His Christmas Redemption Read online

  Lance shook his head. “And then I’m sure you tell them all about how wonderful your church is and how they need to come to Jesus.”

  “No,” Erin said, sounding offended. “I mean, yes, we’d love for the people to come to our church and start attending, but that’s not why we do it. The surrounding ranch community is so large that we often don’t have the opportunity to see one another and many people don’t have a safe social outlet. So this is just a place for them to come and enjoy the holiday spirit. Mrs. Davis, who organizes the event, stopped coming to church years ago. The point isn’t to force anyone to believe in God, because that’s up to the individual to choose. But we would like to think that regardless of whether or not you go to our church, or even believe in God, you find a welcome here.”

  It sounded like a nice enough place. If you were into all that holiday cheer, which, obviously, Lance wasn’t. He had enough holiday nonsense to last him a lifetime.

  When Erin and the kids got out of the car and went into the church, he saw people come around them, greeting them warmly, like she was a long-lost friend they hadn’t seen in years, even though it had only been two weeks.

  Maybe this wasn’t the place for him, but it warmed his heart to see Erin accepted into a community that she clearly loved as much as they loved her. They’d tried going to a couple of churches while they were married, but so many of them were filled with snooty ladies that Erin never connected with, and even though Erin had always said she had a deep faith in God, sometimes it was just easier to not bother with going to church.

  But at the warm welcome she’d just received, Lance could understand why this place was important to her. In some ways he kind of envied that.

  He headed down the street to the café Erin had pointed out when they’d driven into town. She’d told him that the bear claws were delicious and the coffee was as good as anything you could get in the city.

  The parking lot next to the café was surprisingly empty, but then he thought about how full the church parking lot was and figured they all must be there.

  When he entered, the place looked just like the kind of quaint coffee shop he’d expect in a small town. One of the corners had a sign designating it the Kiddie Corral and he could see it had an assortment of toys, games and small tables. He walked up to the counter, where an older woman turned and greeted him warmly. “Welcome. It’s cold out there. What can I get to warm you up?”

  She didn’t wear a name tag, but he could tell by her attitude that she must be Della, the owner Erin had told him about. “I’d like a large coffee, black, and one of your famous bear claws. I’ve been told not to miss them.”

  Della beamed proudly. “And just who told you that?”

  “Erin Drummond,” he said. “I’m helping her out while her sisters are out of town.”

  Della’s eyes widened. “O-oh, a boyfriend? I knew Erin wouldn’t stay single for long. She’s one of those women with a heart of gold. But I don’t have to tell you about it. You probably already know.”

  Erin had mentioned not giving up on love, but it was weird hearing it from someone else. “Not a boyfriend,” he said. Even though it was technically correct to say he was her ex-husband, it didn’t feel right to do so in front of a woman who clearly thought the world of Erin. “Just an old friend.”

  Della’s eyes gleamed. “But you want to be. I can pick them out every time. I keep thinking I should run a service. You know those people who come here when they go on dates from those online matchmaking services? I can usually tell within five minutes if things are going to work out for them. If they would just consult with me, I could save them a whole lot of heartache. And you, young man, have the look of someone who would give Erin forever.”

  Wow, was that a lot to be thrown at you at once. He hadn’t been called young man in a long time, but he knew Della didn’t mean it offensively. She just saw him as someone with his whole life ahead of him, a future to be had, and she didn’t know what he’d gone through already. If she had known, she’d have probably changed her description to his being an old man. As for forever with Erin, he’d tried that and she’d walked away.

  “I think you’re mistaken,” he said. “I was just passing through on business, and Erin fell, breaking her arm and her ankle. The doctor didn’t think she should be home alone with the boys. I have some time off, so I thought I’d stick around to help out. That way her sisters didn’t have to come home from their honeymoons early.”

  He didn’t know why he was telling this woman so much, but as supportive as she sounded, he couldn’t help himself.

  A puzzled look crossed her face. “Erin got hurt? Well, I guess that’s why I haven’t seen her in here lately. I just assumed she’s been busy chasing those little terrors around and getting ready for Christmas.”

  The boys might not be his, but something about having them referred to as “little terrors” rankled.

  “They’re very good boys, they just have a lot of energy.”

  He gave her a firm look, which he’d been told scared most people.

  But Della appeared unaffected. “The little one is an absolute delight. But that Dylan? I can’t tell you all the shenanigans he and my grandson get into. It’s all good-natured fun. But when you say they have a lot of energy, you aren’t kidding. They had a play date at my house once, and I’ve never been so exhausted. That’s why the Good Lord makes it so you can’t have children after a certain age. You’re just too tired to chase them around.”

  The warmth in her voice made him realize that she, too, cared for the boys. He didn’t know why it affected him so profoundly, but it felt good to know that the boys and Erin had a group of people surrounding them with so much love. It wasn’t his place to be concerned, but he couldn’t help doing so anyway.

