His Wyoming Surprise
highlight_author
Virginia McCullough
highlight_reads
18,6K
highlight_chapters
18
CHAPTER ONE
TOM AZAR STOOD with his back against the corral fence, closer to the horses than to the clusters of other wedding guests. At that moment, he was watching single mom Willow Lancaster, or more accurately, admiring her from afar, as usual. Holding her adopted daughter, seven-month-old Naomi, in her arms, Willow swayed to the rhythm of the bluegrass music the quartet produced in front of the reception building of Stanhope’s Cabins-in-the-Woods. Unlike him, Willow wasn’t standing alone. Instead, she was surrounded by kids of various ages happily fussing over her baby, who rewarded their playful baby talk with smiles and baby laughter. It was true. No one could resist a baby, especially a happy one.
Being a relatively new pediatrician in Adelaide Creek, and known as Dr. Tom around town, those lively kids and the baby were his patients. He counted their parents, including the bride and groom, among his new friends. Tom wouldn’t have missed this celebration marking yet another wedding in Adelaide Creek, the small Wyoming town he’d chosen as his new home about a year and a half ago. Jeff Stanhope, the man who owned these cabins and the corral full of horses, had married radiologist Olivia Donoghue. With Jeff’s newly adopted son, Carson, days away from turning fifteen, and Olivia’s twelve-year-old daughter, Jillian, now strong and healthy after a bout with cancer, the town had a new family of four. Given all they’d been through, in Tom’s eyes they were a particularly special family.
When the kids took off to give the half dozen horses in the corral some attention, Willow followed, but then she detoured toward the end of the corral fence where Tom was observing the celebration. This was typical of the Willow he’d become acquainted with since setting up his pediatrics practice—she’d seen him standing alone, and being a gregarious woman, that likely struck her as not quite right. He didn’t know Willow well, but she never missed a chance to say hello and catch up and sometimes try to lure him out of his shell.
Long ago, and for solid, logical reasons he could list if anyone ever asked, Tom had declared himself as not the marrying kind. But he’d admit to a little envy over the last year or so. First, he’d watched Jeff and Olivia fall in love. At the same time, their kids were thriving after some big challenges. Then, out of the blue, Willow had adopted Naomi, confiding in Tom that she’d always dreamed of having a family.
In her midthirties now, she was no longer willing to wait for the right guy to come along and sweep her off her feet. Tom had always viewed her as something of a free spirit, but maybe he hadn’t given her serious, focused side its due respect, at least until now.
“I was certain I’d see you here, Tom.” Willow’s beaming smile communicated the feeling that he’d been the very person she’d been hoping to see.
“I wouldn’t have missed it. It’s not every day I’m invited to the wedding of the parents of two of my star patients,” he replied. He wiggled his fingers at Naomi, who responded with a smile that showed off her first bottom tooth. Wispy strands of her reddish-blond hair escaped the confines of her white sunhat. “There she is, all dressed up and content perched on her mom’s hip. She has a perfect view of all the hoopla.”
“I’m doing so much better than I was during those early weeks with her.” Willow’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “No sense trying to keep secrets from the pediatrician. The first time you saw me I was nervous Nellie, or maybe wobbly Willow is a better fit.”
Willow described herself accurately, but he didn’t jump in and agree. Besides, almost all new parents were nervous and wobbly. They were easily alarmed by a sniffle or a rash, or even a case of baby hiccups. Angry wails over a simple diaper change mystified the best of them. Reassuring parents, especially first-timers, was a big part of his job. When it came to Willow, though, he’d admired her gumption to go after what she wanted and embrace the parenthood ride alone. “But here you are out having some fun with your beautiful daughter at a big shindig.”
Willow tilted her head and offered a mildly flirtatious smile. With one arm wrapped around the baby’s middle to secure her against her hip, Willow extended her free hand. “Come dance with me.”
He pulled back his head and looked at the baby. “Dance? Really?”
“Absolutely.” She pointed with her chin to the front of the lodge. “We can do it. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve coaxed you out to the dance floor at an Adelaide Creek gathering.”
