and fled to Sapphire Bay with her two boys.
With nowhere to go, they’d stayed at The Welcome Center for a couple of months and, more recently, with Mr. Jessop, the head gardener.
Shelley had a lot of respect for Andrea. She’d turned her life around and wanted to give her boys a good life. And, in three months’ time, she would rent one of the houses Shelley was renovating. “I could see if she’s interested.”
“She gave me a copy of her resumé,” John said. “I’ll find it and give it to you tomorrow.”
Steven picked up his coffee cup. “It sounds as though you’ve got everything organized.”
“I hope so,” John murmured.
Shelley ate another mouthful of the delicious lasagna. If she ran out of ideas for the budgeting workshops, she could always ask John to plan a menu for people on a limited income. If this meal was an indication of what he could do with a pound of ground beef, half the town would join the class.
Chapter 5
Six days later, John, Caleb, and Steven were in Great Falls, trying on suits. So far, they’d spent more time sorting through the racks of jackets than anything else.
John was disappointed his parents hadn’t been able to book flights to Montana. But after listening to his friends debate the merits of a dinner suit over a jacket with tails, he was glad they weren’t here. The amount of dithering would have driven his mom to distraction.
While Caleb tried to persuade Steven to try another jacket, John checked the time. Their parking meter would expire in half an hour. If they weren’t finished by then, he was tempted to book his suit and find a hot cup of coffee.
Caleb let out an exasperated sigh. “It would be easier to find a suit if you didn’t wiggle around so much.”
Steven lifted his arms above his head. “I need to make sure I can move.”
“None of the jackets are going to feel like a sweatshirt.” When Steven started rotating his arms like windmills, Caleb moved out of the way and sat on a chair. “The only place I can imagine you moving your arms like that is on the dance floor. And if that happens, you’ll knock Bailey out and end up in the hospital for the rest of the night.”
John took another jacket off a hanger. His friend was so used to wearing jeans and a sweatshirt that anything else would feel comfortable. “You could always wear a top hat and tails.”
“I’d look like a penguin.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” John said as he straightened the cravat and waistcoat he’d chosen. “Look at the line of the jacket I’m wearing. It’s the same as the dinner jacket, only longer.”
Steven frowned. “You look like you belong in the eighteenth century.”
“Wait until you see it with a top hat,” Caleb said with a sigh. “Then you’ll really think John’s stepped back in time.”
John twisted sideways to check the length of the jacket. “There’s nothing wrong with a traditional suit.”
Malcolm, the owner of the tuxedo rental company, walked toward them and studied John. “It’s a perfect fit.” He placed a box on another chair and opened the lid. “This is the hat you liked when you first came into the store. Try it on with the suit and tell me what you think.”
While John admired the hat, Malcolm turned his attention to Steven. He tweaked one of the jacket sleeves, then stood behind him. “This jacket is a little wide across the shoulders. That creates an issue with the sleeves. They aren’t sitting in the right position.”
Steven glanced at Caleb. “Is that why it’s uncomfortable?”
Malcolm nodded. “Each component of the suit relates to the next. We need everything to fit perfectly. Otherwise, you’ll be fidgeting all day.”
Ignoring the superior stare Steven sent him, Caleb leaned forward and looked at John. “I like the hat.”
Steven turned around. “It looks good.”
Tilting the black hat slightly forward, John grinned at his friends. “Shelley has a thing for Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. I thought she’d like this suit better than the others.”
Caleb choked back a laugh. “If Mr. Darcy makes her happy, then the suit is the best idea you’ve had all day.”
Malcolm hunted through the pile of jackets already hanging beside them. “I know you weren’t interested in wearing a jacket with tails,” he told Steven. “But with your wide shoulders and narrow waist, the shape would fit you better than the one you’re wearing.”
“I don’t know whether to be flattered or worried,”