His Christmas Sweetheart

by Cathy McDavid

  In the end he decided to get her a gift. Then he’d been faced with the dilemma of what to buy her. The stores and boutiques in town were limited, most of them catering to the wedding trade. Driving to a larger metropolis was out of the question.

  Linda Lee had come to his rescue. She’d also helped him pick out the gift and had tracked the package for him as it was shipped from Wyoming.

  “She’s going to love them.” Linda Lee oohed and aahed as she opened the box for Will to inspect the contents. “Soft as a baby’s behind.”

  Will removed the custom-designed leather gloves and held them in his hands. Not that he’d ever felt a baby’s behind, but he thought Linda Lee might be right. Crackers had better not get hold of these. “Nice.”

  “Nice! They’re divine. I’m so jealous. Miranda is one lucky lady.”

  Will was the lucky one, to have found a woman who could accept his PTSD and was willing to live with it. Even help him.

  “Are you giving them to her at the open house?” Linda Lee propped her elbows on the glass counter and smiled dreamily. “Christmas Eve. Wouldn’t that be romantic?”

  When would he give Miranda the gloves? He hadn’t thought that far ahead. Maybe on the way home from the Christmas Eve open house.

  He missed her. Two days was too long to go without seeing her.

  Several other customers had entered the store and were perusing the aisles. They assured Linda Lee they were simply browsing when she asked if they needed assistance.

  “Thanks again, Linda Lee,” he said. “For everything.”

  “You taking off?”

  “I have a few minutes. Going to stop by Miranda’s.”

  “She’s not there.” Linda Lee took the gloves from Will and carefully arranged them in the shipping box. She traced her finger over the distinctive logo before neatly enfolding the gloves in tissue paper.

  “Hmm.” If Will had known Miranda was working at the Paydirt, he’d have joined his group for their hot toddies.

  “She went to Reno,” Linda Lee continued. “The only reason I know that is because she stopped in here on her way out of town to use the copy machine.”

  “Reno?” Will frowned. Miranda hadn’t mentioned leaving. “What’s she doing there?”

  “I haven’t a clue. Must have had business. All I know is she wanted to use the special high-quality paper we have for her copies.”

  That was strange. What business did she have in Reno that she wouldn’t tell him about? He instantly recalled their conversation in the sleigh the other day. She’d mentioned moving back to Reno as a possible solution to her financial troubles.

  His stomach plummeted. She couldn’t be considering a move. She’d told him no.

  Linda Lee finished repacking the gloves, ignorant of the turmoil raging inside Will. With a flourish, she presented him with the box. “Good luck. You’ll have to tell me how she likes them.”

  Muttering a distracted goodbye, Will left the store and jumped into the SUV, letting the engine warm a minute before taking off down the road toward Miranda’s. He had thirty minutes before he needed to pick up his guests at the Paydirt.

  Outside Harmony House, he parked alongside the curb and let the SUV idle. Miranda’s van wasn’t in the driveway but Nell’s car was, and the dread he’d experienced earlier increased to an unbearable level. A panic attack hovered, waiting to strike.

  He fought it. If there was ever a time Will needed to stay focused, this was it.

  Taking out his cell phone, he dialed her number. The call went straight to voice mail. Leaving her a message, he tried to tell himself she was with her parents, accepting the loan they’d offered. Or at a meeting with another lending institution about refinancing her mortgage.

  Any reason except investigating the possibilities of moving.

  Will gripped the steering wheel with both hands and squeezed. Why hadn’t she told him about her trip to Reno? His mind kept going back to that one important question.

  Something was up. Something that didn’t bode well for him.

  For them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Hey, Will. How are you?” Miranda held the phone away from her ear and smiled apologetically at the property agent from the county. I’ll just be a second, she mouthed.

  No problem, the woman mouthed back. Removing a tape measure from her messenger bag, she indicated that she was going to check out the hall bathroom.

  She’d already inspected the front room and kitchen, taking dozens of pictures with her camera and sticking her nose in every corner. All the holiday decorations didn’t make her job any easier. Miranda half expected the woman to whip out a white glove and run her fingers along the tops of doors. Nell and her residents stood in the front room, their collective gazes following the agent’s every move. Miranda shooed them away, but they didn’t budge. She scowled at Nell, who gave an all-right-fine head bobble and shepherded the residents, plus Arthur, into the kitchen. She, however, remained, and no amount of glaring on Miranda’s part got her to move from her spot.

  Giving up, Miranda returned to the phone call from Will. “Sorry about that. How are you?”

  “Good. I’m outside.”

  “What?” She started when a loud knock sounded from the front door. “You’re here!”

  “I just said that.”

  Oh, please, no! What had possessed him to show up unannounced? Not returning his four phone messages between yesterday and this morning, that was what.

  She stalled. The last thing she wanted, needed, was for him to meet the property agent. “It really isn’t a good time.”

  “Miranda, I’m standing at your door.”

