Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Phoebe
Ever since Eli called me for help when Cami got sick, we’ve fallen into a pattern of seeing each other several times a week. While he still utilizes Holly, Marnie, and Esther to watch her, whenever they’re not available, he calls me.
Of course, I never say no, because I wasn’t lying when I told him I was the primary caregiver for her when she was first born.
Rosa was definitely not in a good place, and while I didn’t share this part with him, she had even considered putting Cami up for adoption, convinced she was going to be a horrible mother.
Thank God she didn’t. I’d miss out on seeing my little cousin grow up with a father who obviously dotes on her. The biggest issue I have, though, is I’ve caught feelings for Eli that I’m not sure he would reciprocate, given the fact that my cousin basically screwed him over.
I mean, on one hand, Rosa and I, we’re two totally different people, but on the other, we’re related by blood, and he may think I’ll be the same way, even though we were always polar opposites.
Not only that, but I’m a bit leery about relationships based on how my very short-lived marriage ended up.
My mind drifts back to when I went back to school for my Bachelor of Nursing degree.
I already had my Associate’s, as well as my actual nursing license, but knew going for my four-year degree would make me even more marketable than I already was.
It was challenging working while going to school, of course, but in my sophomore year, I met Alex Carter and we really hit it off.
Before long, we were living together and then one day, on a whim, we went to the courthouse and got married.
Even though I did change my driver’s license and social security card, I never managed to get my nursing license changed over.
Since the marriage was dissolved and over with a short six months later, I’m glad I never went through all that paperwork because it’d be a fiasco to switch everything back, but I do need to get the documentation together to change my driver’s license and social security card at least. It’s time to fully reclaim who I am as a person, and Alex has been out of my life far longer than he was ever part of it.
Today, I’m heading out to Esther’s house to help the kids with a project they’re working on for the community fair that’s coming up.
It’s one of the fundraisers that the club does to bring in money for various charities and club projects they support.
Since Eli is working, I volunteered to oversee Cami, who will be coming with Holly and her kids.
“There, that should do it,” I mutter as I glance around the kitchen.
I was on a whirlwind cleaning binge when Holly reached out to me, and I am always willing to spend time with that adorable peanut, so I said yes.
But because I’ll be working the next four days in a row, I didn’t want to leave things partially done, which she understood.
“Oh, these are precious!” I exclaim as I look at what the kids have already done.
Apparently, the women are going to have a booth that sells baked goods, and the three older girls are coloring the stickers that will go on the containers.
Esther, Holly, and Marnie have been baking up a storm and my job is to package what they’ve made before helping the girls seal them with their creations.
“We thought ‘sealed with love’ was perfect, all things considered,” Holly says. “Speaking of love, I know Prophet’s been hanging out with you quite a bit. How’s that going?”
“We’re just friends,” I quickly reply.
“Ah, but judging at how pink her cheeks are getting, I bet she wishes it was more,” Marnie teases. “You might as well face it, when these men focus on someone, it’s practically a done deal.”
Holly starts laughing as she nudges Marnie’s shoulder.
“Pot meet kettle,” she taunts pointing between me and Marnie.
At my bewildered look, she clarifies things for me.
“Marnie couldn’t fathom the possibility that Ash was interested in her, and so she kept it friendly.
Ash wasn’t willing to rock the boat and lose even that, yet they nearly lost their chance completely. ”
Marnie nods, then adds, “We did, which would’ve majorly sucked, because not only is he my best friend, but he’s my husband now, too. If you like Prophet, you should definitely let him know, Phoebe.”
Clearing my throat, I launch into my reasoning behind not saying anything at all.
“Okay, so hear me out. He dated my cousin for years and that seems to break the girl code, don’t you think?
I mean, I honestly wouldn’t want to know me because of how she kept him from being part of her life while she was pregnant or even after Cami was born, so I don’t want to rock the boat there, either. ”
It’s not either of them who respond though, it’s Esther who takes the proverbial reins and gives me a few home truths.
“Listen, Phoebe, when I first met Paul, and keep in mind that things were a lot different then as opposed to how they are now, he was dating my sister. They fought like cats and dogs, mostly at her instigation, and she would constantly break up with him over some perceived slight or another. He worked on his family’s farm and those days are from sunup until sundown, rain or shine, every single day without break.
Because of that, he occasionally had to reschedule their dates, especially during calving season or when the harvest came in.
She didn’t get it and would accuse him of seeing other girls.
