A Holiday Proposal (9 page)

Elsa nodded.

Holly stepped into the cold and shut the door firmly behind her. Was it safe to leave Elsa alone in her apartment? She didn’t think the woman was up to no good, but some people were difficult to read. Then again, if Elsa planned to rob her, wouldn’t she have done it last night and snuck out before morning? Normally she wouldn’t leave a virtual stranger in her home alone, but something about the woman made Holly feel she was trustworthy. She sighed and trotted gingerly across the street, being careful to avoid falling. If it was a mistake to trust Elsa, she’d have to deal with the consequences later.

Holly’s cell vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and frowned. Her mother never phoned at this time of day. Dread filled her. “What’s wrong, Mom?”

“Just checking on you. You left without saying goodbye yesterday, and I wanted to catch you before you start work.”

“That was nice. Thanks.” Unease made her slow her pace. Her mother didn’t call just to check on her—never had. Something was definitely up.

“How are you? We missed visiting with you at the Thanksgiving feast after church.”

“I’m fine. Sorry for not stopping to visit. I was pretty busy coordinating everything, then I met a woman from out of town. She seemed like she needed a friend. It turned out she’s having a rough time, so I let her spend the night at my place.”

“You let a perfect stranger sleep in your apartment? I thought I raised you better than that.”

Holly stiffened at her mother’s words. She raised her to do what Jesus would do, and He would have helped Elsa. She took a calming breath. “Elsa is harmless, Mom. Besides, she’s catching the train home to Chicago this evening. So stop worrying.”

“You’re my daughter, worrying is what I do when it comes to you and your sister.”

The doors to the hospital slid open and Holly walked in. “I’m a big girl and can take care of myself. I don’t want you to raise your blood pressure over me.” Holly waved to another nurse. “I’m sorry, but I need to cut this short. I’m at work now. I’ll call you after my shift, okay?”

“No need. Before you hang up, I wanted to ask you something. My car is being serviced. Would you be able to run me into Wenatchee later this morning? Say around ten.”

“I’m working, but maybe you could take the bus.”

Her mother sighed heavily. “Fine. Why is it work always comes before family?”

The line went silent and Holly slipped her phone into her purse. She took a deep breath and let it out, slowly counting to ten as she did. Somehow they always ended up at odds with each other. Wouldn’t she ever measure up in her mom’s eyes? For some reason the woman refused to accept she had a serious job and responsibilities.

She would never figure out her mother, and now guilt and unease rested on her shoulders. Holly worried her bottom lip. Elsa was alone in her place. Not that she would steal anything. Goodness knows the woman wouldn’t even take more than a cup of hot tea without asking—of course, she had used Holly’s cell, but that was different. No, she wouldn’t let her mother’s worry cause doubts in her mind about Elsa. She deposited her purse and clocked in, unable to erase the doubt in the recesses of her mind. She never should have answered her mother’s call. Now she would be distracted all day.

Chapter 11

M
atthew unlocked the bakery and stepped inside. He stopped when he heard whistling. “Hello?”

“In here, boss.”

Matthew hung his coat beside the door and slipped an apron over his head. “You’re early, George.” Not that he minded his employee’s dedication, but he did enjoy having the first half hour of the day to himself.

“We had a large order come in just before closing yesterday, and I knew you wouldn’t be able to get it all done by yourself.”

Matthew read the order slip and grinned. “Wow! Glad you came in early.”

He washed his hands and got to work. “I’ll let you finish that order while I start on the rest.” It wasn’t normal to get this many orders in a single morning, but with Thanksgiving only four days away he shouldn’t be surprised.

His mind drifted back to yesterday and the Thanksgiving feast at church. There had been a great turnout, and more than one person said they would call and order dinner rolls for their own meals. When he offered to bring the rolls he hadn’t considered it might boost business. At this rate, he’d need to hire someone else to help with the Christmas season. Actually, he needed someone to run the counter full-time now.

He thought of the woman sitting with Holly at the meal yesterday. She looked as if she had come on hard times. Maybe she could use a temporary job. He made a note to get in touch with Holly before day’s end. That is, if she was still talking to him. After their parting words yesterday, he had his doubts.

The morning whizzed by, and sales were swift. Before he knew it, it was time to close and head home. He still hadn’t contacted Holly, but there wasn’t time right now. Admittedly he could make time, but after giving the idea some more thought, he wasn’t crazy about involving her. Maybe the church would know of someone looking for temporary work.

