“Hi. I just saw your granddad. How did you do it?”
For a moment, Jack had no idea what she was talking about. Then he remembered the conversation about Santa. “Are you talking about the Christmas Parade?”
“I am. Patrick came to see me. He’s happy to be Santa. I didn’t think he wanted to sit on the sleigh.”
“Neither did I.” Jack saved the document he was working on and closed the file. “It must have been the thought of disappointing all the children that did it.”
“Well, whatever you said, it worked. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I only have one question—how will a sleigh carry Granddad down Main Street? Unless it suddenly starts snowing in September, the sleigh won’t move.”
“A company in Bigfork is lending us their Christmas parade sleigh. Hidden in the bottom of the frame are wheels. As long as we replace Santa’s reindeer with motorcycles, it will be perfect.”
Jack could imagine the reaction of the crowd when a whole lot of bikers, dressed in their black leathers, pulled Santa down Main Street. “Do you know a motorcycle club that can help?”
“I spoke to a friend in Bozeman. The Mothers’ Motorcycle Club does a lot of charity rides. The bikers will be in Missoula for another event and are happy to drive a little farther north for our parade.”
“You’ve been busy.”
Emma sighed. “It’s been chaotic, but I’m getting there. I still need final approval from John and the rest of the committee before I confirm everything.”
“How are you managing to do all your other work?”
“Kylie and Willow have been great. So have Mr. Jessop and Pastor John. Between all of us, I’ve been able to keep up to date with my own work and still have time to volunteer at The Welcome Center. Hang on a minute. Someone has just come into the office.”
While Emma was helping whoever had arrived, Jack thought about what his granddad had said. If a bunch of daisies was the turning point in his relationship, Jack was willing to try the same thing.
“Sorry about that,” Emma said quickly. “John has gone to the steamboat museum and no one else is in the office. Are you getting lots of work done?”
“More than I thought. I need to go back to Manhattan at the end of next week, but working from Sapphire Bay has been easier than I imagined. Would you and the twins like to come to Acorn Cottage for dinner?”
“We’d love to, but we can’t. I’ve organized a fundraising committee meeting at my place. If you don’t mind eating a little earlier than usual, you could have dinner with us.”
Jack didn’t mind what time he ate, as long as it was with Emma and the twins. “I’ll bring dessert. What time do you want me there?”
“Any time after four-thirty. We’ll have dinner at five.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.”
Jack checked his watch. He had two hours before he needed to leave. That would give him enough time to finish the reports he was working on, have a shower, and find some daisies.
On impulse, he walked across to the window overlooking Noah and Cassie’s cottage. Sure enough, sitting under one of the large windows were two daisy bushes.
If raiding someone’s garden was good enough for his granddad, it was good enough to for him. Especially when the flowers belonged to his brother and sister-in-law.
“Are you stealing our flowers?”
Jack jumped and almost speared his toes with the scissors. “Give me a warning next time you sneak up on me.”
“It wouldn’t be as much fun if you heard me. Why are you decapitating the daisy bushes?”
Jack snipped another handful of flowers off one of the plants. “It’s for a good cause.” He looked in the bucket he’d brought with him. It was overflowing with white daisies, but was it enough to impress Emma?
“You might want to define ‘a good cause’. If Cassie sees the hatchet job you’ve made of her plants, she won’t be impressed.”
“They aren’t that bad.”
Noah made a scoffing sound. “There’s a big hole in the side of one plant, and the other looks like it’s had the worst haircut of its life. Why do you need so many flowers?”
“I want to make a good impression.”
“On who?”
“Emma.”
Noah’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve been talking to Granddad.”
“How did you know?” Jack used his hand to fluff the worst daisy bush. It didn’t make any difference. Unfortunately, it still looked like a wild animal had devoured it.
Noah took the scissors off Jack and tried to make everything look a little less mauled. “The daisy story will go down in history as the beginning of life as we know it. When I was dating Cassie, he told me the story about giving Grandma some daisies.” Noah gestured at the bushes. “You could have taken the flowers from one bush. At least that way we could have pretended you were pruning the plants.”
Jack frowned. Nothing Noah did was making any difference to the forlorn bushes. “Do you think Cassie will notice?”
“Is the sky blue?” Noah handed him the scissors. “I’ll leave you to tell her what you’ve done. Knowing Cassie, she’ll think it’s romantic, then send me outside to clean up your mess.”
Noah checked his watch. “I’m running short of time, but I can tidy up the bushes tomorrow.”
“Thanks for the offer but, if I let you lose with a pair of hand pruners, we might not have any daisies left.”
Jack picked up the bucket. “I could have a hidden talent.”
“Not that I can tell.” Noah studied Jack’s face. “Good luck with Emma. I hope whatever you’re planning goes well.”
“So do I. When did you know you loved Cassie?”
Noah’s smiled was instant. “She was standing a few feet from here, teaching herself how to waltz. As soon as I saw her dancing barefoot on the grass, I knew I was in love. I’m not sure she felt the same way but, in the end, it didn’t matter. Is it that serious between you and Emma?”
“I feel whole when I’m with her, as if I’ve been waiting my entire life to meet her and the twins.”
