Page 53 of Sweet Home

He took a bag of coffee from the shelf, and then headed over to the spinning display rack by the main counter.

“Hey, West,” Max said, nodding to him from behind the register.

“Max,” West said, before he spun the rack and grabbed a bag of puffy melt-in-your-mouth mints.

“That all?” Max asked.

“For now,” West said. “Thanks.”

Max rang him up without comment, then his eyes drifted over to Dulcie and twinkled.

“Nice to see youboth,” he said, winking at Dulcie. “A good man should have good company.”

“I guess we’ve both got good company these days,” West said, and almost let out a chuckle when Max’s eyebrows shot up in dismay.

West figured maybe he wasn’t the only one losing his heart against his will this Christmas.

They headed back out to the truck in silence, and West wondered if Dulcie had taken Max’s remarks the wrong way. He had half a mind to tell her that Max was just having some fun.

“Is the candy for Mrs. Harris?” she asked before he had the chance.

“Mrs. Harris has a sweet tooth,” he told her. “And these are her favorite. I was hoping they might put her in a happier mood, and then Ellen can get her medicine in her.”

“I can hold it,” Dulcie offered when they reached the car.

Kitty’s little brick cape cod was just a fewblocks away. When they reached it West pulled in and turned off the truck.

“I’ll come with you,” Dulcie decided. “If you think it would be okay?”

“It’s too cold out here,” he agreed. “And it might take a little while. Are you sure you’re okay coming in?”

“Of course,” she told him.

They headed up to the door and West knocked. Ellen opened up as though she had been standing by with her hand on the knob.

“Thank you so much,” she said, stepping back to let them in.

“This is Dulcie,” West said, realizing suddenly that he hadn’t thought about how to introduce her. “She was with me when I got your call, and I didn’t want to delay stopping by. I hope you don’t mind that she’s with me.”

“Of course not,” Ellen said. “Come in, both of you.”

West could sense that Dulcie was a little nervous, so he stepped in first.

Mrs. Harris was sitting on the loveseat, nervously clutching a pretty lap blanket Ellen had made for her. West had seen her this way many times. She was confused, which also made her feel frightened and angry.

“Hello, Mrs. Harris,” he said gently, making no move to approach her. “It’s West Lawrence. You knew me when I was a little boy.”

“I don’t want you,” Mrs. Harris whimpered. “I want Sissy.”

“That’s her little sister,” Ellen said quietly. “She’s been asking for her all day.”

West’s heart ached for the poor lady and her daughter.

“Can I come sit with you?” he asked Mrs. Harris.

The medicine was right on the table. There was a pill for pain that Mrs. Harris absolutely needed in order to stay comfortable after hurting her wrist a week ago. And there was another for her heart that was as much for Ellen’s benefit as it was for Kit’s.

Mrs. Harris frowned at him but didn’t cry or try to get away. West had learned it was worth spending as much time as it took to help her get comfortable before approaching. So he decided to wait a bit, turning to Ellen to try and engage her in a comfortable conversation that would set the mood.

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