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Darcy let Wade drop her off in front of the hardware store. She waved to him as he drove away, unable to keep a faint smile from her lips. He had a look in his eye like he suspected she was falling head over heels for him. She hung her head as she trudged across the parking lot. The idea was ridiculous.
Raelynn had promised to hang around work to give Darcy a ride home. Her mother didn't ask why Wade didn't pick her up at the trailer park. It was an obvious and old practice Darcy had instituted since middle school. After Dad left and the little yard grew over and the chain link fence rusted, Darcy quit inviting people around. Any friends she stayed over with never saw the inside of her old, dilapidated trailer.
She pulled on the door of the hardware store surprised to find it open and tiptoed in. Raelynn sat at the counter with both hands on her cheeks studying the accounting book. Her face looked tired and pensive.
"Mom?"
Raelynn jumped. "Oh, heavens, Darcy, I didn't see you there." She smiled, but it looked plastic. "I'm done here. Are you ready? How was your date?"
Date? All of the swirling emotions in Darcy's chest turned to icicles. "It wasn't a date. Remember? He's doing research, and he asked me to go along."
"Right," said Momma with a glint in her eye. "Research." She snorted like a horse. "Great balls of fire, Darcy Rae, do you really think he needed help driving to Council Grove and back? They have those GPS things now." She picked up the book to lock it away.
Darcy leaned over the counter trying to act casual instead of alarmed. She couldn't let on that he'd held her hand a few times, and she'd liked it. More than liked it.
"Momma, we're just friends. I only met him last week, and it's not like he's from around here." Something poked her chest, and she had to swallow down tangles of disappointment that spun in her throat like an old cobweb. She hurried to the back of the store to let Raelynn lock up. As she did so, she felt her spine stiffen and her shoulders draw back.
Mom was wrong. It was a day trip for research, and yes, Wade was a wonderful, intelligent, and super-interesting person. He was kind and thoughtful and a good listener, too, but that didn't make today a date, and it didn't mean anything of real consequence would happen between them.
Darcy stepped out into the small gravel parking lot behind the store. Her hands felt damp, and she shook them out to clear her head. She'd once been the person to flit through city after city, always on the road looking for something to hold onto, but the highways had led her back to Kansas, and she'd been blessed with scholarships, a lot of hard work, and a few loans, that got her through school and helped her earn her art degree. She'd made her dreams come true despite her history, despite Dad, the crumbling house, and the reputation of being the girl from the wrong side of the tracks.
Momma and the family had brought her back to Blessings, and she'd been given a fresh start at the very elementary school where she'd first learned to draw stick figures and paint purple and blue trees.
Darcy sighed as she climbed into Raelynn's old SUV. She'd no sooner clicked the seatbelt than her mother climbed in beside her and tossed a faded canvas purse down to the floorboard.
"I didn't mean to upset you," she declared as they eased onto the street.
"I know." Darcy watched gold and green canvas awnings over the shop doors float by. "I'm barely settled. It's only been a year or so, and I don't want to get involved with anyone quite yet."
"He's smart and seems down to earth with a good head on his shoulders."
"He does, I'll give you that. He's a good one." Darcy bit her tongue to keep from saying any more. The dilapidated trailers lined up in boxy rows came into view as Raelynn slowed down to pull into the trailer park. Darcy winced as the car sank into a pothole. They inched past broken fences and barking dogs.
She took a deep breath and let it out in a slow stream. "He's too good for me," she added in a hushed whisper so that Raelynn couldn't hear. A man like Wade Spears would never be seriously interested in Downtown Darcy.
***
WADE COULDN'T SLEEP. It was frustrating. He was used to spending his weekends alone, at least since he'd broken it off with Anna, but this felt different.
The thing that hurt most when he thought about his former girlfriend was how relieved she looked when he explained things didn't seem to be working out for them. She'd quickly agreed they'd be better off friends, and it'd hurt, even though he was the one who knew that her constant need for attention and impulsive tendency to change her mind without letting him know would drive them apart. Their arguments had become more heated, and he hated to argue.
