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And no one was more shocked than Jace.
After his father had run off and left him and his mama when Jace was only eight, Jace had never liked surprises and worked hard to avoid them.He’d planned out his entire life from going to a top-ten football college and playing in the NFL to marrying the most dependable girl in town.
Sweetie never let anyone down.If she said she was going to do something, she did it.If she told her daddy she would clean out the barn, she cleaned out the barn from top to bottom.If she told her sisters she’d be at their dance recital or softball game, she’d be there.If she promised her mama she’d help her bake cakes for the church bake sale, she’d bake cakes.If she told Jace she’d marry him one day, she’d marry him.
Instead she’d broken up with him.Publically.In the parking lot of the high school football stadium after a game, with everyone in town watching, she’d completely lost it and started yelling and hollering about how she wanted out—not only of her relationship with Jace, but also the town of Wilder.
Jace had been completely blindsided.His grades cratered and so did his quarterbacking ability.He led the Wilder Wildcats to six straight losses and ended their chances of winning a third state championship under his leadership.The townsfolk couldn’t forgive Sweetie for that.Or for denouncing their beloved town.
Of course, Decker couldn’t forgive her either.He wished it only had to do with her hurting his cousin.
After leaving Mrs.Nichols, Decker headed down the street to Dan Wheeler’s house.Dan was real embarrassed about getting caught peeing on Mrs.Nichols’s flowers and promised to deliver petunias and an apology to his neighbor right away.Once that was taken care of, Decker decided to call it a day and head home.
A few months back, he’d purchased his grandparents’ house from Aunt Lou, Jace’s mama, who had inherited it when Gramps and Nana had passed.The three-bedroom brick home sat on the south edge of Holiday Ranch.Gramps and Nana had lived in it for close to sixty-five years before they passed away within two weeks of each other.They’d raised two sons ...and a grandson after their youngest son and his wife were killed in a car accident.
Decker had been eleven years old when his perfect childhood had come crashing down around him like a Jenga game when someone removed the wrong piece.
His parents were that piece.
As an only child, Decker had been doted on.He’d gone to a private school in Denver, Colorado, where his father worked as an executive for a big tech company.His mother had been a stay-at-home mom who took Decker to baseball practice and swimming lessons and play dates.When his father got off work, he would take Decker to the park to play catch or just to sit on a park bench and talk about their day.
They were the best parents ...and then they were gone and Decker went to live with his grandparents.
Decker had spent holidays and short summer vacations with his grandma and grandpa.But visiting a small town and actually living there were two different things.Decker had felt like he’d lost his entire world.His parents.His friends.His house.His school.His city.
His grandparents did everything possible to make him feel loved and welcomed—to help him fit in and heal.But it was Jace who helped Decker the most.Jace had been fourteen at the time and a budding football star with plenty of friends.Decker was sure the last thing he’d wanted was his eleven-year-old cousin tagging along behind him.But Jace had never complained or made Decker feel like a third wheel.The first day after he’d arrived, Jace had taken him to the Holiday Ranch where Jace had gotten a summer job.
That’s when Decker had first met Sweetie.She had come bouncing out the front door like a petite, perfect doll, her ponytail swinging back and forth like a golden pendulum of a clock.
“Good mornin’, y’all!”Her green-eyed gaze had pinned Decker and he’d lost his ability to think.Or speak.“So you’re the new ranch hand who’s going to help Jace.”A smile lit her face as she’d held out her hand.“Hey, Deck.I’m Sweetie Holiday.”
In his brain fog, he hadn’t heard her correctly.“I-I-It’s nice to m-m-meet you, Sweets,” he’d stammered.
She’d laughed.“Sweets.”She tipped her head in thought.“I think I like that.Now come on and I’ll teach you how to shovel horse poop.Believe me, I’m an expert.”
He’d believed her.He’d believed everything that came out of Sweetie Holiday’s perfectly shaped lips.She had been like a bright ray of sunshine busting through the darkness that had surrounded his soul.It didn’t matter that she looked at him as just a kid.It didn’t matter that a year later she became Jace’s official girlfriend.All that mattered was being near her.
And then just like his parents, she was gone.
Decker’s house looked the same as when his grandparents had lived there.It needed to be renovated on the inside and painted on the out, but Decker didn’t have the money or the time.Besides, he liked the familiarity of things remaining the same.
He parked behind Jace’s old truck and got out.When he got to the porch, he had to step over his hound dog to get to the front door.
“Hey, George.Don’t get up.It’s only the man who feeds you, removes your ticks, and picks up your dog poop.”
George didn’t even open a droopy eyelid.
Decker laughed.“Lazy dog.”
Once inside, he changed into some comfortable sweats, filled George’s water and food bowls, and grabbed a beer from the fridge.While most men might watch sports on television or read a book after a stressful day, Decker didn’t turn on the television or pick up the mystery novel sitting on the end table next to grandpa’s old recliner.Instead, he sat down in Nana’s needlepoint rocker and reached into the knitting basket.
The navy-and-white afghan was almost finished.All he had to do was a few more rows and then finish it off before it went in the box in the back of his sheriff’s SUV.It was surprising how comforting a hand-knitted blanket was to folks who had gone through a tragedy.The truck driver had certainly seemed to appreciate it when Decker had placed a knitted blanket around his shoulders that very morning.
Decker had come up with the idea when he’d answered a call where a man had suffered a stroke and died.His poor, distraught wife had been in shock.When Decker had placed the scratchy wool blanket, he’d been issued by the sheriff’s department, around her shoulders as they sat outside on the porch waiting for the funeral home, he’d thought how much nicer it would be to have one of his grandma’s afghans to comfort her.He’d asked Nana if she would make him some and she’d started that day.Once she was gone, it seemed only right to continue making them.Whenever he sat down to knit, he imaged her watching from heaven and smiling.
As he worked with the soft yarn, the tension he’d felt since running in to Sweetie started to dissipate.So what if she was back in town?She’d been gone soon enough.Until then, he just needed to pretend she wasn’t there.
His cellphone rang and he quickly set down his knitting and answered it.
