Loe raamatut: «The Barlow Brothers»

Chapter One

The first time Katie Williams ran away from home, she was eight years old.

She packed her Barbie backpack with a clean T-shirt, a handful of granola bars and three stuffed animals (because she couldn’t possibly choose between Rabbit, Harvey and Willard), then set out into the world. Well, not the world, really, just the end of Seventh Street, where the alley met the back of the park. She’d settled into the dark, tight space under the stairs for the slide, and told herself she wasn’t scared.

Her brother, Colton, found her an hour later, hungry and weepy and cold. “I was gonna make pancakes for breakfast tomorrow, Piglet,” he’d said, as if it were just another ordinary Tuesday. “And nobody wants to miss out on pancakes.” He wrapped her in the thick fleeced comfort of his sweatshirt, then carried her home piggyback. While he walked, his back hunched under her weight, he told her a story about a brave princess who lived in a castle high on a hill, with an ogre for a friend. Colton had carried her straight to her room, deposited Katie in her squeaky twin bed and bundled her under the thin blankets. He paused, then let out a sigh.

She did it again, Colton had said.

It wasn’t even a question. Katie nodded, afraid to say the words out loud. To tell her brother how their mother had lashed out at Katie again, for a sin no more egregious than asking if there was anything for supper. In those days, their mother drank more than she ate, and for whatever reason, had taken her anger out on Katie more than Colton.

Colton had given her a nod of understanding, a hug and a whisper in her ear, You’re a good kid. Don’t ever forget that. He’d talked to her until her tears dried up and then he’d tucked her into her bed, and left her with a sandwich he’d sneaked out of the kitchen.

She supposed it was kind of ironic that almost twenty years later, she was running away from home again, but this time toward her brother. And once again, he didn’t ask a single question when she showed up on his doorstep late in the afternoon in a tiny quaint town in North Carolina.

“Hey,” she said, when she walked into the Stone Gap Fire Department and found Colton standing by Engine No. 1, polishing the chrome. “I’m here.”

He stopped working, tossed the rag onto the counter and grinned at her. “Hey yourself, Piglet.” She’d never escaped his childhood nickname for her, but that was okay. “’Bout time you showed up.”

She propped a fist on her hip and gave her six-foot-two brother a well-practiced look of annoyance. He was seven inches taller than her and looked ten times stronger in his dark blue uniform. But that didn’t stop her from teasing him. “Just because you call and invite me to come visit you doesn’t mean I’m going to rush on down here.”

“I don’t know why not. Seeing as how I’m your favorite person and all.” His grin widened and he stepped forward, opening his arms and dragging her into a hug before she could protest. “Even if you are my annoying little sister.”

Katie drew back and squared her shoulders. She could have leaned into Colton’s hug forever, but if she did that, she was afraid the fragile hold she had on her emotions would crumble, and then she’d be a sobbing mess. If there was one thing Katie didn’t do, it was cave to emotions. She hadn’t gotten to be a partner at one of the largest accounting firms in Atlanta by acting weak. And she wasn’t going to get through the next couple weeks without staying strong.

After that, she should be fine. Or at least that was what she had told herself the whole way here. Two weeks, she’d decided, was long enough to find a new job, a new life, a new everything. And maybe, just maybe, stop hurting.

“All right, so now I’m here,” she said, brushing her bangs off her forehead, as if that action could brush the worry away from her mind, too. “You want to show me around this town you’ve raved so much about?”

Truth be told, Colton had done far more raving about Rachel Morris, the girl he was engaged to. He was clearly head over heels for the wedding planner he’d met a few months ago. He’d taken a job at the local fire department, and from what Katie could tell from his texts and phone calls, settled right into Stone Gap like he was born here. She shouldn’t have been surprised—Colton was the kind of guy who fit in anywhere, even with the half brothers he’d recently met. Katie, on the other hand, had never had the same kind of ease around people. Maybe it was from doing such a left-brained job, or maybe it was just that Colton had enough charm for the two of them combined.

“I can’t leave now, sis, sorry. I just started my shift and I’m on the clock for a full twenty-four,” he said. “But why don’t you head over to the Stone Gap Inn, and I’ll meet you there tomorrow night at suppertime? Tell Della I sent you. I stayed there until I rented a house in town. It’s awesome. If anyone knows how to be a hostess, it’s Della. She’s my dad’s wife, and I guarantee she’s going to make you feel like a long lost member of the family.”

Katie wasn’t so sure about that. Right now, all she wanted was a room to herself and some time to think. “Sounds like a plan. Say...six o’clock?”

“On the dot.” Then he winked. “More or less. You know you have to give me a ten-minute window, in either direction.”

She rolled your eyes at him. “I swear, you do that on purpose.”

