Season of Joy

by Annie Rains

  “Oh, that sounds interesting,” his mom said.

  “It was good. Best PB and J I’ve ever had. No offense to you.”

  “None taken.”

  He turned back to his tea, finished prepping it, and then walked over to the table to join his mom. “She has a few secret recipes of her aunt’s.”

  His mom nodded. “Darby. I went to school with her, you know?”

  Granger sipped his tea. “With Joy’s aunt?”

  “Joy reminds me so much of her. They’re a lot alike. We weren’t close but Darby was such a nice person. She never married or had kids, which I always thought was such a shame. I hope Joy follows a different path and meets a nice fellow.”

  Granger pointed a finger at her. “Now that I’m handling the farm this holiday, I don’t have time for dating. At least not until the New Year.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t need time. She’s going to be here through Christmas, working right alongside you.”

  Granger took another sip of his tea. “I need her, and she needs me because she’s low on work and income. It’s a working relationship but nothing more.”

  His mom was giving him that look again. “So you had dinner with Joy and there were no…” She fluttered her hands around. “No sparks?”

  Granger avoided looking at her. He was mulling over his answer but he guessed he took too long.

  “So there were sparks,” she said gleefully.

  “Sparks that I plan to ignore. Half this farm went up in smoke this year because of a simple little spark. We could’ve lost everything.”

  His mom was frowning now. “Since Erin left, you’ve given everything of yourself for your family. You’ve worked so hard and sacrificed so much. And I’m so proud of you, son.” She laid a hand over his. “But, in the same way you want to see Abby and Willow happy, I want to see you happy. I’m your mother.”

  “I am happy.”

  She had that knowing look again.

  Maybe he wasn’t over-the-moon happy but relationships made people just as unhappy as they did happy. At least in his experience.

  “You need to take time for yourself. Go out and have some fun. Date.”

  “I will. In the New Year.”

  * * *

  The following Friday, Joy stood in front of her easel. She had two hours before she needed to pick up Abby and Willow from school. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, she decided to work on a new piece of art. Sometimes when her emotions were raw, painting helped. Hopefully that would be true today.

  Before she dipped her brush into her linseed oil, her cell phone buzzed from the coffee table. The caller ID read Sweetwater Elementary—the girls’ school. Granger had mentioned that he’d put her on the school’s list as a contact, since she would be picking them up. If something changed in the school’s schedule, they might need to call her and let her know.

  “Hello?”

  “Miss Benson?” a woman’s voice asked.

  “That’s me,” she said.

  “Hi, this is the assistant principal at Sweetwater Elementary. We have an issue here at the school. Abby is in a little bit of trouble, and someone needs to come get her.”

  “Abby? Is she okay?”

  “Oh yes. She’s fine.”

  Joy let out the breath she’d been holding. “Did you call her father?”

  “We did but he’s not answering his phone. No one on his list of contacts answered except you. Can you please come in?”

  Joy put her paintbrush down. “Absolutely. I’ll be right there.”

  Chapter Ten

  Granger had spent the last eight-plus hours deep in the woods behind Merry Mountain Farms. Now he came out hot, sweaty, and even more excited about his plans. The path was smooth, and all the lighted exhibits were put out. He’d changed more than two dozen bulbs and had completed a light check. It was ready.

  He parked his tractor and got off, heading across the farm’s property to his home. He needed a shower but he couldn’t wait to tell Abby and Willow all about the displays. They’d been so small the last time the ride had been open. Willow had only been a toddler. Abby had some memory of the paths being lit up since she was older. When it got dark tonight, he’d take them for a ride. Joy too. He wanted to see the look of amazement on their faces as they bumped along what he had dubbed Peppermint Path.

  He stepped inside the back door of his house and listened for voices. Tin got up and trotted over to him. That was Granger’s first clue that no one else was home. Tin was always where the action was. “Hey, girl.” He patted her head. “Where’d everyone go?”

