Chapter 16
S hona stepped into Joseph's arms. “Are you sure you remember how to dance?”
“It's like riding a bicycle. Once you learn, you never forget.”
“I hope you're right. Just remember I took off my shoes because my feet hurt.”
He pulled her closer. “Don't worry. I'll look after you. But, in defense of your high heels, they made your already amazing legs look fantastic.”
Shona’s eyes widened. “Are you flirting with me?”
“I’m trying.” Before she knew what was happening, Joseph swept her onto the dance floor, waltzing like a seasoned pro. She relaxed against him and enjoyed letting him take the lead.
“Are you impressed?” he whispered against her ear.
She smiled and snuggled closer. “I am. Why didn't we do this sooner?”
“Dance?”
“No. Spend more time together. The first time I saw you was at least two years ago at the old steamboat museum. Our lives could have been completely different if I’d said hello.”
“The first time I saw you wasn't at the old steamboat museum. It was in The Welcome Center.”
Shona frowned. She would’ve remembered if she'd met Joseph there. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. Adele and I had only been in Sapphire Bay for a few days. Nate and his friends were being presented with scholarships for Montana State University. I looked to my right and saw you sitting by yourself with tears in your eyes. I waited for someone to make sure you were okay, but no one did.”
She closed her eyes and remembered the event Joseph was talking about. It was a Friday night. She’d arrived at The Welcome Center with Nate to help with dinner, but ended up going to a meeting Pastor John had organized to celebrate the end of another year.
When Nate and his friends were invited onto the stage, she was as confused as her son was. No one knew the students would be presented with full college scholarships. It had sent ripples of excitement and gratitude throughout the community and transformed the students’ lives.
Joseph brushed a lock of hair off her face. “I tried to find you after the presentation, but you were surrounded by people.”
“I was overwhelmed. Everyone wanted to congratulate Nate and talk about what he wanted to do at college.” She looked into Joseph's eyes. “I couldn't have afforded to send him to college. Without the scholarship, he would’ve stayed in Sapphire Bay and worked at The Christmas Tree Farm until he found another job.”
Joseph frowned. “Do you know who provided the scholarships?”
“They wanted to remain anonymous. Whoever it was has made a huge difference in many people’s lives. Each year since Nate received his scholarship, five students have been given the same opportunity.”
Joseph stepped around another couple. “How did you and Nate feel about accepting it?”
“For the first few days, Nate kept looking at the certificate Pastor John gave him. I don't think he realized how life-changing it was until he started college.”
“What about you?”
“I spent a couple of months trying to work out who’d sponsored the scholarships. If someone looked at me strangely in the supermarket, I thought it was them. Pastor John wouldn't tell me who it was, but he gave them the letter Nate and I wrote to thank them.”
Joseph’s hand settled on the small of her back. “If you had a lot of money, would you do the same thing?”
She didn’t have to think twice about her answer. “Absolutely. The scholarships have opened the door to so many opportunities. And, in their own way, the students are already repaying the generosity shown to them. When they come home, they all volunteer at the church or in one of the outreach programs John runs. I'm proud of them.”
“What if I told you?—”
Andrea grabbed hold of Shona's hand. “Sorry, Joseph. Mabel wants a photo of all the single ladies in the room before Paris throws her bouquet. Shona’s coming with me.”
He was as confused as Shona was.
“But I'm not single. I’m here with Joseph.”
Andrea held up Shona’s hand. “You aren’t wearing a wedding band or an engagement ring. And even if you were engaged, I’d still be taking you with me.” She sighed. “If you won’t do it for me, do it for Paris. She didn’t want to toss her bouquet, but Jack made a list of everything that needed to happen at her wedding. She’s doing it for her stepson.”
How could she say no to that? “All right. I’ll come with you, but I’m not standing in the middle of the room.”
“You can stand wherever you like.”
Joseph kissed her cheek. “I’ll wait for you at our table.”
“Don’t worry about Adele,” Andrea told him. “She wanted to come with us, so Jackie’s looking after her.”
Joseph frowned. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. She could get knocked over in the rush to catch the flowers.”
Shona understood his hesitation. With the number of women already leaving the room, a large group would be waiting for the bouquet to come their way. “I’ll make sure she’s beside me.”
Joseph’s nod was the last thing she saw before Andrea pulled her away. Whoever thought catching a bride’s bouquet would increase your chance of finding your happy ever after was crazy. The only person who might enjoy it was the person who caught the flowers.
Joseph sat at the back of the reception room with John and Shelley.
A large group of women were in the center of the room waiting for Paris to toss her bouquet. Shona stood to the side holding Adele's hand and listening intently to what she was saying.
“I'm glad that's not me,” Shelley told them. “It’s one advantage of being married.”
John laughed. “The tossing of the bouquet is a wedding highlight for some people. Where's your romantic streak gone?”
