The Secret Christmas Child

by Lee Tobin McClain

  “I heard that,” Reese called.

  “We’re sorry.” Gabby studied her grandmother’s face. She did, indeed, look as well as ever. According to the doctors at the hospital, she’d simply overdone it and neglected drinking fluids on the day she’d helped with the boys, and it had caused her to get lightheaded and pass out. All of her tests had come back normal, so she’d been released early that morning with an admonition to pace herself better and stay hydrated.

  It was a big relief, but the last thing Gabby wanted to do was to leave Nana alone, or even with Sheniqua.

  “You don’t have a choice,” Nana said firmly.

  “That’s right,” Sheniqua added. “Me and Miss Estelle are going to watch the National Gospel Choir’s Christmas concert, and she’s going to help me with my knitting project.”

  “And it might be that I’m working on a project, myself, that you have no business seeing before Christmas. So go on, give a woman some privacy to make a gift for you!”

  “But it’s your day off!” Gabby said to Sheniqua. “Are you sure...”

  “There’s nowhere I’d rather spend it.” She looked fondly at Nana. “I told you she’s my favorite patient. I wasn’t kidding.”

  Gabby looked at Reese, who’d come to stand in the doorway, and shrugged. “I guess we have no choice.” And it was a good thing, she supposed. They’d never had the opportunity to resume their conversation. Maybe today was the day.

  The idea of talking to him about how his cousin had assaulted her had her quaking with nerves. Reese had been so lovely, helping with Nana. She didn’t want to lose the feeling of being even closer to him.

  But if that closeness was to be real and ongoing, they couldn’t have secrets. So she’d gather her courage and talk to him this afternoon.

  Jacob burst into the room, still in his snowy jacket. He’d been throwing sticks for Biff in the snow, and his cheeks were as rosy as apples. “Can you take me Christmas shopping?” he asked Gabby. “Nana was going to, but she can’t.”

  “And pick me up a couple of last-minute gifts,” Nana said. “Hand me that pad and pencil and I’ll make a list.”

  “Um, sure.” So much for having the time and opportunity to talk to Reese.

  “And if you’re doing all that,” Sheniqua said, “you’d better leave sweet Izzy with us.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t.” Gabby stopped in the act of getting the struggling baby into her fleece jacket.

  Nana handed her the scribbled list. “Go on, now, and leave the baby to us. We have work to do and a show to watch.”

  When Gabby hesitated, Nana took her hand. “Let me feel a little useful. Please?”

  That was different. “You’ve got a deal,” she said, and handed the baby to Nana.

  As they rode into town in Reese’s truck, Gabby felt tense but excited. She was worried about Nana and worried about the show...which had been her idea, and if it failed, how would she live with herself?

  Most of all, she was worried about telling Reese her secret.

  But having that conversation was going to be a lot harder, probably impossible, with Jacob in tow.

  Reese pulled in to the last diagonal parking space on Main Street. It was unseasonably warm, and the sun was bright. Icicles dripped from the edges of the buildings and the sidewalks were almost dry of snow, although heaps of it remained along the street.

  Dozens of shoppers strolled, looking into shop windows, bundles in hand. The warm weather and clear sky made it a perfect day for last-minute shopping.

  The perfect day for a romantic walk with someone you cared about, too. Gabby’s coat sleeve kept brushing against Reese’s, making her catch her breath.

  She was so aware of him: his easy, athletic stride, the way he waved to people he knew—friendly, but not as if he wanted to stop and talk. He made her feel like he wanted to focus on her, and the sensation was heady.

  She even had a little bit of the hero worship she’d felt when they were teenagers together. She was walking downtown with one of the most popular, best-liked football players in town. It upped her status immensely.

  And Reese had no clue of how much people admired him, wanted to be his friend.

  The back of his hand brushed hers, and the temptation to turn her hand over and interlace her fingers with his was strong, but she didn’t do it. Too public of a place...a decision that was validated a minute later when a couple of the Rescue Haven kids came up and started high-fiving Jacob.

