Читать книгу Christmas Gifts - Trish Morey - Страница 13

EVEN though they didn’t decorate the tree that evening, Brady was still excited. Elizabeth was, too, though she tried not to admit it.

Jack watched both of them, enjoying their excitement. He and Tom hadn’t bothered with much Christmas in the past couple of years. After losing his wife, and then his son turning his back on him, Tom never seemed to be in the holiday spirit.

Nor had Jack.

He hadn’t even gone back home the last few Christmases.

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t have been welcome. It just seemed so much easier to stay at the Ransom Ranch. Besides, Jack needed him.

Now, though, he realized how much they’d missed. Now that they had someone to share Christmas with.

They put the tree in a bucket of water in the barn. Even though it was cold, Brady stood there, starin at the tree, as if he thought it might jump up and start dancing around.

“Brady, you need to come in now. It’s cold out here.” Jack reached out to take the little boy’s hand. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

“But I think our tree might get lonely.”

“No, sweetie, trees won’t get lonely. You can come see it tomorrow morning, if you wear your coat and gloves.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

Jack took his hand and led him to the house.

“Oh, I’m glad you’ve come in. There’s a Christmas special on television,” Carol exclaimed as they came into the house. She was carrying Jenny, warming up her bottle.

“Go on back to the television room, Carol. I’ll bring Jenny’s bottle as soon as it’s warmed,” Elizabeth said.

“Okay, but I’ll let you feed her. You haven’t spent much time with her.”

“Thank you, Carol,” Elizabeth said.

Brady had already run to the television, joining his grandfather. He shouted to Elizabeth, “Mommy, it’s Frosty the Snowman.”

“Brady still sounds excited.” Jack was taking off his coat in the kitchen, hanging it on a peg by the door.

“He’ll probably be excited until Christmas is over,” Elizabeth said. The timer on the microwave beeped, indicating the bottle she’d put was ready.

“Here, let me have your coat,” Jack said, holding out his hand.

“Thank you.” She slipped out of her coat and handed it to him. Then she took the warm bottle and went into the television room. He followed her in.

Carol handed over Jenny, and Elizabeth settled in an upholstered chair and began feeding Jenny, talking to her about the Christmas tree they’d bought.

“Next year she can go with us.”

Elizabeth jerked her head up to find Jack standing beside her chair. “I didn’t know you were there.”

“I didn’t want Jenny to think we’d forgotten her.”

“She’s too little to go to buy a tree this year, but I wanted her to know that next year we won’t leave her at home.”

“That’s right, little Jenny. I’ll be sure to take you.”

Jack perched on the arm of the chair and continued to chat with Jenny. Her big blue eyes stared right at his face, following his every movement.

Elizabeth listened to Jack, too, hoping against hope that what he said was true. That there’d be a next year for them all to get a Christmas tree together. That they’d go see Santa and write a wish list to give him.

She had a wish list. She wished that Jack had been her husband, not Reggie. Jack wouldn’t have been unwilling to claim their daughter, as Reggie had. He wouldn’t have ignored his children, his wife.

She’d never understood Reggie. But she did understand that she’d never marry again. Not when her first marriage had been such a disaster.

The only good that had come out of her marriage were her children.

Now she would be able to take care of them the way they deserved. To be the kind of mother she’d always wanted to be. With the money transferred to her name she could stay home until Jenny went to school.

While she’d been thinking, she realized Jenny had finished her bottle.

Taking the bottle from Jenny’s mouth, she patted the baby on her back and burped her until she had success. Then she got up from the chair and carried the baby upstairs.

When she returned, her son was asleep on his grandfather’s shoulder. She leaned down to take him upstairs, but Jack stopped her.

“I’ll take him upstairs.”

“But he’s got to get undressed. I’ll come up with you.”

Once they reached Brady’s room, Elizabeth found his pajamas and changed him without waking him up.

“Man, he’s a deep sleeper,” Jack said.

“Yes, he is,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

“How did you manage while you were pregnant?”

