Love Finds You on Christmas Morning (7 page)

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Daddy said. “He’s a good boy. Smart too.”

“He’s not Lillian’s type.”

“Why don’t we let Lillian and William decide that?” Daddy asked.

“What if they continue seeing each other and fall in love?”

“Aren’t you jumping the gun, Helen? He just came over for supper. Besides, we raised a smart daughter, so I’m sure she can figure things out on her own.”

Lillian wished her parents wouldn’t discuss her as though she weren’t there. “Y’all don’t have to worry about anything,” Lillian piped in. “I’m too busy working and helping out around here to fall in love with anyone.”

Her parents exchanged a pained look before Daddy turned back to her. “Lillian, honey, we want you to find someone to love one of these days. But I do agree with your mama that whoever the man winds up being should be closer to…well, more similar to…” His voice trailed off as he turned to Mama for help.

“What your father is trying to say is that we don’t want you getting hurt or involved with someone who might turn you into some hoity-toity person who’ll be ashamed of us.”

“I can’t believe either of you would think so little of me. I would never do that.”

“Maybe not, but we shouldn’t have to keep reminding you that there are quite a few differences between the Tronniers and our family.” Mama glanced at Daddy for reinforcement, and when he looked away, she continued. “Money does strange things to people.”

“I think this conversation is pointless,” Lillian said. “First of all, you are the one who invited him to supper. And second, I never said or did anything to give anyone the impression that something was going on between Will—Mr. Tronnier and me.”

The next morning, Lillian trudged to work after a long, sleepless night of remembering her evening with William. She had to admit, he was charming. And handsome. When his hand grazed hers as she handed him the dishes, her stomach had fluttered. But the last thing she needed was to lose her heart to someone she couldn’t have.

Mr. Joachim was at the Five and Dime when she arrived, and the instant she walked in, he started talking. “William Tronnier stopped by yesterday right before closing. He asked about you.”

Alarms sounded in Lillian’s head. She didn’t want her boss to think that something was going on between her and William. “Did he—did he say anything?”

“He just asked if you were still here.” Mr. Joachim chuckled. “The man must have quite a lot on his mind. He almost forgot to get what he came for.”

Lillian relaxed. William obviously hadn’t let on that he was pursuing her. Mr. Joachim scurried around the counter and stood with his hands on his hips as he surveyed the store.

“Christmas comes mighty fast. It’ll be here before ya know it. Let’s put a few things up here. We can decorate in stages.” He took off for the back room, leaving Lillian alone at the front of the store.

Until last year, decorations had gone up the day before Thanksgiving so they’d be in place for the day after, when some of their customers liked to start their Christmas shopping. But Mr. Joachim had been making trips to New York City, where people did things differently. In many cases Lillian welcomed the changes, but this was one she didn’t agree with.

Mr. Joachim reappeared with a cardboard box. “We can start by stringing some lights in the window. My wife is making garlands and bows too.”

Rather than voice her opinion, Lillian simply nodded. She didn’t have the energy to tell him what she thought, knowing that he wouldn’t pay a bit of attention.

Since there were no customers in the store, the two of them framed the window with Christmas lights right away. At least she’d been able to talk Mr. Joachim out of lighting the real candles he’d used before she started working for him, reminding him that a fire could destroy his business and leave him with nothing.

After they finished clipping the last wire into place, he stood back and nodded. “Looks good for now. Why don’t you grab a pack of colored paper and cut out some letters to spell ‘Merry Christmas,’ between customers? We can tape those to the window.”

“Can’t that wait at least another month?” she asked.

He frowned. “I s’pose. I just don’t want to lose any business this season.”

A customer arrived, so after a brief greeting Mr. Joachim scooted to the back of the store, leaving Lillian to do the selling. She brought a handbasket to the customer and offered her assistance. While the first customer was shopping, a couple more came in. Lillian loved being busy.

Business was steady throughout the day, with only a few lulls. Still, she found a chance to eat the lunch she kept tucked beneath the counter. Most days Mr. Joachim took over so she could eat in the office and take a break, but today he had to attend a meeting to greet some of the new business owners in town.

