Читать книгу The Christmas Gift - Darlene Gardner, Darlene Gardner - Страница 10

THE BABY WAITING IN LINE to see Santa Claus was seriously lacking in Christmas spirit.

No more than six months old, she was an adorable little thing with wisps of dark hair and big brown eyes that dominated her face. She’d be cuter if her fists weren’t clenched and her wails weren’t loud enough to drown out the holiday music.

“That baby has an excellent set of lungs.” The speaker was a beautiful blonde in an eye-catching burgundy coat who Krista had noticed browsing the store aisles.

“Good stamina, too,” Krista said.

The little girl refused to be soothed no matter how much her mother cooed to her and bounced her. With a start, Krista recognized the mother as an acquaintance from high school. Once upon a time, before Krista had lost touch with everybody in Jarrell, she and Tracy Timmons had served on the high-school-yearbook committee together.

“I’m sorry.” Tracy apologized to the children in line and their waiting parents, not for the first time. “I’d leave but my little boy is next.”

Her son was a serious child of about four years old who kept his eyes straight ahead, probably for fear Tracy would pluck him out of line before he got his turn with Santa Claus. He rushed forward the instant the child ahead of him was through.

“Don’t move ’til I get a picture.” Tracy balanced the wailing baby on one hip while attempting to focus her camera. Before Krista could offer to hold the baby, Tracy thrust the child at Alex. “Would you hold her, Santa? That way I can get both kids in the shot.”

Alex didn’t have a choice. He took the baby and settled her on his knee, his hand supporting her back, his white teeth showing through his beard. The baby stared up at him out of watery eyes and quieted.

“Would you look at that?” Krista remarked to no one in particular. “It’s a Christmas miracle.”

Laughter sounded from behind Krista. The blonde. Tall and slender with the bone structure of a fashion model, the other woman was even prettier when she was amused.

“It’s no miracle,” the woman said. “It’s Alex.”

“You know Santa?” Krista asked.

“I’m here because of Alex,” the woman said. “See the blond boy in line? That’s my five-year-old son, Derrick. He chickens out every time I take him to see Santa. I’m hoping this time will be different.”

“Alex is really that good with kids?” Krista asked.

“Look how that baby loves him.” The blonde gestured to the little girl, who was laughing and tugging on Alex’s white beard. “When Alex and I were together, my nieces and nephews couldn’t get enough of him. Neither could I.”

That didn’t sound like something a married woman would say. Krista checked the blonde’s left hand for rings. It was bare except for the faint outline of pale skin on her fourth finger.

“Alex is an ex-boyfriend, not my ex-husband.” The woman had misinterpreted Krista’s look. “It never went far between us, probably because he was on the rebound.”

Krista couldn’t stifle her curiosity. “I didn’t realize Alex had been serious about anyone.”

The woman’s expertly made-up eyes widened. “Do you know him well?”

Krista squashed a sudden impulse to lie. “Hardly at all.”

The blonde seemed to relax. “Alex and I knew each other in high school but we didn’t date until a couple of years after graduation. I was crazy about him, but some woman did a number on him. I think she moved to Paris or someplace like that.”

Krista inhaled sharply. It would be easy to confuse Prague with Paris after so many years had passed.

“Funny how these things work. I married the very next guy I dated. Our divorce was final last month,” the woman continued. “Oh, look! Derrick’s next!”

The woman dug her camera from her stylish black leather purse and hurried past Krista. Derrick hung back, his feet frozen in place. Alex patted his knee.

“You’re a pretty big boy,” Alex called to him. “Just promise not to squash me. Okay?”

“Okay,” Derrick parroted, a giggle in his voice. He ventured forward and climbed on Alex’s lap.

A flash went off and then another as the blonde snapped photos. Tracy spotted Krista and they exchanged pleasantries before her baby started crying again. It wasn’t much quieter after Tracy left the store. Conversation hummed and carols played, making it difficult for Krista to puzzle through what the chatty blonde had told her.

Krista didn’t think she’d “done a number” on Alex. But who else could the blonde have meant?

The timing was right, but everything else about the blonde’s theory seemed wrong. Krista and Alex had only dated for two weeks. If he’d had strong feelings for her, wouldn’t he have asked her to reconsider moving to Europe?

“Excuse me, but could you tell me where to find Leona Novak?” The man asking the question was roughly her grandmother’s age. He’d lost most of his hair, but not his appeal. His chin was strong, his cheekbones high, his forehead wide.

This had to be Burton. His smile and the hint of mischief in his eyes made him immediately likeable. Grandma, it seemed, had made a good decision.

Krista shoved aside her questions about Alex and gave Burton her full attention. “She’s behind the cash register.”

“Oh, yes. I see her now,” he said. “She’s even lovely dressed as Mrs. Claus, isn’t she?”

