“No problem. Loyalty is a good thing.”
“Indeed it is.” Tammy laughed. “It’s both the beauty and the curse of small-town living, right, Gabe? Everyone knows your business.” She turned to Barb. “It can take newcomers a bit of time to be made welcome, but the townspeople will come around. First out of curiosity and later because they like you and trust you.”
Did that mean they were still interested?
“I grew up in a small town like this.” Stuart nodded. “I know how they work. And it beats living in a high-rise and never meeting anyone else in your building at all. The more people are crammed, the less they talk to each other.”
“Well, if that’s everything for now?” Tammy’s eyebrows rose as she looked from Barb to Stuart.
They nodded.
“I’ll be in touch with you later, Gabe.” Tammy waved the couple out the door in front of her then winked at Gabe as she pulled the door shut.
Another swirl of freezing air circulated the store. And maybe it did a spiral around his heart, too.
Chapter 30
Sierra watched Zach’s truck drive past the duplex toward the log cabin they lived in. No doubt they’d picked Maddie up from Rosemary and Steve’s and were busy with her. She couldn’t just walk over there and intrude.
Besides, the anesthetic for the D&C had taken more out of her than she’d anticipated. The pain was considerably less than with the biopsy, but she still didn’t feel all that great.
Walking to the log cabin in this icy wind? Wasn’t going to happen. Chelsea had settled her with a hot water bottle, a cup of tea, and a few magazines then gone off to find Allison, who was staying in the guest room at the big house.
Guess that meeting hadn’t gone off today with Sierra and Jo both missing.
She really ought to go see how Jo was doing. They hadn’t seen each other again in the hospital. Jo would have questions.
It was time Sierra coughed up answers, even though she didn’t really have them yet.
A tap sounded on the door and Jo’s head poked around. “Can I come in?”
Sierra tried to scramble to her feet but reality set in as a cramp clenched her abdomen. “Yes, sure. Can I make you tea?” If she could just get upright and move slowly.
“Sounds good.” Pale and exhausted, Jo sank into the other deep chair.
“What did the doctor say?” Sierra put the kettle on. Anything to keep attention on Jo rather than herself. She’d become adept at it over the past weeks. Years, maybe. “Is the baby okay?”
Jo took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “No. The baby… I miscarried.”
Sierra hobbled over and knelt by Jo’s chair. “I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her arms around her friend, unable to hold back tears.
Jo sniffled and tugged a tissue from the box on the end table. “Me, too. We were so looking forward to another little one. But I guess it wasn’t meant to be. At least not now.”
The whistle of the kettle called Sierra back to the kitchenette. A moment later she returned with Jo’s tea, done up with just the right amount of honey and cream. She gave her friend a wan smile. “Want a hot water bottle?” She passed over the still-warm rubber bladder.
Jo’s eyebrows popped up. “You were using it. Go ahead.”
“I have a heating pad, too.” She lifted it from the floor as she sank into her own seat again, tucking the heating pad and a quilt around herself.
“So you know why I was in Wynnton today. They did a D&C and told me to wait a few months before getting pregnant again.” Jo sipped the chamomile tea, watching Sierra over the rim. “How about you? I think it’s time to come clean.”
“Probably.” She’d guarded her secret so long she wasn’t sure she could get it out even now. “I, um, had a D&C today, too.”
“Oh no.” Jo set her teacup down. “Those horrible periods you were having?”
“They turned out to be a result of endometriosis, so the doctor did a biopsy last week.” Sierra grimaced. “Today they removed as much of the mass as possible. Once all the results are back, we’ll see what I’m up against.”
“Up against?”
Sierra met Jo’s gaze. “He suspects uterine cancer.” Okay, maybe suspect was too strong a word for the doctor’s opinion. He’d only mentioned it as a possibility.
“So that’s why Chelsea has been here so much. To help you with this stuff.”
Sierra nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell us? Or did you tell Claire and not me?” Hurt blazed out of Jo’s eyes.
