11
Her shift at school had been shortened by a couple of hours for teacher in-service, which meant that she had some time to herself before having to pick Ava up from daycare. She had once hated leaving Ava at the daycare, until she realized how much Ava enjoyed going. Her daughter seemed to enjoy the interaction with the other kiddos—so much so that lately she fussed when it was time to go home.
Digging through her purse, she pulled her car keys out and unlocked her car. She had gone all day without so much as a drop of caffeine. She had run behind this morning, too late to make a pot of coffee, and Adam had long since left the house, hours before her alarm woke her up.
Pulling her car out of the parking lot, she headed in the direction of the coffee shop downtown. She was more than ready for a hot cup of coffee or two—her body was not used to a lack of caffeine.
Granny Mae’s Café sat in the middle of the block where finding a parking spot was a chore in and of itself. Rachel pulled in across the street, thankful for a random old guy leaving the barber shop.
The bell above the door rang when she stepped inside. She had been invited to this place on more than one occasion by Rosie since it had opened two weeks ago, but Rachel had plenty on her plate and no time to stop in to check it out.
The talk of the town had mentioned how cozy and welcoming the place was. They had said it was more of an older lady hangout than it was for anyone else, but Rachel couldn’t care less as she walked in the direction of Rosie’s wave; she was standing behind the coffee colored counter next to the glass snack display case.
“You finally decided to stop in,” Rosie called out, as she turned to grab the other woman’s attention from behind the swinging door. Apparently, Rachel’s visit was something special, as an older woman walked out wiping her hands on her checkered apron.
“This must be Rachel?” The woman gave Rachel a once over followed with a bright smile that lifted the wrinkles on her face. The woman had a resemblance quite like her own grandmother’s with flawless fair skin and light blue eyes.
“Rachel, dear, come here and meet Granny Mae,” Rosie said, holding an outstretched hand as she guided Rachel around the length of the counter. “She’s the owner.”
There was something about Rosie and Granny Mae, like they had something planned. Innocent older ladies were hardly ever as innocent as they seemed. Especially since the café had just opened and Rachel knew they were looking for help—the sign on the door had made that official.
“First of all, I’d like to tell you that it’s nice to finally meet you,” Granny Mae said, taking hold of Rachel’s hand and patting it. “Adam and Tyler are so blessed to have you in their lives.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t know quite what to say. “I’m sure that I’m the one who should be thankful for them.”
She wouldn’t mention her reasons why. A sweet older lady didn’t need to know much more than what the town was saying. Rachel would leave it that way for as long as she could. Having Ava out of wedlock was frowned upon by some, but seemed to be forgiven since coming to Cedar Valley to be with Adam and Tyler.
“Rosie says that you’re helping out at the school with the kiddos?” Granny Mae asked, walking over to the shelved pecan pies and pulling one from the bottom. “I’m sure you have your hands full with those young ones. That age always keeps you on your toes, but you would know that with Ava, right dear?”
“Yes, she definitely keeps me going.”
The fact that the kids at school were three times the age of Ava didn’t change the fact that they kept her busy. A classroom full of six year olds was asking for it, especially lately, when they were getting antsy for their summer break.
“How do you like working there?”
If she had to guess, Granny Mae was hinting around the idea of asking Rachel to work at the café. She wouldn’t be able to tell her no, because she loved to bake and she adored Rosie. She would enjoy working alongside Rosie while selling coffee and cinnamon rolls on Thursdays.
“I like it,” Rachel said, smiling just enough to make her reply seem as genuine as possible. She really did like working with kids, but after having Ava, she needed a break from the wild and crazy in order to keep her sanity. A change of pace would be appreciated.
“But?”
“But...” It came out more of a hesitation than a question. As though Granny Mae knew she wanted something more, something less noisy and more enjoyable than chasing six year olds around a playground, constantly telling them to be nice to one another, and once in the classroom to use inside voices that they seldom remembered they had.