  In just a short while, he’d become part of the community. He stood up straighter, smiled more readily, sounded more relaxed as he greeted people—other kids and adults alike.

  As the other boys walked away, she noticed he was standing straighter still, forking a hand through his hair, the color rising in his cheeks. She turned in the direction he was looking.

  Paige.

  The pretty teenager stood in front of the window of the pet store, dressed in her stylish jeans and boots, apparently alone.

  Gabby’s heart clenched up as she watched Jacob suck in a big breath and then head over to her. Her brother wasn’t just a kid; he was well on his way to falling in love.

  “Hey, Paige,” she heard him say in an elaborately casual voice.

  “Oh, hey!” Something about the way she said it made Gabby suspect that she’d placed herself in Jacob’s path on purpose.

  “This isn’t good,” Reese said quietly to Gabby, and strode over to the teenagers. “Hey, honey. Do your folks know where you are?”

  “They know I’m shopping in town,” she said, and then turned to Jacob. “Want to hang out?”

  He glanced over at Gabby and Reese. “Um, sure, if it’s okay with you guys.”

  Gabby looked at Reese and shrugged. “It’s okay with me, if they stay close by.”

  Reese looked troubled for a moment and then shook his head as if to clear it. “For a little while.”

  As the teens walked fifty feet in front of them, talking intently, Gabby smiled over at Reese. “Puppy love?”

  “Looks like.” He glanced over at her. “Brings up some memories, doesn’t it?”

  Gabby’s face warmed. “Yeah. It does.”

  He didn’t say any more, but his steps slowed a little, and she glanced over at him. “What?”

  “I really feel like we need to sit down and talk,” he said. “I guess now isn’t the time, with Jacob, and your grandma, and the show. But right after that, let’s you and I make sure we get some private time.”

  “I’d...like that,” she said. And then, because she couldn’t stop herself, she asked, “Is anything wrong?”

  “Wrong, right, I don’t know,” he said. “My aunt and uncle said a few things that I don’t think are quite right. Wanted to run them by you.”

  Dread clenched Gabby’s throat, rendering her unable to speak. What had Reese’s aunt and uncle been saying to him? What did they know about her?

  What did they suspect?

  She bit her lip. “I... I do want to talk. We need to. But...” She looked up at him.

  “But what?” When she hesitated, he gave her upper arm a little shake. “Don’t hesitate or try to protect me. You can say it!”

  “Be careful what you ask for,” she said. Her voice was shaky and the joking tone she was trying for didn’t come through.

  Suddenly, a hand clamped down on her shoulder and another on Reese’s, and they turned to see Reese’s uncle frowning and looking ahead at Jacob and Paige. “What on earth is going on?” he asked.

  * * *

  Reese’s heart sank. His aunt and uncle were the last people he wanted to see. He’d been enjoying Gabby’s company and feeling close to her. Watching Paige and Jacob’s feelings for each other start to grow, he’d been thrown back headlong into the weeks and months when he’d been falling for Gabby, and the memories had been sweet.

  N
ow, though, the feelings he had were based on more. She was a coworker and a mother and a caring sister and granddaughter. In addition to being attracted to her and liking her personality, he now felt admiration for who she was.

  But seeing his aunt and uncle brought back all the negative things they’d said when he’d met them for dinner.

  He didn’t believe that Gabby was a bad person, not in the least. Any bad influencing that had been done in the past had probably gone from Brock to Gabby, not the reverse. Maybe they’d gotten into a little trouble at a party or something, but he couldn’t imagine that Gabby had been the wild woman pulling Brock off his pedestal.

  The idea that she might be using Reese...that didn’t hold water, either. She just wasn’t the type. She was a good person. And she certainly more than carried her weight at work.

  The only thing that nagged at him was the question of whether she’d be put off by his disability. He’d seen no evidence of that at all, but she might have some hesitations or squeamishness beneath the surface. You couldn’t talk yourself out of that.

