Unforgettable Christmas - Gifts of Love (The Unforgettables Book 3)

by Mimi Barbour

  “How did your family celebrate Christmas?” Tee asked.

  “We weren’t usually together for a lot of holidays,” Evie said.

  Tee shrugged. “Times have changed. I have you on the second floor in a room with a small refrigerator/freezer, microwave and cooktop. Your employer assured me that you don’t smoke and you’re not prone to giving loud parties.”

  “I wouldn’t have time,” Evie said. “If I were inclined and I’m not.”

  “Very well. There are two other renters here for the holidays, so I insist that everyone be considerate. My housekeeper often prepares breakfast at eight on weekdays and tea, hot and iced, is served on weekday afternoons. I’ll show you to your room,” Tee said and led the way up the stairs.

  Evie felt as if she’d stepped back in time to her grandmother’s house, a home furnished with antiques, old upholstery and dust. In this house, however, Evie didn’t spot a glimpse a dust. The house was scrupulously clean. She followed Tee to a door that the older woman unlocked with a key.

  “Here you are,” Tee said. “This is the blue room. My family has owned this house for one hundred and fifty years, but you’ll be happy to know the plumbing, electricity and most of the furnishings have been replaced. I hope you’ll be comfortable during your stay here. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to ask me.”

  “Yes,” Evie said, looking at the room and feeling a combination of ease and something else she couldn’t quite name. “Thank you. It’s lovely. I have two suitcases and I’ll bring them over later tonight.”

  “Welcome,” Tee said. “Feel free to use the washer and dryer in the basement. I’ll leave you to get accustomed to your room.”

  Evie stood in the room and allowed the history and sweetness fall over her. Instead of investigating the fridge or the closet, she closed her eyes and took a breath. Something joyful and sad swept over her. She didn’t know what it was. She just knew she felt it.

  How weird, she thought, opening her eyes and shaking her head. She couldn’t remember when she’d had such a strong emotional reaction to a place. Biting her lip, she hoped she wasn’t over-imagining. But maybe she was.

  Evie shook her head again. She just needed to move in and get her assignment done. Then she could get her next job and get back to Manhattan. Get back to home, even though she was starting to wonder where home was.

  The next morning she awakened to the sound of a knock on her door. Rising from her bed, she opened her door and glanced both ways down the hall, but no one was there. She caught the slight scent of tobacco. That couldn’t be right. Tee had been emphatic that no smoking was allowed in the house. Frowning, she closed the door. What had she heard? Why was her heart still pounding?

  Stop it, she told herself and headed for the shower in her new, temporary apartment. She smelled bacon cooking. Evie stepped into the shower and plunged herself under the spray. Bacon? Hurry up so she could have that breakfast.

  She managed to drag herself down to breakfast with her hair wet and no make-up on her face. Two middle-aged men sat at the table along with Tee. Evie slid onto the breakfast bench.

  “Good morning,” she said.

  Tee glanced at her wet hair. “Good morning.”

  Evie took a breath. “It’s the bacon. I couldn’t resist the bacon. I’m sorry for my appearance.”

  “You’re young, so you look wonderful,” Tee said and glanced up at the woman who was picking up several plates. “Stella, can you please bring Evie some breakfast?”

  “Of course,” the woman said. “Scrambled or fried eggs?”

  “Scrambled, please,” Evie said, knowing she would have groveled for such a breakfast. She’d been eating energy bars for the last eight days.

  Within moments, Stella delivered a plateful of eggs, bacon, potatoes and a biscuit. Evie scarfed it down as if she hadn’t eaten in days. Afterward, she leaned back against her chair and hugged her tummy.

  “Are you okay?” Tee asked.

  “I’m fabulous. Maybe a little too full,” Evie said. “But that’s my own fault. Thank you so much to you and Stella. That’s the best breakfast I’ve had in months.”

  “Well, then you should join us often,” Tee said. “We can’t have you starving.”

  Evie walked to the store and put a bell on the door as she opened it to the public. “Come in and buy,” she murmured, hoping for big business.

