“I don’t know why.” Her friend’s face took on a look of dreamy contentment. “Red Leaf is perfect.”
“You say that because you didn’t grow up here. When I moved back home after Coach’s heart attack, it was as if I’d never been away. It doesn’t seem to matter that I graduated from college and lived in the city for a year.
“Every time I go into the bakery, Mrs. Sweet tells me that I’m too skinny and tries to force-feed me sprinkle doughnuts. When Vivienne Wallace sees me at church, she asks how my piano lessons are going.”
“I didn’t know you played the piano.”
“I don’t. Not since fourth grade anyway.” Mac released a sigh. “If I stay, people are always going to see me as the geeky little girl with braids . . . Why are you smiling?”
“Because Ms. Viv is a bit eccentric . . . and because I can’t wait until those kinds of things happen to me. I’ve lived in a lot of places but I never felt like I was part of them.” Annie reached out and squeezed her hand. “You have roots here. A shared history. I don’t think people look at you as the geeky girl with braids. They look at you with . . . love.”
Mac didn’t have time to process that because the door of the nursery suddenly swung open and a petite brunette charged in.
“Can I help—Hollis?”
“I talked to your dad,” Hollis said without preamble. “He said you’re the one who’s going to write about my wedding.”
Mac tried to come up with her qualifications but she really didn’t have any. Or explain that her editor had given her the story based on the assumption they’d been close friends—but that would have sounded more like the punch line of a joke.
Leaving Mac with only one option. The truth.
“That’s right.”
Ethan’s sister took two steps toward her, bringing them nose to perfect freckle-free nose. Then she threw her arms around Mac’s neck. “Thank goodness.”
Ethan had wandered into his dad’s office on Monday morning, cup of coffee and Bible in hand, not expecting he would find an answer to prayer when he was searching for a pen in his father’s desk drawer.
But there it was. The most unusual collection of memorabilia Ethan had ever seen. Photographs of bald-headed babies and gap-toothed children. Stats cut from the sports page. Fishermen proudly holding up the catch of the day. Handwritten notes and a four-leaf clover preserved under a yellowed piece of Scotch tape.
As Ethan had slowly flipped through the pages, he realized these weren’t random items. They were gifts from his dad’s patients. Pieces of their lives.
Ethan closed the cover of the scrapbook, along with any remaining doubts he’d been having over his decision to stay in Red Leaf.
He’d been putting a fresh coat of paint on the boathouse Sunday night when his mother had marched up to him.
“I just had an interesting conversation with Frank Heath in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store. He seemed surprised that I didn’t know you’re planning to take over his practice.”
Mac was right. He had forgotten what it was like to live in a small town.
Ethan had tried to explain his reasons, but his mother looked more frustrated with him than she had when Hollis announced that Hank Ackerman had agreed to provide the music for the wedding reception.
“I don’t understand you, Ethan. You have a future at Midland Medical. I can’t believe you’re willing to give up everything for a family practice in Red Leaf.”
“It depends on your definition of everything,” Ethan had said quietly.
Connor had shown up with a paintbrush and Ethan’s mother had backed off, but he’d had a hunch the conversation wasn’t over.
“Ethan?” His mother’s voice floated down the hall.
And his hunch had been right. Ethan braced himself for round two.
His mother appeared in the doorway a moment later. “Have you seen your sister? I can’t find her anywhere.”
“No, but maybe she went into town. She wanted to talk to Mrs. Sweet about ordering cupcakes for the reception.”
“Cupcakes.” His mom’s nose wrinkled with distaste. “I don’t know why they’re so popular. Cupcakes are for children’s birthday parties, not weddings.”
“It’s what Hollis wants.” A phrase Ethan had repeated at least a dozen times over the past twenty-four hours. “She and Connor want to keep things simple.”
“Simple.” She sniffed.
“That doesn’t mean it won’t be special. The two don’t cancel each other out.” Quoting Mac made Ethan think about Mac.
And thinking about Mac made him want to see her again.
When was he going to see her again?
On the way home from church yesterday, Hollis had told him that Mac wanted to interview her before the next issue came out, but she hadn’t come over to the house.
Now that his mother had arrived, Mac probably assumed he didn’t need her help with the wedding anymore. But he needed her honest opinion. Her spunk.
Her smile.