The July Guy Read online

  She stumbled from the room and into a small, private sitting area at the end of the hall. She curled up in a love seat upholstered in a smooth fabric splashed with roses the color of the ones Noah had brought her the day they’d begun their fling. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

  Anita thought she’d accepted her mother’s dementia. Accepted she didn’t remember her own daughter, the child she’d fought so hard to keep in her grasp. Anita knew Patty lived in the moment now. That most memories of the past had slipped through the holes in her mind, slipped out of her grasp. But apparently, she hadn’t forgotten Tony. She probably wasn’t aware of what she was forgiving him for.

  Did it matter? It had taken a terrible disease to wipe away the memories of the things that had made her mother an angry, bitter woman. Anita had lost her mother, the stubborn, angry mother. The one she’d loved anyway. The only mother she knew. There was no way to get her back. All the wishing in the world would not allow her to connect to that Patty, to receive that Patty’s apology.

  She’d never had a chance to know her grandmother. More than anything, she’d have liked to confront her mother about that, but the mother she’d known would have blamed Aggie for that one mistake and used it to justify keeping her from Anita. Now, the sale of Aggie’s house would see that her daughter was taken care of.

  She grabbed a tissue from the box on the end table and wiped her eyes. Stubborn. Selfish. Fallible. Human. They’d all made mistakes. As her father said, they couldn’t change the past. All they could do was move on from this moment.

  Anita had already accepted she could have a relationship with the father she’d never known. Now she realized that even though she’d lost the mother she’d known, that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a new, different relationship with the mother she had now.

  She slipped back into her mother’s room. Her parents were sitting side by side in the love seat in the corner, holding hands and smiling at each other.

  Her father turned to look at her, his eyes shining with tears as well. “Mija, isn’t she beautiful?”

  Anita nodded, unable to speak.

  Her mother frowned. “Do I know you?”

  The hurt might never go away. Still, she smiled. “Hello. I’m Anita.”

  Her mother rubbed her forehead. “I used to have a daughter named Anita. Remember, Tony? Anita.”

  “Yes. She’s the best of both of us.”

  “She was so sweet, and I was so angry. Why was I so angry?” She began to wring her hands in her lap. “I wonder if she forgives me. I hope she forgives me.”

  Her father glanced at Anita, his raised brow a question. She nodded. How could she not? Not only did her childhood make her the woman she was today, but she couldn’t hold against her mother what she didn’t remember. All they could do was move on.

  Her father shushed her softly, covered her hands with his. “She forgives you. She loves you.”

  “Do you think so?”

  He spared Anita a quick glance before focusing again on Patty. “I know she does.”

  Her mother smiled again, her expression young and playful. “Remember those nights at the lake? The swing on the porch?”

  “Drinking lots of beer?”

  Patty giggled. “We hid the bottles from my mother.”

  Anita sank into an upholstered chair across the room and watched her parents together, reconnecting as much as was possible. Her mother looked the happiest Anita had ever seen her. This must be the Patty Noah’s parents had known.

  “We wasted so much time,” her mother murmured. She blinked. “When do you have to get to class?”

  “Not today, querida.”

  Wasted time. Had Anita been wasting her time, putting her all into a career she enjoyed but that didn’t fulfill her? Picking easygoing men to have affairs with, men she knew she wouldn’t get serious with and who wouldn’t want more than she was willing to give, instead of looking for a man to connect with on a deeper level?

  Women in our family are stubborn and tend to overreact, and they find it very hard to forgive.

  Was her stubbornness, was all their stubbornness, simply a fear of the unknown?

  What would it be like to give in to the love she felt for Noah? She was a pathetic hypocrite when you got right down to it. She’d always prided herself for jumping into things without thinking about them first. Doing instead of talking about it, and all that. And yet, she’d never dared jump into love.

  Did she want to turn into a bitter woman like her mother? Angry and regretful like Aggie? It was time to give up the excuses and embrace the possibilities.

  It was time to break the cycle.

  Love’s choices weren’t always bad. Anita didn’t bother to blink away the new tears. So simple. Sometimes it was simple after all. Stripped down to the basics, the answers were clear.

  She didn’t have to be afraid of love. And it wasn’t weak to forgive.

  She hadn’t been paying attention to what her parents were talking about while she had her little epiphany, but her mother suddenly sat up straight. “When do you have to go to Spain?”

  Her father leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’m not going back to Spain, querida.”

  Her mother placed her hand on the spot where his lips had been. “Oh, I’m glad. I would miss you so much.”

  Anita missed Noah. They might not have known each other all that long, but they fit. They might be opposites in many ways, but they brought out the best in each other. After an entire month with her other flings, she’d never felt anything close to the overwhelming grief that had burrowed into her chest when she’d left Noah.

  She watched her parents get to know each other again. There was no telling how much her mother would remember in the morning, but it had been a good day.

  When it was time to go, her parents embraced, and then Anita walked over to her mother.

  “Patty, I’d like to come with Tony tomorrow to visit again. Is that okay with you?”

  “Of course. I love visitors.”

  Anita’s voice cracked. “Could I give you a hug before I go?”

