Everyday Blessings (8 page)

Still, seeing her sister so happy made a girl start to wonder just a little. Would there ever be that kind of happiness for her?

And no, that was impossible, she ordered herself before her mind could automatically go straight to William. All she had to do was remember how remote he was, how mantled in sadness to know that he wasn't looking for anyone. He'd lost his heart. It wasn't as if that was something you just got over. Ever.

The computer beeped—she had two new mail messages in her in-box. One from Katherine—a quick checklist for next month's wedding shower she wasn't supposed to know about. So much for that secret. Aubrey mentally rolled her eyes.

And the second message was from William. Talk about a surprise. As she clicked to open it, her heart didn't tug. Really.

Aubrey blinked at the screen. Simply thinking of him was all it took for a lonely ache to come into her heart. Her fingers moved to the keyboard and before she'd made the decision to answer, she was already typing.

She hit Send and her heart gave a final, resounding thud. She felt as if she were standing on crumbling ground, as if she could see the pebbles and dirt give way beneath her feet right before she fell into the unknown. Not exactly the most comfortable feeling. Not at all, and she didn't know why William affected her like this.

She didn't want him to.

Now that she'd answered William, she might as well answer Katherine. She was just finishing up that message confirming that, yes, they'd remembered to invite everyone to the shower. Katherine didn't want any of her friends to be forgotten, since it was a “surprise,” bless her. One day, Aubrey hoped to be as organized and as together as her older sister. She was ready to hit Send when a new note popped into her in-box.

From William. Really, she wasn't affected by him. And that's the way she intended to keep it.

Okay, she was seriously going to ignore that
one more thing we have in common
comment of his. They had an awful lot in common.

But I think she'd be amenable to it. Her best friend, before he moved away, was a Thoroughbred, too—

 

“Oh, so there is no William thing, huh?”

Ava's words jerked her out of her thoughts and brought her back into the kitchen where she sat, plain old Aubrey. Apparently, Ava had finished her nightly phone conversation with her fiancé and now she didn't have anything better to do.

“You could be doing your share of the housework,” she couldn't help suggesting, but Ava merely scoffed.

“Housework? Please. I am not going to be thrown off the trail, now that I know what's going on. You like William, don't you?”

“William's not
interested
in me.”

“What kind of answer is that? You're dodging the question.”

“I am, but the answer is obvious and you know why. I have this no-dating habit going, and it's a habit I don't want to break.”

“That's not right. You're keeping something from me.”

Aubrey hung her head. This was the first time she'd had a real secret from her sister. If Ava knew
what William had told her in the hospital and if she'd seen the man's pain when he'd tried to pray in the chapel, then she would understand. But William deserved to keep his pain private. “Trust me, he's just interested in helping with the auction. That's all.”

“He must really care about the auction.” Ava rolled her eyes, as if she didn't believe any of it, and dropped to her knees to read over Aubrey's shoulder.

As if! “Hey, this is private.”

“A trail ride, huh? Very interesting. Don't worry. I didn't see a thing.”

Aubrey mentally groaned. How was she ever going to convince her sister that she was fine being terminally single? It wasn't optimal, but she could be happy either way.

Of course, that was easy to say since she'd never met William before. Men like him were no everyday, ordinary occurrence.

Ava climbed to her feet. “I'll lay off, but I want you to know how hard I'm praying for your happiness. I can't go and marry Brice and leave you to fend for yourself.”

“You are a nut, you know that?” Aubrey shook her head at her sister, bless her. “Do you have an early start time at the bakery tomorrow?”

“Uh, yeah. I have this huge order of Monster Muffins for a customer pick up at seven. I'll try not to make any noise when I get up at four-thirty.”

“I'd appreciate that.”

“Get back to your e-mail. You don't want to leave William waiting. Good night.”

Aubrey watched her twin head down the hall. Deep down, she knew that Ava was right. There was a William thing, but it wasn't what she thought. It was friendship, nothing more. Maybe that's why she felt so comfortable with William. Because she didn't have to worry about all those pressures and insecurities and expectations that came along with dating.

