Before Today, Page 2

  After what he’d seen in Afghanistan, it had taken months to feel as though he was a normal person again. The media attention from the tragedy in Kabul had left him wary of getting too close to anyone. And he wasn’t taking any chances, now. The only person who knew he was here was Zac, and that was the way he wanted it to stay.

  The sweet smell of fudge filled his lungs. He stopped outside a candy store and studied the display in the front window. With Easter only a few weeks away, most of the shelves held shiny, brown Easter eggs. With their brightly decorated shells, they looked good enough to eat year-round. But it was the white chocolate eggs that made him look twice.

  His mom would love the marbled rainbow of colors mixed through the chocolate. The eggs reminded him of the stained-glass windows she created in her studio, the light-filled sculptures that breathed life into the darkest of spaces.

  He peered through the window. A line of people were waiting to be served. It looked as though half the town wanted something special for Easter.

  Out of habit, he checked his watch. When he realized what he was doing, he dropped his arm to his side. Since he’d been on the road, he hadn’t followed any schedule. When he was hungry, he ate. When he grew restless, he drove to a different town. Roaming across America wasn’t for everyone but, for now, it was the best he could do.

  “Are you coming inside?”

  His startled gaze dropped to the woman holding open the door to the candy store. For a moment he thought his past had come back to haunt him. With her shoulder-length brown hair and deep blue eyes, she reminded him of someone he used to know—someone who almost made him believe that everything he’d seen and done in Afghanistan had been worthwhile.

  The woman smiled and any resemblance to the person he’d loved, disappeared.

  “The Easter eggs are filled with different types of fudge. You should try some of the samples on the counter.” She opened the door wider, waiting for him to follow her inside.

  He took a deep breath. What harm could it do? The general store wouldn’t be closing any time soon and he wanted to send something home for Easter.

  He reached for the door. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. But be warned. Once you try the fudge, you’ll never want to leave.” After sending him a quick smile, the woman walked across the store and disappeared through a set of doors.

  Levi didn’t know whether she was the owner or if she worked here but, either way, she wasn’t wrong about the fudge. At least six trays of samples lined the top of the counter. If the number of people holding boxes of candy was any indication, the fudge was as delicious as it smelled.

  He took a sample of the chocolate-coated Russian fudge. It melted on his tongue, sending his taste buds to heaven and back. With another six people in front of him, he reached for a piece of the gingernut fudge.

  Oh, man. The last time he’d tasted anything this good was when his grandma made gingersnap cookies. He studied the pre-packaged boxes of fudge, the trays of rock candy sitting in multi-colored rows under the glass counter. He could have stayed here all day, sampling each of the sugary treats on display.

  One of the doors behind the front counter opened.

  A woman walked toward the line of people waiting to be served.

  Levi’s mouth dropped open. Brooke? It couldn’t be her. She’d moved to Salt Lake City to start a new job. As far as he knew, living in Montana was never part of her plans.

  With a dimpled grin, she spoke to a customer, quickly placing their order into a small box and ringing up the sale.

  He’d never believed in love at first sight until he’d met Brooke. Nearly three years ago, when he was rushing to an appointment with his counselor, he’d collided with a nurse going in the opposite direction. As soon as he’d looked into her blue eyes, his life had changed. She’d become his soft place to fall, the only person who understood the man he had become.

  And then she’d left, and he hadn’t seen her again.

  Until now.

  Brooke said something to another woman, then turned to the next customer.

  Levi stepped away from the counter. If there was one thing the Army had taught him, it was to trust his gut instinct. And, right now, his brain was screaming at him to leave. He wasn’t ready to meet Brooke, to talk to her like a normal human being.

  She looked up, and he froze.

  Her eyes widened and her skin turned as white as the wall behind her. When the customer she was serving said something, she quickly dropped her gaze to the fudge.

  At least he wasn’t the only person who looked as though their world had turned upside down.

  Instead of leaving, he ignored his pounding heart and waited to be served. When he made it to the front of the line, he took a deep, calming breath.

  “Hi, Brooke.” The wariness in her eyes reminded him of the last time they’d spoken to each other.

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

  Levi crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I’m staying at a friend’s house. I didn’t know you’d moved to Sapphire Bay.”

  “I’ve been here for two years. I wasn’t going to stay, but I fell in love with the area.”

  The person behind Levi cleared his throat.

  A blush spread across Brooke’s face. “Can I get you something?”

  “I’ll have two white chocolate Easter eggs and six bars of the chocolate-coated Russian fudge.”

  Her eyes darted to his helmet. “Do you want me to wrap the eggs in bubble wrap? It will stop them from breaking.”

  “That would be great.” At least his voice was steady, unlike his hands as he opened his wallet. “I’m sending the Easter eggs home to Mom and Dad.”

  “I hope they enjoy them.” She took his credit card and rang up the sale. “How long are you staying in Sapphire Bay?”

  “A couple of weeks.”

  Brooke sent him a nervous smile. “Be careful on your motorcycle. The roads can be dangerous at this time of the year.”

