Her Christmas Hero

Chapter Two

Linc was not a fan of Monday mornings. Especially when it meant sitting behind a desk in an office. He’d much rather be in his truck headed for a job site. The figures on the page before him dissolved into a cloudy blur. He closed his eyes, rubbing them with his fingers to ease the strain. Calculating the estimates for a project bid was his brother Gil’s area of expertise. Linc was more at home with managing the actual job. But with Gil in Mobile and Dad gone, it fell to him.

Leaning back in the chair, he scanned the office. His dad’s presence lingered heavily in the air. At any moment he expected to hear his deep voice, and to see his sturdy frame striding into the room. The ache inside Linc’s chest expanded, and a lump rose in his throat, so painful that it made his eyes burn.

As long as he could remember he’d wanted to be exactly like his dad. He wanted to do everything he did, including running the family business. But his dream had always included working side by side with his father—never running the company all alone. Technically, Gil was a partner, too. He was the planner, the negotiator, the one who won bids with his precise numbers. Linc was the hands-on guy, supervising the electricians, managing job sites and dealing with the construction issues.

He swiveled the chair to look out the window and studied the sign out front that proclaimed in shiny steel letters on a blue background the company his grandfather had started. Linc had trained and studied his whole life to assume this job. But he’d never expected the pressure involved with keeping a large company running.

He slammed a fist against the chair arm. Why had the Lord taken Dale Montgomery so young? He’d not seen his sixtieth birthday. His family needed him. Linc needed him. Setting his jaw, he shoved the self-pity aside and spun back around to the desk. He needed to buck up. His dad wouldn’t want him behaving like a kid. He’d expect him to step in and take charge. Somehow Linc had to keep the company going and the family together. Family had meant everything to Dale Montgomery. Faith first, family second—then work.

“Hey, bro.” Seth Montgomery strolled into the office and stopped in front of the desk. “I came by to pick up supplies and thought I’d see how you were doing.”

Much of Linc’s melancholy eased. His younger brother was easygoing and always found the bright side in everything. Linc rested his elbows on the desk. “Wishing Gil was here to figure out these blueprints. This bid is due at the end of the week.”

Seth sat down with a shake of his head. “Don’t look at me. I’m not the business type, remember? I like pulling wires and connecting circuit breakers.” He grew serious as he glanced around the office. “It seems weird to see you in here instead of Dad.”

The pressure inside Linc’s chest squeezed like a vise, making it hard to breathe. They were all suffering the loss. “Trust me, it feels even weirder to sit here and try to do his job.”

“Afraid you’re not up to it?”

“Maybe.”

Seth stood, an encouraging smile on his face. “Don’t sweat it. You’re the smartest guy I know. And the most stubborn. It might be rough at first, but you’ll make it work. You and Gil together are a force, man.”

“Thanks. Have you talked to Tori?” Their youngest sister had taken their father’s death the hardest. As the baby of the family, she and Dad had shared a special bond. She was struggling with her grief.

“Yeah, she’s not doing too well. She won’t even let me come over. I’m worried. I wish Mom was here. Mom’s the only one who can understand her.”

“Hopefully she’ll be home soon. Did you know she rented the cottage?”

“No. Who to?”

“A former employee of ours. Gemma Butler and her son.”

Seth’s serious expression shifted to one of appreciation. “Whoa. The pretty blonde from accounting?”

How did Seth know about her and he didn’t? “Yeah. You know her?”

“Not really, but I had a payroll issue with one of the guys a while back and she got it all straightened out. Nice lady. Very sweet. And very single.”

Linc had discovered that when he’d checked her file. “She’s the new director of Christmas events for the Chamber.”

“Really? Mom stepped aside, huh? I knew she was thinking about it.”

