Bless His Heart

by Jessica L. Elliott

  “Or,” he replied, kissing her hand, “I’m finally seeing things clearly.”

  Hope’s smile stirred something inside him. Giving himself a mental shake, he nodded down the street. “Let’s keep going. While it’s warm enough right now, it’s going to get colder as the sun sets completely.”

  “That’s the truth,” Hope said.

  They walked to the end of the street and around the corner to the main street. Once inside the cafe, they waved to Katie and sat down at a booth. For a long moment they sat quietly, perusing the menu and lost in their own thoughts. Greyson stole frequent glances at Hope, as well as around the cafe. Families sat together eating, children giggled, and as Katie served them, she seemed to know each and every one. He thought about what Hope had said about feeling isolated, yet crowded in the city. Suddenly Blessings didn’t seem so isolated. And the city didn’t seem quite so important.

  “So, how long are you in Blessings?” Hope asked.

  Greyson swallowed the bite he’d put in his mouth. “I need to be back the week after Thanksgiving.”

  “That was really nice of them to give you so long with your grandmother,” Hope said.

  He nodded. “It was. Granted, this isn’t really our busiest season, so it worked out well.”

  Hope smiled. “It did.”

  “How about you? Do you plan on just staying in Blessings forever?”

  “Oh, probably,” she said. She took a bite and continued, “Once you find home, it doesn’t make sense to leave it. I mean, I know people say that home is where the heart is, but I think I’m like Miss Georgie. It’s not just the feeling of home, it’s the actual residence too. There’s something about finding that one place that feels perfectly like home.”

  Greyson nodded. “I understand the Harvest Festival starts tomorrow.”

  “That’s right. Are you going to be taking Miss Georgie?”

  “I suppose you’re going to tell me I should.”

  Hope smirked. “You absolutely should, not only because the outing would do her a lot of good, but because there’s all sorts of fun at the carnival.”

  “I don’t think I’ve been to the Harvest Festival since I was a kid,” Greyson admitted.

  Laughing, Hope said, “Then I’d say it’s been far too long. There’s nothing quite like it.”

  “So you’ve told me.” Greyson reached across the table for her hand. “Will you go with us?”

  “How about I meet you there?” Hope said. “I’d hate for something to come up at work which would delay all of us if you wait for me. The mayor always gives a short little speech to get things kicked off. I could meet you at town square just before that.”

  “You sure you’ll be able to?”

  Hope nodded. “Nine out of ten, Dr. Hanson gets done pretty close to on time. She’s got a young son who would hate to miss out on even a second of the carnival. And to be honest, she enjoys it just as much.”

  “Sounds like a good plan then. We’ll meet you at town square for the speech. If for some reason you’ll be late, try to let me know.”

  “I should be there on time. Like I said, I normally am.”

  Chapter Ten

  Hope took a shaky breath when she arrived at town square. The carnival had started more than an hour earlier and she hadn’t been able to get a text to Greyson to let him know that she wouldn’t be there on time. “I hope he doesn’t think I forgot about him.”

  As though thinking about him had conjured the man into being, Greyson appeared at her shoulder. “Hey, I thought you were planning on getting here right at the start for the mayor’s speech.”

  She did her best to push her tender feelings back as she smiled. “I’d really hoped to, but we had an emergency right at the end of my shift, so I stayed to help Dr. Hanson.”

  Greyson nodded. “I understand how that goes. All your patients doing well?”

  Hope tried to keep tears at bay as she slowly shook her head. “No, we had to euthanize one today. Poor thing was suffering so much, and there was nothing else we could do for him. I hate it when we have to put down a child’s first pet. It never gets easier. Especially when it’s unexpected.”

  He wrapped her in his arms, drawing her close. His spicy aftershave tickled her nose as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Hope,” he said, his voice soft and low. “I can’t imagine how hard that must be.”

  She swiped at the tears gathered in her eyes. “It’s pretty much the worst. The kids just come in so broken-hearted, and they really don’t feel better when they leave.”

