The Christmas Rental

by Hendricks, Savannah

  “Thank you, and yes, I genuinely accept it. I should feel pleased, not guilty, right now.” She glanced at Cider, who now held the empty paper bowl in her mouth as a chew toy.

  “Are you having regrets?”

  She shook her head. “Of course not.” A smile broke out on Lorelei’s face, and she reached her hand out and set it on top of Tyler’s hand. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you. I guess I just hoped they'd be joyful—as though realizing they were wrong all along.”

  “They’ll come around. It’ll take time, but they will.” Tyler flipped his hand over, and Lorelei’s palm touched his.

  She licked the peppermint ice cream and shivered, unsure if it was from the cold of the dessert, the thought of her parents’ disappointment, or Tyler’s touch.

  “You don’t want a career change, do you? I heard there’ll be a bowling alley-real estate business up for sale soon.” Tyler winked.

  She shook her head and let out a whisper of a laugh. “I think I’ll pass. I love being a doctor.” Glancing around as though she was about to tell a secret, she said, “I simply hope my uncle will be up for retirement.”

  Tyler nodded. “I believe he will.”

  She studied her ice cream cone after each lick. Thinking back on when she first drove through Oakvale and everything appeared like the perfect dream. And she should have known it might be too good to be true. As soon as everything started to come together, it showcased its cracks. Why couldn’t she simply lick away all the problems?

  “Seeing you today, standing up for your dream . . . it gave me courage. And it's time to come through on my end, too.” Tyler twisted his ice cream, licking some chocolate before it dripped down the cone. “I’m not waiting until the Christmas book reading to tell my folks.”

  Lorelei glanced away from her cone to study him. “You’re not?”

  “I’m doing it when we get back to the Norths’. I don’t want to wait any longer. Traveling is not as important as being here in Oakvale and owning the bookstore. Having my dream come true. Plus”—Tyler’s cheeks flushed—“I don’t want to be away from you for six months.”

  Her face warmed, mirroring Tyler’s, and when their eyes met, they didn’t need words.

  “At least we can each rip off the Band-Aid today and deal with the outcome together.” Tyler brimmed with energy as he beamed, but Lorelei’s facial expression switched to a pout. “Why the long face? You did it. You told your parents.” Tyler tilted his head.

  “Because it’s not over yet. If they’d been all happy and accepting, I’d feel relieved, but as soon as I get back home to pack up, it will only be lecture after lecture. Plus, no one seems to know how to get ahold of my uncle, and he plays a final role in this, too.”

  “Don’t give up.” Tyler bit into the top of the cone.

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Come on, Pouting Beauty. Let’s go for a walk.” Tyler gathered Cider’s leash.

  As they made their way outside, they continued to eat the remainder of their ice cream cones.

  “I’ll be right back. I’m going to drop off Cider with Ted.” Tyler opened Once Upon a Book’s door and slipped inside.

  Lorelei turned toward the center of town where the Christmas tree lit up the area, casting a colorful glow around its snow-covered branches. Tyler stepped back out onto the sidewalk and held his elbow out. She wrapped her hand around it, and they walked on, finishing their ice cream. Once they crossed the street, a store caught Lorelei’s eye.

  “How have I missed this before?” She pointed at a tiny thin building, which almost resembled a New York City brownstone, with a sign that read Herb’s D&B.

  “Ah, yes, how did you?” Tyler winked. “It’s the dentist and barbershop. D and B.”

  “Real estate and bowling alley. Dentist and barbershop. I’m feeling hopeful for the doctor’s office and day care now.” Lorelei chuckled. “Please explain to me how a dental barbershop works.”

  Tyler pivoted and faced the shop straight on. “Herb Winford, the dentist, and lifetime Oakvale resident, worked as a barber during his college years. He attended UMN and during that time this building became available.” Tyler pointed at the sign hanging from the building. “Upon graduated Herb realized that a customer lying back for a shave in the barber chair was no different than a patient coming in for teeth cleaning.”

