Chapter 28
Celine
I’d never been a farmers’ market kind of girl. Between the chaos and the forced chitchat, I’d never seen the appeal. Especially with curious kids bound to touch things they shouldn’t and get into trouble.
But in the few short months we’d been here, it had become clear that attendance at the Maplewood farmers’ market was mandatory. The entire town and surrounding communities came out, not only to shop, but to catch up and learn.
The kids loved the snacks and the opportunities to see their friends, and I’d discovered that if I didn’t show my face, the Maplewood Mafia would stop by to check on me. So the market, it was. The chaos was far less painful than Bitsy Bramble’s presence at my home.
As the smell of cider and fresh donuts flooded my nostrils, Ellie stomped up to my side. “I’m hungry.”
That comment was followed by echoing sentiments from her siblings.
Promising that we would get snacks in a bit, I led them over to a complex display of honeycombs that fascinated Julian.
“The bees built all of this,” a friendly looking woman with gray hair and jeweled glasses explained.
Julian nodded, still transfixed. “Oh, I know. Every bee in the hive has a job,” he explained. “Some are builders. They build these combs, and each cell will be filled with honey from the other bees.”
I smiled with pride as he chatted with this stranger about beekeeping. It had been so long since he’d been this open to new experiences.
“There’s Paige,” Ellie said, waving at a friend.
She gave me a quick questioning look, and when I nodded, she wandered toward a group of bored-looking tweens.
I kept an eye on her while Julian asked more bee-related questions and Maggie scanned our surroundings furiously, probably searching for any animals that may have come along.
She had not stopped talking about her new best friend, Daisy, in days.
“Mom.” She tugged on my sleeve. “He’s here.”
I turned, following her line of sight, and found Josh standing next to the town mayor. He was holding a cardboard coffee cup from his sister’s shop and sporting a green flannel shirt and his usual grumpy expression.
Annoyingly, my stomach did a little flip. As much as I tried to ignore it, my body reacted every time I saw him. My pulse quickened and I couldn’t help but stare.
He said he loved me. It didn’t make sense. This was too fast and too messy.
But I couldn’t stop my mind from racing, from getting ahead of me and thinking about what could be. When things calmed down, when I got through this parole hearing, when the kids and I were more settled. Could this be something real?
Because my body thought it was very real. So real I’d been having some very, ahem, explicit dreams about him.
The situation was so messy. He was my landlord. My neighbor. My… lover?
I shook my head. No, we’d had sex. Very hot sexy sex. And we’d said things. Heartfelt, intense things. But only that single time.
Yet I found myself constantly walking around in a daze, trying to bump into him while convincing myself it could never happen again. Clearly I was a paragon of mental health.
Before I could stop her, Maggie was running toward him, shouting his name.
He turned, and his face lit up in a way only reserved for my kids.
She threw her arms around him in a big hug.
He was her hero, after all, introducing her to her new best friend.
She’d ruminated for days about how to thank him, eventually settling on baking cookies and making him a thank-you card.
But so far, she’d spent all her free time researching horses and horse care.
He caught her, wrapping her in those comforting arms.
“Hello, superstar,” he said, meeting my eyes.
My face heated instantly. It was ridiculous. It was damn cold outside, yet suddenly I had the urge to fan myself.
“Hello. I’m Gabe,” the mayor said to my daughter.
She looked up at him, her glasses askew. “Do you know Josh? He’s amazing. He found me a horse named Daisy and—hold on. Mom, can I have your phone? I wanna show this guy the pictures I took.”
Gabe smiled at her, his eyes dancing. “Sure, I know Josh. He’s my cousin.”
“Do you have a horse?” she asked.
“Sadly, no.” He pressed his lips together. “But I like horses.”
Maggie looked him up and down, as if making up her mind about him. “Okay, that’s cool. I’ll vote for you.”
He chuckled. “You may be a little young for voting.”
Unbothered, she flipped through photo after photo of her new equine friend. Before long, she clutched Josh’s hand and tugged. “We’re going to get cherries. Come on.”
He smiled at me and offered Julian a fist bump, then walked with us toward the Hogans’ farm stand where the kids started picking out more produce than they would actually eat.
