by Kimi Flores
He glanced at me. “Chicken, right?”
I nodded as he placed our order, when I felt another pair of eyes staring and then I heard, “You look so familiar.” I turned to find a curvy, voluptuous woman with teased out hair and a whole lotta make-up on her face.
Behind the thick foundation, eye shadow and mascara, she looked familiar, but I was sure I didn’t know her well. “My family and I used to vacation here when I was young, so maybe that’s it?”
Snapping her fingers, she said, “Yes. You and your sister used to hang out with Jaime Williams. I never forget a face.”
Then it hit me—Kelly King. Her dad owned the ice skating pond in town and of course she would recognize me. We’d had a crush on the same guy and, as friendly as she’d been, she also didn’t miss an opportunity to flirt with Eric Maguire every time she saw us together.
Sue Ann perked up, “Oh, I remember you too, darling. Your family came in several times for dinner. Let me think.” She tapped her chin with her index finger. “Two pot roast dinners with mashed potatoes and two macaroni and cheese meals.”
“Great memory.” She obviously took pride in remembering each and every customer. “It’s great to see you again.” I meant what I had just said, but I wasn’t prepared to go down memory lane right now. I quickly grabbed my food and motioned for Elliott to follow. This place was a madhouse and now that I had food in my hands, I couldn’t wait to scarf it down.
I spotted Jaime as she stood on her tippy toes, waving us over. “I was hoping I’d find you in this crowd.” She pulled a guy off the bleacher, nearly causing him to choke on the bite of food he’d just taken. “Honey, this is Tess Bennett. Remember I told you we reconnected after all these years? Tess, this is my husband, Steven.”
He wiped his mouth and fingers with a napkin, then tried to swallow his food as quickly as possible as he extended his hand. “Nice to put a face to all the stories.”
Wondering which stories Jaime had shared with her husband, I cautiously returned his greeting. “Nice to meet you. We sure had a lot of great times together.” I shook his hand as Jaime looked to my side and realized I wasn’t alone.
“Hey, Elliott.” She glanced at me, then back to him with a knowing smile. “How’s it going?” She’d already insinuated something was happening between us simply because she’d seen him stacking new firewood for me when she’d stopped at my house for lunch the other day.
“Great.” He lifted his chin toward Steven. “Hey man, haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Maybe that’s because you haven’t come around lately,” Steven teased. “When am I going to get you out to the range again?”
Jaime wrapped her arm around her husband’s shoulders and patted his chest. “On top of helping my uncle at the market, we also own a target shooting range on the edge of town.” As if a light bulb went off in her head, she added, “Hey, you guys should come out this weekend. I’m off on Saturday and planned on spending the day there.”
“Oh, um, I’ve never shot a gun before.” Not that I had anything against them, but my father didn’t own any and had never taught us how to use one.
“We have archery, too,” she piped up. “I remember how good you were when we’d go to Mountain Ridge.”
Elliott raised a curious eyebrow. “Archery, huh?”
I could feel the blush creeping up my neck and cheeks as I picked up on his shock.
Jaime beamed and nodded. “She hit a bullseye almost every time. Gave all the boys a run for their money.” She wagged her finger between us. “So, how do you two know each other?” What was she up to? She knew damn well how we were acquainted. I’d already told Elliott she’d visited.
With a smirk on his face like he knew what she was doing, he answered, “She bought Gus’s house.”
“Oh, so neighbors, huh?” she asked only Elliott, avoiding my glare.
Steven covertly rolled his eyes as if this was not his first rodeo with Jamie playing matchmaker. He pulled her back to their seats. “C’mon, Miss Nomorelonelynights.com, the game's about to start.”
She seemed undeterred as she asked, “You guys wanna join us? We can squeeze in and all fit.” She motioned toward the small gap on the bench.
