Willard walked her down the hall at a quick pace, until finally Lisa felt like she was being pulled along, and she had to step lively to keep up with him.
“My office is right this way,” he said. “But typically I use the conference room for much of what I do. I find I just need more room to spread out my papers, and the room itself is only used intermittently.”
“I understand completely,” Lisa said, smiling at his obvious enthusiasm. When this man got going, it was definitely tough to slow him down.
He veered into the conference room, and Lisa nearly stumbled with the sudden change in direction. She righted herself and looked at the table in amazement—it was covered with charts, graphs and paperwork, to the point where Lisa could barely see the surface of it.
“My goodness,” she said, bringing her hand to her mouth without realizing it. “This looks quite. . .thorough.”
“Oh, it is,” Willard said, nodding as he ushered her to a chair at the table. “Please, sit, and I'll show you what it is I'm up to.”
“Please do,” she said, folding her dress underneath her as she took in what a whirlwind he was.
He walked over to the largest piece of paper on the table, which looked to Lisa like a map of Last Chance.
“This is Main Street as it exists today,” he explained, grabbing a homemade wooden pointer next to the map. “And this is the street we're going to build to handle the influx of new people coming into Last Chance. Along with an extension to Main Street itself.”
The drawings themselves were ornate and precise, and it only took Lisa several minutes to realize how good Willard Jameson was at his work. Owen Standard may have been the mayor who represented the public face of Last Chance, but in many ways Willard Jameson was the engine who made the town go.
He continued to show her the many facets of his job, pointing to piles of paperwork on the table and hustling from one section of it to another to explain what they were about. Lisa found herself smiling as he did, and she recognized Willard Jameson as someone who was as in love with his own work as Lisa had been with hers.
Finally Lisa began to realize that her head was swimming from all the information he was presenting, and she knew she had to slow Willard down a bit. It was tough to get a word in edgewise once he got going, but somehow she managed it.
“And what about the observatory?” she asked innocently.
“The observatory?” he asked, shaking his head as if she'd just referred to a woolly mammoth in the corner of the room. “Oh, yes, of course! Its over here!”
He walked quickly to the cabinet on the far wall and plucked a model of the observatory that had been perched there. The model had been carved from clay, then carefully glazed and painted, and to Lisa it looked remarkably life-like.
“It's the pride of the town in many ways, both this artistic model and the actual observatory itself,” he explained, carrying it carefully over to the table and placing it in front of her. “Its remarkably authentic. . .it truly does look like the real thing.”
He admired the model from behind Lisa, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. “You really should see the real thing, though,” Willard said softly.
“I know,” Lisa said, turning and smiling at him, then placing her hand on top of his. “That's what I was talking about.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
Her smile grew. “Our trip out to the bluff to see it,” she added. “The one you promised me.”
“Oh!” Willard shook his head and blushed. “I did promise you that, didn't I?”
“Yes, you did,” Lisa said softly. “And it's a promise I'm going to hold you to.”
“Well, you won't have to do much to get me to fulfill it,” he said. “I just happened to get caught up in the moment with all this.”
Lisa laughed slightly. “Yes, I kind of noticed that,” she said. “So when are we going up there?”
“Hmm,” Willard said, gazing into her eyes and realizing that this was something he wanted to do right away. “How about today?”
“Today!” She exclaimed. “Really?”
“Uh huh,” he said, nodding enthusiastically. “I'm almost sure we should be able to do that.”
“Almost sure?” Lisa asked, laughing slightly at the suddenness of it all.
He blushed slightly. “Well, I do have to check with the mayor, of course.”
“Oh!” she said. “Please, don't go to any trouble on my account.”
“It's no trouble at all,” he insisted. “I think he'll probably be glad to have me out of his hair for the afternoon.”
Lisa grinned. “He did mention that you were a bit of a whirlwind this morning.”
Willard blushed. “I know I can be a bit much at times,” he said, embarrassed. “It's just part of who I am, I suppose.”
“Well, I like it,” she said, giving his hand another squeeze. “A lot.”
“I know, and I'm quite glad about that,” he said, turning even redder. He turned toward the door, needing to be in motion. “Well, let me go check with the mayor. I'll be right back.”
Willard walked quickly toward the door, but just as he did, it opened, nearly knocking him down. When it did open all the way, it turned out to be none other than the mayor himself, Owen Standard.
Willard barely managed to avoid the door, and Lisa stood up, filled with concern until she saw that he was all right. Owen smiled at the scene, then turned his grin to Lisa.
“I came to rescue you,” he said sardonically. “We noticed that the lunch hour had passed without either of you coming out, so I figured Willard must have gotten a little too enthusiastic in his presentations.”
“Maybe just a bit,” Lisa said, grinning. “But it is very interesting and entertaining.”
“Well, I'm glad you think so,” the mayor said. “The one thing I'm sure of is that this town would be totally lost without Willard and what he does for us.”
“That's the impression I have as well,” Lisa said. “And I have to say, I am incredibly impressed.”
