Love Inspired November 2013 #2

by Emma Miller

  “Candy canes?” he answered, the same way he’d answered every other night when Laura had done the very same thing with the previous book-club meetings. “No, I didn’t put candy canes on the tree.”

  “Well, I guess someone left them there for all of you,” she said, and the kids scurried to the tree and grabbed their candy canes from Secret Santa. Their eyes were alive with wonder as they ate the candy, particularly since Christmas was merely three days away.

  Laura smiled and began reading, and as soon as David had finished with the customers, he came over to listen and gave her a thumbs-up for pulling off the candy-cane scene again. She’d put the candy canes on the tree because she loved the idea of Secret Santa and wanted to help whoever it was keep his secret. Laura wasn’t alone. Over the past few weeks, candy canes had shown up everywhere. On each table at Nelson’s. On each photo in Mandy’s shop. On the doors of each store. Under the windshields of parked cars. The entire town got in on trying to protect Secret Santa’s identity, or maybe they just enjoyed getting in on the fun, but Laura loved every minute of it, especially bringing the fun to her book clubs.

  When the book club had finished, Zeb showed up ready to ride with them to the hospital. The older man hadn’t been feeling well and had started taking David up on his offer to drive him each night instead of Zeb taking his own vehicle. But Mr. Zeb wouldn’t miss the trips to the hospital, especially tonight’s visit, when the children were having their Christmas party and they’d distribute the presents from their book buddies.

  Laura started toward the tree to gather the presents, but Zeb stopped her.

  “Now, hold on, Miss Laura. You’re going to have to stop lifting things. Those babies look like they’re getting mighty close to an arrival, and we don’t want you to overdo it and give them any reason to make an early appearance,” Zeb said, stepping past her to pick up the gifts.

  David laughed. “I’m trying to watch her, but she tends to do what she wants.” He picked up the large bag he’d already started filling with gifts and joined Zeb at the tree to add the rest to the sack.

  Laura placed a hand on her stomach. “I have to admit, getting up and down is becoming more and more difficult. But they aren’t kicking anymore. Every now and then, they’ll shift a little, but no more kicks.”

  “That’s probably because they’ve run out of room,” David said.

  Laura pinched his bicep. “Very funny.” She and David had grown so close over the past few weeks, and she couldn’t imagine leaving in merely a few days. Being with him simply felt “right,” and she didn’t want to be away from him, definitely didn’t want to leave.

  But she would. She had to. She couldn’t stay in Claremont as David’s charity case, and she knew David would never leave his beloved town. He’d told her about his grandmother’s farmhouse and indicated he’d live there one day. He hadn’t added “with his family,” but it’d definitely been implied. Laura would have her own family soon, and even if she had to live with her folks for a while until she found a teaching job, she’d eventually find a way to support herself and her babies. And in the meantime, David would probably realize that one of the pretty single ladies in Claremont would be a perfect companion for him for life. A woman who wasn’t such a burden. That’s what he deserved. Not an unemployed single mother of twins.

  “Ready to go?” David asked, snapping her out of her silent pity party.

  “Sure.”

  * * *

  David carried the oversize bag filled with gifts down the hallway on the children’s floor, anticipating the moment he finally got to see the kids. He and Laura enjoyed their time together at the bookstore each day, but nothing beat the moment when the day ended and they came to the hospital. She’d attempted to keep her distance from him over the past few weeks, reminding him every so often that she’d need to leave after the holiday, but even so, these nightly visits to the hospital were so special for both of them that they’d ended up growing even closer because of the love they’d developed together for these kids.

  And, whether Laura admitted it to herself or not, David thought she had also felt the connection between the two of them. As though they were one. He’d held his tongue when it came to telling her how he felt because he wanted to wait until the sales numbers came through from the Christmas season and then show her that the bookstore would be okay...and the two of them had no reason not to pursue a life together. According to Milton, the books looked “a little better,” but still weren’t going to put him in the black anytime soon.

  However, David’s hope for a relationship with Laura was now on the line, and one way or another, he would convince her to stay in Claremont. He just didn’t know how.

  Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he nodded to Shea Farmer and the other nurses. “They ready for us?” he asked.

  She laughed at the bag David had borrowed from Mr. Feazell, the owner of the Tiny Tots Treasure Box. Red velvet and lined with white fur, it qualified as a real Santa sack. “They’re going to love that!”

  “That’s the goal,” he said. “And what about the hats?” He’d purchased three Santa hats from Mr. Feazell, and he, Laura and Zeb each wore one.

  Shea gave him the okay sign. “Perfect.”

  As they walked down the hall, Laura started laughing.

  “What is it?” David asked.

  She pointed to her stomach. “We should’ve rented an entire Santa suit. I could’ve pulled it off without any stuffing.”

  “You’d be the cutest Santa around,” he said.

  “I’ll second that,” Zeb agreed as they heard the Christmas music blaring ahead.