  Despite her hopes, by mid-morning only two customers had walked into the shop and bought nothing. Hours passed and still no customers. Evie slumped at the desk in despair. Why were there no customers?

  Mid-afternoon, the bell to the door rang and Jenn walked inside. “Hello, there. I thought I’d pay you a visit.”

  “Hi Jenn,” Evie said, rising from her perch from behind her desk. “Thanks. It’s so nice of you to stop by. No one else has.”

  Jenn made a face. “I hate to let you know, but the weekends and festivals are everything. It’s dead the rest of the week.”

  “The whole week?” Evie asked.

  “Monday through early Friday,” Jenn said. “Sorry, but it’s true. I thought it would be nicer to let you know in advance. Traffic picks up after Thanksgiving.”

  “Thank you. I guess it’s better than sitting here waiting for nothing.”

  Jenn nodded. “Where are you staying?”

  “At Mrs. Provost’s house. It’s a beautiful room and I ate a wonderful breakfast there this morning,” Evie said.

  “Just watch out for old Frank. I hear he likes to hang out at her house,” Jenn said, laughing.

  “Who is Frank?”

  “The town ghost,” Jenn said without batting an eye. “He can be a bit of a prankster and likes to make himself known. He smoked a pipe. Cherry tobacco. Pretty distinctive scent these days.”

  Evie blinked. “Oh, how interesting. I’ve never thought that much about ghosts,” she said but she couldn’t help remembering what had happened to her that morning.

  “I hear Frank is usually easy-going, but every once in a while, he can get cranky,” Jenn said.

  “What do you mean by cranky?” Evie asked.

  “Well, there have been a few accidents,” Jenn said. “Don’t worry. No one died.” She waved her hand. “But that’s just rumor. Since William met you, he keeps talking about you.”

  “It’s the train,” Evie said. “He loved that train. And the ice cream.”

  “Maybe, but this is a tough time for everyone. I wondered if you wouldn’t mind joining us for dinner tomorrow night.”

  “That’s kind of you, but I’ll probably be working late, and there’s the matter of my car,” Evie added.

  “Your car?”

  “The ticket Michael gave me. Tail lights. I’m still waiting for the repair,” she said, unable to keep a twinge of bitterness from her voice.

  Jenn made a sound of disgust. “That deputy gig of his can be a real pain, but the sheriff can’t do everything. That’s why Michael is filling in. I could give you a ride tomorrow night. I can put dinner in the crock pot.”

  “That sounds like a lot of trouble,” Evie said.

  “We just want to see Will a little happier,” Jenn said.

  “I can’t promise I can provide a lot of happiness.”

  “I’ll gamble on your presence. See you tomorrow,” Jenn said and glanced around. “Hope business picks up. Otherwise, you might want to stock up on a couple of books to read while you’re here.”

  The following day, after very little business, Evie locked up the shop and walked to the hair salon where Jenn worked.

  “Hey there, girl,” Jenn said from the back of the room as she brushed a client’s hair. “I’ll be done in a minute.”

  “No problem,” Evie said as she sat down and picked up a magazine.

  A woman approached her. “Who is your appointment with?”

  “No one,” Evie said.

  The woman lifted her eyebrows, looking at Evie’s hair. “You don’t?”

  Evie laughed. “I
know that I need an appointment, but I’m busy and short on funds, so I’m just adding extra conditioner to get me through.”

  Jenn appeared behind the woman. “Now, Cherry, don’t you fuss at her. She’s doing the root fade. It’s a new technique.”

  Cherry looked at Jenn in confusion. “Root fade?”

  “Yes, it’s the new thing in New York City,” Jenn said then turned to Evie. “You ready to go?”

  Evie nodded and followed Jenn out the door. “Root fade?” Evie echoed.

  “It’s a real technique, but yours could use a little touch-up.”

  Evie laughed. “No money. No time. Lost my job last year. I call it the knife before Christmas.”

  Jenn made a face. “That sounds gruesome.”

  “It was,” Evie said and pulled her coat around her. “But I’ll come back.”

  “In Mistletoe in a Christmas ornament shop?” Jenn said. “Not that I want to be negative.”

