Chapter 8 Not So Neighborly
Monday
“Iheaded to the airport as soon as I received your wedding invitation.” Owen’s sister all but fell into his embrace.
He and Halle had designed a digital invitation over the weekend and texted it to her. They’d invited the Carters and Rex Turner in person. Pastor Joe Swanson would be officiating.
Owen hadn’t expected Jen to arrive so soon, but he was glad to see her again. Very glad. The boys had missed her, and so had he. He hugged her tightly before letting her go. “Ryder and Cooper are going to go nuts when you walk through the door.”
“How are they?” She pinned him with an anxious look, shoving back a handful of her long hair. Normally she wore it pulled up. Seeing it down was a further testament to how quickly she’d caught a flight.
“As ornery as ever. How was your flight?” They were standing inside the cozy Heart Lake Airport beside the baggage carousel, waiting for it to light up and start rotating. She’d arrived on a thirty-seater prop jet and disembarked on the tarmac.
“Loud and turbulent,” she griped. “Fortunately, you’re worth the trouble.
” Like the twins, Jen had flaming red hair.
Unlike the twins’ mellow temperaments, she had a short fuse to match her fiery hair.
She said what was on her mind, rarely bothering to sugarcoat it.
That she hadn’t yet congratulated him on his engagement or his upcoming nuptials wasn’t a good sign.
She stepped back and lambasted him with her sternest older-sister scowl. “Don’t you think you’re moving a little fast in the romance department?”
He’d been expecting her outburst, so he was ready for it.
“When it’s right, it’s right, Sis.” His relationship with Halle felt right, so did their collective decision for her to resign from Heart Lake Elementary School to homeschool the twins.
They’d notified the district this morning via a certified letter that Attorney Dave Phillips from Lonestar Security had authored on their behalf.
Though they weren’t expecting any pushback from Dr. Gavin House, only time would tell.
Owen had no regrets about taking such drastic measures to keep his family safe.
He’d done so while simultaneously grabbing a God-given chance at happiness.
If he’d spent his adult life moving at his sister’s snail’s pace, he wouldn’t have the blessings currently filling his world with so much joy.
His sons, for instance. His sister had been just as resistant to the idea of Owen marrying the first time.
As much as he’d benefitted over the years from her cautious nature, he worried about all the happiness she’d foregone in the process—from things like dating, love, and marriage.
Her expression turned sour. “When you promised me over the phone you weren’t replacing me, you lied.”
He snorted, not bothering to respond to such a groundless accusation.
They both knew it wasn’t true. “Listen, there are some other things going on that you need to know about.” He gave her the highlights of the case he was investigating on Halle’s behalf and how it had blossomed into something bigger.
He also warned her they were down to one family vehicle at the moment since Halle’s car was so old and couldn’t be fixed.
“You’ve gotten yourself tangled up with a federal case?” Jen kept her voice low. “Oh, Owen!” She shook her head in dismay. “I leave you alone for a couple of months, and now the sky’s falling.”
Her assessment of the situation wasn’t far from the truth. “I wouldn’t mind hearing your thoughts after you take a look at the site where Halle’s parents crashed.” He shared how Rex Turner’s near crash had occurred at roughly the same location.
Her expression sharpened. “How experienced are these crop-duster pilots?”
It was a fair question. “I can’t speak for Halle’s parents, but Rex is a certified flight instructor.”
“Are you serious?” She looked perplexed. “What’s he doing working as a farmhand?”
Owen told her everything he knew about the guy. “Maybe you’ll have more luck wrangling the details out of him, but he seems legit. I like him. Halle likes him. The Carters like him. Even the chickens like him.”
She didn’t look amused. “You can bet your boots I’ll be having a chat with him,” she promised waspishly. “If only I could’ve gotten here sooner.” Her expression turned bleak.
He touched her shoulder. “How are things with Belinda and Logan?”
“Better.” Her voice grew thready. “It was touch-and-go for a while there, but God was merciful. She’s going to pull through. I can feel it in my bones. Lord willing, she and Logan will enjoy many more happy years together.”
He knew her feelings on the topic were far more complicated, but he didn’t dare comment on it. Her high school crush on Logan was something she refused to discuss with him.
