Welcome to Serenity
Page 35
“No, he didn’t mention a thing,” she said, a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. “Thanks, though. I’ll try him on his cell phone.”
“I’ll leave a message on his desk that you called in case he stops in here,” Teresa promised.
“Thanks.”
She hung up, then dialed Tom’s cell number. When he picked up, there was so much noise on the other end she could hardly hear him.
“Tom, it’s me. Where are you?”
He muttered an expletive, then asked, “What time is it?”
“After six,” she said tightly. “Where are you?”
“I had a meeting in Charleston. It ran longer than I expected and then we went out for a quick drink. Time got away from me.”
“So I gather,” she said. “And if you’ve been drinking, then you shouldn’t be driving, so perhaps you ought to consider staying at your folks’ place tonight.”
“But your parents—”
“Forget it,” she said. “You’ll see them tomorrow, that is if you can tear yourself away from whatever’s going on in Charleston.”
“But I want to tell you about all this,” he said. “Just wait until you hear what’s happened.”
She fell silent and did exactly that—waited.
“Jeanette, you still there?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been offered a job. It’s exactly what I was hoping for. I just wasn’t expecting it to happen this fast. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.”
“You’ve been offered a job,” she echoed dully. “In Charleston?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ve accepted? Without even discussing it with me?”
“Not formally. I was going to talk to you about it tonight, then give them my answer. It’s the opportunity I’ve always wanted.”
Jeanette could read between the lines. He was going to say yes.
“Congratulations,” she said, barely managing to choke out the word. Everything she’d feared was coming true. He’d chosen something else over her. “By the way, don’t bother rushing back tomorrow. There’s no need for you to waste your time being here for my open house.”
“Hey, hold on a minute. Are you uninviting me?” he asked incredulously.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing. I don’t want you here.”
“It’s because of the job, isn’t it? Dammit, I knew I shouldn’t have blurted the news out like this.”
“How intuitive,” she said sarcastically. “I can see why they’re desperate to hire you.”
The background noise faded as he apparently moved to someplace quieter. “Come on, Jeanette. At least listen to what I have to say. This is going to be a great thing for both of us.”
“No, thanks,” she said. “If you’d mentioned any of this before you went to Charleston, we might have had something to discuss. Since you didn’t, I can only assume that my opinion doesn’t count. You’ve known all along how I felt about taking a backseat in anyone’s life. I thought you got it.”
“I did. I do. Come on, you know I value your opinion. I wanted all the details before we talked about this.”
“It will hardly be much of a discussion if you’ve already made your decision, will it? Trust me, Tom, I do wish you well, but I’m done.”
She hung up before he could reply. Then, despite the ringing of the phone, she put dinner back on the table and managed to choke it down without once bursting into tears in front of her parents. To their credit, neither of them mentioned Tom’s absence, and when the meal ended, her mother shooed her away.
“Let me clean up in here for you,” she told Jeanette. “Maybe then you’ll finally answer that phone that’s been ringing off and on all evening.”
“Not a chance,” Jeanette said, then gave her a hug. “Thanks for not asking a lot of questions, though.”
“It’s not me you need to worry about. If your daddy crosses paths with Tom anytime soon, you can bet there will be questions.”
Jeanette’s lips twitched slightly. “Tell Daddy he can slug him if he wants to.”
Her mother feigned dismay. “Please, I am not going to give him any ideas. He’d like nothing better than to slug a man who’s hurt you.”
“I’m not hurt,” Jeanette said. “I’m furious.”
Her mother patted her hand. “Sometimes it’s real hard to tell the difference.”
* * *
Tom walked into Sullivan’s on Christmas Day, not sure what to expect. Dana Sue had called to repeat the invitation, she’d even included his parents, but there was no question that Jeanette would be here. There was also no question that she still wasn’t speaking to him. The one time she’d actually picked up the phone in the past two days, she’d hung up as soon as she heard his voice.
He knew he’d made a mess of things by not telling her in advance about the job interview. Warning bells had gone off in his head, but he’d ignored them. He wondered if they’d be able to make peace or if she really was through with him. He had a ring in his pocket that he hoped would persuade her to give him another chance. If that didn’t work, he was counting on the arrival of the big guns—his parents—to do the trick. He’d finally gotten through to them that Jeanette meant everything to him. He hoped their promise to come and share in today’s celebration would be enough to convince Jeanette that he was serious about their future and that his parents wouldn’t be a roadblock to their happiness.
Of course, the real issue was the job in Charleston, and he had a feeling there was nothing he could say about that that would appease her. Turning it down might do the trick, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do that. He was holding off on that to use it as a last resort, a way to prove that she mattered more to him than any job, even an ideal one.
“What are you doing here?”
