A Fortune in the Family
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Kathy Douglass
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16,6K
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14
Chapter One
Josh Fortune leaned against his quartz kitchen counter, swallowed the last of the stale doughnuts from the box he’d picked up who knows when, and chased it down with a passable cup of coffee. The rain pounded on the windows, and he mentally reviewed the jobs on the various work sites where he was the contractor. Rambling Rose, Texas, a town between Houston and Austin, had become a hot location in recent years and people were snapping up properties as soon as they came on the market. As a carpenter and the owner of his own contracting business, he had several renovating projects going at any given time.
His cousins owned Fortune Brothers Construction, where two of his brothers worked. Although he’d considered joining them, he’d eventually decided to stay on his own. Perhaps it stemmed from being the youngest brother who’d been bossed about by his brothers growing up, but he liked being his own boss. His family understood and had recommended him for jobs that were too small for their business.
His phone buzzed and he read the Caller ID on-screen before he answered it.
“What’s up, Kane?” he said to his brother.
“I’m wondering if you could do me a favor.”
“Do you even have to ask? Just name it.” Gary Fortune’s kids might not have been raised with as much money as their recently discovered affluent Texas or Florida or New Orleans cousins, but they had managed to live just as richly in their own ways.
“Well, the favor isn’t for me. It’s actually for someone I know.”
“Okay,” Josh said. He put the phone on speaker so he could wash his empty mug while he talked. “What does this friend need?”
“Have you ever been to Kirby’s Perks?”
“I can’t say that I have. What does that have to do with anything?”
“I was there this morning to grab a cup of coffee before work and the roof is leaking. I was hoping you could stop by and help her out. That is, if you have the time.”
“I have time. Text me her address and I’ll head over now.”
“Thanks. I owe you.”
“We’re brothers. You don’t owe me a thing.”
Josh hung up and his phone pinged immediately. He read the address while walking out the back door. When the rain hit him, he dashed across the yard to his shed. He grabbed two boxes of shingles and roofing nails that were left over from a previous job and tossed them into the truck bed. After hooking his extension ladder onto his work truck, he drove off.
He had only lived in Rambling Rose for a couple of months and had spent that time getting his new business established and finding a house to rent, so he hadn’t had the opportunity to visit Kirby’s coffee shop before. As he pulled into the parking lot beside the gaily painted building and hopped out of his truck, he wondered why that was. But now wasn’t the time to stand around thinking. He was getting soaked, and no doubt Kirby was waiting expectantly for his help.
He dashed the short distance to the glass front door. The sign—Kirby’s Perks—was written in purple curvy letters above a coffee cup with pink, yellow and purple flowers on the front. The logo was appealing, and he felt welcome just looking at it.
He stepped inside and glanced around, observing several things at once. First, there were buckets and pans on several tables and even more on the floor, catching water dripping from the ceiling. A few of them were near to overflowing. They were located on one side of the room, so more than likely the problem was isolated to one section of the roof. Second, there was a good deal of people sitting at tables in the dry part of the room, clearly unbothered by the water falling only feet away. But the thing he noticed most was the appetizing aroma. Josh inhaled and got a whiff of coffee that smelled much better than the stuff he made at home. He wondered if it would taste as good as it smelled.
Dodging raindrops and sidestepping buckets, Josh headed toward the front of the shop. A sheet of plastic was draped across the top of a display case housing a wide variety of doughnuts, flaky croissants and other pastries.
A woman dressed in a purple T-shirt and an apron with the Kirby’s Perks logo on it came over to him. Despite the fact that she had to be frustrated, she smiled at him.
“How can I help you?” Her voice was low and just as sexy as her body.
“Actually, I’m here to help you. I’m Josh Fortune. My brother Kane called me about your roof.”
“Oh, thank you so much for coming so quickly,” she said, clasping her hands together in front of her. “I appreciate any help you can give me.”