Shelley patted his knee. “He’s right here beside me.”
Joseph smiled at the tender look they shared. It was reassuring to know that some people were able to survive the ups and downs of married life. “Apart from a romantic streak, what's the secret to a happy marriage?”
“Always agreeing with your wife,” John said quickly.
Shelley sighed. “That’s what he tells everyone, but it’s really the foot massage he gives me each night. They’re bliss.”
A loud cheer rang out from the center of the room. A woman with short blond hair waved the bouquet in the air, earning her even more applause from the other wedding guests.
Shona and Adele clapped with everyone else.
John picked up his cup of coffee. “Adele’s enjoying herself.”
“She likes spending time with Shona.”
“You can tell.” Shelley smiled at Joseph. “They’re like two peas in a pod.”
Two peas that had found another distraction. Louie, the three-legged dog that had stolen Adele’s heart, had made an appearance at the reception. He was sitting on the floor beside Richard, and Adele was stroking his fur.
“Next weekend, we have another adoption day at the animal shelter,” John told Joseph. “If you want a pet, it’s the best place to find one.”
“Adele keeps talking about getting a puppy, but I’m not sure it’s the right time.” Shona kneeled on the floor beside Adele. They both smiled when Louie licked Adele’s face.
“I’d better rescue Adele and Shona from Richard’s dog,” Joseph said. “Can you email me the details about the adoption day?”
“Consider it done,” John said. “I’m going to dance with my wife. I believe they’re playing our song.”
Shelley laughed. “You could say that.”
Joseph paid closer attention to the music and smiled. The DJ was playing “I’m a Believer” from the last Shrek movie he’d seen with Adele. Considering John was a happily married pastor, it was probably the most appropriate song on the planet.
With Shelley and John already heading onto the dance floor, he made his way across the room. Louie had a small fan club sitting around him, all waiting to pat him.
Adele looked up from the floor and smiled. “Louie loves his cuddles.”
“It looks like it.” Joseph kneeled beside Shona. “Do you know who caught the bouquet?”
“A friend of Paris’. She works in Polson at the flower market.”
“I hope she likes taking home more flowers.”
“She has other reasons for being happy.” Shona pointed to a table not far from them. “She’s been dating her boyfriend for eight years. By the end of the night, another engaged couple might be in the room.”
Adele clambered to her feet. “But that’s not all the news. Shona has something exciting to tell you.”
“You do?”
“Do you remember when I told you I’d entered the flower bouquet quilt into a competition?”
“The one that would give your store extra publicity?”
Shona nodded and looked at Adele. “You tell your dad.”
“It won!” Adele said loudly. “Shona’s going to have her photo in a magazine.”
“That’s fantastic.”
“They called me while we were waiting for Mabel to take everyone’s photo. As well as an article in the International Quilting Magazine, they’re sending me a check for five thousand dollars and a credit for a thousand dollars of advertising. How amazing is that?”
“You deserve it. The quilt is stunning.”
Adele leaned against Joseph’s arm. “The lady’s interviewing Shona on Wednesday.”
“She wants to take photos of the store and some other quilts I’ve made. That publicity alone will bring people to Sapphire Bay.”
“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the praise. We need to celebrate.”
Adele’s eyes widened with excitement. “With ice cream?”
Joseph wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “With the biggest ice creams we can buy.”
Shona looked at the people around them. “No one will notice if we leave a little early. I’ll just say goodbye to Paris and Richard.”
As they approached the happy couple, Joseph spotted John and Shelley on the dance floor wrapped in each other’s arms, and dancing to a slow country ballad.
If they could find happiness in the small Montana town, there might be hope for him. All he had to do was trust that Shona loved him for who he was. And forgive him for not telling her about the trust.
The next morning, Shona woke up with a fright. There it was again. The rapid thump of a hand against wood. Someone was banging on her front door and they were in a hurry to see her.
Stumbling out of bed, she grabbed a sweater and rushed down the hallway. The first thing she thought about was Nate. If something had happened to him, she didn’t know what she’d do.
With a pounding heart, she unlocked the door, half-expecting to see two police officers standing on the veranda.
She let out a relieved sigh. “Andrea?”
“I’m sorry it’s so early, but I didn’t know what time you’re going to work. I wanted to make sure you heard the news from me first.”
Shona’s eyes widened. Her friend was on the verge of tears. Whatever had happened must be important. “Come in and tell me what’s wrong.”
Andrea followed her into the living room. “Nothing’s wrong. In fact, it’s incredibly right, but I’m already stressed and worried.” She took a deep, trembling breath. “David and I have set a date for our wedding. I’m so excited I don’t know what to do with myself. Except I do know what’s ahead of us, and it’s scary.”
Shona rubbed her forehead, trying to make sense of what she was saying. “I'm pleased you've found a date that works for everyone. Why is it scary?”