  That brought up more of the emotion he was trying to avoid. He was leaving in a week. And who knew if he’d be able to see the boys again?

  Della handed him a steaming mug of coffee and a plate with the bear claw on it. “I hope it’s as good as Erin has been claiming. Wouldn’t want anyone to be disappointed.”

  He took a sip of the coffee and savored it. “If the bear claw is half as good as this coffee, then you have nothing to worry about.”

  “It’s just coffee,” Della said. “A monkey could make it.”

  Lance grinned. “Then a monkey can cook better than I can.”

  “Now you’re just being sweet. You turn on that charm for Erin and I guarantee we’ll be hearing wedding bells by summer. It’s a shame that fool she used to be married to couldn’t see it.”

  He was suddenly glad he hadn’t introduced himself as her ex. Della would probably have put arsenic in his coffee. Besides, he hadn’t divorced Erin. She’d divorced him. And, not to contradict the expert, but whatever charms Della thought he had, Erin had clearly disagreed.

  “Well, like I said, we’re just friends. I’m going to go sit over by that nice fireplace and do some work on my computer while I wait for Erin to get out of church.”

  “You want me to turn the fireplace on for you?” Della asked. “We can’t have a real fire due to fire code, but I think it adds a nice touch. I just don’t like having a fire for only me.”

  “That would be great, thanks. I’ve enjoyed the fires at Erin’s. It makes the place so cozy.”

  As much as he’d thought the way his house was decorated was just fine, and even though he’d somewhat mocked Erin’s décor, being back in her space kind of made him a little regretful he’d let their house get so impersonal. But maybe, once he got home, he could change that. He’d definitely forgo all the Christmas decorations, but he’d taken a liking to the soft throw blankets and he would definitely look into getting a cute electric fireplace like Della’s.

  Della came over and turned on the fireplace. “Why aren’t you at church with Erin?”

  Exactly the reason he hadn’t wanted
to go in and meet her friends. He hadn’t wanted to answer the questions and he hadn’t wanted them trying to tell him why he should give their church a try. As it was, sitting here in the empty coffee shop with Della, he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable about the fact that she clearly knew a lot about him. She was the type of person who wouldn’t be satisfied with a polite answer.

  “Church isn’t my thing,” he said, hoping it would be enough to get her to understand that he didn’t want to talk about it.

  For a moment Della looked like she was going to say something, but then she shrugged. “I suppose you’ve got your reasons. Not my job to judge. I just know that life is better with the Good Lord in your back pocket.”

  In your back pocket? That seemed like an odd way to describe it.

  He looked up at her. “How do you know you’ve got Him? And how do you know He’s good?”

  Della pointed to his as of yet untouched bear claw. “You eat. I need to know if my baking is as good as Erin has been telling people.”

  He took a bite and Erin’s recommendation did not disappoint.

  At his smile, Della nodded approvingly. “You took it on faith that my bear claw was good. And that’s how you have to take God, too.”

  He braced himself for a sermon, but she turned and walked away. So he continued munching on his pastry and booted up his computer.

  Watching the emails filter in didn’t make him feel any better about the time he’d been forced to take off. In fact, it was depressing to see how little they needed him. He’d been copied on a lot of emails, but in terms of him needing to act on anything, there was nothing. Granted, everyone knew he was taking a leave of absence, but it put a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach to know that for all of the time he’d invested in his company, when it came to all the reasons he thought he was supposed to be there, it didn’t seem like any of them were true.

  Chad had even let the controller go, at least, according to this email. Wait. What? Janelle was good at her job and had saved the company millions of dollars. Why would Chad let her go without even talking to Lance?

  Lance pulled out his phone and texted Chad. Chad wasn’t the churchgoing type, either, and he spent just as many hours at the office as Lance did. A few seconds later, he got a text back.

  Long story. I’m handling it. You focus on getting better.

  How was he supposed to focus on getting better when the only thing that ever kept him sane was his work and now he was finding out just how irrelevant he was in it?

  Fortunately he was still the only person in the coffee shop and Della had gone into the back. He hit the button for Chad’s cell.

  “I said I’m handling it,” Chad said without greeting him.

  “I still own fifty percent of the company,” Lance said. “Or are you going back on your word and finding someone to buy my shares and force me out?”

  “I would never do that to you,” Chad said quietly. “I meant what I said when I told you that you needed a break to deal with your divorce and Lily’s death. I just got a report from the counselor, who said you’re making progress. I don’t know what that means, and I know you don’t like to talk about it, but you know I’m not just your partner, but your friend.”

  When Chad had come to him with the ultimatum that he get help or he’d bring in an investor to force Lance out, he claimed he was doing it as a friend. At the time, Lance had thought he was just paying lip service to the word. But he could hear genuine compassion in Chad’s voice.

  At least Lance’s counselor was giving Chad answers. But being told he was making progress was a lot different than being told he was better and could return to work.

  Still, Chad was right. Whatever Erin thought of Chad, Chad was Lance’s friend.

