Free Hidden in Shadows by Hope White Page A

not a protective one.
    He swung the door open and stepped inside. Krista followed, her heartbeat thumping against her throat with the panic of what she’d find.
    Oh, good grief, you can’t be afraid of going to work.
    She glanced in the direction of the tea racks. They’d been restocked with new glass jars filled with the twenty-three varieties of teas she kept on hand for customers. Someone had been busy last night. They’d cleaned up the tea and glass on the floor, found new jars upstairs and restocked everything.
    She must have beamed because Luke winked at her.
    â€œThe tea fairies were here, huh?”
    â€œIt’s good to have friends.”
    His smile faded. Reading pain in his eyes, she regretted saying the words and didn’t know how to make him feel better.
    â€œI’ll pull the chairs down off tables while you work on my handyman list.” Luke went into the dining area and got to work.
    Krista checked the reservation book. They only had one, a table for four, which was good considering the decorating Krista wanted to get done for Christmas. Sure, some folks thought decorating a week before Thanksgiving was a little premature, but Krista couldn’t get enough of Christmas and all it represented.
    She put on a pot of coffee and started warming soups. Therewere enough frozen scones to hold her through the first rush, but she should probably bake more.
    Krista checked the restaurant voice mail. There was only one message from the nearby Michigan Shores Resort, asking to reserve a table of six for their guests. They would be filling up for the holidays. The resort, run by Don and Marilyn Baker, put on fantastic events around the holidays.
    Tourism kept the economy alive around here, but money wasn’t the only reason Krista wanted the family tea shop to thrive. She loved offering people a place to gather and relax, share stories and laugh.
    Of course, a man like Luke McIntyre would never understand that motivation. He was all business. She wondered when was the last time he laughed and what it sounded like.
    â€œSo, you got my list?” Luke said, coming up behind her.
    â€œWe’ll start with decorating.”
    â€œFor Christmas.”
    â€œYep. Upstairs in the corner of the office are four boxes marked ‘Christmas.’” She rubbed her hands together. “This is going to be fun.”
    â€œBah humbug.” He turned and disappeared up the stairs.
    She wished she could brighten his attitude, make God and Christmas and community seem less threatening, but she guessed that would take a miracle.
    â€œThe Christmas season is upon us,” she whispered with hope in her heart.
    Christmas was a time for celebrating the birth of our Lord, a time to rejoice and be thankful. And Krista was thankful, for so many things.
    She pulled the laptop out from the cabinet below the counter and powered up. She hadn’t checked e-mail since she’d been home, not that she expected anything exciting. After all, everyone she knew lived in this small town and knew of her return, and the disastrous twenty-four hours that followed.
    â€œPositive thoughts,” she whispered.
    Because it was a quiet day and Luke was here to put up the decorations, she’d sneak in a moment to upload a few morephotos to her blog. She pulled the thumb drive off her keychain and inserted it into the laptop.
    Luke pounded down the stairs into the kitchen with box number one. “You going to help me?”
    â€œYeah, in a sec. I haven’t checked e-mail since I’ve been back and want to update my blog.”
    â€œYou’ve got a blog?” He put the box down on the counter.
    â€œYep.”
    â€œYou blog about your cat, right?” he teased.
    â€œSometimes. But mostly I try to inspire people, which is why I’m posting photos from my mission trip.” She typed in “proverbsbabe3.com” and clicked Go.
    â€œWhat’s the three for?”
    â€œMy