Winning Her Love (The Rocky Mountain Christmas Train)

6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

J oy couldn’t believe their good fortune. “That was incredibly generous of Mikki,” she said as they loaded garment bags into the car.

“It’s Christmas, a time of hope and generosity,” Seth reminded her.

“Christmas magic,” Chantal exclaimed.

Joy couldn’t help but share an amused glance with Seth. His lips turned up and his brown eyes sparkled. She realized, once again, that he was a very handsome man. Tall and broad-shouldered, he was exactly the type of man she’d go for, if she were looking. At the vet clinic where she worked, she was almost the same height as most of the men. Being five foot seven, she looked up at Seth; he had a good five inches on her, maybe more. She liked the feeling of looking up at him. Wait, she wasn’t looking for a man. Not a temporary one, not a permanent one. At least not until Chantal was much older.

The moment of shared levity passed, and she climbed into the car. Seth waited until she was in, closed her door, and got in on the other side. Chivalrous too. He was racking up a lot of points. He needed to; after nearly causing her heart to explode when he called. Men! They were adorable, but could be so thoughtless.

“Wow,” Seth said. “We have seventy-five minutes to spare. What should we do? Or would you prefer to go straight back?”

“Can we go to the mall?” Chantal asked. “I want a warmer hat. It’s cold here.”

Seth’s deep chuckle sent shivers down Joy’s spine.

“It’s only twenty-three degrees Fahrenheit. That’s minus five Celsius to those of us from Canada. That’s barely cold at all.”

“We’re from California,” Joy said. “Twenty-three degrees is dang cold for us.” She couldn’t help but shiver. The car was warm, but not warm enough to suit her. Seth had taken off his gloves and stuffed them into the pocket of his unbuttoned wool jacket.

“Can we? Can we go to the mall?”

Joy looked at Seth, who gave an infinitesimal nod. She nodded back. “Is there a mall that isn’t out of the way?” She asked Adesh.

“About five minutes away. Did you want me to take you there?”

“Yes, please!” Chantal called.

Adesh met Joy’s eyes in the rearview mirror. She nodded.

“Okay, it won’t be long.”

It was the first Saturday in December, and the mall lot was packed. Adesh dropped them off at the door and agreed to come back to pick them up in just under an hour.

Joy grimaced, and they made their way past a crowd lined up outside a coffee shop. This was a huge mistake. She hated shopping most days, and that dislike amped up during the Christmas rush. The mood was chaotic. People chatted and laughed. Many plodded ahead with grim determination, frowns marring their faces. Others wandered like they were in a flower garden enjoying the blooms. The only upside was the bright, cheerful holiday music playing. She loved Christmas music. Even secular stuff like Wham’s Last Christmas , which was playing when they entered.

“What do you want to look at?” Seth asked as they stepped through the double doors.

Joy barely took her eyes off Chantal. She was terrified her daughter would be knocked over. Chantal named a popular outerwear shop. Two young boys raced past as Seth checked the mall map for the shop Chantal wanted. Their mother screeched at them to come back. Joy shuddered in fear.

“It’s upstairs.” He jabbed his thumb to the left. “We can take the elevator. Luckily, it isn’t too far.”

“There’s a bench. Why don’t you guys wait here, and I’ll run up and get a hat?” She forced all her enthusiasm into the suggestion, hoping they’d think a rest was just what they needed.

“Mo-om. I want to choose my own. You’ll pick something girly or for a little kid.”

Joy clenched her fists and reminded herself that this train trip was their first vacation since Chantal’s diagnosis just over four years ago. Her daughter deserved to enjoy herself.

“How about I walk just ahead of you?” Seth offered. “You know, break a trail through the crowd so it’s easier to navigate.”

Joy hated the idea, but if they were going to do this, it was probably their best plan. “I guess that works.” She hated that her voice lacked any sort of enthusiasm. She probably sounded like she was headed for major surgery.

“Come on, Joy. It’ll be fun. It’s not far. We’ve got the time.” He started forward. People stepped around him, leaving a space for her and Chantal to follow. He was like a boat, and they were traveling in his wake. It was easier going than she’d anticipated. Seth breaking trail was a good idea. They reached the elevator in no time and found there were fewer people on the second level, though the store itself was packed. She’d swear that half the people in the mall were enjoying the holiday atmosphere rather than shopping. She was looking through a pile of hats when Chantal tugged on her arm.

“Look, Mama. Isn’t that the lady from the train? The nurse with the old man in the wheelchair?”

She glanced up. “It sure looks like her.” She was with a tall, broad-shouldered man with thick brown hair. They seemed to be arguing about something. Idly, she wondered who was looking after the old man if his nurse was shopping.

“It does look like her,” Seth said. “The man looks vaguely familiar, too. I wonder if he was on the train. It was so busy I didn’t get a good look at everyone and didn’t pay much attention to the passengers who weren’t contestants.”

She studied the pair through the passing crowd, trying to be discreet. “You’re right. There is something about him that seems familiar.” She shrugged. “Maybe he just has one of those faces.” She had a cousin who was always mistaken for random other people. It happened.

