Debbie Macomber - Home for Christmas

“Repeatedly,” Jane murmured. “I have to admit I felt depressed after seeing them.” She paused, took a deep breath. “I can only imagine what they thought of me.”

“That concerns you?” Cal asked, thinking she was being ridiculous if it did.

“Not in the least,” Jane was quick to tell him. “Today was a vivid reminder that my home’s not in California anymore. It’s in Promise with you.“

“I hate to trouble you,” Nicole said to Annie. She sat in front of the computer screen in the bookstore office, feeling flustered and impatient with herself. “But I can’t seem to find this title under the author’s name.”

“Here, let me show you how it works,” Annie said, sitting down next to Nicole.

Nicole was grateful for Annie Porter’s patience. Working in a bookstore was a whole new experience for her. She was tired of banking, tired of working in a field dominated by women but managed by men. Her last job had left her with a bitter taste—not least because she’d had an ill-advised affair with her boss—and she was eager to move on to something completely new. Thus far, she liked the bookstore and the challenge of learning new systems and skills.

Annie carefully reviewed the instructions again. It took Nicole a couple of tries to get it right. “This shouldn’t be so difficult,” she mumbled. “I mean, I’ve worked with lots of computer programs before.”

“You’re doing great,” Annie said, patting Nicole’s back.

“I hope so.”

“Hey, I can already see you’re going to be an asset to the business,” Annie said cheerfully, taking the packing slip out of a shipment of books. “Since you came on board, we’ve increased our business among young single men by two hundred percent.”

Nicole laughed and wished that was true. She’d dated a handful of times since her return to Promise, but no one interested her as much as Cal Patterson. And he was married, she reminded herself. Married, married, married.

She should have known he wouldn’t stay single long. She’d always found Cal attractive, even when he was engaged to Jennifer. However, the reason she’d given him for moving back to Promise was the truth. She had fallen in love with the town. She’d never found anywhere else that felt as comfortable. During a brief stint with the Promise bank, she’d made friends within the community. She loved the down-home feel of Frasier Feed store and the delights of Dovie’s Antiques. The bowling alley had been a kick, with the midnight Rock-and-Bowl blast every Saturday night.

Jennifer Healy had never appreciated the town or the people. Her ex-roommate had once joked that living in Promise was one step up from Mayberry RFD. The comment had angered Nicole. These people were sincere, pleasant and kind. She preferred life in a town where people cared about each other, even if Jen didn’t.

Only it wasn’t just the town that had brought her back. Everything she felt about Promise was genuine, but she had another reason. She’d returned because of Cal Patterson.

Almost ten years ago, she’d been infatuated with him, but since her best friend was engaged to him, she couldn’t very well do anything about it. Jennifer had dumped him and that would have been the perfect time to stick around and comfort him. Instead, she’d waited—and then she’d been transferred again, to a different branch in another town. Shortly after she’d left Promise, she’d had her first affair, and since then had drifted from one dead-end relationship to another. That was all about to change. This time she fully intended to claim the prize—Cal Patterson.

At the Mexican restaurant the other night, Nicole had told Cal that since breaking their engagement, Jennifer compared every man she met to him, the one she’d deserted. Nicole hadn’t a clue if that was the case or not. She was the one who’d done the comparing. In all these years she hadn’t been able to get Cal Patterson out of her mind.

So he was married. She’d guessed as much when she made the decision to return to Promise, but dating a married man wasn’t exactly unfamiliar to her. She would have preferred if he was single, but she had to admit it—his being married wasn’t a deterrent. It only made things more…interesting. More of a challenge. Almost always, the married man ended up staying with his wife, and Nicole was the one who got hurt. This was something she knew far too well, but she’d also discovered that there were ways of undermining a marriage without her having to do much of anything. And when a marriage was shaken, opportunities might present themselves….

“Nicole?”

Nicole realized Annie was staring at her. “Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts.”

“It’s time for a break.” Annie led the way into the back room. Once inside, she reached for the coffeepot and gestured toward one of two overstuffed chairs. “Sit down and relax. If Louise needs any help, she can call us.”

Nicole didn’t have to be asked twice. She’d been waiting for a chance to learn more about Cal, and she couldn’t think of a better source than Annie Porter.

Annie handed her a coffee in a thick ceramic mug, and Nicole added a teaspoon of sugar, letting it slowly dissolve as she stirred. “How do you know Cal?” she asked, deciding this was the best place to start.

“His wife. You haven’t met Jane, have you?”

Nicole shook her head. “Not yet,” she said as though she was eager to make the other woman’s acquaintance.

“We’ve been friends nearly our entire lives. Jane’s the reason I moved to Promise.”

Nicole took a cookie and nibbled daintily. Cal mentioned he has children.”

“Two.”

“That’s what he said.” The perfect little family, a boy and a girl. Except that wifey seemed to be staying away far too long. If the marriage was as wonderful as everyone suggested, she would’ve expected Cal’s wife to be home by now.

“This separation has been hard on them.”

“They’re separated?” Nicole asked, trying to sound sympathetic.

She was forced to squelch a surge of hope when Annie explained, “Oh, no, not that way. Just by distance. Jane’s father has been ill.”

“Yes, Cal had mentioned that she was in California with her family,” Nicole nodded earnestly. “She’s a doctor, right?”

“A very capable one. And the fact that she’s with her parents seems to reassure them both.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s a big help.”

“I talked to her mom the other day, who’s so glad she’s there. I talked to Jane, too—I wanted to let her know about the baby and find out about her dad. She’s looking forward to getting home.”

“I know I’d want to be with my husband,” Nicole said, thinking if she was married to Cal, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to leave him for weeks at a time. If Jane Patterson was going to abandon her husband, then she deserved what she got.

“The problem is, her father’s not doing well,” Annie said, then sipped her coffee. She, too, reached for a cookie.

“That’s too bad.”

Annie sighed. “I’m not sure how soon Jane will to be able to come home.” She shook her head. “Cal seems at loose ends without his family.”

“Poor guy probably doesn’t know what to do with himself.” Nicole would love to show him, but she’d wait for the right moment.

“Do you like children?” Annie asked her.

“Very much. I hope to have a family one day.” Nicole knew her employer was pregnant, so she said what she figured Annie would want to hear. In reality, she herself didn’t plan to have children. Nicole was well aware that, unlike Annie, she wouldn’t make a good mother. If she was lucky enough to find a man who suited her, she’d make damn sure he didn’t have any time on his hands to think about kids—or to be lured away by another woman. Really, it was usually the wife’s own fault for not giving her husband the attention he craved.