Santa's Shopkeeper (River's End Ranch Book 18) Read online

  Many of the first to come in were guests of the ranch, but as their schedules permitted, the employees came in as well, and Heidi had the chance to talk with them about her Secret Santa idea. Mark was kept busy enough answering questions and handing out paint that for the most part, she was able to speak freely without worrying about being overheard. Two or three times, she asked someone to text her later because Mark was within earshot.

  All the employees were excited to help out in any way they could. Melissa from the bookstore said she’d choose something for each of the Wilson children. Several of the food vendors offered to donate different aspects of a nice Christmas meal, including dinner on Christmas Eve. Maddie at the spa said she’d love to donate massages—Heidi thought that was a great idea, especially for Callie, who had to be carrying a ton of stress in her body. Those who didn’t have a service or a product they thought would be helpful gave Heidi cash and told her to use her best judgment with it. Heidi had to wipe away tears several times. She’d known that the people of the ranch would be generous, but seeing it in action was definitely touching.

  “Excuse me,” one older gentleman said as he approached Heidi’s work station. “I understand you’re putting together Christmas for a family in need.”

  Heidi had never seen him before. He must have been someone passing through on vacation, or maybe a local she hadn’t bumped into yet. “Yes, sir. We know of a family who just lost their home to a fire.”

  He reached into his wallet. “I always carry a little extra cash this time of year, and I’ve been looking for a good place to put it. Maybe this will help.”

  He slipped a few bills in Heidi’s hand. “Between you and me, of course,” he said.

  “Of course. Thank you so much, sir.”

  He gave her one quick nod, chose out a wreath to paint, and wandered off to sit at a table.

  Next to approach was a woman named Belle who had stopped by the general store briefly. “I don’t suppose you’d take a pig as a donation, would you?”

  Heidi raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry—what?”

  “Well, see, his name is Tootles, and he’s an anxiety pig. If you want him, he’s yours,” she said with a chuckle.

  Heidi couldn’t think of a single reason why the Wilsons would want a pig. “I think we’ll pass, but thanks for your generosity.” There had to be a story there somewhere—she’d ask around about it later.

  Just before the event ended, an older woman and a girl who looked to be about a year younger than Heidi came in. Mark darted through the remaining crowd to get to them and threw his arms around them both at the same time. No question this was his mom and his sister—the family resemblance was strong. Heidi automatically smoothed her hair and ran her tongue across her teeth. She wanted to make a good impression, as silly as that might be.

  Mark took his mom and his sister each by their hands and led them over to Heidi. “Mom, Grace, this is Heidi Davidson. She runs the general store here on the ranch.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Mrs. Wilson said, giving Heidi a quick hug.

  Grace was less reserved. She threw her arms around Heidi with a little squeal, almost knocking her off balance. “It’s so good to meet you! You need to tell me all about yourself.”

  Mrs. Wilson chuckled. “I’m sure there will be time for that. We’re here to make ornaments—the man who picked us up at the airport said that’s a ranch tradition. Frank, I think he said his name was.”

  Heidi smiled and nodded. Picking people up at the airport wasn’t one of Frank’s usual jobs, but it was just like him to help out a family who needed a little extra boost. “Choose an ornament, and you can decorate it any way you like. We have everything you can imagine by way of glitter and paint and even feathers.”

  Grace laughed. “You had me at glitter.”

  Mark showed his mother and sister to a table, then sat down next to them with an ornament of his own. Heidi took advantage of the lull to breathe deeply and look out over the room. Simon, Jaclyn’s friend, was putting a final coat of acrylic sealant on a fairy he’d labored on for over two hours. Wes and Amber were chuckling over in the corner as they tied bits of twine on the people they’d painted to make them look like rock climbers holding on to actual ropes. Christmas music played softly in the background, and it really seemed like nothing could be better than it was at that moment.

  But then it ended, and everyone left. She put her supplies back in their box as quickly as she could, and Mark moved from table to table gathering up leftovers and stripping the butcher paper. A few others remained to help as well.

  “That was awesome,” Mark said as he shoved the last bit of wadded-up butcher paper into the trash. “Do you always have so many people?”

  “It’s pretty consistent. And we sell a ton of ornaments at the general store, too. Not all of them make it out to the tree-decorating ceremony on Christmas Eve—a lot are just taken home, especially since we get people here from all over the place. That’s okay—the tree is always very well decorated.”

  “I guess I’ll be here to see it for myself after all. I’m hoping you’ll still hang my ornament for me, though.”

  Heidi smiled at him, feeling her knees go a little weak. “Of course I will.”

  Her hands were full of disposable paintbrushes, but he put his hand on her arm. “Dinner? Grace and my mom are getting settled in at the cabin and everything will be fine there. You, me, and some sort of foodage?”

  “Okay,” she said softly, wishing his words didn’t feel like a death knell. “I have a few things to do at the store and then I’m free. Eight o’clock?”

  “I’ll meet you at the dining room at eight, unless there’s someplace you’d rather go.”

