Tonight was the big night, and Emma couldn’t believe how nervous she was.
She came to this school every day, she mused as she dragged her reluctant feet up the walkway that led to the front door. It was early June, and she’d started cleaning off the bulletin boards she’d designed for several of the hallways, returning the artwork to the students who’d been proudly displaying their work for everyone to appreciate. If things went well tonight, she’d be back for more of the same next year.
If not...
Rick had warned her that their grassroots campaign was a long shot, but during her long months of demanding chemo treatments, her faith had kept her going. She’d entrusted this problem to God, too, confident that He knew best. But she didn’t mind admitting that if she lost her job, she was going to be incredibly sad.
When she walked into the meeting room, she noticed Rick standing at the front, talking earnestly with the school board members. Their somber expressions gave nothing away, although one of them was nodding as if she agreed with his argument. A last-minute pitch for saving their jobs, Emma assumed as she took an open seat near the back. She hoped that whatever he was saying was striking a chord with anyone who was still open to suggestions.
“Is this seat taken?”
Startled by the familiar sound of her father’s baritone, she stood and embraced her parents. When she saw her brothers and their wives, and then Gran, a wave of gratitude flooded her heart. “What are you all doing here?”
“Where else would we be?” Mom demanded, stepping aside to let Chase into the row behind Emma.
“It’s gonna be fine, honey,” Gran assured her, patting Emma’s cheek on her way past. “Things like this have a way of working out for the best. You’ll see.”
Emma noted that her very wise grandmother hadn’t gone so far as to promise that at the end of the night, she and the others would still be employed. Only that the situation would resolve itself the way it was meant to. She could only hope that when she was older, she’d be able to view this kind of uncertainty with Gran’s calm perspective.
As her family filled the row behind her, offering encouragement and hugs, she was reminded of how they’d always stood with her, through the good and the bad that had come into her life. Stalwart and determined, to her they personified the New England character that had built Liberty Creek and kept it going from one generation to the next. In all her life, she’d never been prouder to be a Calhoun.
Finally, Rick stopped speaking and went around the circle of administrators, shaking each of their hands before stepping away. His handsome features gave her no indication of how he thought the impromptu powwow had gone. But when he dropped into the chair beside her, she read his opinion in the tightness of his jaw. She had no idea what to say, so she waited for him to compose himself before turning to her.
“I don’t know, Emma. I got the feeling they’ve already decided what they’re going to do, but I ran every one of our points by them again, just in case some of them can still be swayed.”
“I’ve known those people my entire life,” she reminded him quietly. “Once they make up their minds, there’s no changing them. They’re conservative, thoughtful people who’ve always made sound decisions for the school, even when it’s not easy to do. I’m sure they didn’t take this one lightly.”
“We gave them some solid options,” he said in an optimistic tone that was clearly for her benefit.
“Yes, we did.” Reaching over, she took his hand and smiled. “You did everything you could, Rick, and we’re all very grateful to you for that. Without you, we wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Out in the aisle, Dina and Christine paused to add their thanks before moving toward the front of the room to sit with their husbands and learn the fate of their jobs. Unaware of Rick’s assessment, they looked a lot more positive than Emma felt.
Staring at them morosely, he let out a weary sigh. “They think I’m some kind of miracle worker. The problem is, I’m just a numbers guy.”
“You’re a lot more than that,” she protested, rubbing his shoulder in sympathy. “You use your brains and your business knowledge to help people solve problems, not just take care of their money. Being a banker is your job, not your whole existence. Anyone who’s met your girls can see what a great father you are to them. That’s a lot more important than anything you do when you’re in your office.”
“Yeah, it is.” Slanting her a look, he mustered up a half-hearted grin. “Thanks for reminding me.”
“Anytime.”
Lending a hand to someone else is the best way to forget your own troubles, Gran always said, and Emma sat back in her chair, feeling good about lifting Rick’s mood. When the large clock on the wall read seven, the school board took their seats and the president briskly called this year’s most important meeting to order.
