The Christmas Rental Read online

  After two years of fifty- to sixty-hour workweeks in a constantly moving emergency department at Minneapolis’s Metro Central Hospital, Lorelei needed to slow down. Not only with her job but with her lifestyle too, especially now that she had Mary Ann in tow.

  As she eased the sedan to a crawl at twenty-five miles an hour, she could almost smell the warmth of friendliness through the car vents. It smelled like cinnamon and pine—clear and colored Christmas lights dressed up the storefronts. Garland with twinkling lights wrapped around street poles, and wreaths hung from each entry doors. The buildings were of different sizes, built from currant and ruby-colored bricks and show windows. Snow lined the streets, and a giant fir tree sprouted in the center of the town’s traffic circle. People with boxes and a few ladders milled around it.

  “It’s picture-perfect,” Lorelei mused.

  She and Mary Ann would be in town for the entire month of December, staying at her aunt and uncle’s house. Lorelei had placed her condo up for rent back in Minneapolis and had a couple who would be spending a few weeks closer to Christmas there. She wanted to sell the condo but didn’t have the courage to set the plan into motion. Her parents dreamed she’d land a spot on the board of directors at the hospital. Lorelei needed to convince herself she didn’t need to follow their path, but instead show them that being a small-town doctor was prestigious in its own way and what she wanted more than anything else career-wise. But, after several failed attempts over the years, it would take a Christmas miracle for it to happen.

  One exhausted night after work, she’d rocked Mary Ann to sleep while flipping through a magazine with tourism ads for visiting small towns in Minnesota over Christmastime. She took one look at her sleeping daughter and picked up the phone. Her Aunt Candace—her dad’s sister—had always stayed in contact with Lorelei even though they had a distant relationship with her dad because of their age difference. For the last few years, Aunt Candace called in the fall to see if she wanted to stay at their home for December and help out with her uncle Chris’s tiny medical practice in town while they were away. Her uncle and aunt traveled every year for the entire month, and Lorelei didn’t see how they managed to leave the town without a physician for that long.

  This time, Lorelei reached out to them, hoping the offer still stood. They’d been delighted by her call and prompted her to follow up with the local real estate agent who handled their rental stays. Although Lorelei found it a little odd, she figured even family should have to follow the same rules from time to time.

  She’d spoken with a man named Tyler who’d sounded rather giddy about her taking over. It appeared it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly for any of them. Lorelei and Mary Ann could experience small-town life, with Lorelei filling in as a local doctor, and when her parents visited for Christmas, maybe they could see how much she didn’t want to be an ER doctor anymore.

  “I can’t believe how late I’m running,” Lorelei murmured as she pulled her sedan into the parking spot in front of the brick building with a gigantic weathered red-and-white bowling alley sign. Of course, if Tyler hadn’t mentioned that his office was in a bowling alley, she might’ve missed it. She glanced back at Mary Ann, still fast asleep from the five-hour ride. Lorelei sighed, hating to wake her daughter.

  When her ebony boot hit the slippery snow and ice, she grabbed hold of the doorframe, gaining her balance. Maybe dress boots were not the best choice. Opening the back door, Lorelei undid Mary Ann’s car seat harness clip and lifted her daughter out.

  Gingerly stepping onto the sidewalk, Lorelei eased her way to the office door. She pulled it open and entered. “Hello? I’m sorry I’m running late.” Relief spread across her face once she was safely inside.

  Glancing around, she didn’t see anyone until a person crouched in front of a closet sprung up. He spun around like a preschooler caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

  Lorelei reached out her free hand. “You must be Tyler. I’m Lorelei, and this sleeping beauty is Mary Ann.” On the phone he’d sounded tall, which seemed odd to conclude, but it was the way his voice carried that made her think he would be, and she was not wrong. Lorelei wondered if she sounded short.

  Tyler moved toward Lorelei and reached out his hand, shaking hers. “Dr. Parker, hi. Are we waiting for your husband?” He glanced behind her. “I don’t recall per our phone conversation.”

