Island Thyme Cafe (Madrona Island Series Book 3) Read online

  Island Thyme Café

  ANDREA HURST

  It’s never too late - never too late to start over, never too late to be happy.

  ~Jane Fonda

  Cover design: Lidia Vilamajo

  Developmental Editor: Cate Perry

  Copy Editor: Martha Schoemaker & Cameron Chandler

  Marketing & Publicity: www.2MarketBooks.com

  Foreign Rights: [email protected]

  © 2016 Andrea Hurst

  All rights reserved.

  First edition printed December 2016

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  ISBN-

  ISBN-

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the author, except in the context of reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are a product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously.

  Dedicated to Billee Escott, my inspiration for the

  character, Betty, in this series, and in many other

  areas of my life.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Epilogue

  Recipes

  Aknowledgements

  Author Bio

  Chapter One

  A warm breeze skipped across Grandpa John’s face, causing his eyes to flutter open. He’d dozed off again. These lazy June days often led to a nap. He stretched his arms in the air and took a deep breath before settling back into the wooden chair. For a flash of a moment he thought he heard Maggie’s voice in the garden. He glanced up, almost expecting her to be there, picking lilies and bright orange poppies and smiling back at him. But she’d crossed over about three years ago now. Lately, as he moved deeper into his eighties, the line between the here-and-now and the beyond seemed to blur just a bit more.

  John gazed over to Maggie’s old farmhouse where Lily and Ian now ran the thriving Madrona Island Bed and Breakfast. Love had skipped two generations with those two . . . his grandson and Maggie’s granddaughter. The dogwood trees were in bloom and tall red hollyhocks towered over the garden fence. They’d been neighbors and fast friends for many years, through Maggie’s marriage and the loss of John’s wife. It didn’t seem that long ago that Maggie had been widowed, and soon after put out her shingle for the B&B. He remembered the young, golden-haired Lily, running like a pony in the yard, rocking on the porch swing, and picking wild strawberries.

  Despite his wife’s decline and lingering illness, Maggie had done her best to keep their spirits lifted. She’d bake batches of cookies and bring them over, sit and have coffee, and talk the afternoons away. Ah, Maggie. They’d been through so much together and it had brought them closer than he’d ever thought possible.

  Gretel came bounding over with a stick in her mouth, tail wagging and an expectant look hoping for a game of fetch.

  He petted the top of her black head. “Thatta girl, my good girl.”

  Gretel dropped the stick into his hands and backed away a few feet in anticipation.

  “There you go,” he said, sending the stick flying through the air. He watched her run and noticed that her gait was slowing down as she approached ten years of age. Getting on for a lab. His heart clenched at the thought of losing her. At his age, he’d seen friends, family, and even a wife go. His neighbor, Betty, was not doing too well, and he worried about her. At least he’d been able to watch his grandson, Ian, build a strong family after his wife died and left five-year-old Jason for Ian to raise alone. And then miraculously, Ian found happiness with Lily.

  John sighed, “Maggie you would have been so pleased to see those two together.” He wished she were here now to get to know Kyla better and meet her husband, Luke. And then there was Jude. Even at the end, sick in bed, Maggie had worried over Jude’s future. After Jude’s daughter, Lindsey, had left her to live with her father, Maggie had fussed over Jude for weeks. That was her style, truly loving her neighbors and her friends.

  He missed Maggie, but he was needed here.

  Gretel, his faithful friend, dropped the stick at his feet again. He was one lucky man to have the time to idle away at his farm overlooking Puget Sound, to have his family and those dear to him so close, and to have known such love late in life with one Maggie Parkins.

  Chapter Two

  From the ferry deck, Jude admired the summer sun as it began its slow descent behind the Olympic Mountain range. She leaned over the railing and watched the foaming wake leave a trail behind the state ferry as it began its journey from Victoria, Canada, back to their home on Madrona Island. She leaned her head against Ryan’s shoulder, and he slipped his arm around her waist and held her close.

  “The colors are unbelievable,” Jude said, pointing to the shades of pink and lavender reflecting from the sky onto the water.

  “The striking golds remind me of Ian’s paintings,” he said. “Or a scene from a fantasy novel.”

  Jude agreed. Just like the magical few days they’d spent in Victoria staying at the Empress Hotel. It was grand and extravagant. Their first romantic get-away together had been perfect. She glanced over and admired Ryan’s profile. A strand of sandy blond hair toppled across his brow. His hair was pulled back into a short ponytail that spilled across his collar and set off his cheekbones and rugged face.

  Ryan’s dark eyes met hers and her breath caught. This was real, she reminded herself.

  He pointed to the sky where a blue heron glided just above them. “Look at that magnificent wing span.”

  Jude watched the prehistoric looking bird glide above them. “I sure didn’t miss the 4th of July rush weekend,” she said. “I’m glad we were kicked out of Island Thyme Café by the movie people, or we might never have left the restaurant all summer.”

