Christmas in Cancun

by KaLyn Cooper

  Jillian shifted her weight, moving away from him slightly. “No, I want to help. I’ve been cooped up in that room all day, and I could use some fresh air.”

  At least she’d be with him, near him, and when the bikes were completed, he’d take her to bed.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jillian bit into an English muffin slathered in homemade orange jelly and surveyed the adjoining formal living room on the main level of the house. The ten-foot-tall synthetic tree looked real and even smelled like pine. Its white and gold decorations with small red accents matched those on the fireplace, bannister, and any flat surface larger than one square foot. It looked professionally decorated, ready for a Caribbean life magazine photo shoot…except for the Christmas morning debauchery.

  Three piles of gold foil wrapping paper, red ribbon, and metallic bows stood sentinel beside toys and children’s clothes left in the boxes in front of the heavily laden tree. Two bicycles, the taller one red and the blue one with training wheels, still wore the big red bows Lilly had created just before Jack carried them upstairs and parked them next to the Christmas tree.

  The adults had piles as well in front of the seats they’d occupied on the couches. She had received a blue silk bathrobe from Lilly and matching slippers from the boys. Levi’s gift to her was a huge basket of French toiletries, which he admitted his secretary had selected. Mother Girard had given her several hand-made silver bangle bracelets deeply etched with Mayan symbols. She’d also handed both her and Lilly a thick business envelope. At her questioning look, Mother Girard explained, “The day Addison was born, I started her what is called a Uniform Gift To Minor account.” She had glanced to Lilly then the boys. “I do it for all my grandchildren. Every birthday and Christmas I add to that amount. The envelope you hold is this year’s statement.”

  Jillian stared at the heavy envelope.

  “You may open it. It’s Addison’s for college, or any other expenses you see fit, such as private school. You’re what they call the custodian and can withdraw funds for her.” With a nod, she encouraged Jillian to open it.

  As she did, she confessed, “I’m not sure I’ll understand what I’m looking at.”

  “You should understand the bottom number easy enough.” Levi’s tone was so condescending she wanted to shrink into the couch.

  Thank goodness Jack leaned over to her and said, “I’ll go over it with you later if you want.” His voice and words were so reassuring...until he pointed at the amount.

  “Oh my God.” Jillian protested. “This is too much. She’s only two.” There were two digits before the comma, both high numbers.

  “It’s my gift to my granddaughter.” That had ended the discussion.

  Jack’s gift had arrived in the biggest box of the day. He wore a childish smile when he placed it in front of Jillian. Everyone had watched as she carefully removed the shiny gold wrapping paper to reveal a heavy-duty, hike-a-mountain-style baby backpack.

  “It has a zip-off daypack, diaper-changing pad, toy loops, and removable, washable chin pad for when Addi is teething.” Jack pointed out each item as he identified it.

  How does he know about baby drool while teething?

  “And here’s the removable sunshade.” He popped open the material similar to one on a stroller. “The kickstand has no-pinch hinges.” With that pronouncement, he picked up Addi and loaded her into the contraption then easily hoisted her onto his back. He was so proud he’d opted for the hydration reservoir and drink tube so they both had access to water while hiking.

  Thankful for the very expensive gift, Jillian wasn’t sure if it was for her, or for himself.

  When would she ever use it?

  As if Jack could read her thoughts, he explained, “We can take Addi with us everywhere we go now. It completely adjusts to fit you, too. But I intend to carry her when we’re all together. She doesn’t weigh hardly anything, especially compared to the loads I used to carry.”

  At that point, Jillian had looked around the room at the other adults. Levi had his usual look of disgust, arms crossed. Lilly was trying desperately to hold in a laugh, and his mother simply studied the interplay between the two of them.

  Thankfully Greyson had declared that he was about to starve, and they all retreated to the dining room for breakfast.

  Jillian covered her yawn and hoped Addison would take an early nap so she could sleep, too. It had been nearly three when she’d finally crawled into her bed. She vaguely remembered Jack sliding in beside her and kissing her goodnight. She’d been too tired to protest his presence.

