“Mom, please?” Chase begged, a juice box in one hand and a video game controller in the other. “Can I stay here with Cody?”
Holly wasn’t at all sure that was appropriate, considering the fact that they’d just met the Rogerses. Her son’s freshly cropped hair accentuated his bright blue eyes, and the pleading look in them made her want to agree.
“I don’t know,” she hedged, glancing to Hal for a hint of how he felt about the unexpected invitation.
His broad smile eased her concerns. “He’s more than welcome, Holly. Cody’s a great sport, but when I’m with a customer, he gets pretty bored.”
“Papa’s the best,” Cody told Chase. “When we play that racing game, watch out. He beats me every time.”
Stalling, she looked at Sam, who grinned back. “Looks like you’re outvoted.”
“I guess so. When should I come back to get him?”
“No need to make a special trip. I close at six tonight, so I can drop him off at Daphne’s when I take Cody home.”
“Okay.” She knew Chase would balk at a hug, so she settled for knuckling his shoulder. “Have fun, but behave yourself. You know my cell number in case you need me, right?”
Rolling his eyes, he rattled off the number just the way she’d taught him as soon as he was old enough to memorize it. “I’ll be fine. Me and Cody will have a blast.”
And with that, he and his new friend zoomed across the shop to resume their paused game.
She and Sam said goodbye to Hal and headed out the door of his shop. Holly hadn’t had a free afternoon in so long, she wasn’t sure what to do. Sure, there was plenty of arranging and organizing waiting for her at the house, but it was such a nice, sunny day, the last thing she wanted was to be cooped up indoors. “I hate to waste such a gorgeous day on chores. Any suggestions for what I should do instead?”
After a moment, Sam suggested, “We could go scout a new location for those baseball fields.”
“Perfect.”
With a slight bow, he opened the passenger door of his truck for her to climb up into the cab. The balmy air rushed by the open windows as they drove out of town, and Sam nodded toward the radio. “Pick something to listen to if you want.”
“That could be dangerous,” she teased. “What if I like opera?”
He slanted her a look, then the corner of his mouth quirked with humor. “I’ll risk it.”
Laughing, she decided that her best option was to flip through the presets, assuming they were for stations whose music he enjoyed. She bypassed the jazz and talk radio, and when she landed on a channel playing a country ballad, she was more than a little surprised. “You picked this?”
“They play other stuff, too,” he informed her good-naturedly. “I like music where I can understand the lyrics.”
“I’m with you on that one,” she agreed, staring out the window as they made their way past the edge of town. The scenery that had intimidated her the other day struck her as lush and beautiful now, and she took in the view with a real appreciation for the wild beauty that surrounded Liberty Creek.
After years of always doing the responsible thing, it felt good to do something on the spur of the moment for a change. It was just what she needed, and it didn’t escape her that Sam had been the one to think of it. Even though they’d known each other such a short time, he seemed to understand her in a way other new acquaintances didn’t. Maybe the fact that they’d experienced similar tragedies gave him a unique insight about her.
Even though she’d vowed to remain friends with her aunt’s handsome contractor, she couldn’t help feeling that in doing that, she’d be missing out on the best part of what he had to offer. Pushing the wistful thought aside, she focused on the view outside the windshield.
“It’s so peaceful and lovely out here,” she commented. “I can almost imagine the original settlers finding this spot and deciding there was no way they could do any better. You must’ve loved growing up here.”
“Yeah, it was nice. We grew up a few houses away from the bakery, so the three of us pretty much had free run of the place. When Gran was experimenting with new recipes, we were her guinea pigs.”
“Do they still live here?”
“Emma does, but Brian’s a couple hours away, and my parents moved to Waterford about five years ago.”
“I’m guessing you’re the oldest.”
He slid a glance her way. “How’d you know?”
“You act like it, taking care of people the way you do. What are they like?”
Sam chuckled. “Like younger siblings always are. Brian is a pain, and baby sister Emma is the princess.”
