Say You’ll Stay by Susan Mallery

CHAPTER TWO

SHAYELIKEDTHEstore right away. There were big windows that let in lots of light, and the book displays just made her plain happy. There were at least a dozen people inside, mostly families or couples. The kids’ book section had a fluffy rug on the floor and big stuffed animals that could be climbed on or leaned against.

Lawson put his hand on the small of her back and pointed to the gift section of the store. She was aware of the imprint of his hand—warm even through her blouse. The touch was oddly intimate, which surprised her, but not nearly as much as her instinct to step closer to him. A sure sign she liked him.

She briefly reminded herself of her last relationship. Calling it a disaster didn’t come close to capturing the awfulness of what had happened. Worse, she’d simply gone along with the plan because she’d been sad and lonely and it had been better than spinning her wheels in her hometown. Although, when it came to Lawson, she was in little danger. She was, after all, simply passing through on her way to Seattle. It wasn’t as if she were sticking around. She would enjoy a few more minutes with a kind, funny, handsome guy, then be on her way. Back on the highway, daydreaming about what could have been with Lawson would be a happy way to pass the time and the miles.

They walked over to a display of scented body lotion. She stared at the array of bottles.

“There are a lot of choices.”

Lawson smiled. “What scents do you like?”

“Nothing too sweet. I don’t want to smell like a sugar cookie or chocolate cake.”

His brows rose. “I’ve never smelled chocolate-cake lotion. It doesn’t sound very good.”

She picked up a tester bottle and handed it to him. “You’ll like this one.”

He glanced at the label. “Vanilla?”

“Guys like that. I read it somewhere. Men like the smell of vanilla.” She tried not to smile. “Personally I think it’s about baking and their mothers, but I’m not a psychologist, so maybe not.”

He put down the bottle. “Yeah, not that one.”

They agreed on the appeal of coconut anything and that some of the floral scents were too overwhelming.

He picked up a bottle and sniffed but didn’t hand it to her.

“What?” she asked with a laugh. “You obviously like it.”

“I’m not willing to admit that.”

She stepped close, took it from him and read the label. “Vanilla Coconut.” She grinned. “So Mom and sexy girls on the beach? That is a weird visual.”

He winced. “Don’t go there. I can’t handle it. You’ve ruined vanilla for me forever.”

“I think you’ll recover.”

They continued to sniff the various tester bottles. Lawson picked up one and held it to his nose. His lips curved into a smile.

“This one,” he said, passing it to her.

She inhaled the scent and immediately felt herself relax. “Beachy, but not too sweet. I love it.” She glanced at the label. “Coconut Lime Verbena. I need this in my life.”

She looked at the display of bottles for sale. Lawson spotted it first and picked up two bottles, along with a bar of soap.

“Layering is important,” he said, his voice teasing.

“You really do have sisters.”

“Told you. But I held my own.”

“Yeah, not if you know about layering.”

He laughed. “Come on. We have one more stop in the store. I think you’re going to like it.”

He led her to a back corner where there was a small table displaying fudge. The sign claimed it was made locally.

Despite her big lunch, Shaye was suddenly hungry for chocolate. “I love fudge.”

“Good. Theirs is really good. I don’t know much about the candymaker. I know he’s relatively new to the area, and he sells his work in different stores around town. I’ve tasted all the flavors. They’re great. It’s just a matter of what you like.”

Shaye took in the beautiful display, the lotions Lawson held and the ambience of the store. It had been a perfect couple of hours. Maybe too perfect. Her good mood deflated as she wondered if she was witnessing a very polished performance.

She turned to him. “Is this a regular thing for you? A friendly lunch, then time here where we sample lotions and you ply me with fudge?”

His look of confusion was so genuine, she almost believed him. “What are you talking about?”

Before she could explain, something dark flashed in his eyes. “You think I’m playing you,” he said, his tone hurt. “You think I do this all the time.”

“It’s effective, I’ll give you that.” She wanted to believe, but there had been too many guys who’d taken advantage of her in the past.

