Love Finds You on Christmas Morning

by Debby Mayne

  “Oh.” Lillian felt terrible about her decision to hire Rose. “I’m very sorry I made such a horrible mistake.”

  “It’s not your fault, Lillian,” he said, his voice tender and kind. “You have such a strong work ethic, and you’re so honest that you don’t expect this kind of behavior from others. I’ve known people ten years younger than Rose who’ve acted more mature. Do you know who her parents are?”

  Lillian shook her head. “How would I know?”

  He chuckled. “I’m surprised she didn’t tell you. Her daddy owns about ten percent of Raleigh, including the second-largest bank. He’s considering buying some of the businesses here in Cary.”

  That confused Lillian. Why would Rose go to the trouble of coming to Cary and getting a job at the Five and Dime? Mr. Joachim continued. “I found out yesterday evening when William stopped by after you left.”

  “William came by the store?”

  “Yes, he said he was looking for you, and since you often stick around after closing, he thought he might find you here. He wanted to talk to you when Rose wasn’t nearby.”

  “Oh.” Lillian hung her head. Now it was confirmed; William was embarrassed to be seen with her, and he didn’t want Rose to know.

  “William is a very honorable young man. He didn’t want to snitch, but I managed to find out what I needed about Rose. And what he didn’t tell me, I found out from a business acquaintance in Raleigh. Apparently, she lost her last job because she refused to do the work. I’m not sure why she came here looking for work, but William seems to think it has something to do with defying her parents, who have always kept tight reins on her…and possibly creating a path of destruction before they come here.”

  Whatever the case, it was obvious that William still didn’t want Rose to know he was coming to see the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Lillian might not be experienced with men, but she wasn’t stupid or desperate either.

  Mr. Joachim leaned over and caught her gaze. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more involved in helping you with the hiring. Don’t think I’m blaming you for anything regarding Rose. There wasn’t any way for you to know. On the surface, she seemed like a good choice, but people like her can fool anyone.”

  Lillian nodded. “I need to get to work now.”

  “Since we’re probably going to be busy, I’ll help out until we find someone with your sign in the window.” He smiled. “By the way, I appreciate your diligence in everything.”

  As expected, the store became busy and remained that way for most of the day. Lillian rarely had time to reflect on anything that had happened until the last customer left.

  “Good job, Lillian,” Mr. Joachim said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Here’s a little extra for all your hard work.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “I want you to buy yourself something nice,” he said. “There should be enough in there to give your mama the household money and have some left over for you.”

  All the way home, she thought about what she’d do with her personal money. Gloves would be nice, but then so would a stylish haircut. Since she wasn’t sure how much money was in the envelope, she knew she shouldn’t be daydreaming about it.

  When she arrived home, Mama was in the kitchen and Daddy was asleep and snoring in his chair, an open book face down on his chest. After a brief pause, she scurried to her room, closed the door, and opened the envelope.

  Mr. Joachim wasn’t kidding. There was more than enough to give Mama the household money for a week and keep something for herself. In fact, she could purchase the gloves and get a haircut.

  She tucked a little bit of the money into her pocketbook and stuffed the rest of it back into the envelope. As she passed the mirror, she glanced at it and smiled. It wouldn’t be long before she had a completely different, more modern look.

  Mama looked over her shoulder when Lillian came into the kitchen. “How was your day with the new girl?”

  “She didn’t work out.”

  “Too bad. Was Mr. Joachim upset with you for hiring her?”

  “No,” Lillian replied. “In fact, he gave me a bonus for having to work so hard.”

  Mama spun around with an eager expression. “A bonus?”

  “Here,” Lillian said as she handed Mama the envelope. “We should be able to eat well for a while.”

  Mama took the envelope and thumbed through it. She opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of someone knocking on the front door stopped her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Daddy got to the door before Lillian or her mama. William stood on the other side with an expectant look on his face.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but may I see Lillian?” William’s gaze shifted from Daddy’s to hers. “Lillian?”

  She folded her arms and stared at him for a few seconds before nodding. “I suppose there’s no harm in talking to you. Let me get my coat, and we can go outside.”

  “Lillian!” Mama frowned at her. “You’ll catch your death of cold. Invite Mr. Tronnier inside.”

  “That’s okay, Mrs. Pickard,” William said. “My coat is warm, and besides, I’m not all that cold-natured.”

  Lillian didn’t waste any time grabbing her coat and heading for the door. William followed her down the walk. “Want to go for a drive?”

  “No, I think it’s best if we talk here.” She cleared her throat and gathered her thoughts. “William, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I want you to leave me out of it.”

  “Game?” He tilted his head and frowned. “What makes you think I’m playing a game?”

  “You’re obviously visiting more than one girl at work, and you and I both know I’m not exactly in your social—”

  A light of dawning appeared on his face. “Hold on there, Lillian. If you’re talking about what happened with Rose, I can explain.”

  Lillian held up her hands. “You don’t have to explain a thing. It’s all very clear.”

