Home to Sparrow Lake (Harlequin Heartwarming) (18 page)

“Not right now, thanks.”

He picked up both dinner plates and took them to the kitchen. “You like what you’re doing, right?”

“What do you mean? Do I like doing the marketing for Sew Fine?”

“Right. Rebuilding an existing business, one in which you have a personal stake.”

She had to admit she’d been excited by all the improvements she could make. “I’ve truly enjoyed it.”

“I get the idea you’re even beginning to like quilting.”

“I like the preciseness of it, sewing all the strips or blocks together to make a pattern.” Though she couldn’t say she was all that creative.

“See? Managing Sew Fine is a perfect fit for you.”

If it were only that simple, she thought, telling herself not to be annoyed with Alex trying to find a solution that would fit them all.

Hearing some movement from the opposite side of kitchen, she glanced that way and caught a blur of movement. “Was that Spike, or do you have him locked up somewhere?”

“Nah, he goes where he pleases. That was him sneaking around the corner. He was probably hiding under the bed until he made sure you weren’t dangerous.”

“You have a shy guard dog?” she asked, surprised that he hadn’t barked at a stranger.

Alex laughed. “Wait right here, it’s time you met tough old Spike.”

He disappeared into the living room, saying, “There you are.” After some scrabbling noises, he appeared again, a big, fluffy, cream-colored cat in his arms. “Meet Spike.”

Kristen had to laugh. There was something incongruous, if adorable, about a tall, strong man holding a cute, fuzzy cat.

“What’s so funny?” Alex grinned at her.

“And here I thought you had a German shepherd!”

“Hey, don’t insult Spike. He looks unassuming, but he works undercover.”

“Under covers is more like it, I bet.”

“That, too.” He moved closer. “You aren’t allergic, are you?”

“No.” Kristen reached out to take the cat, who struggled a little but allowed himself to be held. She stroked his soft head and admired his big, blue eyes. “Hi, Spike. You’re very handsome.” She told Alex, “I always thought about getting a cat myself. I just wasn’t home enough for any kind of pet.”

“Well, I didn’t ‘get’ this cat. He started hanging around and I fed him. I put up notices, but nobody claimed him. I took him to a vet but he doesn’t have a chip. What could I do? He moved in, and I didn’t have the heart to kick him back out to the street.”

Another thing to like about Alex—his soft side.

“This guy looks like he might be a purebred, maybe Himalayan,” she said. “They’re expensive. It’s odd that he’d be a stray. Maybe he got outside and wandered away.”

“If he belongs to anyone in town, they should have said something.”

“Because you’re not giving him up now?”

“He’s weeks into training. He’s a valuable addition to the police force.”

“I’m sure.” Kristen laughed again. “You ought to buy him a black leather collar with spikes so he looks tougher.”

She put the cat down and picked up the salad bowls and stray silverware, taking them to the kitchen to be loaded into the dishwasher.

“You shouldn’t be doing this,” he told her. “Customers don’t work at classy restaurants.”

“Well, this is a more homey, classy type of restaurant.”

“Since you insist.”

Between them, they made short work of clearing the rest of the table.

“I truly loved the meal,” she told him. She also thoroughly enjoyed his company. Alex was not only good-looking but intelligent and intriguing. With his dry sense of humor and unusual ideas, he always managed to surprise her. Now she realized he was also something of a homebody, a trait that attracted her, as well. He would be the perfect man to settle down with...for someone.

The evening was darkening as they sat on the enclosed porch. The candle on the table between them flickered and the wind murmured through the backyard trees. Although there must be lights in the windows of some nearby houses, trees and bushes obscured them so that Kristen could feel as if she and Alex were alone. A very nice feeling, indeed.

“That must be east over there,” she said, motioning. “That glow. The moon is rising.”

“Oops, I almost forgot. We don’t want to be late for the show.” He got up and held out his hand. “Come on, we’re taking a drive.”