  “Please call me Lorelei. And no, it’s just my daughter and me. I adopted her. Single mom.” Lorelei presented a jazz-hand. “Sorry, it’s a proud moment of mine.”

  “It’s great; amazing, actually. Parenting is hard work, I imagine.” Tyler pointed to an amber-and-white-furred dog who stretched itself up and out of the dog bed. “I know about dog parenthood, but that’s it.”

  Lorelei turned to the dog. “Aww.” She placed her hand on her heart. “Aren’t you just the cutest thing outside of Mary Ann?” Still holding her daughter, Lorelei knelt to pet the dog.

  “Her name is Cider. I adopted her from the shelter over in Booth. You probably drove through it. I mean, of course you did if you came from Minneapolis. We—Cider and I—get out and do things. It’s not like we sit around the office, bored all day. But work is work, so it should be a little boring, right?” He sighed and nodded his head.

  Clearly, she made him nervous. That, or maybe he liked to talk without taking breaths.

  His eyes glanced down at Cider. “I couldn’t have asked for a better dog.”

  “We do have something in common, then. Single adoptive parents.” Lorelei sprung up to standing, trying to lighten the mood and make him less nervous. “This place is like something out of the seventies. I love the decorations you’ve put up in here.”

  “Thank you. I have the rental agreement for you to sign and review.” Tyler moved to his desk and motioned for Lorelei to sit down, his cheeks flushing. “I must admit, I didn’t think you’d have to sign one, being their niece and all.”

  “Right.” She placed a hand on her hip.

  He nodded and eyed her outfit, his vision lingering on her boots.

  “Don’t cha know, I’m probably a bit overdressed. Anyway, how great is it that you have a bowling alley in your office—or is it a real estate office in the bowling alley?” Lorelei remained standing.

  “Excellent question.” Tyler tugged at his earlobe. “I’d enjoy telling you all about it.”

  Is he blushing?

  He glanced over his shoulder and out the window toward town. “I promised to assist with the decorations for the tree lighting. If you have time, I can tell you the story while I tackle the tree?”

  “Gosh, no, I don’t want to interrupt your day. Sorry, I honestly didn’t think I’d be this late. I mean, I would love to hear the story.” Disappointment and concern creased Lorelei’s face as she picked up the paper off the desk. The thought of her parents’ sullen faces as she backed out of her condo’s garage filled her mind. Today was supposed to be a happy day, and it only felt like she continued to disappoint everyone in her path. “Just sign at the bottom?”

  “That should work. As I said, it’s odd you have to sign one, but I guess nowadays, most everyone worries about something.” Tyler shrugged.

  “Have you read it?” She waved the single sheet of paper in his direction.

  “Dare I say no? Usually, we have a formatted one I print up, but your uncle insisted he handle this one for you.” Two lines formed between his eyebrows as his golden-brown eyes squinted with confusion. “I figured since he prepared it and was making you sign anything at all that it probably was none of my business. Although, it is my business.” He wrinkled his lip like Elvis.

  She waved him off. “No big deal, I know you have to be over at the tree thing, and it was my fault for being late.” Lorelei signed her name, then handed the form to him. “There you go. I promise I won’t break anything, and it will look the same the day I leave as it does today.” Holding out her hand, Lorelei smiled and tilted her head a bit. “Keys and directions, then you
can get back to your regularly scheduled life.”

  Tyler removed the key from the desk drawer along with the handwritten directions to Dr. and Mrs. North’s home. “Once you’ve settled in, if you’d like, you’re welcome to come back into town for the tree lighting and cider tonight.”

  Lorelei froze like an icicle. “Apple cider?”

  Cider glanced up at her.

  “Yes, Sharon’s Café provides the best cider and snacks for the lighting.”

  “I love cider!” they said in unison and laughed.

  “That’s why you named your dog Cider?” Lorelei pointed.

  “Yes, and also because her amber color looks just like apple cider.”

  Lorelei studied the dog and lowered to pet it once more as it sniffed Mary Ann, now awake. “You’re right.” Her daughter reached for the mound of fur on the dog’s chest.

