Flimsy, aged garlands draped down the hallway. Yellowed snowflakes dangled from the ceiling. Faded ornamental Christmas gifts sat beneath a decorative tree near the front office.
Memories of starring in It’s a Wonderful Life and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever rolled through her mind. Those were the days when Faith had been sure she’d come out on top. That she’d have the job of her dreams. The man who’d always love her. Friends always surrounding her.
She couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Faith Winters!” someone exclaimed.
Mrs. Duvall strode down the hall, her arms outstretched. The woman was tiny but mighty. In her fifties, she probably didn’t weigh any more than one hundred pounds. Her dyed blonde hair was short and curly, her fingernails were bright blue, and she wore a colorful kimono over her black leggings and black shirt.
Artsy. Outgoing. Energic.
Faith had always loved everything about her favorite teacher.
“Mrs. Duvall!”
Mrs. Duvall grinned as she stepped back. “I’m so glad you’re back here, Faith. We have a lot of work to do. With your help, I know this year’s event is going to be fantastic.”
Every year at Christmastime, Chestnut Grove planned a weekend full of activities for the community. The Christmas Chestnut Extravaganza kicked off with a chestnut-roasting contest, followed by some kind of theatrical production. Sometimes it was a play by local school kids, other years a cantata by a local church. Once they’d even had a living Christmas tree. That event was followed by a dance in the school’s gym, where a local band would play.
This year, Mrs. Duvall was in charge of the Christmas performance. And Jenny had one request for Faith that year—that she come home and help out, lending what Jenny had called her “star power” to bring people to the event.
Today was Thursday. They didn’t have much time.
“Yes, we do have a lot to get done,” Faith agreed. “And not much time. But I think we can pull this together.”
“This town needs something to revive its spirits. I think this Christmas program will be just the thing.”
An invisible rock seemed to lodge in Faith’s throat. “It’s what Jenny wanted.”
Mrs. Duvall smiled. “Yes, it was. But there’s one other thing I should tell you.”
“What’s that?”
“Mrs. Pippins came in to talk about the women’s club, who were scheduled to sing this year. During the course of the conversation, it came out that you would be helping . . .”
“And?” Faith held her breath, sensing bad news was coming.
“And . . .” Mrs. Duvall frowned. “They’ve dropped out of the event.”
Faith’s eyes widened. “What?”
“It’s true. I tried to change their minds, but they wouldn’t budge. They said . . .”
“You can tell me,” Faith prodded.
“They said that they didn’t want anything to do with you.” Mrs. Duvall’s eyes filled with regret.
Ouch. Faith didn’t deny the words hurt. At the same time, they weren’t surprising. “What are we going to do? Should I step back? I’ll do whatever’s best for the performance.”
“Absolutely not.” Mrs. Duvall shook her head with undeniable determination. “None of those women can sing worth a lick anyway. But I was hoping you might have some ideas for what we can do to replace them.”
Faith nibbled on her bottom lip. She actually might have the perfect idea.
After documenting the crime scene, talking to several neighbors, and patrolling the area in search of the missing Christmas train, Jake returned to the office. He’d come up with nothing.
However, the theft wasn’t at the forefront of his mind right now.
As much as he tried to shake the impact of seeing the woman who’d broken his heart, Faith was all he could think about. He couldn’t believe she’d come back. He wasn’t sure what the best approach would be to her being here. To pretend she wasn’t and continue on with life? Or to confront all of their issues and seek closure?
As he stepped into the sheriff’s office, he paused in the doorway.
“Yes, I heard she was back. Can you believe the nerve of her to show her face around here again?” someone whispered to Diane, his receptionist.
Gladys Pippins. The woman had a strong personality and a way with words—and not always in a good way.
“After what her father did to this town, I figured she’d stay away,” Mrs. Pippins continued. “No one wants to be reminded about what that family did.”
He cleared his throat, and the two women looked up at him. “Ladies . . .”
They straightened, as if embarrassed to be caught.
“Sheriff . . . good to see you,” Mrs. Pippins said, patting her coiffed salt-and-pepper hair. “Say, I thought I should let you know—”
He cut her off. “I know. Faith is back in town.”
“We’re on your side, Sheriff,” Diane added. “Always.”
“No need to be on my side,” he said. “We can all be civil here.”
“But—”
“No buts about it.” He glanced at Diane, not interested in continuing this conversation. “I’ll be in my office.”
No sooner had he sat at his desk, did he hear Diane speak again.
“Pastor Whitmore! So good to see you.”
He glanced back and saw the two women smiling like angels in the presence of his father.
His dad had that effect on people.
His dad, who only worked part-time at the church in recent years, stopped by the sheriff’s office each day to catch up with Jake. According to everyone in town, Jake was the spitting image of his dad—except now Dad’s thick hair was gray, and fine lines had formed on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes.
His dad sat in front of him, an elbow hitting a potted plant in the corner. A brown leaf floated to the floor.
