I want to feel such loyalty as they do to her.
In the meantime, he would meet with Sarah Jane as planned. The sleigh needed a paint job, and she knew where to go and what to buy. The auxiliary okayed putting the supplies on the town’s account, even though he had offered to pay.
With an hour left before he had agreed to meet Sarah Jane outside her store, he called the number of the ice rink company and finalized plans for them to show up in town. Using Mac’s garage as a meeting point was safer than having them come here, or meeting on Main Street.
With the rink delivery and set-up on the calendar, he called the snow-making gun renters. The machines were very loud and worked best at night, so they also agreed to meet at Mac’s garage. The field behind his shed was large enough to accommodate the machines, had power, and was farthest from homes. He prayed the fire crew would not hear the noise. He had already gotten Rudy to share the secret with his officers, in case citizens reported strange noises.
The call waiting tone sounded in his ear, so he ended his call with the snow operators and spoke with Mona. “What did you find out so quickly?”
“Bradley, dear, have faith. I know how to dig deep and let us say Sean Peabody is in financial trouble. He owes money on overdue loans from two banks. He has part-interest in a Christmas tree farm, and is dragging that business into the ground.”
“Oh, no! His brother, Greg, is a hard worker and a very nice person.” He did not mention Greg had also saved Elinor from his own brother’s attack.
“Yes, Greg Peabody has an excellent financial record, but numerous attempts to buy out his brother’s share of the family farm have been unsuccessful. Seems Sean has helped to ruin Greg’s name with any lenders, though I doubt Greg understands this.”
“Well, I have a plan.”
“Of course, you do. Did you finally figure out how to get a rental car to appear in Snowflake Valley?”
“Very funny, Mona.”
“Really, Bradley, can you not simply buy one? I know your finances, always have. If you’ve got it, why not use it?”
“I am using it! Who do you think is renting an ice rink and snow-making machines?”
Silence.
“Mona? Still there?”
“Well, that’s a surprise. No car, no plane, but you can afford to rent leisure activity machines? Why not buy everything?”
Bradley’s shoulders straightened, and he walked to his bedroom window. He could see most of Main Street from there, and an odd feeling filled his chest. He loved this town. The store fronts were decorated with Christmas lights, and people waved to each other as they passed. Pickups honked and waved to pedestrians crossing at the only blinking light. No traffic lights, no crime as far as he had heard, and everything would look magical once the snow started falling.
“Mona, you are a genius.”
“What did I say? Whatever it was, you owe me a long vacation.”
“Tell you what. Pack a bag, take a plane, train, or automobile and come save me. The Christmas Festival is in three days and I want you here.”
“You are tempting me. Where will I stay?”
“With me. First, there’s something I need to buy. Will you help me?”
Chapter 16
There were only a few days until the Christmas Festival and Ellie was starting to believe the whole thing wouldn’t be a total loss. Monetary contributions had come in from the oddest places, along with the promise of donations to make the games, food tables, and outside events as fun as humanly possible. This meant what money they raised from ticket sales would go straight to the fire department’s equipment fund.
The need for an assortment of equipment weighed heavy on her dad’s mind, and now on hers. A rescue late last year during a horrific winter storm had required snowmobiles to get to the patient on a trail just outside the valley. The ride back to the nearest road was a jarring, grueling ride for the patient who had rolled his snowmobile, since six firefighters had to carry him on a backboard through heavy snow. The need for a toboggan that could be hitched to the back of a snowmobile made sense. They found a style perfectly suited to carrying a backboard, which could be securely tied to it. The snowmobile would drive along packed trails, while the patient would slide gently behind it.
Their automatic defibrillator with EKG printout was fifteen years old and the battery would not hold a charge. The newer ones lasted weeks on a charge, and the fire department really needed two units.
She poured two cups of coffee and passed one to her dad. His ankle was raised on another chair and he’d leaned his cane against it.
“Are you sure you ought to be here at the fire department?”
“Daughter, I was going stir-crazy. I dressed myself and walked half a block until Mac spotted me, and helped me up into his tow truck.”
“You planned to walk all the way here?” His hair was grayer than the day he fell off the ladder, but his pale face sported rosy cheeks from the wind. The air temperature had dropped ten more degrees, giving everyone hope that snow was soon to follow.
“I want to help with the festival. I missed most of the potluck fundraiser because I got a little tired. This was the only way to prove to you and the doc that I am ready.”
“Okay, we can put you in charge of ticket sales. Having you there in the booth will bring all the townspeople out to see you.” He would also be safely inside the newly built fully enclosed ticket booth, out of the wind.
“Not exciting, but that will give me a chance to see folks, and let them know their chief will soon be back on the job.”
Ellie’s stomach took a dive to her shoes. She knew the Chief’s job was temporary, but she had finally gained the support of several of the crew. She couldn’t count Sean in that number. Bradley, either. He had his own agenda.
“Have you seen your sister lately?”
“Just at breakfast, or when you send me on a book-scouting errand. She’s busy cooking up a storm. She’ll have a booth out front of the store to make money, but has already promised four dozen assorted pastries for us to sell.”
“What about that city fellow? I hear he’s still hanging around town.”
