Small-Town Girl (14 page)

“I'd hardly say freezing. But thanks.” She slipped her arms into the sleeves and wrapped the extra fabric in the front of the sweatshirt so it doubled back around her sides.

They sat in silence for a minute before she broke it. “Brice? What's wrong?”

The first firework exploded above the lake, sending a flash of red across the waters. Brice examined Kendall by the light of the next two fireworks. With her almost black wavy hair, soulful brown eyes and dark complexion, Kendall Mayes was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. And she wanted to be with him. His heart pounded in his ears. “I'm sorry I was like that. I had a rough encounter with my mom today.”

“Is she like mine?”

“You could say that.”

“Whatever is going on in here—” she tapped his forehead “—don't believe it. Okay? Promise me you're not going to internalize whatever she said to you.”

Kendall was so good. So kind. What had he done to deserve her in his life? Brice swallowed past his emotion. “Are you sure, about me and you? You haven't been in town very long.”

Kendall pulled her feet up onto the bench and wrapped her arms around her legs. “For the record, I've been in town three months. I was here for six weeks before launching my business.”

She'd yet to answer whether she was sure about him or not. “Still, that's not too long, and you've been busy most of the time you've been here.”

“Fine, but what does that have to do with anything?” Her eyebrows lowered.

“You haven't met everyone in town yet.”
Just say it.
“There are a lot of single men your age who you haven't met yet. Good guys. Guys who—”

“You're seriously telling me to go date other men?”

“No. I just want to make sure you're not disappointed with me later.”

“Nothing I say is going to convince you that I've fallen for you. I see that now.” Kendall shook her head, working her lip between her teeth for a second; then without warning she fisted her hands into his shirt and tugged him forward, pressing her lips to his. Fireworks popped and fizzed in the air as he worked his hands into her hair and she continued their kiss. She kissed him as if it might be the only kiss they would ever share and she wanted to pour all her feelings into it.

When they finally came up for air, Kendall wrapped her arms around him and positioned herself so her mouth was near his ear. “Don't ever, ever talk like that. Don't belittle yourself. Hear me? You're the best man I've ever met. Believe me.”

Not trusting his voice, he swallowed hard and nodded.

“And we both have family issues we're dealing with. Maybe that's why we're a good fit. We both understand.”

He hadn't forgotten. It was only that Kendall didn't seem as negatively affected by what she'd experienced in childhood. She wasn't shell-shocked about love like Brice still was.

“How do you do it?” Brice's voice came out hoarse. “How are you so positive and able to move on from all the injustice that happened to you?”

“I choose to forgive my mother, daily.” She spoke softly. He had to lean closer to hear her over the sound of the fireworks show. “I have to. I'd be the most bitter person alive if I didn't.”

Kendall had challenged him before about forgiving the people who had hurt him in his past. But could moving forward really be that easy? No.
Easy
was the last word he'd associate with the act of forgiveness. If Brice gave up the labels of being abused by his father, mistreated by his mother and rejected by Audra...who would he be? How could he define himself apart from the life circumstances that had shaped him into the person he was?

It was too much to consider. And right now he wanted to enjoy spending time with Kendall. He'd muddle through his thoughts on forgiveness another day. Or never. He glanced over at Kendall and smiled. Life seemed pretty okay right now.

Kendall leaned back against the bench and wove her fingers through his, and with her head snug against his shoulder, they watched the finale of the fireworks show, together.

Chapter Twelve

T
he
Chicago Tribune
.

Kendall's hands shook as she set the phone back in its cradle and jotted down the interview date and time. Love on a Dime was going to be featured in the travel section of the
Chicago Tribune
, which would bring in even more clients. Hiring an assistant would have to move up on her to-do list. She owed Claire's cousin Jason Moss a gift basket or at least a high five for all the attention his original article had brought in.

She couldn't wait to tell Brice.

Ever since their conversation at the Venetian Festival, he'd been treating her as if they were dating. Their friendship had turned into a relationship, and Kendall was loving every minute of it. Granted, it had been only four days, but they made up the best four days of Kendall's life. Brice dropped by her storefront each day, usually bringing a gift along. One day it was birthday cake fudge—which was possibly the best dessert she'd ever tasted—the next day it was fresh flowers to replace the dead ones in her vase, and another day he'd slyly left a handwritten note on her desk that she hadn't discovered until after he left. It had simply read “Miss you already.”

And Brice thought he wasn't good with women. Kendall snorted.

“Well, that's not a very becoming noise.” The sound of Claire Atwood's voice made Kendall jump. They both started to laugh. Claire winked at her. “Always nice to see you looking so happy.”

Kendall had lost track of time. She reached over to grab her purse. Claire was stopping in to collect Kendall's bimonthly payment on her loan from Sesser.

“You too,” Kendall said, indicating Claire's wide smile. “Every time I see you, you're all but glowing.”

Claire's smile widened even more. “They do say new mothers have a glow.” Warmth flooded her voice. “Speaking of which, I'm leaving for Russia next week.”

“Next week! Already? That's so exciting.”

