A Riverwalk Christmas: Four-in-One Collection

by Elizabeth Goddard, Martha Rogers, Lynette Sowell

  Her brown eyes flashed in anger for a moment then filled with something he couldn’t quite determine. She slapped a folder on her desk. “I think we’re done here.”

  The urge to explain the truth of his departure rained down on his soul, but the words he needed wouldn’t come. He’d done it once, and she’d ignored him. Telling her again would only add fuel to the anger filling her now.

  “I’m sorry, Val.” He placed the folders on her desk. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.” He turned to leave.

  “Thanks for nothing. Have a good life.”

  Those parting words sent more slivers of pain through his heart. He could never explain to her now.

  Val fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Colt Jamison was not going to ruin her life again. For years she’d hoped he would come home for a visit, but that hope never materialized. Now when she’d finally put him to rest in the past, here he showed up to create havoc in her present.

  Tears blurred her vision and finally caused her to push aside the work. If she didn’t stop this now, she’d never get anything done with the shop. Her vow to Aunt Cora to keep the place open and running looked even more hopeless.

  Her remarks to Colt had been rude, but the lock she had on her heart had been threatened, and she had taken the only route she knew to keep it locked. If he thought he could waltz in here after five years of absence and silence and sweep her off her feet again with his charm and good looks, he was sadly mistaken.

  She grabbed a tissue to dry the moisture, and a knock on the door sounded behind her. If that was Colt, she just might hit him.

  “Val, do you need me right now? I thought I’d go ahead and take my lunch break.”

  Susie’s voice sent relief through Val’s bones. She nodded, but didn’t turn around. “Sure that’s fine.”

  “Hmm, who was that good-looking guy who left a few minutes ago? He looks familiar.”

  Val swallowed hard. “That was Colt Jamison, a friend of Aunt Cora’s.”

  “Colt Jamison? I didn’t know he was back. He and my brother were best friends in high school, but I haven’t seen him since he was in college. He’s even more of a hunk now than he was then.”

  Ryan Morrill and Colt Jamison had not only been friends but also teammates on the state championship basketball team. Val remembered some good times with Ryan and Amber, the girl he’d married after college, and Colt during those hectic days of high school. She slammed the door on those memories and grabbed for her purse in the bottom drawer.

  “I guess he’s back for the holidays.” Val fumbled for her billfold then took out a ten-dollar bill. “Will you bring me back something? I’m going to keep sorting out this jumble of papers.”

  “Be glad to. Want your usual ham on rye with swiss cheese, honey mustard, and bread and butter pickles?”

  “Yes, and a diet soda.” She handed Susie the money. “Let me know if it’s more than that.”

  “Will do. See you later.” With that she was gone, and Val turned back to her task. She rummaged through the desk looking for another pen. Her hand grasped a pad of sticky notes. They would be useful in sorting out the different vendors and receipts. Her aunt’s handwriting on the top note caught her eye. Then shockwaves of disbelief rolled through her. She read the words a second time.

  Write to Colt. I need his help. I can’t do this alone anymore.

  Chapter 2

  Aunt Cora must have written to Colt, and that’s why he’d come back to San Antonio. After struggling with the mess in the office, Val understood why her aunt thought she needed him. With his creative genius, he was her hope for saving the shop.

  Val tapped her pencil on the desk and considered Colt’s relationship to her aunt. After his father’s death, his mother had shut herself away from the world, and that included her sons. Childless since the death of their two babies, Uncle Will and Aunt Cora had taken teenaged Colt and his younger brother under their wings, and were responsible for the two boys going to church and becoming Christians.

  Now Colt had returned in response to Aunt Cora’s plea for help, but he had taken his time getting here. Surely her aunt had written before giving the lease over to Val. More questions than answers filled her mind. She had to confront Aunt Cora, but then she’d only insist that Val let Colt help. That wasn’t possible. He’d already created havoc in her heart, and she wasn’t about to let it continue. She sighed. No time to worry about that now. With Susie gone, someone needed to man the floor.

