love her unconditionally for herself.
“Frank told me,” Thelma confessed. “And I say it’s for the best. If a man really loves you, he wouldn’t let a little thing like your work come between you, believe me. A beautiful girl like you deserves better.”
Josie nodded, wishing it was that simple. But she’d rather never marry than end up in an ugly divorce like the one her parents had put her through. Of course, she wasn’t about to discuss her broken relationships with a stranger.
“Yesterday, Frank and the ranger brought me the most beautiful tree. Frank even set it up inside my house.” Thelma batted her eyelashes like a coy girl.
Josie swallowed a choking laugh. For some inane reason, she found the situation quite comical. True to his word, Clint had picked up Gramps and the two of them had driven over to the civic center, where they’d handed out all the confiscated trees. Josie had remained at home, sorting through piles of debris littering Gramps’s house to find the mop bucket and vacuum cleaner. His absence had given her some time to clean house. It had also made Gramps feel better, though the stress of learning to read had settled over him like a fat rain cloud.
“I’m glad you got your tree up,” Josie said, wishing she had a tree for Gramps. Too bad the ranger had confiscated all of the trees he’d cut down.
Thelma stepped closer. “Frank tells me you’re a pharmacist in Las Vegas.”
“That’s right.”
“Do you like your work?”
“Yes, I love it,” Josie answered truthfully. “And as I remember, you own this store.”
Josie showed her most friendly smile. After all, this was one of Gramps’s friends and the woman obviously liked him.
“Yes, I do. Frank is so proud of you. You’re all he talks about. I’m so glad you came home for the holidays. He needs some family around now that Vi’s gone.”
Vi. The name many people used for Viola, Josie’s grandmother.
“I’m happy to be here, too.” The bite of guilt nipped at Josie’s conscience. She should have come to visit more frequently. She missed Grandma so much. And it dawned on her that losing his spouse must have devastated Gramps. He didn’t say a lot about it, but inside, he must still be shattered by grief. Josie didn’t want the end of his life to be sad. She wanted them both to be happy. And Josie wasn’t. Not anymore. Not while she was alone. But so far, she’d failed to find a man willing to commit to her permanently.
“I sure wish we had a pharmacy here in Camlin,” Thelma continued. “I order my prescriptions through the mail. It’s a real pain if they arrive late and I run out of my hormones.”
“I’m sure that could be a big problem.” Josie laughed.
“You could always open up a pharmacy here in my store. I wouldn’t charge a lot of rent,” Thelma offered.
Josie forced herself not to react. Rent wasn’t the issue. Though she’d accumulated a modest savings account, she didn’t have enough capital to stock the shelves with the basic medications people would need. Besides, spending the rest of her life in this one-dog town didn’t appeal to her. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m happy with my job in Vegas.”
“Oh, well. Have a merry Christmas. And give Frank my love.” Thelma blew a sugary kiss before bustling down the aisle, leaving the cloying scent of gardenias in her wake.
“I will.” Josie waved, then stood there and blinked for several moments. If she didn’t know better, she’d think her seventy-eight-year-old grandfather had an admirer.
Josie shook her head. Men her grandfather’s age didn’t have girlfriends. Did they?
Above all else, she wanted Gramps happy. And a fake tree wouldn’t make him happy.
Gazing at her options, Josie realized she took city shopping for granted. Living in Las Vegas, she could pull up to a spacious tree lot and pick out any one she wanted. The mild winters would be easier on Gramps’s arthritis, too. Within minutes, they could visit a doctor and get his prescriptions filled. And she wanted that convenience for Gramps. A balanced diet wouldn’t hurt him, either. She’d almost had a fit when she’d discovered he’d been subsisting on canned soup, potato chips and oatmeal. But how could she ask him to leave his world behind and move away with her?
“Hi, there!”
Josie whirled around. Clint Hamilton stood behind her, holding the hand of a little girl about seven years old with a cute button nose, flawless skin and a long, blond ponytail.
“Um, hi.” Josie met his gaze and smiled uncertainly. Immediate attraction buzzed through her.
His unblinking eyes swept over her. He looked handsome and rustic dressed in a down-filled coat, cowboy boots and brown leather gloves. His gaze dropped away, and she couldn’t help wondering what had produced the wariness in his warm, brown eyes.
She nodded at the melted droplets covering his broad shoulders. “Is it snowing again?”
“Just a dusting, but a storm is coming in later tonight.” He showed a twinge of a smile, his cheeks slightly red from the cold.
“What’s your name?” the little girl asked, her voice hesitant.
Josie’s gaze lowered to the child, who was bundled up in a glistening red coat, matching rubber boots and a white scarf around her neck. She looked adorable. “Jocelyn Rushton. What’s yours?”
“I’m Grace Karen Hamilton, but everyone just calls me Gracie.”
“That’s a lovely name,” Josie said.
“This is my daughter,” Clint supplied the introductions. “Gracie, this is Frank’s granddaughter.”
Understanding lit up the child’s expressive eyes. “Oh, I recognize you. I’ve seen your pictures at Grandpa Frank’s house many times.”
Grandpa Frank? Over the years, Josie had heard other children in town call her grandfather by this name, but it seemed odd to hear it from the forest ranger’s daughter. Obviously, the girl had been inside Gramps’s home. Not surprising. Grandma and Gramps had many friends in this town.
“Is that right?” Josie felt the burden of Clint’s gaze like a leaden weight. For some reason, the ranger made her feel as though he could see deep into her soul. And in all honesty, she feared what he might find there besides a bitter, unlovable woman who was emotionally inaccessible to others.
“Yeah, in his photo albums. He shows his pictures to me all the time. And Grandma Vi used to make me chocolate chip cookies,” Gracie said.
“Ah, I see.” Josie had also loved her grandmother’s homemade cookies. In fact, she planned to make some while she was here. She wanted to bake and decorate and enjoy a slower pace while she could. In Vegas, she didn’t have time for domestic chores, or anyone to cook for.
“I sure miss Grandma Vi,” Gracie continued.
Josie did, too. More than she could say.
“She used to tend me every day while Daddy went to work,” Gracie said.
Josie jerked up her chin in surprise. Why would a woman of Grandma’s advanced age be tending a young child on a regular basis? This revelation gave Josie the strange sensation that she was the outsider, not Gracie and her tall father. “Really? I didn’t know that. She never mentioned it.”
“Yeah, she was my favoritest babysitter ever in the world. I miss her a lot.” No longer shy, Gracie smiled widely, showing a missing tooth in front.
A sinking despair settled in Josie’s stomach. She couldn’t help feeling as though she’d lost something precious when Grandma had died. But one question thrummed through her mind. Why had Grandma never mentioned that she was looking after a child every day?
Once again, Josie realized how