The Santa Express

by Leeanna Morgan

  John smiled. “You can thank Mabel for that. Even though I’d sooner be working in the community or teaching our hospitality students, she kept reminding me to pay the bills.”

  Shelley placed the box she was holding on top of another. “Where did you learn to cook?”

  His smile faded. “In the army.”

  “Bailey told me about the hospitality program the church runs, but I never realized you tutored the class.”

  “The hospitality industry is one of our region’s biggest employers, but there weren’t a lot of in-depth training opportunities available. The church has a large commercial kitchen that was only used for events or meetings. Instead of students having to travel away from the area for training, it made sense to start a hospitality course in Sapphire Bay.”

  “It must have taken a lot of time and energy to get the class up and running.”

  John placed the box he was holding with the other ones. “It took about six months to develop a program that was recognized internationally. When students graduate from our hospitality course, they have a certificate that will give them the best possible opportunity for getting a job.”

  “I’m impressed. How did you go from being in the army to becoming a pastor who knows his way around the kitchen?”

  He didn’t like talking about his life in the military. But after countless therapy sessions, he knew he had to tell Shelley something. “I joined the army when I was twenty-two. I’d left college with a degree and couldn’t find a job. So, I thought I’d serve my country for three years, then look for another job. Those three years turned into twelve. By the time I was honorably discharged, I was a Dining Facility Manager at Fort Bragg and I’d almost completed a Master’s Degree in Theology.”

  “That’s an interesting combination.”

  “They aren’t mutually exclusive. If there’s one thing the army taught me, it’s the value of human life. Even a small act of kindness can have a huge impact on someone. And that includes making delicious food, even in the middle of a war zone.” Taking a deep breath, he walked out of the barn, needing the cold mountain air to clear his head.

  Shelley followed him. “Are you okay?”

  “I’ll be fine.” He glanced at Shelley’s worried face and frowned. “When I was in the army I was diagnosed with PTSD. My symptoms aren’t as bad as they are for some soldiers, but I need to take things slowly when I talk about my time in the military.”

  “I understand.” Shelley jumped onto the back of the truck and picked up a box.

  “That doesn’t mean you can’t ask me other questions.” He smiled at the confusion on her face. “Go on. I won’t bite.”

  A blush streaked along Shelley’s cheeks. “How old are the students who join your hospitality course?”

  John slid another box out of the truck. “It varies depending on the time of the year. The class that starts in July has a lot of eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds. They’ve usually come to us straight from high school. Last year, we started another course in January. That one attracted older students who have either moved to Sapphire Bay or who were looking for a different career.”

  “Do you have other people who help you?”

  “Brooke and Megan from Sweet Treats take the confectionery and cake decorating modules. Emma takes the small business and technology modules. It frees up my time to focus on the church and The Welcome Center.”

  “And the tiny home village,” Shelley said over her shoulder.

  “That, too.” They were down to the last six boxes to move. He grabbed two and followed Shelley. “Do you have plenty of volunteers to decorate the barn?”

  “Ten people from the church are happy to help, but I didn’t think that would be enough. Yesterday, I spoke to Patrick Devlin. He’s lending me one of the construction teams he manages. They’ll bring two cherry pickers with them to hang the decorations from the walls and ceiling.”

  “Is there anyone in Sapphire Bay you haven’t asked to help?”

  Shelley considered his question. “I don’t think so. Does that make me as bad as Mabel?”

  “I’m happy to say that you could never be as bad as Mabel.”

  Shelley’s dimpled grin made his heart clench. “You might change your mind after you get to know me a little better.”

  John sighed. He was looking forward to that.

  “I’m telling you,” Sam told Bailey with a mischievous smile. “John likes Shelley. Why else would he buy her a plant and a bag of fudge?”

  Shelley placed a bowl of soup in front of her sister. “Your happy hormones are working overtime. John was being nice, that’s all.”

  Bailey nibbled on a slice of toast. “Sam’s got a point. John’s forty-two years old. Until now, he hasn’t bought fudge for anyone.”

  “That’s because he’s a pastor,” Shelley said as she sat at the table. “He has to be careful in case someone in the church thinks he likes them when he’s just being friendly.”

  Sam frowned. “Why would he have to be careful?”

  “Because he’s a pastor.” When her sisters stared at her blankly, Shelley continued, “It’s like the worst type of workplace romance you could imagine. Taking a church service when he’s broken half the hearts in the room would be a disaster.”

  “John wouldn’t break a woman’s heart intentionally,” Bailey said as she reached for the salt and pepper. “He’s such a softy that it would probably be his heart that was broken.”

  “Either way, it wouldn’t be very professional.”

  Sam choked on her soup. “You sound like someone from the eighteenth century. Maybe John needs someone to lead him astray. From what Mabel said, he hasn’t dated anyone since he moved to Sapphire Bay.”

  Shelley groaned. “You can’t believe everything Mabel says. Look at what happened to me.”

  Bailey waved her spoon in the air. “It wasn’t the publicity you wanted, but the Facebook post kick-started your new business. By the time you’re ready to number crunch someone’s finances, you’ll have a month’s worth of clients waiting to see you.”

