High Plains Hearts (4 page)

She flopped down beside Cora. “You are the smartest kitty in the world,” she cooed as she ran her fingers through the soft fur.

She was certain the cat smiled, just a bit.

The day after Thanksgiving was traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, and this year was no different. What Tess didn’t know as the day began was that the evening news had aired a special about downtown regrowth and the mayor’s plan. She hadn’t watched the news because she’d been at the Thanksgiving dinner at Nativity when the story ran.

But her first customers told her about it. Angel’s Roost had been one of the shops mentioned, and over and over she heard the same comment: “I didn’t even know you were down here.”

Clearly she needed to advertise. With only the brief mention on the news her business had tripled. What could it do with an effective promotional campaign?

During breaks in the flow of people stocking up on angels for decorations and gifts, she began to sketch out an advertisement.

But, as the afternoon trade died down, so did her enthusiasm.

“I’m no artist,” she told Cora. “If I want to get Angel’s Roost in the public’s mind, I’ll have to hire an advertising agency or get on the news every night.”

She chose a name at random from the phone book’s listing of ad agencies.

Their conversation was short and anything but sweet. “Well, Toots,” she informed Cora, “I’d better hope for lots of news coverage because there is no way I can afford a professional advertising agency.”

The price of an original ad from an agency wasn’t high, but it was more than she could pay right now. Maybe after Christmas she’d look into it. She’d have more time then. Unfortunately, when things were quieter at the store, her bank balance dropped accordingly.

The tinkle of the door chime ended in a crash.

“Uh-oh.” Jake picked up the legs of the metallic angel, now separated from her body, which swung freely over the door.

“Poor thing.” Tess took the pieces and examined them. “Oh, no problem. I can put them back together. This ring came apart here.”

“Whew. I was afraid I was responsible for bringing an angel earthward. That weighs heavy on the old conscience, you know.”

She grinned at him. “You lowly mortal. Don’t you know it takes more than a human being to bring down an angel?”

“I’m not going to argue.” He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m delighted I haven’t taken an angel out of more than temporary commission. And speaking of angels”—he patted Faith on her curly little head—“I’ve come to take this gal with me.”

“I’m going to miss her, you know.” Tess was surprised at how true that was.

“I don’t blame you. But she’ll have a good home with us at Panda’s. She has her own niche all set up right inside the door.”

Tess was struck with a sudden horrible thought. “She’s not going to be holding a coffee cup, is she, with a sign at her feet saying something like ‘World’s Most Heavenly Coffee’?”

Jake looked aghast. “Do you really think I’d be guilty of a cheap trick like that? No, let me assure you. She is going to be there as an angel, not as an advertising gimmick. If she wants to take over as Panda’s guardian angel—that is, if one hasn’t already been assigned to us—well, that’d be fine with me.”

“I’m not sure businesses have guardian angels,” Tess said doubtfully.

“But their owners do, don’t they?”

“Everybody does.” She couldn’t resist adding, “And some people must have a whole host of them guarding them. Children, for example. How else do they live through childhood relatively unharmed?”

He chuckled. “I bet I sent at least one angel into early retirement.”

She motioned to a famous print of a guardian angel guiding two precious children, a boy and a girl, along a path. “How often do you suppose something like this happens? One angel assigned to two children?”

“If that were a picture of my sister and me, that poor angel would be a nervous wreck. What you don’t see is the itching powder the little boy put inside the girl’s clothing, and the Kick Me sign she taped to his pants.” He studied the picture. “Matter of fact, why don’t you wrap that up, too? I’m going to give it to my sister for Christmas, just to remind her of how angelic we were as kids.”

“Does your family live around here?” Tess asked as she took the painting down and wrapped pink and gold angel-printed tissue paper around it.

“They’re all over the country,” he said, paying her once again with cash. “Sis and her family are in Mississippi, my two brothers are in New England, and Mom and Dad are in Southern California.”

“Will you be seeing them this Christmas?”

