CHARLENE
BRIGHT
Harvest Moon
Brook Haven Romance
(Book One)
Books by Charlene Bright
Canton County Cowboys
A Cowboy Worth Loving
Dare to Love a Cowboy
Captivated by a Cowboy
Cowboys of Courage
Courage to Follow
Courage to Believe
Courage to Fall
Cherish Cowboys
Cherished Love
Cherished Moments
Cherished Embrace
Wild at Heart Cowboys
Like a Cowboy
The Cowboy in Me
Cowboy Casanova
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Harvest Moon
Copyright © 2016 by Charlene Bright
All rights reserved. No part of this text
may be reproduced, transmitted,
downloaded, or stored in or introduced
into any information storage and
retrieval system, in any form or by any
means, whether electronic or
mechanical, without the express written
permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places and incidents are
either the product of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously, and
any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, business establishments,
events or locales is entirely
coincidental.
Harvest Moon
Sophie Michelson has always been
serious. Even as a little girl, she knew
what she wanted out of life. And unlike
other little girls, that definitely wasn’t
a husband and children. Sophie has a
head for business and a burning desire
for one thing: to own a bed and
breakfast, just like the one she stayed
at as a child. It will take everything she
has, and she’s prepared to do anything
to realize her dream.
Now, after years of hard work, the
time has finally come. With her brand
new—okay, so maybe a little old—bed
and breakfast in Brook Haven, Vermont,
she is set to become the successful
business owner she was always meant
to be. There’s only one thing standing
in her way: renovating the run-down
B&B in time for Brook Haven’s annual
Harvest Festival and the official start
of the tourist season. Lucky for her, her
mother is there to guide her through it
and keep her life distraction free.
Soon, though, the renovations get
delayed, and Sophie starts to wonder if
her B&B will ever be ready to open.
The only solution is to call upon Brook
Haven’s best carpenter to speed
construction along. But as it turns out,
Drake Tanner is exactly the kind of
distraction she doesn’t need.
Drake has spent his entire life in the
quaint town of Brook Haven. Everyone
there knows he’s the one you call when
you need a hand. When he meets Sophie
Michelson, he thinks his search for love
might finally be over.
As the two grow closer, Sophie learns
that sometimes feelings can’t be denied
no matter how hard you try, and she
eventually has to admit to hers, just
before a tragic accident threatens to
tear them apart. Soon, she’s faced with
a choice: follow her head, as she’s done
all her life, or finally trust her heart.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
Sophie stood outside in the crisp
morning air and stared up at her dream.
It felt almost surreal to her, like it had
happened so fast. In reality, it had been a
dream in the works for almost twenty
years.
When she was about eight years old,
her parents took her on a trip to New
England where they stayed in a bed and
breakfast. The old house with the
comfortable, warm furnishings and all of
the kind people had made such an
impression on her that it became her
dream to own one of her own.
When she got home from that trip,
she’d set up her Barbie Dream Home to
emulate the late 1800s house they’d
stayed in as well as she could, and then
she set about convincing all of her dolls
and stuffed animals to come and have a
stay. She became such a good hostess to
all of her friends that there was rarely a
weekend she didn’t have company.
Just a few weeks before graduating
high school, she saw a Help Wanted ad
for a bed and breakfast off the coast of
Maine. It had always been her intention
to go to college but even at such a young
age, she already knew that no amount of
studying could rival experience. She
applied for the job, got an offer, and, to
her mother and her best friend’s chagrin,
she took it. Her father was supportive—
he always was—but it took him quite a
few months to stop calling her every
night and reminding her to lock her
doors.
She worked for a middle-aged couple
with three children for three years. She
loved it, and the family loved her back.
She might have stayed there until she
was able to afford a place of her own,
but tragedy struck her family. Her father
had a heart attack and died unexpectedly.
Sophie’s mother, Brenda, was
devastated by the loss. They’d known
each other their entire lives, and she
liked to tell Sophie the story of her
father proposing when they were only
ten. He made her promise she’d only
marry him. Though they had each dated
different people in high school and in
college, they found each other again
when they both returned home from
college to Carolina Beach. Brenda told
her the first time she saw him in town,
she knew she’d almost walked away
from her destiny. They were married a
year later and, as far as Sophie knew,
were still just as happy after thirty years
of marriage as they had been as
newlyweds.
She rushed home to be near her
mother and spent months nursing her out
of her deep depression. Her mother
eventually came back around to being
herself. Sophie suspected that it had
been more for her daughter’s sake than
anything. She’d told her in one of their
late-night conversations that the loss of
her one true love had left a hole not only
in her heart, but in her very soul.
Sophie had done a lot of soul-
searching after that and decided that she
was better off investing thirty years of
her life in something that couldn’t die
and leave her alone and wounded. She
put the small amount of money her father
left her into a mutual fund and got back
to the business of working toward her
dream.
She got a job at a B&B right on
Carolina Beach facing the ocean. She
worked the front desk, did light
housekeeping, and eventually became in
charge of arranging activities for the
guests like bike tours and clamming
nights with bonfires on the beach. She
worked there until she was twenty-six,
and along the way she lived a pretty
simple and—some might say—
uneventful life. She still held on to the
friendships she’d had since early
childhood, but she didn’t go out much.
She kept her focus on the endgame …
being the proud owner of her own B&B
someday.
Sophie had one boyfriend during all
of this that she might term “serious.” He
was serious anyway, and he talked about
marriage and children. Sophie had to
admit to him that she wasn’t ready for
any of that, and she wasn’t sure she ever
would be. She didn’t want to hurt him,
but she also didn’t want him wasting his
time thinking he would convince her
otherwise. Once she’d set her mind to
doing something, she knew she would
move heaven and earth to see that it
happened.
When Sophie wasn’t working, she
started taking classes at the local junior
college, eventually getting a degree in
business with an emphasis on general
management. She also took cooking and
baking courses. Her mother had done a
good job of teaching her how to cook,
but she wanted to have special skills for
her B&B. In her imagination, she’d
always have baskets of home-baked
goodies ready for the guests in their
rooms to surprise them when they
arrived.
She learned how to make her own
soaps, and she’d even taken a gardening
class in case the place she bought had
room for a backyard garden. She never
lost sight of what she wanted, and one
morning while having breakfast with her
mother, she saw the ad that would
change her life:
Bed and Breakfast in Brook Haven,
Vermont. Family owned and operated
for over eighty years. Home and five-
acre property for sale. Pet-friendly inn
with hardwood floors and wood-
paneled ceilings. Bathrooms all have
tiled showers and original fixtures.
The Lounge & Tavern boasts a large
open space for couches, televisions,
and pool and video games. There is a
large dining room and a beautiful
outside wooden deck with killer views
on a sunny morning. The kitchen is
spacious and equipped with both
commercial and residential equipment.
Two rooms on the ground floor are
perfect for a spa and storage, and the
basement and garage can be used for
storage and laundry as well.
It’s located on a small farm that has
been equipped for horses and chickens.
There is also a small pond surrounded
by a grassy knoll area that is an ideal
spot for weddings. The owner’s
quarters consist of an open multi-use
living area and bath and extends the
full length of the third floor. There are
two smaller guest houses on the
property that both sit about a mile from
the main lodge, perfect for use as a
mother-in-law house or employee
quarters alike.
“This is the one, Mom!” she’d said
excitedly. “I can feel it! This is the one
I’ve been waiting for!”
Brenda looked at her like she’d lost
her marbles until Sophie sat the paper
down in front of her. She skimmed
through the ad, and when she looked
back at her daughter, she forced a smile
and said, “This one does sound like it’s
calling your name.”
“You know it!” Sophie immediately
knew this was what she’d scrimped and
saved for over the past nine years. Two
days before her twenty-seventh birthday,
she signed the final paperwork. She was
the proud new owner of a bed and
breakfast. It had taken some doing, but
she finally talked her mother into selling
the house in Carolina Beach and going
with her. Brenda would live in one of
the guest houses and Sophie would take
the top floor of the main house. It was
perfect … almost.
The first thing Sophie noticed when
she arrived at her dream was that
“original fixtures” actually meant
original. They came with the house
when it had been built almost a hundred
years ago and were sorely in need of
replacing. The “commercial” equipment
in the kitchen had been replaced at least
once—the last time in the 1950s. The
gorgeous wooden banister that led to the
upper two floors of the house was
scratched, dinged, and missing barrier
pieces, and there were two places on the
stairs she’d nearly fallen through.
The outside was overgrown and the
fences all needed mending, but none of
that discouraged her. If there was one
thing Sophie wasn’t afraid of, it was
hard work. She still had enough savings
left after putting the down payment on
the property to do the major repairs. The
minor things could be tackled even after
the place was up and running. The
thought of all of that work didn’t dampen
her excitement at all. She had done a lot
of research into the quaint little town that
she hoped to become a part of soon, and
ultimately she’d decided that September
22nd—the day of the Harvest Festival—
was the day. That gave her two months
to get the inn ready for its grand opening.
She’d seen the signs for the Harvest
Festival as she drove through the
picturesque little town for the first time.
She passed the community bank and a
cute little restaurant painted blue called
“Huckleberry’s.” There was a small
clothing store and a five-and-dime and
what looked like a family-owned
grocery store. There was a small bar
with a wraparound porch that was
surrounded by giant maple trees. The
leaves were still green, but Sophie could
already picture it when they turned the
bold orange and crimson colors that
New England was famous for in the fall.
She was almost in love with the town
before she had even made it out past the
rows and rows of gorgeous apple
orchards and up to the bed and breakfast,
where she met with the realtor and
toured the property. It was love at first
sight when she saw the house, but one
look at the breathtaking views of the
Green Mountains cemented the deal.
She knew that it would be a lot of
work, but her heart told her she could
take this old place and breathe new life
into it. She made an offer that very day
and then drove back home. For the next
three weeks, she prayed a lot and kept
her fingers crossed, and the day they
called her to let her know her offer had
been accepted had been the happiest of
her life.
“What are you looking at, honey?”
“Oh, Mom! You startled me.” Her
mother had stepped up behind her,
jostling her out of her reverie. She was
wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt
from 1990 with Van Halen on the front of
it. Sophie couldn’t help but smile. Her
mother’s true loves had been her father,
her, and classic rock music—not
necessarily in that order. “I was just
thinking about how lucky I am,” she told
her.
Her mother smiled and brushed a lock
of Sophie’s dark hair back over her
daughter’s shoulder. “This place has
nothing to do with luck. This is all you,
baby. You have worked so hard for this,
and I’m so proud of you.”
Sophie put her arm around her
mother’s shoulders and gave her a
squeeze. “Thank you, Mom. I’m proud of
me too.” She couldn’t stop smiling.
“What time is that carpenter coming
by?” Sophie had contacted the only
carpenter in town by phone about
starting on some of the repairs. She
immediately liked the sound of his
voice. He was coming by today to have
a look at what needed to be done and
give her an estimate.
“He should be here in half an hour or
so.”
Her mom nodded. “Okay, I’m going to
head in and start scrubbing that kitchen.”
The inn had been vacant for almost three
years, so besides the repairs, it was
going to take a lot of elbow grease to
clean it up. She was grateful for her
mother’s help, but she knew her mother
was just as grateful to have something to
do. She had been a hands-on mother and
wife for thirty years, and even her active
circle of friends couldn’t seem to fill the
void that her daughter leaving home and
then her husband dying had caused.
Sophie was heading back inside the
house when she heard the sound of a
pickup approaching. She stepped up on
the front porch, which was also in need
of repairs, and watched the old green
Ford come toward her up the rutted dirt
road. The driver parked in the small lot,
and as he stepped out, Sophie’s breath
was actually taken away for a few
seconds. She was glad it would take him
a minute to reach her so that she could
put her composure back together. She
rarely lost control and even more rarely
over a man, but this one … she was
openly gaping before she caught herself.
He was all hard angles and sharp
lines with the most beautiful, long-
lashed brown eyes that she’d ever seen.
He had on a ball cap with the words The
Fix-It Man, and warm chocolate waves
of thick hair peeked out from underneath
it. His work shirt molded to his broad
chest, and his biceps swelled out of the
short sleeves. He had long, jean-clad
legs, and as he strode toward her, his
handsome face broke into a wide grin.
His teeth were white, but not exactly
perfect, which made him even sexier in
Sophie’s eyes. Perfect people are
boring people, she’d always thought.
Imperfect ones had much more character.
He had full lips and they looked soft.
She shivered a little as her mind went to
a place it rarely did the first time she
met a man: What would they taste like?
When she was about three feet away
from him, she told herself to get a grip,
sucked in a shaky breath, and forced
what she hoped passed for a non-
lecherous smile.
“Hi, I’m Drake Tanner,” he said in a
silky, masculine voice. He held out his
hand and Sophie took it. It was big and
warm and she felt jolts of lightning shoot
all the way up her arm.
She held the smile and was grateful
when her voice didn’t come out shaky.
“Hi, I’m Sophie Michelson. Thank you
so much for coming so quickly, Mr.
Tanner—”
“It’s Drake,” he said, “And it’s not a
problem.” He looked up at the house and
said, “I used to come here a lot when I
was a boy.”
“Really? You grew up in Brook
Haven?”
“Born and raised,” he said. “My best
friend’s parents ran this place for a
while. The owners lived in Rhode
Island, and they paid them to live here
and take care of the place.”
“Oh, how nice. I think I fell in love
the first time I saw it.” She was staring
up at the house again and caught herself.
She probably had that goofy smile she
got on her face every time she thought
about being the owner. She checked
herself and glanced over at Drake. His
chocolate-brown eyes were on her face,
and she suddenly felt warm all over.
CHAPTER TWO
Drake woke up to the sound of Hooter
barking his fool head off … again. He
looked at the lit-up numbers on the clock
radio next to the bed: 3:22. He mumbled
a curse under his breath. Hooter had the
worst timing. Drake had been immersed
in a dream about a dark-haired angel
with ice-blue eyes. Her name was
Sophie, and he hadn’t been able to get
her out of his head since he’d met with
her the afternoon before.
This was the third night this week the
dog had woken him in the middle of the
night. The other two times, he was tired
but only mildly annoyed. Tonight, he’d
been just about to kiss the angel in his
dream when the shrill sound of the dog’s
barking pierced the night. He and Hooter
had been together since they were both
kids and he loved the old dog, but after
tonight, he wasn’t sure the relationship
could recover.
He waited a few minutes to see if
Hooter would stop barking on his own
and when he didn’t, he forced his tired
body up out of the bed and slipped into
his boots. Grabbing his hat and a light
jacket off the hook next to the door and a
flashlight that sat up on the shelf in the
kitchen, he stepped outside onto the
porch. He shone the light around and
caught the glint of yellow off Hooter’s
shiny coat, then held the light steady and
saw his canine friend standing at the end
of the driveway facing away from him.
Drake put his fingers in the sides of
his mouth and whistled. Hooter gave him
a cursory over-the-shoulder glance and
then went back to his incessant barking.
For a few seconds Drake considered
going back inside, popping in a pair of
ear plugs that he used for target shooting,
and going back to sleep. However, he
could see out of the corner of his eye that
the light in his Uncle Mac’s little house
up the road had come on and he knew
there’d be no going back to sleep for
him. With a grumble and a curse, he set
off down the long dirt road to where
Hooter stood, expecting to find him with
a snake or a possum cornered against the
mailbox.
Drake lived on his family’s old farm.
His grandparents had owned it first and
then Drake’s parents after that. He was a
late-in-life baby for his parents. Before
that, they’d taken care of his mother’s
brother Mac for several years after he’d
been in a bad car accident. He was a
paraplegic and had to go through a lot of
extensive therapy before he was able to
live on his own. By the time Mac was
doing well enough to spend more than a
few hours a day in his own house, his
mother and father were both well into
their thirties.
Drake’s mother told him once that his
father had tried to discourage her desire
for a baby then, but she wasn’t having it.
She’d just turned forty when she found
out she was expecting. As it turned out,
his father was as happy, if not happier,
than she was when he found out about it.
Drake was born on his mother’s forty-
first birthday, and his parents both doted
on him. His father taught him how to hunt
and fish and work on cars. He was also
the reason Drake did what he did for a
living - his father could build or fix
anything, and although he wasn’t
technically a handyman, the neighbors
all seemed to call him when they needed
something. His father never said no, and
Drake loved following him around and
watching him work.
His mother taught him more than he
could list, but mostly he had her to thank
for his easygoing attitude about life. She
was an animal lover and a nature
enthusiast, and she instilled her love of
those things into her son. She also had a
big garden on the farm where she grew
fresh vegetables. Every Sunday morning,
she’d pick whatever was ripe and in
season and then wash and package it all
up in plastic containers so that it was
ready to eat. Then she’d load it all into
the back of the old pickup that Drake
still drove today and take it into town to
sell at the market. Mostly, what she did
was hand it out for free to those in need.
She had a regular spot out in front of the
church, and she came to be known in
town simply as the vegetable lady.
She didn’t just hand out the
vegetables. She also had a section of her
garden where she grew herbs, which
she’d use to make salves and lotions.
She would sit for hours and just talk to
anyone who seemed to need it at the
time. She handed out advice when she
was asked for it, and she never judged.
Drake still kept the vegetable garden
growing, and he still took the vegetables
into town on Sundays to the market. He
also had his mother’s recipes for the
herbal salves and remedies, and he’d
taken to making them too because he’d
gotten so many requests. Sometimes his
Uncle Mac would go into town with him
and sell statues and carvings he made in
his shop.
Sundays were the only days Drake
refused work. To him, going to the
market was a way to keep his mother’s
memory alive. To the people in the
community, it was a service many of
them had come to depend on.
When he made it to the end of the
road, he tried once again to get Hooter to
hush. The dog gave him another quick
glance but kept one eye on whatever was
in the grass underneath the lilac bushes
at the edge of the road. Drake saw the
bush wiggle slightly and he heard the
rustle of the deep grass. Whatever
Hooter had found was still alive.
Drake wished he’d grabbed his rifle
just in case. The last thing he’d shot was
a timber rattlesnake that had somehow
found its way onto Uncle Mac’s back
porch. Shooting things, however, was
contrary to his very nature, and he’d only
done it when the situation had demanded
it.
With a deep breath and a small prayer
that whatever it was wouldn’t snap off
his arm or inject him with venom, he
reached down and moved the bush. Two
sets of eyes glowed up at him.
Reluctantly, he lowered his flashlight so
it illuminated the frightened faces of two
baby red foxes. One of them had what
looked like a dog bite on his hind
quarters, and the other looked more than
a little bit reluctant to leave the injured
one to fend for himself.
“Well, look what you found, Hooter.
Hi guys. Where’s your mama?” As if
Hooter understood, he once again began
to bark and wag his tail the way he did
when he wanted Drake to follow him.
Drake let the bush fall back down gently
to cover the babies and followed the
yellow Lab three or four feet up to the
road. It was an old country road that led
to town in one direction and dead-ended
where the forest got too dense on one
side and the altitude too high on the
other. Drake’s place sat about two miles
from the forest, so other than mild traffic
to and from his place, the road was
hardly ever used.
Hooter pointed him toward what had
agitated him. Drake shone his light onto
the black asphalt and found the fox
mama. She’d been hit by a car, and from
the looks of it, it hadn’t been that long
ago. Drake briefly wondered what
someone was doing on this road in the
middle of the night.
He spent some time walking back and
forth to the barn to get what he needed to
move the poor dead animal out of the
road. He put her in a plastic container to
bury her later, and then he went back to
see about the kits. They were still there
under the bush; they’d curled up together
and gone to sleep.
Drake opened the cat carrier he’d
brought back with him and with one big
hand, he scooped them into it. They
woke up as he did and before he closed
the small door and latched it, they were
both howling at him in an extremely
annoying, high-pitched way. He tried
making soothing sounds as he carried
them back to the house, but they were
agitated and having none of it. As he sat
the small carrier down on the porch, he
heard his phone ringing from inside the
house. It was almost five a.m., way too
early for anyone to be calling him except
Uncle Mac.
“I’m sorry. Did Hooter wake you?”
Drake answered.
“Nah, you know I don’t sleep much. I
just wanted to make sure everything’s all
right up there.”
“Hooter found a couple of baby foxes
… their mother didn’t make it across the
road.”
“Aw … ya know I almost called you
about all that racket goin’ on out there.”
“Um … you did just call me, Uncle
Mac.”
He laughed. “My legs don’t work, but
my mind still does. I meant before, when
that car or whatever it was kept racing
up and down the hill. You didn’t hear
it?”
“No, I guess I was sleeping pretty
soundly.”
“You must have been. Sounded like a
V-8 to me, and they had to be goin’ over
a hundred miles an hour. They raced
back and forth three or four times, and
each time they’d get ready to turn
around, they’d smoke the brakes. I think
they may have even been hitting the E-
brake.”
“Did you see the car?”
“Nah, from where the house sits, I can
hear the road but I can’t see it.”
“Okay. It was probably teenagers, but
I’ll keep an eye out.”
“You need any help with those kits?”
Drake looked down at the agitated
little creatures, and in spite of himself,
he thought about how cute they were.
“I’m not sure what to do with them to be
honest.”
“Well, the first thing they probably
need is some hydration. Maybe you
should call Sam. Are you working
today?”
“Yeah, I’m supposed to be over at the
Harvest Moon Inn at seven.”
“Well, if you can’t get ahold of Sam,
bring them to me and I’ll sit for ya.”
Drake laughed. “Sit for me, huh? So
you think I’ve already adopted them?”
“I know you. You’re too much like
your mama to turn those babies out on
their own. The coyotes would eat them
in a heartbeat. This farm used to be a
menagerie of the animals my sister
collected.”
