A Kiss in the Snow (Kindle Single) (Fool's Gold) (5 page)

CHAPTER SEVEN

M
ONDAY
AT
NOON
, Nancee found herself equal parts excited and nervous. She walked into Jo’s Bar and searched for a familiar face. Madeline had unexpectedly called the night before and invited Nancee to lunch with a few of her friends. Apparently the women in town did this all the time.

“If you’re going to stay in Fool’s Gold, you’re going to have to learn to love us all,” Madeline had told her with a laugh. “I’m getting a group together. I’ll keep it small so as not to scare you away.”

Gladys had told her all about Jo’s Bar. How it catered mostly to women. Rather than pool tables and heavy wood paneling, the place was decorated in pastel colors, and there was plenty of natural light. Generous booths lined two walls, while tables filled up the middle of the room. There were TVs on the walls, but they were tuned to what looked like HGTV.

Madeline walked in right behind Nancee and greeted her. She pointed to one of the screens. “I have a wonderful husband whom I love very much, but I have to say those Property Brothers are still pretty hunky.”

“I agree. Thanks for inviting me to lunch.”

“I’m glad you could come. I know it was short notice, but I suddenly realized how close Christmas is. I was afraid everyone would be too busy if I left it much longer.” She smiled. “Most businesses are gearing up at the holidays. Mine gets quiet.”

Nancee thought about what Gladys had told her. “You own Paper Moon, right?” The store sold beautiful wedding gowns.

“I’m a part owner, and I love it. If you’re in the market for something white and lacy, come see me.”

“I will.”

Madeline’s expression turned expectant. “Nothing to report? Shep hasn’t proposed?”

Nancee laughed. “That wasn’t the least bit subtle.”

“I know. I need to work on that, huh? Let’s go get a table.”

Madeline chose a large round table, as if they were expecting a big crowd. Over the next few minutes, another eight women joined them. Nancee was introduced to them all. Names and faces blurred.

She found herself seated between Madeline and a beautiful redhead named Felicia.

“You work for the city?” Nancee asked, trying to keep everyone straight.

“I do. I’m in charge of the festivals.” Felicia smoothed her napkin onto her lap. “Towns have different personalities. Fool’s Gold is frequently defined by its annual rituals. Things like festivals anchor us in space and time. They provide continuity and a sense of community. I enjoy my work.”

Madeline leaned close. “Felicia is crazy smart. She used to do secret work for the government. But she’s lovely and an amazing friend.”

Felicia smiled. “I’m not sure my government work would qualify as secret.”

“Can you talk about it?” Madeline asked.

“Not in any detail.”

“Like I said. Secret.”

Nancee chuckled.

Felicia nodded. “I see your point.” She looked at Nancee. “You used to spend your summers here?”

“For a few years. Late middle school and early high school. My mom died, and my dad didn’t know what to do with me over the summer.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Felicia said. “The death of a parent is profound. We tend to evaluate our lives differently after something like that. Especially if we’re young. Did you meet Shep here?”

Nancee did her best to keep her mouth from dropping open. “Shep?”

Felicia looked confused. “I’d heard you two were together. Is that wrong?”

“We’re, um, well, it’s complicated.”

“Male-female relationships often are. Gideon and I have been married for several years, and we still argue every now and then. But whatever happens, I tell him I have committed myself to him and our marriage, so no matter what he’s stuck with me.” She lowered her voice. “Gideon knows that he isn’t trapped. He could walk away. I’m not a parasite—I certainly wouldn’t actually cling to him. But the metaphor of being stuck is very comforting to us both.” She frowned. “I wonder if I should research the biological origin of that emotion.”

Consuelo, a petite, incredibly fit, dark-haired woman, shook her head. “No, you shouldn’t. You should be thinking about things like baking cookies and wrapping presents. It’s the holidays, Felicia. Save your research projects for January.”

“What on earth does the month have to do with the feasibility of studying something?”

“It’s Christmas.”

“You made that clear. Not that I wasn’t aware of the upcoming celebration.”

Nancee held in a laugh. These woman obviously cared about each other, she thought happily. What a wonderful surprise to find this kind of a community in town. They were so welcoming, too. As if they wanted her to feel that she belonged. She found herself wanting to feel that way, too. Maybe permanently.

* * *

Out with ski patrol all day. You free tomorrow afternoon?

The text—a handful of words—shouldn’t have had the ability to get her heart beating faster. And yet here she was—grinning like a fool, all because she’d heard from Shep.

I am
, she texted back. They agreed on a time, then she tucked her phone into her jeans pocket. She was making cupcakes for a big family party. The Hendrix clan was having a get-together, and the matriarch, Denise Hendrix, had ordered four-dozen holiday-themed cupcakes. The baking was finished, and now she was decorating.

She’d decided on a simple, family-friendly theme. Shelby had mentioned there were a lot of kids, so she’d done a third of the cupcakes in a white frosting with little reindeer on top, complete with red noses. The other cupcakes would have more traditional holly leaves and wreaths.