It wasn't that I didn’t want to sit by her, but now that she’d made a few insinuations about Elliott and me, it was getting a little awkward. We looked up and down the bleachers for any other options, finding the only spots, albeit tight spots, were right next to Jaime and Steven.
I peeked back at Elliott and he shrugged, seeming to be thinking the same thing I was. I asked her, “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course not,” she said brightly. “Squeeze in and eat those pot pies while they’re still warm.”
The players took the court as the guys settled in with Jaime and I sitting between them. I’d just taken my first bite when I saw the guy I’d crushed hardcore on my last summer here—Eric Maguire. And he was just as hot as he’d been when we were teens. His chestnut brown hair was shorter than he’d worn it back then, but his chiseled jaw and broad chest had only become more defined. His boyish grin had not changed and, although I couldn’t see them from where we sat, I knew he had the most beautiful blue eyes that had hints of green specs. I used to get lost in those eyes of his.
“Might want to wipe the drool off your chin there.” Jaime pretended to hand me her balled up napkin.
“Huh?” I jerked my head toward her.
“I see you spotted Eric out there.” She pointed a subtle finger toward the court.
I said nonchalantly, “Eric?” I was going for casual, but was sure I was screwing that up.
“Yeah, Eric Maguire. Our police chief.” She leaned in closer, “Your first kiss, if I remember correctly.”
My cheeks felt red hot as I peeked at Elliott, who seemed to be so into the game he hadn’t overheard.
I gave her a death glare and whispered, “Shh. That was a long time ago. And wait, did you say police chief?”
“Yep, he’s Hope Falls one and only police chief. Married his next-door neighbor, Lily. There’re lots of neighborly romances here in town. It really is like a soap opera; the choices are limited so there’s a lot of recycling.” She craned her neck and scoured the crowd like she was looking for his wife so I could see her. I elbowed her lightly in the ribs and gave her the ‘don’t you dare’ glare. She turned her attention back to the court. “Remember his brother Jake over there?”
Payback time. “You mean Jake Maguire, your first kiss that same summer?”
She snickered and I felt like we were back in time, giggling about the boys we’d liked. “Anyway, he’s the fire chief and ended up marrying a girl who came to our high school the month after the last time you were here. He was totally gaga the minute he saw her and forgot all about the sweet kiss we shared at the movie theater.” She smiled and looked at Steven. He raised a suspicious eyebrow, obviously curious about what we were whispering about. “Not that I’m bitter or anything. I mean come on, I definitely got the better deal.”
We continued to whisper and snicker back and forth, reminiscing about old times and before we knew it, the game was over. We hadn’t paid attention to any of the plays and only knew it had ended when people started to get up from their seats and step over us.
“Who won?” I asked Elliott, who in turn snickered like he wasn’t surprised.
“You girls were so busy chatting, I’m surprised you even knew there was a game going on.” He gathered the trash from our pot pies and empty cups and threw them away as we passed the trash can. “Of course the younger guys won. They gave the alumni a few pity shots, but we didn’t expect them to throw the game.”
Jaime pulled me from behind and gave me a quick hug. “We have to get going, but I’ll be holding you to coming out next weekend.” As she and Steven walked away, she waived her index finger between Elliott and me.
I dismissed her insinuation with a tight smile and turned away. I didn’t remember actually agreeing to
go, but it sounded like fun. “What do you think?” I asked Elliott as we made our way into the auction and merchant room.
“Sounds like a good time to me. I usually go by myself and I’ve only shot an arrow once before. Very pitifully, I might add.” He placed his hand on my back protectively and helped guide me through the crowd, making me feel warm and safe.
Picking up the clipboard, I noted that a few items had larger amounts than mine so I changed my offers to higher bids. Then I looked at the wreath. “You have gotta be kidding me. Five-hundred dollars? There’s no way I can outbid that.”
I turned to see Elliott’s eyes open wide. “Wow, someone really wants that wreath.” Of course they did. It was the only one that didn't have a duplicate.
