THE GINGERBREAD GIRLS

Coming together in time for Christmas

The Gingerbread Inn is where best friends Emily, Andrea and Casey spent much of their childhood. Now all grown up, they’re back—older, wiser, but still with as much need of a little Massachusetts magic than ever.

As Christmas approaches, and three gorgeous men appear on the scene, is it time to create some new treasured memories?

THE CHRISTMAS BABY SURPRISE

by Shirley Jump in October 2013

MARRY ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE

by Rebecca Winters in November 2013

SNOWFLAKES AND SILVER LININGS

by Cara Colter in December 2013

Marry Me Under the Mistletoe

Rebecca Winters

www.millsandboon.co.uk

REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favourite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels, because writing is her passion, along with her family and church.

Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website: www.cleanromances.com.

To Lib.

What would our youth have been like without each other? I don’t even want to think about it.

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER ONE

JUST TWO WEEKS until Christmas and so-o much to do.

The latest merchandise from suppliers needed to be put in the window. The Hansel and Gretel shop located on Lemon Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, was a favorite place all year long for customers wanting imported hand-painted wooden gifts, nutcrackers, little girls’ Bavarian dirndls and little boys’ Tyrolean hats. But especially at Christmas.

Andrea Fleming finished her morning coffee, then quickly dressed in a navy wool skirt and a long-sleeved navy pullover with Snoopy on the front wearing a Santa’s hat. After running a brush through her shoulder-length gilt-blond hair, she slipped into her comfortable wedgies and hurried downstairs to the shop below.

She’d been living here since her husband’s death fourteen months ago. They’d been married only three weeks and had been staying with his parents in Braunschweig, Germany, when they’d been in a car accident and he was killed outright. She’d survived, but had been forced to stay in hospital following an operation.

Her mother had been there to help her recover enough so that she could board a plane. When she returned home it was without her husband and no hope of ever having children.

Though her divorced mom wanted Andrea to live at home with her, she’d preferred to renovate the loft above the shop so she could stay there. She felt closer to Gunter somehow in the store she’d always felt was enchanted.

She’d been twenty-three when he’d first brought merchandise to her family’s store in place of his father. His grandparents were the original creators of the world-famous Braunschweig nutcrackers and wooden pyramids. His dark blond good looks and blue eyes had captivated her and they’d fallen in love. Within the year they were married.

They’d had a wedding reception here in Providence with all her family and friends. His family had held another one for them in Germany. It had been a picture-perfect wedding for both sets of families.

No one could have foreseen the crash that took Andrea’s husband. In one moment she’d lost him as well as her ability to conceive. Never would she have a child with him. Never would she have a child of her own body. A sob escaped her.

Don’t dwell on that right now, Andrea.

After checking the thermostat to make sure the shop was warm enough, she walked out back to start unpacking the boxes from their suppliers that had arrived yesterday afternoon. In the first one she discovered an exquisitely made Braunschweig wooden rocking chair and put the price tag on it.

Without hesitation she carried it through the shop to the window and set it next to the decorated Christmas tree that was part of the Santa’s workshop display. The chair needed something special. She had dozens of dolls, floppy elves and Christmas angels. Any one of them would look cute sitting in it. She would have to think about it while she finished unpacking.

“Oh!” she cried when she opened the last box and found a three-foot-tall gingerbread boy. It was made of dark chocolate-colored dotted Swiss fabric. A red, green and gold plaid ribbon was tied around his neck at a jaunty angle with a little golden bell hanging down.

He had large, shiny blue buttons for eyes, round pink felt cheeks and an impish smiley mouth done in red ribbon as if to say, “You can run and run as fast as you can, but you can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man.” The body was outlined in white bric-a-brac trim.

“You’re so perfect I can’t believe it!” She attached the price tag to it. “If Gunter hadn’t had that accident, we’d have a little boy or girl who would love you as much as I do.” Tears stung her eyes as sorrow overwhelmed her.

Surrounded by many items meant for a child, she knew this shop was a constant reminder of her loss. But the store was also a family treasure and legacy she loved, and of course there was the comfort and joy of working alongside her mother, who’d done everything to help her overcome her grief.

Andrea thought she’d been doing a little better, but for some reason this gingerbread man spoke to her inner heart. It was at bittersweet times like this that she had to fight against succumbing to the terrible pain of knowing she’d never have her own baby.

Though her mom gently reminded her that one day she’d meet another man and there was always adoption, Andrea couldn’t imagine it. What man, when given a choice, would want an infertile widow?

After hugging the gingerbread man to her chest until the painful moment passed, she walked over to the window and placed it in the new chair. Once she’d added the latest set of nutcrackers from the Bavarian kings collection to the others, she flipped the switch on the wall and the window display came alive with colored lights and sounds.

On the floor around the tree loaded with wooden ornaments she’d placed an animated elf band with drums, cymbals and horns. Children and adults alike always stopped to watch their antics. Usually it brought people inside to buy an identical set and they ended up going home with more gifts.

On impulse she pulled the smartphone from her pocket and stepped inside the display area to take a couple of pictures. Wait till she sent them to the gingerbread girls. That was the nickname for her and her best friends Emily and Casey. Recently they’d lost Melissa, the other member of their special group.

They’d all met years ago on summer vacation at the Gingerbread Inn in Massachusetts and the nickname had stuck. Their families had continued to meet there every summer and the girls had become fast friends, a bond that had lasted to this day. But with Melissa gone, Andrea couldn’t handle any more sadness thinking about that.

Instead she concentrated on getting the small shop ready for customers. Her mom would be over later in the day to help. Throughout the holidays Andrea opened up at nine-thirty rather than ten, and closed at eight rather than six. It was almost opening time now.

She ran the vacuum over the carpet and watered the pots of red poinsettias placed around the room among all the wooden objects displayed. The thoughtful manager of the floral shop next door had sent a centerpiece featuring white Asiatic lilies and red roses. Andrea set it on the counter. With the profusion of lights and decorations, she had to admit it looked like a fairyland.

