Christmas Glitter (The Moore Sisters of Montana Book 1)

by Ann B. Harrison

  “That’s very kind of you.” She slid the key in the door and Tiny came running out, jumping around their feet. When Adam stepped down onto the pathway whistling, she followed him eagerly while Dakota walked inside, dropped the keys on the entrance table and headed to her workroom. She chose the first two ornaments she saw: an icicle with a mother of pearl ball on the top and a fragile glass ball wrapped in a net of the finest copper thread. Both objects showed off different skills and styles of her new line.

  When she walked out, Adam was inside and seated by the fireplace with Tiny on his knee lapping up the attention.

  “You are such a softie. If you let her dictate to you, she’ll think you’re here for her benefit.” She stepped over to the couch and sat down leaving space between them.

  “I don’t mind, she’s pretty cute.” As if she knew what they were saying, Tiny closed her eyes and gave the impression of a smile.

  Dakota put the baubles on the coffee table in front of him, unwrapped them one at a time and placed them on the tissue paper she kept them in. “These are two of the latest ones I’ve done.”

  Adam reached past Tiny and picked up the icicle, turning it in his hands, his mouth hanging open as if he couldn’t believe her work. She held her breath.

  “This is fantastic.”

  “Really, you like them?” Why she was so keen for his approval, she didn’t know. When she figured it out, it was doubtful she would be swayed by it.

  “How could I not? These are incredible, fragile and so very pretty. Anyone would love to own one of these pieces. I gather they are all one of a kind like your jewelry line?”

  “Yes, they are. And they all come with the Glitterz stamp and a certificate of authenticity as well. I want people to keep these and hand them down to future generations, much like the family silver.” It didn’t seem too much to strive for. The fire crackled and sparks flew up the chimney and the smell of wood smoke hung in the air.

  “How much are you selling them for? I want these two for my mother. She’d love them.”

  “Accept them as my gift to you since you wouldn’t let me pay for my dinner.” She was prepared to go Dutch and it looked as if this would be a good way to get even.

  He backed off horrified. “No, I couldn’t take them. They must be worth a fortune.”

  “What’s money between friends? Honestly, I want you to have them, Adam. It would make me happy.” More than he could possibly know.

  “Only if you’re sure. I really don’t mind paying for them and as for dinner – I invited you out.”

  Dakota wanted to reach out and kiss him. The look of wonder on his face warmed her heart as he stared at her work.

  “Have you thought about putting them in the gift shop in town? I’m sure Rachel would love to stock them.”

  “Rachel?”

  “Sorry, I forgot you don’t really know everyone yet. Rachel Smyth owns the gift shop in town. I’ll have to introduce you before I go back to Seattle. We were at school together.” He put the icicle down and picked up the ball, running his fingers carefully over the wire strands. It’d taken her hours to weave the copper threads to cradle the fragile glass but it had been worth it. “This is incredible work and I can imagine her reaction when she sees them. Your family really doesn’t need to worry about you. Your future is secure looking at these little beauties.”

  A wave of pleasure rose in her chest. Recognition from someone other than her family was what she’d needed and it made all the hours of intricate work worth it. “I’m thinking about selling online too. While I was recuperating, I made them to keep my fingers supple, considered it part of my rehab. They were something I’ve wanted to trial for a while so it all worked out well. It’s helped enormously with my hand and I have quite a collection of them ready to go.” She offered him coffee.

  “I’d better not. I want to check in again on my mom before it gets too late. She’s having a hard time on her own without my father. They’re so close. I don’t know what would happen to her if we lost him.”

  “That’s very sweet of you. Let me wrap those decorations up before you go. You don’t want them to shatter before she sees them.” Dakota scooped them up with the tissue and went back to the workroom to wrap them before putting them in a small carry bag with her label on the front. Adam reached for the bag. “I can’t thank you enough for these.”

  She walked him to the door. “You’re more than welcome. Thanks for dinner, Adam. I really enjoyed myself.”

