Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
S o, was it a date? Or was it just that he wanted to talk to her, so he was taking her out?
Kate wasn't sure as she looked in the mirror and made sure her hair wasn't sticking out in weird directions.
She was running a little late because she had gone to Marjorie McBride's house to help with the Christmas baking and to chat about the Christmas festival.
Marjorie seemed to be doing well, although she also seemed tired and admitted as much.
Kate had stayed longer than she should have and had swung by the farmhouse to quickly change her clothes and check her hair before Jack arrived to pick her up.
Jack said that he was getting Mrs. Abernathy to watch Lilly and had asked her if there was anywhere in particular she would like to go.
There was a new restaurant opening in Mistletoe Meadows, but it hadn't opened yet, so they were going to the next town over.
That seemed like a date, right?
She didn't have time to think about that anymore, because the sound of gravel crunching reached her, and she gave her hair one last pat before she flipped the light switch off and hurried out of the bathroom.
Sticking her shoes on, she was able to grab the door before Jack knocked.
The bouquet of flowers he held shocked her.
"My goodness, they're beautiful." She put a hand to her throat. Maybe this really was a date.
"Almost as beautiful as you are," he said, and she couldn't help it—she laughed.
"That's a line."
He grinned. "Actually, I'd pick you over the flowers, but that's probably a line too."
She lifted a shoulder. She really didn't know and didn't care. It was sweet for him to say, although she hardly thought it was true, because the flowers were gorgeous.
"Let me get those in some water," she said, opening the door a little further so he could step in. It felt odd inviting him into his own house.
He looked around. "It looks a little different from the last time I was in here."
"I've been adding a few little touches, but I haven't wanted to spend too much money on decorations or that type of thing. I really am saving so I can get a place of my own, whether I'm renting or buying."
"There's no rush. I'm going to talk to my brother early tomorrow morning, and I'll see if he has any issues. I don't think he does, and if not, you can stay here indefinitely."
"But you said you wouldn't have work for me since your shop wouldn't be busy after the holidays."
She led him to the kitchen, where she didn't have a vase, but she pulled a mason jar out of the cupboard.
"That's true, but if things go through with my brother, I'm hoping to ramp up production, and I will definitely need some help."
"You might need full-time help," she said, casually, as she put the jar under the water spigot and filled it half full.
"True. I don't know how things are going to look. I'm a little out of my depth, but I figured that if I'm going to work on saving the candy shop, I'd better go all in on it. What's the worst that could happen?"
"You could lose it," she said, reasonably.
"Yeah. But I could lose it if I don't try. So I might as well give it my best shot, right?"
"I agree. I admire your courage and your dedication to trying to keep it in the family for Lilly."
"I realized it was for myself too."
"I thought you always wanted to be a farmer?" she asked, setting the jar of flowers down on the counter and admiring them.
"I have. But after I talked to you, I realized that God gave me a different path.
And I can sit and wish for things that didn't happen, or I could walk this path and do the very best that I can on it.
Obviously the second choice is the best choice.
And so, as much as I'm able, that's the choice I'm going to make. "
She gave him a look, impressed that he had run that through in his mind and come up with that decision.
"Do you think you're going to regret that?" she finally asked.
He tilted his head. "I might. But I don't think anyone ever regrets doing what God wants them to do."
"And you think the candy shop is what God wants?"
He nodded, eyeing her, like her reaction mattered to him.
"I think that the only thing that you should do is what God wants you to do."
"That's kind of the conclusion I came to too. After all, the Bible does say that giving my life for God is reasonable service."
That wasn't an exact quote of that verse, but it was close, and she tucked that thought away.
Most people dismissed that reasonable service that they were supposed to give to the Lord because of their gratefulness for salvation, but acted like God was like a genie in a bottle that was supposed to pop up when they needed Him, answer their prayers, give them everything they wanted, and then step back in the background and let them live their lives the way they wanted to.
For a Christian, nothing could be further from the truth.
But there were so many Christians she knew who lived their lives exactly like that, thinking God just wanted them to be happy.
He wanted them to choose happiness, of course, but it wasn't about living one's life for oneself. Ever. Not for a Christian. It was a lesson she was still learning.
"I think I could just stay here this evening and stare at these flowers. They're so pretty. Thank you," she said, giving Jack a shy glance. The flowers, the compliments, it was all very romantic. Was he seriously interested in her like that?
