Jingle-Bell Jam (River's End Ranch Book 32)

by Pamela M. Kelley

  Bryan arrived on time, and they got started right away. Melanie noticed that he was quieter in the morning. Most people were, she found. Except for her.

  “Natalie says it’s going to snow later. I love watching it come down, but am nervous driving in it. I didn’t have to drive much at all in Boston. Whenever the weather was bad, I kept my car in the garage and took public transportation. I really should go car shopping soon. I hate negotiating car prices, though.”

  Bryan laughed. “I wish I had half your energy. You must be a morning person. Do you bounce out of bed wide awake?”

  “Sort of,” Melanie admitted. “I guess I am a morning person. I love getting up early, and enjoying my coffee and the peace and quiet before the day gets underway.”

  “I’m the opposite. I was up for several hours reading after I got home last night and it was a struggle to get out of bed when the alarm went off this morning. But I’m glad that I’m here.”

  “I’m glad, too, and you’ll see it really does get your day off to a great start.”

  “You know, if you want someone to go to the car dealership with you, let me know. I got a pretty good deal on my truck not too long ago.”

  “Really? If you don’t mind, I’d love that. I was thinking I’d go on Saturday as it’s my day off.”

  Bryan smiled. “That works for me. We can go to several places and make sure you find something you like.”

  After the workout, Bryan showered quickly and then Melanie followed him in her BMW to Kelsey’s Kafe. It was already starting to flurry a little, but the Kafe wasn’t far, so she wasn’t worried.

  Bryan waited until she parked and held the door open for her to walk inside. Melanie loved Kelsey’s Kafe. It was such a cheery, warm place and the food was really good. Kelsi waved hello from behind the counter, where Jaclyn and Simon were holding court in their usual seats. They came in just about every morning, ate breakfast and then lingered over coffee, chatting with other customers that came and went. They stopped at the counter to say hello before heading to a table.

  “Normally, we’d join you both,” Melanie said. “But Bryan has some designs to show me, so we need a bit more room.”

  Jaclyn nodded in approval. “Bryan is designing you a house? I think that’s just marvelous. Don’t you agree, Simon?”

  Simon had just taken a big bite of buttered toast. “Marvelous,” he agreed once he could talk.

  “Bryan, are you a sponsor again this year for the Jingle-Bell Jam?” Jaclyn asked.

  “What is that?” Melanie hadn’t heard anyone mention it.

  “Yes, I am. I was surprised by how much business I saw from it last year.”

  Jaclyn turned her way and smiled. “It’s a lovely charity event, dear. A festival ball at the Founder’s Hall just off Main Street. And it’s for a good cause. I believe this year the food pantry was added to the list of local charities, the one that Maddie volunteers at.”

  “Oh, that does sound fun. Are you going?”

  “Simon and I both are. We wouldn’t miss it. You may want to check with Wade, maybe the fitness center could get a mention. I think the ranch is a big sponsor.”

  “They are,” Bryan confirmed.

  “Did you go last year, Bryan? I don’t think I remember seeing you there,” Jaclyn asked.

  “No. I gave my ticket to Clark. That type of thing is more his style.”

  Jaclyn frowned. “Well, I hope you’re going to go this year. Networking is much more effective if you are actually there. Not just a banner on the wall.”

  Bryan laughed. “I wasn’t planning on it, but maybe I will.”

  A sly look flashed across Jaclyn’s face. “They give you at least two tickets, right?”

  Bryan nodded.

  “Well, why don’t you bring Melanie? It would be a fun night for you both.”

  Bryan hesitated and Melanie’s heart leaped and then sank when he didn’t jump on the idea. Maybe he didn’t want to be stuck with her for the night.

  “It wouldn’t have to be a date. Melanie could go on behalf of the fitness center. I’m sure Wade would approve of that,” Jaclyn said.

  Bryan seemed to perk up at that suggestion. “I think that’s a great idea, actually. If you’re interested, Melanie?”