He shook his head. “No. The big family gathering takes place every summer at the family cabin in Montana, but I’ll try to buzz out and see Mom and Dad later in January.” His eyes twinkled. “Right about then I’m ready for some basking in the sun without a parka, and, oh yeah, it’s great to see my parents, too.”

“Sounds fun.”

“It is. They have a big ranch-style house with a swimming pool. It’s quite a nice break from the icy depths of winter. Although I have to say it gets harder and harder to go out there to visit, what with Panda’s taking so much of my time.”

“Being a sole practitioner in business means vacation time is severely curtailed, that’s for sure.”

“True.” He reached down and patted Cora, who had joined them. “Besides, this grand lady might not be as flexible as your customers.”

“That’s the truth!”

She handed him the package. “Want some help carrying all this to your car?”

“I can get it.” As he gathered up the large angel and balanced the print under his arm, he said, “By the way, come out to Panda’s soon and see how Faith is doing out there. I think you’ll like it.”

“I’ll try.” She held the door open for him. “It was nice doing business with you.”

He stopped and turned to look at her. “Oh, I’m not finished yet. I still have more shopping to do. See you later!”

Cora joined Tess at the door but cringed back at the gust of cold air that swept into the small store.

“Brr. You’re right, Cora. It’s way too cold today.” She shut the door and, through the window, watched him struggle with the angel as he tried to wrangle it into the car without bending the wings or totally tearing off the halo.

She grinned as he finally gave up and put it in the front seat, like a passenger.

What was he doing now? She laughed out loud as he stood up and moved away from the door. He’d even fastened her in with the shoulder strap of the seat belt!

He glanced back at the store and, catching her eye through the window, gave a jaunty wave before pulling away from the curb.

He’d no sooner left than another figure loped up the walk to the front of the shop.

“Reverend Barnes!” Tess cried in delight as the minister stooped slightly at the door. “You don’t have to duck today. The door angel broke.”

“Oh no.” He looked in consternation at the body of the angel still swinging over the transom. “She always seemed to say hello when I visited.”

“Oh, she’ll be back. It wasn’t anything I can’t fix. Actually, it’s a good sign. I’ve been so busy today that she got a workout, the likes of which she’s never seen before.”

“I heard you had some good coverage last night on the news. It’s great that it brought out customers in droves.”

“Well, not in droves, exactly. Clusters. That’s it. Clusters of customers. So what can I do for you, Reverend?”

“I want to buy Mrs. Barnes a really special angel this year. This will be our thirty-seventh Christmas together, you know.”

“Thirty-seventh! I’m impressed. You both deserve angels for that. What did you have in mind?”

“Something with gold and diamonds and emeralds for putting up with me all these years,” he said jokingly.

“Gold and diamonds and emeralds,” she mused. “Gold and diamonds and emeralds. Hmm. Let me think what I have in stock right now.”

“I’m just teasing!” he protested.

“So am I. Crystal and colored glass, maybe. Hey!” She snapped her fingers. “I have an idea that might work.”

She reached high overhead and felt around until her fingers closed around it. “How about this?”

She handed it to him. It was a shining silver bell, a bit dusty now. At the top of it, serving as a handle, was an elaborately sculpted angel’s head, her hair made of hundreds of delicate gold wires fused together lightly. The bell was her skirt, a lacy gold mesh network overlaid atop the silver background.

“I could engrave it here”—she pointed to the hem of the gleaming skirt where a band of smooth silver ran along the border—“with whatever you would like. That would personalize it.”

“Perfect!” The minister’s eyes shone with enthusiasm. “What should I put on it?”

Tess shrugged. “Whatever you want is fine; it just can’t be too long, or it won’t fit. What would you like to say to her?”

“You know, she’s been my angel all these years, but I wonder if she knows it.”

“How about ‘My Angel’?” she suggested.

“Perfect! How soon will it be done? And this is a secret, you know.”

