Free Garden of Secrets by Barbara Freethy

been a moody, reckless loner, except where Lauren was concerned. Then his rough exterior melted to mush. A daughter would probably wrap him around her little finger just as easily.
    “I think I’ve got them all,” she said, helping Lauren out of the dress. She took it into the other room while Lauren put on her clothes. Isabella had finished taking measurements and was putting the bridesmaids’ dresses away. Charlotte helped Isabella zip up the wedding dress, so that no harm could come to it in the next few days.
    When they were all ready, they headed down thehall. Kara stopped at the first door. “She’s awake,” she said with delight. “My little princess is up.”
    Charlotte and Isabella watched from the doorway as Lauren and Kara approached the crib. Kara scooped up the baby and smothered her in kisses before taking her over to the changing table.
    “Sweet,” Isabella said, exchanging a smile with Charlotte.
    “Very,” Charlotte agreed. “Shall we keep going?”
    “Sure.”
    As they moved toward the stairs, Charlotte said, “Joe told me that your father is doing better after his stroke.”
    “He is. Having Joe home really helped his spirits. He could relax, knowing his son was there to watch out for the family. He’s very traditional in that regard. My father loves his daughters, but his son has a very special place in his heart. Joe, however, was chomping at the bit once we got past Christmas.”
    “I’m sure your parents didn’t want to see him go.”
    “No. They were hoping that Joe’s return might mean a reconciliation with Rachel.”
    Charlotte’s pulse sped up at the mention of Joe’s ex-wife. “Did Joe see her while he was at home?”
    Isabella nodded. “Rachel came to visit. She was part of our family for a long time, and she still keeps in touch with my parents. But Joe came back here, and she’s still in L.A., so I think it’s truly over.” Isabella paused, shooting her a quick look. “I got the idea that my brother’s desire to get back here by New Year’s had a little something to do with you.”
    “We’re just friends,” Charlotte said quickly.
    “Maybe that will change. Joe is a good guy. I’m biased, but I don’t think you could do better.”
    “I know that. But he has a lot of baggage.”
    “Don’t we all? Some relationships just have their time, and that’s it. It took me a while to accept that Joe and Rachel were over. It seemed so sad at first. She was like a sister to me. But I want them both to be happy, and they clearly weren’t. You can’t hang on to something just because it used to be good.”
    “I suppose not. But there’s something powerful about first love.”
    “True. But sometimes I wonder if trying to recapture that first love is more about recapturing the person you used to be. And that’s what people
really
want to get back.” Isabella gave a little laugh. “I’m the last person who should be spouting wisdom on this topic. It took me a long time and a lot of bad boyfriends to find Nick.”
    Charlotte smiled back at her. “I know just what you mean.” But as they made their way into the kitchen, she thought about what Isabella had said. Was it Andrew she wanted back—or herself?

F IVE
     
    Andrew went into the church office and stripped off his minister’s collar, which sometimes felt suffocating. He’d been working hard to gain respect from the town he’d grown up in. It had taken time for the congregation, especially the older members, to stop seeing him as the wild teenager who’d never missed an opportunity to party and start seeing him as the conservative spiritual leader of their church.
    He’d had some big shoes to step into. Reverend Adams, Charlotte’s father, had been a popular and charismatic leader for more than twenty-five years. His death had been a huge loss for the congregation, even worse for Charlotte.
    He wondered if one of the reasons she held back from truly allowing him back into her life was that he’d taken