He picked up his phone and checked for messages. Grant had called. It was nine-thirty in Tennessee, so assuming his nieces and nephews were in bed, he hit the call back button.
"Hey bruh," said Grant's voice. He'd taken his wife to Hawaii for their last anniversary and thought he was entitled to use slang from the islands.
"What's up?"
"Just got the minions to bed. Finally. Kaye is at a jewelry party."
"Fun." Wade laid down on the bed and folded one arm underneath his head. He stared at the flowers wallpapered all over the room. It felt like he was lying in a field of sunflowers. He kicked a silky brown pillow onto the floor with his toe. "I just got back from Council Grove a little while ago."
"How was that?"
"Didn't you see my pictures online?"
"I haven't had time to be on my phone," complained Grant. "I had to watch another flying dog movie."
"The cartoon?"
"Yep."
"Poor guy."
Grant laughed. "Your day will come, dude."
Wade smiled and gave a slow, lazy blink. "Someday. Maybe."
"Oh, come on. You have to be over Anna Banana by now."
"Yeah," agreed Wade, "I am. I think I have been for a long time."
"Well, moping around and staring at that unfinished book wasn't doing you any good. How's Kansas, anyway? Cold yet?"
"It's cool," said Wade, "especially in the mornings, but I like it. The air's fresh, and there are miles of farms and meadows. The trees are amazing this time of year."
"Yes, I saw your pictures the other day. The trees are turning here, too, but not as bright. Go figure."
"I'm sure that'll change once I hit New Mexico—if I get that far."
Grant made a noise like he'd collapsed on his family couch. "I thought you already saw that end. Wasn't this trip just to see the first half of the trail? To wrap things up in Colorado?"
"That's what I'd planned, but I don't know, maybe I should just keep going and drive south until I reach Cape Horn."
Grant laughed. "Kansas isn't doing it for you, huh?"
A burning ember in Wade's heart flared up. "No, actually it's great here. I like it. The people here are nice and down to earth. Maybe I'm afraid I like it too much."
"What about the teacher?"
Wade hesitated. "You mean Darcy?"
"Darcy? Darla? Whatever. You said you met a pretty girl who showed you around."
"We went running together and there was dinner." Wade realized he'd spent almost every moment he wasn't writing with Darcy. Strangely, he wasn't sorry.
"I took her with me to Council Grove today."
"So you're dating her now?"
"What? No." Wade scrunched his forehead while his mouth said one thing, and his heart whispered something else. "I mean," he relented, "I guess it was like a date, but I only have another week or two here, so I'm not going to get involved with anyone."
Grant stayed quiet for a few seconds, and Wade cleared his throat.
"Are you sure you're not already involved?" his older brother prodded. "You haven't even mentioned another woman since Anna, and now you're hanging out with this teacher every day. You sound happy."
"Well, not every day," said Wade in one last attempt to defend himself. He stared at the smooth ceiling overhead and looked for cracks or water stains. Grant's pushy silence became irritating.
"She's pretty," Wade admitted at last, "like one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen, and we have things in common, but she's..."
"Dumb?"
"No," shot Wade back with a laugh. "She's smart and talented and sincere and a good listener." He laughed at himself. "She doesn't mind my tendency to break out into historical lectures, and oh yeah, she plays the guitar."
"Score," said Grant. "Maybe you can start up a band."
Wade made a noise of annoyance. "Seriously," he told himself aloud, "I'm scheduled to leave soon, and I have to stay on track."
"Seriously," Grant retorted, "you've been on track and on schedule your entire life. Why don't you throw your itinerary away and go with the flow?"
Wade bit his lip and glanced across the room at the laptop where his notes from today blinked from the flowing page.
"Stop living life on a deadline, bruh," Grant added.
"I know," Wade sighed. He took a deep breath and searched his mind for something to change the subject. "How much jewelry is Kaye going to bring home?"
His brother gasped and launched into a tirade about the cost of ankle bracelets.
***
WHEN CHURCH WAS OVER, Darcy walked down to the basement to meet volunteers who'd offered to help with the school's parade float. She'd hoped to work on decorations in the school cafeteria, but the school was locked up today. Two women and a father from the parent-teacher organization waited for her, so she showed them the supplies she'd toted from the car down to the basement that morning.
