At Bluebonnet Lake (Texas Crossroads Book #1): A Novel (10 page)

Kate stared at the pictures, marveling at the intricacy of the designs and the imaginative way Samantha blended multiple colors of stitching and leather to create one-of-a-kind footwear. These weren’t just boots. They were works of art.

“I don’t want to pry, but I wondered . . .”

“How I stay in business here.” Samantha finished the sentence.

Kate nodded, wondering how Samantha had guessed what she
was going to ask. “Dupree isn’t exactly a metropolitan area.” It wasn’t even on the road to anywhere. The fact that the highway that formed Lone Star Trail was a spur ending at Rainbow’s End meant there were no casual visitors, no one just passing through. And with Rainbow’s End attracting fewer and fewer guests, it was no wonder that Dupree’s economy was shaky.

Samantha handed the book to Sally. “I have a website, and I’ve been written up in the Austin and San Antonio papers.”

Kate’s mind shifted into work mode. The website was essential, and the feature articles had undoubtedly boosted sales at the time they’d appeared, but neither was a continuing source of sales. Samantha needed more.

It had been relatively simple to increase repeat business for Sid’s Seafood. One of Kate’s recommendations had been that in addition to the core menu, Sid’s would offer a special dish each month. The limited time availability and promotional price were designed to encourage patrons to make visits to Sid’s at least a monthly event.

Boots were different. They were durable, and unlike shoes, Kate doubted many people felt the need for a closet filled with different styles and colors. Furthermore, the fact that Samantha was prepared to work on Kate’s and Sally’s boots immediately made Kate suspect that she had no other orders.

“Have you considered TV?” Kate asked. Whenever practical, Maddox and Associates advised a combination of print and television. “You’d reach more people that way.”

Samantha nodded, frustration evident in her expression. “It’s a good idea, but I doubt I could afford it.”

“It might not be as expensive as you think.” Kate’s brain began to whirl as she searched for low- or no-cost ways to get Samantha and Sam’s Bootery on TV. The woman had the poise and beauty to be a star, and her boots were—at least to Kate’s untrained eye—exceptional.

“Listen to her,” Sally said as she leafed through the book of photos. “Kate knows what she’s talking about. My granddaughter is a hotshot New York advertising executive. And this is the design I want.” She pointed to a pair of boots with entwined hearts. “Only I want mine in shades of blue to go with my jeans.”

When Samantha had made a note of the design, she turned to Kate. “I was going to show you my scrapbook. It’s what I use for new customers in addition to the photos, but now I’m afraid you’ll laugh. It’ll probably seem amateur to you.”

“Why don’t I look at it while you fit Sally?”

Her hesitation evident, Samantha finally reached behind the counter and pulled out a large book. “Don’t laugh too loud. Please.” She motioned Sally to one of the captain’s chairs and brought out an old-fashioned foot sizer, leaving Kate at the counter with the scrapbook.

Kate took a deep breath, inhaling the heavy scent of the hyacinth before she opened the book. Within seconds, she was engrossed, only dimly aware of the two women talking, finalizing the details of Sally’s boots, while Kate turned page after page, studying the advertisements Samantha had included as well as the way she’d formatted the pages of FAQs.

“Pretty bad, huh?” Samantha stood only a foot away, obviously studying Kate as carefully as Kate was studying the book.

“It’s not bad,” Kate said, “but it could be better.” She pointed to the printout of one of the website pages. “If you switch the position of these two images and increase the font size, it would be more dramatic.”

Samantha nodded. “I can do that. It’s all on my computer.”

“And you might want to darken these colors.” Kate pointed to another page.

“Good idea.”

Those were simple, no-cost changes. The one Kate was going to propose next wasn’t. “What I really think you need is a new
logo, one that incorporates your picture.” Though Samantha said nothing, she seemed taken aback, so Kate continued her explanation. “I doubt there are very many women boot makers, and I’m willing to bet that even if there are others, they’re not as photogenic as you. I think you should capitalize on both your gender and your looks.”

