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Ginny woke to the now familiar sounds of breakfast being made. A clattering of a pan, the spluttering of the old coffee machine; it was a glorious symphony after a restless night’s sleep. Ginny rubbed her hands over her eyes and stretched, already looking forward to the half dozen cups of coffee she planned to consume. All she had to do was get her father home, and she’d be able to relax again.
Pulling on her bathrobe, Ginny realized her father was still in the hospital. To her knowledge, Max didn’t have a key and wouldn’t be barging into her house anytime soon. The look of hurt on his face was burned into Ginny’s brain, and she hated herself for putting it there. She felt lower than low, but her reflections on self-hate would have to wait until she found out who was in the house.
Carefully putting her slippers on, Ginny tucked her cell phone in her robe pocket and reached for the deadliest weapon she could find—her fourth-grade spelling bee trophy. Padding down the stairs, Ginny held her breath until she saw who was in the house.
“Oh! You scared me,” Mona said, her hand pressed to her chest in surprise. Her other hand clutched a spatula, which hovered over a pan of sizzling bacon.
Ginny put the trophy on the table and sighed. “I won’t lie, Mona. You scared me too. What are you doing here? Dad won’t be home until this afternoon.” She took a seat at the table and watched Mona turn a slice of bacon. She wore a blue sweater with dozens of sparkly white snowflakes attached—what Ginny now considered Mona’s uniform of choice. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which was held in place by a sparkling scrunchie.
Mona poured two mugs of coffee and joined Ginny at the table. “Here you go,” she said as she slid the mug toward Ginny. “Two shots of cream and no sugar, right?”
Ginny was impressed. Mona had either paid attention or asked her father. No matter how she figured it out, Ginny had to admit she was touched by the gesture. “Thanks, this is perfect.” She sipped from the coffee, collecting her thoughts. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get in? I thought I locked the door.”
Mona plated up eggs and bacon from the stove before grabbing two slices of bread from the toaster. Ginny watched her and quickly realized the woman knew her way around the kitchen just as much as Max did. Handing a plate to Ginny, Mona took the seat usually reserved for Harold. “Your father gave me a key a few months ago. I hope you don’t mind.”
Ginny shook her head. “No, not at all. You’re both adults, and it’s Dad’s house, not mine.” She hoped she didn’t sound defensive, but yet again she felt like she missed the boat. Her father had a whole life she knew nothing about, with a woman who clearly cared for him. Judging from the delicious-looking breakfast, Mona was trying to make a good impression on Ginny. “Sorry, that came out wrong.” Ginny sighed, placing her fork on the table and scooting back her chair.
Undeterred, Mona sprinkled pepper on her eggs and took a moment to respond. “This might seem strange to you—your father and I—but I want you to know I don’t want to put you out. You are your father’s family, and I don’t want to replace anyone or get in the way. You say the word, and I’ll leave.” She took a bite of her eggs and washed it down with a swig of coffee. Her eyes were kind, but Ginny saw how tired she was.
Reaching out, Ginny rested her hand on Mona’s forearm. The older woman looked up and smiled. “You really care for my father, don’t you?”
“I love him,” Mona said plainly. “Harold is kind and patient, and we enjoy spending time together.” Her shoulders slumped as she continued. “I met Harold when I was at a low point in my life. We met a couple years ago, over at the community center. Did he tell you?”
Ginny didn’t want to lie, so she told Mona the truth. She felt she owed it to both of them, to be honest. “Dad and I don’t talk as much as we should. Being home again is showing me how much I’m missing.”
“You’re very busy with your career,” Mona defended Ginny easily. “Harold doesn’t fault you for that. In fact, he’s very proud of all you’re doing.”
Never once had Ginny pondered her father’s pride level in her career and recent life choices. Leaving Buckeye Falls was monumental for her. Not only had she left her husband, but she left her only family behind. It never occurred to her that her father would be proud of the decision, mostly because she felt like she had followed in her mother’s shoes. One minute she was living the small-town life, and the next she’d pulled up stakes and left for greener pastures.
And very much like her mother, Ginny never reached out to Max. Of course, she kept in touch with her father, but never to the degree that she knew she should. Coming home was hard that first year. Not only was she afraid of seeing Max, but she hated to see the look of sadness on her father’s face when she packed her suitcase and left all over again.
While she was gone, her father had found someone who loved him. Someone who looked after him and made him smile. “Tell me about how you met Dad,” Ginny offered, taking joy in the happiness that radiated from Mona. It was in stark contrast to her own heartbreak.
“If you’re sure it won’t bore you,” Mona said, spreading some jelly on her toast. “It’s not much of a story.”
Ginny laughed. “I highly doubt that. Any story that involves two people finding each other deserves to be told.” Leaning in, Ginny ate her breakfast while Mona spoke.
“Well, I’d moved here from Cleveland. My ex-husband had decided he wanted to move out West. I’ll tell you, I assumed I was invited on the move. Our two sons were grown and out of the house, so when he started talking about moving, I thought we’d do it together. Then one day I came home to a half-empty house and a moving crew taking half of our furniture. Douglas said he didn’t know how to tell me our twenty-nine-year marriage was over, so he thought the sight of the moving crew would do it for him.”
