“Holly, dear,” her mother called from down the stairs.
Holly set the dry-erase marker down and hurried down the stairs. Her mother’s voice came from the guest room where she’d been sleeping. As soon as Holly stepped inside, she halted. Cluttered on the bed were her mother’s clothes, and sitting on the chair was an opened suitcase.
“I’m wondering,” her mother said, “what exactly should I pack?”
Holly laughed and gave her mom a hug before helping her to the bed to sit. “You need to stay off your broken leg, remember? As for the packing, let me do that. I’m sure we don’t need to pack a lot, considering it’s only a fifteen-minute drive from here to Rafe’s house.” Holly shook her head. “It’s not like we’re going out of town, you know.”
The happiness on her mother’s face told Holly everything she needed to know. She was glad her mother shared her own enthusiasm. This would be the best Christmas ever.
The doorbell rang through the house. Her mother lifted her head and peered toward the door.
“I wonder who is here.” She maneuvered on her crutches as if she was going to walk into the front room.
Holly placed her hand on Mom’s shoulder, stopping here. “You stay here. Let me answer the door.”
She hurried into the front room. The last visitor they had turned out to be Rafe. Her heart skipped with anticipation. What were the odds it was him again? And why couldn’t she wait to see his gorgeous face?
Hoping to see him, Holly grinned and opened the door. But it wasn’t him at all. Two older women stood on the porch, each holding a plate of food.
“Hi,” Holly said hesitantly.
“Oh, you must be Georgia’s daughter,” the thin lady with the bluish-black hair replied first.
“Yes. I’m Holly.”
“Is your mother here?”
Neither women looked familiar to her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know them. If they’d been living in Timberland for more than ten years, Holly would know them.
“Yes, please come in.” She opened the door wide, letting the older women inside.
The second woman was plump, and had the rosiest cheeks, and the whitest hair Holly had ever seen. Both women seemed very cheerful.
Before Holly could call out to her mother, she hobbled in on her crutches.
“Ethel! Harriet! It’s so nice to see you.”
The thin woman walked up to Georgia first and gave her a hug. “We’ve been worried sick about you.”
“I have my daughter here, so I’m fine.” Georgia turned to Holly. “Sweetie, I don’t know if you remember these ladies from church. This is Ethel Hinchee, and Harriet Canto.”
Holly nodded to the ladies. Their names vaguely sounded familiar. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You have grown into a real beauty,” Harriet told Holly. “Are you married? If not, I have a nephew who is still single.”
Holly laughed uncomfortably. “No, I’m not married, but I’m also not looking right now.”
“Oh, darn. Poor Pete. He needs to find a good woman.”
Ethel lifted her plate of food slightly higher. “We brought you some goodies. I know how you like my banana bread and Harriot’s brownies.”
“Oh, what dears you are.” Georgia beamed. “Holly, will you take these plates into the kitchen.”
“Sure.” Holly collected the plates and walked into the kitchen. She set the plates on the counter. The scent of freshly baked banana bread wafted up from the plate, tempting her to have a bite. She peeked over her shoulder to make sure she was out of the other ladies’ vision before she pulled back the plastic, broke off a piece, and plopped it in her mouth.
Smiling, she nodded. This was very good. She’d have to get the recipe.
The women chatted up a storm, and Holly really didn’t want to go in and listen to their gossip. And if she tried to go up to her room, they’d see her, and she worried that they’d call her back to visit with them.
She quickly ate another bite of the banana bread before tip-toeing toward the entryway. Their voices grew louder, and Holly couldn’t help but listen to what they were saying.
Her mother’s voice lifted with excitement as she told her friends about Holly’s idea for a new Christmas program. She grinned wide, happy to know her mother anticipated this year’s program just as much as she did.
Then her mother mentioned Rafe, and the Montgomery Ranch. The other two ladies gasped, and one of them said oh my. Holly bit back a laugh. That was an odd response.
“That sounds just thrilling, Georgia, but is Holly sure she wants to be there? With Rafe Montgomery?”
