by Kat Brookes
“I’d like that.”
“I can think of a better circumstance,” Autumn said, drawing their attention her way. “Hannah and I are working with Reverend Walker to put together a gift basket drive for the less fortunate during the holidays. It would be nice to have a couple more volunteers to help with the collecting and then the delivery of them to those families. Although Jessica, I know it might be hard for you with your work schedule to fit it in.”
“I can work it in,” Jessica replied. “Dustin can help me with the collecting.”
“Or you can leave him here when you girls head into town to speak to the store owners,” Emma suggested. “Blue and Lucas, too.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Jessica said, shaking her head.
“You didn’t,” Jackson’s mother said. “I offered. I miss having children around now that my boys had to go and grow up into big, strapping men.”
Everyone around her was so kind and giving. Lainie couldn’t help but be touched by it all. And to think that she would have the opportunity to be a part of that giving, well, it just made her feel so good inside.
“We’re trying to fill that void by giving you plenty of grandchildren to fuss over,” Tucker said with a grin. “At least, Garrett and I are. Jackson’s still trying to find a woman capable of making him want to settle down.”
“Everyone finds love in their own time,” Emma replied. “Love has no time limit.”
Lainie knew that all too well. Even after all these years, after all the hurt, she still had love in her heart for Jackson. A love that seemed to be growing stronger since coming back, much to her dismay.
“Emma is serious,” Autumn told Jessica. “She’s happier than a kitten with a ball of yarn when she has children here for her to fawn over.”
“If you’re sure,” Jessica replied and then turned to Autumn, “then you count me in.”
“Great,” Autumn replied. “I’ll let Hannah know. Or, better yet, you can tell her when you pick up Dustin.”
“It’s so kind of you girls to think of others this way,” Emma said, a bit misty eyed.
Lainie felt her own eyes tearing up.
“I know times are hard for some,” Jackson’s mother went on. “And the holidays can be a painful reminder of that. More so this year since Wilmot Manufacturing closed its doors over in Bilmont. Several people from church alone had been employed there. I’ll tell you what,” she said thoughtfully. “Put Grady and me down for two holiday gift basket donations.”
“I’ll put a basket together,” Justin offered without hesitation.
Lainie had to wonder when her brother was going to find time to put his donation together with his busy work schedule, but then he was making time for dinner with Jessica and her son. She just prayed he didn’t intend to burn the candle at both ends in the process.
“I’m in for a couple,” Jackson said. “Just tell me what you’d like in them.”
“The letter we’ve sent out to local businesses suggests baskets filled with toys, nonperishable food, housewares, gift cards, anything a family in need might be able to use,” Autumn explained. “The reverend is putting together a list of names for us and we’ll deliver the gift baskets to those families Christmas Eve morning.”
Lainie felt blessed to know such kindhearted people. And what a wonderful thing to do, helping those in need. She would love nothing more than to be a part of it. “I’d love to help out,” she said, “but I don’t drive. I’d be happy to donate one though.”
“Nonsense,” Autumn said with a dismissive wave. “Not that a basket donation wouldn’t be appreciated. But there’s no reason you can’t help out. You can just ride with us when we go out to collect the contributions, and then when we deliver the baskets as well. On top of being emotionally rewarding, it’ll be more fun with all of us doing this together.”
“I’d like very much to be a part of your holiday basket collection,” Lainie told them. It was something she intended to put her whole heart into, wanting to give back to the town that gave so much to her growing up. To help those in need, because she knew firsthand how it felt to need help but not be able to bring yourself to ask for it. “It will be so nice to be a part of something again. A part of this town, helping others. And it will give me a chance to renew old acquaintances and friendships.” Maybe even take a step closer to the faith she used to hold so dear.
“This is wonderful,” Autumn said, her face alight with joy. “I’ll call Reverend Walker this evening and let him know.”
Jessica said her goodbyes and then left.
Justin looked to Lainie. “You and Lucas are welcome to join us.”
“I...” She looked to Jackson and then back to her brother. “We already have plans. I made a chicken casserole this morning to stick in the oven this evening and invited Jackson to join us when I dropped Lucas off earlier. I wasn’t sure if you would be home or not, but I made enough for everyone.”
Justin asked, “You invited Jackson to dinner?”
She shifted uneasily. “To pay him back for giving Lucas riding lessons,” Lainie said, feeling the need to explain her reason for extending a dinner invite to Jackson. “I thought you were working this evening.”
“Sam Collins has agreed to come back part-time and has been helping out some this week. He’ll continue to do so until Deputy Mitchell gets back.”
“I thought Sam was working with his dad now.” Although he had worked for the sheriff’s department a few years earlier, he’d left to help his father with the family business.
“He is,” her brother said. “But construction is slow right now over the holidays and Sam already knows the ropes. It’ll give Vance and I a little bit of a breather to say the least. And I’ll get to spend more time with you and Lucas.”
Which meant she would be spending less time with Jackson. Lainie knew she should be relieved. But instead she felt awash in sadness. She forced a smile. “That’ll be great.”
