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After Grace and Harriet enjoyed hot chocolate in the kitchen, they went to bed, Grace appreciative that her sister was looking out for her – apart from interrupting that incredible kiss.
But I’ll see him tomorrow.
The next day, when she opened the bookstore, Sam wasn’t there. Tanya was though, her enthusiasm rubbing off on Grace.
All morning, Grace waited for Sam to stop by. Finally, at lunchtime, she spied him striding into the vacant store across the square.
“I think I’ll take my lunch now, Tanya.” Grace grabbed her purse from behind the desk and hurried out the door.
She barely heard her employee’s surprised, “Sure.”
Walking across the square, Grace attempted to tamp down the butterflies in her stomach. She wanted to see Sam, but just the thought of that kiss last night made her feel shyer than usual.
She peeked in through the large glass windows of the empty storefront. The space inside was bare – wooden floorboards and white walls. It had been a small boutique with expensive clothes that women usually didn’t wear around here – maybe that was why it had closed down?
Then she saw him. Sam straightened up from behind the wooden counter, attired in a smoke gray suit. Her face broke into a smile; she couldn’t help it. Taking a deep breath, she opened the plate glass door and walked in.
“Hi.” She was aiming for a confident voice but wasn’t sure if she succeeded.
“Hi.” He appeared pleased to see her, smiling down at her. “I was going to stop by the bookshop in a bit.”
“What are you doing?” She looked around the empty store, her gaze curious.
“I’m not sure if my idea will work yet,” he told her. “But like I said last night, I won’t be in competition with you.”
She nodded, her gaze landing on his face once more. When he looked at her, did he think about their kiss last night? The way he’d held her in his arms, so tender, yet his face had been full of desire?
“Who’s going to run this place?” she asked, wondering if she was crazy to think he would say he was. How could he, when he had business stuff going on in Seattle, as well as co-managing the art gallery with his brother Parker?
“I’m—”
Brring Brring. He made an annoyed sound as he dug his phone out of his pocket. He looked at the screen and then at her. “I better take this – sorry.”
She nodded in understanding and moved away, not wanting to eavesdrop.
Sam conducted the conversation in a low tone. She stared out of the window, pretending she couldn’t hear anything he said – mostly she couldn’t – and watching a couple of middle-aged women enter the bookshop – her bookshop. She hoped Tanya sold them lots of books – and bookmarks. When Tanya had started, she’d shown her the products that they made the most profit on, and the other girl had been enthusiastic about showing customers those items – as well as the paperbacks and hardcovers.
“I checked on her last week when I was in Seattle.” That was Sam’s voice, sounding a little short. She turned to peek at him. “Yes, she’s fine.”
A pause.
“You’ve been saying that for years now.” Sam sighed. “Yes, okay. I’ve got to go.” He flicked a look at Grace, who immediately swung her attention back to the window overlooking the town square. “Okay.”
He must have ended the call.
She turned tentatively back to him, noticing the troubled expression on his face.
“Is ... is everything okay?” She hoped he didn’t think she was prying.
“Yeah.” He smiled wryly. “Sort of. That was my dad. He wanted to make sure Mom was okay.”
“Is she?” She hoped so.
“Yes, she’s fine. She lives in Seattle and is head of the local gardening club. Dad left her – us – a long time ago, and every so often he feels guilty about it and calls me, asking me to check on her. He should know by now that I make sure Mom has everything she needs.” He paused. His tone grew bitter. “He’s on his fourth wife now.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say. Her parents had been happily married for the last thirty-six years.
“I was visiting him last year, when you inherited the ranch. He lives in the Bahamas and was having knee replacement surgery, and wanted one of us to visit him.” He shrugged. “Parker was busy with the gallery, so I volunteered.”
“That was a nice thing to do,” she said softly.
“It is what it is.” He sighed. “Mom’s never remarried – and seems happy now on her own. But it was a struggle at first – for all of us. I had to grow up fast and look out for Parker.”