Holding her breath, Holly’s heartbeat slowed. They were going to bring up the scandal when she first kissed Rafe, she just knew it!
“Why do you say that, Ethel?” her mother asked. “Why wouldn’t Holly want to be with Rafe at his ranch?”
Holly couldn’t see the other two ladies – and she really didn’t dare peek around the wall either – but she heard them giggle. Her stomach churned with dread. Why couldn’t these small-town folks just forget about what happened to her and Rafe fourteen years ago?
Tears stung her eyes. She pressed her forehead against the wall as she fought back the anger threatening to surface.
“Well, Georgia... I’m sure you know Rafe has a girlfriend.”
“Uh, yes. I do remember seeing him with a woman a few months ago,” Georgia answered. “What does this have to do with Holly?”
“Your daughter is very pretty. I’m sure Rafe has noticed that already,” Harriet said. “Aren’t you afraid that she might come between Rafe and his girlfriend?”
Slowly, Holly released her breath. Her heartbeat picked up rhythm again. That’s what they were talking about? She smiled. They weren’t referring to the past she had with Rafe, but they were worried about his girlfriend.
Happiness welled inside her, choking her up. Dare she believe that this town had finally forgotten about the kiss in the prop room?
“Oh, I’m not worried about my daughter at all. She won’t fall for Rafe’s charms, even though...” Georgia giggled. “It would be nice to have him as part of the family.”
Gasping, Holly quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. Mother! But now that the “M” word had been implied, silly fantasies filled her head just like they had when she was a girl, dreaming about marriage.
Her mind cleared, and she pictured herself standing in front of the stove at the ranch, cooking steak and potatoes. And then Rafe would walk in from outside and close the door, before moving toward her. When he reached her, he would wrap his arms around her waist, and pull her against his chest. He would bend down and kiss her on the neck, and mumble the words I love you...
Warm tingles danced over Holly’s skin from just thinking about it. She snapped out of her daydream and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. No, thinking about the “M” word – and Rafe – was not a good combination, especially when she and her mother would be going to live at the ranch for a few weeks.
Hopefully, the Christmas program would keep her busy so she didn’t have these silly fantasies anymore, or else the next two weeks were going to be torture.
TEN
The weather was slightly warmer today, which made working outside easier.
Rafe and his cousins cleaned out the barn the best they could. He wasn’t sure where Holly wanted the manger scene, but he’d leave that up to her. As Blake was cutting out the star from one piece of wood, Rafe was cutting out pieces of thicker wood to make the cradle. He’d only seen his father make this, and it had been years ago, but Rafe knew he could do it without instructions.
Luca stood high on a ladder as he attached the clear lights to the outside of the barn, which would create the twinkling stars effect. Rafe was surprised how well the younger cousin heeded his counsel. In fact, Luca hadn’t been playing video games since their talk... unless it was in his room where Rafe couldn’t see. He prayed his cousin stayed in line.
Pausing,
Rafe stretched his back as he wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. He didn’t dare take off his coat yet, but if the sun continued to warm him, he’d have no other choice.
He peered toward the road, listening closely for any cars. Georgia had called him last night to inform him that she and Holly would be coming today. Rafe hadn’t slept well when he’d gone to bed, anticipating when he’d get to see Holly again. At the crack of dawn, he was up, dressed, and outside cleaning the barn. Now it was ten o’clock, and he worried something had made them postpone their trip to the ranch.
He focused back on the pieces of wood. Once he cut another piece, he couldn’t stand the heat inside his coat. Straightening, he shrugged out of the garment and laid it over the bench nearby. Moisture coated his forehead, so he used the cuff of his plaid shirt to wipe off another bead of sweat. Blake had turned on the radio to a country-western station, and Rafe nodded to the beat of the song.
He took the pieces of wood to the sanding table he’d moved to just outside of the barn – to keep the inside clean – and started sanding the edges of wood. He didn’t want to make the texture too smooth, since Joseph of Galilee wouldn’t have had much time to make a perfect cradle for Baby Jesus before the Son of God was born.
