“And things didn’t go well between us.” She massaged her temples with her index fingers. He recognized the sign of her distress and waited until she was ready to speak again.
Finally she peered up at him. “Up until Uncle Will’s death, the records are clear and concise on the computer. Since then, I can’t figure out what she’s done except not buy any new inventory.”
“Will you let me help you?” Colt’s breath caught in his throat. If her answer was no, he’d have no choice but to back off despite Aunt Cora’s best intentions.
Val lowered her gaze and clasped her hands in her lap. “I don’t know, Colt. Can we work together and make sense of all this, or …” Her voice trailed off.
“Let me give it a go. If you don’t like my suggestions or ideas, just say so.”
She delayed her answer for what seemed an eternity but in essence was only a moment or two while she stacked papers and folders. He sensed the debate raging in her mind and probably her heart. Remorse for the years he’d lost with her ate at his soul, but he’d taken the coward’s way out of what he viewed as an impossible situation.
Aunt Cora’s words yesterday came back to him. “It was time for you to come home and mend the bridges you burned behind you five years ago.” His only hope now was that those bridges hadn’t been completely destroyed.
Val let her breath out in a puff. “This is against my better judgment, but if Aunt Cora thinks you can help me, I have no choice but to accept.” She shoved a folder into his hands. “Take this and see what you think.”
His throat constricted with joy, and he could only nod and secure the folder under his arm. He swallowed hard, but his voice still squeaked. “The first thing I want to do is a complete inventory of all merchandise on your shelves and in the storeroom.”
“Whatever you want.” She turned to a cabinet beside the desk and opened it. “Here’s a clipboard and some blank inventory sheets. Aunt Cora didn’t know anything about computers and did it all by hand. Once we get it counted, you can work up a spreadsheet and we can see where we stand.”
“Okay. You’re the boss.” He turned to leave.
“Colt, wait a minute.” She stared at him a moment, swallowed a few times, then said, “Never mind. Go ahead with the inventory.” She picked up a folder and swiveled around in her chair.
The anguish seen in her eyes in that moment sent pangs of guilt to his soul. It contradicted everything he’d believed the past five years. He had hurt her, but if she had cared that much, she would have answered his letters and known he still loved her. He tapped the clipboard on his fingertips then pivoted on his heel and headed for the display shelves.
Colt’s footsteps faded away, and Val dropped her pen to the desk. Her stomach churned, and her heart pounded in her ears. She breathed deeply then exhaled. He couldn’t affect her this way after all she’d done to forget him. He was here only to help Aunt Cora, and the sooner they finished, the sooner he’d leave, and she could get on with her life.
The CD player on her desk filled the room with the words of a Christmas carol. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.” Her shoulders slumped. With the holiday only weeks away, she should be singing along, but no joy filled her world at the moment.
She tried to work, but the songs only added to her distress. Tears stung her eyes with the memories of past holidays. Christmas had always been her favorite time of year. Mom and Aunt Cora decorated everywhere they could find a space in the store and at home. Val jerked and pushed back her chair. That was what was missing. Not a single Christmas decoration could be seen anwhere.
“Susie.” Val rushed to the store area.
Her clerk turned from helping a customer. “What do you need, Val?”
“Where does Aunt Cora keep her Christmas decorations?”
“In the storeroom. The boxes are marked.”
“Thanks.” Val hurried to the back room and began shoving boxes. Sure enough, she found the labeled plastic bins. The first one contained tinsel and strands of lights in a jumble and tangle of wires and gold foil. They must have been stuffed back in the bin last year with no concern about getting them out later. She worked several minutes on the lights but gave up and searched through another bin. Garlands of greenery and bows appeared to be in good enough shape to use again. She glanced overhead to see a box with a Christmas tree pictured on the side. These would be a good start to a holiday feeling in the store.
Susie poked her head through the door. “Need any help?”
