Chapter 6 #3
Taylor gave his mom’s hand a squeeze. He swallowed a lump in his throat.
He hadn’t anticipated how holding her hand would affect him as much as it did right now.
He’d given his parents a hug last night when he finally made it home, but this felt different.
He pushed away the regret of the events he’d missed, like a surprise party for his dad or the last seven Christmases.
The waiter appeared with a plate of fruit for the table and the moment passed. Mom took a wedge of honeydew and slid it to her husband’s plate all the while discussing how the Strawberry Festival pie eating contest yesterday had ended in a food fight.
Taylor and Chelsey used to share their food when they dated. Chelsey liked onions, he didn’t; she was allergic to bananas, strawberries made his mouth itch; she liked fries and Taylor liked tater tots. She liked chocolate—
Dad cleared his throat and both parents grew still. Taylor’s stomach dropped at their expressions. Maybe now he’d find out why Dad so nervous.
“We need to talk to you about something,” Mom said as Dad nodded.
Taylor leaned forward, his heart pounding. His parents were still young but not getting younger. Was one of them sick? “Is everything all right?”
“Well…” Dad started, then glanced at Mom before he took her hand in his.
“Um.” Suddenly, Mom’s face relaxed and she laughed. “Let’s just tell him, Gerry.”
“Son—”
“Oh, man. Are you two pregnant?” So many thoughts whipped through Taylor’s head that he felt dizzy.
There’d be twenty-five years between him and this baby.
It would be like a whole different family.
Should he come home and help? This wasn’t an event he could miss, unlike a fiftieth birthday surprise or a funeral.
Missing Rhonda Hooper’s funeral was one of the biggest regrets of his life.
Mom looked mortified then threw her head back and laughed. “No. Oh my word. What your dad and I are trying to say, or what we want to ask—”
“We’d like to visit you for a few weeks in Singapore.” Dad’s words came out in a rush.
“Um, what?” This conversation and Taylor’s thoughts were giving him whiplash.
“Think you can take time out of work to play tour guide to two old people?”
“Speak for yourself, dear,” Mom said with a grin. “I’m still younger than you.”
“You’ll always be younger and more beautiful.” Dad kissed Mom.
“I, uh, yes.” Taylor finally got his bearings.
What was he saying? He slapped both palms on the table, startling both of his parents.
“Of course, you can come. Tell me your dates and I’ll show you the best places.
” Ideas started whirling through his head.
If Taylor could show them his favorite spots, they’d know how much he loved where he lived and worked and maybe they wouldn’t worry about him so much.
They’d be able to visualize where he lived when they did their video calls.
“I have to warn you, though.” Taylor waited a long moment until his parents leaned forward the slightest bit. “You may never want to leave.”
His parents gushed about places they wanted to see. After a few minutes Dad blurted. “We have more news.”
“You really are pregnant?”
“No. I’m not running for mayor this fall.”
Taylor sat back and tried not to look surprised. He’d guessed it. “That’s too bad. Six is a nice round number.”
Dad put his arm around Mom’s shoulders. “Now that I’m retiring, I want to spend every moment with my sweetheart.”
They leaned toward each other, as if to kiss again, and Taylor covered his eyes. “Please stop making out in public.”
“Taylor Andrew Compton.” Mom flicked him on the hand.
TAYLOR ROLLED DOWN the Escalade’s windows to enjoy the morning air as he drove to The Gathering Place.
His parents insisted he turn in his rental car and use theirs until he flew home.
He still couldn’t believe they wanted to travel internationally.
As far as he recalled, his parents had never left the States.
This adventure would open them up to a whole new world.
There was so much to see and eat and learn outside of Colorado.
The song on his playlist changed and the opening notes stopped Taylor. The words reminded him of the first time he held Chelsey’s hand in tenth grade.
Take me in, take a look
We’re just strangers in a story we once wrote
But something sparks like it never left
Taylor parked at the GP and closed his eyes. He allowed the melody and memories to wash over him.
So why does my chest go tight in my throat
Whenever your name lights up my mind?
Yeah, whenever your name lights up my mind
When the final notes drifted through the quiet of the car Taylor still hadn’t moved.
What was he doing here? The more time he spent with Chelsey, the harder it would be to leave.