“I’m sure she loves you calling her ‘baby.’”
“Not really. That’s why we do it.”
Holly clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Boys can be so mean. I’m glad I have sisters.”
“Daphne has a photo of the three of you on the mantel in the parlor. Your dad must’ve had his hands full keeping the boys away from you girls during high school.”
“He’s a traditional Georgia country boy, so his technique was to be cleaning a shotgun or rifle when our dates showed up,” she recalled, laughing at the memory.
Sam grinned over at her. “When you talk about home, your accent really kicks in.”
“Sorry about that.”
“No need to apologize. It’s pretty.”
Holly had never met a man as forthright—or as mystifying—as Sam Calhoun. Was he a staid New Englander who told it like it was? Or was he a wounded soldier struggling to move beyond his painful history and get on with his life?
While she was mulling that over, he slowed and pulled over to the side of an open meadow. With no buildings in sight, the wispy grass was waist high, and she caught a flash of white as two deer bounded toward a nearby stand of trees. A lone hawk circled overhead, doing lazy loops while he hunted for his lunch. Quiet and unspoiled, it was as near to idyllic as any place she’d ever seen.
“There’s some acreage here we might be able to use,” Sam explained. “Wanna check it out?”
“Definitely.” She moved to open her door, then stopped. Sam had made it clear that he liked doing the gentleman thing, and after years of fending for herself, she wasn’t too proud to admit that she enjoyed the attention.
They waded through the field, weaving around saplings that had sprung up here and there. Sam kicked the ground as they went. “It’s pretty flat for the most part. Once we bush hog it down a bit, we can bring a commercial mower in here to neaten it up. After that, a good rolling should even things out well enough.”
“You sound pretty confident that the owner will let us use this,” she pointed out as they sat on a section of tree limb that had fallen nearby. “Don’t you need to ask first?”
“Nah. He’s a pretty good guy.”
That rare twinkle appeared in his eyes, and she laughed. “You own this land, don’t you?”
“Granddad left it to me in his will, along with the house in town. He wanted me to have something to come back to when I left the service. It’s ten acres with a stream and a nice woodlot out back. I never knew what to do with it, so it’s just been sitting here since he died. When we were kids, we used to run our dirt bikes out here.”
The flash of humor vanished as if it had never appeared. His voice trailed off into something barely above a whisper, and he was frowning at something she couldn’t see. Then she understood why. “Does ‘we’ include a friend of yours?”
“Yeah,” he answered absently, not looking at her. “My best friend, Nate Henderson. We were stationed together, but—” Grimacing, he shrugged his broad shoulders in a helpless gesture. After a moment, Sam glanced around their peaceful surroundings and quietly added, “He really loved it out here.”
She understood all too well how that felt, to be in the middle of a pleasant moment and have a dark memory pop up from nowhere to ambush you. “Sam, are you okay?”
“Mostly,” he answered somberly. When his eyes met hers, she saw a glint of determination in them that told her he was being as honest as anyone could be. Her heart went out to this brave man who was trying so valiantly to gather up the pieces of his life and meld them into something he could live with. Heaving a sigh, he said, “Sorry about that. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get past what happened over there.”
“One day you will, when you’re ready.”
“You sound pretty sure about that.”
“I am,” she assured him. “It took me a while, but eventually I learned to accept Brady’s suicide as a part of my life. Now that Chase and I are here, it’s obvious that leaving Boston was the first step in moving toward what’s coming next.”
“Which is?”
“I don’t know,” she confided honestly. “But I’ll figure it out, and you will, too. You’ve made a good start with your contracting business. And I know a little boy who thinks you’re a hero. The everyday kind that stops what he’s doing to play ball or watch cartoons.”
“Chase is a great kid.” Pausing, Sam added a wry grin. “I’m still not sure how he talked me into helping out with his team, though.”
She laughed. “Easy. He gave you those big, begging eyes and asked, and you couldn’t say no. He’s a little ham, just like his auntie D.”