  Tin looked up and seemed to smile back at him behind her long, furry bangs. Then she barked as if to answer.

  Granger turned back to the wall and glanced out the window. Joy’s car wasn’t here yet. Then he pulled out his cell phone and saw a slew of calls that he’d missed from Sweetwater Elementary School. Panic flared in his chest. The school didn’t call often. Not unless there was an emergency.

  He tapped the callback number and got a busy signal. Then he tapped on one of the voice messages.

  Mr. Fields, this is Assistant Principal Melinda Pierce. There’s been an issue at the school, and I’ve called your emergency contact Joy Benson to come get Abigail. I have a principal’s meeting later this afternoon but I’m sending a letter home detailing today’s incident. You can call or schedule an appointment to come talk to me if you want to discuss the situation.

  Granger let his arm dangle down by his side. An issue with Abigail? She wasn’t the type of child to cause trouble. Maybe another kid had caused trouble for her. He could find out the answer to that if he knew where she was. If Joy had picked Abby up, why weren’t they here?

  He pulled up Joy’s contact and dialed. It went straight to voicemail.

  Tin nudged her nose into Granger’s palm, as if sensing that he was suddenly fearing the worst. That was his MO as a father. He paced the kitchen, trying to figure out his next move, when the back door opened. He spun, hoping it was Joy and the girls. Instead, he faced his mom.

  “You look horrible,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

  And now his mom was fearing the worst.

  Granger held out his arms. “Joy isn’t back with the girls yet.”

  His mom’s expression softened. “That’s what I was coming to talk to you about. The school called earlier, and I couldn’t get to the phone. Your dad and I were outside working on those signs you wanted us to paint, and the reception is spotty out there.”

  “It’s not great in the woods either,” Granger told her.

  “I guess Joy got them?”

  Granger shrugged. “A good guess is all we’ve got because she’s not answering and she’s not here.”

  His mom frowned back at him. “Well, if you trust her enough to put her on the emergency contact list to pick up your girls, you have to trust her enough to know that, wherever they are, it’s okay.”

  Granger took a deep breath. His mom was right. He knew that but it didn’t stop him from worrying. He grabbed his keys off the counter and headed out the back door.

  “Where are you going?” his mom called, poking her head outside.

  “To find my family and bring them home.” Granger climbed into his truck, slammed the door, and cranked the engine. He could feel in his bones that he was overreacting but he couldn’t seem to help it. After Erin had left, he’d promised himself he’d always be there for Abby and Willow. And he’d been MIA this afternoon when Abby had needed him. Irrational or not, he was kicking himself right now.

  * * *

  “Why did you bring us here? I thought Abby was in trouble.” Willow looked over at Joy as she sat next to her at a table in Dawanda’s Fudge Shop.

  Joy had picked Abby up an hour earlier. They’d gone to the library because Joy had a meeting with Lacy Shaw to discuss upcoming events. Then Joy and Abby had gotten back into the car pool line to get Willow when the school day was over. Instead of going directly home as they n
ormally would have, Joy had made a detour.

  “She’s not in trouble,” Joy said, looking at Abby, who sat sullen faced across from her.

  “But the assistant principal called you. That means she’s in trouble,” Willow argued. “Only the bad kids get called into the principal’s office.”

  Abby looked down at the fudge square on her plate. She’d barely nibbled on it.

  “That’s not true. Sometimes you can get called into the principal’s office for good stuff.”

  “I’m in big trouble, okay? Christmas is probably canceled for me,” Abby muttered.

  Joy still wasn’t sure what exactly had happened. Abby wasn’t the type of student who stirred up trouble. But apparently, she’d talked back to her teacher today. It wasn’t like her at all.

  “So we get fudge if we do something bad?” Willow popped the last bite of fudge into her mouth.

