Trent grabbed the man and pulled him in for a hug, “Bill, nothing can stop your wife’s disease, so quit trying. Enjoy these last days with her and celebrate the Christmas season knowing it will probably be her last. The town is here for you, and will do everything we can to make this Christmas the most special one – for Miriam.”
Bill shook his head in acknowledgment. “Thank you.”
Dr. Baker gathered up his things and said, “Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but it’s getting to be around lunchtime and Tamara over at the diner is making meatloaf today. I’m heading that way so I don’t miss out.”
Trent pulled Sara towards him, “That sounds pretty good to me as well. Why don’t we walk out with you and we’ll meet you over at the diner? Then I have some winter clothing to locate for this young gal who thought she could visit Montana, in the middle of winter, in her tennis shoes and summer shirts.”
Trent was smiling as he said this and Sara blushed and just smiled back. Turning back to Bill and Miriam she told them, “If you need any additional help please call Trent and he’ll bring me back over here.”
“We will be sure to do that,” Miriam said brightly. “Go enjoy your lunch. I’m actually feeling hungry today and think I might do the same. Bill, do you think you could manage a grilled cheese sandwich without burning down the house?” Miriam laughed as her husband had the grace to blush. It was a well-known fact that Bill Mercer and the kitchen did not get along.
“Well now, I’m glad you’re feeling hungry and it must be your lucky day because Cora is here today. I know she would be happy to fix you a grilled cheese sandwich.”
Everyone chuckled, whether in relief knowing that Bill Mercer would not be cooking, or in relief knowing that Miriam would be eating and the chances of food poisoning had just gone down.
Dr. Baker, Trent and Sara showed themselves to the doorway and agreed to meet in town for lunch. Trent was so proud of Sara and couldn’t wait until lunch was over. He wanted to take her by the church and watch her face as she explored the life-sized nativity scene in more detail. The day was looking pretty good and he was not going to waste a moment.
Chapter 16
Trent received another phone call from Samuel while they were enjoying lunch at the Castle Peaks Diner. Samuel’s call was in way of saying thank you to Sara for the information she had provided him earlier. The passwords and other information had saved the FBI geek squad many hours of labor and they had been able to find the hidden files on David’s computer. Evidently, he had been using the import/export business as a way to traffic illegal drugs for quite some time.
After a brief conversation with Sara, he had promised to have her sister contact her around 4 o’clock that afternoon and Sara told him she would be waiting. Handing the phone back to Trent, she thought about the information Samuel had shared with her. All of the charges against her had been dropped.
Enrico had contacted the recovery team early this morning with details of the drug deal between Trevor Ward and the Quintana brothers. By lunchtime tomorrow, it would all be over and hopefully all of the parties involved would be in custody. Samuel seemed confident that the authorities had the upper hand this time and that Trevor and his drug buddies would be going down.
Trent had spent several minutes speaking with Samuel again, and Sara didn’t pay too much attention until she heard him invite the man to join them for Christmas. That got Sara’s attention as she immediately jumped to wondering if Samuel could also bring her sister and niece out here. When Sara had begun thinking of Castle Peaks as home, she didn’t quite know. Not spending Christmas with Trent and Jane hadn’t even crossed her mind.
She immediately withdrew and began to talk herself into being happy that within a few days times, she would be able to return to California. She couldn’t quite muster up any enthusiasm though. What was she returning to? An empty apartment. No job. No boyfriend or husband. Her sister lived a day’s drive away. The thought of returning to San Francisco was depressing and she struggled to get her emotions under control and keep the tears at bay.
Trent finished his conversation with Samuel, promising that they would speak about Christmas later that evening after Trent had a chance to speak with Sara. Now that she was almost free to return to California, he was worried that she would be leaving. He couldn’t explain it, but the thought of her leaving brought sadness and feelings of hurt.
Sensing a change in Sara, he watched as she emotionally and physically began to shut herself off from her surroundings. Her face was normally an open book, but now she had a stoic look on her face and it was obvious she was gritting her teeth. Catching Dr. Baker’s eye, Trent nodded as the man prepared to leave.
Dr. Baker had noticed the change in Sara and figured she had just begun to realize her time in Castle Peaks was coming to an end. Touching her gently on the shoulder to gain her attention, he told her, “Sara, it was a pleasure. Thank you again for your help with Miriam. I know Bill and Miriam would thank you again if they were here. Giving her the gift of even a few minutes without the tremendous pain that she has lived with these many months is a gift without comparison. I think Bill Mercer had it right.”
“What?”
“You truly are a Christmas angel,” Dr. Baker said with a big grin. With a tip of his fingers from his brow, he turned and Sara watched as he took his leave and headed down the sidewalk toward his office.