He straightened his back and tilted his head back, soaking up the sun’s rays. He closed his eyes, trying to picture what the scene would look like after they were finished putting things together. A smile pulled across his face. If Holly’s movie idea for the Christmas program turned out half as good as Rafe’s imagination, he was sure this movie would bring in a lot of money.
The roar of a car’s engine and the honk of the horn, snapped Rafe out of his thoughts. He jerked his head up, looking toward the road. The same car he’d dug out of the snow, drove toward the house.
Rafe’s heart flipped. She’s here!
He turned off the sander, and wiped his dusty hands on his jeans as he walked toward them. The women would need help unloading their car. Blake and Luca must have had the same idea, because they soon joined him.
Holly stopped the car in front of his house. By that time, Rafe and his cousins were waiting. He made the first move to her door to open it for her, and Blake hurried to Georgia’s door.
When Holly’s gaze met Rafe’s, her eyes sparkled, sending his heart – and mind – into orbit. Heavens, she was pretty today, and her bright smile only made her prettier.
“Welcome to the Montgomery Ranch,” Blake said to Georgia.
The older woman giggled like a school girl. “Oh, aren’t you charming?”
“Where are your crutches?” Blake asked.
“In the backseat.” Georgia motioned over her shoulder.
“Please, allow me.” Blake hurried to the backseat, pulled out Georgia’s crutches, and brought them to her. He assisted her out of the car and held her until she was leaning on her crutches.
“What can I carry in the house for you?” Rafe asked Holly as she climbed out.
Using her car remote, she popped the trunk on the car. “Anything you’d like to carry.”
Rafe walked with her to the back of the car, but he couldn’t stop glancing at Holly. Today she wore a pink cowl-neck sweater that hung low on her legs, and as he’d seen her wear before, jeans that snugged against her legs. But it was her beautiful hair that hung over her shoulders and back that made him catch his breath. Usually, she pulled her hair back into a tie.
He tore his stare away from her and focused on the trunk that was full of boxes, an assortment of material, and a sewing machine. He lifted the machine first. Holly moved next to him, accidentally bumping against him. He sucked in an excited breath as she grabbed the yards of material. Inwardly, he scolded his reaction. She followed Rafe toward the house while Blake assisted Georgia. Rafe peeked over his shoulder to see Luca lifting a box out of the trunk to help as well.
“I see you’re busy putting things together,” Holly said, nodding toward the barn.
“Yes.” He smiled at her. “I’ve been up and about since first thing this morning.”
She laughed. “Really? You must be more excited than I am.”
You’ll never know. Grinning, he nodded.
Rafe showed her to a guest bedroom with a neighboring room. “Which one do you want?” He pointed to the first room. “They have adjoining doors, so you can still help your mother. The larger room has the bathroom.”
“I’ll let Mom have the larger room.”
He moved inside that one and set down the sewing machine on the built-in desk. Holly stepped into the other bedroom. Should he tell her that his room was just up the hall, just in case she needed something? Nah, he’d better not. At least not yet.
As Rafe moved back through the house, toward the front door, he noticed Blake was making Georgia comfortable on the couch. Rafe smiled. It would be nice to have women back in the house, even if it was for a few short weeks.
It didn’t take them long to unload the car and deliver their things to the correct bedrooms. As he met Holly in the hallway, she rubbed her hands together and grinned.
“Show me what you’ve done so far. I can’t wait to see what I have to work with.”
“Right this way, Miss Holly.” He gave her a wink and led the way outside.
“You know, this place sure looks different without all of the snow to hide it.”
He chuckled. “Yes, some of the snow from that last storm has melted, which is good.”
As they walked toward the barn, he kept sneaking peeks at her, and a few times, she was sneaking peeks at him. He tried not to grin, but it was hurting his face to stop. He liked the way the gentle wind teased the ends of her hair, making them sway slightly. He also liked how well the sweater shirt and her jeans fit. It surprised him to see she wasn’t wearing fashion boots this time, but regular snow boots, instead.
