Harlequin Heartwarming May 2016 Box Set (34 page)

“Not exactly a howl. I sound like a dying goose.”

Grace shook with laughter. Caleb had an original take on things. “I don't think I've ever heard a dying goose.”

“If you do, you'll never forget it.”

“But coyotes like that sound?”

“All predators exploit situations. Dead goose is dinner
du jour
to them.” He changed the subject. “Speaking of situations and food, we need something to drink with the appetizers. Iced tea? Lemonade?”

“Tea would be great. With lemon if they have it.”

“I'll be right back.”

“Okay.”

Grace dug around in her purse and found her business cards, then slipped a few into a front pocket of her bag where she could more easily get to them. Caleb seemed bound and determined on her handing them out, no matter what. If he got too pushy, though, she was going to have words with him. Not liking to feel negative, she started filling out the raffle tickets.

“Hey, you made it,” came a familiar voice.

Grace turned around to see Heather coming her way. “I always try to take good advice from a friend. Are you alone tonight?”

“No. Rick is getting us some drinks.”

“Caleb, too.”

Heather appeared pleasantly surprised. “Did you just meet up here or—”

“Nope. An actual date.”

“Good for you. When the boys get back with those drinks, we can sit together.”

Grace said, “I was thinking that standing at one of these tables would make it easier to meet townspeople I don't know.”

“Then stand it is.” Heather's eyebrows arched. “Here comes a couple you might not have met before.”

Heather waved them over. It turned out the couple owned a car dealership in Racine but preferred to live in a small town. They were good contacts as they might know people looking to move their families out of the city into a kid-friendly town.

As they were talking, Grace realized Caleb was standing off to the side, a glass in each hand. He winked at her and approached.

“Did you give them your card?” he asked Grace, not really allowing her time to work her own magic on the couple.

Annoyed and a little taken aback, she found it difficult to concentrate.

Of course, Caleb Blackthorne was a distraction in and of himself. And she had to admit, though sometimes a bit aggressive about helping her, he was the best distraction she'd encountered in...well...forever.

* * *

A
T
THE
REZ
, Gran Maddie and Angela started watching a scary movie together. After less than an hour, Gran fell fast asleep in her recliner. Angela knew her grandmother didn't like horror films and would tune out by either working around the house while the movie was on or dozing. She smiled, appreciating her own cleverness. She knew how to deal with things. Now she could do what she wanted.

She glanced at the nearest clock. 10:00 p.m. Dad wouldn't be home yet. He was out with that woman! Thinking about Grace, she again wondered how he could do this to her. All these years, he'd lied about keeping her from her mother. As far as she was concerned, he still was keeping them apart. Then, despite her feelings on the matter, he'd gone out with Grace Huber.

She simply couldn't stand it!

When her cell phone vibrated, she realized Kiki was calling, probably to check on her.

She stepped out into the kitchen and answered, keeping her voice low. “Hey. I was just about to call you.”

“I could come over and keep you company if I can sneak out.”

Angela glanced toward the living room area and Gran Maddie, who was snoring gently. “No, don't. I don't want you getting into trouble because of me again.”

“I'm not worried.”

“Thanks,” Angela said. “You really are the best. But not tonight. I'll find something to do to take my mind off Dad's date. Don't worry, I'll be okay.”

They talked awhile longer. Rather Angela let Kiki do most of the talking as her emotions continued to whirl and grow. No doubt about it, she was filled with confusion and anger.

Within five minutes of hanging up with her friend, and against her father's orders to stay put until he picked her up, Angela sneaked out of Gran Maddie's house to go do something to make herself feel better.

* * *

“T
HE
NEXT
ITEM
is a haircut and blow-dry at Ginger's Luscious Locks,” Emily Auerbach, the mayor's wife, announced. “And the winner is—” a nervous woman, her hand shook as she pulled a slip from the fish bowl “—Priscilla Ryan.”

Though the mayor's wife wore a sour expression that seemed to define her, everyone else clapped as Priscilla accepted the envelope.

Grace was smiling. She'd been smiling the whole evening, and Caleb wanted to kiss her again. Seriously kiss her. No brush of the lips, but a kiss that would make her toes curl. Anticipation built in him.

