Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology (Echo Ridge Romance Book 1)

by Lucy McConnell

  The screen blurred before her eyes. She swiped a hand across her cheeks and straightened her shoulders. She would make this work. There had to be someone she could ask for help in tending Megan. The librarian with a German accent, Britta, had always been friendly toward her and Megan. Anika noticed Britta talking to a teenage girl with a blonde messy bun at the desk. The girl left the library carrying a stack of books. Maybe Britta could offer a recommendation for a teenager who might babysit Megan a few days a week. It had to be a cheaper option than daycare. She picked out a book and approached the circulation desk.

  “Hey, Anika. It’s so good to see you,” Britta said. “How’s Megan?”

  “She loves story time. The puppets are her favorite.” Anika set her book next to the scanner. “I’m looking for a babysitter for Megan, just during the holiday rush because I’m taking a few extra hours at Kenworth’s. Do you know any teenage girls who could help me out?”

  “My niece, Lila might be able to help you. I know she babysits for a few people in town,” Britta said. “She was just in here. You might have seen her? She’s seventeen, blonde hair in a bun.”

  Anika nodded. “I think I did see her. Could you help me get in touch with her?”

  Britta smiled. “Sure. I bet she’d love your darling Megan.”

  Ten minutes later, Anika left the library with Megan in tow and an armload of books. She actually smiled when someone wished her “Happy Holidays” because Lila would be babysitting Megan tonight. Her little girl would go to bed early for the first time in three days and Anika wouldn’t have to worry about incurring Cecilia’s wrath.

  The thought of finishing up the Christmas tree didn’t inspire happy Christmas melodies because Anika was sick of poking her arms into the fake needles. The ten-foot tree was mostly done, it was just taking longer than she’d expected to hang the dozens of cards in a way that made it easy for people to read the information each one contained. Even though she didn’t like it, completing the job meant the end of the meager overtime work.

  Anika involuntarily scanned the children’s department every few minutes, looking for Carlos that evening but he must have finished up his project. She groaned. He was a nice guy and she’d been so rude to him. What was her problem? Her stomach growled in answer to her internal question. She was down to twenty-five dollars so she’d only brought an apple and a granola bar to work tonight. Lila would get at least half of that for babysitting. Thank goodness tomorrow was pay day. She caught herself looking for Carlos again and gave herself a mental slap. She had done the right thing scaring him off. She didn’t need one more problem to deal with right now.

  Anika wandered across the store to put away a few holiday items that were displayed near The Candy Counter. She waved at Reese Gates, the young woman who seemed to always be working behind the counter. Rumor on the sales floor was that Reese’s grandma, a woman Anika had never met, had problems with dementia. Reese appeared to be close to Anika’s age, single, and happy. Who wouldn’t be when they worked every day surrounded by chocolate and had the security of a family business behind them?

  “Hey, Anika. I’m closing up for the night and I have a bag of no-sales. I thought you and your daughter might like a few.” Reese handed her a white sack that smelled heavenly.

  “No-sales?” Anika asked.

  “They aren’t pretty enough to put in the display case but they still taste the same.”

  Anika clenched her stomach when it grumbled again and smiled at Reese. “That is so sweet. Thanks for thinking of us, but I don’t want to take your chocolates.”

  “I’ll have to throw them away if you don’t and wouldn’t Megan like them? There’s a couple chocolate Santas in here that a box fell on.” Reese shook the sack.

  The smell of chocolate tickled Anika’s nose. “Okay, then, if you’re sure you can’t use them.”

  “I’m sure.” Reese handed her the bag.

  “Thank you.” Anika clenched her fingers and the white paper bag crinkled. “These smell so good.”

  “And taste even better.” Reese smiled as she went back to filling the Turkish delight tray. The powdered sugar stuck to her gloves and found its way to her apron. “Where’s Megan?”

  “I actually found a babysitter for tonight so hopefully she’s asleep in her own bed.”

  Reese nodded. “It looks like Carlos finished up those shelves.” She looked past Anika toward the children’s department. Anika turned to follow her gaze across the tiled walkway, but she couldn’t see the shelves from this vantage point.