“Yes, you can help me get these boxes out where I can see what’s in them.” She lifted the lid of a second box and found several nutcrackers, an artificial greenery wreath with a large red bow at the top, and boxes of red ornaments. “I hope I can remember where all this stuff goes.”
“Why not decorate it the way you want?” A deep voice sounded from the door.
Val peered up at him. “Tradition. Aunt Cora always did it a certain way.” Her memory pictured the tree in the window, the wreath on the door, and the lights on the tree.
Colt picked up a large container. “Let’s get these things out in the open where we can see what all you have. I may have an idea for a promotion, but I need to know what’s available.”
Val shrugged and carried out one of the smaller bins and nodded to Colt. “After you set that big one down, climb up and get the box with the tree.”
He grinned and headed back to the storeroom. A few minutes later, the three of them sat surrounded by decorations. Val sighed with a bit of disappointment in the assortment, but at least it was a start. Some were tattered and faded, but the nutcrackers and the tree looked to be in good shape.
Colt assembled the tree and stood back to inspect it. “I’d say this has seen better days.”
Val nodded in agreement. “It has, but with the ornaments and tinsel, it’ll look fine.”
He shrugged and set it in the corner. “Whatever you say.” He swiped his hands together and knelt beside her. “What else do we have?”
For the next ten minutes, they continued to pull out decorations. Val designated two piles for discards and keepers, and it didn’t take long for the discard pile to outgrow the keeper stack. She sat back on her heels. “Looks like I’ll have to raid Mom’s attic or buy a bunch of new stuff.”
Colt laid aside a nutcracker. “I have an idea, and it includes all these decorations, or what there is that we can use now.”
Susie smoothed out a red velvet bow. “I’m so glad we’re doing this. All the other stores around are all ready for Christmas, but I hated to say anything.”
Colt snapped his fingers. “Now I know you. You’re Ryan Morrill’s sister.” A grin covered his face. “You’ve certainly grown up.”
Susie’s face turned a bright pink. “I’m a senior at Trinity this year.”
“Good for you. I need to give Ryan and Amber a call.”
“They’ll be glad to hear from you.” Susie held up a wreath. “This just needs a little cleaning up and a new bow.”
“With all the other stuff going on and trying to get the records straight, I completely forgot about decorations.” Val peered at Colt. “So, what’s your idea?”
He rubbed his chin a moment. “Let me work on some things tonight, and I’ll have a complete plan for you tomorrow.”
Whatever he could come up with now would be better than anything they had at the moment. Although disappointed at what she’d found, Val wanted to decorate like old times. She loved Christmas, and she didn’t intend to let any more slips like the decorations keep it from happening here in the store. “Okay, but in the meantime, I’ll check with Mom. I know she has some things we can borrow, and Aunt Cora might have some.”
Susie stood and dusted her hands against each other. “I bet my mom has some leftovers we can use, too. She never gets all her decorations put out.”
Colt shrugged into his jacket. “I’ll leave this with you ladies and get to work on some ideas.” He headed for the door then stopped. “Do you have some
one scheduled to repaint your sign in the next few days?”
Val frowned. “No, I haven’t had time to get anyone yet.”
“Good, because I have a few ideas about that, too.” This time he strode through the door and out to the street.
Val gathered up the lights that all seemed to be working. “Well, let’s see what we can do with what we have.” From the corner of her eye, she spotted the clipboard Colt had laid aside. She shifted the lights to one arm then reached to pick up the clipboard.
The columns were nearly all filled. Val gasped at the amount of work he’d accomplished in such a short time. If he worked as fast at coming up with a plan to put the shop in the black, then she might be able to survive after all.
Chapter 4
Val opened the door to her parents’ home, and wonderful smells wafted down the hallway from the kitchen to greet her. She breathed deeply and let the spicy scent fill her nose. Gingerbread, her favorite and one of Mom’s most delectable homemade treats, led her to the kitchen.
