Chapter 2
J oseph opened the door to The Welcome Center and waited for Adele to go inside. The entrance was almost deserted, unlike the other times they’d come here. “Mabel said to meet the choir in the main meeting room.”
Adele frowned. “Is that the one with the blue door?”
“It is.”
With a smile, she skipped ahead, stopping at the front desk.
Shelley, Pastor John’s wife, looked up from her computer. “Hi, Adele.”
“Hi, Mrs. McDonald. Are you helping Pastor John tonight?”
“I am. One of the volunteers called in sick, so I’m looking after the front desk. It’s good to see you and your dad.”
“Dad’s listening to us sing. Mrs. Terry said it’s good practice for the Christmas carol competition. She said we sound awesome.”
Shelley smiled at Adele’s dimpled grin. “I’m sure you do.”
“Do you want Dad to come and get you before we start singing?”
“It’s okay. I’ll follow you when you go into the dining room.”
Joseph placed his hand on Adele’s shoulder. She was such a chatterbox, she’d keep talking if he didn’t remind her where they needed to be. “We’d better join the rest of the choir before we’re late.”
“Okay. Bye, Mrs. McDonald.”
“Bye, Adele.” Shelley grinned at Joseph. “Good luck. You have a very excited daughter.”
“She’s been looking forward to coming here. I’ll see you later.”
“Sounds good.”
Joseph followed Adele into the large meeting room. His daughter wasn’t the only excited person. Everyone in the choir was either talking or fixing last-minute issues with their costumes. Unsurprisingly, Mabel Terry, the choir director, was rushing around the room, making sure everyone was ready.
As soon as she saw Adele, she let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you’re here. The only person we’re waiting for is Nora.”
“Her mom was driving into the parking lot as we came into the center,” Joseph told her.
“That’s wonderful.” She pointed to a table close to where they were standing. “Go and see Mrs. Armstrong, Adele. She has your costume.”
Even though Christmas was still months away, Mabel wanted this to be a dress rehearsal for how the choir would perform in the carol competition. From what he could see, everyone was happy wearing the red T-shirts, sparkly headbands, and reindeer antlers.
Joseph smiled at some of Adele’s friends. They were just as excited as his daughter. “You’re doing a great job, Mabel.”
“I’m trying. When I offered to be the choir director, I didn’t know how much work it would be. But, as Allan says, I like to be busy.”
She was definitely busy. Mabel and her husband owned the general store and volunteered endlessly at the church and The Welcome Center. When he’d arrived in Sapphire Bay three years ago, they’d taken a jaded man under their wings. Over countless cups of coffee, they’d helped him see there were still good people left in the world.
“Would you do something for me?” Mabel asked.
“Of course. What do you need?”
“I forgot to ask someone to take photos of the choir. If you brought your cell phone, could you take some while they’re singing?”
“Consider it done. I’ll email them to you after the performance.”
“Thank you. Everyone will enjoy seeing them on the community Facebook page.”
As Mabel turned to welcome Nora and her mom, he walked across to Adele. She was waiting behind some other choir members, talking to Gordon Jessop. Gordon was in charge of the community garden and had been in the choir since it started.
Gordon shook Joseph’s hand. “It’s good to see you. The latest tiny homes are looking great.”
“We’re trying a different design. So far, it’s working better than we imagined.”
“We need every home we can build. If you want to find a seat in the dining room, I’ll look after Adele.”
Joseph smiled at his daughter. He didn’t need to ask whether she was happy to stay with Gordon—her smile said it all. He was an honorary granddad to many children in Sapphire Bay. With a heart as big as the gardens he managed, he always had a kind word and infinite patience for anyone who needed it.
“Good luck,” Joseph said as he gave Adele a final hug.
“Mrs. Terry said we don’t need luck. We just need to sing from our hearts.”
Gordon winked. “And Mrs. Terry is always right.”
Joseph smiled. “She is. I’ll wait for you in the dining room after you’ve finished, Adele.”
“Okay. I’ll find you.”
He left his daughter with Gordon and made his way out of the room.
His ex-wife would laugh if she saw them now. Before he left Los Angeles, he was the chief financial officer at a multinational investment company, drove expensive cars, and ate at the finest restaurants. Adele was painfully shy, had a nervous stutter, and only saw him for an hour or two each day.
Now, he spent his days building tiny homes for people who couldn’t afford to live anywhere else, and he had full custody of Adele. She’d overcome her stutter and blossomed into an amazing eight-year-old.