Grace had met a lot of new people tonight, had given out a lot of her business cards, which had made Caleb nearly as happy as she seemed to be. Just before the raffle drawings had begun, they'd retired to one of the tables where they could sit. Heather and Rick had joined some other friends, so he was alone with Grace. They were close enough that he'd slung his arm over the back of her chair, leaving his hand on her shoulder, and him wishing he could hold her more fully in his arms.

A few more raffle wins were called out, and Caleb was getting anxious to leave. To be alone with Grace.

Even as he thought it, he could see Angela's disapproving scowl in his mind, but he pushed the unpleasant image away. The girl just needed some time. Once Angela calmed down, surely she would be open to getting on with a woman as nice as Grace was.

Holding her hand on the table, he squeezed it. Squeezing his in return, she gave him an intimate smile that warmed his insides. It had been far too long since a woman had made him feel like this.

Connected.

So right.

Longing for more.

“And the final raffle prize is a private trail ride for two from Sam Larson at the Larson Dude Ranch,” Emily announced.

Caleb moved closer to Grace and whispered, “Do you mind if we leave after this?”

She turned her head so they were almost nose to nose. “Fine with me,” she whispered in return, her sweet breath brushing his cheek.

And lips...

“And the winner is...Grace Huber.”

“That's you!”

“Oh, my gosh!” Grace rose and headed for the mayor's wife, glancing back once at Caleb, a big grin lighting up her face. After taking the envelope, she headed straight back for him. He was already on his feet. Waving her prize, she said, “Here's how I'll return the favor. By taking you for that private trail ride.”

He grinned. “Deal.”

While their intention was to leave right then, it took at least ten minutes to get to the door, what with everyone stopping them to tell Grace how nice it had been to meet her. Even so, Caleb's grin never faltered. Everyone liked Grace. Especially him.

“That was fun,” Grace said as he finally helped her into the truck. “Even if it was part work.”

“It was fun. And I loved watching you work.” He just loved watching
her
.

“You did quite a bit of work for me yourself.”

“I've been goal-driven since I was left with a baby to take care of. I had to be.” Then, getting into the driver's seat, he asked, “Do you want to go right home?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“Someplace quiet where we could talk for a while.” Where he could be alone with her. He wasn't ready for the evening to end just yet.

“Sure. Coffee?”

He shook his head. “Water.”

“You want to go somewhere to drink water?”

“No, to listen to it.”

“Ah, the lake,” she said. “I'm game.”

A few minutes later, they'd parked and were walking hand in hand down to the public pathway that circled the Sparrow Lake shore. Luckily, a nearby bench was free.

“We can sit there,” he said, “so you don't get grass stains on your dress.”

They quickly settled in, Caleb again putting his arm around her, this time pulling her a little closer.

They could hear the soft lapping of small waves against the shore. The streetlights lit glowing paths across the water. Above, there was a sharp sliver of moon and thousands of twinkling stars. Nearby, a night bird called softly.

Grace made a sound of contentment. “Mmm, I'm really glad Heather told me about the social.”

“And I'm really glad you invited me.”

“There's such a feeling of belonging at town events... I've never experienced that before.”

“Nowhere? Not even in college?”

“I went to the University of Chicago, close enough that Dad expected me home on weekends. So no, not even in college. I just worked hard. And pretty much alone. After the first year, I didn't even have a roommate,” she admitted. “The girl I roomed with had her own agenda, which didn't include me, so I got my own apartment.”

“Sounds lonely,” Caleb said. “The one thing about growing up on the rez, I was never lonely. There was always someone keeping track of me, which annoyed me at the time, and I eventually rebelled. But now I see it as a blessing. It takes a village and all that. It makes me wonder if I cheated my daughter of having that by moving off the rez.”

“But she still goes there sometimes, doesn't she?”

He nodded. “To see Mom, mostly. She's kind of lost her connection with her old friends. Which is probably why she took up with Kiki.”

“Is that really such a bad thing?”

“Kiki's influence isn't good.”

“So you've said. Maybe they're both just finding themselves.”

“Hopefully Angela will do that soon, but I don't know that Kiki ever will.”

“Maybe you should find out more about her,” Grace suggested.

“Maybe.”