Drake laughed. He knew that was
true. As a kid, he could bring home any
stray he found in the woods and his
mother would never turn it away. He
looked back down at the bloody back leg
of the injured kit. “Yeah, it looks like
one of them may have gotten a bite
before Mama Fox hid them under my
bush. She was headed back across the
road. It makes me wonder if there’s
more on the other side.”
“You’re gonna go look, aren’t you?”
“I might just take a peek for
curiosity’s sake.”
Mac was laughing when he hung up.
Drake checked the time again. It was
closer to five-thirty. He put on a pair of
thick gloves and reached into the door of
the holder for the injured kit. It began
howling and screeching as he pulled it
out, and the little booger was even trying
to bite him. He took him into the
bathroom and washed and cleaned up his
leg. He bandaged it with medical tape,
the whole while struggling just to hang
on to the wiggly little creature. After he
finished cleaning him up, he called his
friend Sam.
“Drake, what’s up?” Sam sounded
groggy, like he had been awakened from
a deep sleep.
“Hey, Sam, I’m sorry to call so early
—”
“You forgot that I’m in California,
didn’t you?”
“Oh, damn it! Yeah, I did. I’m so
sorry. It’s a lot earlier than I thought. I
can—”
“It’s okay, Drake, I’m up now. What’s
going on?”
“Someone ran over Mama Fox and I
found two of her kits.”
“Oh man. Do you have a syringe and a
heating pad?”
“Um, I’ll have to look for them both,
but I think so.”
Sam was the town veterinarian and
had grown up in Brook Haven with
Drake. He had told Drake he was going
to California for a convention that week,
but Drake had been so busy with work it
had slipped his mind.
“Okay, so here is what you need to
do.”
Drake spent another precious half
hour on the phone with his friend. By the
time he did what he needed to do and
dropped the kits off with his uncle, he
was running a half hour late already. In
spite of that, he just had to stop and look
around a little bit across the road. He
didn’t see any signs of more kits.
Unfortunately, that probably meant
something else had already gotten them.
As he drove through town on his way to
the bed and breakfast, he was sorely
tempted to stop at Huckleberry’s and
grab a cup of coffee but decided he
didn’t have time. He looked at his watch
and told himself he was already late
enough.
As soon as he drove up close to the
house, he saw the beautiful owner
kneeling on the front porch with a
hammer that was so big he was
surprised she could hold it up. He tried
to shake off the remnants of the dream
he’d had about her the night before as he
stepped out of the truck. He realized it
was to no avail, however, when she
glanced over her shoulder at him and he
got another look at those cool blue eyes.
“Good morning.”
“Morning,” she said. Her tone was a
little short. He wondered if she was
angry with him for being late. Maybe he
should have called.
“I’m sorry I’m late—”
“It’s fine.”
There was no mistaking that she really
was annoyed. “Really, I’m sorry. I had
some unexpected company this morning
—”
“It’s really fine. It’s just that my
mother forgot about the rotten boards we
talked about. She fell through the porch
this morning—”
“Oh my God! Is she all right?” Now
he really felt bad.
“Yeah, she twisted her ankle a bit, I
think.” She began hammering a long nail
into the piece of plywood she’d covered
the hole with. As she hammered, the
wood around the nail split further and he
heard her mumble a curse.
“We should probably just replace
most of this. It’s pretty warped and
rotted.”
She brushed her dark hair out of her
eyes and looked up at him again. Damn,
she’s pretty, he thought once again.
“How much will that cost?”
“I’d have to call and get a price on the
lumber, but I have a buddy over at the
lumber yard that’ll give me a pretty good
deal.”
Drake could tell by the way she
furrowed her pretty brow that she was
feeling stressed even before she said,
“Am I being overly optimistic thinking
this can all be finished and I can open in
time for the Harvest Festival?”
“Optimistic is good,” he told her with
a smile. “Hey, why don’t I call my buddy
and have him get the lumber ready, then
you can ride into town with me and
we’ll get some breakfast?”
He couldn’t read the look on her face,
but suddenly he wasn’t very optimistic.
“I should really stay around here. I just
have so much to do.”
“Okay … yeah, I understand. Well,
I’ll call him and head into town. Can I
bring you something from the diner?”
Again, there was that look. “No, I’ve
had breakfast, but thanks. Will you be
long?” The last was said with a little
edge to it.
“I’ll get mine to go,” he said with a
wink. Sophie didn’t look amused.
CHAPTER THREE
“Mother! What are you doing?”
Sophie walked into the kitchen just in
time to see her mother hobbling in
through the other door.
“I was just going to put on a pot of
coffee—”
“I told you to call me if you needed
anything. You need to stay off that
ankle.”
“Sophie, I’m fine, honey. It’s just a
little sore. You need to take a breath and
relax. You can’t fix everything all by
yourself.”
“Well, it seems I might have to,” she
said, pulling out a chair for her mother.
“Sit.” Her mother rolled her eyes but sat
down.
“I’m sorry, I’d be helping you but
you’re the one—”
“Oh, Mom! I’m sorry. I’m not talking
about you. It’s that carpenter/handyman I
hired. He just seems so laid back about
things. He was half an hour late this
morning, and he’s been gone for over an
hour now to pick up lumber and—get
this—breakfast.”
Her mother smiled. “A man does have
to eat, right?”
Sophie drew her eyebrows together
and looked at her mother. “Don’t you
think he should have done that before he
came to work?”
“Well, things happen sometimes.”
“Why are you defending him?”
“I don’t know. Why do you want to be
angry with him?”
“Want to be? Are you implying that I
was looking for an excuse to be angry
with him?”
“I just don’t really see that he’s done
anything so bad. People live life at a
slower pace in these small towns. I
thought that was the whole point actually
of buying the B&B here.”
“It is, and I understand that, but I have
a deadline.”
“It’s a self-imposed deadline, and it
seems to me that it might be putting a lot
of undue stress on you. Would it be so
bad, Sophie, if you had to open a week
or two later than you planned?”
“Yes!” Sophie slammed the coffee pot
down in the sink. It was only luck that
kept it from breaking. She saw her
mother jump slightly at the noise from
the corner of her eye and felt bad
instantly. “Jesus, I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t
know what’s wrong with me. I’m so
thrilled to be here and be doing this, and
not once in my life did I ever question
my ability to succeed … until now.”
Sophie could feel the sting of tears in
the corners of her eyes. Her mother
struggled to her feet and opened her
arms. Sophie went over and melted into
them. Her mother held her for a few
minutes and ran her hand down the
length of her daughter’s hair, and then
she held her back so she could see her
face.
“Sophie, it’s human nature to second-
guess ourselves. But you can’t let it
consume you. Changing your plans is not
the same as failing at them. I know you
can do this, but there’s something that
you can’t lose sight of in the process.”
“What’s that?” Sophie asked while
sniffling.
“The joy of the process. Keep that joy
and enthusiasm. Hold on to it. Otherwise
this place will become just a job to you.
Be willing to be flexible, and don’t
write things in stone just yet. Sometimes
things don’t work out the way you
planned for them to, but that doesn’t
mean it’s a loss or a failure.”
Sophie nodded. She knew her mother
was right. Opening for the weekend of
the festival would be perfect, but
opening after that would still be opening,
and it would still be good. She just
wished that knowing she was right was
the same as feeling it. Sometimes,
Sophie felt like she was wound as tightly
as a clock and was afraid that one of the
springs was going to suddenly snap. “I
will try to think of it that way,” she told
her mother. “Sit down. I’m going to
make that coffee.”
It was another hour before Drake got
back with the lumber. By the time he
started pulling up the boards on the front
porch, it was a little before noon. Sophie
was doing her best to hold on to her
patience with him but hot or not, he was
making it difficult.
While Drake worked on the porch,
Sophie busied herself with things that
needed cleaning inside the house and
trying to get her mother to stay off her
feet. It was around four thirty when she
heard Drake’s phone ring out on the
porch. A few minutes later, he knocked
on the door and said, “I hate to do this,
but I’m going to have to take off. I’ll
come back early tomorrow—”
“Take off? You’ve only technically
been working for a little over four hours
—”
“Sophie!” her mother said from
behind her.
“I’m sorry,” Drake said. His face
looked truly remorseful, and it was easy
for Sophie to look into those chocolate
eyes and want to forgive him, but at this
rate, they’d never get things done. She
was beginning to regret not hiring the
bigger firm from the next town over.
“Sorry isn’t going to get the work
done around here.”
“Yes, ma’am. If it wasn’t important
—”
“Just go, I’ll see you in the morning.”
He turned to leave and she said,
“Drake.”
“Yes?”
“I hope tomorrow will be a better
day.”
“Me too,” he said. She watched him
go and wondered for a second what the
phone call was about. Deciding that it
didn’t matter—or it shouldn’t if he was a
professional—she felt angry again.
When she met her mother’s eyes and saw
the disappointment there, she felt just a
little bit ashamed as well.
“Less than five hours, Mom.”
Her mother nodded but then said,
“Just be careful, Sophie. You never
know what someone is going through. He
could be going through some hard
times.”
“Everyone goes through hard times,
Mom. It’s no excuse to slack on your
work.” Before her mother could
respond, Sophie turned and walked out
of the room. She wanted to see how
much he’d gotten done. When she
opened the kitchen door that led to the
front porch, she felt shock radiate
through her.
The porch was twelve feet long and
about four feet wide. Drake had
completed all but about a two-by-four-
foot spot in one corner … and it was
beautiful. The wood wasn’t finished yet,
but it was solid knotty pine, and Sophie
could imagine just how beautiful it
would be when it was. She suddenly felt
like a terrible person. She went back
inside and looked at her mother. “What’s
wrong with me, Mom? I don’t treat
people this way.”
Her mother smiled. “Nothing is wrong
with you. You’re feeling stressed and
pressured, but the simple fact that you
feel remorseful means you are a good,
decent person.”
“Well, maybe you know that and
maybe I can convince myself of that
because of how bad I feel, but I’d be
willing to bet that Drake is thinking I’m
a pretty terrible person right about now.”
“Then call him and apologize.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be able to
sleep tonight if I don’t. Thanks Mom.”
Her mother kissed her cheek and said,
“I think I’m going to head up to the
house. There’s a program on television
tonight I wanted to watch.”
“No, it’s too far for you to walk. I’ll
drive you.”
Her mom laughed. “I’m not an
invalid.”
“I just don’t want you to permanently
damage that ankle.”
With a sigh and a smile, her mother
agreed to the ride. As soon as Sophie got
back to the main house, she found her
phone and called Drake. The phone rang
four times and went to voicemail, so she
hung up. She didn’t want to apologize in
a message. She called her mother
instead. “I sent you home without
dinner.”
Her mom laughed again. “What is this,
role reversal? I have some leftover
chicken from last night. I was going to
have that.”
“Oh, I was going to run into town for
something. Are you sure I can’t pick up
something for you?”
“I’m sure, honey. I’m going to eat the
chicken and turn in early.”
“Okay. Mom, thank you so much for
all of your help.”
“You’re very welcome. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Sophie headed for town feeling a lot
calmer than she had during the day. She
would apologize to Drake first thing in
the morning, and she’d make sure to
keep a lid on the irrational anger the
stress had been causing her to feel all
day.
The little town was only about ten
minutes from the B&B. When she drove
up in front of Huckleberry’s, the first
thing she noticed was Drake’s pickup out
front. She felt a wave of annoyance that
he’d rushed out in what he’d presented
as pretty much an “emergency” when he
was out to dinner. She reminded herself
that she was going to stop all that as she
walked in the front door. She was
greeted by a young lady in a blueberry-
colored dress and a mile-wide smile.
“Well, hello there. I’m Rebecca. Can I
get you a table?” Sophie’s eyes had
already landed on the back of Drake’s
head. He was facing away from her, but
she could see his dinner companion. She
was an attractive woman of about thirty,
and she was laughing at something Drake
had just said. “Miss … did you want a
table?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, no. Just a take-out
menu please.”
“Sure, I’ll be right back.” The girl
went behind the counter and Sophie’s
attention returned to Drake and his
dinner companion. The woman had long
blonde hair, and from where Sophie was
standing, she looked tall and slim.
Sophie was suddenly feeling another
irrational emotion—jealousy. Why on
earth would she be jealous over whom
her handyman chose to have dinner
with? She was suddenly embarrassed by
her own private thoughts.
“Here you go, miss.” The girl was
back with her menu. Sophie thanked her
and sat down on the little bench seat to
look it over.
She was trying to decide between the
Tri-tip sandwich and the grilled shrimp
when she heard, “Miss Michelson?” Her
stomach had already clenched before she
looked up into those chocolate pools.
She forced a smile and hoped it didn’t
look as nervous as she felt.
“It’s Sophie,” she said. “Hi, Drake.”
The young girl at the counter handed
him a take-out container and said,
“Drake, are you gonna be at the market
on Sunday?”
He smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be
there.”
“Oh good. I saw Wendy out in front of
the market the other day and I told her to
go out there on Sunday. She’s been
having a hard time since Mitchell passed
on.”
“You tell her to come see me,” he
said. The young girl beamed at him.
Sophie wondered what it was he was
giving out at the market that made people
so happy.
The blonde woman he was with
appeared at his elbow. “Drake, I have to
run. I’ll call you in the morning.” She
was definitely tall … and slim …
willowy even. She was beautiful.
“Okay, Brooke, thank you so much,”
Drake said. She leaned in and kissed
him on his stubble-covered cheek, and
once again Sophie’s belly clenched.
“You’re very welcome. Thank you for
dinner.” The blonde smiled at Sophie,
and Sophie forced another smile she
didn’t feel like wearing. Drake watched
her leave and then turned his attention
back to Sophie.
“I’m really sorry again about leaving
so soon earlier. You see, those visitors I
told you about—”
“It’s fine,” she said, cutting him off.
This was her chance to apologize and
tell him what great work he’d done—so
why wasn’t she doing it?
“Okay … well … I guess I’ll see you
in the morning?” It sounded like he was
asking a question. Was he worried she
was going to fire him? If he was so
worried about it, why was he so quick to
show up late and take off early?
“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He
started for the door, and that rush of self-
loathing Sophie had felt earlier for her
bad behavior returned with a vengeance.
“Drake?”
He turned back toward her. She
wished that her breath didn’t catch in her
throat every time she looked at him.
“Yes?”
“You did great work on the porch
today. Thank you.”
He smiled then and—just like that—
her insides turned into hot liquid.
“You’re welcome. I’ll finish it
tomorrow.” Sophie nodded at him and
watched him go. She had no idea why
this guy caused her emotions to go from
one end of the spectrum to the other in no
time flat.
CHAPTER FOUR
Drake stepped into his uncle’s small
but obsessively neat house. Mac was
unable to use his legs, but he was very
good with his arms and hands, and he
kept his house immaculate. He also had
a little shop out back where he made
hand-carved statues to sell at the market.
The shop was as neat as the rest of the
house.
“Hey, Uncle Mac, here’s your club.”
Mac rolled out of the kitchen and
smiled at his nephew. “Thank you.
You’re a good boy.”
“Well, I owed it to you after what my
adopted children put you through today.”
Drake sat down and Mac began
unwrapping his sandwich.
Mac grinned. “It was a little touch and
go there for a while. Did you talk to
Brooke?”
“Yeah, she had dinner with me. I
thanked her. I’m sorry I didn’t hear the
phone the first few times you called. I
must have had the sander on.”
Mac was chewing and just waved his
palm at his nephew. He swallowed and
said, “You were at work. I wouldn’t
have even called, but I couldn’t stand the
idea of you coming home to find two
dead little kits. I’m glad Brooke was
available. She came right out.”
“She said they didn’t know how to …
go to the bathroom?”
Mac laughed. “Yes, apparently it’s
something they have to be taught—who
knew? The poor little things were
swollen and just miserable. Brooke
massaged their little bellies until they
finally did their business and they
looked so relieved. They curled up and
went to sleep right afterwards.”
“Where are they?”
“In the kitchen,” he said.
“The kitchen?”
“Yeah, the heating pad was a good
idea, but Brooke also wanted them
underneath a light. The one in the kitchen
is the brightest I have.”
“Okay … maybe we can go into the
vet business with Sam after this.”
Mac laughed again. “No thank you.
I’ll leave the animal business to you.”
“Brooke said you did a great job with
them.”
“Not a problem,” Mac said. “I hope I
didn’t cause you any problems with your
new client.”
“I think it’ll be okay … but it’s not
your fault anyhow.”
“You think? Was she angry? Damn,
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called—”
“Yes, you should have. I don’t think
she was angry … she’s a hard one to
figure out. She looks like a porcelain
doll. Everything about her is intriguing.
She was so excited and positive the first
couple of times I talked to her, but today
she was just … maybe stressed out or
something. I’m not sure …” Mac was
grinning at him. “What?”
“You like her.”
Drake laughed. “I’m not in fifth grade,
Uncle Mac.”
Laughing too, Mac said, “You know
what I mean. You should have seen your
face when you just talked about how
pretty she is. You have a little crush on
the lady boss.”
Drake rolled his eyes, but the truth
was that Mac was right. In spite of the
fact that he couldn’t figure out if the lady
liked him or not, she set his insides on
fire.
****
For the rest of that week and the entire
week that followed, excluding Sunday
when he went to the market, Drake
worked from sunup to sundown at the
Harvest Moon Inn. He finished the front
porch, repaired the steps on the stairs,
and started replacing some of the
fixtures throughout the house that were
broken or not working. He was
exhausted when he got home at night and
he still had his own chores to do around
the little farm. Hooter missed him a lot,
and so did Mac.
Mac understood that it wasn’t forever
—Hooter didn’t. He’d taken to chewing
things up and bringing his “hunting
trophies,” like the heads of field mice or
the tails of garden snakes, up on the front
porch and leaving them there for Drake
to find when he got home. He hoped that
once his schedule returned to normal, his
relationship with his dog would as well.
He was thankful that Mac seemed to
be really enjoying taking care of the kits.
He’d named them Todd and Copper from
the movie The Fox and the Hound.
Thankfully since Drake had been so
busy, Brooke had been around to help
them out with the babies and keep them
healthy.
Brooke was Drake’s childhood
sweetheart. They’d long since decided
the love they had for each other was
more like siblings or friends than lovers,
but since she’d come home from medical
school and opened up a clinic in town,
they’d remained good friends.
His only worry about the kits was that
Mac was so attached to them now. He
wasn’t sure how he’d deal with it when
Sam came home later that week and
found a rescue habitat to take them in.
Mac was fond of talking about how his
sister and his nephew loved taking in
strays, but Drake had begun to wonder
lately if maybe Mac needed a pet of his
own to chase away some of his
loneliness.
Sophie had been working so hard
herself that Drake hadn’t had much of a
chance to see her. She spent a lot of time
on the decorations for the guest rooms
and running back and forth into town to
pick up deliveries at the post office. The
Harvest Festival was only four weeks
away now and there was still a lot to do.
He felt for her, but she seemed wound up
so tightly that he found himself wishing
she would just take an afternoon off and
relax. On the Friday of the second week,
after Sophie had left for town, her
mother called to him from the kitchen.
“Drake, I made some lunch. Why
don’t you take a break and come have
some with me?”
“You don’t have to feed me, Mrs.
Michelson.”
She smiled. “I know I don’t have to,
but I’ve got fried chicken and mashed
potatoes and biscuits—all my Southern
specialties. I hate to eat alone. Join me,
please.”
“Well, ma’am, when you put it that
way …” he said with a grin. He went
inside and washed his hands at the sink.
The new appliances had been delivered
a few days ago, and it seemed like Mrs.
Michelson had spent the morning
breaking them in. The air in the kitchen
smelled almost good enough to eat, and
Drake was suddenly starving. He sat
down at the table and said, “This all
looks so delicious, Mrs. Michelson.
Thank you for the invitation.”
“It’s Brenda, and you’re welcome.
Dig in.”
He fixed his plate and Brenda fixed
one for herself. As they started eating,
she said, “You’ve lived in Brook Haven
all of your life, Drake?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Does your family still live in the
area?”
“My parents are gone,” he said. “My
father passed away about seven years
ago and my mother a couple years after
that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. I miss them a lot. I’m an
only child, but I do have an uncle who
lives on the family property with me.
He’s the only real family I have left. The
good thing about Brook Haven is that we
pretty much all know each other and it’s
like a big, sometimes slightly
dysfunctional family.”
She laughed. “I’m finding that out, the
family part. Every time I go into town I
make another new friend, and everyone
has been so warm and welcoming. I
have to tell you too, Drake, I haven’t met
anyone yet that didn’t have a kind word
to say about you.”
“Well, that’s nice of you to say.”
“I’m not just saying it. It’s true. Your
parents must have been incredible
people because it seems they did a great
job with you.”
He felt his face flush slightly at her
praise. “Thank you, ma’am. They were
pretty amazing people.”
“Sophie’s an only child too. I regret
that sometimes. She does have a lot of
aunts, uncles, and cousins down south
because her father and I both had large
families. But I still feel like when I pass
on, I’ll be leaving her all alone.”
“I’m sure that will be far in the
future,” he said. He hated talking about
people passing away. Uncle Mac tried to
rope him into that conversation
sometimes too, and he always passed.
To be polite, he said, “Maybe she’ll be
married by then and have her own
family.”
Brenda got a faraway look in her eyes
for a second, and then she smiled and
said, “Maybe … but Sophie’s always
been so independent and focused on her
goals that I wonder if she’ll ever decide
to start her own family. What about you,
Drake? Have you ever been married?”
“No ma’am.”
