Taye whispered a prayer of thanks as confirmation that she—they—were in God’s will. “So, Miss Brea, what are you going to call your fashions?”

  Brea’s eyes sparkled. “This is to help that lady, Miss Queenie, right?” She waited for Taye to confirm, then continued, “Since this is a secret mission, I can’t use my real name, so how about Queen B Designs? The B stands for Brea, and I am a princess. Maybe one day I’ll be a queen.” She lifted her dainty chin in the air.

  “I like it,” Taye said while Donovan shook his head, clearly amused by his sister.

  “I’ll order this now.” Taye fumbled in her purse for her debit card and meticulously entered the information. “It’s coming to me at the B&B. Donovan, can Brea drive back on Tuesday?”

  “She’s not used to the roads here. I’d rather drive her, but my schedule is crazy, wrapping up end-of-the-year projects and reports.”

  Right. “I understand. Where do you work, and what do you do?”

  “Assistant vice president of operations at Centura Health.”

  Impressive. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll drive to get her, and she can stay with me. We only have two full weeks before Christmas.”

  Donovan was silent. “No, I’ll get her here, but it will be late.”

  Taye smiled at him, and he returned one of his own. “Thank you for doing this. It means a lot to me. Now, can you take her back to Sewing World? I’ll send you money via PayPal or Cash App for her to shop.”

  “Oh, no. Not that place again.” He shuddered as if she had asked him to change a soiled diaper—or worse. “Can’t you take her?”

  “Me showing up and suddenly buying a lot of fabric will send up red flags. No one knows you and Brea.”

  “Double teamed again,” he complained, then grinned, “but I’m starting to get used to it.”

  With Donovan’s stamp of approval, she ordered the sewing machine. Now the pressure was on to get the outfits made.

  Chapter Ten

  W hat a difference a hug makes, Donovan thought as he drove his little sister back to the Denver suburb of Englewood with a truck full of fabric that could probably cover hundreds of picnic tables. Brea had actually given him a death-grip hug after their purchase. Who would have thought he and Brea were bonding over cloth? Not him.

  Thank You, Jesus, for the reprieve from Brea’s defiance, he silently prayed. He had gotten his Christmas present early. The cease-fire was in full effect, but for how long? Not to say there still wasn’t any tension between them, but it was somewhat mild to her standoffish attitude she greeted him with at the airport. Their momma would have been proud.

  “You’re thinking about Taye, aren’t you?” Brea’s teasing voice coaxed him out of his reverie. “You like her.”

  Not that his thoughts wouldn’t drift to Taye, but not at the moment. Donovan clamped his lips shut to keep from smiling as he gripped the steering wheel. He wouldn’t deny there was an attraction, but she would only be in Snowflake for less than a month, and her focus was clear—the project. After Christmas, she would return to Kansas City. Plus, he didn’t know if her friendship with Brea was genuine or only to use her for the mission, then Taye would be out of both of their lives. Time would tell. Donovan might be busy at the company, but he planned to keep close tabs on his sister.

  Sewing machine—check. Fabric—double-check. Where would Brea sew? Hmm. Although her B&B Victorian-style bedroom with a window seat was spacious, there wasn’t space to cut the fabric. In addition to the fabric, Taye had spied a large box of sewing pins and needles. All she needed was to step on one. Then there was the matter of a sturdy table for the machine. The desk in the corner could barely support the knickknacks on it.

  Plus, how secret would their project be if guests saw them dragging bolts of fabric up the stairs, then carrying garments down the next day. A small town sometimes sparked questions, ignited whispers, then circulated rumors. All Taye needed was for Miss Tessie and Miss Queenie to cross paths. If they would connect the dots, then her secret would be a bust. Brea needed a hiding place to sew, and the B&B wasn’t it.

  There had to be someplace. Getting in her car, Taye drove around town, brainstorming where could she go. When Blue Spruce Plaza came into view, she slowed, then turned into the parking lot. Besides stores, the plaza leased space to small and medium-size businesses.

