Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Hazel tapped her pencil against her chin as she stared into space. “What do you think? Should we hang up the kids’ Christmas art on that wall over the fireplace, or the one opposite from the front door?”
Alexis glanced up from her task of rolling silverware and smiled. “I vote for the wall opposite from the front door. That way people will be able to see the art through the windows whenever it’s dark outside.”
Hazel and Alexis were at the pub together, sitting at a booth. Since she had the day off, Hazel was working on some details for the community Christmas event, and Alexis was there doing small housekeeping tasks before her shift officially began later in the afternoon.
“Oh, you’re right.” Hazel scribbled a note down in the notebook that was open on the table in front of her. “Great idea.”
“Why thank you.” Alexis smiled and took a sip of her drink. Both sisters had festive beverages at their elbows—Hazel had a toffee gingerbread coffee, and Alexis had a cup of peppermint tea. “Oh, that’s good. I’ve been drinking mint tea almost all the time. It keeps me from being nauseous.”
“I used to do that when I was pregnant with Samantha! It definitely helped. It’s soothing too. Sometimes I forget just how relaxing tea can be.”
“It is, for sure. And the peppermint feels Christmassy right now.”
Hazel was about to ask her sister if she’d told Grayson about her pregnancy yet, but at that moment Jacob stepped into the pub.
“Hey!” Hazel called to him, waving. “Are you here to work on the vents or get lunch?”
Jacob gestured to his dirty work clothes with a smile. “I usually try to not look quite so sloppy when I’m going out to lunch. I’m here to work on the vents.”
“Hmm, you can’t blame me for being unsure. It is lunchtime.”
Jacob shrugged, smiling. “Aw, I usually skip lunch on my workdays. No time to slow down.”
“You skip lunch?” Hazel squeaked. “Jacob, no, you need to take care of yourself.”
“It’s okay, I usually eat a big breakfast.”
She shook her head. “Well, right now you’re working in a place that serves food. Would you like something to eat before you get started?”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m okay. I’ll grab something on my way home this evening.”
“This evening? No, sorry, Jacob. You’re eating lunch first.” Hazel grinned and stood up, making her way to the kitchen door. She pushed it open and called inside, “Hey, Allison! Can you make a plate of the special for Jacob Dorsey?”
“You bet I can. With all the trimmings?” Allison called back.
“Yes!”
Hazel turned back to Jacob with a smile. “Sorry, you’ve been outvoted. People eat lunch here.”
Jacob laughed. “Okay, you win. Thank you. I guess it would be pretty hard to work in a place that smells this good on an empty stomach.”
“Exactly. You go take a seat in one of the booths and I’ll bring you a cup of coffee.”
“Wow. The last time I worked at such a nice place, it was in your kitchen, Hazel.”
He winked at her and went to sit down in the booth. Hazel smiled, pleased that he felt appreciated in the moment, and also that he’d felt appreciated whenever he’d come over to repair things at her house. She had to admit, she’d often gone a little out of her way to be kind to him, and she’d usually given him coffee or cookies while he was working for her.
But he’s my friend, she thought cheerfully. I can still be nice to him. And it’s clear it makes him happy. Besides! Not eating lunch? Men. Sheesh.
She brought a mug and a coffee pot over to his booth and poured him a cup.
“Tell me about the state of our vents, doctor,” she teased. “Are they going to make it?”
He laughed. “Well, I am going to have to operate. But I think the chances are excellent.”
“That’s what we like to hear.” She chuckled. “Make yourself comfortable, and your food should be out in a little bit.”
“Thank you again. I really appreciate how nice you’re being.”
“Hey, you’ve got an important surgery coming up. You need to be at your best.”
Hazel left Jacob’s booth and went to sit down across from Alexis again, on the other side of the dining room. Alexis’s hands were moving rapidly, continuing to roll silverware, but her eyes were on Hazel.
“You’re doing great,” she whispered to Hazel.
Hazel frowned, confused. “With what? Planning the event?”
Alexis shook her head. “No, with Jacob. You’re doing great with the way you’re acting with him.”
Hazel smiled, waving her hand through the air dismissively. “I’ve moved on! That was months ago. So there’s no reason to act weird, is there?”
