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“A collaborative project,” Lance deduced while Ivy and Cameron nodded.
“It will be, and that’s important to me,” Cameron explained. “I want this to be a community project just like the bakery. It’s so needed, and not just in Bells Pass but all the smaller communities that can’t afford programs like these. We will never run out of students who are interested in learning.”
“I can just teach them the kitchen and not have to manage?” Lance asked warily.
“This would be a teaching kitchen. You’d be planning recipes, cooking, and teaching the kids how to do it all from soup to nuts,” Ivy promised.
“And anything you can’t do, I’m here for it,” Cameron promised. “To be straight with you, I don’t know if I can do this if you aren’t part of the equation, Lance.”
Lance groaned and his head fell back to stare at the ceiling. “What is this, stroke Lance’s ego time? How do I say no now?”
Cameron held up his hand. “I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on you. I’m sincere when I say that you are the man for this job because you have lived through training for a job in an environment that was not user friendly. You understand the intricacies of working with kids who have different learning styles and need different resources to succeed. It’s important to me that I have someone on the team running the kitchen who understands the emotions the kids will face as they learn new skills. Someone who can empathize with them and validate their frustrations as they go through the process. Does that make sense?”
“You want me to not just train the kids but to mentor them,” Lance said with understanding.
“Yes, just like you did with Brittany,” Ivy agreed.
“I never saw what I was doing as mentoring,” Lance said quietly. “Brittany was so quiet and shy because she was scared. I just wanted her to enjoy being in the kitchen and have a little bit of fun. Once she understood that we wanted her there, she really blossomed.”
“Simply because you understood how to interact with her in a way that wasn’t scary. Seriously, Lance, you don’t give yourself enough credit for what you’ve done at the diner,” Ivy said.
“I just thought of a hitch. Evergreen Acres is a ten-minute drive from the diner. There’s no way I can walk out here.”
“The kids either,” Cameron agreed. “That’s one of the things we’ll have to problem solve. I have a van coming in that I’ll use to shuttle people as needed. Don’t let that be the reason you say no. If you want to help with this project, we’ll make sure you get out here to do it.”
“Will you at least consider sitting down with Cameron and talking through his ideas.”
Lance glanced at me again but all I did was keep a smile on my face. This had to be his decision and no one else’s.
“You know what? I think I will, and not to be able to say I got a promotion. That’s not why I’d be doing it. I’d be doing it because I don’t want the kids to feel the same way I used to feel every time I had to learn a new skill that was taught in a way I couldn’t understand.”
“And that’s the best reason of all to do it,” I promised, blowing him a kiss. “I’ll be here to help with whatever you need.”
“Actually,” Ivy said, holding up her finger, and the room filled with laughter.
We walked toward home hand in hand after selling out of cookies at the cookie walk, singing carols around the Christmas tree, and waving goodbye to Santa as he and his head elf disappeared through the trees in his sleigh pulled by a team of reindeer.
“The Christmas Eve event at the park is always so magical,” I sighed, the snow puffing out around our boots as we walked. We’d gotten a light dusting this afternoon that had freshened everything up and made the town sparkle in the moonlight. “How are you holding up?”
He glanced down at me and smiled, his lips touching mine for a short kiss. “I’m better than I expected I would be. It was hard singing those carols and knowing my mom wasn’t just up at the hospital singing along with us.”
“She was singing with us,” I said, smiling up at him. “I know she was singing with us from wherever she is tonight. She loved Christmas too much not to be. I hope we made her proud with the cookies and the light display. It matters to me.”
“It matters to me too, but I know she’s proud of us for fighting through our past to find a future together. She’d be thrilled to know that we’re finally a couple.”
“She knows,” I said again. “I’m sure of it.”
We walked in silence, our hands swinging between us. I had my casted arm in a sling and zipped inside my coat to keep it warm. It also kept it out of his sight so he couldn’t fuss over it all night.
“Things have changed a lot since she left us in October, haven’t they?”
That might be an understatement if I’d ever heard one. Especially after that meeting at the farm today. I was the new co-manager of The Nightingale Diner! Ivy would still be working there and managing both operations, but she wouldn’t have to be there all the time when she’s already stretched so thin. It would give her evenings at home with Shep and Lucy, and maybe a little bit of time to think about giving Lucy a brother or sister.
Mel was all in for taking over as bakery manager and was already on the hunt for a new full-time baker. Mel cried when she told me how she would finally have time to focus on her cake decorating business, and that the new job would require less time on her feet. It was a win for everyone in so many different ways.
“I still can’t quite wrap my head around it,” I admitted, pausing to gaze at a light display of the Peanuts Gang. They were decked out in festive winter gear and the way the lights flashed made it look like they were walking towards Snoopy’s doghouse where he sat on the roof with Woodstock. “My mind has been a jumble since we left.”
He put his arm around me and leaned his head against mine. “I feel the same way, but I think it’s in a good way.”
