Loving The Country Boy (Barrett's Mill Book 4) (15 page)

Gone fishing. Back whenever
.

“I don’t think so,” Tess muttered, punching in the speed dial for Scott’s number. When he answered, she didn’t waste time with small talk. “Where does Heath like to fish?”

“Yeah...I don’t think he’d appreciate you tracking him down just now. See, when a guy wants you to know where he is, he leaves you a map.”

“He told you what happened.”

“Jenna did,” Scott corrected her in a tone that clearly said he agreed with his wife. “I haven’t heard from Heath since he stormed outta here earlier. What’d you say to him, anyway?”

“Things I shouldn’t have, and I need to apologize.” This situation had spiraled far out of her control, and she was starting to panic. The most wonderful man she’d ever met had bolted, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out she was the reason. “Please, Scott. This is important.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why? Because I feel awful and I need to tell him so.”

“Why?”

Instinct told her he was getting at something, but she didn’t have the patience to play this game with him. “Why are you giving me such a hard time about this?”

“Heath’s been my best friend since kindergarten,” he explained. “He obviously wants to be alone right now, and I’m not giving him up unless you have a real good reason.”

“Fine.” Realizing she had no choice, she blew out a frustrated breath and ’fessed up. “I don’t want him to hate me.”

“Because?”

“Oh, give the poor girl a break,” Jenna chided him. “She was wrong and wants to go make it right. Just tell her how to find him.”

“Scott! You’re supposed to let someone know when they’re on speaker.”

“My bad. Tessie, you’re on speaker.”

Laughter piped through the phone and rather than battle them both, Tess joined in. “You’re hilarious. Wait till I tell Gram.”

That got her a warning growl from her irritable cousin. “Do you want accurate directions, or do you want to end up in a no-name swamp somewhere?”

“Sorry. Go ahead.”

“Heath’s dad has a hunting cabin on Hoover Lake. You take the highway west, but when you pull off the main road it gets complicated. Got a pen?”

* * *

Clearly, there were no fish left in this lake.

Sitting on the dock outside the rustic log cabin he and his father had built years ago, Heath scowled at the mirror-calm water. No ripples meant no fish, even though he’d caught the flash of more than one trout off to either side of him. Maybe they sensed his dark mood and were keeping their distance. Smart fish.

Only this morning, he’d been sailing along without a cloud in sight. He had a job he loved, a house in escrow and the town’s stamp of approval for his garage plans. The work he’d been doing at the mill was holding up well, and the crew was ramping up production for the all-important holiday season.

And he had Tess.

When she told him she was thinking about staying in Barrett’s Mill, he’d felt as if he’d found the final piece of the puzzle that would complete his future. His new house wasn’t far from Scott and Jenna’s, and more than once he’d envisioned the four of them hanging out together. Helping each other with projects, raising their kids together, enjoying the kind of life his parents’ happiness had encouraged him to aim for.

Raising his line, he frowned at the empty hook dangling from the end. It glittered in the sunlight, and he felt like it was mocking him for not paying close enough attention to what he was doing. That’s what happened when he thought about Tess, he recognized with a sigh. Everything else faded into the background because quite simply, nothing compared to her.

Even when she was wrong, she was still the most incredible woman he’d ever known. A baffling, strong-willed handful, today wasn’t the first time he’d asked himself what he saw in her. Despite their bitter argument, in his heart he knew she was still the woman he’d joyfully swept into his arms that morning. He just wished he knew how to reclaim that feeling.

“Permission to come aboard?”

Startled by the sound of her voice, Heath dropped his fishing rod in the water and whirled to find her standing behind him. Tilting her head, she said, “I’m not a fisherman, but I think you’re supposed to hang on to the pole or the fish get away.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Remembering the manners Mom had drummed into him since childhood, he stood and faced his unexpected guest. “How’d you find me?”

“Scott. He made me promise to tell you—hang on.” Flipping open a folded set of handwritten directions, she cleared her throat. “‘Jenna made me do it. And if Heath gets mad and tosses you in the lake, you got this map from Jason.’”

Heath chuckled. “That sounds like him. So why did his wife make him give you directions to drive out here?”