  “He must have. What do you know about him?” Anika asked and then wished she hadn’t.

  Reese grinned. “Besides that finely sculpted chest I can imagine underneath his T-shirt?”

  The image of Carlos’s physique immediately came to mind and Anika blushed.

  Reese giggled. “I noticed him checking you out yesterday.”

  “You did not,” Anika said.

  “I did.” Reese nodded. “I was organizing some stuff in the store room. I guess I just blend in to the scenery around here because people don’t notice me. I’d say Carlos might have a thing for you.”

  Anika felt her cheeks heat up a few more degrees. “That’s probably not a good thing. I have a little girl and I’m not looking to complicate my life right now.”

  “Oh, trust me. I don’t think anyone would call Carlos a complication.” Reese leaned against the counter and lowered her voice. “I don’t know him real well, but my impression is that he’s a quiet guy who works really hard, doesn’t date much, and has turned down several of the um, empty-headed gals who fell all over themselves trying to catch his eye.”

  Anika listened, and tried to bite her tongue to keep from asking more questions about Carlos. Reese was nice but Anika didn’t want to encourage any holiday match-making. “Well, that’s good to know. I guess every once in a while someone attracts the right guy, but I’ll steer clear of him, cuz that someone isn’t me.”

  Reese studied her for a moment, her smile faltered. “I’m sorry to hear that. Don’t worry. I think Carlos is on the shy side so he probably won’t bother you if you don’t want him to.”

  “Do you want him to bother you?” Anika asked. Dang, why couldn’t she cut this conversation short?

  “Well, I’m not really one to fight over a guy.” Reese brushed away a piece of hair that had come loose from her long braid and left behind a streak of powdered sugar. “I want him to fight for me, so I don’t think I need to worry about Carlos.” She winked and headed back to the store room.

  Anika thought about calling after her to tell her about the powdered sugar on her cheek, or that she wasn’t interested in Carlos at all. Instead, she clamped her mouth shut and went back to work.

  FRIDAY MORNING, CARLOS MET CECILIA at Kenworth’s thirty minutes before the store opened to finalize his work and get paid for the shelves he’d built and installed. It was December fourth and he had finished the project one day ahead of schedule. People weren’t big on remodeling this time of year so he had to make sure that the money from this job could last him into January. Part of him hoped that Cecilia might tip him for his excellent work and early timing, but his more realistic side shoved that thought out of his head as quickly as it had entered. If Cecilia’s skin were green, she could pass as the Grinch’s sister. He reminded himself to be extra nice to her anyway.

  “Nice work, Carlos.” Cecilia ran her hand over the shelves and rubbed her fingertips together as if she’d picked up a bit of imaginary dust.

  Carlos had polished the shelving until it gleamed under the fluorescent lights last night, and he’d just wiped them down before she came to inspect the final project. “Thanks. I enjoy working here.”

  Cecilia’s lips turned up a tiny bit at the corners, the closest she ever came to smiling. “It’s very short notice but Keira and Tayton have come up with another plan to infuse holiday magic into the store.” The way she spat the words holiday magic with so much distaste reminded Carlos agai
n of his favorite Christmas cartoon featuring the Who with a heart two sizes too small. She drummed her red fingernails against the shelves. “They want to refurbish the old soda fountain.”

  “As in, get it up and running, dispensing soda and all?”

  Cecilia rolled her eyes. “Yes, some nostalgic garbage that is a ridiculous waste of time. Tayton is getting the initial info on it. You’ll need to be here at nine tomorrow morning to talk it over with Keira and Tayton— he’s the new PR guy from the big city, come to save us all.”

  Carlos took her caustic comments in stride, filtering through the information she was offering him. “What kind of a timeline are they looking at? I’m guessing they want it done before Christmas.”

  “Yes, I think they mentioned something about having it done by the eighteenth.”

  Carlos couldn’t keep his eyes from widening. “I’m a hard worker but that’s going to be a tall order depending on how much renovation they want done.”

