by Mary Manners
“Maybe…” But it wasn’t, Faith was sure of that.
Soft lights welcomed them into the shop. The scent of cedar mingled with vanilla from the coffee service counter in a cozy corner. Faith drew in the scent, sighing as her equilibrium found its footing once again.
The clerk—a woman in her sixties or so, dressed in pressed navy slacks and a white silk blouse complemented by tasteful costume jewelry—stepped forward to greet Faith.
“Hello, dear. How may I help you this evening?”
“I’d like to see that music box in the window display, please.”
“Of course.” She nodded slightly. “Make yourself comfortable. Pour a cup of coffee and I’ll fetch it right away.”
“Thank you.”
The slight rustling behind her caused the woman to glance up and over Faith’s shoulder.
She paused slightly. “Ben!”
“Hello, Mrs. Parker.” He stepped forward to enfold the woman in a bear hug. “I didn’t expect to see you here tonight. How are you?”
“Back up on the horse, so to speak, and doing much better now. It helps to keep busy.”
“You look good. I’m glad.”
“You always did have a knack for flattery.” Mrs. Parker fanned herself with one hand. “I couldn’t have done it—done this—without your help last March. You helped me in my greatest time of need. You’re an angel, son.”
An angel…son?
Faith waited with all the patience she could muster as Ben and Mrs. Parker caught up with one another. Questions whizzed like runaway tennis balls through her head.
What does March have to do with it? What help? Could this be the reason Ben backed out of the fundraiser?
No. Faith shook her head. Her imagination was running away once again.
“And who is this lovely young woman?” Mrs. Parker’s voice drew Faith back in.
“Faith O’Fallon. She’s going to be my guest on the Christmas episode of Poolside Oasis.”
“Is that so?” Mrs. Parker’s gaze twinkled like sunshine. “Well, Ben, I believe that’s merely the beginning. Faith here is going to do much more than that.”
5
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Faith was in no mood to talk to Ben, though nearly a week had passed. She’d thrown herself into planning for the Christmas party and mulling over the contract for the Poolside Oasis episode that Harry had given to her. Avery had taken a look at the papers, as well, and given her hearty stamp of approval. That made Faith feel a little better about the whole thing as filming loomed closer.
Faith could almost forget the mess she’d made with Ben.
I judged him unfairly. I was wrong.
“I tried to tell you.” Ben stood at the doorway of her office. It was becoming a habit, his showing up here each day. Faith wasn’t sure what to make of it, but couldn’t deny her attraction for him had hit her like a flash fire—instant and all-consuming. “You wouldn’t listen.”
“I would have listened to that, Ben. You didn’t try very hard.”
“You didn’t listen very hard.” His gaze lifted to capture hers. The gentleness in his eyes melted her resolve just a bit.
“You’re right.” Faith swallowed against the ball of cotton wadded firmly in her throat as her earlier thoughts became words. “I judged you unfairly, Ben, I was wrong.”
“Thanks for that…for admitting it, I mean.” He entered the room and rounded the desk to where she sat. He lifted her chin, skimming the pad of his thumb along one cheek. The tender gesture caused a flash of heat to shimmy down Faith’s spine. Ben’s words were just as tender and equally emotion-charged. “I was wrong, too. I should have explained the situation to you, should have trusted you to listen and understand once it was all laid on the table. There’s no excuse.”
“There is an excuse—and she’s a kind-hearted, sixty-something-year-old woman named Mrs. Parker who’d just lost a grandson.”
“Jake was my best friend, and his death was so unexpected. I needed to be there with Mrs. Parker…Rose, and she needed me, too.”
“I understand.”
Ben dropped his hand and turned toward the window. The side yard stood silent; all children had been called in for the dinner hour to be followed by homework and study time in preparation for tomorrow’s school day. Over the past several days, the Indian summer had segued to chillier October afternoons. The bite of a cool breeze made the popular water games out of the question. The holiday season was beginning to make its grand entrance. Soon, Faith’s ceramic snowman, the pine-scented candle she’d burned to a nub and Bing Crosby’s world-famous tune would come into style once again.
