Chapter 11
Eleven
JACK
Jack watched Heidi walk across the yard back to his grandmother’s home and couldn’t help but marvel at the ornery woman who captured his thoughts.
She was headstrong, persnickety, and incredibly aggressive at trying to take control of things – or so he picked up from their conversations.
In fact, she was quick to correct him or anyone, putting them back in their place, and that is kinda what caught his attention to begin with.
Sure, she was gorgeous – but it was that fire, that spark, that kept him wishing for more.
Even tonight, he expected her to slam his suggestion into the ground or expected her to chew him out once they were out of earshot of his grandmother… because it had been his idea about the closed-down shop in town. It was a desperate move, but at the same time – exceedingly smart.
He had to act quickly in order to get Heidi to stay long enough to get to know him, while at the same time giving his grandmother something to look forward to, something to get her up and moving about instead of just sitting there, in the silence.
She’d gone from a fierce and feisty woman to a painfully lonely one, making him wonder if bringing her to live with him had been the wrong idea after all.
After his mother had died from breast cancer and his father had drunk himself into an early grave, his grandmother was all he had left.
Heck, even his Great-Aunt Ruby – whom he wasn’t very close to – had passed away in Yonder.
No, his circle of family was getting smaller and smaller, and someday, it would be just him.
Sighing heavily, Jack stood there still thinking while the crickets continued to sing around him in the distance.
He’d bought this place on a whim several years ago, wanting to bring Mimi to live with him…
and wanting to find someone to settle down with, except everywhere he looked, it was people he already knew.
Sure, he could have done one of those dating services or moved out to Tyler, but things were so different from the stories that people used to talk about.
Fate had been a bustling town long ago, according to his grandmother, and he remembered his parents talking about how they met at the berry festival – but they hadn’t really had one in years.
It was almost like they were all waiting for a spark to ignite a fire within all of them.
There used to be celebrations, town hall get-togethers, garage sale days, harvest festivals, and even a snow carnival – according to his parents and his grandparents…
but for the life of him, he could barely remember any of it.
He’d been a young boy at the last berry festival, and his memories were fuzzy at that.
Driving by today in his patrol car, he’d seen his truck in front of the building, and it brought a smile to his face.
Just like the look he’d exchanged with his grandmother over Heidi’s head as she’d been making that egg gravy that Mimi loved so much.
His brief talk with Mimi before Heidi joined them had taken root in her mind and flourished.
When he’d finished his route, he saw the truck was still there; that’s when he decided to pick up dinner for everyone.
“And now we’re dating,” he whispered aloud in wonder, smiling. “Will wonders never cease…?”
Chuckling, he shook his head and straightened up the rockers before heading inside.
As he stepped inside, Jack took a hard look at the emptiness and disrepair of the home once more, realizing that this was the home of a lonely bachelor…
and that was anything but what he was hoping for – especially with Heidi – and immediately went back to work despite the late hour.
The next morning, Jack was on patrol – again.
He knew people in town probably thought this was corny, but just seeing the police cars created a sense of awareness and safety in the community.
It wasn’t like they were a town full of strangers; heck, he grew up with most of what was left of the population around his age…
and what was a little older than him probably was his babysitter at one point or another.
There were even a few he couldn’t look in the face because they’d seen him skinny-dippin’ with Rory, Everett, and Tommy at one point.
“The good ol’ days…” he sighed, smiling as his car glided slowly along the town streets despite the cobblestones in places… and he hesitated.
Cobblestones.
The Square.
Heidi.
Turning left, he pulled onto the main road, and immediately, his eyes sought out the café.
Sure enough, he could see Heidi’s shadow in the window, standing on a stepladder, removing the old newspaper and scraping at the tape with a tool.
She was working her butt off to get things moving in the right direction, putting her everything into opening this place…
just like he figured she would. The woman had gumption and wasn’t a quitter – even running away from her past, it was on her terms, and he had to respect that.
I wanna help, he thought suddenly – and frowned. Heidi would immediately balk at him showing up, plus he was on patrol… and he had a habit of his own construction projects at the house snowballing into a bigger mess. Yeah, maybe she didn’t need ‘hands-on’ assistance, but…
It hit him.
“Everett…”
The word escaped him with a knowing chuckle, causing Jack to immediately turn down the next alleyway behind Dottie’s little grocery.
