A Better Man(14)

Back in the day his parents hadn't been able to afford much in the way of dining in fancy restaurants. Which worked fine for the town of Sunshine, because at the time the most extravagant had been Ben's Burger Barn, a red-­striped operation that touted twofer Tuesdays and all-­you-­can-­eat fried clams on Fridays. 

These days a place called Cranky Hank's Smokehouse sat in the old Burger Barn location, and the red striped exterior had given over to a rustic wood siding. Next to that sat Grandma Daisy's Pie Company, where a sandwich board on the sidewalk announced the specialty of the day was cranberry-­pear tarts. From his left, the mouthwatering aroma of warm cinnamon rolls drifted from Sugarbuns Bakery.

Jordan remembered the birthday cakes his mother had brought home from the pastel pink building and the sugary rewards he and his brothers had received when they'd bring home a good report card. Straight ahead, the Milky Way Moose professed to have the smoothest chocolate in the Pacific Northwest. Jordan thought if he actually strolled down this street he'd probably gain ten pounds.

A little farther down Main Street, the Back Door Bookstore took up the small space at the corner of Main and Burgundy and sat next door to the local newspaper, Talk of the Town, while Sunshine Gifts and Treasures took up residence in the old Laundromat building. Above the store there was still the vintage Maytag Laundry sign with the figure of a washerwoman scrubbing clothes on an old washboard. Divine Wine and Beyond the Vineyards had tasting rooms located directly across the street from each other, like gunslingers ready to draw on the first patron to cross the sidewalk.

The building designs were a crazy mix of Cape Cod and Old West, with a little New Age thrown in to keep things really interesting.

If he continued farther he knew he'd come to the city park that ran along the shoreline of the Columbia River-­a perfect place for wind sailing. And across the iron bridge was a new eighteen-­hole golf course.

Surrounded by rugged mountains and rolling hills, the town was pretty and welcoming. Still, as a teenager there hadn't been much to do in a place with the population of roughly eight thousand souls. In those days Sunshine had been just a speck on the map on the way to Vancouver or Portland. Now the town operated as a tourist destination with a few first-­class restaurants and elegant spas for couples to come for a weekend, relax, and get away from the grind of the big city.

The last of the shops on Main Street was Kid's Station School Supplies, which brought back one single thought.

Lucinda Nutter.

Holy shit.

As a precaution, Jordan headed to the baby dragon's lair armed with a bag of sweets from Sugarbuns. He knocked on Nicole's door and got no response.

Big surprise.

As much as everything inside him just wanted to shake some sense into her, he wanted this discussion to go well. Wanted to handle it right. Wanted his sister to know she could count on him and that he had her best interest at heart. Then again, he'd never done anything of this magnitude before, so who the hell knew how it would really go.

Hoping to keep his temper in check, he knocked again and waited for the delayed, grumbled acknowledgment before he turned the knob and entered Nicole's girly haven. Walls of deep purple could have been depressing were it not for the white iron bed covered with a black and white print comforter. A crystal chandelier hung above the bed, and prisms of colored light sparkled on the white ceiling. All accents in the room were either lace, feathered, or sparkly.

On the white Provincial dresser were perfume bottles labeled "Pink" and "Juicy." Two words a brother never wanted to put together when it came to his baby sister.



       
         
       
        

Everything in Nicole's room indicated that as the only daughter and the youngest in the family, she was probably a bit on the spoiled side. Still, she was a young girl who'd just lost both her parents. And as much as the son of those parents wanted to hide away to grieve, life still needed to be reckoned with.

"What do you want?"

Well, that was hardly the greeting he'd hoped for.

Stretched out on her bed with her feet on the wall above her headboard, Nicole tapped frantically on her glittery pink smartphone. No doubt she was looking for a rescue from having to talk with the dreaded big brother.

"I brought you cookies." He held up the bag, not that she was looking to notice.

"Seriously?" She huffed, still not looking at him. "You think I'll fit into my skinny jeans if I eat that garbage?"

"I think you look fine. And a cookie now and then isn't going to kill you." He reached into the bag and pulled out a lemon-­frosted sugar cookie, hoping to entice her. "Look, they're not very big. Try one."