Gift Wrapped for Christmas: A Contemporary Romance (16 page)

* * *

Lily looked up from her drafting
board. A courier was making his way through the production area. He knocked on
her door, and she motioned for him to come inside.

“Sorry ma’am, but I need a
signature.” He placed his delivery on her desk, and she smiled. A single white
calla lily in an elegant bud vase. A small card was attached, and her fingers
itched to reach for it, but the courier pulled out another item from his
backpack, then offered his clipboard for her signature. She signed quickly, and
as soon as he was out the door, she reached for the card.

“
Thinking of you. Chase
.”
She was quite sure he’d signed it himself. The words were in a bold, slanting
hand. She set the card aside and picked up the second item.

The cream coloured envelope could
only contain an invitation.

Her name had been filled in by a
skilled calligrapher. How had he managed to get all of this done so quickly?
She shook the envelope and a folded piece of his personal stationery fell out.

You don’t need this as we’ll
be together but I thought you might like it as a souvenir. Chase

She glanced at the bottom of the
invitation. As he had indicated, it was to be formal. She wanted to look her
best for him and already knew what she was going to wear. The only thing left
to decide was whether to wear her hair up or down. She tucked the invitation
into her bag and went back to work.

“Good morning, Boss.” Zelda eyed
her tentatively. Maddie’s assistant had been wise enough to stay silent
yesterday afternoon.

“Good morning.” Maddie passed her
a coffee. “I’m sorry we forgot your chai yesterday. I hope this makes up for
it.”

Zelda took a sip and gave an
exaggerated groan of pleasure. “Just what I needed.” She picked up her
ever-present notebook. “Okay, here’s what I was thinking for that special gift
basket...”

They discussed business for
another ten minutes. Maddie had scheduled the last of her appointments this
morning and was anxious to get started.

“Oh, I can’t remember if I told
you. Chase will be bringing Annie by about noon. We’re going out to the shelter
to see if we can find a puppy.” She smiled for the first time since yesterday.
“She thinks it’s for the son of a customer.”

“Aren’t you clever? Do you have
any idea what kind of dog you want?”

Maddie lifted her shoulders.
“Brent said a family dog. I guess we’ll just see what they have.” She wrapped
her scarf around her neck. “If she shows up early, keep her occupied, will
you?”

“Sure thing.” Zelda hauled out
another gift basket and started to fill it. They were selling as quickly as she
could put them together.

* * *

“What kind of a dog does the
little boy want?” Annie looked expectantly at Maddie.

“I don’t think he even knows he’s
getting one.” Maddie reached over and gave the child’s hand an affectionate
squeeze. “But I was thinking of something that gets fairly large. Some of the
people in Lily’s condo building have small dogs. They’re nice little things,
but this boy lives out in the country and I think a larger dog would be more
suitable.”

Annie sighed. “I’d love to have a
dog, but I’d never ask for one.”

“Why not?”

The child squirmed a bit in her
seat. “Cynthia,” she muttered.

Maddie should have known. “She
doesn’t want you to have a dog?”

“No. She says they’re a
nuisance.” She kept her face averted and Maddie hoped she wasn’t crying.
Perhaps this hadn’t been such a good idea. “Know what I’d do if I had a dog?”

“What?” Maddie’s throat was
closed up and she could scarcely get the word out.

“I’d take a picture and put it
with my happy picture. Then I’d have two.”

Maddie tightened her grip on the
steering wheel. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to come completely undone.
She turned a corner and was relieved to spot the shelter. “Oh look, we’re
here.”

Annie climbed out and ran over to
the wire enclosure. Some of the larger dogs were in their outdoor pens, and they
ran up to the wire, vying for attention.

Maddie stopped and watched. The
child was at a perfect age for a dog, and she had no doubt that she would take
good care of it. Not for the first time she wished that Brent was involved with
someone other than Cynthia. Anyone at all...just not that cold-hearted woman.
She pulled herself together and motioned Annie to follow her inside.

* * *

“So what do you think?” They had
seen every dog in the shelter. Maddie had been careful not to influence Annie,
who had studied each dog carefully before moving on to the next. Maddie
realized she’d left the choice a little late, as many of the cages displayed an
‘Adopted’ sign already.

