The Santa Express Read online

  Jebediah placed a muffin on his plate. “I know what these are for, too. The only person apart from my wife who knows I have a sweet tooth is Mabel Terry. She’s been talking again, hasn’t she?”

  Mabel wouldn’t mind Shelley telling Mr. Coleman whose idea the muffins were. Besides, he didn’t look worried about Mabel’s involvement. If anything, he looked quite proud that she’d remembered.

  “Mrs. Terry might have said something about your love of chocolate. I thought visiting Sweet Treats and buying a few bars of Brooke’s candy would be too obvious.”

  Jebediah licked some frosting off his fingertips. “I don’t mind the obvious, especially when it has to do with my stomach. The frosting tastes good.”

  Mrs. Coleman frowned at her husband. “You can’t eat Shelley’s muffins without giving her and John an answer. Can they use our barn or not?”

  “As long as no children visit the ranch before the event, they can use it.”

  Shelley jumped up and shook Jebediah’s wrinkly hand. “That’s wonderful, Mr. Coleman. You won’t regret it.”

  “Don’t speak too soon. If any funny business goes on in the barn, I won’t let you stay.”

  Mrs. Coleman handed her husband a paper napkin. “Don’t talk nonsense. You can’t change your mind again. Too many children are looking forward to coming here. It will break their little hearts to be disappointed for a second time.” After sending her husband a pointed stare, she turned to Shelley. “We appreciate you coming all this way to talk to us. When you’re ready to build the fence, call me. I know as much about the ranch as Jebediah does.”

  Mr. Coleman muttered something under his breath as he bit into a muffin.

  John picked up the documents that were sitting on the table. “We appreciate you letting us use the barn. We’ll do our best to make sure we don’t interrupt what’s happening on the ranch.”

  Annabelle waved away John’s concerns. “Don’t worry about that. We’ve been to the other Christmas events in Sapphire Bay. I can’t fault the planning and we enjoyed ourselves. Isn’t that right, Jebediah?”

  Mr. Coleman grunted.

  Shelley imagined that was about as much praise as he ever gave anyone. “We’re glad you enjoyed the events. You’re welcome to come to the Santa cave. It will be incredible.”

  “I’ll be staying away from all that noise,” Jebediah said.

  Shelley almost smiled. Mr. Coleman reminded her so much of her grandfather that they could have been related. “Well, if you change your mind, I’m staying with my sister, Bailey. I’ve left her phone number in the folder I gave you.”

  “We won’t need—”

  Annabelle nudged her husband’s arm. “Thank you. We appreciate your invitation.”

  John stood and pushed his chair closer to the table. “Thank you for the cup of coffee.”

  Shelley smiled. “Thanks for everything, Mr. and Mrs. Coleman. It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

  Jebediah’s eyes narrowed. “How long are you staying in Sapphire Bay?”

  “I’m not sure. If I can find enough clients, I’d love to start my own accounting business.”

  “You should talk to Mabel. She knows everyone.”

  Shelley smiled at Mr. Coleman. “That’s what my sister said, too.”

  John shook Jebediah’s hand. “I’ll give you or your wife a call when I’m ready to build the fence.”

  “Make sure you do.”

  John’s eyebrows rose.

  Before John said something that made Mr. Coleman change his mind, Shelley grabbed hold of his arm. “Bye,” she said brightly as she pushed John out of the kitchen.

  Mrs. Coleman walked with them to the front door. “I’ll drop your basket off to you when we’re next in town.”

  “Thank you.” Shelley pulled on her jacket and scarf. “And thanks for the support,” she whispered. “We really appreciate it.”

  Annabelle waved away her thanks. “Don’t let Jebediah fool you. He has a heart of gold—sometimes it just gets buried under too much worry. And I like your idea of starting an accounting business. A lot of folks get tired of traveling to Polson for financial advice. Don’t you agree, Pastor John?”

  “It would make a difference to a lot of people.”