Krista had been under the impression her grandmother and Burton had never met. “You already know my grandmother?”

“Your grandmother? Then you must be Krista.” He affected a bow. “I’m Charlie Crosby, your grandmother’s suitor. I stopped by to surprise her.”

Charlie? Not Burton?

“Nice to meet you, Charlie,” Krista said, the wheels in her brain turning. Burton could show at any time. “I’ve heard about you, too.”

“That’s a good sign.” Charlie winked at her. “Hopefully your grandmother is as smitten with me as I am with her.”

He tipped his nonexistent hat and sauntered away. The blonde was finally through snapping photos. She lifted her son from Alex’s lap, planting a lingering kiss on Alex’s cheek before she straightened.

It very much seemed like the blonde wanted Alex back. Krista couldn’t worry about that now, not even to puzzle through why she was concerned about it.

She needed to figure out how to keep her grandmother’s men from bumping into each other.

“IT’S LOVELY TO SEE YOU again, Alex.” Julia Merrifield lingered beside the Santa display when it was time to break for lunch. “I’m so glad I ran into your dad and he told me you’d be here. You were awesome with Derrick.”

Alex returned his attention to Julia from where Krista was talking to an elderly man in a trench coat. His white hair stuck up like the mad scientist in the Back to the Future movies.

“Derrick must have been ready to sit on Santa’s lap this year,” Alex said. “Look how eager he was to get to the ball crawl with that friend of his.”

“That could be true.” Julia leaned toward him. “But you are pretty great.”

“Thanks.” Alex wasn’t sure what else to say. Julia was warm, caring and indisputably gorgeous. He had no desire to get involved with her again, though. Eleanor Novak had been on the mark about his desire to settle down and raise a family. On some level, he’d always wanted that. As the years went by and he got older, the realization had grown stronger.

Considering Julia’s numerous positive qualities, she should have been the perfect woman for him. Alex still couldn’t explain why she wasn’t.

Neither was Krista, who’d be thousands of miles away in just a few days. That fact didn’t stop Alex from thinking about her proposition every time he looked at her. The elf dress didn’t help. Even wearing green stockings, she looked damned sexy.

“Will I see you at Timeout after Christmas?” Julia named a local sports bar popular for its happy hours and the variety of beers it served. “You’ve probably heard Malt Green is getting the old crowd together.”

“I didn’t know Malt was in town,” Alex said slowly. He and Malt had once been as close as brothers, sharing a love for mountain bike riding and landscape photography. “How is he?”

“You two didn’t keep in touch?” Julia sounded surprised. “He’s doing fantastic. His company’s really taken off so he says he can afford better than malt liquor.”

“Good for him.” Alex had to force out the words, although he wished Malt nothing but the best.

Julia wrinkled her nose. “Am I remembering wrong or didn’t you used to talk about going into business with him?”

Together Alex and Malt had dreamed up a company that sold calendars and date books depicting professional-quality landscape photographs. Malt now ran Greenscapes Ltd. alone out of Toronto.

“I joined my dad’s landscape business instead.” Alex reminded himself it was the right decision.

“I imagine you’re great at it.” Julia affixed a bright smile to her face. “I better get Derrick out of the ball crawl. Hope to see you at Timeout.”

Alex nodded but didn’t commit. “Catch you later.”

The moment Julia was gone, Alex zeroed in on Krista. She was still with the man in the trench coat, but it now seemed as though they were dancing. When the man stepped to his left, Krista countered by moving to her right. When the man went right, she stepped left.

Whatever was going on, it was too intriguing to resist.

“I keep telling you I don’t want an artificial tree!” the man exclaimed, loud enough that Alex could hear him as he approached.

“How can you be sure until you look at them? If you don’t care to buy now, pick one out for our after-Christmas sale.” Krista noticed Alex and grabbed him by the arm. “We have a fabulous selection. Don’t we, Santa?”

Alex felt like a conspirator who didn’t know what the end game was. “We sure do.”

“I’m not here to look at trees,” the man protested. “I’m here to see Leona Novak.”

“I’ve already told you,” Krista said, “I’m not sure where she is.”

As far as Alex knew, Grandma Novak hadn’t budged from the cashier’s station. “I think she’s—”

An elf shoe kicked Alex in the shins.

“Ow,” Alex said.

“Why don’t I try to find her for you? In the meantime, Santa, will you show Burton the trees?” Krista put emphasis on the man’s name.

“But he doesn’t want—” Alex began. Krista squeezed his arm hard, causing him to lose his train of thought.

“Excuse us a moment,” she told the man and pulled Alex aside. Her hair smelled great, as clean as a winter breeze. Alex was tempted to take her in his arms and breathe in the scent. He doubted she’d be amenable to that at the moment.

“You’re not taking the hint,” she hissed. “I want you to distract that man, not take him to Grandma.”