  Levi nodded and left the store. The weather wasn’t the only reason he needed to be careful. He’d thought he’d moved on with his life, found a way through the heartache that had filled him with despair when Brooke left.

  But seeing her stirred up a whole lot of feelings he’d locked away. Feelings that made him even more determined to keep his heart in one piece.

  With heavy footsteps, he walked toward the general store. There was no reason to stay at Zac’s house for more than two or three weeks. The maintenance he’d promised to complete wouldn’t take long. And if the weather stayed as settled as it was now, everything would work out the way it was supposed to.

  Nothing was keeping him in Sapphire Bay. Nothing except a woman with deep blue eyes who could see straight into his soul.

  When the last of the afternoon rush was over, Brooke retreated into the kitchen. Megan was decorating a client’s wedding cake, carefully adding red rose petals to one of the layers.

  Brooke sat on a stool and dropped her head into her hands. After Levi left, she’d tried to forget about him, but it was like asking her to pretend the sun didn’t exist.

  Megan frowned. “Is everything all right?”

  “I’m not sure. Someone I used to know came into the store. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again.”

  “Did he know you’re living in Sapphire Bay?”

  “I don’t think so. He seemed as surprised as I was when we saw each other.”

  Megan looked closely at Brooke’s face. “Was he more than a friend?”

  He’d been Brooke’s entire life. “I loved him.”

  “What happened?”

  “Levi wanted to get married. I didn’t. A week after he asked me to marry him, I left Arizona. I hurt him and I didn’t know what to do about it.” Brooke rubbed her forehead, easing the headache building behind her temples.

  Megan took a bride and groom figurine out of a box and held them in the palm of her hand. “Life can change in ways you would never imagine.
Last year, I was living in Milwaukee, juggling my work commitments around my niece. Now I’m in Montana getting to know a brother I didn’t know I had, William and I are organizing our wedding, and Nora couldn’t be happier.”

  Brooke frowned. “I’m not like you.”

  Megan smiled. “I know you aren’t. That’s why you’re my friend.” She grinned at Brooke before placing the figurines on top of the cake. “Everyone changes. Maybe speaking to Levi might help resolve whatever happened.”

  “It would take a lot more than a conversation to do that,” Brooke murmured. She was still ashamed of the way she’d left Phoenix. The brief message she’d left on Levi’s phone would never make up for the way she’d treated him.

  “Where is he staying?”

  “At a friend’s house. I don’t know their name.”

  Megan wiped her hands on her apron. “Sapphire Bay isn’t a large town. Why don’t you ask Mabel Terry if she knows where Levi is staying? Unless he brought groceries with him, he’ll need to visit the general store at some point.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Brooke turned on the coffeepot. Seeing Levi had upset her. She wanted to believe that everyone could find their own happy ever after, but falling in love was the easy part of a relationship. Living in the shadow of your emotional baggage was the hard part—and running away from Levi hadn’t solved anything.

  Levi had never been to Zac’s house, but he’d heard a lot about it. If he could have imagined the perfect mountain retreat, this would be it.

  The two-story home sat on the edge of a mountain overlooking Flathead Lake. More than thirty acres of tree-covered land surrounded the property, hiding it from the rest of the world.

  An impressive stone chimney sat in the center of the building. Extending away from the shingled roof, a wide veranda wrapped around the ground floor, protecting the lower-level from the worst of the nor’wester blowing across the yard. The second story was all glass. The view from those rooms would be out of this world.

  Levi walked around the side of the house. From this distance, Sapphire Bay looked like a collection of multi-colored boxes, held together by straight lines of asphalt. At one end of the town, a church spire rose into the air, dwarfing the surrounding buildings. At the other, boats bobbed against the pier, waiting for their next voyage onto the lake.

  According to the sign welcoming Levi to Sapphire Bay, five hundred thirty-two people called the small town, home. If it weren’t for the line of people waiting to be served in Brooke’s store, he wouldn’t have believed there were half that many.

  His gaze returned to Zac’s home. He didn’t know how his friend could own a house like this and return to Sapphire Bay only a few times a year. If this house was his, he’d never leave.

  With a box of supplies in his arms, he climbed the front stairs. Starting tomorrow, he’d work through the checklist Zac had given him, fixing anything that needed mending. Originally, he’d planned on staying here for a couple of months but, after seeing Brooke, he knew it wouldn’t be a good idea.

  She’d found a new home, somewhere to put down roots and live the life she’d always wanted. Staying here would only create more problems for both of them.

  Unlocking the front door, he stood in the entranceway. A wooden staircase hugged the right-hand wall. Framed photographs of moose, squirrels, and birds lined the walls, making the cavernous space more welcoming than it would otherwise have been.

  The high-pitched beep of the alarm reminded him of what he needed to do. Leaving the box on the hall table, he rummaged inside his pocket. Zac had emailed him a complicated set of instructions for the security system. After muddling his way through the first five pages, he’d found a chart that explained the basics. As long as it worked, he’d be happy.

  The alarm fell silent and he breathed a sigh of relief. A visit from the local police department was the last thing he needed.