Samantha was not convinced. Her brow furrowed as she said, “I don’t know. My dad . . .”

The words triggered the memory of Greg speaking of his father. To Kate’s relief, Samantha’s voice held none of the tension Greg’s had. Instead, she simply seemed concerned, perhaps not wanting to change something her father had done.

“It’s your business now,” Kate said firmly. “Obviously, I’ve never met him, but the fact that your father turned the business over to you makes me think he’d approve of anything you do to make it stronger.”

The furrows disappeared, and Samantha smiled. “You might be right.”

Y
ou look awful,” Roy said as he pulled out his usual chair at their usual table. Like most of the stores in Dupree, the Sit ‘n’ Sip was narrow and deep. The primary seating area was the counter that spanned the width, but proprietor Russ Walker had installed a single booth in the corner next to the front window and two tables for four. For reasons he’d never explained, even when he came alone, Roy sat at the table closest to the door.

“Good morning to you too.” Greg refused to rise to the bait.

Roy nodded when he’d called his order to Russ. The morning rush, as Russ described the half-dozen people who came to the Sit ‘n’ Sip for breakfast, was gone, leaving Greg and Roy the only customers. “My boys were like that too. Didn’t want to talk about their problems. They figured it wasn’t manly.”

That wasn’t the reason Greg hadn’t confided in his father. After a few painful attempts, he realized that Dad didn’t understand.

“It was a rough night,” Greg admitted. “I didn’t sleep much.”

“Dreaming about Kate?”

Greg almost choked on his coffee. “What makes you think
that?” The dream hadn’t been about Kate, but thoughts of her had filled his brain as soon as he’d wakened.

Roy waited until Russ slid their meals in front of them and returned to his post behind the counter before he answered. “Not hard to figure out. She’s a beautiful single woman. You’re a healthy single man. Only natural you’d dream about her.”

Greg slathered jam on his toast as an excuse not to meet Roy’s eyes. “I didn’t actually dream about her.”

“But you thought about her.”

Unwilling to lie, Greg nodded.

“I thought so.” When he’d eaten the first of his eggs, Roy looked up again. “I figured you were like me—interested in the new guests.”

Greg was interested in Kate, but not in the way Roy thought. He was realistic enough to know that while their lives might have converged for a month, they would diverge again. “Kate’s an interesting woman, but I’m not looking for romance,” he said, hoping Roy would take that as a signal to change the subject.

Roy’s laugh turned into a guffaw. “Then you’re a fool. Look at me. I’m seventy-three years old. I married and buried the most wonderful woman in the world, but that doesn’t stop me from looking. I figure you never know. Lightning could strike twice.”

Greg was still waiting for the first time.

“That was a nice thing you did,” Sally said as she and Kate left Sam’s Bootery.

Kate shrugged and pulled her car keys out of her bag, tapping the remote to unlock the doors. “Heather might not approve of my giving free advice, but I didn’t see any harm in it. Who knows? Samantha might ask us to design a whole campaign for her.” It was unlikely. Even if Samantha were interested, Sam’s Bootery was too small a client for Maddox to care about. Heather and
Nick sought national and sometimes international clients. But it had been fun helping Samantha.

“It was nice,” Sally repeated. “You know what else would be nice? Checking out the other shops. Let’s walk.”

Though Kate doubted there’d be anything noteworthy, she and Sally had nothing else planned for the morning. Selecting boots had taken less time than Kate had expected, and though Samantha had appeared willing to chat with Sally, Kate had hurried her grandmother out of the store. Samantha needed to call her father and begin work on Kate’s and Sally’s boots.

As Kate had feared, the other shops on the same block as Sam’s Bootery were either empty or temporarily closed. When they crossed the side street, Sally glanced at the store on the opposite corner. “Hill Country Pieces,” she read. “Let’s go there. You know how I love quilts.”

