No Good Deed: A Small-Town Romantic Suspense Novel

25. Christmas Phail

Piper worried her bottom lip as she and Troy drove to Kimi’s. The vet had asked them to bring Oreo in but hadn’t given them details.

Had someone come looking for Oreo? On the day before Christmas Eve? If his original family wanted him back, Piper’s heart would shatter. She’d never had a dog as a kid, had never really longed for one. But she loved this little guy, and she didn’t know how she would face it if Kimi had to take him back.

There were a few other cars in the vet’s small parking lot when they arrived, but Piper ignored them. Maybe it wouldn’t be awful. How could she give Oreo up the day before Christmas? She’d have to send all his presents along with his family.

Troy shut off the car and reached over to gently turn her face to his. “No assuming the worst.”

“But—”

He cut her off by leaning in to kiss her softly. “Let’s see what Kimi has to say first.”

He was right, but she didn’t want to get out of the car. If she didn’t see Kimi, she couldn’t hear the bad news.

She didn’t move until Troy opened her car door and took her hand. She cuddled Oreo to her chest and rose. They didn’t say a word as they moved along the path to the back.

As they approached the barn, her dread increased, and Oreo whined. Probably picking up on her nerves. Troy put his arm around her and she took a few deep breaths to settle herself. The dog’s happiness came first, and he might be thrilled to see his family again.

Troy put his hand on the barn door and looked down at her. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. We’ve got this.”

She nodded, mostly because he looked as stressed as she felt.

Troy opened the door and ushered her inside. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust from the bright snow outside.

Paper flowers and streamers decorated the barn’s interior. No balloons for this eco-friendly town. Kimi must be having a celebration to reunite Oreo with his family. Her heart sank even as she tried to muster up a smile. Oreo whined and licked her chin again.

She and Troy walked a few steps, and Kimi and several of their friends from Midnight Lake and town popped up. “Surprise!”

Piper froze in place. A glance at Troy showed he was as confused as she was. She checked behind her, looking for the other family, but no one was there.

Kimi moved toward them with a big smile on her face. “Happy Gotcha Day.”

Happy Gotcha Day? Piper didn’t have a clue what that meant. The others were smiling expectantly at her, but she didn’t know what was happening. She clutched Oreo more tightly to her.

Troy chuckled beside her. “Piper and I thought you were going to tell us you’d found Oreo’s original family.” His voice was light. He’d obviously figured out something she hadn’t.

“That’s not it?” Her voice wobbled.

Kimi rushed over and rubbed her arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think of that. This is supposed to be a fun surprise, but I can tell I screwed up. I’m so sorry. A Gotcha Day is the day you adopt. There have been no responses to all my inquiries to surrounding vets. You can officially adopt Oreo if you want to.”

Piper clamped her lips together to keep from bursting into tears. Happy tears, but still tears. She nodded her head, but couldn’t speak. Kimi hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t consider it from that perspective. I’m sorry.”

After another deep breath, Piper managed some words. “It’s okay. As long as I can keep Oreo, it’s okay.”

Kimi laughed and let her go while wiping her eyes. “You can keep Oreo. I knew you two were going to be a great team. For a while now, I’ve been thinking of starting a Gotcha Wall of Fame, and celebrating Gotcha Days with every animal that gets adopted. I guess I shouldn’t have made it a surprise. But with all your great ideas for showcasing the town and the good we do, you’re the one who made me decide to finally do this. I’ll do better next time.”

Oreo yipped and licked Piper’s chin again. She held him up to look him eye to eye. “Did you hear that, Oreo? We get to stay together. It’s your Gotcha Day.”

From the other side of the room, Moose let out a deep woof, and Oreo whirled in his direction. Laughing, Piper set him down, and he trotted over to meet his big buddy. Potato was there, as well as Jetson, Spike, and Willow from Midnight Lake.

Kimi gestured at everyone. “Everyone who is here has adopted a dog from here. I wanted to celebrate together.”

Now that she understood what was happening, Piper looked around to see a cake for humans on a high table along with dog treats that had all the dogs’ names on them.

Paw prints painted on one wall decorated a section of the barn with the words Gotcha Wall Of Fame painted above. She had also painted Happy Gotcha Day over another area with stools and a carpet.

Kimi had Piper and Troy sit on stools in front of the first section. They held Oreo between them while Kimi snapped a bunch of photos. Then, she did the same for all the other groups in the room. “I’ve got a printer out back. Give me a minute.”

When she came back, she had the photos framed. She’d included their names and the adoption dates for each dog. Kimi put the frames on the hangers she already had set on the wall. Then she grinned at them. “Now for the fun part.”

