The Wedding Slipper

By J. Kimalie

Jacqueline was finally ready to travel to the Pacific Northwest to settle the last of her family affairs two years after a horrendous tragedy. She never expected to find a disturbingly handsome neighbor, a caring community who would be a balm to her grieving soul, or a prizewinning orchid and clues to a secret romance.  

 

After years serving his country, Garrett was pouring his time and energy into expanding his equine rehabilitation ranch and search and rescue duties. He never expected the distraction of a beautiful stranger or that he might become the person in need of rescue.  

 

Romance, drama, and humor are woven together in a story that captures the reader, quickens the pulse, and stirs the heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. Kimalie
• Release date: Apr 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201521004

Book preview

Chapter 1

Jacq’s spirit plummeted as the Seattle-bound flight lifted off the runway. Business awaited before the chapter could be closed on what had been, by far, the worst season of Jacq’s life. The gravity of the task ahead seemed oppressive. Jacq knew that, despite a depleted emotional reserve, no peace would come until Aunt Rose’s estate was settled.

Jacq’s thoughts were interrupted by the tall, attractive, flight attendant offering a drink and snack. No, not just offering refreshment, but to her astonishment flirting in a not too subtle way and proposing a bit more in an unspoken offer with a hitch of his left brow. Jacq’s aisle mate, an older woman whose warm smile and twinkle in her eyes was the perfect look to be cast as a grandmother in a soup commercial, leaned conspiratorially toward Jacq and whispered, Dear, he has been trying to get your attention for some time now. 

Jacq glanced up at the flight attendant, considering him for the first time. He smiled and then winked before turning to serve the opposite side of the aisle. The whole exchange felt disorienting to Jacq as her thoughts were snapped back to the present.

The older woman grinned with a slightly mischievous look on her softly wrinkled face that slowly disappeared as she looked deeply into Jacq’s green eyes. The woman clearly perceived not only Jacq’s befuddlement at the unexpected flirting that just ensued but also the pain and fatigue that seemed deeply etched around her eyes. The old woman’s amusement at the flight attendant’s cheeky behavior turned instantly to grandmotherly concern. The kindly septuagenarian leaned toward Jacq and simply said, Tell me, tell me what is burdening you. To Jacq’s utter surprise, she does.

Until this moment, with a perfect stranger, Jacq had spoken very little about the horrible car accident that took both her beloved parents and her sweet Aunt Rose two years ago.  Three vibrant lives snuffed out in one cursed moment. A fixed point in time that would irrevocably alter Jacq’s life and would forever be emblazoned in her psyche and branded onto her heart. Likewise, Jacq had not verbally shared with anyone the crushing grief and loneliness she had felt since that fateful day when her family did not return from an orchid show they had attended together in Connecticut. At times, the shock and grief over her incalculable loss had enveloped Jacq like a suffocating blanket. On other days, she had felt almost weightless, untethered, and adrift like a kite buffeted by the wind without the anchoring of her family.

As an only child, Jacq could not turn to consoling siblings for comfort or to reminisce over shared memories. Her father, Jackson, was an only child and Helen, her mother, had just one older sister, Aunt Rose. Aunt Rose, an independent and sensitive soul, married at one point, but never had children. As a result, Jacq had no cousins, a fact that she had never given much thought until she had no family at all. Lacking family support, she soldiered on, willing herself to get out of bed, go to work, and try her best to mimic what her life was like before – before that fateful day changed everything.

Loyal friends and colleagues had been there for Jacq as best they knew how, especially her closest friends—Beth, who she had known since college, and Christopher, the events manager at the uptown New York European-style boutique hotel that Jacq managed. Christopher had even offered to take two weeks of vacation and accompany Jacq to Seattle to help her empty out Aunt Rose’s house. Jacq declined the generous offer as she felt this was a personal journey she needed to undertake on her own.

Her friends’ overtures to comfort had at times been clumsy and awkward for both Jacq and for them, or at least she assumed it had been for them as it had for her. Because of that, she loved them even more for not abandoning her during the dark times when she turned inward. Jacq was aware that she had not had the energy or emotional reserve to participate in the normal give and take of a healthy friendship. Yet her friends had solidly remained there for her. Jacq resolved to do better from this point on and share with her friends just how much their unwavering love and support during this dreadful time had meant to her. But here and now, enroute to the Pacific Northwest, she found herself pouring out her story to a compassionate stranger. Until this cathartic moment, Jacq had been unable to share her feelings even with her closest friends, perhaps because her feelings were beyond words to convey.