“Do you mind if I ask you why? I
mean, you’re a handsome young man, a
hard worker, polite from what I’ve seen
…” She handed him the plate of biscuits,
and he took another as he felt his face go
hot again.
“Thank you. Well, when I was
nineteen, I actually thought that I was in
love for a while. It turned out that the
girl and I were more cut out to be
friends, and so eight years later, we still
are. I spend a lot of time keeping my
little farm running and working. It’s kind
of hard to meet anyone you don’t know
in Brook Haven unless it’s a tourist in
the fall. I don’t think I’d be happy doing
the long-distance relationship thing.”
She smiled. “And the girls you
already know feel like family?”
He grinned. “Exactly.”
“Maybe you and Sophie could spend
some time together outside of all of this
work. She’s a really nice girl.”
Drake suppressed a smile. Brenda
was trying to set him up with her
daughter. Little did she know he’d like
nothing more—but in the two weeks
he’d known her, Sophie hadn’t done
anything to indicate to him that she’d
even be remotely interested. As a matter
of fact, most of the time she seemed to
go out of her way to do the opposite. At
first she just acted annoyed with him all
the time; lately it seemed like she was
avoiding him altogether.
“I’m not so sure that would interest
your daughter,” he said honestly.
“You never know …” Brenda got a
mischievous smile on her face and
Drake couldn’t hold his back any longer.
She was really trying to set him up with
her daughter—and he actually found
himself hoping that it worked.
After lunch, he insisted on helping
Brenda clean up. They were washing
dishes together and laughing at some of
his stories about the town and the locals
when Sophie returned. Judging by the
raised eyebrow she gave them both
before retreating up the stairs without
saying a word, she wasn’t happy about
catching him bonding with her mother.
He had to wonder again if he and Brenda
were just kidding themselves that Sophie
would ever be interested in him in more
than a professional sense.
They finished cleaning up in silence,
and when they were done, Drake said, “I
should get back to work. Thank you
again for lunch … and the conversation.”
“Drake, about Sophie … she doesn’t
mean anything toward you personally.
She’s such a nice girl, and she just needs
to realize that life is about more than
work. She’s always been way too
serious. When she was younger I thought
it was a good thing because she was so
mature and focused, but I’m beginning to
see it taking a toll on her, and that
worries me.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not
taking it personally. I’m just pretty sure
if I asked her out, she’d shoot me down.”
“I don’t want to put any pressure on
you. I’m sorry if it sounded that way.”
“It didn’t. I can tell she’s a good
person. Maybe once this place is up and
running, she’ll be able to relax a little
bit.”
“I hope so,” Brenda said.
CHAPTER FIVE
Sophie was standing in front of the
mirror in her bathroom looking at
herself, wondering when she had
become the girl who rarely smiled, when
her mother knocked on her bedroom
door. “Come on in, Mom.” She stepped
back into the room as her mother opened
the door and stepped inside.
Brenda put her hands on her hips and
furrowed her brow. Sophie felt like she
was back in high school and her mother
had caught her doing something she
wasn’t supposed to do. “What was that
all about?”
“What was what about?” Sophie
asked her. She knew full well what her
mother was talking about, but she didn’t
have a good explanation.
“You were bordering on rude just now
when you walked right past Drake and
me without even saying hello. This is all
so unlike you.”
Her mother was right … it was unlike
her. She just couldn’t for the life of her
figure out what was going on with her
moods lately. “I’m sorry. I was just
surprised when I came in to find you and
Drake laughing like old friends. Mom,
he’s supposed to be here to work—”
“Oh, stop it. That boy works his tail
off from sunup to sundown six days a
week for you. He’s entitled to take a
break and eat a good meal and even have
a few laughs. It wouldn’t hurt you to
have a few yourself.”
“You seem as smitten with him as
everyone in town is,” Sophie told her.
“He’s a really nice person, Sophie.
Maybe you should take a cue from all of
these people and get to know him better.
It would do you good to have a friend
your own age to do things with.”
“I don’t have time to get to know him
or ‘do things’ with anyone. The Harvest
Festival is in four weeks. That means if I
plan to open that weekend, I’ll have to
begin advertising by next week at the
very latest. I’m not even sure we’ll be
ready by then, and I still have a list of
jobs I need Drake to do—”
“Sophie, I thought we decided that
even if you didn’t get to open up that
weekend, you were going to be okay
with that.”
“No, Mom … I admitted that it
wouldn’t be the end of the world, but the
truth is, it really will be. If we’re not
offering beds on the busiest tourist
weekend of the season, then it’s all been
for naught.”
“If you make yourself sick by
overdoing things, my dear daughter,
you’ll never be able to enjoy the
outcome. I thought we were keeping the
joy in this.”
“I feel it still, Mom, in here.” Sophie
pointed at her heart. “But I’ve worked
too hard and dreamt of this for too long
to lose focus now.”
“Okay, so how about this. You agree
to give me just one day between now
and the Harvest Festival … just one.”
Sophie smiled at her relentless
mother. She knew she was worried so
much about her because she was so
much like her father. Brenda believed
that her husband’s heart attack was
related to the pressures he put on
himself. Sophie hated making her mother
worry. She had uprooted her life for her
daughter, and she’d been a huge help in
getting things set up. This was one small
thing she could do to show her
appreciation. Besides, she was probably
right and taking just one day off wouldn’t
make or break her deadline.
“What are we going to do with this
one day?” Sophie asked.
Her mother smiled brightly now.
“Since it’s my day, you’ll do whatever I
ask.”
“That sounds ominous.”
Her mother laughed and said, “Do you
trust me?”
“Of course, I trust you more than I
trust anyone.”
“Good, then just trust me and you’ll
have a great day … but you have to
relax.”
“Okay, when is this ‘day’?” she
asked.
“Tomorrow,” her mother told her. “It’s
Saturday and a lighter day for you
normally, right? There won’t be any
deliveries, so no wall furnishings or
curtains to put up.”
“Okay,” Sophie said again, still
reluctantly. She felt her stomach
clenching at the thought of losing all of
those hours, but she needed to do this for
her mother.
****
When Sophie went down for breakfast
the next morning, she was surprised to
find Drake, and not her mother, in the
kitchen. “Good morning,” he said with
that killer smile.
“Good morning.” She took the coffee
mug he offered her and poured herself a
steaming cup full. She took a long sip of
it before asking, “Have you seen my
mother?”
“Yes. She told me to give you this.”
He handed Sophie a note, and she
furrowed her brow as she began to
unfold it. She recognized her mother’s
handwriting right away:
Darling daughter of mine … today is
my day. So, what I would like for you to
do is get out and get some fresh air and
really enjoy it. Drake has an extra bike
for you. Please be nice to him. I will
see you soon. Have a great ride.
Sophie looked back up into Drake’s
eyes. He was smiling. He had the most
perfect face that she’d ever seen … but
what the heck did her mother think she
was doing conspiring with him? It didn’t
matter how handsome he was, she was
not going on a bike ride with him.
“Drake … what is she up to?”
“She wants you to relax. She’s
worried about you. This mountain
behind us has some of the greatest bike
trails in the world—you’ll love it! There
are also some really great trails through
the apple orchards just south of us, and
lake trails too.”
“Drake, I don’t have time to go on a
bike ride. You and my mother both know
how much there is still to do here—”
“Your mother said you promised to
take the day off.”
Suddenly he was her mother’s
confidante. “I did … but to spend it with
her. If she’s not even going to be here, I
don’t see the point.” She felt bad as soon
as she said that.
His pretty brown eyes looked hurt for
just a second, but then he covered it
quickly and said, “I think the point—if
I’m understanding your mother—is that
she worries you work too hard and you
need to take some time to smell the
roses, or in this case, the apples.” He
grinned and in spite of herself, Sophie
had to smile back. He was so cute.
“How about this. You can look at it as
research for your place.”
“Research?” she asked suspiciously.
“Yes. Have you done an actual tour of
the countryside?”
“No.”
“Well, Brook Haven is a pretty tight
little town, and you should know some
of the basics of what goes on here.
Besides, I’m pretty sure your guests will
ask you for things like directions and
about the bike trails and places to hike. I
know them all like the back of my hand.
Also, you should check out your
competition. If you look at it that way,
we’re both still working.”
He had a good point. She’d looked up
the other two B&Bs that were close by
online, but she’d yet to see them in
person. Maybe this wouldn’t be a
wasted day after all. “Okay … but it’s
been a while since I rode a bike.”
He winked at her and said, “It’s just
like riding a bicycle.”
Once again, in spite of herself, she
laughed. “I’ll go change.”
“Good, I’ll get the bikes ready.”
Sophie changed into a pair of yoga
pants and a stretchy t-shirt that she
usually wore to work out. She put on her
tennis shoes and pulled her long hair
back into a ponytail, then grabbed a
sweater and went back downstairs. She
found Drake out in front of the porch
with two beach cruisers. “Why do you
have two bikes?” She suddenly
remembered the blonde. She didn’t want
to get in the middle of any drama.
“I bought them at a garage sale and
painted and fixed them up. I thought it
would be nice to have two in case
anyone ever wanted to go on a ride with
me. And look … I was right.”
She took the handlebars of the blue
bike from him and watched as he got a
wicker basket and a backpack out of his
truck. He slung the pack onto his arms
and strapped the basket behind the seat
of his bike. “Drake?”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t have someone who is
going to get upset that you’re spending
the day with me, do you?”
He grinned, and as usual her insides
quivered. “Why? Is this a date?”
“No! This is not a date. I just don’t
want to get involved in any drama
unwittingly …”
Still smiling, he said, “Well, my dog
Hooter can get a little jealous every now
and again, but he’s not one to really start
any drama.”
“Good to know,” she said. She really
wanted to ask him about the blonde, but
she was afraid he’d take it that she was
interested in him herself. That wasn’t the
case … for the most part. He was
gorgeous, and judging by the fact that
everyone in this town seemed to love
him, he was undoubtedly one of the good
guys. But Sophie didn’t have time for all
of that. She slipped on the white helmet
he handed her and straddled the bike.
“What if I wreck?” she asked.
He laughed. “You are kind of a
Negative Nellie, you know that?”
“I am not. It’s a valid question.”
He pulled off the backpack, reached
inside, and pulled out a small first-aid
kit. “I’ve got you covered,” he said.
“I’ll bet you were a Boy Scout.”
“How did you know?”
“Just something about that halo you
carry around,” she said. Before he could
respond, she was already pedaling away
from the house. She slowed down as she
got to the end of the driveway and let
Drake take the lead. He grinned at her as
he passed and she felt her heart rate
accelerate. She followed him along the
road that led from her place into town.
They rode a mile or two and just before
the turnoff toward Brook Haven, Drake
turned in the opposite direction of town.
They were on a dirt road, but it was
well-maintained with no deep ruts or
obstructions.
After another mile or two, they came
to a spot where there were tidy white
fences and green pastures stretching out
along either side. “Sheep!” she
squealed, surprising herself. Drake
stopped his bike and she stopped next to
him. “I’ve never seen them out in the
pasture like that.” The green countryside
was dotted with their puffy white coats.
A medium-sized white dog with brown
markings on his face ran in and out
between them. “Is that a sheep dog?” she
asked Drake.
He nodded. “It’s a Queensland, but
they make good little sheepherders.
They’re working dogs. They seem to
enjoy it.” The dog came closer to the
fence and looked curiously at them.
Sophie could see that he had one brown
eye and one blue. “Hey there, Kelly!
How’s it going today?” Kelly sniffed up
to the fence and Drake reached down
and scratched her ears.
“Kelly?”
“Yeah, that’s her name.”
“She’s a girl? How do you know?”
Smiling, he said, “I’ve known her
since she was born.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, the man who owns this ranch
hires me every now and then to do some
work for him around the place. He and
his wife are retired from real estate out
in California. This ranch was their
dream, and they both tell me they’re
much happier here than they ever were
back there.”
“I’ve never been to California, but
this place is definitely gorgeous.”
Sophie looked out over the pasture
behind them. She couldn’t really process
how far it stretched out because from
where they were, it looked like it
merged with the mountains along the
horizon.
“It is a really pretty little ranch. Are
you ready?”
“I’m ready.”
They rode on, eventually turning onto
another trail. Drake warned her before
they rode over it. “This trail is a little
bumpier than the other.”
She was so enthralled with the beauty
of nature all around them that she wasn’t
worried about a few bumps. She could
smell the trees and feel the sunlight on
her face. Her mother was right—as usual
—this was what she needed. Her soul
was beginning to feel better already. A
few minutes later, her breath was totally
stolen away. They came out of a grove of
trees and were suddenly surrounded on
both sides by water. In front of them was
a long bridge that looked sturdy, but it
seemed like it had been designed for
another century. It was so beautiful. “Is
this part of Lake Champlain?” she asked
Drake. He stopped next to her again.
“Yeah, this is a little-known spot back
here. My friends and I did a lot of
fishing off this bridge when we were
kids.”
“It’s so pretty.”
“Yeah, it is. I love it out here.” They
sat for a while and just took in the
scenery around them before moving
forward. Drake stopped again when they
came to a ridge with a long road that
would lead them down into a gorgeous
little valley. He pointed out the majestic
line of Adirondack Mountains far in the
distance behind a beautiful three-story
inn that sat surrounded by beautiful sugar
maples and a deep-green sea of grass.
There was a huge red barn out behind
the house, and close to the end of the
drive, Sophie could see what looked
like a small fruit stand. Between them
and the stand were rows and rows of
apple trees.
“What is that place?” she asked him.
“That will be your biggest
competition,” he said. “It’s the
Mayflower Maple Inn.”
“Oh … it’s a beautiful old house.”
“Yes, this one is owned by Mrs.
Theresa Larson. She and her husband
have owned it for over fifty years. He
passed away last year and her daughter
came home to help her run the place.
Mrs. Larson is close to eighty years old.
She runs that little fruit stand down
there, and her daughter and the staff
handle the rest.”
“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.
CHAPTER SIX
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.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“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.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sophie drove down to her mother’s
cabin to pick her up. They were going to
the farmer’s market. It had actually been
Sophie’s idea, and her mother seemed
thrilled about it. When she stopped in
front of the cabin, she noticed her
mother’s limp was less noticeable than it
had been the day before.
“I’m so happy you decided to take the
morning off,” Brenda told her as she slid
into the passenger seat of the SUV.
“Yeah, well, I already wasted one
whole day.”
“Wasted? I thought you said you had a
good time yesterday.”
Sophie smiled. “I was kidding,
Mom.” Brenda shook her head. What
Sophie wasn’t telling her mother was
that she hadn’t been able to get Drake
out of her head all night long. She
thought about him all evening and when
she finally fell asleep, she dreamt about
him. In her dream, they were married
and running the inn together. She’d
woken up feeling warm and safe, and it
made her wonder about the possibilities.
They were a long way from marriage,
but she was definitely interested in
getting to know him better.
The two women talked about the
website Sophie was working on for the
inn on the way into town. Sophie had
hired a photographer who would be out
on Monday to take some professional
photos of the place for her to use in her
advertisements.
“Has Drake started on the main
fireplace yet?” Brenda asked. There
were quite a few loose stones in the big
eight-feet-high-by-six-feet-wide stone
fireplace and mantle.
“He’s waiting for the stones to come
in, but I don’t think any of the
imperfections will show up in a photo,
do you?”
“Probably not. The fences he did last
week out behind my place look really
good.”
Sophie nodded. “Yeah, I went out and
looked at them on Friday. They actually
look like brand new. He does really
good work.” And he looks gorgeous
doing it, she added in her mind.
Sophie drove through town until they
came to the street that was blocked off
for the market every Sunday morning.
She parked the SUV and went around to
help her mother step out. “Really,
Sophie, I am not an invalid.”
“I don’t want that ankle to get worse,”
she told her. “I wish you would go to
the doctor. It shouldn’t still be bothering
you so much.”
Brenda pulled her arm gently from her
daughter’s grasp. “Who says that it’s
bothering me?”
“You’re still limping after two
weeks.”
“That’s my bursitis.”
“You don’t have bursitis—”
“Oh look, it’s Tina, the lady who did
my hair yesterday.” Brenda lifted her
arm and waved, and Tina motioned her
over to the booth. “I’ll catch up with
you, honey.”
Sophie rolled her eyes. She was glad
her mother was making friends, but that
had been a blatant escape attempt.
Brenda was always so busy taking care
of everyone else that she forgot to take
care of herself sometimes. Sophie
looked around at all of the little booths
set up. It seemed that everyone in the
community had something to sell—or
maybe barter, she wasn’t sure. She saw
Mrs. Larson as she was walking around
and stopped to say hello. The old lady
seemed thrilled to see her and gave her
another cup of free lemonade.
“Thank you, Mrs. Larson. Do you
know where Drake sets up?”
The older lady pointed to a table
about five booths past hers. “He’s right
there, honey, behind the O’ Dells’
booth.” Sophie looked but she couldn’t
see him. There was a stack of containers
on the grocer’s booth that he must be
hidden behind. Mrs. Larson told her,
“You see those blue containers? Those
are his. It looks like Brooke is there with
him.”
Sophie moved a step to the right, and
she did see him. He was sitting at the
little table with the blonde she’d seen
with him in Huckleberry’s. “Mrs.
Larson, who is Brooke?” Sophie heard
herself ask, and she was surprised. Once
again, it was very unlike her to feel
jealous or threatened by another woman
—especially since she wasn’t even in a
relationship with the man.
“She’s our doctor now. It’s funny to
me, sometimes. I watched that girl grow
from diapers to medical school, and now
she’s the one who writes out my
prescriptions. A lot of folks are still
driving the seventy miles down to the
city because it just seems too strange to
them.” She paused, and Sophie was just
about to excuse herself when Mrs.
Larson said, “Some things never change
though. Those two have been sweet on
each other since they were kids. I
remember my dear departed husband
running them out of our barn once when
he found them in there kissing. They
couldn’t have been over fifteen then.
Brooke’s family lived just across the
back field from us.”
Sophie didn’t like the way the sound
of that made her feel either. What was
happening to her? She’d never mooned
over a man before and got jealous at the
very idea of him kissing another woman
—and twelve years ago at that!
She chastised herself once more, and
Mrs. Larson asked, “Are you okay,
dear?”
“Oh yes, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You look a little
peaked.”
Sophie wasn’t sure what “peaked”
meant exactly, but she thought she might
feel a little “peaked” as well. “I’m fine,
Mrs. Larson. Thank you for the
lemonade. I hope to see you again soon.”
“You’re so welcome, dear.” Sophie
walked away from Mrs. Larson’s booth,
but she wasn’t sure what she should do.
Maybe she should go over and talk to
him and see if he introduced the blonde
this time—now that she really thought of
it, he never said he didn’t have anyone in
his life. What he had said was that he
didn’t have anyone who would get angry
about him spending the day with her. His
blonde “friend” looked like a model
even just from the back. Sophie was sure
she’d have nothing to feel threatened
about. Maybe that was all he meant.
She had decided to just turn around
and go find her mother about the time
Drake stood up to wait on a customer.
He glanced in her direction and his
chocolate eyes captured hers, and for a
second she was frozen to her spot. A
slow smile spread across his handsome
face and he waved her over. Great. She
pasted on a smile and walked over to
him.
As she walked up, she heard the man
next to the table telling him, “Becky was
so grateful to you for dropping off those
vegetables last week. We were both so
sick we could hardly get out of bed,
much less into town. She made us the
best soup I’ve ever tasted out of them. I
don’t know what you use in that soil of
yours but—”
“Love,” the woman with the blonde
hair said, grinning. Drake rolled his eyes
without even looking at her.
“I’m glad you both liked them, Brett.
What can I get for you today?”
“Becky said to get some of that
yellow squash and two of your tomatoes.
I want to pay you for what you brought
by last week, too.”
“No way, that was one neighbor to
another,” he said. Every time she was
around him even for a minute, Sophie
was finding it easier to understand why
everyone loved him.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive,” he said, putting some
things in a bag and handing it to the man.
“That’s two dollars.”
“Two dollars?” The man looked at his
fully stuffed bag. He appeared about to
argue, but a glance at Drake’s face
changed his mind. He handed Drake the
two dollars, and with a grateful look, he
said, “After the harvest, I’m going to
make this all up to you.”
“I know,” Drake told him. As soon as
the man walked away, he turned to
Sophie. His smile and the tone of his
voice was genuine as he said, “I’m so
glad you came out this morning.”
That smile had a way of thawing the
protective wall she kept around her
heart. “Me too,” she said. “This is nice.”
The blonde cleared her throat, and
Drake looked down like he had just
remembered she was there.
“I’m sorry. Brooke Kilgore, this is my
friend Sophie Michelson. Brooke is the
doctor in our clinic here in town.”
Brooke stood up and offered Sophie her
hand, which she accepted, Sophie found
herself envious of the other woman’s
smooth, feminine hands. She had been
working so hard lately that she hadn’t
given much thought to the state of her
hands until just now.
“I’m pleased to meet you,” Brooke
said. When she smiled, she had one deep
dimple on the right side of her face.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Sophie
told her.
“Speaking of the clinic, I guess I
should get back to the booth. Drake, call
me if you need backup later. And stay
strong or buy a puppy.”
Drake laughed and said, “Couldn’t I
just give Hooter to him instead?”
Brooke laughed. “Right, you and that
old Lab couldn’t live without each other.
How old is he now?”
“He’s going on fifteen this year,” he
told her.
Brooke whistled. “Wow, it’s hard to
believe he’s that old. I was at that
birthday party when your dad gave him
to you.”
Drake looked like he was
remembering. With another genuine
smile, he said, “Yeah, I remember it like
it was just last week. He’s been a good
old dog.”
