Paige laughed. “Okay. Let’s have it.”
“My brothers and I started a community-supported bakery in Arcadia Valley, Idaho, coming up on three years ago. We’ve branched out some from just breads on a subscription plan to cookies, muffins, donuts, and other bakery-type items, though our staple is bread. Anyway, Micah helps with the baking, and he’s going to be in and out a lot more going forward, so we need some help. Do you know anyone into local, sustainable baking that might want to relocate?”
“Hmm. You know, I might. When would you need them?”
“Honestly? As soon as possible, but I understand packing up and moving across the country takes some time to arrange. I’d want to do an interview, maybe fly them out first.”
“Sure, of course. Give me a week and I’ll either have a name or two or they’ll contact you.”
“Perfect. The other...can you keep it sort of quiet?”
“Of course.”
Jonah blew out a breath. Was he really going to do this? Not that he was doing anything. He was exploring possibilities. That didn’t mean he had to follow through. It didn’t hurt anyone to look. “Have you heard of any executive chef positions opening up around there lately?”
“Exec...for you?”
“There are some things here that are complicated. Seems that maybe it might be time to move. Plus, I’m not a baker. I mean, I can. And I enjoy it, mostly. But I love the line. I love creating dishes and sending them out to be enjoyed in real time. I miss that. I miss the crazy energy of a dinner service.”
Paige chuckled. “I know exactly what you’re saying. I haven’t, but I’ll keep my ears open and let you know. But Jonah?”
“Yeah?”
“Complicated isn’t always bad. Make sure you’re not running away from where God wants you simply because it got hard. There are a lot of things that God can use instead of a giant fish to point you back in the right direction. None of them are pleasant.”
Ouch. Was he running away? Had God sent him to Arcadia Valley? Of course He had. But did that necessarily mean he was supposed to stay here for the rest of his life, miserable? “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I’ll be praying for you.”
“Thanks.” Jonah ended the call and frowned at the fire. He needed to do more praying than he’d been doing. And a whole lot more listening for an answer.
* * *
Ruth was pale against the hospital bed sheets but she managed a weak smile. “Why are you here?”
“I had to come see you and my new nephew.” Jonah grinned and reached for his sister’s hand. Corban had told Jonah that the doctors considered sedating and ventilating Ruth for a day or two to help lower her blood pressure, but had decided against it. That had made his blood run cold. Seeing her look as normal as she did helped. “How are you feeling?”
“I don’t even know how to answer that. How are you going to get back in time for the concert tonight? And dinner? It’s Valentine’s Day, you have plans...you didn’t cancel them just to come see me, right?”
“I would have, but, as it turns out, Kenia decided we shouldn’t see each other anymore. So I happen to be free. And since I’m here, I sent Corban back to the hotel to get a few hours sleep and a shower. He doesn’t look much better than you.”
Ruth sighed. “Jonah.”
He shook his head. He didn’t want to talk about it. Not now. Probably not ever.
She closed her eyes for a minute. “Thanks. I tried to get him to do that all morning.”
“He didn’t want you to be alone.” Jonah scooted the chair a little closer to Ruth’s bed for a more comfortable angle on his arm. “When will you get to see the baby?”
“Maybe tomorrow? They say I have to be well enough to go up there. He can’t come to me. Corban’s been spending a lot of time in the NICU with him. You don’t mind?”
“Mind what?”
“We named him Andrew, after Dad. We never really talked about it and I’d only just started thinking about it as a possibility. I thought we had all kinds of time to discuss everything.”
“Nobody minds. First baby gets first choice. Corban doesn’t mind?”
“No. We’re using his dad’s name for the middle. Andrew Nathaniel DeWitt.”
“A.N.D. Cute.”
Ruth chuckled, then winced. “I didn’t think about his initials much. But they’re not terrible.”
“Are you okay?”
“Just sore. It feels like they cut me open. Oh wait, they did.”
