Dear Santa(18)

He took in a shallow breath. “I’m okay,” he said, between gritted teeth.

“You’re not,” she countered, fearing she’d unmanned him.

He waved away her concern before he handed her the box with the cheesecake. “How much do I owe you?”

“It’s on the house.”

“But…”

“You did me a favor and I’m returning one.” He still didn’t sound like himself.

“You’re hurt,” she insisted. “What can I do to help?”

“Lindy, I’m fine. You caught me by surprise is all.”

“You’re hurt.”

“I am not hurt. You better get going or you’ll be washing dishes.”

“Right. You’re sure you’re not in pain?”

He arched his brows, which she supposed was answer enough.

“Now go.”

“Right.” Still, she hesitated, fearing he was just telling her he was unhurt when he really was in pain. She waited until he was in his car before she left.



* * *



—

    Lindy arrived back at Peggy’s apartment, with three minutes to spare. It was funny because Jayne arrived almost the same time but was a few steps ahead of her. She discovered Jayne was responsible for the appetizer: Chinese eggrolls. Chloe came within a minute or two of Lindy. Chloe had been given the riddle for the salad: Waldorf, which made sense, since it included apples, the primary crop of Chelan County. How the two had managed it within the limited amount of time was beyond Lindy, knowing her own difficulty in getting the cheesecake.

Peggy greeted them in the kitchen. The table was set with Santa plates and napkins. With the food on the table, the fun began as they relayed their adventures over crisp white wine and laughter. Peggy’s own contribution to the meal was taco soup, so it was truly an international meal.

“Waldorf salad?” Chloe complained. “Really, Peggy? Couldn’t you have gone for one a bit less specific?”

“Where in the name of heaven did you find that?” Lindy asked.

Peggy laughed. “Her mother is famous for the salad. I figured, it being this close to Christmas, she would have made it for the family.”

“Yes, and I stole it, which means I might well be disowned. If I lose out on my inheritance because of you, Peggy, I’ll never forgive you.”

    Lindy told of her own madcap time to find the dessert. She described how Billy had helped and how she had shoved the car door into his midsection. “I’m afraid I might really have hurt him. Being a guy, he would never admit it, though.”

“We should check on him later,” Peggy suggested.

Lindy agreed.

Dinner was fun. They sat around Peggy’s table and talked and laughed for hours. Lindy felt as if she’d known Peggy’s two friends forever. They made her part of their fun group, willingly including her as a friend.

Chloe had to get home to her husband and children, and Jayne had to work early in the morning. Lindy was the last to get ready to leave.

“You still want to check up on Billy to see if he’s okay?” Peggy asked.

“I think I should.”

“I’ll go with you.”

They drove in separate cars. The parking lot wasn’t nearly as full at the Wine Press, now that it was long past the dinner hour, although the lounge seemed to be doing a healthy business.

Billy was behind the bar, talking up the wine with an engrossed audience. When he saw Lindy and Peggy, his face broke into an automatic grin. He motioned for them to join him at the bar.

    They were fortunate enough to find two empty stools next to each other and claimed them. Breaking away from the small group he’d been chatting with, Billy approached Peggy and Lindy. He automatically placed napkins on the bar in front of them. “What can I get you ladies?”

“I came to see if you were injured,” Lindy said. She’d worried about him all night.

“I’m fine,” he said, garnering the attention of those sitting at the bar.

“You had a car door slammed into you.”

“I’m fine,” he said again.

Lindy remained unconvinced. “Are you positive?”

Shaking his head, Billy sighed loudly to the couples on either side of Peggy and Lindy. “All together now,” he said, raising his land like a maestro with a baton ready to lead an orchestra.

In unison, those at the bar said in one voice:

“He’s fine!”





CHAPTER EIGHT





Billy came to the house to pick Lindy up for the short twenty-three-mile drive to Leavenworth. As a child, her parents had taken the family to this German village for their annual Oktoberfest, which was one of the largest in the country. The town’s Christmas celebration was even bigger.

People came from all over the world to this tiny burg during the holiday season. The city’s festivities had become popular long before being highlighted on national television. What had always amazed Lindy was the story behind the city. Many years ago, Leavenworth had been in trouble. Recognizing they needed to do something to boost revenues before the small town, nestled in the foothills of the Cascade mountains, became a ghost town, the city council decided to reinvent Leavenworth. They succeeded beyond what anyone could imagine.