“What would you say if I asked you to work here?” Granny Mae’s eyes lit up just at the thought, and Rachel couldn’t possibly tell her no. “You can tell the school that you’ll fill in as needed there, but you’ll be busy with full time hours here.”
Rachel should have talked it over with Adam before coming to a decision, but it all happened so fast and the look on Granny’s face at the mention of having Rachel work there... It was too much to wait on or turn down.
Glancing around the café, with the light brown mochas and coffee cups doodled wallpaper bordering the sitting area to the left of the counter, she couldn’t ignore how calm the place was. Even with chatter over coffee in the corner across the way, the place was quieter than home and school put together. Plus, the place had a natural cozy feel that was hard to ignore as her eyes ventured the surroundings.
“I heard that you and Tyler love to bake,” Granny Mae said, carrying a plated slice of pecan pie toward an older gentleman with a scruffy beard and a gap in his smile who was waiting patiently. “We could always use a baker here, you know?”
Granny Mae was trying too hard, but Rachel wouldn’t tell her that. She didn’t even need to keep trying. Rachel was sold on the idea when it was first mentioned. Leaving school behind would be a little rough, but after baking for a few days and enjoying the coffeehouse music over the buzzing chatter, Rachel wouldn’t regret it.
Looking down at her phone, she thought about calling Adam, but she knew that he’d be happy with whatever she chose to do; as long as she was happy, he was happy. That’s the way she felt about him and his work, too. It scared her to think of him fighting fires, and the chances of him getting hurt were high; but knowing that he loved it and enjoyed it, she couldn’t make him walk away from it.
“I’ll tell you what,” Granny Mae said, leaning against the counter as she pulled a piece of scratch paper from beside the register. Granny smiled as she scribbled a list that Rachel couldn’t see from a distance, but was sure it involved something along the lines of baking and an offer Rachel once again wouldn’t say no to.
“You take this with you,” Granny said, handing the paper to Rachel. “Take it home, talk it over with Adam, and let me know tomorrow.”
Folding the paper without looking at it, Rachel would do as she was told. With a friendly wink and wave from Rosie, and a kiss on the cheek, she headed out the door. There wasn’t much more that could make her happier than being right here in Cedar Valley with the people she loved.
12
Once home, he knew that he would be far from being able to relax. He had just dropped Tyler off at football practice, so he had just over an hour to help with supper and get things sorted out for the night. He didn’t like working all these hours, but he enjoyed what he did. Fighting fires ran hot through his blood and he couldn’t imagine giving it up.
Pulling into the driveway, he saw Rachel swinging out front with Ava in her lap. Killing the engine, he climbed out and walked to the porch, taking a seat on the landing.
Rachel’s smile welcomed him home before she even said a word. Ava shimmied off her lap and toddled over to him, plopping down in his lap once she made it. “She’s been waiting for you all day. Every truck she heard pass by she thought it was you.”
“Is that right?” he asked, poking a finger into Ava’s plump belly, causing a fit of giggles to erupt from the pacifie
r-filled mouth of hers. “Guess who’s ready to tickle?”
Laying Ava on the porch floor, he allowed the tickle monster to get her, causing hysterics of laughter to echo into the evening calm surrounding them. He heard Rachel’s silent chuckle as she sipped from a glass of wine. Her blonde hair fluttered softly against her cheek as a light breeze passed along.
“So, I heard your brother might be moving back soon?” It was more of a question than a statement. He wondered how many people would hear about this before Conner actually said something to him. And he also wondered what the hold-up was.
He knew the shrug he had given in response was a bit cold, but if he were to be honest, it was better than telling her how he truly felt. Which, knowing Rachel, she would get him to open up about it, regardless of how sour he truly was about the whole situation.
From the corner of his eye, he watched her continue to sip from her glass, and what looked like pondering over what to say next, if anything at all. It wasn’t how he wanted her to feel. There was no walking on egg shells in this house, not if he could help it. Besides, it wasn’t her fault his family was a bit dysfunctional.
