The Summer Sisters (Juniper Springs Book 2)

by Sara Richardson

  Thank God. They were almost home, and she could hole herself up in her trailer, turn on some music, and snuggle up with Marigold and the emergency supply of brownie batter ice cream she kept in the freezer for occasions exactly like this one.

  Eric turned into the driveway, but instead of parking in front of the house, he continued on down the road.

  “Uh…” Rose gazed at her trailer sitting up on the hill behind them. “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to make it up the hill on my crutches. There’re plenty of places to park in front of the house.”

  “We are under strict instructions to bring you to the pond,” Eric informed her with a mysterious grin.

  “Instructions?” That sat her upright. She started to look around, out the side windows and then through the windshield.

  “Oh Mylanta.” The whole surface of the pond was glowing. There had to be a hundred floating candles dancing on the water. White lights were draped from the trees right at the edge, creating a canopy over a freestanding bench swing that had to have been brought over from one of the cabin’s front porches.

  And there was Colt. Walking away from the pond and toward the car.

  Rose shook the back of her sister’s seat. “How could you do this to me? How could you let me sit back here the whole ride home thinking he wanted nothing to do with me? You’re my sister!” She should’ve known something was going on when Mags wouldn’t look back at her. The woman had always been a terrible liar.

  “He made us swear.” Her sister held up her hands, shirking responsibility for any of it. “It might’ve been the most difficult hour of my entire life, but I did it! I kept a secret.”

  Rose didn’t have time to congratulate her before Colt opened the back door. He reached in and carefully lifted her into his strong arms.

  “I can use my crutches,” she said weakly. Everything seemed to have gone weak—her knees, her heart. Right now it was very possible she wouldn’t be able to move.

  “I’d rather carry you.” He ducked his head and looked into the car. “You two have my thanks.”

  “We were more than happy to help.” Mags squealed a little and clasped her hands in front of her chest. “You two have a wonderful date.”

  “We will,” he assured everyone. Including Rose. It was already wonderful. Being held by him. Being taken care of.

  She put her arms around his neck, and he eased them down to the pond.

  “It looks beautiful,” she whispered. Light seemed to flicker and sparkle all around her—transporting her back into the fairy world Sassy had once created for them. “There are so many candles. And the lights…this must’ve taken you forever.”

  “Now you know why I was running late.” Colt leaned over to set her on the swing and then sat next to her. “But I wanted to make this night memorable. I wanted to create a clear picture you can always hold on to. The same way I can still clearly see the moment I first met you.”

  She pulled her legs up so she could shift to face him. “You still remember the moment we met?” She’d been younger, and she couldn’t see the picture. She couldn’t recall any details…

  “You were standing right there.” He pointed to a sandy spot on the shoreline. “Your hair was braided, and you were wearing a red dress with polka dots.”

  A laugh snuck out, but also a couple of tears. “I loved that dress.” But she didn’t remember wearing it that day. She didn’t remember anything about the day she’d met Colt.

  “I walked down to the pond from the cabin my dad and I were renting.” He pointed at Mistletoe Cabin, dimly lit up the hill. “You asked me if I wanted to play.” His eyes stared deeply into hers, saying so many wonderful things between the lines, that he trusted her, that he felt something for her too. “I wasn’t good at playing pretend. But I wanted to make you happy, so I said yes.” He brought his hand to her face, skimming his thumb down her cheek. “Right then and there, you made me a prince. And you were the princess. I couldn’t believe you thought I even had the right to pretend to be royalty.”

  He was still smiling, but there was something sad in the words. Something heavy. Rose snuck her hand into his, weaving their fingers together, feeling that small touch raise up a longing she hadn’t known she was capable of.

  “The way I grew up—moving around a lot, my dad struggling to find work—I always felt like I was less than everyone else. It got to the point where I accepted it. Being less important and less cool and less worthy of good things.”

  Those words opened the shutters on his soul, and now she could see. She could understand why he didn’t speak much, why he’d shut her out, why he’d been so caught off guard when she’d told him how she felt earlier. Oh, Colt. If only he could touch her feelings for him, test out their strength…

  “I fell in love with you that day because you saw me differently than other people did.” His hand trembled in hers. “You saw me as someone who could maybe be a prince, and I never forgot that.”

  For the first time he looked away from her, staring at the ground next to them. “When you moved here permanently, I knew I couldn’t stay. I knew I might see you every day, still loving you after all this time but not being able to tell you. Not being able to show you. That’s why I wanted to move away. I never thought you would love me back.”

  The tears were flowing now. There was no stopping them. No controlling her emotions. “But I do.” She held her hands on either side of his face, keeping him right there, willing him to see how much. “I do,” she said again, drawing his lips to hers.

  With the light and candles flickering around them, she kissed him with all the intensity the last couple of weeks had built into her, with all the strength and hope she could offer him.

  And still it wasn’t enough.

  “I’m not moving,” Colt murmured when she pulled back to breathe for a minute. “I sold the store, but I’m not moving.”

  “Good.” Rose kissed him again, smiling against his lips. “Because I might need a handyman to help me out around here, and I think you’ve got exactly the kind of skills I’m looking for.”

