“Oh.” Grant allowed the concept to soak in for a minute. “My dad and I are building a kayak. Do you think we could decorate it with burnt pictures of rocks?”
“Rocks?”
Grant nodded and launched into his usual detailed explanation about why rocks were so interesting. While he used his magnifying glass to study everything around him, his favorite subject was rocks.
“You sure know a lot about rocks,” Amie said.
“Yeah. I’m fixated.”
She laughed, and I did too. Fixated was Scarlet’s word, and I imagined she often said that about Grant and his rocks.
Grant took another bite of his brownie. “Do you think I can borrow your wood burning pen to draw rocks on my kayak?”
“Grant—”
“It’s okay.” Amie smiled at me. “He can borrow it. I can even show you how to use it.”
“Cool.” Grant grinned, then he ate the rest of his brownie without complaining that it wasn’t chocolaty enough.
*
After scheduling a time for Amie to come over to the house next weekend with her wood burning pen, Grant and I drove back to my house. For the rest of the afternoon, we worked on his kayak, watched football, did a little yard work, and jumped on the trampoline.
For dinner, we barbecued hamburgers, corn on the cob, and pineapple. Because it was such a beautiful night, Grant and I slept outside on the trampoline.
Wrapped in our blankets, we looked up at the stars, which were beautiful. Of course, they weren’t as bright as they’d been at my property.
The pain of everything I’d lost sliced through me—the sudden death of my parents, Robbie’s tragic accident, losing Marcus, giving up my property, and the ending of my marriage, which cost me the ability to live full time with my son.
I give it all to you, Lord. I lay all my heartbreak at your feet, knowing you will use it for good. I give you my longing for Vicki, my concerns about the future, and all my unhealthy desires.
While I would probably never understand why the Lord had taken away so much from me, I knew He had his reasons. Still, it hurt.
In the darkness, Grant took my hand. “Sleeping outside is fun,” he whispered.
I squeezed his hand, my heart full. “It is fun.”
“Do you think I can have a sleepover with John on the trampoline sometime?”
“Sure. I’m glad the two of you are friends now.”
“We’ve always been friends.”
I chuckled. “You used to complain when he sat next to you at lunch.”
“That was because of his turkey sandwich. I hate the smell of turkey.”
“Hate is a strong word.”
“I know. That’s why I used it. I hate the smell of John’s turkey sandwich.”
“Does he bring something different for lunch now?”
Grant let go of my hand so he could reposition his pillow. “No, he still brings turkey every day. I just decided to sacrifice the smell of good air for bad air at lunch so we can sit together.”
I smiled at my son. Here he was, just a little kid, and already he understood something important about love. Love required sacrifice. Not always, but sometimes it did.
Being with Vicki meant sacrificing having more kids. Was that something I could do? Would it be worth it?
As a shooting star zipped across the sky, I allowed myself to dream the impossible.
Chapter 30
Vicki
For the next few weeks, I tried to pretend I didn’t care that Seth no longer came into the bakery. A customer said she’d seen Seth at Sweet Elephant’s with Amie, an artist who had a studio downtown.
I didn’t have anything against Amie. I’d met her at a city council meeting, and she seemed nice enough. If she and Seth were happy together, what did I care?
To keep my mind off my pathetic love life, I kept busy by revising the bakery’s lunch menu, helping Keith plan a surprise party for Jillian’s birthday, and scrapbooking with my sisters. I also watched Bianca fall madly in love with Daniel Serrano as he renovated her kitchen and she taught his daughter how to drive.
One day, toward the end of Bianca’s great kitchen renovation, she burst into the bakery, her eyes wild with excitement. “Vicki, you’re not going to believe it.”
“What?”
It was mid-morning. The bakery’s initial rush had ended, so there were only a handful of customers sitting at the tables, lingering over their coffee and pastries. Sill, everyone turned as my sister said, “She called.”
Not understanding, I asked the obvious question. “Who called?”
“Claudia.” Bianca shivered with delight. “My daughter Claudia is coming to the island. Can you believe it? Joy emailed her and convinced her to come. She’ll be here this Friday.”
“Oh, Bianca. Wow. That’s wonderful.”
My sister squealed. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe Joy took the time to write. She didn’t have to do that, but it made all the difference in the world.”
I nodded. “Joy is pretty special.”
Bianca’s eyes moistened. “She is.”
“Then again,” I said with a smile, “how could she not be with a father like Daniel?”
Bianca gave a huge contented sigh. “I know, right?”
*
For me, the day of Claudia’s arrival began like any other ordinary day. I rose early to finish the baking, took in the cakes from our consignment bakers, made the coffee, and waited on customers when we opened.
I also worked on Jillian’s fake birthday cake for her fake birthday party, which was tonight at the family ranch. Tomorrow night, Keith would be taking Jillian out for a quiet dinner with just the two of them. Little did Jillian know that was just a decoy for the enormous surprise bash Keith had planned in her honor at the Rose Museum.
Despite losing the invitations I’d helped address, Keith and the boys seemed to have everything under control.
After the lunch rush, I thought about running over to Bianca’s to see if Claudia had arrived yet. While I didn’t want to disturb their reunion, I was excited to meet this niece I hadn’t even known existed until recently.