Kate did indeed. Though Sally had never quilted anything, declaring that she had neither the patience nor the manual dexterity to make the tiny, evenly spaced stitches that the best quilts boasted, she attended every quilting show she could find.

They crossed the street and approached the store. Sally stopped abruptly to gesture toward the quilt hanging in the window. “Look, Kate. It’s a rainbow.”

Not just a rainbow but one of the most exquisite quilts Kate had ever seen. The artist had used hundreds—perhaps thousands—of tiny pieces of fabric to create a landscape. The Hill Country’s green hills formed the background, while bluebonnets and half a dozen other wildflowers mingled with prickly pear cactus in the foreground. Above them all was a magnificent rainbow, each color blending into the next.

“That’s incredible,” Kate said softly. She’d accompanied Sally to a number of shows and had seen pieces that rivaled fine art. This was as good as any of the blue ribbon winners. “Incredible,” she repeated. What was incredible was not simply the quilt but
the fact that Dupree had at least two extremely talented artists in residence. Kate wondered what other surprises she might find if she and Sally continued their exploration.

“You should buy the quilt,” Sally told her.

Kate tipped her head to the side, considering. “It’s gorgeous, but I can’t picture it in my apartment.” Where she could picture it was at Rainbow’s End. It would be perfect for one of the long empty walls in the dining room. The Sinclairs were unlikely to agree, especially since they were trying to sell the resort, but surely the new owners would realize the benefit of showcasing local talent. Kate began picturing quilts on all the beds and small wall hangings in the living areas of the cabins.

The new owners could . . . Kate’s heart sank at the realization that there might be no new owners. It was possible that, if they couldn’t find a buyer, the Sinclairs would simply close the resort. And that would be a shame. Kate focused her eyes on the beautiful quilt. That was much more pleasant than dwelling on the problems of a place she’d first seen less than forty-eight hours ago.

“I can tell you’ve fallen in love with the quilt,” Sally said. “Let’s go inside and buy it.”

No matter how beautiful it was, Kate wasn’t in the market for a quilt. She wouldn’t buy that quilt, but she would look for a smaller version, perhaps made up as a pillow, as part of Sally’s Christmas gift.

Soft music and the sweet perfume of scented candles greeted them as they entered the shop. While Sam’s Bootery had a distinctly masculine feel, this shop was 100 percent feminine with pale mauve walls, a thick carpet in a deeper shade of mauve, and chintz covered chairs.

A woman whom Kate guessed to be in her midtwenties rose from behind the counter and approached them, introducing herself as Lauren Ahrens. An inch or so above Kate’s own five and a
half feet, Lauren was dark-haired and at least ten pounds lighter than Kate. Dressed in a denim skirt, boots that had undoubtedly come from Sam’s Bootery, and an intricately quilted jacket, she looked like a walking advertisement for Dupree. Though not strikingly beautiful like Samantha, she moved with assurance, as if she were comfortable in her own skin.

“Are you interested in anything specific?” Lauren asked when Sally had introduced herself and Kate.

Sally nodded. “I’m trying to convince my granddaughter to buy the quilt you have in your window.”

A twinge of regret crossed Lauren’s face and she shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry, but that’s not for sale. I made it for my daughter. I sometimes make duplicates of a design, but not this one.”

Though she had no intention of buying the quilt, Kate found herself battling unexpected disappointment. “It’s a beautiful piece,” she told the store’s proprietor, “and perfect for a child. How old is your daughter?”

“Seven, although some days I think she’s seven going on forty. Just this morning, Fiona told me it was time for me to start dating, because she wants a father.” Lauren’s face flushed. “Oh, listen to me, rattling on about my life when all you wanted was to look at a quilt.”

Kate was getting used to the friendliness of Dupree’s residents and found that she didn’t mind it. To the contrary, she—the woman who barely knew the other tenants in her apartment building—was intrigued by the willingness of both Samantha and Lauren to share part of their lives with strangers. Kate glanced at Lauren’s left hand, the wedding ring suggesting that she was a widow rather than a divorcee. “Quilts and conversation. It’s a great combination.”

