Natalie watched Julia lean on the counter and stare at the pastries on display. “Try the peanut butter cookies. They’re fabulous.”
Julia straightened and shook her head. “I need to lose three pounds.”
Natalie knew better than to object. Julia maintained her weight like a drill sergeant. “I have a date with Carson,” she announced. She’d been dying to tell her friends.
Shelby nearly choked on her latte. “A real date?”
Natalie nodded. “Dinner and everything.”
“What about Mia?” Julia asked. “Who’s watching her?”
“I thought I’d ask Zoe.”
Julia shook her head. “Let me. I’d like to do it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Mia and I are buds. I’m in the mood to watch Finding Nemo again.”
“I need help with what to wear.”
“That’s Julia’s forte too,” Reese said. “You don’t believe Carson’s Mia’s father anymore?” Her voice rose over the sound of the beans Natalie was grinding.
Natalie’s elation faded. “I still don’t know what to think about that. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt as I get to know him.” Zoe came in from the back room then, and Natalie froze. Surely she hadn’t heard them talking. While her cousin wasn’t a gossip, she was blunt and often said things without thinking of the consequences. “I’ll let you take over, Zoe,” she said, shooting a warning glance at her friends.
Julia shoved items of clothing aside in Natalie’s closet. “What do you mean you didn’t tell him Friday was your birthday?” She wore slim-fitting slacks and a bright green sweater that showed her figure to advantage.
“I didn’t want him to make a big deal of it.” Natalie pulled a box from the top shelf and opened the lid. She lifted out a black snakeskin heel. “How about these Pliners that you got me last year for Christmas?”
Julia glanced at them. “I love those on you. They make your legs look fabulous. You need a short skirt.”
“Not short!”
“Trust me on this—men love short skirts.” Julia held up a black skirt that had a flirty ruffle on the bottom. “This is perfect.”
“I’ve never worn it. Don’t you think it’s a little, well, daring for me? Maybe even too young?”
“You’re thirty, not fifty. You’re young enough to wear anything. Let’s figure out the top.” Julia rummaged again until she found a red lace top with a V-neck. “I’ve never seen you wear this either. It still has the tags on it. Hey, wait a minute.
I bought this for you last year for your birthday.”
“I hate to remind you, but I’ll be thirty-one on Friday.
And yes, you got me the top.”
Julia put her hands on her hips. “I bet I got the skirt too.”
Natalie suppressed a smile. “You have a good memory.”
“Well, you’re wearing it on Friday. He’ll be speechless.”
She perched on the rose coverlet on the bed. “I don’t know how to tell you this, Nat.”
Natalie’s smile faded at the serious expression on Julia’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“I was in the bank today and overheard two women talking about Carson being Mia’s father.”
The strength went out of Natalie’s legs, and she sank onto the bed beside Julia. “Zoe must have overheard us.”
Julia nodded. “It’s probably all over town by now.”
“I hope Mia doesn’t hear about it.”
“You probably ought to warn Carson.”
The thought of telling Carson made Natalie spring to her feet and pace the lavender carpet. “He’s going to think I was gossiping.”
“It’s not like you’re a couple. Not yet anyway.”
“We might be heading that way.” Natalie settled on the carpet with her legs crossed. “I don’t know what’s happening between us.”
“Do you trust him?”
“I want to. I’m trying to. Working together has made me see he’s got integrity. How could a man of integrity ignore his daughter?”
“You know what I think.”
“That Lisa lied. I’m beginning to wonder myself.” She decided to change the subject. “At least the town project is moving along. I think we’re going to do this!”
Julia’s expression turned thoughtful. “You know what would be great? If Sawyer would write a song to go with the town.”
Natalie gaped when the suggestion took hold. “That’s a great idea! Can’t you just see what kind of attention that would bring us? I wonder if he would do it.”
“Carson could ask him. He might make it a song about his fiancée and how smitten with her he was when he first laid eyes on her.” Julia sighed. “I don’t think I’ll ever feel that kind of overwhelming attraction. Men are pigs.”
Natalie laughed. “You haven’t dated the right one yet.”
“And I’m not likely to in this hick town,” Julia said gloomily. She sprang to her feet. “I’d better run. We’ll come to the coffee shop for our birthday cake and party before the big dinner.”
“You will be gone before he comes, right?” Natalie gave an inward shudder at the thought of the girls being there when she left with Carson.
“We’ll be perfect ladies. Shelby has been coaching us.”