To her relief, Sam chuckled. “Yeah, she’s tough to refuse. That’s how I ended up buying four different bathtubs for the master bathroom.”
“That’s our diva. Gotta love her.”
They both laughed, and then Sam got serious again. “Thanks for listening, Holly.”
“Anytime.”
* * *
The following afternoon, Sam glanced up when Holly appeared on the back porch, cordless phone in hand.
“That was Auntie D,” Holly said with an amused look on her face. “She’s going bonkers at the hospital, so Chase and I are going to visit her.”
“Didn’t you just go yesterday?”
“Yes, but she’s bored so we’re going again. She’s going to be there two more days, and I asked if I could bring her anything from home. She said to bring you, the granite and backsplash samples for the kitchen, and something called lava cookies.”
“One of Gran’s inventions,” he explained with a chuckle. “They’re kinda like thumbprint cookies, but she makes ’em with marmalade so she can pile it on and let it spill over the sides. Can’t imagine why Daphne wants to see me, though. The samples are small, so you could take them in yourself.”
“She wants an update, in person. You know how she is,” Holly went on, wiggling the phone and smiling. “Even a phone call is too impersonal for her. When she first retired, she complained about missing her friends. I offered to show her how to video chat with people anywhere in the world, but she hates computers.”
Actually, Sam agreed with his eccentric client on that one, but since Holly and Chase seemed to like the baffling contraptions, he kept his opinion to himself. Instead, he wiped his grimy hands on his jeans and realized that wasn’t going to cut it. “Well, I’m fine with going along if that’ll make her happy. I’ll get cleaned up and we can stop by the bakery on our way to the hospital. How does fifteen minutes sound?”
“Like ten minutes more than we need,” she replied in a lofty tone, swiveling to head back inside and holler for Chase.
Holly’s breezy manner made him grin as he strolled across the yard and through a break in the hedge to his own front door. Now that he thought about it, ever since she’d dropped into the bakery on that rainy afternoon, he’d been smiling more than he could recall doing in a long time. People had been trying to lift his mood for months without much success. Somehow, the plucky Southern belle had done it in just a few days.
Crazy, but true. The face staring back at him from the bathroom mirror looked younger than it had lately, more optimistic. It was as if Holly’s determination to move on with her life had started rubbing off on him, showing him a path forward from the gloomy pit where he’d been stalled for so long.
His former shrink would have a field day with that one, Sam mused as he pulled out his phone and pressed the speed dial for his grandmother’s number. She answered on the first ring, and he could hear the whir of a mixer in the background.
“This is a nice surprise. How’s my boy doing today?”
Ellie Calhoun was five feet tall and couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds, but she still called every one of her twelve grandsons boy in an affectionate tone that Sam found comforting. She had a way of making him feel that no matter what happened to him, she’d always be there for him with a patient ear and his favorite snack.
“I’m good. Sounds like you’re busy.”
“Never too busy for you, Sam. What did you need?”
“Do you have any lava cookies?”
Once he explained who they were for, she laughed. “I’ve got the cookies but they need lava. Daphne likes the raspberry best, so I’ll whip up a couple dozen for her and have them ready when you get here. Anything else?”
“No, that’ll do it. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
She air-kissed the phone in her usual goodbye, and he ended the call as he trotted down the porch steps and met the Andrewses by the shiny blue pickup parked in his driveway. “Ready?”
“Auntie D and cookies?” Chase said. “I’m always ready for them.”
“I don’t know where you put all that food you eat,” his mother chided, shaking her head as he climbed into the cab’s center seat. “At this rate, you’ll be six feet tall when you start third grade in the fall.”
“That’d make you the star of the basketball team,” Sam commented as he pulled out onto the street.
“Cool,” Chase said, looking around the roomy cab with a child’s curiosity. “This is bigger than the truck you had yesterday. Did you get a new one?”
