The Christmas Rental

by Hendricks, Savannah

  “You already have one of me,” Tyler warned.

  “Don’t be a poor sport.” Uncle Steve waved him to lean closer to Lorelei so he could get them all in the shot.

  Tyler inched closer to Lorelei, who held her daughter between the two of them. As the flash went off, Tyler’s heart filled with emotion. He couldn’t help it. He was delighted to have this moment captured. While his face held a smile, contentment traveled throughout his body, giving him a sense of peace, a comfort, like a fire on a cold night.

  “I think it’ll look great on the wall,” Uncle Steve stated. “Let me bring out your dishes. And drinks!” He pivoted and walked off. “Where is my head today?”

  “I’m excited to have our picture on the wall. This town is . . . lovely. It’s like a big knit Christmas sweater.” Lorelei removed a bottle with powder at the bottom of her purse.

  “You’re correct.” Maybe she’ll find a way to stay. “It’s magical even when it’s not the Christmas season.”

  Lorelei shook up the water and formula in the bottle and handed it to Mary Ann. Her daughter took it in her tiny hands, eyelids already heavy. Unable to hold the bottle entirely on her own due to her sleepiness, Lorelei helped hold it up for her with one hand.

  Watching them brought comfort to him, like when a song’s words sent goose bumps down his arms. It was as though everything around him blurred, and he only saw her and Mary Ann. His heart thumped against his chest so loud he swore everyone in the restaurant heard it. While he’d admit he found Lorelei attractive, there was also something more powerful happening. No matter how long he spent with her, it wasn’t enough. He wanted to hear about her childhood, her life, her dreams and goals.

  “I hope this isn’t too forward . . . .” Lorelei opened the paper napkin and set it on her lap with her free hand.

  Tyler didn’t know what she might be about to ask, but he knew he would say yes to whatever it might be. Just then, Uncle Steve returned with their warm dishes of food.

  Lorelei’s eyes widened as he set the plate in front of her. “Smells amazing, Uncle Steve.”

  “Be sure to flag me down if you need anything else. Oofta! Drinks!” Uncle Steve hurried back to the kitchen.

  Tyler rubbed his hands together. “It doesn’t matter how many times I eat here, every dish is like a new experience.” In front of him was a twelve-inch pizza, its crust plump and toasted. The mozzarella cheese perfectly melted over the marinara sauce. The prosciutto and pepperoni sprinkled over the top ideally golden.

  Every inch of him hoped Lorelei felt at home here, as part of the community—even if she’d only been in town for twenty-four hours. When he thought about it, he couldn’t understand how he’d attached himself to her as quickly as he had. There was something about being around her that caused him to feel half his age and like a kid on Christmas morning.

  Uncle Steve approached the table once again and set the drinks down. “Enjoy.”

  Tyler lifted a slice of pizza. “You wanted to ask me something?” He took a bite.

  Lorelei cut one of the raviolis in half with her fork. “Yes.” She pressed her lips together. “I wanted to see if maybe we could work together. I can help you, and you can help me.”

  Tyler continued to chew, unsure of what Lorelei wanted help with. “Work together?”

  Lorelei blew on the ravioli and then took a bite. “Wow, that’s . . . wow.”

  Tyler nodded. “Right?”

  She took another bite and then a sip of sparkling cider. “My parents are coming to visit on the twentieth, and I’d love to convince them of what a great place Oakvale is to raise a baby. Show them how important a small-town doctor can be in a place like this. As a local, I would greatly appreciate any help you could provide me with to showcase my point.” Lorelei forked another ravioli. “And, I’d like to help you present your dream of owning the bookstore to your parents.”

  Tyler continued to devour his slice of pizza as he pondered Lorelei’s offer. How bad can her parents be to have raised such an amazing woman? But confronting his fear of disappointing his parents plus having to decide on using his savings for only one dream seemed impossible.

  Could he help her if he didn’t have the courage to stand up to his parents? He finished the slice and wiped his fingers on his napkin. “I want to say yes. I do. I mean, I can help you out with your folks for sure. But my situation is different.”

  “Different?” Lorelei tilted her head.