The icy question was spoken behind him. Apparently she hadn’t mellowed.
“Dana Sue insisted I come,” he said, drinking in the sight of her. Though she still looked angry, the dark circles under her eyes suggested she’d been sleeping no better than he had.
“Yet another person making decisions that affect me without discussing them,” she said bitterly. “I would have told her I didn’t want you here.”
“Apparently Dana Sue has a more generous spirit.”
“Look, you can stay or go, that’s up to you, but don’t stay on my account and don’t stay if you’re going to ruin it for everyone.”
“That’s definitely not my intention,” he said. “In fact, I was hoping to grab a minute alone with you.”
“Why?” she asked, her tone still unyielding.
“I have a gift for you,” he said.
For just an instant, she looked nonplussed. “I didn’t get you anything. Well, I did, but I returned it yesterday.”
“Actually you’ve already given me a gift,” he told her. “You brought something into my life I never expected. Look, I know I’ve really botched this up, but I swear to you that I had every intention of discussing the whole job thing with you as soon as I got home that night. I thought I could make you see that it was a great offer.”
“Yeah, I got that part. You might not have accepted, but it was plain you intended to.”
“I wanted to,” he corrected. “There’s a difference. Please tell me you know I think that you’re more important to me than any job,” he said.
She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m not getting that. Words are easy. Your actions speak volumes.”
“What about this action?” he asked, reaching in his pocket for a foil-wrapped package with bright red ribbon. “Will this convince you?”
She backed up a step, even as her eyes stayed glued to the package. “Tom?”
“Yes, Jeanette,” he said solemnly.
“What do
es that mean?”
He chuckled. “I think if you open it, the meaning will be clear.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Do you still want the job in Charleston?”
“I do, but it’s negotiable.”
She blinked at that. “Really?”
“You’re more important to me than any job. Look, I know I screwed up. I should have told you before I went to the interview, discussed what it might mean with you, but it all happened so fast. I’m sorry.”
“So, instead I got blindsided,” she said.
“Again, sorry.”
“If we’re going to be together, we have to talk things through, make big decisions together.”
“I know that. And if you will hear me out about the job and you still disapprove and think we can’t make it work, I’ll tell them I’m not taking it.”
“But you want it,” she said, sounding resigned. “That’s the truth, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Then how can I be the one to ruin it for you?”
“Because you matter more.” He tucked his finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. “I mean that, Jeanette. You matter more!”
She seemed startled by his vehemence. “Okay, so say we can work through that, what about your parents? We’ve made some progress...”
“They’ll be here shortly to make a little more progress.”
Her eyes widened. “Your parents are coming here?”
He glanced at his watch. “In about fifteen minutes.”
“Does Dana Sue know you invited them?”
“Her idea,” he admitted. “I wasn’t clever enough or brave enough to think of it.”
“I see.”
“Do you really? We can make this work, Jeanette. I believe that with everything in me.”
She still looked doubtful. “I won’t leave Serenity,” she said.
“Did I ask you to?”
“This job you want is in Charleston. A move is implied.”
“But not absolutely necessary. I can commute. Or we can arrange our hours so we can split our time between both places. We already have the guesthouse at my parents’ place in Charleston and we can keep your house here.”
“You really have given this a lot of thought, haven’t you?”
He nodded. “Looking at things from every angle is one of my skills as a manager.”
“It may turn out to be a bit annoying in a prospective husband,” she noted.
“I’ll change,” he offered. “I’ll be obnoxiously single-minded, if that’s what you want.”
“Hardly.”
“Then tell me what you do want.”
“I want it all,” she admitted. “You, Serenity, my house and you doing what makes you happy.”
“You make me happy.”
“But you need to do work that’s satisfying, too,” she conceded, then sighed. “I suppose we can talk about commuting.”
“Thank you. Anything else we need to negotiate before you accept my proposal?”
She considered the question, her expression thoughtful. “You won’t grumble about Christmas ever again?”
“Never,” he said, then amended, “Well, other than having to deal with Howard if you volunteer me to help with the festival.”
“Acceptable,” she said.
“Ready to open your present yet?” he inquired hopefully.
She gave him an impish look. “Not just yet. My dad’s around here somewhere. I think you two should have a talk.”
“You want me to ask for your father’s blessing?”
“No, I want you to talk to a man who’s just rediscovered the meaning of Christmas. He’s the one in the Santa suit.”
“But I thought—”
She grinned. “I know. He wasn’t too wild about the idea, either, but then Howard decided to take Mary Vaughn, Rory Sue and Sonny to Aspen to celebrate the fact that Sonny and Mary Vaughn are on their way to a reconciliation. Somebody had to fill in.”
“And you convinced your dad to do it?”
