“Do you mind if I stop by tomorrow? I’d still like to check and see if you have any records on my birth mother.”
Records? Oh, right. His search. “I need to check with my folks first. I open at ten a.m., so you can stop by any time after that and I’ll have an answer.”
They stepped out into the night. The flurries had stopped, leaving a fresh dusting of snow over the already crunchy layer beneath. The night air was crisp and clean. Their breath turned to wisps of smoke in the frigid air.
Faith locked the door, turned to face Drew. “Goodnight.”
Drew nodded, pulled his collar higher around his ears. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” she echoed as they went their separate ways. She slipped on an icy spot, caught her balance and sighed. She envisioned lots of tossing and turning tonight, dreaming of a tall, blond-haired man with a killer smile. Tomorrow was going to be a long time coming.
Chapter 3
The next morning, Drew decided to forgo breakfast at the inn. Instead, he stopped at The Tea Pot, a busy coffee shop on his way to Comfort and Joy. The rich aroma of brewing coffee packed a punch as soon as he walked through the door. He needed lots of caffeine to be on his best today.
Once he got to the counter, he ordered two large coffees, black, asking the barista to throw lots of creamer and sugar packets in a bag. His intention had also been to order bagels, but what if Faith liked donuts better? He didn’t know her choice of breakfast food, so he ordered two bagels with the works, two chocolate covered donuts and two cheese Danish. Surely one of these would satisfy her appetite.
As the girl filled his order, he shook his head. When had he ever been this nervous about pleasing a woman? Never, that’s when. Besides, he’d just met Faith. What was up with the second guessing? Maybe it really had to do with finding his birth mother. Faith’s store was the best lead he’d had so far.
Loaded down with a big bag and coffee caddy, he hurried down Main Street, dodging shoppers and folks off to work. He finally made it to the store, pushed the door open with his hip and went inside to find the Christmas lights twinkling, carols softly spilling from the speakers and the ever-present fragrance of cinnamon, which he’d begun to associate with Faith, scenting the air.
“Anybody here,” he called out as he crossed the room.
Faith walked out of a side room, a smile curving her lips when she saw him. Jolly Santa earrings swung from her earlobes.
“Good morning,” she said as Drew placed his offerings on the counter. “What’s all this?”
“Breakfast. My treat.”
Her eyes widened when he started taking the goodies from the bag.
“My goodness. You must be hungry.”
“I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got a variety.”
“Wow. Um...I usually just drink coffee.”
“You know breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
“Yeah, but I think this is overkill.” He heard her stomach growl. “Or not.”
He chuckled. “Take your pick. You can save the others for later.”
“And say goodbye to my diet.”
He scanned her. She looked fit, trim and healthy. Her skin glowed and her hair shone in the overhead light. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”
She blinked. “Thanks.”
Okay, things were getting a little too personal here. Like last night’s kiss wasn’t? Now, in the light of day, he figured he should back off a few degrees. “So, did your folks say yes? Any idea where to start the search for my birth mother?”
Faith grabbed a bagel and unwrapped the wax paper protecting it. “I spoke to my mother this morning. She said okay to helping you, but doesn’t recall anyone with your birth mother’s name working here.”
Drew tried to ignore the stab of disappointment. Another dead end?
“My folks had lots of seasonal help over the years.” Faith placed a hand on her hip. “Are you sure about her working here?”
“I think so. I hired a private detective to help me find her. He traced Tina’s travels to this part of the country. He located a store where she worked in Boston. I went there, asked a few questions. Apparently she met a guy and moved up here. The storeowner in Boston received a postcard, letting her know Tina had made it to Christmas Town and found a job in a store called Comfort and Joy. That was the last time the woman in Boston heard from her.”
“Well, this is the place.”
“I had vacation time coming so I decided to check this lead out for myself.”
“Going on another person’s word is a long shot,” Faith said. “I mean, what if she’d meant to work here and something happened. She could have ended up at any store here on Main Street.”
“Comfort and Joy is a very specific name.”
“True. And there aren’t any other stores with a similar sounding name.”
“So it’s possible she might have worked here?” he pressed.
“I don’t know.” She held up a finger, disappeared into the office and returned carrying a big cardboard box. “I pulled some of the records my folks had stored at home. Figured we could go through them. Maybe we’ll get lucky.” She nodded over her shoulder. “There’s two more in the office.”
Drew rolled up his sleeves. “Let’s get to work.” He dug into the first box.
Faith carried out another box and started pulling files. “My folks have kept every scrap of paperwork they’ve ever generated for the store.”
“Sounds like they’re responsible business owners.”
“Pack rats is more like it. When my mom told me where to look in the basement, I hadn’t realized just how much paperwork they’d accumulated over the years. I’ve worked here on and off for years, four years full-time, and haven’t come this close to keeping every little detail of the store on paper.”
“That must make your folks crazy.”
“I computerized most everything when I took over. It wasn’t easy getting my mom to agree, but keeping digital information is much easier than reams and reams of paper. Inventory used to be a nightmare. Even my mom is pleased with the system we use now.”