He could leave this parking lot right now, go back to his parents’ house and not be missed.
His job with the city was over. The money would be in his bank account by the end of next week. Nothing kept him here, right?
It would be easier on him and his heart if he left now.
All he had to do was change his plane ticket and leave tomorrow.
But, if he left tomorrow, he had to say good-bye to Chelsey face-to-face.
Not by a text, like before. Taylor pinched the bridge of his nose.
He couldn’t run away; he wouldn’t run away.
He would finish off the OSHA list, tell her goodbye with a hug and that would be the end of it.
He’d spend Sunday with his parents and fly home to Singapore Monday morning as planned.
A minivan pulled in front of Taylor’s car and a whole troop of girls in sparkly red tutus piled out, one after another after another, making Taylor chuckle. He ran ahead and opened the door for them. They hurried through, giggling and leaping on their way to the ballroom.
“Thank you,” said their harassed coach as she passed Taylor. “Do you want to adopt a couple dozen children?”
“I’m good, thanks.” He started to follow when someone called out to him.
“Could you hold the door?”
Taylor turned to the familiar voice. “Annie?”
“Taylor, as I live and breathe. I’d give you a hug, but I’ve got my hands full.” Annie lifted a couple of totes to prove her point.
“Let me take those.” He took the totes and held the door for the couple of teenagers who were in a wagon with more totes and boxes.
“Thank you, my dear. My helpers are bringing in the rest.” Annie turned around. “Right?”
“Yeah, Mom. We got it,” one of the teens said in a bored voice.
Annie rolled her eyes as she passed Taylor. “God loves them.”
He glanced around the area: The tutu girls were practicing in one of the corners; the chief of police stood on a make-shift stage practicing his lines as the emcee; someone was working on centerpieces.
The totes were getting heavy. He continued to the kitchen and asked Annie if she needed help topping strawberries. It’d been several years since he volunteered during Strawberry Days, but he figured it was like getting back on a bike—muscle memory would prevail.
“Oh, thank you, Taylor.” Annie patted his arm. “I’m paying my kids and their friends to come in the afternoon after school and get started.”
Taylor chuckled as the teens reassured their mom in the same bored voice that all would be there.
“Hey, Annie.”
Taylor’s heart did a little stutter at the sound of Chelsey’s voice.
He peeked around the catering supplies to find Chelsey opening one of the totes that sat on the floor by her feet.
Any thoughts of teens or helping Annie fled when Chelsey glanced up and caught his gaze.
She looked cute in her harried way—her dark hair was a little messy, her button-down shirt wrinkled and her nose scrunched up in concentration.
Chelsey looked away and rubbed the back of her neck. She hurried to open another tote.
Annie, totally oblivious to the tension in the kitchen, asked Taylor to set the box he still held on to the counter behind him.
Chelsey bent over the contents, studiously ignoring him.
If not for the spot of color creeping up Chelsey’s neck when he smiled at her, he would’ve thought she hadn’t noticed him yet.
Now that he’d committed to staying in Juniper a little longer and helping Chelsey, he needed to let her know so that the awkwardness between the two of them could be put to rest. He’d also let her know ahead of time when he was leaving town.
“Hey, Chels?” Taylor stepped closer to her. “Can we talk?”
A quick blast on a tuba made both of them jump and laugh, effectively cutting off all conversations.
Chelsey glanced over at the girl holding the tuba on stage. “We won’t be able to have a conversation at a normal decibel here, since she is going to practice the high school fight song.”
Taylor winced. “On a tuba?”
“Yup. She even changed the key and everything on her own…” Chelsey’s words drifted off as her gaze shifted. “I’ve got to stop those girls from jumping on the furniture.”
Chelsey pivoted and walked over to the tutu girls, stopping one of them from climbing on the couch. Something Chelsey said to them made them giggle before they all crowded around her for a hug.
Taylor’s eyes followed Chelsey as she made her way around the ballroom, giving an encouraging word or two to the volunteers as well as those on the program.
Chelsey was unquestionably good at what she did, but more than running an event, Chelsey Hooper was a people person and a leader; this was her territory, and he wanted to help her succeed.
It would ease his conscience about leaving again.
He decided right then to stay in Juniper Valley until the event was over.