She shook her head. “I called in some help.”
“Oh?”
“Maddie, Dana Sue and Helen. They ganged up on him the second he came in the door. They told him how disappointed the kids would be if there was no Santa to hand out presents.”
She shrugged as her gaze went to her dad, who was surrounded by a couple dozen kids, many of them belonging to her best friends. Two college-age youngsters—most likely Maddie’s son Ty and Dana Sue’s daughter Annie, whom Tom had heard so much about—were trying to organize the little ones into a line, while not even glancing at each other.
Tom pointed out the pair. “Ty and Annie, right?”
Jeanette followed the direction of his gaze. “Yes.”
“Looks as if they have some issues to work out, too,” he said.
“I know,” Jeanette said. “Neither Maddie nor Dana Sue knows what’s going on between them these days, just that they’re not speaking.”
“Maybe the holidays will work their magic on them, too,” Tom said.
Jeanette regarded him with surprise. “You actually mean that?”
He nodded. “By the way, your dad really seems to be in his element.”
“He always had a soft spot for kids and for Christmas. He just lost sight of that for a while.” She grinned. “You should be very grateful to him, by the way. You were their next choice to fill in as Santa.”
“I’ll be sure and thank him for saving me from that,” Tom said, though somehow the prospect wasn’t nearly as disturbing as it once would have been.
He brushed a stray wisp of hair back from Jeanette’s cheek. “Sounds to me as if we have a lot to celebrate,” he said.
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “Are you feeling that holiday spirit yet?”
Tom laughed. “Well, I’m feeling something, all right.”
“Hey, watch it. It’s Christmas and this is a PG-rated, family celebration. To say nothing of the fact that I will not have your parents walking in here and finding us in a lip-lock.”
“Later, then,” he said dutifully.
“Definitely later. Merry Christmas, Tom.”
“The very merriest, darlin’.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from WILLOW BROOK ROAD by Sherryl Woods.
“Woods employs her signature elements—the Southern small-town atmosphere, the supportive network of friends and family, and the heartwarming romance—to great effect.”
—Booklist
Extend your trip to Serenity, South Carolina, where the Sweet Magnolias are always in season and heartwarming romance is only ever just a stone’s throw away:
Stealing Home
A Slice of Heaven
Feels Like Family
Welcome to Serenity
Home in Carolina
Sweet Tea at Sunrise
Honeysuckle Summer
Midnight Promises
Catching Fireflies
Where Azaleas Bloom
Swan Point
Complete your collection!
“Sherryl Woods writes emotionally satisfying novels about family, friendship and home. Truly feel-great reads!”
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber
Looking for more incredible stories from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods? Catch up with the O’Brien family in Chesapeake Shores, where tales of friendship, family and love await—you may never want to leave. Collect the complete series today!
The Inn at Eagle Point
Flowers on Main
Harbor Lights
A Chesapeake Shores Christmas
Driftwood Cottage
Moonlight Cove
Beach Lane
/> An O’Brien Family Christmas
The Summer Garden
A Seaside Christmas
The Christmas Bouquet
Dogwood Hill
Willow Brook Road
“Woods’s amazing grasp of human nature and the emotions that lie deep within us make this story universal.”
—RT Book Reviews on Driftwood Cottage
Available now!
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Willow Brook Road
by Sherryl Woods
CHAPTER ONE
The original Mick O’Brien–designed cottage on Willow Brook Road had been built with weathered gray shingles, white trim and a tiny back porch barely big enough for two rockers side by side. They faced Willow Brook, which fed into the Chesapeake Bay. The backyard sloped gently to the brook, with the graceful branches of a trademark weeping willow touching the lawn at the water’s edge. The peaceful setting was just right for quiet conversation or relaxing with a good book.
In front the cottage featured a small yard with an actual white picket fence and a climbing yellow rosebush that tumbled over it with a profusion of fragrant blooms. Bright red and hot-pink geraniums filled pots on the stoop in a vibrant display of clashing colors. The property oozed picturesque charm.
With three cozy bedrooms and a fireplace in the living room and a surprisingly large eat-in kitchen, it was the perfect Chesapeake Shores vacation getaway or a starter home for a small family, but Carrie Winters had been living there alone and at loose ends for almost six months now. The only personal touch she’d added beyond the mismatched furniture she’d acquired from various family attics was the portrait of the whole O’Brien family taken at the Christmas wedding of her twin, Caitlyn.
These days, sitting in one of those rockers for more than a minute or two made her antsy. After two years in a pressure-cooker public relations job at which she’d excelled, being idle was a new experience, and one she didn’t particularly like. She was too distracted for reading anything deeper than the local weekly newspaper. And though she loved to cook, making fancy meals for one person just left her feeling lonely.