  Wonderment spread over Lorelei’s cheeks, drawing her lips into a smile. “That’s ingenious!”

  Somehow, hearing about Herb’s brilliant connection between a dentist and barber caused Lorelei to keep dreaming. Tyler no longer dreamed of traveling because he didn’t want to be away from her and Mary Ann. Her eyes twinkled with delight.

  Chapter 31

  “Mom? Dad?” Tyler called as he and Lorelei walked through the front door.

  “Tyler, we’re in the living room,” Arlene answered.

  The Parkers sat on one side of the couch while his dad sat at the other end. His mom was on the floor with Mary Ann looking at a board book. Cider greeted the baby with a few licks before flopping down next to her.

  “Mom, Dad.” Tyler clasped his hands together as he stood in front of them.

  He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them, Lorelei was in his line of sight, and he told himself, I can do this if I only look at Lorelei. Focus. You want your dream. You deserve it, and Lorelei needs your help, too.

  “Christmas goose got your tongue, son?” Richard chuckled.

  Tyler’s forehead creased. Maybe he couldn’t do this!

  “He has something important to tell you,” Lorelei chimed in. “And I know how important it is for him to tell you because it’s important to us both.” Her smile warmed.

  Wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, he said, “Yes, it is.” He squeezed his hands into fists and then released them. “Lorelei was bold enough today to let her parents know she wanted to follow her dream, and I want to do the same.”

  Arlene put her hand on her chest. “You don’t want to be a doctor, do you?”

  “You don’t want to move to the city, do you, son?” Richard stood up from the couch.

  “Mom, Dad, I’m not moving.” He sighed. “I . . . I want to buy Sandy’s bookstore. I don’t want to run the family business anymore.”

  A log on the fireplace popped, and everyone in the room jumped.

  Tyler continued, “I don’t mind being a real estate agent, but it’s not my passion. It’s your dream for me, but not mine.”

  Trying to gauge what his parents might be thinking, he glanced back and forth at them as though watching a tennis match.

  “We should give you some space,” John stated, standing up.

  “No, please, stay.” Tyler motioned to the couch. “Lorelei was bold enough to speak to you during the middle of a contest. I can surely handle this.”

  When he glanced over at Lorelei, she smiled sweeter than peppermint chip ice cream. His mind went to their closeness this morning and how much he wanted to spend more time with her.

  “Your father and I don’t want to see the family business disappear, Tyler. The bowling alley, well, that’s another story. But our name, we don’t want it to end.” Arlene moved to her knees. “You’re supposed to hand it down to your kids and then them to their kids.”

  “I know you and Dad worked hard to build the company and to operate it from the bowling alley, so they worked together cohesively. And I’m sorry, but . . .” Tyler hung his head, the weight of it too hard for him to bear.

  “What about your plan to travel?” Richard interjected.

  Everyone’s head turned to his father. Lorelei’s lips parted, and her eyes went to his parents.

  “I don’t have the money to do both, so I won’t be traveling. Traveling to all the bookish places would be amazing, but I can only have one. And I must go with what has always been my dream, the bookstore.”

  He observed his parents as they remained silent. Tyler turned to Lorelei as she picked up Mary Ann. The silenc
e allowed Tyler to hear his heartbeat thump in his ears.

  “This is what you want, son?” Richard asked.

  Lorelei gave Tyler a thumbs-up. Mary Ann reached out and tried to pull it to her mouth as a teething toy.

  “It is.” Tyler brought his hands together.

  Arlene and Richard shared a glance but didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to expect from his parents. He hoped it wouldn’t be the same outcome Lorelei had to deal with. The fire died down, but the room remained warm, which meant the heater was up and running again.

  “Mom?” Tyler asked.

  She stood up, using the coffee table for leverage, and walked toward him. “Your dad and I will always support you.”

  Here comes the but.

  “But we had no idea you felt this way about the bookstore or our business,” Richard added.

  “I didn’t want to disappoint you and Mom. I don’t want our legacy to die.”

