A Tale of Two Christmas Letters

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  That made sense. And normally, Bess would be happy to be included in a McCabe family gathering, as she had been many times before, even before Bridgett had married Jack’s brother Cullen.

  Now, well, things were a little bit different. She didn’t want to presume anything and just show up, for fear it would upset the delicate balance of their fling. “Isn’t it usually up to Jack to ask if he wants my company?”

  “Yes.” Her twin regarded her steadily. “But like we said—” she flashed a merry smile “—none of us can seem to get ahold of either of you, so...” She held out her hands, as if jumping to the next logical conclusion.

  “Not you, too,” Bess accused her sister dryly. She should have known she wouldn’t be able to keep anything from her twin.

  Bridgett widened her eyes. “What?”

  “Matchmaking for me and Jack? When just a few weeks ago you and the rest of our siblings were warning me away from him.”

  “Maybe that was a mistake,” Bridgett conceded frankly.

  Bess swallowed. “What makes you think that?”

  “How truly happy you suddenly are. Him, too.”

  Bess knew that was true. Yet having the change in their relationship out in the open suddenly made her feel ambivalent all over again. As if their joy were too good to last. Past the holidays, anyway. “You know as well as I do that he already had the love of his life.” And didn’t want another marriage. Or more kids. She had to keep remembering that.

  “So what are you saying, that it’s a no go because you haven’t had yours?”

  Bess hid her discomfort. Her sister knew better than anyone how she had hated playing second fiddle to the past loves of her previous boyfriends. How being in a rebound relationship only led to heartache.

  “I’ll get what I want in that regard eventually.” And even if she didn’t ever find her one true love, the way Jack had, she was pretty happy now. So was Jack. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

  Bridgett paused. “Maybe it’s time you did more than just trust fate to make it happen for you.”

  “The way it did for you and Cullen?”

  “Yes. Robby and Riot might have brought us together, but there is no reason why you have to wait around for something similar to happen, sis.”

  Bess didn’t think she should expect an abandoned baby and a puppy to show up at a fire station the way they had for Bridgett. She swallowed around the uncertainty building inside her. “What are you advising me to do?” she asked quietly.

  Bridgett squeezed her hand. “I want you to take the leap and go for whatever this is that’s been developing between you and Jack for some time now. Or move on, the way we all advised you to do when we thought...erroneously, it seems...that your attraction to Jack was destined to go unrealized. Although I personally think you should give love the chance it deserves.”

  “Oh my god!” Bess clapped a hand to her forehead. Talk about familial pressure! “Now I’m back to thinking I will never get through this season.”

  Bridgett grinned, unrepentant. She reached for her coat and bag. “Someone else matchmaking now, too?” she teased.

  Bess nodded reluctantly and looped her cross-body bag over her shoulder. “Rachel and Frank installed mistletoe in Jack’s foyer while we were in Dallas last weekend.”

  This time her sister laughed out loud. “Great minds think alike.” She looked behind Bess, then whispered, “And speaking of the sexy surgeon...”

  Bess turned.

  There he was, looking handsome as ever in the blue scrubs that emphasized the muscles of his tall, fit frame. “Stop!” Bess hissed.

  Looking as confident and masculine as ever, Jack strolled up. He read their faces. “Problem here, ladies?”

  “Yes.” To Bess’s distress, her twin was quick to jump in and play the pregnant damsel in distress. “We were wondering how we were going to push this very heavy cart all the way out to the parking lot.”

  Bess was not about to put Jack on the spot like that. She lifted a palm. “I’ve got it.”

  “No need. I’m here and happy to help.” He stepped behind the cart and began to push it through the doorway. Bess and Bridgett followed him down the hall, toward the service elevator. “Looks like you and Cullen really made out in the gift department.”

  Bridgett beamed her gratitude. “We did.”

  Talk turned to the baby shower. Bess made sure it stayed there, until they finally made it downstairs and exited the hospital lobby. Jack brought Bridgett’s minivan around from the parking lot, and then he and Bess worked together to load up the gifts while Bridgett eased behind the wheel.

  “Thanks for helping,” Bess said, shutting the tailgate. He had made the task go a lot faster.

  Bridgett put the passenger window down and leaned toward them. “Want me to give you a ride to your cars?”

  Jack lifted a brow and looked at Bess. She could tell he wanted to talk to her about something. Whatever it was, she had no intention of letting her twin eavesdrop. “It’s not necessary,” she said, doing her best to hold back a guilty conscience.

  “I guess not,” Bridgett teased. “Behave yourselves, you two. And don’t forget to ask him about Thursday!” She waved and drove away.

  Jack walked with Bess to take the cart back into the hospital. “What’s Thursday?”

  A passing orderly reached for the cart. “I’ve got it,” he said. They thanked him as he took it away, and they walked back outside.

  “The preschool holiday sing-along,” Bess said at last.

  Jack’s eyes lit up with anticipation. “The girls are really excited about it. They’ve been wanting me to ask if you’d go to see them.”

  “I know. They already asked me to go the last time I saw them, and I said I would try to be there for either the performance or the dress rehearsal at the school earlier in the day, which Mrs. D. is planning to attend.”

