to break the news when he apparently didn’t even remember that they’d been together. Even now, five months later, that humiliation made her cheeks burn.
She wasn’t at all promiscuous. In fact, Trey was the first man she’d had sex with in three years and only the second in all of her twenty-five years. But Trey had also been drinking the wedding punch that was later rumored to have been spiked with something, and his memory of events after they got back to his room at the boarding house was a little hazy. Kayla had been relieved—and just a little insulted—when he left Rust Creek Falls to return to Thunder Canyon a few weeks later without another word to her about what had happened between them.
But she knew that he would be back again. Trey no longer lived in Rust Creek Falls but his grandparents—Gene and Melba Strickland—still did, and he returned two or three times every year to visit them. It was inevitable that their paths would cross when he came back, and she’d have to tell him about their baby when he did.
Until then, she was grateful that she’d managed to keep her pregnancy a secret from almost everyone else. Even now, only her sister, Kristen, knew the truth. Thankfully, she’d only just started to show, and the cold Montana weather gave her the perfect excuse to don big flannel shirts or bulky sweaters that easily covered the slight curve of her belly.
Regardless of the circumstances of conception, she was happy about the baby and excited about impending motherhood. It was only the “single” part that scared her. And although her family would likely disapprove of the situation, she was confident they would ultimately support her and love her child as much as she did.
The tiny life stirred inside her, making her smile. She loved her baby so much already, so much more than she would have imagined possible, but she had no illusions that Trey would be as happy about the situation. Especially considering that he didn’t even remember getting naked and tangling up the sheets with her.
She pushed those worries aside for another day and entered the line in the café. After perusing the menu for several minutes, she decided on a peppermint hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and candy-cane sprinkles. She’d been careful not to overindulge, conscious of having to disguise every pound she put on, but she couldn’t hide her pregnancy forever—probably not even for much longer.
Which, of course, introduced another dilemma—how could she tell anyone else about the baby when she hadn’t even told the baby’s father? And what if he denied that it was his?
The sweet beverage she’d sipped suddenly left a bad taste in her mouth as she considered the possibility.
A denial from Trey would devastate her, but she knew that she had to be prepared for it. If he didn’t remember sleeping with her, why would he believe he was the father of her child?
“It really is a small world, isn’t it?”
Kayla started at the question that interrupted her thoughts, her face flaming as she glanced up to see Trey’s grandmother standing beside her table with a steaming cup of coffee in her hands. Not that Melba Strickland could possibly know what she’d been thinking, but Kayla couldn’t help but feel unnerved by the other woman’s unexpected presence.
She forced a smile. “Yes, it is,” she agreed.
“Do you mind if I join you?”
“Of course not.” There weren’t many empty chairs in the café, and it seemed silly for each of them to sit alone as if they were strangers. Especially considering that Kayla had known the Stricklands for as long as she could remember.
Melba and Gene were good people, if a little old-fashioned. Or maybe it was just that they were old—probably in their late seventies or early eighties, she guessed, because no one seemed to know for sure. Regardless, their boarding house was a popular place for people looking for long-term accommodations in Rust Creek Falls—so long as they didn’t mind abiding by Melba’s strict rules, which included a ban on overnight visitors. An explicit prohibition that Kayla and Trey had ignored on the Fourth of July.
“Goodness, this place is bustling.” Melba pulled back the empty chair and settled into it. “The whole mall, I mean. It’s only the first of December, and the stores are packed. It’s as if everyone in Kalispell has decided to go shopping today.”
“Everyone in Kalispell and half of Rust Creek Falls,” Kayla agreed.
The older woman chuckled. “Looks like you got an early start,” she noted, glancing at the shopping bags beneath the table.
“Very early,” Kayla agreed, scooping up some whipped cream and licking it off the spoon.
“I love everything about Christmas,” Melba confided. “The shopping and wrapping, decorating and baking. But mostly I love the time we spend with family and friends.”
“Are you going to have a full house over the holidays this year?” Kayla asked.
“I hope so,” the older woman said. “We’ve had Claire, Levi and Bekka with us since August, and Claire’s sisters have hinted that they might head this way for Christmas, which would be great. I so love having the kids around.”
Kayla smiled because she knew the kids referred to—Bekka excluded—were all adults.
They chatted some more about holiday traditions and family plans, then Melba glanced at the clock on the wall. “Goodness—” her eyes grew wide “—is that the time? I’ve only got three hours until I’m meeting Gene for dinner, and all I’ve bought is a cup of coffee.”
“Mr. Strickland came into the city with you?”
The older woman nodded. “We’ve got tickets to see A Christmas Carol tonight.”
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,” Kayla said. “The whole cast—especially Belle—is fabulous.”
Melba smiled at her mention of the character played on the stage by Kayla’s sister. “Not that you’re biased at all,” she said with a wink.
“Well, maybe a little.” Her sister had always loved the theater, but she’d been away from it for a lot of years before deciding to audition for the holiday production in Kalispell. The part of Scrooge’s former fiancée wasn’t a major role, but it was an opportunity for Kristen to get back on stage, and she was loving every minute of it.
In support of her sister, Kayla had signed on to help behind the scenes. She’d been surprised to discover how much she enjoyed the work—and grateful that keeping busy allowed her to pretend her whole life wasn’t about to change.
“Lissa and Gage saw it last week and said the costumes were spectacular.”
“I had fun working on them,” she acknowledged.
“But you have no desire to wear them onstage?”
“None at all.”
“You know, Kristen’s ease at playing different roles has some people wondering if she might be the Rust Creek Rambler.”
Kayla frowned. “You’re kidding.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to betray your sister if she is the author of the gossip column.”
“She’s
