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Yet even as pleasure went through him, his mouth compressed. He’d never wanted to live in the city, but had made an agreement with his wife. After qualifying, he would go to work at her father’s exclusive Beverly Hills veterinary clinic for eight years. Then, if he still wanted to be a small-town vet, they’d pack up and move. But when the time came, Renee had flatly refused. Apparently she’d made the agreement never thinking she’d have to keep it, figuring nobody would choose to live anywhere else once they’d had a taste of Los Angeles.
In the end, Gideon realized they’d grown so far apart they really didn’t have a marriage to save.
Back at the office he unlocked the computer and did a search for clients with sheep. Dr. Chevalier had disdained computers, keeping detailed paper records instead. One of the huge jobs still ahead was getting those files entered into the system, but at least Gideon’s office manager had finally gotten the basic data input done on all their current clients. It would have to do for now.
He’d hate to disappoint Carlie. Her enthusiasm about the living nativity was refreshing.
Gideon made a couple of calls and found a teenager involved in the 4-H club who was thrilled to have her two sheep in the living nativity.
He’d just hung up the phone when a handful of mail was dropped through the slot on the door. He sorted through the envelopes until he reached one from Los Angeles.
Inside was his final divorce decree.
CHAPTER FOUR (#uf3e98621-2c67-52d1-9396-d3997def8eb7)
LUKE WAS CONCERNED how the girls would react to the paper-chain-making contest, but since every kid won a prize—for one reason or another—it turned out all right. Beth was triumphant over getting “most colorful,” while Annie appeared quietly pleased with “prettiest use of traditional Christmas colors.”
Every award was “the best” or “the most” or another superlative, and he wondered how long it had taken Carlie or her staff to come up with enough prizes to be sure each child received an accolade of some type.
Once the ceremonies had been completed, the paper-chain-making supplies were moved to a single table and other crafts were set out.
“Look, Carlie is back,” Annie cried and ran across the room, followed by her sister.
Luke watched, wishing his daughters would greet him with that much enthusiasm. They immediately grabbed the activities director by the hand and dragged her to where he sat with a cup of coffee.
Carlie’s cheeks were pink from the cold air outside and he had to admit she was pretty with her blue eyes and long, golden-brown hair. Wholesome. Like a character from a Christmas film where true love triumphs. It wasn’t any wonder the twins gravitated toward her, though Annie’s instant attachment was unusual.
“What are you doing now?” Carlie asked the girls.
“I want to make origami birds,” Annie said, pronouncing the new word with care. She pointed to a table where a woman was demonstrating how to fold paper into different shapes.
“No. That’s dumb,” Beth declared. “Let’s go see how much snow there is.”
Carlie looked at him. “Maybe Annie could learn to do origami while the two of you go out to the sledding hill. There are volunteers here to watch the children.”
Luke hesitated. While marginally quieter now, the room was still busy with kids and adults coming and going. He couldn’t see letting Annie stay by herself, even if someone was specifically assigned to watch her. “Maybe another time. I saw on the schedule that Poppy Gold has another holiday craft workshop next Saturday.”
“Yippee,” Beth cried.
Annie was still hanging on to Carlie’s arm, and Carlie was talking to her in a soft voice. He only caught a few words. “Only if you go, too,” Annie said finally. “But I don’t want to squish my chain.” She held up the gift bag the children had been given to carry their paper chains and other belongings.
“You can put it in my office and come back for it later,” Carlie offered.
“Let’s just go,” Beth implored, hopping impatiently from one foot to the other.
Carlie smiled at her. “It won’t take long and this way you don’t have to carry your bag around.”
“Oookaaay.”
As they stepped outside, Luke asked why the building used for Guest Reception had the words City Hall impressed above the main doors. Was it to add to the village atmosphere?
“It was Glimmer Creek’s original city hall,” Carlie explained when he asked. “James Connor purchased the town’s historic district during the Great Depression, including all the civic structures except the Carnegie library.”
