When Snowflakes Never Cease (Crossroads Collection)

by Amanda Tru

  Her eyebrow lifted.

  “I’m serious, Ad. You can be one intimidating woman when you want to be.”

  Her lips curved slowly at Jeff’s nervous chuckle. The idea he’d ever been cowed by her was ludicrous.

  “Thank you, Jeff. For what it’s worth, I hope you’re happy, too.”

  Silence settled between them as they turned their attention to their children, off socializing and snacking. This was an unexpected blessing tonight. Weird, but oddly comforting.

  “My apologies.” Bridget returned and slid a hand to Jeff’s shoulder. “The Elliots want to put an offer in on the Glenwood house but have some concerns.”

  Dressed in a pretty cream blouse and fitted black ankle-length slacks and tasteful gold jewelry, the younger woman looked every inch the savvy realtor. And as hard as it had been for Ada to see at first, she exuded warmth. It didn’t hurt that she peered up at Jeff with genuine adoration and respect, a look he returned.

  Maybe this one will stick.

  Adaline chided herself for the uncharitable thought. Looked like it would be an uphill battle against her conflicting feelings and old negative habits. But if anyone could succeed, it would be the girl with the game plan. “Hello again, Bridget.”

  “Hi, Adaline.” Bridget’s pearl white teeth seemed to glisten. “I just love saying your name. It’s so elegant and rolls right off the tongue.”

  A hint of an accent—Arkansas or east Texas perhaps—came through. She’d been too focused on the woman’s physical attributes last time to see or hear much beyond her own perceived lack. What did she really know about her? Nothing. She’d judged completely based on outward appearance and through the filter of bitterness.

  Be better, Ada.

  That was becoming a new mantra these days. A step up from the constant loop of never enough, she supposed. Though far too often, she still felt that.

  Time to get those eyes off yourself and back on the One who made you. He says you are enough.

  “I’m glad you suggested this.”

  “Yeah?” Kent lifted their clasped hands and kissed the back of Adaline’s hand. “Me too.”

  “I can’t believe in all the years I’ve lived in Albuquerque, I haven’t walked through Old Town at Christmas before.”

  The wonder in her tone brought a smile to his lips. “It’s my favorite season to visit; all the luminarias, the wreaths, the ornaments, and the trees all lit up.”

  “It’s lovely. We usually don’t come here unless someone visits from out of town.”

  “Makes sense.” Most residents were like that.

  “Between that meal and this weather, it’s like a bit of summer peeking through winter’s chill.” She tilted her face toward the sun’s rays.

  Beautiful.

  He’d planned a whole day for them, starting with lunch at a longtime favorite of his. A late afternoon stroll through the old square was the perfect way to walk off their barbecue feast.

  “Want to hit the shops? Check a few people off your Christmas list?”

  Her eyes sparkled as she studied the surrounding shops, presumably deciding where to go first. They ended up in a jewelry shop with an impressive selection of silver and turquoise designs from necklaces to anklets, rings to bracelets, belts, bolo ties, and more. While he appreciated them artistically, he’d seen enough of that sort of thing to last a lifetime.

  From across the room, he heard Ada’s gasp. In two strides, he was at her side, peering into a massive plexiglass bin full of assorted silver charms.

  “I haven’t added anything to my charm bracelet in years! You know what? I think that’s the perfect gift for Jane and Karalee.” Her face scrunched into an adorable pout before she flicked her eyes to his. “I should have started Jane one when she was little. She could have been collecting charms all her growing up years. Do you think it’s too late?”

  Kent paused to consider. “You know, since she’s almost sixteen, you could make it a new family tradition. Get a few charms that represent her life and hobbies to this point. Then she can fill it up as she experiences more and figures out who she is.”

  “Yes! Plus, she’s responsible enough now not to lose it. And if Karalee likes it, she’ll be able to look forward to her own when she’s older.”

  “You know,” he hesitated, wondering how she’d receive his suggestion. “This would be a nice gift from both her parents. Something Jeff can contribute to occasionally.”

