Season of Joy

by Annie Rains

  Her mother smiled, her gaze moving back to meet her husband’s before returning to Joy. “Of course. And I’ll pay for my art lessons just like any other student would.”

  Joy swallowed back her emotion. “Did I hear you right? Are you retiring, Mom?”

  Her mother reached for Joy’s father’s hand now. “We both are in the New Year. Life needs to be lived, and we’re still young enough to enjoy it.”

  “We’ve missed out on a lot of time with you over the last few years,” her father added. “With our careers and promotions. We don’t want to miss any more.”

  Joy felt her eyes sting with tears. “Well, this is definitely something to celebrate. And if you ask me, it’s the best Christmas ever, even if we’re having it in the hospital cafeteria.” She giggled softly and reached for her plastic fork.

  “Next year, it’ll be in my kitchen,” her mom promised. She wasn’t even retired yet but she already looked a lot more relaxed. “And Darby and Ray can come. And you can bring Granger and his girls if you like.”

  Joy’s excitement deflated slightly. She wasn’t sure if Granger would still be in her life. Maybe her lack of trust and faith had pushed him away. “That would be wonderful,” Joy said, keeping her smile pinned in place. This was her parents’ moment, and she didn’t want to ruin it by bringing up her problems. “I can’t wait.”

  * * *

  “Daddy, can we keep all the puppies?” Abigail asked, looking up at him.

  He had just checked on the new fur family and was now sitting down for a minute with a much-needed midmorning coffee. “I think your mom wants to take one with her.”

  “With her? Where is she going?” Abigail’s expression scrunched into one of worry. No doubt she was fearful that Erin would slip away to some far-off place again. Granger had similar fears, although he thought they were groundless. Everything Erin had shown him supported that she was doing well these days.

  “Somewhere in Sweetwater Springs. I’m sure she won’t be far, wherever she settles down,” Granger assured her.

  Abigail visibly relaxed. “And Willow and I will split our time between you and her?”

  Granger reached for her and pulled her toward him, wrapping her in the crook of his arm like he used to do when she was so much smaller. When had she gotten so big? “You know your mom and I aren’t going to be a couple again, right?”

  “I know,” she said in a small voice.

  “But we’re going to stay good friends. She is welcome over here anytime. You’re never going to have to choose between us. I promise.”

  Abby hesitated as she seemed to think on this. Then she nodded and reached up to push her glasses higher on her nose. “Okay. But what about the puppies? They don’t want to be separated either. They’re a family too.”

  Granger didn’t know how to respond to that one. He couldn’t have six dogs. Could he? “They’re small right now. They aren’t going anywhere for a long time. And we’ll talk about it later, okay?”

  “Dr. Lewis told me that if we name them, it means we’re keeping them,” Abigail said.

  Granger chuckled. He’d have to thank Chase for that little tidbit later. “Let me guess. You and Willow have been naming them already?”

  Abby shook her head, a mischievous smile growing on her face. “Not yet. I told Willow we had to wait to see what you said. But I did name the littlest one Miracle. Because I think that’s what they are. I also think Mom coming home for Christmas was a miracle. Don’t you?”

  Granger wrapped his arms around her tighter. He loved his little girls so much. “Yeah, I really do.”

  Abby narrowed her eyes as she watched him. “I’m not a baby anymore, you know. I know you and Joy are going to be a couple and probably get married one day.”

  “What?” Granger pulled back. “Where on earth did that come from?”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “It’s pretty obvious. But I looked under the tree, and I also know that you didn’t get her a present. Dad, you have to get the woman you love a present.”

  Granger looked at his daughter for a long moment. She might still fit in the crook of his arm but she was right. She wasn’t a baby anymore. “I do have feelings for Joy,” he confessed. “And you’re right. I didn’t get her a present. It’s Christmas Eve though. Not much I can do about that.”

  Abby thought for a moment. “You have to give her something. No matter what. You could make her a piece of art.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Granger said. They talked some more as he finished his coffee and then he checked on Tin and the nameless puppies once more. “You’re doing a good job, Tin,” he told his dog, rubbing behind her ears. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a look of pride in Tin’s eyes. He suddenly couldn’t imagine breaking this canine family up, and the farm was big. Big enough for six dogs.

