Harvest Moon (Brook Haven Romance Book 1) (5 page)

“She sells apples?”

“She does, and she
makes homemade lemonade—the best in the county.”

“Hmm … I am kind of
thirsty,” she said, getting back on her bike.

Drake grinned. “You
just want to get closer so that you can check out the competition, don’t you?”

She nodded as she took
off down the long road that led to the inn. Drake shook his head and followed
her with a smile. The scent of the apple trees as they rode through the grove
was heady and light. Here and there the bright red apples lay on the ground—a
sign that harvest season was coming soon. It was such a cozy scene that when
Drake raced past her, Sophie lost all sense of the mature and serious woman
she’d become. She stood up on her pedals, giggling, and raced him the rest of
the way to the fruit stand. By the time they reached it—with her in the lead—they
were both flushed and out of breath but laughing.

Drake thought that
Sophie looked like an entirely different woman with color in her cheeks and
light in her eyes. He was so incredibly tempted to kiss her that he was glad Mrs.
Larson was standing there looking at them like they were crazy. He caught his breath
and said, “Hello, Mrs. Larson. How are you today?”

“I’m doing well, Drake.
It’s good to see you.” She looked over the rim of her spectacles and said, “I
don’t think I know you, sweetie.”

“This is Sophie
Michelson, Mrs. Larson. She just bought the old Harvest Moon Inn.”

“Well, that’s quite the
accomplishment for such a young lady. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Sophie
told her with a genuine smile. “I’m really excited about it.”

“Well, I’ve been in
this business for over half my life,” she said. “If there is anything I can
help you with or any questions I can answer, honey, you feel free to ask. It
seems you already know the best carpenter in town.”

Drake grinned. “Thank
you, Mrs. Larson. Since I’m the only one in town …”

She waved her weathered
palm at him. “You’d still be the best,” she said. She looked at Sophie again
and said, “His daddy used to come by and do repairs for me and my husband on
his days off from work, and he wouldn’t take a dime for it. We kept him
supplied with apples and lemonade. Now his son here has taken to doing the
same.”

Sophie laughed. “Well,
that sounds like a good deal to me. I was hoping to try some of your lemonade.
Drake says it’s the best in the county.”

The old lady winked.
“He knows what he’s talking about,” she said. She went over to the little shed
and through the divided doors. A few minutes later, she came back with two
clear plastic cups of lemonade. Fresh lemon slices floated on top, and she also
had a white bag in her hand. She handed one of the cups to Sophie and the other,
plus the bag, to Drake. “Give that to your Uncle Mac for me, okay?”

“I sure will,” Drake
said.

“How is he doing?”

“Very well,” Drake
said. “Hooter found us a couple of kit foxes two weeks ago. Uncle Mac’s been
nursing them back to health for me while I work. You know how he is … he won’t
admit it, but I think he’s enjoying the company.”

She laughed. It was
more of a cackle, and Drake couldn’t help but smile when he heard it. Sophie
was smiling too and pulling money out of a little pocket in the front of her
pants. Drake didn’t say anything, but he knew Mrs. Larson wasn’t going to take
it. “This is $5.00. Is that enough?”

The old lady once again
waved her wrinkled palm. “Your money is no good here when you’re with one of
the Tanner boys.”

“Thank you.” Sophie
took a long drink through the straw. “Wow, that is delicious,” she told Mrs.
Larson. The older woman beamed.

“Thank you. It’s an old
family recipe that I’m proud of.”

“Well, you should be,”
Sophie said. “I’m not sure how I’ll compete with that.”

She cackled again. “I’m
sure you’ll think of something. You have the advantage of youth. My daughter
does her best around here and I’m thankful for her, but this never was her
calling.”

“It was a pleasure to
meet you, Mrs. Larson.”

“You too, sweetheart,
and I wish you the best of luck. Drake Tanner, you better kiss this old
leathery cheek.” Drake leaned forward and did as she asked, smiling.

“It’s as smooth as
glass,” he told her. Her cheeks colored and she waved him away. As they rode
off, she stood and watched them and waved until they were out of sight.

Not far up the road,
they came to another area of the lake. This one was surrounded by flat land and
wildflowers. “Do you want to stop here and eat?” he asked Sophie.

“Eat? Is that what you
have in that basket?”

“Yep. You didn’t have
breakfast.”

She smiled. “Come to
think of it, I am a little hungry. This looks like a good place.” They pulled
the bikes off the little road and Drake unhooked the picnic basket. He had a
little checkered tablecloth rolled up and attached to it. Sophie smiled as she
watched him spread it out.

He looked up at her and
said, “What?”

“Just that Boy Scout
thing again—always prepared.”

