Chapter 9
“Stamp the snow off your boots, boys.” Sarah struggled to open the front door of the coffee shop.
The wind wasn’t cooperating. One strong push and they fell into the warm, cinnamon scented air.
She’d scattered a bag of fragrant pinecones around the shop.
Her Christmas decorations really did perk up the store.
But Sarah’s Christmas spirit still hadn’t arrived.
Paper towel in hand, Lindsay was spritzing the display counter.
“Do you have to clean wherever you go?” Sarah teased.
With a playful shrug, her friend tucked their cleaning supplies under the register. “It’s a habit. That’s what I do––clean people’s cottages.”
“How was the story hour, boys?” Lindsay had two little girls, and she always made a fuss over Nathan and Justin.”
“Grandma was great,” Justin said. “I love Frosty. We’re going to make a snow man just like him.”
Nathan didn’t look as enthusiastic as his little brother. “Yeah, it was fine.”
Sarah helped the boys off with their jackets. “Was it very busy here?”
“I could handle it. What would you like today, boys?” Lindsay looked like a natural behind that counter. “We have fresh gingerbread boys with frosting.”
“I want one! I want a gingerbread boy.” Justin pressed his nose against the glass.
“So much for my cleaning.” Lindsay chuckled.
Sarah gave herself a shake. She couldn’t wander around in a tired daze all holiday season. “One cookie, boys. Then off you to go to color. Hear me?”
Nathan turned away. “I don't want a cookie.”
Sarah bit her tongue and prayed for patience. “Then you can go back and color.”
“Coloring’s for babies.” With that he swatted through the swinging door so hard, it hit the doorframe. Sarah counted to ten.
Justin pointed to his choice and Lindsay whipped out the gingerbread man.
Then he disappeared after his brother. With a sigh, Sarah took off her coat and piled it on top of theirs.
“I need coffee.” Sarah headed for the pot in the corner and Lindsay joined her at a window table.
Frost had etched the window with an icy pattern.
“Marriage agrees with you.” Sitting down at a table, Sarah nudged a full cup toward Lindsay and then filled her own mug with sugar and cream.
“I’ve only been married about a month, but yes, I'm happy,” Lindsay said with a sigh of contentment. Sarah felt a twinge of jealousy, followed by guilt. After all, Lindsay was a good friend.
“Tanner makes you happy?”
Her lips tipping into a smile, Lindsay nodded. “I never thought I'd say this but yes. Of course I have my girls too. But you know how that goes. Rebecca and Susan are little and they...”
“...can be a pain sometimes,” Sarah said. “A responsibility. Not that I’m complaining.”
“How is your holiday going?” Lindsay’s forehead wrinkled into friendly concern.
“I'm behind as usual. Ryan's agreed to work some hours here. Mom’s getting older so she minds the store. That back room with heavy trays and heat might not be the place for her anymore.”
“She is getting on,” Lindsay agreed.
Smiling, Sarah thought about Lila and the librarian. “She’s mighty spry when she wants to be.”
Lindsay leaned closer. “How was the librarian?”
“Oh, Stuart is quite an eyeful if you're over sixty.”
Lindsay’s eyes brightened. “Wow. Good for her.”
Smiling to herself, Sarah took another sip. “My mother takes cookie samples to the library almost every day.”
“Has it helped business?”
“Yes.” Sarah chuckled. “Have you seen my mother lately?”
“No, I’ve been so busy. Our rentals went from football games to cross country skiing, not that I’m complaining.” In addition to cleaning cottages, she also had a rental service with Mercedes.
“My mother is now blonde.”
Lindsay snorted on the coffee.
Getting up, Sarah grabbed more napkins and handed them to her sputtering friend. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Blotting the tears from her eyes, Lindsay sucked in some air. “Give me a warning before you lay that kind of news on me, okay?”
“She noticed your mother’s hair at your wedding. But I do think meeting Stuart gave her that extra little push.”
Lindsay’s mouth fell open. “That’s amazing. How does she look?”
“Ten years younger and she acts like it too.”
“I say, go for it.” Lifting her mug, Lindsay took a sip. “What about you, Sarah? Have you ever thought of going out with someone?”
“Oh, no.” The acid from the coffee gnawed at her stomach. “Haven't got time. Where would I find a man anyway?”
“We talked about this last summer, Sarah. Then Tanner came into my life.”
Reaching over, she squeezed Lindsay’s hand. “I’m so happy that happened for you, Lindsay. Really I am. But how many single men are there in Gull Harbor?”
“What about Ryan?”
She stared at her friend blankly. “What about him?”
