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 the decorating and make them as individual as they liked. She scribbled a note and put it on her computer monitor, not wanting to mention it to Luke until she’d collected a selection of ornaments that reflected both Annie’s and Beth’s apparent tastes.

      It wasn’t in her job description, of course, which was mostly to entertain the guests. Decorating wasn’t an “activity” like scavenger hunts and hayride parties, but Tessa gave her a lot of leeway. If Carlie saw a way to enhance a guest’s visit, she could act on it without getting permission.

      “These must be your parents,” Luke said, looking at a framed photo on the wall, taken shortly before her father’s accident. In it, he was hale and hearty, and looked half the age he did now.

      “Yes. Shall we go to the sledding hill?” Carlie prompted.

      “Sure.”

      When they arrived, she was pleased to see the snowmaking machines were still running and the guys in parkas and heavy gloves were out grooming the slope. A line of kids, both young and old, were queuing at the top in anticipation. There were so many, in fact, that Carlie excused herself to go talk with her