Connor worked for the family real estate and construction business with their dad and brother. Will and their father were great businessmen, and Connor was more hands-on with the construction side of things. With his amazing talent for building and creating things, Connor was the only person in the family who could relate to Brendan’s artistic passions.
Connor stuck a spoonful of cereal in his mouth and sat in the oversized recliner across from Brendan. “Did you drive all night? You weren’t out in the rain were you?”
Brendan peeled his arm from the sticky leather armrest of the couch. “I rode into town right when the storm hit and stopped at the café to get out of the rain.”
Connor poked at his cereal with his spoon, but his eyes cut up to Brendan. “Beth Kearn’s diner? You stopped by Beth’s before you stopped here?”
“Well, I didn’t know it was Beth’s restaurant when I stopped there.” But boy, it had been great to see her.
Connor nodded, looking unconvinced. Mischief flickered in his brother’s eyes. “So you weren’t rekindling an old flame?” he asked with a grin curling on his lips.
Brendan tapped his boot against the wood floor. “No. I wasn’t rekindling anything. Do you and Beth talk much?”
Connor set his cereal bowl on the thick wood coffee table. “A little. She and our sister-in-law, Cassie, are close. They worked at the camp together before Beth quit to reopen the café.”
The church camp was located deep in the canyon outside of town. Once Brendan had convinced Beth to sneak into the camp pool after the campers and counselors were in their cabins. “I didn’t realize she’d worked there,” Brendan said, doing his best not to show that talk of Beth left him reeling. Through the years he’d never stopped thinking about her.
Connor nodded. “She ran the cafeteria. She’s great. Practically part of the family.” Connor’s eyebrows rose. “Cassie gives the impression you two didn’t leave on the best terms.”
Brendan shrugged. “No. I’d say we didn’t.”
A silence passed as Connor crunched on his cereal. Brendan stood and walked over to a framed Ansel Adams photograph leaning against the wall. The corner of another familiar photo stuck out behind it. Brendan crouched and pulled out one of his own photographs in a sleek black frame. “Where’d you get this?”
Connor pointed at it with his spoon. “I saw it in the magazine, and I liked it, so I made a few calls. It’s pretty cool that my brother is a big-name photographer.”
Brendan sat back on the couch. “Really? Thanks,” he said, flattered that his brother followed his work. “How’s the family business?”
“It’s good,” Connor said. “Everybody will be excited to see you. You’re still going to be my groomsman, aren’t you? You don’t have to go back to work?”
Brendan had interviewed for a job with the London AP bureau, but no matter what happened, Brendan wouldn’t miss another wedding in his family. “Absolutely. How do you think Will is going to react?”
When Brendan had left Wyatt Bend without saying good-bye or telling anyone where he was going, it left a crack between him and his youngest brother that had never been mended. When Brendan didn’t show up for Will’s wedding, the crack became a canyon that couldn’t be crossed.
“He’ll come around,” Connor said.
Connor had always served as the peacemaker of the family. Even though Brendan, Will, and Connor were all close in age, Connor and Will had the strongest bond. Somehow Brendan had always filled the role of the outsider. “He’ll come around? That doesn’t sound good.”
Connor scrubbed his unshaven chin with his hand. “He wasn’t thrilled when he found out I asked you to be in the wedding.”
Brendan had been shocked himself when he’d received the e-mail from Connor. Their relationship had never been as difficult as things with Will, but he hadn’t seen his brother in years, and Connor’s loyalty had always been to Will.
Connor popped up from the chair. “You’ll stay here tonight. Then I guess you’ll have to stay at Mom and Dad’s with me.”
Brendan stood up. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll stay in the apartment above the diner.”
Now he had to figure out a way to convince Beth of that.
Connor cocked his head. “Are you sure about that? I know Mom would love to have you at their house.”
The familiar urge to run tugged in his chest. “I’m sure she has company coming in for the wedding. I’ll be out of the way at the restaurant.”
