Oakley darted back around to the front of his cabin, and I had no choice but to follow. I picked up my pace, but not enough, because by the time I made it to the door, he was already back outside, a thick pair of mittens in his hand. He held them out.
My fingers were stiff with cold as I reached for them, and I could tell immediately they’d be warm. “Did you make these, too?”
With a quick shake of his head, and a slight flush to his cheeks—though that could have been the cold—he said, “That’s knit. I crochet. Grams made them though.”
I instantly tried to hand them back. “I can’t take something Mary knitted for you.”
Oakley scoffed. “She didn’t knit them for me. She just made them, and a whole bunch of others. That was just the pair I stole. I’ll steal another pair. That’s why she makes them.”
Well that was different then. I pulled them on, and I didn’t know what was inside them, but it was fluffy and immediately my fingers felt better. I tried to tuck the cuffs under my jacket, but it was hard when I didn’t have free fingers. Oakley made a noise and came to help.
Our gazes locked for just a second and time froze, but before I could even get my brain to function, Oakley was done and he took a huge step back. He cleared his throat.
“You need a winter coat.”
“I, uh, yeah. I know. It’s on my agenda for later this week.”
Oakley nodded solemnly. “And a scarf.”
I don’t know what made me say it, but it was out of my mouth before I could get my filter to work. “You gonna make me one? To match my hat?”
He inhaled sharply, his breath catching for a second. “I can.”
Realizing that what I was asking for was unfair, I quickly backpedaled. “Never mind. You don’t have to do that. I was being rude, asking.”
Oakley tilted his head, studying me for a second before he took a breath. “But do you want one?”
I took a moment to answer, trying to read his body language and expression before answering. Because from the way he was staring me right in the eye, the hope I saw there, led me to believe he actually wanted to do it.
I nodded. “It would be really nice for them to match. And this yarn is really warm. But if it’s going to put you out then—”
“It won’t,” he quickly assured me.
“I can pay you for—”
“No!” It was a little too loud, the word ringing through the silent area, and this time I knew the blush was from embarrassment. He finally dropped his gaze, but added, “No. I’m happy to. I’m, uh, glad you like it so much.”
Deciding that I’d pushed enough for the moment, I smiled and took a step back. “Then thank you in advance. I look forward to the finished product. I’m sure it’ll keep me warm when I’m working outside.” I took a few more steps back, not quite willing to turn away yet. “I won’t take up any more of your time. See you later.”
“You weren’t—” Oakley snapped his mouth shut and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Okay, I’ll see you later.”
I waved my now mittened hand and walked sideways for a few steps before I could finally make myself turn away and continue my walk.
There was something about that kid that made me just want to…I don’t know. Hug him tight and make him feel better. I knew a little bit about his situation, how he’d come to be here in Fairville, because Charlie had told me. And it sucked. So that had to be why I was feeling protective. He needed a big brother as much as Charlie did. That was all.
I tried to shove the whole thing from my mind and changed direction, heading for the Inn. The least I could do was make sure my rambunctious son hadn’t worn Mary out completely. The girls I didn’t worry so much about, fairly certain I’d find Marlie with her nose in her tablet watching dog videos and Harper being as helpful as possible.
But even as I walked quickly, putting distance between me and Oakley, I couldn’t quite forget the hopeful look in his bright blue eyes.
Chapter 8
Oak
Ilooked at my new driver’s license, feeling choked up for two different reasons. One, I was letting go of my birth family in a way that still didn’t feel real, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to have a relationship with them, and I didn’t want to be marked as theirs in name anymore. Two, I finally had a name that I loved, because the people whose name it was loved me. Unconditionally.
To think that it was my mother’s family name. That she’d had this, what I had now, one day, and now she was such a different person.Oak Mulligan, not Oakley Young.Never again. I smiled through the tears.
For once, I didn’t have any music on while I’d been cleaning my cabin—because I clearly didn’t get enough of cleaning at work—so I heard someone talking to Cricket outside. I peered carefully out of the window and saw that it was Law.