Outside, Alex helped Kristen into the car and took off. Soon they found themselves on the road that circled the lake. The June air was fragrant but cool and Kristen shivered, wishing she’d brought a sweater.

She barely noticed the dark and twisty path leading off the main road until Alex turned the car onto it. Nosing upward, their headlights searched the opaque darkness and gravel crunched beneath the tires. The car bounced over ruts as it climbed. Tree branches hung so low and thick that they seemed to be driving through a leafy tunnel.

“Where on earth are we going?”

“To get the best seat.”

Whatever that meant.

A little farther on, they exited the tunnel of foliage and came out onto a rise overlooking the lake. The gravel road widened into an area a little bigger than a turnaround. On one side was a sheer drop, offering a sprawling view. Alex pulled up to the small barrier near the edge, parked and turned off the engine.

“The show,” he said, with an expansive gesture. “Much bigger than anything Hollywood has ever produced.”

Taking in the scene before her, Kristen had to agree. A vast canopy of stars twinkled overhead, as well as below, where the starlight became liquid pinpoints in the water. More gentle lights flickered from houses near the lake on the other side.

“Fantastic,” she breathed.

“You won’t see this in a city. Not all these stars.”

“The city lights blot them out,” she agreed.

To the east, the dark horizon smoldered.

“And here she comes,” said Alex. “We’re just in time.”

As they watched, the moon suddenly slid up into the sky, a silvery orb above the dark shapes of hills and trees.

“She? What happened to the man in the moon?”

“I see the moon as a beautiful woman.” He turned toward her and, though she couldn’t make out details in the moonlight, she knew his eyes were intense and warm. “Like you.”

She shivered, partly from the power of his gaze, partly from the beauty of the night and partly because she was cold.

“Hmm, you didn’t bring a sweater, did you?” he murmured. “Guess I’ll just have to help you out.” He slid a warm arm around her shoulders.

She leaned back against him. “Feels good.” The whole night felt good, better than any in recent memory.

“Now listen,” he told her. “We have a concert, too.”

Both remained silent, letting the sound of night insects and birds permeate the air. The wind moved the branches of trees, making leaves whisper. There was a light splat of water below the rise where the car was parked—probably a frog or a night bird.

Feeling at peace and warmed all the way through by Alex, Kristen took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scents of water and growing things.

“Smells good, doesn’t it?” He leaned closer to nuzzle her neck, his lips gentle but seeking. “But not as good as you.”

Tracing a path from her throat to her mouth, he covered her lips with his own. Contrasted with the hardness of his chest, they were unbearably soft. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, losing herself to sensation. His breath tasted of lemon and champagne. His skin was smooth with a little rough stubble on the lower part of his face. He was the warmth at the center of darkness, night sounds and circling breezes. The embrace went on and on, and she had no desire to cut it short. He held her against him so that she could feel the rapid beat of his heart. Surely her heart was pounding just as quickly.

Slowly, she became aware of other noises in the background, crunching sounds. Like tires on gravel? Accompanying the crunching was a low growl. A car engine?

Alex must have heard it, too, because he broke their kiss to glance over his shoulder. A car emerged from the shadows, its lights off. It pulled up to park beside them. A startled young face gazed out the window at them. Alex waved.

The person in the car window waved back halfheartedly, as if he or she were timid. Then, just as quietly, the car backed up, turned around and left.

“They didn’t like sharing this view with us, huh?” said Kristen.

“Actually, they probably got nervous seeing the police chief in the Sparrow Lake make-out spot.”

“Make-out spot?”

“This is considered the best place for stealing a kiss from your girlfriend.”

“You brought me to a make-out spot?” she said in mock outrage. She made a show of pushing against his chest to put a few inches between them.

“Now, now.” In the same teasing tone, Alex pulled her back to him.

“And you plied me with food and drink,” she complained. “All with ulterior motives!”

“I wanted my girl to see the moon tonight.”

