A Family For Christmas

Alone and pregnant with twins is not how Laura Holland wants to spend her holidays. So she seeks out the only person who’s never let her down: old college friend David Presley. David now runs a bookstore in a small Alabama town, but he’s never stopped loving Laura since he first laid eyes on her in school. So despite his store’s shaky finances, he offers her a job. When they work together to help boost business, Laura begins to see that the friend she’s always depended on could be the husband she’s always prayed for.

“Why aren’t you dating anyone?” Laura blurted, then wished that she could push the words back in.

But the widening of his eyes and the slight drop in his jaw said that there was no going back now. David had heard what was on her mind, and he looked…more than a little surprised. Well, she had lost some of her filter for saying what she was thinking over the past few months. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones in action, or maybe it was simply the fact that she didn’t understand the bizarreness of her old friend, her attractive and kind and nice—okay, a little more gorgeous than she remembered—old friend being so single.

When he didn’t readily offer a response, Laura couldn’t stand the silence. “Sorry, I was being nosy.”

“Sometimes that’s what friends do, right?” He leaned against the bookshelves and looked mighty nice doing it. “We are still friends, aren’t we, Laura? Or…are we something else?”

RENEE ANDREWS

spends a lot of time in the gym. No, she isn’t working out. Her husband, a former all-American gymnast, co-owns ACE Cheer Company, an all-star cheerleading company. She is thankful the talented kids at the gym don’t have a problem when she brings her laptop and writes while they sweat. When she isn’t writing, she’s typically traveling with her husband, bragging about their two sons or spoiling their bulldog.

Renee is a kidney donor and actively supports organ donation. She welcomes prayer requests and loves to hear from readers. Write to her at Renee@ReneeAndrews.com, visit her website at www.reneeandrews.com or check her out on Facebook or Twitter.

Yuletide Twins

Renee Andrews

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

—Luke 6:38

This novel is dedicated to and inspired by

the precious twins I met 24 years ago,

Amber Gonzales Harrington and

Angel Gonzales Stroop. I’ve watched you grow into young women with beautiful families of your own. You’ve touched my heart and my life.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Chapter One

Laura Holland climbed out of her jam-packed Volkswagen bug and squinted toward the windows of the bookstore across the Claremont town square. During the entire four-hour drive from Nashville to this tiny North Alabama town, she’d attempted to convince herself that she’d made the right decision. Staying with her parents, especially with her mother threatening to leave again, was out of the question. But now she wondered what made her think she could show up here, reconnect with her old friend and somehow convince him to give her a job?

What if David sent her packing? Then where would she go?

Laura took a step toward the bookstore but halted when an elderly gentleman made his way to the entrance. He stood out from the other shoppers with his slow and steady gait. A shadow passed in front of the window as someone went to greet him when he entered.

Was that David? Laura remembered the tall, dark-haired guy who’d been Jared’s college roommate the entire time he and Laura dated. Nice-looking in a Clark Kent kind of way, David wore dark-rimmed glasses, dressed impeccably and jogged regularly. He would be twenty-five now, merely two years older than Laura, and yet he’d already “made it” in the world, was self-sufficient and running his own business. A far cry from where Laura was now. More shadows passed in front of the awning-covered window, and then a man carrying a briefcase entered. How many people were in the store? And did she really want an audience when she begged for a job?

Spotting a rack of free classifieds outside of the five-and-dime, Laura grabbed a copy and sat on a wrought-iron bench while she waited for a few of David’s customers to leave. If—and that was a big if—David was willing to hire her in her current state, she’d also need somewhere to live.

The unseasonable weather was nice enough that she could probably sit and browse the paper until dark. In Nashville, it’d already turned too cold to spend time outside. But here the first Monday in November felt uncommonly pleasant, with merely a slight chill in the air. Then again, Laura stayed warmer these days due to the extra weight she carried. She wondered if David was still the same big-hearted guy he’d been in college. Would he be willing to help her out? She suspected—and hoped—that he hadn’t changed.

Laura rubbed her swollen belly. She sure had.

* * *

David Presley flipped the page of the quarterly report his accountant personally delivered and saw the nasty numbers on the P&L sheet identifying the sad state of his bookstore. He closed the folder, but the image of those red numbers wouldn’t go away.

“I’ll borrow more from my line of credit.” The muscles in his neck immediately tightened, and he shifted his shoulders to relieve a little stress.

“Can I be honest with you, David?” Milton Stott had inherited the bookstore’s account when his father retired, in much the same way David had inherited A Likely Story when his grandmother passed away. However, Milton’s inheritance gave him the accounts of most everyone in town, so it wouldn’t be all that terrible if he lost the bookstore as a client. David’s inheritance, on the other hand, plopped all of his eggs in one basket. A basket that was, based on these numbers, almost empty.

Somehow David managed a smile. “I’d love to think that you weren’t being honest and that those numbers were lying, but I know I can count on you giving me the truth. And since you’ve already delivered a painful dose, you might as well add the rest.”

A noise in the back of the store caused Milton to turn. “You have a customer?”

David nodded. “Zeb Shackleford, but he wouldn’t spread news of my financial state even if he heard it.”

Milton heaved a sigh. “Okay, then. I’m going to tell it to you straight. Your grandmother barely got by with the store. I told Vesta she should sell the thing before she passed away so the family wouldn’t be burdened. Your parents weren’t interested in it....”

“They were pretty excited when Dad got the job opportunity in Florida.” David’s folks had been thrilled about the potential for a year-round warm climate, but even if they hadn’t been tempted by the beach, they wouldn’t have taken over running A Likely Story. They’d never appreciated the old store on the square the way he had.

“Well, Vesta knew they didn’t want it and insisted you could breathe life into the old place. Back then, I told her that probably wasn’t possible,” Milton said, then added somberly, “I’m sorry that it appears I was right.” He placed his copy of David’s financials back in his briefcase and snapped it shut. “I don’t see how you can keep the place open more than a couple of months, and that’s only if you get enough holiday business to boost your numbers.”

David swallowed past the bitterness creeping up his throat. He’d tried so hard to make the bookstore work, but Milton was right. He lost money every day the doors were open. He scanned the multitude of shelves lining the walls, the tiny reading corners his grandmother had insisted on having for customers to sit and enjoy their books—all of them persistently empty—and his sole customer, Zeb, gingerly perusing the packed shelves. “I’m not ready to give up,” he told the accountant. “My grandmother thought I could make this place work, really believed it could be done, and that I was the one to do it. You said so.”

“I also said that it probably wasn’t possible,” Milton reminded.

Zeb rounded the end of one of the stacks and held up his plastic basket. “Found some good ones today,” he said with a grin.

David’s heart moved with a glimmer of hope. “I had several bags of used books turned in this week for credit, so I thought you’d be able to find quite a few.”

Zeb’s face cracked into more wrinkles as his smile widened. Oddly, the weathered lines made him even more endearing. “Any of those suspense ones I’ve been looking for? Miss Tilly at the nursing home has been asking for some.”

David pointed toward the other side of the store. “I think so. Look over there, about halfway down.”

“Thanks.” Zeb nodded at Milton. “Good to see you, Mil.”

“You, too, Zeb.” He waited for the old man to move a little farther away, lowered his voice and said, “Credit? You’re still taking books for credit? I told your grandmother years ago that she should stop that. It makes no business sense whatsoever.”

“That’s the way used bookstores typically work. And I carry new books, too, but there are folks in Claremont, like Zeb, who like the used ones.” David said a silent prayer that Zeb would take his time finding the books he wanted so Milton wouldn’t also learn the elderly man got his books for free.

Milton tsked and tapped David’s folder on the counter. “Listen, I’m not charging you for my services this quarter. I know you can’t afford it right now.”

“I can’t let you do that,” David began, but Milton shook his head.

“Nope, not taking a penny. But what I am going to do is start praying that you’ll think about what I’ve said and consider other options. You’re a smart young man with a business degree from a great university and your whole life ahead of you. There are other things you can do, businesses that can make a profit and keep your head above water.” Milton turned to leave. “However, if you’re determined to give it a go, I’ll pray for your success.”

David agreed that a prayer wouldn’t hurt.

Help me out, Lord. Show me what I need to do to breathe life into this place. I could really use some guidance here.

The bell on the front door sounded as Milton exited, and Zeb Shackleford edged his way toward David with books balancing over the top of his red plastic basket. He gingerly placed the basket on the counter and then reached to his back pocket and pulled out a worn leather wallet. “Now, I’m gonna pay you today, David. Please don’t fight me on this. I got a lot of books, and I know you can’t afford to keep giving ’em to me for free.”

David suspected Zeb had gotten the gist of his conversation with Milton, even if he might not have caught every word. He loved the old man and the way he took care of so many people around Claremont. Right now he was trying to take care of David, but there was no way David would take his money. “We’ve been through this before. Those books are a donation.”

