Bye, Carson!”
Natalie’s stomach fluttered at the warmth in his gaze. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” she said, stepping aside for him to enter. How on earth could she tell him that she and the girls had inadvertently started a terrible rumor?
“I’m on my way to work, so I can’t stay,” he said. “I found this under my door.” He showed her a note from the school that had been colored in crayon.
Dear Mr. Smitten, You are invited to Smitten Elementary for a tea to honor our girls and their fathers on May 2 at 2:00 p.m. We hope you can come. Love, Mia
The Mr. Smitten and Mia’s signature had been written in block letters.
Something kicked in Natalie’s chest. “Oh dear,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry, Carson. I never meant . . .”
“You told her I was her father?” His eyes showed hurt.
Natalie shook her head violently. “No! The girls and I were discussing it at the coffee shop. We didn’t know anyone could overhear, but I think—”
“Someone did,” he finished for her.
She could barely force herself to look him in the eye. “I think so. I’m so sorry. Truly.”
His lips flattened. “It’s a little late for an apology.”
He stared down at her. “You still don’t trust me, do you, Natalie?”
“I-I want to,” she whispered. “I’m trying. Lisa is my sister, so it’s hard for me.”
“It wasn’t easy for me to trust you either. Did you think about that at all? It would have been easy for me to think you’re just like her, since you’re sisters.”
She shuddered at the bleakness in his face. “I’m sorry, Carson. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re one of the few people who can,” he said. He held up the note. “What do I do about this?”
“If you show up to the tea . . .”
“People will assume even more that the rumors are true,” he said. “I know, but I can’t let Mia feel she has no one who would come with her.”
Her earlier doubts resurged. Would a man care like this if he weren’t Mia’s father? “I can’t let you do that, though,” she said. “You know how a small town is. It’s going to be bad enough for you without this. I’ll talk to Mia. Maybe I can get my brother to come from Boston and go with her.” She doubted Paul would be able to come, though. He often traveled with his job, and chances were he was out of town.
He turned toward the door. “Maybe.”
She didn’t want him to go with the tension between them.
“Before you go, Julia had a great idea. What if Sawyer wrote a song called ‘Smitten’? And sang it for the first time at the wedding?”
He turned back toward her, but his expression was guarded. “It would be good for his career and good for us too.
A win-win situation. I’ll give him a call tonight and ask him.”
“We thought so too, but I don’t know how long it takes to write a song and get it produced and ready for distribution.”
“I don’t know either, but Sawyer will do what he can, I think. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
He hesitated, and she thought for a moment that he was going to say something about what she’d done. Then he twisted the doorknob and stepped back into the sunshine.
“See you Friday,” he said.
“See you,” she echoed. Should she even go?
The work on the cabins was coming along, and the hardware store was busy with customers. Carson had been asked to order material for the new fudge shop going in next to Mountain Perks as well as the remodel of the bookstore down the street.
He stuck the cloth he’d been using to wash the front window into his pocket when he saw Mia and Natalie crossing the street in his direction. When it was clear they were coming to the hardware store, he stepped out onto the sidewalk to greet them.
Mia carried two lavender wreaths in her hand. “We came to bring you a wreath,” she said, holding them up for his inspection.
“Very nice,” he said. “Let me get a wreath hanger and we’ll put it
Natalie’s stomach fluttered at the warmth in his gaze. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” she said, stepping aside for him to enter. How on earth could she tell him that she and the girls had inadvertently started a terrible rumor?
“I’m on my way to work, so I can’t stay,” he said. “I found this under my door.” He showed her a note from the school that had been colored in crayon.
Dear Mr. Smitten, You are invited to Smitten Elementary for a tea to honor our girls and their fathers on May 2 at 2:00 p.m. We hope you can come. Love, Mia
The Mr. Smitten and Mia’s signature had been written in block letters.
Something kicked in Natalie’s chest. “Oh dear,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry, Carson. I never meant . . .”
“You told her I was her father?” His eyes showed hurt.
Natalie shook her head violently. “No! The girls and I were discussing it at the coffee shop. We didn’t know anyone could overhear, but I think—”
“Someone did,” he finished for her.
She could barely force herself to look him in the eye. “I think so. I’m so sorry. Truly.”
His lips flattened. “It’s a little late for an apology.”
He stared down at her. “You still don’t trust me, do you, Natalie?”
“I-I want to,” she whispered. “I’m trying. Lisa is my sister, so it’s hard for me.”
“It wasn’t easy for me to trust you either. Did you think about that at all? It would have been easy for me to think you’re just like her, since you’re sisters.”
She shuddered at the bleakness in his face. “I’m sorry, Carson. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re one of the few people who can,” he said. He held up the note. “What do I do about this?”
“If you show up to the tea . . .”
“People will assume even more that the rumors are true,” he said. “I know, but I can’t let Mia feel she has no one who would come with her.”
Her earlier doubts resurged. Would a man care like this if he weren’t Mia’s father? “I can’t let you do that, though,” she said. “You know how a small town is. It’s going to be bad enough for you without this. I’ll talk to Mia. Maybe I can get my brother to come from Boston and go with her.” She doubted Paul would be able to come, though. He often traveled with his job, and chances were he was out of town.
He turned toward the door. “Maybe.”
She didn’t want him to go with the tension between them.
“Before you go, Julia had a great idea. What if Sawyer wrote a song called ‘Smitten’? And sang it for the first time at the wedding?”
He turned back toward her, but his expression was guarded. “It would be good for his career and good for us too.
A win-win situation. I’ll give him a call tonight and ask him.”
“We thought so too, but I don’t know how long it takes to write a song and get it produced and ready for distribution.”
“I don’t know either, but Sawyer will do what he can, I think. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
He hesitated, and she thought for a moment that he was going to say something about what she’d done. Then he twisted the doorknob and stepped back into the sunshine.
“See you Friday,” he said.
“See you,” she echoed. Should she even go?
The work on the cabins was coming along, and the hardware store was busy with customers. Carson had been asked to order material for the new fudge shop going in next to Mountain Perks as well as the remodel of the bookstore down the street.
He stuck the cloth he’d been using to wash the front window into his pocket when he saw Mia and Natalie crossing the street in his direction. When it was clear they were coming to the hardware store, he stepped out onto the sidewalk to greet them.
Mia carried two lavender wreaths in her hand. “We came to bring you a wreath,” she said, holding them up for his inspection.
“Very nice,” he said. “Let me get a wreath hanger and we’ll put it
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