The Christmas Quandary: Sweet Historical Holiday Romance (Hardman Holidays Book 5) Read online

  “Told you he’d never suspect salt in the sugar bowl,” Tom winked at his mother then reached out and slapped his father on the back. Junie handed James a glass of water, which he swigged down in a few gulps.

  He glared at them. “Are you two trying to kill me?” The face he made caused both Tom and Junie to succumb to their mirth.

  “I’m sorry, Dad,” Tom said, attempting to curtail his laughter. “But you should have seen your face when you got a taste of the coffee. Boy, was it funny.”

  “I ought to toss you out on your ear, you ungrateful kid.” James smiled at his son as his humor slowly returned. “It would serve you right for trying to bring about my premature demise.”

  “I’m fairly certain a little salt won’t kill you, James.” Junie grinned at her husband. “Maybe that will teach you not to use so much sugar in your coffee.”

  “Maybe I’ll teach both of you something when you least expect it,” he said, giving his wife a pointed glare.

  “Most likely you’ll try...” Junie looked to Tom, “but you’ll have trouble keeping up with this one.”

  James shook his head. “I’m doomed if the new little one takes after her big brother.”

  Junie set a fresh cup of coffee in front of James then unconsciously rubbed a hand over her belly. “I sure hope it’s a girl, although my only wish is to have a healthy baby.”

  “She’ll be healthy and happy, Mama,” Tom said. “When Jamie arrives, have you decided what her middle name will be?”

  Junie shook her head. “No. We’re still discussing options. I think we’ve narrowed it down to Jamie Meredith, Jamie Rose, and Jamie Viola.”

  James smiled at his wife. “And if it’s a boy we like Jamie Robert, Jamie Harris, and Jamie Edward.”

  Tom nodded his head. “I vote for Jamie Rose. I’m not offering an opinion on a name for a boy because Mama is having a girl.”

  Junie laughed. “I hope you’re right, sweetheart. From past experience, when you make up your mind about something, it’s as good as done.”

  “That’s right, so you might as well start crocheting pink booties.”

  James took a bite of his dinner then looked to Tom. “Other than to terrorize your dear old dad, what brought you out tonight? We didn’t expect to see you until tomorrow evening.”

  “I know,” Tom said, wiping his mouth on his napkin and looking at his parents. “Yesterday, Mr. Daily invited me for dinner and offered me quite an interesting opportunity.”

  “Oh, what’s that?” Junie asked, setting down her fork.

  “He’s going to sell the paper and retire.” Tom glanced at his father. “He wants me to buy it and take over.”

  “Well, I’ll be,” James said, broadly grinning at his son. “That’s a fine idea.”

  “But, Dad, I don’t have that kind of money. Mr. Daily said he’d work with me to figure out payments, but I’d hate to do that. I’m not entirely certain what I want to do. I enjoy my job in Portland, but it’s been nice being back here in Hardman. If I stay here, would I toss away a great opportunity for my career to grow? If I go, would I lose my chance to own a newspaper?” Tom sighed and shrugged. “Even if I had the money, I’m not sure what to do. The fact I don’t makes it seem like a far-fetched dream.”

  Junie reached out and squeezed Tom’s hand. “If you decide you’d like to buy the paper and stay, you know we’ll help you all we can.”

  A smile softened the worry lines on his face as he looked to his mother. “I know you would, Mama, but you’ve got a little one on the way to think about. I need to do this on my own, but I did want to let you know about the offer, to see what you both thought.”

  “I think,” James said, studying his son, “that you’ll figure out what’s best for you and do it. As much as we’d love to have you stay here, Tom, we’ll support whatever decision you make. Whether you return to Portland or start a new adventure here, we’re so proud of you, son.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Tom offered his father a look full of respect and gratitude.

  “What about Lila?” Junie asked, picking up her fork again.

  Another frown settled on Tom’s brow. “What about Lila?”

  “Have you discussed this with her?”

  Tom stared at his mother. “Why would I discuss it with her?”

  Junie offered her husband a saucy look then smiled at her son. “She might like an opinion about where you’ll live after the two of you wed.”

