Noel, Alabama

by Susan Sands

  The fall Bailey took was a strange blessing, and she planned to take advantage of it as such. But there was so much to consider, and to learn, personally still, and about how she might relate to a new environment so suddenly.

  Bailey had a strong desire to discuss particulars with someone who might give her an objective opinion. She texted Alexis and asked if she could pick her up after work. She could trust Alexis to give it to her straight.

  Bailey grabbed her notepad and began making a list of the pros and cons of this idea. Why couldn’t she come up with any real reason not to move forward? Besides the obvious one.

  Bailey texted Seth. I’m waiting to go on our date night. All conversations on the table. For real.

  He replied within seconds: Tomorrow night. Wear something nice.

  A thrill worked its way through Bailey at the thought of the two of them going out alone; no Daddy and Joella to interrupt their conversation and maybe a kiss, should it come to that.

  Bailey had done some hard thinking before falling asleep last night. She was ready to answer Seth’s questions. She owed him that.

  Last night, lying in her childhood bedroom, listening to the night sounds, Bailey had allowed herself to remember. That’s something she’d not done in all her time away. Early on, she’d partitioned that pain, not letting it get through, because if she had, it would have taken her down.

  Living in California as an eighteen-year-old among strangers, and away from everything and everyone familiar, Bailey had been deeply lonely for her home, her daddy, and mostly for Seth. The pain of it was physical much of the time. But she’d made the decision and she’d had to stick by it.

  Bailey had been young and prideful, and determined to find her future—one that didn’t involve a small town in Alabama—which meant a small-town boy in Alabama. It had never been about him though. Seth had been the most honest and true person, besides her daddy, she’d ever known. He’d loved her with his whole heart, and she’d left him for her dreams.

  He’d understood because he’d loved Bailey enough to know that if she’d stayed in Ministry for him alone, she’d never have been truly happy. So, Bailey had gone away. There hadn’t been a big blowup or any other reason they hadn’t stayed together.

  What Seth never understood was the toll leaving him had taken on Bailey. Her pride had never let her admit to anyone how much leaving him had wounded and scarred her. But then what? Go home? Not pursue the arts scholarship she’d worked so hard for her entire academic high school career? No way. That would’ve meant the worst kind of failure.

  But she’d had to figure out how to live without Seth. So, at night, when all was finally quiet, and his beautiful face crept into her mind, to keep from dying from missing him, she’d had to learn survival techniques. Instead of alcohol and drugs, like many of her peers, she painted and listened to music. So much music on her headphones. And straight-up blocked out thinking about him.

  Dating other guys didn’t work. She compared them all to Seth, so it only made her miss him more. Bailey tried to come home and avoid seeing him, but the small glimpses she’d gotten had only made it more heartbreaking, especially the time she saw him kissing Sissy.

  So, she’d started asking Daddy to come see her in L.A. He seemed to enjoy it for a few days at a time, and they’d had adventures together, traveling to the Grand Canyon and other places neither had ever been.

  Avoiding Seth had been essential to Bailey’s ability to move forward and find her future. Over time, it had become easier to focus on school, and then on her career. It was exciting and fun to climb that ladder and realize her dreams. But this trip home—this detour from her normal life—had shaken up Bailey’s belief in her goals.

  The tumble on the road she’d taken had been essential for her to reimagine what her life could be. She’d lost her passion and excitement for the future, but it was now returning like fireworks exploding in the dark.

  Bailey only had to figure out how to implement the steps that might get her moving in the direction of that new and improved set of goals.

  *

  Seth made the reservation at Greene’s, a new restaurant in town. It was one of only a couple fine dining establishments in or around Ministry. It served Southern food with a fancy flair, apparently. It seemed Cammie Laroux and Southern cooking maven, Jessica Greene, had patched up their differences and gone into business together.

