Page 41 of A Very Barrie Christmas
He held her gaze for a moment, marveling at her depth of compassion. She looked so earnest, so sincere. So did Frank and Beverly. They each wore an expression that mirrored how he’d felt mere hours earlier—helpless yet desperate to do something. “Maybe there is.”
“Anything,” Juliet said so quickly, he couldn’t help but smile. He knew she meant the offer.
“Can we sit? I have something important to share with you all.”
“Of course! I’ll make some tea.” In her gentle, motherly way, Beverly shooed them into the sitting room while she set the kettle on the stove.
A few minutes later, they’d all settled around the fireplace with warm mugs of orange-cinnamon tea in hand. Except for Frank. He seemed mystified by the entire concept of tea, bordering on personally affronted.
Nate sipped the sweet amber liquid, mentally capturing the scene before him. Frank, Beverly, and Juliet—three people he’d known for such a short time but who’d already become like family. The potted Christmas tree by the bay window cast a rainbow glow across their features, lending his mental image a magical effect.
A week ago, he never could’ve predicted this particular turn of events. He almost couldn’t believe how drastically his life had changed.
“What’s on your mind?” Juliet asked softly, cradling her tea beside him on the couch.
From their perch on the matching armchairs by the fireplace, Frank and Beverly fixed him with expressions of interest and something deeper, something close to parental care and regard, bordering on tenderness. The realization soothed a splintered fissure of his heart left ragged and razor-sharp for years. A lifetime, even.
Nate took another sip, then set the teacup back on its saucer on the coffee table. “When Susan told me about Dozer, I took the news pretty hard.”
Juliet reached for his hand, and he gratefully accepted her offer of comfort. “I felt like I’d let Dozer down. That if I’d done more to help him, he never would’ve reached for the bottle again, that the accident never would’ve happened.” Nate’s throat strained as he swallowed. “True or not, the thought dragged me back into the darkest corners of my mind, the places I swore I’d never revisit. I don’t know how long I would’ve sat on the cold ground, or what I would’ve done, if Vick hadn’t found me.”
A fresh wave of gratitude surged in his chest, tightening his throat another notch. “We talked about how hard it is for vets to come home, the struggle to reassimilate, to find a new sense of purpose. Vick shared how working with you changed his life.” He met Frank’s gaze. The man’s features remained unreadable, but his eyes—steel gray and stormy—glinted with emotion.
“I started thinking about Luke’s job offer and what it would mean for my life.” He squeezed Juliet’s hand, offering her unspoken assurances. He hadn’t told her his final decision yet, and he prayed she would understand.
She squeezed back, as if offering her own reassurance in return.
“We realized we both were given an opportunity many vets never receive—a chance to start over with a solid support system in place. And we wondered what it would look like to help more vets get a similar second chance.”
“And did you think of something?” Beverly leaned forward, the teacup in her lap long forgotten.
“We did.” Nate traced his thumb in a circle over the back of Juliet’s hand as he met her gaze again. Her dark eyes locked with his, warm and soft, waiting for him to continue with an opennessand acceptance that renewed his resolve. “We’re calling it the SP Project. The acronym stands for Soldier’s Promise.”
A spark of surprise flickered in Juliet’s eyes, then tears welled as she made the connection between the name they’d chosen and the title of her novel, just like he’d hoped she would.
“We plan to run a trade school program here in Poppy Creek. For three to six months, depending on the time needed, a vet will live in town and learn a new trade. They’ll not only receive valuable training, gaining skills that will help transition them into a new career, but they’ll be brought into the community, too. Luke already agreed to be the beta test. And Cassie said she could offer business management training and thinks Eliza would agree to a baking apprenticeship. She also plans to bring up the proposal at the next town hall meeting to see who else is interested in participating.” Nate’s heart warmed at how readily Luke and Cassie jumped on board the idea, wanting to help in whatever way possible. Cassie even suggested her friend Kat might be willing to host a vet at the inn she owns during the program. Although it was a generous offer, Nate would feel better if he could raise donations to supplement the cost.
“We obviously have a lot of details to sort out,” he added. “But we’re hopeful. Turns out, Vick has been thinking about this for a while. Frank, he’d even planned to ask you if he could set something up at the roastery.”
Frank’s eyes widened at the news, but Nate still couldn’t tell what he thought of the idea. Nate cleared his throat. “Vick wanted to hold off until he had more of the details figured out. His concept really caught fire as we talked and were able to bounce ideas off each other. Then, with Luke and Cassie involved, more of the pieces fell into place.” Nate’s pulse quickened as he recalled the spirited exchange of ideas, everyone’s excitement growing as the plan took shape.
“We thought Susan could make nominations for participants from the shelter when she thinks someone is ready for the program. Then there’s the legwork necessary to get them set up with a job once they complete their training, but we have time to flesh out the specifics.” More than anything, he wanted Dozer to be the first trainee. He needed to believe his friend would recover, that this wasn’t the end. “Vick and I will iron out the wrinkles over the next several weeks and hopefully have a streamlined proposal early next year.” Nate paused to gather a breath. He’d been talking for several minutes straight. Had his heart been pounding this loudly the entire time?
Reeling with adrenaline and nervous energy, he glanced around the room, realizing how desperately he desired their approval. His throat suddenly dry, he asked, “So, what do you think?”
“I think it’s a lovely idea.” Beverly beamed like a chuffed mama hen, her palm pressed to her chest as if her heart might burst.
Although pleased by her reaction, Nate wouldn’t celebrate just yet. He looked at Juliet, his blood pumping overtime. He needed her to know how much she’d inspired him. “Something you said in your novel really stuck with me. About how your character found God’s love reflected in the kindness of others, like the brightest star in the sky guiding him to where he belonged.”
A tearful smile spread across her face. “You remembered?”
“I’ll never forget.” He returned her smile, warmth washing over him. “We have this expression in the service: no man left behind. It’s a promise to live by. But being here, meeting you, taught me that promise extends beyond the military. We should all be there for one another, doing life together, supporting each other in every way we can. We’re stronger when we’re in community. And I’ve seen that truth lived out, here, in PoppyCreek.” He wanted to tell her he planned to stay and that he’d do whatever it took to make things work between them. But before he had a chance, she leaned forward and kissed him, oblivious to their audience.
When their lips parted, she was still smiling through her tears. “I love this idea, Nate. Almost as much as I love you.”
Her words crashed into him like a cleansing wave, chipping away at every whispered self-doubt telling him he wasn’t worthy of love. His eyes burned white-hot. With a sharp breath, he closed them, pressing his forehead to hers. “I love you, too, Jules.” His heart ached with happiness as he tilted her chin, bringing her lips to his once more.
A throat cleared, yanking his attention to their lack of privacy.