His girl?
Again, he sounded proprietary, but she had to admit she liked it. She wanted to belong with this gorgeous man. She wrapped her arms around his neck again and offered him her lips.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

S
INCE
GETTING
TOGETHER
with John McClintock at the fish fry Margaret had been having a fine time. They’d gone for walks, out for coffee and caught a movie. Next weekend, they planned to attend a concert in Lake Geneva.

Now, if only the rest of her life were as much fun.

Margaret had been quite upset when she heard about Brian’s escapades. Teenage boys will be boys, but Brian was getting a little too old to be acting out. She worried that more serious issues were at the heart of the matter, and she didn’t want Brian ending up like his father, her own spoiled younger brother.

At least Brian had apologized for causing problems after she’d been kind enough to offer him a place to stay for the summer. That was a good sign.

Margaret hated to broach the subject again, but she found herself doing so as her nephew hung around in the kitchen while she was straightening up after a light supper. “I’m so happy you were honest about your actions the past few weeks, Brian,” she began. “That was mature of you.”

He made a sound like a snort. “Ri-gh-t, I’m so mature.” He added sarcastically, “We got caught.”

“You handled it much better than you could have. According to some people, they’re never to blame. Everything happens because of someone else.” She took a deep breath. “Your father was like that, you know. Samuel never took responsibility if he could help it.”

“Is that why he left us?”

The poignant note in Brian’s voice got to Margaret. She knew at least part of his acting out stemmed from insecurity over being abandoned by his father.

“I think irresponsibility was the major reason he took off. He just couldn’t handle a family and a job, all the ordinary problems that life dishes out.” She stacked plates, noticing that Brian had stayed put. “I felt very bad about it, you know. I thought it reflected on our family. Sam was always funny and sweet, but we spoiled him, since he was the youngest. We just gave him too much room to make excuses.”

“And you want to make sure I don’t turn out like him?”

The question was blunt, surprising her. “Well, everyone is different but...”

“I gave you a lot of excuses.”

“Not exactly,” she said. “But you deceived me these past weeks and sneaked around with those other two boys.”

“Yeah.” He looked down, examining his fingers. “I guess it’s because they acted like they respected me.”

She digested that. “You mean they treated you like a leader?”

He nodded. “I had ideas that I thought were fun without hurting anyone...and they did what I said. Most of the time, anyway.”

“Well, I’m sure you’re smarter than either of them, Brian. Look at you—you graduated from high school a whole year early.” His age was likely another reason he wasn’t as responsible as they thought he should be.

“Uh-huh.”

“Aren’t you looking forward to going to college?”

“Kind of.”

Margaret sat down at the table opposite him to look him in the eye. “You don’t sound very enthusiastic.”

He shrugged. “I’ll be in a new place, doing something new....”

“And making friends and learning subjects that will help you prepare for your future.” She noticed that idea didn’t perk him up. He actually looked sad. “Don’t you find that exciting?”

He sighed. “To be honest, I kind of wish this summer would last longer. I don’t want it to end. I’ve moved around enough and had plenty of new experiences since Mom met Mike. I’d just like it to stop for a while.”

“Like what to stop?”

“All the moving around and being with new people and doing new things. I miss the old things.”

“Such as...”

“Living in Sparrow Lake. I went to school here most of my life, had friends. Then we up and moved to California where I was an outsider.”

She nodded, thinking she could see how he resented his stepfather for making all those waves in his life.

“I liked hanging out with people from my old life again,” Brian said. “It was fun being with kids I knew growing up, even if we were doing stupid things.”

“I see what you mean.” And an idea was growing in her mind. She frowned and tapped her fingers on the table. “You know, nobody is forcing you to go off to the University of Wisconsin in September.” Where he planned to live in a dorm, which meant meeting all new people again.

“We already paid the admissions fee.”

“You can still drop out before entering in September.”

He looked shocked. “You’re saying I should drop out of college?”

“Not at all. But, as a professor, I’ve advised a lot of students in my time.” She asked, “Do you even know what you want to do?”

“Well...not exactly.”