Zeb opened the wallet and moved a shaky thumb across the top of a few dollar bills. “Please, David. Let me pay.”

David placed his hand on top of Zeb’s, and the trembling ceased. “It’d be different if you were keeping those books yourself, but I know that you’ll be hauling them over to the nursing home and to the hospital and then to the shut-ins around town. You’ll read the books to them, and then if they like the story, you’ll let them keep them, won’t you?” When Zeb didn’t answer, David added, “My grandmother’s last days were so much better because of your visits. She loved listening to you read. You’ve got a way of bringing stories to life. She had that gift, too, before the cancer got the best of her. But with your visits, she could still enjoy a good story.” He pointed to the books. “I’m not letting you pay for them.”

“She never would take my money, either,” Zeb huffed, folding the wallet and sliding it in his back pocket. Then he lifted his eyes and said, “I know you need the money.”

David didn’t want the older man to worry, even if his own anxiety made his stomach churn. He placed all of the man’s books in two plastic bags. “I’ll be fine.”

Zeb placed a hand on David’s forearm and squeezed. “You have a blessed day, son.”

“I will.” The words had barely left David’s mouth when he heard someone moving through one of the aisles from the front of the store. He hadn’t heard the bell sound, but he definitely had another customer. “Hello?”

Zeb turned so that he saw the pregnant woman at the same time as David. But David was certain Zeb didn’t recognize the lady, since she wasn’t from Claremont. David, however, did, and his heart squeezed in his chest the way it always had whenever he saw the stunning blonde in college. Infatuation had a way of doing that, lingering through the years, and David’s had apparently hung around. “Laura?”

“Hey, David.” She continued toward the counter. “I came in when the other man left,” she said, which explained why David didn’t hear the bell, “and then I didn’t want to interrupt you while you were talking to a customer.”

“Well, I’m about to leave.” Zeb extended a hand. “I’m Zebulon Shackleford, but folks around here call me Zeb.”

“Laura Holland,” she answered, shaking his hand and giving him a tender smile.

Holland. David didn’t miss the fact that she was still Laura Holland. No married name. Why not? And who was the father of the baby she carried? So many questions, and he wanted to know the answers.

“I...” She hesitated. “I hope it’s okay that I came here.”

Shell-shocked, David realized he hadn’t said anything more than her name. He mentally slapped himself out of the momentary stupor. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Yes, of course it’s okay.” Though he suddenly wondered why she was here, in his bookstore, when he hadn’t heard anything from her in over two years. The last time he’d seen her, in fact, she’d been very much in love with his college roommate.

Zeb slid his arms between the loops of the bags then pulled them off of the counter as he stepped away. “David, if it’s okay with you, I might sit a spell and read in one of your nooks before I head out. I’m feeling a little weary and think it might do me good to rest a few minutes.”

David had to forcibly move his gaze from Laura, still amazingly beautiful, to Zeb. “Sure, that’s fine. And let me know if you want me to drive you home. It isn’t a problem.”

“Aw, I drove today, wasn’t quite feeling up to walking this time. It’s just that I parked on the other side of the square, and I think I’ll handle that walk a little better if I sit a minute or two.”

“Take all the time you need,” he said, glad that his mind began to work again, the surprise of seeing Laura finally settling in to reality.

She looked even prettier than he remembered. She had her straight blond hair pulled back, drawing even more attention to pale blue eyes and a heart-shaped face. Jared had often compared her to Reese Witherspoon, and David agreed they were similar, but Laura was...Laura. Back then, he’d found an instant attraction toward the striking beauty, but as usual, he’d fallen into the role of second fiddle when she dubbed him her friend, and Jared her love. Then again, David was wise enough now to realize that his fascination with her had been merely that, a fascination. But beyond the intriguing element that’d always been a part of his relationship with Laura, had been the friendship that David had found with Jared’s girl. He was certain that friendship was what brought her here now, because David knew she was no longer with Jared. His buddy had married in June.

Laura forced a smile, blinked a couple of times and then seemed to struggle to focus on David, as though she were afraid if she looked directly at him, he’d see too much. Which was probably true.

In college, he mastered reading her eyes. If Jared had hurt her, David could see it in those telling eyes. He’d seen that look way too many times. Even though he was close to Jared, David never believed his old friend treated Laura the way she deserved. She had a kind heart and would do anything for anyone. Jared took advantage of that; he’d taken advantage of her love. David hated seeing that look of emotional pain in her eyes back then.

He studied her now and didn’t see pain, but he saw something else that bothered him almost as much. Fear.

“Laura, is something wrong?” he asked, then quickly added, “I’m glad that you’re here, but—” he decided it best to state the truth “—I haven’t heard from you since I graduated from Tennessee, so to see you now, over two years later...” His gaze moved to her belly. “Do you need help?”

Her lip quivered, and then tears pushed free. She quickly brushed them away with two flicks of her hand. “I told myself I wouldn’t cry.”

David felt bad for causing her to release those tears, but he didn’t know what else to say or do. However, he did know this—he would do whatever it took to help her. “Hey, it’ll be okay.” Rounding the counter, he did the only thing that seemed right—opened his arms and let her move inside his embrace. But he had no idea why she needed his comfort, so he said another silent prayer for God’s guidance.

Laura let him hold her for a moment, but then he sensed her gaining her composure again, her shoulders rising as she sniffed then eased out of his hug. She looked up at him, and David suddenly felt taller than his six-one. He’d forgotten how petite she was, no more than five-four. Her size made him feel an even stronger urge to protect her from whatever had her so upset.

“I’m sorry I fell apart. I’ll be okay.” A lock of blond hair had escaped her barrette and rested along her cheek. She gently pushed it behind her ear. “It’s been a long day.”

David knew that was an understatement, but he’d maintain his patience and wait until she was ready to explain. He tried to think of what he could do to make her feel more comfortable. He had no idea where she’d parked or how far she’d walked to get to his store. Finding a spot at the square was sometimes difficult, so she could have walked a bit to get here, probably not all that easy with the pregnancy. “Why don’t we sit and visit?” He pointed to the reading area nearest the counter. “I’ve got some lemonade in the kitchen. I’ll get us a couple of glasses, and you can tell me what’s going on.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He went to the small kitchen in the back and poured two glasses of lemonade then returned to find her sitting in one of the oversize chairs pressing her hand against her belly and smiling.

“Here you go.” He placed a glass on the table beside her and then took a seat on the sofa nearby. “Everything okay?” He indicated her hand, still rubbing against her stomach.

She nodded. “Yes, they get a little more active as it gets closer to night.” A soft chuckle escaped when her hand actually edged out a little as something pushed—or kicked—from inside. “Makes sleeping quite a feat.”

David would have said something about that kick, because he’d never seen anything like it, but instead he keyed in on the most important word in her statement. “They?”

Another nod, then she said, “Twins.” She took a sip of the lemonade, swallowed and then announced, “Twin girls.”

“Twin girls,” he repeated, amazed.

Then, before he could ask anything like how far along she was, she added three words that put every question David may have had on hold.

“And they’re Jared’s.”

He focused on her stomach. Twins were there. Jared’s twins. His mind reeled at that. It’d been, what, over four months since he stood beside Jared as a groomsman at his wedding?

David continued staring at her swollen belly—he couldn’t help it—and wondered how far along...

“Seven months,” she whispered, obviously following his thought process. “I found out about the pregnancy the end of May, the week I graduated. By that time, our relationship had been over for two months, which was exactly how far along I was.” She held the glass of lemonade, palms sliding up and down the clear column as her shaky voice continued. “I didn’t know he’d been seeing Anita—seeing both of us—and then...he married her.” Her attempted smile caused a couple of tears to fall free, and again she wiped them away. Then she seemed to gather the courage to tell him more and said, “He told me he’d pay to get rid of the baby.” One shoulder lifted. “He had no idea there were two.”

David’s mouth opened, but no words came, and his opinion of his old roommate plummeted.

“My parents wanted me to put them up for adoption. They said it’d be better, you know, since I don’t have a job or anything.” She placed her glass on the table. “I got my early education degree, but schools aren’t that interested in hiring a teacher who’s going to have to miss work for doctor appointments and will be out for six weeks of maternity leave.”

He tried to put the pieces together but still didn’t see what had brought Laura here, to Claremont. However, he wanted to make sure that she knew, whatever she needed, he would try to help. “I hate it that you’ve had a hard time, and I’m really sorry that I haven’t tried to contact you since I left.” He’d thought of her often, but it didn’t seem right calling Jared’s girl, even after he knew they weren’t together anymore. Plus he’d been seeing AnnElise Riley for the majority of that time, and she’d never have understood him reconnecting with an old, moreover attractive, female friend. Her jealousy had been over the top, which really made the fact that she’d cheated on David with her old boyfriend—and consequently left town with him—sting.