Faith rolled tension from her shoulders. There was still so much she had to accomplish to complete preparations for the children’s Christmas party. Avery had made good on her promise to help out and had managed to recruit a few donors from the banquet hall she managed. Faith had lassoed a handful of donors as well, but nothing extraordinary. In another week or so filming for Poolside Oasis would monopolize Faith’s time, leaving little remaining for further solicitations. She’d cleared the filming with administration, though, with a heartfelt promise to donate the full cache of her pay from the production to Mountain Light.
“It’s five o’clock…just about quitting time.” Ben turned back to her with a slight grin on his face. “I have something in the truck to show you.”
“What might that be?”
“You’ll have to come out to see.” Ben’s grin widened as he reached for Faith’s hand. “How about a little dinner followed by a round of shopping?”
“Shopping?”
“Sure.” Ben shrugged and offered a playful wink that melted Faith’s heart, despite the reservations she continued to harbor. “Bring that Christmas in July list you keep tacked to the bulletin board, and we’ll fill my truck. Together, we’ll give the bearded guy a hand at the proverbial workshop.”
~*~
“Are you sure it’s all going to fit?” Faith asked as Ben rounded the corner and turned the truck up the drive to the warehouse that stored his family’s equipment and the bulk of stock. “I had no idea how much a pick-up truck could hold.”
“Sure, a single bay will hold all of it and more. Take a look.”
“Oh, my…” Faith’s eyes widened in disbelief as they climbed the drive and approached the massive building. “It’s…amazing.”
Ben laughed softly and reached for Faith’s hand. His fingers twined with hers, and relief flooded when her hand relaxed in his. He longed to draw her close and kiss her once more. “It gets the job done.”
The building’s entrance stood at one end where the offices were located, a quad of loading bays at the other. Inside each bay sat a variety of stone and river rock, as well as electrical materials, piping, and smaller pieces of machinery used throughout construction. The heavy equipment, such as the backhoe loader and a pair of double-axle dump trucks, were parked in the side lot next to the loading bays.
“Do you use everything stored here?”
“Sooner or later. It’s tough to keep stock on hand during the spring and summer months but things slow down a bit during the rest of the year.” Ben punched a code into the remote opener mounted to the truck’s console, and the bay farthest to the right opened, setting the overhead lights aglow automatically. The door creaked slightly as it rose, exposing ample concrete floor space and a wall of sturdy metal shelves, fairly empty, along the far wall. Ben drove the truck straight inside. “This ought to work for now. What do you think?”
“It’s perfect.”
The Poolside Oasis season was drawing to an end, and stock stood at a low point. There remained merely one project that required the attention of Ben’s crew, the one planned for Mrs. Jendovani.
And, perhaps one other—if Ben had his way. He planned to have his way.
Ben killed the truck’s engine and turned to Faith, squeezing her hand gently. “There’s a drink station through those double doors and do
wn the hall, in the staffroom on the right. Why don’t you grab us a couple of sodas while I unload this?”
“OK, sure. What do you like?”
He leaned in for that kiss he’d been wanting since he laid eyes on her again that afternoon. “Surprise me.”
As Faith slipped through the door to the hall, Ben began to unload what they’d piled into the back of the pickup over the past several hours. There were the usual items one might expect to find on Christmas lists—dolls and building blocks, basketballs and art supplies. Then some, like the music box Faith had found at Rose Parker’s antique shop, took a little more thought and a lot more detective work. Faith took time with each gift, no matter how small or inconsequential the request might seem to an outsider. She knew each child by name and went to lengths to make sure each child’s wish would be fulfilled.
