Because of You (Blue Harbor Book 3) Read online

  When Maddie had decided to take over the empty space beside Firefly Café for her own bakery, Amelia had hired (or willingly allowed) Candy to help out on a few shifts. And that meant there was no going back. Maddie had put her plan into action. Her wonderful, secure spot at the café was no longer hers at all.

  “Remember how we used to have tea parties out here for Mother’s Day?” she said wistfully. Sometimes it was so much better to look back on the good times, to remember how it used to be before everything changed.

  Cora gave a little smile. “Mom would bring out all the fancy china. You loved the patterns of birds and flowers.”

  Maddie hadn’t thought about those dishes in years, but Cora was right. She did love them. They were no doubt still in the cabinet in the dining room, tucked away. “None of them really matched,” she said, thinking of it now. “I think half of the fun of it was seeing which cup and saucer we would end up with each year.”

  “Mom made everything beautiful,” Britt said, and they all agreed. Each of them had kept a small part of her alive in them. It was why Maddie still made the pies. Why she was here, for Sunday night dinner, even though it was nothing like it should have been.

  She felt a solid hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see their father leaning over them. “I’ll take care of the…situation. Away from the table. Let’s just try to have a good time tonight.” Dennis gave a tight smile.

  When Maddie saw the plea in his eyes, she nodded. She could do that.

  “This will help,” Britt said, uncorking one of the wine bottles. It was the newest blend, named for her boyfriend’s daughter, Keira, a sweet little girl whom Maddie knew would be her first and most loyal patron once the bakery opened. She loved the cookies that Maddie used to make for the café.

  Just thinking of that gave her the courage she needed, and for a moment, at least, the nerves were replaced by something closer to excitement. Maybe she’d make a different cookie each week. And something special for the holidays. A boxed gift set? The possibilities were endless. Sometimes that was thrilling. Sometimes it was just confusing.

  They sipped their wine as Candy and “Denny,” as Candy liked to call him, finished up the meal preparations. The bite in the air was just enough to offset the waning of the warm sun, and Maddie pulled up her turtleneck closer to her chin, enjoying the way the red wine warmed her throat.

  As promised, Denny made sure that all the food was brought to the table in appropriate presentations, and Maddie helped herself to an ear of corn as Candy lit some citronella candles. She had really thought of everything, right down to the little corn cob holders in the shape of…little pigs.

  Maddie closed her eyes, briefly.

  “So Britt, how are things at the orchard? Harvest Fest is coming up soon!” Candy asked eagerly and sipped her wine, no doubt waiting for her chance to offer her services.

  “Just around the corner,” Britt said, nodding. “Robbie and I are planning on making this year’s festival better than ever.” Her smile dropped as she glanced at her father. “No offense meant, Dad.”

  “None taken,” he said good-naturedly. “You’re doing exactly what I’d hoped you’d do when you took over the business. You’re making it your own, but upholding our traditions. I couldn’t be more proud.”

  Britt beamed, and Maddie couldn’t help but feel a stir of unease shift inside her. She took another bite of her corn, not caring that some got stuck in her teeth. It wasn’t like she’d be kissing anyone later tonight. She didn’t even have time for a pet fish these days.

  “And how is that handsome man of yours?” Candy continued, waggling her eyebrows at Britt. “I haven’t seen Robbie much recently, but then, I’ve been so busy at the café lately.”

  “Business will wind down by the time the leaves have all fallen,” Amelia said.

  Candy looked a bit ruffled. “Well, now that you’re cozy with that adorable Matt Bradford again, you know I’m happy to help whenever you need me.”

  Amelia nodded politely. Amelia was good at that.

  “And now what about you girls?” Candy turned her attention on Cora and Maddie. Cora’s eyes were wide, and Maddie didn’t need to say anything to know that her sister was thinking the exact same thing that she was—there was no getting out of this. When Candy wanted something, she got it. And tonight, it would seem she had chosen to turn her attention to their love lives, or, in Maddie and Cora’s case, lack thereof.