“I know!” Claire clasped her hands together. “I can't wait to have Alexei home.” She sat down, her eyes sparkling. “The agency says I may end up staying over there for a month or two because everything has to become official through the court system before we can travel back to America.”

Kendall nodded, encouraging Claire to share as much as she wanted. “That makes sense.”

Claire continued. “Needless to say, I won't be stopping by your shop for the payments during that time.”

Originally Kendall had asked where she could drop off the payments every other week. She'd figured it would be easy to swing by Sesser's office. But Claire had insisted that she would rather visit Love on a Dime to pick up the checks.

“Like I said when we first worked out the details, you never needed to stop by. I can mail the checks like I do all my other bills.”

Claire leaned forward, the topaz jewels in her necklace shimmering under the store's lights. “I know that, but I wanted a reason to come in and visit with you.”

“You never needed a reason.” Kendall fought the urge to round the desk and hug Claire. If Kendall knew she would react well, she wouldn't have hesitated, but she and Claire still weren't close enough for impromptu shows of affection. Besides, Claire wore a linen suit coat with capris and heels; Kendall didn't want to wrinkle her outfit. Maybe one day, though. The woman sincerely wanted a friend. No different than Kendall.

“That's nice to know,” Claire whispered, almost to herself.

Kendall ripped the business check out of its spiral book and handed the paper to Claire. “Here's this week's check.”

Claire's eyes went wide. “This is five times the agreed-upon payment amount.”

“Business is going well. Much better than I ever could have imagined. I'd like to pay your dad back faster than the contract terms if I'm able to.”

Claire tucked the check into her purse and then stretched across the desk to squeeze Kendall's hand. “I'm really proud of you. You know that, right?”

“Thank your dad for making me come up with a weekly event. I would never have thought to do that, but that has been one of the best decisions for my business. The sunset cruises that Brice and I run bring in enough to pay back your father without even touching the money I've been making from actual date planning.”

“I'll be sure to let him know.”

After Claire left, Kendall straightened up the office and recorded a new message on the business voice mail letting people know she'd be gone the rest of the day but would continue to check the missed calls. Her last call before locking the doors was to confirm a time of delivery with the caterer for tonight's sunset cruise rental.

Sweat gathered on the back of Kendall's neck as she loaded her car with the box of twinkle lights, freshly washed tablecloths, flowers and fancy dishes and then headed the short distance to the nice pier just off Goose Harbor's town square. Brice had arranged for her to leave her car behind a café near the pier where she'd have an ensured spot and no one would have a reason to tow it. Little, thoughtful things like that made Brice an amazing person. He considered details and took care of them without being asked.

A group of seagulls cawed as they strutted near the wooden pier looking for handouts. Within seconds a tourist situated on a bench tossed half of a sandwich their way. Breaking into a total frenzy, the gulls launched at the bun, turning it into nothing more than a crumb. In the water, hundreds of boats bobbed in unison, making it look as if they were all dancing to a secret melody. The sweet smell of waffle cones baking drifted through the air, making Kendall wish she had left a couple minutes earlier so she could have stopped at the ice-cream shop and picked up a cone for her and Brice to share.

Hot, late-July sun beat down on Kendall as she began to unload her car. She positioned the box of lights on her hip and looped a few bags onto her free arm. She'd have to make a couple trips back and forth to gather everything, but thankfully she'd stowed a change of clothes in her car on her way to work this morning. She'd be able to change in the paddle wheeler's bathroom and freshen up before Joel and Shelby's booked date.

Brice must have been watching for her, because she had made it only a few steps before she spotted him jogging down the pier. He cut across the grass that separated them and eased the heavy box from her grip. Then he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips. It didn't last long enough.

He pressed his forehead to hers for a second and whispered, “It's good to see you.”

She swatted at his chest. “You saw me this morning. Remember? When you dropped off coffee?”

“Of course I remember.” He took the bags from her hands. “How could I forget seeing the prettiest woman in Michigan?”

Kendall bit the corner of her cheek, never knowing how to respond to his open flattery. She knew he was complimenting her in earnest because Brice was only ever genuine. But that almost flustered her more than if he had been joking with her. She had endured a lifetime of hearing the worst about herself from her mother. Nothing had prepared her to hear Brice's open praise.

She blew her bangs out of her eyes. “Enough of that. We've got work to do, mister. We have two hours to turn your boat into a dream date destination.”

“Aye-aye, Captain.” Brice winked at her. “You go start fancying up the boat and I'll carry over the rest of the stuff from your car.”

“Deal.” She circled back to the car and fished out her dress and heels.

They spent the next hour working side by side, stringing lights, hanging lanterns and setting up the table. At times they joked, and sometimes they were silent; either way, Kendall enjoyed every minute of time spent with Brice. He hummed as he straightened a lantern that was askew and leaned down to press a kiss to her temple as he passed on his way to go change into nicer clothes downstairs.

Kendall stopped what she was doing and watched him until he was too far down the stairs to see. She couldn't help the smile pulling at her lips. They were a team, her and Brice. An amazing team. Somehow, God had taken a man who preferred to be alone and a girl who said the first thing that popped into her head, and He'd brought them together and they worked. Brice seemed to be able to read her mind and he took care of her. She wanted to make sure she was doing the same for him.

