Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
A my returned to her newspaper office after delivering the week’s edition to houses and businesses in town. She sold them everywhere she could. When she opened the door, she was stopped in her tracks by the pile of boxes that now lined the room to her right.
What on earth had happened while she’d been out?
When she got closer to the boxes, she recognized the handwriting on them. Hers. Most said “books.” A couple said “summer clothes.” And she spotted one with the word “kitchen” written on the side in bold, black marker with a drawing of a cup and saucer. Her artistic mother had clearly packed that one.
These were her boxes. The ones she’d stored in her parents’ garage in St. Louis.
But how ? —
Then she remembered that Dexter had made a quick trip there. She’d expected him back sometime this afternoon, so this timed out right.
Phone in hand, she dialed him. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t answer as he often didn’t when he was working. Or when he was avoiding her. Next on the list was her mother.
She answered with the same words she’d used every time since Amy had moved here. “Hi, sweetie. How’s life in Two Hearts?”
Amy hesitated for a second too long before replying with, “Good.” Maybe her mother wouldn’t notice her less-than-stellar response.
“But?”
Not a chance. She may as well get it off her chest. “I’m struggling a little to make a real home here.”
“I sensed that. I knew it was time for you to have your things around you.”
Amy rubbed the bridge of her nose. “But, Mom, I’m living with Dexter. I don’t have a place to put all these boxes.” She’d tried to shine a professional light on her newspaper business. She hadn’t even wanted to threaten her credibility with a retraction about her cousin Nick’s engagement to Simone that, at the time, had just been what his grandmother wanted and not a reality.
Of course, she was now posing with cows in staged proposal photos, so maybe the professionalism had slipped a bit. Still, what would she do with these boxes that were cluttering up her business space?
Her mom’s gentle voice broke through Amy’s annoyance. “Do you have somewhere to store everything until you’re ready? I could get Dexter to bring them back.”
Amy stared at the tower of cardboard.
“Your father would like to turn that side of the garage into a workshop.”
Amy blew out a breath. A corner of her office filled with boxes wasn’t ideal, but it was going to have to be fine for now. She loved the man she’d come to think of as Dad.
“Okay, Mom. I understand. This is all of it, right?”
“It’s everything out of the garage. Dexter brought back some of his things, too, so we just loaded it all up in his truck.”
So, on top of this, he’d added more to the already crowded house? She had to find a home of her own—and soon.
They chatted about her sisters and other brother for a few more minutes. By the time they ended the call, Amy was smiling at the family stories about her siblings that her mother had shared with her. Her sister Della lived near their parents, and her sister’s son Gavin had just started walking. As soon as she hung up, Amy knew she needed to make a trip home herself. She could use one of her mom’s awesome hugs, and she’d love to watch Gavin toddle across the room. She’d pencil in a visit—just as soon as life quieted down. St. Louis was in the four- to five-hour driving range, so definitely doable over a weekend.
As she tried to push boxes out of the way to make them a little less obvious—if possible—the door opened behind her.
She whirled around to find Scott. “I came back to see if everything was okay. When I was walking by earlier, your brother was unloading the boxes, so I helped him stack everything here.” He studied her for just a moment before continuing. “It is okay that they’re stored here, right?”
Amy turned back to the mess. “It’s okay. That’s what I’m rolling with right now. It’s okay ,” she repeated with a sigh. “There don’t seem to be many large garages around here, so I don’t think I can beg to use part of someone’s.”
“I noticed you had a lot of boxes of books. And not just by the writing on them. Those suckers are heavy.”
That made her laugh. Scott had a way of making her smile.
“Yeah. I do love books. I’ve missed some of them, but I’ve collected these over time, and I may not need all of them. I always thought I would be able to sort through them and get rid of some before they were dragged over here.”
Scott walked down the row of boxes. He turned around and said, “You know, it looks as if you have enough books to open a bookstore.”
She laughed again. When he didn’t crack a smile, she realized he wasn’t kidding. Amy stared at the boxes. Could he be right? As she counted up the boxes, knowing how many books must be in each, she realized she had even more than she’d thought. “That’s an interesting idea.” For a few seconds, happiness bubbled up inside her. Then reality hit. “Bookstores struggle to make money, don’t they?” She already had one struggling business.
“But if you already had the inventory . . .” He let the words hang in the air. After a moment of silence with her staring at the books, he said, “I’m going to finish up organizing the newspaper archive in the back.” He looked at his feet for a moment, almost seeming nervous, which was out of character. “I’ve been told we’re having meatloaf for dinner tonight at Mrs. Brantley’s house. I’m certain this is the world’s best meatloaf because everything she cooks is outstanding.” He hesitated for a moment. “But I hate meatloaf.”
Was he fishing for an offer from her? She liked being around him, and she’d come to think of him as a friend. “I have some canned soup I’d split with you.”
His grimace said it all. “Not much better. I was wondering if you’d want to grab a bite to eat somewhere?”
