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“Text me your guest list, so I can plan how much food and cake we’ll need and that will be the last you have to worry about it,” I promised, hugging her again.
“It’s small,” she said nervously. “I don’t want too many people there.”
“That’s fine, Becca,” I assured her. “I just need a number count more than anything. Just relax.”
She nodded. “I can do that. I’ll send it over after family day today. You have enough to worry about right now.”
“It’s no problem,” I assured her, hating that her reminder of the day ahead encroached on my happiness for my friend. “I’ll bring the coat to the bakery this week, since I know you won’t want Cameron to see it.”
“That’s perfect,” she agreed. “Thanks for everything. If it weren’t for you three, I wouldn’t have set a date, so I appreciate everything you’re doing to help with the wedding.”
“It’s our honor,” Ivy assured her with a hug. “Now, get to work. The cookies and cakes wait for no one!”
Mel and Becca left the bakery and we could hear their laughter floating on the air as they climbed into their cars. That left me alone with Ivy and my thoughts again.
“I’m so happy for them,” I said as Ivy handed me my coat.
“Me too. Looks like we’ll get a Bells Pass Christmas wedding after all!” she said with her usual Ivy enthusiasm.
I winked and stuck my arms into my coat. “I figured you had a hand in helping her settle on a date. You’re good at helping people cut through all the noise to see what they really want in life.”
She hugged me and patted my back. “I didn’t do that much. I wanted her to bring it up because I knew you’d want to make the cake. I hoped it would take your mind off things for a little bit and remind you that there’s still good in the world.”
“I know there is,” I promised. “I appreciate the pep talk, but if I decide not to go see Bruce, please don’t take it as disrespect to you and the girl gang. I just don’t know if I can do it.”
She grasped my shoulders and stared me down. “Indigo Dickson, we would never view your decision as disrespect. It is your decision, and we stand by you no matter which one you make. Neither choice here is cut and dried. The only right answer is the one that’s right for you. No one else matters. Understand?”
“I do. Thank you,” I whispered before I gave her a hug. “Tell Lance to text me and I’ll pick him up when he’s done with work this afternoon.”
She patted my face and offered a smile. “I will, and keep us posted on your decision. If you decide to go to the nursing home, text me. I want Lance to go with you.”
“No,” I said immediately. “I don’t want him anywhere near that nursing home. Brenda will be there.”
“Exactly,” she said, walking me to the door. “He can be the king to his queen and protect her from the evil one.” She opened the door and sent me on my way with a wink.
Chapter Fifteen
I leaned against the nursing home wall and waited. I’d been here for at least ten minutes but so far there had been no sign of the girl I was falling for. Okay, fell for would be more accurate, but my feelings didn’t matter right now. I was here for Indie, and the last Ivy heard, she was going to say her final goodbyes to a man she called her father even though he never wanted to be.
I wanted to be here for her, but I didn’t want to smother her or make her think that I was trying to control her life. I wanted to be part of her life, and I wanted to comfort her, but that was all. When Ivy came barging into the kitchen earlier to tell me Indie had decided to go see Bruce, my heart dropped. She’d begged Ivy not to tell me, but she should have known that was never going to happen. I suspected that was the whole reason she told Ivy she was going. Indie would never ask me to leave work, but she also knew Ivy would insist I leave, which is what happened. Ivy called Mason to come in and I left as soon as he flew through the door. Unfortunately, during the time we waited for Mason to arrive, Ivy had her say about how it was time I came clean to Indie about my brain injury. I wasn’t sold on that yet. I knew I should, but that was a calculated risk I wasn’t sure would pay off yet.
The door opened and the woman who held my heart stepped out in a daze. I pushed myself away from the wall and blocked her way on the sidewalk. “Hey, Gumdrop. I thought I might find you here.”
She didn’t say anything. She just stood there in a daze as though she couldn’t remember who I was or why I was there.
“I think we should go home. What do you say?” I asked, putting my arm around her and walking with her down the street away from the old brick building that held her past.
She glanced up at me then. “You have to go back to the diner! You have to cook!”
I kissed her forehead to calm her. “It’s okay. Loretta and Stan took Noel and Holly so Mason could cover the rest of my shift.”
She nodded robotically. “I’m okay. I am, you can go back to work. I don’t want you to lose hours.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Gumdrop, I have hours coming out my ears. I’m going nowhere near that diner again today. I’m going to take you home, draw you a bath, and cook you some comfort food.”
We walked along in silence through town. The businesses played Christmas carols from their speakers and the stores were decorated brightly for the holidays. The nursing home was only a few blocks from my house, so I knew she hadn’t driven Coop.
“I walked over because I hoped in the time it would take me to get there, he’d be dead,” she said, as though she could read my mind.