  The store appeared as empty as it had earlier in the day. Not many people noticed the card and gift shop situated between the candy store and the jewelry boutique. She sauntered to the front windows, which still bore the original name, Cora’s Cards and Gifts, in red and gold painted letters. She’d already picked out a new name, Unique Boutique, but needed someone to scrape off the old painted letters and apply the new.

  The bell over the door jingled when an elderly woman stepped inside. Sweet little Myrtle Bronson had been a customer as long as Val could remember. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Bronson. How can I help you today?”

  “Oh, hello, Valerie, I forgot you would be here.” She headed for the card section. “I’ve just come in to buy a few thank-you and get-well cards.”

  “Take your time, Mrs. B.” Val retreated behind the cashier stand to check on bags and tissue for purchases.

  A few minutes later, the gray-haired woman laid her cards on the counter. “I saw Colt Jamison a little while ago down at La Cocina del Rio. I didn’t know he was back in town.”

  Val’s breath caught in her throat. Good thing she had decided to eat in today because La Cocina was her favorite restaurant, and she’d have been there for lunch. San Antonio may be a city, but sometimes it was more like a small town when so many of her or her family’s friends were around. “He came by the store earlier.”

  “I see.” She tilted her head and peered at Val. “Seems to me I remember you and he had a thing going before he left.”

  Right now Val wished she’d stayed in Dallas. There she was lost among the millions of people, and no one knew her past history. “We dated in high school and some while we were in college, but it was nothing serious.” At least not to him, or he wouldn’t have left so abruptly.

  She finished ringing up the transaction and returned the woman’s change. “Here you go, Mrs. B.”

  “Thank you, dear. I’m glad to see you back and taking over for Cora, although I do miss seeing her behind that register.” Mrs. Bronson gripped her bag and turned to leave, but she stopped. She glanced over her shoulder at Val. “If I were you, I wouldn’t let Colt Jamison get away again. Don’t let him run from his troubles this time.”

  Before Val could react, the woman disappeared through the door and into the crowd outside. Her parting remark hung in the air like a spiderweb, and if she took a step or two toward it, Val would be entangled in her past all over again. Not this time.

  The bell jingled again, and Susie strode through carrying a white paper bag. “Here’s lunch and you get some change back.” She set the sack and the money on the counter. “Just saw Mrs. B. Did she come in for her usual supply of cards?”

  “Yes, she did. Does she ever buy anything else? She didn’t even look at the shelves.”

  Susie laughed. “One time I asked her if she wanted anything else, like a gift or something, but she just laughed. She said she’d bought one of just about everything Cora had in the store, and it was time for some new merchandise. When it came in, she’d buy.”

  Val started to laugh then recognized the truth in the statement. Everything on the shelves was old and some even out-of-date. She needed to buy new inventory, but until some money came in, that couldn’t be done.

  She picked up her lunch. “I’ll be in the office if anyone needs me.” Back at her desk, Val unwrapped her sandwich and contemplated the note once more. If Aunt Cora really thought she needed Colt’s help, maybe it was time to talk with her and see what her aunt wanted before contacting him.


  A new thought leaped into her mind. If that had been the reason Colt was here in the first place, then he should’ve mentioned it. Not that it would have made a difference, but it might have lessened the shock to know that Aunt Cora had summoned him for help. On the other hand, if she’d known he was coming, Val would have made arrangements to be somewhere else and let Aunt Cora settle the situation.

  Now she found herself in a no-win situation. If she called him for help, she’d risk opening up old wounds and unsettling her settled-on routine. But if she didn’t, the store might have to close, and that would break Aunt Cora’s heart.

  She opened a drawer and pulled out her Bible. Only place to go when she needed solutions to a problem. God had given her peace through the years, especially after Colt left, and she needed the Lord’s guidance now more than she’d ever dreamed.

