Ally nodded.“Sounds good.”She turned to Matt.“It’s okay.I know you’re busy.I think Jillie and I will be just fine.Don’t stay on my account.”
Stay on my account.As he drove away from the school and headed back to his office, the words kept repeating in his head.He was trying to be helpful.Tori had suggested it in the first place, and he wanted to help out his sister.That was why he had taken time to be there.And for Jillie…this was something new in her routine.But he knew that Jillie had barely noticed his presence once Ally had arrived.Stay on her account?Ally Jones’s account?Of course, he was helping.That’s what he did.Sure, it is.
And now he was mocking himself.He was too smart to be buying into Tori’s half-baked idea about throwing a smoke screen up using the presence of Ally Jones helping them out for the time she was with them.It was thin at best.It didn’t take the woman too long to see right through it herself.But she had agreed.Agreed because she felt she owed a debt and wanted to pay it back.She was smart and tough and caring and good with Jillie and beautiful…inside and outside.Anyone but a blind man could figure that one out.She came from a huge city, traveling alone with only a dog as a companion.Because a dear friend had asked her to do so.She had commitment and kept to her word.And that was a rare commodity.All of that only served to keep her as an enigma in his mind.One that was strangely taking root.
Four days into the week, Matt felt a routine had materialized automatically.Each afternoon, Jillie was picked up at the designated time by Ally.Then, depending on the day and activity, they had made it to choir practice at the church, piano lessons, and dance lessons.Homework had been finished by the time he picked up his daughter.Jillie ran out the door, usually when he pulled in the driveway and Ally waved at them from the porch.Not many chances to catch up on anything.But the weekend was approaching.
In fact, he had decided to take the initiative and invite Ally to join him and Jillie for dinner at the café.But his sister had other plans in mind.Her call alerted him to such before he could call Ally with his idea.
“Hey, little brother of mine,” she began with her usual greeting and then launched right into the purpose of her call: “I’ve made plans for Jillie and Ally to meet us at the café for one last supper, so to speak, before the doctor throws me into the hospital and gives this stubborn kid inside me no more time to procrastinate.It would be convenient for you to walk over and join us.Isn’t that a great idea?We plan on six thirty p.m.sharp in order to beat the dinner crowd.I’ve got to run but we’ll see you then.”And that was that.
Matt shook his head.Leave it to his sister to still be ramrodding plans for them.He should be tired of it, but instead, he had to smile.Tori was one of a kind.He loved her dearly and didn’t know what he would have done without her in their lives when they lost their parents as children.And she had raised them, albeit in foster care, and they were able to stick together.And then when Jillie came along, and he lost his wife…well that had been really tough, but she’d stepped in…as did his other two siblings…and they kept moving forward one day at a time.So, he would cut her some slack.Besides, it worked well that he would get a little more time with Ally Jones…to catch up on the week with Jillie.That was the reason he told himself.And it was a good one.
He walked across the street about ten minutes before the appointed time.He was going to be early and get a table for their group.He should have known better.Matt stepped into the café and was met with the sight of his sister already waving at him from a table toward the far side of the room.And she wasn’t alone.Jillie stood up and ran to his side, giving him a quick hug.
“Hi, Dad.”She beamed up at him.“We beat you here.Isn’t this fun?”
He returned the hug and grinned.“Yes, you beat me.And yes, this is a fun idea.”They made their way over to where his sister and her husband were already seated, along with Ally.Jillie slid into a chair next to Ally but there was an empty one on the other side of her, and he sat down there.It wasn’t lost on him given the knowing smile on her face that Tori had planned the seating arrangements and was pleased with the outcome.He chose to ignore her, shaking hands across the table with his brother-in-law, Caden Lockwood.
“This is a special occasion having all of you here together.Is it a special celebration or something?”Tillie asked, giving an even brighter smile and a wink in his direction.Matt turned his attention to the menu.Caden took on the conversation.
“It’s just a nice dinner out.A dinner with family before Tori’s anchored to the house for a few weeks with our little guy.”
“How nice!And it’s a growing family.Indeed,” Tillie replied.Her smile brightened as it landed on Ally and then ended with Matt.
The woman busied herself for the next few minutes taking their orders and serving their drinks and salads.Once she had left, Matt caught his sister’s gaze and leaned closer to where she sat next to him at the table to whisper his comment.“I’m surprised you haven’t rented a billboard at the town’s city limits and placed the news on the town’s radio marketplace.”
Tori glanced at the other occupants at the table.Caden had engaged Jillie and Ally in regaling their agenda of the day and so she whispered back: “I find that unnecessary as things are progressing just fine on the gossip hotline.And after this evening, it will be buzzing with even greater activity.Cade’s words just now about our lovely family dinner were a stroke of genius, even if I didn’t encourage him.We’ve got you covered, and you should have a peaceful few weeks.You feel free to thank me as much as you like.”
“Thanks, is not what I would call the words in my brain for you right now.”Matt turned his attention back to the others.Ally was smiling at something Jillie said, and Cade seemed intent on watching the pair also.Or was it Ally where his attention was caught and held?Strange.It had to be that he was imagining it.Matt knew that his sister and her husband met in what people described as a fairy-tale way and were more in love and happy than ever.Couldn’t be that a green-eyed monster was playing with his thoughts.Ridiculous.There was nothing to be jealous about.Tori’s crazy ideas and plan were rubbing off on him.He would maintain his grasp on sanity.
The food began to arrive, and conversation was general.Dinner progressed in a leisurely manner.Matt watched as Jillie and Ally seemed to have a natural friendship growing.Ally Jones had come along and somehow it felt she had always been there, fitting so seamlessly into the fabric of their lives and the town.And he felt a danger sign.What happened when she left?She had made it plain that she was only stopping long enough to visit the place her dear friend had talked of so often.Then what?She would just leave?And what about Jillie?What if she became too close to the woman?Would it be another heartbreak?He had done his best to protect his little girl from that since she lost her mother.And that had included himself.
“Why the frown all of a sudden?Something wrong with your dinner?”Tori was looking at him with concern.The last thing he needed was to have his know-all, see-all, fix-all big sister suspicious.
“Just thinking about a case that I have some work to do on this weekend.Just tying up loose ends.”He could play it off as work.
“If you need me out of your hair, I could always go over to Ally’s and help her bake,” Jillie piped up.
“Yes.”Ally nodded.“I do have a couple new recipes to work on.Extra hands are always good.”
Matt shook his head.“You have my daughter all week.You do get to have some time off.”
“I do mean it.”Ally spoke up.“She’s a good helper and it’s just me and Teddy in that big, beautiful house.So, the offer is always open.”
“And I think this is where I should apologize,” Tori said.“I’m afraid some of that work in the kitchen might be my fault.Having this baby right before the Fall Fest and all, I just added more responsibilities to your list.”
Ally shook her head.“Don’t worry about that.I think it’s fun.I’m glad to help Ally and her school out.”
Matt was lost.“Ally and her school?What’s this about the Fall Fest?”
“Ally has stepped into my empty shoes with helping for the Fall Fest.She’s in charge of the baked goods for Ally’s class.”
“I had no idea.You didn’t need to agree to do that,” Matt said, feeling he should have been more aware of what was going on with Jillie’s school and the class participation.Tori always stepped in, but he had no idea that it was falling to Ally now.
“I can buy items from the café here and the bakery, too.You certainly don’t need to spend your time, let alone funds, to take on extra projects.”
Tori grinned.“Well, I think we need dessert right now, speaking of baked goods.I took the liberty of ordering a slice of chocolate pie for you, Matt.We all know that’s your favorite.”