Working together, they tied giant yellow bows and made bouquets of dried flowers. Darcy drew out large letters that would spell out the school's name.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go," said one helper, and within an hour, the others hurried off to take care of their families, too. Darcy stared at the messy room. She didn't have any time during the school day to get extra things done, and she worked on her lesson plans at night.
Frowning, she counted the days left on her fingers. She gathered the materials and left them on the table to worry about later. The church had grown quiet, and the basement now felt chilly. She picked up her sweater and wrapped it around her shoulders. A nice walk in the warm afternoon sunshine down Kansas Avenue would be nice. The old limestone town hall and most of the shops up and down the street were already decorated for the harvest parade and upcoming ball. At least she'd be able to see them before the big event.
The festival and week of Thanksgiving break was a big deal, but she didn't have a date for the ball. Raelynn would keep the hardware store open in hopes of bringing in early Christmas business, so that meant Darcy would spend the days up to Thanksgiving alone, cooking and getting ready for the family meal with Uncle Chuck and the rest of her relatives.
She trotted up the stairs, forgiving herself for being behind on the parade float. She shouldn't have gone on the day trip yesterday, but it'd been fun and relaxing. It was nice to have someone to talk to besides her mother and a hundred or so children. She smiled to herself.
Voices echoed near the front doors as Darcy shut the basement door behind her and headed to the foyer. The beautiful recently-built church was painted white both inside and out, with arched doors and dark stained floors. She breathed in as she absorbed the peaceful feeling in the air since morning services.
"She's downstairs."
Darcy froze in mid-stride. Two of the parents who'd helped her out stood on the steps talking with another group of adults, and her pastor, Mr. Wagner. Unsure as to whether or not she should walk up to them, she hesitated.
"There's no way we're going to get this done on time if we only meet once a week," one of the volunteers said with a frown. "I don't have time on the weekends anyway."
"She can finish it herself," said another. "She's at the school all day anyway with plenty of time and supplies."
"Well, not all day," said another. Darcy recognized Mrs. Darlington's voice. "She runs around after school with some man who's staying at Lilian's place—a writer or something fanciful like that." She chuckled. "My husband saw them the other morning at the park. It was quite early if you know what I mean."
Darcy backed away out of view from the front doors. Her heart raced. She wanted to run away and listen at the same time. There was a side door out the north entrance if she could just get through the foyer unseen.
"Some things never change," said the woman on the parent-teacher board.
Mrs. Darlington sighed. "No, they don't."
"Now, ladies," said Mr. Wagner, and Darcy's eyes closed in gratitude, "we've all had our moments."
She waited for a pause and then hurried with soft footsteps across the hall to make her way outside. The sun glowed brightly in the sky, warming the cool air and making it another lovely day. It soothed the raging emotions in her chest. Darcy blinked back tears.
Mr. Wagner had known Darcy most of her life. She appreciated how he'd come to her defense. She'd been a bit of a wild teenager, but she hadn't lowered her moral standards, not like Mrs. Darlington implied.
She bit her lip as her cheeks flamed. She may have lived on the other side of the tracks, but she didn't deserve the reputation the boys at school gave her just because she wouldn't give them the time of day.
The more she thought about it, and the further away she got from the church, the angrier she became. She stalked down the street toward the town hall with her arms crossed, ignoring the charming decorations and excitement in the air. An empty bench stood in front of the gazebo on the hall's lawn, and she walked over to it and plopped right down in the middle.
There would be a parade float for the school if she had to finish it herself. It would be fabulous. She fought back tears and wished she hadn't let Raelynn take the car back home.
Darcy looked up at the sky and watched the clouds float by. Most of the shops were closed on Sunday, and the streets were filled with tourists and residents out for walks and drives. Now she was stuck in the middle of Blessings where not everyone who came to church practiced what they preached. There was no use calling Raelynn to come pick her up until she got control of herself.
***
WADE DECIDED NOT TO work. He'd stayed up late and made notes about his trip to Council Grove, and then he'd pulled open the manuscript and marked a few passages where he needed to improve the prose.
