“PUT ON A SWEATSHIRT because you’re coming with me.” Missy charged into the rental house, snapped the book out of Marin’s hands and plopped it down on the coffee table. “When I suggested you pick up reading for enjoyment again I wasn’t talking 24/7. Today’s the start of Mirabelle’s Apple Festival, and we’re going to pick some apples, clamber around the pumpkin patch and go on a hayride.”
Over my dead body. Not only did none of that small town festival crap sound even remotely interesting, the last thing Marin wanted to do was take a chance on having to face Adam after that kiss. Two weeks. Two blissfully uneventful weeks since the rain kissing incident. “Go without me, Mel. I’m quite content right where I am.”
“Come on, Marin, it’s gorgeous out. A perfect day to get out and enjoy autumn.”
The trees in the backyard had somehow turned the richest shades of red, gold and yellow almost overnight, it seemed, indicating the days were getting shorter and colder. Today there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was warm enough outside that Marin had cracked a nearby window for a whiff of fresh fall air.
“What are you hiding from, Marin?”
“Nothing.”
“In case you haven’t figured it out by now, us Camden women have an uncanny ability to read other people. Which means I know you’re lying. Something happened. I want to know what it is.”
In high school, Marin and Missy had shared almost everything with each other. Then they’d become adults and went their separate ways, only Marin had never been as close to a girlfriend as she’d been with Mel. “I kissed Adam Harding,” she said, blurting it out like a schoolgirl.
“Seriously?” Missy’s mouth gaped. “When?”
“Remember that day you and Mom were at our house doing an art project with Julia and Wyatt and I went outside in the rain? When Adam got home and I went into their house, it just kind of happened.”
“Who kissed whom?”
“Oh, there’s no doubt I kissed him.” She chuckled as her forwardness in his kitchen came back to her, and then sobered as she remembered his intense reaction, the way it felt to have his arms around her. “But then we…he kissed me back.”
Missy chuckled. “Okay. So when this kiss happened, the feeling, the moment, was mutual, right?”
“Oh, yeah.” Very mutual.
“Then why is there a problem?”
“A problem?” She hopped up and went to the window. “Trust me. There’s more than one.”
Missy sat on the edge of the coffee table. “Like…”
“I’m rebounding from Colin.” That was a stretch, but she was still in no position to get this serious this quickly. “Adam has children. I don’t want children.” She paced. “And to top it all off, he is far from over the death of his wife. Can you believe that kiss we shared was the first time he’s ever kissed a woman other than his wife?”
“Ever?”
“Ever.”
“Whoa.”
“See what I mean?” She plopped down on the sofa.
“Was it just a kiss?”
Just a kiss. That was like saying just a tornado. Or just a hurricane. “Yeah. Just a kiss.”
“How was it?”
Marin’s body flushed with heat at the memory of Adam’s mouth, his tongue, his hands on her. “Let’s just say I didn’t know what I’d been missing.”
“So that explains why you’ve been hiding in here.”
Marin held Missy’s gaze. This time with Missy had brought back memories of the two of them talking until all hours of the night. Laughing, crying, teasing one another. Because of their family situation, the wealth they’d grown up around and their father being a senator, there were times when all Marin had was Missy and their two brothers. It felt good to have Missy back.
“You know when you first disappeared,” Marin whispered. “After what happened with Jonas all those years ago. I was really angry at you.”
“I know that now,” Missy said. “Back then, though, I wasn’t thinking about you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You were hurting. I just wish I’d had the chance to be there for you.”
“You’re here now.” Missy smiled. “Come to the Apple Festival with us.”
“Is he going to be there?”
“Probably. It’s Sunday. He and his construction crews will have the day off. There’ll be a lot of people there, though, so you should be able to avoid him.”
Famous last words.
“And I’ve invited John Andersen to join us.” She grinned. “One of the island’s most eligible bachelors.”
Marin rolled her eyes. “Missy, please don’t go trying to set me up.”
