Chapter 4
Dakota sat up straight at her desk the following morning despite tossing and turning all night. With the hums of the dehumidifier
and air-moving machine serenading her, she tried to ignore the worry pressing down on her shoulders. She held her phone to
her ear while the hold music played. She’d practiced her speech during her drive to the store this morning, and she was finally
going to confront her insurance company about paying her for her lost dress stock.
“This is Francine,” a woman on the other end of the line said.
“Good morning. This is Dakota Jamison, and I wanted to discuss the flood in my store.” Her hands shook, but she worked to
keep some pep in her voice.
“Give me a moment to look you up in the system,” the woman said.
“Yes, of course.” Dakota held her breath while the sound of keyboard clicks filled the line. She took a few moments to regroup. She was going to convince this woman that the insurance company should reimburse her for her lost gowns, and the outcome would breathe new life into her store. Then everything would be just fine. It had to be.
After a few beats Francine said, “I found your information. How can I help you?”
“Before the flood, I had ordered a line of wedding gowns for my bridal shop. The dresses were then water-damaged, so I feel
I should be reimbursed for them.” Dakota worked to keep her tone even and sunny. “I’ve lost thousands of dollars in stock.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but according to your insurance policy, this loss isn’t covered. I see from your file that you’ve already
discussed this issue with a representative.” Impatience radiated in Francine’s voice.
“That doesn’t make any sense to me. Without gowns to sell, I have no store.” When her voice started to shake, she took a deep
breath. She had to be strong. She couldn’t allow this woman to destroy her hope. “What is the purpose of my insurance policy
if my stock isn’t covered?”
“Ma’am, if you review the policy, you’ll see that you are responsible for items that are considered stock. If you’d like,
I can highlight those paragraphs in the policy for you. Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll pull that up on my screen.”
Dakota closed her eyes while the woman continued to talk. She wasn’t getting anywhere. She was wasting her breath and her
time.
“Do you have any further questions?” Francine asked.
“No, thank you.”
“Thank you for calling, and have a nice day,” Francine said before the line went dead.
Dakota massaged her temples and closed her eyes. Then the bell at the front of the shop rang, and she sat up straighter. Thank good ness she had a customer. She collected herself, then hurried to the front of the store, stopping by the mirror in the workroom to assess her gray pantsuit and red top. Good enough , she thought to herself. She’d tried to disguise the shadows under her eyes with makeup, but they still peeked through.
Dakota pushed through the door into the storefront. And stopped in her tracks.
A tall man with dark-brown hair cut short seemed to be examining the jewelry case , standing with his back to her as he did so.
Wow.
Broad shoulders, muscular back and arms.
Her eyes moved from his long-sleeved gray Henley shirt, which was tight around those glorious biceps, to his jeans. She smiled
as she noticed how the jeans fit his trim waist in all the right places.
“Welcome to Fairytale,” she began, her chunky red pumps clacking along the tile floor. “How can I—” Both her words and her
steps faltered when he spun around.
She was face-to-face with Hudson Garrity. The man who had destroyed both her heart and her faith in love seven years ago.
His bright-blue eyes widened for a second, and then a guarded expression overtook his face.
Her belly clenched as she studied him. A few days’ worth of stubble lined his chiseled jaw, and his features were more mature
than she recalled.
She mentally took hold of her herself, lifted her chin, and shot him the coldest expression she could muster. “How may I help
you?” she asked as she slipped behind the counter.
“I’m here on behalf of Layla,” he said, joining her by the cash register. “She sent me to pay for her dress.”
Dakota nodded and focused on her computer, but her thoughts kept swirling like a cyclone. She’d never expected to see him in her store, but here he was, standing in front of her in the flesh.
“Let me find the invoice,” she mumbled, taking her time and deliberately making him wait longer than necessary.
“This place is yours?” he asked.
She trained her eyes on her computer screen. “Last time I checked.”
“Wow,” he quipped. “I wouldn’t have expected you to own a place in Flowering Grove.”
“Stranger things have happened.” She narrowed her eyes and pasted a wry smile on her lips. She supposed he couldn’t have imagined
her ever being successful in their tiny town, which he’d once called a dead-end place for people trying to make ends meet.
A few beats of silence passed between them, and an instrumental version of “I Will Always Love You” filled the awkward silence
between them.
After deciding she’d made him wait long enough, she pulled up Layla’s invoice. “Here we go.” She told him the total.
Without batting an eye, he yanked a leather wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and handed her a black credit card.
