Jill Kemerer - Her Small-Town Romance

“You’re not into sports?”

“I played some, but I liked being outside with Granddad better.”

She relaxed a fraction and squinted, attempting to see the trees in a different light.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but did something happen to frighten you?”

“You could say that.” She shoved her hands in the pockets of her vest. “It was a long time ago.”

He edged closer. His tall, solid frame comforted her for some reason. Made her want to lean in, rely on him to protect her out here.

Not smart. He’d leave her. Everyone else did.

“How long ago?” Bryan flicked the acorn into a bush.

“Oh, I was little.” Did she want to talk about this? Mimi had tried to help, but every time they neared a wooded area, Jade had grown hysterical. Eventually Mimi stopped trying and told her there were some things best left to God.

“How little?” Bryan asked. “Toddler or teenager?”

“In between. I was seven.” A nervous laugh escaped, and her shoulders tensed until they reached her ears. All alone in Germany. Mom was at work. The neighbor boys had gotten a kick out of playing a prank on her, leaving her alone, wandering. Sweat broke out on her forehead. “It’s not something I talk about.”

Understanding flashed in his eyes. “Fair enough.” He motioned for her to follow him to a park bench several feet away.

Jade perched on it, facing what looked like a Christmas tree. She loved Christmas. Not all trees were bad.

Bryan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I had nightmares after my mom died.”

She knew all about nightmares, too. “Yeah, I have bad dreams—well, one bad dream. About the forest.”

“Is it night or day?”

“Night.”

“Would it be as bad if it were daytime?” he asked.

“I think so.”

“Why?”

“It’s so dark, it doesn’t matter if it’s night or day. I’m alone. There’s no path. Everything closes in, the leaves and branches grab me.”

His serious expression assured her he didn’t think she was silly, or if he did, he was good at hiding it.

“What are you trying to do in the dream?”

“Escape. I want out of there.”

“But there’s no way out.”

“Exactly.”

“Do you run?”

“Eventually.” The branches always tore at her face and hands, and she’d fall to her knees, sobbing in terror as orange and yellow eyes multiplied. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Tell me what’s so great about this place.”

Bryan took the change in subject in stride. “Spring brings Lake Endwell back to life. Next week you’ll see wildflowers popping up. Squirrels say hello when you wind through the path. Inhale and you smell it all—the earth, air, pollen—and it’s good.”

“I think I’d rather light a candle in the safety of my home.”

“Give it a chance. Beats any candle. The weather will warm up soon, and you’ll really have fun. Swimming, fishing, bonfires. This area is all about the outdoors.” He brushed something from her shoulder. She hoped it wasn’t a bug. “What did you feel when we stood in front of the path?”

What did she feel?

Overwhelmed, claustrophobic. Scared.

Several birds flew past, and in the distance she heard birds calling.

“Never mind. Your face says it all.” He stood, holding his hand out to help her up. “Will you let me take you somewhere else? Don’t worry, it’s basically a lawn with a lone tree here and there. Most of the trees are way off in the distance.”

She put her hand in his—strong, comforting—and rose. “Where is it?”

“City Park. I want to show you the lake. It’s the least-threatening place I can think of around here. It might give you a different impression of the area.”

“City Park? It still exists?” A delicious buzz spread through her chest. “Tell me it’s the same one that was here fifty years ago.”

He shot her a quizzical look. “Yeah, why?”

Could it be possible she’d find the spot she’d heard about so many times from Mimi? “My grandfather proposed to my grandmother at City Park. It’s one of the reasons I moved here.”

“Just one of the reasons, huh?” His blue eyes twinkled. “I wonder if you’ll tell me the others.”

She doubted she’d tell Bryan the other reasons she’d tucked in her heart.

A place where dreams come true. The store. Friends. Maybe a husband down the line. Babies. Definitely babies.

A thread of hope wrapped around her soul. Bryan watched a hawk flying above them. The sharp planes of his jaw displayed the determined lift of his chin.

Opening the store would be enough for now. Wanting too much too soon would be asking for trouble.

Jade waved in the direction of the parking lot. “What are we waiting for?”

* * *

Ten minutes later Bryan hopped out of his black truck, jogged to the passenger’s side and opened the door for Jade. A wide expanse of lawn dotted with picnic tables stretched before them. Branches of a weeping willow tree swept the ground, and in the distance, the lake appeared gray under the overcast sky. He hoped coming here would make her a little less tense.

He also hoped she hadn’t minded him prying earlier. Bryan usually accepted when people said they didn’t want to discuss something. After all, he didn’t volunteer to air his soiled past, but when Jade said she didn’t want to talk about whatever happened, curiosity started eating at him.

What had happened to the little seven-year-old green-eyed girl that still had the power to make her lips turn white and her lungs seize at the thought of entering the woods?

Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.

“Not the best day for the lake.” He helped her down, shutting the door behind her. “It’s usually turquoise with silver shining off it. It’s still something, though, don’t you think?”

“It’s beautiful. I haven’t had time to explore the town yet.” Her cheeks glowed as she pointed. “Oh, is that the gazebo?”

“Want to see it?”

“Yes! Is it new? Or has it been here long?”

“It’s been there ever since I can remember. Even made it through the tornado two years ago. Half the town was leveled, but not this park.”

“A tornado? How awful. Were you affected?”

“Oh, it affected me.” He strolled beside her. “Libby and Jake’s wedding was scheduled for the next day, but they had to postpone it. The tornado destroyed Uncle Joe’s Restaurant where their reception was being held. My sister Claire and Jake’s brother, Reed, were trapped inside. But it turned out okay. I now have two brothers-in-law, Jake and Reed.”

“You have a big family.”

“Tell me about it.” He loved his family, but sometimes he wondered if there had been a mistake on God’s part. They were all exuberant. Nothing like him.

“I’m an only child.” They reached the gazebo, but Jade didn’t go inside. She pointed to an old, stately beech tree. “I think that’s it!”

“What’s what?”

She ran to it, bending her neck back to view the dark gray trunk where spring leaves waved from branches. Her fingers trailed the bark as she circled it. “I’m looking for a carving.”

“You might be looking for a while.” Hundreds of carvings had survived the years. He’d never marked the tree—didn’t care for permanent displays for anyone to mock—but most of his friends had.

“It’s supposed to be a heart with F plus M inside.”

He searched for hearts. “What do the letters stand for?”

“Frank and Mimi.” Her bright face popped out from behind the trunk. “He proposed to her here.”

“Mimi was her real name? I thought it was her nickname, like Grandma or Nana.” No wonder Jade beamed, touching the tree. He wanted to find the carving for her.