“No. I… I just couldn’t talk to either of you.”
“But why? We’ve been there for each other for ten years. What was so dreadful about this that you couldn’t share?”
“My mom’s sister died of this kind of cancer. It went quickly.”
Jo swept her hand down, barely missing the teacup. “That’s no excuse. In fact, it’s even more reason to talk to the people who care about you. Good grief, Sierra! We’re your best friends. We’ve vowed to share everything with each other. This definitely should have been kept in the open.”
She deserved the sting of Jo’s caustic words. Totally. “It’s just that you’re both married.”
“So? How did that come between us as friends? Have I ever pushed you away on account of Zach or Maddie? Ever?”
“Relax, Jo. Getting all worked up isn’t going to help your body heal any.” She should take her own advice.
“I’m serious, girl. I can’t believe I didn’t bully you and make you tell me what was going on. Of all the stupid reasons to keep me in the dark. Just because I’m married.”
Sierra bit her lip. “You were so excited about being pregnant.”
“Well, of course.” A shadow crossed Jo’s face. “But one doesn’t cancel the other.” She stared at Sierra. “Wait a minute. You think it does, somehow?’
Sierra clenched her teacup in both hands. That porcelain better not be as fragile as it looked. “I can’t have kids.”
“What do you mean, you can’t have kids? Have you ever tried?” Jo’s eyes blazed at her.
“Of course not.”
“Then you don’t know.”
“Endometri—”
Jo’s hand cut through the word. “Millions of women are told they will probably not conceive because of it. Some of them still do. Yeah, it makes it less likely, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.”
“If it’s cancer, they’ll do a hysterectomy.”
“And if it isn’t, they won’t. When did you turn into a hypochondriac?”
The words stung. “I resent that.”
“You sound like you’re borrowing trouble. It just doesn’t seem like your personality. You’ve always been the most upbeat and positive one of us. Trust me, we’ve noticed the doom and gloom.”
Borrowing trouble? Probably. But that didn’t make the problem any smaller. Everything she’d said was true. She could practically see the gears grinding in Jo’s brain as her friend’s eyes narrowed.
“And what was with inviting Tyrell Burke to Thanksgiving dinner? Wow, did that cast a wet blanket on the whole affair.”
Sierra stiffened her back. “Tyrell is a very nice guy.”
“He hides it well. Jeepers, girl. You’ve got someone as wonderful as Gabriel Rubachuk with stars in his eyes and you push him away for that pompous—”
“I said, Tyrell is a very nice guy. You don’t know him as well as I do.” She didn’t need to be reminded of the differences between the two men. Especially not now.
Jo rolled her eyes. “That’s for sure. And I have no desire to. Sierra, tell me. What in the world is going on? Why not Gabe? I thought you really liked him. That you were falling in love with him.”
Sierra took another sip of her tea. Lukewarm. Warmer than her gut, no matter that she cradled a heating pad against it. Could she really trust Jo with this information?
Would Jo go away if she didn’t tell? And Jo had already had a harrowing day. She didn’t need Sierra to make i
t worse.
“What is the one thing Gabe wants more than anything else?”
Jo bit her lip. “Besides you?”
“Be serious. What does he always talk about?” Surely he’d mentioned his desires to Zach, and Sierra wasn’t under any illusions Zach wouldn’t tell Jo. Which meant anything she said here today might get back to Gabe. She’d have to swear Jo to secrecy.
“I’m not following.”
“Haven’t you seen him with Maddie? Haven’t you seen him with his Sunday school class?” Better not get into how it came back from Tyrell to him. “Haven’t you seen his face when he talks about the kids in Romania?”
Jo’s mouth formed an ‘o.’ “Bethany was pregnant when she died.”
“Exactly.”
“So he wants a family. Kids.”
Sierra nodded.
“And you’re worried you can’t have any.”
Bingo.
Jo leaned forward. “Have you talked to him about it?”
