Chapter Twelve
W hy hadn’t he planned for this?
Burke’s gaze locked with Jovi’s. He couldn’t move.
Couldn’t look away. He tightened his grip on his bag’s shoulder strap, debating what to do.
Yeah, okay, turning around and leaving was certainly an option.
Except he’d made plans to meet Charlie’s sister, Denise, here.
She’d been the last person to help care for Aunt Lois before she’d passed.
And if he had any hope of discovering the impetus for this mysterious feud with the Wright family, then he needed answers.
Denise had graciously agreed to chat, so he wasn’t about to text her now and ask her to meet someplace else last minute.
Besides, he’d made arrangements for Darby Jane to play at a friend’s house this morning, and selfishly he wanted to capitalize on having two whole hours free.
Surely he and Jovi could handle being in the same coffee shop together. Right?
It had been one kiss.
Swallowing hard, Burke tore his gaze away from Jovi and took a place at the end of the line.
Three customers stood ahead of him, waiting to place their orders.
He forced himself to focus on the menu, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Jovi leaning forward, talking quietly with the woman at her table.
The temptation to give in, to walk over there and speak to her, was almost too strong to resist.
But a feeling he couldn’t quite name kept his feet rooted in place.
Had he been reckless? Inviting her over?
Kissing her? That part of the evening had been even better than he’d anticipated.
And his heart beat faster at the memory, so there was that.
Okay, and maybe the air had nearly crackled between them.
Still, she’d said they shouldn’t have kissed.
That she wasn’t ready. To be honest, maybe he wasn’t ready either.
Even though he’d felt like a half-dead man who’d come alive when her lips brushed against his.
Enough.
Burke clenched his jaw. He couldn’t let his emotions cloud his judgment. He had to stop thinking about Jovi. About that kiss.
He took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of freshly brewed coffee that filled the air.
The sharp whir of the blender whipping up a fruit smoothie punctuated the low hum of conversation flowing around him.
Two women at the counter surveyed the bakery case, quizzing the barista about the gluten-free options on display.
Pushing aside his thoughts of Jovi, he studied the menu once again, determined to keep his mind occupied.
Burke tapped his thumb against the strap of his bag, shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and stifled an impatient sigh.
As he waited, his eyes wandered back to Jovi’s table.
She was still engrossed in conversation with the woman, her gestures animated.
Man, she had a gift for connecting with people.
How did she make it look so easy? And the way her presence just sort of warmed up the whole room.
She hesitated and looked up from her conversation.
He offered a tight smile and the smallest of nods.
Her mouth opened, closed, then opened again.
She didn’t look real pleased to catch him staring.
Regret twisted in his stomach. He forced his gaze back to the menu.
They’d crossed that line from friendship to something more, and now he desperately needed to drag his emotions and his heart right back where they belonged.
Except that seemed impossible now, given how much he enjoyed spending time with her.
How much Darby Jane had settled into the comfortable routine of calling out for Jovi whenever she needed help.
Mary Catherine had been gone for two years, and Darby Jane definitely needed a mother figure in her life.
Someone other than people who volunteered at church or taught her at school.
Icy fingers of dread crawled up his spine.
What if Jovi was the person Darby Jane needed?
Jovi was beautiful and sweet and kind, but she seemed to enjoy being a roaming health care provider.
What was he supposed to do with that? As much as he hated to admit it, Jovi had made a valid point.
What if she left and took a job somewhere else?
He couldn’t uproot Darby Jane, not again.
Neither of them would survive that.
He had to press on. Recalibrate. Caring for his daughter, meeting his looming deadline and delivering a compelling manuscript—that was what mattered.
And there had to be a way to get to the bottom of whatever it was that had permanently divided his aunt and Jovi’s grandmother.
A niggling sensation told him that this conversation with Denise might give him plenty of fodder to work with.
Jovi’s father’s frigid reaction toward him at the coffee shop implied a deep distrust of the Phillipses.
But how could anyone know for sure that Mac and Lois were solely responsible for whatever had gone wrong?
Maybe the Wrights had played a role in the feud as well.
These things usually had two sides to the story.
After speaking with Denise, he’d start looking for more clues.
