Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
“I’m learning.”
He held up a leather cuff I had embellished with silver. “This is awesome. Wow.”
“It’s a work in progress.” I moved closer and snapped it on his wrist. “It has a flaw. See?” I pointed. “Right here. I have to learn the technique better.”
“Sometimes, the flaws are what makes something perfect, Callie,” he whispered.
“Maybe.”
He went to unsnap the cuff, and I reached out, halting him. “No. I-I’d like you to have it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Thank you for sharing Christmas Eve with me, Shane.”
His eyes darkened again, and before I could stop him, he reached out and pulled me into his arms. His scent washed over me, filling my head. I fit under his chin, and his arms enveloped me totally. “Thank you, Callie. For everything.”
He stepped back but kept his arms around me. “Why are you alone? Why aren’t you surrounded by family and friends on Christmas?”
I smiled sadly. “My parents split when I was young. My mother walked away from us when I was nine. She got tired of small-town life and being the wife of a shopkeeper, as she called him. He ran the general store in town—his parents had run it before him. He liked living in a smaller town where he knew everyone and everyone knew him.”
He nodded, encouraging me to continue.
“My dad was pretty helpless, so I learned to cook, do housework, and look after him. I helped out in the store after school and on weekends.”
“He never remarried?”
“No. I don’t think he ever got over my mom. We never heard from her again, but I think he always hoped she would reappear.”
“It sounds like you had to grow up overnight.”
“I suppose. Anyway, I went to school and graduated, then went to college. I wanted to be a teacher. I loved kids. I loved teaching.”
“I know how that feels.” He grinned.
“I got a call one day. There had been a fire, and my dad was hurt. I came home right away. Dad was in the hospital. The strain of the fire was too much, and he had a heart attack.” I paused, tamping down the sadness. “He never really recovered. I looked after him for the next few years until he died.”
Reaching out, he grasped my hand. “Callie, I’m so sorry.”
I was quiet, lost to the memories in my head. “The store burned to the ground. There was literally nothing left but ashes. The insurance paid for the building, and I kept the property but used the money to look after him.” I sighed. “When he died, I sold the land. There was no need for a general store anymore. People drive to bigger towns for what they want at a better price. Dad had barely been scraping by, and it made the most sense.”
“And this place?”
“While he was ill, I needed to stay busy. I started making my soaps and stained glass, and I sold them at little fairs and markets. I really enjoyed doing it.”
“You’re very good at it.”
“I had allowed a building company to put up this model home here on the edge of the cleared property of the general store. They did well for a bit, but then interest fell off. When I sold the land, I had been able to have it divided, and I kept this piece and bought the model home from them. They finished it off inside so I could have my little store and live here. Things had started to pick up in Simcoe, and I thought a place like this would do well. We were getting lots of tourists, and the townsfolk needed a place where they could pick up gifts that were unique.”
“And?” he prompted.
“I did well the first year. Not so well the second, and this year has been bad.” I smiled slightly. “Your shopping spree was more than I made all month, Shane. Thanks to your lost parcels, I can stay afloat for a few more months.”
He frowned. “And then?”
I sighed. “Then I start again. It’s the same every year. But I suppose that’s life, right?”
3
SHANE
Instantly, I wished I had spent more. I wanted to do something, anything, for this selfless, wonderful woman.
“Start again?” I asked, wanting to know more about her.
She smiled and shook her head as if she knew what I was thinking. “I close in January and February. I learned that lesson. I’ll make more inventory, replenish stock, and get ready for the next season. Unfortunately, I can’t afford more than one part-time person in the summer when I’m busier, so it’s me all the time.”
“What about school?”
“I would have to start over. I simply didn’t have the heart for it anymore.” She sighed. “I guess I gave up. I’ll be just like my dad and live my life here in Simcoe.”
I hated her words, and it bothered me to hear them. “But you’re alone.”