  Taye parked and walked inside. Immediately, she noticed some empty spaces and had an idea. She proceeded to the leasing office and spoke with the manager.

  “I see you have some vacancies,” she told the manager. Taye patiently waited as the man recited the terms of a yearly contract and other fees. “I only need space for a couple of weeks—that’s all. Since you’re not earning a profit on an empty space, would you consider two hundred dollars for three weeks?” She gave him the most pleading smile she could muster. “Consider it a good deed for Christmas.”

  It took some convincing, but Taye left the office with the manager agreeing to her terms and a signed short-term rental contract. Her fifteen hundred dollars was going fast.

  Chapter Eleven

  T o say Donovan was stressed was an understatement as he rubbed his forehead at his desk. Soft holiday music filtered throughout the building, but it did nothing to calm him. He had reports to finish before two senior-level executives left for a long extended holiday vacation.

  With his administrative assistant out sick with the flu, his files were like a maze to find. He had just located the previous year’s report when his phone rang. He glanced at the number and smiled—Taye. Unfortunately, they never had a conversation that didn’t center around Brea and sewing. “Hey, you.” Donovan imagined her blush when she greeted him back.

  “Brea’s sewing machine just arrived!” Taye didn’t hide her excitement. “I should wrap it up and slap a bow on it, huh?” She giggled.

  Amused, Donovan shook his head. “No need to go through the extra effort.”

  “But I think I want to,” she countered. “Can’t wait for her to see it. What time will you bring her?”

  “I have a couple more hours here.” He eyed multiple files opened on his computer in search of one particular one he had renamed. “Are you sure we can’t come tomorrow evening?”

  “I’m sorry to put you in the middle of my project—”

  Donovan twirled his chair to look out the window. “I like that you’re putting your heart into it. That shows your compassion.”

  “Thank you.” She paused. “Is there any way you can bring your work here? I want Brea to get comfortable with the machine. There’s only fifteen days before Christmas, and Miss Queenie needs sales like yesterday.”

  Donovan disliked taking work home. He preferred to keep his lifestyle—if he had one—separate from his livelihood. He had seen firsthand many of his colleagues push family time aside for work. Since Brea had come to live with him, he wanted his time at home to break down the walls she had built. When Taye entered the picture, the foundation was shifting on Brea’s walls.

  “Or, I can drive up and get her. You said it’s about thirty or forty minutes from Snowflake, right?” she offered.

  Maybe Donovan was old fashion in that area, too, but he didn’t think women—young or old—should be on the road late at night. If Taye drove to get Brea, it might be late when she returned to her B&B. Looks like she—and Brea—had him wrapped around their slender fingers again.

  “No. I’ll gather my stuff, swing by the house to get Brea, and we’ll be there in about an hour.”

  “Thank you, Donovan. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to do it. You’re a special kind of man to do this for two strangers without wanting anything in return.”

  He smirked and rolled a pen between his fingers, thinking. “I’m invested in this project, too, from afar. I want my sister to be happy, you to succeed, and the businesses to thrive.” Donovan paused to measure his words. “If I ask you out to dinner—not pizza and no Brea—would you accept?” When she didn’t respond right away, he apologized. “Sorry. I was hoping there was some interest on your part.”

  “No, you didn’t say anything wrong. I’m flattered because at first, I felt like the enemy. I would love to have dinner with you, but—”

  “Why is there always a but?” He grunted.

  “It’s countdown to Christmas. I’m not leaving Brea’s side, so you may have to take a raincheck until after the holidays.”

  Stroking his mustache, Donovan gave it some thought. “You gave Brea a sewing machine for Christmas. All I want from you is a dinner date for two.” He emphasized the last word.

  “You’re giving me a heavy dose of the guilt trip, Mr. Edwards. Meet me at the Blue Spruce Plaza.” She gave him the address.

  “No more than what you gave me.” He grinned. “See you soon.” He ended the call and couldn’t get out of the office fast enough, leaving his work behind.

