The cows were milked, the chickens fed, the long list of a million little things Frankie did on the farm before ten o'clock in the morning complete. Frankie could smell the coffee from the barn, telling her it was time for a break.

Leaving behind the warmth of those animal-infested four red walls, Frankie stomped her feet on the hard-packed earth as she crossed the Stephens's yard and entered the kitchen through the back door. A wave of warmth rushed out to greet her and forced her out of her jacket, her beanie off.

Coffee was the first thing on Frankie's mind and she moved on autopilot to the cabinet, grabbing her mug and filling it to the brim with only enough space left for a dash of milk. It was only after the first long sip that she recognized the source of intense heat coming from the stove.

And then the person in charge of warming the chocolate-milk mixture. It took two sips for Frankie's brain to register the third person in the room.

Hannah and Johnny were sitting at the kitchen table, Johnny barely awake, his hair a mess, and his eyes half-opened. Frankie glanced at the clock over her third sip and swallowed down her rush of judgment. Ten o'clock. Frankie had been up since five.

"I'll get you another cup," Hannah spoke in a soft, warm tone.

Frankie turned her back on the idyllic scene between a mother and her son as Hannah reached forward and placed a gentle hand on Johnny's face. Frankie turned her eyes instead to the view out the kitchen, watching the farm's golden retriever as she chewed on a stick she had found.

"Good morning, Frankie."

Hannah placed a welcoming hand on Frankie's shoulder and Frankie felt it safe to turn back again.

"Morning. Smells good."

"Joe says the store's all out of fudge. We can't have that now, can we?"

Frankie smiled over her coffee mug and sipped again. Hannah's green eyes were glowing. Her smile was wider than Frankie had ever seen it before. Frankie had never seen Hannah when her youngest son was home.

It made all those hours Frankie spent cleaning the house feel worthwhile if Hannah's smile was the result. Frankie had spent those long hours wondering why they even bothered to get things ready if Johnny was just going to cancel on them. Again. But he had shown up, to Frankie's surprise and Hannah's delight.

"What are you up to today?" Hannah asked, blowing a stray strand of gray hair out of her eyes as she stirred her fudge.

"Pick-ups. Nina Griffith down Old Peabody road has a new set of stationery for the store. Dorothy on the other side of town has a new batch of quilts all ready to go. A few others, then into town to the Williams. They've caught candy for me."

"You're headed into town?" Hannah turned back to her son who was barely sitting upright in his chair, a long yawn exiting his mouth while his mother spoke. "Johnny, you wanted to head into town later. Frankie's going that way. She could give you a ride if you want."

Johnny's half-opened eyes looked Frankie's way just as Hannah's did, too. Frankie swallowed hard, then tried on a tight smile and nodded before retreating behind her coffee. She waited while Johnny made up his mind on whether or not to spend the whole day with Frankie, driving from one house to the next, chatting with old folks and drinking lots of tea, just so he could get a ride into town, which was a ten-minute walk away.

"I'm good," he said, clearing his throat before speaking. "It's not that far of a walk."

Frankie nodded, then looked to Hannah to gauge her reaction. Hannah shrugged at Frankie then reached for the coffee pot to refill Johnny's mug, the reason she had gotten up from the table in the first place.

Frankie made sure her coffee was drained by the time Hannah sat back down next to Johnny, not wanting to intrude any further on their mother-son bonding moment.

Pick-ups always took Frankie a full day. Every house she stopped by she was invited into, poured a cup of tea, given some treat that she only ever ate a fraction of or she would be full by the third house. The people she stopped by to check in on were the back-bone of Hummel, the generation that had built the town up as a tourist attraction, that continued to contribute to the industry by selling what they made by hand at the farm store.

Everywhere she went, everyone commented on Johnny's heroic return. Frankie kept her smile tight and steady and always took a long sip or a bite while they praised the wonder boy. Everywhere she went, everyone she talked to only had glowing things to say about Johnny Stephens, how much he had accomplished, what it meant to the town.

Frankie had to realize that there were, in fact, two Johnny's: the one the town knew and praised and loved unconditionally, and the one Frankie knew, the one who canceled trips, the one who never returned his parents phone calls, and who gave them a week's heads up that he was coming home to stay for a while. Indefinitely, was the term Frankie had heard tossed about regarding the length of his visit.

