Harlequin Heartwarming May 2016 Box Set (28 page)

“Even if you don't like it?”

“I never said that. I love it. She has incredible potential. But thinking you can make a living as an artist isn't practical.”

“So you dash her dreams.”

“What should I do? Encourage her to live in poverty? Being an artist doesn't bring in a regular income. I keep trying to tell her she needs to have a real job and that she can do her art on the side.”

“Which makes her dream sound unimportant. An afterthought.”

“If I could make it work for her, I would.”

“Then try to help her find a way. There are jobs with regular incomes for trained artists. Help her see that she can channel her creativity to something that will support her like graphic arts—or
teaching
art—while she creates a portfolio that she can take to art shows or galleries. When you tell her to do art on the side, it sounds...dismissive. Be positive and supportive instead of demanding she do things your way all the time.”

Mom had a point. He could be gruff, he supposed. “All right. I'll think about how I can do that.”

“Good.” Mom held out a plate to him. “More bread?”

“Did you think I might say no?” He took another piece.

As he spread the butter and jam, he realized his mother was staring at him intently. “Something on your mind, Mom?”

“So what's going on with you lately? Terese Kistler said she saw you with the Huber woman walking through Green Meadows yesterday. Were you making peace over Angela?”

The reminder of their private walk through the development warmed Caleb inside. “As a matter of fact, Grace offered to give me a tour of Green Meadows, so I could see how it's progressing. I was very impressed.”

“With the development or with Grace?”

He didn't hesitate. “Both, actually.” Though he'd already realized his attraction to the woman was hopeless until he straightened things out with his daughter.

“Oh, I see.”

“No, you don't.” He quickly tried to backtrack before his mother made a big deal of it. “We simply have a lot in common. Environment-wise, that is.”

She raised her eyebrows and gave him a challenging expression. “So you don't actually like Grace? As a woman, I mean.”

“Yes, I like her.”

“Then you'll ask her out.”

He shook his head. “The timing is all wrong.”

“Because she's seeing someone else?”

“No. Well, maybe. I don't know. I didn't ask. It's not her, it's me.” He sighed and set his acorn bread back on the plate. “Rather, it's Angela.”

“So Angela doesn't like her.”

“Angela doesn't really know her.” But that didn't prevent Caleb from assuming the worst. He couldn't count on anything when it came to his daughter these days.

“Then what's the problem?” his mother asked.

“Lily is the problem. I told you about the mural. When I tried to talk to Angela about defacing private property, it turned into something else. She admitted she thought I took her mother from her. I explained what happened, but at the moment she's obsessed with feeling abandoned. I have no idea where this is coming from. Teenage imagination, I guess. I just don't see how I can bring another woman into the mix right now.”

“Angela might not like it at first, but she'll come around. She has before. You dated several women while you were in school.”

“None were serious.”

“So this Grace Huber...” His mother cleared her throat. “You could be serious about
her
?”

Caleb started. Not a question he'd asked himself. Not one he wanted to explore too deeply right now. “Mom, you're jumping the gun. I like her, but I haven't even asked her out on a date.”

“Then maybe it's time you did something about that.”

CHAPTER FIVE

“I
WANT
A
big stack of pancakes with lots of whipped cream,” Taylor announced as they left Heather's van parked just down the street from the co-op. “With cherries on top.”

“I'm not sure they have whipped cream, sweetie, and I know they won't have cherries,” Heather told the child. Then she explained to Grace. “Cherries on top are her new thing. Rick bought a big jar of maraschino cherries to put on everything...mashed potatoes, broccoli, cottage cheese.” She grinned, probably thinking of her hunky new husband. “He's spoiling both twins.”

“We're not spoiled.” Addison slipped her hand into Grace's and smiled up at her like a little angel. The eight-year-old looked incredibly cute with a missing tooth. Grace smiled back and squeezed. “I just want mine completely plain,” the girl said. “Not even syrup.”

Taylor made a face. “Yuck.”

“Come on,” chided Heather. “People have different tastes. Just because you like whipped cream doesn't mean Addison has to like it.”

“O-o-okay.” Taylor flounced along, then tossed her head. “But pancakes are better with whipped cream.”

“No, they're not,” singsonged Addison.

Heather frowned. “Shh!”

They stepped up on the sidewalk and walked toward the co-op about a block away. There were so many cars parked in downtown Sparrow Lake that they'd had to hunt for a space, because of the festival. Heather spoke to several people they met on the way, introducing Grace, who appreciated the friendly gesture. Not that she would be able to remember all the new names.

A whizzing sound made all of them glance behind them. A boy on a skateboard approached swiftly, drawn by a very large, spotted Great Dane on a leash. As the dog and skateboard whizzed past in a flurry of huge paws and wheels, Heather drew Taylor closer, keeping her out of the way.

The little girl stared openmouthed. “Wow!”

“We could do that with Kirby!” cried Addison.

“No, we're not getting a skateboard so you can hitch it to the dog,” Heather told them firmly. “It's too dangerous.” She turned to Grace. “And that kid is a danger, too. He could have knocked us off the sidewalk!”