One advantage of living at home had to be the cooking, and her mom’s was the best. Still, she longed for the privacy afforded in her own apartment. As soon as the store was in the black, finding her own apartment headed the list of things she needed to do. But for the time being, she’d enjoy Christmas at home.
She entered the kitchen to find her mother preparing greens for salad. Two pans of gingerbread sat cooling on the counter. Val reached for a carrot stick. “Nothing like gingerbread to make the house smell like Christmas.”
Mom smiled and sliced a red pepper. “It’ll get even better the next few weeks as I get started on my Christmas baking.”
Val grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “Still baking your banana and cranberry breads for all your friends, I suppose.”
“Of course, and I’ll make candy later to have ready for visitors.” Mom washed her hands then dried them on a towel. “How did it go at the store today?”
“Pretty good, I guess. We got out the Christmas decorations, but they’re in sad shape. Colt has some ideas on how to help us get more business during the holidays, and I’m hoping I can find some of the things you’re not using to take to the shop.”
Her mother’s eyebrows shot up, and her eyes opened wide. “Colt was there?” She turned her back to get potatoes from the bin in the pantry. “Do you think it’s wise to let him have that much say in your business? I hate to see you open old wounds.”
Val downed a swig of water. Doubts clouded her mind, but if Colt could turn things around, then any pain she suffered would be worth it. “I’ll be okay, Mom. After all, he’s only going to be here for the holidays. If Aunt Cora didn’t think he could help, she wouldn’t have asked him to come.”
Her mother attacked the potatoes with the peeler. “I just wish Cora had consulted with your father and me before going off and seeking help like that. Especially from Colt. He left town without a word to any of us. I just don’t want to see you go through anything like that again.”
A sigh escaped Val’s throat. Mom would never forget those days and nights after Colt left when Val spent most of her time in her room crying. Then the job offer came from Dallas, and it gave her the perfect opportunity to start over in a new place. Now here she was back where it all started. This was not the time to dredge up those memories. Val tossed her water bottle into the recycle bin. “If Colt can help put the store in the black, I can endure his presence for a while. I’m going up to my room, but I’ll be back down in time for dinner.”
She raced up the stairs to the room she’d shared with her sister so many years ago. All the mementos and decorations from those high school years had been packed away to make this into a guest room. A few of Val’s personal pictures and other items brought from her place in Dallas adorned the room. The rest was in storage waiting until she found a place of her own once again.
Mom meant well, but Val couldn’t let her mother’s ill feelings color her own actions for the next few weeks. Aunt Cora had put her trust in Val to turn the store around and had even managed to provide the one person with the creative ability to help. As much as being close to him did dredge up the old memories, the desire to prove Aunt Cora had made the right decision in giving Val the store was more important.
Val’s heart didn’t always want to cooperate and still flipped and flopped when Colt was around. Sheer determination to keep it locked up tight would get her through the holidays. She pulled her laptop from its case and sat cross-legged on her bed. One way to keep Colt off her mind was to keep busy. A list of what she needed to do the first week she had taken over the store appeared on the screen, and she added the task of acquiring newer decorations. Maybe after supper, Mom would get out the boxes of extra items for Val to sort through. The area by the display windows needed the most help, so customers would be attracted and come into the store.
Colt’s inventory sheets lay in a folder in her computer bag. She extracted them now and glanced over what he’d written. A quick scan revealed no new items for Christmas. How in the world did she think she’d be able to entice buyers to come inside if she didn’t have appropriate merchandise to offer them? Maybe Colt would come up with a few suggestions for making the old look new and attractive.
She sighed and opened the calendar on her computer. No matter what she did, Colt managed to invade her thoughts. Today’s date stared back at her. December 2 meant a little more than three weeks until Christmas. Most folks would have their shopping done by now as well as have all their cards ready to sign and mail. She let her breath out in a puff. The whole thing looked hopeless.
Tears misted her eyes. Aunt Cora, why did you wait until things were in such a mess before calling me or Colt?
