"I am, but you don't have to feed me."
"I have plenty. It's just turkey sandwiches and fruit."
"Where's Ash?"
"She's putting on some new clothes. I hope you don't mind. We went into town, and she really wanted to go into this kid's boutique, so we did some shopping. I probably way overstepped, but—"
"You didn't." He cut her off with a shake of his head. "I'm happy she found something she liked. I've taken her shopping a few times, but I couldn't get her interested."
"I think she's starting to come out of her shell."
"I hope so."
Ashlyn ran into the room, wearing the yellow and white sundress and her new sandals. She stopped abruptly when she saw her dad, worry in her eyes as she waited for his reaction.
"Wow," Jeremy said. "Who is this beautiful little girl?"
A smile tugged at Ashlyn's lips. She didn't want to respond to her dad. She didn't want to show that she cared, but she did. The wall between Ashlyn and Jeremy was beginning to crack, and Mia felt a knot of emotion grow in her throat as she watched the silent exchange that passed between them.
"You look like your mother," Jeremy continued. "Justine was beautiful, just like you. Who did your hair?"
"Mia," Ashlyn said out loud.
Jeremy sucked in a quick breath at the verbal answer. Then he looked at Mia with gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you. I am terrible at even getting her hair into a ponytail. I know she's been frustrated with me."
"Well, I'm sure you haven't had a lot of practice. We found the jeweled bobby pins in the studio earlier. We had to put them to use." She paused. "Why don't you both sit down at the table? I've got lunch ready."
"Can I help?" Jeremy asked.
She handed him the bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. "More berries, but they are in season."
"They look good." He took the bowl to the table, and she brought over the sandwiches.
"What else did you do today?" Jeremy asked
"We took care of all my errands. We made copies of the sketches for the coloring book party. Then we stopped at a glass shop, and Ashlyn picked out a beautiful angel that she can show you later. After that, we went by the Eckhart Gallery and I had a very productive conversation with Didi Eckhart. She's interested in the collection I'm putting together."
"You accomplished quite a bit."
"Ashlyn was very good company, too," she said, giving the little girl a smile.
Ashlyn smiled back at her as she munched on her sandwich.
"How did your therapy go, Jeremy?"
"It was all right. I was still a little stiff from yesterday, so I don't feel like I made as much progress."
"Maybe you're pushing yourself too hard."
"You sound like my therapist. He wasn't happy to see me two days in a row, but he gave me some time."
"If you go too fast, you might actually set yourself back."
"That's what he said. But I know how hard to push myself. I've had to make it through some grueling challenges in my time. Sometimes it's just about how much you want it."
"But not always," she said. "You can't will this injury away. Not everything is in your control."
He frowned. "I know that; I just don't like it." He pushed his empty plate aside and glanced at his daughter. "You must have been hungry, Ash. I've never seen you eat a whole sandwich before."
Ashlyn didn't say anything.
Mia sighed, hoping that Ashlyn wasn't already heading back into her isolated world. It was as if her father's words had reminded her that she'd let down her guard for too long. She'd really hoped that Ashlyn would start to let Jeremy into her life the way she'd done with Mia. Maybe the two of them needed an outing.
"Darn," she said aloud.
Jeremy gave her an enquiring look. "Something wrong?"
"I just realized that I'm supposed to bring some dessert to the party tonight and I forgot to pick it up while I was in town. I heard there's a really good bakery—Sugar and Spice. I was going to get something there."
"I know the place. It's actually run by a woman I went to school with, Lauren Jamison. Actually, it's Lauren Murray now. She's married to Kara's brother."
"You probably know a lot of people here," she murmured, thinking that she kept forgetting that Jeremy had grown up in Angel's Bay.
"I've been gone so long, I doubt many would remember me."
"I doubt that's true. You're not a man easily forgotten."
He smiled at her words. "I like the sound of that. Why don't I pick up the dessert for you? I have to run into town anyway. I need to go to the ATM."
