Forever in Good Hope Read online

  Also by Cynthia Rutledge/Cindy Kirk

  Harlequin Books by Cynthia Rutledge (2000–2005)

  Unforgettable Faith

  Undercover Angel

  The Marrying Kind

  Redeeming Claire

  Judging Sara

  Trish’s Not-So-Little Secret

  Wedding Bell Blues

  Season for Miracles (online read)

  Kiss Me, Kaitlyn

  A Love to Keep

  The Harvest

  Two Hearts

  Love Enough for Two

  For Love’s Sake

  Rich, Rugged . . . Royal

  Harlequin Books by Cindy Kirk (2007–2016)

  Romancing the Nanny

  The Tycoon’s Son

  Claiming the Rancher’s Heart

  Your Ranch or Mine?

  Merry Christmas, Cowboy!

  The Doctor’s Baby

  In Love with John Doe

  The Christmas Proposition

  If the Ring Fits

  Jackson Hole Valentine

  The Doctor’s Not-So-Little Secret

  His Valentine Bride

  The Doctor and Mr. Right

  Expecting Fortune’s Heir

  A Jackson Hole Homecoming

  One Night with the Doctor

  A Sweetheart for Jude Fortune

  Her Sister’s Boyfriend (online read)

  The Husband List

  Ready, Set, I Do!

  Fortune’s Little Heartbreaker

  The MD’s Unexpected Family

  Betting on a Maverick

  The Doctor’s Valentine Dare

  The Doctor’s Runaway Fiancée

  HarperCollins (Avon) (2007–2008) by Cindy Kirk

  When She Was Bad

  One Night Stand

  HarperCollins Christian (Zondervan) books by Cindy Kirk

  Love at Mistletoe Inn

  Amazon Publishing–Montlake Romance

  Christmas in Good Hope

  Summer in Good Hope

  Be Mine in Good Hope

  Self-Published

  Baby on His Doorstep

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2017 Cynthia Rutledge

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  ISBN-13: 9781477848777

  ISBN-10: 1477848770

  Cover design by Janet Perr

  To my daughter, Wendy. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Thanks for all your support and love.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  ABOUT the AUTHOR

  Chapter One

  “Will your boyfriend be upset when he hears you’ve had breakfast with me?”

  When Jeremy Rakes’s bold blue eyes met hers, God help her, Delphinium Bloom felt the pull. Which didn’t make sense, considering what they’d once shared had been a lifetime ago.

  She’d moved on from him and from Good Hope. Xander Tillman, her current main man, was big city all the way. With his smartly styled dark hair, piercing brown eyes, and tailored Tom Ford suits, Xander was the perfect fit for her LA lifestyle.

  Still, she had to admit there was something about Jeremy with his tousled blond hair, vivid blue eyes, and ready smile. If he lived in California, she could easily see him on a board, riding the waves off Oceanside Pier.

  But he was far from an aimless surfer dude. He’d rocked a tux at her sister Marigold’s wedding, and at the recent meeting of the town board, wearing a tailored suit and a serious expression, he’d radiated power and authority.

  “Why should Xander care? It’s just breakfast. It’s not like we’re getting naked together.” Fin brought the mug to her lips, which curved slightly at the flash of heat in his eyes.

  Instead of jerking his chain further, Fin took a moment to glance around the interior of Muddy Boots. She liked the changes her brother-in-law had made since buying the restaurant several years earlier.

  Gone was the wallpaper, a hideous coffeepot pattern in harvest gold and mud brown. In its place, cobalt-blue paint splattered like rain on the now-white walls. The mural of a young girl in a bright red jacket with shiny red boots on the far wall, painted by a local artist, drew the eye and never failed to make Fin smile.

  The pleasant scent of yeast and cinnamon from the monkey bread she knew had been baked early that morning teased her nostrils. Warmth eased around her shoulders like a comfortable old sweater. It was all so nice. So familiar.

  Even the stares from other customers were familiar. A single woman sharing a meal with the unattached mayor was always news. Fin wouldn’t be surprised to find the fact mentioned in tomorrow’s gossip column of the Open Door, a daily e-newsletter.

  Only when she refocused her gaze on Jeremy did she realize he was also staring at her.

  She lifted a brow.

  “Why shouldn’t he care? You’re my ex-girlfriend. You and I were . . .” Jeremy paused, inclined his head. “He does know about us.”

  Though it was phrased as a statement, she heard the question.

  “Xander is aware we got naked in high school.” Fin waved a hand, showing off her glossy, red-tipped fingers. “Ancient history.”

  She said it with just the right amount of casualness, even added a little smile. It was the truth. What she didn’t say and didn’t want to admit—not even to herself—was the history she and this man shared was something forever woven through the fabric of her life.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t leave with him.” Leaning back against the cherry-red vinyl, Jeremy’s hands cupped the mug as if he needed to warm his fingers. Which was laughable, considering it was mid-August with today’s temperature projected to reach the lower eighties.

