Homespun Christmas

“Maybe it’ll be that way again, once the inn reopens.”

“I sure hope so,” she said with a wistful smile.

As the phone rang and Betty went to answer it, Joshua asked Myka, “You ready to go?”

“I think I’ll stick around. I can catch a ride home later,” she said, “but let me walk you to the door.”

They stopped in the entryway, and Joshua glanced back into the room. “Now I understand why Betty’s so invested in this place. The inn is part of her personal history.”

“The Blue Spruce is also her and Evie’s future. It’s a good place for them.”

He brushed his knuckles against her face in a gentle caress. “Myka, it may be too late for Independence, but not for you. Think of your future. You still have your whole life ahead of you.”

His touch sent warmth all through her. A fleeting touch, the tenderness of a caress, those had been missing from her life for so long she’d forgotten what a sweet thrill they could bring.

“You put on a brave face for everyone but keep the real you out of reach,” he said, his voice quiet.

The way his eyes held hers was mesmerizing, but the spell broke instantly when something clanged onto the tile floor back in the kitchen.

As Myka turned toward the sound, she saw the photo of Tanner, Will and Betty that hung behind the front desk.

“I better get to work,” she said. “I promised Betty I’d help her put a coat of varnish on one of the armoires upstairs.”

“See you later then,” Joshua said.

As Joshua left, Betty walked over to join her.

“Pants warm?” she asked.

“Huh?” Myka turned around and looked directly at her.

“Liar, liar, pants on fire. We’re not varnishing anything today.”

Myka gave her a thin smile. “Oh, that.”

“What are you worried about, Myka?” she asked. “What people will think if you spend time with a man? Tanner’s gone. I loved my brother dearly, but he’s not coming back.”

“I know, but...”

“There are no ‘buts’ about this...except maybe Joshua’s exceptional one,” she said with a mischievous grin.

Myka choked.

“What? I’ve got eyes. You thought I didn’t notice?” she asked, laughing.

“I hadn’t.”

“Baloney,” Betty said.

Myka grinned. “Okay, maybe.”

“Will’s being a jerk, but he’s right, you know. Joshua has a thing for you. It dates all the way back to elementary school.”

“Why on earth would you think that? Because he’s nice to me? By that definition, he has a thing for everyone.”

“No, it’s in the way he looks at you—when you’re not looking.”

“Betty, we’re just old friends.”

Betty shook her head. “It goes beyond that.”

“You’re wrong, but even if we were both wild about each other—and we’re not—it couldn’t go anywhere. Sooner or later he’ll leave Independence, and I belong here.”

Myka swallowed hard and continued. “Joshua’s a heartbreak waiting to happen, and life’s hurt me enough. I don’t want any more pain.”

“Maybe you’re right. Josh is destined for city life, and you can’t change a man.”

Myka heard the pain laced through Betty’s words. Reaching out, she gave her a hug. “You and I bend, but we never break. That’s what makes us who we are.”

A few hours later, Myka left the inn and headed home. It was a pleasant afternoon, and the mile-long walk back would do her good. She needed time to think. She and Betty were both strong women, but being around Joshua had reminded her that even the strongest among them needed gentleness, too.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE NEXT TWO WEEKS went by in a blur, and September turned into October. Myka was busy packaging yarn and craft orders when she heard a knock at her door. Thinking it was the delivery man, she taped shut the box she was working on, then hurried over, balancing two large boxes in one hand. As she pulled the door open, the boxes shifted and went crashing to the floor.

Myka bent down to retrieve them, her gaze falling on the pair of dusty boots directly in front of her. She looked up the leggy frame and saw Joshua smiling down at her.

“Did you do that so you could check me out?”

Her eyes widened. “No, I—” Seeing his teasing grin, she laughed. “Sorry. Haven’t seen you dressed so casually in years. Come on in.”

“We live next door to each other, but I haven’t been within fifty feet of you since that day at the inn,” he said, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.

He looked past her and saw the living room filled with open boxes waiting to be sealed, labels balanced on top of each. “Business is good, I see.”

“Yeah, it is. I’ve been thinking of adding more sheep to my herd so I can keep up with the demand for yarn. I thought I was set for the rest of the year, but at this rate...”

Just then, there was another knock on the door. When Myka opened it, she found Liza Jenner standing there with a smile on her face. “Things look busy today!”

“I’m getting some shipments together. Millie Boyer made two beautiful cloaks that sold an hour after I’d listed them. Would you like to see?”

Liza started to answer, then hesitated, glancing at Joshua. “I don’t mean to interrupt. I didn’t know you had company.”

“Nah, it’s not company, it’s just Joshua,” Myka said.

