Christmas in Good Hope (A Good Hope Novel Book 1) (16 page)

Ami held the promise tight to her heart on the walk to Beck’s home. While he had the lights, ornaments, and garland out in readiness, they never got around to decorating the tree. The second she walked through the door, Beck enfolded her in his arms.

He kissed her as if it had been years, instead of only hours, since he’d last seen her. Now, two hours later, she was snuggled against him in his four-poster bed under a mountain of blankets while the wind whistled outside. Ami smiled against his shoulder as her father’s words flooded back.

“What’s so amusing?” Beck’s voice was warm and smooth as a glass of honeyed tea.

She shifted so she could look into his face. “My father stopped by the café.”

“You settled your differences?”

“Anita is really our only difference,” Ami said wryly. “And we didn’t speak of her. But we cleared the air and everything is good between us now.”

“I’m glad you’re happy.” He brushed a kiss across her forehead. “I know how much your father means to you.”

“That wasn’t the reason I smiled.”

He cocked his head.

“I think he’s worried I’m not getting enough sleep. I promised to be in bed by midnight.” Ami’s fingers took a stroll down his bare chest.

“Well, it
is
midnight and you
are
in bed . . . just not your own.” He gave a deep chuckle. “And you never promised you’d be sleeping.”

“You, sir, are so perceptive.” She planted a kiss on his warm chest. “It’s just one of the things I admire about you.”

“Thank you, darlin’.” He tightened his hold and tugged her even closer.

Ami emitted a sigh of pleasure. “I’m glad your meeting with Clint and Cassie went so well.”

They’d spoken only briefly about his visit to the Lohmeier home that afternoon. When he’d arrived at the café, she’d been swamped with the supper rush. Then, when she’d arrived at his door . . . well, her current position told that story.

“It went well.” He propped himself up on one elbow. “Clint was there when Lindsay and I arrived. Thankfully, Dakota’s brothers weren’t around.”

“That’s good.” Ami’s gaze searched his. “Did it play out the way you planned?”

“Other than I thought Clint was going to punch me when I mentioned I was ready to file the emancipation papers.” Beck gave a little laugh. “The man could benefit from some anger-control classes.”

Concern flooded Ami. “But he didn’t hurt you?”

Beck brushed his palm against her silky hair. “No. As you saw tonight, I’m unharmed.”

She wasn’t sure who was more surprised when she flung herself at him, knocking him backward, her body plastered against his.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Her voice shook as her body trembled.

“Shhh. Nothing happened.” He spoke in a soothing whisper, then chuckled. “Though when I mentioned the possible social services involvement, it was as if I’d struck a match to a powder keg. Both of them exploded. But Lindsay, well, she timed it perfectly. She heaved this melodramatic sigh worthy of any Hollywood actor. When she reluctantly said she’d take Dakota, they immediately calmed down and agreed.”

Beck continued to stroke her bare back. She hoped she wouldn’t have to move anytime soon. “It was satisfying to use my legal knowledge for good. Though I believe it was the social service mention that sealed the deal.”

“Cassie is so desperate to have a man in her life that she refuses to see the guy is a predator.” Ami sighed. “It’s a darn shame.”

“It’s more than that.” Beck’s voice took on a hard edge. “It’s unforgivable.”

Ami’s heart skipped several beats.

“Do you really believe that some actions are unforgivable?” She forced the words past suddenly frozen lips.

Beck didn’t appear to hear the question. He was too busy planting kisses along her collarbone while one hand curved around her breast.

The shivers of need urged her to simply enjoy the moment, the closeness. But Ami couldn’t let the topic drop. This was too important.

“You said her actions are unforgivable.”

He lifted his head, his passion-filled eyes now puzzled. “What’s this about?”

“Well, I-I’ve always liked Cassie. I know that she hasn’t made good choices in her life, but she’s not a bad person.”

She thought Beck might say something, but the scrutiny in his eyes only deepened, and Ami was seized with an almost overwhelming desire to confess all. She bet he’d been very successful in the courtroom.

“Let’s say Cassie finally comes to her senses. She looks back on this time and realizes what a mistake she made in not seeing Clint for what he really was and she’s sorry. Very sorry. Are her actions—or lack of action in this case—really unforgivable?”

“Nothing happened because Dakota looked out for herself.” Beck narrowed his gaze. “What if Clint had raped Dakota? If that had happened, would you be so willing to overlook, to forgive?”

