“How long will you be in town?”

  “Nearly two weeks, unless I hear back on a proposal I submitted…That’s unlikely, though.”

  “Two weeks. Perfect. Just think of the ruckus we can raise in that amount of time.”

  “You should join us tonight,” Jayne said, looking to Peggy, who eagerly nodded agreement.

  “What’s tonight?”

  “Girls’ night out,” Jayne said.

  “We’re heading for drinks at the Wine Press.”

  “Is that a new place in town?” Lindy couldn’t remember hearing anything about a new restaurant while she was home last summer.

  “It’s been around for a couple months now. It’s the ‘in’ place to go for fun.”

  “And the wine choices are excellent,” Jayne added.

  “The owner features Washington State wines. It’s surprising how many good wines come from our state.”

  General knowledge told her Washington was the largest wine-producing state outside of California. She wasn’t surprised to learn the Wine Press chose to highlight state wineries. It was smart to support the local economy.

  “Do you have other plans?” Jayne asked, and seemed genuine in her wanting Lindy to join them.

  “Nothing important. I’d love to meet your friends.”

  “You’ll meet Chloe,” Peggy told her. “She’s a supervisor for Costco.”

  They stayed and talked for another hour before agreeing to meet later for drinks and appetizers. While they were together, Peggy called and made reservations at the Wine Press for that evening at six o’clock.

  Her mother was back by the time Lindy returned from her errands. She must have been smiling when she walked in the door, because her mother commented right away. “It looks like you had an entertaining afternoon.”

  “You won’t believe who I ran into while I was out. Peggy Scranton! We were just talking about her, remember?”

  “Peggy Scranton,” her mother repeated slowly. “That’s wonderful. The two of you were such good friends back in the day.”

  “Peggy invited me to join her this evening with a couple of her other friends for a girls’ night out. Peggy’s single and so is Jayne, but Chloe’s married.” Lindy looked forward to spending time with Peggy’s friends. Working the long hours she had on the project for the Ferguson Group, she hadn’t been out with friends in ages. Although Lindy hadn’t spoken to Peggy in years, it was as if they’d never spent time apart. They both fell right back into the easy friendship they’d once shared.

  “I remember when you and Peggy were inseparable,” her mother said, interrupting Lindy’s musings.

  “She was one of my best friends ever.”

  That evening, as Lindy readied for meeting Peggy and her friends at the Wine Press, she paused long enough to open her nightstand. She removed the tablet with the letter she’d written Santa the night before. One of the things she’d asked Santa was to bring her a new best friend.

  “Gotta say, Santa. You’re good. You’re really good.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  When Lindy arrived, Peggy, Jayne, and Chloe were already seated. Peggy waved her over, and, following introductions, the server delivered a bottle of wine to their table. With the ease of someone accustomed to opening wine, he removed the cork and filled their glasses.

  “The wine is on me,” Peggy said, before anyone could argue. “I have my two best friends with me, and I’ve reconnected with Lindy. This calls for a celebration.”

  They toasted one another by gently clinking their glasses together. Peggy had chosen a rich red wine with a low tannin that went down way too easy. Lindy looked at the label and decided a bottle or two would make an excellent Christmas gift for her dad, who enjoyed red wine as much as Lindy did.

  All the tables around them were full. Peggy had been right. The restaurant was hopping with a brisk business. With the four of them, there was no shortage of conversation. The server returned and asked if they were interested in any of the appetizers.

  “Can you give us a few minutes?” Peggy asked.

  “Of course, ladies. Take your time.”

  Once Lindy read the menu, it didn’t take her long to decide on hummus with pitas. She’d need food in her stomach before she drank much more wine. Peggy ordered the crab dip and Jayne and Chloe decided to share the spicy grilled shrimp.

  A few minutes later, their server returned and took their orders. Lindy added a second bottle of wine to go with their food. She requested another red, this time from a different vineyard.

  “Excellent choice,” the server said, approving of her selection.

  It was as she handed the young man the menu that Lindy happened to notice the name of the proprietor and manager. Will Kincade.

  “You know who that is, don’t you?” Peggy asked.

  Lindy hadn’t realized she’d said the name aloud. She shook her head and frowned. “You couldn’t possibly mean Billy Kincade, could you?”

  “One and the same.”

  Lindy was shocked. The Billy she knew had been a terror. A bully she’d intensely disliked. Having him move away had been the best thing to happen to her in second grade.

  “Billy had a huge crush on Lindy,” Peggy explained to Jayne and Chloe.

  “If pulling my hair and terrorizing me indicates liking me—I can’t imagine what he would have done if he saw me as a threat.”

  “You might remember I slugged him once, defending you,” Peggy reminded her.

  Lindy had forgotten that. “You were my hero that day.”

  “Billy only recently moved back to town,” Peggy said, apparently in the know. “From what I heard, he came here from the Yakima area.”

  “You remember someone from the second grade?” Jayne commented, sounding impressed.

  “That’s what’s so crazy,” Lindy went on to explain. Perhaps it was the wine making her head spin. “This is unreal.”

  “What is?”

