Love of a Lifetime: A Sweet Contemporary Romance (Finding Love Book 3) Read online

  “All the more reason for me to leave. I’m not looking for honey.”

  “I feel awful about getting you into this mess. I tried to find something else, but there’s not a cabin available within a hundred miles. I finally talk you into getting away and something like this happens.”

  “Don’t worry about it. No one could have predicted this.”

  “I’ll make it up to you some way. Call me when you get home, okay?”

  “Will do.”

  With a last regretful glance at the view, Faith grabbed her purse in one hand, the duffle bag in the other, and headed down the stairs. Landris must have heard her coming because he met her at the bottom. He threw her the same lazy smile as before. It was much more potent and difficult to ignore at close quarters.

  “I see a bag in your hand. That means the chaperone wasn’t enough to change your mind.”

  “It’s not that. I can’t impose on you.” Especially now that she knew who he was.

  He nodded. “I understand. I can’t offer you a normal breakfast, but I do have the previously mentioned peanut butter cups and Red Bull.”

  She smiled as she made to pass him. “Thanks anyway, but I have to stop for gas on my way out of town. I’ll pick up something to eat then.”

  “At least let me carry that bag for you.” He reached to take it from her. “I’m really sorry about the mix-up.”

  “I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

  He walked ahead of her and opened the front door. “I hope you don’t have far to drive.”

  “It’s not too bad. I listen to audiobooks. That helps pass the time.”

  Landris put her duffle bag in the back of the Jeep. “Olivia likes to do that, too. When we went on vacation in March, we listened to Little House on the Prairie. I learned more about life on the frontier than I ever wanted to know.”

  “I loved reading those books when I was a little girl. I still have them packed away in a box in the attic along with my Nancy Drew collection.”

  He followed her around to the driver’s side. “She recently discovered Kipper, a British animated children’s show about a dog. It’s funny to hear an English accent coming out of a four-year-old from Georgia.”

  Faith grinned as she climbed into the Jeep. “Who can resist an English accent?” To her surprise, he stepped in the space between her and the door.

  “I don’t know; I kinda like southern accents myself. It was nice meeting you, Faith. Have a safe trip home.”

  “It was nice meeting you, too, Landris. I hope you have a great weekend with your daughter.”

  “Thank you.” He moved back and closed the door.

  As she drove away, she couldn’t resist glancing in the rearview mirror. Landris was still standing in the same spot. Why did she have the feeling that she’d just made a mistake?

  * * * * *

  As Landris watched the black Jeep until it disappeared around the corner, he drew a long, steadying breath. This wasn’t the start to the holiday weekend that he’d been expecting, but Faith’s leaving was the best of all possible solutions. Her appearance had provoked a desire for something out of his reach. He couldn’t allow an unexpected meeting with a stranger to undermine the peace he’d worked so hard to achieve.

  Back inside the house, he made his way to the master bedroom. The only evidence that Faith had been there was the lingering scent of her perfume. He could have done without the reminder. With an irritated sigh, he went to get his things from the guestroom. Olivia would want to sleep with him which meant they’d need the king size bed.

  It was in those nightly talks before she fell asleep that Landris discovered his daughter’s growing curiosity about the shadowy figure she knew only from pictures. Now that she was older and in preschool, she was more aware of what she was missing. All her friends had mothers. Naturally, Olivia wanted to know about hers. Can we see Mommy? Why doesn’t she live with us? Can we invite her for a sleepover? Such questions tore at his heart and deepened his contempt for the woman whose actions had created this situation. How was he supposed to answer without revealing that her mother didn’t want anything to do with her?

  After he unpacked, he checked his emails and finished the scouting report on the left-handed pitcher from Bainbridge he’d seen the day before. The rumbling of his stomach reminded him that he hadn’t had anything to eat since yesterday afternoon. He’d take care of that first. There were several family restaurants in town that served breakfast. Then he could go to the grocery store.

  The drive into Hiawassee was scenic enough to make the thirty minute trip seem much less. Nestled among the mountains surrounding the town was Lake Chatuge. He hadn’t been out on the lake since the last time Bristol was here. They’d spent the afternoon water skiing. Later that evening, she told him she was pregnant. He’d been so excited he could hardly speak. Little did he know then how quickly his life would spiral out of control.

  As he passed the gas station, he thought of Faith. He glanced in that direction and was stunned to see what looked like her Jeep parked to one side of the convenience store. Why was she still here? It had been well over an hour since she left the house.

  Ignoring the rush of anticipation stealing over him, he pulled in next to her. When he stepped out of his SUV, she glanced up and noticed him. The surprise in her face brought a grin to his. She unlocked the door, allowing him to get inside.

  “Did you decide to stick around for a while?” he asked as he sat down in the passenger seat.

  “Not exactly. After I filled up my tank, this thing wouldn’t start. The station owner helped me push it out of the way. I just got off the phone with the repair shop. The tow truck is out on another job. It’ll be at least forty-five minutes before the driver can get here.”

  “I hate that this happened, but at least you hadn’t left town yet.”

  “It’s funny because I just had it serviced two weeks ago. I’m almost fanatical about doing the scheduled maintenance checkups.”