Joshua laughed.

Myka opened one of the larger packing boxes and pulled up a plastic bag containing a folded cream-colored poncho knitted in an intricate cable design. “This one’s in a style reminiscent of the seventies. I can’t believe how quickly it sold. I put the photo and description up, and by the time I made a pot of tea, someone had already clicked on Buy Now.”

“I’m not surprised,” Liza said. “It’s beautiful! Look at the workmanship.”

Myka reached into a second box and pulled out another clear plastic bag containing a wine-colored cloak. The rich color was eye-catching and it was knitted in an elegant rib and lace pattern. “This is my favorite.”

“Wow, no wonder it sold right away.”

“People are shopping more with Christmas around the corner. Can you believe it’s already October?” Myka asked, gently placing the cloak back inside the box. “So what brings you here, Liza? Just visiting?”

“I wanted to see if you’d be interested in selling my rugs on your site. I’m trying to raise some cash, but don’t mention it to Robyn, okay? I told her she could live at home for as long as she needs, but stretching out my pension makes it tougher to get by.”

“Do you have anything ready to go? If you do, I might be able to add the listing this afternoon.”

Liza reached into her tote bag and brought out two photos of a latch rug. “It’s my own design.”

The rug featured a beautiful piñon jay nestled in the branches of an evergreen. The colors were brilliant and from what she could see in the close-up shot, the workmanship was intricate, showing attention to even the minutest detail.

“I’d be happy to put this up, but I better warn you. I haven’t tried to sell anything like this before. I can’t guarantee results.”

“I know, but will you try?”

“Sure. Bring the rug by, and let me know what price you’d like to charge.”

“What percentage will you take of the sale?”

“It’s a first offering favor. I’m not charging.”

“That’s really unfair to you, Myka. You take the photos, write the copy and pay for your space online. What’s it called, the...”

“Domain,” Myka said.

“So how about this?” Liza said and quoted Myka a price and the percentage she thought Myka should take. “I think that’s a fair commission for you, isn’t it?”

“Very,” Myka said. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

After Liza left, Myka realized that Joshua had grown quiet.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“I was just thinking that you should consider approaching the others singly, not as a group. They might find it less intimidating if it’s one friend to another.”

“That’s a good idea,” she said.

Hearing an odd noise outside, followed by the sound of sheep bleating, Myka glanced out the window. “Bear!”

Josh was beside her instantly. “Is he harassing the sheep?”

“No, not at all. If anything, he guards them.” She opened the back door.

“Where is he?”

“On the far side of the pen.” She went outside and called the dog’s name. Although she didn’t try to go after him this time, he once again disappeared through the trees.

“It was Bear this time, no mistake?” he asked.

She nodded. “It was him. The sheep sound different—frantic—when they’re scared. The sound you heard was a greeting.” She wiped a tear away quickly, but he saw the gesture.

“Why are you so worried? The dog’s got food and water in two places and the weather’s still in the low fifties at night,” he said.

“You don’t understand. This is about keeping my word to your dad. He trusted me, and I’ve got to find a way to make things right.” Her voice tightened, and she swallowed back the lump in her throat.

“Sometimes things just go wrong. No one’s perfect.”

“This isn’t about perfection. It’s about being able to look at myself in the mirror at the end of the day,” she whispered.

“Do you know what I see when I look at you?” he asked, taking her hand.

She shook her head and waited, almost holding her breath.

“I see a woman who’s done her best for everyone, and who never hesitates to lend a helping hand.”

She smiled. “I appreciate you saying that, but that’s not what I’m going to see until I find Bear.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” he said, then kissed her on the forehead. “My dad was very lucky to have a friend like you.”

The tenderness in Joshua’s gaze took her breath away. Her heart ached to feel his arms around her, to feel safe and protected again.

Almost as if he’d read her mind, he pulled her to him. She didn’t resist. It was too tempting, and even if it was only for a moment, she needed to feel wanted for who she was, flaws and all.

His lips brushed hers then, slowly. As his kiss deepened, a sweet fire coursed all through her. It was pure heaven, and she lost herself for one brief moment.

Drawing away at last to take a breath and force herself to think clearly, she stepped back. “We shouldn’t...”

“No, probably not, but we both needed that,” he said. “You and I are connected. We know what it’s like to have our dreams taken away.”

A connection. That’s what she’d felt, but what had given her so much comfort also made her vulnerable. “Maybe that’s true, but it can’t happen again.”

“The problem is that we both want it to.”

His words were open and honest. They stated a fact but made no demands. “We’re both too fragile, Joshua. You’re trying to find a new direction, and I’m fighting to hold on to my life in Independence. We’re on different paths right now. I need to stay here and keep what I have, what I need. You want to leave and find something new, bigger, better.”

