Todd excused himself to finish shoveling the snow. Once the door closed, Lina turned to her hostess. “We must talk about your rates. Sadie and I can’t stay here without paying.”
“I totally agree.” Mrs. Murphy replaced the coffee carafe and returned to the table. “I’m not very busy right now. Most folks went home for the holidays, so my rooms are empty.”
She stirred sugar into her coffee then looked at Lina. “I prefer to keep my rooms full since I heat them whether they’re occupied or not. Better to earn some income than none at all.”
“I’m sure you know your business, but you need to recoup your costs. So what are your rates?”
“Depends. Do you want babysitting for the little one?”
Lina was confused. She didn’t plan to be here more than a day or two, while her car was being fixed. “Why would I need babysitting?”
“Bill Smith left for the Caribbean three days ago. He won’t be back until after the New Year, so you’ll be here for a few weeks.”
“If you want to explore a bit or perhaps go to the Powderhorn Saloon one evening, you’ll need a sitter. You’ll have time since…”
Lina’s heart skipped a beat. “But surely there’s another mechanic in town. I have to get my car fixed and get to Seattle. People are expecting me.”
“Todd can take you to Missoula to catch a bus, if you’ve got to leave right away, but your car won’t be traveling until after the New Year.”
“But, I can’t stay here. I can’t.” Lina’s hands began to shake and her mouth was sand dry. She wrapped her hands around her midriff and forced herself to stay in her chair when all she wanted was to jump up and race away. “I have to get to Seattle.”
The older woman reached across and patted her hand. “I’m sorry love, your car isn’t going anywhere. But if money is the issue you can send me the cost of your room when you get settled in your new place.”
“No, it’s not that.” She rocked forward and back, fighting to keep her gaze forward. Taking a deep, slow breath she admonished herself. Nothing was different. Nothing had changed. “I mean, my money is limited but I have an appointment on the coast.” She looked over her shoulder, toward the door. “I can’t stay here indefinitely.”
Mrs. Murphy leaned forward and looked her in the eye. “Honey, is someone after you? Are you in danger?”
She couldn’t go down this path. No way. No one could know about the mess her life had become. “What? No, not at all. I simply need to get to the coast. People are waiting for me.” She jumped to her feet and stormed across the kitchen, leaning over the sink to look out at the night. “It’s important.”
“Sweetheart…” Mrs. Murphy put a worn hand on Lina’s shoulder. “You aren’t going anywhere by car. If you want to take the bus, we’ll get you out of here tomorrow.”
“But I need my car.” Her money wouldn’t last if they took the bus and they needed a few days to connect with her mom’s friend. She’d thought while they were waiting, if necessary, they could sleep in the car, as long as the weather wasn’t too cold
Her cash wouldn’t last if they had to stay here for a few weeks. She wouldn’t be able to afford gas for the trip to Seattle. She wouldn’t chance using plastic.
Mrs. Murphy squeezed her shoulder. “Since the bus isn’t an option, I can give you another choice.” She looked out the window and down the street. “Bandit Creek is a small town. We’re a friendly bunch—it’s necessary when you live in a small community like ours. Especially with our history. If you need some cash, you can work for the next few weeks.” Mrs. Murphy dropped her hand and turned to the coffee maker.
“Yeah, right,” Lina snorted. “Who’s going to hire a stranger for a couple of weeks even though Christmas is around the corner?” Unable to stand still a moment longer, she paced across the kitchen.
The older woman motioned her back to the table. “Come and sit down.” She filled their coffee cups. “First of all, I’ll take you and Sadie into town tomorrow and introduce you around. I know all the people from this neck of the woods and we’ll check out the short-term jobs available.”
“Really? There are jobs here?”
“Craig at the candy store is looking for help on the night shift.”
“The candy store is open at night?”
“Of course not. But since he and Penny got together, he prefers to be at home at night. They’re expecting their first and he doesn’t want her to be alone.”
“Why does a candy store in the middle of Montana need a night shift?” Lina poured milk into her coffee and stirred it.