  The reservation wasn’t until eight o’ clock, due to the popularity of the place, and the fact that the town was bursting at the seams with Christmas visitors. Again, when Seth received the text from Bailey, he’d gotten a vibe that was different. She’d been so emotionally unavailable since arriving in Ministry that her willingness to talk now was surprising, to say the least.

  But he wasn’t one to miss the opportunity to spend time alone with Bailey. So far, they’d not had but snippets of time together without one or both parents around. Not that they didn’t both love them, but it was hard to know when one or the other would pop into the room and totally ruin the moment.

  There had been a time or two when Bailey seemed to want to open up and reveal her true thoughts and feelings. But the family interruptions had occurred at the worst possible times. And of course, there had been the almost kisses. Probably best that didn’t happen in retrospect. But Seth hadn’t felt that way at the time.

  Bailey’s and his physical attraction was on a different level now than when they were teens. Different, of course, because teen desire was intense but rasher and more oblivious, with only one goal, release.

  Seth wasn’t a boy any longer, and he understood his desire for Bailey now. It was that of a full-grown man. He’d dated a few women over the years and was no longer an innocent. He expected that Bailey wasn’t either after twelve years. She was a full-grown woman, after all. None of that mattered to Seth. They were here and now. How she felt about him mattered. Maybe they couldn’t ever be together, but it mattered.

  The anticipation of tomorrow night would carry him through the next several hours of the day. The calls to the department had lately been folks asking for help finding lost pets and asking where the filming would take place next, which Seth didn’t mind so much because it meant the citizens were safe. The calls he sometimes received ended in tragedy, so for now, he would be thankful for the small things.

  *

  Alexis picked Bailey up around four o’ clock. Bailey suggested they go to Mrs. Wiggins’s place so they wouldn’t be disturbed or overheard. The last thing she needed was for something to get around town and back to Seth before she was ready for it to.

  “Wow, you got off early,” Bailey said when Alexis arrived.

  “They wrapped up early this afternoon. The Christmas pageant is tonight and they’re headed over to film a short scene there later.”

  “Ah, the Christmas pageant. That’s a big thing around here.” Bailey remembered attending to support friends.

  “We didn’t do that where I grew up. I mean, who ever heard of beauty pageants for little girls?” Alexis wrinkled her nose at the idea.

  Bailey shrugged. “It’s a Southern thing, I think. Lots of girls I knew growing up entered them. It was a big deal. There’s a lot of preparation and excitement that surrounds the pageants. It’s definitely something one should attend at least once before shaming the idea of it.”

  “I guess so. I don’t have much choice, do I, since we’re filming on location later this evening? I’ll try to keep an open mind,” she agreed. “So, what did you want to talk with me about?”

  “Logistics. But you’ve got to keep this strictly between the two of us.”

  Alexis made a cross over her heart. “Got it.”

  Bailey began talking. They were sitting at the kitchen table in the apartment the two women had shared, so it was a comfortable setting to have this conversation.

  Alexis listened, her eyes wide, clearly intrigued with Bailey’s ideas.

  “Wow. What would your timeline be for this?” she asked
.

  “I’m not sure. There are some things to work out in my personal life first. But if I can figure out a real way forward with this idea, I’m hoping that maybe by summer to at least begin. Like, in a test capacity. I would do a ton of market research of course.

  “Of course. Count me in.” Alexis was fairly buzzing with excitement.

  “What?” Bailey couldn’t have been more shocked. “You’d come and work with me?”

  “It sounds like a dream, Bailey. Like something I was meant to do. If you want me, that is. I mean, we’ve done this Hollywood thing, right? What’s the next move? This is something real and amazing.”

  Bailey couldn’t think of anyone more suited to begin a venture like this with than Alexis. She had the analytical mind for building a business, and Bailey had the creative one. “Oh my goodness, Alexis! I can’t believe I’m actually moving forward with this. But I need to talk to Seth.”

  Alexis took Bailey’s hand. “Seth or no Seth, Bailey, I think you should go for this. We need to stop plotting our futures and our happy endings with men in mind.”

