Rescuing Christmas

by Nancy Lee Badger

  “Oh! That’s so sweet, but unless you can make it snow, I’m afraid nothing will help,” Elinor answered, while stepping out of the innkeeper’s reach.

  “Yes, I imagine that snow would be a big help.”

  “Lower temperatures, too,” she added.

  He could tell the innkeeper was not happy about his questions, but he was intrigued. “Would lower temperatures do much to help?”

  Sean returned to the registration desk, so Elinor turned all her attention to Bradley. “If the weather turns cold all day and night, the pond might freeze enough to go skating. That’s one of the favorite parts of the festival. As it stands, it’s too dangerous. The ice is too thin.”

  He smiled, which was inappropriate considering the problematic subject at hand, but he was simply glad to be near her. Well, she was on the first floor and he was on the stairs, but his bare feet and bags reminded him that this was not the time to continue this conversation.

  “Listen, can you help me find the officer that assisted at my accident? Mac says my rental car is a mess, and I will need a police report before I can discuss my situation with the rental agency. I already tried the police department.”

  “Sure. I think you can find him at the library until about one o’clock.”

  “The library?”

  “He’s sweet on the librarian, Elvira Duncan, so they have lunch together in her office. Come on. I’ll take you there.”

  He pointed to his feet. “Let me slip into something a little more comfortable.” He wiggled his eyebrows and she laughed.

  She bounded up the stairs. “What happened?” She raised the wet sneakers.

  “Puddle. I must learn to watch where I am walking. Do sidewalks have potholes?”

  “Not normally, but we do get cracks. Did you buy new shoes?” She craned her neck, trying to see inside the various bags.

  “Well, I bought boots that fit, a pair of jeans, some shirts and a warm pair of gloves. Give me a minute?”

  “Sure. I’ll be in the truck,” she said, and shot out the door.

  Bradley had to take several minutes to get his body under control and his fingers to stop shaking enough to unlock his room’s door. Propping it open with one bag of clothes, he entered and finally closed the door. Alone, and still aroused, he peeked out the bedroom window as he stripped out of the sweats and sweater.

  “There she is, waiting for me.” The idea made his body tighten, which made it rather difficult to pull on the brand-new jeans. Such a sacrifice.

  Chapter 5

  “Let’s leave the truck here, and walk to the library,” Ellie said. Walking side-by-side with Bradley made her stomach feel like she’d swallowed butterflies.

  “What if there is an emergency?”

  Bradley must care that he might be putting her out, but no way could she survive sitting inside a vehicle, surrounded by the scent of him. He was gorgeous and too sophisticated for her, but he smelled terrific.

  She’d stopped looking at other men, especially Sean, but Bradley looked fantastic in a pair of jeans. They molded to his thighs. She’d tried dating, but she knew just about every guy in town. None of them made her heart pitter-patter the way Bradley Wainwright did.

  And isn’t that a shame.

  Since he would be leaving as soon as a replacement rental car found its way to Snowflake Valley, she was destined to live out the rest of her years alone. Or, with her father. She was almost thirty, so wasn’t that a little sad?

  As they were passing the bookstore, he suddenly stopped. He sniffed the air and closed his eyes. When he sighed, with his hands clasped against the middle of his chest, she laughed.

  “What is that delicious aroma?” he asked.

  “After we find the chief of police, I will bring you back and introduce you to a true Snowflake Valley delight.”

  His eyes sprang open and they peered deeply into hers. “Promise?”

  She nodded, and they continued their trek to the library. They found the officer in the librarian’s office as she suspected. And, as she had mentioned to Bradley, they had interrupted the fiftyish couple in the middle of a kiss. Pushing envy aside, she apologized and introduced Bradley.

  “I remember you. Fancy silver car in the pond. Are you okay?”

  “Aside from a little mud and my missing phone, I am well.”

  “Phone, huh. A very wet and mud-covered high-end mobile phone was mentioned. I heard about it on my radio.”

  “It could be mine. Mud covered?”