Noah’s deep frown made Jack’s heart pound.
“Be careful,” his brother warned. “Emma’s dealing with a lot at the moment.”
“I know. That’s why I’m giving her the daisies.”
Noah gave a rueful grin. “I hope she realizes what we’ve sacrificed.”
“I’ll tell her after she realizes she loves me. See you tomorrow.”
“Don’t bring your scissors,” Noah yelled after him.
“I won’t need them,” he yelled back. At least he really hoped he didn’t need to raid his brother’s garden again. Apart from running the risk of annoying Cassie, Jack didn’t want Emma to think he couldn’t afford to buy her flowers. Because he could, many times over.
But, as his grandfather had told him, this wasn’t about a grand gesture. It was about a message coming straight from his heart—and his brother’s daisy bushes.
The first thing Emma heard after Jack arrived was Molly’s excited voice. She waited for them to come into the kitchen but no one appeared, not even Dylan.
As soon she’d finished preparing the chicken for dinner, she washed her hands and made her way through to the living room. “Hi, Jack. I hope you…” Emma stared at the huge bouquet of daisies he was holding.
“Aren’t they amazing?” Molly was jumping up and down. “They’re for you!”
Jack held the bouquet toward her. “Thanks for inviting me to dinner.”
Emma looked into his eyes. A warm rush of emotion slipped along her spine, cartwheeled inside her tummy, and headed straight to her heart. “They’re lovely. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I also brought ice cream and chocolate cake for dessert.”
Molly rushed across to a box on the coffee table. “They’re in here. Jack said we need to put the ice cream in the freezer in case it melts.”
Before she could answ
er Molly, Dylan appeared beside her holding a large glass vase.
She quickly took it out of his hands before it dropped onto his bare feet. “That was good thinking.”
“We still need to put water inside. Otherwise, the flowers will die.”
“We could add some water to the vase now if you like?”
“Could I carry the flowers?” Dylan asked.
“Of course, you can. Here you go.” Emma smiled. The bouquet was as wide as his chest and rose above his eyes.
Molly leaned over the box. “I’ll put the ice cream in the freezer. You can follow me.” She looked at the floor, then at the bouquet in Dylan’s arms. “Don’t step on the Lego.”
Jack scooped up the spaceship they’d made earlier. “You’ve got a clear run to the kitchen now.”
Cautiously, Dylan followed Molly.
She held open the door, giving her brother instructions about what was ahead of him.
Emma and Jack followed.
“I feel spoiled,” Emma said. “These will look so pretty in the kitchen.” She felt Jack’s hand rest lightly on her waist. The gentle pressure made her turn around.
“I’ve missed you.”
Emma smiled. “We spoke on the phone yesterday.”
“It’s not the same.”
She knew what Jack meant. It was nice spending time together, doing normal things that most people took for granted, especially when they were in a relationship.
Emma hugged the vase close to her chest. “It will be hard when you go back to Manhattan.”
The smile on Jack’s face disappeared. “How would you feel if I stayed here?”
“Has something happened to Noah or your granddad?”
Jack’s eyes widened. “No, they’re okay. I meant—”
“Mom, I’m ready for the vase.”
While Emma was speaking with Jack, Dylan had pulled a chair across to the counter and was waiting beside the sink.
“I’ll be there in a minute.” She looked at Jack and frowned.
“It’s okay,” he said. “It can wait until after dinner.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Are you sure your family is okay?”
“They’re fine. Dylan’s perched on the edge of the chair, waiting for you.”
Emma was sure he could wait another few minutes, but if Jack wasn’t in a hurry to explain why he wanted to stay in Sapphire Bay, then after dinner it would have to be.
“I’ll get the cake,” Molly said as she ran past them.
Jack smiled at Emma. “I’ll go with Molly. I’m not convinced the chocolate cake will make it to the kitchen in one piece.”
With Jack helping Molly, Emma filled the vase with water and held it steady while Dylan arranged the flowers.
With all the chatter and laughter filling the kitchen, they sounded like a regular family. Except they weren’t. But maybe, if Jack was thinking about staying in Sapphire Bay, they would have time to see if they could be.
Emma kissed the top of Dylan’s head. Two months ago, they hadn’t met Jack and she didn’t know where Mark had gone. Now, everything had changed.
Hopefully, for the better.
Chapter 14
After they’d finished dinner, Jack was getting dessert ready when someone knocked on the front door.
Molly leaped off her chair. “I’ll get it.”
Emma checked her watch. “It could be Pastor John or Bailey and Kylie.”
“Would you like me to go home?” Jack asked.
“Definitely not, unless you need to be somewhere else? Our meeting shouldn’t go for very long. I only want to make sure everyone’s happy with the Christmas program before I confirm the bookings.”
Jack took another three plates out of the cupboard. “In that case, I’d love to stay.”
Emma smiled. “Consider yourself an honorary member of the Christmas fundraising committee.”
When she kissed his cheek, Jack smiled. It still amazed him how quickly he’d become part of Emma and the twins’ lives. He hated to use the word settled, but that’s how he felt. After years of feeling as though something was missing from his life, he’d finally found somewhere that felt like home.
