Page 10 of Candy Canes & Caroling

“That’s so thoughtful,” Hazel said, a smile on her beautiful face. “Most people don’t think about things like that.” Her gaze drifted to mine for a second and I noticed the twinkle in hers.

“I would never want anyone to get hurt on my watch,” Ivy answered before she turned to me. “Is it okay if I move your chair closer to the wall? It will make more room for the servers.”

I took a deep breath so I didn’t lose my patience. “I’d prefer if you left it there. It’s my legs, and I don’t think you’d want to store your legs somewhere that you can’t reach them.”

Ivy was silent for a moment before she tipped her head. “I never thought of it that way. It was rude of me to suggest. I apologize.”

“No apology needed,” I assured her with a smile. “Understanding other people’s disabilities is a learning process, and you’re already way ahead of the curve by employing several people with disabilities.”

“Everyone deserves to have a job that fulfills them. I’m lucky to have Becca, Mel, Lance, and Brittany. I’ll put your order in and get your drinks. Fair warning. The girl gang should be here any moment.”

I chuckled and nodded at Hazel. “I prepared her ahead of time. We’re ready when they swoop in.”

“You do know them well and you’ve only been here a year—”

The diner’s door whooshed open and laughter spilled into the room. From my vantage point, I saw the girl gang head inside, all with their mini-mes attached to their hips as they headed straight for us. Ivy scurried away, likely because she had sent out an alert on her phone the moment we walked into the diner.

I met Hazel’s gaze. “Deep breath,” I said, taking one in, and she followed. “Here we go.”

“Well, hello, dear,” came a voice from the group. I hadn’t even seen Mrs. Violet in the gaggle of giggles, but there she was, now leading the pack.

“Hi, Mrs. Violet,” I said with a wave.

She came to a stop by the booth and gasped when she saw Hazel. “Miss Cane! I’m so happy you’re out and about today. Such a terrible thing that happened. On behalf of all of Bells Pass, accept our apology for such a rude and disrespectful welcome to our lovely town. Oh, I’m Audrey Violet,” she said, patting Hazel’s good hand. “I’m kind of like the grandma ringleader of this group. I get to hang out with the cool kids and play with their babies.” She gave a wink as everyone else crowded in to introduce themselves.

I leaned back in the booth with a smile on my face as I watched Hazel’s eyes dart from person to person while they asked question after question. I’d give them a few more minutes and then jump in to save her, but it was better to experience the beauty and love of Bells Pass in all its glory without interruption the first time. Hazel would come to understand that despite her initial introduction to the town, she’d made the right choice in taking the job here.

As I watched her engage with everyone, answer questions, and accept hugs, I realized it was Mayor Tottle who had made the right choice. She was going to change Bells Pass for the better and I couldn’t wait to be part of it with her.

∞∞∞

“That was…wow,” Hazel said with laughter as we left the diner. “I don’t know how to describe what just happened.”

“You just met the girl gang.” My wink was playful and garnered the response I wanted—laughter.

“The girl gangandMrs. Violet. Don’t forget her.”

“Trust me. It’s impossible to forget Audrey Violet. She’s an honorary member of every girl gang in Bells Pass. Do you feel officially welcomed?”

“So much so my head hurts again.”

I brought my chair to a halt, and Star stopped at my side. “I’m sorry. I should have thought of that. Let’s go back to the center. No sense making it worse.”

She shook her head a bit before she glanced over at me. “No, I’d like to go to the park. I want to see if anything jogs my memory when I get there. Besides, I probably need fresh air more than anything. I’m used to living in Florida where I’m outside more than I’m inside.”

“Forward,” I said to Star as I pushed my wheels. “We’ll go for a bit, but if you start to get tired or sore, we’ll head back home so you can rest. The doctor said it could be—”

“Up to a month before I stop getting headaches,” she finished for me. “Yes, Dr. Wallace.”

My laughter traveled up the street ahead of us. “I just want you to take care of yourself. I don’t want what happened to put a bad taste in your mouth about Bells Pass.”

“Oh no,” she gasped. “If anything, it did the exact opposite. It made me realize how wonderful this town is in a real and fast way.”

“Real and fast way?”

“No one knew who I was, but my life was on the line, and they jumped into action without a thought about anything other than helping me. They didn’t worry about who I was, if I could afford to pay for my care, if I was a good person, or anything else. That’s how I describe real in a situation like this. It was also fast because I met everyone much faster than I would have working at New Beginnings and slowly integrating into the town. Does that make sense?”

“It does,” I agreed after she finished. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re right. The community always rallies around anyone who needs them, and they did that, but once they realized who you were, they wanted to be sure you didn’t leave out of fear that the town was bad. It’s not. It’s a wonderful community to live in compared to other places I’ve worked.”

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