“Do you run the store by yourself or are your parents involved?”
Faith looked up from a file she was reading. “Mostly me. My dad had a stroke so they don’t work very often. Mom will help out more during the Christmas rush.”
“Siblings?”
Her expression became neutral, but he didn’t miss her gaze move quickly to the family portrait mounted on the wall, then back to him. “Brother and sister. They aren’t involved with the store.”
By her clipped tone, Drew figured there was a story here, but he wasn’t going to pry. Faith’s expression alone told him the subject was probably off limits. Better to keep looking for his mom and not ask questions.
“Here’s something. Employment records for a Tina Abernathy.” Faith wrinkled her brow. “I think I remember her working here. ”
“Wrong last name.”
Faith looked at him like he was dense. “She could have married.”
It had occurred to him, but until this moment, he didn’t know if it was a possibility.
“What?”
His conflicted feelings must have shown on his face. “I don’t know how I feel about that.”
One brow rose on Faith’s brow. “You’ve never met your birth mom. How could you be unsure?”
“Crazy, huh?”
“I imagine you’ve had lots of thoughts on the subject since your dad told you the news.” She sent him a soft smile. “I have no idea how I’d react if my folks dropped that big a bomb on me.”
“You must have a special relationship with your parents.”
She shrugged. “I suppose. I’ve been here to manage the store and do the little things they need since my dad had the stroke.”
“They probably wouldn’t know what to do without you.”
~*~
Not that they ever expect me to leave.
&
nbsp; No, the subject of Faith having a life of her own had never come up. She’d started working at the shop and never left.
Digging into the box, she extracted another stack of files instead of responding to Drew’s statement. What could she say? That she’d never left Christmas town? Most likely never would? No matter how much she dreamed, leaving her parents and this town was not in her reality.
“What about this?” Drew withdrew a paper from a file. “Tina Marie Reynolds.”
“Closer, but not her last name.” Faith scrunched her nose. “But the name sounds familiar. I think I remember her. When I was little, Mom brought me to the store. Tina Marie was a very nice woman. Kind of bohemian. She dressed in flowing skirts and always wore noisy jewelry. “
“Does she still live here?”
“I’d have to check. But so far you have two Tina's to contact.”
Drew smiled and Faith’s stomach took a nose dive. This man was seriously good looking.
“Thanks for your help.”
“I didn’t do much.”
“It’s another step on my journey.”
Faith closed the flaps on the box. “So what now?”
“I guess I see if either woman is still in the area.”
“And what, you just show up on her doorstep? Out of the blue?”
He frowned. “She said she wanted to see me one day.”
“Yeah, but probably with a little warning.” Men. Sometimes she was amazed at the ways their brains worked.
She took a few backward steps and turned, facing the shelved back wall. Standing on her toes, she reached for the phone book she kept for anyone who didn’t have a smart phone. Once her fingers gained purchase, she pulled it down and plunked it on the counter.
“Start searching.”
Drew’s brow rose. “You get right down to business, don’t you?”
“I’ve never been one to stand on the sidelines when there’s work to be done.” Except for her dreams to travel. Those dreams were so far on the sidelines she didn’t think she’d ever see the world.
While Drew paged through the white pages, Faith readied the store for customers. A delivery had arrived late yesterday, due to adverse road conditions. She had to get the boxes unpacked, entered into inventory and placed on the shelves. There were five cartons total, so she needed to get at it.
“I’m going to the storeroom to get a box and bring it to the counter to unpack.”
“I’ll help you after I find the names.”
Drew’s distracted tone made her smile. “It’s okay. I’ve got this.”
He looked up, catching her gaze. “I want to.”
She froze. He wanted to stick around? The idea made her silly heart race. “Okay.”
Needing a few minutes to herself, Faith entered the storage room, fanning her suddenly warm face. How did Drew do this to her? The more time she spent with him, she realized it wasn’t just his good looks that attracted her. He seemed kind and helpful. Wanted to find his birth mother, for Pete’s sake. How many guys did she know like him? The list was not very long.
Puffing out a breath, she hoisted the first carton from the floor and carried it to the store counter. With Christmas not quite a month away, her mornings wouldn’t be slow for much longer. A few locals or stay-at-home moms might stop in right now, the excitement of the holiday in the air, but for the most part she had time on her hands. The weekends, and the closer they came to December 25th however, would keep her jumping. As much as she crabbed about never getting to travel, the delighted faces of the children who came in to see her train village, or to browse her ornament collection, touched her heart. Still, there were eleven other months to get through, and that’s when she longed to hit the highway. If that couldn’t happen, she’d settle for expanding the shop.
She grabbed a box cutter and carefully slit the packing tape. She pulled back the flaps, dug through the packing peanuts and removed her first prize. A red velvet box, big enough to contain an ornament. She released the clasp and nestled inside a white satin lining was a hand blown, hand painted ornament depicting a winter scene. She gently took hold of the gold hook, cradling it in her hand before lifting it to the light for a full inspection.