  “I’ll let you know if it works out,” Shelley promised Mrs. Coleman.

  “You do that. I might even convince some of my quilting group to become your clients.”

  “That would be great.” She waved at Mrs. Coleman, then made her way down the slippery garden path.

  When they were inside the truck, John sighed. “That went well.”

  “Better than I thought.”

  “I still can’t believe Jebediah changed his mind. Before you came, he wouldn’t speak to me.”

  “I must have a magic touch when it comes to older people.” She glanced at John, hoping he knew she was teasing him.

  “You’re doing it again,” he drawled.

  Shelley sighed. “If you’re prickly about your age, I won’t mention it again.”

  John sent her a sideways glance.

  “I promise.” From the scowl on his face, she wasn’t sure he believed her. It was time to stick to safe topics and not annoy him anymore than she had. “I called the company who are supplying the decorations for the barn. As soon as we confirm the venue, they’ll ship them to Sapphire Bay.”

  “That’s good.”

  “And I spoke to the owner of the transport company. They want to support the tiny home project so they won’t be charging us a delivery fee. Isn’t that nice of them?”

  “It is.”

  Shelley glanced at John. It would be a long drive back to Sapphire Bay.

  John stopped outside Bailey’s house and his eyes widened. Another truck was parked in the driveway and Shelley’s dad and aunt were carrying lots of bags inside. When a woman wearing a deep purple jacket stepped off the veranda, he smiled.

  “It looks as though your family has arrived.”

  Instead of being happy, Shelley frowned. “I thought they might have delayed their trip.”

  “You don’t want to see them?”

  “I don’t want them to ask questions about why I’m here.” With a resigned sigh, she opened her door and hugged her mom. “It’s good to see you.”

  Elena closed her eyes and hugged Shelley tight. “Maria has come with us to celebrate your arrival in Sapphire Bay.”

  “I was here a few weeks ago, Mom.”

  “That was different. This time you are here to stay.”

  “That depends on whether I can find a job.”

  Elena waved away her daughter’s concerns. “You are a chartered accountant. There will be plenty of opportunities for you. Let me say hello to John. I didn’t know you were spending time together.”

  Shelley’s face lost all its color.

  John sighed. Shelley’s mom was the most determined matchmaker he’d ever met. “Good morning, Elena. Shelley and I have been talking to a couple who are helping us with a fundraising event.”

  “It is Saturday. You should be enjoying yourselves, not working.”

  “There’s only two weeks until The Santa Express leaves Sapphire Bay. It will be a little crazy until then.”

  “Crazy can still leave time for a personal life. Isn’t that right, Shelley?”

  John waited for Shelley’s reply. If what Bailey had said about her sister was true, Shelley was the last person her mom should ask about having a life outside of work.

  “John’s right, Mom. We have a lot of work to do.” She turned to him and smiled. “Thanks for taking me to the Colemans’ ranch.”

  “You’re welcome. Do you want to have another meeting on Monday to go over the project plan?”

  “That would be great. Is nine o’clock too early?”

  “That’s fine.”

  Elena looked at her daughter and then at John. “You are both as bad as each other. Why don’t you stay for lunch, John? Mila and Steven and Sam and Caleb are coming.”
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  He glanced at Shelley.

  “You’re welcome to stay.”

  “I made a little pesto ravioli,” Elena added. “And Maria made her chicken pot pies. We have plenty of food for everyone.”

  John had already had more than one meal with Shelley’s family and the company and food were always great. “Thanks, Elena. I’d like to stay, but I need to go home and get something first.”

  “Don’t bring more food,” Elena warned.

  “What about some wine and juice?”

  “That sounds like a good compromise,” Elena said as she wrapped her hand around Shelley’s elbow. “And while John is away, my daughter can tell me why she has come to Sapphire Bay so suddenly.”

