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Chapter 1
“Who is the dude standingover there in the corner?” Norma Jean asked Eleanor Landry as they stood by the punch bowl at the first annual Strawberry Sands Christmas barn dance.
Eleanor glanced over the rim of her cup. “That’s Peter Slessing. He’s the brother of the business partner of my sister’s husband, Noah.”
“Oh my goodness, you’re related to him?” Norma Jean said with her mouth hanging wide open.
Maybe that was a little confusing. She could understand how Norma Jean didn’t quite get it. But she didn’t know how else to explain him, because Peter wasn’t exactly a part of Strawberry Sands.
“He just bought a farm outside of town this year. So, he’s kind of new around town.”
“I thought you said he was related to you?” Norma Jean slanted him another glance out of the corner of her eye.
Eleanor knew what that look meant a mile away. Norma Jean was interested in the handsome farmer.
Eleanor could understand why. The man was attractive, with his square jaw, the dark stubble on his cheeks, and the cowboy hat that sat low on his forehead. Of course, he was wearing a button-down plaid shirt along with jeans and boots. Eleanor was a sucker for boots.
But Norma Jean was interested, and Eleanor wouldn’t have anything to do with a man who someone else had already declared as a love interest, especially when that someone was the cousin of her best friend, Sally.
“He doesn’t seem to want to date any of the girls in town though,” Eleanor said, wanting Norma Jean to be informed.
“Is this the guy that you were telling me wasn’t interested in anyone?”
“Yeah. Different people have approached him, and he’s just been kinda standoffish.” She was going to stop there, but she thought maybe she should give the man the benefit of the doubt. “My mom says he’s just busy getting his farm ready for winter, but...” She looked around the barn. She had been in charge of making sure it was decorated for Christmas, with wreaths hanging up on the doors, twinkle lights hanging from the rafters, and festive ribbons and bows everywhere, along with four different Christmas trees, complete with presents underneath them. Christmas music played out of portable speakers, and there was a jovial, happy atmosphere. She had to say she was pleased with her handiwork.
“Winter has more than descended,” she said.
“Maybe I can figure out how to get him to be less standoffish.” Norma Jean wiggled her brows.
“Good luck with that. I’m surprised he’s even here. Probably Franklin dragged him along with him.”
“Franklin?”
“He’s a businessman from Chicago and partner to my sister’s husband.”
“Oh. That’s how the family connection comes in.”
“Yeah, a connection, but no relation.” Eleanor hadn’t spent too much time getting to know Franklin. He’d been around, and she knew him to recognize him, but he always seemed preoccupied with whatever it was that he did in Chicago.
Her sister Sunday indicated that he might be moving to Strawberry Sands and in fact had bought property along with Noah, her husband. But Franklin didn’t seem as interested in moving to a small town.
Eleanor allowed her eyes to drift over the crowd until she found Franklin standing in the corner. He had been talking to Noah earlier, but she saw Noah following along behind his wife as she led him to the dance floor.
Now Franklin stood by himself, his head down, scrolling on his phone. She got the feeling that he would rather be anywhere other than where he was.
“I’m going to go ask him to dance,” Norma Jean said, draining the last of her punch and setting her cup down at the end of one of the picnic tables set up by the refreshment table. “Wish me luck.”
Eleanor couldn’t get any words out before Norma Jean walked away. She wanted to tell her to come back. For some reason, neither Franklin nor Peter seemed like the marrying type. Or interested in a small-town girl type. Maybe that was more what she meant.
But then, Norma Jean wasn’t the kind of person who sat back and allowed life to happen to her. Unlike Eleanor.
Eleanor shifted, not liking the direction her thoughts were going. She didn’t want to be the kind of person who life happened to. She wanted to be the kind of person who grabbed life by the horns and fitted it to suit her.
Well, she wanted to do the Lord’s will too. But she didn’t think God wanted her sitting in a corner, wishing her life was different, rather than going out and making it different.
If you were going to do that, you’d walk over there and ask Franklin to dance with you.
That was true. But she didn’t want to. He might say no.
