Chapter 3 #3
He falls into step beside me. “He didn’t go to a lot of places besides Chappell's Supermarket and the hardware store.”
“The Tool Box? It’s still there. Just up here on the right,” I say as we stroll down Main Street. “Mr. Isbel’s son took it over after his dad retired. You want to stop in and say hi?”
“That’s okay,” he says. “I’ll drop by some other time.”
We continue down Main Street, passing by the old movie theater that’s been converted into a bookstore, The Magnolia Antique Shop, Lovebird Brews, The Donut Den, and a day spa.
“And that’s Bluebells,” I say as we approach the flower shop. There’s a small table set up outside filled with poinsettias and Christmas cacti. “Loving High School Band Fundraiser” is scrawled on the chalkboard sign beside it.
“Hi,” a perky redheaded girl with a spray of freckles across her nose chirps as we approach. “Would you like to support the band today? Your contribution will help us get new uniforms next year.”
“We’d love to,” Oliver says, turning to me. “I know poinsettias are poisonous to animals, so can I interest you in a cactus?”
I laugh. “A cactus is probably the only plant I could keep alive.”
“Sold.” He pulls his wallet out of his back pocket and hands the girl a twenty, telling her to keep the change.
“Here you go,” she says, giving him the tiny potted succulent.
“For you.” He hands it to me with a smile as we walk the last few feet to the corner.
My stomach does a cartwheel. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Hey, it’s for the kids, right?” He pushes his fingers through his hair, which makes his forearm flex again, and yep—it’s definitely time for me to go before I start daydreaming about those arms. Because this can’t be more than coffee with a handsome stranger. It just can’t.
I clear my throat. “Well, my car’s just behind that shop,” I say, pointing to the boutique across the street. “But hey, this was fun. Thanks for the coffee, and you know, the company.”
“Yeah, I had a good time too,” he replies, pushing his hand through his hair again. “Can I walk you the rest of the way?”
“Oh, that’s okay. It’s not far.”
He opens his mouth, and oh my God, he’s about to ask for my number, isn’t he? I have to get out of here. All rational thinking has gone out the window, and I’m in fight-or-flight mode. On today’s menu: flight. So I blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind.
“I think I left my iron plugged in.”
I turn away so I don’t have to witness the disenchanted look I’m certain has taken over Oliver’s face and practically sprint the rest of the way to my car.
Never mind that I don’t even own an iron.
“When you said this dog was wild, I thought you were just being dramatic.” Ben, the middle Haggerty child, sits on the sofa while June Bug tugs on the leg of his pants as though they’d wronged her in a past life.
“Thanks again for coming.” I’m buried in the oversized armchair in the living room of my cozy bungalow later that evening.
The electrodes of my TENS unit are attached to my back, sending soothing pulses swimming through my body in an attempt to calm the ache creeping into my muscles.
A fresh mug of coffee rests in my hands, and I’m surrounded by my siblings, their significant others, and my two favorite people in this world—my niece and nephew.
They came over to play with June Bug and help her expend some energy so that maybe she’d allow me to sleep tonight.
“You feeling okay?” Willow asks, nodding toward the base of the unit clipped to my belt loop.
“Yeah, just being proactive, you know?” I say, though it’s only partially true, and she nods.
“Puppy.” Three-year-old Emily squeals, waving a stuffed lamb from the doorway with Noah protectively at her side. “Come here.”
“Easy,” Noah warns a bouncing June Bug.
Noah’s only a year older than his sister, but he lives to take care of her. As the oldest of the Haggerty siblings, that’s something I can relate to. Even at thirty-five, my instinct is to look after Lucy and Ben.
“Be gentle,” Ellie reminds them.
“Okay,” the kids sing in unison, and June Bug lets out a high-pitched yip that could wake the dead.
“Trust me, that cute little twerp is made of rubber,” Lucy says, taking a bite of the pizza I ordered for dinner as the kids and the pup bound down the hall.
Once Emily and Noah are out of earshot, Ben clears his throat. “The kids want to go to Mistletoe Fest,” he announces.
I can’t help the sharp breath that escapes from my mouth.
Mistletoe Fest is Loving’s most-anticipated holiday celebration at Bowie Park.
It’s a day of festive family fun that includes Christmas-themed food, games, vendors, carolers, karaoke, a gingerbread house contest, and a walk-through light show after dark.
The last time we attended that festival, our collective worlds fell apart, but before that, it had been something we did as a family. We made a lot of happy memories there.
“But…” Lucy trails off, fidgeting in her seat. “We can’t go without Mom.”
“I’m not suggesting we go without her,” Ben says. “What if we bring it up to her Thursday?”
His hope-filled eyes land on me, and I bark out a laugh. “On Thanksgiving? Absolutely not.”
My brother’s voice softens. “But I thought if you were already going to talk to her about moving where we celebrate Christmas—”
I cut him off. “Ben, I said I would try. You know how she gets over the holidays.”