“No worries. I have my ladder, so I’ll just go check out the roof and see what the problem is.” He smothered a groan. What an inane thing to say. He removed his cap, determined to start over. A drop of water plopped on his head and instinctively he looked up. Another drop fell right on his forehead and ran into his eye. He blinked it away. “That didn’t come out right. I have a pretty good idea what the problem is. I’ll just take a look and see how bad it is. Fingers crossed it’s something I can fix today and nothing that requires replacing the roof.”
She held up her hands, her slender fingers crossed.
Their luck held. A quick investigation revealed a roof that was old but generally in good condition for its age. A patch job would suffice for now.
Descending the ladder, he felt eager to step inside. He told himself it was because he wanted to relieve Kirby’s mind and not because he wanted another look at her. With clear brown skin, deep, dark brown eyes, full lips and high cheekbones, the woman was unquestionably gorgeous.
And that body. Although she was wearing an apron over her jeans and T-shirt, it did little to hide her sexy curves.
Reminding himself that he was here to work, he stepped into the coffee shop. He glanced around and saw Kirby placing an empty bucket beneath a stream of water. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips. For a second she appeared defeated. But then she rallied, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin. Good. She had spunk. He liked that.
“I’ve got good news,” he said, approaching her.
“Don’t hold back,” she said. “Shout it out. I could use all the good news I can get.”
“You don’t need a new roof. At least not yet. And I have the material I need to patch your roof inside my truck. It shouldn’t take me long to get it done.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll get right to it.”
She nodded and he turned to go. As he left, he would swear he could feel her watching him walk away. Smiling, he stepped back outside and into the torrential downpour. Suddenly he wasn’t bothered by the weather. Quite the opposite. Now he was grateful for the rain, leaky roofs and brothers who asked for favors.
Kirby watched as Josh Fortune walked back into the storm. Even though there was no place in her life for a man—she was a single mother with two little girls to raise and a business to run—she couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was. Which was completely out of character for her. She hadn’t given a man a first look, much less a second, since her beloved Will was taken from her. Although she no longer felt the breath-stealing sorrow at the thought of her late husband, she still experienced a pang in her heart, and she closed her eyes as she waited for it to pass.
She and Will had known each other all of their lives. They’d been friends as kids, and later high school sweethearts. They’d dated all through college and married right after graduation. Theirs had been a wedding of a lifetime, one she and Will had planned on talking about on their fiftieth anniversary.
But that was before Will had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of liver cancer. He’d died three years ago, before they’d even had the opportunity to celebrate their tenth anniversary.
When Will had discovered that he was sick, he made her promise to keep the coffee shop going. It had been her dream for ages, and they’d worked together to make it happen. Her business had thrived and now she had many faithful customers, like the ones currently going about their day as if it wasn’t raining inside nearly as hard as it was outside. And so, despite the fact that the building was fighting against her today, Kirby’s Perks was open for business.
She glanced around, grateful for each of her patrons. They were as eclectic as they were loyal. Rebecca, the quirky, redheaded fiction writer in her fifties, was downing her third cup of coffee of the morning. She swore she couldn’t function if she didn’t have at least four cups of Kirby’s coffee in her system. She claimed she did her best writing in the coffee shop and that she’d never meet her deadlines if not for Kirby. Rebecca had even dedicated her last book to her. Right now she was doodling on a pad and pretending not to eavesdrop on another customer’s phone conversation. No doubt some piece of it would find its way into her next book, which was why Kirby always started each conversation with Rebecca by saying it was off the record.
Annette, Kirby’s former barista who was now a college student at a local university was talking to Justine, a new mother of a sweet baby boy named Morgan. Martin, an eighty-plus man with a grizzled beard, was nursing his coffee. He was a kind fellow who generally conversed with whomever happened to sit near him and had no shortage of opinions on just about everything. He and Kirby talked for a few minutes each day and she loved to hear stories of his youth. Of course, the rain had pushed him away from his normal table near the counter, but he seemed just as happy today to read the newspaper he’d brought in with him.
