by Janet Dailey
“Good,” Travis said. “You’d be a fool to let that one get away. She’s a keeper.”
“And what about my dream woman?” Conner teased, playing devil’s advocate and enjoying it. “That long black hair and those gypsy eyes—are you saying I shouldn’t wait around for her?”
“Hell, you don’t know anything about her. For all you know, she could be a forty-five-year-old divorcée living in a run-down trailer park with an arrest record and a herd of bratty kids. And even if she’s the real deal, there’s no guarantee she’ll show up.”
“Want to bet?” Conner asked.
Travis raised an eyebrow. “Bet what?”
“Fifty bucks says she shows up. Another fifty says I get to meet her.”
Travis snorted derisively. “I think you’re crazy, but fine. I can always use a hundred. It’s a bet.” He held out his hand for Conner’s shake to seal the deal. “Now let’s get back to work. With the weekend coming up tomorrow, we’ve got to have that trail ready for the sleigh. And somebody will need to be here to show folks the trees.”
“I’ll check the trail.” Conner knew that walking every step of the sleigh route to make sure the snow was firmly packed would be a long, cold task. But there’d already been one mishap, and it couldn’t be allowed to happen again. Thank heaven Daniel’s injury hadn’t been more serious.
With Bucket at his heels, he headed for the toolshed, then turned back as a thought struck him. “One last question,” he said.
“What?” Travis looked up from arranging a tree against the rack.
“I was just wondering if you’d taken my advice and called Maggie about the wedding.”
Travis scowled. “I’m still thinking about it. But whatever I decide, it’ll be between me and Maggie.”
“Fine,” Conner said. “But don’t wait too long to call her. A great woman like Maggie doesn’t come along every day. She deserves a royal wedding with all the trimmings, if that’s what she wants.”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away. Travis would come to his senses—he’d be crazy to risk losing the love of his life over a silly disagreement. But right now, Conner had his own concerns. The most pressing one was finding an excuse to see Megan again, and what to do if he found himself falling in love with her.
* * *
Daniel’s boss at Shop Mart, a nice-looking man in his twenties, had been understanding about the shoulder injury and approved his taking a few days off. But Daniel’s mother hadn’t handled the news so well. After they’d returned from the store and Daniel had gone to his room, she took Megan to task.
“How could you have let him sit on that bench?” she scolded. “Heavens, he could have broken his neck! He could have been paralyzed, even killed!”
“I know, Mom. I feel terrible.” Megan’s burden of guilt, already heavy, pressed down with the weight of a giant anvil. She knew how much Daniel wanted to be treated like the “normal” people around him. But Daniel’s “normal” was defined by his condition. All his life, as his big sister, it had been Megan’s job to protect him. Today she had failed. She had put him at risk, and he’d been hurt.
“And this business of his wanting to drive. I know you’ve been helping him study, Megan. But it has to stop. If he spends all that time, gets his hopes up, and then can’t pass the test, he’ll be devastated. If he does pass it, that will open the door to even more risk. He could be killed or kill somebody else. Please say you’ll respect my wishes.”
“Of course I will.” Megan sympathized with Daniel’s need to be independent, but she could hardly go behind her mother’s back to help him. While Daniel was off work, she could look for other ways to fill his time, like maybe taking him to Cottonwood Springs for some shopping at the mall and a good movie. If he wanted to study for his driver’s test, he would have to do it on his own.
“How about I make some chocolate chip cookies?” she offered, opening the cupboard. “That should make everybody feel better. Then later, I can cook some spaghetti for dinner tonight.”
“Your father will like that when he gets home. Thank you, dear. I’ll be working if you need me. The illustrations for the book are due next week and I still have a lot to do.” She turned her wheelchair toward the doors that separated her studio from the kitchen, then paused. “Sorry, I almost forgot. Derek called while you were out. He said he’d call back this evening.”
Megan reached for the large mixing bowl and set it on the counter. “Did he ask you where I was?”
“Yes. I told him you were out.”
