Cyn shook her head. “I love doing this myself. Gary will be over later to put the lights on the house.”
Libby stared at several boxes marked Christmas Lights.
“All of these lights go up?”
Cyn nodded. “Wait until you see them tonight.”
“I’m sure no one in town misses seeing them.” Libby grinned as she climbed into her car.
“Have a good day out, dear.” Cyn waved her off.
Libby wasn’t sure what she would do with her free day, but she knew she wasn’t going to stay in the apartment. Instead, she headed for the mall on the edge of town.
The parking lot was already decorated with garlands and twinkling lights, and inside, children’s voices were singing about Santa coming to town.
The holiday Libby had been dreading since Labor Day was almost here. It appeared no matter where Matthias sent her, she wouldn’t be able to escape Christmas.
“Don’t be a Scrooge, Libby,” she muttered to herself as she noticed teenage elves keeping small children in line as they waited their turn to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.
It wasn’t long before Libby felt herself fall into the holiday mood. Memories came back to her as she stood in front of one of the department stores.
She’d gotten Tyler’s Christmas gift here last year—a woodworking saw he’d hungered for. She’d had Sara’s picture taken professionally for special photos for family members. She’d also bought many gifts for their baby, even ones she wasn’t old enough to enjoy.
Libby had purchased for her mother a gold chain with a little-girl charm holding Sara’s birthstone, telling Marie she hoped there would be more birthstone charms to add to the chain. So her father wouldn’t feel left out, she’d found a money clip that she could add Sara’s birthstone to and had engraved on it Grampa’s Little Darlings. Her mother had cried when she opened her present: Even her father had a few tears in his eyes when he held his money clip.
A rather, more painful memory suddenly materialized in Libby’s mind.
The day had been too beautiful for a funeral. The sun shone brightly overhead. Flowers bloomed everywhere and were in evidence as a floral blanket on the tiny white coffin.
Libby had felt so numb that day she hadn’t truly noticed her mother crying into a handkerchief. Her father had stood stiffly behind Marie’s chair, his eyes damp with tears. Her sister and brothers appeared to be in shock, as if they couldn’t believe the reason for their presence. And Tyler…he was the one who’d broken her heart. He stood beside her looking uncomfortable in his dark suit, his jaw tight with suppressed emotion and his eyes dark. He’d held on to Libby’s hand with a grip that left bruises on her pale skin.
Why had it taken her this long to realize he had hurt as much as she did that day? How could she have ignored him the way she had?
She really had hidden herself away from everyone. She didn’t want to have people pitying her for being unable to keep her baby alive. She didn’t want to hear them talk in soft whispers about what a shame her loss had been. Or to listen as they told her she could have more children. Now she realized Matthias had been right. She hadn’t allowed herself to heal, to let the love of others help her to heal.
All right, Matthias, you made your point.
I never doubted you, my dear. You’ve made another large step. Be proud of yourself.
“Look who’s here!”
Libby spun around at the sound of a familiar voice…and froze.
Marie Bennett was hurrying toward her, and she wasn’t alone.
Oh Daddy! she cried inside, as she watched a gray-haired man walk toward her.
“Nathan, this is Libby Douglas. She’s the teacher who’s taking Bonnie’s place at Miss Regina’s,” Marie told her husband after greeting Libby with a quick hug. “Libby, this is my better half, Nathan.”
Libby forced a smile to her lips and took her father’s outstretched hand.
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Mr. Bennett.”
“Call me Nathan, please,” he told her. “How are you liking our town so far?”
“I’m still getting used to all the changes,” she said truthfully.
“I love it when everyone starts decorating for Christmas,” Marie said to Libby. Her face was alight as she looked around the mall. “Starting next weekend, the high school chorus is out here every Sunday afternoon to sing. You should come and hear them.”
“I’ll try.” Libby attempted not to be too obvious as she studied her father.
Was he watching his diet? Taking the walks the doctor insisted upon? She used to goad her father into walking with her, but then she remembered the last time they’d walked together was with Sara in the stroller. Nathan Bennett loved to play the proud grandpa while everyone oohed and ahhed over the baby.
He looked a bit heavier than she remembered. And a little tired.
“We’re off to get some shopping done,” Marie told her. “It was so good to see you again.” She hugged Libby once more. “Please give Cyn my best.”
“I will,” she promised. She felt forlorn the moment the couple left her.
Any idea of shopping seemed unappealing now. All the people she wanted to buy for didn’t know her anymore. Libby wandered around aimlessly until she reached the movie theater. She checked the times and discovered a comedy would be showing in fifteen minutes.
“Oh sure, let’s just go to the show,” she muttered, digging out her wallet and purchasing a ticket.
Chapter Thirteen
“I should be giving the truck a tune-up,” Tyler grumbled, pulling into a parking space and shutting off the engine.
He’d woken up feeling grumpy and just plain out of sorts. He told himself he should have awakened with a smile. Dammit, he should have greeted the morning with Libby all soft and warm in his arms.
After a breakfast of blueberry Pop Tarts and coffee, he decided it would be a good idea to tune up his truck today. He’d left home with the intention of driving over to the auto-parts store to pick up what he needed.
