Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Because of all his time spent skiing down mountains before he’d hurt his knee, the mountain was what made him feel most at home.
Or at least it had been until he’d met Felicity Hill.
Last night had been nothing short of miraculous.
He hadn’t really thought he’d get her into one of the magical carriages that took people around to see Christmas decorations.
He’d considered it a win just to convince her to go with him.
But the moment the snow fairies showed up, he knew there was magic involved.
He imagined that the woodland fairies had sent them, but he really wasn’t sure.
All he knew was that he was happy he’d been there when Felicity needed him.
And today he was going to make good on his promise to help her track down whoever was behind the loan on her orchard.
Maybe he could even help her make a deal that would clear the debt and make all the legal trouble go away.
He just needed to find out what the people behind the lien really wanted and then find a way to make it happen.
He’d just gone downstairs to refill his coffee mug when his doorbell rang. He quickly glanced at the clock. It was seven-thirty. He hadn’t imagined that Felicity would show up quite that early, but a smile broke out over his lips as he went to the door.
“Missed me, did you?” he asked as he swung the door open. But when he saw the person on his porch, his smile vanished and he frowned. “Eva? What are you doing here?”
“Jackson,” Eva Bell tsked. “Is that any way to greet your mother?” She stepped closer as she opened her arms wide. “Give your old mom a hug.”
On autopilot, Jackson did as he was told, giving her a quick, awkward hug. But then he stepped back again, putting some much-needed distance between them. He cleared his throat and tried again. “What are you doing in Christmas Grove?”
“Can’t a mother just come see her son for Christmas without twenty questions?” She picked up the bag she’d set at her feet and then swept past him into his house. “I presume that the guest room is free?”
No! “Yes,” he said reluctantly. While he didn’t have a great relationship with his mother, it wasn’t bad enough that he’d force her to get a room at the inn.
And since Christmas Grove was a popular destination during the entire month of December, it was unlikely the inn had any rooms anyway.
He shut the door and turned to her. “How long do you plan on staying?”
“Through Christmas of course. That’s not a problem, is it?” She smiled sweetly at him. “I thought it would be fun to take that glass blowing class together. I never did get around to using that gift certificate you got me.”
The one he’d purchased after she told him over and over again how much she’d always wanted to learn how to make pretty pumpkins and Christmas ornaments.
But two days after he’d given it to her, she’d packed up and left with barely an explanation.
She’d said something about running off to LA for an audition.
One he assumed she hadn’t gotten since she hadn’t told him about it.
His mother was an actress who’d starred in a sitcom many years ago.
Since then she’d had very minor roles in various shows and movies, but her stage name had faded from the spotlight so long ago that almost no one recognized her anymore.
Last he’d heard, she’d been working as a stylist for a reality show.
He thanks the gods every day that she hadn’t managed to be cast on the show herself.
“The show is on hiatus, and I had some time, so I thought, why not come to Christmas Grove?” she said with a cheerful smile. “Surprise!”
He tried to keep the scowl off his face as he looked at her overnight bag. “Is that all you brought?”
“Oh, no. My bags are in the rental car. Would you mind getting them for me while I freshen up?” She walked to the hallway and then stopped and looked back at him. “Which one is the guest room again?”
The desire to roll his eyes was strong. She had stayed there for just over a week when she’d visited last time.
It wasn’t as if his house was a giant mansion.
There were two bedrooms. His was hard to miss considering it was the primary with an en suite bathroom on the second floor, while the guestroom was on the main level.
“The one at the end of the hall. The bathroom is right next to it.”
“That’s right,” she said with a nod. “I suppose you didn’t get around to remodeling so that the bedroom and bathroom are connected, did you?”
“No, I did not,” he said and then strode out the door to find her luggage.
“Jackson, your girlfriend is here,” Eva called from the back door.
He looked up at his mother. She looked so foreign wearing one of his kitchen aprons over her silk blouse and designer jeans. There was a smudge of flour on her cheek, and if things were different between them, he’d have found her charming.
Instead, he was just annoyed that she was messing up his kitchen, pretending to recreate memories they definitely didn’t have.
“Jackson?” she called again. “Did you hear me?”
He leaned the axe against the wood pile and called back.
“Yes. I’ll be there in a second.” There hadn’t actually been a need for him to split logs.
He had enough to last him for at least a month, but the nervous energy that had settled in when his mother insisted on making Christmas cookies had sent him outdoors.
He removed his work gloves, shoved his hair back, and went inside.
Felicity was standing just inside the kitchen door, her eyebrows raised as she glanced between him and Eva. “Jackson, you didn’t tell me your mother was in town.”
“She just got here this morning.” He placed his hand on her elbow and gently guided her toward the stairs. “Let’s go talk in my office.”
“Jackson, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Eva called out just as they got to the stairs.
He glanced at Felicity. “She didn’t introduce herself when she let you in?”
“She did,” Felicity said with a soft chuckle. “Although I told her my name, I didn’t give her any more details. I think she’s fishing to see if I might be a possible daughter-in-law candidate. I heard that girlfriend comment, which you didn’t contradict by the way.”
“I’ll correct her later,” Jackson said, hating the idea of telling his mother anything about his private life. They didn’t have that kind of relationship. They barely had any relationship at all.
He led her up to the sunroom on the third floor and closed the door behind them.
Felicity walked over to the windows that faced the mountain and let out a low whistle. “Great view.”
“It’s why I bought the place.”
“No doubt.” She walked to the other side and stared down at Christmas Grove. “It really does look like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, doesn’t it?”
Jackson chuckled softly. “I don’t recall ever seeing any bars in those paintings.”
“I’m sure there was a speakeasy hiding behind a toy store or a soda shop,” she said with a wink. “Nothing is ever that wholesome.”
“You’re probably right.” He took a seat on the couch and nodded for her to join him. “I assume you brought the paperwork?”
“I did, though now I’m thinking I should have just emailed them,” she said as she glanced at the door. “I wouldn’t have wasted so much of your time.”
He shook his head. “You’re never wasting my time.
I’d much rather be sitting here with you than downstairs with the woman who showed up on my doorstep this morning unannounced.
The one who after over thirty years suddenly wants to play my mother.
The one who thinks making Christmas cookies will help us bond.
” The word was like sawdust on his tongue.
“To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know she knew how to make any cookies, much less Christmas ones. ”
Felicity blinked at him, her expression slightly startled. “I know you said your mother left when you were young, but did you really have no relationship with her at all?”
“No relationship,” he confirmed. “She left me with my father and Tilly while she went off to pursue an acting and modeling career. She didn’t show up again until after my father died. And only once a few years ago. It… didn’t go well.”
“What is she doing here now?” Felicity reached out and placed her hand on his chest. “Do you know?”
“No.” He covered her hand with his. “And I’m doing everything I can to avoid finding out.”
“Is that why we’re up here?” she asked, giving him a cheeky smile.
“Yes.” There was no point lying about it. “But also, I don’t want her knowing your business. She doesn’t have the greatest track record for discretion. I’d hate for you and your orchard to become a victim of the gossip mill.”
“Surely she’s not interested in my financial issues,” Felicity said as she leaned back into the couch. “Why would she talk about that?”
“Why does Eva do anything she does? For attention, I suppose.” He closed his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath, trying his best to clear the toxic energy from his mind and body. “But enough about that. Let me see your paperwork.”
She opened the tote bag she was carrying and pulled out a manila envelope. “This has both the foreclosure notice and a copy of the lien on the property.”