Autumn Anthology Read online

  “You’ve always loved Joshua too. Why did he have to go and ruin everything by dating Bitty?” Lindsey spat out the name. Even Betty Branson referred to herself as Bitty, but she probably wouldn’t approve of the way Lindsey said, “More like Bitty Brains. I hate her too!”

  That made Kaitlin laugh. “Oh, Lindsey, I love you and your passionate nature. But you can’t hate everyone.”

  Lindsey sent a glare in her direction. “I love you, too, Kaitlin, but you know it’s dangerous to stop me mid-rant.”

  “I do.” Kaitlin shifted the Jetta into drive and waited until a guy in a big truck paused to let her pull into the line of cars. She waved her thanks. Thank goodness other events were taking place here, or this would be a very slow drive back to town. A big chunk of the town had been at the race track.

  “Joshua looked good.” Kaitlin had to admit it. It was true.

  “That’s how they suck you back into their traps. Don’t fall for it. They always look good— like a devil in disguise— right before they lower the boom.”

  Kaitlin sighed. “There was a time when all I wanted was to be married to Joshua. I used to practice writing Mrs. Moore over and over.”

  “Yeah, and I saw how you were looking at him today too. But remember how he started dating Bitty so soon after you left. Two weeks. Fourteen measly days. A fortnight.” She laughed. “A fortnight is two weeks, right?”

  “Yes. And don’t worry. I do have regrets. After all, he broke my heart. But there are no old feelings for me.”

  Why was it so much easier to lie to other people than to herself? Kaitlin did still care for Joshua. Last year, she’d loved him with all her heart, and she was obviously still attracted to the man. But when her dream employer had offered to pay all her expenses for a year of specialized training and certification, including her living expenses, she couldn’t turn down the chance to go for her dream.

  She’d hoped he’d go with her.

  But what had Joshua done? Had he gone with her? Or even waited for her? Her training was for just a year. Instead, he’d tried to keep her from going by proposing the night before she was supposed to leave. And then, a mere two weeks later, he’d proved his insincerity and disloyalty by beginning to date Bitty Branson.

  “Don’t forget how he tried to hold you back.” Lindsey’s voice softened, her rant fading already. “You should date someone else; that’s what I always do.”

  “I’m not going to date anyone. I’m going to focus on my career and prove to Mr. Kosta that I’m worth the thousands of dollars he invested in my education. I am hereby officially forgetting all men.”

  Another lie. She couldn’t forget Joshua. She hadn’t been able to for the past year, and she couldn’t get him out of her mind now.

  She also could never forgive him. He hadn’t really loved her, and she’d never get over that hurt.

  Welcome to Heartbreak Hotel.

  Chapter Four

  I'd just like to be treated like a regular customer. —Elvis Presley

  Saturday, October 11th

  The next day, Kaitlin took Candy up on her invitation to bring some designs to the café. She chose a notebook with her favorite designs, complete with fabric samples, sketches, and renderings. Her mother offered to drive, which gave Kaitlin time to flip through the sheet protectors. She loved her work. Using her talent and skills, she’d take fabrics, textures, colors, and furniture that, when combined, created a stunning room.

  As she drove, Kaitlin’s mother said, “Have you seen Joshua again?”

  Kaitlin shook her head. “I’m making it a point of not seeing Josh.”

  “Too bad. I always thought you two made a wonderful couple. I guess I was hoping to see you back together.”

  When they reached Candy’s Café, Kaitlin stopped first to put money in the jukebox and push the numbers for three Elvis songs. “I’m All Shook Up” started to play.

  With a delighted grin, Candy welcomed them. “You brought your designs to show us?”

  Kaitlin nodded and held up her notebook.

  “Bring it over to the counter, honey. Nobody’s sitting there right now. Open it up and spread out the pages. Then everyone can come over and see them.”

  It took just a moment to line the pages up along the counter.

  “They’re beautiful,” Candy said, looking them over one by one. When she reached the end of the counter, she looked up at Kaitlin. “Very elegant. You’re an artist.”