The bell over the door jingled and Kirby pulled herself out of her musings to fix a cinnamon latte for a customer. She’d worried that the storm would slow business but she’d been wrong. Too bad that luck hadn’t extended to the roof.
As she emptied buckets and filled coffee cups, she tried not to think about just how much the roof repair would set her back. The constant pounding wasn’t a good sign and she was starting to believe the problem was more extensive than Josh had let on. Maybe what he considered good news was catastrophic to her. Whenever the noise stopped, she would look up expecting to see him walk in and tell her his initial assessment had been wrong. And each time she caught a glimpse of him as he went up and down the ladder, she couldn’t help staring. She might not be in the market for a man, but that didn’t keep her from appreciating how good-looking he was.
His blond hair was sun-streaked and his skin was tanned as if he spent hours working outdoors. His broad back, well-defined biceps and shoulders were those of a man who was no stranger to physical work. Her cheeks warmed as she recalled how nice his muscular thighs and backside had looked in those faded jeans. He was definitely one perfect specimen of a man.
Perfect for some other woman.
A woman whose hands weren’t filled running a business and raising a kindergartner and second grader. Her little girls needed all of her love and attention right now and would for the foreseeable future. She didn’t have time or energy to spare. She had nothing to offer a man—even one as appealing as Josh Fortune.
Finally the hammering stopped. The water coming from the ceiling, which had gone from a steady stream to a trickle as Josh worked, now became an occasional drip. She was probably the only person in the country who wasn’t caught up in the renovation television show craze, but even she knew that all of the water that had come through the roof couldn’t have possibly dripped onto the floor. Some of it had to be pooled in the ceiling. Just how much was the question.
Maybe Josh would know. And if the stars aligned just right, it wouldn’t cost much to get everything taken care of. At moments like this, rare though they were, she wished she hadn’t made that promise to Will to keep this place going. It hadn’t been easy with two little girls. But no matter how difficult it had been at times, the business had been her saving grace. It had given her something to do and somewhere to go when she would have preferred to hold her daughters in her arms and just cry over all they’d lost.
But wallowing in misery would have been unfair to Violet and Lily. Violet had been four when Will died, and old enough to miss him. Kirby’s heart had broken over and over again as she’d watch her little girl stand in the front window every evening, waiting for her daddy to come home from work. Kirby had explained that daddy was in heaven, but Violet hadn’t understood what that meant. Will had traveled occasionally for work, and each time he’d come home. Violet hadn’t understood why his going to heaven would keep him from coming back.
Lily had only been two when Will died. At first she asked about him, but it hadn’t taken long for her to accept his absence and get on with her life. That had been even more painful to Kirby than Violet’s tears.
It broke Kirby’s heart to know that Lily didn’t have any memories of her father and that Violet had very few. Kirby did all she could to keep Will’s memory alive, telling stories about him and placing family photographs beside each of the girls’ beds, but there was only so much she could do. She knew the beautiful, happy past they’d shared was gone and the wonderful future they’d planned would never come to be. It was in all of their best interests for them to soldier on and live in the present. For Kirby, that present didn’t include a man. Truth be told, there wouldn’t be a man in her future, either. She’d loved Will with all of her heart and soul. He’d been a special man. And special men were rare.
Yet she hadn’t been able to stop looking out the window at Josh Fortune whenever he came into view.
Kirby was pouring Rebecca’s fourth cup of coffee when her cell phone rang. One look at the number made her heart pound with anxiety. It was the school her girls attended. She wasn’t able to rid herself of the dread that accompanied every one of the school’s phone calls. Losing Will had taught her to expect the worst.
Answering the phone, she headed for the kitchen where she would have privacy.
“Mrs. Harris, this is Deadra Hawkins.”
Kirby recognized the school secretary’s voice. Mrs. Hawkins was a kindly grandmother whom students and parents alike adored. She had a way of making even the worst news palatable.