“Beautiful,” Drew said as he came up beside her.
She nodded. “I special order these from Germany. They sell out every year.”
“I can see why.”
She replaced the ornament and pulled out the next box. Inside was a painted Father Christmas. The remaining boxes held ornaments of a reindeer, rocking horse, gingerbread house and a beautiful snowflake.
“There are three more cartons of mixed Christmas images. But wait until you see the last one.”
“Best for last?”
“Exactly.”
Drew worked with her to gently extract the ornaments from the boxes. Faith scanned each item, typed in a price in the inventory program then added a price sticker to each box.
“See the partially empty shelves to the left?”
Drew looked over his shoulder. “Yes.”
“This is where we’ll place them. It’s my European display.” She took one of the priced boxes and carried it to the shelf. “There’s enough room to leave the top open so the customer can see the ornament design without handling it.”
“I imagine you have a ‘you break it, you buy it’ policy here?”
“Yes, but most kids seem to instinctively know not to touch these glass ornaments. Saves their parents lots of money.”
He grinned. “The Do Not Touch signs must help too.”
She laughed. “The adults are worse than the kids, but the signs do help.”
Thirty minutes flew by. Faith worked alongside Drew, surprised by all they accomplished. His hands weren’t the least bit clumsy when handling the fine decorations.
“Have you done this before?” she asked in a teasing tone.
“First time.”
“You’re a pro.”
She removed the empty carton and carried it to the back door. The cardboard was folded and placed on a designated shelf for later use, such as deliveries. She carried out another box, looking for Drew when she got to the counter. He stood by the ornament display they’d just shelved, holding an exquisite snowflake-designed ornament in the air.
“Do you like that design?”
He nodded, his gaze still on the glass. “You’ll laugh when I tell you why.”
“I’ve heard it all. Try me.”
He walked her way, still holding the ornament. “They say no two snowflakes are the same.” Catching her gaze, he held it for long moments. “This reminds me of you.”
Tears prickled behind her lids. No one had ever told her that one of the ornaments she carefully selected reminded them of her. She blinked furiously, hoping Drew didn’t notice.
“That’s very nice of you to say.”
“And very true.” He spun on his heel to face the store. “Everything about this place is special. You set up the train village for the kids to enjoy. You order one-of-a-kind ornaments. Offer hot cocoa. You even smell like Christmas.”
Embarrassed, Faith cleared her throat to cover. “Clearly you’re caught up in the season.”
Drew put the ornament back in its place. “This year I am.”
Silence cloaked them before the front door opened and two chatting women bustled inside on a brisk winter wind. Back to business.
“We’ll get to the last carton later.”
“Right. Let me get back to the phone book.”
Faith took care of the customers and rang up a sale. When the women left, she faced Drew. “So. Any luck?"
He held up a piece of paper. “Looks like both women are local.”
“Then give them a call. Maybe your search will finally be over.”
If his search ended, so would his time in Christmas Town. His time with Faith. She wasn’t sure she liked that outcome.
Chapter 4
Later that afternoon, Drew and Faith walked to Tina Aberna
thy’s house. He’d learned she only lived a few blocks south of Main, within walking distance.
The town sidewalk had been neatly shoveled, with mounds of snow still bordering the walkway. The temperature had dropped even more than the day before and a gray pall settled over the town. More bad weather? It certainly didn’t help Drew’s mood.
He had called the first Tina earlier, explained that he was looking for a woman who had worked at Comfort and Joy and asked if he could speak to her in person. She hesitated initially, but when he mentioned he knew Faith, the woman agreed, only if Faith accompanied him. Thankfully, Faith agreed to tag along.
He’d also called Tina Marie Reynolds, but there was no answer at her number.
He blew out a puff of misted breath. Once. Twice.
Faith shot him a glance. “Nervous?”
“That obvious?”
“It’s not like this is an everyday kind of errand,” Faith said, her pert nose almost as red as the stripe in her purple, pink and red knitted hat. “I told you I finally remember Mrs. Abernathy. She was kind of dour, kept to herself. I didn’t talk to her much since I don’t think she liked kids. No wonder I didn’t recall her still living in town.”
“Don’t jinx this for me.”
“I thought about her last night. If I recall, she was a bit older than the woman in the picture when she worked in the store. She might not be the right Tina.”
“I have to explore all my leads.”
“I get it.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind leaving the store?”
“To be honest, it’s good to take a break. I’ll practically live there in the weeks to come.” She sniffed, digging in her pocket and coming up with a tissue. “Besides, Beth could use the extra hours.”
“Then it worked out.”
They turned down a quiet side street, reading the house numbers. When they came to the correct address, Drew took a breath. The bungalow style house was painted a light blue with white shutters. A worn stone pathway and steps led to the porch. The front door, a deeper shade of blue with a large wreath hanging in the center, invited welcome visitors.
A Heartwarming Christmas: A Boxed Set of Twelve Sweet Holiday Romances Page 43