by Toni Shiloh
His full lips curved in a half grin.
Her breath caught in her throat. What did that look in his eye mean?
“Sure has.”
“What?” Did her voice sound breathless?
“The salmon teriyaki. It looks amazing.” He turned and held a finger up at the man behind the counter and then winked at her. “You know you want some.”
Jo stood there, her mouth slightly open and slightly confused. Had he been talking about dinner the whole time? She brushed the mental cobwebs away. “I think you’re right. I’ll get some as well.” She motioned to the guy and placed her order. No way would she let him think he got to her.
She took the salmon from the man and thanked him. Jo turned to Evan to say goodbye. For a moment she thought she saw a hint of loneliness flash in his eyes. It was so swift, she wondered if it had even been there.
What should I do? Invite him over? Say goodbye?
“I hope you enjoy your meal.” He paused, then grinned at her. “It’s nice having a conversation as friends, isn’t it?”
She nodded, biting her lip with hesitation.
“See you around, Jo.”
“Evan, wait.”
He wheeled around, looking at her expectantly.
“Would you like to come over? I’ll grill up the salmon and we can continue the conversation?”
What conversation? You’ve been gaping at him like a guppy for the last few minutes. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut with embarrassment. Instead, she stared at him waiting for his reply.
“Actually, that sounds great. But I need a ride, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure.”
His smile was full of acceptance.
She walked behind him, following him to the check-out stand. What have you gotten yourself into, Jo Ellen Baker?
What if her mother was home? Would she think they were dating? She grimaced. Her mother hated all her past boyfriends. She couldn’t imagine what her mother would think of Evan.
Please, don’t let her be home.
EVAN ROLLED HIS CHAIR behind Jo as she headed for her truck. He was trying to act nonchalant, but he felt anything but. He couldn’t believe she invited him over. In the past, she’d let her guard down and shown her true colors, until he thought they could truly be friends. Then she’d quickly clam up. Her varying emotions were worse than a Chutes and Ladders game.
She opened the truck for him and he mentally prepared himself to transfer from his chair to the truck. He hated the height of it. It was awkward and his transition was not as smooth as getting into his father’s van. Leave it to him to like a girl who drove a truck.
Are you saying you like like Jo?
He paused as he held the interior door handle. Did he like her more than a friend? He had to admit he missed the back-and-forth banter, but he also liked the easy way they conversed. He pushed himself up on his good leg and swung into the cab. Evan wanted to pump his fist in the air. It was finally getting easier and easier to make the transition.
Jo got in the driver’s seat and grinned at him. He stared in amazement. When she smiled, it transformed her whole face. The shadows left, brightening her brown eyes. The lines around her mouth all but disappeared, making her look approachable. The need to be closer tugged at him. He shifted in his seat as she pulled out of the parking lot. If he touched her hair would she retreat or welcome his touch?
“How has it been being back in Freedom Lake?”
The soft sound of Jo’s voice interrupted his musings. “Weird. They say you can’t go back home, and I think they meant you can’t live with your parents again. I went from being independent to depending on them for everything.”
“I know what you mean. I finally took the step and told my mother I was moving back out. She’s not happy, but that’s not enough to make me change my mind.”
He grimaced. Jo’s mother had always been demanding. He could only imagine what it was like living in that house without her dad as a buffer. “I’m sorry about your dad. He was a good man.”
“Thank you. I miss him so much.” She glanced at him and then back at the road. “I’m sorry about your accident.”
He drew in a ragged breath. This was the first time she’d acknowledged it. He felt just as confused as when she didn’t speak of it. “Such is life.”
Jo laughed, but it sounded strangely like crying. Instead of asking her if she was all right, he rode the rest of the way to her house in silence.
Thankfully, the transition from truck to chair was easier. He followed her into the house, pausing at the sunken living room. Whoever thought that was a good idea obviously didn’t have any disabled friends. He hated depending on her to lower his chair.
