Yuletide Twins

“Laura, is something wrong?” he asked, then quickly added, “I’m glad that you’re here, but—” he decided it best to state the truth “—I haven’t heard from you since I graduated from Tennessee, so to see you now, over two years later...” His gaze moved to her belly. “Do you need help?”

Her lip quivered, and then tears pushed free. She quickly brushed them away with two flicks of her hand. “I told myself I wouldn’t cry.”

David felt bad for causing her to release those tears, but he didn’t know what else to say or do. However, he did know this—he would do whatever it took to help her. “Hey, it’ll be okay.” Rounding the counter, he did the only thing that seemed right—opened his arms and let her move inside his embrace. But he had no idea why she needed his comfort, so he said another silent prayer for God’s guidance.

Laura let him hold her for a moment, but then he sensed her gaining her composure again, her shoulders rising as she sniffed then eased out of his hug. She looked up at him, and David suddenly felt taller than his six-one. He’d forgotten how petite she was, no more than five-four. Her size made him feel an even stronger urge to protect her from whatever had her so upset.

“I’m sorry I fell apart. I’ll be okay.” A lock of blond hair had escaped her barrette and rested along her cheek. She gently pushed it behind her ear. “It’s been a long day.”

David knew that was an understatement, but he’d maintain his patience and wait until she was ready to explain. He tried to think of what he could do to make her feel more comfortable. He had no idea where she’d parked or how far she’d walked to get to his store. Finding a spot at the square was sometimes difficult, so she could have walked a bit to get here, probably not all that easy with the pregnancy. “Why don’t we sit and visit?” He pointed to the reading area nearest the counter. “I’ve got some lemonade in the kitchen. I’ll get us a couple of glasses, and you can tell me what’s going on.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He went to the small kitchen in the back and poured two glasses of lemonade then returned to find her sitting in one of the oversize chairs pressing her hand against her belly and smiling.

“Here you go.” He placed a glass on the table beside her and then took a seat on the sofa nearby. “Everything okay?” He indicated her hand, still rubbing against her stomach.

She nodded. “Yes, they get a little more active as it gets closer to night.” A soft chuckle escaped when her hand actually edged out a little as something pushed—or kicked—from inside. “Makes sleeping quite a feat.”

David would have said something about that kick, because he’d never seen anything like it, but instead he keyed in on the most important word in her statement. “They?”

Another nod, then she said, “Twins.” She took a sip of the lemonade, swallowed and then announced, “Twin girls.”

“Twin girls,” he repeated, amazed.

Then, before he could ask anything like how far along she was, she added three words that put every question David may have had on hold.

“And they’re Jared’s.”

He focused on her stomach. Twins were there. Jared’s twins. His mind reeled at that. It’d been, what, over four months since he stood beside Jared as a groomsman at his wedding?

David continued staring at her swollen belly—he couldn’t help it—and wondered how far along...

“Seven months,” she whispered, obviously following his thought process. “I found out about the pregnancy the end of May, the week I graduated. By that time, our relationship had been over for two months, which was exactly how far along I was.” She held the glass of lemonade, palms sliding up and down the clear column as her shaky voice continued. “I didn’t know he’d been seeing Anita—seeing both of us—and then...he married her.” Her attempted smile caused a couple of tears to fall free, and again she wiped them away. Then she seemed to gather the courage to tell him more and said, “He told me he’d pay to get rid of the baby.” One shoulder lifted. “He had no idea there were two.”

David’s mouth opened, but no words came, and his opinion of his old roommate plummeted.

“My parents wanted me to put them up for adoption. They said it’d be better, you know, since I don’t have a job or anything.” She placed her glass on the table. “I got my early education degree, but schools aren’t that interested in hiring a teacher who’s going to have to miss work for doctor appointments and will be out for six weeks of maternity leave.”