Natalie walked Julia to the door. “That wasn’t a promise.”
Julia’s smile was impish as she opened the door—and ran smack into Carson. He caught her before she could fall.
“Sorry,” Julia said, laughing. “Hi, Carson. Bye, Carson!”
Natalie’s stomach fluttered at the warmth in his gaze. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” she said, stepping aside for him to enter. How on earth could she tell him that she and the girls had inadvertently started a terrible rumor?
“I’m on my way to work, so I can’t stay,” he said. “I found this under my door.” He showed her a note from the school that had been colored in crayon.
Dear Mr. Smitten, You are invited to Smitten Elementary for a tea to honor our girls and their fathers on May 2 at 2:00 p.m. We hope you can come. Love, Mia
The Mr. Smitten and Mia’s signature had been written in block letters.
Something kicked in Natalie’s chest. “Oh dear,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry, Carson. I never meant . . .”
“You told her I was her father?” His eyes showed hurt.
Natalie shook her head violently. “No! The girls and I were discussing it at the coffee shop. We didn’t know anyone could overhear, but I think—”
“Someone did,” he finished for her.
She could barely force herself to look him in the eye. “I think so. I’m so sorry. Truly.”
His lips flattened. “It’s a little late for an apology.”
He stared down at her. “You still don’t trust me, do you, Natalie?”
“I-I want to,” she whispered. “I’m trying. Lisa is my sister, so it’s hard for me.”
“It wasn’t easy for me to trust you either. Did you think about that at all? It would have been easy for me to think you’re just like her, since you’re sisters.”
She shuddered at the bleakness in his face. “I’m sorry, Carson. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re one of the few people who can,” he said. He held up the note. “What do I do about this?”
“If you show up to the tea . . .”
“People will assume even more that the rumors are true,” he said. “I know, but I can’t let Mia feel she has no one who would come with her.”
Her earlier doubts resurged. Would a man care like this if he weren’t Mia’s father? “I can’t let you do that, though,” she said. “You know how a small town is. It’s going to be bad enough for you without this. I’ll talk to Mia. Maybe I can get my brother to come from Boston and go with her.” She doubted Paul would be able to come, though. He often traveled with his job, and chances were he was out of town.
He turned toward the door. “Maybe.”
She didn’t want him to go with the tension between them.
“Before you go, Julia had a great idea. What if Sawyer wrote a song called ‘Smitten’? And sang it for the first time at the wedding?”
He turned back toward her, but his expression was guarded. “It would be good for his career and good for us too.
A win-win situation. I’ll give him a call tonight and ask him.”
“We thought so too, but I don’t know how long it takes to write a song and get it produced and ready for distribution.”
“I don’t know either, but Sawyer will do what he can, I think. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
He hesitated, and she thought for a moment that he was going to say something about what she’d done. Then he twisted the doorknob and stepped back into the sunshine.
“See you Friday,” he said.
“See you,” she echoed. Should she even go?
The work on the cabins was coming along, and the hardware store was busy with customers. Carson had been asked to order material for the new fudge shop going in next to Mountain Perks as well as the remodel of the bookstore down the street.
He stuck the cloth he’d been using to wash the front window into his pocket when he saw Mia and Natalie crossing the street in his direction. When it was clear they were coming to the hardware store, he stepped out onto the sidewalk to greet them.
Mia carried two lavender wreaths in her hand. “We came to bring you a wreath,” she said, holding them up for his inspection.
“Very nice,” he said. “Let me get a wreath hanger and we’ll put it up.”
Natalie’s expression warmed. “I wasn’t sure if you were ready for one or not.”
“After seeing my cabins being wrecked and rebuilt, you should know I’m ready.”
He left them on the sidewalk while he fetched what he needed to hang the wreath. Conscious of Natalie’s gaze on him, he attached the hanger to the door, then took the wreath and positioned it.
“Perfect,” he said, stepping back. “Go inside and tell Candy to give you a sucker, honey.”
“Cherry ones?” Mia asked.
“You bet. Take two.” He opened the door for her and caught another whiff of the lavender.
Rose Garner came toward him. Her smile brightened when she saw them together. She glanced at Natalie. “I’m glad to see you don’t believe that nonsense circulating through town, Natalie.”
Natalie’s face went pink. “Aunt Rose . . .”
“Now, honey, we both know Lisa. It’s not being disloyal to speak the truth. I’m glad you finally have seen through your sister.” She stared at Carson. “You be good to my niece, Carson Smitten. And I’ll be glad to welcome you into the family.”
