Chapter Ten #2
Maybe she’d order one to go and save it for later.
But thoughts of her patients back in Kansas City who’d struggled with diabetes and cardiovascular disease raised a warning flag.
A scone probably was too decadent. Besides, she needed protein to fuel her brain for her quest. Jovi put her spoon down and opened the browser on her phone to start an internet search.
Except, where to begin? She paused, took another bite of her parfait and reflected on the stories she recalled her family talking about when she was younger.
Fights about land, gold mines and unrequited love.
Those were the scandalous tales that had been passed down from previous generations.
She’d heard a few stories about people making piles of money during the oil pipeline construction, and locals falling in love with workers who’d moved to Alaska, only to find out the men had families waiting for them back home.
More than one book had been written about that part of Evergreen’s history, but she’d never heard anything about her family being involved.
Besides, the pipeline didn’t run through town.
She’d learned early on to believe only half of what she’d heard about messy situations anyway.
Jovi typed her grandmother’s name into the search bar, then scrolled through the results. A few articles from the Anchorage newspaper popped up, all featuring the candy company’s outstanding reputation. An unexpected wave of emotion crested inside.
“Oh, Grammie,” she whispered, touching a grainy image of her grandmother holding up an award-winning jar of rose-hip jelly at the 1998 state fair. “How can Isabel and I save your company?”
The door opened, and Burke Solomon stepped inside, his computer bag in one hand. He paused in the doorway and surveyed the coffee shop. Her pulse skittered at the sight of his handsome, clean-shaven face. The corner of his mouth tipped up in a smile when their eyes met.
“Good morning.” His gaze slid to the chair opposite hers. “Is that seat taken?”
Yes. “No.” She reached for her latte. “Unless you’re in a bad mood.”
“I beg your pardon?” He lowered his bag to the floor, then pulled off his knit hat. Her eyes followed the path of his hand as he pushed his fingers through his tousled dark hair. Her mouth went dry. She quickly reached for her latte.
Seriously, Jovi. Don’t let him catch you staring.
From the corner of her eye, she spotted three women sitting together casting curious glances their way. They had all been in Isabel’s class in high school. One gestured with her hands as she spoke. Then laughter erupted.
Super. Jovi averted her eyes. And that’s how rumors get started.
Her cheeks flushed. She took a small sip of the sweet, hot beverage then sat back in her chair and did her best to look displeased. “Sometimes you’re grumpy. And high maintenance.”
His mouth drifted open. Surprise flashed in his eyes. “High maintenance? How?”
“Oh, please. Frosty Frolic? First, you were mad that the lady who owned the gift shop wanted to read Balto . Then you—”
“I wasn’t mad. I just wanted to keep things moving.” He fumbled in his back pocket and awkwardly produced his wallet.
“Then you didn’t want caffeine because it was too close to bedtime.”
“Hardly a crime to be mindful of that,” Burke grumbled.
“As I recall, there was a fair amount of whining about the frigid temperatures.”
Amusement glinted in his eyes. “Darby Jane whines a fair bit, I’ll give you that.”
“Ha.” She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t be cheeky.”
Okay, so maybe he deserved a little empathy given all he’d been through.
But she had found a missing stuffed animal, shoveled his driveway, sat with him in the ER, brought him dinner, invited him to Frosty Frolic, and whipped up a last-minute costume for Darby Jane.
And still. He managed to get under her skin.
“If you want me to sit somewhere else, I can. I’d hate to ruin your morning.”
She picked up her spoon and dipped it in her yogurt. “You haven’t ruined anything, and you don’t have to change seats. Besides, there aren’t any open tables.”
“All right, then. I’ll go place my order.” He turned away, then turned back. “Jovi.”
She hesitated, her spoon halfway to her mouth. His gaze held hers. “Yeah?”
“I’m sorry about my lousy attitude at Frosty Frolic.” He blew out his breath and then sat back down. “Moving here and upending our whole lives has been harder than I anticipated.”
“You’ve mentioned that. If you don’t mind my asking, why move here? Did something tragic happen in South Carolina?”
His features pinched.
Oh, no. She held up her palm. “Wait. You don’t have to tell me anything. It’s really none of my business. I just saw something online and…”
She trailed off, but the headlines from that article she’d read when she’d first come back to Evergreen flashed through her head. Even though she’d told Isabel not to worry about it, a small part of her still wondered what was actually true.