  “Just busy at the shop,” Cora said casually. “More and more people are starting to think of the holidays now, and I’m planning my window themes.”

  Candy didn’t look interested in window themes or Christmas conversation. She looked at Maddie, who wasn’t able to shift her gaze quick enough. “And you, Maddie? Anyone special in your life?”

  Maddie shook her head. “I’m really swamped trying to get my bakery open.” She gave a little smile, as if that were that. Really, she wasn’t sure which was worse—talking about her bakery or her love life. Both felt so uncertain.

  But Candy said, “Well, I’m happy to help! You know, what Cora just said had me thinking about themes. Have you thought about a theme for your bakery? People love those. I know I do.” She picked up her paper napkin, and it was only then that Maddie noticed the sweet little pig face printed on it.

  Maddie didn’t need a theme for her bakery, at least not one in Candy’s sense of the word. “The building permit just came in and I need to find a contractor, so…” She gave a little wince, hoping that Candy would take her hint.

  “You planning to use Gus?” her dad asked.

  Maddie nodded. “I put a call into him already, but haven’t heard back.” Actually, she’d put in three calls. He’d left a message after the first, and she hadn’t been able to get in touch with him again.

  She took a big gulp of wine, fighting back the worry in her stomach.

  Candy’s eyes were gleaming with interest. “Who is this Gus fellow?”

  Amelia laughed. “Don’t get any ideas, Candy. He’s about seventy, but he’s the best in town.”

  “Unless you want to use Cole,” Cora said, raising her eyebrows. She explained to Candy, “Cole does handiwork, too, but he’s…weird. Keeps to himself. Always did, even back in school. He still lives just up the street, at his mother’s house. We used to see him at the bus stop each morning.”

  Maddie picked at her corn. She hadn’t thought about those days in a long time. Hadn’t heard the name Cole McCarthy in a long time, either. He rarely came into town, and when he was ever at the pub at the Carriage House Inn, Maddie’s hangout of choice, he sat at the bar, shoulders hunched, talked to no one, and left without a glance around the room. He was an odd kid who’d grown into an odd man. Unsettling, if anyone were to ask her.

  “He keeps to himself mostly,” Amelia commented. “But he’s a big guy. He’s fixed up his mother’s house quite a bit over the years.”

  Candy nodded slowly. “I see.” She squinted her eyes, taking a thoughtful sip of her wine. “Tell you what, Maddie,” she said, sitting a little straighter as her smile took over her face. “What don’t you let me get that contractor lined up for you? You know how hard it can be to track these guys down, and it will be one less thing for you to worry about.”

  Maddie opened her mouth to decline the offer, but one glance at her father told her to reconsider. She did have a lot of work to do. More than she could handle, really. And Candy was persuasive by nature. Maybe she could get Gus to return her calls and commit to the project.

  “Thanks, Candy,” she said, and Candy beamed as she clasped her hands together and dug back in to her plate of food.

  Maddie exchanged a look of camaraderie with Amelia as she reached for her wine glass. Really, that hadn’t been so bad. So Candy wanted to help, and Maddie supposed that there was no harm in letting her.

  2

  Cole McCarthy loaded his toolbox into the back of his truck and hesitated for a moment, looking back at the front door of his childhood ho
me—his only home—fighting the urge to go back inside the house for one more check on his mother, but he knew she’d just shoo him away, and even though that was meant to reassure him, it never worked.

  He squinted into the sun as he looked up at the house, taking in the row of three windows on the second floor, and the roof that he had patched last fall. The yellow paint was chipping and could use a fresh coat. He’d pick up some paint in town, tackle the project before the weather turned and it became too cold for outdoor projects. It would be a surprise for his mother. Might even put a smile on her face.

  And it was something he could do. Something within his control. Because nothing else was, it seemed. Never had been.

  He closed his eyes briefly, and opened the driver side door, his eye catching on some movement behind the big hydrangea bush that bore his mother’s favorite flowers during the summertime. His attention now caught, he turned, watching as a woman came into view. Her smile was large, her wave animated, and he wondered if she knew him somehow, or just thought she did.

