Moments of Trust
Page 17
Mrs. Reynolds turned around and before he could escape out the door, all three women were looking at him. “How was your trip home, Dr. Radley?”
Alan’s grip on the doorknob tightened. Moon Lake was a small town—he shouldn’t be surprised everyone knew where he’d been. “It was good, Mrs. Reynolds. My grandmother is well.” That was always his greatest fear. His grandmother was eighty-four. If it wasn’t for his mom, she’d be in a nursing home by now even though, considering his mother and his grandma fought constantly, her robustness amazed Alan.
“How old is your grandma, Alan?” Mrs. Fisher chimed in, her smile open and warm.
“Eighty-four but she’s tough.” As tough as the ladies sitting before him. They’d seen hardship, they’d encountered pain, and even though that could’ve made them bitter, or angry, it didn’t. Alan’s stomach relaxed. This was home. He didn’t need to be on guard all the time. These were his people. The people of Moon Lake were a tight-knit community. Friendly and concerned, without meddling too much. It took him a while to get accepted in the fold, but once he was, they all treated him as family.
He looked back at Blake and Caspar. He should go back. They were his friends. Just because he was salivating after Blake’s little sister didn’t mean he should cut out his friends.
He sighed. When did his life become so complicated? Alan said goodbye to the ladies and turned back.
“Okay, here’s the thing. I’m grumpy and I’m starved. So a beer and a stew, please.” Alan settled down on the bar stool he’d vacated a minute before.
Caspar chuckled and clapped him on the back, but otherwise stuffed his face with the stew.
Blake went to the kitchen table to tell Milan his order, then he came back to pour Alan’s beer. A smile was on his lips, but his eyes were still boring into Alan.
“You know we’re your friends. Whatever’s bugging you…” Blake said, and Caspar nodded.
Alan pinched his lips together and nodded. Blake was right. He’d found some good friends here in Moon Lake. Probably better friends than he’d ever had before. The guys here were special. You would think they were just normal, down-to-earth country folks. But they all stepped up to the occasion. Didn’t hurt that Blake and Peter were ex-military and up for everything.
“So, how was your Christmas?” Alan asked.
Caspar shrugged. “Spent it at home, binge-watching TV.”
Alan shook his head. “Should’ve come with me—Grandma would’ve loved seeing you again.”
“Oh, I remember your grandma all right. She’s terrifying.”
Alan chuckled. That she was. Nowadays she was more mellow, but it had been some time since Caspar’d met her.
Blake came back from the kitchen with Alan’s stew.
“How about you?”
“How about me, what?”
“Christmas, how was your Christmas?” Alan said before he dug in with gusto.
“Christmas was nice. Different.”
Something in Blake’s voice made Alan look up and raise his eyebrows.
“How so?”
Blake rubbed his chin. “My mother came down. So this was a first, and it was the first time celebrating with kids.”
“For real?” Why was Alan so surprised? He hadn’t celebrated Christmas with kids, as well. Not even when he himself had been young. Young Alan had always been anxiously waiting. Somehow he’d convinced himself that on Christmas his father would finally come and tell him how much he loved him. But it never happened. So he’d waited and waited…and his hopes had been crushed every time. Until he grew old enough to realize it wouldn’t happen. Ever.
“Well, since my sisters were kids, that is. And even those last years, Christmas wasn’t the same.” Blake’s voice turned somber.
Alan nodded, even though he didn’t exactly know what Blake was talking about. Jessie had said that their father wasn’t with them anymore. So maybe he died when they were still kids and that’s what Blake was referring to.
“But Sunnie had a blast. Like a kid on Christmas. And I got little Seb an elf outfit. Look.” Blake fished his phone out of his pocket and showed them pictures of Seb in a cute, green elf outfit. In the first picture Seb lay in the arms of an older woman who had a striking resemblance to Jessie. Must be their mother. Blake turned the screen to Caspar, who snorted. “Great hat.”
Blake nodded and swiped at the screen before he turned the phone around again. The next picture showed Seb in the arms of his mother, who was rolling her eyes and sticking out her tongue.
Something shifted in Alan’s chest. His heart started beating at a much faster rate.
Jessie. She was beautiful even if she didn’t try to be.
A mixture of restlessness and longing flooded Alan’s body. He’d really missed them.
He clenched his spoon and forced himself to look away from the picture. What he wanted to do was rip the phone out of Blake’s hand and study all the details.
But that was not healthy behavior. He was getting obsessed with Jessie and Seb. Just as much as he’d fallen for the woman, he’d fallen for her little boy…a family.
So Alan schooled his features and pasted a polite smile on his face before he looked at Blake again. No need to show her big brother how even a simple picture of Jessie got him all riled up. Her big, bulky, ex-military brother who could and probably would make Alan’s body disappear if he knew just how much Alan was lusting after his little sister.
* * *
Continues with Alan and Jessie’s story in Trials of Love.
* * *
Trials of Love…
A small-town doctor. A single mother down on her luck. Can a pretend family really work?
Available HERE.
Dear friend,
I’m still on a high after finishing Julie and Kevin’s story.
Those two really play on my heartstrings. I do love me some broken hockey goalies. Maybe one day I’ll start a new series firmly in the Hockey Romance Genre. Hamilton Mohawks Book 1 would of course be Paul’s and maybe Holly’s story. Who knows… but it sure would be an exciting start for that series.
If you think so too… just let me know.
I hope you can’t wait for the next story taking place in the little town of Moon Lake. Let me tell you, Jessie and Alan don’t have it easy in Book 4, Trials of Love. But when is life ever easy? And falling in love with a new guy after having a baby… whew… not-easy times three.
So, it’s back to the writing cave for me.
Stay positive!
Kat