Love Inspired January 2016, Box Set 1 of 2 (21 page)

“You can say that again.” Daryl smiled at her as he motioned to the kitchen area behind the fast-paced call-in counter. “Best barbecue I've had in years. And I've had a lot of 'cue in my time.”

Josie beamed. “I love hearing that. Thank you...?” She raised a brow, waiting for Daryl's name, and Drew's partner wasted no time. His quick appreciative smile said he was mighty pleased to meet her. Of course, the woman was quite good-looking, and that might have helped spike Daryl's grin of appreciation.

“Daryl Jackson.” Josie shook Daryl's hand as he indicated Drew with a quick thumb in Drew's direction. “We're on consultation in the area for a couple of months, and I can already predict where I'll be eating for the duration.”

“Music to every restaurant owner's ears.” Josie exchanged smiles with him, then turned to Amy. “I'm Josie Gallagher, Kimberly's cousin. And you are?”

“Amy Slade. This is my dad, Drew. And I have to agree with Uncle Daryl. That was the best barbecue I've ever had. In my entire life.”

Drew cleared his throat, and Josie laughed. “My guess is you haven't had as much as you think, but why not start with the best?”

“Which brings me right back to the matter at hand,” Kimberly told her. “I'm bidding on a last-minute late-September function and I think a multicourse, down-home Southern barbecue would be amazing.”

“As long as the hosts approve it,” Drew interrupted. “We don't want to make assumptions on their behalf.”

They didn't? Because wasn't that exactly what Shelby had empowered her to do? Make things work? And now Drew was flexing muscle in the other direction as if they needed to run things by the bride and her mother. Which Kimberly had every intention of doing, so why was he interfering?

Oh. Wait.
Because he was Drew Slade—that's why. Bossy, assertive and a pain in the neck at the moment, no matter how good he looked in that ribbed black T-shirt and khakis. She sent him a long, cool look, an expression that she hoped telegraphed the feelings behind her words. “Of course, we need approvals, but there's no way of getting them without pricing, is there, Josie?”

“No, ma'am.” Josie looked from Kimberly to Drew and back again, then smiled. “Give me the specs, and I'll draw up an estimate with a suggested menu for you by Monday. I'd promise it earlier, but we're in the thick of boating and tourist season, and anyone who operates a business in the North knows you make money when you can, as you can.”

“How soon would you need confirmation to be able to handle a crowd just shy of three hundred people in five weeks?”

“I'd want firm numbers in ten days. I need time to order the proper cuts and smoke things appropriately. Do we need to do a tasting?”

“Just did.” Kimberly's smile said she thought Josie's food passed with flying colors. “Awesome, as usual.”

“Crazy Leon doesn't let just anyone into his kitchen on the bayou, nor does he release you into the food prep world without making sure you can actually do the job.”

“You worked for Leon?” Daryl hiked both brows, surprised at the mention of one of the barbecue greats. “My mama went to school with him back in the day. She said he was born with a spatula in his hand and a nose for combination elements.”

Josie laughed. “That's him, all right. I worked for Leon for eight years before I realized I couldn't handle one more Cajun summer. Not when Canandaigua Lake was calling my name. I relocated here about four years back, and we're doing okay.”

“That makes three of you that came home,” Amy noted.

Kimberly turned. So did Drew, Daryl and Josie.

“Kimberly, Dad and you,” she continued, looking up at Josie. “It must be a pretty nice place to be if you all end up coming back, right?”

“Except we're only here on temporary consulting assignment, and Kimberly's here because her dad is sick,” Drew explained. “Only Josie came back on a permanent basis.”

“There must be something that calls people back, Dad,” Amy argued. “You read it in books all the time. You see it in movies. As if people kind of need to get away, but they leave part of themselves there. In their hometown. And then they come back.”

* * *

The kid had made a great point, so why were her words so tough to hear? Maybe because they were true. Kimberly slung an arm around Amy's shoulders in a half hug.

“I like your sentimental side,” she told her. “The opposite of your dad. And you know something I've discovered?”

“What?” Amy looked up, interested. So did Josie and Daryl. Drew drew his brows together, frowning. Because she thought him dispassionate? Or because Amy was sentimental?

“I forgot how nice this town is. The funny stores and mix of tourists. The traffic around The Square, the endless parade of people at the beach and the five old guys who hang out on the corner of Market and Vine, smoking cigars and playing cards while they watch the world pass by.”

