Hello Dolly

by Reina M. Williams

  And so did the fact that when she saw him alone at the table, she stopped, looked around, and waited until Nathan appeared. The two walked together and joined him. Luke’s stomach went queasy for a moment, but he swallowed down the last of his coffee and told himself this was all no big deal. At least Nathan was a good guy. And Dolly didn’t look at Nathan the way she had at him.

  Luke offered around the coffee carafe then poured himself a new cup. The waitperson came around to freshen the carafes. Soon, the bridal couple stood by the towering cake, smiling happily at each other. Luke sipped his coffee and let words float around him while he tried not to look at Dolly. She and Mrs. Raines ohhed and ahhed over the cake and its floral design. Nathan and Tim hoped it tasted good. Dolly laughed, and Luke wanted to record the sound so he could hear it whenever he needed a lift. He supposed his memory would suffice.

  He also supposed he really was a fool for her. He wasn’t fond of the feeling.

  Waitstaff came back around with trays of cake slices. Luke fiddled with his and again tried to avoid glancing at Dolly, whose enjoyment of the dessert, with little moans and exclamations of delight, sent heat to places he preferred to keep cool.

  After what seemed like an hour, they did the whole garter-bouquet thing. Cutler’s older brother, Adam, caught the garter and his girlfriend, Minnie, caught the bouquet. If only these Manning weddings would keep Mrs. D off her schemes to set him up, but romance fever seemed to have set in instead.

  Dolly tried to hide a yawn, and he saw an opening.

  “Maybe we should get you home. It was a long trip, yeah?” he asked, trying to sound causal.

  “I should be heading out, too,” Nathan said. “I’ll walk with you.”

  Luke nodded. He’d still have Dolly alone in the truck. Luke said his goodbyes, and promised to call Tim tomorrow about their work schedule. Tim and his niece, Jena, worked with him.

  Nathan and Dolly walked together, chatting about sheep and yarn and ranch life. Luke walked beside Dolly, tamping down the sparks of jealousy at her ease with Nathan.

  Mrs. D waved to him and he signaled back. He’d see her soon, no doubt.

  Once they reached the parking area, Nathan veered off toward his car. Luke decided to wait until they were driving to say anything. Best even to wait until they were almost to Mrs. G’s house, so that if Dolly were uncomfortable with what he had to say, he could spare her feelings by dropping her off sooner than later.

  He held her door for her, and handed her up. She barely touched his hand. Not a good sign.

  They drove away, the night closing in, darkness a heavy blanket, complete with somewhat stifling heat. Where had the breeze gone?

  “Look at those stars!” Dolly craned her head out the window.

  Brightness lit him from inside at her enthusiasm, her joy in simple things, especially when he’d only been feeling the negatives.

  “Is there somewhere we could stop so I could get a better look? You don’t see a night sky like that in the Bay Area.”

  “Sure.” He knew a good lookout spot on the way back to town.

  She sighed contentedly and leaned against the seat, her gaze still on the sky. “It was a beautiful wedding, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah.” He supposed it was. He didn’t really go in for that kind of thing, but he could see the appeal for other people. Marriage, and especially not a wedding, hadn’t been in his plans. Not that he had much against it. He just figured it wasn’t for someone like him.

  “I’m guessing you don’t like weddings?”

  He shrugged.

  “So, we didn’t talk about business.”

  “I thought you were looking at hiring someone else?”

  “After thinking it through, I think your company is my best option. Tim Raines works with you?”

  A beat of relief calmed him—she wasn’t going to be working with the Riggs men. “Yeah. And there are some other people I bring in when needed. Why don’t we set up a meeting and we can take a closer look at what you want done?”

  “Sounds good. When can you fit me in?”

  Anytime, all the time, he almost said, but nope. “Can I give you a call tomorrow when I have my calendar in front of me?”

  “Yes.” She covered her mouth as she yawned again. “Guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

  “We’re coming up to a turnoff. Do you still want me to stop?”

