“No! They don’t even know.”
She shook her head over and over, raising both hands to her face. “I need to think,” she said.
“I don’t officially start with the company until January.”
“You’re a spy?”
“No. The vice president of new development asked me to check out the town. I was going to be in the area, anyway. It made perfect sense, and...”
“And so you did.”
He couldn’t very well deny it. “You have every right to be furious.”
“You’re damn straight I do,” she said, grabbing the door handle.
Vaughn stopped her by reaching for her hand. “I can’t do it.”
She glared at him. “Can’t do what?”
“Work for Value-X. I’m faxing in my resignation first thing tomorrow morning.” No one would be in the office to read it until after Christmas, but that couldn’t be helped.
Carrie still appeared stunned. “I don’t know what to say,” she muttered. “I need time to think.”
“All right. I know this is a shock. I won’t blame you if you decide you want nothing more to do with me. That decision is yours.” He sincerely hoped his honesty would prove his sincerity.
She climbed out of the car and without another word, ran toward the house. Vaughn waited at the curb until she was safely inside and then, with a heavy heart, he drove back to Grand Forks.
His parents were still up, playing a game of Scrabble at the kitchen table, when he walked in.
His mother looked up and smiled. “How was the play?”
“Excellent,” he answered.
His father picked up four new alphabet squares. “I heard it was put on by a bunch of kids.”
“That’s true, but they did an incredible job.” Vaughn turned a chair around and straddled it.
“How’s Carrie?” his mother asked innocently enough.
Vaughn’s response was so long in coming that Barbara frowned. She seemed about to repeat her question when he spoke, intending to forestall her.
“If no one minds,” he said quickly, “I think I’ll go to bed.”
“Sure,” his father said, concentrating on the game.
“You don’t want a cup of tea first?” his mother asked, still frowning.
“I’m sure,” he said.
Inside the guest room, Vaughn threw himself on the bed. The guilt and remorse that had haunted him on the sixty-minute drive from Buffalo Valley hadn’t dissipated.
He folded his hands beneath his head and gazed up at the ceiling, his thoughts twisting and turning as he attempted to reason everything out. Now that Carrie knew the truth, he should feel better, but he didn’t.
Resigning from Value-X was only a small part of what he had to do. He wouldn’t be this attracted to Carrie if he truly loved Natalie. He closed his eyes and could only imagine what Natalie would say once she discovered what he’d done. Avoiding a confrontation with her would be impossible. She was coming to Buffalo Valley, and what was that old adage? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. He could feel the flames licking at his feet even now. Oh, yes, this was only the beginning.
He trusted that Carrie would eventually forgive him for his deception concerning Value-X and his role with the company. He’d been as candid with her as he could.
Unfortunately Value-X wasn’t the only issue. He didn’t have the courage to tell Carrie about Natalie. Not yet. He didn’t want to force her to accept more than one disappointment at a time. Once she’d dealt with the fact that he was connected with Value-X, he’d explain his relationship to Natalie. By then, that relationship would be over.
Sitting up, Vaughn swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat there for several minutes. His mind wasn’t going to let him sleep, so it was a waste of time to even try.
The kitchen light was off when he stepped into the hallway. He assumed his parents had finished their game and retired for the night. Perhaps if he had something to eat, it might help him relax. To his surprise, he found his father sitting in the darkened living room, watching the late-night news. The Christmas tree in the corner twinkled with festive lights that illuminated the gifts piled beneath.
“I thought you’d gone to bed,” his father said.
“I thought I had, too,” Vaughn answered, joining him. They both stared at the screen, although there was nothing on except a too-familiar commercial. Yet anyone might have thought they were viewing it for the first time.
His father suddenly roused himself and turned off the TV. “Something on your mind?” he asked after an uncomfortable moment of silence.
Vaughn hesitated, wondering if he should share his burden.
His father yawned loudly. “You’d better start talking soon if you’re inclined to do so, because I’m about to hit the sack.”
Vaughn laughed despite himself. “Go to bed. This is something I’ve got to settle myself.”
“All right,” Rick Kyle told him. “If you’re sure...”
“’Night, Dad,” Vaughn said, grateful for having been raised by two loving parents.
* * *
“You coming to bed or not?” Gage Sinclair called to his wife. Lindsay had been fussing ever since they’d driven back to the farm. After they’d put the girls down for the night, she’d decided to sort laundry. Then it was something in the kitchen. He had no idea what she was up to now.
“Lindsay,” he shouted a second time, already in bed himself.
“I’ll be there in a minute.” Her voice came from the living room.
“That’s what you said fifteen minutes ago.”
Tossing aside the comforter, he got out of bed and reached for his robe before walking into the other room. Sure enough, he found her sitting on the sofa, knitting. This particular project looked like it was going to be a sweater for Joy. “Tell me what’s bothering you,” he said, sinking down in his recliner.
“Things,” she returned a moment later.
“You’re not upset with me, are you?”
She lowered her knitting and stared at him. “Has there ever been a time I was afraid to tell you exactly what I thought, Gage Sinclair?”
