Texas Christmas

by Nancy Robards Thompson

  Well, good for him, Rob thought, as he claimed his own seat. He relished the thought that he would be able to eat his meal in peace, but he wasn’t kidding himself. This reprieve simply meant he would have to make extra effort later to pay his respects to the hostess.

  That was confirmed when Kate, who had been working the crowd, took her seat and whispered, “I told you we should’ve been early. Your last round of video games got us removed from the head table.”

  He laughed because he thought Kate was kidding. “What?”

  She elbowed him in the ribs. “Stop laughing. It’s not funny. My friend Anne Oates is working the check-in table. She asked me what we did to make Raven mad, because about fifteen minutes before we arrived she moved us from her table to this one.”

  “Seriously?” He was too surprised to say much more. Did people really act like that? Silently, he answered his own question: He knew some women did. His ex-wife was a prime example. She moved people around like pawns on a chessboard, positioning them to her advantage. It had been that way from the day she’d turned up pregnant with Cody until the day she walked out on them for a situation that better suited her purposes.

  Caution flares had gone off the moment he’d met Raven Chairez, and Kate had informed him that rumors were circulating that he was Raven’s conquest.

  He’d sensed that Raven and his ex, Miranda, were cut from the same cloth—only Miranda hadn’t been born with a rich daddy the way Raven had. Miranda had to create her situation, and she’d done that by getting pregnant with his child.

  Well, that lesson had taught him that he would be nobody’s prize. He was not up for auction or for sale.

  That must’ve been how Pepper Merriweather had felt when she learned that she came with a half-million-dollar employment dowry. Looking at it from this vantage point, he understood. No one liked to feel personally bought or sold. Despite the bikini shots that had been taken by the paparazzi when she was on vacation, Pepper was apparently made of more substance than he’d given her credit for.

  Still, there was the matter of a potential donation to the pediatric wing from the Raven Chair Affair. As dinner and the formal addresses wound down and the dancing began, he knew he needed to try to leave things on a cordial businesslike note with Raven.

  “Good evening, Raven,” he said.

  She whirled around and feigned surprise, as if she were seeing him for the first time that evening. “Robert Macintyre.” She grabbed his hand with both of hers and leaned in, offering him her cheek, which he brushed with a chaste kiss. “How lovely to see you tonight.” She was still holding on to his hand as if she had no intention of letting him get away. “Are you having a good time?”

  Rob smiled. “This is quite a party you’ve thrown tonight. Everyone’s saying you’ve outdone yourself. Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

  A fire smoldered in her eyes. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  He led her onto the dance floor, blessing his sister’s name for insisting he learn the basic box step so he wouldn’t look like an awkward boy at his first middle school dance.

  He and Kate had never learned these things growing up. He was grateful that his sister seemed to have an innate sense of social appropriateness and worked hard to keep him in line. Though she would never admit it, he knew she would be relieved if he found someone who could take a bit of the responsibility off her—no one liked to be tethered to her brother and nephew out of a sense of obligation. But Kate was all about family, and she had certainly proven that during the horrendous eighteen months he and Cody had been through since the accident that claimed the life of Kate and Rob’s father and left Cody in a wheelchair. The doctors had said the possibility of his being able to walk again was slim to none. Then the cherry on top was Miranda’s grand exodus. That made the thought of ever trusting a woman again a very murky prospect. But Rob knew his sister would not stop mothering him and Cody until Rob showed signs that he was at least open to the idea of...someone.

  Through the crowd, he caught a glimpse of a slight blonde who, at a glance, looked like Pepper. The possibility that it might be her made him catch his breath. But it wasn’t her. On second glance, the woman looked nothing like her.

  “You’re so tense.” Raven massaged his back with the hand that was on his shoulder. “Are you not having fun?”

  “I’m having a wonderful time,” he fibbed. What was he supposed to say?

  “You were so late arriving I thought you’d changed your mind about coming.”

  Really, he hadn’t been that late. Her chastising tone grated on his patience. He decided it would be best to not say anything since, once again, he wasn’t sure exactly how he was supposed to respond.

  “I had originally seated you at my table.” She was stroking his neck with her finger. The featherlight motion tickled, but he steeled himself and resisted the urge to shrug away. “But since you were so late, I had to relocate you. How would it have looked if I’d had empty places at the head table?”

  “I apologize. I didn’t realize there was a firm check-in time.”

  Finally, she moved her hand away from his neck. She pulled back a little bit so that she was looking him in the eyes. “Your tardiness was disrespectful. It sent a message that you don’t care about me or my charity.”

  Oh, no, don’t start with me, lady. “Look, I’m sorry. My son wasn’t feeling well, and I couldn’t leave until I was sure he was okay. In fact, there was one point today when I seriously doubted whether I’d be able to come at all. For me, my son comes first.”

  She pursed her bloodred lips and turned her cheek to him, looking everywhere but at him. “Well, this night isn’t about you. It’s my night and you’re not going to ruin it. Thank you for the dance. I see someone I need to talk to.”