Linc suddenly felt like a distant cousin instead of the eldest son. Everyone knew what was going on but him. How had he missed all this? Maybe in his shock and grief he’d failed to pay attention. He’d have to do better. It was up to him now to stay involved in his siblings’ lives. And his mother’s. What else hadn’t she told him? How was he supposed to be the head of the family if everyone kept him in the dark? Seth turned to leave. “Where are you working today?”

“Up in Madison. The Kramer house is behind schedule.”

What else was new?

The rest of the day produced more annoyances and setbacks. By the time he called it quits, Linc was tired and ready to crash. After a quick shower and a sandwich, he refilled his glass of sweet tea and went out on the front porch. The air was rich with the smell of fall and the late-blooming camellias and roses. His gaze went immediately to the cottage. The silver car was parked along the narrow drive beside the house. There was no sign of the boy. He’d spotted him earlier in the yard tossing a football in the air. He’d considered offering to throw a few spirals to the kid, but then decided against it. Linc didn’t need to get involved with the new tenants. Still, he found himself looking for her—Gemma. Unusual name but appropriate. With her red-gold hair and clear green eyes, she made him think of sparkling gemstones, like vibrant emeralds and fiery topaz. She was all soft and feminine, which made it all the more intriguing that she’d challenged him. She seemed too delicate to have such a strong backbone.

As he watched, the front door of the cottage opened and the object of his thoughts stepped onto the porch, settling into one of the rockers. With one leg folded under her, she pushed the rocker with her toe. She looked relaxed, dreamy, and he wondered what she was thinking. Part of him wanted to go talk to her. But a bigger part warned him to steer clear. The last thing he needed right now was any romantic distractions. Especially with a friend of his mother’s. He pivoted and headed for the family room.

Monday Night Football was about to start.

* * *

The October twilight was pleasantly warm. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the ground in front of the cottage as Gemma kept the wooden rocker in motion. The light was fading, but she wasn’t in any hurry to go inside as long as there was a single ray of light left to enjoy. Resting her head against the back of the chair, she closed her eyes, letting her senses appreciate the scents of autumn. She loved the mixture of earth, dry leaves and fading vegetation.

A sliver of guilt poked into her reverie. She’d come outside to read through the folder that Pete McCorkle, president of the Dover Chamber of Commerce, had given her on the town’s previous celebrations—not to daydream.

A busy squirrel screeched from a nearby tree, making the hair on the back of her neck tingle. No. It wasn’t the critter that had her senses on alert. She opened her eyes. Someone was watching her. She glanced toward the main house, expecting to find Linc looking at her again. But the porch was empty. She looked at the large window on the side of the house. Was he watching from that room? She fought the urge to retreat inside.

The sensation faded, and she relaxed. She must be imagining things. Linc’s scrutiny earlier had left her edgy. But she refused to worry about his bad attitude or his effect on her nervous system. In her line of work she’d learned how to deal with all types of people, from the overly friendly to the overly hostile. But Linc triggered emotions that were unfamiliar and disturbing. Until she could put a name to them, she was keeping her guard up and plenty of distance between herself and the eldest Montgomery brother. Linc was exactly the type she wanted to avoid. Overly confident, arrogant and with a need to take charge.

Opening the folder in her lap, she leafed through the reports Pete had given her. There wasn’t much to look at. They consisted of a small parade, random lights around town, a nativity, a Christmas tree in the square park and a lighted star on the courthouse dome.

They’d given Gemma to the end of the week to come up with ideas to transform their ho-hum celebration into something spectacular that would be a draw for holiday tourists, and in turn boost their sagging economy. Most of her responsibility would fall on the first two weekends of the celebration. She wouldn’t be involved with the other two events, the community meal for the needy and the toy drive, but she already had ideas for a few additions that would hopefully enhance them.

Her creative juices were already flowing. She’d come up with a dozen ideas, and with the budget she’d been given she shouldn’t have any trouble seeing them through. She and Evan had made a tour of downtown yesterday and explored some of the neighborhoods. If she could get enough of the business owners on the square motivated, she could make Christmas in Dover an event people flocked to each year. She could see it growing steadily and someday being named in the top ten attractions in the South. Maybe even a feature article in Southern Living magazine.

