15. Jared

15

JARED

A few days later, Jared stood on the edge of the woods behind Timber Run, watching the water gurgle over the smooth stones in the creek, and catching his breath.

He'd been hiking in the snowy woods all day, but his body was still coiled with a restless energy that he couldn't seem to burn off with exercise and fresh air. Deep down, he knew that instead of searching the woods for answers he should be searching his heart.

Spending the day with Cora and Sylvester at the Hometown Holiday celebration had been magical. He had loved every moment of being by Cora's side. And seeing Sylvester experience the joy of the event brought back his own treasured memories of childhood wonder. The two of them had found something in him he had never known was lost.

Being with them felt right.

And he liked the way people looked at them together— first with surprise, and then with smiles that felt a little like his own happiness was being echoed back to him.

Jared had never thought of himself as a family man, but maybe he was wrong…

"You done tramping around in the woods?" his dad's voice carried to him through the frosty air.

"Hey, Dad," he said, striding forward.

"I heard you had a good time in town over the weekend," Dad said, smiling.

"I did," Jared told him, stopping awkwardly before the next thought came bounding out of his mouth.

The woods were quiet for a moment, with only the sound of the water and the faraway cry of a dove to fill the space between the two men.

"It's easier to think out here," Dad said after a moment, moving to stand beside Jared so he could gaze into creek with him. "Easier to talk too, for me, at least."

Suddenly Jared was back standing by another wooded part of the creek, beside a different man.

"I know you and your grandpa shared a bond that was very special," Dad went on, as if he had read Jared's mind. "I'm not trying to intrude on that. I just want you to know I'm here."

"I've always known that, Dad," Jared said, turning to him. "Grandpa Henry's not the only one I ever came to for advice."

"You're a good boy," Dad said, smiling. "It made me happy whenever you spent time with your grandpa. I wish he could be here for you still."

"Me too," Jared said, his eyes skating back to the creek as he tried not to think about sitting around the fishing hole with Grandpa Henry.

"If you want my advice though, it's freely given," Dad offered.

"Of course," Jared said. "I mean, I'm sure you and the rest of the world has guessed what's going on with Cora Davies and me."

"You have feelings for her," Dad said.

"I do," Jared said, realizing immediately how good it felt to hear the words spoken out loud. "I have feelings for her, but I'm not sure how she feels about me. I think I've managed to get her past the terrible first impression I made, but she probably still thinks I'm impulsive and no good for her son. And then there's the fact that I think she still loves her husband."

"She'll always love him," Dad said quietly. "If that makes you feel uncomfortable…"

"It doesn't," Jared told him. "Of course not. He was her husband and he's Sylvester's father. It's only that I'm afraid she won't want anyone else in her life. Especially not me."

"Why not you?" Dad asked.

"From what I can tell, I'm really different from him," Jared said. It was funny how the thought lost a fraction of its power when he said it out loud. "He was quiet, thoughtful, steady."

"You're definitely not quiet," Dad chuckled. "But what makes you think you're not thoughtful or steady?"

Jared turned to his father in surprise.

"I know you kids tend to compare yourselves to each other," Dad went on. "But Kellan doesn't corner the market on being steady, you know. You've seen to the same fields all your life, sowing, reaping, threshing, working the harvest with all your heart, through good years and lean."

Jared nodded, his heart aching at the pride in his father's voice.

"And Lucy's as sweet as they come," Dad went on. "But she's certainly not the only one of my children to be thoughtful. You're the one who took it upon yourself to shovel the steps and clean off the cars every time it snowed starting when you were, what, twelve years old?"

Jared smiled, remembering how excited he had been to see his parents going out to clean the walk and finding that it was already done. It still felt a little magical to him, even a hundred snowfalls later.

"No one ever asked you to do that, Jared," Dad said quietly. "It was in your heart to want to help—just like you've taken on that young woman's house, fixing things up for her, and what you've done for Jim Allen and his boy. It's in your heart to be kind and thoughtful. She can see that."

"Thanks, Dad," Jared said. "I guess you know me better than I know myself."

"I see you. That's all," Dad said, his voice serious. "It's a father's job to see his kids just as they are. And it's why I think you should walk with me right now."

"Okay," Jared said.

He expected his father to lead him back up into the woods and show him the beauty of the sunset they had watched so many times, or a bird's nest, or a fox's den. Simon Webb loved nature and he found his solace there, just as Jared did.

But instead, Dad headed straight for the house, his pace so quick it almost felt urgent.

Jared followed, more and more curious by the moment.

When they got to the house, Dad led him up to the main bedroom, and Jared entered with him.

His parents still had the same deep green curtains and bedding in their room that they'd had when he was little, and a hint of the spice of Dad's aftershave hung in the air. He remembered coming in here and crawling under the comforter with them, recounting a bad dream, or the thing that happened at school that was keeping him up at night, so they could help him make things right.

"So," Dad said, pulling something out of his bedside table. "Your Grandpa Henry gave this to me before he passed. He told me you might need it one day, and if you did, I was to give it to you without delay."

Jared stepped closer, already knowing what he was going to see.

Sure enough, his grandmother's engagement ring twinkled in a small wooden box. The stone was the tiniest chip of a diamond, all his grandfather could afford at the time when he proposed. But the band was beautifully carved in intricate swirls, and Jared knew there was a tiny inscription on the inside that said Forever My Love.

"You might not be ready yet," Dad said softly holding out the box. "But when you are, it's yours."

Every instinct told him to snatch the box from his father's hand and run right over to Cora's house to slide it on her finger. But he held back.

"Isn't it a little soon for me to be thinking about a ring?" he asked. "I don't even know if she wants to go on a date."

"I don't know," his father said, his eyes twinkling. "What does your heart tell you?"

"It tells me that I'm hers and she's mine," Jared admitted.

His father nodded.

"But my head reminds me that I'm impulsive," Jared said, sighing. "Maybe I should be more careful when it comes to something so… important."

"Careful in your eyes or in hers?" his father asked.

"What do you mean?" Jared asked.

"I mean are you thinking you should hold back because of your own doubts, or because of what she'll think?" Dad asked. "And I don't just mean about a proposal, which would be a big step, but about asking her what your relationship means to her and whether she would be open to seeing you as more than a friend."

"Hers," Jared realized out loud. "I'm already sure."

"That's a good thing to know, isn't it?" Dad asked, wrapping an arm around Jared's shoulder as they both looked down at the pretty little ring.

"I'm going to talk to her," Jared said, nodding. "I'm not going to wait any more."

"That's my boy," Dad said, pressing the little box into Jared's palm. "At times, some might call you impulsive, but I've always admired a person who can leap to act on their convictions. "

"Thanks, Dad," Jared said, giving him a quick squeeze and heading for the door. "You give good advice."

"Whatever you ask her, I hope she says yes," Dad called after him.

Jared's heart was light as he headed out of Timber Run, following the winding road toward town. Cora wouldn't be home for another hour or so, but he could go to the hardware store and buy everything he would need to install a gate in her fence. That would at least give him a task to occupy his thoughts, so he didn't drive himself crazy while he was waiting.