What she had to do now was finish the e-mail before her server got impatient and ate it.

She waited till the message was sent and then logged off. Had she ever felt so comfortable with a person of the male persuasion? Only with family. It was telling. It was a relief.

She and William really could be just friends.
They had a lot in common. They were both alone. They were both without riding buddies. With him, she didn't feel like plain, average Aubrey, and it was nice. Very nice.

When she said her prayers tonight, she would remember to put William in them, not only as someone to pray for, but as a friend she was thankful for. What could be better than that?

A
s she pulled into the small strip mall's parking lot and into a shady spot, Aubrey wasn't sure what mood she was in. It had been several days since she'd exchanged e-mails with William and vowed not to think of him, but had it worked? Not as well as she would have liked.

The minute she stepped out of the air-conditioned car, she started to melt. It was another blistering central Montana summer day, and everything was crackly dry. She did her best not to think of how refreshing the green foothills outside of town looked, and the mountains—and William—beyond them.

She hitched her bag higher onto her shoulder, locked the car and started toward the bakery. The newly renovated shop glistened with charm and newness. The long row of front windows were
shaded by a cheerful yellow-striped awning and soft white shades that made the storefront look picture-perfect.

The chimes she'd made trilled overhead when she opened the door. The cool whoosh of air-conditioning bathed her hot face and she sighed. The cheerful sun catchers she'd made that hung along the stretch of windows began to dance as she shut the door.

“Hey stranger.” Ava was on the other side of the display case already pouring two large glasses of strawberry milk. “I saw ya comin'.”

“Bless you.” Something cold was exactly what she needed. It was another long day and not over yet. If she stayed busy enough, then it was easier not to wonder why William hadn't gotten back to her about their ride. “How's business today?”

“About the same.” Ava nodded toward the seating area where a dozen bistro tables sat without a single customer. Everything was spotless and lovely but sadly empty. “Except for an early rush for the Monster Muffins and Sunshine Scones, it's been like this.”

“Okay, so business isn't exactly booming. That doesn't mean that it won't pick up this September. All those college students will be back from summer break, and you're not too far from campus.”

“Yeah, I know. I got another wedding cake order, so that part of the business will keep me afloat.
Hey, I got all of Katherine's reading group goodies decorated. Want to help me box 'em up?”

“Sure. Did you get her text-message reminder about the final wedding dress fitting?”

“I don't think so. I haven't looked at my phone for a while. I've misplaced it. Jonas is doing a little better, so that means the wedding is still on?”

“Danielle told her not to cancel it, and it's Danielle's call.” Aubrey took a long sip of the cold, sweet milk. It hit the spot. She followed her twin into the kitchen. “What's the plan with the munchkins today? Are they with Rebecca today?”

“Last-minute change. Dad came in to get Monster Muffins for him and the kids for breakfast. I guess Rebecca was supposed to take them all day, but she has a date with Chris tonight.” Ava donned a little pair of plastic gloves and went back to work at the kitchen's big table. “So that means we have to take them shopping with us. Dad's pretty tired, and Dorrie is staying with Danielle.”

“Okay.” See? She had enough to keep her busy between her job and her family. She studied the rows and rows of decorated cookies spread out over the worktable. “You've outdone yourself. Katherine is going to love these.”

“I hope so. I was bored of the usual, so I thought, why not make cookies shaped like books for the reading group? It's been fun. Tomorrow's your day off from the store. Do you have any plans?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“Aren't you going to go riding?”

Not so subtle. Aubrey took another sip of milk and headed to the industrial sink to wash her hands. She dropped her bag on the counter next to the sink. The second she turned on the water, the door chime rang.

“It's probably Rebecca with the munchkins,” Ava said on her way through the swinging door.

Rebecca was seeing Chris. Again. It was another worry for the family, but was she thinking about that?

No. She soaped and rinsed, but was she thinking about her niece and nephew? Her imminent shopping trip and what to buy for Katherine's upcoming shower?

No. Her mind returned to William. To wondering how he was doing alone on his mountain.

As she reached for the paper towels to dry her dripping hands, two black boots came into her field of vision. Then long, strong legs encased in worn denim.

