Harlequin Superromance December 2013 - Bundle 1 of 2: Caught Up in YouThe Ranch She Left BehindA Valley Ridge Christmas

by Beth Andrews

  The driving underage was how Maeve and Tori had become close. Tori had been almost fifteen and Dylan had agreed with her parents that Tori’s punishment would be best served volunteering at the library. When Maeve had first met Tori, she’d been an angry, blue-haired girl. Now, she had Sophie’s blond hair, with a much more subtle blue streak and seemed as cheerful as her biological mother.

  “We’re having Thanksgiving with Sophie. My grandparents are even coming in for it. Sophie’s all flustered. It’s the first holiday she’s hosted at the farm. Mom and Dad said they wished they could have come to the library with me tonight, but they’re pitching in to help Sophie since she’s about ready to pop. Seriously, she’s so tiny and I don’t think there’s much more room for the baby to grow. Lily told her that she had to wait until after the wedding to have the baby, but, Maeve, I’m not sure she’s going to make it.” Without pausing for a breath, she asked, “What are you doing for the holiday?”

  “I was having dinner at Mom and Herm’s, but they’re moving it to my place because I have guests—”

  “Yeah, I heard all about them from Joe before I even got here. Then I heard from JoAnn. And from Marilee and Vivienne. Half the town is looking for jobs for Boyd.”

  “Well, news does travel fast here.” She loved that about Valley Ridge, except when it was about her. Which was why she’d always done her utmost to stay under the town’s radar.

  “Anyway, you’ve probably heard then that Josie is on bed rest. She had to persuade her husband that she should come out tonight. I thought it would be easier to convince him that they should join us for dinner if they didn’t have to go too far, which is why Thanksgiving is at my house this year. Come with me, I’ll introduce you.”

  * * *

  AARON WATCHED AS Maeve led a young girl over to him. And then he realized he’d been flattering himself—she was leading the kid to Josie.

  As they got closer, he noticed the girl was older than he’d thought. Midteens at least. Her blond hair was cropped short in the back and longer on the side and sported a blue streak.

  “Josie, this is Tori, the best library assistant I ever had. Tori, this is Josie, a new friend.”

  Aaron cleared his throat and Maeve added, “Oh, and this is Aaron. He’s working at the Farm and House Supply, filling in for his uncle this winter. But I don’t think he’s meant for the business, since remembering people’s proper names is so difficult for him.”

  “Nice to meet you, Tori,” Josie said. “Maeve told me how much you did at the library over the summer.” Josie patted the couch next to her and Tori sat down. A young boy came in and sat on the chair next to the couch. Tori introduced him as her friend Joe, and the two of them proceeded to regale Josie with stories of their summer and Joe’s two younger sisters.

  “They wanted to come tonight,” he said, “but Dad said no. I promised to remember some of the riddles to tell them.”

  “Speaking of riddles...” Maeve said.

  Aaron noticed how quickly the room quieted as Maeve stood and welcomed everyone. She gave a bit of history about Tolkien, his writing group with C. S. Lewis and others, as well as the origins of The Hobbit. He noted she was careful not to reveal anything about the story, other than the fact that there was a riddle scene. She read a bit of the section out loud, and then encouraged people to stand up and tell their own riddles.

  The riddles were silly and he’d heard many of them before, but Aaron couldn’t remember when he’d laughed so much. When it was his turn, he was ready. “What do computer geeks snack on?”

  No one answered.

  “Microchips.” It took a minute, but soon the entire room was laughing.

  He’d spent more time than he should have coming up with riddles for tonight and he felt a sense of satisfaction that the first one was well received. “I have another one. What is a computer geek’s favorite fruit?”

  “Apples,” Tori shouted out.

  He grinned. “Yes. And what do you call a swearing computer geek?”

  No one answered and he was delighted that he’d stumped them. “A cursor.”

  Even Maeve laughed. “Did you work on those all week?”

  He nodded.

