Page 2 of All Inn Thyme
“Okay, don’t make me get all sappy. Go take your shower. These hormones are all over the place and I cry at everything these days.”
“Thank you,” I call as I quickly jog up the stairs.
We had a lot of guest turnover today and I worked hard to get all the rooms fresh and ready before putting in a good hour outside. I’m exhausted and sweaty, so much so that I think I can smell myself at this point.I wish I could crawl under the covers and go straight to bed, but that’s not a possibility.
Beth doesn’t know that every single surface up here is covered in plants, as well. I quickly move the ones from my shower, perched on the overhead window, basking in natural light.
Once I’m showered and clean,I grab a t-shirt and my better pair of jeans from a basket on the floor. I don’t even own enough clothes to put away. I wash and re-wear everything practically daily, and mostly I wear older clothes to clean and garden in. Who cares about clothes when you can buy more seeds and plants?
I gave up on caring how I look a while ago. I just want to be comfortable and have my hands in the dirt. My eyes roam over my plants as I quickly dry my hair and pull it back. I can’t wait to see them thriving outside as they grow into fresh veggies for us to eat.
Spring is here and it feels so good outside as I head over to the main house, thankful for some good food and family time. No, I’m not related to these people, but they have all gone out of their way to make me and Kase feel like we’re part of their family, blood or not. I ease in the back door, looking around. The sounds of chatter and the smells of garlic and Italian food greet me, my mouth instantly watering.
“There you are,” Margie says in a motherly tone. Evan and Allie’s mom beams as she comes over and pulls me close. “We waited for you,” she says as she guides me into the kitchen and hands me a glass of wine.
Warmth spreads through my chest over that simple, small gesture. They waited for me. I feel wanted here. Needed. These people are my family now, and I love them so very much.I am constantly reminding myself to never take this for granted—even the small things. I swallow a sip of wine, hoping to keep my emotions tucked away.
“Thank you,” I murmur with a smile. “Where’s Kase?”
“He’s in the other room playing with the puppies and Ty’s dog,” Margie tells me.
“Ty?” I ask, startled as she wanders off, not hearing me.
As inhot Ty? Hot mechanic Ty I’ve seen around but never been brave enough to speak to? Suddenly, I’m wishing I’d spent a little more time on my hair and maybe put on some mascara. Oh my God. Ty ishere?
I head into the next room and freeze when I see a huge grey Pitbull staring at me with its tongue hanging out one side of its mouth, drool dripping onto my son who lies under it, giggling.
“Hi, Momma.” Kase giggles. “Look at Nova. I love her.” He wraps his feet around her, wrestling with her, and the dog leans into him and closes her eyes in utter bliss, clearly just as happy with him. Kase is always finding time to play with the dogs, he loves them so much.
“I see her,” I say, hesitantly reaching over and scratching her ears. She’s big, very stocky, and could easily be intimidating. Chip and Bossy, the black and white mutts that Evan rescued, are wrestling in the corner and tugging on a toy back and forth.About six months ago, Evan was out running when he found them abandoned in a trash bag. How anyone could ever do that is beyond me.
We had to leave our mini dachshund, Sassy, behind when we left Mississippi, and I miss her every day. Sometimes, in my mind’s eye, I can see her propped up on the back of the couch, staring out the window, waiting for us to come home. She’s probably so sad and doesn’t understand that I didn’t have a choice.
Pitbulls sometimes get a bad rep, but judging by this dog’s demeanor, she’s more of a goofball than a threat. She leans in and closes her eyes again, seeming to enjoy the scratches from me.
“Good girl,” I coo softly.
Our guests don’t typically bring their pets to stay at the inn, but Evan doesn’t discourage it. He loves animals and can’t say no to anyone who asks. A while back, someone brought a cute ferret that liked to collect and hide things. He only stayed a short time, but he sure made life interesting when we found piles of random possessions it had hidden for weeks around the inn after he left.
Watching my son adjust over the past year has been such a relief. He smiles more, he doesn’t jump at loud noises as much, and he’s a lot more relaxed. We both are.I wonder, though, how much he remembers about our old life, about Sassy, even about his former name. He’s never said anything, and I never bring it up.
Brianna and Jase became Mellie and Kase. I got Mellie from the showScandal,one of my favorites back in the day, and Kase sounded like Jase. I wanted to give him a name that was easy to remember so he wouldn’t slip up and tell anyone his real name. So far, it’s working out.
We’ve had no issues so far, thankfully. When I’m around guests or in town, I typically wear a hat and keep my head down, just to be safe. No one has ever seemed to recognize us, and the longer we’re here, the more at ease I feel. Everyone here at the inn has just accepted us as is, without questioning us or forcing us to open up about our past. We created a basic story, and that’s what we go with if we are asked. It’s a relief to not be constantly fielding questions, to just be Mellie and Kase. The past is in the past.
“I see you met Nova,” a deep, friendly voice drawls from behind me.
I startle and quickly lower my eyes, instinctively going into chameleon mode when I recognize that voice. I’ve seen Ty around town often, and I’m well aware of who he is, but he probably has no clue who I am given that we’ve only actually spoken one time. To say he’s good looking is putting it mildly. He’s like the ultimate manly-man cinnamon roll.
I’ve had a crush on him since the first time I laid eyes on him. It was last summer when we were both new here in town. I saw him fixing something at Sam’s Auto Body when I walked by with Kase. He probably didn’t even see me, but I couldn’t have missed him, especially with his baseball hat on backward. I had no idea what he was fixing, but whatever it was, mine was broken. His intense blue eyes mirrored his dark blue coveralls, and the way he leaned over the engine with his biceps flexed still makes my heart go into overdrive when I think about it.
After that, I’d see him around town sporadically—at the local pizza place, the hardware store. And each time, I’d crush just a little bit harder. Then, I found out that it had been Beth’s car he was fixing at the shop, and when he dropped it off at the inn last fall, I had been the only one there. I still remember taking the keys from him, the way my hand felt like it was on fire when I brushed his hand. Sure, he was friendly to me, but he didn’t say much more than a handful of pleasantries. And I said nothing. I just continuously nodded like a yuppie and all but tripped over my own two feet.
Smooth, Mellie.
I still cringe at how awkward I was that day. God only knows what Ty must have thought of me.
I think every woman in Freedom Valley has at least a small crush on Ty, if the talk around town is to be believed. I mean, how could they not? His dark blond, neatly trimmed beard, his piercing blue eyes, and charisma that could charm anyone. He’s got the blue-collar mechanic hotness going for him, but he also cleans up nice and looks smoking hot when I’ve seen him around in jeans and a flannel.
