They dropped Talia off at school then Ryan took Madison to the Heart Falls auto shop. “Call me if you need anything,” Ryan told her sternly.
“Yes, sir,” she offered with a wink before stepping across the snowy packing lot and into the warm waiting area.
Brooke waved a welcome from where she’d stood beside Madison’s open car door. She wiped her hands on a rag as she made her way to the front counter.
The brunette’s welcome was warm and sincere. “I’m going to replace the airbag, but my dad’s going to do the rest of the checkup. I wondered if you wanted to hit the coffee shop with me while he’s working?”
“I need a job like yours,” Madison teased. “But if you can get away, that would be great.”
Brooke gestured at the open spaces in the shop. “When it’s full, we work. This is the calm before the storm, probably literally, considering it’s December. My dad said he wanted time off next week, which means I get time off today.”
“Great system.” Madison gazed around the shiny shop with all the high-tech machinery lined up beside old-fashioned benches and what looked like archaic instruments of torture.
While Brooke worked, Madison bundled herself up and went for a walk down Main Street, trying to get a feel for the place.
It was cold but clear, the sky overhead a robin’s-egg blue. Every breath she took was sharp against the back of her throat, and clouds formed on every exhale. She pulled gloves out of her pocket, adjusted her hat a little more firmly in place and walked briskly.
Main Street was lined with cars parked on the angle and a wide sidewalk on one side. The opposite side had been built with a fancy boardwalk and access ramps strategically located along the length. Window displays ran the gamut from tiny villages with sparkling lights and pretend snow to the oddly located Mercantile where somebody had created the underside of a lake. A giant fishing hook had been lowered through a layer of pretend ice, and a selection of fish wearing Santa hats hung suspended at different levels, eyeing it suspiciously.
Rough Cut was along the boardwalk side, windows traced with fake snow in the corners. Broad wooden shutters framed the glass on each side, and a calendar/menu board had a background of fake black diamonds.
Madison leaned in closer to check the schedule. She noted with approval that Ryan had nightly food specials, but he also had a couple of regular afternoon activities posted. Cribbage on Tuesdays, and the quilters’ guild on Wednesday.
“Madison. Madison.”
She spun in shock at hearing Talia’s high-pitched, little-girl voice.
Relief set in as she noticed her waving frantically as she walked in a lineup with her friends, all headed into one of the stores down the street. Madison waved back then followed.
They had slipped into a bookstore, and Madison realized it was the one Brooke had mentioned in her list of things to do. The overhead bell chimed softly as Madison entered and stopped.
The class was all gathered to one side of the room, settling onto a wide carpeted area as a stately gentleman with dark skin and neatly trimmed, silvering-at-the-temples black hair settled into a chair in front of them. “Welcome to Fallen Books, grade four students. Just a reminder: I’m Malachi Fields.”
“Hello, Mr. Fields,” the entire class chorused somewhat in unison.
“I’m glad you came back. Today we’re going to talk about traditions from different parts of the world.” He pulled some brightly coloured books off the display from beside him and began showing off pictures and telling stories about how different cultures celebrated milestones.
Madison watched for a moment, smiling as she saw Talia shooting up her hand to answer questions and talking quietly with the little girl next to her.
The store was full of beautiful, tempting books, including a thriller she’d been considering. Madison planned to come back to check it out very soon.
But now she slipped quietly away before she disturbed the class. Returning to her exploration of Heart Falls, she checked her watch to make sure she was back at the mechanic’s shop in time to join Brooke.
Her new friend was behind the counter. She put down the paperwork she was filling out, grabbed a coat off the wall and got dressed quickly. “Let’s go before you get overheated and have to take off all your stuff.”
Madison held the door for her. “It is nippy out here. I’d forgotten how cold Alberta is in the winter.”
“Vancouver area still gets cold, doesn’t it?” Brooke asked.
