Christmas in a Snowstorm

by Lois Richer

  A very gentle tap on the door roused her. She walked over and opened it. Sam Calhoun and a young woman stood on the step.

  “Good morning. Joy, this is Kira. She’s a junior wrangler here on the ranch, but she also helps out with my brothers’ kids in a pinch.”

  “Come in.” Joy stood back to let them inside her borrowed home, not sure exactly why she needed to know this girl, but very thankful she’d taken the time after she’d risen to comb her hair and dab on some makeup, before Sam’s arrival.

  She refused to consider why that mattered.

  “Kira’s going to stay with the kids while you and I drive over to the house and retrieve whatever you need to start, or, should I say, to keep baking,” he said with a glance at the cookies. “We should be there and back before the kids wake up. But if there’s a problem, Kira has my phone number and she’ll call.”

  “Right away,” the young woman promised with a big smile. “If you’re not back, I’ll make breakfast for them and be sure they’re ready for school. I do that for Sam’s brothers’ kids all the time when they need me.” When she smiled, her freckles stood out against her white teeth.

  “I’m not sure—”

  “I’m not sure either, Joy. But the only way to be sure is to go take a look. Agreed?” Sam lifted her coat off the hook and held it out for her to slip her arms inside. “Gloves?”

  “In my pocket.” She tugged on her boots, half-bemused and not really certain what this trip was going to accomplish. But if there was even the sliver of a chance she could keep her business operating, she had to grab it.

  “Good to go?” Sam tilted his head to one side when she nodded. “I was kind of hoping you’d wear the hat again.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “That’s a no?” He shrugged. “Shoot. That hat would have come in handy. Well, we’ll just hope and pray a bear hasn’t stopped by to taste your supplies.”

  “A bear?” Joy gulped. She’d never even given wild animals a thought in the three months she’d lived in the semi-isolated house.

  “Kidding. Let’s go.” He ushered her outside then turned to Kira. “Phone if you need to.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Kira promised.

  Joy started down the stairs then stopped, surprised to see two other men waiting near a red crew cab truck with Hanging Hearts Ranch painted in white on its side.

  “I think you’ve met my brothers, Drew and Zac,” Sam explained. “They’ll give us a hand moving whatever you need. One thing about being a Calhoun—you can always call on your brothers for help, no matter how early it is.”

  “Best not push that too far, Sam.” One of the men waggled a warning finger. “There’s always payback.”

  Both men said good morning to Joy, tipped their Stetsons and politely waited by an open truck door for her to climb into the front seat. Next to Sam, she noted with a gulp.

  They were a handsome trio, these Calhoun men; all three tall, lean, and dashing. But Sam won first place in the looks department for his cute, mussed-up appearance and those bittersweet chocolate eyes—what woman didn’t love chocolate?—framed by incredibly long, thick lashes. That whole picture was enhanced by his mouth, perpetually, it seemed, curved into a smile that did funny things to her heart rate.

  Not that Joy was interested in Sam. Oh, no. She didn’t have either the time or the desire for romance. Men were trouble and she did not need more trouble. She had enough to do just trying to keep her business going and care for her family.

  “Your cookies smelled awesome. You must have been up very early. Tired?” Sam asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

  “No. Just—wondering what we’ll find,” she said. “I hope there’s not too much structural damage. For your sake,” she added, lest he think she was being selfish.

  “The house is insured. Don’t worry about that,” he reassured her. “I think it’s more important to get your baking business operating again.”

  “But—” She hesitated before blurting, “I can’t keep staying in your cabin. We have to find someplace to live.”

  “Why can’t you stay there?” Zac leaned forward. “Is there something wrong with the place?”

  “No, it’s wonderful,” she said quickly. “But it’s where Sam planned to stay. We’re taking his space.”

  The two men in the back scoffed at that.

  “Trust us, Sam’s better off in the main house, where Mom’s got the freezer so jammed full of food, all he has to do is put it in the microwave,” Drew said.

