by Cindy Kirk
“I did a pregnancy test.” The fact she could keep her tone matter-of-fact encouraged Lindsay to continue. “When it was positive, I went to the doctor.”
Almost of their own volition, her lips curved into a smile. Hearing the tiny beating heart had been a miraculous event.
“I’m due in late March.” As Owen only continued to stare, Lindsay licked her suddenly dry lips. “I got pregnant in July.”
Something flickered behind Owen’s eyes. He had to be thinking back to the big Fourth of July celebration. That night, the fireworks hadn’t been confined to the waters over Green Bay.
She’d had a sinus infection. Because the doctor had warned of the decreased efficacy of low-dose birth control pills while on antibiotics, they’d used a condom each time they made love.
Except that night.
They’d barely made it into his house before they were tearing off each other’s clothes. Despite the urgency, their lovemaking that night had seemed to hold an extra sweetness.
It had been as if they’d both known that some kind of change was coming and wanted to hold on to the happiness of the moment with both hands.
Not long after that night, he’d abruptly ended their relationship.
When the silence lengthened, Lindsay broke it. “I thought you deserved to know.”
If Owen had thought he’d latched the door behind him, a sharp gust of wind proved him wrong, flinging it open with a bang.
They both jumped at the sound, then stared, incredulous, as Ethan stepped inside.
He for a long moment. His curious expression gave no indication that he found anything odd about finding his “date” in a machine shed with another man.
“I wondered where you’d gone.” Ethan glanced from her to Owen. “Am I interrupting something?”
Lindsay slipped past Owen. “No.”
“Yes,” Owen asserted. “Lin, we need to—”
Lindsay doubted her smile reached her eyes. But, heck, the fact that she managed to curve her lips at all was a major accomplishment. “Another time.”
Ethan lifted his hands. “Seriously, if I’m interrupting something—”
“You’re not.” Lindsay shot Ethan a reassuring smile.
When she turned toward the door, Owen latched on to her arm. “Don’t go.”
His voice held a steely edge, but the lost look in his eyes told her he was more upset than he was letting on.
“Owen—”
“Dude.” Ethan stepped forward, his jaw set in a hard line. “Release her arm.”
Owen hesitated, then dropped his hand.
“It’s okay.” Lindsay spoke directly to Owen. “We will talk later.”
When she left the building, Ethan was at her side. Her baby’s father remained behind, his gaze boring into her back.
Lindsay discovered Ethan had come looking for her at Ami’s request. Her friend’s father and new stepmother wanted to extend their compliments and appreciation for the floral arrangements.
“You somehow managed to give me exactly what I wanted when I wasn’t sure what that was.” Lynn gave a little laugh. Her long, elegant fingers fluttered in the air. The strings of white lights overhead sent sparks of color reflecting off the diamond on her left hand.
She looked, Lindsay thought, the way every bride should look on her wedding day—incredibly happy and so very much in love.
Lynn’s silvery-blond curls were interspersed with several glittery pins. Her ice-blue silk dress flattered her porcelain prettiness.
Her new husband had eschewed his favorite khakis and cardigans for dark pants and a silver shirt that matched his wire-rimmed eyeglasses. The adoring look he shot his new wife brought an ache to Lindsay’s heart.
“Thank you for everything you did to make our wedding special.” Steve’s gaze lingered on Lindsay, and concern filled his eyes. A high school teacher for thirty-plus years, and the father of four grown daughters, the man had good instincts.
Lindsay didn’t worry about him asking her questions in front of everyone. After her father died, Steve had made it clear that, while he wouldn’t intrude, his door was always open to her and Cassie. But this problem was one she had to handle alone.
Without thinking, Lindsay found herself stepping forward and placing her arms around him. “I’m so happy for you.”
His hug held on for an extra second as he whispered in her ear, “I’m here for you.”
Lindsay had a smile firmly fixed on her face when she stepped back. She stumbled and was surprised to feel Ethan’s hands on her arms steadying her.