Before she unlocked the front door, she went into the office in back and checked her emails on the computer. To her astonishment she saw a message from gingerbread3. That was Casey Caravetta’s user name. Since Andrea was the youngest, her email was gingerbread4, Emily was 1, and Melissa’s had been 2.

What a coincidence! She’d just been thinking about her friends. Andrea prayed this was good news, the kind she wanted to hear from Casey, who’d lived through a broken engagement a year ago and was still down from it. Andrea opened the message.

Hey, Andrea, it’s moi. Could you possibly drop things and drive over to the Gingerbread Inn today? I’ve got to talk to you.

Oh, no. Things didn’t sound any better for Casey since the last time they’d talked.

One of my issues is I’m up in the air about Christmas and the problems with my family (as always).

Casey was at the inn now? In winter?

I came to our favorite place because it seemed to work such magic for Emily, but I can’t believe what it’s like here. You should see how run-down it is. I could cry.

The three of them had suffered thinking of it gradually deteriorating.

As you know, Carol’s always been like a mother to all of us and is taking great care of me. She’s such a sweetheart. So’s Harper, who lies at my feet and looks up at me with those soulful puppy eyes.

Warm memories of bygone days flooded Andrea. Throughout their youth they’d had marvelous times together with no hint of what lay in store for them beyond the horizon of Barrow’s Lake.

I’d give anything if you’d join me. You’re not that far away from Barrow’s Cove. I realize how busy you are at the shop this time of year, but I need you and your wisdom, especially after what you’ve been through.

Andrea didn’t have any wisdom. She was an empty vessel.

Let me know if you can make it, even if it’s only for one night. Remember when we talked about giving a party at the inn on Christmas Eve so Emily and Cole can renew their wedding vows? This would be the perfect time to formalize our plans. So see what you can do to get away.

Love ya, Casey.

Andrea closed the message and left the office to open the door to the shop. She glanced at the Advent calendar hanging on the wall, one of several dozen with chocolate tokens in each window. Luckily it was Wednesday—not the weekend, which was their busiest time.

The inn on Barrow’s Lake outside Barrow’s Cove, Massachusetts, was only an hour away from Providence. If she left after her mother came over, she could spend the night with Casey and drive home tomorrow in time to relieve her mom by afternoon.

She checked the weather app on her phone. No new storm systems right now. Though they’d had snow in the Northeast, most of the main roads had been plowed. It wouldn’t take any time to pack for one overnight.

Andrea had already decided which nutcrackers she would give her friends for Christmas. All she had to do was wrap them and take them with her. She could give them out at the party on Christmas Eve.

During her musings an elderly gentleman walked into the store. It activated some Christmas chimes. When he said he wanted to browse, she used that time to phone her mom. As soon as she told her about the email, her mom told her to go for several days if she wanted, accusing her of never taking a vacation.

Andrea loved her mother, but told her she needed only one night. In truth she didn’t like being away from the shop. It kept her going. Too much free time and she started to think about things that dragged her down to despair. None of that this year!

She got back on the computer and sent Casey a message that she was coming. Then she gift wrapped a smoker for her customer. After taking his credit card information, she handed him his package. That was when she saw a tall, striking male, maybe thirtyish, standing outside the window wearing a bomber jacket. He was carrying a blonde girl of five or six in his arms so she could see everything.

Loving the girl’s animation, Andrea walked over to the window to watch. The child was pointing at the gingerbread boy, her face and eyes beguiled by him. Closer now, Andrea could see she wore a pink parka with a hood lined in fur. It had fallen back to reveal her soft golden curls that fell to her shoulders.

Against the bright pink color, the man’s short cropped jet-black hair stood out. With brows the same color, he was darkly attractive. His lean chiseled jaw had that five-o’clock shadow that looked good only on a certain type of male.

When the little girl laughed at the antics of the drummer elf, the lines of his hard mouth broke into a half smile, causing Andrea’s breath to catch. She had the strongest suspicion he didn’t laugh often. Suddenly his gaze shifted to Andrea’s, as if he could read her mind and didn’t like it.

Completely embarrassed and shaken to be caught staring at him, she walked back to the counter. That was the first time anything like that had happened since Gunter’s death. There’d been plenty of attractive men coming in and out of the shop since her return from Germany, but they weren’t in this man’s class.

A second later she heard the chimes again before the charismatic man approached her. The girl walked at his side, clinging to his hand. With those light green eyes, they had to be father and daughter, although his were more hazel in color and a deeper hue.

“Good morning. May I help you?”

“I hope so,” Rick Jenner said to the blonde saleswoman. “Do you have a set of animated elves like the one in the window?”

“Right over here on this table.” She walked to it and picked up a box.

When she put it on the counter, his daughter stared at him with imploring eyes. “Will you ask her if I can hold the gingerbread man, Daddy?”

“No, Tessa. It’s too expensive.”

“What’s expensive?”

“It costs too much,” he said and pulled the credit card from his wallet to pay for the elves.

“I wish I could look at it.” Tears welled in her eyes. If he had a dollar for every time she wished she could have something...

The clerk ringing up the sale took one look at those eyes and said, “Stay right there and I’ll bring it to you.” After handing him back his card and purchase, she walked around the counter and hurried over to the display window to pluck the gingerbread man and rocking chair from the case.

Good grief. His daughter was a little manipulator, a talent she’d learned from his deceased wife, who’d been indulged in turn by her own well-meaning parents, especially her mother, Nancy. He’d loved his wife and they’d had a good marriage, but she’d been high maintenance, which had caused minor strains and at times a few major ones. Rick was determined his daughter would learn she couldn’t have everything she wanted.

When the clerk walked over to them, he became aware of her enticing fragrance, a light floral one. “If you’ll sit down, you can hold him.”

Rick wished she hadn’t gone to the trouble, but it was too late now.

“Oh—” Tessa crooned after taking it in her arms. His daughter’s happiness almost blinded him. “He’s so cute.” In a perfectly natural gesture, she kissed the cheeks just the way a mother would kiss her baby. Then she held it tight and with eyes closed started rocking.