Her sister laughed out loud. “Well, unless your tastes run along the lines of men old enough to be your father, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
“Good.” She breathed a sigh of relief until the implication hit her. “Mom? You’re trying to set up Mom?”
“I just want her to know there are other fish in the sea. He’s our island’s retired pastor and his wife died last winter.”
“But she hasn’t even decided yet if she’s going to file for a divorce.”
“Well, maybe this will help to resolve things. And Doc Welinski will be there, too. He’s put together a band that covers old classic rock.”
“This I gotta see. All right. Let’s go to this Apple Festival.”
“DADDY, COME ON!” JULIA grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “I want to climb the haystack, too!”
Wyatt had shot toward the mountain of hay the minute he’d seen it and was already halfway to the top.
“I’m coming.” Adam let himself get pulled along.
The minute her tennis shoes touched the hay, Julia dropped his hand like a hot potato and raced up the slippery hill.
“I’m gonna get there first,” Wyatt called, laughing.
“No fair!” Julia yelled. “You got a head start.”
While the kids played in the hay, Adam found himself perusing the crowd, but he wasn’t just killing time. He was looking for Marin and there was nothing unconscious about it. He’d barely been able to stop thinking about her since kissing her that day she’d come in from the rain. She had to come today. Everyone on Mirabelle was going to be here, that is if they hadn’t already arrived.
The place was crawling with people and activity. Doc Welinski led a band of retirees who played classic light rock. Mrs. Miller had set up an apple doughnut stand that was selling the fresh pastries covered in cinnamon sugar as fast as her crew could make them. There was apple cider, popcorn and, of course, bratwurst. Kids were climbing a mountain made of hay, and families were traipsing through the orchard picking apples.
Just as Julia came rolling down the hill of hay, Adam caught sight of Jonas coming toward the haystack, his head sticking up a bit from the rest of the crowd. He was lugging the two boys around in his arms. Only a few feet behind him were Missy, Angelica, John Andersen and Marin.
One look at Marin’s face and he could tell she didn’t want to be here. She’d been avoiding him, and he didn’t blame her for one minute. What woman in her right mind would want to get involved with him?
“There’s Angelica!” Julia exclaimed.
“I see that.”
“I’m going to say hi.” She ran toward them and stopped in front of their group. “Hi!”
Angelica’s face lit up. “Well, hello there, Julia.”
Marin immediately glanced up, clearly looking for him. The moment her eyes caught his, she looked away. He’d been right. She had been doing her best to steer clear of him. He reached the group and greeted everyone.
“Where’s Wyatt?” Angelica asked.
He pointed at the haystack. “King of the hill by now, no doubt.”
Missy’s boys immediately wriggled down from Jonas’s arms and beelined it to the mound of hay.
“No fear,” Missy said, shaking her head. “Those two.”
Adam went to Angelica’s side. “I keep forgetting to update you on the nanny search.”
“Ah, don’t worry,” she said, dismissing him. “I love watching your kids, and it gives me something to do while I’m hiding out here on Mirabelle.”
“Well, I’m interviewing a couple of candidates, so I should know something soon.”
“When you find one, you find one.”
What had Adam done to deserve her? “Anyone up for some caramel apple slices?”
When several in the group nodded, he asked Marin, “Will you watch Wyatt and Julia?”
“Sure,” she said, her gaze intense.
He returned several minutes later with a couple baskets of apple slices and cups of gooey caramel to share. As they stood munching on apples and watching the kids play, several people stopped and shook his hand. Most of them he knew, but several he wasn’t able to immediately place.
“We sure appreciate everything you’re doing for our island.”
“Looks like things are moving along pretty good these days.”
“Don’t know what we’d do without you and your men, Adam.”
“Sure glad the Bayside’s open.”
“Good, hardworking crews.”
