Simon and Caro showed him their driver licenses.
Foster flipped open a pad. “Mr. Novak, the dispatcher said you were driving by and saw suspicious activity.”
“Actually, we were coming here to drop off a Christmas tree.” Simon pointed at the tree and Kroger walked over to it. “A black SUV was pulling out onto Big Bear Road as we were about to turn onto Beaver Pond.”
“Why is that suspicious?” Foster asked.
“The owner, Heather Campbell, has a restraining order against two men who were threatening her and her family in Littleton. She’s new to the area and knows very few people. We knew she’d taken her kids to the Sunday school Christmas pageant practice at Snowflake Chapel this evening.”
Foster looked at him. “So, you were bringing her a Christmas tree when you knew she wasn’t home?”
Simon chanted he’s only doing his job; he’s only doing his job to control his tongue.
“Exactly. It’s a secret gift for the kids,” Caro said.
Foster gave her a glare that would have melted iron, but didn’t faze Caro.
She went on, “Heather’s daughter told me she didn’t think they were going to be able to have a tree this year because they cost too much.”
You go girl, Simon wanted to shout.
“The tree does have a tag on it that says from your secret angel,” Kroger said.
Foster shuffled the licenses to check Caro’s. “And Ms. Price, what is your relationship to the property owner?”
Simon nodded toward Caro to go first.
“Heather’s daughter is in the Sunday school class I help with, and Heather and I are new friends.”
Foster scratched on the pad before lifting his gaze to Simon.
“What about you, Novak?”
“Ms. Campbell’s son Jake is on the junior high wrestling team I coach.” Simon decided saying they were friends would open a can of worms that didn’t exist.
“Okay,” the deputy said, handing their IDs back. “The info you gave on the restraining order checks out, as does your reason for being here. Two more things. You said you had a license plate number.”
“Yes.” Caro handed the slightly crinkled paper she’d held clutched in her gloved hand.
Foster smoothed it out on the pad before motioning Kroger to come get it. “And, Novak, you told the dispatcher the SUV was headed north on Big Bear, away from Snowflake.”
“Yes.” North was away from Snowflake.
“Okay,” Foster said. “I have your phone number if I need to contact you. Ms. Price, give me yours and you’re both free to go.”
“Wait.” Caro raised her hands, eyes closed as if she were trying to remember something. She opened her eyes. “The SUV was a Ford. I didn’t notice the model.”
“Thank you, and your phone number?”
Caro gave it to Foster, and Simon walked her to the truck. She sighed as Simon climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Not exactly the evening you planned?” he teased.
“Not by a long shot. It came a little too close to some of my nights at the ER for my comfort.”
“All the more reason to take a look at that position at the medical center here in Snowflake.” He swallowed and changed his tone from teasing to serious. “I’d like a chance to get to know you better.”
Simon couldn’t begin to read her expression. Had he been too direct? Was she trying to come up with a polite way to say she didn’t feel the same? Right now, their relationship was based on him helping her with her secret angel gift. The last thing he needed to do was plunge into another one-sided relationship that was based on what he could give her.
Like his marriage.
He gunned the engine to plow through the newly fallen snow on the unplowed section of the road. He couldn’t be that mistaken. She was nothing like his ex. He did want to get to know Caro better. And he didn’t think she was against that idea.
* * *
Caro struggled to keep her expression neutral as her heart slammed against her chest. Simon wanted her to stay in Snowflake. Giddiness reminiscent of high school bubbled up inside her.
She reached inside for a teasing tone to match Simon’s. “I’ll take your suggestion about the medical center job under advisement.”
A pensive expression settled on Simon’s face, sending a rush of apprehension through her. He had said he’d like to pursue their relationship.
“I’d like to get to know you better, too.” She bit her bottom lip and released it. “And we can do that even if I don’t stay in Snowflake. Aurora isn’t that far away.”
“To be upfront, I don’t put much stock in long-distance relationships. It may not be a good gauge, but my only experience with a long-distance relationship was my marriage. And that didn’t work out. I can attest that absence did not make the heart grow fonder in my ex-wife’s case.”
Caro hadn’t any experience with a long-distance romance or any really serious romance at all. She drew on her inner strength. “I’m not your ex-wife.”
Simon gave her an exaggerated once over. “You certainly are not.”
“I say we go for it. Medical center job or not, I’m here for a couple more weeks, until after New Year’s.”
“Caro, I … I’m glad we’re doing this.” He reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Hands on the wheel, mister. You almost missed the turn onto Gram’s street.” Caro used her warning to release the indescribable joy that filled her.
“Yes, ma’am.” He made the turn and pulled into her grandmother’s driveway.
“Do you want to come in?” Caro asked.
“I should get home. School tomorrow.”
Various emotions collided inside her. He didn’t want to come in. What she wouldn’t give to have a little more romance experience. She’d have to rely on one better. Let go and let God.
Simon tuned off the truck. Her emotions calmed some. Had he changed his mind?
“I really can’t come in, but a gentleman always walks a lady to her door.”