  He paused, a hand on her elbow. “I did too. Nice to have the company. We should do it again soon.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek and walked away, his hand raised in a wave.

  Dakota lifted her fingers to her face. She hadn’t realized how much she missed a man’s gentle touch until now.

  Chapter Four

  After work the following day, Adam walked into his father’s hospital room and took a seat beside the bed, handing over the magazines he’d picked up earlier. Hopefully his father would find something of interest between the pages, a crossword or a gossip column that would take his mind off his pain. “Hi, Dad. How’re you feeling?” The pasty sheen on his face worried him. He thought he’d be showing more improvement by now.

  His father opened his eyes and gave a wan smile, a sheen of sweat beading on his top lip. “Son, good to see you.” He shuffled up the bed, trying to sit, then moaned in pain.

  Adam sprang up. “Here, let me help you.” He raised the end of the bed, rearranged his father’s pillows and watched him for signs of distress, ready to call the nurse if need be.

  “Don’t look so worried. I’m not ready to die yet.” His father laughed, sounds of glee fast turning to strangled sobs of anguish.

  Adam scurried forward and grabbed his father’s hand while buzzing for the nurse. “Dad, relax. Just take it easy.” Helplessness rose in his chest. He wasn’t used to seeing his big strong father reduced to this state and had no idea of how to handle it.

  A nurse bustled in. “What’s going on here, Mr. Clement? Are you in pain?”

  His father sobbed, waved his hand at the nurse.

  Adam handed his father a tissue and spoke to the nurse. “He was laughing and then burst into tears. I’m not sure what’s going on.”

  “Quite normal after heart surgery, I can assure you. His emotions are up and down and he has no control over them. When you come that close to meeting your maker as your father did, you tend to look at life differently. I’m sure he’ll be fine once he comes to terms with his illness.” She took his hand, lifted her watch and listened to his pulse. “You need to relax and not let it upset you so much. Remember what the doctor said?”

  His father wiped his eyes and sighed, giving Adam a shaky smile. “Yes, I do. I’m alive, I can beat this if I put my mind to it and I shall. Make no bones about that.”

  She patted him on the shoulder. “Good. That’s what we want to hear. We’ll give you a moment.” She turned to Adam, signaled him to follow her out the door.

  He followed her out while his father composed himself. “Are you sure he’s going to be okay? He doesn’t look very good to me.”

  The nurse put a reassuring hand on his arm. “Your father is very lucky they got to him in time. The majority of people with this heart condition don’t even know they have it. The coroner is the one who finds it. You should all be very thankful.” She watched through the door, making sure her patient was okay.

  “We are, believe me. Just seeing him come apart like that, it makes me feel so, inadequate I guess.” Helpless and scared, he wasn’t afraid to admit it either.

  “Vulnerable?”

  Adam looked at the nurse, Abbie. He nodded.

  She stood with a knowing smile on her face. “I get it. Nobody wants to think they’re going to die. It’s hard to deal with after such a fright but the prognosis is very good for your father. So long as he takes it easy for a little longer, then eases back into life, he’ll be fine. You can ask the doctor. He wants to speak to you anyway.” S
he held up her hand to another nurse calling her to the desk. “One moment, please.”

  “He does?”

  “Yes, if you hadn’t come in today I would have called and set up an appointment for you. Pop in and see what he wants on your way out. I’ll tell him you’re here. Now go and see your father, let him know how much you care for him. He needs it right now.” She turned on her heel and walked back to the nurses’ station, and picked up the phone.

  Adam wondered if the doctor was going to tell him his father shouldn’t be going back to work. After his mother’s comments the other night about helping sell the business, it sounded likely. He had to try and talk his father into slowing down, retiring. He wasn’t ready to lose either of his parents.

  His father was more composed when he walked back in. “Guess who I met yesterday, Dad. Dakota Moore, sister to the young woman that brought the Lake Hotel.” He took his seat again, pleased to see the interest spark in his father’s eyes.

