The Summer Sisters (Juniper Springs Book 2) Page 16

  Graham said nothing. He held her gaze locked in his for so long, she wasn’t sure if he was still breathing…if she was breathing.

  Then his expression changed again. The same way it had changed at the meeting the first night she had spoken to him. Within two brisk steps he was there, right in front of her, pulling her into his arms. “Can I kiss you, Sassy McGrath?”

  The passion simmering in his low voice sent her world spinning again, but there was no pain, no headache, no unpleasant vertigo because Graham was holding on to her and he was going to kiss her and none of this made any sense at all, but maybe that was the best thing about a kiss. It didn’t have to make sense.

  Instead of answering, Sassy did the work for him, bringing their lips together, because she couldn’t wait one more second to be senseless with this man.

  A kiss. It held so much power. With Graham’s lips moving over hers, nothing else in the entire world mattered. He already seemed to know how to hold her, how to show her all the things they hadn’t yet talked about. There was nothing formal or awkward about the man’s kiss. The brush of his lips across hers was soft, almost teasing before becoming urgent and deliciously passionate.

  Sassy couldn’t seem to let go of him. She couldn’t seem to slow the kiss, even though her heart galloped and her lungs gasped. She might very well have a heart attack right here in this open lot, but she would still say this kiss was worth it.

  “What on earth?”

  Peg’s haughty tone might’ve been the only thing in the world that could bring Sassy back to that empty lot. She broke off the kiss but couldn’t bring herself to pull away from the man, no matter what kind of trouble this might land her in.

  “Just what do you think you’re doing, Mayor McGrath?” The woman stood on the sidewalk across from them with two of her friends. All three of them were clad in yoga gear and must have walked out of the studio across the street.

  Sassy almost laughed. Showing up here around the same time the yoga class ended sounded about right for her luck.

  “Someone in class mentioned there was a sign for the community garden over here, so I thought I would come and see for myself, and this is what I find?” With all the wild hand gesturing she was doing, Peg nearly dropped her rolled-up mat. “This is unbelievable! He’s nearly ten years younger than you!”

  This time Sassy did laugh. “Is that true?” she asked Graham in mock outrage. She already happened to know he was sixty-three, which would put him at not quite seven years younger.

  The man smiled back at her as though they were the only two standing there. “I might be a smidge younger, but you, my dear, are much lovelier.”

  Why, he’d just earned himself another kiss, the Romeo.

  “I have to say, I thought more of you, Sassy. This is shocking. Simply shocking.” Peg continued her tirade. “We will most assuredly be discussing this irresponsible behavior at the town council meeting on Wednesday night,” she added before stomping away.

  After she’d gone, Graham’s smile fell away and concern took over his expression. “I’m sorry. This is exactly what you’d worried about. I’ll tell them all it was my fault. That I just got carried away and kissed you.”

  “No, you will not.” Sassy gave him another smooch. “I might’ve been a little afraid of you, but I am definitely not afraid of Peg or her town council.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Rose

  Welcome back to the Juniper Inn, Mr. and Mrs. Cleary.”

  No, no, no. That didn’t sound right. Rose cleared her throat and tried again. “Mr. and Mrs. Cleary, it’s so wonderful to finally welcome you back to the Juniper Inn!” Hmmm…that might be a tad overenthusiastic. Plus, she didn’t want to imply it was their fault they hadn’t visited for so long.

  “Ugh.” She straightened the vases of wildflowers she’d picked earlier in an effort to spruce up the new check-in counter. It might be silly to be nervous, but the Clearys were their first guests at the inn. The guests who would test out their new cabins. The guests who would give them either stellar five-star reviews online or a critical one-star condemnation.

  “What do you think, Mari?” she asked the dog, who lay on her large fluffy pillow a few feet away. “Are we ready for this?”

  The dog raised her head and whined a little like she was nervous too.

  “We have to be ready.” Rose said the words mainly to remind herself. “Because the Clearys will be here any minute.” She looked around again to make sure everything was perfect.

