Small-Town Hearts (16 page)

“And that's bad?” Danny asked.

“They didn't come by and say hello. Chat.” Meg watched their car ease out of the parking lot and onto the road. Her tone turned thoughtful. “That's not like them.”

“Busy, maybe.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged, her attention torn. “I hope they're feeling all right.”

“They might want to get home before dark,” Danny suggested. “A lot of older drivers aren't comfortable driving late.”

“True.” Meg swung back and raised her cone toward him. “This is marvelous, by the way. Thank you for this and for all of your help with Ben today. You've gone the distance this week, and I'm sure it wasn't part of your original plan.”

Danny acknowledged that with a smile. “Way better than my original plan, actually.”

Meg blushed.

A zippy sixties ringtone interrupted the peaceful moment. Danny withdrew the phone and stepped away. “Gotta take this one, Megs. Be right back.”

Meg nodded and grabbed a seat at a picnic table nearby. “Okay.”

He paced while he talked.

Meg noted that, watching him, a part of her wondering who got him that riled up, another part thinking she might not want to know. Danny had a life completely separate from the one she knew here. His presence was sweet but temporary, a fact she tended to downplay when they were together.

Because it feels so right to be together,
her conscience scolded.
But we've been here before, right? Taken this path a time or two? Why would you risk being fooled again?

As Danny strode back her way, Meg warred with the internal scolding but didn't pretend to win the battle. Being with Danny seemed right, but she'd stopped trusting her gut in such matters, so she'd keep things sweet and simple. A guy and a girl stopping to share a summer cone together.

End of story.

“Are you okay?” she asked when he drew closer, noting his worried expression.

He considered the question, then shook his head. “My sister's run into some trouble in Philadelphia. Part of me wants to head down there and run interference for her…”

“Making her feel inept and overshadowed by your big mover-and-shaker presence,” Meg cut in.

He didn't try to deny it. “Exactly. She's newer to the big-city venues and she's quite capable. It's just—”

“You don't relinquish power easily and never to a mere woman?”

He met Meg's gaze and made a face. “Seriously, get off the
soapbox, would you? If my mother or grandmother heard you, they'd die laughing because they're two of the toughest, most decisive women I've ever met, which is why you remind me of them.” He chucked her under the chin. “Mary Clare's been through a rough year. Her fiancé was killed in Afghanistan late last spring.”

That wasn't what Meg had been expecting to hear. Surprise and sorrow tinged her voice as she reached out a hand to his arm. “Danny, I'm so sorry.”

He nodded and shrugged, stress shadowing his normally relaxed features. “Us, too. Instead of a wedding, we had a funeral.”

“Oh, Danny.”

“Taking on the East Coast stores for the summer is good for her,” he explained, “but I feel like I should be there, helping, smoothing her way, even though I know this is the best thing for her.”

“Like Ben.”

He mulled that, then nodded. “Exactly like Ben. You know all that stuff I sold you about pushing him out of the nest, letting him fly?”

Meg smiled. “Easier said than done, huh?”

“Exactly. My instinct is to rescue her. My mother would strangle me if I did, and my survival instinct outranks my protective side.”

“I like your mother already,” Meg decided. She stood and stretched her good arm. “But I'm beat, Danny. Long day.”

“A good one, though.”

“Yes.” She smiled up at him, then stifled a yawn.

“And you remember that I'm heading to Buffalo in the morning?”

“Corporate candy awaits. Yes, I remember.”

“And Hannah's coming to help?”

“Yes, again.”

“Good.” He winked approval, opened her car door for her,
waited until she was in and then closed the door carefully, his gentleness something Meg could get used to.

He settled into the driver's seat, the steadfastness of his presence making her feel like anything was possible at this moment. Cold reality might return by morning, but this time, this night, Meg felt a resurgence of hopes and dreams she probably shouldn't let herself feel.

But she did.

“I
s Danny gone for the whole day?” Hannah reached around Meg to procure a box of waffle cones the next morning. Moving easily, she dipped them into melted chocolate, then crushed almonds. The quiet moment provided catch-up time.

Meg nodded as she jotted things on an order pad. “He drove to Buffalo for some business thing. He'll be back tonight or tomorrow.”

“He's only been here a few weeks, but it seems weird not to have him around.”

“It's nice having him here.”

“If by ‘nice' you mean ‘amazingly romantic and wonderful,' then I agree.”

“Stop. Really. We're friends. Mostly.”

“When you're not kissing him.”

Meg paused her order and met Hannah's look. “Is it that obvious?”

“Patently. Which has tongues wagging, but this
is
Jamison, Meg. When don't tongues wag?”

“Speaking of which…” Meg jutted her chin toward the door. “This one's all you, girlfriend.”

Hannah saw Jacqui approach, holding Brad Junior's hand.
She nodded and slipped through the Dutch door. “Got it.” She moved to the front and offered a bright smile of welcome as the door swung open. “Jacqui, hello. And you've got the little guy with you.”

