Spring Comes To Barncastle Inn (6 page)

             
Peter held out a key ring. “This has the house key on it too. Not that you'll need it. The sugar house key is the silver one.”

             
Sadie accepted the key, warm from being in Peter's pocket. “You two have a great time.”

             
Get over it, girl. You're not part of the family, not even more than a friend.

Chapter 6

“I told Justin, the next trip I take to Europe on business, I'll take better pictures,” Jessica said.

              Sadie fought to keep focused on the phone conversation with her friend, but her feet throbbed after standing all day. Her ankle complained, too. She settled onto the stool behind the gift shop's register.

             
“When are you going to Europe again?”

             
“The company's sending me to the London office for a week in June. I just booked my flight.”

             
“Nice. I'm trying not to be jealous.” She set the phone down on the counter and turned on the speakerphone.

             
“What's that?”

             
“I said, I'm trying not to be jealous,” Sadie said a little louder. She pulled out her receipt book and scanned the room. After the grand opening sale, she needed to replace some of the inventory. Good. She'd been in the process of tallying sales for the day when Jessica had called to congratulate her.

             
“Well, I checked the job listings on the HR page, to see if there's anything in our marketing department you might be qualified for.”

             
“Oh, you did? Thanks.”

             
“I didn't see anything this time, but if I do find anything, I'll forward it to you. Anyway, that's not the only reason I called. I meant to let you know...I think Justin is going to propose.” Jessica ended                    the sentence with a squeal.

             
“Wow! How do you know?”

             
“We're going to visit his family for Easter weekend, and we're driving to the White Mountains, and having dinner at Le Chateau on Saturday night.”

             
“That place in Food & Wine magazine you told me about?”

             
“Uh-huh. He made reservations two months in advance.”

             
“That's terrific.” The bell over the shop door rang, and Sadie looked up, ready to mention they were closed for the afternoon. Peter, and Marin. Sadie smiled, a reflex she had little control over whenever Peter appeared, or crossed her mind.

             
“Hmm, sounds like you have company. I'll email you later.”

             
“Okay. Love ya, Jessica Rabbit.”

             
“You too, Sadie Hawkins.” Her voice squawked from the speakerphone.

             
Sadie laughed at the sound of her old nickname as she pressed a button on the phone.

             
Peter stopped at the counter, his blue eyes sparkling. “Sadie Hawkins, huh? I don't know which is worse, that or Applejacks Appleman.”

             
“Don't push it, Applejacks.” She made her voice stern but kept grinning.

             
Marin glanced between them. “Who's Applejacks Appleman?”

             
“Sadie's old nickname for me.”

             
“Well, I don't like it.” Marin pouted.

             
“Marin, that was a long, long time ago,” Peter chided.

             Sadie wanted to say, “Really? Pouting from a ten-year-old?” Then she remembered her own dramatics as a child. Instead, she studied the square brown cardboard box that Peter carried.

              As if in answer to her unspoken question, Peter set the box on the counter. “Complements of Appleman Farms, pure 100-percent grade A Vermont maple syrup.”

             
Sadie reached inside the box and pulled out a bottle, shaped like a maple leaf. “Oh, it's beautiful. You mean, this is for the store?”

             
He nodded. “But keep one bottle for yourself. You helped.”

             
“That was just yesterday, one afternoon.”

             
“We had a family outing and a wonderful change of scenery, thanks to you.”

             
“I'm glad you did.” Sadie glanced at Marin, who strolled over to a collection of primitive dolls and began picking them up, one by one.

             
The shop door opened again, with Andy entering this time. He shot Marin a look, then approached the counter. “Hi, Sadie. My mom is going to town to buy candy for the egg hunt. She wants to know if Marin can come along with us?”

             
Poor kid. He appeared as if he wanted anything else, like going to the dentist for a filling, or being asked to wash all the dirty dishes in the inn by hand.

             
Marin cast the doll she held onto the others propped up on display. “Oh, Dad, may I?” She beamed as she gazed across the sales floor at Andy.

             
“Sure.”

             
The man had to be oblivious to Marin's adoration of the older boy. Sadie opened her mouth, but figured that conversation was one, not really her business, and two, probably best held in Marin's absence.

             
“Well, let's go then.” Andy left the shop, Marin scurrying behind him.

             
When the door shut, Peter faced Sadie across the counter. “Um, I think someone's got her first crush.”

             
“I was wondering if you noticed that, now and the other day.” Sadie closed her receipt book.

             
“No, not the other day. But now, yes.” A frown flickered across his face. “Should I be worried? Isn't she too young for that?”

             
“Daddy Appleman, I hate to break it to you, but she's officially in the 'tween age. This is normal. But I'd be ready for when Andy tries to let her down easily.”