Jacq shared with her attentive audience that her mother named her Jacqueline Rose Reed. Her first name in honor of her father, Jackson, and her middle name a tribute to her Aunt Rose. Her mother always joked that if her aunt would have named her, she would be known as Jacqueline Calypso Reed, her middle name after her aunt’s favorite orchid, the Calypso Fairy Slipper. For as long as she could remember, however, she was called Jacq. Jacqueline was not a tomboy by any stretch of the imagination, but the strong, straightforward name of Jacq seemed to fit her despite her purely feminine features and thick auburn hair.  As an only child, she was close to both her parents, her dad a Bioengineer and mother a Horticulturist. Jacq’s love of books, particularly science fiction novels, had been nurtured by her father. She had come by her love of cooking with heirloom garden vegetables and herbs from her mother.

Jacq remained close to both parents after leaving for Cornell University, where she completed her degree in Hospitality Management. Demanding studies and long hours associated with launching her career had resulted in fewer and fewer regular opportunities to get together with her parents for dinners and weekend visits. Face-to-face time spent together gradually shifted to Facetime video calls; a reality that now she bitterly regrets.

For four hours, the saintly woman just listened with her whole being as Jacq poured out her story, her crushing grief, and her pent-up emotions. She blessed Jacq by not interrupting or even asking clarifying questions. In the end, the woman just hugged her as Jacq softly cried into her sweater. During the flight, the flirty attendant and other passengers gave the pair a wide berth sensing it would be an unwelcome intrusion to interrupt.

After collecting her luggage, Jacq exited the terminal to locate the rental car shuttle bus. Jacq inhaled the cool damp air characteristic of a Seattle winter. She noticed how sweet the air smelled compared to New York City’s assortment of aromas that assaulted her every day on the crowded sidewalks. Jacq paused and then after two terminally long years, she did something extraordinary—she totally and completely exhaled. Maybe it was the faint pine scent in the air that demanded a cleansing breath, but she suspected it was space created by unburdening herself to her kindly aisle mate.  Well, Jacq thought to herself, this is a step forward. She was determined to reframe this trip from a dreaded task she must get through to an opportunity for breathing room. After all, she had taken a three month leave of absence from her job to settle her aunt’s affairs. 

After securing a rented Jeep and grabbing a bite to eat, Jacq plugged Aunt Rose’s address into her phone. Google maps indicated she had a one hour and 19-minute drive ahead of her to reach Aunt Rose’s farm which was about 74 miles from SEATAC airport.  To reach the farm in Poulsbo she could either drive south to Tacoma and cross a bridge at a narrow part of Puget Sound before doubling back and turning north toward Poulsbo or take a more direct route by ferry from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island and head north. Given unpredictable ferry line waits, Jacq opted to drive the whole way. Even at a leisurely pace, Jacq had plenty of time to make her appointment with Nicole Richmond, the Poulsbo area real estate agent, who had been recommended and with whom Jacq had been corresponding.

Jacq idly wondered if Nicole looked like what she pictured in her head. The thought instantly triggered the question of why she had not googled Nicole. Having been on autopilot for much of the past two years, Jacq realized it was no great surprise as to why she had not probed more deeply. Heck, just getting out of bed and brushing her teeth everyday had been a big enough chore and on certain days she counted those tasks as a significant victory.

Through cross-country conversations, Nicole was made aware that Jacq was her Aunt’s sole surviving heir.  Jacq’s plan was to go through Aunt Rose’s personal things deciding upon what to keep, sell, give away, or toss. After that, she planned to put the farm on the market. Nicole did a drive by of the property and informed Jacq that the farm consisted of just over four acres of land upon which sat a house, large barn, and greenhouse. Nicole warned Jacq that some small repairs and general sprucing up may need to be done to get top dollar for the property.

Much of the farm’s details Jacq had already known as she had been to Aunt Rose’s place the summer after graduating high school. Once Jacq left for college her life had been a whirlwind of studying, summer trips with friends, finding a job and setting her career in motion. After her career was launched, Jacq was preoccupied with moving into and decorating her own very teeny-tiny place in the upper West Side, her slice of the Big Apple.