The sight caused Rick’s throat to swell. He was in luck. Only the first day of shopping to get an idea of what Tessa wanted and already he knew this would be the present Santa left under the tree. When he got home, he would ask his housekeeper to come in and buy it for him so it could be a surprise.

“We have to leave now, Tessa. We’ve got more shopping to do before I take you to kindergarten. Thank the nice lady for letting you hold him.”

Tessa stared at the saleswoman. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He helped her off the chair and set the gingerbread man inside it.

Tessa’s lower lip trembled. “Can’t I have him, Daddy?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Please?”

“Tessa—that’s enough.”

“I’ll sell it to you at half price,” the woman said under her breath. He lifted his head and found himself gazing into the sapphire-blue eyes that had unexpectedly caught his attention through the display window.

“Thank you, but no.”

On cue his daughter broke into tears. The clerk bent over her. “Have you written to Santa Claus yet?”

“Yes. My grandma helped me, b-but I didn’t ask for the gingerbread man.” Her voice wobbled.

“I’m sure your father will help you write another letter and ask Santa to bring you a gingerbread man.” She flicked him a hopeful glance as she said it.

“This one?” Tessa pointed to the chair.

“Yes.”

Rick blinked. Yes? The clerk’s no doubt well-meaning intervention irritated the hell out of him. Worse, she’d played right into his daughter’s hands.

Tessa sniffed. “Do you think Santa will know that my gingerbread man is in this store?”

An impish smile broke the corner of the clerk’s mouth, drawing his unwilling attention to its provocative shape. “Yes.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Come on, Tessa.” He picked up his daughter, who still wasn’t in control of her tears.

“Have a merry Christmas!” The woman just kept it up.

Rick flashed her a brief glance. “Merry Christmas. Thank you for indulging her.” With his daughter in one arm and his package in the other, he left the shop in a few long, swift strides.

* * *

Was that a little sarcasm Andrea had heard?

She bristled, realizing that he hadn’t wanted his daughter indulged and didn’t appreciate in the least what Andrea had done.

But maybe he couldn’t afford it because he was out of work. He had told his daughter it cost too much. If that was the case, then she felt bad for putting him on the spot, and she decided she would grant his little girl her wish by Christmas.

Andrea knew exactly where to send the gingerbread man and the chair. The credit card listed him as Richard Jenner on Rose Drive in Elmhurst, a nice neighborhood. It was Christmas, a time for giving.

This could be her own little sub-for-Santa project. Every year at the church they had a list of families who needed help, and everyone who could contribute did so. This was one time when Andrea knew her present would bring happiness.

Picking up one of the big floppy elves, she took him over by the tree and put him in place of the gingerbread man and the rocker. Those items she took up the back stairs to the loft. Once she got everything gift wrapped and packed, then she’d send it to the Jenner residence. On the outside of the box she’d print “To Tessa from Santa.”

With that accomplished she went back downstairs to face a steady stream of customers until her mother arrived so she could leave for Barrow’s Lake.

During the late-afternoon drive her mind played over the incident in the store. What she’d give to have a child she could indulge. With those cherubic features, Tessa Jenner was absolutely adorable.

When she reached the Gingerbread Inn, she saw the state it was in and realized that Casey’s email hadn’t exaggerated. Despite some cosmetic fix-ups by Emily and her husband, Cole Watson, it was obvious the Gingerbread Inn had fallen on hard times. Despite all the inn owner’s big dreams, Carol Parsons had lost her husband and couldn’t keep everything going anymore.

In the kitchen, the heart of the once-fabulous two-story Georgian inn, Andrea looked around. Everything needed refurbishing. She longed to get rid of the dilapidated sunflower wallpaper and worn white vinyl flooring and make it all fresh again.

But Andrea was grateful for one thing that hadn’t changed. She and Casey, her exotic-looking friend with the dark wild hair, were sitting at the very same long maple table where the girls had enjoyed many a meal day or night in past summers.

“Do you two want another cup of cocoa?”

Andrea jumped up from the chair and gave Carol another hug. The tiny gray-haired widow and sole owner was in her fifties and still looked great wearing a pale blue T-shirt and jeans. Best of all, she had a heart as big as the outdoors.

To the amusement of all, Harper, the golden retriever of uncertain mix, ran around sniffing everyone, hoping for crumbs from Carol’s homemade coffee cake fresh from the oven.

“Don’t you know you’ve done enough? It’s after midnight. You should be in bed. Casey and I will be headed there ourselves pretty soon.”

“No, you won’t.” She laughed. “I know you girls. Once you get talking, there’s no stopping you. Since you have to get back to Providence tomorrow, I’m going to leave you two alone so you can catch up. In the morning I’ll make scones.”

“Those are to die for,” the girls said in a collective voice.

Carol laughed. “Come on, Harper.” The dog made a yapping sound and scrambled out the door after her.

Andrea and Casey were finally alone, surrounded by six empty chairs. One of them would never see Melissa again. Once upon a time they’d been filled with people and laughter and great happiness. Andrea wondered if she’d ever know real happiness again. Her hurt went so deep she couldn’t fathom experiencing it again, let alone joy.

Casey studied her for a minute through dark brown eyes. “I know what you’re thinking.”

Andrea nodded. “Life has changed for all of us. Remember that horrid expression, ‘Life is what happens when you had other plans’?”

“Oh, yeah. I could have written it.”

“I think Eve probably coined the expression,” Andrea murmured.

“Except I think things might be changing for Carol.”

“Really?”

She smiled. “Cole hired a handyman to help around here. His name is Martin Johnson. He’s been a widower for ten years and from what I can tell, he and Carol are getting along better than you’d believe. Having been a carpenter, he can fix anything.”

“What’s he like?”

“Tall and blue-eyed with the greatest shock of white hair.”

“Wouldn’t it be something if a romance blossomed around here?”

Casey nodded as they stared at each other for a long serious moment. “It’s so good to see you and I’m so-o glad you came. I’m feeling alone and maybe more than a tad envious of Emily, who’s off on her second honeymoon with Cole.”