  “Okay.” And Anita was wrapped up in her mother’s arms for the first time in a very long time.

  When they got to her condo, her father sat her down. “Mija, I was telling the truth when I told your mother I wouldn’t go back to Spain. Not now. I would like to stay. To spend time with Patty. Would I be able to stay here with you for a short time while I sort things out?”

  “Of course.”

  “I will also take responsibility for the cost of her care. I know that has been a burden for you.” A huge weight lifted off her shoulders. “I have the resources available, and it is the least I can do.”

  Anita could see he was exhausted. “There’s only one bedroom, but the sofa is a sleeper. I’ll grab some bedding for you.”

  Later, Anita sat propped up in bed, too tired to drop off. Her father had fallen asleep almost immediately on the sofa bed in the living room. The sales contract for the lake house was in her inbox, but she wasn’t up to going over it tonight. She pulled up the Lakeside village page for any news about Noah.

  The meet and greet for the candidates had been tonight. Ginny had posted a photo of Noah talking to a bunch of people. He looked impressive, responsible. Anita stared at him for longer than she should. She missed him already. His touch, his smiles, his steadiness.

  And she’d pushed him away.

  Noah’s daughters had posted, too, about what a great dad he was, and how he would be a great mayor. She’d love to get to know his girls better. They seemed like good kids.

  An intense wave of longing washed over her. For Noah. For Lakeside. She grabbed a fat teal pillow and clutched it tightly. In a flash of delayed brilliance, she asked herself the most important question. What is keeping me here?

  Her mom, sure, but her father planned to stay here and spend as much time as he could with her. And now she didn’t have to worry about selling the house to pay for her care.

&n
bsp; She had her job at the university, but she could teach elsewhere. And she could paint anywhere.

  Especially in a bright studio overlooking Lake Margaret.

  If she wasn’t in such a rush to sell the house, couldn’t she stay there? See if she could learn to love it in Lakeside. She could spend more time with Noah and discover if what they thought they felt for each other was the real deal.

  It was possible, wasn’t it? Hadn’t that been what Noah had asked her before she’d sent him away? Stay? Stay a while instead of running away at the first hint of emotion? Give them a chance?

  While she let this new possibility find a place to settle in her heart and mind, she scrolled some more on the village page. She smiled at a photo of the park decorated for Fourth Fest. A shot of the fireworks. A photo of a group of village kids at the ice cream shop, wide, messy smiles and melted ice cream dripping on their T-shirts.

  Anita froze when she saw a picture of Ethan Bradford standing with two other men. The older man wasn’t as tall as Ethan and was much heavier, but he wore his suit just as well. The younger one was maybe Ethan’s age. The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder and were laughing like they knew the punch line. It was the post that went with it, obviously from Helen Bradford or one of their group, that caught her eye. “Mayoral candidate Ethan Bradford celebrating with business partner Rudy Armstrong and Armstrong’s son-in-law, Steven Holder, after an auspicious reception at the Lakeside Meet and Greet tonight.”

  “That lying sack of shit!”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Have you called her yet?”

  Noah’s head had been pounding all morning. Ginny barging into his office didn’t help. “Don’t bother me now. I’ve got a lot to do before the open house this afternoon.”

  She crossed her arms. “You’ve turned into a grump since Anita left town.”

  He pushed away the computer keyboard and rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn’t been sleeping well. “Have you considered it might be the mayoral race that has me in a lousy mood?”

  His cousin didn’t bite. “Nope. Anita. Call her.”

  “You were the one who warned me away from her because we all knew she wasn’t staying in Lakeside.”

  “I know. It’s possible I was wrong. I think you should call her.”

  “Maybe. After the open house. Or maybe after the election.”

  “Hey, if you’re going to be a mayor, you need to be decisive. None of this maybe-later stuff.”

  “Why don’t you run for mayor?”

  “Ha. Funny. I’ve been publicizing the open house like crazy. I went over last night and made sure everything is shipshape.”

  “You didn’t have to do that by yourself.” He should have thought of that.

  “Sam helped me.”

  “You and Sam, huh?”

  Her cheeks were pink again. “We’re just working on the campaign together.”

  “Right.” Noah studied his cousin. “I wouldn’t be upset if it was something more, you know.”

  “Yeah, well, he still hasn’t asked me out on a real date.” She sliced her hand through the air. “And we’re not talking about my love life now, we’re talking about yours.”

  “No, we’re not.”

  “Fine. Whatever. Hey, I wanted to tell you the new mantel in the living room looks beautiful.” He was glad his cousin made the smart decision to change the subject. “And the kitchen. Wow. The voters are going to eat it up.”

  He shrugged. He didn’t understand the hard-liners who’d thought he was going to restore the interior to its original condition. The place wasn’t a museum. Someone was going to be living there. He wished it would be Anita.

  “Bet Anita’s going to have tons of offers on the property,” Ginny gushed. Noah glared at her, and she cleared her throat. “Of course, we don’t want her to sell at all. We want her to stay here.”