“You're making a group of feisty old men into a selling point?” Skepticism marked Drew's words. “That's a stretch.”

“It's Grace Haven.” Kim shrugged. “I think when you're away you get used to a new normal and you forget to appreciate how cool the old normal was. That's all I'm saying.”

“Well, Pretty Polly sure thinks enough of those fellows to make sure she strolls down Center Street every morning at nine-fifty. Unless it's raining or a blizzard,” Josie offered, grinning.

“You get blizzards here?” Amy's voice hiked up. “We get a little snow once in a while in Jersey, but I've always dreamed of snowy winters. Sledding. Skating.”

“Shoveling.” Drew looked unamused. He stood and turned toward the door as if he couldn't wait to escape. “Josie, nice meeting you. I'll look forward to hearing from you.”

“We'll look forward to it,” Kimberly corrected him. “You've got my number, Josie.”

“I'll be in touch,” Josie promised. Kimberly would have to be blind not to see her cousin's look of amusement. Amused at her? Drew? The whole situation?

At the moment, she wasn't finding Drew humorous, approachable or all that friendly, and that was gonna make for a long five weeks.

CHAPTER FOUR

A
my likes Grace Haven.

Drew got that. Amy had a case of small-town-itis, wishing for roots, although the snow lament was only because she hadn't stood in the school-bus loop for ten minutes in a snow squall, freezing to death, or shoveled dozens of driveways to make a few extra bucks. Her snow info had been pretty much relegated to nonstop Christmas movies on the inspirational channel, hope and dreams decked out in red, green and staged snow. So she was loving the
thought
of her father's hometown, while Drew was taking a deep breath with every old face he saw. In their eyes he read the timeline. They remembered him ramming around town, him and Dave, best buds, always together.

And Dave was gone.

He dropped Kim at the office and drove the SUV around to the Country Inn. As he exited the car, Kimberly's words came back to him. He hesitated, glanced at Amy, then pulled out his phone to get the number for the bed-and-breakfast. On this point, Kimberly was right. If Amy was going to be in town for more than a month, it made no sense to have a hotel room on the highway when they could be right in the walking district. He called the B and B to check on vacancies and when the owner heard the time frame, Drew thought she squeaked in excitement. “Six weeks?”

“At least that. And we'll pay in advance.”

“We've got room,” the woman declared. “I can have it ready for you about seven tonight. Is that all right?”

“Perfect.” He turned to Daryl as he hung up the phone. “You okay with staying here at the inn?”

“I am.” Daryl smiled down at Amy. “I think Amy will love living in town, in walking distance to everything—”

“As long as she follows my rules,” boomed Drew in a voice meant to scare her silly.

It did no such thing. She grinned up at him, looped her arm through his and hugged it. “I've never been able to walk anywhere on my own. Ever. Not in New Jersey, not in Manhattan. This is like a dream come true, Dad. A normal life, even if it's just for a little while.”

It wasn't a dream come true for Drew, but that wasn't important now. Amy was important. And Shelby's wedding, keeping it flawless. If he had to face old demons, then it was time to face them. He thought he'd come to terms with Dave's death, he'd have argued the point if asked, but coming back to Grace Haven and seeing old sights, sounds and people cut deep.

Maybe they're supposed to.

He ignored the internal twinge and tossed Daryl a burner phone. “Let's switch things up again.”

Daryl pocketed the phone and headed inside. Drew checked his watch, saw they had over two hours until the B and B could accommodate them and pointed Amy to the car. “Hop in. I'm going to give you the grand tour.”

“Really?” Excitement lit her voice, as if trolling around a one-horse Finger Lakes town was some big deal.

“Yes.”

“I'll love it, Dad!”

Her eagerness made him smile. Top to bottom, stem to stern, she'd be in her glory because Grace Haven, New York, was small-town perfection. Safe, beautiful, historic, inviting... You name it, Grace Haven had it. Depth of beauty, something not every old town could claim.

His words brought Kimberly's face to mind.
The beautiful Gallagher girl...
That's how he'd always thought of her, once she'd gotten past the pesky adolescent awkward stage.

She was still pesky. But she'd only gotten more beautiful, and how was he supposed to not notice that?

He didn't have a clue.

He took Amy on a rolling tour of the town, then paused by the water park. “If you cause no trouble tomorrow, we'll get an evening pass and spend tomorrow evening here,” he promised. “But that means no trouble at all, kid.”