She hoped so, but she also didn't want to get her hopes up.
"Well then, let's go. I'm hungry." He allowed her to walk through the kitchen first and then opened the door for her.
Finally, she decided that she might as well just ask, so after she walked through the door, she stopped and turned around while he shut it.
"I've been trying to figure out whether this is an actual date, or just a celebration because you're grateful that I've been helping Lilly and you somehow think that I'm the reason that she was talking yesterday, or is it because you had things you wanted to tell me and you thought that going out to eat would give us some privacy? "
"Wow. That's a lot of choices. Could you run through those again?"
She blinked twice before she realized he was teasing her.
"This isn't funny!" she said, stomping her foot and putting her hands on her hips. She was only kind of half joking. He was teasing her, and she liked it, but she still wanted to know exactly what they were doing, so she could temper her expectations to match his intentions.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have joked about that. And you're right for asking. I could see how you would get confused."
"Okay. So it's not just me overthinking all of this."
"No, I suppose not." He had stopped in front of her, with the door shut, at the top of the steps. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked out over the yard.
"I suppose I do have things I need to talk to you about, and it would be nice to have privacy, and it's true that I wanted to celebrate, because I do give you the credit for the fact that Lilly spoke yesterday.
And I know," he held a hand out to keep her from saying anything, "you don't think it's all you, but I know that Lilly hadn't said anything for years before you got here, and you worked with her for a few weeks, and now she's talking.
So you can take that however you want to, and so can I. And I'm giving you the credit."
She tilted her head, because it made sense when he said it like that.
"But I suppose that was just an excuse. Because I like you.
I like you a lot. Not just because you helped my daughter, but because you're the kind of person who goes above and beyond what you need to.
Obviously, you're caring and considerate and compassionate and funny, and willing to work hard, and I guess I could go on, but.
.. I was afraid that you wouldn't be interested in me because of working with Lilly.
And I definitely did not want you to be in trouble with the school in any way.
" He paused, but it seemed like he was going to say something else, so Kate kept her mouth closed.
"So yeah. I guess if I am laying my cards on the table, I asked you out on a date because I like you.
I brought you the flowers because I like you.
I might like you more than a little. It's possible that.
.. I'm falling in love with you. And if that makes you uncomfortable, or if you're going to get in trouble for that, maybe we should figure that out now. "
His eyes slid to hers, as he stood there, seeming to brace himself for whatever it was that she was going to say.
"Oh, Jack. I don't think the school will have any problem at all.
If I were dating a client, that would be a professional issue, but the father of one of my students would certainly not be an issue, and I haven't even started working yet, so there shouldn't be any issues at all.
As for me... I was afraid that you didn't feel for me the same way I felt for you.
That's why I was worried that this was just you saying thank you, or you wanting to talk to me. "
"So I think we figured out that we both like each other?" Jack said, uncertain, and Kate knew she was blushing. She felt like a teenager. "I think that's what we just figured out."
"Then I can hold your hand?" he asked, lifting a brow and pulling a hand out of his pocket and holding it palm up, waiting for her to slip her hand into his.
"Yeah. I guess that's what that means."
"Does that mean we're a couple?" he asked. "I guess I'm trying to figure out exactly what's going on, because... it's been a long time since I've done this, and you're a lot different than Lauren."
"I'd like to hear about Lauren," she said, ignoring the first part of his question.
Probably she should think about it, but the words slipped out before she could stop them.
"And yeah. I think we're a couple. Although.
.. I don't date casually. I'm pretty serious about wanting to find that person that I want to settle down with, who wants to settle down with me and build a family together. "
"I'm serious about that. I already have one child, and Lilly needs siblings. I've not been in a huge rush to find someone, just because Lilly has needed so much of my attention. But if she's going to continue to talk?—"
"Did she speak more today?"
"A little. She's not jabbering around yet, but I do believe that she will be soon."
"That's great! I should have asked that immediately. I guess I was so wrapped up in being nervous about what you and I were doing together, and what this meant, that I totally didn't even think about it."
"I could have texted you and told you about it, but I guess I was thinking the same thing. What do you think of me? And what's going on with us?"
"I think we have that pretty much figured out, although I suppose I have a few things I should tell you too."
"Let's get in the car, at least make our way to the restaurant, and then we can talk about those things that we need to, okay?" He waited for her nod before he led the way down the steps and walked to his car, where he opened the door for her to get in.