Serenity's Garden: A Hearts & Home Novel #2

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

Her past is riddled with secrets. His future is shrouded in uncertainty. Can love blossom when the past and present collide?

Landscape designer Serenity Gagliardi is a successful businesswoman. Along with four friends, she rejuvenates neglected properties and takes them from forgotten to fabulous. But her heart hides a secret that she’s buried in the pursuit of a full and happy life. After her first and only love reappears, old yearnings flame—igniting the fear she may lose the one thing she prizes above all else…

Pro soccer player Travis Southwick has lived a charmed life in the spotlight, until an injury forces him to leave the game he loves. Facing an uncertain future, he returns home to care for his recently widowed mother. Thrust into the path of his childhood sweetheart, the only woman he ever loved, Travis finds his desire for her burns as hot as ever. But Serenity was the one who abandoned their plans for a life together.

Serenity’s secret once revealed, forces Travis to face new challenges and build new dreams. Is there a chance they can open their hearts to love a second time? Beyond the fear and doubt stems hope that the truth is a seed, one that can grow into love, coming at last to full bloom…

Serenity’s Garden is the second book in the captivating Hearts & Home contemporary romance series.

Buy Serenity’s Garden today and watch love unfold!

Release date: June 10, 2020

Publisher: Self Published

Print pages: 161

Content advisory: Steamy

Sample

Chapter One

“HERE YOU GO, sweetheart.” Serenity Gagliardi slid a plate in front of her eight-year-old daughter, Reanna. She also set a glass of milk and a plastic jar of syrup on the table.

Reanna plucked one of the blueberries forming the smiley face on her pancake and popped it in her mouth with a loud smack. Picking up her fork, the child made quick work of the whipped cream nose before targeting a stream of syrup toward her plate.

Serenity pinched her lips together in an effort to ward off the smile threatening to break through. A chuffing sound in her throat brought her daughter’s head up.

“What?” A puzzled expression filled Reanna’s hazel eyes.

Placing a hand atop Reanna’s cinnamon-red hair, so different from her own and the rest of her large Italian family’s dark brown hair, Serenity turned that grin loose. “I think we need to work on your aim.” She grabbed a sponge and swiped it over the now sticky table beside the girl’s plate.

“Oops.” Her daughter’s shoulders hunched around her ears in a sheepish shrug, but mischief danced in her eyes. “I love you, Mom.”

Serenity tossed the sponge in the sink. Bending down, she hugged her daughter tightly until the little girl wiggled away. “And I love you bigger than Jupiter which is the biggest of all the planets.”

“And I love you more than all the rings around Saturn which is the planet with the most rings.” Reanna’s third-grade class was studying the solar system, and they made a game of finding ways to use the information.

Straightening, Serenity ran her hand over Reanna’s tangled mop of hair. With a sigh, she snagged the spray bottle to dampen Reanna’s hair, followed by several spritzes of detangler. Plucking the hairbrush and hair band off the counter, she went to work as gently as she could.

“Ouch. Not so hard.” Reanna’s hand reached to still the brush.

Serenity kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Sorry, I never seem to get enough of the detangler worked through your hair. Almost done. Just have to get the elastic on your hair.” A couple of quick twists of the wrist and the ponytail was secure. “There all done.”

The task complete, Reanna swung her head back and forth, letting the ends of her hair sweep against her neck. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

Grabbing her daughter’s hands, Serenity pulled her out of her chair and danced around the kitchen with her. Reanna’s giggles and squeals embraced the contentment center of Serenity’s brain. Leading her daughter back to her chair, she slowly eased her into it. Reanna put another bite of pancake into her mouth and looked up expectantly.

“I ate some cereal when I was out in the greenhouse earlier.” Serenity rapidly patted her chest, barely able to keep the news in. “The English Rose I’ve been working on bloomed this morning and it’s perfect. I’m finally ready to start entering it in shows.” She pumped one fisted hand in the air and shouted, “Yes.”

Reanna hopped off her chair and hugged her mom around the waist. “Is it the pretty purple one with yellow streaks?”

Serenity took a deep breath. She’d been experimenting with cross-pollinating different varieties for years and finally had what she suspected would be a prize-winning rose. “Yes, that’s the one.” She clasped her hands in front of her mouth as though in prayer and inhaled again. “It’s exactly what I hoped for.” She’d pinched herself so many times this morning she was sure there would be bruises up and down her arms. Creating something new from something old brought her more satisfaction than almost anything else she did.