  “I’ve made it clear,” Aunt Catherine said now, “that I don’t want Paige hanging around that boy.”

  Gabby’s shoulders stiffened and she turned, slowly. “His name is Jacob,” she said.

  “Oh, I know his name, and his game. Yours, too.”

  “What does that even mean?” Gabby sounded bewildered.

  “How’s your baby?” his aunt asked.

  “She’s fine. Jacob,” she called.

  The boy turned, did a double take and said something to Paige. They talked for a minute and then came back toward the adults, reluctance obvious in every dragging step.

  “Come on,” Gabby said to Jacob. “We need to pick up some things in here.” She took his shoulder and steered him into the bookstore, giving a “nice to see you” half wave over her shoulder.

  “I need a book, too,” Paige said, lifting her chin as if defying her parents to yell at her.

  “Not without me, you don’t.”

  “Then you’d better hurry, because I’m going in.” And Paige strode into the bookstore, chin held high.

  It called to mind Brock, who’d been quick to defy his parents’ orders and never suffered a consequence for it.

  Reese tapped his aunt’s shoulder. “I won’t have you being rude to Gabby,” he said.

  Her eyes widened. “You’re telling me what to do?”

  “It seems necessary,” he said. “Please don’t criticize Jacob, either. He’s a good kid and he’s done nothing wrong.”

  Aunt Catherine sniffed. “The very idea!” She spun and followed Paige into the store.

  The moment the others were out of earshot, Uncle Clive started in. “I see you’re still spending time with Gabby. Our offer to help with the Rescue Haven program still stands, but my patience won’t last forever.”

  “I’m losing some patience myself.” He smiled briefly at his uncle, more of a grimace, really. “I’m not interested in money that’s given to me with those types of strings attached.”

  “Just wait,” Uncle Clive said. “You’ll soon see what type of woman Gabby is, and then you’ll come crawling back to us, wishing you’d listened.”

  “Doubtful,” Reese said.

  Nonetheless, there were doubts in his mind. And fears, too. What if the show didn’t go well tomorrow and Mr. Romano didn’t come through? Would Reese have to take the donation of his aunt and uncle, under their conditions? Would he be able to do that, for the sake of the kids, at Gabby’s expense?

  Chapter Eleven

  Tuesday started off with a bang—literally.

  Gabby had just turned her back on Izzy for the time it took to stir the oatmeal. But it was long enough for her to somehow grab on to her old wooden high chair—thankfully she’d been standing beside it, not sitting in it—and knock it over.

  Her wails seemed out of proportion, considering that she fell onto her diaper-padded behind at least twenty times per day. Gabby soon saw the reason why. Biff raced through the kitchen holding Izzy’s teddy bear high in the air.

  “Ba! Ba!” Izzy yelled, her face turning almost purple.

  Gabby tried to grab the bear, but she was no match for Biff. “Jacob, could you try to...” She gestured toward the dog, who was now dancing closer, clearly trying to entice Gabby into a game of keep-away.

  “I’ll get it!” Jacob ran for Biff, who ran away rapidly, head high, tail wagging. The dog moved just fast enough to keep ahead of the laughing Jacob.

  “Mercy, what’s going on here?” Nana came into the kitchen in her bathrobe, moving slowly.

  “Careful, Jacob!” she yelled, but she couldn’t get the same message across to Biff, who came perilously close to knocking Nana down.

  From the stove came a scorched smell. At the same moment, Jacob yelled, “Something stinks!”

  “It’s the oatmeal,” she said, and hurried over to turn off the gas burner.

  “Um, I think it’s Izzy.” Jacob picked up the baby, inhaled, then wrinkled his nose. “She needs a change.”

  Patience, Gabby told herself. It had been the subject of the devotional she’d read this morning. Who would have known she’d need to put it into action so quickly?