Instead, he cruised by the mall and, without thinking about it, turned in. Now he was walking inside and idly looking around.
If he’d thought about it, he probably would have been the first to be surprised he was walking up to the movie theater and purchasing a ticket.
“Hi, Tyler,” the woman in the ticket booth greeted him as he pushed his money through the slot. A look of surprise crossed her face. “What are you doing here?”
He shrugged. “Hi, Kate. I’m putting off tuning up my truck.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “Sounds like my David. Except he has the kids to help him.”
“Which means he probably won’t get anything done.” Tyler grinned as he entered the theater.
As he purchased a large Coke and popcorn, he noticed a lot of parents with their kids going in to see the latest Disney film.
Tyler had never thought of himself as a potential parent. He enjoyed other people’s kids, but what he enjoyed most was being able to give them back to Mom and Dad. Now he wondered if maybe being a dad wouldn’t be so bad. He could easily visualize a little girl with tawny blond curls or a boy with dark hair like his own.
As he entered the theater, the lights were starting to dim. The first thing he noticed was it wasn’t very full. The second thing he noticed was Libby sitting by herself toward the back. He waited a few minutes just in case she was with someone else. When it seemed clear she wasn’t, he quickly headed toward her.
“This seat taken?” He swiftly sank into it before she could answer.
Her head snapped around and she stared at him, as if he was the last person she had expected to see.
“Popcorn?” He held out his large bucket. His eyes dropped, seeing the small container in her lap. “Oh, I see you have your own.” He settled in, resting his tub of popcorn on his knee.
“What are you doing?” she whispered fiercely.
He looked straight ahead, as if entranced by the previ
ews of upcoming films. “I thought I’d take in a show. It’s allowed, you know.”
Libby’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. “There are plenty of other empty seats.”
He didn’t wince at her pointed comment.
“I always think it’s more fun to watch a movie with someone I know,” he whispered back. “This movie is supposed to be good, isn’t it?”
Libby turned back to watch the screen. Just a hint of a smile teased her lips. “I’m sure you’ll love it. Explosions, lots of guns, men loaded with testosterone, women scantily clad…”
Tyler grinned at her sarcasm. “What can I say? There’re times when a man has to watch all those shoot-’em-up movies.”
As the opening credits began, Tyler scrunched down in his seat.
The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if this was actually the movie he’d meant to see. He couldn’t remember which movie he’d bought a ticket for. Still, with Libby sitting next to him, he wasn’t going to complain. He dug into the popcorn bucket and threw a handful into his mouth.
It didn’t take Tyler more than five minutes to realize this was not a movie he would have chosen to lay out good money for.
“This is a chick film!” he exclaimed in a low voice.
“Ssh!” Libby glared at him.
Tyler slunk down farther in his seat. He only hoped none of his friends walked in here. He’d never live it down! Still, the chance to sit with Libby was worth suffering through a movie of women bonding and plotting against men. Oh sure, they were talking about finding “Mr. Right” and having their careers at the same time, but hell, they made it sound as if it was a war or something.
“Stop it!” she hissed, poking her elbow in his side.
He glared back at her. “Stop what?”
She glared daggers at him. “Stop making your male, asinine comments. If you didn’t think you’d enjoy the movie, why did you come in here?”
“Good question,” he muttered.
Tyler decided he’d better be quiet before Libby did more than poke her elbow in his side. He fidgeted as he listened to a conversation on the screen. Were men really that thoughtless? Just wanting sex and not looking for anything even semipermanent? Damn, he felt as if what the guy on the screen was saying was the same thing he’d said to Libby just last night.
The sinking feeling in Tyler’s stomach now increased to a plummet.
Why is he here? Libby’s mind kept asking the question, but the answer never seemed to materialize.
She nibbled on her popcorn and sipped her Diet Coke and tried to ignore the man seated next to her. She told herself that any man could have sat there. She could pretend it wasn’t Tyler.
Except her imagination seemed to have taken a vacation. There was no way she could ignore him. He was hunched down in the seat munching on his popcorn and occasionally drinking his Coke. His eyes were fastened on the screen, but she was positive he wouldn’t remember one word spoken.
She was beginning to doubt she’d remember anything, either. Every once in a while, his arm would brush against hers or the scent of his soap tickled her nostrils. She had hoped to wallow in a film that promised a few laughs and plenty of tears, but now she was determined not to. The last thing she wanted to do was show any emotion in front of him.
Yet no matter how many times she reminded herself to pretend he was a stranger, it didn’t work. No matter how many times she warned herself not to give in to the emotional theme of the film, it didn’t work. She sniffed several times in hopes of keeping the tears back. Then she reared back when something white suddenly appeared in front of her face.
“Don’t worry, it’s clean,” he whispered.
Since she didn’t even have a tissue in her purse, she accepted the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.
When Tyler, whose own eyes were still focused on the film, reached over and laced his fingers through hers and settled her hand on his knee, she didn’t resist. The touch was too familiar. Too heartbreaking.