“Sounds like the Connors are one of the early robber-baron families of California.”
Carlie looked annoyed. “Actually, James Connor paid top dollar, donated a boatload of money to the town and allowed residents to live in their homes rent-free for five years. He didn’t buy the property for profit. He did it to preserve history and help Glimmer Creek get through the Depression. Personally, I don’t think the town was properly grateful—they called it Connor’s Folly for decades.”
“Oh.”
“Why did you assume he was out for himself?” she asked.
Luke made a noncommittal gesture, though he couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t questioned people’s motives. Growing up, he’d seen too many people taking advantage of others, his parents included. It had made him determined to make a different life and to take care of his sister. Nicole kept saying she needed to take care of herself, but that was nonsense. She was independent. While he’d paid for her college expenses and given her a job, she worked hard and was a terrific computer specialist, in her own right. Nobody could accuse her of being a freeloader.
* * *
CARLIE UNLOCKED HER private office. It was quiet in this part of the building; on such a busy day all available staff members were out, handling various responsibilities.
“Just put your bags on my desk,” she told the twins, who’d gone instantly to look at the decorated tree in the corner, seeming to forget everything else.
The branches were adorned with white lights, delicate crystal icicles and the wild-animal ornaments she’d collected since she was a little girl. Raccoons, squirrels, mountain lions, rabbits, foxes, birds of every variety, mice, deer and other animals adorned the branches and she loved them all. They sat on beds of “snow” as if in their mountain home.
“It’s the bestest tree ever,” Annie said solemnly.
Beth nodded, but Carlie suspected she normally preferred something flashier. That was okay. Sometimes Carlie enjoyed flashy, too, though they tried to keep the decorations at Poppy Gold restrained.
Perhaps the girls would like to have a Christmas tree in their bedroom. Actually, two trees. They could do the decorating and make them as individual as they liked. She scribbled a note and put it on her computer monitor, not wanting to mention it to Luke until she’d collected a selection of ornaments that reflected both Annie’s and Beth’s apparent tastes.
It wasn’t in her job description, of course, which was mostly to entertain the guests. Decorating wasn’t an “activity” like scavenger hunts and hayride parties, but Tessa gave her a lot of leeway. If Carlie saw a way to enhance a guest’s visit, she could act on it without getting permission.
“These must be your parents,” Luke said, looking at a framed photo on the wall, taken shortly before her father’s accident. In it, he was hale and hearty, and looked half the age he did now.
“Yes. Shall we go to the sledding hill?” Carlie prompted.
“Sure.”
When they arrived, she was pleased to see the snowmaking machines were still running and the guys in parkas and heavy gloves were out grooming the slope. A line of kids, both young and old, were queuing at the top in anticipation. There were so many, in fact, that Carlie excused herself to go talk with her uncle about creating a separate snow field for making snowmen.
“Splendid idea,” Uncle Liam said enthusiastically. “We’ve got more than enough snow for sledding today. The water hoses are long enough. We’ll just move the snowmakers over to the open area and hope it stays cold enough for a couple of hours.”
The snowmakers were shifted and Carlie called to see if the local grocery store could deliver a rush order of carrots, prunes and other environmentally friendly items for the snowmen’s features. They promised her everything would be there within twenty minutes.
Before long, the overflow of sledding enthusiasts were making snowmen and women, including Beth and Annie.
“This is what I meant by spontaneous,” Carlie told Luke as she brushed snow from her hair after a trek through the wide circle of snowmakers. While she was trying to sound innocent, a part of her was smug that he’d been present for one of the impromptu events. “Why don’t you help Beth and Annie build their snow person?”
“They probably want to do it alone.”
“Why wouldn’t they want their father to help?”
A mix of emotions flitted across his face. “No reason, I suppose.”
