Tea & Comfort (Madrona Island Series Book 2), page 2
“You always know when I’m feeling stressed, don’t you, little guy?”
She looked around for her Siamese cat who had meowed at her door loudly until she had eventually let him in to stay. , Ozzie was curled up asleep on the old velvet chair. Oz was more like a dog than a cat. He fetched rolled-up balls of paper and often greeted people at the door with a full conversation of meows. These two furry angels were great companions during these last couple of years.
She had a lot to be thankful for. Owning and running Tea & Comfort in the charming town of Grandview had brought her more joy than she could ever imagine. Going back to her roots, cultivating herbs and spices, creating products, and helping her customers felt right in a way being a fashion model never had. She was content here on this faraway emerald isle in the Pacific Northwest. She’d finally found a place where she fit in and friends who accepted her for who she was and kept her secrets when she asked. Madrona Island took care of its own, from the lonely seniors to the orphan dogs. Even to runaway women like her, the island and its people opened their arms in a warm embrace.
She stared out the back window of the shop. The maple tree was dropping its amber- and rust-colored leaves, opening up the view to her 1904 cottage behind the shop. Its shake roof and vintage windows beckoned, cozy and welcoming. Tea roses grew profusely up a tall trellis, and flowerpots lined the porch. The first few months, it had been her refuge, a place of healing. Then it had become home.
But seeing Luke again had opened up the lonely places inside her heart. It also brought back the memories of the crazy, narcissistic modeling business and the high-powered players that had run her life until she’d met Luke. The first time Luke smiled at her, a light went on in her heart. Kyla would never forget the day he proposed in the sand. It had been the happiest day of her life. For almost two years she’d tried banishing him from her memory and telling herself they were better off apart. But denial could only last so long.
CHAPTER TWO
Jude, perky as ever, walked into Tea & Comfort, pulling Kyla from her memories. Her deep brown hair shone in the overhead light, set off by her red velvet scarf wrapped expertly around her neck.
“Busy day?” Jude asked.
Kyla shrugged. “On and off. How about you?”
“The locals are always hungry, and Chef Ryan’s butternut squash soup was a hit today.” Jude leaned an elbow down on the counter. “When do you want to go over the plans for the Halloween party?” she asked.
A chill ran through Kyla’s body.
“Earth to Kyla, are you there?”
“What?” Kyla asked.
“The Halloween party, remember? Your biggest event of the year.”
The sound of the door chimes rang in the air and Kyla glanced up to see Kelly’s energetic entrance as she pushed through the door.
“Go ahead and help her,” Jude said. “I can wait.”
Kyla walked over and greeted the reporter for the local paper.
Kelly handed her a copy of the Island Examiner. “Hot off the presses,” she said. “I thought you’d want to take a look.”
“Thanks.” Kyla stared at the image on the front page.
Jude leaned over her shoulder. “What’s so interesting?”
The headline read: “Madrona Island Winery purchased by Alexander Lucas Bradford II.” There was a picture of Luke holding up a bottle of Pinot Noir in front of the tasting room.
“Oh,” Jude said.
Kyla looked up and the room spun. No wonder she’d been thinking of him today.
“Did you know about this?” Jude asked.
“I do now.” Kyla turned back to Kelly, who flashed her a sympathetic smile. “Thanks for always having my back.”
Kelly gave her a quick hug. “Let me know if I can do anything. Talk to you later.”
“That’s the guy from the grand opening, isn’t it?” Jude asked. “The one you left behind in New York.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Kyla said.
Jude placed a hand on Kyla’s shoulder. “Well, maybe we need to.”
“You’re right,” Kyla sighed. “Soon. But not today. Now, what can I help you with in the store?”
Jude stared at her but finally relented. “Hand cream, please. The strong stuff. Running a café is tough on the skin.”
Kyla led her to an oak corner bookcase she’d painted a bright periwinkle. Creams and lotions in jars and bottles lined the floor-to-ceiling shelves.
