Dress Me in Wildflowers (30 page)

“I know Santa,” she said with a wink.

Christmas carols played on the stereo, decorations adorned every surface, twinkling white lights hung from the ceiling like falling snowflakes. And in the corner, a fabulous tree beckoned them to examine the ornaments.

“I know it’s early, but I felt like celebrating tonight.”

“But our gifts are back home,” Dara said.

“That’s what you think.” Farrin retrieved the previously purchased items from her room, wrapped and beribboned to fit royalty.

While they drank hot chocolate, they unwrapped gifts in a fit of flying paper. When Dara picked up the little blue Tiffany’s box with her name on it, Janie inhaled. “Oh, Farrin. You shouldn’t have. It’s so expensive.”

“And she’s worth every penny.”

Janie watched in amazement as her daughter put the butterfly pendant on and smiled so wide the Cheshire Cat would have looked positively glum.

Dara and Jason watched as their mother opened her gifts from them, a hand-woven chenille scarf and a pink dress adorned with delicate, embroidered flowers around the collar.

“I thought they looked like the flowers in the book you found about the inn’s gardens,” Dara said.

Janie pulled her children to her and held them so long that they began to squirm.

“Mom,” Jason said in that whiny voice of a boy at the age when he didn’t want too much affection from his mother.

“Okay, okay, thank you. I love my presents.”

When Tammie opened her Tiffany’s box, she gasped. “They’re gorgeous. Oh, I know where I’m going to wear them, to the opening of the restaurant at the inn.”

“Just don’t be dropping them into any cake mixes,” Farrin said.

“Fine, you may tease me all you want, o’ giver of jewels.”

Tammie’s daughters rolled their eyes and went back to examining their dragonfly necklaces, each with their birthstone in the middle.

Dara eyed the space beneath the tree. “There’s one more box under there,” she said, then stretched her arm underneath the tree to retrieve one more little powder blue box. “It’s for you, Mom.”

Janie looked at Farrin with disbelief in her eyes, as if she must be crazy to buy expensive jewelry for a woman with only weeks to live.

“It’s a Tiffany Christmas. What can I say, they made out like bandits from me this year.”

“Farrin, I can’t.”

“Please. It’ll make me very happy.”

Janie’s hands visibly shook as she accepted the box and removed the lid. She lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle the sound of surprise, but then she ran her fingertips over the delicate blossoms of the dogwood necklace. “I’ve never seen a prettier necklace.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“It’s like a wildflower Christmas, isn’t it?” Dara asked as she looked up at her mother.

“Yes, I think it is.”

****

To prevent Christmas back in Oak Valley from being anti-climactic, Farrin organized an evening of homemade pizzas and giant ice cream sundaes along with a stack of DVDs and announced they would watch movies until they all fell asleep. Everyone with the exception of Janie’s parents thought this a grand new tradition.

“I think it’s just disgraceful,” Farrin overheard Jewel telling Janie as the two took packages into Janie’s bedroom. “Christmas is for family and tradition, not this.”

Janie did not respond. Farrin didn’t know if she didn’t want to add fuel to the fire or was just too tired to deal with the conversation.

Gradually, eyes began to droop and guests filtered out to their cars. First Faye, Kurt, Tammie and the kids, then Drew, and finally, when she realized Janie’s parents weren’t going anywhere until there had been some “family only” time, Farrin rose from her position on the floor in front of the couch. Janie walked with her onto the landing outside the apartment.

“Do you want me to stay?” Farrin asked.

“No, I can’t avoid telling them anymore.”

Farrin hugged her, hoping to give her some strength. Even in the two days since they’d been back in Oak Valley, she’d seen Janie’s energy level drain.

“Call me if you need me.”

When Farrin reached her car, Drew was leaning against it.

“I thought you’d left.”

“No, I wanted to wait for the prettiest girl in the valley and see if I could steal a kiss.”

“What makes you think she’ll let you?”

“I’m irresistible?”

“And modest, too.”

Drew pulled her to him and kissed her, a long, lingering kiss she fell into. When he lifted his lips from hers, he stared down into her eyes. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” And then the tears came. She’d been so busy propping up everyone else that she hadn’t realized she needed some support of her own.

Drew kissed the top of her head and folded her close against him. “Shh, now.”

“Why is the world so unfair, so painful?”

“I don’t know. No one knows that answer. It’s just the way things are, and we have to learn to live with them.”

She cried against his chest, and he let her. Certainty settled on her. She loved this man, and eventually she’d deal with the consequences of that. But not tonight.

“Come on,” he said and urged her toward the passenger side of his vehicle. “I told Tammie you wouldn’t be coming back to Faye’s tonight.”

She turned and lifted onto her toes to kiss him. “Thank you.”

In the morning, reality would return. But tonight, she was going to let Drew Murphy lead her down the path through fantasy and happiness, where things as dark as death could never reach.

****

Farrin arrived at the inn the next morning to find Janie sitting in the dining room going over the bank statement for the inn. “You don’t have to be here.”

Without looking up, Janie said, “I may not be able to work many more days, but I’m going to while I can. I don’t want to sit in my apartment and watch the clock tick off the hours of my life.”

“Okay. So, how did it go?”

“You mean the part before or after my parents yelled at me for keeping this from them and telling strangers before my own parents?”

“They do this in front of the kids?”

Janie sighed and put down the pencil. “Yes, and the kids were crying. I was crying. It was horrible.”

Farrin wanted to go give the Carlisles a substantial piece of her mind. Instead, she slid into the chair at the end of the table and took Janie’s hands. “I’m so sorry I didn’t stay. Maybe they wouldn’t have been so harsh.”