She nodded, wishing she didn’t have to see the remembered pain in his expression.
“Anyway—” he shoved his phone back into his pocket “—why don’t we forget about that phone call and I’ll take you to lunch?”
“Okay.” She smiled at him, hoping she could cheer him up over their meal.
It was only later that she realized he hadn’t told her if he was going to stay in Spring River Bend to run the mysterious store.
***
Sam walked around the empty store, ordering himself not to look at Grace’s bookshop across the square. He was acting like a love-struck teenager, hoping to get another glimpse of his crush. He’d just had lunch with her, for Pete’s sake.
But he found himself staring through the large windows. Of course he couldn’t see her; she was inside, probably attending to customers.
He hadn’t been able to get last night’s kiss out of his mind. It was probably just as well her sister Harriet had interrupted them – not very subtly, though. Because otherwise, it would have killed him to let Grace go.
But his father’s phone call had rattled him. How could he offer Grace a life with him, when he only had a screwed-up family to offer her? He and Parker weren’t close with their father, and although his dad now seemed to recognize he’d made a mistake leaving them when they were young, he wasn’t doing anything about it – apart from marrying and divorcing a few times.
He didn’t want to be that kind of guy.
He couldn’t be that kind of guy.
But how could he be sure he wouldn’t suddenly become that kind of guy once he had a ring on his finger? He was ten years older than Grace. His father had been eight years older than his mother.
After his fiancée had revealed her true colors, he wondered if his brother Parker had had the right idea, playing around without commitment. But he hadn’t wanted to go that route either.
So where did that leave him – and Grace?
***
Four days after Sam arrived back in Spring River Bend, Grace checked the B & B bookings. One of the cabins was vacant as of today. Should she tell him? Or perhaps he preferred staying at the fancy hotel in Billings?
Their homely little cabins couldn’t compete with luxurious décor and designer shower gels, although she and her sisters had done their best to make the cottages charming in a rustic way. The beds were comfortable, they used three hundred thread count sheets, and provided the nicest toiletries they could afford, while still making a profit.
And some of their guests raved about the hearty breakfast they provided.
But would all that be good enough for Sam?
Was she good enough for Sam?
They’d seen each other every day, usually meeting for lunch or dinner. And although he’d kissed her again, it hadn’t been like that hot, passionate kiss he’d given her that night on the farmhouse porch. Until Harriet had interrupted them.
Harriet had been true to her word and hadn’t interfered again. She’d slept over in her fiancé Coop’s quarters ever since, winking exaggeratedly when Grace mentioned her absence from the house.
Which meant Grace had the farmhouse to herself, if she wanted to invite Sam over for the night.
Did she?
She wanted nothing else. But ever since she’d witnessed that phone call from his dad, he’d seemed to put a little distance between them.
Had Sam realized it wasn’t going to work between them and was trying to let her down easily? Or was he just distracted about family stuff and whatever he had planned for the empty store in the town square?
***
“How’s the B & B going?” Sam asked later that day. He’d entered the bookshop and Tanya had just gone to lunch.
“It’s good.” The memory of checking the bookings flashed through her mind. “In fact,” she drew in a deep breath, “the couple who stayed for the last four nights have just checked out and we don’t have any other bookings for that cabin.” She studied his expression, wondering what was going through his mind.
“In that case, put me down as your next guest.” He paused. “Unless—”
“No.” She cut him off. “That would be perfect.”
She blushed, realizing what she’d said. But he didn’t seem to mind. They stood looking at each other, smiling, until the door jangled and a matronly woman walked in, asking where the crime thrillers were.
Sam nodded to Grace as he left, gesturing that he’d be across the road at the empty store. She only wished he wasn’t being so mysterious about his plans for the vacant shop across the square.
***
Over the next week, Grace floated on a cloud – most of the time. Now that he was staying in their B & B cabin, she and Sam shared the drive to Spring River Bend, Sam picking her up at five p.m., where they either drove into Billings for an early dinner or went back to the farmhouse, where Grace cooked for them.
