Page 10 of Soldier’s Christmas Crush (Trinity Falls: Home for Christmas #4)

WILLOW

W illow spent the day Friday organizing her apartment, and baking her famous chocolate chip cookies.

She honestly hadn’t made them since high school and she was a little worried that she might have lost her touch, or that the oven in the apartment might require adjustments to the temperature or the timing.

But happily, they came out golden and gooey, just the way everyone had always loved them.

Maybe I’ll stop by and surprise Ransom tonight, she thought to herself. He could never be unhappy to see me when I have a nice plate of cookies.

She put the idea on hold though, and headed out to do a little shopping. Downtown Trinity Falls was so much fun at this time of year, and wherever she went she saw familiar faces.

There were gorgeous apples in the bins at the Co-op Grocer, so she bought a bag along with the rest of her groceries. When she got back home and had everything unpacked, she washed them off, cut them up, put them in a nice bowl, then headed downstairs to Carla’s Place for a little company.

For once, no one was puttering around the kitchen, so she kept going into the living room space.

A couple of the ladies sat on the sofas and chairs, crocheting, reading, and chatting.

Joe Cassidy and Reggie Webb had taken spots at the little table by the window with the chess board in front of them, gossiping like a pair of hens about Quinn Allen, who was running Wilson’s tree farm this year, and engaged to the owner’s son, Beau.

“Hello, Willow,” Mrs. Lennox said, looking up from the sweater she was making. “How are you today?”

“Great, Mrs. Lennox,” she replied. “These apples looked too good to pass up at the Co-op, so I bought a bag.”

“Isn’t that lovely?” Mrs. Lennox replied as Willow set the bowl on the coffee table and curled up in one of the easy chairs. “It’s a shame you missed honey crisp season.”

“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Ying said, nodding. “Those are the very best apples.”

The honey crisp apples at Cassidy Farm lived up to their name—so crisp and juicy, with a delicate flavor that made her mouth water just thinking about it.

“Well, I’ll be here for them next year,” Willow said.

“I’ll bring you over a bushel, young lady,” Joe declared, winking at her.

That won him smiles and happy remarks from the gathering .

“What are you up to today, Willow?” Mrs. Lennox asked.

“I helped yesterday with setup for the big event at the new open-air market,” she said. “But today, there’s a crew of volunteers doing decorations. So I was thinking of going over to my brother’s place with a batch of cookies.”

“Lucky brother,” Reggie declared. “Now is it true that he’s seeing someone?—”

“Easy, Reggie,” Joe said, cutting his friend off. “Let her get settled in before you start whispering to her about her family. He means well, Willow, I promise.”

“Of course he does,” Willow said, smiling at the other gentleman and tucking away his interesting gossip to think about later.

“Your brother lives right down the lane from Ron and Judy Webb, doesn’t he?” Mrs. Lennox asked.

“He sure does,” Willow replied, trying not to blush at the mention of Jensen’s parents.

What has gotten into me?

“I see,” Mrs. Lennox said, looking a little shy for a moment. “I was wanting to visit with Judy tonight, but I feel so bad whenever she has to come all this way to pick me up.”

“Why don’t I drop you off on my way?” Willow offered immediately.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to be any burden,” Mrs. Lennox said.

“It’s no bother,” Willow told her. “It really is on my way.”

“Thank you, dear,” Mrs. Lennox said, lighting up .

“It will be nice to go on a little road trip together,” Willow said with a smile.

“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Lennox said, her face brightening up. “A girls trip.”

It wasn’t even a fifteen-minute drive, but compared to Mrs. Lennox’s usual walking commute across the apartment parking lot and through the little alley to the kitchen door of Carla’s Place, Willow realized it certainly might feel like an occasion.

“Shall we head over at four?” she offered.

“Perfect,” Mrs. Lennox said. “I’ll meet you out front.”

And sure enough, when Willow came back down at four on the dot, Mrs. Lennox was waiting for her with a big smile on her face.

