Fair Chances (Fairshore Series Book 3)

by Christina Butrum

  She reached over and placed her hand on top of her mother’s. “Do you want to go into the kitchen to talk?”

  Her mother nodded her head. She knew her mother needed to vent and had been worried sick since the day her father’s injury had happened.

  She followed her mother into the kitchen. She pulled a chair away from the table and sat down. It creaked underneath her. Yet another sign she had gained weight. Her mother reached into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. She handed it to Amelia. “I hear they’re saying well water isn’t good for pregnant mothers or their babies anymore.”

  Amelia shook her head and rolled her eyes. She had always failed to keep up with the latest information. Her mother, on the other hand, kept updated with small talk and all of the new studies being done.

  “I’m sure nothing is safe,” Amelia stated. She cracked the lid open and took a long drink from the bottle. She plopped the half empty bottle on the table and screwed the lid onto it. “I say I’m fine drinking whatever I want to.”

  Amelia felt her mother’s cold stare. She looked at her mother who had her narrowed gaze on Amelia. Amelia chuckled. “I’m only joking, Mom.”

  “Amelia, don’t joke like that,” her mother said. “The health of your baby is nothing to joke about.”

  Amelia ignored her mother’s statement. Her mother was a worry wart, so she shrugged it off. Otherwise, it might have turned into a heated argument, which she did not want to happen. Her mother seemed stressed enough as it was.

  “So how’d last night go?” Amelia asked. Her throat seemed scratchy and dry. She unscrewed the lid and took another drink of water.

  “It was a challenge,” her mother said. “But, with enough pain medication, he was able to sleep through the night.”

  Amelia nodded. “I see you took the wrap off?”

  “Yes, the doctor called this morning and told me to take it off for a couple of hours.”

  Amelia raised an eyebrow.

  “I suppose it’s to allow air to it,” her mother stated. “At least that’s how the doctor made it sound.”

  Amelia nodded. “Makes sense. Otherwise the wounds would get all icky and never heal.”

  Amelia’s mother shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows,” she said. “Anyways, how long are you and Zach staying?”

  Amelia looked down at her hands as they fiddled with the almost empty bottle. She had no idea how to answer her mother’s question.

  “Well, you can stay for however long you want to,” her mother said when Amelia did not reply. “I sure would appreciate the extra set of hands around here. This place definitely doesn’t take care of itself.”

  Amelia walked to the kitchen sink and turned the faucet on. She had filled her bottle halfway before her mother asked, “What are you doing, Amelia Jean? There’s more bottles of water in the fridge.”

  Her mother was in the fridge within a second and grabbed a bottle of water out. She handed it to Amelia. Amelia could see the frustration in her mother’s face. “You’re as stubborn as your darn father.”

  Amelia chuckled. “I had to get it from somewhere.”

  “Well, you sure didn’t get it from me,” her mother assured her. “Anyway, back to my question. How long are you guys planning on being here?”

  Amelia shrugged. She would pass time with a simple answer for now. “For as long as we need to.”

  “What about your businesses in Fairshore?” her mother asked.

  Amelia wondered if there was anything her mother would not worry about. “They’re fine. Zach’s furniture store is closed for the time being, but he said it’s fine.”

  Amelia’s mother covered her gasp with a hand. “How’s your business going to make money for you guys if it’s closed?”

  “We’re not worried about it,” Amelia assured her mother. “The deli is open and in good hands.”

  Her mother leaned back against the chair and asked, “Who’s running that for you guys?”

  “Courtney and Tony.”

  “Are they good people?” her mother asked. “They sound like good people. I’d like to meet them one of these days.”

  Amelia smiled. “Yes, they’re good people.”

  “That’s good that you and Zach have people you can trust,” her mother stated.