After a lovely breakfast with a few other guests, he donned a jacket and started walking. It wasn't that far to Blessings' charming town square. He walked along enjoying the scent of pruned bushes and yesterday's burn pile. The cafe didn't look open. Down the street and around the corner, he stopped in front of The Last Page bookstore and studied the most recent non-fiction releases through the window. With a start, he realized someday his book might sit in this very same spot. The idea filled him with happiness and determination.
With hands in his pockets, he looked around. Town Hall and its towering clock tower stood just another block ahead, festooned with flowers, bright orange pumpkins, and yellow and green gourds. Flyers fluttered in the breeze almost everywhere, and he remembered the big fall festival would happen soon.
He started toward the lawn, thinking about what Grant had said about loosening up the travel schedule. Wade always had been a little OCD when it came to organization and scheduling. It was something that drove most of his family and friends—and girlfriends—crazy. He rubbed his jaw feeling light stubble and told himself that since he'd skipped his usual skincare regimen for the day he was already changing it up.
A squeaky honk made him jump.
"Sorry, Mister!" called a young boy on a red sports bike. He sped across Wade's path and into the crosswalk off the street. Wade would have frowned, but traffic was light, and the child had used the crosswalk while the walking sign flashed.
A smile twitched at his lips. He may have grown up on a farm outside of Nashville, but he'd never had the true small-town experience, not like this. He loved it. The pace was slow, the people were simple, and you still had the basics if you wanted a pastry from a café or a new book.
The historical buildings and monuments around Blessings still meant something and were well-cared for. He stopped at a plaque on the corner and read an excerpt from the founder's journal:
"No matter the hardships that brought us to this point,
this place reminds us of the blessings of God...
May this be a place of thanksgiving forevermore."
—An excerpt from Sarah Beauregard Benedict's journal,
as recorded by her husband Reverend Walter Benedict,
founder and first mayor of Blessings, Kansas
For some reason, his throat felt thick. He'd had hardships, too, lots of them, but didn't everyone? He'd grown up, filled out, and found his love of running. People didn't bully him about being a bookworm anymore, and to be honest, most women around his age and even older, looked at him twice.
He'd chosen a career that didn't offer a high living wage, but he'd turned lemons into lemonade and pursued extra degrees. Now here he was, with a family that still loved and supported him and the opportunity to do the one thing he'd always wanted to do: publish a book. Not to mention, soon, he'd be a real professor.
Wade looked up at a giant oak whose leaves glowed like a yellow beacon. He took a deep breath of autumn air and let it out in a slow stream. Life was good, and it looked promising.
He glanced around the town hall lawn and spied a family sitting on a blanket reading books. The boy on the bicycle was back on this side of the street riding in circles. On a nearby bench, a beauty in her Sunday dress and black dress boots sat with arms folded staring at the bright November sky. Wade's gaze snapped back to the girl. It was Darcy Malone.
His feet started moving before he even told them to, and the happy thumping of his heart made him realize she'd just made his day.
"Long time no see," he called, giving her a little wave. She jumped like he'd torn her away from some deep, dark thought.
"Wade." Her face dropped for a moment then a charming smile bloomed across her face. "What are you doing out here?"
"Taking the day off." He stopped in front of her, unsure whether or not she wanted to be bothered. "What are you doing downtown?" Her gaze froze, and he remembered the nickname she hated. "I'm sorry. I meant here."
"I was just thinking. I'm waiting for my mother to pick me up. I had to stay after church for a meeting."
"Oh?" Wade put a hand on his hip. "You go to church around here?"
She pointed down the street past the flower shop at a white steeple.
"And now you're out for a walk."
"Yes." The smile returned to her face, making her eyes bright, and she patted the bench beside her. "I finished earlier than I expected to so I thought I'd come down here and enjoy the sunshine."
He sat down beside her. "I thought I'd take a break—enough research and writing for a while. I figured it was time to explore the streets of Blessings."
Darcy chuckled, and he shrugged. "It is nice outside and pretty, too. They did quite a number on the lampposts getting ready for Thanksgiving."