She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I
really have to get back. Don’t forget to
call me after you talk to Mac.” She
turned back to Sophie and said, “It was
really nice meeting you.”
“Thank you. It was good to meet you
as well.” Drake’s eyes moved from
Brooke back to Sophie. Something about
the way he looked at her made her feel
safe and warm. “She’s the doctor, huh?”
she asked. Stupid question, didn’t he
just say, “She’s the doctor?”
“Yeah,” he said, at least polite enough
not to even smirk or point out that he’d
just said that. Instead he said, “She and I
have been friends for a long time.”
Just friends … that’s good. Good,
why? Why do I care who he’s “just
friends” with?
“So what are you selling?” she asked,
trying hard to change the subject before
she said something to embarrass herself
further.
“Vegetables, herbs, salves …”
“I could use some vegetables.” He
grinned. God, he was so handsome….
She started looking through what he had
and saw that most of them were cut up
into bite-sized pieces and put into
plastic containers. Some of them even
looked like they had seasoning of some
sort on them. “Is this a special seasoning
or something?”
“Nope, it’s just salt and pepper.”
“So why do you cut them up like this?
Do they sell better?”
“Not really. Brook Haven is so close
to the mountains that a lot of folks we get
here in town—locals—live in cabins up
on the mountain. Many of them don’t
have electricity or gas to cook with, and
the ones that do just might not have a lot
of money to buy food. A lot of our work
around here is seasonal. If you don’t
own a business that people need all year
round, off-season times can get tough.
Some of the folks up here just survive all
year off what they make during ski
season. Some of them wouldn’t make it
if the community didn’t help out. The
general store is owned by a couple
named the O’ Dells, and they give out
things that most markets return or throw
away, like vegetables you can’t really
keep very long or they go bad,
especially this time of year. My mom
always cut up the ones that could be
eaten fresh and raw and packaged them
this way. I just continued what she
started.”
“So you give them away?”
“In some cases. There are people who
can afford to pay me, and the ones that
can’t don’t. I plant way too many every
season for just Uncle Mac and me to
eat.”
She smiled. “How do you know the
difference? I mean, do you already know
who can afford to pay and who can’t?”
“I don’t need to know. They know.
They take what they need and pay me if
or when they can. Sometimes they trade
me for things.”
“That’s really admirable, Drake.”
He looked uncomfortable. “Nah, it’s
just what you’re supposed to do for your
neighbors. Everybody around here gives
back if they can.”
She didn’t respond because he didn’t
seem overly comfortable talking about it,
but it warmed her heart. She was feeling
more confident with her choice of a
place to start her business and put down
her roots every day.
CHAPTER NINE
Sophie spent most of the morning with
Drake at his table. Some of it she spent
playing with his dog who, she
discovered, loved to fetch.
“Why is his name Hooter?”
“When my parents gave him to me, I
named him Beau. He was just a tiny little
thing and I was too young to really know
how much trouble he could get into out
on a farm that sits right at the mouth of
the forest. I got busy playing with my
friends at the party and before I knew it,
Beau was gone. He’d just disappeared. I
was in a panic, and my friends and I all
ran off to look for him. We looked for
over an hour and when we came back to
the house, the pup was curled up in my
mom’s lap on the front porch. I asked her
where she found him and she said she
didn’t find him, the barn owl did. We
had this owl that my mom fixed up when
he was young. He wouldn’t leave
afterwards and just stayed in our barn. I
guess once we took off, Mom could hear
him making all kinds of racket, ‘hooting
and hollering,’ she had said. When she
got to the barn, she found the pup curled
up on top of the owl’s nest. I decided to
rename him Hooter after that.”
“What a cute story. Your family loves
animals, don’t they?”
“Yeah. My mother was like Snow
White. They were just attracted to her.”
Throughout the rest of the morning,
Drake introduced her to a lot of people
she hadn’t met, and between customers,
she just sat with him and talked. She had
a lot of questions about the community
and the people and what it was going to
be like in a few weeks when tourist
season exploded, and he answered them
all to the best of his ability.
The whole time he was shaking
inside. He hadn’t been able to get her off
his mind since he met her, but after the
bike ride yesterday, it was even worse.
It was the first time she’d really let her
guard down around him and he got to see
the real Sophie. He’d liked what he’d
seen … a lot. Today was a lot of the
same. She laughed at his stupid jokes
and even made a few of her own. By the
time Brenda found her to tell her she
was ready to go, Sophie was even
waiting on his customers.
“I see you put her to work,” Brenda
told Drake with a smile. “Good for
you.”
Sophie finished handling her “sale”
and turned to look at her mother. “And
where have you been, young lady? You
disappeared on me for hours.”
Brenda laughed. “You know me, I’m a
social butterfly. I think I may have joined
a quilting league … or whatever you call
them.”
“You quilt?” Sophie asked her.
“Not at all. I can’t even sew, but it
sounded like fun.”
Sophie laughed. “Are you ready to
head back? I was going to get some
work done in the office today.”
“Sure, honey, whenever you are. How
is your Sunday going, Drake?”
“Great,” he told her honestly. He
couldn’t have asked for a better one—
minus the part about having to go home
and having that talk with Mac about the
kits.
“What are you doing for dinner,
Drake?” He didn’t miss the way
Sophie’s head snapped around to look at
her mother when she asked him that.
Sophie was as aware as he was that her
mother was trying to set them up.
He smiled and said, “I don’t have any
plans, Mrs. Michelson.” Then he looked
at Sophie again for her reaction. She
actually seemed more amused than
annoyed.
“Good, you should join us. I took
some pork chops out to thaw this
morning. I thought I’d do them up with an
apple bourbon sauce that I haven’t made
in a long time.”
“That sounds really good, but I might
have to take a rain check.”
“Oh. I thought you said you didn’t
have plans?”
“I don’t, but there’s something I need
to talk to my uncle about and—”
“Oh no, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to
exclude your uncle. He’s welcome to
come too. I’d love to meet him. Wouldn’t
you, Sophie?”
“Yes,” Sophie said, still looking
amused. “I’d love to meet him.”
“Well, I’m just not sure he’ll come
…”
“How often do you two get a home-
cooked meal?”
“Not often,” he said regretfully. “I’ll
ask him. Can I let you know?”
“Of course.”
Drake smiled. “Thank you. I’ll let you
know soon so you don’t make extra food
for no reason.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing from
you,” Brenda told him. “Sophie, I’m
going to wait in the car. Take your time.”
“Is your ankle hurting again?”
“No, it’s fine. I hope we see you later,
Drake.” They watched as she walked
away, and it was obvious that she was
trying hard not to limp.
“She never saw a doctor about that?”
Drake asked Sophie.
“No, she’s so stubborn. She keeps
telling me it’s fine, but she’s still limping
and she thinks she’s hiding it from me.”
“Will you mind the table for just a
second?” Drake interrupted her.
Sophie looked at him strangely but
said, “Sure.”
He followed Brenda, and when he
caught up to her, he said, “Mrs.
Michelson, I was wondering if you’d do
me a favor?”
“Sure, of course, Drake. What do you
need?”
“My friend Brooke is the new doctor
here in town. She just came back from
being gone to medical school and doing
her residency and all of that in Boston.
She opened a little clinic, but they
haven’t gotten a lot of business yet. The
doctor who was here before was here
for years, and people are just having a
hard time trusting such a young doctor.
Unfortunately, some of them are still a
little on the fence about her being
female, too. It’s just not what they’re
used to, you know? She has a booth here
and I was just wondering if maybe you’d
let her look at your ankle.”
Brenda had a knowing smile on her
face as she said, “And how does that
help your friend?”
“Well, I’m not sure it will, but so far
today no one has stopped to take
advantage of her services. You could be
the first. It would at least make her feel
better.”
“Are you trying to manipulate me into
having a doctor look at my ankle,
Drake?”
“Is it working?”
“I’ll let her look at it.”
“Then yes ma’am, that was exactly
what I was trying to do.”
Brenda laughed and he held his arm
out to her. She took it, and he escorted
her over to the booth where Brooke sat
with her medical assistant, looking
bored out of her mind.
****
“It’s broken?” Sophie said, slightly
indignant that her mother had been
walking around on it for over two
weeks.
“She doesn’t know that for sure. She
wants me to go have it x-rayed at the
clinic tomorrow.”
“But she told you that you shouldn’t
be walking on it.”
“Yes, she told me to try and stay off of
it. I wasn’t planning a marathon tonight.”
“You invited Drake and his uncle to
dinner though. I’m cooking—”
“No, you’re not. I invited them, I’ll
cook.”
“How do you plan on doing that
without standing up?” Sophie asked her
as she turned off the main road and onto
the road leading up to the house.
“I can sit on one of the stools if I need
to. I’ll be fine. You worry way too
much.”
Sophie shook her head at her stubborn
mother. She knew that it wouldn’t do any
good to argue with her. When they got to
the house, Sophie helped her out of the
SUV and said, “Drake says they have an
old walker at his place from when his
uncle had physical therapy. I’m going to
run over there and pick it up.”
“He can just bring it when he comes
for dinner.”
“He’s not even sure his uncle will
come, Mom. It’s ten minutes from here,
he said. I’ll be right back.” She helped
Brenda into the house and issued more
orders she knew her mother wouldn’t
follow. Then she called Drake to let him
know she was dropping by before she
got back in the car. She followed the
road from her place up toward the
mountains and turned off on the one he
told her to. The road narrowed and was
surrounded on all sides by thick patches
of trees that seemed to lead higher up
into the mountains.
The view was gorgeous and Sophie
almost missed her turnoff because she
was so engrossed by it. When she saw
the little dirt road, she nearly had to
slam on her breaks. She smiled at the
little handmade sign that read “Tanner
Stead” near the mailbox at the end of the
road. A bunch of lilac bushes seemed to
grow wild there and she caught their
sweet, subtle scent as the air wafted
through her open window.
She saw Drake’s house as she got a
little closer. It was built up on a gentle
rise that sloped away on either side, and
the property was dotted with massive
oak trees and a maple tree here and
there. His house was so white that it
actually gleamed in the center of all that
brown and green. The little yard in front
and the vegetable garden off to the side
were as well-kept as she imagined they
would be.
There was a gravel and dirt road that
led from his house up to another, smaller
one that she assumed was his uncle’s.
Behind that house was a large shop, and
off to the side of that looked like a big
barn. As she parked and stepped out of
the car, Hooter ran up to greet her. Drake
came out of the house behind him.
“Hooter, get off of her. This is why
we never have company.” Sophie
laughed and petted the rambunctious old
dog. Something else caught his attention
and he scampered off toward the garden.
“Come on in,” Drake told her. “What
does your mother say about using the
walker?” he asked as he led her into a
cozy living room.
It was furnished with what looked like
handmade furniture covered with thick
brown and tan upholstered cushions.
There was a fireplace along one wall
and a lot of family photos on the mantle.
There were also hand-carved animals
everywhere. They were intricate,
beautiful pieces of art. Sophie was
thinking about asking him where he got
them from. It would look great in the
lodge room of the B&B.
“Well, I think by now you know my
mother … so what do you think?” she
said in answer to his question.
He laughed. “I think she doesn’t want
to be a burden to her daughter, mostly.
Have a seat.” Sophie didn’t want to sit
down. Being in this house that was so
much a reflection of him was making it
harder for her to deny she was beginning
to have feelings for him. It was a little
bit overwhelming all of a sudden. She
didn’t want to be rude though, so she sat.
“Your carvings are beautiful. Where
do you get them from?”
Drake smiled as he took a seat across
from her. “My uncle made these.”
“Oh my goodness. Does he sell
them?”
“Yeah, when he can. During the tourist
season, he sells quite a few. I get first
dibs though.”
“Does he take orders?”
“Not very well.”
Sophie had been looking at a carving
that stood about two feet tall. It looked
like a piece of a mountain with three
unique-looking wolves standing on each
flat area. She looked up at him suddenly
and relaxed when she saw he was
joking. “Well, I assumed since he was
related to you that was the case—”
“Hey!”
She laughed. “Seriously, do you think
he’d make some for me? I’d be willing
to pay whatever his asking price is. I’d
love to have some for the lodge.”
“We can take a walk up and ask him if
you’d like,” Drake told her.
She resisted the urge to look at the
time. Once again, she was getting
nothing done today. Taking one day off
seemed to have set the pattern for the
entire weekend, but she was enjoying
herself for the most part, so she simply
said, “Sure, I’d like that.”
“Okay, let me get that walker for you
and we’ll load it up on the way out.” She
watched him step into the other room,
and then she got up and looked at the
pictures on the mantle. There were a lot
of him at various stages of his life with
his parents or a man in a wheelchair,
who she assumed was his uncle. Drake
looked a little like his mom and a little
like his dad … and a lot like his uncle.
There were also quite a few of him with
a blonde-haired girl that looked a lot
like the doctor. She felt that annoying
twinge of jealousy again.
“All right, here it is,” he said,
returning with the folded-up contraption.
He carried it out and put it in her car,
and then they started the short trek up to
his uncle’s house.
The mountain behind Drake’s property
was still mostly green, but Sophie could
see where there were patches of color—
the leaves were just beginning to change.
She couldn’t wait until it was full-on fall
and everything was in vivid color. When
they got to the little house, Drake
stepped up onto the porch and, through
the screen door, he said, “Uncle Mac, I
have someone that would like to meet
you.”
“Come on in,” a deep voice called
back. Drake held the door open while
Sophie stepped inside. This little house
was furnished with the same handmade
furniture that was in Drake’s house, and
the place was just as neat.
A man in a wheelchair rolled out of
the bedroom. He held two little wiggly
burnt-orange creatures in his lap that
looked almost like kittens with bushy
tails. He smiled at Sophie. He’s as
handsome as his nephew, she thought,
just older.
“Uncle Mac, this is Sophie
Michelson. She’s the one that I’m
working for over at the inn.”
The older man offered his hand, and
Sophie shook it. “I’m pleased to meet
you, Sophie.”
“It’s nice to meet you too. Are these
the kits I’ve heard about?” Mac looked
like a proud papa. He introduced them to
Sophie as “Todd and Copper.”
“They’re adorable,” Sophie said.
Mac held one up and said, “Here. You
can hold him.”
Sophie glanced at Drake and he
nodded. There was something sad in his
eyes, and she wondered what that was
about. She took the kit and held him to
her chest. He cuddled into her just like a
kitten. “Oh my gosh, they’re so sweet. I
want one!”
“They’re wild animals,” Drake said.
“Even my uncle seems to have
forgotten.” His uncle gave him a narrow-
eyed look and then turned his attention
back to Sophie.
“Sophie, have a seat. Would you like
something to drink? I have tea or I can
make some coffee…”
“No, thank you. I can’t stay long. I
was just admiring your woodwork when
I was up at Drake’s place. He actually
brought me over here so I could ask if
you might be interested in doing some
for me for the inn.”
“Oh. Yes, I could probably do that.
What were you thinking?”
“Anything you’d like to make, really. I
love all of the ones in Drake’s house.”
Mac looked back up at his nephew,
who was standing with his back to the
little island between the living room and
kitchen. “How many does my nephew
have?”
“Just a few,” Drake said.
Sophie suddenly realized maybe she’d
said something she shouldn’t have. “Yes,
only a few. I really love the one with the
wolves.” Mac chuckled and Drake’s
face turned red. “I’m sorry … did I say
something wrong?” she asked.
“Not at all,” Mac said. “It just seems
like my nephew didn’t have the heart to
tell me some of my things didn’t sell, so
he bought them.”
“Oh …” She looked at Drake. “I’m
sorry, I didn’t know …”
He shook his head and smiled at her.
“It’s okay,” he said, looking back at
Mac. “They would have sold, but I
didn’t give them a chance. I bought the
ones I liked before I even took them into
town.”
Mac laughed then. It was like a deep
rumble in his chest and so contagious
that Sophie almost laughed too. “You’re
so full of it,” he said. “But you have a
good heart, kid.” He looked back at
Sophie and said, “You bring me a list of
what you’d like and I’ll see what I can
do.”
“Thank you so much. Drake, have you
told him about my mother’s invitation?”
“Not yet.”
“My mother is making dinner tonight,
and she’d really like it if you and Drake
could join us.”
“Oh … I don’t think … I mean I really
shouldn’t leave the kits …”
“It would only be for a couple of
hours, or even less if you needed it to
be. We’d really like it if you could
come.”
She felt bad because he looked so
uncomfortable with the idea. He glanced
up at Drake, but his nephew wasn’t
going to help him out of it. “Okay … I
guess that would be all right. It will just
be you and your mother?”
“Yes, and Drake.”
“Okay, thank you, Sophie.” Drake
looked both shocked and amused that
Sophie had accomplished what he likely
couldn’t have.
“You’re welcome.” She stood up and
handed the kit back to him. “Thank you
for letting me hold him. He’s so cute.”
Mac smiled again, and Sophie could see
the love in his eyes as he laid the baby
gently back in his lap. “I look forward to
seeing you this evening.”
“I’ll walk you back up to your car,”
Drake said. He looked at his uncle and
said, “I’ll be back. There’s something I
need to talk to you about.”
“Lots of surprises today, huh?”
Drake smiled sadly. “Yeah … I’ll be
right back.”
On the walk back to Sophie’s car, she
could tell that something was bothering
him. She was suddenly afraid it was
what she’d let slip about Drake having
so many of the carvings in his home.
“I’m sorry about letting him know you
had the carvings. I didn’t know …”
He smiled. “It’s okay. He was bound
to find out sometime. I just hate telling
him they didn’t sell. Besides, they look
good in my house, don’t you think?”
“They do,” she said. “I also think he’s
lucky to have you.”
“It can get pretty lonely up here.
We’re lucky to have each other.”
“Is something bothering you?” she
asked him just as they got back to her
car.
He kind of laughed, but it was a
nervous laugh. “I have to tell him the vet
is back in town and he has to give up
those kits.”
“Oh no! Why? He seems to be taking
such good care of them …”
“One thing my mother taught me about
taking in strays around here was that it
was okay to take them in if they needed a
temporary home, but they’re not cats and
dogs. They can’t live in a home with
people forever and truly have a good
life. They need to be free out there on
this beautiful mountain with other
creatures like them. It’s funny because
Mac never used to have much interest in
any of the animals I brought home to
nurse back to health.”
“He seems lonely. Maybe that has
something to do with it.”
Drake nodded. “Yeah, that’s my fault.”
“How is it your fault?”
“I should spend more time with him,
encourage him harder to get out more.”
“I don’t know either of you that well
yet, but I can honestly say I doubt this is
your fault. You seem like a great
nephew. As a matter of fact, I’m
beginning to wonder if there is anything
you’re not great at.”
Drake grinned. “There’s not,” he said.
She laughed. “We’ll see. Can I tell
Mom you guys will be there around
six?”
“Yeah.” He looked like he was
thinking about kissing her. Sophie made
a snap decision that if that was what was
on his mind, she wasn’t going to object.
She suddenly wanted him to kiss her so
badly that she knew she’d be horribly
disappointed if he didn’t. He stared into
her eyes for what felt like forever and
she thought about just taking the lead.
When he finally leaned in and she
could feel his warm breath on her face,
she was shaking all over. The touch of
his full lips sent goose bumps racing
down both her arms and her spine. He
put one of his big rough hands on the
side of her face and held her head in
place as his tongue slid out and traced
the inside of her mouth … and then he
pulled back, leaving her breathless and
wanting more.
He looked like he was searching her
face for a reaction, or waiting for her to
say something. When she didn’t, he said,
“I’m sorry—”
She reached up then and covered his
mouth with two fingers. Once he stopped
talking, she leaned in and kissed him
again.
CHAPTER TEN
After Sophie left, Drake walked
around in a fog for a while. He had
kissed her, and she had kissed him back.
He couldn’t stop smiling until he
remembered that he still had to talk to
Mac. “You do it, Hooter,” he told the
yellow dog at his feet. Hooter gave him
a sympathetic look, but Drake had a
feeling that was all he would get from
the old dog. With the heavy sigh of
someone who was about to rip another
person’s reason for living out of his
arms, he headed up the path to Mac’s
house. Mac and the kits were watching
television and having lunch.
“Hey, you’re back already; did your
lady friend go home?”
Drake grinned. “Yeah, she went
home.”
“She sure is pretty.”
Drake nodded as he took a seat
opposite his uncle. “Yeah, she is.”
“So is there more there than a
client/contractor relationship?”
He still couldn’t stop smiling. He kind
of felt like an idiot. “There just might
be,” he said. Brooke was the only real
girlfriend that Drake had ever had.
They’d grown up in a tourist town, and
their graduating class had twelve kids in
it. Nine of those were boys. Girls were
in short supply unless it was fall and
winter, and then they descended upon
them—ski bunnies with lots of hair and
pretty smiles and daddies with lots of
money. When Brooke broke up with him
to go away to college, Drake had
partaken of as many of those pretty rich
girls as he could get. But the reality that
they would return to their privileged
lives and leave him behind and broken-
hearted quickly became too much for
him.
He wasn’t a one-night stand or a
serial dater kind of guy. Drake had
always wanted a family—a life with a
woman he loved who loved him back
and as many kids as they could manage.
That was a tall order in Brook Haven …
or it had been. Now that he’d met
Sophie, he had begun to wonder if there
may still be hope.
“She seems like a nice girl,” Mac
said.
“She is … but there’s something else I
need to talk to you about, Mac.”
“Okay …” He put his sandwich down
and his dark eyes met his nephew’s.
“You look so serious.” Drake’s eyes fell
to the balls of sleeping fur in his uncle’s
lap. Mac looked down at them and back
up at Drake. “I know I can’t keep them.”
