“Jake?”
“Don’t worry, Ernie. I’ll be there to help.”
“Jake.”
“What?”
“They’re at Mercer’s drinking tea and munching doughnuts. Together.”
“Wow.” Jake sagged against the pillar, his mouth hanging open.
“You could call it a Christmas miracle. And I have one more for you.”
“What’s that?”
“I just watched our commonwealth’s attorney and Doc go into Tarpley’s together. Holding hands.”
Jake grinned. “That one I already knew. They left our place last night at midnight, and Doc’s car was still out front this morning.”
“So have you popped the question?”
Warmth spread through him as he thought of Holly. “Yeah. She said yes.”
“Have you set the date?”
“New Year’s Eve.” Jake told him.
“That’s mighty quick.”
“Not quick enough.”
“Maybe you can do it together. You know, you and Holly, Evan and Doc. A double wedding.”
Jake chuckled. Wouldn’t that just make Sam Barnes’s day? “That’s a great idea.”
Holly was inside using his computer to work on accounts for her boss while Noelle slept in a basket nearby. Jake paused in the doorway to study her a moment. The faintest crease knitted her brows, and she had a pencil tucked behind one ear.
“Ready to hang out your shingle yet?” he joked.
She grinned. “I think I’d like to hold off until the sign can read ‘Holly Allred.’”
He smiled. “Evan and Jenny are official. That’s the word from Ernie. He thinks we should do a double wedding.”
Holly laughed. Jake was beginning to see the sister Tyler had tried to describe to him. She did have a way of surrounding herself with happiness. He wasn’t sure how, but he did know he would do almost anything to keep her just that way.
* * * *
Jenny opened the door to Jake, Holly, Noelle, and Tyler just after two. Evan stood right behind her. Jenny took one look at all their faces and glared with mock ferocity at Tyler. “You told. You promised you wouldn’t tell.”
“Jake already knew,” Tyler protested. “By the time I got home, it was old news. Everyone in town knows. I’m surprised it’s not already being broadcast on the local radio station.”
Jake coughed. “It is. I heard it, along with our engagement, while I was shaving.”
Jenny ran her finger over her smart phone. “It’s already on Facebook, too. You can thank Susie Tarpley for that.”
For a second, they just stared at each other, and then Holly started laughing. “I love this town. I love everyone and everything in it.” When Jake, Jenny, and Evan just stared like she’d lost her mind, she continued. “Don’t you see? Everyone cares!”
“Cares?” Evan scoffed. “Everyone wants to stick their noses in everyone else’s business is more like it.”
“No,” Holly commented. “In a bigger town, no one knows you so they don’t have to care. I had to come here before anyone bothered to lift a finger to help Tyler and me—and we had grown up in Lynchburg.”
The discussion continued inside the house with Jenny backing Holly. They continued their debate while they set Evan’s tree and trimmed it. Finally Evan said, “Okay. For argument’s sake let’s say you’re right Holly. Everyone in Mountain Meadow does care at some level. If that’s true, then explain why someone swiped the baby Jesus from the Presbyterian nativity, and Mary and Joseph from the Baptist manger scene.”
“No!” Jenny exclaimed. “That’s terrible, Evan. Is it true, Jake, or are you and Evan just pulling our legs?”
“It’s true. Ernie told me this morning. He even said the Presbyterian and Baptist church ladies were out together canvassing the town to find them.”
“Hah.” Holly pounced. “There you are then. That proves I’m right.”
“Someone stealing Jesus proves you’re right?” Evan asked. “I’m afraid your logic has even me muddled.”
“Let me explain.”
Jake and Evan crossed their arms across their chests. Even Jenny was doubtful. “It does seem to be a bit of a stretch.”
Holly grinned and sat on the floor next to Noelle’s infant seat. “The thieves have an ulterior motive. They’re building their own nativity which is a combination of the Presbyterian and Baptist nativities.”
“So this is like a church merger?” Evan tried to puzzle out the next step.
