“It’s a lot of work,” I explained. “But if you’re up to it and your mom says okay, I brought paper so we could start drawing out our ideas.”
He jumped up and down, his auburn hair flopping.
“Okay,” Celine said softly, her eyes now locked on mine. “You can do the race.”
Chaos erupted, all three kids cheering and throwing out ideas. So we all sat at the table, brainstorming. Maggie thought we should make our gourd look like a horse, while Julian obsessed about finding a big enough pumpkin.
“My buddy has a farm about an hour from here,” I said. “He grows the really big ones. Maybe we could take a ride up there this weekend and pick one out. Then this week, we’ll hollow it out, design the boat, and make sure it floats.”
All three kids looked at Celine.
“Sure.” She shrugged. “But only if you all behave. Your beds need to be made every day, and the trash needs to go out before it’s overflowing. And”—she zeroed in on Ellie—“you’ve got to finish your algebra homework.”
With a scoff, her oldest daughter went back to her binder on the couch, clearly motivated now.
We spent an hour planning, and Julian even built amodel out of Legos, but when Celine told him it was time for bed, Wayne and I headed out.
I’d just hit the bottom step when Celine stopped me.
“Thank you,” she said.
I dipped my chin. “You’re welcome.”
“Not just for the race. For all of it.” She wrung her hands, her head bowed. “Today was weird and sad but also somehow good. And just—thank you.”
“You did good. You’redoinggood. Please don’t doubt yourself.”
She looked up, and when her eyes met mine, a flame ignited in my chest. I wanted to close the gap between us and pull her into my arms again. Give her the comfort she needed. Be quiet and strong for as long as she needed me.
“I didn’t think people would just… say yes,” she whispered.
“We haven’t won America’s Most Charming Small Town every year for the past two decades by not being good to one another.” I paused, holding her gaze. “People here show up when you ask.”
We weren’t just talking about festival decorations and we both knew it.
“I see it.” She sighed. “Even though I struggle to understand it.”
My heart clenched. I’d grown up here. I didn’t know another way of life, yet she couldn’t understand the simple kindness the people of Maplewood always led with? Clearly Celine hadn’t had the kind of support system she deserved. But the joke was on her, because this tiny town had fully adopted her and her kids.
“You need to get used to it. You’re one of us now.”
The doubt on her face faded as she studied me, searching for the lie and coming up empty, and she broke into her true smile.
It only made me more determined to help. Because our little project wasn’t about hayrides or decorations. It was about showing her that not every knock ended badly. And sometimes, when a person asked for something, the door actually opened.
Chapter 18
Celine
It was barely seven, yet we were up and dressed and ready for a pumpkin acquisition road trip. The morning had gone far smoother than any this week. The kids had been up since six, completely overwhelmed with excitement about securing a giant gourd.
Julian had been so excited last night that he’d struggled to sleep. All week he’d talked about nothing else. It filled me with warmth seeing him lit up like this, excited and using his special talents to figure out a problem.
And while I doubted my daughters had much interest in the buoyancy of pumpkins, they had thrown themselves into the process, encouraging him and helping him draw pictures. I’d never been more proud.
When Josh pulled up and hopped out of his truck, his hair was still damp from his shower. I nearly staggered back as he sauntered closer. Damn, he was good-looking. All jeans and work boots and flannel, a gruff smile beneath that beard. He’d been like a little kid the other night, brainstorming withJulian. Initially, I assumed he’d offered to do this to be kind to Julian, but after the way his eyes lit up any time they talked about the project, I was beginning to wonder if it was Julian doing him the favor.
“I’ve got to get Julian’s booster.” I turned toward the van, sticking a hand in my purse and rummaging for my keys.