Her Small-Town Romance

“Do you come here a lot with your wife?”

Bryan almost stumbled. He had that one coming. He shouldn’t have said anything. Shouldn’t have mentioned a wife.

He might be divorced, but it didn’t mean he was single.

“No,” he said. “I can’t say I do.”

Chapter Two

Why hadn’t he told Jade the truth?

Bryan tossed his keys on the foyer’s rickety table in the tan bungalow he shared with Sam. Days like this he missed coming home to his older brother, Tommy. For years the two of them lived here, watching baseball, ordering pizzas and sharing the silent bond of failed marriages. But Tommy was happily married again, living two miles away in a new house near the lake with his daughter and pregnant wife.

Continuing into the kitchen, Bryan opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of iced tea. The fact Tommy had created a future for himself made Bryan want to believe it was possible for him, too.

However, Tommy had remarried his ex-wife. Bryan would never remarry Abby. For one thing, she’d gotten hitched two weeks after their divorce was final. For another, she didn’t love him. Probably never had. Their marriage had lacked substance. Didn’t make their split any less painful, though.

He padded across the worn carpeting and dropped onto the beat-up leather couch.

“Anybody home?” Dad called from the front door. After wiping his work boots on the mat, he tugged them off and took a seat in the recliner next to the couch. “How did your class go?”

“Okay.” Bryan drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch.

“Lots of folks show up?”

“Only one.”

Dad raised his eyebrows. “One, huh?”

“Yeah, and she probably won’t be back. I’m typing up fliers later. I’ll get more people next week.”

“This class is important to you, isn’t it?”

A twinge of guilt poked at his conscience. Bryan had always been close to his father. Dad had done a good job raising the five of them after Mom died. But Dale Sheffield could not keep a secret, and the last thing Bryan wanted was town gossips whispering about his plans. They’d chattered for months about Abby’s indiscretions and the subsequent divorce. He’d just as soon drive pine needles under his fingernails than have the citizens of Lake Endwell discussing his life ever again.

Sam appeared from the hallway leading to the bedrooms. He yawned, shoving his hand through rumpled hair. “Hey, Dad. Bryan.”

“You look like you need a pot of coffee,” Dad said. “Or are you sick?”

“Long night. I’m hiring an assistant manager. The new dealership took off better than I expected.” Sam plopped onto the couch next to Bryan. His black basketball shorts and faded green tee made him look more like a college student than the CEO of Sheffield Auto. Sam had opened his own dealership after Christmas, which brought the total to five across three counties. Bryan managed two and Tommy the other two. “How did your class go?”

“Only one girl showed up,” Dad said. “She might not be back.”

Sam snorted, grinning. “Way to go, Bry. You scared her off, didn’t you?”

Bryan squirmed. He hadn’t scared her off. Not in the way Sam implied.

But you lied to her.

“Don’t say that.” Dad frowned. “Bryan knows the woods better than anyone, except maybe your granddad, may he rest in peace.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sam reached for the remote and cocked an eyebrow at Bryan. “I still don’t know why you put the course together. This whole thing is pretty random, if you ask me.”

Bryan didn’t answer. His little brother noticed too much.

“Bryan is sharing his knowledge,” Dad said. “My father would want him to. I don’t remember you ever wanting to get your feet muddy in the woods. Maybe you should take the class.”

What a horrible idea. Bryan glowered at the bottle of iced tea in his hand. He didn’t need Sam making wisecracks while he tried to teach. It was difficult enough getting the students there. He didn’t want to fight for their respect, too.

“I’m more brains than brawn.” Sam tapped his temple.

Bryan sniffed. “More mouth than anything.”

“Hey, my conversation skills made up for your silence. You barely said a word to Lily and Kayla last weekend.”

Dad cocked his head to the side. “Who are Lily and Kayla?”

Sam stretched his arms over his head and yawned again. “Paulette insisted we meet her cousin’s daughter and friend.”

“Roxanne and Paulette are as bad as Aunt Sally.” Bryan screwed the cap back on the iced tea and set the bottle on the end table.

“Worse,” Sam said. “Kayla and Lily were nice and all, but I don’t need to be set up, especially not by middle-aged meddlers at work. I can find a date on my own.” He jerked his thumb at Bryan. “Now, this one needs all the help he can get.”

