A Bramble House Christmas (Carrigans of the Circle C Book 6)

by CJ Carmichael

  The petting zoo had been set up with square straw bales delineating the pens. It was like a giant maze, and again Willa had to quell a panicked fear that she would lose sight of Scout. He and Savannah were dashing from one animal to the next so quickly, she couldn’t keep up with them.

  Finally she gave up and went to stand with Savannah and Dawson by the miniature goats.

  Sage had her arms around her baby, who was too young to take much interest in the animals.

  “She’s a great mom,” Dawson said proudly. “And so are you, I can tell. But honestly, you shouldn’t worry about your son. Marietta’s a safe place. It’s one of the reasons I moved here with my daughter.”

  Willa took a deep breath. He was right. She had to learn to let go a little where Scout was concerned. “Was there anything else that drew you to Marietta?”

  Dawson put an arm around his wife. “Hell, yeah. I was following her. The hard part was convincing her to marry me.”

  Sage rolled her eyes, but Willa could tell this couple was tight.

  An aching loss rose up in her, something she hadn’t let herself feel since months after her husband, Scout’s father, had left them. It had been just a few months after Scout’s diagnosis. Jeff hadn’t been able “to deal” as he put it.

  “It’s almost time for the lighting procession,” Dawson said, noting the time on the town clock.

  “I have to take Braden home for his feeding. You and Savannah should stay, though,” Sage told her husband.

  Willa was sorry to see her leave. “I hope I’ll see you again while we’re in town.”

  “You’re staying at Bramble House for Christmas?”

  When Willa nodded yes, Sage smiled and patted her arm. “Don’t worry. You’ll see me again. Not least when my youngest sister Callan and I make our annual pilgrimage for Christmas tea with Aunt Mable.”

  “Callan runs the Carrigan family ranch with her husband Court,” Dawson explained. “She’s a real pistol. You have to meet her.”

  “I have two other sisters, but they live far away and won’t be home until just a few days before Christmas.”

  Once Sage was gone, Willa took the opportunity to quiz Dawson about rodeo life, then, about fifteen minutes later, when Scout and Savannah rejoined them, she suggested to Scout that they go back to the B&B and rest up before the hayrides and the lighting procession.

  Scout frowned. Then he sidled up to her and whispered. “I’m better now, Mom. I don’t need to rest.”

  She wished she could trust him on that, but to her eyes he looked pale and tired. “Maybe you don’t, but I do.”

  All was quiet when they arrived at the B&B. There was no sign of Marshall or Eliza...or Finn.

  The resident dog, Ace, came to give them a sniff and accepted some pats and scratches, before returning to his post by the fire. The library was closed off to guests. Presumably Mable was having some alone time.

  Willa could hear voices coming from the kitchen, but as they weren’t hungry and didn’t need anything, she just led Scout up the stairs to the Blue room. “Come sit up on the bed with me and I’ll put on a Spiderman DVD.”

  That was enticement enough. The temptation to let Scout watch a lot of TV and movies while he was sick had been great, but she’d resisted, preferring to read books with her son, or play board games when he was feeling strong enough. For Scout, a movie or a TV show was still a big treat.

  Willa stayed awake for the first scene. The next thing she knew, Scout was tugging her arm.

  “Mom. It’s past four o’clock. We don’t want to miss the hayride and the Christmas lights and everything.”

  Willa felt as if she’d been drugged and had to fight to keep her eyes open. “Did you sleep at all?”

  “Nah. I told you I wasn’t tired.”

  She sighed. She was constantly underestimating him. In the past two-and-half years she’d learned how to be a very good mother to a boy who was seriously ill. Now she had to learn to be an equally good mother to a boy who wanted to be active and have fun.

  Ten minutes later they were out the door, this time wearing the warmer clothing she’d purchased earlier, plus proudly sporting their Marietta Christmas Stroll buttons.

