Say I Do in Good Hope Page 6

  And then there was the mimosas made with exceptionally fine champagne…

  Eliza had just taken her first sip when Ami clapped her hands.

  “Time for games.” Ami glanced at the bride-to-be and smiled. Once again, Eliza was struck by the resemblance between the two women. Ami and Fin could have easily been twins. Same light brown hair streaked with blond, same vivid green eyes, same hint of freckles across the bridge of their nose. “Fin reminded me she’s not a fan of games, but I assured her these are fun. So, everyone, prove me right and pretend to enjoy yourself.”

  As anticipated, the comment drew some chuckles.

  Eliza selected a chair between Jeremy’s grandmother Ruby and Lindsay.

  Ruby immediately clasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I love games.”

  Well, Eliza thought, that made one of them. But the fact that Ruby loved games as much as Ami likely explained why Fin had agreed to have them at her bridal shower.

  Everyone in Good Hope knew Jeremy and Fin adored his grandmother. Ruby was a petite firecracker with hair the color of champagne and bright blue eyes. She’d “retired” from the Cherries several years back but remained one of the organization’s staunchest supporters.

  Fin’s sister, Prim, passed out sheets of paper and pencils. Though her smile was bright, lines of fatigue edged the strawberry blonde’s eyes. Some of it likely had to do with having eight-year-old twin boys at home. Most of it had to be the fact that her baby was due any day.

  The child, reportedly a girl this time, kicked Eliza’s arm as Prim leaned over to hand her a pencil.

  Eliza jerked back.

  Prim smiled apologetically. “She’s practicing her kicks so she can hold her own with her brothers.”

  Ruby patted the huge belly that was now in front of her. “Such a blessing.”

  The soft smile Prim offered said it all.

  Eliza felt a twinge. She’d once thought she’d have a child someday. But the prospect of marriage and children had never seemed further away. She wasn’t sure she’d be good with kids, anyway.

  “Read the sheet, the one marked He Said, She Said at the top.” Despite the muted conversation between guests, Ami’s strong voice carried easily through the room. “Your job is to guess whether Fin or Jeremy said or did what’s listed below.”

  Glancing down, Eliza frowned. The questions seemed much too personal. Who said I love you first? Who takes up most of the bed?

  The one time she and Jeremy had made love, he hadn’t spent the night. And he’d never told her he loved her.

  Not caring if she won, Eliza quickly went through the questions. Once everyone was done, Ami gestured to her sister.

  “Fin, it’s time to come clean and dish.” Ami motioned for her sister to stand.

  With a smile, Fin rose to her feet. For a second, her eyes met Eliza’s. Animosity was replaced by a look of apology.

  That was even worse. Eliza didn’t want anyone’s pity. She stiffened but kept the smile plastered on her face as she calculated how much longer she needed to stay.

  “Jeremy was the first to say I love you.” Fin blushed prettily. “He was sixteen. I was fifteen. We’d been together for three months at that time.”

  “I knew the first time he brought you to the house to meet Eddie and me that he loved you.” Ruby punctuated the pronouncement with a nod.

  Fin’s lips curved as she continued down the list. “I initiated the first kiss, but he was the one who proposed.”

  The answers only solidified to Eliza that, while she might have once loved Jeremy, he’d never been hers. He and Fin had forged a bond during those early high school years that had been strong enough to withstand years of time and distance.

  They finished the game segment—thank God—and were in the middle of the make-your-own-tart portion of the afternoon—another activity Eliza could have done without—when the men returned from a basketball game at the Y.

  They tromped in through the front door, laughing and exchanging insults. Eliza recognized Jeremy’s voice immediately. His gaze swept the room. When he spotted Fin, his eyes lit up. He moved to her, pulling her into his arms for a kiss.

  Gladys Bertholf, one of Ruby’s friends, hooted and clapped.

  Jeremy and Fin together, as it should be…

  The rightness of it all washed over Eliza. Somehow, while adding kiwi and blueberries to the tart, she’d turned that final corner. Though she’d convinced herself months earlier that she was over Jeremy, she realized a tiny bit of resentment and wishing for what might have been had lingered.