  “I’m at Erin’s,” Lance said.

  Chad didn’t answer at first and Lance hadn’t expected him to. He wasn’t even sure why he’d led with that fact.

  “Are you two getting back together?”

  He should have given more information. “No. As part of my therapy, I’m supposed to make peace with her. I don’t know what it means... But Erin was in an accident and she needed my help. So I’m here, helping Erin and trying to figure out—”

  What was he trying to figure out? So far, he wasn’t doing much figuring, just checking off items on Erin’s list. And trying not to think about the emotions being with her and the boys was stirring up.

  Was that what making peace meant?

  Or was it as his counselor had said, that he needed to deal with those emotions? He was trying not to, especially because all it would mean was Erin telling him “I told you so.”

  What mattered to him more? Being back in on the daily operations of his business and feeling like he mattered again? Or not having to hear Erin triumph over him?

  “That’s good of you,” Chad said. “I don’t know a lot of guys who would help their ex out, especially after what she did to you.”

  His first thought was to defend Erin. He had to admit, after spending this time with her, she wasn’t the heartless woman he’d been painting her as. She was hurting, too, and he’d been too busy fighting with her to see that.

  As weird as that thought was, something about it felt good. Even though he still couldn’t define what his counselor had meant by making peace with Erin, this made him feel like he was closer to that goal.

  “It’s more complicated than that, but I will say that I feel better about everything that happened.”

  He hadn’t voiced that thought before and while he still couldn’t say he forgave her, he also couldn’t say he hated her anymore, either.

  But that wasn’t what this call was about. “Look, I know you’re worried about me, but the biggest thing I’ve realized in being away is how much I love what we do. It’s an important part of my life and I don’t think you understand how hard it has been to walk away. So tell me, what’s going on with Janelle?”

  The long pause on the line made him wonder if Chad was going to answer his question. Then Chad said, “We think she’s been embezzling from us.”

  Janelle? Embezzling? That didn’t sound like the woman he’d known for years.

  “How do you know? What would make you even suspect her?”

  Even though Chad should have anticipated these questions, he took even longer to answer.

  “I hired a firm to go through our books.”

  There was something in Chad’s voice that made Lance realize his friend wasn’t telling him everything.

  “You were trying to get a business valuation to force me out, weren’t you?”

  “I can’t run this business on my own. And you were in the middle of a weird breakdown that made me think I couldn’t count on you anymore. Most people would’ve just forced you out. But, man, we built this thing together. I’d like to think that loyalty still has value in this world. Just because I got the valuation doesn’t mean I’m going to use it.”

  It made good business sense, figuring out what the company was worth. What his share was worth. But it still hurt that Chad had gone behind his back to do it.

  “So what now?” Lance’s voice cracked as he asked the question, and it hurt just as much as it had when he’d asked a similar question of Erin. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the “I’m sorry” that was likely coming.

  “How long are you stuck with Erin?”

  “Her sisters are due back in less than a week. Once they get here, she won’t need me anymore.”

  The long pause gave Lance hope that maybe this wasn’t the end.

  “I’ll send you what I have on Janelle. Take a look and see why I let her go. And I’ll send you the résumés I’ve been reviewing. You can give me some feedback.”

  He wasn’t back in, but he wasn’t out, either. He hoped he could prove to Chad that he was still capable of being an active partner in th
eir business.

  “Sounds good. I’m assuming I still have access to all the files?”

  “You’ll need a new password, because we changed everything when Janelle left. I’ll have IT contact you first thing tomorrow to get you set up.”

  That would be the test then. If Lance actually could access everything, then he knew Chad still had a little faith in him.

  “Thanks. Stay in touch, will you? I haven’t liked not being part of the business, and the fact that so much has changed already tells me I can’t keep my finger off the pulse of things for very long. Our company is important to me. I wouldn’t be here with Erin otherwise.”

  He took another sip of his coffee, hoping his words would sink in.

  Then Chad said, “I didn’t think of it that way. You must want back in pretty badly to make such a sacrifice. When you’re done with her, come see me and we’ll talk.”

  As Lance hung up the phone, he felt bad that he’d let Chad think his being there was a sacrifice. It was hard, yes, but he’d have to admit that he’d been enjoying it. He’d forgotten how much fun he and Erin had together and even though things were strained between them at times, he was also remembering how much he genuinely liked her as a person. Maybe they were just one of those couples who, while they couldn’t make it work romantically, were better off as friends.

  Could being Erin’s friend be what making peace with her meant?

  His alarm went off, indicating it was time to pick up Erin and the boys. As he packed up his laptop, Della came out of the back, carrying a small box.

  “I didn’t want to interrupt, because it sounded like an important phone call, but I wanted to send a little something for Erin and the boys. Their mother doesn’t let them have sweets very often, but with her out of town, I figure what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Besides, I owe Erin a thank-you for saying such nice things about my bear claws.”

  The woman’s kindness touched him and he could see why this place meant so much to Erin.