by Kim Watters
Ethan’s gaze followed hers, and he placed his hand on her arm, creating that familiar tingling sensation in her stomach. “Do you want me to stop him?”
“No. I don’t think causing a scene would be a good thing right now.”
“Agreed. Let’s see what kind of choices he decides to make tonight. One of them is Patrick, isn’t it?”
“The one in charge. Two boys I can’t identify, but underneath the long, uncombed hair, I recognize Tyler Smith, one of Cam’s friends from grade school. I guess I should have asked which Tyler he was referring to. I don’t understand how Cam fell in with that crowd.”
“Sometimes it depends on where they are in their life at any particular moment.” Ethan spoke as if he had personal experience, and Holly knew it to be true from their conversation while painting his garage door.
She waited for Ethan to elaborate and sighed as she watched Cam and his friends nod and knuckle-bang each other before they disappeared into the crowd. Holly wanted to follow, yet something in Ethan’s gaze held her back. Cameron had already made a poor choice with Patrick and had paid the consequence. She could only hope that he’d learned from his mistake.
“So, I guess that leaves the two of us.” Ethan gave her a half smile as his gaze lingered on the spot where Cam had just stood. Concern and hesitation clouded his expression.
“It does. For now. I don’t trust those boys.” Holly could feel they were on the same wavelength. The thought gladdened her and scared her. It felt good to share her concerns with Ethan, but opening up an area in her heart again could only lead to more pain. And yet with Cameron getting older and wanting to spend less time with her, the idea that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life alone erupted in her mind. The earlier image of Mayor and Mrs. Moss and how happy they were didn’t help, either. Tonight she was going to forget about everything else and have fun.
“Me, neither. What would you like to do?”
“Let’s walk around and take a look at all the activities first. Since Mrs. Sanderson took over, there’s bound to be a few surprises.” Holly moved into the stream of traffic, needing to surround herself with other people besides Ethan and the strange emotions he had awakened inside her.
Coming to the festival had been a good idea in theory, but it had been her and Cam when she’d imagined it, not her son running off with a group of so-called friends and leaving her with Ethan. From the looks and the number of people who stopped to talk to them, though, the town gossips were going to have a lot to talk about tomorrow. She threw caution to the wind. It had been a long time since she’d really had fun, and she was glad Ethan was here with her.
“Looks like the bouncy castles are a big hit.” Piles of shoes thrown haphazardly outside the Princess Castle and Dinosaur House along with the squeals of young children confirmed that.
“Cameron used to love those.” They walked by a crowded craft table containing the materials to make sand art in a plastic bottle. Holly recognized a few of the younger kids from church and smiled at their parents. “He also loved making things. I still have one of his sand creations in my china cabinet. Now all he seems to make is trouble. Well, up until last week, that is. His turnaround is remarkable. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. He’s a pleasure to be around. I think he’s going to be just fine.”
“I hope so.” Holly wasn’t sure how much more stress she could handle, even though things seemed to have gotten better in the past week, thanks to Ethan’s intervention. And maybe, just maybe, God was listening to her prayers and they were starting to work.
“He will.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. “Let’s try the cake walk.” Ethan pulled her to the booth that contained a table laden with various cakes and pies. “We can still get in on this round.”
He handed two tickets from the ten he’d bought earlier to the woman standing next to the boom box and motioned for Holly to step on a numbered circle behind his. The music started and both Holly and Ethan moved from one circle to the next. Holly laughed as she jumped into his circle. He turned, his hands grazing her waist to keep her from falling over. “No fair. This is my circle.”
His touch exhilarated and frightened her and she hadn’t felt this carefree in a long time. Playfully, she pushed him from the circle. “Keep moving. You can’t hog it all to yourself.”
“If that’s the way you want to play.”
But before Ethan could make his move, Holly jumped away and ahead of him to the next circle, the music keeping time with the tempo of her heart. More laughter filled the air as she moved from circle to circle, only once glancing back to catch a smiling Ethan looking at her. She turned away but not until after she returned his grin.
Just a few more hops and she’d be back to her favorite number. The music stopped just as she reached nine. The woman running the booth pulled out a number from her paper bag. “Number nine is the winner.”
“Holly, that’s you.” Ethan stepped over and high-fived her.
“Yes. Cam will be so excited.” Holly put her name on the chocolate-mousse cake to collect before they left, an extravagant dessert she would never allow herself to buy because of the cost. “And because you bought the ticket, we can all share this tonight after the festival closes.”
“Sounds like a plan. So how do you feel about bobbing for apples?” Ethan pointed to the next booth over, where adults behaved like kids as they dunked their heads into the big horse trough filled with water.
“Go for it.”
“Only if you do it with me. It looks like they’re giving away some pretty good prizes.” He pointed to the sign behind the trough. “I wonder if anyone’s won the $100 gift card yet.”
Holly didn’t want to get her face wet and chance her mascara giving her raccoon eyes, but the idea that she could win a generic gift card that could be used at any number of stores caught her eye. She could use it to help buy the present that Cameron longed for this year.
