“Okay, who wants to go first?” Mac asked.
He held the driver’s-side door open in the church parking lot on Thursday after Bridget closed Brewed Awakening. She and Kaylee were huddled together staring at his truck like it was a snarling wolf. Kaylee’s mitten-clad fists propped up her chin as she shook her head, while Bridget looked as if she’d prefer cutting off her own finger to having her first driving lesson.
Truth be told, he didn’t want to teach either of them how to drive any more than they wanted to get in the truck. What if he forgot something major and they crashed it?
He wasn’t a driving instructor. He was just a cowboy in way over his head.
“Well, one of you is going to have to get in at some point.” He gestured to the open door. “Who’s first?”
“You go, Bridget.” Kaylee pushed her forward. “I’m too nervous.”
“I wouldn’t want to take your spot.” Bridget hung back. “You’re the top priority here.”
Mac groaned and stared at the sky. Why him? Maybe he should have asked Otis to teach these two the way the old-timer had taught him. Not that Mac personally remembered much of the training. It seemed like he’d been driving his entire life.
“You wouldn’t be taking my spot,” Kaylee said. “I learn better watching someone else. Plus, my stomach feels funny. I don’t want to throw up.”
“Don’t even think about throwing up in my truck.” Mac tried not to glare, but he did not do vomit.
“I feel gaggy.”
“Do we need to go home?” After a full week of her going to school every day, he didn’t want to retrigger the cycle of her not feeling good and staying home. But if she thought she was going to hurl...
“No.”
“Well, I don’t want anyone puking. Kay, get in the back.” Mac turned to Bridget. “Looks like you’re up.”
She stared blankly and appeared ready to argue with him. But then she climbed into the seat while he jogged around to the passenger side. Once he got settled, Mac looked back at Kaylee, who did look nauseous.
“I mean it, Kay, don’t yack in here.” He hated to even say it, but he could not handle vomit in his truck. He’d never get the smell out.
“She’s not sick, Mac. It’s nerves.” Bridget’s tongue had finally loosened. Her hands were folded on her lap. The seat was a good fifteen miles from the steering wheel.
“Reach down with your left hand,” he said. “You’ll feel a lever along the side of the seat. If you push it forward, the seat will move toward the steering wheel. Push it backward and it will reverse.”
Bridget fumbled to find it, getting startled when the seat slowly began moving with an electronic droning noise. “How far should it go?”
“Until your foot is comfortable on the gas pedal.”
“Which one’s the gas pedal?” The seat kept moving.
He scooted over, although the console between them limited how far he could go. “The pedal farthest to the right. The one next to it—the one in the middle there—that’s the brake. You press on the gas to go, and you press on the brake to stop.”
“Gas pedal, go. Brake, stop. Got it.”
Her body was crammed against the wheel and her knees were practically touching the front panel. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh at how absurd she looked or pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Ease back a little. You’re way too close.”
“What do you mean?” Her brown eyes swirled with worry.
“The wheel. The pedals. You want to be comfortable, not packed in like a sardine.”
The electronic noise commenced again, and she backed up the seat fraction by fraction. It took two years. He checked his watch. At this point, neither Kaylee nor Bridget would actually start the truck until their driver’s ed classes were over.
“Comfortable?” he asked.
“No. I’m not comfortable. My couch is comfortable. This is a giant machine that I’m somehow supposed to operate without crashing and killing us all. You expect me to drive this monster? Hello? I can barely ride a bike.”
He hadn’t realized it was so intimidating. Maybe slow was the way to go, after all.
“Let’s review the basics before you actually operate this—” he lifted his fingers in air quotes “—giant machine, okay?”
Bridget nodded, her lips drawn into a tight line.
“Put your hands on the wheel. Like this.”
She shot him a glare but obeyed.
“This is a push start so all you have to do is put your foot on the brake and press the button there, and the truck will start. Don’t do it yet, though.”
“Don’t worry. I have no desire to bring this beast to life.”
He’d ignore that comment.
“First, you want to check your mirrors. Go ahead and adjust the rearview until you can see out the back. The side mirrors are controlled by buttons in the door. See them?” Mac went on to explain the dashboard displays, the windshield wipers, emergency brake and gears. “Okay, I think you’re ready. Go ahead and start it up.”