His voice rose with each word. His chest, already hard as granite beneath her fingertips, flexed and tensed.

Before Ami could respond, Beck continued, like a locomotive picking up steam. “Do you really believe that a person only has to say they’re sorry for all to be forgiven?”

Ami opened her mouth, closed it without speaking.

Beck swore. “The way I see it, people who act irresponsibly don’t deserve forgiveness. They sure as heck aren’t getting mine.”

His chest heaved as if he’d just run a long race. His eyes weren’t brown anymore but a hard, glassy obsidian.

Ami’s insides vibrated. Beck wasn’t the only one having difficulty catching his breath.

“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered once she found her voice. “It just makes me sad to see how far Cassie has fallen. I remember her as Lindsay’s big sister, one who never complained about us tagging after her, the girl who once went down into the storm sewer after my kitten.”

After closing his eyes for a second, Beck appeared to regain control. “I don’t know why I went off like that, other than to say you hit a nerve. I’m sure that fact was obvious.”

Ami smiled wanly. “Being a defense attorney, you probably handled a lot of cases where people did hurtful things, then walked away, free of punishment.”

Beck gave a humorless laugh. “Even worse, I was the one who got them off. I sent them back on their merry way to decimate other people’s lives.”

“You couldn’t have known . . .”

“Couldn’t I?” He rubbed his temples.

“Enough of this talk.” Although she wanted to weep, Ami forced a light tone.

She tried to tell herself Beck was tired and that’s likely what had caused him to react so strongly. But something told her it was more than just fatigue. It could be that the intensity of his reaction had something to do with his wife’s accident.

Or perhaps his mood had been fueled by a recent uproar in the local media about two teenage boys who’d been given probation. After shoplifting some cigarettes, they’d knocked down an older man in their rush to get out of the store. The octogenarian had sustained a broken hip and was now using a walker.

The boys had each apologized to the man at their sentencing hearing and the judge had taken their remorse into consideration.

“You’re right.” Beck buried his face in her hair while his fingers teased her nipple. “We have much better things to do than talk.”

As he enfolded her in his arms, Ami shoved aside her fears and gazed into Beck’s dark eyes. “Are you referring to sleep?”

“Hardly.” Beck offered a wicked laugh and gave her nipple a little pinch.

Heat shot straight to her core.

Just for tonight
, Ami told herself. Just for tonight she’d forget her worries and enjoy being with the man she loved.

As his lips closed over hers and his tongue slipped into her mouth, Ami kissed him with all the love in her heart, knowing that one day at a time was all she was guaranteed.

C
hapter
S
ixteen

Instead of immediately hopping out of bed the next morning, Beck propped himself up on one elbow and let his gaze linger on the woman sleeping beside him. How had Ami become so important to him? When he’d left Georgia to build a new life for himself in Door County, the last thing on his mind had been forging a new relationship.

After losing his wife, Beck was determined that hard work would be his only love. But he hadn’t counted on meeting Ami Bloom.

The talented baker didn’t gaze at him in that sympathetic, pitying way that had become so difficult to endure back home. Instead she brightened his days with her smile and sunny attitude.

She’d made his transition to this unfamiliar part of the country easy. Now she’d trusted him with her body. He knew Ami well enough to know she didn’t hop into bed easily. Even though her capacity to give and receive pleasure astounded him, it was obvious it had been a long time since she’d been with a man.

Beck would cut off his right hand rather than hurt her. Which meant he needed to proceed carefully and figure out where they went from here. The knowledge that he had come to care so deeply for someone other than Lisette still troubled him. But it was becoming increasingly difficult to imagine his life without Ami in it.

He brushed a kiss across her cheek, then pulled the comforter up so she wouldn’t get cold. With utmost stealth he tugged on jeans and an old Vandy sweatshirt, then headed down the hall to the bedroom he’d turned into an office.

He had some accounts to settle, and this seemed as good a time as any to get them out of the way.

While Beck waited for his computer to power up, his gaze dropped to the unopened letter that had come in the mail yesterday. He didn’t need to look at the name and return address on the pale yellow envelope to know who it was from and what he’d find in it.

The instant he’d seen the envelope in his batch of mail, he’d almost tossed it unopened into the trash. But he’d set it aside, knowing that in the end he’d read the enclosed letter, just as he had the other three. The first had arrived shortly before Nina Holbrook’s sentencing on vehicular manslaughter charges. The others had shown up every six months since.

