Angela let out a deep breath as they walked through snowdrifts and across the parking lot. The snowplows had been through early. Even though the streets and parking lots were clear, the snow was piled in three to four-foot drifts along the edges.

“But I think this was an isolated incident.” Angela shrugged. “I’ve never even heard of any kind of crime in Christmas Cove at all until now. I just think he was desperate.”

He smiled, glancing over at her. “You like to think the best of people. Don’t you?”

She nodded, one corner of her lips curling into a smile. “Everyone is good at heart. We all have both good and bad in us, but we have to choose which side of ourselves to act upon.”

Dan nodded, looking down at his feet as they walked. “And Sam made the wrong choice today.”

“And very nearly ruined his life.” Angela stopped by her small Toyota. It wasn’t much, but her father had put snow chains around the tires, so it got the job done. She motioned to her little car. Even though it was old, she was proud of it. “Well, this is it!”

Dan laughed. “Would you like me to push you home? It doesn’t look like it’s going to get you far.”

Angela burst out laughing, too. “Don’t give my little girl a hard time! She gets me where I’m going, and that’s all I need.”

“Oh-kay,” he said, drawing out the word. “Just say the word, and I’ll follow you home.”

She smiled, narrowing her eyes as she tilted her head to the side.

His eyebrows shot up. “Just to make sure you get home okay, of course.”

Angela laughed. “I knew what you meant.” Then she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Dan, for everything.” She let out a deep breath. “I don’t know what I would have done—”

“Don’t mention it,” he said, cutting her off, and then turned to walk away.

“May I ask you something?”

He turned around and smiled. “Sure.”

Angela bit her upper lip and released it. “Did you mean what you said about going to visit Sam… in jail?”

Dan let out a deep breath as he nodded. “Yes, of course I did.” He shoved his hands into his pockets as he looked around and then back into her eyes. “I know what it’s like not to have any hope.”

Angela nodded. “When you go, would you mind if I go with you?”

He nodded, smiling. “Only if you let me buy you dinner.”

Her lips curled into a smile. “Well, I’ll think about it.” She opened the car door. “Thanks, again.”

Dan smiled as he gave her another wave and watched as she started her car and waited for it to warm up. Then he walked away when she slid her car into reverse and headed out. But as she pulled out of the parking lot, all she could think about was Dan.

***

Angela drove out of town headed toward home, knowing her parents would have a heart attack when they found out what happened. But as she drove through the streets, she knew she’d rather them hear it from her than on the news.

She pulled to a stop on the street in front of her parents’ house, since her father’s truck and her mother’s car were parked in the driveway.

After locking up her car, Angela pulled her coat close. Cold whipped around her as she skipped up the steps and headed inside. Funny, but she hadn’t noticed the cold when she was speaking to Dan. In the living room, she glanced over to the television and saw that it was off. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that it was probably all over the news by now.

“Angela!” Her mother’s eyebrows rose, holding a pan of oatmeal, frozen in place when she saw her. “What are you doing home so early?”

“Oh, Madge!” Her father looked up from his paper and gave Angela a wink. “Angela may have just mixed up her workdays again.”

“Thanks a lot, Pop!” She chuckled as she hung her coat on the coat rack near the door. “I don’t forget my schedule anymore. I write it down now.”

“Well?” He shrugged and went back to reading his paper.

“Oh, Elliot! Leave her alone!” Madge looked over at Angela and held up the pan. “Want some?”

Angela smiled as she took her boots off at the door. “Yes, please.”

Madge smiled, always happy to see her only daughter eat. “Something told me to make extra this morning. Now, I know why.”

Angela scoffed. “Yeah, there’s been a lot of that going around today. I’ll get a bowl.” She darted into the kitchen and pulled a bowl from the cabinet before her mother could object.

Angela frowned as she sat in her usual place at the table, thinking about what her father had said about her forgetting which day she had to work. Even though she could be a bit forgetful at times, she wasn’t a total ditz. But if today hadn’t told her anything else, it was time to make some changes in her life.

Her mother poured some hot oatmeal into her bowl, and steam rose from it, filling the air. “Here you go, dear.” Then she headed off into the kitchen to put it back on the stove.

Angela doctored her oatmeal, adding sugar and a bit of milk as she waited for her mother to return.

A moment later, Madge slid into her chair, shook out a napkin, and spread it across her lap. “So, Angela. What happened? Did Serina let you go home early today? Wasn’t it busy?”

“Mom, just give me a second.” She stopped and looked between them, knowing they were going to go ballistic when they heard. “I’m going to tell you, but you both have to promise not to freak out.”

Her mother laid her spoon down as her father looked up from his paper, both waiting.

“The diner was robbed today.”

“It what?” her father stormed, jumping up from his seat. “That’s it! You’re not going back into that place again! You’re going to get a decent job!”

“Dad, I’m fine!” Angela let out a deep breath. “Just sit down, and I’ll tell you what happened.”

Madge reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “We’re listening, dear.”

Angela sighed. “A gunman came in and demanded money.” Angela conveniently left out the part where he held a gun to her head. “Anyway, a nice man who works at the tree lot, Dan, just so happened to be in there, and he talked him down.” Angela shrugged. “No one was hurt, so no harm done.”

“No harm done?” Elliot bolted toward the door, grabbed his work coat off the coat rack, and slipped it on. “I’m going downtown to find out what happened.”

“Dad, no!” Angela said, rushing toward him. “Everything’s fine now! The man didn’t have any hope left, and now he does.”

Elliot froze, gawking at his daughter. “He needs to be in jail! Please, tell me they took him to jail.”

“Yes, they did.”

“Good.” Her father turned to leave.

“But Dan and I are going to visit him when we can.”

“Oh no, you’re not!”

“Elliot!” Madge yelled, quickly approaching.

Elliot pinched the bridge of his nose and then spoke only to Angela. “Jellybean, you’re so trusting, and you want to believe there’s good in everyone. But you don’t know how the world works.”

“I know how the world—”

“No, you don’t! You’ve led a sheltered life until now,” he said, cutting her off. Then he pulled her in for a hug. “But your innocence is one of the things I love about you, jellybean. I just don’t want it to get you killed.” He kissed the top of her head and headed out but looked over his shoulder at his wife. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Elliot, don’t do anything rash!” she yelled after him, but he was already gone.