“Denise had a doctor's appointment in Hornell,” Brad's mother replied, her tone peevish, “so I've got him for the day and I just had to get over here to grab a few things. We've got company coming in for the balloon launch, and with the kitchen not done, I'm limited on what I can personally do. Hello, Meg.” She called the last out louder to draw Meg's attention.

Meg smiled and raised her spatula in greeting as she checked warming chocolate. “Good morning.”

“You're busy, as usual.” Jacqui's forced friendliness made Meg sigh within, but she kept her smile firmly in place.

“I've got to temper this before the weather gets too humid, so today's forecast was perfect.”

“An ideal day.” Jacqui nodded agreement, asked Hannah to fix a two-pound box of mixed chocolates, then eased down the counter, closer to Meg. “Did you hear about the McGees?”

“The McGees?” Meg frowned, added broken chocolate to the tempering pot, then shook her head. “I saw them both in church on Sunday and at the ice cream stand last night. They seemed fine. All things considered.” She didn't add that it was unusual for Jed and Kate to not stop and chat.

“Physically, yes, I guess that's status quo.” Jacqui's expression acknowledged the aged couple's limitations. “They're selling their business.”

“Really?” Meg glanced up as she pondered Jacqui's news. “That's not a big surprise, though, is it? They could probably use some time off and heaven knows if anyone deserves a little R & R, it's Jed and Kate.”

“And if that were the case, I'd be all for it, too, but since they got pushed out of their store because of money problems, it's one of those situations that never should have happened
here.” She punctuated each syllable with a firm tap on Megan's polished counter.

Sympathy welled within Meg. Jed and Kate were long-standing members of the Allegany County business community and had been members of Good Shepherd for generations. And while they were well past retirement age, Meg understood that timing and finances didn't always allow the obvious choice, and money problems kept them in business long after they should have been able to enjoy their grandkids. “I'm sorry to hear that. I'll have to get over to their going-out-of-business sale, help their bottom line.”

“And that's the worst of it,” Jacqui declared, her voice rising. “That Danny Graham didn't even give them time to have a going-out-of-business sale, he just went and pushed them out the door so fast that they're having an auction next week, selling everything they've got to the highest bidder so he can open a chain candy store in their place. Like that's what we need down here.” She swept Meg's store a dramatic gesture. “A Grandma Mary's candy store when we have this.”

Meg's heart jugged to a stop. Her hands faltered. Her brain seized.

Danny pushed the McGees out of their storefront in Wellsville? Would he do that? Could he do that?

No. Yes.

No. Danny might be a sharp businessman, but he had a heart. Didn't he?

Jacqui interrupted her rampaging musings by leaning forward and adding, “On top of that, after snooping around to see who was down on their luck, he asked people to keep it quiet, to keep a lid on the sale. I ask you, Meg, if a man's working on the up-and-up, why would he care who knew about the sale? Hmm?”

“A lot of reasons.” Hannah moved left to intercept the conversation. “When a company plans a new enterprise, it makes sense to get all your facts straight before making an
announcement. And we knew that Danny was looking for a storefront for Grandma Mary's, so this isn't really news, Jacqui. Not to us.”

“You knew?” Jacqui nailed Meg a sharp look, then stepped back, amazed. “You knew who he was?”

Meg nodded, her gaze trained on the chocolate, refusing to let humiliation and heartbreak ruin a lovely batch of sweet, chocolatey goodness, despite latent homicidal thoughts. “Of course. It wasn't a secret.”

“And still you dated him?” Jacqui's tone said that was about the stupidest thing she'd ever heard. At the moment, Meg couldn't disagree.

Wasn't this what she feared, that she'd be played for the fool in front of the whole town again? And while Jacqui wasn't the whole town, her biting words would spread like midsummer wildfire, letting the entire populace know that Danny was a low-down, big-city businessman with nothing but his bottom line at heart, and that he'd pushed a financially strapped family out of their long-standing store.

He'd gone for the weakest link in Wellsville, his Wharton-educated analytic mind-set immune to things like old-town propriety and kindness.

And she'd bought into the act.

“Then of course you knew that he chartered Reese Lawton's plane to head to Philly now that he's done his damage here.”

Meg knew nothing of the kind, but the revelation shouldn't have come as a big surprise. And it shouldn't hurt like it did, but that was her own fault for jumping into uncharted waters.

Hannah approached from the side once Jacqui left with her chocolate. Meg held up a hand to ward her off. “Not now, please. It won't matter if you offer sympathy or a swift kick in the rear, I'm holding on by a thread and I've got work to do and only one arm to do it.”

Hannah nodded, then raised her hands. “But I've got two good ones here and I'll work night and day to help you. You know that.”

“Thanks, Hannah.” Meg may have only known Hannah a few years, but they'd become full-blown friends and comrades. And while Hannah kept her past to herself, she'd jumped into this friendship with both feet, always willing to help. But this time there was no help for Meg. Again.