  “I agree,” Cecilia said. “There may be one or two people around here that would like the extra hours. If you’d like, I can gather some names and give them to Keira.”

  Carlos hesitated. He usually worked alone, mostly because every extra dollar he earned he could put into fixing up his house. But two weeks to finish a project that he hadn’t even started? He would need some help. “I’d like some suggestions. I’ll talk to Keira.”

  “Good. Have a nice day.” Cecilia handed him a gray business envelope and stalked off with her clipboard.

  Carlos lifted the flap and glanced at the amount. It was what they had agreed upon, with no extras, but he was satisfied. Those dollars would help fund the bathroom remodel that he’d been putting off. And with the new project Cecilia had mentioned, he might be able to finish the bathroom before the end of the year. He tucked the envelope into his back pocket and walked across the store. He waved at Reese at the Candy Counter and stood in front of the housewares section. The old soda fountain was still there but it had been converted to a video rental counter at one time and now was central to the display area in housewares combined with an outdated snack area for teens. There were hideous looking shelves lining the back counter and much of the blue and white checkerboard tile was chipped and cracked along the edge of the counter. He gnawed on the inside of his cheek, closing his eyes for a minute to envision what the soda fountain might have looked like fifty years ago. A line of bar stools would have sat snugly under the lip of the counter, probably covered in red Naugahyde. Dangling lightbulbs would illuminate the back wall where someone served up ice cream sodas. When he opened his eyes, the modernized display crushed his daydreams. Signs covered the old mirror that was scratched and discolored along the edges. It was obvious that the soda fountain had been downsized at one point because the counter looked like it had been sawed off on one side. He shook his head. It would be an interesting meeting in the morning. Hopefully he could handle the job, because if he did, he’d be working at Kenworth’s again. That meant another chance to see Anika.

  The Friday night shopping rush had the air buzzing in Kenworth’s. Anika felt like she’d been running back and forth across the department store all night. She straightened a few of the cards and ornaments on the Hope Tree. A slow burn of resentment stoked the embers of despair in the pit of her stomach. Every one of the cards on the tree represented a person who needed something. A person who had someone watching out for them. Anika didn’t have any guardian angels or fairy godmothers, no family to help her. She had long since stopped wishing or praying that anything in her life would ever turn out. Each day felt like walking along a tightrope that was slowly unraveling before her.

  Anika straightened the sign on the wrought iron easel that stood next to the tree. It was printed in a flowing script with information about the Hope Tree and how customers could reach out to those in need and even offer suggestions of more names to add to the tree. The Ladies League and Echo Ridge Christmas Council would verify each person’s needs so that Kenworth’s efforts could be maximized to help more local residents this holiday.

  At five minutes to nine, Cecilia showed up with a gray business envelope that Anika hoped contained enough to cover all of her expenses and keep her afloat through the holidays.

  “Hello, Cecilia.” Anika didn’t waste time saying anything past hello. She’d learned the hard way what happened when someone tried to make small talk with the boss.

  “Anika.” She gave her a curt nod and stepped toward the Hope Tree. “It would have been nice to have it completed earlier, but at least it’s on display now.” Cecilia’s brows looked like she’d used a Sharpie to draw them in place. They stood out in stark contrast to her otherwise pale face. With her gray hair and light features, the eyebrows were as harsh as her boss. She handed Anika the envelope. “Here’s your paycheck. In the future, I expect you to complete assignments promptly.”

  “Thank you.” It was all Anika could do to keep from snatching the envelope from Cecilia’s bony fingers. “Uh, do you know if there are any other overtime opportunities?”

  Cecilia sighed. “There may be another opportunity for a few extra hours. I don’t know if they’d be overtime, and it’s probably outside your skill level, but Keira and Tayton, the PR guy from New York, are working on some details.”

  “Could you add my name to the list of interested applicants, please?” Anika heard the eagerness in her voice as a vision of Megan playing with a new dollhouse popped into her head.

