A Merry Little Christmas

by Catherine Palmer

  She didn’t want another husband, anyway. What she wanted was for her daughter’s test results to come back with miraculous improvement. What she wanted was for Jessie never to have fallen ill in the first place.

  When she looked up, Colt was watching her over the top of Jeremy’s cap. Great. What if he’d overheard the thing Uncle Ed had said? Heat crept across her cheekbones. What did he see when he looked at her? A single mom doing her best to hold it together—that’s what he saw. He probably thought she was looking for Husband Number Two.

  But when she looked at him, she didn’t see a marital candidate for her. She saw a man who was strong, patient and kind. Who liked kids, obviously, or he wouldn’t be talking so earnestly with Jeremy. Why hadn’t he married? Why didn’t he have a family of his own? Not that it was her business, but a girl could wonder.

  Maybe she ought to rescue him from her son. She grabbed the bag of chocolates and delivered them. “Is he wearing your ears out, yet?”

  “Nope.” Colt’s knuckles brushed hers as he took the bag.

  Wow. Her touch made his soul still. He couldn’t blame the reaction on the chocolate this time. Not even close.

  “Jeremy,” she said in her gentle alto. “Time to come with me. I’ve got ribbons to tie for the boxes. I need a superhero’s help.”

  “Aw, Mom.”

  “Colt’s a busy man. I’m sure he has a lot of important things to do.” There was no mistaking her love as she ruffled her son’s hair.

  “What could be more important than Wonder Boy?” Colt asked.

  Earning a grin from Jeremy, and an appreciative smile from his mom.

  Colt knew he was in trouble as Amanda took a step away, and he felt the tug of his heart as if she were taking a piece of it with her.

  “Mom, I just gotta tell him one more thing!”

  “Okay, but then let the man go.” Amanda paused at a door in the back. “See you around, Colt.”

  “Sure thing.”

  He had to admit the truth. He cared for her. It wasn’t a conscious decision. It was simply there.

  “I know your secret. Your real identity.”

  Colton whipped around, startled by the little boy, who had followed him to the door. “My real identity, huh?”

  “Sure. I know all about ’em. You’re like Wonder Boy. When he isn’t doing good, he’s Wade Moss, mild-mannered business student. Right?”

  So his secret was out. He figured the real estate agent had already spread the rumor: extremely rich guy buys vacation house. It accounted for all the unmarried women in the grocery store who’d tried to get his attention. Not that he was interested.

  What interested him was the one woman who wasn’t trying to get his attention. His gaze cut to the back of the store, but she’d already disappeared from sight.

  That’s when he noticed the display by the door. A coffee can with a slit in its plastic lid perched on the edge of a cloth-covered table. A computer-generated sign hung on the wall above it. Please Help Us Raise Money For Our Niece’s Medical Expenses.

  Jessie. He remembered Amanda’s look of love when she held her daughter. It wasn’t even a thought, he was already pulling his wallet from his back pocket and emptying the folds of hundred-dollar bills into the can.

  “Wow!” Jeremy stared up at him as if he’d just leaped to the moon in a single jump. “I knew it! I go around doin’ good, too. I help my mom and my sister all the time.”

  Now, that humbled him. How long had it been since he’d thought about going around doing good? He’d been Jeremy’s age. “You keep being good. Okay?”

  “Like you?”

  “Not me, kid. I could be doing things better. Your mother’s looking for you.” He could see her through the store, and he felt ashamed, because that money, as much as it was, was pocket change to him. No big sacrifice. Thinking about that, he opened the door. “See ya around, Jeremy.”

  “Cool! Bye, Colt!”

  As he strolled the sidewalk to his truck, parked not far away, he caught a blur of pink—a woman’s pink sweater—moving beyond the shop’s front window. Amanda, probably come to retrieve her son.

  As Colt jogged across the street, fishing his keys from his jacket pocket, a strange connection—a mood—brushed through his soul. Maybe it was her mood, maybe it was his own, he didn’t know, but he didn’t look up as he unlocked the door. Inside the truck she was safely out of his sight. Snow draped the windows like a thick white sheet.