  “Thanks. I worked hard on them.”

  Candy turned to the tables and called out, “Hey, everyone, come and see Kaitlin’s designs. They’re fantastic.”

  Her mother smiled. “Leave it to Candy to create some buzz.”

  Kaitlin looked around the café. Mid-afternoon found only four groups of customers.

  At the first table sat Mayor Jake Taylor and a few of the employees of his thriving electronics store, An App a Day. Jake waved to Kaitlin.

  A group of rowdy teenagers filled two adjacent booths.

  At the next table sat Bitty Branson. Of course. Bitty glared at Kaitlin, tossed money on the table, and stormed out of the café, still pulling on her jacket as she pushed her way through the door.

  Candy whispered to Kaitlin, “Don’t worry about her, honey. She’s just jealous.”

  “Thanks.” Kaitlin nodded. She didn’t have time to worry about Bitty’s reaction, because at the table with the last group of diners was the other person besides Joshua who Kaitlin had been hoping to avoid for a while— Joshua’s mother, Nina Moore— and two of her friends.

  Kaitlin wasn’t sure what kind of reception Nina would give her, but Kaitlin had always gotten along well with Joshua’s parents. No matter what their son had done, she still had good feelings toward them. She just wasn’t ready to socialize with someone who may be angry with her.

  Her heartbeat quickened, and anxiety filled her, especially when Nina and her friends rose, picked up their purses and left a tip, and walked toward her. But Nina greeted her warmly, as did her friends. The three of them exclaimed over her designs and how creative they were, saying things like how they’d always known Kaitlin would be an artistic type after seeing her sketches when she was a little girl.

  What a bittersweet moment for Kaitlin. She loved this woman as a second mother. How could she tell her heart to forget that? Things were a little awkward right now.

  “Are you coming to our next Chick Flick Clique night, Kaitlin?” Candy wiped her hands on a dish towel and hung it back up. With a grin, she added, “If you do, we’ll play an Elvis movie in your honor.”

  Kaitlin laughed. “You know me well, don’t you?”

  Candy nodded. “I bet you’ve played every Elvis song on my jukebox a hundred times.”

  Kaitlin’s mother laughed. “Her father played them on every family trip we took for states at a time.”

  Kaitlin nodded. “We were all shook up for days at a time.”

  “You certainly played Elvis at our house often enough,” Nina said with a gentle smile. “Why don’t you drop by our house tonight? Joshua will be stopping by, and we can play some games or something. I’ll mix up some brownies. Your favorite.”

  Nina wanted to get her son and Kaitlin back together?

  As the women around them grew silent and Kaitlin felt every eye on her, heat flushed her cheeks. What could she say? She’d loved Nina and Bob for years and had considered them family forever. What was the etiquette for dealing with the beloved parents of your previous faithless near-fiancé?

  “That sounds delightful,” Kaitlin finally said. “But I can’t for at least a few weeks. I’ll be spending most of my time trying to get up to speed at work. I have some big projects, and I need to get a handle on them.”

  Disappointment flashed through Nina’s eyes, and Kaitlin felt horrible. Nina blinked and said, “Of course tonight wouldn’t be a good night with you just back in town. And I know how much your new job means to you. Just know that the invitation stands when your workload lessens. We’d
love to have you over. Any time.”

  Unexpectedly, Nina wrapped her arms around Kaitlin and whispered, “I love you, Kaitlin. Welcome home.”

  Chapter Five

  I didn't know that there were any radio stations in Nova Scotia. —Elvis Presley

  Monday, October 13th

  Wondering if everyone in town was hoping, along with their mothers, for her and Joshua to get back together, Kaitlin had come to a decision.

  She wouldn’t go outside of her parents’ house for a week or two, not until things calmed down. Other than working at the office and walking Elvis, she’d keep away from people, avoid the café, and in general let the small town busybodies find somebody else to talk about.

  She didn’t want to run into Joshua again. Or Bitty. And seeing Nina had shaken her more than she’d expected it to.