"Not every town has enough turkey banners to hang from every roof."
Wade laughed. "I like it. Some people rush into Christmas, but you all take time to appreciate the harvest and all of the year's blessings before jumping into Santa Claus."
"I like it, too. I missed it while I was away." Darcy leaned back and crossed her legs. Her dark riding boots came up to the knees. Her light sweater dress brushed the top of her calves. "It helps me slow down and focus on what matters in life and to sincerely count my blessings."
Wade moved over beside her. "I find I've been doing that a lot lately, counting my blessings, since I landed here in Blessings." He winked at her for the corny joke, and she groaned.
He raised his brows to show his sincerity. "I like stopping by the café in the mornings and seeing the same faces. Everything I could possibly need is at the hardware store. And the bookstore? I love The Last Page. Indie bookstores have so much character."
Darcy nodded. "They displayed my artwork once when I was in high school."
"They did?" Wade watched a flash of nostalgic pride cross her face. "You must be amazing. I saw some of your stuff in the art classroom, but to be so talented so young."
A corner of her mouth curled up. It seemed he'd lifted her mood after all. "I'm sorry," he murmured again, resisting the urge to take her hand. Her arms were still folded over herself in some kind of unspoken self-defense.
"For what?" She turned her head to look at him, and he soaked in her glistening green gaze.
She wasn't much of a mystery anymore, but he still had lingering questions. He shrugged and tried to make it look casual. "I mean because I said 'downtown' and it bothered you. I could tell."
Darcy's face became blank like someone had taken an eraser to it. Her mouth seemed to shrink into a little 'o'. Her eyes drooped, and the rosy color in her cheeks melted away. "I do hate that name." She gave a sardonic laugh and glanced up toward the church. "Someone reminded me about it today without even saying it."
Wade waited for her to go on.
After a pause, she continued. "I don't actually live downtown," she said with a snort, "not around here. We live... outside of town and across the old train tracks." She stopped and bit her bottom lip.
"I see," he muttered, trying to guess the problem. "So you're not a townie kid, so what? I lived in the sticks, too."
"Maybe," she said, "but not like where I live, I bet." She darted a furtive look toward him. "They started calling me 'Downtown' in junior high because I lived in a poor part of town, and they weren't intelligent enough to understand that the other side of the tracks is not downtown."
He chuckled with sympathy.
Darcy took a deep breath then said in a low tone, "Next, of course, when you turn boys down for dates and parties, they like to spread rumors to encourage such nicknames. So, that's how that came about. For some reason, nobody can forget it."
Wade reached out and pulled on her arm that she'd crossed over herself. He took her hand. "Some people never grow up, and some people wouldn't know what class was if they stepped in it."
A small smile escaped, and Darcy met his gaze. "Right. Thank you." Her eyes seemed to shine a little more. "I let myself get worked up over what people think of me more than I do what they think about my artwork." She chuckled. "I can take a critique, just not a personal one." She winked at him.
Wade stared, and she looked back until her little pout blossomed into red soft lips that parted slightly open. It was the perfect moment to kiss her—in a dream or a book or a movie, but this was reality. She was just a lovely woman—no, a perfect girl in a perfect town—and he was Wade Spears, professor and bookworm, with awkward tendencies and a serious lack of romantic assertiveness. He looked away and cleared his throat.
"Well, I just wanted to walk over and thank you again for yesterday. It really inspired me, and I'm ready to tackle the rest of the chapter this week."
"Good!" Darcy's crossed leg began to bob up and down. She held onto his hand with a tight grip, and he relished her warmth and how it made his chest tingle. She wasn't letting go, and he wasn't going to either.
"What can I do to pay you back?" Wade hoped she'd suggest that he take her to the diner again or show him another running trail.
"Umm..." she drawled in a mysterious tone, "I have a parade float to decorate by next weekend. I could use a hand."
Wade grinned. He couldn't help but stare into her eyes. Let her see how much he wanted to help. Let her see how much he liked her. "I'm at your beck and call."
Darcy grinned. "That'd be perfect."