Drake was fighting back tears as he
said, “Sam’s back. He wants to take
them up to the refuge center as soon as
possible.” Mac nodded. The look on his
face was agony, and it made Drake’s
heart break. “I was thinking, maybe it’s
time we got you your own dog or—”
“I don’t want a dog. It’s okay, Drake.
I’m not a kid. I knew they weren’t here
to stay. I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry.”
Mac smiled at him. “I’m really fine.
Now go on and do whatever you have to
do. I’m not going to hole up here with
my guns and make Sam call the SWAT
team to get me out. It’ll be okay. Just let
me know when he’s coming.” Drake
stood up and started to say something
else, but Mac stopped him by holding up
his palm. “It’s really okay, son, don’t
worry.” Drake couldn’t help it. He was
sure Mac was putting on a brave front
for him, but unfortunately this was the
way it had to be.
“Okay … you’re still going to dinner
with me?”
“Yeah, I’ll be ready,” he said. Drake
went back to his own house feeling like
crap. He had to return some phone calls
he’d been putting off all week. Working
on the B&B for Sophie was taking up so
much of his time that he’d been turning
down a lot of jobs for others that he
usually did, and he was feeling guilty
about that. He’d decided that he would
spend his Sundays between now and
tourist season doing what he could for
his other clients who had always been
faithful to him in the past. He started
making his phone calls and did his best
to get his mind off of Mac for a little
while.
****
“Can I ask you a question?” Drake
said to Mac as they headed to Sophie’s
for dinner.
“I’m fine. I haven’t been crying. My
eyes are puffy because I’m old and I’ve
been out of my night cream …”
Drake laughed. “Stop it. I know
you’re fine. This is about me.”
“Well in that case, ask away.”
“I kissed Sophie today.”
“That’s not a question.”
“Hush! I’m getting there. I kissed her
and she kissed me back … but I’m so
inexperienced at this, which really sucks
for a twenty-seven-year-old man. I’m not
sure what to do next.”
“Was it a good kiss?”
“The best one I’ve ever had,” Drake
said truthfully.
“Then kiss her again.”
Drake chuckled. “Thanks.”
“Okay, sadly, son, I am more
inexperienced than you. Do you know
how long it’s been since I kissed a
woman?”
“Yeah … but that’s your own fault
because you stay out there holed up in
that little house all alone.”
“I wasn’t looking to incite a lecture.
My point was going to be that
inexperienced or not, you should just go
with your gut instinct. You obviously felt
like kissing her would be okay, and
since she kissed you back, I’d say you
were right. So the next step would
maybe be talking to her about where she
wants to go from here.”
“And what if that’s as far as she wants
to go?”
“Then you either have to walk away
or bring your ‘A’ game. I guess that
depends on how strongly you feel about
her.”
“Too strongly to just walk away,” he
said.
“Then don’t. Tell her how you feel.”
Drake nodded as he pulled onto the
dirt road that led up to the B&B. “You
know what … Sophie’s mom is pretty
cute—”
“Knock it off.”
Drake laughed. He stopped the truck
and got out to get Mac’s chair from the
back. It had literally been months since
Mac had been off the farm. Drake was
really glad he agreed to come tonight.
His uncle used his arms to lower himself
out of the truck and into the chair, then
rolled over to the right side of the house
where there was a short ramp up to the
porch. It had been there for years, and
Drake had restored it when he did the
rest of the porch for Sophie.
“Did you do all of this?” Mac asked
him.
“Yeah, it was pretty weathered.
Sophie’s mom put her foot right through
one of the boards a couple of weeks ago.
Brooke thinks it might be broken.”
“Damn.” He looked like he was going
to say something else, but at that moment
the door was pulled open by Brenda.
“Hi there, you must be Mac.” She
offered her hand to him and he took it.
“I’m Brenda Michelson,” she said.
Drake didn’t miss the look on his uncle’s
face when he looked at the pretty
woman. He wondered if he might be
able to do some matchmaking of his
own.
“Yes, ma’am, that’s me. It’s nice to
meet you. Thank you for having us out
for supper.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome. Thank
you for coming. It was fun to have more
than two people to cook for again. Hi
Drake, you guys come on in.” She
stepped back, and Drake maneuvered
Mac in through the door. He made a
mental note that maybe the doors needed
to be widened slightly to better
accommodate any handicapped guests
that Sophie might have. “Drake, you and
Mac make yourselves comfortable in the
lodge room, okay? Dinner is almost
ready and Sophie will be right down.”
Drake felt his stomach flutter just at the
sound of Sophie’s name.
“Thanks, Mrs. Michelson. It sure does
smell good.”
“Call me Brenda, Drake,” she said.
“There’s coffee there if either of you
would like some. I’ll be right back.”
As she left the room, Drake saw Mac
watching her. When she was gone, he
said, “Told you she was pretty.”
“Shut up.”
Drake was laughing when Sophie
came down the stairs. He stopped at the
sight of her. Suddenly his mouth was
completely dry and all he could think
was, I want to kiss her again.
She was wearing jeans and a simple
beige sleeveless blouse that snapped up
the front, but damn did she wear it well.
Her dark hair was shining as usual, and
her blue eyes had a warm glow that he
couldn’t help but hope was left over
from their kiss.
“Hi guys.”
“Hi Sophie,” Mac said. The poor guy
looked like a nervous wreck. Drake felt
bad, but he had to keep reminding
himself that this was good for him. He
needed to get out and socialize.
“Hi Sophie,” he said himself. He
wondered if he should kiss her cheek.
He did that with Brooke all the time …
would she be okay with that?
“Is Mom in the kitchen?”
“Here I am.” Brenda came out,
mouthwatering smells wafting out with
her. “You can all come into the dining
room now,” she said. “It’s all ready.”
Sophie went first, and Drake helped
his uncle through the doorway. He
parked Mac in the spot where Brenda
had kindly cleared the chair out of the
way, and then he took a seat next to him.
He wished that he didn’t feel so nervous
all of a sudden. Brenda passed the food
around to her right, and once again
Drake noticed Mac stealing glances at
her.
When everyone had their plates filled,
Mac said, “This place is really starting
to look good.”
“Thank you,” Sophie said. “It’s mostly
thanks to your nephew.”
Drake warmed at the compliment.
“Right, because I’m the one who works
sixteen hours every day around here.”
Sophie shrugged. “What I do is mostly
behind the scenes. The inn is looking
really good thanks to your hard work.”
“So you’re thinking you’ll have it
ready by the Harvest Festival?” Mac
asked. Drake hadn’t told him anything
about how stressed Sophie had been, so
he had no idea of the can of worms he
was potentially opening. Brenda did,
however.
“We’re sure it will be ready,” she
said with a smile. “Sophie tells me
you’re quite the artist.”
Mac’s face actually turned red. Drake
was having fun watching him; he’d never
seen his uncle with a crush. “I like to
make things out of wood,” he said. “I’m
not so sure it qualifies as being an
artist.”
“Well, the way Sophie was going on,
I’m sure you’re just being modest,”
Brenda said. “I’m looking forward to
seeing some of your work.”
Mac thanked her and then took a long
drink of his water. Drake glanced over at
Sophie. Her pretty blue eyes were
trained on his face and he needed his
own long, cold drink of water—possibly
followed by a long, cold shower. He
smiled at her, and she smiled back. He
wondered if there was any way he could
get her alone tonight … just for one more
kiss.
“Did the realtor tell you the history of
this old place?” Mac asked Sophie.
Drake gave him a look, trying to stop
him, but he forged on ahead.
“Not really … does it have a history
other than being a bed and breakfast?”
“It actually has quite a colorful history
—”
“Uncle Mac, I’m not so sure—”
Drake tried.
“I want to hear it,” Sophie said.
Mac smiled at his nephew and then
looked at Sophie and said, “This house
was built in 1915, but on the foundation
of the one that was here before. That
house was built in 1790 for the man who
actually founded Brook Haven.”
“Wow,” Sophie said, looking
fascinated. “I wonder why she didn’t tell
me that.”
“She was probably worried you’d run
off like all the other interested buyers
—”
“Uncle Mac! I just don’t think this is
appropriate dinner conversation,” he
said with his eyes still on his uncle. Mac
looked amused. Sophie could tell that he
was having fun. Drake said he didn’t get
out often; he shouldn’t be denied a few
minutes in the spotlight.
“I want to hear it,” Sophie said.
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn
you,” Drake told her.
She ignored him and said, “Go ahead,
Mac.”
“Well, the original house was built for
a wealthy man who came over from
Wales in the early 1700s. He made his
wealth in Europe by ‘questionable’
means, the legend goes. What those
‘questionable’ means were has to be up
to the imagination, I suppose. When he
arrived here, he invested in shipping
businesses all along the East Coast. One
of the biggest commodities shipped via
the businesses he owned … were
humans.”
Brenda sucked in a breath. “Slaves?”
she asked.
“Slaves, yes … but also women. The
story is that he brought women over to
fill the brothels.”
“No! Was this a brothel?” Sophie
asked. Drake rolled his eyes and slowly
chewed his food while his uncle
continued his tale. It was apparent Drake
had heard it all before.
“No, it was his private home. But he
did marry one of those women. She had
three children and then she vanished
mysteriously.”
“Was she ever found?”
“Not right away,” he said.
“What happened to the children?”
“They continued to live here with
their father and his next wife, until she
disappeared … and then the one after
that …”
“Uncle Mac—”
“What?” he asked his nephew with a
laugh and a twinkle in his eyes. “It’s a
true story.”
“You’re going to scare them.”
Sophie rolled her eyes. “We’re not
children.”
“I’m a little scared,” her mom said,
“but I want to hear the rest.”
Mac grinned and continued. “Well, the
old man somehow managed to misplace
five young wives over a period of
twenty-five years. Those five women
produced sixteen offspring all together.”
“Sixteen? He lived here with sixteen
kids?”
“Well, in the original house,” Mac
said. “He died in 1762 of natural causes,
and the house and the property went to
his eldest son, who promptly evicted his
fifteen siblings. The second eldest son
objected, and the story goes that there
was an all-out family brawl with only
three survivors.”
“Oh my God! They killed each
other?”
He nodded. “The three youngest
children who were found hiding in the
basement were the only survivors. The
other thing they found down there was an
underground tunnel and a tomb.”
“A tomb?” Sophie’s pretty blue eyes
were wide as she listened to the story.
As annoyed with Mac as Drake was, he
was enjoying her expressive face as she
listened.
Mac nodded again. “All five wives,
I’m afraid.”
“Oh no!” Brenda and Sophie said in
unison. “Wow, this house does have a
history.”
“Well … there’s more,” he said.
“Oh no. The three children?”
“They grew up with a caretaker the
court appointed to live here with them.
Or—I should say—the many caretakers.
They only lasted a matter of weeks or
months in most cases before they
reported that the house was ‘evil’ and
they couldn’t stay in it.”
“They thought it was haunted?”
Brenda asked.
“That’s what they thought … or some
reckoned that it was perhaps cursed. The
three siblings were embroiled in another
battle over the wealth left behind by
their father. Only one of the siblings
survived. He ultimately ended up with it
all.”
“Oh my goodness. This wasn’t his
house, was it?”
“No,” Drake answered. “This
particular house was built for the mayor
of Brook Haven, and no one has had any
troubles here since.” He gave his uncle
another look, and Mac laughed.
“What about the tunnels?” Sophie
asked.
Mac shrugged. “The realtor didn’t
mention them?”
“There are no tunnels down there,”
Drake said. “Uncle Mac, behave.” Mac
laughed again and turned his attention
back to Brenda.
“Mrs. Michelson, this might well be
the best meal I have ever had.”
Brenda smiled. “Thank you, and that
might well be the most interesting story
I’ve ever heard. Is it true?”
“Every bit,” he said. “I can show you
the old documents in the library in
town.”
“I might take you up on that,” she said.
“Be my guest,” Mac said with a wink.
Oh my goodness, he is flirting with
my mother, Sophie thought. She looked
over at Drake, who was shaking his head
at his uncle. He turned his head toward
her when he felt her looking at him. She
couldn’t help it—all thoughts of Mac
and her mother vanished. Instead, the
only thing she could really see was his
dark, sexy eyes and those full soft lips.
She wanted to kiss him again so badly.
Once they’d all finished their meal
and had once again complimented
Brenda, they moved into the lodge room
and Brenda brought out the cake she’d
made for dessert.
“That looks great, Mom, but there is
no way I can fit anything else into my
belly,” Sophie said.
“Me neither,” Drake said.
“I’d love a piece,” Mac told her.
Sophie looked at Drake again, and they
shared a knowing look and a private
smile. Drake could see that Mac was
flirting too. Sophie wondered what her
mother thought. The next thing Brenda
said told Sophie that she was either
enjoying it or she hadn’t really noticed.
“Why don’t you two go walk some of
your dinner off?” she said. “I can
entertain Mac while you’re gone.”
“Are you sure?” Sophie said. “Mac,
you won’t think me rude?”
“Not at all. I’d love some time to get
to know your lovely mother.” Sophie
looked at her mother and saw her face
flush. She looked back at Drake, who
was already on his feet.
“You want to take a walk?”
“I’d love to,” he said.
Sophie went upstairs and retrieved
her sweater, and the two of them set off.
Once they were outside, she said, “You
know, I’m not sure if this is about
pushing us together or having time alone
with your uncle. Did you see what was
going on in there?”
Drake shook his head. “I saw my
uncle misbehaving, that’s for sure.”
“Oh, he was just having some
harmless fun with that story … but
seriously, do you see the way they’re
looking at each other?”
Drake laughed. “Yeah. I haven’t seen
Mac look at anyone like that since …
well, ever.”
“I know, right? My mother doesn’t
look at men like that, at least not since
my father died.”
He laughed again. “I guess they are
adults—and human, so they’re entitled to
a little harmless flirting. Speaking of
flirting and things like that … should we
talk about that kiss earlier?”
As they walked along the gravel tree-
lined path, the early autumn breezed
tousled Sophie’s hair. Just a few short
weeks ago when she and Brenda arrived
in Vermont, the air had been warm and
everything a dark, verdant green. The
season was definitely changing and with
it, it seemed that everything else was as
well. She stopped walking and looked
up at the sky. It was deep blue and dotted
with a thousand specks of light. The
moon was new and didn’t cast much of a
glow, but the stars were out in full force.
She loved it there—the air, the
mountain, the countryside, and the town.
She looked at Drake, who was waiting
for her to respond somehow to his
question, and said, “I think we should
revisit it after I get the inn up and
running.”
He opened his mouth to speak and she
stopped him by saying, “Just hear me
out. I loved the kiss, Drake. I haven’t
thought about anything else since. I like
you a lot and I think that I’d like to
explore that—no, I know that I’d like to
explore that. But, with that being said, I
know myself. I know that I’m going to
wake up tomorrow morning, and the
magic of this weekend that you and I
spent together will be dulled by the fact
that I lost almost two full days getting
this place ready. I’m going to be nervous
and tense and I’ll probably snap your
head off a time or two. I promise that I’ll
try not to, but I should apologize in
advance just in case. I put everything I
have into this place, and I have to see it
through. I can’t get distracted right now.
I can’t afford it. I’m so afraid that getting
it ready in three and a half weeks is a
crazy dream …”
“My turn,” he said. She thought about
objecting, but she nodded instead. He
took her hands in his and faced her. “If
you’re telling me that I have a chance
with you after this place is finished, I
can promise you here and now that I’ll
work from sunup to sundown until it’s
ready to go.”
She smiled. “You already do.”
“I’ll get it ready for you, Sophie. I’ll
leave you alone in the meantime … no
distractions. But if—when—I get this
place in top shape for you, I’d like for
you to do something for me.”
“Besides paying you for your hard
work?”
He sighed. “Okay yeah, besides that.”
She giggled. “Sorry. What do you
want me to do for you?”
“Go on a real date with me. I want to
dress up and take you out to a nice
restaurant in the city and go dancing,
maybe take a carriage ride …” He had a
light in his eyes, and she could tell that
he’d already thought about doing all of
that with her. It made her heart feel
happy.
“Okay,” she said. “You have a deal.”
“I have one more request,” he said.
She laughed. “I knew it.”
“I just want one more kiss to hold me
over. Three weeks is a long time.”
Sophie smiled at him and nodded. He
didn’t waste any time lest she change her
mind. This time he slid one of his arms
around her waist and the other hand
rested softly against the side of her face
and neck. He caressed her skin with his
fingers, and she shivered. He used his
thumb to tip her head back slightly, and
then he slid his hand underneath her hair
and held her head in place while he put
his warm mouth on her neck. She wasn’t
expecting that, but it felt so good that she
tipped her head back even more to give
him better access. He held her captive
against him, but she didn’t want to
escape as he planted kisses all across
her sensitive neck and up to her ear on
the side closest to his mouth.
She felt his breath and shivered again
as he whispered, “These don’t count
toward the kiss.” Sophie giggled. She
wasn’t going to argue with him. His head
dove back down, and he planted a kiss at
the base of her neck and then slid his
lips upward until he reached her ear
again. This time he didn’t speak. He just
proceeded to plant kisses all around it.
Sophie was glad he was holding on to
her because her knees were beginning to
feel weak.
He used that one hand to move her
head slightly again and before she knew
it, their mouths collided. He kissed her
slowly and softly all around the outside
of her lips. He smelled so masculine that
just the scent of him was driving her
crazy. He ran his tongue along the seam
of her lips next and this time, the shiver
was a full body shudder. She let her lips
part and wrapped her own hands up in
his hair, pulling him in tighter. His
tongue slipped in, and slow and gentle
went by the wayside as their tongues
tangled up in a sensuous dance.
That, coupled with the feel of his taut
chest and arms pressed into her and the
way he continued to caress the skin on
the side of her face and neck with his
rough fingers, was overwhelming to her
senses. It was absolutely without a doubt
the best kiss that she’d ever had, and she
knew going three weeks without another
one was going to be as close to hell as
she’d ever come.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
For the next week, Drake kept his
promise and Sophie stayed so busy that
the only time she really suffered for it
was late at night while she lay in bed
and remembered that kiss. She got the
website up and running thanks to a good
photographer and a lot of computer work
her mom did for her. Brenda’s ankle was
definitely broken, and Brooke had cast it
and given her strict orders to keep off of
it. She spent her time doing things inside
the house that she could do sitting down.
Meanwhile, Sophie finished
furnishing the rooms and stocking the
linen closets. She made soaps and
arranged them in lovely baskets to leave
in each of the rooms. She also planted a
small garden with Drake’s help, and
slowly but surely she could see it all
coming together.
She was almost giddy on Friday
afternoon when she got her first
reservation for the weekend of the
Harvest Festival. She ran outside where
Drake was working on the shadow
boxes on the windows in the back of the
house to share it with him.
“I have a reservation for two!” she
squealed. He was up on a ladder and
looked down at her and smiled.
“That’s great,” he said. It was the first
time she’d really looked at him today.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he
actually had dark circles underneath his
pretty eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“Me? Yeah, I’m great. I’m happy for
you.”
“Will you come down here and talk to
me?”
“I’m working, boss.”
“Drake … just for a second, please.”
With a sigh, he sat his bucket and
brush down on the window ledge and
climbed down. He pulled off his leather
gloves and said, “What’s up?”
“You look exhausted. Have you been
sleeping?”
He smiled and said, “When I’m not
thinking about you.”
“Drake, I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
She smiled in spite of herself. “Well,
that’s good to know because you’ve kept
me awake a few nights yourself. But
really … why do you look so exhausted?
Am I working you too hard?”
“No, not at all. I’ve just been kind of
worried about Uncle Mac. Sam took the
kits on Monday, and he hasn’t come out
of the house all week. I take him dinner
every night, but he rushes me out and I’m
not even sure he’s eating. He doesn’t
look good … I think he’s depressed.”
“Oh no! The poor thing. Mom said she
called him on Wednesday. They were
supposed to go to the library. She said
he didn’t answer and never called her
back.”
“I don’t know what to do. I thought
about getting him a puppy or something,
but I’m just afraid of making things
worse. I feel terrible.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“It kind of feels like it is,” he said.
“Do you think he’d appreciate a visit
from Mom?”
“I know that he talked all the way
home Sunday about how much he
enjoyed getting to know her … but
honestly, I just don’t know. He’s been
pretty gruff with me lately. I’d hate for
him to be rude or something and hurt her
feelings.”
Sophie laughed. “You’ve seen me at
my absolute rudest … it hasn’t scared
my mom off yet. I’ll ask her to go see
him. It couldn’t hurt.”
Drake put his hand on the side of her
face, and she wanted to melt into it.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you for
doing so much around here.”
He leaned his face in close and said,
“That’s my job … besides, I have a lot
at stake.”
She smiled and tried to breathe. It was
hard with him so close. In a husky voice,
she said, “You’re entitled to a break …
maybe you should take one now …”
He shifted his body so that she was
between him and the house, and then he
used it to gently nudge her back. She was
trapped between him and the cold wood
at her back, but her insides were like hot
liquid as he stared into her eyes. “What
should I do with my break … boss?”
She slid her arms up around his neck
and said, “Just do whatever comes
natural.” He closed the space between
their faces and covered her lips with his.
She could feel the raw desire he had for
her pulsing through him as his tongue
explored her mouth. He kissed as if he
were starving and she was his
sustenance.
She kissed him back with the same
fervor as she was truly ravenous for him.
She held his head tightly and his hands
held on to her waist, and the world
around them fell away for the time the
kiss lasted. When he finally pulled back,
it was only because they both needed to
breathe, and he pressed his forehead into
hers as they panted and tried to calm
themselves down.