Her daughter bounced around her like she was on a pogo stick. Serenity put her hands on Reanna’s shoulders. “Okay. Settle down.” She glanced at the kitchen clock. “Finish up. We need to stop dawdling. I have an early meeting this morning, and you don’t want to be late for your spelling test.”

Reanna plopped down in the chair, put her head in her hands, and mumbled, “I don’t think I’m feeling very well. I probably shouldn’t go to school today.”  

Crouching beside her daughter’s chair, Serenity ran her palm over Reanna’s cheek. “Sweetie, what’s wrong? You did so well on your practice test last night.” Her normally rambunctious child had acted down since yesterday afternoon. No amount of prodding by Serenity had uncovered the reason.

Reanna’s tiny lips quivered. “We’re starting a genealogy lesson this afternoon, and we’re supposed to write our mom and dad’s names and where they were born on a family chart. I don’t have a daddy.” She glared at her mom. “Or at least you won’t tell me anything about him. I don’t even know his name.”

Serenity’s heart skidded to a halt, and her stomach did a nosedive. She’d known this day was coming. So far Reanna had been satisfied with, ‘your daddy went away,’ but it would appear the time for easy answers was nearing an end. Her heart started again, now a steady drumbeat against her skull.

“Of course you have a daddy.” Serenity’s heart beat faster as images of the only man she’d ever loved displayed clearly in her mind’s eye. Sitting down, she drew her daughter onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her, rocking her slowly. Resting her chin on Reanna’s head, Serenity licked her suddenly dry lips before speaking. “His name is T…” Her mind scrambled. She couldn’t tell Reanna her father’s real name or birthplace. Even at eight, the girl knew how to do basic internet searches. Typing in Travis Southwick would quickly reveal that her dad was…had been…a top professional soccer player.

Serenity’s insides quaked, but she’d started this lie and couldn’t stop now. She needed more time to figure out what to say. “His name is Thomas Smith and he was born in…” Her mind scrambled for the name of a big city, and “Chicago” tumbled out of her mouth. The lies just kept getting worse and would return to bite her in the butt one of these days. She’d tell her daughter the truth eventually. Just not today. She only hoped that when Reanna was old enough to understand, she’d forgive her mom for the deception.

Reanna framed her mom’s face with her small hands and gave her a kiss before hopping off her lap. “Thanks, Mom. Now my family chart won’t be half empty. I can be like all the other kids. Even the ones whose parents don’t live together know who their dads are.”

That solid lump stuck in Serenity’s trachea refused to budge. Resisting the urge to face-plant onto the table, she smiled instead. “Happy to help.” Gulp. Now she had Reanna lying to her classmates and teacher.

“What does Daddy do? What does he look like? Do you have a picture? How did you meet him? I want to know everything.” Reanna’s little body vibrated with excitement.

Dread lodged in her throat like a big chunk of ice. Couldn’t they go back to bed and start this day over? Serenity glanced at the clock on the wall. “We’ve got to leave in five minutes. Go brush your teeth. We’ll talk later.” She pointed to the calendar tacked to the wall where Serenity had neatly penciled in all their activities—the majority of which were Reanna’s. “After your piano lessons and homework.”

Reanna scrunched her face. “Couldn’t we skip piano today?”

“That’s a no. You’re doing so well, and your teacher would be disappointed if her prize pupil didn’t show. Don’t worry, we’ll talk.”

“Okay, but don’t forget.” Reanna wagged her finger at her mom. Spinning around, not waiting for an answer, she dashed out of the room. Within seconds, the slap of tennis shoes on the stairs filtered back to her.

As much as she didn’t want to have this conversation—one filled with more lies or half-truths—she had to tell her daughter something. Telling her that she was the child of an unwed mother, and her father didn’t even know she existed, wasn’t going to happen just yet. While in this day and age, it didn’t matter if parents were married or not, still it bothered Serenity that she’d been so careless. Her mistake and resulting decision had impacted the lives of the people she cared most about—Travis and Reanna.  

She been in college and then left the area to have the baby. Once she returned to her hometown, people assumed she’d been married and divorced. She’d hinted that it had been a contentious divorce and didn’t want to talk about it. The only person who knew everything was Jess Winters, her college roommate and now partner in their home renovation business—Uniquely Yours, Construction and Design.

Sighing, she cleared the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher. She had an entire day to figure out how to satisfy Reanna’s curiosity without telling too many more lies.

