30. Juno
30
Juno
Juno tugged at the hem of her cobalt blue blouse, smoothed down her black slacks, and took a deep breath. Her reflection in the rearview mirror looked presentable—professional even. The concealer she'd applied did a decent job hiding the dark circles under her eyes, and the mascara made her look more awake than she felt.
Ten days. Ten days since she'd discovered her father's betrayal, and she still hadn't managed a full night's sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the bank statement, the transactions that had emptied her account, the culmination of years of saving gone in an instant.
Yet here she was, driving to the Garden Gate B there was nothing official about the group, just an excuse to take time out of the busyness of their lives and hang out.
Unease rippled through her as she made her way to the front entrance. The sprawling Craftsman-style home had been beautifully renovated, its wraparound porch adorned with overflowing hanging baskets of petunias and ferns. On any other evening, Juno would have paused to admire Hazel's handiwork, but tonight she was too preoccupied with getting through the next few hours without falling apart.
As she approached the front door, she could hear the hum of many voices within. The door swung open before she could reach for the handle, and Penny stood there, a broad smile lighting up her face, Claire right behind her.
"You're here!" Penny exclaimed, pulling Juno into a quick hug.
"Sorry I'm late," Juno said, forcing a smile.
"Hey woman," Claire greeted her, a sly grin tugging at her lips. "We were getting worried."
"What is going on here tonight?" Juno asked as Claire linked her arm through hers.
Penny gestured for them to follow her inside, and Juno stopped short at the sight before her. The grand foyer and adjacent parlor were filled with people, what seemed like half the town of Autumn Lake. Pastor Darren chatted with Mr. and Mrs. Carrol near the fireplace. Sonya from Tip-Top Talons was listening raptly as John Jenson regaled her with one of his many construction-gone-wrong tales. She saw Trevor, who'd asked for the evening off because of some emergency, over near a buffet table that nearly buckled under the weight of dozens of homemade desserts. Even Mr. and Mrs. Frampton were there, talking with a group of other couples from church.
Juno did not see Alex or Lena, but she forced herself to stop looking for them. Why on earth would they be at the B not in front of all these people.
Penny pushed open the door to the kitchen and gestured at Juno and Claire to follow.
In the kitchen were Addison, Candy, and Liz filling more dessert platters to take out to the table. Addison rushed over when they entered and gave Juno a warm hug. "You're here. You're not mad at us, are you?"
"Of course, I am," Juno shot back, her voice husky around the lump in her throat. "I hate you all."
Liz rolled her eyes. "And we hate you, too. See how much?" She waved the spatula she wielded in a gesture meant to encompass the entire event.
Candy dropped a frosted cupcake upside down on the platter she was filling, picked it up, then brought it over to Juno. "Here. Eat this. Cupcakes are magic that way, and I can't serve it now." She practically forced Juno to take it, then licked the frosting off her own fingers before heading to the sink to wash her hands. "Wow. That's tasty frosting."
To give herself time to process, Juno took a too-big bite and chewed slowly. It was a sour cream coffee cake base with a maple frosting; it really was delicious.
When she finally swallowed and accepted the cup of coffee Penny poured for her, she looked around the room at her friends. Her crazy, best-of-intentions friends. She pressed her hand to her heart and thought how very fortunate she was to have these women in her life.
"Thank you," she managed to say, her voice cracking. "I don't know how you found out—yes, I do. It's a small town, isn't it?" She chuckled ruefully. "But thank you for putting this together. I don't hate you."
"We love you, too," Liz shot back, her tone still dry, but there was an uncharacteristic tenderness in the way she looked at Juno.
Claire drew closer. "It was Alex's idea."
"Alex?" The single word came out sharper than Juno intended.
Claire nodded. "He found out from John Jensen when you had to put off your renovation."
Juno clapped a palm to her forehead. What had she been thinking? Of course, Alex would be one of the first to know; he worked for the company. "Why… why would he do this?" she asked quietly, shame and regret radiating through her. "I've been such a jerk to him."
Penny sighed and pulled her into a hug. She was so gentle, so kind, so when she simply asked, "Was it your father? Did he steal from you?" it was almost jarring in its directness.
But that's when the tears started. Tears of grief and shame over what a fool she'd been not to see him as clearly as everyone else had, but also tears of relief at not having to carry the weight of his betrayal alone anymore. Juno pulled away and grabbed a napkin off the counter, pressing it to her eyes carefully so as not to smudge her makeup. Her friends, in an almost synchronized motion, circled around her, huddling close.
"You guys remind me of elephants," Juno sobbed, loving them even more than she had only moments before.
"Elephants," Candy echoed, chuckling, but also sounding slightly offended.
"In the best way," Juno clarified, grinning through her tears. "I saw this show the other night. Sitting all alone in my apartment by myself. Alone."
"By yourself with no one else; yes," Liz clarified. "I think we got it."
Candy hip-checked her cousin, but Liz only laughed.
"This baby elephant was being attacked by a lion," Juno went on, feeling the love and support of her friends in a way she never truly had before. "And all the other elephants circled up around the little guy and ran the lion off."
"Well, if your father walked in right now, I'd run him off," Claire retorted, and the others echoed the sentiment.