When everyone had settled, he got right to it. “I’m not going to waste anyone’s time tonight. We all know why we’re here.” He quickly summarized the main topic of business for anyone who’d been living under a rock somewhere, and then he folded his hands in front of him in a humble gesture. “We had quite a bit of input from the town on this matter, and I want to assure you that we’ve taken every suggestion and criticism into consideration. One proposal from Rick Marshall—” he paused to nod in Rick’s direction “—got us rethinking our approach to this issue, and I’m pleased to announce that as of about an hour ago, we’ve come to a tentative agreement with the Fairfield school district.”
The crowd erupted like an excited beehive, and Emma’s pulse sped up in response to the news. Nearby Fairfield was so small, it made Liberty Creek look like a boomtown. Years ago they’d been forced to end their arts and music programs to maximize their traditional academic offerings for their remaining students. She couldn’t imagine what sort of compromise the two districts might have arranged, but she couldn’t wait to hear the details.
She wasn’t aware that she’d balled her hands into fists in her lap until Rick reached over and pried the fingers on her left hand open and took it in his own. Warm and strong, it closed over hers in a protective motion that made her feel that whatever was coming, it would be okay.
Once the initial excitement had died down a bit, the president held up his hands for quiet and went on, “There are some details we need to work out yet, but the gist of it is this. Fairfield and Liberty Creek will create three positions, one for an art teacher, one for music and another for a floating teacher’s assistant. The people in these jobs will split their time equally between the two schools, with half of their salaries paid by Fairfield and the other half by Liberty Creek. We’re still in the proposal stage at this point, but we—” he swept a hand toward the other members “—and our counterparts up the road are hopeful that this very practical idea will be approved and completely funded within the next few days. For now it will cover only the coming school year, until we can assess how well it will serve students in both schools. While we recognize that a more long-term solution is preferable, we feel that this is a good step forward for everyone involved.”
Without any hesitation, Rick got to his feet and started clapping. Others immediately joined him, and before long, the entire assembly was applauding the school board, who totally deserved the adulation. Confronting a difficult issue head-on, they’d bravely stepped up and turned a fiscal defeat into a victory for not only the teachers whose jobs had been saved, but also the children in both schools.
Emma had seen and heard it for herself, but even as she cheered the decision, she couldn’t quite believe it had actually happened. The two towns were about thirty minutes apart, so splitting her time between them would be a challenge, especially in the winter. But she didn’t care.
She was going to stay in Liberty Creek and keep doing what she loved. In her opinion, life didn’t get much better than that.
“What’d you tell them, Rick?” Brian demanded, a huge grin threatening to split his tanned face in two.
His question reminded Emma that the final solution hadn’t been among the ideas their committee had come up with during their spirited debate in her living room. Realizing that Rick must have done something at the last minute, she waited for him to share his unexpected brainstorm.
“Well, I went back to my football days and called an audible.” Giving Emma a rare hesitant look, he said, “It was a little off the beaten path, and I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, so I kept it to myself. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” Laughing, she hugged him, then went up on tiptoe to kiss him soundly. They were in full view of about a hundred people, but she didn’t care. Framing his handsome face in her hands, she shook her head. “You saved my job and two others, without taking anything away from anyone else. That’s exactly what I told you I wanted, and somehow you made it happen. You’re not only brilliant. You’re a hero.”
“Like Superman,” Chase agreed brightly.
“I don’t know about that,” Rick hedged, giving Emma a sheepish grin. “Maybe Clark Kent.”
“Whichever one you are, this calls for a big family party,” Gran announced, extending her arms to include the rest of the clan. “Rick, go get your girls and bring them over to my house. Everyone else, come with me. We’ve got some celebrating to do!”
“We should have a cookout,” Chase suggested to Sam, who chuckled.
“Sure, bud. We’ll stop home and grab some hamburgers and hot dogs outta the freezer.”
