“Ouch, we’re back to formalities? Hush now, I’m off the clock,” he lobbed back, grinning. “Go on inside, and I’ll come back to grab your bags. I see Mimi waiting at the window, watching to make sure I’m a good boy.”
“And are you?”
“Guess you’d have to stick around to find out – won’t you?”
He gave her a smile that curled her toes before backing away slowly. Trying her best, she attempted to act cool and reserved… but it was a struggle. There was something about this man that struck a chord, more so than anyone else she’d ever met – including Joe.
Maybe that’s what scared and worried her so much… the fact that she could see those evenings on the porch he was talking about, but in her imagination, things were much, much different. Jack had gray hair and laugh lines around his eyes – and she was much older, just as happy, feeling like she’d found her place, her home. That would mean staying, becoming a part of the community, taking Mimi’s advice, and accepting that perhaps thiswasfate, after all.
The blessing, the town, their crossed paths…everything.
And maybe a little bit of Fate is what I’m looking for after all,she thought silently to herself, her mind whirling as she turned the doorknob.
Ten
HEIDI
“Get up!”
Heidi blinked a bleary eye and rolled over on her sofa bed – only to come face to face with a large steaming coffee cup. Blinking, she saw Mimi’s dancing eyes above it a second later… and groaned. “What time is it?”
Mimi paused, listening, and then smiled as a rooster crowed in the distance. “It’s six or so, but you need to get up. We’ve got a lot to do today.”
“Today?” Heidi asked in disbelief, sitting up and pushing her hair out of her face. “I’m not even certain and…”
“You’ve decided, and it’s happening.”
“Mimi…”
“Jack can’t do it,” the older woman huffed and pushed the cup of coffee toward her once more. Accepting it, Heidi took a deep breath of the aroma before gingerly taking a sip of the hot brew as Mimi continued as if this was just some ordinary day. “I asked him to, but his heart wasn’t in it. The boy is a natural protector, and law enforcement suits him so much better – especially because he cannotcook.”
Heidi nearly sprayed her coffee at that comment. Swallowing it down, she let out a cough and looked at Mimi as the woman sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, smiling. Her eyes were practically glowing with energy at the idea that her beloved shop might be reopening.
“Cooking and baking sure isn’t genetic,” Mimi chuckled with a wistful look for a moment. “My daughter couldn’t cook either before breast cancer took her from us. She used to run the register and wash the dishes for me instead,” she smiled. “Jack was just a young thing, always running around on the wooden floor and rolling his cars, pretending to catch the bad guys – which were his action figures.”
Mimi chuckled again and then patted her on the leg. “Get up and let’s get moving. You’re driving me into town.”
“I don’t have a car – remember?”
“Use Jack’s truck.”
“Jack will be using his truck,” Heidi protested faintly - only to have Mimi shake her head ‘no’ as she stood, dusting off her polyester pants as if they were dirty. Mimi tugged on her hem, straightened up, and leveled a firm look at her… reminding her of her old boss back in California.
“My grandson is already on patrol this morning, and I informed him we were going for a drive.”
“You did?” Heidi hesitated, stunned. Taking one more large gulp of the scalding coffee before getting out of bed. She was wearing bicycle shorts and a long T-shirt to sleep in because she was infinitely worried that Mimi’s lack of boundaries extended to Jack having a significant lack of boundaries too.
“Yep. Get moving, Heidi-child. I’m not getting any younger, and we need to make sure this is a good fit for us both,” Mimi proclaimed – and then walked back out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
“And the ‘queen’ has spoken,” Heidi whispered softly into the silence, before smiling.
An hour later,Heidi was gingerly parking Jack’s truck along the cobblestone street that was part of the town square. It was just as adorable and quaint as what she remembered when she was first brought into Fate – except for the cobblestone streets. Those were bumpy, and she distinctly did not remember that.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect,” Mimi scolded, and Heidi fought so hard to keep from rolling her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to scuff the rims of Jack’s truck or pop one of his tires – which made her realize that she should be getting her car repaired any day now.
Which means I could leave if I wanted to…
Swallowing back that thought, Mimi was already opening the truck door the moment that Heidi put it in park. The woman was sure insistent that they make this trip out here… and froze.