“Why?”

“It’s Burton.” Krista obviously expected him to know who that was. He shrugged to convey that he didn’t. “Come on! Burton! The man she met online and told he could stop by the shop.”

Oh, yeah. Now Alex remembered. “So what’s the problem?”

“Charlie Crosby’s here,” Krista said. “I need to get Charlie out of the store before he sees Burton.”

Her logic still didn’t compute. “What’s the big deal if the two men run into each other?”

Krista settled her hands on her hips, in the place where the hem of the elf dress started to flare. She shook her head, and her long brown hair swung. “Burton could mess things up for Grandma with Charlie.”

“Or he could start a healthy competition,” Alex countered. “Maybe Grandma Novak even arranged to have both men here at the same time.”

“Charlie told me he came by to surprise her. Besides, Grandma hasn’t dated in twenty years! Believe me, the woman doesn’t know what she’s doing.” Krista narrowed her eyes. “Now are you going to help me or not?”

The fire in her expression warned Alex what she’d think of him if he refused. “Okay. I’ll distract Burton.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at him and bustled off, taking a circuitous path, probably so Burton wouldn’t gaze in the direction of the cashier’s station.

Alex adopted a helpful expression. He rejoined Burton, whose face was pinched underneath his wild mop of white hair.

“Don’t you dare try to show me any trees,” Burton said.

“Hey, I’m Santa Claus,” Alex tried reminding him. “I aim to please.”

Burton seemed to relax. “Between you and me, I met this Leona Novak on the internet. Didn’t realize how old she was ’til after I put on my reading glasses. By then, I’d already emailed her.”

“Excuse me?” Alex injected his tone with heavy disapproval.

Burton kept on talking. “Would’ve canceled but I figured why disappoint the old gal.”

“That old gal is younger than you,” Alex said. “What makes you think she won’t be disappointed in you?”

“It’s different for men,” Burton said. “Everybody knows we get better looking with age.”

Grandma Novak would see right through this guy, Alex thought. Krista was across the store, ushering Charlie Crosby toward the exit. Showing Burton the door would have been the better move.

“Go ahead and share that theory with Leona,” Alex suggested. “She’ll enjoy it.”

Burton perked up. “You think so?”

“Sure do,” Alex said. “She’s behind the cash register. You can’t miss her.”

“Got it.” Burton strutted off, a lamb to the slaughter.

Alex spotted Krista the instant she reentered the store. She looked well pleased with herself, her smile lighting up her eyes as she walked toward him. He was proud of himself for noticing her eyes, considering how much willpower it took not to let his gaze dip to the rest of her.

“Mission accomplished,” she said. “I think Charlie’s a keeper.”

“Burton’s not.” Alex gestured to the cashier’s desk in the distance where the elderly man was talking to Grandma Novak. “Your grandmother’s sure to send him packing any moment now.”

No sooner had Alex uttered the words than Grandma Novak shook a finger in Burton’s face. He reeled back, pivoted and walked quickly toward the exit with his head down.

“How did you know she was going to do that?” Krista asked.

“Lucky guess,” Alex said. “I’m gonna grab a quick lunch. There are sandwiches, chips and drinks in the back room. Want to join me?”

“I can’t,” she said. “I’m going to relieve my mom at the ball crawl. She needs the break more than I do.”

“Good luck convincing her of that,” Alex said.

“Oh, I’ll do it,” Krista vowed. “I can be very persuasive. It’s a Novak family trait.”

She sashayed away from him, her elf dress swishing as she walked. He watched her until she rounded an aisle and was out of sight, helpless to look away.

If she carried through on her threat to proposition him, he wasn’t entirely certain he’d be able to resist.

Especially if she added persuasion into the mix.

RAYNA NOVAK HURRIED through the parking lot to the flat gray building, her scarf shielding her face from the wind. She pushed through one of the double glass doors, expecting to be enveloped in warmth. Then she remembered.

An ice hockey rink was not the place to go in the winter if you wanted to be cozy. She unwrapped her scarf, slipped off her gloves and followed the sounds of men’s voices and blades sliding on ice.

Peering through the glass that partitioned off the rink to the scoreboard, she determined the ice hockey game was tied at two goals a piece in the third period.

A team of men in mismatched dark hockey sweaters, some with numbers affixed with masking tape, skated against players wearing white.

The swiftest of them wore the number seven because he claimed it was lucky. He stole the puck at the center line and streaked toward the goal with two much slower defenders in pursuit. He faked left, shot right and missed the goal entirely.

He swore, loud enough that Rayna heard from off the ice.

“Showing off for your girl doesn’t count unless you finish, Trey,” one of his teammates yelled.

Trey ignored him and narrowly lost out to an opposing player as they both chased down the puck.

Trey Farina’s girl.

