Chapter 17
Susan balanced a cardboard box against her hip and knocked on the weathered front door of a small bungalow. Through the frost-etched window, she glimpsed movement inside. Children’s voices rose in excitement, followed by a mother’s gentle shushing.
The door opened to reveal a tired woman in her mid-thirties, her hair pulled back in a hasty ponytail. Recognition flickered across her face, followed by surprise.
“Susan?” The woman’s hand flew to her throat. “I didn’t realize—I mean, Pastor John said someone would drop off a parcel, but I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I’ve been helping Pastor John for a few months now, Talia.” She extended the container with both hands. “This is for you from the Secret Santa program. There’s roasted turkey, vegetables, fresh bread, and some treats for your children.”
Talia’s eyes glistened as she accepted the offering. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means. With Jerry’s layoff last month and the medical bills piling up...” Her voice fractured.
“No explanations needed,” Susan said gently. Two small faces appeared behind their mother’s legs, eyes wide with curiosity. Susan crouched down to their level. “I heard there might be some cookie lovers in this house.”
The children’s squeals of delight brought more tears to Talia’s eyes. Susan said goodbye and left before she cried, too. She’d met Talia a few days after arriving in Sapphire Bay. The young mom juggled two part-time jobs with raising her adorable children.
Pastor John was helping the family with budgeting advice, but there was only so much planning you could do when your income had been halved. The food parcels from the church were helping to supplement the food Talia and Jerry could afford.
As she walked toward her truck, Susan thought about the food parcels she’d delivered to families in need. Witnessing the raw gratitude of people accepting help during a difficult time was truly humbling.
She climbed back into her truck. Lynda was waiting with her clipboard balanced on her lap.
“That makes nine deliveries,” Lynda said, checking off another address. “Just three more families on our route.”
Susan pulled away from the curb, navigating the snow-dusted streets toward the next address. The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across Sapphire Bay. Christmas decorations were appearing on every street. Susan smiled as they drove past a property with multicolored lights, an inflatable snowman, and a twinkling star sitting above the mailbox.
“How’s Paul doing?” Lynda asked after a few blocks of comfortable silence.
Susan’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. She’d been expecting this question since they’d started their deliveries an hour ago. “He’s in Missoula at a celebration of Michelle’s life. They’re having it at the church where she married her second husband.” Susan turned onto Pine Avenue, slowing as she searched for the house numbers. “Paul called me this morning to say he’ll be back tomorrow evening.”
Lynda studied her friend’s profile. “Are you doing okay?”
Susan pulled to a stop outside a modest duplex. “I keep thinking about everything Paul’s dealing with. He has a lot of regrets about his marriage, and he’s feeling guilty about his daughter’s death.”
“At least he doesn’t have to process all of that on his own,” Lynda pointed out. “He has you, and he has friends who care about him.”
“I know.” Susan turned off the ignition and reached for the next food parcel from the back seat. “It’s just hard watching someone you care about hurt and knowing there’s nothing you can do to fix it.”
Lynda’s expression softened with understanding. “Sometimes, being there for someone is enough. You’re doing that.”
They delivered parcels to the duplex and the next house—a single father with three teenagers. He’d tried to maintain his composure, but he couldn’t hide his relief at receiving help.
As they drove toward their last delivery, Lynda pulled a bundle of silk flowers out of her tote bag. Burgundy roses, cream-colored peonies, and sprigs of artificial evergreen spilled across her lap.
“I found these at a craft store in Polson,” she announced, holding up a realistic rose. “I’m going to use them somewhere in my wedding. Matt nearly had a heart attack when I showed him the florist’s quote for the flowers.”
Susan glanced sideways at the flowers. “They’re beautiful.”
“That’s what I thought, too.” Lynda arranged the blooms on her lap. “Isabel’s coming over tomorrow to help me wire everything together.”
“How’s Matt handling all the wedding planning?”
Lynda let out a long breath. “He’s stressed. Time is slipping by faster than we thought.”
Susan knew the long hours Matt and Lynda worked at the Paws of Hope Animal Shelter. Organizing a wedding on top of what they were already doing would make anyone stressed. “It’s just as well you’ve got Kathleen, Isabel, and me to help.”
“That’s what I keep telling Matt,” Lynda said with a frown. “But he keeps counting down the days and worrying that we’ll run out of time to create a special day.” Lynda turned to Susan. “You’ll never guess what happened the other day.”
Susan glanced at her friend. “From the smile on your face, it can’t be something bad.”