“Best. Break. Ever,” he said with a
grin. Sophie still couldn’t speak, so she
nodded. Drake was about to go in for
another kiss and Sophie was going to let
him when they heard the window to the
left of her slide open. They jumped apart
like two guilty teenagers as Brenda stuck
out her head. Her eyes went from her
daughter’s face to Drake’s, and a little
smile played at her lips.
“I’m sorry to interrupt … there’s a
Mr. Randall on the phone for you,
honey.”
Still breathing raggedly, Sophie said,
“You didn’t interrupt anything. Will you
tell him that I’ll be right there?”
Brenda smirked again before she
closed the window.
Drake laughed. “She’s proud of
herself, you know.”
“Proud of herself for what?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice that
she’s been trying to get us together.”
Flushing slightly, Sophie said, “Oh no
… I noticed. I was hoping that you
didn’t. It’s a little embarrassing to be
twenty-seven and still have your mother
fixing you up on dates.”
She yelped a little, startled, when he
pulled her body back into his again. He
put his mouth against her ear and said,
“She fixed you up on a lot more than a
date.”
“Meaning?”
He held his face back so that he could
see hers and he said, “I’m willing to
start with a date, and I’m willing to wait
as long as you need me to, but I’m telling
you right now, Sophie Michelson, when I
look into the future, I already can’t
imagine it without you.” He kissed her
softly and let her go.
She stood there in shock and watched
him climb back up the ladder. She had to
admit to herself that when she lay awake
in her bed at night and thought about him,
it was always more than a simple “date”
she imagined as well. She saw them
running this place together … getting
married in the meadow out behind the
house and spending their honeymoon
making love for hours. But that was
supposed to just be her secret little
fantasy. Now that she knew he was
thinking along the same lines, getting
anything done was going to be that much
harder.
“Sophie … Mr. Randall …” Brenda
was calling from inside the window this
time.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m coming.”
****
Brenda stood holding her crutch in
one hand and a cake in the other while
she tried to balance long enough to
knock on Mac’s door. She almost fell
over before she grabbed the crutch and
righted herself. Sophie had asked her to
come out here and see Mac and then
tried to drive her out like she was an
invalid once again. Her left foot was the
broken one. She didn’t need that one to
drive, which she had reminded Sophie to
convince her that she didn’t need a
chauffeur. Brenda often wondered when
they had switched roles.
“Drake?” Mac called from inside the
house.
“No, Mac. It’s me, Brenda.”
She heard the crunch of his wheels
against what she assumed was a wood
floor and then the latch on the door being
opened. He pulled open the inside door
and looked at her through the screen.
“Hi. What are you doing here?”
“I’m sorry to just drop by, but you
haven’t been answering your phone …”
“I’m sorry … I haven’t charged it.”
He was still just staring at her and she
was beginning to wonder if this was a
mistake.
“It’s okay, but I’m kind of having a
hard time balancing myself right now.
Do you think I could come in and at least
set this cake down?”
“Shoot … yeah, I’m sorry. Come on
in.” He unlatched the screen door and
rolled back out of the doorway. Brenda
very carefully let herself in. There was a
coffee table in the center of the room,
and it was riddled with take-out
containers from Huckleberry’s. Some of
them looked as if they hadn’t been
touched.
“Where should I set this?” she asked
him.
“The counter over there is fine,” he
said. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know … I wanted to. How are you,
Mac?”
“Did Drake send you out here?”
“Not really. He told Sophie you were
having a hard time and she told me. I
was just hoping a visit and some cake
might cheer you up.”
“Thanks Brenda, really, but I’m fine.”
“Are you really? I mean, forgive me,
but Sophie told me the time she was
over here that your house was spotless
clean. You look like you haven’t been
sleeping or eating or shaving—”
He held his palms up. “Listen, I’m a
little … under the weather, that’s all.
Drake seems to think I’m going to crack
over losing a couple of kits that weren’t
even mine to begin with. Give me a
break.”
“Can I sit down?”
He gave her a half smile, like he was
either annoyed or impressed with her
perseverance. “Sure.”
She sat down on his couch and said,
“Hear me out, and when I’m finished, if
you want me to leave, I will. I know that
we barely know each other, but I also am
able to know a kindred spirit when I see
one. Since my husband died, I’ve been
so incredibly lonely. I was in a deep
depression for a long time and the only
reason I finally snapped out of it was
that I realized what I was doing to
Sophie. I’m still lonely. I have my
beautiful daughter and I thank God for
her every day, but sometimes we need
something beyond that. We need
something that touches our souls like my
husband did for me.”
“I’d hardly compare losing a spouse
to two wild critters I only had for a few
weeks.”
Brenda smiled. “Mac, can I ask you
how old you were when you had your
accident?”
“Twenty-one,” he said.
“Drake says that you don’t date and
you’ve never been married.”
“Drake’s quite the talking little fool,
isn’t he?”
She laughed. “He means well, trust
me. That kid is so worried about you.”
Mac looked guilty for a second. “I
know. I hate worrying him. But really,
this is not the same as you losing your
husband.”
“Have you ever been in love?”
He seemed reluctant to answer her,
and just about the time she thought he
wasn’t going to, he said, “No.”
“So Drake is your only real contact
with the world until these two helpless
little kits fall into your hands. You feed
them and keep them warm and safe, and
because you did all of that for them, they
bonded with you and you with them.
That’s love, Mac, and it’s nothing to be
ashamed of. Don’t you think that Drake
is going to have a hard time when his old
dog passes away?”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same either.”
“Why? Because you only knew them
for a short time? That doesn’t mean you
didn’t love them. You poured yourself
into them, Mac. You kept them alive.
That’s huge. It’s like being a parent, and
if I’d only had Sophie for the first three
weeks of her life, I would have still
loved her every bit as much as I do
today. What you’re feeling is normal and
not at all something to be ashamed of. I
find it admirable that you cared that
much about two little creatures you
could have easily just set loose to fend
for themselves. But even though the loss
hurts so much, you can’t lock yourself
away here and wallow in it all alone.
You need to eat, and you need to sleep,
and you need to take care of yourself.”
He sat there quietly for a long time,
and finally Brenda said, “I’m sorry … I
probably took this visit-and-cheer-you-
up thing too far. I do that.”
She stood up, and Mac surprised her
by taking hold of her hand. She looked
down at it, and he quickly let her go and
said, “I’m sorry … please stay.”
She sat back down and said, “You
don’t have anything to be sorry for.”
“I don’t know how much Drake told
you about me. When I had my accident, I
was in college. I’d come home that
weekend and I was staying with my
sister and her husband. Our grandfather
lived in this house and our parents had
already passed away. I had a girlfriend
here in town, and I’d come home mostly
to see her. I’d driven most of the night to
get here, and then she and I went out to
the city that night. I was going on about
thirty-six hours of no sleep, and the one
thing I thank God for is that I dropped
her off before I fell asleep at the wheel. I
don’t remember any of that.
“When I woke up in the hospital, it
was five months later. I was paralyzed
from the waist down and I couldn’t talk.
I couldn’t feed or in any way take care
of myself. I spent almost two years in the
hospital. By the time I came home, my
grandfather had died and my sister was
getting old taking care of me instead of
having babies. If it wasn’t for that, I may
have given up and just let her keep
taking care of me. That’s how much I
cared about myself at the time. I knew
she wasn’t going to get on with her life
until she knew I was going to be okay, so
I pushed myself. I got better. I got
stronger. I didn’t do any of that for
myself. I no longer cared, and surviving
had become a chore. When I woke up
out of that coma, my girlfriend had
already moved on. I knew I’d never be
able to go back to college, and there
were so many things I’d never be able to
do. One of those things was have a
normal relationship with a woman and
have kids. I was never going to have a
family, and that depression sunk in so
deeply that I’ve really never recovered
from it.
“I do my best not to let Drake see it,
but there was just nothing left in my life
that really gave me joy any longer. Then
he brought me those damned kits. I tried
not to like them just like I’ve tried not to
like every damned stray that boy brings
home, but somehow they weaseled
themselves into my heart and as reluctant
as I am to admit this … it feels like it’s
breaking. I know that it’s just about the
loneliness and the fact that taking care of
them made me feel useful and gave me
something to look forward to. Now that
they’re gone, I just sit here waiting for
one day to slip into the next. It’s almost
unbearable.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Sunday afternoon while Sophie was
sitting at the computer in the office,
Brenda knocked on the door. “Come in,
Mom. You don’t have to knock.”
“I didn’t want to disturb you,” she
said, sitting in the chair across the desk
and resting her crutch down next to her.
“I wanted to ask you a favor.”
“This doesn’t involve a gorgeous man
and a bike ride, does it? Because he and
I have that all figured out–”
Brenda smiled. “No, but I am happy to
hear that. One of these evenings when
we’re sitting in front of a nice fire, I’d
like to hear more about it.”
Sophie winked at her. “You got it.
What do you need, Mom?”
“Well, I was hoping to borrow the car
next Saturday to drive Mac to Westford.”
“Westford? Isn’t that like a two-hour
drive?”
“Yes. It’s where the kits are. They’re
at the wildlife rehabilitators there, and I
think it would do him a world of good if
he can just see firsthand that they’re
being taken care of.”
“What about your foot? Have you
spoken to Brooke about driving with it?”
“Honey, I really don’t use my left foot
to drive. I haven’t spoken to Brooke
about it, but I will if you absolutely want
me to.”
“No, it’s fine. You know I don’t mind
if you use the car. I just worry about
you.”
Brenda laughed. “I know … way too
much. You need to have a baby or two so
you can refocus all of that unnecessary
worry.”
“All in due time, Grandma.”
Brenda’s face lit up. “I like that. Or
maybe Nana …”
“Run along now. I’m taking
reservations,” Sophie told her with a
smile.
“How exciting! How many now?”
Sophie looked like she was about to
burst as she said, “There’s only one
room left, Mom! Two of the rooms were
reserved for a week! I’m so excited!”
“Oh honey, I’m so proud of you!”
“Thanks Mom. You know I couldn’t
have done any of this without you and
Drake.”
“I know,” Brenda said with a grin.
“I’m going to get dinner started. I’m
really, really proud of you.”
“Thanks.”
She left, and Sophie went back to
answering her emails. An hour passed
by quickly, and Brenda called out to her
that dinner was ready. While they ate,
her mother asked her, “So have you
thought any more about hiring some help
for reservations and housekeeping and
all of that so you don’t have to work
yourself to death?”
“I’m thinking I’ll wait a while on that.
I really want to do this myself, Mom.”
“And what about Drake?”
“What about him?”
“I was under the impression the two
of you had sort of … come to an
agreement about how you feel about
each other.”
“Yes Cupid, we’ve discussed it. After
I get the place open, there will be a little
rush, but it should calm down enough to
leave me with some time—”
“Baby, ‘some’ time will not be enough
for a new relationship. You’ll need to be
there 100%.”
“I understand that, Mom, but this
place is virtually a new relationship too,
right? I need to see this through, and then
Drake and I will see where we go. I’ve
already talked to him about that and he’s
okay with it.”
Brenda looked like she had more to
say, but she held her tongue. Instead she
said, “Did you know that Drake hasn’t
gone to the farmer’s market for two
weeks?”
“He hasn’t? Why not?”
“Mac told me yesterday that he’s been
taking Sundays to help his other clients
get ready for tourist season as well. He
told them he was too busy at first, but
then he felt bad.”
Sophie smiled and shook her head.
“Of course he did. He has such a good
heart.”
“Yes, he does. Oh! By the way, Mac
showed me his workshop and the
statues. I love them!”
“I didn’t want to bring it up because
Drake said he’s been so sad. Has he
started on any for me?”
“He hasn’t been working this week,
but he has two that were already nearly
finished and he showed them to me. One
of them is a grizzly bear and the other a
wolf. He said he was planning on
finishing them for you. I think you’re
going to love them.”
“How exciting! I can’t wait to see
them.”
“Did you know also—”
Sophie laughed. “How long was this
visit?”
“A few hours and half of a chocolate
cake, and when I left he was smiling and
laughing.”
“You’re amazing.”
Brenda waved her palm at her and
went on, “As I was saying, did you know
that Drake made the furniture in both of
their places?”
“I meant to ask him about that, but I
got distracted and forgot.”
Mischievously, Brenda said, “Really?
What was it that distracted you?”
Sophie laughed and ignored the
question. “So what about the cushions?
Don’t tell me that Drake sews too and I
didn’t know. I could have used him to
make some curtains around here.”
“Mac said the lady that owns the
general store in town makes those, so I
think you’re out of luck when it comes to
Drake making curtains for you.”
They finished their dinner and then
cleaned up the kitchen. After Brenda left
to head down to her own cabin, Sophie
called Drake.
“Hi beautiful.”
“Hey! You sound tired.”
“I’m okay. It’s Sunday, I’m relaxing.”
“Your nose is growing.”
He laughed. “What?”
“Mac told Mom that you’re spending
your Sundays working.”
“They’re not allowed to hang out
together anymore.”
She laughed. “Yeah, good luck telling
Brenda Michelson that she’s not allowed
to do something.”
“I think her daughter got a little of
that.”
“Don’t change the subject. Listen,
we’re really close to finishing
everything up around here. It would be
perfectly okay for you to take a day or
two during the week to take care of your
other clients and go back to having your
Sundays for the market and relaxing.”
“Nah, I want to make sure you’re
good to go. I’m keeping up …”
“I have no doubts that you are. You’re
the hardest worker I’ve ever met. But
you need at least one day to relax.”
“What did you do today?” When
Sophie didn’t answer right away, he
said, “Sophie … did you take the day
off?”
“No, but that’s—”
“It’s not different. You need rest as
much as anyone else does—maybe even
more, because I’d be willing to bet you
wake up thinking about that place and go
to bed thinking about it.”
“Well then, you’re wrong. I do wake
up thinking about this place … but late at
night when I’m all alone, it’s you I’m
thinking about.”
“Wow. I like that. What do you think
about me?”
“You know … how it’s almost eight-
thirty and you really should get some
sleep.”
“Are you kidding? You’re not going to
tell me?”
“Is there not already enough tension
between us? I’ll tell you when this is
over and we have our date, how’s that?”
She could almost hear him smiling.
“I’m going to hold you to that. I’ve
already started making plans and
reservations for the weekend after the
festival.”
“I can’t wait,” she said honestly. She
still had reservations about leaving the
inn in the hands of someone else that
soon after the grand opening, but she had
made a promise to Drake and she wasn’t
going to go back on that. “I’m going to
let you go now,” she said. “Get some
rest, okay?”
“You too, beautiful. Sweet dreams.”
****
On Wednesday morning, Drake
borrowed a backhoe from one of his
friends in town and was using it to fill in
the potholes in the dirt driveway. Sophie
wanted to eventually pave the whole
thing but told him that it would likely be
the following summer before she was
able to do that, so for now he was going
to make it at least smooth and easy for
her guests to maneuver. He’d just
dumped and smoothed his last load of
dirt and was backing away from the
house down the long path when he saw
her come outside. They had both been so
busy again this week that he’d barely
gotten to see her.
She had her dark hair in a side braid
and was wearing a pair of jeans with
holes in both of the knees and a pink-
and-blue plaid shirt. He watched as she
pulled on her jacket and headed toward
her car. He was thinking that she looked
good enough to eat and suddenly had an
idea. He put the backhoe in drive and
caught up to her just as she was reaching
for the car door.
“Hey, boss, where are you going?”
“Mrs. Larson said I could come and
pick some apples today before they start
harvesting them next week. I wanted to
have some nice ones for the guests and
maybe make a pie or two.”
“Climb on up. I’ll take you over.”
She laughed. “You want me to ride
eight or ten miles on a backhoe?”
“Why not? Where is your sense of
adventure? Besides, the really good
apples are up high. You’ll never be able
to reach them from the ground.”
“You can drive this thing through the
orchard?”
“Sure, it’s like a tractor. Come on …
go for a ride with me.”
Sophie laughed again but when Drake
held his hand out to her, she took it. He
pulled her up into the partially enclosed
cab of the big machine and she slid into
the tiny spot next to him. It was
technically a one-seater, so the quarters
were nice and cozy. Drake started it
back up and once he put it in gear,
Sophie held on to him for fear of
vibrating right off the seat. When he got
to the end of the driveway, he slipped
his arm around her and pulled her in for
a kiss. When he let her go, she said,
“This is why you wanted to take the
backhoe, isn’t it?” She had to yell in
order for him to hear her.
He grinned. “Absolutely. Are you
complaining?”
“Not at all,” she said.
He grinned at her again and then
reached across her and pulled the
seatbelt over her lap. He strapped them
both in the one belt and then winked at
her and said, “Here we go.”
The backhoe was old and only got up
to about thirty miles an hour, but that was
okay with Drake. The longer it took them
to get there and back, the more time he
got to spend with Sophie. The day was
crisp and it was becoming apparent that
the change of season was at hand. The
gray clouds that overlapped each other
overhead threatened rain, and the leaves
on the trees across the hill had begun to
turn yellow or copper; some of them had
already begun to fall to the ground.
It took them thirty minutes to get to the
Larson place. He wondered if Sophie
was thinking about the time. She looked
like she was enjoying the ride and the
scenery as much as he was until they got
to the old bridge. As he headed toward
it, she gripped his thigh—which he very
much liked—and said, “What are you
doing?”
“This is the way to the Larson place.”
“You’re taking this thing over that
bridge?”
“It’s fine. We used to run tractors
across here all the time.”
“Used to? You mean you haven’t done
this in a while? What if it collapses?”
Drake looked serious and said, “Can
you swim?”
“What? Yes … of course I can swim
—”
“Then you’ll be fine,” he said. He
looked like an ornery little boy as he
floored the big diesel and acted like he
was going to head across the bridge.
“Drake!”
He suddenly laughed, and Sophie
realized he’d been teasing her. She
punched him in the arm. “You’re such a
punk. I really thought you were going to
drive across that.”
Still laughing, he said, “It would
never hold up. There’s a sandbar up here
about a mile away. We’ll cross there.”
“Punk!” she said again, laughing too.
When they got to the sandbar, Sophie
once again clutched his leg as they went
across. She breathed an audible sigh of
relief once they were on the other side.
That put them at the long, bumpy gravel
road that led up to the ridge. The natural
vibration of the big machine coupled
with the bumps of the road had Sophie’s
teeth chattering together. She had to
admit, though, that this was much more
fun than she would have had taking her
SUV and the main road through town.
Once they reached the top of the ridge,
she saw the beautiful orchard below
them. The wind was picking up and the
emerald-green leaves of the apple trees
swayed back and forth. Drake drove the
backhoe down the steep hill and
between two rows of trees. He killed the
engine, and Sophie looked around at all
of the trees with luscious red apples
dangling from their branches, just
begging to be picked.
She closed her eyes and breathed in
the scent. It smelled like rain and sweet
apples. A lot of them had already fallen
on the ground, and Sophie saw a couple
of squirrels darting in and out of them
like they were running a miniature
obstacle course. The trees looked like
upside-down champagne glasses, and
their gnarled trunks were so thick that
even if she stretched her arms as far as
she could, she wouldn’t be able to reach
all the way around any of them.
“I love it in here,” she told Drake.
“In the backhoe?”
She smiled. “That’s nice too. But no, I
meant underneath these apple trees. It
smells so good.” He reached out the
open window on his side of the backhoe
and plucked an apple, which he handed
to Sophie. She took it and dropped it in
the basket that she’d brought. She
reached out to get one and realized it
was starting to rain. Big drops splashed
through the trees and down onto the
windshield of the backhoe. Drake started
it back up and drove slowly between the
two rows as Sophie stuck her hand out
and picked the fruits she wanted.
The backhoe had turned out to be a
really good idea. It wasn’t the same as
wandering around in there with a picnic
basket on her arm, but in the current
situation, it would definitely work.
After the basket was full, Drake drove
out of the trees and over to Mrs.
Larson’s fruit stand. Even in the rain, she
was there. Sophie tried to pay her for the
apples they’d picked, but the older
woman simply looked at it and said, “I
hope you’re kidding.”
Sophie smiled and put the money back
in her pocket. She hoped that someday
her inn would be “famous” in the small
town for something the way Mrs.
Larson’s was for its apples and her
delicious lemonade.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When Drake walked into the house
early on Saturday morning Brenda was
on her way out to pick up Mac. “Good
morning!”
“Good morning,” she said. “I made
breakfast, so please help yourself. And
if there’s any way you can get my
daughter to eat …”
Drake smiled. “I’ll do my best,” he
said. “It smells great, thank you. Thank
you too for taking Uncle Mac today and
everything you’ve done for him this
week. He seems like his old self again.”
Brenda had gone over a few evenings
after the day she took him the cake and
had dinner with him. Drake was actually
understating things. Mac wasn’t just
back to his old self, he seemed truly
happy, and Drake couldn’t remember the
last time he actually welcomed company.
He’d worn all of his old friends down
over the years by refusing their
invitations for lunch or dinner or just an
afternoon visit. Drake didn’t know if it
was specifically Brenda or if Uncle Mac
was just finally tired of always being
alone, but either way, he appreciated her
efforts.
“I haven’t done anything special, but
you’re welcome. I enjoy his company
too.”
“Be careful driving up there though.
The rain stopped, but it came down
pretty good all night. There might be
some slick spots on those windy roads.”
“I will be. I’m not in any hurry.”
“Where is your daughter?” he asked.
Brenda grinned. “She’s still
sleeping.”
“You’re kidding? Is she sick?” It was
almost seven a.m. In the almost four
weeks that Drake had known her, she’d
always been up, dressed, and attacking
the day by the time he arrived.
