by Mary Manners
“Yeah, that’s Moe.” Wyatt watched her fall to her knees and lift the chocolate lab mix from the wood floor. “All fourteen, furry pounds of him.”
“He’s so cute. But how? Where? When?”
“Extinguish your flamethrowers and give me a minute here.” Wyatt laughed as Kami nuzzled Moe to her chest. The puppy squirmed and whined, burying his muzzle in her neck. “I made a visit to the animal shelter this morning. Moe and I found each other. The bond was instantaneous—love at first sight.”
“You saved him.” Kami kissed Moe’s fur and Wyatt couldn’t help wishing those lips would wander his way. “But I’m still mad at you.”
“Why? Because I sent you flowers?”
“Because you’ve made me, despite all odds, fall in love with you.” She jabbed an index finger into his chest. “And I don’t like the feeling—not one little bit. I’m sure I’ll like it even less when you take off for New York again.”
“I’m not going to take off again.”
“And to top it all off, you introduce me to this little guy. That will only make it harder. And—” She paused for a breath, his words registering. “What did you just say?”
“I’m not planning to leave, Kami.” He took a step toward her, pressed a palm to her warm cheek as Moe squirmed between them. “I plan to stay right here in Clover Cove to help Mom and Reese run the nursery—and to win you over to my team.”
“I didn’t…well, I didn’t expect that.”
Wyatt leaned in, sidestepping the puppy, to claim her lips. The kiss was light, gentle and filled with the heady promise of more. “I’ll bet you didn’t expect that, either.”
“No.” She stepped back, her gaze glossed with surprise, and pressed a finger to her lips. “I don’t know, Wyatt. I can’t think. It’s too much, too soon.”
“Take your time, then.” He inched toward her, claimed her lips once more, then her temple, before settling along her brow. “I’m not going anywhere.”
****
Kami’s head was spinning with an overload of emotions. Her heart, full and pulsing, felt as if it might burst with every breath. Potted daffodils on the counter beside the register reminded her why.
Wyatt.
“Kami, sweetie, I’d like a splash of coffee.” Mrs. Baker held up her cup, waving it like a white flag of surrender in an attempt to draw Kami’s attention. “And another basket of those delicious garlic knots should hit the spot, although my waist says otherwise.”
“Coming right up.” Kami took Mrs. Baker’s cup, set it on the table, and filled it to the brim. “Are those new earrings you’re wearing? They’re lovely.”
“My daughter-in-law, Susan, sent them from Milwaukee for my birthday. She has impeccable taste, owns her own boutique.” One hand went to her fleshy lobe. “I was touched that she remembered. Susan’s always been a sweetheart. You remind me of her, you know.”
“Thank you. That’s really a sweet thing to say.”
“Just stating the truth as I see it. I’ve noticed that Wyatt Cutler’s been coming around lately. Good to see he’s home. Nice man, but restless. He’s got an eye for you though, yes he does.” She winked. “Just be careful, you hear?”
“I’m always careful, Mrs. Baker.” Kami took up the empty bread basket. Indeed, careful seemed to be her middle name. But, where Wyatt was concerned, she needed all the caution she could muster. She’d fallen in love with him, but that didn’t mean he felt the same for her. Words came easy, the actions that backed them up, not-so-much. Time would tell, but in the meantime, she plastered on a smile. “Don’t you worry about that.”
Kami turned from the table as the bell over the entrance door chimed and Hattie Cutler came through, carrying a mesh bag sporting Cutler Nursery’s emblem.
“Hattie, it’s so good to see you.” Kami gave her a quick hug, allowing the scent of Shalimar to enfold her. “What can I get for you?”
“I came to see your dad. He phoned the nursery a while ago, looking for fresh herbs. I brought him over a few containers from a delivery that just arrived—some parsley, thyme and rosemary from the greenhouse, along with a few others.”
“He’s in the kitchen. Would you like me to take them back for you?”
“No, I’ll go myself. Thank you, dear.” She started that way. “You go ahead and take care of Mrs. Baker. I know how impatient that woman can be, bless her heart.”
“How did you know—?” Kami turned back at the telltale clack of a spoon against wood. “Ah, yes…there it is.”
