Marry Me in Good Hope (A Good Hope Novel Book 6) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Marry Me In Good Hope

  Cindy Kirk

  Copyright © Cynthia Rutledge 2017

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover design and Book Interior by Lee Hyat Designs

  To editor Selina McLemore

  whose wise counsel helped make this a better story.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Cindy Kirk

  Chapter 1

  Hadley Newhouse normally didn’t eavesdrop. Still, the way she saw it, whatever went on in David Chapin’s life was very much her business.

  At the moment, Hadley was the only one working in Blooms Bake Shop. After an early rush this morning, business had slowed to a trickle. For now, David and his mother, Lynn, were the only occupants in the dining area.

  Hadley was busy restocking the bake case when the conversation between the mother and her adult son turned interesting.

  “I can’t believe Camille would do something so impulsive.” Hadley’s hand froze on the pastry she was adding to the bakery case. Slowly, she added a kouign amann to the tray, then even more slowly reached for a Danish.

  “She and Allen have been dating over a year, so getting married doesn’t really fall into the impulsive bucket.” David expelled a breath and sat back in his seat. “I just never expected her to marry him while they were on vacation. Or to quit without notice.”

  Hadley inhaled sharply. Camille had been Brynn Chapin’s nanny since David and his now ex-wife had first moved to Good Hope.

  Lynn, an attractive woman with silvery blond hair, set down her cup. David’s mother was a businesswoman and head of the Chapin banking empire. She was a person who identified problems and found solutions. “What are you going to do?”

  It was the same question Hadley wanted to ask.

  Through the bakery case glass, Hadley watched David’s brows pull together. She waited, barely breathing, for him to say he already had someone wonderful in mind. A special woman who would care for Brynn and make the child ridiculously happy.

  That’s what Hadley wanted more than anything for Brynn. She wanted the girl happy. Losing her longtime nanny was another blow to a girl with a young, tender heart who’d already faced so much loss. First, her mother leaving. Then, the recent death of her best friend from cancer. Now, Camille.

  “I got the call from her right before I left to meet you. I haven’t had time to formulate an action plan.” David raked a hand through his thick, dark hair. “It’s too bad there isn’t an agency on the peninsula that supplies nannies. But I’ll start by asking around. Unless you know someone?”

  Lynn’s brows pulled together in thought. Then she slowly shook her head. “Does Brynn know Camille won’t be coming back?”

  “Not yet.” David expelled a breath. “I asked Camille to let me tell her.”

  Hadley frowned and added a cherry Danish to the case.

  “This news will crush her.” Lynn’s voice thickened with emotion. She took a sip of the floral tea she preferred before continuing. “She’s been through so much since her mother left.”

  Mother.

  Hadley gritted her teeth at the word. David’s ex-wife had never been a mother to Brynn. From the moment Hadley had first set foot in Good Hope, she’d seen where Whitney Chapin’s priorities lay.

  There were the numerous trips Whitney took, always with friends, rarely with her daughter and husband. Not to mention the programs at school and the Seedlings activities that Whitney had dismissed as mundane and not worthy of her time.

  Hadley pulled her thoughts back to the present when she realized David was answering his mother.

  “…and no.” He leaned back in his chair.

  When his eyes flicked to the counter, Hadley dropped her gaze and busied herself shelving the rest of the pastries.

  As if suddenly conscious of her presence, he lowered his voice. “It’s been a difficult year for Brynn.”

  He obviously had more to say, and Hadley didn’t want to miss a single word. If she went into the back, listening would prove impossible. She couldn’t very well ask him to speak up.

  Yet, she couldn’t stay crouched behind the bakery case without arousing further suspicion. After placing the last Danish on the lower shelf, she stood.

  At five feet nine inches, Hadley towered a good foot and a half over the top of the case. Clad in a hot-pink T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Baking Up Some Love,” there was little hope of blending into the woodwork.

  Lynn reached across the table and covered her son’s hand with hers. “I’ll do everything I can to help you find a suitable replacement for Camille.”

  Hadley bought herself a few seconds by wiping the counter.

  “All I want is for Brynn to be happy.”

  Hadley refrained from glancing in their direction, but she heard the tears in Lynn’s voice.

  “I know you do, Mom.” David’s voice held that comforting reassurance Hadley had often heard him use with Brynn. “We need to remember that, in the end, this will turn out best for everyone.”