  It was still snowing, but gently, and the sparkling flakes made everything just a little bit prettier. They scrambled into a wagon for the hayride, and then watched the magical lighting ceremony. Everyone in the crowd went “Ah!” as the lights flashed on, first on the decorations strung along the Main Street lamp posts, then on each of the tall evergreens in front of the library and the courthouse.

  Willa felt her heart lift at the beauty of it.

  Three carolers started singing “O Christmas Tree,” and most of the people around them joined in.

  The music, the lights, the softly falling snow. It was all so perfect.

  Willa squeezed Scout’s hand. “What do you think, buddy?”

  “I feel like we’re in a movie or something.”

  “Me, too.” That was the problem. None of this felt real. “How about we go find Santa Claus?”

  “Sure.”

  She wished Scout sounded more enthusiastic. Last December he’d shared his hospital room with an older boy named William. She guessed William had teased Scout about still believing in Santa Claus, because right after that, Scout had announced he was old enough to know that Santa wasn’t real.

  Her son’s illness had forced him to grow up too fast, in many ways, including facing his own mortality. Willa wished he could have at least been allowed to believe in Santa just a little bit longer.

  When they arrived at the historic Graff Hotel, they had to get in line to visit Santa. Fortunately there were teenaged boys and girls dressed as elves to keep them entertained. One of the “elves” was making balloon animals for the waiting children. Another was trying to juggle Christmas ornaments—plastic not glass—with comic results.

  Willa glanced around the crowded lobby, looking for Finn, but there was no sign of him.

  Perhaps he’d already taken all the photographs he needed and gone back to the B&B.

  Twenty minutes later it was Scout’s turn to sit on Santa’s lap. To please her he smiled when the photographer took their picture, but right after that, he slid to the floor. “Thank you,” he said politely, but before he could leave, Santa grasped his hand.

  “You’re welcome young man. But aren’t you going to tell me your name and what you’d like for Christmas?”

  He was a very realistic-looking Santa, with twinkly blue eyes and pudgy cheeks. Willa was positive the white beard and hair were real. The velvet of his suit was richly hued and plush, and his boots and belt appeared to be genuine leather.

  “That’s okay. I gave my mom my list and she probably did her shopping in Phoenix before we left.”

  Up went Santa’s white eyebrows. “So...you’re Scout Fairchild, then?”

  Scout’s face registered shock. “How did you guess?”

  “We’re staying at the same B&B. Did you like my cookies?”

  Scout looked stunned. “I used three for my snowman this morning. I think the birds ate them.”

  Santa laughed. “Well, I haven’t perfected my recipe yet, anyway. I’m going to make some adjustments to the spices next time.” He tilted his head to one side. “Are you sure you don’t want to ask me for something for Christmas?”

  For a second Willa thought her son might do it. She held her breath and hoped. But then he shook his head.

  “I already have a lot of toys and books. I only want skates and hockey pads and the next Everyday Sam book. I think my mom will get me those.”

  “Hm. I bet you’re the kind of boy who likes adventures,” Santa said. “Am I right about that?”

  Scout nodded vigorously. “But I’ve never had one.”

  “I bet you also like to help other people. Not just worry about yourself all the time.”

  Scout’s eyes widened, then he nodded again, this time more thoughtfully.

  “Okay then, le
ave it to me Scout. I’ll make sure this is a Christmas you never forget.”

  It was nine o’clock by the time Willa had her son back to the B&B, where he ate his snack, took a shower, and then sat through several bedtime stories. He could read most of his books himself now—a byproduct of those hours spent in hospital beds—but he still preferred to have Willa read to him at night.

  It was a routine Willa cherished, because in so many other ways her son was growing up fast. They’d had to have a rollaway bed brought up to their room, for instance, because he now insisted he was too old to sleep in the same bed as her.

  As she tucked him in, she brushed her hand over his new crop of hair, resisting the urge to check his temperature...just to be sure.

  “What was your favorite part of the day?”

  “The petting zoo,” he murmured.

  “Savannah seems like a nice girl.”

  “She’s okay. I really liked the puppies. And the little goats.”