Hattie laughed. “Like I said, I’ll bring this to Anthony while you take care of Alice Baker. We’ll meet back here in a few and share a slice of apple pie a la mode, how’s that?”
“Sounds heavenly.”
“Yes, it certainly does.”
10
A memory wrestled through Wyatt’s subconscious. His head snapped up as, in his mind, the shriek of an emergency siren grew closer. Lights flashed along with the wail, flooding the nursery’s office in a patchwork quilt of reds and blues.
In the nightmare, Reese skidded through the office door, his dark hair flying. “Wyatt—come—quick. Something’s up at Pappy’s.” His voice was a cluster of staccato gasps.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Mom just went over to bring some herbs to Anthony, and now an ambulance rushed into the parking lot.”
The thought of Kami pushed all else from Wyatt’s mind. Was she hurt? Did she need him?
Fear had stabbed Wyatt as he yanked reading glasses from the bridge of his nose and tossed them onto the desk blotter. Of course, whatever had happened, Kami needed him. The feeling nudged like Moe’s cold, wet snout. He shoved back from the desk and matched stride with Reese as they hurried from the nursery to cross the road.
The dream muddled as footsteps slapped tile, bringing Wyatt up to the surface of consciousness. His eyes snapped open while his pulse raced, and for a moment, he was unsure of his surroundings. The incessant beep of a heart monitor was a rude reminder. His gaze fell on Anthony Moretto, tucked beneath a sheet in the hospital bed.
Exhaustion had finally claimed Kami’s father, resulting in a heart attack. Everything indicated the attack was mild. Thank God for that single adjective—mild. It could have been a lot worse, devastating.
Fatal.
Wyatt sucked down a breath, his sinuses revolting at the sharp sting of disinfectant, as his mother stepped into the room carrying a trio of foam cups filled with coffee.
“Here, son.” She offered him one, set one on the bedside table, and kept the third for herself.
“Thanks.” Wyatt shifted in the seat, suddenly aware that his right arm had gone numb. One glance told him why—Kami was nestled in the vinyl hospital chair beside him, sound asleep. Her head lolled against his shoulder, cutting off the circulation.
“With all the medication pumped into Anthony, he’s sure to sleep through the night.” His mother stepped to the bed, gingerly adjusted Anthony’s sheet to cover his shoulders. “You should take Kami home. The poor girl is exhausted. Just look at her.”
Wyatt glanced Kami’s way, and his heart broke for her. Tears stained her cheeks as wisps of dusky hair curled around her face. Her breathing was shallow, labored with riddled dreams. He longed to take her pain on as his own, to shoulder it for her.
“She’ll sleep now, too.” He smoothed a hand over her cheek and shifted her from his shoulder. “I think she cried herself out.”
“Yes, and rightly so. She’s been under more pressure that any young woman should have to deal with, lately. Her father, so hard-headed…”
“He reminds me of you.” Wyatt grinned tiredly, yawned and stretched. “Two peas in a pod.”
“Pish posh.” His mother waved him off and shifted gears. “Reese locked up the nursery, made the night drop, and stopped by your house to pick up Moe and take him home for the night. That little guy is a cutie. I think Reese has fallen in love.”
“Seems to be par for the course.�
�� Wyatt shifted, grimaced at the painful, burning tingle as blood began to course the length of his arm once again. He tossed back coffee with his other hand. “You didn’t happen to run into Anthony’s doctor out there, too, did you?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
“But he couldn’t release any information to you since we’re not family, right?”
“Oh, not so fast. I have my ways.” She winked. “He’s waiting for more test results, but everything indicates the attack caused minimal damage.” She nodded toward the bed where Kami’s dad rested. The color had begun to return to his cheeks, yet his eyes were still ringed in dusky shadows. “He’ll most definitely have to make some changes, slow down a bit at the very least. But he’ll live to bake another pan of lasagna, toss another pizza crust. He’s lucky…” Her voice broke as it trailed off. She slipped into a plastic chair Reese he’d dragged in from the waiting room hours ago. “So much hurt.”
“Don’t cry, Mom. It’s going to be OK.”
