by Danni Roan
“Him,” Ryan laughed. “I picked him up and stuck him in the pocket of my raincoat. He stayed there until I signed the contract on my shop, and he’s been with me ever since.”
Carol felt her heart soften toward the man who was giving her a lift home and his oversized feline friend. There was something about Ryan Troutman that seemed to take all the fuss out of her.
She had been so angry and annoyed with him before, but now there was something different. Had she changed, or had he?
“I’ll get my dad to tow your car to the garage tomorrow if you want,” Ryan said. “I can pick you up tomorrow and bring you to work.” He chuckled. “It’s kind of on my way.”
Carol chuckled, relaxing for the first time all day as the big cat began purring in her ear.
Shadowy shapes whizzed by as Carol gazed out the window. It was cold for this time of year, and she knew that kids would be out knocking on doors in just a few days.
Ryan turned down the secondary highway toward her home, a comfortable silence between them.
“It’s getting cold out,” Carol grinned, tucking her hands under her arms. “Do you think we’ll have an early snow?”
“That would be fun, but it’s far too early for it yet. Maybe in November.” The man winked, and she knew he was thinking of snow for Thanksgiving, but it didn’t irritate her like it had before.
“Why did you kiss me?” Carol asked the question popping out wildly.
Ryan flicked his eyes to the woman in his passenger’s seat. “Really?”
Carol met his eyes for a second before they were back on the road.
“Really,” she said.
“I couldn’t help myself,” Ryan admitted feeling his face flush. “You’re a beautiful woman.” He paused for so long that Carol thought he was finished, but then he added, “And I like you.”
Carol looked at the man who stared straight ahead at the black highway before him and blinked.
“Why?”
Ryan’s warm chuckle filled the car as they motored on. “You’re smart, determined, and know what you want. What’s not to like?”
“I’ve been nothing but rude to you.”
Ryan shrugged. “You’re just starting and,” he grinned, “I am a Christmas Hater after all.”
Carol groaned. “And a Turkey boy,” she teased.
“I had the wrong attitude when you moved your shop in next to mine, but now, seeing how hard you’ve worked, and how much you find real joy in what you do and the holiday of choice, I get it.”
“Really? So you admit that Christmas is the best holiday?”
“No,” Ryan laughed, and it made Carol’s stomach jiggle with delight. “But I understand that you love it, and that’s okay. Thanksgiving will forever be my favorite holiday, but I get what you see now.”
Carol reached over, laying her hand on his arm. She was tired and feeling a little giddy, but she realized that this man had been nothing but kind to her. “Thanks,” she said.
Ryan’s eyes went wide as a dark shape loomed before them in the middle of the road, and he swerved hard left into the other lane, narrowly missing the mother bear and her three cubs. Hands glued to the wheel, he tried to steer them out of the slide, but the Jeep jumped and skidded a moment later, slipping into a ditch as the driver’s side smashed into a tree and everything went black.
***
Carol opened her eyes, a strange sound echoing in her ears as something soft brushed her cheek. She blinked, catching the lights of the dash and focusing on where she was. She was in a car.
“Ryan!” she turned, looking at the driver next to her as she pushed Kooter’s tail out of her face. The big cat was chattering and rubbing his head against Ryan’s face, but the man didn’t move.
Carol unbuckled her seat belt and gently pushed the cat out of the way. Blood was pouring down Ryan’s face, and his skin looked ghostly white in the green dashboard lights. Swallowing hard, Carol pressed her fingers against the man’s neck, feeling a strong pulse beating there.
Scrabbling for her purse, she pulled out her phone and dialed 911. “Please be alright. Please be alright,” she pleaded as she waited for the dispatcher to respond. “I was just starting to like you.” Tears pooled in her eyes, and she took Ryan’s hand in hers as the big cat curled up in his lap.
***
Carol held Kooter tight as the big cat let out a yowl, and the ambulance siren whirred, preparing to carry Ryan to the local hospital.
“Lady, you can’t bring that cat in here,” the EMT said. “I’m sorry you’ll have to leave him in the car.”
“No,” Carol said, kissing the cat’s head. “I can’t leave him.” Tears stung her eyes. “I’ll wait for someone to pick us up. I already called my parents.”
“You should get checked out too,” the man in the blue uniform said. “You could be injured.”
“I’ll be alright,” Carol said, rubbing her face into the cat’s fur once more as the man closed the doors, and they rolled away in a flurry of flashing lights.
“You need a ride, lady?” the tow truck driver asked. “I’ll give you a lift.”
“Thank you,” Carol breathed a sigh of relief. “You don’t have a problem with the cat?”
“Nah, my little girl has a cat. A bit smaller than that one, though.”
“Thanks,” Carol climbed into the warm cab of the big truck, still holding Kooter and leaned her head against the seat.