She chuckled softly. She was getting ahead of herself. First she had to get her ideas approved.

“Hey, Mom. What’cha doing?”

Gemma smiled as her son joined her on the porch. “Looking over some work for tomorrow. Did you run out of time on your video game?” She’d set strict limits on the amount of time Evan could spend on his games.

“Yes, ma’am. Can I play under those trees until dark?”

“Sure.”

Refocusing on the file, her confidence wavered. She had a lot to accomplish between now and December 1. Thankfully the Chamber heads were eager for her to succeed. And she needed to succeed. Failure meant accepting help from her parents. She’d imposed on Caroline long enough, and moving back home would be emotional suicide. But with a mountain of debt, working as a low-level accountant would barely provide a living for her and Evan.

Gemma ran her hands through her hair, staring up at the passing clouds. As long as she could remember her parents had pressured her and her older sister, Beatrice, to achieve greatness. Nothing less would do. Her father, a well-known professor of political science, and her mother, head of a large private foundation, had expected even more from their daughters. Bea had done her part by earning her doctorate.

Gemma was the black sheep. Her creative bent had been a puzzlement to her parents, something they didn’t understand or condone. To them it was a waste of time to draw or paint. She’d fought them her whole life, even down to taking piano lessons. If she wasn’t going to be a concert pianist, what was the point?

She’d compromised by getting a second degree in accounting, but she had no intension of getting her CPA—an achievement her parents ceaselessly pressured her to attain. Accounting was a handy skill to have to fall back on, but event planning was her passion.

Determined to prove herself and carve out her own life, she’d started Fine Day Events with her good friend Darren. Their business had been a huge success, fulfilling all of Gemma’s hopes. Until Darren had betrayed her and destroyed her dream.

But she’d learned her lesson. This time she would rely only on her own skills and abilities. She was an exceptional event planner, and she would turn Dover’s holiday celebrations into something everyone in south Mississippi would flock to see.

Nothing would stand in her way.

* * *

Linc’s cell phone rang the moment he changed the channel to ESPN and settled back for a distracting game on Monday Night Football. He groaned and picked up his phone. Mom. Maybe she was coming home. Finally. “Mom. How’s it going?”

“Fine. I was just calling to ask you if you’d made our new tenant comfortable. I want her to feel welcomed so I hope you’re going by and checking on her.”

“I’m not the welcoming committee, Mom. I’m sure if she needs anything she’ll ask.”

“Does she have your number?”

“I don’t know.”

“John Lincoln, you make yourself available to that young woman. She’s taking on a big job and we need to be there for her.”

“Mom, I have my hands full trying to run the business. I don’t have time to play host.”

“Do you know if she’s met with the Chamber folks yet?”

Linc rubbed his forehead. “No. I’ve only spoken to her once.”

“Son, I’ve dumped a big project in her lap and I’m not there to guide her. I want you to attend those meetings and make sure she has all she needs. You’ve helped me with Christmas events several times and you know what to do.”

“Mom, maybe it’s time you came home. We miss you. Especially now. Tori’s not doing well. If you were here you could help this woman yourself. It would keep you busy and your mind off...things.”

“You think keeping busy will make me forget I lost the man I’ve loved for nearly forty years?”

His mother’s harsh tone humbled him. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I’ll be home soon. I promise. And I’ve been talking to your sister. She just needs to work through this in her own way. In the meantime, you watch over Gemma. She’s a good friend and I want her to know we’re supporting her.”

“Friend? Mom, how do you know this woman?”

“Remember the retirement party for Harvey Morgan? She’s the one who planned that whole thing. It was amazing. I went to tell her what a splendid job she’d done and we connected right away. I think she’s exactly what Dover needs to spark up the Christmas events.”

What was going on? “The events are just fine the way they are.”

“Be that as it may, will you do as I ask and look out for her?”

