by Codi Gary
Living in Snowy Springs was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, everyone knew everyone else's business and the whole town helped out the Jeffries whenever they could.
On the other hand, no one could keep a secret either.
Jared nodded. “I appreciate that.”
Henry heaved his short, round frame from behind the register and opened the door to his front office. He glared at someone out of Jared’s sight.
“Your brother's here to get you. Do not come back into my store unless you’re with your mother.”
“My mother’s dead, asshole.”
Jared recognized Casey’s voice and clenched his jaw. The teen walked past Henry and stopped in front of Jared. His curly brown head barely reached Jared’s shoulder and he glared up at him with defiant brown eyes.
“Well? Let’s go.”
When Casey started for the door, Jared grabbed him by the back of his hoodie. “Not until you apologize to Mr. Salvatore.”
“For what?”
“Stealing from him? Calling him an asshole? Take your pick.”
Casey scoffed, “This is such bullshit.”
Jared took Casey's shoulders in his hands and glared down at him. “Say it, or I’m calling mom.”
“Call Karen. Tell her, I said hi.”
Jared turned his brother around and before he could get a reign on his temper, he jerked him toward the exit.
“Henry, call my mom and let her know to meet us at the station.”
“You’re seriously arresting me because I won’t apologize?”
“No. I’m not arresting you...yet. But if you keep mouthing off, I may be tempted.”
“Blow me, Officer Douchebag.”
“Let’s go.” Jared headed for the exit with his brother dragging his feet. He caught a flash of blonde hair out of the corner of his eye and nearly stumbled. Green eyes held his as Anna Beth stood alongside the book rack, clutching a paperback with a Christmas tree on the front.
Time slowed as he passed her, taking in every change to her face, her body.
Then she smiled, that sweet, shy lifting of her lips. It used to drive him crazy.
Still did, if his racing heart could testify.
“Hi, Jared,” she said.
Her breathless whisper rushed over him like a summer breeze. God, had her voice always been that husky?
His tongue swelled. He couldn’t speak. So many things came to mind, every scenario he’d ever imagined, but nothing made it past his lips except…
“Ma’am.”
Her eyes widened for a moment. Then, without another word, she turned away from him and set the book in her cart. She probably thought he deliberately pretended not to know her, but that wasn’t the case. His brain couldn’t keep up with his mouth.
He would have called out to her, but Casey chose that moment to break out into loud guffaws. The world went back to it’s normal speed and Jared cursed himself for being caught off guard.
“Smooth moves.”
“Shut up.” Jared pushed a laughing Casey out the door, wishing he could strangle the obnoxious punk. If he hadn’t been so keyed up by his foster brother’s behavior, he’d have been prepared for running into Anna Beth.
She’d looked good too. Damn it. Same shimmering hair and smooth skin. She’d put on some weight since he’d last seen her, but it only made her sexier. Curvier. More grown up.
“So, who's the hottie?”
“Knock it off, Casey.”
“Seriously, is she an old girlfriend or something?” Casey snickered. “You called her ma’am, but the way she looked at you makes me think you might actually have balls. Congratulations.”
Jared leaned him against the cruiser as he opened the door. “You are this close to spending the night in the tank.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Keep running your mouth and see.”
The kid snapped his mouth closed. Jared helped him into the back seat and closed the door behind him.
“This back seat is cramped.”
“It’s a three-minute drive. You’ll live.”
“Police brutality.”
Jared climbed into the front and buckled his seat belt. “Trust me, Case. This little trip to the station will be a cake walk compared to what will happen the next time you get into trouble.”
“Oh, scary.”
Jared caught his brother’s gaze in the mirror. “You keep going the way you are and it will be. You do not want to end up in a juvenile center or prison, do you?”
He looked away. “Why do you even care? You’re not really my brother.”
“Close enough. We don’t have to be blood to be family.”
“I am so sick of that crap. You barely know me and just because you’re one of Karen and Mike’s golden children, doesn’t mean you’re anything to me.”
Jared glanced at the sullen kid in his rear-view mirror and tried again. “You know-"
“I’m done talking.”
Jared sighed. It’s not shaping up to be a good week.
“Alrighty then.”
He backed out of the parking spot and watched Anna Beth’s Chrysler disappear in his rearview mirror. Of all the ways for their reunion to go, it could have been worse.
Or so he told himself.
Four
Ma’am? Five years without so much of a "hey, how you doing," and that’s all you get?
“Anna Beth?”
She glanced up at her aunt. “Huh?”
The morning light streamed into the kitchen through the French doors, gleaming off the clean dining room table. Anna Beth had come down a few minutes ago, exhausted and grouchy. Her aunt set a plate of food in front of her and started chatting away, but Anna Beth couldn’t stop dwelling on her brief encounter with Jared.
“Is there something wrong with the eggs?”
She poked the scrambled eggs with her fork. “No. They’re great.”
Her aunt sat down across from her, sliding a gorgeous coffee cup toward her. “Then please stop stabbing them. You’re going to scratch my plate.”