“I feel the same way, so let’s get busy planning what we’re going to do with this place to turn it into a winter wonderland for their vow-renewal ceremony.”

Once they’d worked it all out Andrea said, “Tell me what’s hanging so heavily on you right now.”

“Oh, Andrea, I just feel like I don’t want to be filled with self-pity around you when you’ve experienced so much loss. I guess I hoped to recapture some of that girlish wonder we had for so many years. But we can’t turn back the clock. When I think about you and Gunter...I don’t know how you’re dealing with your life. It’s all so unfair.”

Andrea had known this conversation would leap to her own problems. “Let’s agree the word fair should be stricken from the language. Luckily his parents have three other children and four grandchildren to dote on, and I have my mom and the shop.”

“I’m glad about that. I know how much work is saving your life right now. But forgive me for asking another question. How will you ever move on if everywhere you turn, you see him?”

A weary sigh escaped her lips. “Mom has begged me to move back to the house with her for that very reason, but I’m not ready yet and don’t know if I ever will be. She belongs to a church group that meets every few weeks. There’s a widower I know she’s interested in, but he’s been on vacation. I’m hoping that when he gets back, he’ll sweep her off her feet. If I’m not living there, it’ll make his path easier.”

“I love your mom. Any man would be lucky to find a woman like her. But I want to see you fall in love like that again.”

“The chances against that happening are astronomical, Casey.”

“Surely not. I predict some gorgeous guy is going to come along and you won’t know what hit you. Maybe this fantastic man will see you in the shop and find you absolutely irresistible the way Gunter did.”

“Maybe.”

Heat rushed into her cheeks as a vision of Tessa’s father filled her mind. He was fantastic looking, but if anything, she knew he’d felt like swatting her away from him rather than sweeping her off her feet. The encounter had disturbed her more than she wanted to admit.

Mr. Jenner had a daughter, for heaven’s sake. Though he didn’t wear a wedding ring—Andrea blushed to realize she had noticed—he was probably in an intimate relationship with a woman, so there was no point in wasting energy discussing him. The last person he’d be interested in was a widow who couldn’t give a man more children.

Though she was tempted to tell Casey about the incident, she held back, needing to concentrate on anything that didn’t have to do with the ache inside her. Andrea had her sister-in-law when she really needed to talk. With Marie she could open up. She’d been there right after the accident. They’d become close after Andrea had met Gunter, and they needed each other now that he was gone so they could mourn together.

“It has to happen one day, Andrea. You’re too young and beautiful.”

“And unable to conceive, don’t forget.”

“There’s always adoption.”

“That’s what Mom says, but it’s ludicrous to go there. I just don’t want to think about it.”

“Understood.”

Feeling at a complete loose end, Andrea got to her feet and did the dishes. Once the kitchen was cleaned up, she took a deep breath. “You know what? It’s late. Why don’t we go to bed, and tomorrow we’ll get up and drink hot chocolate, take a walk to the lake and think about Emily and Cole having a baby and how wonderful life can be. I’ve never been here in the snow.”

“Nor I. If circumstances were different for you and me, this could be a very romantic winter getaway.”

“If being the operative word,” Andrea added wryly to cover her troubled emotions.

At least their plans for the wedding-renewal vows on Christmas Eve had been made. But much as she was thrilled to see Casey and leave the nutcrackers for everyone, their conversation had opened up her wounds and she was bleeding all over the place. This bleakness in her heart threatened to overwhelm her. She needed to get back to work where she wouldn’t think. “Casey—”

“I know what you’re going to say,” Casey interrupted. They read each other’s minds quite easily. “You’re restless as a cat wanting out of a cage.”

“The inn is hardly a cage.”

“It is when you’re needing other things to occupy your mind. Go on back to Providence after breakfast. To be honest, I’m afraid I’m suffering from the same problem. I’ll probably head back when you do. I’ve got a project going for Emily’s baby on my quilting frame at home. I’m making her a special quilt with a picture of the Gingerbread Inn in the center.”

“Oh, how darling!” Andrea cried. “You’ve just given me an idea for a gift that will look perfect in her nursery.” When more rocking chairs and gingerbread men arrived, she’d put a set away for Emily. On the way back to Providence, she’d put in a big order for both items.

In her mind’s eye Andrea kept remembering Tessa rocking back and forth with her prize in her arms.... Oh, how she’d love to see that precious girl on Christmas morning when she ran to find out what Santa had brought her. To give birth to a daughter like Tessa Jenner would be joy beyond measure. But it wasn’t meant to be. The sooner she got that child off her mind, the better.

She turned out the lights and they went up to bed. Clearly Casey was in so much turmoil herself, she didn’t press Andrea to stay longer. They’d said all there was to say for the time being. Now they both needed their own caves to lick their wounds while they struggled to survive.

CHAPTER TWO

“LADDER 1 RESPOND to art-gallery fire on Lemon Street and Sixth.”

The dispatcher’s voice over the gong galvanized everyone into action. Hearing the address, Rick felt his adrenaline kick in. Lemon Street? After parking his car, he’d walked by that gallery earlier in the morning with Tessa. Only a florist shop separated it from the Hansel and Gretel shop.

He didn’t plan to go there again and had planned to send his housekeeper to buy the gingerbread man for him. Not only did he have time constraints, he preferred to avoid a good-looking woman like the salesclerk who wore no ring. After losing his wife, he wanted to spare himself and Tessa that kind of pain ever again. Another romantic relationship was out of the question for him.

Unfortunately if the fire spread, that shop’s inventory, including the gingerbread man, might go up in smoke before the night was over. The clock said 9:55 p.m. Hopefully the woman had long since gone home from work. He broke out in a cold sweat just thinking about her getting overcome by fumes or worse. Rick knew firsthand what that was like; as a child he’d almost died in a fire. That experience had changed the direction of his life.

