Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 1 of 2

by Marta Perry

  Hmm… “Who do you want to invite to this party?”

  Touching a finger to her chin, Sadie said, “Well… Mr. Bum. And you.” Her finger tapped. “Do you know who Uncle Mickey’s friends are?”

  “I do not. But I’m sure he would enjoy having Mr. Bum there.” And it would be good for Bum to get out.

  “But we can’t have a party with only two people.” Sadie sighed and slouched.

  “With you and your uncle that’s four of us.”

  “Oh, yeah. ’Cept I want to give him a big party.” She spread her arms wide. “Because I love him so much and I want him to have the bestest party ever.”

  Christa had to admire the child’s enthusiasm.

  “Maybe we could invite some of your friends.”

  Christa narrowed her gaze. “Would you want somebody else’s friends at your birthday party?”

  Sadie thought for a minute, then grinned. “If they brought presents.”

  Shaking her head, Christa said, “Tell you what. I’ll talk to Mr. Bum and see if he knows anything about Mick’s friends.”

  “Okay but tell them it’s a surprise.” Sadie clapped her hands together.

  “Oh, so it’s a surprise party.” Way to up the pressure. It had been a long time since Christa had thrown any kind of party. Even then, it was only her, Paisley, Rae and Laurel. But Sadie was so excited, there was no way Christa could turn her down.

  “I’ll have to come up with a dinner menu.” Steak might be good. Ranchers liked steak, she liked steak. And baked potatoes and salad were easy.

  “Don’t forget the cake.” Excitement laced Sadie’s voice.

  “No, can’t forget the cake. Do you know what kind of cake he likes?”

  “Chocolate. I askeded him.”

  “Chocolate cake it is then.”

  “And I hafta get a present for him.”

  Standing, Christa faced the child. “You don’t think the party is enough of a present?”

  “No, silly. You can’t unwrap a party.”

  Christa feigned a face palm. “You’re right. What was I thinking? What do you want to get him then?”

  “I don’t know.” Mouth twisted, she looked up at Christa. “Will you help me?”

  Once more, Christa found it impossible to say no. “Of course. But we don’t have much time.” She just hoped she hadn’t bitten off more than she could chew. Given the news from the Realtor, though, perhaps this was just the preoccupation she needed to keep her from wallowing in self-pity.

  “Looks like you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together this week.”

  * * *

  Darkness was descending on the ranch as Mick pulled into Christa’s driveway at six fifteen Saturday evening. A sense of relief sifted through him when he saw that the only other vehicle to be found belonged to her. Because while she’d invited him and Sadie, claiming, “Everyone deserves to be treated to a nice birthday meal,” a part of him worried that she might be trying to pull one over on him. Sadie had been so insistent about talking to the woman that he feared they might be plotting one of those surprise parties the way Heather had when he’d turned forty.

  The memory had him shaking his head. That had been one of the worst nights of his life. Not only had the majority of the guests been her friends, people he barely knew, but Mick hated being the center of attention. The fact that Heather hadn’t figured that out after nearly two years of dating was the main reason they’d broken up. Though when he looked back, he realized it had been long overdue.

  This time, though, he could relax and be himself.

  Retrieving his black felt hat from the center console, he stepped out of the truck dressed in a pair of medium-wash Wranglers with a sharp crease, his favorite black pearl-snap shirt, silver belt buckle and black boots. After closing his door, he moved to the back seat and lifted Sadie to the ground. She’d insisted on wearing a frilly purple dress that hadn’t seen the light of day since she’d come to live with him, but still paired it with her pink boots. The kid obviously had her own idea of style.

  “Come on, Uncle Mickey.” She hurried toward the house, motioning for him to follow.

  He caught up with her as she reached the bottom step. “Hold up there, little lady.” Taking hold of her hand, they continued toward the door.

  He knocked and waited.

  “I’m so e’cited,” said Sadie.

  “Yeah, you love being with Miss Christa, don’t you?” He couldn’t say that he blamed her. He liked being with her, too, and wished he had an excuse to see her more often.

  After a few seconds, Christa opened the door. A smile curved her pretty lips when she said, “Wow, don’t you two look nice.”

  Not near as nice as she did, and Mick found himself staring. She was wearing the same red dress she’d had on at church that Sunday after the storm. He really liked that dress. The color made her eyes sparkle, and the top fit her a lot better than those Bliss Hardware shirts.

  He cleared his throat as they moved into the mudroom. “You clean up pretty well yourself, little lady.” He knew calling her “little lady” would get a rise out of her.

  Sure enough, she lifted a brow. However, the grin that accompanied it told him she knew he was messing with her. “I hope y’all are hungry.” She started into the kitchen with Sadie on her heels while he brought up the rear, dropping his hat on a coat hook as he passed.

  “Something smells goo—”

  “Surprise!”

  Mick nearly jumped out of his skin. Then he caught sight of the group of people standing between the kitchen and living room and his insides cringed. Not again.

  Beside him, Sadie giggled. “Are you surprised, Uncle Mickey?”

  “I sure am, princess.” He lifted her into his arms, his gaze drifting to Christa. “You did this?”