“Thanks.” Megan softened two sticks of butter and added some sugar to the bowl. When she glanced around, her mother had closed the doors and gone back to work.
She added the other ingredients, mixed a double batch of cookies, and spooned the dough onto a cookie sheet. While the first batch was baking, she plugged in the Christmas tree lights and tidied the kitchen and living room.
She wasn’t looking forward to Derek’s call. She’d needed some time away, but he seemed determined not to give it to her. As her boss, maybe he felt entitled to keep track of her. Maybe he was just being needy, or maybe he worried about her being with another man.
A man like Conner?
Yes.
She’d resolved not to date Conner, Megan reminded herself. His tender concern over Daniel today was almost enough to make her change her mind. Almost. But she didn’t need another man in her life—especially one who’d already fallen for Lacy.
“Yum! I smell cookies!” Daniel, looking more rested than earlier, wandered into the kitchen.
Megan gave him a smile. “They’re almost done. Pull up a chair, and I’ll pour you some milk. How’s the shoulder?”
“Better, but still sore.” Daniel sat down and waited while Megan filled a cup with milk and lifted the cookies out of the oven.
“Those look good!” he said. “You make the best cookies in the world—next to Katy. Sometimes she gives me a cookie that she baked at Shop Mart. Her cookies are the best of all.”
Megan lifted two cookies onto a saucer, which she set in front of him. “Look out. They’re hot.”
“That’s how I like them. I like how they sort of sizzle when I dunk them in the milk.”
He was dunking his second cookie when the front doorbell rang. Megan hurried to answer it. By now, it was getting dark outside. She switched on the porch light before she opened the door.
The figure on the doorstep was petite, almost doll-like, with her long blond hair in braids. She was dressed for work in her blue Shop Mart bakery uniform. Her pretty, elfin face wore an anxious expression.
“Hello, Katy,” Megan said, smiling. “Come on in.”
Katy stepped across the threshold so Megan could close the door. “I can’t stay long,” she said. “My dad is waiting in the car. How is Daniel? Somebody told me he got hurt.”
“He’s in the kitchen,” Megan said. “Go on in. You can see him for yourself.”
Katy dashed into the kitchen. She gave a little cry when she saw the sling on Daniel’s arm. “Oh no!” She hurried around the table and hugged him from the right side, avoiding the sling. “Is it bad? What happened?”
Daniel smiled, doing his tough-guy thing again. “It’s not too bad. I fell out of the sleigh, that’s all. The doc says I’ll be okay in a few days.”
Katy kissed his cheek. “I’m so sorry. I bet you were really brave.”
“I didn’t even cry,” Daniel said.
“How about some cookies, Katy?” Megan said. “I’ll put some in a Baggie for your mom and dad.”
“Thanks.” She sat down next to Daniel. “I’ll just share Daniel’s milk.”
Megan slipped a few more cookies onto the saucer between them. Katy broke a cookie in two, dipped one half into the cup, and nibbled it daintily.
“Guess what?” Daniel said. “I’m studying for my driver’s test. When I can drive, I’ll get a little car. Then I can drive you to work.”
And then we can get mar
ried. Daniel didn’t say it, but Megan could imagine what he was thinking. What a shame this sweet couple, so perfect for each other and so much in love, faced so many obstacles. Life wasn’t fair.
“I’ve got to go.” Katy stood. “My dad will be wanting to get home. Thanks for the cookies, Megan.” She gave Daniel a peck on the cheek, took the cookies that Megan had bagged, and hurried out the front door.
Megan sighed, knowing what had to come next. Putting off this talk with Daniel wouldn’t make it any easier. As he reached for another cookie, she sat down across the table from him. “Daniel, I know you’re excited about taking the driver’s test. But there’s a bit of a problem. Mom is upset with me for letting you get hurt today. She doesn’t want me helping you study for the test. I promised to respect her wishes.”
“So you can’t help me anymore?” Daniel’s expression would have melted stone, but Megan knew she had to stand firm.
“I’m afraid not. I’m sorry. I know how much you want to try.”