Several people said hello to Josh, but he only sipped his coffee quietly, giving them small nods.
“You’re popular,” I said, elbowing him gently. It wasn’t nearly the kind of contact my body craved, but it was the best I could get out in public like this.
“I’ve been working on my brand.”
I gave him a once-over, wearing a teasing smile. “Farm-dad chic?”
He stared down at me, intensity radiating off him. “I make it look good.”
Face heating again, I lowered my attention to my feet. Thankfully I was wearing matching Crocs today. The Fuzzy kind for cold weather. My left pink glitter was still missing, but it would surface soon. Sometimes looking for my stuff felt like an archaeological dig.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
My instinct was to brush off the compliment. Make a comment about how I’d just rolled out of bed. If I had, I’d have been lying. This morning I was wearing new leggings and had put on mascara just in case I ran into him.
Rather than fight it, I looked him dead in the eye and said, “Thank you.”
We’d just stepped into the cider donut line when a familiar voice set my nerves on edge.
“Well, well, well.” Bitsy Bramble stepped into view, wearing a long purple coat and a knit hat.
“Certainly took them long enough,” Olive Foster added.
Mavis held up her phone with a boney, shaky hand. “Need a photo of the happy couple for the town Instagram page.”
“No.” I threw a hand up. “We’re not a couple.”
The three of them looked between Josh and me, all wearing knowing expressions. The two of us probably looked like kids who’d been sent to the principal’s office—at least that’s how I felt—rather than actual adults who’d recently had (excellent) sex.
“Why not?”
A wave of panic hit me. Screaming “none of your business” probably wouldn’t be well received, but no other explanation came to mind.
“Ladies,” Josh said, his tone cool. “Can you give me some time?” He raised an eyebrow, and they exchanged a knowing look.
“Sorry,” Olive said. “Forgot what a slow poke you are. Would you mind making a move before I croak? I want to win the betting pool.”
Josh gave them a stern look, crossing his arms.
That was enough to send them scampering off to terrorize other innocent folks.
We stayed for another hour, sampling cheeses and several types of maple candy, then listening to a folk band cover nineties hip-hop hits. Maggie must have told at least a dozen people about her horse, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she told a dozen more before we left.
I was cold, but just existing with josh like this kept me from feeling the discomfort of my frozen toes and fingers while we wandered, snacking on cherries and drinking coffee.
Josh was patient and present with my kids, as he always was, buying treats and stopping them before they tried the chili pepper jelly and the stinky cheese.
“Do you need to get right home?” he asked as the kids ran wild on the town green.
Julian had found Jacob, and they’d roped Ellie and Maggie into a game of tag with really convoluted rules.
“No. We’ve got nothing today.”
“Great.” He gave me an awkward grin that instantly made me suspicious. “Give me one second.”
Before I could question him, he strode away. When he returned, Frankie Dunne was at his side.
I’d seen her once or twice but had never spoken to the woman. She was terrifying. Tiny and muscular with colorful tattoos, big doll eyes, and a “don’t fuck with me” air that I heeded with extreme caution.
She was my polar opposite. I couldn’t imagine her twisting herself into a pretzel to please others the way I’d done far too much in my life.
“Frankie, do you know my friend Celine? She and her kids live in the cottage on my property.”
She gave me a nod. “Teacher, right?”
Smiling, I shook her hand. “Yes. Kindergarten.”
“Celine’s minivan is not gonna survive the Vermont winter. You mind taking a look?”
Hackles rising, I took a step back. “Excuse me?” I wouldn’t hear any trash talk about my van.
Not from anyone. We’d been through a lot together.
I’d bought it used with my own damn money; it was mine.
It was big and boxy and slow, but it had enough room for my whole family and all the gear we’d need for road trips.
I used to drive a luxury SUV. One Donny chose because it “sent the right message.” The damn thing was uncomfortable, and a simple oil change cost several hundred dollars.
I’d hated it. So when the time had come, I’d found my baby blue Honda Odessey and instantly fallen in love.
It was all mine, stow-and go-seats and all.
Arms crossed, I glared at him. “It will be fine.”
He adjusted the bill of his hat. “Our winters are harsh.”