  His brow furrowed. “So what’s the problem?”

  “There’s a McCabe family gathering afterward, Thursday evening, at Kelly and Dan’s.” The kind of thing where plus-ones were always welcome and everyone showed up with some sort of food or beverage contribution in hand. “Apparently, I’ve been invited by the rest of your family. And Bridgett wants me to go to that, as well.”

  Jack gave her the kind of look that said he wanted nothing more than to kiss her again. He edged closer. “So do I, actually,” he said casually.

  Bess had figured, but...

  Ignoring the telltale fluttering in her midriff, she said, “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”

  * * *

  This was new, Jack thought. Usually Bess leaped at the chance to attend his family gatherings. And she’d been to quite a few with him, since potlucks were held at either his parents’ home or his or one of his five siblings’ nearly every week.

  “Why not?”

  She exhaled and looked up at him. “Because I’m afraid if people see us together, they’ll know something has changed.”

  “You’re afraid they’ll figure out we’ve been sleeping together.”

  A furrow formed between her eyebrows. “Aren’t you?”

  “I’m not ashamed that we’ve made love, no,” he observed, while she peered up at him through a fringe of dark lashes. “But you are.”

  “I just...” She struggled. Finally swallowed and said, “I like things the way they are, Jack.”

  So did he—if she meant spending time together and making love. Except he wanted more. Much more than he had expected. “Understood,” he said. One thing was clear. He was going to have to work harder, if he didn’t want this to end when they had originally said it would. “So what are your plans for tonight?”

  She looked surprised by the abrupt change of subject. “I’ve got a couple of tickets to the nine o’clock showing of It’s a Wonderful Life.”

 
Their eyes met and he felt the connection between them deepen. “That’s a remake, isn’t it?”

  “Yep. Starring Bradley Cooper and it’s supposed to be good.”

  He let his gaze rove her face. “Who are you going with?”

  Her smile widened. “No one. Yet. The tickets were a gift.”

  “In response to your two Christmas letters?”

  “You got it.” Her lips twisted thoughtfully. “Anyway, I wasn’t sure I was going to use them—”

  “Hey.” He palmed the center of his chest facetiously. “I’d love to go.”

  She let out a flirtatious laugh. “I didn’t ask.”

  “I know.” Boy, did he ever! He peered at her closely. “But in case you were thinking of it,” he added helpfully.

  She studied him, then teased, “Wrangling for a date, Doc?”

  “And I’m not too shy to admit it. So what do you say? You supply the tickets. I’ll buy the concessions. And I’ll pick you up at eight thirty.” That would give him time to have dinner with his girls and put them to bed before leaving them in Mrs. D.’s capable care.

  Bess hesitated.

  Why, he didn’t know. “Going once. Going twice...”

  “Okay.” She lifted her hands in surrender. “I’ll see you then.”

  He smiled. Victory at last. They were both still at work, so kissing her would have to be tabled until later. But he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Can’t wait.”

  * * *

  “Is it me?” Bess whispered, as she and Jack settled into their seats midway up the theater. She gave in to a full body shiver. “Or is it cold in here?”

  “Definitely cold.” Jack set the popcorn bucket and boxes of chocolate caramel candy in the empty seat to his left.

  She set their two sodas in the drink holders to their right. They stood, facing each other. Excitement rippled through her. Because it was the late show on a weeknight, the theater was near empty. “I don’t know whether to take off my coat or not,” she said.

  He studied the vents overhead. “Feels like they’ve got the heat going now. Maybe they had it off earlier to save energy.”

  “Makes sense.” Especially because their local multiplex wasn’t open during the day, except for Saturdays and Sundays. She undid the snaps on her parka. “I guess I’ll take mine off.”

  He guided it off her shoulders.

  Her pulse racing at the prospect of sitting next to him in the dark, she draped it against the back of her seat. “I can still put it around me if I need to.”

  He took his jacket off, too. Leaned down close enough to buss her temple. “Or you could just snuggle up to me.” He winked. “Then we’d both be warm.”

  More than that, she thought. Another tingle of awareness swept through her. Their fingers brushed as she handed him his drink. “Behave yourself, Dr. McCabe.”

  He looked pained. “Tall order, Nurse Monroe.”

  She couldn’t help it. In public or not, she returned his mischievous grin. A lighthearted vibe shimmered between them. Deciding she may as well enjoy this experience to the hilt, because who knew if they would ever end up at the movies alone again, she turned toward him, so her knee pressed against his thigh.

  The scent of the hot, freshly popped corn and rich chocolate tantalized them both. “So...” she murmured. “How would you feel about dumping the box of candy into the bucket?”

  Pleasure engulfed his smile. “You do that, too?” He held the bucket while she added the candy.

  “Every chance I get,” she admitted. “Makes for sweet and salty goodness.”

  He whispered in her ear. “I know what else makes for sweet and salty goodness.”

  She grinned. The lights dimmed and the trailers for coming attractions began. A few more couples, along with some lone individuals, made their way in, finding seats in the dark.

  Earlier, Bess had worried who they might run into. Now all she could think about was how right it felt to be there with Jack, sitting so close they touched. And how much fun she was having already.