Chase whooped his approval, high-fiving Sam while Holly rolled her eyes at their boyish behavior. In the span of about a minute, a typical Calhoun picnic had been planned, and assignments were quickly taken up by whoever was best suited to handle them.
Once they’d all left, Rick turned to Emma with a baffled look. “Does your family do this kind of thing often?”
“Yes,” she said, laughing. “Is it too much for a by-the-book financial genius like you?”
“Maybe,” he replied, settling an arm over her shoulders to walk her out of the school. “But I’d imagine I could get used to it.”
“That’s good, because I really don’t think you have much choice.”
* * *
Rick was working his way through the bank’s latest monthly reports when he heard a familiar chuckle in the doorway of his office.
“There’s my favorite protégé,” Charles Grumman commented in the booming Chicago-accented voice that was his trademark. “Hard at work making our customers happy and prosperous.”
“Charles,” Rick said, standing to shake his mentor’s hand. “This is a great surprise. I had no idea the boss was coming by today.”
“That was the plan. You know how I love popping in to catch my people slacking off.”
More than once, Rick recalled that Charles had ventured into random branches dressed as a mechanic or a deliveryman, pretending to be a prospective customer. Sometimes he was pleased with the treatment he received, and sometimes not. But the ruse always gave him a genuine view of how things were running in the banks he owned. Rick admired the man as much for those visits as for his brilliant financial mind.
Motioning to a chair, he said, “Have a seat. Can I get you anything?”
“Answers,” the robust man replied as he sat. “This branch is still fairly new, and I wasn’t thrilled with the numbers they generated last year. That’s why I sent you up here to get it whipped into shape. How are things running these days?”
That was a loaded question if ever he’d heard one, and Rick knew better than to go off-the-cuff when answering it. Besides, Charles had long ago taught him that demonstrating something to someone was much more effective than telling them about it. Spinning his monitor for his boss to see, he sat down and folded his hands on the leather blotter in a casual, confident pose. “See for yourself.”
Pulling a pair of wire-rimmed reading glasses from his jacket pocket, Charles put them on and stared at the screen, touching tabs here and there to access different sets of figures. After a couple minutes of that, he removed his glasses and leaned back in his chair to give Rick a keen-eyed once-over. Rick knew better than to speak at this point, since the intense scrutiny was aimed at seeing if the owner’s target would start to squirm. Another tactic Rick had learned from the master himself.
Finally, the older man casually set his left leg across his right knee, resting over it a hand that sported a gleaming diamond-studded wedding band and a watch that had cost more than Rick’s car. “I’m impressed. I didn’t doubt that you’d find a way to boost this place, but I wouldn’t have expected even you to get it going so fast. What’s your secret?”
“Getting to know the people here has made all the difference,” Rick answered truthfully. “It’s a great community, full of hardworking, honest people who want to build a better life for their families. Their financial needs aren’t huge, but they’re important, and folks tend to honor their obligations.”
“That kind of accountability is pretty rare these days. What do you think makes these customers different?”
“Pride. Some of these families have been here for generations, and they’re planning to stay for generations to come.”
Charles gave him a long look, then nodded. “So keeping this branch instead of selling it off was a good idea, after all. I was beginning to wonder.”
“Not to brag, but I told you that last fall.”
“Yes, you did.” His boss chortled, then sobered in a way that alerted Rick their conversation was about to shift onto a different track. “Well, you honored our deal and righted this sinking ship for me. Without your expert touch, this place would be closing at the end of the quarter. I’m grateful for your help.”
Rick recognized that tone, and his pulse picked up speed before he settled it back down with a quiet breath. “I’m grateful for the opportunity you gave me to prove myself.”
“I know that.” After a pause he went on, “Aside from your professional accomplishments, your loyalty and willingness to live in the middle of nowhere all this time mean a lot to me personally. So I have a new assignment for you. How does Charleston sound?”