“I’ll have it done early next week. And my lips are sealed,” Tess promised solemnly.

“And, speaking of secrets, why have you been keeping your young man a secret?”

“What young man? Talk about secrets! I didn’t even know I had a young man! Rats. I’m always the last to know.” Tess laughed lightly and tried to suppress the telltale flush she knew was edging its way up her neck.

“Don’t play coy with me, Tess Mahoney.” The minister waggled his finger under her nose. “You know good and well who I’m talking about. I mean that fellow who came to the dinner with you and helped us out so much. That young man. What’s the story with him?”

“There really isn’t a story, Reverend Barnes.” Tess sadly acknowledged to herself that this wasn’t an actual lie. “He’s a customer. As a matter of fact, he just bought that big angel that’s usually there”—she pointed to the empty spot and tried to ignore the twinge in her heart—“and a print, and that’s that.”

Reverend Barnes studied her shrewdly. “No, that’s not that. There’s more, but I’m not going to pry. I did promise your grandmother I’d keep watch over you, you know.”

“Yes, I know.” Tess’s heart gentled. “And I am telling you the truth. I’ve only known him since the day before Thanksgiving. And I do like him—a lot—but there’s really no more to the story.”

“It’s still early,” he said.

“He’s a customer,” she repeated, with slight emphasis on the last word.

“I meant early in the day,” he said, his bright blue eyes dancing with impishness. “Why, whatever did you think I meant? Girl, you’ve got to learn to relax!”

She could not become irritated with him. He was a rascal, and she absolutely adored him. Besides, she knew he had only her best interests at heart.

She made a split-second decision to confide in him. “Reverend Barnes, I do like him. A lot. I like his sense of humor, his thoughtfulness.” She struggled for the words. “He even likes Cora.”

“More to the point, does she like him?” He was all too familiar with the way the cat ruled the household.

“She adores him. Well, she lets him scratch her ears. And her nose. And her forehead.” She pretended to frown. “Reverend Barnes, I do believe the man is courting my cat.”

“This sounds like it’s getting serious,” he answered, and Tess realized he was only partially kidding her. “When a man woos a woman’s cat, he’s building the base for an all-out campaign to win her heart.”

“Do you think so?” Her fingers clasped together so tightly that her ring cut into her palm. “I mean, I almost don’t dare to hope, and, let’s face it, I’m out of practice with all this. But I do like him.”

The minister pried her tensed fingers apart. “Just take it easy, Tess. Let God guide you through this. I’ll be praying for you.”

“I also wonder if he’s a Christian,” she said softly. “It does matter, you know.”

He patted her hands. “You were born into the faith, my dear, and it’s always been part of you, like your red hair and your blue eyes. But even if I didn’t know your religious background, I’d have to say I’d be more surprised if I learned that you weren’t a Christian than that you were.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I can’t say for sure, but I have that feeling about Jake. He’s a good man, Tess, at least from what I saw of him last night. Certainly there are consummate actors who can fool you into thinking they’re saints when the only view of heaven they’ve seen is a perfume ad. But I don’t sense that about this young man. I think he’s all right.”

His assessment tallied with hers, she had to admit. Jake did seem ethical, so why was she looking for something to be wrong with him?

“Just let God lead you,” the pastor advised. “And let this relationship develop without complicating it early on. Have faith in God’s wisdom.”

There was that word again. “Faith.”

“You’re still young,” Reverend Barnes continued. “You need to get out, have fun, go to dinner. And, speaking of dinner, I’d better be going. Mrs. Barnes is making her famous stuffed pork chops.”

Tess smiled. “World famous, I’d say. She’s going to have to give me that recipe.”

He shook his head as he pulled up the collar of his overcoat. “Not a chance. That recipe ranks right up there with the CIA’s most-secret secret. About the other matter”—he grinned widely—“I’ll check back with you later. Meanwhile, try to relax and have a good time. If you get the chance to share your faith, do it, but don’t push it too hard too fast.”