Chapter 31
“Well, look who’s here.”
As she and Lauren waited to be seated at the Bayview Lavender Farm tearoom, Devyn followed her sister’s line of sight.
In the far corner, Isabel and Aaron sat at a table for two that offered a view of the lavender field out the window.
A father who took his daughter to tea?
Her heart melted.
“Devyn.” Her sister nudged her. “Do you see them?”
“Yes.” She sidled behind Lauren as the hostess approached.
Her sister looked over her shoulder. “Are you trying to hide?”
“Not exactly.”
“Yes, exactly.” She rolled her eyes. “Good grief, Devyn. The kiss was two weeks ago, and you’ve had no contact with Aaron since. Get over it.”
If only she could.
But the breath-stealing encounter kept replaying in her mind during the day and popping up in her dreams at night.
“Shh.” She glanced around. “You don’t have to broadcast it to the world.”
“Nobody’s paying any attention to us.” Lauren faced front again as a woman with long brown hair approached. “Hello, Jeannette. This is my sister, Devyn. Devyn, meet Jeannette, who runs the best tearoom in the West.”
The woman smiled. “We try, anyway. Nice to meet you, Devyn.”
As they all exchanged pleasantries, Devyn kept a surreptitious eye on the father-daughter duo. If she was lucky, they’d remain engrossed in their conversation.
Thankfully, Jeannette showed them to a table on the opposite side of the room, and Devyn claimed the seat that was tucked behind a potted palm, which put her back to the Steeles.
Lauren shook her head as she took the chair across from her. “You know you’re being silly about this, right? I doubt Aaron’s losing sleep over your kiss.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Because if so, it was an epic fail.
“It’s supposed to make you think.”
“That’s all I’ve been doing since that night.”
“So what’s the verdict?”
“About what?”
“About your feelings for you know who.” Lauren waved a hand toward the opposite side of the tearoom.
“I like him. More than ever. The problem was logistics.”
Her sister’s eyes narrowed. “Was?”
Leave it to Lauren to tune in to nuances.
She gave the nearby patrons a quick scan.
Everyone appeared to be occupied with their tea companions, and her sister had already discerned that something was afoot. Why put off the conversation she’d intended to have today anyway? With ten days of research under her belt, she was as ready to talk about her plans as she’d ever be.
She moistened her lips. “As a matter of fact—”
“Ladies, let me give you the tea selection.” Jeannette stopped beside them and handed them each a menu penned in an elegant script. “I’ll be back to take your order, but if you have any questions, flag me down.”
As soon as Jeannette departed, Lauren set her menu aside and leaned forward. “As a matter of fact, what?”
Devyn skimmed the menu, made a quick selection, and laid it down. “You may have noticed I’ve been holed up in my room for hours on end at the house.”
“Yeah, I noticed. I figured you were either going through your usual ballet contortions in private or you were trying to avoid me.” Lauren’s mouth quirked up.
“Just the opposite. We could be seeing more of each other if—”
“Miss Devyn!”
At the familiar little girl’s voice, her pulse stuttered.
She’d been spotted.
Lauren smirked and leaned back, as if she was preparing to enjoy the show.
Bracing, Devyn called up a smile and angled sideways in her seat.
Isabel was towing Aaron their direction, his flustered expression suggesting he wasn’t any more comfortable with their impromptu meetup than she was.
“Hi, Isabel. This is a surprise.” She raised her gaze higher, to eyes the color of molten chocolate. “Hello, Aaron.”
“Hi.” He glanced at her sister. “Hello, Lauren.”
Devyn shifted her attention back to Isabel after Lauren greeted the duo. “Is today a special occasion?”
“It’s not my birthday or anything, but Dad decided we should have a Daughter’s Day. We were supposed to come last Saturday, but they were full. Now I’m glad they were, or we wouldn’t have seen you. Is this your birthday?”
“No. My sister invited me to tea to thank me for lending a hand while she was sick. Right, Lauren?” She telegraphed her sister a silent plea to join the conversation.
“Right.”
That was it.
Big help she was.
After shooting her a disgruntled look, she turned back to Isabel. “Did you enjoy your tea?”
“Yes. It was awesome. The chocolate raspberry tart was my favorite.” The youngster linked her fingers behind her back, her demeanor wistful.
“I wish you could have had tea with us, but Dad says that since you have to go back to New York after the show, we shouldn’t see you a lot or it will hurt too much when you leave.
