Christmas in Snow Valley

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  Chapter Thirteen

  “THE DOCTOR SAID THE MRI didn’t show anything unusual, but they want to keep him a while longer for observation,” April updated her parents when they arrived a few hours later. “Em’s afraid he won’t be home for Christmas.”

  “Tell her not to panic, we’ve still got a few days,” her mother said as she swabbed a moistened sponge over Ben’s dry lips. He had been growing increasingly agitated as the day wore on, but calmed down considerably when he saw his mother.

  April’s dad gathered her into a hug. “Thank you for taking such good care of him,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion. Then his eyes found Wade. “And thank you for taking such good care of her.”

  In spite of the cold, the fresh air felt wonderful after being cooped up in the hospital for so long. April tugged Wade’s coat tighter around her shoulders as she walked with her dad to the car. Wade had gone, reluctantly, a few hours earlier to do the chores and she missed him already.

  “Looks like there’ve been some changes,” her dad said with a glance at Wade’s coat once they were on the road.

  “Uh … yeah.” She gave him a quick update without going in to too many details. There were much bigger things to worry about at the moment; her tangled love life could wait.

  Their mother stayed in Billings with Ben, so the job of finishing preparations for Christmas fell to April. She spent most of the next day wrangling Emily and Trevor through cooking, cleaning, last minute decorating, and shopping, but her mind was on Wade. Where had they left things and what would happen now? She tried not to fret when he didn’t call or text; he was probably busy too. Besides, he was coming for Christmas Eve; she could be patient.

  Maybe.

  They were grateful and relieved when Ben came home on Christmas Eve Day. He had a follow-up appointment the next week and needed a lot of rest, but the doctors did not anticipate any more seizures. April noticed everyone in the family stopped by his room often to check on him or sit with him for a while. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought about what might have happened. She could not imagine life without Ben.

  It was a perfect Christmas. The family was together, the house was clean, neighbors dropped by with small treats and gifts, Christmas carols played in the background, and from the kitchen came the aroma of the turkey baking for dinner. Outside the sky was intensely blue and the snowy fields glistened in the sunshine.

  Well, it was almost a perfect Christmas. April’s heart stung as she pulled the gifts from Scott from under the tree and set them aside; waiting to be returned to him once she went back to school. She sighed and across the room her mother met her eyes with an understanding smile.

  April was doing her makeup when the doorbell rang. She figured it was another neighbor until Trevor’s voice echoed down the hallway.

  “Apriiiiil … Wade’s here.”

  He was early. She hurried through the rest of her makeup, her eyes bright and sparkling and her cheeks flushed with excitement.

  Her heart sped up even more when she saw him, handsome as ever in a blue button down shirt, jeans, and a soft leather jacket. He was smooth shaven and the subtle scent of his cologne made her knees tremble. He grinned at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said. “Want to take a drive?”

  What she really wanted to do was thread her fingers through his still damp hair, pull his head towards hers, and never, ever stop kissing him. But Trevor gave her a broad smirk so she hurried to the kitchen to announce they’d be back, then let Wade take her hand to lead her outside.

  When they reached the porch, April took a startled step back. A shiny silver Corvette was parked in front of the house.

  “What … is this yours?” she gasped as Wade pressed the remote. The car’s lights blinked and she blushed – stupid question, of course it was his.

  But … how?

  Wade winked and opened the passenger door for her. She gave him an incredulous look and slid into the deep black leather seat.

  “What’s going on? Why do you have a car like this?” April demanded when he was behind the wheel.

  “Later,” he said as the engine roared to life. “Let’s drive.”

  He went slowly down the bumpy lane, but when he reached the highway, he gunned the engine and the car took off.

  “Wade!” April said incredulously. “Tell me.”

  He smiled mischievously and shook his head, his eyes never leaving the road.

  They drove across the valley and through town. When Wade steered up the winding road into the foothills, April knew where they were going. His farm.

  Then they turned a corner and her mouth fell open.

  The crooked barbed wire fences had been replaced by miles of lodge pole rails, which blended seamlessly into the landscape. The pasture she remembered being full of scrubby cows now held several sleek horses. The rusting cars and broken machines were gone and instead of the old barn, there was a huge stable and several other new buildings. The old trees in the yard were still there and so was the house, but it was obviously renovated.

  Wade didn’t say a word. He just steered the car behind the house to a four-car garage, killed the engine, and turned to her. “So … want to see the inside?”

  She stared at him. “Are you messing with me?”

  “Of course,” he grinned. “C’mon, I’ll give you a tour.”

  The house looked nothing like she remembered. Every room had been skillfully remodeled to incorporate modern luxuries, but retain its old-world charm. Or maybe it had gained its charm as well; April didn’t recall much charm about the place when the Eddingtons had lived there.

  However, despite the gourmet kitchen, expensive finishes, and modern conveniences, it still looked very much like a bachelor pad. The furniture wasn’t so much arranged as it was scattered, the great room was dominated by a huge TV on the wall, and there were no plants or homey little knick-knacks to indicate a woman’s touch.

  They ended the tour in the great room by a fragrant Christmas tree alongside windows overlooking the pastures below.

