The Christmas Wishing Well Read online

  * * * *

  As Jenna pulled a strip of packing tape across the top of a box filled with law books, she heard the door to the office open. She looked up, and a tall, brown-haired man, his finely sculpted face relaxed by a smile, stepped into the office.

  “Hi. You must be Jenna Mason,” he said.

  “Hi. And you must be—Dan Reynolds?” Suddenly aware she was staring, she cleared her throat.

  “Oh, I see,” he said, grinning. “You expected a lawyer from the city to be dressed in a fancy topcoat and three-piece suit.”

  “Something like that,” Jenna said, when in truth she’d envisioned a weasel-like man, who had left Carrston Lake seeking wealth in the city and until Audrey’s phone call had no intention of ever returning.

  “I try to avoid suits whenever I can,” he said. “But I did bring one along.”

  “That’s…that’s good,” she said, her mind searching for a witty reply. “You never know when you may need one.” Inwardly, she groaned. That wasn’t it.

  “Yeah…” Dan glanced around the office. “Audrey said you were packing things, but that you could get me started.”

  “You should probably begin with the open cases,” she said, relieved to discuss work. “The files are in the back room.”

  She led him inside and pointed to a pile of several folders on the desk.

  “The cases are mostly routine…” she said as Dan slipped his coat off and laid it across some boxes. “Except this one.” She handed him the top folder.

  He opened it and looked inside.

  “Margaret Carrston,” he said. “I know her from when I was growing up here. She was president of the little league…she ran fundraisers for the high school. She used to run the Christmas Village.”

  “She still does all of that and more,” said Jenna. “But the Christmas Village is the problem.”

  “How?”

  “Margaret has sponsored the Christmas Village and paid all the costs for years,” Jenna said. “She makes sure any profit the village generates goes to charity, but now her money’s running out.”

  “Has she considered using some of the proceeds or asking for donations to help with the costs?” Dan said.

  “She won’t even think about that,” Jenna said. “But there’s more. Several years ago, she renovated the village and took out a mortgage to pay for the improvements. Then the recession hit…she lost most of her savings and hasn’t been able to recover. Last summer, she fell behind in her mortgage payments. Bob tried to renegotiate the terms with lower payments but the bank refused. That’s when the first letter threatening foreclosure arrived. Not long after that, Barrett Harmmont contacted her.”

  “A real-estate developer,” Dan said, looking at a letter in the folder.

  “His vision, as he put it to Margaret, is to develop this entire area, starting with her property. How did he even find out about her situation…?”

  “His type have their ways,” said Dan.

  “Harmmont offered to buy Margaret’s property for cash in a quick, easy deal.”

  “At a price substantially less than fair, I’m guessing,” said Dan.

  Jenna nodded. “Bob tried to get Harmmont to increase his offer, but he wouldn’t go a penny higher. And now that Bob’s gone, the bank has given Margaret until the end of the year to make her past-due payments or they’ll move forward with foreclosure. Harmmont has been pressuring Margaret to take his offer. She doesn’t know what to do.”

  “Why hasn’t Margaret put the property on the market?”

  Jenna sighed. “She doesn’t want to sell. She’s tried to get new loans from other banks, but she’s been turned down every time. I think she’s hoping for a miracle.”

  “Miracles are hard to come by.” He closed the folder.

  “Do you think you can help her?” Jenna said.

  “I’m going to try. Barrett Harmmont will be my first call.”

  “Well then,” Jenna said. “Now that you’re settled in, I’m going to need the rest of the day off.”

  “Sure,” he said, but he didn’t sound sure to Jenna.

  “If you want me to stay…”

  “No, I’m fine, and there’s enough for me to do.” He gestured to the pile of folders.

  “I have a good excuse,” she said, feeling that she should offer an explanation. “I’ll be helping to set up the Christmas Village. It opens at noon on Thanksgiving.”

  “That is a good excuse,” he said. “When I was a kid, my mom would take me there every year, and then we’d have Thanksgiving dinner with Audrey and Bob. They always invited friends. It was a nice beginning to the Christmas season.”