When the closing credits ended and the lights came back on, Libby had already turned Tyler’s handkerchief into a damp, crumpled ball.
“I’m sorry,” she said, holding it up. “I’ll wash it before I return it.”
He looked faintly embarrassed. “That’s okay. My mamma taught me to always carry a clean handkerchief. I’m glad I remembered that rule.”
Libby smiled. This was the Tyler she could never resist.
“Thank you.”
As she left the theater, she realized he was shortening his stride to match hers.
“I see you haven’t lost your touch, Tyler,” Kate teased when they passed the ticket window. “Go in alone, come out with a woman.”
“No fair, Kate,” he muttered, ducking his red face.
“It seems everyone knows you only too well, Tyler Barnes,” Libby murmured with a smile.
“Yeah, well…” He slid his fingers through hers. “What do you have planned for the rest of the day?”
“Nothing in particular.” She shrugged.
“Then how about hanging out with me?”
Libby looked up at him. “Hanging out with you? Are we back in high school?”
Tyler glanced around, as if fearing someone would overhear him. He ducked his head until his lips almost touched her ear.
“I’m sorry about last night, Lib,” he murmured. “I acted like a crude idiot.”
She twisted her face upward, and looked at him, feeling almost shy. “Crude?” she murmured.
His gaze was fixed on her lips, which she imagined must glisten from the buttered popcorn she’d eaten during the movie.
He nodded, still staring hungrily. “Am I forgiven?”
She hesitated for a moment. “All right, I’ll hang out with you. As long as that time doesn’t include a trip to the hardware store.”
Tyler grinned and tightened his grip on her hand. “Now how did you guess that was one of my favorite pastimes?”
Libby felt as if she was with the Tyler she had known in high school, teasing, lighthearted and just plain fun.
He suggested she leave her car in the mall parking lot and come with him. Once ensconced in his pickup truck, he assured her there would be no trips to the hardware store, but there would be a quick stop at the auto-parts store.
“Don’t tell me. You want to work on your truck,” she teased.
He looked embarrassed. “Not today, of course.”
“Of course,” she said gravely, suppressing her smile.
He stopped at a red light and looked over at her. “Will you think the worst of me if I ask you to stop by my house?”
“It depends on the reason.”
“I need to let my dog out.”
Dog? She couldn’t stop staring at him.
“Of course.”
If Libby hadn’t known the neighborhood, she wouldn’t have recognized the house.
While Tyler’s parents had kept their house painted pale green with dark green trim for as many years as she could remember, it was now painted an off-white with dark blue trim. None of the flowers his mother had planted along the porch were there, either.
Libby stared at the four-foot plastic Santa standing on the front porch and imagined it brightly lit after dark. She could see the strings of multicolored lights covering the roof and stretched along the front porch. At least that hadn’t changed.
“I see you decorate for the holidays,” she commented.
“Yeah, I like the holidays.” He hopped out of his truck and walked around to her door. He helped her down, then ran around to the bed of the truck to pick up his purchases from the auto-parts store. “You ought to see this place at Halloween. It’s one of the best haunted houses around.”
She smiled at his transparent pride. “Ah, the screams of tortured souls, cobwebs everywhere, bloody body parts slung all over the place to swing against unsuspecting faces, skeletons reaching out to grab unwary visitors and invite them into their hell.”
“Bloody body parts,” he murmured, then brightened. “That sounds cool. I’ll have to remember that for next year. So what about Christmas?”
Her smile dimmed. “I’m not very fond of Christmas.” She carefully pulled away from his grasp.
“I can’t imagine anyone not liking Christmas. Around here, everyone gets together to celebrate. There’s house-decoration contests, kids’ pageants, you name it.” He steered her around to the back of the house. “Groups go caroling. Santa goes around on a fire truck every Thursday night.”
“With his high school helpers dressed up in scanty costumes,” she murmured, remembering the Christmas she had been so happy to have been chosen to be one of Santa’s helpers. She had almost froze in the process, and it had taken gallons of hot chocolate and Tyler’s arms around her to warm her up.
Tyler looked at her quizzically.
“Same thing where I came from,” she explained.
As they walked around the side of the house, Libby looked up at the green-garbed elves hanging from the eaves.
“There are other people who aren’t fond of Christmas,” she said.
“Not in this town.”
She had to smile at his emphatic reply.
“For some people, Christmas holds sad memories.”
Tyler stopped and looked down at her. “Sad memories don’t need to be forgotten. Just tucked away to make room for new, happier ones.”
She swallowed. Was that what Tyler had done? Tucked Sara away in a part of his heart where she would be safe and he would have room for more?
“Just let me put this stuff in the garage.” Tyler touched her arm before loping off to a side door which he opened and disappeared through.
Libby looked around the large yard. With winter here, the lawn furniture was out of sight and the trees and shrubs were bare of leaves.
“I shouldn’t have come here,” she whispered to herself.
Tyler apologized and seemed very sincere. Besides, you were curious to see his house.
It didn’t take long for the light to click on inside her brain. She spun around so her back was to the garage.
“You somehow got him to go to that movie, didn’t you? He wouldn’t have gone there on his own.”
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