  He would certainly have remembered her. Big, blonde hair in perky curls, and a bright pink dress that showed every curve. She was wearing heels, and she seemed to struggle for balance as she maneuvered her way along the gravel drive. No coat, but then it was a warm day for September. Might even be the last of it.

  He raised a hand and hoped she would keep going, be on her way, but her blue eyes had an eager glint that told him even though he might not recognize her, she knew exactly where she was.

  The question then, was why?

  Cole leaned a hip against his truck. “Can I help you?”

  “I was just out for a walk…” the woman started, but she hesitated when she saw Cole drop his gaze to her extremely impractical shoes. Her smile turned a little guilty when he met her eye. “Well, I happened to see you loading that toolbox into the back of your truck, and I wondered…are you…do you…”

  “I’m a contractor,” Cole finished for her. “Handyman.” Jack of all trades. However you wanted to spin it.

  “Then it looks like I’m in exactly the right place at the right time!”

  He narrowed his eyes on her, fighting off a grin. “That so?” Wasn’t that convenient. For a moment he wondered if his mother or her equally nosey friend Janice had arranged this. There was no telling what those two really discussed over a cup of tea, but if it made his mother laugh, he couldn’t argue with it, even if he suspected they were hatching a way to find him a love life. But this woman was too old for him. Surely this couldn’t have been their doing.

  “I’m Candace. Candace Conway? Well, not really, not officially, but it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” She gave a loud laugh. “And I pretty much live right down the road, at the Conway home? But everyone calls me Candy,” the woman said, extending a hand that revealed bright pink nail polish.

  “Cole McCarthy,” he said, giving it a shake. “Don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

  “I’m from Pine Falls, originally,” Candy said, referring to the neighboring town.

  Ah. Cole slammed his trunk closed. Explained why she was talking to him then. “What can I do for you?”

  “Well, it’s not for me, actually,” Candy said hurriedly. “It’s for my boyfriend’s daughter. She’s starting a bakery, you see, and she just mentioned to me the other night that she was looking for a contractor.”

  “Seems like a big project,” Cole remarked. He didn’t get many of those. Usually the work he handled consisted of minor household chores that people either didn’t trust themselves with or didn’t have time for, not that he was complaining. He lifted his chin, curious. “I didn’t know a bakery was opening.”

  “Next to Firefly Café,” Candy explained. “Maddie Conway. Beautiful girl. Right around your age, I think. Maybe a couple of years younger. You must know her…?”

  If he didn’t know better, he might think this Candy woman was batting her eyes at him. “Yeah, I know Maddie,” he said. He knew all the Conway girls. Everyone did who grew up in this town. Like him, they’d stuck around. But unlike him, they had better reasons for it.

  Maddie was the youngest. A nice girl. A pretty girl, too, he thought, thinking of the auburn-haired young woman with the playful smile and sparkling grey eyes he occasionally saw laughing over drinks with one of her cousins or sisters at the pub.

  “I can stop by the job site and give her an estimate,” he said, but Candy’s eyes went wide as she shook her head.

  “Oh, I’m sure you’ll be more than fair. That is, if you’re available?”

  “I’m headed into town now to fix a faucet over at the post office,” Cole said. “But my schedule’s clear after that. I can swing by the bakery and start today, if Maddie agrees, of course,” he added.

  “Of course.” Candy’s eyes were wide. “She’s usually there most of the day. Now, I won’t keep you. I can see you’re very busy, and I have to toddle along now. I help out at the café, you see. I make an excellent cheese biscuit, amongst other things.” Her smile was far from humble, and Cole couldn’t help but grin.

  “Good to meet you, Candy. And thanks for considering me. I hope Maddie feels the same.” He raised his eyebrows. It was obvious that Candy wasn’t from this town originally. No one from Blue Harbor would be this eager to hire him, not unless Gus was tied up. There were a few, of course, who took a chance and let him prove himself. But not enough. Not that he could say he blamed them.

