SHELBY WASN’T BACK YET. It was well into the afternoon, and she still hadn’t resurfaced. I paced in the inn’s front room, staring out the large picture windows and waiting for her to come walking up.
I’d thought about driving around Harmony looking for her but decided against it. Miss Porter needed to be back home, so her grandkids didn’t come home to an empty house. When I got back, I’d made Belle lunch and put her down for a nap.
It was now two p.m., and I was stressed.
“I should have gone after you,” I murmured. I walked up to the window closest to the wall full of books and leaned on the shelves as I surveyed the grounds.
Would Shelby be able to make her way back? Sure, she’d lived here her whole life. But it had been a while. Would she recognize her hometown enough to find her way?
“Idiot,” I said as I swore under my breath. I should have tried harder to find her. After she ran out of Tom’s office, I had to stay behind to get the details. I’d figured she’d go to the car or sit outside to blow off some steam. I hadn’t imagined she would just leave.
Gone.
The thought that maybe she was gone forever raced through my mind before I pushed it out. Shelby was suffering from PTSD when it came to Harmony, but she also hated Missy. There was no way she was just going to walk away and let Missy buy Harmony Inn. Shelby had too much pride.
“She’ll come back,” I said in a pathetic attempt to calm myself.
Belle’s cooing came through the monitor clipped to my pocket, so I straightened and headed to her room. She had major bed head, so I took a second to comb out the snarls before setting her down and following after her as she waddled out of her room. I didn’t have to lead her to the kitchen, she went there herself. After setting her up with a squeeze packet, I leaned on the counter in front of the back window and stared out at Charlotte’s old cottage and Shelby’s new home.
I wondered how Shelby would feel if I told her that her grandmother lived there before passing away, but then I shut that thought down.
I didn’t want to live with the guilt—because I would crack if I lingered on it too long—and I already knew how she would react. She would pack her bags so fast and find another place to live.
No, if I wanted to keep Shelby close by, I would need to keep any mention of her grandmother to a minimum. Especially if we were going to be working together.
Six months. Tom’s words echoed in my ears.
Six months. That was how long I was going to have to live with Shelby before we could sell. If both parties wanted to sell. I knew I didn’t want to sell, but I was certain that Shelby did.
I also knew that I didn’t have the money to buy Shelby out of the agreement. So right now, mine and Belle’s future hung in the balance. And it sucked.
I blew out my breath as I scrubbed my face. Stress had built up in my shoulders, so I rolled them a few times to release the tension.
Belle giggled, and I glanced over at her. She was standing in front of her whiteboard with a blue dry-erase marker, scribbling. I crouched down next to her, wrapping my arm around her waist and planting a kiss on her cheek. “That’s beautiful, squirt.”
She turned and gave me a kiss before returning to her art.
Noise from outside caused me to stand. From the window, I could see Shelby talking to someone as she climbed out of a rideshare. She nodded and slammed the door, and it drove off. She lingered in her spot, raising a hand up to her eyes, so she could stare out at the cottage. Her shoulders had dropped, and I could see the pain in her expression.
I hated that she was broken. I wanted to pick up all the pieces. I wanted to fix her past. But I couldn’t. Not right now. Not when she still hated me.
“Come on, princess,” I said as I slipped my hands under her armpits and pulled her against my chest. I crossed the kitchen and opened the back door just as Shelby passed by.
She startled, whipping her gaze to meet mine. “Holy geez—” She brought her hand up to her heart and gripped her shirt. “You scared the crap out of me.”
I winced and gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”
A confused expression passed over her face as her gaze landed on Belle. “Did you start a daycare at the inn?” she asked, dropping her gaze and heading toward the cottage. I didn’t let that stop me. I was going to talk to her even if I didn’t currently have shoes on.
I shifted Belle to the other side, using my forearm as a seat for her. “No,” I said as I followed after Shelby.
“Do the guests know that you stole their kid?”
I glanced over at Belle, who had her head tipped back and was staring up at the trees above us. “I didn’t steal her. This is my daughter.”
Shelby stopped before she slowly turned to bring her gaze level with mine. “Your what?”
“You didn’t know?”
She shook her head. “You’re a dad?” Pride swelled my chest. “Yes.”
Shelby turned to study Belle before dropping her gaze, and we continued walking. “She looks nothing like you.” Then she giggled. “Which is probably a good thing.”