Ben grinned as he stacked the shelves with the items that, together, he and Faith had selected. It gave him an odd sense of satisfaction—one he’d never felt before—to give Faith a hand in this endeavor. He was even looking forward to playing the part of the jolly, bearded guy. Over the past several weeks he’d often found himself humming Christmas carols and dreaming of a snow-laden holiday.
“Now that phone call I got from Harry this afternoon is beginning to make sense.” Samuel strode through the bay opening from the parking lot side. “Did you rob Santa’s workshop?”
“Hardly.” Ben swiped a hand across his forehead. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been finishing up some paperwork and checking stock for next week’s filming. I saw the light on and thought I’d better come check things out. I didn’t expect to find you here, especially not with all that…” He motioned to the toys on the shelves. “What’s going on?”
“I helped Faith do a little shopping for the Christmas party at the children’s home.”
“You…shopping?” Samuel pressed a palm to his chest while he back-pedaled a few steps as if he’d been shot. “You hate shopping. You even cringe at ordering materials for our projects. What gives?”
“I wanted to help out, that’s all.”
“Oh, no it isn’t.” Sam hoisted a set of Legos from the truck bed and placed it on the shelf alongside a soccer ball. “Wait—just wait a minute here. I get it now. She’s the one, isn’t she?”
“What if she is?”
“I knew it.” Samuel’s laughter echoed off the concrete block. “I knew it. We all knew it that day at the audition. There wasn’t even a shade of doubt. Not a glimmer—”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself.”
“Nope. She’s the one, little brother.”
“Who’s the one?” Faith strode through the door carrying two bottles of water. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know someone else was here with you, Ben.”
“I’m Samuel—Sam.” He stepped forward, nodding slightly. “And I don’t think we’ve officially met. Hello, Faith.”
“Hello.” She smiled as she handed Ben one of the bottles. “I hope this is OK.”
“It’s fine…perfect.” Ben removed the cap, drew a swig. “Sam was just helping me unload.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Sam reached for the garment bag draped across the backseat of the truck. “What’s this?”
“Oh, that’s a Santa suit.” Faith’s smile lit up the room. “Ben’s volunteered to play the part for the Mountain Light Children’s Home party. He bought all these gifts, too. Isn’t that generous?”
“Very.” Sam’s gaze found Ben’s over Faith’s shoulder. His blue eyes, though shadowed with weariness from the day’s work, managed to twinkle as he winked. “You volunteered, huh? Well, I’d like to see you in the suit.”
“Not tonight.”
“Hmm…nope, not tonight. Clearly, you’ve got more on your plate than playing Santa.” Sam released the garment bag and closed the truck’s door. “But I will need you to call me later about the changes to the filming schedule. Seems Harry received a last-minute request—or should I say a last-minute demand—from you and he’s decided to honor it We’ll need to hash out the details before filming begins on Monday.”
So the project he’d requested was a go. Good news all the way around. Ben unloaded the last of the toys. “I’ll call you.”
“Good.” Sam nodded to Faith. “It was nice to officially meet you, Faith. I’m sure I’ll be seeing a lot more of you in the days to come.”
6
A school of sharks swam through Faith’s belly as she waited for Ben’s arrival. He’d offered to come pick her up at her apartment so they could ride to the first day of filming together. Now, as she stared out the front window and across the expanse of parking lot, waiting for his truck to round the corner, she wished she’d never agreed to this craziness. She was much more comfortable behind the desk in her office at the children’s home than she was in front of a camera.
The children…she’d remember they were her reason for agreeing to take part in this in the first place. The very thought would help her to see things through to the end. Faith drew a breath and bowed her head in prayer.
Dear Lord, I need your help here. I’m shaking in my boots—literally. Please calm my nerves and see me through this. Help me to not goof up and destroy the filming schedule for the Ward family. I know this project is important to them.
A slight rap on the door drew her back. “Faith, it’s Ben. Are you ready to head to the filming?”
