The 12 Quilts of Christmas Read online

  “Morse will be happy.”

  Harriet set her teacup down harder than she’d intended.

  “Why should she be happy?”

  Lauren smiled.

  “For once, we don’t have a dog in this fight. Other than finding him, we have no reason to do anything but watch from the sidelines.”

  “That’s true.” Harriet relaxed back in her chair. “I wonder how this will affect the downtown Christmas activities?”

  “If it was suicide, we’ll do a moment of silence for him and continue on, I would guess. If someone killed him, I imagine it will depend on how quickly they catch the killer.”

  “On that happy note, we better get going.”

  Luke was sitting at the kitchen table when Harriet got home. Fred the cat opposite him, staring at his empty plate. Fred jumped to the floor and raced upstairs as soon as he saw Harriet. Her dog Scooter lay curled up in Luke’s lap, while Cyrano the mini-dachshund was draped across his feet.

  “You’d better run,” she called after the cat.

  Scooter looked up at the sound of her voice, wagged his tail, then put his head back down and closed his eyes.

  “Don’t trouble yourself, you little traitor. How was school?” she asked Luke.

  “It’s pretty lame right now.”

  “How so?”

  “The school band and choir are doing next week’s Christmas program downtown, so they have to keep missing class to practice. A lot of kids are involved, so the teachers are giving the rest of us busy work to fill the time.”

  “Do you belong to any groups at school?”

  Harriet had wondered about this since September, but given his rough home life prior to moving in with her and James, she’d not wanted to make him feel bad if he didn’t. Her own parents’ almost total disinterest in her own day-to-day school life had not prepared her for how much normal parents were supposed to ask their kids about school. Their only interest had been grades. She was pretty sure there was more to it than that. She made a mental note to ask Robin or DeAnn or Connie what was appropriate at the next Threads meeting.

  “Not really. Most of them meet after school, and before, I had to work. Besides, most clubs require money at some point.”

  “You know if you decide you want to join anything, James and I are happy to fund it.”

  Luke’s face flushed, and he jammed his fists into his pockets.

  “What?”

  “I don’t know how to say this without sounding like an ungrateful jerk.”

  Harriet put her hand on his arm.

  “Whatever it is, you can tell me. James and I won’t judge you, and maybe if there’s a problem, we can help.”

  He looked at his feet, and she was worried he wasn’t going to say anything.

  “Before I lived here, the kids at school didn’t have the time of day for me or any of the other kids at my foster home. In fact, they made fun of our clothes and stuff.”

  “That’s terrible. I thought Foggy Point High School had an anti-bullying program.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m sure they do. Anyway, now that I live with you guys, and have nicer stuff, the same people are sucking up to me. Suddenly, I’m good enough to sit at their table at lunch when I wasn’t before.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, well, it is what it is, as they say. I can’t control their behavior, but I’m not going to pretend it’s okay.”

  “That’s very wise of you. It makes me a little sad that you don’t have friends at school, though.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I just need to get through the rest of this year, and then I don’t have to see those people if I don’t want. Besides, living here is giving me a chance to focus on my classes. I missed some stuff freshman year because of my living situation, so my counselor arranged for me to do independent studies during my free period to make it up. They’re letting me retest in a couple of subjects I got Ds in back then to help bring my GPA up.”

  “That’s great, and it will help with your college applications. Speaking of schoolwork, do you have any homework tonight?”

  “No.”

  “I was thinking of going to visit Becky.”

  “Who’s Becky?”

  “Remember the horse I told you guys about? The one Lauren and I are supporting for the month.”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “I got to thinking. Jade was so low on funds she couldn’t pay her stable fee, so I wondered if she was able to get Becky’s feet done.”

  Luke gave her a quizzical look.

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Horses hooves grow like people’s fingernails, so every month or six weeks they need to be trimmed. I have a feeling if Jade is low on funds she might not be taking care of Becky’s feet like she should. Suffice it to say, a horse with bad feet is a big problem. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go with.”

  “Sounds fun, but I don’t know anything about horses.”

  “You don’t need to know anything. We’ll just have a look at her feet, and if they need trimming, we’ll get the stable to schedule it.”

  “Is there a dress code at the stable?’

  Harriet laughed.

  “Maybe at the fancy ones back East or in Europe, but not a typical place around here.” She looked at his jeans and flannel shirt. “You might want to add a sweatshirt or down vest or even both. We’ll be outside, and it’s pretty nippy today. I’m going to go change myself. See you back down here in five?”

  Luke smiled and dashed to the stairs, taking them two at a time on his way to his room.

  The stable Becky boarded at was located on the back side of Miller Hill on a large shelf of land that cut into the hillside. It was surrounded by woods that had trails crisscrossing through them, which provided lots of trail-riding opportunities for the people who kept horses there. A long driveway took Harriet and Luke past multiple white-fenced enclosures, each with two or three horses in them.

  “Wow, I had no idea Foggy Point had anything like this,” Luke said as he swiveled in his seat to look out each side of the car in turn.

  “I’ve never been back here, either.”