“In this one, I blended shea butter, calendula, and lemon verbena. It should do the trick.”
Jude squeezed a little cream from a sample tube on to her hands and sniffed the citrus-scented cream.
“Divine,” Jude said. “I’ll take the super size.”
Kyla’s shaking hands reached for the large glass jar. It slipped from her fingers, shattering on the tile floor. The pattern of broken glass spelled out a warning in her head. She backed away and willed her body to stop shaking.
Jude put her arms out. “You look like you could use a hug.”
Kyla laid her head on Jude’s shoulder. How could Luke still have so much effect on her? She had to pull herself together.
“Can you stay, Jude? I’ll make us some tea.”
“Happy to. I suggest something calming, but you’re the expert.”
After brewing a pot of rose petal and chamomile tea, Kyla joined Jude at the round wooden table with the hand-embroidered placemats by the front window. The china cups with a crimson rose pattern were delicate and beautiful. Kyla looked out the lace curtains to the peaceful view, watching puffy white clouds move across the water of the sound. At this moment, she wished she could float away on one. But she’d worked too hard to get healthy and establish her new life here on Madrona Island.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Jude said.
“Just a penny?”
Jude’s warm laugh filled the shop. “As if you’d share them for even a million.”
Kyla frowned. “Perhaps I have nothing interesting to tell. Actually, I hired a part-time assistant named Rebecca, but she prefers to be called Becca.”
“About time,” Jude said.
“With her short red curls and her nose sprinkled with freckles, she looks just like Shirley Temple in the Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm movie.”
Jude laughed. “How old is she?”
“She just graduated from UC Santa Cruz, so she’s only twenty-two. But she has lots of gardening experience and is strong, healthy, and willing to work in the field and shop.”
“Glad you found her. When does she start?” Jude asked.
“This week. The sooner the better.”
Their conversation was interrupted with the ringing of Jude’s cell phone. “I bet it’s Ryan wondering where I am.” She held up her phone. “It’s Lily.” Jude answered, “And how is our blissful newlywed today?”
Kyla watched Jude’s smile fade.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Hold on, Lily. I’m sitting right here with Kyla. I’ll put you on speaker phone.”
“I’m sorry, Kyla,” Lily said. “It’s all Ian’s fault.”
“What’s his fault?”
“Without asking me, he told Mary to book Luke at our bed and breakfast until his winery closes escrow. I know how you feel about the man, but he’s Ian’s friend and he insists it’s the right thing to do.”
“Traitor,” Jude said.
Kyla remained quiet. Her stomach twisted in knots. “For how long?”
The silence rang in the room and echoed in Kyla’s head.
“How long, Lily?”
“I don’t know yet. Ian said he would fill me in tonight. Mary feels terrible. As the resident innkeeper she still checks with us on any major decisions.”
Jude grabbed the phone and switched off the speaker. “Call us as soon as you know. And find out everything.” She ended the call and put the phone back in her purse. “I guess he’s here to stay.”
“And he’s bought the Madrona Winery.” Kyla could barely get the words out. Her hands were numb and her legs were following. She braced herself against the table for support. “I don’t blame Ian for letting Luke stay at the B&B. You know they were buddies in New York. Before…”
Jude pulled her Scottish wool shawl tight around her. “Let’s get out of here. Close the shop early. Ryan can prep for dinner service without me at the café. I’ll text Lily and tell her we’re on our way. We’ll go pick her up and take a good, long walk on the bluff.”
“Might as well,” Kyla said, standing up. “I’m sure not going to be able to concentrate around here now.” Kyla zipped up her forest-green fleece jacket. Some fresh air might clear her racing mind. She turned the sign on the door from an open sunflower to a closed rose bud on the other side, locked up, and dimmed the lights.
“I’ll drive,” Jude said. “Lily is waiting at the B&B. Luke’s over at their house and she doesn’t want to see him right now.”