“Is something wrong?” Kirby asked, hoping the other woman was calling to request pastries for an upcoming school event.
“Nothing major,” she said calmly. “Lily isn’t feeling well, and she needs to get picked up.”
“I see.” Lily had seemed fine when Kirby dropped her off at school a couple of hours ago. Perhaps she’d picked up a bug. Little kids were more willing to share germs than they were crayons. “I’m on my way.”
“Drive carefully. She’s lying down in the nurse’s office and she’ll be fine until you get here.”
Kirby ended the phone call, grabbed her purse from her office and returned to the front of the coffee shop. Rebecca had booted up her laptop and was typing rapidly, clearly on a roll. Annette had already left, and Martin was talking with Justine, who was feeding Morgan. Kirby hated the idea of kicking them out, especially in this deluge, but she didn’t have a choice. Hillary, her barista, had called in sick and Kirby was alone. She needed to close the coffee shop while she picked up her child. And depending on how sick Lily was, Kirby might need to keep the shop closed for the rest of the day while she nursed Lily at home.
Ordinarily she could call on her mother or mother-in-law for assistance, but they were both out of town today. Her parents were in the Bahamas and Will’s were in Austin, where their daughter was expecting her first child any day.
“I’m all finished,” Josh said, pulling her away from her musings. She blinked and stared at him. Rain dripped from his navy slicker, which he’d left unbuttoned, yet he somehow looked sexy. His blond hair was plastered against his head. His navy T-shirt with white letters advertising Josh Fortune Carpentry clung to his muscular torso. Even his jeans were wet. Despite the fact that Kirby knew he had to be uncomfortable and was no doubt longing to get out of his wet clothes and take a hot shower, he was smiling. And that smile warmed her heart, and for a moment all of her troubles vanished.
“Thank you for your help. If you would write up a bill for me, I’ll write you a check.” She pulled a checkbook from her purse. “I hate to rush you, but I need to close the shop for a bit. My daughter is sick and I have to pick her up from school.”
“Why do you have to close?”
She obviously hadn’t been as clear as she’d thought. She stepped behind the counter and turned off the coffeepot. “Because I need to leave. My employee called in sick today and there’s nobody to take care of business while I’m gone.”
“I’ll do it.”
“You’ll do what?”
“I’ll handle the shop until you get back.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because you need the help.” He said it simply, as if his reason was obvious.
“I sell more than just coffee. Do you know how to make a latte? Cappuccino?”
“Are the recipes written down anywhere?”
“Yes. I have them taped to the back of the countertop.”
“I can read so I should be all right.”
“I don’t know.” She couldn’t keep the skepticism from her voice.
He shrugged. “What’s to know? You need help and I don’t mind helping. Besides, do you really want to ask your customers to leave? They all look so comfortable. You wouldn’t want to send that sweet baby or that old man into that downpour, would you?”
“Of course not. But I can’t ask you to do this, either.”
“You didn’t ask. I volunteered. There’s a difference.”
“I still don’t understand why.”
“Because I’m a nice guy.” He held up a hand as if to forestall any other argument she might have. “You’d better go. Your little girl is waiting.”
She imagined Lily lying there on the nurse’s cot, wondering why it was taking her mommy so long to come and get her. “I won’t be long.”
“Take your time. I’ve got things handled here.” Josh stepped around the counter and without missing a beat, he grabbed an apron off the hook on the wall, pulled it over his head and tied it behind his back in one smooth motion. “I need to look official,” he said, flashing her a grin.
“Sure.” She grabbed the umbrella she kept by the door and darted for her car. As she guided the SUV down the road, thoughts of Josh danced through her mind. He was so easygoing. Happy-go-lucky. As if nothing bothered him. But then, he probably didn’t have the responsibilities she did.
When Kirby reached the school, she headed to the office. Mrs. Hawkins smiled at her. “Don’t look so worried. Lily is fine. Just a little stomachache.”
