Page 2 of Candy Cane Dreams
She told herself she had to familiarize herself with the town, the people, and the things that they did. Now she knew there was a candy cane shop in town, and a man who was up early to get started making something unique.
By the time she rolled through town again, she hadn't seen any for-rent signs, but the place was starting to come to life and dawn had started to break over the top of the eastern foothills.
The Blue Ridge Mountains were to the west, although the town was high enough up that she felt like she was living on one. Maybe they were. She didn't really do a whole lot of research into the topography; she had to admit that she was surprised to see snow in Virginia this early in December. Who would have thought?
Certainly not her, although when her college roommate, Nelly Bushnell, now Nelly McBride, had taken her home for holiday break one year there had been snow the last day, if she remembered correctly. The whole family had gone out and played in it, and Kate had joined in with them, but at the same time she had felt like it was a little... juvenile.
She still had another thirty minutes before she could conceivably show up at the school, and even then she would be early. Parking at the church where she'd turned around twice, she got out of her car, being sure to lock the door since it contained all of her worldly possessions, and then started walking up the street slowly, taking big lungfuls of the mountain-scented air. It felt crisp and cool and somehow cleaner than the air she was used to breathing. Was that a thing?
It had to be in her imagination. Air wasn't cleaner in small towns. Cities had done an outstanding job of becoming more environmentally friendly and Baltimore hardly ever had to deal with smog or anything of the sort anymore.
"Kate!"
Kate turned around at the sound of the female voice. She thought she recognized it, and a smile took over her face as she saw her good friend, Nelly. Now Nelly McBride. Nelly had gotten married over the past year, which had been bittersweet for Kate, since she had also planned a wedding for earlier this year, except last Christmas, her fiancé had called it off. On Christmas Day morning. Of all times.
Shaking those bad memories out of her head, Kate returned Nelly's hug, listening as Nelly introduced her husband, Roland McBride.
"It's good to meet you," she said, shaking the hand that had been offered.
"Nelly always talks about what a great friend you are. Sounds like you guys had some fun times in college."
Kate smiled. Nelly had been a fabulous roommate, kind and considerate, and while she had always been up for a good time, she'd also been a great study partner as well.
"Those were the days," she said with a small smile.
Nelly nodded. "I was so bummed that you weren't able to make it to our wedding."
"I'd had that mission trip scheduled for years, and I didn't want to miss it." Her heart had always been in helping underprivileged people, children especially. But lately she'd begun to wonder if maybe the way she'd been helping ended up not really being much of a help. Giving people things never seemed to make them better. And in fact, she'd seen real life data that had shown that when children were given things instead of having to earn them, it made them worse.
That study was one of the many things that had gotten her thinking and had inspired her to resign her job and apply for other jobs, including the one here in Mistletoe Meadows. That, and the fact that Edward had broken up with her.
"Have you found a place to stay yet?" Nelly asked, her head tilted slightly to one side, her eyes sparkling with joy and happiness.
It was amazing how being with the right person could do that to a person. Nelly just seemed to glow.
Kate pushed down the little frission of jealousy that threatened to steal her peace and happiness.
She was happy. Of course she was. She was starting a new job in a new town. She had been hired over all of the other applicants, and Principal Stevens was excited about the job that they were going to do together.
And so was she.
"No, I haven't. That was part of the reason I was walking around town. I thought maybe I had missed a sign or something. Are there no places for rent here?"
"The market is tight, that's for sure," Roland said, his voice sounding grave and serious.
He and Nelly looked at each other and seemed to nod a bit before Nelly turned to her and said, "But you could stay with us. We're living with Roland's mom right now, and my grandma moved in too. But there's plenty of bedrooms in that big old farmhouse."
Nelly was going to go on, but Kate put a hand up, cutting her off.
"That is so very generous of you, but I couldn't possibly impose on Roland's mother's house."
There was no way she was going to take her up on that offer. A person just didn't do things like that. It was one thing to go home with her for a couple of weeks over the holidays. That had been bad enough, but to move in with newlyweds and the groom's mother? And some other woman? No way.
"Seriously. We'd love to have you. And there's plenty of room in the house."
"If you don't mind my siblings dropping in once in a while. We're all family there. My mom will probably put you to work too."
"I couldn't imagine living there without working. But of course, I would pay rent, except..." She couldn't explain that she had very little money, but it also just went against her sense of what was right. Because she could see that Nelly really wanted her to. Would that be so terrible? Her moving in with Nelly and her husband and his mom and their grandma?