Jonah smiled. If she could joke, she really was doing okay. “Your blood pressure?”
“On its way back to normal pretty rapidly. Maybe not perfect yet, but improving. The real worry is Andrew. They started steroid shots when I went to the hospital, but he’s still so tiny. He’ll probably be here in the NICU until his due date.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I don’t know how we’re going to manage that.”
It was a very real worry. Between the money—because it wasn’t like farmers and entrepreneurs had major medical insurance—and the time away from the farm just as spring planting needed to start. “We’ll figure it out. You’re not in this alone.”
A tear slipped down Ruth’s cheek. Then another and another until she was sobbing quietly.
Jonah swallowed and looked around. Should he get a nurse? “Shh.”
“It’s just so much.”
He squeezed his sister’s hand and glanced over his shoulder at the door. “Maybe I should get the nurse. Or the doctor?”
“No. Don’t.” Ruth sniffled and wiped her eyes. “I’m okay. I’m really glad you came.”
“Me, too. I don’t suppose there’s any way for me to see Andrew?”
“I don’t know.” She swallowed and her eyes welled with tears again. “Why don’t we call the nurse and ask?”
10
Gloria pulled her cruiser into Serena’s driveway and parked. Serena’s car sat in its usual spot, with another car beside it. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. She should just get back on the road, maybe swing into Demi’s Delights and get a cup of coffee and something sweet for an afternoon pick-me-up, and move on. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have other friends.
Well. It was, actually. But she could make new ones.
Or live without.
She had the guys on the force. Felipe and Constance were definitely friends. There had to be a few others. Maybe they weren’t people she hung out with on a lazy Friday night, but that could change. Couldn’t it?
The door to the deck slid open and Serena stepped out. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun and she wore jeans and a ratty sweatshirt. Pottery making clothes. Gloria reached for the key still dangling in the ignition. She should definitely go.
Serena tapped on the window.
Gloria jolted. How’d she get down here so fast?
“You coming in? It’s cold. I have coffee.”
Gloria pushed the door open a crack. “You have company, too?”
“It’s just Ursula. She went to visit Ruth in the hospital yesterday and brought some photos of Andrew. I’d planned...look, come inside and we can talk. My teeth are starting to chatter.” Serena turned and hurried back up the stairs to the deck, disappearing into the house.
She could still leave. But that would be small and mean at this point. With a sigh, Gloria unhooked her seatbelt and grabbed the key. She didn’t bother taking personal time. If the radio on her shoulder squawked, it’d be a good excuse to get going. And wasn’t it pathetic that she was looking for reasons to leave? Maybe it wouldn’t be as awkward as it seemed like it had to be.
“Hey, Gloria.” Ursula grinned at her from the sofa, where she sat with her feet tucked under her. “Come see pictures of Ruth and Corban’s little boy.”
“I’ll get your coffee.” Serena stood, leaving space for Gloria to sit by Ursula.
“Hi. I don’t mean to intrude.” Gloria perched on the couch and took the phone Ursula offered.
Serena made a rude noise. �
�Please. When have I ever not been clear about whether you should stay or go? If you were intruding, you’d know. Stop being an idiot. It’s gone on entirely too long.”
Ursula leaned closer to Gloria and whispered, “She’s still a little annoyed that she didn’t know you were married. And she has crossed over into ticked that you’ve let things get weird between the two of you.”
“I was trying to make it easier.” Gloria glanced down at the photos and had to swallow. “He’s so tiny.”
“Just under two and a half pounds. And you made it awkward by avoiding me.” Serena offered a huge, steaming mug of coffee and sat on the edge of the coffee table facing Gloria and Ursula.
Gloria sighed and swiped to the next picture. It was hard to look at Andrew, so small and yet hooked up to so many tubes and wires. She offered the phone back to Ursula. “How’s Ruth?”