  Willa kissed his cheek. “I’m going downstairs to read so I don’t disturb you. I have the monitor with me, so just call out if you need me?”

  He groaned, then turned over on his side. She knew he hated when she used the monitor—he was too old! He didn’t need that baby stuff—but he was also too tired to argue with her.

  So she took her book and the receiver end of the monitor and, leaving the door a little ajar, went out into the hall. Eliza was coming up the stairs carrying an armful of towels.

  “Oh, hi. I’ve left Scout sleeping in our room. I just wanted to check whether any other guests have booked in to the vacant rooms?” She trusted Finn, and if Santa really was staying here, she trusted him too, but she wouldn’t leave Scout if strangers were going to be milling around.

  “Don’t worry, Scout will be fine. We have a woman renting out the mini apartment above the garage—but Whitney is a workaholic, we hardly ever see her. Our only other guest right now is Emma McGregor. She arrived in Marietta a week ago, alone and in her wedding dress.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “No, poor thing. She’s a lovely girl. But you won’t see her often, either. She works long hours at the Graff—plus our local high school varsity football coach has been keeping an eye on her.”

  Willa’s eyebrows went up. “Oh? Is romance in the air?”

  “Of course. It’s a house specialty. Hasn’t anyone warned you?”

  Willa laughed, assuming she was joking.

  “How did you enjoy the Christmas stroll? Did Scout finally meet Santa?”

  “We had an excellent time. And Scout and Santa had quite the chat.” Willa was a little worried about it, though. How was she going to follow through on that promise Santa had made to her son?

  In the sitting room Willa settled into a love seat close to the crackling fire. Ace lifted his head, found the gap between her leggings and her ankle socks, and gave her leg a lick.

  She laughed. “That tickles, Ace.”

  As she was petting the dog, Marshall wandered past the door. He paused, stuck his head in the door.

  “Ace isn’t causing any trouble is he?”

  “No, he’s adorable. How old he is? He seems to spend a lot of time resting by the fire.”

  “Ace and I kind of found each other one day so I’m not sure how old he is. But he’s healthy. Eliza and I take him out snowshoeing or cross-country skiing with us almost every day. It’s just an hour—that’s all the time we can spare—but Ace gets a good workout, so he enjoys his downtime.”

  Willa was impressed. “That’s great that you and Eliza make the time for each other.”

  “I’d never see her otherwise. Even when you have hired staff—and Jo and Ella are great—running a B&B is more of a lifestyle than a job.”

  “I haven’t met Jo or Ella yet.”

  “They’re local women who do all the cleaning and the laundry. We couldn’t run the place without them.” He gave her a friendly nod. “Right now, though, I’m going out to shovel snow one more time. Hopefully it will be the last for a while. The sky is finally clear and there’s no snow in the immediate forecast.”

  Once he was gone, Willa picked up her book. She’d started it on the airplane and was really getting into it. She was a few pages into Chapter Seven when Finn entered the room with a sketchbook in hand. He was wearing jeans and a gray sweater. His dark hair looked thick and soft, as if he’d just washed it.

  “Mind if I join you? It looks nice and warm by the fire.”

  “One of the things on my list for this vacation was to sit and read by the fire. It’s not something I get to do often in Phoenix.”

  “And does it live up to expectations?”

  She could feel the warmth from the fire on her toes and legs, smell sweet hickory scent in the air and hear the occasional snap and crackle from the logs. “Oh, yes.”

  “I bet a cup of coffee or tea would make the experience even better. Which would you prefer?”

  “Tea, thanks. Mint if they have it.”

  She glanced down at her book, but the words on the page held no interest for her, anymore.

  As he poured hot water into mugs and selected tea bags from the canister on the sideboard, he mentioned he’d seen her and Scout at the Graff Hotel. “I got a really good shot of Scout when he was talking to Santa. I’ll email it to you after I fix it up a bit.”

  “You were there?” She hadn’t seen him. And she’d been looking.

  “I took a lot of photos of the hotel. It’s a pretty neat place. I hear it was restored recently.”