  “You’ve got some time to kill before the tow truck arrives, and I’m sure you haven’t eaten yet. Let me take you to get some breakfast.”

  “Do you have time? You said your daughter was coming today.”

  “She is, but she won’t be here until three. My sister forgot she had to drive her fiancé to the airport.”

  “In that case, I accept.”

  The parking lot of the restaurant was fairly crowded when they arrived. A waitress with pink streaks in her otherwise dark hair showed them to a booth overlooking the street. Faith asked where the restrooms were and was directed to the back.

  The waitress looked at Landris. “What can I get you to drink?”

  “Coffee, please, with cream.”

  “Will your wife want coffee, too?”

  The question took him by surprise. He started to correct her and then realized it didn’t matter. He didn’t know anyone here, and he assumed Faith didn’t. “I’m not sure.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll ask her when I come back with yours.”

  He slid the laminated menu from between the salt and pepper shakers. For a small place, they had just about anything one could want for breakfast. He usually made do with cereal and toast. It would be nice to have something more substantial. The waitress returned with the coffee just as Faith appeared from the other direction. She’d pulled her hair into a ponytail. He mentally lowered his original estimate of her age by several years.

  “What can I bring you to drink, honey?” the waitress asked. “Your husband wasn’t sure if you wanted coffee or not.”

  Faith’s eyes met his briefly as she sat down opposite him. “I’ll take orange juice.”

  As soon as the waitress was out of earshot, Landris glanced at her apologetically. “I hope you don’t mind. It didn’t seem worth it to correct her.”

  She smiled as she unfolded the napkin and placed it on her lap. “Who would mind being linked with a famous baseball player?”

  Since she hadn’t mentioned it b
efore, Landris assumed she didn’t know who he was. “My ex-wife, for one. I’m sure if I sit here long enough, I can think of a few others.”

  “That may be, but it’s a novelty for me. I’ll enjoy it while I can.” She opened the menu and scanned the offerings. “The country breakfast comes with bacon, eggs, home fries, and a buttermilk biscuit. If I eat all that, I won’t need anything else for the rest of the day.”

  “That’s what I’m getting, too.”

  After they ordered, she leaned back against the seat. “Why did you retire from baseball? Did you get hurt?”

  “I got old. It was time to let the young guys have their chance.”

  “I guess that sound I keep hearing is your bones cracking.”

  “I don’t doubt it. If you look close enough, you’ll find some gray hairs. What about you? Do you spend your days getting kicked out of cabins?”

  “Far from it. I’m an English professor.”

  His brows went up. “Seriously? You teach college? I didn’t realize they took them so young.”

  “Twenty-eight isn’t young.”

  “It is when you’re knocking on the door of thirty-five. Where do you teach?”

  “At Coastal Georgia in Brunswick.”

  He wished he hadn’t asked. It would have been easier to forget about her if he didn’t know how close she was to where he’d be living. “You drove that far? Now I really feel bad.”

  “This is what happens when you try to run from a problem. Have you ever had a situation where everyone is telling you one thing, and your heart is telling you another?”

  Landris didn’t say anything until the waitress arranged their plates and refilled his coffee. “Yes, I have. You begin to question your judgment.”

  “And believe you could be wrong. I thought a few days away from all those competing voices might help.”

  “It might have if I hadn’t come along and ruined everything.”

  She took a drink of her juice. “It was a silly idea. What difference can seventy-two hours make?”

  “Life can change in an instant,” he pointed out, thinking of that awful day when Bristol dropped her bombshell.

  “Yes, it can,” she agreed quietly, her smile fading. “My life changed forever when my husband was killed in Iraq.”

  He hadn’t missed the hint of tears in her eyes before her glance fell to her lap. For a few seconds, his mind refused to function. Faith was a widow. Along with his brain, his tongue was tied in knots. Don’t just stare at her. Say something. “I’m sorry, Faith.”

  “I’m sorry, too. I can’t believe I’m saying all this to someone I don’t even know.”

  “Don’t you think strangers make the best confidants? There’s a sense of freedom in being able to tell something to someone and know you’ll never see them again.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it, but it makes sense.” She picked up her fork. “Do you come to the cabin often?”

  He understood her wish to steer the conversation away from herself. He didn’t like talking about his personal life either. “About twice a year. We used to have our family Christmas here, but since my parents moved to Florida we’ve been doing the holidays there.”

  “Is your family a large one?”

  Landris reached for his knife and began to butter a biscuit. “It depends on what you mean by large. Trent is my younger brother. He’s a financial planner in Atlanta and has the Midas touch when it comes to the stock market. He and my sister Taryn are twins. She works for a non-profit in Augusta and is engaged to a doctor.”

  “It’s nice that you’re all within driving distance of each other.”

  “Yes, it is. I see Taryn the most since we live in the same town. She’s been a big help to me with Olivia. My job involves a lot of traveling. I evaluate high school and college players for their readiness to be drafted.”

  “Does Olivia live with you?”

  He nodded, relieved to see the waitress approaching. The conversation was getting too close to Bristol, a subject Landris wanted to avoid. In spite of the passing of three years, he hadn’t succeeded in putting his failed marriage behind him. He wondered if he ever would.

