Season of Joy

by Annie Rains

  “Will you say something? Please talk to me.”

  She sniffled quietly.

  Granger reached out and touched her softly. “Willow?”

  After several more moments, he stood up. “All right. I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready to come out and talk. Want me to send Abby in here?”

  Willow peeked up from her arms. “She knew and didn’t tell me. Just like you.”

  Granger swallowed. “She overheard me talking to Nana the other day.”

  “Nana knew too?” Willow cried. “You all treat me like I’m a baby. It’s not fair. Just go away!”

  Granger didn’t move for a moment. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I was just…I was just trying to protect you.” Which was all he’d ever done. On a weary sigh, he headed back down the hall and entered the dining room where Joy and Abby were cleaning off the table.

  “Is she okay?” Joy asked.

  “Not really, thanks to you.” His words came out harsh but what right did Joy have to push this issue? Yes, Abby was the one who’d actually told Willow but only because Joy had raised the subject. And Abby was a kid. All of this shouldn’t lie on her shoulders.

  “It’s my fault,” Abby said. “Want me to go talk to her?”

  Granger shook his head. “Maybe we should just give her some time.”

  “I can talk to her,” Joy offered. “Let me try. I’m not family, and sometimes that makes it easier. Please. I want a chance to fix this.”

  Granger stared at her. Against his better judgment, he nodded. “Fine.”

  “Thank you.” Joy turned and headed down the hall to Willow’s bedroom.

  “Dad, I’m sorry,” Abby said in a small voice. She sounded on the verge of tears now too. “It was just building up inside me, and it was like I couldn’t keep it a secret anymore. It just exploded out of me. I’m really sorry. Are you mad?” she asked.

  Granger walked over to his oldest daughter and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Not one bit. Willow needed to know, so you kind of did me a favor.”

  Abby furrowed her brow. “Then why were you looking at Joy that way?”

  “What way?”

  “Like you were mad at her.”

  Granger exhaled softly. “I’m not mad at her. Just upset with myself, I guess.”

  “You should make sure that Joy knows that too. So she’ll keep coming back.” Abby looked at her father earnestly.

  “You like her, huh?” Granger asked.

  Abby nodded. “She’s a lot more fun than Mrs. Townsend was. And she likes art.”

  Granger already knew that Mrs. Townsend had frowned on making crafts because that required cleanup. “I’ll be sure I talk to Joy tonight before she leaves,” he promised. He didn’t say what he’d be talking to Joy about, however. He and Joy hadn’t really laid ground rules about this arrangement of theirs. His girls had been through a lot, and she needed to understand that. He also needed to make sure that Joy wouldn’t be jumping ship anytime soon.

  A few minutes later, Joy entered the room again, smiling this time. Willow was beside her, holding her hand.

  “Hey,” Granger said hesitantly. “Looks like you two had a nice talk. Everything…okay?”

  “Better than okay,” Joy said, looking from him and down to Willow. “Right?”

  Willow’s head bobbed on the air, a smile creeping up on her mouth. “It was a great talk. Joy said Mrs. Townsend is going to play with her friends now, just like I like to play with Chloe and Vala. And she’s going to eat as much ice cream and candy as she wants now that she doesn’t have to eat fruits and vegetables with us. Because we’re growing up and we need fruits and veggies. Right, Joy?”

  Joy’s cheeks darkened a touch as she nodded and glanced up at Granger. “So you see, we should be happy for Mrs. Townsend. We’ll miss her but we can still draw her pretty pictures and write cards and send them to her.”

  “I can’t wait to draw her a picture with Joy,” Willow said.

  Kids were so resilient. Granger hoped the same was true for Abby.

  “Sounds perfect,” Granger said.

  “And Joy said that we can probably eat some of that ice cream in the freezer. To celebrate with Mrs. Townsend from a distance.”

  Joy grimaced, and Granger had to laugh.

  “I guess we can do that,” he said.

  “But not me,” Joy said. “I’m afraid I need to head home. I need to prepare for our big surprise project tomorrow, remember?”

