Season of Joy

by Annie Rains

  “I’m so sorry. I hope I didn’t pull you away from anything important,” she said as she leaned against her car.

  “You didn’t. The girls are helping Mom in the kitchen, and Dad’s watching TV. You didn’t take me away from anything, and it’d be okay if you did. I need to get your car working so you can join us this afternoon, right?”

  He reached into her driver’s area and popped her hood as well. Then he connected a pair of jumper cables from his engine to hers. After that, he started his truck’s engine and walked back over to her. “I’m guessing you came here to see your parents?” He looked over and studied her features. She seemed distressed, and he was willing to bet it was about more than just being delayed by a dead car battery.

  She nodded. “But they’re working in the ER right now. My parents, the superheroes.”

  “Your mom is definitely one to my dad. He’s going to be able to celebrate with us today because of her.”

  Joy’s lips fell into a subtle frown. “I’m proud of the good work she does. I just wish…I wish I knew her a little better. I wish she knew me.”

  “Is that why you look so gloomy today?” he asked.

  “One of many reasons, none of which I want to talk about.” She smiled now but he wasn’t buying it. “I’m just thankful that you came to my rescue. Otherwise, I might be walking to Sugar Pines Community Center.”

  “You volunteer at the community center every Thanksgiving?” he asked. There was nothing to do except make small talk while her car charged but he also wanted to know more about Joy.

  “Aunt Darby and I used to volunteer together when I was growing up. She taught me that when you feel helpless, the best thing to do is to help someone else. I stopped for a couple years as an adult. It’s good advice though, and now I’m back to doing it.”

  Granger found this curious. “Who made you feel helpless?”

  Her gaze flicked toward his. She’d told him about her ex that worked here at the hospital. Granger was an acquaintance with Dan but that was all. Dan came out to Merry Mountain Farms every year for a tree like most folks. He seemed nice enough.

  Joy heaved a sigh as she looked out on the sparsely filled parking lot. “Today’s focus should be on the good stuff. That’s what Thanksgiving’s about, right?”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “And I like your aunt’s advice about helping someone else. I’m feeling a little helpless these days too, especially when it comes to my oldest daughter who has had a mood transplant in the last week.”

  Joy laughed, the sound igniting all kinds of feelings inside him. “That’s just the beginning. Wait until she’s in the teen years.”

  Granger massaged a hand over his face. “I don’t even want to think about it. I always thought she’d be exempt from any of the stages other people talk about. She’s my little angel.”

  “And she’s also a girl,” Joy pointed out.

  “Great. I feel even more helpless now.” Granger grinned. “Maybe I can come to the Sugar Pines Community Center and volunteer with you this afternoon.”

  Joy’s expression dropped. “You want to serve food with me?”

  He shrugged a shoulder. He was feeling helpless when it came to her these days too. There was a pull between them, strong and unrelenting. Falling for someone who wasn’t interested in a real relationship right now wasn’t a good idea. He had a family to think about. And yet his heart was leading him right up to the edge of this invisible cliff.

  The only hope he had to hang onto was that there wouldn’t be enough time to fall in love with her. After Christmas, Joy wouldn’t be coming around Merry Mountain Farms anymore. So it was safe to enjoy spending time together in the moment. That’s what he was telling himself at least.

  “What do you think? Let me tag along with you?” He stepped closer until he was standing right in front of her. So close he could smell the flowery scent of her hair. Close enough to see his own reflection in her eyes.

  They were keeping their kisses private, which this parking lot was not. But there weren’t a lot of people walking about on this chilly Thanksgiving morning either.

  “If you work at Sugar Pines with me, you’ll have to wear an apron,” she teased. “And gloves.”

  “Done.”

  She grinned as she held his gaze, and then she lowered her eyes to his lips. He did the same. Standing this close, it was impossible not to feel the pull to kiss her. She nibbled on her lower lip.

  Without even giving himself permission, he felt his body lean forward. Joy met him halfway, and then they were kissing. This kiss was different than the slow-building, shy kisses they’d shared before. This kiss was fast and needy. Granger needed to get his fill of her before she disappeared. And she seemed to need something from him this morning too.