Tom fought the urge to say no and revert to his shy self, the side of him that preferred the outside of the circle, where he could observe the inside where the action was. As always, it wasn’t easy to say no to Willow. She was especially pretty in a blue dress the same color as her eyes. Her thick hair always made him think of golden tupelo honey. Today it hung long and unencumbered down her back.
“Okay, Willow, let’s go.” He rolled his eyes just a little as he took her hand.
“I see you’re only a little grumpy.” She led him to the patch of front yard where others were dancing, too. “Naomi and I intend to show you how it’s done.”
“I’m sure you will.”
The musicians had gradually slowed the pace of the music, with the fiddler bringing out a soft sigh of nostalgia in the music on a shining September day. Tom was private about it, but he played a little guitar at home to help him relax. So he had no trouble holding Willow’s free hand and catching the three-quarter rhythm. Even with the distance between them, they fell into step and stayed on the outer edge of the other dancers and made a circle of their own. Willow danced like she walked, not so much taking steps, but flowing from place to place.
“We better watch out. Carson has his video camera going.” Tom nodded to the teenager who was seldom spotted without a camera. “He’s having a great time immortalizing his new dad’s wedding.”
“That’s okay,” Willow said. “I don’t mind being caught on tape and becoming part of this happy day. Besides, that boy knows how to use a camera.”
After they made a second full circle at an easy pace, Willow said, “You know something, Tom, you’re a fraud.”
“Is that so?” He twirled her and Naomi under his arm, which earned him another giggle from the baby.
“You’re an excellent dancer.”
“So I’ve been told,” Tom teased, executing another expert twirl. “Oh, wait. I think you might have been the one who said so.”
Willow’s smile widened. “Yep, that was probably me.”
“But if ever there was a time to dance, the wedding of these two is it.” Tom tried to ignore another twinge of envy as he spoke. “There’s the professional connection, but typical of Adelaide Creek, I bumped into Jeff and Olivia at one place or another until eventually we became friends.” He paused before adding, “Like us.”
Willow cooed at the baby. “Lucky you, Naomi. Your pediatrician is Mommy’s friend.” She met Tom’s eye. “And co-volunteer all over town, I should add.”
“Seems so.” He and Willow regularly stepped up to help out at various Adelaide Creek events, which is why he’d known her long before she brought a baby into her life. “I imagine you’ll cut some of those volunteer hours now that you have Naomi.”
Willow opened her mouth to respond, but the music stopped and Carson’s voice boomed that it was time for Olivia and Jeff to cut the cake.
The wedding would probably draw to a close after that. Many of the guests ran large sheep or cattle ranches or they were small-scale farmers who held other jobs. Or, like Jeff Stanhope, they’d carved out a niche that met other demands of the town, like renting cabins to tourists and opening his riding school. With the regular school year already underway, few people in town had much time off, even for honeymoons. From his early days in town, Tom noted that fairs and festivals, or a Saturday afternoon wedding, were prized occasions to hang out with friends and neighbors.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tom saw Carson waving at curious cabin guests and encouraging them to come closer.
Willow also saw Carson in action. “He’s quite a host, isn’t he, making sure the weekenders renting the cabins get to share that huge double-chocolate cake.” She repositioned Naomi to straddle her other hip. “And then we have to go, don’t we, Naomi? You’ll want your dinner.”
“Oh, but such an exciting day for a baby,” Tom said, with a laugh in his voice. “The endless flow of people smiling at you and telling you how cute you are.” He gave the baby’s foot a little shake. “A fun time, right, Naomi?”
This time the baby regarded him and his question with her curious light brown eyes. At the same time, cell phones chimed and buzzed all around him. Instinctively, he patted the phone in his blazer pocket, but it was quiet, and so was Willow’s. Other ringtones rippled through the yard, and then seconds later, a high-pitched wail of the town siren filled the air. They were a couple of miles from Adelaide Creek’s one-street downtown, but no one doubted that sound.
Holding his phone, Jeff held up his hand high over his head. “Fire at the town hall,” he shouted. “Some of us have to go. Now.”