Her throat worked as she looked down at her foot, poised on the brake, then she hissed as she pressed the start button. The truck came to life with a low rumble. Her loud sigh of relief made him wonder if she’d expected a bomb to go off rather than the truck to start.
“Good job.” He pointed to the shifter. “Go ahead and put it in Drive. You can take us on a tour of the parking lot for a few minutes.”
“Drive? Already? Are you kidding me?”
“I’m not kidding.”
Her face said it all—this was lunacy.
“Just press the accelerator slowly.” The truck leaped forward. He gripped the handle above the door. “Press it gently.”
“What do you mean?” Her voice rose in panic. “I’m going way too fast.”
He checked the speedometer. She was going seven miles per hour.
“So, slow down.”
“How do I slow down?”
“Just ease your foot off the gas. Press the brakes.”
She started pressing on the gas pedal with her right foot while simultaneously pressing the brake with her left foot. The truck bucked and made a grinding noise.
“No! Take your foot off the gas pedal. You can’t press both at the same time.” His heartbeat thumped so hard he could hear it in both ears. “You always, always use your right foot to accelerate and to brake. You never use both feet, and you never press both at once.”
As the truck stopped, Bridget’s face drained of color, and her knuckles were white on the wheel.
He covered her right hand with his own. “It’s okay. No harm done. Try it again.”
“No harm done?” she yelled. “I almost killed us, and you want me to try it again? Are you out of your mind?”
“You didn’t almost kill anyone. It was an honest mistake.” Mac was trying to be patient, but he clearly was not cut out for this. “Just try again. It will be fine.”
She glared at him but pressed on the gas pedal. The truck lurched forward a few feet, then a few more as she got used to it.
“Turn the wheel to the right—slowly—and we’ll go in a circle.” Mac’s hand was near the steering wheel in case he needed to take charge, but Bridget had no trouble steering it. She drove around the empty lot once before he told her to press the brake to come to a stop. It was a jerky stop, but the truck halted. “Want to go again?”
She shook her head, her lips bluish, so he figured it was Kaylee’s turn. “Put the truck in park, and let’s get Kaylee up here.” He looked back to where his sister clutched her seat belt and stared at him through round, terrified eyes.
Bridget climbed out of the truck. Her cheeks expanded as she puffed out a breath and bent over to brace her hands on her thighs.
“Come on. It’s your turn.” He patted the driver’s seat.
Kaylee grimaced, shaking her head.
“You can do the same as Bridget,” he said. “It’s easy.”
“No, thank you.” Then she pressed her stomach and groaned. Was she going to throw up?
“Never mind,” he said. “You’ll drive next time.”
Bridget opened the back door, popping her head into the truck to speak to Kaylee. “I know you’re nervous, but maybe you should get it over with. It’s not going to get easier if you wait.”
“If she doesn’t want to do it, she doesn’t have to.” Mac didn’t like when Bridget pressured Kaylee. Couldn’t she see his sister might hurl?
“The instructor is making us drive next week.” Bridget’s color had returned, and Mac had to admit the rosiness in her cheeks made her prettier than ever. She addressed Kaylee again. “Wouldn’t you rather have your first time here? With us?”
He opened his mouth to defend his sister, but Kaylee actually stepped out of the back seat. Then she hauled herself into the driver’s seat, and Bridget took her spot in the back.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” he said gently. He didn’t want to push her too hard.
The vein in her forehead throbbed, and her face was pale, but she placed her hands on the wheel. “Check the mirrors, right?”
Wow, she’d actually listened to him teach Bridget. “Yeah, but I’m serious, Kay. You’re upset. We can do this another time.”
With her mouth shut, she shook her head. “How do I adjust the seat again?”
He told her, and after having her try out the windshield wipers and locate the gears, he gave her the go ahead to drive. She was marginally better than Bridget, but only by a hair. After she looped around the parking lot, she parked the truck, turned it off, and climbed out. Bridget got out, too.
Mac came around the front to get back into the driver’s seat and stopped in his tracks. The girls were hugging and laughing and jumping up and down.
