Sweetheart Cottage (Cranberry Bay #1) (9 page)

“Rylee,” Bryan said. His voice lowered. “You didn’t have to do that. Please. You don’t have to use your grandmother’s things in the cottages. I can take you to estate sales or garage sales or we can check with my Mom and look in her attic.”

“I know,” Rylee said, her voice fragile and filled with emotion. “But it’s okay. I’m going to sell Grandma’s house in January. I can’t take all of this with me to San Diego. I’m happy to use it in the cottages. When someone buys them, I’ll be glad to give it away.”

At the mention of San Diego, Bryan’s heart dropped down to the soles of his thick boots. Nothing had changed. Rylee still wanted out of Cranberry Bay, just like she always had. She didn’t see the job as leading to something else. She saw it as a way to fix her grandmother’s home to sell. It was only his foolish heart that had let him get carried away with romantic ideas.

Bryan turned away from Rylee. He busied himself with taking out the soup and sandwiches. “How are the plans going for San Diego?”

“Everything is on target. Thanks to your recommendation letter to the bank, the loan for Grandma’s house repairs came through. They’ll be doing the work in December. I have set up three interviews in California for the beginning of January. One of the companies was very interested and wanted me to come early, but I want to stay and monitor the repairs.”

Bryan’s heartbeat spiked. By January, the bet with Sawyer would be lost. The riverboats would go to another town. Cranberry Bay would continue to shrink and die until there was nothing left of the town he loved. Bryan clenched his jaw. He had no choice. He had to tell her about the bet. If he told her about it, maybe they could pretend she was staying, at least long enough for him to get the money from Sawyer. Then she could go on her way. “Rylee,” Bryan began. “There’s something…”

Rylee swung to face him, and her lips parted slightly. He couldn’t think of anything but how much he wanted to kiss those lips. He wanted to finish the kiss they’d started in the cottages. The river rushed beside them, and a seagull’s cry echoed from a distant roof.

Bryan traced his finger lightly down her neck.

She let out a small sigh and closed her eyes.

“Rylee.” Her name filled his mind and was warm on his lips.

She tilted her head upward, and his lips met hers. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, deeply.

A truck engine roared on the highway above the river park. Rylee pulled out of the kiss. She placed her hand against Bryan’s broad chest. “I can’t…” she broke off and turned away. She couldn’t go there. She couldn’t risk the hurt it would bring to both of them to rekindle their love when she could never promise to stay in Cranberry Bay.

Quickly, she busied herself with picking up their plates and napkins and scooping all of the remnants into the wicker basket.

“Let me help.” Bryan reached for the picnic tablecloth at the same time as she did. Their fingers touched. His thumb caressed her hand. “Nothing has changed,” he said.

“No,” Rylee said. “Nothing has changed.” The words tore into her. Nothing had changed about how she felt about Bryan, and his kiss only verified what she’d known all along. She’d tried to put all her feelings behind her. She’d convinced herself she loved Matt and became engaged to one of Vegas’s top hotel owners. He had known about her father, and he hadn’t cared. Her father was one of his clients at his private gambling parties. But in her heart she knew the truth. She’d never loved Matt the way she loved Bryan. It’d taken just one kiss to show her how much she still loved Bryan. She squared her shoulders, but nothing had changed in her decision either. She had to sell her grandmother’s house and leave Cranberry Bay. She had to do it to protect her father. He needed her more than Bryan, and she couldn’t leave him.

“Okay.” Bryan nodded and firmed his jaw. “Mind if Sawyer and I stop by this afternoon to take a look at those tools in your grandfather’s garage? I want to get those out of the house before we start showing it to potential buyers. When people know it’s an estate sale, they’ll try to ask for anything in the home.”

“Not a problem.” Rylee slipped the folded tablecloth on top of the dishes in the picnic basket. She shut the lid and twisted the gold clasp, keeping her gaze averted from Bryan. “The sewing circle meets this afternoon. Do you know the code for the key box on the side of the garage?”

“It’s your birthday.” Bryan’s eyes searched hers. “I remember your birthday, Rylee.”

Bryan’s words sent shivers racing into Rylee’s stomach, and she looked into his eyes. The confusion she felt was mirrored back to her from his eyes. The two of them gazed at each other, not saying a word. Her birthday fell on the final day of August. It was always the last day of her summer visits, and Bryan brought flowers, freshly picked pink and yellow roses from his Mom’s garden. “See you next summer,” he’d say, and lean down to kiss her. Afterward, he always said, “The last kiss has to be good. It has to keep us until I see you next June.”

“Ready?” Bryan lifted the picnic basket off the table.