  “Yes, by Troy Sheenan. According to Sage from the chocolate shop he spared no expense.”

  After he passed her the tea, Finn sat in a chair opposite hers and opened his sketchbook. Willa would have loved to see what he was working on so intently. But after a few moments of silence, she tried again to focus on her book. After fifteen minutes or so, she no longer had to try.

  She was deep into the story when a snappy comeback from the heroine made her laugh.

  Finn looked up. Their eyes met and Willa felt a zing of awareness pass between them.

  She shifted in her seat. He was such an attractive man. There’d been lots of sexy cowboys at the Marietta Stroll today, but none of them were as appealing to her as this guy from Colorado sitting across from her.

  Now was her chance to find out more about him.

  “It’s too bad your job requires you to be away from your family at Christmas.”

  “This year I actually don’t mind.”

  Well that didn’t tell her a lot. “Do you travel often with your job?”

  “No. It takes a lot to get me to leave my chalet. I live on the outskirts of Boulder, in the mountains. Really beautiful and peaceful.”

  “That sounds wonderful.” A lot like Marietta. And so different from her home in the desert.

  “It is. What’s your home like?”

  “Scout and I live in a gated community connected to the golf course where my father works.” They’d moved there at her parents’ suggestion after the breakdown of her marriage. Being so close to family support when Scout was ill had been a blessing.

  But lately Willa had been wondering if it might be better for her parents—as well as her and Scout—if they moved a bit farther afield. Hopefully to a younger community with kids Scout’s age.

  “What does your father do at the golf course?”

  “He’s the manager. He loves the sport, almost went pro when he was younger.”

  “Does your entire family golf?”

  “I never took to it. But my mom has played twice a week for as long as I can remember. My older sister Thea played a lot too, before she married and moved to Boston. Now she has a one-year-old daughter and absolutely no time for the game.”

  “Sounds like you have a close family. Why aren’t you and Scout spending Christmas with them? If you don’t mind me asking.”

  She sort of did, because it was a touchy subject. Her parents had helped her so much over the years Sc
out was sick. Her sister said she understood, but Willa suspected Thea felt left out, especially when their mom hadn’t been able to fly to Boston to help her after Aria was born.

  But Scout had been really sick at the time. Willa was with him as much as possible. But she still had to work. And sleep. Her parents had filled in the gaps, God bless them.

  “Since Scout was born, we’ve spent every Christmas with my parents. This year they decided to fly to Boston. My sister would have welcomed Scout and me, as well, but her house is small, so here we are, on our own adventure.”

  More importantly, Willa knew if she and her son had travelled to Boston, her parents wouldn’t have been able to resist fussing over Scout, which wasn’t what either Thea or Scout needed right now.

  Spending Christmas on her own, wasn’t Willa’s first choice.

  But it had seemed the fair thing to do. At least, thanks to Mr. Conrad’s generosity, they weren’t stuck at home, where being without family would have been so much harder.

  “So you mentioned you’re a nurse. Which hospital do you work at?”

  “I’ve been doing private care since—” She stopped herself from saying, “since Scout got diagnosed with leukemia,” took a sip of tea instead, and then reworded her answer. “While Scout was little it was easier to work as a private nurse, for older patients. Now that he’s in school full-time I do want to go back to hospital work, hopefully as a neonatal nurse.”

  She loved helping babies, and thought her own experiences with Scout would help her be compassionate and understanding with the parents.

  But here she was, talking about herself again, when she’d been hoping to find out more about him. “So where is your family this Christmas?”

  He shrugged. “In Seattle. My mother and sisters all live there. I left as soon as I finished college. Not a fan of rain.”

  “And your father?”

  He hesitated. “It’s just my mom now.”

  “Sorry to hear that.”

  He glanced down, and she got the feeling that his loss was new. “Would you like to talk about him? It can help when you’ve suffered a loss.”

  His dark gray eyes sought out hers and she sensed something in her question had set him aback...and not necessarily in a bad way.