Laughing? Jumping? He found nothing funny about the previous thirty minutes of his life. And then to his amazement, Kaylee yanked on his arm, pulling him over, and yelled, “Group hug.”
The three of them embraced. It was over before it began. Then Kaylee was talking a mile a minute, her face bright as the sun, and Bridget was doing the same.
“I thought I was going to drive us right into the side of the church...” Bridget placed her hand over her heart.
“I was afraid I’d flip the truck over when I pressed the brake...” Kaylee sat in the back seat, buckling up.
Driving into the side of the church? Flipping the truck?
Mac shook his head. He was in an alternate universe. It was the only logical explanation for what he’d just witnessed. He drove to the community center. They chattered all the way there.
When he parked, Bridget put her hand on his arm. “Thanks, Mac. I’m sorry about pressing the gas and the brake at the same time. I hope I didn’t hurt the truck.”
“You didn’t hurt anything.”
Kaylee opened Bridget’s door. “Come on, let’s get in there.”
Bridget smiled shyly at him, then joined his sister.
As he watched them hurry arm in arm into the building, he realized the adrenaline in his veins was still roaring. From the driving lessons? The group hug? Or from Bridget’s smile?
He didn’t know, and he didn’t want to find out.
“When are you going to decorate this place for Christmas?” Joe asked Friday afternoon.
Bridget made a note in the small binder of drink recipes she’d printed out before turning back to Joe. He’d been stopping in every day after lunch for training, and she’d been impressed at his knowledge of making the various coffee drinks. His understanding of her electronic checkout system, though? He was struggling. Technology and Joe didn’t quite mix.
“Christmas?” She tapped her finger to her chin. “I haven’t thought about decorating yet. I need to get on it.”
“The holiday parade and open house are coming up. You want this place to be festive for it. All the local businesses stay open. Most have cookies and treats.” Joe wore his typical flannel shirt and jeans, but he’d tied a denim apron—the same as hers—around his waist. She had to admit he looked right at home working here.
“Holiday open house? I hadn’t heard.” She supposed she should join the chamber of commerce, but it felt too revealing. Plus, it would likely involve meetings, and she didn’t do those. Meetings meant small talk, which led to people asking personal questions or suggesting she volunteer for things she had no desire to be involved with.
The people of Sunrise Bend were still curious about her. But as the days wore on, they seemed to accept her vague answers about her past. And when she asked them about themselves, they quickly moved on to sharing their own stories.
That was the way she liked it. She preferred listening to talking. Being in the shadows rather than the spotlight.
She’d learned a lot about the town in the short time the coffee shop had been open. People here were hard-working and loyal and helped each other out. The previous owners, Marge and Bud Sampson, were well-liked, and the locals mentioned them often. A few people had commented negatively on the way their daughter, Riley, ran the place when she took it over. Bridget just listened politely, but inwardly, she was thankful she hadn’t seen Riley again.
“Where are your decorations stored? I can help you put ’em up.” Joe dropped wooden coffee stirrers into a metal container. The bell above the door alerted them to a group of teenagers coming in, bringing their fun brand of chaos with them.
“Why don’t you take the orders and handle the cash register, while I make the drinks this time?” Bridget said. “Then you’ll have the hang of it for tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted her. She arched her eyebrows and suppressed a chuckle. Joe then shuffled to the register where five boys jostled each other. “What can I get you there? Hey, you’re Josh and Jenny’s boy, aren’t you?”
The kid first in line straightened. “Yes, sir.”
“Dalton?”
“No, Dalton’s my older brother. I’m Bryce.”
The boys behind Bryce were joking with each other. The teens had proven to be a key component to her profits. Kaylee’s suggestion to bake giant cookies had been genius. Bridget sold at least a dozen to the high school students every day.
“Bryce. That’s right.” Joe nodded enthusiastically. “You pulled down a ten-point buck on opening weekend. Hawk’s Creek, if I’m not mistaken. I’ve hunted there a time or two in my day...”
“You heard about that?” Bryce’s chest puffed out.
“Son, everyone heard about that.”
“Yeah, me and my dad went out at four in the morning—”
“Hey, Bryce, order already, will you?” One of the teens pushed to the front to stand next to him. Joe, oblivious to the kid’s impatience, continued to talk about all the fawns he’d seen out there this summer.
