Sunnyside Christmas

by Jacie Floyd

  Jillian felt compelled to stop her. “Did Liam ask you to come?”

  “Liam? I, uhm, no, dear.”

  “Zach, then? Did he ask you to come over to lend a hand?” She raised her well-bandaged hands and lifted them in a shrug. “Literally.”

  “Yes, that’s it. Zach sent me. What can I do to help?”

  “Come keep me company if you have time.” She led her to the family room, stopping in the kitchen on the way. “And I could use some water, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course. Bottle or ice in glass?”

  “Ice in glass with straw, please.” She held her hands up again as a reminder that holding a bottle would be difficult.

  Barb moved around the kitchen with confidence. She located the cabinet with glasses on the first try. Even more impressive, she located the straws without a search, too. “Here you go. Would you like to settle in the family room for a while?”

  “Yes, that would be nice. How have you been? I haven’t seen much of you these past few weeks.” Jillian lowered herself into a club chair with an ottoman.

  “Last Saturday at Zach’s wedding.” Barb set the water glass on a table next to Jillian, then removed her coat, and tossed it over the back of the couch. Black clogs with yellow socks and a navy turtleneck were what the realtor had paired with the flannel pants. “Wednesday at the Santa Walk meeting and Thursday at the Sunnyside Revitalization meeting. Three times within a week seems like a lot to me.”

  “You weren’t at the bachelorette party, and Clare said you’d missed a lot of things this month. Have you been sick?”

  “No, just a little blue. The time of year, I guess.” Barb selected an automatic remote from the basket on the coffee table, adjusting the angle of the blinds so the sun didn’t hit Jillian square in the eyes. “With your father dying right before Thanksgiving and your mother’s death a few days before Christmas—years apart, of course—the holidays must be hard for you.”

  “Yeah, I probably haven’t adjusted very well.”

  “And you being back in Sunnyside really emphasizes the losses.” Selecting another remote control, she managed to turn on a music system Jillian hadn’t even known about. The woman must be a wiz with electronics. It had taken Jillian days just to identify the basic TV controller.

  “It does.” For crying out loud, could Barb give her a break? She was starting to be sorry she’d invited the woman in. Although, she hadn’t really. Barb had come in without being asked. “There are a lot of memories here.”

  “I must tell you, I’ve been quite impressed with you recently.”

  Sipping water through her straw, Jillian about choked. News to her. “You have? About what?”

  “Since you left such a long time ago and never came back, I fully expected you to waltz in for the funeral and back out again, leaving the details in the hands of the attorneys to settle. I didn’t expect you to stick around or care about what happened in Sunnyside afterward. Your father would be proud of you.”

  “I’m not sure I’m up to the task, but I know he wouldn’t want me to abandon Sunnyside without making an effort to help.”

  “Your work on the committee has been impressive. Your father, God rest his soul, was busy trying to manage his businesses and coming up with new promotions for them, but I doubt if he saw the big picture like you do. He was always fretting about how he could save Sunnyside, but you’re drawing everyone into the battle.”

  It was a generous comment from someone who had been critical of Jillian for weeks. “Thank you for noticing.”

  “Since this is my hometown, too, I hope you’re successful. I’ll do everything I can to help.”

  “That means a lot to me, Barb. I think it would mean a lot to Dad, too. He’d really appreciate you being on my side, and so do I.”

  She tugged on the pearl stud earring in her ear and blinked. Were those tears in her eyes? “Not at all. He’d expect it.”

  The doorbell rang, and Barb hopped up. “I’ll get that.”

  “It’s probably Zach. The door’s unlocked, and he’ll let himself in,” Jillian said.

  And sure enough, heavy footsteps cut through the kitchen and Zach appeared. “Hello, ladies. Jillian, how are you feeling? Barb, I didn’t expect to find you here.”

  Barb waved the comment aside as she grabbed her coat. “We were just catching up, but I have to go. You don’t mind if I stop in the rest room first, do you, Jillian? If you don’t need me for anything Zach, I’ll let myself out.”