Meanwhile, I saw him coming over, half dead on his feet, to spend time with her, only for her to ignore him.
She did this for years, girls, until one day, he decided he’d had enough.
He had nothing to prove to her, he was loyal, faithful, and a hard worker, and if she couldn’t trust what she was seeing with her own eyes, he wasn’t going to keep beating a dead horse, you know? ”
“What did he do?” I whisper. The similarities are not lost on me; I know Rosa was usually the instigator in their break-ups, even though I didn’t know who ‘he’ was at the time.
“He broke it off with her once and for all, then asked my father if he could have a man-to-man talk with him,” Esther confesses, a light blush covering her cheeks.
“See, whenever he did manage to come over, if Enid was in a snit, she’d leave the room so he and I would talk.
He’d ask about school, my studies, my hobbies, and I’d make sure he had a warm meal to eat because he usually came directly from his chores.
I would listen to him talk about how he wanted to expand the farm when it came his turn to run it, and I slowly fell in love with him.
I never said a word because he was dating my sister, of course, but I did what I could to be a good friend to him when she was being a witch. ”
I hide the grin that wants to pop through because I’d have called her sister what she was—a bitch. Blue collar guys are usually the salt of the earth when push comes to shove, and Enid sounds like she was nothing more than a spoiled princess.
“What happened then?” Holly asks.
By now, all three of us are leaning in as though Esther is sharing state secrets or something and while I never had this with anyone who is older than me, I’m grateful to be included today, because I need some wisdom. Especially where my feelings regarding Eli are concerned.
“Well,” Esther drawls out, smiling widely at the three of us who are staring at her with rapt attention.
“It seems that during all of the visits where Enid would disappear and he was left to hang out with me, he had come to feel more than friendly toward me. It’s the reason he broke up with her once and for all because even when we disagreed about something, we discussed it, the way adults should.
I never ignored him on his next visit like my sister would do.
Not only that, but I actually listened to what he had to say, even though I had absolutely no clue about the inner workings of a farm. ”
“You sure figured it out,” Holly interjects, giggling. “I owe everything I am to you and him, but it explains why Aunt Enid never really came around all that much.”
Esther starts laughing at those words, and soon, we’re joining in, even though we don’t know the rest of the story.
“Well, about that. Seems that she was actually interested in the Brewster boy, who came from money, and she was just using Paul to make him jealous. She wanted to be a city girl and had no plans to actually ‘settle’ for Paul, whose hands were always going to be calloused and rough. When it dawned on her that Paul had caught feelings for me, she got miffed, of course, but she had achieved her objective and was soon on the arm of Andy Brewster. Ask me how that turned out.”
I take the bait and query, “So, tell us how the Brewster nuptials were, please?”
“Paul had obtained my father’s permission to court me, and six months later, we had a small church wedding right before the harvest was to be planted.
He took me to the mountains for a long weekend getaway, then we came back and started working the farm.
This farm, as a matter of fact. Over the years, we’ve added on, of course, and updated things, but it’s the same farm that was in his family for two generations before we came along.
” She stops and takes a deep breath. “Enid, not to be outdone, of course, planned a lavish country club wedding, even knowing it would strap my parents, in order to distinguish herself from her ‘pauper sister’. A year into their marriage, Andy was caught sneaking around with his father’s secretary.
Oh, the scandal! She was pregnant at the time and came home crying and sobbing, but my parents sent her right back telling her that she’d made her bed.
I wouldn’t have agreed with their stance, but she pitched a royal temper tantrum when both of our parents tried to tell her he wasn’t the ‘good man’ she thought he was, so they decided she needed to be taught a lesson.
You may not agree in this day and age, but back then, marriages were until death, no matter what, unless the woman was being physically abused.
They stayed married but he was never faithful, although he learned to hide his indiscretions better after talking with his father.
Seems that kind of behavior ran in the family, so for all their money, they were a miserable lot.
Meanwhile, even though we only had one child despite wanting a houseful, we’ve built a beautiful life.
I said all of that to tell you this, Phoebe, sometimes, you just have to take a chance. ”
Later that evening while getting ready for my work week, Esther’s words continue to replay in my head.
“Sometimes, you just have to take a chance.”
“But I’m scared,” I whine out loud. “What if he ends up being like Alex? Then I’ll ruin any chance of having Cami in my life because there’s no way I’ll be able to be around him!”
That night, my dreams are filled with all the what ifs that could happen if I stick my neck out and tell him I’d like a chance to explore something with him.