The December Market (Shelter Springs #2)

7

“This was a great idea. Thanks for arranging it, Amanda!”

Amanda smiled at Nat and the rest of their friends, gathered around the table at their favorite restaurant, the Spur & Saddle.

“We don’t get together often enough. I miss talking to you all,” she said.

“I think the last time we were all gathered like this was that barbecue we had over the summer at Griffin’s place,” Natalie said.

McKenna, Natalie’s younger sister, made a face. “I had to miss that one. Remember, Hazel had just had her tonsils out and I was busy handing her ice cream and snow cones.”

“But you did get to enjoy a few weeks of relative silence.” Natalie’s tone was teasing but Amanda knew she adored her two nieces, Hazel and Nora, as well as their baby brother Austin.

“True enough. It was almost worth going through the tonsillectomy for that,” McKenna said. “I feel lucky I was able to come tonight and we were able to coordinate everyone else’s schedules. Thanks again for making it work, Amanda.”

Amanda didn’t really have time for a social event with her girlfriends right now, considering her store was so hectic and the town market opened in only a few days. But she knew if they didn’t do it now, the days would fly by and it would be January before they could all arrange their schedules. That wouldn’t do, as Natalie was leaving on an extended trip for six weeks after the New Year.

She had made it work, regardless of her schedule. Hadn’t she resolved to create more time during this holiday season to slow down whenever possible so she could savor the connection with those she cared about?

She only had one brother and he was marrying a dear friend. She had to celebrate their engagement, even if it meant somehow squeezing out time she did not have.

She loved these women. Every one of them had been a powerful role model to her, showing her by example how to handle life’s curveballs with grace.

“It was a wonderful idea,” Vivi Morales said with a grin, though she looked exhausted after a long day of teaching at the elementary school.

“The best.” McKenna gave an emphatic nod. “Austin is teething and the girls are bouncing off the walls with Christmas on the horizon, now that it’s actually December. I am so glad for any excuse to escape our place.”

“I’m always happy for the chance to see you all. But I must admit, I had an ulterior motive for arranging dinner. Natalie has news.”

“What news?” Vivi asked.

In answer, Natalie picked up her wineglass with her left hand, where her lovely ring glinted in the candlelight.

The others at the table immediately picked up on the unmistakable hint. The twins shrieked and Vivi clapped her hands together.

“You’re engaged?” Vivi exclaimed. “When did this happen?”

“While we were in Guatemala. I’ve been dying to tell everyone but thought it would be more fun to spill the beans in person.”

“Why am I always the last to know all the exciting stuff?” Holly demanded.

“I didn’t know either, for once.” Hannah looked disgruntled.

“I mean, it can’t be that big of a surprise to everyone, can it?” McKenna said with a wry smile. “They’ve been inseparable for the past year. Whenever Nat is in town, I have to beg her to tear herself away from Griffin’s side so she can come visit her nieces and nephew.”

“Ha. That’s totally untrue and you know it. I love seeing them. In fact, I’m pretty sure they all get sick of me.”

Since the previous Christmas, when Natalie had returned during the holidays for the first time in years, she had developed a deep bond with her sister’s children. She had become even more of a doting aunt than she used to be long-distance, when she had carved out a life as a digital nomad, house-sitting and working as a freelance writer and editor.

The children were as happy as their mother that Natalie had decided she loved being home in Shelter Springs with them, with McKenna and especially with Griffin.

“When is the big day?” Vivi asked.

“Neither of us wants to wait long,” Natalie said, with that same soft joy on her expression. “We’re thinking sometime in the summer, anyway. Maybe June. My last job is scheduled for April and that would still give me a little time to work out the final details.”

“We can help you even when you’re off seeing the world,” Amanda said. “We’ll take care of all the small details so you only have to show up and look gorgeous.”

After ordering their food, the conversation returned to the upcoming wedding plans.