  Yes, he did. But there wasn’t much of a chance of that happening the way things stood. He wanted to call her. Text her. But he knew if he was going to risk rejection, he had to do it in person. Thank goodness, Tony had touched base, so Noah knew he’d caught a flight to the U.S. and talked Anita into letting him ride with her to Philadelphia. Anita’s father said they were doing fine. He was staying with Anita, and the two of them had been spending a lot of time with Patty.

  “Listen, I don’t want to be interrupted anymore, okay? I have to get the payroll done before I leave.”

  “Sure thing, boss.” Ginny saluted and closed the door behind her.

  The morning had seemed to drag, but when he next glanced at the time, he saw he was going to be late for the two o’clock start if he didn’t leave immediately. When he left his office, he noticed the showroom was closed and everyone had gone. Had he been such a bear that no one even wanted to knock on his office door and let him know it was time?

  His phone rang. Ginny. “Where are you?” she demanded.

  “Still at work. Why didn’t you tell me when you were leaving?”

  “You didn’t want to be disturbed.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake. I’m on my way.” He cut off the call, dashed out to the back parking lot, and hopped into his truck. He’d hoped to get there early enough to get a good parking place. If a crowd came, who knew how far back on the road he’d have to park.

  He wanted Anita here with him. Her support had helped him get through this crazy month. Her energy and humor had taught him to be more open to possibilities. To look beyond his small world to something more. Their immediate attraction to each other had only grown deeper and more powerful. She was strong and smart and sexy as hell. He couldn’t imagine his life without her now.

  When he reached the turn for the lake road, a little red convertible barreled straight toward him at a high speed. He lay on the brakes, and the brunette behind the wheel skidded around the corner. Another near miss. Joy burst in his chest, and he returned the wave she threw him.

  She raced down the road. He was right on her tail. As he’d feared, cars were parked on the side of the road a good half mile from the house. Anita pulled over to the side of the road behind the last car, and he parked behind her.

  He jumped out of the truck, but she was already running back to him. Her bright-blue sundress swirled around her. Her steps slowed the closer she got to him. Was his Anita unsure of herself? Afraid to leap into his arms without thinking about it first?

  God, he hoped not.

  Noah opened his arms, and she ran to him, threw her arms around his neck, pressed against him. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she cried. “Will you forgive me for all the terrible things I said to you?”

  He kissed the top of her head, her hair like silk against his lips. “You told me you were falling in love with me. I don’t remember anything else.”

  Her breath caught, and he felt her tremble. “I do love you. This need I feel, this rightness, it can’t be anything but love.”

  They stood on the side of the road between their vehicles. More people had parked behind them, staring unabashedly at them as they walked by. Noah couldn’t care less. He wasn’t letting go.

  “I didn’t know you were coming.”

  She cupped his jaw. “I wouldn’t miss the open house. Am I late?”

  “We’re both late.”

  “We better get in there. Ethan will be spreading his crap to everyone who will listen.”

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her, couldn’t let her go yet. “I’d rather stay here and hold you.”

  “Me, too, but I don’t like giving him a head start.”

  “First, I want to know…are you here only for the open house?”

  “My mom had it all wrong,” she told him. “I had it all wrong. Of course love makes you choose. Anything important and life-changing would. But what I guess she never realized is that some dreams are worth changing. Some men are worth choosing. I’m here for you, salvage man.”

  Noah’s cell buzzed. Anita stepped away, and he grabbed it out of his pocket. “Ginny wants to know
where the hell I am.”

  “Guess we better get down there.” She did a double take, though, and strode to the back of his truck. “Is that Aggie’s baseball bat?”

  He’d propped the bat in the corner of his pickup a while ago and hadn’t given it another thought. “Couldn’t throw it away.”

  Mischief lit her face, and she pulled it out. “Just in case.”

  He crushed his lips to hers for a much-too-short kiss, then grabbed her hand and threaded his fingers with hers. They walked the half mile to Anita’s house. Dozens of people were wandering around outside. Most seemed to be heading toward the lakeside. They followed the crowd.

  Ethan and Helen stood on the porch—Anita’s porch—addressing the crowd. Noah groaned. Sam Hernandez was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Ginny, Carter, and Beckett. Waiting for Noah, no doubt.

  “The nerve,” Anita grumbled. “This isn’t their event.” She tugged Noah through the bystanders. A few people eyed the bat resting on her shoulder. He let her pull him up the stairs, thrilled she cared this much. Relieved she was here for him. With him.

  “Come on,” he said to Sam, Ginny, and his brothers. His daughters pushed through the throng, and he gestured for them to come up on the porch, too.

  “It’s obvious Noah Colburn did not deliver on his campaign promise,” Ethan declared to the crowd. “If he can’t carry through on this one small promise, how can he be trusted to keep any other?”

  A grumble went through the crowd.

  “What promise did he break?” Ginny asked, indignant.

  “He didn’t bring this house back to its former glory,” Helen stepped forward to say. “Anyone who’s walked through the house knows the interior has very little resemblance to the way it looked in the past.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Anita piped up. She leaned the bat against the porch railing and faced the crowd. “Everyone in Lakeside knows there always needs to be a balance between old and new. Noah expressed that concept perfectly with this house.”