Chapter Twelve
Ally had set the alarm for early the next morning.
As in early before the sun rose. She wanted to get a jump on all the baking she needed to do.
Not only for Jillie’s class project for Fall Fest, but also for the pastry job she had secured at the café.
After dropping Jillie at school, she would spend three hours creating magic for the pastries at Tillie’s, in the back of that kitchen.
As she went about making a list of what she would need, her mind went back over the evening before.
It had been quite a dinner in more ways than one.
The fact that Matt had been so surprised by the fact she was not only taking on the class baking project for the annual Fall Fest at the school, but also that she had been hired by Tillie had been out of left field for him.
Still, he did manage to congratulate her and wish her well as he had walked her to her car at the end of the evening.
They were both well aware of the curious glances sent their way as they had made their way through the café and then outside after the dinner ended.
She supposed she was being helpful to the man in some small way.
She hoped she was. Matt Parker was a good man.
She had thought that from the start, but each day there was something added to cement it in her mind.
In fact, each member of his family that she met seemed to be of much the same mold.
Tori’s husband Cade Lockwood was quite handsome and down-to-earth and clearly in love with his wife.
Ally had felt some envy watching them together.
Sometimes, back in New York, she would see couples walking, holding hands, spending time in Central Park on sunny afternoons while she sat quietly by herself, removed from such things, on a bench feeding the squirrels.
She had often imagined what it might be like to have someone in her life, but she would quickly push aside the thought and stop the pity party before it began.
She concentrated on what she had: two decent jobs, a safe roof over her head, and Annie who had helped her understand what a home felt like. She would never ask for more.
But then, change had come one day when she’d turned the corner from the subway onto their quiet street and saw the ambulance and a couple of their frantic neighbors, waving and gesturing in a panic when they saw her.
She’d dropped her grocery bag and ran to the motionless figure on the stretcher, but the paramedics closed the door as she got there, leaving her heart clamoring and a huge boulder-sized sense of dread pressing her into the pavement.
Ally had been informed by a very matter-of-fact nurse that Annie was gone before they reached the hospital.
Ally pushed the memories into the dark hole where she stored them.
She’d become good at it; otherwise, she would not have gotten through the days and weeks that followed.
Nor would she have come to Destiny’s River.
And therein lay a whole other world to navigate.
The sun was rising as she finally sat down on the front porch to watch the world awaken in the silence that had become such a comfort to her.
Teddy was at her feet, curled up and enjoying the same comforting thoughts, she imagined.
A door opened and she looked at the house across and just one down the street from her porch.
A hand rose in her direction and she waved back.
That was Mr. Stevens, the local fire marshal, beginning his day at the usual time.
He and his wife, Margie—married for thirty-six years, with three adult children and six grandchildren—were a sweet couple who had welcomed her with an apple pie the day after she arrived at Primrose Inn.
And that began the morning ritual. It was nice.
And the other neighbors on the street would wave in passing and they exchanged ‘mornings’ or ‘nice evenings’ as they drove along or walked their dogs along the sidewalk.
Ally would rock in the comfy porch rocker and bask in it all.
From the largest city to the small country town, she had found something close to what home felt like again.
Annie must have known that feeling and held it in her heart for so many years.
And that was why she wanted to return for the rest of eternity.
That brought up her meeting with Cade Lockwood.
He had been nice and welcoming, and they had chatted about the town and light topics as one usually did upon meeting new people.
But then somewhere in the evening, he grew quiet.
She’d looked up at one point to find his gaze on her in a very thoughtful way.
As though he found something he was trying to work out in his mind.
When he realized she had noticed, he smiled again and made a comment about pardoning him but he often had some thoughts, usually about his ranch that he would concentrate on and forget that he might seem odd to others.
She had smiled and said she knew the same feeling at times.
Yet, that memory had come to her mind again.
The sound of a vehicle pulling into the driveway brought her back to the present.
To her surprise, it was a familiar pickup and Matt was driving.
Jillie could be seen waving from the passenger’s seat.
The girl was the first one out of the vehicle when it stopped.
And was halfway to the porch before her father could call to her.
“Jillie, you forgot the basket in the back seat.”
She stopped and then with a shake of her head, she retraced her steps.
“Sorry, Dad. I was in a hurry to hug Teddy.” And the dog seemed the same as he had jumped up from his quiet spot and his tail was wagging his own little body as the pair, with a basket in Jillie’s arms this time, came up the walk. Ally rose and went to stand beside him.
“Good morning.” Matt spoke first. “I had hoped we wouldn’t be too early.
But we wanted to catch you before breakfast with some of these warm rolls we picked up from Tillie, and she told us that they’re the ones you brought for the shop today so that might make us your first customers of the day.
” His grin was infectious, and it had an effect on her that suddenly made her wish she had dressed in something a bit more stylish than her jeans of many washings and an old blue sweatshirt that she wore if she didn’t mind getting flour or other baking ingredients on it.
A comfy pair of sneakers completed an outfit that would never be described as alluring.
And where had that thought sprung from? Why would she want to look alluring?
Then she shut out the answer that her brain had flashed like a neon sign: Matt. Stop right there.
“I’m glad you’re the first customers. And please come in and let me get you some coffee or juice, milk maybe…to go with them. That is if you have the time?”
“We have the time,” Jillie piped up. “Since you’re helping my class and all, we want to help you.”
“What my daughter said in a nutshell and meant is, if you would allow us to invade your kitchen, we have come to offer our inexperienced but willing help as your baker assistants or whatever those people are called. We have a free day, and we want to be put to work. That is, if you want us around?”
Yes, indeed. Who wouldn’t want them around? She thanked her brain for its unsolicited input, but she took over. “I think that would be great to have such eager help. I won’t turn it down. Come in.”
She walked ahead of them down the hall to the kitchen that was welcoming and filled with the morning sunshine.
“Why don’t we begin with those rolls around the kitchen table there in the alcove?
Jillie, you know where the small plates are so why don’t you set the table with what we need? I’ll take the drink orders.”
“And I guess I’ll bring the biggest appetite to the table?” Matt joked, setting the basket in the center of the table.
“You can make yourself useful in addition to your appetite,” Ally responded, setting down the coffee mugs on the cabinet.
“You can retrieve the butter dish and the jams from the refrigerator. There is quite a selection of those thanks to Tori’s expert stocking of the food in this wonderful kitchen. ”
It wasn’t long before the three of them were seated around the table with its burnt-orange tablecloth with all things fall embroidered on it—acorns, maple leaves, cornucopias.
The house had been placed in full Thanksgiving holiday mode when she had arrived.
Matt remarked on it as he moved aside the salt and pepper shakers shaped like turkeys to reach the butter dish.
“I’m sorry if this is all a bit much. But Tori always tried to outdo each year’s decorations when it came to holidays.
She managed to get our grandmother’s collection from storage, and she has just added to it with a vengeance.
But it was all part of wanting to make this place into our forever home as she called it while we were in foster care. ”
“Your forever home.” Ally smiled. “I like that. And I think all of her decorations are beautiful. They make it even more special. You’re lucky to have such a place in your family.”
“I suppose we are. Tori had her heart set on finding a home where we would all come and be a family once we left the state’s care.
And she found Destiny’s River and it has turned out to be a good home for all of us.
We each took a different route to get here but seems like it just sat waiting until we needed it…
coming to it on our own time. The only one not here on a permanent basis is our youngest sibling, Rance.
Maybe he’ll get here when he decides to settle down.
And I’m boring you with our family stuff. ”
“No, really, I enjoy hearing about family histories and things like that.”