Unforgettable Christmas - Gifts of Love (The Unforgettables Book 3)

by Mimi Barbour

  Her breath caught at how well Alex did being here. A sense of relief washed over her. Maybe she didn't have anything to worry about after all.

  “Well, that answers that question.” Lance had come up behind her. “Tamara and Alex are both infatuated with Frenzy, and he's soaking it all in by entertaining them both. Maybe this shared pet custody is going to work out just fine after all. And as a perk, I get to see more of you.” He brushed his hand along her arm. “How's your head? You hit it hard, didn't you?”

  “A little,” she replied, not tearing her gaze away from her son. “I'll be okay. Nothing an ibuprofen can't fix.” Between Lance's touch, how close he stood to her, and the fact that she now stood in his family's home feeling completely welcome made her wonder when their friendship shifted to something different. She thought about the kiss under the mistletoe. Lance's mother must have done it on purpose, and a quick kiss probably would have sufficed, but Lance took it a step further. Not that Cara complained, other than Shelly freaking out and the smack of her head in the door jamb.

  “Ah, so the mysterious woman is real,” a booming male voice said from behind them.

  “Oh, be quiet. I'm not the one who likes to make up stories. That's your job,” Lance teased, giving Cara's hand a squeeze. “Cara, I'd like you to meet my disorganized brother, Jamie.”

  “Disorganized? Is that how you're describing me now?” Jamie scowled at his brother. “Nice to meet you, Cara.”

  “Inside joke. And I won't tell you why,” Lance shot back. “I know how it'll make you squirm for a while.”

  “Well in that case, it doesn't bother me a bit.” Jamie stepped closer to Cara. “I'll pay you twenty dollars cash if you spill the secret.”

  “Don't do it.” Lance tugged on her hand, drawing her close to him. “I'll... I don't know how, but I'll one up my brother somehow.” He grinned when Cara turned his way.

  “Mom! You should see the craft room! It's so cool!” Shelly practically bounced back in the living room. So that's where she'd gone. Cara wondered after not seeing her for a while ever since she freaked out about the kiss.

  “Dinner time!” Lance's mother called.

  After a few more introductions, they were all seated around the large, antique table in the dining room. Alex sat to her left, with Shelly beside him, and Lance sat to her right. The ham smelled so good, her mouth watered! Family photos hung on the back wall. The tablecloth screamed Christmas with its deep red color and a large green tree in the middle.

  “I took some pictures of Tamara, Alex, and Frenzy. I hope you don't mind.” Lance found Cara's hand under the table and held it.

  “I'd love to see them. No, I don't mind,” she replied quietly. He sent her another dimpled smile. Seeing him tonight with his family made Cara long for that kind of life.

  What she loved most about tonight was Alex's well behaved attitude and how everyone included him in conversations and things, even if he didn't respond right away or sometimes not at all. His large appetite showed tonight as he ate two and a half plates full of food. He rocked slightly and when he spoke, his voice had its usual loudness to it, but no one called him out on it.

  If this had been two years ago at Ethan's parents' house, there would have been fighting and hurtful words slinging across the room.

  But this... this she could get used to.

  She would not get used to it, because if this type of gathering never happened again, Cara didn't want to have her sights set so high.

  *****

  Lance had to hand it to his mother- despite the mistletoe kiss trick, she'd done well with not playing the matchmaker card. Granted, when he'd taken the kiss with Cara to another level, his mother had been right there and she must have known she didn't need to prompt tonight. Lance's feelings for Cara went deeper than a friend, more than someone he could talk to about widowed parent struggles. It had been that way all week, really. Ever since the Christmas party.

  Cara was quiet tonight, and he wondered why. Both of her kids were doing well, engaging in conversation. Mom and Shelly definitely hit it off, and Alex seemed to be comfortable. A few times he rambled loudly about things, but everyone stopped to listen and was patient. This boy was pretty smart, and when he talked about the things he had an interest in, it showed so much promise for him. So why the quiet attitude from Cara? Was something wrong? Maybe she had a headache from smacking the back of her head. He should go get her something to take for the pain, but so far she hadn't asked about it.