Grace merely nodded, smiling, but the twins continued to jabber about the big dog until they reached the co-op building, an old storefront with an entrance refinished with brick. A line of people stood outside, waiting to go in.

“Wow, Pancake Day must be popular,” murmured Grace. She'd dressed down for the occasion, as Heather had suggested, forgoing her usual business attire for loose black trousers, a short-sleeved blue cashmere sweater and a leather moto jacket.

Heather nodded. “Free food. Don't worry, the line will move fast. There are at least two pancake stations set up.”

“Ooh,” said Addison. “I smell sausage.”

“And bacon,” added Taylor.

“Yes,” agreed Heather. “You can have both if you want. Consider this ‘dunch' or ‘linner,' okay? We won't need anything else but a small snack before you go to bed tonight.”

The line did move quickly and they were soon inside, heading down a hallway toward the main room. There, long tables had been set up for people to sit and eat, and other tables formed a barrier near the walls where grills were being manned to cook mounds of pancakes and breakfast meats. As they approached the nearest pancake station, Grace glanced back at the townspeople already eating, laughing and chatting. All the cooks were men, people she'd seen around town and who Heather had said were employed by the co-op or the creamery. Two tables were set up with butter and cream...but no whipped cream. Taylor stood on her tiptoes and looked around. Addison laughed and did a little whirl.

Grace grinned. “They sure have a lot of energy.”

“You'd think some of it would wear off as they get older, but the girls just seem to find more,” Heather said with a laugh.

“There's ice cream over there,” Taylor told her mother. “Vanilla soft-serve.”

“Well, maybe we can get you some of that,” said Heather.

The twins stopped talking as they both got plates of pancakes. Addison ordered a stack of two but Taylor wanted three.

“Honey, I think two will be enough for you. Those pancakes are pretty big.”

“I want three!”

“You'd better eat them.” Heather lowered her voice in an aside to Grace. “Or not. I don't want her to get sick.”

Grace just laughed and ordered a stack of three for herself. She also got three strips of bacon and three sausage links.

Then they turned toward the tables in the center of the room, most of them already full. Apparently the whole town turned out for Pancake Day, so Grace looked for the one face she would be happiest to see.

Disappointed.

Apparently the whole town had turned out except for Caleb Blackthorne.

As they sat down, Heather began introducing her to the people around them, and if they owned or operated a business, she included that information, as well. Grace tried to mentally keep track of everything Heather told her, but she feared she'd already forgotten half of what she'd been told. Then Heather realized they'd forgotten drinks and got up to fetch glasses of milk for the girls and two cups of coffee for themselves.

Taylor dug into her food hungrily. She'd gotten a cup of soft-serve ice cream, which she dumped on top of her pancakes. Addison cut her plain pancakes into dainty pieces and chewed equally daintily. Grace wondered how two sisters born at the same time could be so different.

“Slow down,” Heather told Taylor, “or you might end up with a tummy ache.”

Grace spread fresh creamery butter on her pancakes and laced them with syrup. “Yum. I can see why so many people turn out for Pancake Day.”

Heather bit into a piece of crisp bacon. “It's not just the food, it's the sense of community, of everyone taking a short break from work to celebrate spring with friends and family and catch up with people they don't often get to talk to.”

Looking around, Grace saw so many smiles, heard so much laughter, that she couldn't help but grin. Never having experienced anything like this in Milwaukee, where neighbors didn't necessarily even know each other—Grace was acquainted with only one other woman in her condo building—she responded to the positive energy in the room. There were a lot of things she liked about Sparrow Lake, and the feeling of community just went to the top of her list. She imagined that even if you lived alone, you would never have to be lonely in a friendly town like this.

Heather had been right about her coming to the event. Several people wanted to know how the green community was faring, and others asked what her plans for the future might be. Lots of interested questions from potential residents or simply people who might help spread the word to friends in nearby towns. People came and went, but the twins went back for second helpings, so, content to stay awhile longer, Grace fetched another cup of coffee.

Just as she brought it back to the table, she looked up to see a familiar face. Three familiar faces, in fact. Caleb had arrived with Angela and Kiki. They had just filled their plates with food and were looking around for a place to sit. As if he knew she was staring at him, Caleb turned in her direction. Their gazes met and her stomach did a little flip when his lips turned up in a big smile aimed her way. She waved. Then Angela saw her, and the girl's lips tightened.

“C'mon,” Grace heard Caleb say to his daughter and her friend. “There's room over there.”

Over there
was across from her and Heather and the twins. Grace sent him a welcoming smile. “Hi, Caleb.”

“Grace, Heather...good to see you, both,” he said as he set down his food.

“You, too, Caleb,” Heather said.

Grace's pulse thrummed. “I was hoping we might run into each other.”

Caleb took the seat directly across from Grace, Angela and Kiki reluctantly joining him. Caleb introduced the women to the girls. Angela didn't say anything, simply slapped down her plate and threw herself into her chair. Kiki avoided looking at anyone.