  “Yes, um...” She couldn’t very well leave him standing out there. But she couldn’t let him in, either. Not until after the agent left. That left Miranda with only one option: convince Will to leave. “Hold on.”

  She ended their call and went to the door. Rather than letting him in, she stepped outside, closing the door behind her. Instantly cold air sliced through her thin sweater, and she wrapped her arms around her waist.

  “Hi.” She smiled while shifting from one foot to the other in an attempt to stay warm.

  “What’s going on?” he demanded.

  “Nothing.”

  “Why won’t you let me inside?”

  She glanced guiltily behind her. “We’re in the middle of packing. The place is a mess.”

  “As if I care.”

  He clearly wasn’t going to leave without putting up a fight. “You’re going to have to trust me. This isn’t a good time.”

  “Why didn’t you return my calls?”

  “I should have, you’re right. I had—have—a lot going on. I’ll explain, I promise. Just give me an hour. Thirty minutes.”

  “Why did you go to Reno?”

  She went still. “How did you find out?”

  “Linda Lee told me.”

  Miranda could kick herself for blabbing, but she’d been so excited about the interview. Who’d have thought Will would have a conversation with the assistant manager at the general store?

  “When did you run into her?”

  “You’re avoiding the question. And whose car is parked out front?”

  “I’m cold.” That was no lie. Her teeth had started to chatter. “Fine.” She cut him off before he could pose another probing question. “You can come in. But, so help me, Will Dessaro, you keep your mouth shut, you hear? We’ll talk later.”

  Of course, the county agent was right there in the front room when Miranda returned. Will stuck to her closer than a shadow. At the woman’s raised eyebrows, Miranda made introductions.

  “This is my friend, Will. He’s a regular here. Visitor.” Her laugh was forced. “Not a resident.”

  “Ah
.” The property agent smiled tightly, apparently not liking yet another interruption. “May I see the upstairs suite now?”

  “Absolutely. Down the hall, first door on your left.” Miranda didn’t want to leave Will alone with the residents and Nell. It was a guaranteed fiasco.

  “I have some questions,” the woman said.

  Her tone sent an unmistakable message. She hadn’t liked being left on her own earlier when Miranda went outside to unsuccessfully detain Will.

  Great, great, great. She was going to have to go upstairs with the woman and pray all went well.

  “This way.”

  It was the longest ten minutes in Miranda’s life. The property agent measured and counted everything, including how many electrical outlets there were and the dimension of the bathroom mirror. She noted the results in the portfolio she carried.

  “Where does this vent lead?” she asked, running the toe of her shoe over a metal grill in the floor.

  “It connects to the main vent running through the kitchen ceiling.”

  “And that leads to...?”

  “The furnace over the garage.”

  She pursed her lips as she made another notation in the portfolio.

  Was she thinking of possible escape routes? Miranda had spent several grueling months in a crowded youth facility before being placed with her foster parents. More than once she’d considered running away.

  She couldn’t believe the county would squelch the lease deal over a heating vent.

  “I’m done here,” the woman announced a few minutes later.

  Hallelujah!

  They descended the stairs. Miranda dreaded what awaited her. To her enormous relief, all was quiet. Maybe too quiet. She started for the kitchen, intending to check on her residents, but the property agent intercepted her.

  Stowing her portfolio, tape measure and camera in her messenger bag, she said, “Thank you for your time, Ms. Staley. You have a very nice home.”

  “Does it suit the county’s needs?” She wished she didn’t sound so anxious.

  “I’m not the one making that decision.”

  “But they rely on your recommendations.”

  The woman nodded, but said nothing to put Miranda’s concerns at ease. “Someone will be in touch with you.”

  “How soon?” It wasn’t like Miranda to be such a pest, but her entire financial future was riding on this.

  The woman must have taken pity on her, because she paused at the front door and said, “In my opinion, your home is exactly what the county’s looking for.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Miranda pumped her fist enthusiastically.

  She stood in the open doorway watching the woman walk to her car, no longer cold. With a sigh of relief, she turned—and came face-to-face with five expectant faces and a sixth stern one. Will’s. With the exception of Babs in her wheelchair, they stood shoulder to shoulder.

  “What’s going on, Miranda?” Nell demanded, her thick arms shaking. “That wasn’t any regular certification inspection.”

  “I’ll explain.” She shoved her fingers through her hair. This was not going as planned. “Just give me a minute.”

  “You’re leasing the house.”

  Miranda’s head shot up at Arthur’s announcement and her eyes went wide. “What? How?”

  “My granddaughter works part-time at the savings and loan. She overheard her boss talking.”

  Miranda was going to complain to Mr. Carter. The girl was out of line, spreading gossip about customers. Right after she thanked the loan officer for his help. If the county leased her house, and it looked as if they might, she’d be able to avoid foreclosure.

  “Miranda?” Will’s plea, even and low, cut straight through her.

  Her throat closed and the strength went out of her legs. She collapsed onto the couch, abandoning all hope that this would go even the tiniest bit well.