“This just brings back memories.” The tears came then in spades, making her gasp. “When I saw poor Anthony, lying on the pizzeria’s kitchen floor, it brought back a wave of…so many memories.”
Wyatt set down his cup and rose from his chair, crossing the room to wrap his arms around her. A log jam of emotions broke loose. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you. I’m so sorry I let you and Reese down at the nursery. I had no idea how hard it was for you both, all that time I was away. I didn’t think—”
“Stop.” His mother nudged him back, her eyes blazing. “Don’t you dare, Wyatt.” She brushed a hand over her face, smudging the tear streaks. “Don’t you ever regret following your dreams. There’s a danger in lost opportunities, in letting them drift by with little or no regard for the passage of time or the burning of chances. At one time, New York was your dream. Maybe it still is. I don’t know. But there’s no shame in following your heart or in doing what fills your spirit and makes you happy. Your father certainly did that. I did that, too, and Reese is surely walking that path, as well. We all have to make our choices—and our future. Just because they don’t always mesh doesn’t mean any are wrong or less worthy.”
“Right. Of course.” Wyatt nodded. His gaze settled on Kami, and he suddenly knew with all of his heart, felt one hundred percent certain, of what his choice was—and his future.
He loved her.
“You should go home now, Mom. I’m staying here with Kami, where I belong. I’ll hold down the fort here and if anything changes, I’ll call you.” He leaned in, kissed her cheek. “Tell Reese to give Moe a goodnight hug for me, OK?”
****
Sunlight spilled through the blinds, filling the stark hospital room with a measure of warmth. Kami crossed to the bed, adjusting the serving table across her father’s midsection. Cinnamon filled the air as she stirred a bowl of tepid oatmeal.
“It’s not so bad, Dad.”
“It’s horrible.” He wadded his napkin and tossed it onto the tray. “I want scrambled eggs and bacon, a cup of coffee that’s got some kick to it, not this watered down tea and congealed blob of putty.”
“I see you’re feeling much better already.” She handed him a spoon. “The quicker you eat, the quicker you get out of here.”
“Well, when you put it that way…” He took the spoon, dipped it and brought it to his dried lips. “I guess I can choke down a bite or two.”
Kami scooted onto the foot of the bed. “We need to talk.”
“You mean you need to talk.”
“You’re not making this easy.” She patted his shin. “Please, Daddy.”
“OK.” He swallowed, grimaced, and eyed the food on the tray as if it were a lethal enemy. “I’m listening.”
“Things at the restaurant have to change. I don’t want to lose you.”
“Lose me? You make me sound like a set of car keys.”
“I’m not kidding. Last night…well, it scared me terribly.” Her eyes, even now, felt gritty from lack of sleep. Her jeans were wrinkled, her blouse creased, and her hair a mass of waves that had come loose from the braid she’d woven yesterday. She hadn’t been home in over twenty-four hours, having kept vigil at the hospital, at his bedside.
With Wyatt.
The thought leapt to her head, and Kami realized how much it meant to her, having Wyatt at her side. He’d gone down the hall just minutes ago to phone Reese and check on Hattie and Moe, leaving her alone for the first time since he’d driven her to the emergency room, blazing a trail behind the wailing ambulance.
“I need you, Dad, and I’m scared to death of losing you. If you want me to keep helping at Pappy’s there are going to be changes and adjustments to the routine. Otherwise, painful as it may be, I’ll walk.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I would, and I will.” Tears burned her eyes, turning the stark, white walls to a blur. “I can’t do it anymore, Dad. I can’t watch you shut everything—everyone—out as you work yourself into a grave.”
“Is that what I’ve done?”
“Yes it is.”
An analog clock on the wall marked the passage of seconds and Kami held her breath, waiting, hoping, for a change, however subtle, to begin.
“I had no idea.” Her father’s voice, low and raspy, held a hint of understanding. “I’m so sorry. I never meant…”
Tears spilled over as she reached for his hand. “It hurts so much, to see you like this and to watch you every day, so sad, and feel powerless to help you.”
The room seemed to inhale as the walls closed in.
