AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Leah jumped in. Will you tell us when we can come help?
Gabby agreed.
Mom might even want to pitch in too.
Cate didn’t mention Harry because she didn’t know what to say. Leah and Gabby were excited for her. To be honest, there was probably an undertone of relief in their texts. As if they could quit worrying about her so much.
After Cate ended the conversation, she was surprised to hear a car pull up in the carport followed by the unmistakable sound of a door opening and closing. Before she could do more than stand and turn around, Harry walked right into the house. When he saw her there, he gave a guarded smile. “I’m back,” he said.
Cate’s heart jumped in an alarming fashion. “So I see. You didn’t mention you were returning... in your last text. I half expected you on Friday for the weekend. Don’t you have to work in the morning?”
He set down his bags and yawned. “I’m officially on vacation.”
“Really? Where are you going? Cancun? Barbados? No wait, Papua New Guinea?”
Now his smile was quizzical. “Why would I go to Papua New Guinea? What’s there?”
“I have no idea. I just like saying it.”
He laughed. “I had no idea how boring my life was until you came long.”
“Seriously,” she said. “What are you doing for vacation? A road trip?”
He took off his sport coat and tie and tossed them on a chair. “I’m here to help you with the store.”
Her jaw dropped. “But...”
“But what?” He tapped her chin until she closed her mouth. His eyes crinkled at the corners. His smile was genuine. “I like a project as much as the next guy. Besides, I wasn’t about to let some strange contractor design your apartment. I have skills, woman.”
“I know that.” She swallowed hard, thrown off-balance by the casual way he dropped back into her life as if he hadn’t gone missing for fourteen days. “You realize my closing isn’t for another two and a half weeks. I’ve done the cleaning and the cosmetic stuff. I’m not sure what else there is.”
“We can measure and plan. I’ll incorporate your vision and get it on paper. Once you own the building outright, we’ll be ready to begin.”
“That would be great, Harry. Thank you.”
Then he grimaced. “There’s just one other thing I need to do tomorrow before we can get started. Somebody in town recognized me and ratted me out to my mother. She’s on my case about not visiting.”
Cate frowned. “Well, of course she is. Why didn’t you drop by when you were here before?”
His face tightened. “People don’tdrop byon my mother. She prefers plenty of notice so she can get the set just right.”
The note of bitterness in his voice was unmistakable. “I don’t understand,” Cate said. “Honestly, Jason never told me much about your family.”
“It’s better that way.”
His scowl didn’t deter her. “But Harry—you know everything there is to know about me and my relatives. I hardly think it’s fair for you to be so mysterious about yours. You and I might have lived in the same small town for years, but you were older, and your family was posh.”
“No one ever said life was fair. You, Cate, should know that as well as anybody.” His grim words matched the expression on his face.
She touched his arm briefly. “I didn’t mean to quarrel with you right off the bat. Are you hungry? You want to grab dinner somewhere?” She sensed there were hurts buried in his past. Ones that Jason might or might not be privy to...but Cate was here, in Blossom Branch. She wanted to help Harry if it was possible. He had done a great deal for her.
They ended up at a new steak house on the outskirts of town. Apparently, not everybody was onboard with peach mania. Ye Olde Steak Housedidn’t exactly fit the community theme, but the service and the food were excellent.
Over filet mignon with new potatoes and sautéed asparagus, Cate brought Harry up to date with everything that had happened at the store. His brief texts during the days he’d been gone hadn’t lent themselves to long narratives.
“I’m impressed,” he said. “Sounds like you’ve accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. Do you plan on staying here until closing day?”
For the first time, Cate felt a tad uncomfortable. “No. Saturday is the Fourth of July. I thought it would be fun to see the craft festival and watch the fireworks that evening. I’ll head back to Atlanta Sunday midday.”