  For a long while, Greyson just held her, and Hope felt the warmth of his embrace soothe her troubled heart. “Feeling a bit better?” he whispered at length.

  Hope nodded, pulling slightly away. “Yeah, I think so. Thanks, I needed that more than I realized.”

  He smiled. “I figured. But, if we don’t move soon, Gram’s going to have us marching down the aisle before Thanksgiving dinner.”

  Heat flooded her face as she laughed and took a step back. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”

  “Put what past whom?” Georgie asked as she stepped closer to them, her eyes twinkling merrily.

  “Nothing, Gram,” Greyson said with a smile.

  “Mm-hmm,” she replied. “Well, come on, let’s see what the community of Blessings has in store for us this year.”

  As Georgie steamed ahead, Greyson chuckled and shook his head. “I can’t tell if she’s still trying to set us up or has decided we figured it out on our own.”

  Hope laughed. “Oh, I’ve seen Miss Georgie at these enough times to know that every artisan in Blessings can personally thank her for still being in business. She won’t stop until she’s gone to every single booth and gotten something.”

  Greyson’s eyes widened and he glanced around the town square. “Every booth?”

  “Yeah, and tomorrow will be just as bad.”

  “How does she still have money after these weekends?”

  Hope giggled and put a gentle hand on Greyson’s arm. “Because most of the vendors secretly give her Miss Georgie discounts.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope. One of the charms of small town living,” Hope said with a wink. “Now come on, we’re missing all the fun stuff.”

  Greyson shook his head again, though he smiled. “I see you’re not much better than Gram.” As he took Hope’s hand, she felt electricity crackle up her arm at the touch. “So, what all does this Harvest Festival entail?”

  “Didn’t Miss Georgie tell you?” Hope asked, unable to hide her surprise.

  “No, she did not. She told me to wait and see.”

  Hope snickered. “How helpful.”

  “Indeed.”

  “Well, tonight is the carnival. Tomorrow there’s a parade and then hayrides over to the Benedict Homestead Heritage Farm.”

  Greyson frowned slightly. “What does heritage farm mean?”

  “Oh, it’s a farm that uses the same equipment and methods that an older era farm would have. You see more of them on the east coast where they have colonial-age homesteads, but the Benedict family has been very insistent on keeping their homestead just as it was back in the day. That’s part of why there was always a plow pull. But at this point, Beauregard has gotten a bit old to be doing that. So instead, they do tours and people can come by during planting to see the horses at work.”

  Greyson nodded. “That’s interesting. I’d never heard of such a thing.”

  “It’s pretty cool,” Hope said as they walked to a booth with kettle corn, cotton candy, and caramel apples. “Anyway, at the farm there are all the things you’d expect at a harvest festival. Artisans’ booths, farmer’s market, corn maze, fresh picked apples and homemade apple cider, a pie contest, pony rides, and lots of fun.”

  “Sounds like it,” Greyson replied as he purchased goodies for them. “What about in the evening?”

  Hope glanced at him. There was a sparkle in his eye that reminded her forcefully
of Georgie’s scheming look. “Greyson, your grandmother already told you all of this, didn’t she?”

  “Did she?”

  Rolling her eyes, Hope laughed. “All right, I’ll play along. Tomorrow night is the Harvest Ball in the town hall convention room.”

  Greyson took a bite of his caramel apple. “I don’t suppose you’d have a date for that ball?” he asked after swallowing.

  “Well, now that you mention it,” she said slowly, hoping to get him back just a little for stringing her along like that. As she took a bite of cotton candy, she knew he wasn’t falling for it though. Darn. “No, I don’t have a date, unless there’s a tall, handsome gentleman around who might want to take that role.”

  “Well, I’m not sure about the handsome bit,” Greyson replied, grinning, “but I think it’s safe to say I’m tall.”

  Hope laughed and bumped his shoulder, a blush rising in her cheeks. “Trust me, Greyson, you fit the entire description wonderfully, and I’m pretty sure you already know that.”