  “Your situation, although similar, is not about terminating a family business. Plus, I can’t have both—it’s either the bookstore or my book travel trip. And I made up my mind a year ago that I couldn’t give up the family business.”

  “Oh.” Lorelei slouched and leaned backward. “But it’s your dream. The bookstore is amazing. Sandy and I spoke, and I could tell she wants you to take over.”

  “You spoke with Sandy?” Tyler took a sip of cider. The bubbles refreshed his mouth.

  “Sandy was the one who mentioned we could help each other. I don’t mean to step on toes. I know I’m new and temporarily here, maybe.” Defeat filled Lorelei’s eyes, and her lips fell into a frown. “Never mind, I overstepped.” She glanced at Mary Ann, whose bottle was about to slip from her lips as she was fast asleep amongst the noise of the restaurant.

  “No, you didn’t overstep. I don’t see how I can do that to my parents.” Tyler picked up another slice of pizza. “Which is why I haven’t. Plus, I don’t want to give you false hope about your abilities to move here. There aren’t any houses on the market currently and we already have a doctor.”

  "But it doesn't have to be this small-town, any small-town." Lorelei rubbed her hand on her glass. “I mean, how do we know unless we try? We both have obstacles, yet they are not unobtainable. Think about them as you would skiing. There are beginning, regular, and advanced runs to take. None of them are possible unless you start on the beginner’s slope.”

  “The thing about my family’s business is not about sales, but about keeping the name going. If I leave to run the bookstore, my family’s legacy ends. It’s a failure not to keep it open. The bowling alley is a separate matter.”

  “But you said owning the bookstore is your dream, and your heart’s not in the family business.” Lorelei wiped the marinara sauce from the corner of her mouth. “It’s not like it will disappear. Someone else can take over.”

  Tyler nodded as Uncle Steve sprinted from the kitchen.

  “Your garlic bread.” He set it on the table, next to Lorelei’s dish, before heading back to tend to another table.

  Lorelei covered her mouth with the napkin as Tyler noticed her cheeks plump out at the edge. “Uncle Steve cracks me up.” She lowered the napkin. “He does feel like a fun uncle. I see why everyone calls him that now.”

  “Look at you fitting right in.” Tyler leaned back in the chair.

  “I’ve seen a few kids in town. Are there a lot?” Lorelei asked, ripping off a chunk of garlic bread.

  Tyler thought. “There are some, not a lot. After graduation, most of them move to Booth or to attend college in another state.”

  “Any Mary Ann’s age in town?” She glanced over at her daughter, still fast asleep.

  “Yes, I can introduce you, but they'll most likely come into the doctor’s office. Lots of runny noses this time of year, and we don’t have a hospital, but—”

  “Booth does? Gosh, I would say Booth is trying to one-up this town every chance it gets.” Lorelei’s eyebrow raised and she grinned. “Oh, where is the day care center here? I didn’t see it on the way in.”

  “Day care center?” He didn’t know why he repeated what she’d asked other than the business sounded out of place in Oakvale and tripped him up. “We don’t have one. We’re a dog-and baby-friendly town. Besides, Jodi can watch Mary Ann. She spends every free second babysitting half the towns’ kids.”

  “Jodi, my receptionist? My daughter needs childcare.” Lorelei slumped back into the chair. “How’d I let that slip my
mind?”

  Tyler reached his hand out. He sensed the disappointment oozing from Lorelei. She needed this town, but she had yet to learn their ways. “You’re not in the city anymore. You’re in Oakvale. And if you want, I can watch her, too. Or my parents.”

  Lorelei’s body language changed, and she sat up straight. “I can’t impose on people I don’t know, and where do people place their kids when they work?”

  “School. Friends. Family. Neighbors. And you know people. You know me, Jodi, Uncle Steve, my folks, Sharon, Don, and Sandy. I would say you know quite a few residents.” Tyler raised his pizza slice to Lorelei, who picked up a bite of ravioli with her fork.

  “I don’t know them know them.” She shoved the bite into her mouth.

  “Then I guess we better make sure we change that. For Monday, bring Mary Ann with you. Jodi will be beside herself with excitement. You might have to pry your daughter from her at the end of the day.”