Tom wasn’t part of the volunteer fire department, but unless he was in the office with patients or at the hospital, he usually responded. The EMTs always welcomed an extra pair of hands. Besides, kids could be in a fire and require special help.
“I should get down there,” he told Willow. “Just in case...”
“Go, go. Of course. I’m going to stay here and help with the kids.” Willow hurried to join Carson, who was rolling the cake inside the building.
Tom spotted Jeff’s sister, Heather, a nurse practitioner who worked in his office part-time. He kept his distance for the next several minutes while she talked to her husband, Matt Burton, who’d shed his suit jacket and passed some firefighting tools from his truck into Jeff’s. The two men were the first to take off down the road toward town.
“Are you going?” Heather winced against the continuing blast of the siren.
“Yeah, I am. Do you want to ride with me to the site?”
She glanced at the porch where Heather’s young twins had gathered around Willow and Carson and a few other children.
“Willow is staying to help watch the kids,” Tom said, pointing to the porch where many of the older adults had also gathered. “Seems the wedding guests have everything covered here.” Almost as an afterthought, he added, “I’ve got supplies in my vehicle. Even a couple of extra masks—and lab coats.”
She glanced down at her dress and flats. “I’m not worried about my clothes.” She pressed her lips together. “Matt and Jeff are a different story.”
Tom squeezed her shoulder to let her know he understood. Before having any details about the extent of the fire and the danger it could pose, both Heather’s husband and brother had jumped into action mode. Tom and Heather soon followed Olivia down the driveway. She turned right toward the hospital in Landrum, where she’d be an extra radiologist working with the ER staff. Tom made a left toward downtown.
He and Heather had responded as a team to a couple of previous emergencies in Adelaide Creek and also in Landrum, the county seat and a much larger town. So far, only their first aid skills had been called on to treat minor injuries. Still, from Heather’s body language, Tom was sure the rush of adrenaline had put her on high alert. Like him.
“Matt and Jeff haven’t been called out that often,” Heather said, “but I still worry each time.”
It was the same for Tom. From his days working ER shifts during medical school, he dreaded the injuries fires could cause. Smoke inhalation could be even more serious than burns. Until they were on the ground, he and Heather had no way to predict how bad the situation was or could get.
He smelled the smoke before he saw it. “I carry extra masks with my other supplies,” Tom said. “We’ll need them. The toxins coming from the building will likely make the air more dangerous than the flames.”
Less than a full breath later, Heather gasped as thick plumes of white and charcoal smoke darkened the otherwise brilliant blue sky—a perfect day for her brother’s outdoor wedding. An older volunteer firefighter was stationed at the roadblock directing cars away from Merchant Street, but he waved Tom and Heather through. Tom drove into a sea of flashing lights and pulled into the parking area at the fairgrounds adjacent to the town hall.
Smoke was escaping through gaps in the roof and broken windows, the heaviest of it coming from the section that housed the town’s small but historic library. The volunteer firefighters from Adelaide Creek had suited up and were working alongside the crew from Landrum, with their fire chief directing the action in the rear of the single-floor building. Tom recognized the chief because his young teenagers had been among Tom’s first patients when he’d opened his office. Tom saw more familiar faces amidst the equipment and emergency vehicles. If Adelaide Creek lost its landmark town hall, it wouldn’t be for lack of people showing up to try to save it.
By the time he and Heather reached the three ambulances standing ready, Matt and Jeff were out of sight. “I have to trust they’ll be okay. They’re probably on the other side of the building,” Heather said. “This is a serious fire, though. If we lose the building, so be it. I just don’t want them—or anyone—hurt.”
Tom opened the back of his SUV and grabbed the protective masks and lab coats. “We can start with these. We should wear lab coats to make it easy to identify us.” He handed Heather one of the medical bags he carried with him. He’d added the second because of situations exactly like this, when medical roles were by necessity interchangeable. Not everyone had a stash of instruments and first aid items to carry in their cars and trucks like Tom routinely did.