  Colt left the restaurant and headed for his car. It had been good to see Gabriela, an old friend from high school. So many good friends he’d left behind five years ago, and it reminded him he needed to call Ryan and Amber. He prayed they would greet him as Gabriela had and not as Val had. Of course he hadn’t hurt the others as he had her. He’d been a real coward in those days, but who was to say he was any better today? Coming back was the first step, but whether or not it would lead to reconciliation with his mother or with Val, only God could know.

  He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called Cora’s number. When she answered, he said, “Hi, Aunt Cora, it’s Colt Jamison.”

  “So you did come. I suppose you found out I don’t run the store anymore.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, I did. Quite a shock to see Val there.”

  Her laugh resounded. “I imagine it was.”

  Colt cleared his throat. “Do you mind if I come out to see you?”

  “Not at all, dear boy. I have some fresh-baked snickerdoodles and a pot of fresh coffee. You know how to get here.”

  “Indeed I do, and the cookies sound great. See you in a few.” Not that he had room for them, but those cinnamon-sugar cookies had always been a favorite. Besides her retirement, no telling what other surprises Aunt Cora would have waiting for him.

  Fifteen minutes later he drove up to her house and parked on the street. She must have seen him because the door opened wide before he was halfway up the walk.

  “I can’t believe it’s really you.” She peered at him as he drew closer. “And you haven’t changed a bit. Just as handsome as ever.”

  Heat rose in his cheeks, and she welcomed him with open arms. At the moment a hug from her was just what he needed. He followed her into the living room. Everything looked the same as it had five years ago when he’d last been in the room.

  “Have a seat and I’ll get the cookies and your coffee. Still like it black, I suppose.”

  “Yes, ma’am, black it is.” He gazed around the living room with its comfy upholstered chairs and sofa. Despite it being mid-afternoon, the lamps were on and lent a cozy feel to the room. He’d spent more time in this room the last year before he left than anywhere else. Here, the love he missed at home could always be found.

  Aunt Cora returned with a tray laden with mugs and cookies. She set the tray on the coffee table in front of the sofa. “How long have you been in town?”

  “Got in last night. I’m staying with Chase and Julie, but with their baby due in a few weeks, I should find somewhere else.” They had the space, but new parents didn’t need an extra mouth to feed or entertain.

  “You can always stay with me while you’re here.” She handed him the plate of cookies.

  He slipped three of them onto a napkin beside his mug. “I know, but I want a permanent place.” Her eyebrows raised in question. “I quit my job in New York and came back to San Antonio to try reconciliation with Mother and to help you.”

  Aunt Cora set her mug on the table with a thud. She moved to sit beside him on the sofa and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Good. It’s time you came home and set things right. Have you been to see your mother yet?”

  Guilt seeped into his heart, but just as quickly, he pushed it aside. “No. I’ve called three times and left messages, but she won’t return them.”

  “I’m so sorry, but don’t give up on her, Colt. She can’t shut the door on you and your brother forever, especially since Chase and Julie are going to have her first grandchild very soon.”

  “I’m not sure even that will make a difference. When Dad died, something inside of Mother did, too. You know she hasn’t accepted anyone or anything in her heart since then.” If it had not been for Aunt Cora, Colt and Chase would have been more like orphans than children of the wealthy socialite turned recluse, Sylvia Cantrell Jamison.

  Cora reached over and grasped his hand. “I know. I tried to talk to her when Chase married, but it was like no one else existed but her, and she can’t accept the idea that you boys are Christians.”

  “When she cut us out of her life, she said she never wanted to see us again. She didn’t understand how we could believe in a God who was so cruel as to take away the one person she loved more than anything.”

  “Your mother and I were best friends at one time, but bitterness and depression have taken their toll. She’s not the same Sylvia I once knew. I could see how hurt Chase was that she didn’t come to the wedding.”