Rick’s heart leaped at the thought of returning there, being near his family, raising his girls in the warm, sunny home he’d always longed to go back to. But there was a hitch. “We don’t have a branch in Charleston.”
“Patriots Bank has a presence in all of the original thirteen colonies except for South Carolina. I want to put you in charge of fixing that.”
“You mean I’d be the branch manager?” When Charles nodded, Rick swallowed to be sure his voice wouldn’t crack from the excitement coursing through his body. He had a reputation for being cool and steady no matter the circumstances, and he didn’t want to ruin that by being impulsive. “I’m honored that you’d consider me for such an important position.”
The bank owner smiled at him as if he knew exactly what Rick was thinking. Fortunately, he didn’t chide him for hiding his true feelings about the offer. “You’ve earned it, and more. Just how much more will depend on how well things go down there.”
The tantalizing promise of a future promotion made it even tougher for Rick not to jump in and take the job, but he managed to keep calm. At least on the outside. “I understand. It’s better to make an assessment of the local environment and then see where we should go from there. When would this assignment start?”
“I know you’ve got a daughter in school here. When is she done?”
“Kindergarten graduation is in two weeks,” Rick replied, grinning at the amused look on his boss’s face.
“My grandson had his last year. Be on your guard—they do their best to make the parents cry.”
Rick laughed. “Thanks for the warning.”
“Anyway, if you’re ready for work by July first, that’ll be fine. That gives you time to get settled and make sure the girls are comfortable before you start. Once a proper site is located and purchased, we’ll be putting up our own stand-alone building using local contractors and suppliers. That will ensure buy-in from the community and hopefully encourage them to get in line as our new customers. I want you on site every day, overseeing their progress to make sure they stay on track.” Standing, he extended his hand again. “I’ve contracted with a human resources firm to expedite the hiring, but you’ll have the final say on your staff. I have every confidence that you’ll get it right.”
He didn’t wait for a decision, or for Rick to ask for time to make one. As Charles strode from the office on his way to go torment some other poor, unsuspecting manager, it was obvious that he fully expected the offer to be accepted, and gladly. For Rick, the path ahead wasn’t quite so clear.
Closing the door, he returned to his chair and rocked back into his heavy-thinking pose. The colorful landscape that brightened the mundane room caught his eye, and he swiveled to gaze at it, hoping to find some inspiration in the tranquil scene.
His career had taken him up and down the East Coast, so he’d moved often enough that he had the process down pat. The thought of doing it again didn’t bother him, particularly because he knew that, this time, Charleston was waiting for him at the other end. While that appealed to him, he and his girls had made some wonderful friends here, and had become attached to the residents of this quirky little town in the middle of the New Hampshire woods.
Especially Emma.
He could no longer deny his growing fondness for the soft-spoken teacher who’d brought so much into his life. Not to mention, she’d come to mean a lot to his daughters, who adored her in a way he’d never anticipated. He tried to envision what it would be like never seeing her, sharing a walk around the square or meeting her at Ellie’s bakery for lunch. It was no surprise for him to discover that he couldn’t do it.
Instead, his imagination inserted her into some of his favorite old haunts, marveling at the treasures hanging in one of the art galleries to be found throughout the downtown district, or touring The Charleston Museum with her and his daughters. It was easy to think of her drinking in the rich history of his home the way she’d so generously shared hers with him. And that was when it hit him.
Maybe she’d like Charleston. The vote for her job had gone better than he’d anticipated, but there was no guarantee that the school boards would continue their experiment beyond the coming year. That would leave Emma in the same trouble she’d just come through, and next time there might not be a remedy for it. During his career, he’d learned that most fiscal problems never really went away. They just morphed into something slightly different down the road.
One of his longtime friends was the headmaster of a private high school near the large suburb of Mount Pleasant. Was it possible that they were looking for an art teacher?
Deciding that there was no time like the present, Rick pulled up the contact list on his phone and found the right number. When his old buddy picked up on the first ring, Rick summoned a casual tone and returned the greeting. “How’re things down there?”