Lindsay had no illusions Ethan was so mesmerized by her that he couldn’t bear to leave her side. No, it wasn’t male interest she saw in those assessing gray eyes, it was curiosity.
Like his sister, Ethan liked having the answers. Right now, he had only questions.
“The flowers were fabulous, Lindsay.” Fin swept up to the foursome, hands outstretched. Since her return to Good Hope and marriage to the town’s mayor, Fin’s sharp edges—developed during a decade in LA—had softened. She took Lindsay’s hands and met her gaze. “Ami told me you’re going into business for yourself. Congratulations!”
Her husband stepped up then, and Fin released her hold to loop her arm through his. She continued before Lindsay had a chance to respond. “We’ll send plenty of Good Hope business her way. Right, Jeremy?”
As an elected official, there were undoubtedly rules Jeremy had to follow. Lindsay could see him searching for a politically correct response when Fin let out a shriek.
“Owen, over here!” Fin motioned to him.
Lindsay’s heart dropped.
Ethan stiffened.
Lindsay had wrongly assumed Owen wouldn’t be returning to the reception. Of course, she’d also assumed telling him she was pregnant in a machine shed was a good idea.
Owen broke stride. He hesitated for only a second before changing course and crossing to them.
“Congratulations again,” he said to Lynn and Steve. His smile was fixed as he nodded to the rest of the group. “Have you seen Gladys? I’m giving her a ride home.”
At Lynn’s puzzled glance, Owen added, “Her son couldn’t make it, so I offered to be her chauffer this evening. She doesn’t like driving at night.”
Lindsay doubted she herself would like driving at night if she was ninety-seven.
Fin’s brows drew together. “She could have come with us and Grandma Ruby. I wonder why Ruby didn’t mention Gladys needed a ride.”
“Maybe Gladys thought she’d be putting us out.” Jeremy tucked a lock of his wife’s hair behind her ear, a gesture that managed to be both sweet and sensual. “Since Ruby is spending the night.”
Fin’s frown deepened. “Why ask Owen? Why didn’t she catch a ride with Katherine?”
“I have no idea.” Owen shoved his hands into his pockets, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
Lindsay shot Fin a sharp glance that clearly said, Back off. Owen was doing the older woman a favor. He didn’t need to be interrogated.
Either Fin didn’t get the message, or she wanted to solve the mystery. For that, she needed facts.
“When did she ask you?” Fin asked.
“Today.” Owen shrugged. “She called about her son’s Cadillac. We’re working on it while he recovers from knee surgery. She asked if I was coming to the wedding. When she found out I, ah, I didn’t have a date, she asked if I’d bring her.”
Lynn placed a hand on his arm. “That was so nice of you.”
The tips of Owen’s ears turned red, the way they always did when he was embarrassed. She knew him so well. Or she thought she’d known him. Her smile faded.
Owen inclined his head. “You called me over. Was there something you needed?”
Fin nodded. “I spoke with Dan, and he said you’re okay with the Mindy’s Closet plans.”
Hands still in his pockets, Owen slowly nodded. “Thank you for thinking of my little girl.”
Emotion thickened his voice, and
Lindsay’s heart went out to him. She knew how difficult it was for him to speak about his daughter.
“Mindy’s Closet?” Ethan stepped into the conversation, inadvertently coming to Owen’s rescue.
Lindsay listened intently to Fin’s enthusiastic description of the program and how it would work. By the time she finished, Ethan wasn’t the only one impressed.
“If you need volunteers to help staff it,” Lindsay told Fin, “please let me know.”
“We’ll definitely be calling on you.” Fin’s gaze shifted over Lindsay’s shoulder, and she frowned. “What do you think those three are cooking up?”
Lindsay turned and saw Katherine, Gladys and Ruby seated at one of the round linen-clad tables. A pad of paper lay on the table before Katherine, who appeared to be taking notes.
“Knowing Katherine and her cohorts”—Ethan’s eyes twinkled—“they’re up to only one thing—no good.”
