Free Homespun Christmas by Aimée Thurlo Page B

someday I can get you a doll like that. For now, help me find your breakfast cereal. We also need milk and bread.”
    “And popcorn,” Evie said.
    Betty laughed. “Okay, get a box of our kind, then go find the cereal.”
    As Evie hurried off, Daniel touched Betty’s arm and spoke in a low voice. “We’re all watching our money right now, but since you buy all your groceries here, how about if I let the doll go at cost? You can put it on layaway and pay a little each week through the end of the year.”
    “That’s really nice of you, Daniel, but I can’t,” she said. “I don’t want to take advantage just because we’re friends.”
    “Look at it as payback then. Your brother helped me out when I had a shoplifting problem last summer.”
    “That’s his job,” Betty answered. “I really appreciate your offer, Daniel, but I just can’t. Not even on layaway. I’ve been living strictly off my savings and what the town pays me for delivering meals to our seniors. You know I’m also trying to get the inn back open for business, so any money left over goes to that. Evie and I have enough to get by, but not for extras.”
    “I’ll tell you what. This doll’s my display model. I’ll set it aside for her at the end of the season and write it off my taxes.”
    Betty started to decline but then looked at her daughter, who’d returned and was arranging the cereal and popcorn in the shopping cart.
    “Evie needs a little magic this time of year,” he said quietly. “Let’s see what we can do to bring it to her.”
    Betty hesitated, shook her head, then gave Daniel an impromptu hug. “Thanks for the offer.”
    As Betty walked away with Evie, Daniel looked at Joshua and shrugged. “I’m not her type, Josh. She always went for the ultramacho guys—the knuckle dragging ‘me want woman’ type.”
    “Seems to me like she might be ready to change that.”
    Daniel shook his head. “Don’t try to set things up. Look around you. My only full-time employee is Grandma Medeiros, and this store’s on life support. Take on the responsibility of a woman and a child, even if she’d have me? No way.”
    Even as he spoke, Daniel picked up the box with the doll and took it off the display.
    “You’ll find a way to get it to her,” Joshua said as Daniel put the box behind the counter.
    “Yeah, yeah.” Before he could say anything more, Betty came back.
    “I forgot to ask, Daniel. Are you coming to the town meeting tonight?”
    “Yeah. I hear there’s big news in the air. I wouldn’t miss it.”
    “He better show up,” Grandma called out. “Or he’s never going to hear the end of it.”
    Betty laughed. “I’ll save a seat for you, Daniel.”
    “Sounds good. You want me...us...” he said, glancing at Grandma Medeiros, “to pick you up?”
    “No, that’s okay. I’ll meet you there.”
    “Sure,” Daniel said. As Evie and Betty left, he glanced back at Joshua and growled, “One word and I’m going to deck you.”
    “You mean you’ll try,” Joshua said, laughing. Then he looked around the store. “Do you have any rawhide bones?”
    Daniel pointed. “There, at the end of the aisle. Did you find Bear?”
    “No, but I was thinking of putting out a special treat. So far he hasn’t touched the kibble Myka leaves out, so I thought I’d tempt him with something else. Myka really wants to take care of this dog, so I figured I’d try to help.”
    “Better get the large ones on the bottom shelf. That’s the kind your dad used to buy for him,” Daniel said. “One more thing, Josh. Bear’s slow to warm up, but once he’s your friend, you’ll never have to worry about him again.”
    Joshua heard the warning woven into Daniel’s words. “ Slow to warm up? Does he bite?”
    “Don’t think so, but I once had him sit on me for a half hour until Adam came home. The dog could have torn my face off—his head’s beyond huge—but he just sat there, looking down at me and drooling. Just don’t make him