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“I noticed her reaction,” I said with a smile. “Get ready for major spoilage of that little girl.”
“Oh, I am!” Becca’s laughter filled the air around us, releasing more tension in Hazel’s shoulders.
“This little girl is already so loved,” Cameron said, stroking his wife’s cheek. “She will never be alone with the entire community of Bells Pass behind her.”
“Just like Holly,” Becca said with a firm nod. That was enough to tell me Cameron had to remind her that another little girl had come to Bells Pass with a lot of traumatic experiences behind her, but flourished due to the love she found here.
“I can’t wait to hear the names you have picked out!” Hazel exclaimed. “I’m sure they want you back inside, though. We shouldn’t keep you.”
“We accepted congratulations for a few moments while people were eating cake, and then we faked an emergency so we could leave,” Cameron said with a smirk. “We just wanted a few moments in the silence of the trees to welcome this little one. What are you guys doing out here besides making out?”
“That wasn’t intentional!” I exclaimed, all of us laughing together. “We wanted to pick out a couple of trees. We hoped you could deliver them to New Beginnings when you had time?”
“Absolutely. Our deliveries are tight until after Thanksgiving. Is that too late?”
“No, not at all,” Hazel answered. “We won’t have time to decorate them until after Friday anyway. Next weekend would be fine.”
I held my hand up to interrupt. “Would you mind just picking out and cutting the trees for us? I’m not lumberjack material, and Star would struggle to hold the axe.”
“What am I?” Hazel asked. “Chopped liver?”
“No, you’re absolutely not chopped liver, but I’d prefer you didn’t mess up that bum hand again right before we open New Beginnings.”
“Valid,” she said, biting her lip to hide her smile.
Cameron pulled a notepad from his back pocket. “Tell me what you need, and we’ll make it happen.” After explaining where we would put the trees, Cameron made some notes and nodded. “Piece of cake. I’ll text you to set up a delivery time next weekend. Speaking of cake, you should have some. It was delicious.”
“We’re on our way,” I promised, knowing they wanted to be alone. “Come on, Star. Maybe they have a pup cup for you.” Star barked and started trotting back toward the store before I even got my chair turned around. “Congratulations again. You both deserve so much happiness.”
“So do you guys,” Becca said with a wink as we disappeared down the row.
The warm hand Hazel kept on my neck told me she agreed.
Chapter Twelve
“I really can’t thank you guys enough,” Dawson said, following us to the elevator with his duffle bag slung over his shoulder. “I had no idea that was the guy you wanted me to talk to until we were twenty minutes into the conversation.”
I pushed the up button on the elevator while I laughed. “We weren’t even sure he’d show up. I’m glad he did, though. You made a huge impression on him.”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true, but it seemed like it was the first time he’d heard it. I doubt that’s the case.”
“Oh, it could be with him,” Hazel said with an eye roll. “He may be present at those meetings, but I often wonder how much he hears versus how much he filters out as not suiting his opinion at the time.”
The elevator door opened and we trooped on, Star hitting the button for floor two, to all of our amusement. When we returned from the tree farm yesterday afternoon, I received an unexpected phone call from Henry Thompson that the council had scheduled an emergency meeting on Monday to address the construction issues surrounding New Beginnings. In the meantime, he asked me to process Dawson’s application and move him into an apartment on the second floor since construction was done there. Dawson had been hired by the city crew to work nights and needed a place to live. Now here we are, less than twenty-four hours later and moving our first tenant into New Beginnings. All I could do was keep praying he was one of many in the coming weeks and months.
“Henry seems to have changed his tune now,” Dawson said, dropping his duffel bag. That was all he had when he showed up to do the intake paperwork. I dropped my gaze to Star with the thought that I had always considered myself alone, yet Dawson had no one and nothing, but he still overflowed with gratitude. I could learn a lesson or two from him.
“We sure hope so,” Hazel answered. “I would love to finish the last bit of construction and finally start moving people into these wonderful apartments.”
“For now, you’re the captain of the second floor,” I said when the elevator dinged and I ushered him out.
“First Lieutenant,” he corrected me. “I’ll take good care of the place. I can’t believe Henry got me on the city crew so quickly too.”
“Shep Lund is the city shop manager,” I explained as I rolled to the end of the hallway. “He’s a good guy and is desperate for help.”
“As long as it’s not driving the snowplow,” Hazel said with a wink.
“No one wants to see that!” Dawson exclaimed. “Including me!”
