“You underestimate him.”
“I give him enough credit, trust me. I’m just surprised, that’s all. But I do think it’s good for him. That knee hasbeen bothering him more and more lately, whether he wants to acknowledge it or not. It kills me every time he has to step into the back room to ice it. It should have never happened in the first place.”
Sarah knew her brother still felt an immense sense of responsibility for the original injury, but she wouldn’t let him wallow in that self-pity. They were kids at the time the skiing accident occurred. No one could have known the residual effects of Lance’s crash, nor anticipated how long the pain would endure.
“He doesn’t blame you,” Sarah said pointedly. “You should really stop blaming yourself.”
Holden didn’t look convinced. He switched the subject. “Did you end up finding a book?”
“Not only did we find a book, we foundtwobooks.”
“No kidding?” Reaching over to unbuckle Laney from her highchair, Holden lifted the child onto his lap. He really was a wonderful uncle, and Sarah was so happy to have him as a regular part of her daughter’s life again. “Anything I’ve heard of?”
“A non-fiction book about recent Sierra Nevada trends in snowpack, and a romance that just came out last week. I was actually surprised we still had a copy on the shelf. I was sure someone would have snatched it up already.”
“You’ve got Lance Major reading romance? Man, a guy will do anything to impress a girl these days.”
“Says the man who quite literally grew an entire tree to impress the woman he loves.”
“Hey, I didn’t plant that noble fir to impress Rachel. I planted it to beat out the tree that she had planted. Big difference.”
Sarah chuckled, thinking back to the holiday trees that pitted the Hart and Joy families against one another for the entirety ofSarah’s adolescence and into adulthood. What a relief it was to finally have that festive feud put to rest.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mention you were back in town to Lance,” Holden apologized. “It’s something I could have—and should have—done.”
Sarah waved her brother off. “No. You’re right. I could have reached out, too. I just think I wasn’t really ready, you know?”
“How so?”
Sarah’s lungs strained as she sucked in a big breath. Maybe it was for courage. She wasn’t entirely sure. She just knew that the thought of starting a relationship with anyone made her sick with worry. Not that she and Lance would suddenly jump back into couplehood or anything like that, but still.
“Darren really hurt me, Hold. I didn’t see that coming, and the trust he broke between us is something I’m still trying to recover from. I’ve got baggage.AndI’ve got a two-year-old. Not a very attractive combination.”
“But Lance knows you, Sarah. He knew you before Darren, and he knows you now, motherhood and all. And to be honest, I don’t think any of that scares him.”
“It should. I mean, the guy needed a doctor’s prescription just to take a break. I can’t imagine he’d be any more inclined to ease up on his current lifestyle to date a woman who has to be home by six-thirty to put her daughter to bed.”
“And this is where I have to point out that now you’re the one not giving Lance enough credit.”
She knew she wasn’t. But there was an element of protecting her heart that she couldn’t ignore. Someone had to.
She was about to convey this point to her brother when Holly Calloway, the restaurant’s manager, came over with a big brown food bag and jug of their famous apple cider in tow.
“Here you go, sweetheart. Utensils and napkins are in the bag, along with a few fresh chocolate chip cookies I threw in forthe little ones.” The woman set the bag of takeaway food right in the center of the table, then moved her hand to her heart. “Please tell Trinity she’s in our prayers. Can’t imagine what she’s going through right now. It’s all so unbelievably tragic.”
Suddenly, all of Sarah’s relationship woes felt beyond trivial. She smiled at Holly before taking the folded top of the brown sack into her hands. “I’ll pass along your well wishes. Thank you again for initiating the meal train. I know she appreciates it.”
“It’s the least we could do.”
As Holly stepped back to return to the kitchen to work on orders coming through the line, Sarah looked across the table at her brother. Their expressions had turned solemn, the lighthearted banter of their earlier conversation now gone. Even little Laney was more subdued, scribbling silently on the paper menu placed in front of her, tongue poking against her cheek in concentration.
“How’s Trinity doing?” Holden lifted his chin.
“I haven’t seen her in person yet, but I talked to her on the phone last night to let her know I’d be bringing a meal by this afternoon. I know she must be devastated, but she sounded strong.”
“Suppose she has to be,” Holden said. “For her kids.”
Trinity Tillman, the co-owner of Joyful Blooms, the beautiful downtown flower boutique she shared with Rachel Joy, had lost her beloved husband just three weeks earlier. He had stopped on the freeway to help a stranded family install chains just off the shoulder but had been unexpectedly struck by a driver operating well above the legal alcohol limit. It was a terrible, senseless tragedy that had rocked their entire small town. Calvin was one of Snowdrift’s best and brightest as a local CHP officer, and his loss sent an immense shockwave rippling through the mountain community.