“Hot and sticky,” Peter drawled with a chuckle. “How ’bout up there in your neck o’ the woods? Run into any bears yet?”
“Hardly.” Rick heard his own Low-Country accent creeping in and remembered Emma’s comment about how nice it sounded. Grinning at the memory, he charged ahead. “I know someone who might be relocating soon, and I’m wondering if Franklin or another school in the area might be needing a teacher.”
“That depends. What kind of teacher?”
Duh, Rick thought with a mental forehead slap. Apparently, thoughts of Emma had short-circuited his usual sharpness. “Art.”
There was an awkward pause, and Rick worried that he’d lost the connection. Then he heard a knowing laugh on the other end. “How pretty is she?”
Busted, he thought with a grimace. Then, because it was Peter, he laughed, too. “Very. Her name is Emma Calhoun, and she’s great with kids of all ages, from kindergarten right up through high school. She has her master’s in art education, and she’s incredibly talented.”
“Anything I might’ve seen?”
“I doubt it, since she’s from New Hampshire.” The canvas hanging on his wall caught his eye again, and he said, “Hang on a second.” Snapping a picture, he sent the photo to his friend. “Did you get it?”
“Wow,” Peter breathed in obvious appreciation. “If it looks like this as a digital image, it must be amazing in person.”
“It is. Whattya think?”
“I think I need to meet this woman. We don’t have a spot currently, but if she’s as great as you claim, I’m sure we can make one.”
Private schools, Rick thought in relief. The big ones like Franklin had deep pockets and more leeway on spending decisions than public districts. If Emma got a job there, it would be as secure as anything could be these days. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“When you get down here, let’s get the families together at our place for a good, old-fashioned barbecue.”
“Sounds great. Thanks a lot, Peter.”
“Sure and done,” he replied in one of the high school phrases they’d invented. Rick echoed it and ended the call with a smile.
The past few years had been full of challenges for him and his daughters, and the going had been pretty rocky for them at times. Maybe now, things were finally changing for the better.
And if Emma was part of the picture, then everything would be perfect.
Excited by the prospect of grabbing that elusive brass ring, he glanced at his watch to find that it was almost noon. He called up Emma’s number and waited for her to answer. When she did, he opened with, “What are you doing for lunch today?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“Can you meet me at the bakery in about ten minutes? I’ve got something to discuss with you, and it can’t wait.”
“Ooo...sounds mysterious,” she teased. He could imagine those incredible blue eyes twinkling in fun, and it occurred to him that he was officially a goner. “Can you at least give me a hint?”
“Nope. See you in a few.”
Rick closed his laptop and his office door, feeling as if he was on top of the world. All of his hard work, the sacrifices he’d made, were about to pay off in the best way possible. Even agreeing to Charles’s oddball request to move to the middle of nowhere and take over a struggling New England branch now looked like a shrewd career move rather than an insane leap into the abyss. Loyalty meant everything to his boss, and while Rick would have taken the Liberty Creek assignment without the promise of a better post later, it was gratifying to know that personal integrity still had value for some people.
It was a nice day, so he decided to walk the few blocks to meet Emma. As he approached Ellie’s Bakery and Bike Rentals, he recalled the bleak afternoon when he first drove into this little town several months ago. It was a bitter January day, and after crossing the landmark covered bridge, he’d been baffled to find this oddly named business in the center of town. Inside he’d discovered a woman who seemed to consider herself everyone’s grandmother and had charmed his tired daughters with milk and cookies fresh from the oven.
The lady herself was behind the counter when he strolled in, and she came around to greet him as if she hadn’t seen him in ages. After a warm hug, she asked, “How’s my favorite businessman today?”
“Hungry, and something smells fantastic. What is it?”
“My latest culinary invention,” she replied, adding a wink and a smile. “I think you’ll like it. Why don’t you try it and let me know what you think?”