“Well, here it is.” He stood in front of the barn, his gaze roaming from one side to the other, and then up to the large roof.
Holly nibbled on her bottom lip as she slowly paced in front of the large structure. She studied every board, every hinge, and inside, she carefully looked over every stall. She withdrew a hand-sized notebook and jotted down notes.
Rafe leaned against one of the walls and grinned. Watching her soothed his nerves. Of course, it also gave him thoughts about kissing her again. But he couldn’t. He had to let her make the first move. Then he’d know that she’d forgiven him about the other day when Katie caught them kissing. He’d said some things without thinking of Holly’s feelings. He shouldn’t have been so careless.
Holly walked farther back into the large barn. “Hey, Rafe? Is there another door, by chance?”
He pulled away from the wall and sauntered toward her. He liked the way she watched him with a hint of interest in her pretty green eyes. But more than anything, he enjoyed the rhythm of his unsteady heartbeat. Had he ever felt this way about Katie? He honestly couldn’t remember.
“Yes.” He pointed to the far back. “It’s right over here. It’s not as big, though.”
“That’s okay. I don’t want it to be big.”
When he reached the door, he stopped. She moved ahead of him, opened the door, stepped out, and looked around. When she looked back toward the barn, her smile widened.
“This is going to work perfectly.”
“What is?” he wondered.
“Well, I need a place to look like an inn for when Joseph and Mary try to find shelter.” Holly walked inside and closed the door. “Now I don’t need you to make one, because this is perfect.”
“I’m glad it’s okay.”
“Oh, Rafe,” she grasped his hand and squeezed. “This is better than okay. Everything is perfect. It’s like I was supposed to put this movie together right here, with you.” She stopped her last word short and hitched a breath.
His heartbeat raced. Did she realize what she’d said? She must have. Why did she cut the word off? And why did her amazing green eyes widen in surprise.
He moved his
thumb over her knuckles, gently pulling her closer. “I believe everything happens for a reason. You were supposed to drive in the ditch the other night, so that I could rescue you and bring you here. If you hadn’t have been here, you might not have thought of this ranch for the place to shoot your movie.”
She cocked her head. “Are you trying to convince me fate is involved with our lives?”
He nodded. “Can’t you see it?”
“No. I’m sorry, Rafe, but I don’t believe in fate.” Her teasing smile gradually faded. “I believe we make our own pathways in life. We make our own decisions.” She licked her lips. “And right now, I believe that this is the best place to have the Christmas program... the only place to film my movie. That’s it. Nothing more.”
Pain squeezed through his chest and he released her hand. He wouldn’t give up hope that she would change her mind and see him differently. But today was only day one. She’d be here for another few weeks. He must change her mind during that time. It was the only way.
HOLLY AWOKE BRIGHT and early the next day, hoping to get in every hour of sunlight that she could to construct the perfect manger and innkeeper scenes. She moved bales of hay to one side of the space, only to stand back to study it and change her mind. When she couldn’t decide which side to have the hay, she threw up her arms in frustration. Deciding to put that on hold, she walked outside the barn and studied the walls.
Grumbling, she shook her head. “This isn’t right, either.”
She spun around to head back to the ranch, but stopped. Rafe stood on the porch watching her. He raised a hand in greeting, and she nodded. He looked incredible today. His hair was slightly mussed, and he wore a long-sleeved, dark blue sweater and black jeans. At first, she wondered if he was getting ready to go on a date, but then it was early in the morning. Men didn’t usually take women on dates that early unless they were going to breakfast.
“Good morning,” he said as he walked down the porch stairs. One hand held a porcelain cup of some kind of steaming drink, and his other hand was pushed into his front pocket of his jeans, just enough to cover the fingers. As he came nearer, he held up his cup. “Do you want some hot chocolate?”
A Thrill of Hope Page 11
