Yuletide Twins

“Some girls are just drawn to guys that treat them badly,” her mother had said in an apparent effort to make Laura feel better about her situation. It didn’t help. In fact, it only made her more resolute that she would not be hurt again, because she wasn’t going to rely on a guy again.

Uh-huh, right. Then why did you come running here to David? her mind whispered.

Laura shook that thought away. She’d never thought of David “that” way. He was her friend and he’d always been there for her, just like he was now. This was a different situation entirely. She wasn’t relying on a guy; she was counting on a friend.

“We’ll find somewhere for you to stay,” he said, solidifying the fact that she could, in fact, count on him. “Even if we don’t find a place tonight, you have somewhere to go. You can stay in my apartment.” He pointed to the ceiling. “It’s above the bookstore.”

Laura was touched that he’d offer, but she knew she couldn’t accept. Asking David for help with the job was one thing; living in his apartment would be something different entirely. She’d gotten too close to Jared without the boundaries of marriage, and she’d been left to raise her babies on her own. She was certain that wasn’t what David was offering, but still...the two of them staying together in his apartment wouldn’t give the right impression to the people around town, or to David, for that matter.

She didn’t need him thinking that she wanted more. She didn’t—not with David or with any guy. Not for a long, long time. The wound inflicted by Jared was still too raw. “David, I don’t think that’s a good idea, for us to stay together....” She searched for the right words but didn’t have to say anything because David halted her progress.

“Oh, no—” he shook his head “—hey, that wasn’t what I meant. You can stay in my apartment, and I’ll stay with one of my friends in town.”

She felt her cheeks flush. “Oh, I should have known that wasn’t what you meant.” A little surge of adrenaline, or something, pulsed through her veins as she tried to shake the embarrassment. She was seven months pregnant...with twins! “I’m sorry,” she said, then added, “and embarrassed.”

Still holding her hand, he tenderly squeezed her palm. “It’s okay. A few years ago, those first three years of college, I’d have been exactly the kind of guy to ask a girl to stay at my place and wouldn’t have thought a thing about it, but that’s the old David.”

His comment reminded her of the fact that he’d changed during his last year at UT. Something had happened that caused him to turn away from his wilder ways and back to his faith. Laura had been so wrapped up in Jared at the time that she hadn’t thought a lot about what caused David’s rapid transformation. But now she wished she could recall.

“So you don’t have anything to worry about.” He grinned, and Laura spotted a slight dimple creasing his left cheek. Funny, she’d never noticed it before, but she liked it, very much. And she liked David, even more for making her feel at ease with her crazy presumption.

She laughed at her foolishness and slid her palm from his. For some reason, it suddenly seemed a little too intimate for their current relationship, friend-to-friend and boss-to-employee. “Okay, then, if you don’t mind, and since there doesn’t seem to be another place in town, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

The bell on the door sounded as someone entered the shop. “Welcome to A Likely Story,” David called toward the front. Then he stood and held out a hand to help Laura rise from the chair.

She occasionally had a little trouble off-balancing her weight when she stood, and the support of his strong hand was a welcome addition. “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” he said, and she knew he meant it. David would help her stand and help her with a job and even help her find a place to live. Already, in less than an hour, he’d done more for her than anyone else had in years, and the gratitude for that compassion washed over her at once. She blinked back the urge to cry.

Luckily, a blond little boy dashed through the aisle knocking a few books from the endcap as he circled and taking Laura’s attention off of herself and the man currently taking her under his wing.

“Kaden, please, slow down.” A pretty brunette picked up the dislodged books and tucked them back in place then gave David an apologetic smile. “I told him we needed to hurry if we were going to make it to the bookstore before you closed at six, and I’m afraid he got the impression that we had to run all the way in.”

“Not a problem at all,” David said, tousling the boy’s blond curls. “What ya so excited about, Kaden?”

“My teacher says I need some more books because I’m not—what did she say again, Mom?”

