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  Dad slips the new wedding set on Mom’s finger, and there’s not a dry eye in the house. Mom helps Dad get back up, and they embrace while the room breaks into booming applause once again for the deserving couple I’m proud to call my parents.

  After everything dies down, Dad lifts the microphone once more and says, “I want to thank Gertie Becker and her son, Paul, who is a jew-eler, for helping to make this moment possible. Thank you.”

  More applause, then the music begins again. Congratulations abound as Mom and Dad make their way back to the table. The first place Mom stops is at Gertie’s table. Through tears, they exchange some words and embrace in a long, friendly hug.

  “Well, I didn’t see that one coming,” I say to Janni as we head for our table.

  “Me neither.”

  During dinner, friends approach the microphone and share their stories of the honored couple, as we laugh and cry our way through the meal. Afterwards, people amble around, browse through the scrapbook Janni made, the display of photos on the table, and they catch up with one another’s family lives.

  Spotting Gail Campbell, I walk over to her. “Listen, Gail, about that night in the coffee shop, I shouldn’t have—”

  Gail holds up her hand. “Yes, you should have. Linda and I both deserved it. I don’t know why I have such a problem keeping my mouth shut.” She looks genuinely sorry.

  “Well, obviously, we both have the same problem.”

  We laugh together. Gail Campbell and I. Together. “Friends?” she asks. Something in her expression almost makes me sorry for the years missed. Almost.

  “Friends.” Not best of friends, mind you, but I think I can at least be social when I see her now. We talk a little longer and finally part ways, vowing to stay in touch as old friends often do.

  I join Russ, Janni, and Daniel at a table. “Well, it seems to be a success.”

  “Yeah, it does. This was far more beautiful than I could have imag-ined, Char. I’m glad you did most of the planning. They’ll never forget this,” Janni says, watching our parents as they interact with friends.

  “Thank you for understanding that I needed to do this, Janni. It was my way of apologizing for—well, everything.”

  “I understand.” She pats my hand. “I can hardly believe this is it. All the months of work and planning for the party and the syrup, and now we’re done. What will we do with ourselves?” Janni chuckles.

  “Hey, if Dad can do it, we can do it.” We laugh. “I figure I’ll stay for church tomorrow and leave on Monday, if that works for you.” Sadness clogs my throat. I can’t say any more.

  Russ squeezes my hand. “I’m trying to get her to stay and help me with my house but can’t seem to talk her into it.”

  “I wish you could stay longer, Char. Just stay and have fun with me for a while,” Janni says.

  “There’s a house waiting on me back in Maine, you know.”

  Janni stares at her fingers glumly. “Yeah, we know.”

  “Do you guys have any plans now that everything is finished?” I ask.

  “Back to the same old grind, I reckon,” Daniel says. Disappoint-ment flickers on Janni’s face. I glance at the boys at the end of the table. Things will be hard for her once everyone leaves. The boys, Stephanie, and Carol are all leaving tomorrow.

  “Hey, I’ve got an idea.” Everyone turns my way. “Why don’t you and Danny go up to my place for a little vacation?”

  Janni’s eyes widen. “We couldn’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Who will take care of the chores around here? The animals, all that?”

  “I will.” Everybody is staring at me now. “I’ll stay here while you’re at my place. That way I can rest a little before having to go back to work, you can enjoy a vacation, and everybody is happy.”

  Excitement sparks in Janni’s eyes, and she turns to Daniel. “Could you get away from the store?”

  “Sure,” he says with enthusiasm. “Things are slow, what with that new store just opened, and my crew would be fine with it.”

  Janni gives him a worried look.

  “It will give us time to think through what we want to do in the days ahead, come up with some new marketing strategies maybe for the store.” He squeezes her. “We have enough money to get us through. Hey, the sky is the limit.”

  His comment chases the doubt from her face, and she laughs. I’m going to talk to him later about that money thing. It’s time they do a little remodeling around the house.

  Janni turns back to me. “What about your job, Char? Can you afford to miss any more work?”