  So after work and a delicious enchilada dinner fixed by her mother, she fed Elvis. As her parents left for a movie with some friends and Kaitlin washed off the dishes, her cell phone rang. She wiped her hands. It was a blocked number. Hmmm. She answered it anyway, prepared to ask a telemarketer to place her number on the do-not-call list. “Hello?”

  There was no response, and Kaitlin repeated, “Hello?”

  The line disconnected. Wrong number, perhaps. One of those rude people who don’t say they’re sorry but just hang up.

  As she slipped her phone back in her pocket, the doorbell rang.

  Too bad other people didn’t know of her decision. She didn’t want to see anyone tonight. She debated whether to answer, but when the bell rang again, she sighed in resignation. It had better be Girl Scouts selling Thin Mints.

  It wasn’t a Girl Scout. It wasn’t even a girl. No, it was a man. The most handsome man in Aspen Grove, California, and the one she most did not want to see. The one who still sent a thrill of attraction through her.

  “Joshua?” At the sight of him standing on the porch, a gamut of emotions ran through Kaitlin. Surprise. Relief. Joy. Regret. Anger. “Did you just call me?”

  He shook his head. “Hello to you, too.”

  Kaitlin looked beyond him at Priscilla, who looked up at her soulfully, then back at Joshua. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m bringing back your dog.”

  What was he trying to pull? “I have my dog.”

  “Actually, you have my dog.” He shrugged. “We ended up with the wrong dogs after the race. When I realized our mistake, I figured I’d visit with Elvis until you noticed. But when you hadn’t called in nearly three days, I decided I’d better bring him back. I’m here to pick up Priscilla.”

  “Whatever, Joshua. What is this? A cheap trick to see me again?”

  “Elvis,” Joshua said gently as he lifted the dog, “Meet Kaitlin.”

  Determined to call his bluff, Kaitlin stepped outside and closed the door to keep her dog— whichever one she had— inside the house until she could check out Josh’s outlandish claim. If the dogs started playing together, she’d never know if he was telling the truth, not with their identical collars and markings.

  When she petted his dog behind the ears, it dropped to the ground and rolled over, revealing definite boy-dog anatomy.

  This was Elvis!

  Elvis had left the building— with Joshua? And she hadn’t even noticed? For three days?

  How could she not notice she had the wrong dog? How was that even possible? What kind of awful dog mother was she anyway? Guilt-ridden, she looked into Joshua’s eyes.

  He shrugged and spoke gently. “It can happen to the best of us.”

  “But you noticed right away,” she said with accusation in her voice.

  “I’ve always been able to tell them apart.”

  He had always been able to— she remembered that now— where she’d usually had to put a bow on Priscilla’s collar to help her know which was which. Still feeling cross, she asked, “Then why couldn’t you tell them apart at the race?”

  “Because their little backs were covered by a faux ketchup squiggle.”

  “Oh, yeah. That.” A bird chirped in the tree in her yard. Grateful for an excuse to look away from Josh, she lifted her gaze to the tree. The bird chirped again then went silent.

  “I can tell you’re feeling guilty, but don’t. You’re great with the dogs. I know life is hectic for you right now. It’s no wonder you didn’t notice.”

  “So hectic I couldn’t notice I didn’t have my own dog?”

  “Hey, easy on yourself. Priscilla used to be yours, too.”

  She opened the door to let Priscilla outside. Once again, the two little dogs began to dance around like they had at the race track. Watching them, she said, “They obviously enjoy being back together.”

  “They always loved spending time with each other. Maybe we should get them together once or twice a week. For a walk or something. For their mental health.”

  For a moment, she wondered if he was talking about the dogs— or them.

  When she caught his gaze, he smiled innocently. “Shall we take them for a walk tomorrow night?”

  She paused, hesitating. But the dogs were having so much fun, she couldn’t say no. Torn, she finally said, “Okay. But only for a short walk.”

  “Great,” he said. “Come on, Priscilla.”

  Both dogs followed him, and Kaitlin had to call out, “Elvis, come back, buddy.”