Turning back to Trent, she saw the concern in his eyes. She had tried to hide her feelings but Trent’s expression let her know she had been unsuccessful. Looking down, she tried to find some way of expressing what she was feeling.
Trent watched Sara drop her eyes, reached across the table, and tipped her chin up until her eyes met his. “Sara, what’s going through that busy mind of yours?”
Sara tried to contain the tears, but they spilled over and ran down her cheeks anyway. Shrugging and attempting a smile, she replied, “It looks like I’m going to be home for Christmas after all.” As she finished speaking, fresh tears trailed down her cheeks.
Trent’s heart broke as he saw the tears slip down her face. What was it about a crying woman that just hit a man right in the gut? Wiping the tears away with his thumbs, he shushed her. When that didn’t work, he quickly moved to the other side of the table, sliding in next to her and gathering her up in his arms.
Pressing her head against his chest, he murmured soothing words of nonsense as she poured out her misery. When she finally got control of herself, she sat up and used a napkin to try and wipe the tear stains off Trent’s shirt.
Grabbing her hand to still her movements, Trent once again tipped her chin up so that he could gaze into her eyes. “Sara, sweetheart, you cry as if your heart is breaking. Please talk to me about what has you so upset.”
“It just occurred to me that I could go home for Christmas, but I was just getting used to the idea of being here for Christmas. I don’t have a job to go home to. Grace will be in San Diego and I don’t want to spend Christmas alone...”
Trent placed his fingers over her lips to stop her from continuing. “Sweetheart, who says you won’t be here for Christmas? I can’t think of anything that would make my Christmas more special than to have you stay here with Jane and me.”
Sara looked at Trent and tried to find any hint of artifice in his expression. Seeing that he was sincere, she asked, “Really? You wouldn’t mind if I stayed here until Christmas was over? I really don’t want to go home yet.”
Trent pulled her back into his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. “Sara, I don’t know what’s going on between us, but I really want a chance to find out. Now that the danger is almost past, would you please stay here until after the New Year and give us a chance?”
Sara was silent for so long, Trent finally pushed her away from his chest and tried to figure out what was going on in her head. Sara looked at Trent and then slowly nodded her head as she said, “Trent, I would love to stay here until the New Year. To tell you
the truth, in my head I had started to think of Castle Peaks as being home, and when Samuel told me that after tomorrow it would be safe for me to return to California, it kind of took me by surprise. I just let my emotions get away from me.”
“Sara, after everything you’ve been through the last several days, I’m not surprised. Please stay here until after the holidays.”
Sara nodded and then on impulse, wrapped her arms around Trent and hugged him back. Just as suddenly as her spirits had dropped, they rose back up and she was happier than she thought possible. Pushing away from Trent, she reached up and placed a kiss upon his cheek.
Trent accepted her kiss, and then lowered his head and showed her how to properly give someone a kiss. It was gentle and sweet, and Sara’s stomach did somersaults the entire time. After the fiasco of David, or whoever her former boss really was, she didn’t believe she knew what love was. She certainly hadn’t felt butterflies in her stomach, or shivers run up and down her spine when she’d been close to him. When she was close to Trent, her pulse rate sped up, her body temperature rose, and the quivering in her stomach set her on edge.
Trent ended the kiss and then brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek, landing at the base of her neck where her pulse beat. Grinning at her, he informed her, “Your heart is racing.”
Sara blushed and nodded, “You tend to have that effect on me.”
Trent gave her a satisfied smirk, “I know. Don’t let it bother you. My heart races just as fast.”
Tipping his head to the side, he asked her, “So, are you okay now? No more fears we haven’t discussed and you’re comfortable staying with Jane and I through the New Year?”
“Oh yes – to everything.”
“Well then, we’d better head out and find you some proper clothing and shoes so that we can be home before your sister calls.”
At the mention of her sister, Sara’s face fell momentarily, but then she visibly picked herself up and smiled at Trent, “You really did just offer to take a woman shopping? You’re not running a fever, are you?”
Laughing out loud, Trent stood up from the table and then helped Sara get to her feet. “Let’s just say that I’m willing to suffer for the cause, especially if I get to spend time with you.”
“Well then, let’s get this show on the road.” Sara took Trent’s elbow as he ushered her out of the diner and down the snow covered sidewalk.
Chapter 17
Trent and Sara arrived back at the house just before 4 o’clock. Trent had insisted on buying Sara not only a winter coat, hat, gloves, and boots, but had also purchased several outfits for her. Sara had tried to pay for her purchases, only to have Trent confiscate her credit card with a promise to return it before she left Castle Peaks, after the New Year.
Entering the house, Sara was laughing and teasing Trent about his ability to select flattering women’s clothing. Jane, hearing the commotion, came from the kitchen, “What on earth is going on out here?”