David shook away the bitter memory and concentrated on the woman in his bookstore. Now he wished he’d at least tried to check on her over the past couple of years.

“I didn’t call you, either,” she said softly, “so we’re even.”

That was true, but somehow it didn’t help David’s tinge of guilt. When Jared married Anita, he should have called to see if Laura was okay. And she was so not okay. She’d been several months pregnant when Anita walked down the aisle. David still couldn’t get a handle on that fact. Why hadn’t Jared at least mentioned it?

In any case, David would do what he’d always done back in college—help Laura after Jared had left her hurting. “Well, I’m glad that you’ve come here now, and I want you to know that if there’s anything that I can do to help you, I will.” He placed his glass next to hers then took her hands in his. “I mean that, Laura.”

She blinked, nodded and then David saw pleading in those vivid blue eyes. “When my parents realized I wouldn’t give up the babies and that I couldn’t get a job in the school system, they offered to take care of everything. They wanted me to live with them, let them support me and the babies, for as long as I needed.” One corner of her mouth lifted. “You remember how they were always fighting, how Mom was always threatening to leave or actually leaving. I didn’t want my babies to grow up around that tension.” Another sniff. “I want them to have a real home, somehow. And I want to take care of them.”

David had met her parents a few times when they visited Laura in college. Her mother had always seemed angry or been pouting over one thing or another, and her father had tried to explain and make amends for her behavior. Laura had been even more independent because she didn’t want to rely on them. “You didn’t take them up on their offer.”

She shook her head. “No, I couldn’t. I’ve stayed with them the past few months, since I graduated, while I tried to find a job. At first I was able to substitute teach, but the schools don’t even call me for that anymore. I think they’re afraid I’ll go into early labor.” She gave him a soft smile. “Probably wouldn’t be too great for my water to break in a classroom of first graders.”

He grinned. “Yeah, probably not.”

“But I want to show my folks that I’ll be okay on my own. And I really didn’t want to stay in Nashville.” She touched her hand to her stomach, then added, “Jared and Anita live there.”

David nodded. Jared and Anita were beginning their life in Laura’s hometown, and he was certain she wouldn’t want the slightest chance of running into her babies’ father and his new bride.

“So, here goes.” She took a deep breath, pushed it out. “I need a job. I want to support myself and my babies. And I thought of you and your bookstore, and—” she scanned the surplus of books “—I would work really hard for you. I know I’m limited physically now, but I can still sell books, and maybe I could help you start some reading programs or something like that? Something that would let me work with children, like I would have been able to do with my teaching degree?” She paused a beat then quietly added, “And I’ll need help finding somewhere to live. I have a little cash in my savings, and I thought with this being a smaller town and all, maybe the cost of living would be lower than Nashville.” She looked at him hopefully. “Do you think I could help you out? Or, I guess what I’m asking is, do you think you could help me out?”

He swallowed thickly through the lump lodging in his throat. He’d seen the worst figures ever this afternoon on his P&L statement, had even wondered how he’d stay in business past the holidays. Hiring someone wasn’t something he’d have considered, at all. He couldn’t pay himself, much less someone else. But this was Laura. And her baby girls. David knew the only answer he could give, even if it didn’t make sense and even if it might give Milton Stott an early heart attack.

“Yes, I can use your help.”

Chapter Two

Laura had been around David enough in college to know when something wasn’t going right in his world. Right now, as he talked on the phone to the woman who owned the Claremont Bed-and-Breakfast, she could tell he wasn’t getting the answer he wanted. He’d removed his glasses and placed them on the counter, then he pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to what the lady had to say.

“No, Mrs. Tingle, I understand. I’d forgotten about the crafting folks coming in for the First Friday festival. They don’t usually stay overnight, though, do they?” He flinched as she apparently delivered another bit of bad news, then his head slowly moved up and down. “That’s right. I wasn’t thinking about everything happening next week. Yes, the bookstore is going to offer some activities for the festival. I just haven’t decided exactly what I’m doing yet.” His jaw tensed. “Okay, I’ll let Laura know you should have some rooms available in a couple of weeks.”

Laura waited for him to look her way then mouthed, “No luck?”

He held up a palm and gave her a half smile in an apparent effort to let her know everything would be okay. But Laura’s stomach quivered, and she began to think everything might not be okay. What if every room in town was booked for this festival he mentioned? For two weeks! Then what would she do?

“Yes, ma’am, we are having a book signing for Destiny Lee at the store next Saturday. That’s the only thing I’ve officially set up so far, but it’s definitely happening. It’s her first signing and she’s pretty excited about it.” He nodded. “I’d heard she included a story about you and Mr. Tingle in the book. I look forward to reading it.” He continued listening, then finally said, “That’s okay, I’m sure we’ll find something.”

Laura didn’t think he sounded so sure, and she wasn’t feeling a whole lot of certainty, either. She waited for him to click the end button on his cell then asked, “Do you think all of the hotels in town are booked, too?”

He picked up his glasses and slid them back in place to rest on his nose. “See, that’s the thing. Claremont doesn’t have any hotels.”

Laura felt her jaw drop. “None that have rooms, you mean?”

“None at all. The town’s population is only 4,500. Usually the bed-and-breakfast offers more than enough room to house tourists...except when we have the crafting festivals.”

“First Friday, that’s a craft festival?” She’d heard him mention the term in his conversation.

“No, the First Friday festival happens every month, and it’s basically a combination of crafters and performers, as well as a chance for all of the square’s merchants to showcase their merchandise.” He leaned against the counter. “First Friday brings in practically everyone from Claremont and the surrounding counties, but they don’t typically stay overnight. However, November’s First Friday is a little different, in that it leads into the annual Holiday Crafters Extravaganza, which lasts a full week. The crafters will have booths set up around the square through the following weekend, and each of the local stores coordinates activities for the festival, as well.”

“And they’ve booked all of the rooms at the B and B,” Laura said.

“As well as all of the hotel rooms in Stockville, which is the nearest city. Not that that would matter, though, since Stockville is a good twenty miles away, and you wouldn’t want to drive that far.” His brows lifted as he apparently thought of something, and then he asked, “About driving...how long will you be able to drive? I’m assuming there’s a certain time when the doctors tell you to stop driving in pregnancy?” He glanced at her stomach and probably wondered how she could fit all of that behind the wheel. Laura had almost doubted the possibility herself, but she’d been able to pull it off by adjusting the steering wheel and seat.

“I don’t have to stop driving,” she said. “I did ask my doctor before taking the trip here today, not because I thought I couldn’t drive but because I was traveling so far. She told me as long as I took periodic breaks to rest, I’d be fine, and I didn’t have any problems.” Laura had been amazed at how smoothly the trip had gone, but apparently the drive to Claremont wasn’t her biggest dilemma. Thanks to the crafters in town, she had no place to stay. She’d been so worried about getting a job that she hadn’t thought to consider locating a place to live before she traveled nearly four hundred miles. Her mother often said she acted too impulsively, and this was yet another time she’d be proving her right.

David must have noticed her anxiety because he moved to the seat next to hers and reached for her hand. The warmth of his large palm encircling hers reminded her of all the times he’d consoled her in college whenever Jared had let her down. Why couldn’t her heart have fallen for someone like David instead of always tumbling head over heels for the one who’d treat her wrong? Even in high school, she’d been drawn to the bad boys. They just seemed so intriguing, dangerous and undeniably tempting.

“Some girls are just drawn to guys that treat them badly,” her mother had said in an apparent effort to make Laura feel better about her situation. It didn’t help. In fact, it only made her more resolute that she would not be hurt again, because she wasn’t going to rely on a guy again.

Uh-huh, right. Then why did you come running here to David? her mind whispered.

Laura shook that thought away. She’d never thought of David “that” way. He was her friend and he’d always been there for her, just like he was now. This was a different situation entirely. She wasn’t relying on a guy; she was counting on a friend.

“We’ll find somewhere for you to stay,” he said, solidifying the fact that she could, in fact, count on him. “Even if we don’t find a place tonight, you have somewhere to go. You can stay in my apartment.” He pointed to the ceiling. “It’s above the bookstore.”

Laura was touched that he’d offer, but she knew she couldn’t accept. Asking David for help with the job was one thing; living in his apartment would be something different entirely. She’d gotten too close to Jared without the boundaries of marriage, and she’d been left to raise her babies on her own. She was certain that wasn’t what David was offering, but still...the two of them staying together in his apartment wouldn’t give the right impression to the people around town, or to David, for that matter.