  “And now we’ll get to see what the café will look like with a new white exterior. Who knows,” he said, “perhaps it will attract more customers.”

  The movie team had made a deal to transform the town into a quaint New England village for their set. In return, the merchants would have the choice of what color they wanted their exterior repainted after the shooting. Maybe Jude would leave it a crisp white and paint the shutters Kelly green to offset the flowerbeds. Kyla was having Tea & Comfort painted pale lavender with white trim.

  Golden hues warmed the sunset and spilled light across the waters of the Sound as they crossed the border back into the U.S. How nice it had been not to have to wake and open for business for a few days. After all the work with Kyla and Luke’s wedding, and the preparations for the movie to start shooting on Madrona Island, this was a much- needed break. They’d stayed awake both evenings, listening to soft music and sharing confidences. Walls slowly crumbled between them. Jude told him a little about her marriage and her estrangement from her daughter, Linds
ey, who would be arriving soon for the summer. Ryan had listened intently and held her when tears threatened. He’d suggested Lindsey be his sous chef in the kitchen. It would keep her busy.

  Jude smiled. “The hotel was like being in an English castle. I have to tell Kyla about the afternoon High Tea at the Empress. She’d love the china and the hotel’s signature afternoon tea blend, and that elegant lobby with overstuffed furniture.”

  “It was a great escape,” Ryan said. “Those just-out-of-the-oven raisin scones with that strawberry jam and Empress cream were worth the trip alone.” He turned her toward him and lifted her chin for a kiss.

  As she had all weekend, Jude melted into his arms. Space and time did not exist when she was with him. It had been so long since she’d let herself fall like this. Trepidation danced at the edge of her joy. Could she really trust a man again? In a few months she would be forty. For years now, she’d kept a smile on her face and been a friend to all who walked through the door of Island Thyme Café. She’d watched her two best friends, Lily and Kyla, find the men of their dreams and marry all in the last year. Jude couldn’t be happier for them, but would it ever be her turn again?

  Ryan kissed the top of head. “We’re almost there.”

  The outline of Madrona Island emerged in the distance. They would be home soon. Back to real life. To Lindsey staying for the summer, and to the devastatingly beautiful actress, Peyton Chandler. Jude had probed a little on this trip. She’d seen Ryan’s face when the actress’s name was mentioned at the Farmer’s Market last month, and it wouldn’t take a tealeaf reading with Kyla to know there was trouble there. His voice had been level and his words crisp. “We dated briefly a while ago,” was all he would say.

  Best to let it go, Jude thought. She didn’t want to hold on too tight or hope too much. Love needed loose reins. Love . . . she had no doubt that was where she was falling.

  The lavender hues were turning to a deep purple and midnight blue as the ferry docked at the Madrona Pier for walk-off traffic only. In the summer, this newly added extra stop would bring even more tourists. They would find the island quite full for the next three weeks or more as the movie crew took over the town of Grandview. Ryan’s sigh caused Jude to look at him. She could almost see him retreating back into his shell.

  “I wish we could turn around and go back,” he said.

  Jude put her hand in his as the ferry slowed and dock workers moved into place. “On with the show,” she said, trying to sound cheery.

  Ryan only nodded.

  Chapter Three

  Early morning sunlight stretched across the back deck enticing Jude to read her morning emails outside. A foamy cappuccino in one hand, she lifted her iPad off the counter and called to Ryan who was in the kitchen prepping for lunch. “I’ll be outside if you need me.”

  Ryan strolled toward her and stared longingly toward the café’s windows. “Wish I could join you, but you know how it goes; the soup needs stirring, the thyme butter needs thawing. A chef’s work is never done.”

  He attempted a smile, but his eyes were dark. Jude wondered again what was going on, but she still hadn’t said a word about what was stirring in him under the surface. Ever since they stepped off the ferry from Victoria, Ryan had been somewhat distant. But she was determined not going to pry. He would tell her when he was ready.

  She gave him her best “everything is great” smile and walked outside. The benches glistened with dew. Jude wiped it away with her hand before sitting. The clear, still water below resembled silk, and one lone, anchored sailboat swayed in the breeze. The jagged-peaked mountains in the distance looked like they were painted against a perfect sky background. She placed her coffee on the table, put her iPad in its stand, and opened her email. Usually this only took about five minutes, but with the movie Murder Most Magic scheduled to shoot in town for next three weeks, her inbox was overflowing. She’d read in the newspaper that shooting on Madrona Island had been a last-minute decision after another location fell through. It would be disruptive, but fantastic exposure for the merchants.

  One email contained the list of local townsfolk who had made it through the auditions and would be paid as extras in the film. Jude was sure there’d been plenty of takers. Grandpa John’s name was right on top. He would be a regular on set everyday. It would be nice to see him around more. She recognized a few other names scattered over the shooting days, including Ian and Lily’s son, Jason, and Shirley with her new husband, Don. It would be fun to have them all together here in town.