  Ellie cringed. Just what he needed…to be reminded of what the town fire truck had done to his belongings.

  “Come on, you two, my lunch break is over. I’ll walk with you to the station.” Rudy turned back to Elvira and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

  Ellie followed the men out of the building, but held back so they could talk, and she could watch. Bradley wasn’t as tall as Sean and his trimmed black hair wasn’t blond and shaggy like Sean’s, but he looked delicious. When he laughed at something Rudy said, which was most likely a funny story about a fishing trip, she had to smile. Although out of his element, and far from the big city, Bradley smiled a lot.

  In fact, she suspected he had overheard her conversation with Sean about the festival, and had interrupted them before Sean could kiss her. He had done it without insulting Sean, or starting an argument.

  While Rudy opened the door and they walked inside the police department, she said, “I’ll wait out here.”

  “What, not going to put your nose into this stranger’s business?”

  The heat rising under her skin meant her cheeks had reddened. “Give it a rest, Rudy. Can’t a lady be neighborly?”

  “A lady?” Rudy laughed, but Bradley looked ready to punch him in the mouth.

  Don’t, she said with her eyes.

  After Bradley joined Rudy inside, she leaned her shoulders against the brick exterior. The sun shone down, warming her face and neck. Within minutes, the door opened. She kept her eyes shut and inhaled the yummy scent of Bradley Aaron Wainwright. She vowed to do her best to remember this scent and dream it night after night, long after he had gone.

  With his accident report in hand, Bradley appeared relaxed, but would have to come back tomorrow for his phone as it hadn’t yet been turned in. Gilman’s Garage was around the corner, so she decided to wait outside the building as he took care of his car problem, as well. The call to the rental agency sounded a bit heated, but since she hung around outside to give him a little privacy, she’d have to wait to hear more. Would a new car show up? Would he leave within hours?

  How did she feel about that? He was grouchy, opinionated, and according to the suit he’d ruined, well-off. Sean said he had a company named after him. He vacationed in Canada and had never heard of her, or Snowflake Valley. He was out of her league, even if she was interested in finding a man to fill those lonely nights.

  “Remember your promise,” Bradley said, startling her out of her thoughts.

  “Of course. The food and coffee. When are you leaving?” she asked, before remembering it was none of her business.

  “Wanting to be rid of me so soon?”

  “Can’t I show concern? I peeked at your rental car. It’s not going anywhere, unless on the back of a flatbed tow truck.”

  “I agree with you. Unfortunately, the rental agency has no cars, nor the extra driver to get one to me. I will have to rethink my travel plans.”

  “Montreal, I think you mentioned?”

  “Yes. I was supposed to meet someone…”

  His words drifted away, and by the wistful look, he was missing that person quite a lot. He would be staying around awhile. If it turned cold and snowy, the roads might close and she could spend some quality time with him. She shoved such impractical thoughts away. Until her miracle arrived in the form of thick snow clouds, she had too many responsibilities.

  “Back to the bookstore. I have someone you should meet.”

  “I believe I smelled coffe
e and something that reminded me of apple crisp. My housekeeper makes the best—”

  “You have a housekeeper?”

  “I have little time to cook and clean. I work all the time. My assistant has warned me that life is passing me by, but my responsibilities piled up, this year. This trip was supposed to recharge my batteries. Instead, a canceled flight and a car accident have given me a different perspective.”

  His mood had darkened, and she could only wonder how he had planned to recharge his batteries in Canada. The bookstore would return a smile to his face. Unfortunately, she feared it wouldn’t only be the food and drink that would grab his attention. The five-foot four-inch petite blonde perky bookstore owner would blow his socks off.

  No doubt about that, she thought.

  ***

  Bradley followed Elinor along the sidewalk. The delicious aroma grew stronger as they neared the little bookstore. He had thought about checking it out for a book to read in bed and, more importantly, to see if they had internet service and a printer. He ought to ask Mona to resend those papers he had lost in the pond. First things first.

