Hometown Holiday Reunion
Read Hometown Holiday Reunion Online
Authors: Mia Ross
Falling for the Girl Next Door
Returning home to take care of his ailing mother, Cam Stewart reunites with his best friend's little sister. And while Erin Kinley is still a firecracker, she's grown from an annoying tagalong to a beautiful woman and devoted foster mom. She and Cam still drive each other crazyâ¦until Erin turns to Cam for comfort during a stressful adoption process. Cam's fractured family had him convinced he'd never be a dad, but suddenly he's considering two things he never thought he would: having a family and staying in Oaks Crossing. Could Erin and her son be everything he's longed for?
“Erin Kinley?”
Her slender frame stiffened, and she slowly spun to face him. Wearing an expression that Cam suspected mirrored his own, she rolled her hazel eyes toward the sky. “Now I know why Natalie didn't mention the owner's name.”
“And why she didn't tell me who was interested. She must've figured neither of us would ever agree to do this if we knew who we were meeting.”
“She's a smart girl.” Glancing around, she folded her arms in an unhappy gesture he remembered all too well. “I haven't seen you since Drew and Bekah's wedding. How have you been?”
Still a little porcupine with Southern-lady manners, he noted with a grin. It was nice to know some things in his hometown hadn't changed. “Fine. And you?”
“Fine.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds, and he was struck by the realization that she was a lot prettier than the persistent tagalong he and Drew had spent so much time ditching when they were all growing up together.
Mia Ross
loves great stories. She enjoys reading about fascinating people, long-ago times and exotic places. But only for a little while, because her reality is pretty sweet. Married to her college sweetheart, she's the proud mom of two amazing kids, whose schedules keep her hopping. Busy as she is, she can't imagine trading her life for anyone else'sâand she has a pretty good imagination. You can visit her online at
miaross.com
.
Books by Mia Ross
Love Inspired
Oaks Crossing
Hometown Holiday Reunion
Barrett's Mill
Blue Ridge Reunion
Sugar Plum Season
Finding His Way Home
Loving the Country Boy
Holiday Harbor
Hometown Family
Circle of Family
A Gift of Family
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HOMETOWN
HOLIDAY REUNION
Mia Ross
And a little child shall lead them.
â
Isaiah
11:6
For “Parkers” everywhere
Acknowledgments
Grateful to the very talented folks who help me
make my books everything they can be:
Melissa Endlich and the dedicated staff
at Love Inspired.
More thanks to the gang at Seekerville
(seekerville.net), a great place to hang out
with readersâand writers.
I've been blessed with a wonderful network
of supportive, encouraging family and friends.
You inspire me every day!
Chapter One
J
ust what he needed this morning.
Cam Stewart stood in the middle of the bustling kitchen at the Oaks Café, glowering at the commercial fridge that was making an ominous thunking noise. It had started last week, just after Christmas, as more of a loud hum punctuated by a bang every now and then. Now it was clanking with a fairly constant rhythm, and even though he wasn't an expert on large appliances, as a construction foreman he'd been around enough faltering equipment to recognize a death knell when he heard one.
Glancing over at the dishwasher who'd come running to get him, Cam shrugged. “That's how you know it's Monday, right?”
Until that moment, Kyle had looked terrified, as if he feared that his job was in danger because he'd been the one to deliver bad news. The poor kid's tight expression loosened up, and he nodded. “I guess so.”
In all honesty, Cam wasn't surprised by this latest in a seemingly endless parade of troubles. When he'd returned to Oaks Crossing in the fall to help out with the family business, he'd found the books and the property in a shambles, on the brink of failing altogether. His plans for sticking around for just a few weeks to rehab the building for sale had gone on an indefinite hold. No matter how good the shell looked, no one in their right mind would buy a restaurant that was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Putting that gloomy thought out of his mind, he focused on what he could control. “All right, Kyle, let's shut down this beast before something completely lets go in there. I'll call over to the appliance repair shop and see if they can send someone out today. For now, let's shift everything into the fridge over in the snack bar.” A scary thought occurred to him, and he said, “Please tell me the walk-in freezer is still working.”
“Last time I checked it was okay.”
The hedging answer made Cam laugh, mostly because as much as he wanted to throw a fit, that wouldn't get any of their equipment fixed. That, and he was just too tired from a long string of sixteen-hour days to summon the energy. “Let's hope it stays that way. Grab one of the busboys to give you a hand.”
“You got it, boss.”
Clearly relieved that someone had arrived with a plan to save the day, Kyle hurried out front to find another set of hands that weren't already occupied clearing breakfast dishes from the tables. Cam was thumbing through the contact list on his phone when it started ringing in his hand. After checking the caller ID, he answered the call. “Hey, Nat. How's my favorite little sister?”