Now it was his turn for his face to flame. He didn’t know what to say. “Uh, thanks, Ms. Garner.”
She patted his cheek. “Glad to see you have a wreath on that door of yours.”
“Thanks to Mia, of course.”
“I think I’ll take Mia for ice cream, if you don’t mind, Natalie,” Rose said. “Is she around?”
“That’s fine.” Natalie barely mumbled the words. “She’s inside.”
“I’ll bring her back later.” Rose headed for the door.
No way did he want to discuss their relationship with Natalie. Not now. “Sawyer called yesterday,” he said. “He was excited about the song idea. He’ll see what he can do. They were working on the guest list. So far it’s at five hundred people.”
She clapped her hands. “Yay! This is going to be big, Carson. Which means maybe two hundred and fifty people will show up. You can usually assume half of your guest list won’t be able to make it, especially for a destination wedding.”
She pursed her lips. “Though that statistic may not hold true for a celebrity wedding.”
“He told me to count on about three hundred. The most my cabins would hold is a forty-eight, if we stuffed people in four to a cabin. And people won’t be willing to do that unless entire families are coming.”
“So we have a problem,” she said.
He liked the way she said we. “Any ideas?”
She chewed on her lip and looked up and down the street.
“We need some kind of hotel.”
“But could it even be built in time?”
“Probably not.”
“I have an idea,” he said slowly, the seed taking root. “I have some acreage south of town. Uncle Howard wanted to do all he could to get this off the ground. I could ask him if he’d be willing to help me build a larger lodge there. Since I already own the land, things could proceed much faster.”
“A large enough lodge is going to be expensive. Can he afford that?”
He shrugged. “I can only ask.”
“It will mean losing control over your property and taking on your uncle as a partner. Are you prepared to do that?”
She seemed to really care how he felt. The realization warmed him. “I’m finding I’d do just about anything for you,” he said.
A flush stained her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. “I’ll help all I can.”
“I’ll need it. This is a much bigger project than cabin remodels.”
She chewed on her lip. “My brother is an architect. He’s done big hotels for major chains. I could ask him if he’d do some freelance work.”
“You’re kidding. That’s thousands of dollars.”
“I think he’d be willing to help. We could give him some free advertising by telling the media he designed the lodge. I think he’d do it for a song.”
He held her gaze. “You’re a good woman, Natalie Mansfield.
When you believe in something, you are all in, aren’t you?”
“Isn’t everyone?”
He shook his head. “Too many people quit when the going gets tough. You just get more determined.”
Her blush heightened. “Some would call that hardheaded. Or stubborn.”
“I’ll tell you a secret. You’re the reason I believe this will work. You could sell refrigerators to the Eskimos.”
She smiled. “I think I’ve heard that before, only it’s been said with less respect.”
“That might be why we’ve butted heads now and then in the past—you’re not one to sit back and take orders. You like to make things happen.”
“Guilty as charged,” she said. “There is nothing that irritates me more than whiny quitters.”
“I hope I’m never one of those,” he said, grinning down at her.
“People look up to you,” she said. “I’ve always respected you and known you put careful thought into your decisions.”
“Even though you didn’t always agree.”
“Even though I often didn’t want to agree.” She diffused the words with a smile. “I didn’t like admitting you were right. It’s a character flaw I have to work on. Among many.”
“I don’t see any flaws,” he said softly.
The connection between them broke when he was summoned inside to help a customer. Natalie went to the park, where she took out her phone and called her brother, Paul.
When she explained what she needed, he was quick to offer to help.
“Can it be built in time?” she asked.
“If we get right on it,” he said. “It’s not like it’s a mega-hotel. Average time to build a hotel is about a year, but many have been built in a much shorter time. Heck, the Ark Hotel in China took only two days!”
“I doubt we have that kind of labor,” she said, smiling at her brother’s optimism.
“So it’s going to be a romance capital,” Paul said, a smile in his voice. “And the avowed spinster is spearheading the project. Rather ironic, don’t you think?”
Spinster. She winced at the ugly word. “I’ve never been against marriage.”
“No, you’re just afraid of making a mistake like Mom and Lisa.”
“You’re hardly a poster child for commitment,” she said.
“You never know,” he said. “Even this old dog could change his spots. You could too if you learned to trust a little.”
“Well, back to the hotel,” she said. “Let me give you Carson’s number. You can discuss with him what he wants.”
Was that what she was doing with Carson? Learning to trust?