  Taye wanted to call Melissa and tell her about the dinner date, but that would require Taye to answer her friend’s probing questions like who was Donovan, how did she meet him, when and where? And the biggie: Why was Melissa the last to know about him?

  Giggling, Taye felt scandalous as she changed out of her jeans and sweater into a pair of nice slacks, her riding boots, and a flirty blouse. Since they wouldn’t arrive in Snowflake for another hour, she had time to apply polish to her nails after she gift-wrapped Brea’s box.

  Once her nails were dry, she donned her cap and jacket. She spied Miss Tessie speaking with the woman at the counter as she walked down the stairs.

  “Someone’s been shopping.” Miss Tessie eyed the gift-wrapped box she was carrying.

  The product description on the web said it was lightweight and easy to carry. Humph. Maybe so when it wasn’t inside another box.

  “There’s something about you that has you glowing.” Miss Tessie squinted. “Did you reconnect with an old flame or something? I’m not surprised. You’re such a pretty little thing.”

  Taye blushed. “I don’t think Snowflake has any eligible bachelors,” she joked, then kissed the woman’s cheek.

  “This is the season for miracles.” She shrugged. “Never know what God has for us.”

  “No, we don’t.” Taye left and drove the short distance to Brea’s makeshift sewing studio in the Blue Spruce Plaza.

  An hour later, she opened the door and greeted Donovan and Brea with a smile for both of them and a blush for Donovan. He had made his interest known. How could Taye stay focused, knowing this? She put forth a lot of effort. “Hi. No work?”

  “Nope.” He shook his head. “There’s always tomorrow. I wanted to get Brea here as soon as possible. Some things can’t wait.” He lifted a brow.

  The man was not going to make it easy for her to ignore him through this assignment. Taye nodded and stepped back for them to enter. It was one big room with two small ones on either side, sparse furniture but a long counter that could serve as a cutting table. “Here we go. Brea, this is your temporary sewing studio.”

  “Wow.” Brea twirled around as if she was spinning in the rain. “I like it. My own sewing studio,” she said with awe. She made a beeline to the gift-wrapped box.

  Taye followed her, laughing. “It’s not like you don’t know what’s in it.” Taye shrugged. “I was feeling silly.”

  “I like silly.” Brea stripped away the wrapping paper. “Right, Donovan?” she asked her brother without looking at him.

  “Umm-hmm. Silly is beautiful,” he said in a soft voice.

  Taye spun around and found Donovan watching her. It was that same intense stare she remembered from the airport. She shivered under his scrutiny.

  “Stop flirting with Taye,” Brea said, multi-tasking between her gift and eavesdropping. “Big bro, darling.” She giggled. “Do you mind getting the fabric from the car for me?” She batted her eyes.

  Taye smothered a smile. “I’ll help.” She grabbed her coat and walked out with Donovan.

  Outside, Taye could feel the sparks between her and Donovan. Yes, she’d agreed to a dinner date, but that would come later. Now, it was all about fulfilling Charity’s request. “I’ll take the bulk of it,” he said, heaving up five and six bolts at a time. “I never knew cloth could weigh so much.”

  “Me either.”

  Half an hour later, Taye didn’t know what she had expected, but the company sending the wrong machine wasn’t one of them. She called, and the company apologized and said they would ship the correct one when they were back in stock in six days. Not good. There were fifteen days before Christmas, and Taye needed a miracle. From the looks of it, it might not happen.

  Taye began to pace the floor and gnaw on her lip gloss. Shouldn’t Brea be cutting something out by now? She had been reading the machine’s manual, then watching instructions on YouTube for an hour and counting. Not good. Lord, am I making the right decision? What if Brea was fabricating her skills? What if…

  She looked over her shoulder and met Donovan’s stare. She ignored him. “Brea, you do know how to sew, right? I mean, it’s a different model, but still has the same functions, right?” Taye knew she was babbling but couldn’t help it.

  Instead of answering, Brea shot her an annoyed look and paused the video. “You have to learn the features of a car before you can drive it,” she said then pushed play. “It’s not my fault this is not the machine we ordered. Chill, I’ll figure this out in no time.”