Since he’d read that blog post about the Montgomerys and Harrisons, he hadn’t been able to let go of the notion that this town had secrets and a rich history.
“Sir, may I help you?” The dark-haired young woman standing at the register offered a friendly smile.
“Large black coffee, and a plain toasted bagel with cream cheese, please.”
“Absolutely. No need to leave room for cream or sugar?”
“No, thanks.” He fumbled with his wallet, removed his debit card, then tapped it on the screen provided.
The woman’s fingers flew over the keys of the register. “We’ll have that up for you in just a few minutes.”
“Great. Thank you.” He left a tip, declined the receipt, then put his wallet away. When he turned around to find a table, a petite woman with her dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail stood behind him, hands jammed in the pockets of her maroon puffy jacket.
Her brown eyes widened. “Excuse me, are you Burke Solomon?”
He hesitated. “I am.”
Smiling, she extended her hand. “I’m Denise Schumacher, Charlie’s sister.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Burke awkwardly shook her hand with his. “Pardon the splint.”
“No worries.” She gestured over her shoulder. “I’ve already snagged a table. It’s the one there with the hefty tote bag.” She gave a nervous laugh. “On my way to the library after this.”
“Perfect. I’ll grab a seat and wait for you there.”
“Sounds good.” She scooted around him to place her order.
He weaved through the crowded tables to the spot that Denise had claimed, sensing Jovi’s eyes on him.
This time he didn’t look her way or make eye contact.
Let her wonder what he was up to. He didn’t owe her an explanation.
He had every right to investigate this feud because there was nothing wrong with being curious, especially if the information gleaned helped them resolve the conflict. And helped him write a better novel.
A few minutes later, Denise sat down with her coffee and brought him his. “Hope you don’t mind that I grabbed your drink for you. It was ready. She said your food will be up in a minute.”
“That’s kind of you, thank you.” Burke slowly drew the mug closer. “Appreciate you meeting me here.”
“Happy to help.” She set her to-go cup to the side and then rummaged in her hefty tote bag. “Your aunt and uncle were so sweet. And I have to tell you right up front that my dad loved your book. Is it tacky if I ask you to sign his copy?”
“Not tacky at all. I’d be honored to sign it for him.”
Denise’s smile widened, her relief evident. “Thank you, Burke. It means a lot to my dad.” She slid the paperback across the table, then handed him a pen.
As he carefully signed his name on the title page, an unexpected feeling of accomplishment enveloped him. Despite the chaos in his personal life, his writing had resonated with readers. He needed that reminder.
“So where should we start?” Denise tucked the signed book back into her bag.
Burke took a sip of his coffee, savoring the rich flavor that warmed his insides.
“Since I’m guessing you’ve lived in Evergreen a long time, do you know anything about ongoing family feuds?
Either between the Harrisons and the Montgomerys or between my aunt and uncle and the people who run the candy company? ”
Denise’s expression grew serious. “I’ve lived here my entire life, so almost thirty years. Somebody’s almost always fighting about something—gold, girlfriends, boyfriends, building the highway—you name it, there’s probably been a dispute.”
She tapped her finger against her cheek. “The Harrison–Montgomery feud is a legend in Evergreen, passed down from generation to generation. But it’s hard to know what’s true anymore when the details get more salacious with every retelling.”
Well, that didn’t surprise him, but it also didn’t provide any clear direction for his investigation. “Anything specific about the legend that you’d like to share?”
Denise took a thoughtful sip of her coffee before answering. “To be honest, I never paid much attention. Most folks around here don’t take it too seriously. Especially since someone tried to write a tell-all blog post about it a few years back.”
“Tried?”
“Yeah, I only read a few paragraphs. It wasn’t that interesting.” She lifted one shoulder. “That’s how people around here usually react when someone from outside writes about Evergreen or makes a movie or a TV show supposedly set here.”
Burke squirmed in his chair. “Say more about that?”
“Alaska is misrepresented in film and television all the time. And someone from outside refers to anyone living in the lower forty-eight.”
“Ah. I see.” He paused as the woman who’d taken his order delivered a toasted bagel and cream cheese on a cheery yellow plate.