She motioned everyone over to a table where she’d set out paper plates filled with paint. “It’s pet friendly paint, but we’ll wash their paws as soon as we’re done.”

Moose laid his enormous head on the table, and his sigh had the paint in the nearest dish sloshing around. Lia laughed as she steadied the plate. “Hey, big guy. Looks like you want your paw print to be in green?”

Joe looked at the wall under the Hall of Fame banner and back to Kimi. “Am I guessing right that you want his print on the wall by his photo?”

Kimi nodded, and Joe picked up the plate of paint. “I think it’ll be easier to do his foot over here. I’m not carrying that beast around.”

Seeing as the dog probably weighed as much as Piper, she figured that was a very good idea. In contrast, Troy set Oreo down on the table. “Which color bud?”

Oreo looked around the table and then sniffed at the plate with deep purple paint. Troy gestured at Piper. “Why don’t you do the honors?”

Piper lifted Oreo and held out his front right paw. Troy placed it in the tray and held it in place to get it covered in paint. He used a cloth to catch the drips while they moved to the wall. Piper lifted Oreo closer, and Troy pressed his little paw to the wall, making a bright purple print beside their photo. When she pulled him back a bit, Oreo yipped and tried to lick the photo.

Kimi hung Moose’s photo lower on the wall to make it easier to get his print. Then Jetson, Willow, Spike, and Potato all added their own. Kimi helped them clean all the paws in the back at her cleaning station, although they washed Moose’s paw right where he was.

After everyone was clean, Kimi passed out dog treats to all and then pieces of the Happy Gotcha Day cake to all the people.

Piper had snapped pictures of the cake and treats before they’d been devoured. Now, she took photos of the wall with all the pictures and paw prints. “This is fabulous, Kimi. It’s going to make a great addition to the website.” Which she still had to build. Now that Ethan was in jai,l and the police were doing their thing, she would have time to do it all.

Kimi’s eyes widened. “You’re going to add this to it?”

Piper nodded. “Definitely. You’ve got a wall filled with happiness. Doesn’t get much better than that.”

* * *

Troy set up the last chair and stood back to check the space. It might have been too small to be considered a festival, but they’d had a fun town day and the beginnings of a tradition they would expand for the next year and all the years after that.

Today, they’d had a snowman making event in the space that would eventually be Phail Way Park. They’d taken pictures to post on the website that Piper would create.

Then they’d shared a potluck supper in the saloon. Troy could imagine it next year when they had more time to decorate. As it was, they’d asked everyone to bring one Christmas decoration for the evening.

Santas, reindeer, snowmen, and elves sat around the room, along with garlands and stars. With the arrival of the crew from Midnight Lake, the town had become even more environmentally conscious, and this Christmas decor was all about using what was available.

It made him nostalgic for his family and for his team. They’d spent more than a few Christmas seasons in deserts and mountains, working to keep the people safe and take down those spreading pain and evil for their own gain.

Piper’s arms wrapped around his waist, and she leaned into him. “You okay?”

He turned to hug her properly. “I am.”

“You were sad there. Thinking of those who aren’t here?”

He laughed and kissed her hair. “Exactly right. How did you know?”

She leaned back. “You looked pensive. That’s when you’re usually thinking about how to make life better for someone.”

Wow. This woman blew him away with her thoughts and how she viewed him. He raised an eyebrow and stared into her eyes. He let his love for her shine through. “What am I thinking now?”

Her smile widened slowly, and her eyes sparkled. “You’re thinking very good thoughts. But not ones for public discussion.”

He laughed and kissed her lightly. “Right again. We’ll revisit those in a couple of hours.”

“Sounds like a Christmas tradition I can get behind.”

“Ready to get the Saloon’s first Christmas movie started so we can get to those?”

She grinned and kissed him. “Good plan.”

Knowing Piper preferred not to be the center of attention, he let her head off to the side after one last kiss. Then he moved to the front of the room and clapped his hands. “Grab a seat, everyone. We’re about to start.”

Every chair filled up with more people standing near the back. He was pretty sure every person in town was here, and his heart swelled with pride for Piper and her amazing ideas.

Once they were seated, he spoke again. “Our movie for tonight is the original Rudolph. Piper is going to pass out Phail cards for everyone and a pencil. Phail cards work exactly like Bingo cards except better.”

A few people helped, and soon, everyone had a card. Troy held up his own. “The game goes like this. Each of the cards has different moments from the film on it. There are also fake moments that don’t appear in the film. Every card has at least one way to win. When the moment happens, you read it out loud and then mark off the square on your card. When you connect five in a straight line, call out Christmas Phail to get your prize. Got it?”