“Haven’t you heard of the Internet, sweetie?” Mrs. Murphy stirred sugar into her coffee. “Penny Candy is shipped all over the world. The night shift prepares the orders and packages them for shipping.”
“So I wouldn’t make the candy?”
Mrs. Murphy’s laughed loud and long. “Craig wouldn’t let anyone supervise the candy making but himself. But once it’s finished, he needs help boxing and shipping it.”
“The local candy store is global?” Lina heard the disbelief in her voice and hoped it hadn’t been as clear to her hostess.
Mrs. Murphy laughed. “In this day and age, with the Internet for advertising, Penny Candy ships internationally and to all fifty states.”
“You think he needs help on the night shift?”
Mrs. Murphy shook her head. “I don’t think so. I know so.” She smiled, her eyes widening with pleasure. “He hired casual staff for the last six weeks, figuring that would take care of most of the Christmas rush. But he’s way behind and to make matters worse, some of them left for vacation. So he’s stuck.”
Maybe, just maybe, a forced stay in Bandit Creek wouldn’t break her. “I guess I…no, that won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t take Sadie with me and she can’t stay here alone.” She shrugged, feeling the weight of desperation settling back on her shoulders. “I don’t see how I can possibly take a job.”
“Pshaw. Nights are easy. That little girl will sleep like a log the whole time. Especially if we get her running around outside a bit during the day. Doesn’t take anything to babysit a sleeping child.” Mrs. Murphy bent her head and looked her in the eye. “She does sleep through the night, right?”
Lina nodded. “Since she was twelve weeks old. Sleeping has never been one of Sadie’s problems. But I couldn’t impose.”
“She doesn’t look like she has any illnesses or health problems.”
“No, of course not.
Mrs. Murphy reached over and patted her on the arm. “I understand your hesitation about leaving the young‘un with a stranger but that’s not a problem. She’ll be as snug as a bug in a rug with me and Todd.”
Lina might be convinced her hostess was willing to babysit, but her boarder was out of the question. She barely knew the man. What was he really like? After all, hadn’t she learned that men weren’t to be trusted? There was something about him that put her on edge. Whether it was his size or his take-charge attitude or both, she couldn’t tell.
Mrs. Murphy patted her arm again. “Now, now. Don’t fret. I’ll be looking after the munchkin but with Todd in the house, she will be as safe as if she was in your arms. Perhaps safer.” The older woman gave her a look that suggested she’d surmised more than Lina had said, but she didn’t push for any admissions. “Whatever is going on with you and the outside world, we will keep it out of our community. That’s one of the benefits of a small town.” Mrs. Murphy rose to her feet. “Now I’ve got to get some work done.”
Lina wasn’t so sure. The snow continued to fall, blanketing the ground in a thick white cover. She didn’t think the town of Bandit Creek would deliver the same effect to her life.
***
The next morning, Todd rolled his shoulders as he stepped out of the shower. He roughed his short hair with a towel, swiped his chest, and then wrapped it around his waist before stepping in front of the mirror. A quick wipe with a hand towel cleare
d the mirror. Leaning forward as he ran his hands over his whiskers, he stared at his reflection. He was always amazed that nothing from Afghanistan was visible to anyone else.
The knob of the bathroom door turned. Before it opened, he was across the room, crouched low. His breath slowed as he froze in place, waiting.
“A, B, C, D, E…”
It was the alphabet song. Damn and double damn. Todd took a deep breath and rose to his full height and tried to steady his shaking hands. He glared at the little girl with her hand on the knob. “The door is shut for a reason.”
“It wasn’t locked.” The six-year-old looked up at him without fear. What the hell was the matter with her?
“You’re brushing your teeth.” She raised her hand, holding her toothbrush. “Mommy told me I had to do mine too.” She looked at him, then at the sink. “We could share the water.”
Speechless, he simply watched her. “I’ll get on the toilet. There’s lots of room.”
“Are you supposed to stand there? Would your mother approve?”
The kid smiled. “I do it at home all the time.” Her smile fell “At our old home. The one we left.”
