Here With You Read online

  “Face painting at Marshalls. Hey, speak of the devil—” Mia punched Carter in the shoulder.

  “Ladies. You two are looking fine tonight.” Carter winked and draped an arm around each of them. “Gonna volunteer at the farm again this year, Mia?”

  “Damn straight. I’m not getting stuck in the welcome booth like Hope did last year. Although, it did force her and Cameron together. That was kinda cute.”

  “What are you signing up for, Grace?” Carter directed his attention toward her, squeezing her into his side with his arm.

  “I hadn’t really thought about it. I’ll have my shop open, so I’m not sure how I’ll be able to help out.”

  “That’s true. You’re coming to the dance Saturday night, right?”

  “Dance?”

  She could picture a honkytonk dorky dance right out of the black and white Nick at Night specials her parents used to watch. Really, really not her thing.

  “It’s so much fun. Of course you’re going. Hey. Jenna’s here.” Mia ducked from under Carter’s arm and strolled off to greet Jenna.

  “Guess we’ll see you then. Good luck at your opening this week. Let me know if you plan on modeling any of those sexy underwear things. I’ll come by and give you my input.”

  “I’m sure you will.” Grace laughed.

  “I have a good eye for those things.” He pinched her cheek before pulling out a chair and gesturing for her to sit.

  THE CHAIRS IN THE MEETING hall hadn’t been this filled since the ice storm four years ago wiped out power to everyone in the town for a solid ten days. Brady arrived early enough to talk with Jed Freeman about getting a building permit to add on to the farm store.

  Over the years he’d been able to cultivate more of his parents’ land, bringing in bigger and bigger crops. What started out as a farm stand shelter, had turned into a small addition when Brady was in high school, and could no longer hold all of his mother’s baked goods as well as the fruits and vegetables for sale. It was a good problem to have.

  Jed didn’t see any problem in Brady obtaining a permit and told him to come by Tuesday morning when the town hall was open to fill out the paperwork. When he’d rounded the corner to the main room, he stopped in his tracks.

  His brother sat snugly next to Grace in the back row, his arm draped casually behind her chair. It shouldn’t bother him this much. Grace being here. Carter so close.

  It was ridiculous how she’d tried to shove so much in her little car at his farm. What was she thinking? He’d watched her struggle for a few minutes and had chuckled to himself, enjoying the show. It was cute and pathetic.

  And he hated having to come to her rescue. She wasn’t a damsel in distress, and he wasn’t a hero. Far from it. She needed him as much as he needed her. Yet he couldn’t leave a paying customer with no way of getting their goods home. So he’d offered to help. He’d made plenty of home deliveries before. There wasn’t anything special or unique about this one.

  Brady scanned the crowded hall. He could name every person in there. Even knew what road they lived on. He was part of the community and would do anything for it and for everyone who lived there. His father instilled a sense of loyalty and pride in him years ago, and it was something he was proud of.

  More laughter from the last row brought his attention back to Carter and Grace.

  The stirring in his gut made no sense. It couldn’t have been jealousy. It definitely wasn’t lust. Heck, he didn’t think he even liked the spoiled party girl. It didn’t matter anyway. Tonight was about the town. About helping each other’s businesses grow. Now that Grace was a business owner he’d be running into her more frequently, although not too often.

  After all, what did a poor farmer and a snotty boutique owner have in common?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  FOR THE SECOND YEAR in a row, the first day of the fall festival was a success. The apple cider and most of the good carving pumpkins were sold out, and they still had the Sunday rush to contend with. In the meantime, Brady had the Saturday night dance to attend.

  He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He picked up his shaving cream and pressed down on the top, watching as the tiny ball of white foam grew in his hand. He patted the shaving cream on his cheeks and chin, spreading it evenly across his face.

  Dances weren’t Brady’s thing. He never attended them in high school, not even his prom. Getting dressed up in a rented penguin suit and standing around a dance floor watching people make fools of themselves wasn’t his idea of a good time.