  Christa held up her hands in surrender. “It was Sadie’s idea. I was merely her assistant.”

  “Uh-huh.” Sadie nodded. “I wanted you to have the bestest party ever, ’cept I’m too little to do it by myself.”

  Bum approached and clapped him on the shoulder. “Looks like we got you pretty good.”

  “You sure did.” And Mick didn’t know how he felt about it. Then he perused the faces of those who’d gathered.

  Johnny Probst and Russell Kemp, his best buddies since kindergarten, were there with their wives, along with his friend and fellow rancher Bobby Wilder and his bride. Folks he knew and loved, yet rarely ever had the opportunity to spend time with because they were all busy with their own lives. Now Christa and Sadie had brought them together.

  This just might turn out to be one of the best nights he’d had in a long time.

  Over the next few hours, the whole lot of them ate, laughed over dominoes and jabbered until their jaws ached. It had been a long time since he’d seen that old farmhouse filled with so many fond memories. Mick almost hated to see it end. But at a little before eleven, he and Christa waved goodbye to their last guest.

  As they made their way back into the kitchen, Mick said, “Let me help you clean up.”

  “What about Sadie?” Christa gathered up a handful of red plastic cups from the table. “She probably needs to get to bed.”

  Grabbing several paper plates, he said, “I’m pretty sure she’s still crashed on your couch with Dixie right next to her. So, I have plenty of time.” He moved beside her to deposit them in the trash. “Thank you for doing all of this.” He swept an arm through the kitchen. “I can’t begin to tell you how much fun I had tonight.”

  “Good.” She wiped her hands on a dish towel, resting her hip against the counter. “But this party was Sadie’s idea.”

  “True, but you did all the work.”

  “Your niece can be very persuasive, you know?” She folded the towel and set it aside. “She’s too cute for her own good.”


  “Tell me about it. I don’t know what I’m going to do when she’s a teenager.”

  “Wait until she’s old enough to date.” Christa waggled her eyebrows.

  “Oh, way to ruin my birthday, Slocum.”

  She lifted a shoulder. “I do what I can.”

  “Well—” taking a step closer, he took hold of her hands, his gaze drifting from her eyes to her lips and back again “—you did a lot. And I’m not just talking about tonight. These last few weeks, you’ve gone above and beyond for both me and Sadie.” He breathed in her sweet fragrance. “Thank you.” He lowered his head, his gaze now fixed on her lips.

  “Where’d everybody go?” Sadie’s sleepy question had Christa taking a giant step back.

  Talk about bad timing.

  He crossed to his niece and gathered her into his arms. “It’s late, princess. We should get you to bed.” He sought out Christa then. She was still near the sink, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. “I’m sorry to bail on you. We’ll be back first thing in the morning to help you clean up.”

  Shaking her head, she started toward them. “That’s all right. Johnny and Russell’s wives already helped me with the bulk of it.” She smoothed a hand over Sadie’s back. “You gave your Uncle Mickey an awesome party tonight.” Pushing up on her tiptoes, she kissed his niece’s cheek. “Sleep well, Sadie.”

  Regret twisted his stomach as he headed out the door, down the steps and all the way to his truck. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to be back there in Christa’s kitchen, knowing, not wondering, how she felt in his arms. The taste of her lips.

  Yeah, if he had any doubts about his feelings for Christa, tonight had eradicated all of them. Like it or not, he’d fallen for her. Question was, how did she feel about him?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Mick had almost kissed her. And Christa had wanted him to.

  That had been Saturday night. Now it was Wednesday, and she hadn’t talked to him since. Then again, she’d purposely been avoiding him. Didn’t even respond when he called to thank her again for the party. There was no point. The party that had managed to distract her from her problems for a few days was over. It was time to focus on other things. Like her business.

  Her only hope for expansion—at least the only logical one—had been a bust, so now she was facing the impending arrival of Crane’s without even the slightest clue as to what to do next.

  With the aid of a pallet jack, she maneuvered a load of base paint down aisle two. She’d never been one to panic. After all, she knew God was in charge and if He closed the door on the Gebhardt building, He would open a door somewhere else. She just wished she knew where that door was and when it would open.

  An opportunity crossed my desk recently that is tailor-made for you. Jade’s phone call played across her mind.

  Surely God wasn’t calling Christa back to the corporate world. A shiver ran through her. No, that wouldn’t—It ticks off every one of your wish-list items.

  That wish list had to be five years old. Her life was different now. She was different now.

  No, she could never go back to corporate life where it was all about looking out for number one. She’d put her own desires before God and her father for far too long, and that wasn’t going to work anymore. If God wanted her to take that job, He was going to have to speak loud and clear.

  She positioned the pallet in front of the paint counter, removed the jack and wheeled it to the back room, well aware that she needed to continue to be proactive when it came to expanding Bliss Hardware. Because sitting around waiting for something to drop out of the sky wasn’t right either. It was important to be a good steward of what God had given her and, by prayer and supplication, she would make her desires known to Him every step of the way, trusting that He had a plan for her and her dreams.