  Lindy shook her head as if to clear her mind. “When I arrived yesterday, my mother brought out this box she’d found buried in the garage from years ago. Inside were letters I’d written to Santa. I hadn’t thought about Billy in forever, but I mentioned him in one of those letters.”

  “We should ask Billy to come to the table,” Peggy said.

  Before Lindy could protest, Peggy got the server’s attention. The young man quickly returned to their table.

  “Is Mr. Kincade available?” she asked.

  The server immediately showed his concern. “Was there something wrong with your appetizers, ladies?”

  “No, no, not at all. We know him from school. Tell him Lindy Carmichael is here.”

  “Peggy,” Lindy said, and groaned under her breath. “I wish you hadn’t done that.”

  “Go get Will,” Peggy insisted.

  The server nodded. “I’ll check if he’s available.”

  “Oh please,” Lindy said, in an effort to stop him, “that isn’t necessary. I’m sure he doesn’t remember me.”

  “You wrote Santa about Billy?” Jayne asked. “What did you say?”

  This was more than a little embarrassing. “I told Santa Billy didn’t deserve any gifts this year and that he should bring him coal instead.”

  The three laughed.

  “It was mean of me, but Billy had intimidated me at school, and I guess it was the only way I could think to retaliate.”

  No sooner had the words left her mouth than a man approached their table with a welcoming smile. Leaning forward, he braced his hands against the back of Jayne’s and Chloe’s chairs.

  Lindy’s mouth sagged open. It was Billy Kincade, the same Billy Kincade from her youth. How she could be this certain, she didn’t know. But deep down, there wasn’t a single doubt.

  Because Lindy was completely tongue-tied, Peggy spoke up. “You remember Lindy, don’t you?”

  His eyes automatically landed on her with such intensity it made her want to squirm.

  “And you were her ardent protector, as I recall,” Billy said, grinning at Peggy. “Good to see you both.”

  “You, too,” Peggy said.

  Lindy half raised her hand. “Hello, Billy.”

  She had to admit Billy Kincade had matured into a fine figure of a man. He stood a good six feet tall. If his tight chest and muscular arms were any indication, he was physically fit. His eyes were a deep brown, mirroring the color of her own eyes. His hair was cut close on the sides and long on top, gathered into a neat man bun.

  “Did you know Lindy wrote about you in her letter to Santa when she was in second grade?” Chloe said.

  Lindy would gladly have disappeared in that moment. The last thing she wanted to discuss was that silly letter. She regretted ever mentioning it.

  “Did you, now?” Billy’s full attention was focused on her, a smile teasing his sensuous mouth.

  “You weren’t exactly my favorite person,” she mumbled.

  Billy crossed his arms and smiled down at Lindy. “And what could I have done to earn your wrath?” he asked, as if he didn’t recall a single offense he’d committed against her.

  Lindy was convinced he did remember, and she wasn’t going to let him pretend otherwise. “You know good and well what you did, Billy Kincade.”

  “Tell him what you said in your letter to Santa,” Jayne urged.

  Lindy wasn’t interested in confessing her embarrassing childish rant. “It’s stupid. Billy doesn’t want to hear about that.”

  “Oh, but I do,” he countered.

  She should have kept her mouth shut earlier. Given no choice, she confessed. “I asked Santa to bring you a stocking full of coal because that was what you deserved.”

  “What year was this?” he asked, frowning.

  Lindy told him. She was in second grade and he was a much bigger fourth grader.

  His face grew tight. “Well, Lindy, you most definitely got your wish. That was the year our father deserted the family. There was no Christmas for Dede or me. Mom had to move us in with her parents in Yakima.”

  “Oh no.” Lindy felt terrible. “I’m so sorry.”

  Billy’s smile lacked humor. “That was a long time ago. Besides, I probably deserved coal instead of presents, so no harm done. Now, if you ladies will excuse me.” He left, and Lindy felt the strongest urge to follow him and apologize.

  CHAPTER SIX

  For as soundly as Lindy had slept Friday night, she tossed and turned on Saturday. The terrible Christmas Billy had had that fateful year kept running though her mind. It was beyond ridiculous to believe her letter had anything to do with what had happened to him and his family. As illogical as it was to assume she was somehow responsible, Lindy couldn’t stop thinking about all the ten-year-old had suffered. A child his age couldn’t possibly understand what had happened to his father, or why he had left.

  When Lindy finally managed to fall asleep, her dreams were filled with Billy Kincade and her as children. She spitefully complained to Santa about him, and in turn Santa promised to make Billy’s life miserable. Lindy woke in a sweat when her mother knocked on her bedroom door.

  “Are you awake?” her mother asked, opening the door and peeking inside.

  “Yes.” Lindy sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She was wide awake now, and grateful for the interruption to her nightmare.

  “It’s time to get ready for church,” her mother told her.

  “I thought church was at eleven.” That had been the traditional time for worship service for as long as she could remember.

  “Pastor added an early service, which we prefer. Your dad said Pastor Dean can’t go overtime when he’s got another service following on the heels of the first.”

  “Okay, early service it is,” Lindy said, and tossed aside the bedcovers.

  “I forgot to tell you about the schedule change yesterday. Then Dad and I were asleep when you arrived home last night. Hope you had a good time with Peggy and her friends.”

