Project Detour (Castle View Book 3) (12 page)

“And maybe you should mind your own business. We still on for dinner tonight?”

Jonny nodded. “But I’m meeting a guy for drinks at nine. Do you want to come along?”

“No, thank you. I have enough on my plate to keep me busy. I don’t need to be juggling all the single lifestyle you seem to enjoy.” Destiny moved her mouse to awaken her computer and went back to work. She only looked over at the bookshelves a few times.

The next Friday, a new box arrived. Jonny ran into her office with the cardboard offering in her hand, her brown curls bouncing. “Open it. I want to see what he sent you this time.”

“Maybe it’s not from Brad.” Destiny knew it was, but she didn’t want to hope. The guy certainly had an unusual way of courting if that was what he was doing.

She opened the box and started laughing. Several cookbooks were in the box, one on salads, one on seafood, and several more generic.

“That’s not what I was expecting.” Jonny held up the Guide to
Decadent Desserts
. “Although this chocolate thing looks amazing.”

Destiny dug through the box, setting the books aside. She looked up at her friend, bewildered. “There’s no card.”

“That’s because—“ Brad stood in the doorway “—when I asked Maggie what cookbooks she’d suggest, she told me to stop being such a loser and come down here myself

“I’m sorry Miss Brooks,” said the front desk clerk beside him, fingers wringing in distress. “He said he had an appointment.”

“No worries, Holli.” She glanced at Jonny. “Come in and have a seat, Brad. Jonny was just leaving.”

“I can take a hint.” Jonny put her hand on his arm as she passed by him. “About time.”

Brand smiled at the retreating Jonny and then moved toward the office chair. His gait was slow but it didn’t look like he had a limp.

“You’re looking good,” she said as she walked around the desk and sat next to him in the other chair. She glanced at the door, but Jonny had already closed it to give them privacy.

“The place is amazing. You did a great job.” He looked around the office. “This feels like you too.”

“It’s easy to do a great job when you work for a company with deep pockets.” She leaned back in her chair, studying him. “Why are you here, Brad? Do you want to set up a physical therapy plan?”

“No. For your information Doc Roberts says I’m good to go all on my own. The back thing was a fluke and you can see how well my leg and ankle healed. I won’t win any sexy legs contests, but that’s not my style anyway.” He rubbed his hands on his pants.

“You didn’t answer my question.” She watched him as he took a deep breath and leaned forward, almost touching her arm.

“I came to ask you on a date. A real date, dinner and drinks or a movie, whatever you want.” He coughed. “We could even go see the tigers if you want to.”

She laughed. “You hate the tigers. Maggie told me.”

“I’ll admit, I’m not fond of the mangy cats. But if that’s what you want to do, I’ll do it.” He stared at her. “Whatever you want to do. Please go out with me.”

“And then what? What are you looking for, Brad? A good time? A diversion?” She shook her head. “I’m not one of your girls who just wants to be arm candy. I want a real relationship.”

“Good, because that’s what I want too. I won’t be an idiot and ask you to marry me today.” He took her hand. “But if you find you like spending time with me, without having to drug me and help me to the bathroom, I could see me asking in, oh, a week or two.”

“At least I’d know what kind of a pain you’ll be when you grow old.” She smiled at him. Her heart was bursting and she wanted to say yes, but something held her back. “We didn’t have such a good start of things. What if it goes bad again?”

“Love isn’t automatic. You have to work at it. I’m sure there will be times you hate me. As long as we talk them out and keep going forward, we’ll be fine. I should have listened when you said you had the job offer. Instead, I fell back into the work too hard, all the time mode. I don’t want to be that guy anymore.” He pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “I love you Destiny. And I’ve never said that to any other woman.”

“Dinner and a movie? My choice?”

He smiled and her heart melted. “On dinner or what movie?”

“Both.” She wanted to see how far he’d let her push, but for now, it was enough. They would see where everything went, one step at a time. Love is patient, love is kind. Destiny hadn’t understood the bible verse before, but now, she thought she did.

