Page 11 of Wood You Knot

“Parker tells me Daphne will be in Mr. Robertson’s class. That’s exciting. You’ll love him. He’s a great teacher. He’s awesome with the kids. And he’s single.” Tabitha waggled her eyebrows at me.

Nix frowned darkly at her commentary.

“Ah, well, good for him.” I shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid the heat of Nix’s gaze when his eyes moved to me. I wasn’t sure why Tabitha was telling me about Mr. Robertson’s relationship status, but if I had to guess…it was probably because the word had already gotten out about my failed engagement and bachelorette status.

In a town as small and cozy as Hartwood Creek, everybody knew everybody else’s business, and everyone had an opinion about it.Given the fact this town had an odd obsession with playing matchmaker to its inhabitants, I figured it’d only be a matter of time.

“Nix, go grab me a plate, would you? The burgers are almost done,” Parker called out. Nix looked as if the last thing he wanted to do was get up, but he did so, disappearing inside and leaving Tabitha and me alone to chat.

“Is Daphne nervous about tomorrow?” Tabitha questioned, bouncing Bryson on her lap. He giggled, reaching for the utensils on the table.

“A little bit,” I replied, my eyes straying to the playhouse. The girls were still inside, and I could distantly hear them talking but couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. “I’m hoping that after today, she’ll be more excited about it. She’s not exactly happy about the move.”

“Aww, I bet. Kids are resilient, though.” Tabitha smiled kindly at me. “Hartwood Creek Elementary is a wonderful school. She’ll love it here eventually; it’s impossible not to fall in love with this town.”

I nodded, completely in agreement with her. “I loved visiting when I was younger. I wanted to move in with my aunt and uncle, just so I could live here all the time. I think the pace will be better for Daphne. It’s so different from Guelph, where we used to live.”

“Oh! That’s quite the change. Hartwood Creek is less crowded, for sure. It’s a beautiful place to raise a family,” Tabitha said, pressing a kiss to Bryson’s forehead. He giggled and tried to pull away from her kiss attack. I smiled, reminiscing about when Daph was that tiny.

I felt the familiar ache in my empty womb. I’d always wanted more than one child. I’d wanted to have at least three of them, close in age. Growing up as an only child had been isolating, and I’d always been slightly envious of my cousins for having each other.

I think it’s why I was in such a rush to accept what Warren offered. I wanted to get married and have a few more babies. That desire had blinded me to a lot of Warren’s faults.

“It really is.” I nodded in agreement, sipping my drink.

“Although everybody seems to know everybody else’s business,”Tabitha remarked—or was it a polite warning? I couldn’t tell.

“Yeah. That’s going to take some getting used to.” I laughed. I was used to big cities; to disappearing in a crowd. To nobody knowing my name unless they read it on my name tag at work.

The small-town vibe was an entirely different ball game. Things just seemed to move at a slower pace here, while everyone seemed overly invested in what everybody else was doing.

Nix returned with an empty plate and brought it to Parker before rejoining us at the table. Parker loaded the cooked burgers and hot dogs onto it, then turned off the grill. He brought the plate of food over to the table and set it down beside the buns.

“Come on, girls, lunch is ready,” Tabitha called over her shoulder. Half a second later, the playhouse door opened, and the three girls raced up to the deck, giggling.

Daphne had a smile on her face when she reached the table. “Do you want a hot dog or a burger?” Parker asked her.

“A hot dog, please,” Daphne replied politely.

“I can get it,” I said, leaning forward to grab a plate and a bun. Parker used the tongs to put the hot dog in the bun for me. I poured some ketchup and mustard on it—her favourite toppings—then I loaded Daphne’s plate with salad.

Once everyone had food in front of them, we dove in. Conversation was relaxed and easy, mostly about the work the Hutchinsons did now.

Nix ran a construction crew that worked on historical renovations and framing. He had even seen to the reconstruction of the lawyer’s office after a fire tore through the buildings.

“Looks like before, only better,” Parker boasted, giving his brother a proud grin. “Nix has earned quite the reputation around here.”

“Not the only one, Brother,” Nix insisted with a grin. “Parker and a friend of his started their own portable sawmill service and unique custom wood projects.”

“I tend to do a lot of custom cabinet work for Nix’s builds,” Parker explained. “And custom furniture builds too. Usually dining room table sets, but we’ve built a few dressers too.”

“Is your dad still running the lumberyard?” I asked, remembering that all the boys had worked there when they were teens.

“He sure is. I don’t think he’ll ever give up the reins.” Parker chuckled. The lumberyard had been in their family for generations.

“That’s awesome,” I said, inspired and nostalgic for that kind of history. My grandparents passed away when I was little, and I had no siblings. No shared history somewhere.

During coffee and dessert, Nix shifted the conversation to me.

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