  “Daddy, can I spend the night at Grandma's?” Tamara asked. Curled up on the rocking chair next to the Christmas tree, she rested her head on the side as she lowered her eyelids.

  “Ma? Is that okay?” Lance checked with her for confirmation.

  “She's more than welcome,” Ma replied as she and Cara worked together to put away the leftovers. Cara had insisted she help. Ma tried to wave her out of the kitchen, but ended up giving in. Probably to dish out embarrassing stories about Lance and to find out how she felt about him. Alex finally moved from the dinner table and walked out in the living room, searching for Frenzy. He wasn't sitting with Tamara at the moment. Lance scanned the room, looking for the ever so popular pet, but he was nowhere to be found.

  Tamara yawned. Lance scooped her up in his arms and hugged her. “Did you have a good night?” He carried her to the spare bedroom his parents had set up for her.

  “Yeah. Alex and Shelly are nice. Frenzy likes him.” Tiny little hands slid around his neck. “He can come back. I like sharing Frenzy with Alex. He laughs at the silly stuff.”

  Lance chuckled. “We'll invite them back.” His daughter's stamp of approval felt good. He set her down on the bed and helped her with her pajamas. Her tiny body was still bruised in many places from the accident, but they looked much better then they had a few days ago.

  Once dressed, she slid under the covers and rested her head on the pillow. “Can Cara come in and do story voice, too?” she pleaded.

  “Let me see if she's ready.” Stepping away, Lance peeked out the door. “Hey Cara?” His heart raced. Tamara began to attach herself to Cara and the kids, which was a good thing, since he wanted to pursue something further with her.

  She rounded the corner, drying her hands on a dish towel. Lance frowned at her squint. “Need something?” she asked quietly.

  “Tamara is requesting your assistance with your talented story voice,” he replied, hoping for the best.

  Cara froze and looked behind her. Probably at Alex and Shelly. With Jamie and Dad in the living room, they were all engaged in some kind of TV show.

  Her smile grew. “I'd love too.” With the gesture, his unease faded. But when Cara stepped into the room and the brighter light, she squinted again. Tamara squealed, Lance stopped Cara before she scooted on the bed.

  “You're squinting. Are you in pain?” He checked her pupils. No signs of a concussion, at least at the moment.

  “Just a headache.” Cara waved it off. “I'm fine.”

  He watched her like a hawk the entire time they did the story. Tamara loved it. She laughed and pointed. Once the book ended, Lance kissed his daughter goodnight. She hugged Cara as well, then they left the room. He flicked off the light.

  Cara had already headed to the living room to check on her kids. Lance heard her thank his parents for inviting her over. She'd hesitated about coming and he knew why. He'd spent a few hours learning more about children with Asperger's and autism and realized a lot of parents didn't like going out with their kids to other houses and public places- not because they were embarrassed about their kids, but because others didn't know and understand, therefore creating a scene. He definitely saw the unease in Cara, he had ever since meeting her. With stories of bullying and nasty notes left to parents... he understood her hesitance. Maybe after seeing how well tonight went, he could help ease her mind and worry.

  “This is really neat!” Shelly said to his mother. Lance watched them for a second. They were sitting side by side at the table, w
orking on a craft project. Ma's sewing kit contents were scattered around them. Cara sat beside Alex in the living room as he fiddled with one of his electronic toys. She pointed something out on it and winced again when Alex spoke loudly.

  “Cara,” Lance said softly, standing before her. “Are you sure you don't want me to take a look? You keep wincing and you squint. I don't want to send you home with a concussion.”

  “I don't think I do, but I'll take some kind of pain reliever,” she insisted.

  “I'd feel a lot better if I knew for sure,” he prodded gently, holding out his hand.