Glancing out the window, I watched the rain pound down on the cars and sidewalk. For Bianca’s sake, I hoped the storm hadn’t delayed Claudia.
Returning my attention to my cozy bakery, my eyes suddenly landed on a violin case at one of the tables near the window. Claudia played the violin . . . the young woman, a petite blonde, sat at the table eating a blueberry muffin.
It was Claudia. I must’ve been in the back when she placed her order. Did Bianca know she was here?
My heart raced as I walked around the counter and crossed the bakery. When she saw me coming toward her, she offered a hesitant smile.
“Claudia?”
Her expression faltered as if uncomfortable with being recognized by a stranger.
“I’m Vicki Morgan. Bianca’s sister.”
“Oh, hi.” Looking embarrassed, she finished chewing the last bite of her muffin and came to her feet. “I just needed to warm up and have a little bite to eat before . . .”
“So, Bianca doesn’t know you’re here?”
“Not yet.” She glanced outside as a bolt of lightning filled the sky. “I didn’t want to show up all wet, cold, and hungry.”
“Bianca wouldn’t mind. She’s so excited to see you.”
“I’m excited to see her too.” Claudia’s voice wavered with apprehension. “I’m a little nervous.”
I placed a hand on her shoulder. “Bianca’s really nervous too. But don’t worry. She’s so easy to get along with. Everyone loves her, and I know you will too. And she’s already crazy about you. You and your amazing violin skills are the only things she’s been talking about since you called.”
Claudia pushed out a slow breath and smiled. “Well, I guess I should go over there.”
“Do you want me to walk with you?”
“That’d be great.” She shouldered her backpack
and grabbed the handle of her violin case. With her free hand, she picked up her empty plate.
“Here, I’ll take it.”
She handed it to me, and I set it in the dish bin. Then, I walked Claudia next door, feeling as if I had the most important job in the entire world.
*
Needless to say, Bianca was overjoyed at the sight of Claudia. She cried as she hugged her daughter for the first time in eighteen years. I got a little teary-eyed and so did Joy, who’d been hanging out with Bianca in her apartment before Claudia arrived.
Part of me wondered how Joy felt about Claudia’s arrival. Nothing indicated she was jealous, but Joy and Bianca had gotten close over the past few weeks. Because Joy’s mother had died when she was young, I imagined Bianca filled a big emptiness in the teen. Plus, Bianca was teaching Joy how to drive, and what teenager didn’t want their license?
After a while, I excused myself to go back to work. “It was so nice meeting you, Claudia.”
“You too,” my new niece said.
Joy’s phone dinged with a text. “That’s Kayla. She’s giving me a ride home since it’s raining.”
“I can give you a ride,” Bianca said.
“That’s okay.” Joy grabbed her backpack and started to leave.
“You don’t have to go, honey.” Bianca sounded concerned that Joy was leaving.
Joy smiled and headed toward the door with me. “I need to go over a few things before I take my test. Plus, Kayla is already here.”
“Okay, I understand,” Bianca said. “Tell her I said hi. And when I see you tonight at the ranch, you’ll be a licensed driver.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so,” Bianca said, sounding confident.
With one last good-bye, Joy and I left. On the way downstairs, I wished Joy good luck on her driver’s test.
“Thanks. I’ll see you tonight . . . at the fake party.” Joy lowered her voice in a way that reminded me so much of Bianca it was eerie.
I stared at her, confused. I hadn’t noticed it until now, but Joy looked a lot like Bianca. Maybe it was just their mannerisms because they’d been spending so much time together. Regardless, it was strange. Especially since Claudia didn’t look anything like Bianca.
*
On the way up to the family ranch for Jillian’s fake birthday party that night, I drove past the grocery store. As if God was trying to send me a message, I spotted Seth standing in the parking lot talking to Amie.
When he said something that caused her to laugh, my stomach did a free fall. Oh, Lord. I really need to let him go, don’t I? I can’t keep living like this.
Before they could see me, I pressed down on the accelerator and forced my gaze forward.
*
As far as fake birthday parties went, Jillian’s was one of the best. We ate outside at the long picnic table in the garden underneath the string lights, and we congratulated Joy on passing her driver’s license test.
My father welcomed Claudia and gave Jillian a birthday toast that brought everyone to tears. After dinner, I went upstairs and played ping-pong with Joy, Claudia, Matt, and Drew. We laughed so hard as we raced around the table playing Anything Goes, this insane ping-pong game where you do all sorts of crazy things when it’s your turn.
The highlight of the evening, however, was listening to Claudia play our much-neglected piano. As her fingers flew up and down the piano keys, I found myself wondering about her musical talent. As far as I knew, nobody in our family was musical like that. Maybe she’d inherited it from her father’s side of the family.
*
In the morning, I left the bakery in the capable hands of my employees and headed out the door to help Keith set up the banquet hall at the Rose Museum for Jillian’s party. Just as I was climbing into my car, Keith strode across the parking lot, calling my name.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “I thought I was supposed to meet you at the museum.”
“Change of plans. I need you to do me another favor.”