“And no wonder, you’re just turning eighteen in September.” She thought about the classes Heather was taking. “Have you ever considered going to a community college for a year or two, just to acclimate yourself, to think things over?”

“Community college?” He frowned.

“You could take your basic courses and it would be a lot cheaper,” Margaret said.

“Which community college?” His frown deepened and his voice took on an unpleasant note. “You mean go back to California?”

Margaret hadn’t meant to upset him. “Why not here in Wisconsin? That way, you can stay in Sparrow Lake and continue living right here with me, if you want to.”

He was quiet for a moment. “You’d trust me to stay after all the stuff I’ve done?”

“I give people second chances.” She cautioned, “Though there will be rules. No more silly shenanigans. And you have to maintain a certain grade average, maybe get a part-time job elsewhere if you don’t want to work at Sew Fine.”

“Hmm.”

“You don’t have to make a decision right now. Think it over.”

“I guess I could check when the last date is to withdraw from the university.”

“Think about your options.” Maybe it was too soon for him to be going off to college, Margaret thought. He was younger than average, after all. Plus, she thought he’d lost some part of his identity when his mother had remarried. She felt he could find his sense of purpose again with some encouragement. “You have a family here, people who love you and will celebrate your victories and help you with problems.” She was certain he could use a family in close proximity, at least for another year or two while he got his act together.

“
Some
family, anyway.”

“Well, I know your mom is in California, but you’ll have Heather and the twins. And Kristen—”

“Kristen is going back to the city.”

Margaret frowned. “Not necessarily. She’s met a nice man.”

“Yeah, a cop.”

“That cop is a decent guy. You think Alex is your enemy, but he doesn’t hate you.”

“He probably said bad things to Kristen about me.”

“He probably told the truth about what he knew you were doing. He wants the best for you, Brian. He doesn’t want to see a good kid waste his life. And Kristen doesn’t hate you, either. She loves you. Surely you’ve always known that.”

“She left home when I was seven or eight.”

“Oh, come on, that was a long time ago. And she took care of you when you were a child.”

Brian shrugged. “She’s got her own concerns. That cop won’t stop her from leaving, either.”

“And you know this how?”

“There’s gossip at the store. Sometimes I listen in,” Brian admitted. “Word has it that Kristen’s been offered a job in Chicago.”

Margaret felt her heart drop. “When did
this
happen?”

“Last week. Kristen and Heather were going at it because Heather doesn’t think she can handle any more business as the manager of the store. And Kristen is drumming up business, messing up Heather’s life. And then she’s taking off.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“I’m just reporting what I heard.”

“Well...” As much as she would hate to see her niece leave, Margaret knew it was Kristen’s decision. She thought it sounded as if Brian didn’t want Kristen to leave, either. “Adults have the right to do as they want, but...well, would you rather she stayed?”

“I don’t have anything to say about it, Aunt Margaret. If Kristen goes back to Chicago, we’ll hardly ever see her. I went there and stayed with her for a weekend when I was thirteen. Just once. I mainly hung around her apartment and watched movies.”

“While she was there?”

“Sometimes she was home. Other times, she had to go to her office.” He asked, “How often did she come out here and visit you through the years?”

“Not often,” Margaret mused, “Perhaps that girl is a workaholic.”

“She seems to love her work more than anything.”

Thinking of the importance of art and teaching for herself, Margaret admitted, “Work can be important and very fulfilling.”

“But don’t you think you should make time for other things? I wouldn’t want to work 24/7 for the rest of my life.”

“You should try to balance relationships and work, I agree.”

“Mom worked all the time when we were growing up, too,” Brian went on. “But she had to.”

“Maybe Kristen is following her precedent.”

“Doing what she thinks she has to?”

“Maybe. And perhaps also proving to herself she’s nothing like her father. She said something to that effect one time.”

“Dad kind of made a mess of things, didn’t he?”

“His actions had all kinds of repercussions. But we don’t want to blame everything on him, just as he blamed everyone else. It’s important to remember we’re responsible for our own actions.” Margaret sighed and pushed back her chair. “I need some tea and a few cookies. How about you?”

