Chapter 3
Three
“Do you need any help getting out of the car, Jane?”
She rolled her eyes at Mindy and grabbed the door handle. “I think I can manage.”
Her big sister called after her as Jane slid out of her seat, “Hey, I’m just trying to be nice.”
Mindy was always trying to be nice. She was the nice sister, the good sister.
The one who could do anything and everything and it always turned out perfectly.
Jane had developed a love-hate relationship with her when they were kids, but they had been growing closer ever since Jane moved back to Lone Pine Lake.
And she was finding out life wasn’t as perfect as Mindy had always made it out to be.
“So Marty’s not coming home for the weekend?” Jane opened the passenger door and slid her children out of the middle seat of her sister’s SUV. Mindy’s two kids sat in the back.
Mindy shrugged and slammed her door with a bit of extra force. “He’s staying in San Francisco. Says the conference ran over and he can’t come home until Sunday night.”
Jane said nothing. It didn’t sound right.
Ever since she’d come home, things between Mindy and her husband hadn’t been good.
Yes, every marriage had its problems—Jane and Stephen hadn’t been immune to it, either.
They’d had their issues just like everyone else.
But she’d always been able to trust Stephen.
She wasn’t sure about Marty. Heck, she’d barely seen him since she’d moved back to Lone Pine, and she’d been there for months already. And Mindy seemed so brittle lately, like she’d break at any moment. Mindy complained about him and their marriage constantly.
Jane mused on this as they all walked together to the front entrance of the town rec hall.
When the children ran ahead of them, Jane was surprised to see a line at the door, though at least it seemed to be moving quickly.
It was cold outside and an early winter storm was headed their way, bringing with it plenty of rain for the weekend.
Jane’s thin skin ensured she was cold the majority of the time.
When they got to the front door, a woman sat behind a table, taking everyone’s money and handing them entrance tickets. Mindy whipped out her wallet and waved her hand in Jane’s direction. “I’ve got it for all of us.”
“Oh, Mind, you don’t have to do that…”
“No, no, I insist. It’s for charity, after all. Marty’s always telling me we need write-offs.”
“But—”
“Jane, seriously, learn how to take a gift.” She started to hand over her cash to the older woman sitting behind the fold-out table. “Two adults, five children, please.”
The woman shook her head, jerking her thumb in Jane’s direction. “She’s already paid for, and her kids, too.”
“What?” Mindy handed over only one twenty and turned to look at Jane. “Did you prepay?”
Jane shook her head as they moved away from the table. “I was trying to tell you. Our tickets were paid for by…someone else.”
“Who?” Mindy’s voice rose and a sparkle shone in her eyes. “Ah, my little sister is holding out on me! Always the secret keeper, just like when you were a kid.”
“I didn’t keep secrets from anyone,” Jane denied, but Mindy just laughed.
“You kept secrets all the time. As if you enjoyed holding that little tidbit of whatever you had close to your chest. Savoring it.” Mindy shook her head. “Let’s get a table and you can tell me all about your mystery benefactor.”
Did she want to tell Mindy about Christian?
There was nothing to tell, really. She didn’t want to admit her crush on Christian Nelson, not yet.
What if her sister thought she was out of line?
Guilt always hung over her, heavy and dull.
Over time she’d grown used to Stephen’s passing, but in Mindy’s eyes, would she look like she was moving too fast?
Jane refused to let survivor’s guilt hang on her like a cloak of shame any longer. Nearly two years was enough time to mourn a person. Stephen wouldn’t want her to stop living, would he? Just because he was gone?
“I can’t stand it any longer. Tell me who bought your tickets!” Mindy demanded the minute they’d settled themselves at a table. The kids had already run off to do who knows what, though Sophia still sat perched on Jane’s lap.
“You have no patience, do you?” Jane teased with a little smirk.
“It was Mac, wasn’t it? He told me he wasn’t coming to this.”
“He’s not. He has a hot date. And no, he didn’t pay for our tickets.”
“He has a hot date? With who? Don’t forget, I’m a boring, old married lady. I have to live vicariously through all of you.” Mindy paused, and her gaze dropped to the table. “Y-you know what I mean.”
Right. Jane sometimes forgot she wasn’t the old married lady anymore, either. She’d started her life with Stephen at such a young age—only twenty years old when they’d gotten married. She’d known then that he was the one. So why waste time?
Now she was single again. Well, widowed. And didn’t that have a pitiful sound to it?