  “Thanks for coming.” Hadn’t she said Zach had sent her?

  “Let me know if you need any help while your hands are bandaged.” Barb gave Jillian a quick hug, then breezed out.

  Zach raised an eyebrow. “What was she doing here?”

  “No idea. Didn’t you send her?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’m worried about her. She’s not as ‘together’ as she used to be.” But if Barb was having mental or physical problems, Zach would probably know. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s having some issues. I’ll check in with her later.” He took a seat on the ottoman. “Let’s see how your lacerations look today. Much pain?” He unwrapped the bandages to get a good look.

  “Just the pain of unrelenting boredom.”

  “Your cuts should be healing now. Fewer bandages might be a possibility.”

  The exam went well, and instead of encasing her entire hands, Zach left her index fingers and thumbs unwrapped, so she’d have some mobility.

  As he got up to leave with warnings about not getting her bandages wet and her newly released digits being available for limited use only, there was a thump from overhead. “What, now?” Jillian asked, heading for the stairs.

  “Hang on,” Zach said. “You don’t know who’s up there.”

  “It’s got to be Barb. There’s no one else here.”

  “Someone could’ve come in through the front after she left.”

  Jillian rolled her eyes. “Doubtful.” She made a shushing sound and went up the rest of the way on tiptoe, peeking in each room. At the master bedroom, she pulled up short. “Barb! What are you doing?”

  The woman was on her hands and knees, with her arm stretched under the bed. Startled, she jerked, sat back on her heels, and bumped into the nightstand. “Oh! Sorry. I, uh, thought I saw the cat run in here to hide under the bed. Was just trying to get her out for you.”

  “We don’t have a cat.”

  “Right. That’s at my house. I’m confused.”

  Downstairs, the front door opened, and Liam called out to her. “Jillian?”

  A fleeting memory of how bored she’d been just thirty minutes before floated through her head, but she kept her focus on Barb who was clutching something to her chest. “What’s going on? What have you got in your hand?”

  Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head, looking so helpless it almost broke Jillian’s heart. What had happened to the strong, confident woman who would speak her mind, go toe-to-toe with anyone and not back down? Did she need medical help? At least, Zach was on hand.

  “Is it something of Dad’s?” As Jillian moved toward her, Liam stepped into the room.

  Barb clutched the sparkly bit to her chest. “You should tell her, Barb,” Zach said, indicating he already knew about whatever “it” was.

  Liam veered around Jillian and leaned down to help Barb up. “It’s time,” he said to her. “Jillian should know.”

  The realtor’s face crumpled as she held out her hand to reveal a diamond pendant.

  “Was that my mother’s?” Still confused, Jillian didn’t recognize the item at first glance. Maybe the pain meds were still fogging her brain.

  “It’s mine,” Barb said with a lift of her chin. “Bert gave it to me.”

  “Why? And why is it under Dad’s bed?”

  The older woman huffed and puffed, before she got the words out. “We were a couple, all right?”

  Jillian’s body jerked like she’d been zapped with an electrica
l shock. At last, the secret girlfriend identified. And it was Barb? Middle-aged, bossy, slightly over-bearing Barb? That would take some getting used to. But probably would make some sense once she thought it over.

  “You and Dad? I wasn’t expecting that.” Her gaze flew to Liam’s. “Did everyone know but me?”

  “A few people knew,” Barb admitted. “Other’s suspected, but most went along with the charade that we were just friends without questioning it.”

  “How long has this been going on?”

  “About two years. I often stayed over, and until I came to understand the true nature of his finances, he was always giving me presents. Unlike some people—” A speaking glare at Jillian accompanied the words “—I insisted he stop buying outrageous things he couldn’t afford, but I treasured this piece he gave me our first Christmas.” She held the necklace in front of her, attempting to work the clasp and put it on, but her hands shook so badly, Liam took it.