“Just a different one. My work truck’s filthy and full of lumber, so I figured it was better to take this instead.”
When Chase’s eyes fell on the hardware dangling from the rearview mirror, they widened with interest. “Is that an Army medal?”
Sam berated himself for not thinking to remove it before they got in. But he seldom had passengers, and the few who rode anywhere with him knew his painful history all too well and would never even consider asking him about it. “Yeah, it is.”
“My dad had one kinda like that,” Chase said quietly, clearly understanding the significance. “We keep it on a shelf in the living room. What did you get yours for?”
Sam hesitated. He could have given the expected answer, because he had a similar award tucked away in his top dresser drawer. But he’d quickly grown to like the inquisitive boy, and while tempting, the idea of deceiving him just didn’t feel right.
So Sam took a quiet breath and tried to keep his answer simple. “It belonged to Nate, a good friend of mine. This was his truck, too. I always admired it, and he told me that if he didn’t make it home from where we were, he wanted me to have it.”
Sam felt the weight of those words crushing him, and he tried desperately to shake off the sensation that had plagued him for so long. Sometimes it felt as if he’d been lugging it around forever. He recognized that he had a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel, and he consciously forced his muscles to ease up.
“Did Nate like the Red Sox, too?” Chase asked.
“Chase,” his mother cautioned him. “I don’t think Sam wants to talk about this.”
Usually, he didn’t, but for some reason the innocent question made him chuckle. “Actually, he was a Yankees fan.”
“And you were friends?” Holly teased with a light laugh. “Is that allowed?”
“It was tough when they were playing each other, especially in the postseason. But we made it work. He was a good guy,” Sam added, grinning down at Chase. “I was the catcher on our high school team, and he was our best pitcher. Had a mean screwball no one in the league could even come close to hitting. You would’ve liked him.”
Nate’s faded Yankees cap was still folded up in the glove box, right where he’d left it. Sam almost mentioned that, then thought better of it. Most folks would think that was odd, or even slightly insane, and he didn’t want Daphne’s guests to worry that he was nuts. Why that mattered to him, he couldn’t say. But it did, and he decided that it was best to listen to his gut.
If only he’d done that on the fateful day that had changed everything, he lamented. But he hadn’t, and now he had to live with the consequences.
* * *
Ellie Calhoun was nothing like Holly had expected.
The way Sam had described his grandmother, she was a combination of Julia Child and Attila the Hun. Instead, she was a petite woman with sparkling blue eyes and a smile that could probably repel even the most determined set of clouds.
“It’s so nice to meet you both!” she exclaimed, embracing Holly and then Chase, beaming at them as if they were two of her favorite people in the world. “Daphne just goes on and on about you two, so it’s wonderful to see you in person.”
Interesting, Holly mused. Aside from pictures and a general description of the area, Daphne hadn’t offered up many details about the place where she’d chosen to spend her retirement. And the people? Nothing. It was as if Liberty Creek was some kind of secret she was keeping to herself, and Holly couldn’t help wondering why.
For now, though, she focused on returning the warm greeting. “It’s great to meet you, too. We appreciate you rushing a batch of cookies for Auntie D.”
Ellie waved off the thank you. “It’s nothing at all. I’ve always got cookies stacked up in the freezer, just waiting for folks who want them. Don’t I, Sam?”
She slid a look his way, and Holly followed the motion in time to see him chewing something that he’d obviously popped in his mouth while they’d been chatting. A quick glance at Chase showed her that he’d done the same, and she laughed. “Really, guys? You could’ve asked.”
Sam swallowed quickly. “We didn’t wanna interrupt you ladies while you were talking. That’d be rude.”
“Yeah, Mom. Besides, sneaking them is more fun.”
Hard to argue with that, she thought with a smile. She’d been so worried about uprooting Chase that it was heartening to see him quickly fitting into their new surroundings. Slipping back into mom mode, she prodded, “What do you say to Mrs. Calhoun?”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“You’re very welcome,” she replied, ruffling his hair in a practiced gesture. “There’s plenty more where those came from, so no harm done.”