She ticked off her fingers. “No hitchhiking, no drugs, alcohol, boys.”

Drew firmed his jaw, his voice and his grim expression to the very maximum of his abilities. “No boys. Ever. Got it?”

She laughed and hugged him. “They're icky. Yuck.”

She'd said the same thing for years, but one of these days—sooner, rather than later, no doubt—her eyes would be opened and she'd think boys were kind of cool.

Dungeon time.

He just needed to be in a location with accessibility to old stone basements. Luckily almost every house in the village sported one of those, so he was in good hands for a while.

“Can we walk?”

“We sure can.” He parked the car in the shade, left it running to keep it cool for the dog, then took her hand as they strolled through the quaint, historic business district. “This is The Square.”

“This rocks!” Amy stood in the middle of the town square and spun. “Cars actually go in a square pattern! Who thought of such an awesome thing? It's like an old movie, Dad.”

“I think a lot of old towns had squares or circles in the middle.”

“Really? As awesome as this one?” She pointed in each direction. “Kimberly's shop is there. Then there's clothing, ice cream, bakery, bookstore, hardware store, jewelry, leather stuff.” She ticked off the rest of the shops on her fingers, amazed. “And a park in the middle of it all.”

“It wasn't quite this fancy when I was your age.” He sat on one of the metal-and-wood park benches and looked around.

“No?” Amy took a seat next to him. “But the buildings are old, so they were here.”

“They were, but a lot of the stores are different now. Artsy and trendy, filled with things to buy.”

“Isn't that the point?”

He laughed because it was. “When I was a kid there were two accountants, a dry cleaners, a little drugstore, a print shop and two dentists added into the mix, so it wasn't the surround-all shopping experience you see. This is like a fancy old-fashioned strip mall now, catering to the tourist's pocketbook.”

“That would be a lot different,” Amy agreed. “I like this better.”

“So does the tourism council, I expect. When I was in college they actually officially named this area ‘The Square,' and people come from all over to shop here. Except for midwinter, these shops probably do a killer business. Are you hungry yet?”

She shook her head. “Too much lunch. Although I wouldn't say no to an ice-cream supper.”

“Ice cream it is.” He clasped her hand as they crossed the shaded park, a perfect respite for midday breaks and late-day repose. They got into line at Stan's Frozen Custard, and he was just thinking how nice it was to not have to talk when someone poked him in the back. Drew had to remind himself that you didn't necessarily have to draw your weapon when turning around in Grace Haven. He turned, and it took a few seconds to recognize the youngest Gallagher girl. “Rory?”

“Drew.” She grabbed him in a big hug, just like Emily had done. “It's so good to have you home again. And this must be Amy.” Rory high-fived Amy with a quick smile. “I'm Kimberly's youngest sister. She said she had a ball with you today.”

“I had fun, too. Kimberly's great.”

Rory waved that off. “Well, we won't share that or it'll go to her head, and the last thing my big sister needs is anyone else telling her how awesome she is. There'll be no living with her then, and it's no piece of cake now.”

Amy laughed, but Drew wondered how much of Rory's spiel was humor and how much truth. Dave used to cringe when his sisters would go at it over almost anything. Drew was an only child, he'd never had to worry about getting along or sharing or doing chores together. Kind of like Amy now. He knew that wasn't a bad thing...but he wasn't sure it was a good thing, either.

Rory studied Amy, tapping a finger to her jaw. “You're in town for a while, right?”

Amy sent a guilty-as-charged look up to her father, then nodded. “Yes.”

“I was wondering...” Rory played the moment as if she'd just come up with a great plan and hadn't talked this all out with her older sister. Drew knew better. “I teach at a UPK in the mornings until Labor Day.”

“A UP what?”

“Universal prekindergarten, to help kids get ready for school.”

“Oh, with little kids. I love little kids!” Amy shot a look up at Drew, one of those “I'd love to have brothers and sisters” expressions he'd learned to ignore years before.

“Really?” Rory's brows shot up, and Drew had to hand it to her. She was playing the part to the max and doing it well. “How would you feel about helping me there in the mornings, and then helping Emily, Allison and Kimberly out in the offices in the afternoons?”

“Are you serious?”

“On occasion.” Rory smiled at her. “I missed the whole event planner/wedding planner gene thing, I'm not even all that big on weddings. That's a lot of money and time invested on one crazy day.”

“The family maverick,” Drew noted as they moved closer to the ice-cream ordering window. “Rory, what would you like? It's on me.”