“You don’t know me,” he said.

“That’s true.”

His expression tightened. “Shaye, no. Just no. I don’t do that, and this isn’t an act. I’ve been back a year, and you’re the first woman I’ve—” He pressed his lips together. “The last girl I brought in here was Cori, and I dated her in high school.”

And just like that, her wariness and almost-mad faded. She stared into his eyes and saw nothing but honest concern and a little disappointment.

“I’m sorry,” she said, immediately feeling foolish. “I shouldn’t have judged you.”

“Somebody hurt you.”

“More than one somebody.”

His dark gaze locked with hers. “Can I buy you some fudge?”

A simple question that shouldn’t have been more than it was, but somehow Shaye sensed she was being tested. Not by Lawson so much as by herself. Was she going to assume all men were jerks, or was she willing to accept that there were still really nice guys in the world?

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

They discussed the various flavors before she settled on one. “I’m going classic,” she said, reaching for a square of the chocolate walnut.

“Always a good choice.”

They started for the cash register. Partway there, a woman with a baby in her arms ran up to Shaye.

“I’ve lost Joey. I can’t believe it. Would you hold Jessie, please?”

Before Shaye could answer, a baby was thrust into her arms, and the woman ran off yelling for Joey.

Shaye stared into the big, blue eyes of a really cute baby who didn’t seem the least bit rattled by what had just happened.

“How could that mother do that? She doesn’t know me.” She shifted the baby, feeling awkward and not exactly sure how to hold her. She knew she was supposed to support her head and—

Lawson chuckled. “Okay, give her to me.”

He set the lotion and fudge on a shelf and took the baby, holding her expertly and swaying back and forth.

“You’re a beautiful girl, aren’t you?” he said softly. “You’re going to be a heartbreaker. That has to upset your daddy. Yes, it does.”

The baby smiled and waved her little hands.

“So Adien has more kids than the one she’s carrying,” Shaye said.

“Two. The baby-to-be is her last, or so she says. I’m not convinced.” He flashed her a smile. “Yeah, I do the uncle thing a lot. I like kids, and babies are easy. You tell them what to do, and they never talk back.”

“They also never do what you say.”

“A flaw in the plan, I’ll admit.”

The woman returned, a toddler in tow.

“Thanks,” she said, taking the baby back from Lawson. “My husband is parking the car and getting the stroller. I thought I could manage, but this one is a runner.”

Joey smiled winningly.

“You have a beautiful family,” Shaye said.

“Thanks. I appreciate the help.”

Keeping a firm grip on her son, she moved toward the exit. Shaye and Lawson walked over to pay for their items. They had a brief tussle over who would pay for what. In the end, Shaye convinced him to let her buy her own fudge, but he insisted on purchasing the lotion.

When they were outside the store, she looked at him.

“I can’t believe that woman did that.”

“What?” he asked.

“Handed over her baby to a total stranger. She doesn’t know me. Why would she trust me not to take off?”

His smile was gentle. “It’s Wishing Tree, Shaye. Bad things don’t happen here.”

“Bad things happen everywhere.”

“Okay, sure, but this is a small town filled with good people. She knew her baby was safe with you.”

She wanted to believe him. She wanted to know that there were happy places where there was no pain or heartache, only she knew that wasn’t possible. Sometimes life was cruel, and sometimes people made stupid mistakes. There was no guarantee of a happy outcome in any given situation.

She felt her good mood shatter and her connection to Lawson break. Suddenly she was standing next to a guy she didn’t really know, in a place she was never going to see again.

“I should get back on the road,” she said.

“I thought you were in town through the weekend,” he said, sounding disappointed.

She shook her head. “I’m on my way to Seattle. I just saw the sign for Judy’s Hand Pies and turned toward Wishing Tree. I was never staying.”

His dark gaze locked with hers, and for a second she would have sworn that whatever she’d felt for that short period of time was back, more powerful than before. For a single heartbeat she wanted to say that of course she was staying and that he should ask her out so they could get to know each other. She wanted to offer her number and point out that Seattle wasn’t that far, right? They could stay in touch. Only she didn’t, because what was the point?