“We’ll be ready in a minute. I’ll drop you at the hospital on my way to the garage.”
Carol opened her eyes and smiled at the man, as the cat began to purr. The sound vibrated through her, soothing her jangled nerves.
As the truck pulled back into the empty road, the words of her final shopper that night echoed in the young woman’s mind. “Don’t wait until it’s too late.”
Carol dropped her head, resting it against Kooter’s and realized that the woman was right. She had been so focused on her dream of the perfect Christmas shop that she had missed the chance to make a friend.
She was living up to all of Ryan’s beliefs about Christmas. Focused on holiday sales and numbers, Carol had lost the sense of joy that the holiday should bring. Please let him be alright, she thought. Carol realized that she wanted a second chance to know this crazy Thanksgiving fan.
The driver pulled into the hospital parking lot, and Carol climbed out of the cab. “Thank you,” she said, feeling her muscles protest as they stiffened. “I’m sure someone will be in touch in the morning.”
“Carol?” A car pulled up beside her, and Carol was shocked to see Ryan’s father stop beside her. “We came as soon as you called.”
Tears sprang to Carol’s eyes as she looked at Ryan’s parents.
Betty climbed out of the car and walked around to Carol wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go see how he is,” she said, and together they walked toward the emergency room.
“What about Kooter?” Carol asked.
“He’ll be alright in the car,” Mrs. Troutman said. “We can take him home afterward.”
Another car pulled in, and Carol looked up to see her parents pile out of their vehicle.
“Honey,” Judy hurried to her daughter, hugging her tight then standing back to sneeze.
“Come here, Kooter,” Bade smiled, lifting the big cat who meowed in protest as he was dropped into the car and locked away.
“We’re going in to check on Ryan,” Betty said, and together the little group walked through the sliding doors with a swish.
***
Carol stood by Ryan’s bed, holding his hand. Both sets of parents had wandered off to get coffee, but she didn’t feel like she could leave, at least not until he woke up.
“Kooter’s fine,” she said, jabbering on nervously. “I think I’ll be sore tomorrow, but at least I’m not out cold.” She shook her head at her own words. “I wish you would wake up.”
“If I wake up, will you stop holding my hand?”
Carol gasped as Ry
an peeled his eyes open. “You’ve been awake.”
“Not for long, but I like the hand holding thing.”
A crooked smile greeted her, and Carol almost dropped his hand.
“How do you feel?”
“My head hurts.”
“The doctor stitched you up, but you have a nasty bump, and they want to do some X-rays to make sure nothing is broken.”
Ryan’s eyes drifted closed, and his voice was groggy. “You look pretty,” he said, squeezing her hand.
Carol grinned, wondering if the doctor had given Ryan something for the pain, making him loopy. Still, it was sweet what he said.
“Where’s Kooter,” Ryan asked a few moments later as he drifted back to wakefulness.
“He’s in your Dad’s car. For some reason, they wouldn’t let the brute ride along in the ambulance or enter the hospital.” His blue eyes softened, and she smiled at him. “He sounded pitiful after they took you away.”
“Poor guy,” Ryan’s eyes focused on her face, and he lifted his hand to brush a tear streak away. “And how about you, were you pitiful too?”
Carol met Ryan’s eyes, her heart beating faster as she rested his hand against her face. She had only known the man for a short time, but she suddenly realized how empty her life would be without him in it.
Her mind raced as she thought over the past few weeks, and all he had done for her. He had been kind even when she had not.
“I think I was feeling pitiful too,”
Ryan’s fingers caressed her face, and he smiled. “You know I kind of like having you around.”
“Me too,” Carol grinned. “Uhm, when you get out, maybe we can try to be friends.”
Ryan’s eyes never left hers as he tried to nod. “Or maybe something more?”
Carol nodded then gasped as a giant furball leapt up onto the bed. “How in the world did you get in here?” she hissed as Kooter walked up Ryan’s chest and rubbed his face against the man’s chin. “The doctor is going to have a fit.”
The curtain swished open, and the doctor stepped in. “What am I having a fit about?” The thin man with the graying temples grinned. “Oh, hello, Kooter,” he ran a hand over the cat. “I wondered when you’d show up.”
Carol stared at the man.
“Everyone in Banesville knows Kooter,” the man laughed. “If this cat sets his mind to something, I don’t think you could stop him.”
The doctor scratched the cat behind the ears. “Maybe you could take him while we get Ryan down to X-ray, though. I’m not sure the tech will be able to get very good images with a thirty-pound cat sitting on his chest.”
Carol reached down, scooping Kooter into her arms with a grin, then leaned over and kissed Ryan on the top of the head. “Don’t worry about the shop,” she called as an orderly wheeled his bed out of the room. “We’ll take care of everything.”
