Sprinkled with Love

She turned back to Avery. “Thanks so much for taking him in on this cold night.”

“Actually, I didn’t take him in. It would appear he let himself in.” Avery smiled. “It seems he knew exactly what he wanted. I opened the door and he ran past me in the dark. I didn’t even know he was here until I went to check on Marshmallow.”

“But how would he know to come here? How would he know about Marshmallow?”

Avery grinned at her. “Maybe it was destiny.”

“Hmpf…I doubt it. It was probably more like Marshmallow was in the front window studying the neighborhood when Romeo spotted her. After all, he’s a friendly guy.” She gave him a hug. “He just wanted a friend.”

“Uh-huh. And how is that explanation any better than mine?”

For that she didn’t really have an answer. “It was just my guess.”

The fact was that once upon a time she had believed in destiny. It’s what got her through the long period of Avery not noticing her. She thought if she was patient that destiny would intervene and he’d finally open his eyes. Ha! What a dreamer she’d been. Now she was more realistic and kept her feet planted firmly on the ground.

Jillian moved to the doorway where Avery was standing. Not about to brush past him again, she paused. Once he moved, she continued on her way. When she reached the dining area, she glanced toward the kitchen where she’d spent so much time preparing meals for Avery’s brother and sister.

There were drop cloths, tools, and a ladder. It stirred her curiosity. “Was there a problem in the kitchen?”

“Not really. It’s just that it still had all the original appliances and décor from when my parents bought this place thirty-some years ago. So I’m updating it in my spare time.”

“That’s great. You always were good with your hands.” And then realizing she was making excuses not to make her way out the door, she started moving again. It wasn’t until she was at the front door that she paused. It would be rude to just rush off.

She turned to Avery, who was lagging behind her. “Is there anything I can get you before I leave?”

He shook his head. “I’m just going to grab an ice pack and settle down in front of the television.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed there was now a large-screen television mounted above the fireplace. The room had been painted a tan shade with white trim. It looked really nice. There appeared to be a number of changes afoot. She’d just been a bit nervous and missed them when she’d first arrived.

Jillian wondered why Avery was making all of these improvements. He was a cowboy from the strands of his wavy brown hair to the tips of his scuffed-up cowboy boots. She’d always thought once Beth and Jordan grew up that he would move outside of town. She wondered what kept him here in this house. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but she resisted the temptation. His life was none of her concern. He’d made that clear a long time ago.

She recalled when she’d finally worked up the courage to make the first move with Avery. It’d been a few years after she’d started working for him and the annual Christmas Stroll had been coming up. She recalled how nervous she’d been with her stomach tied up in knots.

And then the opportunity had presented itself. Both teenagers had been visiting friends and Avery had just returned home from working on the Crooked S. She recalled the evening with crystal clarity. A pot of stew had been simmering in the slow cooker while a fresh loaf of bread was baking in the bread machine. The laundry had been done and the house picked up. She’d waited until Avery grabbed a shower and then she’d invited him to go to the stroll with her.

At first, he hadn’t said anything. She’d willed him to agree. And then he shook his head and glanced away. He’d said it wasn’t a good idea with them working together. He didn’t want to mess up a good thing.

It’d hurt and things had been awkward for a while, but with time she’d accepted that it was a case of bad timing. After all, he’d never said that he wasn’t interested. And so she’d waited—the kids weren’t going to need her much longer.

But when he shook her hand on her last day of work for him, the message was clear. There would never be anything romantic between them. The knowledge had sliced through her heart. All of that time, he’d left her waiting and hoping. She’d felt like such a fool. It was then that she’d vowed to move on and start dating again.

She turned back to Avery. “I should go. Tomorrow’s gearing up to be a big day with the grand opening.”

Avery paused. Was he disappointed that she was leaving so soon? And then he said, “I hope it goes well.”

“Thanks. Okay. Well, thanks again. I hope you’re feeling better soon.”

Once outside, she tried to shield Romeo with her coat as best she could from the cold breeze. Lucky for her, he took it all in stride. She had no problems getting Romeo in the car. She placed him on the passenger seat. As she started the engine, Romeo decided to go explore the back seat.

Jillian slowly navigated her way home over the slick roadways. When she pulled into the driveway, she glanced at her mother’s house. The lights were still out. Yes!

Jillian smiled. She’d done it. Thanks to Avery.

Now to get Romeo inside her little apartment without any further mishaps.

Chapter Four

Early the next morning, Avery’s phone buzzed. He checked the caller ID—it was his sister. Immediately his senses went on high alert.