She didn’t need him thinking that she wanted more. She didn’t—not with David or with any guy. Not for a long, long time. The wound inflicted by Jared was still too raw. “David, I don’t think that’s a good idea, for us to stay together....” She searched for the right words but didn’t have to say anything because David halted her progress.

“Oh, no—” he shook his head “—hey, that wasn’t what I meant. You can stay in my apartment, and I’ll stay with one of my friends in town.”

She felt her cheeks flush. “Oh, I should have known that wasn’t what you meant.” A little surge of adrenaline, or something, pulsed through her veins as she tried to shake the embarrassment. She was seven months pregnant...with twins! “I’m sorry,” she said, then added, “and embarrassed.”

Still holding her hand, he tenderly squeezed her palm. “It’s okay. A few years ago, those first three years of college, I’d have been exactly the kind of guy to ask a girl to stay at my place and wouldn’t have thought a thing about it, but that’s the old David.”

His comment reminded her of the fact that he’d changed during his last year at UT. Something had happened that caused him to turn away from his wilder ways and back to his faith. Laura had been so wrapped up in Jared at the time that she hadn’t thought a lot about what caused David’s rapid transformation. But now she wished she could recall.

“So you don’t have anything to worry about.” He grinned, and Laura spotted a slight dimple creasing his left cheek. Funny, she’d never noticed it before, but she liked it, very much. And she liked David, even more for making her feel at ease with her crazy presumption.

She laughed at her foolishness and slid her palm from his. For some reason, it suddenly seemed a little too intimate for their current relationship, friend-to-friend and boss-to-employee. “Okay, then, if you don’t mind, and since there doesn’t seem to be another place in town, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

The bell on the door sounded as someone entered the shop. “Welcome to A Likely Story,” David called toward the front. Then he stood and held out a hand to help Laura rise from the chair.

She occasionally had a little trouble off-balancing her weight when she stood, and the support of his strong hand was a welcome addition. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” he said, and she knew he meant it. David would help her stand and help her with a job and even help her find a place to live. Already, in less than an hour, he’d done more for her than anyone else had in years, and the gratitude for that compassion washed over her at once. She blinked back the urge to cry.

Luckily, a blond little boy dashed through the aisle knocking a few books from the endcap as he circled and taking Laura’s attention off of herself and the man currently taking her under his wing.

“Kaden, please, slow down.” A pretty brunette picked up the dislodged books and tucked them back in place then gave David an apologetic smile. “I told him we needed to hurry if we were going to make it to the bookstore before you closed at six, and I’m afraid he got the impression that we had to run all the way in.”

“Not a problem at all,” David said, tousling the boy’s blond curls. “What ya so excited about, Kaden?”

“My teacher says I need some more books because I’m not—what did she say again, Mom?”

“Challenged,” the lady said. “He’s breezing through the sight word books and because of that, he’s becoming a little disruptive during reading time at school.”

“And we only get library day on Tuesday, and I can only check out one book for the whole entire week, and I really want more books than just one book, so Mom said we could come and buy some.”

“I see,” David said to Kaden.

Laura liked the way he didn’t change his voice to talk to the boy. He spoke to him as though speaking to an adult, and Kaden nodded his head as if he totally believed David did see and understood his dilemma. Then he seemed to forget all about David as his attention zoned in on Laura. “Wow, how many babies are in your tummy?”

“Oh, my,” his mother exclaimed. “Kaden, that isn’t something that we ask...” She tapped her finger against her chin and seemed as though she didn’t know how to complete her instruction to her son. Then she looked at Laura. “I’m so sorry. We have a baby at home—well, she’s eighteen months now—but I had explained to Kaden when I was pregnant about how baby Mia was in my tummy. However, I forgot to explain how some women may not want to give the details....”

Kaden’s brows drew together and he shrugged as though he couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong, and Laura laughed. “It’s fine,” she said. She pointed to her stomach and told Kaden, “Actually, there are two babies in my stomach. Two baby girls.”

“Wow! Cool!”

This time David laughed, too, and Kaden’s mother simply shook her head.

Kaden, undeterred, moved right on to his next pressing question. “So, can you help me find some books?” he asked, focused intently on David.

“Tell you what. This is my friend Miss Laura, and she just started working at the bookstore today.” David tilted his head to Laura, and she smiled at Kaden, who turned his attention from David to her. “I think she will be able to help you find some really good books, and while she’s helping you, I’m going to go get her things out of her car.” He glanced to Laura. “Sound good?”

She felt a tinge of excitement at already being trusted to help a child. This was going to be...wonderful. “Sounds great.” She’d dropped her purse on the table, so she turned, opened it and retrieved her keys. Handing them to David, she said, “It’s the same Volkswagen I drove in school, and it’s parked by the five-and-dime. I’ve got one large suitcase and a smaller makeup bag.”

“That’s it?” he asked.

“I brought some teaching supplies, just in case.” She still hoped that she’d eventually get to teach. “But for now, I only need the two bags. I appreciate you getting them for me.”

“No problem at all.” David seemed to realize he’d forgotten introductions. “Mandy, this is Laura Holland. She’s moved to Claremont and is going to be working here. Laura, this is Mandy Carter—Mandy Brantley, I mean. You’d think after all this time I’d get used to that.”

“Not a problem,” Mandy said.

“Mandy is married to the youth minister, Daniel Brantley, who also happens to be one of my best friends. And she owns Carter Photography on the square. She’s a pretty amazing photographer. You’ll have to check out her studio.”

“Thanks,” Mandy said. She smiled at Laura. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

“So, you ready to help me find books?” Kaden asked, grabbing Laura’s hand and tugging her toward the children’s area.

“Sure.” Laura let him tug her away, but even though she listened to Kaden talk about the kinds of books he liked, she also heard David ask Mandy whether he could bunk at their house tonight. Laura hated making David move out of his own apartment, but she didn’t know what else to do.

“Which ones do you think I should try?” Kaden squinted at the titles on the shelves with his hands on his hips.

“Well, let’s see.” Laura scanned the books and was pleased with the variety David offered. “How about these Dr. Seuss books?”

“Already read ’em.”

“All of them?” Laura asked.

He bobbed his head. “Yep.”

“Here’s a good one. Where the Wild Things Are.”

“Read it, too.”

Mandy had finished talking with David and now walked to stand behind her son. “He loves to read.”

“I can see that,” Laura said, reaching for Curious George’s First Day of School.

“I like Curious George, but I’ve read them already,” Kaden said matter-of-factly. “But that one would be good for baby Mia.” He pointed to the Curious George Pat-A-Cake board book.

“We’ll get that one for her,” Mandy said to Kaden, “but let’s find some for you, too.”

A hint of a memory crossed Laura’s thoughts. David, talking about Mia from Claremont, and what a special person she was. But that wouldn’t be this baby, since she hadn’t even been born at the time. Laura tried to remember, but before she could bring the memory into focus, Kaden forged ahead in his search for books.

“What else do you have, Miss Laura?”

Laura ran a finger along the spines and then saw a group that she thought might appeal to Kaden, if he hadn’t read them yet. She pulled out the first book in the series. “How about The Boxcar Children? Those were some of my favorite books when I was young.”

“Mine, too,” Mandy said.

Kaden took the book and studied the illustration of four children and a red boxcar on the cover. “Is it a girl book, or is it for boys, too?”

“It’s a great book for both boys and girls,” Laura said.

“That’s true,” Mandy agreed. “Our librarian, Miss Ivey, read the books to us when I was in elementary school. Everyone loved them, and then we’d go on the playground and pretend we were the boxcar children.”

“What’s it about?” Kaden asked.

Laura could tell his interest was piqued. “It’s about four brothers and sisters who have run away and find a boxcar to live in.”

“They have to take care of themselves? All by themselves?” Kaden asked.

“Yes, they do. And there are all of these books that tell you about their adventures.”

“Okay, I want some of these books, Mom! I wonder if Nathan knows about them. He might like them, too, huh?”

“Nathan is one of Kaden’s older friends,” Mandy explained.

“He’s nine,” Kaden said.

Laura thought about the possibility of Kaden and his friends starting to read the series together. That could be a very good thing, not only for the kids, but also for her to prove herself as an asset to David’s bookstore. “Why don’t you see if Nathan, and maybe some of your other friends, would like to read the stories? I’m sure Mr. David would be happy to order more copies, and then all of you could read them together.” Her mind kept churning, and she liked where her ideas were headed. “Maybe we could start a Boxcar Children club here, and you could all come talk about the books and the adventures.”

David entered the children’s area a little winded from his trek with the luggage, but he’d obviously heard Laura’s idea. “That sounds good to me,” he said.

“I’ve never thought about a book club for children, but given Kaden’s appetite for reading, it’d be great for him. I’ll call Nathan’s parents tonight, as well as a few more of Kaden’s friends,” Mandy said. “Go ahead and get the first three books in the series, and we’ll get that board book for Mia.”