“Because we're getting married in six weeks. Six weeks! Who gets married that quickly? There's so much to do. We need to book a venue, find a caterer, work out a theme, and if that isn’t enough to give me a migraine, I have to find something to wear.”
She gave Andrea a hug. “It will be all right. All you have to do is write down everything you'd like and go from there. Where are the boys?”
“David’s parents are visiting us. They stayed with them while we were at Paris’ wedding.”
“That gives you time to gather your thoughts and write up a plan. David’s overseeing the new BioTech research facility. If anyone can organize a wedding in six weeks, he can.”
Andrea sank into a chair. “You’re right. I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I’m overreacting.” She glanced at the coffee table and frowned. “Your cell phone’s flashing.”
“Nate must be trying to get hold of me. He programmed something onto my phone so it flashes when he sends me a message.” She picked up her cell phone and, sure enough, there was a message from him.
“Is he okay?”
“He’ll be fine. He wants me to read an email he sent. I’ll do it later.”
Andrea pulled herself out of the chair. “You should read it now. It might be important. And while you do that, I’ll make two cups of coffee.”
Shona opened her email app. “The coffeepot should’ve turned on automatically.” She found Nate’s message and frowned. Her eyes widened when she reread the email. It couldn’t be right.
While Andrea was in the kitchen, she called Nate.
“Hey, Mom. Did you get my email?”
“I’ve just read it. Are you sure about the trust?”
“As sure as I can be without talking to Joseph. I attached some screenshots of what I found. Have a look at those.”
“I’ll look at them on my laptop. The screen’s bigger.” She hurried across the room and typed in her password. “How did you find the information about the trust?”
“I searched online for any information about the Carol Hirshfield Trust. I couldn’t find any financial records. If you want to look at those types of things you have to make a request to the trust. But I found Carol Hirshfield’s obituary and a few articles about her husband.”
Shona opened the attachments and skimmed through the text. When she died, Carol was forty-seven years old and the wife of a successful property developer in Los Angeles. Shona’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the name of her only surviving son.
She still didn’t believe that Joseph wouldn’t have told her about the money. “Maybe Joseph’s dad is the person who decides who the trust supports?”
“He could be, but Joseph must have known about it. I mean, if I was giving twenty thousand dollars to a business that was opening where my son lived, I’d talk to him to see if it was a good investment.”
“So would I.” She sat back in her chair and thought about the documents Nate had found. “I need time to read everything you’ve sent me. I’ll call you tonight once I’ve finished work.”
There was a moment of silence on the end of the phone. “Are you upset that I looked for information about the trust?”
“I’m not upset, just shocked about what you’ve found. But I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for why Joseph didn’t say anything.”
“I hope so. I thought about this all night, Mom. If he kept this information from you, what else don’t you know?”
Shona closed her eyes. She’d been thinking the same thing. “I’ll have to talk to Joseph. Thanks for letting me know.”
“That’s okay. I love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too, honey. I’ll call tonight.” Shona ended the call and stared through the window, trying to think of a reason why Joseph wouldn’t have told her.
Andrea placed a cup of coffee beside the laptop. “Is everything all right?”
“I don't know. A couple of weeks ago, Nate asked me who donated the money for my business. I told him the trust’s name, and he did some research. He must have been worried about where the money was coming from.” She glanced at one of the articles about Joseph’s dad. “It looks as though Joseph was somehow involved in the loan. The trust's name is the same as his mother's before she got married.”
Andrea sat beside her. “Does that make a difference?”
“It makes me feel uneasy. Why wouldn’t he tell me about the money?”
“Maybe he was worried it would get in the way of your relationship?”
Shona’s eyes filled with tears. “Or the only reason he spent so much time with me was to make sure I didn’t run off with the money.”
“He wouldn’t have done that.” Andrea rubbed her arm. “He’s a good person.”
“A good person with secrets. He should’ve told me.”
“You’re right. He should have. But don’t give up on him until you know the full story. Have you had breakfast?”
Shona shook her head. “I was sound asleep when you arrived.”
“Sorry. I thought you would’ve been awake ages ago. But that doesn’t change the fact that you need something to eat. Do you want cereal or toast?”
The thought of food made her stomach churn. “I’m not hungry. I’ll have a quick shower and head into work.”
Andrea checked the time. “It’s only eight o’clock. That gives you two hours until your store opens. That’s more than enough time to eat some breakfast.” She moved the cup of coffee and pulled Shona to her feet. “Come on. You can’t think straight on an empty stomach.”
Thinking had never been a problem for her. It was overthinking that caused her the most grief. And, right now, she was overthinking Joseph’s motivation for not telling her the truth. Whichever way she looked at it, it wasn’t good.
And there was only one way to discover the truth. As soon as she’d had breakfast, she would go and see Joseph.