  Once she’d gotten Izzy cleaned, and Nana and Jacob fed with a new batch of oatmeal, she tucked Izzy and Nana in together on the couch with a stack of board books and a pile of warm blankets. Then she hurried Jacob to the barn. Reese had been adamant that he wanted everyone to be on time for their last day of rehearsals before tonight’s performance.

  She’d disagreed with his having everyone come early—knowing what she knew about Jacob, she’d think teen boys would do better with extra sleep—but he’d been so uptight that she hadn’t wanted to argue with him.

  When she saw the chaos in the barn, though, she wished she’d spoken up. The younger boys were running around wildly, winding up the dogs and getting them barking. The older boys were spread out in the corners of the barn, sleeping or tapping on their phones.

  Paige and her mother walked into the chaos and simply stared.

  Jacob looked up, and the blank longing on his face made her heart hurt.

  “Hey!” Paige yelled. “Listen up!”

  The glamour of Paige had worn off, though, and no one listened.

  “Where is Reese?” asked Mrs. Markowski.

  Gabby was wondering the same thing. When she walked over and looked at the dogs, she got her answer. He was kneeling in front of Bundi’s crate beside Wolf.

  “Is she all right?” Wolf asked, his mouth twisted with concern. “Why isn’t she coming out?”

  “Too many people running around, too much noise. She’s confused.”

  “Hey, everyone, shut up!” Wolf roared, and finally, the boys listened.

  “I don’t appreciate the way the boys are acting,” Paige said to Jacob, her voice snippy.

  “It’s not my fault,” Jacob protested.

  “You could at least try to get everyone to calm down.”

  She sounded almost exactly like her mother. Yikes.

  Gabby didn’t want to listen in, and Biff gave her an excuse not to by throwing up.

  “Oh, he ate a bunch of that burnt oatmeal,” Jacob said.

  Patience, Gabby reminded herself as she went to get paper towels to clean up after the big dog.

  “I have to do some errands,” Reese’s aunt said stiffly to Gabby as she knelt scrubbing at the floor. “I expect you to keep those two behaving.” She nodded toward Jacob and Paige.

  “I’ll do my best,” Gabby promised.

  The rest of the morning’s rehearsal didn’t go much better. When Paige’s mother came back to pick her up for a hair appointment she claimed was absolutely necessary, she caught Paige and Jacob kissing in one of the empty stalls. It took all the persuasion Gabby and Reese co
uld muster to keep Aunt Catherine from pulling Paige out of the show.

  As the boys went home for dinner and changing, with admonitions to meet at the church at six o’clock sharp, Gabby could see Reese’s mouth pulled down in a frown. “It’ll be okay,” she said.

  “How can you be so sure?” he snapped.

  “Whoa.” She held up her hands. “I’m not sure, not one hundred percent. But dress rehearsals are notoriously bad. They’re likely to pull it together for the show.”

  “I hope so. The whole program is riding on this.”

  What he didn’t say, though he could have, was that that fact was all due to Gabby, who’d come up with the bright idea of putting on a show in a week.

  If it failed, it would be on her, and it would affect a lot of boys.

  * * *

  Reese had never been a nail-biter, but he was considering taking it up.

  The show was to start in half an hour, and the church’s fellowship hall was filling up with people. Most of them were members of the congregation who were here to be supportive and enjoy a little Christmas cheer. But a few were here because of the controversy, the questions Mr. Romano had raised.

  “There are a lot of people,” Gabby said as she came to stand beside him. “That’s good, right?”

  “That’s good. If it goes well.” He didn’t want to be too positive, because he’d been at the rehearsals today and he’d seen how ragged the show was.

  Mr. Romano had a front-row seat and was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, not talking to anyone. In fact, no one had taken the chairs on either side of him, probably because he looked so antagonistic.

  Great. He was a moody man anyway, and he was clearly in a mood tonight.

  All of a sudden, Gabby’s grandmother came in and sat down beside Mr. Romano on one side. Bernadette Williams sat down on the other.

  Gabby hurried over, and Reese could hear her scolding her grandmother for coming out so soon after being in the hospital.