****

TRAVIS SOUTHWICK shuffled through the mail in his hands and tucked the bills into the expanding file folder he carried around to keep track of his mom’s information. Ever since his dad had passed away Travis had taken over managing his mom’s affairs. The grief counselor had given him a checklist of things to do, and he was determined to make sure nothing slipped between the cracks. His brother and sisters were too busy to help, so it fell to him—the one without a current job—to take care of their mom. Lately, she couldn’t seem to keep track of things, and according to the counselor, that was to be expected.

Stopping at the opening to his father’s home office, he noticed the drapes were still drawn and the room smelled musty. He shook his head. His mom loved the light, and normally everything was open so sunlight could pour in to nourish the houseplants she’d scattered around the room. His mom loved to garden. Even to his untrained eye, these plants looked neglected. Another thing to add to his to-do list if he couldn’t get his mom motivated to look after her babies.

As he wandered past the living room and dining room on his way to the back of the house, he observed these rooms were in the same state as his dad’s office. He heaved a sigh of relief when he entered the family room and at least the shutters on the windows were open and the plants in this room looked like they’d been watered.

When he spotted his mother, his lungs tightened and couldn’t find the space to expand. Olivia Southwick was stretched out on her overstuffed chaise lounge chair in her bathrobe, sipping her morning coffee. A game show played on the television. She glanced up and smiled at him when he cleared his throat.

“Hi, Mom, I picked up your mail.” He handed the stack to her and bent down to kiss her forehead. Her chin-length auburn hair, so much like his own, shone in the morning light.

“Thank you,” she said, setting the stack of mail on the end table without a glance.

Her lack of interest worried him, but his breath came easier when she looked up at him and her hazel eyes held the same zest he remembered from his youth. In fact, his mom hadn’t changed much over the years. She had the same trim figure. Her hair looked the same because she had it colored. He knew because he’d taken her to her last hair appointment. She said she wasn’t ready to let the gray take over. Only the fine lines around her eyes and a fullness in the jowls suggested that Olivia was in her late sixties.

“I put the envelope from the State of California on top. You want to open it now? It’s probably the copies of Dad’s death certificate that we’ll need for the legal stuff we have to take care of.”

Olivia’s smile quickly morphed into a frown, and the sadness in her eyes broke Travis’ heart. Pinching the corner of the envelope between two fingers, she lifted it from the pile and handed it back to him as though it were a smelly diaper. “No, dear. You take care of it.”

Travis accepted the envelope, tore it open, and confirmed that it contained the copies of the death certificate. He added them to what seemed like a gazillion other documents he’d collected to close out his father’s affairs. He gently moved her legs and sat on the end of the chaise. Picking up one of her hands, he folded it in his own, marveling at how fragile it was. “Mom, aren’t you going to get dressed? According to the calendar Carly set up, June and Daisy should be here shortly for your walk.”

Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Are you sure, dear? We only walk on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

“This is Tuesday, Mom.” His heart grew heavier with each word he spoke, the beats thudding in his chest. Thank heavens his younger sister, Carly, had taken it upon herself to set up and share an online calendar of his mom’s appointments and activities. She also had it set up to send him reminders so he could make sure Olivia didn’t miss anything. The entire situation felt weird. Him taking care of his mom when his whole life it had been the other way around, giving him the freedom to focus all his attention on being the best soccer player he could be.  

His mom gave him a shove so she could get up as a trace of her old spirit set her in motion. “Well then, I guess I’d better get moving.”

Swinging her legs over the edge of the chaise, she stood and made a dash for the stairs.

“Mom, have you eaten anything? Can I toast you a bagel?”

“That would be lovely.” Olivia waved her hand over her shoulder.

Travis picked up the coffee mug she’d left on the end table and carried it to the kitchen. He’d retrieved a bagel, a container of cream cheese, and some fresh strawberries from the refrigerator when June Simmons’ voice echoed from the entryway.

“Hello, Olivia. You ready?”

“She’s upstairs changing,” Travis hollered. “I’m back here in the kitchen.” He popped the bagel in the toaster and started slicing a few strawberries. Kitchen duties and light housework—another thing he was getting used to. Strange, it had never crossed his mind before that other people had handled all the minutiae of his life. That had already started to change, and he planned to stay on this trajectory.

A pixie of a woman in her late sixties flitted into the kitchen and pinched his cheek just like she’d done every time she’d seen him from the time he was born until he’d been big enough to dodge her. “Hi, June.” He nodded at the tall, lanky woman who reminded him of a giraffe. “Daisy. Good to see both of you.”

June popped a strawberry slice into her mouth. “Olivia hasn’t eaten yet?”