She processed that for a moment. Was this a date? She didn’t want to go on a date anytime soon.
As though he could read her mind, he added, “You’re just helping out a friend.”
That sounded reasonable to her. Before she could talk herself out of it, Amy said, “If you help me go over ideas for a possible bookstore, I’ll buy you dinner in the next town.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to take them back. She could say that she suddenly realized she was too busy. Anything to get out of what he might see as a date.
Before she could do that, Scott replied, “Deal,” and she was committed.
He headed toward the back room, whistling.
Would a bookstore bring in the extra income she needed now? Or was this just another thing she should add to her list of great ideas for the future?
After some time spent pulling together her outline for the next newspaper issue, she pushed back from her desk and stood, bending her back as she stretched.
“Scott? Are you ready to head out?”
He appeared from the back room with his hair disheveled and his shirt partly untucked. He still looked great.
Scott grinned. “I’m very ready. What kind of food are you taking me out for?”
“Let’s get some pizza.”
She grabbed her purse, and they headed for the door. “It isn’t too far. Just the next town over. Maybe someday soon, Two Hearts can get its own pizza place.”
“The pizza we had last night was good, so I’m looking forward to it.” He used the restroom and returned with his shirt back in place and his hair combed.
As she locked the front door with Scott at her side, she realized they were going on what would appear to anyone else to be a date and at one of the most popular dinner spots for Two Hearts’ residents. Rumors would fly like wildfire through the town. She started to turn toward her car when he pointed toward his vehicle. “Let’s take mine.”
She liked to drive, but she didn’t see any harm in giving in this time. She stowed her backpack in her car’s trunk, and then they took off in his vehicle.
As they drove through town, Amy realized that even seeing them together in his truck in the evening would add fuel to the fire if someone spotted them. She could pass it off as newspaper business during the day. And she could shout from the rooftops that the pictures in the newspaper were fake, and they might even believe it. But once gossip got around that the two of them were alone having dinner together, nothing she said would stop that freight train of information.
As they drove out of town, her with her hand beside her face to make it more difficult to see, she asked, “How would you feel about having Chinese instead?”
He glanced in her direction. “That’s fine with me too. I’ll eat almost anything.”
“Except meatloaf.”
He grimaced. “I’m not sure what it is about meatloaf that crosses a line for me.”
Amy directed him as they drove north out of town, but instead of heading for the next town over where Two Hearts’ favorite pizza parlor was located, she was sending them a bit farther out. The more distance she had between herself and Two Hearts, the less likely she’d find someone from this town over there.
She glanced at Scott as they rode along in silence together. He did quiet time well, and she appreciated that. But she couldn’t turn off the bookstore idea that kept running through her mind and needed input.
“I have a question for you. Can you think of any way to make a bookstore sell more? I’m afraid this town can’t support one. If they struggle in big cities, what would happen in Two Hearts?”
The truck ate up the miles as he seemed to be considering her question. Finally, he said, “The town is all about weddings. Is there any way you can make your bookstore more about weddings?”
Could she? She thought out loud as she spoke. “None of the books I have are about weddings.” She’d put those in the trash before she’d moved here. “There may be a mystery or romance with a wedding in it, but certainly not anything focused on weddings.”
“But what if you added some?”
Amy frowned as she considered his suggestion. Purposefully adding more about weddings to her life felt out of the question. But here she was with a man who’d just fake proposed to her.
“I’ll think about it.” Amy sighed as the uncertainty about her next steps in life piled up. Her newspaper, her living quarters, and now a bookstore. She blew out a breath and tried to relax. “Right now, we only need to have a great dinner. Turn left here.” A couple of minutes later, he pulled into the side parking lot of the Chinese restaurant. “I’ve eaten here several times and liked it every time.”
“I trust you.”
The odd thing was that she trusted him too. That must be why his business idea had stuck in her mind.
There was an awkward moment when he held the door open for her. That was great because it showed he had some chivalry in him. But just that little touch made this feel even more like a date. That must have thrown her off because, as they walked into the building, she stumbled. Scott put his arm around hers to support her and kept it there.
The hostess came over and said, “A table for two?”
Scott nodded, and the woman directed them to a nice, intimate table for two in the corner.
It isn’t a date, Amy.
“Have you gotten any response to your newspaper photos?”
The newspaper. She could talk about that all day long, and this definitely wasn’t a date conversation. They were two friends having dinner together. Coworkers, even. Then she remembered that the photos were about his proposal, and she flipped right back into date mode.
Focus, Amy. “Let me check.”
As she did that, he added. “One of those clicks on your website will be my mother.”
Startled, Amy looked up at him.
“I hadn’t checked in other than to say I’d arrived safely. She wondered what was going on here that had made me forget about my family in Chicago.” He shook his head. “We often get together for barbeques in the summer, so I’ve been missed.” He moved his hand around in a flipping motion. “I’m good with burgers.”
Amy grinned.