I scoffed. “I’m a Mainer. I know how to drive in snow.
I can operate heavy machinery in the snow.
Hell, I could bake a cake in the snow. So thanks for the concern, but I’m good.
” Suddenly, I was sweating, the anger running through me raising my body temperature.
How dare he insinuate that my car wasn’t safe?
“I like her.” Frankie sipped casually from her travel mug, surveying me over the top of it.
Josh pinched the bridge of his nose. “I just want to help. We’ve got a lot of unpaved roads and hills here. Uneven terrain, lots of ice. You need better tires, at least.”
I had zero dollars for new tires and mine weren’t bald. I’d make it another year, at least.
Frankie turned slowly and looked at Josh. While I was twitchy and quick, Frankie took her time, her unhurried movements making her even more scary.
“Are you trying to mansplain winter driving to this nice woman?”
A laugh threatened to escape me. Suddenly, I wanted to hug her. She’d probably hate that, so I focused on scowling at Josh.
“If she doesn’t want me to look at her car,” Frankie told him, “don’t waste my time. I’ve got shit to do.”
Yikes. I was definitely not going to hug her. But maybe she’d like a batch of homemade cookies instead. Maggie had perfected brown butter chocolate chip this fall.
Or maybe she’d want to be my friend.
Should I get tattoos? Hers were incredible.
“I’m sorry.” She eyed me, her lip curled on one side. “His Y chromosome makes him stupid. But while I’m here. I could take a look at it for you. No charge.”
I cringed internally, feeling like a child backed into a corner. Though I supposed I’d rather a qualified woman look at my car than Josh, who was being an overprotective ass at the moment.
So I told Ellie I’d be right back, then guided Frankie to the side street where I’d parked.
“Can you pop the hood?”
Once she’d propped it up, she took a flashlight from her pocket and examined the engine.
Josh leaned against the fender, giving me a smug look.
I glared back at him, hoping the look communicated something like “We might have had sex, but that does not give you the right to get all territorial and force me to buy tires.”
Clearly not getting the message, he broke into a smile, that damn dimple popping.
After a few minutes, Frankie closed the hood and dusted her hands off. “She’s in good shape. I’d need to take it in and run some diagnostics to be sure. But at a minimum?”
I held my breath.
She kicked the front tire. “These are not in great shape. Our roads suck in winter. I’d like to do a tune-up, new wiper blades, and at least a tire rotation before the first snowfall.”
I nodded, mentally scrambling for a way to pay for all of that.
“The good news is that I know a very qualified person who can help.”
I smiled at her, avoiding Josh’s eye. There was absolutely no way I’d admit that he may have been right.
“I’m not going to force anything on you. It’s your car and I love telling Josh to fuck off. But…” She trailed off, lifting her brows.
A sigh escaped me. It looked like my credit card would have to take the hit.
“Come here.” She nodded, lifted her chin, then waved a hand, shooing Josh away.
Once he was out of earshot, she put an arm around my shoulders. “Drop it off tomorrow before school. I’ll work up an estimate.”
“I—”
“Also,” she went on before I could even figure out whether to agree or argue. “I’ve heard rumors. Is it true you put your piece-of-shit ex-husband in jail?”
My heart sank. Wow, the small-town rumor mill was no joke. “Um. Yes.”
She pulled me into her side. She was ridiculously strong for someone so tiny. “Fuck yeah, you did. Okay, then you get the friends and family discount. I was raised by a single mom and have a piece of shit dad. I’ll take good care of you.”
“No,” I protested. “I can’t accept that.”
“Yes you can. You’re one of us now. And in this town, we take care of each other.”
She turned, eyeing Josh. “Which is what this dufus was trying to do, in his own annoying, controlling way.”
I let out a sigh. Despite the happiness that had hit me at the potential of a new friend and discount tires, I was deeply annoyed with Josh.
“He’s actually one of the good ones,” she said quietly so he couldn’t hear. “Granted, the bar’s low.”
I laughed. “It’s in hell.”
“Don’t I know it. But he’s a decent guy. He just wants you to be safe on the road. Don’t kick his ass too hard.”
“Thanks.”