He handed her the small bag with the lotion. “I had a good time,” he said quietly. “I enjoyed spending the afternoon with you.”

“Me, too.”

“If you’re ever back this way, you can find me at Wishing Tree Auto Repair.”

Despite her conflicted emotions, she laughed. “Is that really what it’s called?”

“Yup, and when it’s mine, I’m not changing the name.”

“Why would you?”

He took a step back. “Bye, Shaye.”

She thought maybe he would pull her close and hug her, or even kiss her, but he only waved and turned away, quickly disappearing into the growing crowd. She stood outside of Yule Read Books and wished... Well, she wasn’t sure what she wished for, but something other than what she had.

The Wreath was filling with people. Couples and happy families. She thought she caught sight of the woman who had passed her the baby, but she wasn’t sure. Shaye stood in the middle of all of it wondering how long it would be until she was able to feel like she belonged somewhere. Going back to Iowa wasn’t an option, but moving on didn’t seem right, either.

There was nothing waiting for her in Seattle—no friends, no job. She was chasing a memory first made when she was twelve years old. What did she expect to find when she got there?

Sadness settled on her. The deep, down-to-the-bone kind she’d felt when each of her parents had died. It joined the sense of being totally alone in the world. Her friends had drifted away when she’d spent months looking after her mom. There was no other family, and she was totally done with her idiot ex-boyfriend. When she drove out of Wishing Tree, there was literally no one in the world who knew her. No one would miss her or think about her or want her back. She was like a ghost.

Somewhere behind her a child laughed. The sound was so pure, so happy, she turned to see what was happening. A little girl, maybe five or six, had just bitten into a berry hand pie. The crust had crumbled, and there was filling everywhere: on her chin, her cheeks, her hands, and down the front of her dress. Her mom was laughing, too, saying something about making a mess.

It was a silly thing, just a moment in time the family probably wouldn’t remember. But it struck Shaye as something hopeful. In a weird way, a sign.

There was nothing waiting for her in Seattle, no reason to get there today or tomorrow. Why not stay in Wishing Tree—just for Christmas in July? She could catch her breath, get her head together, come up with a plan for her future and then leave for the big city.

She didn’t consider herself an impulsive person, but lately she’d been making a lot of snap decisions. She walked purposefully toward Judy’s Hand Pies. The Help Wanted sign was still in the window. She brushed the front of her blouse, then stepped into the store.

A different woman stood behind the counter. She was older and a little stern-looking until she smiled.

“How can I help you?”

“I was wondering about the job.”

The woman’s expression instantly brightened. “Are you? That’s great. Now, you know it’s only part-time and just for the month, right? With all the activities with Christmas in July, we want to have a cart out in The Wreath. The hours are from eleven until three, Tuesday through Saturday. You load up the cart, roll it to your position, then sell pies until your four hours are up or until you sell out. Whichever comes first.”

The pay for that few hours wouldn’t be much, but it would help. Shaye had the money from the sale of her parents’ house, plus her own savings. Only working a few hours a day would give her time to explore the town.

“You interested?” the woman asked.

“I am.”

“Then let me get the boss down here.”

She picked up a phone and pressed a couple of buttons. Seconds later she said, “I have someone here who wants to apply to work the cart. Uh-huh. Yes, I told her that.”

She put down the phone and smiled. “Toby will be right with you.”

Toby. Lawson had mentioned him. He was the owner and founder of the company. Suddenly nervous, she wiped her hands on her jeans, then turned when a tall, blond-haired man walked out into the front of the store. He smiled at Shaye.

“I’m Toby Newkirk.”

“Shaye Harper.”

He waved her in. “Come on back and we’ll talk about the job.”

Toby reiterated the hours and the short-term nature of the job.

“This is the store’s first summer, so we’re new to the food-cart scene,” he said. “I have no idea if you’ll be overwhelmed with customers or will have nothing to do.” He smiled. “You’ll be paid either way.”