  He changed clothes and headed back through the house to get the girls. “Nana is coming over for a little bit. She’s going to help you bake cookies for Santa.”

  “Yay!” Willow practically flew off the couch.

  Granger looked at Abby. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

  “’Kay. But take your time. I can help Nana with Willow.”

  Granger swallowed back his pride. She and Willow had been through a lot but he had the sense that everything was going to be okay. He hoped the same was true for Joy and him.

  * * *

  Joy had rarely left Sweetwater Springs Memorial with a smile on her face like the one she wore now. She was so happy for her parents. They’d worked so hard, and they deserved to take time for themselves. And she was looking forward to seeing them more. She also couldn’t believe that they’d bought a store on Main Street.

  Not just any store. It was the place she had her heart set on. Apparently, the deal with the first potential leaser had fallen through. And when it did, the owner had decided to sell instead. Joy’s parents had swept in and made an offer that same day. Her mom had listened when Joy had talked about her dream store. Her parents were finally being supportive in the way she needed, which felt like a tiny Christmas miracle in Joy’s eyes.

  There was only one other thing that could make this holiday complete. One person who could complete her.

  She got in her car and cranked the engine, giving the motor time to warm against the bitter cold. Then she pointed her vehicle toward Merry Mountain Farms. She was going to find Granger, lay her heart on the line, and tell him exactly how she felt. Hopefully by the time she arrived, she’d have the words to articulate what that was. She felt alive when he was around. Invincible. Amazing. Loved.

  She was also terrified. Anxious. And a million other things. She felt everything—the whole gamut. But the one emotion she knew for sure was love. She was in love with him, and that didn’t happen every day. It was rare and special. And worth the risk.

  Joy drove slowly, careful not to take another spin on the ice. When she finally pulled into Granger’s driveway, his truck wasn’t there. Erin’s car was, however. And it was surrounded by a layer of thick, untouched snow. Too much to have just fallen this morning. The only explanation was that Erin had stayed the night.

  Joy swallowed past her emotions. But she wouldn’t let them lead her in this instance. Maybe there was a good explanation.

  The door to the house opened, and Mrs. Fields stepped out. She looked over and seemed surprised to find Joy sitting in her car. No backing up and leaving without being noticed now.

  “Joy! It’s so good to see you!” Mrs. Fields said as Joy got out of the car and trudged through the snow in her direction. “Did Granger know you were coming? He might have forgotten.”

  “No. No, it was…a surprise.” If he’d known, maybe he would’ve shooed Erin away. Or maybe not.

  “Well, he’s gone to get supplies for Christmas dinner tomorrow. Won’t you come and eat with us? We loved having you at Thanksgiving.”

  Joy shook her head, even though she wanted to say yes. She couldn’t say or do anything without talking to Granger first
. She needed to know where they stood. “I really need to talk to Granger. Do you know where I can find him?”

  Mrs. Fields’s brow dipped. “Maybe the grocery store on Red Oak Street. Or he might be at the pet store getting supplies for our new puppies.”

  “Puppies?” Joy asked.

  “Tin was pregnant, and we didn’t even realize it. Isn’t that wonderful? We have a house full of puppies.”

  Joy smiled. “Wow. I’m sure the girls are over the moon.”

  “Oh, indeed. Between having their mom and a litter of wiggly fur balls, they’re just thrilled. They miss you though.” Mrs. Fields nodded. “And Granger does too. He’ll be back in a couple hours or so.”

  Joy needed to talk to him as soon as possible though. Preferably without Granger’s mom, his girls, and his ex watching.

  “You can call him and see where he is, I suppose,” Mrs. Fields suggested.

  “I’d rather talk to him face-to-face,” Joy said.

  Granger’s mom gave her a knowing look. “Face-to-face is always best. You can wait for him inside if you want. I’m sure the girls would love to see you.”