“Sorry, didn’t have time to build that ramp.” She flashed another grin.
He snorted, shaking his head, but he wasn’t offended. If anything, he felt like he did after scoring the winning shot. If she would smile at him like that all the time, liking her would be the least of his worries.
She turned on the light and sighed audibly.
“You nervous?”
“No, just thankful my mother’s gone.” She held up the salmon. “How do you like the salmon, grilled or baked?”
“Isn’t it a little cool out for grilled salmon?”
She smiled at him and removed a grill pan from the cabinets. “That’s why I have this. Now we don’t have to freeze outside.”
He laughed and pulled up to the countertops. He eyed the barstool, trying to decide if he wanted to deal with it. Yes, you can see her better than sitting in this chair. Remember what Drew said, “Leave it behind, man.”
Once he settled onto the barstool, he watched as Jo prepared the salmon steaks. She threw some asparagus on the grill, squeezing lemon juice and sprinkling pepper on it.
“That smells good.”
“And it will taste even better.” She looked up at him and met his gaze.
For a moment, he got a glimpse at what life would be like if Jo was his girl. The thought intoxicated him, so much so that he reached over and smoothed a strand of hair out of her face.
Her mouth dropped open and she shifted closer to his hand. Her cheek brushed against his fingers, and he felt the zing all the way to his heart. Stunned by the feeling, he jerked his hand back.
Never had he felt a spark at just a touch.
Jo looked down, but not before he saw her eyes darken.
Lord, please don’t let that be the start of tears. He wanted to kick himself and call himself all sorts of names. But what he wanted more was her smile back. “Will you go with me to pick out furniture?”
She studied him, making him feel like a lab specimen. It was all he could do not to fidget. He closed his fist in his lap, stifling the urge to touch her again.
“Sure, when were you thinking of going?”
“Whatever’s good for you.”
“Okay, how about Friday?”
“It’s a...plan.” He’d almost said, ‘date,’ and wouldn’t that have been beyond awkward.
Fortunately for him, the rest of the night went smoothly. They fell into the song and dance of laughter and jokes over dinner. When Jo dropped him off at the B&B, it took all of his strength not to lean over and kiss her goodnight. He didn’t know how it happened, but suddenly she was more than just his contractor.
Chapter Sixteen
The bitter cold nipped at her cheeks. Yesterday, Jo had gone out with a light jacket and the sun warmed her wherever she went. Today, Mother Nature was intent on breaking her spirit with bone-numbing cold. She rubbed her mitten-covered hands over her face to bring warmth back into it and then knocked on the door again. What was taking Nana so long to answer?
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” came a muffled reply.
The door swung open and her grandmother glared at her. “Good grief, child, don’t you know I’m not as young as I used to be? It takes a while to get to the door.”
“Sorry, Nana, but I’m freezing out here.”
&n
bsp; “Come in, I’ll get some hot chocolate going.” Nana looked her up and down. “At least you had the good sense to dress warmly. I’m surprised to see a jacket and beanie on you. You always seem to be wearing a t-shirt and overalls these days.”
“What can I say? It gets hot renovating people’s homes.” She grinned at her grandmother, who rolled her eyes in response. She hung up her jacket and followed her into the kitchen.
Nana pulled a pot out of the cabinet and set it on the gas stove. “Well, it sure isn’t hot today.”
That was an understatement. Another wind clipper had moved through and left frost and cold in its wake. Jo had a job this afternoon, so she dressed in her overalls but had a pair of long johns underneath. She didn’t mind walking around in a t-shirt in the 60s, but the 30-degree weather that greeted her this morning was another story.
“What brings you by my way, JoJo?”
Her face warmed at the affectionate nickname. Evan had used it last night when he thanked her for the meal. When she woke this morning, she’d been surprised she’d slept and even more surprised to have Evan be her first thought. She had to tell someone about the conflicting emotions she’d been feeling. Chloe would tell her she was in love and Michelle would scold her. So she chose her nana.