“Not yet. She didn’t realize today was Tuesday.”

June patted his arm. “It’s going to be like this for a while. When your world is upended, it’s difficult to stay focused.”

Boy, didn’t he know that one.

Daisy placed a steaming cup of coffee in June’s hands. “Helping her stick to her routines will help.” She tore open a packet of sweetener and dumped its contents into her own mug. “I’m glad you’re here to help her.”

“So am I.” Travis carried his mom’s food to the small table in the family room on the other side of the low kitchen counter. June and Daisy followed and sat down. Travis didn’t sit and instead propped himself against the counter, crossing his legs at the ankles and folding his arms against his chest. “I’m worried about her. I hadn’t expected her to be so”—his breakfast churned in his stomach—“distracted.”

“This is fairly normal,” June said. “Grief does funny things to our minds as we come to terms with our new reality.” She paused and stirred her coffee. “How are you doing? I know your life has taken quite a turn as well. Has your knee finished healing?”

“As well as can be expected. I’m continuing to work with a physical therapist and a trainer in the hopes I might play soccer again. With luck and hard work, maybe by next season.” He shifted his weight and winced at the twinge in his left knee, the one that had sustained the most damage. He knew that someday he’d have to retire but hoped he had a few more good years left. “Did Mom tell you I bought a house?” He rolled his neck. No point in dwelling on the fact that without soccer, he had absolutely no idea what to do with his life. He’d majored in Communications in college but had no real passion for the field. Soccer had been his life. Chances were he’d have to fall back on his celebrity status to find gainful employment.  

“She did,” said Daisy. “I assume that means you plan to set down roots here?”

Olivia sailed into the family room and stopped to squeeze her son’s arm before joining her friends at the table. “I’ve got my fingers crossed that he will stay permanently, but for now I’m delighted he’s nearby.” She bit into her bagel. “Sorry, I’m late. The days tend to blend together.”

June patted Olivia’s hand. “We understand and we’re here for you.” June glanced at Daisy who nodded. “The more you stick to your routine, the less the days will seem the same.”

“Whenever you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to simply listen, June and I are a phone call or short drive away. You’re not alone. You’re surrounded by family and friends who want to help you get through your loss.” Daisy took a sip of her coffee. “Give yourself time and don’t make any drastic changes in your life until you’ve had time to adjust.”

Olivia dabbed at her eyes. “I’m so lucky to have all of you in my life. I’d be lost without you.”

Travis swallowed past the lump in this throat. “Mom, you’re the strongest person I know.” He walked over and took the fourth seat at the table. “And I’m counting on you to help me get the house I bought into shape. You’ve got a good eye for all that decorating and landscaping stuff.”

“The interior designer you hired did a good job with the remodel plans, but I can’t wait to sink my teeth into your new home. It’s such a gorgeous property.” Olivia clasped her hands over her heart. “After we moved back here a few years ago we missed having your nearby. Now I’m looking forward to having you close again.” She stood. “Ladies, I suppose we’d best get on with our walk before that threatened rain moves in.”

“You ladies have a good time. I’ll just clean up the kitchen and then fix those blinds you said were sticking in your bedroom.”

Olivia giggled. “Isn’t it nice having free labor?”

“Don’t get used to it,” Travis called to their retreating backs.

The grin on her face as she looked back over her shoulder and waved, did his heart good. The sadness would return soon enough. He may have no idea what was next for him, but he’d made the right decision to move back to his hometown to be near his mom. Even if this was only a semi-permanent move, he felt like the experience was helping him grow. It was time to demonstrate he was more than a soccer star.

 

Chapter Two

SERENITY STEPPED out of her truck and walked toward the entrance to Uniquely Yours, Construction and Design—the all-female company she and four of her friends owned and operated. A spring in her gait she hummed Beethoven’s Ode to Joy under her breath because it was the last thing playing on the classical radio station she listened to. As long as she focused on the good things—the company’s expanding business, the fulfillment of bringing beauty to neglected landscapes, and her success with her new flowers—then today was a pretty good day.

The only damper was figuring out what to say to Reanna. Who was she kidding? This wasn’t a damper. It was a major tornado bearing down on her. She needed to tell her daughter enough of the truth about her father to satisfy her curiosity but without divulging her father’s real name. She sifted possibilities in her mind. They’d been young and in love, but their lives had gone in different directions. Sometimes love wasn’t enough to build a forever on. Reanna’s father was a good man and he would have loved his daughter if he’d been able to be involved. She’d never told him that he had a child. It would have ruined his career. Cringing, she sighed. Too much? Not enough? How could she possibly explain to an eight-year-old how much it had hurt to let him go? How he’d always made her laugh? How he’d made her feel special? How simply being with him had made the sun shine more brightly. Squaring her shoulders, she tossed that problem aside so she could get on with her day.