“Yes.” Rylee swallowed hard. The sailboat masts chimed from the nearby marina. Their first real date had been on one of the sailing boats. A longtime family friend of Bryan’s gave him use of the boat for the evening. They’d cruised into a small alcove on the other side of the bay and docked alongside a floating buoy. The waves rocked against the boat as they had kissed for the first time. The pain cut through Rylee’s chest. Everywhere she looked in Cranberry Bay, another memory of Bryan confronted her.

“Do you want me to take Raisin back to the house? It’d be easier than taking him to Katie’s shop?”

“Yes. Thank you. But, he can be hard to walk sometimes. He jerks on the leash and tries to pull you along. If you take it slow with him he does fine.”

“I got it covered.” Bryan said. He reached over and took the leash from Rylee’s hand. Their fingers brushed against each other. “Trust me.”

Rylee nodded. Trust. That was the problem. She’d done everything on her own for so long, it was so hard to let someone do a simple thing for her.

Raisin trotted by Bryan’s side and when they reached the cottages, Rylee hurried into the middle building and picked up her notes and a piece of fabric. She dropped it all into her bag and grabbed her cell phone from the kitchen counter. She frowned at the missed call. Quickly, she scrolled through the call list and her face paled.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Rylee shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing.” There was no message, but there didn’t need to be. The familiar number of her father’s latest apartment told her all she needed. He’d either lost money, or he was on a high after winning big. Either way, the call wasn’t good news. “I’ll touch base with you tomorrow about the cottages. I should have it wrapped up in a few days.” Rylee’s voice was brisk and businesslike.

Before Bryan could respond, Rylee hurried out the door and headed down the street toward the New Leaf Sewing Shop. She hadn’t talked to her Dad since receiving the news she’d inherited her grandmother’s home. The lawyer’s letter was mailed to both her father and her. Dad called minutes after receiving it. Rylee tried to calm him, but it’d been no use. He’d counted on the inheritance of the home to help feed his gambling debts. As always, Rylee was torn. Torn between wanting to help her father by giving him the money from the sale of the house or using it to restart her own life.

Rylee had offered him a place to live in San Diego. She suggested they buy a two-bedroom home to share, knowing it would be her income that would contribute to the household expenses. Dad told her he needed to research a few job opportunities, but the plan sounded like a good one, and he’d always wanted to learn how to bet the horse races. Now Rylee only hoped the sale of the house would give them enough money to buy something for the two of them. Homes in San Diego were not cheap, and it didn’t look like her grandmother’s house was going to net very much income on the sale.

Rylee pushed away her worries and pulled open the door of the New Leaf Sewing Shop. A small bell chimed above her head. The smell of cinnamon and laughter filled the room.

“Hello!” Katie called from the back table. She and Ivy leaned over a thick pattern book.

In the middle of the shop, Lisa browsed shelves filled with red and green cotton fabric. She added a bolt to her stack in the cart. Her blue eyes, so like Bryan’s, met Rylee’s. “I just love all this holiday fabric,” Lisa said, and sighed. “I have no idea how I’ll ever sew this many aprons before Christmas, but I can’t stop myself.”

“I’m sorry I’m late.” Rylee apologized to Katie. She set her bag on the long wooden cutting table.

No worries.” Katie said. “Ivy is still picking her pattern, and Lisa is buying out the holiday fabrics. Sasha and Gracie are looking for the perfect matching thread. Do you need anything?”

Rylee reached into her bag and pulled out two yards of pink-and-yellow cotton fabric. She’d found the material in her grandmother’s sewing closet along with various spools of matching thread. “I’d like to use this if that’s okay. I have the thread, but I don’t have a pattern.”

Katie picked up a corner of the fabric and moved her fingers over the edges. Her voice softened. “I remember when your grandmother bought this piece. It was a couple years ago. I had a special on spring fabrics. The fabrics didn’t sell very well. I always suspected your grandmother was buying the material to help me.”

Rylee’s throat tightened. She’d often seen her grandmother make similar gestures in other stores. She always asked which items weren’t selling and then bought at least one of them, even if she already owned it. Rylee smiled, thinking about the time Grandma bought three flour sifters from the Cranberry Bay hardware and grocery store.

Gracie walked up to the table, her long hair curling halfway down her back. “Which one do you think would be best?” She held out three spools of green cotton thread.

Sasha stepped up behind her. At barely five feet, she was the shortest of all the women, but her boisterous laugh and attitude more than made up for it. “I told her the darker green would look the best with her fabric.”

“Good eye.” Katie nodded. Her voice took on an edge of authority. She straightened her thin shoulders. “It can be fun to change the thread out for every project and mix and match the bobbin and top thread. But sometimes you want to use the same color.”

“Right.” Lisa dumped three bolts of fabric on the cutting table. “I’m more interested in this gorgeous fabric and want to sew as many aprons as I can.”

