Chapter 23
Natasha
Eve and I worked late, and by the time we were finished, I was ready for bed. When I checked my messages from Ford, there weren't any. I couldn't remember how we'd left it. Was I supposed to text him when I was done?
Usually one of us checked in, asking where we should meet after work, and he hadn't said anything in front of Eve. Maybe he was waiting for me to reach out to him.
Natasha: I just got back to my apartment. I'm exhausted so I probably won't be good company tonight. But you're welcome to come over.
Ford promised to help with the toy drive at town hall tomorrow. We could use as many extra people as we could get to direct traffic and wrangle the groups into order for the parade.
I was confident he'd be there, but I was too tired to wait for his response. I fell onto the bed and curled up with my pillow. I'd get dressed in a minute.
Except I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, the phone alarm that Eve made me set before we departed ways was buzzing. I rolled over and swiped to turn it off.
Then I forced myself to sit up and check my messages.
Eve: Rise and shine! We have a parade to run.
Natasha: I'm up.
I wasn't happy about it, but I was upright.
I checked for other messages, and there were none. Ford hadn't responded to the one I sent before I went to bed.
Maybe he had a long day working on his bathroom and went to bed early. He'd said he was helping out today, so I'd definitely see him at the parade, at least in passing.
I showered, ate a quick breakfast, and headed downstairs to meet Eve at the square.
Eve looked up from her tablet when I approached and handed me a to-go coffee cup from Coffee Dreams. She was dressed in a red jacket, black pants, and boots. Her hair was pulled up into a bun at the base of her head. She looked put together and bright-eyed.
I took the cup, feeling tired. "Bless you."
Eve raised a brow. "Are you ready to roll?"
I raised a brow, mimicking her. "I'm here."
Eve flashed me a disgruntled look. "You could be a little more enthusiastic."
"You're the one who's good with this stuff." I merely drank more coffee, hoping it would perk me up quickly.
She handed me an itinerary that was several pages long. "That's the schedule, and the lineup of the participants. I made a few tweaks to it after we parted ways last night.
I sighed, because of course she did. "Where do you want me?"
"The parking lot where everyone is lining up. You'll get them in order and tell everyone when to step off."
I grimaced, because that was an important job. If someone was out of order, too early or too late, it would mess up the grandstand performance at the square.
"I'll be here and be in charge of the square, the performances, and the judging. They'll stop here, face the crowd, and perform their song or dance. Then I'll wave them on when it's their turn to continue."
It was Eve's idea to make it a competition with a small monetary award for the top three groups.
"Ford's in charge of collecting toys at town hall." Eve looked up at me. "I actually thought he'd be with you."
"He stayed at his place last night. But he said he'd be here today.
" I didn't want to mention that I hadn't heard from him recently. I’d be giving into old fears if I overreacted.
There were times when you failed to connect with someone, that someone went to bed early, missed a text, or was just busy.
It didn't mean that they were ghosting you.
"Everyone who's volunteering, including the shop and restaurant owners, have the new itinerary and list of job duties. Anyone can direct him to his post." Then she sighed, looking around at the people gathering to watch the parade. "Hopefully, he gets here soon. He has an important job."
"I'm sure he will." He's never let me down. At least not since he enlisted. But I wouldn't think about that now. I had an important day to tackle.
"The groups are already arriving in the parking lot. Can you start placing them in order? Then once we start, you'll want a sixty second delay between each one stepping off."
"Got it."
Eve was in full event mode, and nothing could deter her.
"Next time, you should be on one of the floats since you're the one who made it possible." I could see her sitting on the top of a float waving like she was the queen.
"I have to be on the ground, organizing everything and ensuring it runs smoothly." Eve waved me away. "Go to your post. I'm getting questions from the parking attendants about where everyone is supposed to go. I need you there."
"Yes, ma'am." I headed in the direction of the parking lot, hoping that the sense of dread in my stomach was something I could easily ignore. Ford wouldn't stand me up. Not after he promised he would be here.
