On Christmas Avenue Read online

  “Dennis has a lot on his plate,” Evan said. “And a baby due in late December.”

  Connie threw open her hands. “Well then, it’s all down to you.”

  Evan squared his broad shoulders. “I want you both to remember that I was against this.”

  “Oh, I don’t think we’ll forget it,” Connie said. She handed Mary’s proposal folder to Evan. “You might want to keep this.”

  He grumbled. “Thanks.”

  “Mary,” she said, “don’t be daunted by my son. He only cares for Clark Creek and its people.”

  Mary’s heart hammered, her determination to prove Evan wrong growing by leaps and bounds. She understood that he had his objections, but she was on task and didn’t intend to let anyone down. “It’s Clark Creek’s people I’m trying to help.”

  Evan thumped her folder in his hands. “I guess we’ll see about that.”

  Mary held his gaze, and electricity crackled between them. For an instant, she couldn’t think or breathe. “I guess we will.”

  “Evan!” Connie said. She gave an exasperated frown. “Really.”

  “Sorry,” he said, like a scolded kid.

  Mary smoothed back her hair, wondering what had just happened. The way Evan had looked at her had been so intense. So heavy, but it had made her feel so light. Uh-oh. Oh no.

  “I expect the two of you to work this out,” Connie told them. “And Evan, I’m leaving it to you to make Mary to feel welcome and for things to run smoothly.”

  “No problem,” he said, casting a sidelong glance at Mary. “Of course.”

  Mary nodded. She’d expected a certain degree of complication with this endeavor, because those always arose with any undertaking. She just hadn’t expected one of those complications to be the sheriff. The ultra-difficult but still somehow mysteriously appealing sheriff. She’d have to watch her step around him.

  Now that the mayor had set him straight, things would settle down and they could get to work. Mary clutched her satchel strap harder. In a businesslike fashion.

  “So,” she said, as they strolled away from Connie’s office. “What are you doing in the morning?”

  “I have my regular patrols to do and some paperwork.”

  “And after?”

  He stopped walking and crossed his arms in front of him. “I suppose I’m meeting with you?” he said mildly, like he hadn’t experienced that lightning-bolt connection between them. Whew. Well, maybe he hadn’t. Which was all to the good. She was here for her job, after all, and already had enough to do, without worrying about romantic involvements.

  “That would be fantastic.” It was a small start, but a beginning. “I want to tell you about our sponsors and discuss the parade route. Oh! And I have some great ideas for the floats.”

  “Anything you wish,” he said like he didn’t mean it, and Mary’s energy flagged. The next instant she rallied.

  “I saw a cute coffee shop in town.”

  “The Whistle Stop?”

  “Yeah, that’s the one. It’s near at the end of Main Street and I thought the parade might start there.”

  “Why not at the town square?”

  “Well. I suppose that could work too.” She liked that he was getting into this, becoming invested.

  “We could start it and end it at the same place,” he said, “sort of like one-stop shopping.”

  Or not. “That’s hardly a parade, Evan.”

  He sighed. “Fine. The Whistle Stop it is. Want to say ten?” He checked his watch. “I can give you half an hour.”

  How very generous of you. She pursed her lips, concealing her agitation. “Thirty minutes sounds fine. Don’t be late.”

  He motioned grandly toward the elevator, then headed for the stairs. “I never am.”

  Evan sighed when he returned to the second floor. He’d told his mom he’d agree to help with Mary. That didn’t mean he couldn’t continue working on her about scaling back her parade. Maybe if she kept it to a reasonable size and a short timeframe of, say, under an hour, it wouldn’t take such a huge toll on Clark Creek. Mary could still deliver her dose of holiday cheer and optimally make the town a little money in the process.

  He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling oddly discomfited by that prolonged stare-down he’d had with her. That had proved fairly inconvenient, too. He couldn’t let her get under his skin. Professionally, or personally. And he wouldn’t.

  “Hi, boss.” Itzel wore a cheery grin. “How’d everything go?”

  “Exactly as I thought it would. The mayor is totally sold on Mary’s idea.”

