Page 1 of Better Together

CHAPTER ONE

Alexis Welby tore open another past due bill and threw it on the mounting pile. With a quick rap on the front door, her best friend Maggie Reynolds-Jacobs walked in. “Thank goodness you’re here.”

Maggie held up a garment bag. “Don’t worry, I have the perfect dress for you.”

“I hoped you would, because I spent the last two hours trying on everything in my closet,” Alexis complained. “Nothing I have is stylish enough for my date tonight.”

As a building contractor, she didn’t need an extensive wardrobe. Her idea of dressing up consisted of pulling on a pair of dark jeans and a nice blouse or sweater. She prided herself on her kick-ass shoe collection, though.

She didn’t know why she was worrying so much. It wasn’t like her to fret over her wardrobe, but then she hadn’t gone to an expensive restaurant since she’d started her own construction business, Do-Over Renovations, two years earlier.

“Remind me again why I agreed to go on not one, but four blind dates?”

Maggie handed over the dress she’d brought and followed her friend into her bedroom. She counted on her fingers. “Let’s see. One, you haven’t been in a relationship for the entire two years since you moved here. Two, you were the one who complained about working too much and never having any fun, and three, you refuse to date any of the men who work for you. You’ll never find the man of your dreams unless you date.”

Okay, all of those things were true, Alexis thought as she unzipped the garment bag. The dress Maggie had chosen was one of Alexis’s favorites, and she hoped she’d look as good as Maggie did when she wore it. She pulled on the form-fitting black knee-length sheath dress and turned her back for Maggie to zip her up. The chiffon bell sleeves added a flirty yet elegant look.

Maggie cleared a space on the bed and sat. “So, who’s the lucky guy tonight who will have to remove his jaw from the floor when you walk in?”

Alexis smoothed the dress with her hands. “A friend of a friend of Paige’s. I’m meeting him at that new upscale Italian restaurant and wine bar overlooking Lake Superior. He’s sending a car.”

“He’s not picking you up?” Maggie’s brow quirked.

“No.” Alexis pulled out a pair of black strappy heels from the long wooden rack along the wall of her closet and put them on. “He has a late business meeting.”

“Another workaholic. It’s a wonder you were able to find a day that worked for the two of you,” Maggie said as she handed Alexis a black sequined clutch.

“Ha ha.” Maggie wasn’t wrong; they’d played phone tag for a week before settling on tonight.

A horn sounded. “That’s the car.” Alexis slipped her phone, lipstick, and wallet into her evening bag. “Wish me luck.”

“Luck! Have fun. I want all the details at the grand opening tomorrow.”

* * *

Two aspirin and a pair of sunglasses only did so much for Alexis’s self-induced headache. She hadn’t indulged on red wine in a long time, and she remembered why she’d stopped drinking the stuff. Last night the conversation had flowed, and so had the wine.

The colorful leaves of the sugar maples lifted silently in the breeze, and a large and vocal vee formation of Canada geese headed south for the winter. Normally she loved the sound of the geese flying overhead, but today—way too loud. She released a deep breath, allowing herself to relax. She had done it, she thought with satisfaction. The work she and her crew had accomplished in a short time both exhilarated her and allowed her to make payroll. The Veterans’ Center’s state-of-the-art physical therapy facility was the first to be built in the northern part of Minnesota. The center sat on the southern part of breathtaking Balsam Lake in Deer Creek Falls, population 948, the small town she fell in love with when just a teenager.

A stream of people entered and exited the Veterans’ Center, talking amongst themselves and enjoying the picturesque fall day. Nothing brought the townspeople out like a grand opening. The residents had descended on the building’s newest addition with the promise of free food and music. And to satisfy their curiosity.

Maggie ran up to her, squealing. “How was your date?”

Alexis placed her fingers to her temples. “Not so loud.”

Cupping her hand over her mouth, Maggie side-hugged her and whispered, “So, good then?”

“Actually yes. Too much red wine, but boy was it good.”

“The wine or the man? Did he ask you out again?”

“Both. And no, he said he’d call.”

“Well, I hope he does.”

“I hope so. I liked him. I’d definitely consider a second date.”

A woman with straight, shoulder-length chestnut hair, dark-rimmed eyeglasses, and a brilliant white smile approached them carrying two Styrofoam cups of steaming liquid, cutting their conversation short.