  Granger noticed the way that Abby perked up. Whatever beefs he had with Joy, he was pleased with how well she interacted with Abby and Willow. “Can I, uh, talk to you outside for a moment, Joy?”

  Her mouth formed a little O. What happened at dinner wasn’t ideal but she’d made up for it by comforting Willow with her unconventional wisdom.

  “I’ll get the ice cream for Willow and me,” Abby told Granger.

  He nodded and followed Joy outside.

  Joy turned to face him and started the conversation. “I am so sorry. I didn’t realize Willow would be so upset. I wasn’t thinking.”

  Granger shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and nodded. He headed down the steps, distancing himself from the house in case little ears were listening. “If you’re going to work with the girls, we should talk.” He glanced over at Joy, who matched him step for step. “For the past year, Willow has been asking questions about her mom. I guess I knew she would one day. She was just a baby when my ex left. Once she started getting older, she saw her friends with their moms and the questions began.”

  “How much does she know about why her mom left?” Joy asked.

  Granger chuckled dryly. “I’m guessing not as much as you.” He’d never told Joy his story but the same was true for most people in the town. And yet, everyone seemed to know. Or think they did. “Erin got really depressed after she had Willow. No matter what we did, she spiraled lower and lower.” He stopped to stand by Joy’s car. “Then one day, she just packed her bags and left.” Granger looked down at his feet. No matter how hard he tried not to blame himself, he always did. Still. “I thought she’d come back but she didn’t. Instead, she sent me divorce papers a year later, and that was it.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Joy said quietly.

  Granger met her gaze. “Me too…Sorry for my girls mostly. They need their mother but Erin doesn’t see it that way. She was a great mom. No one ever would’ve thought she’d be capable of turning her back on us. I never would have thought that.” He looked back at the house to make sure the girls were still inside. Then he turned to Joy. “So you see, they’ve lost enough. Especially now that Mrs. Townsend has retired without any notice. I know this arrangement of ours is temporary…”

  “Just through Christmas,” Joy said.

  Granger nodded. “And we’ll be up front with them about that fact the whole time. We’ll make sure they know that when you’re done here, you’re not abandoning them.”

  “And I’ll still teach arts and crafts at the library after the holidays. They can come to my studio and gallery for classes once I have it up and running.”

  Granger felt his body relax. “So we understand each other.”

  “Perfectly.” Joy’s gaze connected with his. “I’m not going anywhere, Granger. Trust me.”

  Trust was a tall request but Granger was going to do his best.

  * * *

  On Friday night, Joy and the girls were just finishing up their belated birthday surprises for Granger. Joy hadn’t planned for the art pieces to be so intricate but Abby and Willow had really gotten into making and decorating their crafts.

  “Daddy is going to love mine,” Willow said, beaming at the tree she’d made out of an upside-down wire vegetable cage. The conical cage was used for growing tomato plants. Joy and the girls had spray painted it purple per Willow’s request, tying large purple and gold ribbons to the wires that encircled it horizontally, and then she’d adorned it with plastic jewels, beads, and homemade ornaments.

&n
bsp; “It really is beautiful,” Joy said, not stretching the truth at all.

  Abby’s tree was made of a wire cage as well. Instead of ribbon, she’d decorated it with various items she’d found around the house. “Mine is kind of abstract,” Abby said.

  “I love abstract.” Joy nodded at the creation. “It shows a lot of creativity.”

  “I’ve heard of a Christmas tree but never a birthday tree,” Abby said.

  Joy sat on the floor with the girls, admiring the finished art pieces. “When I was your age, my aunt Darby and I set up a tree for every occasion. Even Halloween,” she said, looking at Willow. “And we made them out of whatever we could find. I made a tree out of a plastic soda bottle once.”

  “Whoa!” Abby said, obviously impressed.

  “It was a lot of fun. Anyway, your dad is a tree farmer. He’ll love the fact that you girls made your own special trees just for him.”