Gage didn’t have to consider that for very long. “No,” he said decisively.
“Exactly.”
“Then what is it?” he pressed. All at once he knew. The answer should have been obvious. “Value-X?”
His wife nodded. “My mind’s been buzzing ever since I talked to the company. That woman was so arrogant. I don’t doubt for a moment that Value-X will be as ruthless as they need to be.”
“Sweetheart, there isn’t anything we can do about it now.”
“I know, but I can’t stop thinking. We’ve got to get organized.”
“I agree.”
“It’s just that with Christmas only a few days away, everyone’s so busy we can’t find even a couple of hours.”
“That’s what happens this time of year.”
“But the future of the entire town is at risk.”
“Don’t you think other towns have tried to keep them out?” He didn’t mean to be a pessimist, but truth was truth. No matter what kind of slant they put on it, nothing was going to change.
“What worries me most is Hassie’s attitude,” Lindsay admitted. “I’ve never known her to give up without one hell of a fight.”
“Sweetheart, she’s single-handedly slayed dragons for this town. It’s someone else’s turn.”
“I know.” This was said with a sadness that tugged at his heart. Gage knew his wife had a special relationship with Hassie. He also knew that without Hassie Knight, he might never have married Lindsay. Now it was impossible to imagine his life without her and their daughters. It wasn’t anything he even wanted to contemplate.
“I saw you talking to Maddy,” Gage said. The two women had been fr
iends nearly all their lives, and they still relied on each other when either had a problem. This problem, though, was shared by the whole town. Predictably, Lindsay had taken on Buffalo Valley’s latest dilemma—taken on Hassie’s role, too, he thought.
That was what he loved about her, and at the same time dreaded. His wife didn’t know the meaning of the word no. She simply refused to give up. When she’d first moved to Buffalo Valley, they’d been constantly at odds; he was crazy about her, yet couldn’t say a word to her without an argument erupting.
They’d met one hot summer afternoon at Hassie’s. Lindsay had left town but she’d stayed in his mind. For weeks afterward she filled his thoughts, and if that wasn’t bad enough, she invaded his dreams. When he learned she’d accepted the teaching position at the high school, he managed to convince himself that this Southern belle wouldn’t last longer than the first snowflake. His behavior toward her had been scornful, even combative—an attempt to keep from making a fool of himself. It hadn’t worked, since he’d done a mighty fine job of looking like a dolt.
Then there was the matter of finding their aunt, the illegitimate child of her grandmother and his grandfather. Gage had wanted no part of that. He’d violently disagreed with her decision to intrude on this unknown woman’s life.
He’d been wrong about that, and during the past few years, Angela Kirkpatrick had become an important figure in their lives.
It didn’t stop there. Lindsay had known what was best for Kevin, too. His much younger brother was never meant to be a farmer. Kevin hated what Gage loved most. But Kevin’s talent meant that he would one day be named among the country’s major artists. Lindsay had recognized his brother’s gift when Gage had turned a blind eye to it.
Having seen the error of his ways—repeatedly—Gage had come to trust his wife’s judgment and intuition. “What do you suggest we do?” he asked, getting up and sitting next to her on the sofa.
“I just don’t know, and neither does Maddy,” Lindsay told him, shrugging helplessly. She put aside her knitting, muttering that she couldn’t concentrate anymore. Not his fault, she assured him. It was just this Value-X thing.
He clasped her hand and she gripped his hard. She scrambled into his lap, pressing her head against his shoulder. Gathering her close, Gage savored the feel of his wife in his arms.
“I tried to talk to Hassie about it, but she said I should turn my thinking around and try to look at the positive side of the situation.”
“Have you?” Gage asked, dropping a kiss on her forehead.
“No. I can’t get past what’ll happen to Buffalo Valley once Value-X arrives.”
The prospects for the future weren’t bright in view of what had become of other communities the retailer had entered.
Neither spoke for several moments, then Gage changed the subject. “I enjoyed meeting Vaughn Kyle.”
“You two certainly seemed to hit it off.”
“We got to talking about army life.”
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he moved to Buffalo Valley and he and Carrie got married?” his wife said. Sometimes he forgot what a romantic she could be. And yet...time and again, her instincts about people proved to be correct. She was the one who’d claimed Maddy and Jeb were falling in love, although Gage would’ve sworn on a stack of Bibles that it wasn’t happening.
“Carrie and Vaughn?” he repeated.
“Mark my words, Gage.”
Lindsay wasn’t going to get an argument out of him. “You ready for bed now?”
“Ready,” she told him, kissing his jaw and sending shivers down his back.
“Me, too,” he whispered.
Eight
“I’ve got a meeting in town this morning,” Margaret Eilers announced at the breakfast table Saturday morning, three days before Christmas.
This came as news to Matt. His wife hadn’t mentioned anything about going into Buffalo Valley. Something was in the air, though. The phone had been ringing off the hook for the better part of a week. He knew the women around here were up in arms about the Value-X problem, although Matt didn’t see what could be done. Neither did any of the other men in town.