“I do know what you mean. And trust me, I’m not that exciting. Mac’s the one with women falling at his feet.”
Mindy’s gaze lifted, a laugh sounding from her lips. “He’s young, cute, and single. A rarity in these parts.”
Jane could think of another man who was young, cute, and single. Why didn’t he have to beat women off with a stick? Maybe he did, and she should’ve done her research first, not just relied on Mac’s word. He was a guy. What did he know?
She should’ve talked to Mindy from the get-go.
“Mind, what do you know about Christian Nelson?”
Mindy’s brows drew together and she opened her arms, letting Sophia crawl onto her lap. “The fire captain? I know he and Mac are friends. I hear he’s a nice guy, and that he dates around a lot.”
Great, so he was a serial dater. Was she just another woman to add to his list? And why would he choose her, considering all the baggage she came with?
Jane glanced around the room. She didn’t want anyone to hear her, especially Chris himself. “He’s the one who paid for our tickets.”
Mindy’s mouth dropped open and she stared silently for so long, Jane started to squirm in her seat. “So is this some sort of date or what?” she finally asked.
“I honestly don’t know.” Jane shrugged, feeling more than a little stupid.
“Mac arranged for us to go to the fire station and Chris gave us the tour. He was so nice, so wonderful with the kids, especially Lexi. I wanted them to realize that fire wasn’t always a bad thing, you know?
But they accepted the visit so easily. Mac came over a few days ago and lit a fire in the fireplace, and it was no big deal.
I…I wonder if I’m the one with the problem. ”
“That’s okay. I mean, it’s expected. And the first part of conquering a problem is admitting you have a problem, right?” Mindy gently prodded. Jane nodded in answer. “So, that must’ve been some visit if you had Mister Hot Pants asking you out on a date.”
Jane’s cheeks heated and she waved her hand as if dismissing the entire thing. “Stop it. This isn’t a date. It’s a spaghetti feed fundraiser. He seems like a very nice man. He’s also really handsome. I can’t deny that. But I think he’s just being—polite, you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we ran into him at that little art fair last Saturday and he asked what I was doing this Friday night. Then he asked us to come here and offered to pay for our tickets,” Jane explained.
Mindy’s brows shot up. “Sounds like a date with the kids to me.”
“Well, kind of. Or maybe not? He’s volunteering tonight.
” She’d caught a glimpse of him working the room only a moment ago, a large silver pitcher clutched in his right hand, all smiles and friendly nods and full of hey, neighbor greetings.
Watching him serve drinks to everyone left her feeling a little warm, a lot giddy.
“So really, it’s not a date. It’s just him being nice to the sad little widow and helping her during tough times.
Getting her to come out of her shell and be social again. ”
“Oh, God, only you would tear down a man’s intentions and make yourself sound like a charity case.” Mindy shook her head. “Honey, what if he actually is interested in you?”
And with that question, Mindy had her. Okay, so maybe she wanted Christian Nelson to be interested in her. Because she was interested in him right back.
So much easier, though, to think he’d made his offer out of kindness and nothing else. Then she wouldn’t be disappointed when she realized he wasn’t interested.
“No, he couldn’t be,” Jane finally answered with a quick shrug. “Even if he was, I shouldn’t be. Stephen hasn’t been gone that long.”
“And what, you’re supposed to shut off and live like a nun for the rest of your life? It’s been two years, Jane. You’re only twenty-eight. And you’ve made it, despite the odds. I think that’s plenty of reason for you to live a little,” Mindy said.
“By having a crush on a too-handsome man?” Jane’s nose wrinkled and she glanced his way yet again. He was moving closer and closer to their table.
“Ooh, so you really do like him.” Mindy grinned and hugged Sophia close, who squirmed in her aunt’s embrace. “That’s so cute!”
“Keep it down.” Jane looked around yet again. “Listen, do you know anything about him at all? Does he go through women like wash rags or what?”
“From what I’ve heard, he’s friendly, hardworking, and has to fight off all the women who go ga-ga over a guy in uniform.” Mindy winced. Truth hurts and all. “But he’s also supposed to be a complete workaholic who’s married to his job. He dates, but not for long.”
"Where do you hear all this?”
“Honey, this town is small and he’s still considered new here. Us natives like to speculate and gossip about the outsiders, especially when one is young, good-looking, and unattached.” Mindy rolled her eyes. “You know how it goes.”