  With a sigh, she climbed to her feet. In silence, they headed for the bathroom. As expected, she squinted in the bright light. Searching through the cabinet, he found a bottle, tapped out two pills, and handed them to her. Then he grabbed a paper cup, stacked in the corner and filled it with water. She didn't even hesitate. Cara downed the pills with the water and set the cup down.

  “I don't mean to sound so crass. I appreciate the concern. It's getting late, and Alex likes his routine. I don't want anything to happen.”

  “I'm sorry if tonight made you uncomfortable. I guess I don't realize how much your concern for your son impacts you. But know that you have nothing to worry about here. Everyone adores you and the kids.” Including me. His silent admission startled him.

  Cara bowed her head. “I really try. It's hard. Everywhere I go, someone is staring. Alex has been amazingly well behaved tonight. I didn't even think he'd talk, but he surprised me. I'm blown away by how wonderful your family is.”

  Her words left an ache in his heart. Not everyone had a loving family nearby. “You've never had that kind of family time?” She'd mentioned this recently, but it never sank in that moments such as these were rare for her.

  “Not with my own, and definitely not with Ethan's. They all blamed me for Alex's... condition. Sometimes, I still blame myself, wondering if anything I did or didn't do could have changed the outcome. The process in my mind to handle things is not a pretty place. It's been a few months and I still struggle.”

  His heart hurt for her. Lance placed his hands on her shoulders, then bent to look her in the eye. “One day, you'll see how amazing you are. I've known you only a little while and I'm already in awe of you.” Lance gently brushed her hair from her face.

  Cara's eyes met his. Her lips parted.

  “Spend Christmas with us, Cara. Let me show you not everyone is out to judge. I think you're a beautiful, strong woman. Alex and Shelly are lucky to have you.” He closed in to kiss her until they both jumped, startled, when a commotion from the living room stopped them.

  “Oh no. Alex. He's having another meltdown!” Cara cried, covering her face with her hands before running out of the bathroom. “I was afraid of this.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Cara didn't take calls from Lance for three days after the night at his parents' house. Alex had been tired and wanted Frenzy when he darted off to Tamara's room. She shouldn't have left the room, even for a minute. The horror and surprised looks on Lance's father and brother's faces...and the concern from his mother. Cara couldn't take it. The meltdown lasted twenty minutes and had woken up Tamara. She couldn't even get Alex in the car until after the meltdown ended. Lance's family ended up leaving the living room to give them privacy. It turned out to be one of the worst meltdowns in a while, and her son had nearly knocked down the tree.

  Lance had stayed. He tried to calm Cara down when she was on the verge of having a breakdown. That man was a saint or something. He just took it all in stride and helped the best he could. Cara should have left earlier to avoid this.

  On top of already feeling horrible about the way things went, she'd been hit with a cold and severe congestion. The persistent bug still affected her days later. Sipping some hot tea while Alex played on his tablet, Cara shifted and moved the blanket further up her legs. She wanted so badly to climb into bed and sleep this funk off. Not for another hour or two. Hopefully her head and nose would be a little clearer for work tomorrow. Her entire body ached beyond belief like a ton of bricks had landed on her, crushing her inside and out.

  “I wanna see Frenzy again,” Alex announced, not looking up from his tablet.

  “Sure bud. I'll see what I can do,” Cara said before letting out a series of coughs. And she would, just not until she got her feelings in check.

  An hour later, Alex stuck to his routine and crawled into bed. No fuss, no problems. Cara closed his door and sighed with relief. She was about to go back and grab her blanket when the doorbell rang. Who in the world would be here at eight o'clock? It wasn't that late of a time, but with being sick and exhausted it seemed crazy.

  “Oh! Mom I meant to tell you-” Shelly said as Cara pulled open the door, coming face to face with Lance.

  “Hi.” He held up a pot. “I come with a peace offering. I heard you weren't feeling well.”

  “Yeah, I forgot to tell Mom about you dropping by.” Shelly's sheepish smile made it difficult for Cara to be annoyed.

  “Come on in,” Cara offered, stepping back. Heat rushed to her cheeks. She looked and felt like a fool. She wasn't about to be rude and turn him away since he'd come out just to check on her. The gesture was sweet, actually.

