Season of Joy

by Annie Rains

  “Oh?”

  He scratched the side of his chin where stubble was growing. “I asked her to be my date to the Lights on Silver Lake event Saturday. And surprisingly, she said yes.” He couldn’t control the smile that swept over his face. He was going on a date with a woman who made him feel more alive than he had in years.

  “Not a surprise to me at all. Oh, Granger, this is wonderful. I have so much to be thankful for in this moment; I couldn’t be happier.” She wrapped her arms tightly around him, squeezing until it hurt.

  A shuffle against the wall made her pull back, and they both turned toward Abby, who was watching from the dimly lit hallway. Watching and listening, which she had a habit of doing these days.

  Granger guessed he’d be having that talk with his oldest daughter tonight after all.

  His mom cleared her throat and collected a sweater she’d tossed across the back of his recliner. “I’ll leave you two to talk. I need to get home to your dad anyway. Good night, Abby,” she said.

  “Night, Nana,” Abby answered softly.

  “Night, Mom.” Granger walked his mom to the door and gave her another hug. “See you tomorrow.”

  “It’s a big day. Your day,” she said proudly. “You’re changing the way Merry Mountain Farms does business, and I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

  “Thanks.” Granger closed the door behind her and turned to face Abby. “Wanna join me at the table?” he asked. “I can grab us some cider.”

  Without answering, Abby stepped toward the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

  Granger took that as a yes and grabbed two glasses from the cabinet. He filled them halfway with some cider and sat beside Abby. “Here you go.” He slid her glass in front of her. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

  He braced himself.

  “You’re dating Joy,” she said.

  Granger lifted his glass to his mouth and took a sip, readying his answer. “Is that okay?”

  “No.” She took a sip of her drink as well.

  “No? Just no? Can I ask why? I thought you liked Joy.”

  “I do. But I like her for me and Willow. She’s a lot more fun than Mrs. Townsend, and she does arts and crafts with us. I don’t like her for you.”

  Granger nodded. “Well, I happen to think she’s a lot of fun too. Isn’t it okay for your dad to be happy too?”

  Abby blinked as she stared at him stone-faced. “You have me and Willow to make you happy.”

  He felt like he was in a debate right now, and he really wanted to win. If he couldn’t get Abby to accept his new relationship with Joy, could he even go through with his date planned for Saturday night? “It’s not your job to make me happy, you know? Or to do the right thing or take care of your younger sister all the time. It’s your job to be a kid, to learn and play and make mistakes.”

  Abby looked down at her hands. “What about Mom? What if she comes home and you’re dating someone else?”

  Granger sucked in all the air around him. “Your mom and I aren’t getting back together, Abby. If she comes home, and I hope she does one day, it’ll be for you and Willow. Not for me.” And if Erin ever came back, she better be ready to prove herself before he let her have any kind of relationship with his girls.

  “But what if Mom returns and she wants to live with us again? Couldn’t you give her another chance? You just said that mistakes are okay for me. What about her?”

  Granger wasn’t sure what to say. Where was this coming from lately? Abby had never opened this discussion before. “If your mom comes back, we’ll talk about this at that time. But right now, she isn’t here. We’re here, and we’ve got to do the best that we can. It’s Thanksgiving, which is a reminder to be thankful about what we’ve got. And we have a lot.”

  Abby’s gaze flicked up to meet his. Granger could see the shine of unshed tears. She was working hard to hold them at bay.

  “We’ve got each other,” he said. “And now we have Joy in our lives too, and I’d like her to stay a little longer. What about you?”

  Abby blinked, and one of her tears slipped down her cheek. She nodded quietly.

  Granger reached for her hand. He’d met with a therapist in town once about how to deal with the girls’ emotions about their mother. “It’s okay to miss your mom. It’s okay to be sad that she’s not here. And anytime you ever want to talk about her or about how you’re feeling, I’m here. Just say the word. I’ll always be here to listen, okay?”