Connor gave him a crooked smile and slapped an open palm on his back. “It’s good to have you back, brother.”
For Brendan, being back in Wyatt Bend hit on a raw place he thought he’d buried.
Beth’s foot jiggled as she waited outside the high-school principal’s office. In the past year, she’d spent more time in this office than she had ever spent in it during her own high-school years. If she didn’t get back to the restaurant soon, she’d never be ready for the dinner crowd. As soon as things had started to slow down from lunch, she got the call from the school.
Beth let out a deep sigh. Chase knew this was an important day for her, but he couldn’t manage to stay out of trouble. Beth missed their grandmother, too, but she didn’t go around picking fights.
The door to the office opened. “Miss Kearn. You can come in now.” Mrs. Lowry, the school’s principal, had her black hair clipped up in a neat twist.
Beth stood, and Mrs. Lowry gave a sympathetic smile as Beth passed by her.
Chase sat slumped in a wooden chair across from the desk. He didn’t look at Beth as she sat beside him.
Instead of sitting on the other side of the desk like she usually did in these meetings, Mrs. Lowry walked to the windows above the low bookshelves that lined the wall. She pulled a cord, and the blinds zipped open.
“Unfortunately, we’re back here again,” Mrs. Lowry said. “I thought Chase and I had an understanding about the fighting after the last scuffle, but obviously he didn’t heed my warning.”
Beth’s gaze moved between Mrs. Lowry and Chase, but neither would turn toward her. “I’m sorry about this. I’m sure this will be the last time it happens. Right, Chase?”
Chase didn’t move.
Beth turned in her chair and looked at her brother. “What happened? Why would you get into another fight?”
He stared down at his shoes.
She leaned forward to see Chase’s face. A bandage ran above his eyebrow, and a faint blue bruise made a line across his cheek. “What started it? Did someone say something to you?”
His eyes rolled back, and he turned to face the wall. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes it does,” Beth said, her voice getting louder. “You never used to get into trouble like this. What’s going on with you?”
The disappointment at Chase’s silence pressed down on Beth’s shoulders. She looked to Mrs. Lowry for help, but the tight lines across her face were unforgiving.
Mrs. Lowry crossed the room and leaned against the desk in front of them. She placed one black pump over the other. “I’ve given Chase enough chances. A fight with another student in the middle of the hallway is completely over the line.”
Mrs. Lowry pushed her silver-rimmed glasses up on her nose. “He’s suspended for a week.”
Beth leaped out of her seat, but her legs threatened to fail her. “Suspended? No. He can be a good kid. Give him another chance.”
Mrs. Lowry stood from where she leaned on the desk. “You’re lucky I’m not expelling him. If there is a next time, I won’t be so easy on him.” She turned to address Beth’s brother. “Chase,” Mrs. Lowry said in a steady voice. “Please wait in the hall while your sister and I talk.”
Chase stood without a word and left the door open when he walked into the hallway.
Mrs. Lowry pressed it closed. “I’ve given your brother as many chances as I possibly could. I know you two have a unique situation, but I can’t have him getting into fights. I have other students to look after.”
&
nbsp; With the restaurant open, the coming week would have been crazy even without having to deal with this. “Wait a minute. That means Chase won’t be able to play in Friday night’s game.”
Mrs. Lowry nodded.
Football was one area where Chase thrived. She hated that he’d messed that up, too.
“He may not have been able to play anyway because his grades are nearing the academic-probation level,” Mrs. Lowry said.
How could that be? Chase was a smart kid who spent hours reading in his room. Beth clasped her hands together on her lap. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Miss Kearn, your brother has to pay the consequences for his actions,” she said as if reading Beth’s thoughts. Mrs. Lowry crossed her arms. “I’ve already let him know he won’t be playing this week.”
Beth looked up at her. “How did he take it?”
“He didn’t say much,” Mrs. Lowry said.
This was what always happened when he was upset—he shut down. He’d be tough to deal with for the next few days.