Brad stood up and pulled her into his arms, cradling her body next to his. “Whatever you want. I missed you so much.”

She leaned into him and sighed. “I love you too.”

The June morning was perfect. The women were gathered in one room in the old country church. The men were in another. Or outside, wandering through the parking lot, talking cars. If any of them had smoked, this would have been the time to pull out their cigarettes. The ceremony was set to start in ten minutes. Destiny didn’t know if she’d ever been this nervous.

“Are you ready?” Abbie fluttered around the bride as Sandy stepped in front of her daughter.

Sandy kissed Maggie on both cheeks. “I’m so happy for you. Josh is a wonderful man.”

“He did kind of grow on me.” Maggie smiled at her mother then turned to the full-length mirror. She stroked her oversized skirt. “Are you sure I look okay? Maybe I should have gone with a gown with less poof.”

“You look wonderful. And grandma’s diamonds are going to set the neckline off perfectly.” Sandy placed a silver chain with a diamond pendant around her daughter’s neck.

“That’s pretty.” Becca moved closer to see the necklace. “I want one.”

Abbie pulled her daughter close and smoothed down her red hair. “You’ll get something special when you get married. Today is Maggie’s day.”

Sandy looked at Destiny. “When that son of mine finally does the right thing by you, I have something special for you too.”

“That’s not necessary.” Destiny blushed. “I mean, I don’t know if Brad and I are even close to…”

“Brad is totally smitten with you.” Maggie grinned at her through the mirror. “We should have made it a double wedding.”

Destiny laughed and held up her hands. “Oh, no. This is day is all about you and Josh.”

The minister’s wife opened the door and stepped in. “Everyone’s seated. It’s time.”

Sandy gave her daughter air kisses so she didn’t mess up her makeup. As Destiny and Sandy left the room, Brad stood in the hallway.

“Hey, beautiful.” He took her arm and whispered in her ear. He held his other arm out to his mother.  “I get to walk both of you to your seats. Destiny first.”

Sandy paused at the entrance of the chapel.

Brad walked Destiny down the aisle. “I’m serious Des. You look amazing.”

She leaned toward him. “You don’t clean up so bad yourself Castle.”

He walked her to the second pew. “Best seats in the house. I’ll be right back. Don’t let any guys sit down in my place.”

“Only if they’re cuter and richer than you are.” She kissed his cheek and slipped into the pew. The summer breeze from the open windows mixed the scents of roses and candles. Soft light flickered through the stained glass and warmed the dark wooden pews. If there was a more beautiful place to get married, Destiny didn’t know where it might be.

She watched as Brad walked his mother past her pew and to the front. Abigail already stood there with Becca. He kissed Sandy, then stepped back to join Destiny. He put her hand in his and brought it up to his lips. “I never thought Mags would find someone to marry. She was always such a skinny thing.”

“Stop making fun of your sister. You’ll be shocked when you see her. She’s drop dead gorgeous.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “It’s lovely in here.”

“Maybe we should get married here.”

She stiffened. “Maybe.”

“So that’s a yes?”

She turned and looked at him. “Brad Castle, are you asking me to marry you?”

He shrugged. “I guess if you really want me to ask, I can do that.”

The music started. Sandy rose and the rest of the guests followed suit.

Brad turned to Destiny. “Is this the wedding song?”

Destiny whispered, “Marry Me.”

“What? I mean, yes.”

Destiny swatted him. “That’s the name of the song. It’s by Train.”

Maggie came up the aisle, Mark at her side, taking the place of their father. Destiny turned away and looked at the groom. Josh wore a look of adoration as he watched Maggie walk down the aisle. Destiny dabbed at her eyes.

Brad leaned in. “Bad timing I guess.”

Maggie reached out and squeezed Brad’s hand as they passed.

Once again seated he leaned in and whispered in her ear while the preacher talked about love and what it meant to be a couple. “Will you marry me?”

He turned his head to watch her reaction. He had the same look she’d just seen on Josh’s face.