“Challenged,” the lady said. “He’s breezing through the sight word books and because of that, he’s becoming a little disruptive during reading time at school.”

“And we only get library day on Tuesday, and I can only check out one book for the whole entire week, and I really want more books than just one book, so Mom said we could come and buy some.”

“I see,” David said to Kaden.

Laura liked the way he didn’t change his voice to talk to the boy. He spoke to him as though speaking to an adult, and Kaden nodded his head as if he totally believed David did see and understood his dilemma. Then he seemed to forget all about David as his attention zoned in on Laura. “Wow, how many babies are in your tummy?”

“Oh, my,” his mother exclaimed. “Kaden, that isn’t something that we ask...” She tapped her finger against her chin and seemed as though she didn’t know how to complete her instruction to her son. Then she looked at Laura. “I’m so sorry. We have a baby at home—well, she’s eighteen months now—but I had explained to Kaden when I was pregnant about how baby Mia was in my tummy. However, I forgot to explain how some women may not want to give the details....”

Kaden’s brows drew together and he shrugged as though he couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong, and Laura laughed. “It’s fine,” she said. She pointed to her stomach and told Kaden, “Actually, there are two babies in my stomach. Two baby girls.”

“Wow! Cool!”

This time David laughed, too, and Kaden’s mother simply shook her head.

Kaden, undeterred, moved right on to his next pressing question. “So, can you help me find some books?” he asked, focused intently on David.

“Tell you what. This is my friend Miss Laura, and she just started working at the bookstore today.” David tilted his head to Laura, and she smiled at Kaden, who turned his attention from David to her. “I think she will be able to help you find some really good books, and while she’s helping you, I’m going to go get her things out of her car.” He glanced to Laura. “Sound good?”

She felt a tinge of excitement at already being trusted to help a child. This was going to be...wonderful. “Sounds great.” She’d dropped her purse on the table, so she turned, opened it and retrieved her keys. Handing them to David, she said, “It’s the same Volkswagen I drove in school, and it’s parked by the five-and-dime. I’ve got one large suitcase and a smaller makeup bag.”

“That’s it?” he asked.

“I brought some teaching supplies, just in case.” She still hoped that she’d eventually get to teach. “But for now, I only need the two bags. I appreciate you getting them for me.”

“No problem at all.” David seemed to realize he’d forgotten introductions. “Mandy, this is Laura Holland. She’s moved to Claremont and is going to be working here. Laura, this is Mandy Carter—Mandy Brantley, I mean. You’d think after all this time I’d get used to that.”

“Not a problem,” Mandy said.

“Mandy is married to the youth minister, Daniel Brantley, who also happens to be one of my best friends. And she owns Carter Photography on the square. She’s a pretty amazing photographer. You’ll have to check out her studio.”

“Thanks,” Mandy said. She smiled at Laura. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

“So, you ready to help me find books?” Kaden asked, grabbing Laura’s hand and tugging her toward the children’s area.

“Sure.” Laura let him tug her away, but even though she listened to Kaden talk about the kinds of books he liked, she also heard David ask Mandy whether he could bunk at their house tonight. Laura hated making David move out of his own apartment, but she didn’t know what else to do.

“Which ones do you think I should try?” Kaden squinted at the titles on the shelves with his hands on his hips.

“Well, let’s see.” Laura scanned the books and was pleased with the variety David offered. “How about these Dr. Seuss books?”

“Already read ’em.”

“All of them?” Laura asked.

He bobbed his head. “Yep.”

“Here’s a good one. Where the Wild Things Are.”

“Read it, too.”

Mandy had finished talking with David and now walked to stand behind her son. “He loves to read.”

“I can see that,” Laura said, reaching for Curious George’s First Day of School.

“I like Curious George, but I’ve read them already,” Kaden said matter-of-factly. “But that one would be good for baby Mia.” He pointed to the Curious George Pat-A-Cake board book.

“We’ll get that one for her,” Mandy said to Kaden, “but let’s find some for you, too.”