“No, I’m sure she’s just exhausted
because it all finally caught up with her.”
“Well, I’m glad that she’s getting some
rest.”
“I should get going. Tell her I’ll call
her when we’re headed back.”
“Okay, have fun and thank you again.”
“We will. You’re welcome, and don’t
forget to eat.”
“No ma’am. I’m going to do that right
now.” After Brenda left, Drake started to
fix himself a plate, but then he thought
about Sophie and had another idea. He
fixed her a plate instead and a glass of
juice and a cup of coffee. He put it all on
one of the new serving trays she’d
bought for the guests and left it on the
counter, then went outside. He walked
around behind the house where the green
meadow began and picked a handful of
the purple and yellow wildflowers that
grew there. He went back inside and
found a little vase to put them in and then
sat that on the tray, too. He carried it all
up the stairs and when he got to the third
floor, he knocked on the door.
“Mom?” he heard her call out.
“No, ma’am, it’s room service.”
She laughed. “I don’t believe this inn
has room service … what would you be
servicing?” That statement left him open
to so many possibilities, but he reminded
himself he was being patient and waiting
for the weekend of their “date.”
“I have your breakfast, Miss.”
She giggled again. “Well, then, by all
means, come in.” Drake held the tray in
one hand and pushed open the door. His
breath caught in his throat when he saw
her. She was sitting up in the bed with
her dark hair tousled and her nightshirt
hanging off of one shoulder.
“Good morning, Miss. I trust you slept
well?”
“Fabulous,” she said. “Too well,
actually. I woke up and couldn’t believe
it was seven already.”
“Your body must have needed it,” he
said. He set the tray on the nightstand.
He suddenly realized this was probably
not the best idea he’d ever had. Being
“patient” was hard enough when they
were working together or sharing a meal
or a ride in a backhoe, but being here in
her room where everything looked like
her and smelled like her … it was
almost overwhelming. When you
coupled that with the cloud covering
outside that just made you want to
cuddle up with someone in a warm bed
to begin with—it was like a recipe for
torture. “Do you want your breakfast in
bed, ma’am?”
She suddenly got a wicked smile on
her face. “Is my mother gone?”
“Yeah, she just left—”
She rose up on her knees and cut off
his words with her mouth. This was
definitely not helping him with his
patience. Every nerve ending in his body
was suddenly on fire. She kissed him
hard and used her arms around his neck
to pull him down toward her so they
both fell back on the bed. For a second,
he completely forgot himself and let his
hands roam over her warm curves as
their tongues got caught up in an erotic
dance of their own. He was immersed in
how warm and inviting her lips were
and the way her body was arching up
from the bed into his. He’d dreamt of
this moment from the second he had laid
eyes on her. His hands slid under her and
pushed up the bottom of her nightshirt
until he was touching the bare curve of
her lower back. He kept them still there
as they kissed, somehow controlling the
urge to completely ransack her body.
When he finally forced himself to
break the kiss and come up for air, he
looked at her face. Her eyes were still
closed, her soft full lips were dark red
from his kiss, and her cheeks were filled
with color. That gorgeous, soft hair was
even more tousled around her head, and
he knew he’d never seen anything so
beautiful in his life. If he’d woken up
this morning with the notion that he’d
been kissing her in her bed in a few
hours, he would have laughed at himself
at the sheer absurdity of it. “Sophie?”
She opened those blue eyes, and he
could see the desire for him inside of
them; it was like throwing kerosene on
an already raging fire. “Drake,” she
whispered, a smile tugging at the corners
of her lips.
“You’re so beautiful.”
She really smiled then. “So are you.”
He pulled her into him more tightly
and pressed his face into her hair,
breathing in the sweet scent of her. He
had only a modicum of restraint left, and
he was using it to let her set the pace.
When he pulled back and looked at her
again, her blue eyes were locked into his
and her plump lips were slightly parted.
He touched her cheek with his fingers
and traced her jawline, and then as he
ran his thumb across her lips, he said, “If
you don’t tell me to leave soon …”
She didn’t tell him to leave. Instead,
she shifted her body over so that he
could lie down beside her. The already
crumbling barrier they’d set up between
them was cracking even more. He lay
down on his side and put his arm across
her, pulling her against him again. He let
his hand rub across her back and
shoulders as he trailed kisses down the
side of her jaw and neck. He felt her
body shiver against him, and it was
almost enough to put him over the edge.
He let his tongue run along underneath
the top of her nightshirt, groaning as he
tasted her.
His body was pulsing with electricity,
and his need for her was such that it was
almost painful. She brought her hands up
and took his face in them, pulling it up
from her chest to kiss his lips wildly
once more. She was daring him to cross
that invisible line that she herself had
drawn … but he had to be sure she was
ready for this. There was no way he’d
risk losing her for a one-night—or one-
day—stand. He forced himself to pull
out of the kiss and said, “We don’t have
to do this …”
She smiled. God, she was incredible.
“I know,” she said. “I don’t want to
wait any longer.”
“You’re sure? I can wait a few more
weeks, a month … whatever you need.”
She smiled again and then wiggled out
of his grasp to sit up. He watched in
complete awe as she reached down and
pulled the nightshirt over her head and
tossed it aside, and he groaned again.
She was as perfect as he had imagined
she would be.
“I’m sure,” she whispered. “Make
love to me, Drake.”
He sat up and pulled off his shirt, too.
Her hands immediately went to his chest
and as she traced the hard lines with her
fingers, he hesitantly touched her
breasts. She moaned slightly and arched
into his hands. His touch became more
intense as he leaned forward and
captured her lips once more. She’d
given him the green light he’d been dying
for, but now he didn’t want to rush it. He
didn’t want to scare her away by
ravaging her.
He pulled her into his lap and
continued the kiss while his hands
explored. She shifted against his aching
erection, and he moaned into her mouth.
The hands that played across his chest
slid down to his belly, and he felt her
pulling at the button of his jeans. He
reluctantly slid her off his lap and gently
pushed her back on the bed.
He didn’t take his eyes off her as he
stood up and slid his jeans down. Being
here with her felt surreal—he was afraid
if he looked away even for a second that
she’d be gone when he looked back. He
watched her slide off her panties,
making his chest hurt. He slid his boxers
off and climbed back into the bed with
her. She immediately began fluttering
kisses across his face and down his jaw
line. Sophie kissed his forehead and
nose and eyelids and once again found
his lips. He held her tightly as their
bodies melted together with no barriers
between them. He’d never wanted
anything as much as he wanted to be
inside her right now.
He pulled back and looked into her
blue eyes. “I feel like I’ve waited my
whole life for you, Sophie.”
“We don’t have to wait any longer,”
she whispered in a husky voice. He
reached down and gripped her backside,
pulling her against his tautness as he
used his free hand to explore the rest of
her body. He ran it up the insides of her
smooth thighs, and she responded with a
sultry sigh. He let his mouth finally taste
her full, gorgeous breasts and then
trailed hot kisses down her flat stomach
to her belly button and back up again.
She put her hands in his hair and held
him to her chest as his lips and tongue
played across it. He relished the feel of
her, the smell and the taste, before
knowing he couldn’t last a minute longer.
He reached off the bed and into his
pants pocket. Pulling out his wallet, he
fished for what seemed like forever until
he found the condom he carried there.
He said a little prayer that it wasn’t
expired as he ripped it open with his
teeth and rolled it on, knowing the whole
time that Sophie’s sparkling blue eyes
watched him with a searing heat he
could feel all the way to his core.
He didn’t waste any more time. He
positioned himself above her and as he
slid inside her, he knew that he had
never experienced a more perfect
moment. It felt like she had been made
for him, and she responded so fluidly to
his movements that their bodies seemed
synchronized. He leaned down and
kissed her again, and she gripped his
shoulders and held on tightly as they lost
themselves in this moment.
Sophie reached her climax first, and
as Drake was about to reach his, he
pressed his lips into her ear and said, “I
love you. I want you to be my happily
ever after.”
Sophie didn’t say it back but he felt
her body respond, and for now he was
okay with that. He didn’t have to have
the words until she was ready to say
them. He knew that letting him make
love to her was a big step. She showed
him how much she wanted him, and she
trusted him—those were the things that
mattered.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Cuddling up to Drake’s hard body felt
like heaven to Sophie. She was in that
place between sleep and awareness
where it felt like she was floating on air.
His arms were so warm and strong, and
they made her feel so safe that she felt
like she could stay in them forever. She
felt guilty for not saying she loved him
back, but she was going to need a little
more time. For now, she was relishing
the quiet and the peace that settled down
over them after the perfect storm of their
lovemaking, and this was everything she
needed.
She closed her eyes and ignored the
daylight that had broken through the
clouds and was now trying to sneak in
through the curtains. She’d worry about
burning that daylight later. She let sleep
take hold of her instead and pull her
back down into its embrace, and for the
next two hours she slept like she hadn’t
slept in years.
When she woke again, she was still
tangled in Drake’s long limbs and she
could feel the gentle rise and fall of his
chest. The clock at her bedside said nine
a.m. She’d allowed herself as much of
an escape as she could for now.
Reluctantly she began to disentangle
herself and slide out of the bed.
“Where are you going?” Drake asked
in a warm, sleepy voice that made her
want to crawl back up against him.
“I didn’t mean to wake you. I need to
get to work.”
She felt his body shake as he laughed.
“I’m the one who works for you,
remember? You’re going to let me sleep
while you get up and work? Damn, I
scored with this job.”
She giggled. “Don’t think you’re so
smart, Mister. You went off the clock the
minute your pants came off.”
He laughed again. “You know what …
I win either way.” He opened his
gorgeous eyes and looked at her, and
suddenly his face was serious. “Thank
you.”
She leaned forward and pressed her
lips softly to his. “You are so welcome.
Thank you.”
“Anytime … and I do mean that more
than I’ve ever meant anything—
absolutely, positively, anytime …
anywhere …” He began to shower
kisses around her face.
She laughed again. “Okay, I get it. I do
have to get up now and shower so I can
get something done today.”
“Are you going to eat your breakfast?”
“It’s cold now, I think.”
“It’s a good thing I got my tip first
then, huh?”
“You could warm it up for me while I
shower.”
“You make love to a woman one time
and suddenly you’re her slave for life …
how warm would you like it?”
She kissed him again. “Thank you. I’ll
be down in a few.”
He closed his eyes again and nodded.
“Are you going back to sleep?”
“Nope, I’m just picturing you in the
shower.” A slow grin spread across his
face. “I have a clear image to work with
now.”
She stood up and threw the pillow at
him before running for the bathroom. He
opened his eyes and said, “Mm … and
one more for the memory books.” She
was giggling as she slammed the door.
****
By the time she made it downstairs,
Drake had her plate warmed and
covered, his washed and put away, and a
little vase with wildflowers and a note
that said, Eat hearty. I’m off to work,
but I won’t be far if you need anything
… and I mean ANYTHING from me.”
He signed it –D with a smiley face. She
smiled and rolled her eyes. She’d
created a monster.
After she ate and cleaned up the rest
of the kitchen, she headed into the office
to check her messages. She heard her
cell phone vibrating and hadn’t realized
she’d left it in there. Still smiling and
thinking about Drake, she picked it up
and looked at the screen. She’d missed
three calls from the same number. It was
a Vermont area code, but she didn’t
recognize the number. She slid the button
for voicemail and as she listened to the
message, the smile fell from her face.
With her heart pounding, she ended the
call and pressed the number for the
missed calls as she ran out the kitchen
door, calling for Drake at the same time.
He came around the corner of the house
just as the phone was answered on the
other end.
The phone answered, “Memorial
Hospital, how can I help you?”
“My name is Sophie Michelson; my
mother was brought into the ER …”
Drake’s eyes went big. He dropped the
can of paint he was holding as he heard
her say, “Yes, she was with a man. His
name is Mac Tanner. Yes, I can hold.”
Her eyes met Drake’s and she said,
“Mom and Mac were in an accident …”
“Are they okay?”
“I don’t know … she’s getting the
nurse.”
“Miss Michelson?”
“Yes, I’m here.”
Drake was watching her face, looking
for confirmation that Mac and Brenda
were okay. She pressed the speaker
button so he could hear too just as the
nurse said, “Your mother was brought in
about an hour ago. I honestly don’t have
a lot of information to give you yet. The
doctor is still in there with her. What I
do know is that she was conscious when
they brought her in. She was talking, and
she’s the one that asked us to call you.”
“That sounds good,” Sophie said,
feeling her eyes fill with tears. Drake’s
were still staring at her face. “What
about the man she was with … Mac
Tanner?”
“He was taken straight to surgery.”
“Why?” Drake asked, panic rising in
his voice.
The nurse hesitated and Sophie said,
“That’s Drake Tanner. He’s Mac’s
nephew.”
“He had some pretty extensive
internal injuries and he lost a lot of
blood. I’m sorry, that’s all I know. The
officer with the Vermont State Police
who was on the scene is still in the ER, I
believe. Would you like to speak with
him?”
“Yes!” Sophie and Drake spoke at the
same time. She could see the pain and
worry in his eyes, and she could hardly
stand it. They waited in silence until a
man’s voice came on the line.
“Miss Michelson, this is Officer
Williams. I was first on the scene of the
accident.”
“What happened?”
“Your mother’s car was hit head-on
by a pickup of teens that lost control
after skidding across the slick road. The
driver of the other car was ejected from
the vehicle and sustained minor injuries.
Your mother and her passenger were
pinned in their car.” Sophie sucked in a
breath as he paused. He continued, “I’m
sorry. I don’t know exactly what their
injuries are yet. She was able to talk to
me while we waited for the ambulance.
She told me her passenger, Mr. Tanner,
was a paraplegic, and she gave me your
number and his nephew’s number …”
“I’m here,” Drake said.
“Mr. Tanner?”
“Yes.”
“Your uncle is in surgery—”
“Yeah, the nurse told us that. You
were there, you saw him. Was he awake
at all?”
“No sir, he was unconscious. I’m
sorry.”
Drake turned away from Sophie and
kicked the paint can out of his way. He
started walking to his truck. She thanked
the officer before ending the call and
followed him. “Drake …”
“I need to get to the hospital.” He
looked and sounded like he was in a
trance.
“Okay, me too. Can I ride with you?”
He nodded. “I’m going to get my purse.”
He nodded again. Sophie left him there
and ran inside. She grabbed her purse
and locked the door and when she got
back outside, Drake was still staring off
into the distance. “Drake … are you
okay?”
He snapped back to the present and
started the truck. “I’m good,” was all he
said. The drive to the hospital was long
and quiet. As they passed the turnoff for
the wildlife rehab, Drake slowed the
truck down and sat there for a few
minutes, idling. He looked like he had
checked out again. Sophie waited.
Finally, he said, “This is my fault.”
“No, Drake. It was an accident that no
one could have predicted.”
He put the truck back in drive, and she
was surprised when he started heading
up the hill instead of down into the town.
“Those damned kits. I started all of this
by not being able to keep my nose out of
something that I had no business in. They
probably would have survived if I
hadn’t picked them up. And if they
didn’t, that’s nature, right?”
“Drake, you have a good heart—”
“Do I? Do I have the kind of heart of a
man who was left entrusted with the care
of another one and failed to give him
what he needed? I was so busy working
and doing anything I could do in order to
see you that I completely neglected him.
If he dies today, he’ll die thinking that
he’s all alone.”
“No, that’s not true. Mac knows you
love him.”
Drake didn’t say anything, he just kept
driving. Just as Sophie was going to ask
him what they were doing, she saw it.
Black skid marks lined the road like an
ugly scar, and pieces of glass and metal
still littered the shoulder. Drake pulled
the truck over and got out. Sophie
followed him. The cars were gone, but
there was a black mark up against the
white cement guardrail where the paint
from Sophie’s SUV had come off as it
was likely shoved up against it. Drake
bent down and picked something up. He
held it in his fingers and looked at it
before his eyes suddenly filled with
tears and he crushed it in his hand.
“Drake?”
He smiled as one of the tears escaped
from his eyes and rolled down his cheek.
“I saw him out in the grove behind my
house yesterday rolling around. I asked
him what he was doing and he got really
defensive. He had a bucket in his lap,
and it was filled with figs that had fallen
off of one of the trees. He used to feed
them to the kits. He took that bucket with
him today.”
Sophie could tell that it was taking
every bit of strength he had to hold it
together. She went to him and put her
arms around him. She just held him, and
when she felt his body stop shaking, she
pulled back and said, “We should go.
Maybe they’ll have good news for us
when we get there. We have to stay
positive.”
He nodded and kissed the side of her
face. She looked down as they walked
back to the pickup and saw there were
figs scattered all over the ground.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Drake and Sophie went straight to the
ER when they arrived at the hospital.
The nurse was kind, and she told Drake
she’d find out where Mac was and if he
could see him before taking them in to
see Brenda, who was in a cubicle in the
ER behind a sliding curtain. She was
surrounded by gurneys on either side in
front and behind. Brenda looked pale,
and she had a few cuts and scratches on
her face. The rest of her was covered,
but there were lines and tubes running
here and there underneath the sheet.
“Mom?” Sophie’s face was as pale as
her mother’s. Drake suddenly felt bad
for the breakdown he had had. He should
have been there for her. She was as
worried as he was, and he was wasting
time making it about him and how he
felt. “Mom, can you hear me?” Sophie
slid her hand under the sheet and
grasped her mother’s. Brenda’s eyes
fluttered open and then closed again. The
nurse said she was on pain medication,
so she was probably having trouble
waking up.
“Sophie?” Brenda said groggily.
“Yeah, Mom. I’m here. Are you
okay?”
“Mac?”
Sophie looked up at Drake. He
suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe.
“We haven’t seen him yet. Drake’s here
too. As soon as we see him, we’ll let
you know how he is, okay?”
“I’m sorry,” she said, turning her head
slowly and pulling her eyes open as if
they had weights on them. Drake
realized that she was apologizing to him.
He felt another lump welling up in his
throat. He stepped closer to the bed and
took her hand.
“I’m sorry that you had to go through
this,” he said. He bent down and brushed
his lips across her cheek. “Everything’s
going to be okay. You don’t have
anything to apologize for, all right?”
A stray tear rolled down her cheek,
and Sophie wiped it away. “Don’t cry,
Mom. Everything’s going to be okay. Are
you in pain?”
“No,” Brenda’s voice was raspy and
hoarse.
“Do you want some water?”
“They won’t let me have any,” she
said, having to force each word as if her
chest hurt when she spoke.
Sophie suddenly looked annoyed. To
no one in particular, she said, “Where is
that doctor? The nurse said he’d be right
in.”
“I’ll go check,” Drake said. He left
the women alone and stepped out from
behind the curtain. He felt like he could
breathe a little easier out here. He found
the nurse that had helped them and asked
about Brenda’s doctor. She assured him
that he’d be in as soon as he could.
Then, he asked about Mac again.
“He’s still in surgery. I let the staff up
there know that you’re here. They’ll call
when he’s out and I’ll take you there,
okay?”
He nodded, feeling like he was
suddenly caught in a bad dream. The day
had gone from a beautiful kind of surreal
to a nightmare. “Mr. Tanner?” He turned
at the sound of the voice. He was facing
a middle-aged man with a long face in a
green uniform with gold piping holding a
green trooper hat.
“Yes, Drake Tanner.”
“I’m Officer Williams.” Drake shook
his hand. The officer said, “Have you
gotten any word on your uncle?”
“No sir, not yet.”
“I just wanted to give you my card and
ask if you could keep me updated.”
“Sure. Thanks for helping them.”
“It’s nothing. Unfortunately, there
wasn’t much I could do until the fire
department got there. I hope your uncle
comes through this okay.”
“Thanks, me too.”
Drake put the card in his pocket and
headed back to where Brenda was. The
doctor was walking in just as he was. It
was a female doctor with the posture of
a soldier. She smiled at him, but it was
the smile of a professional. There was
nothing overly warm about it. She had
her hair pulled back into a severe bun
and a pair of reading glasses perched on
the end of her nose. She pushed them up
as she perused the file in her hand.
Sophie looked up as they walked in and
said, “Are you Dr. Garrison?”
“Yes,” the woman said, holding her
hand out almost robotically. Sophie
stood up and shook it, then introduced
herself and Drake. He watched poor
Brenda trying to keep her eyes open, but
they kept drifting back shut. “So Mrs.
Michelson was the driver in a multiple-
injury accident. The car she was driving
was pushed into the guardrail, and she
and her passenger were trapped inside.
She sustained some crushing injuries to
her ribs as well as a punctured lung. It
looks like she already had a break to her
left ankle that was cast, so that isn’t new.
“So far we haven’t detected any other
injuries or internal bleeding. She has a
chest tube in place now to keep the
fluids from building up in that lung as it
heals, and the oxygen is to help her get
enough air exchange while it’s healing.
She’s scheduled for one more CT scan
of her abdomen this afternoon. She had a
lot of bruising and swelling when she
came in, so it was hard to read. We
didn’t see anything worrisome, but we’ll
want to check it again just to be sure.”
She looked from Sophie to Drake and
said, “Do either of you have any
questions?”
“Her broken ribs … they’ll heal on
their own?” Sophie asked.
“Yes, that’s what we hope for. She’s
wearing an abdominal brace now so that
when she breathes, coughs, or moves,
she won’t experience so much pain.
She’ll likely have to wear that until
they’re healed.”
“How long will she need to stay
here?”
The doctor shrugged. “At this point,
we’re still at the stage of finding out
what her injuries are. Hopefully we’ve
already identified them all, but we’d like
her to stay under observation for the first
twenty-four hours. She’ll be transferred
to a room as soon as one is available.”