  “We let them turn it up loud tonight, since they’re all in the playroom,” Shea said. She and a few of the other nurses were following them to the party.

  “Even Faith?” Laura asked.

  “She didn’t want to miss the party, and she’s having a good day. A good month, really. Her parents haven’t told her yet, but they think she may get to go home for Christmas.”

  David’s steps faltered, and he looked to Laura. Her hand had moved to her heart. That was exactly what they’d been praying for. “That’s wonderful,” he said.

  Faith had been in the hospital longer than any of the other kids, and David got the impression that her parents hadn’t been certain she’d be able to go home again. But she was.

  Thank You, God.

  “Mr. David! Miss Laura! Mr. Zeb!” The kids yelled their names as they entered, big smiles on every face. Their parents were also here for the event, and they lined the walls taking photos with their phones and cameras as the trio entered.

  “I’m going to miss them so much,” Laura whispered, almost so quietly that it wouldn’t be heard. But David did hear.

  Please God, help me figure out a way to keep her here.

  He got a grip on his emotions and smiled at the kids. “Well, hello. Guess what. Your book buddies sent each of you Christmas presents!”

  The clapping and cheering consumed the room as David, Laura and Zeb handed out the gifts. Along with the nurses, they helped the kids open their presents, each child thrilled with the gifts from their new friends.

  David spoke to each of the kids, but he spent a little extra time with Faith before the party ended. “You look like you’re feeling better today,” he said.

  “I am,” she said. “I’m so glad I got to come be with everybody at the party. This was great, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, it was.”

  “Did you see my candy cane? Secret Santa brought them for all of us.” She held up a candy cane. “Isn’t that neat?”

  “Very neat,” David said, smiling toward Shea, who he assumed bestowed the candy canes on the kids.

  “Okay, everyone, we’re going to need to get you all back to your rooms,” Shea announced, “but don’t worry. We’ll h
ave another party tomorrow when the church comes to visit, and then another one on Christmas day.”

  The kids cheered. “Lots of parties!”

  Shea laughed. “That’s right. This is party central, right here.”

  Zeb, Laura and David stood at the doorway to tell each child good-night as they headed out. Since the parents were in attendance, most of the kids were taken back to their rooms by their folks, and all but a couple of the nurses followed Zeb, Laura and David down the hallway as they left.

  “Did you give them the candy canes?” David asked Shea.

  “We’ve been doing that, too, at the bookstore,” Laura said. “The kids love it, don’t they?”

  Shea nodded. “They do love it, but I didn’t do it. The candy canes were delivered with a note asking us to give every child a candy cane from Secret Santa.” She smiled. “He does that every year. And one of my friends that works at the nursing home says he sends them to every patient there, too, and all the nurses.” She pointed to the nurses’ station. “He sent them to us, too. That’s mine, by my computer. I plan on snacking on it later,” she said, “and thinking about Secret Santa, of course.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Laura said.

  “I know.”

  As they started to turn toward the elevator and Shea returned to the nurses’ station, she said, “David, can I see you for a moment?”

  “Sure,” he said.

  “We’ll go on to the elevator and wait for you,” Zeb said.

  “Okay.” David followed Shea to her desk. “Everything all right?”

  “Yes. I’m just following orders.”

  “Orders?”

  She nodded, then glanced toward the elevator where Zeb and Laura were talking about the kids. “I am supposed to give these to all of you from Secret Santa. That’s what his note said. But the note said this letter is for you only and that you’re supposed to read it in private.” She handed three candy canes and a small envelope to David.

  Bewildered, he looked at the envelope, and sure enough, his name was written on the outside. He didn’t recognize the handwriting, but the block letters would’ve made that practically impossible. “Thanks.” He looked up to see Laura had turned toward him, and he held up the candy canes with one hand, while he slid the letter in his pocket with the other.

  She smiled. “For us?”

  “For us.” Then to Shea, he said, “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. I don’t know what it is, but it was fun to help him out.”

  David didn’t know what it was, either, and he looked forward to the moment when he got home and found out what Secret Santa had to say.

  Chapter Seventeen

  David read the note as soon as he returned home then had a difficult time sleeping, anxious to follow through with Secret Santa’s instructions. The next morning, he woke early, ate breakfast and then waited for Laura to arrive.

  She came in looking wistful, last night’s cheer gone. “Those kids—they’re amazing, aren’t they?” she asked, obviously unable to get the children from the hospital off of her mind. But instead of looking happy about what they’d accomplished, providing a Christmas party and gifts for the kids, she looked miserable.

  “They are amazing,” he agreed and waited to see if she’d explain what had happened between last night and this morning to change her outlook.

  She glanced around the bookstore, empty as usual for the morning. Thankfully it’d been filling up as each day progressed, but the mornings often reminded him of the fact that the place had been empty for several years before it’d been steadily filled. “You’ve done a lot of good here. I hate to think about it closing,” she said.

