Christmas With Carlie. Julianna Morris

      Gideon looked rueful. “Probably. I hadn’t realized kickoff day was such a big deal. I’ll do my best to find another pair of sheep for tonight.”

      “I appreciate it.”

      The living nativity was Carlie’s brainchild. It was the first time they’d had one at Poppy Gold, but she figured everyone would enjoy the event. Even if Gideon couldn’t locate replacement sheep, it would be a nice tableau.

      * * *

      GIDEON WALKED QUICKLY toward the Poppy Gold parking lot where he’d left his car. He was thoroughly enjoying his move to Glimmer Creek, though after eight years of veterinary practice in Beverly Hills, he’d had to reacquaint himself with horses, cows and sheep. Not to mention llamas, pigs and a small, cantankerous herd of buffalo.

      Yet even as pleasure went through him, his mouth compressed. He’d never wanted to live in the city, but had made an agreement with his wife. After qualifying, he would go to work at her father’s exclusive Beverly Hills veterinary clinic for eight years. Then, if he still wanted to be a small-town vet, they’d pack up and move. But when the time came, Renee had flatly refused. Apparently she’d made the agreement never thinking she’d have to keep it, figuring nobody would choose to live anywhere else once they’d had a taste of Los Angeles.

      In the end, Gideon realized they’d grown so far apart they really didn’t have a marriage to save.

      Back at the office he unlocked the computer and did a search for clients with sheep. Dr. Chevalier had disdained computers, keeping detailed paper records instead. One of the huge jobs still ahead was getting those files entered into the system, but at least Gideon’s office manager had finally gotten the basic data input done on all their current clients. It would have to do for now.

      He’d hate to disappoint Carlie. Her enthusiasm about the living nativity was refreshing.

      Gideon made a couple of calls and found a teenager involved in the 4-H club who was thrilled to have her two sheep in the living nativity.

      He’d just hung up the phone when a handful of mail was dropped through the slot on the door. He sorted through the envelopes until he reached one from Los Angeles.

      Inside was his final divorce decree.

       CHAPTER FOUR

      LUKE WAS CONCERNED how the girls would react to the paper-chain-making contest, but since every kid won a prize—for one reason or another—it turned out all right. Beth was triumphant over getting “most colorful,” while Annie appeared quietly pleased with “prettiest use of traditional Christmas colors.”

      Every award was “the best” or “the most” or another superlative, and he wondered how long it had taken Carlie or her staff to come up with enough prizes to be sure each child received an accolade of some type.

      Once the ceremonies had been completed, the paper-chain-making supplies were moved to a single table and other crafts were set out.

      “Look, Carlie is back,” Annie cried and ran across the room, followed by her sister.

      Luke watched, wishing his daughters would greet him with that much enthusiasm. They immediately grabbed the activities director by the hand and dragged her to where he sat with a cup of coffee.

      Carlie’s cheeks were pink from the cold air outside and he had to admit she was pretty with her blue eyes and long, golden-brown hair. Wholesome. Like a character from a Christmas film where true love triumphs. It wasn’t any wonder the twins gravitated toward her, though Annie’s instant attachment was unusual.

      “What are you doing now?” Carlie asked the girls.

      “I want to make origami birds,” Annie said, pronouncing the new word with care. She pointed to a table where a woman was demonstrating how to fold paper into different shapes.

      “No. That’s dumb,” Beth declared. “Let’s go see how much snow there is.”

      Carlie looked at him. “Maybe Annie could learn to do origami while the two of you go out to the sledding hill. There are volunteers here to watch the children.”

      Luke hesitated. While marginally quieter now, the room was still busy with kids and adults coming and going. He couldn’t see letting Annie stay by herself, even if someone was specifically assigned to watch her. “Maybe another time. I saw on the schedule that Poppy Gold has another holiday craft workshop next Saturday.”

      “Yippee,” Beth cried.

      Annie was still hanging on to Carlie’s arm, and Carlie was talking to her in a soft voice. He only caught a few words. “Only if you go, too,” Annie said finally. “But I don’t want to squish my chain.” She held up the gift bag the children had been given to carry their paper chains and other belongings.

      “You can put it in my office and come back for it later,” Carlie offered.

      “Let’s just go,” Beth implored, hopping impatiently from one foot to the other.

      Carlie smiled at her. “It won’t take long and this way you don’t have to carry your bag around.”

      “Oookaaay.”

      As they stepped outside, Luke asked why the building used for Guest Reception had the words City Hall impressed above the main doors. Was it to add to the village atmosphere?

      “It was Glimmer Creek’s original city hall,” Carlie explained when he asked. “James Connor purchased the town’s historic district during the Great Depression, including all the civic structures except the Carnegie library.”

      “Sounds like the Connors are one of the early robber-baron families of California.”

      Carlie looked annoyed. “Actually, James Connor paid top dollar, donated a boatload of money to the town and allowed residents to live in their homes rent-free for five years. He didn’t buy the property for profit. He did it to preserve history and help Glimmer Creek get through the Depression. Personally, I don’t think the town was properly grateful—they called it Connor’s Folly for decades.”

      “Oh.”

      “Why did you assume he was out for himself?” she asked.

      Luke made a noncommittal gesture, though he couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t questioned people’s motives. Growing up, he’d seen too many people taking advantage of others, his parents included. It had made him determined to make a different life and to take care of his sister. Nicole kept saying she needed to take care of herself, but that was nonsense. She was independent. While he’d paid for her college expenses and given her a job, she worked hard and was a terrific computer specialist, in her own right. Nobody could accuse her of being a freeloader.

      * * *

      CARLIE UNLOCKED HER private office. It was quiet in this part of the building; on such a busy day all available staff members were out, handling various responsibilities.

      “Just put your bags on my desk,” she told the twins, who’d gone instantly to look at the decorated tree in the corner, seeming to forget everything else.

      The branches were adorned with white lights, delicate crystal icicles and the wild-animal ornaments she’d collected since she was a little girl. Raccoons, squirrels, mountain lions, rabbits, foxes, birds of every variety, mice, deer and other animals adorned the branches and she loved them all. They sat on beds of “snow” as if in their mountain home.

      “It’s the bestest tree ever,” Annie said solemnly.

      Beth nodded, but Carlie suspected she normally preferred something flashier. That was okay. Sometimes Carlie enjoyed flashy, too, though they tried to keep the decorations at Poppy Gold restrained.

      Perhaps the girls would like to have a Christmas tree in their bedroom. Actually, two trees. They could do