 

Danny turned off of Route 19, excited to see the now-familiar streets of Jamison, the arching bridge over McConnachy Creek, the old-style gaslights, the beckoning warmth of the quaint village. The first time he'd come to town, he'd appreciated the well-kept historical buildings, the colors and tones in keeping with the tucked-in feeling Jamison thrived on.

Now he was urged forth by the people, their quiet warmth and integrity soothing his heart, his soul. Conventional wisdom said that his sister should have drawn this gig, leaving him cruising the East Coast for the summer.

Right now he was thanking God for an unconventional mother who was also his CEO. She couldn't have possibly foreseen the delightful end result he hoped to find with Meg, but she knew her children well enough to boot them out of their comfort zones. He could only hope he had that same chutzpah with his own children someday.

Children. Meg. Home.

Visions of their future filled his head as he parked the car on his side of Meg's store. He bounded up the steps, two at a time, impatient and eager, calling her name as he pushed through the door.

“Megs? I'm back. You in here?” Danny moved toward the kitchen light at the back of the store, anticipation lightening each step. He'd spent the early part of the day talking with Eastern Region store managers, mid-day explaining Meg to
his parents and grandmother, and the end of the day picking out a ring to declare his intentions. If Meg said yes, that is. But of course she would, he reasoned. She loved him, even if saying the words put her at risk. The emotion came through her movements, her gaze, her blush, her touch.

They'd figure out logistics once life calmed down after the balloon rally. Danny would never have imagined the sleepy existence he'd scoffed at could be so busy, but he'd learned a valuable lesson about small-town entrepreneurism, and that lesson procured him a priceless educational opportunity and the girl of his dreams. Not to mention a brand-new store to make his grandmother happy.

“Megs?”

She stood with her back to him, working on something, her shoulders straight, spine rigid. She turned as he drew closer, her gaze hard, eyes cold. “Two questions, Danny.”

He frowned, her expression taking him aback. “What do you mean?”

“Did you really push the McGees out of the store they'd owned for over forty years?”

There's no such thing as a secret in a small town.

Danny met her gaze and splayed his hands. “Is this an inquisition, Megs?”

“Just answer the question.”

He squared his shoulders, the accusation knifing his carefully laid plans. “I made them an offer and they accepted.”

“You knew their financial situation was dire?”

He nodded, clenched his hands, then nodded again, slowly. “Of course. I checked.”

She sent him a thin smile. “I'm sure you did. And then you asked them to keep it quiet? Right before you chartered a plane to Philadelphia for Monday?”

How had she heard about the flight he'd already cancelled because his mother had stopped just short of threatening his
life if he interfered with his sister's resurgence? Once again he realized the speed of information travel in Jamison.

He sucked a breath that helped keep him from yelling that the common sense of the situation encouraged a quiet beginning, that he wanted to be sure everything was set before letting Grandma know they were good to go. But the look on Meg's face said she saw this differently. Where he saw an opportunity to help the McGees and himself, she sensed deceit. Where he planned a step-by-step surprise for his aging grandmother, Meg saw pretense. “Yes. Why?”

She shrugged. “You went for the weakest link, Danny. You scoured the town, investigating people's businesses, their finances, and then went for the kill by targeting a sweet old couple who've never hurt anyone. They've held onto that business through ups and downs you can only imagine because you've never had to quake or quiver over business. When you're born with a company handed to you, the reality of people like Jed and Kate doesn't mean much, but that's where we differ.” She stepped forward, her face pinched in anger, her tone hard, the fingers of her uninjured arm taut. “I care about people. You don't.”

Her blade-sharp words cut through his new confidence.

She was partially correct. He wasn't always good at putting people first. He'd buried himself in work, in travel, in setup, his goals tangible for a young entrepreneur set on making a name for himself.

But he'd definitely done the right thing with the McGees, despite Meg's opinion. He'd gone against the bottom-line code and balanced everything he could in their favor, recognizing their disabilities and their age. But if Meg thought him capable of low, underhanded tactics, if she doubted his integrity…

The exhilarated hopes and dreams of the day dissipated on her judgmental words, her crossed arms, her angry gaze. His right hand came in contact with the small box he'd secured in
his pocket, reality smacking him in the face. She didn't trust him. And there was no such thing as love without trust.

“Were you planning on saying goodbye before you duck out to Philadelphia, or just quietly disappear?”

“I—”

“Please go.”

“Megs—”

“Please.”

Sunlit daydreams slipped into shadowed reality. Danny's heart clenched, then stutter-stepped as he backed toward the door. “I'll move my things out in the morning.”

“And I'll refund the rest of your rent.”

“Perfect.”

Danny walked through the door feeling like nothing had ever been more less than perfect in his life.

He went next door, climbed the steps slowly, resisted the urge to hurl the beautiful ring against the wall in frustration and tried to lose himself in sleep, but rest eluded him. Well before dawn he packed his belongings, filled the trunk of the rental, and slipped the apartment key under Meg's door before he headed south on Route 19, the scant miles between Jamison and Wellsville not nearly enough to buffer his twisted emotions. Right now, Danny was pretty sure no amount of distance would be enough.