Jake really should get rid of that plant, but someone had given it to him at Jenny’s funeral. He couldn’t bring himself to throw it out, even though he knew he couldn’t keep it alive.
“With some TLC, I bet you could bring that beauty back to life,” his dad said, studying the leaves for a moment. “Move it to the window. Give it some fertilizer.”
Jake shrugged. “Maybe.”
His dad turned back to him and let out a long breath. “So, Mr. Foggerty told me that Faith is back in town and helping with the Christmas performance.”
“I heard.”
“I also heard that the women’s club decided to drop out when they heard Faith was helping.”
So that’s what Mrs. Pippins had been talking about. “Ouch. But Faith had to know it was coming. Unfortunately, she’s guilty by association. Everyone in town hates her father.”
Jake, however, had other reasons for being upset with her—more personal ones.
His father frowned. “I don’t know if anyone can truly prepare for that kind of rejection.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I just need to keep my distance from her.”
“Why is that?”
How could his dad even ask that? “It was one thing to break my heart. It was an entirely different story to break Jenny’s.”
His father pressed his lips together, as if fighting a frown. “Jenny’s in a better place now. She’s whole again. She loved Faith. She’d want you to also.”
It didn’t matter that Jenny didn’t know Faith had been MIA for her funeral. He knew. “I’m not sure how I’m going to forgive her for turning her back on us. Faith should have come. She should have said goodbye. It was the least she should have done.”
His father shifted in his chair. “We really don’t know what’s going on in someone’s life until we’re in their shoes, do we? Jesus encouraged us to love even our enemies. I’m not sure if that’s what you’d call Faith but . . .”
First, Ms. Gingham had made excuses for Faith, and now his dad. Had everyone lost their minds? “You always taught me that actions spoke louder than words.”
“And right now I’m telling you not to let your hurt dictate your actions.” His father stood and stepped toward the door. “You’ll always regret it if you do. Remember, always err on the side of love.”
Jake knew his father was right. He had to let this go. But Jake had pictured being with Faith forever. Even after she moved to New York, they’d tried to make their relationship work. He’d taken Jenny once to see her, and Jenny had called it the best weekend of her life. But Jake had seen the writing on the wall. He’d seen how Faith was becoming a different person. Seen how demanding her work was.
He’d known things were changing between them.
And they had.
Two months later, he’d gone to visit her again. Given her an update on the town. Told her he’d filled out the paperwork to run for sheriff.
The next morning, they’d broken up. Jake hadn’t been surprised. He’d known he would only hold her back. Their lives were going in such different directions. When the factory closed down not long after and her dad moved away, that sealed the deal. Faith had no reason to come back—except Jenny.
Now a mountain stood between Jake and Faith—a mountain full of forgotten chestnut trees and a town without hope.
4
“I have an idea, actually,” Faith told Mrs. Duvall.
Mrs. Duvall smiled as they sat beside each other on the front row in the deserted school auditorium. “I can’t wait to hear it.”
Faith shared the creative vision that had been brewing in her mind for the past couple weeks, ever since she’d connected with the online community where Jenny had been active—her tribe, as she’d called them. She hadn’t planned on trying to make it happen here . . . but what better place?
“I even have most of the contacts for Jenny’s friends,” Faith continued. “I think they would love to come help us. It could be another way of honoring Jenny.”
“Oh, Faith. I think she would have loved it. That she would have absolutely loved it.”
Her heart lifted. “So you don’t mind if I start making some phone calls?”
“Not at all. But do you think we can put it all together so quickly?”
“I think we can.” Faith hesitated. “Should we tell Jenny’s family?”
“Probably. I can do that. Once everything is confirmed, of course.”
Concern squeezed Faith’s chest. “Let me tell Jake. He needs to hear it from me.”
“Of course. If that’s what you want. If you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you try to explain yourself to him?” Sadness glimmered in Mrs. Duvall’s eyes. “Explain why you’ve just now made it back here.”
“Because . . . his mind is already made up.”
“Minds can be changed, my friend. Minds can be changed.”
Faith glanced down at her hands clasped in front of her. “The truth is, I’ve spent the past several years trying to prove myself. I’m tired of fighting so hard. If people like me, I want it to be of their own accord.”
“I can’t argue with that.” Mrs. Duvall squeezed Faith’s arm. “But I think this event is going to be great. If anyone can help make this fantastic, it’s you.”
Faith wished she felt as certain.
Jake finished his shift with the department. Other than the theft at Ms. Gingham’s, it had been an uneventful day—as were most around here in Chestnut Grove. He’d known when he’d taken this job that serving as law enforcement in this area wouldn’t be exciting like it might be in some of the bigger metropolitan departments. But when Jake had been elected to this position, he’d known it was his duty.
He climbed in his SUV and cranked the engine. As he drove down Main Street, he scanned the area around him. He saw the cars parked along the curb. The mounds of plowed snow on the edges of the street. The way the string lights atop awnings swayed with the wind.
He pressed the brakes as a familiar figure came into view.
Faith.
He watched as she left the school and walked down the sidewalk. Her heels changed her normal gait as she attempted to navigate the icy sidewalk.