  Jenna smiled. “I love Christmas. What about you?”

  “I used to think that Christmas was the best time of year,” he said. “But after I moved to the city, it became just a busy time between work, holiday events, and the obligatory Christmas parties.”

  “How can Christmas parties be an obligation?” Jenna said.

  Dan shrugged. “I suppose it’s because the people at those parties don’t believe in Christmas anymore.”

  Jenna didn’t expect that answer. After an awkward pause that was far too long, she took a sheet of paper and pen from the desk and began writing. “Here’s my cell. Call if you have any questions. I’ll be in tomorrow morning.”

  “Thanks,” he said, taking the paper and sitting down. “Have fun.”

  “I will,” she said.

  Leaving the office, she decided that Dan Reynolds wasn’t at all what she’d thought he would be.

  * * * *

  Dan walked through the artificial igloo that served as the entrance to the Christmas Village. Inside, volunteers were stringing lights, setting up displays, and decorating trees in the bright glow of floodlights.

  He spotted Jenna and a little girl with blonde hair jutting out from under a red woolen hat coming toward him.

  “I didn’t think I’d see you here,” Jenna said, her breath making small clouds in the cold air. Dressed in a thick coat, scarf, hat, and gloves, she seemed unbothered by the temperature.

  “I was driving back to Audrey’s and saw the activity here,” Dan said. “I thought I could help.”

  “Great,” she said. “We can use all the help we can get.”

  “And who’s this?” Dan said, smiling at Kayla.

  “My daughter, Kayla,” Jenna said.

  Dan stooped down. “I’m happy to meet you. My name’s Dan. I bet you’re excited that Christmas is coming.”

  Kayla smiled. “I can’t wait. We leave cookies and milk for Santa every year on Christmas Eve.”

  “I’m sure Santa likes that,” Dan said.

  Kayla’s blue eyes sparkled. “He does. He eats all the cookies and drinks all the milk.”

  Smiling, Dan rose and turned to Jenna.

  “By the way,” Jenna said, “how did your phone call go with Harmmont?”

  “We have a meeting on Monday.”

  “Did you ask him about increasing his offer?”

  “No. That’s for Monday. I want to talk with Margaret before I meet with him. I did some digging on Harmmont. He’s built a fortune by paying low prices for properties that have high potential and then developing them. He’s a hard bargainer, but he’s honest.”

  “How about cold, uncompromising, arrogant…?”

  “All that,” Dan said, “along with a soft spot.”

  “Harmmont?” said Jenna.

  Dan nodded. “He was married once. His wife divorced him over thirty years ago and got custody of their daughter. He hasn’t seen either of them in years, but every month, he still puts money into accounts he set up for them right after the divorce. He does that for his grandchildren, too.”

  “I would’ve never guessed,” Jenna said.

  “Me either,” said Dan.

  Audrey’s voice came from behind them. “Look who’s here.”

  They turned to meet Audrey,
Margaret, and a crusty old man in work coveralls.

  “Dan,” Audrey said, “you remember Margaret Carrston…”

  “I certainly do,” said Dan. “Nice to see you again, Margaret.”

  “Nice to see you.” She nodded at the man beside her. “This is Ed Harper, our local semi-retired handyman.”

  “Hi, Ed,” said Dan, extending his hand.

  Ed didn’t take it. “So you’re the dandy who left our fine town and never looked back.”

  Dan felt himself shrinking.

  “Don’t listen to him,” said Audrey. “Ed lacks people skills.”

  “But he’s very skillful with tools,” said Margaret.

  Ed grunted. “That’s her way of telling me to get back to work,” he said and trudged off.

  “Dan came to help with the village,” Jenna said.

  “Welcome to the team,” said Margaret, “and thanks in advance for helping me.”

  “I’ll do my best,” he said. “Can you stop by the office tomorrow so we can review your case?”