  “Here, let me,” he said as he performed the task.

  As soon as the necklace was in place, she traced the chain with her fingers and centered the pendant in the front, fondling the object like a long-lost friend. “It was missing. I turned my house upside down looking for it. Finally, this morning, I remembered I left it here the last time I spent the night. I came right over to get it.”

  “You could have just asked me for it.” Jillian had been afraid her father’s girlfriend was someone unsuitable—like someone married or one of the strippers—but everyone in town would have loved Dad and Barb as a couple. They were both single, civic-minded, around the same age, and had been friends forever. “Why keep the relationship a big secret?”

  “He didn’t want you to know. He didn’t think you’d approve.”

  “Oh.” Yes, she could see that. He would’ve worried she wouldn’t look favorably on a serious girlfriend. At least, at first. But two years was a long time to keep her in the dark. “I’m sorry. I may have said things that made him think I wouldn’t approve, but my concern was about some theoretical woman after his money. If I’d known there was someone like you in his life that made him happy, I would have been all for it.”

  “Easy to say now,” Barb sniffed.

  “It is,” Jillian agreed, her heart hurting over an issue that boiled down to a lack of communication. “I’m sorry he didn’t tell me, but he thought it was his duty to shield me from things that would upset me. Like my dog, the businesses, and you. It makes me feel small and childish to realize he believed he still needed to protect me. You’re grieving more than I knew, Barb, and you shouldn’t be going through that alone.”

  She went to the other woman and gave her a loose hug, uncertain if Barb would accept the embrace or not. But Barb’s arms came around Jillian’s shoulders, and they shared a moment of commiseration.

  “Bert always said you’d turned out well, but I thought he was just prejudiced in your favor.” She turned to go downstairs, and Jillian and the two men followed. “But you’re better than I expected. I’m glad this business is out in the open now.”

  “Me, too.” She ushered the woman to the door, ready to have the scene behind her. “We’ll have to get together for lunch one day soon—when I can feed myself again—and you can share other things about my father that I didn’t know.”

  “I’d love to,” Barb said. “It’s been strange feeling like I couldn’t talk about him this past month. I really do miss him.”

  “Me, too.” They hugged again, and Barb left.

  Jillian slumped against Liam’s chest. “Whew, that was weird, exhausting, and sad. I don’t know how much time you have, but I hope you brought me lunch. You’re going to have to feed me before I collapse.”

  He gestured to the pizza box he’d left on the counter. “You just want to grill me about your Dad and Barb.”

  “True.” They returned to the family room for Zach to finish up with his doctoring duties. “I guess you knew about them, too.”

  Zach played dumb—which was a stretch for him. “Knew about what?”

  “Don’t let him get away with that,” Zach said. “He knew before I did.”

  “I’m glad Dad had people he could confide in. I guess Mick knew, too.”

  “We’re not giving you a list of names,” Liam said.

  Zach shrugged as he snipped the surgical tape. “You know what it’s like here. Once one person knows someone else’s got a secret, the word spreads like the flu. It’s hit or miss who gets it.”

  “I’m sorry he didn’t feel he could confide in me.” About so many things, as it had turned out.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “You’re really great with animals.” Liam stopped to compliment Adam on helping to unload a donkey and some sheep for the living nativity scene.

  “He really is,” Doc Johnson, the local veterinarian agreed. “Some people have a natural instinct about animals. Do you have pets at home?”

  “Just fish. I can’t have a dog or cat in the apartment where we live.”

  “But he’s really good with Shelby” Liam added.

  “Shelby’s a sweetheart. How’s she doing?”

  “She’s great. Smart and good company, too.”

  “My dad lived here before he died,” Adam spoke up, like he always did when he was around Sunnyside adults. Apparently, he just couldn’t get enough information about his father. “Did you know Caleb Bowman?”

  “Caleb, hmmm. He was a lot younger than me. I didn’t know him well, but he brought in his grandfather’s animals when they needed treatment. He was good with animals, too.”