But we both wish you could stay here forever. ”
Was that true?
Maybe, in light of Aaron’s suddenly ruddy complexion.
Isabel inspected him. “How come your face is red, Dad?”
The shade of crimson on his cheeks darkened as he reached up and adjusted—loosened?—the tie he wore with his sport jacket. “I’m, uh, getting warm. I think I drank too much tea. We should go, honey. We don’t want to intrude.” He put a hand on her shoulder and tried to steer her toward the exit.
She held her ground. “I guess I’ll see you at rehearsal, Miss Devyn.”
“Yes, you will.” She lifted her chin and addressed Aaron. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“You too. Come on, Isabel.” He folded her hand in his and tugged her toward the door.
Lauren watched them leave. “That was interesting.”
“Awkward.”
“Illuminating.”
“Embarrassing.”
“Informative. If you were wondering how Aaron felt about you, a big fat clue just dropped into your lap, courtesy of Isabel.” Lauren sighed.
“It’s a shame your careers and lives are on opposite coasts.
But it is what it is.” She put her napkin in her lap.
“So what did you mean about us seeing more of each other? Are you planning to schedule some regular visits here—I hope?”
“Maybe more than that.” She paused as Jeannette appeared to take their tea order. Once they were alone again, she took a steadying breath. “It all started with Mr. Howard’s hardware store.”
Lauren’s face went blank. “You’ve lost me.”
She fiddled with her teacup. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
“Try me.”
“It occurred to me that his space could be a viable location for a ballet studio.”
“Ballet studio.” Lauren squinted as she absorbed that news. “Run by who? You?”
“That was the idea.”
Her brow puckered. “You mean . . . you’d move here?”
“Yes.”
“But . . . what about your career in New York?”
“I’d have to give it up a bit sooner than I’d planned. But when opportunity knocks . . .”
Lauren stared at her. “You’re serious about this.”
“Yes. I always knew I’d want to stay involved in ballet in some capacity after I left the company, and teaching is an obvious choice. Quite a few dancers go that route after their performing days are over.”
“Is this a done deal?”
“No. I’m still in research mode—but I’ve gotten a lot of wheels in motion over the past ten days.
I’m pretty certain I can swing the finances.
I’m having Eric Nash review the lease. BJ Stevens is putting together a remodeling bid.
I also researched the potential student base.
I’d have to pull from a wide area for this to work, but my credentials should be a strong draw.
To some degree this would be a leap of faith, though.
Sort of a Field of Dreams situation. I’m hoping if I build it, they will come. ”
“Wow.” Lauren leaned back. “Why didn’t you say anything about this sooner?”
“I kept thinking there’d be a glitch that nixed it, or that red flags would pop up, and I didn’t want to mention it until all the hurdles were cleared.”
“Are they?”
“Most of them. I still have a handful of i’s to dot and t’s to cross, and there are a couple of people I want to talk to.”
A glimmer of amusement sparked in her sister’s eyes. “I’d wager Aaron’s on your talk-to list.”
“Yes, but I wouldn’t make such a huge change because of my feelings for a man I’m just getting to know. If I do this, it has to be because I’ll be happy here with or without him in my life.”
Lauren’s features hardened. “Not that I’m putting Aaron in the same category as Dennis, but I think you’re smart not to base a major decision like this on a man.”
“Agreed. However, there’s one person whose input is critical.
You.” She linked her fingers on the table.
“I think we’ve worked through most of our issues, and we seem to be on solid footing, but if I’ve misread that, please tell me.
Coming back . . . coming home . . . wouldn’t work as well if you weren’t a regular part of my life. ”
Lauren gave her a get-real look. “Of course I’ll be a regular part of your life. I feel like I finally have a sister again, and I’m not giving that up. In fact, until or unless you want to strike out on your own, I hope you’ll stay with me at the house.”
Pressure built in Devyn’s throat.
When the accident had summoned her home, the best she’d hoped for was an opportunity to crack a window that might lead to a reconciliation with Lauren.
Instead, the door had been thrown open. Literally.
If nothing else had come from this trip, that would have been sufficient.
But amazingly enough, new doors had also opened on the career and romance fronts.
“I’d love to live at the house. Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. I should thank you. You’re the one who dropped everything and flew across the country when I needed help.”
“That’s what sisters do.”