“How is the littlest Brantley?” David asked.

“Chattering up a storm now,” Mandy said. “I’ll bring her the next time I come.”

“Sounds great,” he said, then to Laura added, “I got your luggage. I put it by the checkout counter for now, but I’ll carry it upstairs for you after Mandy and Kaden are done shopping.”

“We’re ready,” Kaden said, grabbing the three books and clutching them to his chest. “I want to go read some before I have to go to bed.”

“Okay, take the books up to the counter so we can pay,” Mandy instructed, and Kaden ran off with his new books. Then she turned to David. “Daniel and I would love for you to stay with us, but I think I have a better idea. My apartment is open above my studio. I haven’t lived there since Daniel and I married three years ago, but I kept the furnishings intact. Laura, you could stay there. It’s clean and ready, and you could stay as long as you like.”

“Oh, I couldn’t take advantage of you that way,” Laura said.

“Nonsense. It’s just sitting there, and it’d be convenient for you if you’re working at the bookstore. It’s only a few doors down on the square. And then David wouldn’t have to stay anywhere else, either. It’d be perfect.”

“I’d want to pay you,” Laura said.

“We’ll work something out,” Mandy promised. “I’ll ask Daniel about payment, but really, we haven’t been using it anyway.”

“That would be convenient,” David said, “if it sounds good to you, Laura.”

“It sounds great, actually. Thank you, Mandy.” She was a little stunned that someone she just met would offer her a place to stay, but she could already tell, not only from David, but also by the first people she met in Claremont, that people here were different, and she meant that in a very good way. Maybe, in Claremont, she and her babies would have a real home.

Chapter Three

David used the key Mandy gave them to unlock the door to her studio, then carried Laura’s luggage through the gallery and toward the apartment. “All of the shops on the square are designed the same, with a kitchen in the back and then a small second-floor apartment. My grandparents lived above the bookstore when they first started out, but then they bought a farmhouse a little ways out from town when they had my mother.”

He’d reached the kitchen and turned to make sure Laura was doing okay, but she wasn’t there. Instead, she’d stopped to admire one of Mandy’s photographs displayed on an easel. David put the luggage down and went to see what had her attention.

The photo was of Mandy, very pregnant, wearing a white dress with her hands cradling her stomach. Kaden and Daniel were on either side of her with their hands placed against hers and also appearing to cradle the new addition to their family.

Laura’s hand was at her throat, her eyes glistening at the image. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she whispered.

David swallowed, uncertain whether she was talking about the photo itself or the beauty of a complete family, something she didn’t have for her little girls. His heart ached for her, and he longed to reach out and hold her, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. She’d balked earlier when he said she could stay in his apartment because she thought he was trying to cross the line into a personal relationship. But David had determined long ago that his relationship with Laura was strictly friendship. And right now she needed a friend.

“You’re going to be a great mother, Laura. And your relationship with your girls will be beautiful, too,” he said honestly.

She blinked a couple of times, moved her eyes from the photograph to David, and undeniable gratitude shone from the pale blue. “You think so, David? Really?”

He realized that she needed reassurance of the fact and that she probably hadn’t received it from anyone else. Jared had asked her to end the pregnancy, and her parents practically begged her to put the babies up for adoption. But Laura wanted her girls, and David needed her to know that he believed in her. A single tear leaked from her right eye, and he placed a finger against the droplet on her cheek to softly wipe it away. “I know so,” he said. “Just think about what you did tonight, talking with Kaden and helping him get excited about reading and sharing his books with his friends. You’re a natural.”

“He’s six,” she said, “a bit different than newborns, don’t you think?”

“Motherhood instincts are there, and you are a natural. Like I said, you’re going to be great, and they’re going to love you.”

She studied the photo another moment then said, “Thanks. I really needed to hear that.”

“You’re welcome. Now let’s go get you settled in.”

This time she followed him through the gallery. He picked up the luggage when they reached the kitchen and then stopped at the foot of the stairs. “You go first, and I’ll follow.”

She gave him a knowing glance. “You afraid I’ll get off balance and fall? I’ll have you know I’ve had to tackle some form of stairs nearly every day of the pregnancy, and they haven’t gotten the best of me yet. And now that I’ll be living here, I’ll navigate these every day.”

“Yeah,” David said, eyeing the steepness of the stairwell. “And I’m not so sure that’s a great thing. Maybe we should keep looking for other rental places, some that are on the first floor.”

She smirked. “Never knew you to be such a worrier. I can still drive—the doctor said so—and I can still climb stairs.” She stepped ahead and started up the first steps. “But if it will make you feel better, I always use the handrails.” She placed a firm palm on the banister to prove her point. “See?”

“Yeah, I see,” he said, but he still wasn’t thrilled at the thought of her climbing all of the stairs every day. What if she did fall? More worries came to mind. What if she went into labor trying to make her way to the apartment? Or what if she went into labor in the apartment and then had to climb down the stairs to get to the hospital? As if he wanted to make certain she knew, he said, “When you go into labor, just call me. I’ll make sure you get to the hospital in time.”

Her smirk moved into a smile. “You’re precious, you know that?”

“Precious, yep, that’s me. That’s what I go for.” And that’s what he’d always been to Laura, and to most every other girl before the relationships eventually ended. Precious. A friend.

She laughed, and even though he wasn’t thrilled with his never-changing “best bud” status, he was glad to have given her that luxury. “You know what I mean,” she said.

“Yeah, I do.” It was the same thing Mia Carter had meant when she told him she’d fallen for Jacob Brantley. And then AnnElise Riley last year, when she’d left town with Gage Sommers. And, the most memorable of all, Laura herself, who’d fallen for his college roommate without even realizing David was captivated, as well.

And although David had experienced one semi-long-term relationship in college with a girl who did, in fact, think he hung the moon, he’d ended the relationship with Cassadee because she hadn’t shared his faith.

And that was what David wanted—the kind of relationship that lasted for life, with God in its center—what he’d witnessed with his grandparents and parents. He’d never felt that toward Cassadee, or Laura, or any of the others, really. But he had no doubt he would, one day, in God’s time. For now, though, he’d be a friend to the cute, very pregnant woman making her way up the stairs.

Laura slowed her progress as she examined several photographs. In the gallery, the only personal photo of Mandy’s was the one Laura had noticed; however, all of the photos lining the stairwell were of Mandy’s family. “Is that Mandy’s husband?” She pointed to a photo of Mandy, Daniel and Kaden amid a group of children in Africa.

“Yes, they lead up a support effort in Malawi that our church funds, and they travel down every other year to check on the kids.”

“That’s so wonderful,” she whispered, then took another couple of steps before she stopped again, her head tilting at the largest photo on the wall. “That’s Kaden, right?” She pointed to the toddler between the couple. “And that’s Mandy’s husband, but that isn’t Mandy, is it?”

David’s chest caught a little when he looked at the image, the way it always did when he remembered his dear friends. “Actually, that isn’t Daniel. It’s his twin, Jacob. And that’s Mandy’s sister, Mia. They’re Kaden’s parents, but...”

Laura audibly inhaled. “I remember now. Mia, that was your friend you were so close to from home, and during your senior year at UT they were killed in a car accident.”

“Hit by a drunk driver,” David said, that painful memory slamming him the way it always did. “Kaden was only three, and Mandy adopted him.”

“And Daniel?” she asked, glancing between the two pictures to see the powerful resemblance between the identical twins.

“He’d been serving as a full-time missionary in Africa, at the place the church supports, but came back to help Mandy raise Kaden.”

“And they fell in love,” Laura said, emotion flowing through her words. “What a sad—and beautiful—story.”

David nodded, his own emotions not allowing him to say more. Then he cleared his throat and forced his attention away from the photos. “You want to head on up? The luggage is getting a little heavy here.” David winced at the lie. He hadn’t intended to tell it, but he hadn’t expected to reminisce over painful memories tonight, either.

Laura gave him a look that said she knew he wasn’t telling the truth but that she’d also let it go. Evidently she knew he was tired of thinking about Jacob’s and Mia’s deaths. “Sorry,” she said softly, then completed the few steps left to reach the apartment.

She glanced in the first bedroom, a twin bed against one wall and bookshelves lining the remainder of the room. A baseball comforter covered the bed, and a long blue pillow with Kaden embroidered in red centered the headboard made of baseball bats. “Oh, how cute!” she said, taking it all in. “I want to have a neat room for my girls, too. I need to start thinking about that.”

“Well, from what Mandy has told me, Kaden has an identical room to that one at their home. When she and Daniel married, they were going to move all of Kaden’s things to the new place, but then Mandy said she knew he’d be spending a lot of time here with her, especially in the summer when school is out, so she kept his room intact. She also converted one of her studio rooms downstairs into a room for Mia.”