Since I ran into him again, he'd been nothing but a gentleman. He was solid, reliable, and sweet. He was everything I ever wanted in a man, despite our history. He was great, and nothing could go wrong.
I reached the lot where attendants were huddled together, and several groups milled about in their uniforms. When I approached, I asked, "You ready to get everyone in order?"
The girl looked at me relieved. "Eve said you'd handle it."
I looked around, waving my itinerary. "Where's Telluride High School's marching band?"
"Right there," a middle-aged man in the Telluride High School Marching Band jacket said.
When I approached, he said, "I'm the band director. Where do you want us?"
"No pressure but you're first in line." The kids behind him groaned.
"You're going to line up here, but off to the side in case anyone needs to get past you.
" Eve was adamant that we allow access for the parade watchers and visitors.
That was her promise to the reluctant shop owners, and we were going to do everything to keep it.
"Thanks for doing this. The kids are really excited about spending the day in Christmas Town." The band director's comment threw me off for a second.
We'd hoped that they'd stay and partake in the town's shops and restaurants, but we weren't sure teenagers would want to stick around. I took his comment as a good sign.
"That would be great. I hope they have a fun day." Then I called out for the next group, a dance troop. The girls were so adorable in their glittery red outfits, twirling their batons and dancing around in circles.
As I moved, I relaxed. This wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It was actually fun. I thought of myself as a business owner, a salesperson.
This experience made me feel like part of the community. We were doing a good thing here. We weren't just selling something. We were creating a magical experience.
I wasn't able to slow down. We had a few kids who were late and needed to be directed quickly to their spot, and then the first band was stepping off, and I was focused on keeping everyone moving.
Eve chirped in my ear, and I had to keep an eye on the kids while listening to her at the same time. I didn't have time to worry about whether Ford was here. I had to assume he came through for us.
I had to take my coat off because I was sweating from the pressure. By the time the last group stepped off, my stomach was rumbling.
Clara approached with a wrapped sub and a to-go cup. "Thought you could use a break."
"Thank you." I sipped the hot chocolate.
I sat on a nearby bench, setting the drink aside and unwrapping the sub before taking a huge bite.
"You didn't want to see the end of the parade?" Clara asked, sitting next to me holding a hot drink.
"Food first. I don't have the energy to move one more step without sustenance.
How's it going?" I couldn't get a feel for it from Eve's directions.
She was focused, militant in her instructions.
She wouldn't relax until it was over and we were sipping a drink at the inn's bar tonight.
I just hoped that Ford would be celebrating with us.
"I've been busy at the store, but every time I look out the window, the sidewalks are crowded, and the music is playing. It's amazing. I'm happy with how it's going."
"Good. More customers than usual?" I asked her.
Clara nodded. "And it's just going to get busier when the parade is over. That's why I took my break now."
She had several students and retired folks that helped her from time to time. I assumed she called everyone in today.
"I can't thank you enough for this. I didn't think about lunch."
Clara smiled stiffly. "I thought as much."
I lowered my sub. "Is something wrong?"
Clara let out a breath. "When I brought Eve hot chocolate, she asked if I'd seen Ford. Apparently, he never showed up for his shift at town hall."
The air was sucked out of my lungs. "Ford never showed up?"
Clara's gaze was concerned. "No."
"Who's manning the toy drive at town hall?" I stood, ready to spring into action.
She held up her hands. "Relax. The fire department came through for us. Maddox is checking everything in, and the rest of the guys are stacking the gifts and posting pictures on social media."
I sat back down, pulling out my phone and not finding any new messages from Ford. "I don't understand. He said he'd be here."
Clara's look shifted from concerned to sympathetic. "Maybe something came up? An emergency?"
"He didn't say anything though."
"I'm sure everything's okay," Clara said softly.
