Chapter 2
Having secured a big job rewiring Audrey Foster’s house, Josh decided business was already looking up, and he was ready for a little fun. Plus, he felt like celebrating after breaking up with Carly. He’d been wanting to get another dog since he’d finished building a house last year, but never got the chance. Currently he had his late grandmother’s Jack Russell Terrier, Sadie, at home, and would never get rid of her. But she wasn’t the kind of dog he really wanted. So today he was stopping by the fall festival benefiting the animal shelter. He’d gone last year with his parents and they were off in Portland for the week visiting his aunt.
He found a place to park along the curb on Douglas Road, and walked down the sidewalk past some of the downtown shops till he reached the tents and booths set up in the grassy town square. Ahead he could see Georgina Street was blocked off with partitions to accommodate more festival booths and a hayride. In the square, he passed booths selling cider, caramel apples, and German sausage. On his other side people were gathering around the gazebo, dancing to the music from the local radio station. Nearby was the pumpkin pie baking contest and the air smelled of cinnamon and pumpkin spice. His mother had entered the contest last year and had won third place. Josh thought she made the best pie around, and just knowing that had made her as happy as if she won first place. Mrs. Cooper won every year.
There was a crowd out today, but near the water fountain in the middle of the square, he spotted familiar auburn curls. Audrey carried a cake toward a table with a sign that said “Pumpkin Cake Walk.”
He didn’t want to feel excited at the prospect of seeing her in a more casual environment. He definitely wasn’t interested in a rebound relationship. He should just turn around and check out what was in those tents to his left.
A hand on his shoulder startled him. “Hey, Josh.”
Josh turned to see Robert Foster. “Hey, how are you?”
“We’re going to have to get together for lunch soon,” Rob said. “We miss you down at the office since your crew finished wiring the new building.”
“Are you all set up for boarding animals now?” Josh asked.
“Yep. You did a great job. I actually gave my sister your number.”
“Ah, yes, we met Thursday. Didn’t know you had a sister. We really need to catch up.” Josh glanced over toward the cake walk and spotted Audrey helping a woman place numbers in a circle to set up. The breeze blew her hair and it fell perfectly around her shoulders as she worked.
“Hey, I’m running this cake walk. It’s almost ready, you should come see.”
***
After spending her Friday night making a cake for the festival cake walk, Audrey had a carrot cake ready. She helped Allie set up laminated pumpkin shapes with the numbers for the game and listened to her sister-in-law complain about Audrey’s decision to stay in her own house. She grimaced, remembering how she’d washed her hair with conditioner because she couldn’t see the bottles very well in candlelight. At least she had a gas water heater, or she wouldn’t have had hot water. She wished she had a gas heater as well since the nights were getting colder.
Allie shook her head as she watched Audrey work. “You’re going to have to learn how to share your space sometime or you’ll be alone forever.”
Audrey forced herself not to roll her eyes and stared at Allie. “I thought you’d already accepted that idea. I mean, Grandma outright said there was no point in sticking around Oregon since she wasn’t going to have great-grandchildren.”
“She has great-grandchildren,” Allie said. “Rob and I have three dogs, four cats, and five hamsters.”
“We all know you’re animal people, of course, being vets. But I wish everyone would accept where I am in my life right now.”
“And where are you?” Allie asked.
“I love you and Rob, Allie,” she said. “But I like having my own place, and it’s nice to be on my own right now after…” After what? A series of unfortunate relationships? “It’s cleansing to be alone sometimes.”
And Audrey didn’t want to explain to her how insufferable it would be to stay at their house with all her unwanted life advice.
Allie sighed heavily and set up the Bluetooth speakers for the music, and a short line started to form for the cake walk. “We’d better get this thing started.”
Audrey gazed at the growing crowd walking past them on the way to other booths. Her good friend Nicole had done a lot to help with the event this year. She hoped to catch a moment to talk, if she could find her.
“Miss Foster, how are you?”
Audrey turned to the man she didn’t realize was right in front of her and jumped. “Mr. Chadwick.”
