Andrea placed the chair and gingerbread man next to the table with one of their three-tiered pyramids.
In a minute her mother started walking to the counter carrying a dirndl for the lady following her, but she stopped midstride when she saw it. “Oh, Andrea—without a doubt that’s the most appealing craft item I’ve ever seen!”
“I totally agree. On the drive home from Barrow’s Lake I ordered more of them and the rocking chairs.”
The customer walked over and picked it up to examine it. “I’d like to buy this. My four-year-old granddaughter will go crazy over it. The rocking chair is superb, too. I think I have to have both.”
“I’m sorry.” Andrea spoke up. “They’ve already been sold, but leave us your name and number. When more come in, one of us will call you.”
“Can they be here before Christmas? My friend Renee will want both for her little niece, too.”
“I’ll put a rush on it, but you never know.”
Andrea eyed her mom before hurrying to the rear to pack up the treasures in one crate and gift wrap it. When she’d loaded it into the trunk of her car, she went back upstairs to shower and change into something fresh.
Several of her outfits had been purchased in Germany. After giving it some thought, she pulled out her cherry-red two-piece loden wool suit. She’d bought it the day Marie had gone shopping with her. Gunter had said it looked perfect on her.
Dark green braid lined the round neck and the front of the jacket. Eight ornate silver buttons the size of quarters ran down the middle to the hem at the waist. She loved this suit with its slightly flared skirt. It was reminiscent of the old-world items in the shop, but she’d worn it only once while she was still in Germany.
Chances were Captain Jenner wouldn’t even be there, but she had to make the effort...because her mom had asked this favor of her. Because she realized she needed to start making an effort to get on with her life. Taking an interest in herself and caring about what she wore was a first step.
Much as she’d enjoyed seeing Casey, her overnight trip hadn’t helped her spirits. It had been all talk about loss and unfulfilled lives. She’d come home actually alarmed over her depressed state of mind.
* * *
Two more hours before Rick’s shift was over. While he was fueling the truck, he heard Cabrera’s voice calling out, “Eighty-six! Eighty-six!” It was code that meant a woman had entered the station, but not just any woman. She had to be a total knockout. After dealing with life-and-death situations 24/7, there was nothing like hearing an “eighty-six” to set the place humming.
He watched in amusement as one by one the guys left their housekeeping duties to get a glimpse of the supposed femme fatale who’d set foot on the premises. In a minute Arney came running to the bay. He might be married with two children, but his blue eyes were all lit up and he wore a knowing grin on his face.
“There’s a female here to see you.” Rick blinked. “The guys have gone nuts. She brought a giant Christmas present all wrapped up in blue foil with a gold ribbon.”
His adrenaline surged. Andrea was back from wherever. After hearing from her mother, she’d obviously come here. For some reason she’d been determined his daughter would receive the gingerbread man, even if it meant Santa came to the station in person to deliver it.
“I’d say she looks like a Christmas present herself, if you know what I mean.” Rick knew exactly what he meant. Beautiful didn’t adequately describe her. The expression “she looked good enough to eat” was more like it.
Arney nudged his shoulder. “You’ve been holding out on us big-time, boss. I’ll finish the fueling while you...take care of business?”
Rick couldn’t get mad at the guys for wanting him to meet another woman and start living again. No one had better friends, and they couldn’t have tried harder to help him through the dark period of the past two years. They were his other family, the best of the best, but they didn’t understand.
So far none of his close friends had lost a spouse. They didn’t know what it was like to think of starting all over again with someone else. It took years to get to know another person, to put up with their flaws, to know their demons and still love them.
He hated being single again, coming home with no wife to hold him. He hated his empty bed, hated the loss of sharing. But he groaned at the thought of having to date again to regain that sense of completeness. As far as he was concerned, a widower was in a no-win situation.
Besides it being a new voyage of discovery that he had no interest in, it would have to involve Tessa. He had zero hope of finding another woman who would be right for him and his daughter. Would she be able to mother Tessa the way she needed it? Could he trust her with his daughter while he was out fighting fires?
It still tore him apart remembering the nights Tessa had sobbed herself to sleep in his arms. She didn’t do it quite so much now, but there were still those moments.
What if a new relationship didn’t work out? Where would that leave Tessa if he had to tell her he wouldn’t be seeing the new woman again? How much should he allow his daughter to get involved so she wouldn’t suffer a second time? Rick had no answers, no map to help him navigate through such a treacherous sea. Better to remain single now that he was getting used to it. Be the best father he could be to Tessa.
“Thanks, old man.” He let Arney do the rest of the refueling while he made his way to the front of the station. En route he was aware of the guys watching him, with the same grin as Arney on their faces.
She was in his line of vision when he rounded the corner. For the second time in two days he was knocked sideways, only this was much worse. In a word she looked so adorable in that outfit, she might be one of those hand-painted imported wooden ornaments come to life.
“You wanted to see me?”
He heard a small cry escape her lips when she saw him. The way her chest moved beneath that fetching jacket, he had an idea she felt breathless, too. “I didn’t know if you would be here. Mother told me you’d come by to purchase those gifts for your daughter. I’m so sorry she couldn’t find them. I’d taken them upstairs to my apartment.”
“You live above the shop?” Good grief. He swallowed hard. If that fire had spread and she’d been in there asleep...
“Yes.”
“Alone?”
She nodded, answering one question for him. “I had the loft renovated after...after my last trip to Germany.” Why the hesitation?
“I’m glad I found you here,” she continued. “I should have realized right away you wanted to get them without her knowing about it. Since I made a promise to her, please accept this as a gift from Santa. I wrote ‘To Tessa from Santa’ on the box.”
He reached into the pocket of his uniform for his wallet. “Let me pay you.”
“No, don’t! My payment was watching your little girl have one of those magical moments every child should experience. To take your money would ruin that memory for me.”
Her features had hardened slightly, letting him know she meant every word.
Rick
