Silent Night, Star-Lit Night (Second Chance at Star Inn)(16)
They were here until they could leave and that would probably be at least a day, maybe two. And if Uncle Pete had to get out of his office and put some time in on the sales floor or running the register, well . . .
Jed figured it was about time.
Chapter Seven
“Are you as tired as I am?” Jed asked as he helped Mia through the snow-filled roadways that evening. They’d bundled up to head back to the inn once the supper meal was cleared away at the shelter, because Reggie literally kicked Mia out. Nicely, of course.
“Sleeping as I walk, and feeling guilty for leaving.”
“Reggie wasn’t going to let you stay, so put the blame on her and sleep guilt-free tonight.”
She laughed, softly. The wind had died down, but the snow fell at a steady rate of two inches per hour. She and Jed were caught in their very own snow globe, without lights. The glow from the inn guided them up the road, but he kept his arm snugged around her in case she lost her footing.
It shouldn’t feel this good to have him care, but it did. She didn’t dwell on it. She knew the game plan. So did he. He’d be tucked into the family business he knew so well, and she’d be nursing somewhere once the baby was old enough to leave in care. He’d asked if she’d considered staying in Central Washington.
Could she dare to do that, considering her father’s antics? Especially with Grandpa Joe’s grim prognosis?
“Have you picked a name for this baby, yet?”
She shook her head. “When she’s here is soon enough.”
They were approaching the inn, and while Angel had disconnected the outdoor Christmas lights to take pressure off the generator, the star above acted as a beacon. “No clothes, no supplies, no name.”
She swallowed hard, because Jed Taylor was wading into dangerous territory.
“What is it you’re afraid of, Mia?”
The door swung wide. Angel stood there, beaming at them, decked out in another festive holiday-themed outfit. This time tiny Christmas light earrings hung from her ears, and a twisted woven scarf looped around the fold of her turtleneck. The scarf was decked out with more tiny lights, blinking a holiday welcome. Her quick appearance saved Mia from answering for the moment, but she knew Jed well. He’d ask again. And she’d have to answer.
“Reggie texted you were on your way back and I was glad of it,” Angel said in greeting. “She said that expectant mothers need their rest, and no one with common sense argues with Reggie. Come on in here; let’s get you warm and cozy!”
Angel had rescued her momentarily, but once Jed got on track he stayed on track. Grandpa Joe used to say Jed had a hunting dog’s instinct, always knowing which turn to take. She’d admired that about him and maybe envied it a little, too.
Her life had been governed by other’s missteps, and just when she’d broken loose, independent and free, she’d made the greatest mistake of all by marrying a man who never planned on being faithful.
She didn’t want to think about those mistakes. She didn’t want to go around and around with the whys and what-ifs spinning in her brain.
She wanted to move forward. Just forward.
Maybe moving forward means facing those whys and what-ifs once and for all? You don’t talk about this with anyone, ever. Perhaps it’s time.
Angel hung their wet coats by the front heater, set their boots by the fire in the expansive parlor, then brought out a tray with steaming hot chocolate, cookies, and triangle sandwiches. “A late tea for the guests.”
“Oh, that’s precious, Angel. And so thoughtful.” She crossed the room, and if Angel was surprised when she hugged her, she hid it and returned the embrace. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Angel assured her. She included Jed in her smile. “Take a little time to relax before you go up. I turned off the outside lights to preserve energy, but I kept it Christmasy inside because it should be that way for stranded travelers. You know the first stranded travelers of Christmas are right over here.” She crossed to the old-fashioned Nativity scene taking center stage on the broad oak mantel, flanked by two thick ivory candles. “Mary and Joseph, so far from home. And expecting, as well, what a time they must have had.” She gazed at the Nativity for several seconds, took a breath, and turned. “I wanted to thank you both for jumping in at the shelter. Reggie said you took the two little Barringer kids under your wing and she hasn’t seen Brad and Ivy so happy in months.”
Jed helped Mia into the thick, wing-backed sofa, then took a seat across from her. “They’re cute kids.”
“They’re delightful, but there’s a pound and a half of drama that goes along with that whole thing, and how can G-G Jude be expected to raise two young children?” Angel’s normally happy countenance turned downward. “Such a long history of anger and grudges on both sides of the family, a shame if you ask me.”
“G-G Jude?” Jed frowned in question.
“Great-Grandma Jude. She’s their guardian now.”
“Are their parents gone?” asked Mia.
Angel made a face of regret. “No dad of record, and their mother was in and out of rehab half a dozen times. The last time she got out, she didn’t make it a week before she got into a bad batch of heroin.”
It was a story Mia had seen increase with frightening regularity the past few years. “They’re orphans?”