  “Sam’s a horrible cook,” Zac added.

  “Not true,” Sam protested, though he didn’t seem upset by their comments.

  “Let me rephrase.” Zac faked a cough. “Sam can cook, but the mess he makes is a nightmare. We used to hate it when it was his turn to make dinner because cleanup lasted till bedtime.”

  “Focusing on the house now,” Sam reminded everyone as he pulled up in front of it. “Whoa!”

  “Vast understatement, especially for a guy who uses words to earn his living,” Drew joked, but he, too, sounded stunned by what he saw.

  With the sun’s rays not quite cresting, the house looked like a scary movie scene with its jagged roofline and branches sticking out all over. It appeared far worse now than it had looked in the storm of last night. The men’s sudden silence told Joy this was not going to be the easy fix she’d prayed for.

  “Let’s take a look,” Zac suggested quietly as he opened his truck door.

  “Would you mind staying put for a few minutes, Joy? Just until we make sure it’s safe inside?” Sam’s darkening brown eyes echoed the grim downward twist of his lips.

  “Okay.” She gulped. She hadn’t even thought of the place falling around her ears when she’d been in there last night.

  “Won’t be long.” Sam exited the vehicle, but left it running with the heat on.

  Joy watched as the brothers tromped through the snow, pointing and calling out to each other as they walked around to the left. It felt like an hour passed as she waited nervously for their return.

  About ready to jump out and inspect the place herself, Joy sighed in relief when two of the Calhoun brothers finally reappeared on the opposite side of the house. Sam shook his head at Drew, who pointed and talked. After a few moments they seemed to come to some agreement and Sam returned to the truck.

  “Well?” she asked when he was inside, warming his hands against the vent.

  “You can’t go in,” he said firmly.

  “But I have to—”

  Sam whipped the truck into gear.

  “Wait! What about your broth—” She stopped when she realized he was turning around so the truck’s rear faced the house.

  Then there was a thud as Drew pulled down the tailgate. Zac appeared and pushed in a heaping box of stuff.

  “We’re going to take out what we can today, like the food and whatever else you want. Anything you don’t need will go into a storage container that Drew will order. Okay?” As Sam waited for her response, she noted the strain on his face.

  “It’s that bad?” Joy whispered. Horrified when he nodded, she whispered, “Tell me.”

  “A beam fell last night. I guess the weight of the tree was too much, or maybe the initial fall damaged some rafters.” Sam gulped and then continued in a very subdued tone. “The beam fell across two of the bedrooms. If you and the kids had been in there...” He shook his head. “Thank God you got them out.”

  “And that you came along,” she added with a shudder. “If—”

  “Let’s not think about what-ifs now,” he suggested. “The important thing is to get what you need and move on.” He opened his door.

  “Sam?” When he turned to face her, Joy asked, “Can I carry some things? You could hand them to me so I wouldn’t need to go in.”

  He shrugged. “If you want, but you d
on’t have to.”

  “I’ll feel better doing something.” Joy got out of the truck and walked around the side of the house. “Tell them not to bother with anything liquid,” she said when she spied Zac through the window, examining her flavoring supplies. “Most lose their usefulness when frozen, and it was pretty cold last night. They’re garbage.”

  “How about you tell me what you want and I’ll bring it out?” Sam suggested.

  “Good idea.” She began listing items. “None of the canned stuff. It could be spoiled. I’ll take all the flour. It’s in a big silver tin. There should be sugar in a matching tin beside it and a couple more bags of it on the supply shelf in the pantry. I also need the mixing bowls and my big mixer.”

  Sam left to retrieve them while Joy mentally sorted through her stock. After he came back and had pushed his load into the truck bed, she was ready.

  “I’ll take everything in the fridge and the freezer. Also, the baking pans and the rack they’re on, if it’s still any good. All the pots and pans.” She mentally cast her eyes around the space. “The big drawer on the end has my spoons and utensils, which I’ll need. Oh, and my packaging containers. I’ll want them to fill orders. They’re in the porch. They have Joy’s Treats printed on the side.”