  He slid his razor through the thick foam and rinsed it off under in the stream of water running under the faucet, then swiped it across his cheek again in slow, methodic movements.

  It was the right thing to do, attend the dance and represent Marshall Farm. His mother wasn’t feeling well and went to bed already. Of course, Carter would be there, but Brady didn’t necessarily consider him a representative of the farm.

  Sure his brother worked hard, but once his jobs were done, Carter either buried his nose in his laptop and did his computer thing or partied like he was still in high school.

  Similar to Grace, Brady supposed. Not much changed in his town. What you were like in high school pretty much represented the type of adult and career person you’d be.

  Like him, Alexis had always been loyal to the family business, and like Carter, Grace had no interest in making it her life. At least his brother stuck around and stayed loyal to the family while he worked to find his true calling.

  Grace, on the other hand, ditched her family to sow her wild oats. Or do whatever she did in Europe. Not that Brady cared. He didn’t know why he was even thinking about her right now.

  Making one last sweep across his chin, he tapped his razor under the water, washing off all the foam and whiskers, and placed it on its shelf in the medicine cabinet behind the mirror.

  The latch didn’t hold when he closed it. Just one more thing to replace in the old house. Padding across the hall to his bedroom, he made a quick mental note about what he had hanging in his closet.

  A suit coat he hadn’t worn since his father’s funeral, two winter jackets, a raincoat, a handful of flannels, and three nice button-down shirts. One white, one light blue, and the third a green and blue plaid his mother got him for Christmas a few years back.

  Brady had only worn it on Thanksgiving and Christmas, not having much need to dress up for any other occasion. In his line of work, a plaid shirt was dressing up.

  Since he wore the light blue shirt to last year’s Fall Festival, Brady took the plaid one off the hanger and tossed it on his bed. He found his nice pair of jeans in his bureau buried underneath piles of work jeans and pulled out a clean pair of boxers and a pair of socks.

  “You walkin’ or drivin’ over?” Carter asked from behind him as Brady tugged on his jeans.

  “I’ll drive. That way if anyone needs a ride I’ll have my truck handy.”

  “Always the boy scout.”

  He ignored the overused joke. If Carter hadn’t been so unreliable over the years, Brady wouldn’t have to always be on his A-game. Not that driving tonight had anything to do with his brother. Carter could walk the half-mile home if he drank too much. Brady and his truck would act more like a taxi service, making sure the rest of Crystal Cove made it home safe and sound.

  Last year, he ended up driving the Patterson boys and Mary Lou Bullock home from the festival. The Patterson boys, he expected it from. Mrs. Bullock, however, had shocked him. The normally reserved seventy-five-year-old grandmother had too many beers and had partied it up on the dance floor like she was still in her twenties. He hadn’t minded being her designated driver.

  “Mom says she’s sitting this one out. Wants to go to bed early.”

  She’d once been the go-go-go mom of the year, never accepting help when she could do something herself. This past summer and fall’s harvest seemed to have put her over the edge. Brady feared there was something bigger going on wi
th her. Since their father died, she’d been diligent with getting regular check-ups, and making Carter and Brady go as well.

  Had their father’s cancer been caught earlier, he’d still be with them today.

  Maybe he should stay home to make sure she was okay. “Why don’t you go on over to the party and give me a call when you want to come home?”

  “No way, man. You’ve gotta get your pathetic ass off the farm. You need a social life.” Carter dipped his head to the right.

  He didn’t need a social life, but his conversations with his fruit trees and seedlings did get pretty old. It would be nice to have someone reciprocate the words.

  Brady tucked his wallet in his back pocket.

  “You’re worried about Mom.” Despite his careless attitude, Carter was no dimwit.

  “Yeah. I think we need to have a sit down with her. See what’s going on.”

  “She got mad when I tried to help carry a crate of mini pumpkins across the parking lot.”

  “You know she doesn’t like feeling helpless.” Brady finished buttoning his shirt and nodded toward the door. Carter stepped back and headed down the stairs. “We’ll need to be more tactful in suggesting she see a doctor,” he said to Carter’s back.