Kirby blew out a breath. Lily was a sweetheart who loved school, but lately she didn’t seem to enjoy it as much. Kirby had believed all-day kindergarten was a godsend, but maybe it was too much for her daughter. At first Lily had loved every minute of school. She’d even been ready to go bright and early on Saturday mornings. Now she was frequently reluctant in the mornings, dragging her feet until they were nearly late. Was there something going on that was upsetting her? Lily, who always told Kirby everything, hadn’t mentioned a problem. And the kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Bennett, hadn’t brought anything to Kirby’s attention.
Kirby signed out Lily for the day. A minute later the nurse arrived with Lily beside her.
“Her assignments are in her backpack,” the nurse said.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure she does them.”
Kirby held Lily’s hand as they walked down the hall. When they reached the door, she picked Lily up in one arm and held the umbrella in the other hand as she speed-walked to the car. Once they were inside the car, Lily flashed her a bright smile as if she felt just fine.
“Feeling better?”
“Yep. Can we listen to my music?”
Little rascal. Although Kirby was glad that Lily’s “stomachache” had vanished, she wished she knew what was bothering Lily.
Kirby turned on a kids’ music DVD and instantly Lily was singing about sticky bubblegum. After two songs, Kirby paused the music. “How was school today?”
Lily shrugged.
“Did something happen?”
“Like what?”
Kirby sighed. So much for the indirect route. If you wanted an answer from Lily, you had to ask direct questions. The problem was, Kirby wasn’t sure what she should ask. “Is there someone who isn’t your friend?”
“Mrs. Bennett says that we’re all friends.”
“That’s right. But sometimes friends can hurt your feelings without meaning to. When that happens it’s okay to tell me or Mrs. Bennett.”
“Okay. Can I listen to my songs again?”
Sighing, Kirby turned the music back up and continued down the road.
When they got to the coffee shop, they made a mad dash to the front door, Lily giggling the whole time as if she were at recess.
“That was fun,” she said the moment they were inside.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Kirby said. “Now, take off your backpack. Then we can find a table and you can start your schoolwork.”
“Okay, Mommy. I like coming to work with you.”
“I know.” Violet and Lily had spent a lot of time here. They’d practically grown up in the shop and loved coming to work with Mommy. It was their home away from home.
Kirby kept dolls, puzzles, board games, crayons and coloring books here for the girls. Even though they enjoyed playing with their toys, they delighted in being able to help her. She’d had aprons and T-shirts with the Kirby’s Perks logos made for them, and they loved wearing them as they followed her around the shop.
“Who’s that?” Lily asked, pointing to the counter.
Kirby turned and saw Josh making a cappuccino. Or rather, attempting one. He stood there pushing buttons on the machine and scratching his head. There were several cups stacked beside him, proof of previous failures. The machine was obviously getting the best of him.
“Who is he, Mommy?” Lily repeated, tapping Kirby on her side.
“That’s my friend.”
“He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
Kirby laughed. “I know. I think I’ll go and help him.”
After getting Lily settled at a table, she hurried behind the counter. The customer, a man with either extreme patience, a good sense of humor or all the time in the world, gave Josh suggestions on how to work the cappuccino machine.
“Oh, no. Don’t try that, either,” Kirby said, rushing over to Josh. “That won’t work.”
Josh shrugged and gave her a smile. Did nothing fluster the man? He stepped aside and began untying the strings of the apron. “This has to be the most complicated machine ever created. My new buddy, Dan, and I have been trying to figure it out for at least ten minutes.”
Kirby smiled at Josh and then at Dan. “I’ll have a cappuccino for each of you in no time flat. And, Dan, in appreciation for your patience, it’s on the house.”
“That’s not necessary,” Dan replied. “Watching Josh has been entertaining to say the least. But I appreciate the offer.”
Kirby washed her hands and then stepped up to the machine.