Their lives had changed so much he sometimes forgot how far they’d come. But, on days like this, when he saw Adele’s happy smile, he could only feel thankful for the heartache that had brought them to Montana.
Shona carried another two chairs out of a small meeting room. It was just as well there was more than enough for everyone. All the guests who were staying at The Welcome Center must have come to hear the choir. Not that she could blame them. Last month, she’d listened when they were practicing in the church. Her breath had caught when she’d heard their perfect harmonies. For such a diverse group, they sang beautifully together.
“It looks as though you could do with a hand.” Joseph lifted the chairs out of her arms. “Are they going into the dining room?”
“They are. I can carry them.”
“I’m sure you can, but why do it if someone else can help?”
“Because I like doing things myself.” Her toes curled when Joseph grinned at her. Shona sighed. She was forty-two years old, not a giddy teenager who could be charmed by a man with deep blue eyes and a gorgeous smile.
“Being independent is important,” he said softly. “But so is allowing someone to help you. Besides, it’s almost time for the choir to start singing.”
She checked her watch. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I’d better see where Nate’s gone.”
Joseph looked around the room. “He’s to the right of the kitchen door.”
Looking across the room, she saw Nate carrying a stack of dirty plates into the kitchen.
“He’s as busy as you are.” Joseph left the chairs beside the others in the back row.
“He likes volunteering. As well as helping others, he’s made a lot of friends. I’ll tell him the choir will be here soon.”
“Would you like me to save two chairs for you?”
“That would be great. I’ll be back soon.”
Taking off his jacket, Joseph placed it across two chairs and sat on the one beside them. As soon as the choir entered the dining room, a last-minute rush of people finding seats added another layer of excitement to the performance.
Adele looked around the room. When she spotted him, her face broke into a relieved smile.
His heart squeezed tight. Before they’d moved to Sapphire Bay, he’d missed almost all her after-school activities. He was so wrapped up in his own life he hadn’t seen the effect his absence had on her.
Shona came out of the kitchen with Nate and quickly moved to where he was sitting.
“Thanks for saving the seats,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome. Hi, Nate.”
“Hi, Mr. Adams. Adele looks cute in her red T-shirt and reindeer antlers.”
He looked at his daughter and smiled. “She loves dressing up.”
“She reminds me of someone else I knew at the same age,” Shona said with a smile.
Nate groaned. “Don’t tell Mr. Adams the skeleton story.”
Joseph raised his eyebrows. Whatever the story involved would have to wait. Pastor John stood at the front of the room and introduced Mabel and the Sapphire Bay Community Choir.
Following a round of applause, Mabel took her place in front of the singers. With a nod to her husband, the first orchestral notes of “Silent Night” filled the room.
Keeping his hand steady, Joseph videoed the choir. He smiled at Adele. Even when her reindeer antlers slipped sideways, her gaze never left Mabel. She sang with such confidence that his heart swelled with pride. He might be biased but, by the time the choir finished the first song, he was sure they’d win the competition in December.
While people clapped and cheered, Shona touched his arm. “They’re wonderful. Adele looks as though she’s enjoying herself.”
He bent his head closer to her. “She told me she feels like she’s walking on clouds when she sings.”
“That makes it even more special.”
He yearned for something he hadn’t felt in a long time when he saw Shona’s tender expression. Knowing someone believed in you, that no matter what, they’d always be there for you was as alien to him as shooting a rocket into space and looking for stardust.
Nate took a photo, reminding Joseph of his promise to Mabel.
He held up his cell phone and snapped random photos of the choir. Adele’s friends, Jack and Charlie, were singing with all their might. Nora had a sweet smile on her face, and Mr. Jessop looked like he belonged on Broadway. He took photos of Willow playing the piano, and Andy Smith accompanying her on his guitar.
During the next three songs, he tried to capture the spirit of the choir and what made their performance special.
The expression on Adele’s face was pure joy, especially when the audience clapped and cheered after the last song. As she walked out of the room, she looked at him and her smile grew wider.
Joseph blew her a kiss and she reached forward, plucked it from the air, and pressed it to her chest. It was their secret code—his way of telling her he loved her.
“What you just did was lovely,” Shona said from beside him.
His daughter disappeared into the corridor. “When Adele was younger, she had a bad stutter. After her mom left, her speech became worse. Blowing her a kiss when she’s nervous makes her feel better. It’s become a habit that makes both of us smile.”
“Adele’s lucky to have you as her dad.”
His smile faded. Shona wouldn’t think so highly of him if she’d met him five years ago. He was so wrapped up in his own life he hadn’t noticed that the people around him were falling to pieces.