She added an understanding smile for Holly, and she relaxed a little. She was so accustomed to keeping a tight rein on her son in Boston that it might take her a while to adjust to the more laid-back attitude here in rural New Hampshire.
“Now, these are for Daphne,” Ellie continued, setting a covered plastic cookie tray on the counter. Then she stacked another one on top. “And this assorted tray is for the nurses. I’ve no doubt she’s a horrible patient, and I’m sure they’ve had their hands full taking care of her.”
“And then some,” Holly agreed with a laugh. She reached out to take the cookies, but Sam beat her to it.
When she opened her mouth to protest, he gave her that boyish half grin that erased some of the years from his weathered features. “Just go with it, Peaches.”
“That was my childhood nickname,” Holly clarified, not wanting Ellie to think that she allowed men she barely knew to give her cute nicknames. Then she glared up at Sam. “Only Auntie uses it anymore.”
“Got it.” The grin deepened just a bit, and she caught a glimpse of a playful twinkle in his eyes that mimicked the sparkle she’d noticed in his grandmother’s. It suggested to her that somewhere under all those scars was a boy who could still see the good things going on around him. It gave her hope that Sam could dig his way out from under the unspoken tragedy he’d suffered and have a happy life.
Of course, she wouldn’t be there to see the changes, she reminded herself. It was just nice to believe they were possible.
Walking ahead of them to open the door, Ellie said, “Give my best to Daphne, now, and tell her we’re all dying to see her when she’s feeling better.”
“We’ll definitely do that,” Holly promised. “Thanks again.”
Leaning in, Sam kissed Ellie’s temple on his way by. She caught his cheek and drew his ear in to whisper something that made him smile. A real one, Holly noticed curiously, not the self-conscious kind she’d seen up until now. And despite her determination to keep him at a distance, she couldn’t help wondering what Ellie had told him to get that kind of reaction.
Once they were back in his truck, he pulled away from the curb and headed for the highway. “She said she was proud of me.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Very loudly,” he responded in a light tone that sounded almost like teasing.
“What’s she proud of you for?” Chase asked in that abrupt way young boys did.
“For doing a good job on your aunt’s house.” Sliding a glance at Holly, he added, “But mostly for being her boy. I’m thinking your mom understands what that means.”
“But you’re a grown-up,” Chase argued, his forehead puckered in confusion. “Why does your grandma call you her boy?”
“’Cause she does,” Sam replied with a chuckle. “I kinda like it, actually.”
“She’s real nice, and she makes great cookies.”
The kid logic made their driver smile, and Holly found herself joining in. She adored her son, but she’d always assumed that she was slightly biased. It was fun to see him interact with other adults and watch them respond to his sunny personality the same way she did.
The twenty-minute drive to the hospital passed by quickly enough, and when they reached the hallway that held Auntie D’s room, Holly heard a familiar voice.
“But you don’t understand. I don’t want it that way.”
She didn’t catch the muted, professional reply, but it led them to an open doorway and a scene straight out of a TV sitcom. Her aunt sat at an incline, clutching the remote that adjusted the bed. Apparently, she wasn’t sitting in the position the nurse thought was best for someone recuperating from a serious back injury, and they were literally fighting over the controls.
Face set in the fractious expression of a woman accustomed to having things precisely her way, the screen legend had stopped arguing but clearly had no intention of surrendering.
That’s our D, Holly heard her mother’s voice saying in her memory. Sweetness mixed with hurricane. You might as well just give in because she never will.
Summoning a light tone, Holly entered the room and gave the nurse a sympathetic smile. “I’m Holly Andrews, Daphne’s niece. Can I help somehow?”
“Ms. Mills needs her rest, but we’re having a difference of opinion on how much.”
The answer was delivered in a calm, rational tone, and Holly admired the woman’s nonjudgmental attitude. Of course, in the break room later on, she wouldn’t be surprised if it was a different story entirely.