Colton draped an arm over her shoulders and started walking her back to her car. “You are just a tiny bit too uptight, Piglet. Learn to loosen up. Run late once in a while. Get messy. Your life will be ten times more fun that way.”

“And your life would be ten times easier if you just got a little more organized and on time.”

Colton chuckled. “See you tomorrow, sis.”

Katie climbed into her car and started the engine. She waved goodbye to her brother, then drove two miles away from downtown Stone Gap before turning on a pretty side street lined with trees. She’d been in town only for an hour and already knew her way around—such a difference from the crazy congestion of Atlanta. Okay, so she’d also studied a Google map of the town before making the drive from Atlanta, and written down the directions to the B and B after Colton had referred her to it when she’d broached the idea of visiting. But overall, Stone Gap was easy—easy to drive through, easy to enjoy.

This was what she wanted and needed, she told herself. A quiet, picturesque seaside town where she could...forget. Move on. Take some time to process this, the doctor had told her. Don’t expect to bounce right back into your normal life. You’ve had a loss, and you need time to deal with it.

But how did one “process” a miscarriage? Katie’s hand strayed to her belly, as if touching the place where the baby had been would change anything. Everything about her life was different now, had been for two months. Two months where she had buried her feelings and told herself she was okay. Then had a major meltdown at work, and lost the firm’s two biggest clients. All in one day. The next day, her boss had sat her down and told her maybe it would be best for all involved if she moved on, a pretty little euphemism for being fired. Except Katie wasn’t sure what to do next. How to move forward or move on.

For one brief moment—a handful of weeks, really—Katie had dared to consider a different life from the one she’d been living. She’d dreamed of detouring from the careful career path she’d been on. Quitting her job, because working eighty hours a week didn’t jibe with being a mom, and maybe going out on her own or working at a smaller firm. She’d flipped through baby magazines and surfed nursery design websites. She’d even set up a Pinterest account, thinking she’d want a way to organize and save all the things she had found.

And then one morning she’d woken up in pain, her stomach curling in against her like a fist, and she’d known, in that innate way a woman reads the whispers of her body. Later that day, the doctor had confirmed the wrenching truth Katie already knew.

The baby, the different life, the dream, were all gone. She laid a hand on her stomach and could almost hear it echoing inside. Katie had wanted to roll into a ball in that hospital bed and cry, but instead, she’d gotten dressed, checked out and gone to work.

Because she thought that would help her forget.

It hadn’t.

And now, here she was, in a town not much bigger than a postage stamp, looking for...peace. A direction. She’d start, she decided, small. At the Stone Gap Inn.

She pulled into the driveway of the address Colton had given her and looked up at the two-story white antebellum-style house before her. A long, columned front porch greeted visitors like a smile, anchored by a swing on one end and two comfy rocking chairs on the other. A rainbow of flowers flanked the walkway, leading a happy march up to a bright red front door. Katie half expected a girl in a corset and hoopskirt to step onto the porch and offer visitors some sweet tea.

Just as she rang the bell, the front door opened and a curvy red-haired woman in a floral apron greeted her with a wide smile. “Why, hello! You must be Colton’s sister. He called me and told me you were on your way. I’m Della.” She put out her hand and shook with Katie. “Della Barlow. I own this bed-and-breakfast, and run it with my best friend, Mavis.”

It was a fast, breathless, friendly introduction that rushed over Katie like a wave. “Uh, hi. Yes, I’m Colton’s younger sister and he said he made a reservation for me?”

“He did indeed. Come right in.” Della waved her in, and waited a beat while Katie stood in the foyer, mouth agape, and took in the grand staircase that zippered up the middle of the house.

It was like walking into the pages of Gone with the Wind. The staircase curved in at the center, with white risers marrying the wood treads and a carved railing that formed a graceful swoop up to the second floor. On the main floor, a formal parlor sat to the left, with a pair of vanilla love seats sitting on either side of an upright piano. Long, satiny cream drapes framed the floor-to-ceiling windows and a small rolltop desk against the far wall. The dining room was on the right, dominated by a long mahogany table with a wide spray of bright pink and white flowers at its center. The coffered ceiling provided the perfect backdrop to an elaborate chandelier filled with teardrop crystals. Shades of whites, creams and soft pastels filled every room, as inviting as sinking into a cloud. Katie loved it immediately.

“Welcome to the Stone Gap Inn,” Della said, as she walked up the stairs with Katie right behind. “We just opened a few months ago, so we might still have a hiccup or two. The house was abandoned for years before Mavis and I bought it. It still had strong bones, though, being pre–Civil War, one of the few that survived those years. My husband and sons helped renovate it, along with some help from my wonderful soon-to-be daughter-in-law, who restores old houses. They all worked on it, top to bottom, but we kept as many period details as we could. Don’t worry, though, we made sure all the plumbing and electricity is modern, along with Wi-Fi and satellite TV in each of the rooms.”