  “I know you’re only filling in for your uncle, and that managing a store isn’t your primary job. Let me guess, do you do something with computers?” Maeve asked.

  “Guilty. I’m a programmer.”

  Maeve didn’t look the least bit annoyed or exasperated with him. She was laughing, and he liked her looking at him that way.

  The riddle competition continued. Aaron had initially been embarrassed by the lameness of his riddles, but there were others that were equally lame and everyone seemed to find all of them as funny as he did.

  “Okay, it’s time for our Riddlefest awards,” Maeve announced. “It’s safe to say our winner in the work-related category is...Aaron Holder.” She gave him a quick nod and everyone clapped.

  After Maeve had announced the rest of the winners and wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving, people started getting up.

  Aaron continued to sit by Josie and half listened as she talked with Tori and the boy, Joe, but he mainly watched Maeve.

  She smiled and chatted with everyone. Young and old. She laughed a lot, and people around her did, as well.

  “Mr. Holder,” someone said loudly. He turned and realized Tori was standing in front of him.

  “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

  “Yeah, I can guess what you were thinking about.” She glanced over her shoulder at Maeve, then faced him and grinned.

  “So, I know you’re a computer geek,” she said. “But how long are you in town for?”

  Something told him that Tori was quite mature for her age. “Until my uncle comes back. He’s in Arizona. The Valley Ridge winters are getting too hard for him, so I’ll probably be here until it warms up.”

  His uncle had been decidedly less than forthcoming on a specific date when he’d be back. He felt that Aaron’s ability to work from anywhere meant he didn’t have a life to get back to. And though he’d never say so, there really wasn’t much waiting for Aaron in Florida, other than the sunshine and the heat.

  “Where are you from?” she asked.

  “Orlando, Florida.” He missed the warmth. Missed his house. Missed his easy, simple life there. He’d been able to work when he wanted. Sleep when he wanted.

  Here, he had to be at the store to oversee things, which made it more difficult for him to work on his own stuff.

  There, he’d gone days without having anybody visit but the mailman.

  Here, he interacted with people daily.

  “Seeing anyone?” Tori asked.

  He didn’t like the direction of this conversation. “Not now.” That was the truth. Not the whole truth, but all a stranger had to know, especially when the stranger was a teenage interrogator.

  “Are you going home for Thanksgiving?” the girl asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Oh,” was all she said.

  Maeve joined their group. She actually gave him a half smile. “Your riddles were the hit of the evening.”

  “I got into the spirit of it. I’m only a few chapters away from finishing the book, by the way. You’re right, reading a beautifully bound book does enhance the experience. I appreciate your loaning it to me.”

  Tori looked surprised and interrupted them. “Wait a minute.” She turned to Maeve. “You lent him your copy of The Hobbit? The peanut-butter-for-weeks one?”

  Maeve seemed embarrassed. “He wanted to join the book club and the library didn’t have any copies left.”

  Tori grinned. “That was nice of you. Very nice of you.” To Aaron she said, “You’d better guard it with your life. She loves that book. Well, all books. But that one specifically.”
<
br />   He made a cross over his heart.

  But Tori had already moved on to another subject. “Did you know Aaron doesn’t have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving? His family’s in Florida and he’s stuck here at the supply store. All alone. On a holiday.”

  Aaron knew where this tricky young girl was going. She verified his suspicions by winking at him.

  Yes, she was definitely mature for her age.

  “It’s okay, Tori,” he said, playing along. “I bought a microwavable turkey dinner.” As Tori made an over-the-top gasping noise, he innocently and hastily added, “It’s a step up from last year’s Thanksgiving dinner. I had a turkey sub for that.”

  “I’m so sorry, Aaron,” Tori said, her voice dripping with sympathy, though her eyes sparkled with mischief. “I mean, if we were having dinner at my house, I’d tell Mom to invite you. But we’re staying at JoAnn’s Bed and Breakfast and eating at Sophie’s. And though Sophie adores me, I think it’s rude to invite someone when it’s not your house. And, given her condition, more work isn’t what she needs. She’s pregnant, you know. Very pregnant with my baby brother.”

