Chapter 18
18
M imi found her an hour later, sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the apple pie she’d made Sam.
“Goodness child, what’s wrong?”
Hope dragged her gaze to the woman who’d become her friend. “Oh, Mimi. I’ve made such a mess.” Fresh tears slipped down her cheeks, her voice clogged with grief. “I swear I didn’t know.”
Mimi sank onto the chair next to her, clasped her hand. “Are you talking about the young man who wanted to buy this place?” Those blue eyes turned fierce, her voice firm. “There’s no way he’d ever get near it, and I know you’re not part of that man’s scheme. I can’t believe he was ever your beau.”
“I guess I only saw what I wanted to see, and that wasn’t the real person. Or maybe that’s who I thought I needed… But it’s so much worse than Kent wanting the Heart Sent.” She blinked hard, forced out the words that had destroyed her chances with Sam. “Kent went to see Sam’s father. He wants to buy the clinic and the acreage that goes with it, and he’s using intimidation to do it.”
Mimi laughed as though she found humor in Hope’s statement. “Edgar Harrington is a tough old bird and he’s not going to let anyone push him into selling.”
“Sam says Kent threatened to squeeze him out by driving business away.” She rubbed her left temple, wished she’d never told Kent about Edgar Harrington or his rocky relationship with his son. “Kent wants to build a bed-and-breakfast on Edgar’s land, which would…”
“I see. If they build a bed-and-breakfast, I imagine they think it will drive me out of business.” She patted Hope’s hand, shared the rest. “Edgar and I are old-school. We know what it’s like to struggle and work hard for what we believe in, and nobody is going to take that from us.” A sigh, a shake of her head. “People like to throw around money and platitudes about how much better our life would be if we only ‘followed their plan’. We believe in following our own plan, the one that comes from our heart and lives inside us.” Another pat on the hand, another sigh. “Anything worthwhile is going to present challenges, and your company is just another challenge.” Pause, followed by a huff of annoyance. “One I will gladly accept, and my guess is that Edgar feels the same. Nobody’s going to interfere with our lives or our choices.”
More people should be like Mimi and Edgar Harrington: determined, committed, steadfast. But what would happen when those people faced struggles and challenges? Would they give up? Simply quit and convince themselves to take the offer because money would make them happy? Or would they stop fighting because it was just too darn hard to keep doing battle, even if you believed in the cause? “Sam will never forgive me. He thinks I’m part of some plan to take over this town. I would never do that, Mimi. I would never…”
“Of course you wouldn’t, we all know that. I could tell after the first week you were here how interested you were, and it wasn’t about business. Heavens, you were pouring through my cookbooks, studying my recipes and you might have been thinking they would make good additions to the bed-and-breakfast you planned to build, but I saw more. I saw someone who was desperate to belong.” Her voice turned soft and soothing. “You do belong, Hope. You belong with Sam Harrington.”
Hope had just begun to believe that when Kent arrived and her world imploded. “Kent promised he would leave, and I believed him. I never thought he’d approach Sam’s father and I certainly never thought he’d try to push him out.”
“Maybe you didn’t know him as well as you thought you did, and if your boss condones it, then maybe you don’t know him as well as you thought you did either.”
Hope had been wondering the same thing. She needed to call Martin but at the moment she couldn’t think of anything but how she’d hurt the people who’d come to trust her, especially Sam.
“Sam will come around. You just have to give him time.”
Misery filled her heart as the truth settled in. “He thinks I betrayed him.” More misery, more sadness spread through her words. “He’ll never trust me again. If you can’t trust someone, what then?”
“Then…”
Mimi didn’t have to say more because Hope already knew the rest. Then you don’t stand a chance.
“I see you made an apple pie.” Mimi’s lips pulled into a soft smile, her voice gentle. “You made it for Sam, didn’t you?”
A nod, a shrug. “You said it was one of his favorites and I wanted to surprise him.” A sniff, another shrug. “Guess I’m the one who got the surprise.”
“You can’t give up, Hope.”
“I never wanted to care about anyone this much and I vowed I wouldn’t.” She’d spent years protecting herself. “Then I met Sam and it didn’t matter what my brain said.”
“Because your heart had its own answer.”
“Pretty much.”
“My guess is you’ve spent years building walls and protecting yourself from ever getting hurt. If you want a life that fills your soul and gives you meaning and purpose, you have to open up and risk getting hurt. I’m so sorry you’re hurting right now, but do not give up , do not close yourself off yet again. You’re worth so much more than that, and when I think of you and Sam together? I see beauty and hope, and I see love.”
A sniff, a swipe of her eyes. “We both said we didn’t want long-term relationships, that we weren’t looking for more than short-term. I think we both knew it didn’t matter what we wanted because we already cared about each other.”
“Indeed. Stay strong, have a conversation with your boss about this mess and when Sam comes back tonight, you need to talk to him. Tell him how you feel.” And then she spoke the words Hope had not been willing to admit. “Tell him you love him.”
Tell him you love him. Mimi believed in forgiveness and second chances, but it would take a lot more than an apology for Sam to forgive her. And giving Hope another chance? That might never happen, which was why she’d decided not to share talk of love or meant-to-be until she tried to make things right. Part of that plan involved a phone call to Martin.
“I have to call Martin and get him to shut down Kent’s plans.” She squeezed Mimi’s hand. “Thank you for caring so much. I’m truly grateful.”