“Cold and damp, which is a special kind of nasty, but not this cold very often,” Madison told her. “And I don’t know if you get colder weather here than Edmonton, because that’s where I mostly lived.”
They paced side by side down Main Street to where the cozy coffee shop called Buns and Roses sat. Warm, golden light shone out the windows, and the most amazing scent filled Madison’s soul as they stepped inside.
“Yum. I think I’m just going to stand here and breathe deep for about half an hour,” Madison said.
Brooke laughed, catching Madison by the arm and tugging her toward a small table—one of the only available in the entire space. “That would be zero calories, but trust me, you want to indulge in the real thing.”
Behind the counter, two women were rapidly filling orders. The one with blonde hair and cream-white skin wore pigtails high on her head and had attached bells to hold them in place. Every time she moved, the bells rang, which meant she jingled almost constantly. She had a wide smile and chatted easily with the people she served.
The second woman was a contrast. She still looked approachable, but more in a regal matter instead of a ready-to-be-your-best-buddy kind of way. She had the most fantastic skin Madison had ever seen. Deep brown with a shimmering glow that made her look as if she were ready to head down a fashion runway. Long, dark-brown hair hung in a braid over her shoulder, and she wore a Santa hat as she worked the espresso machine.
“Tansy is on the left,” Brooke told her. “Her sister, Rose, is making the coffees.”
Madison hesitated for a moment. The two women were seemingly not related by blood. “Talia mentioned Rose was one of the people Ryan works with.”
“The food bank,” Brooke explained. “Co-coordinators. We’ll see her tomorrow afternoon when we’re putting together the hampers.”
It took some concentration for Madison to drag her gaze to the handwritten menu on the wall instead of staring at the very beautiful Rose. Obviously, she was someone to place on the list of potential women for Ryan to date, considering he worked with her.
An uneasy sensation tickled Madison’s insides.
By the time they’d received their order, though, Madison had gotten herself straightened out again. Part of it was because Brooke was so easy to spend time with.
Brooke had just finished describing her and Mack’s wedding and the ensuing honeymoon trip they had taken to Universal Studios. The other woman leaned back in her chair, both hands cupped around her coffee. “Wow. Ryan warned me about this, but I thought he was joking.”
“About what?” Madison was tempted to pick up her plate and lick the cinnamon sugar crumbs off it. Instead, she pressed her fingertip into the biggest clumps and transferred them to her mouth that way. It was probably rude, but they were really too good to waste.
Brooke lifted a finger and shook it slowly. “You ask a question, then I spent the next ten minutes answering it. Then I ask you a question and somehow, in the space of about two sentences, you’ve got me talking again.”
And Ryan had warned her about this? Too funny. Madison met Brooke’s gaze straight on and asked with an absolutely straight face, “And why do you think that is?”
The laugh that burst from Brooke drew attention from people sitting around them. She sat forward as well, putting her coffee cup on the table. “I like you.”
A warm glow buzzed in Madison’s belly. “I like you, too.”
Her phone buzzed on the table. Normally, she would’ve ignored it, but a quick glance sa
id that it was her brother, and this was not when he should be calling.
She glanced up at Brooke and apologized. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
“No problem. I’ll grab us dessert.”
Madison rose from the table and headed toward the hallway where the bathrooms were to have a little privacy and not disrupt the rest of the café. “Joe?”
There was just the faintest quiver of panic in his voice, along with a ton of frustration. “Hey, Mad. Sorry for calling, but can you talk to this registrant for me? They say there’s a problem with my classes for next semester, and I can’t figure out how to fix it.”
Damn. “Sure, kiddo. It’s probably just a computer glitch. Don’t worry,” she assured him.
“Okay. Here she is.” He already sounded better. As if he knew Madison wouldn’t let him down.
Fortunately, it was a computer issue, easily solved once the registrant realized she was trying to update the class list for a Josephine Joy, whose student number was only two transposed digits different than Joe’s.
Joe came back on the line, his tone low. “Thank you. She doesn’t look very happy right now.”