“I’ll take the cookies.”

They talked a while longer about this and that, Margaret secretly concerned about the news of Kristen’s leaving. It could indeed be that family had no say in the matter. Kristen wasn’t a child or still balancing on the cusp of adulthood like Brian. Maybe Kristen felt her degree in marketing would be wasted if she didn’t hold down a high-profile job. Margaret only wished Kristen would realize the potential she had for making a difference in her own hometown, and that she would recognize how much people cared about her.

People here also needed Kristen. Heather was overworked. Brian needed a feeling of family. And she, herself, well...among other things, she could use the extra money that better business would bring in.

Speaking about needing and caring, she wondered what was going on with Kristen and Alex.

* * *

K
RISTEN
HAD
NO
idea whether she should tell Alex about her job interview or not. It was an awkward situation. What if he decided that Chicago was too far away for them to date? She soothed her worries by reasoning that surely he would be willing to adjust. Maybe, despite what he’d said so far, he’d even be willing to move back to the city someday.

Still, she wasn’t certain about how to bring up the subject. The chance came on Monday after she and Alex had coffee at the Busy Corner.

“How about getting together another day or evening this week?” he asked, opening the door for her.

Pausing on the sidewalk, she realized this was the perfect opportunity to tell him about the potential job. “I have to make a trip into Chicago on Wednesday, and I have quilting class on Tuesday night. Any other time would be great.”

“You’re going to Chicago?”

“I have some business I need to take care of.” Part of her wanted to tell him. The other part was stalling.

“Well, I suppose we could go to dinner somewhere nice and enjoy some city sights.”

Kristen started. “You mean you want to go to Chicago with me?”

“Sure. I can drive. I know the city at least as well as you do. Unless you don’t want me to go, of course.”

“I would appreciate a ride, Alex. Thanks.” Now, to get to the reason....

Before she could think of a way, he asked, “Any place you want to eat, maybe take a walk afterward?”

“I like just about any kind of food, but I hope we can stay near the downtown area.” Again, she tried to broach the subject. “That’s where I have my appointment.”

“Good. That gives us lots of choices. Navy Pier is beautiful at this time of year.” The large pier jutting out into Lake Michigan had shops, restaurants, art galleries and attractions such as its huge Ferris wheel. He asked, “So what prompted this sudden need for you to go back to Chicago?”

Kristen swallowed. No more stalling—it was time to fess up. “I have a job interview. A hot lead.”

His expression went neutral. “I thought you were considering being the new manager of Sew Fine.”

“Some people have me pegged to take the job, but it belongs to my sister.” To be fair, though, she knew Heather would gladly give it up to pursue her own dream. If her sister could afford to do so before finishing her degree. Kristen tried not to sound defensive when she said, “I’m keeping my options open until I can decide what I really want to do.”

“Of course.”

Alex’s tone might be as neutral as his expression, but Kristen had the distinct feeling that he was holding back what he truly wanted to say.

Looking around the street at passing pedestrians, she realized several people had glanced at them with interest. Warmth crept up her neck, but when a familiar woman—a customer of Sew Fine—waved, Kristen returned the wave.

Turning her attention back to Alex, she tried to remain relaxed when she said, “If I move back to the city, it doesn’t mean that I can’t come here on weekends.”

He digested that before asking, “So you did that in the past?”

“Well, probably not as much as I intended, but things can change. I have to make sure Heather isn’t overwhelmed by her work schedule. And Brian... I need to see how he’s doing.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And, of course, there’s you. I want to see you. You can also come to see me in Chicago,” she told him. “I won’t be moving to the other end of the country or anything.”

“Sure.”

Alex sounded even more removed. Kristen wasn’t certain what he was thinking, but she gave herself points for being honest and up-front. She had every reason to feel a little edgy.

They may have been dating for only a couple of weeks, but she believed Alex was someone special, and she didn’t want to lose him.