The smile on her face must have given her answer away because he grinned before she nodded and whispered back. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“We’re never moving again.” Abigail Johnson scanned the stacks of boxes for one labeled ‘bathroom.’ The moving company’s flyer had promised her belongings would be gently placed in designated rooms. Instead, boxes were crammed in the small living room with most of the furniture. The delivery scheduled for Friday hadn’t arrived from Seattle until Sunday evening. Now, Abigail searched their possessions for a hair dryer so Becca wouldn’t go to her first day of school with wet hair.

“Mom, hurry up, I’m dripping.” Becca’s screech came from the bathroom. Even at six years old, patience was certainly not in her daughter’s demeanor, even though it was her middle name.

Just like Grace didn’t describe Abigail.

Like mother, like daughter.

“Find a towel.” Abigail climbed on the top of the couch trying to reach the last stack. Her fingertips brushed the top of a lid just as a knock sounded on the front door. Damn, he was already here. “Come in,” she yelled, stretching farther, balancing her weight, inching her fingers closer. The back of the couch jiggled under her feet.

With one last try, her fingers grazed the sides of the box and she grabbed. The couch rocked, out of control. Bracing herself for the fall, she closed her eyes.

Someone grabbed her waist pulling her backward. The couch tipped into place as she was lowered to the floor. Strong arms surrounded her and a hard chest supported her back. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. She held the box over her head like a racing trophy.

Glancing over her shoulder, she caught sight of Mark Castle. The cutest guy in seventh grade. Eighth grade. Ninth grade. Aw hell, he’d been the cutest guy she’d ever met. Deep, dreamy brown eyes. Now, he was her boss.

“Thanks,” she whispered. She stared into his eyes, lost in the moment. Then she realized his hands still circled her waist. She pointedly gazed at his hands around her in a tight grip. “I’m safe now.”

Mark’s eyes widened as he dropped his arms. “You could have hurt yourself. What were you thinking?”

Abigail sat the box on the couch and ripped the packing tape off. Digging under a few bath towels, she grinned and held up the device. “Success!”

Mark folded his arms. “You almost killed yourself over a hair dryer?”

“Stop being so dramatic. I wouldn’t have died from the fall. Hold on a sec.” Abigail scooted between Mark and the boxes. She poked her head into the small bathroom where Becca sat on the edge of the tub, wrapped in a robe. “Here you go, sweetie. Now get your butt in gear or we’re going to be late.” She paused, “I need to talk to my new boss for a minute. Let me know if you need anything.”

Abigail returned to the living room crowded with stacks of boxes and furniture. Mark stood out in the room looking uncomfortable and out of place. She didn’t like this impromptu visit one bit. Apparently, neither did Mark, as he paced like a cat in a cage. When their eyes met, he looked away first.

“What’s up? You didn’t come by this early just to save me from falling.” Abigail took the bath towels and folded them while she waited for an answer. Seeing him today made her remember how cute he’d been in middle school even with braces on his teeth. He still had the bump on his nose from when he’d been hit with a baseball freshman year. If someone had asked, she could chronicle Mark’s life right up to the time she left for college. Sad.

“This was delivered to the main house rather than the barn.” Mark thrust an envelope into her hands.

“Well, good morning to you, too.” Abigail tossed the envelope onto the table she’d positioned near the door to hold her purse, keys, and, soon, Becca’s homework. She nodded to the kitchen. “I have coffee brewed. Do you want a cup?”

“This really isn’t a social call.” Mark stepped closer to the door, probably afraid she’d ask him to help her move boxes.

He knew how to get to the point. She got it. He was the boss, she was the employee. Instead of reacting, she just laughed, twisting her curly hair back and shoving it close to her head with a hair clip. “It’s just coffee, Mark. Not a date.”

His face flushed.

Abigail wanted to pull back her words. Play it off like a joke. A date between the quarterback and the valedictorian – it hadn’t happened in high school, and the story wasn’t going to change now. The flush on his face proved she’d embarrassed him.

