The Baby Bombshell (Shadow Creek, Montana) Read online

  She sat there and cried until she remembered she needed to get to the nursing home. She slowly stood, remembering she had coffee in the bedroom. It was cold. And made by Jack. But she wasn’t in a position to be picky about how to get caffeine.

  An hour later, showered and caffeinated, Lily walked into the Shadow Creek Nursing Home and put on a cheery face for the staff.

  “Happy New Year. I have a little something for all of you,” she said, placing a box of handmade truffles on the main desk. One of her favorite nurses, Peggy, ran over.

  “You are the best, sweetie. Happy New Year. Please tell me you were out late partying last night?”

  She fought the blush. She was up late, all right. “Well, I did go to a party but left a bit after midnight. What about you?”

  “I was here,” she said, popping a truffle into her mouth. She closed her eyes. “Oh my goodness Lil, these are awesome. When is that store of yours opening up?” Ah, yes, the chocolaterie she was opening with her BFF, who also happened to be Jack’s sister. She and Gwen had been planning this for the past year and were finally making their dream come true. They’d rented out a cute space right on Main Street and were in the process of getting set up. She was not going to let Jack’s return spoil it for her.

  Lily forced a smile as they walked towards her dad’s room. “We’d like to be open well before Valentine’s.”

  Peggy licked her lips. “Okay, well you let me know, because I need more of these.”

  Lily laughed. “I’m glad you liked them that much.” They paused outside her father’s room. “How is he doing?”

  Peggy placed a hand on her shoulder, her face filled with sympathy. “He’s the same, sweetie. You have a nice visit, okay? It’s a quiet morning. Why don’t I get you a coffee?”

  She shook her head, even though more coffee sounded exactly like what she needed. She was never letting Jack near her again. “You don’t have time for that, Peggy.”

  “Yes I do,” she said, marching down the hallway and giving her a wave.

  Lily watched her go for a moment, remembering the day she’d moved her father here. Peggy had been the first nurse to reach out and comfort her, and then Lily had broken down in the woman’s arms. If there was ever a low point in her life, it had been that year… So much had happened, a loss that she would never tell Jack about, then her father’s stroke. She had been so alone and so bitter that year. She’d had to figure out how she was going to pay for her father’s care after the stroke. The care home was quality but pricy. Her parents had never owned a home, so she couldn’t rely on that to cover the expenses.

  The first few months she’d been able to use what her father had in savings, but then just as she was starting to panic, the nursing home had informed her that her father’s brother had called and said he’d cover the monthly costs. It was a huge burden off her shoulders, especially at a point where she’d been close to breaking under the stress of everything. Her uncle’s involvement had come as a surprise because she knew the brothers hadn’t spoken in years. She didn’t even have his address overseas.

  “Happy New Year, Dad,” she said, forcing the thoughts of that time from her mind. She walked into her father’s small but cheerful room. Over the years, she’d added personal touches, like photographs and his favorite chair, some quilts her mom had made, plants and knickknacks. Her father was sitting in his chair, positioned by the window, staring in that way that always made her hopeful for the first few seconds that he might recognize her today. Except he never responded and just continued to look out the window, as if he was deep in thought.

  She gave him a kiss and then sat on the edge of his bed and proceeded to talk and talk as though they were actually going to have a two-way conversation. Peggy came in the room as she was telling her father that Jack was back in town.

  “Thanks, Peggy,” she said, taking the cup of coffee.

  “You’re welcome, hon. It’s quiet here today. A lot of family visiting and taking care of our patients, so I’m a bit freer. Want some company?”

  She patted the spot on the bed beside her and smiled. “I’d love some.”

  Peggy had helped her so much. When her father had first arrived here, he’d barely been able to move. Now, at least he was sitting up and had some mobility on his right side. The shock of all of it had devastated her. Peggy had been empathetic and kind and patient with her.

  “So who’s back in town?” she asked, taking a sip of her own coffee, eyes sparkling.