Ginny’s fork clattered to the table, her jaw falling to her chest. “You’re kidding, that’s horrible! Mona, I’m so sorry.” It didn’t escape Ginny that both her father and Mona were unceremoniously dumped for the draw of the West. Both of their spouses left so cruelly. If she wanted to continue drawing parallels, Ginny knew her actions weren’t much better. They simply took her in another direction.
Mona waved her off. “Thanks, dear, but you don’t need to apologize. That was over five years ago, and I’m a much stronger person because of it. When Douglas left, I spent a whole year sitting in a half-empty house, just waiting for that dope to come home. When our youngest son, Tommy, came to visit for Thanksgiving, he showed me pictures of Douglas and his new girlfriend in San Diego. It was the kick in the butt I needed to get on with my life.” Mona cleared her throat and sipped from her coffee. Ginny was too speechless to interrupt. She was impressed that Mona could discuss this so freely, without even the slightest tremble in her voice. “Then I came to visit my friend Elsie, who you might remember from the decorations debacle the other night.”
If the circumstances were different, Ginny would have chided the other woman about that. But now anything connected with that night felt tainted. Because I tainted it, she scolded herself. What she wouldn’t give for a shared ice cream cone and one of Max’s smiles right about now ...
Completely unaware of Ginny’s internal dialog, Mona continued. “We went to grade school together, and she invited me out for a visit. After only a week, I knew this was where I wanted to live.”
Shaking herself back to the moment, Ginny offered a grin. “It’s nice you had friends like Elsie to look after you,” Ginny agreed. “So when did you meet my dad?”
Mona nibbled on a piece of bacon, her eyes sparkling at the memory. “Elsie invited me to a town hall meeting to discuss the Christmas Jubilee. I was so excited to be involved, since Christmas is my favorite time of year.” She gestured to her sweater as if that was all the proof she needed. “Over a plate of dry cookies, I bumped into Harold. He was there with Max, and the three of us got to talking. I gravitated toward them, really. They both seemed a bit lost.”
Ginny shuddered at the notion that she made the two most important men in her life unhappy, even though she knew that wasn’t Mona’s point. “And the rest is history?” she asked instead, trying to keep her voice light. A belt tightened over Ginny’s chest, threatening to steal her breath. Counting down from ten, she strived to look calm.
Mona ran her last crust of toast through a puddle of egg yolk, savoring the bite before replying, “Yes. We saw each other the next day at the diner, and just hit it off. We both like the same books, and I’m a huge sports fan. Raising two sons will do that to a woman.” Mona smiled with the pride of a mother, and Ginny wondered if her mother ever thought about her and what they’d shared before she left.
Sensing where Ginny’s mind had gone, Mona shifted to face her. “Your mother doesn’t know what she’s missing, if you don’t mind me saying. This is a great little town, and your father is the sweetest man I’ve ever met. She’s missing out on the best years of your life too. I won’t pretend to understand why she left, but it’s safe to say she’s missed a lot.”
Ginny looked around the kitchen and tried to remember the last time she had a positive memory of her mother. It scared her that she barely had any happy memories left. They were all tangled and tainted in her mind, the mind of a lonely daughter.
“I think you’re really good for my dad,” Ginny said, standing to clear the table. Mona tried to collect her dishes, but Ginny waved her off. “Nope, you cooked. I’ll clean. Those are the house rules.” She winked at Mona, who suddenly looked like she wanted to burst into tears. “Thanks for breakfast, and the talk.” Ginny busied herself with dishes for a few minutes while Mona tidied up the living room.
Mona brought a few pillows and a new blanket, which she laid over the couch. She explained how the doctors wanted Harold to sit in a certain way, and that extra pillows would help with his pain while he heals. Ginny was grateful that Mona thought to ask these questions, as she hadn’t thought much beyond the surgery.
Ginny’s cell phone rang; another incoming call from Lana. Ginny looked at the phone but decided it could wait. She needed to coordinate when her father was coming back from the hospital with Mona. Just as she joined Mona in the living room, her phone chimed again. Lana was on a tear, that was certain.
“So I thought we could go over these last few email blasts and Facebook posts before we leave for the hospital,” Ginny suggested, carrying in her notebook.
Mona fluffed a couple of pillows and patted a cushion. “Take a seat, we’ll test out these new cushions.” She took the notebook and pointed to one of Ginny’s suggested posts. “I really like that one, by the way. I hope you don't mind, but Natalie told me what you were thinking. You clearly know your business.”
Ginny flushed at the compliment. “Thanks.” She took a few minutes to fill Mona in on her plans. During her downtime over the last week, she came up with a full social media schedule, plans for online contests to drum up interest for the vendors at the Jubilee, and even crafted a few descriptions for the email blasts Natalie wanted to send. She was pleased with what she’d put together in such a short period, especially with the distractions from her father’s surgery and Max.