  “Please.”

  After a bit, he pulled into a spot and stopped the truck. Helping her out, he then watched as she did a full circle, gazing at the night sky from every angle. He joined her, trying to see as she did. He hadn’t stargazed since he was little, and he’d never learned all the different constellations or anything.

  “Oh, there’s Lyra,” Dolly said, pointing. She swayed as if hearing a celestial tune from the lyre-shape of stars.

  He stepped closer to her. It was as if she emitted magnetism of planetary dimensions and he couldn’t resist the pull.

  She turned, bumping her arm into him. “Sorry, I...” She met his gaze. Her fear made a repeat appearance but she leaned closer to him.

  “Dolly, what you said earlier. Would you reconsider? I really like you, and want to see where things could go between us.” He hadn’t meant to speak his peace yet, but the words had flowed.

  “I like you too, Luke.” She touched his hand then pulled away and walked back to the truck. “But I can’t. It’s not the right time, and... Maybe someday we could talk about it, but I don’t know you well enough to share all my reasons.”

  “I respect that. And you. I won’t bring it up again.” He opened the door for her and she slid into the seat. Taking a last glance at the sky, he got into the driver’s seat and started up the truck. “I don’t want there to be any awkwardness between us. I can keep it professional. Okay?”

  She nodded, but said nothing. He almost wished he hadn’t said anything, as she was silent the rest of the drive. But he’d had to take the chance. She was worth it. He wished they could be friends, but he didn’t know if he could, not the way he felt about her. Maybe if he focused on treating her only as a client, he could get past whatever these feelings were. If he set his mind to it, he was pretty sure he could carry it off.

  Chapter Eleven

  Bridge That Gap

  Dolly woke at the sounds of roosters and whirring. While she got ready, thoughts of last night interrupted her usually meditative morning routine. And the feelings. The messy feelings. She wanted to be cheerful and kind, not a mess of sadness and longing and attraction and confusion. No matter what she felt, she couldn’t get involved with Luke. Or anyone.

  “Morning, Doll,” Aunt June said. This woman was her ideal, a role model: cheerful, kind, no-nonsense, energetic, even at nearly eighty. “I’ve got water on the boil for your tea.”

  And thoughtful, remembering Dolly’s favorite morning tea, as well as all Aunt June’s regular customers’ orders down at Gallagher’s Café. She thanked her aunt then sat, brooding at how silent she’d been after Luke had bravely told her how he felt. Not another word beyond the polite exchanges had been said, and then he’d dropped her off and was gone.

  “Want something to eat?” Aunt June asked, giving her an appraising glance.

  “Just some toast. I can get it.”

  “I know you can, but there’s already some in the toaster oven.” Aunt June poured herself a cup of coffee and blew on the surface. “Are you all right? Tired, or did something happen last night?”

  “Tired, maybe some culture shock.” Small-town Montana was pretty different than small-town Marin County. Though at least Loving was a bit better on diversity than she’d expected, and she didn’t miss the traffic jams. It would still be an adjustment.

  She rose when the kettle boiled and made her tea. Together, she and Aunt June sat and ate their breakfast.

  “Did you have a good time at the wedding?” Aunt June asked. Dolly had already been asleep by the time Aunt June returned from the event.

  “Yes.
You all put on an awesome party. How did you feel about it?”

  “Went much more smoothly than I would’ve thought. And Cutler and Nora were happy, so that’s the most important thing. I think most enjoyed themselves, too. Good to see the Manning boys, and people from surrounding ranches who don’t come into town often. Like Nathan Shepherd. He’s a great person.”

  That was high praise from Aunt June. “Yes, I hope we’ll be friends. He invited me to take a look around his ranch. I’ve never seen a working sheep ranch.”

  “Good. What’s your plan for the day?”

  “Need to call Luke about the building, and I’ll go over there again, and I need to get some extra supplies.”

  “If Careys’ doesn’t have what you need, we can go over to Missoula.”