  He felt her tense up and waited for a frown or an irritated outburst, but neither came. Instead, she looked thoughtful. He watched her slowly breathe in and out, eyeing the charms and chewing her upper lip. She did that a lot when working something out.

  With a decisive nod, she retrieved her phone and tapped the screen. Several minutes of quiet conversation later, she slid the phone back into her purse and met his inquiring look.

  “Jeff’s on board. He has a different ‘big’ gift in mind, so I’ll give her the bracelet, but he’d like to pick out a charm or two. I can’t believe it. That was an excellent idea, Kent. Thank you. I think she’ll really love that it’s from both of us.”

  “Glad I could help.”

  Maybe next year, they’d be in a position to give her kids gifts together. Probably too early to really think that far ahead, but he didn’t care. It was like that old saying, when you know, you know. She rewarded him with a soft wisp of a kiss that only increased his certainty of the future.

  Together they sifted through the bin for the next hour, lifting up funny charms and laughing at the more absurd ones. Who would want a toilet or a… was that a charge card charm?

  He found a silver book and a poinsettia and tucked them both into his left hand discreetly while they searched for things Jane would like. By the time Ada settled on a bracelet and six charms, their hands were gray, but their hearts were light.

  “Ew. All that metal dust,” Ada wiggled her dirty fingers with a wrinkled nose. “Next stop, bathroom.”

  “Then the Christmas shop?”

  “Oooh! I forgot about that place! They have all the unique cookie cutters, too, right?”

  He loved how enthusiastic she was over small things. If only she were as eager to take their relationship out into the open at work and with her family.

  Kent lingered to the side while Ada rang up her purchases, feigning interest in a rack of silk scarves. “You go on ahead to the restrooms. I found something I think my mom might like.”

  “I can wait,” she offered.

  “Nah. Go ahead. Women always take longer.” Kent winked so she’d know he was teasing.

  Adaline smiled and shook her head as she left the store. He waited until she crossed to the building that housed the public restrooms before taking the dainty charms he still palmed to the register. Accepting the offered gift box, he nearly turned to leave the store when he spotted an opal and turquoise ring.

  His mother would love it. That it legitimized his excuse to Ada was even better. Truth was essential in a relationship, especially between believers.

  They spent the next hour and a half meandering through shops, finding gifts for her out-of-state family, and having more than a few laughs at some of the New Mexico products geared toward tourists. Their favorite shop featured an entire wall of salsas and hot sauces with outrageous names like Slap Yo’ Mama and Satan’s Saliva.

  All the while, they held hands and kept the banter flowing. It was a dream date. As all of them had been to this point.

  If only he knew for sure where they stood.

  “Are you all right?” Ada’s voice was smooth and warm as a cup of hot cider.

  “Sorry. Yeah.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her head and held up a jar of raspberry green chile jam. “My tia—my mom’s sister—makes the best chile jam.”

  She pulled a face and gave a rapid head shake.

  Kent laughed. “It tastes better than it sounds.”

  Her head tilted to one side, both eyebrows pinched together as she studied him. One piercing
moment bled into two. He resisted the urge to shift his feet, feeling exposed. Just before he could ask what she was looking for, her eyes crinkled into a smile that curved her lips up into a pretty bow.

  “Come over for dinner tomorrow?”

  Kent’s eyes went wide. “But the kids will be home. Are you sure?”

  “Yep.” The adorable bird cheep of her reply brought a smile to his face. That, and what it signified.

  The need to reach out and touch her refused to be ignored. He set the jar he’d been holding back on the shelf and wrapped his arms around her. “What changed your mind?”

  Adaline shrugged and lifted up on her toes to press her lips to his cheek. He tightened his hold.

  Would it always feel like this? Like he breathed easier, as if the air was clearer in the private sphere they occupied.

  “Thank you, Ada.” He knew it wasn’t easy for her to relinquish control.

  He opened his eyes at a light caress of her palm against his jaw. Her luminous hazel eyes revealed a depth of affection he hadn’t seen before, only felt within his own heart.