Annie shook her head. “I don’t
know.” She looked up at Maddie, her eyes wary. “I want to help you choose just
the right dog, but I don’t think it’s here.”

The volunteer looked down at the
information sheet. “You wanted a family dog, right?”

Annie nodded.

“We had a dog come in this
morning, but it won’t be available for another few days.”

“That’s okay.” Maddie and Annie
spoke at the same time.

“Could we see him?” Annie slipped
her hand into Maddie’s and pulled her down. “I have a good feeling. This is
going to be the one.”

The volunteer led them to a
separate area, away from the constant barking. “Here we are,” she said, and
opened the door.

A small white puppy looked at
them with dark, hopeful eyes.

“Oh, Maddie.” Annie rushed over
to the cage. “This one is perfect.”

Maddie smiled. The large paws
were an indication that it would indeed grow into a much larger dog. “What is
it?” she said to the volunteer.

“It’s a lab. They’re widely
considered to be the perfect family dog.”

Annie poked her fingers though
the wire, and the dog licked at them. “Can I hold it?” she asked.

The volunteer looked at Maddie,
who nodded. “Okay.” She opened the latch and lifted the dog down onto the
floor.

Annie immediately fell to her
knees, and the puppy scrambled into her lap and licked her face.

“Oh,” she said, her arms around
the squirming puppy. “You’re beautiful.” She looked up at Maddie. “This is the
one.”

“I think so, too.” She turned to
the volunteer. “Can we do the necessary paperwork now? And I’ve been instructed
to make an additional donation of a thousand dollars over and above the costs
involved.”

The volunteer nodded gratefully.
“We can always use donations. Thank you.”

* * *

“Uncle Chase says that jealousy
is a waste of energy, but I don’t care.” Annie looked straight ahead as they
drove back. “I’m jealous of the little boy who gets that dog.” She turned,
suddenly alarmed. “You think he’ll take care of him, don’t you?”

It was all Maddie could do not to
smile. “Oh yes. I met his father, and he’s a very nice man. He’ll make sure the
dog is well taken care of.”

Annie settled back down. “That’s
okay, then.” She was silent for a few blocks, then spoke again. “Will you have
to take care of him for a while?”

“Just two days. I hope Lily
doesn’t mind. After all, it’s her condo.”

“She won’t mind.” Maddie wished
she could share the girl’s confidence. “When?”

“I have to pick it up on the 23
^rd
.
That’s Thursday, I think.”

“That’s the night of the ball.”

“The Oilmen’s Ball?” Lily had
told her about Chase’s invitation.

“Yes. I’m going with the family
this year. Grandma and Granddad are coming from Vancouver Island. I get to wear
a long dress and everything.”

“Lucky girl.” She tried not to
think about Brent and Cynthia, but an image of them dancing together persisted.
She forced herself to smile. “Take some pictures for your happy place, okay?”

Annie nodded, but she seemed aware
that it was a touchy subject. “I will.” She fidgeted with her gloves, and
Maddie gave her an encouraging smile. “What is it?”

The child had never looked more
serious. “Will we still be friends? You know, after Christmas?”

Maddie thought carefully before
answering. After everything this child had endured, she didn’t want to be a
disappointment in her life. “Of course we will. You’ll still be skating, won’t
you?”

“Yes.” The answer was less than
enthusiastic. “But you won’t be in Uncle Chase’s building  anymore, will you.”
It was more of a statement than a question.

“That’s true. But Zelda and I
have been talking about finding a new location. You’ll always know where to
find me.”

“I guess.”

“By the way, did you hear the
good news?”

Annie raised her head hopefully.

“Your Uncle Chase is taking Lily
to the Oilmen’s Ball.”

The news didn’t seem to surprise
the youngster. “I think he really likes her. He’s always asking about her.”

“Well, don’t tell anyone, but I
think she likes him, too.” It was amazing the way Lily had changed her opinion
about Chase. Maddie was happy for her friend, but couldn’t help being a little
envious.

She drove down the ramp into the
parking area and pulled into her spot. Only a few more hours to go today and
she could relax. Zelda had organized two gift wrapping demonstrations for
tomorrow as the downtown area would be crowded with shoppers on Saturday.
Maddie had set aside the day to buy the last of the gifts, but intended to take
Sunday off; it couldn’t come soon enough.