“I think you’re going to need this,” Josh said, pulling the apron over his head. Kirby held out her hand to take it from him, but before she knew what he intended, he’d dropped it over her head. In the blink of an eye, he was behind her, securing the apron around her waist. His hands brushed against the small of her back, sending goose bumps from the point of contact throughout her body.
“Thank you,” she murmured. Somehow she managed to keep her voice from trembling. “I’ll get those cappuccinos for you.”
She quickly made one for her customer, refusing his payment since he’d had to wait for so long. He thanked her and promised to come back again with his wife.
“You’re both welcome at any time,” Kirby said, handing over his beverage.
“And let me get yours,” she said to Josh. At that moment, the door opened, and three more customers stepped inside.
“Take care of them first,” Josh said. “I don’t mind waiting.”
Kirby nodded, trying not to stare as he walked over to a table. For the most part his clothes were no longer wet, but his T-shirt still clung to his torso, emphasizing his muscular physique.
Telling herself not to gawk, Kirby turned her attention to her customers. After she’d filled their orders, she glanced around, looking for Josh. Lily had left her table and was now sitting across from him. Kirby prepared Josh’s cappuccino and carried it over to him.
As she approached the table, she heard Lily’s voice. She was telling Josh one of the fanciful tales she tended to make up. From the time she could string enough words together to form a sentence, she had been creating stories in worlds where animals and plants talked to each other. Her tales also included little children who possessed a variety of marvelous abilities, depending on which skill was necessary to advance the plot.
“What did the fairy princess do next?” Josh asked. His voice contained just the right amount of interest, but Kirby imagined he was simply being polite. No doubt he was hoping she would rescue him so that he could get on with his day.
“She picked up the ladybug and took her home to her mommy and daddy. And everyone lived happily ever after.”
“That’s good. And a very nice story.”
“I know lots of stories,” Lily said, taking a deep breath.
“And I’ll listen to them tonight,” Kirby interrupted before her daughter could launch into another one. She set Josh’s cup on the table. “But right now, you have schoolwork to finish. And Mr. Fortune has places to go and things to do.”
“No, I don’t,” Josh said. “I’m enjoying Lily’s stories. She has quite the imagination.”
“Who’s Mr. Fortune?” Lily asked.
“He is.”
“His name is Josh. He’s my friend now, too.”
Josh’s eyes filled with concern. “I hope you don’t mind that I said she could call me Josh.”
Kirby generally preferred for her kids to address adults by their last names, or at least hang a title on the first name, but since she doubted Lily would see Josh again after today, she didn’t see the harm.
“It’s fine. But you don’t have to entertain Lily.”
“Actually, it’s the other way around. She’s entertaining me.”
He sounded so sincere she knew he was telling her the truth and she smiled. Although the male members in her family tried to be there for her girls, they could only do so much. Her father and father-in-law were getting up there in age. They were great at telling stories and playing board games, but neither of them could run around with the girls for hours on end like their father had done. Kirby’s brother tried to attend the girls’ dance recitals, but he lived in Houston. Besides, he had a family of his own and his own kids’ activities to attend. The way Lily eagerly lapped up Josh’s attention brought home how much her girls missed by not having their father in their lives. But Will was gone and no one could ever replace him. He’d been a one-of-a-kind father. A one-of-a-kind husband. A one-of-a-kind man. Kirby was just going to have to be both mom and dad.
Be that as it may, it did please her to see the way Josh treated her little girl.
The bell over the door jangled and a large group stepped inside. “All right. But feel free to excuse yourself when you’ve heard enough stories.”
Josh nodded and took a sip of his drink. “Delicious.”
“It helps when you know how to work the machine,” Kirby quipped as she walked away. Even without looking she knew Josh’s eyes were following her, so she added a little more swing to her hips. When she realized what she was doing, she froze. Why was she flirting with him? There wasn’t room for a man in her life. She barely had time to breathe. Besides, she didn’t want a man in her life.
But why was she suddenly not as sure about that as she’d once been?