He walked into his house and breathed in the scent of roast. His sister would put ten pounds on him by the time she went home in January if he wasn’t careful. “I’m home.”

Ava lay on her tummy on the living room floor. She looked up from her coloring book with a smile. “Hi, Unca, Matt.”

“Hey, kiddo. How was your day?” He dropped down beside her.

“Good. Mommy played in the snow with me.”

A smile touched his lips. “Sounds like fun.” He stood and sauntered into the kitchen, where April busily stirred something on the stove. “Hi. Are you doing a practice meal for Thursday?”

His sister laughed. “No. I wanted to make a special meal for John. Roast with mashed potatoes and gravy is his favorite.”

“We get to eat before then, don’t we?” He patted his growling stomach. “The train won’t be here until after eight.”

Her shoulders sagged. “Oh. Of course, I don’t expect you or Ava to starve. I didn’t realize it came through so late. I suppose this will keep.”

“Ah, don’t feel bad, sis. I’m sure he’ll take your reheated roast any day over cafeteria food.”

“Good point.” She turned the burner off and pulled the gravy from the heat. “Time to eat. Will you tell Ava to come wash her hands?”

“Sure.” He found his niece exactly where he had left her. “Food time.”

Ava jumped up then ran into the kitchen. “Where’s Unca John, Mommy? He eat, too.”

Matthew frowned, remembering the day his niece and sister had arrived. Ava had been terribly shy and not excited in the slightest to see him. How did his brother rate so high?

April brought the roast to the table. “He won’t be here for dinner. We’ll pick him up together later tonight.”

Ava’s lower lip protruded.

April patted her daughter’s back. “No pouting. Your uncle John wouldn’t want that. Besides, you get to see the big train.” She served Ava’s food, cutting her meat into small pieces.

“Will it whistle?”

April grinned. “I’m sure you will hear the whistle.”

“Yay!” His niece dug heartily into her mashed potatoes.

April sat, going on to explain to Matthew that they had stopped by the college to visit John before heading over the pass to Leavenworth. April wiped her mouth on a napkin. “I saw Holly today.”

Matthew rested his fork on the side of his plate. “Really? What did she have to say?”

“Nothing. I saw her at a distance.”

“Oh. So you didn’t talk.”

“No. She was wearing scrubs and looked to be in a hurry, so I didn’t bother her.”

He resumed eating. Holly was truly a mystery. He liked her, but Todd’s warning that she was a heartbreaker remained fresh in his mind.

* * *

Holly sat beside Elsa on the bench in the partially enclosed heated area of the train platform. “What’s the matter, Holly? You don’t seem like yourself tonight.” Elsa chuckled. “I suppose I don’t know you that well, but still, something seems off.”

“You’re an observant woman, Elsa. My mom called me this morning and the conversation didn’t go well.”

“Ah, I see. I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll be praying for you. I know it’s tough, but you’ll get through this.”

“Thanks. I’ll take all the prayer I can get.” Holly needed to mend the rift with her mother and believed it would only happen with God’s help. Why did Mom refuse to respect her as an adult, and why would she think Holly could blow off work and drive her to Wenatchee? The whole thing was beyond comprehension.

She checked her watch. “Eight more minutes, that is, if the train is on time.”

Elsa grinned, the red of her coat bringing out her rosy cheeks. “Thanks for everything, Holly. You’ve made my stay in Leavenworth a time to remember. I will never forget your kindness, and if I stop here again I’ll be sure to look you up.”

“I’d like that.”

A train whistled in the distance. The women stood.

“Do you have the bag of food I packed?” Holly worried her bottom lip. Would Elsa see the twenty-dollar bill she’d placed at the bottom of the sack? The woman had finally accepted a ride to the train station, which pleased Holly.

Elsa hefted her backpack and grasped the brown bag. “Right here.”

Train lights lit the tracks, the whistle sounded and the roar of the engine filled Holly with excitement. Brakes squealed and the train drifted slowly by them until it finally came to a stop.

A door opened and the conductor stepped out. The few people waiting for the train rushed toward him.

Elsa turned toward her. “Well, this is it. Thanks again for everything.”

Holly pulled the older woman into a hug. “Take care of yourself, and if you can, let me know you arrived safely. I wrote my email and phone number on a card and slipped it into your lunch bag.”

Elsa nodded and waved as she strode toward the train that would take her home to her family.

Holly’s throat thickened, and she blinked away tears. How had she come to care for a stranger overnight? A familiar voice grabbed her attention. She looked to her right and spotted the voice’s owner. Her pulse jumped. What was Matthew doing here? She didn’t want to talk to him after yesterday. Why his words hurt so much she couldn’t explain. All she knew was that they stung, and she couldn’t face him—not yet.