Tugging on the heavy glass door, Serenity stepped inside the building. “Hi, Lucy.” She greeted their receptionist and handed her the bunch of flowers she’d picked from her greenhouse this morning.

“These are gorgeous. I love these coral-colored ones with the white tips. Although these blush pink ones make me think of spring. It’s so nice to have dahlias to display in January.”

“That’s the advantage of having a greenhouse. I can make flowers bloom all year long. This one”—Serenity cupped one of the coral-colored ones with her hand—“I bred for these colors. I plan to enter it in flower shows this spring and have named it Misty Dawn.” 

“It’s perfect.” The middle-aged woman with short salt-and-pepper hair stood and lifted the cut crystal vase off the tall counter separating her from the clients. Cradling it in the crook of her arm, she stepped back. “I’ll get these in water. Kaitlin and Ivy are already in the conference room. We’re still waiting on Jess and Victoria. Apparently, Victoria had an inspiration and wants to make a slight change”—the woman rolled her eyes—“to the floor plan of the Holly Lane flip. Jess met her there to go over it.”

“That’ll give me time for an extra cup of coffee and enjoy whatever baked goods Kaitlin brought in today.” Serenity made her way down the hall on the far side of the receptionist’s desk and into the conference room, continuing to hum a portion of one of her favorite symphonies. “Hello, ladies,” she sang out as she took her seat at the table.

“My, my. Aren’t we chipper this morning?” Ivy Bardot, the real estate broker for the company, arched one elegantly shaped brow.

“One of us is at least, Miss please don’t talk to me before my third cup of coffee.” Serenity lifted a glass plate from the stack in the middle of the large oak farmhouse table that dominated the room.

Ivy’s resulting scowl made Serenity laugh as she eased a slice of quiche off the platter and onto her plate. With a nod to Kaitlin, she said, “This is different.”

Kaitlin Connors, the company’s business manager, shrugged, her hands palm up. “I got tired of baking muffins. Decided we needed a change.”

Ivy yawned behind her hand and grumbled, “Not all of us enjoy holding meetings at the butt crack of dawn. And just where are Jess and Victoria? They’re the ones who called this meeting.”

“Right here,” Jess Winters, the general contractor of the group, entered the room, her work boots thumping on the wood floor. “And Ivy, I’d hardly call seven thirty the butt crack of dawn. My crews start working at five during the hot months. Now that’s the butt crack of dawn.” Her ever-present metal clipboard clattered against the table as she set it down.

Ivy narrowed her eyes and took another sip of her coffee.

“I really appreciate you all making time in your schedules for this extra meeting. Sorry we’re late. I had to alert my crew to the changes in the Holly Lane flip so they could get started.” Jess gave Victoria a pointed stare, then shook her head.

Unfazed, Victoria Kwan, who brought her interior design skills to the partnership, hefted her large leather portfolio onto the table and unzipped it. “I knew everyone’s schedules were jammed, and I couldn’t wait to share this new project I’ve lined up. It’s going to make a fantastic before and after marketing tool to showcase why our company is so special.” She pulled two large whiteboards with eight by ten images mounted on them from her portfolio and balanced them against her chest.

“The house is just over five thousand square feet and needs extensive modernizing. It sits on an acre and as you can see”—Victoria pointed to the board with the landscaping shots—“they pretty much let it go wild. This place has so much potential, and the owner said he’d be fine with us using it as an example.”

Victoria laid the two boards flat on the table, and everyone stood up and bent over the table for a closer look. Serenity’s heart rate kicked up and her hands itched to pick up her sketching pencil. Mature trees dotted the property. A gentle slope led from the street to the house. Plenty of flat land stretched behind the house and offered a breathtaking view of open space and the hills beyond. Ideas flowed through her mind. She could do so much with this place.

“Jess and Serenity, pull up your schedules so we can arrange a time to tour the property with the owner.” When they had their phones out, Victoria asked, “Does Wednesday at noon work for you two?” She glanced at Ivy. “You can join us if you’d like to see the before.”

“Sorry, I’m booked all week with listing appointments and showings. Otherwise, I’d love to. Since the owner’s fine with it, make sure you get a professional photographer in to take the before shots.”

