Page 45 of A Bright Winter Season

“But everything’s not fine.” Hazel’s voice shook as she blinked back her tears. “After all that happened and Terrence was checking Jacob’s work, Jacob and I were eating tater tots in the kitchen together, and he told me—” Hazel took a deep breath, seeming as though she was pausing in her words because she was trying not to cry.

“What?” Alexis squeezed her hand. “What did he say?” Her heart twisted in worry, concerned that Jacob had started talking about having an interest in another woman.

“He’s single,” Hazel said, and burst into tears.

Alexis shared a bewildered look with Grayson before wrapping her sister in her arms. “Honey, why—what—why is that a bad thing?”

“Because!” Hazel covered her face with her hands. “Now I can’t act normal around him anymore and it ruins everything!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Jacob stood in front of his bathroom mirror, combing his rich brown hair. He smoothed his hand over his beard, noting that it wasn’t as neatly trimmed as it usually was. He had been so busy the past few weeks, he hadn’t had any time to go to a barber.

He sighed, leaving the bathroom and going into his bedroom. Through his window, he could see that a light falling of snow had begun. The day before had been icy cold, and he made a mental note that he should put on an extra layer of warmth before going outside.

He began to rummage around in his closet, looking for a sweater big enough to fit over the one he was already wearing. He had the day off from work, so instead of his usual dirty work clothes, he was wearing nice jeans and a cashmere sweater his grandmother had given him for Christmas the year before. He’d only ever worn it once before, to a funeral.

This one looks pretty good, he thought, pulling a thick knit sweater out of his closet.No, never mind, it’s got a hole in the elbow.

He grimaced, wishing he was more put-together. He wanted to be sophisticated and polished enough to be able to win over Hazel’s admiration.

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her ever since their conversation at The Lighthouse Grill a few days before. He hadn’t understood her abrupt change of subject and hasty exit, but he couldn’t help feeling that it equated to a rejection of his interest.

I guess I was right all these years,he thought.She isn’t the kind of person who would be interested in a guy like me. She deserves someone more impressive.

He felt a heavy feeling in his chest, and then he shook himself. There was no point in getting down in the dumps about it until he’d at least talked to her more. She hadn’t expressly told him that she wasn’t interested, maybe she’d just been surprised and felt awkward. It was possible that after she’d given the matter more thought, she might consider him.

He stood in the middle of his bedroom, lost in thought for a few moments as he wondered if she would ever consider him romantically. He felt a surge of nervousness at the thought of going to talk with her about it, but he decided that was what he needed to do.

He left his bedroom and went into the kitchen, where he hurriedly finished his cup of morning coffee, which had grown cold. He bundled into his hat and coat and a pair of working gloves and left his house.

The snow tumbled down whimsically from the sky, kissing his face as he started to walk toward the doctor’s office where Hazel worked. It wasn’t far from his place, and he felt restless, so despite the cold he wanted to make the journey on foot.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the doctor’s office. On his walk, he’d prepared a kind of short speech to give her, but as soon as he stepped through the doors into the warm lobby of the building, all those words flew out of his mind.

He looked around, checking for Hazel. Another woman was sitting at the reception desk, typing away rapidly at a computer. She glanced up a moment later.

“Hi, can I help you?” Her tone has the overly-bright quality of customer service, but her eyes met his with sincere kindness.

“Is Hazel Owens here?”

“Nope, not today. Do you want me to leave her a message for you?”

“No, that’s all right. I have her phone number, I just thought I’d drop in and say hi since I was passing by.”

The woman’s expression became cheerfully suspicious, and Jacob wanted to kick himself. She looked like the type of talkative person who might start suggesting to other people that he was interested in Hazel. He didn’t want the whole town hoping for a relationship between the two of them if she was about to turn him down.

“Have a nice day,” he said, smiling, and turned and left the doctor’s office in a hurry.

As he stepped back outside into the cold, he decided to go to the pub next. If she wasn’t there, then he would text her and ask her if she wanted to meet up for coffee sometime.

But he hoped that she was at the pub. Because he was worried that if he asked her to get coffee with him, she was going to turn him down.

He made his way along the snowy sidewalks of Rosewood Beach toward The Lighthouse Grill. As he walked, he mulled over what he might say to Hazel, but he wasn’t sure if his planned speeches were a good idea or not. He didn’t know how much he should tell her. Should he express to her what he thought of her, and how much he admired her? Or should he keep things more casual, so that she didn’t become too overwhelmed?

He reached the pub, and to his surprise, he saw a “Closed” sign in the window. He frowned, confused, since the pub was never closed during the day on Mondays. He stood in front of the glass doors and peered inside.

Hazel was there, moving around the dining room, apparently in the process of hanging picture frames on the walls. He grinned when he saw her. Despite the way he felt jittery and unsure of himself, he was happy to see her.

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