A Change of Heart (Perfect Indiana#3) Read online

  “That sounds good to me. Noah said the carriage house is completely furnished, including pots and pans.”

  “It is.”

  “Do you know if there’s a Crock-Pot?”

  “I don’t know, but if there isn’t, between my mom and my sisters there are about a dozen of them in the Lovejoy family. I’m sure I can get a loaner until you can buy your own. I’ll bring one to work tomorrow just in case.”

  “That would be nice. My mom is big on Crock-Pot cooking, and it’s what I know.”

  After loading up on the basics at IGA, he drove them the short distance to Offermeyer’s. Opening the door for her, he followed her inside.

  “Oh, my God, it smells good in here, like ham, bacon and sausage.” She inhaled loudly and closed her eyes. “It’s making my mouth water.” A grin broke free, lighting up her pretty face and erasing the spooked look.

  The impact hit him squarely in the region of his heart, stunning him as if she’d used the device he’d given her for that purpose. “Yeah, it always does,” he muttered. “My aunt gets her meat for the diner here.”

  Denny Offermeyer emerged from the back of the shop. “Hey, Ted. How’re you?” The butcher’s curious stare settled on Cory.

  “Hey, Denny. This is Cory Marcel. It’s her first day at L&L. She’s moving into the Langfords’ carriage house this afternoon.”

  “Welcome to Perfect. I expect we’ll be seeing you around then. My wife and I live just down the road from Ceejay and Noah.” Denny rubbed his hands together. “What can I get you today?”

  Ted backed up a step and watched as Cory picked out what she wanted. Denny’s eyebrows rose a bit when Ted paid for the purchases. The whole town would be rife with speculation by tomorrow morning. Somehow he knew Cory would hate that. Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned Offermeyer’s until she had a few paychecks under her belt.

  They loaded the bag from Offermeyer’s into the backseat next to the three bags from IGA. At least she had enough to eat for the next couple of weeks. She needed to put on a few pounds, fill out a little. Imagining her curves with more meat on her bones sent his blood rushing. Shit. Bad line of thought.

  “I’m excited to see the carriage house.” She sighed. “I’ve never had my own place. I went straight from my mom’s into the army. Renting the carriage house was a huge factor in my decision to take the job at L&L.”

  “Really?” His eyes widened. “That was more of an incentive than working with other veterans?”

  Her expression tightened, and she turned away. “With the exception of Noah and Wes, working with a bunch of veterans came down on the con side.”

  He didn’t know what to say. On the one hand, he felt like a jerk because her words made him absurdly happy. On the other hand, his heart broke for her, for what she’d gone through. He struggled to come up with something to lighten the mood. Tread carefully. “I used to play in the carriage house with my cousins when we were kids. It’s nice. You’ll like Ceejay and her children too.”

  She kept her eyes fixed on the road. “Did you serve under Noah in Iraq?”

  “No.” OK, he’d failed to change her train of thought. “I’ve never served in any branch of the military.”

  “Oh.” Her tone held an unmistakable note of relief. “I thought maybe you knew Noah from the army, and that was the connection that brought him to Perfect. If he grew up in Pennsylvania, how’d he end up here, anyway?”

  “Noah’s stepbrother died around the same time he got out of the VA hospital. Noah came here to find his stepbrother’s family—Ceejay and Lucinda. He rented the carriage house, fell in love with Ceejay, and the rest is history.”

  “How about his sister? Why’d she come to Perfect?”

  “She came here shortly after she finished school. We offered her a job, and she ended up staying.”

  “Ryan was already working at L&L?”

  “He started about a month before Paige did. Ryan was in the same Humvee as Noah when they got hit by a suicide bomber in Iraq.” He watched as she took it all in and made the connections in her mind. Ted turned into the Langfords’ gravel driveway lined by huge walnut trees on one side and the fully blossomed orchard on the other.

  The house came into view, and Cory sucked in her breath. “It looks like something out of a magazine.”

  Ted tried to see the old Lovejoy home from her perspective. He and Noah had restored the square limestone house to its former glory, with its wide veranda, columns and the second-floor three-season porch. A rush of pride swelled his chest.

