Page 27 of Fa-La-La-La Faking It
Jace had gifted the tree to the senior center, and from the looks of things, he’d chosen the tallest, most glorious one on the lot. Adaline’s heart warmed at the thought of him carrying it inside the building and finding just the right spot for it in the lobby. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised. It was just like Jace to make sure the residents had a beautiful tree to enjoy during the holidays.
Last year, the Christmas tree at the senior center had been a sad, artificial number with branches spaced so far apart that no amount of ornaments, garland and tinsel could hide the silver metal pole that served as the tree’s trunk. An entire section of lights near the top had stopped working weeks before Christmas. This tree was a massive upgrade. There was really no comparison, which explained why the residents seemed to be heading to the lobby in droves.
Word had clearly spread. If there was one place where news traveled even faster than in a small town like Bluebonnet, it was in a retirement community nestled within that same small town. While Fuzzy trotted from person to person and Adaline made sure the residents in wheelchairs or who used walkers had easy access to pet him, more and more seniors arrived. Even the patients from the extended care unit who rarely left their rooms were turning up. Nurses pushed wheelchairs, and aluminum walkers click-clacked across the smooth lobby floor.
“Adaline, sweetheart! Yoo-hoo!” Gram waved at her from the other side of the room as she made her way toward the Christmas tree. As usual, Coco sat in the basket of Gram’s walker. Since the last time Adaline had seen the robotic dog, someone had fastened a red velvet bow to her ears.
Cute, she mused and wondered whose handiwork that was. Adaline’s money was on Ford.
“Can you believe this tree?” Gram pressed a hand to her heart. “I heard it was nice, but wow. What a stunner.”
“It’s lovely,” Adaline said and breathed a sigh of acute relief.
Gram seemed more like herself today, thank goodness.
“Don’t let me stop my grand-dog from doing his important work.” Gram winked at Fuzzy, and the Cavalier responded with a dainty tap dance of his paws. “You go ahead and finish your visit. I want to help decorate the tree. I’ll be right here, and there just might be a surprise Christmas gift waiting for you when you and Fuzzy are finished.”
“A present? Already?” Adaline’s family always exchanged gifts on Christmas morning. When she and Ford were kids, sometimes their parents would let them open one wrapped box on Christmas Eve, but never earlier.
“This one’s a special treat.” Gram waggled her eyebrows, then made a shooing motion. “Now go finish your visit so you can open it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Adaline said, grinning. Her grandmother’s high spirits were making her feel like a kid again. She’d take it any day over yesterday.
Gram’s memory episode had left Adaline rattled. She’d broken down in tears more than once last night while she’d been looking through the wedding album. She’d very nearly left and gone to help Jenna and Belle at the cocoa stand to get her mind off things, but being at the Christmas tree lot would’ve involved an entirely different set of problems.
She wasn’t sure how to act around Jace anymore. Adaline never talked about her dating insecurities with anyone, least of all someone she used to have a crush on.
Used to?a tiny voice in the back of her head asked.Are you sure you still don’t?
Adaline promptly ordered the voice to shut the heck up. Then she turned around and nearly walked straight into Jace and his uncle Gus.
Was this a mirage of some sort? It had to be. Gus would rather fall over dead than leave room 212 to socialize with the other residents. Adaline knew this because she’d heard him mention it...twice...in a bellowing voice that probably could’ve been heard from space.
She glanced from the older man, dressed as usual in a hospital gown paired with black dress socks, to Jace, whose big hands were wrapped around the handgrips of his uncle’s wheelchair.
“Hi,” Jace said, and Fuzzy gazed up at Adaline, begging for permission to greet his friend.
So. Not a mirage, then.
“Hi.” Adaline hoped her voice really didn’t sound as breathy as she thought it did. “Go ahead, Fuzzy. Tell Jace hello.”
The Cavalier scrambled toward Jace and sat politely at his feet.
“Good boy, Fuzzy, my man.” Jace bent down and rubbed the dog’s silky ears, which happened to be Fuzzy’s favorite way to be petted. “Nice to see you again.”
Adaline shifted her gaze to Jace’s uncle. As usual, his dour expression made him look like he’d been holed up in 212 sucking on a lemon all morning. “Would you like to pet the dog today, Gus?”
She had to ask. It was her literal job as a Comfort Paws volunteer, even though she knew well the older man was about to turn her down flat.
He shifted in his wheelchair and let out an annoyed sigh.
“Uncle Gus.” Jace stood and arched a stern brow in his elder’s direction. “Remember what we talked about?”
Fuzzy, oblivious to whatever silent communication was going on between the two men, trotted happily around the wheelchair to position himself squarely in front of the footrests.
Gus narrowed his eyes at the dog, and the corners of his mouth turned sharply downward. Fuzzy’s chances weren’t looking good. “Fine.”
“Well, maybe next ti—” Adaline started to say and then blinked. Hard. “Wait. Did you just say yes?”