  They sorted and loaded things as the sun slowly rose. When Sam emerged with an armload of clothes, Joy offered a suggestion.

  “Why not just dump all the kids’ clothes in their suitcases? There are large navy ones under each of their beds.”

  “You want to come in and get your own things, though, don’t you?” Sam sighed when she nodded. “Can’t blame you. Okay. We’ve stabilized the place somewhat but walk carefully. A lot of snow has blown in and the floors are slippery.” After ensuring her room was safe, he left her there, but not before warning, “Five minutes. That’s all you’re getting.”

  “Sam?” She hated to ask but it was important to her.

  “Yeah?” He faced her, Stetson pushed back on his head, looking lean, competent and in control. That made it easier to ask.

  “There’s a box under the sofa in the living room. It’s full of pictures and memorabilia of my kids.” She stopped, hesitated. “Would you be able to—That is, do you think...”

  “I’ll find it,” he promised and then tapped his watch. “Four minutes left.”

  She’d just stuffed the last bit of her clothing into a garbage bag when he pushed his head around the door.

  “Time’s up.”

  “I’m finished.” Joy released the bag into his outstretched hand and accepted his other hand to help navigate the area around her bed where the tree had deposited a big branch.

  But outside, when she saw the truck bed piled helter-skelter with her things, a lump lodged in her throat. All her work to make this place their home, and now it was... No! She couldn’t think like that. This would be their fresh start.

  “Strikes me that we didn’t pack any toys,” Drew murmured, rubbing his chin. “If you’ll tell me where they are, I can retrieve a few. Kids need toys.”

  “Listen to Mr. Father here,” Zac teased. “You’ve been a daddy, what, two years? And now you’re the fount of knowledge?”

  “Yep.” Drew grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m a fast learner.”

  “Joy?” Sam frowned as he studied her. “Toys? Are they in the shed?”

  She was embarrassed by how few unbroken toys her children owned. She simply hadn’t had the money to spend on them. Nor did she have enough now to buy them new ones for Christmas presents this year. But she’d put on a brave face and pretend or these men would feel sorry for her and Joy did not want their pity. Especially not Sam’s.

  “I took some toys with us last night,” she said. “There are only a couple of snow-sliding mats in the shed. They’re wrecked, but the kids did have some wooden toys in a metal box on the floor by the sofa. They could use those.” The words had barely left her mouth when Zac and Drew disappeared around the side of the house. “This is so nice of you all,” she began then gasped. “Oh!”

  “What?” Sam studied her. “I know you want to see your kids off to school this morning, so you better talk fast. What did you just remember?”

  “There’s a navy bag tucked on the very top shelf of my closet, at the back. I need to get it.” She started walking toward the house but Sam grabbed her arm.

  “I’ll find it. You get in the truck and warm up.”

  “No! I have to get it myself.” She tried to ease free, but just then a branch cracked and fell, smashing a window.

  Sam seemed to freeze. His face blanched and his fists clenched at his sides. He stared at the house, his expression revealing his alarm.

  Concerned, Joy stepped forward and touched his shoulder. “Sam?”

  He reared away at her touch, glazed eyes staring at her. Several moments passed before he seemed to shake off his dazed state and refocus.

  “Get in the truck,” he ordered before he took off running toward the house yelling, “Zac! Drew! Everything okay?”

  Confused by what had just happened, Joy watched him disappear, wondering what had caused him to zone out like that. But she was also scared. Because of her, these wonderful men might be hurt. She sent a plea heavenward while her gaze remained glued to the house.

  Finally the three brothers reappeared, laughing about something. Sam looked as if the earlier incident where he’d spaced out had never happened as he handed her the bag that contained the money she hadn’t had time to deposit.

  While they drove away, she tucked the precious bag in her pocket. “What was so funny?” she asked.