  Bailey nodded. Alexis had a point. A very valid and real point there. But Bailey and Seth deserved a second chance. Well, maybe he deserved one after Bailey’d left him without looking back. Bailey had taken herself from Seth when all he’d wanted was a future with her. The question was, would he give them a chance to start fresh?

  If not, Bailey would attempt to make her own way. Daddy had made that possible with or without Seth.

  Bailey and Alexis used many sheets of paper and made tons of notes. It did seem as if Alexis was willing to partner with her on this venture.

  “I’m having dinner with Seth tomorrow night at eight, and I’m hoping we’ll be able to clear some things up,” Bailey told Alexis.

  “So what is your history with him? I get that you two were a thing a hundred years ago, and I see the way you’ve been sparking off each other since you’ve been back here.”

  Bailey couldn’t come up with an answer in a few words other than, “It’s—complicated.”

  “I figured that out the first time I saw you together,” Alexis said with a smile.

  “We’ve known each other our entire lives. I’ve never been serious with anyone else. I mean, I’ve dated some over the years, but never really connected, you know?”

  “Hello? Single lady here. I get what you’re saying. I had a guy back home but he married someone else. At least Seth didn’t do that.” Alexis’s expression showed her own pain at losing the one she loved most.

  “I’m sorry, Alexis,” Bailey said. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done if Seth had married someone else.”

  And Bailey hadn’t thought about the possibility until that moment. How much it would have hurt to miss her chance with him. Maybe she already had.

  Well, tomorrow they would talk. Really talk. And she would see if her chance was still available.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Bailey had brought a dress with her. It was nice. Not formal, but nice, and a deep shade of red that worked well with the Christmas theme. It fell slightly above her knees and kind of swished when she walked, making her feel feminine, despite the bandages. It was the first time since high school she’d dressed up and taken any time on her appearance with Seth in mind, besides the normal quick getting ready she did every day. He’d never seemed to need that from her.

  And despite the stiffness in her shoulder, and all her still-fresh scrapes, she’d managed to put on makeup. Bailey went a little heavier on the eyeliner and mascara than a regular day. She’d paid attention to the makeup artists here and there and had learned a thing or two about a smoky eye.

  Tonight was special. Bailey sought to elicit a response from him, to see his desire, and his affection. To know for certain she was still his one and only. It wasn’t a tease or a test; she was serious. Bailey had to know. It was all fun and games to imagine them together as adults, but did he truly understand how that would change his life?

  As she snapped the silver hoop earring in place, she winced. She’d seen Dr. Nick for a follow-up appointment today, and he was now allowing her to use a smaller, step-down sling that was less bulky. Not exactly sexy but it was meant to help her remember to not overuse her shoulder and arm.

  Bailey was healing well, according to the X-ray. The shoulder tendons and ligaments were still very sore and stiff, so Dr. Nick showed her some mild movements that weren’t quite stretches to help work out some of the stiffness. She could continue with the anti-inflammatory meds as needed. All in all, she was in pretty good shape.

  Getting dressed was more like doing a triathlon, but Bailey preferred doing it alone. She did ask Daddy to help with the zipper in the back once she’d finished everything else.

  After he’d completed the task, he stepped back to admire her. “You look gorgeous, Bailey Bean,” he said, using her childhood nickname. “I’m assuming you’ve got a date with our county sheriff?” he beamed.

  Bailey grinned, because she couldn’t help it. “I do.”

  Groucho came bounding in, threatening to shower Bailey with affection. “No, down,” Bailey commanded.

  Groucho stopped in his tracks, staring adoringly at her instead. “Good boy,” she said.

  “That was a close one. Let’s get you a treat. C’mon, boy.” Daddy let him out to avoid any further mayhem.

  When Daddy came back in the room, he said, “I hope Seth takes you someplace nice, because you look like a million bucks,” he said.

