“She didn’t just ask for help with the type of watch to buy, but had the assistant use Luke’s card to purchase it. When he went to check his statement, he noticed the charge for the same watch.” Annie’s tone dipped into a sad register.

  “And that wasn’t the worst of it. She’d also bought herself a bunch of stuff too.” Jolee rolled her eyes. “He also found out that a local car dealership had pulled his information for a credit check.”

  Hadley closed her eyes for a moment. “Oh no.”

  Jolee nodded. “When he confronted her about it, she said he had so much money she figured he wouldn’t care, plus they’d had one conversation about him thinking about an SUV, so she took it upon herself to start the process.”

  “He was pretty devastated.” Annie pressed her lips into a tight line.

  Forehead wrinkling, Hadley asked, “But if that was right after Christmas … why did he wait until last spring to move back here?”

  “They broke up and he thought he’d be fine.” Jolee shrugged. “But he felt even more paranoid about dating after that and finally decided to come back home.”

  Hadley let out a long breath. “Whoa. Poor Luke.” She shook her head. “But if he wasn’t talking about getting back together with Gretchen, what was he going on about with all of that relationships enduring stuff?” And as soon as she asked, she knew.

  Annie and Jolee glanced at each other again.

  “Hadley,” Annie said, stepping forward. “You should go talk to him. I know you two had your troubles back when you were younger, but I can’t help but see what good friends you are, how you can’t seem to stay apart.” Her eyes held onto Hadley’s almost as palpably as if she had taken her hand again.

  “Right. I will.” Hadley nodded, knowing her voice shook as she said the word, and her face was probably flushed. She attempted to smile. “Good to see you two.” She waved and tottered away, feeling like she’d just been spun around in twenty-three circles and then told to walk down the sidewalk.

  Luke hadn’t ever been talking about Gretchen. Suddenly the last two weeks came crashing back at her. Him saying he ruled nothing out. How he’d wanted her to pretend to be his wife when they’d been investigating up in Cascade Ridge. The way he’d only agreed to taking Barnaby home if she agreed to help him.

  Reaching the back door of the jam kitchen, she held on to it for support. Before she knew what she was doing, she went to unlock it, feeling unprepared to drive just yet. She needed to think, get her thoughts straight.

  As she set her hand on the handle and inserted the key into the door lock, however, the handle gave. It was unlocked.

  24

  Alarm bells rang in Hadley’s brain at the sight of her back door unlocked until she peered inside and noticed her father, still working. Relief flooded through her. She pulled open the door.

  “Dad, you were supposed to go home early today.” She cocked an eyebrow at him, noticing him start at her entrance.

  He turned around abruptly, his cheeks coloring. “Hi, little one. I—there was—I thought you were going home.”

  Hadley realized he was standing in front of something, trying to block it from her. He ran a hand through his sparse, salt-and-pepper hair.

  “Dad, what’s going on here?” She took a step forward.

  He sighed. “Well, it was supposed to be a surprise for you tomorrow, but I guess now’s as good a time as any.” He moved aside so she could see what he’d been blocking.

  Hadley’s throat tightened, and her hand flew to cover the small gasp she let out at the sensation. Behind her dad was a gorgeous, vintage cash register. Her great-grandpa’s cash register from the early 1900s. It was a shiny brass with beautiful swirling designs decorating the back and sides. It sat on a marble slab and still made a delightful ding sound whenever it opened.

  “Dad.” His name was a gasp. “I can’t believe it.”

  “Your mom and I thought it would be the perfect home for it.” He locked his blue eyes onto hers. “We’re so proud of you.”

  She shook her head, her eyes tingling with the threat of tears. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”

  Rushing forward, she prepared to pull her dad into a big hug. A foot away, Hadley stopped short, noticing the gloves he wore, the rag in his hand, and the cleaning solution still fresh on the brass plating. Because of their father’s line of work, he'd drilled safety expectations into Hadley and Paul from a young age. They weren’t to touch any of Dad’s woodworking tools and should stay clear of the many dangerous chemicals he used in the staining and sealing processes.