I tried to hide my disappointment. “I can’t justify spending that much on a wreath. They can have it. At least the money will go to a good cause.” Perking up, I added, “I’ve got a good chance on the other items so my house will have a bit of Christmas spirit, after all.”
Over the loud speaker, we heard a man thanking everyone for coming out and contributing to their annual fundraiser. A list of committee members’ names were rattled off, then finally the announcement we’d all been waiting for was made. “This year, the committee was presented with multiple names and organizations who have dedicated their time, money and heart to the less fortunate in our community. It was difficult to narrow down, but we believe we made the best choice. In recognition of their constant work to provide safe homes for kids in need, even when they have to go without things they would like to have. For the times they are up all night, caring for the kids when they are sick or scared. For giving their hearts to kids who are not related to them, we have decided to award the funds raised tonight to the Samson and the Freeman families.”
Someone squealed behind me as a few basketball players came running in the room, frantically looking for someone. As soon as they spotted the woman now in the center of the room, one of the boys picked her up then spun around.
Everyone around clapped and the other boy smoothed the woman’s hair away from her face and swiped away a few tears as he said, “You were right, this is going to be the best Christmas ever.”
From behind me, Elliott placed his hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. “The money was awarded to the two foster moms here in town. We all lend a hand when they need it, but they’ve each had some financial hardships this year. They are the perfect recipients.”
I felt teary-eyed myself as I watched the other mom come into the room with a few kids close by, all holding hands. Both mothers embraced and more clapping erupted in the room.
Clearing my throat several times, I tried to keep my quivering lips as still as possible in an attempt to hide my emotions. “So how does this whole auction thing work again?”
When he raised an eyebrow, I had a feeling he knew what I was doing. Thankfully, he didn't call me out on it. “A few guys volunteer to deliver everyone’s items in the morning so you won’t know until tomorrow if you’ve won any of the bids.
“What if I’m not home?”
“Are you planning on not being home?”
“No, I’ll be there.”
He threw his head back and let out a loud laugh just as the crowd started to thicken and push toward the exit. I felt his fingers grip my hand as he pulled me closer.
Several couples rushed past, in a hurry to get away from the horde, including my first crush and who I assumed was his wife.
Elliott leaned closer and whispered in my ear. “So, Police Chief Maguire, huh?”
Embarrassed, I lowered my head and closed my eyes. “You heard that?”
He nodded. “I have three daughters, so I’ve had to perfect my bionic hearing, unless they were talking about something I didn't want to know, then I could easily slip back into selective hearing mode.”
I cringed in on myself. “Good to know.”
“How was it?” His grip tightened as a few teen boys attempted to run between us.
I stepped to my right to avoid being knocked over. “What?”
He tugged me back to him, as if telling everyone we were together. “Your first kiss?”
I offered a simple shrug as I thought back to those thirty seconds so long ago. “There isn’t much to tell. Everyone was gathered for the 4th of July fireworks and picnic. He and I were sitting on the tailgate of his dad’s truck, eating watermelon, when he leaned over and gave me a quick peck on my mouth. I was so stunned I don’t even remember the feel of his lips, but I think he learned a valuable lesson that day.”
Elliott smirked. “And just what did you teach the young boy that day?”
Pulling my lip gloss from my pocket, I held it up. “Always check to see what flavor lip gloss a girl uses before you start sucking it off her lips. How was I supposed to know he hated root beer?”
We both laughed, the frosty winter air tickling my nose as we stepped out of the rec center. My eyes immediately flicked up toward the sky as tiny snowflakes floated down, hitting my face on their way to the ground.
“It’s snowing? I didn’t think we would get snow so early.” We moved to the side as I spread my arms wide and tilted my head back. Sticking my tongue out, I caught some flakes as they slowly fluttered down. Growing up in Florida and living in Arizona most of my life, I’d never seen snow before.
Elliott walked over to me and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and smiled.
A soft sigh escaped me. “I must look like a fool doing this. Add this to one of my silly things list,” I giggled.
