The Summer Sisters (Juniper Springs Book 2) Read online

  “Well, I’ve never been talked to like that as a paying customer.” Her mother directed her glare to the man behind the counter. “And look at this place. It’s absolutely filthy.”

  Rose ignored her mother’s complaints. She’d gotten used to doing that over the years. All Lillian had to do was take a look around to realize they weren’t in some upscale restaurant in Savannah. Grumpy had antlers on the walls, for crying out loud. And the tables were made from logs the man had found himself. “Where’d Dally go, anyway?” Hopefully their mother hadn’t driven her sister outside the state lines.

  “She went to the bathroom.” Lillian threw up her hands. “She walked away and let that man attack me. Can you believe that?”

  “Kind of?” Rose wouldn’t mind escaping either. She loved her mother. But the woman did stick out like a turd in a punchbowl around these parts. It wasn’t only her hoity-toity attitude, either. The few other patrons sitting in the coffee shop all wore jeans and different varieties of T-shirts. No one here cared about impressing anyone else. Then there was Lillian Buchanan—dressed head to toe in rayon and silk.

  “Americano,” Grumpy mumbled as he slid the to-go cup in front of her mother.

  “Thanks, Grumpy! We appreciate it.” Rose snatched up the cup and used it to lure her mother out of the coffee shop.

  The second they stepped outside, Marigold jolted to her feet and trotted over to greet them. The poor dog couldn’t seem to take the hint that Lillian didn’t want anything to do with her. Mari rubbed up against her mother’s pants and licked her hand.

  Rose decided not to mention her dog’s little deer poop indulgence earlier.

  “Are you ever going to teach this dog some manners?” Her mother dug a wet wipe out of her purse and cleaned her hands.

  Rose shrugged. “She likes you.” What were manners when it came to love?

  “Did you solve the great almond milk crisis?” Dahlia walked over from the bakery next door and got a hearty greeting from Marigold too.

  “It was a simple request.” Their mother set her coffee on a nearby table and pulled a lipstick out of her purse. “I don’t see why the man couldn’t have walked across the street to the market. There were no customers in line behind me. And I told him I would pay more.”

  Rose didn’t tell her mother that throwing money around wouldn’t get her very far here. “So how was last night?” She noticed some dark circles under Dally’s eyes.

  “It was fine.” Her sister kept that tight, guarded expression firmly in place.

  Their mother’s headshake contradicted her sister’s answer. “We had to do quite a bit of work on the guest room before I was comfortable sleeping in there.”

  Rose had nearly forgotten how patronizing her mother could be sometimes.

  “The sheets were so old they were positively stiff,” Lillian went on, as if she didn’t notice Dally’s expression darkening. Rose definitely did.

  “But thankfully I packed my own bedding, so we were able to swap out the linens.”

  “Thankfully,” Dahlia muttered.

  I owe you, Rose mouthed to her sister so her mother couldn’t see. She hadn’t meant to pile more stress on Dally when she was still getting settled and obviously still trying to figure out things with Ike. “Hey, while we’re out and about, we should take Mom to that little boutique down the street.”

  Knowing her mother, she would spend hours checking out the couture clothing and accessories. They didn’t have to mention it was all secondhand.

  “Good idea.” Dahlia started to walk onward without waiting for them.

  Marigold fell in line with Rose. It still amazed her that the dog had never needed a leash. She simply followed along like one of the girls.

  “I’m surprised a town this size would have a high-end boutique.” Lillian seemed to scan the streets. She likely saw Juniper Springs very differently than Rose did. There were no grand buildings, no fancy restaurants, and very few expensive cars cruising the roadways. Things here were tidy and functional. And the charm came in the small details—the flower pots bursting with colorful annuals that hung from iron lampposts, the full water bowls outside of nearly every shop storefront for the many dogs that accompanied the owners downtown, the various benches where people could sit and linger, visiting with their neighbors.

  It was funny, last year when she’d shown up here, Rose had stuck out as obviously as her mom did now. But in eight short months, she’d fit here better than she’d fit anywhere in her life.

  “Here we are.” Dally paused outside of the So Chic Boutique.

  Thankfully, there was a display of purses in the window that caught their mother’s eye right away. “Is that a Jimmy Choo?” Lillian practically broke down the door getting into the shop while Rose and her sister lingered outside.

  “I’m sorry.” Rose hugged Dally. “I didn’t mean to make your life harder right now.”

  “It’s not your fault.” A hint of her sister’s real smile came back. “I’m the one who offered my guest room.” She laughed a little. “And it’s really not so bad. I know I can’t take anything personally with her, but when she started in on Grumpy in front of all those people, I wanted to let her have it.”

  “Oh, trust me.” Rose had lived with their mother well into her twenties. Dally didn’t have to explain herself.

  Her sister glanced in the window and saw that their mother had the store clerk’s full attention. “I want to have a good relationship with her. I want the kids to have a good relationship with her. She must be so lonely.”

  Leave it to Dally to find compassion where Rose only found frustration. “I know.” She sighed, watching her mother try on one of the purses. “Now that she’s here, we have to figure out how to patch things up between her and Sassy. I think we can make it happen.” Their mother needed family. She needed her sister the way Rose needed Dally and Mags.

