“Nope. Don’t do that.” She closes her eyes, leaning her head against the back. As if sensing my protest, she continues, “I firmly believe we did the best we could. Our research was solid,our plan was doable, and our projections were achievable. We could not have done it any differently. They didn’t want to give us a chance. That’s on them, not us.” Viv’s using her no-nonsense voice on me. She’s upset and trying to make sense of it.
“I just don’t get it. How can we have comparables if we aren’t given the chance in the first place?” My head feels too heavy to hold up, so I rest it against the back of the seat, staring up at the fabric ceiling of the car.
“Our time will come.” Viv reaches a hand out and holds mine, squeezing it gently.
“And if it doesn’t?” I roll my head to the side, not able to look at my best friend without feeling like somehow I’ve failed her. Failed us.
“I have to believe this wasn’t our only shot at something spectacular.”
Four
TOO FAST, TOO LOUD, TOO MANY PEOPLE
Luke
The tractor hums and vibrates as the blade beneath it spins. Driving long straight lines through the grass, I’m practically on autopilot. And despite my best efforts to keep my focus on the job, it drifts back to NYC—to the woman who took off like a bat out of hell from Claire’s coffee shop.Trip.Her bright hazel eyes flash across my mind.
Visiting Claire’s coffee shop back in the city wasn’t originally the plan. But I thought it’d be nice to see her, the coffee shop she always dreamed of opening, and taste the coffee for myself before we began shipping up here to the bed and breakfast. I definitely was not expecting to run into a beautiful blonde who has consumed any free space in my thoughts ever since. Hell, I don’t even know her name.
What would I have done anyway? Tried to get to know her? How?I laugh to myself, dragging my hand down my face. Maple Cove is easily seven hours from the city on a good day. Hard to believe there was a time, once, when I thought I might live in the city. Hell, I nearly followed my ex there. Those two nights a few weeks back, though, were enough to show me how much city life isn’t for me. Too fast, too loud, too many people.
I’ve long since come to terms with the fact that the bed-and-breakfast was my life. Once Sam left and Dad got sick, I knew I’d never leave. How could I? Someone has to be here for Mom, for my sisters. Still, that woman from the coffee shop…
I wonder if she is the high-maintenance type, or the down-to-earth type. Would we have fit?The thought sits in my mind a second longer than it should. I turn the wheel of the tractor, taking a lazy, wide turn. Sunshine dapples the grass between the leaves of the trees lining the property, and the fragrant smell of hydrangeas drifts in the breeze. I look out at the lake, a place of comfort and reassurance, knowing there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
Thisis home.
Yeah, there is a beautiful woman in the city. So what? I have a beautiful life in Maple Cove. Inhaling deeply, I look over at the home I grew up in. My mother is checking in on the couple sitting on the back patio. A warmth settles in my chest, bringing a smile with it. This is the life I chose. This family, this business, this town. If that means I put my personal life on hold for a little while, then it’s worth it.
A loudSnap!grips my attention. The tractor slams to an instant stop as if hitting an invisible wall. The blades seize and cease to spin.
Shit.
I close my eyes, forcing a gust of air out of my lungs, before taking a sideways glance toward the patio. All eyes are on me, as they look on with concern at the cause of the unexpected noise.
Applying the brakes, I disengage the blade and power down, climbing off to inspect our new lawn ornament.
“What happened?” Ma asks. She comes to a stop beside me, hands planted on her hips.
“My guess is something snapped. A belt, I suppose.” I push my fingers through my hair and lift the hood, not seeing anything out of place. “I’m gonna have to push it back to the garage. Mighthave been the mower deck belt, but I’ll need to pull it apart to know.”
“Why don’t you give Joey a call and see if he can tow it over to his repair shop?”Because according to Zoe and our books, we can’t afford any extra major expenses right now.
“Nah, I got it. I’ll figure it out.” We have a maintenance check coming up soon; I bet I can get it to work until then to save the added cost.
Ma smiles, looping an arm around mine and leaning her head on my shoulder. “Don’t know what we’d do around here without ya.”
“You’d have to rely on Josh to fix it.” I peer down at her, a smile tugging at my lips.
She swats my stomach with the back of her hand. “Oh, please. That’ll be the day.”
Five
WE CAN’T TAKE A VACATION
Liv
“Yeah, I know, Pop, everything happens for a reason.” I haul open the doors of Bean & Brew. My gaze instantly flies to the armchairs in the corner. Empty. Viv had been on coffee duty since the Coffee Shop Hottie Incident a few weeks back. She didn’t think she’d seen him, much to her disappointment, but it didn’t stop me from checking.