“Yes.” Holly smiled as if Evan were her prize pupil. He checked to see how many beer bottles he had already emptied, concerned he’d consumed more than he thought. “The thefts have brought the two groups of church ladies together, uniting them in a common goal so they can put aside their differences. It’s genius.”
“It’s insane,” Jake drawled. “I’m still throwing a couple of flak jackets into the back of the truck to take into work on Monday if the missing manger figures haven’t reappeared. I can’t see where this truce will last. I’ve already had Betty Gatewood and her fleet of flowered dresses breathing fire at me.”
“Maybe it’s a generational thing,” Evan surmised, studying Holly as if she were some sort of exhibit. “After all Holly, you’re what, twenty-one or twenty-two?”
“Almost twenty-three,” she mumbled.
Tyler passed by on his way back to Evan’s study where he had discovered a gaming system hooked to a large-screen TV. “Her birthday’s Christmas Eve. Mom and Dad named her Holly because her birthday was so close to Christmas. Kind of cool, don’t you think?”
Jake, Jenny, and Evan stared at Holly, who blushed in embarrassment. “Thanks, Tyler,” she muttered.
“Anyway,” Evan went on with an even bigger grin. “We’re almost thirty-one. There’s eight years, so maybe it’s a generation gap that makes her so optimistic.”
Holly stared at him. “That’s a bunch of bull—”
“Holly!” Jake exclaimed, and even Evan raised his brows, afraid his penchant for profanity had rubbed off on her when he’d never heard her say anything more than hell, and only in context of the actual place.
“…headed pessimism if I ever heard it,” she continued with a mischievous grin at Jake. “It’s not generational, it’s attitudinal. You choose to be pessimistic. I choose to be optimistic and believe in peace on earth, goodwill toward men.”
Evan looked skeptical. “I’ve had a lot to be pessimistic about.”
Jenny took his hand. “But we’ve both learned a lot in the last few days about how important it is to believe. So for the sake of the season, maybe we should try to look at it from Holly’s perspective.”
Holly just smiled. “You’ll see.”
Evan fired the grill around six. Impending snow hung in the air again, but it didn’t deter either him or Jake. They leaned against the patio’s brick wall, sipped beer and waited for the grill to heat.
In the kitchen, Holly nursed Noelle. Jenny set the salad on the table and sat across from them.
“You don’t mind if I watch, do you?” she asked Holly.
“Not at all. My breasts seem to have become public property.”
“I bet Jake likes that.” Jenny chuckled.
“Jenny.”
“Well. He was always going on about breasts in high school. I just figured he was fixated.”
Holly giggled. “He is.”
Jenny’s mouth dropped open and she laughed so hard she had to wipe her eyes. Evan walked in to grab the steaks. “What’s so funny?”
Holly smiled. “I was just telling her about Jake’s fixation on breasts.”
Evan blushed and stuttered, backing out of the door with the platter of steaks in his hand. Jenny smiled. “He is,” she said, deadpan, and they both smiled at each other. Jenny looked back to where Noelle was suckling her second course, her little hand resting against Holly’s breast. “She’s nursing well, Holly. Don’t forget your one-
month checkup. I’ll bet Noelle will have gained a lot of weight. She’s doing great from what I can see.”
“Thanks. Can I ask you something personal?” Holly inquired.
“Okay.”
“In the hospital, you saw Noelle’s name on the birth certificate and looked like you’d seen a ghost. Why?”
Jenny blinked. “I never talked about it until last night when Evan and I aired it all. I was expecting his child back in high school. A lot of things happened, but to make a long story short, I miscarried near the end of my third month. I held her in my hands.” She smiled at Holly through the tears in her eyes. “A perfect little girl. She should have been born at Christmas, and I didn’t want her to be forgotten, so I gave her a name—Hope Richardson.”
Holly’s mouth parted in surprise. “Oh, Jenny. I’m so sorry, and then you saw Noelle’s middle name. But Evan never said anything.”
“He didn’t know. Not until last night. It’s a long, ugly story that will probably have to come out, though I wish it didn’t.”
“Why will it have to come out?” Holly asked. “No never mind. You don’t have to tell me.”
