C.J. Carmichael - Star-Crossed Parents

“And my room?”

Kate pointed up and smiled gamely. “You won’t need to warm up for your run tomorrow with all these stairs.”

The turret room was even tinier than Leigh had expected. And since it really was in a turret, none of the walls were straight. A double bed had been squished into one half of the space. A rocking chair and small footstool sat next to the bank of windows facing the back of the property.

“It’s pretty.” Leigh fingered a needlepoint cushion on the chair. “How long have you owned this place?”

“I moved here after I was married. The inn has been in my husband’s family for decades.”

“It must be a lot of work. Do you and your husband run it on your own?”

“My husband passed away six years ago. So it’s just me and my son, Robin, now.”

“I’m so sorry.” Before she could ask what had happened to her husband, Kate was telling her.

“Andrew died in a car accident. He and my sister-in-law were killed instantly.”

Oh, no. “Was that Sam’s wife?”

“Sam told you about Susan?”

“Only that she’d passed away about six years ago.”

“Yes. Andrew was taking Susan shopping in North Conway. She hated to drive in the snow and we’d just had one of those terrible spring storms.”

Leigh shook her head in mute sympathy.

“But enough about that.” Kate forced a cheerful smile. “I hope you’ll be comfortable here. If you start to suffer from cabin fever, feel free to come downstairs for a coffee or to watch television.”

“Not tonight, thanks. You don’t know how good that bed is looking to me right now.”

Kate’s smile relaxed. “The bed may be small, but it’s really comfortable. I hope you sleep well.” She paused in the doorway. “My brother didn’t say how many nights you’ll be staying?”

“It depends on how long it takes me to talk my daughter into coming home with me. With any luck we’ll be gone tomorrow afternoon.”

“Sam mentioned something about your daughter. She’s a friend of Josh’s?”

“Sort of. They met over the Internet.” Leigh made a face and Kate looked sympathetic.

“They made a plan to meet the day Taylor finished her last exam. I just found out this afternoon, when I got home from work.” She looked down at her dress. “We were going to have a graduation party.”

“What a shock that must have been for you.”

Leigh blinked away fresh tears. She’d cried most of the way here from New York. As if tears were going to solve anything.

“If it makes you feel any better, my nephew is a sweet guy. He’s always been a good kid, never got into any trouble.”

“I could say the same for Taylor. Until this.”

“Love does strange things to us all.”

Sam had said something similar, just a few hours ago. And Leigh had only her own life to look back on to know that it was true. But damn it, she’d hoped Taylor would have known better.

“It’ll be okay, Leigh. Get some sleep. And call me if you need anything.”

The moment Kate left, Leigh collapsed on the bed and kicked off her shoes. She couldn’t think about Taylor right now. It hurt too much. Kate was right. She needed sleep. Things always looked better in the morning, right?

Sam’s sister was so nice. Why couldn’t Sam be that nice, too?

T HE SITUATION DID NOT seem better to Leigh the next morning. It didn’t seem better after breakfast, either, and the hour-long run that usually left her feeling clearheaded and optimistic only made her more tense.

She knew she wouldn’t feel better until she’d talked to Taylor. Hopefully the implications of her rash actions would have sunk in by now. Wouldn’t it be great if she’d already decided she wanted to go home?

Leigh hurried through her shower, then threw on jeans and a T-shirt. In the car she was dismayed to realize the gas tank was almost empty. When she’d stopped yesterday for directions, she’d forgotten to buy any gas.

It was quarter to twelve when she pulled up to Sam’s Gas & Groceries. Before she could do much more than unclasp her seat belt, he was by her car.

Why, when practically ninety-nine percent of the gas stations in America were self-serve, did his have to be full-service?

She lowered the window.

“Looking for directions to New York City?”

“Very funny.” He was wearing an outfit similar to yesterday’s. Dark jeans and a navy T-shirt with the gas station logo embroidered on the front pocket. Inexplicably there was a baseball taking the place of the O in the word Groceries.

Sam rubbed his chin. “You sleep okay?”

“Just fine.”

She felt a subtext in his gaze, a message that came across as clearly as if he’d actually said, I hope you’re feeling more reasonable today.

“My sister called last night. Said you’d found the place all right.”

Had he been worried she wouldn’t? That had been considerate of him.

“She said she’d already shown you to your room and that you seemed like a lovely woman.”

Leigh was pleased. “I liked your sister, too.”

Kate had handled breakfast for ten guests all on her own, without losing her poise and good humor. Clearly, despite the loss of her husband, she was managing just fine. Leigh admired that.

“Kate’s one of the best.” Sam raised his eyebrows. “So did you just stop to chat or can I do something for you?”

“Oh, chat, of course, but since I’m here you might as well fill the tank.”

“With?”

He was really in a strange mood today. “Gas.”

His mouth twitched. “Regular or premium?”

As if she had a clue. She scowled at him. “It’s a rental. How should I know?”

“Never mind. I’ll give you regular.”

Then why had he asked her in the first place? Just to make her feel foolish, no doubt. She watched his reflection in the side mirror as he unscrewed the gas cap, then inserted the nozzle and started the gas pumping. Once everything was set up properly, he grabbed a squeegee and started cleaning her windshield. He was so tall he cleared the bug smears off with three long strokes, leaving a trail of cloudy water with the last one.

“Want me to check the oil?”

Man, cars were a lot of work. “Do we have to?”

“You just picked it up from the rental place yesterday?”

She nodded.

“It’s probably okay, then.”

He read the total off the gas pump and she handed him her credit card. He returned a minute later. She noted his big, strong hands as he passed her the plastic tray with her card and credit slip. She scratched out her signature, then returned the tray.

“Did you talk to the kids this morning?” she couldn’t resist asking.

“They weren’t up when I left for work.”

She did her best to shut down the mental image he’d just given her. Her daughter in bed with his son, the two of them cuddled up together like…lovers.

She closed her eyes and tried to replace that picture with another—the path she’d jogged along that morning. Rocks and tree roots had made the footing treacherous, but the canopy of birch, oak, maple and pine had more than compensated for that difficulty.

Feeling slightly more calm, she said, “Well, they should be up by now.”

“You headed that way?”

“Of course.” Where else would she be going?

“Okay. I guess I’ll see you there.”

“You will?”

“It’s noon.”

“You go home for lunch?” Why couldn’t he just bring a sandwich to work like most of the American workforce?

She didn’t want him present when she was talking to Taylor. Didn’t want him watching. Interfering.

“I’m not the enemy, Leigh. I’m after the same thing you are. All I want is for my kid to be happy.”