Dear Santa(45)

“Please don’t be. I’d rather you were honest,” Lindy said, wanting to assure Dede she should speak her mind.

“I’m afraid Billy is so head-over-heels falling for you that he’ll be distracted from the restaurant. My husband and I have invested everything we have in this venture and we don’t want to lose our money.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“I feel terrible even saying anything; I hope you’ll forgive me. It’s just that I know my brother. He rarely does anything half-measure. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him like this over a woman. He isn’t going to want to let you go.”

    Lindy was at a loss for words.

“With you returning to Seattle and him stuck in Wenatchee, he’s not going to be content with phone or FaceTime calls, he’s going to want to be with you. I understand. When I first met my husband, he was serving in the army, and we were separated for long periods of time. I was miserable when David was stationed across the country and had to be satisfied with phone calls and emails.” She looked up as if she expected Lindy to comment.

“I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the future,” Lindy told her, without going into detail.

“I hope you understand my fears.”

“Of course,” Lindy said, wanting to reassure Dede she had no intention of hurting Billy. Nor was she keen on him risking his and his sister’s investment in the restaurant. She was about to say more, when she noticed Dede’s children racing toward them. Davey held on to his sister’s hand as they stumbled through the snow.

Lindy was grateful for the interruption.

“We’re hungry,” Davey said breathlessly.

“And cold,” Lily added.

“And Uncle Billy said he’s tired.” This, too, came from Davey.

Billy brought Peter with him, towing him on the sled, as he was too small to trek through the snow.

    Dede immediately took charge. “Then let’s get inside to warm our hands and tummies.”

“Can we have cocoa?” Lily asked.

“I believe we can arrange that.”

Rounding up the children, Lindy and Dede took over taking care of them. By then, Billy needed a break. They crossed the street, where there was a mom-and-pop diner. They went inside, removing their wet coats and heavy boots, and sat in a large circular booth. The children ordered hot chocolate that arrived with marshmallows melting on top.

Lindy could see that Peter was completely tuckered out. It was barely ten-thirty and she wasn’t sure how much longer he’d last. Because of the other children, her nephew would never willingly admit he was exhausted.

Once everyone was warm and had their cocoa, the children were eager to get back on the sled. For another hour, they took turns riding the slopes, laughing and enjoying the day.

It wasn’t long before everyone was pooped out. Before they left, Lindy hugged Dede.

“I appreciated our chat,” she assured her, knowing Dede had been uncomfortable sharing her concerns.

Dede squeezed her back. “Thank you for listening.”

As Ashley predicted, Peter instantly fell asleep once they were in the truck again and on their way back to his house. Lindy wanted to ask Billy about her conversation with Dede. Before she did, she needed to decide how best to approach the subject with him.

    “It looks like you had a good time,” Ashley commented as Billy carried Peter into the house and set him down on his bed. Peter didn’t even stir.

Back in the truck, Billy turned to look at Lindy. “I saw you and my sister with your heads together,” he said, his eyes full of curiosity. “What did she tell you?”

“As it happened, quite a bit.” It was what Dede hadn’t said that troubled Lindy.

“My guess is that she mentioned what happened in Yakima. It’s painful to talk about it, to remind myself what a fool I was.”

Lindy waited for him to continue. She wasn’t going to pressure him, especially if he chose not to explain.

“Do you remember me mentioning how my friend Dan Berghoff was a mentor to me?”

She nodded, recalling how Billy looked relieved not to answer her question the night they’d had dinner in Leavenworth.

“I’d invested everything I had in another restaurant in Yakima with a partner, who was a former schoolmate of mine. I worked my tail off, while Kent was happy to give the responsibility to me. When I got sick and ended up having my appendix out, Kent emptied our bank account and split. I was never able to recoup. I lost everything, which is why I decided, with Dan’s encouragement, to open the Wine Press.”

    “Oh, Billy, I’m so sorry.”

“It was a hard lesson that I’ve put behind me.”

She squeezed his hand, letting him know she understood that kind of betrayal, although it was different between her and Celeste. “I can only imagine how difficult it was to lose something you had worked so hard to make a success.”

“I had no recourse. A legal battle would only have benefited the lawyers. I trusted someone untrustworthy and paid the price.”

“How awful, Billy.”

“I should have mentioned it earlier. Like you, I’ve had to let go of the resentment and bitterness. For a while, I decided to give up the restaurant business, unwilling to take another big financial risk. Dan was the one who talked me through my anger and frustration. Then Dede and David said they would be silent partners with me. Their faith in me to make the Wine Press a success meant the world. They believed strongly enough to give me the seed money necessary to start up. Thankfully, my reputation with the wineries in the state was enough for them to give me credit until I could repay them. And I have.”