  “I’ll do what I can to help.”

  “Thanks, Itzel. I might need to take you up on that.”

  He passed down the narrow hallway and entered his office, where an unnerving sight greeted him. His Christmas light-wrapped coat rack completely blocked the window and an ungainly stand of reindeer occupied most of his desk. Mary Ward might be exerting her influence over the mayor and town council, but she was not exercising her Christmas Consultant “magic” here.

  Evan strode to the coat rack and flipped off the lights, before carting the coat rack back to its assigned space in the corner. Next, he glanced around the room for someplace else to put the reindeer, but his bookshelves were occupied by procedural manuals, and the coffee table by the small sofa on the opposite wall was where he sometimes liked to rest his feet.

  Evan hoisted the heavy reindeer decoration and carried it to Itzel’s desk. “Here you are,” he said, setting it down in front of her. “Merry Christmas.”

  She stared up at him in surprise. “What’s this?”

  “A little lan-yap.”

  Chapter Five

  Mary left the courthouse building, feeling drained. She needed to check in at her B&B and grab some downtime to prepare for her day tomorrow. Connie had told her about a place that offered delivery pizza nearby. Staying in and eating cozy in her PJs sounded great. Now that the drama of meeting with Evan had passed, Mary realized she was really hungry.

  It was still snowing heavily when she made it down the courthouse steps to where she’d parked her SUV. Fortunately, it was an easy drive to Maple Street, which was just off Main. She found her destination three houses down from the corner, and on the righthand side. A wooden sign, supported by two hefty posts, stood in the snowy front yard, proudly displaying its name: The Clark Creek B&B.

  The lovely Victorian, with its fresh yellow paint job and glossy black shutters, stood out against the wintry backdrop of the day like a bright ray of sunshine. The inn was every bit as pretty as its pictures, with a covered front porch and a freshly shoveled walkway. Darling Christmas wreaths hung in every window and an even larger one adorned the cranberry-colored front door, which was flanked by stained glass sidelights. There was even a turret on one side, and cheery light beamed through its elongated windows. Mary sighed. The inn was storybook perfect. She couldn’t wait to see the inside.

  Mary entered the Clark Creek B&B and its front door chime sounded. An attractive dark-haired guy with a beard and a mustache looked up from the reception desk. He wore a red flannel shirt and appeared to be in his thirties.

  “Welcome! You must be Mary.”

  “I am.” She grinned at his warm greeting. “Are you Marshall?”

  “Guilty as charged.” He strode around the desk to help her with her bags, since she’d already checked in online. She only had two: a small suitcase and her satchel, which contained her laptop and work papers. “This all you got, or do you have more in the car?”

  “This is it for me.”

  He picked up her suitcase and she thanked him. “I’ll show you to your room. Did you park on the street?” When she nodded, he said, “We’ve got parking around back. The sign’s a little hard to see when it gets covered with snow.”

  Mary smiled, taking in the cheery decor. The inn was all done up for the holidays and looked amazingly homey, despite its grandeur. “This place is fantastic.”

  “Thanks. I call it home
.”

  “How long have you been in business?”

  “Just over three years.”

  She spotted three framed awards on the wall behind the reception desk, each with a seal and a shiny blue ribbon. All read Most Romantic Getaway in swirly gold letters.

  “Yep,” he said proudly, seeing her gaze on the awards. “We’ve won each year we’ve entered.” He added jovially, “Although we treat our single guests very well, too.”

  She laughed. “I’m sure you do.” Mary noticed that he’d said we. “Who else helps you run it?”

  “Andrea is our cook and Jeremy helps with the cleaning. I fill in for them on their days off, and otherwise handle guest relations and routine upkeep and repairs.”

  “A regular Jack of all trades!”

  “That’s me. Jack. Only you can call me Marshall,” he said, teasing, and Mary laughed again. Marshall was very good at putting people at ease. From the looks of the place, he was great at keeping the inn up, too.

  “Did you do all the renovations yourself?”

  “I did. When I bought this place, it was fairly run down, but I knew it had potential.”