  “No, it’s not clear at all. The way Rose made things appear isn’t accurate.”

  “Did you visit her where she worked in Raleigh?”

  “Yes, but…” He rubbed his chin with a gloved hand. “What all did she tell you?”

  “I don’t think it matters. But what does matter is that I’m busy with work and I can’t afford to lose my job. My parents count on me.”

  “I realize that.”

  “Mr. Joachim has asked me to work longer hours, which means I have very little time to socialize.”

  “He’s also planning to bring someone else in to work for him, so that should help.”

  Lillian nodded. “I’m sure it will help, but the store will be open longer and I’ll need to be there.”

  Frustration showed in William’s eyes. “Lillian, I like you very much. In fact, I think I might…well, I care for you more than I have any other woman.”

  Lillian wished she could believe him. “That’s very sweet, but you need to find someone else.”

  He started to touch her cheek but pulled back before he made contact. “I don’t want anyone else.”

  The sound of the door opening got their attention. “Lillian, are you still out there? Supper is ready.”

  Lillian turned back to face William. “I need to go in now.”

  “May we resume this conversation again soon? I would really like to talk to you.”

  “We’ll see.” Lillian took a step backward toward the house. “But I don’t think there’s much left to say.” With that, she turned around and didn’t look back.

  * * * * *

  William stared at the closed front door. He loved Lillian, and his heart ached for her. Pop had always said that when a man truly loved a woman, he would do anything to protect her. Now William knew exactly what Pop was talking about.

  On his way back to the farm, he pondered his next move. His mission to make Lillian see his true feelings and to do whatever it took to win her heart would be a difficult task, but he didn�
��t care. Having Lillian in his life was worth it.

  As he sat at the table with Mom, Pop, and his brothers, he noticed them casting curious looks his way then exchanging glances with each other. He didn’t say anything until Mom cornered him in the kitchen when he got up to help with dessert.

  “What happened today, Will?”

  He shrugged and forced a grin. “Nothing you can do anything about.”

  “Let me just ask you one thing.” She lifted an eyebrow and held his gaze. “Is it business or personal?”

  “Personal.”

  “Girl problems?”

  William laughed. “You said you were only going to ask me one thing.”

  “Who can count when it comes to love?”

  “And who said anything about love?” William asked.

  She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “You are so much like your father sometimes.”

  “And you adore my father, so that’s a good thing.”

  “We’d better get this dessert to the guys before they come after us.”

  “After you, Mom.”

  William noticed the way his brothers looked back and forth between him and their mother, but no one said a word. Pop didn’t look at either of them, which was just as telling. They’d obviously discussed him when he was in the kitchen with Mom.

  After everyone finished dessert, Mason stood. “I need to head on home since we have an early start in the morning.”

  “It’s not like you have that far to go,” Mom argued. “Why don’t you stick around and have some coffee?”

  Mason glanced at William and then at Amos before shaking his head. “I’ll be here for breakfast.”

  William and Amos shooed Mom out of the kitchen so they could finish cleaning up. As soon as she was gone, Amos turned to William. “So are you gonna tell me what’s bothering you, or is this when I have to pry it out of you?”

  “I don’t know what to do about Lillian.”

  “We all figured as much. So what’s the problem?”

  “Lots of things.” He held up his fingers and touched each one as he listed her objections. “She’s too busy. She thinks we’re too different. She’s upset about something Rose said….”

  “All those are minor obstacles, from what I can tell.”

  “Maybe minor to you, but she thinks they’re major, and there isn’t much I can do about it.”

  “C’mon, Will. You’ve never given up that easily before.”

  “Who says I’m giving up? I’m just taking a step back and planning a strategy.”

  Amos chuckled. “That’s the Will I know.”

  “So let’s get this job done.”

  * * * * *

  Lillian arrived at the shop early the next morning to move some of the stock around. Mr. Joachim liked fresh presentations to add visual interest to the merchandise, and it gave her something to get her mind off William.

  When Mr. Joachim walked in the door, he took an appreciative look around. “Great job, Lillian. You’ll be happy to know that I’ll be interviewing someone looking for seasonal work. She is a scholarship boarding student at Cary High School, and she needs the money for incidentals. The principal of the school highly recommends her.”

  “I hope she’s good, then.”

  “We’ll have to see. After I talk to her, you can have a chat if you want.”

  Lillian started to say that wouldn’t be necessary, but she stopped herself. It would be nice to at least meet the person she’d be training. “I’d like that.”

  Customers started coming in, so both of them became extremely busy until things died down around lunchtime. Mr. Joachim glanced at his watch. “She should be here any minute now. Send her back when she arrives.” He started toward the back then stopped. “Oh, by the way, her name is Anne Jamison.”

  After he went to his office, Lillian took advantage of the lull and wiped off the counter. A container of talcum powder had developed a leak, and dust had settled around the cash register. When the bell jingled, Lillian glanced up at the door and saw a young woman walk in. A look of guarded fear was on her face.

  “Are you Anne?”