“See, that’s the thing that would be great about being a teacher. I could have my summers off to spend with the girls,” Laura said. “I’ll look at the room she did for Mia later. Maybe I can get some ideas for my girls. I want their room to be special, like this one is for Kaden.”

“I’ve got some magazines at the bookstore that should help you out. I get several home design ones for the moms in town, some specifically for decorating children’s rooms.”

“That’d be great,” she said, but her tone wasn’t overly enthusiastic. Before David could ask why, she added, “Mandy said this apartment has two bedrooms. And I’m sure she won’t want me changing things, since this is obviously Kaden’s room.”

David understood. She wanted a special place for her girls, and she wouldn’t be able to decorate for them here, unless Mandy and Daniel allowed this to be something fairly permanent. David suspected they would offer, but he didn’t know if that’s what Laura wanted. “She has several studio rooms downstairs, and I don’t think she uses them all. She may let you change one of them.”

“Yeah,” she said, “but still, I hope that eventually I’ll have something more like—” she paused, swallowed “—a home.” Then she looked to David and shook her head. “I’m sure that sounded like I’m not grateful Mandy gave me this place to stay, or rather is going to let me rent it. I am going to pay rent.” She frowned. “I didn’t ask what you’d pay me at the bookstore, and anything will be fine—I promise—but you’d know more than I do.... Will I be able to afford the rent here?”

David wished he could pay her what a college graduate deserved, but he wasn’t sure how he was going to pay her at all. “I think Daniel and Mandy will give you a very reasonable rate.” Of that he was certain, and whatever that rate was, David would make sure he gave her enough hours and enough pay for her to live here. Somehow. And he didn’t want to worry about that anymore now. But the look on her face said she was uncertain, and she had enough on her plate without having to be concerned over how to pay her rent. “You’ll be able to pay it.” He smiled, and thankfully, she did, too.

“Well, let’s go see the other rooms.” She left Kaden’s room and continued past a small bathroom and into a larger bedroom. “Oh, this is so nice.”

David followed her into the room and placed the larger piece of luggage on the floor and her makeup bag on the dresser. The bed was an antique, beautifully carved and cloaked in a handmade quilt. Embroidered circular doilies decorated each nightstand with antique lamps in the center. Long, slender embroidered linen covered the dresser. And, looking a bit out of place amid the furnishings, a small flat-screen television topped a highboy chest of drawers. “You like it?”

Laura ran her hand along the bumpy quilt and smiled. “I love it. Granted, it may not be a permanent home for me and the babies, but it’s a beautiful place to start, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

Like the remainder of the apartment, the room had an abundance of photographs on the walls, all of these black-and-white images, some landscapes and additional family photos. Laura spotted a framed photo at one end of the dresser. She picked it up and studied the image of Mandy and Mia, the two girls hugging tightly and smiling from ear to ear. “They were really close, weren’t they?”

David blinked, nodded. “Yeah, they were.”

“I hope my girls are that close, too.” She kept looking at the picture, then glanced up at David, and her voice was barely above a whisper when she asked, “You loved Mia, didn’t you?”

He honestly couldn’t remember how much he’d shared with Laura that night at UT when he’d gotten the call that informed him Mia was gone. Maybe she already knew the answer. But even so, he wouldn’t lie to her about it. “I was pretty sure I loved her in high school, you know, young love and all of that. I thought I’d marry her,” he admitted. “But she was two years behind me in school, and when I left, she kept hanging around with all of our friends, and she and Jacob fell in love.” David thought it was important to add, “And I was happy for them. Maybe not at first, but after I saw how much they meant to each other, and how happy Mia was, I was happy for them.”

Laura’s head moved subtly, as though she were putting the pieces together. “So those first years at UT, when I met you and you were dating so much and partying so much, you were trying to get over her.”

It wasn’t a question, so David didn’t answer. There was no need. It was the truth. Except he wouldn’t add that he would’ve dated Laura if she’d have looked at him the way she looked at Jared.

“And then, when she died, that’s when you changed.” Her head nodded more certainly now, as though she had no doubt whatsoever in the truth of her statement. “You turned to your faith after you lost your friends. I remember that. No more partying, no more dating everyone on campus.”

David fought the impulse to tell her that the only girl he’d ever really wanted to date at UT was the one standing in this room. Instead, he said, “I realized I hadn’t had any peace without my faith. And when I needed something to hold on to, something real, that’s where I turned.”

“I remember that,” she said, placing the photo back on the dresser and turning toward David. “You found God, about the same time that I lost Him.”

Her mouth flattened, and David sensed the sadness in her admission. Back in college, every now and then, particularly when she was upset, he’d had intense conversations with Laura, the kind where you wonder if you said too much, opened up too much, showed your pain too much. Then he would hold her until she was okay. He moved toward her with the intention of holding her again, but she stepped back and shook her head.

“I’ll be okay,” she said. “It’s like that saying, if you find yourself farther from God, who moved?” She waited a beat and then whispered, “I did.”

In spite of all the tough conversations David had with Laura before, he’d never said anything about faith, or God. At the time, that wasn’t at the top of his priorities. Now, though, it was. “Laura, we have an amazing church here, full of people who understand God’s love and His grace. Why don’t you come with me Wednesday night for the midweek worship?”

The look she gave David resembled shock. Then she glanced down at her stomach and shook her head. “Trust me, I have no business in church right now.”

“Laura—” he began, but she cleared her throat.

“Please, David. I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to get my things unpacked and relax awhile. It’s been a long day.”

David knew when a conversation had been ended, and this one was done, in spite of how important he felt it was for her to find her faith again, for her to find the peace that he’d found again. “Sure,” he said and turned to go, but he wasn’t giving up. He’d already determined several ways he hoped to help Laura. He wanted to help her support her babies until she was able to get a teaching job, and he’d do that—somehow—at the bookstore. And he wanted to help her find her faith and the peace he’d experienced again since he’d turned his life back over to God. In other words, David wanted to help her have the two things she needed most—a friend and a Savior.

Chapter Four

“What’s that you’re working on?” Zeb Shackleford peered over Laura’s shoulder at her pitiful sketch.

“We’re starting a book club for kids,” she said. “The first series we’re reading is The Boxcar Children. I thought it’d be nice to decorate the children’s area to look like a boxcar.” She frowned at the plain red rectangle on the page. “I was going to do a sketch and then go to the craft store to see what materials I could use to create a big prop.” She shook her head again at the image on the paper. “But my artistic skills are rather lacking.”

He set the two books he’d been holding on a table nearby and gingerly lowered himself into the seat next to hers. “You know, my sweet Dolly used to say I had quite a knack with a pencil and paper. I used to draw all of the scenes for her classroom bulletin boards. You want me to give it a go for you?”

“Would you mind?” Laura gladly relinquished the sketch pad and colored pencils to the kind man.

“I’d be honored.” He turned the page to a clean sheet, opened the box of pencils and selected the charcoal one. Laura had propped The Boxcar Children book on the table to use as a go-by, and he squinted at it for a few seconds then began to draw. It didn’t take but a minute of watching him move the pencil around the page for Laura to see that he really did have a talent.

“Dolly,” she said as he drew, “is she your wife?”

“For fifty-seven years before the Lord called her home.” He paused, looked at Laura and said, “I’m looking forward to seeing her again.”

Touched by the affection in his tone, Laura didn’t know what to say. She’d met Zeb Monday, only four days ago, but already she’d grown very attached to the kindhearted man who visited the store each day.

“She was a teacher, too,” Zeb said, then turned his attention back to sketching.

“I’m not a teacher yet.” She’d talked to Zeb about her dream to become a teacher, as well as how she’d had to put that plan on hold until she had her babies and until schools were willing to hire her.

Zeb completed the boxcar—which looked amazing—and began to draw the children from the book cover. Laura didn’t really need the children drawn, since she was only planning to design a big boxcar prop, but he was doing such an incredible job that she didn’t want to stop him. “You know,” he said, “the way I see it, teaching doesn’t have to occur inside school walls.” He pointed to the book. “Sounds like you’re already working toward encouraging some of the kids around here to increase their joy of reading. That’s teaching, any way you look at it.”

Laura smiled. She had felt good about the responses they’d already received for the book club. “I guess it is.” Several of Kaden’s friends had signed up, and she anticipated adding more tonight if she got this display done and could advertise it properly for the First Friday event. “I’ve decided to hold the Boxcar Book Club gathering each Monday after school. I thought that’d be a good way to start each child’s week, and I’m planning to bring in some of the activities from the book to make it more interactive.”