  Still, as she walked home, she found it difficult to appreciate the beauty of the blue sky and the warmth of the sun against her face. For so many years, getting Jeremy to love her had been the goal.

  Now, at thirty-one, she was starting over.

  Eliza shook away the melancholy that wanted to settle. She had more important things to worry about than dating.

  The need to reclaim what was hers slapped Eliza in the face when she approached her house. Kyle was bent over retrieving bags from the backseat of his truck. Beside him, a dark-haired girl in an unflattering puffy coat, watched.

  Eliza slowed her steps. She could have stayed longer at the bridal shower. Perhaps, she should turn—

  She dismissed the thought before it could fully form. Running had never been her style. Besides, Kyle had spotted her, lifting one hand in a gesture of greeting.

  The girl turned then, too.

  Offering a smile, Eliza swept forward to meet the second Kendrick to invade her home.

  Chapter 6

  “Are you sure you brought enough clothes?” Kyle hoped the teasing would bring a smile to Lolo’s lips. God knew, nothing else he’d tried had worked.

  His sister merely shifted her gaze away.

  Kyle dropped the truck’s end gate. He knew things in Lexington had been difficult. His parents had told him she was struggling and depressed. But he was shocked at how broken she appeared.

  She’d barely said two words since he’d picked her up at the airport.

  Her red-rimmed eyes told him she’d cried during the flight, but when he asked if she wanted to talk about it, she only shrugged. Based on her responses to every conversation he tried to initiate during the short drive to Good Hope, his sister appeared to have embraced monosyllabic answers.

  He hoped a good night’s sleep and getting settled in would improve her mood.

  “You didn’t tell me she was beautiful.” Lolo’s accusatory tone had Kyle lowering the suitcase in his hand and turning.

  That’s when he spotted her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Lolo repeated under her breath as Eliza drew close.

  Lolo was right. Eliza looked especially lovely today with her sleek dark hair glinting in the sun. Her long legs were encased in thigh-high black boots. He wasn’t sure what was underneath the black-and-white-checkered coat, as he hadn’t seen her this morning.

  “Why does it matter if she’s pretty?” Kyle kept his tone offhand.

  “It matters,” Lolo muttered.

  “Eliza.” Kyle offered his housemate a welcoming smile, hoping to find her in better spirits than his sister. “Perfect timing. We just got home.”

  He saw her flinch at the word home but pretended not to notice. “Eliza Shaw, I’d like you to meet my sister, Lorraine Kendrick. Most everyone calls her Lolo.”

  Eliza’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed as she studied the child. “Would you prefer I call you Lorraine? Or Lolo?”

  “Lolo, I guess.” To Kyle’s surprise, his normally feisty sister kept her gaze downward and kicked at the concrete with the tip of her sneaker.

  “Lolo it is.” Eliza’s tone remained matter-of-fact. “You may call me Eliza.”

  Instead of replying, Lolo just nodded.

  If his parents had been there, his dad would have come down on her about manners. His mother would have looked embarrassed.

  Eliza merely glanced at the two bags now sitting on the drivewa
y and the other two still in the truck bed. “Do you need help?”

  Kyle rocked back on his heels and smiled. “Are you volunteering?”

  “Not at all. I simply asked to see what your answer would be.”

  The flippant comment got a laugh out of Lolo.

  Without another word, Eliza turned and started up the walkway toward the porch.

  “Hey,” Kyle called out after her. “Don’t you want to take a bag with you?”

  Without looking back, Eliza tossed her answer over her shoulder. “No.”

  He and his sister stood side by side on the driveway as the door closed behind their housemate.

  “Don’t worry.” Lolo patted his arm, a smile ghosting her lips. “I’ll help you.”

  Ignoring his protests, Lolo chose two bags and hurried up the walkway after Eliza.

  Grabbing the other two, Kyle bounded up the steps. By the time he and Lolo stepped inside, Eliza had disappeared.

  Still, as he lugged the bags upstairs to Lolo’s bedroom, Kyle found himself grateful Eliza was in the house. In one brief interaction, she’d accomplished what he hadn’t been able to do during the twenty-five-mile trek from Sturgeon Bay—she’d put a smile on his sister’s face.