  “Xander understands I don’t get back to Good Hope as often as I’d like.” Fin lifted one thin shoulder, let it fall. “He didn’t need me to take another look at the alternate sites. He has Liam, his cinematographer, to offer input.”

  “Will he finalize a contract with one of the towns while he’s there?”

  “Maybe. From what he’s said, both towns are eager to move forward.” Fin recalled the hard edge to Xander’s jaw when Jeremy had cast the tiebreaking vote against the proposal. “But Xander is accustomed to getting what he wants. He wants, ah, wanted, Good Hope.”

  “That was obvious.” Jeremy’s voice remained nonchalant, his expression giving nothing away.

  Fin kept her tone casual. “It appeared to me
a lot of people in town wanted the proposition accepted.”

  “Xander was confident we’d vote to approve.” Without taking his eyes off her, Jeremy took a sip of the strong chicory blend.

  “Confident is his middle name.” Fin added a dollop of cream to her cup, wondering how anyone could love coffee this strong. “The money he offered for any inconvenience to Good Hope was substantial.”

  “Closing down the town for the month of December so he could film here was a substantial request.” Jeremy’s blue eyes darkened as he placed his cup on the table. “It’s not as if the community simply celebrates a few days around Christmas. When you include the Twelve Nights events, the entire month of December is celebration.”

  After taking a testing sip, Fin grimaced and set the mug aside. She leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table. “I understand that, I really do. But it’s only for one season. And the money—”

  Before she could say more, Dakota Lohmeier appeared, platters of food balanced on her forearms. With her dark hair pulled up and back, she looked more like the college girl she was instead of the child Fin remembered.

  Dakota hummed as she served the daily special, a crisp parmesan omelet with a slice of banana bread and a grilled tomato.

  Fin cocked her head, attempting to place the tune. “Is that ‘It’s the Hard-Knock Life’?”

  Dakota grinned. “Annie opened last night at the playhouse. I can’t get the songs out of my head.”

  “There are so many good ones.” When she’d been young and actively involved in Good Hope Community Theater, Fin had happily imagined a life spent singing, dancing, and being onstage. “Is Gladys still playing Miss Hannigan?”

  The girl nodded. “Word is she’s retiring from performing once this show closes.”

  “Good Hope Community Theater won’t be the same without her.” For as long as Fin could remember, Gladys had been a mainstay of local stage productions. “She was Miss Hannigan years ago when I played an orphan, and later when I played Annie.”

  Dakota’s hazel eyes went wide. “You were Annie?”

  From the girl’s look of awe, Fin might have been an A-list Hollywood actress.

  Fin waved a hand. “It was no big deal.”

  “Fin has a beautiful voice.” Jeremy’s eyes were as warm as the hand he settled over hers. As if realizing the inappropriateness of the gesture, he pulled back.

  “You could take over for Mrs. Bertholf.” An eagerness filled Dakota’s voice as the words spilled out. “I mean, you’re not old like she is, but they can do a lot with makeup, and if you can sing and act you—”

  “I don’t sing anymore.” Though it was true, Fin discovered simply saying the words brought a pang. “And I don’t live here.”

  “That’s right. You live in Los Angeles.” Dakota supplied the information as if eager to show that, despite now attending college in La Crosse, she kept up with local news. “My grandmother says you’ll never come back to Good Hope to live.”

  Dakota’s grandmother, Anita Fishback, had once dated Fin’s father. The woman wasn’t particularly fond of any of the Bloom sisters, and the feeling was mutual. The happiest day of Fin’s life had been when her dad had finally seen Anita for who she really was and broken it off.

  “Miss, could I get a refill?” A man at a nearby table held up his cup. “And more cream, too.”

  “Right away, sir.” Dakota flashed an apologetic smile at Fin and Jeremy. “Duty calls. Enjoy your breakfast. Let me know if I can get you anything else.”

  Dakota hummed as she hurried off.

  “Gladys has been onstage since the 1950s. Her retirement will leave a void in the core troupe.” Jeremy picked up his fork, shot her a curious stare. “Did you mean it? You don’t sing anymore?”

  Fin thought back to the show choir competition in Milwaukee the spring of her junior year in high school. Thinking of that day and what had happened in the motel room during that trip forever linked those two events in her head. She hadn’t sung since.

  “It’s different now.” She forked off a bite of the omelet. “I live in a city with zillions of talented singers. My talent is business.”

  Pride rang in Fin’s voice. After years of work in PR and marketing, she’d finally found her dream job. She’d recently joined Entertainment Quest—a production and development company—as a development executive. The company focused on book-to-screen adaptations. The film Xander would direct in December was based on a book written by one of their authors.

  As Xander was a rising star in the film industry, Fin’s boss, the company’s CEO, was determined to do whatever it took to cultivate his favor.

  Fin smiled, remembering how Shirleen had practically pushed her out of the office when Xander mentioned he’d like Fin to accompany him on this trip to Wisconsin.

  Jeremy lifted his mug in a salute. “You’ve done well, Finley.”

  Hearing his pet name for her roll off his lips was bittersweet.