“Already arranged and I will also have renderings for the before and after floor plan,” Victoria said.

Jess looked up from her phone. “I can do Wednesday at noon.”

“Me too,” Serenity agreed. “That will give me time to put together some preliminary sketches for the owner to review.”

“Email me the contract and I’ll get the project set up in our management software,” Kaitlin said as she bent to pick up the tray with the quiche. “Who is the property owner?”

“He just retired from professional hockey”—Victoria’s face wrinkled in a frown—“uh, no make that soccer and moved back to the area. Apparently, he was some big deal in the sports world. Having his name attached to the project should garner quite a bit of good publicity.” She started putting the whiteboards back in her portfolio. “His name’s Travis Southwick.”

Serenity’s head swam, and the chair scraped against the floor as she sat down heavily.  

Kaitlin put the tray down and rounded the table. “Are you alright?” She put a hand on Serenity’s shoulder and squeezed. “You look a little pale.”

Serenity took a gulp of water hoping to ease the tightness in her chest.

Victoria’s forehead crinkled in confusion. “I gather he grew up in one of the little towns about thirty miles east of here near your family’s vineyard. Do you know him?”

Noting Jess’ worried expression, the only one who knew the truth, Serenity offered a weak smile to the group. Her response had to sound casual. The past was in the past. No big deal. Except for her reaction when she heard his name and that flutter in her belly at the thought of seeing him again. “Yes, I knew him once. We grew up together. You can’t live in a small town and not know everyone.” She swallowed hard, and her lips formed a thin line. She might as well get this out there and try to divert the barrage of questions she knew would follow. “We even dated in high school and college. Everyone assumed we’d get married someday.”

“From the way you look, I’m guessing you didn’t part on the best of terms?” Ivy nodded, then her eyes narrowed. “Did he break your heart?” 

The single moth batting against Serenity’s chest turned into one hundred. Stress had so many friends. “I won’t say it was easy to break up, but we each wanted different things in life. I wasn’t ready to follow him around the country. He had his dream of playing professional soccer and I had my dream of building a landscaping business.” She released a long sigh. “I’d say we went our separate ways with more sadness than anger. Anyway, I doubt he even remembers me after all these years. I moved on. I’m sure he did as well.” And all those women he’d dated had solidified his image as a professional athlete playboy.

“After dating you that long, he’ll remember you.” Kaitlin patted Serenity’s shoulder. “And if your reaction is any indication, I’m guessing there’s some unfinished business in your relationship. Sounds like Reanna’s dad was a rebound thing and you weren’t really over Travis.”

Victoria leaned her portfolio against the wall. Crossing her arms, she put on her warrior face. “Are you going to be okay working with this guy? I mean if you need us to dispose of the body or provide you with an alibi, we’ve got your back. Right, ladies?”

Ivy looked toward the ceiling and sighed. “Of course we have her back, but Serenity is a professional with a good head on her shoulders. Sounds like whatever was between them has been over for a long time. She met someone else, had Reanna.” She tapped her cheek with her finger, and a hint of speculation entered her eyes. “Anyway, I seriously doubt we’ll need to cover up a murder.”

Victoria held up her hands. “I’m just putting it out there. Any man who messes with one of us, messes with all of us.” She raised her small fist in the air. “Woman power.”

Serenity choked back a laugh. Victoria tended toward the outrageous. “I do appreciate the show of support, but I’m fine moving forward with this project. It’ll be good for our business.” She folded her hands on the table. “I don’t bear Travis any ill will. Our dreams simply took us in different directions. No big drama.”

Victoria raised her brows. “As the wise Confucius once said, ‘Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.’ I hope that’s what you’ve done and didn’t leave of piece of it someplace else.”

 Serenity stood. Did her friends suspect that her story about Reanna’s father was fiction? “Thanks, guys, but Travis and I were over years ago. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a bid and drawings to put together for that city beautification project and need to start on the drawings for Wednesday. If you need me, I’ll be in my office.”

It didn’t surprise her when five minutes later Jess stepped into her office and closed the door behind her. Without preamble she sat in one of the visitor’s chairs and propped her booted foot on her knee. Serenity pressed her lips together. Every time she saw her petite blonde friend decked out in her construction gear, she had to bite back a grin, especially those times Jess was surrounded by her burly crew. It made for quite a picture.

“That was a bit of a shock. Travis back in town. That must stir up some memories. What are you going to do?” Direct as always, Jess had gotten right to the point.