  He chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Maybe I do.” Suddenly Greyson snorted.

  “What?” Hope asked.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said, fighting a grin and losing. “I guess a little more of that caramel was on my mouth than I realized.” He took a napkin and began wiping her cheek gently.

  Hope stood mesmerized. When Greyson complained that it was just getting worse, she reluctantly pushed his hand away. “I’ll get it,” she said. She pulled out her compact and a wet wipe from her purse. She saw the smear of chocolate and caramel on her cheek. Proof that he’d really kissed her. That brief little moment hadn’t just been her imagination. Hope wiped the smear away. Once clean, she put her compact away and found a trashcan for the used wipe. “All better,” she said with a smile.

  “Are you lovebirds going to do anything but stare at each other?” Georgie demanded.

  Greyson’s ears reddened. “Yeesh, Gram, way to be subtle there.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “There are more than two dozen booths here and I want to see all of them.”

  “No one’s stopping you,” Greyson retorted.

  Hope giggled and took Georgie’s arm. “Come on, Miss Georgie. Let’s see what wonders we can find together.”

  Georgie took the bag of popcorn from Greyson. “Finally, something sensible.”

  Greyson and Hope shared a grin over Georgie’s head. The vibrant colors and sounds of the carnival filled Hope with wonder. It didn’t matter how old she got, the carnival was her favorite part of the Harvest Festival. They stopped at every booth and Georgie bought trinket after homemade trinket. Hope picked out a few things herself, and smiled as Greyson would often pull his wallet out before his grandmother had a chance to open her purse. The adoration he showed his grandmother sent warmth throughout Hope. He spoiled the woman rotten, but if anyone deserved it, it was Georgie Able. They played some of the games, and Hope was surprised by how well Greyson did at each of them. “How do you do that?” she asked after he handed her a large, fluffy white teddy bear.

  “Would you believe extraordinary talent?” he asked with a grin.

  “Possibly,” Hope admitted, shifting the bear in her arms with everything else she was carrying, “but what’s the real secret?”

  Greyson gave her a conspiratorial wink. “A friend of mine found a video online about how to win every time. You never know when you might need those skills to impress a girl.”

  Hope laughed. “So, the internet is your secret?”

  “Yeah, sounds silly doesn’t it? And I still don’t win every time, but I do well enough.”

  Shaking her head, Hope said, “That’s awesome.”

  Georgie suddenly squealed. “Oh, Deb’s back again this year.”

  Greyson looked at Hope quizzically as Georgie once again sped ahead of them. “Deb?”

  “She’s one of Miss Georgie’s best friends,” Hope explained as they followed the older woman. “She makes the most beautiful painted teacups.”

  “And that’s why Gram has such a huge collection,” Greyson said.

  “Bingo. She missed last year’s festival because she’d had eye surgery and hadn’t been able to do any painting for months. We were all so disappointed,” Hope said. “She’s been keeping her participation this year under wraps. I think she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to do as many as she used to and people would be disappointed.”

  “So, are there a lot of people who collect teacups around here?”

  Hope shrugged as they reached the booth where Deb and Georgie were hugging and laughing. “A fair few. And don’t forget this does draw in people from other communities too.” She turned to Deb Chandler with a smile. “It’s so good to see you back again, Miss Deb.”

  “Thank you, Hope dear. It’s good to be back,” the woman replied with a matronly smile.

  “Deb, you of course remember my grandson, Greyson,” Georgie said.

  She smiled. “It’s been quite a few years, but yes I do. How are you this afternoon, young man?”

  “Quite well. These teacups are beautiful,” he replied.

  Deb beamed. “Why thank you. I do try.”

  Georgie waved a hand. “No trying about it,” she said.

  “What kind of paint do you use?” Greyson asked, looking at a cup and saucer set with yellow and orange sunflowers painted along the bottom half of the cup. Along the middle of the cup in curling script read the words, Too Blessed to be Stressed.

  “It’s a food safe paint for those who might want to use them. But I highly recommend hand-washing. Dishwashers are so hard on these delicate things.”