  In the quiet, Jeremy’s words came back to him. You’re like Wonder Boy. When he isn’t doing good, he’s Wade Moss, mild-mannered business student. Right?

  Wrong, kid. He started the engine and hit the defroster on high, remembering what he’d told the boy. I could be doing things better. He didn’t know if the kid thought rich guys did a lot of charity work or something, but it was almost as if Jeremy thought he was like Wonder Boy. A secret doer of good.

  Not even close.

  He grabbed his ice scraper and hopped outside to start clearing his windows. There was a faint blur of pink in the shop across the street. His chest wrenched, as if tough layers of hard ice were wrenching apart. The crisp brush of snowflakes against his face seemed to urge him to look again, toward the cozy little candy store.

  He swore he heard the wind whisper, this is the way.

  Amanda could barely hear the knock over the children’s Christmas carols playing on the small CD player. Since she was in the middle of unstringing the tangled mass of Christmas-tree lights, she was a little tied up. If she let go of the carefully uncoiled section, there’d be utter disaster. She’d have to start all over again. “Jeremy, get the door, please.”

  “The door?” He’d been jumping up and down, tossing handfuls of tinsel into the air, not that it was helping with the tree decorating process, but he’d made Jessie sit up in her chair and laugh. Priceless. What was a mess on the floor compared to that?

  Since he was wearing his Wonder Boy T-shirt, he flew over an open box of ornaments and yanked open the door.

  “Hey there, Wonder Boy,” rumbled a familiar baritone. “Is your mom home?”

  “Yeah, but she’s real frustrated.”

  Amanda rolled her eyes. Leave it to Jeremy. She gave the string of lights a good yank, but it only tangled more. “I’m not frustrated. Just patience-challenged.”

  He strolled into sight, holding up a big brown bag. The door swept closed behind him. “Good thing I swung by the chicken place.”

  “You really have to stop being so generous to us.”

  “I can’t. It’s getting to be a habit.”

  “You got a bucket of chicken?” Jeremy leaped again. “Potato wedgies, too?”

  “Can’t eat fried chicken without ’em,” Colt said.

  And stole her heart. She was a softie when it came to anyone genuinely nice to her kids. “Small problem. Aunt Vi wants to bring supper over. I’ll just give her a call—”

  “Who do you think told me what kind of chicken to buy? I got her number from your uncle. I called his store to buy some more of those cordials—and send them for gifts. That’s quite a mess you’ve got.”

  “Last year’s Christmas was kind of hectic. I just unwound the lights from the tree and stuffed them in a bag. Big mistake.”

  “So I see. Jeremy, fly this into the kitchen for me, would ya?” He held out the bag, making sure the boy had a good hold on it before the kid leaped away, always helpful. The big mountain of a man knelt down before her. “Nice tree.”

  Amanda’s breath caught as he leaned close to take the other end of the string of lights. He bent his head over his work, his big, capable hands efficiently untangling the plug from the rest of the coiled mess. She had to stop noticing just how handsome he was.

  Wait, hadn’t he asked her a question? Heaven help her, her brain had short-circuited again. Oh, right, he’d said something about the new tree, a freshly cut five-foot spruce tucked in the corner by the window. “Uncle Ed’s son dropped this by from his tree farm. He was m
aking deliveries in the area. He found the perfect one for us, didn’t he, Jessie?”

  The little girl nodded, cuddled up with a blanket and pillow, a makeshift bed in the overstuffed chair.

  The little girl’s skin looked more translucent today, emphasizing the shadows beneath her eyes. Colt remembered the collection can. He owed this child. She’d given him a new perspective, one he was determined not to forget. Maybe he could repay her—he’d think on that. He glanced at the clock on the wall near the door. The mechanic ought to be coming by any minute.

  “Maybe this year I’ll get a Christmas tree.” He looped the plug through a knot and watched Amanda.

  “What do you mean, this year? You celebrate Christmas, right? Vi said the real estate agent said that you asked about the local chur—Wait. Scratch that. I can’t believe I did that. I’m actually listening to gossip about you and I repeated it in front of you. I’m more tired than I think.”

