His Mistletoe Family

by Ruth Logan Herne

  Thank You, God, for sending the boys here. For Great-Aunt Theresa finding Anthony’s will. For giving us this chance to make a difference in Todd and Tyler’s life. And please, please, please: Help me figure out all this legal stuff because I’ve got no clue what I’m doing.

  She led the boys back to the car, headed for the clean, bright and fenced day care facility and was considerably less surprised to find out she needed Todd’s medical records, too.

  Strike two.

  Strike three came when the bank officer explained that the second draft of the loan would be transferred into her business account as soon as she got a clean fire inspection that afternoon.

  Which was in approximately thirty minutes, and she was twenty minutes away with two hungry boys, no babysitter and no prep time for the fire inspection.

  Haley was never unprepared. Ever. She thought nothing of losing sleep, food or free time to get the job done and get it done right, so being caught unprepared for this fire inspection spiked her ire.

  And when Brett Stanton walked in the door with an official-looking notepad at one twenty-seven, she wanted to curl up and hide.

  Brett’s opinion mattered to her. A lot. Something about him, his solidity, his strength, the sheer force of the man drew her. Balanced her.

  And here he was as the fire inspector, with a job to do. Haley considered herself an accurate judge of character. Getting to know Brett these past few days told her one thing: He did his job well. And that might be her undoing.

  * * *

  His presence unnerved her.

  This time it wasn’t because of mutual flirtation. Today he blamed the notepad. And his official capacity as her fire inspector.

  She wasn’t ready. And he wished he could walk out the door, give her a reprieve of time, but he couldn’t. And if she wasn’t prepared for a scheduled inspection, what would happen when he or Bud Schmidt popped in for an impromptu check?

  He read her expression, appraised the situation and then did what he was paid to do with more reluctance than he ever thought possible.

  “Haley.”

  “Brett.” She stared up at him, squared her shoulders and blew out a breath.

  “Rough morning?”

  “You could say that.” She pointed to where the boys sat with a vendor in the small retro-styled dining café to their right.

  “No school for Tyler?” Brett turned her way, concerned.

  “Not without court-approved guardianship papers and vaccination records.”

  “None of which you have.”

  “Exactly.” She breathed deep, made a face and shrugged. “And Todd can’t start in the day care without vaccination records either. And Tyler assures me that Aunt Dell won’t answer her phone to talk to me, that she won’t talk to anyone on the phone and I have no idea how to get hold of any records of any kind. Angi’s family isn’t exactly forthcoming.”

  “I see.”

  Her gaze went stormy. Her eyes glimmered, but she held tight, shoulders back. “And my bank draft is being held up until we get our clean fire inspection and I wasn’t here to see to the details this morning, so I’m going to bet that we’ll have things to fix and you’ll have to come back to reinspect.”

  “It happens all the time.” He offered the words as assurance, but from the look on her face he knew she was reaching a breaking point. She’d had day after day of dealing with her new role as caregiver, her new business, the lack of sleep and problems inherent to both and unless he missed his guess, her money had run dry. But he had a job to do, and until that was done, he had no way to offer help. So... “Let’s get this done. See where we stand. And then we’ll go from there.”

  “Fine.”

  Her stubborn look almost made him smile, but he had a narrow line to walk today. That of a new friend willing to help and that of a commissioned inspector with a job to do. A job he didn’t take lightly as a volunteer fireman. Fire safety was of huge importance and despite her tumultuous weekend, this was an essential detail of business, especially in the north where winter fires claimed lives annually. Brett hated that lack of caution and common sense could cost lives. “Will you accompany me?”

  “Of course.”

  The opening area looked fine. He went through with nothing to note, but when he got into the main vendor area of the old furniture factory, he knew he was in trouble. Over-the-top lighting displays drew his first tag. Aisles made thin by excess product. Flammable materials set near candles with used wicks. His list grew and by the time they got into the antiques floor upstairs, he figured she’d burst into tears.