  Joy shook her head. “I’ll come visit them soon—I promise.”

  Mrs. Fields reached for Joy’s hand. “Maybe tomorrow. I’ll set you a spot at the table just in case. Your parents too,” she offered.

  Joy hugged the woman tightly. “Thank you. If you don’t mind, I’m going to drive my car up to the Christmas tree workshop and gather up some of my supplies.”

  “Of course. And if you change your mind about coming inside, just head right in.”

  Joy thanked her and then turned. She glanced over at Erin’s vehicle as she walked past. Joy wasn’t going to jump to conclusions.

  If Granger told Joy that Erin had stayed over but it was all innocent, Joy would believe him. She would trust him. A relationship couldn’t stand without trust, and Joy wanted a relationship with Granger. She wanted him in her life more than she’d ever wanted anything on her Christmas list before.

  She got inside her car and drove it to the Christmas tree workshop. Then she got out and stepped over to the pavement, shaking off her boots before turning on one of the space heaters that they’d set up for her classes.

  Not ready to clean up just yet, Joy headed over to the supplies and pulled out a few. According to her aunt Darby when she was growing up, a tree was for all occasions. Birthdays, Christmas, even Halloween and Thanksgiving. Joy righted her wire cage in front of her, and she started working on another tree. Her aunt Darby had always taught her that handmade gifts were from the heart, and Joy intended to use all of hers to make this next one.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The sun was on the descent as Granger made his way home. He’d swung by Joy’s house on the way to Dr. Lewis’s veterinarian office but her car wasn’t there so he’d stopped again on the way back. Once again, she’d been gone. He supposed she might be visiting family.

  He pulled into his driveway at Merry Mountain Farms, noticing that Erin’s car was no longer there. Granger got out and headed toward the back entrance, hearing Willow’s and Abby’s excited voices inside. His heart lifted a notch. No matter what was going on in his life, he was a lucky man. He had two beautiful little girls in his life and parents who supported him fully. There was a lot to be grateful for, even if he couldn’t help wanting more. He wanted someone to spend his life with, to experience all the ups and downs with. He wanted Joy.

  He stepped inside the house and breathed in the scent of home-cooked food. “Whatever it is, it smells delicious,” he said in lieu of hello.

  “Daddy!” Willow leaped off her stool and came barreling toward him like a mini hurricane.

  He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tightly. She smelled like sugar and Christmas spices, and he guessed she’d been helping prepare whatever had his stomach rumbling. Abby stepped toward them and joined in the hug, making his heart squeeze even harder.

  “What’s all this?” he asked on a small laugh. “Have I been gone that long?”

  “Yes, and the girls missed you.” His mom turned to watch them from the stove, a smile stamped across her face. Her cheeks were rosy from cooking, and her eyes were bright.

  “We thought you’d never come back,” Willow said. “Mommy has been gone all day too.”

  Fear gripped Granger’s chest. He remembered that Erin’s car wasn’t in the driveway. Maybe that’s why he was getting this exaggerated homecoming. Had the girls’ mother already ditched town? “Where’s Erin?”

  “She left,” Abby supplied.

  Granger looked down at her. “What? When?”

  Abby shrugged, seemingly unbothered. “A few hours ago.”

  “Is she coming back?” Granger asked, his breaths growing shallow. His gaze snapped to his mom. He didn’t want to have to piece together the broken pieces of his girls’ hearts this holiday.

  “Relax.” His mother stepped over. “She’s not coming back tonight but she’ll be back tomorrow.”

  It took a few seconds for him to process the new information. Then Granger felt the breath he was holding whoosh out of his mouth. “Tomorrow,” he repeated as his shoulders relaxed.

  His mom nodded. “Yes. Erin found a place to live. A nice little town house close to where Joy stays. She says it was already furnished and move-in ready. She’s there tonight getting herself settled, and she’ll be coming back early in the morning. To spend Christmas with us. I told her that was okay. I hope you agree.” Her eyes looked suddenly worried.

  “Of course.” Granger took another breath, in and out. For a moment, he’d thought that Erin had really left. But she hadn’t. She was here to stay.