  From the kitchen, Joy heard the back door open and close.

  “He’s home!” Willow jumped up. “Can we give him our surprises now?”

  Joy laughed and stood as well. “I guess so. We’ve been hiding these from him all week. I’m sure he’s just as eager to see them as you are to show him.”

  Willow took off running toward the kitchen, her pale-blond hair blowing off her shoulders as she raced.

  Abby stayed put. “This is the prettiest tree ever,” she said quietly. “Thank you for helping us with these.”

  Joy smiled. “Of course, sweetheart.”

  Granger’s heavy footsteps traveled through the kitchen until he was standing in the entryway of the living room with his eyes closed.

  Joy’s heart gave a soft kick. It’d been doing that every time she saw him this week. It had always done that when he’d brought the girls to the library. She was just seeing him more regularly now, and the feeling was becoming harder to ignore.

  “Can I look yet?” he asked.

  “Not yet.” Willow turned to look at Abby. “Are we ready?”

  Abby nodded excitedly.

  “Okay! Yet!” Willow said, tugging on Granger’s arm.

  He opened his eyes, meeting Joy’s gaze first. Her heart stalled. It was just a crush. One that she didn’t need to nurture because he was a ready-made family waiting to happen. She’d been in a serious relationship last year, and she wasn’t ready to jump into another anytime soon. In fact, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t. This year was about furthering her art career.

  “Well, what do you think?” Joy finally said, when Granger didn’t pull his gaze from hers immediately.

  He looked at the wire sculptures now, his expression shifting. His eyebrows lifted as he stepped closer.

  “Wow,” he said. “You guys did this?”

  Willow bounced on her heels, clapping her hands at her chest. “Yes! All week! We worked so hard, Daddy.”

  “They did,” Joy agreed on a laugh.

  Abby sat proudly beside her tree. “These are your birthday trees. You’re supposed to put them up for your birthday so people can put their presents under them but we’re a little late.”

  “And the trees are your presents,” Willow clarified. “But Joy said you can keep them out through Christmas.”

  Granger nodded and stepped closer. “These are incredible.”

  Joy felt a surge of pride for the girls. “I guess your dad likes his presents.”

  “I love them, actually,” he agreed, looking at Abby and Willow. “They’re so special. I can’t believe you made these.”

  “And you can keep them forever,” Abby said, her eyes bright behind her glasses.

  “I definitely will.” Granger looked at the trees again. “I think we should celebrate with some hot chocolate. Abby, can you and Willow make it?”

  Abby jumped up, and Willow followed.

  “Don’t forget the marshmallows,” Willow called as they darted toward the kitchen.

  “I can’t believe you did this with the girls,” Granger said to Joy when they were gone. “You made these or they did?”

  Joy wondered if he was upset with her. Last time he’d gotten her alone it was after she’d pushed the issue about Mrs. Townsend. Did Granger not want his girls working with potentially dangerous materials? “It was completely safe. I handled the hot glue gun for Willow. And I helped her hold the spray paint can when we sprayed her tree. She even wore a mask and goggles.”

  Granger bent to admire Abby’s tree, the motion bringing him closer to Joy. He smelled like evergreens, and without thinking, she inhaled deeply. “And it took you three days?”

  “We started working on it Wednesday. We could’ve finished faster but the girls had homework and chores. This didn’t keep them from any of their responsibilities,” Joy added, in case that’s what Granger was worried about. There was definitely something on his mind.

  “These are special.”

  “You seem surprised. I am a real artist, you know,” Joy said, her tone becoming just a tad defensive. She couldn’t help it.

  Granger looked at her and straightened. “You could teach others to make these?”

  Joy nodded. “Of course. They’re not that hard to make. They’re kind of fun too. What are you thinking?”

  Granger shrugged. Then the girls walked in.

  “Your cocoa is ready at the kitchen table,” Abby said.

  “With lots of marshmallows,” Willow added.

  Granger redirected his attention to the girls and followed their lead, leaving Joy standing there momentarily. He’d been thinking something but she didn’t think he was upset with her this time. She headed toward the kitchen as well.