  Cecilia paused, her eyes moving over the tree and the sweater display Anika had set up. “Okay, I’ll give Keira your name and we’ll see what she says.”

  After she left, Anika opened the envelope, her heart pounding. The amount was a bit less than she’d hoped— she was never very good at figuring out how much tax would be taken out. She stared at the numbers, willing them to multiply inside the little box printed on blue paper. There wouldn’t be enough for a dollhouse. It was just enough to pay for all of this month’s expenses and Megan’s hospital bill. The medical bills were on a three year plan through Ruby Mountain Hospital, but even that pinched at Anika’s budget like a wicked stepsister. She still didn’t have enough for the daycare bill, but there was room to give them twenty dollars. Over time, she would pay her bills. Her shoulders slumped. She walked slowly out to the parking lot and shuddered at the icy wind howling through the streets. At least Megan was home safe and snug in bed tonight, even if she was dreaming of a magical Christmas that would never come to pass. Anika pressed her lips together. She would find a way to make her little girl’s holiday special, even if there was no hope for Christmas.

  CARLOS WORE DRESS PANTS and a button down shirt for the meeting with Keira Kenworth. Her father was ill and from the looks of things, Kenworth’s was struggling without the old man. Keira had grown up in Echo Ridge and it was obvious her interest in the store was beyond money. She and the new PR guy, Tayton Wells, sat down with Carlos and went over the plans to remodel the soda fountain.

  “We want to rejuvenate Kenworth’s, bring a sense of community spirit back to Echo Ridge,” Keira said. “We want to give people a reason to step off Main Street and enjoy our little plaza like they did when I was a kid.”

  “And we want the store to be in the black this Christmas,” Tayton said. He handed Carlos a grid with a timeline to complete the project. “We have a couple of investors interested in helping us breathe some new life into this place, which is why we decided to renovate the soda fountain. We’ll bring back the old-time feel and add a new feature to the store that will attract customers.”

  Carlos looked over the design sheets and timeline. He rubbed his hand over the bit of stubble on his jaw. “I’m probably going to need to hire some help. Is there room in your budget for that?”

  Keira nodded. “Yes, and through some persuasion—” she glanced at Tayton. “Cecilia has agreed to have a few temps who could probably help with some of the cleanup if you’d like to use someone Kenworth’s has already approved to work here
.” She handed him an index card with a list of four names.

  Carlos took the card and felt a little jolt when he saw the first name on the list, Anika Fletcher. Someone or something seemed to be putting her in his path. Did she really volunteer to work with him? Maybe she wasn’t as prickly as she seemed. He thought about the crumpled card from the Hope Tree that was still in his wallet. Anika probably didn’t want to work with him but she obviously needed the extra money. Perhaps he’d have a chance to redeem himself in her eyes, help her see that he wasn’t trying to be condescending. He really did want to help.

  Tayton was explaining something on the ledger and Carlos blinked and refocused, but his thoughts kept wandering to the feisty brunette and her little girl. The project was slated to begin on Monday and he couldn’t wait to talk to Anika.

  ON MONDAY MORNING, ANIKA WOKE at six-thirty with stiff muscles. She looked out the window and smiled. Who said two feet of snow was such a bad thing? She had taken Megan out to play and started shoveling one of the elderly neighbor’s driveway down the street. When the woman offered to pay, Anika had refused, but at the widow’s insistence she’d finally accepted and then been hired to shovel the next house. She’d shoveled both of their walks twice and pulled in an extra twenty-five dollars over the weekend. The gray clouds held a promise of more snow, but not enough to shovel again today. That was probably a good thing because Anika’s back was sore. She stretched out on the floor and lengthened her spine.

  She made a list of the things she needed to pick up at the grocery store before her three o’clock shift at Kenworth’s. This week she was pulling six-hour shifts and the extra money would help to keep the creditors at bay. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something besides bills and paychecks.

  A giggle by her ear jolted her awake a few minutes later. She glanced at the clock, fifteen minutes past seven. Okay, it had been almost forty-five minutes. Anika groaned and stretched, snatching Megan and tickling her until the little girl squealed.