“Busy as a one-armed paper hanger. You?”
It had been one of their late grandfather's trademark sayings, and hearing it from her made Cam smile. “Same. I thought Realtors kept their own hours. What's got you up at the crack of dawn?”
“I've got a hot lead for the building next to the café.”
Her tone alerted him that there was more to the story, and he got a firm grip on his temper before saying, “I hear a
but
in there.”
“They'd like to rent it for a few months to make sure it's going to work for them.”
Which meant he'd be stuck in his backwater hometown, playing nice with a tenant he didn't want in an attempt to keep them happyâand on the hook to purchase it. In the end they might not even buy the building, and he'd be right back where he started. “Not a chance.”
“I knew you'd say that, but listen to me. Even though Kentucky winters are nothing compared to what you get up in Minnesota, this is a horrible time of year to sell property. After the holidays, no one wants to even think about laying out money like that. When spring arrives in a few months things might get betterâbut with the economy around here the way it is, you never know.”
“You mean I might have to wait until spring to get rid of it?” Cam felt a frustrated growl threatening in the back of his throat, and he swallowed to keep it in check. “I have a life to get back to in Minneapolis, y'know. My boss has been real understanding, but once building season starts, he'll have to hire a new foreman to run the crew.”
“That's why I called. At least with a tenant, you'd have some money coming in. Right now, you're stuck paying utilities and taxes on that place, with no income to offset the expense.”
Despite the fact that she was telling him something he definitely didn't want to hear, Cam couldn't help feeling proud of his younger sister. He'd contributed a fair chunk of her college fund himself, and it was gratifying to see firsthand that she was making the most of her education. With a solid career, a doting husband and an adorable baby named Sophie, Natalie had what everyone wanted.
Sounded like a dream life for anyone. Except for Cam, of course.
His ill-fated marriage had been more than enough to sour him on the conventional lifestyle so many of his friends had fallen into. No attachments, no regrets, he'd vowed, even before the ink on his divorce papers had dried. The closer someone got, the easier it was for them to destroy you. Since he wasn't a masochist, he wasn't keen on going through that ever again.
The past was done and gone, so he brushed it aside and got back to the problem at hand. He hated the idea of being a landlord, but considering the fact that there currently weren't any other options visible on the horizon, he didn't seem to have a choice. “I guess I should at least meet your clients. When are they coming?”
“I said you'd meet them there in five minutes.”
“Thanks for the heads-up, sis.”
“I know you. If I'd given you more time, you'd have come up with a hundred reasons not to go,” she shot back in a businesslike tone that made him grind his teeth. “This way, it'll be over soon and you can get on with your day.”
It wasn't her fault that his week had started out so badly, Cam reminded himself. So, in the interests of family harmony, he swallowed his frustration and tried to sound appropriately grateful. “You've got a point there. Thanks for the lead.”
“Anytime. When you're finished, give me a call to let me know how it went.”
“Will do.”
Hanging up, Cam checked in the kitchen and was pleased to find that nothing else had gone wrong. His call to the appliance repair shop was picked up by voice mail, so he left a message. Stopping in the cramped office to get a set of keys, he had the nagging feeling that he'd soon be hunting around for a decent used cooler. There was no way he could afford a new one.
The misty late-December air was cool, but nothing like he'd gotten used to during his ten years up north. On mornings like this, he really missed being part of a crew that built things instead of running around putting out fires that never seemed to end. Sure, he'd worked like a dog up in Minnesota, but at the end of the day, he'd accomplished something and went home feeling good about what he'd done.
Unfortunately, now he never got away from his family's restaurant. It was a real stretch for someone accustomed to looking out for himself, and the responsibility weighed heavily on him. Miserable as he was, though, he just couldn't bring himself to leave his mother and sister to manage everything on their own. Whether it took another week or several months, he was committed to staying until he felt confident they'd be all right. But some days, he honestly worried that if he couldn't square things and leave soon, they'd be hauling him out of town in a straitjacket.
That pessimistic thought had just left his head when he turned the corner and discovered who was waiting for him on the sidewalk in front of the For Sale sign.
“Erin Kinley?”
Her slender frame stiffened, and she slowly spun to face him. Wearing an expression that he suspected mirrored his own, she rolled her hazel eyes toward the sky. When they came back to him, they weren't exactly friendly. “Now I know why Natalie didn't mention the owner's name.”
“And why she didn't tell me who was interested. She must've figured neither of us would ever agree to do this if we knew who we were meeting.”
“Smart girl.” Glancing around, Erin folded her arms in an unhappy gesture he remembered all too well. “I haven't seen you since Drew and Bekah's wedding. How have you been?”