  So much stood between them now. So much Jeremy didn’t know.

  Fin was relieved when a man in work boots and a ball cap stopped by the table. Tall, with broad shoulders and a workingman’s body, the guy had a roll of blueprints under one arm. His dark hair held the merest hint of a wave, and his eyes were nearly as blue as Jeremy’s.

  “Fin Bloom, I’d like you to meet Kyle Kendrick. Kyle is in charge of the Living Center construction.” Despite the food growing cold on his plate, Jeremy gave Kyle his full attention. “Last I heard, Chapin Enterprises was anticipating a September twenty-ninth grand opening.”

  “That’s the plan.” Kyle slanted a glance at Fin. “Did he tell you his grandmother has already picked out her apartment in Independent Living?”

  “She’ll keep everyone on their toes.” Fin adored Jeremy’s grandmother. Heck, everyone in Good Hope loved the petite firecracker.

  “Ruby had been coming down every day to inspect the progress.” Kyle’s dark brows pulled together. “I haven’t seen her since the heart attack. How’s she getting along?”

  “There may be surgery in the future. Nothing definite.” Jeremy cleared his throat, then took a sip of coffee. “Do you think you’ll be ready for her to move in at the end of next month?”

  “Lynn Chapin is wanting a few changes to the interior, but we should have everything wrapped on schedule.” Kyle’s gaze returned to Fin. “You’re Ami Cross’s sister.”

  Fin returned his smile. “I’m here from California visiting family.”

  “Fin is an old friend of mine.” Jeremy’s voice held a warning even the deaf could hear.

  “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you.” Kyle spoke easily and gave a little nod. “Mayor.”

  Fin watched Kyle walk away. She was certain they’d never met before, but there was something familiar about him. “I bet the single women in town are spending a lot of time visiting his job site.”

  Jeremy’s gaze sharpened. “You have a boyfriend.”

  “I wasn’t speaking about me. Though I like to window-shop as much as any woman.” Xander certainly didn’t mind her looking at other men, even when she was with him. He did the same when she was on his arm.

  Jeremy’s gaze met hers. “I’d hope my girlfriend wouldn’t have the desire to window-shop.”

  Fin shrugged. “Things are different in California.”

  Jeremy’s blue eyes turned stormy, as if waging an inner battle. Then he smiled. “Got big plans for tonight, California Girl?”

  “Not really.” Fin took another bite of omelet, chewed. “Ami goes to bed early, so I’ll probably head straight back to the motel after dinner. Those morning hours at the bakery are taking their toll on her, especially now that she’s eight months pregnant. She and Beck are firmly in baby-waiting mode. That’s why I’m not staying with them. They need this alone time. They certainly won’t have it once the baby arrives.”

  Fin realized with sudden horror she was rambling and clamped her lips shut.

  “I’ve got an alternative to a quiet
evening at the Sweet Dreams Motel.” A twinkle replaced the storm clouds in Jeremy’s baby blues. “Want to come to a party?”

  A party.

  Jeremy’s invitation had Fin smiling as she left the café. She found the stroll down Main Street nearly as pleasant as her morning breakfast. The sunny summer day had tourists crowding the streets of Good Hope’s business district.

  It was really, Fin thought, very similar to the busy foot traffic on Rodeo Drive. Except instead of Jimmy Choo or Louboutin, most women wore sandals or running shoes. And while there were plenty of quaint storefronts, there wasn’t a single designer store or shop.

  The weather reminded her of California, with sun warming her bare shoulders and a light breeze ruffling her hair. Over the past six months Fin had let her sleek brown strands interspersed with blonde highlights grow longer.

  At work, she’d taken to wearing her hair pulled back in a low knot or a tuck and roll. Now the silky strands she’d left hanging loose wafted in the breeze. The hint of moisture in the air reminded her Green Bay was a mere block away.

  Fin was relieved Xander hadn’t wanted—or rather hadn’t asked—her to accompany him and his cinematographer to the other two sites. Remaining in Good Hope while the two men traveled gave her a chance to finally spend time with friends and family. When they’d first arrived, Fin had been excited, seeing this as Xander’s opportunity to meet her family and get acquainted.

  While Xander had agreed to one family dinner, anytime she’d suggested further contact with her sisters or father, he’d pulled the “We’re here on business” card.

  Fin wondered if allowing her to stay in Good Hope while he traveled was an apology of sorts.

  She was still mulling over that possibility when a small boy appeared and cut in front of her. To avoid slamming into the child, Fin sidestepped. The kid’s mother zipped past, hot in pursuit.

  Fin may have avoided a collision with the boy, but the zigzagging movement had her teetering on her heels. As she fought to regain her balance, strong hands gripped her shoulders, steadying her.

  “Thank you. I’m so sorry—” Fin stopped when she saw who’d saved her from a fall. “Eliza. Hi.”

  Eliza Shaw, executive director of the Cherries and owner of the Good Hope General Store, dropped her hands as if Fin’s shoulders had turned red-hot.