The line reminded Julia of her mother’s gentle advice, and she listened closely as he continued with a lesson about giving of yourself to make God’s world a better place. “Generosity isn’t only for the wealthy with money to spare,” he reminded them. “Share what you have—your time, your skills, your patience—to make someone else’s life better. That,” he assured them, “is Jesus’s enduring message, and the true spirit of Christmas.”
Julia normally had no trouble following the pastor’s heartfelt sermons, but her mind kept drifting to the new impressions she’d gotten of his family since meeting Nick. Every family had their troubles, but the McHenrys’ seemed to run much deeper than most. From the sketchy details Lainie had shared about her brother, Julia gathered that she and her mom had given up on fixing the problem between the father and son and were settling for civility on the few occasions they were forced to be together.
Throughout his distinguished career, Julia’s father had brought countless adversaries together to devise an acceptable truce between them. Some situations required more effort than others, but his remarkable success with sworn enemies spoke for itself. Over the years, she’d picked up some of those skills from observing him and often used them with people who seemed intent on making her life difficult. Could she use those skills here?
Lainie nudged her, and Julia stood for the next hymn. When her friend gave her a puzzled look, Julia simply smiled back. Unlike so many others, the Martins and McHenrys hadn’t labeled her a spoiled rich girl based on her nice clothes and exotic jewelry. Instead, they’d taken the time to get to know her and had made her feel like part of their family. Grateful beyond words, she wanted to do something that would make this Christmas extra special for them.
In that moment, it came to her. Of all the gifts she could give them, Julia knew which one would mean the most.
She’d broker peace between Nick and his father.
Nick himself had set the wheels in motion by coming home for Thanksgiving. To Julia, that proved the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless, but she recognized she couldn’t manage such a monumental task on her own.
Looking up, she closed her eyes and silently prayed for help in mending the McHenrys’ broken family. After a few moments, a sense of calm settled over her, assuring her she’d been heard and an answer was on the way.
Chapter Three
When Nick stepped outside to check on the snowfall, he heard the chorus of “Rudolph” coming from across the yard and found his brother-in-law singing along with the radio while he shoveled the driveway. Todd Martin was new in town, which in Holiday Harbor meant he’d been around less than ten years, arriving after Nick had left for New York. While Todd must have had heard plenty of negative things about him, apparently he didn’t hold any of them against Nick.
“You know that’s a losing cause around here, right?” Nick teased.
Todd laughed. “Yeah, but someone’s gotta do it. Lainie’s with the kids, so I’m elected.”
“In that case, do you have another shovel?”
Glancing at Nick’s stylish leather boots, he grinned. “You’re not exactly dressed for manual labor.”
“I’ll be fine.” Noticing a smaller shovel leaning against the shed, he retrieved it and started in on the other side of the driveway.
“Thanks for the help.” As they got to work, Todd continued. “I heard you’re stuck here ’til tomorrow.”
“Yeah. If I’d known how long I’d be here, I’d have stayed at a hotel so I wouldn’t be in your way.”
“What makes you think you’re in the way?”
When Nick didn’t answer, Todd abruptly stopped working and waited for Nick to look at him. “Lainie told me what happened to Ian and how things went for your family afterward. That has nothing to do with me, and I’m not one to judge anyway.”
It was one of the nicest things anyone had said to him all week, and Nick smiled. “I appreciate that.”
“From what I see, you’re a decent guy, and having you around makes my wife happy. We’ve got a perfectly good guest room here, and you’re welcome to it as long as you want to stay.”
“Thanks, Todd.”
“Don’t mention it.” Grinning, he picked up his shovel again. “I have to admit, it’s nice having another pair of hands out here. Hannah tries, but after a few minutes, she starts making snow angels and throwing snowballs. Then we end up in a snowball fight, and I’m out here ’til dark.”
So he dropped what he was doing when his daughter wanted to play, then worked longer to get the job done. That was how a father should be, and Nick admired Todd’s devotion to his family. Imagining them playing in the snow brought to mind the Christmas cards that always stacked up on his hall table until he finally tossed them out on New Year’s Day.
Even though the Martins’ humble lifestyle was starkly different from his own, Nick felt himself smiling back. “Sounds like fun.”
“Yeah, it is. I can’t wait until Noah’s older, and all four of us can play.”
“Girls against the guys?”
“Got that right.”
“Just watch out for Lainie,” Nick warned as a silver Mercedes pulled into the cleared half of the driveway. “She plays dirty.”
The car glided to a stop, and when the driver’s door opened, Nick was stunned to see Holiday Harbor’s favorite toy store owner stepping out. Assessing their progress, she smiled over at them. “Good work.”
“Thanks,” Todd said, strolling over to greet her. “I figure we’ll be done right about the time the next storm comes through.”
She laughed, and the bright sound struck Nick as a perfect accompaniment to the Christmas music on the radio. “Isn’t that always the way?”
“Seems to be.” Seeming to remember he had company, Todd added, “Where are my manners? Julia Stanton, this is Lainie’s brother, Nick McHenry.”
“We met in town yesterday,” she said politely.
Usually adept at reading between the lines, Nick couldn’t get a handle on how she felt about their unusual encounter. While she gave the appearance of being open and friendly, she actually kept her emotions well masked. Must be all that diplomatic training, he decided. She could probably turn that stunning movie-star charisma of hers on and off at will. “Nice to see you again.”
“And you, as well.” Opening the passenger door of her car, she pulled out a bag imprinted with Toyland in the same gold script lettering he’d noticed at the shop. “The girls have things under control at the shop, so I’m on a delivery run.”
Nick let out a low whistle. “That’s what I call service.”
“When you have young children, it’s hard to keep their gifts a surprise,” she explained in an ultrapatient tone she probably used with troublesome customers in her store. Not rude, exactly, but it lacked the warmth she’d shown his brother-in-law.
“That’s the truth.” Taking the bag, Todd added, “I’ll hide them in my workshop. Hannah’s not allowed in there, so they’ll be safe.”
Nick didn’t understand why they were going to so much trouble to keep the presents a secret. Maybe it was something you didn’t understand until you joined the parent club. Then again, Julia didn’t have children, but she seemed to buy into it completely. So maybe, he admitted with a mental sigh, it was just him.
“I’m ready for a break,” Todd continued. “I’ll stash these and meet you inside.”
Julia checked her slender gold wristwatch. “I really should get back.”