  “The best.” After they’d left the Wine Press, Peggy invited Lindy to hang out at her apartment for several hours. It’d been well after midnight before she arrived back home. Renewing their friendship was exactly the boost her Christmas spirit needed. They laughed about old times, and, after reviewing more of their escapades, decided it was probably a good thing Peggy had moved away when she did. Only heaven knew the trouble they would have inspired had they continued on through middle and high school.

  After coffee and a quick shower, Lindy was ready to leave for church with her parents.

  As she walked out of the house, she noticed a bowl of sourdough pancake batter on the kitchen counter. Her dad had set it up the night before, the same as he’d done when she lived at home. Sourdough rolls and now pancakes. Lindy loved being home.

  Church was exactly what she needed to lift her out of the blue funk following her dream. Seeing people she’d known most of her life lifted her spirits, as did singing the traditional Christmas carols. This was the last service before the traditional Christmas Eve candlelight one. Pastor Dean’s message was on forgiveness and the necessity of letting go of petty hurts, which was exactly what Lindy needed to hear. Closing her eyes, she released Celeste and Brian, and although it was difficult, she wished them happiness.

  After church, as her dad delivered steaming hotcakes to the middle of the table, Lindy eagerly piled four small ones onto her plate and ladled warm maple syrup over the top until the sticky goodness pooled there. Beau took his place beneath the table, hoping someone would be kind enough to share their bacon. Lindy knew her mother had a soft spot for Beau and watched as Ellen slipped him a piece when Lindy’s dad wasn’t looking.

  “How was the food at the Wine Press?” her mother asked. “Dad and I have been meaning to make a reservation, but we haven’t had a chance to just yet.”

  Lindy knew how busy her father was this time of year, so the fact that they hadn’t been out often came as no surprise. “The appetizers were great, and the wine selection was diverse in both variety and price.” Seeing how busy the restaurant was, there was no doubt it would be a success. “There was only one negative to the night.”

  “Oh? Wasn’t the service good?”

  “It was excellent. I happened to meet the owner/manager, and you’ll never guess who it is.”

  “I won’t even try. Tell me.”

  “Billy Kincade.”

  “Billy Kincade?” her mother repeated, as if she were as shocked as Lindy had been to hear the name. “Not the same Billy you mentioned in your letter to Santa?”

  “One and the same. When I recognized his name, I was foolish enough to mention that silly letter. Then, before I could stop her, Peggy asked if Billy would come to our table…” She paused before continuing to relay what she’d learned about that horrible Christmas.

  “You make it sound like his father deserting the family was your fault,” her dad said, helping himself to another stack of his much-loved hotcakes.

  “I do feel that way, and before you say anything, I know that’s ridiculous. I could barely sleep last night, and when I did, I had nightmares.”

  “Billy wasn’t upset when you told him about the letter, was he?”

  “Heavens, no. What troubled me was when he talked about that Christmas. His eyes grew sad, as if it was one of the worst times of his life.”

  Her mother grew still and quiet. “You should bake him cookies,” she suggested, as if cookies would absolve Lindy of any residual guilt.

  “Mom, I don’t think Christmas cookies are going to help.”

  Her dad shook his head. “Don’t discount your mother’s gingerbread cookies, Sweet Pea.”

  Lindy was amused and thoughtfully mulled over her mother’s idea. Her grandmother’s recipe for gingerbread cookies wasn’t going to remove the pain she recognized in Billy. She knew that, but at the same time, it was something she could do. A small kindness. She didn’t have any plans for the afternoon. Later that evening, Peggy suggested they get together again, possibly take in a movie. Lindy was eager to spend more time with her long-lost friend and had agreed.

  * * *

  —

  It was gratifying how quickly Lindy had connected with her friend. It felt like old times. Returning to Peggy’s following the movie, they shared wine and confidences. Lindy found it easy to tell Peggy about the situation with her job and her determination to succeed in Seattle. She’d always been driven, but rarely more so than she was with Media Blast. Almost from the first day she’d felt like an outsider. It wasn’t until after the first month that she’d learned Laurie, who’d been with the company five years, had also applied for the position. Instead, Media Blast went with Lindy. Feeling their colleague had been cheated, the rest of the team resented Lindy. As a result, Lindy felt the pressing need to prove herself and her qualifications at every turn. After another glass of wine, she spilled the dirt about Celeste and Brian.

  Lindy learned Peggy had endured her own heartache. She’d been married then divorced when her alcoholic husband had run up thousands of dollars of debt and then split town, leaving Peggy to deal with the creditors. It had taken her years to pay everything off.

  * * *

  —

  Monday afternoon, just after the Wine Press opened, Lindy arrived with a large plate of gingerbread cookies she’d baked on Sunday. When she’d mentioned what she intended to do, Peggy had agreed with her mother and said it would be a nice gesture. Besides, Billy, with his strong jaw and muscular shoulders, was handsome enough to be on the cover of a romance novel. Peggy seemed to think Billy might still have a thing for Lindy and joked that he might be tempted to chase her the way he’d done when she was in grade school. If that was the case, Lindy was half tempted to let him catch her.