Three blissful days, p.1
Three Blissful Days, page 1
Three Blissful Days
Kendall Jackson has supported her family her whole life, but when her girlfriend unceremoniously dumps her and her biggest client leaves her in the lurch, she’s floundering to find a new income stream and nurse her broken heart. Then her ex bids on the same outdoor renovation project that Kendall desperately needs, and she just loses her mind. That’s the only explanation she has for attempting to make her ex regret her decision by announcing she’s dating beautiful park ranger Ivy Patterson.
Ivy is a romantic. She wants a real relationship, not a fake one. But her mother won’t stop matchmaking and constant blind dates are more tiring than fun. When Kendall begs her to play along, Ivy doesn’t see the harm, especially if it keeps her mom satisfied. But there’s nothing fake about how attracted she is to Kendall. What happens when their feelings become all too real?
Acknowledgments
My favorite season of all is fall. To experience nature in all its beautiful glory is a treasure. I take a yearly trip just to enjoy the beautiful color changes in the leaves. The journey through natural park forests allows me to find joy in ways I cannot during my usual routine at home. It’s a wonderful way to disconnect and unwind. I hope this book will transport you to one of my favorite places and allow you to enjoy my favorite season as much as I do.
Shelley Thrasher—my fabulous editor—you are so patient with me when I run late with drafts and need to make additions to edits. Life, again this year, has been not only busy, but challenging as well. Thank you for being so understanding and making me a better writer.
Rad and Sandy—There is no one I trust with my work more than Bold Strokes Books and the production team behind the scenes. You’re amazing and I appreciate all you do to make my dreams come true. You really do make me feel like a professional writer!
My beautiful family, I wouldn’t be able to keep moving forward on this journey without your support. I love you more than I could ever put into words.
All my readers, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my books. I know you have so many choices out there and it means the world to me that you choose mine.
Dedication
To my family—you remain my biggest support system and inspiration.
Chapter One
Kendall had just left the office and was mid-song, improvising a solo vocal to the pop song playing in her car when her phone rang through the speakers. She could see on the screen it was Cassie and hit the answer button on her steering wheel. “Hi, Cass,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. Due to their recent breakup, their conversations over the past few weeks had been strained at best.
“Hey, Kendall.” Cassie hesitated. “I know this is short notice, but considering how things have been between us, I’m moving out of the office.”
“What? When?”
“I’m doing it now.”
Cassie must have been waiting until she was gone. “But you said we were gonna discuss that further. You know this isn’t the best for our customers.” Or for Kendall. She would never be able to afford the rent on her own.
“I know that’s what I said, but considering our history, I decided it would be better for me to cut ties with you altogether. Even if the business suffers. The customers will understand.”
“What the hell, Cass. It’s not like I have an alternative place to work.” Cassie knew Kendall didn’t have another office and couldn’t afford one right now. Unexpectedly having to plan for shelling out the first and last month’s rent to acquire a new apartment had left her with barely enough money for gas.
“You don’t have to be out right away. The lease is paid until the end of the month.”
The back of her neck burned. “It’s October seventeenth, which only gives me two weeks.” Kendall could hear Cassie moving things around. She made a U-turn and headed back to the office. She’d already broken her heart, but she wasn’t going to let her take all her drafting equipment too. When Kendall arrived at the office, Cassie’s white BMW X3 was backed into the space right in front with the back hatch open. No way was she was letting Cassie take all their files. Kendall had put just as much work into cultivating their customer base as Cassie had—probably more.
Kendall pulled her Ford Bronco into the space next to Cassie’s SUV and threw it into Park. The car lurched as she got out and slammed the door behind her.
“I’m taking only the files for the customers I brought in,” Cassie said, anticipating her thoughts.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this on top of breaking up with me.” Kendall couldn’t stop the shake in her voice.
“Listen, Kendall. This isn’t the first time we’ve discussed this issue over the past couple of months. I cannot continue to support your family.” Cassie’s deep blue eyes burned into Kendall’s. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“You’re not supporting them. I am.” And that support had lessened during this past year.
“Is there a difference?” Cassie yanked open the filing cabinet, fingered through the files, and pulled out a stack. “You support them. I support you. It still comes out of my wallet.”
“I have never asked you for any financial support.” She’d done without things she wanted and needed many times instead of asking Cassie for help.
Cassie narrowed her eyes. “You might not have asked, but you always took.”
“That’s absolutely untrue.” She had no idea what Cassie was talking about. She’d been very careful not to touch any of their commingled funds for anything other than business.
Cassie whirled around. “What about all the times I filled your tank with gas, or when I bought your lunch each day? Even paid for all their groceries. Do I need to write it all down—show you the figures?”
“What?” Kendall was stunned at Cassie’s accusations.
Cassie held up a hand. “Don’t even try to talk your way out of it. I know you bought groceries for your family when you shopped for us. I saw the receipts, remember? I paid for all of them.”