  The look Shelley sent John made him second-guess his decision to leave. She needed rescuing, but he didn’t know if he could delay the inevitable conversation with her mom. “You’re welcome to come with me. I’ll only be gone for fifteen minutes.”

  With a resigned sigh, Shelley shook her head. “I’ll stay, but thanks for the offer.”

  Ted, Shelley’s dad, smiled at John, then tapped his daughter on her shoulder. “I haven’t had my hug, yet.”

  The relief on Shelley’s face was good to see. “Hi, Dad. It looks as though you’ve been busy.”

  “I’m only the chauffeur. Your mom and aunt have been cooking up a storm. I’m glad you’re here.”

  While Shelley hugged her dad, John made a quick escape. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, even he was looking forward to hearing why Shelley had come to Sapphire Bay. And the sooner he left, the sooner he’d be able to hear the whole story.

  And after lunch, he’d start work on the second most important part of The Santa Express—finding a costume for Santa Claus.

  Shelley pulled out a kitchen stool and flopped onto it. “I feel like a wimp.”

  Bailey took some plates out of the pantry and placed them on the counter. “Because you left Boston?”

  “Because I left Boston because of a man. No one should let someone wield that much power over them.”

  “You did the right thing. He was harassing you.”

  John stepped into the kitchen and froze. “Who was harassing Shelley?”

  “No one important,” she muttered. John was the last person Shelley wanted to know about her sorry excuse of a life. She felt bad enough without him knowing what had happened.

  Lifting a box onto the counter, John took out two bottles of red wine, a large container of orange juice, and a bottle of grape juice. “Sharing a stressful situation can make you feel better.”

  “Do your words of advice come with a glass of red wine?” Shelley asked.

  John took a corkscrew out of the box. “For you—anything.”

  The heat of a blush hit her face. She didn’t know what it was about John, but she constantly felt off-center around him. Maybe it was pure and simple attraction. With his sparkling blue eyes, dark hair, and close-trimmed beard, he was one of the most handsome men she’d ever met.

  “You’d better make that two glasses of wine,” Bailey said from the other side of the counter. “While you were gone, Mom showed me at least thirty wedding brochures. Anyone would think Steven and I were in a rush to get married.”

  John took the cork out of one of the wine bottles. “When are you getting married?”

  “We haven’t set a date. Mila wants us to get married on Valentine’s Day, but that won’t happen.”

  Shelley frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because it’s two months away. No one organizes a wedding that fast.”

  John handed Bailey a glass of wine. “I bet Shelley could.”

  Shelley’s eyes widened. “Do you know how much work is involved? Most couples have to book a venue at least a year in advance. Even in Sapphire Bay, space must be at a premium.”

  John shrugged. “There’s always the large meeting room at the church. We’ve had lots of weddings in there.”

  Bailey opened the cutlery drawer. “The venue is only part of the problem. Steven wants to build an extension onto his house. We’re both saving like crazy so that we don’t have to borrow more money from the bank.”

  Shelley studied her sister’s face. “So, if you could get married on Valentine’s Day and it didn’t cost a lot, would you?”

  “I couldn’t think of anything more romantic. But it won’t happen, so there’s no point talking about it.” Bailey frowned. “If you’re considering organizing our wedding, don’t. There’s already too much happening. Adding a wedding into the mix will only complicate everything.”

  “But if it’s what you and Steven want, we could—”

  “No, we couldn’t.” Bailey’s chin tilted at a stubborn angle. “Steven and I will look at what we’re doing next year and choose a date that suits everyone. But until then, we’re both busy at work and helping with the church’s fundraising events.”

  Shelley took a sip of wine. Apart from working on the steam train event and organizing another fundraiser, she didn’t have a lot of things to do. If her sister really wanted to get married on Valentine’s Day, she could at least see if it were a possibility.

  But that possibility needed a lot of direction. As much as Shelley didn’t want to admit it, maybe their mom was right. Showing Bailey some wedding brochures was the only way they would find out what she wanted—unless Steven’s daughter, Mila, knew more about Bailey and Steven’s dream wedding than anyone else.