He and Heather hurried away in different directions to assess if and where they could be of help. Tom stopped at the closest ambulance, where Gina Painter, a volunteer EMT, was securing a dressing on an older man’s forearm and hand. The bigger concern was the oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. “Wheezing,” Gina reported to Tom as he approached. “Hoarse, scratchy throat. And a cardiac history. Slightly elevated blood pressure. I’m cleaning up the burn and then we’re taking him to be admitted in Landrum.”
The man lowered the mask and gave Tom a lopsided grin. “Aren’t you that kids’ doc?”
Tom reached for his stethoscope and moved his own mask to the side. “That I am, but sometimes they let me pretend I can deal with guys like you. You know, the kind who get themselves hurt in fires.”
The man had more than enough strength to give the air an energetic swat. “Ah, I’m not hurt. I don’t want to take up space in the hospital for a scratchy throat.”
“No more talking now.” Tom swallowed his words, or lecture, about letting the younger people fight the fires. Wouldn’t make much difference, anyway. The man had likely been part of the volunteer firefighter crew for a very long time and didn’t know when to call it quits. Today, his lungs were paying the price.
“Don’t bother arguing with Gina. She’s a friend of mine.” Tom nodded toward the paramedic. “I agree with her. You require more than we can give you here.”
“Told you so, Randy,” Gina said with a smirk.
Randy pulled down the mask again and smirked. “What do you know, anyway? Your patients are babies.”
“And they protest, too, even louder than you. For a man who’s been breathing bad air, you’re mighty talkative. I’ll give you that.” Tom straightened and cupped Randy’s elbow. “We’ll get you inside the ambulance, and you’ll be in Landrum in no time.” On impulse, he added. “I’ll come to see you tomorrow.”
“In a T-shirt and sneakers, I’ll bet.” Randy tried to laugh but ended up coughing instead. He managed to add, “My granddaughters told me all about you. They think you’re funny.”
Tom chuckled. He’d figure out who the girls were later. Right now, the man should be monitored in a hospital room. Maybe a visit from those granddaughters would do him good, too.
Gina climbed inside, and the driver maneuvered around the other ambulances and soon disappeared down the road. Tom checked in with the other paramedic on the scene, but he had the situation covered and was about to send a young woman to the hospital in her own car with her husband as the driver. She had a much milder case of smoke inhalation than Randy, and was decades younger. Tom took over stabilizing a Landrum firefighter’s arm and shoulder for transport to the hospital. His quick diagnosis was a broken collarbone.
It took more than an hour before the crew of volunteers and pros had the blaze under control and killed the smoldering debris on the outside of the structure. Tom and Heather, still masked, helped a couple of police officers secure the periphery of the grounds to block the sidewalk and the walkways to the parking lot. “It’s going to be a long time before this building will be open for business.” Heather’s tone was grim.
If ever, Tom thought, but chose not to say it out loud. The scope of the damage hit home, along with the early assessment of the cause. One of the volunteers from another small town in the county grumbled about the old electrical system that had long needed to be replaced. Somehow, the woman said, Addie Creek hadn’t found the money in the budget to repair it. “Bet they will now,” she huffed as she walked away.
He was still pondering that when he joined Heather, Matt and Jeff at the truck parked on the edge of the fairgrounds. The two men were sooty—and sweaty—but relieved. The brick shell of the building was blackened by smoke. Only a couple of the many windows were intact. Most of the damage was inside, with much of the town clerk’s office destroyed, and the library fixtures either gone or badly damaged.
“It will take a couple of days to get the big picture of the damage,” Matt explained.
“And a lot longer to raise the funds to repair it, if it can be,” Jeff said. “I wonder if repairs are even possible.”
Tom kept the EMT’s comments about the faulty electrical system to himself. Soon enough the truth would come out and no one would be happy. Seeing the rubble, broken glass and charred wood, the town should act fast.
When Heather said she’d ride home with Matt and Jeff, Tom said a quick goodbye and left the three to sort out the rest of the wedding day. Walking away alone, he had mixed feelings. It was getting dark now, and he was ready to end the day. He’d want to rest up for his hike the next day, his customary Sunday trip out to the trails, plus the added visit to see how that older guy, Randy, was faring at the hospital. On Tom’s days off, wandering solo on the trails through these rocky hills and ridges never failed to renew him.