“I’d heard he was back for his dad’s funeral and was sticking around to help his mom for a while.”

“You knew he was in town and you didn’t say anything?”

Serenity shrugged though her insides weren’t nearly as nonchalant. “My parents talked to him briefly at the funeral, and they told me he asked after me. I figured for as long as he was in the area, I’d make sure our paths didn’t cross. Once his mom is settled, I assumed he’d leave. Problem solved.” A sick feeling gurgled in her stomach. “It threw me just now to learn he’d bought a house. That sounds so permanent.” She bit her lip and willed her heart to slow down as sweat dotted her forehead. “At least we’re not living in the same town. We’re miles apart. It’s unlikely he’ll ever see Reanna. The greater Sacramento area is pretty big. I’m hoping it’s big enough.”

“He asked your parents about you? So he hasn’t forgotten you?”

“It would appear not.” An unwanted sense of anticipation struggled for a foothold in Serenity’s chest. He’d always been the one. The only one. “Though maybe he was just being polite.”

“Are you really going to be okay coming face-to-face with him?”

Serenity rubbed her scalp with her fingertips to ease the tightness. “I’m going to have to be. This project is too important to us. We’ve been trying to break into the luxury home renovation market for a while. We’ve been given this second chance. We’ve got to take it.” She brought her hands down and folded them on the desk.

Jess groaned. “Yeah, our last attempt didn’t turn out too well when the owner—and now my father-in-law—was arrested for tax evasion and money laundering.” She shook her head. “Talk about the luck of the draw. Now this? Maybe we should stick to flipping houses and forget the luxury home market.”

“No, flipping houses is great, but the more we can broaden our client base and the services we offer, the better. Travis just can’t find out about Reanna. At least not right away. Not until I tell him.” Serenity chewed on her bottom lip. “Do you think I should tell the others who Reanna’s father is, so they don’t inadvertently mention her to him? I feel guilty that I’ve never shared that information with them, but I just couldn’t go there.”

“I know how torn up you were at the time. It’s not easy to open a wound once it’s started to heal, but it appears your past has caught up with you.” Jess made a clicking noise with her tongue as she pondered the options. “At this point, I wouldn’t tell the partners.”

Serenity picked up a pencil and started doodling on the edge of her sketch pad. “He’s been in town for a month now, and our paths haven’t crossed. I think I’ve got a little time to figure out how to break the news.”

“Probably some.” Jess stood, came around the desk, and leaned down to hug her pal. “I’ll do everything I can to run interference for you on the jobsite. We were all friends when you two dated in college so he knows me.” She straightened. “I’d best be off. I just wanted to check on you first.”

Serenity snagged her friend’s hand. “Wait a minute. It’s not all about me. How are you and Devin doing? You two newlyweds you. How’s school going for Devin? Can’t wait for him to get his contractor’s license and join the firm.” She loved the soft smile that touched Jess’ lips at the mention of her husband.

“Marriage is more than I thought it could be. I had no idea how wonderful it would be to come home to my best friend. School’s going well, and you’re not the only one who can’t wait for him to finish. We’ve been so busy that I’m looking forward to the day when I can offload some of it onto him. Thanks for asking.” She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. “You know if you need to talk, I’m here.”

Putting down her pencil, Serenity pinched the bridge of her nose. “With all the questions Reanna has asked lately about her dad, this must be on omen.” Her scalp prickled with unease. “Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to tell her I’ve been avoiding the truth all these years. When she was younger, it was so easy to change the subject. I’m not looking forward to her reaction once she learns the truth.”

“She may be angry with you for a while, but she’s young and loves you. Eventually she’ll forgive you, especially if you let Travis into her life.” Jess reached for the door and paused. “I know you had your reasons for not telling him, but you’ve never forgotten him. He needs to know about Reanna.”

“And I plan to tell him. Soon.” Serenity watched Jess stride down the hallway. Jess was right. That same thought had weighed heavily on her ever since she learned that Travis was in town. She did need to come clean. She simply needed a little more time to come to terms with the fact that Travis might be in her life again…unless, of course, he decided to leave…again. She had no idea that excitement and dread could reside in the same space, but that’s what she felt. She hoped that seeing him on the jobsite might give her clues to how he’d react once he heard the news.

 

Chapter Three

TRAILING AFTER Victoria—listening to her chat animatedly with his mom about kitchen configuration, which walls to open up, and the best traffic flow through the house—made Travis’ head swim. He’d looked at the drawings Victoria, his interior designer, had submitted for review but hadn’t understood what making those changes really entailed. Now that they were walking through the house, and his mom was adding a few suggestions of her own, the picture was becoming clear.