  “I want you to know how much you mean to me, Kent. You’ve been so patient.” She blinked, hard. “And I want my kids to be able to know you the way I do.”

  At his lifted brow, she rolled her eyes and giggled. He never got tired of hearing that goofy sound from her lips.

  “Okay, maybe not exactly the way I do. But I’d like them to know you as my boyfriend as opposed to their school counselor.”

  Kent’s chest swelled with elation, and he lifted her off the ground in an exuberant hug. “It’s about time!”

  She shook her head, her laughter joining his as her feet touched the floor.

  “Three weeks, Kenton Clark.” She gave him a playful version of the look teachers and moms around the world regularly employed. “That’s not exactly a long time.”

  Slowly, she slid her arms up around his neck, sending his pulse skyrocketing. This woman. She made him feel like the hero he was named for. Leap from a tall building in a single bound? No problem.

  “Well,” he winked, “feels like a long time to me. I wanted to ask you out way back in August.”

  Kent bent toward her raised chin, more than ready to taste her glossy lips again.

  “Excuse me, can I just squeeze past y’all real quick and grab a jar of the Hellfire and Brimstone?”

  Kent and Ada broke apart like a couple of the high school kids caught necking in the hall.

  A rotund man sporting a Teddy Roosevelt mustache and glasses reached for one of the comical salsa jars and gave them a knowing smirk. “Carry on, friends. I’ll be right outta yer way.”

  As soon as the man was out of earshot, Ada let out a tiny snort with her suppressed snicker. Her face flushed a bubblegum pink that looked downright girlish. Yet another reason he’d never cared about their age difference. When she related to her students, got lost in conversation, or found something funny, she was ageless. Bright. Magnetic.

  It took more self-control than he’d had to employ in ages not to pull her in for a deep and memorable kiss. This was not the time or place, though, no matter how irresistible she might be.

  “Uh, I’m good here. You?” Kent coughed against the garbled squawk that came out. Nothing awkward or humiliating about that sound at all.

  Ada’s alluring eyes filled with humor. She could read him as easily as a comic strip. He may as well have a thought bubble above his head.

  “Sure. Let’s go, Superman,” she said with a wink and sashayed away.

  If only they weren’t in public. He reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together.

  On second thought, maybe it was better this way.

  “Hurry! Please!”

  “Geesh, Mom, relax!”

  Xander was right. She needed to chill. It was just dinner. This wasn’t even the first time Kent had come to her house.

  Just the first time she’d be presenting him to the kids as her significant other.

  Ada barked out more tasks and checked the clock before returning to scrubbing the baseboards in the dining area. She breathed a weary sigh in the silence that followed the kids’ disappearance into their rooms.

  If only she could silence the buzzing in her head as easily. Ha! Right.

  Six o’clock that morning she’d been awakened with more nervous energy than she knew what to do with. Picking up the house and doing her weekly meal prep hadn’t even taken the edge off.

  Then when the hum of nerves and caffeine nearly sent her over the edge, she marched herself to church for early service. The children’s minister had begged her to stay for the second after their regular nursery worker called in sick. She hadn’t had the heart to refuse.

  Though intending to rush home and finish preparing for tonight’s dinner with Kent while she waited for Jeff to drop the kids off, after transferring the last baby into his mother’s arms, she’d heard Karalee’s sweet voice around the corner. Her precocious daughter had somehow managed to get her father—and Bridget—to come to church with them.

  Their church, not his new one.

  Ada tried to quit rehashing the morning and focus on the tasks at hand, but her head was just too cloudy. Like the water in this bucket. She gave the rag a swirl and squeezed out the excess before tackling the dirt flecks along the wall behind a potted tree, fully absorbed in the task and her thoughts.

  The sight of her family huddled around the church’s coffee bar, munching on doughnuts and laughing together without her should have felt like a stab in the belly. Bridget helping Karalee fill a cup of cocoa like a seasoned mother could’ve easily stolen the peace that had filled her after an hour of snuggling babies, jealousy in its place.