  “I’ll be there,” she said. “Tomorrow morning around nine? I have a busy day.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “Now,” Margaret said, “while Audrey and I finish decorating the refreshment tent, can you and Jenna put the wreath up on Santa’s Workshop?”

  “We’ll have it up in no time,” said Dan. He glanced at Jenna.

  “Absolutely,” she said.

  As Audrey and Margaret left to attend to decorating, Dan turned to Jenna.

  “I suppose I deserved that dandy thing,” he said.

  “Is what Ed said true? You left and never looked back.”

  “It’s close enough to the truth.”

  “Then you deserved it.” She smiled. “Come on, Kayla. Let’s put Dan to work.”

  She and Kayla led him to a building that once had been an old inn. Opening a box that was waiting on the front step, Jenna handed Dan a wreath decorated with pine cones and a red bow.

  “This goes above the door,” she said, “right below the ‘Santa’s Workshop’ sign. Ed was going to do it, but he gets wobbly on ladders and Margaret’s reluctant to let him climb.”

  The stepladder was already in position.

  “This shouldn’t take long,” Dan said and started climbing.

  He placed the wreath on a hook, pleased with his efficient completion of the task. “How’s that?”

  “Turn it a little so the bow’s on the bottom,” Jenna said.

  He did. “Okay now?”

  She stepped back for a better angle. “No, more to the left.”

  He turned it.

  “More.”

  He looked down at her.

  “It has to be perfect,” she said. “It’s Christmas.”

  He turned it again.

  “What do you think, Kayla?” Jenna asked.

  Kayla shook her head.

  “No, back to the right a touch,” Jenna said.

  Dan adjusted the wreath once more, not sure how much a “touch” was.

  “That’s it!” Jenna said. “Perfect.”

  After Dan climbed down the ladder, Margaret spoke to the volunteers over the public address system: “May I have everyone’s attention? Thank you all for helping today. We made progress in getting this village ready for Christmas, but there’s still much to do. We’re working again tomorrow…please come if you can.”

  As the other volunteers started to leave, Jenna turned to Dan.

  “Kayla and I are going to grab a bite to eat with Audrey, Margaret, and Ed,” she said. “Want to join us?”

  “I’d like to,” said Dan, tempted to accept the invitation. “But I have a lot of work to do for the New York office. The only way I got my boss to agree to give me the time off was to assure him that I’d keep up with things while I’m here.”

  “That hardly seems like time off,” Jenna said.

  “He’d argue that point,” said Dan.

  “You have to eat,” she said.

  “Audrey gave me full access to her fridge,” Dan said. “And knowing her, I’m sure I won’t be disappointed with what I find. I’ll see you tomorrow…in the office?”

  “I’ll be there,” she said. She took Kayla’s hand. “Let’s find Audrey…”

  Dan watched them leave, denying the desire to go with them.

  * * * *

  “Good morning, Bekka,” Jenna said, sliding onto a counter stool in Bekka’s Coffee and Donut Shop. The shop was next door to the office and a regular morning stop for Jenna.

  “Hey, Jenna,” said the slim African-American woman behind the counter. “Your usual?”

  Jenna nodded. “But make it two coffees and throw in a couple of donuts.”

  “Might this second cup and donuts be for Dan Reynolds?” Bekka said, grinning. “I heard he’s in town finishing Bob’s caseload.”

  “Who told you?”

  “Ed Harper. He was in earlier today. That man’s like a local newspaper.”

  Jenna smiled. “That he is.”

  Bekka poured coffee into two cups and put lids on them.

  “I went to high school with Dan,” she said.

  “You did?” Jenna was curious. “What was he like back then?”

  “He had it all—good looks, quarterback of the football team, ‘A’ student. All the girls swooned over him.”

  “They did?” Jenna was even more curious now. “Sounds like he had the perfect high school experience.”

  Bekka shrugged as she placed two donuts, a few creamers, and napkins into a bag. “Maybe,” she said, “but he wasn’t like most of the really popular kids. He was always working part-time jobs to help his mom. He was nice…a good guy. Is he still that way?”