“I wanted to talk to you. I should have called you before you left Seattle.” Mark straightened a stack of boxes threatening to fall. As she’d remembered, he liked making order out of chaos. The kids always teased him about the OCD condition of his locker. The total opposite of herself.

“What do you need to talk about at,” she paused as she checked her watch. “Six thirty in the morning?” Abigail took a deep breath; she would control this conversation if it killed her. Even if she’d had a teenage crush on the guy, now he was her boss. Even if she felt like she’d been stung by a live wire ever since he’d walked into her little cottage. “I’m excited to be working with the sanctuary but I got things to do.”

“I don’t know any other way to say this. The sanctuary is in bad shape. Dad shouldn’t have hired you.” Mark’s words bore right to the point. He was concerned enough to deliver the bad news first thing in the morning. Definitely, a sign the financial health of the sanctuary wasn’t as strong as his father had led her to believe.

“Look, your dad told me the problems when hired me. He paid my first six months’ salary and moving costs upfront. You might as well get some work out of me before you send me packing.” She pushed aside the concern she felt at his words. Right now, she needed to get Mark out of her house and get her daughter to school or both she and Becca would be late for their first day. Not a prestigious start. She took a breath before she answered. “If it’s just a money thing, you have to realize, I have sources. Your dad and I talked about the need for foundation assistance with the sanctuary. All I need is a little time to get my ducks in a row.”

Mark’s lips tightened as he looked around at the boxes stacked in the small living room. “I’ll give you the six months, but you may not want to unpack. Unless the sanctuary finds a funding source besides Castle View holdings, I’m closing it down.”

“What?” She faced him, abandoning the newly found towels. He couldn’t have just said that. Not after she’d uprooted her daughter’s life to move them back home. “But when your father hired me he told me I’d have time...”

“Dad didn’t deal with problems. Castle View Holdings went from a working ranch, adding the winery, a restaurant, and finally, the sanctuary. He couldn’t say no. Problem is, all of those businesses bring in money. Except one. Now he’s gone. I have to be the one that’s practical.” Mark turned and hesitated at the door. “I’m sorry, it’s just business.”

She watched him walk out the door, her stomach in knots. Not how she’d imagined her new life would start. She’d moved back home to St. Josephs, Idaho, the small town where she’d grown up, in hopes to reclaim a positive, carefree life. Seattle was pretty, but it ran on a different clock than this small town. Moving here was for Becca. She wanted a slower childhood for her daughter. One where she could run through fields and play. Where Abigail wasn’t afraid to let Becca play in the front yard. They weren’t going back to Seattle, even if she had to work at the local grocery store to support them.

Turning around, she caught her daughter standing in the doorway to the hall, watching her.

“You mean we moved here and left all my friends and Daddy for nothing? You don’t even have a job?” Becca twirled her new Barbie backpack.

“I’m not unemployed yet.” Abigail squared her shoulders. If she needed to find a grant to keep her job, well, she would find a grant. Or do a fundraiser. How hard could making Castle View Tiger Sanctuary solvent be?

“Yeah, but…” Becca sounded close to tears.

“School starts in twenty minutes and you still aren’t ready. Let me handle Mr. Castle. We aren’t leaving here anytime soon.” Abigail put hands on her daughter’s shoulders leading her back to her bedroom. “Get your shoes on.”

She hoped her words were true. Throwing her wishes out into the universe, she had to make this work. Come hell or high water.

***

Great way to welcome your new employee on her first day.

Mark started up the quad-cab truck with Castle View Winery’s logo plastered on the side. This management thing was definitely not his strong point. He hated telling Abigail the truth. Robert Castle had been a dreamer. When he died, he left the company bleeding red ink. Red ink due to the tiger sanctuary. Abigail didn’t know she’d been hired to manage a money pit.

Now that she knew about the problem, she could put out feelers for other jobs and leave before he had to close the place down. Letting her think there was a chance at continuing to run the sanctuary that he wouldn’t have to close the facility, would have been cruel. No, this was cleaner. He’d just have to get used to not seeing those pretty green eyes sparkle when she talked. He’d put her to the back of his mind once, he could do it again.