“No, I think if God himself had been sitting on my couch, they would have behaved exactly the same.”

“How were Dara and Jason this morning?”

“Tired, angry, all the things you’d expect. They wanted to stay home or come here, but I told them I wanted them to go to the library to work on their research papers because school is going to be the key to their futures.”

“You are an incredible mother, an incredible woman.”

“I didn’t feel very incredible last night. I felt thirteen and helpless again.”

Farrin had no words of wisdom, that day or the following two. On Thursday, Janie felt too bad to work, and Farrin told her to stay home and not worry about it. But to keep her mind off of the inevitable as much as possible, she took her a stack of movies, all comedies.

On Friday, Farrin flew to D.C. to be on hand for the wedding of the year. Cara Hutton looked stunning, and the First Lady managed not to be a total bitch, so Farrin counted it a successful trip. She didn’t stay for the reception but still didn’t get back to Faye’s until after midnight. She was sure she was going to look stunning for her interview with Zora Marshall in the morning.

As it turned out, her physical appearance was the least of her worries. To avoid word of Zora sightings spreading like a brush fire during a drought, Farrin arranged to have Zora and her crew meet her on Iggy Bottom Road. As Farrin stepped out of her car and stared at the remains of the trailer that had once been her home, she realized she should have come here earlier, to face the past before cameras were rolling.

Time, neglect and vandalism had taken their toll. The front door was gone, the siding was ripped and hanging askew. Broken windows, brown thigh-high weeds, someone’s busted bags of garbage. Combined with the cold winter wind, the place reeked of sadness and destitution.

She turned at the sound of an approaching vehicle and saw a large SUV rounding the bend that hid the trailer from the main road. When Zora Marshall stepped out, dressed stylishly, she looked as out of place on Iggy Bottom Road as a Burger King on the face of the moon.

Farrin forced a smile and fought the urge to turn and run toward the river.

The interview went better than she’d expected. It hadn’t been without it’s hard moments, but at least she hadn’t totally lost it and wept on camera — and she had Drew’s practice session to thank for that. After touring Zora around town, they made their final stop at the inn. Here, Farrin finally found some comfort — at least until word of Zora’s presence got out and locals started showing up. Zora was gracious, and Faye and her friends did their best to keep the crowd out of the way as the interview continued.

Zora seemed impressed by the new line of dresses and their target audience. “I think it’s fabulous.” She spun and looked at the inn’s interior. “This place has so much character, and it seems like you were meant to run it.”

She still intended to sell the inn at some point, but she didn’t mention that. Maybe Tammie and Kurt could buy it. That would be like keeping it in the family.

By the time they’d explored the entire inn, the crowd milling about hoping to see a glimpse of Zora had grown. And there among them stood Jewel Carlisle, who walked forward like the society matron she fancied herself.

“Hello, Ms. Marshall. I’m Jewel Carlisle, and I’d like to welcome you to Oak Valley. We weren’t aware of your visit, but if you’d like a tour or to talk about our town, I’d be happy to help you.”

“Farrin has been lovely in showing me the places that are pertinent to the piece we’re doing.”

“About the inn?”

Zora mmmed a noncommittal answer.

“It’s a fabulous historic structure. Many of our long-time residents are now enjoying starting businesses here.”

Farrin seethed, not only because Jewel was trying to stick her nose in where it didn’t belong, but also how she’d treated Janie. But with all these people watching, Farrin couldn’t tell the other woman what a worthless human being she thought she was.

“Jewel Carlisle, yes, I’ve heard that name recently. I believe you’ve been in contact with one of my colleagues, Katrina Wellington.”

Jewel froze.

“Television, it’s such a small business really, even though you wouldn’t think so. Staffers are constantly going back and forth between shows. We’re all a bit nomad, I think.”

Zora continued to be her normal pleasant self, but she got her point across. Jewel forced a smile, wished Zora a nice visit, then turned and walked out of the inn as if she were the Queen of England walking away from yet another distasteful antic performed by one of her relatives.

Zora huffed where only Farrin could hear her. “One in every crowd, in every town.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Felt good.”

After Zora left and all the curious of the community soon afterward, Farrin retreated to her office and dropped into her chair. For better or worse, it was over. The past two days had been nothing but a blur and only now did the world begin to slow around her.

When she heard footsteps in the entry hall, she nearly closed her door and hid. But the only other people here were Faye and Opal, and they were busy working on the restaurant details.

Farrin looked up to see Jewel Carlisle standing in the doorway. Gone was the community representative who’d stood in that very hallway only a couple of hours before. Now she looked more like an angry viper.

“I do not appreciate being made to look the fool.”

“Seems to me you brought it on yourself.” Farrin looked down at the work on her desk, hoping Jewel would leave.

“What do you want?”

Farrin looked up, not understanding the question. “Besides you to leave?”

“You are the one who should leave. You’ve done nothing but turn our daughter and grandchildren against us.”

Anger began to stew deep in Farrin. “You did a pretty good job of that all by yourselves.”

“You know nothing about us other than you’ve always wanted to be Janie’s friend. And you weren’t friends, and you’re still not. You may have lots of money now, but you’re still the same little girl who wants desperately to be part of the popular crowd.”

Farrin looked at the other woman, wondering what had made her into the person she was. “You’re pathetic.”

“Stay away from my daughter.”

“Janie is a grown woman. She can make her own decisions.”

“No, she can’t. She’s done nothing but make one mistake after another.”