freaking Bill Gates or something. You ain’t that rich.”
The words sank in, past all the stupid doubts. His father and sister had said similar things to him over and over, but it took his best friend confronting him about his warped view on things to make it click.
“Besides,” Craig said as he flopped in a cushy chair in the corner, “if you don’t hurry up and get with this woman, I’m going to sweep her off her feet.”
Brady narrowed his eyes at Craig before surging to his feet and toward the door. As he drove back to Willow Glen, he felt like he’d been up for three straight days. He hated that he’d talked himself into missing dinner with Audrey, but he hoped she’d forgive him and maybe invite him in for some leftovers.
And then, maybe, they could spend the rest of the night together. Just talking if that was what she needed. He rubbed his hand over his face, not quite able to believe how often he thought about her, how much he wanted to be near her when he wasn’t.
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