  If he only knew how interested. “I think it sounds like fun. I haven’t had an occasion to dress up for anything since I moved here. And I love to dance. Will there be dancing?”

  “They have several bands that will be playing, for an hour each,” Jaclyn said. “They all volunteer their time. Everything from big band music to blues and even a little country. I think Lily and her brother’s band might be there.”

  “It’ll be fun,” Bryan said.

  They said their goodbyes to Jaclyn and Simon and settled into one of the bigger booths. The restaurant was only about half-full so there were plenty of empty tables. Rachel, one of the newer waitresses, came over to offer them coffee and give them menus. As soon as she returned with their coffee, they put their orders in—an egg and cheese breakfast burrito for Melanie and scrambled eggs and a bowl of oatmeal and homemade applesauce for Bryan.

  As soon as she took their menus out of the way, Brian reached into his leather briefcase and pulled out the designs for Melanie’s house. He unfolded a large sheet of paper and spread it on the table, holding it so that they could both easily see.

  Melanie was impressed and excited as Bryan walked her through his design. It wasn’t a large house, but it was plenty big enough. It was a nice mix of rustic wood and contemporary with high ceilings and soaring glass windows along the wall that faced the lake. An upstairs loft area could double as an office and was just off the master bedroom, which had a gorgeous bathroom and French doors to a small deck where she could picture herself having her morning coffee and watching the sun rise over the water.

  “There’s no formal dining room, but the eat-in area off the kitchen is big enough to accommodate a larger group. The family/living room will have French doors out to an oversized deck and I know you don’t cook much, but I still gave you a nice kitchen. In case that ever changes.” Bryan grinned as he pointed out the roomy but efficient kitchen with its center island, and a stove that also faced the water, so Melanie could have a nice view as she cooked.

  “Maybe I’ll want to learn how to cook now that I’ll have a view like that,” she laughed.

  Bryan went on to describe the other two bedrooms, and ended by showing a big basement.

  “You could leave that unfinished and use it for storage or we could finish it and give you another room.”

  “What would you do?” Melanie hadn’t even thought about a basement.

  Bryan didn’t hesitate. “I’d finish it. If it was my house that would be my man cave, with a big screen TV, a game table for playing cards, and soft leather sofas. That’s me, though.”

  Melanie could picture him lounging on the sofa, watching a movie or sports on a theater-sized TV. It was a nice image. “Let’s finish it. I’m not sure what I’ll use it for but it will be nice to have it done.”

  “So what do you think?” Bryan asked when he finished going through all of the plans. “I can change anything.”

  Melanie smiled. “I don’t want you to change a thing. It’s perfect.”

  Rachel appeared with their meals and waited while Bryan moved the paper out of the way.

  “I think you started here the same week I came to the ranch. How are you liking it so far?” Melanie asked Rachel as she set down their breakfasts.

  “Oh, it’s great. It’s the perfect job for me right now because the hours are so flexible from week to week and I need that if an audition comes up or rehearsals or something.”

  “Oh, what else do you do?” Rachel was a few years younger, maybe around twenty-three or twenty-four Melanie guessed. She almost looked like a model—very tall and unusually pretty, with long dark hair, fair skin and blue-gray eyes.

  “I’m an actress,” she said with a shy smile. “I know Riston isn
’t exactly the best place for that, but I’ve managed to do some local commercials here and there and some community theater. I’m not in a position to move because of family obligations, so I’m just trying to make the most of it and get some experience on my resume.”

  “You’ll have to let us know when you’re in a local show. I’d love to come and support you,” Melanie said and Bryan nodded in agreement.

  “Thank you so much! I really do appreciate that. Are your breakfasts okay? Is there anything else you need?”

  “All set,” Melanie and Bryan said at the same time and then laughed. Rachel scurried off to take another order and they turned their attention to their food.