  “He seems to be,” Jenna said. Why didn’t she want to believe what Bekka was telling her? “But I don’t know him that well.”

  Bekka put the coffees and bag of donuts on a cardboard tray and handed the tray to Jenna. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks,” said Jenna as she paid her. “Have a great day.”

  “You have the same.”

  As Jenna left and walked to the office, she told herself that Dan Reynolds couldn’t possibly be as good as everyone thought he was. Finding the door to the office unlocked, she cautiously stepped inside.

  “Dan?”

  “Good morning, Jenna,” he called from the back room.

  After taking off her coat, she carried the tray into the room where Dan was at the desk working on his laptop.

  “You’re here early,” she said.

  “I came in a few hours ago,” he said.

  “Didn’t you work last night?”

  “Yeah, but I wanted to get an early start.”

  She handed him a cup of coffee, a donut, and a napkin. “You probably need these more than I do.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Cream for the coffee?”

  “Black’s fine.”

  “I took a chance that you like coffee…if you want tea…?”

  “No, I prefer coffee,” he said.

  “Me too,” she said, finding it easy to talk to him. “I don’t usually eat donuts. I try to keep in shape. I jog…”

  “So do I, but time’s always a problem.” He bit into the donut. “Back in the city, I generally run every morning before work, about six.”

  “That’s what I do, but not that early. I get Kayla off to the bus at eight, then I run for about a half-hour, shower quick, and get to work by nine.”

  “Is Kayla your only one?” Dan said.

  “Yeah,” Jenna said. “It’s just Kayla and me. She’s six years old, and she keeps me busy. Audrey’s a big help. She picks Kayla up at the bus stop each day after school, and then I pick her up at Audrey’s house.”

  “Audrey’s an exceptional woman,” he said, finishing his donut.

  “She sure is.”

  Dan wiped his hands on the napkin, sat back in the chair, and
sipped his coffee. “I checked the property values around here and Harmmont’s offer for Margaret’s land is less than half of what the property’s worth. I also checked Margaret’s finances, and she’s in trouble.”

  “She’ll be here soon,” Jenna said, glancing at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost nine and Margaret’s always prompt.”

  When they heard the front door open a few moments later, Jenna was proven right.

  “Here she is,” Jenna said.

  * * * *

  Jenna, Margaret, and Dan sat at the heavy wooden conference table in the back room of the office, Jenna and Margaret on one side and Dan on the other. Spread between them in neat fashion was an open folder and several papers and documents.

  “Margaret,” Dan said, referring to a financial statement, “based on your current situation, I don’t see any way that you can hold on to this property.”

  “I know,” Margaret said. “My family was among the first settlers in this area back in the mid-1800s. Since I’m the only one left and have nobody to leave anything to, I decided to share what I had with the community. I suppose I shared a little too much.”

  “Nobody can blame you for being generous,” Jenna said.

  “I’d do it again, too,” said Margaret. “I don’t want to sell my land and certainly not for what Barrett Harmmont is offering, but it looks like it’s either that or foreclosure.”

  “Maybe we can salvage something here,” said Dan.

  “How?” said Margaret.

  “You own fifty acres,” Dan said. “I estimated that the Christmas Village covers about five acres, including your house. What if you agree to sell Harmmont the other forty-five acres, with you keeping the remaining five acres for yourself, for double his original offer? It’s a fair price. You’d be able to pay off your mortgage and keep your home, and you’d have the financial security to continue running the village.”

  “I’d agree to that in a second,” said Margaret. “But why would he agree to it?”

  “Why would he ever agree to it?” said Jenna, suddenly uncertain of Dan’s competence.

  “We have to offer him something in addition to the forty-five acres,” said Dan.

  “What can Margaret offer him?” said Jenna.

  “The opportunity to have his name on the Christmas Village as a sponsor.”

  Jenna shook her head. “Dan, the village has never had an outside sponsor. And to even consider a man like Harmmont…”