“Sounds good,” Emma said from the doorway. “Make it two.”
Beaming at her granddaughter, Ellie folded her into an emotional embrace, holding her tight before letting her go. “Anything for you, my sweet pea.”
Rick had a feeling something was going on, but he knew it wasn’t his place to ask about it. As the talented cook hurried into the kitchen to get their order, he motioned Emma to a table for two near the window. Before they sat, she turned to him and said, “I’m actually glad you got in touch with me earlier. Dr. Finley called with the results of my last test this morning. As of today, my leukemia is in full remission.”
Rick let out an uncharacteristic whoop, sweeping her off her feet for a joyful hug. Setting her down, he grasped her arms as he fought off the urge to kiss her. They were in a public place, after all, and he knew it was important to behave with some sort of decorum. “Emma, that’s fantastic! Judging by the way she greeted you, I’m assuming Ellie knows about it.”
“I called everyone in the family as soon as I heard, but I wanted to wait and tell you in person. Since you went to the appointment with me, I thought it was the least I could do.”
Once they were seated across from each other, she rested her arms on the table and leaned forward eagerly. “Now that you’ve heard my news, what’s up with you? You look like you’re about to burst.”
That was exactly how he felt, but for once he didn’t bother wondering how she knew that. Despite the calm demeanor that he’d always prided himself on, Emma had a knack for reading his moods, both good and bad. Instead of trying to explain it, he decided to accept her uncanny perceptiveness and forge ahead. “I had a visit from my boss this morning.”
While he filled her in, she followed along with nods and an occasional comment about how wonderful it all sounded. If she believed the professional aspect of the offer was good, he thought with anticipation, wait until she heard the rest.
“But that’s not even the best part.”
“You and the girls moving home to Charleston? What could be better for you than that?”
Reaching over, he took her delicate hands in his and steadied his voice before answering. “I want you to come with us.”
Her eyes widened in astonishment, and she blinked at him a couple of times as if he’d completely lost his mind. “You...what?”
When it occurred to him that they’d only recently begun dating, he realized how his crazy suggestion must sound to her. Feeling foolish for jumping the gun that way, he backed up a step. “Not to live with us, but on your own. I know you’d love it down there, and I’ll help you find a nice place near Charleston.”
She let out a noncommittal sound, and he forged ahead. “A good friend of mine is the headmaster of a private school down there.” He went on to relate their discussion, and how excited Peter was to meet her in person.
“I can’t imagine why. He has no idea who I am.”
“I told him all about you, and he was very impressed. Besides that, you’re young and dedicated, and you’re not only a great teacher, you’re a really talented artist.”
Now her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How does he know that?”
“I sent him a pic of your work. The landscape that hangs in my office. He’d really like to meet you and talk about you taking a job at Franklin.”
“But I have a job,” she pointed out, clearly bewildered by the whole thing. “The one you worked so hard to help me save last week. Remember?”
“That’s a one-year contract,” he argued sensibly. “This time next year, you could be facing the exact same problem.”
“Or I might not. Whatever happens, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
“I appreciate that attitude, but Franklin is an amazing institution that prepares kids for Ivy League colleges. Here, they’re just...” A warning flashed in her eyes, and he slammed his runaway mouth shut before he blundered into saying something that would make this normally sweet-tempered woman angry.
“Just what, Rick? Two small schools in the middle of Nowhere, New Hampshire? Not important enough to be taken seriously?” Her voice rose, and she pulled her hands away from his before standing to her full height. Which wasn’t that tall, but the fury sparking in her eyes as she glared down at him would have made anyone think twice about taking her on.
“I am a teacher,” she reminded him in a lethally cool tone that made his skin crawl. “And nurturing students means everything to me, no matter how many of them are in my classroom. The kids in Liberty Creek and Fairfield are every bit as important as the ones in some private school for families who can afford to give their children virtually anything they want. Thank your friend for his interest in me, but I won’t be going to Charleston. Or anywhere else, for that matter.”