  “You’ve always been the optimistic one.”

  “And you’ve always been the realist.” Rose gave Dally a playful nudge.

  Her sister grinned. “That’s why we make such a good team.”

  “Exactly.” If anyone could figure this out, it was them. And it couldn’t be better timing with the grand reopening celebration happening next week.

  “Did you see Sassy this morning?” Her sister’s grin faded.

  “I did. We had a quick breakfast together before she had to run out and be mayor.” Rose had carefully watched her aunt for any signs of concern, but…“She seemed great. Full of energy. Happy about her new job. She said a good night’s sleep is all she needed.” Rose could tell Dally wasn’t buying it. “I’ll keep watching.”

  “Great. Thanks.” Her sister leaned against the brick wall as though she had no intention of going into the shop. “And I’ll keep trying to talk to Mom about Sassy. Maybe I can butter her up a little before we actually bring them together face-to-face.”

  “That’s a good idea.” They had to find the right time and the right place. Somewhere her mother couldn’t simply walk away…

  “Hey, you didn’t tell me Colt was selling the hardware store.”

  “Huh?” Rose replayed her sister’s words. Had she said selling?

  “I saw a for sale sign hanging in the window when Mom and I walked past earlier,” Dally said. “I thought he would’ve mentioned it to you yesterday.”

  “Colt isn’t selling.” A whoosh of blood seemed to clog her ears. He couldn’t be selling. “I spent the whole day with him, and he didn’t say a word about selling the store.”

  “Oh.” Her sister straightened as though taken aback by Rose’s reaction. “There’s definitely a sign in the window…”

  “I’ll be right back.” Rose marched away from the boutique, from her sister. She didn’t know why her heart was pounding this way, why a strange sense of urgency drove her footsteps. She only knew there had to be some mistake. Colt had only just gotten back to Juniper Springs. Why would he be selling the store?

  Rose kept her head
down all the way to the end of the block and then saw it for herself—the FOR SALE sign hanging in Colt’s window. Before she could stop herself, she plowed through the doors at warp speed.

  “Rose. Hey.” The man himself stepped out from behind the counter.

  He couldn’t Rose, hey her. “You’re selling the store?”

  “Yep.” He walked to meet her, his hands stuffed into his pockets. “It’s time to move on. I can’t stay here anymore.”

  “You didn’t say anything. Yesterday.” A strange anger simmered beneath her politely indifferent tone. They’d talked about a lot of things, but she would’ve remembered if he’d mentioned selling the store. And what did he mean, he couldn’t stay here anymore?

  “I made up my mind this morning.” He looked around them. “After telling you about the different places Sassy and I traveled, I realized I don’t want to be tied down. I don’t remember living anywhere else. I was young when we moved here. So I feel like it’s time. For new experiences, new places.”

  For some reason, she took the words as well as she would’ve taken a punch to the stomach. “Wh-where will you go, though?” Her breathing got all funny.

  The man shrugged as though her heart hadn’t started to crumble. How could he know she had started to feel something for him when she was trying to deny it even to herself?

  “I’m thinking up north somewhere. Maybe in Idaho along the Canadian border. At least for a while.”

  Rose didn’t speak until she was sure her voice would hold. “But what about the resort?” He was part owner…

  “You’re fully capable.” Colt turned away from her and started to straighten the display of gardening gloves next to them. “You don’t need me to run the resort.”

  That was the thing he couldn’t see. And that was the thing she didn’t even understand herself. She was capable. She didn’t need him here.

  But she wanted him here. In her life. She wanted to fix things with him and laugh with him and amuse him. “It’s just…It’s irresponsible.”

  Colt swiveled his head and stared at her as though reminding her she wasn’t exactly the authority on responsible choices. “What’s irresponsible?”

  “Leaving.” She was fuming now, and trying to hide her anger only seemed to make it worse. “You’re leaving Sassy behind. She’s turning seventy, you know.” Yes, let him think she was concerned about Sassy. “These next years are the ones she’ll need us the most. You’re like a son to her.”

  Colt studied her for a few long silent seconds. Or years. It could have been years. How did he do that? Stare so long without talking? He seemed to be looking for something. Just once she’d like to know what was going on in his head. But then again, she couldn’t even figure out what was going on in her own head. Or in her heart. She only knew her chest ached.

  “I can come and visit all the time.” Colt angled his head to the side as though he was looking at a puzzle. “It’s not like I’m going to leave and forget about the woman who raised me, Rose. I will take care of her. I can promise you that.”

  “I know you will.” Because Colt was loyal and faithful and thoughtful.

  Oh, no. No, no, no. Her face was flushing. “I have to go.” Before he could see the tears in her eyes, she ducked out of the store.

  Colt wouldn’t move away and forget about the woman who raised him, she knew that. But he might leave and forget all about her.

  Chapter Eight

  Sassy

  Sassy had to admit, she’d never dreamed her first day on the job as mayor would be devoted to dealing with porta potties.