“Leave me out of it.” Bryan lurched to his feet. “I don’t want help.”

“Sure you don’t. You’re a real dating machine.”

“That’s it.” Dad rose, holding his hands out. “I’m tired of you two arguing. I’ve been saying it for months—this living arrangement isn’t working out. Maybe it’s time for one of you to move.”

“No...” Bryan shut his mouth. He’d almost blurted Sam would have the place to himself if Bryan moved to Canada this summer. If he didn’t keep a tighter lid on his plans, the whole family would be lining up to talk him out of them. He already dreaded their inevitable rant about his commitment to Sheffield Auto if he got the job. “We’re fine, Dad. Just messing with each other.”

“Don’t take things too far.” Dad gave them both a long look before asking Sam who he had in mind for the assistant manager position. Bryan let out a breath.

One problem averted. What about the other?

In this tiny town, Jade would find out soon enough he wasn’t married. He should have told her the truth right away. He didn’t want her first impression of him to be a lie. It took a lot of courage for her to come today.

It wouldn’t be hard to find her. He’d call Aunt Sally.

He owed Jade the truth.

* * *

This place was quiet. Too quiet. Dusk had fallen, which meant Jade would be exposed to outside eyes as soon as she turned the lights on.

Buy curtains.

Another thing to add to her list. Not tonight, though.

Jade sank low into her navy couch. People said small towns were so cozy and great to live in, but this silence felt eerie. Where were the traffic sounds, planes flying overhead and sirens? Without having her cable hooked up, she couldn’t turn on her television for companion noise. What she did hear unnerved her. The wind made a rippling whoosh through the siding every now and then, and the relentless drip, drip of the bathroom sink matched the pulse pounding in her temples.

Would she ever be comfortable enough to call this town home?

She yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth. At least she’d made a dent in the unpacking. After her embarrassing hyperventilation session with Bryan, she’d driven back to the one-bedroom apartment above her soon-to-be store. A set of stairs outside led to the tiny kitchen with cabinets painted gray. Newer dark laminate countertops were speckled with silver flecks. In the front of the apartment was a decent-size living room complete with beige walls and tan carpet. A short hall revealed a bathroom and her bedroom—beige, of course.

She loved every square inch of it.

A knocking sound came from the kitchen. Jade shot to her feet, grabbed the empty bronze candleholder from the end table and crept through the piles of boxes in the kitchen. Another knock sounded.

Just the door. She exhaled, setting the candleholder on the counter, and opened the door a sliver.

“Hi.” Bryan loomed in the doorway. He appeared taller and his shoulders broader than when they were outside earlier. “Sorry to bother you, but I, well, I need to talk to you about something.”

Her heartbeat galloped, partly because he was even more handsome than she remembered, and also because he’d tracked her down like some sort of stalker. Had he followed her here? She remained behind the door, using it as a shield. “How did you know where I lived?”

“My aunt Sally. Sorry, I’m not a creeper. I didn’t follow you or anything. It’s just, well, nothing is a secret in this town. Aunt Sally is friends with Jules Reichert.”

“My landlord.”

“Yep.”

What did he want to talk to her about? He probably felt sorry for her. Or was asking her not to come to class because she needed professional guidance. So help her, if he handed her the card of a therapist to work through her fears, she’d rip it up in front of him. She’d tried counseling. It hadn’t worked. She would only try it again if truly desperate.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt you, but I need to clear something up. You could call it a confession.” Bryan shifted from one foot to the other.

A confession? Her spirits perked right up. Confessions didn’t involve condescending advice about her problem.

“Yeah, so earlier, I made it sound as if I’m married, but I got divorced almost five years ago.”

“Oh.” Divorced. There went his unavailable status, which was too bad, because him being single complicated things. The fact he’d found her to clear up a tiny misunderstanding said a lot about his character, though.

“Um, I—” he massaged the back of his neck “—well, it was wrong of me to mislead you.”

She prepared to give him her thanks-for-stopping-by speech, but he looked so contrite and uncomfortable on her doorstep. Sympathy overrode her good judgment.

“It’s not a big deal.” She leaned against the doorframe. She’d play it cool. Pretend she wasn’t attracted to him in the slightest. “I just want to be able to live here and drive to Target or a shopping mall, and, you know, go to one of the parks without hyperventilating.”