  “Sorry,” she said out of habit, throwing her hands up to show she would not touch the chemical.

  Her dad chuckled. “Trained you well, didn’t I?” He set down the rag and pulled off his gloves before motioning for her to come closer.

  She hugged him tight, unable to keep the smile off her face as she caught sight of the beautiful antique. She eyed the unmarked bottle as she pulled away.

  Her dad laughed again. “Don’t worry, this stuff is harmless, a vinegar solution. I’m only wearing the gloves so I don’t stink like it for the rest of the day.”

  “Oh no.” She shook her head, getting a whiff of the vinegar. “I’m not worried about it. It just got me wondering.” Hadley remembered some of the caustic chemicals her dad had used over the years. “Dad, do you know of any reason someone might have cyanide around?”

  His eyebrows rose in interest. “You mean like the person who poisoned that guy Paul’s investigating?”

  She nodded.

  “Well.” He rubbed a hand across his graying stubble. “There're pests. I know a few of the local farmers have had to resort to using the tough stuff even occasionally.”

  Right, but Paul had said it wasn’t rat poison cyanide, Hadley thought with an inward sigh.

  “Other than that …” Her dad shrugged, but before she could thank him for trying, he snapped his fingers. “Silver plating.”

  “Huh?”

  His eyes sparkled. “Remember when I worked with Jim Newsome on that hope chest for his daughter?”

  Hadley furrowed her brow, but eventually nodded. Mr. Newsome had been her science teacher in high school. “Sure. I mean it was years ago.”

  “It was, but Jim didn’t like the color of the hinges and wanted them to be silver. I told him I didn’t have time to order new ones since he wanted a specific design, and Janie’s birthday was in a few days. Do you remember when he took them and brought them back silver?”

  “Oh, right.” Hadley stood up straighter as it came back to her. “He made his own solution and turned them silver.” The man had taught chemistry for two decades. It made sense.

  “When I asked him how he did it, he said he’d used a solution that included cyanide.”

  Hadley nodded, but her smile faded fast. “Too bad our suspects are bakers instead of metalworkers.” She shrugged. “Okay, Dad. I’m heading home to get some rest and so should you.”

  He kissed her on the forehead. “Sounds good, little one. Sorry I couldn’t help you break the case.”

  She tucked a stray lock of hair behind one ear. “That’s fine. I’m starting to think this might be an unbreakable one.”

  “Well, never rule anything out,” he said. “You go on ahead. I’ll lock up when I’m done here.”

  Hadley sent him a narrowed look, knowing her dad had the tendency to overwork himself.

  He held up one hand as if he were swearing in for a judge. “I promise. Just a few more minutes.”

  “Okay. Love you.” She turned toward the door. “And thank you again, Dad.”

  He winked. “You’re very welcome. Love you too.”

  She smiled, and the happy expression only spread as she left the kitchen and approached the Jam Van. Never rule anything out, her dad had said. Just like Luke. The reminder of him made her flush hot and cold all over again. Excitement now fluttered in her stomach. And even though she still wasn’t sure what might happen when she saw him, she knew she had to find Luke.

  Inside the van, she turned it on so the engine could warm up and brought out her phone in the meantime. With trembling fingers, she typed, You at home? Would now be a good time to come visit Barnaby? Hadley sent the message before she could talk herself out of it.

  All too late, she remembered that he’d told her he had things to do today. It was why he hadn’t been able to come with her to Grady’s celebration of life. Hadley wanted to smack herself.

  Luke’s reply came almost immediately. She braced herself for it to be a letdown. Instead, his words made her smile.

  Actually, at Seven Stones grabbing an early dinner. Wanna join?

  Be there in a few, was her reply.

  Hadley turned off the van. The restaurant was only a few blocks walk away. You can do this, she told herself while climbing out of the driver’s seat. It’s just Luke, she coached as she shut the door and headed up the alley. All you have to do is admit to a man you’ve known your whole life that you have feelings for him. She exhaled a puff of condensation out into the cold air. Right, no big deal.