  “Oh, I can’t see any reason why she wouldn’t!” Candy raised an eyebrow as her smile turned coy.

  Cole just chuckled as he climbed into his truck. He could think of a few good reasons why Maddie wouldn’t want to hire him for the job, because if he’d learned one thing by living in this town his entire life it was that you never escaped your past, no matter how damn hard you tried.

  *

  Maddie stood in the open space that was, technically, her bakery. The late morning sunlight streamed through the windows that framed three sides of space, one of which looked out onto a deck that she would soon share with Amelia’s café, who shared the wall where her counter and, behind it, her kitchen would go.

  Maddie checked her phone again, wondering if she should bug Gus again or assume he was too busy to take the job, or if he just hadn’t gotten around to returning her message, and then, feeling her anxiety build, she stuffed her phone back into the pocket of her jeans and focused on the paint cards in front of her. There were so many color schemes she could go with. Yellow was a happy, cheerful color. Amelia’s café was mostly blue, aside from the patio furniture, which she’d painted in yellow and pink, so blue was probably out.

  Maddie held up a swatch of yellow to the wall that would house the counter and menu board.

  “Too light,” a voice behind her boomed.

  She turned, startled to see a man standing in her open doorway, and not just any man. It was Cole McCarthy. Blue Harbor’s resident bad boy, to be exact.

  She blinked, not knowing what to even say, or where to even begin. “Excuse me?” she settled on, when really, what she wanted to ask was what the hell he was doing here, in her bakery of all places.

  “We’re not open for business yet,” she said, with a tight smile.

  He raised his eyebrows, had the nerve to look amused. “I think that’s obvious.”

  Maddie looked around the space self-consciously. It was an empty space. Evidence of its previous occupant was still glaring, with holes in the walls where shelves had been, and dated brass light fixtures that were covered in dust.

  Cole motioned to the paint swatch in her hand. “The sunlight will wash that out by high noon,” he said, and she knew then that she wasn’t imagining this. That Cole was standing in her bakery, giving his unsolicited opinions on her paint choices.

  Before she could think of a rebuttal, he had crossed the room and was standing at her side, his big, tanned hands rifling through the stack of swatches that she’d collected from the local hardware store last week. He pulled anoth
er yellow strip from the pile, and held it to the wall. He was so close that she could smell the musk of his skin, and sense the heat of another body in her space.

  She inched to the side.

  He nodded, pleased with what he saw. “This one’s better,” he said matter-of-factly and handed her the card.

  Maddie took it, barely glancing at it, because really, what was he even doing here? Cole McCarthy had been a bully back in school—all twelve years of it (well, fourteen for him, since he’d repeated both third grade and fourth grade, landing him in her class eventually) from the time they were still playing in the sandbox to the moment they crossed the auditorium stage and received their high school diplomas—and since then he’d kept to himself, spotted around town, never with a smile, usually just a curt nod if any acknowledgement of anyone at all, sometimes spotted at a pub, sitting at the bar alone, drinking a beer while watching the game.

  She hadn’t seen him around in months. He wasn’t one for community gatherings. And she hadn’t spoken to him in years—and that had only been to ask him to pass her a pencil that had rolled under his desk in Calculus her senior year, and when he’d handed it to her, his dark eyes had bored through hers and she could have sworn she’d heard him growl.

  “I appreciate your opinion,” she said, trying her best to sound in control of this situation when she was pretty darn sure that Cole had the upper hand at the moment and when she absolutely did not appreciate his unsolicited advice. This was her bakery. All hers. Each of her sisters had been given an inheritance from their mother and she had saved hers for this day and applied her share of the prize money Amelia had given her for helping her win a recipe contest last month that had gotten the café some much deserved press. This was her bakery! Her paint color to choose. Even if she was now doubting the color she had just been considering a few minutes earlier. Damn it!

  “If you’re looking for coffee or breakfast, you’ll have to go next door to my sister’s café.”