Chapter 20

Joelle

Melody brought a friend to book club. A woman named Casey who was a reporter for the local paper. Melody introduced us, sharing that we both worked in journalism, even though they were different forms.

“I was always terrified when we had to sit in front of a camera during college. It was obvious which ones of us wanted to be on camera and who would do better with print, but we had to do both. I don’t know how you do it,” Casey said, leaning toward me and smiling.

“Well, I’m not on camera,” I admitted. “I’ve always worked behind the scenes.”

“Oh, that would be me, too. How does that work, though? Don’t you have to be on screen in order to be reporting on a story?”

I nodded. “I do most of the research. The on-screen talent actually handles the story. I’ve never been in front of the camera.”

“That sucks. You do all the work, and someone else gets the credit. With print, I do everything, but it’s my byline. You should come over to the dark side.” Casey winked at me, a friendly gesture that made me laugh.

“Maybe I should if I move here,” I said without thinking.

“You’re moving here?” Melody blurted, catching the end of my conversation with Casey.

“You are?” Piper said. “Really? That would be so awesome!”

The others murmured their agreement, everyone focusing on me.

I did not like being the center of attention. It was like those days Casey mentioned, when everyone had to be in front of the camera. They were excruciating.

Staring at all the women at book club felt eerily similar to that.

“I’m seriously considering it,” I confessed. “But I have a lot to figure out.”

“What did Andre say?” Chelsea asked. “I bet he’s thrilled.”

“Uh, not so much,” I said.

“What?” Chelsea looked around the room at the others. “There’s no way. Why would he not be thrilled?”

I shrugged, feeling the shame and hurt from the other night pressing down on me. “He was kind of angry about it.”

“Angry? That doesn’t sound like Andre,” Natalie said. “He’s always so laidback.”

“Not about this,” I snapped.

“What happened?” Zoey asked.

I sighed heavily. “I don’t know. I’m not trying to be nasty with all of you. I… I had dinner with Andre and his parents and Landon. His mom asked me about moving, and I said I was thinking about it, and Andre overheard. He got really mad.”

Looks were exchanged around the room.

I angrily stabbed a bite of my cake and shoved it into my mouth, waiting for some advice on the man they all apparently knew better than I did, despite the fact that none of them had ever slept with him. Supposedly. Were they lying about that?

Chelsea leaned forward and caught my attention. “My neighbor tried to set me up with Andre before Derek and I got together. We weren’t right, but I always thought he was nice. He and Derek are friends. I’ve never known him to get upset.”

“I’m not lying about that.” The familiar defensiveness rose up in me without warning. I’d spent most of my life feeling like I was in the wrong and had to justify everything I said and did. I’d never felt that way in MacKellar Cove, but if they were all going to tell me I was wrong about Andre, maybe it wasn’t the place for me.

“We don’t think you’re lying,” Daisy said calmly. “You’re telling us about a side of him that we don’t know.”

“When I get scared, I come across as angry,” Natalie said. “I had a camper who was stung last summer. It was the first time they’d ever been stung, and I freaked out. I yelled at the counselor and shouted for the first aid kit. The kid was crying and panicking, and I wasn’t much better. We got the parents there, and everything was fine, but I was not. Once it was over, I had to close my office door and freak out on my own. Then I had to apologize to my staff for not handling it well. Maybe Andre is the same, and that’s why he seemed angry.”

“What could he be scared about? I told him I’m not moving here for him and I don’t expect anything from him. I need a change. I… I like it here. A lot. But if we don’t work out, I still think this could be the right place for me.” Now my anger was coming out.

“Maybe he was hoping you were moving here for him, and you telling him you’re not made him wonder if there’s someone else you’re interested in,” Finley said. “When Trent decided to move back here, it took a lot for me to trust that he wanted to be here for me. It was not easy.”

“I didn’t want to put pressure on him or on our relationship. We’ve only known each other a few weeks,” I explained.

“Maybe that’s long enough for him to feel like he’s in love. It didn’t take me much longer than that to fall for Gavin,” Piper said.

A few of the others nodded in agreement.

“He hasn’t said that, though. He just…” I trailed off when I thought about what I was about to admit.

“He just what?” Melody asked.

I shook my head.

“He went a little crazy in bed, didn’t he?” Willow questioned, grinning like she already knew the answer.

I couldn’t stop my answering grin.

“They are all right,” Willow said, laughing. “He’s crazy about you and doesn’t know how to say it.”

I shrugged. “He told me he falls in love easily, and he hasn’t said it to me. I don’t think that’s it. But no matter what, if I’m going to stay here, I need to figure out how I’ll support myself. I can’t live like I have been.”

“If you can pull together some stories you’ve worked on, I’m sure I can get my boss to give you a job,” Casey said.

“Unless you want to do something else,” Natalie said.