For a moment, they sat still, listening to the night sounds. Then Caleb dipped his head and found her sweet lips, kissing her the way he'd been imagining he would do all night. Slowly. Thoroughly. Deeply. Grace sighed and turned into him more fully so he could take her in his arms. Again, the way he'd been imagining.

She was soft and warm and welcoming.

A breeze skipped from the lake over them, attuning Caleb even more to his surroundings. He loved the outdoors, especially with Grace pressed against him. Their lips parted and they separated just enough that they could look into each other's eyes. Moonlight became Grace, and unable to think of a better way to end this evening, he kissed her again.

A buzzing sound pestered him. Two sounds. Both of their cell phones were ringing. They pulled apart, Grace with a little giggle.

“Okay,” she said. “We got calls at the same time? That's odd.”

“Yeah...maybe we'd better see who it is.” Though Caleb was pretty sure he knew who was doing her best to ruin his evening.

A glance at his cell screen confirmed that. But it wasn't Angela herself. “Sparrow Lake Police.”

“Me, too.”

His gut in a sudden knot, Caleb moved away from the bench as he answered. “Blackthorne here.”

“This is Alex Novak.”

A sick feeling filled Caleb as he asked the police chief, “What's going on?”

“I hate to tell you, Caleb. Angela was just brought to the station from Green Meadows by one of my officers.”

Green Meadows...undoubtedly the reason he and Grace both got calls. He glanced her way, but she was listening to the person at the other end.

“What did Angela do this time?” he asked.

“She shattered a window on one of the town houses.”

“How? Some kind of crazy accident?” He could hope.

“Sorry, Caleb,” Alex said. “She used a brick to break it.”

All the breath left him for a moment.

He looked at Grace, still on her cell, and simultaneously, they said, “I'll be right there.”

CHAPTER TEN

T
HEY
DROVE
TO
the police station in silence, Caleb feeling like a bomb ready to explode. His chest was so tight he could hardly breathe.

Grace must have gotten the same information he had, so thankfully he didn't have to explain anything to her. It was Angela who would have to do the explaining to them both. Again. If she would.

She'd thrown a brick through a window? This was far more serious than painting a mural on the community center wall. She'd destroyed property! What had she been thinking? And what had Mom been doing? Who knew? As long as there was an adult on the premises, Angela should have been okay. How could either he or Angela's grandmother suspect that a girl who was well behaved in the past would suddenly become an irresponsible vandal?

It was a little after eleven now. He'd planned to pick up his daughter by eleven thirty. Maybe he should have gone right home after the social, shouldn't have wanted to spend more time with Grace. Just having a few minutes alone had been incentive enough for his daughter to have gone looking for trouble! Well, she'd certainly found it this time, he thought, as he parked in front of the police station. Both from the police and from him.

Before he could get out, Grace reached over and put her hand on his. “I can only imagine how upset you are, but it's going to be all right.”

“All right? How?”

“I don't know yet. But we'll figure it out.”

We.
Grace was including herself. She wanted to help him help his daughter. Not knowing what to say, Caleb simply nodded his thanks and opened his door. Grace didn't wait for him to go around to her side. She got out and, by the time he stepped up to the curb, joined him. As they walked to the station door, she slipped her hand in his and gave him an encouraging squeeze. His throat went as tight as his chest, and he couldn't say a word. He simply squeezed back and glanced her way and thought he'd never seen any woman look more beautiful to him than Grace Huber did at that moment.

Police Chief Alex Novak was waiting for them in the reception area. He indicated they should follow him into his office, where he circled the desk. “Have a seat.” He nodded at the two chairs opposite him.

Sitting, Caleb said, “Alex, I can't tell you how sorry I am about this.”

“You're not the one who needs to be sorry.”

“Whose window did Angela break?” Caleb asked. He would seek out that person in the morning and apologize and tell him or her that he would take care of having the window replaced immediately.

“Actually,” Alex began, “the window was in one of the empty Green Meadows town houses that hasn't been sold yet, which makes you the property owner,” he told Grace. “A neighbor was walking his dog nearby, and he heard the crash. He had a flashlight on him and pinned Angela with the beam as she was trying to sneak away. He somehow made her wait there while he called 911 and got a squad on the way.” He cleared his throat. “I'm sorry to say Angela committed a Class A misdemeanor by breaking that window.” He looked to Grace. “That was actually her second such misdemeanor involving Green Meadows property. The neighbor recognized her as the one who painted a mural on the community center wall. I heard about that after the fact, but I was informed that you refused to bring action against her.”

