Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
“ G reg, what just happened?” Scott stood near the door, unsure what his next move should be.
Greg continued staring forward, then he turned toward Scott and sighed. “I think we’ve been expertly directed on our path.”
Scott swallowed. Amy was definitely attractive, but he wasn’t interested in a relationship or even the illusion of one. “I don’t want to pretend to propose to someone.”
“I don’t think many men would want to. But I agree this could benefit Amy’s business.”
He didn’t want to be a jerk, but he really didn’t want to do this. Before he could answer, Greg continued. “And it won’t be difficult. Not compared to your former job. You’ve faced down criminals.”
Scott nodded. “And I stopped doing that to be the geek in the corner office.” He had a couple of options. One, he could play along. Two, he could tell them he refused to do this.
“You could leave town. But I don’t want you to do that.”
Three options. The problem was that in the short time he’d been here, he’d come to enjoy the small town. It’d been a good break for him and had given him the chance to relax. “For right now, I’d like to stay.”
Greg grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “I was hoping you’d say that. And it really is a great little town. A good place to get away.” He gestured toward the door. “We may as well leave. I know Cassie well, and she won’t come home as long as we’re here. She’s probably sitting next door at Simone’s house waiting for us to drive by.”
As they walked down the driveway toward Greg’s sheriff’s vehicle, Scott thought over the last few days and started to laugh. “Is it always this crazy here in Two Hearts? I’ve only been here a few days, and in that time I’ve worked at a wedding and am now going to be an actor in a proposal. This town’s love of weddings doesn’t stop.”
“This all started with Cassie. She rode into town on a motorcycle and wearing a wedding dress. I dismissed the first report that came in that said a woman in a wedding dress was walking down the sidewalk. When the calls kept coming, I went to check it out. Sure enough, a runaway bride had run out of gas in Two Hearts.”
“She does sound like a character.”
“That she is. She’s also a fine wedding planner. She started a chain of events that is bringing our town back to life.” Greg rested his elbows on the top of his vehicle and looked across at Scott. “There is one more thing that I need to tell you, though. And remember, you said you were staying.”
With those words, Greg got back into the car. Scott hesitated before opening the door. He thought nothing would happen in a small town. But maybe he couldn’t have made it through a whole month of nothing. To help out, he’d play his role with the proposals. Otherwise, everything seemed to be going pretty smoothly.
Inside the car, he glanced at his friend and waited for him to explain what he’d meant earlier.
Greg rolled down his window and waved as they passed what must be Simone’s home—an older blue house beside Cassie’s. He drove to the corner and turned right, back toward the highway, what was actually Main Street through the middle of town.
“I think you’re happy at Mom’s house, but I got a call from her this morning.”
“She wants me out of her house, doesn’t she? I knew I shouldn’t stay there when the owner wasn’t home.”
“No. It isn’t that. Mom loves having guests.” Greg hesitated for just a second before continuing, but Scott noticed it. “It’s just that she and James are coming home today. You’re welcome to stay, though.”
“This sounds both good from your words and bad from your hesitation. Give me the skinny on the situation.”
“They’re newlyweds.” Greg drove up the highway a distance and turned left. They made their way toward the lake as the sheriff made his rounds through the town. “I remember when my sister got married. She acted the same way.”
“I don’t remember my siblings doing anything unusual, but then again, I wasn’t with them all the time.”
“They giggle. It’s, well, disturbing. But I’m her son. Don’t misunderstand me. I do want her to be happy. I’m glad she found joy and love again. But it’s kind of like being around a high school couple, and I find it difficult. I walked in one day, called out to them, and my mom said, ‘We’re in the living room.’ I went in there and found her sitting on his lap. Freaked me out.”
Scott laughed. “As a cop, you’ve seen worse.”
Greg reached up and rubbed one of his eyes as though to erase the image. “Not with my mother. I know she’ll extend a warm welcome and ask you to stay. I just need you to know what you’re walking into. And to add to the confusion, she kept the name Brantley instead of taking his name.” He followed the curve around the lake, then turned back toward town. “The motel will be busy off and on for weddings so that really isn’t viable. Besides, my mother would feel like she’d failed a visitor if you moved out of her home and into the motel. She’s very big on promoting Two Hearts. And my place is just too small. We’d want to kill each other within twenty-four hours.”
The situation here had changed. Did he care enough to want to leave? Probably not.
At the end of the day, they returned to Greg’s family home. With a promise to get together for dinner, Scott went into the house, and Greg went to his apartment over the garage.
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to join your mother and James for dinner?”
“My mother is in favor of anything that brings people together and especially anything that benefits her town.”
Scott kept catching snippets of things about Mrs. Brantley. He still felt welcome but also had the feeling there was something no one was telling him, whether or not it was intentional. He rapped on the back door, and a voice called out to come in. When he did, he found a woman about his mother’s age standing at the kitchen counter stirring something.
When she turned, he knew where Greg had gotten his features. “You must be my houseguest. I’m glad to have you here.” An older man walked through the door, came over and kissed her on the side of her neck. “This is James. My husband.” When she said those words, a light flush stained her cheeks, and she smiled.
Scott woke up to the scent of bacon and something sweet. Cinnamon. Last night had gone well. He’d had a delicious meal that included roast chicken, green beans with bacon, and mashed potatoes with gravy. All of that was followed by strawberry shortcake. Mrs. Brantley could really cook. He’d been warned by Greg and Cassie, but if this was the extent of his interaction with the lovebirds, he could certainly handle this. The tradeoff was worth it.
When he went downstairs, he found the two of them seated at the dining room table. Mrs. Brantley scrambled to her feet. “Let me get you some breakfast. Sit yourself down here across from James. I’ve got a coffee cake, eggs, and bacon for you.”
Scott sat as he’d been told to and breathed in the wonderful scents. This was better than staying at a bed and breakfast. He had a room of his own. No one bothered him. And he was fed wonderful meals night and day. What could possibly go wrong?
She put the plate in front of him, and he reached for his fork.
“I have everything for the day planned out.”
Scott forked eggs into his mouth, only half paying attention to Mrs. Brantley’s words to her husband.
Then she added, “I think you’ll enjoy it, Scott.”
“Excuse me?” He paused, his fork midway to his plate for another bite.
“I was talking about the day I have planned for us. I want to make sure you get full immersion into Two Hearts. I can show you the schedule if you’d like.”
Scott stared up at her. Maybe she was just a helpful tour guide. “I’d like to see that,” he muttered, trying to be polite.
She slid a clipboard with a week-long grid over to him. One-hour time blocks were labeled on every day. Even lunches had been scheduled. Today’s visit said “TBA wedding business,” so she hadn’t firmed up the appointment yet. Tomorrow’s first stop was a wedding cake place. The next day took him to a wedding dress store, a feminine domain he and most men of his acquaintance hoped to avoid. Each of the visits to a business came after a drive somewhere and lunch.
Today’s first stop was McDonald’s Farm with a side note to show him where they’d held the Fall Festival last year. The farm sounded fine, but he didn’t care about an event he hadn’t attended. And though she was a very nice woman, what was he going to say to her during these hours spent together every day?
“This is very kind of you. But I think I’m just going to relax and maybe ride around with Greg some.”
She shook her head vigorously. “We can’t have that. You’re a guest. It’s my duty to take care of you while you’re here.”
And that’s what led him to be on his way to Dinah’s Place. They’d arrive late—more than a half hour off from the planned time—because the tour of the farm had run long. The morning had started fine, but the afternoon’s unknown festivities loomed on the horizon.