  “We know how much you have loved reading since you were a child. Although back then, you were more into chewing on them than reading them.” Arlene winked. “You should have come to us about this a long time ago, regardless of how you thought we would handle the news.”

  His parents came together and held each other by wrapping their arms over each other’s shoulders. “If you want to buy Once Upon a Book, we’ll support you.” Arlene glanced up at Richard, who nodded in agreement.

  Tyler’s hands dropped to his side. “You do? I can?”

  Richard approached his son and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Yes, we only wish we’d not been blind to your dreams before and that you’d spoken to us about it when the store went up for sale. I see it now that it’s in front of us, and looking back, I should have known.”

  Tyler hugged his dad and then his mom. “Thank you.”

  Lorelei was at his side when he stepped back, and he immediately embraced her, careful not to squish Mary Ann between them. When he pulled out of the hug, Tyler paused, staring into her eyes.

  “We should celebrate,” Lorelei announced. “How about some apple crisp?”

  The room erupted with laughter.

  “I’ve had plenty, but I can’t turn down a small slice.” Richard patted his stomach.

  “Dad, thanks for putting in the new thermostat.” Tyler made his way into the kitchen for a slice of dessert. While he didn’t have room for much more dessert after ice cream, he couldn’t pass up trying Lorelei’s crisp.

  “Yes, you’re most welcome. It seems to be working fine.” Richard followed behind. “Lorelei, we had a nice chat with your folks while you were out.”

  She glanced over at her parents, making their way off the couch. Tyler reached his arms out for Mary Ann, and she happily went to him. Lorelei scooped servings of apple crisp onto small plates and dispersed them around the island.

  Taking Mary Ann over to the Christmas tree to look at the lights and ornaments, Tyler tried to be as out of the way as possible. He wanted Lorelei to have her space but be there for her also. But he wanted to know what his parents said to the Parkers and if they’d gotten anywhere positive with it.

  “We did have a nice discussion with Richard and Arlene,” Joanne declared. “But your father and I would like to talk more in private with you, Lor.”

  “We do value our daughter’s opinion, but we’ve been around longer than you and can see the entire picture from an outside perspective,” John added.

  Richard and Arlene picked up their plates of apple crisp and hurried to the Christmas tree, as though using it as a shield from the parental disapproval. As he glanced over his shoulder, Tyler noticed Lorelei overly washing the serving spoon as her parents took bites of their dessert. The frustration on her face and the defeat creasing her eyebrow was noticeable from a distance. There must be something I can say to help her out, he thought. Who would have guessed they’d experience such opposite reactions from their parents.

  Mary Ann lunged for an ornament on the tree, catching Tyler off guard. The plate of apple crisp in his hand went crashing onto the rug. As he glanced around, all eyes were on him.

  “Cider really wanted that piece. She saw you made five batches of it,” Tyler joked.

  “Sharing is caring,” Lorelei stated.

  He figured the mess would cause her folks to roll their eyes or make a comment about something city-like. Instead, for the first time since the Parkers arrived, they actually had smiles on their faces. Maybe the reindeer contest was not what Lorelei’s parents needed, but a conversation with his parents to see how important it was to live your dreams.

  Chapter 32

  Exhaustion settled into the depths of Lorelei’s bones, or so it felt like once she sank onto the couch. Mary Ann was fast asleep in her crib upstairs. All three of the McCains had left shortly after Cider won the spilled apple crisp for a snack. The dog had managed to clean up the rug to the point that she didn’t need to scrub any stains out.

  “We need to talk.” Joanne sat next to her on the couch.

  Lorelei sighed and leaned her head back into the plush pillows. Not now, Mom!

  Why couldn’t she be like Tyler’s parents? Lorelei couldn’t help but whine to herself like a teenager again. Her mom hadn’t changed in all her years. Whenever it came to something Joanne disagreed with, they had to talk. It could’ve been about buying a dress with her allowance, the music she listened to, or what electives she picked in college. Lorelei had never known a decision to be final with her mom around.