  Hadley forced herself to breathe. David was right. He’d find the perfect nanny, and everything would go back to normal. She reached the doorway leading to the commercial ovens just as the bell over the door jingled. Hadley swung around.

  Ryder Goodhue, owner of the Daily Grind, a coffee shop that featured pastries and desserts baked at Blooms Bake Shop, covered the short distance to her in long, confident strides. Though summer was in full swing on the Door County peninsula, Ryder was dressed in his customary black. Black jeans. Black T-shirt. Black high-tops.

  Hair and eyes the color of walnut completed the picture.

  Hadley offered him an easy smile. “You only needed to call if you needed more pastries.�
��

  Ami Cross, the owner of Blooms Bake Shop, had secured several outlets for the shop’s pastries and baked goods. While it would be unusual for Ryder to have run out of product so early in the day, because of the high influx of tourists at this time of year, anything was possible.

  “We got hit hard this morning, but after upping our order last week, we’re in good shape.” Ryder halted in front of the bake case. “Is Ami available?”

  “She’s at Muddy Boots today.” Hadley gestured with one hand in the direction of the café Ami and her husband owned. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

  Though Hadley didn’t have a formal title, she functioned as Ami’s second-in-command. Once her boss had become a mother, Hadley had assumed even more administrative responsibilities.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Hadley saw Lynn push back her chair and watched David stand.

  Though Hadley wanted to listen to any last comments, she forced herself to concentrate on Ryder. “Or, if you need to speak with Ami now, I can reach her on her cell.”

  “I’ll stop by Muddy Boots.” Ryder cocked his head and studied her. “Are you working at the Crane tonight?”

  Hadley nodded. “I’m there every weekend.”

  Despite Ami giving her a substantial pay increase, along with the extra responsibilities, Hadley had held on to her second job at the popular waterfront bar.

  “I’ll see you tonight, then.” The wink he shot her on his way out of the shop left her puzzled.

  Reaching the door several steps ahead of Lynn, Ryder held it open for her. The two stepped out into the sunshine. David resumed his seat at the table.

  Lines of fatigue edged his eyes and sadness filled the gray depths, leaving Hadley to wonder if his confident assertion that he’d find the perfect nanny had been merely an act.

  David decided he should have left with his mother instead of brooding over a cup of now lukewarm coffee. Right now, he didn’t have the energy to get up. Between his work as a partner in an architectural firm and trying to be both father and mother to a distraught child, his stores were depleted.

  Damn Whitney.

  His lips pressed together as he thought of his ex-wife. If she didn’t love him anymore, so be it. But to run out on her daughter…

  David knew the demons that haunted Whitney and the fear that was ever present in her life. But Whitney had made her choice. Right now, she was living it up in Boca. The popular South Florida hot spot north of Miami had been a favorite haunt of his ex and her friends.

  His ex-wife could take care of herself. It was Brynn’s welfare that concerned him. He and Whitney had adopted the child as a newborn. For him, it had been love at first sight. The day they’d signed the private adoption papers in the Chicago attorney’s office had been the happiest of his life.

  Initially, Whitney had appeared equally enamored of the baby with sweet features and wisps of blond hair. She’d purchased loads of clothes and paraded the baby before her friends. When the teething started, Whitney had tired of the child.

  “Care for a refill?”

  David’s head jerked up.

  Hadley stood beside the table, coffeepot in hand.

  “Thanks.”

  She refilled his mug in silence. It was a welcome change from the servers at Bayside Pizza, Brynn’s favorite place to eat. The servers there talked nonstop to the patrons.

  Hadley, on the other hand, exuded a calm, restful presence. It was no wonder Brynn adored her.

  “Did I hear you say you were working at the Flying Crane tonight?” The second the words left his mouth, David wished he could pull them back. That had been a private conversation between her and Ryder.

  Still, she had a voice that carried, and it had carried right over to where he sat.

  “I’m there every Friday and Saturday night.” She flashed a bright smile. “Stop by. I’ll give you a free plate of nachos.”

  David wondered if she offered free nachos to everyone. He hadn’t heard her mention anything about nachos to Ryder.

  “Of course, you’ll probably be home with Brynn.” Two bright patches of pink appeared on her cheeks when the silence extended. “I just thought—”

  “Actually, Brynn is spending the evening with Lia, one of her friends from the Seedlings.” He paused. “The Seedlings are a scouting organization—”

  Hadley laughed. “Oh, I may not have grown up here, but I know all about the Seedlings.”