  “I don’t see why we can’t place them on the south side of the building,” she said to Moe, the town clerk. “Then they’ll be out of sight altogether.” That seemed to be the simple solution in her book, but after only being in her office for approximately one hour, Sassy had figured out that nothing about running this town was going to be simple.

  “That would be nice,” Moe agreed. “Except the Whipples, who own the Crazy Moose Pub, said that with the potties on the south side of the town hall, the wind would carry the scent right inside their dining room.”

  Sassy appreciated the man’s patient tone. Moe had been a fixture as the part-time town clerk since he’d moved here from the Bronx eight years ago. He was a jack-of-all-trades—smart as a whip but also highly creative and an incredibly talented musician. With his chunky dreadlocks, he could’ve passed for a young-looking Bob Marley, if it weren’t for his bushel of facial hair. Though Moe preferred to play country music.

  “So we can’t put the porta potties behind the building because the Whipples are worried about the stench floating across the street and into their restaurant?” She didn’t mean to sound disparaging, but really?

  “They informed me they are fully prepared to take up the issue with the county if they need to.” The roll of his eyes told her what he thought of that threat.

  Well, good. At least she and Moe were on the same side here. “Where are we supposed to put them? The roof?” The remodeling project on the town hall was supposed to start in three days—Tony had already started setting up—and the construction workers would need a place to use the restroom.

  “If we put them on the roof, you know we’re gonna get complaints from the mountainside residents who are obsessed with their views.”

  “Right.” She was beginning to understand why Moe had turned down the mayoral job. From the sound of things, Peg had tried to wrangle him into the role before she’d made a sucker out of Sassy.

  Ugh. She glanced at the to-do list she’d scrawled on her notepad when she’d first gotten to the office. “We don’t have time for this.” She still had to balance the budget—yeah, right—approve the next town newsletter, and edit the proposal for expanding the elementary school. She hadn’t had her headache yet that morning, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t going to ambush her.

  “Okay. We’re putting those porta potties behind the building. They’ll only be there for two weeks.” As long as everything went according to schedule. “Tell the Whipples they can have free advertising in the town newsletter as long as the porta potties are there.”

  “Will do.” Moe made some notes on his tablet.

  “Great.” Sassy refocused on the laptop she’d inherited from Mayor Lund. “Now about this budget…”

  “Yeah. About that…” Moe handed her a report. “We’re already twenty grand in the hole for this fiscal year.”

  No wonder Mayor Lund had taken off. Things were a mess. “There is no way we’re going to be able to pay a lawyer to challenge Ned’s will so we can get that community garden up and running.” She was already going to have to cut the budget as it was. She couldn’t justify paying their lawyer to do the extra work. With the way the courts moved around here, it could take years.

  “I tried telling Peg this wasn’t going to work.” The man shook his head slowly back and forth. “But that lady’s got her own ideas.”

  “Well, luckily this lady has her own ideas too.” They weren’t going to get anywhere fighting with the museum. Sassy pushed out of her chair and pulled on the light sweater she’d grabbed when she’d left the house. Had it only been an hour and a half ago? It felt like a year.

  “Where are you off to?” Moe stood too. They’d both been seated at the desk in her small office since she’d come in so he could help her acclimate to the computer system, but she needed a walk. Sometimes the best way to handle things was by confronting them in person.

  “I’m going to do some research.” She retrieved her purse from the coatrack by the door. “You should take an early lunch.” Lord knew poor Moe had his hands full with her. “Get out and enjoy the day.”

  “Don’t have to tell me twice.” The man collected his binders and notes and tossed them onto his desk on the other side of the room before they walked out of the building together.

  When Sassy stepped out onto the street, she swore she could smell the sunshine—the way the tree trunks soaked it in, the
way it seemed to enhance the scent of the pine needles on the trees.

  “You really think it’s a good idea to go talk to Graham?” Moe ambled along beside her as they strolled down the sidewalk.

  How did the man seem to know exactly what she was up to? “It’s my only idea.” The community garden had motivated her to take this job in the first place. It could help so many people in town…the older residents who were living on a fixed income, the citizens who had a tough time finding regular work. Not only that, but it would bring the community together. She could see the events they would have, planting and weeding and harvesting. “Surely Mr. Wright can be reasonable.”

  “If anyone can make him see reason, it’s you.” Moe gave her shoulder a squeeze of solidarity and then stepped off the curb. “I’m going to go break the news to the Whipples over a nice lunch at the Crazy Moose.”

  “Well, then good luck to you too.” Sassy chuckled at the way he saluted her before crossing the street. If the job came with any benefits, Moe might be the biggest one.

  And this was the other one. This street. These people. She waved at Barbie Mayhew across the road.

  “This town lucked out with you becoming mayor,” the woman called.

  “Thank y—”

  Rose nearly ran Sassy over. “Whoa there, torpedo. Where are you headed in such a fuss?”

  It seemed to take her niece a moment to gather her composure. Not that she could hide her emotions from Sassy. She recognized anger when she saw it.

  “Did you know Colt is selling the store?” Rose demanded, gesturing wildly to the sign in the window.