He made a face at her
and finished setting up what he’d brought. Sophie was amazed at the selection.
He’d cut up strawberries and melons and, of course, apples, all into bite-sized
pieces. He had a sampling of cheese, some bread, and even two blueberry
muffins. “Wow, this looks great,” she told him, taking a seat on the ground
next to the food.

“Thanks. My mom loved
picnics. I learned how to pack one from her, I guess.” He looked at the white
bag and grinned. “We could always add Uncle Mac’s apple cinnamon rolls in with
the mix.”

“Who is Uncle Mac?”

“He’s my mom’s brother.
He lives on the family property with me, but in his own house. Mrs. Larson
makes a batch of these rolls about once a week. She always finds a way to send
some to Uncle Mac. Before his accident, he worked for her and her husband, and
she’s always had a soft spot for him.”

“His accident?”

“He was in a head-on
collision when he was in his early twenties. Back before seatbelt laws. He was
thrown through the windshield and landed about fifty feet from the car on his
back. He’s a paraplegic now, but from what I hear about how he was back then,
it’s a miracle he’s alive.”

“Oh, wow, that’s
terrible. Can he take care of himself?”

“Oh yeah, he does
really well now. Something about the head injury changed him a little, I guess.
I didn’t know him back then, but everyone in town says he was always the life
of the party. It’s like pulling teeth now to get him out of the farm.”

“The poor thing.” She
picked up a strawberry off her plate and said, “What was it you were telling Mrs.
Larson about foxes?”

“Oh … that’s actually
why I was late that first day.” He told her about Hooter finding the foxes and
what they’d been through keeping them alive since. “Uncle Mac likes to blame
the ‘bringing home strays’ on me and my mother, but he’s taken to those babies
like nothing I’ve ever seen. I worry about taking them from him.” When he
finished talking, he noticed Sophie had put her food down and had a stricken
look on her face. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “I
just feel so bad. I treated you so poorly and here you were saving baby animals—”

He laughed. “I’m no saint,
trust me. I should have at least called you.”

“And I should have
listened when you tried to tell me what happened. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s forgotten,” he
said. “And you weren’t that bad. Eat your fruit.” She smiled and started eating
again. “So your mom tells me that you’ve been planning this B&B since you
were little. What was it that fascinated you so much about it?”

“Honestly, I’m not
sure. I think it was just that weekend we spent at the one in New Hampshire—everyone
there seemed so happy. I’ve always been really kind of domestic. I love to cook
and bake, and I make my own soaps and grow my own spices and herbs …”

“Really? I do too.”

“You cook and bake and
make soap?”

He laughed. “Um … kind
of, not really, and no way. I meant me ‘too’ about the growing herbs part. I
use mine to make salves and things.”

“Really? How did you
learn to do that?”

“My mom. She was really
good at that stuff. When she passed away, she left me her journals with her
recipes.”

“What happened to your
parents, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Dad passed away of a
heart attack at sixty-two. Two years later, Mom followed. I honestly think her
heart was broken. She loved him so much.”

“That’s sad and
beautiful at the same time.”

He smiled and suddenly
had that urge to kiss her again. “So, a bed and breakfast because you’re
domestic … a lot of women just turn that into marriage and children.”

“If you haven’t
noticed, I’m not a lot of women.”

He tried not to let her
see the overwhelming desire he was feeling as he looked at her and said, “I
have noticed that, yes. So do you not ever want to have a family of your own?”

“I would never say
never, but given that option right this minute, I’d say no. It might sound
silly to someone on the outside, but I’ve dreamt about and planned this
business for so long that I just have to make it a reality first. You see how
it worries my mother to death that I don’t want to take a day off. Just imagine
me with a husband and a couple of kids who need my attention.”

Drake had been trying
not to imagine that very thing since practically the day he met her. He was
overwhelmed by the incredible attraction he felt. At the same time, he was
pretty sure that he wouldn’t be the man she’d choose if she ever did decide to
settle down. One good thing about being complacent with his life, it was fairly
easy for him to convince himself to just be happy with the fact that he got to
see her every day. And after today, becoming friends with her seemed like a
real possibility. Never being one who needed to hurry things, he decided to
keep that desire to kiss her in check and just see where this new friendship of
theirs went.

“You sure have been
smiling a lot this evening.” Sophie and her mom were making dinner together,
and she had just been thinking about something Drake had said earlier that made
her smile.

“Are you complaining? I
thought that was your whole big ploy when you set me up this morning.”

“Set you up? Whatever
do you mean? I told you that I remembered I’d made a hair appointment—”

Sophie laughed. “You’re
a terrible liar.”

“Did you have fun?”

Sophie smiled again in
spite of herself. She did have fun—much more than she’d had in a long time.
“Admit you set me up.”