  “And any publicity is good publicity,” Sam said confidently. “At least that’s what Caleb tells me.”

  Bailey laughed. “He’s the most publicity-shy person I know.”

  Sam smiled. “He probably read a marketing book about how to promote his business. Not that it would have helped. His clients prefer him to operate out of the spotlight.”

  Shelley guessed that came with the industry he was involved in. Creating state-of-the-art computer code would make most people hide from the media. Caleb was so worried about online security that he didn’t even have a Facebook page. After her brush with Mabel’s fast fingers, Shelley thought that was a great idea.

  “If you want to impress John, you should do something for him,” Bailey said thoughtfully. “You know, bake him a cake or buy him a coffee.”

  “I’m here to do a job, not fraternize with my boss.”

  Bailey turned to Sam. “I can’t believe what Shelley’s saying. Do you think the cold mountain air is freezing her brain?”

  “Beats me. If I was single and had a sexy, six-foot pastor bringing me chocolate fudge, I’d do more than process his invoices. I think we need to have a serious talk with her.”

  Shelley’s cheeks burned. “Forget about John. He isn’t the reason we’re having dinner together. I need some direction on Bailey’s dream wedding.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to plot the path to your own happy ever after?” Sam asked. “You should make the most of my happy hormones while I’m pregnant.”

  Bailey nodded. “That’s a great idea. Shelley’s love life needs a little work. It’s almost as exciting as John’s.”

  Shelley looked at her two sisters. “Don’t even think about it. For now,”—she opened the sketchpad in front of her and frowned—“I have a wedding to plan and not much time to do it.”

  Bailey studied the picture that Shelley had stuck inside the large book. “I love the look
of that wedding reception. Where did you find the photo?”

  Sam looked across the table at the picture. “It’s not a real wedding reception. Shelley asked me to combine two different images to create a French country romance theme. I scanned each element, then created a new image.”

  Bailey studied the photo. “I can’t believe it isn’t a real wedding. There are even crystal glasses on the tables.”

  “If your wedding reception looked like this, would you be happy?” Shelley asked.

  “I’d be so happy that I’d tell everyone you’re my favorite sister.”

  “Hey,” Sam said. “That’s favoritism.”

  Shelley sent her sister a smug smile. “I don’t mind.”

  Sam rolled her eyes. “You’d better show Bailey the dresses and wedding invitations. In case you’re wondering, I designed the wedding invitation options. And if you want me to be your favorite sister, I would happily take the title off Shelley.”

  As soon as Bailey saw the pictures of the bridal gowns, her mouth dropped open.

  Shelley had to admit that they were stunning. “All the dresses are available from a boutique in Bozeman. Emily creates her own gowns and sends them to clients around the world. I chose three of her latest designs that I thought you’d like.”

  Bailey pointed to the dress that was Shelley’s favorite. “This is gorgeous. What type of lace is on the skirt?”

  “I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s made in Italy. Tiny sequins are sewn into each lace panel. You can’t see it from the photo, but when the bride moves, the entire dress twinkles.” That wasn’t the only thing that made it special. With its sweetheart neckline, capped sleeves, and wide satin sash, it belonged in a fairytale instead of a boutique in downtown Bozeman.

  Sam pointed to a veil. “We didn’t know if you’d want a veil, but Emily designed this one for the gown you like.”

  The veil was floor-length, embroidered with silk thread, and sprinkled with the same sequins that were on the dress. “What do you think?” Shelley asked.

  When Bailey looked at her sisters, she had tears in her eyes. “This is amazing. I love the reception ideas and the dress and veil. Kylie could make a beautiful bouquet and Mila would look gorgeous in the Cinderella dress she wants to wear. But none of your options are for a bride and groom on a limited budget.”

  “Apart from the dress, everything is super affordable. If you decide you’d like to wear one of Emily’s gowns, she said she’d work something out with the price.”

  Sam turned to the next page in the scrapbook. “Don’t forget about the wedding invitations. And don’t worry about the price. I designed everything from scratch and they can be printed from my computer.”

  Shelley’s eyes widened. “You aren’t trying to score extra points in the favorite sister stakes, are you?”

  Sam grinned. “Who me? I wouldn’t stoop to anything so lowdown and corrupt. But I’d like to add that any of the invitations can have embellishments added. If you want sparkles to match the dress, I’ll add them for nothing.”

  Bailey dabbed her eyes. “I don’t know what I’d do without my two favorite sisters. Group hug time.”

  Shelley wrapped her arms around her sisters. It felt good to be here, to be part of something bigger than any one of them.

  Maybe, just maybe, moving to Sapphire Bay was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

  And if she could find a venue for Bailey’s wedding, it might just top Sam’s glittery invitations.

  Most of the time, John enjoyed working at The Welcome Center. The space they had created was so much more than an accommodation and program center. This was where some of their guests felt safe for the first time in their lives. It provided shelter, food, and good company for everyone regardless of their circumstances.

  But it was days like this that John found the most difficult.