  The movie began, and soon they were completely caught up in the reimagined It’s a Wonderful Life. The updated Frank Capra classic could have been the depiction of her life the previous month. Not nearly so tragic in actual events, of course, but the emotions depicted, the sense of hopelessness and despair of ever getting her life where she wanted it to be, were spot-on. As was the appearance of the angel...or in other words, her Jack...coming in to save the day.

  When the joyous denouement arrived, tears of happiness and relief were streaming down her face. Bess looked for a tissue. Only to have several thrust into her hand.

  “Figured you would need these,” Jack teased.

  She looked up at him, as the credits rolled and the lights slowly increased. “Uh-huh.” She tracked the moisture beneath his eyelid with her fingertip. “Seems I’m not the only one.”

  “What can I say?” He leaned over to touch noses with her. “I’m a big old softy in here.” He touched the center of his chest.

  A throat cleared from the aisleway. “I can second that,” a familiar male voice said.

  They turned in unison. Jack’s brother Chase was standing there with his wife, Mitzy. “Looks pretty cozy here,” Chase drawled.

  “Chase...” Mitzy warned.

  He shrugged. “Just saying.”

  Jack stood, helped Bess to her feet, then reached over and shook his brother’s hand. He leaned in to give his sister-in-law a hug. “Shouldn’t you two be home with your quadruplets?”

  Nice change of subject, Bess thought, relieved.

  Chase grinned. “Mitzy’s mom and stepdad are in town. They insisted we have a night out alone. Although...”

  Mitzy picked up where her husband left off. “We figured four toddlers at bedtime might be too much, so we stayed to get them tucked in before we headed out.”

  Bess smiled. “How are the boys?” she asked.

  “Great. Active. Well...” She looked at her husband with a veteran social worker’s tact. “...we should probably be going, cowboy.”

  Chase got the hint. He winked. “Nice to see you two together like this. Finally.”

  Mitzy murmured another warning and eased him away.

  “Sorry about that,” Bess said as she put on her coat and began gathering up their things.

  “I’m not,” Jack said, giving her an ornery grin.

  “Assumptions were made,” she said, her emotions suddenly all fired up.

  He gave her waist a playful squeeze before letting her go. “Assumptions never bother me.” But there was nothing detached about the look on his handsome face. “What does nag at me a little bit is when I forget something. Like what I wanted to have already asked you tonight.”

  “And what would that be?”

  He reached over to straighten the hood of her parka, untangling it from the ends of her hair. “To come over to my house tomorrow night and decorate gingerbread houses with the girls and me.”

  Bess felt suddenly much closer to her goal of husband and kids. Warning herself not to assume too much too fast, she asked, “Isn’t that sort of a private family activity?”

  “It is.” Jack lifted his hand to her face and rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone, then down the curve of her lower lip. His eyes darkened before he dropped his palm. “And it’s about time you were included,” he told her huskily. “Plus, the girls really want you to come.”

  Realizing this was mostly the girls’ doing, Bess’s wariness faded. “Okay, then, sure,” she said with a matter-of-fact smile. “What do I need to bring?”

  Jack took their trash in one hand, slid his other palm beneath her elbow and guided her down the stairs of the now empty theater. “Just yourself,” he advised, “and a whole lot of patience and artistic creativity.”

  * * *

  It was ele
ven thirty when Jack parked in the driveway of Bess’s home. She had left the holiday lights on that framed her porch and the front of her house. A small tabletop tree lit up the dining room window. It made a festive and yet somehow lonely picture. Good in that she was now celebrating the holiday with the vigor she should, but sad, too, like she was still getting only a small portion of the happiness she deserved.

  She’d been quiet on the short ride home from the theater. He wasn’t sure what she’d been thinking about. The underlying sadness through most of the movie, before the joyous ending? Running into his brother and sister-in-law?

  He only knew that whatever it was had left her feeling vulnerable in a way he really hated to see.

  Her eyes locked on his. Without warning, her emotional guard was back up. “Thank you for coming with me tonight, but you’re off duty now. You don’t have to walk me in.”

  Like he was going to let the chance to kiss her properly good-night go by? When this was the closest thing they’d ever had to an actual date?

  Jack scoffed. “Bah humbug, woman! Of course I do.” He was already out of the car, coming around to get her door before she could take her seat belt off. “I was raised a Texas gentleman, remember?” He gave her a hand out of his SUV, then escorted her up the walk. “My mama would have my hide if she knew I left a lady standing in the driveway.”

  Laughing, Bess slid her key in the lock and opened the front door. Stood in the threshold, blocking his way. “Well, it was awfully nice of you, Jack, but I think in our case Rachel would understand if you had made a quick getaway. Especially given how late it is.”

  Jack doubted that. Not that his parents’ view of his love life or previous lack thereof was any concern to him.

  “Neither here nor there,” he said lightly. “And I’m happy to note, the clock hasn’t struck midnight yet. So...what do you say? Going to invite me in for eggnog?”

  She threw back her head and laughed again, and it was a lovely, soft musical sound. “You don’t like eggnog.”