“That’s a mighty hefty silence there, sweetheart. You want to tell me what’s on your mind?”
Jo sat on the barstool as her grandmother slowly mixed the cocoa and cream for the hot chocolate. The smell reminded her of the winter evenings she spent at her grandmother’s house as a young child. It had been her refuge. The place where she was free to be Jo Baker and not simply Victoria Baker’s tomboyish daughter.
“I had dinner with Evan last night.” As the words escaped her mouth, her heart picked up speed.
A twinkle entered her grandmother’s eye. “I see. And how did that come about?”
Jo told her everything, from the run in at the store all the way up to her dropping him back off at the B&B.
“You seem a little shy with the details.” Her grandmother grabbed two mugs and set them on the counter.
Jo picked one up with a grin. “You still have this?” she motioned to the World’s Best Nana mug, complete with a picture of the two of them. The mug had to be at least twenty years old.
“Of course. I don’t get rid of anything my grandchildren or great-grandchildren gift me with. Now, hand it over so I can spoon your cocoa into it.”
Her grandmother returned the mug to her and Jo added some marshmallows and chocolate shavings. She took a sip, careful not to burn her tongue.
“Mmm. You make the best hot chocolate, Nana.”
“That’s because I have the sense to use cream. None of that skim milk in this house.” Her grandmother chuckled, the lines in her face deepening from the movement.
“It’s a good thing I’m active.”
“Humph. I’m still alive and in great health, which I didn’t have to run to maintain.”
“I know, I know. You just eat fresh food.”
“Don’t you patronize an old woman, Jo Ellen.”
She winced. Her grandmother rarely used her first and middle name. Only when she was annoyed with her. Grabbing her mug, Jo moved into the living room, sinking onto the floral couch. She took off her boots and settled her feet onto the old brown and white trunk masquerading as a coffee table.
“Now are you going to give me more details other than the fact that you two ate dinner and talked?” Her nana peered at her over the rim of the mug.
Jo sighed. She wanted to tell her but was afraid to give voice to her thoughts. But that’s why you came to Nana and not your friends.
“Okay. He apologized a few weeks ago and asked to be friends.” She stared at her grandmother, willing her to understand the significance of the event.
“Did you accept it?”
She nodded, feeling the tears threatening to escape. “I did.” Her voice came out husky from the unshed tears. “I couldn’t believe how sincere he sounded. But I didn’t want to be friends.”
“Why not?” her grandmother fired back.
“Don’t you remember how many times I came over after school crying my eyes out?” She knew Nana wouldn’t immediately take her side, but it still stung.
“Of course I do, JoJo, but how long are you going to let others steal your joy?”
“Well, that’s why I finally caved in. I’m so tired of walking around with the hurt of it.”
“You’ve always been one to lug more than you ought to. Why do you suppose that is?”
Jo took a sip of her drink, hoping it would stall the conversation. She had no words.
“Seems to me,” her grandmother continued, “that if you’d let the good Lord do His job, you wouldn’t have such a burden upon your little frame.”
She snorted. She couldn’t help it. No one had ever accused her of being little. Then again, if her Nana was comparing her stature to her beloved God, she guessed she was.
“Do you care for Evan?”
“As a friend.” She shrugged. “Maybe more, once upon a time.”
“And there’s the truth, JoJo. You’ve carried a torch for that young man so long I’m surprised it’s still burning.”
“Oh, Nana.”
“Don’t you ‘oh, Nana’ me. I know how much his behavior in high school broke your heart. And I know the shock you must have experienced when he returned. But if he has the guts to apologize and the desire to make roots in Freedom Lake, then stop wrestling with ‘what-if’ and look at what’s in front of you. If he’s offering friendship, then take that step. If he offers more, follow. Don’t be a fool.”