"An assortment of anything would be great. Ashlyn could probably pick out some good desserts for me."
"What do you say, Ash?" he asked. "Want to run an errand with me and help Mia out?"
Ashlyn hesitated, not looking too thrilled by the idea of going with her dad.
"I want to make sure your dad gets the best cookies," Mia told Ashlyn. "And I don't think he eats very many cookies, so he needs your help. Plus, wouldn't it be fun to go into town in your new dress?"
Ashlyn nodded.
"Great," Jeremy said, getting to his feet.
"I really appreciate it, Jeremy. Ashlyn, why don't you get the shopping bag and take it back to your house so you don't forget," she suggested.
As Ashlyn left the room, she said, "We also bought shorts and a T-shirt, plus the glass angel."
He nodded with approval. "Ashlyn looks as happy as I've ever seen her, not that she wants to show me that anything has changed."
"She's fighting it hard," Mia agreed.
"Why do you think she's so resistant to letting down her guard with me? What am I doing wrong?"
"Nothing. She wants to love you. She wants to let you in. I think she's afraid. It's not just that her mother died; it's that she doesn't know where you suddenly came from, so she doesn't trust that you'll stay. If she doesn't let herself like you, then it won't hurt as much when that happens."
"I'm never going to leave her. I've told her that, but I don't know how to get her to really believe me."
"It's going to take time. She's stubborn. I think she might have inherited that trait from you."
He tipped his head. "Quite possibly."
"You don't have to solve everything today. Go into town, get my dessert and walk around a little. When we were on Main Street earlier, I saw there was going to be a kids' musical performance in the park this afternoon. You might want to check it out."
"That sounds like a good idea. But I have a better one."
He walked forward, and before she could guess his intention, his arms were closing around her and his mouth was on hers.
Her eyes closed as she savored the seductive taste of his lips and inhaled the musky scent of his aftershave. She liked the way he took possession of her mouth with need and determination, not that she had any thought of refusing what she wanted as much as he did. But the sound of footsteps broke them apart, and she jumped back as Ashlyn returned to the kitchen, shopping bag in hand.
"Ready?" Jeremy asked Ashlyn, a brisk note in his voice.
"You can go out the back if you want," Mia said, leading them through the adjoining family room to the sliding glass doors.
Ashlyn left the house first, Jeremy lingering behind.
"To be continued," he said.
"We're supposed to be just friends."
He smiled. "I thought you were going to stop doing what you're supposed to do."
He had a point, but she hadn't intended on making that step with him. Thankfully, he left before she had to work too hard to come up with an answer.
Ten
At seven o'clock Wednesday night, Mia entered the Angel Heart Quilt Shop with her coloring book patterns and a bakery box filled with two dozen assorted cookies. Jeremy and Ashlyn had dropped the dessert off in the late afternoon. Jeremy had stopped in long enough to tell her that the music in the park had been a great idea, that they'd run into Kara, who had her two c
hildren and two nieces with her, one of whom was Ashlyn's age, and Ashlyn had actually left his side to sit next to the kids.
She was thrilled that the outing had turned out to be a positive experience, and she'd actually gotten a fair amount done while they were gone.
Tonight, however, she was not going to think about the rest of the work waiting at the house. She was excited to meet her aunt's friends.
"Mia?" Kara called with a welcoming wave. She came down the wide staircase at the side of the store. "I'm glad you got here a little early. Charlotte and Lauren are already here. The older crowd should be arriving soon."
"Is this the infamous quilt my aunt told me about?" Mia paused by the foot of the stairs to look at the glass display case on the wall. Inside was a colored, somewhat tattered quilt, each square lovingly sewn by a different person.
"Yes, it is." Kara came down the stairs to join her. "I'm sure she told you that the town was developed after a shipwreck off the coast. The survivors who made it to the bay each made a square in honor of the people who were lost, the angels watching over the bay. That's where the town got its name. While some people eventually left, a lot stayed right here, wanting to be close to their lost loved ones. I had ancestors on that ship, and you'll find out that a lot of the people in this town have bloodlines dating back to those survivors."
