Blue Moon Haven, page 18
“How much are you lacking?” Brighton asked.
Kelly picked up the paper she’d used to add figures and showed it to Brighton and Clark.
“Mmm.” Brighton pursed his lips. “That’s a hefty chunk. Who’re you buying the projector from?”
“A friend of Mae Bell’s.” Kelly returned the paper to the table as she relayed the man’s name. “He’s giving us a great discount, but we’re still short.”
Brighton glanced at Mae Bell, then nodded. “Well, we’ll be hoping for the best for you.” He cast one last smile at Mae Bell. “And we’ll definitely be here opening night.”
With one more goodbye, Clark and Brighton walked across the field to their truck.
Kelly watched them leave, then glanced up at the sky, noting the sunlight had begun to fade. “Well,” she said, glancing at Mae Bell and Mr. Haggart, “it’s time we pack this money up and get you two back. I promised Nurse Powell I’d have you inside your room by sunset.”
Mae Bell sighed. “I hate to go back, but this has been a lovely day. The best I’ve had in years.” She smiled, her eyes glistening. “Thank you, Kelly.”
Kelly smiled, her voice catching at the gratitude in Mae Bell’s eyes. “You’re welcome.”
“Yep,” Mr. Haggart said, grinning. “You can’t beat a sunny day of cold root beer, friends and freedom.”
They packed up the money, and Kelly called Todd and Daisy over, instructing them to help her get Mae Bell and Mr. Haggart back in the truck. Once everyone was loaded up, and Mr. Haggart had the last root beer out of the bucket in his hand, Kelly cranked the engine and pulled out. She glanced in the rearview mirror at the trees in the distance, hoping for a glimpse of Seth.
After he’d left with his ex-wife over an hour ago, she hadn’t seen or heard from him. Several times, Todd and Daisy had asked when he was returning, but she hadn’t had an answer for them. And, with each passing minute, she’d begun to grow more impatient at his absence as well.
Not that she was worried, she assured herself as she drove toward the Blue Moon city limits. Seth was a good man. An honest man. And though he hadn’t spoken of his ex-wife but once, she hadn’t picked up on any lingering tension or unrequited feelings on his part.
Her stomach sank at the thought, and she gripped the steering wheel tighter as she turned into the parking lot of Silver Stay nursing home. What if she’d misread Seth? What if, that night on the porch, he hadn’t been just grieving over the loss of his daughter? What if he’d been grieving over the loss of his wife, too?
“You’re picking us up again next Saturday for the grand opening, right?”
Kelly blinked and faced Mr. Haggart, who sat in the passenger seat. An excited look gleamed in his eye. “Of course, Mr. Haggart.” She motioned toward the windshield where, outside, the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon. “I got you and Mae Bell back safely before sundown, so I’m fairly certain I can talk Nurse Powell into letting you attend the grand opening. And maybe she’d even like to attend, too.”
“I hope so,” Mae Bell said from the backseat of the truck’s cab. “We’ll need every ticket sale we can get.” She reached up and squeezed Kelly’s shoulder. “You’ve done a great job, Kelly.”
Kelly met her eyes in the rearview mirror, saying quietly, “Maybe not great enough, though.”
Mae Bell patted her shoulder once, then let go. “You’ve done your best to help me make my dream a reality. Nothing will ever change that.”
Kelly hoped so. She really did. But without the new projector or a healthy infusion of cash, neither of which the grand opening would produce, Mae Bell’s dream would fall apart even quicker than it had the first time around.
After helping Mr. Haggart and Mae Bell to their rooms, Kelly drove back to the drive-in and Todd regaled her and Daisy with details of the model airplane contest. His excitement was infectious and Daisy was all smiles, giggling at the sound effects Todd made as he described the movement of the planes and the sounds of their battery-powered motors.
“You think we can have another contest?” Todd asked from the passenger seat as they drew closer to the drive-in.
Kelly couldn’t quite meet his eyes. Instead, she kept her gaze pinned firmly on the road ahead, watching the headlights of Seth’s truck illuminate the grassy ditches and sprawling fields on both sides of the road. Night had fallen and she was grateful for the dim interior of the truck’s cab that helped hide her expression.