Anna Beth set the fork down next to her plate and picked up the cup of creamy coffee with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, Sarah. I was lost in thought.”
“So it would seem. What’s on your mind?”
“Just a little writer’s block. It'll pass.”
“I’m sure it will.” Sarah scooped up a bite of eggs with her fork, holding it in front of her as she asked, “Did you sleep well?”
“Like the dead.” Being back in her old room hadn’t been as weird as she’d thought it would be. If only her brain had shut up long enough for her to enjoy the soft mattress and cozy bedding. “You know how I love flannel sheets. I haven’t used any in years. It doesn’t get cold enough in LA.”
“I imagine it doesn’t.” Her aunt took a sip of her green tea. Sarah wasn’t a fan of coffee and vehemently disapproved when Anna Beth started drinking it junior year of high school.
“I’m surprised you still keep coffee in the house.”
Sarah’s cheeks reddened. “I have a friend who takes it the same way you do?”
“Which friend?”
“Just a friend."
Anna Beth quirked a brow. Did her aunt have a boyfriend? Preposterous as it may seem, she was being cagey.
"What are your plans for today?” Sarah asked, changing the subject.
“I’m going to take a shower and get dressed. Work a bit. Then I’m not sure.”
“Well, I’m headed to work for a few hours this morning and then I’ll be making stockings at the community center this afternoon if you want to help out. I am sure everyone would like to see you.”
Back to a large room full of middle-aged women and the hum of sewing machines?
“I’ll see where the day takes me.”
“Alright.” Sarah stood up and poured her tea into a silver travel cup. “I’m heading out. We will be at the community center until five and then we’re going out for dinner.”
; “We?” Anna Beth prodded.
“Yes, the fundraising committee.”
“Of course.”
Sarah stood in the doorway, seemingly at a loss for words. “I just…I wanted to say how glad I am you decided to stay.”
“Me too.”
Anna Beth meant it. Other than a little awkwardness in the beginning, she enjoyed this softer version of her aunt. She seemed happier. More relaxed.
“Good. I’m off then. Don’t hide here all day.”
Anna Beth waved. “I won’t.”
When the front door closed, Anna Beth took another sip of her coffee. The rich, warm brew slid down her throat and settled into her stomach. She stared out the back door as several birds feasted at the large bird feeder hanging from the porch ceiling. It was amazing what you witnessed in the quiet of the morning. Ian had never been a morning person. He used to stumble down after nine like a zombie, giving her loud kisses until she would squeal with laughter.
A lump rose in her throat. She missed Ian. December twenty-eighth would mark a year since his death, but in all honesty, he’d been a different person long before that.
He would have been thirty last month. Instead of spending the evening celebrating it with a party, she'd flown overseas with Ian’s ashes and dispersed them in his favorite spot overlooking the ocean. Then, she’d spent Ian's birthday reminiscing his too-short life in the Irish Pub his best friend owned.
Picking up her coffee cup, Anna Beth headed back up the stairs to her room, swallowing past the lump in her throat. God, she missed him.
Last night, she’d been shocked to find her room relatively untouched since she left for college. She’d come back for a few school breaks and then her wedding, but stepping into it after five years was like taking a ride in the DeLorean. The pink glittery cork board above the full bed with its collage of pictures, detailing her life from age eleven to eighteen. Seven years of pictures with Jared next to her, smiling, in ninety percent of them.
She set her cup down on her nightstand and pulled her computer bag off the hope chest at the foot of the bed. As a teenager, she’d never imagined her life this way. At eighteen, she’d gone off to college hoping Jared would show up one day and tell her he loved her. Like they were staring in their own sappy rom-com. She’d throw herself into his arms and confess her affection, they’d graduate from college, get married, and then live happily ever after in Snowy Springs.
Instead, she’d met Ian in her philosophy class. Incredibly selfless and giving, even to strangers, he’d swept her off her feet with his honest charm and she’d fallen harder for him every day.
She didn’t regret marrying Ian. She'd loved him. She still did.
Anna Beth studied the pictures of her and Jared again. She still thought about what happened on her wedding day from time to time, wondered what her life would've been like if she'd made a different decision. When the bridal suite door opened, she’d turned, expecting her aunt.
Instead, Jared stood in front of her in his best suit. He opened and closed his mouth several times, avoiding her gaze.
“You look beautiful, A.B.”
The way his brown eyes traveled from her face down to her toes, left her breathless. He’d never looked at her that way before.
“Thanks.”
He took another step toward her, sweat beading on his forehead and she remembered the way her heart leaped in her chest.
“Jared? What’s up? You look like you’re going to hurl.”
“No, I’m just…” He sucked in a breath and smiled nervously. “I love you.”
Anna Beth gave him a puzzled smile. “I love you, too.”
Jared shook his head. “No, Anna Beth. I love you. Like I wish I’d said something sooner. I love you, like I want you to take my hand and run out that door with me. I love you, as in I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Tears stung her eyes, spilling over onto her cheeks. For years, she’d imagined that moment. Of being with Jared. Taking their friendship to the next level. Holding his hand. Kissing him. But…this was the moment he’d chosen to tell her?