  Back in the day, Sassy had always welcomed the guests to the inn by greeting them at their reserved cabin—taking cash or check only and giving them the key. Times had changed though, and if they wanted to be competitive in the resort market, Rose knew they had to create a more modern process and facility. So she’d had Tony convert the old barn on the property into a guest welcome center and gathering place.

  The check-in counter would be the first thing people saw when they walked in. It had a computer and a variety of brochures for area attractions and points of interest. Beyond the counter, the space really sparkled, if she did say so herself.

  One corner of the barn had been dedicated to several round tables that could each sit six people comfortably. A small drink station along the wall offered hot and cold water along with a variety of teas, hot chocolates, and instant coffees as well as a mini fridge stocked with sodas. A huge bookshelf on the other wall housed all varieties of board games and puzzles.

  In the other corner of the huge space, she’d had the crews build a massive stone fireplace as a focal point, and Rose had carefully chosen the most comfortable sofas and overstuffed chairs she could find to position around the hearth. In keeping with the rustic mountain theme, she’d decorated the space with a variety of homey cabin-like accents, including antler chandeliers and paintings of local wildlife she’d purchased at the Juniper Springs gallery.

  This room had eaten up nearly half of their renovation budget alone, but looking at the space now, she had no regrets.

  Rose sighed happily, thinking about all of the Christmas singalongs that could happen right there in front of the fireplace this winter. It would be the perfect spot to—

  “Hello?” The door creaked open, and she quickly jolted back into position behind the counter.

  Marigold immediately scrambled to her paws and took her place as Rose’s sidekick, sitting dutifully to her right, that fluffy tail sweeping back and forth over the hardwood floor.

  “Welcome back to the Juniper Inn!” She greeted the elderly couple who walked in with her brightest smile, not caring that her voice had gone about five octaves too high and her volume about three notches too loud. This was happening! After all the work and the headaches and the growing pains and the surprises, they were welcoming their first guests to the new and improved Juniper Springs Inn!

  And Mr. and Mrs. Cleary happened to be adorable. There was no other word to describe them. They were both on the shorter end of average height with white hair—though Mr. Cleary’s had thinned considerably. Mrs. Cleary had round pink cheeks and blue eyes that seemed to shine, thanks to the genuine smile on her face.

  “Why, thank you.” The woman lugged her large purse up onto the counter. “I can’t tell you how thrilled we are to be back.”

  “I almost didn’t recognize the place,” Mr. Cleary added, taking a good long look around the room. “We always thought it was beautiful, but this is beyond our expectations.”

  Pride swelled inside of her, making her chest feel as though it could burst. “I’m so glad. I’m Rose, Sassy’s niece.”

  “Rose!” Mrs. Cleary hurriedly dug a pair of glasses out of her purse and slipped them on. “My, it’s been years since we’ve seen you. You had to be ten years old the last time we crossed paths with you here at the inn.”

  “That’s right.” According to Sassy, the Clearys had stayed at the inn one summer when Rose was visiting with her family. Rose didn’t remember meeting them, but then again, she’d likel
y been too busy wandering in the woods and swimming in the pond to pay much attention to the adults.

  “You’re beautiful.” The woman nudged her husband. “Isn’t she beautiful, Gerald?”

  “She is.” The man gave his wife a tender smile. “But no one is as beautiful as you, love.”

  Aww. That would be why these two were celebrating their fiftieth anniversary this week. Instead of gushing over the two of them, Rose tried to remain professional. “Your cabins are all ready for the week. You’ll be the first group we’ve welcomed since the remodel.”

  “That’s just what we were hoping for.” Mrs. Cleary grabbed her husband’s hand. “We couldn’t think of a more special way to celebrate this big milestone than coming back to this place that holds so many wonderful memories for our family.”

  “Speaking of family…” Mr. Cleary lumbered to the door. “Hey, everyone, come on in. Wait until you see what they’ve done in here.”

  The doors opened wide and people of all ages started to spill in to the barn—children and moms holding babies and men ranging from early twenties to fifties.