“Sure. Anything.”
“It’s kind of big but super important.”
“What is it? It sounds interesting.”
He grinned. “Also, it will take you about three hours. Is that okay?”
I nodded. “I told you I could help all day.”
“Great.” He held up a key and gestured at a fifteen-passenger van with tinted windows. “That’s my buddy’s van. He said we could borrow it today. I need you to drive it up to Houston and pick up something for the party.”
“What?”
Chuckling, he held up a hand to stop me from asking the endless questions swirling in my head. “I’ll give you more instructions along the way. For now, just hop in the van and drive north. And don’t tell anyone, okay? It’s top secret.”
“What if my mom or Bianca or your wife asks me where I went?”
“Just tell them it was a baking emergency.”
“A baking emergency?” I took the key from him. “You’re really not going to tell me what I’m picking up?”
He laughed. “No, but you’ll find out soon enough. And you’ll be glad I asked you to do it.”
Chapter 31
Seth
On Saturday, Amie came over to the house. We’d run into each other at the grocery store, and she’d asked if Grant was still interested in learning how to use the wood burning pen.
“He is,” I told her. “I was thinking about buying him one for his birthday.”
Amie offered to bring her pen over to the house the following weekend so Grant could try it out before I spent the money on one. I agreed and found myself inviting her to lunch.
I knew from her online profile as well as our previous conversations that she taught art part-time at the elementary school. She also had an art studio downtown, where she offered classes to locals and tourists.
Even though she had a lot of experience with teaching kids, her patience with Grant astounded me. As though she had all the time in the world, Amie gave Grant clear and helpful instructions for the wood burning pen. Then, she turned him loose, allowing him to figure things out for himself.
For the next hour, Grant decorated his kayak with pictures of all the rocks he could draw—basalt, granite, shale, limestone, marble, and slate. He also had images of various rock hound tools—magnifying glasses, hammers, chisels, shovels, gloves, and his field guide book.
I was impressed by my son’s talent. Of course, the outsider, unfamiliar with Grant’s obsession with rocks, might not recognize his drawings, but to me, they were incredible.
Amie ran her hand over Grant’s magnifying glass that could possibly be mistaken for a lollipop. “You’re quite the artist, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “I like drawing rocks.”
“I can tell.” She smiled. “You know what?”
“What?”
“You should come to my art studio sometime. I offer several classes for kids, but I also have an open studio time where I allow people to use whatever supplies they want.”
Grant looked at me for approval. I nodded and said, “That might be fun.”
“Yeah.” He offered a crooked smile, his way of politely saying he wasn’t interested. “I think I’m done now. Can I have a snack, Dad?”
“Sure. If you have a lemon bar, however, leave a few for Ms. Amie and me, okay?”
He eyed Amie warily. “Okay. Thank you for letting me use the wood burning pen, Ms. Amie.”
She grinned. “You’re welcome. You can borrow it anytime.”
“Oh, okay.” Before running out the door, Grant shot me a look that made me feel he didn’t approve of Amie. Well, I wouldn’t worry about that now.
Amie looked up at me. “What a sweet kid. You’ve done a good job with him.”
I shrugged. “He’s always been easy like that. Plus, he has a good mom and stepdad.”
She smiled sadly. “I’m really sorry about canceling our date the other day. I feel like I should explain what happened.
”
“You can if you want, but I understand that things change.”
She wrapped the cord around the wood burning pen and stuck it in her bag. “I’m still in love with my ex. It’s pathetic, but I can’t seem to get over him. The idea of going out with you, or anyone else for that matter, really disturbs me.”
I chuckled. “Believe me. I understand more than you can imagine.”
“You can?”
I nodded and somehow blurted out my whole life story to her. I told her about Oscar setting up the online profile and going to the concert with Vicki. I even told her about seeing Vicki with Ambrose and how much that hurt. “I just don’t know how I’m supposed to get over her.”
Amie listened sympathetically before speaking. “I went through something very similar. Now, I finally feel like I’m moving in the right direction.”
“How’d you manage that?”
She gave an embarrassed smile. “The grand gesture.”
“The grand gesture?”
“Yes. You know what that is, right? The thing the hero does to win back the heroine. In my case, it was reversed since I was the one trying to win him back, but it’s that boom-box-over-the-head moment.”
“The boom-box-over-the-head moment?”
She nodded. “From the movie Say Anything.”
“I’ve heard of it. Is that what you did? Held a boom box over your head?”
She laughed. “No, I bought him a car. A 1957 Thunderbird convertible. His grandfather had one when he was growing up. He always talked about wanting one, so I bought it for him.”
“Wow. What did he say?”
“He said he couldn’t accept it. He didn’t want to hurt my feelings, but while he appreciated the gesture, he just didn’t feel that way about me.”
“Ouch. That must’ve hurt.”
“It did, but it also helped me realize I couldn’t change his feelings about me. Knowing that made me able to start letting go a little.”
I smiled sadly. Maybe I needed to perform some kind of grand gesture to win Vicki back. If it was amazing and she still rejected me, then maybe I could find a way to get over her.
Vicki’s Gift Page 19