“Dolly did the same thing, tried to give the kids more hands-on activities when they were learning. She said it helped them retain what they learned if they had an action associated with it.” He put down the pencil and turned the page toward Laura. “I think she’d have liked this. Do you?”

The detail of the boxcar, as well as the four children, was astounding. “It’s incredible.”

“Okay, so to create this to scale, I believe you’ll need six pieces of craft board, the thickest kind they sell. You’ll also need to fix this door so it opens, because they’ll probably want to go inside of it, don’t you think?”

Laura nodded. “That’s what I wanted.”

He ran tiny dashes around the drawing to show how he believed the boards should be assembled. “Then all you’ll need is some wood stands to hold it in place. I’m pretty sure David can get wood for you out of some of those crates that are always stacked behind the stores.”

He handed her the sketch pad. “Take it over to Scraps and Crafts. It’s straight across the square—you can’t miss it. Diane Marsh owns the place and will be able to tell you exactly what you need to build a boxcar prop for the kids.” He lifted a finger. “Her grandson is about Kaden’s age. Have you got an Andy Marsh on your list of kids signed up?”

Laura remembered the name. “Yes, I do.”

“Chances are, Diane will donate the materials if she knows it’ll help Andy enjoy his reading. She’s talked to me about that before, wanting him to learn to like books.”

“I’m pretty sure it was his grandmother who called and signed him up,” she said.

Zeb grinned. “Sounds like Diane. She loves those grandchildren. The other ones are older, teens I think. If you start something for teens, she’ll probably sign them up, too.”

Laura had been thinking the same thing, that if this book club was a success, she could start more. “I hope to do just that.”

He pushed up from the chair and picked up the two books. Glancing at his watch, he said, “I’d go with you to see Diane, but I’m supposed to be at the hospital in a half hour so I’d better go.”

“The hospital?”

“I read to the kids on the children’s floor a couple of days each week during their lunch.” He turned the books so Laura could see the titles, Daniel and the Lion’s Den and The Story of Moses. “Picked a couple of Bible stories for today.”

Laura’s heart moved the way it did every time she heard about one of Zeb’s regular activities. She’d never met anyone like him. “That’s wonderful, Zeb. I’m sure they love having you read to them.”

He leaned one of the books toward Laura and said, “You should go with me sometime, and David, too. I’ve got to tell you, they do way more for me than I do for them. Makes you really understand what Christ meant when He said it’s more blessed to give than to receive, you know?”

Laura nodded. She did know, and yet that made her current situation all the more painful. David had asked her to go to his midweek Bible study on Wednesday at the Claremont Community Church, and she’d declined. And Mandy had invited her to a ladies’ Bible study that she was hosting last night, and again, she’d declined. Now Zeb was reminding her subtly that...she missed church. But she’d so blatantly turned her back on God that she wasn’t certain He’d want her. And she didn’t know whether she could handle the guilt of entering a church and being surrounded by all of the people who “got it right.”

Zeb had turned his attention to the two children’s books in his hand and didn’t notice Laura’s discomposure. Instead, he flipped through the pages and smiled. “These illustrations are beautiful. The kids will love them.” He moved toward the counter. “I’ll leave the money over here so you don’t have to get up.”

“Don’t leave any money, Mr. Zeb. David doesn’t want you to pay, and neither do I. And I’m getting up anyway.” She maneuvered her way out of the chair, then winced when one of the babies apparently kicked her for disturbing her sleep. “Whoa.”

He quickly turned from the counter. “You okay?”

“Yes,” she said, gritting her teeth as another kick matched the first, then exhaling when the twins finally settled down. “I’m fine. One of them is apparently attempting to teach the other one karate,” she said with a laugh. “But I’m not taking your money.”

He frowned. “I told you not to get up.”

“I’m going to the craft store as soon as David gets back from the post office, so I needed to get up anyway. And I want to walk you to the door.” She gently steered him farther away from the checkout counter and toward the door.

“You’re just trying to keep me from paying.”

“And I’m doing a pretty good job of it, too, aren’t I?” She smiled, gave him a hug and then opened the door for him to leave.

“One of these days I’m going to repay you,” he said.

“You can repay me by letting me go with you to visit those kids one day. That sounds like a teacher’s dream.”

He smiled. “It is. You have a blessed day, Miss Laura.”

“You, too.”

Zeb exited, leaving Laura alone in the bookstore. That was something she’d noticed this week more than anything else; it was almost always empty. In the four days she’d been working, Laura had learned how to collect used books and log the credits in the computer, how to shelve the titles according to genre and author, how to select which books would appeal to readers in the various reading nooks and how to guide customers in their purchases. All of that could be considered part of her job description, but it wasn’t the most important thing she learned during her first week on the job.

She learned David wasn’t making any money.

Throughout the week, they’d received several bags of used books from customers who typically swapped out for other books during the same shopping trip. Then they had a few who came in and visited, browsed titles and perhaps even sat in a reading nook to peruse a book for a while before they placed it back on the shelf. Hence, no revenue. And while David did offer a few new books for purchase, the majority of the store was composed of trade-ins, and most of his sales were for credit. Or, in the case of Zeb Shackleford, free.

Laura didn’t mind David giving so many books to the precious older man, but she didn’t understand how he could continue running this business with virtually no income. And then this morning he’d given her a paycheck for her first week of employment, and he’d paid her well. Nothing excessive, but more than she’d expected considering the fact that he let her rest whenever she needed, let her go to her doctor’s appointment yesterday and told her she could arrive late and leave early if she felt weary from the pregnancy.

But with the lack of customers and income that Laura had seen this week, she had no doubt David wasn’t making enough money to support the store, much less to pay Laura as though everything were a-okay, hunky-dory.

And something else that wasn’t a-okay or hunky-dory was the fact that her good-looking and nice guy of a boss was undeniably single. She’d paid attention throughout the week; he never texted, didn’t phone anyone for quiet conversations, and even though several pretty ladies had stopped by the store over the past few days, he’d offered nothing more than a friendly smile. No flirting. No invitations for dinner or even coffee. And Laura got the impression that at least a couple of the twentysomething females had stopped by specifically to see the dashing owner and maybe even find themselves on the receiving end of his attention.

But David didn’t appear to even notice he had a following. Then again, Laura had never actually realized how cute he was until this week. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones kicking in. Or maybe he’d always been attractive, and she’d been too absorbed in Jared to notice. But in any case, he hadn’t seemed the least bit interested in any of the single ladies of Claremont, which was a problem. A big one. Because Laura needed him to be interested in someone else. That would control this ridiculous notion that he might be interested in the very pregnant friend working in his shop. And it would also control her bizarre impulse to return the interest. Ever since their heart-to-heart Monday night, when he talked to her about loving and losing Mia, she’d felt even closer to David. And she wasn’t ready for a relationship, at all.

Merely thinking about that day when she realized that she was pregnant and when Jared practically demanded that she end the pregnancy caused Laura’s stomach to pitch. She’d jumped into that relationship headfirst and had been undeniably stupid. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. Oh, no, it would be a long time before she handed her heart over. But when she did, she knew what she wanted. A guy who was honest. A guy who was faithful. A guy who loved her completely—no one else, just Laura—and a guy who she loved the very same way.

She flinched as an image of David carrying her luggage up the stairs overtook her thoughts. David, giving her a job. David, holding her hand to help her stand. That was the kind of guy she wanted next time, but she simply wasn’t ready for that yet. Not that it mattered. There was still the fact that she’d dated his friend, was having his babies, in fact. And the fact that she didn’t exactly look the part of a girl anyone would date, seven months pregnant and waddling. And, as far as David was concerned, she didn’t share his faith. Not anymore. She’d given up on God because she assumed He’d given up on her.

Plenty of reasons for David not to look at her beyond friendship. Which was good. Exactly what she wanted.

Really.

The bell on the front door rang, and Laura turned to see the object of her thoughts entering with a big brown box tucked under one arm. He wore a black cashmere sweater over a blue-and-white striped button-down shirt, well-worn jeans and black boots. He scanned the store. “No customers?”

She shook her head then tucked a wayward lock of hair behind her ear. In spite of all of the cute maternity clothes her mother had bought her for the pregnancy, she never felt like she looked half as good as he did. Because right now, he looked very good. She stopped herself from attempting to check her reflection in the nearest window and tried to control the nervousness that had started occurring whenever her boss came around. “It’s been a slow hour,” she said. Truthfully, it’d been a slow week, but she wouldn’t point out the obvious.