One night, they even enjoyed dinner with her sisters and their men, Tess and Garth inviting them to their new log home.
Grace began to feel that maybe her relationship with Sam was real, that they could have something special together – apart from the fact he hadn’t made another move on her.
Yes, they snuggled a bit on the sofa at night while watching TV, before Sam excused himself around nine o’clock, saying they both had early starts.
And the same thing happened when they came back from dinner in Billings. He’d give her a quick kiss goodnight – on the lips at least – which Grace assured herself was better than on her cheek – then depart into his cabin – alone.
If he was interested in her in a romantic sense, then why wasn’t he attempting to take things further? She wasn’t the kind of girl who jumped into bed on the first date – or the third date – but her feelings for Sam made her want to go up to the next level – even if that was just passionate kisses. It was more than what she was getting right now.
***
Several days after Sam had checked into their B & B, Grace crossed the town square to the empty store. He seemed to spend most of his days in there, which now sported a desk, an executive chair, and a laptop.
When she’d asked him what he was up to, he’d finally told her he was catching up on business stuff from the shop, communicating with his assistant back in Seattle via email, phone, and video conferencing.
Grace had managed to tamp down her premature excitement at his words. If he could run his business interests from here, did that mean he was thinking of staying permanently – for her?
But she hadn’t been able to find the words to ask him that. And what if he’d said no? She’d be embarrassed, and if he was thinking of having a long-term relationship with her, her presumption might scare him off.
No, she told herself as she reached the vacant shop, she needed to play it cool – it wasn’t as though Sam gave her any other choice.
But today, she’d decided to invite him for lunch. Surprise him. And tonight, she’d cook a special dinner for them at the farmhouse. Something very romantic. If he didn’t get the hint that she wanted more from him than a peck on the lips, then she might as well resign herself to the fact that he didn’t really think of her in a romantic sense – and maybe they’d need to talk. If he wasn’t into her, then why was he still hanging around Spring River Bend?
Grace stepped up to the entrance door, spying Sam at his desk through the plate glass. She entered the shop, a smile on her lips.
“Sam, would you like to have lunch – oh!”
A woman stepped out of the shadowy corner of the shop. A tall, slim, glamorous woman. She looked to be in her early thirties, with glossy dark hair hitting her jawline, a well-made up face, and wearing a black pencil skirt with a short-sleeved red silk blouse showing off her toned arms. A gold bracelet encircled her slim wrist.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Grace’s disconcerted gaze swung from Sam to the woman and back again.
“Grace, this is Lana.” Sam’s voice was gruff.
Lana’s gaze flickered over Grace from top to bottom, seeming to calculate if she was a threat, and then dismissing her after a couple of seconds. She flashed her a thin-lipped smile.
“I’m afraid we’re in the middle of negotiations,” Lana told Grace. “So if you wouldn’t mind ...”
Before Grace could say anything, Sam broke in.
“I thought we’d just finished our discussion.” He started moving toward Grace.
Lana laughed, a sound that Grace assumed was meant to be sophisticated, but instead sounded a little sinister.
“We have, if you’ve changed your mind about giving me an exhibition.”
Sam shook his head. “We’ve just been over that. If Parker told you no, then I have to back his decision.”
“This is what happens when you ask your ex-fiancé for a favor,” Lana told Grace, annoyed amusement on her face.
Grace blinked. Did Lana mean she was Parker’s ex or Sam’s? Just the thought of her being with Sam made her feel dispirited. How could she compete with someone like Lana for Sam’s affections?
“We were over a long time ago,” Sam said shortly.
“All the more reason to let me have an exhibition in your gallery, now that I’m an artist,” Lana told him.
She’d been Sam’s fiancée. Grace’s despondence deepened.
Sam tightened his lips. “Sorry, it’s not going to happen.”
“But I’ve come all this way.” Lana frowned, as if not used to hearing the word No.