Rory didn't hesitate, and that was another difference between her and Kimberly. Kimberly would have weighed the idea of him buying ice cream, the motives behind it on both sides.

Rory just liked ice cream.

“A hot fudge sundae with mint chocolate chip custard. Please.”

“Dad, can I have the same only with the red raspberry ice cream?”

“Is that a thing?”

Amy grinned. “It is now. Hey, look. There's Kimberly. Kimberly, hi! We're over here!”

Kimberly turned from locking the office door and spotted them. Her instant smile made Drew feel better about almost everything. She walked their way, slanted a look down to Amy, then up to Drew. “She doesn't make undercover easy, does she?”

Amy winced, chagrined, while Drew nodded. “She sure doesn't. Which made Camp Wellington attractive.”

“Sorry.” Amy put up her hands, palms out. “I totally promise to tone things down. I can do it. I just forget when I get excited.”

“Excitement and youth should always go hand-in-hand,” Kimberly told her. “Having an ice-cream supper, I take it?”

“Yes. Have one with us,” Amy implored. “Rory's going to. And Dad's buying.”

He was so certain she'd refuse that he was ready to smooth it over. When Kimberly turned, looked him straight in the eye and arched one amazingly perfect brow, he was pretty sure his heart went into abnormal sinus rhythm...and it felt great. “You know how to clinch a deal, Amy Sue Slade. I'm in. I would love a—”

“Banana split with chopped walnuts and three cherries.”

She held his gaze. Or he held hers. He really wasn't sure which way it happened, but then she touched one hand to her throat as if unsure what to do and smiled. “You remembered.”

He did. He used to tease her about the huge triple-scoop sundae when all the other girls ordered “baby” sized cones.

Not Kimberly. Not ever.

She touched her throat again, almost...nervous? Because he remembered?

That thought made him smile inside, because he remembered a lot of things about Kimberly Gallagher, things he'd pushed aside because she'd been so angry after Dave's death.

To everything there is a season...

One of his favorite Bible verses, simple and true. A time for healing, maybe? Maybe long past time. And most definitely a time to set old wrongs to rights and have ice cream on a sun-soaked August night.

* * *

“Can a person be too full to walk?” Amy wondered as they retrieved Rocky from the cool car a little while later. “Because that might be the case on my part.”

Kimberly laughed. “That makes the walk imperative. Is Dad going to show you around town?”

“The rest of it, yes.” Drew tossed his paper cup into the garbage can nearby. “We've got a little while before we can check in at the B and B.”

“You called them.” Silly how a little thing like that made her happy, a simple thing like following her suggestion.

“Having Amy in town makes sense,” he admitted. “So after I thought about it, weighed the options and gave it enough time to become my own idea, I called.” His wry expression said the admission was painful.

Kimberly laughed. “Such a guy.”

“Some people like that about me, Kimber.”

Heat started somewhere around her middle and crept up because she wasn't exactly immune to Drew's magnetism. Something about six solid feet of broad-shouldered, focused, rugged man put a girl's defenses on high alert. Luckily she wasn't afraid to heed the warnings.

“Guys, I'm heading home.” Seeming oblivious, Rory interrupted the moment. “I've got some prep work to do for tomorrow morning's session, and I want time for a late swim before I call it a day. Amy, I'll meet you here in the morning, okay? Is eight-fifty good for you, Drew?”

“Absolutely,” he declared. “I'm grateful, Rory.”

She waved that off as she headed north on Center Street. “No biggie. We'll have fun, and I get free help. Perfect!”

Drew turned back toward Amy. “So. Shall we turn right and explore the town buildings or left and walk along the lakeshore?”

She hesitated, then nodded to the right. “I want to see where everything is. That way I won't get lost if I go exploring.”

“Good move.” Kimberly started to move in the opposite direction, but Amy's voice made her think twice.

“Kimberly? You wanna walk with us?”

A part of her did. How peaceful and nice to walk the avenues of her past with Drew and his precocious daughter and the stately dog.

A bigger part wanted to run the other way. She'd had sensory overload just driving around the lake with Drew earlier. Strolling along the streets and places they used to hang out would be too much. Besides, she'd promised Corinne she'd watch Callan's baseball game at the town field. “I can't, but thank you, honey. I'll see you in the morning, okay?”

“I can't wait.” Sincerity deepened the girl's smile, a smile just like her daddy's when he was a kid. Bright. Happy. Always on the move.