Lauren pulled her jacket off the hook. As she wrapped the thin fabric around her, her thoughts drifted back to yesterday. She remembered how Seth had insisted she take his coat so she wouldn’t get cold. He’d been such a gentleman.
Her lips twisted in a wry smile. She should have known better than to think he’d be interested in a fling. But she was through beating herself up over the error in judgment. She pushed open the door and practically stumbled over Loretta Barbee, the pastor’s wife.
“Mrs. Barbee. Merry Christmas.” Lauren tried to step around her but Loretta shifted to block her way. NFL linebackers had nothing on this woman.
“We missed you at church yesterday.”
“The weather was turning bad,” Lauren found herself explaining. “Seth didn’t want to take the chance on getting stuck in town.”
“That explains why Seth Anderssen wasn’t there.” Loretta’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t explain your absence from God’s house.”
“I was with Seth.” The words popped out before Lauren could stop them.
The woman’s hand rose to her chest. Her beady eyes widened. “You spent the night?”
“I spent Christmas with Seth and Ivy.” Lauren lifted her chin. “In the guest bedroom.”
Though she’d answered factually, Lauren immediately regretted the abruptness of her response.
“Tsk-tsk. No need to be so defensive,” the older woman chided. “I was merely making conversation.”
“I’m sorry.” Lauren offered the woman a conciliatory smile. “It’s been a long day. I just meant—”
“No need to explain, dear. I can see you’re in a hurry. I’ll let you get on your way. Have a nice day.” The minister’s wife turned abruptly and opened the door to Anna’s shop.
It took until Lauren reached the Coffee Pot for her embarrassment to ease. She stood for a moment and breathed in the enticing aromas of Stacie’s culinary creations before stepping inside.
The bells over the door heralded her arrival. Norm and Al, two cafe regulars, glanced up from their game of checkers. Lauren returned their smiles, then glanced around the dining area, impressed at how the changes Stacie had made in the past few months were coming together.
The first to go had been the teapot-and-flower wallpaper. It had been replaced by paint in a soft dove gray. Then Josh had ripped the knotty pine paneling off a far wall and left the brick exposed. The wagon-wheel light fixtures were trashed soon after, energy-efficient ceiling fans taking their place. Still, despite the alterations, the cafe retained its small-town charm.
Business had soared since Stacie had started doing most of the cooking. Today, other than the two checkers players, the place was deserted.
Stacie’s laughter sounded from the kitchen seconds before the swinging door opened. The newlywed swept into the room, dressed in coat and mittens, her arms filled with two big boxes. Her face brightened when she saw her friend. “Happy day-after-Christmas, Lauren.”
“Same to you.” Lauren hurried and took the top box from Stacie’s arms. It was heavier than she’d expected. “What do you have in here? Bricks?”
“Just food for the shelter.” Stacie paused. “I’m making a delivery. Care to join me? It’ll give us a chance to catch up, and I sure could use an extra pair of hands.”
Lauren hesitated. “Anna sent me to pick up more apple cider for the Sew-fisticated open house.”
“The church where the shelter is housed is only a couple blocks away, so the delivery shouldn’t take long.” Stacie’s tone turned persuasive. “If you help me out, I’ll not only get that cider for you, I’ll throw in a little something extra.”
Lauren thought quickly. From what she’d observed, the Sew-fisticated customers were doing more talking than drinking. With hot coffee and tea available, they probably wouldn’t miss the cider...at least not for the next half hour. “I’d love to take a walk in the crisp Montana air with you.”
“Uh-oh, sounds like it hasn’t warmed up much.”
“It’s not too bad.” Lauren settled her gaze on Stacie’s fur-trimmed parka. “You won’t be cold. Not in that coat.”
“What about you?” Stacie’s brow furrowed. “Yours doesn’t look very warm.”
“I’ll be fine.” Lauren waved a dismissive hand. “I can’t wait to hear all about your Christmas with Josh. Was it as wonderful as you’d hoped?”
“It was fabulous.” Stacie’s face glowed, just as Anna’s did when she talked about her new husband. “Josh made it special for me.”
“I’m sure you made it special for him, too.” Lauren realized with a sudden start that she didn’t envy Stacie her “fabulous” Christmas. Not one bit.
She’d had her own memorable holiday with Seth and Ivy.
Al jumped up from his checkerboard to open the door, and as they ambled down the sidewalk, Stacie recounted every last detail of her Christmas, including the sumptuous meal she and Josh had made for his mom and dad.
“They’d barely left when my family called,” Stacie continued. “I was able to speak with my brother and sisters and all my nieces and nephews. My parents too, of course. Did I tell you they’re planning to come here next Christmas?”
“That’s great news, Stacie.” Lauren tried to summon up some enthusiasm, but all she could think was that her parents hadn’t even bothered to call this year.
As if she could read Lauren’s thoughts, Stacie turned, her eyes dark with sympathy. “By the look on your face, I take it you didn’t hear from Edmund and Margaret.”
“Not a peep.” Lauren tightened her gloved hands around the box. “They were probably having so much fun in Paris that I didn’t even cross their minds.”
“That must hurt.”
The caring in her friend’s voice brought a lump to Lauren’s throat. She shrugged and continued walking.
“Forget the parents. We have more important things to discuss.” Stacie shot Lauren a sly glance. “Like you and Seth.”
Heat rose up Lauren’s neck. Rather than meet Stacie’s assessing gaze, she focused on the church, now only a half block ahead. “I had a pleasant Christmas with Seth and Ivy, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Hot Christmas, more like.” Stacie laughed aloud. “Anna told me about the kiss.”
Lauren accepted that news