Oh, great. Talk about awkward. Grace figured the teenagers recognized her from the mural incident.

As if he didn't notice his daughter's attitude, Caleb gave her cup of coffee and empty plate a quick look. “I take it you already ate.”

“More like overate,” Grace said. “But it was delicious, worth every calorie.”

He eyed her more thoroughly. “Not that you need to worry about it.”

Grace started to laugh until she noted Kiki's sour expression. Definitely aimed her way.

A loud
bam
startled them all, and Grace turned to see the twins near a food table, an entire bowl of butter turned upside down at their feet.

“Oh, no,” Heather groaned, pushing herself away from the table. “I knew something had to happen. Things were too peaceful.”

Grace laughed. “It's probably an accident. They didn't mean to cause any trouble.”

But then she noticed Addison stooping to pick up a glob of butter with one finger and promptly flinging it at her sister. Heather bore down upon the pair and Grace turned back to her food, not wanting to watch the twins get reprimanded. Even an angelic-looking child could be naughty, she guessed.

Caleb grinned and gave his daughter a penetrating look. “They can get into trouble no matter the age.”

At which point Angela turned her back on him and went forehead to forehead with Kiki, whispering. Caleb merely rolled his eyes and continued smiling at Grace, who felt a sudden attack of butterflies whirl through her stomach.

She said, “I understand Pancake Day is a tradition.”

“I've been here every year since I moved into town.”

“I can understand why. It's a lot of fun, and you get to see people you probably don't see often.” Like him. She was definitely glad she'd run into Caleb. She hadn't met a man who interested her this much in ages. “Are there other community events like this?”

“The big Memorial Day picnic. Fourth of July fireworks over the lake. The cow parade. Labor Day, when everyone pitches in to spruce up the town square and other public areas, then take part in a potluck. We have a Christmas party...Valentine's Day...Easter egg hunt...”

“Got it. Sounds nice. Not that we don't have holiday activities in Milwaukee. We have lots of them, but it's not like the whole city can come together as you do in a small town.”

“So you like Sparrow Lake?” Caleb asked, the personal timbre of his voice getting to her.

Swallowing hard, she met his gaze directly. “More and more every day.”

“Ever think about staying?”

“Permanently?” Surprised by the thought, Grace said, “Milwaukee is my home. I've lived there all my life other than when I went to college in Chicago.” An even bigger city. “And for the past year, I've been splitting my time between home and here.” Though lately, she hadn't even made it back to her condo every weekend. “I rent an apartment here in town.”

“You could build yourself whatever kind of home you want over at Green Meadows.”

“I suppose so, but our main office is in Milwaukee.” Now Grace was getting a little nervous. She realized Angela's eyes had widened as if in alarm. What was the teenager's problem? She focused on Caleb. “I—I know it's commuter distance, but I've really enjoyed the lack of traffic and getting to work in five minutes most days.”

“If Phase 2 becomes a reality, you should consider it.”

There was an appeal to living where she worked...but was it realistic? Dad would probably throw a fit if she suggested it. He would demand to know how she was going to run the company long distance. Grace wouldn't disappoint her father by arguing the point that she didn't want his job. And yet...she realized Caleb sounded as if he wanted her around. The idea warmed her through and through. Too bad it seemed as if Angela didn't agree with her dad. The girl's expression had closed, but Grace sensed she was seething inside.

Her smile fading, Grace murmured, “Something to think about.”

Angela popped out of her chair, Kiki following suit.

“Getting seconds?” Caleb asked.

Now Angela glared at
him
. “Getting out of here.”

“I'm not ready to leave yet.”

“Fine with me.” The girl whipped around and headed for the door with Kiki.

“How are you getting home? Walking?” When his daughter didn't answer, Caleb reluctantly rose. “I'd better go after her,” he told Grace. “She's still grounded. I made an exception for Pancake Day. My mistake.”

Grace forced a smile to her lips. “Well, it was good seeing you.”

Nodding, he took off after his daughter.

Leaving Grace feeling a little empty and alone.

* * *

W
HAT
NOW
?
C
ALEB
WONDERED
, as he dodged several townspeople carrying loaded plates in one hand, cups of coffee in the other.

“Oh, Caleb, there you are.” Margaret Becker stepped in front of him. “I wanted to talk to you about possibly co-teaching a limited workshop or two this summer. Combining art forms with conservation. That would give us opportunities for field trips.”

Retired but now teaching part-time as an adjunct professor, Margaret was a vibrant seventy-year-old with bright red hair and an eye-popping colorful wardrobe. She was one of his favorite people from the college.

“I would love to talk to you about it,” he said, slipping around her, “but I have to catch up to Angela. I promise I will call later!”

Margaret nodded. “I understand. Go get your girl.”

Which was exactly what he tried to do. But as he hit the street and looked around, he didn't see Angela. Or Kiki. He stood there for a moment. Where had they disappeared to so quickly? An engine revved nearby and a moment later, a motorbike shot out from the south side of the building and spun around the corner, Angela clinging to Kiki, who was driving the thing.