  “Where are the cows?” April asked as she watched the horses picking their way through the snow. She had long since given up pestering him for an explanation. He would tell her in his own sweet time.

  Stubborn man.

  “I don’t have any cows.” Wade leaned against the back of the couch with his arms folded. He gave her an easy grin, but she could tell he wasn’t quite as relaxed as he was pretending. “I don’t have any pigs or sheep or chickens either,” he added.

  “Just horses?”

  “And a few goats. I like goats.”

  She looked around and shook her head. “It’s incredible. But seriously, how?”

  “Look,” Wade pushed off from the couch and came toward her, pulling his phone from his pocket. He jabbed the screen a few times and opened a folder with several icons.

  When he tapped the one labeled Farm Life, the screen zoomed open to show a little cartoon farm. A tiny tractor circled a tiny field, harvesting what looked like grain, while a herd of chubby cows grazed in a nearby pasture. She had never been very interested in computer games, but she knew enough about apps to know Farm Life was very popular.

  “I said I was a farmer,” Wade said. “This is my farm.”

  She looked from the screen to him and back to the screen. “I don’t get it.”

  “This is my app,” he explained. “I built it and I operate it and I make my living selling advertising on it.”

  She watched a family of ducks waddle across a dirt road. “You did all this? But you’re not an artist.”

  “I have a creative team,” he said. “I mostly handle the business end of things.”

  He waited, looking for all the world like the guilty schoolboy waiting for Mrs. Snow to mete out punishment.

  “You bought the van for Ben,” April finally said.

  He shifted uncomfortably. “That’s not important.”

  “Yeah, it is,�
�� she countered. “And don’t try to appease me. You did, didn’t you?”

  He nodded.

  “And you’re paying for his nurse?”

  Wade shrugged it away. “It doesn’t matter. But look at this,” his eyes grew excited as he swiped his finger over the screen and moved around the farm until they came to a big white barn. The sign over the door said Benny’s Barn.

  “We opened this last week. Players can come here to sell and trade equipment, animals, crops, basically everything in the game. There’s also a chat feature so you can connect with people all over the world.” He gave her a quick demonstration.

  “Benny’s Barn?" April asked.

  “He’s my silent partner,” Wade said. “Proceeds from barn transactions are for his care and anything left over goes to a foundation we formed to help families who have kids with CP. We help them pay for care, medical expenses, new equipment, things like that.”

  April gazed at him in admiration. “That’s got to be expensive … how much can you make off an app?”

  “I don’t want to go into details right now,” Wade hedged. “And I didn’t bring you here to try and impress you.” He paused and gave her an impish grin. “Okay, maybe a little bit. But mostly I just want us to be honest with each other.”

  “You don’t have to give me a number, but –”

  “Plenty, April,” he interrupted softly. “More than enough. It could probably be even more if I was aggressive with the marketing, but I haven’t wanted to spend the time.”

  The house, the horses, the car in the garage … “No way,” she burst out. “There is no way. I would have heard about this from every person in town.”

  “I don’t really talk about it,” he said. “In fact, I doubt anyone knows.”

  “What do they think then? You robbed a bank? Came into some kind of an inheritance? Found a gold mine?”

  He chuckled. “I have no idea. If anyone asks, I tell them I work with computers and that seems to be good enough.”

  April shook her head. “I don’t even know what to say. It’s just …” Irritation flared. “It’s ridiculous, is what it is. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

  “Before you get all fired up, answer me this,” Wade broke in quickly, “when exactly was I supposed to tell you? Up until a few days ago, you were engaged to someone else. And the hospital certainly wasn’t the right time to bring it up.”

  She opened her mouth to reply, realized he was right, and shut it again. “I don’t know,” she finally grumbled. “But a few hints here and there would have been nice.”

  He tossed his phone onto the couch, reached out, and grabbed her hips. His fingers threaded through the belt loops of her jeans as he pulled her close. “And miss the chance to see this look on your face? No way. You have no idea how long I’ve been looking forward to this moment.”

  She slid her arms around his neck. “Probably not exactly like this though.”

  “True,” he admitted. “I did think it would feel more like revenge …”

  “But this feels more like cake,” she finished.

  “Cake?”

  “A big gooey chocolate cake,” April said and laughed at his puzzled look. “I’ll tell you later. Right now, just kiss me.”

  He dipped his head and as their lips met, April’s heart soared. Who knew that cake could feel so much like love?

  About the Author

  Jeanette Lewis is a best-selling author of young adult adventure and clean romance novels. She has always loved dreaming up stories and thinks being an author is just about the best things ever.

  Visit authorjeanettelewies.wordpress.com to learn more, see what’s coming next, and sign up to receive Jeannette’s newsletter.

  Other Works by Jeannette Lewis

  Full Court Devotion

  Cami Checketts

  Dedication

  To my dad. Thank you for making Christmas magical for me and for all the wonderful memories throughout the years. If my children have half the childhood I had, I will be thrilled.