  Tyler leaned in and took a peek at the baby. “Hi, Mary Ann, welcome to Oakvale.”

  A smile formed on Mary Ann’s face as she took in the stranger.

  “Thanks again for arranging all of this. I kind of figured my aunt and uncle would want to see me and meet Mary Ann.”

  “Don’t take too much offense. They have been strict with their December travel for as long as I can remember. Maybe they will make an exception and come back before the thirty-first this year.”

  “True, I do know my dad has mentioned they’ve never heard from them during Christmastime since they’ve been married. We’ll let you get going. And I promise I won’t be late for anything else in this town.” She headed towards the door. “What time is the tree thing? And where is it?”

  Tyler followed her to the door and held it open. “Right there”—he pointed—“at dusk.”

  Following his finger, she spotted the traffic circle with the Christmas tree in the middle. More bundled-up people had gathered around, digging through boxes. Mounds of snow had been pushed out of the way, shoveled around the outer edges of the street.

  “Should be easy to find.” Lorelei winked and unlocked her sedan with the key fob. She skillfully trampled through the snow, scolding herself again for her choice of shoes.

  “I put my number at the bottom of the directions, in case you have any issues.”

  She loaded Mary Ann into her car seat, clicking the harness into place, and shut the door. “Thank you. I’m sure all will be well. Again, I’m sorry we were late. You’d think I would’ve been early since I couldn’t wait to get here.” Making her way to the driver’s side of the sedan, she rewrapped her scarf around her neck.

  “You’re here now. Time to relax and enjoy what Oakvale has to offer.” Tyler beamed.

  “Oh, what about my uncle’s office? Are there directions or an address?”

  Tyler waved at someone exiting a shop across the street. “Dr. North’s office is right there. You passed it on your way into town. The sign in the front yard is buried under snow.”

  Lorelei glanced over the hood of the sedan and down the street. There, on the corner, sat a two-story home that appeared to have been historic, possibly built in the twenties or thirties based on the design. During college, she’d picked interior design and architecture electives as a way to explore her creativity that didn’t involve stitching up wounds. And she often found herself immersed in her knowledge.

  “Dr. North left everything at the house for the office. But remember, this is not a big city. He runs things much differently than you’re probably used to at the hospital. Nothing fancy or fast-paced. I do hope you have better shoes to walk around in.”

  “Sure do.” Maybe Lorelei would adopt the same rule as her uncle. She opened the driver’s door. “See you later for this cider you spoke of and the tree lighting.” After buckling up and backing out, she rolled down the window. “Will it be a big turnout? Lots of traffic?”

  “Lots of traffic for Oakvale, but not for a city gal.” Tyler winked.

  Lorelei pressed her lips together to keep from laughing out loud. “Awful soon to be starting in on jokes. We only met five minutes ago.”

  “We spoke on the phone. Probably should make it fifteen minutes that we’ve known each other.” Tyler waved.

  She waved back and couldn’t help but wonder how much time she and Tyler would be spending together in the following weeks. A smile twisted up her lips at the edges as she headed toward her aunt and uncle’s house.

  Chapter 3

  While he was always excited for the Christmas tree lighting and cider, something about Lorelei and Mary Ann showing up made it even better. Her voice on the phone sounded sweeter than honey, but in person, there was something more about her. Lorelei’s personality was not what he expected when meeting a big-city doctor in person. He assumed she would be stiff and off-putting. Maybe carry a luggage-size purse with gold embossing. Her fancy boots were a poor choice for the slick sidewalks, though. During their brief face-to-face conversation, Tyler became unexpectedly nervous. He hoped it would pass, so she didn’t think he was some fuddy-duddy with nothing better to do than ramble randomly.

  When he returned inside the office, still in a daze of happiness, he noticed the December calendar up on the monitor, and it hit his heart. Lorelei would not be staying. Just like every other renter who came to stay at the Norths’ home, even though she was their niece, Lorelei too would leave come December 31. Of course, all the other renters had been couples; Lorelei was the first single person. The thought of her sent a slight smile to his face again.

