True to You in Good Hope: A Good Hope Novel Book 15 Read online

  The emotion in his brother’s voice told Anders that remaining in Good Hope through the holidays was the best gift he could have given his brother.

  Beck cleared his throat. “If you need money to tie you over—”

  “No,” Anders shot back. Then, worried he’d sounded ungrateful, he softened the refusal with a smile. “I’ve got money for rent.”

  “I was speaking about incidentals.” Beck waved a hand. “David won’t charge you. You’re family.”

  “Family?” Anders arched a brow. “By virtue of my being his stepsister’s brother-in-law?”

  Beck laughed. “Once you have a chance to get better acquainted with everyone, you’ll realize that a willingness to help others is what makes this community so special.”

  Chapter Three

  After getting Sarah Rose and JT settled, Ami lingered upstairs. She wanted to give Beck and his brother some more time to themselves.

  She picked up JT’s toys and several pairs of socks Sarah Rose had pulled on before discarding them for tights. Folding laundry took a few more minutes. Finally, fearing that her absence might be seen as rude, Ami headed for the stairs.

  Halfway down, she ran into Anders.

  Pausing with her hand on the banister, Ami smiled and teased. “Were you coming to rescue me from two wild and very tired kiddos?”

  He flashed a smile.

  Though he and Beck didn’t look anything alike, something in Anders’s smile reminded Ami of her husband.

  “I’m afraid I’d be more of a hindrance than a help. But I’ll give it the old college try.” Anders rested a hand on the railing and inclined his head. “What can I do?”

  “Thanks for the offer, but they’re finally asleep.” Ami lowered her voice. “Sarah Rose kept asking if Uncle Anders would still be here in the morning. I assured her you would.”

  “I’ll definitely be here. Thanks again for your hospitality, Ami.” Anders covered a yawn with his fingers. “I’m going to grab some sleep.”

  “It’s a long drive from western Nebraska.” Ami wasn’t particularly fond of driving, much less car trips lasting more than ten hours. “If you get to your room and need anything, please let us know. Beck and I want you to be comfortable.”

  “You’ve been extremely gracious to an unexpected guest.”

  “You’re not a guest.” She placed a hand on his arm. “You’re family. Beck is thrilled you’re here. So am I.”

  Ami hoped Anders knew she meant every word. This was Beck’s little brother. She knew how much her husband had missed him.

  Yes, she was very glad he’d come.

  She watched Anders climb the last of the steps. Though he might not look like Ami’s handsome husband, Anders had his own appeal. With his work-hardened body, pleasant features and quick wit, her brother-in-law was a man who’d make the women of Good Hope sit up and take notice.

  Gladys Bertholf would certainly notice him. In the last few years, the nonagenarian had morphed from leading lady at the community theater into her new role of town matchmaker.

  Ami thought of Piper and the surreptitious glances Anders had kept shooting in the Swoon owner’s direction. Gladys had her sights set on matching Piper next. Unless Anders wanted to find himself walking down the aisle in the near future, Ami might need to warn him to keep his eyes to himself.

  Fifteen minutes later, Ami was where she’d wanted to be all night. With her legs curled under her, she sat beside her husband on the sofa, basking in the warmth of a crackling fire.

  As she sat with her fingers wrapped around a cup of steaming cocoa and nestled against Beck’s side, the sound of wind pummeling the house was a northern Wisconsin serenade.

  “Forecasters say we’re going to get dumped on tonight.” Even after five years, the sound of Georgia still lingered in Beck’s soft drawl. He linked her fingers with his and brought their joined hands to his lips for a kiss.

  “Bring on the snow.” Ami leaned her head against his shoulder, completely and utterly content.

  Beck chuckled. “I wish cold weather got me excited the way it does you.”

  “Don’t give me that. You love the snow, too. Cross-country skiing, sledding and snow-shoeing.” Ami ticked the activities off on her fingers, then searched for more. “Let’s not forget pond hockey.”

  Beck shot her the grin that always melted her heart. “I admit I’ve made great strides on the ice, at least for a Southern guy.”