  She referred to her mom and dad, and then referred to Sophie carrying her brother. He’d met the Sophie in question, but he didn’t know anything about Tori’s relationship with her. He didn’t ask, though he was curious. “It’s no problem, really. I’m used to microwave meals. I eat them most nights.”

  Tori was staring expectantly at Maeve. And Josie, who’d been quiet, looked at Maeve, as well.

  Aaron could see that Maeve knew what was going on. He didn’t blame her for not immediately inviting him. He’d been a bit of a jerk when they’d first met, but he thought their impromptu movie night had smoothed things over. Although, calling her Red again this evening had been a mistake.

  Maeve sighed the sigh of the defeated. “Aaron, why don’t you come over to my house on Thursday? My mom and my stepfather and Josie and her family will be there. Mom’s making the turkey at her place and bringing it over to mine, so the food’s bound to be good.”

  Her invitation was polite enough, but though she tried to disguise it, he could see the reluctance in her expression. He should be chivalrous and decline. To be honest, most of the time, it was easy for him to turn down opportunities where he would be forced to socialize. The past couple of years, he’d pretty much lived the life of a hermit. But he found himself saying, “Thank you, Maeve. I’d be delighted. It was kind of you to ask.”

  Maeve’s face said she was anything but delighted at the prospect of dining with him, but he ignored it and when she left to see to other patrons, he turned to Tori. “Thanks.”

  “I’m not sure why I helped you, other than you seem to rattle Maeve, and she needs to be a bit rattled sometimes. But be on your best behavior,” the girl warned. “Maeve’s special.”

  Josie nodded. “Maeve is very special.”

  Aaron wasn’t sure why they would think he’d be anything less than well behaved, but he wasn’t about to start an argument. “I promise.”

  He hung around and helped clean up the chairs in the hopes of spending more time with Maeve. But after she closed up the library, she helped Josie to the RV and went inside with her, giving him a brief wave good-night.

  Well, he had an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner, so he knew he’d see her then, if not before.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING Maeve woke with a sense of excitement warring with anxiety. It was Wednesday. And she wasn’t thinking about all the things she had to do before Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.

  She was thinking about the Culpepper place.

  She’d been saving money her entire adult life. She wanted a cushion, something to fall back on if tough times hit. She didn’t simply want to be prepared for any unexpected financial difficulties, she needed to be. She’d thought about dipping into her savings in the past and had felt anxious to the point of nearly having a panic attack.

  She was still nervous, but she was energized, too. She could come up with all kinds of rational reasons why it was okay to do this. She knew her mother and Herm would always be there for her, and she had a college degree and work experience. She owned her home outright, so no bank could call in her mortgage. And she could always rebuild her savings. She was still young enough that she had plenty of years to plan for retirement.

  Even if Josie and Boyd weren’t interested in her proposal, someone else would benefit from this.

  She’d gone to the bank and checked on her available funds. She knew what she had down to the penny.

  She then talked Ray into starting the bidding at a reasonable amount. He had to make enough on the Culpepper place to justify bumping up the sale date to the town council, but he knew she had only limited personal funds and they’d agreed to stay within that amount.

  She told him her half-baked plan and he’d offered to help. He’d also promised to work with her when it came to transferring the deed.

  The deed to the house.

  Though it wasn’t just any house. No, not if she had her way. With any luck, the old Culpepper place would be a home for Boyd and Josie. They’d raise Carl and their new baby there. They’d build a lifetime of memories in that house.

  Maeve flew through her morning routine. She took two insulated mugs of herbal tea over to Josie since Boyd had already left for work. He’d finished fixing up the garage for Gabriel, and had been hired by a local farmer to replace some fencing. She’d volunteered to see that Carl was dressed and fed. She found she enjoyed starting her day visiting with Josie.