  “Tell us.” Nell sat beside her on the couch and patted her leg. Everyone but Will crowded around her. “Are you losing the house?”

  “A party.” Mrs. Litey opened her arms wide to encompass the room. “How lovely. Let me get the hors d’oeuvres.”

  “It’s all right, Mom.” Will restrained her with a hand on her arm. “You don’t have to do that.”

  She blinked in confusion. The next instant she was all smiles. “You’re right. I should relax and enjoy myself. Let the caterers handle the food.”

  Miranda might have laughed if she wasn’t on the verge of tears.

  “About the house,” Nell prompted.

  “I’m trying my best not to lose it.”

  “By renting it out?”

  “I can’t afford the monthly payments on my wages from the Paydirt. And I can’t operate Harmony House at a loss. The county’s looking for a group home. The rent they’d pay me would cover my monthly mortgage.”

  “You’re throwing us out?” Himey lamented.

  She gentled her voice. “I told you two days ago. With Mrs. Litey leaving, I was probably going to close Harmony House. You and Babs need to find another place to live.”

  “We thought we had more time.” Babs clutched at Arthur.

  “Nothing’s been finalized yet.” Miranda turned to Nell. “I’m sorry. You’ve been the best employee. If I could—”

  “Don’t mind me,” Nell assured her. “I’ll find something. The Mountainside Motel is always hiring housekeepers.”

  They weren’t. She was being optimistic.

  “I’m more concerned about you, baby girl. What will you do?”

  Miranda’s glance went to Will. He’d been quiet up until now. Then again, he wasn’t the talkative type. He didn’t need to be. The man could say more with a quirk of his eyebrows than most people could with a hundred words.

  “Miranda?” Nell repeated.

  It hurt for Miranda to speak, but she had to answer. Maybe Will would respond better to her news in a crowd than if they were alone.

  Yeah, who was she fooling?

  “I’ve been offered a nursing job.”

  “At the clinic?” Nell clapped her hands together. “Praise the Lord.”

  “No, not at the clinic.” Miranda focused on Will. “In Reno.”

  He closed his eyes, but not before Miranda witnessed the naked pain reflected in them. An invisible knife turned in her heart.

  * * *

  WILL HAD HAD no intention of following Miranda upstairs to her suite. He’d wanted to leave. Refused to stay there another second. Her announcement had shot a hole the size of a cannonball clear through him.

  Then he’d felt the beginnings of a panic attack, invisible fists strangling him and cutting off his air supply. The door to her attic suite was closer than the front door, and there were less people blocking his path.

  He stood in the center of her bedroom, snapping the rubber band on his wrist hard enough to leave small welts on his flesh.

  She’s been offered a job in Reno. That explained her mysterious trip and why she’d ignored his calls. Were there other secrets she was keeping from him?

  Though the circumstances were different, he felt the same as when he and his former fiancée had split up. Her disappointment in Will, her inability to cope with his panic attacks, had caused her to leave him.

  Was it the same with Miranda? He’d been so sure she was different.

  Noises traveled up the stairs. Nell and the residents must be huddled together, deliberating the situation. They, like Will, had a lot to think about. A lot to discuss. Maybe, like him, they’d believed Miranda would never abandon them.

  “Will, I’m sorry.” She came over to where he stood.

  He couldn’t look at her and stared out the window. The bleak snow-covered landscape matched his insides.

  Sh
e touched his arm, her caress soft. “Please talk to me.”

  When he said nothing, she threw herself at him, seeking his mouth with hers. So much for talking.

  Any other time, he’d have kissed her senseless. Thrown her on the bed. Made sweet, incredible love to her. Not today. He was still too raw.

  She abandoned her efforts a moment later, stepped back and covered her cheeks with her hands, her expression one of pure misery. “I guess Mom was wrong. A kiss doesn’t make everything better.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about the job in Reno? Or leasing the house?”

  She blew out a long breath. “I didn’t see the sense in upsetting everyone until I knew for sure that the county was interested in the house, and I had a job lined up.”

  “We’re all affected. Me, Nell and your residents.” His anger grew. “You had no right to keep us in the dark.”

  “That wasn’t my intention. Up until this morning, it was a long shot. Then the nursing supervisor called and the property agent showed up.”

  “But you hoped it would happen.”

  “Is that so wrong? I’m trying save my house and my credit rating.” She groaned in frustration. “You think this is a decision I’ve made lightly?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure. From what I can tell, this just came up in the last couple days.”

  Her stance became defensive. “I can’t operate Harmony House with only two residents. I’m barely scraping by with three and have to work twenty hours a week at the Paydirt to make up the difference.”

  That didn’t change the fact that her unwillingness to confide in him hurt. “You should have told me.”

  “I would have. But the other day in the sleigh when I mentioned Reno, you kind of freaked out.”

  He had. Just as he did a few minutes earlier downstairs. He snapped the rubber band again.

  “Don’t make this my fault,” he said.

  “I had to take action, Will. I couldn’t let my house go into foreclosure. This is a good solution.”

  “Why a job in Reno?”