“In cases like this,” Katie lowered her voice as if about to share the world’s best secret. The women gathered closer. “it’s best to know that certain thread colors can be used and not show. Lavenders and gray work very well for your lighter-colored fabrics while a navy or black will work best for your darker colors.”

“When do we sew?” Ivy asked. She sounded very much like an excited twelve-year-old.

“First, we need to cut out the patterns.” Katie said, and laughed at Ivy’s impatience.

Ivy pushed the pattern book to Rylee. “I’ve picked mine.” She pointed to a pretty ruffled waist apron in the left corner of the page. “I love ruffles.”

“I need to choose a pattern, too.” Lisa picked up a thick book of patterns and dropped it next to Rylee’s book. “Since I have so much fabric, it’d probably be best to select an easy, basic pattern and do a lot of them all at once.”

Rylee absently flipped through pages of dresses, shirts, and bags. She stopped on a colorful spread of dog beds and small T-shirts for dogs. Rylee considered the dog bed. It didn’t look too challenging, and Raisin would love a new bed. Rylee couldn’t help but think of Bryan. Would he know Raisin liked a small treat when he came home from a walk?

“Rylee?” Lisa touched her arm.

“Sorry.” Rylee flushed. “I got a little distracted.” She quickly flipped through a section of children’s clothing patterns until she came to a page filled with colorful vintage aprons. Easily, she selected a vintage pattern with a scoop neckline and drop waist.

Ivy stepped up beside her. She opened a pattern and dumped out tissue paper pieces in a heap. “Katie and I have been talking, and we were thinking it might be fun to host a holiday market this year. We’d have to get approval from the council, but it would give Cranberry Bay a needed boost of activity in the winter months. If it went well, we could consider a spring or summer one too.”

“Great idea.” Lisa waved her hand over the bolts of fabric lying around her. “A holiday market would give me a place to sell all these aprons I want to make.”

“Where would it be held?” Rylee asked. She’d been to a lot of different types of markets, always seeking out the perfect item for an elaborately furnished home. They were always fun, and she enjoyed the challenge of finding the right item.

“I have an old barn on the outskirts of town.” Katie slipped a pin through the left side of a tissue paper pattern. “I’d love to fix it up and rent it out for large events—markets, weddings.”

“Perfect idea! I could sell vintage baked goods,” Sasha said. “Lemon icebox cake, homemade caramels, and butterscotch cream roll-ups.”

“What a fabulous idea.” Gracie echoed. “The River Rock Inn could be one of the sponsors and offer special discounts to vendors and visitors attending.”

“I’d be happy to do the marketing,” Lisa said, and frowned. “I’m not sure how long Maddie and I will be in town, but at least through the New Year.”

“I’d love to work on the lay-out of the booths,” Rylee added, swept up in the festive planning filling the cozy sewing shop. “I can help the vendors with an old-fashioned style.”

Her mind spun with the possibilities of evergreen garlands draped from the rafters and pine cones set out in metal containers, all tied with holiday ribbon. She’d never been in Cranberry Bay during the holidays and could imagine the town became like a Christmas card, with all of the tall evergreens. Sudden warmth filled her at the idea of Cranberry Bay for the holidays. Her holidays were usually filled with work and large, expensive parties that left her empty. Maybe it wasn’t so bad that the work on her grandmother’s home would take longer than she thought.

“Of course we can wear our aprons!” Sasha said. “We’ll set up an area to sell aprons too. People love holiday aprons.” She twirled in a circle and waved her uncut harvest fabric in the air like a flag.

“Rylee!” Ivy gasped. “I almost forgot to tell you. I have fabulous news.”

Rylee turned and smiled at Ivy’s excited face.

“Colleen Sanders stopped into the shop today. She was on the way to her family’s beach house on the coast. Her family owns the Beach and Sky Hotel.”

“That’s the big one,” Gracie said, her voice darkening. “It has ten floors, and all the rooms have balconies and ocean views. They host an annual pet show on the beach every fall. It raises money for the local humane society.”

“That’s about the only good thing they do.” Katie mumbled.

“Well,” Ivy said, ignoring both Katie and Gracie’s lackluster responses. “Colleen wanted to know about the cottages. She wants to interview you for the next edition of her magazine.”

“What?” Rylee dropped her scissors on the table with a loud thump. Her heart pounded. An article in a national magazine would be just what she needed to get her career back on track.

“Yes.” Ivy nodded. “She knew all about your design work in Vegas. I told her you have taken Maddie as a mentee. She wanted to include her in the story.”

“Wait a minute,” Lisa said firmly. “I don’t want Maddie in an article. There’s been some things which have happened.” She tightened her lips and shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Okay,” Ivy said to Lisa. “Rylee can tell Colleen to leave that part of the story out. But the best part was Colleen recognized your name. You dropped off a business card at the hotel her family owns?”