by Brenda Novak
“It’s the least I can do for the both of you,” he said. “And Jada will like it, too. It’ll give me a reason to get back in shape.”
“What are you talking about?” she said with a laugh. “You’re already in shape.”
“Not as in shape as I’ll be if I take this on.”
“You still haven’t told us who gave you the watch,” Jill pointed out. He’d told her about the hike with Atticus while they were at dinner last night. She hadn’t seemed overly supportive of the idea, said she didn’t see the point in it. “Someone could get hurt,” she’d said. “And for what?” But she’d ultimately shrugged and let it go with “If that’s what you want to do.”
“A friend,” he repeated.
Maya peered closer at him. “You’re not going to tell us which friend? That means it was a woman.”
Tobias couldn’t help grinning. “True.”
Jill gaped at him. “We spent all of last night together and you never mentioned that you’ve got a girlfriend?”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he clarified. “We’re just starting to hang out now and then.”
“Don’t tell me you’re still seeing Harper Devlin!” Jada said. “Is she the one who bought you the expensive watch?”
Tobias figured there was no longer any need to keep the relationship a secret. Even Axel knew he and Harper had been seeing each other. “Yeah.”
“Wow!” Jada exclaimed. “Must be going well.”
“Wait,” Maya said. “We’re not talking about the Axel Devlin—the lead singer of Pulse?”
Tobias arched an eyebrow at his niece. “No. We’re talking about his ex-wife. I have no interest in him whatsoever.”
She laughed. “Stop it. She’s beautiful! But—” her smile suddenly faded “—I heard that Axel’s in town. My friend’s mother saw him at the coffee shop yesterday. Everyone’s saying he wants her back. You don’t think... I mean...”
Somehow Tobias managed to maintain his smile. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I know what the odds are.”
He felt her thin arms go around his waist. “If I were her, I’d choose you,” she said. “But maybe she’s not as smart as me.”
He kissed the top of her head. “How’d it go with your grandma Brooks last night?”
“She was nice,” she said. “Even to Dad!”
“A Christmas miracle,” Maddox joked.
“Let’s just hope it lasts,” Jada said in an aside to him.
Tobias got the presents he’d brought out of the bag his mother had insisted on carrying in for him—probably so that she wouldn’t feel so bad showing up without anything. “Time for the gifts,” he said. “It’s my first year doing this, so I want to see how well I did.”
“Let’s go in by the tree,” Jada said. “We have gifts for you, too.”
“What’s Uriah up to today?” Maddox asked as they moved into the living room.
“I talked to him this morning when I got back from my hike. He said he’s spending the day with Carl.”
“Just the two of them?”
“Who else can get along with Carl?”
Maddox didn’t argue. “We got Uriah a new flannel shirt. That one he’s been wearing needs to be retired. Will you take it back to him?”
“Of course. I got him a new chess set. I’m going to ask him to come over and play a game with me tonight. I’ll give him your present then, too.”
“Perfect.”
Jada and Maddox thanked him when they opened the water purifier he’d purchased for their house. He was getting so interested in healthy eating and living he’d wanted to buy one for everyone, but they were pretty expensive.
They seemed to like it. And Maya squealed and jumped up to hug him when she opened the three beaded ankle bracelets that were meant to be stacked. “Thank you, Uncle Tobias!” she cried. “I love these! All the girls are wearing them.”
He made a big deal about the mug she’d made him in ceramics at school and then tore the paper off a big box from Jada and Maddox. “What could this be?” he asked. “It’s huge!”
They just smiled and looked on while he tossed the wrapping paper to one side and ripped off the tape securing the flaps on the box. “It’s...it’s a backpack?” he said as he pulled out a carrier similar to what he’d been eyeing at various online backpacking sites.
“Not just any backpack,” Maddox said. “It should fit Atticus.”
“We had to have it custom-made,” Jada volunteered. “To be sure.”
Tobias cleared his throat so that he’d be able to speak. No doubt the pack had cost a lot. But what was far more important was the support they were giving him. “Thank you.” He stood up to embrace each one in turn and, as he sat back down, thought there could never be another Christmas quite as good as this one.
27
Harper sat on the couch, watching the twinkling lights on her sister’s Christmas tree reflect in the window. The wrapping paper had been thrown away, the toys had been picked up, the dishes were done and she was enjoying the last bit of the day by having a glass of wine with Karoline and Terrance. As wonderful as Christmas had been, it was her first chance to slow down and relax now that all the children were in bed and Axel had left for the hotel.
“Axel was on his best behavior today,” Karoline said after taking a sip of wine. “I liked him better than I have for a long time.”
Harper had to admit that her ex had been nice. And she was grateful. She’d been so afraid he’d do something that would ruin Christmas—not on purpose but because he couldn’t control his emotions. He’d been so jealous in the restaurant. She’d expected to see more of that, but he hadn’t even referred to what’d happened at Fatboy Burgers or mentioned Tobias. “I’m relieved.”