  Even in her winter jacket, the cold served as good motivation to make the trip short, and she arrived at the beautiful timber-framed pub before she knew it. Passing by the seven stones stacked from largest to smallest outside the entrance, Hadley pushed open the grand wood door. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and breathed in the amazing smell she knew would meet her upon entering. The smells that surrounded her didn’t disappoint.

  The grilled scent of vegetables and meat came first, accented with spices, sauteed garlic, and sizzling onion. Opening her eyes, she greeted the hostess.

  “Hey, Kelsey. Just meeting someone.” She waved at the high school girl who stood behind the desk near the door.

  “Good to see you, Hadley,” Kelsey said with a smile.

  Hadley had been the girl’s babysitter many years ago and still marveled at how Kelsey seemed to grow up more each time she saw her.

  But Hadley didn’t have time to focus on Kelsey Morrow. Luke sat at a table near one of the many picture windows making up the side of the restaurant facing the river. From inside the warm building, the snowy riverbanks and rushing icy waters appeared peaceful, picturesque.

  With a deep breath, Hadley stepped forward. She slipped into the chair across from Luke at the four-top table he occupied.

  “Hey,” he said looking up.

  “Hi.” She smiled.

  Luke sighed. “How was Grady’s celebration? I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it. I had a conference call with my Seattle office this morning, and I wasn’t sure how long it would last.”

  “Ugh, they work on Sundays?” Hadley cringed before remembering she often did too.

  Luke nodded. “They do when we have a new client meeting in the morning that could make us a lot of money.”

  Pressing her lips together for a quick moment, Hadley said, “I don’t know how you do it, Luke. Running the company from over here has to be exhausting. Not to mention helping your family out with their farm too.”

  A new admiration rose inside her. He’d been the class clown, the guy who everyone counted on to make them laugh. Now he’d created a successful company from scratch and was running it remotely so he could be closer to his family. She realized, in all of her confusion about the man and anger about past interactions, she’d never given him credit for what an accomplishment that was.

  Laid back as always, Luke shrugged. “I’ve got great people in Seattle, and I trust them implicitly. I just think it helps to see my face occasionally, to remind them I’m still here.”

  “Well, it’s amazing.” Hadley wanted to look him in the eyes and blurt out everything she was feeling, but a waiter came over at that moment to take her order.

  “I’ll start with a water,” she said. “Have you ordered food yet?” she asked Luke.

  He shook his head. “Just appetizers. But I’m ready now, if you are.”

  She said she was, and they ordered entrées. Once the waiter walked away, Hadley swallowed her nerves, trying to figure out how to bring up the subject she needed to discuss with him.

  “So …” she said.

  Luke raised his eyebrows. “So?” His lips pulled into a half smile.

  She cleared her throat. “Luke, the other day, when you were talking about a connection overcoming misunderstandings … well—did you …?” She coughed and took a sip of the water the waiter had left in front of her.

  “Did I …?” He narrowed his eyes.

  “I mean, I thought at the time you were talking about Gretchen,” she said.

  Luke’s face wrinkled in concern.

  Hadley quickly amended, “But I think I know now you weren’t.”

  His features softened, and he leaned forward. “Had, I know we’ve had a rough decade. I take full responsibility for that.”

  Hadley said, “No. Why should you?”

  He chuckled. “Because it’s my fault. I know you heard me try to steer Tyler away from dating you in high school.” His gaze dropped to the table.

  Even though it was over ten years behind her, the scene flashed through her mind just as if it had been yesterday. Luke telling Tyler that Hadley wasn’t good enough for him. But even though she could recall the scene vividly in her memory, she no longer felt the same pang of betrayal. She had forgiven Luke, finally.

  “Luke, you don’t have to—”

  He interrupted her, reaching out to hold on to her hand. His blue eyes met hers. “I was such a dumb kid back then. Instead of being honest, I came up with the first stupid idea that came to mind.”