She was careful not to allow their hands to touch when she took it from him. She stared down at his name—Hudson Nathaniel
Garrity—words that felt familiar and foreign at the same time.
She could tell the card was exclusive—the kind only successful people would carry. A strange feeling rippled through her.
Hudson had made it just like he always planned to. Surely he thought he was better than everyone else who chose to stay in
their sleepy hometown.
Dakota felt his eyes scrutinizing her as she ran the card. She held her breath, grateful the confirmation popped up quickly.
“Sign this copy,” she told him, handing him a pen and a printed receipt.
He took the pen in his left hand, and while he scribbled his name, she noticed his ring finger was naked. The only piece of jewelry he wore was a silver watch on his right wrist. Such a watch might’ve been worth more than her car.
Was he still single?
She chided herself for bothering to wonder. All she wanted was for him to leave— quickly .
Hudson left the signed receipt on the counter and then perused the itemized invoice. His brow furrowed, and he lifted his
eyes to meet hers. “Friends and family discount?”
She nodded.
He snorted. “Why?”
“Because I like Layla, and I want her to have the wedding of her dreams,” she said curtly.
His lips formed a thin line, and a look of disbelief overtook his face as he folded the extra receipt and pushed it into his
pocket. “Don’t I need the dress?”
She shook her head. “She asked me to alter it so it resembles your mother’s.”
“Oh. Right.” He cast his gaze in the direction of the racks of gowns behind her. “She mentioned that.”
“Plus, she’ll need to come in for fittings.”
“I see.” His blue eyes scanned the boutique before his focus returned to her face. “Thanks for your help.”
“It’s been a pleasure, Hudson,” she responded, her voice sugary sweet.
He shook his head, then he sauntered out of the store toward Main Street.
When the door to the shop closed, she leaned forward on the counter and let out a pent-up breath. She had never imagined she would see Hudson Garrity in her store. He was most likely just in town for a short visit, and he’d left the store in the same way he’d walked out of her life seven years ago.
That was what she’d hope for, at least.
Her cell phone rang, and she jumped with a start. When she saw the insurance company’s phone number across the screen, her
shoulders tightened even more. She had to push the encounter with Hudson out of her head and concentrate on her business.
Maybe this time she’d make some progress with her claim.
***
The cool early-March breeze whipped over Hudson, and the morning sun warmed his neck as he stalked down the sidewalk. He wasn’t
sure where he was headed, but he knew he had to get away from Dakota.
For the past seven years, he’d managed to visit his aunt and sister for a few days at Christmas without ever bumping into
his ex. Since he had to keep his visits short, he’d slipped in and out of town without one run-in. At one point, he’d assumed
Dakota had moved away. No, he’d hoped she’d moved away—far enough away that he’d never have to see her again.
Yet today, only his second day in town, he’d managed to come face-to-face with her before noon. He’d told his aunt and sister
years ago that he didn’t want to discuss Dakota, and they had kept their promise not to update him on what she’d been up to.
Dakota had always talked about working as a seamstress, but he never expected she’d open a store in Flowering Grove—especially
a bridal boutique.
He couldn’t help but notice that her left hand was bare of a ring. He’d always figured she’d be married by now, maybe with
a few children. Or maybe she’d gotten engaged again—or even a few times—since him. Had she given those rings back too, leaving
a trail of destroyed men in her wake?
Why should he trouble himself with speculation? She’d broken up with him without any explanation, and then he’d left town without looking back.
Hudson stopped at the crosswalk and then loped toward the other side of the street. He pressed his lips together while contemplating
his baby sister’s face last night when she’d asked him to pay for the dress at the boutique. That strange look that had passed
between his aunt and Layla now made sense. Layla had set him up to run into Dakota, which was ridiculous.
Dakota Jamison was the last woman on the planet he’d ever want to be involved with. In fact, if she were the last woman on
the planet, he’d choose to remain a bachelor. He’d learned his lesson.
Also, how laughable that she’d given Layla the friends and family discount. As if she could ever be a true friend to him or
his family members after how she’d dumped him.
Hudson glowered and made his way down the sidewalk until the delicious smells from Bloom’s Coffee filled his senses. A mochaccino
would hit the spot right now.
He reached the door but paused when he found the same flyer hanging in the window that he’d noticed in the bridal boutique.
The fluorescent pink paper advertised an ’80s night at the Flowering Grove Rollerama on Saturday. The rink was a popular hangout
when he was a teenager, but he was surprised to see it still operating.
“Hud?”
Hudson turned and found one of his best friends from school standing behind him. “Gavin!”