  She looked more exhausted, too. With the way her attention kept cutting past him to the ill child propped up in the chair, he wasn’t surprised. He doubted if Amanda could let Jessie out of her sight long enough to get any decent amount of sleep.

  “So, you’ve been checking up on me?” he asked.

  She blushed. “It’s Vi. She felt compelled to volunteer all this stuff she heard about you.”

  “Stuff, huh?” He studied the little girl again, so unnaturally still and ashen.

  All money could do was buy medical treatment for her. But if that wasn’t enough, then all the riches in the world would be without value.

  “Don’t worry. Your bachelor status is safe from me.” Amanda studied him through her lashes. “I’m not looking for a second husband.”

  “Didn’t think you were.”

  “I see how you look at me.”

  As if he was looking at Christmas? She hadn’t guessed, had she? Had he been that transparent? “How do you mean?”

  “With a little bit of panic.”

  Whew. He chuckled in relief. “Not for the reasons you think. I’ve been burned pretty bad. It makes a man wary.”

  “Is that why you bought a vacation home in Montana?”

  “No, there’s no Mrs. I’ve left behind in California. I haven’t taken that step. I’ve gotten close to marrying—once—but when I got to the truth of who she was beneath the polish and the pretense, she was purely a gold digger.”

  “I’m sorry. That had to hurt.”

  “Not as much as if I’d found out after the wedding. It happened a few years ago. I’ve recovered. Maybe not from the bitterness. I’m working on that.”

  “I’m working on the bitterness, too.” She stared hard at the tangle in her hand. “I was afraid that you’d overheard what Uncle Ed was saying while you were in the shop.”

  “Jeremy and I were deep in discussion. Why, what did your uncle say?”

  “You don’t wanna know, trust me. But if he happens to say anything cryptic, it’s not coming from me. He means well. He’s like a father to me. The only thing I want in this world is for Jessie to feel better. Right, baby?”

  A weary nod.

  Yeah, he already knew.

  Jeremy bounded back into the living room. “Mom! There’s a big truck outside. It’s Dustin’s tow truck! And he’s pullin’ our car.”

  “What? That can’t be right. Can it?” She abandoned the lights, rising up, a few silver sparkles of tinsel falling off her as she headed to the window. “I didn’t call. Ed promised he’d take a look at the radiator after he closed the store—”

  Colton caught Jeremy’s broad grin and gave him a wink. He laid a finger to his lips, a reminder to keep their secret.

  Jeremy nodded, his eyes shining, and took his mom’s hand.

  Chapter Five

  “It’s good to see the Trusty Rusty back in service,” Vi commented as she burst through the kitchen door, bringing the scents of winter wind, crisp snow and cake with her. “It must not have been anything serious. Always a good sign. We met Dustin in his tow truck on the driveway. He must have just delivered it.”

  Amanda hurried to relieve her aunt of the plastic cake carrier. “Yeah, the funny thing was that the bill was already paid. You wouldn’t know anything about that?”

  “Not me. Ed was going to dig it out and take a look, but by the time he got to it, he said it was gone. Nothing but a spot alongside the road where it had been.” Vi shrugged out of her winter coat and hung it on the tree by the door. “I whipped up a little dessert. When that nice young man of yours—”

  “He’s not mine,” Amanda patiently corrected. While it irked her, she knew there would be many more match-making comments to come. And here she was, already patience-challenged from dealing with the tree lights. “Angel food. Jessie’s favorite.”

  “Don’t try and change the subject on me, missy.” Vi wrapped her in a hug. “I’m a veteran when it comes to getting to the truth. How are you holdin’ up, honey?”

  “You know me. Holding on with what’s left of my fingernails, but I’m holding on.” Amanda glanced over the counter to where Jessie was giggling at Jeremy, who’d dropped a clump of tinsel on top of his head and danced around like a mock ballerina.

  Sweet love for her children brimmed, and she felt a tad bit stronger. Colt was safely out of earshot, keeping one eye on Jeremy and the other on the lights he was working on. “About the car, Vi. It was wonderful of you to fix the car, but I’m paying you back.”

  “That wouldn’t be possible, seeing as how we didn’t do anything to the car.”