Josh placed his hands in his jean pockets and smiled at her. “You can call me Josh. I’ll be around a lot next week.”
“I suppose you will. Well, feel free to call me Audrey. Especially since you’re friends with my brother.”
“Hey, Josh.” Allie came up behind him to pat him on the back. “So you’re working for Audrey, right? She’s single, by the way. Didn’t know if she mentioned that to you.” She tapped him on the back once more and mouthed the words “go for it” at Audrey. Then she walked back toward the cakes.
Audrey knew she was blushing and shook her head. “Please excuse my sister-in-law. She thinks I’m lonely and desperate.”
Josh sent her a sideways smile. “I understand.”
“Yes, I’m single, and I’m living in an empty house in the dark, but that doesn’t mean I’m lonely.” She returned his smile and laughed. “It’s a form of purist minimalism.”
“Audrey, Josh.” Rob stepped over and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “We have some kids interested over here, could you two help me demonstrate how to play?”
“Sure thing, Rob,” Josh said, not taking his gaze away from Audrey.
***
Josh was happy to help Rob with the cake walk, and more than happy to get to talk to Audrey a little more. She actually seemed to have a sense of humor. He told himself he should be careful to make sure he wasn’t pulled in…but he had to talk to her some more.
Rob told everyone to stand in front of a pumpkin number and Josh took the open space next to Audrey. Most of the others were kids.
“Everyone walk in a clockwise circle till the music stops,” Rob explained. “Then I’ll call out a number. That number wins the cake of the same number.”
Rob turned on the music from his phone, and Audrey pointed to her left so the kids would know which way to walk as they began. Josh followed Audrey around the circle, catching more whiffs of coconut in the cool breeze, and tried hard not to enjoy the way her hair bounced on her shoulders. It looked redder in the sunlight. As he stared at her, he didn’t quite notice when the music stopped and bumped into her. She started to fall, and he caught her arm.
The touch was nearly electric, and that was his area of expertise. He had no idea what to do about the way he was reacting to this woman. Not to mention she was a customer of his.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
Audrey frowned at him and pulled her arm away. The kids in the circle were giggling.
“All right.” Rob pulled a number out of a jar Allie held up. “Number two!”
“Me!” shouted a girl who looked to be ten or eleven. She rushed over to claim her cake.
Audrey and Josh applauded the winner and stepped away from the circle to allow other kids to join the game. Rob started the music again, and Allie stepped in between them from behind.
“So, Audrey, did Josh tell you he’s newly single?” Allie asked.
“Allie.” Audrey gave her a stern look. “Josh is going to be working on my house, and I’m sure he doesn’t need you to try to set him up.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Come on, you two really aren’t at all interested in each other? Even after the way you’ve been trading glances?”
“Okay, Allie, I’ll talk to you later.” Audrey tightened her fists, and Josh wondered if she was contemplating tossing a cake in her face, but instead she turned and walked past Allie. She took hold of his hand and pulled him away. Josh willingly went with her, enjoying the way her hand fit into his far too much. She kept hold of him till they were out of sight of the cake walk, then she stopped, let go, and took a deep breath.
“I’m so sorry about that.” She faced him and rubbed her temples with her fingers. “I thought you might appreciate getting away from that conversation. She’s kind of obsessed with setting people up, and I’ve been on the receiving end of a great number of horrible blind dates. I apologize she dragged you into her new scheme.”
Josh grinned. “It’s fine, really. I have an aunt who also loves to fix people up, so I get it.”
“I feel terrible. It’s so inappropriate since…” Her cheeks blushed red.
“Inappropriate because you’ve just hired me to work on your house?”
“Yes.” She nodded rapidly. “It’s absolutely inappropriate for her to suggest something so unprofessional.”
“Well…” Josh held out a hand. “There is nothing unprofessional about being friends if you’d like.”
Audrey pressed her lips together and nodded, then took his hand. “Of course. A friend of Rob’s is a friend of mine.”
His fingers were on fire with her touch, and as soon as she let go he wanted to take her hand again.
“Do you come to the festival every year?”