While the work kept her hands busy, her mind was free to wander. She found herself thinking about her lunch with her new friends and the evening she and Shep had spent decorating the tree. Both had been fun, but they’d also given her a sense of the possibilities. If she stayed here, she would be able to make a place for herself. She would fit in. At least with the women. As for Shep...well, he still confused her.

She cared about him. She supposed she always had, and even getting involved with Sean hadn’t changed that. When Shep had told her that he’d moved to Fool’s Gold for her, she hadn’t known what to think. Was he saying that he still loved her? He’d certainly gone out of his way to be with her. Even knowing she was with someone else. He hadn’t shown up in DC or done anything to disrupt her life. Instead he’d waited. Maybe even hoped.

Theirs had always been a straightforward relationship. They’d met and fallen in love. The problem had been him. Knowing what she did about his past, she understood why he had to always keep moving, but knowing the truth didn’t make it easier to live with.

After the last time, she’d sworn she was over him. She’d promised to forget him, to never go back. She’d met Sean and had been sure everything would be different.

Yet here she was. Back with Shep.

She wanted to believe that he’d changed. She knew that there were signs of that. Him being here. Him waiting for her. Loving Shep wasn’t the problem, she admitted to herself. It was trusting him.

The afternoon wore on. She finished decorating the cupcakes and delivered them. Denise Hendrix was thrilled with the project and immediately ordered four dozen more for Christmas. Nancee swung by the bakery to pick up more orders from Shelby, then went to the grocery store for supplies. Honestly, if she was going to do this on a permanent basis, she was going to have to set up an account with a commercial baking supply company and order in bulk. As it was, she was decimating the baking aisle at her local grocery store.

She bought what she needed, then headed for the checkout line. But before she got there, she thought about Shep and his text. How he would be out with ski patrol all day. No doubt he would get home cold and hungry.

She turned around to do a bit more shopping. She had a recipe for a chicken taco casserole that would reheat really well. She could deliver it, and he would have plenty of leftovers.

The ingredients purchased, she headed back to her aunt’s house and started on the casserole. By five it was done and ready to be delivered. She texted Shep to make sure he was heading home, then got directions from Gladys.

“He’s quite a ways out of town,” her great-aunt warned her. “If it starts snowing later, you might get stuck.” Gladys winked. “It’d be a real shame if you had to spend the night.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Nancee said firmly. “I’m still figuring things out.”

“What is there to think about? From what I can tell, the man’s crazy about you. He’s better than that criminal back east. The one who won’t give you back your cat.”

“I know. Sean is awful.” He’d finally responded to her emails, telling her he was keeping Calvin and that she would never see the cat again.

“So?”

“Shep and I have a lot of history to work through. He’s a great guy and I really care about him, but what if he leaves again?”

“He’s been here over a year. He came because of you. If you’re looking for proof of his intentions, I would say they don’t get more concrete than that.”

Gladys had a point. Nancee hugged her, then loaded the casserole into her car and drove through town.

Shep’s property was just as far as she’d been warned. Several miles out of town and up a winding road. There hadn’t been much snow in the past few days, but there were plenty of slick spots, and she was grateful for her four-wheel drive. She took the turnoff and followed a narrower road.

The scenery was beautiful. Tall trees crowded along the road. Snow was piled up on both sides, although, again, the path was clear for her. She would bet the area was amazing in all four seasons.

She rounded a bend, then jammed her foot on the brakes and stared at where Shep lived. There was a big open clearing, his truck, a stack of wood and a midsize trailer. On wheels.

Shep might have come back to Fool’s Gold for her, but he obviously wasn’t planning on staying for very long. Although he had a house—it was one he could take with him. Nothing about his stay in Fool’s Gold was permanent.

For a second, she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. There was raw pain and a flood of disappointment, then a knowing. Why would this time be different, she wondered sadly. She should have expected this.

The door to the trailer opened, and Shep stepped outside. He waved and started toward her car.

He was tall and strong, and the ache in her heart told her that she loved him. She always had and probably always would. But the trailer...

She got out and faced him. He looked into her eyes, and his smile faded.

“What’s wrong?”

She pointed to his home. “It’s a trailer.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s on wheels.”

“Most trailers are.”

“You can take off at any second. You can just be gone, and I won’t know why you left or if I’m going to see you again.” Tears burned, and she blinked them away.

“Is that what you think?” he asked quietly.

“It’s what I know. You leave me over and over again. You said you came back for me, but what happens when you leave me again?”

“I was never leaving you,” he began.

She shook her head. “You said that before. And while I want to believe you, in the end, I’m the one who was left alone.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. She looked from the trailer to him and back again.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m not strong enough. I don’t want to move from place to place all the time. I don’t want to never have somewhere to call home. I love you, Shep, but I can’t do this.”