“I can’t wait for another wedding. What was the last one we planned?” McKenna asked.

The table fell silent when Holly raised her hand with a rueful expression. Hannah reached out and squeezed her sister’s other hand, and Amanda would have hugged her as well, if she hadn’t been seated across the table.

Holly’s slimy husband had walked out on her the previous Christmas season, leaving her alone to raise their four-year-old daughter, Lydia, who happened to have Down syndrome.

“Are you going to stop traveling?” Holly asked, and Amanda could tell she was determined not to be the center of attention.

“No. I still want to do some travel writing but I’m going to stick closer to home now and focus on destinations in the Rocky Mountain states. We have plenty to see nearby, enough unique and beautiful travel spots to keep me busy for a long time.”

“Exactly,” McKenna said. “I’ve been telling you that for years.”

“I haven’t heard much about your trip to Guatemala. You were working at a medical clinic, right?” Hannah asked.

“Oh, it was wonderful. We’re going again, as soon as we can arrange it. You should come, too. I’m certain there’s need for someone trained in physical therapy, like you.”

She told them about the clinic where they had worked and about all the people they had helped, talking with enthusiasm until the server brought their appetizers and salads not long after.

As the conversation shifted, Amanda turned to Holly, seated next to her.

“Where’s Lydia tonight?” she asked, her voice low.

“With my parents. They love any chance to spend time with her and she adores them.”

She was grateful Holly had a warm, loving family to support her through her divorce, especially as Amanda had heard through the grapevine that Holly’s ex, who had taken off to California after he walked away, was already engaged and living with his new girlfriend.

“How are you doing?”

“Hanging in there.” Holly’s smile seemed forced.

Amanda had never really liked Holly’s husband, who had always struck her as self-centered and somewhat controlling.

Her dislike had solidified into something more harsh when she saw him struggle to adjust to having a child with an obvious developmental disability that would present a lifetime of challenges.

She couldn’t understand anyone not completely embracing Lydia. The little girl was joy personified. She was loving, generous and filled with a light that drew people to her.

“Is Lydia as excited for the holidays as Hazel and Nora?”

“Oh yes. She loves to play with the little wooden Nativity set my parents got her and she can stretch out under the Christmas tree for hours, looking at the lights.”

“Same,” Amanda said with a smile.

“How are you doing?” Holly asked, her features soft with compassion. “I know how hard this time of year always is on you.”

“It’s my own fault. I take on far too many projects and then I don’t have time to breathe until January.”

Holly frowned. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. I was talking about Jake. We’re close to the anniversary of his death. It’s been, what? Eleven years now?”

“Almost twelve.”

The events of that Christmas were burned into her memories as if they had happened twelve days ago instead of twelve years.

The months leading up to that December day had been a nightmare. Jake had been spiraling out of control, getting drunk every weekend and often during the week, too. He had been grieving the death of his mother and furious at his father, for running away to live off-grid in Alaska, right when his three children needed him most.

Amanda had tried to be a compassionate, understanding fiancé. She had endured as long as she possibly could, but when she realized that she was falling into the very same enabling behavior that her mother had exhibited throughout Amanda’s entire childhood, she had decided enough was enough. With her heart breaking apart, she had ended their engagement.

A week later, he was dead.

For a long time, she had feared his death had not been accidental, that he had snowboarded into that hazardous off-limits area at the ski resort on purpose—knowing the avalanche danger, but still set on his same unerring self-destructive path as the past few months.

Griffin, Jake’s good friend, had been with him at the time. Only later had Amanda learned that Griffin also blamed himself for Jake’s death. The two friends had fought on the way up the hill on the ski lift, with Griffin asserting that Jake was already drunk and in no state to take to the slopes. He was a danger to himself and others, Griffin had snapped out.

Jake hadn’t listened to his friend any more than he had listened to Amanda when she had begged him to get some help for his drinking.

She pushed away the hard memories and forced a smile for her friend.