  Harriet slowed the car as the driveway widened into a parking lot. Directly ahead of them was a large barn. To the right and farther back was an enclosed riding arena with a smaller, covered, open-sided riding area attached to it.

  “I’m going to go into the barn and see if I can find the manager. You can come along or wait here.”

  “I’ll come with,” he said and opened his door.

  A young woman was leading a tall dark-bay horse out of the barn as they reached the door. She directed them to where they could find the assistant manager in the main riding arena.

  Two people occupied the large arena. A girl on a white Welsh pony rode in a circle around a tall woman in Lycra riding pants and a green oversized sweatshirt with Miller Hill Equestrian Center printed on the back in white letters. The arena consisted of a large oval surfaced with twelve inches or more of footing, a mix of dirt and synthetic material that protected horses and riders from impact injuries. It was surrounded by a waist-high barrier with gates on each side. Harriet and Luke walked over to the open gate closest to them and watched as the woman directed the young rider.

  “McKenzie, you’re confusing her. Your legs are saying one thing, and your hands are saying the opposite.”

  The woman had barely finished speaking when the pony hopped sideways and bucked. McKenzie dropped the reins and held on to the front of the saddle. The pony took the opportunity to bolt for the open gate. Before anyone else could move, Luke stepped into the opening and grabbed one of the flapping reins, stopping the pony in its tracks.

  McKenzie was crying, and he put his hand on her leg to steady her.

  “You’re okay,” he said in a soft voice. “You’re okay.”

  The riding instructor strode toward them at the same time the young woman they’d seen earlier ran in from the opposite direction and took the pony’s reins
from Luke.

  “Are you okay, McKenzie?”

  The child’s face was white, and her bottom lip quivered, but she nodded.

  “I’m fine,” she finally managed.

  Luke backed up a few steps as the tall woman reached them.

  “Thank you,” she said to Luke, and then turned to Harriet. “I’m Marcia Hamilton, and this is Emily Roberts. Did you need some help?”

  “I was hoping to talk to you about Jade Meyer’s horse, Becky.” Harriet told her.

  “Ahh, okay. Give me a minute.” She turned back to the little girl on the pony. “How about you walk Snowflake around the arena a few times so you can both settle down.” She looked at Emily. “Shut the gates, and stay in here to keep an eye on her. You can sit in the bleachers, but don’t leave her alone.”

  Emily unlatched the latch that kept the gate open and swung it shut. She smiled at Luke as he moved out of the way.

  “Now, how can I help you?” Marcia said and guided Harriet out of the arena. She paused a moment when Harriet finished her story and then blew out a breath.

  ‘“To be honest, we’ve been worried about Becky ourselves. Jade hasn’t had Becky’s feet done—she’s overdue by a couple of weeks. We were debating whether we should go ahead and have them done when the farrier comes out later this week.”

  “I’ll let Jade know, but go ahead and do that. I’ll pay for it. I can’t stand the idea that any horse would have its feet ruined for lack of money, but it’s especially bad for such an expensive breed.”

  “I agree. I didn’t want to have to turn her into the county humane society, and Becky certainly isn’t in that bad a condition yet, anyway.”

  “I know Jade wants to take care of her. Apparently, her parents are willing to help with her own living expenses, but they only grudgingly pay anything for Becky, and will contribute nothing toward Jade’s business, which is how she pays for Becky. Or would if she was making any money. I suspect they want her to sell the horse,” Harriet said.

  Luke stood with his hands in his back pockets looking toward the arena.

  “Have you ever met Becky?” Marcia asked.

  Harriet shook her head.

  “Would you like to?”

  “Sure.” She turned to Luke. “I’m going to go meet Becky. I’m sure it would be okay if you would rather watch…McKenzie and Snowflake.”

  Luke grinned and jogged back toward the arena.

  Marcia led Becky out of her stall and clipped cross-tie ropes to each side of her halter, securing her in the barn aisle. Harriet slowly circled the horse.

  “She seems a little thin, but other than her feet, she looks healthy enough,” she said.

  “Until about three months ago, Jade was out here all the time, and no expense was spared as far as horse care went. She’s not abusing her, by any means, but she’s feeding a cheaper food blend and has dropped her vitamins. Her outdoor blanket has a big tear in it and needs to be replaced. I tried to talk to Jade about it—offered to work with her—but she shut me out.”

  Harriet patted Becky’s neck.

  “She didn’t tell me much, either. I know she’s hoping to have a big Christmas season to help her catch up financially. I have no clue as to what caused her sudden decline of fortune.”

  Marcia stood on Becky’s other side and ran her hands through the horse’s mane.

  “I guess she’ll tell us when she’s ready. Or not. On another subject, your son was pretty good with McKenzie and her pony. Does he ride?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Marcia raised an eyebrow.

  “He’s only been my foster son for a few months, but he’s never been around horses.”

  “His instincts seem good. I’m asking because we have some volunteer positions opening up, for students to work in our horse-therapy program.”

  “Given his background, he could probably use a little horse therapy himself.”

  “The way we train our volunteers is to put them through a short version of the program, so it might work well for both of us.”

  “I can’t speak for him, but I’ll ask.”