"It's really cool," she said, her love of history making her want to know more. "My aunt told me some stories when I was a teenager. Now, I wish I'd paid more attention."
"If you're really interested, you can go by the library. You'll find lots of books by local writers on the shipwreck and the legends, and the miracles that have occurred since then. But you'll have to leave that for another night. Come on up and meet my friends."
"I really appreciate you hosting this party," Mia said, as they climbed the stairs.
"I'm happy to do it. And I'm also happy to have a little break from my children and my nieces who are visiting for a few weeks."
"Jeremy told me he ran into you at the park."
"He did. I can't quite believe he's a father now. I never really saw him in that role, but he's good with Ashlyn, and she's rather challenging."
"She is."
"He told me a little about her history; I'm glad that he came home to raise her. He'll find a lot of support here."
She didn't think Jeremy considered Angel's Bay home, but she let the comment pass. "Is your husband watching your kids? I thought he was part of the boys' night out at Murray's Bar."
"He is. My neighbor is watching all the kids. They're going to have a blast, so I don't feel in the least bit guilty."
As they entered the large multi-purpose room, Mia took a look around. There was a cozy seating area in one corner, with four loveseats surrounding a large rectangular table. The other side of the room had sewing machines set up on tables and what appeared to be a lot of quilting supplies. Three large circular tables filled the middle space and a long buffet table was set up against the wall with platters of food and bottles of wine and cans of soda.
Two women were chatting by that table, a pretty blonde and an attractive brunette. Both appeared to be in their late twenties, early thirties.
"This is Mia Callaway," Kara said, taking her over to the women. "This is my sister-in-law Lauren Murray and my good friend Charlotte Adams—I mean Charlotte Silveira," she added with a laugh. "It's not that I forget that you're married now—you're just always Charlotte Adams in my head."
"I know," the blonde said, extending her hand. "So lovely to meet you, Mia. Your aunt was a patient of mine. I'm an OB/GYN. She often brought me a trinket from one of her trips, but as pretty as those were, I enjoyed her stories even more."
"Your aunt also knew my father," Lauren interjected. "She was kind enough to visit him when he got Alzheimer's. He would spend a lot of time in my bakery, sipping tea at the table by the window, and she used to come in and chat with him. She'd remind him of the things he'd forgotten. He liked that. I was really sorry to hear of her passing. She was too young."
"She was," Mia agreed. "But she died having the time of her life, so what more can any of us ask for?" She set her box of baked goods on the table. "I think these came from your bakery, Lauren."
"I recognize the box, but I don't remember selling them to you."
"My neighbor and his little girl picked them up for me."
"Jeremy Holt," Lauren said with a nod. "That man has only gotten better with age."
"I'll say," Charlotte put in. "He's more handsome than ever and quite the hero. Kent told Joe that Jeremy saved his life."
"That wouldn't surprise me," Kara said. "Jeremy always stuck up for people."
"That's true," Lauren said. "He punched Randy Hawkins in the nose after he bullied a little kid in middle school. Jeremy didn't even care that he got detention for that. He said it was worth it."
Mia liked hearing stories about Jeremy, especially such positive ones. She thought he was a good guy, but it was nice to hear people who'd known him longer confirm that feeling.
"So you're living next door to him?" Lauren asked, a speculative gleam in her eyes. "Is he dating anyone?"
"I haven't seen any women around, but I've only been in town a short time."
"I doubt he'll lack for company," Charlotte put in.
"He seems more interested in just being a good father to his daughter," Kara said. "Although, he is going to Murray's tonight to shoot pool with the boys, so who knows what trouble they'll get into?"
"Joe said that Kent is trying to talk Jeremy into joining the police force here. Joe is my husband," Charlotte added for Mia's benefit. "He's the chief of police."