William.
The paper towel slipped from her fingers. She turned toward him, and when their gazes met, everything within her stilled. It was good to see that he was well.

When he spoke, his baritone moved through her as sweetly as a summer wind. “Don't look so surprised. You said I could come by.”

Did she look surprised? Aubrey fumbled with the fallen paper towel and managed to make her fingers work well enough to pick it up off the counter and toss it into the nearby can. Her voice sounded almost normal when she spoke. “It's good to see you again, William.”

The hard line of his mouth softened in the corners. “I thought you might say that. Your sister sent me back here to fetch you. She's looking over the stuff I brought. Come see.”

“Sure.”

So, it was all business. Whew. Aubrey couldn't exactly pin down why that was such a huge relief, but it sure made it easier to act as if everything was totally normal.

She followed all six feet plus of him through the sunny kitchen and into the cheerful dining room. Light slanted through the window and sparkled in the sun catchers, but he was shadow, stalking like a giant panther through the sun's brightness. He jammed his fists on his hips and stopped short of where Ava stood at the display case, examining two large frames side-by-side.

Aubrey saw the closest photograph first. The visual impact hit her like a punch to the soul, dragging the breath from her lungs. There was a golden eaglet, his downy feathers gleaming like gossamers of gold. He was surrounded by a background of dawn's gentle colors. Peach, gold, rose
and lavender painted the streaks of clouds. The fragile baby eagle was caught perfectly as he hopped from the rim of his nest and seemingly onto a bed of clouds ready to cradle him. Light shimmered in those clouds like a blessing. She forgot to breathe as she stared at the image in wonder.

William broke the silence. “It's not technically one of my best, but one of my favorites. Maybe because I was rock climbing when I spotted this little guy across the way. I was hanging almost upside down under an outcropping. I nearly dropped my camera trying to get the shot.”

“You rock climb?”

“I've been known to do it without falling.” His mouth curved upward to show a hint of a dimple.

Sure, and he had probably leaped buildings in a single bound, too.

The second photograph was even more amazing. It was a winter scene of solemn snow and forest, of hillside and frozen stream at first light, when the world was more gray than bright, more sleepy than awake and tinted in a deep lavender glow. The ribbons of clouds had halted in the sky to admire the rising sun.

It took every bit of Aubrey's effort not to admire the photographer standing at her side.

Ava broke the silence. “How do you do this? You make the light glow like you've put glitter on it.”

“It's called waiting for the exact moment to take the picture. That, and having a really good filter.”

Aubrey wasn't fooled. This was more than craft, it was a calling. A calling he'd turned away from. One that had made him a lot of money, she supposed, since she had no idea what these pictures would go for in a gallery. But it had to be a lot. This donation of William's was substantial. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah. It's for Jonas. And maybe there's a miracle waiting for him. I hope he gets well.” Sorrow passed across his face, the way a storm fell across the granite face of the mountains.

Aubrey could feel what he didn't say.

William started to walk away. “I can't walk out of here without taking a look at your desserts. That was some chocolate cake you sent to me.”

Aubrey's twin dragged her gaze away from the pics. She beamed at him. “Aubrey told me that you liked it. If you're in the mood for chocolate, I baked some fudge brownies this morning that are totally to die for. Interested?”

“How about a half dozen?”

“Super-duper. I'll be right back. It'll probably take me a while, you know, so Aubrey, why don't you keep our favorite customer company?” She gave Aubrey a telling look and hurried out of sight.

So, the twin had the wrong idea about them. He waited until he heard the door to the back swing shut and they were safely alone before he focused his full attention on Aubrey.

She was still staring at his pictures. Sunlight dappled her with a green and blue glow from the stained glass, and she looked amazing. What made her so infinitely lovely to him wasn't only the way she looked. Sure, she had delicate cheekbones and a small sloping nose, and brilliant violet eyes, but he saw more when he looked at her. Something deeper that shone quietly from inside. She made his guard go down and made him relax. She made him understand how alone he'd become.

“William, you've gone beyond anything we could have expected. I'd say thank you, but it's way too small a word for this.”

