Page 57 of Brandt's Rule

“I’ll be right back,” Bailey said.

“Brandt, maybe you could tell Tempest about the Christmas festival. I was trying to convince her to go with me later tonight,” Bailey said.

“You were?” Tempest asked. “When? What Christmas Festival?”

Bailey’s shoulders slumped and she just shook her head as she walked away. The girl was hopeless at picking up on clues.

Brandt laughed. “I think she wants us to talk about the Christmas Festival so that I’ll invite you to go with me.”

“Oh. Oh! No, you don’t have to do that,” Tempest said.

“It’s not a bad idea. I wasn’t planning to go this year, because I’ve been almost every year, but it would be fun to take you since you’ve never been. Would you like to go with me?”

“No, I do not want you to have to include me because you feel obligated. And, I, uh, I’m not even sure what it is,” Tempest said.

“It’s a country kind of Christmas celebration with all kinds of food vendors and Christmas tree exhibits, and there are rides for the kids, and adults for that matter. Christmas crafts to buy and to make. We used to go every year, but all our kids are grown up now for the most part. I think Jobe still goes and takes his kids. But it’s been a while for us. It might be time to go again,” Janie said, not realizing she was interrupting Brandt trying to ask Tempest out on a date.

“But for now, would you let me take you?” Brandt asked, shooting his mother a will-you-stop glare. “It’s really laid back and relaxed, not a big deal at all.”

“Are you sure I won’t impose?”

“It’s not possible to impose on me,” Brandt answered, saying so much with so few words.

“Then, I’d love to go. Doesn’t matter what it is, I’d like to spend some time with you,” Tempest suddenly blurted.

“Yeah?” Brandt asked, smiling.

“Yeah,” Tempest said, shyly returning his smile before paying a whole lot of attention to her coffee so she didn’t have to look him in the eye.

“Here we go. I brought six of the croissants. Once you start, it’s hard to stop, so I brought two for everybody,” Bailey said, putting the platter down in the middle of the table.

“Tempest, since you’ll be going to the Christmas Festival with Brandt tonight, would you like to come by the house and have dinner with us before?”

Tempest looked up from her cup to focus on Janie. For some reason, the invitation made her feel more welcome than anything so far had. She looked at Brandt to see if he’d mind.

“I’d be happy to pick you up and we could go to my parents to have dinner, then to the Festival.”

Tempest smiled and reached out, placing her hand on Janie’s just as Janie had done hers earlier. “I’d love to.”

“I’m so glad! Wait, do you eat pulled pork?” Janie asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll love whatever you make,” Tempest said.

“You’ve never had pulled pork?” Janie asked.

“I’m not sure,” Tempest said. “But I’m honored to join your family for dinner no matter what you serve.”

“You are so sweet,” Janie said.

“Do you like barbecue?” Brandt asked.

“I do!” Tempest answered excitedly.

“You’ll love it, then,” Janie said, wondering how this young woman had no idea of what pulled pork was.

Chapter 13

Tempest looked at her reflection in the mirror again, then picked up the brush and vigorously ran it through her silky silver hair — again. She’d spent hours trying to make it do something other than hang there. Bailey had come to her rescue, bringing several different types of curling irons and wands and diligently curling sections of hair over and over again, and less than ten minutes later her hair was a shimmering curtain of silver, no trace of curl remaining.

---