Reflecting back, Jacq confessed to being rather self-absorbed and crazy busy in her twenties, not unlike most twenty-somethings she supposed.  Her frenzied decade had mostly kept her on the east coast. Her only exposure to states west of the Mississippi was visiting Aunt Rose on her farm and taking two family vacations. As a child her parents had taken her to Disneyland in California and a separate trip, years later, to the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. While the family had talked about a holiday trip to Hawaii, they always seemed to explore islands in the Caribbean rather than making the much longer trek to Polynesia.  With a painful stab of regret, Jacq realized that the family holiday in Hawaii would never be. So many hopes and plans lost forever, a thought that overwhelmed her for the millionth time in two years.

Unbiddenly, Jacq’s thoughts wandered yet again to her past. While she had spent a significant amount of time with her aunt in the past dozen years, their time together had mostly been in New York during Aunt Rose’s annual three-week visits with her family. Occasionally, the gals would select a quaint inn or bed-and-breakfast destination for a girls’ getaway trip when Jacq’s dad was unable to join them because of his intense workload. On those trips, the three ladies went full in on pamper mode. Afternoon tea, spa days, antiquing, wine tasting, and garden tours were often part of the itinerary. The trips always seemed to facilitate long lingering conversations where they caught up with each other to shared the joys and trials of their lives.  It was usually on these languid jaunts that Aunt Rose spoke fondly about her little farm, snug home, and intense passion for hybridizing orchids in her thriving greenhouse. She always sounded perfectly content in the cozy life she had carved out for herself.

Many a time, Aunt Rose shared her love for the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and for the gift of friends whom she had made. Aunt Rose spoke of one friend more than others, a gentleman named Emmett. Aunt Rose came to know him through her friend Grace, Emmett’s wife, whom they both lost several years before. It was Emmett who reached out to Jacq after the accident when Aunt Rose failed to return home as scheduled. Emmett’s own unmistakable shock and grief at the news of the tragedy was palpable during the unpleasant call. Their shared anguish connecting them over the miles as if they were in the same room. When there was nothing left to say, Emmett ended the call by offering his condolences and promising to keep an eye on the farm until affairs could be settled. Jacq never thought it would be two years before she made it out west.

Breaking into Jacq’s thoughts, the familiar robotic voice indicated the destination is ahead on the left. As Jacq began to slow the Jeep, she glimpsed a woman she assumed was Nicole pacing the front porch with cell phone in hand. She looked pulled together in black slacks, grey zip up ankle boots and a fitted, fuchsia-colored polar fleece jacket. Jacq parked the car and by the time she reached the bottom step of the front porch, the energetic, young woman had stowed her phone and extended her hand out saying, You must be Jacq.

Jacq felt an instant affinity for Nicole; although Nicole looked nothing like she had imagined. Nicole appeared younger than Jacq thought she would be given her stellar reputation. What instantly won Jacq over was Nicole’s beaming smile that emitted optimism and Nicole’s petite frame that seemed to barely contain the considerable energy radiating from her.

As the sun was setting, she and Nicole did a quick drive around and finished surveying the property from the front porch. They spent time discussing projects that needed to be done before putting the property on the market. Nicole captured the list of projects on her cell phone promising to send Jacq the inventory before leaving. Nicole also came armed with initial market data on comparable sales in the area that she left with Jacq to review. Nicole’s easygoing style and crisp business focus created a comfortable rhythm that automatically put Jacq at ease.

Sensing Jacq’s growing fatigue, Nicole said, Oh I almost forgot, on our call last week you stated you were planning to stay here in the house, so I brought you a few things. Hang on, I have a bag in the car.  Nicole bounded down the front porch to her Ice Silver colored Subaru Crosstrek and returned with a huge reusable floral plastic bag that she unceremoniously handed to Jacq.

Although Emmett has likely left a few basics in the house, I just thought you might not want to go hunting and gathering for dinner your first night, given you’re on east coast time, said Nicole matter-of-factly.

Jacq was so touched by the unexpected act of kindness that she almost burst into tears. Just barely, she managed to pull it together and warmly thank her. Nicole left with a wave promising to be in touch soon.