Katie laughed. “It sounds perfect. In fact, it looks perfect. The house is stunning.”

“Thank you. We love it, and so far, our guests have, too. They’ve all been so grateful to have a place to stay, ever since the original hotel in town closed up. The owner retired, moved to Minnesota to be near his grandkids, but was gracious enough to send all his customers to us. He said a B and B fits Stone Gap better, and I might be biased, but I happen to agree.”

“I do, too,” Katie said. “This place seems perfect for a small seaside town.”

“Thank you. Mavis and I were looking for something to keep us busy in our golden years, and the way business has been going, we got our wish.” Della laughed. “Anyway, I put you in the Charlotte Room,” she said, opening a door as she spoke. “I hope you like it.”

If Katie could have dreamed up a perfect bedroom, this would have been it. Pale green, bright white and accents of butter yellow made the room feel like a garden. A canopy bed dominated the space, looking more like a cloud than a place to sleep. Piles of pillows cascaded down the center of a thick white comforter. A low bench sat at the foot of the bed, with a basket filled with fluffy towels and soaps and bath salts on one end, a tray with mini bottles of water and a bowl of fresh fruit on the other. A ceiling-high armoire sat between the windows, and a thick white terry-cloth robe hung inside, just begging someone to slip it on, curl up in the armchair in the corner and read one of the books piled in the small bookcase.

Katie gasped. “Wow. It’s gorgeous.”

“I’m so glad you like the room. I’ll give you some time to get settled. If you want to join me in the kitchen for some coffee and fresh-baked cookies, come on downstairs.” Della placed a room key in Katie’s palm. “Welcome to Stone Gap.”

Katie sank onto the bed after Della was gone, and thought yes, this was exactly what she needed. Maybe, just maybe, here in this town that seemed to wrap around her like a warm blanket, she could find a way to move forward again.

* * *

The scent of chocolate chip cookies drew Katie out of her nap and back downstairs an hour later. She’d slept better in that hour than she had in the last two months. It had to be the bed, or the total quiet that surrounded her, so unlike the constant hum of Atlanta.

In the kitchen, Della was at the stove, stirring something that smelled amazing. She turned when Katie entered the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“Do you have decaf?”

“I do indeed. Have a seat and—”

Katie waved off Della’s instructions. She felt useless just relaxing like this. “Please, let me help.”

“I’ll do no such thing. Bed-and-breakfast means you get a place to sleep and breakfast served to you. But an inn means you get all that and more.” Della grabbed a coffee mug and filled it with steaming brew. She placed it before Katie, along with cream and sugar in cute little cow-shaped containers. “Now, sit down and enjoy yourself. This is your vacation, dear.”

“Will you please sit with me?” Katie said. For some reason, she didn’t want to be alone. Maybe because when she was alone she tended to think, and that just brought everything back to the surface again. “Please.”

Della glanced at the stove, then at the small table’s empty chair. “I think I will. My feet are barking at me to take a few minutes to sit on my duff. Besides, that crab chowder is done enough to cook all by itself.” Della slipped out of the apron and hung it over the back of a chair, then poured herself a cup of coffee and added a splash of cream. “So, tell me, what brings you to Stone Gap?”

“Like you said, vacation. And...” Katie toyed with the mug. There was something friendly and open about Della Barlow that warmed the air between them and made Katie want to confide, a little, about all that was going on in her life. “And maybe find a job. I’m sort of between things and not sure where I want to go next. Colton raves about this town, and I thought I’d give it a couple weeks to see if it grows on me, too.”

“If you’re not careful, this town will wrap around your heart like ivy on an oak tree, pretty and strong. That’s what it did to me, more than thirty-five years ago, when I moved here with my Bobby. ’Course, it helped that the man himself was also wrapped around my heart.” Della smiled, clearly proud of her town and the man she’d married.

A man who had had an affair more than thirty years ago with Katie’s mother, an affair that had produced Colton. Katie had seen pictures of her mother from those years, before her drinking took its toll. Vanessa Williams had been beautiful, with long dark hair, deep green eyes and a wide smile. In the years since Colton and Katie had been born, she’d morphed into a sullen, resentful woman who considered both her children as unwanted burdens.

But Della Barlow—she was obviously the kind of mother everyone wished they could have. It was clear she loved her sons and her husband, despite the brief bump their marriage had hit more than three decades ago. Katie had no doubt staying here would be like coming home.

“So, Katie, what do you do?” Della asked. “Or, a better question, what do you want to do, since not all of us work at our first-love jobs when we’re young.”