Brenda laughed. “Fine,
I set you up. I thought you’d have more fun with Drake than with me. Now, your
turn, admit you had fun.”

“I had fun. It was a
lot of fun and I definitely needed it, so thank you for your sneaky ways.”

“You’re welcome. So
tell me about it.”

Sophie breaded the fish
and told her mother about the green mountains and the apple orchards. As she
talked, she could almost see it and smell it all over again. It was all so
beautiful. She had to admit, only to herself of course, that as she saw it all
in her mind’s eye, she saw it all as a backdrop to Drake’s gorgeous smile. “Did
you know that he has a disabled uncle?”

“He mentioned an uncle
to me; I don’t believe he told me he was disabled.”

“He’s paraplegic. Drake
says he does a lot for himself, but I get the feeling Drake does a lot for him,
too. He also seems to be quite the animal lover.” She lowered the fish into the
skillet with the warming olive oil on the stove.

Brenda waited until
she’d covered it with a lid before she said, “You seem to be warming up to
Drake.”

Sophie shook her head.
She wondered why all of a sudden her mother seemed to want to play matchmaker;
she’d never done that before. Was she afraid that Sophie’s biological clock was
ticking?

“I am warming up to him,
Mom … as a friend. He’s a nice guy and I had fun with him today, but don’t get
it into your pretty little head that it’s going any further than that.”

Brenda took the plates
and silverware off the counter and carried them to the center island. As she set
them out, she said, “Okay, I promise not to push either of you, but can I ask
you why?”

Sophie lifted the lid
and used the tongs to turn the fish. She was quiet for a long time, trying to
decide how to word her feelings so that they didn’t upset her mother. When she
put the lid down and turned around, she said, “Mom … now is just not a good
time for me to get in a relationship.”

“But you do plan on it someday?”

Sophie took her mother’s
hand, then led her over to the island and sat down. Brenda settled down on the
other stool and Sophie asked her, “Why is this suddenly an issue for you, Mom?”

“It’s not an ‘issue.’ I
just hate seeing you so unhappy.”

“You think that I’m
unhappy?”

“You hardly ever smile
anymore. You have such a beautiful smile, it’s a shame.”

Sophie squeezed her
mother’s hand. “I’m sorry I’ve given you that impression and made you worry. I
am happy though, Mom! I’m so happy! This is what I’ve always wanted. I’m just really
feeling a lot of pressure right now. I know that outwardly I don’t show it, but
I am so grateful for everything I have … most especially you. I will try harder—”

“It’s not about me,
Sophie. I know you love me and I feel blessed to be a part of this with you.
I’m just afraid you’re going to let your youth pass you by, and once that
happens, you can’t get it back.”

Sophie nodded. “I hear
you, Mom. In four weeks, this place will be up and running, and I will start
spending some time getting to know some of the folks in town and try to make
some new friends.”

“You promise?”

Sophie smiled. “Pinky
promise,” she said, holding her little finger out. Brenda took it with hers the
way they used to when Sophie was a little girl. “Now, let’s eat some fish and
talk about
your
future for a change.”

Brenda snorted and
Sophie laughed. She had to admit that she felt much lighter than she had in
weeks. Nothing had really changed other than she’d let her guard down for a few
hours. Maybe there was something to be said for deviating from the plan every
now and again.

****

Drake finished loading
the last of his vegetables and herbs in the truck and had just helped Hooter up
into the bed. When Hooter was younger, there’d be no stopping him from jumping
in and out of the truck, but he was getting up there in age, so sometimes he
needed a little boost. He was about to head up to see if his uncle wanted to go
when he heard Mac calling to him from the house. Drake walked the five hundred
feet and found Mac sitting on the front porch holding the kits, one in each
hand. “What’s wrong?” he said before he noticed Mac was smiling from ear to
ear.

“Watch …” He held the
one in his right hand up, and the cute little guy stretched out his long nose
and nuzzled Mac’s.

“Oh wow. That’s cute.”

“Wait! Watch this …” He
held the other one up. Instead of going for Mac’s nose, that one laid a kiss
right on his lips. Drake cracked up.

“How long did it take
you to teach them that?”

“I didn’t teach either
one of them. The little boogers just started doing it on their own every time I
picked them up.” He tried to look annoyed as he said it, but the little guy in
his right hand climbed up his arm and snuggled into his chest right next to his
armpit. Drake could see him visibly melting. God, he hated the thought of how
upset Mac was going to be when they had to leave.

“That’s awesome,” he
said. He almost told him that Sam would be back on Wednesday, but he just
didn’t have the heart. “You want to go to the market with me this morning?”

“Nah … I better stay
back and make sure these guys eat and take care of their other business.”

Drake smiled. “Okay. Do
you have anything you want me to take for you?”

“Yeah, if you don’t
mind. There are a couple of new carvings on the table in the shop.”