“Here we are. Thank you for
helping out with the puppy.” She gathered her things. “Are you going skating
this afternoon?”

“Probably.” Annie seemed
reluctant to part company. “Are you coming over?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.” She gave an
exaggerated sigh. “This is the last big weekend before Christmas, and Zelda and
I are swamped.” She reached for the child’s hand and they walked together
toward the elevators. “You’ll be skating next week, right?”

Annie forced a smile. “Uh huh.”

“Great. I’ll come over and
watch.” She stepped into the lobby and watched the doors close, taking the
child up to her uncle’s office. At least Annie would soon have the puppy to
love. That thought would have to be enough to get her through the next week.

* * *

“Do you always close your shop at
this time of year?” Maddie handed Lily a cup of coffee when she appeared in the
kitchen on Sunday morning. “It’s such a good idea.”

Even dressed in baggy sweats and
an old grey hoodie, Lily managed to look beautiful. She took a sip of the
coffee before answering. “I tried staying open when I first opened, but nobody
has their mind on work, and it’s our slowest season, so I allow them a week off
without pay if they want it, and I also give them a week with pay.” She flipped
her hair back out of her face. “That’s in addition to their stats and their
regular holidays.” She gave Maddie a sly smile. “Trust me, when the  union
people come around, none of my employees want to play.”

“I guess not.” Maddie leafed
through the thick Sunday paper. “I suppose you want the  business section?”

Lily nodded and held out her
hand.

“Good, that leaves the important
stuff for me.” Lily had often pointed out that there was little to be gained by
reading either the entertainment or the society sections, but this morning
Maddie didn’t care. She was relaxed for the first time in days and took the
relevant sections over to the couch, where she tucked in her feet and began to
read.

Maddie skimmed the entertainment
section, and then moved on to the society pages. A series of photographs on the
front page of the section caught her eye, and she almost gasped aloud. She
looked up at Lily, who was deep into an article.

She looked back at one specific picture,
hoping that her eyes had been playing tricks on her, but no such luck. There it
was...a picture of Chase and a woman. He was reaching for her arm as she
stepped out of a limousine under the
porte cochere
of the hotel. Even in
the grainy photograph she could see that the woman was smiling adoringly at him.
A long, sweeping fur coat covered her dress but those must be diamonds
sparkling at her ears; they were obvious even in the newspaper.

She looked up at her friend again.
Lily shook the newspaper and frowned in concentration. What if she didn’t tell
her? No, that wouldn’t work. Lily was bound to find out and would be even
angrier that Maddie hadn’t warned her.

In that moment, she hated Chase
Drummond. Damn him and the casual way he’d treated her best friend. And damn
his brother, too.

That’s not fair
, said the
voice in her head.
Brent didn’t tell you he was unattached.

That may be true, but it didn’t
excuse Chase’s blatant lies. He’d told Lily that he wasn’t with that woman any
more. What was her name? She read the photo caption. Oh yes, Laurel Carmichael.
He’d said that there was nothing between them, and yet the photo caption said
otherwise:
Laurel Carmichael and Brent Drummond attend the wedding of their
close friends, Sarah Fremantle and Charles Montgomery. When asked if wedding
bells were in the future for the attractive couple, Miss Carmichael answered,
“Stay
tuned.”

Maddie opened her mouth to speak
but couldn’t bring herself to burst Lily’s bubble. At least not yet. It was bad
enough that her own romantic dreams had been crushed, but Lily would be
devastated by this news.

Unaware of Maddie’s distress,
Lily flicked the business section with a fingernail and uttered a disgusted
sound. “Would you listen to this? Some guy is expounding on what’s wrong with
the oil exploration industry. As if he’s going to...” She stopped abruptly when
she saw the look on her friend’s face. “What is it?” She slid down from the
stool and walked across the room.

She took the newspaper from
Maddie’s outstretched hand, scanned the story and then shook her head in
disbelief. In that short space of time, the spark that had lit her eyes for the
past several days flickered and went out. She glanced back down at the
newspaper and blinked several times.