“Fine. I’ll pay her a visit tonight.”

“Thank you, dear. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Mom.”

Linc hung up, then lay his head on the back of the recliner. So much for the football game. He needed downtime, a few hours of mindless distraction from the pressure at the office. The last thing he wanted to do was play gracious host to the new tenant. In fact, he’d like to avoid the woman altogether. Something about her disturbed him, but he wasn’t sure what or why. He’d even dreamed about her last night. Not a good thing.

He didn’t understand why his mother was so concerned about the woman handling the job. Mom had the decorations and celebrations down to a science. All that Gemma had to do was follow the plan from the previous years and it would be a breeze. But, as he’d promised his mom, first he’d make her feel welcomed.

Leveraging himself from the recliner, he went to the freezer in the utility room and pulled out one of his mom’s frozen pecan pies. Her standard welcome-to-the-area offering.

Slipping on his athletic shoes, he didn’t bother to tie the laces. This would be a quick howdy-do. He’d hand her the pie, offer her his assistance, then get back to the game. The Saints had the ball.

All the lights in the cottage were blazing when he knocked on the door. He shifted impatiently as he waited. He’d reached out to knock again when the door opened and Gemma appeared. The lights from inside framed her in a soft glow, making her skin translucent and her reddish-blond hair spark with light. She was stunning. His mouth went dry and he forgot why he was here. “Uh. My mom, I mean, I brought you a pie. Pecan pie.” He went warm all over. What was wrong with him? He never had trouble talking to women, but for some reason he was as tongue-tied and awkward as a teenager with his first crush. “I should have brought it sooner. To welcome you. As a tenant.” He suddenly wished the porch boards would collapse and swallow him into the ground.

She smiled, her green eyes twinkling like emeralds. “That’s very kind of you. I’m sure Francie would have brought it herself if she was here.”

Linc frowned. Was she implying that he obviously hadn’t thought of this himself? She was right, but he didn’t like the idea that she could read him. “Actually, I wanted to bring it as an apology gift, too.” Good move. Now he was back on track. “I wasn’t very hospitable yesterday when you arrived. I didn’t know Mom had leased the cottage. And, uh, I’ve been too busy to get over here before this.”

She raised an eyebrow, then dropped her gaze down to his feet and his untied laces. “And you were so anxious to get the pie to me that you forgot to tie your shoes?”

“No. I—” Heat infused his neck and cheeks. Linc Montgomery didn’t like being off balance. He was always the one in charge. This woman was downright irritating.

“My son does that when he’s in a hurry to finish an unpleasant task. Like taking out the garbage, or bringing a pie to a neighbor.”

Her eyes weren’t twinkling now. They were dark and challenging. Well, he’d show her. He flashed his best smile. “A neighbor I should get to know better. Where would you like me to put this?” He stepped closer, edging past her to the door. She was not going to get the best of him.

She moved aside, following him into the living room. “Just put it in the kitchen.”

He smiled over his shoulder. “It’s frozen.”

“So you didn’t bake it yourself, then?”

“I could have.” He cringed at the stupidity of that remark. He could no more bake a pie than knit a sweater. Mr. Smooth Moves with the ladies was playing one-upmanship with a girl. No, a woman. A disturbingly attractive and quick-witted one at that.

She stood in the small eating area while he placed the pie on the counter. He looked at her and smiled again. She didn’t smile back. “So is there anything I can do for you? Anything need fixing, problems with the house, something up high I can get down for you?”

She arched her brows. “Everything is fine. We don’t need a thing. And I have a step stool.”

“Hey, Mom.” The boy charged into the room, his shoes squeaking on the floor when he stopped. “Hi, Mr. Linc.”

Linc searched his memory for the boy’s name. “Hey, Evan.” He noticed the junior-size football in the boy’s hands. “You play?”

“Naw. Mom can’t throw and I don’t know anyone yet.”