Faith slipped her purse strap over one shoulder as she crossed to the door. “Yes, I’m coming.” She pressed a palm to her belly to calm the storm that brewed.
A slight breeze drifted as Faith opened the front door, and she smelled the flowers before she saw them. As he stepped through the doorway, Ben held a bouquet the size of Montana. Pink gerbera daisies coupled with lavender roses and burgundy carnations were punctuated by a splash of lovely white, five-petaled flowers. The airy, sweet scent filled the room and lightened Faith’s spirit.
“Oh, Ben…they’re lovely.”
“I’m pleased that you think so.” His gaze skimmed the length of her. “But they’re not nearly as lovely as you.”
“How sweet.” In that instant, the sharks that had been gnawing at Faith’s belly since she woke that morning, fled. “If I didn’t know better, Ben Ward, I’d say you’re trying your best to make me fall in love with you.”
“And if I am?”
“You just might have your way.”
“Good.” He leaned in over the flowers to kiss her, gathering her hair in the palm of his hand. “Because it’s all a part of the plan.”
~*~
“I thought we were heading into Farragut for today’s filming. That’s the other direction,” Faith said as she sat up straighter in the passenger seat and adjusted the lap belt over her hips. “This is the way to the children’s home. I drive this route every day.”
“I know.”
Ben watched the way her hair skimmed over the creamy skin of her cheeks and down her back in a waterfall the color of soft flames. The hunter green sweater coupled with a flowing skirt and leather boots made her eyes shine like emeralds. “There’s been a slight change of plans. Mrs. Jendovani’s project has been put on hold for the time being, and we’ve decided to commence filming at a different venue, for a much more important and high-impact project.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will soon enough.” He reached for her hand, gave it a gentle squeeze. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Yes, of course.”
“When we began this nonsense—at least I considered it nonsense at the time—of selecting a special venue and filming a Christmas episode, I never thought anything more would come of it than a thoroughly embarrassing experience, orchestrated by my brothers and Harry. But now, well…I think meeting you and spending time with you has been one of the best—I mean the best—thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“You do? It has?”
“Yes.” Ben swung the truck into the right-hand la
ne and quickly turned into a side lot at the first opportunity. He shifted into park as the motor purred, and removed his seatbelt. “Faith, you’ve made me feel something here”—Ben took her hand and pressed it, palm splayed, to his heart. He wondered if she felt the steady thrum, strong and true—“that I didn’t know I could feel until I met you.”
“Oh, Ben…I feel it, too.”
“I’m not sure where all this is leading, but I want you to know that this filming project has become so much more than I ever imagined. It’s not just about completing an episode now. That’s just the icing on the cake—a bonus. You, Faith, and what we’ve begun to share…well, it’s the true prize.”
Ben drew her in, stroking her cheek. He dipped his head, kissed her, felt the rush of her pulse as she skimmed a hand to the nape of his neck. Her touch stole his breath.
“I’m sorry I slapped you that day in the studio.” Faith’s hand slid from his neck to his cheek and rested there. “It was…awful of me to do that.”
Ben laughed. “I’m just glad my kisses no longer elicit that reaction.”
“No. Not at all. Not even a glimmer.” Faith feathered her lips along his jaw as she sighed. “Only this.”
“Good. I like this much better.” A flash of heat skimmed the length of Ben’s spine, and he fought the urge to draw her closer and take her into his arms.
“Ben!” Faith pulled away suddenly as a backhoe rumbled by, followed by a pair of dump trucks. “Aren’t those yours?”
“Uh huh.”
“Where are they headed?” Faith shifted in the seat, her gaze trained on the massive vehicles as, one by one, they lumbered down the road and rounded the next corner. “Oh my goodness, they’re not—”
“Yes, they are.”
“Headed to Mountain Light?”
“That’s right.”
Tears leapt to Faith’s eyes, shimmering as she pressed a hand to her mouth. For a moment, music from the radio drifted softly through the cab as she simply gaped at him in disbelief.