With that, she spun on the balls of her pink ballet-style shoes and marched from the bakery without a single glance back at him. Rick sensed that someone was standing behind him and braced himself as he swiveled to find Ellie holding two platters of today’s special.
Feeling like a moron, he sighed. “I guess you heard that.”
He half expected her to set down the plates and leave the way her granddaughter had, but to his surprise she put them on the table and sat down across from him. “I’m not usually one to eavesdrop, but this place isn’t that big, so it was hard not to. I don’t mean to pry, but I have one question for you.”
“Sure.”
“What on earth were you thinking?”
She sounded more confused than angry, which Rick took as a good sign. “I was thinking that this is the big promotion I’ve been working toward for the past five years, and it’s finally here. Then I was thinking about how much I hate winter.”
Ellie smiled, and then pinned him with a knowing look. “And?”
She already knew what he wasn’t saying, Rick realized, and while he wasn’t keen on sharing his feelings with anyone just now, he recognized that it was pointless to pretend that they didn’t exist. “And I don’t want to leave Emma behind. She means a lot to me, and to the girls.”
“She means a lot to her family, too,” Ellie pointed out calmly. “Did you consider that, in asking her to move so far away, you’d be putting her in the position of choosing between us and you? Not to mention leaving the job that she loves so much. I know you didn’t intend to upset her, but quite honestly, I don’t blame her for storming off like that.”
Frowning, she patted his hand and headed back to the kitchen. Rick stared at the delicious-looking lunch she’d left him but didn’t think he could get it past the knot in his throat without choking. Ellie was right, he grudgingly admitted as he left money for their lunches under the sugar shaker and stood. He’d been so thrilled about making a professional change, he’d assumed that Emma would be as eager for one of her own.
He trudged out the front door, pausing on the sidewalk to take in the normally peaceful village around him. The sound of a loud conversation up the street got his attention, and he looked in the direction of the forge to find a loaded-down pickup parked out front. Obviously worked up over something, Brian was jawing with a tall man who stood with his arm around a very pregnant red-haired woman.
Rick’s curiosity got the better of him, and he headed up the sidewalk to find out what was going on.
“Jordan, I always thought you were the smartest of us cousins, but now I’m not so sure. Why didn’t you tell anyone you got married?” Brian demanded, sounding equal parts astonished and angry.
So this was Jordan Calhoun, Rick thought, the wayward cousin Brian had been waiting for most of the year. The plan was for him to join the staff of Liberty Creek Forge as an artisan and turn his expertise into one-of-a-kind iron pieces for their customers. When it dawned on Rick that he was intruding on a sensitive family moment, he stopped in his tracks and did his best to ease back the way he’d come. But his presence hadn’t gone unnoticed, and he found himself caught in the crosshairs of Brian’s sharp gaze.
“Don’t run off, Rick,” he called out, waving him over. When Rick joined them, he went on, “I want you to meet my cousin Jordan. He might be a moron, but you gotta admit, he has excellent taste in women.”
“Don’t make me pound you,” the tall artist threatened, although the mischievous twinkling in his hazel eyes gave away the fact that he was joking. Thrusting out a scarred hand, he said, “Jordan Calhoun. And this is my wife, Ainsley.”
“My pleasure, both of you,” Rick answered, shaking their hands. “Welcome to Liberty Creek.”
“See?” Jordan said to his cousin in an accusing tone. “That’s how you greet someone who’s just gotten into town.”
“Whatever.” Turning to Ainsley, he gave her a patented Calhoun grin. “You were telling me how you two met.”
“At the Faire,” she replied in a lilting Irish accent that was at once unique to this place but somehow seemed right at home. “I make costumes and sell them to the entertainers and fairgoers. Jordan had damaged his antique leather vest during a demonstration and asked if I could repair it for him. And the rest, as they say, is history.”