Chapter 10
“A broken collar bone and a concussion,” Mrs. Troutman said as she sipped her coffee at the shop the next day. “He’ll be fine, but for now, the doctor wants him to rest.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t more serious,” Mrs. Evergreen replied. “I know the whole thing gave Bill and me a real scare.”
“I know, and then that crazy cat getting out of the car and walking right into the emergency room.” Betty grinned. “He’s something else.”
“I take it he’s home with Ryan for the time being?”
“Yes, Bade thought he would be better off keeping an eye on Ryan. The beast just sits on him half the time purring to beat the band.”
“When will Ryan be back to work? He won’t lose business over this, will he?”
“No, Bade and I can run the store until Ryan’s on his feet again. How about Carol? Is she still sore from the accident?”
“Yes, but she’s feeling better.” Mrs. Evergreen leaned closer to her newest friend. “I think this shook her up, and she’s starting to realize that you can’t ignore a good thing when it comes along.”
Betty smiled. “You mean she’s finally starting to realize that she cares for my son.”
The two women laughed, filling the shop with delight as they each took another cookie from the tray and waited for business to pick up.
***
Ryan hobbled across the kitchen and reached for the front door. His father was out feeding the turkeys, and his mother hadn’t returned from the shop yet, so that just left him or Kooter to answer the door, and the lack of opposable thumbs left only one.
“Hi,” Carol greeted, standing in the door, a scarf wrapped around her neck. “I thought I’d drop by and see how you’re doing.”
“Come on in,” Ryan smiled, happy to see her, then laughed as Kooter wound around her booted legs. “Someone’s happy to see you.”
“I think we bonded during a car accident,” Carol grinned, her pretty eyes sparkling.
“So, what’s happening at the shop?” Ryan walked his guest down the hall to the kitchen and pointed at the coffee pot. “I’d get it for you but,” he pointed at his arm in a strange stabilizer that held it up at an angle.
Carol giggled, “You could dress as a scarecrow for Halloween,” she teased.
“If I only had a brain,” Ryan sang.
Carol looked around the nearly empty house then leaned forward. “Where’s your father?” she asked as Ryan gazed at her lips.
“Out feeding birds.” His mouth had gone dry as Carol leaned toward him.
“Good, then I can fill you in on how the shop is doing,” she slipped onto a stool, and he felt himself deflate with disappointment.
“What’s wrong?” His words were almost a groan.
“Nothing,” Carol smiled. “Between our parents, both shops are well-staffed, and our moms are plotting something.” Her eyes twinkled, and Ryan felt the first hint of worry.
“What are they up to?” He asked, plopping on a stool.
“I don’t know, but they keep going on and on about how our two shops were made for each other, your Triple T fall and what not and my Christmas store.” She sipped her coffee and grinned. “I almost think they wish we would merge and be one big shop.”
Ryan stared at her, taking in her soft skin and bright eyes.
“What do you think?” He asked.
“They may be on to something,” Carol admitted. “Between us, we’re pretty good at what we do,” her eyes twinkled again, and Ryan smiled.
“We could knock a wall out and partner up.” He couldn’t believe he was even considering it.
“I think my mom and your mom are just having a good time,” Carol said. “They have so much in common, and it’s been a long time since my mother had a friend like that.”
Ryan leaned his good elbow on the bar top and gazed into Carol’s eyes. “And what about the two of us?” His warm breath brushed her cheek, and Carol found herself leaning in.
“What about us?” she asked, her eyes dropping to his lips as she remembered his kiss.
“We make a pretty good team,” Ryan said, his eyes never leaving hers. “What if we gave it all a try?”
Carol felt her heart thumping in her chest as she lifted her eyes again. When had she started longing for him to kiss her?
“Like what?” she asked.
Ryan slipped closer, his lips fluttering over hers in a sweet kiss, and Carol felt her heart beat faster. That sweet smell filled her nostrils as she leaned in kissing him back.
Ryan slid off his seat, standing for better access to Carol’s lips as he kissed her with everything he had started to feel for her. She was stubborn, sassy, but oh so sweet, and he knew that given half a chance, their hearts could go together like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Carol wrapped an arm around Ryan’s neck and deepened the kiss feeling her head buzz with delight. She had started out prepared to hate this man, but somewhere between the turkey and the trees, he had wormed his way into her heart.
She had so much to learn about this man, so much to learn from him, and he would learn from
her as well if only she was willing to take the chance.
***
Only three days remained before Thanksgiving Day, and Ryan was finally in the shop fulltime. His arm was still stiff, but he was able to function well enough. Now he stood in his shop staring at the wall between the Triple T and the Christmas store.
“What do you think?” Carol asked. Her fingers twitched, wanting to take his hand and sharing her excitement.