  Abby sniffled, and another tear escaped. “’Kay.”

  “So I’m taking Joy to the Lights on Silver Lake on Saturday night. You can go with Nana and Papa or you can go with us if you want. It’s up to you.”

  “I’ll go with Nana and Papa,” Abby said after a long moment.

  Granger frowned. Maybe she wasn’t going to accept him dating again.

  “You and Joy should be alone on your first date. So you don’t have to hide when you kiss her.” She offered him the first smile of this conversation.

  Granger reached over and ruffled her hair. “You have a big day ahead. You’re Joy’s assistant at the Christmas tree workshop tomorrow. Let’s get you to bed.”

  She slid back from the table and stood. “You don’t have to tuck me in. I’m a little big for that.”

  Granger stood as well and followed her down the hall. “You’re never too big for that.”

  * * *

  Granger always felt light on his feet on the day after Thanksgiving. Since as far back as he could remember, this was an exciting day—the first of the Christmas tree season. This was when the crowd started to trickle in, looking for their perfect tree.

  Merry Mountain Farms had less to offer this year but it was still enough to fill the air with the scent of evergreen.

  He took a deep breath as he headed outside, taking in the quiet excitement churning in his chest. Adding fuel to that excitement was the anticipation of seeing Joy and going on their first date tomorrow. It’d been a long time since he’d felt anything for a woman. And he felt more than just a little spark with Joy. The more time he spent with her, the more amazing he realized she was.

  “Hey.” He turned to see Joy walking up to him now from the large sheltered area where she’d be giving her first workshop in a few hours.

  “Hey. I didn’t think you’d be here so early.”

  “I wanted to make sure everything was all set for the Ladies’ Day Out group when they came. I have a feeling some of the women are going to need a lot of extra attention.”

  Granger stepped closer to her. “You aren’t second-guessing saying yes, are you?” He was talking about the Christmas tree workshop but he also wondered if she was having second thoughts about what she’d agreed to last night.

  “Not one bit.” Joy looked around and then stepped closer.

  “We don’t have to hide anymore, remember?”

  “You spoke to the girls last night?” she asked, pulling her hands to her midsection to fidget.

  “Just Abby. Willow was already in bed.”

  “And?”

  “And she wasn’t thrilled about me dating but it has nothing to do with her love of you. That’s intact. She’s more worried about her mom coming home.”

  “Oh.” Joy’s mouth formed a little circle of surprise. “I didn’t think that was really a possibility. I mean, she’s been gone for a long time, right?”

  Granger shrugged. “I guess it’s a possibility, but the longer Erin stays away, the less likely she is to return. And she wouldn’t be returning to me. I can’t go through that again.”

  He shook his head as flashes of the past crossed his mind. He’d felt no control over the situation at all. For a long time, he hadn’t even known where Erin had gone. She’d left him a letter that was both brief and incomplete. The waiting was the worst part. Every night he’d set her an extra place at the table. He’d kept the porch lights on in case she came in after dark.

  Then the divorce papers had come. That was a clear message to hi
m that he should stop waiting for her. He stopped setting her a spot at the table. He turned off the porch lights. And he did his best to let her go.

  He didn’t sign the papers when they first came though. Erin was on his insurance plan, and he had wanted to make sure she had access to the care she needed for her postpartum depression. Divorcing her would’ve meant cutting her off, and no matter how much she’d hurt him, she was still the girls’ mother. Instead, he’d waited until he’d known for sure that she had gotten the help she needed.

  “Abby will get used to the idea. She actually teased me a little about kissing you before she went to bed last night. I take that as progress.”

  Joy blushed slightly. Or maybe it was the cold nipping at her cheeks. “Well, I wanted to go grab a few more supplies at the store before the event. I’m going to head out.” She looked around again, as if making sure that no one was nearby, and then she went on her tiptoes for what he knew she expected to be a brief kiss.

