Chapter One
JACK MURPHY SLID the receiver back onto its base, his mind racing a mile a minute. A heart attack? His dad? Jack sank back into his chair and it spun toward the window. The Boston skyline that normally energized and rejuvenated him did neither of those now.
What was he going to do? He turned back to his desk where the files for the upcoming investors meeting sat waiting for his approval. Beside them, three resumes for potential Vice Presidents required his review and assessment. But he couldn’t focus on work after the phone call he’d just gotten.
“Patricia, can you come in here, please?” His voice betrayed none of the turmoil churning in his gut. He couldn’t allow it. His reputation with his employees was defined by his steely control and the ice in his veins. Little did anyone know how far from the truth that was.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Murphy?”
“Have a seat.” Jack needed a minute to compose himself. How could he get all of his work done for the company he’d worked so hard to build while covering for his dad at home? Christmas was the busiest time of year, and they couldn’t afford to shut down the lot while Dad was laid up. Mom told him he didn’t need to come, but they both knew her protests would fall on deaf ears. He’d be on the next plane regardless of what she said. “I’m going to be out of the office for a while.”
Patricia flipped through the notebook on her lap, her brows furrowed and her mouth quirked. “Did I forget to put something on the calendar?” Her voice wavered.
Okay, so maybe he’d been a bit heavy-handed with his assistant. She was the best in the business and she took good care of him. He should remember that, especially now when he’d be asking her to basically facilitate his work from his hometown.
“This was a last minute thing. There’s an emergency at home.”
Her expression changed to one of concern. “Did something happen to your condo?”
“I’m sorry. I’m not being clear. I’m going home…to Oak Grove.”
She leaned back in her chair. “Oh.”
Yeah, oh. He hadn’t been home since he’d moved to Boston after earning his MBA from Wharton. His parents understood why he’d never been back, their visits always somewhere else or here in Boston. But his excuses felt flimsy as he considered the potential of never seeing his father again. “My father’s had a heart attack. It’s the busiest time of their year. I need to be there.”
“Of course you do. What can I do to help?”
For the next hour, he and Patricia came up with a plan. Most of the day to day items could be handled by Dan, his business partner. Jack would be available by cell phone during the day, and he’d work remotely early in the morning and after the farm was closed each night. Shoot, half of his clients were around the globe anyway, so he frequently worked odd hours. As long as he found Wi-Fi somewhere in the small town where he’d grown up, he’d be fine.
Two hours later, he slid into a leather seat in the first class cabin for the short flight to Philadelphia. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the collar of his starched shirt. Sure, he could have changed before leaving, but he’d worked hard for everything he’d earned, and everyone in Oak Grove was going to know it.
Three little bottles of scotch later and he finally dozed off, only to awaken to the thump of the wheels hitting the ground.
As he waited for his bag to spin around the carousel, his mind shifted to another day in this same airport under very different circumstances. The day his soul had been gutted by the only woman he’d loved when she’d refused to move with him to Boston.
That feeling stuck with him as he pulled onto the highway for the drive to Oak Grove, each mile bringing him closer to the life he’d left behind. He hadn’t had time to miss his hometown, and his parents visited him often. But there was one thing he’d missed.
Did Casey even live here anymore? He never asked his parents and they never shared—it hurt too much to talk about the loss. It just meant he was alone in his grief. He’d dealt by donning nerves of steel, refusing to allow himself to get close to anyone again. No one would ever hurt him the way Casey Patterson had.
An hour and a half later, he turned onto Main Street headed toward the town green. When he’d left, the park had comprised most of the center of town, with just a few businesses surrounding the natural green space.
Not anymore.
Rows of shops with brightly-colored awnings and cheerful signs lined two sides of the park in the center of town. In the decade since he’d been gone, Mom and Dad had talked about the new retail and the houses being built on the outskirts of town. But the image of Oak Grove he’d kept tucked away in his mind hadn’t changed.
New businesses meant more residents. That must be great for his parents’ lot. Maybe he could come up with a growth plan for the tree farm while he was here. Plans to diversify and share the burden so his dad could sit back and relax. He worked too hard. No wonder Mom had called. She couldn’t run the lot and take care of Dad at the same time.
If only she’d called when Dad first complained about not feeling well. Who was Jack kidding? His dad was so stubborn that he was probably fighting Mom to get out of bed right now. He and Dad were alike in that way, but in so many others, not so much. Dad didn’t understand why Jack couldn’t build his life in Oak Grove, for example. Oak Grove might be his father’s home but it wasn’t Jack’s. Not anymore.
It did no good to worry about that now. Other worries took precedence, like getting to his parents’ tree lot and seeing what had to be done to survive the holiday season. Decorations were starting to go up around town for the Christmas season, but the prominent spot in the town that normally held the Christmas tree sat empty. As though it waited for his return. Dad musn’t have taken care of that before his attack.
Jack rounded the town green and headed out of town. Before long, he passed the sign he’d been waiting for:
Murphy’s Christmas Tree Lot – 1 mile
A sense of peace washed over him. He’d worked alongside his parents during high school, college, and grad school, taking his exams early each year to spend the entire month of December helping out. Those last few years, Casey had been by his side. Like he’d expected her to be for the rest of his life.
He hadn’t known that last Christmas with Casey would be his last Christmas in Oak Grove. Just thinking about Casey shattered his fragile peace. He hadn’t thought about her in a long time and now that he was coming home, he couldn’t get her off his mind.
He drove through the gate posts a few minutes later. It had been a long time since he’d been here, and there had been changes in the intervening years. Cars filled the parking lot Dad had paved last year. Kids ran around wearing hats and mittens while others warmed their hands around the huge fire pit. He spied a few employees darting around, their bright red aprons and Santa hats singling them out from the customers.
Jack parked in the one remaining spot and stepped carefully along the dirt path leading to the cut-your-own tree section. They were doing good business and the customers appeared happy. Maybe Mom and Dad didn’t need him at home as much as he thought. Maybe he could check things out, make sure the manager had everything covered, and head back to Boston before…
He shook the thought out of his head. He’d have time enough to worry whether he’d run into his ex-girlfriend later. For now, he would find the manager and introduce himself before heading home. Mom had been elusive when Jack asked for the manager’s name, but he’d been too shaken over the news of his father to dig deeper. Now that he was here, he wished he’d pushed her harder.
“Can I help you find something?” The sweetest voice he’d ever heard rang out from behind him, and he froze. It couldn’t be.
He spun around. The smile on the woman’s face faltered. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. “Jack.”
All color left her cheeks and she swayed. He reached out and caught her just before she hit the ground.