Beth shifted. “I know he shouldn’t fight, but he has been through so much.”
Chase and Beth had ended up with the short end of the stick when it came to parents. Their dad had never been in the picture, and their mother moved around a lot, always living with a different boyfriend. When Chase was five, their mother married a guy who didn’t want kids, and Chase moved in with Nana.
Even though Beth barely had been making ends meet working as a waitress in Oklahoma City, Beth had offered to let Chase live with her, but Nana had insisted that he needed the stability of her home. Eventually Beth took a job at the camp to be closer to both Nana and Chase. Beth and her mom hadn’t spoken much since then. Beth could never understand how a mother could pick a loser like her new husband over her own son.
Beth shook her head at the principal. “You don’t understand. He’s confused right now.”
“Which is something else I wanted to talk to you about.” Mrs. Lowry pressed her lips together. “Chase isn’t dealing with his grief properly. I think you need to take him to a counselor. He needs someone to talk to so he can work through those emotions.”
Beth wanted her brother to talk to her, but every time she mentioned their grandmother, he shut down. “I know. You’re right.”
Mrs. Lowry leaned in close. “This kind of trouble can lead to bigger problems. He assaulted another student. The boy’s parents could file charges against him but assured me they would not. Next time he may not be so lucky.”
Feelings of inadequacy flooded Beth. She was used to failure, but now she was failing her brother. Beth hadn’t figured out how to manage her own life, much less how to get Chase’s on track. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to fix it. I’m his sister, not his mother.”
Mrs. Lowry sat in a leather desk chair. “That’s why I think you should go with him.”
Beth froze. “You want me to go to counseling?”
Mrs. Lowry’s eyes widened. “If you don’t start making these issues with Chase a priority, he’s never going to respect you. You two need to learn how to communicate.”
Beth gripped her hands together. “I understand, but I just opened the restaurant. I don’t know if now is …”
“Beth,” Mrs. Lowry said, her voice firm. “You’re both going to be in for a rough road the next three years if you don’t get a handle on the problem now.”
Mrs. Lowry slid a piece of paper across the desk. “Here’s a list of family counselors in the area. I want to follow up with you next week. On your way out, stop in with the receptionist and set another time to meet with me. I want to help you.”
Beth couldn’t let the offer offend her because Mrs. Lowry was right. Beth didn’t know what she was doing when it came to Chase.
Beth looked at her sports watch. If she didn’t get started on prep work for dinner, she’d never be ready in time. “And what am I supposed to do with him for the rest of the week? I’ll be at the restaurant every day.”
Mrs. Lowry looked at Beth over her glasses. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
Chapter 3
At Canyon Café, Brendan held the glass door open for a petite woman carrying a paper bag out of the restaurant, but his eyes searched the dining room for Beth. He took in a deep breath to quiet his racing mind. He needed to convince Beth to overcome her suspicions of him enough to let him stay in the apartment upstairs, but their history didn’t give Beth any reason to want to help him.
“Thanks,” said the woman as she moved the bag to the other arm.
Before Brendan could close the door behind him, the woman stopped and took two steps backward. Her squinted eyes studied his face.
Brendan froze with his hand stretched out beside her, still holding the metal door handle. Had he dated her in high school? He braced himself for an awkward conversation.
She leaned back, and a grin sharpened the corners of her lips. “You’re Brendan Overman?”
Brendan winced. He didn’t recognize the cute woman in the cargo pants and green shirt. He stepped out to the sidewalk and let the glass door close behind them. “I’m sorry. You’re …”
She put her free hand up to her chest. “I’m Cassie Overman. I’m married to your brother Will.”
He stood in stunned silence, face-to-face with Will’s wife. Guilt for not knowing his own sister-in-law pricked at the back of his neck.
Brendan had purchased a plane ticket to fly home for Will’s wedding, but he got a last-minute offer to take a big assignment.
The truth was that it didn’t have anything to do with the assignment. Brendan had chickened out. He’d dreaded seeing this place again. Wyatt Bend held so many painful memories.