“Can I hold that for you?” she asked, indicating the plate of cookies Willow was carrying.

“Yes, thanks so much,” Willow said.

Mrs. Lennox took the cookies, and the two of them hopped into the station wagon.

“Isn’t this lovely?” Mrs. Lennox said as Willow started the engine. “You don’t see a nice big front seat like this anymore.”

“I guess not,” Willow agreed, seeing her mom’s old car through someone else’s eyes for a moment. “I always loved this thing. We took a lot of road trips in here. You’d be amazed at how much stuff you can fit in it.”

As they pulled out, Mrs. Lennox told her all about her late husband’s old van and how they used to volunteer for the Co-op, driving out to pick up grain and other supplies back when the place really operated cooperatively.

Willow remembered her grandfather telling her something similar about driving to Philadelphia to pick up spices and other items. They chatted happily all the way out to farm country, and down the lane to the Webbs’ driveway.

“Goodness, I could talk to you all day,” Mrs. Lennox said, placing a hand on Willow’s arm when they had arrived.

A knock on the driver’s side window made Willow jump. She looked over and saw that it was only Judy Webb, Jensen’s mom.

“Hi,” Willow said, rolling down the window.

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” Judy said with a big smile. “I was just so glad to see you. It’s been forever. How are you, sweetheart?”

“I’m glad to be home,” Willow told her. “It’s so nice to see you, too.”

“Listen, I know you’re just dropping off my friend,” Judy said. “But Jensen is here, and I know he’d love to see you as well. So would Ron, and of course little Henry. We’ve got a big roast in the oven. Why don’t you come on in for a bit?”

Willow’s mouth was already watering at the mention of that roast. Judy and Ron loved to cook, and it was sure to be a wonderful meal.

“She’d love to,” Mrs. Lennox announced, handing Willow the cookie plate and hopping out of the car before Willow could even reply.

“Yes, thank you,” Willow said. “I might just stay a few minutes though. I really should stop by my brother’s place.”

“That’s my girl,” Judy told her, patting her cheek. “ Why don’t you head on out back to see Jensen first? I know he’ll chop more wood for me if he’s got company.”

Willow’s stomach twisted at the thought that maybe her crush on Jensen had been so obvious back in school that Judy would send her straight to Jensen.

Does this mean she approves?

“Okay,” she said, eager to get away as she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment.

Ron and Judy’s house was an enormous cedar shake colonial with light blue shutters.

Willow had trooped all the way around it before she realized she was still clutching the plate with the cookies in her hands.

She had been so distracted by her chat with Judy that she hadn’t thought to put it down in the passenger seat after Mrs. Lennox got out, like she meant to.

“Willow,” a familiar deep voice called out to her.

Jensen stood by the woodpile, axe in hand. He looked larger than life, his wide shoulders straining at the flannel he wore, his gray eyes fixed on her.

“Hi,” she said, stopping in her tracks like her feet knew that if she went any closer he would realize she was staring.

“Come on over,” he said, gesturing to the logs they had used as benches around the old fire pit forever. “Keep me company.”

She hesitated, and he turned back to his task, placing another piece of wood on the old stump. With a flash of the axe and a sharp crack, the wood split and the pieces thumped onto the ground.

Don’t be weird, Willow told herself sternly. You’ve been out here a million times while he and Ransom were chopping wood.

She picked her way down the slight hill, boots crunching in the snow, and seated herself on one of the logs.

Jensen looked up from his work and grinned at her.

“What’s that?” he asked, looking at the plate in her hands. “Please tell me it’s those cookies you used to make.”

“You remember them?” she asked, surprised.

“Of course I remember,” he said. “I still dream about those things.”

She couldn’t help laughing at that. Pies, chocolate cupcakes, and now cookies… Did they have any memories not based around desserts?

“Well, come have some when you’re ready for a break,” she told him, figuring that she could always make more for Ransom another time.

And I’ll go straight to his house next time. No stops.