“Let’s go!” he called to his crew as he grabbed his turnout gear and headed for the engine. Arney drove them out of the truck bay to the downtown area. Rick got on the phone to the battalion chief discussing methods to proceed when he saw smoke pouring out of the third-story window of the art gallery. Engine 2 was first in, but the alarm had sounded for more help.

“Mel? You work with Arney. Jose? You’re with me.” Out of the corner of his eye Rick saw another ladder truck pull up to the fire ground. Already a couple of men from the engine truck had gone into the building with the hoses.

“Ready, Jose?”

He gave the sign and together they placed the ladder in an alley that gave access to the building and set it against the wall. After putting on their masks, they ascended. Their job was to hunt for any injured or unconscious people trapped in there.

The smoke continued to pour out the third-story window. Everything was black by the time he climbed inside the frame where the glass had blown out. Ladder 2 down the alley was having trouble opening up the side of the building to ventilate. The smoke was really heavy now. Rick’s intuition was that the hoses had extinguished most of the fire and what was left was smoke from the burned electrical insulation.

He and Jose crawled in on their bellies, but after a few minutes of going from room to room, they were satisfied no one was inside except the fire crews. The smoke started to be drawn off, which meant the ventilation was finally working.

Dozens of charred canvases lay in heaps in one of the rooms on the top floor. Something about the arrangement of them didn’t look right—strange even. He had a gut feeling the fire had been started there on purpose. After more probing he knew they had to have been placed in a pile like that.

When he got back to the station he would tell Benton Ames, the head of the arson squad and Rick’s best friend. After more inspection, he made his way down the watery, debris-filled stairway.

Once outside, he pulled off his mask. Thank goodness the fire hadn’t spread. It had mostly been contained on the third floor. The Hansel and Gretel shop was still standing. With a sense of relief that both it and the florist shop had been spared, he helped Jose bring down the extension. Soon they’d done their cleanup, and they rode back to the station. His ten-hour shift was at an end and he could go home.

The battalion chief got him on the phone. “When you report to the station tomorrow, take the truck to Lemon Street on your way to training exercises. I want you and your crew to talk to the businesses on either side and across from the art gallery. Get a report if they sustained any smoke damage of significance.”

Another rush of adrenaline charged his body. That meant he might be seeing her again. Just the thought of it raised his blood pressure. Somehow her appeal had slipped past his defenses. He couldn’t figure it out.

“Yes, sir.”

Fifteen minutes later he pulled into the driveway of his house and let himself in the front door. Sharon Milne, his live-in housekeeper, would have put Tessa to bed at eight-thirty. His daughter had made him promise he’d help her write a letter to Santa in the morning.

Rick went to the kitchen and drank from the tap until he’d quenched his thirst, then he headed for his bedroom. After a shower and shave, he put on a robe and walked down the hall to Tessa’s room.

He tiptoed inside and sat on the side of the bed to look at her. In sleep her profile reminded him a lot of his deceased wife, Tina. She’d been gone a year. They’d lost her to leukemia a month before Christmas after a year’s fight against the disease. This was the hardest time for both of them.

Tessa had been very upset with him when he’d dropped her off at kindergarten today. She’d wanted to know why they couldn’t go back and get the gingerbread man.

There’d been several reasons. Once again Rick had given her another talk about being grateful for the things she had and not to expect to be appeased at every turn. After Tina’s death he’d done his share of giving their daughter things to comfort her in their grief, but it hadn’t taken long before he’d realized it was the wrong thing to do.

She expected everyone to satisfy her slightest wish. His wife and her family had done too much of that in the past. Before Tina’s passing, Tessa had already felt entitled. He smoothed the blond hair off her forehead. Rick didn’t want his daughter growing up with a princess complex.

But there was more bothering him. How could he explain to a five-year-old how he’d felt when he saw the clerk looking at him through the shop window with those brilliant blue eyes? She was the kind of woman the guys at the station would call a real stunner—blonde and curvaceous with classic features. Most likely she was married with children. Her response to Tessa had seemed very natural. It meant his thoughts should stop right there. The absence of a wedding ring didn’t always prove anything.

Rick had felt dead inside for so long, he was shocked to discover he could have an emotional response to the looks of a beautiful woman again. The psychiatrist provided by the department had talked to him at length about dealing with his grief. He’d told Rick that one day he’d start to feel alive again, but there was no set time when it would happen.

Rick certainly hadn’t expected the first signs of it to happen this morning. Part of the anger he’d felt masked guilt, because it seemed as if he was being disloyal to Tina even to notice another woman so soon after her death. The psychiatrist had warned him about that, too. He’d said it was perfectly natural to feel guilt, and he might feel it for a long time. If it went on too long, however, then he wanted to see him back in his office.

After the clerk had waited on him, his anger had grown worse because she’d been so incredibly nice and tuned in to Tessa’s feelings. He didn’t want her doing either of them any favors. For one thing, Tessa was his daughter.

The woman obviously thought he didn’t have enough money to pay for the gingerbread man, so she’d lowered the price. He had to admit it had injured his pride. But after having a whole day to think about it, he recognized what he’d really been feeling.

The last thing he wanted was to feel beholden to her or any woman. Sharon, the housekeeper, was different in her caretaker role.

Face it, Jenner. You resent being attracted to her.

That was the truth of it. He supposed the fact that she was the first person since Tina’s death to take his mind off his wife for a few minutes made him feel vulnerable. But for her to play Santa hadn’t sat well with him. So many emotions had bombarded him, he hadn’t been able to get out of the shop fast enough.

No one could take Tina’s place as Tessa’s mother. He couldn’t trust another woman with that job. Rick didn’t want another woman in his life. He didn’t want to have those kinds of feelings ever again. It had hurt so much to lose Tina. He couldn’t live through pain like that a second time. Once was enough for him and Tessa. He’d do whatever he could to protect both of them from more suffering.

Frustrated as hell because he would have to go by her business tomorrow, he leaned over to kiss his daughter’s forehead before leaving to go to his own room. Maybe he’d get one of the crew to do it. Either way, it would be a short visit and that would be the end of it.