  “After you,” he said, holding the door open for Elinor. He spotted the sign stating the store did indeed have internet service. He should return with his laptop. If he could buy another phone, this was the place to get a lot done. Stacks of books beckoned to his right, but the left-hand space was filled with small tables, unmatched wooden chairs, and chatting couples. Beyond that, near the back of the space, was a line of display cases with curved glass fronts.

  “Antiques, by the look of them,” he said, pointing to the cases filled with cupcakes, scones, and sheet cakes. The sound of a gurgling coffee machine drew him to a counter behind the cases. A blonde head turned, and one of the most beautiful women he had ever beheld peered over the top of the case. She was at least half a foot shorter than Elinor, but her blue eyes were no match for the sparkle he found in Elinor’s dark chocolate orbs.

  “How can I help you? Oh, hi, Ellie!” The petite wisp of a woman hurried from behind the counter and hugged Elinor.

  “Hi, sis. This is Bradley. I believe he’s in dire need of coffee and some of your special homemade apple crisp.”

  Bradley glanced from one woman to the other. “You two are sisters?” They were both beautiful, in their own way, but the blonde’s grin overshadowed the look of sorrow on Elinor’s face.

  “Hard to imagine, isn’t it,” Elinor whispered, as her shoulders slumped.

  Was she trying to look smaller, like her sibling?

  “Hi, I’m Sarah Jane. I rarely see Ellie with a fella. Are you two on a date?”

  “No!” they both cried.

  Bradley was a little taken aback that Elinor responded so quickly, but he had as well, right? If they were truly on a date, would it be such a bad idea? “What we mean is that Elinor saved my life. She is also taking the time to help me navigate around town, now that I have inexplicably been marooned in lovely Snowflake Valley.” He looked longingly into Elinor’s eyes, while the little blonde beauty shuffled her feet nervously.

  “I know my big sister is quite the firefighter, so you met professionally?”

  “Yes. Seems a big red truck took up most of the road and my car nose-planted in an icy cold pond.”

  “Oh, my! Not our skating pond?”

  Bradley glanced at Elinor. Was that the one barely frozen? The dangerous one?

  “Yes. He slid down the far side, where it slopes down from the back road, near where the barn fire had started. He’s lucky he only suffered a bloody nose. His car…well,” Elinor shrugged her shoulders.

  “My, I believe you need to sit right down and let me bring you a tall latte, or a cappuccino?”

  “You are so kind, but if you have any fresh-brewed black coffee, that will set me up until the next time I come in here. I would like to use your Wi-Fi for my laptop.”

  “Bring it by,” Sarah Jane said. “In the meantime, I’ll grab two black coffees and two servings of my apple crisp.”

  “None for me, sis. I need to check on dad, then head to the fire house.”

  “You sure? You can call him. He’s got his phone, though when I called fifteen minutes ago the nurse told me he was asleep.”

  Regret washed over Bradley again. She showed him around town while undoubtedly worried about her father’s condition. “At least take a coffee to go. On me,” he said before she could protest further. A stray lock of her hair fell across one eye. Reaching out, he rubbed the coffee-colored strands between his thumb and forefinger. Silk. Or, satin.

  The little blonde had disappeared into the kitchen, he assumed. Elinor stood as motionless as a statue. He dropped his hand, and she stepped closer to the counter. Drumming her fingers on the cracked Formica top made him assume his touch had affected her. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? That she had to run off made him a little sad.

  Without waiting for Sarah Jane to return from the kitchen, Elinor walked behind the counter and poured coffee into two foam cups. She placed tops on both, walked back to his side, and pushed one into his right hand.

  “Thanks,” she whispered, and disappeared out the door.

  Her sister walked back from the kitchen. “She left?”

  “Yes, but she served us both.”

  “Oh, that’s okay. My sister and any of my good customers are welcome to help themselves. Here is that apple crisp, hot from the oven. I picked the apples myself last fall.”

  Suddenly exhausted, he asked Sarah Jane, “Could you please pack the snack so I can take it back with me? I have something I need to do back at the Peabody Inn.”