“And there’s your car.” Sam gestured to a shiny silver SUV parked at the curb outside the store. Grace had barely registered it when she’d hurried over from the bookstore, intent on taking Sam to lunch.
He looked at his watch. “If you hurry, you might be able to catch the three o’clock flight back to Seattle.”
Resentment flashed across Lana’s face. She looked as if she were about to lash out, but restrained herself, her lips clamped shut. After a few seconds, she took in a deep breath.
“Very well.” Her voice was tight. “But one day you’ll regret this, Sam Hartwell. When I’m a household name, and art galleries are clamoring for me to show with them, there will be one gallery that I will never step foot in – and that will be yours.”
Lana strode out of the shop, her head held high, no longer registering the presence of either one of them.
Grace’s eyes had widened during the whole scene, but she reluctantly admired the other woman’s angry composure, and the way she’d swept out of there.
She heard the slam of the car door then the roar of the engine as Lana took off, presumably to the airport.
“I’m sorry you had to witness that.” Sam’s voice broke the silence.
“You were engaged to her?” Grace looked up at him, studying his rueful expression, wishing his answer would be no.
“Yes.” He raked his hands through his hair. “It was before I met you.”
That was some comfort, at least.
“And I broke up with her before I met you.”
Oh.
“I discovered she only wanted to marry me for the perks.” He sighed. “She loved going to opening nights, wearing the latest fashions, getting her photo in the social section of the newspaper. And when I found out she was marrying for all that instead of—” he hesitated “—me, I ended the engagement.”
“That’s understandable,” she said softly, her heart reaching out to him. She’d never had that problem, but she knew what it was like to be passed over by the opposite sex because she didn’t meet the ideal they had in their mind.
He chuckled wryly. “Parker gave me a heads up early this morning when he’d realized he’d let slip where I was. Just as well. He also told me her paintings were terrible – apparently one of her friends has had some success lately as an artist, and Lana seemed to think she had talent as well.” He shook his head. “But who knows? The art world can be fickle. Our terrible could be someone else’s collectible.”
Grace nodded, knowing that she preferred “proper paintings” as she privately called them, to modern art installations that she could never work out what they were supposed to be – even though some critics raved about them.
“But Lana’s in the past.” He tenderly stroked her hair.
She held her breath at his touch, wanting to close her eyes and lean into him, but now wasn’t the time or place – was it? They were alone, and she certainly didn’t have any ex-fiancé’s about to pop up – she didn’t have any ex-fiancé’s in the first place.
Sam slowly lifted his hand, as if remembering that Grace had started to say something to him when she’d entered the store.
“What were you asking me?”
“I was going to invite you to lunch.” She was so different to Lana – would her invitation seem hopelessly gauche? But following that logic, wouldn’t all their lunches in Spring River Bend seem homely and unsophisticated? It hadn’t even entered her mind until now that Sam might view them that way.
But he smiled at her. “Sounds good. I’ll take you to the coffee shop.”
She shook her head. “I invited you. I’ll take you to the coffee shop. Harriet’s working the lunch shift—”
“So we’ll be able to get a great coffee.” He finished her sentence.
Their gazes met in perfect understanding. As Sam followed her out of the store, Grace was only sorry his ex-fiancée had sought him out. Would he begin comparing the two of them? He’d told her that Lana was in the past, but did he really mean that? She couldn’t hope to compete with the other woman’s glamour or sophistication. Grace didn’t have any.
Why was Sam still hanging around Spring River Bend? He still hadn’t told her what his idea was for the storefront, apart from using it as a quasi-office. And it wasn’t as if they were getting hot and heavy with each other – in fact, pretty much the opposite.
Was she ready to cook a romantic dinner for him tonight and try to seduce him? She hadn’t admitted the actual seduction part to herself before but that was what it amounted to. If she couldn’t snag Sam’s passionate attention tonight, then she would have to concede, and go back to reading her favorite romance novels and dreaming about what might have been – if Sam had truly been attracted to her.