Alone in the house, Jacq sat down at the kitchen table and went through the bag of rations:  a loaf of seeded whole wheat bread, a block of cheddar cheese, an apple, an orange, teriyaki beef jerky, a small pot of honey, a Theo’s chocolate bar, a box of earl grey tea, sparkling water, and a refrigerator magnet advertising Nicole’s real estate business complete with all of Nicole’s contact information.  Jacq’s first ungracious thought was, What, no coffee? I thought this was the land of coffee purveyors on every corner.  After chastising herself for the uncharitable thought, Jacq stood and placed the magnet on the fridge. She opened a cupboard looking for a glass thanking God that Nicole included a bottle of sparkling water. While Jacq was starting to get hungry, she was definitely parched. As she downed the water, she was already envisioning a hot gooey grilled cheese sandwich.

Following her impromptu picnic, thanks to Nicole’s practical foresight and gentle kindness, Jacq walked through Aunt Rose’s cozy house. The rest of the house, like the kitchen, was comfortable and beckoned you to sit and relax. The house boasted multiple windows framing gorgeous views not only of the lush grassy farm but of the trees and mountains beyond. Even in the dead of winter, this part of the country was shockingly green, with dozens of shades dominating the view. Towering cedar and fir trees blanketed the distant landscape in emerald and velvety bright green moss carpeted nooks, crannies and rocks. Jacq wondered just how much more beautiful the scene might be in spring or summer when bulbs and currently bare shrubs burst into life and dazzled with colors, shapes, and textures. Even now during winter’s hold, the area looked simply stunning.

Jacq turned from the window and staring her in the face was not just Aunt Rose’s comfortable home but the remnants of Aunt Rose’s abruptly ended life. Her aunt left on a trip expecting to return in a few weeks and instead her home became a time capsule of the day she left. The thought triggered a familiar flood of depressing emotions and the urgent awareness of her growing fatigue. An early morning flight out of New York meant her day started in the middle of the night local time. Jacq headed to the guestroom, past ready to call it a day.

Chapter 2

Garrett heard the sound of a truck as he walked in through the door from the back deck where he had been tending his outdoor grill. He was expecting his three friends to join him tonight, but it seemed a bit early to be welcoming visitors.

His house was built as a log cabin, but nobody would mistake it for a small cabin in the woods. It sported high vaulted ceilings with an open layout. One of the reasons he had bought it, besides the acreage it sat on, were the windows that encompassed three sides of the house. It was almost like being in the outdoors with all of the comforts of indoor living, making it feel like double the square footage.  The gathering spaces were downstairs with bedrooms on the upper level. A two-story river rock fireplace stood majestically overlooking the kitchen and dining area. Large leather and wood furniture sprawled throughout the open space creating a masculine oasis. Here and there, were nature inspired touches such as the cast iron leaves and vines climbing up the staircase creating a beautiful railing to the upper floors.

The back of the house boasted a large deck with an outdoor dining area. Beyond the deck was a creek that ran through his property. The creek was just big enough to detect the sound of water gurgling over rocks when seated on the deck. He loved his home for the peace and quiet it offered when nightmares of his time overseas became too overpowering to easily dismiss.

Go-Go, a dust scoured voice called from the front of the house. Where are you man?

Boots clomped toward where Garrett was poking through his pantry looking for the snacks he had purchased earlier in the day. Go-Go was Garrett’s call sign from his military days. He had joined the military to escape small town life. He and his two dogs had worked search and rescue as well as bomb detail all over the world, pulling victims out of traumatic situations that threatened their lives. It was ironic that small-town life was what he now craved.

In the kitchen, Garrett replied. How are you, Emmett?

Walking through the door was a tall, lanky, gray-haired man, dressed in a simple white t-shirt, well-worn jeans, and half-laced work boots. Despite his age he had a military presence that showed in his ramrod straight posture and his precise movements. Blue eyes surrounded by laugh lines in a deeply tanned face completed the picture of a man used to commanding soldiers. Emmett, or Crank as the guys sometimes called him, was a Chief Navy Transport Mechanic in his younger years. Garrett had met Emmett when he purchased his property. The man was a genius when it came to fixing things and Garrett had used his services as he was establishing his small farm. The two had become fast friends, despite their age difference.

As good as can be, Emmett answered

Reaching into the fridge, Garrett pulled out two beers, popped the tops, and handed one to Emmett. Tapping the bottle necks in a measure of male solidarity, they took long pulls from the drinks.

A thump and scrabbling of claws preceded the arrival of two excited canines pushing each other, competing to get in the room first. Both dogs dropped drool covered tennis balls at Emmett’s feet.

Hey dogs, Emmett looked down, I can’t be throwing balls in the house.