“You’re on.” She looked around the crowded room again in an attempt to locate her son but only managed to catch the attention of her neighbors. She smiled and waved but this time managed to hand the booth attendant two of the tickets she’d bought before Ethan could.
“Okay, no use of hands or feet or any other body part is allowed,” the volunteered droned. “No getting help from your neighbor, either.”
Ethan winked at her. “There goes that idea.”
Holly blushed under his scrutiny. “Why, Ethan, you didn’t strike me as someone who broke the rules.”
“Let’s just say I like to think outside the box. Which one do you think I should try for?”
“How about the green one in front of you. It doesn’t look too battered.”
“The green one it is, then.”
A few moments later, Holly wiped the water from her face after having come up empty in her attempt. The apples were hard to get a grip on, and the harder she tried, the more the apples seemed to mock her attempt. Ethan, on the other hand, was still trying to snag the green one. She watched in fascination as he managed to grab the stem of the apple and pull it from the water. Holly wasn’t exactly sure if that was the correct way to play, but she clapped and cheered along with the rest of the crowd.
“Let’s see what you won.” She took the apple from him and compared the colored thumbtack pushed in the bottom to the chart on the sign. “Well, it’s not the $100 card, but it looks like you’re the proud owner of a $15 certificate to Marc’s Hobby World.”
“Terrific. You can use it as a stocking stuffer for Cameron.”
Holly handed Ethan the towel she’d just used to wipe her face. His words made her breath catch in her throat. The selfless action sent a jolt into her bloodstream that refused to still, but she needed to refuse. He was already doing enough for her by letting her stay in the shop and assisting with Cameron, whom
she hadn’t seen since the evening began.
“Better yet, why don’t you give it to Cameron for all the help he’s doing for you. Here, you missed a spot.” Using the corner of the towel, she reached up and dabbed the droplet of water clinging to his sideburn. The action, so innocent on her part, seemed to change something between them as they stared at each other, the noise and the people fading into the background. “Finish drying off. I’ll go collect your prize.”
Ethan stared after Holly as she slipped away.
“Ethan Pellegrino. I’d heard you were back. Good to see you again.”
Glad for the distraction, Ethan turned toward the voice and recognized his former classmate immediately. Whatever had just happened between him and Holly needed to be stopped. He had other things to think about, like his dog shelter, learning to work with his right hand again, learning to trust his instincts so he didn’t make another fatal mistake. “Jeremy Foster. How’s it going?”
“Not too bad. Yourself?”
Ethan took in Jeremy’s police uniform. Somehow his old high-school friend’s career choice surprised him. Jeremy had had a bit of a wild streak in him as well, and they’d both had their share of scrapes with adults in the past. But then again, who better to understand the youth in this town?
“Glad to be home for good. What’s with the uniform? I thought you were more interested in politics.”
“Still am, but from a different perspective now. Who knows, though. Maybe I’ll run for police chief once Phillips retires.”
“He’s still around?” The police chief had been old before Ethan left for the service. The man should be well past retirement age and planted on one of the community benches lining Main Street along with all the other retirees.
“Yeah, he plans on dropping dead in his office with his uniform on.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
Holly returned and handed him his gift certificate, but before she could slip away again, Ethan put his hand on her arm. “Have you met Holly Stanwyck?”
“Can’t say that I have. Pleased to meet you. Jeremy Foster.”
“You, too.” Holly shook his hand and smiled tentatively.
Ethan didn’t appreciate the length of time it took Jeremy to release Holly’s hand even though Ethan had no claim to her heart. “Anything interesting going on in town?”
With one more casual glance at Holly, Jeremy focused back on Ethan, his professionalism returning. “Just the usual, although there seems to be a lot more vandalism and mischief happening. Word has it it’s a bunch of kids. If you see or hear anything, let me know.”
“Will do.” Ethan glanced over and saw that the blood had drained from Holly’s face. She’d obviously connected the incident with his garage door. Could the issues be related?
“I’d better run. I’m on the clock. Again, it was nice to meet you, Holly. Call me if Pellegrino gets out of line.” With that, Jeremy strode away into the waning crowd.
“I wonder where Cam wandered off to.” Holly broke the silence between them.
Ethan’s gaze searched the room. Cameron and the other boys were nowhere to be seen. During the hour they’d been there, he’d kept his eye out for Holly’s son. He hadn’t seen him in a while, and his gut told him they were not in the building. “Let’s go check outside.”
“Outside?”
“I doubt they’re inside one of the bouncy castles.”
After stepping into the cool, crisp night, Ethan took her arm and guided her along the sidewalk that led to the parking lot. But instead of heading toward the lighted area where all the cars were parked, he strode in the other direction, away from the lights and people.
The smell of cigarette smoke assaulted his nostrils once they reached the back of the building. In the darkness, an orange glow hovered in the air, as if passed around from hand to hand. In the shadows, he made out a group of six figures, one of them most likely Holly’s son.
Holly gasped. “Cameron wouldn’t, would he?”