Before he went to bed he made a detour to the living room and set up the elf band beneath the Christmas tree they’d bought and decorated last night. When Tessa got up in the morning, she’d run in here to find out what the noise was and be delighted.

Now, if he could just get the woman out of his head so he could go to sleep... But that was a joke, because she’d been flitting through his mind—all the amazing parts of her, starting with her smile and the way her blue eyes shimmered.

* * *

At ten the next morning Arney pulled the fire truck in front of the scarred top half of the art gallery. An inspection team from the arson squad was walking around.

When Rick saw Benton, he climbed down from the truck in his gear and walked over to his sandy-haired friend. He and his wife, Deanna, an attractive brunette, had two children, one of whom was Tessa’s friend Julie at kindergarten. They’d all become close during Tina’s illness.

Benton patted him on the shoulder. “Thanks to your tip, we know this is the work of the same arsonist who started that department-store blaze three weeks ago. Underneath that pile of canvases, he’d filled a plastic milk carton with gasoline and made a wick with a piece of shirt. It was a slow burner, but did enough damage to ignite the whole thing.”

“He probably used the fire escape here to knock out that third-story window we climbed into. I thought it had been blown out by the fire.”

“Let’s hope he’s caught soon. In the meantime I’ve spoken to the police chief. They’re going to keep this downtown area under heavy surveillance 24/7 until after the holidays.”

“That’s good.” If Benton hadn’t mentioned it, Rick would have.

“How’s it going?”

Rick didn’t have to pretend around him. “Don’t ask.”

“That’s what I thought. Deanna and I are having a little party on Saturday night. We want you to come. Susie Anderson from Engine 3 will be coming along with some of the others. She specifically asked if you’d be there.” He put his hand up. “I know what you’re going to say about that, but at least promise me you’ll think about it.”

“Susie’s a good firefighter and nice in her own way, but she’s been a part of the landscape for too long a time. She’s just one of the guys to me, Benton. Everyone’s been trying to line me up, but I just can’t do it. I don’t feel the spark. Without that...”

“Then bring a friend, so Susie won’t get any ideas. If it’s your housekeeper’s night off, then bring Tessa. She and Julie can play.”

Rick was aware the guys were waiting for him. He turned to his crew, having made a certain decision. “Mel? You and Arney cover the florist and the Hansel and Gretel shop. Jose? Go talk to the cleaners across the street. I’ll take the print shop.”

Once the men took off, he eyed Benton and gave him a clap on the shoulder. “Thanks for the invite. I promise I’ll think about it.”

His friend winked. “Good.”

Before Rick walked across the street, his gaze wandered to the display window of the shop. Yesterday he’d looked into a pair of blue eyes in an angel face with a golden halo of hair. It had felt as if a thunderbolt had passed through him.

But neither the gingerbread man nor the little rocking chair was there now. That meant she’d pulled the items after he’d left the store. Hopefully they’d be in the back. Maybe another employee was on duty today. He’d asked Mel and Arney to find out. If so, Rick would go in and buy them.

With clipboard in hand, he walked across the street and interviewed the manager of the print shop. The smell of smoke still hung around, but he learned they hadn’t been affected by the fire. He returned to the truck where the guys were waiting.

None of the people interviewed could give any information regarding a possible arsonist. All had been gone from their stores when the fire broke out. The florist was still using one of the department fans.

Rick collected their reports and read Arney’s, absorbing the information on the Hansel and Gretel shop like a sponge.

Owner of the shop was Mrs. Valerie Bernard, fifty-three, who lived in College Hill, the most affluent neighborhood in Providence. Judging by the expensive items displayed, he wasn’t surprised. She was also the person Arney had talked to, because it was her signature on the bottom of the form.

The report stated there’d been no damage, but the smell of smoke still lingered. She didn’t think a fan was necessary. He called out to Arney. “Did you speak to any employees besides Mrs. Bernard?”

“No. She was the only one there.”

That made his mind up for him. “Give me a minute. The smoke smell is stronger on this side of the street. I want to check her place again. She might need a fan anyway.”

“Okay.”

He headed for the shop. When he entered, the Christmas chimes sounded. It was déjà vu. An attractive older woman with short blond hair stylishly cut who looked vaguely familiar to him was waiting on a customer, but she smiled at Rick.

He walked around, deciding the smell of smoke wasn’t that bad. As soon as the customer left with a package, he approached her. “Sorry to bother you again. I’m Captain Jenner of Ladder 1. I wanted to make sure you hadn’t changed your mind about wanting a fan.”

She gave him a pleasant smile. “No. It’s not necessary, but I have to tell you I’m mighty thankful you got that fire out in time to save the rest of us. Some of my inventory is irreplaceable. Even with the insurance, there are several dozen pyramids and signed nutcrackers that are original pieces, and priceless. They’re made in Germany.”

“I’m aware of that. I came in here yesterday with my daughter. She saw the gingerbread man in the window. While I’m here, I’d like to buy it for her.”

The woman frowned. “A gingerbread man?”

“Yes.” He described it. “It was sitting in a little rocking chair. I’d like to buy the chair, too. Maybe the items got sold. Then again, it’s possible one of your employees put those items away for some reason.”

“The only other person who works here is my daughter, Andrea.” Blood pounded in his ears. That’s why the owner looked familiar. He’d wondered. The more he looked at her, the more he saw the resemblance in the shape of her face and body. “She must have unpacked those items while I was gone. Give me time to check in back.”

She returned in a few minutes looking at a loss. “My daughter went out of town yesterday.” With her husband or a fiancé, maybe? Why in blazes did he care? “She’ll be able to explain. I’m expecting her back this afternoon. When she comes in, I’ll ask her what happened. If you call the shop after two, you’ll be able to talk to her.”

Rick knew exactly what had happened. She was planning to give them to Tessa for Christmas because she believed he couldn’t afford it. No doubt she’d hidden them away somewhere. “I’m afraid I’ll be on duty until seven. When I next have time off, I’ll call around. Thank you for your help. I’m glad your shop was saved, Mrs. Bernard. It’s a delightful place.”