I scoffed and stared at Belle, who was currently sticking her tongue out at me. “What are you talking about? She looks just like me.”
Shelby shook her head but didn’t say anything right away. “So, you’re married?”
I cleared my throat. “No.”
She looked over at me. “What happened?”
Before I could answer, she held up her hand and shook her head. “Actually, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. We have a business relationship, and that’s it.” She reached over and squeezed Belle’s middle. My daughter squealed and pushed Shelby’s hand away…before stretching back, beckoning Shelby to do it again.
I stared at her. We only had a business relationship? We were once friends. Once family. Once…
I cleared my throat as I dropped my gaze to the ground for a moment. It was obvious that I was the only one holding onto the past like it meant something. Shelby hadn’t even known I had a daughter. In the three days she stayed here for the funeral, she hadn’t bothered to ask what I was doing or what was happening in my life.
I’d spent so much time making sure she felt comfortable that I hadn’t allowed myself to be upset that she hadn’t asked me how I was coping. How things were going with me.
And now I knew why. I was a part of a past that she wanted nothing to do with. She was here to fulfill the terms of the will, and then she was leaving for good.
I was going to be the foolish man in the rearview mirror, pining after
her.
“If that’s what you want,” I said, even though I wanted to say something
completely different.
She met my gaze and nodded. “I think that’s best, don’t you?”
I sighed. This was not how I wanted this conversation to go. “So, what are your plans?”
She furrowed her brows. “What?”
“For the will. The stipulation. What’s your plan? Are you just going to live in the cottage for six months? What about your job?”
Her expression stilled at my words. Suddenly, I realized there was something there. Something she wasn’t telling me. Maybe her life in New York hadn’t been perfect. Maybe…
Then her eyes widened and she whispered, “Titan.” I frowned. “What?”
She blinked a few times as if she were suddenly remembering something and then shook her head. “I’ll have to call him.”
“Is Titan your boyfriend?” The words came out fast and strong.
She studied me for a moment before turning her attention back to Belle. “I can help around outside. Like weeding and such.”
I stared at her. Was she really not going to answer my question? Hating that I was now fixated on who Titan was, I pushed him from my mind as I glanced at the flower beds that wrapped around the inn and dotted the property. “Do you want me to fire Travis?”
“Travis?”
I nodded. “He’s the landscaper I hired.”
“Oh.” She tapped her chin. “Well, no. I don’t want you to fire him.”
I wanted to ask if she could help at the inn. I flipped most rooms and did the cooking. “You could always help inside.”
Her face paled, and I could see the word no float around in her gaze.
“It would be really helpful to me.” I shifted Belle to my other arm. “Or if you watch Belle for me, I could get more done.”
Shelby’s eyes drifted to Belle. I wasn’t sure, with the loss of her baby, if she was even willing to acknowledge other kids. But when her expression softened, I realized that I might have just discovered a winning plan.
“I guess I could do that.” Then she wrapped one arm around her stomach. “And I could probably help with breakfast.” Her gaze drifted back to me. “After all, I survived this morning in the kitchen.”
I couldn’t help it. A smile spread across my lips. “Really?”
She scoffed. “Don’t look so excited. You may have gotten better at cooking, but I…” She shook her head. “All the years Gran tried to help me were wasted. I’m about as pathetic a cook as they come.”
I shook my head as I laughed. “I doubt that.” “Just wait. I’ll show you.”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I just stood there, smiling. I wanted to say that it was nice having her back. That I missed her more than I could ever express. But I didn’t want to scare her, and I had a feeling any declaration like that would send her running for the hills.
“Dada,” Belle said, breaking the silence as she slapped both of her hands on my cheeks and squeezed, causing my lips to puff out like a fish. Heat pricked my neck as I shifted her so she was facing out more. Shelby’s smile was back, and I heard her soft laugh.
“I think Belle and I are going to get along together just fine.” She held up her hand to Belle for a fist bump, and my daughter more than gleefully reciprocated.
“Great,” I said as I brought Belle closer to me. “Traitor,” I whispered, but made sure it was loud enough for Shelby to hear.
“Excuse me?” A soft, feminine voice sounded from behind me.
I turned around at the same time Shelby looked up, and my eyes widened. “Laura?”