  The girl’s eyes widened as she nodded. Lillian’s heart went out to the girl, who had probably never held a job before. “Is Mr. Joachim available?”

  “Yes,” Lillian said. “Follow me.”

  After she delivered Anne to Mr. Joachim, Lillian found herself eager to talk to the girl who reminded her of herself, the first time she’d interviewed for a job—this job. Maybe she could help to put Anne’s mind at ease.

  Finally Mr. Joachim appeared. “I’ll take over out here while you talk to Anne. She’s a rather timid girl, so I’m not sure how she’ll do with customers.”

  “I’ll speak with her.” Lillian scurried back to Mr. Joachim’s office.

  Anne sat in the folding chair, her white gloved hands in her lap and her legs crossed at the ankles. When she realized Lillian was there, her lips twitched into a nervous smile.

  “So is this your first job?” Lillian asked.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Lillian smiled. “This is my first job too. I remember being scared to death when I first started, but I’m not anymore. When you work in a store like this, you pretty much just help people find what they came in for, and then you sell it to them. There are other duties as well, but none of it is difficult.”

  “How will I find everything?” Anne asked.

  Lillian sat down and explained the general layout of the store. “At first, you might have to ask me, but it won’t be long before you know where to find the merchandise. And since you’ll be adding stock to the shelves when we run low, it’ll be easy to remember.”

  “When will I know if I got the job?” Anne asked.

  “I’m sure Mr. Joachim will tell you soon. He needs to hire someone to help out during the holidays.”

  Anne nodded. “That’s what Mr. Parker at the school said.”

  “Do you have any more questions before I go get Mr. Joachim?”

  “No, not right now.”

  “Okay, wait right here.” Lillian left Anne in the office.

  Mr. Joachim was finishing up with the only customer in the store. After she left, he turned to Lillian. “Well? What do you think? Should we hire her?”

  “I think so. She seems very nice, and I’m sure I can teach her what she needs to know.”

  “All right, then, why don’t you go tell her she has a job? And if she wants to start now, we can put her to work.”

  When Lillian delivered the news, Anne instantly looked scared. Then her features softened. “I can start now. Mr. Parker told me this might happen.”

  “Come on. Let me show you around before we get too busy.”

  The rest of the day, Lillian let Anne follow her around the store. After showing her how the cash register worked, she even let Anne ring up several small orders. Each time, Anne appeared more confident.

  “So how do you like the job so far?” Lillian asked. “Is it as bad as you thought?”

  “No, it’s not bad at all,” Anne said. “I enjoy working the cash register.”

  After they flipped the sign on the door from OPEN to CLOSED, Mr. Joachim discussed Anne’s hours with Lillian. “Since you’re in school during the morning, I’ll expect you to work until closing during the week. On Saturdays, you can come in at the same time as Lillian.”

  Based on Anne’s expression, Lillian could tell she was mentally calculating how much she’d be working. “Is that too many hours for you?” she asked.

  “No, ma’am. I need as many hours as I can get if I want to buy Christmas presents for everyone.”

  Lillian glanced over at their boss, whose eyes had misted. She knew he had a soft spot for people who needed him.

  Anne glanced over at the door, and her eyes widened. Lillian turned around and saw William standing there, looking in.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Lillian said as Mr. Joachim went to open the door. “He’s a good friend.�
�

  Mr. Joachim spoke to William for a moment, and he nodded. Then the men joined Lillian and Anne. “He’s agreed to take Anne back to the school when he’s in town.”

  Lillian looked up at William, who was smiling down at the girl. “Are you ready to leave now?”

  Anne still looked frightened, so Lillian took her by the arm and looked at William. “Would you mind taking me home too? We can drop Anne off at the school first.”

  * * * * *

  William couldn’t believe his good fortune. He’d stopped by the Five and Dime with a sliver of hope that Lillian would talk to him, and now she was asking for a ride.

  “Of course I don’t mind. In fact, it’s my pleasure.”

  Mr. Joachim said his farewells to the rest and then retreated to his office to tally the day’s receipts. Lillian and Anne got their coats and followed William to his automobile.

  “I’ve never ridden in one of these before,” Anne said as she reluctantly got inside.

  “You’re in for a treat, then,” Lillian told her.

  After they took Anne back to the school, William turned to face Lillian. “So how did I do?”

  “How did you do what?” Lillian asked.

  “With your new friend Anne? Do you think she’ll ever allow me to take her back to school again?”

  Lillian allowed herself to laugh. “I’m sure she’ll be more than happy not to have to walk.”

  William frowned. “It worries me that a young girl will have to walk this far everyday.”

  “It’s only a quarter of a mile.”

  “I know, but it gets dark early, and there’s no telling—” He stopped abruptly and slowed down the automobile. “Why are you grinning?”

  Lillian shrugged. “I think it’s sweet that you’re so concerned for Anne, even though you’ve barely met her.”

  “I can’t imagine any decent man not being concerned about the welfare of a young, innocent girl.”

  Lillian felt a twinge in her chest. William did have a decent side, even if he was toying with her heart.