  Ami set down her cup of cocoa and snuggled against him. “Do you think Anders will have difficulty adjusting to the cold weather?”

  Beck shook his head. “Not after spending the last few years working outside in Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado.”

  After glancing at the staircase—in the event Anders had discovered he needed something—Ami lowered her voice. “Did he tell you what prompted this visit?”

  Beck expelled a breath, and two lines formed between his dark brows. “He said his job ended, and he decided to come here.”

  Sensing there was more her husband had to say, Ami waited.

  “I pressed a little as to why now, but got no real answer.”

  Ami stroked his arm. “You worry about him.”

  “My brother is a grown man who is healthy and has a good education and a sharp mind.”

  “You worry about him,” Ami repeated.

  Beck reluctantly nodded. “I’m not sure what demons drive him. I wish he’d tell me so I could help.”

  Ami frowned. “You think he has demons?”

  “Anders walked away from a promising career in New York City.” Worry clouded Beck’s gray depths. “It has to be more because Anders has always been so driven to make his own decisions and be in charge.”

  The difficulty, Ami thought, was in knowing what went on in anyone’s head. People had their secrets. She’d certainly had her share when she first met Beck. “He left his advertising career not long before we met.”

  “He told the family it was a toxic environment.” Beck’s eyes grew distant with memories. “Anders insisted he needed time to regroup and recharge. I understood the need to regroup. I did that myself when I left Georgia to come here.”

  Ami remembered how determined Beck had been back then to keep his distance and not accept help.

  Beck lifted his cup of cocoa and took a contemplative sip. “One thing I’ve always admired about Anders is that he’s his own man. A lot of guys stay in a career even when it’s not a good fit. He walked.”

  “Some of your former associates in Georgia might say Beckett Cross is wasting his talents in Good Hope.” Ami kept her tone light.

  “I can practice law here as well as anywhere else.” Beck turned, and in the firelight’s glow, shadows danced in his eyes.

  Ami only leaned into the hand stroking her hair. They both knew that a small-town lawyer wasn’t the same as being a partner at a big-city firm.

  “Will I ever be a federal judge like my father, which back then was one of my goals?” Beck shrugged. “Probably not, though I could one day be a circuit court judge here in Door County.”

  “If you want to be a federal judge—” Ami began.

  “I want the life I have now with you and the children. I love my life.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ve got everything I want right here.”

  “I feel the same.” Placing her hand on his cheek, Ami lightly kissed his lips. How lucky they were to have found each other. “I’m happy your brother is here. Good Hope is a safe place for confronting demons.”

  “He’s promised to stay through the holidays.” Beck gave a little laugh. “Though, in the end, Anders will do just as he pleases.”

  Anders planned to spend Friday shadowing his brother, gaining insight into Beck’s day-to-day routine.

  But Anders was surprised when, after receiving an urgent phone call, Beck began his workday at Muddy Boots. The breakfast cook had slipped on ice and wrenched her back.

  While Anders enjoyed coffee and a cherry Danish, Beck stepped up to handle the
grill. Anders hadn’t realized his brother even knew how to cook.

  After the lunch cook arrived, instead of heading to Beck’s law office, they returned home. Beck barely had time to give his wife a kiss before Ami left for a meeting regarding an upcoming gingerbread house competition.

  “I’m amazed you ever make it to your law office,” Anders exclaimed as Beck bundled up the children. “Your day seems to be one interruption after another.”

  Beck looked up from tying JT’s hood. “I’m thankful I can be flexible. One of the best things about Good Hope is the expectation that we’re all in this together. The community’s neighbors-helping-neighbors philosophy really resonates with me.”

  That philosophy was a far cry, Anders thought, from the dog-eat-dog world they’d both experienced at high-priced legal firms and ad agencies.

  Since Beck didn’t appear to expect a response, Anders only nodded and followed him and the children outside.

  Gazing at the blanket of white covering the yard, Anders did a swift mental calculation. “Looks like you got a good six inches. Though the drifts are higher.”