  “Maybe that’s where I get it, Uncle Liam.”

  “I guess so. From him and my grandfather.”

  Wearing a red coat and hat over her chef’s clothes, Jillian joined them. Her hands were healing nicely and only her palms were still covered in bandages. “Hey, guys! This is going to be awesome. Those little lambs are adorable. Are they part of the petting zoo, or just the nativity?”

  “Both.” Adam jumped off a bale of hay. “It’s going to be so cool. Did you know I’m really good with animals? And so was my dad.”

  “I remember that about your dad. People who are good with animals have a really kind heart. Animals sense things like that.”

  The boy stuck his hands in his pockets and scuffed his booted-foot through the loose straw. “Do they, Doc?”

  “They do seem to have that knack.”

  “I hate to interrupt, but can I borrow these two helpers for a few minutes, Doc? I could use a hand unloading the supplies for my booth in the food hall.”

  Liam hadn’t seen her for two days, so he was happy to help, but Adam balked. “Can I stay here and help with the sheep, Uncle Liam?”

  “Not now. Jillian needs help, and we’ll be right back.”

  “He can stay with me, Liam, and help set up the petting zoo”

  “If you’re sure you don’t mind, Doc. Adam, stay within sight of Doc, don’t talk to strangers, and don’t leave the churchyard, okay? I’ll be across the street in that big tent.”

  “I won’t, thanks.”

  “Stop by my booth after we open,” Jillian said. “I may have a free sample for you when you get there.”

  Liam took Jillian’s elbow as they crossed the street. He had to force himself to keep from kissing her. He wanted to take her hand, but there were too many people watching them as it was. Plus, there was the issue of the cuts.

  “You’re not going to do too much today, are you?”

  “No more than I need to,” she said.

  “How are your hands doing?”

  “Better than they were. I changed my cooking plan for today, so I wouldn’t have to do much chopping or stirring. It’ll be fine.”

  “What are you making?”

  “Scandinavian Rosettes, actually, but we’re calling then Sunnyside Snowflakes in keeping with the winter theme.”

  “Those crispy cookies my grandmother used to make with powdered sugar on them? Those will be a hit.”
/>   “I hope so. They’re good street food, but there’s a lot of competition.”

  “There’s already more people out here than usual helping to set up.”

  “We tried to drum up interest. It seems like I’ve been on every local news show within a hundred-miles. I’m worried that if no one shows up, it will be my fault.” They’d reached the van with her supplies in it, and she unlocked the door.

  “It won’t be,” he said, firmly, reaching in for the dolly.

  “But I’ll be blamed for doing too much or not doing enough. Whichever way it goes.”

  He looked at her over his shoulder as he reached in for a gigantic bag of flour. “I caught you on Talk to Terry last night. Excellent job with that. They used your celebrity chef status and your hand injury to make it sound like anyone would be a fool for not coming out to see what you’re up to.”

  She reached in for the big-box-store bag of sugar, but he stopped her. “That’s the kind of thing you have me for. Lead the way. I’ll get you set up. You can wander around and make sure the other food booths have everything they need.”

  The food tent swarmed with activity. They could keep the side flaps down if there was precipitation, but if the skies remained clear, Jillian wanted to leave them up for easier flow.

  As he worked, he watched her interact with the others. She was a great leader and organizer, and he knew Bert would be proud of her. But after one trip through the tent, she came back to him in a hurry.

  “We have to get back to Adam right away. The Watkins parked down the street, and they’re headed right for him. Someone must have told them he was here.”

  Liam dropped what he was doing, grabbed Jillian’s elbow, and took off at a trot. As they neared the churchyard, they could hear the Reverend yelling. Liam prayed he wasn’t yelling at Adam. The kid already had too many bullies in his life. He didn’t need one more.

  They followed the raised voices and found Doc with his hand on Adam’s shoulder. The boy’s lips were quivering, but his chin was firm, and he was cradling a lamb to his chest like it was a cat.