  He held her to him though, deepening the kiss. Because if this was going to be his only close contact with her today, he wanted to make it count.

  “What was that for?” she asked breathlessly once they pulled away.

  “For good luck. It’s an important day,” he reminded her.

  “Well, in that case…” She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his again, not bothering to look around to make sure they were alone this time.

  * * *

  There were fourteen women from the LDO gathered for the Christmas tree workshop. She had more than enough supplies, and the ladies were being as creative as they were messy. It really wasn’t a hard project in Joy’s opinion. It didn’t even take a lot of strength, which was good for this crowd.

  “Oh, this is so much fun,” Dawanda from the fudge shop said with exaggerated hand movements, her smile stretching through her rosy cheeks as she wound the garland at the top of her tree. “I can’t wait to string the lights and add the tinsel. This tree is going to be a great addition to my Christmas decorations.”

  “And it lasts a lot longer than a real tree,” Joy pointed out.

  “And you don’t have to water it,” Greta added, working at a snail’s pace. Joy might have to step in and help her move things along if she didn’t pick up speed.

  “Well, I happen to love a real tree,” Alice Hampton said as she worked on her own project. “This will be nice but I’m still getting a real spruce when I’m done.”

  Granger’s mom nodded as she listened. She was making a tree today too. “That’s good because we still have quite a lot of trees to sell. The fire might have taken some of our stock but those will grow back. And then we’ll have real trees and art-sculptured trees.”

  “Oh?” A couple of the Ladies’ Day Out group turned to look at Joy.

  “I thought this was a one-time thing. Will you be coming back year after year?” Dawanda asked.

  Joy shrugged. “Well, Granger and I haven’t gotten that far in our planning yet.” And Joy was hoping that next year, she’d have her own place on Main Street. She might have time to offer one or two classes here at the farm but probably not.

  “Granger and I, huh?” one of the women asked. “Sounds like a Christmas romance to me.”

  Joy cleared her throat. She was tempted to deny that anything was going on with Granger. But they weren’t hiding anymore. “We’re actually going on a date tomorrow night.”

  The women made delighted sounds.

  “To the Lights on Silver Lake event?” Alice asked.

  Joy nodded as excitement swirled in her belly. “Yes.”

  “The Lights on Silver Lake event was where Ron and I had our first date,” Alice said. She was a widow now. “It was the same night I fell in love with him, and I knew we’d spend the rest of our lives together.”

  Josie Locklear, who was sitting on her other side, put her hand on Alice’s shoulder. “That’s a nice memory.”

  “Yes, we had lots of nice memories.” She looked at Joy. “They say it’s good luck to have your first date at that event. I do believe Kaitlyn and Mitch had their first date there.”

  “Are you sure?” Greta asked.

  Alice shrugged. “No, but I know several couples who did. If history is any indicator, it means you and Granger will have a long-lasting, love-filled relationship.”

  Now Joy was shaking her head. “I don’t think…It’s just a date.” She laughed nervously, reaching for more wire ribbon. She wasn’t even close to ready to think about anything long lasting.

  Debbie gave her a pointed look. “Well, that’s how every relationship begins. With a first date.”

  Joy fell speechless. Then she noticed Abby watching and listening to the conversation closely. She had a habit of doing that. “Abby, you’re my assistant today. Would you mind helping Miss Greta with her bows?”

  Abby stepped forward.

  “Oh yes,” Greta said. “I’ll be here all afternoon if I don’t get some assistance. And I don’t want to miss the lighted hayride. It’s going to be so pretty. I remember the hayrides. They used to be my favorite part of the season.”

  Abby picked up some ribbon and started making a bow, just like Joy had taught her to do last week.

  “What do you think of your dad going out on a date?” one of the women asked.

  Joy wanted to cover her face. Couldn’t they talk about something other than her personal life?