  But strangely, she only felt that post-baby-cuddling peace settle deeper—the way she burrowed into the blankets on cold weekend mornings. Even more surprisingly, that peace held on through an unexpectedly pleasant lunch with everyone seated around three joined tables at Beck’s afterward.

  It lasted all through her drive back to the house while the kids filled her in on their time with their dad. Through a quick trip to the store for tortillas. Even after a ten-minute stall in traffic due to an overturned truck.

  Right up until they walked in through the garage and discovered the dishwasher had sprung a leak and flooded most of her kitchen.

  Immediately flying into action, she’d barked orders to the kids to grab the stack of old stained towels in the garage she kept for washing the car and emergencies such as these. Together they’d made quick work of the mess, but Ada’s frenetic pace and drill sergeant barks were still going strong two hours later.

  Rising from damp knees, she surveyed the open floor plan’s combined kitchen-dining-living space. The festively decorated home she’d tidied before church now felt overcrowded and messy. Her left eyelid twitched in an involuntary spasm to the tempo of her heart.

  Teeth clenched and nose flared, she tried to breathe in and out before succumbing to the urge to throw things. Breathe. Pray. Speak calmly. Stay in control. You hate how it feels when you lose it. You can do this.

  Nope. Positive self-talk didn’t work. Her muscles ached from the stress.

  “How many times do I have to ask you guys to take your shoes upstairs? And will somebody please refill the toilet paper in the downstairs bathroom! Karalee, are those your socks in the living room? Jane! Why is your backpack on the couch? And Xander, for the love! Will you please take your smelly gym bag up and unload it in the laundry room? We only have an hour!”

  “Mom?” Jane spoke softly enough that Ada halted her frantic fluffing of throw pillows. “What’s going on? I haven’t seen you freak out like this in forever.”

  Ada closed her eyes and forced her fingers to relax. Then her shoulders. How did Jane know exactly how to approach to break apart the thunderclouds?

  She dropped onto the couch and felt the cushion next to her dip with her daughter’s weight. A few more breaths stemmed the irrational urge to cry. With a sigh, A
da slumped back and braved opening her eyes.

  Jane’s look of concern did her in. What kind of mother was she, losing it like this when they hadn’t even done anything wrong? Sure, they knew better by now than to leave their belongings wherever they landed upon walking through the door. Still didn’t merit this.

  She sighed again, frustrated with her own behavior. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “You’re nervous. I feel that way sometimes. But it really will be okay, Mom. We already like Mr. Clark. It’s okay if you want to date him.”

  Ada sat up straight. “How did you know—”

  Jane tilted her head with the duh look that seemed to prevail in teens long after puberty. “Mom. I’m fifteen, not stupid. You’ve been happier the past few weeks. Less controlled and anal-retentive. I’d almost forgotten how goofy you can be. It doesn’t take a genius. I mean, really? You have a friend coming over for dinner?” Jane used air quotes and mimicked Ada’s voice so flawlessly she was impressed.

  Ada fought back a smile. “I forget just how brilliant you are. You’re right. I am nervous.” She leaned deeper into the cushion, loving the way it practically swallowed her in its plushy goodness. “I haven’t dated anyone in almost twenty years. I don’t even know what I’m doing. But,” the smile came out with her next words. “I really like him.”

  “So,” Jane’s eyes glinted with humor as she enjoyed her mother’s discomfort. “Is he your boyfriend?”

  “That sounds like such a juvenile term at my age.”

  “Please,” Jane rolled her eyes. “You’re not that old.”

  “Thank you. I think.” Ada flashed a grin at her oldest child, far too mature for her years.

  She wouldn’t trade their changing relationship for anything. While walking the line between parent and friend was difficult, she loved these rare moments when the scales tipped, and she could be transparent with Jane. Mostly, anyway. Some things would need to remain out-of-bounds for both their benefit.

  “So, uh,” Jane shifted on her cushion, her voice hesitant. “Are you going to tell Xan and Kare who’s coming over and why?”