felt Brian step up behind her in the protective gesture she remembered so fondly from her difficult high school years. She could feel the fury pouring off him, and she silently begged him not to do anything that would cause the elderly couple to call the sheriff.
“I guess you’ve got the right to renege on your deal,” Brian began in a tone that made it clear what he thought of that, “but the lady sent you a deposit, trusting that there’d be a room waiting for her. She’ll be needing that back.”
“Didn’t sign nothin’,” the man argued half-heartedly, probably because he knew Brian was right.
The two glowered at each other, the older one defensive while the younger one simply stared back as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After nearly a minute of that, Brian folded his arms in an obstinate way that announced he wasn’t leaving until the man refunded Lindsay’s down payment to her.
“Ed, just give her the money,” his wife pleaded, obviously anxious to have the whole nasty business over with. “I’m sure we can get by without it for a while longer.”
He didn’t respond but dug a battered wallet from his back pocket and leafed through the contents. Lindsay was fairly certain that he was selecting the most worn bills to give her, and it was all she could do to keep her mouth shut. The whole incident echoed the snobbish way she’d been treated by some of her holier-than-thou classmates, and it was tough not to lash out at the man who’d mashed one of her buttons.
When he finally had the right amount, he pointedly set it on the hallway table before turning and stalking back the way he’d come. It was as if he didn’t want to risk catching anything by handing the cash to her, and Lindsay summoned the tattered remnants of her dignity, fighting to keep her temper in check.
“I really am sorry about this, Miss Holland,” Mrs. Farrington said quietly as she opened the door for them. “We’re in a bad way, and renting that room to you would’ve made a big difference to all of us. I wish we could have helped each other.”
The woman sounded sincere, and Lindsay put aside her own predicament to show some compassion as she retrieved the money that Ed had left. “I do, too. What will you do now?”
“Find another renter, I suppose. It’s not easy in the wintertime because folks are pretty well dug in where they are until spring. When you called about our ad, I thought it was the answer to my prayers.”
Understandably distraught, she waited for them to leave and eased the door closed behind them. The sound of three different locks engaging ended the uncomfortable confrontation with a finality that sent Lindsay’s heart plunging to the snow-covered walkway beneath her feet. Thoroughly soaked from tramping around in her thin flat shoes, they were taking on a decided chill that only made her more miserable. As they headed back to Brian’s truck, she felt her heart sinking a little lower with each step.
“Now what?” she asked, glancing back at the house that had seemed so welcoming but had proven to be the exact opposite.
“Lunch. I’m starving.”
Her hero, she thought with a fondness that startled her. Over the years, she’d often thought of the rakish boy who’d fought so many battles for her, even before they’d become serious about each other. While he’d been—and still was—one of the best-looking guys she’d ever met, his unswerving willingness to defend her had been the quality she’d admired most about him.
“Okay, but it’s on me,” she replied, waving the fistful of cash she now held, thanks to him.
“Not a chance. I’m a Calhoun, and we never let a lady pay.”
“But—”
“Save your money,” he interrupted her as he tossed her bag into the well behind the seat and helped her up into the cab. “You’ve got a baby on the way, so you’re gonna need it.”
Baby on the way and no place to live, she added mentally. Technically, she was in the same predicament as yesterday, although the details had changed slightly. The weather hadn’t, though, and she shivered despite the warmth of the cab.
“What’m I gonna do?” Hearing the whine in her voice, she cringed and closed her eyes before resting her head on the foggy window.
Brian shifted in his seat, a sure sign that she was making him uncomfortable. Considering how she’d treated him in the past, she felt awful for putting him in the awkward position of being her rescuer. That had been okay when they were younger, but she was a grown woman now, and a mother-to-be besides. No matter how many curve balls life threw at her, she’d have to maneuver her way through them.
Alone.
Forcing herself to look over at him, she gathered up her courage. “I’m sorry, Brian. This is my problem, not yours. I’ll figure it out.”
Being let off the hook seemed to ease his tension, and he visibly relaxed. “For now, we’re gonna get you something to eat. I’m sure Gran has something over at the bakery that’ll warm you up.”
Ellie Calhoun was one of Lindsay’s few fond memories of this place, and just hearing the woman’s name made her smile. “That sounds great.”
Brian nodded and headed down Main Street toward the tiny business district. She suspected that it had been pretty much the same since the day the founding Calhoun brothers opened their blacksmith shop next to the winding creek that gave the town its name. The stores were small, but each had a large front window that displayed what was sold inside. There was an old-fashioned confectionary, a bookstore that advertised gourmet coffee and a high-speed internet connection, even a small-town barbershop whose striped pole spun in the wind.
Everything was still the way she remembered it, she mused as Brian parked beside Ellie’s Bakery and Bike Rentals. That might be a good thing. But considering the way her day had gone so far, she doubted it.
* * *
“Lindsay!” When Brian walked her through the glass-front door, his grandmother hurried out from behind the counter to embrace her. Artfully dodging the obvious change in their visitor, she beamed at Lindsay as if she’d been waiting for her all day instead of being surprised to find her there. “It’s wonderful to see you. How have you been?”
“Good, and you?”
Gran laughed. “Oh, you know how it is around here. There’s always something interesting going on, and I just try to keep up.” She turned to Brian with an accusing look. “Why didn’t you tell me Lindsay was coming into town?”
“It was a surprise to me, too,” he answered, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “I know it’s a little early for customers, but what’s the chance of us getting some lunch?”
“For my boy? A hundred percent. Since it’s so cold, I’ve got a batch of stew simmering, and I’m just pulling fresh bread out of the oven. You two sit down and I’ll bring you some.”
“I knew I smelled something amazing,” Lindsay commented while she shed her coat.
Suddenly recalling his manners, Brian took it from her and hung it on the rack near the door. Adding his own, he joined her at the table she’d chosen. As far from the front windows as she could get, he noticed. She was either keeping away from the chill near the door or trying to avoid being seen. Considering her condition, he guessed that it was probably some of both.
“I forgot how cold it gets here in the winter,” she said, rubbing her bare hands together to warm them. “Once I find myself a job, I’ll have to buy a pair of gloves.”
“You’ve got some money now,” he reminded her.
“I’ll need that to pay for a room. Assuming I can find one.”
Brian waited for the cheeky grin he remembered to tell him that she was exaggerating. When it didn’t appear, he felt a pang of sorrow for this beautiful, lost woman who’d found herself at the end of her rope and somehow landed on his doorstep. He still wasn’t