“I’m fine. Really. I will always miss Jake and the future we might have had, but it’s been nearly twelve years. I’ve gone on with my life.”

“Have you, though?”

The quiet question seemed a gut punch coming out of nowhere.

“Yes! You know I have. I’m busy all the time. I have a shop. I have the market. I have all of my other volunteer work.”

“But you don’t date. Not much, anyway.”

Why on earth was everyone so obsessed with her love life right now?

“I do not need to have someone by my side in order to have a full, rewarding life.”

“Agreed,” Holly said. “If I’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s the hard truth that it’s far better to be alone than trapped in an unhappy, destructive relationship.”

For some reason, Holly’s words made Amanda think of Ben again and his daughters. He had been the first man she had truly let herself care about since Jake died.

If she were honest with herself, though, with the wisdom she had gained over the past two years since their breakup, Amanda could admit that she had loved the idea of being a mother to Lila and Jane more than the idea of being Ben’s wife and life partner.

“You should get out there again. Have you tried any of the various dating apps?” Holly asked.

She shook her head, setting down her fork. Her chop salad no longer seemed appealing. “That’s how I met Ben,” she said.

“Oh yeah.” Holly gave a sour look that clearly conveyed her opinion of the man. “Well, you can’t always get it right the first time.”

“Where else do you expect to meet guys?” Vivi joined the conversation from her spot across the table. “You spend your whole life either at Birdie’s retirement community, where the median age is about seventy-five, or at your shop, which is frequented by mostly women.”

Amanda sighed. “Why is everyone suddenly trying to set me up? Am I wearing some kind of sign that says Desperate Single Woman on it? I’m not! I’m perfectly happy with the status quo. I have my house, the shop, my cats. I don’t need anything else.”

Amanda gestured to Natalie. “Anyway, tonight isn’t about trying to fix my nonexistent love life. We’re here to celebrate Griffin and Natalie. Where do you guys think you’ll live after you’re married? Griffin’s condo?”

Natalie gave her a careful look, seeing right through Amanda’s completely transparent effort to change the topic. Apparently she decided to go along with it, much to Amanda’s relief.

“We’re looking at a lot above town. We’re thinking about building.”

“Oh yay! Nothing would make me happier,” she declared.

She had worried that Griffin and Natalie might decide not to stick around in Shelter Springs. While Griffin was determined to practice medicine in the area, where he could serve the community, Natalie loved to travel. Amanda didn’t think it was completely out of the realm of possibility that she might influence him to move his practice somewhere else.

If they were considering building a home in the area, the chances of Griffin pulling up stakes and starting over somewhere else seemed unlikely. That meant she would have her brother and her dear friend around for a long time.

The conversation drifted to the price of building lots then possible wedding venues, and Amanda sat back, enjoying her soup and her friends and the restaurant with its twinkling lights and holiday decorations.

They had just ordered dessert when a new party came into the restaurant. Amanda felt her shoulders tense when she recognized Rafe’s mother along with his sister, Julia, and sister-in-law, Crista. The hostess led the three of them past their table, where the two groups greeted each other with warmth.

Shelter Springs was a relatively small town and most people who had lived there a long time knew each other.

Louise’s smile dimmed noticeably when her gaze reached Amanda, but she gave a polite nod as the hostess led them to a table in the other dining area of the restaurant.

While they were waiting for their dessert order, Amanda excused herself to go to the restroom. She was washing her hands when the door opened and Louise walked through.

The other woman always looked elegant and put-together, with expertly applied makeup and her honey-colored hair showing no trace of gray.

“Oh. Hello,” the other woman said.

Amanda nodded. “Hello, Louise. How are you this beautiful December evening?”

“I’m doing very well, thank you. We’re heading to the movies. Crista and I will be busier than usual with the market for the next few weeks, so we thought this might be our only chance for us girls to have an outing together before Christmas.”