“Of course not. We weren’t really at that stage of our relationship when this started happening.” They’d been at the kissing and dreaming stage, though.
“So instead you leave him looking miserable and parade Tyrell Burke in front of him?”
“I didn’t know Gabe had been invited.” Lame. Lame. Lame. She could have guessed.
“Oh, come on. Like we’d leave him alone on Thanksgiving of all days. We’re his friends. He doesn’t have family anywhere on the continent.”
Sierra let out a deep breath. She’d blown it. Repeatedly. Big time.
“So why is it okay to date Tyrell and not Gabe?”
Her friend had never heard of giving up. Which didn’t mean Sierra needed to respond.
Jo snapped her fingers then winced. “I bet he’s too selfish to want kids.”
“Hey! That’s a big leap in logic.”
“But I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Only when you say he doesn’t want a family.” Why did she keep sticking up for Tyrell? She knew he was bad news. Knew he wasn’t right for her. Why couldn’t she admit it, even to herself, for more than a few seconds?
“Look, I need to get home to Maddie and some painkillers. Not necessarily in that order.” Jo struggled to her feet. “Zach has to swing by his office yet and see how they managed today without him.”
“Thanks for stopping by.”
“I’m not done with you yet, girl. I’m going to pray that God will open your eyes about the men in your life. You need to ditch Tyrell and explain things to Gabe.”
Sierra chewed on the inside of her lip and stared at Jo.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow. You be thinking on what I said.”
Like she could block Jo’s words out.
* * *
Tammy settled across Gabe’s kitchen table from him, paperwork neatly stacked between them. “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever put together an offer this quickly.”
Gabe’s head swam. “I can’t believe it, either.” Was he making a mistake? “Tell me how they countered.”
“That’s it. They barely countered at all.” She slid the top paper across to Gabe. “Nature’s Pantry is exactly what they were looking for, and the apartment up here just clinched it.”
Gabe stared at the numbers on the paper. When Tammy had guided him toward an asking price, he’d thought it way too high. These people had barely blinked. This amount of cash would get him a newer car and see him through college, with enough to get set up again afterward.
He hadn’t given more thought to what his studies would entail. He’d better get on that. “What’s the catch? There has to be one.”
Tammy hesitated. “They want possession on December thirty-first.”
Gabe reeled back in his chair so hard it tipped on its back legs. “That’s barely a month.”
“I know. I told them I wasn’t sure you’d go for it, but they said it was a deal-breaker.” Her mouth twisted to one side and she shook her head. “I don’t see why, but that’s what Stuart said. And I figured you might not mind.”
Where would he go? Where would he live? “I hardly know what to say. This is quite a shock.” He gave his head a quick shake. “Go over everything with me. Every line of every page.” He looked at the stack at Tammy’s elbow. This would take a bit of time. Time he desperately needed.
“That’s what I plan to do.”
He wasn’t ready after all. He jumped up. “Let me put on a pot of coffee.”
“Sounds good.” Tammy leaned back in her chair as he busied himself at the counter. “I’m really happy for you, Gabe. I hope everything works out well on your end.”
He silenced his thoughts — and her words — buzzing the coffee grinder. All too soon the pot began to gurgle and he resumed his seat.
“Where will you be off to?”
“I really don’t know. I didn’t expect to be out on the street so soon. I thought these things took time.” Visions of Sierra with Burke swirled through his mind. “But it’s okay. I have a month to figure things out.”
“Will you go back to Romania?”
He shook his head. That hadn’t ever seemed like a permanent option, just a stopgap. Why, he didn’t know. He gave a short laugh. “Time for an all new Gabe Rubachuk.”
Tammy tapped the pen on the table as she stared into his eyes. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he looks like. I liked the old one pretty well, so I doubt I’ll be disappointed.”
He’d been looking forward to the new him, too. But that had been when it included Sierra. Now, he wasn’t so sure. “Take anything in your coffee?”
“Just black, thanks.”
