Page 7 of A Christmas Bargain

I pointed at the river. “What about that?”

She nodded. “I do like going on the boat.”

We both loved nature, and I hoped she’d always keep her dreams this simple. This innocent and sweet.

“I heard that you revised your letter to Santa,” I said. I didn’t need to count on Mackenzie to tell me that. I’d seen it when Naomi showed me her homework, too proud of her handwriting to miss a chance of displaying her hard work.

“You want three puppies now? Not two?”

She shook her head. “It’s a lie.”

I laughed, shaking my head.

“I really just want a mommy.”

And just like that, my soul was crushed. My heart cracked again.

I wasn’t ready, but I didn’t know how to make her understand that. Jenna was perfect for me, and I doubted anyone would ever measure up to her. I had no desire to look, especially not at this time of the year.

As I watched her skip, holding my hand, I worried about how down she had to be to want to ask Santa for a mother. For not the first time, I wondered if I was doing her harm by being so stubborn as to not date and try to find a woman I could put up with.

It was too soon. Honestly, it was too hard, too impossible.

I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be ready to move on like that.

A puppy? Now that, I could deliver.

A woman I’d want to keep in my life?

Yeah, right.

3

CLAIRE

Istared at the heap of mashed potatoes on the edge of my dish. Cleaning off my plate for the sake of being full never appealed. As far as I was concerned, when I was hungry, I’d eat until my stomach told me I was good to go.

But Thanksgiving only came once a year. Dad only tried to make a feast for the three of us on this day. Mashed potatoes weren’t my favorite. I preferred my veggies roasted or baked. Crispy.

This soft mound coated with salty and savory gravy simply could not go to waste.

I was stuffed. Turkey, potatoes, green bean casserole, and several other sides. He’d made way too much food for just the three of us. When I saw the spread after we’d helped him in the kitchen all morning, my first thought was one of amazement that we’d actually made a feast like this without catching anything on fire. Dad tried to cook. I was clueless. And Grace didn’t seem to care, too picky with fad diets most of the time.

My second thought was a worry, though. That he was making so much food to give us a preview of what he wanted to happen. Tons of food. Oodles of it. Enough to go around… like when it wouldn’t just be the three of us.

No. I can’t pass it up.

I drew in as deep of a breath that I could with my stomach already so full. Then I lifted my spoon.One last bite.Mentally, I was already groaning, though. I couldn’t eat another morsel of anything after this.

“There’s still pie, Girls,” Dad said.

Grace sighed, shaking her head. “This is way too much food, Dad.”

I groaned, knowing I wouldn’t be able to pass on pie.

He was uncharacteristically quiet. Then again, we all were over this meal, too busy filling our mouths. His silence was eating at me, though. While we prepared the food, Grace mentioned that she’d made a “little” mistake. And that she’d lost a “teeny” bit of money.

Her attempt at not painting a full picture was foolish, though. He, of course, already knew the damage. He was alerted, just as I had been, to the accounts summary. That was how closely he still watched the business. And that was why I prayed he’d help us out with this. If he cared enough to maintain surveillance after his retirement, he had to care enough to step up and help, too.

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