Page 38 of Candy Cane Dreams
Kate was obviously very good at her job. And the fact that she was taking a special interest in Lilly warmed his heart. If anyone could get Lilly to talk again, it would be Kate.
But then he reminded himself of what he had already figured out—it didn't matter if Lilly ever spoke again. He would love her, no matter what. Yes, he thought it would be better for her to speak, but there were so many things about his daughter that were amazing, and maybe the fact that she wasn't speaking would help her develop some of the things that God needed for her to be able to use at some point in her life. After all, everything happened for a reason, and there definitely was a reason for his daughter not speaking.
Maybe... maybe it was to bring Kate into his life.
He almost scoffed aloud at that thought, as Kate and Marjorie and Lilly continued to have a bit of a lopsided conversation, since Lilly added nothing to it.
There was nothing between Kate and him, and there wouldn't be. Kate would make sure of it. She would not risk her job at the school, and she really wouldn't be interested in a candy maker anyway. Especially a candy maker who wasn't even sure his candy-making operation was going to be in business next year this time. He had nothing to offer her. Well, he supposed he did offer her the farmhouse, but that wasn't all his. It was his brother's, and he was seriously thinking about selling out. If he sold his half of the farm, he would have more money to invest in the candy-making business and could do the improvements that he had been thinking about for a while. He'd be able to buy the storage building behind his shop and perhaps hire some workers, or even put a kitchen in that building and ship all across the United States next year.
He could really expand his candy-making business, but that would mean letting go of his farm dream.
Was that really a dream? Or was it just an image he liked to think of himself having?
"And I'm hoping to get out of here so that I can be at Sunday school with you on Sunday," Marjorie said, as Jack shook his head and tried to focus on the conversation in front of him. These two ladies were doing everything in their power to include his daughter and make her feel good. He appreciated them more than he could say.
"I'm sure she will be. You're looking very good," Kate said.
Just then the doctor walked in, and Jack took Lilly's hand.
"We better go, so that Miss Marjorie can talk to her doctor and maybe talk the doc into letting her out of here."
"We're going to look at your numbers and make sure that you're better before we let you go. We don't want anything to happen to Miss Marjorie. Mistletoe Meadows would never be the same, and I wouldn't forgive myself," the doctor smiled, and Kate stood as well.
"Take care of yourself, Miss Marjorie," Kate said.
"I will. When I get out of here, I would like for you to stop by my house, and we can talk about what's been going on with the festival."
"Absolutely. You just let me know when."
Kate smiled, and they all waved at Miss Marjorie as they filed out of the door.
"She does look a lot better," Jack said as he closed the door softly behind them.
Roland and Nelly had disappeared, and it was just Kate and Lilly and him in the hall.
"I thought so. Although it does bother me that they don't seem to be able to figure out what the problem was, and they need to run more tests. At least that's what Roland and Nelly told me when I walked in. Did you hear anything different?" Kate said, her voice low and concerned.
"No, I hadn't," he said, pressing his lips together. "I do hope that they find it, though. There's nothing more frustrating than knowing that there's something wrong with you but being unable to figure out what."
"It's like a mystery. And sometimes it's like a mystery where you don't have all the clues. Very frustrating."
They started walking down the short hall. The hospital wasn't very big. It was more like a Medical Center with a few rooms where patients could be kept overnight. Mistletoe Meadows would like to expand it, but they were happy that they had been able to get this much done. As small a town as they were, it was good to have a place where people could go without having to travel over the mountains.
"I see we both had the same idea."
"Stop in and see Miss Marjorie after school?" Kate asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"Exactly."
"Great minds think alike," she said, quoting the old saying.
"I guess they do."
Jack looked down, and it was then that he realized that Lilly held both of their hands, the way a child might hold the hand of her mother and the hand of her father as she walked between them.
Kate must have realized that at the same time, because she gently disengaged her hand from Lilly's as she opened the door to the outside, using that as an excuse.
"I was on my way to your shop, so I guess this is perfect timing, meeting you here. I was going to text you and let you know that I would be late, but I ended up on a call with one of the teachers at the school and didn't have time."
