19. Lily

19

LILY

O n the morning of Christmas Eve, Lily held the phone to her ear, panic setting in as her eyes scanned the gifts she had prepared for the kids in the Children’s Wing.

“You understand that we can’t risk anyone getting hurt,” the hospital director was telling her calmly. “And the forecast for tonight is terrible. They’re saying Tarker County hasn’t had an ice storm like the one that’s coming in over twenty years.”

“I understand,” Lily said. “Do you think we could still do it if we came earlier in the day?”

“Now there’s an idea,” the director said thoughtfully. “If you could get in and out of here by three in the afternoon, I think that would be safe.”

“I can definitely try to make that happen,” Lily said, wondering how bad it would be to close the toy shop early on Christmas Eve when she had assured everyone in town that she would stay open. Maybe she could get someone to cover her .

“Why don’t we say one o’clock?” the director suggested. “That will give you time to figure it out and still spend a little time with the kids before you go.”

“Perfect,” Lily decided out loud. This was a lifelong dream. She would make it all come together somehow.

“I’ll work on the schedule on this end then,” the director said. “We don’t want any of the kids to miss out on Santa Claus, so we’ll see about moving around any diagnostics we can, so they all have a chance to visit with him.”

“You’re an angel, Beth,” Lily told her.

“Clearly, so are you,” Beth laughed. “I’m so glad you’ve chosen to bring some extra joy to the Children’s Wing this Christmas.”

As soon as they hung up, Lily was calling Ashton Beck. Making sure her Santa Claus could make it was more important than worrying about how to keep the toy shop open.

“Lily,” he said, his voice a little flat and strange.

She gulped over the lump in her throat, wondering if he was being weird because Levi had told him about her struggles back in middle school.

But the kids were the most important thing…

“Hey Ashton, the hospital called,” she said quickly. “We can’t go over there tonight after all because of the storm that’s coming. They said we should come at one. Is that okay?”

“I’m so sorry, Lily,” Ashton said, his voice suddenly warmer. “I pulled a lot of strings to get tonight off, so I’ve got to be at the firehouse all day.”

“Are you sure?” she asked .

“Well, it’s Christmas Eve,” he said. “We always have incidents with candles, and people cutting themselves on hams and turkeys. I can’t leave the station understaffed.”

“I’m so sorry,” Lily said. “That was a thoughtless question on my part. I’ll make some calls.”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone,” Ashton replied. His voice was strangely thoughtful.

“No, I’m not asking Levi,” she said, guessing what he was thinking. “I’ll get somebody else.”

“Okay,” he told her. “Good luck. And Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” she replied, already making a mental list of all the men she knew that could fill in as jolly old Saint Nick.

Deciding it was best to be practical since most people would be busy on Christmas Eve, she grabbed her notebook and started brainstorming names. She needed someone who would fit in the suit she had rented with Ashton in mind, and someone who wouldn’t be too timid to talk with the kids.

Fifteen minutes later, she had a list of possible choices, relatively in order of preference. Starting at the top of the list, she called Reggie Webb. Reggie loved to talk, and the retired farmer adored children. She honestly wondered why she hadn’t asked him in the first place.

“Merry Christmas,” Reggie said brightly when he picked up.

“Merry Christmas, Mr. Webb,” Lily said hopefully. “I have an enormous favor to ask you, sir. I need a Christmas miracle.”

“Oh, ho ho,” Reggie replied. “Let’s hear it.”

She explained everything and heard Reggie let out a breath.

“Well, I’d love to help you, dear,” he said. “I really would. But I’ve already promised to help out a friend this afternoon. Would you like me to make a few calls for you, though?”

“That would be super,” she told him happily.

She listed off four or five people he was friends with, and when he tried to tell her a story about one of them she apologized and said she had to run and make more calls.

It was a Christmas miracle all on its own that he let her go.

But that seemed to be the last miracle she was going to get. Call after call ended with sorrowful friends who were unable to help.

Was it really possible that not one man in all of Trinity Falls could volunteer his time for two hours to do something wonderful for the children at the hospital?

She hung up with her last good prospect to find a message from Reggie that he’d had no luck with the list she had given him.

Shaking her head, she began calling people she didn’t know as well. Michael at the hardware store was away. Sal from the feed shop was hosting a party for out-of-town relatives. Even Mr. Vargas, the high school principal was busy, though he was awfully vague about why.

As a matter of fact, a lot of the folks she spoke with didn’t seem terribly disappointed not to be able to participate in the project she had been planning since fall. It was odd in a community where everyone pulled together for other causes. Even Big Jim Allen, who was laid up with a hurt leg, had volunteers at his house every day to keep his small dairy farm going.

Had Trinity Falls used up all its Christmas spirit already this year?

An hour later, desperation had her picking up the phone one last time and begging herself not to do what she knew she was about to do anyway.

“Lily,” Levi’s deep voice broke with emotion on her name when he picked up.

“It’s about the hospital donations,” she said quickly, trying to ignore the ache in her heart.

“Okay,” he said, his tone deep and even as always. “How can I help?”

Relief filled her and she felt her shoulders lower in relief at the sound of his sure voice.

“There’s an ice storm coming,” she said, repeating the words she had said to so many men today to no avail. “So, the hospital wants me to do everything early and Ashton can’t make it. I need someone willing to dress up in a Santa suit and get over there with me by one o’clock to give out toys to the kids. We have to leave again by three, so it won’t be more than two hours’ time, and it should be a lot of fun.”

“No problem,” Levi said immediately. “I’m out with a client, but if you can drop the suit off at my house, I’ll be over there by one.”

“Thank you, Levi,” she said, melting with relief. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I have some idea,” he said quietly.

“See you at one,” she told him, fighting back tears.

When they hung up, she looked around the toy shop. It was as playful and pretty as always—more so with all the Christmas cheer she had added. But the sight of it didn’t lift her heart like it used to.

How could everything be just as it was a month ago, and yet suddenly the only thing that mattered was something she had been perfectly happy without before?

Don’t think about how much you care about him, she told herself. Don’t think about missing Flora. Just think about the kids at the hospital. This is their day…

The thought did give her strength, and she turned her attention to finding someone to help her keep the shop open this afternoon. She braced herself for a long morning of phone calls.

But amazingly, the very first woman she called was overjoyed to help and even offered to bring a friend to help out and do gift wrapping, in case it got busy.