  Hadley’s heartbeat rose at his touch. “Being honest about what?”

  He smiled. “I’m not sure if I thought I couldn’t compete with Tyler, the golden boy, or if I was just angry that I hadn’t had the guts to make a move before him, but …” Luke reached his other hand forward, holding hers tightly in both of his. “I should’ve told you how I felt about you back then, instead of making up a lie to try to keep Tyler away from you.”

  She wanted to gasp, to shake her head in shock, but Hadley realized that her heart had always known. Maybe not at first, in all of her hot-headed teenage fury, but now that he’d come clean about the real reason, it didn’t feel like a surprise. Just a truth. Kind of like how she felt sure that a part of her had always been in love with Luke.

  The urge to tell him surged up in her throat. Instead, she stood and moved to sit in the vacant chair next to him. His familiar face stared back at her. She knew it almost as well as she knew the trails along the Cascade River, the back roads of Stoneybrook, the way the mountain range looked during a sunset.

  “I—”

  “Here they are! Hadley. Luke.” The familiar voice boomed through their section of the restaurant, stopping her.

  Paul and Suze walked toward the table.

  Hadley blinked as her brother and best friend approached. “Hey, I thought you two were busy.”

  Paul held out a chair for Suze. “This one convinced me to stop for some brain fuel.”

  “And I just finished helping Hazel. I thought we deserved a break,” Suze said. Her eyes narrowed as she took in Luke’s flushed expression. Hadley could only guess what her face looked like. “We aren’t interrupting anything, are we?” Suze asked, scanning Hadley as if she could read her thoughts.

  “Um …” Hadley said, but Luke took her hand under the table and threaded his fingers through hers. “No. Not at all.” She glanced over at Luke who gave her his signature smirk.

  Having only sort of getting through how they felt, Hadley didn’t want to talk about it with other people quite yet, even if those people were her best friends. Suze and Paul had kept their relationship a secret from her for a while at the beginning after all. She knew they would understand her needing a little time.

  “We just ordered,” Luke told them as they pulled out menus.

  In fact, the waiter came over at that moment with a plate of appetizers. Once everyone had put in their order, the conversation turned to the case. And despite the seemingly endless list of questions running through her mind, the talk at the table reminded her that the only question that mattered right now was, who killed Grady Fines?

  25

  With the renovations complete, she was ready for a soft reopen on Monday. She decided she would take a few customers if they wandered in, but needed to focus on making more jam to replenish her stock after being out of production for so many weeks. She’d set her grand reopening for the Saturday after next, knowing the Bake-Off would be over and at least one thing would be off her plate.

  That Friday flew by in a blur of cleaning up. Which meant Saturday morning arrived all too fast. She dragged herself out of bed and got ready for the final day of the Bake-Off at the market.

  Or maybe that heavy feeling weighing her down that morning was because they still hadn’t been able to figure out who was responsible for Grady’s death. She couldn’t help but cling to a gut feeling that him dying at the baking competition wasn’t a coincidence, and once it was over, it would be much harder to track down clues—not that there were many of those.

  It wasn’t as if she wasn’t excited. Her friend was one step away from winning the whole competition. Hadley couldn’t shake the feeling that if Grady had died because he was on track to win, Mickie might be in a similar danger.

  The only thing that put a skip in her step as she made her way into the community center was the promise of bread. Swirling scents of yeast and flour baking in an oven, the crunch and crack as a hard crust is broken, and the pillowy soft dough inside warmed her in a way not much else could. Bread week would be delicious if nothing else.

  Hadley headed straight for the judging room, jumping when Luke fell in step with her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. From the moment he surpassed her in height growing up, he’d done the same thing. It wasn’t if he was much taller than her, nowhere near her tall ex-husband or giant twin brother, that was for sure. But walking like that with Luke had always made her feel like they were two puzzle pieces, exactly the right height to fit together.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17