She rested a maternal hand over her plump waistline and beamed up at her husband, who returned the look without hesitation. When Brian’s wife, Lindsay, appeared in the open doorway of the forge with their daughter in her arms, Ainsley lit up in delight.
“Is this Taylor?” Lindsay nodded, and she went on in a gushing tone, “She’s growing up so fast! In the pictures Jordan showed me only a couple of months ago, she was just a baby.”
“It’s our fault,” Lindsay joked, laughing. “We keep on feeding her.”
“She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Ainsley complimented them, taking the hand that Taylor held out to her for a gentle squeeze. “It’s amazing to me how perfect such a tiny person can be.”
“It sure is,” Brian agreed, giving his cousin a less stern look. “So now that the shock has worn off, you have to tell me what you’re doing here. I wasn’t expecting you until the fall.”
“It’s my fault,” the expectant mother explained with a frown. “We planned to work the rest of the Faire season and then come here to surprise everyone. I still think we should have done that,” she added, slanting a disapproving look at her husband.
“The baby’s due in September, and I didn’t want Ainsley working those long hours outside in the heat that far into her pregnancy,” Jordan said in an even tone that clearly told them that he’d had to put his foot down for the good of his spirited wife. “So we both finished up a few outstanding contracts we had, and here we are.”
“I still can’t believe it,” Brian commented, shaking his head. “After all those years of wandering around the country like a gypsy, you’re finally gonna settle down.”
“Can’t think of a better place to do that,” Jordan said, looking around him with a satisfied expression. “This place is like a living piece of history, and I’m looking forward to raising our family here.”
Any other time, Rick would have felt odd being included in such a personal conversation. But as the three of them discussed children and the Calhouns’ legacy blacksmith shop, it occurred to him that they weren’t including him just to be polite. It was because Brian viewed him as a close friend and felt comfortable talking in front of him this way. Once the conversation shifted to catching up on Calhoun news, though, Rick felt that it was time to go.
“Jordan, it was great meeting you and Ainsley. I hope we’ll see each other again soon.”
“At Gran’s for Sunday dinner, probably,” the artist said, shaking his hand.
Assuming that he was still invited, Rick thought as he turned and headed back to the bank. Emma had been furious with him at lunch, and he wasn’t sure where he stood with her at this point. As he walked, several people stopped to chat with him, thank him for his help in getting them a loan or commend him for his work at the school.
The sensation of belonging in this charming hamlet hit him, and not for the first time. When had it started? he wondered, searching his memory for the answer. When he found it, he wasn’t surprised to discover that Emma was involved. That day in the town square, when he stopped to see his daughter’s favorite teacher and purchased some jewelry for Mother’s Day. It didn’t seem like that long ago, he mused, but in some ways, he was a different person then.
Emma had brought out a part of him that he’d put away years ago, reluctant to risk losing himself in someone else who might leave him too soon. He liked the changes that he saw in himself, but for longer than he could recall, it had been his dream to be in charge of his own bank. Being the boss, choosing his staff and in this case, even the decor that would surround his customers on a daily basis.
The trouble was, his daughters had blossomed here in Liberty Creek, and while they were familiar with Charleston, these days their visits to his hometown were short and full of grandparent time. He knew that if he was going to move them, he needed to do it now before Caitlin became too attached to her classmates. And Aubrey. His timid little girl, who took so long to open up to anyone, had flourished here with Emma and the friends she’d made in Sunday school. So the choice was a simple one, but also the hardest one he’d ever had to make.
Stay in Liberty Creek, happy in his personal life but already at the top of his professional ladder? Or move back to Charleston and fulfill a goal he’d set for himself when he entered college at eighteen?
Emma had made her position painfully clear, and while he wished that she’d reconsider, he respected her choice. Envied her, in fact, because she hadn’t had to mull it over for even a second.
Unfortunately, his situation was more complicated, which made his decision more difficult. And this time, he didn’t think one of his pro-con lists was going to help.