Authors: Nicki Day
“These pies smell
great, Mom. But what are you going to do with them all?”
“Oh, didn’t I tell
you?” Connie wiped her hands on the apron she wore. “We’re delivering pies to
some of the less fortunate this year.”
“What? When did you
start doing this?”
“Just this year.
Times have been tough for a lot of folks here in Dove Creek. The weather wasn’t
good to us last summer and those with crops didn’t fare so well. It’s something
we came up with last month at one of our church meetings.”
She smiled and raised
her brow. “Only in Dove Creek.”
“Now, Vicky, don’t
you go starting.”
“Sorry, Mom. It’s a
good thing you’re doing. Really it is, but it does make me realize how far away
from Denver Dove Creek really is.”
“Oh? How so?” Connie
asked.
“Well, I don’t know.
I mean times are tough all over. That doesn’t mean others would go to the
lengths that you would. You’re a special woman, Mom. You have such a kind
heart. You’d be surprised how many people out there in today’s world wouldn’t
give two shi… err…” She stopped herself when she saw her mother’s disapproving
glare. Connie had never cared for what she referred to as potty mouth, claiming
that a woman didn’t need to use such language to speak her mind. “What I mean
is most people wouldn’t take the time to help one another out. Much less spend
all day baking.”
“Well, dear, most
people may not. But here in Dove Creek we look after our own. You should know
that. You grew up here after all.
“Yea, I know. I guess
being away all of these years made me forget what made our little corner of
Colorado work so well.”
“You’ve been away far
too long, my dear.” Connie crossed the kitchen to where Vicky sat and kissed
the top of her daughter's head. “Far too long indeed.”
Looking up, she
grinned. “Mom, are you going to get all mushy on me?”
“Oh, you hush now.”
Connie wiped at her misty eyes. “Why don’t you do your dear old mother a favor
and take a couple of these pies over to the Pottingers’ ranch? I still have a
few more pies to finish up before I have to get ready for the church dinner
tonight.”
“What church dinner?”
she asked, trying her best to hide her annoyance.
Coming home to visit
with her mother had been great so far, but seeing people that she hadn’t seen
in years, ones that were at her wedding and were very aware of her failed
marriage, were not the type of people she wished to spend her evening with. No
matter how nice the people of Dove Creek were, they had a tendency to be nosy.
She didn’t wish to be the target of their latest gossip.
“Did I forget to
mention that?”
Her mother may have
played innocent, but she knew that sparkle in Connie Browning’s eye all too
well. She hadn’t forgotten a thing. She had purposely not told her daughter,
knowing that it might have given her the excuse to stay in Denver.
“Yeah, you
did.”
“Are you sure? I
could’ve sworn I said something about it.”
“Nice try, Mom. When
do we have to leave?”
Connie smiled. “We
have to be there at six o’clock.”
Rolling her eyes, she
stood up and went to retrieve her coat. She returned a minute later, buttoning
it up and smirking at her mother. “You’re a sneaky one, Mom.”
“Moi?”
“Yeah, so innocent.
Which pies do I need to take to the Pottingers’ place?”
“One of those
pumpkins and a pecan.”
Connie helped her
daughter load the cooled pies into a paper sack. “Now, if they don’t answer
right away, go around to the back door. Dorothy will probably be cooking for
the potluck tonight and be in the kitchen.”
She nodded and kissed
her mother’s cheek. “Alright. I’ll be back soon.”
“No hurry. Take your
time. I’ll just be here baking away.”
As she made her way
out of the house and into the crisp and cool winter air, Vicky couldn’t help
but smile at her mother’s sneakiness. She made it no secret that she’d missed
her daughter a great deal. Now that she was back home, Vicky was realizing that
she had missed her just as much. Probably more than she’d even realized.
She was glad to be
home. More than that, she was bound and determined to enjoy herself.
Chapter Six
Michael gathered some
of the firewood stored in their family shed and brought a few out to the stump
that his father used for so many years. After retrieving the axe from the
garage he placed the log upright. Then with a hearty blow he swung the axe over
his shoulder and sliced down through the center of the wood with such force
that it split into two.
The chilly winter air
wasn’t nearly as cold as he swept through one log after another. A dozen logs
later produced a good little stockpile for him to take into the house, as well
as a good old fashioned sweat. Being stateside these past few weeks he hadn’t
so much as picked up a weight, or even gone on a run. His achy muscles told him
he’d waited a little too long. Being a Marine while deployed meant there was no
such thing as down time. Even if he wasn’t on patrol there was always something
to be done to keep that adrenaline moving and blood pumping. The last thing any
Marine wanted was to be caught with their guard down.
He decided to get in
a run tomorrow morning before any of the townsfolk woke up on Christmas Eve. An
early riser by habit, he always enjoyed having the solitude of the dusk hours
to himself when starting his day. It would be damn cold, but with all the
fixings he was sure to be eating in the next few days, he figured he might as
well keep in shape while stuffing his face.
A half an hour later
he had closed up the shed, taken the broken down wood to the house and locked
up the garage. He had just been about to step back inside when something just
on the outside of his vision caught his attention.
He turned to look and
down the driveway, across the street and on the other side of the city park he
saw a woman carrying a package of some kind. He stared for a moment, watching
how she moved, the way she stepped through the snow and jumped over puddles in
the street.
Only moments passed
before he realized who she was. Only one woman could move that way, and manage
to look graceful in the most awkward of situations.
Vicky.