“Mistakes happen. And now we know you’re confirmed for some fantastic classes that will provide enough homework to keep you out of trouble.” Madison made her way back toward the table where Brooke was placing plates in front of both their chairs. “You okay now?”
“Yeah. Love you,” Joe said quickly. “Talk later.”
Madison sat down and put her phone aside, eyeing the enormous brownie covered with what looked to be almost an inch of icing. “Will you marry me?”
Brooke snickered softly before meeting Madison’s eyes. “Everything okay?”
Slicing off a small portion and stabbing it with her fork, Madison examined the rich gooiness as the scent of chocolate teased her. “Everything’s fine. One of my brothers was having problems with his university schedule. We got it straightened out.”
“Glad it was something simple.” Brooke took a bite of her own brownie and made a happy noise. “One of your brothers. You have more?”
“Two. A matched set. They turned eighteen last June and are now exploring the wonderful world of higher education.” Madison took the first mouthful and groaned. When she could talk again, she simply pointed her fork at the brownie. “Wow.”
“I know, right? Just wait. If you’re going to be around this month, I’ll bring you to girls’ night out. Tansy always bakes something so good; it will knock your socks off.” Brooke switched back to her coffee. “So, now that you know everything about me, my husband, how long I’ve lived in Heart Falls, what kind of appliances I have in my house—that was a really weird conversation twist, by the way—I want to know more about you.”
“Friend of Ryan’s since forever,” Madison said. “Two brothers, one mom. Dad passed away a number of years ago. I’ve been a bartender for most of my adult life, and I am really looking forward to having a relaxing time here in Heart Falls over the holidays.”
Brooke was nodding slowly. “And in under a minute, you just told me more than you told me in the forty-five minutes before.”
Madison shrugged. “I’m curious about people. I already know things about myself. I don’t need to talk about me.”
The other woman laughed along with her. “Yeah, well, usually people like to talk about themselves. I think you’re very interesting, Madison Joy. I want to get together again to find out more.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’ll be staying in Heart Falls over the holidays, isn’t it?” Madison said as a warm glow of happiness rushed in.
That glow lingered through the rest of the meal and going to pick up her car from the shop.
Spending time with Ryan was why she had come to Heart Falls, but when she thought about it more during the afternoon as she made some notes for Ryan’s possible fundraiser, Madison had to admit she’d been thinking too small.
Getting to spend time with someone like Brooke was important as well. Time with good girlfriends was something Madison had missed just as much over the past years.
She was going to say yes to every opportunity she was offered. Soak in friendship and family, such as it was.
Madison Joy was going to grab on with both hands and live life to the fullest.
8
Having picked up Talia from school, Ryan concentrated on getting them safely onto the highway and let his daughter chatter at Madison.
“And I have to practice again at Nâinai and Yéyé’s. I can show you where I need help so I don’t bump into the wall.” Talia tapped on the back of Madison’s seat. “Do you want to stay at my grandparents’ tonight?”
Before Ryan could suggest that might not be a good idea, Madison beat him to it.
“I like your grandparents,” Madison said, glancing over her shoulder. “But if I were going to stay, I should have asked them earlier. And I would’ve had to make sure I brought the things I needed with me for a visit.”
“But you didn’t tell Daddy before you came for a visit,” Talia pointed out.
Madison glanced at him, and they made a brief eye contact. “You’re right, Talia, and it was rude. I’m not going to be rude to your grandparents.”
“But they won’t mind,” Talia insisted.
“Talia. That’s enough,” Ryan said firmly. “You’re both right. Madison should’ve told me ahead of time that she was coming, and we’re going to learn a lesson from that. We’ll see if a longer visit with Nâinai and Yéyé works at some point.”
His daughter sat back, slightly disgruntled.
Definitely a good moment for a distraction. “Something else we need to talk about is your birthday. We need to decide what day to celebrate so we can ask your friends to your party.”