Louise was obviously close with her daughter and daughter-in-law. Amanda had seen the three of them shopping together in town or attending book events at the library or summer concerts in the town’s main park.

If she were honest with herself, Amanda could acknowledge that seeing their loving relationship always left her with an uncomfortable ache.

She loved her mother, but they weren’t particularly close. She hadn’t been sorry when Lena remarried and settled permanently in Florida.

Still, she talked to her mother on the phone two or three times a month and they texted more regularly.

As much as she would have savored the same kind of close relationship Louise shared with Crista and Julia, Amanda didn’t know how to get to that place.

She knew the fault was hers. Even as an adult, she struggled to truly forgive Lena for the long years spent enabling her father, covering for his addictions both socially and professionally. Her mother had been obsessed with appearances, pretending everything was perfect in their home, when it had been far from it.

She pushed away the memories. “That sounds lovely,” she said to Louise. “I hope you have a wonderful evening together.”

“Looks like you and your friends are enjoying yourselves.”

“We’re celebrating tonight. Natalie and my brother are getting married.”

Louise looked startled. “Oh. I hadn’t heard. How nice for them.”

“They have only been engaged a short time. They’re planning a summer wedding.”

Though she knew she should let it go at that, she couldn’t resist adding, “I’m thrilled to see Griffin so happy. He deserves it.”

She knew Louise had been one of those residents not thrilled at the idea of another Dr. Taylor moving to town.

“Will they stay here in Shelter Springs?” Louise asked.

“I believe so. Griffin loves this town and caring for the people here.”

The other woman dried her hands with a paper towel. “I understand I owe you a debt,” she said after a moment.

“Me? Why?”

“My grandson told me you stopped by the other night to take dinner to Rafael and Isaac. Several dinners, actually. Isaac reports it was all delicious. It was very thoughtful of you.”

Amanda sincerely hoped Louise could not see the flush of heat washing over her when she remembered that awkward encounter with Rafe.

“It was nothing. I picked up a few things around town, that’s all. To be honest, I was feeling more than a little guilty that they have been living down the street for a month and I had still not welcomed them to the neighborhood with cookies or something. Things have been so hectic, getting ready for the holidays at the store and all the advance preparations for the market.”

She was making excuses, and she suspected Louise knew that as well.

“Well, I’m sure they appreciated it. Rafael said you took enough meals to last them all week.”

“I was happy to do it,” she lied. “Poor man. It can’t be easy for him, not being able to work.”

Louise made a face. “Unfortunately, he will be working after all. I think he should rest but my son is stubborn. He was able to convince Mike Bennett to let him help out with the first aid station at the market. I suspect you’ll be seeing a lot of him over the next few weeks.”

Amanda blinked, not sure how to respond. Rafe would be working at the market. Their paths would inevitably cross frequently over the next few weeks.

So much for going out of her way to avoid the man.

She tried to tell herself the little twist in her stomach was nerves. It certainly wasn’t anticipation, right?

“Oh, that will be great,” she said, doing her best to hide any trace of reaction from Louise. “It shouldn’t be too arduous for him. We don’t have many injuries at the market, other than the occasional slip and fall. Actually, we might see more of those this year, since half of the booths will be outside in the ice and snow.”

“I had heard you were opening more booths and taking advantage of the outside courtyard to the convention center.”

“It only made sense. We’ve been maxed out in booth space for the past few years.”

Louise nodded. “I don’t doubt people will enjoy bundling up and shopping outside together.”

“I hope so.”

“Well, I should get back to the girls. Thank you again for keeping for keeping an eye on Rafe and my grandson. I do my best, but my son has never been a big fan of being coddled.”

Amanda would not be surprised if the man had come out of the womb tough and independent, ready to take on the world.

“I hope you have a lovely evening, Mrs. Arredondo.”

“Thank you. You as well.”

They walked out together back to the restaurant with Amanda thinking that was the most cordial conversation she had ever had with Louise.