“With her daddy. Gabe keeps complaining he doesn’t get enough time with her.”
Both Beth and Annie seemed fascinated by the huge white cat, but Gideon noticed that Nicole’s eyes had widened and she’d taken a quick step backward. Granted, Moby Dick was twice the size of an average cat, but hardly dangerous. His favorite trick was coaxing treats from the people staying in his suite, employing a range of “poor me” and “I’m starving” techniques.
“Moby seems to be doing well on the weight-management food,” Gideon told Tessa. “He’s lost nine ounces.”
“Kitties have to go on diets?” asked Annie.
“They do if they gain too much weight. It’s better for them.”
The exams continued and Gideon found himself watching Nicole’s reaction each time one of the larger felines was brought into the room for examination. She couldn’t be terrified of cats in general if she’d rescued Chico, but plainly the larger ones made her nervous. He had news for her—Chico was going to be a very large cat when he was grown. He had enormous paws and, despite his malnourished state, was sizable for his age.
How would she feel when he grew into a cat the size of Moby Dick?
Gideon frowned and focused on his examination. Nicole would probably adjust, though aside from his responsibility as Chico’s veterinarian, it wasn’t any of his concern.
* * *
“THAT SEEMS TOTALLY out of character for Gideon,” Carlie told Nicole on Sunday afternoon as they sat on hay bales and watched Annie and Beth sledding. “I can’t imagine him talking down to anyone and he’s been really helpful with the living nativity.”
“Maybe he just dislikes me.”
“I don’t see why. But aside from annoying veterinarians, how are you settling in?”
“Pretty well. Luke still is working most of the night. Mornings, too, while the girls are studying. I keep searching the area where I found Chico in case his littermates were dumped out there, as well. I haven’t seen any sign of another kitten, though I’ve left food and bowls of water in different spots, just in case. It’s disappearing, but that could be other animals enjoying a free lunch.”
“True.” Carlie shivered. She hated to think of a kitten being in such dire straits.
“By the way, I didn’t thank you properly for coming over when Beth had her nightmare,” Nicole said hesitantly. “Or when they asked you to be there when they decorated their Christmas trees. And, well, all the other time you’ve spent with them. I really appreciate it.”
Carlie hid a smile, thinking about Luke’s confusion at the sharp contrast between the trees his daughters had decorated. She’d deflected Beth when she started saying Annie’s choices were boring and urging her to hurry up. As a result, Beth’s tree was bold and brilliantly colored, while Annie’s shimmered in shades of white, ice blue and silver. Lavish praise had been given to both, so with any luck, Beth wouldn’t try to convince Annie to make changes. To be certain, Carlie had taken the remaining ornaments back to her office.
“Has Beth had any more nightmares?” she asked.
“No, thank goodness. From what Luke says, I don’t think she’s ever told anyone else what happens in them—at least, he’s never heard the part about being chased and that someone was after him, too.”
“I’m sure that any child who’s lost her mother could be afraid of losing her father.”
“Yeah.” Nicole fidgeted and finally sighed. “Do you think I’m a terrible aunt because Beth wanted you, instead of me?”
“Of course not. Kids are unpredictable and I’m the one who represents doing fun things. Basically, I’m sledding, cookies, cake and hot chocolate. What child wouldn’t ask for me? I positively reek of Christmas.”
Nicole smiled uncertainly. She was a curious contrast to her brother, rather diffident and quiet, with none of Luke’s arrogance. “Annie mentioned that Christmas is your favorite time of the year.”
“It is. Oh, before I forget, there are two things... I spoke to my great-aunt and she’d love to give you cooking lessons if you’re still interested.”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay.” Carlie handed her a business card. “Great-Aunt Vera’s phone number is on the back. She’s expecting your call. The second thing I wanted to ask is that since you’re going to be here all month, would you like to borrow one of my Victorian costumes to wear at Poppy Gold’s two holiday dress balls? We’re about the same size, so it should fit you. A lot of the guests come in costume.”
Nicole pocketed the card. “I’d love it, if I attend. But somebody needs to take care of Beth and Annie.”
Carlie grinned. “Babysitting is covered. Poppy Gold is hosting a children’s party at the same time in the concert hall. There will be plenty of adults to entertain the kids and keep them out of trouble.”
Nicole shook her head. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Put all of this together.”
“Don’t give me too much credit,” Carlie warned. “The basic schedule was established when I was a kid. Having an activities director is new to Poppy Gold—this is only my second Christmas on the job and I’m still figuring it out.”
“I never would have guessed.”
“It helps that I practically grew up at Poppy Gold since my aunt and uncle owned the place. I always had ideas about things they could do here, so it seemed perfect when my cousin offered me the position. She’s the manager now.”
Carlie knew she’d skipped some of the highlights, such as being jilted by her cheating fiancé a few hours before their wedding, but Nicole didn’t need to hear that. After all, someone who had lousy judgment in one area could be totally responsible in other ways.