  “Most of our snow falls in December through March. I don’t expect this to stick around long. But I’ve been wrong before.” Beck offered his brother a wry smile. “You’ve seen your share of the white stuff.”

  True enough, Anders supposed. But giving lessons on ski slopes or taking tourists snowshoeing through the Wyoming wilderness was a far cry from shoveling driveways and sidewalks.

  Which was what they’d done this morning at the crack of dawn. They’d done Beck’s walks and driveways as well as those of a large house down the block. That imposing Victorian was where Ami’s meeting was being held.

  Sarah Rose tugged on her father’s coat. “You said we could build a snowman.”

  Beck smiled at his daughter, then glanced at Anders. “Would you like to help your niece start a snowman?”

  “Sure.” When his brother stepped away, Anders cocked his head. “You’re not helping?”

  “I need to take this little guy,” he scooped up his youngest, who looked like a puffy robot in his gray snowsuit, “back inside and change him.”

  Sarah Rose, wearing a red snowsuit and boots, turned to her uncle and pinched her nose shut. “He pooped his pants.”

  Anders widened his eyes dramatically. “Your dad pooped his pants?”

  The child let out a rollicking giggle. “No. JT.”

  “Good to know.”

  Sarah Rose cocked her head and studied him. “Do you know how to build a snowman?”

  Anders chuckled, enchanted by this little girl who sported Beck’s dark hair, Ami’s green eyes and a wide smile all her own.

  “You bet.” Scooping up a handful of snow, Anders packed it into a ball and handed it to her. “Now, you add snow to make it bigger. Then you give it to me. I’ll add more snow. When it gets too big, we’ll put it down and roll it around until it’s humongous.”

  The child flashed a brilliant smile and gazed up at him through long dark lashes. “I have lots of cousins. Do you want to know their names?”

  Anders had quickly discovered that Sarah Rose loved to talk. Heck, he wouldn’t be surprised if she talked in her sleep. “I’d love to hear their names.”

  “My biggest cousins are Callum and Connor. They’re twins, which means they look alike. They have a little sister. Her name…” Sarah Rose paused, then shoved the snowball into his hands.

  The back-and-forth with the conversation—and the ball—went on for several minutes until the ball was the size of a large cantaloupe.

  Instead of handing it back, Anders set the snow-packed ball on the ground and showed her how to roll it.

  “You’re a natural,” he called out as she pushed it forward, the ball gathering snow with each rotation.

  Sarah Rose was focused intently on the task when Beck returned with JT. The boy shrieked and ran to his sister as soon as his father set him down.

  Beck slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks for keeping an eye on Sarah Rose.”

  “Anytime. If you want to test me, I know the names of all her cousins.”

  His brother chuckled.

  By the time they finished, the snowman looked dapper with his carrot nose, blueberry mouth and one of Ami’s scarves around his neck.

  When Sarah Rose put her mittened hand in Anders’s and asked if he’d sit beside her at the soup supper that night, his heart melted.

  He was looking forward to the evening. He’d learned the best food was usually found at these hometown events.

  Would Piper be there? Ami had said Piper wasn’t seeing anyone. Anders still found that difficult to believe.

  From the moment he’d spotted Piper at his brother’s wedding reception, he’d been captivated. Exceedingly pretty, with hair the color of rich, Venezuelan chocolate and large, expressive brown eyes, she’d made an enticing picture standing in the glow of the Chinese lanterns overhead.

  When a passing waiter had offered her a glass of champagne, the smile she flashed had had Anders’s heart skipping a beat.

  That she’d stood alone had pleased him. Anders assumed if she’d come with someone, the guy would have been right there beside her.

  Anticipation had fueled his steps as he’d skirted the dance floor that had been set up in the white tent on the lawn of Rakes Farm. Closeup, she’d been just as mesmerizing.

  She’d be at the soup supper tonight. Anders felt it in his bones. A surge of excitement coursed through his body. Though Piper hadn’t been overly friendly last night at Muddy Boots, he’d been with the family, and she probably hadn’t wanted to intrude.