I nibbled my lip. “I always wanted to study the environment. Look at ways to make the things we do less devastating.”

“Natalie has an in with the mayor,” Daisy said. “Maybe there’s a program that would fit with that?”

“Actually, there is,” Natalie said. “Omar’s been talking about wanting to get a few things up and running but not having anyone who could do it. Let me talk to him and see. If you’re serious about moving here.”

I nodded. “I am. Absolutely. Thank you.”

Natalie grinned. “Of course. I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you so much,” I told her, feeling like I was going to cry. A chance to do what I’d always wanted to do? And live in a place that felt more like a home than anywhere I’d ever been?

Wow.

If that worked out, I just needed to find a place to live.

Then tell my mother I was not coming home.

* * *

Natalie reached out the following day and set up a meeting for me with Omar on Tuesday. She assured me it was no big deal, but I thanked her profusely and could barely contain my excitement.

I spent the rest of the day reading up on MacKellar Cove and the projects already in place. The town was small but creative, with lots of basic plans implemented to make it environmentally friendly. But I knew they could do more.

I researched a few other local communities and a little about the area to help me figure out some new ideas and found myself getting more and more excited about the opportunity.

But I had to be real. I didn’t have a degree in environmental management. I didn’t have any experience either. My passion would only get me so far.

An hour before Andre was supposed to pick me up, I jumped in the shower and got ready to go. I didn’t know if he was going to be interested in hearing about my meeting with Mayor Knight, but I knew the early morning meeting would force me to go back to the Inn after our date.

Andre knocked on my door a few minutes early. I called out that it was open, and he turned the knob tentatively before sticking his head in. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I said. “Sorry. I’m almost ready.”

He walked in and leaned against the doorframe, watching me with a smile. “I don’t mind waiting.”

I was dressed, but I hadn’t put on any jewelry yet. I lifted the bracelet I wanted to wear, a delicate chain with a small heart in the center. It was simple and not overly expensive, but it was mine. I bought it last week when I was wandering town and found a cute little store that I couldn’t resist.

“Do you need help?” Andre asked, shoving away from the doorframe and reaching for my bracelet.

“Sure,” I said, handing it over.

He opened the clasp, then grabbed my hand with his free one. He flipped my palm, trailing his fingers on the inside of my wrist.

I sucked in a breath, the gentle touch shooting straight through me.

He picked up the other end of the chain and brought the two sides together. He clasped it with little effort, then brought my wrist to his lips. He kissed where the chain sat, sending more tingles through me.

“Andre,” I whispered.

He looked up at me with a shy smile. “I missed you.”

“Me, too.”

He linked his fingers with mine and led me to the door. He guided me outside with a hand low on my back. He made it hard to resist him. To make a choice that was best for me without considering how it would affect us.

Andre held my hand as he drove to the restaurant. He said it was one of his favorites, and I was surprised when he stopped in front of a place I never noticed before. It looked like a cottage, but it had a sign above the door that read ~Ann’s~.

“Landon told me about this place over the winter. It’s amazing. The menu changes every day, and they use as many local ingredients as possible.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“I thought you’d enjoy that.” Andre told the server his name, and we were led to a table near a window overlooking a massive garden.

“It’s gorgeous,” I said.

“Yeah,” Andre said, but when I looked up, he was watching me.

My cheeks warmed. I couldn’t stop my smile.

“Hello, and welcome to Ann’s. I’m Sarah, and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. The menu is over the kitchen window, and if you can’t read it from here, you’re welcome to walk over and take a look. If you need a recommendation, my favorite thing available tonight is the butternut squash ravioli with sage sauce. It’s one of Art’s specialties.”

“Art?” I asked.

“The chef,” Sarah clarified. “Ann was his late wife. She had non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and when she was diagnosed, Art started cooking her all organic foods. He sourced as much locally as possible and grew the amazing garden you see out the windows. Beyond there, he has a greenhouse that he operates year-round. This place is his homage to Ann, providing the same quality food to everyone who wants to enjoy it.”

“That’s beautiful,” I said.

Sarah nodded. “Unfortunately, Ann passed a few years ago, but Art knew she wasn’t the only one who needed those foods. He started out by donating his produce to local families and selling some at the farmer’s market. Last summer, he opened this place, and it’s quickly become a local favorite.”

“It has,” Andre said. “Landon Boyd told me about it.”

Sarah beamed. “Landon is so great. He provides all the flowers for the tables.”

I looked at the small bouquet. It was the perfect cheery addition to the place without taking over and demanding attention. Even better, the flowers didn’t have a scent so they wouldn’t overpower the food.

“I’ll get some water for you two and give you a few minutes to think about what you’d like to eat.”

“Thank you,” Andre and I said together.

“What do you recommend?” I asked him.

“I haven’t had anything here that wasn’t amazing. I might take her suggestion and go for the butternut squash ravioli.”