             
He shook his head as he sank onto a nearby cushioned chair, one of Sadie's yard sale finds, now recovered in blue-and-white toile. “I'm not ready for this.”

             
“Ready or not...”

             
“The teen years will come.” He rose from the chair. “Do you want to grab an early supper, child-free?”

             
“I told Jayne I'd inventory the first century costumes we're using Thursday night for the Last Supper, but after that, I'm free.”

             
“I can help.” He reached in her direction, and she slipped around the edge of the counter, and let him take her hand.

             
Sadie's stomach did a somersault. She hadn't noticed the whiff of aftershave until now, felt the strength in his fingers. Then she remembered an almost-first-kiss during one summer not quite two decades ago, in the tree house that once lay between the two properties.

             
The resurrected memory of the long-ago incident which followed rattled her mind, the shame of hurting Peter by making fun of him in front of everyone after they'd been caught with their lips mere inches apart.

             
The very much grownup Peter now surprised her by pulling her into his arms and covering her mouth with his. Skyrockets shot through her brain.

**

What was he doing? Oh yes, he was kissing Sadie Barncastle, who definitely had outgrown the brat stage but kept her feistiness. He should have asked, should have wooed her, been more chivalrous. Something besides acting like an impulsive adolescent. Or retreated back behind his self-protecting wall of disinterest.

             
Sadie's arms slipped around his neck as if of their own accord, and she kissed him back, the ends of her hair teasing his fingertips. He let his fingers run through the silken strands.

             
“Peter,” she whispered, pulling back.

             
“I'm sorry. I—”

             
“It's okay.” She grinned at him shyly, her cheeks flushed.

             
“I think I have a crush on someone, too.” Peter's voice cracked.

             
“You do, huh?”

             
He nodded, their foreheads touching. “That was worth waiting almost twenty years for.”

             
“Do you normally kiss all your crushes?”

             
“Nope. But then I haven't had a crush on anyone in years.”

             
“Well, now what?”

             
He felt his stomach gurgle in response, then Sadie's giggle.

             
“We need to talk, over dinner.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “No more kissing. For now.”

             
He nodded. “But I don't want to wait until you sort through costumes. Because I might just kiss you again.”

             
A pang of old grief resonated inside him. Kate...

             
But Kate was gone, would be gone forever from this life. And here was Sadie now, alive, breathing, vibrant, and grinning at him as she fetched her purse and keys.

             
“Let's go. Where do you want to eat?” she asked as she followed him outside.

             
An engine's roar made them look as Jayne left with the three kids in the family's SUV, Marin waving from the back seat.

             
“Your choice, since I offered, as long as it's anywhere but fast food or pizza. Since we're kidless at the moment.”

             
“I haven't had a chance to eat out much since moving here. If there's a local mom 'n pop place, I'm all for that.”

             
“Good.” He knew just the place. “It's Castlebury Green, downtown. Not fancy, but delicious.”

             
Within twenty minutes, he'd parked the Volvo in the last remaining parking spot on the town green, a tad crowded for a Monday.

             
Castlebury Green sat on a busy corner, but served the tastiest burgers and steaks in town.

             
“You're going to love this place.” Peter held open the heavy wooden door for Sadie, who entered first. The hostess, a woman with graying hair, approached them.

             
“Peter? Peter Appleman? I heard you were back in town.” She beamed as she extended her arms for a hug.

             
“Yes, I'm back.”

             
“Good, good.” Her glance flicked to Sadie. “Oh, you're not Kate.”

             
“Um, no.” Sadie looked at Peter.

             
Well, this is just great. “Mrs. Mancini, this is Sadie Barncastle.”

             
“Oh, of the inn with the same name, the holidays anytime place. Nice to meet you. I don't recall seeing you before.” The older woman wore a dubious expression.

             
“I've recently moved in with my cousin and family.”

             
“Okay, so you must be Rob Barncastle's daughter.”

             
She nodded. Another glance in Peter's direction.

             
“Table or booth, Peter?” Mrs. Mancini grabbed a pair of menus from the hostess stand.

             
“Booth please.”

             
He hadn't explained to everyone about Kate. He thought his parents would have told the Mancinis, old friends from his growing-up days. Not thirty minutes ago, he'd been kissing Sadie. Here, it seemed as though an unseen third person had joined them on their dinner date. Which wasn't a date.

             
Mrs. Mancini led them to a booth. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it. She set the menus on the table. “Tina, your server, will be here in a moment.”

             
“Well, that was a tad awkward,” Sadie observed, her voice low as Mrs. Mancini departed.

             
“Yes, uh. I'm sorry about that. I didn't think—”

             
She held up her hand. “It's okay. I'm sure it's happened before.”

             
“It has, but there's one difference.”

             
“What's that?”

             
“I've never been, er, out with anyone since Kate.”