Just like that, her expression dimmed, and Tess fixed him with a somber look. “I want to apologize for what happened at the mill earlier. I wasn’t thinking straight, and when you pointed that out, I turned on you.”

“Like a rattlesnake. How come?”

Glancing around at the placid surroundings, she came back to him with a shrug. “You were telling me something I didn’t want to hear.”

“You wanted me to say how brilliant you were?” Hoping to lighten the mood, he tipped his head with a little grin.

“Something like that.”

His attempt at humor had done nothing to ease the tension snapping in the air between them, so he tried again. “You
are
brilliant, Tess. Just not always right.” Scowling, she opened her mouth but he beat her to the punch. “No one is. I’m sorry I came down so hard on you. You’re not the least bit heartless, and I had no business saying otherwise.”

“You must have had a reason.” Taking a step closer, she gazed up at him with curiosity lighting her eyes. “What was it?”

It had nothing to do with the mill, he’d come to realize once his temper cooled. While he cared deeply about what happened to the iconic landmark, concern for the property was only part of the answer to her question.

Taking a deep breath, he readied himself for some good, old-fashioned ridicule. “Tyler.”

“I’m gonna need more than that.”

“I didn’t like the way he was eyeballing you at church,” Heath explained, “and it was ten times worse today. I don’t trust the guy.”

“You don’t even know him,” she pointed out with a short laugh.

“I know guys like him and so do you. I can’t figure out what you see in him, is all.”

Taking another step, she stopped so she was within arm’s reach. Reaching a hand to his cheek, she bathed him in the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. “I don’t see half of what I see in you, Heath. Does that make you feel better?”

In reply, he lifted her up for a long, joyful kiss. When he broke away, she gave him a little smirk. “Does that mean I’m forgiven?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I’m still learning what’s really important in life, Heath. I hope you won’t give up on me while I’m working on it.”

“I think we can figure something out.”

* * *

Setting her on her feet, he kept her circled in his arms. Framing her face in his hands, he leaned in for a long, gentle kiss that came pretty close to buckling her knees.

Once she regained some of her senses, she blinked up at him. “What was that for?”

He shrugged, then gave her a look she’d never seen from him before. She’d assumed she’d seen them all by now, but this one had a special quality to it that warned her something was going on.

“’Cause I love you.”

It was a good thing he was holding her, or she’d have dropped from shock. Slowly shaking her head, she stammered, “No, you don’t.”

“Yeah, I do.” The corner of his mouth crooked into an aggravating male smirk, and he said, “I’m not sure why, but I do.”

“Seriously?” she huffed in exasperation. “You don’t know why you love me?”

“Hey, it’s not so crazy. You don’t know why you love me.”

“I don’t l—”

Completely against her will, the protest ended abruptly as if some unseen hand had been clamped over her mouth. Tess tried to restart her brain and finish the sentence, but something stopped her. After a few panicky moments, she understood what it was.

Her heart.

It seemed to have taken over, shoving logic into the background and allowing her normally restrained emotions to take center stage. Despite her usual reserve, she felt herself responding to the warmth in Heath’s eyes in a way she’d never experienced with anyone else.

“You’re right,” she murmured, hardly daring to believe it. “I do love you. How on earth did you know when I didn’t?”

He gave her a long, assessing look. “Have you ever loved anyone?”

“I was engaged, remember?”

“Sure, but were you in love with Avery, or did you love him? There’s a difference.”

“Semantics,” she declared with a wave of her hand. “Love is love.”

“Really? Are you sure about that?”

They were so close, he could have easily kissed her again. But he didn’t. Instead, his face hovered just beyond reach, and she caught the scent of soap mixed with sawdust from the mill. Better than the priciest cologne, she knew that for the rest of her life, whenever she smelled that combination, she’d think of this country boy with the quick smile and the generous heart.

Avery would continue to fade from her memory until she could barely recall his face. In contrast, Heath was branded there, and in a flash of epiphany, she understood why.

God intended for him to be there.

In His wisdom, He’d recognized what Tess needed most and directed her steps to where she’d be sure to find it. Heath was strong and solid, confident enough to let her stand on her own but be close by if she needed him. That was what he meant to her, why her feelings for him had grown into something she’d never anticipated.