She wasn’t a heartbreaker. If anything, others broke
her
heart. Not the other way around. Of course, Todd was the one who had said it; Matthew just repeated it. Maybe she was being too hard on the man. He was only guilty of being honest. Her heart thawed a little, but she would still be cautious.

April stood nearby with Ava as the little girl jumped up and down. Matthew had his arm around the shoulder of another man who looked familiar, but under the glow of dim streetlights she couldn’t be sure. She had to pass by the group to get to her car. Ducking her head, she took a quick peek. Must be John, their younger brother. Although she’d never met him she’d seen him around when they were in school, and there was no mistaking the similarities between him and Matthew. She skirted past the group, unwilling to interrupt the reunion.

“Holly?”

Holly’s heart stuttered. She stopped and turned slowly. “Hi, Matthew.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I dropped a friend off. I see your brother came in on the train. Is he here for Thanksgiving?”

“Yes. It’s almost like the old days when Mom and Dad lived in town and we celebrated the holidays together. But things change.”

“They aren’t coming?” She kept her tone light.

“They moved to Florida to escape the cold.”

She met Matthew’s deep blue eyes under the glow of the street lamp. What beautiful eyes they were—
ack.
She couldn’t go there. She quickly averted her gaze. “I should be going. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving.” She hustled away before Matthew could say anything further.

“Holly, wait!”

Footsteps crunched in the icy snow. She turned. A bolt of excitement zipped through her. Matthew jammed his hands into his coat pockets.

“I wasn’t going to bother you, but since you’re here, I guess it’s meant to be.”

“What are you talking about?” Cold seeped through her coat and she forced her teeth to not chatter.

“Sorry. The bakery has been extra busy because of the holiday and I imagine once the Lighting Festival begins in December we will be slammed. I’m looking to hire a temporary employee and thought you might be able to help. I noticed a woman at the church yesterday who looked like she could use a little help. The two of you were sitting together.”

Holly’s eyes widened. “Oh, you mean Elsa. You’re observant. She’s had a rough time of it.”

“Is she looking for work?”

“Not anymore. She went back to Chicago on this evening’s train.”

His face fell. “Oh.”

“I’m sorry, Matthew. You would have loved working with her. She’s a really sweet woman.”

He nodded, his mouth pressed in a straight line.

She rested a gloved hand on his arm. “If I hear of anyone looking for work, I’ll send them your way.” Holly removed her hand from his arm and ignored the niggling in the back of her mind that pushed her to ask what had changed between her and Matthew. He’d been so friendly before the meal yesterday that she thought he was interested in her, then his remark about his heart being safe from her changed everything. How could a few little words cut so deeply? Evidently she’d misjudged the situation. Not that it mattered, since she wasn’t interested in a relationship. But it
did
matter very much—what had she done to cause him to turn away from her? They’d been on the path to friendship, but he’d all but squashed that.

Matthew cleared his throat and looked over his shoulder at his family. “Guess I should get going.” But he stayed planted in place.

“Okay.” She started, took a step toward her car and stopped. “Will your brother stick around for the Lighting Festival?”

“Doubtful. He’s on break from college.”

She nodded. “Too bad. But I suppose you’ve all been to it a hundred times.”

“Maybe not that often, but we went every year growing up.”

“Me, too. See you around, Matthew.”

“Holly, hold up a sec.” He took a few steps closer and stood almost toe to toe with her. “I—uh...”

“Yes?” She raised a brow. It wasn’t like him to be at a loss for words. Cold seeped through her boots causing her to shift from side to side.

“Did you fix things with your mom yet?”

Her face hardened and then relaxed. She had, after all, sought counsel from him. “Not yet. I’ve tried, but things are still strained.”

“Will you be okay at Thanksgiving?”

Her stomach knotted. “I’m working this year, so I won’t be having the meal with my family.” Just one more thing to irk her mother.

“I’m sorry. That must stink to work on a holiday.”

“It is what it is.” Her teeth chattered. “I’ll see you.”

“Okay.” Pity mixed with understanding crossed his face before he walked to the parking lot in the opposite direction of her car.

What did he know about a dysfunctional family? She didn’t want his pity. No, she wanted a friend who accepted her just the way she was, flaws and all, but maybe Matthew wasn’t that kind of guy. It seemed those kind of men didn’t exist. At least she hadn’t met one.