  More culture shock, having to drive hours to get to a shopping center. She’d adjust. She’d known there would be trade-offs, and she was prepared to make them.

  “Thanks for letting me stay, Aunt June, and helping me out.”

  Aunt June patted her hand. “I’m happy you’re here, and you can stay as long as you want. Though I am anxious to be your first customer. I miss roaming a bookstore. The closest we have here is the paperback rack at Careys’ and my little free library. Our public library closed, so we just get the occasional bookmobile visit from the county library.”

  “I’m hoping to offer some free programs, but I’ve got to see what’s needed first.” She might not ever make a profit, and that was okay. Her business had sold well and she had plenty of money from her parents too. Though she’d rather have them back and be broke. The grief sat on her, a weight that pressed on her whenever it chanced by.

  The shadows of her parents’ deaths were long and dark, even though she tried to stay in a feeling of gratitude for their lives and legacy. The dark side of loving people deeply was too much for her. As Aunt June had aged, the fear of losing her had become so great that it was one of the motivating factors in her move.

  “I’m glad you can take your time,” Aunt June said. Dolly found herself gazing at her aunt, memorizing every inch of her rounded, suntanned face, her age-thinned lips, her bright hazel eyes. “You sure you’re all right, Doll?”

  She nodded. No need to explain to Aunt June, who was practically fearless, about her shameful fear. Dolly didn’t like to acknowledge it herself, so she smiled and buried it again.

  “Why don’t you come to the café for lunch? I missed your first day here, so let’s spend today together as much as we can.”

  “I’d like that. You’re at the café as usual?”

  “There every day.” Aunt June cleared the table. Dolly washed the dishes. “I’ll see you at twelve-thirty?” Aunt June asked as she grabbed her keys by the door to the garage.

  Dolly nodded and kissed her aunt’s cheek. Her aunt’s scent of Shalimar perfume made her feel like a little girl again.

  Once Aunt June left, Dolly read more of the latest from one of her favorite romance writers, a book set in South Africa that handled new love and grief so well, Dolly teared up. Then she bustled around trying to stay busy.

  At eight-thirty, she figured she could call Luke, who was bound to be up earlier than that most days, she guessed. His deep voice when he answered sent a slight tingle through her, which she ignored. They arranged to meet in half an hour at the shop, since Luke had a job to finish in the afternoon. Professional, he’d said last night. He’d said he could keep things professional. Could she do the same?

  At the appointed time, Dolly stood in her shop, fiddling with her hair, having already done everything she could for now: made lists, checked everything twice... And, the old Christmas song popped into her head, so she gave in and started singing it softly, doing some tap steps she’d learned from Aunt June when Dolly was little.

  “Morning,” Luke said, leaning against the doorframe in a way that suggested he hadn’t just arrived. But she wasn’t about to ask if he’d been watching her being silly. It was her shop, after all, and what did she care what he thought of her, anyway?

  The hollow in her stomach disagreed. She stopped and smiled, pushing a curl off her face. “Good morning. So, do you need me to show you around, or did you want to inspect it yourself?”

  He pulled himself to his full height, which seemed the perfect height to her: around five-eleven. And his rugged appearance was enhanced by his work clothes, clothes that said he was ready to get dirty and sweat.

  Her cheeks burned but she kept her cool by gesturing him in and keeping her smile on.

  “If I can take a look around, that would be good. If you can stand by in case I have any questions...”

  “Of course. I’ll be out back.” She wanted to take another look at the overgrown garden of sorts. She thought about having a tea garden and seating area there, something enchanting and completely different than Las Tres Hermanas patio across the street. She loved what they’d done, but a town this size didn’t need repetition. And Dolly prided herself on her individuality.