“Now that you mention it, I’m not sure at all.”

She punctuated that with a little grin, and he chuckled. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“I’m trying to tell you I love you, too. How does that sound?”

“Pretty amazing.”

He laced his fingers through hers and dropped a kiss on the back of her hand. The romantic gesture was so at odds with his rugged appearance, she couldn’t believe one man managed them both so well. Then he reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear with such a gentle touch, it took everything she had not to sigh like a teenager with her first crush.

Strong, gentle and kind, she thought dreamily. And a treat to look at, besides. What more could a girl ask for?

Chapter Twelve

“R
eally? Everything’s a go?” Straining to control his excitement, Heath just about crushed his cell phone to keep from letting out a yelp of joy. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and the holiday had just taken on a whole new meaning for him. “Thank you very much. You just made my day.”

The normally businesslike mortgage loan officer on the other end of the phone actually laughed. “I’m so glad to hear that. We should be able to wrap everything up the week before Christmas. The sellers’ agent was in earlier and asked me to tell you that since the house is empty the owners have agreed to let you move in and pay rent for this coming month.”

“That’s awesome,” he replied. His parents had gotten home last night, so the timing couldn’t be better for him to get set up in his own place.

“Monday I’ll contact your attorney with the details about the closing. Happy Thanksgiving.”

“You, too.”

After hanging up, the first thing he did was lower his head and close his eyes. He didn’t have the words to express precisely what he was feeling, so he just kept quiet, trusting that God would get the gist.

Once he’d given his thanks, he didn’t have to think about who to call first with his great news. When Tess answered, he tried to sound casual. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Clearing off my desk for the long weekend. How about you?”

“Not much. Wanna take a ride with me?”

The tightly wound woman he met a few short weeks ago would have deflected that offer with a cautious demand for more information. The caring, generous one who’d driven into the boonies to apologize to him, though, simply laughed. “Sure. I’ll be ready when you get here.”

“Cool. See you in ten.”

Since he had a few minutes to spare, he swung by the house—his house, he amended with a grin—and admired the Sold sign that hung in place of the Pending one that had been there yesterday. Snapping a photo, he texted it to his tech-savvy mother with the caption:
Guess you and Dad can turn my old room into a gym
.

She responded with a laughing face, and he grinned as he tossed his phone into a cup holder and headed for the mill. He’d always loved the area he grew up in, but today it struck him as being especially beautiful. His roots were here, and coming back had been the right move for him. If only Tess ended up settling here, too, his future would be everything he could possibly ask for.

When he pulled up near the mill house, something was different. At first he couldn’t place it, and then it hit him. It was quiet. No voices, no equipment grinding and whirring. Instead, he heard the running creek and a few birds chirping to each other from the nests they’d made in the wide eaves. Through the bare trees, he could just make out the outline of the small garage he was planning to expand to accommodate his new business. It was even closer than he thought.

“You look happy,” Tess told him as she came through the screen door. “Did Fred give you an extra day off or something?”

“Even better.” He noticed her agile mind hadn’t gone immediately to him getting a monetary bonus from his boss. Just another change from her old self that made him want to spend more time with her. They met on the stairs, and he paused one step below, grinning up at her. “I was planning to drive, but it’s such a nice day, we could actually walk.”

Glancing around, she came back to him with a quizzical look. “To where?”

“You’ll see.”

Holding out his hand, he was pleased when she took it without hesitation. She trusted him not to lead her into trouble, he realized. Considering the tough knock she’d taken from the last man she’d believed in, knowing she had that kind of faith in Heath made him feel incredible.

“So,” he began as they started walking. “How’s the Barrett Thanksgiving dinner coming along?”

“Chaos, of course. Gram and Aunt Diane have been in the kitchen most of the day, and Scott’s all grumpy because we’re not eating at Paul and Chelsea’s. Something about the breakfront he killed himself to finish.”

“There used to be a buffet in their dining room, and Chelsea wanted to replace it,” Heath explained with a chuckle. “Scott’s a wiz with that detailed stuff, and she asked him to have it ready by fall so she and Paul could host everyone at their place. She usually has everything under control, but she didn’t plan on having Aubrey a month early.”