  Both dogs turned back toward her.

  With a grin that made her knees weak, Joshua picked up Priscilla— maybe— and gave her a jaunty wave.

  As she watched him saunter to his pickup, her heart caught. How could she go walking with him and hope to keep her emotional distance?

  As Joshua gently secured the little dog in his truck, he glanced back at her and shot her a lop-sided grin.

  Stop being attracted to the man!

  As he drove away, she turned to her dog. “Oh, Elvis, what have I done?”

  Elvis lifted a leg. She wasn’t sure if he was commenting on her decision to walk with Joshua, or her having been oblivious to his not being home, or if he was just proving his gender.

  With the little hound dog’s communication skills, it was hard to tell.

  Chapter Six

  I was training to be an electrician. I suppose I got wired the wrong way round somewhere along the line. —Elvis Presley

  Tuesday, October 14th

  All morning long, as Kaitlin chose fabrics and color renderings and put them together with pictures of room furnishings, she’d been agitated. Usually she could lose herself for hours playing with colors and textures, especially as excited as she’d been to be assigned to the company’s newest large project— an office building, Stafford House, halfway between Aspen Grove and Sacramento— but today she was on edge.

  Why on earth had she agreed to walk with Joshua tonight? She didn’t need to go. She should just hand him the leash and let him walk both dogs.

  It was nearly noon, and Lindsey would be there shortly to take Kaitlin to lunch at a Chinese place that had opened while she’d been away. When she heard someone enter, she assumed it was Lindsay and looked up with a smile.

  She was wrong. It was Mr. Kosta, her boss, walking into the back room and studying a color swatch sample she’d put together. Now even more nervous, she waited anxiously to see if he liked what she’d done.

  Finally, he nodded with approval. “We’re very happy with your work, Ms. Hartley. I was right to put that money into your further education. Welcome back.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Kosta. It was so generous of you to pay for my training.” She’d had to sign a contract agreeing to work five years for Kosta Architecture in return, but she figured she’d gotten the better end of that deal. Easily. Especially since she’d love to work for Mr. Kosta forever.

  He picked up one of her new business cards and read aloud, “Kaitlin Hartley, NCIDQ, Interior Designer, Kosta Architecture.” He smiled at her. “I understand you passed the certification test with, pardon the pun, flying colors. You’ll be a real asset to t
he company. I’m glad you have the dream of decorating.”

  “Thanks. I’ll do my best.” She’d been excited to follow her dream.

  “Have you found a place to rent?”

  Kaitlin shook her head. “I haven’t really looked yet.”

  “My nephew Aaron just moved out of my rental on Quail Lane. It’s being painted this week, but if you’d like, I’ll give you first choice. You could start moving in next week. It’s partially furnished. You’ll need to get a new couch, though.”

  “I’d love to. I’ll come by to see it.”

  “Good. I’ll tell my wife to hold it for you. I’ll even give you the family discount.” He motioned toward the fabric hung around her space. The designers all loved fabrics, and it was amusing to walk through the design department, and see random fabrics hanging around the individual cubicles. Hers tended toward rich browns and blues— even one swatch of blue suede, of course. “This is more of an indicator that you are a real designer than your business card.”

  “Thank you for making it possible for me to go to New York.” The year of study at the exclusive design house had been amazing and had opened doors to her that she could never have afforded on her own. Not without incredible sacrifice. “I’m hoping to have the rooms designed for the Stafford House by the end of the week.”

  “I know you’ll work hard. I had an ulterior motive in sending you back to school. I wanted you to be the best designer in town— working for us. So, yes. Go make us proud.” He nodded again. “I’m going out to lunch with my wife, and then she’s dragging me to buy some clothes, so I may be late. I may never come back. I may die waiting for her to come out of the dressing room.”

  “I’ll cross my fingers that you’ll return safely.”

  He zipped up his jacket. “Enjoy your lunch. Someone needs to.”

  As he left, she happily got back to work and waited for Lindsey to arrive. She even forgot her nervousness about tonight’s walk with Joshua.