  The bicycle assembly had turned into a male versus female race. She and Lilly had taken on the larger of the two boxes together. They had meticulously laid out all the pieces ensuring everything was there and started with direction number one. Jack had glanced at the picture on the box and started putting pieces together. Jack’s bike was finished first, but the training wheels had twisted in shipping. He claimed that slowed him down when the women held up their hands in tired victory and high-fived. It had been so much fun working with Lilly and beside Jack.

  “Mommy, I ate all my breakfast. Can I ride my bike now?” Greyson pleaded with Lilly.

  Preston shoved the last piece of toast in his mouth and while chewing said, “I’m done too, Mom.” It was such a child-like act that everyone stared at him.

  Jillian smiled. There was some kid left in the boy.

  The six-year-old swallowed. “Can I, Mom?”

  Lilly delicately wiped her mouth and placed the red linen napkin on the table. “Let’s go, boys.” She turned to her older brother. “Levi, help Preston with his bike, would you please? It’s the least you can do since you didn’t help Santa last night.”

  Without a word, Levi rose and grabbed the bike, following Lilly and the boys downstairs to the quad.

  Jillian noticed her mother-in-law was drinking orange juice. She wondered if it had been laced with vodka. When she’d been offered a Bloody Mary as Levi mixed a pitcher, she waved it away.

  “Jackie, why don’t you take Addison and a few of her new toys downstairs to watch the boys learn to ride their bikes? Jillian and I will clear the table.”

  The look Jack gave her was almost comical. It was somewhere between will-you-be-okay and never-trust-her.

  Jillian stood and gathered plates. “I can get this, Mother Girard. Why don’t you go enjoy your grandchildren?”

  “No, no. It’ll go twice as fast if we do it together, and I need to put in the turkey anyway.”

  Jack lifted Addi from the highchair and allowed her to pick several toys from her pile of Christmas stash before disappearing downstairs.

  Jillian brought in an armful of plates and placed them beside the sink where Mrs. Girard was rinsing and filling the dishwasher. She’d turned to go back for the food when a wet hand touched her arm.

  She stopped and looked at the woman who was still beautiful in her mid-fifties, her red silk blouse highlighting sun-reddened cheeks.

  “I owe you an apology.” Sincere dark brown eyes stared at her. “But the words can never make up for what I did. I can’t tell you how deeply sorry I am that I allowed myself to fall asleep when I should have been in the sand playing with my grandchildren.”

  “It’s—”

  Her mother-in-law held up a hand. “Please believe me when I tell you I hadn’t been drinking…although I drink too much when I’m here. I admit that.” Her eyes darted around the kitchen, never landing on any one item. “My husband and I had so many wonderful times here. We used to cook Christmas dinner together. We’d start the day before and—”

  She visibly fought back tears and turned away from Jillian to rinse more plates. “I miss him so much every time we come down. We were always happy here.”

  Jillian didn’t know what to say, so she simply placed a hand on the other woman’s shoulder.

  “Jack was created on the beach, I’m sure of it. I always wondered if that was why he loved it here so much.” She sniffed. “Wou
ld you mind gathering the food dishes?”

  She heard her mother-in-law blowing her nose as Jillian walked back into the kitchen, arms full. “Where are the plastic containers? I’ll take care of this.”

  She was directed to the correct cabinet, and Jillian began emptying the bowls and platters. When they both finished their tasks, Mother Girard took the cloth and wiped down the counters.

  She stopped and faced Jillian. “I need to apologize, too, for the fact that I have ignored getting to know you. My son loved you enough to marry you. The other night at the hospital, you stood up to me. You showed me that you’re a strong woman. Although he might have disagreed, Jimmy was always drawn to the quiet type that had an inner strength, like you. For many years he used to be too shy to approach that kind of girl. I think Jack helped him overcome that.” She smiled as if at peace with the memory and looked away, unwilling to share more.

