With every table and booth occupied, he headed back toward the entrance. He could drink his coffee and eat as easily in his car as he could in here.
“Dakota.”
Hearing his name, he stopped and glanced around. He only knew a handful of women in town, and the voice didn’t register. His eyes landed on the table near the front window. Immediately, Mia waved at him. No, correction. It wasn’t Sean’s wife calling to him. It was his sister-in-law, Angie.
She’s Mia’s sister, he reminded himself as he crossed to her table. Unfortunately, the reminder didn’t switch off the nerves that had suddenly kicked on. As an FBI agent, he’d spoken with everyone from CEOs of major corporations and world-renowned researchers to drug dealers. None of them made him nervous in the least. He hated that the prospect of talking to Angie could.
“Morning. How are you?”
“Better now that I’ve had some caffeine.” Angie held up her paper coffee cup and gave it a little shake. “If you need a place to sit, you’re welcome to join me.” She gestured toward the empty chair at the table.
Sorry, Mack. Seeing if you need help will have to wait a few minutes. “Power out at your house too?” He settled into the chair and pulled the cover off his cup so the coffee could cool a bit.
“Yep. I think the whole town might be out. I saw a lot of power lines down on my drive over. A lot of trees are down too. One landed on the shed in my backyard. I was going to replace it anyway, but now I need to get rid of it and the tree.”
“I’m not sure how, but a limb just missed going through one of my windows. It was certainly quite the storm last night. I had to pull over on my way home from Boston because the visibility was so bad.”
“Mia said the same thing when she called earlier to make sure everything was okay. I slept through the whole thing. I didn’t even hear the tree in the back come down. Unfortunately, according to Mia, it kept Natalie up most of the night.”
Dakota sipped the extra-sweet and creamy liquid in his cup. “I’m not surprised it kept her up. Kept me up too.” Setting the cup down again, he reached into the paper bag and pulled out the cinnamon roll.
“Once I’m asleep, it takes a lot to wake me.”
“Wish I had that problem. Even the sound of the house settling at night sometimes wakes me up. Last winter there were mice in my attic, and I had to sleep with earplugs until the pest control company took care of the problem.” It was amazing how much noise the tiny creatures made.
Angie cringed when he mentioned mice. Both his mom and sister were petrified of them. Spiders and snakes, no matter their size, didn’t bother them, but mice sent them screaming. He’d deal with a mouse rather than a snake any day.
“Not a fan?”
“In nature they’re fine. I just don’t want them in my house.”
He’d lived in more than one old house and knew firsthand it wasn’t uncommon for the furry creatures to find their way inside them, especially in the winter. If she didn’t know that, he wasn’t going to be the one to tell her.
Angie folded up the napkin in front of her and added it to the tray. “Sean recommended I have a company come out and seal up any openings mice or squirrels might use to get inside. I set something up for next week. Hopefully, I don’t get any unwanted roommates between now and then.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Other than that, are you all moved in?”
She shook her head. “Not even close, but a few things were delivered yesterday. I didn’t want to get too much and have it be in the way while the renovations are being done. But it turns out I didn’t order enough. Mia and I are going shopping today.”
“How are the renovations going?”
Before she could answer, the cell phone near her coffee chimed, and she picked it up to check the message. “Shoot.” She typed back a message before putting the cover back on her coffee cup. “I didn’t realize it was so late. That was Mia wanting to know where I am. I was supposed to be at her house ten minutes ago.” She reached for the tray containing the remnants of her breakfast order.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it before I go.”
“Thank you.” She started to push back her chair but then stopped. “I don’t know what your schedule looks like, but do you want to meet for coffee or dinner this week?”
He’d had women ask him out before today. Usually they were women he worked with or saw at the gym. Regardless, they were all individuals who lived in the same world as him.
Angelina Troy was in a category all her own.
Dakota wasn’t going to let it stop him from saying yes.
“Sure.” He mentally ran through his upcoming week. While every week tended to be busy, this one looked to be busier than normal. “Does either Wednesday or Friday night work for you?” Unless something unexpected popped up, those were the most likely nights for getting out of the office on time this week.
His response earned him a dazzling smile, and two dimples he’d never seen in any pictures of her showed up. He didn’t know if they were usually removed from photos before they were printed or what, but they made her appear less like an unapproachable actress and more like the pretty girl next door.
“Let’s plan on Wednesday.” Angie pulled a pen out of her purse and jotted her phone number on a napkin. “Call me later and we can figure out a time.”
“Will do.”
He watched her walk out. Before he slipped the napkin inside his wallet, he added her number to his cell phone’s contact list, because Angelina Troy’s number wasn’t one he wanted to lose.
When he pulled up to the curb in front of Mack’s, his friend and a guy Dakota didn’t know were exiting the house.
“How’s it going, Mack?” he called out, coming around the front of his car.
“Hey.” Mack headed in his direction, and his companion followed. “Dakota, this is Sean’s friend Brett. He got into town last night.”