  “He’s all grown up. He can do what he wants,” Abby said, sounding like a little adult. “But my mom is coming back soon.” She looked up at Joy, her expression apologetic. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Joy was worried about the opposite though. She didn’t want Abby to get any more hurt by wishing for something that wasn’t very likely to happen. At least not according to Granger.

  * * *

  An hour later, there were just over a dozen wire-sculpture Christmas trees standing at four feet tall. They were all as unique as the women who had made them. The women had strung the lights and plugged them into the extension cords that roped around the shelter’s perimeter.

  “Okay,” Joy said, standing in the center of the workshop with Abby by her side. “Are we ready to light your trees?”

  “Sounds kinky!” Greta called out.

  Joy’s jaw dropped.

  “Shh! There are little ears in here,” Alice snapped at her older friend.

  Joy glanced over at Abby and back to the women, deciding to ignore the comment and rephrase her question. “Who’s ready for me to turn the lights on?”

  “I bet Granger is,” Greta called out, chuckling loudly.

  Joy didn’t even look at the older woman this time. Instead she gestured at Abby. “You can do the honors, sweetheart.”

  Abby reached for the On button on the main drop cord that all the others were plugged into and flipped it up, her expression brimming with excitement.

  The women oohed and aahed as their trees twinkled.

  “So pretty,” one said.

  “Beautiful,” a man’s voice said.

  Joy turned to see Granger approaching the shelter. She smiled proudly. “Aren’t they?”

  He came to stand beside her, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “I was talking about you,” he said for her ears only.

  She warmed all over. She definitely needed to keep him around through the cold winter. “I’d say the first Christmas tree workshop was a success. These are amazing pieces.”

  “I’ll load them in my truck and deliver them to you all tomorrow,” Granger told the women.

  “I want a real tree too,” Greta said.

  “Me too,” another woman added.

  He nodded. “You can pick one out on the lot and claim it. The guys will chop it down, string it up, and deliver it right to your door. But right now, I’m boarding the trailer for the first official lighted hayride of the season.” Granger lowered his voice again, leaning near Joy’s ear. “I saved you a seat next to me if you want to come along.”

  Thoug
hts of that night when they’d traveled the path alone came to mind. They’d kept each other warm with roaming hands and needy mouths.

  It might be hard to keep her hands to herself with those memories at the forefront of her mind. She and Granger weren’t hiding anymore but she’d never been a fan of PDA. She’d just have to keep her hands and lips to herself until later. Right now, it would be enough to occupy the seat next to him. “I’d love to.”

  From the corner of her eye, Joy saw Abby watching.

  “Abby, would you like to sit up front with your dad?”

  “Me too, me too,” Willow said, running over. She’d been occupying the apple cider stand with her nana until now.

  Granger frowned at Joy.

  She leaned in this time. “You can give me a private ride later.”

  The brown of his irises darkened before he tore his gaze from hers to look at his daughters.

  “Is Santa at the end of Peppermint Path?” Willow asked hopefully. “I have a list. I want to see him and make sure he knows exactly what I want this year. Last year, he got some of it wrong.”

  Joy cast a playful glance at Granger.

  “Nobody’s perfect.” He shook his head. “Santa isn’t here just yet but there’s a mailbox where you can drop your list if you want.”

  Willow turned to her older sister. “Do you have a list, Abby?”

  Abby glanced over at Joy, her expression once more apologetic. What is that about? “There’s only one thing I want for Christmas this year.”

  And Joy got the distinct feeling that it wasn’t for Joy to be sitting next to her father on this ride. No, Joy was fairly certain that Abby wanted her own mother to come home and occupy that space.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The moon was a sliver in the night sky with a chorus of stars around it. The LDO hadn’t quite gotten this view when Granger had driven the path an hour earlier. The sun had just set, and it was dark enough to appreciate the lighted scenes but not black as it was now.

  “I’d say today was a success.” Granger looked over at Joy.

  “Mm. I think so too.” She met his gaze. “And it was a lot of fun. I’ve booked four classes for next week already.”