It had been a long time since Katie had thought about her ideal career. She felt like she was in middle school again, lying on her bed and looking up at the cracks in the ceiling. When she was eleven, she’d imagined they were paths, creeping like a spider out in different directions. If she took this path, she’d end up there, by that missing chunk of plaster. That path, and she’d connect with that path and that one, and end up fading into the window frame. The world had seemed open and endless back then, filled with crazy ideas like becoming a veterinarian and an actress and a chef, all at the same time. “I... I don’t know. I’ve been an accountant for so long, I don’t know anything else.”

“Was that your dream, working with numbers?”

Katie scoffed. “No. I sort of fell into it. I was good at math, and I got a scholarship to college, as long as I enrolled in the accounting program. I’ve been doing this job so long, I don’t know if I can do anything else.”

Della waved that off. “Honey, you are as young as a baby bird. You still have time to go after whatever dream you want. Heck, I’m in my fifties and just now embarking on my dream.” She gestured at the sunny yellow kitchen, the off-white cabinets, the wide plank floors. “Dare to do something different, while you aren’t tied down to a family and a dog.”

Dare to do something different. That was part of why Katie was here, because she didn’t know what else to do with herself, except for something different. She couldn’t stay one more second in Atlanta, where everything she looked at reminded her of what she had lost. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Della’s hand covered hers. “Start with cookies.”

“Cookies?”

“Of course. Everything’s better with cookies.” Della grinned. “And then, if you’re interested in something temporary, I know someone who needs some help for the next few weeks. It’s not a glamorous job, but I guarantee it’ll be fun and not at all like accounting.”

Katie took a bite out of a chewy chocolate chip cookie that melted against her tongue. Like the rest of the house and the owner herself, the cookies were the best ever. “What kind of job are you talking about?”

“Well...” Della took a sip of coffee, then wrapped her hands around the mug, “Sam Millwright is in need of a tutor. If you ask me, he needs a good nanny, too. I’ve met Charity Jacobs, the one working for him now, and she’s a dear girl, but in over her head.”

A tutor maybe, but a nanny? As in someone who watched kids all day? Katie had zero experience with children, unless one counted the couple summers she’d spent as a camp counselor. But that had been a team experience—never one where she was on her own, in charge of everything from sunup to sundown for a kid. She’d never had a younger sibling, never really babysat (okay, so she had watched her neighbor’s Pomeranians twice, and commandeered her cousins almost every holiday meal, but that wasn’t the same thing), never even watched a friend’s child, let alone helped anyone with homework. And the thought of being with a baby...

“Sam’s kids are just the cutest little things you ever did see. Libby just turned eight, and Henry is three,” Della said. “You’d love them.”

Three and eight. So not babies. Maybe doable. Maybe. But still, a nanny? Della was right, that was about as far removed from accountant as Katie could get. Except she had no desire to be a nanny, and not enough experience to even consider the job.

“Wait...did you say he needed a tutor, too?”

Della nodded. “Libby’s struggling in school. Ever since her mom passed away, she’s been having a hard time keeping up, poor thing. Sam’s doing the best he can, but it’s tough, being breadwinner and everything else at the same time. His regular babysitter up and quit a month ago, and Sam’s been struggling ever since to find someone to watch the kids. He’s got Charity filling in part of the time, but she’s...” Della made a little face. “Anyway, I had the kids over here yesterday, trying to take the load off Sam, but you know, it’s hard to run a business and watch two kids.” She smiled. “Even if they’re truly the nicest kids ever.”

Couple of nice, sweet kids. How hard could it be? Katie would have to tutor only one of them, it seemed. And the extra money would be a godsend while she was debating her next move. Not to mention, as Della had said, it wasn’t accounting. It wouldn’t be a job that would require her to remember a million details or figure out complicated tax structures. It would be almost as easy as just staying home all day, except she’d hopefully be too busy to think. If the girl was eight, it wasn’t like Katie was going to need a master’s in English to tutor her. What was that, third grade? She could handle third grade homework help. And surely the math would be a breeze for her. As much as Katie said she wanted time to think, to breathe, just the thought of all that time in her head...

She’d rather be working. Doing something that wasn’t difficult, but still kept her mind from spinning. “Sure. I’ll talk to him.”

“Lovely!” Della grinned. “I’ll give him a call quicker than a bunny running through a pepper patch.”

Della did as she’d promised, calling up Sam Millwright a second later. Katie caught only half the conversation, but it was full of “you’re going to love her” and “she’s delightful” endorsements of Katie. Della dropped Colton’s name into the conversation and that seemed to be the clincher. Della hung up the phone, then scribbled an address on a piece of paper. “Here’s his address,” she said. “He said to be there at eight thirty tomorrow morning and he’ll give you an interview.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Katie said, taking the paper. It wasn’t moving on or moving forward, but it wasn’t standing still, either, and for now, that was enough.