Shona turned to her son. “What did you think of the choir, Nate?”
“They were great. Mr. Jessop looked good in his reindeer antlers.”
Joseph watched Gordon leave the room. He was waving at a group of teenagers who helped him in the community garden. “It must be better than wearing last year’s Santa suit.”
Shona picked up her bag. “He enjoyed being Santa. The hugs everyone gave him made the bulky costume worthwhile.”
Adele rushed toward them. The reindeer antlers were gone and her cheeks were flushed with excitement. “What did you think?”
Joseph opened his arms and hugged her. “You were amazing, and so was the rest of the choir.”
“Mrs. Terry thought so, too. Can we stay for ice cream? Mrs. Terry brought my favorite flavor.”
Nate pointed to a table someone had placed in front of the kitchen. “The volunteers are bringing out dessert now. It looks pretty good.”
Shona laughed. “It sounds like Adele isn’t the only one wanting an ice cream. What about you, Joseph? Do you have a sweet tooth?”
“I’d never turn down a bowl of ice cream.”
Adele held onto her dad’s hand and pulled him forward. “I think Mrs. Terry brought strawberry, too.”
He looked over his shoulder at Shona and Nate. “Our fate is sealed. Can I get two extra bowls for you?”
“We’ll follow you,” Shona said with a smile.
By the time they’d collected their ice cream and found a table, Joseph was looking forward to dessert. His heart stilled as he watched Adele compare her strawberry ice cream with Nate’s raspberry ripple flavor.
They could have been a typical family enjoying a night out together. But there was nothing ordinary about his life and, hopefully, Shona never found out.
The following evening, Shona studied the spreadsheet on her laptop. Paris and Andrea were helping her complete the loan application for the bank. “This looks complicated.”
Andrea picked up a sheet of paper. “Don’t worry about the projected sales. We can work that out separately. Is this quote for the sales counter and the shelving or just the counter?”
Shona looked at the quote. “Only the counter.”
Paris’ eyes widened when Andrea showed her the quote. “We can do better than that. We bought most of our furniture from thrift stores or as DIY projects.”
Shona sighed. “The last time I had to build something, I cross-threaded all the screws.”
“Don’t let that worry you.” Andrea closed a folder and picked up the form Shona had almost finished. “If you find some furniture you like, Paris and I will bring our super-duper electric drills to the store. After learning how to put shelves, desks, and six-foot-tall flower arches together, nothing is impossible.”
Paris sent them a dreamy smile. “The best part of the flower arches was falling in love with the man who helped me make them.”
“Cover your ears, Shona. Paris is going to tell us about her amazing fiancé. Again. ”
“I can’t help it,” Paris said with a wide smile. “Richard’s incredible.”
Shona laughed. “I hope so. You’re getting married to him in four weeks, two days, and?—”
“Seventeen hours.” Paris rested her elbows on the table. “I didn’t think it was possible to be this happy.”
“That’s what falling in love with the perfect man does to you.” Andrea sent Shona a searching look. “Have you thought about getting married again?”
Shona picked up a copy of her loan application. Her stomach twisted in knots at the thought of giving her heart to another man. “Nothing could ever beat what Chris and I had. Do you want to go over the utility expenses?”
“Nice change of subject.”
Paris tapped her pen against her chin. “It was, but we still have to go through Shona’s expenses. The amount you’ve budgeted seems way too high.”
Andrea was still looking thoughtfully at her. “What if you met someone amazing?”
“Like your fiancé?”
“Better than my fiancé. Someone who’s everything you need in your life.”
Shona didn’t think that person existed. Unless you included a tall, broad-shouldered man with a wide smile, brown eyes, and who built tiny homes. “It’s not possible. Besides, even if I were attracted to someone, they’d have to be a saint to put up with the hours I’ll be working once the store opens.”
Andrea frowned. “Just remember to have a life. It’s too easy to bury yourself in your job and then realize the world has passed you by.”
Paris nodded. “I agree. It takes a lot of time and determination to start a business. But it’s only a job. Your physical and mental health is more important.”
“That’s why I’m happy on my own. A man won’t make my life easier. He’ll make it more difficult.”
“He could also be a nice distraction.” Andrea smiled and picked up a pen. “Let’s go over your projected budget. The bank will be happier if we can make it as realistic as possible.”
Shona opened the spreadsheet she’d been working on. She could talk about her budgets all night long. It was so much better than analyzing her non-existent love life.