She knew who he meant. The memory of their last kiss made her lick her lips. Her stomach quivered and she rubbed her suddenly damp palms against her thighs. “Who?”
“Elinor…you know exactly who I mean. That guy our fire department ran off the road. We haven’t had a lawsuit drop on the town’s legal team, so I hope he left town.”
“Bradley Wainwright has plans to leave, although rumor has it that he is helping the Christmas Festival committee in some capacity. He’s probably pressuring them into allowing him to man a kissing booth. Oh, Lord!” She walked out of the kitchen and into the truck bay. What made her say a foolish thing as that? Would her dad figure out how much she wanted that man in her bed?
She slipped out the side door, leaned against the building, and watched people passing by. Two people near the shed behind Mac’s garage, two blocks toward Main Street, looked familiar.
Is that really Sarah Jane? With Bradley?
She really shouldn’t be surprised, but seeing them together hurt. Bradley insisted they were just friends, but why were they together? Sarah Jane had a business to run. Her ex-boyfriend had nearly ruined her business and her credit, and paying employees was a hardship for her. Hadn’t she told Ellie this every time she brought up the possibility of expanding her business? Were those cans of paint swinging between them?
The urge to follow them tore through her and she rushed back into the kitchen. “Dad, will you be okay for a while? I have to check on something down the street.”
“I guess so. I can walk, you know.”
She topped off his coffee and placed a tin can full of Christmas cookies on the table near his elbow. “Don’t eat them all.”
Throwing on a jacket, Ellie, walked briskly in the direction the two lovebirds had headed. Calling them that was a bit childish, but she was hurt. Sarah Jane got anyone
she wanted, even though each and every love-struck fellow turned into a jerk. Ellie was smarter than her sister. Not dating jerks meant not dating.
Loneliness makes me act foolish.
Sighing, she caught a glimpse of her quarry pulling open the door to a large barn at the back corner of Mac’s property, the same building where they planned to house the fire engines and water tanker during the Christmas Festival. The same place Greg said he was storing the decorated Christmas trees for the auction. Were they secretly working on a tree? Otherwise, why would they be going into Mac’s building together?
Jogging across the road, she hesitated as she crept along the side of the old building. It was huge, she knew, which was why she had asked Mac if they could park the rigs inside. The door was high and wide, and the two had left it open about two feet, enough to squeeze through sideways. She peered cautiously inside.
Sarah Jane and Bradley had stopped near the back by a large object covered by a big blue tarp. They set their respective paint cans at their feet. Bradley lifted the tarp off and Sarah Jane whooped and clapped. When he came back to her side, she hugged him.
Ellie pulled back, wiping tears from her cheek. She wasn’t sure what they were planning to do with an old sleigh, but their liaison was too intimate to watch. With her heart in her throat, she headed back to the fire house.
***
“The sleigh looks in good repair,” Bradley said, “except for the flaking paint. Did you say Mac dropped off some tools?”
“Yes. An electric sander, steel wool for the metal runner blades, and some mechanic’s tools so we can make sure all the bolts are tight. How about I start cleaning the upholstery while you sand the front panel?”
Bradley nodded and dug through the pile for an extension cord and then found an outlet. The noise of the sander filled the barn, so talk wasn’t practical. Sarah Jane went to work on the seat’s grimy leather, while he sanded the old paint down enough for a coat of primer. About an hour later, they were hard at work on painting every surface with the protective undercoating.
“This will have to dry overnight. Can we meet here again tomorrow, so we can paint on the top coat?” Sarah Jane asked.
“Can you leave your business again?”
“School’s out for the Christmas break so I have both my part-timers working fulltime. I stayed up late to make sure there were enough muffins, scones, and cupcakes ready. I do feel guilty being here with you, instead of working.”
Bradley smiled at her. “Sarah Jane, you are working, but not for pay. I realize this type of volunteer work is actually more valuable than earned income. I like getting my hands dirty. If I don’t get a call I have been waiting for, I will have nowhere to clean up. I suppose Mac will let me use his garage’s restroom.”
“What does that mean, nowhere to go? Oh, Dear Lord! What did Sean do?” She tossed her brush in a can of solvent, grabbed a piece of cloth and stormed over to where he was finishing painting primer on the front of the sled.
“He tossed me to the curb. No, I have not yet moved out. I have faith I will receive a call soon, saying my plans have progressed.”
“What plans?”
He added his paintbrush to the can and wiped paint from his hands. He tapped her petite nose while smiling down at her. “I don’t wish to jinx it. Suffice it to say, I might not sever all ties with Snowflake Valley.”
He pulled his ringing phone from his back pocket. “Maybe this is good news now.”
Sarah Jane’s eyebrows shot up, but she moved away to give him some privacy.
“Mona, give me the news. Right. Great. Both? Fine. Email the papers to that lady lawyer I mentioned. The one living on the outskirts of town. She came highly recommended. Yes, but she is looking for an office in town. Thank you. When will I see you? That soon? Perfect. You are a sweetheart. Yes, I love you, too, Mona.”