  “I gotta start somewhere,” Evie said.

  “I guess,” Jenn said. “There’s my truck. Climb on in.”

  About twenty minutes later, Jenn pulled into a long gravel driveway leading to a ranch-style house. “Here we are. Just a warning, my husband and kids will be screaming for dinner as soon as I step up to the door. Although, my husband may have given the kids Pop-Tarts if they were too fussy. Let’s go.”

  Evie followed Jenn into the house and footsteps pounded toward them.

  “I warned you,” Jenn said under her breath and bent down to embrace two little ones. “Cassie and Jacob, say hi to Miss Evie.”

  “Hi, Miss Evie,” the two young children said in unison.

  “I’m hungry. What’s for dinner?” the little boy asked Jenn.

  “Spaghetti!” Jenn said. “Your favorite.”

  “Hey, babe,” a tall, broad-shouldered man with a beard, said. He brushed a kiss against Jenn’s lips. “Everything good?”

  Jenn nodded and gave him an extra squeeze. “Here’s Evie,” she said.

  The man nodded and extended his hand. “I’m J.W. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Evie shook the man’s hand. “I hope it was mostly good.”

  He smiled. “It was.”

  “Miss Evie!” Will scrambled and nearly ran into her.

  Evie bent down and smiled at him. “Well, hello there. I’ve been thinking about you.”

  “You’ve made an impression on him,” Michael said from behind Will.

  Meeting Michael’s gaze, she felt her heart give a strange skip. “I think it was the train.”

  “The ice cream didn’t hurt,” he added.

  She tore her gaze from his. “Well, tell me about your day,” she said to Will.

  “I colored and played and ate fruit for snack. How is the train?” he asked.

  Evie chuckled and glanced at Michael. “As I said.”

  “You underestimate yourself,” he said. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

  “I had to get a ride because of my tail lights,” she said. “The garage said it would take a while to get parts, so I’m still not supposed to drive my car.”

  “Maybe I can give you a ride home,” he said.

  Her mouth went dry and her throat abruptly closed, so she didn’t even try to reply. After a blessing, dinner was rowdy at the same time, Evie could see that the adults were trying to teach manners to the youngsters. Perhaps an uphill battle, but the young ones were sweet and curious.

  She felt her own mixture of emotions, warmed by joining the family, yet feeling oddly left out. This kind of family experience was odd for her since she’d often shared meals with a nanny or whichever relative her mother had pressed into service. After dinner, she helped clear the table and watched the children run in circles around the den.

  “Getting close to bedtime for that crew,” Michael said from behind her.

  “How will you get them settled down?”

  “Bath and a couple of books,” Jenn said. “Michael, I’ll get started on the children’s baths. Do you mind taking Evie home?”

  “No problem. You sure you don’t want me to take Will with me?” he asked.

  “He can sleep over tonight if you can take him to school in the morning,” she said.

  “Thanks sis,” he said and gave her a hug. He also gave Will a hug although Will was still distracted by his cousins. “You ready?” he asked Evie.

  “Yes, thank you,” she said and bit her tongue to keep from reminding him that she could have driven herself if she didn’t have to worry about getting another ticket for her busted taillights.

  They walked outside and Michael opened the door to his truck for her. She nodded her thanks and stepped inside. Silence enveloped the cab of the truck. Michael clicked on a contemporary music channel from his cell phone. She relaxed in her seat.

  “Nice choice,” she said.

  “You expected country music?” he asked.

  “There’s nothing wrong with country music. I didn’t know what to expect. I don’t really know what to expect with you. You changed my tire, but gave me a ticket, then took me to get pie. You’re quite the everyman.”

  He chuckled. “Everyman. I haven’t heard that one before.”

  “How else to describe you? Deputy, rancher, father to your nephew and occasional fireman…. Are there others?”

  He shook his head. “You’re making me out to be a big deal.”

  “Well, aren’t you a big deal here in Mistletoe?” she asked.

  “That’s a matter of opinion,” he said.

  “If you say so,” she returned and looked out the front windshield.

