They all laughed.
Reva finally cracked a smile, her tension easing. “Thank you, ladies. I get your point. I suppose my fears might be a tad…exaggerated.”
Oma reached across to pat Reva’s hand. “It’s all part of being a new mother, dear. We’ll take good care of Lucan. And we’ll even teach him to knit, won’t we, ladies? When he’s old enough to hold the needles without hurting himself.”
Betty and Dorothy nodded in unison. “Absolutely.”
When their meeting concluded and they’d made an agreement to move forward with the shared childcare arrangements, Reva showed the sweet Knit Wit group to the door. She hugged each one tightly and promised to be in touch, thanking them profusely. As she closed the door, she mentally made a list of her instructions, which would no doubt include a compilation of doctor and hospital numbers in case they encountered a medical emergency.
Then she noticed Lucan had helped himself to her purse and had dumped the contents on the floor. Panicked, she beelined over to pick up the items, some of which were dangerously sharp.
As she plucked the keys, receipts, and pens from the floor and nestled them back inside her bag, a tiny business card caught her eye.
Curious, she picked it up.
WARNER AUTO REPAIR—Kellen Warner
Reva scanned the phone number,brows knit together as she tried to recall…oh! The guy who saved her and Lucan from the bear. She’d promised to call him for coffee. Of course, with everything as hectic as it had been, she’d neglected to follow through.
An unbidden, yet rather evocative, image of Kellen on the trail that memorable day vividly materialized in Reva’s thoughts. She found herself effortlessly recalling the warmth of his smile, the joyful companionship of his dog by his side, and most notably, the striking physique that he possessed—the way his well-defined build was accentuated by the way his T-shirt clung to his muscular frame, a detail that now lingered prominently in her mind.
She should call him. Especially after he’d helped them on the road that day. Besides, she’d promised.
She fished her phone from where it had fallen between the cushions of her chair and started to dial.
Just as quickly, she clicked it off.
What was she thinking? She had no time as it was. How could she possibly get away for coffee right now?
She sighed and started to put her phone down.
But she’d told him she would call.
The promise nagged at her. She wasn’t one to go back on her word.
Taking a deep breath, she overturned her previous decision and called the number on the card. After three unanswered rings, she nearly disconnected, thinking he wasn’t there, but then a man’s voice answered, “Hello?”
Suddenly, she found herself at a loss for words. “Uh, hi... I’m not sure if you remember me, but my name is Reva Nygard. You once scared away a bear on Highway 26 for me.”
“Yes, I remember you,” he responded.
Reva’s heart raced. She berated herself for feeling as nervous as a teenager, then drew in a deep breath and gathered her composure. “I wanted to express my gratitude for driving away that bear and assisting with my car repairs. Would you be interested in grabbing coffee together?” She waited anxiously for his reply, torn between hoping he would decline and fearing he might accept.
“I’d be delighted,” he answered simply and warmly. “Just let me know the place and time.”
“Fantastic! How about you bring your dog, and I’ll bring my child?” Reva quickly suggested a cozy coffee shop in Jackson known for its exceptional homemade cinnamon rolls. He agreed to meet her there, and after confirming, they ended the call.
Clutching her phone to her heart, Reva walked back to where Lucan was joyfully drumming on the coffee table with his dimpled hands. Watching him, she couldn’t help but beam with happiness buoyed by the little boy’s delight…and hers at the thought of seeing Kellen again.
22
Reva had a relationship with punctuality that bordered on the sacred. She was raised under the stern gaze of her grandfather who taught her as a child that time respects those who respect time. The phrase wasn’t just a motto, it was a creed she lived by, embedded deep within her.
Thus, as the sun peeked over the horizon, casting a golden glow over Thunder Mountain, Reva was already up, her day meticulously planned down to the minute. This dedication to punctuality endeared her to the townsfolk and commanded their respect, for they knew, in a world teeming with uncertainties, Reva Nygard’s word was as reliable as the sunrise.
Unfortunately, this creed meant nothing to a jammy-faced toddler who ran from her when she came after him with a wet washcloth. When she finally caught up with Lucan and rubbed his dimpled face clean, she glanced forlornly at the highchair tray with the bowl of oatmeal, vowing never to tell anyone she’d bent to his will and replaced the nutritious breakfast—which he refused to eat—with his favorite jam on toast (heavy on the jam.)
By the time she buckled Lucan into his car seat, she was running a solid twenty minutes late for her appointment with Alex, the lead architect on the community center project. She glanced at the clock on her dashboard, mentally calculating the time it would take to get there.