  “Did you talk to Joy?” his mom asked. “Will she be coming over tomorrow as well?”

  Granger shook his head, releasing his hug on his girls. They stepped away and returned to decorating cookies at the table. “I stopped at her house a couple times but she wasn’t there. I tried to call but I kept getting an out-of-service message.” And he didn’t really want to have this conversation on the phone. He wanted to look Joy in the eye and gauge how she felt. He wanted to be able to pull her into his arms and hold her when he told her he loved her.

  “Well, cell phone reception isn’t good out there at the Christmas tree workshop, you know. That’s probably why.”

  Granger watched his mom turn back to the stove. She pulled the oven door open and looked at another batch of cookies. How many were they making? “What are you talking about?” Granger asked. “There aren’t any classes going on tonight. It’s Christmas Eve.”

  His mom glanced over her shoulder, straightening as she closed the oven’s door again. “I think she’s still out there. She was there half an hour ago when I brought her some hot cocoa and a couple of our cookies, fresh from the oven.”

  “Joy is here?” Granger straightened. “She’s at the Christmas tree workshop?”

  His mom nodded.

  “But her car isn’t here,” Granger said.

  “Oh, you probably just didn’t see it. She pulled over to the shelter with her supplies. She’s making trees out there.”

  Granger’s heartbeat sped up. “Trees? What for?”

  “Us, Daddy,” Willow said. “She told Nana it was a surprise so we couldn’t watch. She’s making us our very own tree from her.” Willow bopped up and down on her toes. “I can’t wait to see what kind of tree she’s making for me. I’m going to set it out so that Santa will know exactly where to place my gifts when he comes to our house tonight.”

  “She’s making our gifts because the best gifts come from the heart,” Abby added. “Did you get her a gift yet, Daddy?”

  “No.” There hadn’t been time. This holiday season had been a roller-coaster ride. One of ups and downs, magic and wonder. And at this point, he wasn’t sure Joy would even want a gift from him. Maybe she never wanted to see him again.

  Abby held up a finger. “Wait. I have something you can give her.” She turned and ran do
wn the hall toward her bedroom. A moment later, she returned and held out her palm. “It’s origami. Joy taught me how to do it during our art class.”

  Granger stared down at the origami flower made from delicate blue paper. “I can’t take that.”

  “Yes, you can,” Abby insisted, her lips curving into a wide smile. “I can make more. Joy taught me how to do it. And I don’t want you to mess things up with Joy.”

  Granger lifted his brows. He didn’t want to inform his daughter that he’d already done that in a big way.

  “I want her to keep coming back,” Abby continued. “We need Joy in our lives. All of us.”

  * * *

  Time seemed to slip away when Joy was creating art. Even if it was something as simple as making these little Christmas trees. She wasn’t creating cookie-cutter trees like the ones she’d taught at this workshop all season. She’d worked on making a half dozen trees this afternoon, each one as unique as the person she planned to give it to. Now the sun was dropping behind the mountainous skyline, and the lights that were strung around the covered area twinkled brightly in the growing darkness.

  Joy stepped back to admire her work.

  Instead of using tinsel and ribbon, the tree that Joy had made for Willow was decorated with artificial wildflowers. Abby’s tree was decorated with paper hearts, cut from the pages of old books that Joy had gotten from the recycle bin of the library. Joy had loaded the box of books in her car earlier in the week, planning to incorporate them in some mixed-media artwork of hers. But this was perfect. Abby was going to be so thrilled with her gift.

  The tree that Joy had made for Aunt Darby used vine that Joy had collected in the woods beyond the farm. She’d wrapped it tightly around the wire vegetable cage and had used it as a canvas, painting it a dark-blue color with bright-yellow dots to give the appearance of a starry night. The kind that might represent the very first Christmas.

  Joy had made Erin a tree too. She doubted Erin had a tree this year. Joy doubted Erin would be receiving a lot of gifts either. And while Joy had cut ribbon and plied wire, she’d also worked through her emotions. Art had always been her form of therapy.