  “Wed? Are you delirious, Mama? She’s going to marry Emerson Lylan, not me.”

  Junie shrugged. “If that girl was going to marry him, they’d be back in New York, getting ready for a wedding, not lingering here in Hardman. She can make all the excuses in the world, but I think she wants to stay. Just give her a good reason to, sweetheart.”

  Tom ate the rest of his meal in silence, contemplating his mother’s words and the best way to make sure Lila remained in Hardman, with him. He was fast running out of time to win her hand.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I want to thank you, class, for working so hard these last few weeks,” Tom said, standing in front of his students as they neared the end of the school day. His final day of teaching.

  Although the last thing he thought he’d find himself doing was teaching a variety of grades in a one-room school where he’d once been a student, Tom loved every moment of it. The students had worked hard, been respectful, and he’d miss them all when he returned to his life in Portland. Even if he stayed in Hardman and somehow figured out a way to take over the newspaper, he wouldn’t see the students every day. Wouldn’t listen to their excited chatter. Wouldn’t see the wonder on their faces when they grasped a new idea. He’d even miss listening to Maura Granger’s and Erin Dodd’s silly little songs and hearing the lisping sweetness of those trying to talk around the inconvenience of missing front teeth.

  “I know you are all excited to have Miss Alex return as your teacher in January, but it has been a pleasure to serve as your teacher this month.”

  Percy Bruner stood from his desk and gazed at Tom with a big grin. “You’ve been a good teacher, Mr. Grove. We’ve had fun with you and learned things, too.” The boy looked around the room at his classmates. A sea of youthful heads bobbed up and down in agreement. “That’s why we wanted to give you this.” Percy nudged Anna and the girl hopped up from the desk, holding a small rectangular box in her hands.

  Together, the two young people walked up to Tom and handed him the gift. The rest of the children rushed to the front of the room, crowding around him. “Open it, Mr. Grove,” one of them encouraged.

  Tom sat on one corner of the desk and untied the purple ribbon around the box. He dropped it on the desk then slowly lifted the lid to reveal a beautiful silver pen.

  “Thank you, class,” he said, smiling as he lifted it from the box and held it up for everyone to see.

  Percy pointed to the side of it. “Fred engraved it for us.”

  Tom turned it until he could read, “To Mr. Grove, from your class.”

  “This is wonderful.” Tom glanced around the faces of the students, warmly looking at each one while emotion clogged his throat. Lila stood at the back of the group, smiling in pleasure.

  He had an idea she helped the students purchase the expensive pen because it was far more costly than most of them or their parents could afford. The purple ribbon around the box definitely made him think of her. He caught her gaze and held it. “I’ll treasure this always, class. Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome, Mr. Grove,” the students said in unison.

  Percy grinned and pointed to the book on top of Tom’s desk. “Will you finish the story now?”

  Tom chuckled. “Yes. If the gift was a bribe, I would have finished reading it to you all today, anyway.”

  Percy and a few of the older students laughed as the students returned to their seats.

  “Since this is Mr. Grove’s last day, I think we should make it seem more like a party,” Lila said, ca
rrying a box to the front of the room. Inside were enough shiny tin cups for each student to have one. Lila filled the cups with hot chocolate and passed out an assortment of cookies for the students to enjoy while Tom read the last few chapters of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

  After Lila handed him a cup of chocolate and two cookies, he winked at her and settled at his desk to read.

  The students quietly listened as Tom read about a girl named Dorothy and her friends. By the time he arrived at the part of the story where Dorothy and her comrades reached Glinda the Good Witch, the students hung on each word, eager to discover if Dorothy made it back to Kansas and her beloved Aunt Em.

  Tom glanced around at the captivated faces and back at the book. “And she said, ‘I’m so glad to be at home again!’”

  With unhurried movements, he closed the book and stood. “Did you like the ending?”

  “Oh, yes,” several of the girls gushed. “Dorothy made it home.”

