Page 19 of Love, Lies and Sleigh Rides
“I keep telling him he won’t be coming to work with me anymore if his customer service skills don’t improve. Sorry. Can I help you find something?”
Fallon couldn’t blame the cat. She’d never met one that liked her though it was no fault of her own. She didn’tnotlike cats. But she’d learned hisses were a given so Fallon tried not to take offense.
“I’m looking for basics. Toiletries. A change of clothes.”
“Oh? Stuck in town, are you?”
“Seems that way.”
Fallon looked down the nearest aisle. It was all things Christmas—faux greenery, ornaments, tinsel. Everything one would need to deck the halls.No, thank you.
“Clothes are near the back on the left side. Toiletries are up front in those two aisles.” She pointed a crooked finger over Fallon’s shoulder. “I think we’re running low on mouthwash,” the woman offered.
“Won’t need any, thanks.”
Fallon hurried away before the woman slowed her down with any more chitchat. She was all socialized out at the moment, thanks to the houseful of Behar guests.
While she loaded her basket with sample sizes—shampoo, deodorant, atoothbrush!—her thoughts circled back to Kade and the conversation with his mother. He’d taken particular interest in what his parents would ride in during the parade. He was even a little hostile learning they’d be using a truck instead of a sleigh. Agnes had warned her about Kade. Maybe there was some truth to it.
Fallon lingered in the aisles, not wanting to return to the farm too soon. She picked up two sweatshirts, a dark blue one withNorthshore, MNon the front, and another hooded zip-up. Pants were tricky; she’d have to try on the jeans with elastic waistbands that only appeared to come in three sizes, extra small, medium, and plus. Maybe there were more in the back room. She’d ask once she filled the rest of her shopping list.
She thought she was alone in the store except for the silver-haired lady and her disgruntled cat, but then she turned into another aisle to look for socks and she crashed into someone else. Luckily, the plastic shopping basket the girl held absorbed the brunt of their contact.
“I’m so sorry!” Fallon took a step back before she recognized Sara from the body shop. The young woman stood in front of a display of diapers.
“No problem.”
“I thought I was the only person desperate enough to venture out in this weather.”
The smile faltered on Sara’s face. She shifted the basket to her other arm, but not before Fallon saw the baby acetaminophen, half gallon of milk, and a pacifier.
“I’m pretty desperate,” Sara said before she went back to studying the diapers. “I’m on my last couple diapers. To make matters worse, my daughter’s sick.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” The words seemed like little consolation to the young mom. Fallon wished she could do more.
Sara shrugged. “It’s the perfect end cap to my week.”
The dark circles under her eyes made her look much older than she probably was.
“By the way, the parts for your car are due in on Monday. That is, if this snow ever lets up,” Sara said.
“No worries. I’m able to work in town. I appreciate all you’ve done. And the rental, of course.”
Sara pulled a pack of diapers from the shelf and tucked it under her arm. “We usually don’t give out loaners.” She gave Fallon a weary smile. “You must be good friends with Kade. That was all his doing.”
Kade’s doing?
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
“You’re driving one of Bart’s personal cars. Kade made the arrangements with him to let you borrow it, I guess. I’m sorry. I thought you knew.” She gritted her teeth. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Fallon laid a hand on her arm. “The secret is safe with me. But I do hope a rental fee will be on my bill.”
Again, Sara shrugged and gave her a tentative smile. “Not sure.”
Fallon said goodbye, saying she hoped Sara’s daughter got well soon. She picked out some socks and the rest of the items on her shopping list without giving much thought to the things she added to her basket. Impatient now to leave, she even grabbed a pair of jeans without trying them on. As she paid for her purchase and left a twenty-dollar bill with the lady at the counter to help with Sara’s items too, her mind was on her conversation with the young woman.
Kade talked Bart into giving her his personal car?
