Shaking her head, Sarah brought in the second of the boxes and set it on the table.

“I thought you’d bring one of the girls with you,” Mary said in that stiff way of hers.

“They’re busy.” She started back for the last of the cartons.

“Noelle isn’t with Thom, is she?”

The question caught her off guard. No one had said where Noelle had gone, but it couldn’t be to meet Thom Sutton. Could it? No, she wouldn’t do that. Not her daughter.

“Absolutely not,” Sarah insisted. Noelle had already learned her lesson when it came to the Suttons.

“Good,” Mary said.

“Noelle’s with friends,” Sarah returned and then, because she had to know, she asked a question of her own. “What makes you ask?”

“Oh—no reason.”

Sarah didn’t believe that for a moment. “You tell your son Noelle’s under no illusions about him. She won’t be so easily fooled a second time.”

“Now just one minute—”

“We both know what he did.”

“You’re wrong, Sarah—but then you often are.”

Melody stepped into the meeting room and stopped abruptly. With a shocked look, she regarded both women. “Come on, you two! It’s Christmas.”

“And your point is?” Sarah asked.

“My point is that the least you can do is work together on this. These baskets need to get to the Salvation Army right away. They’re late already, and my husband just phoned and said there’s definitely an ice storm coming, so you shouldn’t delay.”

“I’ll get them there in time,” Mary promised. “If we could get the baskets filled…”

“Fine,” Sarah said. “I’ll bring in the last box.”

“We wouldn’t be this late if you’d—”

Sarah ignored her and hurried out the door, only to hear Melody mutter something about an ice storm developing right in this room.

She knew that the minute she left, Melody and Mary would talk about her. However, she didn’t care. Right after Kristen’s wedding, she was letting her membership in the Women’s Century Club lapse.

Once the third box was safely inside, Sarah placed the gifts in the correct baskets. Then both women sorted through the family names by checking the tag on each present. Sarah had spent a lot of time wrapping her gifts, wanting to please the recipients…and, to be honest, impress Mary and Melody with her talents. Given the opportunity, she could have decorated the club house to match Mary’s efforts. No, to exceed them.

“You did get that Firefighter Barbie doll, didn’t you?” Mary asked.

“Of course I did,” she answered scornfully.

They attached ribbons to each basket, then prepared everything—gifts and groceries—for transport.

“Would you like help loading up your car?” Sarah asked. Since Mary was driving and this was a joint project, she felt constrained to offer.

Mary seemed surprised, then shook her head. “I can manage. But…thanks.”