  But when he looked her way, she wasn’t despondent. Mad, yes. Depressed? No.

  And once again he realized that Haley went above and beyond the usual. His heart opened a little more, while he finished the list of citations.

  “How long do we have to clean up our act?” She faced him straightforward, her face ready to do battle. But not with him, and that relieved him tenfold.

  “Two weeks.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t wait that long, but I heartily apologize for putting you through a senseless inspection. Can you come back Wednesday?”

  Her determination made him proud, but there was no way he could make it back on Wednesday with two full inspections on new housing at the opposite end of the county. But those were the last two on his docket between now and New Year’s and Bud Schmidt might be back on duty the first of the year, depending on his prognosis and healing. “No, but Thursday?”

  “Thursday will be fine.” She led the way to the broad, old stairs leading down to the first floor. At the bottom, she turned again, extending her hand. “Thank you, Brett.”

  “Haley, I—”

  He wasn’t sure what he wanted to say, but never got the chance because the boys caught sight of him and raced their way.

  “Brett!”

  “Hey, Brett!”

  He caught Todd up, rubbed foreheads with the little fellow and then noogied Tyler’s head. “What have you guys got going this afternoon?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothin’.”

  “How about you come with me so Aunt Haley can get things done.”

  She shook her head, but the boys’ clamor made it academic. “Brett, really, I—”

  “Do you have another option?”

  “No.” She scowled and tapped her foot. “And I’ve got plenty to do here.” She waved the citation sheet with more intensity than necessary, making him choke back a smile again.

  “You stay here and get things worked out,” he told her. “I’ll take the boys and do a little shopping. Keep them busy. We’ll get them ready for an upstate winter.”

  Her face showed misgiving, a look he read easily, but the boys’ fleece hoodies wouldn’t cut it now. The forecast called for snow, snow and more snow by the following week. The kids needed to be ready. “You can pay me back once you’ve got solid ground beneath your feet again. But for now they need stuff and we can’t afford to wait until you can replenish your accounts with the bank draft if it’s going to take days to be awarded.”

  “Can I get my new coat?” wondered Todd out loud.

  Brett met Todd’s eye. “Yes.”

  “And me, too?”

  “Yes. We’ll get that all ironed out because when you do start school, you need to be prepared.”

  “With, like...new clothes? Really?” Tyler offered Brett a look that drew open his soldier’s heart a little more.

  “Clothes and school supplies. Have you guys had lunch?”

  Tyler hooked a thumb toward the retro café. “In there. Miss Lisa sat with us and told us stories about Christmas. Baby Jesus. And why he got born in a barn.”

  “A barn’s actually not a bad place to be born.” Brett met the little guy’s look of sur
prise with one of conviction. “Safe. Warm. Dry. Cozy. Quiet. Maybe the innkeeper was really trying to keep Mary safe from others.”

  “Brett.” Haley put her hand along his arm and her smile said his words had an effect. And he liked having an effect on Haley Jennings. “That’s a lovely way to look at it.”

  “I did a lot of time in the desert. Visited the Holy Land twice. Back in those days—” he jutted his chin toward the beautiful Nativity set showcased in the entryway “—it wasn’t uncommon for women to deliver in a cave. Or a stable. Safety and privacy were of great importance.”

  “I’ve never thought of it like that.” Haley squeezed his arm and her look, her touch, her wonder at life made him feel stronger and taller. “You’re sure about this?” She stroked Tyler’s cheek with a gentle hand, a hand born to mother, in Brett’s unskilled opinion. And something in her gentle stroke made him long for a second chance to father someone. A chance to do it right, from beginning to end.

  “Absolutely. We’ll meet you for supper tonight over at the Crossroads. And I’ll pick up some dessert at the Angelica Sweet Shop.”

  “And cookies from the cookie store?” Todd lifted hopeful eyes to Brett’s.