Sometimes, though, when he left town gatherings like weddings and birthday parties, he couldn’t chase away an empty feeling. It was his choice to be alone, to make his patients his priority, admittedly a substitute for a family of his own. Family. Not a concept he understood very well, since he’d never had a real one, not even as a little kid. That’s what made him okay with his choice to stay a loner. At least until days like this one. First the wedding and then being part of a tight network that showed up to handle a crisis in his adopted community. Now, when other people went home to their wives or husbands, or maybe their parents or children, Tom found it difficult to disengage.
Images of the day’s contrasts flipped through his brain. One minute he was bantering and dancing with Willow to the lively music of a fiddle, a banjo, a guitar and a bass. Then, in a flash, the crowd scattered, his adrenaline surged and the wedding was behind him. An amusing older man’s wheezing had captured his attention and was all that mattered.
After letting himself into his small log house, he opened a bottle of a local brew, opened the patio doors in the kitchen and stepped out to his deck. He propped his hip on the railing and took a couple of quick swigs as the light began to fade over the rocky slabs and outcroppings on the hills across the field. Farther away, the mountain peaks were turning gray and lavender as the sun disappeared behind them. The cold liquid soothed his throat, parched from the heat of the fire.
Then, for no reason other than following a nudge in his gut, he texted Willow: fire out no serious injuries...lots of damage tho.
He hadn’t expected a reply, but five minutes later, he got one. Thnx 4 update...and the dance...see u soon.
Willow had been so pretty and happy holding Naomi as he’d twirled her under his arm in perfect time to the music. Hmm... There was something different about dancing with her today. Even in retrospect a few hours later. But he couldn’t explain why...
WILLOW LANCASTER PUT the car seat carrier holding the sleeping baby on the floor in the corner of her father’s conference room. It was the most up-to-date room in an office that had seen many additions over the years. The rectangular walnut table and matching chairs gleamed under the sunlight streaming through the windows. In a workshop filled with tools and cabinetry, this room was the place where her dad could impress his clients with the unique pen-and-ink renderings of Lancaster-built houses and buildings lining the walls. A drawing of her house hung on that wall, too, and Quincy had asked the artist to add the rosebushes Willow had planted when she first moved in.
Willow and her dad had planned to be at the Merchant Street Diner for one of their semi-regular Sunday brunches. But they’d scratched that idea when the mayor called an emergency meeting of Adelaide Creek’s council members, the town clerk and regular volunteers. Her dad had immediately offered his office as the most convenient place to gather. Her father’s company, Lancaster Builders and Real Estate, had its office and shop in a commercial section of town behind Merchant Street, where it shared a couple of acres with an auto repair shop and a hardware store.
Since Willow had volunteered at almost every town event and festival over the last decade, she’d decided to pack up Naomi and sit in on the meeting. If the baby fussed and disturbed the others, she could head for home.
“Sleeping like a baby, is she?” Quincy Lancaster smiled fondly as he looked over Willow’s shoulder at Naomi. “I’m glad you’re here. Both of you.”
“There’s so much to hash over, isn’t there? It’s all too important to put off even for a day.” Willow bent over to give Duchess a quick pat on the head. As usual, the brindle boxer settled at the foot end of the carrier as if hired to watch over the baby.
Through the glass door of her father’s office, Willow spotted a few of the other expected attendees. The first two were familiar faces—Haley Briggs, the part-time librarian, and Zoe Lerner, her dad’s colleague on the town council. Both women wore grim expressions. Understandable. From what details her dad could supply, the fire had left the town’s business offices and the interior of the library in near ruins. The community center, which was part of the town hall, hadn’t fared well, either. Willow chose to be optimistic, though. For one thing, the shell of the building was intact. That’s what mattered. Repairing the landmark structure meant it would finally get a much-needed upgrade, and no one was better at overseeing a project of that size than her dad.