His curiosity outweighed his better sense. “Why did you move?”
“Mommy said it was time. That means she doesn’t want to talk about it.” She rinsed her toothbrush under the water.
He shrugged. Everyone was entitled to their secrets.
“Come on, we’d better get busy, or Mommy will get mad and yell at us.” She began to vigorously brush her teeth, smiling at him all the while. Without another choice, Todd followed directions, wondering when he’d fallen so far that he was taking orders from a six-year-old brunette with big black eyes.
“Are you done?” she asked a moment later.
“In a moment,” he mumbled around his brush.
“Golly, you take a long time, just like my mom.”
“Sorry.”
She sighed heavily. “That’s okay. Mommy says I must learn patience.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I like patience.”
A chuckle choked its way out of his chest. “Not many people do.” It was one of his strengths.
“Okay, I gotta go, Mister. Mommy and me are going for a walk with Mrs. Murphy. We’re going to the candy store.”
Penny Candy was one of Bandit Creek’s success stories and one of the reasons the town still survived. It and the brewery. Before he said a word, the whirlwind jumped off the toilet and out the door. “Bye, Mister,” she yelled over her shoulder as she ran down the hall.
Unable to answer her, he turned back to the mirror and filled his hand with shaving foam. Best he get to work. He didn’t like kids. Didn’t want anything to do with them anymore. Not since he left the Middle East and the disaster he’d tried to put behind him.
***
Lina held Sadie’s hand as they walked with Mrs. Murphy to the Candy Store. The snow-covered streets were scarred with deep ruts. Nearly a foot of snow fell last night. In an ironic way, her accident had been a godsend. She’d never have made it through the mountain pass with this much snow on the road.
At the Candy Store, they stopped while Sadie danced with excitement as she looked in the window. Mrs. Murphy pushed open the door. Sadie skipped inside, her head turning to take in all the wonders of a small town candy store.
“I think you’d best take my hand, young lady. With the ants in your pants, you might knock something over.”
A man with short dark hair and chocolate brown eyes walked out from the back. “Can I help you?” When his gaze took in Mrs. Murphy, he extended his hands and walked straight into her hug. “It’s nice to see you out and about today. Isn’t the snow something?”
“It is,” the older woman nodded. “But it might be the answer to one of your problems.” She smiled at him.
“How so?”
Chapter Four
Before she could answer, a very pregnant woman walked out from the back, wiping her hands on a linen cloth. “Craig?”
His eyes lit up and a smile dimpled his cheeks. “Mrs. Murphy is here with guests, Penny. She thinks she’s solved one of our problems.” He patted her bulging tummy when she got within range.
“Which problem?” She slid her arm around his waist and smiled at Sadie. “Did you give this little lady a sample, Craig?”
“No I didn’t,” he said as Sadie shook her head.
“Unforgivable.” She pointed to the bins behind the glass counter. “Pick something you’d like for a treat.” Then she turned back to the adults. “What problem?”
“Night shift.” Mrs. Murphy interjected then nodded toward Lina. “This is my new boarder Adelina Ralston. Her car is stuck in the ditch outside town but she needs to work a bit while she’s waiting for Joe to return from vacation and fix it.”
“Where did you work, Ms. Ralston?”
“Please, call me Lina. I worked retail in At– mean at my last job. I was the shift supervisor for a major department store in the South.”
Craig nodded. “References?”
Lina wasn’t sure how much to tell them but decided as much truth as possible would be best. “Not even a résumé. I wasn’t planning to stay in Bandit Creek, I simply needed gas and then I slid off the road and hit a rock. So I’m here for a while.”
Penny straightened some items on the counter. “Where were you headed?”
Lina hesitated. The more information she gave out, the higher the likelihood that Ramon would find them. “To the coast. I’m not sure where we’re going to settle.”
“Well, we need help boxing and wrapping candy for our guaranteed deliveries. Think you can handle that?” Penny asked.
“Are there others here then?”
