Cozy Christmas. Valerie Hansen

He’d have to be very, very careful or she’d put two and two together and come up with four.

      How Whitney would react if and when she learned that he was the town’s mystery benefactor was pretty predictable. She’d be fit to be tied.

      Or maybe worse.

      * * *

      Whitney thought about Josh and his admittedly barren childhood all the way home. What a shame that he had missed out on so much fun as a boy. There was no way to actually make up for his upbringing, of course, but she intended to give it a try.

      Pulling the Mustang into the empty side of the double garage, she used her remote to close the door behind her before getting out of the car. It was a tight fit these days. Ever since her dad’s recent knee surgery, her mother had been doing all the driving. Consequently, their SUV was crowded to the right of center, leaving Whitney a lot less room to maneuver in the space that was left for her.

      She grabbed her tote and managed to wiggle it out after her, then headed for the house. The moment she opened the kitchen door, the enticing aromas of an Italian meal made her mouth water.

      Not seeing anyone at the table or any food left on the stove, she called, “I’m home! I hope you saved me some supper. I’m starving.”

      “In the refrigerator,” her mother answered. “How was the party in the park?”

      That was a question Whitney had been asking herself all the way home. Her so-called investigation was getting nowhere, but her interest in one of the merchants seemed to be making great progress. Whether that was good or bad, however, was yet to be determined.