“I’d best get going,” her brother said. “I wouldn’t want Jessica to think I changed my mind.” Leaning in, he kissed her cheek, waved goodbye to the others and then hurried from the room.
As soon as he had gone, Lainie turned to Jackson, Autumn and Emma. “Can somebody please tell me what just happened here?”
Jackson chuckled. “I’d say your brother finally had his head turned by the right woman.”
Emma’s head bobbed in agreement. “He did seem quite taken with Jessica.”
“I don’t know why we never thought to introduce the two of them to each other,” Autumn muttered.
Lainie shook her head. “I’ve never seen him like that before. Don’t get me wrong. His job, when it’s not crazy stressful like it is right now, makes him happy. But this is a far different kind of happy.”
“He was definitely bound and determined to take Jessica to dinner,” Jackson muttered.
“And her son,” Autumn pointed out. “Jessica has had issues in the past with men not offering to include her son.”
“Justin would never leave her son out,” Lainie said. “But then my brother would tend to be more empathetic to someone in her situation, his having a sister who is also raising her young son alone.”
Emma nodded in agreement. “You should have seen the look on your brother’s face when he rushed into the kitchen after getting your call and found Jessica kneeling on the floor beside Lucas, cleaning his wounds. He nearly stumbled over his own booted feet.”
“Well, if he wasn’t such a workaholic, he might have met Jessica at Hannah and Garrett’s wedding,” Jackson said. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll finally discover that there’s more to life than work.”
“That would be nice,” Lainie said. “He deserves to be happy.”
“So do you,” Jackson said, meeting her gaze.
Only the Lord knew what His plans for her were. She just prayed th
at happiness was a part of the future He was guiding her toward.
Chapter Six
Jackson knocked again, a little louder than before and then glanced around. No sign of Lainie or Lucas outside. Maybe her parents had come by to pick them up and take them somewhere. He didn’t have any set plans with Lainie and her son. It had just become habit to swing by and check on them each day after his work was done at the ranch. And he wanted to see how Lucas’s knee was mending, now that a few days had gone by since his fall. Turning, he had just started for the porch steps when Justin’s front door swung open.
“Sorry,” Lainie said, her breathing slightly labored. A single strand of hair hung down over her eyes, her ponytail drooping slightly off-center at the back of her head. “I was up searching in the attic.”
“Lucas ran off to the attic?”
“No,” she said, looking confused by his words. “He went with Mom and Dad for the day.”
“Why didn’t you go with them?” he asked. Not that it was any of his business.
“Because I had things to do here. Like find my brother’s missing limbs, which I have been searching for in the attic for well over an hour.”
He blinked. “Justin is missing his limbs?”
Lainie laughed softly. “Tree limbs,” she clarified. “I was going to put up his artificial Christmas tree for him, which, according to my brother, he hasn’t put up since our parents sold him the house, but not all of the branches were in the box. Thus the search. I know it’s not as special as a real tree, but at least it would be something.”
Jackson nodded knowingly. “It appears you’ve been up there longer than an hour. Long enough, at least, for a spider to spin its web in your hair.”
Her hands flew to her head, swiping at her hair. “Ooh! Get it off me!” she shrieked. Lainie had always hated spiders.
He calmly reached out to pluck a shimmery strand of cobweb from her hair and held it up for her to see. “All gone,” he assured her with a grin.
She let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
She stepped aside. “Come on in. Just excuse my disheveled appearance.”
“No excuse needed. Dust looks good on you,” he told her.
“Thank you,” she said. “I think.”
“Definitely a compliment,” he told her as he followed her into the living room, where a partially erected Christmas tree stood in the corner. What limbs there were shot out at all sorts of odd angles.
Lainie, who now stood next to Jackson, eyeing the misshapen tree, leaned his way. “Thus the search for the missing limbs.”
He looked her way, taking in her pretty smile and bright eyes. “Would you like some help searching for them?”
“If I hadn’t already gone through the attic inch by inch, I would be more than happy to have your assistance in finding the rest of the Christmas tree, but I know for a fact that there are no more branches up there.” She released a frustrated sigh. “They must’ve been stored away in more than one box and were accidentally thrown out when Justin was spring cleaning last year.”
“Something tells me it wasn’t by accident,” Jackson told her. “Your brother’s not really into decorating for the holidays. Mostly because he’s too busy to take the time to do so. But I’ve also heard him say that Christmas trees are meant for families to enjoy, and since he’s a confirmed bachelor there’s really no need for him to have one.”
“He’s said the same thing to me before, too,” she admitted. “But I honestly don’t think he realizes part of the tree is missing. Or he wouldn’t have told Lucas and I to feel free to put it up since we were going to be living here over the holidays.”
“Why isn’t Lucas here helping you?” he said. “If you don’t mind my asking.”