“Thank you. It’s been in our family seventy-five years.” She walked him to the door. “If it weren’t for brave men like you, I wouldn’t have had a shop to open this morning. I’m very grateful and know the neighbors around here are, too. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Now Rick knew why Andrea was so nice. Damn. “The pleasure’s mine, Mrs. Bernard. Have a good day.”

* * *

Andrea drove down the alley and parked the car next to her mom’s at the rear of the shop. She was glad to be home, even if it was closer to an hour later than she’d planned. There’d been a ten-car pileup on the freeway because of black ice. No one had been injured, thank heaven, but as a result the cars were lined up several miles waiting to get around the accident scene.

She’d also stopped at her favorite bookstore and picked up a copy of a gingerbread-man book with terrific illustrations. She’d loved it as a child. Another gift from Santa.

Pressing the remote that opened the back door, she entered and could immediately smell smoke. Her heart rate picked up speed. After putting down her overnight bag, she hurried through the office to the front of the shop. Her mom saw her and smiled. She was waiting on two teens buying some hand-painted wooden ornaments.

Until they left she couldn’t talk to her mom, so she went back to the office and sent an email to Casey. She’d promised to let her and Carol know she’d gotten home safely. There were several emails waiting for her to open, all of them from Gunter’s family.

Andrea decided to read them later except for one from Marie, whom she missed horribly. They were close to the same age and had a lot in common besides the fact that they’d both adored Gunter.

Her email was inviting Andrea to meet her and her husband, Rolfe, in the south of Spain after Christmas and vacation until the New Year. Would she please come? They would pay for her flight and would be staying with Rolfe’s friend at his villa.

While Andrea stood there contemplating the generous offer and idea, she could still smell smoke, and she lifted her head. Where had it come from? She was dying to know, but a steady stream of customers kept both her and her mother busy for a couple of hours. Finally they had a break. As soon as the front door closed, Andrea gave her mother a fierce hug.

“What was that all about, darling?”

“Because I love you. Because Casey and I had a long talk, and it made me appreciate you all over again for being the best mother in the world.”

“I could say the same thing about my daughter. I’m glad you got back safely.”

“Me, too. Now tell me what’s happened. Why is there that smoke smell?”

“The art gallery caught fire last night around ten when everyone had gone home.”

“You’re kidding!”

“I wish I were. There’s a possibility of arson. I was talking to Wally earlier. He said the firefighters saved as many paintings as they could, but some of the ones in storage on the third floor didn’t make it. We’re very blessed they got here in time to save the rest of the surrounding stores, including ours.”

Andrea shuddered. “When I think of the years you’ve put into this shop, and then to imagine a fire threatening everything... I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

“Don’t be silly. There wasn’t anything anyone could do. Life is a risk.”

Yes. But she’d never thought about it until she and Gunter had been broadsided by a man who was drunk. In a flash her husband had been snuffed out. “Casey and I came to that same conclusion last night.”

“Did you have a wonderful time?”

She bit her lip. “It was good to see her and Carol again, and we were able to make plans for the party on Christmas Eve, but the inn is up for sale, and Casey is very low right now. She hasn’t really gotten over her broken engagement. So to answer your question honestly, I’ve come home a bit depressed, but it will pass.”

“That settles it. After we close up tonight, you’re coming home with me, and no buts.”

“I’d like that,” Andrea said without reservation.

“Oh—before more customers walk in, I need to ask you about a gingerbread man and a chair, neither of which I’ve seen. Apparently you put them in the front window display, but when the man who’d seen them before came in today to buy them, they were gone and I couldn’t help him.”

Andrea’s heart gave a kick. “Do you remember his name?”

“He introduced himself as Captain Jenner.” Captain? “It was his crew of firefighters along with two other crews who contained the blaze last night and put it out. This morning he came by with his men to see if I needed a fan.”

Tessa’s daddy was a firefighter? Here Andrea had thought he might be out of work and was too proud to accept charity. Instead while he was on duty he’d come to the shop to buy everything without Tessa knowing. Andrea didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her false assumption. The man’s aloof behavior had been a disturbing mystery to her.

Her mother eyed her curiously. “Why are you so quiet?”

Just then they had another customer. “I’ll tell you in a minute.”

A minute turned into another hour before Andrea was able to relate the substance of what had happened, but she didn’t tell her mother certain details. How could she when she didn’t know what she was feeling herself? “I made a false assumption that he couldn’t afford to buy the chair and the gingerbread man. His little girl was so cute and wanted it so much, I wanted to help, I guess.”

Her mom nodded. “I could tell he was disappointed the items were gone. Why don’t you run them to him at the fire station right now and make things right? It’s only six blocks from here and will save him another trip to the shop. It’ll help you feel better, too. After their heroic service, it’s the least we can do for him, don’t you think? But before you leave, I’d like to see that gingerbread man. Who sent it?”

“Our wholesaler in the Adirondacks. It’s a sample of the new product they’re introducing. I’ll bring it down with the rocking chair.”

Andrea went to the back room and dashed up the stairs to her bedroom. She brought down both items. While her mom was busy with another customer, Andrea placed the chair and gingerbread man next to the table with one of their three-tiered pyramids.

In a minute her mother started walking to the counter carrying a dirndl for the lady following her, but she stopped midstride when she saw it. “Oh, Andrea—without a doubt that’s the most appealing craft item I’ve ever seen!”

“I totally agree. On the drive home from Barrow’s Lake I ordered more of them and the rocking chairs.”

The customer walked over and picked it up to examine it. “I’d like to buy this. My four-year-old granddaughter will go crazy over it. The rocking chair is superb, too. I think I have to have both.”

“I’m sorry.” Andrea spoke up. “They’ve already been sold, but leave us your name and number. When more come in, one of us will call you.”

“Can they be here before Christmas? My friend Renee will want both for her little niece, too.”

“I’ll put a rush on it, but you never know.”