“I don’t know, Todd.” More than likely not, she thought. Without utilizing both screens, the profits from each screening wouldn’t be enough to float the drive-in for long, but she couldn’t tell him that now. Not when she’d promised both him and Daisy so much. “We need to focus on opening night right now. We only have one week to prepare, and you and Daisy go back to school Monday, so we’ll be very busy between now and then trying to drum up attendance and give the best show we possibly can.”
Even in the dark cab, she could feel his gaze on her, picking apart her words and tone.
“You’re afraid we won’t make enough to stay open, aren’t you?” he asked.
She bit her lip, slowing the truck as they reached the entrance to the drive-in. “I didn’t say that, Todd.”
“You didn’t have to.” He sat back in his seat and fell silent, his tone heavy with skepticism and disappointment.
“Seth!”
Kelly smiled at Daisy’s shout and glanced in the rearview mirror. Daisy, seated in the backseat of the truck’s cab, pointed between the front seats toward the windshield and bounced in her seat with excitement.
Sure enough, Seth was back. He’d turned on all of the outdoor lights on the projection booths and concessions building and had put the headlights of her car on, pointing them toward the table he’d set up on the back edge of the field by the Moon Garden. A large plastic box was on the table and he was packing away the plates, cups and what was left of the snacks Mae Bell and Mr. Haggart had left behind. Hearing the rumble of the engine approach, he turned and waved, smiling as Kelly parked the truck nearby.
Todd hopped out of the truck and jogged over to Seth, talking a mile a minute. Kelly helped Daisy out of her booster seat and joined him.
“. . . you see how it beat everyone?” Todd was asking Seth. “She was awesome!”
“Who’re we talking about?” Kelly asked, smiling as Daisy skipped past her and hugged Seth’s leg.
“Annie,” Seth said, returning Daisy’s hug and smiling. “The girl who won first place. According to Todd, she has mad skills when it comes to building model planes.”
“She’s amazing.” Todd’s hands moved as he talked, gesturing through the air. “It was unbelievable what her plane could do. It spun, it dipped, it surged.” He smiled wide. “It was perfect.”
Seth grinned. “Sounds like you’re a pretty big fan of Annie’s.”
Todd blushed.
“Nothing wrong with that,” Seth said, ruffling Todd’s hair. “It’s great meeting new people and making friends.”
Todd’s cheeks darkened to a deeper red. He stuck his hands in his pockets and grinned. “I got her number. She got mine, too. Said she’d call me tonight and tell me how she made her plane. Give me a few tips for how to make mine better.” He glanced at Kelly. “You think it’d be okay if I invited her over one day after school?”
Kelly smiled, catching Seth’s eye as she murmured under her breath, “And so it begins.” She nodded at Todd. “I think we can arrange that. But let’s wait until after the grand opening, okay? We need to put all our energy into setting things up for a successful night.”
“Okay.” Todd looked up at Seth. “Want us to help pack this stuff up?”
“Nah, I think you and Daisy have earned a rest.” Seth gestured toward the grassy field, now clear of trash and debris. “You two did a great job cleaning up after the fundraiser.”
“I second that.” Kelly held out her hand for Daisy, and when she walked over, she gave Daisy a hug. “Why don’t you two go inside the trailer, take turns having a shower and settle in? I’ll get something ready for you to eat by the time you’re done.”
Daisy blinked her big brown eyes up at Kelly and smiled. “Can we have hot dogs?”
Kelly pursed her lips, then said, “I think that can be arranged.”
Satisfied, Daisy skipped off toward the trailer, and when Todd ran past her, she joined him, racing inside.
“Wish I had their energy,” Seth said, smiling.
“Don’t we all?” Catching herself staring at his smile, Kelly walked over to the table, picked up a plastic freezer bag and started transferring leftover fruit from a dish into it.