Walls moved. Plumbing relocated. Windows replaced with more energy-efficient ones. New kitchen cabinets. New appliances. New flooring. He supposed it was nice for people to see the living room when they walked in the front door and that the dining room should have easy access to the kitchen. The entry was too grand for his taste so turning part of it into an atrium and adding a few skylights and a fountain made sense. More inviting. The wine room was a waste of space as far as he was concerned. Converting it into a small library nook off the living room, appealed to him. Buying a house this big that needed so much work might not have been practical. He shrugged. He loved the location. Half hour away from his mom, so close but not too close. Thirty minutes the other way to downtown Sacramento if he wanted some night life.

The only change he cared about making to the interior was to create additional bedroom space on the master bedroom side of the house. Some day he hoped to fill those rooms with his children, and he didn’t want the little ones sequestered on the other side of the house. If he hadn’t fallen in love with the grounds, he’d have purchased a home more in line with his long-term plans—one that didn’t need so darn much reconfiguration. But without a special woman on the horizon to be the mom to these someday children, that is unless he could get Serenity to pick up where they left off, perhaps it was more dream than actual plan. With plenty of flat space behind the house and slightly over an acre of land, the place begged to have children running about. The land, backing up to four hundred acres of open space, had sold him, and he assumed the rest could be fixed. Victoria, who’d come highly recommended, had assured him it could.

Turning to Jess, who walked beside him making notes based on what Victoria and his mom indicated they wanted to change, he grinned. “I’m hoping you’re here to keep these two from going overboard.” He angled his chin toward the two women in front of them.

Jess returned his grin. “I’ll do my best but have learned not to make any promises. You’ll have to manage your mom’s enthusiasm on your own.”

Travis sighed and shook his head, but a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Seeing my mom this excited, I doubt I’ll have the heart to deny her anything.” He felt so helpless in the face of her depression. Feeling helpless didn’t square with his make a decision and go for it modus operandi. It made him restless, but he was learning patience.

“I was sorry to hear about your dad. It must be hard on both of you but especially your mom.” She cocked her head and glanced up at him. “How long had they been married?”

“Just shy of fifty years.” Sadness slid into his chest, blocking out the bright light of day. He missed his dad—his idol, his first coach, and constant cheerleader—and hated seeing his mom suffer.

“Losing someone after that many years has to leave her feeling lost. It’s nice she has this”—her arm swept out in front of her— “to look forward to. She really does seem to be into it.”

“That she does. At any rate, I’m relieved to have a familiar face on my side.” He ran a hand over his hair. “I know Serenity is your partner.” Heat crept up his neck at Jess’ knowing gaze. “When I was checking out contractors, I saw her on your website. Are you two still close like you were in college?” He hadn’t kept track of her; people who did that through old flames’ social media felt creepy, but he’d never forgotten her or the way she made him feel. When he saw her parents at his dad’s funeral, they’d told him what she was doing. One of the main reasons he’d chosen Uniquely Yours. He wanted to see her again. See if that spark was still there.

Jess cleared her throat and looked away. “As a matter of fact, she’s my best friend.” She blushed. “Except for my husband. He’s my best friend now.”

“Congratulations. I hadn’t heard you’d gotten married.”

“No reason you should have. We were only married last month.” She tapped her pen against her clipboard. “Serenity personally manages both the design and implementation of all our landscaping projects.”  

His heart jumped ahead several beats, and for a split second his lungs ceased functioning. “Does she know it’s my property she’ll be working on?”

“She does. She’ll arrive shortly to go over some preliminary sketches and walk the property with you.”

His tried to draw saliva into his suddenly dry mouth. Serenity. He was going to see her again. He’d known she was the lead landscape designer but feared she might hand the project off to an underling if she knew it was his property. She hadn’t. That seemed like a good sign. He had no idea if she’d be interested in him, but he’d never know if there was still something there unless he tried. Travis rubbed the back of his neck. “Is she happy?”

Jess glanced at him sideways, a hint of wariness in her eyes. “She loves what she does. You know that landscape design was always her dream. And she loves being near her family.”

Disappointment pierced his heart. Their incompatible dreams. The reason she’d stayed here and he hadn’t. He tucked his hands in his pockets. She’d made her choice back then. Would she make a different choice now? “She deserves her happiness.” Pressing his lips together, he might as well just ask. “Did she ever marry?”