That afternoon, Lillian waited on a couple of groups of kids from the boarding school, sawmill workers after their shifts ended, a family who was changing trains and had an overnight stay in Cary, and her pastor’s wife.

“It sure was nice to see someone new at church on Sunday,” Mary Beth Butler said. “I hear he’s one of the Tronnier boys.”

So people had been talking. “Yes, ma’am, he is.”

“Will he be coming back? Pastor and I would love to see him again.”

“I–I’m not sure.” Lillian hadn’t even known he was coming last time, so she certainly wouldn’t know what he planned for the future.

“Are the two of you seeing each other?”

“No.” Lillian surprised herself with such an abrupt reply, and she forced a smile. “I mean, I barely know him. We met last Christmas and…” She had no idea what else to say.

Mrs. Butler offered an understanding grin as she touched Lillian on the arm. “I see. No one knows what the future holds, though, so we can keep praying for God’s will.”

“Yes, ma’am, that’s what I like to do.”

“Good.” Mrs. Butler sashayed past the counter and made her way down the aisle of cleaning products. “Gussie asked me to pick up a new broom and some scouring pads. Would you mind showing me where they are? I don’t buy them very often, and I can see that you have rearranged the store.”

Lillian found what Mrs. Butler needed and carried the items to the front for her. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, I—” The sound of the bell on the door stopped her, and both Lillian and Mrs. Butler looked up.

William Tronnier came walking in and grinned at the women.

“Hi there, Lillian.” He nodded toward Mrs. Butler. “And how do you do, Mrs. Butler? Your husband preached a mighty fine sermon on Sunday.”

“Thank you, young man. We would like to have you back soon. Miss Pickard and I were just talking—”

Lillian cleared her throat. “Mrs. Butler, would you like to see some of the new night cream we just got in? Some of the customers who have tried it say it makes their skin feel really soft the next morning.”

Mrs. Butler slowly nodded with a knowing look in her eyes. “That sounds very nice, Lillian. Yes, I would like to buy some, and then I’d better be getting on my way.”

William stood off to the side of the counter while Lillian rang up Mrs. Butler’s order. After she said her good-byes, he tipped his head and wished her a good evening.

Then he spun around and looked directly at Lillian. “Sorry if I interrupted something. I just wanted to stop by and tell you how much I enjoyed supper last night.”

“Mama’s a very good cook.” Lillian left out the fact that Mama rarely had much to work with and that she’d spent most of the week’s allowance on that one meal.

“Good. Then she might enjoy some of the bounty my pop sent. He had a bunch of produce left over from the harvest, and since we hate to have it go to waste, he suggested bringing it to you as a thank-you for being such great hosts.”

“You don’t have to do that, William.”

He stepped closer to her and held her gaze, making her knees feel as if they might give way at any moment. “I realize I don’t have to do anything, Lillian, but I want to. It’s a gift.”

“Yes, but—”

“Since it’s out in the car and you’re still working, why don’t I just deliver it to your house?”

Lillian swallowed hard. “Mama would like that.”

“Maybe I can have you over to our house sometime. Mama likes to think she’s a good cook, but she mostly just helps Nelda, who tells her what to do.”

Before Lillian had a chance to say anything, William wished her a good day and left the store. She watched him get into his automobile and take off toward her house.

A few more customers came in before closing time, so Lillian didn’t have much time to think about William’s visit. Five minutes after she flipped the sign to C
LOSED
, she locked up and headed home.

As soon as she walked through the door, her mama greeted her with a lingering hug. “Lillian, come and see all the food the Tronnier family gave us. I’ll have to can some of the vegetables or they’ll go bad. We can’t let it spoil.”

Lillian followed Mama into the kitchen and stopped short. The counters on both sides of the stove were covered with boxes of vegetables. She turned to the right and saw that an entire corner of the small kitchen had crates filled with tomatoes, peppers, corn, squash, and okra.

“He didn’t tell me he was bringing this much,” Lillian said as she stood there in awe. “He just said he had a bunch of produce left from the harvest.”

“Well, this is certainly a bunch.” Mama laughed. “Maybe we should have him over more often.”