“Is that so bad? Living in the past has never worked for me. It never will,” he argued.

“You see? How can we have a relationship when we can’t even agree on what we want beyond today? We can’t afford to get close to each other, not now, maybe not ever.”

“I guess you’re right,” he said, looking away.

They walked around the yard looking for Bear, but there was no sign of him and his tracks disappeared where he’d crossed the road.

Myka checked her watch. “The delivery van will be here soon. I’ve got to finish getting the boxes ready to mail.”

They went back inside, and Josh helped her by sealing boxes with packing tape and sticking on the prepared labels.

After the packages were picked up, she glanced at the grandfather clock and drew in a sharp breath. “Where did this morning go? I’ve got a class here in another hour. I didn’t realize it was already past one.”

“You never told me you were teaching classes,” he said.

“I’m not. The Women’s Guild meets at two the first Friday of every month, and we try to teach each other a new skill. I’ve been learning about colcha embroidery, wool-on-wool work, but I’ve got a long way to go before I turn out anything decent,” she said. “Not that it matters. That’s not the goal of our group.”

“What is?”

“Strengthening our sense of community. There are only a half dozen members left—the others have moved away—so these meetings are more important than ever. It’s our way of lifting each other’s spirits.” She walked him to the door.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” he said, and headed out.

* * *

AN HOUR LATER, as Daniel got something to drink from the fridge, Joshua turned on the light and walked down the hall of his father’s house. He stubbed the toe of his boot against a bookcase that was too large for such a narrow space. It was filled with regional history books, most of them University of New Mexico Press titles.

Josh preferred open spaces—that was why much of his architectural resource materials were on DVDs and other digital storage devices. His dad, on the other hand, had been old school, down to his choice of furnishings. All the rooms were cramped and overflowing with large wooden furniture pieces, most of them handmade.

He stepped inside the spare bedroom. This had become his father’s library, a testament to his passion for history.

Daniel followed him, handing Josh a Coke, and looking around. “I only glanced in here before, but now I see what you mean,” he said, and looked at the open maps on the futon. “You can’t just give this away or throw it out. You’ll have to go through everything. Collectors might have use for this stuff, or maybe some university professors.”

“Yeah,” Joshua said. “No way around it. Some of those maps of Independence go back to the late 1800s. I have no idea where Dad got them, or if they’re originals or copies, but they might have historical value.”

“You could check online, or take them to the librarian over in Painted Canyon.”

“What happened to the Independence Library?”

“It closed six months after the plant shut down. IVA had always funded the library utilities and the librarian’s salary in exchange for tax benefits. Once IVA left, the librarian had to be let go. Volunteers filled the gap for a while, but they’d cut services so much that people stopped coming in.”

“What happened to the building and the collection?”

“The books are still there, but the building’s closed,” he said. “You could ask the mayor for the keys if you want to poke though the books and reference materials.”

Joshua nodded, lost in thought. “Speaking of the mayor, any idea what Dad’s connection was to Mayor Allen?”

“I didn’t know there was one,” Daniel said.

“Something was going on. I found a lot of emails back and forth between them. I haven’t had a chance to read through them yet, but I got the impression that Dad was working for him, some kind of local research, I think.”

“Wish I could tell you more, but this is the first I’ve heard of it,” Daniel said, casually straddling one of the chairs. “Your dad would come into the store once a week or so, and he and Grandma would go into the office and talk over coffee. You might ask her if she knows what was going on. She knows everyone’s secrets.”

Josh smiled. “That’s because it’s so easy to talk to her.”

Daniel nodded, then sat for a while, looking around the room at the books, the carved wooden animals on the windowsill and, basically, everywhere but at Josh.

“Okay, Daniel, you finally gonna tell me what’s on your mind? You don’t generally walk away from your work like this in the middle of the day.”

Daniel expelled his breath in a hiss. “Yeah, okay, you got me. I need a favor, actually.”

“Whatever you need, consider it done.”

“It’s about Betty...” He paused, looked down at a stack of old newspapers for a minute, then continued. “She was really antsy at the store the other day, looking behind her, clenching her fists and jumping at the slightest sound. She’s afraid of something, and if she’s in trouble, I want to help.”

“If she’s in trouble, Will’s bound to know and he’ll handle it. He watches over the women in his family. Too much, at least with Myka.”

“Will may be in the dark about this. Betty tries to protect him, too. I remember back in June when she got into a hassle at Jerry’s Hardware over an unpaid bill. Jerry was giving her a hard time, so I stepped in and calmed things down. On the way out she made me promise not to tell Will. She didn’t want him to know she was short on cash, and she thought it would only add to his stress.”