  “I don’t want to go to school on Monday.” Lolo stood in the parlor, hands clasped tightly together. She shot Kyle a pleading glance. “You could homeschool me? I’m smart. I catch on quickly.”

  Kyle was already shaking his head before she finished. “I have to work, Lo. I can’t be your tutor. Besides, that wasn’t the deal.”

  Eliza wished she’d stayed upstairs. But darn it, this was her house. She shifted her gaze from Kyle to his sister. She assumed he hadn’t meant to sound unkind, but he could have offered the kid a little sympathy.

  His sister had escaped the horrors of her previous school by coming to Good Hope. Now, reality had obviously set in for Lolo. She would be starting over in a new district where she knew no one.

  As Eliza had made no attempt to engage the child in conversation, she was surprised when Lolo shifted her gaze to her. “What about you? You could—”

  “Eliza manages—”

  She sliced the air with one hand, stopping Kyle from answering for her. The sharp gesture was one she used frequently when one of the Cherries attempted to speak out of turn.

  The only thing Eliza hated more than someone speaking out of turn, was someone speaking for her. Ignoring Kyle, she focused on Lolo.

  “The thought of starting a new school must be terrifying.” Because Eliza could identify with the girl’s fears, a thread of compassion wove through the words.

  Lolo shrugged and dropped her gaze back to the sandwich. She had her brother’s dark hair and blue eyes, but while his face was all hard angles, hers held the softness of youth.

  The girl’s thick, curly hair hung past her shoulders. Whoever had cut it had simply, well, cut it. Nothing special. It was the same with her clothes. There wasn’t anything wrong with the jeans and oversized top, but they certainly didn’t add anything to her appearance.

  Eliza had to wonder about Kyle’s mother. Was she so caught up in family business affairs that she failed to see her daughter could benefit from a few fashion tips? Of course, the woman may have tried.

  It hadn’t taken Eliza long to realize the girl had a stubborn streak that rivaled her brother’s. The thought had her lips curving in a slight smile, which quickly vanished when she thought of what the child would face on Monday morning.

  Lolo would need that stubborn streak as well as whatever inner strength she possessed to make it through the upcoming weeks and months. Whether he realized it or not, by allowing his sister to join him, Kyle had taken on a huge responsibility.

  Thankfully, none of this was Eliza’s concern.

  “You’ll like it here, Lolo.” Kyle filled the tense silence with a hearty cheerfulness that was likely as forced as it sounded. “I spoke—”

  “Forget it.” Lolo’s expression turned mutinous. “Neither of you understand.”

  “Are you saying you don’t want to tour the school this evening?” Kyle lifted his glass of tea and took a sip.

  Lolo, who’d stalked to the doorway, whirled. Confusion blanketed her face. “Today is Saturday.”

  “I contacted the principal of the middle school yesterday.” Kyle shrugged in a casual gesture that might have fooled his sister but didn’t fool Eliza. “Mr. Chapin informed me he’d be working in his office at the school this evening and we’re welcome to stop by.”

  Eliza was startled when the girl’s gaze shifted to her. “Are you coming?”

  A dozen pithy options sprang to Eliza’s tongue. With difficulty, she swallowed each and every one and reminded herself this was a child.

  Picking up her fork, Eliza offered a polite smile. “No.”

  “Why not?” the girl shot back.

  As if sensing her mounting irritation at being pressured, Kyle waved a careless hand in the air. “No worries.”

  If that was supposed to be a subtle message to Lolo to back off, the girl missed the bulletin. Her jaw jutted out.

  The headache that had begun to pound in Eliza’s head took on bass-drum proportions. Her anger reignited. Not at Lolo and Kyle, but at her father. If Donald Shaw hadn’t been determined to micromanage her life, she wouldn’t be forced to contend with two unwanted housemates.

  “Why won’t you come with us?” Lolo pressed.

  “Because,” Eliza glanced at the girl, then shifted her gaze to Kyle, “I have a date.”

  Being reminded of what Lolo would face on Monday had brought old memories flooding back. But Eliza wouldn’t think about Lolo tonight. Or about Kyle. She would tend to business.

