Page 35 of Once Upon a Holidate
“I don’t know. I just can’t trust him not to leave me.”
“You’re the one who’s going to be leaving when I come home. I hate to see you suffer.”
She faked a smile. “You don’t have to worry about me, Chandler.”
“Sure I do. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“You heard from your mom?”
“No. Not a word.” The tears returned. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her or why she did what she did.”
“It doesn’t make sense to me, either. But sometimes the things that happen aren’t about us. They’re about the other person.”
Joylyn knew he was trying to make her feel better, and while it would be nice if her mom had sent her away because she had some issue she had to deal with, Joylyn knew the truth wasn’t that convenient. Time and distance had allowed her to see that maybe she hadn’t been the easiest person on the planet to get along with. That maybe her complaining and general annoyance with the world had gotten to be too much.
“I don’t want to talk about her anymore,” she said. “Look what I’m doing.” She held up one of the snowmen. “They’re for a wedding, and I’m getting paid to make them. I’m saving it all, Chandler. For us and the baby.”
“That’s great. How do snowmen fit in a wedding?”
She laughed. “I have no idea, but apparently it’s a thing.”
“If you say so.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I gotta go. I love you and I’m counting the days.”
She touched the screen. “I love you, too. I can’t wait to see you. I miss you so much. You’re everything, Chandler.”
“You’re everything to me, too, sweetie.”
The call ended and the tears came right on cue. Joylyn brushed them away and went back to work. She might not be able to see her husband, but she could build the stupid little snowmen and save money so that when she and her husband were together again, they could buy what they needed and be happy.
***
The Monday before Thanksgiving, Wynn got up a half hour early and made pumpkin spice cupcakes. She showered whilethey were baking, then took them to the office with her. Just after eleven thirty, she drove the short distance from downtown Happily Inc out to the animal preserve where she pulled in next to her friend Silver.
“What did you bring?” the platinum blonde asked as she got out of her truck.
“I went seasonal. Pumpkin spice cupcakes.”
Silver smiled. “I can always count on you to do the right thing.” She held up her own container. “Potato salad. Carol texted yesterday and said she was making pulled pork sandwiches for our main course.”
Their biweekly lunches were something Wynn looked forward to. They met on a Monday or Tuesday, before the craziness of the week’s upcoming weddings kicked in. The location varied. When it was Carol’s turn, they usually ate outside at the animal preserve. Natalie hosted at the Willow Gallery where she displayed her work, and Bethany had them out at the ranch. Pallas and Renee used the space at Weddings Out of the Box, while Wynn chose either her business conference room or her own dining table.
The meals were fun, friendly affairs. Whoever was able to come brought something. The hostess provided the main entrée and drinks. Sometimes there were five salads or five desserts, but more often than not, there was a mix of foods. The not knowing what to expect added to the fun.
They walked along the main path in the preserve, careful to close the gates behind them so no animals would escape. Last year Carol had installed a nice picnic table in a shady spot. There were supports for a canvas overhang, if the temperatures were too high. Happily Inc was a desert community, getting plenty hot in the summer. Having it be a dry heat helped, but there were a few weeks in July and August when retreating toair-conditioning was the only way to survive. But today the temperature was in the midseventies, with a bright blue sky and lots of sunshine.
“I heard there’s a snowstorm expected back east, just in time for Thanksgiving,” Wynn said as she double-checked that that last gate was secure.
“All those idiots traveling are going to suffer.”
Wynn hid a smile. “You mean those poor people trying to get home to their families for possibly the second biggest holiday of the year?”
Silver grimaced. “Yeah, that. My sympathies and all that.”
They rounded a grove of trees and saw Carol putting out stacks of plates and flatware. The table was already decorated with a brightly colored cloth. A side table held a big covered dish and a stack of buns, along with a dispenser filled with lemonade. But what really caught Wynn’s attention was the—relatively—small giraffe following Carol from place to place like a very oversize and leggy dog.
“I see Bodey is still in love with you,” Wynn called.