Like the Stanhopes, the Lancaster name was associated with generations of ranchers. Unlike the Stanhopes, the Lancasters were a huge family. Willow was blessed with a slew of aunts and uncles, and a bunch of cousins who were like siblings she’d never had. Quincy hadn’t been the only one of his family to venture beyond ranching. Some went into business or health care or law, but Quincy had developed his own niche. Since his twenties, he’d been a major builder in the region, which Willow experienced firsthand every day. Two years ago, she’d bought one of the half a dozen new houses Quincy put up on a spread of acres bordering Adelaide Creek.
“Finally, I get to see your new baby,” Haley exclaimed when Willow greeted her and Zoe at the entrance to the conference room.
“She’s sound asleep,” Willow said, thinking she’d come a long way from her first days with Naomi when she tiptoed around, afraid to disturb her. Fortunately, Tom had convinced her that given the chance, babies could sleep through cata...clys...mic events. The memory of the way he’d dragged out the word still amused her. But then, she’d seen him in action with kids around town well before she’d brought her three-month-old to his office for the first time.
Willow had fit every description of a flustered, nervous first-time parent. When Tom had called Naomi a tough little cookie and the baby returned his smile and gurgled and cooed, Willow had let out a long exhale. In a gentle, slightly teasing voice, Tom had told her it was okay for her to breathe again. Lost in that pleasant memory, Haley’s voice pulled her into the present and Willow refocused on her words.
“The library is in bad shape now, but I guarantee we’ll recover.” The volunteer librarian, retired from a bigger county system farther north, added, “I’m not waiting for funding. Tomorrow morning, I’ll contact my network. When the time comes to start collecting books, other librarians will come through with donations.”
“That’s the spirit,” Quincy said, as he ushered a few more people into the room, including the long-time town clerk, Justin Jones, and the mayor, Alice Buckley. “Okay, folks, Justin and Alice have arrived. Let’s get to work. Take a seat anywhere.”
Willow glanced at Naomi, still deep in her private dreamland with Duchess snoozing at her feet. Seeing all was peaceful, Willow took a place at one end of the long table. Her dad and Zoe sat on either side of the mayor at the other end. Within minutes, the table was a sea of laptops, tablets and phones, along with a few pens and paper notebooks.
All eyes were on Alice when she dispensed with pleasantries and plunged right in with the next steps. “We’ll have a public town meeting as soon as we have more facts, but for now, Justin and I will work on solving a few immediate problems.”
About three items into her list of critical issues, Alice’s attention was drawn to the back of the room behind Willow. “Dr. Tom, so glad you joined us.”
Tom stood in the doorway and mumbled a quick apology for being late. “I got a text from Justin. Since I’m in charge of the committee that plans the kids’ events this holiday season, I should probably listen in. Without the community center, the arrangements could get tricky.”
Willow scooted her chair to the side to make room for Tom to roll one in next to her.
“The Halloween party...well, parties—one for the kids, one for the adults,” Alice said, “is an item on the agenda.”
“I’m not surprised to see you here,” Tom murmured. His eyes were warm and friendly.
“My dad and I planned a morning together, anyway,” Willow whispered, slightly distracted now from the ideas already flooding into her head about keeping the town’s business going. That included the holiday celebrations. Adelaide Creek was well-known all over the county for its kids’ Halloween party and had planned one for adults. People came from all over the county to attend the town’s Christmas markets, and other spring and summer festivals.
Willow’s potential plan was taking form, but it wasn’t substantial enough to bring up for discussion. Not yet. It was exciting, though, and triggered her imagination. With her attention split, she listened to the others around the table talk about finding temporary office space to conduct the regular town business. The idea Willow was mulling over would fill that gap, too. If her bosses agreed to it. Admittedly, a big if.
Last year, when she’d decided to pursue adoption, Willow also applied for a job at the relatively new and upscale Tall Tale Lodge & Spa. As much as she’d enjoyed her old job at the county art gallery in Landrum, she’d outgrown it. She craved a new professional challenge, but equally important, she needed a better salary. She got both when she was offered the job of Events and Promotions Manager. The lodge boasted about its day care center for employees and guests, a major upside of her job. Naomi was well cared for in a bright, modern place only a few steps from Willow’s office.