Frankie was tired of hearing about Johnny Stephens, as she climbed back into the truck for the fourth time. The only one more to go: the Williams Candy Shop, in the heart of downtown Hummel.

Frankie hit a roadblock four blocks away. She had forgotten about the turkey run the day after Thanksgiving, Hummel's annual tradition. It was the unofficial celebration of the start of the Christmas season in Hummel and one last get-together for the town before the tourists descended upon the town once again the following Monday.

Frankie pulled the car off to the side, her only option to walk the last four blocks. It took her one block to hit the sea of people crowding Main Street, three people thick. There was a narrow alleyway along the shops that she was able to sneak past but her way to the candy store was blocked by the finish line and the hoard of people that stood waiting for the runners.

Frankie spotted a familiar head of blonde hair poking out of a knit beanie and pushed her way through the crowd to her friend.

"Hey."

Frankie had to nearly yell for Lacey to be able to hear her. Lacey's warm brown eyes glanced sideways at Frankie's greeting. Her face lit up with a smile.

"Frankie! Hi, what brings you here?"

"Pick-ups." Frankie nodded to the candy store across the road currently blocked by a crowd of people.

"I guess you'll just have to hang out with me, then!"

Frankie smiled as Lacey nudged her with her elbow. Lacey's eyes were alternating between the runners slowly making their way around the square, to the sleeping six-month-old in the stroller in front of, double-checking in between rotations that the three-year-old who held on to her hand was still with her.

"Mommy! I can't see!"

Lacey didn't have to ask for Frankie to bend down and pick up the little boy.

"Here ya go, Sammy. How's that?"

Sammy did not respond as his eyes went wide at his new view.

"What do you say to your Aunt Frankie, Samuel?" Lacey had to prompt.

"Thank you, Aunt Frankie."

Sammy did not bother looking in Frankie's direction as he spoke, too content with his improved situation in life. Lacey rolled her eyes and laughed. Frankie hiked Sammy higher up on her hip to give him the best view possible.

The runners were coming closer and Lacey called out a "Go, Corey!" at her husband leading the pack that Frankie was sure was going to wake her sleeping daughter. But no, Evie slept on. A whistle joined in with Lacey's cry of encouragement and Frankie's eyes searched the crowd until they found the only figure clad in all black among a sea of denim, flannel, and down jackets. Johnny Stephens stuck out like a sore thumb among the townspeople but didn't seem to care as he cheered on the runners.

"Oh, hey! Johnny's back!"

Lacey's devoted attention to her husband flattered as she spotted Johnny in the crowd.

"Yeah. He got in last night."

Lacey's warm smile faltered at the look on Frankie's face and Frankie tried to recover her look of neutrality but she was too late.

"Of course. He's staying at the house, isn't he? How's that going?"

"Fine."

Frankie tried smiling to soothe the look of suspicion in Lacey's eyes but Frankie's main friend in town had gotten to know Frankie too well over the last few years. Frankie had spent too many nights at Lacey's house, helping take care of her children for her, apparently.

"You don't like him."

"What? No, I don't! I don't know him, is all."

Frankie's voice went too high on her denial and she shook her head as Lacey smirked.

"Liar. You don't like Johnny Stephens. I'd think you'd be the first."

"I don't not like him. I don't know him," Frankie tried again, this time with more certainty in her voice.

"What's not to like? He's a great guy!"

Frankie pushed aside all her reasons for what not to like about Johnny aside and focused on Lacey's second point.

"You have to say that. You're his childhood sweetheart."

Lacey shrugged as if the three years she had been in a relationship with Johnny when they were twelve was irrelevant.

"He's a good guy, Frankie. Trust me. You just gotta give him a chance. Do it for me."

Frankie took a deep breath and finally met Lacey's big eyes and the plea behind them.

"Maybe," was the best Frankie could offer. Lacey seemed satisfied as she turned her attention full throttle back on her husband as he came charging towards the finish line.

"Come on, Corey!"

"Go, Daddy!" Sammy yelled from Frankie's shoulder.

Frankie joined in with the crowd as they cheered, the high school gym and track coach crossing the finish line leagues ahead of everyone else.