“Todd’s pretty proud of himself, as he should be.” Seth joined her, picked up the large metal bucket that had held Mr. Haggart’s root beers and dumped out water and what was left of the ice. “He worked hard on his plane, took missing first place in stride and was more than cordial to the first-place winner.”
Kelly kept her eyes focused on her task, lifted the plate she’d emptied of the fruit and shook excess water off it before placing it in the large box on top of the table. “He did a wonderful job, but I think the change in his attitude and perception of others is due to your influence on him. His temperament has improved dramatically since the two of you began spending more time together.”
“He’s still a bit standoffish and doesn’t talk about his feelings very easily, if at all.” His strong hands stilled in the act of picking up a glass, but his thumb tapped the edge of a plate he held. “He has a sharp mind and compassionate nature, but keeps most people at arm’s length.”
Kelly grabbed a napkin and wiped a few crumbs off Mae Bell’s lace tablecloth.
“He behaves very similarly to someone else I know,” he continued. “There’s a million and one questions going on inside that beautiful mind of his, but he just won’t open up.”
Kelly stopped wiping, leaned heavily on the table and faced him across it. “What do you want to know, Seth?”
He eyed her silently for a moment, then leaned onto the table, too, lining his body up to hers and bringing his face closer. “I want to know what you’re thinking. What you’re feeling.”
“About what?”
He frowned. “About why I was gone as long as I was. About what Madeline and I talked about. Or whatever else you think might be going on between me and my ex-wife. I think any one of those places is a good starting point.”
Her arms shook and her palms grew hot against the table, but she licked her lips and forced herself to speak. “Okay. So, why were you gone so long?”
“Madeline had some worries and wanted to talk,” he said softly. “She and I were best friends before we were ever married, and I imagine she thought of me when she wanted honest advice from an old friend.”
“A friend?” She flexed her hands, rubbing her fingertips against the intricate lace of the tablecloth. “Is that all?”
“That’s all. Madeline may have been the one to file for divorce, but we both knew our marriage had ended.”
Kelly sagged, surprised at the depth of relief settling over her. “And . . . what did she want to talk about? If you don’t mind my asking?”
He came around the table to stand beside her. “I keep no secrets from you, Kelly. You can always ask anything of me.” His head dipped, his green eyes seeking hers, the warmth in them making her breath catch. “She’s been proposed to, but wasn’t sure she was ready to start over yet. Or rather, she felt too guilty to start over.”
“Guilty about what?”
“About losing Rachel. And about leaving me.”
Kelly closed her eyes briefly, then forced herself to face him head-on. “Does she want to come back?”
“No.” He leaned closer, and she could smell the spicy scent of his cologne, feel his soft breath against her cheek. “She wanted to let go and move on.”
“And . . . did she?”
“Yes.” His hand moved, lifting to cup her cheek. His palm was warm and firm against her skin. “Just like I want to move on with you.”
Her mouth parted and she found herself leaning forward another inch, wanting to feel him close again. Wanting his arms around her, his broad chest beneath her temple. Wanting to find safety and support in his arms.
“With me?” she managed to ask.
“Yes.” His other hand lifted, cupping her face, tipping up her chin and bringing her eyes back to his. “I love you, Kelly.”
Her breath caught, a rush of emotion surging to her chest, filling her heart to the point of overflowing. “Y-you love me?”
He brought his mouth to hers, his warm lips brushing hers, parting them as he whispered again, “I love you, Kelly.”
Her eyes fluttered shut as he kissed her, his callused thumbs gliding gently along her cheekbones, his long eyelashes tickling her cheek, the taste of him—comforting, tender and passionate, all in one—overwhelming her senses.
She wove her fingers through his thick hair and cupped the back of his head, drawing him closer, kissing him deeper. Her blood rushed and her limbs grew heavy, urging her to press more heavily against him, seeking the heat of his strong chest. He lifted his mouth, pulling in a strong breath, and she tilted her head, inviting his mouth to move along her neck, his warm lips sending delicious shivers over every inch of her skin.
Her mouth moved as well, forming words she barely caught before they escaped her lips. “I . . . I love—”
Kelly’s eyes sprang open, her chest lifting on a ragged inhale as his mouth trailed kisses along her collarbone and lower, into the vee of her T-shirt.