Bridget debated stepping in to help him take the orders. She didn’t want Joe’s rambling to drive away these teens. She took pride in her quick service.
“Well, I’d better take your order, or I’ll talk all day,” Joe said. “Promise to tell me about it later, though, okay? Now, what can I get you?”
Bridget turned to grab a mug, grateful she hadn’t had to intervene. She and Joe spent the next ten minutes working together to take care of the group. Joe asked questions whenever he couldn’t figure out what button to push. Surprisingly, one of the boys in line explained the credit card reader in a way he understood.
Another group of high schoolers came in as the boys took their coffees to the table near the front window. Joe took their orders and chatted with them, and Bridget realized he seemed to know something about each one, whether it was their parents or something they were involved with in the community.
Joe paid attention to people. He cared.
After the teens were served, Bridget went over the trickier aspects of the checkout screen with him. “Just remember to go to this screen for debit...”
Two older women, deep in conversation, approached. When they reached the counter, Joe greeted them. The moment they realized he would be waiting on them, they exchanged panicked glances.
“Howdy, Brenda. What can I get you?” Joe asked. “Our special is the vanilla chai latte today.”
“Oh, ah, yes, that sounds good.” The woman looked flustered. She glanced at her companion sharply. “We’ll take two.” She pointed to the platter where the giant chocolate chip cookies in cellophane bags were arranged. The bite-size sugar cookies were stacked in clear bags, too. “Do you want to split those sugar cookies, Nancy?”
“Sure.” The woman gave Joe a worried glance, which Bridget didn’t think he noticed. At least, she hoped he hadn’t.
“I heard Sam got a flat last week.” He frowned as he pressed the screen buttons, having to go back twice. “It was fortunate he didn’t slide into the ditch. That stretch of road out on—”
“Yes, Sam had a flat tire,” Nancy snapped, arching her eyebrow to her friend as if to say here we go.
“It’s a shame. I hope it wasn’t the big pothole by the Sutton place. The road needs fixing. I keep calling the county—”
“I guess we’ll never know.” Nancy’s tone was positively rude.
Bridget quickly made their drinks and set them on the counter with a tight smile. The women weren’t treating Joe well, and it made her feel protective of him.
“Oh, this machine...” He shook his head. “I think I got it now. Credit card? Slide it right in this here slot.”
The woman shot him a glare. “I know where it goes, Joe.”
Bridget bristled at her rudeness. She’d had her share of off-putting customers over the years, but so far, the locals of Sunrise Bend had been friendly and good-natured. With her. And with Kaylee.
But with Joe?
“I’m sure you do, Nancy.” He gave her a good-natured nod. “I’m in training, so you’ll have to bear with me.”
“Training?” Her expression fairly screamed she’d never come back.
“I’ll be running the place on Saturday mornings for a few weeks.” He looked over at Bridget warmly. “I’m mighty obliged Bridget here is taking a chance on an old-timer like me.”
The woman gave Bridget a cold once-over, slipped her credit card back into her wallet and snatched the to-go cup. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
She might as well have said I’ll never come in on a Saturday if I have to put up with you.
“Have a nice day, now.” He waved to them as they hurried, straight-backed, to the door.
“Who was that?” Bridget stood next to him, staring as the door closed behind them.
“Nancy Felix and Brenda Daly. They organize a lot of fundraisers and events for the town.”
“They seemed kind of...uptight.” She didn’t want to speak ill of anyone. However, it was the truth.
“Yeah, you don’t want them on your bad side. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. Never had a problem with them myself.”
Never had a problem with them? Bridget wanted to ask him what about right now?
She didn’t, though. She wanted to hug this man with his big, kind heart. He saw the best in people, even when they were rude to his face. She, on the other hand, was not as trusting as he was. Nor was she inclined to see the best in people. Not after what her stepmother had put her through.
If Nancy and Brenda had influence in town and clearly disliked Joe, what would that mean for Brewed Awakening on Saturdays?
There wasn’t much she could do if they decided to avoid the coffee shop whenever Joe was working. Besides, in a few short weeks, she wouldn’t need the extra help.