“Okay, I’ll bring us
some lunch when I get back.” Mac was already immersed in conversation with one
of the kits and hardly noticed Drake leaving. Drake went around to the woodshop,
and when he opened the door and saw what was on the table, tears actually stung
the corners of his eyes. Mac had carved a replica of each kit as well as one of
them curled together sleeping. They were lifelike and beautiful, and there was
no way that Drake was going to sell them. He took them with him; he’d bring the
money back to Mac, but they would go into his private collection, the one in
his house that Mac rarely saw because he refused to leave his own.

Any time Drake took one
of Mac’s carvings into town and it didn’t sell, he bought it. They were genuinely
beautiful works of art, but unless it was tourist season, the folks in Brook
Haven didn’t often have a lot of money to spend on non-essentials. Drake had a
collection of at least a dozen … and now he had three more.

He made it into town
just in time to set up his table before he had his first customer. Hooter had
wandered off to say hello, and Drake didn’t worry about him; everyone in town
knew the old yellow Lab.

“Hi, Drake!”

“Hey, Karen, how’s the
shoulder?”

“It’s so much better
thanks to that salve you gave me last week.” Karen lived alone in a house at
the edge of the woods with no electricity or running water. Drake gave her a
camp stove a while back to cook on, and the nice folks who owned the grocery
store kept her supplied with fresh water and anything non-perishable that they
would have to throw out. She always had a different ailment, and Drake had come
to suspect over the years that most of her pain came from the inside and
manifested itself in body aches.

“I’m glad to hear that.
My mama swore by it for her joint pain.”

“Your mama was an
angel,” she said. “We sure do miss her around here.”

“Thank you, Karen. I
miss her too.”

“I got a crick in my
knee these days …”

Before she left, Drake
had loaded her down with a grocery bag full of vegetables and more salve. He
was just wrapping things up with his second customer—a paying one—when he heard
a familiar voice.

“Well, there he is.
Where are those wild animals you’ve been hanging on to for me?”

“Sam! I thought you
weren’t coming back until Wednesday.”

Sam raised an eyebrow.
“Well, that’s a nice welcome home if I ever got one,” he said.

“Sorry. I’m just
surprised to see you.”

“Well, hitting the
beach was nice after the conference, but you know me, I’d rather socialize with
the animals.”

Drake smiled. “Yeah,
I’ve noticed that about you.”

“So how are those kits
doing?”

“Well, when I left the
farm, Mac had one of them rubbing noses with him and the other giving him
kisses.”

Sam cringed. “You
domesticated them?”

“No … Mac did, I guess.
You know he just gets lonely out there. Those little guys have kind of become
his companions.”

“Drake, he can’t keep
them.”

“I know. I’m just
having a hard time telling him that.”

Sam laughed. “I’ll tell
him.” Hooter suddenly appeared from somewhere and began to rub his thick coat
against Sam’s leg. He smiled at the dog and squatted down to pet him.

“No, I’ll do it. Just give
me a day or two,” Drake told him.

“The longer he has
them, the harder it will be to get them back out into the wild where they
belong.” Sam scratched Hooter underneath his chin once more and then stood up.

“I know,” Drake said
with a heavy sigh. Sam raised an eyebrow at him again, and Drake said, “Really,
I do. I’ll talk to him when I get home.”

“All right, call me
tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” Drake watched
him move on to the next booth to say hello to Mrs. O’ Brien. He blamed himself
for this. If he’d been paying more attention, he would have seen how lonely Mac
was and gotten him a pet of his own.

“Why so glum?”

He looked up at the
voice. “Hey, Brooke.” He pulled out the chair next to him and said, “Have a
seat and I’ll tell you all my troubles.” Hooter was extremely happy to see her.
She sat down in one of the chairs and let Hooter put his big paws up in her lap
as she petted him.

“The doctor is in,” she
told Drake. “But you know I charge by the hour. I need the cash too since I
can’t seem to convince anyone in this town that I’m a real doctor.”

He laughed, even though
he knew she wasn’t really kidding. Poor Brooke was having trouble getting new
patients. People drove for miles to see a doctor they didn’t know because a lot
of them still saw Brooke as the girl they’d watched grow up. Drake had been
racking his brains trying to figure out how to help her, but he hadn’t really
come up with anything yet. Hooter saw another dog and he was off like a shot to
investigate.

As Brooke brushed the
yellow hair off her jeans, Drake told her, “You can put the bill on my tab. You
know I’m good for it.”

He grinned at her, and
she laughed and said, “That tab goes all the way back to fifth grade. I’m
beginning to think you never intend to pay me. At this rate, I’ll starve.”

He handed her a plastic
container full of carrots. “Here, have some vegetables.”