  Greyson nodded. “Have you decided on one you’d like, Gram?”

  “What makes you think I’m going to let you buy one for me?” she asked.

  “Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that I’ve purchased half of the things you’re going home with?” Greyson retorted.

  Deb giggled. “He’s got you there, Georgie dear.”

  Hope glanced at the cups while Georgie deliberated. She often bought a new teacup to take home, but things had been tighter recently than she liked. As much as she liked the cups, she couldn’t justify getting a new one. Besides, she told herself, I’ve got plenty of teacups at home. “I’ll be right back,” she told Greyson. “I need to get this stuff into my car. I’m not going to be able to carry much more if you keep giving me the prizes you win.”

  “Did you want one of the cups?”

  Did she? Yes. Was she going to tell Greyson that? “No, they’re beautiful, but,” she hesitated. She definitely didn’t want to admit to any budget woes, and it wasn’t like she was destitute. “I already have a few of her teacups at home. Meet you back here?”

  “How about by the ferris wheel?” Greyson suggested.

  Hope smiled. “Sounds good.” She walked to her car and struggled to get her keys out of her pockets. Greyson had handed her all but two of his prizes, leaving her arms full. Once she’d managed to get the door unlocked, she set the new stuffed animals on the backseat. A smile touched her lips. He hadn’t needed to play any of the games, or even to have given all the prizes to her. But he had. She gave a contented sigh as she shut the car door. She stopped at the Home Again Cafe booth and saw Katie grinning at her. “What?”

  “You’ve got that tall, dark, and brooding grandson of Miss Georgie’s wrapped around your finger, that’s what.”

  Hope rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “You might be right there. Can I get some of the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?”

  “Like you have to ask.”

  “Well, I don’t know, you might be sold out,” Hope retorted.

  Katie’s eyes sparkled. “Might be, but we’re not. Oh, cute bracelet!” she said, her eyes falling on the gift Greyson had given Hope after their first date. “I don’t remember that one. When did you get it?” When Hope blushed she grinned, “You know you’re going to have to give all the details at the next girls’ night, right?”r />
  “I might suddenly be sick.” Hope faked a cough. “I’m just really not well.”

  “Ha, and I’m not buying it.”

  Other people were coming to the booth, so Hope took the bag of cookies, paid Katie, and waved as she walked away. In truth, she looked forward to spilling all the details.

  Chapter Eleven

  “She’s a fine girl,” Georgie said, breaking through Greyson’s wandering thoughts.

  “Who is?” he asked, looking up from his morning newspaper.

  Georgie scoffed. “Don’t play dumb with me, young man.”

  Greyson grinned. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, I think you do.” Georgie said, sitting across from him with her new teacup filled with fragrant orange cinnamon tea. “Cute charm bracelets, showing off so splendidly at the carnival, and then showering her with all of your prizes.”

  “Not all, I gave two to you.”

  “How generous,” Georgie said in a deadpan tone. “Dinner dates in town, dinner at fancy restaurants, and of course all the evenings out in the gardens. But if you really want proof, we could talk about the fact that you reduced Hope to tears with a surprise teacup when you knew she wanted one but couldn’t get one herself.”

  His face warmed as he replied, “Come on, Gram. I’m just trying to be the gentleman you taught me to be.”

  “A gentleman opens doors and gives sincere compliments. A gentleman might even indulge in giving a small gift or two. But there’s nowhere that says you have to spoil the girl rotten. That’s what lovesick puppies do.”

  Greyson laughed. “I thought that was your whole point.”

  “It was. And now I’m trying to see what your thoughts and feelings are,” Georgie said, setting her teacup down. “So, what are your intentions?”

  He choked on his coffee. “Gram, we’ve been on exactly two dates and spent a handful of evenings in each other’s company. I don’t necessarily have intentions yet.”

  Georgie gave an exasperated growl. “You young people today waste so much of your lives being cautious. Live a little! Throw caution to the wind once in a while.”