“Well, then…” Her father tossed his spoon on the table. “I suppose I can handle a few of these adjustments you have in mind.” He pushed the bowl of congealed oatmeal across the narrow table and drained the cup of tea with a scowl. “Anything for my daughter—and a decent plate of eggs.”
11
The grind of an engine signaled the arrival of a delivery truck as Wyatt crossed the lot of Cutler Nursery. He watched the vehicle round a corner, its flatbed trailer filled with pallets of river rock Reese needed for the commercial job he’d recently contracted. Business was in full swing as June approached with an onslaught of mild, clear weather.
“Maybe I should stay behind, help you get this unloaded.” He said to Reese as Moe followed at his heels. The dog had tripled in weight, and was well on his way to eating Wyatt out of house and home. “It’s an awfully huge load.”
“No problem. Mitch will help.”
“How’s he working out?” Wyatt bent to give Moe a pat on the head. He reached into his pocket for a Milk Bone biscuit, tossed it Moe’s way. The dog scampered, skidded, and fell on the snack before wrestling it into his jaws.
“Great. He plans to work full-time through the summer and then part time as we need him, after his classes start at the community college this fall.”
“Perfect. Good.” Wyatt made a mental note to give the kid a raise as he watched Moe devour his treat. Good help was hard to find, and it appeared they’d hit the jackpot in Mitch. “Do you want me to bring you anything from Pappy’s?”
“A thin-crust Italian sausage and mushrooms with a slice of pecan pie.”
“Got it.” Wyatt tapped the side of his head, filing the information for retrieval later. “I’ll be back by the time you’ve unloaded that flatbed beast. I’m taking Moe with me so he won’t get underfoot.”
“Good plan. Give Kami my regards and tell her congrats on Pappy’s grand reopening.”
“I will.” Wyatt whistled and waited while Moe scrambled to his side, panting with excitement. He leaned down, pressed a hand to each side of the mutt’s drooling snout. “Go for a walk, Moe? You want a garlic knot?”
Small bursts of dust billowed up as Moe’s tail thumped the ground. His head tilted to the side as an earsplitting whine rose from his throat.
“I guess that’s a yes.” Wyatt grinned. “Let’s go.”
****
Kami watched Wyatt cross the street, Moe l
oping merrily at his side, and her heart launched into a double-time rendition of the Charleston as they neared. Wyatt was whistling a tune—she could tell by the way his lips pursed while his head tipped slightly to the side. It was probably a country song, as she knew he was fond of that genre of music. The furrow that had become so familiar along his forehead, signaling distress, rarely showed anymore. Instead, his voice often soothed away her worries as his gentle touch calmed fears of what the future might bring.
It was obvious, from the way he buried one hand in Moe’s fur while he offered her a slight wave through the polished display window, that he was happy. So was she…happier than she’d been in months.
Today was a new beginning—the grand reopening of Pappy’s Pizzeria. Every table and booth in the restaurant was filled with well-wishers who’d stopped by to join in the festivities. The new menu, reworked and designed by Kami herself, offered a streamlined selection of patron favorites developed over the years. While a whiteboard in the foyer displayed the daily special, a single cut daffodil, placed in a crystal vase of water, adorned each table and booth.
The daffodils had been Hattie’s idea, a gentle nod toward the memory of Kami’s mother. Hattie had carted them over early that morning, and had spent a good deal of time in the kitchen, chatting with Anthony. For the first time in nearly a year, Kami heard the rumble of her father’s laughter. It warmed her straight to her heart.
Now, aromas mingled in a perfect blend of Italian spices as Anthony oversaw a pair of hired cooks as well as the master pizza maker—Fred. Kami, in turn, supervised the servers, including Jada, who’d become much more of a team player when faced with the prospect of losing her job. Now, Kami had to admit that Jada was one of the most hard-working and dependable employees.
She turned back to the front window and saw Wyatt give Moe the command to stay out front. He waited while his beloved mutt curled beneath the shade of a Bradford pear, then turned and strode to the entrance door. The overhead bell chimed as he passed through and into the restaurant. And that, Kami thought, was something that hadn’t changed—a pair of things, actually, that she didn’t want to change. Both the bell and Wyatt were a part of all she loved, and not necessarily in that order.