He drove cautiously around back, where the dumpster was, making sure he didn’t nail someone head-on taking the trash out.
Yeah, that would not be a pleasant start to anyone's morning – and he was on a mission now.
Driving toward the Sweet Farm where Everett grew up, memories flared to the forefront again.
Things had come to a crawling stop here in Fate – and it hurt to see his beloved hometown fading away into nothingness.
Maybe Heidi was right, and things were passing them by, but wasn’t that part of the charm?
There were many times when he could have used a cell phone to text someone or to get a hold of Mimi, but it was like people were used to doing without or stuck in the past. There was nothing wrong with that feeling, those memories, but it was draining the life out of the town at the same time.
He wanted those festivals from his childhood back.
He wanted his own children someday to go skinny-dippin’ with their own friends on a hot summer day after eating strawberries straight from the field.
Those days were blistering hot, with sunburned shoulders, too-big cowboy hats, and dusty baseball caps with their cut-off jean shorts…
but those memories, those days were vibrant, alive, and so wonderful – and that was the Fate he missed.
Turning onto the dirt farm road, Jack couldn’t stop the smile that touched his face as a plan started to form in his mind.
He saw Everett off in the distance, his friend yanking his cap off his head and waving it in greeting.
Everett Sweet was a good man – always had been – with a heart that was much too big for any one person.
People always reached out to him with their problems, and he made them his own - including Becky Sue Hollis.
Everett was engaged to Becky Sue out of pity, offering to marry her to make a decent woman of her…
and was downright miserable – not that anyone would know.
He was hiding it, working himself to death, and only let it slip once.
Everett didn’t drink – ever – and Rory had flagged him down in the street, completely pissed off that the broken man had shown up at his bar.
Turning off his vehicle, Jack immediately took off to meet his long-time friend, smiling. Everett was already walking toward him, rubbing his forehead before slapping his cap back down on his head.
“What’s going on?” Everett began nervously. “I hope this is a friendly house call…”
“Actually, it is.”
“Oh, thank heavens, because I’m about at my limit,” Everett admitted and then paused, looking sheepish. “Let’s just call it a case of cold feet, shall we? Did Becky Sue send you over?”
“No? Should she have?”
“I don’t know… maybe?” Everett was rubbing the back of his neck, avoiding his eyes for a moment, before he looked at him. “I can’t do it, you know? I can’t marry her – and I feel terrible about it.”
“I see,” Jack hesitated, because that was so far from his purpose here today that it was surprising. “I’m actually here about something else. I’d like to bring the jamboree back… and I need your help.”
“Of course, anything you need, Jack – always. You’ve had my back for more times than I can count and… I’d be happy to help. You know that.”
“Good.”
“Tables, carts, you name it – I’ve still got everything in the barn covered with some old canvas from when my Pa was still alive. I just set it aside, in case the mayor ever agreed to hold it again or… you did talk to the mayor, right?”
“Not yet.”
“She’s gotta approve it.”
“She’s a little difficult,” Jack chuckled and then pressed his finger to his lips. “And you didn’t hear me say that.”
“Nawww,” Everett grinned and winked. “Because I agree. She’s a bit on the prickly side and needs someone to sweeten her up.”
“You?”
“Heck no,” Everett shot back, laughing. “I think I’ve got my hands full already with an impending marriage to a woman I don’t love.”
“Call it off…”
“I can’t, brother,” his friend admitted, getting quiet and serious. “Becky Sue’s got no one on her side… and I don’t want to be another person who tells her to ‘get out’, you know?”
“No, I know,” Jack replied and then shook Everett’s hand. “You’re a good man.”
“I’m a fool, and we both know it.”
“No doubt about that, brother – but aren’t all good men complete fools when it comes to women?”
“Amen to that,” Everett sighed heavily and then nodded, waving at him. “C’mon and let’s take a look at what is still in the barn. I’ve gotta get out of this sun anyhow. I’ve already had two moles cut off my back, and I’ve got no desire to have any more removed.”
“I hear that,” Jack admitted, nodding. “Too many summer days in the sun.”
“Baby oil was not sunblock, that’s for sure…”
Both men walked off, laughing and talking about the good ol’ times… and already, Jack was plotting his next few stops in his mind. They were bringing the Jamboree back to Fate.