Kendall hadn’t realized Cassie was so angry about the food. “Those are things partners do for each other and their families.”
“Not this partner. Not anymore. You’re going to have to find someone else to support you and your family.” Cassie pulled another file-cabinet drawer open. “I’m not even going to discuss whether filet mignon and shrimp are staples again. When you live off someone else’s income, you need to be more agreeable about the food items you request.” She took a few more files and slammed the drawer closed. “You’d think your family was rich, given the way they eat.” Cassie picked up the last file sitting on Kendall’s desk and opened it. “Which client is this?”
“That one’s mine.” Kendall snatched it from her hands, hoping she hadn’t seen any of the documents inside.
Cassie studied her for a moment, then flattened her lips. “Whatever.” She put the top on the box of files. “You need to be out of here by the end of the month. The lease is only paid until then.” She glanced around the office. “Do me a favor and don’t destroy it. I’d like to get my security deposit back.”
“What about the furniture?” Kendall glanced at the large design printer she’d meticulously picked out. It had taken her weeks to find one at a reasonable cost and would be expensive to replace.
Cassie shook her head. “Don’t even think about it. I’m taking that printer. The rest you can keep if you have a place for it. Sell it, for all I care. I don’t want it.” She walked out the door.
Kendall followed. “Please don’t go.” Even after all the shitty things Cassie had said to her, Kendall still loved her and was still attracted to her. Whether she was still in love with her or afraid of being alone wasn’t clear. Many aspects of their relationship had become blurred over the past year.
“We’re done, Kendall. Completely done.” Cassie loaded the box into the back of her SUV. “I’m having the printer moved tomorrow,” she said before she slid into the driver’s seat and peeled out of the parking lot.
Kendall flopped into the chair behind the desk and scanned the office. She would take a few things, but she would, indeed, sell the majority of the office furniture. Anything she couldn’t sell would either go to her parents’ house or remain in the office. She wouldn’t have room for it in her new one-bedroom apartment she planned to rent when she had the money.
She crossed the room and ran her hand across the smooth top of the tilted drafting table before she relaxed into her chair. This was the first table she’d purchased, and it was still her favorite. Her mom had helped her set it up in the corner of her room next to the window and dedicated it to nothing but drafting. Keeping her little brother away from it had been a challenge, but after a number of candy bribes, he’d finally stopped messing with her space.
She’d practiced her drafting even before she had the right tools. Luckily, the fundamentals of creating crisp lines and designs had come naturally to her. It had been a struggle to get to where she was today. Having chosen a different, more stable career path in college would have been much easier, but when she was able to move forward with the proper drafting equipment, it was pure bliss. And when she decided to pursue landscape design as a career, it became a daily passion. To improve her plant knowledge, she’d gone on to earn a master’s degree in botany with a focus on landscape ecology—the perfect combination for this career path. Her mind worked in a weird sort of animated world, where every unperfected landscape was mentally enhanced automatically. She imagined shrubs growing in dead space and grass where t here was only dirt. Trees sprouted from the weeds, with beautiful fall foliage coloring the area. Even Cassie had found it uncanny. She’d told Kendall so on more than one occasion.
She opened the file she’d swiped from Cassie’s hand. She’d tried to prevent her from reading anything inside and had hopefully been successful. It was the recent bid they’d made on the state lodge landscape-redesign contract. Kendall had found the Request for Proposal and written the original proposal. It was the last project she’d worked on during their partnership. She wasn’t going to just let Cassie steal it from her. She couldn’t. It was all she had left now.
She opened her laptop and tried to connect to the internet. No signal. “Fuck.” Cassie must have cancelled the service. She opened her cell phone and clicked on the setting enabling the hotspot, but the phone network didn’t show up in her laptop Wi-Fi settings. No connection here at all. Could this day get any worse?
She leaned forward and dropped her head to the table, letting her tears flow. It had been a miserable few months for Kendall since she and Cassie had broken off their romantic relationship, and having their work partnership collapse was the icing on the cake. Everything she’d known to be true for most of the past four years was gone. Would her life ever be normal again?
Chapter Two
The air was brisk as Ivy stepped outside, just the way she liked it. Fall was her favorite time of year. The glorious scent of wood smoke floating from chimneys enhanced the season in a way Ivy couldn’t explain. Her mood instantly improved, and when the frequent fog lifted from the valley, the Ozark mountains put on a magnificent display of color. She zipped her coat up closer to her chin as she stepped off the porch of her one-bedroom cabin, walked to her state-issued truck, and climbed inside. After firing the engine, she took the short drive to the lodge, where she was stationed. Being a park ranger was her dream job.
It was mid-October, which meant that soon the Arkansas mountains would be blanketed with gorgeous hues of gold, red, and orange, and the park visitors would change from summer hikers, campers, and mountain bikers to fall leaf peepers. With mid-range temperatures amplified by gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, Diamond Mountain showcased autumn’s finest colors while allowing visitors to explore the landscape and sometimes see wildlife.