  “Baby fever?” Lorelei asked as she glanced over at her sleeping daughter.

  “I’m not sure. She’s had it since high school.”

  He could tell she was thinking by how she gazed off behind him, as though the answer was hidden in the wallpaper. When she refocused her vision on him, she said, “Well, at least I have a plan for Monday.”

  “Don’t give up on Oakvale so quickly. Remember, you can’t leave town until you find my picture on the wall.” He beamed before taking a bite.

  Lorelei raised her little finger in the universal gesture of a pinky promise. “And I’ll convince you why you need to follow your dream—the one you want the most—and come clean with your parents.”

  Tyler set down the rest of his slice, wiped his hands on his napkin, and clasped his hands together. He wanted to say no, but her enthusiasm was contagious. “Well, if we are going to pinky swear on it, then I guess I have no other option.”

  Their little fingers locked. The deal was on, but the plan had yet to be set.

  Chapter 12

  The snow continued to come down like diamonds from the clouds as Lorelei and Mary Ann arrived at the doctor’s office for her first day. No matter how odd it felt to bring her daughter with her, she smiled as she walked in and found Jodi digging through a box on the reception desk.

  “Hi, Lorelei.” She popped her head up. Her chestnut ringlets bounced back into place. “Oh goodness, you brought your daughter!” she squealed at such a volume that Lorelei winced.

  Jodi nearly skipped over, lowered her head, and used her pointer finger to try and tickle the infant. “Can I hold her?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “It’s an honor to have you here. Usually, we’re high and dry for help come December. And look at you, wearing scrubs, aren’t you just the cutest.” Jodi took Mary Ann and squeezed her into a hug.

  Please don’t squeal again. “Oh, is it not alright to wear this?” Lorelei glanced down at her blue-gray scrubs. Yesterday she’d overdressed, and now, somehow, she’d undressed.

  “You’re allowed to wear whatever you want. Dr. North always wears jeans and a button-down with flare.”

  “Flare?” Lorelei tilted her head.

  “You know, holiday-themed or tropical, something fun for the kids and the young at heart.”

  Lorelei nodded at the thought.

  “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Tyler, he would have called me baby crazy, but having Mary Ann here is just the best thing ever.”

  “You and Tyler are close.” She didn’t mean to prod, yet it slipped out before she could catch it.

  “If you consider a mouse and cat close, then Tyler and I are close.”

  Although Tyler and Sandy had made it known Jodi was only a friend, the confirmation provided Lorelei with a sense of peace. “Oh?”

  “Tyler and I have a lot of fun together, as friends, but we’re incredibly different in so many ways I’ve lost count over the years. I’m dating a guy in—”

  “Booth?” Lorelei jumped in.

  “Yes,” Jodi’s eyes lit up like a Christmas display. “How’d you know?”

  “Because everything seems to be happening in Booth. Maybe I picked the wrong small town.”

  Jodi placed her hand on Lorelei’s shoulder. “Not in the least. If this man and I end up working out and getting married, he’d better be alright with moving here because Oakvale is the best town ever. Plus, Booth doesn’t have me, and I can watch Mary Ann anytime you need.”

  “Thank you. It’s weird bringing her to work. I think it’s great, just different.” Lorelei walked farther into the office. “I brought her playpen, but I’m afraid it will be a lot of lugging around every day to and from the house.”

  “We have one here. I set it up for you in Dr. North’s office.”

  Her uncle Chris’s practice operated out of a converted historic home, and it was boldly obvious. Not that Lorelei objected. The entry hosted a wood-burning stove and hardwood floors. A receptionist desk of rich cherrywood and mismatched waiting room chairs filled the room. Nearest the fireplace sat a deep-brown leather chair big enough for Santa to greet children in and a small antique end table. Lorelei followed Jodi past a kitchen and mahogany staircase leading to the second floor, down the short hall in the back to a room.

  “I need you to let me know the rules around here since this is also your home," Lorelei stated.