“Still, you’re so comfortable with people,” Nicole said, sounding wistful. “Especially kids. Ever since Erika died, I’m always afraid I’ll say the wrong thing and make them cry or miss their mother more. Though to be honest, I wasn’t so great with them before that, either.”
Carlie rubbed her hands together, wishing she’d remembered her gloves when Annie had asked if she’d come out to the sledding hill with them. “Don’t be hard on yourself. I think it’s harder communicating with twins. I’ve got identical twin brothers and they spoke their own language for years. It used to make me crazy when they’d point my direction, whisper to each other and giggle.”
“They didn’t.”
“Oh, yes, they did. Quinn and Russ had their own private world when they were little. And they could get into ten times as much trouble together as they could apart. It’s a twin thing.”
* * *
NICOLE LAUGHED, LOVING how normal Carlie’s family sounded.
Beth and Annie came down the snowy hill on their sleds. While it was a gentle slope, she still watched carefully to be sure they got to the bottom safely. She wasn’t the only one; Luke would wait in line with them at the top, help his daughters onto their sleds and then hurry to meet them at the bottom.
Curiously, Carlie’s story about her brothers was making Nicole worry about her nieces even more. Getting in occasional trouble was normal for children, but Beth and Annie seemed almost too well behaved.
“What sort of things did your brothers do?” she asked.
“Let’s see. In kindergarten they let all the air out of Dad’s truck tires to see how far down to the ground the undercarriage would go. They were smart little devils and didn’t puncture the tires—just figured out how to do it with the valve.”
“I’ll bet your father was upset.”
“A little. He had to take Mom’s yellow Volkswagen to work that morning. I’m sure he didn’t feel it fit his masculine image, though it would have taken a team of horses to drag it out of him—my mother really loved that VW.”
Nicole bit her lip to keep from laughing again. “What else?”
&nb
sp; “All sorts of stuff, like cutting up my prom dress to make a parachute—before the prom, I might add. I think the worst was when they ran hoses into the basement to turn it into an indoor pool. You should have heard Dad yelling when he discovered it the next morning.”
“Omigod. How deep did the water get?”
“Deep enough to swim laps. Luckily it only fried one electrical circuit, but we had to call the volunteer fire department to suction it out with their equipment.”
Okay, Nicole didn’t think Beth and Annie needed to get into that much trouble, but surely a little innocent mischief wouldn’t hurt.
* * *
AFTER TWO HOURS at the sledding hill, Luke told the girls it was time to leave. Beth stuck her lip out a fraction of an inch, while Annie looked longingly at the snowy slope.
He still wondered if coming to California had been a good idea, but his daughters’ bright eyes and red cheeks were reassuring.
“Papa, can we go one more time?” Beth asked as they walked to where Carlie was talking to his sister.
Carlie had spent most of the afternoon chatting with Nicole and other guests, while the twins went over several times to ask if she and their aunt had seen them on their sleds.
“You need some quiet time,” Luke said firmly. “If you’re too tired you won’t be able to ride in the lighted parade and go on the caroling hayride afterward.”
Nicole looked confused. “Ride in the parade?”
“Yes. All four of us are going on the flatbed trailer used for the hayride. Carlie set it up.”
“You’re going, too, aren’t you, Carlie?” Annie asked anxiously.
Carlie tugged her pigtail. “I’ll be there before you leave, but I’m riding in one of the carriages tonight, all dressed up in a costume.”
“Can I go with you?”
“Me, too,” Beth cried.
Luke was frustrated by the girls’ reaction. How was he supposed to reach his own daughters when they preferred spending time with someone who wasn’t even family?
“Maybe another night,” Carlie told them gently. “The hayride starts as soon as the parade is over and you don’t want to miss going. It’s really fun. You sing carols as you drive around and see the lights in town. Then on the way back, you stop at the old fire station for warm gingerbread with lemon sauce.”
“Yummers,” Beth said, though her sister seemed less enthused. She still didn’t want to get involved in Poppy Gold activities unless Carlie was there.
“It’s very yummy,” Carlie assured her. “So go have your quiet time and I’ll see you before the parade.”
Beth started off happily, but Annie hung back. “Will you be at the fire station?” she asked. “Pleeeeze?”
There was a brief hesitation before Carlie nodded. “All right.”
* * *
THAT EVENING, LUKE and Nicole bundled the girls in warm clothing and mittens and walked toward the area where the nightly parade was staged.
The caroling hayride wasn’t new, but apparently it was the first time that guests would be part of the parade. A Poppy Gold employee was gathering the participants together and handing out blankets to use during the ride.
“Hey there,” Carlie said behind them, but when Luke turned, she didn’t look anything like herself.
The dark green velvet costume could have come right out of a historic painting. The jacket she wore was formfitting with lace accents at the throat and wrists, while her hair was piled high and topped by a frothy hat. She smiled at the twins.
“Whoa,” Nicole exclaimed. “You must be wearing a corset.”
“Not a chance,” Carlie denied. “One of my aunts is a doctor and she doesn’t approve of corsets. Since she’s also the president of the historical society and they make most of the costumes, none of us wear them.”