“They were just sitting around gathering dust.”

“Oh, sure they were.” She rolled her eyes, not one bit fooled.

She seemed to understand, and he didn't feel comfortable saying more. He'd looked behind and into the past too many times lately, and he couldn't stand to keep revealing it. Some things hurt too much, and always would. He knew if anyone could, Aubrey would understand.

He managed to clear most of the emotion from his throat. “It's the least I can do. It's all I can do.”

“It matters, believe me. Would you like some
thing cold to drink? We've got milk, soda, juice, iced tea.” She circled behind the counter, reaching for glasses as she spoke. “I'd offer you butterscotch candy, but I'm all out.”

That almost made him laugh. “Wouldn't mind some tea. If you're out of butterscotch, does that mean you've been riding?”

“
No.
Life has been too intense. I board Annie at an equestrian stable just out of town. It's just easier. I think this is the first time since our mom left—I was seven—that I've missed so many days of riding in a row.” She deftly grabbed a pitcher out of the case behind her and headed his way, balancing two plastic tumblers and a pitcher full of iced tea and lemon wedges. “Annie's always taken care of, regardless if I show or not, but she's my bud. We've been together a long time.”

“I understand. You miss her if she's not around.”

“I do.”

It was strange how he already knew the slightly off rhythm cadence of her gait and the whisper of her movements as she set the glasses on the table in front of him and poured—his glass first. As he watched the golden liquid spill in a perfect waterfall from spout to glass, he wanted to believe that he'd come here to deliver his donation and be done with it.

But it wouldn't be the truth.

“You couldn't live in a more perfect place to
trail ride.” Her voice shone with wistfulness as she filled the second cup.

Wistfulness. Maybe that's what he was feeling, too. His gaze froze on the line her arm and wrist made holding the pitcher in midair. The tiny, delicate gold chain at her wrist was so airy and elegant, it seemed exactly right for her. He studied the perfect contrast that airy strand of gold made shimmering against the slender, feminine curve of her wrist and hand. Light caught on the glass of the pitcher and transformed the scene.

William itched to have his camera, but he didn't carry a camera with him. He gritted his teeth, frustrated and helpless. He wanted to capture the moment. With the way the slanted sun cut through the catchers, painting separate rays of light in vibrant, royal colors as a backdrop, it made the simple act of a woman pouring a glass of tea ethereal, touched by grace, sheer heavenly innocence.

He forced his attention away, took a sip of the tea and tasted regret.

She set down the pitcher and slipped into the chair across the small table from him. “One day, I want to find my own place out of town so Annie and I can be together. I stayed at one of the rental houses on my gran's property when I was in college, and it was great having Annie so close. She used to poke her head in the windows during the summer. It was fun. And there were a lot of trails to ride.”

“A few weeks ago, Jet and I were up in the mountains behind my house and I saw the very fresh tracks of a grizzly bear along a stream. I turned Jet around and put some distance between me and the creek.”

“I'm glad you two got away uneaten.”

“Me, too.” William took another swallow of the sweet tea, unable to stop noticing her. It was his artist's eye, of course. She made a lovely picture. The way she swept at a few escaped strands of her light blond hair was pure grace. Surrounded by sunlight, she looked like goodness itself. The kind of goodness even a man as lost as he was could believe in.

Behind her, the row of sun catchers winked and twinkled. He recognized the whimsical, intricate scenes from Aubrey's Web site. There was a tiny hummingbird hovering above a honeysuckle bloom. A shaft of sunlight through clouds. The first bloom of a single wild rose.

Those scenes—for some unfathomable reason—reminded him of Aubrey, lovely and simple. Honest. Emotions he would not allow himself to name rolled through his chest.

“The mountain meadows are just starting to bloom with wild roses.” He said it without thinking. “When's your day off? Jet and I'll show you.”

She narrowed her eyes and studied him, and it was hard to tell what she was really thinking. “I
suppose Annie would like that. How long of a ride are we talking about? I have a few hours free tomorrow. Otherwise, we'll have to wait until Friday rolls around.”