She wouldn't lose him, not like all her other relationships. Meeting Brice had changed her, changed her life. She never wanted to go back to being the person she was before meeting him.

Never before had she imagined herself marrying any of the men she had dated or met in her past. She couldn't say that about Brice. It might be jumping too far ahead, but Kendall wanted to be with this man for the rest of her life.

* * *

Brice sucked in a breath. Would he forever be caught dumbfounded by the sight of Kendall Mayes in a dress?

He sure hoped so.

She waited on the pier, the light lake breeze tugging the black fabric around her knees and causing her to touch her hairstyle—what she called a messy bun but Brice thought looked nothing but perfect—a couple times to make sure the wind hadn't yanked any of her hair loose from the binding. It took everything in him not to cross the boat, pull her toward him and kiss her again.

But she'd told him to behave. They were working right now. This was Joel and Shelby's date, not theirs. However, she had winked when she said the word
behave
, so his attention didn't bother her. If the evening went well, they'd be able to sneak in some time together on the boat after Joel and Shelby left. Maybe Brice would even be able to convince Kendall that they should take the boat back out on the lake again and count the stars, just the two of them.

Joel and Shelby arrived on time. Joel led Shelby blindfolded down the pier. He smiled toward Brice and Kendall but spoke to his girlfriend. “Easy. Five more steps.”

“Joel, honestly...where are you taking me?” Shelby laughed.

Kendall held the gate on the paddle wheeler open as Joel lifted Shelby over the gap between the boat and the pier and carried her toward the table. Shelby squealed, but even with her blindfolded, her arms found a safe place immediately around Joel's neck. When Joel finally told her to take off the blindfold, Shelby yelped loudly and sprang from her chair.

She dropped onto Joel's lap and bear-hugged him. “I can't believe you planned all this.”

Joel ran his hand over her hair. “I might have had some help.” He waved toward Brice and Kendall.

Kendall stepped forward with appetizers—some sort of hard bread covered in tomatoes—in hand. “Pretend we're not even here.”

Brice started the paddle wheeler and maneuvered the vessel out onto the lake. Even though Goose Harbor was a bustling tourist town, it took only a few minutes to navigate deep enough into the water to suddenly feel as if they were the only people for miles. That was what had originally attracted Brice to the shipping industry—the pull of being able to get away from the crowds, yet still live in his hometown. Joel had let Kendall know that he wanted the boat ride to feel intimate, so Brice continued the route, taking the paddle wheeler deeper and deeper. By sunset, they'd be completely isolated.

The night continued as planned. Joel and Shelby both raved about the food. They watched the sunset while holding on to each other and then swayed together when Kendall turned on music. After the fourth song Kendall lowered the music and let them know their time was coming to a close. She signaled for Brice to start the engine.

Joel turned toward Kendall. “Thank you for planning all this. We had a great time.”

“Wait.” Shelby tugged out of his arms. “We're heading back? Now?” She swiped at her eyes. “But I thought...I thought...” She covered her face with her hands.

Joel shot an alarmed look Brice's way. “Shelb? Sweetheart.” He set his hands on her shoulders. “What's wrong? I thought you had a good time. Talk to me.”

She shrugged away from his touch. “I thought you were bringing me out to propose.” Her voice rose. “I kept waiting. I...I'm so stupid.”

Kendall took a step forward and froze. She glanced over at Brice with a
what should I do?
look on her face. Brice grimaced back. How could Shelby be acting the way she was? Joel had spent a lot of money to take her out on a nice date. And she cried? It didn't make sense. Brice's gut clenched. The whole situation reminded him of Audra. But Shelby wasn't like Audra at all. Brice had known her his whole life, since they both grew up in Goose Harbor. There had to be something else going on.

Joel stumbled backward. “You thought I was going to propose?”

“Apparently that's a shocking thought.” Shelby cried harder. “I need a minute to myself. Don't follow me.” She took off down the stairs.

Joel looked at the stairs and then made eye contact with Brice, then Kendall. He raked his hand through his hair. “I don't... What just happened?”

Kendall held up her hand. “Don't worry. I'll take care of her.” She took the stairs down two at a time, leaving Brice alone to deal with Joel.

“Tough break.” Brice cut the engine.

“I have no idea what went wrong.” Joel turned pleading eyes on him. “I love her. That's what tonight was about. To celebrate the fact that we've been together for a year. But...” He let out a long stream of air.

“She's acting on emotion. Without thinking. There's probably something else going on or something she's struggling with that she hasn't talked to you about yet.” Brice pushed on, even though Joel might not want to hear what he had to say. “More than anything, she needs your grace right now. That is, if you love her and want to stay with her after tonight.”

“If I want to... Of course I want to stay with her.” Joel jerked back his head as if he found the thought of breaking up with Shelby repulsive. “Didn't you hear me say I love her? Love doesn't walk away from a misunderstanding. Love perseveres. I learned that lesson early in our relationship. I'm going to wait over there for her.” He pointed at a chair near the railing. “I'm going to pray for her while Kendall talks to her.”