His lips lifted into a lopsided grin. “I could help with that.”

“I don’t know if anyone can help. I’m not exactly the ideal student.”

“Yeah, but you’re my only student. I can’t afford to be picky.” His blue eyes teased, and her tummy flipped.

“That’s true.” She nodded in mock sincerity. Why couldn’t she say goodbye and close the door? Flirting with him would get her heart in trouble the way flirting always did. When would she learn? Still, she didn’t know anyone here, and loneliness weighed heavily on her shoulders.

“Have you eaten yet?” he asked. “There’s a pizza place around the corner.”

Her stomach rumbled. Empty, silent apartment? Or pizza with all-wrong-for-her Bryan Sheffield? Before she could talk herself out of it, she nodded. “Let me grab my purse, and I’ll meet you outside.”

Less than a minute later, she joined him on the sidewalk in front of her building. No light poured from the large front window, making the store appear abandoned. The chilly air slipped under her collar. She zipped her jacket to her neck.

“This way,” Bryan said.

Jade fell in beside him. The sun had gone to sleep, and the stars blinked on one by one in the clear, ink-black sky. “I can’t remember the last time I stepped out at night and saw such bright stars.”

“Really?” He kept his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, I grew up in a seventies ranch house in Winchester, a suburb of Las Vegas not too far from downtown. City lights hazed the sky.” A far cry from her current rural address.

“I’ve never spent much time in the city.”

“No? The air smells different here.” Jade tried to pinpoint the source. If she had to label it, she’d call it fresh.

“What does it smell like in Vegas?” His unhurried strides made it easy for her to keep pace with him.

“It depends. If you’re on the sidewalks of the Strip, you’ll smell gasoline fumes, exhaust from the line of taxis and cigarette smoke. Basically, you’ll smell cigarettes everywhere outside in Las Vegas.”

“Can’t say I’m a fan of those.”

“Me, neither. I worked for an advertising company geared to the hotels. I loathed crossing through the lobbies when I had to go on-site and not just because they reeked of cologne. The colors, noises and smells were an assault on the senses.”

“Advertising, huh?”

“Yep.” She rubbed her cold hands together. “The competitive job atmosphere wasn’t my thing. Too cutthroat.” She’d never had the heart to play politics the way her coworkers had. If they wanted an account, they did whatever it took to land it, even if it meant taking credit for someone else’s work or schmoozing people they didn’t care for.

“Did you like living in Vegas?”

Mimi’s smiling face came to mind. So many good memories. “Yes. It was home. Living in Michigan is going to be an adjustment.” She burrowed deeper into her jacket. “The main reason I loved it there was because of my grandmother. I lived with her most of my life. Poppi worked at Nellis Air Force Base, and after he died, Mimi didn’t want to move.”

“So you lived with your grandmother until now?” He didn’t sound judgmental, merely curious.

“Well, there were a few months on my own in New York City, but Mimi got stomach cancer, and I moved back in with her.”

“To take care of her.”

“Yeah. She raised me.” Those terrible final weeks with Mimi had been excruciating, yet in many ways, joyful, too. Hospice had helped Mimi die peacefully. Jade had no doubt she and Mimi would be having cozy conversations in heaven for eternity. “I hope you don’t think I did it out of duty. I loved her.”

“She passed, then?” When they reached Main Street, he turned left.

“Two months ago.”

Jade paused as Bryan opened the wooden door of a brick storefront. Light spilled onto the sidewalk from the huge window. Lake Endwell Pizza was etched in bold black letters with a traditional font. Not flashy, but good, smart branding. A little round table for two had been centered under the window, and a young couple simultaneously reached for slices, then laughed as cheese stretched from their pizza back to the metal pan.

“You coming?” He swept his hand for her to enter. She savored the aroma of oregano and garlic and enjoyed the warmth of the room. He led her to a rectangular table for four next to an exposed brick wall. Teenagers clad in black tees, jeans and white aprons joked behind the counter. Most of the tables, all wooden, were occupied. No one looked out of place here. Jeans, sweaters and hoodies ruled.

Bryan scrutinized a menu as if it held the secret to world peace. She didn’t bother picking one up. Three women in their fifties laughed at something, and Jade smiled. Their happiness was contagious.

“What toppings do you like?” He peered over the menu.