  John looked around the open-plan kitchen and living area. “Where are your parents and aunt?”

  “They’ve gone to the general store. Dad forgot to buy the ice cream.” Bailey placed the cutlery on top of the dinner plates.

  “Are you sure the general store is open? It was closed yesterday.”

  “Mabel’s back at work, but Allan is still resting his leg. I’m taking these plates through to the dining table. Don’t drink all the wine while I’m gone.”

  “We won’t,” Shelley said as her sister left the kitchen.

  John leaned across the counter. “You’re hatching some kind of plan that Bailey won’t like, aren’t you?”

  Shelley looked over her shoulder in case her sister suddenly reappeared. “I have some spare time. I’ll see if I can organize a Valentine’s Day wedding for Bailey and Steven.”

  “What if they don’t like what you’ve chosen?”

  “I’ll put together some options. If they like any of them, I’ll go ahead and make the bookings.”

  John took the cork out of the other wine bottle. “They’ll need a marriage celebrant. If Steven and Bailey want me to officiate, I’ll make sure I’m available.”

  “That would be great.” Shelley couldn’t believe that her little sister was engaged. It didn’t seem that long ago that they were at college worrying about their assignments and final exams.

  “Bailey said you were engaged a couple of years ago. It must have been a difficult decision not to get married.”

  Shelley wondered what else Bailey had said. “I should have told Jarrod I was worried about getting married. I kept thinking it would be okay, that all I was feeling was pre-wedding nerves. But it was more than that.”

  “Sometimes it’s easier to ignore what your heart’s telling you.”

  “Have you been engaged?”

  John shook his head. “It never got that far. I was dating someone for a year. I thought we were heading toward marriage but, when my sister was injured in Afghanistan, I left where I was living to look after her. The long-distance relationship with my girlfriend didn’t work.”

  “I’m sorry.” Even though John shrugged, his sad expression told Shelley how much it had affected him.

  “It was the best thing that could have happened.”

  “Did you meet someone else?”

  “Not one person, a whole town.” John smiled at her confused frown. “When my sister decided she’d seen enough of me, I moved to Sapphire Bay to work as the pastor of The Connect Church.”

  The front door ba
nged open and Shelley’s mom rushed into the kitchen. “Check the pies. I forgot to set the timer.”

  John spun around and opened the oven door. “They look okay to me.”

  Elena breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness for that. I was talking to Caleb and Sam when I remembered them.”

  “They’re here?” Shelley asked.

  “And so are we,” Mila said as she rushed toward Shelley.

  Shelley hugged her eight-year-old niece-to-be. “It’s good to see you, Mila. How are the kittens?”

  “They’re awesome. Dad bought Miss Monroe and Dudley a new ball. They haven’t stopped playing with it.”

  “They’re lucky kittens.” As the first notes of a Christmas carol filled the cottage, Shelley smiled. “It sounds as though Christmas has arrived in Sapphire Bay.”

  And, looking at the man helping her mom lift the pies out of the oven, she wondered what else would happen before Santa made an appearance.

  Chapter 3

  On Monday afternoon, while John was speaking to someone at The Welcome Center, Shelley opened the folder she’d made for the train ride around Flathead Lake.

  Organizing The Santa Express for its mid-December deadline would be tricky, but she’d dealt with more difficult timelines before.

  “Sorry about that,” John said as he walked into his office. “Gordon Jessop’s planting another crop of vegetables in the greenhouses. The children who live at the center are helping him and he wanted to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anyone.”

  “What a great way to teach the children about growing healthy food.”

  “We want our families to be self-sufficient. When they leave the center to live in other houses, we help them set up their own vegetable garden. Quite often, they give any extra vegetables back to us for other people to enjoy.”

  “Did the church organize that type of thing before you arrived?”