  Amelia nodded in agreement. She had not found one person in Fairshore she could not trust since she had moved there, and Crazy Courtney did not count.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A week had passed and it was time for Zach and Amelia to discuss their plan with her parents. Amelia was unsure how her parents would handle the idea of moving to Fairshore, but she had agreed they needed to do something.

  “We would like to discuss something with the two of you,” Zach said as he leaned forward on the couch, his attention on Amelia’s parents. “Amelia and I have discussed a few things and have found it might be helpful to you if you move to Fairshore.”

  Amelia watched her parents’ reactions in fear. She was shocked when she realized they had no reaction. They stared blankly at Zach and Amelia. To Amelia, they looked as though they were in shock or disbelief. She hoped they were not disappointed. She determined after a minute, they were in shock.

  She waved a hand in front of them and said, “What do you guys think about our idea?”

  Her mother’s jaw had dropped open and no response had come from either of Amelia’s parents.

  Amelia exchanged looks with Zach and held out her hands in an attempt to say what now? Zach was no help. He shrugged his shoulders and bit his lower lip.

  They waited a while for a response from her parents. They watched her father rub his hand along the stubs on his chin for five minutes – obviously debating the idea in his own thoughts. Her mother had not uttered a word.

  “What will we do with this house?” her mother asked in a shaky voice. “What will you do about your baby? We certainly can’t…”

  Zach interrupted. “Diane, we have everything all figured out. There’s nothing for you guys to worry about,” he assured Amelia’s parents. “Not a darn thing.”

  Amelia watched her mother relax into the chair she sat in.

  “What about my farm? My job?” her father asked. “I’ve got to go back to work and tend to the animals and this house.”

  “What about the dogs?” Amelia’s mother asked. “What would we do with them?”

  Amelia looked at Zach and raised an eyebrow. She whispered, “Are you going to give them the details of your plan or what?”

  Zach nodded and cleared his throat. “Amelia and I would love for both of you to move to Fairshore,” he stated again. “Bailey’s house is up for sale. I talked to Sandy Anderson, our realtor, while Richard was in the hospital.”

  Amelia’s mother shook her head. “We couldn’t possibly own two houses.”

  Amelia’s stomach knotted. This was the part she wanted to avoid. She hated the thought of making her parents choose between houses.

  Zach clasped his hands together and said, “Well, see, that’s where it gets tricky.”

  Amelia’s mother’s eyes widened. She looked confused and scared at the same time. “What are we supposed to do?” her mother asked. Her focus was on Zach this time. “Are you saying we need to choose between here and there?”

  Zach nodded. He fidgeted in his chair and said, “But it’s completely up to you guys. We’re just throwing the idea out there for you two to think about.”

  When no one said anything, Zach said, “Either way, Amelia and I are fine with driving here and staying every now and then until you’re back up on your feet again.”

  Amelia watched Zach in awe. She loved him more and more every day. Today, she was sure, she loved him more than she would ever be able to. She swooned over his ability to explain things – his patience and his love for her parents was something she adored about him.

  Her mother looked at her father. Her father sat silently in his chair. Amelia could tell he was lost in thought. Zach reached over and gr
abbed her hand. He squeezed it and she smiled at him to assure him he did a good job.

  “Bailey’s house?” her mother whispered.

  Amelia nodded. She had no idea what thoughts were going through her mother’s mind at the moment – she could only imagine.

  “Richard, you remember what the doctor told us, don’t you?” her mother asked.

  Amelia straightened in her chair and shot a nervous glance at Zach. Her mother had not mentioned anything about what the doctor had told them. She waited for her parents to discuss it.

  “Yes, I remember, dear,” her father stated. Her father looked at Amelia, who must have looked like she felt. “Amelia, are you okay over there? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  Amelia nodded. “I’m fine.”

  Her mother realized she had not told Amelia any of the discussion they had had with the doctor. She explained, “The doctor informed us that your father will be unable to work for a long time.” Amelia listened as her mother continued to explain their situation with her and Zach. “He said your father might not be able to go back to the grain elevator at all.”