  “You think it’s something bad?”

  “I don’t know.” It wasn’t something he wanted to think about. To admit out loud.

  They climbed into Brady’s truck, dropping the subject of their mom. The drive only took a few minutes. Once he parked his truck, Carter hopped out and gave Brady a hard pat on the back.

  “I’m gonna be the bigger man here and let you have your pick of the single ladies tonight.”

  “Thanks.” He chuckled, knowing the dance wasn’t an event that drew in the younger crowd. For the most part, it was locals and elderly tourists who attended small town events. Not exactly a singles hookup place.

  The country band was well underway when they stepped inside. The barn had been decorated with tiny white lights, and bales of hay were strategically placed around the room with mums and other fall décor. Tables made from oak wine barrels were decorated with cornucopias filled with apples and oranges, and colored leaves spilled out onto the tables, while little white candles flickered as people walked by.

  From what he’d heard at last week’s town meeting, Lily, Jenna, and Grace had a hand in decorating the room.

  “I’m getting a beer. You want anything?”

  “Sure.”

  Carter gave him a two-finger salute and strode off toward the bar.

  “In all the years I’ve known you,” Mia said as she sidled up to him, looping her arm through his. “I think I’ve seen you more this past year than the past ten.”

  It wasn’t like he and Mia were close friends. He went to school with her older brother Ty, and their parents had always been friendly with each other. Other than that, they weren’t much more than mutual acquaintances.

  “You’re welcome,” Ben said as he outstretched his hand toward Brady. “Glad you could stop by.”

  Ben deserved most of the credit for bringing the town together. Ironic since he’d never stepped foot in Maine until less than two years ago. The three-day trip intended to help Coastal Vines with its marketing and strategic planning turned into a marriage to Alexis and the businesses seeing a spike in sales.

  It meant Brady was busier than normal, but he’d also spent more time at town meetings and paying it forward. Networking with not only the other farmers, but the restaurants and local shops were important as well.

  “It always amazes me how nice this turned out.” Sitting on top of the tasting room, the function hall had once been Alexis’ apartment. It was Ben’s idea to gut it out and turn the unused space into a town gathering place.

  “Thanks. It was definitely a group effort. Ty and his crew do impeccable work. And Alexis has some great friends with an eye for this kind of thing.” Ben picked up one of the mini pumpkins on the table and tossed it in the air.

  “Easy on the decorations,” Lily said, looking lovely as always in a girly but elegant brown top and long skirt. “Jenna, Grace, and I spent a lot of time making the hall look pretty.”

  “You girls did an amazing job,” Ben said.

  “Holy shit.” Mia picked up Lily’s left hand. A light pink stone sparkled in the candlelight. “What is this? Why didn’t you tell us? My brother’s an asshole for keeping it a secret.” Mia wrenched her arm from Brady’s and pulled Lily into a tight hug. “Congratulations, sister-in-law.”

  Lily bit her lip and held out her hand, glowing with newly engaged smiles at her ring. “Ty proposed tonight. In the gazebo. It was so romantic.” She held her hands to her heart and closed her eyes.

  “Congratulations, Lily.” Ben hugged her as well. “Where’s Ty at?”

  “Grace, Cameron, and Hope drove in as we were leaving the gazebo. He’s outside talking to them. I was too excited to keep it to myself so I ran in here to share with you guys.”

  “I’m going to have a sister.” Mia tugged at Lily’s long ponytail. “I’ll probably be a pain in the ass.”

  “Don’t we know it,” Ty said from behind their growing crowd.

  “Congratulations, both of you.” Brady hugged Lily and shook Ty’s hand. “I haven’t seen you this happy since...”

  “Game-winning goal in overtime my senior year.”

  “Hockey?” Ben asked.

  “Soccer.” Ty draped his arm around Lily’s shoulder. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to take my fiancée out on the dance floor.”