Damn. Last night he’d
gone to bed with thoughts of her. Memories of their times together flooded his
mind. They had been so young back then. They were wild and untamed. Together
they believed anything was possible.
A smile quirked up
the corner of his lips He couldn’t help but wonder if she was still like that
wild teenager he once knew. The one who was sweet and polite in public, but
would buck with pleasure underneath his touch. His body stiffened and he balled
his hands into a fist when he felt himself react to what she used to do to him.
He needed to get a hold of himself.
“Hey, little brother.
What’re you doing out here?”
Michael turned to the
back porch and saw his older brother, Jack Jr. standing by the door way.
He nodded his head in
his brother’s direction. “What’s up loser?”
“Aww… I’m happy to
see you too, man.”
He grinned. “I’ll be
right in. Tell Ma I want some of her famous hot cocoa.”
“Will do.” Jack
stepped back inside the house.
Michael turned back
to where Vicky had been walking. She was gone, and not a soul stood on the
quiet road. Wherever she had gone he was sure he’d see her again. Maybe
tonight, maybe tomorrow, but sometime soon he would find a reason to talk to
her.
He stepped inside the
house and stomped the snow off of his boots. He could already smell the
inviting aroma of his mother’s hot cocoa when he walked into the kitchen.
“There he is,” Jack
said. He had his arm around a sweet looking woman with blonde hair and the
brightest green eyes he’d ever seen. “This here is Kaylee, the luckiest woman
in the world.”
Kaylee punched Jack
in his side. “Wanna try that again, big guy?”
He smiled. He could
already tell he was going to like this woman. He hadn’t met many of his
brother’s girlfriends, but this one had spunk and he liked that.
“Careful there, big
brother. It looks like she means business.”
He held out his hand
to her. “I’m Michael. The younger, stronger and much more good looking one of
the Barnett clan.”
She took his hand and
shook it. “Nice to meet you.”
“Isn’t she adorable?”
their mom chimed in, causing Kaylee to blush.
“That she is, Ma.
Much too good looking for Jack here. That’s for sure.”
“You shut your mouth,”
Jack replied while putting his arm back around Kaylee. “I got a good thing
going here. I don’t need you trying to swoop in and steal this one.”
The room quieted a
little, and their mother turned to get some mugs from the cabinet.
Kaylee must have
sensed the change in mood. “Has that happened before?”
He offered her a
polite smile. “Just once.”
“Hey, I was only
joking.” Jack walked over to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Everything happens for a reason, right, little brother?”
He nodded.
“Yeah.”
“So, who wants hot
cocoa?” their mother asked.
She set coffee mugs
down on the table and began to pour from the tea kettle as they all gathered
around. All of them except Michael.
“You gonna have
some?” Jack asked.
His need for the
sweet drink had subsided and all he wanted now was to be alone. “Actually, I
think I’m going to take a hot shower. Worked up quite a sweat out there cutting
the wood. I’ll be back down in a little bit.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. You guys
enjoy. And it was nice meeting you, Kaylee.”
She smiled before
taking a sip, and he left the room. So much time had passed he had almost
forgotten that it was his brother who had first set eyes on the sweet and
vivacious Vicky Browning. After several failed attempts of trying to get her to
go on a date with him she’d eventually ended up in Michael’s arms. How
different his life might have been if he hadn’t known and loved Vicky the way
that he did.
He no sooner had the
thought when he looked out the front living room window and saw her walking
past their house. She no longer carried a bag and her hands were tucked neatly
in her pockets. He watched her slow strides and wondered what she was thinking
about. Did she have regrets about their final night together? Did she ever
wonder what might have happened if they hadn’t said goodbye in anger? Did she
ever think of him? Or even miss him?
He felt so conflicted
whenever she was near. He was a Marine for crying out loud. In the thirteen
years since the last time he’d seen her he had been with more women than he
could remember. Each of them paled in comparison to Vicky.
It had been so long
ago when they’d had their last and final fight. There was so much he wished he
could undo. So much he wanted to say to take away the horrible things he’d said
to her that night. Still despite all this she stood mere yards away from him
and he didn’t do a thing but stand there.
He was just…
frozen.
Chapter Seven
Vicky stepped into
the town hall banquet room with two of her mother’s pies in hand. She’d been
dreading coming to this dinner the entire afternoon. Especially since she went
out earlier that day and passed Michael’s home. She hadn’t turned her head to
look at his house, but she had the eerie sense that someone’s eyes were
following her. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck and a heat flooded
her body.
She hadn’t seen him
since yesterday, but she had a strong belief that he’d be at this dinner
tonight. There was no rational reason to want to avoid him other than whenever
he was near she felt like she was eighteen years old all over again. It was a
vulnerability she didn’t wish to place herself in again. He had broken her
heart that night when he’d walked out on her. In some ways, despite growing up,
being married, getting divorced and living an entirely different life without
him, she never fully got over the betrayal and hurt she’d felt from that single
moment in her life.
“Don’t just stand
there, sweetie. Come on in.” Connie ushered her daughter into the room with the
help of her nudging shoulder.
“Geez, mom. Alright.”
She rolled her eyes like she was a teenager again.
With the way her
mother had been acting all afternoon, she wouldn’t be surprised if she had a
blind date set up for her this evening. She had been beaming with excitement to
show off ‘her baby’, apparently forgetting that her baby was over thirty years
old and far from tiny. Even her body had changed quite a bit since high
school.