It was fun, with everyone calling out their squares throughout the film.

Santa says Ho Ho Ho.

Yukon Cornelius throws an axe.

Rudolph’s nose lights up.

One of the other reindeer is mean to Rudolph.

A boat.

A toy that talks.

A gift opens.

Near the end of the movie, Troy slipped out of the room into the kitchen. Piper followed him and helped him into the Santa suit they’d borrowed from Jim and Carl.

When the crowd cheered at the end of the movie, Troy put on his best Santa attitude and moved into the Saloon. He was greeted with cheers and hoots.

Owen Kerins shouted out. “Merry Christmas, Santa!”

For the next few minutes, Troy had a blast chatting with each of the kids and handing out the presents Marcus had organized for them. One of the benefits of being in a small town was that everyone knew everyone. And they knew what would make each kid happy.

They’d kept the gifts simple and fun. Sports equipment, craft supplies, puzzles, and games.

He looked around when he was on his last gift. Nina Syrette stood over with her mom. At almost-thirteen she was on the edge of being too old for a Santa gift, but there’d been no way any of them were leaving her out. He could see the control on her face. She wouldn’t let anyone know she was disappointed if she’d been considered too old.

Troy crooked a finger at her, and her smile was immediate. She bounced over. “Merry Christmas…Santa.”

Her hesitation proved she knew exactly who he was and that she’d keep his secret. “Your mom told me you’ve been a good girl this year.”

Nina rolled her eyes with a grin. “That’s not a secret, T—Santa.”

He boomed out a Ho Ho Ho, and the kid cracked up. “Merry Christmas, Nina.” He handed her an envelope. He’d checked in with her mom and Kimi before getting the present approved.

Nina thanked him, and opened the envelope. She pulled out the certificate inside. Her mouth dropped open as she read it, and her eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

He nodded, and Nina whirled to find her mom. “Mom. I’ve got a job. A job with Kimi. For three hours a week. I get to help with the animals and everything. Can I do it? Can I help her?”

Kimi and Addison had moved in closer and when Addison nodded, Nina whooped and hugged first her, then Kimi, and then Troy. “Thank you. This is the best Christmas gift ever.”

Soon, the crowd cleaned up and dispersed to have their private Christmas Eve celebrations, leaving him and Piper alone in the Saloon.

Piper leaned into his side. “Good job, Santa. The kids were thrilled.”

“That was fun. Great idea with the Phail cards. That’s a keeper for next year.”

“We’ll have to watch the movies to get ideas for the cards.”

“Maybe we should spend Christmas Day in bed watching movies and taking notes.”

Piper laughed. “Taking notes. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

“Hey, are you trying to get on the naughty list?”

Heat flared in her eyes as she grinned. “Maybe.” She reached up and tweaked his beard. “Santa’s kind of a hottie.”

He laughed and boosted her up. Or tried. He’d forgotten the stuffed belly, and she couldn’t wrap her legs around him. Laughing, he yanked the stuffing out and lifted her again. She wrapped her legs around his waist and rocked into him.

“Much better, Hottie Santa. Why don’t you show me what else is under the suit?”

Laughing, he headed for the nearest table and showed her exactly what the suit was hiding.

* * *

Piper woke slowly, safe and warm in Troy’s arms on Christmas morning. She’d only had one nightmare, but it had slipped away once she’d realized she was in Troy’s bed. She snuggled in more deeply and breathed in the peace.

“Merry Christmas, Piper.” Troy’s sleepy, sexy voice rumbled in her ear.

She lifted her head from his chest and leaned up to kiss him. “Merry Christmas.”

“How are you feeling today? Any lingering effects from the concussion?”

She grinned. “I think we can safely say I’m better.” She’d been to see Lia daily, and her wounds were all healing, and the effects from the concussion appeared to be gone.

He hugged her more tightly. “Good. I was thinking that we’ve been focused on building traditions for the town, but we haven’t talked about building traditions for ourselves. Ones for just us.”

Her heart melted. “I like the sound of that. And I think the Santa suit activity from last night should be at the top of the list.”

Troy laughed. They’d made love in the saloon while Troy wore most of the suit. Then again, with Piper wearing nothing but the hat. “That one’s a definite keeper. What traditions did you have with your parents?”

She leaned her head back on his chest. “Not many, really. We were a quiet little family. We mostly just spent the day together, and enjoyed playing games.”

Troy’s hand coasted over her back. “Sounds nice. And I bet those family days are at the heart of your ideas for this town, and the other jobs you’ve done.”

