Santa's Sweetheart (The Christmas Tree Ranch #4)(59)

Staying here would be a waste. Maybe she should take a trip somewhere. She would miss the Christmas ball, but seeing Sam as Santa and Maggie in her pretty new dress would only be awkward and painful. Why not get away? Clara and the other volunteers could manage the children’s activity room.

Where could she go? Tonight she was too tired to think. But she would get on her computer tomorrow after work and do some checking. There had to be some last-minute deals on winter getaways—someplace like Galveston, maybe, with a beach, where she could just sit on the sand, watch the waves, and try not to think about Sam.

*

On Tuesday morning, as the students were coming into the classroom, Maggie walked up to Grace and handed her a sealed envelope.

“My dad asked me to give you this.” Her expression betrayed nothing. But Grace sensed the emotions that lay behind it. The little girl was hurt.

“Thank you, Maggie. I’ll open it later.” Grace reached into the bottom drawer of her desk and slipped the envelope into her purse. Maggie was already headed for her seat. By the time she reached it, the students were standing for the national anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. As they took their seats, Ed Judkins’s voice boomed over the speaker with the day’s announcements. He was trying to sound jolly, like Santa. The kids seemed to like it. But what a phony, Grace thought. Maybe he’d find another job over the break.

For math, she had the students make up and solve Christmas math problems: Santa has eight reindeer; if he hitches Rudolph in front, how many reindeer will there be then? The class had fun. But Grace’s mind was on the sealed envelope that Maggie had given her. What was in it? A letter? Did Sam want to give her another chance?

But that didn’t seem likely. Sam was a proud man, and nothing about their situation had changed.

When the class went out for recess, she withdrew the envelope from her purse. Sam had written her name on the front—not Grace, but Miss Chapman. It sounded cold. But what else could she have expected?

She ran a finger under the flap. Inside was a check from Sam, made out to her, for the price of Maggie’s new dress. Attached to the face of the check was a yellow Post-it note with a hastily jotted message.



For the dress. Thanks.





That was all. And that was when Grace knew Sam had given up on her. There would be no reunion, no second chances. He was finished.

Stifling a sob of frustration, she tore the check in two, stuffed the pieces back into the envelope, and put it back in her purse. She would mail the check back to him later. But recess was almost over. Any minute now, the bell would ring to call her students inside. For now, all she could do was get on with her day, as if nothing had happened.

*

Gritting his teeth against the pain in his shoulder, Sam had driven Maggie to school and let her off in front. She’d given him a smile and a hug, but he could tell she was dejected, and he knew why.

He’d promised to give his daughter a happy Christmas. So far, the season had been a disaster, from the terrifying gunshot wound to the fizzle of his relationship with Grace. It amazed him that Maggie was even able to smile.

At least the tree was up. But there was not one present under it. He hadn’t even asked Maggie what she wanted—besides a happy ending for her father and her teacher. Shopping would have to wait a few more days, until he was stronger. But then he planned to pull out all the stops for his little girl. Whatever Maggie wanted—a bike, maybe, or even a puppy—was going under that tree.

He watched TV for a while, then switched it off and tried to lose himself in a new mystery novel from the library. But he wasn’t used to being stuck at home alone. He was already suffering from cabin fever. At least Maggie would be on break in a couple of days. Life was never dull with his daughter around. Maybe Wednesday night they could order pizza, rent some videos, and invite her friend, Ann Marie, over to watch them.

Anything to keep him from thinking about Grace.

Last night he’d lain awake for hours, remembering the feel of her in his arms, her warm body molding to his. He remembered the taste of her lips, the fragrance of her hair, and the flash of her smile when he said something that struck her. He’d fallen hard for the pretty schoolteacher. But he had too much pride to pursue a woman who couldn’t return his feelings. Grace would have to deal with her issues in her own time, and in her own way.

But who was he kidding? If she were to come back and want to try again, he’d take her on in a minute. That was why he’d left a message scrawled inside the envelope he’d sent with his check. If she ignored it, he would know that things were really over between them.

Sam’s musings were interrupted by the chime of the doorbell. He answered it to find the mayor standing on the doorstep.

“Hello, Sam.” He was all smiles. “How are you feeling?”

“Better every day, Rulon. Come on in and have a seat.” The mayor had never been Sam’s favorite person, but today any company was welcome.

“I’ll stand, thanks. Just dropped by to check on you.”

“As you see, I’m fine.” Sam remained standing. “Still feeling some pain, but I’m putting up with it. No more heavy drugs for me.”

“And when will you be back doing your job?” His voice held a note of impatience.

Sam curbed the impulse to remind the mayor that the question was out of line. As sheriff, he worked for the county. Rulon Wilkins wasn’t his boss. “The doctors want me to take it easy for another ten days, at least. I’m planning on sometime after Christmas. Meanwhile, Helen tells me that Buck is doing a fine job, so everything should be covered.”