“Will’s a proud, angry man and if he ever finds out you kept this from him, he’s going to be pissed.”

“Tough. I did what I had to do. No regrets.”

Joshua didn’t want to argue the point, but his gut told him that Daniel had made a big mistake not telling Will.

“I’m doing some work for Betty, so I’ll keep my eyes open and try to figure out what’s got her on edge,” Joshua said, then gave Daniel a long look. “Sounds to me like you still have a thing for her.”

“Not anymore. I’m just a friend.” Daniel met his gaze. “Like you and Myka.”

Joshua nodded slowly.

* * *

IT WAS CLOSE TO five and, alone again, Myka sat at the kitchen table and finished a peanut butter and apricot jam sandwich.

She was just about to fix herself a second one when Sophie knocked on the back door, opening it partially in the process.

“Okay to come in?” she asked.

“Of course.”

“I wasn’t sure if Joshua had come back or not, now that everyone’s gone.”

“He left around one. I think Daniel’s over at his place right now.”

“So what’s going on between you two? Give me all the juicy details,” she said in a conspiratorial tone.

Myka chuckled. “There’s nothing going on.”

Sophie shook her head. “I saw you two outside earlier, and you were kissing. Looked kinda romantic to me.”

Myka sighed. She should have known. In Independence, everyone knew everyone else’s business—especially when they lived next door to each other.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone, but I had to come over and tell you that I approve wholeheartedly.”

Myka laughed. “You do, do you?”

“Myka, girl, you need something more in your life than your sheep, yarns and managing an online store. You deserve it. Have fun and stop overthinking things.”

“You know that Joshua will be leaving as soon as he can, right?”

“Yeah, sure, but so what? He’s here now.”

Myka shook her head. “Flings aren’t for me.”

“You want marriage?”

“What? No! That’s not what I meant.”

“So why not enjoy the moments you have together like you did today? Later on, when you find someone new, you’ll have a baseline for comparisons.”

“Come on, Soph,” she said, laughing. “It’s not like I’m buying laundry detergent.”

Sophie winked. “True, but a little comparison shopping never hurts,” she said, then added, “plus, it’s fun.”

“Forget it,” Myka said. “Changing the subject, would you like a sandwich? I’m still hungry.”

“Nah, you go ahead. I have to go back home. I just came by to warn you. Bertie heard that Mayor Allen will have more bad news for us at the town hall meeting tonight. Word is, if enrollment continues to decline at our elementary school, the state department of education will shut it down. That would mean bussing the kids thirty miles to a school in Painted Canyon.”

“It all goes back to what I’ve been saying. We’ve got to find ways of creating work here so families won’t have to move away,” Myka said.

“Grandma Medeiros was at the post office when Bertie told Fran what was going on. Grandma M. suggested that we all take a closer look at selling our crafts through your online store. She said that if we turned it into a cooperative, like an internet farmer’s market, it might slow the exodus.”

“That’s not far from what I’d proposed, but we’d need to be a lot more organized. We’d operate from one website and share expenses and profits proportionately, not just supplying items on consignment.”

“If that’s what you all decide to do, I can help with the details,” a familiar voice said from the other side of the screen door.

Myka spun around in her chair and saw Joshua standing there. “You scared me half to death!” she said, holding her hand over her heart.

Sophie’s eyes were like saucers, and she was breathing hard. “Me, too, guy. Wear a bell next time.”

He smiled. “Sorry, ladies,” he said, coming in. “I just stopped by to ask if you knew any local history buffs. Dad had quite a collection of books and documents. I’d like to give them away to someone who’d appreciate them,” he said. “There’s a lot of information on Silas Brooks in particular.”

“Find out anything about that will he supposedly revised? I know he left his mansion to the town, but what about all the other properties?” Sophie asked.

Joshua was going to comment when they heard a car pulling up outside, then another. Myka went to the front window. “What’s going on? There are four cars out there, including Grandma Medeiros. She never leaves the market except during lunch.”

Joshua stood behind her. “More cars are coming down the street in this direction.” He watched as people climbed out of their vehicles and came up the walk. “Something’s going on. They look like women on a mission.”

“Maybe this has to do with the cooperative Grandma Medeiros suggested,” Myka said. “Stick around, Joshua, okay? My experience is limited to a small online store, but you’ve run a business with real flesh-and-blood employees.”

Before he could answer, they heard footsteps on the porch. “Here we go,” Myka said.

She opened the door to four women she’d known most of her life, then stepped onto the porch and waited for the others who were still arriving. “Come in, everyone,” she said. “Just move the boxes aside and find places to sit.”

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