9. Chapter Eight #2
Benjamin looked slightly embarrassed. “Yes, darlin’, we knew that.”
Caroline’s shoulders drooped with disappointment that she hadn’t shared some new revelation. Unfortunately, she wasn’t done. “So, how come you’re not anymore, Miss Ellie?”
And just like that, my cheeks lit up. I had no idea how to answer that.
The truth wasn’t exactly a great dinner topic. How did I tell the sweet thing that, “Your grandparents hated me, and your uncle dumped me for a beauty queen?”
Thankfully, Kendra stepped in. “Caroline, I don’t think that’s something Miss Ellie wants to talk about.”
Caroline didn’t let this deter her. She turned those wide green eyes on me. “But don’t you like Uncle Brady? He told me he really likes you.”
“Of course I like him,” I said gently.
“Then you can be his girlfriend.”
I wanted to tell her, If that’s all it took, I’d sign up in a heartbeat. Did that make me foolish? Probably. But I could never forget what it was like to be loved by him. A boy who, at times, loved us enough for the both of us.
But I didn’t say any of those things to her. Because I loved her innocence—and I hoped she’d carry it with her for as long as possible.
I hoped she’d grow up believing love was simple, without ridiculous rules.
That she could marry the person who made her heart skip without worrying whose heart she was bruising in the process.
That she’d never be hated by her husband’s family.
And never have to see the man she loved love someone else.
Anyway . . .
“Caroline, let’s talk about something else, darlin’,” her daddy said, stroking her head.
That worked for me.
Kendra and Benjamin both gave me a look—equal parts apology and compassion.
I smiled to say, It’s okay.
Caroline broke the silence. “Okay, how about puppies?”
I laughed, caught off guard. So did her parents.
Benjamin steered gently. “How about we talk about Miss Ellie’s aunt?”
Caroline shrugged, interest already fading as dinner settled in.
I straightened, waiting. I was all ears.
Benjamin set down his silverware and looked over at me.
“So, Ellie . . . When I came back here over seven years ago to take over as bank president, the economy was in a nosedive. The bank was losing more money than it was making. People were defaulting left and right. Reserves were dwindling. We couldn’t lend to people who were financially stable because we didn’t have the liquidity.
But we held on that first year. Barely.”
“But your aunt? She’s sharp. And her funds—now yours, too—make up a substantial part of our reserves.
Back then, her accounts were the only thing keeping the bank afloat.
She knew that. And she made the decision to move her money.
It was her right. But that move would’ve forced us to dissolve the bank and sell off whatever assets we had left. ”
I sat back, stunned. “I had no idea.”
Benjamin gave a half-hearted smile. “I don’t blame her. If I were in her shoes, I might’ve done the same thing. But I’ll say this—and I hope it doesn’t offend you—I think it gave her a certain . . . satisfaction, knowing the weight she carried.”
“I can only imagine.”
“Yes, well,” Benjamin said, “I’ll admit—I was ungracious toward your aunt at first, given the history between our families.”
I set my fork down.
Excuse me?
The history? You mean the history of Jackson men being unfaithful to Eaton women? Or the one where you all teamed up and broke me and Brady for good?
I think the coldness in my eyes gave my thoughts away.
“Please, Ellie,” Benjamin said quickly. “That came out wrong.”
Kendra touched my arm. “Ellie, what my idiot of a husband means is—he realized how wrong he’d been. Especially regarding you.”
Regarding me? “How did that come about?” I asked carefully but curiously.
Benjamin cleared his throat, choosing each word as if it might bite back.
“Well, during all of that uncertainty, I met Kendra. She was helping Brady rehab some torn ligaments at the time. Let’s just say she wasn’t exactly my parents’ idea of a suitable match.”
Kendra rolled her eyes. “What he means is—they’d have hated me if they’d known we were seeing each other.”
“Mommy, Grammy and Grandpop don’t hate you.”
“Of course not, honey.”
Kendra glanced at Benjamin, and they exchanged one of those subtle married looks—this wasn’t a conversation for a five-year-old.
“Maybe we can talk about how we got together later,” Kendra offered gently.
“Good idea,” Benjamin agreed.
Then he turned back to me, tone soft. “Ellie, I owe you a huge apology.”
“It’s not necessary,” I said, almost by habit. “It was a long time ago.”
“For some of us,” he murmured, “it’s not that long ago.”
“I keep hearing that,” I said with a tight smile.
Benjamin didn’t push further, and thankfully, dinner took a lighter turn. The rest of the conversation was delightfully centered around puppies—Caroline’s Christmas dream clearly alive and well. She had her work cut out for her.
After we cleared the table, Benjamin played Candy Land with Caroline while I helped Kendra in the kitchen. I was glad for the moment alone with her. I really liked her—smart, warm, and clearly no stranger to Jackson drama.
As I rinsed dishes, I couldn’t help but ask, “Kendra, I have to know, what grand pageant did you win to overcome your Auburn heritage?”
She laughed heartily. “You wouldn’t catch me dead in a pageant.”
I nearly dropped the plate I was rinsing. “So you broke rules one and two?”
She stopped laughing. “I can’t stand those rules.”
“Yeah, me too,” I whispered.
“I bet you can’t.”
“Well, at least your last name isn’t Eaton.”
She gave me a look like I was someone to be pitied. “Can I tell you something, Ellie?”
“Sure.”
We dried our hands, and she guided me to the island stools. I sat, and she took the one beside me.
“When I met Brady—”
So much for not thinking about him tonight.