Since Mack’s neighbor was rarely around, Sean checked on the house regularly and had since the man bought it. Other than to say the owner was in the military and a mutual friend of his sister, Charlie, Sean never shared any details about the individual. And until today Mack had never met him either.
“Welcome to town.” Dakota held out his hand. “I live a few houses down.”
Brett shook his hand. “Thanks.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, he nodded toward the tree blocking part of Brett’s driveway. “Looks like Jessie got her wish.” Since at least the fall, Jessie had wanted Mack to get rid of the tree growing in the front yard so she could replace it with a flower garden instead.
“She was definitely happy when she looked out and saw it down. Grace already pulled out the gardening magazines so they can get ideas of what to plant there. I tried to tell her Jessie won’t be planting anything for a long time, but she insisted.”
Considering the size of Jessie at the moment, Dakota didn’t think she could bend to tie her shoes, never mind to plant some flowers.
“Did you have any damage at your house?” Mack asked.
Dakota shook his head. “Just a few limbs came down. Nothing serious. Lost power though.”
“Told you to get a generator.” Mack gestured toward the house. “There’s coffee inside if you want some.”
“Grabbed some before I came over.” And he was damn glad he had. If he’d stopped here earlier instead of going to Peggy Sue’s, he wouldn’t now have plans with Angie.
Chapter Three
Although the town once again had power, some residents were still cleaning up after the crazy weekend storm. In fact, several were dealing with much worse than downed limbs and scattered leaves. At the house they just passed, a local contractor was replacing two of the downstairs windows, destroyed when a large limb went through them.
The sound of a chainsaw ripped through the otherwise-quiet afternoon as Angie and Mia approached the stop sign, another clear reminder she was no longer in Southern California.
“Any luck convincing Mom to stay at the Victorian Rose when she comes?”
Mia adjusted the canopy on Natalie’s stroller to block out more of the sun. With it being such a gorgeous morning, they’d decided to head out for a walk before the humidity made it impossible. “Not yet.”
She’d rather not have Mom stay with her either, but if it would help make the visit less painful for her sister and brother-in-law, she’d offer. “I can ask her to stay with me.”
“Your house isn’t exactly ready for visitors. Where would she sleep? On the sofa? On an air mattress? We both know she’d never go for that.”
True enough, but the situation could be easily rectified before their parents’ arrival. “I can get one of the upstairs rooms ready for her and Dad.” She’d planned to hold off on filling any of the rooms with too much, but if the remodelers didn’t start on the room until after Mom’s visit, any furniture could be moved or put into storage.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I know how she gets around Sean.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it. I know Sean will too.”
Turning the corner, they headed down Lincoln Street. When they approached a house under construction, Mia stopped. “Looks like Kelsey’s house is coming along.” She pointed toward the home where several construction trucks were parked in the driveway. “It burned down earlier this year. Some kind of electrical issue. She lost everything.”
Angie ran through the names of the people she’d met in North Salem. “Kelsey” didn’t jump out at her. “Have I met her?”
“I’m not sure. She was at the wedding. Kelsey, Ella, and Cat are close friends. She sometimes joins the monthly poker games. And before I forget again, we’re hosting the game in September if you want to come.”
“Count me in. Maybe you can give me a crash course on how to play sometime between now and then.”
Mia waved to a woman outside another home as they continued down the street. “I can try, but Sean’s better at it. Dakota always does well too.”
“We haven’t even gone out yet.” But, man, she was really looking forward to Wednesday night. “It might turn out to be a onetime thing.”
“I’m thinking positive. What’s wrong with hoping you fall madly in love with a nice guy and decide to stay in North Salem permanently?”
Her sister the optimist. Some things never changed. “Nothing, but be careful what you wish for. I might decide to stay and then end up at your house every day, raiding your fridge and driving you and Sean crazy.”
Since they were on the topic of her making North Salem her permanent residence, now was as good a time as any to ask Mia some personal questions. “Do you ever regret your decision to give up acting and move here?”
Her sister didn’t hesitate to answer. “Nope. Even before I met Sean, I felt like I needed a change. I just didn’t know what kind until I came here and met him. Honestly, I can’t imagine going back to my old life. Mom insists I’ll wake up one day and realize what a mistake I made, and then it’ll be too late. Sometimes Avery does too. But they’re both wrong.”
Angie knew Mom’s opinion well. She’d shared it enough times with her when the subject of Mia and Sean came up during conversations. Avery, on the other hand, never said anything derogatory about Sean, but she did share Mom’s opinion regarding Mia’s decision to stop acting.
“On Saturday, you were talking about more than just making North Salem your permanent home when you said you didn’t know if you were going back to California.”
She nodded. “Avery thinks I’m nuts, but yeah. I started looking at some graduate programs in the area, and I’ve started writing again.”
She’d been twelve when she wrote her first story. She’d continued to write until her sophomore year of college, when she’d made the mistake of showing a completed manuscript to her mom. While Mom hadn’t come right out and said it was terrible, she encouraged her to give up writing and instead pursue an acting career like her sister after graduation.