“The times I’ve seen you together at school events? I've always thought your brother-in-law had a secret thing for you. Well, since, you know, Jamie.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Sarah twisted a curl at the nape of her neck.
“Sometimes we can’t see what’s right in front of us. Or we don’t want to see,” Lindsay added quietly.
The conversation had turned totally crazy. Sarah pushed her mug aside. She’d had enough coffee for today. From the back room came the sound of the boys arguing.
Checking her watch, Lindsay got up. “Never overlook the man closest to your heart.”
Sarah stood and gathered the napkins and mugs. “What the heck does that mean?”
Lindsay lifted a brow. “When you're making those cookies with Ryan, maybe you should take a good look at him. He’s a hunk. Sure, he was a little crazy when he was younger but hasn’t that changed?”
“He's very...responsible.” Hot. Sweet. Thoughtful.
“Responsible?” The way Lindsay tossed that out, you’d think it had become a bad word. “You sound like his mother.”
The comment reminded her of Ryan’s painful history. “His mother ditched them, you know. Poor boy, his parents took a one way ticket to Chicago. They eventually divorced and his mom remarried. Ryan rarely mentions her.”
“How can a woman do that?” Lindsay said as they pushed through the swinging doors. The boys were arguing about something. Justin was on the brink of tears.
“Nathan started it,” Justin whined.
“Did not.”
“Nathan.” Sarah fisted her hands on her hips.
“Sure reminds me of my girls,” Lindsay said in an undertone. “I should get going. My mother has them today, not that Mom and Dad mind. They’re headed to Florida after the holidays.”
“Sounds nice.” Her mother would probably love a vacation like that. She deserved one.
After Lindsay left, Sarah gave the boys a Santa puzzle she’d been saving for a moment like this.
Even Nathan looked pleased. When the bell jingled in the shop, she hurried back to the front.
A young family was picking out cookies and pastries.
“Guests for dinner,” the young mother said.
Chatting away, Sarah filled a bakery box.
Their stock was getting low. Maybe she should make up a list of what she wanted to bake with Ryan this week.
The family left and Sarah wandered to the front window. Touching one hand to the glass, she watched the family drive away. Lucky family.
When the phone rang, she almost didn’t answer. Maybe it was her mother. She took the phone from her pocket.
“Hey, it’s me. Ryan.”
“Hey.” Warmth spilled through her.
“What are you and the boys doing tomorrow afternoon?”
“Nothing much.” So many chores waited for her at home. Decorate the house. Put up the artificial tree she’d bought with Jamie five years ago.
“The Grinch That Stole Christmas is playing at the old theater in South Haven. Would you and boys like to see it with me?” His voice wavered a bit as if he were uncertain.
By that time, Sarah had pushed through the door to the back. The boys were huddled over the puzzle. They’d made progress on Santa’s head and one of the reindeer. “Uncle Ryan wants to know if you’d like to see the Grinch movie tomorrow. You guys aren’t interested, right?”
Nathan jumped up so fast he knocked over the chair. “I want to go.”
“Me too,” Justin said. “You're coming right, Mommy?”
With a smile she went back to the phone. “I think that’s a yes.”
The boys had both settled back, heads almost touching over the puzzle. Looked like they were having a private conversation. Lately, they’d been so secretive.
Ryan’s laugh rippled over the phone and right up her spine. “Great. See you tomorrow then.” They set a time.
“You bet.” Ending the call, Sarah felt hungry. The gingerbread men were calling. Returning to the sunny front room, she grabbed a cookie and crunched down. Remembering their frosting fight brought on a fit of giggles.
She could hardly wait for tomorrow.
At least the roads weren't bad as Ryan drove Sarah and the boys up to South Haven on Sunday. So far this year people were happy to see the snow. The white stuff was “Christmasy.” Usually those were the women who didn’t have to drive in it.
Stanley and the other guys in Branson Motors laughed about it all winter.
The garage did a lot of plowing, and Ryder earned extra cash.
Today the roads were salted and the blue stuff glittered in the sunlight.
Sitting next to him, Sarah looked amazing in a dark green coat and her red scarf.
She smelled good too. Snow had caught in her hair and was slowly melting.
Getting out of the shop was probably good for her.
But the boys were suspiciously quiet in the back.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Ryan saw they had their eyes trained on the front seat.
“What’s up with you two today? Cat got your tongues? ”
“We don't have a cat,” Justin said very seriously.
“Ryan was kidding,” Nathan said with the tone of an older brother who thought he knew it all.
“Maybe we need some music.” Leaning over she fiddled with a knob on the dashboard. But she didn’t know the stations.