“That’s okay. It’ll give us time to check out what we got in the mail.” A dark wave of brown hair shifted to cover one eye as he nudged the door shut with his shoulder. He jerked his head to the side to toss it back into place. Laura liked the way he managed to dress neat but also look rumpled, like he’d taken in a game of Frisbee on the square on his way to the post office. In college, he’d often played ultimate Frisbee with Jared and several of the other guys they hung around. Even though David gave the appearance of being Mr. Studious, he’d surprised everyone with his athleticism and competitiveness on the quad. Laura had thought it funny that he’d turned out to be the superb athlete in the bunch, something Jared and the gang hadn’t expected.

Funny...and impressive.

She shook the memory of David running and diving for those soaring discs and told herself she would stop recalling anything about him that might be considered overly appealing. He was appealing enough without being an athlete, too. But this was a business relationship between friends. He’d given her a job and helped her find a place to stay, and he’d watched over her since she arrived in Claremont like any good friend would do. So this emotion that kept creeping in was gratitude. That was it, gratitude. And she had to keep reminding herself of that fact.

“The Boxcar books came in today. I got a case, forty-eight books. You really think we might have that many kids show up?”

Laura had asked him to get the books Tuesday morning, before she realized that the bookstore didn’t appear to hold its own moneywise. Now she feared if she didn’t have that many kids to purchase those books, she’d end up costing him more than she made. She swallowed. David had helped her too much for her to hurt his business, so she would make this work; she had to. “Sure we will,” she said, and did her best to sound upbeat, enthusiastic, excited even.

His smile said he bought it, and Laura breathed a sigh of relief. If David was right and the majority of the town showed up tonight for the First Friday event, she’d focus on finding kids to join that club...and selling their parents the book. David might not have had the time to figure out ways to make money for himself and his store, but Laura wasn’t about to work here and not offer some sort of appreciation for the deal. And her appreciation would come in the form of more customers for her boss.

“You do realize that there’s no way we could handle forty-eight kids in the children’s area at once. I’d say we couldn’t seat more than fifteen at the most,” he said.

Laura hadn’t thought about that, but he had a point. And if she sold all of those books, she’d need to make sure she had room for all of the kids. “What if we had the book club each day after school instead of only on Mondays?” She remembered what Zeb said about potentially starting a teen book club, too. “And if we did additional book clubs for teens or adults, we could put those later in the day.”

“You’re counting on this taking off, aren’t you?” he asked.

“I am,” she admitted. “It’d be a good thing for the store, wouldn’t it?”

“Definitely a good thing.” He picked up the list of kids who had already signed up for the book club. “Nine so far.” His mouth slid to the side as he silently read the names. “I know all of these kids, and some of them aren’t even close in age. Nathan and Autumn are both nine, maybe ten. And Kaden, Abi and Andy are all younger, six or seven, I’d say. Do you think we should divide them up by age?”

“That’s a good idea,” Laura said. “I’ll call the ones on the list, get the specific ages and let them know we’ll set up the book club so that each day of the week corresponds with a different age bracket. I think that’d be more enjoyable for the kids because that’d put them with their friends from school and most likely with those on the same reading level.”

“Except for kids like Kaden, who need a challenge,” David said, obviously remembering Mandy’s comment.

Laura laughed. She’d been around Mandy and her family a good bit this week because they were often in the gallery when she went to her apartment at night. Kaden was an adorable little boy, but he was one of the most inquisitive children she’d ever met. Laura now understood what his teacher meant by saying he needed a challenge. “I think Kaden could probably go with an older group of kids, as far as the reading level, but since they will be reading the books on their own and mainly talking about what they’ve read here, I think he’ll enjoy being with his own age, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do,” David agreed. He looked at Laura, and his attention moved to her cheek, where that wayward lock of hair curled against her skin. Laura knew what he was about to do, so she could have quickly tucked the strands out of the way herself, but for some strange reason, she didn’t. Instead she held her breath as David tenderly slid his finger against her skin and eased the lock in place. “You’re going to be an excellent teacher.”

A tingle of something echoed from the point where his finger touched her skin, ricocheting through her senses and then settling in her chest. Laura didn’t know if the effect was from his compassionate touch or his earnest words. Or both.

Ready to get control of her emotions, she walked back to the children’s area and said, “Zeb came by while you were gone. Come see what he did for us.” She picked up the sketch pad from the table and turned it so David could see the drawing. “I’m going to make a boxcar to decorate the children’s reading nook. If we use this design, they could climb inside and pretend they’re on the actual boxcar while we talk about the story. We can use some of the beanbags and pillows already in the reading nook.”

Even before she looked to verify the fact, she knew that David had moved closer to look at the drawing. She could sense the warmth of his body next to hers, and she turned to see that his face—as she suspected—was mere inches from her own. A hint of cologne teased the air, and she fought the urge to inhale...or move closer.

“It sounds like a great idea,” he said. “Um, did Zeb mention how much he thought the materials would run?”

He couldn’t disguise the worry in his tone, and it reinforced Laura’s quest to make, rather than lose, money for his store. It also pulled her out of the uncomfortable moment of attraction that she was pretty sure only occurred on her side of this fence.

“He said since Diane Marsh’s grandson is one of the kids participating in the book club, she’d probably donate the craft board and other materials we might need. And he said he thought you could make the wooden stands to hold the boxcar from crates that are usually kept behind the store.”

The worry lines that’d shown on David’s forehead as he’d looked at the drawing disappeared as his face slid into a grin. “Leave it to Zeb to get it all worked out. Zeb and you, I mean. This is a great idea, and if Diane will donate the materials, that’d make it even better.”

“I’ll go see her right now,” Laura said. “I’d like to have it ready for First Friday.”

David looked at the circular clock above the entrance showing straight-up noon. “You realize that’s only six hours from now, right?”

“Then I’d better get busy.” Laughing, she grabbed her purse and turned to leave, but then stopped when her cell started ringing the song “Daddy’s Hands.” “Hang on, that’s my dad.” Her father taught middle school history, and even though he was probably on his lunch break, she knew he never made personal calls from the school. She answered. “Daddy? Anything wrong?”

He exhaled thickly over the line. “Laura, I hate to bother you, and I sure don’t want to worry you, but I need to ask...have you heard from your mother today?”

Laura had called her parents each night this week to let them know how things were going at the bookstore, how she was settling in, and then yesterday how the appointment with the new doctor had gone. But she hadn’t heard from her mother since she hung up the phone with them last night. “I haven’t. Did she leave again?”

“I don’t know what’s going on, hon, but it’s been so much worse this year, since this summer. She isn’t happy, and I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. She wanted to go on that cruise in August, before I had to start back at the school, and I took her, but that still didn’t help. And she wanted to go on regular dates, and we’ve been doing that, or trying to—she’s been working more hours at the mall, you know.” He sounded miserable, the way he always sounded whenever her mother did another round of leaving to “find herself.”

“She isn’t answering her cell?”

“Goes straight to voice mail. She must have it turned off.”

“Was she supposed to work today?” Laura asked.

“She was, but Nan, the store manager, called me to see where she was this morning when she didn’t show up at the store. I was afraid she’d had an accident or something, since she’s never late for work, and I started trying to call her cell. And like I said, it went straight to voice mail. But I just called Nan back to see if she ever heard from her, and she said that your mother called in and said she was taking a personal day.” He paused. “She’d assumed your mother would’ve called and told me.”

“Of course she did,” Laura said. Because that’s what a normal wife would do. But something was different this time, because regardless of how many times Marjorie Holland had left without warning, she always planned her disappearances on her days off. She could leave Laura’s father and Laura without any explanation whatsoever, but she would never miss a day of work and risk someone else taking her sales.

“I’ll try calling her, but I’m sure you’re right,” Laura said. “If she doesn’t want to talk to us, she won’t.”

“I know, dear. But, well, if you hear from her, will you call me, text me, whatever is more convenient? I just want to know that she’s okay.”

“I will, Daddy.” She disconnected then immediately dialed her mother. Sure enough, it went straight to voice mail.

“She left again?” David asked.

Laura dropped the cell in her purse. “I don’t know how he does it, goes through this over and over without any rhyme or reason to why she acts the way she does.” For years, especially when she was younger, Laura would cry whenever her mother mysteriously disappeared. But those tears were done. Crying never helped, and Laura wasn’t going to let her mother upset her now. It wasn’t good for the babies if Laura was stressed, so she would not get stressed.

“You want to talk about it?” David asked, the concern in his voice evident.

She’d talked to David about her mother’s peculiar behavior a few times when they were at UT, but she didn’t want to spend their time today analyzing the mystery that was Marjorie Holland. “Nope. I want to go buy what we need to build a boxcar. Or rather, have it all donated to the cause.”

He spotted a book out of order on a shelf, withdrew it and then began running his finger along the spines to find the correct spot. “Okay,” he said, “but get some lunch while you’re out. I don’t want you forgetting to eat because you’re trying to finish that boxcar.”

“Don’t worry.” She pointed to her stomach. “They don’t let me forget.”

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