  Lance entered the house. “Ma's homemade chicken noodle soup is a good cure for a cold.”

  As Cara closed the door, Shelly grabbed the pot from him. “I'll warm some up for you while you two talk.” Before she could get a word in, her daughter had already left the room.

  “I think we've been set up,” Lance said softly. “I've been trying to get a hold of you the past few days to see how you all are.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Cara's head throbbed. The sound of his voice normally soothed her, but right now it hurt her head. Almost any sound did. She gestured to the furniture. “Want to sit? I was actually going to bed. I've gotten progressively worse today. How's Tamara?”

  “She's great. Actually, she asks about Alex and if he can come over so they can play with Frenzy together.” Lance made himself comfortable on the couch as Cara curled up on the chair again. “I see you've put up your decorations. Looks great!”

  “Alex loves them, so we made sure to go all out. He's been happier since. He's also asked about Frenzy.”

  “You've avoided my calls on purpose,” Lance stated. His gaze swept over her. She detected a note of hurt.

  “Yeah,” she admitted after a while. “Really, I didn't expect you to want to talk to me again.”

  “Why? Because your son is being a typical kid who has a meltdown every once in a while?”

  “But he's not typical! Alex has-”

  “Asperger's, I know. I've read about it. But Cara, it doesn't change that he's a great kid. Sure, he has meltdowns, but it's not like you have to stop living your life because of them. What I'm saying is, I care about you. All three of you. Don't shut out the world because you're afraid.”

  “You don't get it,” she huffed. Her chest hurt from the congestion. “I try not to let it get the better of me, but here's the thing. I grew up 'different'.” She made air quotes. “I had a severe learning disability. Do you know how many times I was picked on? Even my family didn't understand me. Dad's parents and siblings always looked at me differently. It hurt! So yes, I'm cautious now. For myself and for my son, and for Shelly who also gets the brunt of our problems.”

  “So you're insecure.”

  She bristled. “I-”

  Lance held up a hand. “Hear me out. I'm insecure, too. Don't look at me like that. What, you think because I'm male that I don't have insecurities? I do. I've got a five year old daughter who depends on me. A five year old who wants a mother in her life. I can't give my heart out that easily because my wife cheated on me.”

  Tension clung to the air like static. Cara stared at him, dumbfounded.

  “Yeah. I found out after she died, too. Here's the worst thing about it. Your daughter warned me the other night not to hurt you, that your husband did eno
ugh damage. She said she thinks her father had an affair. It's stuck so much in my mind that I looked over the letters to Lauren and they're signed from someone whose name starts with E. Guess where my mind has been.”

  She gasped. “You can't possibly think-” Lance actually thought it was possible that Lauren and Ethan had an affair!

  “I wish I could erase that! I don't want to think our deceased spouses had a fling together! This is what I'm trying to tell you. I'm insecure, too. But it doesn't stop me from wanting to know you. We connect in ways I can't with anyone else, and I want to explore all the ways it could lead to something special. We're both stuck in our pasts. How do we deal with it?”

  Her head throbbed with pain. Shelly darted from the kitchen to her room, probably trying to avoid the crossfire. “I don't know.” She'd already struggled with feelings, and now tonight's admission from Lance really bothered her. An affair. Shelly thought Ethan had an affair? She'd told this to Lance of all people?

  What were the chances? This was a small Arizona town. No way! How would she ever find out? Could she really put this out of her mind and forget it?

  *****

  Lance did not come to Cara's tonight to argue. He'd just wanted to do something nice for her, especially because she wasn't feeling well. He'd worried about her, since he hadn't heard anything after the night at his family's house.

  Laying it out on the line about the affair suspicions and his own insecurities really put things into perspective for him. How could he move on from his past?

  And now that their families were slightly blended because of two children's affections over a pet, what happens? Could they remain friends long enough to let Alex see Frenzy? If they walked away from the other right now, how would he react?