“I take it you aren’t too happy about it?” she asked, swishing her drink around in her glass as she kept her eyes on him and Ava’s tickle fest.
“I can’t say that it wouldn’t make me happy to have my little bro back home,” he finally admitted, pushing aside his differences for a minute. “I just know that he has a lot of growing up to do.”
“Huh.”
Her one word response was enough evidence to tell him that he had somehow said the wrong thing. It wasn’t his choice for his brother to move a whole state away without looking back. He had tried to convince Conner to stay and work out the differences, but his advice had been ignored when Conner’s mind was made up.
“What?”
It was her turn to shrug, and if he had to honest, she was a bit cuter when she was upset about something. Her cheeks had a tint of pink, probably from the alcohol, and her eyes—there was something about them that had his attention.
“I don’t think anyone should judge him,” she said, finishing off the last of her drink. “Besides, he’s still young and he shouldn’t have to settle.”
Had it been that long since he was young and antsy to get out of this town? He hadn’t once really taken himself seriously when he had the thoughts of leaving.
“Maybe you’re just jealous that you hadn’t thought about leaving before he did?”
Taken aback by her accusation, he had no choice but stand on the front porch in complete silence with his jaw damned near on the ground. He didn’t know how to answer that without sounding like a spoiled brat... even though he surely was far from that... and thirty-four years old. What the heck had he been thinking before getting into this heated discussion with her?
“Okay, I call a truce,” he said, holding his hands up in defense. “And for the record, I ain’t jealous. He’s out there fighting fires in Colorado while I’ve got this right here.”
He wrapped an arm around her and Ava, pulling them close as he planted his lips on each of their foreheads, hoping that it would settle Rachel’s spunk. He had to give her credit, she was a force to be reckoned with when it came to what she felt was right.
Pulling the door open with one hand, he guided them into the house with the other. “How about some supper and we can talk about things that make us happy?” he asked, smiling wide in hopes that she’d calmed down. “Like little Ava saying Daddy instead of Mommy.”
“Now you’re pushing it,” Rachel warned, as she walked past him.
Leaving Ava to run wild in the confines of the baby gates, they decided on cooking supper together. Rachel had admitted that she wasn’t a very good cook, but he had made the promise that it wasn’t a deal breaker. He never believed in having women slave in the kitchen while their men sat in the other room kicking back with a beer in their hands.
“Ty should be home in a half hour or so,” he said, glancing at the clock on the stove. “I told him that he could catch a ride with one of his buddies.”
He watched Rachel as she peeled the potatoes. Her technique was perfect, unlike his, she didn’t gouge half the potato just to get a single peeling off. He took a moment to take a peek at Ava, who was bouncing around to the music of her favorite Sesame Street song.
“What’s the big deal about your brother anyway?”
He didn’t feel like discussing this with her, not right now. Not like there was much to talk about. The choice had been Conner’s and he had taken it without a single hint of hesitation. He’d tried to stop him the last day he was in town, but Conner had his mind made up and there was no stopping a Jacobsen from doing what they wanted.
“He had a tiff with our father,” he said, keeping an eye on the chicken in the pan as it slowly browned. “They hardly ever saw eye to eye, and I think Dad’s age was somewhat to blame. He was getting older, refused to give much slack to Conner, and instead of bringing him closer to the fire department here, he shoved him away.”
He watched as Rachel rinsed the potatoes and emptied the strainer into the pan. He waited for her to say something, anything, along the lines of the relationship, but she didn’t. Instead, she prepared the steamer by pouring a bag full of frozen vegetables in and lighting the fire underneath.
“He hasn’t said anything to me about moving back, which is odd, because Iwas the one who had insisted he stay here in Cedar Valley.” This wasn’t how he’d expected the night to go, but since it was brought up, he had no choice but to talk about it. “I don’t think he wanted to work under our father’s scrutiny, but he refused to give up the Jacobsen’s passion of fighting fires. It left him with no choice but to leave Cedar Valley.”