  Island Thyme Café had been contracted to provide lunches to the cast and some of the crew most days. Jude had to hire extra help, but it would be very profitable and help pay off the remodel on the back deck. And with Lindsey prepping for Ryan, everything should hum along smoothly. At least she hoped it would. The newly-painted town looked even more picturesque now.

  Her fingers froze on the keyboard when she saw an email from her daughter, Lindsey. The subject line was marked important. It had only been a couple of weeks since she’d heard from Lindsey with a cryptic note saying her dad, Mitchell, was cruising in his yacht with new wife number three for the summer. Mitchell didn’t want Lindsey alone in the Seattle mansion, so she needed to stay with Jude until her dad returned. Lindsey was finally reaching out to Jude, not totally by choice, but because she had no alternative. Jude didn’t care the reason. She would have her daughter back with her on the island, and with the close proximity, maybe some reconciliation could occur.

  Holding her breath, she opened the email and read it quickly. Lindsey would be arriving sooner than expected. Her boyfriend had recently dumped her, so all the plans to delay Lindsey’s homecoming as long as possible had been ruined. Jude closed her mail and laid her iPad on the wooden table beside her.

  White-hot regret shot through her. If things had been different in her marriage, perhaps she’d still be sitting in a luxurious home on Lake Washington with a loving husband at her side and a daughter who wanted to come home. But they had not. The indelible imprint of that night almost twenty years before would never leave her memory.

  Jude remembered pacing the floor of their Seattle home trying not to look at the clock again. “Where the heck are you, Mitchell,” she’d yelled at the front door.

  Nine-month-old Lindsey let out a piercing cry from her crib down the hall.

  “Oh no,” Jude said, “You just went to sleep.” She hurried down the hall toward the baby’s room, fatigue dripping off her like perspiration.

  “It’s okay, little one. Shhh,” she whispered, holding the baby close to her chest. She’d tried everything, but nothing seemed to help with Lindsey’s colic. The doctor had told Jude to try and stay calm, that the baby might be raising her stress level. With no sleep and an undependable husband, staying calm seemed impossible. By day, Mitchell left for work and expected to come home to a quiet and clean home, with dinner on the table. But with a colicky baby that never slept, day or night, and could barely keep food down, it was all Jude could do to just get through the day and pray Mitchell would relieve her when he got home from work.

  The clock glared at her . . . almost four a.m., and her husband was still not home. Cradling Lindsey in her arms, she walked back out to the living room and collapsed on the couch. The baby flailed and the incessant crying began again. Jude’s last shred of self-control snapped causing her to burst into tears. With no relief in sight, it was all too much.

  It was hardly the perfect scenario for a happy home. Lately, when Mitchell walked in and heard little Lindsey’s cry, he’d blame Jude for being unable to keep her own baby content. It didn’t matter what Jude said or did, or how she tried to make Mitchell understand. He’d just shake his head, turn around, and walk out the front door.

  And tonight, she wondered, would he even come home at all? They’d barely been married two years and already he’d lost total interest in her and his own child.

 
Lindsey finally quieted and nestled into her arms. “It’s just us girls,” Jude whispered.

  There weren’t many options for her if the marriage fell apart. She’d be a single mom. All she had in the way of work experience was cooking and waitressing during summer breaks from school. There had been plenty of boys back then, and even before reaching drinking age, Mitchell had come along. He was one of the rich boys who lived in the big houses by the lake. He’d never paid attention to her in school, but that summer after graduation when everything seemed so perfect, they’d fallen in love. The whirlwind romance had ended with a quick wedding in Las Vegas followed by days of drinking and celebrating in the glitzy town.

  She kissed the top of Lindsey’s sweet head. “That’s it, little one,” she whispered. A car passed by and Jude watched the headlights move past her window. The clock ticked even later.

  Her mind wandered back to when she’d found out she was pregnant with Lindsey and had been so excited to tell Mitchell. She remembered him sweeping her off her feet and taking her to bed.

  The euphoria of having a baby together had lasted just long enough for reality to set in. They needed more money to pay for a child, and their “anything goes” lifestyle was about to end. Mitchell’s parents were happy to finally have their only son working for them at their company, under their rules. The long workdays turned into long nights out at the bars or strip clubs before he would come home. “I have to blow off steam from the day, somehow,” he would say.

  And just how was she supposed to blow off steam? Jude rose cautiously off the couch and carried the now sleeping Lindsey back into their king-sized bed in the master bedroom. Hardly daring to move, she lay back on propped pillows and held Lindsey gingerly against her chest. Heavy-eyed, she felt herself finally drift toward sleep.

  Headlights flashed through her bedroom windows as the familiar sound of Mitchell’s car screeched across the driveway. Jude held her breath hoping Lindsey wouldn’t awaken. She propped the baby between two pillows in the middle of the bed and walked out to the living room. Mitchell opened the door and startled when he saw Jude standing there.