“I didn't think what Angela did warranted having her arrested then,” Grace said. “And I don't now. She's at that volatile age where her emotions rule her. She's not a bad kid. She needs understanding, not punishment for something she doesn't know how to deal with right now.”

Her voice trembled just enough that Caleb recognized that she was once more identifying with his daughter. This time he sought her hand and surrounded it with his. She gave him a quick glance. Her smile appeared strained.

Alex tapped a pen against his desktop. “So as the property owner, you won't bring charges against her?” he asked Grace.

“No, I won't.”

“Your father may have something to say about that,” Alex countered.

“I'll talk to Dad about it. He'll agree with me.”

But she didn't sound all that certain that he would. Even so, Caleb murmured, “Thank you,” and felt the pressure in his chest relax just a little.

“This may be a mistake,” Alex said. “Angela is going down a slippery path. She needs to learn she can't just do whatever she wants because she's upset about something.”

“I would rather we find a different way to deal with her outbursts,” Grace insisted. “Perhaps having her do some kind of community service...”

Alex shook his head. “That's impossible to enforce without the court being involved.”

“
I'll
enforce it,” Caleb said. “If I have to, I'll stand over her and watch her while she works.”

“Works at what?” Alex asked. “What kind of community service do you have in mind? And how will it relate to the crime?”

Caleb looked to Grace. From her expression, she didn't have any more idea of what kind of community service would do the trick than he did.

He said, “How about if you give us a couple of days to figure it out. We'll get back to you when we do.”

“All right.” Alex stood. “I'll get Angela out of lockup and meet you up front.”

Caleb got to his feet. He felt a little shaky until he met Grace's encouraging gaze. She nodded and they walked to the entryway.

“I probably should just walk home,” Grace said. “That would give you some much-needed privacy to talk to your daughter about this.”

“No. You are not walking anywhere.”

“But Angela won't like—”

“I don't care.” He insisted, “I'm taking you home. Angela needs to learn to think about other people. And to take responsibility for her own actions.”

At which point he saw Alex with his hand around Angela's upper arm as he led her to them. She kept her head down, and he could see her jaw was tight as if she was gritting her teeth. So she wouldn't cry? Caleb wanted both to shout at her and to take her in his arms and plead with her to be his sweet Angel again. Instead, he met her closed expression with one of disapproval when she finally looked up at him.

“Thank you, Alex.” Caleb fought his twin desires as he stared Angela down, growling, “Let's go.”

Not saying a word, she gave Grace a sour expression, then flounced out of the station to the truck. Opening the door, she nodded at Grace. “Where is
she
going to sit?”

“Not in the back of the truck, where I should put you,” Caleb said. “You get to sit in the middle between us.”

Which he knew she would hate. Angela clenched her jaw and got in, but he couldn't miss the hot anger in her eyes as she slid across the seat. No way did she want to be next to Grace. Well, that was just too bad.

He helped Grace get in with a murmured, “Sorry about this,” before going around to the driver's side. He'd barely secured his seat belt before demanding, “What on earth is going on with you, Angela?” He started the engine. “I've done my best to raise you to be a decent human being. Do you really think it's all right to do whatever you want to whomever you want?”

“She deserved it!”

“Grace deserved to have you destroy her property because we went to a fund-raiser together?”

“Not
her
.”

Not Grace?
“Then who are you talking about?”

“My mother. She's living in that town house.”

Grace started. “Wait. That town house is empty. It hasn't been sold. You mean...she just moved herself in? How do you know that?”

“I've known for days because I followed her.”

Caleb clenched his jaw. “When?”

“The night you went to bed early. I wasn't sleepy and I'd seen her on the property before, so I went looking for her. I spotted her coming home from the rez and followed her through the woods.”

At night when he hadn't even known his daughter had left the house? “I'm going to want full details later.”

It came to Caleb that while Angela wanted Lily in her life, she was still angry that her mother had abandoned her.

“Huh,” Grace said, almost to herself. “I have a feeling I know why residents have been imagining they've been seeing a ghost at night.”

“Lily trying to stay hidden in the woods while sneaking back to the town house,” Caleb said.