“I know,” he says with his best sad-puppy face. “It would just mean a lot to the kids.”
My chest aches, and I release a heavy sigh. I would give anything to see my niece and nephew get to enjoy Mistletoe Fest. It had been one of my favorite traditions as a child.
“If things go well when we ask about Christmas, I’ll try,” I say, and Ben’s frown immediately turns upside down. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt for you and Lucy to speak up to Mom every now and then too. I can’t always be the bad guy.”
“But you’re so good at it,” Lucy teases, and I shoot her a death glare.
She holds her hands up in surrender. “I’m kidding.”
“Look, I’ll try, but I make no promises,” I say with a pointed look at Ben. “About anything.”
“Even if MJ doesn’t agree to go to the festival right away, we still have a few weeks to try to convince her,” Willow adds with a diplomatic shrug.
“Stranger things have happened, right?” Ben smiles, but I catch a flicker of apprehension in his eyes.
“Speaking of strange things happening,” Lucy says, rising to her feet, her eyes laser focused on my mantle. “What the hell is that? Since when do you have plants? You’re like the grim reaper of plants.”
I nearly choke on my coffee. Of course, Lucy would spot the damn cactus Oliver got me. Why hadn’t I hidden it?
“Oh, um, yeah, I thought I’d give being a plant parent a try,” I say, heat rising up my neck and to my cheeks. “All those people on the internet make it look so appealing.”
Lucy whirls on me and narrows her eyes. “You’re lying.”
“I am not,” I insist, but it’s too late.
“You’re a terrible liar, Linds,” Ben says. “You wear your heart on your sleeve. And your face.” He waves his hand in a circle in front of him.
I squeeze my eyes shut and lean my head back. “Fine. I got it from Oliver.”
“Who’s that?” Willow asks.
“Oliver?” Lucy gasps. “As in, the hot firefighter from the clinic?” she asks, her voice going all gooey around the edges.
“Oliver, as in, the firefighter who assisted us with Ron’s medical emergency the other day,” I correct her, leaving the hot part out, though she’s certainly not wrong about that. “We ran into each other in town this afternoon.”
Lucy squeals. “You went on a date today!”
“First of all, it was not a date,” I say. “We ran into each other and got some coffee. Not a big deal.”
“Who paid for said coffee?” Ben asks.
I press my lips together, and my silence is all the answer they need.
Ellie waggles her brows. “Kinda sounds like a date to me.”
“It wasn’t,” I insist. “Come on. Aren’t we more evolved than this?” I attempt to soothe the tension building behind my eyes by rubbing my forehead as I give them the rundown of my time with Oliver. “We’re just two people who bumped into each other, and we decided to get coffee together.”
“Two single, hot people,” Lucy quickly adds. “The guy is a firefighter, remember?”
“How do you know he’s single?” I challenge her. “For all you know, he could have a whole wife and kids at home.”
“He doesn’t,” she insists with a grin. “Because Kayla asked if there were any additional family members who needed to be put on his dog’s records and he said no, that it was just him.”
Of course, she did. “You two are shameless, you know that?”
“So, how exactly was this not a date?” Ben asks, tilting his head.
I roll my eyes. “Really, Ben? It wasn’t a date because I don’t need that in my life right now,” I say, perhaps a little too defensively. “Is it so hard to believe I’m happy alone?”
Lucy reaches for her mug on the coffee table. “You really haven’t dated anyone since Daniel. And that was…a long time ago.”
Nearly four years, to be exact. We split almost a year after Dad died.
“I still wish you two could have worked things out,” Ben says. “He was a good guy.”
They knew my ex, Daniel, as the happy-go-lucky person he was on the surface. What they don’t know is that they didn’t really know him at all.
“Can we drop this, please?” I force a tight smile and rise to my feet. “I’m gonna go check on the kids.”
I step into the hall and follow the merry giggles into the kitchen where June Bug is darting between Noah and Emily, licking their toes. A familiar longing tugs at my heart as I watch them, but I shove it down. Everything I said is true. I am happy. I do love my life.
I can’t entirely fault Ben and Lucy for wanting me to fall in love when their own relationships are so supportive.
When Dad passed away, Ellie was the one who stepped up and made lists of everything that needed to be done.
She went to the funeral home with us to make arrangements, making sure every detail was perfect.
All the while, she single-handedly juggled running the design firm where she still works as our mother’s right hand.
And Willow, who was Lucy’s girlfriend at the time, jumped in and took care of us.
She made sure we ate and even helped get Mom’s house ready for the wake.
Willow had only been with my sister for three months, but she showed up, not just for Lucy, but for all of us.
Even though we’d been together almost two years, Daniel never did any of that, and my family had been too consumed by grief to notice.
But I noticed.
I might've been the one to break up with Daniel, but he was the one who abandoned me.