Chapter 7
After Jackson had dropped them off and Malcom helped her into her cottage, Josie had sent Malcolm away. The thought of him hovering over her when she looked a mess only made her even more upset. She could hobble around just fine by hanging onto the furniture. Being an invalid wasn't her thing.
“Call me if you need anything.” Standing in her doorway, Malcolm clearly had second thoughts about leaving.
“I'll be fine. Pick me up in an hour or so and we can head to Open Hearth.” Her words seemed to work.
She watched him drive away in his jeep. Josie wished that she didn't love spending time with him like this.
The situation was a double-edged sword. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to be with him.
When had she ever felt so cared for? His advice about not running alone had both irritated and touched her. Malcolm was concerned about her. And when she fell? Maybe she would have done it earlier just to feel his hands efficiently checking for injuries. How bad was that?
They were friends. That’s all this was. Shoulders slumping Josie limped inside. No matter what Emily said, being more than Malcolm's friend was probably never going to happen.
Looking around at all the unopened Christmas boxes in her living room, she sighed.
The large green bag that held the parts of an artificial tree loomed in the corner.
Now she wished she had tackled that on Thanksgiving weekend, like a lot of other people.
Maybe this year their tree in the library would have to do.
And then there was one at Victoria's Pantry to enjoy.
The Open Hearth would have one too. How would she ever manage to decorate her tree? She was dreaming.
But now she had to do something about her ankle.
After icing her ankle, she wrapped an ace bandage around it.
This wasn't the first time she’d injured herself jogging.
In her closet was a pair of crutches she'd used in the past. She got them out.
By the time Malcolm arrived to pick her up, she was sitting on her front porch with her crutches.
Christmas carols were playing on his radio when he helped her inside.
“What are your plans for Christmas?” she asked as they drove toward Amblebury. “Going back to New York, I suppose.”
“Heck no, I just got here.” She caught his eyes in the rearview mirror. They were filled with disbelief.
“But it’s the holiday season.” He couldn't be serious. Engaged but not going home?
Malcolm hitched up a shoulder and shifted gears. “My mother is used to me doing my own thing.”
“You mean, like your stint in the ?”
That made Malcolm laugh and she did love his laugh. “That's pretty much what I meant,” he said, with a rueful grin. “She wasn't too excited about that.”
“You mean she didn't approve?”
“That's putting it mildly. My mother and I are often at odds. Time has taught me that much.”
Yet you let her choose your fiancée? Good thing she didn't say that out loud.
“And of course when I came back…” But here his laughter stopped. “She's helped me out a lot.”
She turned to look at him. “You mean when you came back and your mother set you up with Darcy?” Although she’d only met Malcolm’s mother once when she’d visited Sweetwater Creek for Malcolm’s birthday, Josie’s impression had been that Aurelia Sutter was one strong-willed woman.
She’d seemed puzzled by Sweetwater Creek. What was her son doing here?
His forehead wrinkled. “Yeah, that was one thing that happened. Seeing Darcy again. We went to high school together and dated for a while. After we chose different colleges, that pretty much ended it. But now we've had a chance to catch up. And that's been nice.”
Nice. Josie sure hope that being engaged––when miracle of miracles, she ever did become engaged––would be a lot more exciting than nice.
She wanted a dizzying, exciting engagement that felt like a merging of two souls.
And the groom? Josie longed for the sweet certainty of knowing that her future was with the man who would be the father of her children.
As thoughts coursed through her mind, she couldn’t even look at Malcolm.
How would she ever get past him? “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas” was playing on the radio and Josie tried to get into the mood. The Christmas classic was such a joyful, bouncy tune. But she didn't feel joyful or bouncy. The pain in her ankle was holding her hostage.
Or maybe it was the pain in her heart.
“So how's the planning for the wedding coming?” Josie asked once she had her head together again.
This time Malcolm's chuckle was more of a snort. “I really lucked out. Darcy's taking care of the wedding planning. Well, Darcy and my mother.”
Did all grooms feel this way? Maybe. “You're just going to walk into the picture?”
Instead of answering her, he turned up the volume. The old Christmas song “Silver Bells” had come on. Something about city sidewalks, busy sidewalks. Maybe Malcolm liked hearing about busy cities at Christmas time. That would be his life at some point.