“That’s what Patrick used to say.” Tears filled Lauren’s eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s only been six months.”

Sally, who’d been silent, reached forward to hug her. “You poor dear. It’s hard to be a parent when you’re dealing with your own sorrow.”

She was speaking from experience, Kate knew. At the time, Kate hadn’t realized how difficult it had been for Sally and Grandpa Larry to raise a child when their own was gone. The shooting had changed not just Kate’s life but also her grandparents’, thrusting them back into child rearing at a time when they’d been looking forward to a simpler lifestyle. It was only years later, after Grandpa Larry died, that Kate fully appreciated the sacrifice her grandparents had made.

Lauren brushed the tears from her eyes and forced her lips upward. “It is hard,” she admitted, “but each day is a bit easier. Now, can I show you any of my other quilts? I have other landscapes.”

But none would compare to the rainbow. Kate and Sally admired Lauren’s quilts and spent a few minutes looking through the album she had of her work, but though the pieces were beautiful, none touched Kate’s heart the way the rainbow had. “We’ll be back,” Kate promised. She would bring Sally at least once, and she would definitely come alone to select her grandmother’s Christmas present.

“Come anytime, even if it’s just to talk.” Lauren gestured to the empty chairs. “As you can see, I’m not overwhelmed with customers right now.”

That, it appeared, was a common refrain in Dupree.

A burst of heat assailed Kate and Sally as they left the air-conditioned comfort of the store, and Sally teetered for a second.

“Are you all right?” Kate had seen the sadness in Sally’s eyes when she’d comforted Lauren and knew she was reliving her own losses.

Sally nodded but refused to move. Instead, she stared at the quilt in the window. “It reminds me of you,” she said, her voice
filled with nostalgia. “Do you remember how you used to tell me you wanted to chase rainbows and see what was really at the end?”

Kate nodded, recalling how often she’d said that the first summer after her parents’ death. Somewhere deep inside, she’d believed that if she found the end of the rainbow, her parents might be there. And so, every time the rain had stopped, she had rushed outdoors, searching for a rainbow. Most days she’d been disappointed, and the few times one had appeared, Kate had remained frozen with fear.

“You never did chase one. Why not?”

“I was afraid of getting lost.” That had been Kate’s worst nightmare, being as lost and alone as she had felt the night her parents were killed. Though the neighbors who kept her while Sally and Grandpa Larry made their way to Ohio had been kind and had seemed to understand when she’d screamed because she’d wakened and hadn’t realized where she was, nothing they could say or do had erased the fact that Kate was alone. Even after Sally had arrived to comfort Kate, telling her she was not lost and that she would not be alone, the fear had remained. And so Kate had never once chased a rainbow.

“You’re still afraid.” It was a statement, not a question.

Kate shrugged. “That’s why I have GPS. I can’t get lost that way.”

Her grandmother was silent for a moment, her gaze moving from the quilt to Kate and back again. “You might not be able to get lost literally, but it seems to me you’re still afraid of taking risks.”

Bristling at her grandmother’s unexpected words, Kate countered with a question. “What’s wrong with that? I don’t see anything bad about security.” That was one reason she wanted the partnership so much. It would give her an extra level of security, knowing that she couldn’t be fired if one campaign failed. When
she’d heard Grandpa Larry talking about colleagues being let go and how only the partners were safe, her determination to become a partner had deepened.

Sally shook her head slowly, her eyes filled with sorrow. “Oh, Kate, you’re missing so much. If you don’t take a chance, you’ll never have the adventure of trying new things or the thrill of exploring the unknown.” She gripped Kate’s arm and stared into her eyes. “I know you think you’re happy with your life, but I wish you’d chase rainbows. Just once. Promise me you’ll do it.”

“I can’t.”