Brendan closed his mouth and swallowed. “Cassie. Wow. I wasn’t expecting to run into you.”
A sincere smile spread across her face, putting Brendan at ease. “In a town as small as Wyatt Bend, you can’t expect not to run into someone.”
A laugh broke free from Brendan’s lips. Cassie had a point. He reached for the bag. “Can I carry that to your car?”
She pressed her lips together. “Actually, that would be great. Thanks.”
The paper bag crunched as he took it from her arms, and the smell of food from Beth’s restaurant wafted up to his nose.
“Were you getting something to eat at the café?” Cassie asked. Her eyes rolled back in exaggerated delight. “The pies are amazing.”
Brendan patted his stomach. “I had a slice of coconut meringue for breakfast.”
“Ah.” Cassie widened her big brown eyes. “You’re my kind of guy. I miss eating Beth’s cooking at the camp every day.”
Brendan moved the bag to the other arm. “I stopped by the café to talk to Beth.”
Cassie’s expressive eyes gave him a knowing look. This woman he’d just met knew as much about his past as anyone. She’d heard the stories from every side.
She buried her hands deep in her pockets. “Beth wasn’t in the restaurant,” Cassie said. “Tammy told me she had to take care of something to do with Chase. Said she’d be back soon.”
Cassie pointed to a four-wheel-drive pickup parked farther down the square. “That’s mine, over there.”
Brendan’s eyes shot from the vehicle to his brother’s wife. He already liked this woman. They strolled together down the sidewalk by the shops and offices as the farm trucks and minivans buzzed by them.
Brendan cleared his throat. “I think it’s great you and Beth are so close.”
Cassie stopped. Her firm expression turned up to him. “I love Beth like a sister, and she’s going through some tough times right now. She’s getting this restaurant off the ground and raising her teenage brother. I don’t want anything to hurt her.”
Brendan shook his head. “I would never want Beth to get hurt either.”
She gave a solid nod and kept walking. Brendan endured Cassie’s warning and fell into step beside her. She stopped in front of the big truck with an empty car s
eat and faced Brendan. “So does Will know you’re in town?”
Brendan handed Cassie the grocery bag. “I don’t think so. I got here last night. I was hoping to see him soon. I haven’t even had a chance to see Mom and Dad yet.”
She opened the truck door and hoisted the large bag inside. “We’re having a barbecue at our house tomorrow night. Why don’t you stop by? You’ll get to meet your niece.”
Abby would be there, and she’d already be a year old now. A dull ache in Brendan’s chest reminded him of everything he’d already missed. “I don’t know. I don’t think Will would want me there.”
Cassie fixed her hands on her hips. “It’s for my birthday, so I get to make the guest list. I can take care of Will.”
The no-nonsense look in her eyes told Brendan she was good at convincing his brother to do things her way. Brendan ran his hand over the back of his neck. “I wouldn’t want to cause any problems on your birthday.” Cassie’s chin tilted up toward him. “Neither would Will. It would be the perfect chance for you two to see each other again.”
It wouldn’t be perfect, but it might be his only option right now.
Cassie opened the door to the truck and stepped up into the cab. She dug through her console. “Here.” She shoved a piece of lime-green card stock into his hand. “It’s an invitation to the party. Think about it.”
Beth’s white knuckles gripped the steering wheel while Chase sulked in the passenger seat. He hadn’t said a word on the drive from the school. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Chase, you know we need to talk about this.”
He kicked at his backpack under his feet. “Why?”
She sat up straighter, proud she’d gotten him to speak. “I want to know what happened. What was the fight about?”
He was silent.
“Chase?”
He huffed. “I told him to back off, but he wouldn’t let it go.”
Her gaze bounced between the road and Chase’s dark expression. “Wouldn’t let what go? What did he say?”
“Forget it.”
Beth waited for more, but he didn’t speak. “I really want to know. You can talk to me.”
Canyon Weddings Page 31
