Finding Love (A Mill Creek Crossing Romance) Read online

  Her staring session was interrupted by a knock at her door. She checked her watch and noticed it was around four o’clock, and she had no idea who would be dropping by unannounced in the middle of the day. She walked downstairs and peeked out a side window. A man, who looked vaguely familiar to her, was standing on her porch - alone. He had coal black hair with crystal clear blue eyes that she immediately noticed. As any red-blooded American woman would, she primped for a moment, pulling her blond ponytail tighter and licking her lips before reaching for the door.

  “Can I help you?” she said as she cracked the door open enough so that she could slam it closed if he was an ax murderer.

  “Hi. I know you don’t know me, but Gracie at the diner told me your name…” he started.

  “Gracie?” Amelia said, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

  “Yes. My name is Clay Barnes,” he said smiling as he held out his hand to her. She opened the door enough to shake his hand as she returned his smile. Wow, was he good looking, and she still had a weird feeling she’d seen him somewhere before. He was handsome and had the nicest smile she’d ever seen in her life.

  “Amelia Devin. Please, come in. Any friend of Gracie’s is a friend of mine,” she said as she opened the door.

  “Well, actually I just met Gracie about an hour ago,” he said as he walked inside. Amelia’s insides knotted up as she realized she’d just let a perfect stranger into her home.

  “An hour ago?” she asked as she closed the door behind her and started running through a checklist in her mind of where she’d left her gun.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not a stalker or crazy person,” he said laughing. “She said you might be just the woman I need to help me.”

  “Pardon?” Amelia said with her mouth gaping open. She was in shock that this guy who stepped right off the cover of a magazine was standing in her foyer asking her to be the woman he needed.

  “Wow, I really have a way with words today,” he smiled. “Let me start over. I just moved here this morning with my two kids. In fact, they’re at the diner with Gracie making milkshakes.”

  Amelia smiled. “Ah, yes, the new milkshake bar is a big hit around here. But, I’m not sure how I can help you. Wait, did Gracie refer you to buy or rent a house?”

  “You’re in real estate?” he asked with a surprised look on his face. Gracie obviously hadn’t mentioned it to him.

  “Yes, but since you didn’t know that, I assume Gracie didn’t send you here for that reason. So, how can I help?”

  “Well, I will be the new head chef at Mountainview…” he started.

  “Wait! Clay Barnes. Now I know who you are!” she said, immediately realizing that the famed chef was standing in her house. She’d had a crush on him for years, but he was so much more handsome in person. “What are you doing in our small town?”

  “My wife, Molly, passed away about a year and a half ago, so I just moved my kids here to get out of public life for awhile,” he said softly.

  “I’m so sorry to hear about your wife,” Amelia said.

  “Thanks. Anyway, because I will have this new job with some long hours, I’m looking for some help with my kids. Mainly after school and maybe some weekends…”

  “And you want me to watch them?” she asked.

  “Gracie told me you’re great with kids, raised your siblings…”

  “Yes, and that’s exactly why I can’t help you, Mr. Barnes.”

  “Please, call me Clay…”

  “Okay. Clay then. I’m sorry you took time out of your day, but I cannot help you,” she said sharply, which wasn’t her intention.

  “But Gracie said…”

  “I know what Gracie said, but she was wrong. I just sent my youngest sibling off to college, and I’ve started a new business with Mill Creek Real Estate. I have a lot on my plate right now.”

  “Oh. I see. I’m sorry I bothered you then,” he said as he backed toward the door. “But can I ask you something?”

  “Certainly,” she said curtly.

  “Don’t real estate agents work on one hundred percent commission?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “If you’re new to the business, don’t you need some extra side income to make ends meet? I don’t mean to pry, but…”

  “Well, you are prying actually. Not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve already made one sale.”

  “Congratulations. But surely one sale won’t keep you afloat for very long?” he asked with a wry smile.

  “I’m not discussing my finances with you, Clay. Now, if you don’t mind, you caught me right in the middle of working,” she said pointing toward the door.

  After Amelia shut the door, she was left wondering how in the world this man she had only just me, had such an effect on her. Sure, she’d seen good-looking men before. That was nothing unusual, but to have such a strong reaction to someone that she just met at her door was unusual for Amelia. She had no plans to get involved with anyone anytime soon. After finally sending her last sibling off to college, Amelia's only plan was to build her business and find out who she was. She didn't need a man to help her with that.

  She walked back upstairs to her desk and looked out over the north Georgia mountains. Wondering how many more times she’d probably have to say no to Clay, she smiled to herself. It was nice to be needed, but it was this wanting to be needed that had gotten her into a mess in the first place. Although she had been the only person who could have raised her brothers and sister, she had given up her own dreams along the way. She had given up everything to make sure her siblings had what they needed, and now Amelia felt like she only had scraps. Her life hadn't even begun yet and she was only thirty years old. How would she ever figure out what she was supposed to be doing with her own life?