Beck gritted his teeth so hard his jaw ached as he recalled the sentence the marketing executive had received.
Probation.

Two years probation for two lives forever lost.

This woman actually expected him to forgive her?

Just seeing her handwriting had put him on edge and brought all the feelings of anger and loss bubbling up. He knew that was part of the reason he’d been more abrupt with Ami than he should have last night when she’d brought up forgiveness.

Thankfully, her good, pure heart had melted his anger.

But Beck felt his rage build again as he tore open the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper. His lips tightened as he read the words. She’d now been sober eighteen months. Her last drink had been at lunch on the day of the crash.

Though her blood alcohol hadn’t been above the legal limit on the day she’d killed Lisette, the fact that it was one point below impaired at two o’clock in the afternoon told him Nina had a problem. Especially when coupled with her previous DUI charge.

His gaze dropped once again to the letter.

Forgive me
, she pleaded in her perfect penmanship. The missive ended as it always did, with
I’m so very sorry for the loss of your wife and son
.

Beck ended the reading as he always did, by wadding up the thin sheet of vellum and tossing it into the trash.

On Sunday, the draw of the Christmas Stroll and Holiday Market, coupled with mild weather, brought residents and visitors out in droves. All businesses stayed open late and served special goodies and treats.

After handling the dinner rush, Ami left Muddy Boots to check in at the bakery, only to discover Hadley and Karin had everything under control. She was deciding how to spend the rest of the evening when Lindsay walked through the door.

Her friend had stopped by to see if she was interested in checking out some of the shops before they closed. In the past, Ami had always declined Lindsay’s friendly overtures.

This time there’d been such hope in her old friend’s eyes that Ami had found herself agreeing. Maybe she’d said yes because it was Christmas. Or maybe because lately she’d started wondering just who she was punishing by keeping Lindsay at arm’s length.

The air was crisp and the sky dotted with a thousand stars. The sidewalks were crowded with shoppers in high spirits.

The first business on their stroll was the Enchanted Florist, the shop where Lindsay worked as a floral designer. With charming smiles, the teenage daughters of the owner offered them cookies shaped like pretty spring flowers.

Lindsay chose one resembling a daffodil. After dropping a donation in the Giving Tree jar, her friend held up the perfectly formed creation. “This looks like your work.”

“Guilty.” Ami picked up a lavender cookie on a stick and sank her teeth in the buttery sweetness. “Your boss insisted on flowers in pastels instead of traditional Christmas cookies. They stand out, so it seems to have been a smart move.”

“Shirley has a good sense for what works and what doesn’t,” Lindsay said.

Ami added her own donation to the jar before they wandered outside. When she complained of being chilled, Lindsay insisted on buying them both cups of steaming cocoa from a vendor in the town square.

“Christmas Stroll brings back such good memories. Remember how we used to meet at the general store, then make the rounds chowing down food and lusting after the hot guys?” Lindsay’s eyes filled with a look of bemused remembrance. “I practically stalked Jeremy Rakes. Of course that was a wasted effort. Back then he only had eyes for your sister. How is Fin, by the way?”

“She’s still working in Los Angeles for that advertising agency.” Ami was proud of the success her sister had achieved. She only wished Fin lived closer and could visit more often. “She’ll be back for Christmas this year. She’s coming early for my dad’s open house.”

“I appreciated the invitation.” Lindsay took a sip of cocoa and popped the last piece of the daffodil cookie into her mouth. “I can’t wait to see your family again.”

Ami had debated whether to invite Lindsay, but growing up she’d been close to all of Ami’s sisters. Besides, barring a miracle, Lindsay’s mother would be there. No doubt hanging all over Ami’s father. She pressed her lips together and shoved the disturbing image aside.

“It’ll be a hectic time. Speaking of hectic.” Ami shot a curious glance in Lindsay’s direction. “What’s it like having a teenager in the house?”

“It’s . . . different but good. My apartment isn’t all that big, but we’re making it work.” Lindsay grasped Ami’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I can’t thank you and Beck enough for what you did for our family.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Ami protested.

“You hooked us up with Beck.” Lindsay’s eyes turned misty. “When I think of what might have happened to Dakota . . .”

“Hey.” Ami met Lindsay’s gaze. “It’s all good now.”