“It was almost like old times, right?” Her sister covered a yawn. “He seems to have reverted back to his former self, the man he was before all the pressure and the fame started to get to him.”
“He was very attentive to you,” Terrance added.
“That’s true,” Karoline agreed. “I didn’t see him get on his phone once—unless it was to take a picture of the girls. And that’s a big change. Remember last Christmas? We could hardly get him to acknowledge us when we came. He was always on the phone, or he’d lock himself away in the studio in your basement to work.”
Last Christmas hadn’t been fun. She and Axel had had a terrible argument over how dismissive he’d been of her family. Maybe he’d remembered how things had gone last year, too, because he’d tried harder this time around. “I thanked him for being so easy to get along with. The girls and I had a great Christmas. But, honestly, you’re the one who made it great, Karoline. You went to so much work. The decorations, the activities, the meal tonight—”
“You did as much of the meal as I did. And then you washed the dishes!”
“But I didn’t have the presence of mind to plan everything, and I was in such a dark place when I first arrived. You’ve been the glue that has held everything together for me. You, too, Terrance. I can’t thank you both enough.”
“It’s been a Christmas to remember,” Terrance said.
Karoline started to laugh. “True. I’ll never forget you showing up on our doorstep at four thirty in the morning with your hair a mess and your shirt on wrong side out—and Axel fuming on my front porch.”
Harper shot her a look. “That’s still too fresh to joke about.”
Terrance smiled as though he saw the humor in it, too, but guided the conversation in a different direction. “Did Axel mention what he wants for the future?”
Harper knew they were both curious as to how she’d ultimately react to Axel’s change of heart. “Not really. He just told me that he regrets the divorce, knows he screwed up and is going to do everything he can to make it right.”
Karoline propped her feet up on the coffee t
able. “What’d you say in response to that?”
“I asked him not to bring up any of our personal problems today. I said we both deserved a day to celebrate all the things Christmas means without dragging our emotional baggage into it.”
Karoline lifted her glass in a silent toast. “He must’ve taken your advice.”
“Fortunately.”
“And that stack of presents he gave you?” She rolled her eyes. “That was crazy.”
“It was fun, but I doubt he picked out a single one of those gifts. I bet he had someone shop for him and do all the wrapping before he got on the plane.”
“He’s busy,” Terrance said.
“He’s got plenty of help for most everything else. He could’ve done his own shopping.”
“He spent a lot of money...” Karoline mused.
Harper had a comeback for that, too. “I hate to sound negative, but he has a lot of money to spend. Percentage-wise, Tobias was probably the more generous between the two.”
“Tobias!” Karoline exclaimed. “What did he give you?”
Harper held up her wrist to show her sister the new charm bracelet. She hadn’t worn it all day because she’d been afraid Axel would ask about it—or the girls would. But as soon as her ex had left, she put it on. She enjoyed seeing it, enjoyed remembering how excited Tobias had been to give it to her.
Karoline sat forward, put her wine on the coffee table and walked over to inspect Tobias’s gift. “It’s beautiful. Looks like real gold. How much do you think it cost?”
“Enough to show that he wanted to get me something nice. Other than that I don’t care. I love it.”
“Look, Terrance.” Karoline stepped aside so that her husband could see. “The charm is a little rose. He gave Harper a real rose on the night they met.”
“Thoughtful, right?” Harper said.
“I can’t argue with that,” Terrance replied.
Karoline went back to her place on the couch. “Why didn’t you tell me that he got you a gift?”
“Because you were in bed when I got home last night. And Axel was here as soon as we rolled out of bed this morning.”
Karoline took her last sip of wine. “To be honest, after how well things went today, I thought you’d be more conflicted. You’re still set on continuing to see Tobias?”
“I am. Axel might be repentant now. He knows he’s lost me, so he’s doing his best to win me back. But if I ever remarried him, I feel like he’d just take my love for granted all over again.”
Karoline set her empty glass aside. “What about the girls?”
“If he loves them as much as he says he does, he’ll work with me to make sure our divorce is as amicable as he promised when he left me.”
Karoline didn’t seem particularly optimistic about that, but Harper trusted Axel’s willingness to do the right thing. “He loves his music, his bandmates, his fans. Not me. He’s just afraid he’s losing something he might later want. And I’m not going to let an ‘Oh, wait! I might want this, after all’ make me blow what’s going on between Tobias and me. If Axel really wanted me, he wouldn’t have done what he did.”
Her phone went off before Terrance or Karoline could respond. She thought maybe it would be Tobias asking about her Christmas. She’d planned to call him before bed. She wanted to see him, but she was waiting until Axel left town.
It wasn’t Tobias, however. It wasn’t even Axel. It was Rory, from the band.
Harper excused herself and left the room as she answered the call. She didn’t want to make Karoline and Terrance sit through her conversation when they were finally getting a chance to recoup after the big day. “Hi, Rory.”
“Harper, this is nuts. You’ve got to get him to change his mind.”
“I assume ‘him’ is Axel. But...change his mind about what?”