  Lily giggled as Ty looped his fingers through hers and tugged her on to the dance floor. Brady admired those two. From the little he knew, Lily didn’t have any family around. She’d be marrying into a strong family unit though. The Parkers had a solid reputation in town. Mia may be a bit of a wild child—just like Carter—but she had a good heart.

  “You guys hear the news?” With his back to the door, Brady hadn’t seen Hope and Cameron come in. The music was loud enough to block out the squeaky barn door, but not so loud you had to scream so the person next to you could hear you.

  “I can’t believe my shit head brother didn’t tell me he was going to propose. Jerkwad,” Mia muttered and strode off toward the bar with a smile.

  “He kept it from all of us. Said he told his parents, but don’t tell Mia that.” Hope rubbed Brady on his triceps in a friendly gesture. “Nice to see you, Brady.”

  He always liked Hope. It wasn’t often Brady left his house to eat, but when he did, he went to Hope’s restaurant, The Happy Clam. The Sunrise diner wasn’t a bad little hole-in-the-wall place either, but he preferred to make his breakfasts at home. And his mother made amazing dinners, so why go to a diner?

  Because of its reputation, Brady had gone to Willies BYO place a handful of times. When living in coastal Maine, fried fish was a staple, and making it at home just wasn’t the same. Other than that, like Carter had accused him of over and over again, he didn’t leave the property much and was a bit of a bore. He didn’t mean to be, didn’t want to be, but he had responsibilities.

  “Looks like we’ll be planning a bachelor party again. You in this time, Brady?”

  He felt bad about bowing out of Cameron’s earlier this spring. He had planting and pruning to do and couldn’t get away. Carter managed to squeeze in a night of debauchery though.

  According to Carter, the night was far too tame, too mellow to call it a bachelor party. Cards and beer at Ty’s. It was more Brady’s style, and he’d wished he’d gone.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  As more people streamed into the hall, it got harder and harder to hear each other. He noticed Carter across the room, double-fisted, and went over to snag his drink.

  “Thanks for the beer.” Brady took the bottle from his brother and brought it to his lips. The cold ale went down too easily, too fast. How long had it been since he’d been out with a guy to have a beer? Too long. And cracking open a cold one in his mother’s kitchen di
dn’t count.

  “Just getting caught up with Steve.”

  Brady nodded to his seasonal worker. “How’s the Achilles doing?” He’d tore it last week carting around a crate of pumpkins. He had three decades on Brady and could lift more than any man half his age.

  “Doc says it’s gonna be a while. Good thing the season is almost over. ‘For you know it, we’ll be cursing the snow and icy wind.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.” The three men held up their beer bottles and tipped the tops together.

  The band changed its tempo from the slow ballad to an upbeat tune, and dozens flocked to the dance floor, including Grace.

  He hadn’t seen her until now, not that he was looking. He was actually intentionally not looking. It was hard not to notice her tonight in her teal dress. It hugged her in all the right places without being too revealing and left her long legs bare. Brady trailed his gaze up and down them, stopping at her toes. They peeped out from her white heels. Or were they beige? Maybe tan. He couldn’t tell and it didn’t matter, and he silently thanked God or whoever created those shoes for what they did to her calves.

  Hell, her ankles. Even her kneecaps looked sexy.

  He took a sip from his beer and turned his back on the dance floor. If he was thanking God for high heel shoes, he absolutely needed to get out more.

  “You hear the news? I’m gaining another daughter.” Wade Parker slid onto the stool next to him and asked the bartender for a draft beer.

  “I did. Congrats. Lily’s a nice lady.”

  “That she is.” Wade sipped his beer and nudged his elbow against Brady’s. “I didn’t think I’d ever see the day when Ty would settle down, or be as happy as he is.”

  “He’s definitely that.”

  “How about you, Brady? How are you doing?”

  When Brady’s father died, Wade and Celeste Parker were at their farm every day, helping his mother with chores, bringing by dinners for the boys. Wade had made it clear he wasn’t trying to replace their father, but that he’d be there for them if they had questions, needed support, stuff they would need from their dad.