  After pulling open the battered wooden door of the Flying Crane, Eliza stepped inside. There was no denying the Crane’s charm. A glossy curved mahogany bar took up an entire wall. Behind it, a long mirror made the average-sized space appear huge.

  Unfortunately, the high tin ceiling—while decorative—did nothing to improve the local band’s sound. She winced when the lead singer went sharp.

  Eliza struggled to recall why she thought this would be a good place to meet. Still, knowing she looked her best in her new suede Louboutin boots buoyed Eliza’s spirits. Looking sexy-as-sin in all black didn’t mean she wanted to hook up. Being on the receiving end of admiring looks was enough.

  After scanning the tables and ignoring several assessing glances, including one by Ryder Goodhue—a former high school classmate who’d recently returned to Good Hope—Eliza took a seat at the bar to wait.

  The heavily tattooed bartender had a full beard and a boyish smile. He set a napkin on the shiny bar. “What’ll you have, Eliza?”

  She and Ted had gone to school together. Back in eighth grade, they’d both been social pariahs. He’d been fat and goth. She’d been thin and awkward with braces. The trifecta of nerdiness.

  But that had been eons ago.

  “Hi, Ted.” Eliza waved away the basket of pretzels he offered. “Stoli. Straight up.”

  “You got it.”

  When Ted returned with the vodka, Eliza reached into her tiny bag for one of the bills she’d shoved there before leaving home.

  “I’ve got it.” A masculine voice sounded behind her, and she caught a subtle whiff of cologne. “Keep the change.”

  Ted glanced at her, a question in his eyes.

  Eliza turned to study the man who’d confiscated the stool next to hers. She inclined her head, giving Ted the go-ahead.

  The bartender pocketed the large bill and disappeared.

  Deliberately, Eliza lifted a brow. “Ryder Goodhue.”

  He smiled, looking as arrogant as ever. “Eliza Shaw.”

  “Now that we’ve confirmed our identities.” She lifted the glass. “Cheers.”

  Ryder took a sip of beer. “I was planning to stop by the general store and see you tomorrow.”

  She studied him over the rim of her glass.

  “I thought it
might be nice to get reacquainted.” Ryder lifted the pilsner glass to his lips, took a sip. His dark eyes, rich as Venezuelan chocolate, never left hers. “Catch up.”

  “You’ve been back nearly nine months.”

  “I didn’t think you’d noticed.” His smile was easy, confident and admiring. “You haven’t once set foot in my shop.”

  “I’m not much for coffee.” She patted his hand. “As far as mutual memories, I believe you detested me nearly as much as I did you.”

  “Not at all.” His lips twitched. “I don’t hold all those times you snubbed me against you.”

  Though she wasn’t attracted to the man, Eliza felt her mood lift. “You’re too kind.”

  “I’ve been called many things.” He snorted. “Kind isn’t one of them.”

  Her delighted laugh had heads turning. “If it makes you feel better, I’ve had a few not-so-complimentary things said about me, too.”

  His gaze dropped to her stretchy black shirt. “Right now, I can only think of compliments.”

  Ryder’s voice could have melted butter. But when he covered her hand with his, she deftly pulled hers back. “I need to go.”

  “Don’t let me run you off.” He lifted both hands. “I’ll keep my hands to myself. Promise.”

  Closing her fingers around the tall shot glass she’d barely touched, Eliza slipped off the stool. “If you remember anything from high school, you know that no one runs me off.”

  Ryder gestured to the stool. “Then sit. Finish your drink.”

  “Sorry.” Eliza smiled for the first time since he’d confiscated the seat beside her. “My date for the evening just walked in.”

  Lindsay lifted her hand in greeting as Eliza crossed the crowded bar to her. Her friend shot a curious glance at the bar. “Is that Ryder?”

  Eliza didn’t even need to look in that direction to know the man was staring. “He bought me a drink while I was waiting for you.”

  “I’m sorry I was late.” A look of annoyance crossed Lindsay’s face. “Dan is rewriting his sermon for tomorrow and kept asking for feedback.”