  It was going to be a long night, Taye thought as she slumped on a folding chair and closed her eyes. Lord, guide Brea’s hands once she figures out how to drive this sewing machine.

  Reality hit as Donovan watched his sister struggle to thread the machine. He knew it. This was a bad idea. He had let two pairs of brown eyes convince him that Brea could help. He had been swayed by Taye’s charm and beauty, and he had signed off to get on Brea’s good side. By one in the morning, Donovan had to forcefully tango with his sister to shut down the sewing machine so he could drive them home.

  Chapter Twelve

  T aye woke Wednesday morning exhausted. She’d had a restless night, no fault of the bed at the B&B. After last night’s failed attempt to make progress with the sewing, she was anxious and second-guessing whether a colossal project could be done in a short window of time. Instead of things falling together, they were falling apart.

  Be worried for nothing. You’ve made your requests known to Me. God whispered Philippians 4:6.

  “Lord, help me not to worry. I know at first I thought it was about my blessing. Thanks for showing me this isn’t about me, so please help me see this through. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

  Although she was focused on a project for Charity, Taye couldn’t slack off looking for employment. Every morning, she recited Philippians 4:19 that God would supply her every need according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ. With news of Charity’s passing, Taye hadn’t quoted the Scripture in more than a week.

  After she showered and dressed, Taye followed the aroma to the kitchen. Living alone, she wasn’t accustomed to eating heavy breakfasts—usually toast, oatmeal, or cereal was her daily menu, maybe an omelet on the weekends. Standing at five-six, Taye’s weight was steady, but if she consumed the cook’s biscuits, bacon and eggs every morning, Taye might have to go on a diet before the holidays instead of the classic first-of-the-year dieting.

  Besides the great cooking, Miss Tessie’s guests were personable. They had become a temporary extended family.

  Miss Tessie met her at the bottom of the stairs. “Whenever you get a chance, don’t forget about my computer. You’ll have to tell me what it needs.” She patted Taye on the shoulder. “First, enjoy your breakfast.”

  Taye laughed. Yep, Melissa might not recognize her when she returned to K.C. if she kept indulging in a second flaky buttered biscuit. Afterward, she went in search of Miss Tessie to get her computer password, but her friend had left to run an errand.

  While she waited, Taye logged onto her laptop and searched sites for job openings. After submitting cover letters and uploading her résumé to three companies, Miss Tessie still hadn’t returned.

  Without Brea, Taye couldn’t do anything on the sewing machine. She wondered how her counterparts were doing with their secret angel mission, especially Nate Cooper, the sole male in the group. After they all graduated from Snowflake High School, he returned as a music teacher or something.

  Slipping on her jacket, Taye decided to visit her alma mater and reminisce about her life, which had taken a turn similar as Brea’s where she was uprooted. She waved at some of the guests lounging around the fireplace on her way out the door.

  “I’m counting down the days to my wedding,” Rebecca, one of the guests, said, beaming. “You’re coming, right?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Taye reassured her while she counted down the days to saving two businesses.

  It didn’t take long for her to reach her destination. Taye parked in front of the brick structure, stepped out and stared at Snowflake High School—so many memories, so many years ago. Locking her car, she hiked the steps to the entrance. She grabbed the handle to open the door, but it was locked. Ring Buzzer read a sign posted nearby. She did. Through the intercom, a woman asked, “May I help you?”

  “Yes. My name is Taye Thomas. I was once a student here. I’m in town, and I was hoping…” She rambled as if she was recording a sixty-second commercial. It must have worked because after a short buzz, the lock disengaged, and she was instructed to sign in at the office.

  “Sorry, we have to be diligent in keeping our students safe,” said a short woman with blond hair and a saggy double chin.

  “I understand. Thank you.” Taye nodded. “I guess I can’t wander through the halls.”

  “Not by yourself. You’ll need an escort.” The woman turned away and yelled to someone in a side office within the main office. “Robyn, do you have time to accompany Miss Thomas down memory lane?” She chuckled to herself.