She flipped through her social media accounts. “The pictures are getting some interest. Not a flood, but I’ll take it. There are some cute comments on the cow picture.”
“Do you have ideas for the next photo session?”
For just a second, Amy wondered what he was talking about. Then, the whole proposal thing came back. “I want to show them different places around town that would be interesting venues. The city park would be easiest but doesn’t seem unique.”
He nodded slowly as he considered that. “Good point. So something more uniquely small town or country?”
He seemed to be able to read her mind. “I had a very thorough tour of the McDonald Farm.”
“That could work. What do you think?” She realized she really was interested in his opinion. Up until now, she’d been flying solo on this.
“I think it’s a great idea. But maybe we should avoid anything to do with cows?”
She laughed. “That’s my plan.”
“Would it work to get your brother involved?”
Amy shook her head. “Dexter would hate being part of the proposals. He’s in his mid-twenties and has avoided commitment. The Two Hearts wedding obsession hasn’t touched him.”
Scott grinned and his eyes crinkled in the corners. Amy stared at him for a beat too long.
Thankfully, the server took that moment to return to their table for their orders. Amy chose a vegetable stir-fry and Scott selected the sweet and sour pork. When they were alone again, Scott picked up the conversation with the neutral subject of family.
“I helped unload the boxes, but I barely know Dexter. Does he work at one of the wedding businesses?”
“Definitely not. We both ended up as writers. He writes articles about small-town life for his own blog and others. On his off time, he hangs out with some of the guys. He knew a couple of them when he was younger.”
“I keep forgetting you’re from Two Hearts. Are you glad you came back?”
“Very. Though I’m still working on how to build up my business enough to be able to stay here.”
“You’re smart. You’ll figure it out.”
That sent a warm feeling through her. She thought of herself as industrious and maybe even ambitious. Logan hadn’t appreciated those qualities or her intelligence.
Amy sighed. “I hope you’re right about my succeeding. I’m trying. I’ve got a list of ideas. Every time somebody suggests something, I add to that list. So far, nothing seems to be a winner for Two Hearts. If I was in Nashville or some other city of a good size, I could do a lot of things and be okay.”
“But Two Hearts is different, right? You have all these weddings, and it seems like people are starting to come here as tourists.”
“That’s all true. But there are only so many people who live here who would subscribe to the newspaper or advertise.”
“That’s why we’re doing proposal photos to drive up interest outside Two Hearts.”
She nodded. As she was about to add more, the food arrived. They were quiet for a few minutes as they dove in.
Scott paused after a few bites. “This is delicious. Thank you for saving me from that meatloaf fate.”
Amy chuckled. “The evening worked out fine. I like to eat a lot of different kinds of foods. There aren’t many choices in Two Hearts, but this wasn’t too bad of a drive, was it?”
“Nope. And my guess is that you moved us away from prying eyes who might think we were a couple if they spotted us out together too close to town.”
Amy gasped and started choking.
Scott patted her on the back as she reached for her water. “Sorry! I think I caught you off-guard.”
Once Amy could breathe again, she said, “I didn’t think you’d know why we’d come here.”
“Because I’m a computer geek, so I don’t notice details?” He grinned as he spoke, softening the words.
“Not details. Things about people. I know you’d catch every detail in a computer code. So, tell me about yourself, Scott Miller.” She settled into her meal as she waited for him to share his story.
After another bite, he said, “There isn’t much to tell. I was a cop for a year. Working on the street wasn’t for me. I always enjoyed computers, so that’s what I do now, but still with the police department.”
“You have a sister and nephew?” She was trying to remember what he’d said about the situation at his house.
“My sister has three boys, including a set of twins who are two and a four-year-old. Their daughter just turned three. I love them. I would run into a burning building to rescue them. But two days in my house with them drove me crazy. I don’t know how parents do this.”
Amy grinned. “My sister told me it’s different when they’re your kids.”
“That must be true, or people wouldn’t keep reproducing. But I also have a brother. I’m the oldest, then it’s the sister who’s in my house, and Steve is the youngest.”
“Everyone’s in the Chicago area?”
“Everyone’s in Illinois. Steve lives further out in the country.”
After a couple bites, he asked, “What about you? Just you and your brother?”
“I have two brothers and two sisters. We’re scattered all over the country. My stepdad was in the military, so we moved around a lot.”
“It must be hard to get everybody together then.”
“Everybody always comes home for Christmas. My parents’ house bulges at the seams then, but we make it work. Only my oldest sister has two kids—a toddler boy and a baby girl. If my other siblings have children, my parents may need to add an annex to their house.” She laughed. “But it’s always so much fun when we’re all around the tree and in one room together.”
“I feel the same way. I can see why a sense of family roots brought you back to Two Hearts. That’s how I feel about Chicago.”
She had to remember that Scott was a visitor to Two Hearts. He wouldn’t be staying, so unless they were going to be pen pals, this would be a holiday-only friendship.