He was surprised to hear almost exclusively positive comments from the islanders. Normally, he had as many people dissatisfied as satisfied, that is, until all was said and done. Then everyone was happy. By the time the last person left, he and Marin were standing side by side, alone. The others had moved closer to the hay. Angelica and John were nearby listening to Doc Welinski’s band.
“My, aren’t you the man of the evening,” Marin said with a smile.
“For now. Next week, everyone just might hate me.”
“I doubt it. From what I hear, the first couple of weeks were tough. People didn’t see any progress, but things are coming along now.”
“Slowly, but surely, everyone’s opening for business. Unfortunately, the block hit the worst, Duffy’s Pub, Whimsy and Sarah’s flower shop, will be some of the last to be open.”
“You can only do what you can do.” She scooped some caramel with her last bit of apple and popped the treat into her mouth.
A dab of caramel stuck to her lower lip. He’d enjoyed the fresh taste of rain on her mouth. How sweet would caramel and apples taste on her? For a long, quiet moment, they said nothing, but as her gaze darted from his hair to his mouth, it was clear she, too, was thinking of that kiss.
“Listen, Marin—”
“Daddy, Daddy!” Julia raced toward him. “We have to hurry if we want to catch the hayride.”
A trailer stacked with bales of hay, loaded down with people, and being pulled by two big draft horses came rolling down the road. In seconds, the haystack was all but forgotten as the kids raced to get in line for a hayride.
“Marin?” her mother called. “Go on the hayride and pick us out a couple of pumpkins.”
Marin narrowed her eyes at her mother.
“Go quick! Before they leave!”
“Fine.”
Adam helped Marin up onto the bales of hay and found the only place left to sit was next to her, but with his kids on board, he couldn’t very well wait for the next ride. He had to squeeze in close to make room for another family, and to steady himself, he put his arm behind her and ended up brushing against the edge of her breast. She stiffened.
The hayride started, rumbling slowly down the road. He leaned toward her. “Marin, we need to talk about the other day,” he said quietly. “When you came out of the rain. I—”
“Don’t worry about it.” She smiled. “It just happened. Doesn’t need to mean anything.”
“Well, it doesn’t just happen to me. Beth and I were childhood sweethearts. Got married right out of high school. She’s the only woman I ever dated.”
“No wonder you turned me down for dinner.” She shook her head. “Obviously, that kiss shouldn’t have happened.”
No. Mostly because he was beginning to wonder if anything except the both of them naked and sweaty and twisted up under a set of sheets would ever be enough. For either of them.
“You’re not ready,” she continued. “I’m not ready. I asked you out on a date to, basically, take my mind off Colin, my ex-fiancé.” She paused. “You’re not really what I want.”
Ouch. He wasn’t easily riled, but her comment struck a chord. “And what is it, exactly, that you want?”
“A man who neither has kids nor wants them is at the top of the list. You have two. They’re nice, sweet kids. I just don’t plan on ever being a mom.”
“Well, that settles it then, doesn’t it?”
“Yep.”
“Not that it makes any difference, but I’m curious. Why?”
“I’ve always been focused on my career. I travel a lot for work. I haven’t even bitten the bullet and gotten a cat. How could I raise children?”
“That was then, this is now. You quit your Wall Street job and aren’t going back.”
“Let me get this straight.” She turned to face him head-on. “Are you saying that you want a relationship with me?”
“Just playing the devil’s advocate.”
“Oh, really?” She studied him. “All right. Here’s the bottom line. I’m too selfish, and I know it. I’ve known since I was a little girl that I would never have kids.”
“That’s pretty young to be making such a big life decision.”
“I used to watch my mom and dad, living their lives, and I never wanted to be my mom.”
“Your mom is a wonderful person.”
“I know that. She’s my mom. I love her. But for years on end, I watched my dad go off doing exciting things, making things happen while my mom stayed home with us kids. I couldn’t help but think that there was more to life.”