  “The Colonial Cookie Kitchen has just now been declared stop number one,” Brett assured him. “And if you guys are good while we shop, I’ll have a treat for you later. But no whining.”

  “And we better watch out. We better not cry.” Tyler slanted a serious look Brett’s way, underscoring his verbal reminder that Christmas was coming.

  “We better not pout,” Todd added, not to be outdone.

  “Exactly.” Brett leveled a firm look at both boys, then a gentler one at Haley. “Good luck with all this.” He encompassed the co-op in a gaze before resettling it on her. “Although I’m sure you’ve got it well in hand.”

  She offered a grim smile. “You can count on it.”

  He knew he could. He also knew she’d have had everything in tip-top shape if she hadn’t taken on the care of these two little boys, but she’d taken that leap of faith despite the risk to her new business and bankbook. That devotion inspired him to do the same.

  * * *

  Lisa Fitzgerald curtailed Haley as she aimed for the office to send out an urgent vendor email. “It didn’t go well, I take it?”

  “About as far from well as you can get.” Haley waved an aggravated hand around. “And it’s not like we didn’t know he was coming. Or that I didn’t send out a memo Saturday and Sunday to remind people to prepare for his inspection.”

  “I know.” Lisa sent her a sympathetic look. “Sales were good and people got tired. And a little greedy.” She let her gaze slide left, indicating one of the cited displays. “Space and sales at Christmas are crucial to some vendors.”

  “But not at the cost of being fined or shut down. Or what if there was a fire or a natural disaster? And people couldn’t access the exit doors or windows?” Haley swept the sprawling old factory room a focused look. “We’ve got false walls, overhead lighting, decorative things strung everywhere, all according to code. There’s no reason to break code to make a few extra bucks.”

  “You and I are in full agreement.” Lisa stepped closer and flashed Haley a look of understanding. “But that’s because we’ve had to do battle in our lives. Some folks don’t get that.”

  Haley knew what she meant. Lisa was a breast cancer survivor. She won her life and lost her husband, a man who couldn’t stay the course to fight off a debilitating and sometimes deadly disease with his wife. Alone, Lisa had made it her mission to educate people through Gardens and Greens, the family garden store she ran for her parents. Her philanthropy touched people throughout Allegany County.

  Folks would drive an extra ten miles or ten minutes to shop at Lisa’s place. Having her do a second location in the co-op was a coup for Haley because Lisa Fitzgerald drew business like flies to honey. Only way nicer. They’d already planned a Pink Ribbon celebration as part of the co-op’s February romance theme, and Lisa had an all-out extravaganza at the family farm garden shop in May, a pink salute to summer, warmth, gardens and breast cancer patients everywhere.

  “I’m emailing everyone for an emergency meeting. We’ll have this in shape by Thursday—”

  “Good timing.” Lisa nodded firmly. “Quick, and before the weekend.”

  “Exactly. And in the meantime, I’m fixing what I can myself.”

  Lisa frowned. “Shouldn’t we make the responsible vendors do that?”

  “In a perfect world, yes.” Haley started for the stairs, determined. “But it’s slow today, and I’ve got the gift of time because Brett’s got the boys.”

  She didn’t miss Lisa’s interested upturned brow, but chose to ignore it and move on. “And my bank draft is tied up until this inspection comes out clean. Which means I can’t pay people until this gets done.”

  “Oh, Haley.” Lisa moved forward, concerned. “I had no idea. Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Because running the place is my job.” Haley met her gaze frankly. “And I don’t want people thinking I’m too young or inexperienced to do it right. So I kept this to myself thinking it was the right thing to do, only now I’ve got contractors waiting in line for a payment they expected two weeks ago. And that’s beyond embarrassing.”

  “I’ll help.” Lisa rolled up the sleeves of her turtleneck and fell into step with Haley. “We’ll tackle the upstairs first and work our way down. The front’s covered until closing, so we’re good to go.”

  “Lisa.” Haley paused and met Lisa’s look. “You don’t have to do this.”

