N. Walters - Past Promises

She wouldn’t have to work at all once she had that money, but she wanted to. Antiques called to her on a deep level. She loved finding a beautiful piece and matching it with just the right owner. Didn’t matter if it cost twenty dollars or twenty thousand. The feeling was the same.

Voices reached her as she opened the inner door to Past Promises. “Yes, ma’am. The inlay on that table is cherry wood. It’s a good quality piece. They don’t make furniture like this anymore. You can see the craftsmanship in the way the table is constructed.”

Her stomach settled and she crept inside, setting her glass on the counter as Levi bent down to listen to the elderly lady he was talking to. He glanced her way and sent her a beseeching look even though he looked to be in control of the situation.

It was in that moment that she completely lost her heart to Levi Mann. She knew he hadn’t known anything about antiques when he’d started helping with the renovations. He’d told her so. He was always asking her questions. But more than that, he listened to the answers. Listened to her when she prattled on and on about antique tables and dishes and silverware.

He was a remarkable man.

Taking pity on him, she strode forward. “Good morning.”

“This is Mrs. Perry.” Levi took the elderly lady’s arm and escorted her toward Linda.

“I’m Linda Fletcher, the owner of Past Promises.” Saying it aloud made her tingle all over. She smiled as she took Mrs. Perry’s hand in hers. “Would you like a cup of tea or coffee while you browse?”

“My, yes.” Her eyes twinkled behind gold wire-rimmed glasses. “A cup of tea would be lovely. The young man here was just telling me all about the Piecrust table in the corner. It would look perfect in my entryway.”

Linda barely contained her grin. It was funny to hear Levi referred to as a young man. “It’s a beautiful piece. I acquired it at an estate sale in Vermont. It belonged to a prominent family.”

“Excuse me, ladies. I’ll be going now.” Levi inclined his head and headed for the front door. The bell jangled as he left.

Linda realized she was watching him and glanced down at Mrs. Perry, who was watching him too. The older lady looked at her and grinned. “If I was thirty years younger, I’d give you a run for your money with that one.”

Linda laughed, delighted with her customer. “I imagine you would.”

She hitched her large purse over her arm and looked away as Levi drifted out of sight down Main Street. “But it wouldn’t matter. That boy only has eyes for you.”

Pleasure suffused Linda. It was much different from the earlier pleasure. That was physical. This was emotional.

Caution, she warned herself. She loved Levi and he cared for her, but he wasn’t staying. That had been made clear from the very beginning.

Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy what they had while he was here. It was going to hurt when he left. It was too late for her to pull back and protect her heart.

It had been too late from the moment they’d met.

“Let’s get you a cup of tea, Mrs. Perry. Then we can discuss the table and anything else you’re interested in.”

The older lady gazed up the road where Levi had gone. “We’ll start with the table and see where that goes.”

Linda was ecstatic as the clock ticked toward half past four. Her sales today had been incredible. Mrs. Perry had not only purchased the table, but two matching Waterford Crystal vases and a Spode tea set. And hers hadn’t been the only good sale of the day.

A couple from out of state had purchased a complete table setting for eight of Johnson Brothers china, after the woman realized it was the same pattern her grandmother had owned. The original dishes had been lost in a fire twenty years ago and the woman was thrilled to find a complete set.

A businessman passing through had been pleased to discover an antique game table for his study. She’d also sold several board games and trinkets to locals. All in all, it had been her best day yet. And it wasn’t over.

She wished Levi were here so she could share it with him. Later, she promised herself. They’d celebrate later. She owed Levi for this morning and was looking forward to paying up. Her nipples tightened and she tried to ignore the hungry feeling pulsing between her thighs. No doubt about it, she was horny.

There was no other word for it.

She almost laughed aloud. For the first time in years, she felt good. She felt free of her family, free from her past. This was the life she had made for herself and she loved every aspect of it.

Amanda had shown up with lunch today. She’d left the part-timer she’d hired in charge of her antiquarian bookstore, By the Book, and had brought thick turkey sandwiches topped with lettuce, tomato and mustard on twelve-grain bread. Milk and a double chocolate chocolate chip cookie from Jamesville’s amazing bakery, Delicious Delights, had rounded out the meal.

For Linda, it had been nice to sit at the counter and chat with her friend. Shopping traffic had been slow during lunch and she’d only had to deal with one customer while they’d been eating. It was hard to believe Amanda was happily married. Not too long ago, they’d both been single.

Linda was happy for her friend, but she felt a twinge of jealousy deep in her soul. Amanda had Jonah. Cyndi had Shamus. She had Levi. For now.

She shoved that thought away, determined not to destroy the happiness Levi gave her by wallowing in self-pity. Every day with him was an unexpected gift. She’d never thought to find a man she could trust and love. Until Levi.

The move to Jamesville had been one of the best decisions she’d ever made. She had a home, a business, friends, a life, and for now, a lover. And she’d just had her best day of sales.

Grinning, she carried a box out of the stockroom. It was filled with Royal Albert china, a place setting for eight that would look perfect on the dining table to replace the set she’d sold earlier today. She also needed to redo the “gaming” area as she’d sold the table and several of the games today. She was glad she was heading out to two estate sales this weekend. She needed some new merchandise, especially with the summer season fast approaching.