Willard was turning redder by the second, and finally he realized that he needed to stop the avalanche of compliments flowing in his direction.
“Well, Mr.Mayor,” he said, interjecting himself into the situation. “I was actually just about to come see you about something.”
“Oh?” Owen asked.
Lisa smiled, and Willard continued. “I was thinking I might show Miss Freeman our observatory,” he said sheepishly. “If you can spare me for the afternoon.”
The mayor grinned, instantly recognizing what the idea was about. “I think that would be splendid,” he said enthusiastically. “Shall I make the town carriage available for both of you?”
“Please, don't go to any trouble on my account,” Lisa protested.
“It's no trouble at all,” Owen insisted. “We use it all the time for many different purposes, and the townspeople don't mind because they know how incredibly hard we work on a daily basis.”
Willard smiled. “And every now and then a getaway expedition like this is important,” he added.
The mayor nodded. “And Miss Freeman does need to see the town as well,” Owen said, tongue in cheek. “As part of our welcoming program.”
“Absolutely,” Willard agreed, grinning at the mayor. “Do you mind if we leave right away?”
The mayor went to fetch the stage driver, and Lisa and Willard both realized at once that there was one other detail that needed to be attended to before they could depart.
“We forgot to have lunch!” Willard exclaimed. “All because of me getting so carried away with my explanations and charts and graphs.”
Lisa shook her head. “No!” she insisted. “I was quite caught up in it as well. But now that you mention it, I could certainly use a small repast.”
“Hmm.” Willard tilted his head and thought for a bit. “Wait! I have an idea.”
“Oh?” she asked, realizing that the man was full of them. “What are you thinking?”
“He can?” Lisa asked, slightly amazed.
Willard nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “He does it all the time.”
“Really?”
“Uh huh. . .its actually a specialty of his.”
She cocked her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Willard began, blushing slightly. “You might actually call it a picnic of sorts. He prepares a basket of light fare, usually for those staying at the Lazy Layabout, although he does it for town residents as well when needed.”
Lisa shook her head in amazement. “And he can do this on a moment's notice?” she asked, stunned.
“For me,” he said, grinning. “Actually, it's something he does for the mayor's office on an occasional basis.”
“That sounds wonderful!” Lisa said, grinning.
“Good!” Willard exclaimed. “Would you like to walk over to the hotel with me to make the arrangements?”
“I'd love that,” she said. “Just give me a second to fetch my coat.”
“I'll get it for you,” Willard said, chivalrous as always. He grabbed Lisa's coat and helped her put it on, then donned his own. “It might be a little chilly for a picnic, though,” he noted as they walked toward the door of town hall.”
Lisa smiled at him. “I don't think that will be a problem,” she said. “I think our hearts will be warmed by each other's presence.”
“I quite agree,” Willard replied, touching her shoulder softly before he pushed the heavy door open for her.
“Shall we?”
They found Harlan Courtwright as soon as they got to the town hall, and Willard took him aside to make his request. Harlan was quite busy, as usual, but he set aside some time to prepare a simple meal for them consisting of freshly baked bread and goat's milk cheese, which was a specialty of the hotel.
Willard and Lisa waited in the lobby for several minutes until Harlan returned with the basket.
“Here it is,” he said enthusiastically. “And the bread was just warmed for you.”
“Thank you so much,” Lisa said. “It really is quite wonderful of you to do this for us.”
“No trouble at all,” Harlan replied. “We get last minute requests such as this all the time.”
“Still, though, the level of service is quite remarkable,” Lisa observed. “I hope you know how grateful we are.”
“Oh, I do,” he said, grinning. “And the mayor's office has been more than kind when it comes to promoting the Lazy Layabout and steering business our way. I can barely count the number of times this gentleman has done special favors for me.”
He pointed at Willard, who blushed furiously. “Well, then,” Willard said, stepping forward to shake Harlan's hand. “We should probably get back and see if the stage is ready.”
Harlan smiled. “You have a trip planned for this?” he asked.
“Oh yes,” Willard replied eagerly. “We're going up to the observatory for the day.”
“A splendid day for it,” Harlan exclaimed. “A tad chilly at this time of year, but I suspect the sun up there will provide more than enough warmth for a wonderful late lunch.”
“We'll be more than comfortable,” Lisa said, looping her arm around Willard and moving closer to him. “We'll have each other's presence to keep us warm.”
Harlan noted how much they seemed to look like a couple already, and he grinned.
“And I suspect that will be more than enough,” he added. “Have a wonderful lunch!”
Willard knew the stage would be ready when they returned to town hall, but he also knew there was something else he needed to attend to before they could leave.
As they got closer, he continued to ponder how to get it done, and finally he paused at the beginning of the walkway leading up to the door.
“Oh my goodness,” he said, turning to Lisa and trying to sound as alarmed as possible.
“What is it?” she asked, suddenly concerned.
“There's something else I need to do,” he began. “Before we can depart.”
“Is it important?”