  “I have skills,” Colt confirmed. His hands moved to her lower back and she maneuvered her casted foot so she could straddle his lap. “Just wait.”

  “Oh, no,” Rose whispered in his ear. “I’m done waiting.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Sassy

  Sassy put the coffee on, anticipating Lillian’s impending arrival in her kitchen.

  She paused in front of the window while she could, enjoying the view of the early morning sun waking up the trees while she sorted through the craziness of the last two weeks.

  When she’d first started to talk about the community garden, she never dreamed it would all come together so quickly, but nearly everyone in town had gotten behind the project, helping to clear the lot and build planters and seating, and they were already breaking ground today.

  “Good morning!” Lillian came in through the back door like she had every morning since Sassy had been released from the hospital. “How are we feeling today?”

  She asked that same question every morning too. But it made Sassy smile. “Feeling great. Better than ever.” The combination of physical therapy and antihistamines had done wonders for the headaches and dizziness. She handed her sister a full, steaming mug. “What about you? How are you this morning?”

  “Wonderful. I’m telling you…this fresh mountain air is very invigorating. I feel years younger here.” Lillian sat at the table.

  “Are you sure it’s the fresh mountain air making you feel younger?” She sat across from her sister. “Because I’ve noticed Grumpy has been coming around quite a bit.” The man’s car had been parked at Lillian’s cabin after ten more than once this week.

  “I’ve been teaching Elroy how to cook.” Her sister wasn’t very forthcoming about their budding relationship, but her face got rosier every time she brought him up. Not that she was one to talk.

  “Is this attire really appropriat
e for a ribbon-cutting ceremony?” Lillian looked down at the T-shirt and jeans Sassy had lent her, changing the subject yet again.

  Sassy let it slide. “We’re going to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and community garden work day. Trust me. You’re going to want jeans.”

  Lillian frowned and raised her leg, giving the denim a skeptical eye. “I don’t know why anyone wants jeans.”

  “You get used to them after a while.” Sassy finished off her coffee and carted the mug to the sink. “You never know, you might even like them eventually.” After years of wearing her favorite jeans, she couldn’t even think about putting on a pair of slacks.

  Another argument rose in her sister’s expression, but the door opened again.

  Rose and Colt walked in, hand in hand. “I’m out of coffee.” Her niece couldn’t even pry her eyes off the man long enough to glance at Sassy. “Mind if we have some of yours?”

  “I always make extra.” And she loved this—having her door open for anyone who wanted to walk through. Sassy poured them each a mug, and they all sat down at the table together.

  “You can have one of the cabins, you know,” she told Rose. “You don’t have to stay in the trailer.” It was such a tiny space, though she’d fixed it up to be so homey. “It’s starting to get colder overnight.”

  “But I love the trailer.” Her niece hardly looked at her with Colt right there. That man held all of Rose’s attention.

  “What about you?” Sassy gave Colt a questioning glance. How he even fit in that short bed was beyond her. Though they likely wanted their own space, and Colt’s apartment above the store had been included in the sale.

  “Don’t look at me.” The man slipped his arm around Rose. “I love being wherever she is.”

  “Oh, leave them alone, Sassy.” Lillian got up from her chair and started to wash the dishes. “I think a trailer is romantic.”

  This from the woman who’d once tried to drag Rose home to Savannah so she could marry another man.

  “I know it’ll get colder,” Rose said dreamily. “In another month or so maybe we’ll move into a cabin for the winter, but don’t worry about me. I’m staying warm.” The smile she shared with Colt melted Sassy’s heart. “What about you, Mom? Are you liking staying here? How’s Gingerbread Cabin treating you?”

  “It’s been wonderful.” Lillian wiped her hands on a towel. “Every morning there are two young fawns grazing right outside of my window. And the chipmunks that live under the porch are darling.”

  “That’s great.” Rose’s mouth pulled into a grimace. “As long as they’re not living in the walls. I’d prefer to not have to do any more remodeling for at least another year.”

  “There will be no need.” Sassy collected her purse from the hook behind the door. “Everything around here is perfect. You’ve both done a marvelous job.” She waved Lillian along. “We need to get going. I promised Graham I would meet him at eight.”

  “Right behind you.”

  She and her sister hurried out the door and got into Sassy’s car.

  “What a beautiful day to plant a garden.” Lillian glanced up at the sky. “Not one cloud. I’m so happy I get to be here with you.”

  Sassy stopped the car before turning out onto the highway. “Having you here makes everything feel complete.” For years she’d lived with a piece of herself missing, and now she had her sister back. They had so much to do together. “Hey, remember how we always talked about taking a trip to Europe when we were younger?” As girls, they’d had all of these romantic notions about riding gondolas in Venice and posing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

  “We had big dreams.” Lillian smiled as though remembering.

  “And I want the rest of my life to be about fulfilling dreams.” Sassy pulled the car out onto the highway. “So I was thinking…maybe we do it. Maybe we take a trip to Europe next spring, just the two of us.”

  “Yes!” Her sister gasped. “Can you imagine the fun we’ll have? We’ll drink wine and eat cheese and pastries.”