“I’m glad we decided to do this.” Gladys, former community theater star, tapped a long, red nail against the table while she sipped her gin and tonic. “One can only play so many games of dominoes.”
Though she was the oldest in the group and close to the century mark, Gladys showed no signs of slowing down. She’d given up stage performances last year, exchanging acting for directing one play a year while remaining active in the Cherries.
Her dark hair held a vibrant swath of silver, what her granddaughter referred to as her skunk stripe, and her long, thin face was remarkably unlined for someone her age.
“I never thought I’d find a new career at this stage in my life.” Katherine, a young ninety, adjusted the jeweled bifocals on the end of her nose. Her salt-and-pepper hair was pulled back in her trademark chignon. “I must admit I never considered becoming a matchmaker. Not until Gladys brought it up.”
“Gladys could sell a blind man on a car.” Ruby, the baby of the group at eightysomething, shot Gladys a wink. A petite firecracker, Ruby refused to let any gray, including a stylish skunk stripe, anywhere near her head.
Once she’d passed fifty, Ruby had gone the champagne route, a color close to her former blond and one that flattered her peaches-and-cream complexion.
“Here’s who I have on the list so far.” Katherine, who rivaled Gladys as the most business-oriented of the three, glanced down. “Lindsay Lohmeier. Katie Ruth Crewes. Greer Chapin. Cassie Lohmeier.”
“Four is a good start.” Gladys took another gulp of gin, then glanced across the ballroom. She lowered her voice a half decibel. “Lindsay and Owen make a nice-looking couple.”
“That’s what you said about her and the pastor.” Ruby’s lips quirked up in an impish smile. “We all know how that turned out.”
“They made a nice-looking couple.” Gladys waved a dismissive hand. The way she saw it, no matchmaker hit it out of the ballpark every time. Besides, it wasn’t as if she and her friends had matched the two. “They were ill-suited. Both in interests and sensibility. Owen is a perfect fit.”
“He broke it off.” Katherine’s eyes went dark. “It’s been weeks since they’ve been together.”
“He’s still interested.” Ruby sighed, and her eyes grew misty. “See how he keeps slanting little looks in her direction?”
Gladys decided Ruby was right. “Do either of you know what broke them up?”
The two women looked at each other and shook their heads.
Katherine doodled absently on the page below the names she’d written.
“You need to find out.” Gladys decided it best to turn this reconnaissance work over to her friends.
The pencil stilled between Katherine’s fingers. “Why us?”
Gladys rolled her eyes, an action perfected back in her twenties. “Do I need to spell it out for you?”
“Yes,” Katherine said, and Ruby nodded. “You do.”
Gladys had hoped Katherine would demand an explanation. There was nothing she liked more than commanding center stage with all eyes on her. Playing to her strengths, Gladys lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper and cast a pointed glance at Katherine.
“Your cousin Eliza is one of Lindsay’s closest friends.” Gladys paused to let that sink in before continuing. “You see Eliza and Kyle all the time. You’re in the perfect position to pump them for information about what happened between Lindsay and Owen.”
Gladys shifted her gaze to Ruby, who was eyeing the chocolate truffle on her plate. “Go ahead and eat it. You only live once.”
When Ruby continued to merely gaze longingly at the truffle, Gladys picked it up and shoved it into her friend’s hand. “That heart doctor of yours isn’t God. Cutting down on fats and sweets isn’t an edict from on high. Eat the damn thing.”
“If you insist.” Ruby popped the truffle into her mouth.
“Fin knows everything that goes on in this town, and she and her sisters are close. Ami is also close to Lindsay, so use that to your advantage. And don’t forget Marigold. Go in for a trim. Hairdressers know nearly everything that goes on in a community. Don’t count out Primrose. All the Bloom sisters spend a lot of time with Lindsay.”
Ruby dabbed the last of the chocolate from her lips with the tips of a napkin. “Basically, you want me to shake down the entire Bloom family.”
“You’re practically family. And if you keep in mind you’re doing this to bring happiness to a young woman we all love, it’ll make the prying more palatable.”