  “It’s too bad there wasn’t another mean ol’ witch or a battle. Maybe Dorothy’s friends could have gone at it again.” Percy commented, forcing Tom to hide a grin behind a cough.

  “Who can tell me one of the lessons you learned from the story?” Tom looked around the room and finally pointed to Anna Jenkins. “Did you find a lesson in the story, Anna?”

  The girl nodded. “Yes, sir. I think the lesson at the end is that we have the power to do whatever we wish most, if we believe we can do it.”

  Surprised by her insight, Tom smiled. “That’s absolutely right, Anna. You discovered one of the most important lessons in the story.” He looked around again. “Does anyone else have ideas to share?”

  “That it’s important to have friends,” Erin Dodd said, waving her hand in the air although she spoke without waiting for Tom to call on her.

  “Very good, Erin.”

  “And to be in charge of the flying monkeys,” Percy added with a cheeky grin.

  “Indeed, Percy. On that note, I’ll bid you all a fond farewell.” Tom swept his hand around the room. “Thank you for being such a wonderful class to teach, and for my pen. Now, go enjoy the sunshine outside and have a very Merry Christmas!”

  “Hooray!” the children cheered, rushing to pull on coats and hats and race out the door.

  Chapter Twenty

  “You did not, Tom Grove. That is so ornery,” Lila said. She glanced back over her shoulder at Tom as he helped her with her coat after their final program practice at church. The children had all left and Luke had taken both Erin and Maura home, leaving Tom and Lila alone. “Did your father ban you from coming home again after you salted his coffee?”

  “Actually, Dad took it well. He was even joking about it this morning as he gave me a ride into town.” Tom’s finger brushed against the soft skin of Lila’s neck as he freed a wayward curl trapped beneath the collar of her coat.

  The innocent touch made her catch her breath and work to hold back a shiver of delight. Determined to ignore the reaction the slightest touch or look from Tom stirred in her, she yanked on her gloves with more force than necessary. “You’re lucky he didn’t make you walk all the way into town this morning.”

  “He threatened, but after I talked Mama into making his favorite breakfast and helped with the chores, he was in a forgiving mood.”

  Lila laughed. “Nothing like buttering him up to get your way, is there?”

  “Will a little buttering work on you to get my way?” he whispered, leaning close to her ear and enveloping her in his warmth.

  Despite the teasing tone of his voice, Lila knew there was a world of emotion behind his words. Everything in her wanted to turn around and kiss him, but that would never do. Not at all.

  Tamping down her yearning to be in Tom’s arms, she wrapped a scarf around her neck and changed the subject. “What were you doing out at the farm last night? You usually stay in town until Friday.”

  “I had something I needed to discuss with my parents. Rather than walk back in the dark and cold, Mama talked me into spending the night there. It was nice. We played games and ate popcorn until we couldn’t keep our eyes open.”

  Lila smiled, handing Tom the empty tin of candy he’d brought as a treat for the children. They’d eaten every last piece. “What did you play?”

  “Dominoes, cards, and a rousing game of Lost in the Woods.” Tom smirked and shrugged into his coat. “Mama likes to play the game, although it isn’t my favorite.”

  “Oh, I love that game, with the colorful roads and the interesting places like the spring and the bridge. Who won?”

  The light in his eyes as he smiled made Lila’s knees feel weak. “Mama, of course. All three times we played it.”

  Lila giggled. “Did you boys let her win?”

  “No, ma’am. We did not. She’d pitch a fit if she thought we let her win.” Tom picked up his hat and leather satchel in his left hand then looked around to make sure the church had been set to rights after the children’s practice.

  “Good for her,” Lila said, picking up a basket with her things and settling it over her arm. “You’ll be at the Christmas carnival tomorrow, won’t you?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Tom said. “Alex is still planning to do her magic show. I might be jealous she replaced me as her assistant if it was anyone other than Arlan.”

  “You were her assistant?” Lila asked, slowly moving toward the door. As soon as she stepped outside, she had to return to the reality where Emerson waited for her at Granger House.