“We’re about to find out. Cameron Stanwyck, show yourself.”
“Run.” A boy’s hushed tone broke the stillness. Shadows melted into the night and footsteps pounded against the blacktop.
Ethan managed to filter out which was Holly’s son and step in front of him to keep him from running.
“Cam, what were you doing out here?” Holly’s strangled voice thrust a knife through Ethan’s heart. Her vulnerability when it came to her son affected him on a more personal level than he cared to admit. He wasn’t the boy’s father, but Ethan felt a responsibility to Holly, Jared and the community to keep Cameron from making the same mistakes he had.
“I wasn’t doing anything.”
“No? Then what’s this?” Ethan kicked at a cigarette butt.
“The other boys were doing it. I was just standing here.”
Ethan sniffed. At least it was only cigarette smoke he smelled, but given what he’d seen of the other boys, something stronger was probably going to follow sooner rather than later. It didn’t matter the size of the town—drugs and alcohol abuse were everywhere. He stepped closer. Ethan’s intervention with Cameron had come just in time. “Try again.”
“Ethan, stop. Please.” Holly placed her hand on his arm. “This is my problem.”
He knew he was treading on Holly’s parenting skills, but even in the dim light, he could see that all the blood had leeched from her face again. Moisture pooled in her eyes and the skin between her brows furrowed.
“Not anymore.”
“Yes, it is.” She fisted her hands and planted them on her waist. “Cameron, we will discuss this on the way home. Now, go to the car.”
“Look, Holly, it’s not just cigarettes. They’ve been drinking.” He pointed to the ground by Cameron’s feet. “Before you get in the car, pick up the empty bottles and go throw them in the trash.”
Cameron didn’t say a word confirming or denying the truth as he collected the bottles and slunk toward the trash can nearby.
“Are you undermining my authority, Ethan? I’m Cameron’s parent, not you.” Anger simmered beneath her breath.
“I’m well aware of that, but there’s nothing wrong with getting some help. What do you think would have happened if Officer Foster had found the boys? Especially since alcohol was involved.”
“I believe my son when he tells me that he was just standing there.”
Ethan scraped his hand through his hair. “Do you know anything about guilt by association?”
Holly sighed. “No.” Her shoulders slumped again. “I feel like such a failure.”
“You are not a failure, Holly. Far from it.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind Holly’s ear, the gesture sending a wave of compassion and the need to protect her through him. He leaned in a fraction, his gaze lingering on her lips. What was he thinking? Neither he nor Holly needed that complication right now. He valued their tentative friendship that he hoped could survive the eviction after next month. “You’ve done a great job with him. But he’s at that tough age where he’s testing his limits and your patience. You have enough to worry about. Please let me help.”
Holly stared at him and finally nodded as a silent Cameron returned and kicked at a small rock on the blacktop.
Ethan crossed his arms and faced him. “You have a decision to make, son. Your fair-weather friends, who have obviously already turned on you since they’re no longer here, or the dogs. Think long and hard about what each of them means to you and let me know. You can’t have both.”
Chapter Six
Soft light filtered through the front window of the shop as Holly sat behind the counter midafternoon Monday. Outside, city workers strung holiday lights on the trees across the street in the town square and on the trees lining the sidewalks. Colorful red and green banners hung from the
streetlights, adding an even more festive feel along with the large Christmas tree filled with ornaments of different shapes and colors. Each of the businesses, Holly’s included, had hung exterior Christmas lights around their windows, adding to the quaint feel of the small town.
Too bad the mood outside didn’t reflect the one inside her shop, despite the dwindling merchandise. Yesterday’s sales had emptied more shelf space, but it wasn’t enough. She was too far in debt to remain open and keep Jared’s dream alive. The bare Christmas tree in the corner sported a new for-sale sign, and in between customers she’d spent the past hour rearranging all the figurines, wooden nutcrackers and candleholders into more visible positions.
Despite the lights, the music and the scent of the holidays, the Christmas spirit had passed over her this year.
Holly pulled up Cameron’s grades online, rubbed her eyes and stared at the computer screen. She had more immediate things to worry about. How had Cam’s grades dropped even further? When she’d checked just over a week ago, they’d been Bs and Cs. Now they were Cs and Ds. Cameron had always been a good student.
She’d failed her son. In fact, she didn’t even know him anymore. How had he gotten involved with Patrick and his cigarette-smoking, beer-drinking buddies? Despite her talk with Cam after church yesterday, Holly didn’t know if he’d been serious when he’d chosen the dogs over his so-called friends.
Another Christmas carol drifted around her in the stillness of the shop, and even the scent of pine brought her no comfort today. For the first time since they’d opened the shop, Holly turned around and slammed the radio off. She couldn’t handle it any more than she could stand to see the twinkling lights making the remaining leaves shimmer across the street. With Thanksgiving only a week away and more and more phone calls about her decorating business coming in, her days and nights were stretched thin, and tonight she was supposed to go see the winner of the church auction. She now had less time for her son, especially since she didn’t see him right after school anymore. Was that why his grades suffered?