  “No.” Joy shook her head as she snapped her attention back to Willow. The last thing she needed was for Willow to start acting up because she thought it led to an afternoon treat. “But when I had a really bad day growing up, sometimes my aunt Darby would take me here. In my experience, chocolate makes the bad things seem not so awful.” Joy offered a smile. Everything she knew about caring for a child came from how Aunt Darby had treated her. “Do you like the fudge?”

  Abby gave a subtle nod. Her head was tipped down, making her dark-blond hair pool around her face. “Yes. I’m just worried about Dad. He’s going to be so disappointed in me.”

  “I doubt that,” Joy said gently. “But it’ll help if you tell him everything. He needs to know what you said to your teacher and why.”

  Abby looked up. “I told my teacher she wasn’t my mom and I didn’t have to listen to her.”

  Joy drew back. “Abby, why would you say that?”

  “Because it’s true.” Abby looked down again. “And the girls at school are always doing things with their moms. They talk about how much fun they have together.” She shrugged. “I want my mom back.”

  Joy wasn’t understanding the reasoning here. “So you talked back to your teacher because you want your mom?”

  “No.” Abby looked at her like she had five heads. “I talked back to my teacher because I don’t like how she treats some of the kids in the class. She talks down to them but no one ever talks back to her.”

  “So you did?” Joy asked, thinking she understood a little better now. Abby had her mom on her brain, and that’s just what came out in her small explosion. “You were defending your classmates. Because you take care of everyone.”

  Abby dropped her gaze back to the fudge on her plate. “Then I told my teacher she was a bully, and she needed to talk nicer to us.”

  “I see.” Joy couldn’t fault Abby for that, although she suspected Abby should’ve handled her concerns differently. “Did you tell the assistant principal what happened?”

  Abby nodded. “She said she’ll talk to our teacher, and that we should never feel bullied at our school. She said I have to come talk to her next time instead of yelling at an adult.”

  “I think that’s probably a good suggestion.”

  Joy met Abby’s gaze. There was a lot more going on in Abby’s head than protecting her classmates. She missed her mom, and she bore a lot of responsibility for Willow. Joy wished she could make the pain go away but she couldn’t.

  “Are you girls having a good afternoon?” Dawanda asked, walking to the end of their table. She smiled brightly, just as cheerful as she’d been when Joy had come here as a child.

  “Well, it didn’t start out that way,” Joy said, “but it’s looking up. Fudge makes things better. Don’t you think, Abby?”

  Abby took another bite of her fudge and nodded. “Thanks to you,” she told Joy.

  Joy felt a gooey warmness spread through her. She’d always enjoyed caring for children, and she’d missed this part of it. But this was the year she was supposed to focus solely on art.

  Joy reached for another piece of fudge—because it made everything momentarily better.

  A bell jingled on the door behind her, and Abby jolted upright. Joy sat up straighter too because she knew before even turning around who was standing behind her.

  “What do you guys think you’re doing?” Granger asked.

  Joy turned to face him. “Eating fudge. What’s wrong?”

  His jaw dropped open as if that were an absurd question. “You’re supposed to bring the girls home after school. Not take them out for fudge without my permission.”

  Now Joy’s mouth was hanging open. “I didn’t realize I needed your permission. And I called to let you know but your voicemail was full.” Her tone sharpened as she continued to talk. “That’s probably why the assistant principal had to call me. Good thing I was available, isn’t it?” Joy stood now, talking to Granger face-to-face. She folded her arms over her chest.

  Granger’s expression softened a bit. “I…Yes, it’s a good thing. Thank you.”

  Joy took a breath. “You’re welcome. Please tell me you didn’t really search all over town.”

  Granger shook his head, his gaze moving past her to the girls, who were still seated at the table watching them with wide eyes. Then he looked at her again. “I called all over town. Dawanda told me you were here.”

  “I was going to mention that to you,” Dawanda said. “I had a customer, and then it slipped my mind. Granger is looking for you.” Dawanda smiled innocently. “Granger, would you like some fudge?”

  He shook his head. “No, thank you.”