  “No, that’s great. And thanks for your help.” She motioned around. “We used up almost all the ornaments and most of the paint, so there’s just one large box to take back to the store. I’ll send Reggie over to get it.”

  “Are you sure? I can bring it.”

  She really needed a few minutes alone before she met him for dinner. Whatever he was going to say, she wanted to be prepared. The last thing he needed was her wailing “No!” when he told her he was leaving. “It’s all right. Go spend some time with your mom and sister, and I’ll see you at eight.”

  He gave her a curious look, but nodded and said okay.

  Once back at the store, Heidi got an update from Reggie and Alicia, who said everything went well and that Santa was a go to help out with the project, and then she closed down the cash register. Alicia really could have done that herself—she already had a number of times—but the routine of it helped Heidi calm her mind. She was a big girl. She could handle this. Whatever “this” was. She still had no idea.

  As an afterthought, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the money from the stranger at the event barn. She hadn’t glanced at it when he handed it to her, and she’d just assumed it was a couple of twenties. Instead, it was five hundred dollars. People were amazing. That’s all there was to it.

  Chapter Eleven

  Heidi had brought a change of clothes from home because she knew she’d be spending time with Mark that night, and she didn’t think she wanted to hang out wearing paint-splattered clothes. She used the restroom in the general store to change and put on her favorite pair of jeans and a soft blue sweater, wondering the whole time what Mark was going to say to her and what she was going to say to Mark until it went around and around in her head like a crazy Christmas carousel.

  If he told her he was leaving, she needed to stay chill. They’d both known this was a light week-long romance, nothing too serious, no promises made or actions taken that they would regret later. They could part ways and look back with a little bit of fondness.

  Except no.

  She wouldn’t be mature and understanding and forgiving about this. She couldn’t talk herself into that because it’s not how she felt. She’d tried really hard not to throw herself at him ever since she met him, but if she had
to, that’s exactly what she’d do—she couldn’t just let him leave.

  She pulled in a deep breath as she walked out to her car to stow her dirty clothes in the trunk. She’d always been the kind of person who would give up the last piece of cake if someone else wanted it, who would go out of her way to run an errand for someone if they needed it. Well, it was about time that she stood up for herself and what was best for her.

  When she walked into the restaurant, she saw Mark waiting for her like he had been the first time. Instead of Barbi taking them into the main dining room, though, she led them to a private alcove off to the side. It was secluded behind a wooden decorative screen, and Heidi loved how cozy it made their table seem.

  “Barbi, can you give us a few minutes?” Mark asked, and the waitress nodded, saying she’d be back in ten minutes for their orders. Ice water was already on the table, and Heidi took a big sip. Her mouth was suddenly so dry, it was uncomfortable.

  Mark sat down across from Heidi and took a sip of his water as well. “Thanks for meeting me here,” he said as he set the glass back on the table. “I know it’s been a long day, and you must be totally worn out.”

  “I am, but I didn’t want to miss another chance to spend time with you.” Heidi decided she’d take the lead on this conversation rather than letting it roll all over her. “I’m sure you’re busy with plans to get back home and whatnot.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Mark pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You remember I took a nap earlier.”

  “Um, yes, you did say that.” She mentioned the fact that he was leaving, and he brought up taking a nap? What was up with that?

  “I was wiped out when I went to bed, and stressed out, too. I was pretty tense, even in my sleep. But I had a dream. You were there, and you gave me a hug and told me everything was going to be all right. Once you did that, I was finally able to relax, and I got a couple of really good hours’ rest.”

  “I’m not sure what you’re telling me,” Heidi said with a chuckle. “I’m like the Sandman? A really huggy Sandman?”

  “Maybe.” He grinned. “But there’s more to it than that.” His face went serious again, and he reached out and took her hand. “There’s something about you, Heidi, something special and different and amazing. I’m not sure what it is yet, but I want to find out. I want to learn your history and what makes you tick. I’m not ready for this to be over. I’m not willing to tell you goodbye and go back to regular living and forget this week ever happened.”

  “What do you mean?” she all but whispered. Her head hurt. It was like she was slipping into an alternate reality, and she didn’t know how to interpret what she was hearing.

  He slid his chair closer to hers and put his arm around her. “I’m saying that I’m fascinated by you. Know what—I’m actually crazy about you. I’ve been looking for someone as unique and wonderful as you are for a long time, and now that I’ve found you, I’m not about to drive off and forget that you ever existed.”

  She looked into his eyes and tried to tell if he was sincere. It was really hard to read eyes sometimes, but she could read the expression on his face, and he looked like he meant every word. But even better than that was interpreting his actions. He leaned in and gave her one small, sweet kiss, but after pulling away for a brief second, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close, and she had no doubt about his feelings. Or hers, for that matter. In fact, that kiss pretty much sealed the deal, erased all doubt, signed on the dotted line, and every other cliché she’d ever thought of.

  “So, you like me?” she said when he finally let her go long enough to breathe.

  “Do I like you? Oh, boy. Understatement of the year.” He ran his finger along her jaw. “Do you like me?”

