Picnic in Someday Valley (Honey Creek #2)(39)

“About time you made up your mind, mister. I ain’t got all day.”

Jesse’s good mood was ruined. He walked out of the bakery and sat in his pickup. He couldn’t keep from wondering where Adalee was. Of course it was none of his business. He hadn’t been able to stop on Monday, so she might think he didn’t want to see her again.

What if she’d packed up and moved? She obviously was a drifter. She’d only lived here three years. Maybe that was her limit in any one place.

He got out and walked among the trees near city hall. The chilly wind didn’t calm his mood. Winter was coming on, and as the days got shorter so would his workdays. He’d have time to get all the equipment ready for spring. Plan for next year’s crops. Fix a dozen things around the house that needed fixing. He even planned to take the kids fishing some cool Saturday.

With the extra money coming in from boarding horses, he might have a few thousand to put back for hard times.

When he reached the bench where he’d talked to Adalee that night, he stopped for a few minutes. He could remember every moment they were together, but he couldn’t see one minute of a future. She’d been little more than a stranger, but she’d held his hand the night of his birthday when he’d felt so alone.

Jesse walked back to his pickup. It was still too early to collect the kids. The grandmothers both had their routines. Granny George usually had a game or art project waiting. Sometimes they cooked or formed a band using kitchen pots. On Grandma May’s days it was always snacks, juice, and cartoons. Whoever’s day it was didn’t matter, if Jesse got there too early he’d have to wait until grandmother time was over.

The little town seemed so peaceful in the stillness. He thought about stopping back by the bakery, but he didn’t want to see Adalee’s replacement again. So, he drove over to the Dairy Queen and bought a root beer. While he drank he ate one bag of the donut holes, and he hated donut holes.

Finally, it was almost time to pick up the kids.

Jesse had to time it just right. Too early and he’d be part of their grandmother time. Too late and the kids would be tired and whiny. So he decided he’d just drive by the bakery again. Wouldn’t do any harm to glance in to see if Adalee was back.

The sign in the window had been flipped to CLOSED and all the blinds were shut. That worried him.

He drove to the side street, parked, and walked into the alley. It looked so plain and ugly in the daylight. At night it seemed mysterious.

Jesse knocked on the back door Adalee had disappeared behind that night he’d walked her home.

No answer. He knocked a bit louder. No answer.

Then he heard the tap of feet. The door opened. For a moment all he saw was Adalee crying. Big tears were drifting down her pretty round cheeks.

Jesse had no idea what to say. As he had before with Adalee, he simply reacted. Stepping inside, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She didn’t say a word, but her tears puddled on his shoulder.

When she pushed a few inches away to blow her nose, she made a hiccup laugh and said, “I’m a mess.”

He patted the side of her hair, which seemed to have gone wild. “Yes, you are.”

That made her laugh more. “Just my luck, I found an honest man.”

She had on an old, faded sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder, and baggy pants. He had no idea if she was wearing clothes or pajamas. He didn’t care.

“You all right?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it. The crisis is over, but I can’t stop crying.”

Jesse just stood there. Was she over whatever problem, if she was crying? Did she want him to ask again? Should he leave?

He patted her on the shoulder.

“You want a cup of coffee?” she finally asked.

“Sure.”

As she made coffee, she stopped crying. “My little sister tried to run away again.”

“How old is she?”

“Fifteen. She’s hated this town since the day we moved here.”

“How . . .”

She stopped him with one hand up like a traffic cop. “She’s all right. I don’t want to talk about it. She’s upstairs with her door locked now. She claims she’s going to run again as soon as she can. She hates the town, the school, having to live in the back of a bakery, and me.”

“What does she like?”

“Watching TV. Making my life hell.” Adalee frowned. “She loves animals, but I can’t have pets in a bakery.”

Adalee set the cups on the table. When she took the chair next to him, her leg bumped his knee.

The cloudy day made him think it was almost twilight. With a smile, he bumped her back. They both smiled.

“Maybe my sister and I should both calm down. I’ll try to talk to her later,” she added. “Why’d you come by, Jesse?”

“I just wanted to see you.” It wasn’t much of a reason, but it was the truth.

He couldn’t think of any advice to offer. He thought about how upset he’d be if he didn’t know where one of his kids was. “I’m sorry. I’d probably cry if one of my kids ran off.”

She smiled, and he knew she was doing that thing again. She was seeing him, really seeing him. “Her name is Starlett. Star for short. I was almost fifteen when she was born, and I thought Mom had her just for me to play with. My folks ran a bakery in New Orleans, and I spent more time with Star than our parents did put together.”