Was he right? She’d never thought about that. Family time had always been a priority for her parents. They’d always shown they’d loved her in so many ways. The games and activities they’d done together had been a huge part of her childhood. “I think you might be right. Mom loved to make different games like the Phail cards we used last night.”

“What about your dad?”

That made her laugh. “He was up to try anything, but he always said Mom had the creative brain. He would make us French toast whenever Mom was coming up with ideas. He called it creativity fuel.” And she’d forgotten that memory. “Thanks for helping me remember that.”

“I love French toast. How about we start the day off with that?”

Over breakfast, they talked more about their families and more Christmas memories. They made fast, frantic love in the shower, then again with so much tenderness in the bed her heart swelled.

When they were sipping hot cocoa and watching Home Alone, Piper leaned into Troy’s shoulder. “I still need a job.”

He laughed. “You’re building our town. That’s a biggie.”

She nodded. It was a biggie, but it didn’t pay anything. Her severance package from her last job wouldn’t last forever, but it would keep her going for months at least. Expenses in a small town were much lower than in a city. But she still wanted to make her own money.

“I’ve actually got two thoughts about what to do next. Bella gave me the first one.”

“Bella? You thinking of taking arson investigator courses?”

She laughed along with him. “No. But I like her idea of doing online consulting, especially with smaller communities who have no budget for a full-time consultant.”

Troy sat forward. “That’s a brilliant idea. You’ve done such an amazing job here. I know you’d get dozens of recommendations from everyone in town.”

The thought warmed her heart. Not only had she been successful with her first small-town consultation, but she’d found her people and her person. “You don’t think the idea is too far-fetched?”

“Not even a little bit. I bet there any number of places here in New England alone that would love to get advice about building their towns. Looks like you’ve got another website to build. Phail Consulting?”

That made her laugh. “Not even a chance of that. I haven’t got far enough in my thinking to consider business names yet.”

Troy leaned in to kiss her. “You’ll come up with something amazing. I love the idea.”

A lightbulb hit, and she broke the kiss. “Wait. All this talk about my parents made me remember what my mom always said. Piper, pipe dreams are the best dreams. Why do you think we chose your name? You were our pipe dream. Maybe I should call it Pipe Dream Consulting. Or something like that if that’s already in use.”

Troy laughed. “I love that. It would be a great connection to your parents. I think I would have really liked them. So, what’s your second idea?”

“Remember when I mentioned the idea of opening a small Phail Visitor’s Center? With local goods and arts, information on the town.”

Troy wrapped his arm around her. “You talked about that in the Saloon that day.”

Of course, he remembered. “I think I’d like to run that or help run that. It wouldn’t be something that needed to be open every day, and it wouldn’t be a big thing, but it would be fun.”

“I think it’s a great idea. You’ve already figured out what makes the town tick and how to showcase the local talent. I think the storefront should be on the main square, somewhere around the park we’re going to build.”

She placed her mug on the coffee table and turned to look at him. “It wouldn’t have to be a big building, not even a whole building. Maybe just a corner of another business.”

“If Phail General wasn’t already bursting at the seams, it would be a good fit.”

Piper nodded. “Maybe in the building next door.”

Troy was silent for a minute. “Marcus is talking about needing more officers and needing more space if he does hire someone else. He’s talked about maybe using one of the empty buildings around town as a police station. If that’s happening anytime soon, maybe you could use the back room of Phail General and turn it into a tourist space, your visitor’s center.”

“That would be amazing.”

Troy grinned. “We’ve got a few months before we start knocking down buildings and moving people, so we’ve got lots of time to make plans. In fact, I think we’ve got multiple decades to make those plans. What do you think?”

Piper’s heart swelled again. “I think we should be watching The Grinch.”

Troy laughed and shook his head in confusion. “What?”

“I think my heart has grown three sizes, just like the Grinch’s heart. I think multiple decades of making plans with you sounds perfect.”

Oreo yipped his agreement, making them both laugh again.

Troy framed Piper’s face with his hands. “We’ll make it official after I have time to go ring shopping. You want input, or would you prefer a surprise?”

She grinned and thought over everything that had happened since she’d been mugged back in Chicago. “I’ve had a lot of happy surprises since I applied for a consulting job in this town. Let’s make this another one.”

“Perfect. I love you Piper.”

Her heart couldn’t possibly grow any bigger, but it did. “I love you too, Troy. So much.”

With a whoop, he stood with her in his arms. “I have a great idea about how to celebrate. You in?”

“Always.”

* * *