  “I have a little confession,” she said instead of answering. “If you had brought me here tonight to blow me off, I was going to throw myself at your feet and wrap my arms around your ankles and beg you not to go.”

  “I take that as a yes, then,” he replied, grinning at her.

  “Yeah, pretty much.”

  He traced her lips with the tip of his finger. “My brother and his wife have something I’ve never seen before—it’s like their souls are talking to each other, and that’s what I want for myself. I can feel your soul talking to mine, Heidi, and I know that if I don’t take this chance, even though we’ve only known each other for a short time, I’ll kick myself forever. What do you say? Can we see where this goes? Are you willing to take a crazy chance with me?”

  “I’m more than willing,” she replied. “And I wonder something.”

  “Hmm? What’s that?”

  “Would you kiss me just one more time before Barbi comes back? I really like that.”

  He grinned. “I kind of like that too.”

  ***

  When Heidi asked the employees to consider donating to the Secret Santa, she’d also asked them to spread the word, keeping everything on the down low. By noon the following day, gifts were pouring into the general store, and she had to find a box large enough to put them in.

  Abby came in around two o’clock, her arms filled with bags. “Hey, did you tell people I was helping you or something? All this stuff just got dropped off.”

  “I might have mentioned it,” Heidi said with a grin.

  “Well, this is heavy. Take it!”

  Heidi fished in her pocket and pulled out her keys. “Hey, Reggie? Would you help Abby put that in my car?”

  “Sure.” He took the keys, lifted three of the bags out of Abby’s arms, and said, “Where are you parked?”

  “Out back,” Heidi replied, and Reggie led the way.

  “I don’t know if sending those two off together was a good idea,” Alicia said, coming up and leaning on the counter. “One of them might come back with their head on a pike.”

  “Really? Why?” Heidi asked.

  “They really don’t like each other very much.”

  “Huh. Abby never mentioned that to me.”

  “Well, I only heard it from Reggie yesterday. Maybe it’s a new thing.” Alicia straightened back up when some new customers came in. “I’ll go stock the rest of those chocolate bears.”

  “Yes, please.”

  That night on the ranch was Christmas karaoke, and neither Mark nor Heidi were particularly interested. Instead, she went over to the Family Fun cabin to hang out with Grace and Mrs. Wilson, who said to call her Denise. Mark was on the phone with Todd when she got there, so she sat on the couch next to Grace to wait.

  “I’m so glad we got to come here and meet you,” Grace said. “I mean, of course I wish there hadn’t been a fire. You know what I mean.”

  “I do,” Heidi said with a chuckle. She knew very well what it was like to have your thoughts come out the wrong way.

  “And do you know how long he’s been waiting for you?” Grace went on. “You’re like the answer to all our prayers.”

  “Uh, just what all has he said about me?” Heidi asked. This was starting to sound downright serious.

  “He didn’t say a whole ton, but what he said was significant,” Denise chimed in.

  “Yeah, he said that we absolutely had to come meet this girl he’d been spending time with.” Grace nudged Heidi’s shoulder. “He’s never introduced us to anyone before. He always said he would when the time was right, and that time never came. But now it has.”

  Wow. Heidi was touched that Mark had so much faith in their new relationship, but at the same time, that put a lot of pressure on it. What if things didn’t work out? Maybe his enthusiasm was a little premature. Or maybe she was too worried. Jaclyn had told her to believe . . . that had to go for trusting relationships too, didn’t it? She wouldn’t be sure this would work until she’d given it her all, and that meant loosening up and not analyzing it to death like she did every other thing in her life.

  “I think you blew her mind a little,” Denise said, and Grace laughed.

  “Sorr
y. I do that sometimes. I’ll try to be a little less mind-blowing. But she deserves to know that this is a pretty special occasion, doesn’t she?”

  “Yes, I think she does,” Denise agreed.

  Mark hung up the phone and joined them on the couches. “Todd says the house is definitely ruined, and they’re going to have to rebuild from scratch. The inspector says that the fire started in the kitchen and was caused by faulty wiring right where they had that new lighting installed.”

  “Those guys were supposed to be professionals,” Grace said.

  “Yeah, and they’re looking into that. Todd and Callie might have a lawsuit on their hands.” Mark glanced around. “Where is Callie?”

  “She promised the kids some Christmas ice cream over at the saloon after dinner,” Denise said. “That cracks me up—she took my grandchildren to the saloon. What a fun name for an ice cream parlor.”

  “There are a ton of great things about this place,” Mark said. “Including the general store.”

  “Why, yes, I’d have to say that the general store is the best place on the whole property.” Heidi grinned, and he gave her a look like they were sharing a private joke. Somehow she knew he was thinking about kissing her, and she blushed. “You’ll have to come in tomorrow before we close for Christmas Eve,” she went on. “We’re open until one.”

  “That sounds great,” Denise replied. Heidi caught her glancing back and forth between the two of them, and that made her blush all the more. Mothers sensed things on some instinctual level, and if Denise knew they were thinking about kissing . . . Heidi wanted to disappear. She wasn’t ashamed of kissing Mark, but it was kind of different when his mother knew she’d been kissing Mark.