“We didn’t go out often.”

“I don’t guess Reggie came to see you?”

“No. Especially not with the second pregnancy.”

“Why?”

“Because he didn’t want Jenny.”

“I don’t think that’s how babies are created.”

“Don’t tell Reggie that.”

“I think it’s a little late to tell him anything.”

“Yes, I guess so.”

She pulled the cover up over Brady and leaned down to kiss him good-night.

Jack waited until she was ready to leave Brady’s bedroom.

“Do you need help cleaning the kitchen?”

She shook her head. “Carol did it all.”

“That’s what she gets paid to do.”

“I think I need to pay her salary.”

“I think that’s Tom’s job. He likes paying her.”

Elizabeth smiled. “I think he’s interested in her.”

“What do you mean?”

“He told me he would’ve married her a while ago if he hadn’t been feeling so bad.” She tilted her head. “But he seems to be feeling better now.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. The kids have given him a lift.”

“I’m glad he’s getting something out of us coming here. I need to talk to him about paying rent.”

“You can’t do that!”

She turned to stare at him. “Why not?”

“He wants to provide for you and the kids. His son obviously didn’t.”

“But he did. He just didn’t intend to. So I should pay rent.”

“But who’ll cook if you’re paying rent?”

She looked confused. “I will, of course.”

“We can’t let you cook and clean. Not if you’re paying to live here.”

It’d been such a lovely evening, but now Jack was pushing her again, telling her what to do. “I’m going to ask Tom.” She stomped to the television room. “Tom, you don’t mind my cooking and cleaning, do you?”

“Wait a minute, Tom, before you answer,” Jack said. “She’s talking about paying for living here, and cooking and cleaning.”

Tom frowned. “Why would you do that?”

She tried to ignore Jack. “Now that I have Reggie’s money, I feel like I should pay you something.”

“I don’t want your money, Elizabeth, but I sure can use your cooking.”

“But—”

“I think this argument is over.” Jack reached out to catch Elizabeth’s hand. “You can’t argue with the man.”

She threw off his touch. “We wouldn’t be arguing if you hadn’t interrupted us.”

“I wouldn’t have interrupted if you had told the whole story. Now, Lizzie—”

“Don’t call me that!”

“I can’t believe your family didn’t call you Lizzie!”

Something inside her snapped. Before she could stop herself she blurted, “I didn’t have any family! I was taken away from my mother because she was addicted to drugs. I was five and that’s the last time I ever saw her! I don’t even know who my father is.”

Jack frowned. “You weren’t adopted?”

“Would you want to adopt a child whose mother was an addict?”

“You didn’t take the drugs. Why not?”

“They only want babies. They—” Tears filled her eyes, stinging them, threatening to spill over. “It doesn’t matter anyway.” Spinning on her heel, she walked toward the steps.

Jack’s words stopped her.

“You’re a good mother, Elizabeth. You’re nothing like your mother.”

The tears flowed freely then, and she could do nothing to stop them.

Tom took her in his arms. “You deserved better than Reggie, but maybe it turned out well, after all. We can be a family, all of us here.”

She looked up at him and wiped her tears away. “I’d like that, Tom.”

He smiled at her. “Good. And our family is growing even more. I’ve just asked Carol to marry me.”

She hugged him. “I’m so happy for both of you.”

Carol looked at Elizabeth. “You don’t mind if I come live here?”

“Not at all, Carol. That will be wonderful! I’ve learned that you can never have too much family.” Elizabeth hugged the woman.

“When are you going to marry?” Jack asked as he shook Tom’s hand.

“Whenever Carol is ready.”

“I’m ready now,” she said without hesitation.

Tom beamed at her. “Then let’s get married Friday night.”

“We’ll need to get a wedding cake,” Elizabeth said. “Is there anyone we can call to bake a wedding cake?”

“Yeah, but Jack will have to call her,” Tom said. “She always agrees when Jack calls her.”