“What about you, Gladys?” Katherine’s tone turned teasing. “How will you be aiding the effort?”
“Have you forgotten?” Gladys lifted a brow. Her smile stopped just short of a smirk. “Owen is giving me a ride home.”
Five
“I appreciate the ride.” Gladys forced a cheerful tone as Owen’s pickup bounced down the lane to the highway. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d experienced such a lively ride.
Then again, her Caddy’s suspension was difficult to beat.
“I was happy to help.” Owen sank back into silence for a few seconds, then must have decided that conversation was part of giving her a lift home. “Did you enjoy the reception?”
Gladys hadn’t been born yesterday. She immediately saw through the ploy. Owen hoped to get her talking to divert attention off of him. Normally, Gladys liked to talk, especially about herself. But tonight, she was a woman on a mission.
This wonderful opportunity had nearly been lost. When Eliza had strolled up and told her she could ride home with her, as if it was a fait accompli, Gladys had been forced to rally.
Falling back on lessons learned over nine decades, she’d simply said, “No. Thank you. But, no.”
The mistake most people made when declining an invitation was to blather on and on, making excuses. Excuses that often gave the other person’s arguments traction.
Gladys considered the startled look that crossed Eliza’s face a victory of sorts. Anyone in Good Hope could tell you that not many told Eliza Kendrick no.
“I had a remarkably lovely time.” Gladys waved a hand in the air, admiring the way the truck cab’s dim light caught the glitter in her red nail polish. “What about you?”
Though the expression on his face didn’t change, at least not from the side, Owen shifted behind the wheel. “I’ve never been much for social events.”
“I saw you dancing with Katie Ruth.” Though Gladys was ninety-nine percent convinced Lindsay was the one for Owen, that wasn’t who he’d squired around the dance floor. “Are you sweet on her?”
Owen’s gaze jerked from the road to her. “What?”
“Katie Ruth is a lovely girl, and she’s available.” Gladys adopted a look of innocence. “You did ask her to dance.”
“She asked me.” He returned his attention to the dark ribbon of road and pressed on the accelerator.
Though the roadway was dry and he was still under the speed limit, if he continued zooming down the highway at this speed, she’d be home long before she had a chance to properly question him.
G
ladys put a hand to her throat, a classic sign of distress in the theater world. “Would you please slow down?”
“I’m not even going the speed limit.”
“Please.”
At the tremor in her voice, Owen slanted a glance in her direction. “Why?”
“Speed scares me.” She’d always been good at injecting fear into her voice, and she knew her matching facial expression was Academy Award level.
“You urged me to go over the limit on the way to the wedding.” Though his tone was skeptical, he lightened the pressure on the accelerator.
Gladys smiled inwardly, then brought a hand to her chest and feigned confusion. “Did I?”
Of course she had. They’d been running late. She hadn’t been able to decide which scarf to wear with her dress, and he’d been poke-assing his way down the highway like they were in a parade.
A fly buzzed by her face, and Gladys swatted at it. “Back to Katie Ruth.”
“I’m not interested in her.”
Gladys started to relax, then he continued. “I’m not interested in dating anyone right now.”
Words to make an ordinary matchmaker quake in her high heels. It was a good thing, Gladys thought, that she’d never been ordinary.
“Why is that, Owen?” Gladys tapped a finger against her lips and studied him. She ignored the fly that bounced back to her, like one of those paddle balls on a string. “You’re a young man with a thriving business. You even have a house. Why don’t you want a sweetheart?”
He expelled a breath. “It’s…complicated. It would take too long to explain.”
Gladys settled back against the soft leather. “I’m not going anywhere.”
They were driving the highway between Rakes Farm and Good Hope. Night had descended, and clouds obscured the light of the moon. The only illumination in the truck’s cab came from the dashboard lights.
It was as if they were in a cocoon of sorts where secrets, long held close to the heart, could be spoken into the darkness. While she needed information to help him find his true love, Gladys would not break any confidences he might share with her tonight.