Craig nodded. “I usually drop by just before I call it a night, and I’m only a phone call away.”
Lina nodded. She liked the young couple and this job would save her limited cash. Maybe even build it up a bit.
“When can you start?” Craig asked.
“Tonight,” Mrs. Murphy interjected. “I’m going to spoil that sweet little girl while her mama helps you folks out. It’s going to be perfect for everyone.”
“If it means that Craig gets a good night’s sleep, I’m delighted to welcome you on board.” Penny extended her hand. “What time will you be here?”
Lina looked from her to Mrs. Murphy. “What time does the evening shift clock in?”
“At this time of year, we run almost twenty-four hours a day. Or we would, if we had the staff, so we’re pretty flexible.”
Adelina chewed her bottom lip for a moment as she considered Sadie’s needs and her own. “For the first few nights, I’d need to see Sadie settled and sleeping so nine is the earliest I could start. But once she’s settled, I could work as early and as long as you need me.”
“Whoa, we don’t want to burn you out. Why don’t you work from nine to one to begin with? Your little one will need her mom to keep her company during the day and four hours a night from someone reliable will be a big help to us.”
The hours sounded completely do-able to Lina. She wouldn’t be getting quite as much sleep as usual but working wouldn’t interfere with Sadie’s schedule and she would catch a nap here and there to keep up.
“That’s great.” She turned to Mrs. Murphy. “Is that okay with you?”
“Absolutely. I told you that watching a sleeping child is a pleasure, not a problem. Besides there’s both Todd and I to keep an eye on her.”
Lina looked at her new bosses still standing close together, arms around each other’s waists. “I’ll be here at nine.”
Penny stepped away from Craig and grabbed a business card from the counter. “Here are our numbers. If anything happens with Sadie, give us a call. Should you need to start a little later, just let us know.”
Lina extended her hand to Craig. “You’ve been very kind to a stranger. I won’t let you down.”
Craig laughed. “Mrs. Murphy recommended you, so you aren’t a stranger, but a f
riend we haven’t gotten to know. See you tonight.”
Her daughter was pressing her nose against the glass protecting the candy, looking at the wide range of choices as she tried to decide. “Sadie, it’s time to go now.”
“Mommy.” The little girl pointed to a case of cinnamon hearts. “May I have one of those, please?”
Penny nodded. “Of course.” She moved behind the counter, took a bag and put in a scoop of the bright red candies. “Enjoy,” she said, handing it to the little girl.
“Thanks.” Sadie’s smile lit her face, reminding Lina her little girl hadn’t had a lot to be happy about lately. Perhaps this town and her new job were the beginning of something good for both of them.
***
After an exhausting snow fight in Mrs. Murphy’s front yard, a home-cooked dinner and a warm bath, Sadie was cuddled into the big bed they shared. “Remember I’m going to work tonight, sweetheart. If you need anything call for Mrs. Murphy.
“I will, Mommy.”
“Do you remember where her room is?
Sadie sighed with her whole body. “She’s at the end of the hall in the room with the pretty blue door.”
“That’s right. Now lie back and I’ll read you a story; then I’ve got to go.”
After reading ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins.’ Sadie squished down under the covers. “’Night, Mommy. Have fun at the candy store.”
“I will.” Lina leaned in and kissed her precious baby girl. She would keep her safe or die trying. “Sleep tight.”
“Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” replied a sleepy small voice. Sadie yawned, mouth wide open. “Are we ever going home to Atlanta, Mommy?” She looked at her. “I miss daddy and my house.”
Lina took a deep breath. “Of course you do, Sadie. So do I. But we’re on an adventure, remember? And daddy’s staying at home.”
“With the bad people.”
She’d always wondered how much her daughter knew about the situation. “How did you hear about them?
“Some kids at school were talking about daddy and his bad friends. They made me sad.”
She wasn’t sure how to reassure her without being dishonest. “I’m sorry you heard them talk about your daddy’s friends. We know it’s not nice to do that, don’t we?”
Christmas on the Run (Bandit Creek Book 32) Page 3