  Tyler had given her the tour and history yesterday before lunch. The reception and lobby area was once the front room, and the fireplace was still used daily in the winter during operating hours. The kitchen cabinets held most of the medical supplies and the all-important coffee maker. The two closest bedrooms were waiting rooms and the third the office. Tyler mentioned that the house had been updated in the 1970s before the family relocated to Miami, and that was when they’d turned it into the office space. The upstairs was Jodi’s residence, so they hadn’t gone up there since Jodi wasn’t home.

  Jodi entered the office first. “Gosh, don’t worry about dropping in on me. I love visitors, being alone in this big place can be rather lonely. I only use one room upstairs, anyway. The other two are collecting dust.”

  Lorelei walked into the room but kept her coat on as she approached the desk. The fireplace out in the waiting room would take a while to warm up the back rooms.

  “Mr. North has a thing about the cold. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by it a bit.” Jodi rubbed her hand on her red knit sweater. “If you like, I can run over to Don’s and see if he has any space heaters. I have an extra one upstairs if you need it.”

  “Thanks, but I’m sure this place will warm up in a little bit.” Lorelei took a step toward the door.

  Jodi provided a weak smile.

  “Tyler showed me around yesterday, not upstairs, of course. You must have been with your boyfriend.”

  “Yes, I was at his house in Booth. I helped him decorate for Christmas.” Jodi glanced around, still holding Mary Ann, who busied herself with Jodi’s necklace.

  Lorelei laughed and plopped down in the lush desk chair. “Do you enjoy living where you work?”

  “Once I’m upstairs, I sort of forget about work. I guess because my job and this town are peaceful and laid-back, I don’t have anything I need to detach from at the end of the day.”

  “I need a few lessons on learning to relax.” Lorelei checked her cell phone, leaving Jodi to stand there without anything to do.

  Jodi continued to look at Mary Ann. “You mean like you’re doing right now?”

  Lorelei froze her fingers over the cell and clenched her teeth. “Yes.” She set the phone down on the desk.

  “I can help you, if you wish.” Jodi perched herself in a chair opposite Lorelei.

  “Help me?”

  “Please don’t take offense to this, but your body is tense. I can see it when you walk like you have a rod holding you up. And it’s pulling your shoulders to your ears.”

  Instantly, Lorelei pushed her shoulders down and back with her muscles. “I guess they are kind of te
nse. But I’m wearing scrubs.” She pointed and pulled at her top.

  “Scrubs are a bit formal.” Jodi dramatically batted her eyelashes.

  “How? They’re basically pajamas.”

  Jodi snickered. “Yes, but fancy doctors and nurses wear them. Oakvale is lovely and nice, but it’s not scrub fancy.”

  “Point taken.” Lorelei leaned forward. “Alright, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

  Jodi sprung up in the air on the tips of her boots and beamed. “I’m excited. It’ll be fun. Like sisters getting together.”

  Leaning back in the chair, Lorelei picked up her phone. Jodi cleared her throat and shook her finger at the doctor.

  “Right,” Lorelei set the phone down, “starting now.” She took a deep breath. “Do you have my appointments for today?” She glanced around, no laptop in sight.

  “Only three.” Jodi waved her off. “And don’t bother looking for a laptop. Everything here is by hand, all medical records and appointments.”

  “What about a day planner?” Lorelei asked.

  “That, we have.” Jodi smiled and hoisted Mary Ann toward Lorelei.

  She took hold of her daughter as Jodi pivoted. “I was about to decorate the office for Christmas. I’m several days behind. If Mrs. Wilson comes in, I’ll be in trouble.” Jodi called behind her as she scurried to the reception area. “She has Christmas decor up year-round. You must stop in and see her house.”

  Lorelei hurried after Jodi as she held the baby tight to her hip. “I can’t believe only three appointments for today.”

  Jodi started to pull garland from the box on the desk. “We might have a few drop-ins.”

  Lorelei leaned against the frame of the wall. “What does my uncle do with the rest of his day?”

  “Dr. North is an avid reader and makes the most wonderful wooden toys. If he’s not with a patient or walking the town checking in on folks, he’s buried in a book or carving wood. He spends some of his time by the woodstove with his feet on the hearth.” Jodi pointed to the oversize leather wing chair. On the opposite wall, a built-in bookcase housed books from floor to ceiling. “You can help me decorate if you wish.”