  “You moved pretty quick back there when that pony ran away with its rider,” Harriet said to Luke as she drove back down the long driveway. “Have you ever been around horses before?”

  Luke smiled and widened his eyes.

  “Are you kidding? Drug dealers don’t do horses, or anything else besides drugs.” He paused. “Well, there was one time my dad dumped me off at a carnival with a bunch of little kids and a handful of cash. Some of them may have been my half-siblings, I’m not sure. Anyway, I took the littlest ones to the pony ride. I did that because they couldn’t run off when they were on a pony.” He laughed. “Does that count?”

  Harriet smiled, too. She was glad Luke was beginning to be able to talk about some part of his past without withdrawing into himself and closing down.

  “It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but I guess anything counts.” She turned onto Miller Hill Road. “Marcia asked me if you had horse experience. She said you were good with the pony when it ran away.”

  “It seemed like the thing to do,” Luke said. His cheeks pinked.

  “Well, she also asked me if I thought you’d be interested in volunteering for their horse-therapy program. I told her that was up to you.”

  “Emily asked me the same thing,” he said, his cheeks turning a darker shade of red. “She said you have to go through the program—or a short version of it—so you get used to the horses and stuff.”

  “What do you think?” Harriet was trying to tread lightly after their discussion about his disinterest in afterschool activities.

  “Sounds fun. If it’s okay with you and James.”

  “Of course it’s okay with James and I. If you want to do it—and are still able to keep up with your schoolwork, of course.”

  “No problem.”

  Harriet fiddled with the heater knobs, trying to coax a little more heat from the car. She glanced over at Luke, who was gazing out the window with a little smile.

  “Emily seems nice. Does she go to your school?”

  “She is nice, and she’s homeschooled. I guess she didn’t get along with the kids at school, either.”

  Harriet couldn’t think of what to say to that, but was saved from having to answer when a deer darted across the road in front of them. She slammed on the brakes and stopped just in time.

  She sat back in her seat.

  “Whew, that will take a few years off your life. Are you okay?”

  Luke gave her a little smile.

  “I’m okay. My heart’s beating a little fast, but I’m good.”

  “I don’t know about you, but I think a stop at the cupcake shop might be in order.”

  Luke grinned.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Harriet and Luke stopped in front of the shop window that displayed Connie’s cupcake quilt.

  “Connie did a nice job on that,” Harriet said.

  “They should make some cupcakes that are decorated just like the ones on the quilt,” Luke said and craned his neck to see around it into the bakery.

  Harriet laughed and opened the door.

  “Can I get one of everything?” Luke asked as he went inside.

  No one was tending the counter, but they could hear loud voices coming from the bakery in back.

  “It doesn’t matter that it isn’t me, they have pictures,” a woman said.

  “But you didn’t kill anyone,” a second woman shot back.

  Harriet coughed loudly, and the voices abruptly went silent. A moment later, Sunny Mason, the owner of Sunshine Bakery, appeared, removing her white apron as she approached the counter.

  “Hi, how can I help you?” she asked, looking from Harriet to Luke and back again.

  Luke was staring at the display case. There were samples of at least twenty different cupcake varieties.

  “How am I supposed to choose?”

&nbs
p; Sunny slid the door of the case open.

  “What’s your favorite flavor in the world?”

  “Chocolate,” he answered without hesitation.

  “Okay, that cuts the choices by half. Do you like your chocolate more fudgy or more cake-y?”

  Luke thought a moment.

  “Fudgy,” he said with a grin.

  Sunny continued offering ingredient and flavor choices until they’d narrowed it down to four possible cupcakes.

  “Okay,” Harriet said, interrupting their game. “Let’s get one of each of the last four contenders.” She looked at Luke. “Is four enough?”

  “I think four will do it,” he said with an attempt at a straight face.

  “We’ll take his four, and I would like a lemon blueberry and a gingerbread.”

  “I’ll bring them out,” Sunny said. “Would you like anything to drink? I have peppermint hot chocolate in addition to the usual stuff.”

  They both ordered the hot chocolate and settled in at a bistro table near the window. Lauren came in as Sunny carried a tray with their cupcakes and hot chocolate to their table.

  “I’ll have what she’s having,” she told Sunny.

  “What are you up to?” Harriet asked as she drew a chair up from another table so Lauren could join them.

  “I had to get an ink cartridge for my printer, and ever since we first saw Connie’s cupcake quilt, they’ve been on my mind. I thought I was going to slip in here and indulge in a guilty pleasure with no one the wiser.”

  Harriet filled her in on their visit to the equestrian center.

  “You’re getting in deeper and deeper with that horse.” Lauren commented.

  “I just hate to see her suffer because her owner is in financial trouble.”

  Harriet took a bite of her lemon blueberry cupcake as Sunny delivered Lauren’s.

  “So, where did you get your ink cartridge?” she asked. “Don’t you usually get them from Daniel?”

  “Indeed I do,” Lauren said around a bite of cupcake. “Fortunately, Keystroke Computer Repair also carries a variety of printer cartridges. He also sells printer paper by the case.”