  Lily rolled her eyes, trying to look casual. “Just an old…boyfriend.” She didn’t like saying ex-fiancé because that always made it sound more tragic.

  “Ah, and this is a problem?”

  Lily wrapped her hands around her mug and thought of last night. Yes, now it was very problematic. “We didn’t end things on the best of terms.”

  Peggy frowned slightly. “This is Jack we’re talking about?”

  Lily turned sharply to look at Peggy. “I didn’t know I’d mentioned him to you.”

  Peggy gave her a strange sort of smile. “Hon, we’ve known each other for four years. I’m sure you must have mentioned him.”

  Lily nodded. “You’re right.” The past five years without Jack had gone by in a blur. He had been everything to her, and she’d always thought that they’d be married one day with kids. They had known each other in high school and then started dating shortly after. He’d always been different from his twin brother Michael. His brother had followed in their father’s footsteps and had become a lawyer, and he’d married his high school sweetheart, Julia. They’d had a little boy together, Matthew. Matthew had been the cherished possession of the entire Bailey clan. When he and Michael had died tragically in a car accident, everyone had been shattered. Julia had left town. Jack had left, too. Lily had somehow managed to move on, not that she’d had any choice, really. About a month after Jack left, she’d been immersed in her own heartbreak and had to struggle just to get by.

  “Hey, Lily, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you down,” Peggy said.

  Lily drank the remaining coffee, forcing the misery of those days away. “You didn’t. No worries at all. I even saw him last night at a party, so it’s really no biggie.” She had seen him all right. Every beautiful, hard inch of the man.

  Her father made a movement with his hand, and she stood quickly, hoping maybe there was an opportunity for interaction. Sometimes there were moments of lucidity, especially early on. Now they were fewer and fewer, so she never wanted to miss one. Maybe today… It was a new year. Maybe it would mean good things, finally.

  She stood in front of him. “Daddy, it’s me, Lily.”

  But he didn’t even blink, just kept staring out the window as snowflakes drifted down. Lily tried not to let her disappointment turn into sadness.

  “I’m going to give you two some alone time. Have a nice visit, Lily.”

  Alone time. That’s all she’d had for the last five years. Alone time. She forced a bright smile on her face. “Thanks, Peggy.”

  Peggy waved her hand. “No thanks needed. I’ll see you on your way out.”

  “Why don’t I get you a blanket?” she said after Peggy left, moving across the room to pick up the red-and-green knit throw her mother had made one Christmas. She draped it across her father’s legs and tucked it loosely into the sides of the chair cushions. She pulled up a chair and gently took his hand, grateful for its warmth, grateful that he was still here with her, and looked out at the gently falling snow with him.

  She refused to give in to the sting of loneliness, or the silly wish that things had been different, and that Jack was by her side right now.

  …

  Dusk was settling as Jack got out of his car and stepped into the deep snow.

  He stood there taking a deep breath, taking in the fresh scent of pine and newly fallen snow. The pines were snow-capped, waving gently in the wind. He’d missed Montana. It was in his blood. No place in the world smelled like this, felt like this. He’d
never minded the snow, the harsh winters. He loved being outside, no matter the season.

  He’d been gone a long time and he had hell to pay. He had to rebuild his relationship with his parents and his little sister. And Lily.

  When he’d seen her last night, guilt had pummeled through him, and he’d sworn he’d leave her alone and stay away from her. He’d wanted her to be happy and have a good life, but when he’d followed her out to her car and seen the sadness, he knew. He knew what she refused to admit to herself—they were meant for each other. He couldn’t let her go, not without trying. Spending the night with her had brought him back to where they used to be. It had been the best night of the last five years.

  A shiver ran through him, and he started the walk up the narrow snow-filled pathway in the cemetery, his thoughts of Lily running with the wind. This visit was about five years overdue.

  He clutched the handle of the paper bag in his hand. The Jack and Jill Toy Shoppe in town had been exactly as he remembered it. He’d stopped in, and the memories of buying gifts for his nephew had almost made him turn right around and leave the place, but he’d stuck it out.