"I can't imagine he'd find Angel's Bay exciting after what he's been doing," Lauren said.
"You never know—he might be ready for a change," Kara interjected. "Do you know his plans, Mia?"
"I only know that he said he has some decisions to make."
"What happened to his daughter's mother?' Lauren asked curiously.
"She was killed in a robbery. Jeremy didn't know about his daughter until after her death." She hoped she wasn't speaking out of turn, but she didn't want these women to think that Jeremy had neglected his child for the last eight years. "Ashlyn has some issues to work through."
"You've gotten pretty close to Jeremy and his daughter," Kara commented, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.
"I don't want you to get the wrong idea; we're just neighbors," she said quickly, although the few kisses they'd shared had been more than neighborly.
"Are you single, Mia?" Charlotte asked. "Is there a boyfriend back home?"
"No boyfriend. I'm definitely single."
"Maybe not for long," Kara said with a teasing laugh. "If your neighbor has anything to say about it."
"You're bad," she said, shaking a finger at Kara's mischievous smile.
"Ignore her. She likes to matchmake more than just about anything else," Lauren said.
"I'm only here for a few weeks, so there's no time for matchmaking."
"It doesn't always take long," Kara said. "But let's open the wine and sit down."
"Already open," Charlotte said, pouring three glasses.
"You're not drinking?" Lauren asked as Charlotte passed the glasses to everyone else.
Charlotte smiled. "Not anymore. It wouldn't be good for the baby."
"What?" Lauren squealed.
"Are you serious?" Kara asked in shock.
Mia stepped back as Lauren and Kara took turns embracing Charlotte.
"I couldn't keep the secret any longer," Charlotte said. "I just passed the twelve-week mark, so things are looking good."
"I'm so glad," Kara said. "This is great. I cannot wait for my girls to have a little playmate."
"Is it a girl or a boy?" Lauren asked.
"I'm not saying," Charlotte replied. "Joe isn't sure he wants to know."
"But you know," Kara said.
"I do. Okay, it's a girl."
Mia laughed as Kara and
Lauren squealed again. "Congratulations," she said.
"Thank you. I wasn't going to say anything, and we do not have to talk about this anymore. Tonight is about you."
"Please, it's fine," she said. "A baby on the way is always something to celebrate."
Charlotte nodded, her eyes beaming with happiness. "I wasn't sure it would happen for me. I had a bad miscarriage years ago when I was a teenager, and it scarred me both physically and emotionally, but sometimes miracles happen."
"Especially in this place," Kara said with a laugh. "The angels are always listening." She paused as a group of women entered the room. "We'll talk about this later, Charlie."
"I'm not worried," Charlotte said. "Take Mia and introduce her to everyone. Lauren and I will host the bar."
For the next twenty minutes, Mia felt like she was in a receiving line. Her mind spun with introduction after introduction and she was truly touched by all the wonderful things that were said about her aunt. Carly had truly made a home for herself in Angel's Bay, a place where she was greatly loved by all.
Around seven thirty, Kara decided it was time to start the coloring book party. She asked Mia to explain what they were going to be doing.
"When I started going through my aunt's studio," Mia said, "I stumbled across an envelope of sketches that my aunt was putting together to compile a coloring book for adults, or several coloring books. The patterns are beautiful. There are jeweled peacocks and intricate wheels, wave patterns and ocean scenes, and lots of others. Kara thought it would be fun if I brought copies of the sketches, and we all colored."
"I have markers, colored pencils, and crayons," Kara added. "They're all on the tables. So let's gather round and try our hand at something other than quilting."
Mia sat down at the table next to Kara, her mother, and several other friends while Charlotte and Lauren each took one of the other tables. She could see how hard they were trying to make this a special night for her, and she was rather amazed by their efforts. She was a stranger to them, but they'd already made her feel like a friend.
If I Didn't Know Better Page 12