She looked at Trent burdened with all of Sara’s purchases and began to laugh. “Well, I guess I have my answer. Did you leave anything in the stores, Trent?”
Trent didn’t even bat an eye at her comment. “Sara needed winter clothing since she will be staying until after the New Year.”
Jane turned to Sara and pulled her in for a hug, “Oh, I’m so excited to hear that. We have so much to do before Christmas.” Turning back to address Trent, “We should invite several people over here for Christmas dinner, just like we used to do.”
Trent smiled as he saw the excitement on Jane’s face. Nodding, he informed her, “Samuel and I spoke this morning, and there’s a good chance that he will be joining us for the Christmas holiday. It seems that he forgot to mention using his leg to block a bullet several weeks back. He’s on non-active duty until the doctors clear him.”
“Samuel got shot? But he’s okay now, right?”
Trent hid his smile at Jane’s questioning. He had known for several years now that his friend Samuel and Jane had been avoiding their attraction to each other. He also knew that Jane was one of the reasons his friend chose to spend his vacation time in Montana instead of on some tropical beach. Maybe this time they would be able to put aside their fears and figure out that they had a lot of things in common.
Seeing that Jane was waiting for his reply, he answered, “He’s going to call me later this evening and we’ll discuss it. Right now, however, Miss Sara needs to put these bags in her room and get ready to talk to her sister. She should be calling here any minute.”
Sara hurriedly gathered up the bags, and with Jane’s help, carted them off to the bedroom to be put away a little later. Hearing the phone ring, she bolted down the hallway and skidded to a stop just inside the kitchen as Trent picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Yes, Grace. She’s right here. Is everything going alright for you and Daniella?”
“Good. Yes, I heard that Daniella was bribed with a trip to Disneyland. I look forward to hearing all about it as I’m sure your sister does as well. Let me put her on. And Grace, feel free to talk as long as you both want. There’s no time limit on this phone call, okay?”
“You too. Here’s Sara.”
Sara tried to piece together her sister’s side of the conversation and then decided it didn’t really matter. Trent handed her the phone and then turned and left the kitchen so Sara could speak to her sister in private.
“Gracie? It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“You too. That Trent guy sounds really good over the phone. What’s he like in person?”
“Grace?!” Sara replied with an attempt at being shocked.
“Oh come on, just give me a little hint. He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he really is. His eyes are fantastic and he kisses like a dream.”
“Well, I’m glad something good is coming from this whole sordid affair. Samuel said that everything should be over by tomorrow afternoon and then you can come home.”
“Yeah, he told me the same thing.” Sara could already tell where this conversation was going and tried to find a nice way of telling her sister she did not intend to come home for Christmas.
“So, when do you think you’ll be coming back to California? Maybe I could ask for a couple of extra days off. We don’t officially break for Christmas until the 19th, but maybe I could take the last few days off. Class sizes are fairly small this month anyway.”
“Grace, wait…let me speak, please?”
“Sure.”
“Grace, Trent has asked me to stay in Montana until after the New Year, and I’ve agreed.”
Sara didn’t like the silence coming from the other end of the line and hurried to justify herself, “It’s not like I have a job to go back to anyway. Grace, I’ve never felt so at home as I do here. I can’t explain it, but it’s like Trent and I have known each other all of our lives. And his Aunt Jane, she lives with him and does his cooking and housekeeping, she’s like the older sister I never had. I wish you could meet them both. And the snow…I’ve never seen so much snow in my life.”
“You’re not coming back to California for Christmas? But, Daniella and I will really miss you. What am I supposed to tell her?”
Sara heard the tears in her sister’s voice and then another voice filtered through the phone. It was a man’s voice and it sounded like he was trying to calm her sister down. “Grace? Grace? Please don’t cry. Talk to me, please?”
“Sara, its Samuel. Grace is pretty upset right now. Could you please tell me what you two were talking about?”
“I just finished telling her that I was going to stay in Castle Peaks for Christmas. I…”
“Hold on a sec.”
Sara could hear Samuel talking to Grace in the background and then Samuel came back on the phone, “Sara, is Trent around?”
“Yes, he just went into the other room. What’s going on? Is Grace okay?”
“Grace is fine. Could you let me speak with Trent f
or a minute? I promise you can talk with Grace again.”
“Sure, let me find him for you.” Sara took the phone and exited the kitchen, following the sound of voices until she located Trent talking with Jane in the family room.
Seeing her enter with a confused look on her face, he rose and met her, “What’s going on? I thought you were talking to Grace.”
“I was, but when I told her I was going to stay here for Christmas she got really upset, and then Samuel got on the phone. Now he wants to talk to you.” Sara held the phone out to Trent.
Sara in Montana - A Christmas Wish Page 10
