Lily stopped and looked down the main street towards the hotel. After spending so many years in the hustle and bustle of Toronto, Bassville was positively quiet. There was a small main street and although it was very pretty with tended flower gardens lining the sidewalks, there was barely anybody around. There was a crowd of vehicles parked outside Beth’s café and the few shops next to her, and there were a couple of trucks parked at the hotel, but she suspected they belonged to the regulars that were drinking at the bar. Every once in a while someone drove down the street, but Charmaine’s vehicle was the only one parked outside the grocery store.
She didn’t know what to do. It didn’t seem as though there was much work around. Charmaine said last year, when the movie was being filmed, here the town was buzzing – but since then things had died back down to normal. She hadn’t checked of course, but there didn’t seem to be anything available except at the Cat Whiskers and Lily knew she couldn’t work there, at least not until her morning sickness subsided. And because of the morning sickness, asking about a job at the bar didn’t seem like a good idea either – she didn’t want to be throwing up on customers. But from the look of things, the other shops just weren’t hiring.
She stood in the middle of the sidewalk in contemplation. She sighed. Maybe coming to Bassville hadn’t been the best idea. Maybe she’d have better luck in Calgary.
The wind had died down and the sun was shining. At least it was a nice day. She turned her face up towards the sun and let it soak into her skin. It seemed like ages since she’d been able to enjoy the luxury of just standing still and savouring the moment.
“You coming?” Charmaine called out the window of the minivan.
Lily laughed. This obviously wasn’t that moment either. She jumped in and Charmaine drove down to the post office.
“I have to pick up the mail anyway,” she said.
Lily just nodded and looked out the window. The kids were talking excitedly about what movie they were going to watch. All three of them had a different one they wanted to see. Lily didn’t know how they would ever agree on the same one.
“I’ll just be a moment kids,” Charmaine hopped out of the minivan and made a dash to the post office, obviously needing time away from the escalating chaos in the back seat. She stopped before she got to door of the post office and called to Lily, “Come look.”
Lily unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the minivan. She could hear the kids scramble out behind her.
“Here it is,” Charmaine pointed at the large public notice board in front of the post office when Lily joined her. It wasn’t very full.
“There’s not many notices,” Lily said, stating the obvious. She remembered a time when papers overlapped each other so much it was a struggle to read what they said. Now she could count what was there on one hand. There was a notice about a lost cat, kittens for sale, an advert for Tupperware (she noticed Tricia was selling that too); a flyer about the rodeo that was two weeks ago; and a house for rent. “At least I can call about the house.”
“Look Mommy, a kitten,” Charmaine’s youngest daughter, Sarah, pointed at the picture of kittens for sale.
“Yes honey, you’re right, kittens, but you have kittens in the barn at home. We don’t need any more right now.”
“But Mommm,” Sarah whined and looked at her mother with pleading eyes.
“Look over there, sweetie, would you like to play on the swings?” Lily bent down to the four-year-old’s level and pointed to the playground across the street. “I’ll take them to the swings while you get you mail, if you like.” she said to Charmaine.
Relief washed over her friend’s face.
“Oh you’re a Godsend. Thank you Lily.” Charmaine dashed into the post office as though she was afraid Lily would change her mind.
“Come on kids. Look both ways,” she warned before they ran across the street. There was no one coming of course, but better safe than sorry.
Lily was pushing Sarah and her older brother Wyatt on the swings while keeping an eye on Cody, the youngest, when she noticed someone coming out of the bar and getting in their truck. The air closed in around her and it suddenly felt like there was a brick in the bottom of her stomach, along with a million butterflies just taking off in flight. Wade Copeland: the hottest guy in town. That he was coming from the bar should come as no surprise, he was always the bad boy at school, she just thought he would have grown up. Apparently he was now the town drunk instead.
“Aunt Lily, look at me!”
Lily wrenched herself from the eye candy down the street and turned to see Wyatt standing on top of the slide. She hadn’t even noticed he’d jumped off the swing, she’d stopped pushing when Wade caught her eye. “Honey, I think you should sit down now please.”
“But look what I can do; watch me!” Wyatt wobbled and her heart caught in her throat. She stood paralyzed as he slid down the slide on his feet. “See? Want me to do it again?”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat and shook her head. “That was a great trick, sweetie, would you like me to push you on the swing now?”
Wade grabbed his hat and shoved it on his head. He was well sick of this place. Spilled beer and roasted nuts obscured the aroma of the roast beef the hotel was serving for lunch and it was giving him a headache. Besides, it was time he got back to work. He cursed Mark for only sending him a text just now. He could have saved himself a trip into town, let alone an overcooked lunch, if he’d known his lawyer couldn’t make the meeting. He’d call him tonight and go over the papers then. He wanted to get that piece of dirt next to him. It’d fit onto his ranch perfectly.
He shrugged into his sheepskin jacket and pulled the collar up before pulling the heavy door of the hotel bar open. The sunlight bounced off the remnants of the dirty snow into his eyes. He tugged his hat lower, wishing he hadn’t left his shades in the truck. His breath steamed up around him but the sun warmed his face. It was supposed to be spring for God’s sake but as usual, winter was reluctant to release her grip.
Today was a balmy ten below zero. Downright tropical compared to last week when the blizzard had blown through. He was sick of winter. Its only redeeming feature was Christmas and that was long gone, although some residents still had their lights up. He’d even spotted a Christmas tree in a front window on the way to the bar this morning. Some people were just way too enthusiastic about the festive season. It wasn’t normal.
He headed over to his truck and pulled the keys from the ignition, no one locked their vehicle in Bassville, and walked down the street to the post office. He might as well pick up the mail while he was here.
Charmaine Jacobson’s truck was parked out front. He needed to talk to her husband Bradley about the PTO on his tractor. Bradley was the best mechanic around. Maybe this morning wouldn’t be a complete write-off after all.
“Aunt Lily, look at me!” Charmaine’s youngest, Cody, yelled from the small park across the street.
Wade stopped in his tracks. Aunt Lily? He slowly turned around to look. He wasn’t quite sure what he was hoping to see. A different Lily perhaps? But fate wasn’t that nice. No, it was Lily Montgomery. Damn, and she looked good.
His feet moved on their own accord and crossed the road. He stopped too close to her. He could smell her sandalwood perfume and it hit him in the gut. She shouldn’t smell the same after all these years. Longing rocked his body before he could take a step back.
“Having trouble with the kids, Lily?” he drawled.
She looked up at him in shock. It