Take Me Home for Christmas

were down, even if they deserved it. Especially a woman. And, beyond that, a woman with a kid. He wanted to make sure this didn’t get out of hand.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He’d been driving right into the sunset. But from what he could see when he walked in, she hadn’t arrived yet. He stood at the back of the church, listening as the boisterous, angry group congregating near the pulpit talked about her as if she were pure evil. They wanted to believe that she, and not Skip, had stolen their money. Ted heard Eric Groscost say that Skip never would’ve done what he did if she hadn’t demanded he keep her in luxury, and several others readily agreed.

Ted rolled his eyes. Although Sophia had no doubt enjoyed Skip’s money and the prestige it afforded her, he was pretty sure these people were conveniently forgetting how arrogant and egotistical Skip had been.

Reverend Flores spotted him before any of the others did. “Ted,” he said, hurrying down the aisle to greet him. “I’m so glad you could come. I had no idea you were caught up in this, too.”

He grunted so he wouldn’t have to explain why he’d decided to attend if he wasn’t an investor, and took a seat in the back row.

“Don’t you want to join us up front?” Flores asked. “Sophia should be here any minute.”

If she knew what was good for her, she wouldn’t show. But he’d had coffee with his friends this morning and Eve had mentioned that they were both planning to attend. “I’m fine back here,” he said. “Maybe you could just tell me... What do you guys hope to accomplish tonight?”

“What do you mean?” Flores replied. “We’re hoping to get back as much of our money as we can.”

Eve had made Sophia’s situation seem dire. Didn’t they realize that Skip had cheated her far more than he’d cheated them? “From where? You know the old saying about getting blood from a turnip.”

“She’s hardly a turnip, Ted. Her wedding ring alone has to be worth enough to pay off half the people in this room.”

“You expect her to sell her wedding ring?”

“Yeah, I expect her to sell it. Why should she be walking around with a rock like that when I lost my life savings? She has other things she could sell, too.”

Ted gestured at the crowd. “Enough to satisfy everyone here?”

“Something is better than nothing. It might sound cruel, but it’s only right that she try to make amends. That’s the Lord’s way.”

“I thought forgiveness was the Lord’s way,” Ted murmured.

“She has to bring forth fruit meet for repentance first.” He raised his chin as if he’d just put Ted in his place, but Ted wasn’t willing to let it go that easily.

“Which entails...”

“Doing what she can, like I said. What about the Ferraris Skip drove?”

“They’re probably encumbered. A man would have to be desperate to do what Skip did. I’m sure he exhausted all of his resources before giving up his house, his wife and his daughter to start a new life.”

“Maybe that’s true, but now we’ll at least have a chance to hear it from her own lips. You’ve got to be curious as to whether she knew what Skip was doing.”

“I am curious about how he got away with so much. But I don’t necessarily believe she’s responsible for his actions. And dragging her in front of half the town won’t do any good. Even if she knew, even if she masterminded the whole thing, she has to proclaim her innocence. Doing anything else might turn this crowd into a lynch mob.”

Reverend Flores made a calming gesture. “No, this is a peaceable gathering. Chief Stacy is planning to be here to make sure of it.”

“Just to keep the situation under control? Or to help pressure her into selling her jewelry?”

“He invested with Skip, too. He’d like to get his money back same as we would. He has a boy and a girl to put through college, you know.”

Ted started to say something about the foolishness of investing money that was needed for living expenses, but he didn’t get the chance. When he heard the door open behind him and saw the reverend’s face, he knew Sophia had arrived.

Turning, he saw that she looked beautiful, as always. She was dressed to impress, too. But there were a few telltale signs that indicated she wasn’t doing as well as she wanted it to appear. For one, she was white as a ghost. He could see the blue veins under the alabaster skin of her cheeks. For another, she’d lost weight.

As she walked in, she held her head high, but she didn’t remove her sunglasses. Eve held on to her arm. She’d been pretty defensive of Sophia this morning, had even tried talking some of them into attending—to give Sophia moral support. But, considering how much Noah and Kyle had lost, that didn’t go over too well. None of them were hoping to make Sophia’s life miserable, but they weren’t ready to champion her, either. Cheyenne and Callie were two exceptions, but they both had other plans tonight.

“Mrs. DeBussi, thank you for joining us,” Reverend Flores said, not bothering to address Eve. Ted wanted to believe it was because Eve was agnostic and didn’t worship here on Sundays, so Flores wasn’t familiar with her. But he guessed it had more to do with the fact that Flores wasn’t interested in anyone other than Sophia. “I’m Mrs. DeBussi to you now, Reverend?” Sophia smiled coldly. “Does that give you the distance you need in order to feel better about what you’re here to do?”

“I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m trying to right a wrong.”

“I wish you could right it for me, too,” she murmured.

When Eve recognized Ted, her eyes widened, but she was so distracted by the men who were streaming down the aisle toward them that she didn’t say anything. Sophia didn’t even glance at him. She stiffened as if she wanted to run but wouldn’t let herself. Instead, she moved purposefully toward them.

“I’ve left my daughter at a friend’s, doing her homework. I’d like to get through this as soon as possible so she doesn’t get to bed too late.”

“It won’t take long,” Mr. Groscost assured her. He was far more solicitous now that he was confronting the beautiful Sophia face to face, but Ted knew nothing would deter him from his purpose. “Have a seat.”

“I prefer to stand if you don’t mind.” No one else seemed interested in sitting, either. They were too keyed up.

“Fine.” Groscost cleared his throat. “We wanted to meet with you to see what you plan to do to make things right for the people you and your husband cheated.”

She didn’t claim that she hadn’t been involved, didn’t try to defend herself. She merely lifted her keys and, when he held out his hand, dropped them into his open palm. “These are for the house. The furnishings, my clothes—that’s all I have left. Take what you want. I ask only that you stay out of my daughter’s room.”

She’d given in so quickly that Groscost didn’t seem to know how to react. His eyebrows shot up as he turned to Flores, who blinked and stammered, “Why—why, thank you for making this easy, Mrs. DeBussi. But I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re most interested in your wedding ring.”

“If you can find it, you can have it,” she said. “Skip took it several weeks ago. He told me he was having it appraised for insurance purposes. He didn’t give it back, and it isn’t in the house.”

God, he took her wedding ring, too....

“I see.” Obviously deflated, Reverend Flores exchanged another look with Eric Groscost. He obviously didn’t know whether or not to proceed, but Groscost shored him up.

“You have many other lovely things that must be worth quite a bit.”

“As I said, Mr. Groscost, I have household furnishings and clothes.”

“That’s a start. I’m sure it’ll go a long way toward mollifying your friends here in Whiskey Creek.”

She gazed around at them. “I don’t have any friends in Whiskey Creek.”

“Maybe it’s because you don’t deserve them,” someone else snapped.

“Maybe I don’t,” she agreed. At least, that was what Ted thought she said. She’d spoken in such a low voice he could barely hear her.

Eve squeezed her arm as if to say that wasn’t true. Then the place erupted in chaos. Chief Stacy, the enforcer, hadn’t even arrived yet and already Sophia was opening her gorgeous home and allowing them to take whatever they wanted.

Excitement replaced anger. She wasn’t asking for proof that they’d ever been Skip’s investors. Neither was she requiring proof of the amount owed. She was simply opening her doors and letting them take their revenge.