She swiped at her cheeks. She’s spent years pining for Jared, wishing he’d make a move. Say something.
But on her freaking wedding day?
Her temper flared to life, her fists clenching. “How dare you?”
“What?”
“You come in here, on my wedding day, to bare your soul? You’ve had ten years to tell me how you feel. You pick today?”
“Better late than never?” It was a lame attempt at humor she did not appreciate. “I figured since you haven’t taken your vows yet, I needed to tell you before it was too late.”
“It was too late the moment I met Ian. This isn’t a movie, Jared. If you’d told me how you felt before, maybe things would be different, but I’m in love with Ian. He’s the man I want.”
She’d never forget the pain on Jared’s face as he turned and walked out the door without another word. It had taken everything in her not to chase after him, but what good would it have done? She’d chosen Ian and Jared made the choice to walk out of her life. So many times, she’d thought about calling him, but she had no idea what to say to mend their broken friendship.
Anna Beth pulled her laptop out of the bag and Ian’s journal fell to the floor with a slap. She set her computer aside and picked up the leather-bound book. She flipped it open, smiling as her gaze scanned the first page.
There was a doodle of two people hugging, a red heart above their heads. At the bottom, he’d written their names.
For Anna. Please read it and check each item off as you complete them. I promise I’m not just making you do crazy shit every month for the fun of it. Well, maybe for my entertainment. Ghosts gotta get their rocks off some way. I love you.
Her hand skimmed over where he’d signed his name, a tear falling on the page. Ian had always been dramatic and goofy. Even as his illness progressed, he still seemed so full of life and good humor.
His first seizure occurred on their two-year wedding anniversary. They’d been out to dinner, laughing about his nearly raw steak. He’d been making the hunk of meat moo and she bent over to catch her breath. When she’d straightened up, Ian fell to the floor, convulsing. She’d never forget the terror of seeing her vibrant husband curled on his side, shaking with the aftershocks.
Dozens of tests and several weeks later, the doctor diagnosed Ian with a fast-growing brain tumor, in the middle of his frontal lobe. The minute he’d heard cancer, Ian lost the spark that made people flock to him. She’d jumped into research mode, asking the doctor questions about their next steps and, when he’d suggested surgery, Ian protested.
“I want to stay me, An. What if they cut into my brain and I come out a vegetable?”
“What if they get it all? What if the medication works and you live another eighty years?”
“It’s in my genetics, baby. My dad had a brain tumor. Mom’s moved so fast there was nothing they could do for her. The doctor said, even with surgery and radiation, there’s a good chance it will come back. I don’t want to be sick for years just to buy us a few months. I want to enjoy every second I have left with you.”
Still, for two years he’d seen every specialist she’d found, but by the time he finally agreed to surgery, the tumor was too invasive to remove. They told Ian he had a year, three if they were lucky.
Anna Beth lost it. She’d railed against him for being so stubborn, screaming and cursing in the middle of the hospital room like a banshee.
And he’d let her do it, lying in his hospital bed with gauze wrapped around his head. He sat there listening patiently and, at the end of her tirade, her body wracked with sobs, he held out his arms to her and she climbed up onto the bed next to him.
It wasn’t long after, he’d started writing in the journal, and although she’d been curious about what he wrote, she never invaded his privacy.
When their attorney went over Ian’s will, and handed her the leather-bou
nd book, she realized it was so much more.
She flipped through the pages of lists, a different one for every month, and she’d crossed off nearly every item. In between the lists were letters, explaining each list, even the most bizarre tasks.
Ian had died the twenty-eighth of December last year and left her one hundred and eighty tasks. She now had fourteen items left to finish.
Then she could read his final letter.
Taped to the inside of the back cover was an envelope with Ian’s blocky script.
Anna Beth: Open Upon Completion of the Last List.
She went back to her final list and groaned.
1) Mend fences with your Aunt.
She’d been here a little over twenty-four hours and, after breakfast this morning, she felt confident crossing that one off the list. She and her aunt were well on their way to a reconciliation. She looked at the next item on the list:
2) Deliver Christmas Gifts to the local hospital…dressed as The Grinch.
Ian’s favorite movie. They’d watch every version at least a dozen times during the holiday season. She wasn’t quite ready for that one yet.
Her finger slid down the list, stopping on number eight:
8) Visit an old friend.
Jared flashed through her mind. That one didn't seem likely to happen. Avoiding Jared was probably best for both of them.
Three weeks in a small town…How hard could it be?
Besides, she had someone else in mind.
Five
Jared opened the doors to Foam Capped Java a little after ten, the bells above jingling over the hum of the crowded coffee shop. While he really wanted to go home and get some sleep, he’d promised to help his mom do some Christmas shopping this morning. At least he had tonight off to recuperate.
He spotted his mom in line and walked up, sliding an arm around her shoulders to give her a hug. She turned her head and her round face split into a broad grin.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“That’s okay. I just got here a few minutes ago myself.” She waved her hand towards the line. “They’re hopping today.”