He angled the truck out of her driveway and ran a free hand through his hair. He hated pulling a new job out from under anyone’s nose, but doing it to little Abbie Sands made it ten times worse.

Abigail looked better than she had in high school when she’d been the shy brainiac hired to tutor him in chemistry. Today, her red curly hair had been loose when he’d arrived, falling around her shoulders, her body soft in all the right places when he’d caught her.

Back then, he’d loved watching her blush every time he’d accidently brushed his hand against hers. He’d learned about a different type of chemistry during those tutoring sessions, but he’d been dating Sally. As head cheerleader, Sally knew she was destined to be on Mark’s arm during prom. Everyone at school expected the same thing. They were the perfect couple –The jock and the cheerleader. Nowhere in the storybooks did the shy chemistry brain get the quarterback. Not understanding the draw he’d felt to this tiny girl, he’d watched Abbie from the other side of the table, keeping his feelings to himself. The woman she’d become could get to him three ways to Sunday and he’d spent a total of ten minutes with her. She had grown up and become an intelligent, strong woman. He’d known women like her when he worked in California, known, but not dated. They scared him. Just like Abigail.

He thought about the morning meeting. “Hey, Mark, want some coffee?” He sing-songed, mocking Abbie’s cute voice.

“No coffee and go away,” Mark continued the fake conversation in a Billy-Goat-Gruff voice. Great, now you’re talking to yourself.

He was almost to the winery when his phone speaker blared.

“Boss?” A voice crackled over the speaker.

“Yeah, Brad.” He hated it when Brad called him boss. His brother only used the term when he had a problem he wanted Mark to fix. Period

“You better come hear this.” His brother ran the winery but since Dad died, Brad didn’t seem to be able to make a decision on his own. At least a decision that mattered. Or maybe this was the way he’d worked with the old man. Either way, Mark was going to break his brother’s reliance on someone else solving his problems.

“I’ll be right there.” Mark turned off the county road and onto a side road. Made of brick, which cost a fortune to install and maintain, it led customers to the tasting room and production barn. If Mark had his way, the road would be paved over as soon as he put the money aside in next year’s budget. It was quaint, but impractical during the harsh winter snow and ice.

Mark parked in front of the tasting room entrance. From the cab, he admired the large river rock covered building. The winery had been the first addition to the farm when Mark’s grandparents were still alive. He climbed out of the truck, hoping that his day wouldn’t get worse than it already had been.

Brad’s office was in the main building with the tasting room. Dad had gone all out with the remodel a few years ago. Entering through the deeply carved oak purchased from an auction of an old winery in Napa Valley, Mark’s boot heels clicked quietly on the well-worn walnut planks. He slipped around the wine stained marble bar, finding the door to the small kitchen that serviced the tasting room. Walking into the building made Mark feel like he’d stepped back in time. The furnishings and brass shined like brand new. He could have been in one of the local speakeasies rumored to be in the area during Prohibition. Mom had framed a red flapper dress and hung it on the wall of the hallway, just to add to the history of the room.

He walked past the window seat where he’d read for hours, his favorite place to hide from the world. When Brad had graduated college, Dad had given the younger brother control over the winery. Mark wondered if his brother knew how lucky he’d been.

He stopped at the small kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee then ambled through the hallway toward Brad’s office. Without waiting for an answer to his knock, he entered and sat in one of the leather high back chairs in front of the desk. “What’s up now?”

“Tell him, Jose.” Brad nodded to the man sitting in the other chair.

“We found a bed roll along with some other stuff in the production barn. Somebody’s been sleeping there.” Jose looked uncomfortable, like he was ratting out an old friend.

“Any damage?” Mark took a sip, the dark, bold taste bringing him back to the early morning offer of coffee. He should have said yes. Drinking a cup with Abbie wouldn’t have hurt anything.