He didn’t laugh; he only stood there with his hand on my cheek. “No. You look beautiful,” he said softly.
And the world around us stopped.
Chapter Eight
Tess
Switching off the blow dryer, I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror and fluffed my thick brown hair. It had grown quite a bit since I’d been here the last several weeks. The old control freak in me wouldn’t have ever gone a day past my regularly scheduled six-week salon appointment. Surprisingly, now that I wasn’t stuck in my work rut, I was finding it easier and easier to let unimportant things go.
Pulling the towel tighter around my body, I curled my toes into the luxuriously heated floor. As stubborn as I’d initially been about Elliott helping me out, I was thankful to finally have electricity. And truth be told, I’d also really enjoyed spending time with him whenever he wasn't working. I wasn’t quite ready to hope there might be just a little spark between us, but it sure felt like there was something extra special there.
With a bounce to my step, I headed into my bedroom and swished hangers back and forth in my closet as I looked for something to wear. My fingers lingered over a few of my regular work clothes and a heaviness settled in my chest. I wondered if I’d ever get to wear them again. They had become a symbol of who I was over the years; now they hung in the dark, forgotten and dismissed.
Shaking my head, I moved on to a more practical outfit for the day: jeans and a light sweater.
Once dressed, I picked up my cell, dialed my sister’s number and trotted downstairs. At the bottom, I held onto the end of the banister and swung myself around, just like we used to do as kids. It’s funny how you can sometimes subconsciously revert back into old habits, even childish ones.
On the third ring, I looked down at my phone to make sure I hadn't accidently sent a video chat like my niece had done my first night here. I’d let it go, but the fact that my niece kept secretly swiping my sister’s phone and iPad had started to become an issue.
I still couldn’t believe I’d shared that story with Elliott.
“Hey there, sis. How’s it going?” Lina chirped, but I could tell she was a little distracted. “Are you all settled in yet?”
“Pretty much.” I plopped down onto my brown leather and teak Augusto chair that sat right under my front room window and placed my feet on the ottoman. Scooting to the side, I leaned into the chair and glanced outside. It had b
een snowing off and on since we’d left the rec center last night—right before Elliott had called me beautiful. In that moment, I’d been so tempted to lean in and kiss him, but a snowflake landed in my eye, breaking our spell.
Damn snowflake.
I watched in wonder now as I sat in the warm comfort of my home. All I’d ever experienced was sunshine and the occasional rainstorm. It was still dreamlike to live in a town where it actually snowed. “You know me,” I answered. “Every box was unpacked and pictures were on the walls within a few days.”
I watched as two squirrels chased each other, bouncing through the snow-covered lawn, then up the large oak tree in my front yard.
It felt so good to hear Lina’s lighthearted laughter. “Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me. You’ve always been organized.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I smiled as a warm sensation filled my chest. “I've really missed talking to you, Lina.” I’d tried to call her after my trip down Main Street the other day, but she’d been busy with the kids and we’d promised to call each other later.
“Awww, I’ve missed you too, but what’s with the sudden mushy emotions?” Her suspicious tone hit me hard. I shouldn’t have ever let her believe she wasn’t an important part of my life. Her skepticism was all my doing.
“I don’t know.” I twirled a loose string at the bottom of my sweater. “I guess just being in the house reminds me of how close we were growing up, and I miss that.”
There was silence for a moment before she said, “I really miss that, too. We’ll have to both do a better job of keeping in touch.”
Did she accept as much fault as I did for the distance we’d allowed to come between us?
“Sounds good to me.” A smile pulled up the corner of my lips when I glanced into the living room and excitedly shared, “So, you’re not going to believe this, but I actually have Christmas decorations up and a live Christmas tree.” I’d won several of the items from last night’s auction and they’d all been delivered this morning. All I’d had to do was restring the white lights and put the red ribbon and holly berry garland back on the tree.