“My wife passed away in a car accident, along with our infant, Henry.”
Her heart plummeted. “Oh, Burke. I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you.” He looked away. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “To be honest, it should have been me.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“I was working on a novel and facing a tight deadline, but I’d promised I would go get Darby Jane from preschool so Mary Catherine, my wife, could stay home with Henry.
Except I lost track of time, and at the last minute, she plucked Henry out of his crib, put him in his car seat, and hurried off to get Darby Jane from preschool. ”
Burke pressed his lips together.
Oh. She reached across the table and blanketed his hand with hers. “I’m… I don’t know what to say. That’s awful. But you can’t blame yourself.”
“Oh, yes, I can. I mean, it was a dump truck driver who crossed the center line and caused the accident. But if I had been the husband and the father that I was supposed to be, life would look very different now.”
“Jovi?”
She glanced up to see her father standing just steps away. How had she not noticed him come in? He gave her hand on top of Burke’s a shocked look. Adrenaline pulsed through her. She quickly pulled away.
“Dad, this is Burke Solomon. He’s Mac and Lois Phillips’s nephew, and my new neighbor.” She forced a bright smile, but it did almost nothing to erase the thick tension hanging in the air. “Burke, this is my father, Greg Wright.”
Dad kept his hands in his pockets and offered Burke a curt nod. “Burke, it’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”
“Likewise, sir.” Burke’s gaze darted between her and her father. Uncertainty lingered in his expression.
Not that she blamed him. Dad wasn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat. She glanced up at her father. “What brings you by?”
“I’m grabbing coffee and scones for your mother and me. You?”
“I just ran into Burke. He was telling me more about his life in Charleston.” She shifted in her chair. “Since you’re here, maybe you can answer a pressing question. Burke and I have both been wondering what our families have been fighting about all these years.”
Burke stiffened.
Dad tucked his tongue in his cheek and dragged his fingers along his jaw.
He hesitated. “I’m not aware of any specific details, only that my parents and Burke’s aunt and uncle had a bitter falling-out.
It seemed to impact every area of their lives.
” His phone hummed. He pulled it from his pocket.
“I’ve got to take this. Jovi, we’ll talk later. ”
He turned and walked away.
Her scalp prickled, and an uneasy feeling danced along her spine. What was that supposed to mean?
Burke cleared his throat. “That went well. If you don’t mind, I’ll wait until he places his order before I get in line.”
“Good call.”
Why did her dad care if she sat with Burke and chatted about his life? He’d just shared a vulnerable part of his past, leaving her with more questions about the picture online of a woman leaving a house, and his alleged scandal back in Charleston.
They’d had enough drama for now, though. She’d save her questions for later. “By the way, I see you’ve transitioned to a splint. That’s great. And how did the hundredth day of school thing turn out?”
“Yes, I’m thrilled about ditching that cast. Thanks for asking. And Darby Jane’s costume was a huge hit, all thanks to you.” Grinning, he fumbled for his phone. “Let me show you the pictures.”
Warmth bloomed in her chest. When he smiled at her like that, she almost forgot his curmudgeonly ways. Almost.
* * *
A looming deadline and the imminent threat of financial ruin should be enough to keep him on task. But no. Burke couldn’t seem to stay focused on his manuscript. Images of a certain blond neighbor smiling, helping Darby Jane and laughing at his daughter’s comments infiltrated his thoughts.
He sat in the public library in Evergreen, an inviting building tucked away on a side street one block from the downtown area.
The place reminded him of a rustic ski chalet, with vaulted ceilings, exposed wood beams and trim on the exterior that made the building look like a fairy tale gingerbread house.
He’d chosen a table for four situated near the front door with a view of the parking lot to wait for a high school student that he’d agreed to tutor.
The boy, Alex, was allegedly failing his eleventh-grade English class and had lost his eligibility to participate in sports, so his teacher and his parents both wanted him to elevate his grade.
Tutoring wasn’t Burke’s idea of a good time, but he couldn’t afford to say no.
Besides, there were worse ways to supplement his income.
He checked the time on his laptop. Three forty-five.
The kid’s mother had assured Burke her son would show up by four.
Burke had come early, straight from picking Darby Jane up from the elementary school, and told himself he’d write the next scene in his novel.