“That lady is from the train too,” Chantal pointed to a woman walking out of a store.

“Don’t point, dear. It isn’t polite.” She was right, though; the second woman had been sitting near the back of the welcome meeting. She stopped to talk to the woman they thought was the nurse, confirming suspicions that she was, indeed, from the train. Maybe the man was too.

“Can we go to the food court? I’m starved,” Chantal begged after they gathered their hat and mitten purchase.

“I don’t think so,” Joy said. She couldn’t wait to get out of this mall. She twitched with tension and fear that Chantal would stumble in the jostling crowd.

“Why not?” Seth asked. “We’ve got time if the lines aren’t too long. I could eat too. My coffee shop muffin is long gone.”

“I’m worried about the crowds.”

His brow wrinkled. “It’s not that busy,” he said. “Why don’t we go and grab a snack before we go back?”

“I already texted Adesh. He’ll be at the door by the time we get there. We’re done here. We got what we came for.” Chantal’s hurt look cut her like a sword. Seth’s incredulous look was almost as bad. For a moment, it looked like he’d argue. His brows furrowed, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. His shoulders hunched together, and he shook his head.

Slowly, he turned and headed out of the store. He didn’t say a word, but his entire body radiated disappointment. Or was it disapproval?

As they made their way toward the elevator, the lights flickered and went out. Someone screamed. Joy stepped forward and placed her hand on Chantal’s shoulder. “Hold still until we know what’s going on.”

The emergency lights came on, giving the mall a dim glow. All around them, people stared in confusion.

“What do we do?” She asked Seth when he turned toward her.

“Let’s stay calm.” There was a reassuring evenness to his tone. “I studied the map earlier. There is an escalator just to our left. Let’s head that way.”

“It won’t be working,” she said, hating how scared she sounded.

“No, but it’s just stairs. We can take them down and out to the car.”

“Chantal isn’t good on stairs. She’s slow. Other people will be taking them too. What if she gets pushed or something?”

“That’s not a problem. I’m a firefighter. I’m quite adept at carrying people down the stairs.” He flashed a roguish grin that hit her right in the heart.

“We’ll walk over, and I’ll carry Chantal down.”

“I don’t know.” He was strong enough, but she always found it hard to trust men after her ex abandoned them, and this was her daughter.

He leaned in close so only she could hear. His faint masculine smell had her inhaling deeply. “Listen. In about two minutes, when people realize that the lights are staying off, assuming they do stay off, people are going to start to panic. Right now, it’s fun. We want to be out of here before the panic starts.”

She reared back at the quiet vehemence in his tone.

“Trust me, Joy. Just this once.”

“Okay, let’s go. Chantal, follow Seth. He’s getting us out of here.”

Chantal giggled. “It’s like a haunted house. Everyone looks funny in the dark.”

Seth and Joy shared an amused look, and they started forward. “Stay close,” Seth advised over his shoulder.

Joy snorted. As if she’d do otherwise.

People were streaming down the escalator. Seth stopped twenty feet away. “Chantal, I’m going to pick you up. When I do, give your crutches to your mom. I’ll carry you down the escalator and your mom will bring your crutches. Okay?”

“Are you gonna carry me like a firefighter? Over your shoulder?” She asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes!”

“It’s not comfortable,” he warned.

“Please.” She looked at him, then at her mother.

“What’s safest?” Joy asked.

“Honestly, the firefighter’s hold leaves me one arm free to hold the rail or to push aside obstacles.” He paused. “I’ve carried out two hundred and fifty-pound men that way. Down a ladder. We’ll be fine.”

“Fine.” Gosh, she was so nervous. So much could go wrong. She cast a prayer heavenward that they’d make it down safely. “Let’s go.” She held out her hands for the crutches.

Seth scooped up Chantal. She laughed louder than she’d laughed for months. “Here, Mama.” She thrust her crutches out and Joy grabbed them.

“Excuse me,” Seth exclaimed. Everyone turned in his direction. “Coming through. Make way.”

The solid authority in his voice made her swoon a little. People parted and let them come through. Chantal raised her head and grinned. She was having the time of her life. Thank heaven for the resilience of kids.

Seth carried Chantal down the escalator, back down the mall, and outside. He set her down beside Adesh’s car. He waited for Joy to catch up. “Your taxi, your highness.” He bent low and opened the door without shifting her position. “Ready?”

When she agreed she was, he swung Chantal into his arms and slid her smoothly into the back seat.

“That was so much fun,” Chantal exclaimed as they pulled away. At the parking lot exit, they had to wait while six fire trucks pulled in. Whatever put the lights out must be serious.

They met Jenny in the observation car as the train rolled forward. Jenny and a crowd of participants cheered their success in gathering the required outfits. Jenny shook their hands and said, “You’ve got less than two hours until we stop at Lyons. You’ll go immediately to the school to meet the singers and conduct your practice. The concert is tomorrow night.”