Elizabeth looked at him. “Well?”

“Sure, I’ll call her.”

“Good.” Elizabeth turned to go upstairs. “If you’ll excuse me, then, I’ve got to go check on the children.” She walked quickly up the stairs.

“I don’t think your little joke went over well,” Jack said ruefully when she was out of earshot.

Tom shook his head. “I’ll tell her what I meant in the morning.”

“You’d better.” He said his good-nights. “I’m leaving you two alone. Stay out of trouble!”

On the way to his room, he was tempted to knock on Elizabeth’s door, but he didn’t think she’d listen to him. He hadn’t spoken up when she’d confessed to not having a family. But he’d wanted to.

He’d wanted to rush to her, hug her and let her know that she would have made any parent proud, that she had people who loved her, even though she hadn’t had a family till now.

But he hadn’t.

Instead, Tom had stepped up and hugged Elizabeth and made her feel like she was a part of the family.

What had held him back?

Fear.

He was afraid he was falling in love with Elizabeth.

Jack felt hung over when he got up the next morning when the alarm went off. But it wasn’t booze that had given him trouble. It was a woman.

The woman he’d heard walking the hallways last night as he lay awake.

Elizabeth, too, had had a bad night sleeping.

When he entered the kitchen he saw that she’d fixed his breakfast—her pancakes, his favorite—and left them covered on the stovetop. But there was no sign of her.

He knew he had to rectify the assumption she’d made last night, or else she’d be mad at him all day.

He ate his breakfast and thought about how he would handle the situation.

On the one hand Elizabeth was the most understanding woman he’d ever met. On the other hand, she was also the most stubborn. There was really one way to clear up the misunderstanding.

She had to come with him to order the cake.

He went upstairs and gently knocked on her door. When there was no response, he put his ear against the wood and listened. Hearing nothing, he tried the bathroom door, but with no results.

Either she was still asleep or she was totally ignoring him.

Because he had to meet up with the hands and issue the day’s instructions, he put her on hold and went out to tend to the ranch. Elizabeth was never far from his mind, and the first spare moment he had he came back to the house. He found her in the kitchen making another pot of coffee.

“Good morning.”

She merely responded in kind, but didn’t turn from her task.

Next he ventured, “Elizabeth, will you go with me to order the cake today?”

Her hand froze. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“You could explain what Carol wants much better than I can.”

She cast him a look over her shoulder. “But—”

He gave her the brightest smile he could muster. “Great. We’ll go in an hour.” Then he walked out of the kitchen, whistling to himself.

Elizabeth had fed and changed Jenny by the time Jack came back in an hour later. How had she gotten herself roped into going with him?

It was for Carol, she told herself.

“Are you ready?” Jack asked as he stepped out of the washroom. “Where’s Jenny?”

“The kids are with Tom in his room. Brady’s watching TV.”

“Then let’s go.” He went to help her with her coat, but she took it from him and put it on herself.

She was quiet on the ride, not initiating any conversation and offering only limited responses to his attempts.

“The cake lady doesn’t live too far away,” Jack said after he pulled away from the house.

“Good.”

“Are you busy today?” he asked.

“No more than usual.” Her reply was polite but clipped, and she kept her gaze straight ahead.

“I wanted to thank you for coming with me.”

“I did it for Carol, not you.”

Finally Jack took the hint, and they rode the rest of the way in silence.

A few minutes later Jack pulled into the driveway of a charming farmhouse. He led her around back and opened the door into the kitchen. “Edith?” he called, since no one was in sight.

They both heard a faint “Coming!”

She could’ve sworn Jack chuckled beside her as they stood there waiting for the baker to arrive.

When she saw the small figure enter the kitchen she knew why.

The cake lady was seventy, if she was a day.

Elizabeth shot Jack a look and he bared his white teeth in a huge smile as he laughed.

“Jack!” The old woman threw her arms around him, her tiny frame dwarfed by his large one.

“Hi, Edith. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. What can I do for you?”