  Jillian was about to leave and go down to Addi and Jack when her mother-in-law’s gaze returned. She now wore the face of a momma bear defending her cub. “You’ve been spending a great deal of time with Jack. I see the way he looks at you.”

  There was a long pause, but Jillian wasn’t about to confirm or deny anything. What was between her and Jack…well…she didn’t know exactly what was between her and Jack, but it wasn’t any of this woman’s business.

  The older woman continued. “I should be upset about it, but I’m not. He’s a good man, Jillian. He deserves a good woman. You’ve proven to me that you are a good woman and a wonderful mother.” She sighed heavily. “Jackie came back from the war changed. I thought he had PTSD and have treated him with kid gloves. I was wrong about that, too. He had changed, though. He knew what he wanted in life, and it wasn’t an office down the hall from mine.”

  She gestured to the house. “This is what he wanted. He wanted to be the boss. He’d stood in his father’s shadow all his life, and then in Levi’s. I’m sure that’s why he joined the Navy.” She stood up straight and squared her shoulders, emitting pride with every movement. “He has a really good business, you know. And he’s well respected in the community as a fair and giving man. I had my people check on him.”

  She glanced away then turned to face Jillian. “And you.”

  “Excuse me?” Did she just hear her right?

  “I had you checked out. You live well within your personal income, provide more than adequately for Addison, and have conservatively invested the life insurance money in a trust in Addi’s name. Nice move.”

  “Uh…thank you.” Jillian didn’t know what else to say.

  “I know you didn’t marry Jimmy for his money, a point I’ll be making clear to Levi.” She shook her head and glanced away. “Sometimes money is all that boy thinks about.” Concern deepened the vague lines in her gently aging face before she continued recounting her findings.

  “From all accounts, you’re an excellent associate professor. Your students enjoy your classes, but your college is in financial trouble.”

  The stun was fading. “You had me investigated?”

  “I keep an eye on all my children.” She ran a soft hand down Jillian’s bare arm. It was soothing, comforting. “From the day you married my son, you became a Girard. You are a member of my family.” She gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “I am truly sorry that I haven’t treated you as such. That changes today.”

  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver necklace with an orange-red stone in the middle of a scrolled oval. The antique setting was magnificent. “This has been passed to the women of the Chel family for generations.”

  Jillian jumped in. “It should go to Lilly then. She’s of Chel blood.”

  “So is Addison.” Mother Girard smiled. “And you will appreciate this more than any other woman because you understand its significance and history. Besides, Lilly has dozens of family pieces.”

  “The stone, is it a citrine?”

  “No, a fire orange opal, found only in Mexico. It was valued by the priestesses on Isla Mujeres and traded by the Mayans for centuries. The silver was mined in the mountains to the north, and the piece was crafted in the seventeen hundreds, according to the insurance paperwork.”

  “No. I can’t accept this. It’s too valuable. It belongs in your family.”

  “Like I just told you, you are my family.” She stepped behind Jillian and ordered, “Now lift your hair.”

  She affixed the clasp and turned Jillian in her arms. “You are part of my family.”

  The hug Jillian received brought tears to her eyes. She held on to this woman like a lifeline to the family she’d never had and always wanted. “Thank you, Mother Girard,” she managed to say through a tight throat. “Thank you, for everything.”

  “You always will be my daughter, no matter what happens,” the older woman said. “This is your home now, too, and you are always welcome at the family house in Chicago. I love to hear the patter of children running in the long hallways of that huge old mansion. Please plan on visiting me there soon.”

  “We will.” Jillian would take her up on the offer, perhaps for a long weekend in the spring.

  “I need to put in the turkey. Go play with your family. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

  Mrs. Girard all but pushed her out the door.

  Join your family.

  The words resonated to her core.

  Yes. She had a family.