She stopped at the campsite area on the lower part of the lodge grounds to make sure no campers were having issues. Currently only a few pads were rented out for the week—groups consisting of hikers and parents who homeschooled their kids. Autumn leaves formed a common part of their curriculum, and Ivy liked to help out with their learning whenever she could.
The smell of fresh coffee wafted into her nose when she approached the first campsite that included a large four-person tent. She spotted a Coleman Camping Coffeemaker sitting atop a traditional two-burner camp stove set up just outside the front door. One of the best camping inventions ever. It worked just like the ones plugged in at home, though only the steel base sat directly on the camping stove. Ten cups of coffee had never been so easy to brew in the wild.
Not wanting to startle anyone this early in the morning, Ivy stood outside the perimeter of the campsite clearing her throat. “Good morning,” she said.
After a few minutes, a man poked his head out of the tent before emerging to greet her. “Good morning, Ranger Patterson.” He pulled a sweatshirt over his head and rubbed his shoulders. “A bit colder than I expected this morning.”
“It’s the dampness. Once the fog burns off, the sun will warm you right up.”
“If not, we’ll come up to the lodge for a while. Any events planned there today?”
“Other than the Pioneer Cemetery tour this morning,” she pointed down the hill, “I’m not sure yet. I haven’t seen the rest of the schedule.”
The man glanced around the area. “Don’t think the kids will be up soon enough for that.” He picked up an empty cup. “Coffee?”
Ivy shook her head. “No. Thank you.” Ivy raised her hand and stretched her palm in a short wave. “I’ll be at the lodge after the tour. Maybe I’ll see you around.” She turned and walked to her truck, then climbed into the cab and drove the short distance up the hill to the lodge. After parking, she grabbed her backpack and made her usual check of the surrounding area for trash or anything unusual before walking into the lobby restaurant for breakfast. She shucked her coat and hung it on the back of her chair before she sat at her regular table by the window, took out her EMT exam prep book that she’d been studying for the EMT certification exam, and set it on the table. During this past year she’d participated in a few emergencies involving lost and injured hikers, including one rescue that had left a hiker critically injured. She’d felt helpless in that experience, which had prompted her to get EMT training. She wanted to be equipped to help with injuries in the future. After glancing around the room, she picked up the menu, flipped up the attached buffet page, and glanced over the main food items listed. Even though she received a discount on all food, she never ordered the buffet. She liked her eggs cooked to order—over easy and hot.
June came from the kitchen with coffee in hand and set Ivy’s third cup of the morning in front of her. She’d already had the first two at home, a sorely needed warm-up on a chilly fall morning. “The usual this morning?” June touched her shoulder.
Ivy nodded. She always ordered the same thing, but June always asked. She leaned forward to disengage June’s lingering hand and glanced out the window around the wooden pillar supporting the porch. “Looks like the frost will be earlier than expected this year.”
“Maybe if the colors don’t fire, the crowd will be less this year,” June said, touching her shoulder again, undeterred by Ivy’s movement as usual.
“Don’t count on it. The people come anyway, and I don’t blame them.” Whether everything was still green or a frozen brown, nature still had its hidden areas of beauty. You just had to look a little harder to find them.
“I’ll have your breakfast right out.” June spun and headed to the kitchen.
Pushing her EMT manual aside, Ivy read through the local paper she’d snagged from the rack by the entrance as she waited for her food, only glancing up occasionally to observe the guests as the restaurant filled. Then she returned to concentrating on the story she was reading about the upcoming fall festival in the town nearby.
June appeared. “Hot off the griddle,” she said as she waited for Ivy to move the newspaper.
Ivy folded the paper neatly and set it to the side of her place. “Great. Thanks.”
June slid Ivy’s breakfast in front of her and refilled her coffee. “I added an extra slice of bacon for you. My treat.”
“That wasn’t necessary, but thanks.”
June grinned. “Enjoy.”
Ivy glanced at her watch. It was later than she’d thought. She plowed through her breakfast and waved June over to get her check.
“You all fueled up to go talk to the plants?” June slid the check onto the table.
Ivy nodded. June liked to kid her about her passion for nature.
“Maybe I’ll see you for lunch?” June asked, a familiar lilt in her voice. It beckoned Ivy to show an interest in her.
“Probably not. I’m scheduled to give a cemetery tour about that time.” She lied. The tour would be over by then. Ivy knew June was sweet on her, but she was barely twenty-two, much too young to get involved with. Not that Ivy had age limits, but everyone at the lodge heard about June’s love life, and Ivy didn’t want to become one of those stories.
Ivy turned over the check to find the appropriate total and June’s phone number written below it, as usual. She calculated the tip in her head, taking ten percent and doubling it before adding it to her check. She hadn’t been a whiz at elementary math in high school, but college math had somehow come together in her head and stuck. She stood and went to the front desk to check the sign-up sheet. Several families were listed for the tour today, and she looked forward to sharing her favorite season with them.
Chapter Three