* * *
LUKE APPROACHED HIS DAUGHTERS. It was difficult to acknowledge, even to himself, but he didn’t know if they wanted him around. They were unusually self-sufficient for their age. The evening before he’d asked if they needed help getting ready for bed or for him to read a story, but they’d refused. And that morning they were already dressed and playing a game by the time he came out of his bedroom.
Snow was still shooting out from the machines and the girls were enjoying the artificial blizzard. Annie kept putting her head back and letting the flakes settle on her closed eyelids, while Beth danced around, trying to catch them in her mittens.
The thought flitted through his head that he could have tried renting a ski lodge in Tahoe or somewhere else for the holidays, but he shook it away. They were at Poppy Gold, and though the place wasn’t what he’d expected, it could work out. With that thought, he glanced at Carlie, who was setting out piles of fruits and vegetables for everyone to use creating the snow people’s features. Surely she would become less important to the girls once Nicole arrived.
“Sorry, everyone,” an older man called from the opposite side after another hour. He was the same man who’d signaled for the snowmaking machines to be turned on the night before. “The temperature is starting to rise. We have to shut everything down.”
Almost immediately, silence descended, followed by good-natured groans. Beth stuck out her lip in an undeniable pout and even Annie seemed a bit sulky.
“Okay, let’s build that snowman,” Luke said to them, trying to sound enthusiastic. “I haven’t made one since I was your age.”
He began gathering snow into a mound when Beth fixed him with a stern gaze that reminded him of Erika. “Papa, you have to roll it around. See?” She and Annie demonstrated, rolling a small ball of snow around the white ground. It picked up layers, slowly becoming larger.
“And we’re building a snow girl, not a snowman,” Annie added.
“Oh.” He hid a smile. “I’m glad you told me.”
* * *
BEFORE GIDEON RETURNED to Poppy Gold, he took the divorce decree upstairs to his apartment, glad it had come on a Saturday when the office was closed. Until things settled down more, he was living in one of the two apartments above the clinic. He’d finally gotten a post office box for his personal mail, but he must have forgotten to update his address with the court and his lawyer in Los Angeles.
Intentionally?
He considered the possibility and then shook his head. The divorce bothered him, but it was for the best. He and his ex-wife had never valued the same things and it was hard to base a marriage on such a poor foundation. In their last argument, Renee had even snapped that she’d done her best, but he was still a clod-hopping Nebraska farm boy who didn’t deserve her.
They were just too different. Once she’d thought it was charming that he’d grown up on a farm, while he’d been proud of her stylish sophistication. Now he saw women in designer clothes and wanted to run the opposite direction.
Gideon tossed the paperwork in a drawer.
At least Renee’s parting retort had reminded him that he was proud of who he was and where he’d come from. The only reason he hadn’t returned to Nebraska after Beverly Hills was because of the long winters. Going away to college hadn’t been about changing into a different kind of person. It had been about learning to be the best vet he could be.
Now that his foster parents had sold their farm, he was trying to convince them to move to Glimmer Creek. Helga had asthma and Gideon hoped she’d do better in a milder climate. At the very least he wanted them to come out for a few months to see if they liked it here. That was one of the reasons he’d started looking for a house. Lars and Helga hesitated to accept anything from him, but he might be able to convince them to stay in the apartment above the clinic if it was empty.
* * *
NICOLE PUT HER skates with the other luggage in the foyer of her condominium. Her restlessness and uncertainty had increased after talking to Luke. Granted, he and the twins had only been in California for a day, but she hadn’t liked hearing Annie was tearful in the midst of all the holiday cheer.
Belatedly she remembered she hadn’t packed her digital camera and got even more depressed. Wouldn’t a proper aunt have thought of that first?
She padded up to the spare room and collected her camera and charger, along with a handful of new SD cards, trying to think if there was anything else she might need. From Luke’s description of Glimmer Creek, it might be difficult to get some items and she didn’t want him making an extravagant gesture to get her lip gloss or something.