  As he made his way toward the back of the house, he finally felt as though he could relax. Whether it was the wood paneling or the light-filled spaces, something about the house reminded him of his parents’ home.

  The kitchen blew that comparison out the window. Instead of the Shaker style cabinets and stainless steel counter in his parents’ house, Zac had the type of kitchen that belonged in a professional chef’s home.

  Who in their right mind needed three ovens, two refrigerators, and a kitchen island that could seat ten people?

  He stuck his head around a door beside the refrigerators. Holy cow. There were enough preserves in the butler’s pantry to last at least twelve months. Zac had told him to help himself to any food in the house, but this was ridiculous. Either Zac knew more about cooking than he’d told anyone or he had a housekeeper who kept everything stocked to doomsday levels.

  The sound of a car door slamming made Levi frown. He hadn’t seen any other vehicles on the steep, winding road. Sapphire Bay might be a tourist destination, but Zac’s house wasn’t.

  He cautiously made his way to the front door. If anyone was stupid enough to think they could break in, they were in for a rude awakening.

  “Anyone home?”

  With his hands braced on his hips, Levi stood in the doorway.

  The man walking up the front steps was in his late thirties. His white shirt and black trousers weren’t the sort of clothes a burglar would be wearing. Either the guy was lost or he was selling something.

  The stranger held out his hand. “I’m William Parker, a friend of Zac’s. He asked me to say hello.”

  Levi glanced at the black truck parked in front of the garage. It was a top of the line four-wheel drive. Whatever William did for a living paid him a good salary. “How did you know I was arriving today?”

  “Zac called me last night after you spoke to him. I thought I’d show you how to use the alarm and the generators. If you got the same set of instructions Zac gave me, it will take you a week to work out what everything does.”

  Levi’s tense shoulders relaxed. “I’d appreciate the help. How long have you known Zac?”

  “A few years. What brings you to Sapphire Bay?”

  Levi hesitated before answering. “I was between jobs and Zac needed some maintenance done around his property.”

  “It worked out well for both of you.” William followed him inside and opened the alarm’s control panel. “You’ve come at the right time. Last month we were still buried under three feet of snow.” He pointed to a row of orange lights. “It’s not as complicated as it looks. All you need to remember is that the first three zones are for the ground floor. The next three belong to the top floor.”

  Levi listened as William explained how to set each zone. By the time he’d mastered the security cameras and panic buttons, Levi was even more impressed with the system Zac had installed.

  “I’ll show you how to use the generator,” William said as they left the living room. “I stayed here for a few months last year. I didn’t have to use it, but it’s good to know how to turn it on.”

  Levi knew the generator was stored at the back of the garage. “Do you work in Sapphire Bay?”

  William shook his head. “Most of the jobs in town involve tourism. I commute into Polson each day.”

  Levi had driven through the much larger town on his way to Zac’s house. William didn’t seem inclined to tell him what he did in Polson, and Levi wasn’t pushing. “You must like it here.”

  “My fiancée and her niece like it even more. Megan works at a store in town called Sweet Treats. She has her own fantasy cake business.”

  Just when Levi had pushed Brooke to the back of his mind, she was back. It shouldn’t have surprised him that everyone knew each other, but it didn’t make this conversation any easier. “I saw the store on my way here.”

  “Most people go there once and can’t stay away. Try their Easter cookies. Megan made a batch last night and they’re the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  “I won’t be going into town very often. There’s too much to do around here.�
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  “You have to have some time off. Why don’t you come to my place for dinner? I’m trying out my new barbecue on Friday night.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be okay.”

  William shrugged. “It’s up to you, but you’ll miss a good night. Megan might have the market covered on cakes, but my spare rib sauce is the best you’ll find.” He opened a door on the far side of the garage. “The generators are in here. From the look of the Harley parked outside, you know your way around an engine.”

  Levi nodded and studied the two generators. They were similar to the ones he’d used overseas.

  “Each engine will give you 7000 watts of power. Zac connected the two units with a parallel kit.”

  “How many hours of electricity will I get from each unit?”

  “Eighteen. We’re past the worst of the weather, so you probably won’t need to use them. If you have any issues, either call me or meet me in town. I’ll give you my address before I leave.”

  Levi couldn’t remember the last time he’d asked someone for help. His mom always told him he was too independent for his own good. Over the last few months, he’d begun to think she was right.

  William turned on the first generator.

  Levi was impressed. “It’s not as noisy as some of the engines I’ve come across.”

  “I guess it depends on what model you buy. Zac wanted something that was reliable and would last more than a few hours. The first winter after he built the house he was snowed in for more than two weeks. For half that time he didn’t have power.”

  Living here without electricity wouldn’t be a hardship. Unlike a lot of places Levi was stationed, Zac’s house had shelter, food, and lots of blankets to keep him warm. Everything else was a luxury.

  William turned on the second engine, showing Levi the overload alarm and system monitor. “Do you want me to go over anything else?”

  Levi shook his head. “Not at the moment. I’ve used generators before.”

  “How long were you in the Army?” William turned off the engines. He frowned when he saw the surprise on Levi’s face. “Zac told me you met in a refugee camp in Kabul.”