The next hour crawled by with few customers. Before Joe left for the night, she gave him her parting instructions on how to open the store in the morning. She was just getting ready to lock the door when Sawyer entered wearing a cowboy hat, boots, jeans and an unzipped jacket. Seeing his lanky frame always brought a smile to her face.
She ran over and gave him a big hug. “What are you doing here? I thought you were busy at the ranch.”
“I’m under strict orders to drive you to Mac’s. We’re all having pizza, and you’re not getting out of it this time.”
“Oh, no. I’d better not. I have a lot to do around here.” She stepped backward. Pizza with all of Sawyer’s friends? She wasn’t really a socializer. She’d gotten used to staying home by herself or doing things alone.
But since arriving in Sunrise Bend, she hadn’t been as content with being alone as she’d been in the city. In some ways the solitude was necessary, but in other ways it was simply easier than putting herself out there.
She couldn’t put her whole self out there. She just couldn’t.
What if she let her guard down and something embarrassing slipped out? Rejection would be devastating here. This was a small town, one she wanted to live in permanently. There was no room for error on her part.
Sawyer stood there with his head at an angle. He sighed. “Whatever you have to do can wait.”
“But then you’d have to drive me back here when you’re done.”
“Randy and Hannah will take you. She lives up the road at the apartment complex, and Randy’s only five minutes further out.”
“But—”
“It’s Friday.” Sawyer’s gentle tone dulled her sharp edges. “I want you there. It will give us a chance to catch up along the way. I’ve missed you, Bridge.”
She missed him, too. He’d been her honorary big brother and best friend for a decade. And pizza sounded good. She had to admit she was curious to see where Mac lived.
One of the main reasons she’d moved here was so she could be part of a community. Yeah, a fringe part on the outskirts of the community.
No one here would understand her childhood. Even she didn’t understand it.
If they found out she’d been homeless, how would they react? And if word got out that she didn’t have a high school diploma, it could hurt her business.
“My friends are nice,” he said as if he could read her mind. “You don’t have to worry about being judged or anything.”
He was right. They were nice.
“Okay, I’ll go.” But she’d be careful not to reveal too much. The less they knew about her past, the better.
A few hours later, Mac wished he could stop looking Bridget’s way. He shoved an empty pizza box in the trash as conversations buzzed around him. Some of his friends sat on the massive sectional, while others stood at the kitchen island near the open living space. Kaylee had gone over to Lydia’s to spend the night, so it was only the adults—well, besides Holly’s toddler, Clara, and Austin’s baby, AJ. Tess and Sawyer had left little Tucker with her father.
Mac hadn’t expected to see Bridget. Sure, he’d invited her, but she’d declined. Again. So when she’d arrived with Sawyer and Tess, he’d been surprised. And a little excited.
Bridget’s straightforward what-you-see-is-what-you-get manner intrigued him, and she’d been a good influence on Kaylee. At the moment, she had a pleasant smile on her face as she held a can of soda and nodded at something Tess said.
The conversation around him kept circling back to Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would be Kaylee’s first holiday season without their parents. He wanted to make it special for her. Give her a reason to not be sad. But he wasn’t sure how.
“The calves doing okay?” Austin, popping a few peanuts into his mouth, came up to him. “Gaining weight?”
“Most are.” He thought of the list of weaker ones and frowned. Every morning he checked on the calves he’d kept. Some were faring better than others. Was his dad right that keeping half of the calves to sell in the spring was a waste of time and money? “I’m supplementing their diets, but it’s not doing much at this point for several of them.”
“What kind of supplements?”
Mac explained the combination of tallow and fat blends as Austin nodded. While he spoke, he felt better about the decision to keep the calves. “I contacted an expert up in Montana. He told me what to do.”
“Let me know how it goes. I might try keeping calves until spring, too, next year if it works out for you.”
“I will.” It was nice to hear something positive about his decision. Mac used to tell himself Dad wasn’t a rancher and didn’t have a clue what was best for the cattle, but more often than not, he forgot.
“Got the kitchen babyproofed last weekend.” Austin grinned.
“Oh yeah?”