Kyla tried to slow her breath while Jude’s Subaru station wagon headed south on the main highway that divided the island. What could she do? She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to stave off a headache. Out. She wanted out. The island was too small for both of them. Luke would find out everything now. She couldn’t bear it.
Mercifully, Lily was waiting on the porch when they pulled up to the B&B. The rolling green lawn that sloped down toward the Puget Sound was turning brown in spots without the summer sun to sustain it. Gone were the lush flower gardens, and only a few herbs remained behind. In the spring, the garden would come to life again. Kyla wondered if she’d still be here to see it.
Lily, her honey-blonde hair catching in the breeze, hurried down the path toward them. “Hi, everyone,” she called out.
Through the car window, Kyla saw Grandpa John playing fetch in the field with Gretel, his friendly black dog. She rolled the window down and waved.
He walked over, the dog at his heels.
“You girls playing hooky today?” he asked.
Grandpa John always made Kyla smile. “It was a slow day, so I closed early,” she replied. For a minute, she wanted to jump out and cry on his shoulder. It was times like this it would be nice to have a father to turn to.
“Well, you girls have fun,” he said with a wink. He looked back at his house. “Looks like Ian’s in the dog house. I’m giving him some space.”
“I don’t blame you,” Lily said.
Grandpa John turned and tossed the tennis ball for Gretel, who shot after it at record speed.
Lily slid into the back seat. “Are you all right?” she asked.
Kyla turned to look at her. “What do you think?”
Lily leaned toward her. “I want you to know, Ian and I had our first fight over this. I’m so sorry.”
Jude gunned the engine. “And exactly why did Ian offer hospitality to this rake?”
“Ian said we might as well start off as friends and see just what Luke’s plans are, instead of being surprised afterwards. He also said Luke is a good guy.”
Jude backed out slowly and drove the back road to the state park. “Maybe that is wise. Know your enemy and all.”
“He’s not my enemy,” Kyla snapped.
The only sound in the car for the next three miles was the hum of the tires on the asphalt.
***
Sun reflected off the steep, sandy bluff and washed across the rocky beach below. Kyla and her friends navigated the driftwood-lined path toward the water. Seagulls lined up like little soldiers at the water’s edge, as if waiting for a sign to take flight.
The threesome walked along, skirting the incoming tide. A double-decker ferryboat glided across the watery passage to its destination on the peninsula. Kyla unzipped her jacket. Even with the crisp fall breeze, the sun felt warm and soothing. She kicked a wet pebble and watched it glisten in the light.
“How about we take a seat and enjoy the view,” Jude said. She pointed to a bleached white tree trunk that had washed ashore some time ago.
“Sounds good to me,” Lily said.
Kyla followed and joined them on the driftwood bench. She faced the sound and took a deep breath. Water and sky filled her and calmed her spirit. A whisper in the tides called her to surrender. Let go. It was time to stop running. This was her island now.
Her loyal friends waited for her to talk and tell them why Luke had come back. If he was not her enemy, who was he? She had no idea now. “Thanks for being here, you two.”
Jude, always the mama lion, put her arm around Kyla’s shoulder. “We’re here for you. Just tell me one thing, is he dangerous? Should we call the sheriff?”
“Hardly,” Kyla said with a grin. “Only his charm is deadly. It’s my heart that may betray me.”
Lily nodded. “And sorry again about Ian.”
“I about lost it today when you called Jude, but I’m okay now,” Kyla said. Her friends stared at her with concerned expressions. “Ian’s a good guy, Lily. Don’t be angry with him. He was Luke’s friend first and sold art to him long before I met him. If it hadn’t been for Ian telling me at an art opening in New York about this remote little island in the sound, I wouldn’t be here myself.”
“Thanks,” Lily said. “Ian never turns his back on his friends. I should have trusted his choices.”
Kyla sighed. “Back when I left New York—ran away is more accurate—I turned my back on my family and my engagement to Luke. I couldn’t face the overwhelming diagnosis of lupus and needed some time alone. Then I remembered Ian and Madrona Island.”