“Good. You never should’ve stopped. You’re a fantastic writer.”
Her biggest fan, Mia had read almost everything she’d written and had always loved it—or at least claimed to love it.
“What schools have you checked out so far?”
When it came to colleges and universities, there was no shortage of them in the area.
“Harvard, Boston University, and Northeastern.”
The employee standing near the dark purple and yellow Door2Door Express delivery truck parked at a house up ahead waved as they approached. Rather than simply return the gesture and continue on, Mia stopped.
“Hi, Shane. How are you?”
Although not possible, it seemed like her sister knew everyone in town.
“Not bad. I haven’t seen you in Masterson’s in weeks. Is everything okay?”
“We’re still not taking Natalie out much.”
Did the man work at Masterson’s? Was that why he looked familiar to her?
“Shane, this is my sister Angie. She bought a house in town.”
The man’s full attention turned Angie’s way. “Nice to meet you. I’m sure I’ll see you around.” He pulled down the back door of the truck. “Enjoy your walk.”
They waited until the delivery truck backed out of the driveway before continuing down the street. “He looks familiar,” Angie commented.
“Shane works part-time at Masterson’s as a waiter. I don’t know how he manages it all. According to Mrs. Mitchell, he’s enrolled at Salem State too.”
Now Mrs. Mitchell she’d met, and from the little Mia had shared, not a single thing occurred in town that she didn’t know about. “Is there anything she doesn’t know?”
Mia laughed and reached for the water bottle in the stroller’s beverage holder. “Probably not. I bet she even already knows you’re in town.”
***
She’s finally back. Before turning the corner, Shane checked his rearview mirror long enough to get another glimpse of Angie and Mia. The memory of the first time they met played through his mind as he drove to his next delivery.
The weekend after St. Patrick’s Day, she’d come into Masterson’s with Mia and Sean for dinner and they were seated at one of his tables. She’d smiled at him, and it’d been like a bolt of lightning struck him. He’d fallen in love with her right then. And she’d fallen for him too. Although she’d left town a few days later, he’d known she’d be back for him. But after a couple of months passed and he still heard nothing, he’d started to wonder if maybe he’d imagined the connection that night. When he’d overheard that she’d made an offer on a house in town, he’d known it was Angie’s way of telling him she was coming back to him without drawing attention to their love. If the media found out, they’d be all over it. She wanted to keep their love a secret. It’d been hard, but he’d kept the truth to himself, even though what he really wanted to do was tell the entire world Angelina Troy belonged to him.
But now she was back in town and they could proceed with their life together. They wouldn’t be able to do it in North Salem. Residents here liked to stick their noses into everyone’s business. They always had. It was why Mom moved the family to Danvers when he was a high school freshman.
Tonight when he got home, he’d start looking for a house for them. Maybe something up in the White Mountains. It was one of his favorite places to go. And up there they wouldn’t have to worry about the media or anyone else bothering them. Nope, it would be just the two of them. Exactly the way it should be.
Chapter Four
Unexpected changes and situations were part of the job. Most days he rolled with whatever came his way. Occasionally those unexpected situations left Dakota wishing he still worked for the computer company he’d gotten his first position with after college. Wednesday had been one of those days. He’d been about to power off his computer when a last-minute break in one of his cases came in and forced him to cancel his plans with Angie so he could follow up o
n the lead. Although it provided him with excellent information, he would’ve preferred it had come in a day or two later.
When he’d called Angie to break the news, he’d been prepared for any type of reaction. In the past, when work forced him to reschedule plans with a woman, he’d received a range of different responses, some of which were less than understanding.
Angie had been cool about it. Rather than complain or tell him to forget about their date altogether, both things a few women had done to him, she’d wished him luck and asked if Friday night would work for him.
Barring an emergency, work was behind him until Monday, and tonight he had an evening out with a woman he definitely wanted to get to know better.
Since yellow tape hung across the bottom of the driveway, telling visitors not to drive on the newly paved area, Dakota parked at the curb behind the white convertible in front of Angie’s house. Before exiting his car, he grabbed the flowers he’d picked up on his way home from the city. Back in high school when he started dating, one of the first things his dad did was sit him down and give him two pieces of advice, the first being to always treat a woman the way you’d want a man who was dating your sister to treat her. Dad’s second suggestion had been to bring flowers on the first date no matter who asked whom out. The talk may have happened close to twenty years ago, but Dakota still followed both suggestions.
A dirt path stretched from the new driveway across the lawn and to the front steps. A pallet of stone pavers sat nearby, waiting to be installed. Well-manicured shrubs of various sizes and flowers occupied the space under the windows. For a moment, Dakota paused in the middle of the yard so he could get a better look at the place. The brick structure was by far the largest house on the street, and judging by the design of the other homes around, it was also the oldest. Despite its age, the place looked as though it had been well cared for over the countless decades. He was glad. All too often, historic structures such as this were left to slowly deteriorate until they were uninhabitable or knocked down to make room for new construction.
When Love Strikes (Love On The North Shore Book 6) Page 4
