Back on Blossom Street (Blossom Street #4)(37)

As she approached an empty table, Colette glanced up, saw her and smiled.

“Mind if I join you?” Alix asked impulsively.

“Please do.” Colette put her knitting down with a sigh of abject frustration. “Tell me again that this is supposed to be relaxing.”

“It will be, in time,” Alix promised, sitting across the table from her. “Be patient with yourself. I lost count of how often I started my first project over. There were days I wanted to chuck the whole thing.”

“But you stuck with it,” Colette murmured.

“And I’m glad I did.” Knitting had proved to be a turning point in her life. Back then, she’d had something to prove to herself. Refusing to quit had given Alix confidence in other areas, too. “It didn’t come easy to me, either. I thought that was because I’m left-handed but Lydia kept telling me knitters use both hands, so that wasn’t any excuse. She said it often enough, I finally believed her. After a while, I got the hang of it. I finished the baby blanket and even knit Jordan a sweater. Okay, so the neckline turned out a bit sloppy, but he still wears it.” Alix smiled, thinking of her fiancé in that sweater. Now there was a real testament to Jordan’s love. Alix had wanted to rip the whole thing out and start over, but he wouldn’t let her. The yarn was ultraexpensive, too. Alix could never have afforded it on her own. Carol Girard from the class had given it to her. She’d refused any compensation for it, too. That kind of generosity had been a novel experience for Alix, and she’d never forgotten it.

“I’m not giving up, either,” Colette said with what sounded like renewed determination.

After swallowing a mouthful of her coffee, Alix continued. “I found that if I had something on my mind, it helped to sit down and knit. If I could free my mind for even a few minutes, I could sometimes settle whatever was bothering me.”

“Oh.” Colette’s shoulders slumped forward. “Knitting’s not really helping,” she said, staring down at her needles. “I might as well put it aside until after tomorrow. If I have to rip out this row again, I’m afraid the yarn will be completely frayed.”

Alix studied Colette and saw the lines creasing her forehead. She’d picked up her cup of tea and nervously clutched the delicate handle. Alix was afraid it might snap off in Colette’s hand.

“What’s happening on Sunday?” Alix asked. She didn’t mean to pry, but perhaps if Colette talked about her problem, whatever it was, she’d feel better. Alix was a good listener. Jordan had taught her the importance of sharing one’s troubles—and listening to those of others. Like Colette, she used to hold everything inside until it felt like she’d explode if she didn’t do something to get rid of all those ugly emotions.

Perhaps surprisingly, Alix had also learned a few things from the pastor of the church that employed Jordan, the church she now attended. Pastor Downey used lots of homespun analogies and practical advice about living in the real world. Just last Sunday, he’d said that the grass wasn’t greener on the other side of the fence; it was greener where it was watered. Alix liked that so much, she wrote it down on the inside flap of her Bible. She considered it good advice for a woman about to be married. It was advice she wanted to remember.

“I…I’m going out to dinner with my former employer,” Colette explained haltingly.

“Is this your first date since you lost your husband?”

Colette shrugged and looked uneasy. “Sort of.”

Alix wasn’t sure what that meant but didn’t press for an explanation.

“It’s more a matter of who this date’s with that’s bothering me.”

Alix nodded, encouraging her to continue.

“I agreed to go and now I wish I hadn’t.” Colette stared out the window for a moment. Alix let the silence build. She’d learned from Jordan not to be afraid of the silences in a conversation.

She thought Colette was about to speak when Julie, who worked weekends, delivered Alix’s sandwich. Alix waited until Julie was out of earshot. She wondered why Colette would have agreed to this date when she was so clearly reluctant.

“Can’t you just cancel?” Alix asked. Problem solved. As far as she could see, there was no reason for Colette to be so worried about this. If she didn’t want to go out with the guy, she didn’t have to. Women changed their minds all the time. Men, too, for that matter.

“It’s just that…I don’t know what to expect from him.”

“Why put yourself in this situation at all?” It didn’t make sense to Alix.

Colette broke eye contact, lowering her head. “Christian said if I went to dinner with him this one time, he’d never bother me again.” She spoke in a low, uninflected voice.

Alix was outraged. “That’s blackmail!”

“I suppose it is.”

“Suppose, nothing! You can’t let a man manipulate you like that.” Alix was getting worked up now. No way was a man taking advantage of Colette, not if she could help it. “You want me to deal with this loser?”

Colette smiled for the first time. “Thank you, but no. I’ll be fine.”

“How well do you know him?”

“I worked for the company for seven years, five of those as his personal assistant.”