She laughed. “I appreciate I’m not on commission. And I am interested, but I have a weird question to ask.”

His brows rose, but he didn’t speak.

“I’m not from here. In fact I’m moving to Seattle, so this is kind of a pit stop for me. I like the town and think it would be fun to stay for the month, but I don’t have anywhere to live and a hotel would be too expensive.”

“You’d never find a hotel room,” he told her. “Wishing Tree is a popular tourist destination. All the hotels, motels and cabins are booked months in advance.”

Her heart sank. So much for staying through Christmas in July.

He took out his phone. “Just this morning my grandmother mentioned a friend of hers has a room for rent. If you’d be interested in that, I can find out if it’s still available.”

“That would be great,” she said eagerly. “As long as the owner is okay with a month-long rental.”

“I’ll ask.”

Thirty minutes later Shaye had filled out a job application and been given the contact information for the room rental. Kathy Vieira was expecting her. If she rented the room, Shaye was going to call Toby and tell him she was taking the job. If not, she would be on her way to Seattle. So either way, she had a plan.

Only as she walked to her truck, she knew what she really wanted was to stay. Not because she’d met a cute guy but because there was something about the town. She could do with a month of unexpected events and odd traditions. And if, in the meantime, she got to know Lawson better, well, that was just a bonus.

LAWSONFOCUSEDONthe vegetables he was chopping. His days off were usually Sunday and Monday, and he often spent at least one of them helping his sister, when he could. She was eight months pregnant, with two little ones underfoot. Yesterday, the Fourth of July, had been an all-day event, with friends and family at the park. Everyone had stayed up late for fireworks. Both kids were tired today, and tired meant cranky. If he could help with a little meal prep, he was happy to do it.

At some point he was going to move out of the apartment above the garage and into something of his own. He was still debating buying a house. He wanted his own place, but he was cautious about making the commitment. In part because the down payment would eat into his savings, and he was still on track to buy the auto shop in four years and eight months.

His other worry about buying a house was the woman he hoped to one day have in his life. He wanted them to make the decision together. Choosing a house was an important time in a couple’s life, and he felt there could be problems if he already had one she might not have picked herself.

Not that his future life partner was anything but a vague hope at this point. He was open to finding someone. He was looking forward to making a commitment, getting married and raising a family. The only problem seemed to be the lack of someone special. So far she didn’t seem to exist.

Or if she did exist, she wasn’t interested in sticking around.

“You’re looking serious about something,” Adien said, walking into the kitchen, her hand rubbing the small of her back.

“Nothing that matters.”

“I doubt that. Tell me.”

“I wish Shaye hadn’t been just passing through.”

“The girl from today? She seemed nice. So you liked her?”

He nodded, then scooped the diced cucumbers into the bowl. “I did. She was funny and nice and smart. But she didn’t stay.” He smiled at his sister. “Kidnapping is not a culturally acceptable way to get a date.”

His sister laughed. “Was she kidnapworthy?”

“Maybe. I should have kissed her.”

“Wow. You don’t usually move that fast.”

“I don’t usually meet someone like her.” He thought about how easily they’d talked all through lunch and how much fun they’d had at the bookstore. “I should have kissed her,” he repeated, wishing he had. Wishing he’d said...

What? She’d wanted to leave. Maybe she hadn’t felt what he had. Maybe he’d just been a way to pass the time.

“I know I should let it go,” he said. “And I will. I just don’t like regrets.”

“You need to start dating.”

“So you’ve said. I know nearly every age-appropriate woman in Wishing Tree, and none of them are for me.”

“Go online.”

“I prefer meeting someone in person.”

“You’re stubborn.”

He grinned at her. “It’s a family trait.”

“Yes, I know.” Her humor faded. “I’m sorry about Shaye.”

“Me, too. But there’s someone for everybody. I still believe that.”

“I do, too. You’re a great guy. I bet right this second, Shaye’s feeling some regrets of her own.”

Lawson hoped that was true, although regrets didn’t make much difference when Shaye was a hundred and fifty miles away.