“Hey, man.” Gavin thrust out his hand. “How’s New York City?”
Hudson returned the handshake. “Great, but I’m here visiting for a while. Do you have time to grab a cup of coffee?”
“Absolutely.”
They went through the line, then found a deserted booth at the back of the shop. Hudson took a draw from his cup. Ah, as good as he remembered. While he enjoyed a good cup of coffee back in the city, nothing beat a cup from Bloom’s.
“So,” Gavin began, “how are things with your software company?”
Hudson wrapped his hands around the warm cup. “Great, actually. We’re in the midst of selling it.”
“Dude, that’s amazing. Does that mean you’re retiring?”
“Not exactly.” Hudson couldn’t imagine ever retiring, especially at the age of thirty. Working seemed to be a part of his
DNA, despite his impressive bank accounts. “I have some offers on the table for other positions. There’s one in Bahrain that
my business partner thinks I should seriously consider.”
“That’s pretty far away. What are you doing home now?”
Hudson scrubbed a hand over his face. “My baby sister has decided she’s getting married in June.”
Gavin leaned forward. “Little Layla is getting married?”
“Yeah. But she’s only known the guy three months.” He explained how he met Shane at Christmas. “I’m not thrilled. She’s not
ready for this.”
Gavin shrugged. “I’d known Jeannie for less than a year when we got married. Sometimes when you know, you know.”
Hudson couldn’t imagine what that felt like. The few relationships he’d had over the past several years hadn’t lasted more
than a few months. To him, the idea of a soul mate was a foreign concept. “How’s your little one doing?” he asked, referring
to Gavin’s daughter.
“Great.” Gavin touched the screen of his phone and held it up, revealing a photo of a little blond. “I can’t believe Anissa
is five already.”
“She’s adorable.”
“Thanks.” He set his phone down. “Are you seeing anyone?”
“Nope. No time for a relationship.” He pushed away thoughts of his failed attempts at dating and instead considered the good times he’d had with Gavin in high school. Then he grinned and lifted his cup. “I miss the old days when we worked together at Smith’s Construction.”
Gavin laughed. “We did have fun building that new neighborhood over in Wadesboro. I think of it every time I drive by it.”
“It was hard work. But it was rewarding to see the finished product.” He could still recall his aching muscles, as well as
how proud he’d felt when a house he’d helped build was sold.
“Yeah, but I’m sure software is much more rewarding. After all, you and Darren designed something that was ahead of its time.”
“Maybe so, but you know I only studied computers to support my family. I still miss working construction.”
Gavin rubbed his chin. “Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to sit in an office all day long.”
Hudson nodded toward him. “How’s business for you?”
“I finally opened my own company a little over a year ago.”
“That’s great, man. What are you working on?”
“You know that old music store building across the street?”
“The one that’s been empty since we graduated?”
“Yeah. My company was hired to remodel it for a new restaurant. We start work in a couple of weeks.”
“Congratulations. How do you like running your own company?”
Gavin settled back in his seat. “It’s... a lot.”
“But it’s gratifying.”
“Sometimes.” Gavin took a drink of his coffee.
Hudson’s eye once again landed on the pink flyer hanging in the coffee shop window. “By the way, is the rink still the place
to be on weekends?”
“Believe it or not, yes! My daughter loves to take lessons there.” Gavin looked like he was going to say something, but then he stopped. “Anyway, Friday nights are family nights. We go there every weekend. Kayleigh and Brice Hayes bought the place a while back, and they’ve been breathing new life into it.”
“Kayleigh and Brice, huh?” Hudson moved his fingers over his cup. Kayleigh had been Dakota’s best friend since they were kids,
and she’d married Brice not long before Hudson left for New York.
“You should see it during the holidays. They even have roller-skating Santas. Brice likes to plan theme nights. They had a
Valentine’s Day skate a couple weeks ago, and the entire place was decked out with heart balloons and cupids on the walls.
Anissa loved every minute of it.” Gavin glanced down at his watch. “Oh, wow. I’d better get going, man. I have a meeting in
twenty minutes with the architect.”
They both stood to leave. “You should come to the rink,” Gavin said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
“Maybe I will,” Hudson said, not meaning it. If Kayleigh owned the place, then most likely Dakota would be there too.
They walked to the exit together, and when Hudson stepped out onto the street, he cut his gaze to the Fairytale Bridal Shop.
He’d do his best to avoid Dakota for the remainder of his time in Flowering Grove, but in such a small town, that just might
be impossible.