  “How about a cappuccino?” she asked.

  Granger held up his hands as if she were threatening him now. “Not today.”

  Joy laughed. She’d had one of Dawanda’s famous cappuccino readings before, where Dawanda claimed to be able to read your fortune in the frothy foam. Joy’s reading said she’d embark on a new endeavor and find success. Or something like that. That was eighteen months ago, and Joy had taken that to mean her art gallery, which hadn’t come to fruition yet.

  Dawanda pointed a finger at Granger. “One of these days.”

  “But not this one. Today, I think the girls and I are heading home,” he said.

  Joy looked at him, narrowing her eyes just slightly. Maybe she’d read this interaction wrong. Was she in trouble with him? “You’re taking the girls? Not me?”

  There were still hours left until dark, and it was her job to keep the girls until dinner.

  He hesitated. “I wasn’t sure if you needed a break. You picked them up earlier than usual because I didn’t answer the call. I was thinking you might want to end your day earlier too…” He trailed off.

  “You can’t get rid of me that easily, Granger. I’m not going anywhere,” she said. Then she turned back to Abby and Willow. “We haven’t even had our art session yet. Today, I’m teaching you how to make origami.”

  Abby’s eyes lit up, and it was almost as if the event at school had never happened. In Joy’s experience, fudge and art made everything better. Well, almost everything. It hadn’t worked as well for Joy last Christmas but this holiday was already looking brighter.

  * * *

  Granger turned to the sound of footsteps on the ground behind him. He’d been sitting on his tailgate under the star-studded sky for the last twenty minutes. He’d spoken to Abby about her behavior today. It was unacceptable and unlike her. She’d simply nodded as he talked. She didn’t justify her actions, which would have made things better.

  Instead, Granger was left wondering if he was somehow at fault. Maybe he wasn’t giving her enough attention at home. Maybe she needed more from him.

  “Are you wanting to be alone?” Joy asked. “Or do you need company?”

  He thought about his answer. “Both and neither.”

  “You’re not a contradiction at all, are you?” She continued walking toward him. “You can tell me to leave at any time. Otherwise, I’m going to join you. You should never tailgate alone,” she said, feigning a serious expre
ssion.

  “I think you mean drink alone.”

  She climbed up and sat beside him, her legs swinging gently off the edge. “Abby’s at that age where she’s going to push her boundaries and see what she can get away with. I’m speaking from experience. I was once a nine-year-old girl.”

  Granger was all too aware of how close his face was to Joy’s right now. And of how her features seemed to glow under the moonlight. “I’m sorry about this afternoon.” He searched for the right words to justify his actions, but just like Abby, he couldn’t. There was no excuse. “I stormed into Dawanda’s ready to blame you for doing exactly what I’d hired you to do—care for my girls.”

  “You were just protecting your family,” Joy said. “I get it.”

  Granger laughed humorlessly. “Protecting them from you?” He shook his head. “No, you’re letting me off too easy. You didn’t deserve that. You’ve been…” He looked over, and his gaze stuck on hers. “You’ve been wonderful, Joy. I owe you a thank-you as well. And I won’t question you again. I promise.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Mr. Fields.”

  There was a hint of flirtation in her tone that didn’t go unnoticed. “Mr. Fields is my dad. And you’re probably right about not being able to keep that promise. But I promise I’ll try.”

  “I’ll keep you to that.” She stared at him a moment. Then she tipped her face toward the sky, a sigh tumbling off her lips. “I love the stars. Every time I see a sky like this, it makes me want to grab my easel and paintbrushes and try to capture it. But it’s impossible to ever do the night sky justice.”

  Granger looked up as well. “I don’t look up as much as I should. It really is beautiful up there.”

  Joy nudged him with her elbow. “According to your mom, you don’t do a lot of things as much as you should.”

  Granger pulled his gaze from the sky back to her, her eyes twinkling lovelier than the stars. “Oh no. Has she been talking to you about my dating life?”