“I realize you want to keep him there with you. I’m sorry for all you’ve been through, and I’m excited you’re getting back together. But can’t you hold on for just two more weeks? The rest of us are dying. He’s making us cancel a New Year’s Eve show! No one in the industry does that. It’s professional suicide!”
She stopped in the middle of the hall and put a hand to her head. “Whoa! Wait. What are you talking about?” She hadn’t agreed to get back with Axel. “Why would he make you cancel the show?”
“We can’t go onstage without him!”
“But...he’ll be there. He’s leaving tomorrow, right?” She’d asked Axel if he needed a ride to LA, had offered to drive him. He’d been so congenial today that she’d wanted to show she was willing to bend over backward to be nice, too. But when he’d said that wouldn’t be necessary, she’d assumed he’d hired a limo.
“That’s what he told you?” Rory said.
“Yes.”
“Well, he called me last night and said he wasn’t coming back at all. That his family is falling apart, and he needs to stay and put it back together.”
Oh, shit. Had Axel decided to stay? If so, why hadn’t he told her?
Just after they’d finished unwrapping presents, when she was thanking him for the gifts he’d given her, and he was thanking her for the scrapbook she’d made him, he’d pulled her aside to say how much he’d missed her. That was when she’d cut him off and asked him to save all of that for after Christmas.
Had he been about to tell her that he wasn’t going back?
“Give me a few minutes,” she told Rory and disconnected.
After slipping into her room and shutting the door, she called Axel’s cell.
“Hello?” He sounded groggy, as though she’d dragged him out of a dead sleep.
“Did I wake you?”
“Yeah. The tour kicked my ass to begin with. Jet lag and all the...you know...emotional bullshit we’ve been going through did the rest. I could hardly keep my eyes open when I left tonight.”
She was about to say she’d let him go back to sleep, but caught herself. “This will only take a second. Rory called. He said...” She swallowed hard. “He said you aren’t going back to finish the tour. Is that true?”
There was a brief hesitation before he replied. “Yeah. I was going to tell you, but I didn’t want to get into it today. You were so focused on the kids and the meal and all the festivities. I figured I’d let you know in the morning.”
“But...that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Of course it makes sense. I’m here to fight for my family. I made a mistake before, Harper. I want you back.”
“Axel...”
“What?”
“I’ve already told you—I’m not coming back.”
“You can’t make the decision right now. All you have to go on is how it’s been for the last few years. But I’m willing to change, put you first.”
Sure he was. For how long? She knew better than to believe that would last. “I’m already seeing someone else. You know that.”
“You and Tobias have barely met. Of course everything seems like it would be ideal with him. You haven’t known him long enough for him to screw up.”
“You’re that sure he will?”
“No one’s perfect. He might seem like Superman right now, but he’ll be human enough in a few months.”
“I don’t want to get back together, Axel. It was too rough there at the end. I—I’ve lost faith in our ability to make things work.”
“I understand. I’m rattled, too. But I’m going to rebuild your trust, prove that things will be better. I’m the one you should be with, Harper.”
She doubted he’d be saying any of this if she hadn’t finally moved on and met someone else, though. And that wasn’t the reason she wanted him to have for coming back. Not wanting her to be with someone else wasn’t enough.
“Harper?” he said when she didn’t respond.
She slipped the rose charm
Tobias had given her around the circle of the bracelet. “I think it’s too late.”
She’d spoken so low that she wasn’t sure he’d heard her, until he said, “That’s bullshit, Harper. Don’t do this.”
“I have to have the chance to see... To see if Tobias and I are better for each other. I know he isn’t perfect. But he might be perfect for me.”
“He rents a house on someone else’s orchard, for crying out loud!”
How did he know that? “So?”
“So what has he established?”
“What should he have established?” she countered. “He has a decent job.”
“Doing what?”
“Maintenance at a private school.”
“Maintenance,” he said as if that was too lowly to be respectable.
“There’s nothing wrong with maintenance. He’s a gifted mechanic. Wants to open his own repair shop one day.”
“Yeah, with my money. No doubt that’s part of what he sees in you.”
“It’s my money, too. I helped you establish your career. But I can’t believe you’d even say that. He hasn’t asked me for a dime. You don’t know that he ever will.”
He sighed as though he was tempted to argue but knew it was an argument he couldn’t win. “What else do you know about him?” he asked instead. “You’re giving me up for a complete unknown.”
“Not a ‘complete’ unknown. I’ve met his brother. I really like him. I’ve also met his landlord.”
“What about his alcoholic mother? Have you met her?”
A chill ran down her spine. The sarcasm and bitterness in his voice was one thing. So was the comment about where Tobias lived. But now Axel had something to say about his mother?
“Who told you about his mother?”
“No one,” he replied.
“Someone must have.”
“Look, I told you I’m half-dead from the tour and the jet lag and all that. Let’s talk in the morning.”
He wasn’t going to rush her off the phone, not now. “We can talk in the morning as soon as you answer my question. You haven’t been doing any kind of...of background check on Tobias, have you?”