Madison twisted in her chair seat. “That’s right. Your birthday is coming up very soon.”
Silence from the back seat.
Very unexpected response. Ryan glanced back momentarily to discover Talia staring out the window. “Little one? Did you hear me?”
An enormous sigh left Talia. It was so big, Ryan imagined if he glanced over his shoulder, he’d find nothing but a deflated balloon strapped into her booster seat. Then she spoke, quiet but clear. “I don’t want a party.”
Madison frowned but didn’t say anything.
Maybe this wasn’t the best topic to discuss while they were driving on the highway. Usually, though, Ryan found he could bring up any topic, and Talia would talk nearly the entire hour-and-a-half-long trip.
Birthday party plans should have still been spilling out of Talia when they were pulling into his parents’ driveway.
Ryan looked for a solution but decided this would be a good moment to put off until he could give it his full attention. “Well, you give it some more thought, and after the weekend, we’ll figure out what you want to do.”
In the rearview mirror, Talia’s lips pinched together into a straight line as if she were forcing herself to stay silent.
Fortunately that lasted for all of fifteen seconds, although when she started talking, it wasn’t about any birthday plans. “Madison, I saw you today. When I was on my field trip.”
“I saw you, too,” Madison replied, and thankfully conversation returned to a chattering Talia, a laughing Madison, and him…
One slightly confused male who really hoped, at some point, someone would explain to him what was going on.
His parents’ home was a small duplex three blocks from the hospital. They were all greeted with hugs, including Madison, who was enveloped by Ryan’s mother as if she were a long-lost child.
“Sweet Madison. I was so glad when Ryan said you would come visit.” His mother’s head only came up to Madison’s chin, but they hugged each other tightly, his father standing to the side, waiting his turn.
Madison had closed her eyes, a soft smile on her face. She looked as if she were soaking in the hugs, first from his mom, then his dad.
She stepped away from them, shaking her
head slightly. “I’ve missed you both very much. But I’ve sent up many good wishes and good thoughts over the years. I’m glad to see you looking so wonderful.”
“And you.” His mom held on to Madison’s hand as she eyed Madison closer. Mom clicked her tongue. “Except you’re too skinny. Come. Tonight I’ll feed you a proper meal.”
“Madison has to see my room,” Talia insisted.
Ryan’s father raised a brow. “Madison can come with you as you take your bag to your room. Then you can both wash your hands and join us at the table.”
Madison exchanged glances with Ryan. She was smiling from ear to ear. “It’s just like we’re back in high school.”
“I hope not. I don’t want to have to come to the principal’s office again to hear how you two have been distracting classes,” his mother said sternly. She turned to Ryan and pointed at the kitchen. “Go. Wash your hands, then you can help put the food on the table.”
Laughter escaped Madison as she scooped up Talia’s bag, fingers linked with Talia as the little girl tugged Maddy off to her bedroom.
It was like going back in time. Other than the fact that they were all older, and Talia was there, that wonderful feeling of comfort had returned.
Throughout the meal, Madison did it again. That thing of finding out exactly from everyone else what they’d been up to while not saying a word about her own plans. Her own past.
They were at the front door preparing to head back to Heart Falls when his mother caught Madison in another hug. “You will come to visit again while you’re here,” she ordered.
“Yes, Mother,” Madison said brightly.
Talia was still on the quiet side, but she came and hugged Ryan fiercely, pressing a huge smack of a kiss to his cheek. When he put her down, she headed to Madison, arms out wide.
Madison knelt. “Yes? Is this another one of your dance positions?”
Talia didn’t move. just kept her arms stretched to the sides. “You’re supposed to hug me,” his daughter informed her.
“Oh. I suppose I can do that,” Madison said. Only first, she scrunched the hair on the top of Talia’s head, and then in the middle of the hug, one of them started to tickle the other, because giggling broke out.
A Hero’s Christmas Hope: Holidays in Heart Falls: Book 3 Page 8