  “Sure. Here you go. Too bad about you and Ellie. I mean, that you’re not with Ellie. She’s a hardworking, level-headed gal, except when it comes to guys. She never seems to get it right, you know?”

  Thinking about the unwanted advances of the innkeeper, he figured he actually did understand. Was Sean the only man she had a problem with? What about the firefighters? They were all men, from what he had witnessed at his accident scene. They did not seem to give her the respect he knew she deserved.

  “I saw firsthand how hardworking she is. She also cleans up well.” Did she notice he stared at the door? Turning back to Sarah Jane, he added, “I mean, she and I were covered in mud. I ruined my clothes and lost my phone. It was quite the adventure. She got me safely to the inn and helped me track down the police officer who had handled the scene. Now I have to decide my next move.”

  She came out from behind the counter with a small paper bag decorated with curling ribbons and a bow. “I added a few holiday cookies at no charge, along with utensils and napkins. If this festival gets canceled, I’ll be stuck with a lot of unsold cookies. Took me a week to fill my freezer with cookie dough.”

  “The festival. Right. I heard her talking to Sean about it.”

  “He’s a major contributor to the festival, although he’s getting tons of advertising for his inn and Christmas tree farm.”

  “I met Greg Peabody, the tree farmer of the family. He helped at the accident scene.”

  Sarah Jane’s eyes got that dreamy look in them as she passed him the bag. “Isn’t he adorable? He rarely comes into town, though. Always making love to those trees. I hope the weather doesn’t hurt his business. He loves those trees. I wish…but, he should have been making a tree delivery in Montpelier.”

  “I overheard him say the distributor refused delivery. He said something about no snow means no sales.”

  She nibbled her bottom lip with concern, then turned away to help a customer holding a book.

  In my opinion, Greg is an idiot. He ought to get his butt into town more often, before someone else snatches her up.

  ***

  Hours later, back at the inn, and after a refreshing snack of apples baked in brown sugar and cinnamon, a cup of the best tasting coffee Bradley had consumed in what felt like a week, and a nap, he shoved his fully charged laptop into the shoulder bag and walked to the police station.

&nb
sp; Officer Rudy was there and passed him a plastic grocery bag. Inside, he saw a very dirty phone. “Yours?”

  He nodded.

  “Good luck,” Rudy said.

  Bradley returned to the bookstore. Sarah Jane waved at him, so he walked over and ordered a caramel latte and a roast turkey sandwich filled with stuffing and a slice of jellied cranberry sauce.

  “I use home baked whole grain bread, sliced thick.”

  While he waited for her to create her masterpiece, he strolled through the stacks of books. The store had an eclectic assortment with everything from thrillers to cookbooks to romance novels. He chose a western novel by an author he had always wanted to try and paid for it, along with his food and beverage.

  A small table by the window beckoned. Powering up his laptop, he signed onto the internet. Taking his glasses out of his shirt pocket, he set them on the bridge of his nose, then took a bite of his sandwich. The bread was still warm and the whole thing made him think of Thanksgiving suppers with his family.

  When was the last time I celebrated a holiday?

  The coming Christmas holiday was another example. Fleeing to Montreal to meet up with a curvy redhead was the closest thing to a celebration. No longer. No way would he head north, now. He would contact the woman as soon as he could replace his phone.

  “Need anything else?” Sarah Jane asked as she wiped a nearby table. “What’s that? It’s dripping all over the table.”

  “Damn!” he shoved a napkin under the leaking bag. “That used to be my phone. Someone found it, but it is wet.”

  “Let me shove it in a bag of rice, for you.”

  Before he could answer, she and the messy bag disappeared into the kitchen. Rice could not do any further harm, he supposed.

  Scrolling the headlines, he bit into his sandwich and sighed. Had he ever eaten a better sandwich? Five-star restaurants had nothing on the Snowflake Valley Bookstore and Café.

  When he finished his meal, including devouring two Christmas cookies shaped like a reindeer and Santa, he sat back in the chair and sipped his next cup of coffee. The latte had been smooth and topped with whipped cream, but he ordered plain black coffee, this time.