Still a little porcupine with Southern-lady manners, he noted with a grin. It was nice to know some things in his hometown hadn't changed. These days, he doubted that even the most compassionate person in town wanted to hear what was actually going on with him, so he fell back on an old standby. “Fine. And you?”
“Fine.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds, and he was struck by the realization that she was a lot prettier than the persistent tagalong he and Drew had spent so much time ditching when they were all growing up together. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a wavy ponytail, framing a pixie face still lightly freckled from the summer.
And then there were those eyes. A unique combination of green and gold, he knew they could twinkle with humor one second and slice through you the next. Smart and sassy, the Kinley boys' only sister had ridden roughshod over them all their lives. And for some reason Cam had never been able to fathom, every one of them just stood by and let her do it.
Realizing the silence had dragged on for a while, he kick-started their lagging discussion by dangling the keys. “Still wanna see inside?”
“Sure,” she replied, lifting a shoulder as if it didn't matter much one way or the other.
But something in her expression said otherwise, and Cam got the feeling that renting this vacant building was just as important to her as it was to him. The idea that she might be in some kind of trouble entered his mind, but he pushed it aside as he strolled over to unlock the glass-paneled door. Her personal life was absolutely none of his business, he reminded himself sternly. If things worked out, they'd be professional neighbors, and his only concern would be whether or not her rent checks cleared.
With the mess his life was in right now, he didn't have the timeâor the strengthâto take on anyone else's problems.
He opened the door and stepped back to let her walk through ahead of him. The air was a little musty, but opening the windows would take care of that. Not wanting to get in her way, he stayed near the front and let her wander around the large, empty space, curious to hear what she thought.
One thing about Erin, he mused, you never had to worry about her sugarcoating her opinions to avoid hurting your feelings. Good or bad, she always told it like it was.
“Obviously,” she started off in a brisk, no-nonsense manner, “I can't run a retail business in this canyon of a room. I'll need display cases and shelving, both on the floor and hung from the walls, which need to be painted something other than this lovely beige. Do you want to lay down some ground rules for what I can and can't do?”
He wasn't crazy about having to rip out a lot of furnishings if she ultimately decided not to take this albatross off his hands. Then again, if he let her do pretty much what she wanted, it might entice her to sign the purchase agreement sooner rather than later. While he meant to sound agreeable, he was stunned to hear himself saying, “Not really. If you want, I'll even build the stuff for you.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Seriously?”
“Sure.” It wasn't like him to leap out there like that, and he was already regretting the impulsive offer. But he'd done it, and there was no backpedaling from it now. “Now that the renovations on the café are finished, I've got some spare time. And spare lumber,” he added, hoping to sweeten the deal.
“Thanks. I'll keep that in mind.” Flashing him a grateful smile, she continued her assessing stroll. “This building's been vacant for a while now. When were the furnace and water heater last serviced?”
“I had 'em done about a month ago, when I repaired the roof. I did that myself, but mechanicals aren't my specialty so an HVAC company from Ferndale took care of those. You can call them if you want.”
Her icy demeanor thawed slightly, and she gave him a tiny smile. “That's not necessary. I believe you.”
“Because I'm Drew's friend?” He cringed at the insecurity he heard in his voice, and he covered it with a grin, hoping she'd assume he'd been joking.
“Because in spite of our
many
differences, you're a good guy and I know you wouldn't lie about something that important to trick me into leasing this place.” She paused with a somber look, as if she was trying to decide if she should continue. After a few moments, she went on, “The main reason I'm asking is that my son and I will be living in the apartment upstairs. I want to make sure he's comfortable and safe.”
Son? Cam was no actor, and he couldn't have disguised his astonishment if he'd wanted to. “I had no idea you were a mom.”
“The ring bearer at Drew and Bekah's wedding was my foster son, Parker Smith.”
The name and circumstances rang a bell in his memory, and for some reason he felt a rush of relief. Close on its heels came the thought that this tenacious, protective woman would probably make a fantastic mom. Shoving that observation aside, he said, “Oh, right. I think Drew mentioned that, but I didn't know the details.”
“Parker's had a really tough time of it,” she confided softly, looking up at the ceiling, then around the dusty interior, before coming back to Cam. “I can't change what happened to him in the past, but I'm determined to make sure he has a better future.”
“It sounds like you're thinking about adopting him.”
“I am, but Social Services has to try locating his parents first. All he could tell them was he was born in Kentucky and that he and his mother lived in a lot of different places.”
“With such a common last name, it'd be almost impossible to find the right family, even if you had some idea where to look.”
“Very true,” Erin agreed with a resigned sigh. “Anyway, I'll be filing the paperwork ten minutes after his parents are officially declared unreachable.”