  “No problem,” I say as though I’m absolutely certain, which of course, I’m not. But that’s okay. I’m not worried about it. I’ve made enough money for the company in the last six months, Peter will give me the time I need—at least I think he will. If not, with my sales record, I’m pretty sure I could land another job in town.

  “Well, what do you think, babe? Want to go hang out in an ocean paradise?” Daniel gives Janni another hug while she beams from ear to ear.

  Daniel and Janni are soon lost in their vacation plans. Russ presses my hand against his cheek and closes his eyes as though he wants to remember this moment forever.

  “You know what this means?” he whispers against my hair.

  Shivers run through me, and I try not to tremble. “What?”

  “I’ll get to have you with me for a little while longer,” Russ says.

  I smile and act surprised. Silly man. Like I hadn’t thought of that.

  When most of the well-wishers have gone, Mom and Dad walk over to our table and sit down. They look completely exhausted but also very content.

  “Girls, I have to say”—Mom pulls her hankie from her purse again—“this night has been—well, it’s been magical, that’s all.” She wipes her nose. “It’s as though I’ve stepped into Cinderella’s glass slippers.” We all admire her sparkling diamond.

  Daddy squeezes Mom’s hand and gives her a peck on the cheek. This time I let my own tears roll. How could I have stayed away? No matter our differences, my family means the world to me. I get up and hug them both.

  After our hug, Mom turns to Dad. “Milton, I guess I owe you an apology. I should have known you wouldn’t try to kill me.”

  “I wouldn’t have the strength, Viney. You know that.” Dad chuckles.

  “Well, I’m sorry.” She pauses. “Still, if it’s all the same to you, I’m getting rid of the rat poison.”

  We all laugh.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. There’s one more thing Janni and I wanted to give you,” I say, reaching into my purse. Janni gives me a questioning look. She doesn’t know what’s coming, and I hope she doesn’t mind.

  “You’ve done more than enough with this whole party, girls,” Mom says, no doubt already worrying about our finances.

  Pulling out the envelope, I extend it to Dad. “These are your plane tickets for Prince Edward Island. There you will stay at a bed-and-breakfast owned by one of my clients.”

  Mom’s hand flies to her chest. “Prince Edward Island!” She throws her arms around me and then Janni. “Milton, Prince Edward Island!”

  Dad laughs. “I know, Viney. Won’t it be grand?”

  Carol and Stephanie join us with the boys, and we talk about the island, what to see and how to make the most of their time there. Finally, we call it a night and head back to Janni’s house.

  “How much do I owe you for the plane tickets, Char?” Janni asks.

  “Nothing. I’ve saved a hunk of money by staying at your house, and I know it’s no small thing to feed me, so let’s call it even.”

  “I’m happy to help.”

  “I know. You helped enough with the party itself.”

  “Why didn’t you give Mom and Dad their gift in front of the crowd so they could have talked about it with their friends?”

  “Maybe I should have done that, but honestly, I wanted this to be private. Guess I don’t need to prove myself
anymore.”

  “You’ve come a long way, Char.”

  “We both have,” I say, squeezing her hand. “We both have.”

  After church and lunch the next day, we gather at the front door of Janni’s house to say our good-byes to the boys, Carol, and Stephanie.

  Janni and Daniel stand side to side, arms around each other’s waists. “Thank you so much for your help with the syrup. We couldn’t have done it all without the help of family and friends,” Daniel says. “By the way, Carol, you don’t want to forget to take your share.” He starts to run for the pantry, but Carol holds up her hand.

  “As much as I’d love to have some, I can’t eat it. It doesn’t set well with me. I think I might be allergic to it or something.”

  Sharp intake of breath as we all turn and look at her as though she has leprosy.

  “What an awful way to live,” I say with utmost sympathy.

  “I have a friend who is allergic to milk. When she drinks it, she starts acting a little crazy. Paranoid and all that. It’s strange what food allergies can do.” Carol laughs.