  * * * * *

  Faith argued in vain about paying for her breakfast. Landris possessed the usual male talent of ignoring what he didn’t want to hear. Their arrival at the gas station was followed by that of the tow truck. In a matter of minutes, her Jeep was loaded on the trailer. She was preparing to climb into the cab of the truck when Landris tapped her on the shoulder.

  “I’ll give you a ride to the repair shop.”

  “Don’t you need to get going?”

  He nodded to the driver and closed the door of the truck. “I’ve got five hours to drive twenty miles. I could walk back and still beat them there. It may take a while to fix your car. You don’t want to hang around waiting for hours on end.”

  He was right; but she was used to taking care of herself. “That’s better than forcing myself on you.”

  He sent her a mischievous grin. “Let’s argue about it on the way. The tow truck driver is looking at us like we’re crazy.”

  Faith glanced over her shoulder. “He probably recognized you and is wondering who I am.”

  “I don’t think so. I had longer hair and a beard when I played. People are more likely to recognize my name than my face, and that’s only because there aren’t many Landris’s running around.”

  When they arrived at the car repair shop, Faith’s heart sank. There was only one service bay and several customers waiting outside. Would they even get to her vehicle today? What was she going to do if they didn’t? Sleep in her Jeep?

  Twenty minutes later, she was stepping into the dark gray SUV once more while her companion put her bag on the backseat. “I can’t believe they have to order a timing belt,” she grumbled when he joined her. “Shouldn’t they keep those in stock?”

  “You have to remember this is a small town.”

  “I know; I’m just frustrated. I should have been half way home by now.”

  He started the engine and turned on the air conditioner, adjusting the vents to blow cool air in her direction. His action confirmed her fear that she was looking as overheated and ruffled as she felt.

  “Don’t let it get to you. As we’ve already discussed, there’s plenty of room at the cabin. The only thing I need to do is stop at the store and pick up some groceries. I know you came here for peace and quiet. I can’t promise you that, but I can give you a bed to sleep on and plenty of company.”

  She reached for the seatbelt. “How can you be so calm? I’m messing up your weekend, too. You act like you deal with stranded women all the time.”

  “Actually, I don’t. As for your other comment, you being here won’t make any difference in what I’ll be doing.”

  “Your sister is going to think you’ve lost your mind.”

  “After she gets over the shock, she’ll be thrilled.”

  Faith sent him a suspicious glance. “What does that mean?”

  “I’m particular about who I allow around my daughter.”

  “Given who you are, I’m not surprised.”

  “That’s part of it, but there are other reasons. Do you like mahi-mahi?”

  She blinked at the sudden change of subject. “I, um, don’t really care for fish.”

  “Neither does Olivia. I always do chicken, too. Would that work for you?” At her nod, he went on. “We’ll get some mac-in-cheese. That and a salad should be enough for dinner.”

  One part of her mind was listening to him; the other part was grateful Landris turned out to be so nice. She’d really be in a mess if he hadn’t come along. Who would have thought that the stranger in her room would end up coming to her rescue?

  “I can make homemade macaroni-in-cheese that’s much better than the boxed stuff,” she offered.

  “That would be great.”

  Memories taunted her as she walked beside Landris into the store. The only other man she’d ever shoppe
d with was Ian. Whenever he’d come with her, he always tried to sneak bags of candy into the cart. For the longest time after he died, she couldn’t go down the candy aisle.

  “What do you like to drink besides orange juice?” he asked as he grabbed a cart.

  “Tea or coffee.”

  “Do you have a milk preference? I usually get two percent.”

  “Anything is fine. I only have milk in cereal. We’ll need some butter and shredded cheese.”

  “Cereal! I’m glad you said that. I wonder what aisle it’s on.” He laughed. “Have you picked up on the fact that I don’t usually do this? My housekeeper does all the shopping for me.”

  “Mine, too. I’m much too important to be seen grocery shopping.”

  Landris grinned as he grabbed a gallon of milk. “You’re wasting all that ammunition. I got over myself a long time ago. What else do you need for the mac-in-cheese?”

  Faith thought for a minute. “Flour, pasta and bread crumbs.”

  “Lead the way.”

  By the time they arrived back at the house, it was almost noon. After they put away the groceries, he said, “Olivia and I usually sleep in the master bedroom. That’s the only way I can get through the night without getting kicked in the stomach. You can have your pick of any of the guestrooms. Taryn got a late start; she might decide to stay over and leave in the morning.”

  “I don’t mind where I sleep.”

  “If you like a firm mattress, I can recommend the room at the end of the hall. That’s the one I slept in last night. You have my word that I won’t be in your room when you wake up tomorrow. I can’t say the same for Olivia.” He closed the cabinet and leaned against the counter. “That was one of those decisions that made sense at the time, but in hindsight wasn’t very smart.”

  “I would probably have been more scared if it had happened at my house. With this being a vacation cabin, it didn’t seem so strange that someone else might show up.”

  “I suggest you enjoy the quiet while you can. Once Taryn and Olivia get here there won’t be any. You’re welcome to hang around with us or do your own thing.”