“Better every day. They’re letting her spend most of her day with Andrew now, which I think is helping her more than anything else. She’s not actually been released from the hospital, but I suspect they’ll do that on Monday if things keep going like they have. Corban found a tiny furnished apartment that they can rent on a month-to-month basis so they’re not commuting from here to Boise all the time.”
“What about the B&B? And the farm?” Gloria frowned and sipped her coffee. Neither one of them had jobs they could do at a distance.
“I’m pitching in at the B&B. They were talking about closing down for the duration, but that just isn’t feasible financially. I can still do my freelancing work—though I did let a few people know I might be slower than usual—so it works out. They have a lot of reservations starting in March, I’d hate for them to lose all of that income when I could help.” Ursula stood and reached for the empty mug on the coffee table next to Serena. “Speaking of that, I should get going. I’d like to get as much done before the reservations start kicking in.”
“You don’t have—” Gloria snapped her mouth shut when Serena glared at her. “Sorry.”
Ursula laughed. “You’re in for it now. I’d feel sorry for you if I wasn’t also a bit annoyed. We—the entire Baxter family—love you, Gloria. For you. Not just because we hoped you’d end up with Jonah. So get that through your head and stop being a stranger. If Jonah makes it weird, let us know, and we’ll thump him. See you later, Serena.”
Serena frowned. “Well. She kind of covered everything I was going to say. And she was nicer about it than I was going to be, so consider yourself lucky.”
“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you.”
“Yes, you should have.” Serena smiled. “But you’re still forgiven. Since your husband isn’t staying at the B&B anymore, given that they cancelled all the remaining February reservations when Ruth went into the hospital, I have to ask: is he staying with you?”
Gloria took a long drink of coffee. Honesty was the better policy, always, but it was hard to trot her personal failures out, even for her best friend. She cleared her throat. “No. He gave me papers and left town at the beginning of February. The divorce was final two days before Valentine’s Day.”
“And you didn’t...wait, that’s the day Ruth went to the ER.”
Gloria nodded.
“Okay. It’s okay you didn’t say something then. But it’s been more than a week.”
“I know. It’s...weird. At the hospital, Jonah mentioned how he’d like us to try and still be friends. So the next day, I stopped by the bakery in the afternoon and Kenia was there shooting daggers at me. And Jonah, for that matter. I don’t want to get in the way of whatever they’re building between them. How am I supposed to be friends with any of you when that means I’m going to end up being around Jonah?” Gloria sighed. Honesty. Maybe Serena would have something useful to suggest. “Besides the fact that his girlfriend doesn’t approve of us being friends, I’m not sure I can be friends with him.”
“Because?”
“Because I’m in love with him.”
Serena clapped her hands together and squealed. “That’s so great!”
Gloria snorted. “I’m not sure which part of our conversation you missed, but there is no greatness involved in this scenario. We’re doomed.”
“And people say I’m dramatic.” Serena shook her head. “Doomed is a little strong, don’t you think?”
“Not really. He was in love with me when I wasn’t free to love him back. Now I am—sorta—and he’s in love with someone else.” Gloria shrugged and finished her coffee. “Let’s change the subject. Please? When do you start filming this new movie?”
Serena opened her mouth and drew in a breath. She closed it and sighed. “Fine. We can play it your way, but I want it on record that there’s more to say.”
“Noted.”
“I don’t have a firm date yet. I’ll probably have to head out to L.A. sometime in the middle of March for a week or two, and maybe at that point I’ll have more details.”
“What’s the holdup?”
Serena sighed. “The director decided he had too much on his plate and backed out. They’re talking to a few others now, trying to get someone lined up but that can take time. I’m a little worried they may end up cancelling the movie. If this goes on too long, actors start to book up and scheduling gets hard. I’ve seen it happen too many times to count. I really want this part though.”
“Ever thought of directing?”
Serena laughed. “Right.”
“I don’t see why not, but okay. It was just a thought.” The radio on Gloria’s shoulder squawked and she lifted a finger as she angled her head to listen. “I should run.”