  Joy leaned back against the side of her car as he gently pressed against her, the kiss continuing as the car charged. Granger felt his own body charge from his connection with her. When they pulled away, they were both breathless. If this weren’t a public space, that kiss might’ve gone further. And that might have been past the point of no return for him.

  Someone cleared their throat from behind him.

  “Joy? Granger?”

  Granger turned toward several women, all part of the Ladies’ Day Out group here in Sweetwater Springs. “Alma. Janice…Good morning, Greta and Alice.”

  The women all stared at him and Joy.

  “Well, this is something to give thanks for. It’s about time that both of you find a little love in your life,” Alma said. “After your wife took off, Granger, I worried myself sick about you.”

  Granger looked down at his feet. Alma meant well but sometimes people didn’t understand that he didn’t want to be pitied or reminded of the most painful event in his life every time he saw them.

  “And Joy, Dan is my nephew but I’m still siding with you on what happened. He’s too old for a spanking but he deserved one after he treated you so poorly.”

  Granger looked over at Joy.

  She seemed surprised by the mention of her ex. “You know about what happened?”

  “Of course I do. I’m his aunt. And to do that to you while you were pregnant no less.”

  All the color seemed to have drained from Joy’s face now, leaving her pale.

  “Pregnant?” one of the women whispered loudly to Alma. “I don’t remember Joy ever being pregnant.”

  Alma’s brows dipped, making deep lines on her forehead. “Oh no. Did I say something I shouldn’t have? I thought people knew about that. Maybe I was supposed to keep that in the family. Oh, me and my big mouth. I’m so sorry.” She covered her mouth with a shaky hand.

  “Just stop talking.” Greta swiped at Alma with her cane. “That’s the past, and Joy is with Granger now.”

  “We’re not…” Joy looked at Granger, her eyes pleading for help.

  “We’re not together,” he told the group. “That was just…” Now he looked at Joy for a little assistance. “That kiss was just…”

  “A Thanksgiving kiss,” Joy supplied. “I’m thankful that he’s helping me with my car because it won’t start.”

  The women stared at the two of them.

  “That’s the worst lie I’ve ever heard,” Janice said. “A kiss is a kiss is a kiss. And you two were just caught kissing.”

  Granger didn’t know how to respond so he ignored her and moved the conversation forward. “What are you four doing here on Thanksgiving?”

  “Oh, we’re visiting Linda May. She’s an old friend of ours. She’s got some stomach troubles, and the doctors are taking good care of her in there. We passed your father, by the way,” Alma told Joy. “Don’t tell me you’re all alone on Thanksgiving.”

  Joy shook her head. Granger thought she still looked flustered from the kiss and the comment about her pregnancy. He hadn’t known about that. She didn’t have any kids underfoot so he wondered what had happened. He could tell by her expression that the situation had ended badly. “No, I’m, um, not al
one for Thanksgiving,” she said.

  The ladies looked between Joy and Granger, their imaginations no doubt going wild.

  “Well,” Alice Hampton said, “we all are looking forward to your Christmas tree workshop tomorrow afternoon. My hands are old so you might need to help me out a little bit.”

  Granger saw Joy nod from the corner of his eye.

  “I…yes, of course. I’ll have Granger’s daughter Abby assisting me as well. It’ll be fun.” Her words seemed to roll over each other. It was obvious to Granger that she was upset.

  “And we’re looking forward to your lighted path too, Granger,” Greta added. “I’m so happy that you started that tradition back up.”

  “Me too. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, ladies,” he said. He turned to Joy as they started to walk away. “You know news of our parking lot kiss is going to spread to every person those four come in contact with today.”

  Joy offered a weak smile, her gaze unsure as she looked at him. He wanted to ask the questions that were racing through his mind but he felt the wall that Joy had put up. The women had uncovered a gaping wound, and Joy suddenly looked vulnerable.