  Luke waved and disappeared upstairs. She opened the back door, propping it with an old railroad spike. The yard smelled of greenery and standing water. Weeds and maybe some usable plants toppled together, obscuring the stone patio and anything else that might be here. There was a birdbath sunk in the growth, and the fence needed repair. She’d have to check in with her neighbors about that. Trying to picture the possibilities, she grabbed her sketchbook and jotted down some ideas. It would take a lot of work, but she could tackle this while Luke and his team worked inside.

  “Ready to talk?” Luke asked from the doorway.

  She nodded.

  “How about we get a coffee across the street?”

  A smile surprised her, and she got that happy feeling of when a man she liked asked her out. But a business meeting was all this was, not a date. She nodded again and bit the inside of her cheek. The way these feelings, this longing for romance and attraction, had resurfaced after years of her getting by without them, confused and scared her.

  “Let me lock up and grab my things,” she said.

  He waited for her while she did, then grabbed a folio out of his truck as they made their way to the bakery.

  The heavenly smells of fresh bread and sugar made breakfast seem like a long time ago. She glanced at her phone. And it had been.

  They walked inside and she made googly eyes at the items in the bakery cases: mini pies, morning buns, cuernitos, and cookies. After ordering, they found seats on the patio. The sun, full in the sky, promised another hot day. She wondered what it was like for Luke, out doing construction on a day like today. But she didn’t allow the imaginings of him needing to cool off to take hold in her mind.

  Soon, they got their coffees and she took a bite of the Mexican hot chocolate morning bun she’d ordered. She moaned at the cinnamon-chocolate-buttery flakiness that hit her palate.

  “Ohhh, you have to try this,” she said to Luke, offering up her bun. Her cheeks burned again and she set the bread on her plate, breaking off a piece for him and setting it on a napkin.

  “I can tell it’s good.” He popped the bite in his mouth. “Now I get your reaction.”

  She had nothing to be embarrassed about, and she disliked this feeling of wanting him to like her, of wanting to please him. Anyone who couldn’t appreciate her enjoyment wasn’t worth even friendship. Though Luke seemed the opposite, like he was taking a wicked amount of pleasure in her enjoyment, the way he got that knowing grin and his intense yet easy gaze roamed over her.

  She shifted in her seat. “So, what do you think? I mean, about the project?”

  “I’d drawn up a preliminary estimate, and it’s right on with what I saw today.” He pulled out some papers and slid them to her. “Of course, this doesn’t address anything else you might want done beyond the basics of updating and repair.”

  She nodded and read through the papers. His silence somehow comforted her, as it felt like an attentive silence, like he was there for her if she needed anything but
gave her the space to think and feel things through. She set down the papers and sipped her milky coffee.

  “This is a fair estimate. I do need shelving. Would you be able to help with that?”

  “Carpentry is my specialty. Tim does plumbing and odd jobs and Jena will handle the electrical and HVAC. We can discuss the special items later, if you prefer. Seems like we should get the space up to code first.”

  “Do you need me to clean anything out first?”

  “No, it’s all going to get messy anyway. What about the upstairs? Do you like it as-is, in terms of the layout of the apartment?”

  “Yes, it’s a good space.” The one-bedroom apartment upstairs from the shop space was perfect for her. Smaller than she was used to, but she’d gotten rid of a lot before she’d moved. It’d felt right, shifting to a more minimalistic lifestyle. When she’d been in her early twenties, after her parents had died, she’d held onto a lot thinking she might get married and have children. But it hadn’t happened, and she was okay with that now.

  “Then we can move on this. I’ll get you a firm bid and we can sign the contract. We’re just finishing a project, so we can start next week and finish in about a month. That okay?”

  “Great. Is that a month in contractor speak or an actual month?” She smiled.

  “Hopefully actual. But if we need anything special or something happens unexpectedly, of course it’ll take longer. We’re known for bringing it in on time and on budget, though.”

  “I’m glad you can fit me in, then. And I appreciate your integrity.”

  A smile flashed across his handsome face, and her thighs wobbled even though she was sitting down. How she’d stayed upright when they’d kissed... That had been because he’d held her up, her arms tight around his neck.