He grabbed her hands in his. “Don’t. Don’t go. Stay with me. Give me a chance.”

“I gave you three.”

“I’ve changed. I’m always going to be here, Nancee. I’m always going to be with you. Watching out for you, taking care of you. I want us to be together. I want to be the man of your dreams.”

She wanted that, too. More than she could say. But there had been too many disappointments.

She pulled free of his touch and walked around to the passenger side of the car. After taking out the casserole, she handed it to him.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“You won’t.”

“Either way, it’s not going to work out.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

I
T
WAS
NEARLY
impossible to decorate cupcakes while crying, but Nancee did her best. She played Christmas carols and when they didn’t cheer her up, she tried to watch holiday movies. Anything to get her in the spirit of the season. Or at least stem the flow of tears.

It had been two days. Two long, impossibly horrible, empty days of missing Shep. She couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t eat and while she wouldn’t mind losing ten or fifteen pounds, she knew this wasn’t the way.

She’d thought she might hear from him, but she hadn’t. Not a phone call or text. Certainly not one of his heart-stopping drop-in visits. He had taken her at her word and was well and truly gone.

She’d known being without him would be difficult, but she hadn’t thought it would be this hard.

Her great-aunt walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the island. “You’re a mess.”

“I’m trying not to be.”

“It’s not going well.” Gladys shook her head. “You young people today. Always making ridiculous choices. You obviously love Shep and he loves you, so why aren’t you together? If I were your age, I would jump his bones in a second.”

Nancee sniffed. “He’s going to leave.”

“So?”

She stared at her. “So? He’s already left me three times. How many chances am I supposed to give him?”

“Why does he leave?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

Gladys rolled her eyes. “Why does Shep take off? Is he mad at you? Tired of you? Looking for someone younger?”

That brought a smile to Nancee’s face, however wobbly. “No. It’s not about me. He can’t stay in one place very long. Because of how he was raised.” As it wasn’t her story to tell, she didn’t go into detail. Gladys, for all her nosy ways, wouldn’t pry.

“So it’s the location he can’t settle on, not the woman?”

Nancee considered the question. “That’s what he told me. And I guess I believe him.”

“Then the real problem is he can’t settle in one place, and you don’t want anything else.”

“What? I never said that.”

“You’d be open to going with him?”

The first time she and Shep had been together, Nancee would have said no. The second and third, as well. But maybe it was time for things to be different. If not
things
, then certainly her. Maybe location wasn’t as important as belonging.

“I’ve lived in Fool’s Gold all my life,” her great-aunt said. “I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. There are folks who live a few blocks from each other and never speak a word. There are others who are close, no matter where they live.” Her expression softened. “I love you, Nancee. You’re a good girl with a giving heart. But right now you’re focusing on the wrong thing. Shep’s a great guy. Don’t lose out on what matters because of convention or some silly idea you have about what’s important.”

“I’m not sure what’s important.”

“Then maybe it’s time to find out.”

With that, Gladys left the kitchen. Nancee kept on baking. When she had a break, she pulled out her laptop. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for exactly. She still hadn’t decided what she wanted to do with her life. Not go back to DC. That was for sure. Too many bad things had happened there.

She could happily stay in Fool’s Gold, but if that didn’t work for Shep, then maybe they could go somewhere else. She liked baking cupcakes, but it wasn’t as if she could do that on the road.

Or could she?

She moved the cursor to the search bar and typed in
custom trailers
. Fifteen minutes later she had a page of notes.

There were trailers for everything. Presentations, temporary housing and hauling just about anything that needed to be moved. From horses to boats. But what intrigued her the most were the ones that were multiuse. She’d seen several custom trailers that were divided into living space and work space. What if they found something like that? A trailer they could modify so they lived in half and she had a commercial kitchen in the other half?

She spent a couple more hours doing research, and when she was done, she thought that maybe, just maybe, it was possible. Madness, but possible. Shelby had a thriving mail-order business. She’d had rave reviews on the cupcakes in a jar. Nancee could mail those from anywhere. If she could work with Shelby to start with, then maybe get her own website up and going...

She made more notes. What if she and Shep returned to Fool’s Gold every Christmas? She would like to see Gladys, and she could bake for Shelby while she was here. Once they paid for the trailer, they wouldn’t have a lot of expenses. Shep had always been able to find work. They would be fine. And together.

The thought of simply taking off was terrifying, yet oddly right. It had been nearly ten years—she obviously wasn’t going to get over the man, so she had to figure out how to make it work for both of them.

She pulled out her phone and sent him a text, asking him to get in touch with her. The rest of the day passed in silence.

She told herself to be strong. To have faith. But as the hours ticked along, she began to wonder if she’d waited too long. Had she finally figured out what she wanted only to lose Shep? Fear blended with sadness as she waited, each hour longer than the one before. Where was he, and when was he going to give her a chance to explain?