  Running his hands through his hair, he snatched the jacket off the back of the chair, shut off the lights, and removed the office keys from his pocket. As he and Cider headed across the street, the only thing filling his mind was Oakvale’s temporary residents.

  Tyler held open the door to Once Upon a Book, and Cider swiftly located her best friend, Garrison, a hound Lab mix.

  “Sandy?” Tyler raised his voice.

  A curly pile of dove-gray hair peeked around a bookcase a few rows back. “Tyler, over here.”

  He stepped farther into the store, past the dogs already roughhousing in the open area near the front. Glancing around, Tyler sighed at his dream before him. Ted, Sandy’s husband, had constructed every bookshelf. The pine scent still gently lingered, instantly transporting him back to his childhood visits. He’d probably read every book in the children’s section. Either because his parents bought him the book for his shelf or because he’d read them while tucked in his favorite corner nook of the store during his weekly visits. Tyler loved books as much as a deer loved a salt lick in the middle of winter.

  The children’s section remained the same, as had everything else in the store over the years. White lights hung in a canopy over the children’s literature section where short bookcases defined the space and several oversize bean bag chairs were nestled in the corner. The rest of the store was divided up into typical bookstore categories with the front of the store reserved for seasonal-themed display tables featuring books of all genres and time periods. Mixed in with the books were Hallmark treasures, from ornaments and mugs to figurines and candles. Sandy managed to keep the dogs from bumping into the area by placing a sizeable ornate rug under the display tables and training them to keep off, like a backward game of hot lava.

  The scent of books and peppermint tickled his nose. Christmas lights hung over and around the bookcases. In front of the main window, a train traveled around a flocked tree decorated to the nines.

  “I’m here to pick up the ornaments for the tree. Ted said you had a box?”

  Sandy finished shelving the stack of books in her arm and stepped out from the aisle. “Yes.” She smiled and pointed toward the front door.

  Tyler glanced over. “I missed it coming in. Thanks.”

  “Leave Cider here.” Sandy readjusted several hardbacks. “Garrison needs to release some energy.”

  Cider and Garrison were at opposite ends of a stuffed giraffe, their eyes staring each other down with the tug-of-war game. History provided the dogs could be at this g
ame for a long time, them both trying to one-up each other with a quick move to the left or right.

  “Have you spoken to your parents yet?” Sandy approached him and pointed at the For Sale sign.

  “You know I’m focused on an obtainable dream, traveling.” Tyler’s posture slumped. “Besides, we both know I can’t ask them. I think about it every day, but in the end, I’m an only child—the only one to carry on the McCain name.”

  “You could rename the bookstore,” Sandy encouraged.

  Tyler’s mouth hung open. “Your store is the best-named bookstore in all of Minnesota, if not the United States. Maybe the world.”

  Sandy laughed and glanced out the store’s window to view the town’s Christmas tree and the residents stringing lights. “You know you’re the most qualified local to run this store. You’re a walking encyclopedia of book knowledge. Ted’s getting restless and running out of things to fix around the house.”

  Tyler didn’t need a reminder. He needed to decide on either finding a way to gather up the courage to ask his parents if he could leave the family business and purchase Once Upon a Book or finally purchase his book-themed travel venture. But the dream of the bookstore kept him from leaping.

  Ted and Sandy had announced they were putting their bookstore up for sale back at the end of summer and enlisted Tyler’s help. They were in their mid-seventies and wanted to spend their retirement years traveling. If Tyler didn’t buy the bookstore, he could travel; if he did, he couldn’t. There was no way for him to do both on his income. And outside of the gas station and Don’s Conveniences, Once Upon a Book was likely the next busiest business in their small town. Thriving was something the bowling alley and real estate business were decidedly not. Rumor had it Once Upon a Book brought in more money than Oakvale Pizza Pie. Oakvale residents loved to read more than they loved pizza! But so far, no buyers had shown any interest.

  Cider bumped into Tyler as she and Garrison continued to tug on the poor stretched-out giraffe.