“I’ve been to a few.” Josh put his hands in his pockets and looked past her. “I’ve actually been wanting to get a new dog.”
“They always have plenty to choose from. The hayrides are starting over there.” She stepped to the side and pointed toward the street. “And they’ll take you around the town square, but it makes a stop at the animal shelter tent.”
“Oh really? I don’t remember them doing that last year. Do you want to go see the animals?” Josh asked.
“Actually, I’ve always wanted a dog, but my parents never let us. I didn’t have a yard until recently.”
Josh walked beside her to the hayride booth where a man stood greeting people.
“The wagon will be back in a few,” the man said.
Josh nodded and turned to Audrey. “They never let you have a dog, really?”
“My dad always claimed to be allergic. But I think he just hated dogs. I’ve volunteered a few times at the shelter, and I’ve really been wanting to adopt.”
A horse pulling a wagon full of people pulled up in front of them and the wagon quickly emptied. A woman with two kids walked over and hopped up into the hay. Then Josh offered Audrey a hand and pulled her up in the wagon next to where he sat on a large bale of hay.
“Hey there,” Audrey said to the kids, as they sucked on caramel apples.
“Hay here.” Josh patted the hay they sat on and the kids giggled. So did Audrey, and Josh couldn’t help but enjoy seeing her smile.
“I’m going to have to get one of those apples,” Audrey said.
“We should definitely do that,” he said, suddenly wondering if it was too forward to suggest they do it together.
The wagon started forward as the horse took them down Georgina Street along the town square.
Josh turned to her, wanting to know more about her. “So what do you do?”
“I’m a marriage and family therapist.” Audrey only met his eyes for a moment before turning to gaze at the craft booths they passed along the sidewalk.
“And how do you feel about that?” Josh asked with a smile.
Audrey chuckled. “I like it. It’s very rewarding. I was always told I’m a good listener.”
“I’m sure you are. So you give them advice?”
“I listen and help them work through their problems.”
The wagon passed several other booths. The radio station was blasting sound out of speakers on the corner, and the DJ’s voice echoed from the PA system. “I’m A.J. McCay and we’re broadcasting live from the Finding Forever Animal Rescue Fall Festival. Come on down! Up next is Train on 96.1 the Beaver Jam.”
Audrey sang along to the words as the song started, and Josh tried not to stare. She was absolutely adorable. “So you like Train?”
“Oh, yes. Love Train. I like a lot of different styles of music: soft rock, blues, pop, country, jazz.” Audrey pulled her hair to one side as the cool breeze brushed past them.
“I’m mostly all about country, but I love classic rock.”
“So does Rob. Did you know that? It’s relatively recent.”
“Yeah, in high school we were into the hard stuff like Metallica. You know, if it scared our moms it was more fun.”
Her lips curved upward with the memory. “I remember. Rob really didn’t have to try to freak Mom out though. She thought Bon Jovi was hard rock and made him take the posters down. Actually she told him to ‘take those devil posters outta here.’”
“Are your parents still in town?”
“No, they moved to Portland. What about yours?”
“They’re actually in Portland too, but visiting family. They still live here in town.”
The hayride slowed down as they approached the large white tent of the animal shelter. The radio started playing “The Best Thing” by the new singer Chase Lockhart, and Audrey started to sing along again.
“You’re quite a singer,” Josh said as the mother and children climbed down from the wagon.
“I’m a shower singer.” Her cheeks reddened. “And when there’s a song on the radio. But there was a brief career I had in the Valley High choir.”
Josh stepped down from the wagon and offered a hand to her. Her hand seemed to fit so perfectly in his, and the warmth spread up his arm. Was he sweating? He didn’t know what was happening and it worried him.
Audrey gripped his hand tighter as she stepped down and blushed, probably from the crisp fall air. The air that should have kept him from sweating.
“So let’s go check out the dogs.” Josh fought the urge to take her hand again as they walked toward the tent. He really should keep things fully professional and in the realm of friendship. He would have to work with her all next week, and it wouldn’t do to put himself out there to be rejected and then fired.