  “So, did the kids drive you crazy tonight?”

  She smiled. “Not really. They’re noisy, but it’s mostly a good noisy.”

  “Says someone who isn’t around them all the time,” he said.

  “New York City is noisy. Retail shops can be noisy,” she said.

  “True,” he said. “What do you think of Mistletoe so far?”

  “It’s nice. A little like taking a step back in time. I was hoping I would have more business by now.”

  “This weekend will be busy and once Thanksgiving hits,” he said.

  “It’ll be crazy. Thank goodness. I need to show a profit.”

  Michael pulled in front of the rooming house. “Thanks for coming tonight.”

  In the dark closure of the truck cab, she felt a surprising sense of intimacy. Shrugging, she looked away from his gaze and looked out the window. “My pleasure.”

  “It was nice of you,” he said and his voice felt like a caress.

  “Thank you and thank you for the ride home,” she said and opened the door. Suddenly she remembered the ornament she’d brought for Will. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said and pulled the small train ornament from her purse. “I brought this for Will, before I knew about Jenn’s children. I didn’t want them to feel left out, but maybe you can give him this later tomorrow.”

  He held up the train and nodded. “That’s nice of you. He will love this. It’s a tough time of year for all of us, so every little bit helps.”

  Evie felt a strong tug toward him, from her heart and everywhere else. In another situation, maybe most other situations, she would have leaned toward him and kissed him. For whatever reason, however, he didn’t take the opportunity and she didn’t either.

  “I should go,” she murmured.

  “Sleep easy,” he said as she stepped outside the truck.

  “Thanks,” she said and walked into the house and up the stairs to her room, but her mind and her heart were swimming with feelings for Michael and Will. She couldn’t remember having such strong feelings, such a strong connection. It was confusing for her. She was here to do a job so that she could get a different job back in New York. She didn’t belong here in Mistletoe.

  Chapter Four

  Evie fell asleep nearly as quickly as her head touched the pillow. One good thing about working so hard was that she didn’t stay up nights worrying about her future. She was
too tired for that, but her sleep was full of dreams tonight, dreams of Michael embracing her and smiling down at her with love in his eyes. She saw him lowering his head, closer and closer to hers. She could feel his breath on her face, his lips inches from hers. He was going to kiss her.

  A knock on her door awakened her, stealing Michael’s dreamy kiss. Irritated, Evie got out of bed and cracked opened her door. “Hello?” she said.

  No answer.

  Opening the door, she looked down the hall. No one. A waft of pipe tobacco drifted past her. Evie frowned and closed the door. She didn’t believe in ghosts, so she couldn’t believe Frank the ghost hadn’t just visited her. Whatever had just happened was more annoying than creepy, although it still felt a little creepy. What would a ghost want with her?

  Evie decided to indulge in breakfast again, and it seemed she was the only one besides Tee and the housekeeper. A bit more bothered by the mysterious pipe smell than she wanted to be, she asked Tee about it. “I know you don’t allow smoking, but I’ve recently smelled just a bit of pipe smoke. Do you think it’s from another tenant?”

  “Hm,” Stella said as she set a plate of biscuits and honey on the table. “Maybe a former tenant,” she said in a dour tone. “Not that everyone would believe it.”

  “Former tenant?” Evie echoed.

  “Oh, stop it,” Tee said to Stella. “You know as well as I do that the smell of smoke can hang around for years.”

  “But why specifically did Miss. Fitzgerald mention pipe smoke? It’s Frank up to his old tricks,” Stella said, clearly not backing down.

  “Frank, the ghost,” Evie said.

  Both Stella and Tee stared at her. “How do you know about Frank?”

  “Jenn, Michael Benson’s sister told me. I don’t believe in ghosts and even if I did, I can’t imagine why Frank would want anything to do with me.”

  Tee nodded. “Good for you.”

  “Well, I say Frank has a message for you. He wants your attention. He wants you to make a change in your life,” Stella said.

  “Stella, you’re not to frighten the tenants,” Tee said.

  “Don’t blame me. It’s Frank. Tee, are you going to deny that you believe in him?”