Jillian paused to watch Gram help Mari carefully stir green food coloring into one of them, while Poseywiggled and squirmed in excitement. Both girls wore the flowered aprons that usually hung from hooks by the back door. Gram had sewn them all herself and she had others for the holidays.
It was such a wholesome and familiar sight that all Jillian wanted to do was set the groceries down on the counter and join in.
But that wasn’t an option if she wanted to accomplish everything on her list and get the girls settled for an early bedtime, so she set the first two bags on the kitchen counter and opened the fridge.
She expected to see a gallon of milk and maybe a few other odds and ends. Getting plenty of healthy food in the house was one of the things she was hoping she could help out with the most, since Gram and Grampy were on a fixed income.
But she was stunned to see that the refrigerator was practically full.
There was a gallon of milk, a block of sharp cheddar cheese, a foil-covered casserole dish, a head of lettuce, bags of apples and grapes, and a row of big yogurt containers that Jillian strongly suspected were being reused to hold homemade soup or chili.
She opened the crisper drawer and found it filled with green peppers, onions, and a bag of cucumbers, all of it looking fresh and new.
There was barely going to be room for the groceries she had bought.
This can’t all be from Tag Lawrence,she thought to herself.
She opened her mouth to ask, but whenshe glanced over at Grampy helping Posey with a cookie, the words died in her throat.
Posey was focused intently on her task, something that was rare for the outgoing, energetic little girl. Her head inclined slightly toward Grampy like a flower leaning toward the sun.
And Mari was smiling widely at her great-grandmother as she watched her place tiny, perfect buttons of red frosting onto the blue sweater of a cookie in the shape of a girl, her hand still remarkably steady after all these years.
Her daughters had no real memories of being here before, but it was clear that they felt instantly at home.
How many children had the opportunity to bond with their great-grandparents like this?
The knot in Jillian’s chest let go a little more as a sense of peace and gratitude settled over her like a warm blanket.
2
TRIPP
Tripp Lawrence parked his truck and stood on Maple Street for a moment, enjoying the cold fall air, and watching the trees that flanked the elementary school sway in the breeze.
It was early for snow, but he could practically taste it already. How many times had he stood outside this same school as a boy, willing the snow to fall so he could go home again and play on the farm?
Tripp had never really liked being indoors unless it was to eat or sleep. And he certainly hadn’t liked being at school back then.
Now he was here on avoluntarybasis.
Shaking his head, he strode across the lawn to be buzzed in.
“Hey there,” he said into the intercom. “Tripp Lawrence, here to help out with the greenhouse.”
“Tripp Lawrence,” echoed a quavery voice that could only be Miss Wiggins. “Come on in, sweetheart.”
Tripp tended to get that kind of response fromwomen, young and old. And he always leaned into it, which had earned him a reputation around town as a bit of a flirt.
His family gave him a hard time about it. But he figured his way with women must be his gift. After all, he didn’t have book smarts like his doctor brother, West, or musical talent like his rock star brother, Cash. His brothers Tag and Zane were both steady and dependable, qualities no one would attribute to Tripp. Only his baby sister, Allie, had ever possessed anything like his own wild streak, but she was settled now, a patient teacher and a loving stepmom to little Maya, who he suspected would be getting a sibling one day in the not-so-distant future.
All of which meant that however much the ladies liked Tripp, he was now theonlyLawrence left ofsixkids not to have a family of his own.
The thought prompted a familiar restless feeling in his chest.
Doesn’t matter,he told himself firmly.With all my siblings and nieces and nephews, I’ve got enough family to keep me busy whenever I want company.
He supposed there were more than a few women in town who might be willing to settle down with someone like him. But there was really only one woman who had ever captured Tripp’s imagination, and she had been far too sensible to waste her time with him.