  “And we’ll shop and go to fancy restaurants and visit all of the museums.” Sassy found a parking spot in front of the empty lot. “We’ll have the time of our lives.”

  “We certainly will.” Lillian pulled out her phone. “I’m going to text my travel agent right now.”

  Sassy chuckled. With Lillian in charge, that trip would be planned by noon.

  After Lil shoved her phone back into her purse, they climbed out of the car.

  Quite the crowd had already gathered with their gardening tools and sun hats.

  Lillian spotted Grumpy and quickly hurried away, leaving Sassy to walk around and check that all of the plants they’d purchased had been delivered.

  “Fancy meeting you here.”

  Sassy spun so she could throw her arms around the man who had given her a second wind. “I can’t believe we’re planting already. I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “It’s remarkable.” Graham took a quick glance behind him before giving her a secretive kiss. “You’re remarkable.”

  Sassy looked at all the people again, still stunned. “This town is remarkable.”

  “There you are.” Moe rushed over with a photographer trailing behind him. “The newspaper wants a picture for the front page.”

  Sassy obediently put her arm around Graham and smiled while the woman snapped a couple of pictures.

  “I need to check in with the sprinkler guy to make sure the lines are all in,” Graham said, as soon as they were done. “But I’ll see you in about ten minutes for the big ribbon cutting.”

  “Ten minutes!” Already? She peeked at her watch. Lordy, he was right. “We’ll meet by the podium,” she told him sternly. Earlier, he’d insisted that she cut the ribbon, but she’d politely told him heck no, they were cutting that ribbon together.

  “I’ll be there.” Graham stole one more kiss and ran off while Sassy wandered to the beds they’d already installed for the berry patches.

  “Look at all you’ve managed to do during your two-week tenure.” Dahlia met her near the sidewalk along with Ike and the children.

  “If it’s only been two weeks since you’ve become mayor, I can’t wait to see what’s in store next year.” The doctor gave her an overly gentle hug. “Still keeping up with your PT during all the busyness, I hope.”

  “I most certainly am.” Sassy winked at Ollie. “I need to be able to run as fast as my great-nephew, after all.”

  “Look at my shovel.” Ollie held up a gardening spade. “I’ve got gloves too.” He pulled a pair of heavy-duty work gloves out of his back pocket.

  “Then you and I will plant the green beans together,” she teased.

  “Ew. I hate green beans.” Ollie made a face.

  “I’ll help you with the green beans.” Maya held up her pink shovel. “I love them.”

  “Perfect.” She gave them both a squeeze. “You two are going to be such great helpers.”

  “I can’t believe how many people are here.” Rose and Colt joined their little group, and with Lillian not too far away, their family was complete.

  “It’s amazing how you’ve brought people together,” Colt said.

  “It’s not me, dears. It’s all of us. Together. That’s the real beauty of this moment.” It was Graham giving up the land. And Moe faithfully working so hard for this town. And Grumpy providing the bottomless coffee for everyone who had shown up today. It was the many local businesses that had donated money to purchase the new plants and fruit trees. And it was them. Her family. “It’s incredible what we can accomplish when we are all together.”

  “I still want to accomplish a Star Wars holiday,” her great-nephew informed her. “That would be the best holiday ever.”

  “I’ll get it on the next agenda,” she promised.

  “Sassy, it’s time!” Moe called her to the podium.

  “Oh, this is so exciting!” Rose gave her a hug.

  “I’ll take lots of pictures,” Dahlia pro
mised.

  Her family hurried away with their little group, looking as proud as punch. Sassy was proud of them too. Especially for following their hearts. And it had paid off. Rose and Dally had never looked happier.

  “Are you ready, Madam Mayor?” Graham always seemed to appear right when she needed him.

  “I am.” She took the man’s arm and walked with him up the steps of the small stage Moe had set up.

  The crowd had gathered around, and what a beautiful sight it was to see all of these people unified in one common cause.

  Moe gave a brief introduction and waved off their applause for him, humble man that he was. Then he turned the mic over to Sassy. She stepped forward, feeling the love coming at her from all directions. “I want to thank you all for coming out to celebrate the opening of our first community garden in Juniper Springs.”

  The applause went on a little too long for her comfort level. She raised her hand for quiet. “As you can see, we have quite a bit of work to do in this space. But we are thrilled that so many people have turned out to be a part of making this community a better, more welcoming, more compassionate place.”

  “Woo-hoo!” Rose and Dally were carrying on near the front of the crowd.

  Sassy sweetly shushed them. “This garden represents our commitment to taking care of one another. And we are so excited to see it grow into a place where we can gather and provide for anyone in need.”

  She rushed to continue before the applause got out of hand again. “I think we are ready to officially welcome you all to the Juniper Springs Community Garden.”

  Moe handed her the scissors, but Graham suddenly moved in front of the mic.

  “If I may take one more moment, I have something to say.”

  That was funny. Graham had insisted he didn’t want to speak. He should, though. They were partners in this. Sassy started to step back to give him space, but he took her hand and guided her to stand facing him.