Colt stared at the gate that protected his mother’s property. He punched in the numbers that would let him gain entrance and prayed they still worked. A moment later the wrought-iron gates, with the circled letter J decorating the center of each, swung back and cleared the way to the house.
The long curved drive led to the massive portico that protected the brick access to the front door. He sat in the car a few moments, drawing in deep breaths to bolster his courage. His mother hadn’t spoken to him since the day he left San Antonio, and then it was only to tell him that she had transferred his trust to his name. As soon as he graduated from college, she’d fulfilled his father’s instructions in his will then had dismissed him from her life.
The many times he’d tried to contact his mother had each been met with a rejection. The biggest mistake of his life had been to run away to New York to pursue his career and leave behind all that he loved and held dear. With his courage a little stronger, he rang the bell and heard the chimes from within the house.
When the housekeeper, Mrs. Barnes, opened the door, she gasped in surprise. “Mr. Colt, is it really you?” She stretched out her arms and wrapped them around his shoulders. “It’s been too long, my boy.” When she stepped back, her eyes glistened with tears. “Come in, son, it’s good to have you home.”
Colt’s heart lurched with emotion on seeing the gray-haired woman who’d cared for him and Chase as young boys. “And it’s good to see you again. I’m sorry it’s been so long, but it was time to try to see Mother again. How is she?” He stepped into the massive entryway and glanced up the curved stairway leading to the rooms where his mother would be.
Mrs. Barnes’s eyes clouded, and sorrow filled her face. “Not good, Mr. Colt. It’s not a disease that’s making her ill. It’s her own sadness and how she’s cut herself off from all her friends.”
Colt shook his head. “It’s been over ten years since Dad’s death.”
“I know, but her heart still grieves for him. She’s a shadow of her former self.” She hugged him again. “I’m just so thankful you and Chase had someone like Cora Bennett to take care of you when she went into seclusion.” She stepped back and a smile lit up her face. “I must say you’ve become a fine-looking young man, and you look just like your father when h
e was younger. What brought you back to San Antonio?”
“Cora needed my help with her store, so I came to see what I could do.” He paused then plunged ahead. “I want to be with family again, so I’ve come back to stay, especially with Chase and Julie’s baby due soon.”
“Oh, yes, I heard. It’s wonderful to know another little Jamison will make his or her entrance into the world.” She glanced up the staircase. “I’ll go up and see if your mother will see you.” She hesitated then said, “But don’t get your hopes up.”
A few minutes later he heard loud voices, and then his mother’s distinct, shrill tones carried to his ears. “Tell him to leave. As long as he believes in that God of his, I don’t want him in this house. God doesn’t exist, and he’s a fool for believing it.”
Colt didn’t wait for Mrs. Barnes to return. Instead, he strode through the door and back to his car. As much as his heart hurt from her words, he would try again later. God brought him back for a purpose, and he was determined to find that purpose. He headed home to work on the plans he had developed for the card shop. Somehow, with God’s help, he’d get through to his mother and bring her back to the beliefs she’d held dear before his father had died.
At his brother’s house, he holed up in the guest room. If he didn’t find a place of his own before Christmas, he might end up in a hotel. Chase and Julie needed this room for her mother when the baby came, and from the looks of his sister-in-law, that would be soon.
His thoughts returned to his mother. Her first grandchild would be born, and he wasn’t even sure if she knew the baby was coming. Even if she did know, it probably wouldn’t make any difference to her. He bowed his head to pray for her as he had done so many times before.
Lord, here I am again. Mother hasn’t changed her feelings at all. It’s Christmas, and her first grandchild is on its way. Thousands of years ago, one tiny baby You sent made a difference in our world. Please let this little one coming soon make a difference in Mother’s world. Even if she doesn’t want to believe in You anymore, You can still change her heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Riverwalk Christmas: Four-in-One Collection Page 9