“Of course.” She waited for him to walk around the front of the truck and open her door. He helped her out and placed his hand on the small of her back to walk her to the porch. “Hmm. Gram didn’t put the porch light on. Maybe I’d better go right in.”
Simon glanced in the window. “Your grandmother looks fine. She just sat down on the couch with a bowl of something.”
“Oh.” Caro laughed. “She left the light off on purpose.”
“Yep,” he said. “For this purpose.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in for a kiss.
She threw her arms around his neck.
He pulled her closer, and his lips finally melded with hers. Caro kissed him back and tightened her arms around him to keep him close and continue the hum of caring buzzing through her.
A car driving by pulled them apart too soon. She lowered one hand and stroked his beard. “Before you kissed me the first time, I wondered what it would feel like to kiss a man with a beard. I never had before.”
“And what did it feel like?”
Heaven. But her feelings were too new. “It tickled a little, but I liked it.”
“I liked it, too. A lot.”
Caro lowered her hand. “Why did you grow it?”
“My rookie year with the Broncos, when we were struggling to make the playoffs, a bunch of us decided to let our beards grow until we made it to the AFL Championship and a spot in the Super Bowl.”
“Did you make it?”
“Nah, we didn’t even make post season play. Most of the guys shaved then, but I just had my beard trimmed up. I thought the beard made me look less baby-faced.”
Caro looked up into his eyes. There was nothing babylike about Simon.
“For a definitive ruling, I think we need an instant replay of beards and kisses,” he said.
“I concur.”
The last thing Caro thought before she surrendered her fear and lost herself in the kiss, was I can do this. Want to d
o this. Even if nothing long-term comes of it.
Chapter Nine
His cell phone pinged on the stand next to his bed. Simon picked it up bleary eyed. 7:00 am. Who was texting him this early, after he’d stayed up last night to watch Monday night football? Caro. He swiped the screen.
Please call me when you get this.
He sat up straight and pushed Caro’s contact icon. Had something happened with her grandmother? Waiting for Caro to answer, he got out of bed and reached for the jeans he’d worn yesterday.
It was probably two rings, but it felt like forever before Caro picked up with a cheerful “hi.”
“Hi. Is everything okay?” He dropped his jeans on the bed and ran his hand over his hair.
“Yeah. Oh, the early time. I didn’t think. I woke you up. It’s your first day of break.”
“I’m wide awake now. What’s up?”
“You won’t believe it! I woke up early. Earlier than this. And I searched for Hope’s nativity scene.”
Caro’s excitement was contagious. “And you found one?” he asked.
“Yes!”
Over the past week, he and Caro had called every antique dealer and consignment store within 100 miles of Snowflake, as well as searching the internet for estate and garage sales, which were few and far between because of the holidays and the weather.
“There’s an estate sale, billed as a last-minute holiday shopping treasure trove. The ad lists a nativity by the same artist who made the one in the This and That Shop. It’s about twenty miles south of Snowflake.”
“Great.” Simon yawned. He shared Caro’s excitement, but could have waited another hour to hear about the nativity.”
“I have a problem, though.”
“You’ve run out of gift money?” He blurted his first thought. “I said I wouldn’t mind contributing funds if you ran short.”
“No, that’s not it, although I appreciate the offer. I wanted to get to the sale when the doors open at 8:30, but Gram has a doctor’s appointment.”
“You want me to take her? What time?”
“9:00, but I’d better take her, so I can go in and listen to what the doctor says. You know how she can be.”
“Yes, I do,” he said remembering getting to the tree lighting a couple of weeks ago.
“I’d like you to go to the estate sale and pick up the nativity scene for Hope. You’ll need to stop by here first and pick up the money for it.”
“Not a problem. I can pay for it, and you can pay me back. I’ll stop by the bank ATM on my way.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’d feel better giving you the cash for it.”
Simon was learning not to press Caro when her voice held the tone it had now and congratulated himself on that evolution. In his other relationships, including his marriage, either he hadn’t really listened as he did to Caro, or they’d simply agreed to what he offered and jumped on him about it later.
“Fine. I’ll get dressed and be right over.” He could pick up something to eat on the way and still be at the sale early.
“Love you.” Caro said followed by a long silence during which his heart pounded so hard his breath went short, and he thought he might be having a heart attack.
“For doing this for me.”
Simon cleared his throat. “Not a problem. Love you, too.” He ignored her qualifier and hung up before Caro could take her words back. Although he hadn’t realized it until this very moment, he knew he meant his words with all his heart. Being with Caro, helping her play secret angel had brought him more joy and satisfaction than he’d felt in a long time. It totally eclipsed the joy and satisfaction he got from teaching or had gotten from pro football his first few years.
Caro met him inside the breezeway, door open, with a crooked smile on her face. “This is awkward. What I said on the phone.”
“Not at all. If you hadn’t, who knows how long it would have taken to jar me into realizing that I’m falling, have fallen in love with you.”
“I …I … you,” she stuttered and took a deep breath. “I may be, too.” She shook her head. “I haven’t ever been before.”