Rayna supposed that was who she was. They’d been dating for about a year even though neither she nor Trey had ever discussed where their relationship was headed. They hadn’t agreed to be exclusive, either. They just were.

Rayna shivered. She hugged herself, not sure whether her tremble was from the cold or from what she had to tell Trey. Rayna had only found out herself that morning, a few minutes before her absentee sister woke up. The revelation had consumed Rayna so that she’d barely been able to perform her duties at the dentist’s office today.

In an alternate universe, she would have confided in Krista. An alternate universe where her sister was a friend rather than a stranger she hadn’t seen in eight years.

“Rayna, over here.” A petite woman in her twenties with a mass of curly red hair motioned to Rayna from mostly empty silver bleachers. Her name was Mimi. She moved over, patting the metal surface beside her.

“Trey’s having a good game,” Mimi told Rayna as she sat down. “He scored one of the goals and assisted on the other.”

“How about Bob?” Rayna asked, referring to the woman’s husband.

Mimi laughed. “Scoreless, the same as always. What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were too busy at the dentist’s office to come to the games.”

Rayna wouldn’t be here today, either, if she didn’t need to get Trey alone, a nearly impossible feat. He lived in a house with three other guys, one of whom was always around.

“The office closed early today,” Rayna said. “I stopped by to remind Trey he’s supposed to come Christmas caroling tonight with my family.”

“Smart girl,” Mimi said. “There’s already talk of going drinking after the game. You’ve got to keep your guy in check. That’s why I’m here.”

A tremendous shout erupted from the ice. Arms up-raised, Trey stood in front of the net and a sprawling goalie. The referee signaled a good goal with a tomahawk chop of his arm. Trey’s teammates on the ice mobbed him with hugs.

“Applaud,” Mimi told her. “That way Trey will think you saw him score the winning goal.”

Less than a minute remained in the game. The trailing team pulled its goalie to get an extra skater on the ice, but this was low-level ice hockey. The offensive players weren’t skilled enough to keep control of the puck. The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game.

Trey let out a victory whoop. He skated past Rayna, stick raised in the air. She smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. While Trey went through the postgame handshake line, Rayna walked to the spot where the players came off the ice.

Trey finished shaking hands with the opposing team members first and skated full tilt toward her, executing a hockey stop before he reached the exit. Ice shards sprayed in the air.

“Woooo-hoooo!” he cried.

He stepped onto the threadbare carpet. Trey wasn’t the best-looking man Rayna had ever dated, but his looks were compelling. Thick brown hair, blue eyes that danced with excitement, well-shaped lips that were almost always smiling.

Rayna thought she’d fallen in love the first time she’d seen him, when he’d sauntered into the dentist’s office for a checkup.

“Did you see that goal?” Trey yelled.

Before she could answer, Trey bent down, swept her into his arms and kissed her. She had to stand on tiptoe because in his skates, he was about three inches taller than normal. His cool lips sent hot sensation sweeping through her—nothing new. She always reacted to him that way. She never wanted his kisses to stop, either, though they inevitably did.

“Mimi said you had two goals today,” Rayna said.

“It was a good day at the office!” Trey didn’t actually work at an office. He was twenty-two, a year older than Rayna but not as sure what to do with his life. He was currently working as a manager at a trendy clothing store and talking about going to bartending school. Sometimes when Alex and his father were particularly busy, Trey helped out at Costas Landscaping.

“I’ll shower and change clothes,” Trey said. “Wait for me, okay?”

“Sure.” Rayna moved toward the now-empty bleachers and took a seat. She wasn’t sure where Mimi was but Trey had stopped outside the locker room to drink at the water fountain.

Trey’s teammates skated off the ice, laughing and talking. None of them looked toward the bleachers, probably because they typically had so few fans in attendance.

“You’re really not coming with us, Bob?” the stockiest player asked Mimi’s husband.

“Can’t,” Bob said. “Mimi has plans.”

“Cancel ’em,” the stocky guy said. “A guy should do what a guy wants to do.”

“Unless he’s married. Then he’s screwed,” another of the players joked as they duck-walked on their ice skates to the locker room. Trey held the door open for them. “You’re coming with us, right, Trey?”

“Damn straight,” Trey answered.

“Your girlfriend won’t mind?”

“She’s cool,” Trey said as he disappeared inside the locker room. Rayna could just make out his next words. “We’re not serious or anything.”

“But—” Rayna started to protest but nobody could hear her. She probably wouldn’t have finished the sentence anyway. If Trey didn’t want to go caroling tonight, she wouldn’t force him.

Not after finding out he wasn’t serious about her.

Rayna got up and headed for the exit, vaguely crossing paths with Mimi. She called to her friend to let Trey know she’d had to leave, then rushed out of the arena, tears already streaming down her face.

She wouldn’t tell Trey she was pregnant, either.