She averted her gaze. “He said a tree wouldn’t make his Christmas any better. I just thought that if I put one up, maybe, just maybe, he would remember the joy the holiday had once brought him. When I was up in the attic sorting through the Christmas decorations, Lucas called my dad and asked if they would come get him for the afternoon. When they showed up to get him, much to my surprise, Dad said Lucas had told them I was busy doing things and that he was bored.”
“I take it you didn’t say otherwise,” he said with a frown.
She shook her head. “I don’t want my parents to worry about us any more than they already do. Besides, the therapist I’d taken my son to told me the emotional healing takes time.”
A loss they both had suffered, yet, Lainie, loving mother that she was, did all she could to stay strong and shoulder the burden of her son’s anger, of his pushing her away, of having to start her life all over again—alone. He wanted so much at that moment to hold her. To tell her that everything would be all right, that he would do everything in his power to make it all right. Instead, he settled for saying, “I can only imagine how hard the holidays must be for Lucas. For you as well.”
Lainie had fallen silent, making Jackson want, more than anything, to put a smile back on her pretty face.
“Well,” he muttered as he stood there eyeing up the tree, “you can’t very well celebrate the holiday with half a tree.” He turned to her. “Go get your coat.”
“My coat?” she repeated, her gaze lifting to meet his. “For what?”
“We’re going to find you a Christmas tree. One with perfect branches just waiting to have popcorn garlands strung all over them.”
“We don’t have any popcorn garlands,” she told him.
“An easy fix,” he said with a grin. “Now get your coat and meet me outside.” With that, Jackson headed outside to his truck to get his work gloves, shoving them into his coat pockets. Then he grabbed the bow saw he kept in the oversize toolbox in the bed of his truck and placed it atop the rubber floor mat behind the passenger seat.
A few moments later, Lainie joined him outside. She was bundled in her charcoal woolen coat with a thick knit plaid scarf wrapped around her neck. “I haven’t gone to pick out a real Christmas tree since I was a young girl,” she said with a smile as she pulled on a pair of bright red gloves that matched the plaid in her scarf. She’d taken her hair out, freeing it to hang loose about her slender shoulders. A dark gray knit cap sat atop her head. She looked right at home in the December chill that filled the Wyoming air. And beautiful. But then Lainie had always been beautiful to him.
“That’s the only kind of tree to have as far as I’m concerned,” Jackson said with a grin. “Unless someone has issues with pine allergies, of course.”
“Thankfully, no allergies in our family,” she replied. “For which I am so grateful. I’ve always loved the smell of fresh-cut pine.”
“Then we’re good to go.” The moment she started for the passenger-side door, he cut her off. “You’re driving.”
Her panicked gaze snapped up to his. “What?”
“It’s time for you to get back into the saddle, Lainie,” he said, his tone tender.
Shaking her head and taking a step back, she said, “Jackson, I can’t.”
“You can,” he said reassuringly. “We’re only going down the road to my place. It’s a short drive.”
Her gaze darted to the truck and then to the distant road.
“Lainie, you need to be able to get places. Not that anyone minds giving you a ride somewhere when you need it. But there will be times you need to get somewhere and might not be able to find someone available to take you. To the store, to your parents’ place for a visit, to school functions or, God forbid, if an emergency of some sort arises.” He met her troubled gaze. “You need to take back your life.”
“I know that,” she said. “I want to. I’m just not sure I can. Not after...” Her words trailed off.
“Let me help you,” he said softly.
“What if I pass a car and panic?”
“The only traffi
c you’re going to get on this road would be my family,” he reminded her. “And if you panic we’ll deal with it. I’ll be right beside you.”
“Will was beside me,” she said.
“Lainie, that accident wasn’t your fault. You were hit by a drunk driver,” he said calmly. “Don’t let that person’s mistake take away any more from you than it already has.” He held out the fob with his truck key dangling from it. “Trust me?”
“Yes,” she said, her fingers closing around the key.
Jackson walked her around to the driver’s side and then helped her up onto the seat. “Proud of you, Lainie Girl.” Closing the door, he made his way around to the passenger side and settled himself into the dark leather bucket seat.
“Make sure you put your seat belt on,” she said anxiously.
“Always do,” he assured her with a grin. “I believe in being safe.”
“Will was wearing a seat belt that night,” she said, her words a mere whisper. “It didn’t keep him safe.” Pulling her hands from the wheel, she covered her face. “I can’t do this, Jackson. Not with you in here.”
“You can do it,” he countered calmly.
Lowering her trembling hands, she looked his way, tears looming in her eyes. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“You’re a good driver, Lainie,” he told her. “I don’t have the slightest reservation getting into a car with you. Besides, my not riding with you won’t change anything if it’s my time to go. Lord willing, however, I’ll be around for a very long time.”
“In the logical part of my mind, I know what you’re saying is true,” she replied with a frown. “It’s the illogical part of my mind I need to set at ease.” Determined to try to push past this life-altering fear, one that had affected both her and her son, Lainie knew she had to force herself to drive again. “Would you mind if I said a little prayer before we set out?”