  Since their arrival, Andy and Charlie had fitted into Sapphire Bay reasonably well. After a short delay, they were enrolled at the local elementary school. They enjoyed The Welcome Center’s after-school program and were regulars at the evening story times. But their mom, Andrea, wasn’t coping with the new environment or the reason that had brought them to Sapphire Bay.

  An hour ago, he’d met with Andrea to work out if there was anything the center could do to help her. He’d asked Bailey to join them. As a registered family therapist, Bailey knew how difficult transitioning to a new kind of normal could be. Especially when Andrea’s family had been torn apart by domestic violence.

  The meeting hadn’t gone well.

  “Don’t be discouraged,” Bailey said softly. “Andrea feels overwhelmed. She’s gone from living in an affluent area with a husband who’s highly regarded, to a battered wife hiding from her ex-husband. It hasn’t been an easy journey for her.”

  “Do you think she has PTSD?” Many of Andrea’s reactions to what was happening around her were so similar to those of the men and women he counseled that he was sure she had PTSD.

  “We need to get her assessed but, from my observations, I’d say that’s a strong possibility. While she’s here, her sons are safe. But my main concern is what happens if she leaves. You can’t keep her here against her will.”

  Coming into their meeting, Andrea had thought the worst. She’d expected him to tell her she needed to leave. When he hadn’t, she burst into tears. They’d spent the next half hour trying to calm her down and reassure her that nothing would happen to her or her sons.

  Bailey closed her notebook. “We need to keep everyone safe. If Andrea can’t provide a healthy environment for her sons, I have no choice but to call child and family services.”

  Taking Andrea’s children away from her could tip her into a place no one wanted her to go. Especially if Andy and Charlie ended up in foster care.

  John picked up the file they’d compiled about Andrea’s life. “Andrea needs more help than I can give her at The Welcome Center.”

  “I could call the emergency mental health center in Polson. If they have a spare bed, they’ll look after her. She’ll get a full assessment of her health but, at this stage, her boys can’t go with her. They’d have to be placed in foster care or some other arrangement found.”

  John knew as well as Bailey that they had to carefully consider what they’d do. But the options open to them were slim. When Andrea divorced her husband, his family wanted nothing to do with her or the boys. Andrea’s parents had both died and she had no siblings to look after her children.

  “What if I look after Andy and Charlie for a few months? That would give Andrea a chance to get help. The boys could spend their after-school time here in familiar surroundings while their mom’s away.”

  Bailey frowned. “You’re already incredibly busy. I have another suggestion. Before I left the medical center, I spoke to Zac. He said to call him if we’d like him to talk to Andrea. Why don’t we do that and see what he thinks? After that, we’ll talk about the boys.”

  Zac was the only doctor in Sapphire Bay. He was a good person and would do everything he could to make sure Andrea and her sons had the best possible care.

  “Okay,” John said. “Calling Zac makes sense. I’ll speak to Andrea once we know when he can see her.”

  Bailey pulled out her phone. “It’s lucky Andrea came to Sapphire Bay. At least we can help her and the boys have a brighter future.”

  John hoped so, too.

  Chapter 6

  Shelley stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Finishing work at seven o’clock at night was okay if you started at a reasonable time. But with the clock ticking on the documents the county needed, and the last church fundraiser of the year getting closer, she was starting work at six o’clock each morning.

  But if that’s what it took to move both projects along, she was happy to do it.

  She smiled when she heard children’s voices singing a song from the latest blockbuster movie. Glancing at her laptop, she closed a document before turning off the power.
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  Working at The Welcome Center had its advantages. Apart from great coffee, there were always fresh sandwiches or cookies in the kitchen. And, luckily for her, she could help herself to whatever she wanted. Mabel had even offered to teach her how to cook more than cookies, muffins, and her Mom’s favorite pasta dish. But, with Shelley’s dismal track record, she was worried she’d burn all the food.

  With the last of her work locked away, Shelley walked down the corridor to the communal living room. Willow was sitting at the front of the room, playing her guitar for about fifteen children. Beside her chair were three books.

  Shelley smiled as she remembered the first time she’d met Willow. For someone who’d toured the world as a well-known country musician, Willow was incredibly down to earth. They’d met at a friend’s house, bonding over sausages and garlic aioli sauce. Even now, Shelley found it hard to imagine Willow living anywhere but Sapphire Bay.

  As she moved into the room, she saw John. He was sitting on the floor beside the children. Her smile widened when she realized he knew all the words and hand actions to the song. It was easy to see how much he cared about the people who stayed at the center. How much he enjoyed their company.

  Since their visit to the Colemans’ barn, John hadn’t talked about his time in the army or why he’d become a pastor. Looking at the sense of community and the kindness surrounding him, she could only assume that he’d become a pastor to help people live better lives. And judging by the projects he’d already started, he was well on his way to achieving that goal.

  Charlie, one of the boys she’d met two nights ago, sat close to John. Even from the back of the room she could see the strain on his little face. Unlike the other children, Charlie and his brother were a lot quieter. They weren’t singing the song or joining in with the hand actions. Every now and then, Charlie wiggled a little closer to John, seeking something that was missing from his life.