I stood and brushed off my pants. "I should see if Eve or Maddox needs my help."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Clara asked as we walked toward Candy Cane Lane, the noise getting louder as we approached.
"Of course." My throat was dry, and my heart was racing. I felt panicky. This was what I was afraid would happen. Ford would let me down. He would leave again, because it was so easy for him.
"I'm going to my shop. Good luck," Clara said with a squeeze, and then disappeared into the crowd.
By the time I reached the town square, I was having a difficult time drawing a deep breath.
"Natasha!" Maria cried when she saw me.
I accepted her hug, my chest feeling constricted.
"This is amazing. You must be so proud," Maria said as she pulled away.
"I was in the parking lot for most of it, so I didn't get to see it. Are you having fun?" I didn't want to talk to them about their son. They shouldn't be the go-between for us. We were supposed to be adults, and Ford should have communicated with me what he was doing.
"It's great so far. The performances were fantastic, and everyone's enjoying it," Maria said loud enough to be heard over the crowd's cheers.
I couldn't ask them about Ford. They weren't acting like he was sick or had been in an accident.
That meant it was something else. He didn't want anything to do with me anymore.
He decided our arrangement had run its course.
Maybe he didn't like that I'd spent the day working with Eve.
I couldn't read his mind. That's why he should have said what was going on in his head and not make me worry.
A headache formed at the base of my skull. "I'm going to find Eve and see if she needs anything."
"Please tell her congratulations from us," Matt said, and I felt warm all over that they considered me part of their family.
"Enjoy the rest of the parade," I said as I weaved my way through the crowd to find Eve. She watched the dance group of little girls twirl their batons and dance over the red carpet we'd laid out for the performances. "You need my help?"
"I think everything's under control. We're almost done."
When the parade crowd dispersed, it would be busy in town at the restaurants and the shops. That was the point, but it didn't lessen my anxiety.
The last note faded away, and the girls got into formation and continued along the parade route. It would take them to the end of the street and around the corner where their coaches or leaders could dismiss them for the day.
The earlier groups were already moving through the crowd, clutching hot chocolates and other snacks.
Eve moved onto the small stage. "Thanks to everyone who came today. The judges will add up the totals and announce a winner shortly. In the meantime, you are free to enjoy what our little town has to offer. Get a head start on your holiday shopping and support small businesses."
The crowd cheered as Eve joined me again. "What happened to Ford?"
I shrugged, feeling sick to my stomach. "I haven't talked to him since he left yesterday to work on his bathroom."
Eve frowned. "You think he got hurt?"
"His parents would have said something if he did."
"Oh? Did you see them?" Eve scanned the area, but the crowd was thick by the grandstand.
I nodded. "Yeah, right before I found you.”
“You didn’t ask where Ford was?”
I looked away. “It was kind of chaotic. The crowd was loud, and we were shouting at each other. It wasn’t a good time.”
Eve nodded.
What if it was about him leaving me, and he wasn't hurt or sick? The thought only heightened my anxiety. Why was this how relationships always ended? The important people in my life always left me.
"Are you okay?" she asked me, her voice laced with concern.
I steeled my shoulders. "I will be."
"You're writing him off, aren't you? You're putting up all those walls again, the ones that you've always had."
I sighed. "What other choice do I have? He's not here. He let me down. There's no coming back from that."
Eve's nose wrinkled. "He could have a good explanation for not being here."
"Then why not tell me what it is? Why leave me hanging? I feel like I'm back in high school again, waiting for a boy to call me and realizing that he never will."
Eve pursed her lips. "This isn't high school, and you aren't kids anymore. I'm sure Ford will tell you what's going on as soon as he's able."
Her cryptic comments didn't help the free fall of my stomach. I wanted to clean up the parade and hide in my room the rest of the night. I wanted to be alone, free from the pity and scrutiny.
The fact was that I couldn't hold onto anyone. The only person who stuck around was Eve, and she was my sister.