He was a guy. He couldn’t help it. His heart and ego swelled with the thought that he would be her first love. And last, if he had any control over it, which it was unlikely he did. “Take your time. I’ll be here for you. I have all the time in the world.” Even if he didn’t have the patience. But he’d control that as best he could. He didn’t want to upset things by moving faster than Caro wanted.
“Simon.”
He heard Ruth before he saw her.
“I didn’t know you were here already. I’ll bet you skipped breakfast.”
“I thought I’d grab something on the way.”
Caro’s eyes narrowed. A reaction to her grandmother’s interruption?
“At least have a cup of coffee with us,” Ruth said. “We don’t have to leave until 8:00.”
“I planned to get on my way to the sale by 7:45.”
Simon’s words gained him a smile from Caro that calmed his jitters about her expression after Ruth walked in on them. She’d been concerned about him getting to the sale early.
“Well,” Ruth said, “I’ll pour you a mug of coffee to go.”
“While Gram does that, I’ll get you the information I printed about the estate sale.”
Caro met him at the kitchen doorway with a sheet of paper.
“Good luck,” she and Ruth said as they hustled him toward the breezeway door.
He stopped at the door. “You know, with you shooing me out like this, I could get the idea you didn’t want me around or something. That is, if I wasn’t confident that the only reason you are is for a good cause.”
“Go,” Caro said, pointing at his truck and laughing.
Her laugh was one of the many things he loved about her. He couldn’t wait to see her reaction when he came back with the nativity scene. Simon glanced at his phone for the time when he got to the convenience store that sold breakfast sandwiches. He was good for time. There was no line to order, and the clerk had his breakfast sandwich microwaved and to him in record time. Simon took that as a gift and whistled as he walked toward the exit with his food.
He’d just reached the door when his cell phone rang. Caro? Simon looked at the phone screen. The sheriff’s department. Lucky that the store clerk was so fast this morning. Simon took the call.
“Hello, Simon Novak.”
“Mr. Novak, this is the sheriff’s department dispatcher calling for Deputy Foster. You wanted to be updated on the Campbell vandalism.”
“Yes, please.” He had asked, only half believing he’d get updates.
“The perpetrators were apprehended yesterday at a motel near the county line and arrested and jailed on outstanding warrants.”
Not very bright of the thugs to hang around the area, even if they didn’t know the sheriffs were on to them.
The dispatcher finished, “They’re being held for transport to Arapahoe County.”
“Thank you and give the deputy my thanks.” Yes! If they weren’t already, the Campbells would be safely back in their home for Christmas.
Three steps outside, his phone rang again. He looked at the screen, which flashed Private Caller. He checked the clock in the corner and kept walking toward his truck. He was starting to cut things close on his planned arrival at the sale. It was probably a sales call. But it could be Heather Campbell.
“Hello.”
“Simon, my man. It’s Andre Ryan.”
His ex-teammate. Simon had emailed him about the scholarships Andre’s nonprofit offered to a football camp in Denver run by some of the retired players.
“Your boy Jake is all set up. Camp fees, room and board, and transportation all covered.”
“Great! His mother will be thrilled.” He’d thought football camp was something he should clear with Heather, so he’d mailed her the information and she’d texted him an okay. “I really appreciate your help.”
“What help? If this kid doesn’t deserve one of my scholarships, I don’t know who does.”
“I’m on my way to an important meeting. Can I call you back this afternoon for all the details? I have your phone number from the email you sent with the application.”
“Right. We’ll talk then. Catch up.”
After another slight delay from an elk-car accident, Simon pulled into the sale closer to 8:40 than the 8:15 he’d been shooting for. He tapped his foot as he waited for the woman who seemed to be in charge to finish with someone else.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m interested in the ceramic nativity you advertised.”
“I’m sorry, the woman ahead of you put a deposit down on it to pick up tomorrow.”
Simon twisted his head around to see if he could catch the woman and explain the situation. Surveying the shoppers, he realized he hadn’t looked closely enough at the woman to recognize her if he did see her.
“Do you have a slip of paper?” he asked, “so I can give you my name and phone number in case the woman decides she doesn’t want it?”
That was a long shot, but the only one he had.
The woman in charge tore a sheet off her receipt pad and handed him the pad, sheet, and a pen.
Simon wrote down the information and handed it all back. “Call, please.”
“I will,” she said with a doubtful look.
Simon walked out and stood in front of the house looking up at the darkening sky.
Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Caro had depended on him. How was he going to tell her?
* * *
Caro raced to the breezeway door when she heard Simon’s truck pull in. He stopped the truck and took his time getting out. She held her breath as she waited for him to open the back door and lift the box with the nativity scene out. He closed the driver’s side door and walked around the front of the cab. The nativity must be on the passenger seat. But rather than opening the passenger side door, Simon walked straight to her.
“Where is it?”
“I don’t have it. Someone put a deposit down on it just before I got there.”
Caro's Gift (Small-Town Christmas Wishes Book 2) Page 9