  When they finished, Bryan insisted on paying the bill. “It’s a business meeting and you’re the client.”

  “Okay, then. Thank you.” As they were walking out the door, she asked a question she probably should have asked earlier.

  “When is the Jingle-Bell Jam?”

  “Next Saturday.”

  “Oh, so soon. I’ll have to go shopping for a new dress this weekend.” When she’d moved cross-country she had totally cleaned out her closet, donating many bags of barely worn clothes to local shelters and thrift shops. She only kept clothes that she wore often and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn a fancy cocktail dress. It would be fun to get something new and festive for the holidays. She was picturing a pretty red dress as she suddenly felt her foot slip out from under her. The snow was coming down quite a bit harder now and the temperature had dropped, making the ground below icy and slick.

  “I’ve got you.” She felt Bryan’s strong arms catching her, lifting her back up until she was steady on her feet.

  “Thank you.”

  He grinned. “I think you need to shop for more than a dress. What time is good for you tomorrow to go to the dealerships?”

  “Anytime. Whenever it’s convenient for you.”

  “Okay, then I’ll be by around eleven.”

  Wade popped into Melanie’s office after lunch with good news.

  “I just got last month’s financial statement back from Jace and the fitness center is doing great. We’re way past where we forecasted we’d be. Almost double the number of new memberships, to be exact. Thanks to you.” Wade was quick to give credit, but Melanie knew it wasn’t all due to her efforts.

  “Thank you, but the marketing you’ve let us do, the referral promotions and the high quality is the reason. Once people see all that we have to offer, they are eager to join.”

  “We make a good team then!” Wade said and leaned back in his chair, looking quite pleased.

  “Are you a sponsor for the Jingle-Bell Jam?” Melanie asked. “I saw Bryan this morning and thought you might be.”

  “You know, I did sign us up for that. With everything else going on around here, I forgot all about it. I’m not sure if Maddie is going to be up for going or not. She hasn’t been feeling so great lately.”

  “With good reason.” Melanie smiled. “Bryan has an extra ticket, actually. So I could go with him and represent the fitness center—and then you and Maddie can still go if she feels up to it.”

  “That’s a great idea. You sure you don’t mind going with Bryan?”

  Melanie almost laughed. Men could be so clueless sometimes.

  “No, I don’t mind at all.”

  A few minutes after Wade left to head back to his office, Natalie called to let her know her next appointment had arrived. Melanie glanced at her schedule. It was Alison Reynolds, a potential new member. Melanie would give her a tour, answer any questions and most likely sign her up for a membership.

  Allison was a petite woman in her mid-thirties with a sporty, blonde bob. She was new to the area, too, and was a stay-at-home mother with two small children.

  “I love them dearly, but I need a break. You have child care here?” Was her first question as they walked around.

  “We do. The Kid’s Korral is on the premises, just outside the gym, so the children are close but not so close that you’ll have to worry about them interrupting your workout.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  Like everyone else, Alison was eager to sign up for a membership when they finished the tour. After she’d given Melanie a check for her first month, she mentioned that she’d just come from visiting another health club in town. It was a big national chain.

  “They have a crazy special going on right now. But it’s just not as nice there or as convenient. Their day care has limited hours. I actually feel a little bad for them. I heard that they’ve been losing members lately. Maybe people are coming here instead?”

  “Oh. I hadn’t heard that. I’m new in town too, though. I’m so glad you’ve joined us. I know you’ll love it here.”

  After Allison left, Melanie went back to her office and pulled up the MyTown site. With a sinking feeling, she saw that two new reviews had been added for the fitness center. One was a raving five-star review, mentioning the childcare and the awesome classes. The other was a one-star that was the worst one yet. The headline was “Scam”, and the review was a strange rant, saying they’d been charged double and everything was awful. Melanie sighed and knew she’d need to address the bad reviews with Wade. As a new business, they couldn’t afford to be losing potential new members.