Andrea eyed her mom before hurrying to the rear to pack up the treasures in one crate and gift wrap it. When she’d loaded it into the trunk of her car, she went back upstairs to shower and change into something fresh.

Several of her outfits had been purchased in Germany. After giving it some thought, she pulled out her cherry-red two-piece loden wool suit. She’d bought it the day Marie had gone shopping with her. Gunter had said it looked perfect on her.

Dark green braid lined the round neck and the front of the jacket. Eight ornate silver buttons the size of quarters ran down the middle to the hem at the waist. She loved this suit with its slightly flared skirt. It was reminiscent of the old-world items in the shop, but she’d worn it only once while she was still in Germany.

Chances were Captain Jenner wouldn’t even be there, but she had to make the effort...because her mom had asked this favor of her. Because she realized she needed to start making an effort to get on with her life. Taking an interest in herself and caring about what she wore was a first step.

Much as she’d enjoyed seeing Casey, her overnight trip hadn’t helped her spirits. It had been all talk about loss and unfulfilled lives. She’d come home actually alarmed over her depressed state of mind.

* * *

Two more hours before Rick’s shift was over. While he was fueling the truck, he heard Cabrera’s voice calling out, “Eighty-six! Eighty-six!” It was code that meant a woman had entered the station, but not just any woman. She had to be a total knockout. After dealing with life-and-death situations 24/7, there was nothing like hearing an “eighty-six” to set the place humming.

He watched in amusement as one by one the guys left their housekeeping duties to get a glimpse of the supposed femme fatale who’d set foot on the premises. In a minute Arney came running to the bay. He might be married with two children, but his blue eyes were all lit up and he wore a knowing grin on his face.

“There’s a female here to see you.” Rick blinked. “The guys have gone nuts. She brought a giant Christmas present all wrapped up in blue foil with a gold ribbon.”

His adrenaline surged. Andrea was back from wherever. After hearing from her mother, she’d obviously come here. For some reason she’d been determined his daughter would receive the gingerbread man, even if it meant Santa came to the station in person to deliver it.

“I’d say she looks like a Christmas present herself, if you know what I mean.” Rick knew exactly what he meant. Beautiful didn’t adequately describe her. The expression “she looked good enough to eat” was more like it.

Arney nudged his shoulder. “You’ve been holding out on us big-time, boss. I’ll finish the fueling while you...take care of business?”

Rick couldn’t get mad at the guys for wanting him to meet another woman and start living again. No one had better friends, and they couldn’t have tried harder to help him through the dark period of the past two years. They were his other family, the best of the best, but they didn’t understand.

So far none of his close friends had lost a spouse. They didn’t know what it was like to think of starting all over again with someone else. It took years to get to know another person, to put up with their flaws, to know their demons and still love them.

He hated being single again, coming home with no wife to hold him. He hated his empty bed, hated the loss of sharing. But he groaned at the thought of having to date again to regain that sense of completeness. As far as he was concerned, a widower was in a no-win situation.

Besides it being a new voyage of discovery that he had no interest in, it would have to involve Tessa. He had zero hope of finding another woman who would be right for him and his daughter. Would she be able to mother Tessa the way she needed it? Could he trust her with his daughter while he was out fighting fires?

It still tore him apart remembering the nights Tessa had sobbed herself to sleep in his arms. She didn’t do it quite so much now, but there were still those moments.

What if a new relationship didn’t work out? Where would that leave Tessa if he had to tell her he wouldn’t be seeing the new woman again? How much should he allow his daughter to get involved so she wouldn’t suffer a second time? Rick had no answers, no map to help him navigate through such a treacherous sea. Better to remain single now that he was getting used to it. Be the best father he could be to Tessa.

“Thanks, old man.” He let Arney do the rest of the refueling while he made his way to the front of the station. En route he was aware of the guys watching him, with the same grin as Arney on their faces.

She was in his line of vision when he rounded the corner. For the second time in two days he was knocked sideways, only this was much worse. In a word she looked so adorable in that outfit, she might be one of those hand-painted imported wooden ornaments come to life.

“You wanted to see me?”

He heard a small cry escape her lips when she saw him. The way her chest moved beneath that fetching jacket, he had an idea she felt breathless, too. “I didn’t know if you would be here. Mother told me you’d come by to purchase those gifts for your daughter. I’m so sorry she couldn’t find them. I’d taken them upstairs to my apartment.”

“You live above the shop?” Good grief. He swallowed hard. If that fire had spread and she’d been in there asleep...

“Yes.”

“Alone?”

She nodded, answering one question for him. “I had the loft renovated after...after my last trip to Germany.” Why the hesitation?

“I’m glad I found you here,” she continued. “I should have realized right away you wanted to get them without her knowing about it. Since I made a promise to her, please accept this as a gift from Santa. I wrote ‘To Tessa from Santa’ on the box.”

He reached into the pocket of his uniform for his wallet. “Let me pay you.”

“No, don’t! My payment was watching your little girl have one of those magical moments every child should experience. To take your money would ruin that memory for me.”

Her features had hardened slightly, letting him know she meant every word.

Rick put the wallet back and moved the box behind the desk. “I’m assuming you thought I was out of work?”

“With this economy, it crossed my mind. Forgive me. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. I’m afraid I was putting myself in your daughter’s place. I could see how much she wanted it. I was a little girl once and still know how it feels to want something more than anything.” Yup. That described his Tessa. “But then Mother told me about the fire and that you and your crew had come to the shop.”

“You weren’t so far off the track. A firefighter’s pay leaves a lot to be desired.”

“Maybe so, but if it helps, just know our world couldn’t get along without you. My mother sends her warmest regards.”

His black brows rose. “It was her idea that you come here?”

After a slight hesitation she said, “I was glad she suggested it. We wanted to be able to pay you back for containing that fire.”

Her answer deflated him despite the fact that he had no intention of getting to know her better. “I understand you went out of town.”

“Yes.”

“With a friend?”

“No. To see one.”

That still didn’t answer his question and she wasn’t about to give him one. In other words, mind your own business, Jenner.

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