“I . . . Seth, wait.”
He stopped immediately, allowing her hands to cradle his head and tug him away from her chest. Breathing heavily, he stepped back and straightened, taking her hands gently in his. “What’s wrong?”
“I . . .” She licked her lips, the taste of him hitting her tongue, sending a fresh wave of heat through her. “I can’t do this now. We can’t start something with each other that I . . . that we might not be able to end well.”
He dragged his teeth over his bottom lip and drew in a few more ragged breaths before focusing on her eyes. “What do you mean?” He blinked, confusion clouding his gaze. “I’m talking about beginning. A new beginning. For us, for the kids.”
“It’s the kids I’m thinking about.” Squeezing his hands once more, she tugged hers from his hold, straightened her shirt and picked up a glass from the table. “I’m already risking too much as it is. The way things are headed, Mae Bell and I will have to close the drive-in within a month or two if we’re unable to pull in the profit we need to keep it afloat, and I just don’t see us staying open, with the limited resources we have right now.”
Seth watched her closely, his eyes studying her face, then following her hands as they placed the glass in the box and reached for another. “That’s a financial concern. I’m talking about your heart.”
“Everything I do has to be in Todd and Daisy’s best interest.”
“I love Todd and Daisy, too, and I know how much they mean to you. I would never have approached you if I didn’t plan on—”
“It’s not a matter of planning.”
“Then what is this abo—”
“It’s a matter of what you don’t see coming.”
He stiffened. “What do you mean?”
She closed her eyes, willing back hot tears. “I mean, what makes this time different? How do we know this will work out between us? That we’ll manage to make things work and that it won’t fall apart down the road? What will happen to Todd and Daisy? They’ve already lost two parents once before. I don’t want to risk them losing out again.”
Seth sighed, the sound harsh and ragged in the night air. “You won’t lose me.” He reached out, slid one hand beneath her long hair and kneaded her nape gently. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’m here to stay. I want to be here for you and the kids forever. I love y—”
“But that’s what you told her, too, isn’t it?” A sob burst from Kelly’s lips, and she threw her arms around him and pulled him close, burying her face against his neck to avoid the pained look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Seth. I’m so sorry to say any of this, but you asked how I felt and what I was thinking and this is it.” His big hands settled on her back, his fingers splaying against her, and she closed her eyes and held him closer. “I used to think happy endings were always there—just within reach. That you just had to believe, want them and work hard enough for them, but that’s not the case. Things can fall apart at any time, no matter how well you think they’re going. We—Todd and Daisy—could lose everything in just a moment. They’ve already lost everything.”
“Kelly . . .” His hands smoothed her hair back and his lips brushed her temple. “I wish I could assure you that we’d never run into trouble. That things will always be perfect between us, but I know that’s not a reality. We’ll argue, have disagreements, different needs at different times. And other times, we’ll be happier than we ever imagined possible. All that and more is unavoidable—expected even.” He nuzzled his cheek against her hair. “I can’t give you an answer that will ease your fears or your worries, but I can tell you—without a shred of hesitation or doubt—that a life with you, Todd and Daisy is what I want.” A low sound of frustration left him. “No . . . it’s what I need.”
He raised his head, gripped her shoulders and eased her back, then nudged her chin up, waiting until her eyes met his. “I love you. I will always love you, no matter what we face. I know that deep in my soul—unfortunately, there’s no way for me to prove it to you in the way you’re asking. I can’t give you a perfect future. I can only swear to you that I’ll do everything I can to make each day the best either of us—or the kids—ever had.”
She swallowed past the tight knot in her throat and wiped her eyes. “I . . . I wish things were different, but they’re not. I can’t take this risk with you right now. I can’t risk losing you and hurting Todd and Daisy.” Heart breaking, she squeezed his shoulders, her fingers moving over the curves of his biceps, forearms and hands, memorizing every detail of his solid strength beneath her hands. “I’d rather have you forever as a friend than risk losing you as something more.”