  David mentally kicked himself. Of course, he didn’t need to explain the Seedlings to Hadley. He remembered how excited Brynn had been last year when Hadley had helped the leaders with a rock-climbing unit held at the YMCA.

  “Yes, well, it’s a great organization.” David shifted in his seat, wondering just why he felt so awkward. “I was planning to stay home tonight and finish up a project.”

  Her eyes lit with interest. “Another hospital? Or a surgical facility?”

  It surprised him that Hadley knew his firm specialized in designs of healthcare facilities, until he recalled a brief conversation they’d had last year. He’d mentioned that an emergency department he designed for a hospital in Queens had won an AIA/AAH Healthcare Design Award.

  Even if she didn’t recall that specific conversation—and why would she?—everyone in town was aware he’d designed the Good Hope Living Center. The retirement community project, financed by the Chapin Foundation, focused on independent living for seniors.

  “C’mon, what is it this time?”

  He flashed a smile, and the awkward feeling vanished. “Another emergency room, this time in Spokane.”

  “I’m sure it will be both lovely and functional.” She waited for half a beat as if truly interested.

  David knew he’d been mistaken when she turned and headed back to the counter. He took a deep gulp of coffee, tossed a five on the table as a tip and stood.

  Before Hadley reached the counter, she bent to pick up a napkin from the floor.

  He couldn’t help admiring her toned backside. Hadley had the whole package. Brains, body and personality.

  Then he remembered that was what he’d once thought about Whitney.

  David swallowed the words he’d been about to utter, the ones that would have committed him to stopping by the Flying Crane that evening.

  Instead, he paused when he reached the door and called out the inane, “Have a nice day,” before strolling out of the shop.

  Chapter 2

  David stood outside the Flying Crane. Why had he come? His college days were so far in the past they seemed to be another lifetime. He was a single father with many responsibilities.

  He was also lonely. Tonight, in the beautiful house he’d designed, the walls had begun to close in…

  It wasn’t that the house reminded him of Whitney. His wife, his ex-wife, had spent very little time under the multi-gabled roof of the house he’d designed for them on the stretch of road facing the beautiful waters of Green Bay. The same went for the town of Good Hope. Despite voicing early in their marriage that she wanted to be part of a community, she’d made little to no effort to get acquainted.

  No, it wasn’t reminders of dreams unrealized that had driven him out on this late July evening.

  “Are you going to stare at that door all night or open it?”

  David turned and gazed into the amused eyes of Beckett Cross.

  Beck’s wife, Ami, gave her husband a poke in the ribs. “Be nice.”

  David smiled. He liked the attorney-turned-café-owner who’d relocated to Good Hope several years earlier.

  “I’m surprised to see you here tonight.” Seeing their confused expressions, David hurried on without giving them a chance to speak. “I mean, with having a little one at home.”

  “Prim and Max are watching Sarah Rose this evening,” Ami said, referring to her sister and brother-in-law. “The Giving Tree holds a special place in my heart, so I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to help raise money for it. Plus, it’s nice every once in a while to spend an ev
ening out with my husband.”

  Ami gave her hand a swing, and David noticed she and her husband held hands. He couldn’t recall the last time he and Whitney had held hands. Perhaps if they had…

  David shoved the thought aside. Water under the bridge.

  Beck reached around him and opened the door.

  “Are you meeting someone?” Ami raised her voice over the sound of heavy bass spilling from the doorway.

  David shook his head and stepped inside. It had been so long since he’d been here, it was as if he was seeing the place for the first time.

  The high tin ceiling added a vintage vibe, while the scarred wooden floor contrasted with the gleaming mahogany of the curved bar. The large mirror behind the bar made the room look double the size.

  Music blasted from the back of the room, where the band was set up. David winced. The large open space and hard walls made for horrible acoustics. He briefly wondered if the owner had looked into a sound-absorption system. Even a couple bass traps and sound baffles would help immensely.

  “Welcome to the Flying Crane. There’s a ten-dollar cover charge tonight.”

  The comment snapped David’s attention from the noise to Izzie Deshler. Tonight, the local artist with massive talent and even more massive hair, wore a black shirt with a red crane in flight.

  Izzie stuck out a jar filled with bills. “We’ve got a band from Chicago playing tonight. Five dollars of the ten will go toward the Giving Tree.”

  The Giving Tree was unique to Good Hope. Not a charity, but a fund for helping neighbors who’d fallen on hard times.

  David reached into his pocket, pulled out a twenty and stuffed it in the jar. “Keep the change.”