Becca hugged Jaelyn gently. “That’s exciting! We were just wondering who had the honor this year since we couldn’t think of any new businesses.”
“That’s because she just registered hers before she broke her arm,” I jumped in before Jaelyn could deny that her business was one.
“I still think it’s a stretch, but I won’t insult the board and Mayor Tottle by making a big deal about it. It’s an honor, so I’ll treat it as such.”
“You should,” Becca said, a faraway look in her eye. “The year I met Cameron, it was his turn to flip the switch as the hero who saved the Bells Pass Christmas tree. It was so special to come together with the entire town to sing carols and kick off the holiday season. Not to mention, romantic.”
“Romantic, right,” Jaelyn muttered rather disbelievingly. “I’m all for kicking off the holiday season with everyone and watching the littles get excited for Santa. Speaking of littles.” She glanced around until she spotted Hope chasing the ball with Bradley. “Where’s my Hopie Hope?”
“Auntie Jae-Jae!” the little girl squealed as though she had finally noticed her. “Give me hugs!”
Jaelyn went to grab her, but remembered her arm at the last minute, so I lifted the tiny bundle instead, allowing her to grab her with one arm.Thanks, she mouthed, and I nodded. “I’ve missed you, but I’ll be seeing you more and more and more now that I’ll be working here. Do you think that’s okay?” she asked, poking Hope’s belly with her splinted fingers.
“Yay! We can have a sweepover!” Hope said, clapping as both Becca and Jaelyn laughed.
Working here? Oh, she probably meant when she came out to help with the kids' programs. Suddenly, I was nervous that I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.
“No sweepovers until Auntie Jae-Jae's arm is better,” Becca said. “Why don’t you show Major the tree farm, Jaelyn. He needs the full experience.” Becca set her daughter on her feet and pointed at the jar of marmalade I’d left on the table. “Stop back when you’re done, and I’ll have it waiting.”
“That would be great. I’ll square up with you then.”
Dubiously, Jaelyn glanced at Becca, who just stood there smiling as though she didn’t hold all my secrets in her hand, so rather than let the awkwardness linger, I grasped Jaelyn’s elbow and walked with her to the door, holding it for her and closing it behind us. The fresh air was crisp but pleasant after the heat of the store. I inhaled deeply, and the scent of evergreens tickled my nose.
“It smells like Christmas out here.”
“Year-round,” she agreed as she pointed down a pathway that was well-groomed and free of obstructions. Since we were coming out to the farm, I had already flipped my knee mode into uneven terrain, so I wouldn’t pitch forward or back if the ground got rocky. I couldn’t leave it that way once we left, since the dang thing wasn’t holding a charge well. Usually, I only had to charge it once every four or five days, but lately, I had to charge it every day, and sometimes during a break if I had it in surgical mode too long. I was hoping it was the charger not getting a solid connection, so I ordered a new one. However, if that didn’t resolve the issue, I’d have to find a new prosthetist sooner rather than later.
We walked in silence for several minutes, which left me uncomfortable in ways I usually wasn’t. As a doctor, I spent a great deal of time with patients who took considerable time to express their feelings. I was trained to wait them out and then discuss their fears with them. Maybe the problem was that the roles were reversed, and I was the patient today.
“Jaelyn, listen, about back there.”
She held up her hand to stop me. “Don’t explain. Not here. Let’s enjoy the beautiful day, the sunshine, and the scent of evergreens in the air. This is where I go when I need to escape from the heavy stuff. We need to talk, but I’d rather do it with a glass of wine and a pizza, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, I sure would,” I agreed, slipping my hand into hers. I waited for her to shake it off, but she didn’t. Instead, she squeezed it as though she wanted me to know she cared about me and my feelings.
“Also, know that I understand we don’t have to talk if you aren’t comfortable doing that. You don’t owe me anything, and if I came off that way last night, it wasn’t intentional.”
“You didn’t,” I promised, bringing her hand to my lips to kiss. “But as a doctor, I’m supposed to be the strong one, which makes being vulnerable, when necessary, that much harder. I want to talk, but it can wait. It would be a shame to miss out on all this beauty.”
“Cameron has turned the farm around since he first bought the place. He always jokes that it spiraled on him, but he’s never been one who wanted any accolade for what he’s done for Bells Pass.”
“He’s Heather’s brother, right? I still struggle to keep everyone straight.”
“Yes. Their parents were killed in a car accident several years ago, so they’re all that’s left of their family. Well, that’s not true, I guess. They have their own families now.”
“How awful,” I said, my heart going out to the man I’d just met.
“Not really,” she said, her nose up in a curl. “They weren’t good people. Her mother was emotionally abusive to Heather, from what I know about the situation. She had a tough go of it when they died. The guilt of feeling such relief that her tormentor was dead almost ate her alive.”
“Okay, that’s awful. I don’t understand how a mother can treat their children that way.”
“Ha,” she said with a shake of her head. “I have nothing to say about it. Mine walked out on me and my father when I was barely old enough to hold my head up.”
It was my turn to squeeze her hand. “Sorry, here I am ruining that happy place of yours. I’ll stop sticking my foot in my mouth.”
“It’s fine,” she promised. “Since I never knew her, it’s not as though some great injustice was served to me. My dad was a wonderful father, and we lived with my Yaya Riba, who was my mother as far as I was concerned.”
“She’s the Spanish rice yaya?”