  Ten minutes later Rob and Kate were outside waiting for the valet to bring around the car. Kate’s lips were turned up in a plastered-on smile, which meant Rob was going to catch hell when they got in the car and out of earshot of the others who were calling it an early evening. The upbraiding would go to the tune of:

  “Not one of your more stellar days, huh? First, you lose Agnes Sherwood’s half a million and then you alienate Raven Chairez. Maybe it would’ve been better if I’d come by myself tonight. Maybe we need to consider drawing some serious lines between Macintyre Enterprises and the Foundation. Because at this rate we’re never going to raise the money for the hospital.”

  He reached into his pocket to get a tip for the valet and pulled out his phone. The screen showed that he’d missed a call. Funny, he hadn’t felt his phone vibrate alerting him to the call.

  No wonder—the call had come in at five-thirty, probably in the midst of his getting ready for the party. It was a number he didn’t recognize.

  “Hi, Rob, it’s Pepper Merriweather. I was following up to thank you for meeting with me today. I apologize for being caught off guard by Agnes Sherwood’s...er...donation stipulation. The more I thought about it, the more I realize she’s absolutely right. The Macintyre Family Foundation is extraordinary, I love your mission of ‘family, community and education.’ I have a particular soft spot for your partnership with Celebration Memorial. I realize right now, you may not have any current openings within the Foundation. But I would like to talk to you more about the position that is open. If you’re still interested in me, please give me a call at your earliest convenience. Thank you.”

  The sound of her voice was like a breath of fresh air. It made the blood rush to his head and thrum in his ears. Yes, he was interested. She had no idea exactly how interested he was. If it wasn’t so late, he’d call her right now and tell her so.

  Chapter Ten

  For the second time in two days, Pepper found herself standing in the Emerald City atrium of Macintyre Enterprises. The same brunette was stationed at the reception desk. This time
, she greeted her by name.

  “Hello, Ms. Merriweather. Mr. Macintyre is expecting you.” She handed her the same visitor’s pass and directed her to the same elevator. “Please go right up.”

  She exited the elevator into the same emerald-tinged executive floor. There, she was once again greeted by Becca, who took her coat and offered her coffee. Pepper politely refused.

  As Becca ushered her into Rob’s office and she found herself standing face-to-face with him, it struck her that there weren’t too many times in life where you were granted a do-over.

  This meeting felt like one of those rare occasions.

  “So, here we are again,” Rob said. He really did have a great smile. It reached all the way to his eyes. Today he didn’t seem a bit smug. In fact, he seemed genuinely glad to see her.

  Maybe it hadn’t been all him the last time they met. She had been reeling over the news about her father. Even her friends had said she wasn’t herself. Now, things felt different—and that was such a blessing.

  “Yes, here we are again,” she said, smiling back at him. “Thanks so much for agreeing to give this one more shot.”

  “Before we take this any further, I have to be very up-front with you. I don’t regret kissing you. I do regret any pain or uncertainty or confusion it might have caused. My company has a strict no-fraternizing policy. I fire bosses for getting romantically involved with their subordinates. Because, to quote a very wise woman for whom I have immense respect, ‘when people get involved and it doesn’t work out things become awkward.’ That’s why I, above everyone, must follow my own rules. Are you on board with that, Pepper?”

  Maybe it defeated the point, maybe it didn’t, but hearing him admit that he didn’t regret the kiss made her very happy. Happy enough that she could fold away the memory and move ahead with her new life.

  There was something very comforting knowing that he’d be in her life. Even if they weren’t romantic, at least they would see each other. Since things had been so fleeting and impermanent these days, it was nice to know that he was indeed someone she could count on.

  “I am very on board with that,” she said.

  She smiled, and she allowed herself to acknowledge that it was okay to harbor a crush. As long as she kept that ship safely docked in the harbor.

  He smiled, too. The kind of smile that shone through to his eyes. “Why don’t we go over here and sit down where we can be comfortable?” He motioned to a grouping of white furniture on the opposite side of the office over by a wall of windows that was similar to those in the outer part of the executive offices. In his office, the decor had a similar feel, but the quality was superior and, she guessed, possibly more tailored to his taste.

  She followed him over. He took a seat and motioned for her to do the same. Before they began, he picked up a phone that had been resting on an end table next to his chair and dialed.

  “Becca, please bring us some coffee and send in Kate whenever she has a free moment.”

  Hmm... If Becca was the official elevator greeter and coffee fetcher, Pepper wondered what she would be doing as a personal assistant. And this Kate he was bringing in to join them—could she be Kate Macintyre, the one in charge of the Foundation? This could be interesting.

  Rob hung up and turned his gaze back to Pepper. “I guess a good place to start would be for me to tell you about the job.” He paused and studied her for a moment. She could see the virtual wheels turning in his mind.

  “Actually,” he continued, “I’ve rethought the job description since you were here. I had a chance to talk to my sister, Kate.”

  Ah, yes, she was the right Kate.

