Those who chose to sit in Delaneys chair ranged in age and style of dress. Some wore elegant velvets, others elaborate costumes. Delaneys favorite was a young mother dressed as Mrs. Winter and her toddler in a snowflake costume. She got her biggest surprise when Lisa arrived impersonating a sugarplum and wanting her hair braided in a French rope. Delaney had talked to her friend several times since shed returned from her honeymoon a few weeks past. Theyd had lunch a couple of times, but Lisa hadnt mentioned she planned to participate. “When did you decide to be in the show?

“Last weekend. I thought it might be nice for me and Sophie to do something together.

Delaney looked around. “Where is Sophie? For a brief moment she wondered if Lisa knew about the notes Sophie had been leaving, but she supposed Lisa would have mentioned it by now.

“Changing. She was helping Louie and Nick work on their ice sculpture. When I picked her up from Larkspur Park, she wasnt wearing a hat and her coat was unzipped. Itll be a miracle if she isnt sick tomorrow.

“What is she changing into?

“A nightgown we made. We were inspired by The Night Before Christmas.

“How do you get along with Sophie now that you live with her? Delaney asked as she gathered a handful of Lisas hair and divided it into three sections at the crown of her head.

“Its a pretty big adjustment for both of us. I like her to eat at the kitchen table, and shes been allowed to graze like a free-range chicken all of her life. Just little stuff like that. If she werent thirteen it might be easier. Lisa looked in the mirror and adjusted the felt leaves around her neck. “Louie and I want a baby, but we think we should wait until Sophie gets used to having me around before we bring another child into the family.

A baby. She used all her fingers as she braided and twisted Lisas hair down the back. Lisa and Louie were planning a family. Delaney didnt even have a boyfriend, and when she thought of a man in her life, there was only one who entered her head—Nick. She thought about him a lot lately. Even while she slept. Shed had another bad dream the other night, only this time the days progressed and her car hadnt disappeared. Shed been free to leave Truly, but the thought of never seeing Nick again tore at her heart. She didnt know which was worse, living in the same town and ignoring him, or not living in the same town and not forcing herself to ignore him. She was confused and pathetic and thought maybe she should just give into the inevitable and buy a cat. “I suppose you heard about Marty Wheeler, she said in an effort to divert her thoughts.

“Of course. I wonder what makes a man want to slip on a merry widow under his Santa suit. You know, those things are really uncomfortable.

“Did you hear about the lace thong? Delaney grabbed an elastic band and secured the end of the French rope. Then she tucked it under with a bobby pin.

Lisa stood and straightened her costume. “Go figure. Can you imagine the wedgie?

“It hurts just to think about it. She caught sight of Sophie standing a few feet away, trying not to look embarrassed and guilty in her long nightgown and the kerchief on her head. “Do you want me to braid your hair? she asked the thirteen-year-old.

Sophie shook her head and looked away. “Its almost our turn, Lisa.

After Lisa left to take her stroll down the catwalk, Delaney rolled Neva Millers hair in an inverted pony tail, then gave her four daughters upside-down braids. Neva talked nonstop about her church, her husband Pastor Tim, and the Lord. Her mouth took on that born again, Jesus-loves-me-more-than-you smile, tempting Delaney to ask Neva if she remembered blowing the football team during halftime.

“You should come to our church tomorrow, Neva said as she herded her girls toward the stage. “We meet from nine till noon.

Delaney would rather burn in hell for eternity. She packed up her remaining supplies and went in search of her mother. She wouldnt see Gwen until after the new year, and she wanted to say goodbye and wish her a nice trip. For years shed spent the holidays with friends who took pity on her and invited her over for Christmas dinner. This year shed be completely alone, and she realized as she hugged her mother and promised to look after Duke and Dolores that she really did want to spend Christmas at home like she used to. Especially now that Max was in the picture. The lawyer seemed to be able to distract her mother from criticizing everything in Delaneys life.

Snow fell on her head as she loaded everything into Henrys Cadillac. She didnt have her gloves and her hands froze as she scraped windows. She was exhausted and her shoulders ached, and she hooked the corner behind her salon a little too fast. The Caddie slid sideways into the parking lot and finally stopped with the rear fender blocking the door to Allegrezza Construction. Delaney figured the brothers wouldnt be working the next day, and she was too tired to care anyway. She changed into a nightshirt and crawled into bed. It seemed to her as if she hadnt slept long before someone pounded on her door. She squinted at the clock on her bedside table as the pounding continued. It was nine-thirty Sunday morning, and she didnt have to actually see Nick to know who stood on her porch beating down the door. She grabbed her red silk robe but didnt bother to wash her face or brush her hair. She figured he deserved to be scared for waking her up so early on her day off.

“What in the hell is wrong with you? were the first words out of his mouth as he stormed into her apartment looking like the wrath of God.

“Me? Im not the one pounding down your door like a lunatic.

He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head to the side. “Do you plan to slide your way through town all winter, or just until you kill yourself?

“Dont tell me youre worried. She tied the silk belt securely around her waist, then walked past him toward the kitchen. “That might mean you actually care about me.

He wrapped his hand around her upper arm and stopped her. “There are certain parts of your body I care about.

She looked into his face, at his lips compressed into a straight line, the slash of his brow, and the desire raging in his eyes. He was angrier than shed ever seen him, but he couldnt hide wanting her. “If you want me, you know my terms. No other women.

“Yeah, and we both know it would take me about two minutes to get you to change your mind.

Shed learned months ago that if she argued hed take it as a challenge just to prove her wrong. She wanted to believe she could resist temptation, but deep down she feared hed have a minute and thirty seconds to spare. She twisted from his grasp and walked into the kitchen.

“Give me the keys to Henrys car, he called after her.

“Why? She pulled the reservoir from her coffee maker and filled it with water. “What are you going to do, steal it?

The slam of the front door answered her. She set the reservoir on the counter and walked into the living room. Her purse was dumped out on the coffee table and she had a feeling her keys were missing. She ran out onto her porch, and her feet sunk in snow at the edge of the first step. “Hey, she called down to the top of his head, “what do you think youre doing? Give me my keys back, you jerk!

His laughter drifted up to her. “Come on down here and take em.

There were several good reasons she could think of to walk barefoot in the snow. A burning building, rat infestation, a slice of chocolate cheese cake, but Henrys Cadillac wasnt one of them.

Nick jumped into the silver car and fired it up. He scraped a portion of the windshield, and then he was gone. By the time he got back an hour later, Delaney was fully dressed and waiting for him at her front door.

“Youre lucky I didnt call the sheriff, she told him as he walked up the stairs toward her.