  ***

  Clay walked slowly back to the diner, his head hanging low as he saw Gracie. She looked at him with a smile, but then realized he must have gotten bad news from Amelia.

  “What happened?” Gracie asked.

  “Denied,” Clay said with a smile.

  “Really? I'm surprised at that. Amelia has spent the last decade taking care of her younger siblings, and she's done a great job. In fact, I think the youngest one just left for college.”

  “Yes, and that's the reason she used to get out of helping me too. She basically said she's working on her new business and doesn't have time to take care of any more children. I get the feeling she's exhausted from taking care of kids, and she doesn't want to get caught up in it again. And I can understand that, I suppose. Doesn’t help me, but she seems to be a nice person who deserves the best.”

  “I'm so sorry, Clay. I really thought she would want to help you with this. But don't give up yet. I have a feeling after she gets squared away and she gets some space from taking care of her siblings, she might reconsider helping you. After all, that real estate business she's working is slow going in this economy, so she's going to need the extra income,” Gracie said.

  “Well, thanks anyway, Gracie. Come on, kids! We need to get on with our evening. We'll see you around, Gracie,” Clay said as he gathered up his kids and headed out the door.

  Chapter 4

  Over the next week, Amelia struggled to get leads for her real estate business. Her broker was starting to push on her about not getting enough business brought in. She had no listings and had only had one sale, and that commission certainly wasn't going to float her for more than a couple of months. If she had any additional bills or children around, Amelia would never be able to get by on the money that she had made so far from the real estate business.

  Deciding she needed to take a break from knocking on doors looking for listings, Amelia wandered into Stella's Diner to have a cup of coffee. It wasn't even lunchtime yet, but she was already mentally exhausted. She’d really hoped that her real estate venture would be more fruitful a lot quicker. She pondered back to having to leave college after her mother passed away and wished she had gotten a chance to finish
her degree. How her life might have been different was something that always plagued Amelia's mind. She loved her siblings, and she was glad that she was the one to raise them instead of them having to go to foster care, but it did make her feel a little resentful she never got the chance to enjoy her twenties.

  “Good morning, Amelia!” Gracie said from behind the counter. As she wiped up a coffee spill left by another customer, Gracie came around the counter and gave Amelia a big hug.

  They'd known each other for many years, although Gracie was a good bit older than Amelia. However, Gracie had always been like the older sister Amelia wished she had. She helped out the family a lot when they first got started after her mother passed away. Gracie cooked some meals and even stood in as a babysitter when Amelia wanted a much-needed break.

  “Good morning, Gracie. How are you doing today?” Amelia asked. Gracie could tell that Amelia was down, so she followed her over to a booth and sat down.

  “Okay, girl, what's going on?” Gracie asked.

  “What do you mean?” Amelia asked trying to look unaffected.

  “I mean what's going on with you? I can always tell when something is wrong, so don't even try to pretend like everything is alright. You must be missing your little brother.”

  “Of course, I am. It's weird to have empty nest syndrome at thirty years old,” Amelia said with a halfhearted smile.

  “I'm sure it is. But, you deserve this break in your life, Amelia. How's the real estate business going so far?”

  “I think you can tell by the look on my face, Gracie. It's not going so well. I think the first sale I had was a fluke because I can't get anyone in this town to even talk to me about real estate right now. It's very depressing, actually. I just needed to take a break this morning, so I thought I'd come in and grab a cup of coffee.”

  “I hear that my new friend, Clay Barnes, came by to see you the other day,” Gracie said with a smile.

  “Yes, he did. And in the future it would be nice if you give me a call before sending a handsome man over to my door,” Amelia said laughing.

  “He is quite handsome,” Gracie said.

  “Yes, but I just can't take care of anyone else's kids right now. After all, I just got rid of my last sibling, and I don't want to mess up my new business that I haven't even got started yet,” Amelia said.

  “I understand that, Amelia, but I also know you're going to need income. Mr. Barnes needs desperate help with his kids after losing his wife, and you'd be the perfect person to help him with that. After all, he's only looking for help after school and maybe the occasional weekend day. Most of the time, you'll have already gotten your work done during the workday, right?”

  “Boy, Gracie, you just don't know when to give up, do you?” Amelia said with a laugh.

  “Have I ever known how to give up?” Gracie said smiling as she patted Amelia’s hand.

  “Well, maybe I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything. I just don't know if I have time to take care of Mr. Barnes’ kids in the right way,” she said.

