Page 85 of Follow My Heart

I wanted to make her forget all of the stuff that was happening at home, and to just enjoy her time here.

“I want to do these kinds of things with Mom. Just her, not Phil and his kids,” Faith said.

“You don’t get to do things like this?” I asked her, curious about her time with Stacy.

“She works and hangs out with her friends or Phil afterward.”

“She leaves you at home alone?” She could be left at home alone, but I didn’t like it if Stacy wasn’t spending any time with Faith.

Faith shrugged. “I’m old enough.”

“That doesn’t mean you should have to.” Especially if it was just so Stacy could go out. It was starting to sound like Faith wasn’t her priority. Stacy was acting like she was a single woman with no responsibilities. She wanted Phil, and she didn’t care about the four kids who were involved.

I parked in a line of vans, trucks, and SUVs. Then we followed groups of families headed toward the barn where the festival would be.

“This is going to be so much fun,” Faith said when she saw the sign for the festival that read “The Calloways Welcome You to Pine Valley Farm,” bookended with two wreaths.

Charlotte was handing out raffle tickets with Daphne and Fiona at the entrance. Then there were two rows of tables with vendors selling their wares: wreaths, poinsettias in hand-painted pots, wooden Christmas decorations, deer and Santas, Daphne’s pies where Cole was manning the table, and other baked goods.

“This is bigger than I thought it would be,” Faith said.

By the barn, a stage was set up, and a band was warming up to play, and there were food trucks on the other side with picnic tables and hay bales arranged for people to sit and eat.

“Charlotte went all-out.” I searched the grounds for Teddy but didn’t see him. A sign that said Santa Coming Soon pointed inside the barn.

“Do you think Uncle Teddy is playing Santa?” Faith asked in a hushed tone of a voice, as if she understood how crazy that would be.

I chuckled. “If anyone could get him to do it, it would be Charlotte.”

Faith smiled. “I’ll have to get a picture.”

I threw an arm over her shoulder, pleased she didn’t pull away. “I don’t think Uncle Teddy will like that.”

Faith snorted. “But it will be so funny.”

I tipped my head to the sky, not looking forward to the fallout if everyone made fun of Teddy playing Santa, and when my gaze dropped back to earth, it settled on Violet, who was watching us.

Faith squealed. “It’s Violet.”

She ran to her table, and I followed at a slower pace. Violet kept my gaze for a second before moving to Faith.

I was surprised when Faith hugged her, and whatever Violet said made her laugh. It was early, so Violet didn’t have any customers yet. “What are you two giggling about?”

“Uncle Teddy is playing Santa today. He’s supposed to be getting dressed.” A crowd was already forming at the barn, even though the sign said Coming Soon.

I groaned. “Everyone’s going to hear about this.”

Violet shrugged, but she couldn’t contain her amused smile. “I think he’ll make a great Santa.”

“A grumpy one,” Faith added, and they erupted into giggles again.

There was something about Faith being so at ease with Violet and them enjoying each other’s company that I loved. I had a feeling Phil wasn’t like this with Faith, and it could have been his three boys, but I wasn’t so sure about that.

Most of the crowd was spending time by the holiday-decor and baked goods tables. “You think you’ll get any customers?”

“I hope so. I brought peppermint stick, hot chocolate with marshmallows, and vanilla. I told my assistant to come a little later.”

“I can always help out if you need it.”

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