  “We had a bet and we both won, I think. So, yes, we’re going someplace nice,” Bailey said.

  The doorbell rang then. “I’ll get it.” Daddy headed toward the front door. It felt like she was back in high school.

  Bailey grabbed her wool coat. Luckily, she’d thought to bring something other than her casual jacket. Living in Southern California, she had little need for jackets of any kind, but it was winter, and she’d tried to plan for weird weather here.

  Seth entered, wearing a sports coat, a dress shirt, tie, and real pants. Had she ever seen him in anything besides jeans? Wow. He was clean shaven, and he’d clearly put product in his hair, as it had a kind of high and tight appearance. Had he gotten a haircut too? He had boots on, but they were what Daddy called his “church boots.” Shined up without a sign of mud or muck on them.

  “Hey there,” he said, smiling at her. The admiration in his gaze was exactly what she’d been going for. “You look—” he took a moment to find his words while he took her in “—amazing.”

  “Nothing like a sling and lots of Band-Aids to finish the look.” She indicated the appendage.

  “I didn’t notice. Believe me, it does nothing to distract from…the dress.” The dress was code for her in the dress and she knew it.

  Bailey rolled her eyes. She’d have punched him in the arm if she’d been less injured. “You ready?” she asked.

  He held out his arm as if to escort her to the car.

  Bailey took it.

  “Bye, kids. Don’t keep her out too late,” Daddy said and winked, a twinkle in his eye.

  *

  Seth helped her into his vehicle, which had been detailed meticulously since the last time she’d ridden in it. “Your car is so clean,” she said, because suddenly she didn’t know what else to say.

  “You haven’t mentioned my hair.” He ran a hand just above it like the guys did in the old movies and grinned at her.

  “I like it. Very slick,” she said with a little giggle at his play at coolness.

  “Joe at the Beauty and Barber Barn said this is the style I should have to update my look. Said I’d let myself go for too long.”

  He’d been a little on the shaggy side, kind of like he’d always been, but Bailey honestly hadn’t noticed. “I appreciate your effort, but I thought your hair was fine.”

  He frowned. “You’re supposed to instantly sit up and pay attention, Joe said.”

  Bailey put her hand on his arm. “I’m paying att
ention.”

  “I like the sound of that. By the way, you smell nice,” Seth said and put the car in reverse.

  The short drive to the restaurant was made over small talk about how the filming was going and the bumpy dirt road. “So, it seems that Scarlett O’ Hara is now a fixture on set. She’s a regular at the catering truck and in the producers’ trailers,” Bailey said. Alexis had kept her apprised of everything happening.

  Seth nodded. “Yes, I’ve seen her prancing around the area. They all seem to ignore her now. Except the ones who take a second to pet her. She’s like a mascot or good luck charm to them.”

  “Movie people are very superstitious. That’s probably more the case,” Bailey agreed.

  Greene’s on the Square wasn’t exactly on the square, but close enough. The Southern cooking maven, Jessica Greene, with Cammie as her silent-ish partner, had opened the restaurant last fall. Cammie was so busy with filming her show at the studio outside of town, she’d structured her part of the business as creative input instead of onsite daily operations.

  The place was set off the main town square in a historic building on the strip of the downtown that used to be a department store. That allowed for parking in the back, along with a rear entrance, Bailey noticed. Downtown strip parking was a rare find, especially this time of year.

  Greene’s was decorated for Christmas with all clear lights and garland. The walls were white-painted brick and the lighting was somewhat dim and romantic. They checked in at the hostess stand and were greeted by a well-dressed young woman in a Santa hat. “Right this way, Sheriff McKay.”

  Their table was tucked away in the corner, which suited Bailey fine. They looked at the menu and ordered a bottle of wine and tap water. “This is very nice. Ministry’s come a long way,” Bailey said, and meant it.

  “Yes, it has. Tourist traffic is a mixed bag though. The economy here has improved, which helps employment, but it has an effect on our overall small-town culture.”