“I wondered how you found us,” Jude said. “You were never very forthcoming. Part of your mystique and charm.”
Kyla watched the low waves crash on the moist sand and inch slowly toward their feet. Soon it would be high tide. Always the same, day after day. A lone seagull screeched as it soared over their heads. Kyla stood and brushed the sand off her jeans. A brown face peeked at her from out in the water. “A seal,” she said, walking closer.
Lily and Jude moved alongside her.
“And look, there are grey porpoises out there. See the little dorsal fin popping in and out?” Lily said.
“I suppose Luke will want to know the truth now. Why I left him without a word right after the proposal. I guess I owe him that.”
“What will you tell him?” Lily asked.
“The same thing I need to tell you right now. I loved Luke so much but I couldn’t face the possibility of him leaving me.” Kyla stared at the sand. She’d been a coward and had thought only of herself. Perhaps she was not capable of love.
“Why would he ever leave you?” Jude asked.
“He didn’t know the real me or that I was sick. He knew me as the beautiful Darcy Deveraux at the top of my career. His parents disapproved of our engagement, and if they had met my family, that would have been the end.”
“Kyla, that’s not how love works,” Lily said. “He deserves to know the truth.”
“I guess I have no choice now,” Kyla said.
“Will he understand?” Lily asked.
Kyla met her friend’s eyes. “I don’t know. Would you?”
CHAPTER THREE
Luke parked on the gravel drive of the inn and unloaded his suitcases from the SUV. The rental car would do for now until he figured out the type of vehicle he would need for island living. The winery came with a truck, so he could use that, too. He surveyed his temporary lodgings: Madrona Island Bed & Breakfast. It was as he remembered it from the summer: a quaint place surrounded by woods on the backside and an expansive view of the water in front. So here he would stay for a little while.
The previous owners of his newly purchased Madrona Island Winery were completing the harvest with their crew before they moved out. Luke looked forward to working alongside them, picking the deep-purple grapes and beginning the process of soaking them. The property would soon be his, including the retail winery, cellars, vineyards, and a two-story log home with floor-to-ceiling windows. Not a neighbor in sight, only miles of cedars, pines, circling bald eagles, and grazing deer. Luke still couldn’t believe it was all his. Or would be in about a week.
Ian was his only friend on the island. He hoped that would change soon. Kyla…he was not sure if she was a friend or foe, but he was determined to find out. And now that he’d found the winery of his dreams, he was here to stay. He would get to the bottom of what had happened between them and then move on with his new life here.
Two years ago she had disappeared into thin air. All she’d left behind for him were two short sentences: “Don’t look for me. I’m sorry. ~Darcy.” She called herself Kyla now.
Those words were embedded into his brain and had ripped apart his heart. He didn’t know whom he hated more at that point: Kyla or his parents, who probably had a part in chasing her away.
A screen door slammed and jarred Luke from his reverie. A spry-looking elderly lady in jeans and a flannel shirt hurried down the front steps.
“Young man, are you going to check in or are you going to stand here all day?”
“I’m checking in.” He flashed her a smile.
Silver-grey hair contrasted the piercing blue eyes that had him pinned in place. She stood with her hands on her hips looking him up and down. “I remember you. You were at the grand opening in June.”
Luke half expected her to pull out a rifle and chase him off the property. Just what had Kyla said about him? Perhaps she had put up wanted pictures around town. Who knew what he was in for now?
“I’m checking in today. Just admiring the scenery first.”
“Betty’s the name. I live next door. Can I give you a hand with that bag? Mary’s making up the rooms.”
“I can manage. But thanks for the kind offer.” He held out his hand. “Luke. Nice to meet you.” Betty’s handshake was strong. Luke wasn’t sure he’d ever met anyone quite like Betty before.
She squinted and took one last look at him. “I think Ian’s in the office. He’ll help you out.”
“He’s expecting me.”