  “Really? What’s she like? I spoke to her on the phone when we negotiated the cottage for her.” He adjusted the sheet on his lap and moved the magazine to the side table. “She had a nice voice, that much I remember.”

  “Pretty wee thing. Doesn’t look a bit like her sister, or half-sister I should say. Petite bubbly personality, wavy blonde hair compared to Mari’s sleek dark head. Great presence and I’d say she’s a ball of energy the way she’s planning on getting involved with the town. I took her to see the Grange yesterday. She wants to help with fundraising and will be at the meeting tonight.”

  His father breathed a sigh of relief. “Wonderful. I’m sorry I’m not there but I know everything is in good hands, Adam. You can’t know how much I appreciate you coming home and taking over for me.”

  “It’s what family does, Dad. You rest up and don’t worry about a thing. Everyone wants to see you back on your feet the picture of health.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “You and Mom were there for me when I was growing up, trying out for teams and for all the practice sessions. Besides, season is over for now. It won’t hurt me to stick around for a bit longer until you’re on your feet again. It’s nice being back home and running every morning with the snow on the hills behind me. Makes a great change from the track work. And the last thing we want is you rushing back to work and making yourself worse.”

  “I doubt that will happen with your mother in charge. She’s already told me she wants me to retire. I can’t let the business go, Son. It means too much to me.”

  “I know it does, Dad. You’ve put a lot of years into that place but I’m sure if you put the word out, there’d be someone who would love to take over for you. It’s a profitable business.” That comment gained a small smile of satisfaction from his father. “I don’t want you to worry about that now. I have everything under control. You need to focus on getting better and leave everything else to Mom and me, okay?”

  “Don’t really have much choice now, do I?”

  “No you don’t, Mr. Clement. Now it’s time for your meds.” Abbie stood at the door with a container of tablets in one hand, his chart in the other.

  “I’ll leave you to it then. Take it easy, Dad, and do as the nurses tell you. I’ll pop back in tomorrow and let you know how the meeting goes tonight.” He leaned over his father and gave him a hug before leaving.

  He followed directions to the doctor’s room, knocked, and sat down in the chair by the door. He waited, hoping this wasn’t going to be bad news. Surely if it was, his mother would have said something. Adam said a quick prayer for his father.

  “Adam?” A bespectacled man in a white coat opened the door, peered down at him. “Come on in.”

  Adam rose and followed him in and took a seat.

  “Dr. John Hope. Nice to meet you.” He shook hands and then sat down, pulled a file in front of him. “Your father is going to be fine. Please don’t think there’s anything amiss there.” He smiled and opened the file, gave it a quick glance. “Let me get right to the point, Adam. I asked to speak to you because of your father’s condition, that’s true but probably not quite in the context you’re thinking right now. Have you ever heard of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?”

  Adam thought for a moment, shrugged when nothing came to mind. “No. I don’t believe I have.” He focused on the doctor’s face. “You’re saying that’s what my father has?”

  “Yes. Well, it’s a condition that can go undetected until something – as in your father’s case, a major heart attack – happens. More often than not, it’s fatal and usually it would happen much earlier in life.”

  “I know from what the nurses told me, he’s very lucky. We could easily have lost him.”

  “He is extremely lucky. In basic terms, the condition is a thickening of the muscles and it can also short circuit the electrical system of the heart to put it in layman’s terms.” Dr. Hope leaned back in his chair, clasped his fingers together and stared at Adam. “We see it a lot in elite sports players.”

  A chill ran down Adam’s back. Surely he couldn’t mean…no, he wouldn’t entertain something like that.

  “It happens more than people think. A fit young man, typically between the ages of eighteen and thirty will drop dead on the field for no apparent reason. Autopsy will show cardiomyopathy.”

  Adam stared at him, the words stuck in his throat, unable to get out.

  Understanding shone in the doctor’s eyes. “It’s hereditary, Adam. You have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the condition from your father.”