The crowd dispersed once the tape was broken and Frankie's path to the candy store started to reappear. As Frankie handed Sammy off to his sweaty dad, Lacey called out one last admonition before Frankie could leave.

"Be nice, Frankie!"

Frankie had to smile at the stern-mom look Lacey was sending.

"I'll try," she called back.

Frankie waved goodbye to the little family as she headed for the candy store. She ignored the 'Closed' sign hung on the door and entered the warm, brightly-colored room. She was immediately greeted by Harry Williams Sr and his oldest son, the two of them behind the counter, wearing thick gloves, manipulating boiling hot candy. Becky Williams appeared from the back at the sound of the bell over the store and greeted Frankie with a more smile and an offer of tea.

By the time Frankie left the store, downtown had sufficiently cleared. Her path back to the truck was now a straight shot. As she crossed the quiet street and headed down the sidewalk, she heard her name being called behind her.

"Hey, Frankie! Wait up!"

Frankie turned and found Johnny making his way to her. She wanted to keep moving and let him catch up to her but she stopped, remembering her promise to Lacey.

"What can I do for you?"

Frankie thought the words "How can I help you?" sounded too much like she was an employee of Johnny's and not his father's.

"You headed back to the farm?" Johnny asked, squinting behind his glasses as the slowly lowering sun reflected off the glass storefronts lining the street.

"I am. Do you need a ride?"

Johnny shook his head.

"No. I'm good. Can you tell my mom I won't be home for dinner? A couple of the guys are heading over to Graham's house. I'm gonna go join them."

Frankie could see Hannah's faltering smile in her mind's eye as Johnny gave her the message. She had seen it every time their phone calls were cut short.

"Sure," came Frankie's tart reply. She could feel her opinion of Johnny, on which Lacey had worked to soften, hardening.

Johnny smiled, a smile Frankie was sure charmed anyone and everyone. It faltered, just like his moms did, when Frankie's face remained unaffected.

"Um, okay, then. Thanks. I guess."

"Anything else?"

Frankie's words came out chillier than she had anticipated but her heart was hurting for the woman who had let her into her home when Frankie had nowhere else to go.

Johnny tried on the smile one more time.

"You don't like me very much, do you?"

"We only just met."

"That didn't answer my question."

Frankie ground her teeth at her cop-out being exposed.

"You're my employer's son. My opinion of you has no effect on my work or my relationship with your parents and is none of your business."

Johnny seemed to be scrutinizing her from behind his expensive glasses. Frankie could feel his gaze even through the dark frames as he took a second to respond.

"Wow. You really don't like me."

Frankie did not need to reply and so she didn't. She let a long second pass and then asked again "Anything else?"

For some reason, Johnny was smiling, almost smirking, as if Frankie amused him. Frankie focused her eyes forward so she wouldn't roll them and give him even an ounce of satisfaction.

"No. No, nothing else. Thanks for passing along the message."

Frankie nodded and then turned to leave without any sort of farewell.

Frankie paused for a long moment after putting the truck in park in the Stephens' driveway. She looked up to her left and saw Hannah in the kitchen window, the glass fogged up around the edges due to whatever Hannah was busy cooking inside.

Frankie took a deep breath and climbed out of the car. Her workday was done. All her pick-up items put away at the store, ready to be priced and put out on display, a job for another day. Frankie braced herself as she completed her final task for the day, her worst one yet.

"Frankie! You're back!" Hannah cried from over the stovetop. "Wash up, dinner's almost ready. Did you happen to see Johnny when you were in town? Did he say when he'd be back? I don't want to hold dinner too long."

Hannah said all this while stirring one pot, checking on the contents of another, and then carrying a load of plates, napkins, and silverware to the kitchen table.

Frankie tried clearing her throat as if that would make this somehow easier.

"He's-"

Frankie stopped and tried again.

"He told me to tell you he's going over to Graham's house to hang out. That he would be back later this evening and not to wait dinner."

The words tasted like ash on her tongue as Frankie watched Hannah's expression fall. Hannah rallied herself but not fast enough, as Frankie's bad opinion of Johnny solidified.

A/N:

Lots of tension. What do we think about all this tension?

Read on, my friends! Read on!