  His aunt sat at the wrought-iron table on the porch with Micah on her lap. Lucinda and Toby were perched on the steps next to Sweet Pea. “That’s my aunt Jenny.” Ted parked and shut off the car. He hopped out and grabbed two of the four bags from the backseat. “I’ll introduce you.” Cory grabbed the remaining bags and followed him.

  “Aunt Jenny, this is Cory Marcel. Cory, this is Jenny Maurer, and that towheaded imp on her lap is my second cousin Micah.”

  Jenny put the toddler down. “Welcome to Perfect.”

  “I’m Lucinda.” Noah and Ceejay’s oldest stood up and handed Cory a piece of white construction paper before pointing to the boy next to her. “This is my little brother Toby. He’s gonna be five, and I’m nine. Micah is going to be two.” She puffed up a little. “We’re going to have another baby soon.” She placed her hand on the mutt’s head. “This is Sweet Pea.”

  Cory shifted the bag from Offermeyer’s to her other arm and accepted the piece of paper. Ted leaned close to see the rainbow letters spelling out welcome. Several people, a dog and trees depicted beneath the colorful word filled the page.

  “Wow, this is really nice.” Cory’s expression softened, and warmth filled her eyes as she raised them to Lucinda.

  “I helped.” Toby jumped up and down.

  “Well, thank you all for the lovely welcome.”

  “We’d better get these groceries put away,” Ted said. “Then I’ll show you around.”

  “It was nice to meet you.” Cory lifted the picture. “Thanks for the artwork. I promise this piece will decorate my new place. It’s lovely.”

  “Once you’re settled, come on up to the big house for supper,” his aunt told her.

  “Thank you. I’d love that.” Cory turned to follow him to the carriage house.

  He opened the gate to the fenced-in backyard for her. “This is where L&L got its start. Noah turned the bays into a workshop and built the first cradle here.”

  “Paige said the idea for starting the business was yours. Is that true?” She set her bags down on the concrete slab in front of the door, fished around in her purse and pulled out her keys.

  “It is. I took one look at that cradle and knew what I wanted to do with my life.” He chuckled, remembering the way he’d pestered Noah. “Noah and I were both kind of lost back then. Neither of us knew what to do with ourselves. We were working together on the big house, which was a wreck, and I hounded him to go into business with me.” He trailed off, aware that he’d lost his audience.

  Cory’s attention and demeanor had shifted. Her posture held a defensive tension, and the shuttered expression returned to her face. He got it. She didn’t want him inside. He set his two bags down on the concrete slab. “I’ll go get the stuff from the trunk, and when I come back, let’s go take a look at the river.”

  She released an audible breath, and some of her tension eased. Damn. She feared him, and that stung. Ted backtracked to his Mustang. Best to give her a few extra minutes to put her groceries away. “Hey, Aunt Jenny,” he called as he opened his trunk. “What’s new with you?”

  His aunt walked toward him, slowing her pace to accommodate Micah’s short legs. The little guy held tightly to two of her fingers. “Not much. What do you think of our new tenant?”

  He chuffed out a breath and shook his head. “She’s been hurt bad. Did Noah tell you what happened to her?”

  “No. Ceejay did.” Jenny patted his cheek. “You can help her,
Teddy. You were always such a sweet, sensitive boy, and you’ve grown into a fine young man. You can help her regain her trust.”

  “I don’t know, Jenny.” Did he want to get tangled up in her emotional issues? They were beyond him. He lifted the army-issue duffel bag and the single cardboard box containing Cory’s meager possessions from the trunk. “I think you’d be the most likely person to reach her. She’s real skittish around men.”

  “Give it time,” Jenny murmured. She had that faraway look she got sometimes. “Do you want to stay for supper? I made spaghetti and meatballs.”

  “No, thanks. I’m helping Dad on the farm tonight.”

  Her brow creased. “You do for everyone else but yourself, Teddy. Maybe it’s time you did something for you.”

  His gaze strayed toward the carriage house, and he shifted his weight. Do something for me? When did he have the time? “Like what?”