Max. Thinking about him hurt her heart. Absently, Ginny rubbed at her chest and sighed. “I think I need something to drink.”
Mona patted her knee and stood. “Water or stronger?”
Ginny barked out a laugh. “That obvious, huh?”
Mona stopped in the doorway and shrugged. “I’m not a mind reader, but this is the first time I’ve seen you without Max by your side. I saw you two at the hospital together, but I haven’t seen him all day.”
“So it is obvious.” Ginny sighed, falling back against the stack of cushions. Mona had done a good job, because they were incredibly comfortable.
From the kitchen, Ginny heard the cupboards open and close. Mona emerged a moment later with two glasses and an opened bottle of wine. “If we’re pouring our hearts out, we need something to pour with it.” She handed Ginny a glass and they clinked. “Ignore the fact that it’s barely ten o’clock.” She huffed a laugh.
Ginny took a sip and closed her eyes. If she pretended, she could see Max sitting with her, pulling her close on the couch. “I screwed up,” she admitted, her eyes still tightly closed. “I screwed up and potentially broke his heart again.” She took another sip and placed the glass on the coffee table. Looking at Mona, she saw she had the woman’s full attention.
“Max is very forgiving and patient. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think,” Mona said.
Ginny thought back to last night, dropping his car off at his house like a thief in the night. She’d called a ride share to meet her on the corner, too afraid that Max would offer to take her home if he spotted her. She’d even chickened out and suggested she’d call today, which she had no plans on doing in the light of day.
Ginny heard Mona talking and realized she’d missed part of her questions. “I’m sorry, what?”
Mona topped off Ginny’s glass before responding. “I said, why do you think you can’t fix this? If you don’t mind me saying, that man is still smitten with you. I think you tell him you’re interested and all will be forgotten.”
Ginny wished Mona was right, but she knew it would never be that simple. “I said some pretty horrible things, and I think we’re doomed to repeat the past. My life is in the city, and his is here. I’m not going to ask him to move for me—it wouldn’t be fair.”
Raising an eyebrow, Mona looked skeptical. “Are you certain? Sure, Max has the diner, but I think he’d give it all up if you said so.”
Bolstered by the wine, Ginny shot down Mona’s idea. “That’s the problem though, it’s always about me and my career. I couldn’t ask Max to leave his life for mine. He wouldn’t do it before the divorce, and now the diner is successful. He wouldn’t leave it behind now.”
“How do you know? Did you ask him?”
No, Ginny thought, she hadn’t. She’d lied to herself about how she felt, then had verbal diarrhea in front of Max, spewing feelings that weren’t even accurate. Of course she liked kissing Max. That had never changed. She was petrified for what that meant, so she threw up some roadblocks to protect her heart. Maybe she was trying to protect Max too?
Shifting gears, Ginny asked about the car she saw at Max’s place last night. “Who do you know in Buckeye Falls that drives an old GMC pickup?”
Mona shrugged and finished her wine. “Was it black with a little rust on the tailgate?” When Ginny nodded, Mona confirmed her assumption. “That’s CeCe’s truck. Why?”
Ginny strived to look casual but knew it was a losing battle. “No reason, just saw it last night when I dropped off Max’s car.” She picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her pants, but Mona wasn’t buying it.
“Dear, there’s no way anything is going on with those two. You might as well consider them brother and sister. Besides, CeCe would eat Max for breakfast if given the chance. You have no competition there.”
That statement somehow made Ginny feel better and worse. “But why was she there so late?”
“Because they’re friends. If you’re having a rough time in New York, don’t you have someone to call?” Mona made this sound so simple, but Ginny didn’t really have a support network. Sure, her coworkers were always around, but never like that. No one would come over and dry her tears after a bad date, or give her confidence a boost after a rough client meeting. It was every man and woman for themselves, something she did not miss since being back in Buckeye Falls.
Mona looked at her phone and frowned. “Speaking of Max and CeCe, the cookie party starts in an hour.” She looked at Ginny and shrugged. “One of us needs to pick up Harold and the other needs to make an appearance at the cookie party. The Jubilee planning committee needs to be represented.”
Ginny felt as festive as a box of hair, but she knew Mona wanted to pick up her father from the hospital. “I’m guessing you’d like me to decorate cookies and share the final marketing plan with Natalie?” Ginny asked, smiling at how relieved Mona looked.
“If you don’t mind,” Mona wagered, “it would really drum up more interest if you’re there. The town’s talked of little else since you came home. I’m old news, I’m afraid.”
Ginny thought about saying no, about chickening out and running away from Max again. But she couldn’t bring herself to disappoint Mona or Natalie that way. They were both counting on her to make the Jubilee the best one yet, and she wanted to prove she was up for the task.
Now the only problem was what to do about Max. Ginny didn’t have the answers, but she knew she had to make it right. She couldn’t end her visit to Buckeye Falls with Max ignoring her. It didn’t sit right with her. Ginny needed to stick to her promise and go decorate some cookies. She knew her father would understand.
Pulling herself up to her feet, Ginny stretched and sighed. “Looks like it’s time to get festive.”