Two doggy grins greeted Emmett’s remarks. A large black Labrador head bumped Emmett’s leg, looking for an ear scratch. While the other golden lab with a graying muzzle laid down at Garrett’s feet.

Hey Nitro. What have you been up to boy?

A wagging tail was all the answer Emmett got.

He’s been fine tuning his search and rescue skills. He’s well trained in military bomb detection and wilderness search and rescue, but his urban disaster skills need some work, said Garrett.

Sadie has been a big help, Garrett explained rubbing the toe of his boot along Sadie’s back in a caress. Although she’s slowed down a bit, she still can teach Nitro a thing or two.

Sadie lifted her graying muzzle off the floor and gave a small chuff in recognition of her name.

We’ve been playing hide and seek with some local kids downtown, and in that setting, Nitro can’t keep up with Sadie when it comes to finding his victim.

You’ll get there boy, won’t you? said Emmett, thumping Nitro’s side as the dog leaned up against his legs begging for more attention.

You keep petting him like that, he’s gonna want to go home with you, teased Garrett with a smile on his face.

He can come home with me any time, Emmett said peering down at the dog.

Before the others arrive, I wanted you to know I had a conversation with Nicole when I was in town picking up supplies. She knows I’ve been taking care of Rose’s farm since she passed, waiting to see what Jacq, her relative, decided to do with it. I just got word that it’s likely to be sold.  Nicole let me know that she has been working with Jacq to put the land on the market.

I know that you had your eye on at least a portion of the property, Emmett continued, wanted to give you a heads up in case you were still dreaming about expanding your acreage.

Huh. Do you by any chance know the price they plan to put on the land? Garrett asked. He had been eyeing Rose’s place for a while now. He planned to use it to expand his budding sanctuary for neglected, abused, and forgotten horses. Garrett had always had an affinity for horses; seen how smart and big hearted the creatures could be. While he had room for a few on his property, he needed more space to provide retraining and medical facilities for the animals he planned to take in. He’d already lined up donors that were willing to invest in his venture, now he just needed the space to make his dream come true.

I don’t, but I’m sure Nicole can tell you when you see her. Rose took good care of her farm and sure loved her orchids. If I haven’t said it already, thank you for pitching in to keep them alive, said Emmett.

I was happy to do it. There are some beautiful flowers in that green house, even though, before I started to help, I probably wouldn’t have recognized an orchid from any other flower. Did your wife like orchids as much as Rose? questioned Garrett.

Grace loved plants, but her interest ran toward herbs more than flowers. She was always making candles or soap. I still miss the smell of herb concoctions steaming on the stove. I think that is why she and Rose got along so well. They both had an affinity for green growing things, Emmett stated with a softening of his blue eyes.

I’ll take some time to get a hold of Nicole tomorrow and see if she has any other information. It would be nice to get the land secured so I can start my expansion plans.

Just as Garrett finished his thought two voices shouted, Hey, we’re here, from the front door causing the dogs to jump up and run back through the doorway in a flurry of fur and tails.

Stop sniffing up my kilt, a disgruntled voice could be heard from the entry.

Garrett and Emmett traded grins as two men entered the kitchen. One was clearly of American Indian descent with sharp cheek bones and thick black hair. The other was of stocky build, with reddish blond hair and sported a utility kilt which Nitro was taking great delight in flipping up with his nose.

Any more of that and I’m going to have to buy you a drink, Ian said looking down at an unrepentant Nitro.

I thought your New Years’ resolution was to give up kilt wearing at least for the winter? chuckled Garrett.

But what you don’t know is that today is Ditch Your New Years’ Resolution Day, and you know I can’t pass up a holiday without bringing my kilts out of the closet, stated Ian, with a laugh in his voice.

Ian McKay and Garrett had been friends ever since basic training. The crazy Scot had made the grueling stressful hours of marching, climbing, swimming, and rappelling, if not enjoyable, at least semi-tolerable. Although the product of an English mother and a Scottish father, he took to kilt wearing at a young age. As a result, his military buddies called him Gams as more often than not his legs were bare to the elements, no matter the weather.

Making up the foursome was Donovan Hawk. Ian had met Donovan when he wandered into the local bar and grill and had struck up a conversation about military life with whom he thought was the bartender. Come to find out Donovan was the owner. That night he had been short-handed as his regular bartender had called in sick. Ian, no stranger to slinging drinks, had offered to help and the two