Laura was wearing a white dress with stilettos that were digging into the grass as she walked toward us. “I’m so sorry. I waited at the desk, but no
one came.” Her gaze drifted to Shelby before coming back to me. “I even rang the bell.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Shelby start to back away. Not wanting her to misunderstand my relationship with Laura, I nodded toward Shelby’s retreating frame.
“Laura, this is Shelby. Shelby this is Laura. My friend from Godwin’s.”
Shelby raised her eyebrows. “You have a friend from the grocery store?”
I could feel Laura’s gaze on me before she shifted her focus to Shelby and extended her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she said.
They shook, and Shelby pulled her hand away quickly.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she said as she reached out to pinch Belle’s tummy once more. “I should go,” she said as she gave a small wave and headed toward the cottage.
The air around Laura and I fell quiet. The only sounds pricking my ears were the wind rustling the trees and Belle’s soft breathing. Knowing that I might as well face Laura head-on, I plastered on a smile. “What did you need from me?” I asked as I started walking across the yard to the back door of the inn that led into the kitchen.
“Well, you kind of left things open-ended when we saw each other last. I thought I’d come visit and see what this place is all about.” Her voice softened. “And why people love it so much.” When I glanced over my shoulder at her, I took note of the way her gaze was penetrating mine.
And I knew. I knew in that look. In the way she chewed her bottom lip.
This wasn’t some fact-finding mission. She was here to see me.
She wanted me.
My cheeks burned at that thought. I felt stupid for inviting this. I should have shut this down at the store. I wasn’t in the headspace or heart-space to tackle a new relationship. I had Belle, and I was trying to wrangle Shelby.
Add in the inn, and I was all booked up.
“It’s not much,” I said as I pulled open the door and stepped inside. Laura didn’t wait on the stoop or ask if she could come in. She just followed after me. Once inside, I set down Belle, who waddled over to her toys in the far corner and pulled them out.
I shoved my hands into my front pocket and glanced around. “Can I get you a glass of water?”
“Tea would be nice,” she said as she crossed the room and sat at the small table I’d set up in the corner for Belle and me to eat at when the inn was packed. She situated herself on the small chair, crossing her legs and adjusting her skirt so it hit her knee perfectly.
I swallowed as I moved to the cupboard. I wasn’t blind to the female form. Sure, it had been a while since I’d been with a woman. But my last mistake had led to Belle. And even though I adored my daughter, I was going to make sure I didn’t mess up again. One kid was enough to take care of by myself. It wouldn’t be fair to add in another.
And even being perfectly safe could still lead to whoopsies. I was whoopsied out.
“Tea,” I repeated as I set the glass down and opened the fridge. I poured the amber liquid into the glass and then crossed the room to hand it to her.
She took a small sip and set the glass down on the table. “So, who is Shelby? Does she work here?”
Laura’s question caught me off guard. I inhaled sharply, causing my spit to fling to the back of my throat. I coughed a few times, whacking my chest as I did it. “Shelby?” I finally wheezed as I attempted to move on from my embarrassment.
Laura offered me her tea, but I shook my head. She took a sip, appraising me as she did. “The woman you were talking to outside.”
I glanced toward the back window and then nodded. “Her grandmother owned the inn. She’s here to settle the estate.”
Laura was still watching me as she finished her drink and set her glass down. “Did you two ever date?”
Wow. She shot straight from the hip. What an easy question to answer but with a loaded history behind it. “No,” I said, placing my hand on the table so I could drum my fingers. “We didn’t date.”
Now, if Laura had asked if I’d ever liked Shelby, that would be a whole other answer entirely. I not only liked Shelby; I’d fallen in love with her in high school. There hadn’t been anything I wanted more than to be with her.
But she didn’t want me. She’d never picked me.
Despite the fact that I was desperate to move on, my heart wasn’t so easily convinced. I was left in this sort of limbo hell. I was desperate to get out, but I couldn’t quite shake the shackles I felt whenever I was around her.
In short, I was miserable.
Laura took in a deep breath. “That’s good to know. I’d hate to get involved with a guy when he was living so close to a woman he once dated.” She turned to smile at me, the tone of her voice turning light as she smiled. “So, what does a girl have to do around here to get you to ask her out on a date?”
I parted my lips, but before I could speak, the back door opened, and Shelby was standing there with an empty plate in her hand and an innocent look on her face.
“I’m not interrupting, am I?”