He tried to put the pieces together but still didn’t see what had brought Laura here, to Claremont. However, he wanted to make sure that she knew, whatever she needed, he would try to help. “I hate it that you’ve had a hard time, and I’m really sorry that I haven’t tried to contact you since I left.” He’d thought of her often, but it didn’t seem right calling Jared’s girl, even after he knew they weren’t together anymore. Plus he’d been seeing AnnElise Riley for the majority of that time, and she’d never have understood him reconnecting with an old, moreover attractive, female friend. Her jealousy had been over the top, which really made the fact that she’d cheated on David with her old boyfriend—and consequently left town with him—sting.

David shook away the bitter memory and concentrated on the woman in his bookstore. Now he wished he’d at least tried to check on her over the past couple of years.

“I didn’t call you, either,” she said softly, “so we’re even.”

That was true, but somehow it didn’t help David’s tinge of guilt. When Jared married Anita, he should have called to see if Laura was okay. And she was so not okay. She’d been several months pregnant when Anita walked down the aisle. David still couldn’t get a handle on that fact. Why hadn’t Jared at least mentioned it?

In any case, David would do what he’d always done back in college—help Laura after Jared had left her hurting. “Well, I’m glad that you’ve come here now, and I want you to know that if there’s anything that I can do to help you, I will.” He placed his glass next to hers then took her hands in his. “I mean that, Laura.”

She blinked, nodded and then David saw pleading in those vivid blue eyes. “When my parents realized I wouldn’t give up the babies and that I couldn’t get a job in the school system, they offered to take care of everything. They wanted me to live with them, let them support me and the babies, for as long as I needed.” One corner of her mouth lifted. “You remember how they were always fighting, how Mom was always threatening to leave or actually leaving. I didn’t want my babies to grow up around that tension.” Another sniff. “I want them to have a real home, somehow. And I want to take care of them.”

David had met her parents a few times when they visited Laura in college. Her mother had always seemed angry or been pouting over one thing or another, and her father had tried to explain and make amends for her behavior. Laura had been even more independent because she didn’t want to rely on them. “You didn’t take them up on their offer.”

She shook her head. “No, I couldn’t. I’ve stayed with them the past few months, since I graduated, while I tried to find a job. At first I was able to substitute teach, but the schools don’t even call me for that anymore. I think they’re afraid I’ll go into early labor.” She gave him a soft smile. “Probably wouldn’t be too great for my water to break in a classroom of first graders.”

He grinned. “Yeah, probably not.”

“But I want to show my folks that I’ll be okay on my own. And I really didn’t want to stay in Nashville.” She touched her hand to her stomach, then added, “Jared and Anita live there.”

David nodded. Jared and Anita were beginning their life in Laura’s hometown, and he was certain she wouldn’t want the slightest chance of running into her babies’ father and his new bride.

“So, here goes.” She took a deep breath, pushed it out. “I need a job. I want to support myself and my babies. And I thought of you and your bookstore, and—” she scanned the surplus of books “—I would work really hard for you. I know I’m limited physically now, but I can still sell books, and maybe I could help you start some reading programs or something like that? Something that would let me work with children, like I would have been able to do with my teaching degree?” She paused a beat then quietly added, “And I’ll need help finding somewhere to live. I have a little cash in my savings, and I thought with this being a smaller town and all, maybe the cost of living would be lower than Nashville.” She looked at him hopefully. “Do you think I could help you out? Or, I guess what I’m asking is, do you think you could help me out?”

He swallowed thickly through the lump lodging in his throat. He’d seen the worst figures ever this afternoon on his P&L statement, had even wondered how he’d stay in business past the holidays. Hiring someone wasn’t something he’d have considered, at all. He couldn’t pay himself, much less someone else. But this was Laura. And her baby girls. David knew the only answer he could give, even if it didn’t make sense and even if it might give Milton Stott an early heart attack.

“Yes, I can use your help.”

Chapter Two

Laura had been around David enough in college to know when something wasn’t going right in his world. Right now, as he talked on the phone to the woman who owned the Claremont Bed-and-Breakfast, she could tell he wasn’t getting the answer he wanted. He’d removed his glasses and placed them on the counter, then he pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to what the lady had to say.