“Can you watch the kids for me, Sadie?” His wife smiled at the housekeeper, who’d been with the family since Margaret’s childhood.
Sadie brought a stack of pancakes to the table and wiped her hands on her apron. “Not this morning,” she said in that brusque way of hers.
Anyone who didn’t know Sadie might assume she was put out by the request. She wasn’t. This was simply her manner, and they were all used to it. Matt had learned more than one lesson from the highly capable housekeeper. She’d become an ally and friend shortly after he married Margaret, and he was forever grateful for all she’d done to see him through his troubles.
“I’m leaving at noon, remember?” Sadie reminded them.
“That’s right,” Margaret muttered, glancing at Matt.
“What’s going on in town?” he asked. Margaret wasn’t one to make unnecessary trips, nor was she the type of woman to find an excuse to shop.
“I’m meeting with the other women. We’re going to discuss ideas on how to deal with the threat from Value-X,” she told him.
“Sweetheart, that’s already been discussed to death. The town council has tried, Hassie’s—”
“Everyone’s been talking to Ambrose Kohn individually. We’ve got to mount a defense as a community.”
“And do what? Sign petitions?” He didn’t mean to sound negative, but he sincerely doubted that Value-X cared what the community thought. They’d already set the wheels in motion. Matt suspected many a town such as theirs had tried to mount a defense, but it had been hopeless from the start. Value-X knew how to win.
“We can’t sit by and do nothing,” Margaret insisted.
“But it’s almost Christmas.”
“Exactly, and Value-X is counting on the community to delay a response until after the holidays. By then it could be too late. That’s what the meeting’s about. I’m willing to fight now, and so are the other women in town.”
“What about the men?”
“You’re welcome to join us, but...”
“But the women are spearheading this.”
“That’s because none of you men believe it can be done.” Her smile belied the sharpness of her words. “You can still come if you want.”
“No, thanks,” Matt said, waving a hand in dismissal. “I’ve got the kids to look after.”
Margaret smiled and reached over to spear a hotcake with her fork. They’d been married three years, and Matt fell more in love with her every day. Times had been hard in the beginning, but it seemed that once they’d survived that rough period, they’d grown closer than ever. Of one thing Matt was certain—his wife brought out the very best in him. He loved her with an intensity that gave him strength.
“So I can leave Hailey and David with you?”
“I did have plans this morning, but they can wait.” He’d hoped to finish the gift he was working on for Margaret. The antique rocker had belonged to her father. Matt had stumbled upon it in the loft up in the barn, and Sadie had told him its history. Joshua McKenna had repaired it earlier, and Matt had sanded and varnished the wood. Sadie had sewed new cushions for the seat and back. Matt had hoped to add a final coat of varnish that morning so it would be ready for Margaret on Christmas morning. Well...he’d have to find time tonight.
“I don’t know what you women think you’re going to accomplish,” he said, “but if you sincerely believe it’ll make a difference, then I’ll do my part—and I’ll wish you well.”
Margaret thanked him with a brilliant smile, rose from the table and kissed him. The kiss was deep and full of promise. She was letting him know he’d be rewarded a hundred times over at a more appropriate hour.
Soon afterward Margaret headed into town.
Once the kids were up, dressed and fed, Matt decided he wanted to know exactly what the women intended. Reaching for the phone, he called Jeb McKenna, his closest neighbor.
“Is Maddy gone, too?” he asked. Matt heard children crying in the background.
“I’ve got my hands full.”
“Me, too,” Matt confessed.
“Do you know what they’re planning?” Jeb asked.
“I don’t have a clue, but I’m sorry now that I didn’t go with her. They have great intentions, but what can they do that hasn’t already been tried?”
“You signed the petition?”
“Along with everyone else in town,” Matt told him.
“Buffalo Bob contacted the governor and asked for help.”
“Did he hear back?” Now, that was promising.
“Not yet.”
Matt sighed impatiently. “I feel like we should be there.”
“I do, too.”
“Daddy.” Hailey tugged at his jeans. “Can we go to town and have a soda?”
Matt grinned at his daughter. “Just a minute, honey.” What an inspiration. “I’ll meet you at the soda fountain,” Matt suggested. “That way we can keep the kids occupied and we can talk ourselves.”
“Good idea,” Jeb said.
Matt pushed a tape into the truck’s console and sang Christmas songs with his children as he drove into town. When he parked outside Hassie’s, he noticed several other vehicles there, too. The two youngsters followed him excitedly into the drugstore.
The soda fountain appeared to be the most popular place in town; Gage Sinclair was there with his two daughters, and Jeb McKenna had arrived ahead of him. So had Brandon Wyatt and six-year-old Jason. Every stool at the fountain was occupied.
Matt acknowledged his friends with a quick nod.
“Hey, Matt,” Jeb said in a jocular tone, “seeing that you called us together, I’m hoping you’ve come up with a few ideas to share.”
“Me?” Matt glanced at Jeb, who shifted his weight. “I called a couple of the other guys, too. I think we made a mistake by taking such a negative attitude. Now the women are stuck trying to cope with the problem all by themselves.”
A Country Christmas Page 26