Daniel gazed down at the table. Then he looked up at her, smiling. “It’s all right, Megan. You helped me figure things out with the notebook. I can use that to study by myself.”
His cheerful determination brought tears to her eyes. Even with her help, the odds of passing the test would have been against him. Now he’d be facing the challenge alone.
Should she encourage him or force him to face reality? Megan was weighing what to say next, but her cell phone rang.
That would be Derek with his usual bad timing. Megan let the phone ring again, then again. Let him call back later, she thought. Maybe by then, she’d be in a happier mood.
Then she happened to glance at the caller ID.
The call was from Conner.
Chapter 7
Megan took the call on the last ring. “Hi, what’s up?” she said, doing her best to sound casual.
“I just thought I’d see how Daniel was doing,” Conner said. “Were things okay at his work?”
“Fine. His boss was nice about giving him a few days off. Now I get to keep him entertained until he can go back to work.”
“Well, that’s sort of why I’m calling,” Conner said. “We’re planning on a big weekend at the ranch, with a lot of people coming to buy trees and take sleigh rides. We’ve hired a couple of high-school kids to dole out the hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows, but we could use somebody just to welcome people, show them the trees, and invite them for refreshments. Since Daniel’s off work, would he like that job for a couple of days? We’ll pay him whatever’s fair.”
“He’s right here,” Megan said. “I’ll give him the phone and you can ask him.”
As Megan passed the phone to her brother, she felt a prickle of disappointment. Her pulse had skipped when she’d recognized Conner’s name. But he’d only called to ask about Daniel.
Well, what did you expect? she chided herself. It wasn’t as if she’d wanted him to ask her out. After all, she’d already resolved to turn him down. Hadn’t she?
Clearly, Conner wasn’t interested in her except as a friend. He was holding out for Lacy, the dream woman who wasn’t even real.
Blast him!
Daniel was chatting happily. “Yeah! All right! That would be great!” Pausing, he thrust the phone back at Megan. “Conner wants to talk to you,” he said.
Megan took the phone. “I’m guessing Daniel wants the job,” she said.
“He does. But I need to clear it with your parents—and with you, since somebody will need to bring him here and maybe take him home. I’d offer, but it’s going to be a busy time for us. I may not be able to leave.”
“That’s all right with me. My dad is doing extra work at the school, and Mom has a deadline for her artwork. As long as he isn’t in danger, I don’t think either of them will mind having Daniel out of the house.”
“So it’s a yes?”
“Unless my mother objects. What time do you want him?”
“Is nine too early?”
“That should be fine.”
“Thanks, Megan. You’re the best.”
“You’re the best.” Not exactly the line a girl wants to hear, Megan thought as she ended the call. But again, what did she expect? She’d told Conner that she had a boyfriend and wasn’t interested in a serious relationship. If nothing else, he was respecting the boundaries she herself had drawn.
“So, is it all right?” Daniel was beaming. “Do I get to work at the ranch?”
“Maybe. But we’ll need to clear it with Mom.”
“Clear what?” Dorcas Carson had opened one of the sliding doors to her studio.
Megan explained Conner’s offer. Her mother looked worried. “I don’t know. The last time Daniel went to that tree ranch, he came home with his arm in a sling. Who’s going to keep him out of trouble? You can’t expect Conner to do it.”
“Please, Mom,” Daniel begged. “I’ll be careful. Honest.”
Dorcas frowned at Megan as if to say, Now look what you’re getting him into. “All right,” she said. “But on one condition. You go with your brother, Megan, and you stay the whole time to keep an eye on him. Otherwise, my answer is no.”
“Aw, Mom, I don’t need a babysitter,” Daniel argued.
“You heard me. Megan stays with you, or you stay home. Are you willing to go and keep your brother safe, Megan?”
“Of course.” With Daniel gone, Megan had planned to spend time working on the new song she was writing. But that would have to wait. “We’ll have a good time, won’t we, Daniel,” she said.