  He sat himself down between his brother’s and his nephew’s graves, not really caring much that the snow had already soaked his jeans. He attempted to clear the lump in his throat at the sight of the Thomas the Tank Engine trains in front of Matthew’s tombstone, knowing they were from Julia. He opened his bag and added a pair of wolf figurines.

  “Hi, Matthew, it’s Uncle Jack. I found these at the toy store.” He and Matthew used to play rancher. The kid had been obsessed with farms and animals and making all the noises. Jack used to tell him that one day he’d buy a ranch and Matthew could come out and help him. But Matthew’s favorite animals had always been the wolves. Jack arranged the wolves together, exactly how Matthew had always liked, and cleared the lump in his throat before turning to his brother’s grave.

  “Hey, man. I’m, uh, sorry I’ve been gone for so long. I don’t really know what I’m doing here, or what to say. Except…” He had to stop speaking to wipe his eyes. The damn January wind was killing him, making his eyes water incessantly. Or maybe it was the emotion. He wasn’t a guy who cried. Or he hadn’t been until the day of their funeral. That day…the realization that his twin was gone, that his nephew was gone…that day hadn’t been able to quell any emotion inside of him. But that was the last day he’d ever cried.

  He coughed and picked up one of the trains, remembering how much Matthew had loved trains, too. He’d played with that kid every chance he got. That kid had made him want to be a dad; he’d made him love life in a way he hadn’t thought possible. He loved him like his own.

  “I miss you guys every damned day. I went away, Mike, and I screwed everything up. I took off on Mom and Dad and Gwen, and I broke Lily’s heart. I thought I could come back and at least try and make it up to them, but holy crap, it’s worse than I thought. I wish you were here.” He stopped speaking and cleared his throat, looking up at the darkening sky for a moment. “I took an oil rigging job in the gulf for the last five years. I know I made fun of you for wanting to be like Dad, but you were right. You were right about so many damn things. I needed to make money to help Lily. And I did. I made some good money. I worked hard as hell and I worked as many hours as I could. Saved up enough to come back here and start over. I bought the old Sheppard ranch.”

  Dusk turned to night, the snow continuing, and he kept talking, not remembering if he’d ever talked so much in his entire life. He was turning into Gwen and Lily. “Well, I, uh, better get going.”

  He stood, cringing as he straightened himself out, his thighs freezing, his bones cold. How long had he been out here? “I just wanted you guys to know I’m back, and that I still miss you as much as I did five years ago. But everyone’s okay. Mom, Dad. Gwen. Julia and Chase. Everyone’s found a way to move on. Love you guys.”

  That had been the biggest realization—his love for these people hadn’t dimmed through the years. Instead it had made him miss them more. He was back, and he was going to reclaim the only life he wanted.

  Chapter Three

  One week after Lily’s biggest mistake of her life, she sat down opposite Gwen at the counter in their new store and passed her friend an extra large coffee she’d picked up on her way in that morning.

  It had been one week since New Year’s. One week since she’d made the colossal mistake of sleeping with Jack Bailey. One week since she’d seen him or heard from him…which of course was exactly what she’d wanted. She’d explicitly told him after their night together that she never wanted to mention what had happened. They were to be just acquaintances.

  “I so needed this coffee,” Gwen said, taking a long sip. They were freezing, since there appeared to be something wrong with the heating in the building. But this was their big strategy meeting, so they’d have to freeze their tushes off and get to business. There was no time for Lily to be thinking of Jack. Or fantasizing about Jack and how amazing their night was together. Or wondering about his life these past five years.

  Or the fact that he claimed he had been in love with her these last five years and hadn’t been with anyone else…

  “Why do you look like you’re thinking about something really, really huge?”

  She crossed her legs and tried to look composed. Her BFF knew everything about her, including when she was keeping secrets. She hated keeping this from her. There was only one other thing she’d ever kept from Gwen and that was because it had to do with Jack. That man was always getting her into trouble one way or another.