  Chapter One

  KAZLYN SLUNG HER BAG OVER one shoulder and dodged slower students. She wasn’t exactly late, but being outside any longer than necessary on a winter’s day in Logan, Utah was pure stupidity. Shivering in the vicious canyon breeze, she skirted a group of slow-moving girls and ran directly into the back of an insanely tall guy. Her bag flung from her fingers and books scattered in the crusty snow piled up next to the sidewalk.

  “Snot!”

  Tall dude turned and gave her a friendly smile. “No, it’s Tyrese.” His smile grew as he looked her over, white teeth flashing against his smooth, dark skin. “Most people call me Ty, but you can call me anything you want to.”

  “Ugh!” She ignored his flirtations and pretty-boy face. You’d think a man that large would have a face like Andre the Giant. Grabbing at books, she shoved them into her bag.

  “Here, let me get that for you.” Ty reached farther across the snow bank than she could; with octopus arms it was probably easy.

  “Thanks,” she muttered.

  He retrieved a few more books and her peppermint lip gloss. Of course, he would find the only feminine thing she had time for during school. His grin got even bigger. “This looks…” He glanced over her face before focusing on her lips. “Yummy.”

  Could the guy get any more arrogant? Kazlyn held out her hand. He surrendered the books, but held onto the lip gloss. She sighed, shoved the books into her bag, then held out her hand again. He placed the lip gloss into her palm and wrapped his warm fingers around her freezing ones. She’d been so stressed this morning, she’d forgotten her gloves—again. His warmth felt like the fireplace at home in Snow Valley, Montana. If she could just survive finals in two weeks, she’d be there. At the moment, she wanted to beg Ty to hold her hands and walk her to class. She smiled to herself, like she’d ever do that.

  “Wouldn’t want you to lose that.” Ty squeezed her hand. “Maybe you’ll give me a sample one day.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. She yanked her fingers from his and stomped around him. “No free samples, buddy.” She tossed a challenging look over her shoulder, almost hoping he’d call her bluff. He winked and grinned.

  Kazlyn whipped back around, smacking herself in the face with her long, blonde hair. First, she ran into him. Then, she whacked herself with her own hair. How embarrassing.

  He laughed. “Maybe I could be an exception.”

  Kazlyn kept walking. He caught up to her in four steps, though she’d taken ten. Curse his long legs.

  Ty strode easily beside her as she huffed her way to the Education Building. Her bag weighed her down, but she still bounced onto her toe with each step, too many years en pointe.

  Kazlyn couldn’t resist looking at him and almost wished she could dislodge the picture—fabulous smile, dark eyes surrounded with thick lashes she couldn’t have achieved with heaps of mascara, and chocolate skin.

  Every few seconds, fellow students, mostly girls, raised their hand in greeting or called out a friendly ‘hello’. He always responded kindly, but didn’t stop to talk, even though many of the girls slowed their steps or even turned around to watch him go by.

  “Why are you following me?” Kazlyn finally asked.

  “I’m not. I’m walking next to you.”

  She huffed. “That’s because you walk so stinking fast. If you didn’t have giraffe legs, you’d be following me.”

  He laughed. “Come on. I have more muscle on my legs than most giraffes.”

  She allowed him a small smile. “Knobbly-kneed giraffe.”

  “I told you it’s Tyrese.” He pumped his eyebrows. “Now, you get to share your name with me.”

  “Not happening. I don’t tell strange men my name.”

  “Aw, come on. You already gave me a hug from the back.”

  “I ran into you!”

  “And I forgave you immediately.” He winked. “I’m sure most people would forgive that beautiful face of anything.”
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  Kazlyn wanted to glare at him, but she couldn’t. Her dad used to say a similar line to her. “Are you always a schmoozer?”

  That brought her another chuckle. “Didn’t your momma teach you not to call names?”

  “Didn’t your momma teach you not to follow people?”

  He laughed louder. “She said it was okay if the girl was really pretty.”

  She blushed, turned her back on him, and climbed the steps to the Education Building. He took the steps two at a time and grabbed the glass front door, swinging it wide for her.

  “Do you have a class in here?” she asked.

  “My class is next door at the HPER.”

  “Figures. Let me guess.” She strode down the hallway and up the stairs. “You’re a P.E. major.”

  “Something like that.”

  “And probably the star of the basketball team.”

  “Hi, Ty,” a chorus of girls called out.

  “Hi.” He gave them a quick smile before turning back to her. “How’d you figure that out?”

  “Must be the giraffe legs.”

  “They come in handy sometimes. Have you seen me play?”

  She stopped outside her classroom door and tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “Do I look like the kind of person who would enjoy a basketball game?”

  He perused her slowly. “Sure. You look fit, and really, who doesn’t enjoy a basketball game?”

  “Me.”

  “Honestly?” His smooth brow wrinkled. “You don’t like sports?”

  “I like sports; I don’t like being a spectator.” She gestured into the classroom. “I get enough of sitting on my rear.”

  His smile came back. “You definitely haven’t been to one of my games. Nobody sits; they stand and cheer the entire time.”

  Now it was her turn to laugh out loud. “You need humility lessons.”

  “You offering to teach them?” He leaned against the door jamb and folded his arms across his chest.