The lights on the baggage carousel lit up, and suitcases erupted like a volcano from the center.
In no time, Owen had Jen’s luggage in hand.
She always wrapped bright-colored duct tape around her plain black suitcases to make them easy to spot.
This time, she’d used fluorescent yellow tape dotted with ducks in bright blue galoshes.
The twins were going to have a heyday when they saw it.
He drove his sister to Garrett Farm, proudly pointing out the wooden fences that lined the front of the property.
The Carters had spent the last two weeks putting a fresh coat of white paint on them.
They’d done so much to spruce up the house and grounds for the wedding that he was including bonuses in their next paychecks.
Jen’s eyes widened. “Your farm is even lovelier in person than in the pictures.”
“Is that approval I hear in your voice?” He couldn’t resist teasing her, knowing she hadn’t been a fan of him moving to such a small town.
She ignored the question. “The big blue lake in the center of town and the mountains behind it belong on a postcard.”
Yep, he was definitely hearing approval in her voice.
“I hope you like the idea of stepping into a postcard.” He chose his next words carefully.
“There’s plenty of acreage at Garrett Farm for someone like you to dig in the dirt to your heart’s content.
I know you’ve always dreamed of opening your own greenhouse and nursery.
Halle and I would be happy to help. So would the boys.
They’ll be even more help as they get older. ”
She swiveled her head his way, looking stunned. “You want me to stay?”
“Of course, I want you to stay! You’re family.” Where else would she go? She’d given up everything for him and his boys.
She shook her head in confusion. “I figured after you got married…” Her voice faded uncertainly.
It was the perfect opportunity to continue his pitch.
“There’s a hodgepodge of cabins and cottages scattered across Garrett Farm.
The Carters have lived in one of them for over twenty years.
A few months ago, Rex moved on-site. That leaves two places for you to choose from.
Both could use some renovating, but it’ll allow you to add your personal touch. ”
She frowned thoughtfully as she mulled over his offer. “Is Halle on board with this?”
“One hundred percent!” He was really looking forward to introducing his two favorite women in the world. “Fair warning. Her only faults are trusting too easily and loving too hard. If you aren’t careful, she’ll win you over before nightfall.”
She’s perfect. Jen Tolliver wasn’t sure why it bothered her so much, but it did.
Halle Garrett was everything Owen had claimed she was.
She was sweet, funny, and intelligent. Even more importantly, she adored Ryder and Cooper, and they adored her in return.
Their found family had all the earmarks of a match made in Heaven.
Joy and contentment had replaced the ache and discouragement in her brother’s eyes. He no longer just smiled with his mouth. He smiled from the depths of his heart.
After a dinner of spaghetti, homemade sourdough bread, and veggies arranged to form an enormous caterpillar, Jen mumbled something about needing to stretch her legs. As beautiful and child friendly as Halle’s dinner spread was, Jen had been too upset to choke down more than a bite or two.
“Do you want me to join you?” Halle offered in a bright voice that sounded forced. She knew something was wrong, but she was too polite to call it what it was.
Jen shook her head and all but ran out of the house.
The last thing she heard was Halle’s murmur of distress to Owen. “Should one of us go after her?” She was ridiculously nice—a far nicer sister-in-law than Jen deserved.
“Nah.” Her brother’s voice was gentle. “Jen is the strongest person I know. She just needs to be alone right now.”
I’m not as strong as everyone thinks. That was the problem with being the older sibling by five years.
Jen had always had to look strong and act strong, even when she was shaking in her boots.
They’d been raised by a widowed single mom, who’d never remarried, so Jen had been thrown into the role of a babysitter at a very young age.
Their mother’s losing battle with breast cancer had further complicated their lives.
Somewhere along the way, Jen had forfeited her own childhood.
One of the brightest spots in her life was the friendship that had developed in high school between her, Belinda, and Logan; but Logan had dated and eventually married her best friend instead of her, leaving her alone yet again.
And now it was happening all over again with Owen’s looming second marriage.
“It’s never my turn.” She spat the words out as she stomped across the back porch of Owen’s completely adorable farmhouse.
She was destined to stand on the sidelines, cheering for everyone else’s success.
Exhaustion flooded her, seeping all the way to her soul as she trudged down the steps and walked blindly across the backyard.