The Twins' Family Christmas

“Deal,” the other man said, laughing.

Lily and the twins had disappeared, so Carson took advantage of the opportunity to pick out two boxes of ornaments. They had a few, but not enough to make even their small artificial tree look as colorful as six-year-olds demanded.

Of course, Carson ran into several of his parishioners, and by the time he’d greeted them, Lily and the twins emerged from the back of the store. “Success!” Lily said, holding up a box with a coffee maker in it.

“And I have something for you.” With a fake-gallant gesture, he poured her a paper cup of free, hardware-store coffee and handed it over.

“You’re my hero,” she said, taking the cup and inhaling appreciatively. She took a sip and her eyes met his.

He started to feel giddy.

When they reached the counter with their purchases, Marla Jones, the cashier, reached over the counter to shake Lily’s hand. “So you’re Penny’s niece? Penny told me you were staying up at the ranch.”

Lily’s smile was a little shy. “I’m just here for a few days, to photograph the dogs. My senior project.”

“You know,” Marla said, “I’d like to talk to you about going back to school for photography. I’d really like to finish my degree, but I’m worried that I’m too old.”

“You should! It’s been a great experience for me. And there are lots of older students at colleges these days.”

“Do you mind if I get your number? It’s Liliana...what was your last name?”

“Watkins,” she said.

Shock exploded like a bomb in Carson’s chest. He must have made some weird sound, because she glanced over at him. When she saw his reaction, her eyes widened, and she turned quickly away.

The clerk rang up Lily’s purchases, still chatting, and then punched her number into Lily’s phone. Meanwhile, all the implications slammed into Carson. Lily was Liliana Watkins? Pam’s party-happy roommate? The one with all the boyfriends? He shook his head, but he couldn’t shake the pieces into place.

Why was Liliana at the ranch? Was she here to dry out? To bring a message from Pam? Most important, was it safe for his girls to be around her?

His eyes narrowed. Had Penny known the connection between Lily and Pam when she’d asked Carson to check on her?

Lily grabbed her purchase and her change, gave a quick, artificial smile to Marla and then hurried toward the door.

He wasn’t letting her escape. “Hey, wait up,” he called after her as he handed cash to Marla.

Lily hesitated, then turned.

Carson took his change and strode over to where she was standing. “I need to talk to you later, after church,” he said.

“Okay.” She looked pale, but she didn’t ask him why. For some reason, that angered him.

The girls were calling to him, talking to Marla, collecting his bags. “I’d like to get some information from you, Liliana,” he said, keeping his voice low, “about Pam.”

Chapter Three (#u9e2d1351-36d4-5617-874a-da9c35c7ee27)

A short while later, Lily stood in the foyer of the small church while Carson talked to a parishioner, and the girls excitedly greeted their friends.

Anxiety twisted her stomach. He knew.

Carson Blair had obviously just realized that she’d been Pam’s friend and roommate, and now she had to decide how to deal. And she had to figure it out soon, before the church service ended.

Just the fact that she hadn’t said anything when she’d met them made her seem guilty of wrongdoing. She should have copped to the truth right away. Should have smiled easily and said, “Hey, what a coincidence, I think I knew your wife.”

But she’d kept quiet. How was she going to explain that?

Out of all the things he was likely to think and wonder about, one was the most worrisome: Did he know she’d been right there with Pam at the end? How much did he know about his wife’s death?

“Come see our costume!” Little Sunny tugged at Lily’s hand, bringing her back to the present. They walked farther into the small, white-adobe-fronted church building. Evergreen boughs emitted their pungent aroma, and a large Christmas tree dominated the corner of the lobby. Adults talked and laughed and hung up coats while kids ran around. From the sanctuary, a choir practiced a jazzed-up version of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”; the music stopped midline, there was some talk and laughter, and then the group sang the same line again and continued on.

“Over here!” Skye beckoned, and Sunny tugged, and Lily followed them down a hallway to a classroom where barely organized chaos reigned.

“We’re two parts of a camel,” Skye explained. “I was the front in the dress ’hearsal last week, so Sunny gets to be the front today.” The contraption they held up made Lily smile; someone had affixed a brown sheet to a horse-on-a-stick, and a complicated arrangement of pillows made for the hump. Two holes allowed the girls’ heads to stick up through it, creating visibility and a very odd-looking camel.

“Can you help them into it?” a young woman, obviously pregnant, called over her shoulder. She was kneeling, trying to place a flowing head covering over a shepherd boy who kept trying to twist away. “I’m Barb, by the way,” she added.

“Um, sure.” Lily knelt beside the twins and, despite their confusing instructions, got the costume situated on them. Immediately, they began prancing around, running into another child just as Carson appeared in the doorway.

“Skye! Sunny!” He lifted his hands in warning. “Slow down.”

“Daddy!” They rushed over and struggled to embrace him, their camel costume twisting askew, as if they hadn’t just parted from him ten minutes before.

Wow, he was handsome. And she’d felt a spark between them earlier, in the street, when they’d teased about getting a dog.

What was that all about? Getting attracted to Pam’s husband was just plain wrong.

“You look great.” He hugged them both quickly and readjusted their costume. “I want you to go over there and sit with the others until it’s time to come out and do your show.” He guided them toward the calmest corner of the room, where several other child actors milled around.

“I’m sorry things are so wild, Pastor Blair,” Barb said. “I’m trying to get everyone dressed, but it’s hard. We’ll be ready when it’s time.”

“Isn’t Missy here?”

She shook her head. “Her little one’s sick. But I’m sure I can handle it.”

“If you tell me what to do,” Lily heard herself say, “I can help.”

“Thank you!” Carson gave her a smile that warmed her to her toes, and then someone called him from behind. He turned toward an agitated-looking acolyte who was holding a broken candle. He spoke to her gently, and they walked off down the hall.

“I’d appreciate your help.” Barb gave her a harried smile. “If you can just keep the kids entertained while I get these last couple dressed, and help me get them to the sanctuary, we’ll be good.”

Keep kids entertained? How did you do that? She wasn’t a mom or an aunt, and she didn’t have many friends with kids.

As she looked at them, her mind a blank, the group began to nudge and push one another in the small, crowded room.

Inspiration hit. “All right, we’re going to take pictures,” she said, pulling out her phone. “First, everyone stand up.”

Like well-practiced models, they instantly struck poses, and she snapped several photos.

“Now everyone look sad.”