“Yeah, okay. Duty calls, I guess. Gloria?”
“What?”
“Keep in mind two things for me, would you?”
“What’s that?”
“First,” Serena lifted a finger, “there’s no ‘sorta’ about your availability. You were separated for what, eight years? I don’t know anyone who’d say you haven’t mourned and processed the death of your marriage. Maybe you can’t get married tomorrow, but it’s not like you need to wait for years. Two? Kenia dumped Jonah. So he’s not any less free than you are.”
Gloria blinked. Jonah and Kenia weren’t together anymore? Her heart began to race. That...wow. The radio buzzed again with chatter. “I have to—look, don’t say anything about the divorce to anyone.”
“But.”
“No. Promise me.”
Serena sighed. “All right. I promise. Against my better judgment.”
“I’ll take it.” Gloria hustled down the deck stairs and jumped into her cruiser. She pushed thoughts of Jonah to the back of her mind. Now was time to focus on the job. Later—much later—she’d worry about what it might mean that they were both single at the same time.
Finally.
* * *
Gloria scooted in the back of the sanctuary as the first worship song ended. She’d spent entirely too long in the shower debating going to Arcadia Valley Community instead of Grace. But Grace Fellowship was much more her spiritual home even if she did occasionally switch it up and go to AVC, and it wasn’t as if she hadn’t managed to avoid Jonah for close to two months already. She could probably swing another week. Or six.
Enough. She wasn’t at church to think about Jonah. She was here to worship her Savior. Except that her gaze kept straying to the row where the Baxters generally sat. It was weird not seeing Corban and Ruth there. How were they coping? It had to be hard to be so far away from home, dealing with so much. Neither one still had their parents. She and her mom didn’t always understand one another, but Gloria still didn’t want to try and imagine life without her.
Jonah’s broad shoulders caught her eye. She dragged her gaze back to the worship band and focused her thoughts on singing.
Gloria managed to keep her attention focused on the sermon. Mostly. Maybe her thoughts—and her gaze—drifted to Jonah a few times, but that was to be expected. Wasn’t it? Serena’s little bomb on Friday wasn’t something she was going to
wrap her mind around any time soon. Technically, they could date. She’d spent so long reminding herself that it couldn’t happen and now? How was she supposed to make that mental switch?
She stood with the rest of the congregation for the benediction and saw Kenia sneaking out. Gloria winced. Poor girl. Not that Gloria wanted Kenia and Jonah to be together, but still. Heartbreak was never fun.
“Come to lunch with us?”
Gloria started, her stomach twisting as she looked up into Jonah’s eyes. “Um.”
“Serena told me she told you Kenia dumped me. So you can’t use that as an excuse. Come on, it’s nothing fancy, not like Ruth makes, but I’m a decent hand in the kitchen.”
She barely managed to hold back her laugh. “You’re a chef. I’m guessing you’re a bit more than a decent hand. You’re sure?”
“We’ve always been friends, haven’t we?”
She nodded. That was nothing more than the truth. Maybe he’d wanted more. Maybe she had, too, but even though that never materialized, friendship had been easy. Could it be enough?
“So come to lunch with friends. Everyone’ll be there. Well. Not Ruth and Corban, but everyone else, so you don’t need to worry about being pressured.” His lips curved into a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Okay. Thanks.”
He clapped her shoulder. “See you in a few.”
Gloria waited for the electricity that always accompanied his touch to dissipate before she reached for her Bible and headed toward her car. A few people stopped her as she made her way through the foyer. She shook hands, smiled, and exchanged small talk. At the door, she greeted the pastor before finally slipping out.
The drive to Corban’s farmhouse was short, but from the cars in the driveway, everyone had beaten her there. She stopped to rub Corban’s dog Spock on the head before climbing the steps to the porch and pushing the doorbell.
Footsteps clomped across the wood floor before the door was flung open. Malachi shook his head as he pushed open the screen and pointed a finger at her. “You can just walk in. You know that.”
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