  “I do, too,” he said. Milton had delivered updated financial reports on Monday, and this time David had shared them with Laura. On Tuesday, they agreed that he shouldn’t borrow any more money from his line of credit and risk losing the farmhouse. He would close the doors December 31 and attempt to find another job in Claremont. He’d already been looking unofficially but had come up with nothing. If he had something lined up, maybe he could convince Laura to stay, to let him support her until she found a teaching job. Because the thought of Laura leaving didn’t sit well, at all. And it was about time for him to tell her why.

  “Laura, I don’t want you to—” His words were cut short when the bell on the door sounded.

  Zeb, wearing the Santa hat from last night, slowly entered.

  “What were you saying?” she whispered.

  David didn’t want an audience for this conversation. “I’ll tell you later.”

  “Still feeling good about those kids,” Zeb said. “That was a great party, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, it was,” Laura said.

  He started to smile but winced midway through.

  “You feeling okay, Zeb?” David asked.

  “For my age, if I get out of bed and can move around a bit, I’m feeling okay,” the older man answered. “I’m heading over to the nursing home this morning and wanted to take a few more of those suspense novels for Miss Tilly. Can y’all help me get a few together?”

  “I’ve got to leave for a few minutes,” David said, “but Laura will help you out.”

  She reached for his forearm, and he wished his long sleeves didn’t keep her skin from touching his. They’d kept everything low-key, done their jobs and been friends, ever since that date night. But David wanted to feel that closeness again. He wanted to hold her, and to kiss her, and to tell her how he felt—that he’d fallen in love with her—and then he wanted to tell her that she should stay in Claremont, and somehow they’d work everything out.

  “You’ll tell me whatever you were going to say?” she asked. “Later?”

  David nodded. “Definitely.”

  For the first time this morning, she gave him a soft smile, and David prayed that everything would be all right. Somehow. But before he could work out the details, he needed to find out more about the note from Secret Santa. “I’ll be back in a little while, and then we’ll talk.”

  “Getting more building supplies?” she asked. “What are you building up there, anyway?”

  “Nah, I finished up with my apartment last week, and it was just a little renovating,” he said. Actually, it was a lot of renovating, and it appeared all of his work was in vain. The new room would probably never be used.

  He ran a finger over the note in his pocket. “I’m going to the coffee shop,” he said. “Y’all want anything?”

  “Already had three cups,” Zeb said. “And I won’t be here but a few minutes. Just going to pick up the books and then head on. Brother Henry offered to drive me to the nursing home this morning, and we’re leaving soon.”

  “Okay, how about you, Laura?”

  “Oh, yes, a mocha latte please.”

  “You’ve got it.” He left the bookstore and made a mental note to go by the coffee shop after he followed the instructions on the note.

  Waving to Laura and Zeb as he left, he did a double take to make sure she’d turned her attention to locating the older man’s books and didn’t watch where he headed. When they disappeared toward the rear of the store, David walked purposefully down the street and stopped in front of Claremont Jewelry before reading the note again.

  Tomorrow morning, go to Claremont Jewelry. Tell Marvin Grier I sent you. S.S.

  “Okay, Santa, here goes,” David said, opening the door and walking inside.

  Mr. Grier was at the checkout counter ringing up the only customer in the store, Chad Martin. “Every year I’ve tried to surprise Jessica with her present, and every year she finds out before Christmas.” Chad accepted the small bag from the man then pointed a warning finger to David. “You tell her you saw me in here, and I’ll tell Laura the same.”

  “Oh, I’m not shoppi
ng,” David clarified, even though he’d love to be able to shop for Laura in this store—would love to buy a ring that she’d wear for life, a ring that would proclaim she loved him as much as he loved her, truth be told. But that wasn’t why he was here. “I just came in to see Mr. Grier.”

  “Sure you did,” Chad said, grinning. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret...but don’t you forget to keep mine. Just two days until Christmas. Maybe I’ll actually pull off the surprise this year.”

  “Maybe so,” David said, tired of trying to explain why he was here, which was impossible, since he had no idea.

  But Mr. Grier did. The minute Chad exited and the door snapped shut, he said, “I’ve been expecting you, David.”

  “You have?”

  He nodded. “Each year, Secret Santa typically purchases one or two things from me. I’ll find an envelope with cash and instructions by the register, and I never see who puts it there. Same thing every year. And this year, I got an envelope with instructions for you.”

  “For me? I mean, I like your store and all, but I don’t really need any jewelry.”

  “Obviously Secret Santa thought you did.” Mr. Grier handed David a small box and an envelope with his name written in the same block letters.

  David opened the envelope and read...

  This is not a gift. I am repaying a debt. S.S.

  He ran a thumb over the top of the black velvet box then lifted the lid.

  “No way.”

  The ring was stunning, three diamonds centering an elegant band. Exactly the type he’d buy for Laura, if he could.

  “Laura tried that one on,” Mr. Grier said.

  “She did?” David was shocked.

  “When her father was looking for the new wedding set for her mother,” he explained. “It fits, by the way, in case you’re wondering.”