Disappointment chased across her face before she smiled. “I can’t thank you enough for all this work. I don’t know how you fit in everything here, building these shelves, as well as assisting the center.”
He shrugged. He’d been surviving on two or three hours sleep a night since he started this project. His foreman was running JP Construction for him and his shop supervisor was running all his errands, including hand-selecting the wood. Building the shelves had been all Jesse.
“I guess I was inspired.” By your smile and relentless enthusiasm, maybe even the season, too, but he’d keep this last bit to himself.
Chapter Fifteen
Beth’s Beans was quiet this morning. Hailey skipped her early morning visit and showed up after the morning rush, and before the ten-a.m. coffee rush. A heady aroma of cinnamon and spice hung in the air, tempting Hailey to try the day’s special, gingerbread cake. Two early bird senior couples sat at a corner table, drinking tea and playing cards; they seemed happy. Retirement looked good on them.
“A toast to progress.” Hailey raised her coffee cup toward Beth. “I can’t believe how well the renovation is progressing. Jesse is a machine.”
“He’s a hard worker. He’s got some serious skills. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do. Two weeks ago, he replaced a broken light fixture and repaired my bathroom fan. I’ve heard the mayor’s kitchen turned out incredibly.” Beth sipped her tea.
“If he’s so fabulous, and he appears to be, why hasn’t someone hired him?” It didn’t make sense; he could be more than a handyman, jack-of-all-trades. He could be earning a decent living. Maybe she could convince him to put his resume out there. In a town as small as Silver Creek, everyone would know his reputation for quality work and someone would hire him in an instant.
“He’s happy where he is. Not everyone is after the brass ring.” Beth shrugged and nibbled her shortbread cookie. She was gearing her shop up for Christmas and shortbread was a timeless classic.
“Are you saying I made a mistake taking a corporate job in the city?” Beth didn’t usually mince her words or beat around the bush. She tended towards tell it like it is.
“You said that, not me. I think you needed to leave Silver Creek to realize it was your home, your destiny. University was good for you and you said it yourself, your brass ring job helped fund the expansion, even if you were gone longer than expected.”
“I really thought I belonged with Evan in the city. I loved my life there. The concerts, the endless movie selection, our condo.” Strange, she hadn’t thought of any of those things since coming home.
“Do you miss it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t miss Evan.” She laughed wryly. “Though I thought I would. I suspect I wasn’t as much in love with him as in love with the idea of being in love. You’d think at twenty-six, I’d know my own mind and my own heart.”
“I think the heart wants what it wants, and sometimes… it settles.”
Hailey pondered Beth’s statement. It was an interesting perspective. Evan hadn’t felt like settling at the time, now she wasn’t so sure. He’d been suave, polite, generous, but not particularly demonstrative. He never made her heart pound, he was—comfortable.
Jesse was comfortable, too, but he was so much more. They liked the same music, loved sunrises and his dog. They rarely disagreed, except about Christmas, and their ideas meshed. Every morning she woke up eager to see him. He was a complex puzzle she wanted to sort out. Just thinking about him filled her with happiness and anticipation. And, if she admitted it, he made her heart pound and her blood sing.
Too bad their mothers were so divided over a mistake, which escalated out of control five years ago. A niggling sense of unease trickled into her belly. She felt bad for seeing so much of Jesse, against her mother’s wishes. She was an adult now, more than old enough to make her own choices, but her parents’ approval still mattered.
“I think you’re right about the heart,” she said at last, sipping her coffee to wash down the unease rising in her throat.
“And what, or rather who, does your heart want?” Beth grinned like she was joking, but her eyes said she was serious.
“My heart wants Christmas Central to open and my merchandise to fly off the shelf.” She lifted her mug. “Mind if I get myself a refill?”
“I’ll get it, but you’re avoiding the question.” She carried their mugs to the counter and refilled them.
The door chime jangled and a dark-haired firefighter strolled in wearing his uniform. “Morning, Beth.”
Beth whirled around; her face flushed. “Damien, hi. You’re early. I haven’t packed your order yet.”
“No worries. I’ve got time. Unless we get a call.” He laughed.
“Oh, I hope not. Your job is so dangerous. I don’t know how you do it.” Beth said, then bustled around the cafe, pouring coffee into customers mugs and filling an assortment of bakery boxes with treats. He must distract her, because she spilled a little coffee on the counter and had to wipe it up.
Holy cow. Beth was flirting and almost simpering. Again. She’d been flirtatious and exuberant the other day when he’d been in. She really liked this guy.
“Dangerous is usually an overstatement. Silver Creek doesn’t have many fires. Though, we do a lot of community work. Car seat inspections. Smoke alarm checks. That kind of thing.”
“Oh, good. I’m glad it’s not all rushing into burning buildings. Here you go.” She slid the boxes onto the display counter in front of Damien. “I’ll put it on the station’s tab.”
“That’d be great.” He pulled out his wallet, dropped a ten into the tip jar, and picked up the boxes. “Thanks again. See you tomorrow.”