  Chapter 7

  Bryan came by at eleven sharp the next morning. The air was cool and crisp with the familiar dampness that signaled more snow was on the way. The forecast was for several inches later that afternoon. Melanie knew she should have gone car shopping weeks ago, but better late than never, she supposed.

  She smiled when she saw Bryan. He was dressed for the weather in a bright red knit hat, red and black plaid fleece jacket and a puffy black vest over that. Melanie pulled a soft white wool hat on along with matching mittens and her warmest down jacket.

  “Ready to go shopping?” Bryan asked.

  “Almost.” Melanie pulled on her snow boots and then she was ready to go.

  “I talked to Melissa. She got a Subaru soon after she moved here and she said she loves it.”

  “Those are good cars. Not too expensive and you see a lot of them around here. We can go to that dealership first.”

  Twenty minutes later they were at the biggest car dealership in town and as they got out of Bryan’s truck, the snow was starting to lightly drift down. It put her in a festive, holiday mood. She always loved this time of year.

  They spent the next hour looking at various Subaru and Honda models and Melanie liked several of them, particularly a pretty, ice blue-gray Subaru Outback. She was tempted to buy it on the spot.

  “Let’s go to the other dealership first,” Bryan said softly so that the salesperson couldn’t hear him. “You’ll get a better deal if you are a little less excited and willing to walk away.”

  “Oh, okay. I probably should investigate all my options anyway.”

  The salesman’s face fell when they told him they were making the rounds and on their way to another dealership.

  “Please do come back. I can talk to my manager while you’re gone and am sure he’ll make it worth your while if we can get a deal done today.”

  “We’ll keep that in mind,” Bryan said smoothly.

  “You’re good at this,” Melanie said as they drove out of the parking lot.

  “It’s a bit of a game they play. I just went through it not too long ago.”

  Melanie looked at several Volvo and BMW SUV’s, but she kept thinking about the less expensive Subaru in the unusual, pretty pale shade. Bryan seemed to know by her expression as they roamed around the lot that her mind was elsewhere.

  “Are you ready to go back for your Subaru?” he asked with a grin as they climbed back into his truck.

  “Yes!”

  An hour later, Melanie had all the paperwork completed for the car she’d fallen in love with. The dealership needed to get it registered and process all the paperwork so she wouldn’t be able to pick it up until the
coming Tuesday, but then she would have a proper car for driving in the mountains of Idaho and could handle most bad weather that came her way.

  “Are you hungry?” Bryan asked once they were back in his truck. “My mother dropped off a huge container of beef stew this morning. Want to join me for a bowl? My house is right around the corner. I can drop you off after we eat.”

  Melanie’s stomach rumbled in response and she laughed. She’d lost all track of time and it was already nearly one thirty.

  “That sounds wonderful, thank you.”

  A few minutes later, Bryan pulled into the driveway of a small, cottage-style house. It looked cozy and had a nice farmer’s porch out front.

  When they went inside, there was a wood stove in the kitchen that was glowing merrily and two fluffy cats curled up beside it. They both stood up at the sound of the door opening and walked toward Bryan cautiously, keeping their distance from Melanie. They were gorgeous cats.

  “This is Holly and Rudy. Short for Rudolph, of course.”

  “Christmas cats?” Melanie stood still and let them come to her. They sniffed slowly and then let her pet both of them.

  “Rescue cats. My former next-door neighbors actually dropped them off on my porch in a cardboard box with a note to take them to a shelter. They couldn’t be bothered to do it themselves before they moved away.”

  “And you couldn’t take them to the shelter?” Melanie smiled, knowing Bryan was too much of a softie to give the cats away.

  “No, I couldn’t do it. I already knew them. They used to come visit whenever I’d sit on the front porch. I used to leave food out for them because they often seemed hungry.”

  “So, they adopted you first.”

  “Something like that. It was a week before Christmas when they showed up in the box and I never did know their names, so I picked out ones that seemed to fit.”