Alexis shrugged. “Well, moving on has different levels, you know. And yes, it’s been a few months, but you’ve had a crush on him for like a decade. Isn’t there still a little part of you that’s attracted to him?”
Hazel gave her sister a look. “Even if there is, it doesn’t matter because he has a girlfriend!” Her voice rose slightly in volume as she said it, and she glanced hurriedly at Jacob to make sure he hadn’t heard her. He seemed to be fully absorbed in eating his food and reading the newspaper, however, and she couldn’t help smiling when she saw how happy he looked.
“Okay, okay, down tiger.” Alexis laughed. “You’re right. Him having a girlfriend would mean that you shouldn’t be thinking about being attracted to him.”
“What do you mean, ‘would mean’?”
“Does mean. I mean ‘does mean.’ Oh shoot, look at the time. I’d better start on this shift.”
“Have fun.” Hazel smiled at her sister as she lifted her coffee cup to her lips and took an energizing sip. “Holler if you need support with anything while I’m here.”
“I will. Thanks, Hazel!”
The sisters exchanged a smile as Alexis stood up and went into the kitchen, carrying the basket of silverware that she’d finished rolling.
Hazel turned back to her notebook with a sigh of satisfaction. She loved working as a team with her family, and she was excited by how the Christmas event was starting to take shape.
Alexis pushed open her back door, glad to be greeted by the warm air of her kitchen. She shut the door behind her, letting out a sigh as the sound of the cold wind was muffled. She took off her snowy boots and hung her coat up on the coat rack. It wasn’t particularly cold outside that day, but it had snowed the night before, and there seemed to be an added crispness to the air.
She rubbed her hands together, warming them up, and applied an evergreen scented hand lotion that she kept in the kitchen. Her hands were always chapped after a long day at work, and she kept several bottles of lotion around her house to help combat her dry skin.
She began to heat up some water in the tea kettle, wanting to make herself another cup of peppermint tea. She didn’t feel nauseous at the moment, but she did feel tired, and nausea often accompanied her fatigue.
She sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, waiting for the water to boil. She leaned her head against the wall, staring into space. The sound of the water beginning to gurgle in the kettle was soothing, and she felt sleepy and relaxed.
She kept thinking about the conversation that she’d had with her mother, about telling Grayson about the baby. Hazel, too, had given her the same advice, and she had a feeling that Hazel had been about to ask her about it again earlier that day right when Jacob was walking into The Lighthouse Grill. Both Hazel and her mother had assured her she had nothing to worry about, and that Grayson was there to support her through the incoming changes.
I’ll need to tell him soon, she thought, closing her eyes. No matter what. Obviously, he needs to know. And I’ve had some time to process it now.
She chuckled, reflecting that at least this way, they wouldn’t both be in shock at the same time. She was starting to feel slightly less overwhelmed by the idea, and even more excited about it. She still felt hesitant to tell Grayson the news, however, since she knew it would be a lot for him to process. Even good news could be overwhelming sometimes.
The tea kettle began to whistle, and she hopped up and turned off the burner. She poured steaming water into one of her favorite mugs, and then plopped a tea bag into it. She took a deep breath, enjoying the relaxing aroma of the tea, and carried the mug back to the kitchen table.
She sat down, feeling a kind of resolve growing inside of her. Her mother and Hazel were right. She needed to tell Grayson, and there was no point in putting it off any longer. After all, even if he did feel overwhelmed by the news, she knew it was also going to make him incredibly happy. She should share it with him.
I’ll tell him as soon as he comes home, she thought. Today is the day.
As if in answer to her thoughts, at that moment she heard the sound of Grayson’s car in the driveway. She looked up with a smile, always excited to see her husband. Although she felt a flutter of nervousness at the thought of telling him about their big news, she knew that he was going to feel excited about it. She felt tingly with a variety of feelings as she stood up and got ready to meet him at the door.
Through the window, she could see that he was carrying a couple of large boxes, both of which looked heavy. She pulled the back door open in a hurry, worried that he might slip on the snow on his way to the house.
“Hey, sweetheart! Do you want any help?” she called.
He looked up with a smile, but she could tell that he was tired. “I’m okay, thank you, sweetheart. I appreciate you opening the door.”
“Okay. Be careful, it might be slippery.”