  “She seems to think you are way overqualified to serve simply as a personal assistant. I happen to agree.” Overqualified? Pepper’s heart sank. Then why had he called her back? “Would you have any interest in starting out in the Macintyre Enterprises side of the business and eventually moving over to the Foundation once a position becomes available? You see, the snag is that all changes within the Foundation must first be approved by the board. Even though our family name is on the letterhead, the Foundation is set up as a 501(c)3, and that means my hands are tied when it comes things like this. However, Kate and I both agree that your practical experience with nonprofits and your enthusiasm for our fund-raising partnership with the hospital make you an ideal candidate to join the team. We didn’t want to let you get away.”

  Flattery will get you anything you want.

  She bit her mental tongue and concentrated on what was important—that they didn’t want her to get away. Rob Macintyre wanted her here.

  It was the first time in a long time—well, at least since the collapse of Texas Star—that anyone besides Agnes and her best friends had said such a thing to her.

  She wondered if she should lay all her cards out on the table and, in all fairness and in the name of full disclosure, remind him that despite her father’s death the Merriweather name wasn’t a favorite in the business world at the moment.

  But Robert Macintyre hadn’t risen to this station in the business world by being uninformed. If he had agreed to give her a second chance, it wasn’t a pity date. Of course, the half-million-dollar endowment probably did sweeten the pot....

  She decided a simple “Thank you, I would be honored to work for such a worthy organization” was all she needed to say.

  He was looking at her in that way that made her want to squirm, but she didn’t dare.

  “Do you mind telling me why Celebration Hospital is so near and dear to your heart?” he asked. “You mentioned that in the voice mail you left last night.”

  She should’ve been prepared for this question. It was only natural that he’d want to know. She decided that the best way to go was to give him the abbreviated version of the story.

  * * *

  Despite the smile on Pepper’s face, an aura of sadness seemed to settle around her. Something in her eyes, and the way she bit her bottom lip and glanced down at her hands before she spoke suggested that this extended beyond her father’s recent passing.

  “I had a twin brother,” she began. “He died when he was six. There was an accident and they weren’t able to save him.”

  Oh. Robert’s blood ran cold. A six-year-old boy; an accident. But Pepper’s story had a tragic ending...one that he couldn’t fathom. He wanted to say something, but his mouth was so dry. He wanted to comfort her. Tell her he understood—at least some of the pain her family must have felt. He also gave a sent a silent thanks to the heavens that Cody was alive. All he could manage to say out loud was a solemn “I’m sorry.”

  She nodded. “I’ve often wondered if Carson—that was my brother’s name—would be alive today if they’d gotten to him sooner...if the hospital would’ve been better equipped... My family is from Celebration. In fact, I still live there. They had to airlift him to Dallas. It was a long time ago. And what I love about your Foundation is that you were able to get the ball rolling on something that so many have tried to do but failed. How did you do it, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Not to sound glib, but I think they thought I’d personally bankroll the project.”

  He knew that left the question Why didn’t you fund it? hanging out in the open, but he didn’t think it was appropriate to discuss that at this point. To clear the air, he said, “But I did one better. I got the community to pull together to make it happen. I guess it was just time. There’s obviously a great need for a pediatric surgical wing, and if the community gets behind it, I think it can make an even greater impact than if one person buys it.”

  As Becca delivered the coffee and fresh blueberry muffins, the phone rang. The LCD on the receiver displayed Kate’s name.

  “Are you going to join us?” he asked. “Becca just brought in some coffee, and I have someone here I know you’ll want to talk to.”


  He smiled at Pepper and was happy to see that the light had been restored to her eyes. She seemed more like herself again. He put his hand over the mouthpiece and motioned to the coffee and muffins. “Please, help yourself.”

  “Rob, I know you’re in a meeting right now,” Kate said. “I really hate to disturb you, but Raven Chairez is in my office.” Her voice did an upturn on the word Chairez.

  Great. He knew what was coming next.

  “She would like to see you for just a moment.”

  He stood and walked back to his desk, out of earshot and asked in a low voice, “Does she have a check in her hot little hand?”

  “No.” Kate’s voice sounded overly cheerful. “But that’s okay. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

  He hoped so, because he wasn’t going to jump through any more hoops. Not after last night. He grabbed a folio and pen off his desk, then turned and walked back toward Pepper. His gaze dropped to the graceful curve of her crossed ankles and he immediately looked away. Ironic, wasn’t it, that he’d lumped her into the same superficial debutante category as Raven, yet here she was in his office, and he was getting ready to offer her a job.

  That would teach him to jump to conclusions before a person had a chance to prove herself. Raven Chairez, on the other hand, was fresh out of chances.

  “Please tell her I’ll call her when my meeting is finished.”

  Kate was silent on the other end of the line, and for a moment he wondered if she’d already hung up.

  “Okay, I’ll tell her,” she finally said, honey dripping from her words. “Will it be about an hour?”

  “Something like that. But I really wanted you to meet with Pepper before she leaves. Any chance of that?”

  “Possibly,” Kate said. “I’d love to talk to her.”

  “If not, we can arrange something.”