It was the nature of her job as events planner that now had her head popping with visions of what could solve the town’s problem. Sound, workable ideas. The energetic flip-flops in her stomach told her so.
She tapped the bare outline of a plan into her phone in her lap as fast as her fingers would let her. When she became aware Tom was watching her, she raised her eyes and noted his puzzled expression. Smiling to herself, she had a hunch he’d like what she had to say. Soon enough he and the others would learn what had set her mind racing.
“Not much more we can do today.” Alice did a quick rundown of what she planned to accomplish by day’s end, including a walk-through with the insurance agent and the fire chief from Landrum. “Once we have more details, we’ll go from there. Meanwhile, we’ll salvage what we can.”
“We don’t want to lose those original oak fixtures in the office and the library,” Quincy said. “I’ve got the space and can arrange a crew to transport them to my shop as soon as you’re done with the insurance adjuster.”
Willow raised her hand. “Alice, one more thing. I might have a solution to a few items on the list.” She glanced at Tom. “I think Tall Tale Lodge would be an excellent place for the kids’ Halloween party. We could bring in games and other supplies. I can work up a proposal and present it to the owners. It’s worth a try.”
The room fell silent for a minute. Two of the lodge owners lived a couple of hours north of town, making their on-site presence spotty at best. Only a few locals even knew them. The third owner had moved to Adelaide Creek to run the business, functioning as the CEO. Although the lodge owners showed little interest in the community itself, most people had been glad to see the place open—and not only for the new jobs it brought. For one thing, the restaurant and bar had a dance floor and the manager brought in bands on the weekends that drew local people. Willow also knew the owners regarded local business as positive, but extra. They wanted bookings for corporate meetings and private parties, and recently, weddings.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Willow said. “It’s true the owners haven’t been...well, civic-minded.” Willow knew the score better than most. To the three-person partnership, Adelaide Creek was a mere spot on a map. Most of their business came from tourists who wanted gorgeous views and comfort with a touch of luxury.
On the personal side, Willow hadn’t been the owners’ first choice for the Events and Promotions Manager position. Maybe not even the second choice. It had been clear they’d settled for Willow, a bit of information she picked up on but kept to herself.
“That’s an understatement,” Zoe said dryly. “But we’re in an emergency now. I say give it a try, Willow.”
Her dad agreed with a soft yes. Tom was still silent. Haley, Alice and Justin wore identical frowns.
Willow cleared her throat and glanced at her phone. “I’d also like to ask the owners if we can use a meeting room for town business, at least in the short term. Justin and Alice can’t work without office space.” Willow withheld her idea to put in an informal lending library somewhere. She even had a spot picked out near the elevators. But the town had bigger priorities today.
“Now, of course, an adult Halloween costume party is a shoo-in,” she continued. “Think of the business it would bring in.” Willow was already envisioning her PR campaign catapulting the lodge into the spotlight—again. “The press release practically writes itself.”
“Won’t mixing up so much lodge and town business mean extra work for you?” Tom asked.
I can only hope... She wasn’t afraid of the work. Part of her plan was to appeal to the owners’ sense of pride in the lodge as an important landmark in the community. They’d earn bragging rights by stepping up to help the town cope during a crisis. Motivated by wanting to spend as much time with Naomi as possible, Willow had already learned to juggle her workload by making the most of her team’s talents. If she added a new focus and managed it equally well, it would—at last—solidify her position at the lodge. Those were the thoughts in her head, but Tom’s question demanded a less complicated answer. “I have a couple of terrific assistants who are from the area. They’ll soon be aware of what the town is up against. They’ll have a stake in the plan working.”
“If you say so, Willow.” Tom then addressed Alice and Justin. “I agree that Tall Tale’s lobby would be a terrific place for the party. If Willow’s up for this, then count me in.”