“Are you thinking of living in New York?” She might only have him at the library for six months or so. Hadn't he mentioned a summer wedding? Hiring him may have been only a short-term solution.
“Oh no. We're going to live here.” He sounded amazed that she’d even asked.
Josie took a deep gulp. Although she hadn't met Darcy yet, the possibility of having her around made her feel nauseated. “Will she be visiting Sweetwater Creek soon to see if she likes the town?”
“I suppose so. The wedding isn’t till summer. We have lots of time.”
Lots of time. Lots of agonizing time for Josie.
Then her chin went up. Wasn't she a woman with a plan? Emily's advice rang in her ears. When she’d gotten home after her jogging incident, she’d ordered different mascara and eye liner online.
Maybe the second time would be the charm.
Josie had been horrified when she’d limped into the bathroom and saw her raccoon eyes in the mirror.
They’d reached Amblebury. Gearing down, they drove along the main street of small shops and restaurants.
Christmas decorations packed every window and prancing reindeer danced overhead.
The clinic was easy to find. On its wide porch people sat in rockers, visiting with each other.
Many held cups of coffee. “This looks like a friendly place,” Malcolm said with a smile.
“Derek’s done a great job.” And although she hated to admit it, Victoria had too. Josie has been amazed at what the clinic had done for Victoria. Or maybe it was loving Derek that had brought the entitled owner of Victoria’s Pantry to a recognition that life was about more than shopping.
Malcolm parked along the street. Coming around the front of the pickup, he opened the door and helped ease her from the front seat.
Every time he touched her, she melted a little more.
Handing her the crutches, he kept his head down.
As they climbed the stairs to the porch, Josie took it slowly with Malcolm steadying her.
Josie was pleased to see that she recognized a few people on the porch, including Big Mac and his dog Friskie.
Big Mac had become the unofficial greeter for the clinic.
Seeing them, he jumped up to open the door.
Once inside, Josie waved to Phyllis, the manager. It was still lunchtime and sandwiches were arranged on trays, along with bags of chips. Pitchers of lemonade sat at the end of the table. “So I hear one of your helpers came down with something,” Josie said as she drew closer, her crutches thumping.
Her hair a fuzzy mess, Phyllis nodded. “A bad case of the flu.
I really appreciate you helping out. Our weekends are so busy, especially with the holidays coming up.
People seem to need more…of everything. And we don't have a lot of backups.” Josie did some quick introductions, while Malcolm eyed the place.
A Christmas tree stood in the corner, hung with construction paper ornaments.
She'd forgotten about those Christmas Wishes. At the top of the tree stood a straw star. Red ribbons cascaded from the star down the front of the tree. After Victoria started volunteering, she’d initiated the tradition of Christmas Wishes.
All of the clients wrote their gift wishes on one of the construction paper ornaments.
Then they hung the ornament on the tree.
Those wishes were taken to Victoria's Pantry, where her customers eagerly snapped them up and got shopping.
Today the tree bristled with colorful construction paper ornaments. “Looks like you're continuing the Christmas Wishes tradition.”
Smiling, Phyllis glanced over at the tree. “You bet. But those wishes have to be taken to Sweetwater Creek to make them come true. Victoria's been so busy.”
“I'd be happy to do that today. I'll take them over when I leave.”
“Are you sure?” Phyllis glanced at her crutches. “Looks like you had an accident.”
“Don't be silly. Gathering these paper ornaments is no big deal.”
Phyllis glanced over at Malcolm, who shrugged. “Don't look at me. I learned a long time ago that you can't tell this woman what to do.” But he was teasing and Josie, to her embarrassment, loved it. “I'll help her.”
In no time at all Malcolm was spooning pasta salad onto plates.
He was a natural at greeting people, singing along to “Jingle Bells,” which was playing somewhere.
Despite protests from both Phyllis and Malcolm, Josie insisted on doing the dishes.
She figured she could lean against the sink and not put weight on her foot.
Because they had no dishwasher, plates were piled high in that kitchen.
Tying on one of the long white aprons, Josie got to work. Christmas carols kept playing and she could feel her shoulders relax as she listened to “Silent Night,” and then “O, Holy Night.” Wasn't this season all about peace and love?