Page 52 of Candy Cane Dreams
"Well, I think you did a good job. It's definitely time for us to know about this. Thank you for waiting like your mother asked and for letting me know now." He paused. "Next time, maybe you can let us know while you're still talking."
"I forgot how much I like to talk. I don't think I'm ever going to not talk again," Lilly said, which made Kate laugh.
"Please don't ever stop," Kate said.
"I agree. We love to hear you talk." Jack glanced at Kate, and they nodded together. Then he continued to open the book.
Kate held her breath while Jack perused the recipes.
It didn't take long to see the glowing excitement on his face and know that they had stumbled into something really good.
"Thank you, guys. This is exactly what we need."
Chapter Twenty-One
"I'm so glad the storm they forecast turned out to be nothing," Marjorie McBride said as she and Kate walked down the main street, banners bookmarking either end, announcing the huge Mistletoe Meadows All Day Christmas Festival.
"Same. I would have felt so bad for everyone who put all of the work into it, only to have people not show up because of snow. Would we have rescheduled?"
Marjorie sighed as they continued to walk slowly. Kate was careful not to go too fast. Marjorie was back on her feet, and said there was nothing wrong, but she still seemed very tired.
"We've never had it happen before. But I guess we would—for next Saturday. Although I don't think rescheduled things ever do as well as they do if they happen on the date they originally intended them to."
"I agree. Anyway, I guess we don't have to worry about that this year. It's a beautiful day."
"And it's warm too," Marjorie said with a smile.
Kate nodded, and they chatted some about the different things that were happening and the things that they wereoverseeing. Both of them had agreed that they were not going to be in charge of anything themselves, but delegated everything they could, just in case something came up and someone wasn't able to do what they had volunteered for. As far as Kate knew, everyone was manning their booths and doing their jobs.
"How is Terry doing?" Kate asked as they finished their walk down the street, noting that everything was going well.
Kate's eyes caught on Ben, the sheriff, as he talked with his preteen son. Rumor had it that Ben had moved back in with his mother because of a nasty divorce and the fact that his son had started acting out. Whatever the reason, he’d been a true blessing to Mistletoe Meadows since his return.
Kate felt bad for the boy and for Ben. She had seen Trent at school, and he seemed angry and belligerent. She didn't know if there was anything she could do for him or not, but she was going to be trying.
"She's doing okay. It's so hard to juggle everything that she's doing—a new baby, another one on the way, and a practice that's bursting at the seams. Hopefully the doctor that she has been speaking with who is going to come as a partner in her practice will be showing up soon. It certainly couldn't happen soon enough for her."
"They do seem to have a lot going on."
"But I don't think they could be happier. They just love their lives, and I'm so happy for them."
Indeed, Marjorie glowed when she talked about her children and the good choices that they had made. She knew that seeing one's children grow up and live for the Lord made a parent's heart happy.
Marjorie sighed. "I wish Isadora could get things straightened out. It just seems like she lost her zest for life when her marriage crumbled. It's been several years, and she's just not been able to get it back together."
"I don't blame her. You think that you've got your life all planned out and that things are going to go well, and then the person that you trusted betrays you in a way that it's so hard to get over."
"Sounds like you're talking from experience, but it seems like you and Jack are doing pretty well together."
"This time last year I was engaged to be married, and my fiancé broke up with me on Christmas morning. But you're right about Jack. I didn't think I'd ever forget about my fiancé or get over his betrayal, but Jack just erased all of that from my mind, and the future looks happy and exciting once more."
"I'm praying that happens for Isadora. She needs it."
"I'll pray for her too. I wish everyone could be as happy as I am right now."
"I just saw Ben go into the candy shop, but maybe you can go ahead on over and spend the rest of the day with Jack. Seems like he's doing a pretty good business and could use a hand. Everything else seems to be under control."
"Well, thank you, I think I will. It looked like Olivia and Noah are doing just as well as Jack, and I'm happy for them."