Lauren’s expression grew rueful. “Not if they’ve been treated as badly as I treated you. Every time you reached out through the years, I snubbed you.”
“For reasons I now better understand. But as far as I’m concerned, history should remain in the past.”
Jeannette appeared with a three-tiered stand of goodies, which she set on the table. After explaining all the items and retrieving two pots of tea, she left them to enjoy their treat.
“I’d like to propose a toast.” Lauren filled her teacup and lifted it as Devyn did the same. “To a new chapter—for both of us—whether that involves sisters, friends, romance, or a career change. And with thanks and gratitude for second chances.”
“I’ll drink to that.” She clinked her cup with Lauren’s, and then they dived into the delicious treats, no trace of the rancor or resentment that had marred the early days of their reunion in evidence.
And as they laughed and chatted, warmth overflowed in her heart.
Though the odds hadn’t seemed promising when she’d flown out here in the early hours of that May morning weeks ago, her wish for a new beginning with Lauren had been fulfilled.
How the career change or romance parts of the picture would play out remained to be seen.
She had a number of details to work out for the studio, and despite what Isabel had said today—and Aaron’s reaction—it was possible his daughter had misread his comments.
That his feelings weren’t as deep for her as hers were for him.
But she’d get answers on both fronts soon.
And then she’d have to decide whether to pull the trigger on a decision that would change her life forever.
Four days.
Four endless days and sleepless nights while he’d waited to hear from Diane after their Friday lunch.
And now another day of radio silence was drawing to a close.
Martin wandered over to the fridge in the high-end kitchen that felt cavernous now that he occupied his showplace house alone. Pulled open the door.
The leftover meatloaf from the Myrtle held zero appeal, he wasn’t in the mood to make an omelet, and he couldn’t stomach another frozen dinner.
He shut the door.
Maybe he should wander into town and see if Charley’s stand was open for business. Or go back to the mill, strike up some conversations with people on the second shift. That would be preferable to spending another evening by himself.
But it would also be foolish.
He gritted his teeth.
His bad habit of living at the office was what had gotten him into this mess. He wasn’t going to fall back into that pattern.
Instead, he’d go to Charley’s and hope the artist chef was in a cooking and talking mood.
He walked toward the door to the garage, pausing to pull out his phone when the email alert went off. Froze as he flicked a glance at the screen.
It was a message from Diane.
His heart began to pound.
An email had to be bad news. If she’d had good news, surely she’d have called.
Stomach clenching, he crossed to the kitchen island. Sank onto a stool. Stared at his cell for a full minute.
But putting off bad news wouldn’t make it go away. It was wiser to face reality at once and deal with it.
Not all of the lessons he’d learned from his father had been valuable, but that one had been spot-on.
With fumbling fingers, he opened the email and began to read.
Hi, Martin.
I’m emailing rather than calling because I wanted you to have a chance to think through what I have to say.
During our lunch on Friday, you told me you loved me, and I think you meant it.
Those are words I’ve longed to hear for years—because I’ve always loved you too.
That’s why walking away was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
But I couldn’t see any future for us going forward if we continued down the same road.
I hoped and prayed my leaving would have a constructive impact.
From everything I’ve observed, it has. I’ve heard it in your words and seen it in your actions. I’m grateful you and Lucas have reconnected and that you’ve made some positive changes in your life.
So I have a proposition to make.
What I’d like to do is come back to the house but stay in the guest room for now until we see how everything goes. I’m not ready to fully commit at this point. If things don’t work out, it will be easier to leave if we maintain some distance while we test the waters.
I realize this may not be what you were hoping for, but it’s the best I can offer. It will take longer than a month to overcome the memories of the past fourteen difficult years.
Please respond by email. If you want to proceed, we can work out the details and timing.
Martin sucked in a breath.
She was willing to give it another try.
The outlines of the room blurred, and he closed his eyes.
Thank you, God.
When he could finally see again, he typed in a response.
I said at lunch that you could set the terms, and I meant it. Just name a date and time and I’ll be waiting to welcome you home. Love always, M
He hit send. Pocketed the phone. Continued toward the door, spirits lifting.
They weren’t out of the woods yet. Far from it. And problems could yet arise.
But if they did, this go-round he’d listen to Diane’s concerns and fix them.
Whatever it took.
And as long as he lived, he’d never stop being grateful for this second chance with the family he’d almost lost forever.