  “Well, you’ve done a great job.”

  He led her up a carpeted stairway with an exquisitely carved wooden banister, then down a long hall dripping with chandeliers. “You’re in Room 7. I hope you’ll like it. It’s one of our best and has its own bath.”

  “Sounds great. I’m sure I will.”

  Marshall pushed opened the door to her room and turned on a few lights. She was charmed by the quaint four-poster bed with a fluffy comforter and big pile of comfy pillows. The small table beside it held an antique-looking lamp, and a settee by the window afforded a view of the peaceful street. There was even a small refrigerator. And—perfect—a secretary-style writing desk with a sturdy chair in one corner.

  “All right?” Marshall asked her.

  “It’s awesome.”

  He placed her suitcase on a stand by the window. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

  “Full up this week?”

  “It’s Monday, so it’s slow. Things will get busier later in the week. I hope.”

  Mary frowned at his downcast expression. “Times a little tough, huh?”

  Marshall shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “We’ve had better seasons, to tell you the truth. Much better seasons than this.”

  “I’m sorry about that. That’s why I’m here to help.”

  “That’s what my mom tells me.”

  Mary knew from her conversations with Connie that Marshall was her son, like Evan, the sheriff. She’d bragged about a third son, too. Nash, whom she’d called a country doctor.

  “Your mom’s very proud of all you boys.”

  “How about you? Brothers and sisters?”

  “Not a one.”

  “Maybe it’s safer that way.” He shot her a teasing grin. “Siblings can be meddlesome.”

  Mary chuckled. “I’ve heard that before.” She added sincerely, “But it’s nice to have people who care about you.”

  “Yeah.” Marshall hesitated, as if deciding whether to say something further. Finally, he did. “I heard you met up with Evan.”

  “This afternoon. That’s right.”

  “Hope you didn’t take anything he said too personally.”

  “Personally? What do you mean?”

  “My brother, ah…” He stalled, shifting on his feet. “Can be a little hard-edged sometimes. Tough, but not in a bad way. Mostly because he loves this town.”

  “Yeah,” Mary said. “I got that.”

  “Not that Evan’s a bad guy, mind you,” Marshall said. “He simply likes staying organized. Sticking to the letter of the law.”

  “That’s super. So do I,” she said, meaning to put a positive spin on things. Who knew how much of this would get back to Connie—or Evan? “That’s why I’m sure that he and I will get along great working together.”

  “How did he take it about the parade?”

  Mary frowned. “Not as well as I expected.”

  “I’m sorry that Mom left that to you and didn’t tell Evan about the parade herself.”

  “What? She didn’t? But why?”

  Marshall chuckled. “Our good mayor sometimes has a hard time convincing the sheriff of things. She probably thought you’d do a better job with your professional presentation.”

  Mary hadn’t realized she’d ambushed Evan with her proposal. “Evan didn’t seem completely surprised about the parade,” she said to Marshall. “It was more like he’d heard about it, and had time to think up his objections.”

  “Could be. Small town.” Marshall rubbed his chin, then spoke confidentially. “You know, Evan’s a really great sheriff, but he’s good with the status quo.” His forehead rose. “Not big on changes.”

  “You mean, he’s risk-averse?”

  Marshall smiled softly. “That’s one way to put it.”

  “Hmm,” Mary muttered, unsure of what else to say. She hoped that Evan would at least bend a little. Otherwise, this was going to be a very long ten days, with her working hard on the parade, and him working twice as hard to oppose her.

  Marshall seemed to intuit her distress. “Don’t worry,” he said kindly. He thumped the doorframe, preparing to make his exit. “Once Evan understands that this parade’s going to work out to Clark Creek’s benefit, he’ll climb on board. You just need to help him see the upside.”

  “The upside.” She set her chin. “Right. Thanks, Marshall.”

  After her eventful day, Mary was excited to catch up with Judy. She answered the call on the first ring. “Judy! Hey.”

  “Hey you. How was your drive?”

  “Pretty good. It snowed a lot on the way here.”

  “I’m glad you got there okay.”

