Page 43 of Candy Cane Dreams
But he couldn't say those things. He didn't want to blur the line between employer and employee, renter and rent-ee, therapist and parent. He didn't want Kate to get in trouble either—not with the school—and he didn't want to throw any wrenches in her newfound relationship with the town.
"I thought the meeting last night went really well," he said as he opened the door for her to step in.
"I'm so glad Marjorie was able to be there. I still took copious notes, because I didn't want her to miss anything, but having her at the front was a really good idea. Gilbert made sure her water glass was filled up, and I noticed her kids pampering her every chance they got."
Kate sounded almost wistful, and it made him take a double take at her as he moved to go toward his candy counter.
"I can't figure out if you want children, or if you want to pamper your parents. But there was a longing in there somewhere."
Kate laughed but didn't answer him. She just lifted her shoulder and then turned to Lilly and sat down at the desk.
Interesting. He didn't just want to share about his life; he wanted Kate to tell him about hers.
He had a longing to know everything he could about her.
He didn't think too much more about it, though, as he tried to lose himself in the order that needed to be filled. He thought about bills and about whether or not he was even going to be able to keep the shop open, and about the conversation that he had with his brother over the weekend.
His brother had definitely been interested in purchasing his half of the farm, but he needed to get with his bankers and see if he was going to be able to swing that large of a purchase, and Jack couldn't do anything but tell him to take his time and get all of his ducks in a row. He didn't want Bryan to lose the farm because he was trying to bite off more than he could chew. Buthaving Bryan purchase his share of the farm would give him the capital he needed in order to expand the candy shop and make it profitable for him, and something that he could pass on to Lilly if she was interested in it.
When that time came.
"Jack! Jack!" Kate's voice interrupted his thoughts, and it took him about a half a second to realize that something major had happened.
"Jack, oh my goodness, Jack, you've got to see this!"
Kate nodded at Lilly, and Lilly went running over to him, waving the paper beside her.
"What's this?" he asked, and then he saw it. Lilly had written a sentence at the bottom of the picture. That was new and exciting. The breakthrough they'd been waiting for.
As she held the paper out to him, he almost fell over when she said, "Look, Daddy."
He blinked, blinked again, and his mouth fell open.
"What is it, baby?" he asked, his words coming out through his constricted throat. His daughter had spoken the first words since her mother's funeral. He wanted to grab her, hug her, tell her how happy and proud he was, but instead, he looked where she pointed and saw what she had written.
Mommy is happy in heaven.
Reading the words hit him again, and he struggled to breathe.
"Oh my goodness, Jack," Kate said, from beside him, her hand at her throat, looking like she was about to faint.
He met her eyes, his own sharing his excitement, before he bent down and put his arm around Lilly, lifting her up, and in his excitement, he put his other arm around Kate and drew them together in a hug.
"I can't believe it. You spoke!" He pulled back, looking into Lilly's eyes, which shone with happiness.
She nodded, smiling.
"Mommy is happy in heaven," he repeated.
She nodded again, and then he pulled her and Kate even tighter against him. "You did it. She spoke." He looked down into Kate's eyes, his own he knew were glistening with tears. "You're amazing." Then he looked back at his daughter. "I love you. I'm so, so happy you spoke to me."
"I'm not sad anymore," Lilly said, smiling. And then she looked at Kate. "I love Miss Kate."
It was on the tip of his tongue to say "me too," but he stopped himself in time. Did he love her? It wasn't a question he was going to consider right now. Right now, his daughter had spoken for the first time in years, and he wanted to savor this moment.
"She's been so good to us and has spent so much time with you." He wanted to go on, but he knew he was babbling.
Lilly smiled. "God brought Miss Kate to me. I asked Him."