  She was a member of the Girard family.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jack reached for the busty blonde’s wet hand and pulled her onto the dive platform of the Felix where he was replacing Too Tall that day. His buddy’s parents had arrived unexpectedly on Christmas Day…surprising him and the woman in his bed.

  The boat was packed, so he stepped to the slightly overweight middle-aged man clinging to the dive platform while announcing, “Take your fins off as quickly as possible and move to the main deck. Your afternoon snack is ready, and cold drinks are available at the bar.”

  He heaved the man up. In a quiet voice he asked, “You all right, sir? You’re breathing kind of hard.”

  “Give me a second to catch my breath. I’m not used to fighting waves.”

  Jack scanned the calm ocean. He knew the current could be strong on this side of Isla Mujeres where it funneled between the island and the mainland. He held his hand out for woman next in line.

  “Thank you, young man.” She turned her attention to the dripping man next to her. “Jackson, wasn’t that fun? What a unique Virgin Mary.”

  “Yeah,” he managed between huffs. “Underwater.”

  Jack picked up a small boy as his father pushed up with ease and twisted his butt onto the wooden platform.

  “No, not that part.” She slipped off her fins and hooked them on her wrist. “The way she was standing. Her arms were out…like she was pointing.”

  The conversation caught Jack’s attention.

  “She had her arms out.” He took a deep breath. “Like the priest does all the time.”

  The woman stood and positioned her arms like the statue. “The Mother Mary is always positioned either praying”—she placed her palms together as if in prayer—“or holding baby Jesus.” She mimicked holding a child. “But this one is like this, like she’s pointing.”

  Well, damn. Jack had dived on that statue dozens of times and never thought about it.

  Raul, first mate on the Felix, pulled in a woman a few feet down. “Yes, ma’am. She’s like that. We have a few Virgin Marys like that, especially the old ones.”

  “Really?” Jack asked his employee.

  “Yes, bossman.” They each helped another guest aboard. “A few. We used to dive on one at the other end of the island, but the hurricane that took out the temple knocked it over. Ruined the whole reef. Shame. Some salvage guys picked up the pieces. She’s in the museum now.”

  He’d have to check that out. “Where are the others?” Jack asked as he watched the stragglers swim to the boat.

  “There’s on
e between here and Cozumel that I know about and one just off Xcarat.”

  “Are they all the same?”

  “I don’t remember. My abuela told us to stay away from them because we weren’t Mayan enough.” He shook his head. “My grandmother was crazy. The statues are Christian, and she made sure we were Catholic enough but never forgot our heritage has some Mayan.”

  Jack looked at the site where he knew the statue stood a few feet under the water. “Raul, handle the platform for a few minutes.”

  “Sure, bossman.”

  Jack stripped off his BACats polo shirt and tossed it to his crewman. He took a deep breath and dove into the warm water. Swimming underwater nearly half the distance, he surfaced for another breath and freestyled to the reef. He jackknifed down to face the statue and studied everything about her.

  The woman was right. Her hands looked as if they were pointing due south. He wished he’d taken a picture of it.

  His lungs ran out of air and he surfaced. They had an underwater camera on his dive boat, but that was on a reef off Cozumel today. He visualized framing the shot then remembered seeing just that picture. It was in the Gramps pile in Jillian’s sitting area.

  He captured another deep breath and headed down one more time for a mental picture. Starting at her head, he studied everything he could before he again needed to surface. Pleased, Jack swam leisurely back toward the boat, anxious to share his findings with Jillian that evening.

  The thought of returning home to her every night, discussing their day together over an enjoyable meal and good wine sounded nice. Comfortable. Tucking Addi into bed and kissing that sweet little girl good night, every night. Yeah, he could get used to that. Watching the stars come out before going to bed then making love before falling asleep in each other’s arms. Oh, yes. He could do that forever.

  As Jack pulled his body onto the dive platform, he couldn’t wait to make love to Jillian that night, especially since she’d kicked him out of her room last night with nothing more than a kiss. It was a really good kiss, but she’d been a little distant all day.