  Yet as she parked the pallet jack and looked around her store, which seemed to be bulging at the seams, the urge to drop to her knees and plead with God to make that door be to the Gebhardt building nearly overwhelmed her. It was the only option that made sense. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an option anymore.

  Returning to the pallet of paint, she sliced through the shrink-wrap with her utility knife and peeled it away, images of Mick once again playing across her mind. As much as she hated to admit it, she missed spending time with him and Sadie. But after what happened the other night, things just felt…weird. The awkwardness of not knowing how he felt about her had her wondering how she should even act around him now. While she’d grown to care deeply for both Mick and his niece, what purpose would it serve in the end if he didn’t return those feelings? She wasn’t sure she’d be content to remain friends, knowing that she wanted more.

  She gathered two gallons of paint in each hand and moved onto aisle three, where she lined them up on the proper shelf with the labels facing forward. She didn’t want one of her employees accidentally grabbing a deep base satin when what they really needed was a light base semigloss.

  “Did you hear Crane’s Building Supply is fixin’ to build out past Gordon Winslow’s old place?”

  Christa’s heart skidded to a stop as she listened to the man on the next aisle.

  “Sure will be nice not having to drive all the way into the city for all that stuff my wife keeps wantin’ ’round the house,” a second man said.

  “Yeah, we’ll have one-stop shopping right here in the county.”

  The proverbial knife that felt as though it’d been plunged into her heart twisted. If what they were saying was true, people were already looking to Crane’s to meet their needs, amplifying her desire to expand now so by the time Crane’s opened, folks would already think of Bliss Hardware as their go-to home improvement store. She wanted Bliss Hardware to be their first thought, not an afterthought.

  A mixture of anger and hurt had her abandoning the paint and propelling herself across the store with determined steps. Her heart ached and she wanted to scream. She needed some fresh air to clear her mind before she completely lost it.

  Throwing open the back door, she continued outside—and ran right into Mick.

  “Whoa there.” He placed a strong, steadying hand on each of her shoulders. “Christa?” Easing his grip, he lowered his head to meet her gaze, concern narrowing his light green eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  In that moment, the desire to have someone to lean on was stronger than ever. It would be so easy to fall into his muscular embrace. To savor his presence and draw from his strength. And if they weren’t at the store, she just might have given in. But the smell of lumber drifting on the breeze reminded her of where she was.

  Straightening, she took a step back and reined in her thoughts. She wasn’t used to sharing her burdens with anyone but God, and she wasn’t about to start now. The last thing she needed was Mick feeling sorry for her.

  The midafternoon air seemed warmer than usual as she drew in a calming breath. “Sorry about that. I’m fine. Really.”

  “You sure?” He adjusted his cowboy hat. “Because for a second there you looked madder’n an old wet hen.”

  A train horn sounded in the distance. Before long, it would be barreling right past them, making conversation impossible. But not soon enough.

  She brushed the hair away from her face and squared her shoulders. “Yes, I’m sure.” Shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans, she looked everywhere but at Mick. “What are you doing here?”

  “I needed T posts. I’ve got some fences that need shoring up, and I’d rather knock ’em out while the temperatures are still relatively cool.”

  “I can certainly understand that.” Nobody wanted to be working fence lines in July. “How’s Sadie?” She managed a glance in his direction.

  “Fine.” A forklift rumbled through the lumberyard as he continued to watch her. It was starting to make her uncomfortable. “Sorry, but I gotta ask this again. Are you sure you�
�re all right? You seem, I don’t know—frustrated.”

  Of course she was frustrated. The business she’d worked so hard to build was in danger of going under. Another small business falling prey to corporate giants.

  And having Mick so close when she’d been thinking about that almost-kiss wasn’t helping either.

  “I’ve just got a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

  “Okay. But if you need to talk, you know I’m here for you, right?”

  She nodded, wishing she could turn to him. But she knew better than to rely on someone else. Especially someone who had the capability to break her heart. She needed to keep Mick at arm’s length. Because if she let him in the way she’d done with Brody, her heart would definitely end up broken. And this time, she might not survive.

  * * *

  “This is terrible.” Sadie dropped her head into her little hands late Thursday afternoon.

  “What if we put some more glitter on it?” Mick picked up the shaker container, fearing his kitchen table would be sparkly from now on.

  Sadie looked from the partially decorated shoebox to the stickers, markers and construction paper that littered the table and heaved a dramatic sigh. “It’s just not working.”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle. She sounded so much like her mother. Jen had always wanted things just so. She was all about presentation. Gifts had always been beautifully wrapped; her house looked like it belonged in a magazine…

  He scanned his brown and green living space. Obviously, Sadie had inherited her mother’s genes.

  “What do you think it needs?” He didn’t particularly want to make another run to the store, but he would if he needed to. Then he’d make a list, so he’d know what to get next year.

  “I dunno.” Another sigh. A second later, she straightened. “Maybe Miss Christa could help me.”

  Mick’s insides knotted. He couldn’t call Christa. Ever since their near kiss, things had been different. He got the feeling she didn’t even want to be around him anymore. Served him right for trying to kiss her. He knew she was too good for him, yet for a moment he’d allowed himself to believe he might stand a chance.