“—he surprised me. I thought, ‘Here’s a guy who should be on top of the world.’ A top-ranked athlete. Dating Miss Alabama.”
I cringed at the mention of Amber.
“Yeah,” Kendra said. “I feel the same way about her.”
“I knew I liked you.” I smiled.
She smiled back—wide, warm. “But you know what? He was . . . melancholy. Except when he talked about a girl he used to know with gray eyes.”
“He talked about me?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What did he say?”
“Oh, random things. If I wore Auburn gear, he’d say, ‘Ellie would love that.’ If one of your favorite songs came on, he’d mention it.
But when Amber showed her true colors? That’s when he finally told me how he really felt.
At least with words. Truth is, he didn’t need to tell me.
I saw it in his eyes every time your name came up. ”
A tear escaped before I could stop it. I wiped it away quickly.
I didn’t want to hear this. Not now. It was too much. Too confusing. How could he still love me and be with Amber?
She patted my hand. “After his leg broke, I thought I’d walk into that first appointment with a man even more sullen than before.
But he surprised me. He was happy. The happiest I’d ever seen him.
It was like the weight of the world had finally slid off his shoulders.
But the light in his eyes? I didn’t see that until yesterday—when he dropped off Caroline. ”
“Well, he loves Caroline.”
“Oh, I know you’re smarter than that. Yes, he loves her—and he’s the best uncle—but, Ellie, you have to know how he feels about you.”
“Kendra, I’m sure Brady has fond memories of me. But that’s all it is—memories.”
“I know you don’t believe that.”
“Why would I believe anything else? Have you ever loved someone who left you? Acted like you’d never existed? Then watched him fall for the one person he swore he could never care about? He was engaged to her, Kendra. So, tell me why I should believe anything different?”
I hadn’t meant to get upset. I barely knew this woman. And I was a guest in her home.
My voice was raised, my tears were falling—both things I’d been raised to avoid.
Definitely not ladylike. Not the Eaton way.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, meeting her wide, gentle eyes. “I should probably go.”
She didn’t hesitate. She stood, wrapped her arms around me.
That broke me.
I cried harder.
“It’s okay, Ellie,” she said softly. “You have every right to be upset.”
“It was a long time ago,” I whispered. “Why can’t I get over him?”
I hadn’t expected her to answer. That kind of question didn’t have an answer.
She sat back down and handed me a tissue. “Maybe you’re not meant to.”
I dabbed my cheeks, trying to smirk through it. “Well. Spinsterhood it is then.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “You know, I have a brother-in-law who’d be happy to solve that problem.”
“Oh, Kendra, don’t you see? Brady and I can never be together.”
“Why? Because he was forced to make a terrible decision when he was a kid?”
I raised an eyebrow. “He was forced to get engaged?”
“Okay, maybe ‘forced’ is too strong—but definitely coerced. You have no idea the pressure his parents—especially his mother—put on him. And Amber was . . . extremely manipulative. Ellie, he didn’t love her.”
“None of this makes sense. Even if it did, it wouldn’t change the fact that his parents hate me. Did you see how they looked at me today?”
“Yes,” she said matter-of-factly. “But if you and Brady get back together, I’ll no longer be the least favorite.”
I laughed—really laughed. She joined me.
Benjamin walked in as our laughter faded. “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing,” Kendra replied breezily. “I was just trying to get Ellie to sacrifice herself, so I won’t be the black sheep in your family anymore.”
Benjamin wrapped his arms around her from behind. “My parents like you,” he said.
Kendra rolled her eyes.
I really liked her.
Caroline joined us just then, wrapped in bright purple footie pajamas, impossibly adorable. She came right up to me, arms reaching.
I scooped her into my lap.
“Will you read me a story and tuck me into bed?” she asked, snuggling against me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“I would love to,” I said, looking to her parents for permission.
They both smiled and nodded.
Caroline led me to her room—a bright explosion of personality. Bunk beds with zebra-striped comforters. Walls painted bubblegum pink—except one chalkboard wall covered in doodles. Lots of puppies. Of course.
I couldn’t help but grin.
She handed me three books. Aunt Calliope and Jane in Paris. Aunt Calliope and Jane in Rome. And my newest— Aunt Calliope and Jane in London.
We snuggled up and read them in order, from croissants to Big Ben.
Every giggle. Every gasp. She was laughing at things I’d created— me . It was surreal. Amazing even.
When I closed the last book, she looked up at me, serious. “How come Aunt Calliope wouldn’t let Jane take the crown the Queen wanted to give her for saving the castle?”
I smiled. “Well, Aunt Calliope wanted Jane to know she didn’t need a crown to feel important. Because Jane’s special just by being Jane. It’s what’s inside us that counts.”
She beamed at me, then kneeled beside her bed to pray.
I tried not to laugh when she prayed for puppies. And babies.
Then—
“I pray that Uncle Brady and Miss Ellie will be boyfriend and girlfriend. That would make me so happy.”
What was I supposed to do with this girl?
She wrapped her little arms around my neck and squeezed. I hugged her tight and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, Caroline.”
“Goodnight, Miss Ellie.”
I reached for the light switch.
“Wait!”
I turned.
“Will you come to show and tell and read to my class?”
“I would love to.”
“ Oooo , I can’t wait to tell my friends tomorrow!”
“Sweet dreams.”
I meant it. I seriously loved that girl, and she deserved the sweetest of all dreams. And to think—I could have been her aunt. What a dream that would have been.