“I do. You’re a friend. So’s Jake. It involves a felony sexual assault…on me. There is no statute of limitations, and Evan’s an officer of the court. Now he knows about it, he’s obligated to pursue it. I guess the only blessing is Jake won’t have to investigate it. It happened on my father’s farm, where I live now, and that’s in the county. Sam’s jurisdiction.”
Holly held Noelle to her shoulder. Jenny smiled and held her arms out. “May I hold her while you’re putting everything to rights?”
“Of course.” Holly laughed. “The way she nurses, I might as well walk around topless.”
Jenny glanced outside where Evan and Jake were laughing at something one of them had said. “Not a good idea. That would be way too distracting.”
“I’m so happy it’s working out for you and Evan. Have you set a date?”
“We’re thinking New Year’s Eve,” Jenny said, “and we wanted to know if you and Jake would like to make it a double wedding.”
Holly grinned, touched by the way Jenny and Evan had pulled her into their circle. “Jake mentioned that. We could celebrate our anniversaries together… well part of our anniversaries.”
Jenny winked. “Evan wants to start a family right away.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“I would love nothing better, especially now Evan is an experienced diaper-changer.”
They laughed.
Chapter 11
“Begging for forgiveness or launching another assault on community good will?” Evan asked as they left their house at the same time as Jake and Holly. Where everyone was headed was pretty obvious.
Jake and Evan were in suits, Jenny and Holly in dresses. Tyler had his long hair pulled into a neat ponytail and Noelle was a big bundle of blankets in the infant carrier. The baby had already managed to wiggle a little sleeper-covered hand out of her warm wrapping. She waved it around, making Evan smile.
He cocked a brow at his friend as he jingled the keys to Jenny’s BMW. “Which church?”
Jake grinned, “Into the lion’s den…Baptist.”
Evan laughed. “Presbyterian. Shall we compare notes to see if our nativity thieves have generated unity?”
“Good idea. Then we can report back and see if Holly’s goodwill meter is spiking.”
Holly stuck her nose in the air. “Make fun of me. I’m telling you other forces are at work. Things you non-nativity-season humans just can’t understand.”
“Come on,” Jenny reminded them. “Let’s go before we arrive late and ruin the image we want to project as solid citizens instead of lost souls living in sin.”
“What’s living in sin?” Tyler wanted to know. “Is that what they call the noises I hear at night?”
Evan barked with laughter and both Jake and Holly blushed to the roots of their hair.
* * * *
The members of the Presbyterian church welcomed Evan and Jenny with open arms. Mrs. Tarpley was one of the first to greet them.
“I told you yesterday, but I’ll tell you again, it sure is good to see the two of you together.”
Evan kissed her cheek. “It’s good to be here with the love of my life. Where is the love of your life?”
Mrs. Tarpley smacked his arm with her church bulletin, her eyes twinkling. “You know Jim and I have agreed to disagree. He goes to the Baptist church, and we’ve still managed to stay married all these years.”
Several glances came their way during the service. Evan stretched his arm out along Jenny’s shoulders while they listened to the sermon, and she scooted closer to him when they sang so they could share a hymnal. More than a few sighs went up from older women happy to see the two back together again and younger women disappointed to see the county’s most eligible bachelor was off the market.
Two blocks down, reactions were mixed, but for the most part Jake and Holly were also warmly welcomed. Betty Gatewood was one notable exception, but then Jake figured having a police lieutenant tell her he would like to punch her in the nose would have a dampening effect.
Pastor Joe welcomed them with enthusiasm, shaking Tyler’s hand and letting the boy know they had a church youth Christmas party that evening he was welcome to attend. Tyler’s enthusiasm increased when he noticed their neighbor, Alex Scott, in attendance with his parents.
“Could I go with Alex if he’s going?” he asked Holly and Jake. Holly nodded and smiled. Jake saw such a difference in Tyler just in the last week.
“You’ve brought the whole family,” Jim Tarpley greeted them with a smile before clapping Tyler on the back. “Mornin’, son. You’re looking mighty spiffy.”
Tyler grinned. “You, too. Where’s Mrs. Tarpley?”
