The next morning, John parked his truck on Bailey’s driveway and carefully walked over the icy ground toward her cottage. Shelley had called him late last night to tell him she’d contacted the Colemans, the owners of the barn beside the railroad tracks. They’d reluctantly agreed to meet with Shelley and John at eight o’clock this morning.
After trying to talk to them for the last three weeks, John didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
The front door of the cottage swung open and Shelley stepped onto the veranda. She’d replaced her wet hat and coat from yesterday with a bright yellow ski jacket and black trousers. “Hi, John. I’m sorry we have to leave so early.”
“Don’t worry. I’m just grateful the Colemans agreed to talk to us.” He looked at the large picnic basket she was holding. “Are we dropping something off on our way through town?”
Shelley sent him a mischievous smile. “This is my secret weapon. Mabel knows the Colemans. I asked her what would help them change their minds about using the barn. Do you know what she said?”
“I don’t hear any panting or whimpering, so she probably didn’t think a puppy would make a difference.”
“You’re right, I’m not holding a puppy.” She stepped off the veranda and opened the flap on one side of the basket. “Double chocolate muffins with creamy lemon frosting.”
John’s eyes widened when he saw them. “You must have been awake before the sun rose to bake all of those.”
Shelley shrugged. “If it makes a difference, a little less beauty sleep is worth it. Would you like one?”
Reluctantly, he shook his head. “I don’t want to jinx your idea. Who knows, one extra muffin might make all the difference to their decision.”
“I thought you might say that.” Shelley lifted the flap on the other end of the basket and handed John a small container. “Here are two muffins for later. I wanted to thank you for bringing me here yesterday.”
“I’m glad I could help. How’s the sneezing?”
“Totally gone. I had a hot shower before Bailey arrived home and that did the trick.”
“That’s good.” John took the basket out of Shelley’s hands. “We’d better leave now if we want to be on time for our meeting.”
“I brought the project plan and a copy of all of the forms the committee completed.”
“I brought copies as well.” John opened the door of his truck and placed the muffins on the back seat. “I don’t know what else we can do to make the Colemans change their mind.”
“That’s where the muffins might come in handy.”
“I like your optimism, but don’t be disappointed if they don’t make any difference. From what I can tell, Jebediah Coleman can be cantankerous at the best of times. I just hope he’s thought through his decision. A lot of children were looking forward to seeing the Santa cave.”
Shelley pulled on her seat belt. “Can we create the cave somewhere else?”
“There isn’t anywhere that’s as close to the tracks. The only thing we could do is take the children all the way to Bigfork. But at this time of the year, I wouldn’t recommend it.” Unfortunately, there were only two places they could turn the steam train around. One turntable was at Polson and the other at Bigfork.
The Colemans’ ranch at Woods Bay was the perfect mid-point for the journey—and quickly becoming the one thing that could lead to the cancelation of the whole event.
John reversed out of the driveway. As much as he wanted the muffins to make a difference, he had a suspicion they wouldn’t. Jebediah Coleman was a law unto himself and, this time, he and his old two-story barn were standing in the way of another tiny home, forty excited children, and their parents.
If he didn’t understand how important the train ride was after this meeting, he never would.
Jebediah Coleman leaned back in his chair and sent Shelley a steely-eyed gaze. “You didn’t hear me the first time. I don’t want no children traipsing across my land.”
Mr. Coleman didn’t realize that Shelley had dealt with people who were far grumpier than he was, especially around the end of each tax year. “You’ve already said you’re worried about the children exploring your property or getting lost on their way to the barn. What if we built a temporary fence from where the train stops to the barn? It would keep everyone safe and heading in the right direction.”
Annabelle Coleman nodded in agreement. “That could work.”
“And who would pay for that?” Jebediah asked in a stern voice. “I don’t have unlimited funds. This event was supposed to cost me nothing.”
“The church could cover the cost of the fencing,” John said quickly.
Annabelle turned to her husband. “It sounds reasonable to me, Jebediah. The barn is so close to the old railroad tracks that we won’t know anyone is here.”
Jebediah frowned at his wife. “That’s not the point.”
Shelley waited for Mrs. Coleman to reply. For the last half hour, they’d been going around in circles, trying to understand the point Mr. Coleman was trying to make.
Jebediah and Annabelle Colemans’ two-story barn was perfect for what the fundraising committee needed. Originally, the Colemans were happy to host the last fundraising event of the year. When the steam train stopped beside their property, the children and their parents would walk to the decorated barn, receive a gift from Santa, and enjoy lots of Christmas treats and activities.
“What about all the children who were looking forward to meeting Santa?” Annabelle asked her husband. “I don’t want to be the person who stands in front of our granddaughter’s class to tell them why Santa isn’t coming to Flathead Lake.”
Jebediah’s mouth clamped shut.
Annabelle wasn’t letting her husband off the hook that easily. “You can’t fool me. You don’t want to disappoint the children, either.”
“Maybe not. But what if everyone wants to come here next year? We’ll be overrun with children looking for Santa Claus.”
Shelley pushed the plate of muffins closer to Jebediah. “We could tell the children that Santa doesn’t come here every year.”
“They won’t believe you.”
John crossed his arms in front of his chest.
If Shelley didn’t know better, she could have sworn John was losing his patience. “We’ll make it fun. Next year, we could have a competition with clues that lead people away from your ranch and straight to where the next Santa cave would be.” She crossed her fingers, hoping Mr. Coleman could see how hard they were trying to make him happy.
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’s 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 certified public 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.”
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 went home 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 serve as the pastor of The Connect Church.”
The front door banged 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.