“I think the best things happen when we forget the plan and just let things fall the way God intended.” Pulling his arm around her, she cuddled in with a sweet sigh. “Like us.”

He really loved the way that sounded, but he was still leery of spooking her with too much emotional stuff all at once. Instead, he brought her in closer and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Yeah, I guess He knew what He was doing.”

“Of course, Gram takes all the credit. Last night I finally got her to admit she sabotaged the truck that morning.” Laughing, she shook her head. “Since it all worked out, she’s proud of herself for thinking of it.”

“Y’know, if you wanna keep on driving it, I could give it a new paint job and see what I can do with the chrome.”

Tess drew her head back and nailed him with a warning look. “Don’t you dare. I love that old beast just the way it is, rust and all.”

“Spoken like a true Barrett.” They’d arrived at the back edge of his property, and he stopped in the middle of a faint deer trail, grinning like a fool. “Here we are. My place.”

He could tell she didn’t understand what he meant. Then comprehension dawned, and her eyes widened with the same kind of excitement he’d felt earlier.

“Your mortgage got approved? Heath, that’s wonderful!” After an exuberant hug, she arched back and beamed up at him. “How does it feel?”

“Amazing. Terrifying,” he added with a wry grin. “That’s a mighty big check to write out every month.”

“Once you get Blue Ridge Classics up and running, it won’t be so bad. Would you like to show me around?”

“I don’t have the keys yet, but we can check out everything else. The owners said I can move in and pay them rent until we close.”

“I’ve got a bunch of empty shipping boxes at the mill, with more coming in next week. You’re welcome to as many of those as you need.”

There was a real benefit to being involved with such a practical woman. She was always thinking. While that used to bother him, these days he saw it for the positive that it was. “That’d be great. Thanks.”

As they strolled around the yard to the front of the house, she pointed at the huge bay window. “You could have an enormous Christmas tree right there. Garlands around the porch columns, and candles in all the windows.”

“That could work.”

In his experience, when a woman started decorating your place for you, she was anticipating spending a lot of time there. In past relationships, that had been a major red flag for him, but because it was Tess, somehow it just felt right. He wished she’d tell him she was staying in Barrett’s Mill, but he managed to keep himself from saying so.

For too long, she’d gone along with what other people wanted, rather than doing what would be best for her. Her growing independence was a good thing, and he was proud of the strides she’d made. He’d never dream of trying to influence her on such an important choice.

But he was only human. If she eventually decided to leave, he’d miss her more than he cared to think about. Reeling her into his arms, he dropped in for a warm, leisurely kiss.

When he pulled away, he rested his forehead on hers with a sigh. “Love you.”

“Love you back.”

Snaking her arms around his waist, she studied him with a somber expression. He sensed she was weighing her options, trying to make the very choice he’d been dreading only a few moments ago. As they gazed at each other, her eyes darkened ominously, and he waited for her to tell him she’d come to a decision and would be leaving after Christmas.

But she didn’t. Instead, she turned and headed around the side of the house. “Show me what you’ve got in mind for the shop.”

When he didn’t follow, she pivoted back to him with a confused look. “Are you coming?”

Are you staying?
He was dying to ask, but he clamped his mouth shut and simply nodded in response to her question.

Somehow, when he wasn’t looking, he’d allowed his future to become entwined with hers. While his business was on track, his personal life was in a holding pattern, waiting for her to make up her mind. From day one he’d suspected this woman had the potential to drive him to the edge of his sanity.

Today he knew it for sure.

* * *

After their little tour Heath walked Tess back to the mill. At the foot of the porch steps, he pulled her close and gave her the playful grin she’d come to adore. “I almost forgot. Mom asked me to invite you to dinner tonight. It won’t be anything fancy, but they’ve been hearing a lot about you and wanted to meet you in person.”

“I hope you told them nice things.”

She put a sarcastic spin on that, hoping to mask the rush of panic sweeping over her. Introducing a girl to your parents was the kind of thing you did when you were serious about her, but she hadn’t decided whether or not she was staying in Barrett’s Mill yet. One minute she thought yes, the next she worried she was limiting herself by taking the first job that had come her way. She was making herself crazy with all this hemming and hawing, but true to his patient nature, Heath hadn’t made any attempt to sway her one way or the other. Quite honestly, she didn’t know how he could stand it.