“I’ll play with you. Just holler. When you see that red truck at the main house that means I’m home. I love football.”

The boy’s face split in a wide smile. “Did you play?”

“Sure did. All through college.”

“Pro, too?”

“No. I wasn’t tall enough.” He shrugged. “Only six feet.”

“Drew Brees is only that tall.”

“Yes, but he has talent.”

Evan chuckled, then hurried from the room.

Gemma gave him a cool glare. “That was very nice of you. Assuming you follow up on your offer?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

She shrugged. “I’ve learned people say a lot of things they don’t mean. Promises aren’t worth much.”

“They are to me.”

“That remains to be seen, doesn’t it?”

He’d had enough. This woman was getting under his skin. She shoved him off balance every time she spoke, and with every glance from those incredible green eyes. Seeing a pen and notepad on the counter, he scribbled down his cell number. “If you need anything, call. Day or night. I mean that.”

“Of course you do. Your mother would tan your hide if you didn’t. Right?”

Either she didn’t think much of him or she knew his mother better than he’d expected. Whatever—he wasn’t going to expend any more effort on making her feel at home. His mom could do that when she got back. “Good night.” He walked past the table and noticed the photos from last year’s Christmas events. Beside them were sketches of the same scenes, only far more elaborate. He touched one sketch with his fingertips. “What are these?”

Gemma came to his side. “My designs for decorating the downtown.”

“But this looks nothing like it did last year.”

“That’s the point. The Chamber wants to expand everything. More lights, more activities, more decorations.”

“Why?”

“To bring in more business. Over the next few years they’d like to see Dover become a Christmas destination spot.”

“Does my mother know about this?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Blindsided again. Linc nodded and made his way to the door. Everything in his life was upside down and backward. Gemma followed him.

“Thank you for the pie.”

He stopped and looked back at her, caught again by how lovely she was. “You’re welcome.”

Linc made his way down the steps, nearly tripping on his laces. He propped his foot up on a planter and tied them before marching back to the house.

This Gemma was going to completely change Dover’s Christmas. He liked it the way it was. Time to have another talk with his mother. Surely she didn’t intend for this woman to toss out the cherished holiday celebrations.

Suddenly his mom’s suggestion that he attend the Chamber meetings and help Gemma sounded like a great idea. His mom was right about one thing. He did know the Christmas events down to the last plastic poinsettia. He’d make sure she didn’t destroy the holiday traditions the people in this town treasured—and that she kept things the way his mother always had.

* * *

Gemma closed the door behind Linc, then returned to the kitchen and stared at the pie. That had to have been Francie’s idea. She seriously doubted Linc would think of that on his own.

She smiled as she imagined Linc’s reaction to Francie’s request to bring a pie to the new tenants. No doubt he’d whined and rolled his eyes the way Evan did when faced with an unpleasant task. Why else would Linc traipse over here with his shoes untied?

When she’d seen him coming up on the porch, she’d braced for another confrontation and assumed her most pleasant expression. The one she used for clients who were inclined to be difficult. But when she’d opened the door, he’d looked stunned—and confused. He’d recovered quickly, unleashing his charm, but it was obvious he was unhappy with playing gentleman host.

It was all a wasted effort where she was concerned. She felt certain he was accustomed to women melting under his disarming smile, and to be fair, it had caused a small hitch in her breath. She doubted he was used to women challenging his motives.

What he didn’t know was how fragile her bravado actually was. Resting a hand on her throat, she took a few deep breaths to slow her heart rate and calm the flutters in her stomach.

She’d have to keep her head around Linc. He put the electric in Montgomery Electrical. Energetic and aggressive, with his piercing blue eyes, the perpetual scowl on his chiseled features, he was the kind of man who could overpower you with his personality alone. Which meant he wasn’t the kind of man she ever intended to get close to. The thought of being overpowered again chilled her blood. She forced the memory back into the dark corner of her mind, praying for peace. The past was over. She had Evan. That was all she wanted to remember.