Humming to herself, she unpacked the box and set the china on the table. Tiny flowers rimmed the edges of the white plates and decorated the teacups and saucers. When she was done, she stood back and surveyed the arrangement. Whirling around, she went to a shelf and plucked a vintage hand-crocheted doily and a Victorian silver tea service and carried them back, setting them up in the center of the table. Much better.

Business was slower this time of day, but Linda didn’t mind. It gave her time to work on displays or catch up with paperwork. She wondered if she had anything in her refrigerator she could cook for dinner tonight. In spite of her substantial lunch, she was starving. There was a package of chicken breasts in her freezer that she could thaw in the microwave. They wouldn’t take long to bake. She could make some rice and open a bag of frozen carrots and peas to go with it.

Dinner decided on, she headed toward the next display. She didn’t have another games table, but she did have a small drop-leaf table in the storage room that would work.

The phone rang and she hurried across the room, picking it up on the second ring. “Past Promises.”

“May I speak with Linda Fletcher?”

“This is Linda Fletcher.”

“Ms. Fletcher, this is Harvey Spokes.”

“Yes, Mr. Spokes.” It was her grandmother’s lawyer, now her lawyer. This had to be about the disbursement of her grandmother’s estate. Finally, the waiting was over.

“We need to talk.”

Her stomach clenched. That didn’t sound good. “What’s wrong?”

He hesitated and she could almost see him rubbing the bridge of his nose as he always did when he was troubled. She’d met him many times during her visits to her grandmother’s home and had come to know him fairly well.

“I’d rather do it in person.”

She shook her head, and then realized he couldn’t see her. “Whatever it is, I need to know now.”

He sighed. “Your father is making a simple situation complicated. He’s claiming your grandmother’s will is invalid, that she was mentally incompetent at the time she wrote it.”

Linda swayed, catching herself against the counter. Once again, her family was doing their best to hurt her. Even though she’d half expected something like this, it still hurt.

Black spots appeared before her eyes. She took a deep breath, clutching the receiver tight in her hand. “You can’t be serious.” But she knew he was. Simon, the bastard, had known all about this when he’d arrived this morning. His veiled threats and his parting quip about seeing him again made so much more sense now.

“Linda?” She could hear Mr. Spokes’s voice as if from a distance. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” she managed to gasp. But she wasn’t okay. Not in the least. Her family was trying to destroy her. And over what? Money. How did one deal with that?

“Everything will be fine, Linda,” he assured her. “Antoinette Lafayette was nobody’s fool. She never trusted your father. Her will is airtight. This is just a minor glitch, but it will take some time to sort out. It’s a delaying tactic, that’s all.”

Linda clung to the edge of her desk as she eased herself down onto her chair. “You’re certain?”

“Absolutely.”

Relief hit her. Her skin went hot and then cold. Sweat made her blouse cling to her torso. “Okay.” Her heart was racing, but she was growing calmer by the second. “I can deal with that.”

He cleared his throat. “Financially, will you be okay? I know you got a loan based on your inheritance.”

“Yeah, Past Promises is doing well, and I still have some savings.” Not much. But she could tighten her belt. She’d better enjoy that chicken tonight for supper, because she foresaw a lot of macaroni and soup in her future. She’d poured all her savings into buying stock and getting her business launched.

“Good. I’ll call you as soon as I get this mess straightened out.”

“Thank you, Mr. Spokes.” The line went dead and she slowly lowered the phone. Almost as soon as it disconnected, it rang again. “Past Promises.”

“Ms. Fletcher, this is Albert Kramer at the bank. We have a problem.”

Levi glanced at his watch as he headed toward the inside entrance of the store. It was only ten minutes past closing but his gut was telling him there was something wrong. He never ignored those feelings. Linda was probably just busy with a late customer or with paperwork. But he’d rather feel like an idiot than stay in his apartment worrying about her.

He opened the door and glanced around. The lights were still on, but there didn’t seem to be anyone here. The hair on the back of his neck stirred. He sensed there was someone here even though he couldn’t see them. Levi reached for his weapon, cursing when he realized he didn’t have it. His sniper rifle was in a locked box beneath his bed and his 9 mm was in the bedside table. Not much help to him at the moment.

He did have a knife in his boot and he wasn’t without skills. He could take on an intruder with his bare hands if he had to. He took a deep breath and released it slowly.

This was Jamesville, not some hellhole in a war-torn part of the world. The chances of there being an intruder were slim. There was little to no cash on the premises and a thief wouldn’t find the stuff she carried easy to hock. Linda was probably fine. She was more than likely in the storage room.

“Linda?” He listened intently as he prowled into the room.

A soft sound caught his attention and he moved swiftly to her desk area behind the counter. Linda was sitting in her chair, doubled over, her head buried in her lap.

His heart skipped a beat as he hurried to her side. Dropping to his knees beside her, he touched her shoulder. “Linda.” She seemed oblivious to everything around her. “Darlin’, look at me. Are you hurt? Is it your stomach?” When she still didn’t answer, he stood and started to lift her into his arms. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“No!” She shook her head, her entire body trembling. She jerked back in her chair and stared up at him. Her eyes were red, her face blotchy. Makeup streaked down her cheeks.

“What happened?” Every instinct Levi had went on full alert. Something or someone had hurt his woman. He needed to fix this. “What’s wrong?” He kept his voice gentle as he cupped her face in his hands. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”