  “I wish I could have been here longer for that, but I had work facing me in New York. Maybe Chase and I could have done a better job of reaching out to her if I had stayed around.” Although she had refused to see them when they went by her house, they had both hoped she’d at least try to contact them or say something about the wedding.

  “I don’t think there was anything you could do. All my attempts meet with failure just as yours have. It’s as though we had never met or been friends.”

  Colt sucked in his breath then expelled it in a puff of air. His mother had been a matter of prayer for a number of years, but lately he’d given up on prayers. God would take care of her in His own time, but Colt didn’t have the patience to wait. Of course, with things the way they were now, all he could do was wait. He nibbled on the cookies and became the boy he’d been when Aunt Cora came to his rescue.

  She tilted her head. “So what did you think when you saw Val and the store?”

  He choked on a crumb and grabbed his coffee to take a deep swallow. “You left a little bit of a mess for her.”

  “Like I said in my letter, I needed help. I learned I had no business sense whatsoever. As long as Will was alive, he kept the books. When he died, the store was the only thing to keep me going. When things got into such a mess, I knew I couldn’t do it alone anymore.”

  “So that’s when you wrote to me.”

  “Yes, and when I didn’t hear from you right away, I decided to give it over to Val. She always loved the place, so I figured she could straighten it out. After all, she was a business major at UT, and that should give her what she needs to figure out my papers.”

  It’d take more than a business degree to make sense of the hodgepodge of invoices and orders and inventory he’d seen. “When was the last time you ordered new inventory?”

  “Why, just last month when I ordered cards for the holiday season.”

  “No, I mean real merchandise.”

  Cora twisted her mouth and wrinkled her nose. “I really don’t remember. I hate to buy new things until I’ve sold the old.”

  “But you need new merchandise to get customers to come into the store.” Even with his experience, Colt doubted he’d be much help, but he’d have to see Val again and go over the invoices. With an inventory of what was on those shelves, he might be able to devise a plan for getting rid of it and getting new, but without Val’s cooperation, he couldn’t do anything.

  Cora poured more coffee into his mug. “Do you think you’ll be able to help Val?”

  “I don’t know. Besides, even if I came up with an idea, she may not even speak to me or want me anywhere around. And even if she did, we would need money f
or new merchandise.”

  “I may not have any sense of business where the shop is concerned, but Will took care of us quite well, so don’t worry about the money. I can supply what she needs.” She leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. “So, will you help?”

  He sat for a few minutes to sort through the meaning behind the letter and the words she had just spoken. If she had the money to take care of the store, she didn’t need him to help her with it. She could have easily hired a new bookkeeper. Then his suspicions grew, and his eyes narrowed as he peered at Aunt Cora. “Just exactly why did you give Val the store and want me to come home?”

  Chapter 3

  Colt stood outside the gift shop and took a deep breath to bolster his courage. Aunt Cora’s heart was in the right place, but her manipulations could backfire and cause more hurt.

  With renewed determination, he opened the door and entered the all-but-empty store. One customer occupied the attention of the lone clerk, and Val was nowhere around. He headed back to the office, waving at the clerk as he passed her, and received a huge smile of welcome. At least one person was glad to see him. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place her at the moment. He’d have to ask about her later.

  The office door stood open, and Val sat at her desk with her chin on her palm and her bottom lip between her teeth, a sure sign of her puzzlement over some matter. He knocked on the frame and cleared his throat.

  She whirled around and dropped her pen. “Colt, what are you doing back here?”

  He pulled the letter from his pocket and unfolded it. “Aunt Cora sent for me.”

  The expressions on her face changed faster than a blinking sign, but he caught fear, distrust, and anguish before resignation finally settled in. She reached into the desk drawer. “I found this sticky note yesterday after you left.” She thrust it toward him. “Why didn’t you say something when you were here?”

  He hesitated in order to choose his words carefully and to keep from further antagonizing her. “When I found she was no longer running the place, I figured she’d found help from someone else, and—”