  “There’s nothing we can do about any rumors that might get started. But when you feel helpless, help someone else, right?” he said softly.

  Joy nodded. “Right.”

  “So we’ll go to Sugar Pines and serve food together. Then we’ll overindulge ourselves with my family.” Granger reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “We can worry about everything else tomorrow.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Joy topped off a few glasses of tea and then placed the pitcher on the rolling cart at her side. The meal had already been served, and most of the diners were on their last bites.

  Her gaze moved to Aunt Darby, who was giggling with Ray beside her. Joy had already spoken to them several times. They made a good match. Ray brought out a new side of Darby that Joy appreciated. All these years, Darby had been so independent, and she’d seemed sincerely happy. But seeing her laugh uncontrollably with Ray and allow him to help her, whether she needed it or not, was a nice change.

  “Joy.” Donovan stepped up to Joy and put his arm around her shoulders. “I don’t know what we’d do without you always helping us out. You lift everyone’s spirits around here.”

  She looked at him and smiled. Donovan had asked her out a couple of times, and she’d turned him down politely. She was glad it’d never been awkward between them. Donovan wasn’t the type of guy to get weird with rejection. In fact, Joy suspected that he’d ask her out again one day. Maybe if things were different, she’d have told him yes. He seemed like the kind of guy who married and had a big family. And this past year, that was the very last type of guy she’d been looking for. “Well, the people here lift my spirits as well,” Joy said. “It’s selfish on my part.”

  He chuckled. “I completely understand that. It’s not a job if you love it.”

  Joy gave him a curious look. “That’s what Aunt Darby always tells me.”

  “She tells me the same thing,” Donovan confessed, making Joy smile. Her aunt Darby was such an inspiration to so many. Not just Joy.

  Granger walked up, his brows gathering at the sight of Donovan with his arm draped over Joy’s shoulders. Was he jealous?

  Donovan removed his arm and held his hand out for Granger to shake. “And thank you, Granger. It was such a nice surprise having you help today. You’ve charmed all the ladies here, that’s for sure.”

  Joy included. She would be trying to push him into the broom closet if not for Alma’s slip of the tongue. Granger had several opportunities to ask about the pregnancy comment but he hadn’t yet. Maybe he wouldn’t, and Joy wouldn’t have to recap the very worst moments of her life. Granger was just a guy she kissed after all, not one she told her life story to. “Well, we have to head to our next stop,” Joy told Donovan.

  The we got Donovan’s attention, and just like the women from the LDO, he looked between Joy and Granger as if processing their togetherness. “I see. Well, don’t worry about your aunt Darby. She and my dad will keep each other company.”

  “Oh, I know. They’re inseparable these days.” Joy was thankful for that; her aunt deserved love, happiness, and every good thing that came her way.

  Joy and Granger said their goodbyes and headed back out into the parking lot.

  “What was that about?” Granger asked.

  Joy glanced over. “What?”

  Granger held out his open palms. “He had his arm around you. I’d say Donovan Tate has a crush on you.”

  Joy laughed, which felt good on her raw emotions. “I suspect he does but the feeling isn’t mutual.”

  Granger seemed to soften a bit. “Why not? He seems like a great guy. Friendly, and he has a stable job.”

  Joy narrowed her eyes. “I’ve never been one to fall into the mindset that a stable job equals a good person. He’s just not my type.”

  Granger stopped walking as they reached her car, and he turned toward her. “Okay, what is your type?”

  She met his dark gaze and had to remind herself to breathe. “The type that makes my heart skip a beat. Who makes me laugh. Who makes me want to be a better person.” Her type was also the type that wouldn’t expect commitment at the end of the day. She didn’t want to go down that path again for a long time. The pain from her last serious relationship was still raw, splintering inside her heart every time she thought about it.

  Granger continued to watch her.

  Her heart skipped foolishly. He’d already made her laugh a half dozen times today. And watching him interact with his children and the people inside the community building definitely inspired her.

  “You’re one of the best people I know,” he said quietly. “I don’t think you can get any better.”