“Then I won’t fit into one of your gowns. I’ll have to find something else to wear to the dances.”
“Dances?” Luke interjected.
Nicole turned. “Didn’t you see them on the December activities schedule? There are two dress balls before Christmas. Carlie offered to loan me a costume, but my waist isn’t that small.”
“Optical illusion,” Carlie declared. “I’ve got a pink velvet number that will look terrific on you. It’ll be perfect with your dark hair.”
“I think you’re being optimistic.”
“Trust me.”
“Carlie?” called a voice from across the parade staging area. “Your carriage awaits.”
“Be right there, Uncle Liam.” She nodded at the girls. “I’ll see you later at the fire station. Have a good time on your ride.”
Luke suppressed the renewed stab of awareness that had gone through him at seeing Carlie in her Victorian garb. Even though her costume wasn’t intentionally provocative, it showcased her figure very nicely.
Not that his response mattered. He wasn’t looking for anything permanent and he suspected she wasn’t the type for brief affairs—even if she liked him, which she didn’t. Even more critical, he was only staying in Glimmer Creek for a few weeks and the girls needed stability. They certainly didn’t need to start imagining that Carlie would be a permanent part of their lives. They were already getting too fond of her. His daughters’ needs had to be his only priority.
CHAPTER NINE
ON MONDAY MORNING, as soon as Luisa Cabrera arrived to work with the girls, Luke found his feet taking him toward Old City Hall instead of back to his computer. After his first success in coaxing Carlie into a coffee break with him, he hoped he could do it again.
She had a connection with his daughters and he needed to understand it—though needing anything made him uncomfortable. It would be different if he were paying Carlie for all the extra time she was spending with his children, but he wasn’t.
Perhaps he could do something to show his appreciation. Handing her a check would be crass, but back in Austin he sometimes gave vehicles to his employees as bonuses, a choice that seemed quite popular. Carlie’s car was ancient and couldn’t last much longer. Surely now that she was living up in the foothills, it would be good for her to have something larger—maybe a truck or SUV.
A quiet exchange would be best. He preferred keeping a low profile when he provided a bonus. After all, he was supposed to be thanking someone else, not the other way around. In Austin, he’d just have the keys and paperwork delivered to the person’s office, but he didn’t know how private things were at Poppy Gold, so he might have to come up with a different plan.
Meanwhile, he’d go online and see what arrangements could be made. It was unlikely there was a suitable car dealership in Glimmer Creek, but Stockton wasn’t that far away and it was large enough to provide what he needed.
He could also make another gesture to the staff in Old City Hall. The number for Giancarlo’s Little Italy was on his phone, so while crossing the park, he called in an order for lunch to be delivered at noon.
“That’s a lot of food,” said the restaurant employee doubtfully.
“I want to be sure there’s plenty. Please don’t put my name on the order. This is an anonymous thank-you to the staff.”
“Yes, sir.”
Pleased with his decisions, Luke ran up the steps of the Old City Hall and headed for Carlie’s office.
“No,” she said when he appeared at her door.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I’m bored and you’re the activities director.”
Her expression tightened and she stood up. “Fine, I have an activity for you. Come with me.”
She led him to the Poppy Gold library. Unlike the first time he’d seen it, boxes were stacked on most of the available surfaces.
“We just got a shipment of new books and movies. You�
��re going to have fun unpacking them,” she announced, handing him a pair of tiny scissors. “When that’s done, you may help me tag and catalog everything. Be careful not to cut yourself.”
She disappeared before Luke could protest, yet the corner of his mouth twitched. It wasn’t quite what he’d had in mind, but he shrugged and looked at the scissors.
They were useless.
The rounded ends identified them as safety scissors for children; he’d have to try hard to get bruised with them, much less draw blood. Was Carlie sending him a message or just making a joke? He finally pulled out his keys and used the serrated edges to rip through the packaging tape on the first box.
An hour and a half later, he’d sorted the books and DVDs and had flattened the shipping cartons into a neat stack.
“You’re efficient,” Carlie commented, carrying a tray into the library. “You like your brew black, right?”
Luke nodded and accepted the cup she held out. “Thanks. I’m continually impressed with the coffee here.”
“What a compliment. You’re a difficult man to impress.” Her tone was cool and he suspected she was thinking about the day he’d arrived at Poppy Gold and had made a nuisance of himself.
He didn’t enjoy thinking about it, either, especially in light of what Carlie had revealed about her father’s accident. What had she said...that a guy in a pricey car had decided he was too busy and important to obey the law?
It explained a good deal about the underlying distrust he kept sensing from her. While he hadn’t broken the law or nearly killed someone, he couldn’t deny that he hadn’t been a model guest.
Carlie left the library again, only to return immediately with a laptop and folder. “All right,” she said briskly, “let’s start by cataloging the movies. Then we’ll do the books.”
Luke took the top film from one of the stacks. “A Christmas Carol, with George C. Scott,” he read aloud.
She entered the information on the computer and put a bar-code sticker on the back of the case. “Next?”
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