  What she says makes me wonder about Mom’s recent paranoia—though not completely without foundation, she did overreact a tad. “Say, Mom, do you think you could have a food allergy of some sort?”

  Mom blinks. “What are you saying, that I’m paranoid?” We all seem to hold our breath, bracing for what may come.

  “Not paranoid as in weird, just not your normal self,” I say.

  Mom shrugs, and we all sigh with relief. “Could be. I might have it checked out.”

  Maybe there is hope on the horizon. We’ll do whatever it takes to keep Mom at peace. ’Cause when Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.

  We pause at the door while Dad leads us in prayer. Afterwards, everyone grows quiet as Janni turns to Stephanie. “I love you, Stephanie. I’ve loved you from the day I gave you birth, held you in my arms, and said good-bye.” Tears make wet tracks down her cheeks. She turns to Carol. “I’ve prayed for you daily as you raised ‘our daughter,’ and I can’t thank you enough for giving yourself to her in a way I never could.” Janni pulls both of them into a hug. “In no way do I ever want to come between you two. What I do want is for both of you to be an extension of our family. So I hereby invite you to all holidays with us. You told me yourself, Carol, that your parents are gone, and Stephanie is all you have. We’d love to ‘adopt’ you as part of our family. Think it over.”

  Everyone joins in with hugs, laughter, and tears. After all the good-byes, we wave after Carol, Stephanie, and the boys as they each make their way to the cars. Once the door is closed behind them, Russ, Daniel, Mom, and Dad head for the family room to watch a movie, while I go up to Janni’s room with her to help her pack for their trip in the morning. We talk awhile about the party, Stephanie and Carol, and Janni’s upcoming vacation. My mood is considerably better knowing that Russ and I can put off our “good-byes” for a while longer, and Janni and Daniel can have their much-deserved time alone at my house.

  “Oh, in all the excitement, I haven’t had time to tell you about my trip to the Tuckers,” I say, folding a blouse and laying it in the suitcase.

  We discuss my visit there and what they said to me about their house.

  “Would you truly consider buying the Tuckers’s home?” Janni stops packing the clothes in her suitcase and stares at me. A slow incredulous smile creeps onto her face.

  “Oh, I don’t know. It’s a long shot. But it’s kind of fun to think about.”

  “And the fact that Russ Benson lives in town is certainly a draw,” Janni teases. “But what about your job back in Maine? And your house? You can’t sell your house.”

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about all that. Russ might be right. I’ve been working on commercial real estate when my heart is in designing and building homes. I’ve decided I don’t want that promotion after all.”

  “What promotion?”

  “It doesn’t matter. There’s a lot to consider. I would never sell the cottage in Maine. I would keep it as a summer house or something. A vacation home for all of us.”

  “Wow.” Janni flops onto the bed. “I would never have thought it possible.”

  “I’m not saying I’m doing it. I’m just saying it’s not completely out of the question. Still, it might be hard to give up my ocean view. Are you all packed?”

  Janni makes a face. “Do you think I have enough clothes?”

  “You’ll be on vacation, you don’t need many clothes. Sweats, jeans, one nice outfit for going out.”

  “Hey, Janni, can I get you to come outside for a minute?” Daniel asks, walking into the room.

  A puzzled expression covers Janni’s face, and Daniel grabs her hand. “It won’t take long.” With a discreet wink my way, he ushers Janni out of the room, and I follow. It seems I have more in common with Gail Campbell than I realized.

  “Danny Ort, what are you doing?” Janni makes an attempt to protest, but she’s giggling the whole way.

  “Now put your hands over your eyes and close them tight.”

  More giggling.

  Mom, Dad, and I rush out to see what all the excitement is about, though I’m pretty sure I know.

  “Okay, now you can open your eyes.”

  Janni drops her hands and looks straight ahead at the Harley she’d been keeping in their barn. There’s a pink bow on the seat. She turns to Daniel. “What’s this about, Danny?”