He smiled, thinking about how important it truly was to him. “Very,” he said, taking her hands and giving them a squeeze. “Fortunately, though, I think it's something I can attend to in a matter of moments.”
“Are you sure?” Lisa asked. “We can postpone our trip if you need to do that.”
“No!” he said emphatically. “Trust me, I'm fairly sure I just need 10 or 15 minutes or so.”
He nodded at town hall. “I'm sure the mayor can accommodate you in the meantime.”
“Well. . .all right,” Lisa said. “As long as you're sure.”
“Very sure,” he insisted. “I'll be right back.”
Just as he went to leave, though, the town hall door opened, and Owen Standard appeared. Willard stopped in his tracks and turned, suddenly concerned that the mayor required his presence for something urgent that had popped up.
“Mr. Mayor?” he said as Owen strode quickly down the walkway toward them.
“Willard!” the mayor exclaimed, nodding at Lisa. “I just realized I need to see you in my office for a few minutes before you depart.”
Willard began to panic slightly. “Is it urgent?” he asked nervously.
“Yes, absolutely,” Owen said, flashing a grin that seemed to indicate it might be about something else.
“Oh,” he said, looking slightly crushed. “Well, then, if it's that important. . .”
“Trust me, this will only take a few minutes,” the mayor said. “And I believe it will be quite important to you.”
“Really?” Willard asked, thoroughly confused.
“Absolutely,” he assured him, then turned his attention to Lisa. “Would you mind waiting for us in the conference room while we attend to this?”
“Of course not,” Lisa said, looking at the lunch basket Willard was carrying. “Would you like me to watch that for a few moments?”
“Oh!” Owen said. “Why yes, of course. We'll just be a few moments, I assure you, and the carriage is waiting around the back.”
They walked back into the town hall, the mayor holding the door open for both of them. Willard seemed slightly desultory about the sudden change in plans, which made Lisa wonder all the more what it was about.
She took the basket and headed down the hall to the conference room, while Willard and the mayor took a slight turn into the mayor's office.
“Sit, please,” the mayor said after shutting the door. “As I said, this will only take a moment.”
“What's come up?” Willard asked, his face etched with concern.
“Nothing serious,” the mayor said, smiling. He walked behind his desk and opened the main drawer. “I've taken certain liberties on your behalf, though.”
Willard shook his head in confusion. “I'm afraid I don't understand.”
“Nor do I expect you to,” the mayor said, pulling something from the drawer. “I did this entirely on my own.
“Did what?” he asked. “I'm afraid you have me completely confused and at a disadvantage here.”
“I know,” Owen said, and Willard realized that he was carrying a small box of some sort.
Without further ado, the mayor palmed the box, then pushed it across the desk toward Willard.
“I procured this today on your behalf,” he said. “I hope it fits the bill.”
At first, Willard didn't recognize the box at all. He wasn't a jewelry aficionado, and he definitely wasn't in the business of buying wedding rings.
But Owen Standard recognized a need when he saw it, and he valued the happiness of his town clerk as much or more than any other town resident, save for his wife, of course.
So he'd taken the obvious step and went to the town jeweler, purchasing the simple gold band for Willard.
“What is it?” Willard said, blinking in curiosity.
“You don't know?” Owen
said in disbelief.
“Not really.”
The mayor shook his head. “Just open it, then,” he directed. “That will provide a better explanation than I could.”
Willard twisted the box and looked inside, and his jaw dropped in shock.
“This is. . .is this what I think it is?” he asked.
“It is,” Owen replied, nodding and then smiling.
“And it's for. . .Lisa?”
The mayor cackled. “Yes, I believe so,” he confirmed. “At least that's the general idea.”
He chuckled. “I can't imagine it being for anyone else.”
“An engagement ring,” Willard said, still obviously in a state of shock.
“I thought it might be helpful for your trip this afternoon,” Owen said. “To the observatory.”
Willard blinked again. “I don't understand.”
“Give it to her,” he said finally, realizing that the obvious way was the best way.
“Today, you mean?”
The mayor sighed, knowing he wasn't quite getting through. “Yes, today!” he exclaimed, raising his voice slightly.
Willard turned silent, shocked at the suggestion. He pondered the possibility for nearly a minute, then finally spoke.
“It seems far too soon for this,” he said softly. “What if she rejects me?”
Owen shook his head in frustration. “Willard, you need to trust me here,” he said. “That simply won't happen.”
“It won't?”
“No. . .in fact, there's almost no chance of it,” the mayor added.
The town clerk pondered his statement for a few more minutes. “How do you know?” he asked finally.
The mayor shook his head once again. “Willard, we've seen a lot of marriages here. . . correct?”
“Yes,” Willard replied, nodding. “Without a doubt.”
“And many of the women have been mail order brides,” he went on. “Am I correct in that?”
“Most certainly.”
“And Lisa Freeman came here with a mail order bride,” Owen continued. “To start a new life. Yes?”
Willard nodded once again, this time saying nothing.
Christmas Miracles: Mega Mail Order Bride 20-Book Box Set: Multi-Author Box Set Page 77