  He hoped he and Piper could reconnect during the next six weeks and catch up on what had been going on each other’s lives. Maybe take up where they’d left off that night…

  Whistling under his breath and looking forward to the evening, Anders followed his brother and children inside.

  Chapter Four

  Piper stood behind the soup table along with two teachers from the high school, Cory White and Lila Nordstrom. Both were around her age, but she was the only one without a significant other.

  Cory had a wife and three children, and Lila was recently engaged.

  Cory’s wife and kids were surrounded by neighbors, while Lila’s fiancé, Trent Williams, socialized. Primarily with single women.

  As Piper dished out chili, she kept one eye on him. Was it only her imagination, or was the Y’s top personal trainer paying a little too much attention to Evie, the pretty blonde who worked as a receptionist at Marigold’s Golden Door Salon and Day Spa?

  Charged with keeping the refreshment table filled with coffee and iced tea, Evie spent more time tossing her hair and laughing. Mostly in Trent’s direction, but not entirely. The girl appeared to be an equal-opportunity flirt.

  The pastor really should put his foot down…

  Appalled at the direction of her thoughts, Piper forced her gaze away. What had gotten into her? For all she knew, Evie could be a client of Trent’s at the YMCA.

  Besides, what other volunteers did was none of her business. Pastor Dan Marshall and his wife, Katie Ruth, were in charge of the soup supper. If anyone should ride herd on the volunteers, it would be one of them. The dynamics of any relationship between Evie and Trent was their business, not hers.

  And really, since when did simply speaking with a member of the opposite sex constitute flirting? It didn’t.

  The issue lay with her. Thankful that they’d finally hit a lull, Piper took stock of what had her on edge tonight.

  The Zoom session with Sasha and their mother followed by unexpectedly seeing Anders Cross had brought memories of Heath’s duplicity flooding back.

  If she hadn’t already accepted her volunteer assignment for this evening, she might have begged off. But in Good Hope, a person’s word meant something, and she’d promised to be here.

  Piper glanced in Anders’s direction. He, along with Beck, Ami and the kids, were at the back of the so
cial hall, surrounded by Ami’s family. The Bloom-Chapin clan had grown so big they’d commandeered two of the large rectangular tables. Piper couldn’t help noticing how easily those at the tables mingled.

  There were smiles, bursts of laughter and lots of hugging. Watching the closeness and easy camaraderie made her heart ache just a little.

  Her good friend Bea was one of them now. The bookstore owner had recently married high school principal Clay Chapin and was now part of this wonderful family.

  Bea tried to make time for her friends, she really did. But being a newlywed and moving her business had kept her understandably busy. Piper realized it had been weeks since she and Bea had spent any significant time together.

  As if thinking about her friend had conjured her, Piper spotted Bea weaving her way through the tables covered in brightly colored vinyl.

  Her friend rounded the large rectangular table holding the soups to give Piper a hug.

  “How did I not see you come down?” Piper asked, smiling broadly as everything in her relaxed.

  Bea, her violet eyes sparkling in the fluorescent lights, gestured with one hand toward the crowded social hall. “You were too busy dishing up chili to the masses to notice me.”

  “You didn’t get any for yourself. There is no way my best friend could walk past me and I not notice.” Piper lifted the ladle in a gesture designed to tempt. “The chili is amazing.”

  Bea waved a hand. “Thanks, but none for me.”

  “Aren’t you eating?” Piper asked, perplexed.

  Bea gestured in the direction of another room down the hall. “I went the sloppy-joe route tonight.”

  That explained it, Piper thought. Though she personally didn’t understand the appeal, Pastor Dan had informed her that sloppy joes rivaled chili in popularity each year. “I haven’t had a chance to try one.”

  Bea leaned forward and spoke in a confidential whisper. “They were so yummy I ate two.”

  “Two?”

  Bea giggled. “And since I was already being bad, I chased those two bad boys with a piece of pecan pie.”