  Marigold could no longer handle behaving. The dog barked and yipped with excitement, bolting over to greet all of her new friends.

  “All right, pups.” Rose gently took hold of the dog’s collar and urged her out the door. “We’ll introduce you later. Right now you can go find the squirrels.” At the sound of that key word, Marigold took off for the trees.

  Rose stepped back inside, maneuvering around all the people to get back to the check-in counter. She had known the reservation had included nearly thirty family members, but she still shook her head in awe. “What an amazing group you have.” Earlier that morning at breakfast Sassy had walked her through the Clearys’ family tree. Mr. and Mrs. Cleary had three kids, who were all married and in their fifties now. Each of their kids had three kids, and now Gerald and Nadine also had three great grandchildren and one on the way.

  “Our family is our whole life.” Mr. Cleary draped his arm around his wife’s shoulders.

  The young children in the group dispersed, immediately gravitating toward the game area, while the adults stood around chatting.

  “We enjoy every minute we get to spend with them.”

  “I can see why.” Rose had always wondered what it would be like to be part of a large, close-knit family. Her parents had never made aunts, uncles, and cousins a priority. Well, after her mother’s falling-out with Sassy, that was. “Your reservation is all paid for and taken care of.” She selected the cabin key cards and placed them in the welcome folders she’d designed. “I’ve assigned everyone as you requested. There’s a map on the back showing where each cabin is located.”

  “Wonderful.” Mrs. Cleary took the stack of folders and leaned in closer. “Say, you don’t remember my grandson, Nolan, do you?”

  Rose thought back, but she couldn’t even place the Clearys in her memory. “I’m afraid not. Have I met him before?”

  “Yes, that last summer we were here.” Even the woman’s laugh seemed to twinkle. “He had quite the crush on you that week. He’s only a few years older, you know.”

  “Oh, I guess I’d forgotten.” Rose scanned the group behind the elderly couple, looking for a familiar face.

  “Nolan, darling,” Mrs. Cleary called. “Come and say hello to Rose.”

  The man strode over from where the children had been playing. Rose had been too distracted to have seen him earlier, or she surely would’ve noticed him.

  No, she would’ve done more than notice him. She might’ve smiled the way she had to be smiling now.

  To say Nolan Cleary was handsome wouldn’t quite cover it. The man had a magnetism about him—tall enough to be noticed in a large, crowded room, dark hair with just the right amount of wave and styled like he cared, and eyes she could tell were a deep blue even with the distance between them.

  He didn’t move with an overly confident swagger like most men that good-looking would have. He had more of a laid-back gait that seemed neither too hurried nor too leisurely.

  “He thought you were the prettiest girl he’d ever seen,” the woman gushed while her grandson made his way over. “You remember Sassy’s niece Rose, don’t you?” she asked when he approached the counter.

  The man stopped abruptly, seeming to take Rose in. “Rose? Of course I remember Rose.” Two long strides brought him the rest of the way to the counter.

  “Hi.” Rose suddenly realized all eyes—including Nolan’s smoldering pair—were focused on her. “It’s nice to see you again.” She tried to think of something else to say, something clever or charming, but before anything came to her, Sassy waltzed into the barn, setting off a new round of chaos.

  “I hope I didn’t miss the party.” She hugged her way through the Cleary family until she made it to the counter, where Rose still stood tongue-tied and smiling awkwardly.

  “You didn’t miss anything,” Rose told her aunt. She sure didn’t seem to have any problem talking to Sassy. “In fact, the Clearys just arrived.” And her aunt hadn’t shown up a moment too soon, rescuing her from making a fool out of herself in front of Nolan Cleary. Sheesh, a good-looking man had never flustered her back in Savannah.

  “I was just reintroducing Rose to Nolan.” Mrs. Cleary tugged on her grandson’s hand, presenting him to Sassy.

  “Nolan!” Sassy hugged him like he was a part of the family. “That’s right. You two have met before.”