  Josie longed for roots, for neighbors in the truest sense of the word. People who looked out for you. And she wanted a garden in the spring.

  Josie was convinced that everything happened for a reason, and the reason they were going through this upheaval was to find their true home. And Maeve fervently hoped it would be here in Valley Ridge.

  After saying goodbye to Josie and Carl, she began the walk toward the mayor’s office. On her way there, she paused at the parking lot of the supply store and gazed at the broken, weathered house that stood beyond it. It had a good sized backyard. A backyard that definitely had enough room for a garden. She could see the Myers family there. Sitting on the porch in the summer, waving hi to the neighbors. Celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, holidays.

  With the beautiful fantasy still unfolding in her mind’s eye, Maeve continued down Park Street, stopping in at the coffee shop for two coffees—one for her and one for Ray—before continuing on to Ray’s office.

  Maeve patted her coat pocket and felt reassured when she felt her checkbook.

  It was time.

  She entered the office and Ray was waiting. He glanced at the clock, then back at her and smiled. “Five minutes,” he announced by way of a greeting. “You’re the only one so far.”

  She handed him the coffee. “Your sister said this was your favorite. And to be clear, it’s not a bribe.”

  He laughed. “I wasn’t worried. And thanks.” He took a sip and his smile was replaced by a look of concern. “You’re sure about this? Even at this price, it’s a lot of money for you to put up.”

  A wave of nervousness swept through her again.

  Her mind harked back to the words embroidered on Mrs. Anderson’s cross-stitch, and the nerves faded. They were replaced by a sense of purpose. “I’m sure,” she said. “The formal paperwork will take more time, but like we agreed, I’ll buy the place and put the deed in my name, and then as soon as the charity’s papers are finalized, I’ll donate it.”

  Ray smiled. “I wasn’t worried about that.”

  “No, but I want to be sure everything’s aboveboard. I’ll see an attorney to make sure it’s all legal. One thing I will need is a board of directors to oversee the foundation. Frankly, the idea of dealing with the money end of things gives me fits. I was thinking
about asking Sebastian if he’d like to be on the board. I hope you’ll consider serving, as well.”

  “You know I will. It’s a great idea. I really like that it’s starting local and staying local. This can make a huge difference to the town. It will give us a chance to deal with vacant properties and turn them into assets.” He glanced at the clock and said, “It’s time.” He stood. “The bidding will begin at the amount owed in back taxes. Do I have an offer?”

  Maeve raised her hand.

  “Then, since there’s only one offer on the table—”

  Before Ray could finish his sentence, the door flew open. “Am I in time?” Aaron Holder looked worried. “I’d have been here sooner, but my uncle’s manager, Tom, was late again. Though he hasn’t said anything, I think he must have found another job because he’s been very lax around the store lately.”

  He spotted Maeve and smiled. “I didn’t think I’d see you again this soon.” His smile faded as he looked at her and then at Ray.

  Maeve didn’t know what was going on in his mind, but she knew what was on the forefront of hers. “On time for what?”

  “For the auction.”

  Her heart sank at his words. Ray shot her a sympathetic look, then said, “No, you’re not too late. We just started. We have an offer on the table.”

  When Aaron heard the price, he grinned and upped her bid by five hundred dollars.

  Maeve felt sick as she countered his bid.

  She knew there were only so times she could afford to do so. Not if she was to have any money left over for renovations. Even with donations, she would still need to put money into the place. The house had been empty for so long she that was sure there would be a few issues.

  Minutes later, Aaron had officially won the bidding war.

  Ray mouthed the words, I’m sorry.

  She nodded and got up to leave.

  “No hard feelings?” Aaron asked, grinning. “Maybe I can treat you to dinner tonight...”

  Maeve glared at him.

  She would have liked to take the high road and tell him of course there were no hard feelings, but she didn’t feel particularly generous or forgiving at the moment, so she simply turned and walked out of the room.