Mac spotted Austin’s brother, Randy, carrying the baby. Hannah was glued to his side as she played peekaboo with the boy. Their engagement gave Mac a funny feeling. Not because he had a thing for Hannah or anything—he didn’t—but because his world was changing. Some of the guys were falling in love. Getting engaged. Getting married.
Not him.
“Cassie insisted.” Austin detailed how AJ’s nanny supervised the childproofing of the house. “The cupboards weren’t difficult...”
Mac peeked at Bridget again, now chuckling at something Blaine Mayer said. Blaine was a good guy. Another single rancher like him.
Bridget’s chuckle turned into a guffaw, and Blaine grinned, leaning toward her.
Mac narrowed his eyes. Was Blaine flirting with Bridget?
His muscles tensed, and he excused himself to head in their direction.
“Oh, hey, Mac,” Blaine said with a grin. “I was just telling Bridget about the time I took out a section of fence when Dad was teaching me how to drive.”
They were sharing learning-to-drive stories. Harmless. He relaxed.
“Hey, Blaine, come over here, will you?” Jet called. Blaine excused himself, leaving Mac alone with Bridget. Her soft gray sweater skimmed her curves, and her slim-fitting dark pants were tucked into black boots. The silver necklace she wore seemed to be a staple of her wardrobe. He couldn’t remember a time she wasn’t wearing it.
Curious, he leaned in and lifted the charm to see it better.
“It’s a sparrow.” Her big brown eyes blinked up at him.
“Oh.” He let the charm fall back into the hollow of her throat. “I like it.”
“Thanks.” She looked around. “You have a beautiful house.”
“Thank you. My dad had it remodeled a few years ago.”
“It’s nice.” Her gaze seemed to fall anywhere but him. “Did you pick everything out?”
“No.” He swallowed the tang of copper in his mouth. Like his father would ever trust him with picking out furnishings for the home he lived in. “Dad had his own way of doing things. One day a contractor and interior designer showed up at my front door. They handled everything.”
She studied him with a slight tilt of her head. “Would you have done anything differently?”
The question felt charged. He knew she meant with the house, but he couldn’t help thinking about his father. Would he have done anything differently if Dad were still alive?
Yes. Mac probably should have stuck up for himself more. But where would it have gotten him? Kicked off the ranch, most likely.
“I like the house,” he said. “I’m not really into decorating, but I wouldn’t have minded being consulted about it.”
Her expression softened. “I know what it’s like to not have any say in your life.” The words were so soft, he barely heard them.
He wasn’t sure how to respond. He wanted to know more, though.
“Rough childhood?” His tone was light, but his gut clenched in preparation for her response.
“I survived.” She shrugged. They stood there awkwardly for a few moments.
“How did you and Sawyer meet?” There. A safe topic of conversation.
A shadow crossed over her face. “Oh, out and about in the city.”
Out and about? He didn’t really care how they’d met, but he expected more details than that. “You kept bumping into each other or something?”
“We worked together.”
“Makes sense.” He got the distinct impression she wasn’t being transparent.
“Joe says I need to decorate the store for Christmas.” She took another sip of soda. “For an open house.”
“Yeah, the open house is after the Christmas parade. You’ll get a lot of business.”
“I probably shouldn’t expect the parade to be the same scale as Macy’s, huh?” She set her soda can on a nearby table before giving him her full attention.
“Yeah, it’s nothing like that.” He chuckled. “The floats are all homemade. Each class from the high school makes one, and several local organizations put them together, too. There are fire trucks and people on horseback. Santa, of course. It’s fun for the kids. I haven’t been to it in years.” He hadn’t had any reason to attend. If he went this year, he’d probably get bombarded with requests to build a playground or donate money to help save endangered eagles or something.
He’d stopped taking Dina’s calls, and he hadn’t even glanced at the papers John Lutz had dropped off. Neither fact made him proud.
“Maybe I’ll see if Kaylee could help me out that day.” Bridget rubbed behind her ear. “Joe, too, if it’s going to be busy.”
“Nervous about him manning the store tomorrow?” Mac had been surprised when he found out she’d hired Joe Schlock for the Saturday mornings while she was in class. Joe was well-liked in these parts, but his lengthy conversations were merely tolerated by most people.