“Holly, I’ve tried to explain—very nicely—that I don’t require much sleep. She refuses to listen to me.”
“She’s the pro here, Auntie. Don’t you think—”
“There’s my handsome little man!” Daphne interrupted, motioning Chase over to the bed. The gold and diamond rings she wore clashed with the utilitarian hospital bracelet, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Seeing you just makes my day.”
“Careful, bud,” Holly warned, pleased when he gently hugged their troublesome patient.
Then Daphne’s eyes lit on Sam, brightening with unabashed joy. “Are those my lava cookies?”
The nurse opened her mouth to protest the illicit treats, but Holly lifted a brow in warning. After a moment, the woman nodded and left them with instructions not to tire out their patient.
“Please,” Daphne huffed indignantly. “Tire me out. These people act as if I’ve got one foot in the grave. I’m bored out of my skull and so thrilled to see the three of you, I could positively bust.”
The charming Georgia accent that had won her so many roles in Hollywood was on full display while she regaled them with the saga of her hospital stay. No mention of the accident that had put her there, Holly noticed. It proved how much her aunt thought of Sam that she’d go out of her way not to risk hurting his feelings by treading on sensitive ground.
“Are those the kitchen material samples you brought?” she asked in the voice of a child anticipating a treat.
“All ten of them.” Sam set them on the tray beside the bed and wheeled it over for her.
She eyed each one carefully, tilting her head this way and that before sighing. “I can’t decide. Holly, you’ve always had excellent taste. What do you think?”
It was flattering to be consulted, and she studied them before pulling two darker ones away. By process of elimination, she settled on what she believed was the best combination of backsplash and granite colors. “These will look nice in the sunlight and also when it’s darker at night. Especially if you go with the ivory French country cabinets in this brochure,” she added, flipping the designer catalog open to the right page.
Daphne angled her gaze to Sam. “She’s good at this, isn’t she?”
“She sure is.”
He didn’t sound the least bit surprised by that, and Holly barely resisted the urge to hug him. Daphne considered the samples, tapping her chin with a perfectly manicured coral nail. Then, to Holly’s amazement, the retired diva looked her dead in the eyes and said, “You’re hired.”
“Excuse me?”
“You know my preferences as well as I do, and I have the worst time making decisions about any of this. I like each option better than the last one, and every change makes the project go on longer.”
Holly laughed. “I seem to recall hearing something about four bathtubs.”
“I’m not on a deadline, but I’m sure Sam would like to finish my house sometime this year, and me constantly changing my mind is only slowing him down.” Looking at him, she went on, “What do you think?”
“I’d be happy to get some help with the design end of things. I’m more of a hammer-and-nails kinda guy.” Pausing, he gave Holly a little grin. “So welcome aboard.”
“That’s settled, then,” Daphne said, brushing her hands together as if shedding herself of the problem. And then, she turned to Holly with pleading eyes. “But you need to take me home, Peaches. I’m going absolutely bonkers in here.”
“You make it sound like you’re in prison,” Holly chided her. “You’re only here for a couple more days, and from what I can see, you’ve got it pretty good.”
The private room was large and sunny and filled to near bursting with flowers, balloons and cards from so many friends, Holly couldn’t have named them all if she’d tried.
Folding her arms in a dangerous pose, her aunt clearly announced in an imperious tone, “I want to go home.”
“We came in Sam’s truck,” Holly argued, glancing to him for some backup. “It’s a long drive, and with your back in the shape it’s in, you wouldn’t be comfortable.”
Daphne’s deep blue eyes swung to her contractor, who suddenly seemed to be lacking a spine. Giving her an indulgent smile, he said, “I’ll drive back and get your car. You can visit with Chase while Holly takes care of the paperwork. We’ll have you outta here in no time.”
And just like that, Holly’s nice, orderly plan for preparing the house for Daphne’s homecoming went out the window.