Grayson made his way carefully up to the back door, and Alexis took one of the boxes from him just before he stepped inside. Her guess had been correct, and the box was heavy. She set it down on the kitchen table and then shut the door behind her husband.
“What’s in the boxes?” she asked, giving him a kiss as soon as he’d set his box down beside hers.
“I don’t know, they were by the front door. But I’m pretty sure it’s the decorating stuff you ordered for the pub.”
“Oh!” Alexis was suddenly filled with eagerness. She hurried over to one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out a box cutter. “Thank you for bringing these inside. I’m excited to see what’s in them.”
Grayson chuckled as he sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. “I’m glad, sweetheart.” He smiled, and then covered his mouth as he was overcome with an enormous yawn.
“Rough day?” she asked, pausing in her work of opening the first box.
“Not rough exactly, just crazy. Had to put out a lot of unexpected fires at work today. And they’re all out, but I’m definitely tired.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” She kissed his forehead. “I’ll make you something special for dinner. How about lasagna?”
“That sounds amazing, but I know you’ve been tired too. Maybe we could order some takeout or something.”
“Sounds great.” She smiled as she continued to open the box, but internally her stomach flopped with uncertainty. If Grayson was tired and he’d had a long day, maybe she shouldn’t tell him about their baby that night. He was already overwhelmed. Shouldn’t she tell him some other time when he would be better able to process the news?
“What’s in the box?” he asked, smiling at her as he massaged his temples.
“Mostly frames, for all of the pictures and newspaper articles that Mom picked out to hang on the walls. But there’s also some knickknacks in here, and some whimsical pots for the plants I want to place around the pub. Like this guy. Look!” Grinning, she pulled a pot from the box that had a little gnome leaning against the side of it. “Isn’t it cute?”
“Very. You want to bring all this over to the pub later tonight?”
“Could we? Are you too tired?”
“No, I’m fine. It’s mostly just my brain that’s tired.” He laughed. “Which is good, because I have a few things I need to do tonight. Once I’ve helped you sort all this stuff and we load it into the car, I have something to show you.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
He grinned. “It involves your online storefront.”
She smiled back at him, always grateful for the way he supported her jewelry business. “Then what do you need to do?”
“I’ve got to pack for that camping trip with the guys. They gave me a list of all the stuff I’m going to need.”
Alexis shook her head, laughing. “Is it really camping if you’re staying in a cabin the whole time?”
“Not the whole time.” He chuckled. “David wants us to sleep in that cave on his property at least one of the nights. We’re going to have to sleep in sub-zero sleeping bags and try to keep the fire going all night.”
“Sounds like quite the adventure. I love how you’re really starting to embrace a more rural lifestyle now that we’re out here in Rosewood Beach. You never would have done something like this when we were living in L.A.”
He stood up and wrapped his arms around her. “That’s because I was too busy and living much too boring of a life in L.A. And also, there’s no need for subzero sleeping bags out there.”
She laughed. “That’s the real appeal, huh?”
“Oh yeah. It’s the challenge of the thing.”
“Well, make sure you don’t get so manly in challenging yourself that you actually get frostbite. Be careful.”
“Oh, I will. Besides, we won’t be far from the cabin when we do go camping. There’s no real danger. But there’s definitely a lot to think about and make sure I’m prepared for, so I want to get a head start on packing.”
“Sure.” She smiled at him, not wanting him to be able to read the way her stomach was flopping with disappointment. She’d wanted to tell him about their baby, and she knew that she needed to do it soon, but she couldn’t help feeling that it wasn’t the right night for it. He was clearly overwhelmed with his to-do list, and she had plenty of things she needed to get done as well. She knew that when she told him, they would inevitably spend a lot of time talking and thinking about their future, and she didn’t think he had the mental energy for all that at the moment.
He’s had a long day and he’s overwhelmed, she thought. I need to wait until it’s a better time.
She bit her lip, worrying that it would never be a better time. They were both so busy, almost constantly bustling from one task to the next. Maybe she would just have to tell him sometime whether he was feeling overwhelmed or not.
She glanced at her husband, wondering how he was going to feel about their big news. Whatever happened, she needed to tell him soon, and she hoped that he felt as excited about it as she was starting to be.