Alice rested her cheek in her palm. “Unless anyone has objections, then work up the details and present it to your bosses, Willow. We’ll be happy to meet with them if they show any interest.” She shrugged. “If not, back to the drawing board.”
Willow tightened the muscles in her stomach and clenched her jaw. I’m going to get a yes.
Alice soon ended the meeting and got to her feet. The room quickly began to clear.
“Wow,” Tom said, his eyes wide open, “I can feel your determination. Like it’s vibrating in the room. It’s an ambitious plan.”
“I’m an ambitious woman,” Willow shot back. Tom didn’t know her well enough to understand her laser-focus approach to her jobs. Then she chuckled and turned to Naomi, who’d opened her eyes and scrunched up her face to let Willow know she was none too happy. Willow quickly freed the baby from the chair and held her close, successfully warding off a bellow. She glanced at Tom. “I sometimes sound a lot tougher than I feel.”
“Naomi must be ready for her next meal.” Tom did his finger-wiggle trick and that, along with his big smile, distracted the baby.
“And lucky for her, I have a bottle ready to go.” With her free hand, Willow reached into her baby tote and pulled out a bottle and the paraphernalia she used to change Naomi’s diaper. She glanced at Duchess, who was on her feet with her eyes following Willow’s every move.
“Allow me.” Tom spread the pad on the table and flipped the top off the bottle.
“Hey, you two, step away from my granddaughter, nice and easy, and there won’t be any trouble.” Standing in the doorway, Quincy guffawed at his low-voiced sheriff impersonation. “I’m in charge here now,” he drawled. “I’ll change her and give her a bottle.” Quincy approached Willow with open arms. “I haven’t had much time with my little granddaughter yet. Besides, you and Tom have a lot to talk over.”
“What do you think of that?” Willow sing-songed to Naomi. She glanced into the watchful eyes of the dog. “I trust you approve, Duchess.”
“I don’t know about the dog, but Naomi’s got her mind on lunch,” Tom said, smiling. “As for me, I’ll be on my way. I have to make a stop at the hospital. A promise I made to a guy yesterday. We had to send him to the ER for smoke inhalation.”
“Walk Tom out then, Willow.” Quincy took Naomi and made nonsense sounds at her as he put her on the pad.
“Okay, Dad, I’ll be right back.”
She walked with Tom out to the parking lot. Curious, she asked, “You’re visiting an adult patient?”
“I am. Seems my reputation preceded me by way of his grandkids,” Tom said as they reached his car. “He’s an amusing guy. He’s been a volunteer firefighter for years but is more or less benched now, or ought to be. He still shows up, but he has a heart condition and shouldn’t have been anywhere near that fire yesterday.”
“So, your big heart extends beyond the little ones, huh?” Willow deliberately used a teasing tone.
He raised his hands in surrender. “Busted. I have a soft spot for grandpas and grandmas.” He focused elsewhere for a minute, but Willow detected a flicker of sadness in his eyes despite his light tone.
“Well, I hope Mr. Grandpa is better today.”
“Thanks—I’ll tell him Willow Lancaster says hello.” Tom chuckled. “He probably knows you. Everybody does.”
Willow had to laugh. “You exaggerate—a little. When you have deep roots in a town of a mere five hundred people, you’re expected to know almost everybody.”
Tom got into his SUV. “Good luck convincing your bosses to turn the lodge into a mini town hall.”
“I’ll do my best.” She waved and returned to her dad’s office.
Even after almost two years in Adelaide Creek, Tom was still considered a newcomer. Plus, Tom was on the enigmatic side. She knew almost nothing about him. He was friendly around town, but he never offered a hint to his past. When it came to his professional reputation, though, Willow had never heard a bad word about him. With her own eyes she’d seen kids drawn to him like a magnet. She’d never considered bringing Naomi to any other doctor.
Willow had seen Tom at fairs and festivals or, like her, at the occasional wedding or party. It was hard not to notice he was always alone. Willow had encountered a few bumps on the romance road herself. She recognized a confirmed bachelor when she saw one. Not that his relationship status mattered. Being a single mom now, she had no time for romance herself.