He poured a cup, set it in front of her, and added a splash of cream to his own. Back in his chair, he nodded at her. “I’m ready.” But he wasn’t. Not really.
Chapter 31
Sierra took her place on one side of the long plank table. Today Claire sat at the head. Jo, Allison, and Chelsea pulled up seats.
“Everyone knows the reasons this meeting couldn’t be held yesterday as planned.” Claire looked from Jo to Sierra. “So there’s no need to go into that any further.”
Sierra winced. Claire had vented her worry about Jo on Sierra as well as her frustration at the way Sierra had kept things hidden. It was all out in the open now, distracting everyone a bit from Jo’s miscarriage. Not that Jo wanted all the attention, but Sierra could sure do without it, too.
“We’ve all agreed via email to accept Allison as a full member of our Green Acres team.” Claire nodded at Allison. “There will be some growing pains, I’m sure. You don’t know any of us all that well, and we don’t know you, other than from a few meetings and emails plus your letters of reference, which were very positive.”
Allison glanced at each of them in turn, her eyes lingering on Sierra.. “I’m willing to do my part in keeping communication open.”
Ouch. Now there was a jab.
Claire rubbed both temples. “You can see the difficulties that come when someone decides things are too personal to share, even though the outcome affects the entire group and the burden is too heavy to carry alone.”
Sierra swallowed a sigh. How long would they make her pay for this? “Look, I apologized.”
“I think we’ve all learned something from this. At least I hope so.” Claire shook her head. “Moving forward then. Can you give us a timeline for your plans, Allison?”
“It depends on what kind of winter Idaho gets. I’ve talked to Patrick at Timber Framing Plus in Coeur d’Alene and I’ll sign a contract with him as soon as we’ve cleared everything here. He said the first big hurdle is pouring the footings, and that can’t be done until there are a few days of above freezing weather.”
“Sometimes we get that in February,” Jo offered. “But often not until March.”
Allison nodded. “That’s what Patrick said. Once the weather is good, he’ll bring in a full crew to the project.”
“Sounds positive,” said Jo.
“Exactly. Patr
ick has a good reputation in the area. I drove down Friday and Saturday and went through a few buildings he’s erected and talked to the owners. They couldn’t say enough good things about Patrick and his guys.”
Relief washed through Sierra. “Good to know.” She’d been dubious about bringing in an out-of-town crew, but there really wasn’t a contractor in Galena Landing experienced in this type of building. Nor did they have time for such a large DIY project.
“Still, it will take a few months from start to finish. They’ll build my house kind of at the same time, so sub-contractors can go from one to the other.”
Allison’s plans for her own place looked bright yet cozy, with a steep roof and sweet decks front and back. It would be set behind the duplex, closer to Jo and Zach’s cabin. They should’ve laid out the property for a village to start with.
“So there are four classrooms with movable partitions in the main hall.” Allison unrolled the blueprints down the table and anchored her end with a coffee cup.
They all leaned in.
“A pair of bathrooms and a kitchen.”
Claire frowned. “Why a full kitchen? We built the one here with group cooking in mind.”
“Canning and cooking classes. We can always use the house as a backup space.”
Claire grimaced but nodded.
“Above the hall, twelve dorm rooms with four additional bathrooms and a laundry facility.”
“So twenty-four students can live in,” Jo mused.
“We did design the building so it can easily be added onto should we outgrow the space.”
“Classes will mostly be in the warmer weather, so students can also pitch tents,” Claire added. “Like Noel’s crew used to do. Tents and campers.”
“Also true.” Allison tapped the blueprint. “So as long as the classrooms are ample, we’ll be fine.”
This felt good. Finally taking Green Acres to the next level they’d dreamed of years ago. Sierra only hoped she’d live long enough to experience it. Groups of young people, studying organics and farming and sustainability. This was awesome.
A Farm Fresh Romance Series 1-3 (A Farm Fresh Romance Box Set) Page 74