  “It’ll come to you. This is your year.” She patted him again and let the restless toddler lead her back to the porch.

  My year? Yeah, right. Ted returned to the carriage house to find Cory waiting for him outside her door. “Here’s your stuff. Where do you want it?”

  “On the ground is good for now. I’ll take care of it later.” She flashed him a small smile. “I want to see the river.”

  “Let’s go.” Shoving his hands into his back pockets, he led her toward the old willow growing on the bank. “One Fourth of July a few years ago, the Offermeyers’ little girl fell into the river right about here. Noah went in after her and saved the day.” He didn’t mention that the whole thing had been his fault, that he’d knocked into the little girl following a scuffle with Noah that he’d started.

  “Wow. Noah is something special, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah.” Jealousy ate at him, which made him feel like a real shit. He admired and respected Noah, but he couldn’t help being envious. Would anyone ever see him as special?

  Cory studied the river. “I get what Noah means about it being peaceful here. Where I grew up, you couldn’t get away from the sound of semis and cars on the freeway. And then there were the floodlights and diesel engines from the trucking company next door.” She shook her head. “No peace or quiet there.”

  “Where did you grow up?” Ted tried to imagine living with that kind of constant disturbance. She didn’t answer, and one look at her told him this was another touchy subject. “No matter where it was, it can’t be as bad as where I grew up.”

  “Wanna bet?”

  “Yeah, I do.” He barked out a laugh. “Let’s make a wager.”

  Her brow creased. “What kind of wager?”

  “You take a look at where I grew up, and we go see where you grew up. We’ll compare, and whoever had it worse wins.”

  “I don’t think so.” She tensed up again, and he caught the panic in her eyes as she cast him a furtive glance.

  “It’s not like that, Cory. We’re coworkers. I’m just trying to be a friend here and help you feel welcome.” It bothered him way too much that he made her nervous and afraid. “I would never do anything to harm you. You can keep your finger on the pepper spray for the entire trip. What do you say to a wager between friends?”

  She relaxed a bit. “What’s the ante?”

  “The loser buys the winner lunch at the truck stop outside of town. They make the best burgers and shakes. Jenny’s diner can’t compare when it comes to the truck stop’s burgers and fries.” Cory bit her lower lip, and the gesture tugged at the corners of his heart.

  “I’m going to win, but can it wait until I get my first paycheck just in case you grew up in a chicken coop or something?”

  He laughed again. “It’s worse than a chicken coop. I’m going to win, and sure—we can wait. Not a word about it until you’re ready.” He held his hand out. “Shake on it?”

  She hesitated, staring at his hand. He kept it extended and held his breath. Finally, she lifted her chin and slapped her palm against his for a brief shake. Feeling her small hand in his, and the fact that she trusted him enough to touch him, sent a thrill careening through him.

  He leaned over, picked up a rock and tossed it into the river. “Noah was living in the carriage house when he and Ceejay fell in love. Ryan lived there when he and Paige fell in love. Come to think of it, everyone who has lived here has fallen in love and found their happily-ever-after, even my ancestor.”

  Shoot. Maybe I should’ve moved in here a few years ago. He could’ve—right after Paige broke his heart by choosing Ryan over him. He should be over that by now, but like everything else, the hurt was one more irritating daily reminder that he didn’t cut it. He blew out an exasperated breath and steered his thoughts back to happier territory.

  “Tobias Lovejoy married a woman who was traveling west with his group. He meant to go all the way to Texas and start a ranch. My great-great-great-grandmother was searching for her fiancé, who’d left for Texas right after the war, swearing to send for her once he’d filed for his land grant. The guy never did send for her, and she was determined to find out what happened to him.”

  He tossed another stone into the river. “The story goes that the axle on her wagon broke right here. They stopped to fix it, and she and my great-great-great-grandfather fell in love and married. They built their first cabin where the carriage house now stands. Maybe Noah is right, and there’s some kind of magic here.”

  “Crap.” Cory blinked and looked over her shoulder at the carriage house. “Do you think Wesley would trade apartments with me?”