“Anything but onions. Oh, and no anchovies.”

His lips curved up, and her breath caught in her throat. What a smile. Maybe she would have been better off staying home in her empty apartment. She had a bad habit of falling for a killer smile, then being left to pick up the pieces when its owner vanished.

A scrawny teen with a pen in one hand and a slim pad of paper in the other appeared next to their table. “What can I get you?”

They ordered drinks and the Deluxe minus onions, and the kid disappeared.

She tilted her head to the side. “So is this the best pizza place in town or the only one?”

“The best.”

“Hey, Bryan.” A tall, dark-haired man waved and approached their table. Following him was a stunning young woman with long blond hair, dark skinny jeans and a baby-blue sweater that perfectly matched her cornflower eyes. They made a striking couple. The blondie kept tugging on the man’s arm, shaking her head and whispering something.

The muscle in Bryan’s cheek flickered. “Libby. Jake.”

Jade’s brain went into overdrive. Who was this mystery couple whom Bryan clearly didn’t want to see?

“Jade—” his eyes were all apology “—this is my little sister, Libby, and her husband, Jake.”

“Hi, nice to meet you.” Jade shifted and smiled.

“My pleasure.” Libby backed up a step. “We won’t keep you.”

“You don’t mind, do you?” Jake pulled out the chair next to Bryan and sat.

“We don’t want to interrupt.” Libby gave Jake a pointed glare.

“But, Libby, all the tables are full.” Jake grabbed a menu. “I’m starving.”

“Please, join us.” Jade gestured to the empty chair next to hers. Libby draped her purse over the back of it.

Bryan asked Jake about his job, but his eyes met Jade’s. Questions lurked in there, ones she couldn’t decipher.

“So, Jade, tell me all about yourself.” Libby gave Jade her full attention. She beamed with interest...and hope. Why the hope?

“What do you want to know?”

“How did you meet my brother?”

“Well, I moved here yesterday...”

“Oh! The T-shirt shop, right? You’re in Mrs. Reichert’s building around the corner. I think it’s a fantastic idea.”

Jade didn’t know how to respond. How did Libby know so much?

Bryan’s eyes glimmered with amusement as he said, “No secrets in this town.”

Apparently not. “Yes, I specialize in custom-designed shirts.”

“Embroidered?” Libby splayed hot-pink fingernails on the table. Jade couldn’t help but be charmed.

“Sometimes. Mostly I make standard screen prints, but I enjoy playing around with glitter lettering, rhinestones and shimmer decals.”

“Glitter and sparkles?” Jake snorted. “Sounds right up Libby’s alley.”

Libby’s laugh tinkled. “Exactly. You’ll have to show me some of your designs.”

“I’d love to.”

“So how did you two meet?” Libby’s lips parted slightly as she gestured to Bryan, then to Jade.

“Jade’s from Las Vegas. She’s taking my outdoor course.” The way Bryan said it discouraged additional questions. A point in Bryan’s favor. He was discreet.

“Outdoor class.” Libby made a face and stuck her tongue out. “Don’t tell me you’re a nature nut, too, Jade.”

“No.” She grinned. “I can’t say I am.”

“That’s a relief.” Libby brought her hand to her lips. “Oh, me and my big mouth. What if you were obsessed with the outdoors? My sister, Claire, is always saying I need to think before I speak.”

Jade laughed. “I wouldn’t be offended. I don’t know much about nature.”

“Well, Bryan will help you. He knows everything there is to know about trees, bugs, fishing, making a fire. He’ll go on for hours about soil and worms and how the silver undersides of leaves mean rain’s coming.” Libby turned her attention to Bryan. “I mean that in the nicest possible way.”

His jaw clenched, but he didn’t reply.

Libby continued. “Talk about uncanny. I mean, you moved here yesterday, you want to learn about nature and Bryan just happened to be teaching a class this morning. It’s as if God planned it.”

Jade did a double take. She’d thought the same, but hearing it from a stranger? She stole a peek at Bryan. He frowned as though he, too, pondered Libby’s words.

“What’s Las Vegas like?” Jake asked. “I’ve never been there.”

All the things Jade loved about it bubbled up inside. “It’s hot, loud and over-the-top. A fun place to visit. There’s so much to do—that is, if you can handle the crowds.”