Mimi’s blue eyes filled with tears. “I’ll help any way I can. Good luck with your call. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
“Thank you. I think I’ll head outside to the patio.” She pushed back her chair, stood. “It’s very calming out there.”
A nod, a smile, and then Mimi said, “I call it my tranquility space, and I’m happy to share.”
Hope made her way to the patio and the bursts of color from the daffodils, iris, allium, lily of the valley, and others she couldn’t name. Tranquility. Peace. Calm. She drew in a deep breath and punched in Martin’s number, determined to find out if he was involved in the offer to buy Edgar Harrington’s property.
“Hope, I wondered when you’d call.”
He still sounded like the man she’d once considered a father figure, the one who never forgot her birthday or a holiday. But maybe that had all been for show…maybe none of it had been real. “Did you know, Martin? Did you know?”
Long pause and then “Did I know what?”
She pictured her mentor sitting in his chair, expression pensive, lips pulled into a frown. “Did you know about Edgar Harrington?”
“Look, Hope. The town is perfect, and if someone is interested in selling his property, then we’re halfway there. Don’t you see that?”
“But he’s not interested, and Kent is using intimidation tactics to encourage him to sell. I can’t believe you’d permit this.” How many other times had Kent done this and why hadn’t Martin put a stop to it?
“Intimidation? Kent said he thought the man would be open to selling.” Martin sounded surprised.
“No, Kent threatened to squeeze him out.”
“Those are serious accusations, Hope. I’m sure that’s not what he said.”
“Really? You’re sure? Maybe you should check again and have a conversation with your nephew. Maybe you’re closing your eyes to what you don’t want to see because it’s convenient. I trusted you, Martin. I believed in you. Were you just stringing me along?”
“No! I would never do that. I care about you and I care about the integrity of this firm.”
“Then show it and shut down Kent’s attempts to force Edgar Harrington to sell.”
Magdalena protected its own, and while they might welcome newcomers, they had to be vetted, had to prove they belonged, and if they hurt one of their own? Well, they were done.
News of Hope Newland’s attempt to purchase the Heart Sent for her company flew through town faster than the Christmas Eve snowstorm several years back.
Can you believe that woman pretended interest in the Heart Sent and all along she wanted to buy it?
For what? Some high-end fancy bed-and-breakfast?
No, to use it as a model… They call it a flagship. You don’t think they would have just kept everything the same with Mimi running it… Lace tablecloths, photo albums of all the meant-to-be and happily-ever-afters sitting on the table? What about the blueberry muffins, the apple pies, and homemade meals?
Oh no, they would’ve turned those into peel-back-the-cover-and-heat-in-the-oven or the microwave.
Right, no beef stew or pork roast…no chili… No homemade spaghetti sauce or chicken noodle soup… What about beef stroganoff? Apple strudel? Chicken and dumplings? Homemade bread and buttermilk biscuits? Pancakes! Blueberry, banana walnut… Chocolate chip cookies and lemon meringue pie.
Stop! You’re making me hungry.
Even if they offered Mimi a spot as the proprietress, what would that look like?
Not good. They might make her wear a uniform, and don’t think they’d permit the bouncy ball earrings.
No, indeed.
Poor Sam Harrington. He and that woman might have been trying to keep everything hush-hush, but one look at them together and you knew he was crazy about her.
Tsk tsk, that’s what happens when you pick a woman who ‘accessorizes’ every outfit.
Did you see those pearls? Of course, they’re real…no fakes for that woman.
And the high heels? They made her look almost as tall as Sam.
I did like the handbag. Bet she has a closetful.
He should have learned after the last one and stayed away from that type.
Indeed. I’d like to ask him if he thinks it was worth it, or if he wishes he would’ve picked one of our own? I’ve got quite a few to suggest, with decent professions, kind hearts, and the desire to have a family. But no, he had to go for the looker with the pearls and the fancy words.
Again. Poor Sam. Won’t he ever learn to stay away from shiny objects?
Maybe this time he’ll learn.
What about the other tale floating around? Not sure if it’s true, but my sister-in-law heard about it at Sal’s Market.
Heard about what?
The woman’s partner flitted into town. Guess he was a real looker. You know the kind with the fancy haircut and the smile that says he’s trying to sell you something? He only stayed a day, but word has it he met with Sam’s father.
For what?
Story goes he wanted to buy Edgar’s place and all of the property.
For what?
Not for a bigger vet clinic, that’s for sure.
Do you think Edgar would sell?
Who knows? He’s getting older and with the rift between him and Sam, he might want to sell the place and be done with it.
Really? You don’t think Sam will take over?
Who knows? Edgar’s a good sort, but you don’t want to cross him…
Huh. If he sold it, what would they build?
No idea. Now don’t say anything because this is all just hearsay.
Hmm. Well, I know something that’s not hearsay. Sam isn’t staying at the Heart Sent any longer. He’s back at his parents’.
Goodness! Really? Why?
Why do you think?
To get away from her!
Exactly.
How much longer do you think the woman will stay before she heads back home?
Not long. We’ll freeze her out and then she’ll see what it feels like to not be wanted in this town.
Maybe once Sam settles down, we’ll come up with a few names for him…women who would love to become Mrs. Sam Harrington.
That sounds like an excellent plan.