  Amelia raised an eyebrow. “Will he be able to work at all?”

  Her mother shrugged her shoulders. “Everything at this point is on a day to day basis. He said there might be some traumatic flashbacks if your father decides to go back to work at the elevator.”

  Amelia nodded slowly. Now it made sense. It was not whether her father could work again, it was whether or not his memory of the event would allow him to.

  * * *

  Zach and Amelia decided to allow her parents time to think about the idea of moving to Fairshore. They loaded the car with their suitcases the Sunday that followed their arrival.

  She wrapped her arms around her father and kissed his cheek. “You keep getting better. We’ll be back to visit soon.”

  Her father patted her on the back and kissed her forehead. “You can bet I’ll be better in no time at all,” he said. He winked at her when she stood up. “You better be ready for a fishing expedition when I’m all healed up.”

  Amelia smiled and nodded. She loved the idea of going on an expedition with her father. God only knew how long it had been since they had last gone on one together. “I’ll be ready,” she stated.

  Her mother approached her and embraced her in her arms. She whispered into Amelia’s ear, “Allow us some time to discuss your idea and we’ll let you know.”

  Amelia nodded and whispered, “Okay, we’ll be waiting for your decision.”

  Amelia’s mother kissed her cheek and wiped tears from her eyes. “Thank you for coming, dear.”

  “I enjoyed the visit,” Amelia said as she smiled at her parents. She walked to the door to check on Zach.

  Zach walked up the porch steps and into the house. He wiped the dust from his hands. “Well, I got everything in there.”

  “Okay, well, it looks like you kids will be on your way then,” her mother said and hugged her and Zach. “Let us know when you make it home, please?”

  “I will,” Amelia stated. “And you call us if you need anything.”

  Her mother’s eyes filled with tears and she nodded her head. “I’ll make sure to call you.”

  “Don’t be giving Mom too hard of a time, Dad,” Amelia called out to her father, who sat in his chair as he watched them.

  He chuckled and said, “I’ll try not to.”

  Amelia turned to her mother. “We’ll be waiting to hear from you.”

  “Yes, of course,” her mother assured her. “You will. And in the meantime, I’ll be busy making invitations for your baby shower and the wedding.”

  “Say, A.J., when is the big day, anyway?” her father hollered from the living room.

  Amelia looked at Zach and they both shrugged their shoulders. “We haven’t decided on a date yet.”

  “Well, what’s the hold up?” her father asked. “You need me to set a date for you?”

  Amelia laughed. “No, Dad, we’re perfectly fine with setting our own date.”

  “Well, will you hurry it up, this man isn’t going to live forever,” her father stated with a light chuckle.

  Amelia’s stomach twisted and knotted. She dismissed his words from her thoughts. She was not going to think about losing her father. They had come close already. Once was enough.

  “We’ll let you know the date as soon as we know,” Amelia hollered into the other room. “I love you guys.”

  “We love you guys too,” her parents said as Zach and Amelia walked out the front door and to their car.

  Amelia opened the passenger door and looked back at the front door. Her mother stood in the doorway with a smile and wiped the tears away from her face. Amelia waved and blew her a kiss.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The mailbox was crammed full when Amelia opened it. She walked back into the house and sorted it at the table. Three separate piles of letters, thinking-of-you cards, and a specific envelope with Zach’s name on it. She held the envelope with Zach’s name on it into the light. She wondered what it could be.

  He walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her. “What’s all this?”

  Amelia explained what the piles of mail were. She held the envelope out to Zach and said, “This is yours.”

  “Wonder what it could be,” he said as he opened the envelope.

  “While you’re opening that, I’m going to make some phone calls,” she told him as she walked into the kitchen.

  She picked up the phone and dialed her parents’ phone number. Her mother answered on the fourth ring. “Mom, it’s me. We made it home.”

  “I’m glad you made it home, dear,” her mother said. “Everything okay over there?”