  “We have indeed,” the man confirmed, quirking his lips at Rose as if to say he remembered her well. “It’s great to be back here. I couldn’t believe how many memories flooded me on the drive in.”

  “We’re thrilled you all could come back to celebrate such a special occasion with us.” There. Rose had finally broken her uncertain silence. And she’d sounded quite professional, to boot.

  “We are too.” Mr. Cleary shared a long, loving glance with his missus before placing a hand on his grandson’s shoulder. “Nolan here was talking about wanting a tour of the place. Since it’s been so many years and all.”

  “Oh, I’m sure Rose would be happy to take him.” Mrs. Cleary gathered up her purse. “They can walk around and meet us over at the cabin in a little while.”

  “What a fabulous idea,” Sassy agreed with a wink at Rose. “She’d be happy to take him for a walking tour. Rose can tell him all about the upgrades she’s made around here too.”

  “Oh. Uh.” Rose peeked at the man again.

  He caught her glance and grinned. “I’d love it, if you could spare the time.”

  “He could bring his camera and take some pictures while you’re out,” Mrs. Cleary offered. “Nolan is a famous photographer.”

  The man’s chuckle held the perfect blend of humility and amusement. “Don’t listen to her. That’s not true.”

  “It is so,” Mr. Cleary argued stubbornly. “He’s sold his photographs to all the big magazines—National Geographic, Time, the New York Times. We’ve got them all framed and hanging on our walls at home.”

  “That’s amazing.” Sassy gasped and turned to Rose. “You just said the other day that we need to get updated pictures for the website and brochures now that all of the projects are finished.”

  “That’s true.” But why did she feel like this was a setup? Maybe because both Mrs. Cleary and Sassy had that spark of mischief in their eyes. But they really did need some professional photographs of the inn. And it wasn’t like she was attracted to Nolan. Sure, the man had that Disney prince vibe going on, but her heart was already occupied at the moment.

  As much as she wanted to forget about kissing Colt, the memory seemed to sneak up on her at the most inconvenient times—when she was trying to fall asleep at night or when she was supposed to be focusing on something else…like right now.

  “I’m happy to take him on a tour.” Rose shut out the thundering in her heart brought on by thoughts of Colt. “And please feel free to call me anytime if you need anything at all during your stay,”
she said to Mr. and Mrs. Cleary. “My number is right on those folders I gave you.” She almost reminded them about the party for Sassy, but quickly bit her tongue before she ruined the surprise.

  “I’m sure everything will be lovely.” Mrs. Cleary squeezed her hand. “Sassy, if you have time, I would love to catch up over some tea. Everyone seems happy here for now anyway.” The woman gestured to where the children had all spread out and were playing games.

  “What a marvelous idea.” Her aunt linked her arms with Mr. and Mrs. Cleary and led them to the drink station, leaving Rose and Nolan alone.

  “You sure you don’t mind doing this?” the man asked, serving up a grin with a side of repentance in his eyes. “Because I can wander around alone if you’re busy.”

  “I don’t mind at all.” She would do whatever she could to keep her customers happy. “It’ll be fun for me to show off all the work we put in over the last several months.”

  “Perfect.” Nolan walked to the door and held it open for her. “I’ll let you lead the way.”

  They stepped outside and were instantly greeted by the late afternoon sunshine filtering through the aspen leaves. A warm breeze seemed to make the light dance across the green grass.

  “I need to grab my camera.” Nolan stopped at a dark SUV and retrieved a surprisingly compact camera with a massive lens. “I don’t go anywhere without this.” He slipped the neck strap over his head. “When you love what you do, it never feels like work.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” Rose strolled alongside him, deciding they would visit the pond first. She could already see Marigold down there, staring intently at the water as though searching for a critter.

  “So when did you come back to the Juniper Inn?” Nolan asked, adjusting something on his camera.

  “Last Christmas. Sassy invited my sisters and me to come.” A nostalgic sigh rose up in her chest. How beautiful it had been here then with the soft mounds of snow frosting everything over. It was still beautiful, of course, but there was no more magical time than Christmas.