  “Well, I will see you two on Monday afternoon,” she told the girls on her way out.

  “Don’t you want to stay?” Granger asked.

  Joy turned back.

  “There’s a cup of hot cocoa with your name on it.” He gestured at the spot beside him. She suspected that the right thing to do was make an excuse and leave. This was his family time. The girls needed him—not more of her.

  Despite her inner objections, however, Joy walked to the table, pulled out the chair, and sat. “I can’t resist a cup of hot chocolate.” And she was having a harder and harder time resisting her attraction to Granger as well.

  * * *

  The house was dark except for the twinkle of the lights that the girls had strung on Granger’s new birthday trees after dinner. He sat in his favorite chair and stared at them, ideas bouncing around in his head. Crazy, insane ideas.

  He hadn’t brought the ideas up with Joy yet, and it would all hinge on her willingness to help. She was already saving him for the next two months by watching the girls.

  Granger admired the trees. They weren’t evergreens but they were colorful works of art. They were festive, and they would draw in a crowd to Merry Mountain Farms. People would pay to come and create their own unique Christmas tree with Joy as their instructor. Like the lighted hayrides he wanted to bring back, these crafted trees were another way to attract people to Merry Mountain Farms.

  Excitement flickered in his chest. People would start coming to buy their trees any day now. They had enough trees to get through the first few weeks of the season maybe but then the big rush would come and they’d sell out fast. What would keep customers coming to the farm through the holidays?

  Perhaps if Joy were having classes and teaching the crowds to make their very own trees this year, then they’d want to do that. Some, at least. In addition to a live tree farm, they could have a Christmas tree workshop here at Merry Mountain Farms this year.

  “Daddy?”

  Granger peered into the darkness at his oldest daughter. “What are you still doing up?”

  “Can’t sleep,” she said quietly.

  “Something on your mind?” Granger asked.

  Abby walked over to him and climbed into his lap. He could feel the heaviness of her thoughts, which made his own breaths grow shallow. “Is Mama ever coming home?”

  Granger knew
that Willow was thinking about her mom lately but he’d thought that Abby had stopped hoping and wondering. Like him. Erin had made her choice. She’d cut them off, and he’d moved on. But maybe a daughter never did. “Why are you asking that tonight?”

  Abby shrugged. “Joy just makes things a lot of fun. She talks to us like maybe a mom would.” Abby swiped at the hair in her face, batting it away. “I know you said she’s not staying so I was wondering if my mom would ever come back.”

  Granger wasn’t sure how to answer that. He thought the answer was no but he couldn’t rob Abby of any hope she might have. He also didn’t want to get her hopes up just to be dashed. “No matter if she does or doesn’t, you’ll always have me.”

  Abby blinked at him. Maybe he wasn’t enough. Then she kissed his cheek and stood up. She looked over at the trees that she, Willow, and Joy had made together. “They’re really pretty, huh?”

  Granger nodded. “They really are.”

  “I can’t wait to see Joy again on Monday afternoon. I love her art lessons. My mom probably doesn’t even like art, so…”

  Granger reached for Abby’s hand and squeezed it. “Your mom loved you, okay?”

  Abby hesitated. “Maybe she doesn’t know we want her to come back. Maybe she thinks we don’t want her anymore.”

  Granger had made it clear to Erin that the opposite was true. But how could he tell Abby that? “Maybe so,” he said instead. It probably wasn’t the right thing to say but telling Abby that her mom knew they wanted her in their lives and still chose to stay away was far worse.

  Abby nodded thoughtfully. Her eyes looked a little brighter so maybe he hadn’t said the wrong thing after all. “Good night, Daddy.”

  “Night.”

  Tin got up and looked at Granger as if to say good night as well. Then, faithful dog that she was, she followed Abby to her room. Granger got up and retreated to his room as well. Sometimes it was better to keep hope alive. To believe in Santa and flying reindeer. And in moms who came home.