Chapter Ten

It was another busy day at the Red Rose Inn, especially in the dining room. Kira noticed that since the rotary event there were more people coming in off the street for a meal. She was excited and pleased that Gail and Ben had started working together better, so the meals had been more than ordinary.

Kira walked into the kitchen and saw Gail sitting at the makeshift desk, her attention on a cookbook. She was excited about talking to Gail, since her cousin was a stickler for anything that made the Davises look good. Getting her on board with her plan should be a breeze.

“Gail, I wanted to talk to you for a minute.”

“Sure, Kira. Did you see that everyone who comes in is asking for the special?”

“You guys are doing an excellent job, and that’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

She went on to relay her plans and immediately regretted it after seeing her body language shift. Gail’s posture went from relaxed and open to stiff and impatient.

“There is nothing wrong with what we’re already doing. I think you need to be careful listening to Franklin.”

“How do you know that this was all Franklin’s idea?” She didn’t appreciate her cousin’s tone.

Gail shrugged. “You seem to hang onto his every word.”

Further ignoring the insinuation and snarky tone in her cousin’s voice, Kira said, “This would affect you and what you’re trying to do here as well. It would make us both look good.”

“You’re just trying to show off. We know that you worked in the big city, but this is a small town, Kira. We don’t need all of that.”

Gail loved to shine, so Kira was surprised by her reaction. Maybe because it wasn’t her idea? She was sure that if things started moving toward the positive, her cousin would jump on board.

“Forget about it, Gail. I wanted you with me on this. You know, showing unity, working together. But you’re being your normal, stubborn self. I don’t see why you can’t look past whatever you have against me and think about the family business.”

Gail’s face flushed; her features distorted. “I am thinking of the family. I always think about the family. You, on the other hand, seem to forget that this is not just your legacy, but everything you do affects all of us with the last name Davis.”

Kira had heard enough. She got up and rushed out of the kitchen—and ran right into Franklin.

“Excuse me,” she said, her tone curt.

She moved to go around him, but he stopped her when he said, “Hold on, we need to talk a minute.” He moved toward the back of the kitchen, near the pantry, and Kira followed, not caring if her cousin could see or hear them.

She leaned back against the wall while Franklin stood in front of her. “So, what’s the deal?”

“She makes me so angry,” Kira fumed.

Franklin put his hand on her shoulder to try to calm her. She was so furious she could spit fire. “Take a deep breath, sweetie.”

She looked up at him. “I am just so—”

“Breathe.”

Kira inhaled and exhaled, trying to get past the emotions bubbling inside her.

“Okay. Better,” he said. “Tell me what happened.”

“I wanted to bring Gail up to speed on our conversation about the presentation to the board about the inn, and she shut me down. Once again accusing me of doing something that would hurt the family.”

Franklin grabbed her hand and squeezed it. It was so warm and comforting that she could feel her heart rate slowing down, and she wasn’t as angry anymore. She saw him trying to look her in the eye again until she finally complied.

Franklin rested his back against the wall beside her. “You can’t worry about if others agree with you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. She could tell he was being careful in giving his honest opinion. She appreciated his patience.

“But…”

He shook his head. “No buts. So what, she rejected you. You’ve been given your dream job, so keep moving whether your cousin cooperates or not.”

“It’s just…”

“She will fall in line. I promise you.” They turned toward each other. “It’s going to be fine.”

Franklin was right, and deep down Kira had to admit that she was seeking her cousin’s approval. She’d wanted to be one of them since she was a girl. Pretending she didn’t care about their unsubstantiated complaints about her wasn’t helping. They still treated her in the same manner. Whether they liked it or not, she was a Davis.

Franklin stood with his arms open. “I think you need this hug.”

Kira glanced around to see if anyone was watching before she walked into his arms. “Thank you so much for all you do around here to help me.”

“It is my pleasure,” he said before quickly placing a kiss on top of her hair and releasing her. “You are going to do your family proud. I feel it in here.” He put her hand over his heart.

Their eyes connected for so long that Kira cleared her throat before looking away. “Let’s meet later on and go over everything. I don’t want anyone to walk back here.”

“Can we get together after everyone has gone to bed? This way neither of us will be called for an emergency and we can focus on each other and the project.”

She heard what he said, and honestly, she liked being with him. “Maybe after we’re done, we can watch one of my favorite movies.”

Franklin grinned. “What movie is that?”

“Transformers.”

“What? Cars, trucks, and metal toys morphing into robots that talk?” He looked at her. “You surprise me.”

Kira threw her hands up. “Surprise.”

He laughed. “Meet you in the dining hall.”

She watched him until he disappeared. A tug in her stomach warned her that she was getting way too close. But who was she fooling? It was already too late.

…

Sitting side by side at a small table in the dining room, Franklin and Kira had been working for over two hours on their project using Kira’s laptop. Making progress always made him feel good. He proofread the last section that they’d just updated.

“Franklin, can I ask you a personal question?”

“Of course. Ask away.” He kept his eyes on the words on the page.

“How are you coping with being a civilian?”