  At first he thought she was teasing, but one look into her wide eyes, and he knew she was serious. Idiot! He should’ve quit while he was ahead. “Uh, I don’t know. I suppose you can ask.” Don’t ask. Ted wanted her to stay right where she was. He wanted her to let the magic of this place heal her the way it had Noah and Ryan. He wanted that for her in the worst way.

  CHAPTER THREE

  SOME KIND OF MAGIC HERE? And wasn’t she just superstitious enough to let Ted’s nonsense about this place send her into a tizzy? She studied the willow tree growing close to the Ohio’s bank, then the river itself, meandering around the bend, anything to keep from looking at Ted. Nope. She couldn’t get drawn into the warmth and sincerity she’d glimpsed in those wonderful gray eyes of his, nor could she acknowledge the mutual attraction simmering between them. Just thinking about getting close to a man gave her that familiar skin-crawling prickly sensation. Time to go.

  Still, what kind of man suggests you keep your finger on the nozzle of a can of pepper spray so he can take you somewhere? Someone pretty special, that’s who, and wasn’t it just too damn bad that she’d been wrecked for special? Plus, Ted was her boss. Never a good idea to blur that boundary.

  “I should head up to dinner. I don’t want to keep your aunt waiting.” Cory wrapped her arms around her middle and turned to leave. “Thanks for everything. You’ve been very kind.” He fell into step beside her, and she put a little more distance between them.

  “Don’t mention it. If you need anything else, let me know.” Ted gestured to the patio doors. “Let’s go in through the back. I want to say good-bye to Jenny and the kids.”

  “You go on. I’m going to put my stuff in the carriage house first.”

  “I can wait.”

  “That’s OK. Go on without me. I’ll see you tomorrow at work.” Please take the hint. Please go away. They stopped at the carriage house door, and she hoisted her duffel bag to her shoulder. “Thanks again for all your help.” He sent her another one of his I’m-confused looks. Or was it disappointment she saw in his expression? Pity? Probably pity.

  “Right.” He backed away, keeping her in his sights. “See you tomorrow.” Finally, he turned and headed for the house.

  Heaving a sigh of relief, Cory opened the carriage house door and nudged the cardboard box through with her foot. She locked the door behind her and took her duffel back to the bedroom. The carriage house was the nicest place she’d ever lived. She could hardly bel
ieve her good luck. Hardwood floors, great leather furniture, a nice flat-screen TV mounted on the living room wall with a recliner set up in front of it—and she had the place all to herself. For the first time in her life, she had a place of her own.

  Someone had cleaned recently, because the apartment sparkled and smelled fresh and lemony. She dropped her duffel on the old-fashioned chenille bedspread and pulled the blankets back. The sheets felt new to her touch, and the scent of laundry soap and dryer sheets floated up around her. Sweet.

  A wave of gratitude washed through her. The Langfords didn’t know her at all, and yet they’d come to her aid at one of the lowest points in her life. She had to come up with a way to thank Noah and his wife—her mom and Brenda too. If it wasn’t for their intervention, she would still be unemployed and hiding out. Once she had a few paychecks under her belt, she’d take her mom out to dinner somewhere nice. Somewhere where her mother would be the one waited on for a change. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and punched in Brenda’s number while making her way back to the living room. “Hey, Bren.”

  “Hey, Cory.” Brenda’s cheerful voice filled her ear. “How was your first day?”

  “It was good. Did you know Bunny lives in the building where we work?”

  “Yeah, that’s what he said. He and his dog do double duty. Since he can’t sleep at night anyway, they’re also security for Langford & Lovejoy.”

  “Makes sense. I got to meet Rex today. Nice dog. Bunny said I can keep Rex with me during the day if I need to, and everyone is fine with that. I don’t think I’ll need to, though. I share an office with Paige Malloy.” She glanced around at her surroundings again, her gaze catching on the beaded picture of Indiana’s state bird and state flower hanging on the wall above the breakfast nook. “Wait until you see where I’m living. You won’t believe it. Are you free any evening this week? We can do dinner, and I can show you my new place.”

  “Sure. I don’t work on Thursday. What time do you get off? I’ll pick you up at Langford & Lovejoy.”