Jo ran her fingers through her hair. The weight of her grandmother’s words seemed to dance in the air. It reminded her of the caterpillar’s floating words in Alice In Wonderland. Except obviously the words were dancing in the steam of their hot chocolate.
“What if he turns on me again?” she murmured.
“Then shame on him. Don’t hold out forgiveness or friendship contingent on another’s behavior. The good Lord wants us to treat others the way we want to be treated. You don’t want him withholding his friendship, do you?”
“No,” she replied with a shake of her head. However, the thought of Evan turning back into the boy who ridiculed her in front of his friends paralyzed her. On the other hand, the thought of him never smiling at her like he did last night made her heart ache.
I still like him.
Okay, maybe it was more than like, but she refused to go down that path. For now, she would concentrate on being a friend. Taking a sip of her hot chocolate, Jo tried to erase the memory of his hand brushing her hair away. The tingle of awareness that had left goose bumps on her arms last night rose again with the memory. She closed her eyes, pleading with whomever would listen to keep her from falling in love with someone who had the power to bring her to her knees.
EVAN ROLLED DOWN THE hallway to answer the door. He thought he would finally have peace and quiet, but evidently a tourist needed a place to rest. His mother and father had left for a lunch date since they had no guests.
Did they forget someone?
He swung the door open with one hand and rolled back with the other. The shock of seeing his friend filled his being.
Guy looked weary. But the two beautiful little girls holding a hand on either side of him rocked back and forth with impatience. One smiled shyly, while the other wiggled, moving Guy’s hand back and forth.
“Hey, man, long time no see.”
“Hey, Ev. You looking good, man.”
“It’s great to see you. Come on in. We can go to the kitchen. I’m sure my mom has some food out we can help ourselves to.”
“Thanks, man.” Guy shook Evan’s hand and slid his palm out with a snap.
They both chuckled, but Evan could hear the apathy in Guy’s laugh. What had happened to his fun-loving friend? “Have you moved in or did you just get here?”
“We got in last night. I hired movers. T
hey already unloaded all our stuff at the house. I wanted to stop and say hi before I got too bogged down. Ya know, let ya know I’m in town.” As Guy continued, his voice became thick and his words slurred into one another.
His boy was in some serious need of sleep. “How about you chill in one of the guest rooms? I’ll keep the girls busy. I could pull a movie up on my laptop or something.”
“Nah man, I don’t want to burden you, just wanted to say hello.”
“Look, no one else is in the house, so you won’t be bothering me. Did you drive straight through?”
“No, but I did drive fourteen hours yesterday, so I’m a little worn out.”
“I’ll say. Go, you remember the green room?” At his friend’s nod, he continued. “Great, go take a nap.” Evan glanced at the girls and then his friend. “Which one is which?”
Guy chuckled. “Rachel’s in the purple and Rebekah’s in the pink.”
“Got it.”
Guy looked at them as they sat munching on cookies at the dining nook. “Mes petites choux-choux, Uncle Evan is going to let you watch a movie so I can take a quick nap. Be good, ’kay?”
“Yes, Daddy,” they chorused.
He spun around and headed for the guest rooms.
Evan looked at the little girls as they ate, grinning and giggling mischievously. Something told him his friend couldn’t nap quickly enough.
Chapter Seventeen
Michelle sat on the bench at the foot of Jo’s bed. “You really think we should rent out one of the bungalows?”
“Definitely. Those townhomes were nice and all, but you’d be paying more money just because no one has ever lived in them. Is it really worth it? Plus, wouldn’t you like to have more money to put into your business?” Jo pulled her boot strings, wrapped them around the top and tied them tight.
“True. But you know how I am about where I live.”
“Of course I do. But you also know I wouldn’t pick a home that wasn’t sound. Many of the seniors in Freedom Lake are moving into the senior community. Because of that, you have a lot of homes going up for sale or rent. Nana knows every senior who’s making the switch.”