  “But Dustin said the new radiator was paid for. When I asked by who, he said it was a secret. That sounds like something you and Ed would do. Especially since the mechanic fixed Trusty Rusty the same day? That never happens anywhere in the known universe.”

  “Know what I think? Word must have gotten around to Dustin, that’s my guess. He’s a good fair man, but this is a small town and he knows that folks will hear how your car broke down right after he worked on it, saying it was in tiptop shape. And with Jessie so sick ’n all, why, he’s gonna do the right thing. That’s all this is.” Vi unrolled the take-out bag on the table. “My, isn’t this somethin’? What a treat, not to have to cook.”

  “He can hear you, Vi.”

  “Yes, I can,” Colt confirmed from the living room floor. “Amanda, do you want me to start stringing the lights? Or do you want the honor?”

  “Let me guess. You’re not a veteran at this. I remember that crack you made about maybe getting a Christmas tree.”

  “I figure I can run my own business, I can put lights on a blue spruce.”

  “Be my guest, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “Fair enough.”

  He looked like the kind of man a woman could count on. Maybe it was those shoulders of his, wide and so capable, or maybe the granite look of him. It was nice. Very nice.

  Not that she was even at a place where she could think about being interested in dating and marriage again. But a man like Colt could make her want to wish—in spite of everything.

  Not that she was wishing.

  Vi paused on her way into the living room. “He looks like a very good man to me.”

  “He certainly does. We’re blessed to have such a nice neighbor. Colt, prepare yourself. This is my aunt Vi.”

  Amusement danced in Vi’s hopeful eyes. “Aren’t you helpful? You need any help with those lights?”

  “Wonder Boy and I got it covered. Good to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Handsome and polite, too,” Vi whispered before she charged into the room and gave Jessie a raspberry smooch on her cheek.

  “Aunt Vi!” Jeremy called from behind the tree. “I’m helpin’.”

  “And what a good job you’re doing, too,” Vi praised as she snuggled Jessie on her lap.

  There was a bump at the back door. Amanda raced to turn the knob as Ed blew in with the wind and an armload of wood.

  “Just thought I’d bring in a load since I was comin’ t
his way,” he explained as he stormed toward the woodstove. “It looks like Christmas in here.”

  Jeremy leaped, the tree’s boughs swinging in his wake, and rushed to the older man’s side, talking a mile a minute. At the same moment, Colt knelt to plug in the first string of lights and Jessie’s eyes danced with pleasure at the sight. For a brief instant, her illness was forgotten, her joy transcended everything.

  Amanda tried to take a picture in her mind, to capture what was dear about this exact minute. The scent of wood smoke and fresh spruce, the thump of Jeremy’s feet as he leaped and bounded, the warmth of family gathering. Most importantly she wanted to memorize the way Jessie lit up, wonder transforming her cherub’s face. Bright, happy blue eyes. Her silken red-gold curls so perfectly framing her face. The beloved way she clasped her little hands together, and the gasp she made when Colt fiddled with the lights and they began to blink. Pink, yellow, purple, blue and green sparkled and danced over the low branches.

  Time, it just kept slipping by. Sorrow speared so sharply into her soul, she couldn’t bear it. Don’t think about it, Amanda. Just think about this moment. Appreciate this moment. This, right here, is what’s important.

  She pressed her hand to her mother’s cross, familiar and precious, and thought of the words inscribed there. She would believe, with all her heart, even when her heart was no longer whole.

  She wrenched away from the sight, battling down the sorrow, and counted off enough plates from the stack in the upper kitchen cabinets.

  “You okay?” Colt’s broad hand settled on her shoulder.

  She hadn’t heard him approach, but there he was at her side, his touch radiating peace and comfort like nothing she’d ever known. What was it about this man? She hardly knew him, and yet it was as if her soul did.

  Which just showed how sleep deprived she was. She didn’t believe in soul mates. Or in love at first sight. What she wanted to believe was that not all men ran when things got tough. That not all men caved instead of standing tall.

  “I’m managing.” She slipped away from his touch, pivoting to set the plates on the table. Jeremy had turned the overhead lights off in the living room and the jeweled glow of the twinkling lights felt almost like hope, battling against the dark.