Jim chuckled. “You’ve discovered our secret. Mrs. Tarpley is a Presbyterian,” he said the last word in such a stage whisper Holly and Tyler both laughed, drawing several glances. “She enjoys her church and I enjoy mine, and we’ve managed to get along just fine.”
“Hmph!” Jake snorted. “Wish more people took the same attitude.”
“Oh, I think we’re getting there. Why I saw a group of ladies from both churches sipping tea and munching doughnuts at Mercer’s just yesterday,” Jim said with a smile. “There’s nothing like the Christmas season to bring folks together. That’s what I always say.”
Holly’s smile was huge as she elbowed Jake. “I said the same thing just yesterday, Mr. Tarpley. There should be more people like you.”
“The Christmas season or holiday larceny?” Jake arched a brow and Holly just shook her head.
Pastor Joe preached an inspiring sermon on the need to love thy neighbor. From just behind them, Jake heard a woman mumble, “Seems some folks have taken that to heart.”
When he glanced over his shoulder, his gaze met a censorious look from one of the women who had come to his office along with Betty Gatewood. Jake smiled, wrapped his arm around Holly’s shoulders, and pulled her close against his side. Holly flicked a quizzical look his way, before refocusing on Joe’s preaching.
At the end of the service, Holly picked up Noelle. “If you’ll excuse me guys, I’m going to take her to the ladies’ room so I can change her diaper before we leave.”
“We’ll wait for you in the vestibule,” Jake said, leaning down to pet Noelle’s tiny head with its dark curls.
* * * *
Holly smiled at the woman who held the door open for her. As she had hoped, there was a small sitting area providing her with a place to set her belongings so she could change Noelle. She had heard the woman in the pew behind them and her comment. She had also seen the way Betty Gatewood had glared at them Friday evening and again this morning. And, as Holly had already observed, Mrs. Gatewood was in the restroom fluffing her blue-tinted curls and repairing her makeup.
Holly smiled. “I’m sorry to bother
you, but would you mind holding Noelle for just a moment while I get everything set to change her diaper.” The older woman looked as though she wanted to refuse, but with the baby already halfway in her arms, she had no choice but to grab her. As Holly worked she chatted. “Thank you so much. Everyone has been so kind to my brother and me since we came to Mountain Meadow. Tyler’s had a tough time. Our folks were killed in a car accident just a year ago at Thanksgiving.”
“How terrible.” Mrs. Gatewood responded.
That didn’t sound sincere. Holly would have to work a little harder.
“Then when Doc Owens ordered me on bed rest, I was so worried. Mr. Crawford let me work from home, but of course my hours were cut. I hadn’t worked there long enough to qualify for leave.” She paused, glancing over her shoulder, where the older woman had now shifted Noelle to her shoulder and was bouncing her. The baby cooed in her ear. Holly grabbed a clean diaper.
“Then the Tarpleys were kind enough provide my little brother with groceries in exchange for doing odd jobs for them, and Doc sent Jake out to help. He chopped wood for us.” Holly stood and smiled as she held out her arms for her daughter. “I don’t know what I would have done without him,” she finished, making sure the older woman saw the ring sparkling on her finger. “My phone was out when I went into labor, and he showed up with Tyler and helped deliver Noelle when Doc told him the weather was too bad to move me.”
Holly smiled into Mrs. Gatewood’s softening expression and added, “You must be very proud to live in a town where people look out for each other and know what it means to ‘love thy neighbor.’”
The woman puffed with pride. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
Holly beamed at her. “Thanks again for holding Noelle. Family and friends are the most important things we have.”
“Yes, they are.” Mrs. Gatewood smiled at Noelle’s wiggles as Holly unsnapped clothing to get to the little girl’s diaper. “You know the church auxiliary runs a children’s clothes closet. You should stop by to see if you can find anything for the baby. Most of the baby items for one as tiny as your precious little girl are almost brand new.”
Holly laughed. “A wonderful idea, Mrs. Gatewood. Thank you. I will do that.”
Special Delivery (Mountain Meadow Homecoming 1) Page 18