Just then, the kitchen door swung open, and Alex entered with Lena, his hand resting protectively on his daughter's shoulder. He cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt. Uh… Hazel said you were in here. Lena wanted to say 'hi.'"
"Juno!" The little girl broke away from her father and darted between the women to wrap her arms around Juno's waist in a fierce hug. "I'm so glad I get to see you tonight! Daddy said you were busy with your daddy, but I just missed you so much."
Juno returned the embrace, her throat tight with emotion. "I've missed you too, sweetheart."
She looked up to find Alex still in the doorway, keeping his distance both physically and emotionally. Gone was the easy confidence he usually wore; in its place, an uncertainty that mirrored her own inner turmoil.
Claire observed the silent exchange between them and leaned down to Lena. "Hey sweetie, have you seen the dessert table yet? Mrs. Poleman made those rainbow cupcakes you love so much."
Lena's eyes widened. "Really?" Turning to Alex, she asked, "Daddy, can I go get a rainbow cupcake?"
Claire winked at Juno over Lena's head, then led the girl away, Candy and Addison following closely after them. At the door, Candy stopped and turned back to Liz, who had returned to her stool at the counter and looked like she was just settling in for the duration.
"Get your butt moving, cuz," Candy ordered.
Liz made a big show of being disappointed. "And just when things were starting to get juicy." As she passed by Juno, she leaned in and said in a low voice loud enough for them all to hear, "Good luck, baby elephant." When she approached Alex, who still stood almost blocking the door, she gave him a not-so-gentle shove in Juno's direction, and she followed the others out of the room.
For a long moment, neither Alex nor Juno spoke. Then Juno held out her hand to him, surprising both of them with the gesture. "We need to talk," she said, her voice barely audible. "But not here."
Alex nodded, his fingers closing gently around hers. "Lead the way."
Juno lead him across the kitchen to the back door that opened into Hazel's private garden. The evening air with the breeze off the water was cool after the warmth of the crowded B like I purposely came between her and Daniel."
"You purposely came between Lena and Daniel, is what you did, Alex," Juno countered, straightening up and turning so she could see his face. She kept hold of his hand in her lap. "You are looking out for the best interest of your daughter, and if she can't see that, then you have all the more reason to not compromise. It sounds like a terrible situation for a young girl." Juno felt herself getting worked up. "Sorry. I'm sorry," she said, squeezing his hand. "I just care about her, too. And you."
"I know," Alex said, smiling. "Right now, all I can do is keep track of phone calls and text messages coming and going and wait for Howard to do his thing. I'm doing my best to not let it get to me, for Lena's sake, especially. I don't want her stressing out about this. She tells me every night at bedtime that she misses Melissa, but she still doesn't want to go to Greece. I know she wants me to promise her that I won't let that happen." He paused, like he was trying to decide if he should admit something or not. Then he shrugged one shoulder. "I know I'm not supposed to promise her anything at this point, but I'm not going to let it happen, Juno. And I've told her so."
Juno cupped his face and looked him in the eyes. "Good for you," she said. "Is there anything I can do to help? I could testify about what a great father you are."
"That might help." A small smile touched his lips. "Howard said character witnesses will be important. I've got a growing list of people lining up to do so, but if you want to join the gang, the more the merrier. We can swarm the bench."
"Count me in." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "But my name better be at the top of any list you have from here on out, you hear?"
Alex kissed her back, but took his time. "Yes, boss," he said when he pulled back enough to look her in the eyes.
"Hmm," she hummed. "I like the sound of that."
"Me, too," he concurred, pulling her into his side again.
"Alex?" she said after several moments.
"Yes, June-bug?"
"I think we're better together than we are apart. I want to be here for you and Lena, the way you've been here for me."
"I agree," he said softly, pressing a kiss to her temple.
"And speaking of Lena and facing things together," she said, letting a note of resignation seep into her voice. "I think we should probably head back inside and face the music."
"Probably." He sounded equally reluctant.
A small gasp drew their attention to the garden path where Lena stood, a look of absolute delight on her face.
"I knew it!" she exclaimed, bouncing on her toes. "I told Grandma you two were gonna be kissing out here!"
Alex laughed and got to his feet, pulling Juno up with him. "Were you spying on us, Lena-bug?"
"No! Well, maybe a little." She skipped forward, unrepentant. "Claire sent me to find you because people want to see Juno."
Juno stood and opened her arms, and Lena ran into them without hesitation. Over the child's head, she met Alex's gaze, seeing in his eyes the same wonder she felt—that somehow, despite all the missteps and misunderstandings, they'd found their way to this moment, to each other.
"Shall we?" Alex asked, holding out his hand to his daughter.
Lena took it, then grabbed Juno's, and the three of them made their way back inside. Juno felt lighter than she had in days. The road ahead wouldn't be easy, she knew. She still had financial setbacks to overcome, trust to rebuild, fears to face. But she didn't have to do any of it alone. Not anymore.
The people waiting inside, they were her strength, her elephant family. The thought made her want to laugh with joy.
And the man beside her, along with the delightful child he was fighting to protect, offered her a second chance at something she'd thought she'd lost forever.