Molly rushed into the kitchen. “It’s Kylie and the lady we met yesterday.”
Dylan took a handful of spoons out of the cutlery drawer. “Her name is Bailey. I remember that ’cos it’s the name of my friend.”
Kylie walked into the kitchen first. “I hope it’s okay to come a few minutes early.” She grinned when she saw Jack. “Hi. I thought you might have gone back to Manhattan.”
“Not for a while. How’s your flower shop?”
“It’s so busy.” Kylie left her bag beside the kitchen counter. “Usually, by this time of the year, the wedding season is slowing down. But, for some reason, I’ve been inundated with couples tying the knot. Putting all the flower arrangements together, along with the bouquets and table decorations, makes life a little stressful. Jack, have you met Bailey?”
He smiled at the young woman standing beside Kylie. “No, I haven’t. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same here. Have you moved to Sapphire Bay, as well?”
Jack hadn’t talked to Emma about moving here and, until that happened, he wasn’t saying anything. “I’m temporarily staying in my brother and sister-in-law’s vacation home.”
“You’re lucky. It was almost impossible to find a house I could rent for a few months.”
“Did you get something?”
“I did, but only because my sister knows the owner.”
Emma touched Jack’s arm. “Bailey’s sister moved here about eighteen months ago. She married Caleb Andrews.”
Jack looked more closely at Bailey. “Is Sam your sister?” Although Bailey had darker hair than Sam, the smile on her face was so much like her sister’s that they could have been twins.
“I’m Sam’s younger sister. How do you know Caleb and Sam?”
“I met Caleb through another friend who lives in Sapphire Bay. It’s a small world.”
“It definitely is.”
Another knock on the door had Dylan moving fast. “Stay there, Molly. It’s my turn.”
Jack held back a smile as Molly veered right, rushing across to the windows overlooking the front yard. “It’s Pastor John.”
Emma turned on the coffee pot. “I’ll go.”
“Stay here with Bailey and Kylie,” Jack said. “I can bring John through to the kitchen.”
“Okay. I’ll make coffee.”
By the time Jack walked through to the living room, Dylan was halfway across the room with John.
Jack had no idea what John had been doing, but he looked terrible.
“Do you think Pastor John would like to see the star Dad made me?” Dylan asked.
“That sounds like a great idea.” After Dylan left the room, Jack pointed to the sofa. “If you want to relax for a few minutes, we can wait here. Emma’s making Kylie and Bailey coffee. They’re not in a rush to start the meeting.”
John sat on the sofa. “Thanks. It’s been a long day.”
“You look like death warmed over. Is everything all right?”
“I’m tired, that’s all.”
Jack had met John too many times not to know it was more than that. “Is there anything I can do?”
John shook his head. “A young couple from the church were involved in an accident this morning. They’re in the hospital in Polson. When they’re more stable, they’ll be flown to the Intensive Care Unit in Kalispell.’”
“Will they be okay?”
“The doctors don’t know.” John rubbed his eyes. “Their families are devastated. It’s days like this that make me realize how fragile our lives are.”
Jack had never considered the stress John must be under. Not only was he providing services and programs to the community’s most vulnerable, he was also a shoulder to cry on, someone who listened to a person’s deepest, darkest fears, and
a sounding board for things to come. John was everything to everyone and that kind of commitment could take its toll.
Jack studied the dark circles under John’s eyes. Everyone needed to unwind, recharge their batteries, and be happy. He suspected that, taking time away from his congregation, from the people who turned to him for help, was something John didn’t do often.
“Noah, William, and I are going fishing tomorrow morning. You should come with us.”
“I can’t. I’ve got a busy day ahead of me.”
Jack wasn’t giving up that easily. “It will only be for a couple of hours. William wants to be on the lake by six o’clock. We’ll be back before some people are getting out of bed.”
John leaned back in his chair. “Two hours?”
“That’s all. No one will ask you to bless the fish we catch, if that’s what’s worrying you.”
For the first time since he arrived, John smiled. “That’s a relief. Okay. I can do two hours.”
“Do you want me to pick you up on my way into town? I’ll be driving past the church at about five-fifty.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate a ride.” John took a deep breath. “I think I’m getting into fishing mode now. I feel better than I did when I arrived.”
“Wait until you taste the chocolate cake I brought. The sugar rush will give you a permanent smile.” Jack turned as Dylan walked into the living room.
“I found the star. Molly had it in her room.” Dylan stood in front of John, holding his gift in the palm of his hands. “My dad made this from a piece of wood he found around Evergreen Lake.”
John admired the intricately carved decoration. “It’s incredible. Your dad is a very talented person.”
“He made Molly a sculpture of a ballerina. Do you want to hold the star?”
“I’d love to.”
Dylan carefully placed the star in John’s hands. “Stars are special. They make pictures in the sky called constellations. Did you know you can follow the stars so you don’t get lost?”
John’s gaze connected with Dylan’s. “I did, but every now and then I need to be reminded. Thank you for sharing your star with me.”
“That’s okay. Do you want some dessert?”
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