more so-called guidance. Their insights occasionally roused feelings of resentment, but prayer helped her understand that every word had roots in loving concern and the best intentions for her happiness.
“All right,” she said, “let me have it before you blow a gasket.”
“Uh—”
“Whatever it is you’re dying to say but haven’t yet, just spit it out.”
Another chuckle and then, “How would you feel about having some company?”
The question stopped Sam in her tracks. She’d expected him to rattle off a how-to list for staying warm and safe in her new state. “You want to come to Alaska?”
She’d spoken to her parents a dozen times since arriving in North Pole, and most days, she sent or received e-mail messages from one or all of her brothers. But Sam hadn’t yet told any of them how her job at the hotel had fallen through. Not even Bill, her closest brother and confidant. If he seriously intended to visit, she’d have to fess up….
“Think you can put up with your big oaf of a brother for a couple weeks?”
“Of course! I’d love to see you!”
“Cool. So…think you can wrangle me a discount on a room at that hotel where you work?”
Sam flopped onto the sofa and took a deep breath. Wasn’t it Mark Twain who’d advised not to put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow? But she’d used up her put-offs. “Billy,” she began, “can you keep a secret?”
“From who?”
Sam resisted the urge to say “whom,” because he was the teacher—and because she needed his support right now. “From Mom and Dad and all the boys.”
“Uh-oh. You sure I wanna hear this?”
“It’s no big deal, really. But before I tell you, you’ve got to promise you’ll keep it to yourself.”
“Okay. I promise.”
“Are your fingers crossed behind your back?”
“Gimme a little credit!” A mischievous chuckle punctuated his remark. “I outgrew that years ago.”
She heard the smile in his voice and relaxed. A little. “Remember that chef’s job I came here for?”
“Of course. We all thought you were out of your ever-lovin’ mind. Some of us still think that…”
Sam ignored the obvious reference to the family’s belief that she’d fail. “Well, the day I showed up for work, the hotel manager informed me that the owner had given the job to his nephew.”
“What? That’s just crazy!” Bill hesitated then added, “And I’m pretty sure it’s illegal, too. I hope you threatened to sue them for every cheap nailed-down lamp in the place!”
“How like you to get your neck hairs bristling in my defense,” she said, giggling. “But honestly, everything turned out great. I found another job that pays the same salary and comes with a fully furnished apartment. I love this place, and I really, really like the work, too.”
She hoped she hadn’t sounded too enthused tacking on that extra “really.”
“Doing what?”
Every muscle tightened as she considered what her parents would say if they heard she’d used her college degree to sell crafts in a gift shop. “You promise this is just between us, right?”
“I give you my word. If this was a video conference, you’d see me standing here with my hand raised in the Boy Scout salute.”
“Which hand?” she asked, grinning.
“Sam, if you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll sic Mom on—”
“I’m managing an adorable little gift shop, and it’s such fun it almost doesn’t seem like work at all. Everybody here is wonderful, from the people who live in North Pole to the tourists who come in, and—”
“Now I see why you made me promise to keep my big mouth shut. If Dad finds out you’re a lowly sales clerk, he’ll flip his lid!”
“I hate to sound disrespectful, but Dad needs to get over himself. There’s no shame in working as a sales clerk. I clocked plenty of hours at Wal-Mart while I was in high school, and I didn’t hear him complaining when all my other ‘lowly sales clerk’
“All right,” she said, “let me have it before you blow a gasket.”
“Uh—”
“Whatever it is you’re dying to say but haven’t yet, just spit it out.”
Another chuckle and then, “How would you feel about having some company?”
The question stopped Sam in her tracks. She’d expected him to rattle off a how-to list for staying warm and safe in her new state. “You want to come to Alaska?”
She’d spoken to her parents a dozen times since arriving in North Pole, and most days, she sent or received e-mail messages from one or all of her brothers. But Sam hadn’t yet told any of them how her job at the hotel had fallen through. Not even Bill, her closest brother and confidant. If he seriously intended to visit, she’d have to fess up….
“Think you can put up with your big oaf of a brother for a couple weeks?”
“Of course! I’d love to see you!”
“Cool. So…think you can wrangle me a discount on a room at that hotel where you work?”
Sam flopped onto the sofa and took a deep breath. Wasn’t it Mark Twain who’d advised not to put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow? But she’d used up her put-offs. “Billy,” she began, “can you keep a secret?”
“From who?”
Sam resisted the urge to say “whom,” because he was the teacher—and because she needed his support right now. “From Mom and Dad and all the boys.”
“Uh-oh. You sure I wanna hear this?”
“It’s no big deal, really. But before I tell you, you’ve got to promise you’ll keep it to yourself.”
“Okay. I promise.”
“Are your fingers crossed behind your back?”
“Gimme a little credit!” A mischievous chuckle punctuated his remark. “I outgrew that years ago.”
She heard the smile in his voice and relaxed. A little. “Remember that chef’s job I came here for?”
“Of course. We all thought you were out of your ever-lovin’ mind. Some of us still think that…”
Sam ignored the obvious reference to the family’s belief that she’d fail. “Well, the day I showed up for work, the hotel manager informed me that the owner had given the job to his nephew.”
“What? That’s just crazy!” Bill hesitated then added, “And I’m pretty sure it’s illegal, too. I hope you threatened to sue them for every cheap nailed-down lamp in the place!”
“How like you to get your neck hairs bristling in my defense,” she said, giggling. “But honestly, everything turned out great. I found another job that pays the same salary and comes with a fully furnished apartment. I love this place, and I really, really like the work, too.”
She hoped she hadn’t sounded too enthused tacking on that extra “really.”
“Doing what?”
Every muscle tightened as she considered what her parents would say if they heard she’d used her college degree to sell crafts in a gift shop. “You promise this is just between us, right?”
“I give you my word. If this was a video conference, you’d see me standing here with my hand raised in the Boy Scout salute.”
“Which hand?” she asked, grinning.
“Sam, if you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll sic Mom on—”
“I’m managing an adorable little gift shop, and it’s such fun it almost doesn’t seem like work at all. Everybody here is wonderful, from the people who live in North Pole to the tourists who come in, and—”
“Now I see why you made me promise to keep my big mouth shut. If Dad finds out you’re a lowly sales clerk, he’ll flip his lid!”
“I hate to sound disrespectful, but Dad needs to get over himself. There’s no shame in working as a sales clerk. I clocked plenty of hours at Wal-Mart while I was in high school, and I didn’t hear him complaining when all my other ‘lowly sales clerk’
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