Jensen left the axe sticking into the big log he’d been chopping on and came to sit beside her.

Instantly, she felt like he was too close. She could practically feel the warmth pouring off him and taste the spicy forest of his aftershave on the air.

“ Hey, kids ,” Judy called out as she came down the hill. “ Someone wanted to come see Willow. ”

Willow turned to see Henry on Judy’s hip. The toddler clung to his grandma like he was feeling shy, but his gray eyes lit up with interest as soon as they landed on Willow.

“Hi, Henry,” Willow said, remembering to keep her voice calm and even. She was super excited to see him, but she didn’t want to scare the little guy.

He didn’t reply, but his little mouth turned up in a smile.

“Hey, buddy,” Jensen said, gray eyes crinkling as he smiled at his boy.

Henry immediately tried to swim out of his grandmother’s arms to go to his daddy.

“Okay, okay,” Judy laughed. “I get the message.”

She lowered him gently to the ground and he darted over, passing Willow to get to Jensen.

“Just for a minute, Henry,” Judy said. “Daddy’s supposed to be chopping wood for me right now.”

“I was just taking a quick break, Ma,” Jensen said as he swept Henry up in his arms. “Are you going to chop some wood for me, buddy?”

Henry laughed, the bright sound like bells in the cold, still air.

“Okay, Henry,” Judy said. “You said your hellos. But I need your help setting the table.”

“Your favorite job,” Jensen said.

“No,” Henry wailed, snuggling his little face into the crook of Jensen’s neck.

“I could watch him down here if he wants to stay for a bit,” Willow offered. “If you think he would sit with me.”

“Do you want to sit with Willow while I chop some more wood?” Jensen asked.

Henry stayed snuggled into his daddy’s neck.

“Or do you want to go with Grandma?”

The little head shook right where it was .

“Okay, let’s go see Willow,” Jensen said, coming back to sit beside her again on the log.

“ Knock, knock ,” Willow said softly.

The little face peeked out at her curiously.

“Who’s there?” she asked.

Henry started wiggling, and Jensen let him slide to the ground. He stayed right by his daddy, but he was gazing at Willow, his eyes wide like he wasn’t sure, but willing to play along if there was a chance that she was about to be silly.

“ Justin ,” she said.

Henry took one step closer, eyes bright with anticipation.

“Justin who?” Judy asked.

“ Justin time for dinner,” Willow replied.

“That’s a good one,” Judy chuckled.

When she looked over to Jensen’s mom, Willow felt something touch her knee. She turned back to see that Henry had let go of his dad’s legs and moved to hers. His little hand was on her knee and his eyes were sparkling like he couldn’t wait for her to do another one.

“ Knock, knock ,” she said again.

This time she waited. Henry didn’t answer, but he tapped her knee with his little hand in excitement.

“Who’s there?” Jensen asked.

“Wooden shoe,” she replied.

“Wooden shoe who?” he asked.

“ Wooden shoe like to hear another joke?” she asked.

Jensen groaned and Judy chuckled.

Willow kept her eyes on Henry, who smiled at her and made a little squeaking sound .

“You would like another joke?” she asked him.

He nodded his head up and down hard.

“Okay,” she said. “Let me think of another one.”

“Looks like you all are just fine for a bit,” Judy said softly. “Just bring him back up to me anytime.”

“Thanks, Ma,” Jensen said, getting up. “Guess I’d better get back to work then.”

“Knock, knock,” Willow said softly to Henry.

But instead of smiling at her, he put his arms up.

“Oh, did you want to sit in my lap?” she asked him, her heart melting.

“ Up ,” he agreed.

“Okay, I’m going to lift you up,” she told him, holding out her hands.

He didn’t seem at all bothered, so she scooped him up and sat him right in her lap.

He smiled his buttoned-lipped smile again, showing off his little dimples, and she couldn’t help smiling back.

Movement over his shoulder caught her eye. Jensen had lowered the axe and was gazing over at them with the funniest expression on his handsome face.