Placing a lid over the chicken as it cooked, he ventured away from the stove and propped himself against the counter. He hated to think that it was because of their father he had lost a close bond with his brother, but that was neither here nor there.
“I don’t know what would make him come back here, other than the fact that our father recently retired as chief, which opens up an opportunity for Conner to work here and be free of my father’s strict ways,” he said, offering her the only logical explanation he could come up with. It only made sense, for the simple fact that Conner couldn’t stand their father’s strict military ways, which had overseen the fire department for the last twenty-some odd years. Hell, he couldn’t blame Conner, he felt the same way about their father, but it was just different with him. “Who’d you hear it from anyway?”
Carrying a plate of lemon-peppered chicken to the table, she said, “Leah was talking about it today while she was at the daycare.”
It should have been obvious who she had heard it from. The two of them were inseparable. The best of friends, who, unlike anyone he had ever known, had been through a lot together. “What’d she have to say about it?”
Rachel smiled as she bent over to pick up Ava, who had been standing at the gate, more than ready to eat. “Nothing much. Just that it’s all she’s heard about since taking on a couple of shifts with Megan at Levy’s.”
It didn’t surprise him that Megan was talking about Conner. They had completed their training the same summer together. Megan, of course, had to continue with more schooling in order to get where she was now—Cedar Valley’s finest medic—but that didn’t mean she had stopped talking to his brother.
“She says she won’t shut up about it, actually,” Rachel said, scooping a spoonful of peas onto Ava’s tray. “Have they had a thing for each other or something?”
The slam of the screen door directed his attention away from their conversation. Tyler walked in, carrying his football gear, tracking mud in behind him. Adam held a hand up and motioned for Tyler to turn and make his way back to the door, pointing at the mess he’d just made on their clean carpet. Looking from the monster muddied footprints to Rachel, who was already grabbing a rag to clean it up, Adam said, “You have to remember to
take your shoes off, bud.”
“Sorry, Dad, I wasn’t thinking,” Tyler said, as he offered to take over clean up—which Rachel gladly handed over.
“Did you eat?” Rachel asked Tyler, making her way back to the kitchen table, where Ava was smashing her peas with balled up fists before cramming them into her mouth.
“No, they wanted to order pizza, but it was getting late. They wanted to get us home on time,” Tyler said, tossing the dirtied rag into a nearby bin for dirty laundry. “Dad, we made three touchdowns tonight in practice.”
“That’s good son,” he said, patting him on the back as he slid behind him on his way to his spot. Rachel divied up a spoonful of peas, ignoring Tyler’s protest she flopped them onto his plate. He wasn’t much for vegetables, something she could relate with. Vegetables had an awkward taste to them. Almost like eating grass. “When’s your first game? They get your schedule yet?”
Excitement filled Tyler’s face before he climbed out of his chair. Before Adam could holler at him to sit back down and worry later about whatever he was after, Tyler had already managed to pull the schedule from his bag. “Are you going to be able to come to the games, Dad?”
The feeling of being sucker punched in the gut would have felt better than how his son’s question had. The question was full of innocence, like any other young child questioning their parent’s attendance at something important to them, but his own guilt of picking up extra hours at the station was creeping up on him.
Rather than waiting until after supper to look it over, he held out his hand for the gold colored paper Tyler handed to him. Taking a glance at it, he was relieved to see that most of the games were scheduled for home and they fell on his days off. “You bet. I wouldn’t miss a single game.”
Making a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep had become his weakness as a father. He only wanted what was best for Tyler, and now Ava, and he was willing to do whatever it was to make it happen. It was almost as though his mind was on constant repeat of all the times his father had let him down by not showing up when he had promised he would.
Everything She Needed (Cedar Valley Novel Book 2) Page 5