When he turned to speak to Sarah Jane, her hands were on her hips and her eyes wide open. “Mona? Your sweetheart? You’re in love with her?”
Chuckling, he said. “Mona is my administrative assistant. She works magic and keeps me in line. Yes, I love her, but I am not in love with her. You’ll meet her soon.”
“You know that new lawyer? She comes into the store for coffee at times. She’s very pretty.”
“Anne Barton? That’s the one. She said she hails from White River Junction, but she graduated from Harvard Law. Mona has informed me that once that lawyer presents the paperwork to Sean Peabody, I will be the new owner of the inn, as well as his share of the Peabody Tree farm.”
She frowned.
“What is wrong?”
“You’ll own the inn and the tree farm? What will happen to Greg?”
Chapter 17
Bradley had forgotten about Sarah Jane’s obvious feelings for the boy and Greg’s silent worship of little Sarah Jane. Walking closer, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Sarah Jane, Sean was so far behind in his mortgage payments, he had been taking money out of the tree farm’s account to try to catch up. If nothing changed soon, he would have ruined Greg. Both businesses would have entered foreclosure by the end of the month. My lawyer made him an offer he could not refuse.”
“But Sean owned only half of the tree farm.”
“Now, I do. I like Christmas trees, but I am no farmer. Greg will still be in charge of the operation. The finances surrounding the farm had a slight advantage months ago, which is why Sean confronted his brother many times to force him to sell it. Instead, he siphoned money out of it and I doubt Greg knows. My lawyer has the bank statements to prove it.”
“Sean would do that to his own brother? Greg loves the farm!”
“People do crazy things over money. Your own sister would be appalled to find that we spent fifty dollars to spruce up this old sleigh.”
“You bought the supplies.”
“With the town’s appropriated money. Not mine.”
“Well, Ellie would say that with no snow, this sleigh is going nowhere, so you only wasted their money.”
“That is taken care of.”
“How?”
“I have not shared this secret with anyone but the festival committee and the police. I ordered snow-making machines. It’s a secret, because Elinor would want to know who was paying for their rental. I also have that man-made ice-skating rink coming. You helped me collect donations from larger businesses to help fund it. Buying the inn was necessary, or I would find myself homeless tonight. Money is for spending, and I find I am enjoying spending it in Snowflake Valley.”
Sarah Jane flew into his arms the same moment the door to the big empty building slid open.
“What the heck do you two think you are doing?” a deep voice bellowed.
“Dad!” Sarah Jane pushed out of Bradley’s arms and ran toward her father. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to find out what my other daughter had seen.”
“Ellie? She’s not here.”
Bradley brought a bale of hay over and helped the Chief sit. He laid his cane beside him.
“I’m afraid she was. She came back into the fire house kitchen with such a sorrow-filled look. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and it took me some time to learn what had made her so sad. Since I saw it with my own eyes, I can also assume Ellie saw the two of you clinched.”
“Oh dear!” she said, “We were so happy when we uncovered the sleigh, we did hug. She saw?”
Sarah Jane looked at him, but he felt horrible. Their innocent hug might have looked like much more to a silent witness, the way the Chief thought the moment he entered, and saw them in each other’s arms. “I will not lie. We hugged. Twice, but in friendship. We are happy that we found the sleigh, and had just finished priming it. Tomorrow, we will paint it red.”
“I figured you two weren’t an item.”
Bradley smiled at him, then turned to his daughter. “I have a feeling Sarah Jane’s heart has been claimed by another. Whether both will eventually realize this and act upon it is a myst
ery, but that person is not me.”
“Understandable, but Ellie is pig-headed. I have no idea why she looked so sad. Do you?” The chief stared at him.
He took a deep breath. “I like your daughter. Elinor, I mean. More than like, but she sees me as a temporary fling. Things can always change. People can change, too. However, she will not give me a chance.” He looked at Sarah Jane. He could tell she wanted to share his news about the inn and the tree farm, but he shook his head. Winning Elinor’s heart simply because he might stay around was not how he wished her to come to love him.
Love? Am I in love with Elinor?
“Well, I best get back to the fire house before she notices I left. My ankle is not yet ready for long walks.”
“I’ll walk back with you, dad, then I need to go back to the store to bake. The afternoon went by in a flash. I forgot how much I enjoy decorating and refurbishing. The sleigh will be in tip-top condition after tomorrow. The festival is nearly a reality and I will have a lovely booth right on our sidewalk.” She turned and grabbed Bradley’s hands. “We did well today. I’ll meet you back here tomorrow. Same time?”
He nodded and watched them leave. Sarah Jane wrapped an arm through her father’s and his cane clicked along the floor. Bradley did not wish to head to the inn yet. Best to wait for the lawyer’s call. He was buying the inn anonymously, with the caveat that the previous owner move out within twenty-four hours, but the staff stays and makes sure every guest was comfortable. He could slip into his room and sleep until things changed. Then he would call Greg about the tree farm, to reassure him that he had no plans to do anything but help monetarily when needed.
A silent partner. Sounds right, where the tree farm is concerned.
He was more worried about running a bed and breakfast. He liked the place and its half-dozen employees. Setting up a local person to manage the place would require some thought.
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