  *

  Dakota shut the door and ignored the whining coming from Tiny. Tonight was not an event her dog could attend even though Mari had offered to let her leave the dog upstairs in their apartment with her ever willing nephew, Noah. She had to learn to stay at home. Living in L.A. with her parents, there was usually someone there most days so Tiny had gotten used to having company.

  Cars lined the street outside the Lake Hotel and excitement built in her chest as she parked out back near the courtyard. This was it, her chance to make a difference and get involved. The beginning of her new life in Cherry Lake.

  Just today she had met new people, made new goals. She was even beginning to rethink her idea about getting involved with Adam Clement. He was available, even if only for a short time and last night had been amazing. He was certainly handsome and most of all, he was a nice guy. Nice in a way that wasn’t sleazy or out to get what he could kind of nice. He helped his family when they needed it, went out of his way for her which he didn’t have to do and let himself get roped into teaching the kids what he’d learned along the way at his soccer club.

  A pretty impressive soccer club if Noah was to be believed. The people of Cherry Lake seemed to adore him, hero worship him even. Although Dakota wasn’t ready to bow down at his feet, she was rather interested in seeing more of him, even if it didn’t go very far. One dinner date might not be enough for her. If they could have a comfortable friendship for now, it would go a long way to her believing in herself again. And who knew if he really would go back to the city or not?

  The chatter sounded like a flock of parrots as she walked through the back entrance of the hotel. She pushed the door open and stopped for a moment, amazed at how many people had come out to try and rescue the Grange. Before she got to the bar, a voice called out to her and she paused, coming eye to eye with Arabella.

  “Dakota, I want you to meet my husband. This here is Percy. Percy, meet Dakota Moore. She’s the little lady I told you about living in Woodsie’s Galway Cottage.”

  A hand thrust toward her. “Pleased to meet you, young lady. Welcome to Cherry Lake.” Warm eyes crinkled in pleasure as she met the vigorous handshake with as much effort as her hand would allow. His gray wispy hair sprouted from under a tweed cap. His face shone with glee as he shook her hand. A sense of warmth exuded from him and she immediately felt as though they’d get along well. He had that kind of face. Warm, inviting and friendly.

  “It’s l
ovely to be here and very nice to meet you, Percy.”

  “Percy owns the veterinary service just out of town. Big old building past the Grange surrounded by large trees down a cobbled driveway. Can’t miss it.”

  That explained her immediate bonding to the elder man. “Oh that’s interesting to know. I have a little dog, Tiny.” Who was probably not happy with her right now.

  “Heard that she’s a cute little thing. Make great companions, don’t they? If you ever need anything, feel free to call and see me.” He pulled a card from his jacket pocket and waved it in front of her. “After hours number is here too. Don’t be shy ringing after dark if you need me. Animals are like children, always get sick once the doctor goes home.”

  “I’ll remember that, thank you.”

  “Let me get you a drink, Dakota. What will you have?” Percy guided her toward the bar while his wife turned to talk to someone else who’d walked in. “So kind of you to want to get involved in the town. Young people these days don’t always want to waste their time, not that I blame them. Just the way it is. Too busy with their own lives.” He leaned on the bar.

  “A white wine would be great, thanks. I decided when Mari convinced me to live here that I would do just that. In L.A. it’s rather hard to be a member of the community because it’s such a big city. I think the timing was right for my move.”

  “And what do you do exactly?”

  “I’m a jeweler. I have a workshop set up in the cottage and I’ll work from home as I’ve always done.”

  “And such a pretty spot to do it too, overlooking Flathead Lake.” He passed her the glass of wine and lifted his own glass up. “Welcome to town.”

  She tipped her glass at his. “Thank you so much. It’s a pleasure to be here.”

  “Dakota. You made it.” Mari walked into the bar with a tray of clean glasses and slid them under the bar. “Have you seen Adam? We can’t really start without him. Thought he’d be here by now.”

  “No. Sorry. Not since last night.”