“I’m not much of a crowd person.” Jake grinned.

“Tell me about it.” Libby shook her head. “That leaves you out, too, Bryan.”

Everything Libby was saying didn’t add up to the picture Jade had been painting of Bryan, the one where he was another too-good-to-be-true guy poised to let her down.

It didn’t matter. Jade was not interested.

“How many are in your family?” Jade asked Libby.

“Depends on how you define family,” Libby said. “There are five of us kids. Add Jake, Reed, Stephanie and Macy, plus Dad. And Aunt Sally and Uncle Joe, and...”

Libby listed more names, but the pizza arrived. Bryan dished out the slices. Half an hour later, Jake and Bryan paid the bill, and they all walked Jade back to her apartment.

“It’s so cute.” Libby stopped in front of the store. “If you need help with decorating or anything, call me.”

“Thanks.” Jade liked Libby already. “Do you all want to come up? It’s a disaster, but...”

“Oh, no,” Libby said. “We’ll let you settle in. It was nice to meet you.”

With his arm slung over her shoulders, Jake steered Libby in the opposite direction.

The air had grown even cooler, and Jade shivered under her coat.

“So,” she said. “I guess I’ll see you next week.”

He frowned. “You still want to come to the classes?”

“Yeah, why?” Had he changed his mind during pizza or something? If he told her he wouldn’t teach her anymore, she didn’t know what she’d do. Her backup plan was dicey and not well thought out. Sure, she could try finding another counselor, but would that cure her when past sessions had failed? She was counting on Bryan’s class. Lake Endwell was too important—the key to her dream life. She didn’t want to start over somewhere else.

“More people will be there,” he said. “You might not be ready to go into the woods.”

“Oh, right.” Her good mood disappeared. She’d assumed she’d be the only one to show up, the way she’d been today. But he was correct. If more people came, she wouldn’t be ready to hike in the woods. It might take weeks—months—for her to be prepared. An overwhelming urge to crawl into bed and duck under the covers came over her.

“What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?” The intensity in his stare made her blink twice, and her pulse quickened.

“Unpacking, why?”

“Maybe I can get you up to speed so you can continue the classes.”

He clearly didn’t know what he was up against.

A Bavarian cottage at the foot of the famed Black Forest. The last week of her summer in Germany. Those mean neighbor boys playing a trick on her.

Why had she been so trusting?

She tucked her hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to...”

“Yeah, I do. Libby was right. The timing and everything.”

“Honestly, you don’t...”

Bryan took a step closer. Her nerves twitched like Mexican jumping beans.

“Meet me at Evergreen Park around two o’clock.” He gently took her by the elbow. “I’ll walk you up.”

Jade climbed the steps to her apartment with Bryan directly behind her. Once she unlocked the door, she opened it and faced him. “Thanks for the pizza.”

He nodded. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“I’ll be there, whatever you decide.”

She slipped inside and locked the door behind her.

She’d lived here all of twenty-four hours and already teetered on the edge of the danger zone. Not that Bryan seemed interested, but still. She couldn’t help being attracted to him.

Hadn’t she promised herself to keep her priorities straight? First on the list was opening the store. Second was overcoming her fear of the woods. She had no business beyond friendship with anyone until she figured out what she’d been doing wrong in her previous relationships.

After tossing her purse on the table, she padded down the hall to her bedroom. Maybe she was overtired. She barely knew Bryan.

Libby was right. God planned the outdoor class. He was helping free her from the chains paralyzing her. Maybe Bryan had the key to unlock them.

God, what do I do? Go to the park tomorrow? Even though I think he’s really cute and seems nice and honest? Or is this a test? Are You checking to see if I was serious about not dating?

Jade fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. She’d sleep on it.

* * *

“I assume the move was successful.” Jade’s mother had a distinct accent. Part American, part French with a hint of German. Her rich alto voice matched her vast intelligence. “Did you hire the moving company I recommended?”

Jade had been unpacking all morning, trying to decide if meeting Bryan at the park would be smart or dumb. She propped her cell phone between her ear and shoulder. “Hello to you, too, Mom. I rented a U-Haul. I’m proud to say, I drove it here all by myself.”

Her mother didn’t answer. Jade surveyed the boxes piled high that still needed to be dealt with. Her dining table overflowed with odds and ends. Where was she supposed to put everything?