  “I do,” the taller woman argued. “Christmas tree business is traditionally slow on Mondays, my brother and his wife are overseeing things at the farm so Dad can take care of Mom and having an indoor site to sell greens is a perfect way to round things out. I’m totally determined that this cooperative will not only succeed but thrive. And I love keeping busy.”

  And then some, but because Haley reflected that ambition, it was nice to have a comrade, ready to do whatever it took to get things done. “Then let’s go.”

  “Lead the way.”

  Some of Haley’s frustration eased. Knowing the boys were in good hands, and that she had help at Bennington Station, calmed the tingle of worry snaking along her spine. If she could just get through the madness of Christmas, she’d be fine. Just fine.

  Chapter Seven

  Brett learned two very important lessons on his impromptu shopping trip. First, that no sane adult should take two kids shopping with less than a one-to-one ratio of adult to child and he was one adult short.

  Second? Shopping with kids was exhausting.

  Who knew that one little boy could disappear into a rack of women’s clothing so effectively? And stay that quiet?

  Covert ops had nothing on shopping with Todd and Tyler.

  “Brett, I’m hungry. Can we stop now?”

  “We’ve found only coats and hats. We need a bunch more stuff, bud.”

  Tyler frowned. Todd rubbed his eyes.

  Nap time.

  He hadn’t thought of that. Tyler would be okay if needed, but Todd? The little guy needed a nap. Or he’d be falling asleep under some rack-to-floor dress display and they’d never find him without an Amber Alert.

  “And I’ve got to go.”

  “Go?” Brett noted the worried look on Todd’s face. Understanding dawned. “Oh. Go. Gotcha. There’s a men’s room in the back corner.”

  “We can’t go alone.” Tyler looked up at him as if he’d grown two heads, minimal.

  “We might get pidnapped,” Todd explained earnestly.

  Brett couldn’t have that, right? “Let’s go, men.” He ushered them into the men’s bathroom, coached them on washing their hands and by the time they were done, Todd looked less worrie
d. Another lesson learned.

  “How about this?” Brett held up the two warm coats, snowpants, hats and mittens they’d selected. “What if we find boots today, and tomorrow we can shop for regular clothes? That way we can spread out the fun.”

  Tyler tucked his little hand into Brett’s. “I would like that. A lot. I was always wishing I’d get new clothes, Brett.”

  Todd nodded. “Me, too. Like a superhero shirt. And some running shoes so I can run fast, fast, fast.”

  Brett’s heart melted. The rusted tangle of chains fell a little more to the side as the boys gazed up at him. “Okay, boots today. Then ice cream.”

  The boys beamed, excited.

  “And then naps with Derringer.”

  “I fink I wuv him,” Todd exclaimed.

  “Think.” Brett stressed the opening sound, having heard Haley and LuAnn do the same thing.

  Todd nodded and grinned. “F-f-f-ink!”

  “You’re getting there, kid.” He grabbed Todd’s hand. By the time they got the boots fitted and ate mini-sundaes at Colonial Cookie Kitchen’s ice-cream parlor, it was four o’clock. The perfect time for a quick nap.

  Only Todd wasn’t tired. Just ornery.

  And Tyler wanted to play with the trains. Not sleep.

  Too late, Brett realized they’d gotten their second wind and naps were a no-go. Another lesson learned, albeit too late for today and Haley would have her hands full tonight.

  He’d commanded legions of armed fighting men with more acuity than he showed leading two little boys around a department store, but they’d survived. That was good, right?

  He fed the boys and called Haley on her cell phone.

  “Brett, hey. What’s up? Are the boys okay? I was just ducking out of here and heading your way.”

  “Don’t,” he told her. “I’ll meet you at your apartment. I’ve got food and two tired boys who probably want a seven o’clock bedtime whether they know it or not.”

  Haley’s laugh was just what he needed to hear. “I might just join them. Okay, I’m leaving here now and I’ll be home in two minutes.”