  “Yeah.”

  Mary sat back against the pillows on her bed and pressed her cell phone to her ear. She held a slice of pizza in her right hand and it smelled delicious. She bit off a huge piece, diving into its cheesy goodness. Oh wow, this was just what she needed. Carbs.

  “So,” Judy asked directly. “How was your meeting with the sheriff?”

  “Extremely annoying, but I’m dealing with it.”

  “Wait a minute. Are you eating something?”

  “Yeah, sorry. Pizza.”

  “Well, save a slice for me!” Judy laughed. “What kind?”

  “Pepperoni and mushroom,” Mary said, taking another bite and trying very hard not to talk with her mouth full. But seriously. She was starving, even hungrier than she knew.

  The mound of clothing she’d unloaded from her suitcase sat beside her on the bed. She’d already cluttered up the desk with her portable printer and legal pads, her hairbrush, and the flashlight she took with her each time she traveled for late-night emergencies. Not that she’d ever had any, but it paid to be prepared.

  Her yoga pants and stretch top draped over the settee, ready for her pre-breakfast morning session, and her boots and various pairs of shoes were strewn across the floor. She’d tidy up eventually—or not. The important thing was, she was staking her claim here, settling in.

  “Annoying? I don’t get it,” Judy said. “I thought the guy was supposed to be your liaison, the person selected to work with you?”

  “I don’t think he got any say in that selection. Judging by his reception.”

  “I’m sorry,” Judy said. “But you’ll work it out. You’ve dealt with difficult personalities before.” Mary had, that was true, but none of them had gotten her blood pumping the way Evan had. He’d definitely gotten her adrenaline going while racing her upstairs to see the mayor. What an aggravating man.

  Judy went on to say, “What’s important is that the mayor and the town council are behind you, and they are the ones footing your bill.”

  “That’s the part that worries Evan.”

  “Evan?”

  “He’s the sheriff,” Mary said.

  “An old curmudgeon, huh?”
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br />   “Acts like one, but no. He’s youngish.”

  “Ish?” Judy prodded.

  “In his thirties.”

  “Ooh. Single?”

  “Let’s hope so.” Mary giggled, trying to envision Evan with someone. Anyone. But out of pity for the poor imaginary woman, she couldn’t. He just seemed so buttoned up somehow. Inflexible.

  Judy digested this and then asked, “Handsome?”

  Mary’s heart stilled when she recalled the electricity in his deep blue eyes. They’d practically peered right through her, straight into her soul. If he’d been any other guy, and she a different woman…but no. None of that was happening. It was a good thing she was the only one who’d felt it, which also meant she might have imagined the whole thing to begin with.

  “He’s probably nice-looking enough for somebody who might be interested.”

  “Which is not you.”

  “Which is definitely not me.” Even if Mary was interested in seeing someone, it certainly wouldn’t be Evan. He wasn’t her type. She’d done “difficult” before and had come to regret it. Difficult was impossible to reform, and men like him tended to become annoyed by her positive outlook, which was just about as difficult as anyone could get. Only the most negative man could be opposed to positivity. The very idea dumbfounded her.

  “Better not to mix business with pleasure,” Judy said. “Especially with…” Her voice took on a sing-songy tone. “…your pending move.”

  Mary was jazzed about relocating to Seattle. She’d started researching it online and the city sounded amazing, with its cool art scene and awesome Pacific Northwest location. But she had Christmas in Clark Creek to contend with first.

  She’d been so pumped about the parade on her way here, then Evan’s contrary attitude had brought her down. She was rebounding from that, though, and eager to do a good job for the town and its people. She couldn’t wait for the big day, but knew there were loads of preparations to tackle first.

  “I agree,” Mary said, concurring with Judy’s advice not to get involved, which was sort of second nature to Mary, anyway. “Besides that ‘not mixing business with pleasure’ thing, my timeline here’s awfully short.” She bristled at the memory of Evan suggesting that it should be even shorter. Then she rolled her eyes, when she realized it scarcely mattered what he thought. Judy was right. She had the critical endorsements from the mayor and the town council.