“Tom’s getting married this Friday. I know it’s short notice, but we were hoping you could manage to make a wedding cake for him.”

She looked at Elizabeth for the first time. “Who’s this? Is she the bride?”

Elizabeth had to stifle a laugh. “No! I mean, no, I’m not the bride. It’s Carol.”

“Oh, good.” Edith gave her an assessing once-over. “So who are you?”

“I’m Tom’s daughter-in-law.”

“Reggie’s wife?” Edith asked in horror.

“Reggie’s widow.”

“Oh, poor Tom.” Then she turned back to Jack and her demeanor changed. “So he’s finally going to marry Carol? That’s good. How many people?”

“We figure a couple of hundred,” Jack said.

“What style cake do you want?”

Jack looked at Elizabeth. “That’s your job.”

Elizabeth described it, and was a bit concerned when Edith didn’t write anything down.

“Got it. I’ll have it ready Friday by noon.”

Jack thanked her. “We would’ve given you more time, but he didn’t ask her until last night.”

“A couple of romantics, eh?”

“Yeah, I guess they didn’t want to waste any time,” Jack said with a grin.

“I don’t blame them. They’re not getting any younger.” She gave Jack a smile, and Elizabeth swore she saw the woman bat her eyelashes at him.

Jack stepped back, a fearful look on his face. “I…I’ll see you Friday.”

He got out of the farmhouse before Edith could kiss him goodbye. Elizabeth could only laugh as she followed.

When they got to the truck, he shot her a look. “I don’t think it’s funny. Sometimes that woman scares me.”

She tried to stop laughing. “I’m sorry.” When she sobered, she said, “I’m also sorry for thinking you were dating Edith.”

“Thank you.”

She shrugged. “It’s none of my business anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means that I have no right to be concerned about who you date. You’re a single man with no ties. You can date whomever you want.”

Jack nodded at her comment, apparently in agreement. But the thought struck her as untrue.

It did bother her who Jack dated. But why?

Because she was jealous.

Because she cared about him.

Because, she realized with a gasp, she was falling for him.

When they arrived back at the ranch, Jack went straight to Tom. They had important business to discuss.

Elizabeth followed him and immediately went to Brady, who was sitting on the floor, playing cards with Tom. “Brady, is everything all right?”

“Sure, Mommy. Jenny’s asleep and we’re playing cards.”

“I didn’t know you knew how to play.”

“Grandpa taught me.”

Tom seemed pleased. “Jenny’s upstairs asleep.”

“I’ll just take Brady and go check on her.” Elizabeth ushered her son out of the room. “I’ll let you guys talk business.”

Tom stood up and turned to his ranch foreman. “You look serious, Jack. What is it?”

“Have you booked a honeymoon, Tom?”

From the look on Tom’s face Jack knew he hadn’t even given it a thought.

After checking on her sleeping baby, Elizabeth called Carol.

“Did you talk to Edith?” the bride-to-be asked.

“Yes, and your cake should be beautiful.”

“Thank you so much.” Carol hesitated, then added, “Elizabeth, I have one more favor to ask you.”

“Anything. You name it.”

“Will you be my matron of honor?”

Elizabeth was dumbfounded. She’d never been in anyone’s wedding party. In fact, she’d never been to a wedding. Her own had been a quickie without a reception.

“Elizabeth,” Carol prompted when she didn’t reply. “I’d love for you to be my matron of honor.”

“But I’ll have the baby to take care of.”

“We can get someone to take care of Jenny and Brady.”

“But I don’t have anything to wear.”

“We’ll get you a dress.”

Elizabeth had run out of excuses. “Okay, Carol, I’ll do it.” A big grin lit up her face as she thought of the ceremony and the romance and the flowers and the cake. It was going to be a beautiful affair, and she was so honored that Carol had chosen her.

“Great,” Carol said. “It’s going to be perfect. Tom’s asking Jack to be his best man. You two will make a lovely couple.”

Elizabeth dropped the phone.