Grace asked Angela, “Did you tell the police who was staying there?”

“No, and I'm not going to. It's none of the police's business.”

Though it was Grace's business, so Caleb said, “Do you want to press charges against Lily?”

“She's an adult and should know better,” Grace answered. “If there's proof.”

“I'm not saying anything!” Angela cried. “Nothing seemed to be damaged.”

“How do you know?” Caleb asked. “You didn't go in the town house, did you?”

Angela just sat there, stewing in silence. Caleb wondered if he should blame himself for the mess.

How to handle things, though? He didn't even want to be friends with Lily. It hit him that community service might be a type of punishment with merit, but it wasn't enough to quiet Angela's emotional turmoil about her mother. Only one thing could do that. He hoped.

For his daughter's sake, he would do something he never envisioned doing. He would reach out to Lily Trejo and try to make peace with her. He would try to negotiate a truce between mother and daughter so they could form some kind of relationship that would satisfy Angela.

His daughter's happiness was the most important thing in the world to him. He would do anything for her, even this.

* * *

T
HE
NEXT
MORNING
, wearing an apologetic smile, Carol stopped Grace at the reception desk when she walked into the office. “Mr. Huber asked to see you the moment you came in the door.”

So Dad had already heard about the broken window. From whom? He wasn't even in town the night before. He'd been in Milwaukee overseeing the shopping center.

“Okay, thanks, Carol.”

Grace knocked at his door once, then opened it. Wearing a particularly grumpy expression, her father waved her in.

She said, “I have a lot to do this morning—”

“It can wait. First, you have some explaining to do.”

She wore her most innocent expression. “About?”

“You know very well what this is about, Grace Huber. That wild teenager has been at it again, this time breaking a window in one of our town houses. And you told the police chief you wouldn't bring charges against her.”

“Angela is going through a tough time, and—”

“And you're dating her father.”

News traveled fast in a small town, but where had Dad heard it?

“Yes, I am dating Caleb Blackthorne,” she said, “but I would be concerned about Angela even if I wasn't.”

“Because she's a little criminal?”

“Because she's going through an emotionally difficult time in her life. Dealing with her as a person and having her do some kind of community service at Green Meadows will be more effective than making her go through the system.”

“Community service? You want to give the little troublemaker
another
pass?”

“I want to show her that people care about her.”

“Just because she's not getting that from her father doesn't mean—”

“How could you say that? Caleb is a wonderful father to Angela. His situation reminds me of
us
when I was that age. Angela has been acting out for several weeks now, and poor Caleb has been going out of his mind trying to figure out what exactly happened—” though he obviously knew now “—and how to get her back on the straight and narrow.”

Dad's brow furrowed. “How
did
she get off the right path?”

She told him about Angela's mother abandoning her. And about her returning. “Last night we learned that Angela threw that brick at the town house window because her mother has been staying there at night.”

“Now we have a squatter? They both should be arrested!”

“They both need help,” she countered. “The mother has no resources. She's probably desperate. And, we can't arrest a squatter without real proof anyhow. The police went inside the town house and found nothing but a bottle of water and a blanket. No damage. I didn't make an official complaint.”

“What do you think you are, a social worker?”

“Actually, Caleb's mother is a social worker, and he's hoping Maddie can help her. As for me, I'm just paying it forward, Dad.”

“You didn't destroy property.”

“No, I just stole it,” she reminded him. “And you made me go back to the store and return the bracelet and the sweater and apologize.”

“Has the Blackthorne girl apologized?”

“Not yet.” But she wasn't through with the past yet. “And then there was that rave that guy took me to. You came and found me and got me out without my being arrested.”

“This is different,” her father argued. “You were being self-destructive. She's destroying other people's property.
Our
property! You must press charges this time!”

Grace hated it when her father tried to force her to his will, which had been happening more and more lately. Probably because he sensed her yearning to break from the family company.

She jumped to her feet. “I'm not pressing charges against Angela Blackthorne! Nor against her mother.” In fact, if she did, Angela would never forgive her and she and Caleb wouldn't stand a chance at being a couple.

“Fine, there's nothing stopping
me
from pressing charges, both against the girl and her mother!”

It was one of those rare moments when she was so angry she actually saw red. “You do that, Dad, and I'm done!”