Laundry soap, Nicole thought. She used an organic, unscented variety. It raised the question of whether there were any laundry facilities at Poppy Gold Inns, or would they need to use a community Laundromat?
She looked up the phone number and called California.
“Poppy Gold Inns. Can I help you?” a man’s friendly voice said.
“I hate to be a bother,” Nicole apologized, “but I’m flying out Monday to stay for a few weeks. I’m meeting my brother and his family, who have already arrived. I wanted to find out if you have any laundry facilities or what other plans I should make. Oh, and is there a dry cleaner in town?”
“There’s a dry cleaner that will pick up and deliver. We also have laundry facilities on-site and a limited number of suites have them, as well. May I ask your name?”
“Sorry—Nicole Forrester.”
“Er, right. Mr. Forrester mentioned your arrival had been delayed. The suite where you’re staying includes a full utility room with a frontload washer and dryer. There’s also a nicely equipped kitchen.”
It was probably her imagination, but something in the man’s tone made Nicole wonder if Luke had made a nuisance of himself. She was the first to admit her brother wasn’t always the most sensitive guy and he liked having things his way.
“I don’t cook, but that sounds wonderful,” she replied brightly. “And I’m sure there are restaurants in town.”
“Yes. A hot breakfast is also delivered each morning from a local caterer. The food is freshly prepared, with a different central dish every day.”
Nicole had stayed at bed-and-breakfast inns where breakfast was little more than Danish and coffee, so she’d wait and see what Poppy Gold actually provided. In the meantime, the tension in the polite conversation was uncomfortable.
“I don’t want to take any more of your time,” she said. “But thank you for the information.”
“Of course, Ms. Forrester. Have a safe trip. Happy holidays.”
“Happy holidays to you, too.” She gratefully hung up the phone.
Anyhow, her questions had been answered, so Nicole packed a supply of laundry soap. She turned around, looking for something else to do, and her gaze lit on the space in front of the window. She’d always put a Christmas tree there the day after Thanksgiving and now she thought the condo was lonely without it.
Even knowing she was being silly, she took her tree out from the storage area under the stairs and assembled it, stringing lights and hanging ornaments. At least she could enjoy the cheerful lights and tinsel until she left.
* * *
THE BEST VANTAGE point for the official “lighting” of Poppy Gold was at the city square park. Carlie had noted the information on the activities sheet for everyone, though most of the regulars already knew. The townspeople of Glimmer Creek knew, as well, and were all welcome to participate.
Of course, not everything was controlled by the master switches. The electric candles in the windows operated by sensors, so they’d turned on when the sun set. The same was true of the lights on the wreaths and assorted other decorations. But lights on the houses, trees and buses would go on when the switches were thrown.
Between the singing and eating and general bonhomie, the park resembled a block party. People were tired and it had been a long day, but the payoff was at 6:00 p.m. when Poppy Gold would go “live” for Christmas.
“Is it soon, Carlie?” asked Beth, hopping from one foot to the other in excitement. She looked bright and lively, probably because she and her sister had taken naps that afternoon. Luke had insisted over their protests, saying they needed rest to enjoy the evening events.
Carlie checked her cell phone. “Twenty-five more minutes.
“Did you know your new tutor taught me in first grade?” she asked Beth, hoping to distract her. While the girls were napping, Luke had interviewed Luisa Cabrera and hired her as their tutor.
“Honest?”
“Honest. Mrs. Cabrera was one of my favorite teachers.”
From what Carlie could see of Beth’s expression, she seemed content with the comment, while Annie was harder to read. But they were obviously accustomed to employees in their lives. Their artless chatter throughout the day had included numerous references to their nanny and assorted other household staff.
Erika Forrester hadn’t been mentioned, though that wasn’t necessarily strange since according to what Tessa had said, they were still having trouble dealing with their mother’s death. Carlie hadn’t lost a parent, but she’d come close when her dad was injured. She didn’t know how she would have handled losing him and she was much older than the twins.