  “Yes, everything’s perfectly fine. How’s Dad?”

  “He’s doing great,” her mother assured her. “I think your visit has improved his health significantly by itself.”

  Amelia chuckled. “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

  “Your father and I will discuss the idea of moving to Fairshore tonight or tomorrow and we’ll let you know,” her mother stated. “There’s a lot to think about.”

  “I understand, Mom,” Amelia assured her mother. “We just want to do whatever it takes to help you guys out.”

  “Oh, Amelia, you shouldn’t have to worry about us,” her mother said into the phone.

  “You’re right, we shouldn’t, but we will anyway.”

  “Okay, dear, I better get off the phone now,” her mother said. “I have to make supper and get back to those invitations. You’re going to love them!”

  Amelia loved to hear the excitement in her mother’s voice. “Okay, I can’t wait to see them.”

  “Love you, dear.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Amelia clicked the phone and dialed Bailey’s phone number.

  “Hey, Bai,” Amelia said when Bailey answered.

  “Amelia?!” Bailey screeched into the phone. “How’s everything going?”

  “It’s going great. We just got home from my parents’ house.”

  “How’s your dad?”

  “He’s doing good,” Amelia told her. “He’s actually looking good too. He has burn marks and scars but he looks almost one hundred percent better.”

  “Thank God,” Bailey stated. “So what’s this big plan you and Zach have come up with that you were going to tell me?”

  “It’s Zach’s idea,” Amelia said. She wanted to give him all of the credit he deserved. “He mentioned the idea of having my parents move to Fairshore.”

  “What?! No way!” Bailey shrieked in excitement into the phone. “Did you guys mention it to them while you were there?”

  “Yes, we did. My mom says they’re going to discuss it tonight or tomorrow and get back to us.”

  “Amelia, that’s great!” Bailey shouted.

  “Zach talked to Sandy and has already prearranged your old house for them.”

  “Oh my gosh! They’d love it there!”

&nb
sp; “That’s what we were thinking too,” Amelia said. “They’d be across the street and we’d be able to see each other all the time.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Bailey stated.

  “Let’s hope they agree to move here,” Amelia said. “Anyway, how are things going for you and Benny?”

  Bailey shrieked. “He proposed!”

  “He what?!” Amelia bounced on her heels. “You’re not joking are you?”

  “No, I’m not! He proposed at the lake house last weekend.”

  “Oh my gosh, Bai, that’s great!” Amelia shouted into the phone, unable to calm her excitement. “Have you set a date yet?”

  “October 26th!”

  “This year?” Amelia asked. She flipped her calendar. October was only a few months away. The 28th was circled and outlined with a dark blue marker. Inside the square Amelia had written Baby Due! Amelia swallowed hard to relax a queasy feeling as it stirred her stomach.

  “Yes!” Bailey said. “I want you to be my maid of honor!”

  Amelia felt overjoyed. “Bai, I’d love to be! But what if I have my baby at your wedding?”

  Bailey screamed in excitement and hollered at Benny with the news. “Amelia accepted!” Bailey put the phone back up to her ear and said, “Wait, did you say something about having a baby?”

  Amelia chuckled. Bailey had drowned out what Amelia had said with her own excitement. “Yes, I did. I said what if I have my baby then?” She looked at the calendar. A few months away and she’d be bigger than she was now and would have the baby on any random day. She explained to Bailey, “Bai, I’m due on October 28th. You’d better get me a huge dress that is water proof.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Bailey said. “You’re going to make an awesome maid of honor! We’ll figure things out when the time comes.”

  Amelia ended the phone conversation with Bailey with promises to visit and plan everything together. Amelia hung up the phone. She wrote in big letters Bailey’s Wedding on the calendar on October 26th and walked out of the kitchen. She had no idea how she could be the maid of honor if she was in the hospital in labor.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Zach told her as she walked to the table and sat down.