  “Nope, just worried about how we’re going to get this place up and running in time,” she said, waving her arm around at the vacant storefront. The last few years she and Gwen had pooled their money, taken courses, and had signed a lease on a storefront in downtown Shadow Creek. They were finally going to open their own chocolaterie. They had worked so hard for this, but it was a big risk. More so for her than Gwen because Gwen lived at home. Lily was dealing with rent and she had no parental support, so if this failed…she might be…well, she’d be screwed. But she wasn’t going to let herself think that way. They had to make this work.

  Gwen clutched the sides of the counter and leaned forward. “I feel like this is our year, Lil. The chocolate shop. Jack and Julia being back home. It’s all coming together. Everything.”

  Lily took a sip of coffee and averted her eyes. She felt guilty not telling her, but she couldn’t, not if she wanted to put all this behind herself. “I hope you’re right.”

  “Of course I’m right. Don’t let my brother ruin another year for you. Listen, just because he’s my brother doesn’t mean you need to be nice to him in front of me.”

  Except she had been nice to Jack. Very, very nice about a week ago. She drank more coffee, as if it might somehow give her the life guidance she desperately needed at the moment. She decided she could confide some of the truth with her friend. “I told Jack that not speaking to him is one of my New Year’s resolutions.”

  Gwen wrapped her hands around her coffee cup and nodded wisely. “That’s what he deserves. I’m barely speaking to him myself.”

  But it didn’t make her feel better. She didn’t want to talk about Jack to Gwen. She didn’t want to come between brother and sister. “You know what? Let’s not talk about him. We have major work to get done.”

  Gwen nodded, drumming her fingers on the marble counter. “Lists. We need some lists.”

  “Okay,” she said, glad she’d come prepared. She rummaged through her large red purse and pulled two clipboards and pens. “Let’s start list writing.”

  Gwen grabbed a pen and a clipboard. “Okay, target opening date is January thirty-first, which gives us two weeks from the opening until Valentine’s.”

  “Right. That’s totally doable.”

  Gwen nodded. “Yup. Totally.” Then she shook her head. “It’s actually really crazy.”

  “I know,” Lily said, clipboard to her ches
t as panic set in. “What were we thinking?”

  Gwen took a major breath. “No. We have to do this, Lil, or we’re toast. We can’t miss a major chocolate holiday.”

  Lily nodded, leaning back in her seat. Of course she knew this, too. “It’s going to mean long hours. Let’s list out what needs to be done in order to make that happen,” Lily said, looking around the empty space. They sat in silence for a moment. It was pretty overwhelming. “Let’s start with heat,” she said as she noticed her hands felt like ice.

  “We don’t have the money to get the heat fixed.”

  Lily shook her head. “I spoke with Julia, and she said it’s in our lease that the landlord is responsible for that, so why don’t I call and get the ball rolling?” Julia was their good friend and realtor. She had moved away to the city after her husband’s and son’s deaths and had only just returned this past Christmas. She and Sheriff Chase Donovan were now engaged and blissfully happy.

  “That’s great thinking. At least the storefront is painted.”

  She pointed at Gwen with her pen. “Yup. And the kitchen is ready to go. Most of our supplies arrived the week before New Year’s.”

  “So, um, we only need to make chocolate?” They were graduates of a three-month chocolate training program they’d taken the year before, but this would be their first time venturing into the business side of things. They had both worked in the bakery in town for years, so they had experience in the food industry.

  They spent the next hour hashing out the details of the products they were going to open with for Valentine’s, price points, packaging, and promo. “What do you think about offering seating?” Gwen asked.

  Lily leaned back in her chair and looked at the front of the store. The large picture window overlooked charming downtown Shadow Creek. There were mounds of snow and winter greens outside the storefronts. The view was great—ideal, really—for seating. “There is room for some tables, definitely. But what, are people going to buy chocolates and then sit and eat them?”