“I told them
every
thing.” For about a second he kept a straight face then broke into a grin. “Don’t worry, magpie. They’re both half a bubble off plumb, and they’re gonna love you.”

“I’m not sure what bubbles have to do with anything, but I’ll take your word for it.”

“That way, you won’t have to meet them for the first time tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow...” Tapping her chin, she glanced up at the sky as if trying to remember what he was referring to. When he let out a mock growl, she laughed. “Oh, right. Turkey day.”

“Football day,” he corrected her with a quick kiss.

“About that. I have a confession to make.” He cocked his head with interest, and she continued. “I know more about the game than you might think.”

“Really? Why’s that?”

“My dad went to UCLA, and he’s a huge fan. We used to go to the games with him, and he explained everything to us in great detail. Actually,” she added pensively, “it was one of the few things he and I both enjoyed.”

Sympathy shone in Heath’s eyes, and he frowned. “You miss him, don’t you?”

“He’s been traveling a lot, and I haven’t seen him since Easter. He and Mom were barely speaking, so it wasn’t exactly a warm, fuzzy kind of family gathering.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I know,” she acknowledged with a sigh. “Mostly because I’m not sure. I mean, Mom begged me to come back, but I haven’t heard a thing from him. I called and emailed, inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner, but he hasn’t responded. Maybe now that he’s on his own again, he decided he doesn’t want a family anymore.”

The last comment stuck in her throat, and she swallowed hard to keep traitorous tears from escaping her control. But Heath knew her well enough to see them, anyway, and he gathered her into his arms, resting his cheek on top of her head.

“He’s going through a tough stretch right now, Tess. Give him time, and he’ll come around.”

“You’ve never even met him,” she murmured against his chest. “How can you be so sure?”

Cradling her face in his strong, capable hands, he gave her an encouraging smile. “Because any man who taught his daughter to like football can’t be all bad.”

She let out a hiccupping laugh, and he gave her a bracing hug. “That’s better. I hate to leave, but I’ve got a bunch of firewood to stack this afternoon. Dad’s back has been bothering him, and I don’t want him doing too much.”

What a sweet, considerate man, Tess thought as he left her with a quick kiss and sauntered over to his truck. If she had any sense at all, she’d stop all this waffling and drop anchor in Barrett’s Mill. She’d never gotten good results from listening to her gut, but this time it was telling her something that actually made sense.

Hold on to Heath Weatherby and never let him go.

But that wasn’t in keeping with the self-reliant lifestyle she’d vowed to take on, she reminded herself as she went into the mill house. While she did a circuit to make sure the place was empty and everything was shut off, she let her imagination wander a little. No surprise, it ended up at the Cape Cod home upstream with the bay window and the big front yard.

The only thing missing from that picture was a family. It didn’t take much to envision a tire swing dangling from one of the oak trees, a bike or two propped up in the driveway. As she locked the mill’s front door, it struck her that Heath had bought a house for the wife and children he wanted but didn’t currently have.

Now that was faith.

Driving along the winding road, she slowed down for a curve near the sign that read
Barrett’s Mill Cemetery
. On impulse, she took the right fork and followed the lane up to the rolling acres of grass that marked the resting places of people who’d lived in this lovely little town and would always be part of its history.

There was a car in the lot, and she idly noted that it had rental plates from Maryland. Someone in for the holiday, she assumed as she parked beside it. It was nice of them to take the time to come out here and visit their relatives.

She walked up the rise and was surprised to see a man in a gray trench coat standing in the general vicinity of Granddad’s grave. As she got closer, he came into clearer focus, and she hardly dared to believe he was really there.

“Dad?”

Startled eyes met hers, and he backed away from the marker like a child who’d been caught doing something wrong. “Hello, Tess.”

He continued backpedaling, and she hurried forward, grasping his arms to hold him in place. He still looked anxious, and he stood stiffly when she embraced him. Pulling away from him a bit, she gave him her biggest, brightest smile. “I’m so glad to see you.”