Franklin pushed the laptop forward to give Kira his undivided attention. As he thought about her question, he had to admit that life as a civilian was a bit harder than he thought. “When I was in the military, I pretty much knew what I was going to do every day. It was structured.”

“You’re very meticulous and you handle the staff with precision. It’s more structured than I’ve ever seen around here now.”

“Well, thank you. But what I’m talking about is everything was straightforward with no deviation. Uniforms had to be on straight, haircuts within regulation, and a clean-shaven face. This was every day. Projects we worked on went by the plans that were drawn out again, by regulation. But we went about them all in the same way.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Miss what? The army?” Franklin shrugged. “I wouldn’t say I miss it, but I do miss my comrades, you know, the army brotherhood. I’d been in the military so long that the others had become my extended family.”

“I guess that can’t be helped, considering you all had to trust each other with your lives.”

Franklin nodded. “Yes. Some of the best people I know, I met in the army. It’s been a good experience. I’ve seen the world. I love building bridges and making things that will be around for decades.”

“Enough to spend your life there?”

“Well, I’ve given the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers more than fifteen years. Coming back to Clover has changed my thinking a bit.”

Kira shook her finger teasingly at him. “See? You went from being an engineer to helping me run a boutique hotel in a small town. How can that be gratifying?”

“Believe it or not, I’ve had my doubts, but seeing this place and you grow and develop is satisfying.” Franklin covered her hand. “Let me put it to you plainly. I’ve found that small-town life isn’t bad. And maybe it’s because I never thought I’d find someone like you.”

Her face reddened. “Me?” Her voice sounded dreamy as she batted her eyelashes at him.

“Yes. It feels good to build a mutual friendship with a smart and even more beautiful woman like you.”

“Friendship?”

Franklin nodded. “I know we haven’t declared that we are dating or, you know, whatever the labels people put on their relationships. But I value our friendship just the same.”

He saw her face redden, but they’d promise to be honest with each other.

“So, have you made a decision to go back to the military?”

He shook his head. “I haven’t had time to think about it, really.”

“What’s holding you back?”

“It’s a big decision, and I have to weigh everything carefully.”

“Is that why you wanted this job?”

“To give me time to make a decision?” He shrugged. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

Kira leaned against his shoulder. “Your thoughts are safe with me. Maybe if you talk them out with a good friend”—she pointed to herself—“you can gain some clarity.”

“My plan was to come back to Clover, spend some time with my family, and travel for a while, then make a decision. But then I met you.” He looked around the room. “And started working here.”

Kira smiled. “I’m glad you did.”

“For some reason, I want to learn more about your aunt Sophia and my father.”

“Why? Because of the feud?”

“Yes and no. I’ve always felt my father was holding back. I want to understand him. If I can find out more about their relationship, it will help me.”

“Maybe sticking around here could heal that whole situation.”

Franklin sighed. “Even if only to get clarity for myself. So, as for me, I’m not sure what’s in my future.”

“Have you thought about marriage?”

A year or two ago, the question would have terrified him. After he’d invested so much of himself in another person and she let him down, he didn’t want to do it again. He’d always wanted a relationship like his parents had, but now, coming to Clover and discovering the details of his father’s connection to Sophia Davis confused him. He couldn’t tell Kira all of that. He was still trying to sort through his own feelings about love and marriage. So he gave her his standard answer.

“Military has been my life for such a long time and the only thing that I’ve ever thought about doing. It wasn’t until after talking to some of my comrades a few months before the end of this last tour that I even thought about a family of my own. And seeing my nieces and nephews the other night at my parents’ house brought it back to me.” Franklin turned to her. “Honestly, since returning to Clover, I’ve thought about settling down. What about you?”

Kira’s eyes widened and her brows rose, clearly not expecting him to flip the question back to her. She hesitated, but Franklin didn’t push. Marriage was a heavy subject.

“You’ve never thought about having a husband and children?”

“Not really. I’ve been laser-focused on securing this position. I’ve worked side by side with my aunt for the last five years. I don’t have much of a social life.”

“I guess not, if you’re watching Transformers as your entertainment.”

Kira playfully punched him in the arm. “Ha, ha.”

“I’m kidding.” He squeezed her hand. “I don’t want to put any more pressure on you. I love having you around, and you’ve become a good friend.”

Franklin couldn’t take his gaze off her soft brown eyes. She was so mesmerizing. Their dance from the other night flashed before him. He remembered what she felt like in his arms. He yearned to have that closeness with her again, but he’d already talked to himself about self-control, before he’d come to meet her tonight, and honoring her boundaries as her employee.

Franklin looked at his watch. “It’s getting late now, we have to get up early, and as much as I love being in your company, I’d better get some sleep.”

Kira nodded as Franklin kissed her forehead. “We’re going to knock your aunt’s socks off,” he commented as she stood, lifting the computer from the table. “I’m going to put the finishing touches on this if you don’t mind. I’ll bring it to your office early enough for us to go over everything.”

She nodded. “Good night, Franklin.”

As he watched her walk away, he silently wished that the Davises would give her a chance to show them that they’d made the right decision appointing her to oversee the inn. And he hoped that Kira wouldn’t jump the gun and do something that she’d regret, trying to get their approval.