“No, Mrs. Tingle, I understand. I’d forgotten about the crafting folks coming in for the First Friday festival. They don’t usually stay overnight, though, do they?” He flinched as she apparently delivered another bit of bad news, then his head slowly moved up and down. “That’s right. I wasn’t thinking about everything happening next week. Yes, the bookstore is going to offer some activities for the festival. I just haven’t decided exactly what I’m doing yet.” His jaw tensed. “Okay, I’ll let Laura know you should have some rooms available in a couple of weeks.”

Laura waited for him to look her way then mouthed, “No luck?”

He held up a palm and gave her a half smile in an apparent effort to let her know everything would be okay. But Laura’s stomach quivered, and she began to think everything might not be okay. What if every room in town was booked for this festival he mentioned? For two weeks! Then what would she do?

“Yes, ma’am, we are having a book signing for Destiny Lee at the store next Saturday. That’s the only thing I’ve officially set up so far, but it’s definitely happening. It’s her first signing and she’s pretty excited about it.” He nodded. “I’d heard she included a story about you and Mr. Tingle in the book. I look forward to reading it.” He continued listening, then finally said, “That’s okay, I’m sure we’ll find something.”

Laura didn’t think he sounded so sure, and she wasn’t feeling a whole lot of certainty, either. She waited for him to click the end button on his cell then asked, “Do you think all of the hotels in town are booked, too?”

He picked up his glasses and slid them back in place to rest on his nose. “See, that’s the thing. Claremont doesn’t have any hotels.”

Laura felt her jaw drop. “None that have rooms, you mean?”

“None at all. The town’s population is only 4,500. Usually the bed-and-breakfast offers more than enough room to house tourists...except when we have the crafting festivals.”

“First Friday, that’s a craft festival?” She’d heard him mention the term in his conversation.

“No, the First Friday festival happens every month, and it’s basically a combination of crafters and performers, as well as a chance for all of the square’s merchants to showcase their merchandise.” He leaned against the counter. “First Friday brings in practically everyone from Claremont and the surrounding counties, but they don’t typically stay overnight. However, November’s First Friday is a little different, in that it leads into the annual Holiday Crafters Extravaganza, which lasts a full week. The crafters will have booths set up around the square through the following weekend, and each of the local stores coordinates activities for the festival, as well.”

“And they’ve booked all of the rooms at the B and B,” Laura said.

“As well as all of the hotel rooms in Stockville, which is the nearest city. Not that that would matter, though, since Stockville is a good twenty miles away, and you wouldn’t want to drive that far.” His brows lifted as he apparently thought of something, and then he asked, “About driving...how long will you be able to drive? I’m assuming there’s a certain time when the doctors tell you to stop driving in pregnancy?” He glanced at her stomach and probably wondered how she could fit all of that behind the wheel. Laura had almost doubted the possibility herself, but she’d been able to pull it off by adjusting the steering wheel and seat.

“I don’t have to stop driving,” she said. “I did ask my doctor before taking the trip here today, not because I thought I couldn’t drive but because I was traveling so far. She told me as long as I took periodic breaks to rest, I’d be fine, and I didn’t have any problems.” Laura had been amazed at how smoothly the trip had gone, but apparently the drive to Claremont wasn’t her biggest dilemma. Thanks to the crafters in town, she had no place to stay. She’d been so worried about getting a job that she hadn’t thought to consider locating a place to live before she traveled nearly four hundred miles. Her mother often said she acted too impulsively, and this was yet another time she’d be proving her right.

David must have noticed her anxiety because he moved to the seat next to hers and reached for her hand. The warmth of his large palm encircling hers reminded her of all the times he’d consoled her in college whenever Jared had let her down. Why couldn’t her heart have fallen for someone like David instead of always tumbling head over heels for the one who’d treat her wrong? Even in high school, she’d been drawn to the bad boys. They just seemed so intriguing, dangerous and undeniably tempting.