  “Drew scared a skunk,” Sam told her, chuckling. “When that branch fell, the skunk was more afraid than we were and left. Fast.”

  “Otherwise I’d be walking back to the Double H,” Drew assured her dryly.

  “Because skunk aroma is killer,” Zac clarified when she frowned in confusion.

  “Oh.” Joy felt dumb.

  The three men didn’t pay her much attention as they teased each other on the short ride back to the house. They quickly carried in her supplies while Joy explained to her startled children that from now on they’d be riding the bus to school from the ranch.

  “After school you’ll get off here, not our old place,” she reminded Josh when Kira had left. She kissed him and Becca, told them to have a good day and watched as they raced out to the waiting school bus looking carefree, as if this was a new adventure she’d arranged specifically for their enjoyment. “Now you and I must get to work,” she told Cris.

  “Zac and Drew have taken your big stuff to an empty storage shed we have here,” Sam explained. “There’s too much for you to store in here, but we can retrieve it whenever you want.”

  “Thank you.” She hadn’t noticed the other men leave, hadn’t even said thank-you. These Calhouns were amazing.

  “You didn’t have breakfast, right, Joy? How about we have some toast before you start baking?” Sam suggested. “I’m guessing you’ll need more baking supplies, too.” He plopped four slices of bread into the toaster.

  “I guess,” she agreed and checked the fridge. “I used some of your eggs, flour and butter for the shortbread. There’s still some left of each. I have what you brought from my place, too, so I could get started on a couple of cake orders, I suppose.” She liked the way Sam didn’t wait to be served. He saw a need and got to work filling it.

  “I have to go into town. If you give me a list, I’ll pick up whatever groceries you need while I’m there,” he said, slathering butter on the now brown toast. “Want peanut butter, too?”

  “Yes, please. And thank you.” His absence would give her time to get refocused on baking and decide what orders she could fill and which she’d have to cancel. “It will take me a minute to make a list.”

  “No rush.” Sam put the toast on the table and
sat down next to Cris. While they ate, she scribbled a list of what she needed and he chatted with her son. Joy was almost finished when Sam rose to pour her another cup of coffee.

  “Can Cris come with me?” He met her surprised glance with a grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll borrow a car seat for him. From Abby. She’s Zac’s wife.”

  “Do you want to go?” Joy asked Cris, chastising herself for thinking that she could get so much more done if she didn’t have to entertain her young son. When Cris eagerly nodded, she sought Sam’s gaze and found it on her. “I guess he could. If he won’t be too much trouble.”

  “He won’t be,” Sam insisted with a wink at the boy. “We’ll have fun. List ready? Then come on, Cris. Let’s get your jacket.”

  He finished his coffee, then gathered the dishes and loaded the dishwasher while Joy helped her son dress for the winter weather. She tried to give Sam money for the groceries, but he insisted it would be easier if he bought them and gave her the bill later. She stood by the window, watching as the big man helped her young son down the stairs and into the waiting vehicle, which someone had driven over after installing a booster seat.

  It had been a long time since Joy had allowed her kids to go anywhere with anyone other than her. Funny how it felt okay to let Cris go with Sam. She mulled over that for a few minutes, trying to understand why, until she realized she was wasting precious time thinking about Sam again when she should be working.

  But as Joy mixed cakes and cooked squares to fill today’s special orders, she couldn’t get her mind off the good-looking, easygoing reporter who seemed so conscientious about her and the kids. He’d gone totally above and beyond for them.

  So why did Joy feel she wasn’t seeing the real Sam, that he was hiding something?

  Why would he do that?

  * * *

  “I’m sorry to bug you, Jerry. I know you city guys don’t like to come out here in winter, but I need the house assessed right away. I have a hunch you’ll tell me it’s a write-off, but at least once the insurance forms are under way, I can think about the next move.” Sam listened to the other man’s agreement before ending the call. “You okay?” he asked Cris, surprised the little boy had left most of his doughnut uneaten.