Jake’s throat went dry at the sight of her.
Yes, she still might be the most beautiful woman Jake had ever seen, but that didn’t mean anything. Her character had been revealed over the past several months, and everything had changed.
He started to look away. Before he could, Faith stepped off the curb and her figure suddenly disappeared from sight.
Jake’s breath caught.
There was a pothole right where she’d stepped. Locals called it the Bernie Hole because Bernie Moyer had created it when he dropped some tree trimming equipment there. The man had proceeded to try to fix the broken asphalt himself, but he’d only created a bigger hole. Most people in town knew about the spot and avoided it. The snow must be concealing it today.
Against his better judgement, Jake pulled to the side of the road. He might not like the woman, but he was a sworn officer of the law. He needed to at least check on her.
No one else in town probably would.
Dread pooled in Jake’s stomach as he walked toward her. Sure enough, Faith was sprawled on the ground, trying to get her footing. Despite her efforts, her feet kept sliding across the icy snow.
“Let me help you up,” Jake said.
Faith’s expression fell when she saw him, turning from alarmed to guarded. “You don’t have to do that.”
She attempted to get up again but failed, traction still eluding her feet.
“Please.” Jake extended his hand.
Faith stared at it a minute before hesitantly reaching out for him. “If you insist.”
As soon as their fingers connected, Jake felt a jolt of electricity course through him. He ignored it, told himself it wasn’t important, and instead he steadied Faith on her feet.
“Are you okay?” Jake realized she could have easily sprained her ankle.
She nodded but winced as Jake released her and her weight went to her leg. “Yes, I’m fine. I just . . . didn’t see the hole there.”
“Revenue in town is down.” Jake felt the unusual need to fill the silence with awkward small talk. “Potholes are becoming more abundant.”
“I see . . . I’m sorry to hear that.” Guilt flashed in her gaze.
Jake looked up as two people strolled past. They started to wave at him, but, as soon as they spotted Faith, their smiles dropped, replaced with scowls. As upset as he was with Faith, something about seeing their reaction caused a surge of protectiveness to rush through him.
Faith noticed also, and her cheeks flushed. She cleared her throat, regaining some of her composure. “I’ll be going now.”
As Faith took a step forward, she nearly fell again. Jake caught her elbow and steadied her.
She reached down and pulled off her shoe. Her broken heel stared back like a bad omen.
“Let me help you to your car.”
“You really don’t have to.” She took another step and nearly slipped again.
Despite his anger, Jake almost wanted to smile. “I think I do. It’s . . . my duty.”
She cast him a sharp, questioning glance. “Since it’s your job and since I may not get to my car otherwise, I guess.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Jake didn’t know what to say. But he caught whiffs of Faith’s vanilla perfume, and his mind wanted to travel back in time. He stopped it before he could. There was no need to revel in the trophy moments they’d shared—the moments when life had been picture perfect. Reality was far from looking like a trophy; it was more like a basket of dirty laundry.
Instead, Jake focused on helping Faith wobble across the street. He’d see to it that she got inside her car and then send her on her way. With any luck, he wouldn’t run into her again. Certainly, she wasn’t here for a long visit.
He paused by her car and squinted. Her tires . . . they were all flat—so flat they were nearly hanging off the rims. “What . . . ?”
“No!” Her gaze widened. “What happened?”
He examined the vehicle. “It looks like someone let all the air out. I don’t see any slashes or punctures. You won’t be driving this sedan anywhere, though.”
She squeezed the skin between her eyes but said nothing.
Jake’s heart softened—just a little. People here in town might be upset, but this incident had taken it too far. “I’ll write up a report and see if we can figure out who did this. I can give you a ride to the garage. We’ll get Mr. Jameson to fill up the tires and check out the rims, just to be safe. It will be fine.”
“Right . . . it will be fine.”
Jake knew the truth. He knew someone had probably done this to send a message to her—a message about how despised she was by residents here. There were too many possible suspects for Jake to narrow this vandalism down to any one person.
As disappointed as he was with Faith, Jake didn’t delight in her suffering. She looked like she was barely holding herself together. He had no idea why Faith had come here, but she must have had a good reason.
Jake touched her arm, trying to bring her back down to earth. “Faith?”
She blinked. “Yes?”
“Come on.”
Faith didn’t argue as Jake helped her to his SUV. He’d drop her off and then be done with her—for good. He’d decided he needed to get her out of his system, and the best way of doing that was to pretend she wasn’t here.
5
Faith stared out the frosty window of Jake’s SUV, unable to believe the turn of events. She’d happened to fall just as Jake had been going by? The timing couldn’t have been worse.
And her tires? She’d known she’d be met here in Chestnut Grove with hostility—but not like this. She’d expected cold shoulders and dirty looks. Deflated tires took it to a new level.
Jake slowed his SUV as they approached the older side of the town—the side where warehouses, garages, and more industrial buildings were located. The un-touristy area.
Home to Chestnut Grove Page 3