“I was thinking that sounded good, too.”

“Let’s look at the menu and we can share a few things. If you’re up for it.”

I nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

We settled on portobello steak with green beans and baby potatoes for a second dinner and eggplant bruschetta for an appetizer. My mouth watered as the scents of cooking filled the air and plates were carried from the kitchen to the other guests in the restaurant.

“How was your day?” Andre asked, reaching for my hand.

I slid my hand into his and debated how much to tell him. “It was good.”

“Yeah? What did you do?”

“Not much. Living at the Inn is nice, but I’m running out of things to do.”

“Have you thought more about moving here?” His voice was tight, like he was dreading the answer.

“A little, but I haven’t made any decisions yet. How are things going with your employees?”

He visibly relaxed and nodded. “Really well. They’re pretty amazing, actually. They work well together and are excellent.”

“That’s good.”

“Yeah. The only issue is I need to find more work for them. They’re going to end up bored or finding new jobs that keep them busy if I don’t figure something out soon.”

“What are you thinking about doing?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to grow too fast and end up overwhelmed, but I know there are more jobs I could take on.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“Time. I know how long it takes me to do the work I have, and I’ve limited myself based on that. I love what I do, but taking on more jobs means more time.”

“But you have two more people doing the work. Doesn’t that mean you have more time?”

“Yeah, but I don’t have more equipment. They can’t exactly work nights, so we’re still limited on time. And they need a break, too.”

“Buying new equipment isn’t exactly cheap, is it?”

He shook his head and laughed. “Nope.”

“Could you buy something used? Or something smaller that would do the work but maybe not as quickly, or maybe that you could use on smaller properties? Then it’s better than nothing, but wouldn’t bankrupt you if things don’t work out.”

He straightened and shook his head. “That’s… Why didn’t I think of that?”

I chuckled. “I don’t know. Why didn’t you?”

He laughed. “That is really smart. I have been eyeing a few items, but the expense keeps holding me back. If I could get something that’s used, it would cut the cost maybe in half.”

“Would that be enough to keep them working full time and you making money?”

“Absolutely.”

Sarah came over with our appetizer and told us to enjoy. She hovered a few feet away as we picked up the first pieces.

I closed my eyes and groaned. It was delicious. The flavors exploded on my tongue, all blending together in a perfect medley. I took another bite before I finished the first one, desperate for more.

“It’s good right?” Andre said.

I opened my eyes and nodded, noticing Sarah walking away with a grin. “It’s amazing.”

Every dish was the same. Something new and unique, but familiar and delicious. When we finished the last bites of dinner, Sarah recommended the homemade ice cream. A local dairy farm made it and provided it to Ann’s.

The ice cream was just as big of a treat. Vanilla with fruit from Art’s garden on top, and a drizzle of raspberry sauce to add a touch of tart.

“I see why you love this place,” I told Andre as he handed his credit card to Sarah. “And I wish you’d let me pay sometimes.”

He waved off my offer to pay, as always, and said, “If you move here, I’m sure you’ll be here a lot.”

I nibbled my lip. “I bet I will be.”

He sipped his water. “Are you still thinking about it?”

“I am.”

“But you don’t want to tell me.”

“I never said that.”

Sarah came back with the statement, and Andre signed it, then thanked her. He offered me his hand and gripped mine tightly as we walked to his truck.

“I don’t want you to think I don’t want you here,” he said when I got in the truck. “I love spending time with you. And I… it would be very easy for me to fall for you, Joelle.”

“I don’t want you to feel like I’m forcing myself into your life.”

“That’s not how I feel. I want you in my life.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded. “And I want you in my bed.”

“I actually have to be somewhere early tomorrow.”

He pulled back. “You do?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Can I know where?”

“I’m meeting with Mayor Knight. Natalie, his fiancée, goes to book club. She got me a meeting with him for tomorrow.”

“You’re really making this work, aren’t you?”

“I want to. But if it’s going to cause issues with us—”

He moved so fast he cut off my argument, his lips landing on mine in a punishing and intoxicating rush. He licked my lips apart, plunging his tongue into my mouth.

I clutched at him, as much to keep him from stepping away as to keep myself from falling backward. I kissed him back, feeling the same urgency and frantic energy I got from him the last time we were together. The energy Willow insisted meant he was already in love with me and was scared to lose me.

“Come back to my place,” he said against my lips, nipping them before he kissed me hard again. “I’ll take you to the Inn whenever you want. Tonight, early tomorrow, whenever. Just come home with me. Please.”

I nodded, unable to deny him. Or myself. I wanted to be with him. I couldn’t get enough of him if I was honest.

And it wasn’t just the sex. It was Andre. It was the man who made me feel like I was worthy of his love. Who made me feel like I was the only one he wanted. Now and in the future.

I just hoped I was right about that.