“Beck was magnificent. You should have seen Cassie’s face when he mentioned social services. And Clint, well, that guy is a loose cannon anyway. They practically threw Dakota at me. Neither of them wants a social worker getting in their business.” The smile on Lindsay’s face disappeared. “I still believe Cassie will eventually come to her senses and kick that loser to the curb. Until that happens, Dakota will live with me. I’ll keep her safe.”

Ami exhaled a sigh. “It’s still difficult for me to reconcile the current Cassie with the girl I knew all those years ago. Your sister was always so kind and gentle. It wasn’t until after your father died that she began to change.”

“They were very close. When he had the heart attack and died, it hit her hard. She and Mom were always at odds. That’s because they’re so much alike.”

Ami knew Anita would go ballistic if she heard anyone comparing her to her wayward daughter. The twinkle in her friend’s eyes told Ami that was her thought as well.

The shared understanding reminded Ami how it had once been between her and Lindsay. Back in high school they were so in sync they often finished each other’s thoughts. The night when Ami thought she’d killed her best friend had been the worst one of her life.

Lindsay’s eyes softened, correctly interpreting Ami’s expression. “We need to move on from that night.”

“I haven’t always made the best choices.”

“I haven’t, either. That’s part of growing up.” Lindsay’s voice was matter-of-fact. “How many of us are the same as we were at seventeen? Or even at twenty-five? We learn, we grow, and hopefully become better and wiser women. That’s not something to regret. It’s something to celebrate.”

“Yes, but—”

“Stop. No more guilt. I don’t blame you for my injuries, Ami. I chose not to buckle my seat belt.” Lindsay’s voice now trembled with emotion. “I’m tired of waiting for you to forgive yourself for something that wasn’t your fault. I want my friend back.”

Ami stilled the apology on her tongue. Perhaps Lindsay was right. Perhaps it was time to move on. She took a breath, let it out slowly. “Tonight has been fun. Let’s do it again.”

Lindsay nodded. No other words were necessary.

“Dakota is worried about her mom.” Her friend circled back to their earlier discussion. “I assured her I’ll make sure Cassie and the boys have what they need and she just needs to focus on getting good grades. I have to tell you, she’s superexcited about the part-time job. That was nice of Beck.”

Ami’s lips curved. “He’s a good guy.”

With each step they took toward the general store, the scent of spicy brats grew stronger. They were almost to the front porch of the clapboard structure when Lindsay elbowed Ami. “You and Beck seem to get on well.”

“We do.” Ami kept her tone offhand. “Considering his shop is right next door to mine, that’s fortunate.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Lindsay shot her a teasing smile, which made the scar on her cheek more prominent. “Are you two exclusive?”

While her own feelings were strong and true, Ami wasn’t sure what was going on in Beck’s head. Though she felt certain he cared for her, that’s all she knew for sure. Heck, she didn’t even know if they were really dating, much less if they were exclusive.

“Beck and I are good friends.” Ami waved a careless hand in the air. “We hang out every now and then.”

“Are you saying he’s available?” Lindsay asked as they stepped onto the porch of the general store. “Because Greer Chapin asked me about him.”

Greer was Clay’s younger sister. She’d been in Marigold’s class in school. Like all the Chapin brood, she’d left Good Hope for college. The pretty brunette had returned to the peninsula several years after graduation to work in one of the family’s many banks on the peninsula.

Ami hesitated. She certainly didn’t want to lie and say that she and Beck were “together” just because they’d made love. But she also didn’t want to give Greer the green light. “I wouldn’t exactly say Beck and I are together—”

“We’re together,” a familiar, deep voice insisted as a hand slid around her waist and warm lips brushed across her cheek. “Hello, Lindsay. How’s Dakota?”

Ami tried to put a little distance between her and Beck as Lindsay brought him up to speed on the teen. Beck would have none of it, keeping his arm firmly anchored around her waist.

His smile widened to include both of them. “Have you been tasting all the treats?”

“You bet. That’s why we stroll.” Lindsay smiled at Ami. “We were just talking about our high school days. We religiously visited all the shops. Except for our senior year when I—”

Ami braced herself, but before Lindsay could say more, Eliza walked up. The stylish shop owner was dressed all in black, including a midlength boiled wool coat Ami didn’t recall having seen before.

Lindsay got a warm hug.

Ami received a cool smile.

“I texted you.” Eliza focused on Lindsay. “When you didn’t answer, I assumed you were out strolling.”

But not with Ami in tow, Eliza’s look seemed to say.