Lillian hadn’t seen Mama this happy in a while. “I’m glad you have plenty of food to cook. That should take away some of the worry for a little bit.”

“Yes, the Lord was good when He brought Mr. Tronnier into our lives.” She moved one of the crates off the counter before turning around and facing Lillian. “I still don’t understand why he’s giving you so much attention.”

Rather than let on that she was hurt, Lillian shrugged. “You’re right. There’s no reason for him to bother with someone like me.” Inwardly she seethed. It wasn’t her fault she’d been born into a family that required her to work so they could eat.

“Don’t get all worked up over this, Lillian. You know exactly what I’m talking about. People with means generally stick with their own. We’re working-class folk, and rarely do we move out of that.”

Lillian lifted her hands and shook her head. “I know, I know.”

“I don’t want you getting hurt just because some man chooses to have a little fun at your expense.” Her tone changed. “As much food as this is to us, it probably doesn’t even make a dent in the Tronniers’ pantry.”

Later that night, Lillian lay in bed and pondered the conversation. Her mother could be right, but William sure did go to an awful lot of trouble to see her. And the gifts he gave… Maybe the cost didn’t mean anything, but he still had to put forth effort to bring everything. Then there was the matter of his church visit. Why would someone do that if he wanted to simply have a little fun with her?

“Did they like the vegetables?” Pop asked when William arrived back at the farm.

“Mrs. Pickard did.”

Pop stepped off the ladder where he’d been standing while repairing the side of the barn. “Did you see Lillian?”

“I stopped off at the Five and Dime on the way to her house, but she was busy and I didn’t want to bother her.”

With a chuckle, Pop brushed his hands together to get rid of the dust. “I’m sure you bothered her plenty. If she has any idea how smitten you are, I’m sure she’s thinking about you quite a bit.”

“Am I that transparent?” William felt heat rush into his face as Pop continued studying him.

“Afraid so. That girl has you all in a dither.”

“I’m not sure what to do next.”

“No one ever is, son. Women have kept men guessing since the beginning of time.”

“What did you do to win Mom’s heart?”

“Pretty much what you’re doing. Her parents didn’t trust me. They thought I was trying to buy her love.”

Apprehension gripped William. “You don’t think… I mean, I have been bringing her quite a few gifts. What if…” He rubbed his chin as he thought about his actions from a different perspective. “Maybe that’s what I’m doing wrong. Should I back off for a while?”

“I wish I could tell you,” Pop replied. “I’m the last person to give advice. Maybe your mother will know.”

“I can’t ask her questions like this.”

“Why not? She’s a woman, so she’s more likely to know what goes on in another woman’s mind.”

Pop had a good point. “Maybe I’ll talk to her later.”

“Good. Now why don’t you give me a hand with this so I can be done with it? I want to secure both barns in case we decide to bring in some more goats.” He paused. “We also need to work on your house. I thought we could finish framing it out sometime during the next week or so.”

“Don’t you think getting more goats might be a bit risky, Pop? And the house can wait. We don’t have enough hands on the farm as it is.”

“Amos wants to spend more time out here, and I’ll do what I can to help. You’ve done more than your share of work around this place.”

“With all of us working out of the office, who’ll take care of the business?”

Pop shook his head and placed a hand on William’s shoulder. “You need to stop worrying about matters you can’t control. I’ve been praying for some answers, and I have no doubt that the Lord will provide when He’s good and ready.”

They worked on reinforcing the side of the barn for the next hour and then they went to the house they’d started building for William. It didn’t take long to finish the frame. After William hammered the last nail, Pop started walking toward the house and gestured for William to follow.

“C’mon, son, it’s starting to get mighty cold out. We’ll have to knock off a little earlier as winter gets closer.”

As they walked to the house, William decided to bring up hiring some workers. “Maybe we can put a poster up at the rail station and see if anyone is looking for work.”

“That’s an idea,” Pop said. “Or we can talk to the pastor and ask if he knows anyone.”

Mention of talking to the pastor gave William an idea. “Since about everyone I know from our church has employment or a business, perhaps I can talk to the Pickards’ pastor too. He might know of some folks who need work.”