“Nervous? A little.” She fingered the sparrow charm. “He knows how to make a good cup of coffee, though, and he’s getting better on the register.”
A but hung between them. He waited for her to expand. She didn’t.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Mac said. He fought the temptation to move closer to her. As it was, he was close enough to inhale her perfume, something fresh with a hint of vanilla.
“I hope so.”
The air between them shimmered, and he couldn’t look away from her lips. He shifted from one foot to the other. If he’d ever needed a distraction, now was the time.
Stop looking at her. Change the subject!
“It’s Kaylee’s first Thanksgiving here without our parents,” he said quickly. “Christmas, too. I usually don’t do a whole lot to celebrate. I want to make it special for her. Any suggestions?”
“No matter what you do, she’s probably going to be sad.”
That’s what he was afraid of. “So, I shouldn’t make big plans?”
“I didn’t say that.” Her rich brown eyes gleamed. “What does she normally do? What are her traditions?”
“I don’t know.” He winced and massaged the back of his neck.
“I guess you’ll have to ask her.”
“Yeah.” Ask her. Why hadn’t he thought of that? “Sometimes the most innocent topic makes her prickly.”
“You can handle it.” Her merry expression hit him in the best possible way. “After all, you’re brave enough to teach the two of us how to drive.”
He liked the word brave. He’d never felt particularly brave, though. Heat rushed up his neck.
“Speaking of driving, you need to get more hours behind the wheel. You can drive back to the coffee shop tomorrow after class.”
“Do you think I’m ready?” Fear laced her tone.
“It’s two miles. You’ll be fine.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed, causing the sparrow around her neck to fly. He couldn’t stop staring at it or the pulse visibly fluttering in her neck.
“I’m glad you’re confident about me driving.” A shiver shimmied her shoulders. “I feel like I’m a disaster waiting to happen.”
“Nah, you’re just new at it.”
“Where did you get your patience?”
Not from my father.
“Hey, Mac, where do you keep your garbage bags?” Austin yelled. “I’ve got a nuclear diaper here...”
Tess and Sawyer approached as Mac excused himself and strode toward Austin. This was why he shouldn’t be hanging out with Bridget. She kept looking at him more thoroughly than he was used to being viewed. And she’d zoomed to the heart of the matter when she’d let it slip that she knew what it was like to not have any say in her life.
Had a guy made her feel that way? The family she denied having?
What did it matter? He knew better than to explore more than friendship with her. But it didn’t stop him from appreciating the peace of mind Bridget gave him in regard to Kaylee. She seemed to instinctively know what his sister needed in a way he didn’t.
Yesterday nagged at him a little. Sometimes she pushed Kaylee too hard for his taste. So far, Kaylee was handling the pressure. If she started to crack, he’d step in and say something.
He wasn’t letting anyone walk all over his little sister. And he wasn’t letting anyone walk over himself, either.
“You’re celebrating Thanksgiving with us,” Tess said. Bridget tore her gaze away from where Mac stood laughing next to Austin. The man intrigued her more and more. Tess waved her finger. “We will not take no for an answer. Will we, Sawyer?”
“Nope.” He had his arm slung over Tess’s shoulders. “Skip breakfast that morning, and prepare to be stuffed with turkey and pumpkin pie.”
“Someone has to save me from eating half the pie by myself.” Tess patted her tummy.
Bridget loved these two. Sawyer couldn’t have found a better wife than Tess. She was funny, smart and had a huge heart.
“I’ll pick you up,” Sawyer said. “You can spend the night in the cabin if you’d like.”
“Thank you. I’ll sleep in my own bed.” It was great to be included, but Bridget had her limits. “I’m finally getting more than three hours of sleep at night.”
“See?” Tess said. “I knew you’d get used to the noises.”
They discussed her driving class for a few minutes with Sawyer assuring her he’d take her driving whenever she wanted.
Then Jet called Sawyer over, and Holly took his place. Little Clara, adorable in a sweater with a pumpkin, striped leggings and an orange scrunchie headband, held her arms out to Bridget.
She blanked. Surely, the girl didn’t want Bridget to hold her. She’d never held a child.
“Oh, Clara, don’t you want Aunt Tess to hold you?” Tess reached for her, but Clara only had eyes for Bridget.