Sophie nodded. She looked relieved,
and Drake was relieved for her and
Brenda both. Now if they’d just tell him
something about Mac. The doctor
answered a few more questions for
Sophie before leaving. Sophie looked up
at Drake and asked, “Have they told you
anything else about Mac?”
“No. He’s still in surgery.” Drake sat
down in the chair on his side of the bed.
“They said they’ll call me when he’s
out.”
They both sat there and watched
Brenda sleep. It was about an hour later
when the nurse stuck her head in and
said, “Mr. Tanner, he’s out of surgery.”
Drake got up and looked at Sophie.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I talk to
someone,” he said.
She smiled gently at him and nodded.
“I have my phone. Call me if you need
anything, okay?”
“Yeah, I will.” He kissed Brenda’s
cheek again and then Sophie’s before
following the nurse out of the room.
Drake looked around as the nurse led
him to the surgical waiting room. The
hallway was as untouched with
personality as the rest of the hospital.
The floor beneath his feet was white and
slate gray tiles, and the light overhead
was way too bright. It reminded him of
one on television when the police were
interrogating a suspect. As he walked
on, wondering how far away the ICU
was, he noticed how everything was
clean and spotless and tinged with
bleach.
The nurse, who’d told him her name
was Marla, pushed a button on the wall
at the end of the hall, and a set of double
doors swung inward. In between that set
and another, there was a black phone on
the wall. She picked it up and dialed 1
before speaking. “Hi Katie. I have Mr.
Tanner here to see his uncle.”
Marla listened, then hung up and put
some sort of code into the keypad. The
next set of doors opened. Drake felt a
rush of cold air and was once again
overwhelmed by the strong scent of
ammonia.
“This is where I leave you, Mr.
Tanner. Good luck. I wish your uncle a
speedy recovery.”
“Thank you for your help.” She
nodded and smiled and then left as the
other nurse came toward him.
“Hi, Mr. Tanner. I’m Katie.”
“Hi … where is my uncle?”
“They’re bringing him up right now.”
“Can you tell me what’s wrong with
him? What did they operate on him for?”
“I’m going to let Dr. Gill tell you all
of that. Here he is now.”
Dr. Gill was a tall, broad, Eastern
Indian man. He shook Drake’s hand and
proceeded to give him the rundown on
Mac’s injuries. “Your uncle is
paraplegic, correct?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Um … I guess about thirty years.”
“Otherwise healthy?”
“As far as I know.”
“Good. He was trapped in the vehicle
and suffered some major internal
injuries. We transfused him with two
units of blood before the surgery and I
just ordered another unit now. We took
out his spleen because it sustained some
major damage. He has some severe
bruising to his abdominal area, and his
legs are quite cut up from the crushing
metal. His right arm is broken in two
places, and I’m afraid that he has a
closed head injury as well. He’s not
breathing on his own right now.”
“So in English?” Drake said.
“The injury we’re worried about and
watching is the closed head. We don’t
know why he hasn’t woken up yet or
why he’s not breathing on his own. He
has a lot of swelling around his brain
and if that doesn’t go down with
medication over the next twenty-four
hours, he may need surgery to relieve
that as well. I ordered an MRI of his
head to be done first thing in the morning
and when that comes back, I can let you
know more.”
That all sounded really, really bad.
Drake felt sick to his stomach. “Is there
still a possibility that he’ll wake up on
his own?”
“Yes. He does have brain activity, so
for now, it’s wait and see.”
That wasn’t the best news, but at least
it gave him hope. “Okay. Thank you. Can
I see him?”
“Yes, absolutely. He’s there in room
four. I don’t know if anyone else is here
with you, but only one visitor at a time.”
“Okay, thank you.” After the doctor
left, Drake stood near the nursing station
and texted Sophie what he’d learned.
She texted back right away.
Give him a kiss for us. Mom is
feeling so bad.
Please tell her to stop that and
concentrate on getting better. I’ll text
you after I see Mac for a bit.
He stuck the phone in his pocket and
took a deep breath before heading over
to the big glass room.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Three days later, on Tuesday, Mac
was still in the same condition. They’d
done surgery on his head to remove the
pressure on Sunday, but he still hadn’t
woken up and was still not breathing on
his own. Brenda, on the other hand, was
doing great … physically. Although the
police officer had said more than once,
and even put in his report, that the slick
road was what caused the accident and
she was in no way at fault, she was still
blaming herself.
Sophie texted Drake early in the day
to let him know the doctor was
discharging Brenda. He let the nurses
know he would be downstairs for a
while, and he went to the second floor to
Brenda’s room to see them. As soon as
he walked in, Sophie got up and hugged
him. He held on to her tightly for a long
time, and his eyes met Brenda’s blue
ones over Sophie’s head. He kissed
Sophie on the side of the face and
stepped over to her mother. Smiling at
her, he leaned down and kissed her
cheek. “I’m so glad they’re letting you
bust out of here.”
“Me too,” she said, her eyes filling
with tears. “How’s Mac?”
“He’s the same … still fighting.”
“Do you think they’ll let me see him
before I go home?”
“I think we can arrange that,” Drake
told her.
She clutched his arm and said,
“Drake, I’m so very sorry.”
He rested his weary forehead into
hers. Sophie had gotten a motel room in
town, but he wouldn’t leave Mac. He
slept off and on in the recliner in the
room, but not much. “Brenda, please,
please, please stop blaming yourself for
this. The state trooper said you did
absolutely nothing wrong. It was a
horrible freak accident, and I am so glad
that you’re okay. Mac is a tough old guy,
and I believe in my heart that he’s going
to come back to us … and when he does,
he’s going to be just as happy that you’re
okay, too.”
“I just feel so helpless,” she said.
Drake hugged her.
“Me too,” he said. They sat like that
for a long time while Sophie loaded all
of the flowers and cards she’d gotten
into the car she’d rented to take them
home. She was touched by the
outpouring of support from the people of
Brook Haven, who had only so recently
met Brenda. It was another reminder of
what a nice place she’d chosen for them
to call home.
On Monday, Brooke had come by to
see Drake, and Sophie realized as she
watched them together that any jealousy
she’d felt was just her own silliness. It
was easy to see that their love for each
other was a pure kind of love like that
shared between siblings. Mrs. Larson
sent some apples and a quart of
lemonade with her and a note for Sophie
that made her tear up.
Remember when I told you that I
thought that Tanner boy was in love
with the doctor? Well, I just wanted to
tell you that I was wrong. That day you
and he came by to pick apples, I saw
such a strong love in his eyes when he
looked at you … it was the way my
husband used to look at me. Hold on to
that dear, and it will get you through
anything. Trust me, I know. Kiss your
mama for me and tell her when she’s
feeling up to it to drink the magic
lemonade … it will do wonders for her
soul.
Sophie kept the note in her pocket and
over the next couple of days when she
was feeling down, she would take it out
and read it again.
Eventually the nurse came in with
Brenda’s discharge paperwork and
instructions. She was to be on strict bed
rest until her ribs healed. Her ankle was
still healing as well. She was
exchanging oxygen on her own just fine,
so they weren’t worried about her lung.
The cuts on her face had begun to heal
and she had a black eye, but all in all she
was lucky, and the proof of how lucky
was upstairs in the ICU. She thanked the
nurses, and the three of them got onto the
elevator. Drake pushed the button for the
tenth floor and once they were at the
ICU, he asked the nurse to let Brenda
visit as long as she wanted to. While she
went in to see Mac, Sophie and Drake
sat together in the waiting room.
“So … Friday is the big day,” he said.
“What?”
“Your grand opening,” he said. He
was trying to brighten her mood. Hers
seemed almost as down as Brenda’s.
“Are you coming home?”
The smile fell away and he said, “I
can’t. I hope you know how badly I want
to be there with you, but it’s over an
hour’s drive and if anything happened to
him while I was gone …”
She nodded. “I know. I’m just worried
about you. You’re not eating or sleeping
—”
“I’m fine.” He slipped his arm around
her and held her close while they
waited. Neither of them said anything
after that until it was time to say
goodbye. He kissed and hugged Brenda
one more time before helping her into
the car. Then he took Sophie in his arms
and said, “I promise I’ll eat and sleep
and if the opportunity presents itself, I’ll
shower.” She smiled and wrinkled her
nose. He laughed and kissed her
forehead. “I need you to promise me
something.”
“What’s that?”
“You don’t stress too much this week.
My friend Sam, who is a veterinarian
and not a carpenter by the way, is going
to come and help you finish up at the
inn.”
“What? No. Drake, you shouldn’t be
worrying about any of that right now.”
“I’m not. Sam’s not as good as I am,
of course.” He grinned. “But he’s pretty
handy.”
“Drake—”
“Shh. Don’t argue with me. You
worked too hard for this, and there is no
way that it’s not going to happen.”
“I just wanted you to be there so
badly.”
“I know … I’m sorry.”
As soon as he said he was sorry, she
felt guilty again. He shouldn’t be sorry
about staying with his uncle. Sometimes
Sophie wondered if she’d become way
too self-absorbed. It was her turn to say,
“Shh. Please don’t apologize to me. You
have such a good heart. You always do
the right thing. I can learn so much from
you.”
He pulled her back into his side and
with that cute grin of his, he said, “Just
you wait … I have a list of things to
teach you.”
She laughed. “That’s not what I
meant.”
“I know, baby,” he whispered. “I love
you.”
****
Brooke showed back up on Thursday
morning. Drake met her out in the
waiting room and as soon as she saw
him, she said, “Whew! I made it just in
time. Here …” She handed him a
shopping bag. He raised an eyebrow and
she said, “Just look inside.” He did, and
what he saw was a new pair of jeans, t-
shirts, shorts, and socks as well as a
razor and shaving cream, toothbrush, and
toothpaste. He smiled.
“Are you trying to say I stink?”
“I would never … Sophie asked me to
bring them.”
“Is she doing okay?” They’d talked on
the phone several times since she took
Brenda home. He could tell that she was
trying to put on a happy face, but she
didn’t sound truly happy.
“I don’t really know her that well. She
seems a little stressed, but that’s to be
expected. She misses you, that much I
can see on her face.”
“How are things going for the opening
tomorrow?”
“I went inside today when I stopped
by to pick these things up because I
wanted to check out Brenda’s ankle. The
place looks beautiful. I think it’s going to
be a big hit with the tourists.”
“Good. She’s worked so hard. She
deserves good things.”
Brooke put her hand on his face and
said, “So do you.”
“They’re coming,” he said. “Soon.”
Brooke smiled and asked him, “How
did you become so disgustingly
positive?”
He laughed. “I just pretend like I am
to annoy you,” he said.
Drake talked one of the nurses into
letting him use the shower in one of the
empty rooms while Brooke visited Mac.
When he was showered and shaved and
dressed in clean clothes, he felt slightly
more human. He called Sophie before he
went back to the ICU.
“Hey! How are you?” she answered.
“How’s Mac?”
“He’s the same, and I’m great now.
Thank you for the clothes and things. You
didn’t have to do that.”
“I really did. The nurses called and
said you stink.”
He laughed. “Not anymore. How are
things going there?”
“Good. Everything is ready, I think.
Sam has been a big help and Mrs.
Larson has been over with her helpful
tips. The only thing missing is you.”
“I’m sor—”
“Don’t say it! You have nothing to be
sorry for. I just miss you. I’ll be there as
soon as I can.”
“Monday.”
“No,” she pouted. “Monday is too far
away.”
“Get through your opening weekend
and the Harvest Festival, and I’ll see
you on Monday.”
“I will see you soon,” she said.
“I love you, Sophie.”
She still didn’t say it back, but he was
okay with it. He could see it when she
looked at him and he could hear it in her
voice. Words didn’t mean a thing.
Anyone could say the words. He looked
down at his new clean clothes and
thought, It’s the little things that matter.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Sophie woke up on Friday morning
with butterflies the size of dragons in her
belly. Her dream was finally becoming a
reality. She stood in front of the mirror
on her vanity and looked at herself. She
didn’t look happy. She didn’t look like a
woman about to realize her dream. The
truth was she didn’t feel it either. All she
felt was nerves … and not the good kind.
The night before, she’d finally
admitted to her mother that the joy she
thought she would feel when this day
happened was just not there. When
Brenda asked her what it would take for
her to feel that joy, she didn’t hesitate.
“Drake,” she said, and then, “Oh, Mom,
I want to be with Drake. I want to give
everyone their deposits back, tell them
how sorry I am, lock the doors, and go
be with Drake. He needs me, Mom. He
needs me there.”
“Then go,” Brenda had said simply, as
if it were as easy as that.
“What about the people already on
their way here? Everything in town is
booked—”
“I’ll open the inn for you.”
Sophie laughed. “I love you, Mom.
You have three cracked ribs and you’re
still limping around on that ankle … so,
no. But it was so sweet of you to offer.”
She’d finally left Brenda’s room and
gone upstairs after midnight. It was two
or three a.m. before she fell asleep and
six when she woke up. She showered
and was dressed by eight. She’d
pictured this day a million times in her
head, but never like this. She didn’t even
want to be here. All she wanted was
Drake.
“Sophie?” She heard her mother’s
voice on the intercom she’d asked Sam
to install in the downstairs room Brenda
was staying in while she healed.
“Yeah, Mom, are you okay?”
“I’m good, honey. I was wondering if
you could come downstairs for a minute
though … after you’re dressed?”
“I’m dressed. I’ll be right there.”
Sophie took one last long look at
herself and wondered if it was a
reflection she should be proud of. Every
time she asked herself where Drake
would be if the shoe were on the other
foot, the answer was clear. He would be
wherever she was, and she knew it.
She made her way downstairs and
when she got to the last step, she heard
voices in the dining room. She followed
them and was shocked when she walked
in on her mother, Mrs. Larson, Brooke,
Brooke’s nurse, and three of the ladies
from Brenda’s quilting group sitting at
the big dining room table. “Hi everyone.
What’s going on?”
Brenda looked up and smiled. Before
she could say anything, Sam hurried in.
“Sorry I’m late. The Lindons’ cow had a
baby last night.”
Sophie smiled. “Late for what?”
“We have a grand opening to get ready
for,” Brenda told her. “I called on a
couple of friends, and I told them your
heart was with Drake and Mac and you
wanted the rest of you to be as well.
These fine ladies …”—she looked at
Sam—“and gentleman rushed right over
to help. Go be with Drake and Mac, and
we will take care of everything while
you’re gone.”
Sophie couldn’t believe it. She barely
knew these women. They were all
people who owned their own businesses
and had families. They were all people
who had so many things they could be
and maybe should be doing, and yet they
were willing to drop it all and help her.
Tears were streaming down her face as
she went around the table and hugged
each and every one of them. She was so
choked up and so overwhelmed that she
had no idea what to say. She finally just
pressed her hand to her heart and
thanked them all. Then she kissed her
mother and grabbed her keys. She was
going to be where she belonged
underneath the Harvest Moon … at the
side of the man she loved.
****
“So … I know it’s a downer that Beth
is gone, but it’s fall and apple harvesting
time and it’s also Marmee’s sixtieth
birthday.” Mac groaned. Drake went on
explaining why he thought Little
Women’s ending wasn’t as sad as some
people often said it was. It had been the
only book the nurse could find for him in
the ICU when he asked for one to read to
his uncle. In spite of himself, he’d loved
it. Not that he’d ever admit that to Mac if
he was awake.
“So they have this big harvest party
and birthday party at Jo’s place. Jo has
three daughters now …” Mac groaned
again. That time it hit Drake. “Uncle
Mac?” He saw Mac’s eyelids flutter. His
eyes stayed closed, but they were
definitely moving underneath there. “Oh
my God! Uncle Mac, are you waking
up?” Another loud groan, and then Mac’s
hand moved. He was trying to lift it up.
Drake’s face broke out in a wide smile.
“Stay right here, I’ll get the nurse.” He
ran out to the nurse’s station and found
Marla. She had been Mac’s day nurse all
week. “He’s groaning and moving his
eyes and he’s trying to lift his hand …”
Marla was on her feet at once. Drake
liked that she didn’t ask him to repeat all
of that. She simply followed him to the
room and set about taking vital signs and
talking to Mac. “Hey, Mr. Tanner, are
you waking up? Come on and open those
eyes. I’d like to see what they look like.
Come on, Mr. Tanner, I’ve been here all
week. I’m off this weekend. Wake up for
me today or my co-workers will take all
the credit.”
Mac groaned, and suddenly it looked
like he was trying to lift his head. His
arms were shaking convulsively, but it
didn’t look like he was having a seizure
—it looked like he was trying with all of
his might to move them. “I’m going to get
the doctor, Mr. Tanner. Don’t go
anywhere.”
Drake smiled. He was glad to know
he wasn’t the only one who said silly
things like that to a man in a coma.
“Hey Uncle Mac, I’m here. Wake up,
okay? I really want to take you home.
Please wake up. If you wake up, I won’t
read any more Little Women to you.”
Drake wasn’t sure if it was his
imagination, but it actually looked like
Mac tried to smile. Then he started
choking and the entire team ran in. He
was pushed out into the hallway, and for
a few minutes he just stood there
helplessly. He’d been thinking something
good was happening … but what if it
were the opposite? What if those noises
were him getting ready to die? What
would he do without him?
“Drake?” He thought he imagined the
sound of Sophie’s voice, so he didn’t
even turn around. God, he missed her.
“Drake!” That time it was even louder
and clearer. He turned toward the sound
of it and saw her beautiful face. She had
the hallway door open a crack and she
was looking in at him.
“Sophie … what are you doing here?”
She waved him over. When he got to
the door, she pulled him through it and
said, “First of all, don’t even try to send
me away because I’m not going. I need
to be here with you. I want to be here
with you. I am going to be here with you
and no one is going to stop me … and
you want to know why?”
She was so passionate and so damned
cute. He was holding back a smile as he
said, “Why?”
“Because I am in love with you,
Drake Tanner. You are my happily ever
after. I look at you and see forever. Not
that house … you. If I don’t have you,
then none of the rest of it will matter.”
She had tears streaming down her pretty
face. He pulled her into his chest and
held her while the tears welled up in his
eyes as well. She loves me! He held her
back and looked at her face.
“I’m not sending you back,” he said
with a grin. “Not ever. I love you so
much.”
“I love you so much. Kiss me, Drake.”
He didn’t hesitate. He pulled her up
so that she was almost all the way off
her feet and he covered her warm, soft
mouth with his. She parted her sweet
lips, and he let his tongue taste them first
before delving into her mouth. Her
tongue came up and met his as the
passionate kiss went on and on. The only
reason they broke was for air, and given
half the chance, both of them would have
passed on that. Breathless and struggling
to get his voice back, Drake smiled and
said, “I think Mac is waking up.”
EPILOGUE
One Year Later
The afternoon air was cold, but there
was no wind or rain. It was a perfect fall
day, and the trees that surrounded the
bright-green meadow were on fire. The
gold and scarlet and burnt-orange leaves
licked at the sky overhead as they
swayed in the gentle breeze. They were
nature’s decoration for the celebration
that was happening tonight. An entire
community had come together to
celebrate the union of two souls
underneath the Harvest Moon.
As the wedding march began to play,
Sophie stood at the back and looked up
at the altar. Brooke was there, her maid
of honor. She’d become good friends
with the other woman over the past year.
They had bonded over their love for
Drake but found they had much more
than that in common day by day.
Sam was there, standing alongside
Drake. Her beautiful fiancé was wearing
a light-brown suit that contrasted
beautifully with his dark eyes. He was
fidgeting with his tie and looking
nervous. Sophie smiled, and she felt her
heart speed up. They’d both made the inn
their home over the past year, and Drake
had become an intricate part of the day-
to-day affairs of it. Their first winter
open had been a roaring success as the
tourists had descended like crazy for the
snow-covered mountains, the fresh air of
the country, and the hospitality of an inn
that was rapidly gaining a countrywide
reputation for being the best.
“Are you ready, pretty girl?”
Sophie looked down at Mac. He was
dressed in the same color suit as his
nephew, and he looked so handsome.
Drake had wanted him to be his best
man, but Sophie had stolen him to walk
her down the aisle. He’d fought through
his recovery like a champ and after he’d
gotten stronger, Drake had taken him up
to see the kits, who were nearly grown
but still acted like they knew him. When
he got home, Brenda had presented him
with a puppy that she told him they could
share custody of. The two of them had
become really close friends, and every
time Sophie saw them together, she knew
she had one more thing to be grateful for.
She glanced up and saw her beautiful
mother in the front, standing and looking
in her direction. This was a day that
Sophie hadn’t been sure would ever
come, but Brenda had always known.
Sophie only hoped that one day she
could be half the mother that hers had
been.
She took Mac’s hand and said, “I am
so ready. Let’s get this happily ever after
started.” He smiled at her and pushed the
button on his new electric chair. He and
Brenda had begun taking walks every
day, spending time at the library, and
picking apples together. He needed
something a little faster to keep up with
her, and his nephew had been more than
happy to provide him with it.
As Sophie walked toward her future,
she looked at her fiancé’s gorgeous face,
and she knew for sure that everything she
would ever need lived right there in his
smile.
~ The End ~
Want to read more about the people of
Brook Haven? Please give book two a
try, October Kiss.
About the Author
Charlene Bright is the author of several
contemporary western romance novels.
She’s a lifelong resident of the American
South and currently residents in southern
Oklahoma on a family-owned cattle
ranch. She greets each morning with a
hot cup of coffee and an optimistic
smile. Traveling to America’s national
parks is her favorite pastime. You can
find out more about Charlene and her
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