  “That's all he's asking for, for you to think about it. Of course, he's getting ready to start the new job over at the resort, so it would probably be good if you gave him a call before too much longer. I ran into him yesterday morning, and he said he still hadn't found anyone reliable to take care of his kids. I really hate for him to have to give up the prospects of that job over there, especially since this is a new beginning for him and his children.”

  “Okay, Gracie. Point made. I said I’ll think about it, and I will,” Amelia said, starting to get a little irritated at her friend.

  “Alright now, don't get mad at me,” Gracie said smiling as she stood up. “But, let me say one more thing, Amelia.”

  “Can I stop you?” Amelia asked shaking her head.

  “Of course not. Look, I've known you practically your whole life. And something tells me that your not wanting to keep Clay’s kids has little to do with your schedule and a lot to do with your feelings. Think about it,” Gracie said as she walked off.

  Amelia sat there in shock as her friend went back behind the counter and started dealing with customers again. What was she talking about? Feelings? She just met this guy, so she had no feelings at all for him. Of course, he was handsome and she’d had a little crush on him when she saw him on TV before, but she didn't know anything about him. Just because he lost his wife and was a father didn't mean that he was even a nice guy. Amelia shook her head and tried to shake the thought of having any feelings for a perfect stranger away.

  As Amelia watched people walking on the street outside of the diner, she wondered about their lives. Were they married? Were they single? Did they have careers? Children?

  She realized somewhere along the way of raising her siblings, she had lost herself. She didn't even know the answers to some of the major questions people normally would ask themselves. She didn't know what she really wanted or what kind of relationship she wanted or if she ever even wanted to be married. She felt like a stranger in her own body much of the time. Everything she had had been put into taking care of her two brothers and sister, and there had never been anything left for Amelia herself.

  After enjoying her coffee, Amelia left some money on the table plus a tip for her friend and walked back out onto the street. She decided to do a little window shopping to clear her mind. There wasn’t a lot to look at in Mill Creek Crossing, but she did have a couple of favorite shops. She loved the little coffeehouse that had the great guitar music on Friday nights as well as the small bookstore that was like a blast from the past.

  It was rare to see a bookstore like this in existence anymore, and Mill Creek Crossing was so out of the way there were no big bookstores to compete with it. She wandered into the store to see what they had that she might be interested in reading over the weekend. Now the house was quiet, Amelia had a lot more time to herself to read and enjoy some of her favorite hobbies.

  “Good morning, Amelia!” the lady behind the counter said.

  “Good morning Zelda. Good to see you again. How's your husband?” Amelia asked.

  Zelda had worked at the bookstore for a little over thirty years, and Amelia had known her for her entire life. Zelda had cooked meals and even helped out with the kids on occasions after Amelia’s mother died. That's what it was like living in such a small town. People tended to band together and help out someone who was going through a rough patch.

  “Oh he's doing much better, thank you Amelia. The surgery went well, but he'll be out of commission for another few weeks healing.”

  Zelda’s husband had suffered a heart attack, and he’d had bypass surgery just a couple of weeks before.

  “He also wanted me to tell you thank you for bringing over the apple pie. I put it in the freezer for him, so when he's able to get back to his normal eating habits I'm sure he'll enjoy it,” Zelda said with a smile. The old woman was getting on in years, and Amelia assumed she had to be in her late seventies.

  “Tell him he is more than welcome. In fact, I'll make another one once he's feeling better,” Amelia said with a smile.

  “I know he'll be happy to hear that!”

  “So, do you have anything new that I might be interested in?” Amelia asked. Zelda knew her likes and dislikes when it came to reading, so Amelia trusted her with her book selections.

  “As a matter of fact, I just got in a whole new batch of romance novels that you might like,” Zelda said with a grin.

  “Now, Zelda, you know I'm not a fan of romance novels,” Amelia said laughing. It'd been an inside joke between Zelda and Amelia for years. Amelia insisted she only liked to read mystery novels, but Zelda had noticed the novels she was reading had more romance in them than a good mystery.

  “I think you like romance more than you let on,” Zelda said laughing. “Every woman should like romance. After all, that's how my husband and I got together. He was quite the romantic…”

  “Yes, I know the story of how you two love bird
s got together,” Amelia said. “However, that doesn't mean I like romance novels anymore than I did before. Not every woman gets to be swept off her feet like Gus did with you.”

  “Well, honey, you're in luck on the books. Take a look at this romance novel. It has a lot of history and intrigue in it. In fact, it's set in Paris. What you think?”

  Amelia took a look at the novel and read the back cover. As she always did, she also read about the author. Smiling, she looked up at Zelda.

  “You've done it again, Zelda. This looks like the perfect book for me to enjoy this weekend. Let me take a look around and make sure there's nothing else I need, but hang on to this one behind the counter for me.”