His Holiday Matchmaker. Kat Brookes

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       Chapter Two

      “You aren’t by any chance a traveling Slinky sales rep, are you?” Nathan Cooper asked as he followed Alyssa inside.

      “Excuse me?”

      “The suitcase,” he said, with a charming grin. “I’m guessing you’re in toy sales of some sort.”

      She laughed softly at his teasing. “Not even close. I’m here to see Mr. Clark.”

      He nodded.

      “Look, Daddy!” his daughter exclaimed as she pointed to the collection of animated figurines strategically placed in the storefront window. “It’s Rudolph.”

      Alyssa stepped closer to watch the musical display. “You know, Rudolph’s story was first told by Robert L. May in 1939 in a booklet he created for a department store called Montgomery Ward. That was over seventy years ago.”

      The little girl tipped her tiny face upward in wide-eyed amazement. “Rudolph’s that old?”

      “The story is that old,” Alyssa explained with a smile. “But Rudolph is a very special reindeer,” Alyssa said. “He doesn’t get old. In fact, none of Santa’s reindeer do.”

      “Because they’re special, too!” Katie exclaimed.

      Alyssa nodded. “That’s right.”

      Nathan called out to his daughter. “We don’t have much time, Cupcake. You’d best get started on that list.”

      His daughter, needing no more coaxing, scurried away to disappear between the aisles. Alyssa had spent enough time in physical therapy not to miss the slight limp to the little girl’s gait. Probably nothing more than a bruised knee, but it brought Alyssa back to a time in her life she’d just as soon forget.

      She turned to the girl’s father. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to distract her.”

      His gaze shifted in the direction his daughter had gone. “It’s all right. Katie tends to get sidetracked easily and we don’t have much time. I have to get back to work soon.”

      “Daddy, look at this!” His daughter hopped across the wood floor on a white stick pony.

      Nathan Cooper smiled at her lovingly. “You’re a regular cowgirl.”

      “Can I have it?”

      “Not today, Cupcake, but we’ll put it on the list.”

      “We can’t put it on the list until you try it,” she told him, worry creasing her tiny face.

      “Me?” he replied, clearly confused by her request. “Why would I need to try it?”

      “To know if it’s a good horse or not.”

      “Honey...”

      “Please, Daddy. You know everything about horses.”

      He glanced in Alyssa’s direction. “I’m keeping you from your appointment.”

      “I’m a few minutes early, actually.”

      “You’ll probably find Rusty in the back room, watching The Weather Channel.”

      Her smile faded. “Why? Are you expecting bad weather?” That would make getting around on foot so much harder.

      He shook his head. “Nothing more than a light, though undoubtedly cold rain. And not until later this evening. Rusty just likes keeping up-to-date when it comes to the weather.” That said, he reached for the toy pony his daughter was holding out to him.

      Completely understandable, she thought, considering what the town had gone through. Reaching out, she retrieved the handle of her suitcase from his grasp. “Thank you so much for your help.”

      “My pleasure,” he told her with a tip of his coal-black cowboy hat. One just as dark as the five-o’clock shadow on his firm jaw and midnight hair.

      She parked her suitcase up against the wall next to the opening that led to the store’s back room. A glance back over her shoulder found Nathan Cooper straddling the painted stick. His large frame making the toy appear even smaller.

      He raised the horse’s head with an impressively realistic whinny, eliciting laughter from his little girl and a smile from Alyssa. Turning away, she stepped into the smaller room in search of Mr. Clark.

      Having seen the playful, loving interaction between Nathan Cooper and his young daughter, she now knew what a true knight on a white horse was. Even if this particular knight was dressed in blue jeans and a flannel shirt and the horse had mop strings for hair.

      “Mr. Clark?”

      The leather chair creaked in protest as it spun away from the paper-strewn desk. A compact television with The Weather Channel playing on it sat atop a smaller table next to the desk.

      “Forgive me,” the older man apologized as he pushed his portly form out of the chair. “I didn’t hear the front bell ring. Then again my hearing hasn’t been the same since the tornado.”

      “It’s quite all right,” Alyssa replied with an empathetic smile, speaking slightly louder than she had been. She stepped forward, extending her hand. “I’m Alyssa McCall. We spoke on the phone.”

      “Ah, yes,” he replied with a nod as he shook her hand in greeting. “So glad to have you here.”

      “I’m thrilled to be a СКАЧАТЬ