The horses stopped at the edge of the pumpkin patch and everyone jumped down to run into the field, except for Marin. “Come on, Marin,” he said, throwing a note of challenge into his voice. “Don’t you want to find the perfect pumpkin for your mom?”
“Is there such a thing?”
“Of course.” He held out his hand. “I promise I won’t bite.”
She laughed, grabbed his hand and jumped down.
“Look at this monster!” Wyatt suddenly exclaimed from the edge of the field. Julia was already well into the pumpkin patch.
“Oh, my!” Marin laughed. “That just might be the biggest pumpkin in this entire field, Wyatt.”
He grinned up at her. “You think?”
“Could be. We’ll have your dad guard this one while we go look.”
Wyatt looked up at his dad.
“Go,” he said. “I’ll watch it for you.”
Wyatt ran off.
“And you said you don’t like kids,” he whispered to Marin.
“I don’t.”
Adam smiled as he watched her take off with Wyatt. He had a feeling that whether she liked kids or not, she’d probably make a good—no, a great—mom. His smiled waned. Someday she was probably going to make some lucky man an even better wife.
“THEY’RE VERY GOOD,” Angelica said as she and John stood listening to the band of retired gentlemen covering old rock songs.
John nodded. “Willard put the band together over the past year.”
“Which one is he?”
“The lead singer and guitarist.”
As they snacked on apple slices and caramel, they chatted for a while about how Angelica’s visit was going and how the tornado had impacted the lives of his two grown children, Carl and Grace, who lived on Mirabelle.
It was a beautiful afternoon and she was happy to be outside around all this life, but it was a bit disconcerting to have found out Missy had invited a single man just a few years older than her. She might be a bit out of touch, but she wasn’t stupid. Then again, maybe it was best to get some more information before she jumped to conclusions.
“Are you fairly close to Missy?” she asked.
“Not particularly.” He took another apple slice. “I mean… Mirabelle’s a small place. Anytime there’s a gathering of locals, we tend to see each other, but she’s never before specifically invited me to something.”
In that case… “This is a little awkward for me,” she said. “I’m not entirely sure what Missy told you when she called, but—”
“It’s all right, Angelica, no worries. I know you’re married, going through a tough time right now, but you don’t need to worry about me muddying the waters for you. My wife just died last January and I’m nowhere near ready to date.”
That was a relief.
“But if I was,” he said, smiling, “you’d be the first one I’d ask.”
“I’m sorry about your wife.”
“Thank you.” He glanced up at the band and grinned. “Now, Willard, on the other hand. You’re going to have to watch out for that man.”
He’d no sooner made the comment, than the band announced a break and Willard joined them. He reached out for her hand. “You must be Angelica, Missy’s mother.”
“I am.”
“Nice meeting you. Enjoying the music?”
“Very much, thank you.”
“I’ve only got a few minutes here for a break.” He held her gaze. “We’re scheduled to play until seven tonight, but how would you like to shoot a round of golf with me sometime in the next week?”
She’d have been lying to say she wasn’t appreciative of the attention, but she was still married. “Oh, I don’t know—”
“How ’bout we make that a threesome?” John said with a smile.
“How ’bout we don’t.” Willard frowned at him.
Angelica laughed. “A threesome sounds wonderful.”
“All right, then.”
As Willard rejoined his band, Angelica noticed Marin traipsing through the pumpkin patch with Adam. The way they looked at each other and talked, if that wasn’t attraction sizzling between those two, she wasn’t a grandmother.
More than likely this wasn’t serious for Marin. She was probably taking her mother’s advice, and looking beyond Adam’s two kids for something, or someone, to take her mind off Colin. What little Angelica knew of Julia and Wyatt’s father, though, indicated he might have a tough time acting on his draw toward Marin. At least not without a little push.
And that is where Angelica came in.
“Would you like some hot cider?” John asked, pulling her out of her musings.
Angelica smiled as a plan formed in her mind. “Apple cider sounds absolutely wonderful.”