“I’m sorry. She seems to really like you.” Holly looked embarrassed as Clara bounced on her hip for Bridget to take her.
There was nothing to do but pick the child up. Bridget took the girl in her arms and held her on her hip. A wave of delight rushed over her as Clara snuggled into her side. She smelled fresh in the way only a baby could.
“How old is she?”
“Just turned one.” Holly adjusted Clara’s shirt. “She’s growing up too fast.”
Bridget glanced up and saw Mac across the room. The intense gleam in his eyes made her flush. What was it about him that drew her so?
“I think it’s super nice of you to hire Joe.” Hannah joined the group.
She’d been into the coffee shop several afternoons with her service-dog-in-training, Barley. Apparently, she was raising the puppy for the next year with the hopes he’d be chosen to continue on as a service dog. The golden retriever was not only adorable, but well-behaved, too. He was spending quality time with Hannah’s parents tonight. Randy’s service dog, Ned, was here to alert him of any symptoms related to his heart condition.
“Well, I’m grateful to have him help out for the next couple of weeks.” Hearing Joe’s name brought a fresh case of nerves. Bridget still wasn’t sure how customers would respond to him. She really needed those Saturday sales.
“He’ll talk your ear off, that’s for sure, but he’ll also drop anything to help you.” Hannah smiled. “He’s a social kind of guy.”
“Joe is the nicest man.” Tess splayed her hands near her chest. “But don’t think I haven’t hustled in the other direction if I’m in a hurry. I don’t have time for his rambling stories.”
Bridget had the feeling a lot of other people around town felt that way, too. The ladies who’d snubbed him last week, for sure. If her regulars knew Joe was going to be in charge of Brewed Awakening on Saturdays, they might avoid the place.
Well, so be it. If she hadn’t hired him, the coffee shop would be locked until tomorrow afternoon. Was that any better?
Clara, with her mouth wide open, grabbed the sparrow on her necklace.
“No, no, baby.” Holly gently took her hand away from it, then met Bridget’s eyes. “She’ll yank it right off your neck if you aren’t careful.”
“Thanks for the warning.” The necklace meant a lot to her. She’d purchased it after getting baptized several years ago. It reminded her that she was more important to God even than sparrows, and the thought always gave her peace.
She’d felt less important than a sparrow many times in her life. That God loved her so much was humbling.
“So, be honest,” Hannah said. Bridget tensed. Honest? About what? “Are you bored out of your mind yet? I mean Sunrise Bend is night and day from New York City.”
She exhaled in relief. This was a topic she didn’t need to avoid.
“Oh, no. I’m not bored. I do miss the shopping, though. When I get my license, I’m driving to the nearest Target and going wild.”
The ladies laughed, and Clara giggled, too. Bridget held her tighter. Precious little thing.
“We might have to make a weekend of it,” Hannah said. “The nearest one is hours away, and I love going wild in Target.”
“Who’s going wild where?” Randy sidled up next to Hannah, slipping his arm around her waist. The black Lab stayed by his side.
“We’re all going wild.” Hannah grinned up at him. “Christmas is right around the corner. We need to have a party.”
The other guys joined the circle.
“Can’t we get through Thanksgiving first? And no parties.” Blaine pretended to gag. “Isn’t this party enough?”
“You’re scared we’ll invite Janelle or Maggie,” Tess said, high-fiving Holly.
“Don’t even threaten me with those two.” Blaine looked dead serious.
“Relax.” Holly’s eyes twinkled. “We know you’re not looking for a girlfriend.”
“Got that right.” Blaine put his arm around Mac’s neck. “No matchmaking, you two. I’m not looking. Neither is Mac. Or Austin. We’re free, aren’t we, boys?”
Bridget couldn’t look away from Mac, and it hit her that he wasn’t looking away from her either.
Single. Free.
She was the same. She’d never allowed herself to dream otherwise. But now? She touched the sparrow charm and watched Mac.
Maybe single didn’t always mean being free. She looked around this group of friends and acknowledged something had shifted in her tonight.
She’d love to have what they had. However, Blaine and Mac and Austin were single by choice. She wasn’t. And that wasn’t going to change.