  Joy swallowed. A better person would have responded differently with Dan this morning at the hospital. It wasn’t an apology but he’d tried to make amends. He’d said he wanted to be friends but she had walked away. Forgiving was easier said than done.

  “I’ll meet you at the house?” Granger asked.

  She thought about shaking her head and telling him no. She was exhausted. It was more from emotional weariness than from the last two hours of serving food. Alma had opened an emotional wound earlier that she hadn’t had time to deal with. It had festered over the last two hours while she’d ignored it, smiling politely and serving lunch at the community center. She couldn’t ignore it any longer though. Joy didn’t care that she’d lost Dan. But she did care about their baby.

  Joy looked down at her feet, taking a moment to collect her emotions. She had to remind herself to breathe, in and out. In and out. Instead of growing calmer, her body began to shake. Get it together. I’m not alone. Don’t lose your cool yet.

  If she backed out of dinner at the Fieldses’ house, Granger would ask questions, and some of those might be the very ones she didn’t want to talk about. “Yes. I’ll see you over there.”

  “You’re in for a treat. Mom’s turkey is the best I’ve tasted.” His tone of voice made Joy know he couldn’t see by looking at her how distressed she felt inside. She was good at hiding her emotions, painting over them with a smile and nod.

  “I’m looking forward to it.” She gave him a brief glance and then hurried to the driver’s side of her car and got in, taking a few deep breaths.

  Then, bursting from the inside out, she broke into tears.

  * * *

  Granger sat in his truck for a moment, unable to ignore the fact that he could see Joy crying in his rearview mirror.

  Go to her or give her space?

  He was pretty sure it was about what had been said in the hospital parking lot hours earlier. She’d kept it together but he’d been able to see the shift in her demeanor. She was tougher than she let on—he’d give her that.

  His gaze flicked to the rearview again. Then, unable to help himself, he pushed open his truck door and got out, walking towar
d her. He opened her passenger side door and dipped into the seat beside her.

  She looked at him, sniffling and swiping at her eyes. There was no hiding the fact that she’d just been crying though. “What are you doing?”

  “I saw you crying and couldn’t just drive away.”

  She reached for a tissue in the middle console and dabbed at her face. “It’s n-nothing.”

  Granger reached for her hand. “Anything that makes you cry like that is something. Sometimes talking about things helps.”

  More tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Granger grabbed a tissue and reached across the center console, his gaze lifting to hers as he dabbed her tears away.

  She seemed startled by the gesture but didn’t move to stop him. He wiped away one, then another, moving around her cheeks as his eyes stayed fixed on hers.

  “It’s just…a hard day, I guess. I’m supposed to be thankful, and I am. But sometimes I also feel so…empty.” She seemed to hesitate about saying more.

  “You were pregnant?” he asked, putting his arm back down to his side.

  Joy looked away, turning her gaze to look out on the parking lot. “For a hot second.” She took a breath and blew it out. “I was engaged and carrying a baby, and everything in my life seemed perfect for one moment in time. I didn’t even know I wanted those things in my life…Then I found out Dan was also seeing a nurse.” Joy hiccupped softly. “Nurse Nancy.”

  Granger treaded softly with his next question. He’d never been that close to Joy in the past. He hadn’t even known she was engaged before. “And the baby?”

  Joy’s eyes welled. She pulled another tissue from the box and dabbed underneath her lashes. “It was what’s called an ectopic pregnancy.”

  Granger shook his head. He’d never heard that term before. “What is that?”

  “It means I was carrying the egg outside my uterus. The baby never had a chance of coming into this world.” She snatched more tissues.

  Granger reached for her arm again. “I’m so sorry, Joy.”

  Joy sniffled some more. “Anyway, that’s my big, dark secret. It’s not really much of a secret if the other women in town know.” Her chin trembled as she tried to hold her emotions together. “I feel silly for sitting here and crying about it. It’s been a year, and I don’t even think about it as much as I used to. Really…I’m sorry. I’m keeping you from going to your family’s Thanksgiving meal. You should go. Don’t worry about me.”