  “This is my gift to you. I bought it from Gertie’s son. They just got home. Gertie mentioned he was going to sell the Harley, and I let him know I’d like to buy it from him—if you decide you want it.” Daniel hesitates, worry lining his face. “Do you want it?”

  “It’s perfect.” Janni throws her arms around her husband. He lifts her off the ground and swirls her around until I get dizzy watching them.

  Once the hubbub over the new gift dies down, Janni turns to Daniel. “We’re not taking this to Char’s house, are we?” Her eyes are wide and she’s so excited, I’m thinking she could whip up a Thanksgiving meal single-handedly in two hours flat.

  He throws back his head and laughs. “I’m adventurous, but not stupid. It’s too cold for that. Not to mention, we’re out of practice and wouldn’t be able to peel ourselves off of the bike after a trip cross-country.”

  Janni looks disappointed.

  “But I thought we could take a ride around town today. You okay with taking a little spin?”

  “I’m okay with that.” They share a kiss while Mom, Dad, and I head back to the house. All the while I’m hoping they hurry up and get a license before Toby finds out.

  “You’re sure Peter was okay with this when you told him of your plans, Char?” Janni asks once we’re all back in the house.

  “He was fine with it. He’s just hired a couple of new sales associates, so there are plenty of people around.”

  “Well, I must say he’s something to give you time off after you dumped him,” Mom says with her usual tact.

  “Oh, no problem. He’s already moved on. He’s in another dating relationship.”

  Janni gasps. “You okay with that?”

  “I’m fine,” I assure her.

  “Who wouldn’t be fine with a man like Russ Benson waiting in the shadows?” Mom says candidly.

  After coffee and dessert, Mom and Dad head back to their condo with a promise to come over in the morning to see Janni and Daniel off. Russ and I decide to visit the beach and his property, while Janni and Daniel take a spin on their new wheels.

  With everyone leaving tomorrow, it will be a quiet day. For the next couple of weeks it will just be me and the farm animals. Well, and maybe Russ.

  I sure hope I’m doing the right thing.

  thirty-one

  “Hey, where you going?” Russ calls after me from the porch. Dressed in layered shirts with a smart cream-colored button-down on the outside, the rugged look of Levis covering his long legs, and brown casual lace-up oxfords completing the look, he caus
es my heart to flip with one glance.

  “Taking a walk in the woods,” I call back to him. With a pure blue sky and bright sun shining overhead, the hint of warmth in the air, I couldn’t stay cooped up in the house any longer.

  “All right if I join you?”

  I grin at him over my shoulder. “If you can catch me.”

  His grin matches mine, and we both take off at full speed. Though I’m a ways ahead of him, he catches up to me in no time. Breathless and spent, we fall against the first maple we come to.

  “Boy, I had no idea those pancakes would lodge right here,” Russ says, pointing to his midsection.

  Wish pancakes looked that good on me.

  I laugh. “Sure was sweet of Janni to make pancakes for everyone this morning. I think she’s excited about her trip.”

  “Yeah, I think you’re right.” Russ turns a teasing glance my way. “You know, if you keep eating pancakes, you’re going to need a good dentist.”

  To say nothing of a good weight-loss program and a new wardrobe. “You think?”

  “I think.” The twinkle in his eyes melts me with one glance. Bending his arm against the tree bark, he comes toward me, licking his lips as he leans closer, until his lips touch mine. Something about the tenderness of the moment, the smell of the woods—my refuge from the harsh realities of life—having Russ near me this way, all have a profound effect on me.

  Though our lips part, he keeps his head bent and his eyes fixed on me. “I’m so glad you’re staying awhile.” His voice is husky and low as he plants soft kisses by my temple and nuzzles into my hair.

  “Me too.”

  He pulls me closer to him and kisses me again, long and hard, our hearts pounding against one another.

  He finally pulls away as though he’s forcing himself. “We have some-thing between us, you know. Something real.” His words are thick with emotion.

  “I know.”

  “What are we going to do about it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, I think we should spend the next several weeks deciding, don’t you?”