Dorcas nodded and smiled in her tight-lipped way. “Fine. Then it’s settled. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get back to work. Thank you again for fixing dinner, Megan. Let me know when it’s ready. Your dad should be home soon.” With that, she turned her chair and vanished into her studio.
Megan cleared up the bowls and utensils from the cookie making and sent Daniel outside to empty the trash before she started on supper. She could still feel the sting of her mother’s rebuke, but she’d long since learned to accept where it came from.
Life had dealt Dorcas Carson a bitter hand, but she made the best of it, taking refuge in her art and her family. Any change, like Daniel’s injury and his wanting to drive, threatened the peace of her home and roused her protective instincts. She could be sharp with those she loved, but that was her way.
Megan fried the meat and onions, added the other ingredients for the sauce, and put the pan on the back burner to simmer. She was just beginning to realize how much her family needed her. Her mother’s health was worsening in small ways. Her father was burdened with responsibility, and Daniel seemed to be constantly testing his limits.
Was it selfish on her part to want a life in Nashville, with her job, her friends, and the singing career that, despite her best efforts, had never really taken off?
Could she give up her dream to make a life in this close-knit little town, where she still felt like a stranger?
Could she live with herself if she refused to make that sacrifice for her family?
No one else, not even Derek, could tell her what to do. She would have to make that decision herself.
As if the thought of Derek could summon him, her cell phone rang. This time, the caller ID confirmed that it was her boyfriend, probably checking up on her. At least he cared about her—and at least he wasn’t in love with Lacy. Two points in his favor.
With a sigh, she picked up the call.
* * *
For Christmas Tree Ranch, that Saturday was expected to be the busiest day of the season. Customers would be coming from as far away as Cottonwood Springs to buy trees, ride in the sleigh, and treat themselves to free cocoa and marshmallows by the fire.
Conner had been up since first light getting everything ready for the 9:00 opening. But even perfect preparation couldn’t keep some things from going wrong—like the phone call from one of the two high schoolers they’d hired to tend the fire and refreshments. He was sick and wouldn’t be ab
le to work. So they were already short-handed.
Daniel would be here, but Conner had hired him mostly as a way to get Megan back to the ranch. The kid could greet customers and invite them to look around, but trusting him with fire and hot liquids might be pushing things. Travis and Rush, who’d promised to be here, would be busy selling trees. Conner would be driving the sleigh. Somehow they would just have to manage.
At least the weather was cooperating. The chilling wind was gone, and the sun shone like a new penny in the cloudless winter sky. Hopefully, it would be a great day for business, both here and at Hank’s Hardware, which was also stocked with their trees.
At a quarter to nine, two vehicles appeared, coming down the lane from the highway turnoff. One was Rush’s Hummer. Behind it, he recognized Megan’s Toyota.
Rush pulled into the side yard, strode around the Hummer, and opened the passenger door. A little dark-haired girl in a red coat tumbled out and raced across the yard to fling herself at Conner’s legs.
“Clara!” Conner swung her off her feet. She giggled as he lifted her high. “Good golly, Miss Molly, but you’re getting big!”
When he put her down, she ran to hug Travis. Then it was Bucket’s turn. The dog wagged his tail like a maniac, whining with joy and licking her face.
Conner had seen Rush’s stepdaughter last summer, but she was five now, and growing like a little weed, all long legs.
“I hope you don’t mind my bringing her,” Rush said. “When she heard I was coming here, she wouldn’t be left behind.”
“And she’s got you wrapped and tied in a bowknot around her little finger,” Travis teased. “Sure, we don’t mind. But she’ll have to promise to stick around the house and not go wandering off. Okay, sugar?” He gave her a stern look.
“Okay.” She grinned, still hugging the dog. Delighted as he was to see her, Conner added the little girl to his mental list of concerns.
Megan parked her car next to the shed, leaving plenty of room for customers to park in the driveway. Conner watched her climb out of the car. She looked pretty this morning, her face flushed with cold, her hair mostly covered by a pink hat with a little white pom-pom at the crown.