  “The McCains . . .” Her mom looked up as John entered the room. “Well, they just didn’t understand our point of view. It’s not that we don’t want you to be a small-town doctor, but you won’t have the opportunities you have at the hospital. We want to see you continue to succeed in your career.”

  “Dead horse, Mom. You’re beating a dead horse at this point,” Lorelei groaned, covering herself with the blanket up to her chin.

  “This is why we can never have a conversation because you’re always on the defense.” Joanne crossed her arms.

  The couch cushions moved as her dad sat next to her. “Why can’t you be like Tyler’s folks? Did you see how open they were? How accepting?”

  “The McCains did a great job of letting us know how wonderful Oakvale is and what they have to offer,” John stated. “We’d love to vacation here, and we support you remaining friends with those you have made. But Oakvale is not for you, Mary Ann, or your career.”

  “What your father is slowly getting to is you can look at other small towns—ones like Booth, with a hospital. That’s where we can compromise, as Tyler and his parents did.”

  “Booth is forty-five minutes away from here. Plus, you’re still talking about a hospital. This is not a compromise. I’ve made my decision.” Lorelei stared at the fire dying down in the fireplace.

  “Where will you work? Where will you live?” John stood, and his hands immediately went in his pockets.

  “Mary Ann and I will be rooming with Jodi above the doctor’s office. It’s a converted home with plenty of space. And I need to get a hold of Uncle Chris.”

  “You’re going to raise our granddaughter in a tiny rented area of an office?” John stated, pacing the living room.

  “Temporally, until a house comes up for sale. With Sandy selling the bookstore to Tyler, maybe they’ll need a renter if they plan to travel.” Lorelei tossed the blanket to the side. “Look outside. Look at what a magical place this is. And not just here in this house, but around town. Look at how great Tyler is with Mary Ann.”

  “I told you this was about him,” Joanne huffed. “You only just met him.”

  Lorelei spun around, facing her mom. “Remind me how you and Dad met again?”

  “These are different times,” John mentioned.

  “Dad, you’re not from the twenties. You and mom met walking across the Bow Bridge in Central Park. And it was love at first sight.”

  John’s eyes drifted off as though searching for the memory. “We did. I saw her and co
uldn’t walk by without saying hi, without finding out her name, without introducing myself.”

  Joanne went to John and took hold of his hand. Lorelei saw the way they looked at each other, even now, after thirty-some years of marriage. “When I saw him, I knew.”

  “The most magical moment, as though we were the only ones on the bridge.” John took his wife’s hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

  “We were the only ones on the bridge, it’d started to pour, and everyone else ran for cover. But not us.”

  Joanne and John stood face to face, the Christmas tree lights glowing around them. Lorelei gazed at the scene in front of her as the anger regarding their disagreement faded. She watched her parents remember their love for each other.

  Lorelei’s folks were lost in each other’s eyes. She wanted that very kind of love herself. A long-lasting, heart-skipping love. Instantly, Tyler filled her mind and didn’t doubt why. She thought about him as often, hoping she would run into him in town or that they could meet up for lunch or dinner. Not to mention how much her heart palpitated when Tyler held Mary Ann.

  “Lor?” Her dad’s voice broke through her reverie. “Your cell phone. It’s vibrating on the counter.”

  She answered it swiftly. “Hello . . . Yes, this is she . . . Really? I’d never heard anything back, so I just figured . . . Well, yes, of course . . . Thank you, yes tomorrow . . . at ten . . . thank you. Bye.” Hitting end on the phone, she set it back on the counter as her mouth gaped open.

  “Is everything alright?” Joanne asked.

  “That doctor’s office position I applied for in Booth over the summer, it was them. They said my resume was misplaced. And they’re still looking for a physician. They invited me in for an interview tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s wonderful. See a Christmas miracle.” John provided a weak smile. “Compromise.”

  Yet, to Lorelei, compromise shouldn’t feel like heartburn. At that moment, she realized why so many emergency room patients thought they were having a heart attack when it was heartburn or too much stress. If she landed the job in Booth, it would solve her job situation. But it wasn’t Oakvale and it doesn't have Tyler.