  “I was. She even let me wear her father’s fancy suit and a top hat to perform. I outgrew them after the first two years I helped her, but it was fun while it lasted.” Tom studied her as they lingered at the door. “How are you doing, Lila. You just don’t seem quite like yourself the last week. Are you sure you’re well?”

  Tom’s concern touched something deep inside her because she knew it was genuine. Oh, her family loved her, cared about, assured her safekeeping, but part of her felt as though Tom understood her in a way no one else could.

  “I’m fine, Tom, but thank you for asking.” Surprise shone from her eyes when he tugged off his glove and raised a hand to cup her cheek. For a moment, her lashes lowered as she allowed herself to indulge in the joy of his caress.

  “I just want you to be happy, Lila Lilac. You still seem rather blue.”

  Blue.

  Emerson had foisted more than three blue gowns upon her. Lila mused that his very presence had somehow stolen her inner sunshine and left her adrift in a turbulent sea of uncertainty. Perhaps when they returned to New York she’d feel differently. Ginny and Filly had both warned her that romance fairly danced in the air in Hardman during the holiday season. That had to be the reason she felt so attracted to Tom.

  However, if that notion held true, she reasoned her affections for Emerson should have multiplied instead of stretched to the very edge of their limits.

  Emerson hadn’t done a thing wrong, other than ignore her dislike of blue attire. In truth, he’d been wonderful, eager to please, and unfailingly kind. Yet, Lila found his presence more of an aggravation than a blessing.

  Dismayed by her thoughts, she looked at Tom with a forced smile. “I’m well, Tom.”

  “I still don’t believe you. However, the polite thing to do is to nod in agreement and pretend I don’t know otherwise.”

  Lila giggled. “Tom Grove, the things you say! Why, your…”

  The door opened and Emerson strode inside. “There you are, my darling. Luke arrived home with Maura, so I thought I’d escort you back to Granger House. Good afternoon, Mr. Grove.” Emerson tipped his head to Tom.

  Politely, Tom returned his greeting then gave Lila one last lingering look. “Have a wonderful evening, Miss Granger. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Lila watched him leave, unaware of Emerson watching her. Finally pulling her thoughts back to her fiancé, she looped her arm around his. “Did you have a nice afternoon, Emerson?”

  “I did, dearest. I availed m
yself of Luke’s big desk in the library and wrote a number of letters, sent a wire to my parents, and offered my opinions on a batch of caramels Filly made.”

  “How were the caramels?” Lila asked, grinning at him, aware of how hard it was to resist Filly’s confectionaries.

  He tipped his hat to two women they passed on the boardwalk. “Delicious. She should sell them in one of those exclusive candy shops you like to frequent at home. Filly is a wonder in the kitchen.”

  “The wonder is how she gets anything done with three youngsters underfoot.” Lila waved to Ginny Stratton as she stepped out of the newspaper office across the street.

  “Three youngsters?” Emerson appeared puzzled. “Is there one I don’t know about?”

  Lila shot him a teasing look. “I included Luke. My cousin is hardly better than an overgrown child when it comes to sweets and staying out of Filly’s way in the kitchen.”

  Emerson chuckled. “True, but it keeps things lively.” The handsome man sobered and drew Lila to a stop outside the gate leading up the walk to Granger House. “I know you’ll miss your family when we return to New York, Lila. I promise we’ll visit them from time to time.”

  “Thank you, Emerson. I appreciate your understanding. They are such fun, I will greatly miss being around them. It’s been good for me to be here the last few months.”

  He gave her a long, thoughtful look. “You seem more like yourself, like you’ve found your joy in life again. I’m so glad, Lila. I want whatever makes you happy, and if that means we make a trip to Hardman once or twice a year, then so be it.”

  A lump lodged in Lila’s throat. How could she think anything ill of Emerson when he was such a good man? Convicted by her less than charitable thoughts toward him, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Emerson. I’m sure at least Dora and Greg will come to New York to visit, too.”

  He grinned, eyes twinkling with mirth. “More than likely Dora will have to come to New York if she has any hope of purchasing new hats. I’m sure everyone around here has better sense than to make such monstrosities.”