by Cara Reagan
Jacob grinned. "Why not?"
They made their way back through the lobby. When they asked Tonya if she knew anything about the Santas, she merely smiled playfully and pointed toward the doors leading to the patio. Curious, Jenni linked arms with her son and headed in the direction Tonya had indicated.
Once outside, they looked around. Jacob saw the colorful Santa Claus ornament dangling from a tree branch before she did. "Let's go this way." He pointed a bit further down the path. "I see another Santa there."
Jenni fell into step beside him. "This is hardly the Christmas I was planning a month ago."
Jacob glanced at her. "Are you sorry we came?"
"Oh, no," answered. "Just the opposite. You?"
"I'm glad we came too. You seem happier. And we both know why. But it's a good thing, so try not to blow it."
Jenni laughed aloud, happier than she'd been in months. Years. "I love you, Jacob."
He rolled his eyes in mock exasperation but his smile was tender. "I love you too. But can't you save the mushy stuff for Micah?"
Chapter Eight
The ocean breeze carried the sound of Jenni's laughter to Micah before she came into sight. His lips lifted in a pleased smile. Being with Jenni was as easy as watching the sun rise over the ocean in the morning. She made him feel complete. Whole.
His breath caught in his throat as Jenni come around the corner on her son's arm. She met his eyes and his heart expanded as her smile widened.
"You found me," he said.
She nodded, her expression amused. "Santa Claus helped."
Although he would have been content to stand still and drink her in with his eyes, Micah was anxious not to exclude Jacob. The teen had been more than generous under the circumstances. He crossed the divide between them and shook Jacob's hand, wishing him a Merry Christmas. Next he turned to Jenni. Unable to resist, he leaned in and brushed a gentle kiss across her cheek.
"So, why are we here?" Jacob asked, looking around.
"This isn't our final destination." Micah gestured to the path leading down to the beach. The Casa Blanca staff had been more than accommodating when he'd requested they help him plan a romantic evening. He'd booked a suite and moved his things over from the Fourway motel that morning.
His goal had been to create a romantic oasis for their holiday dinner. Judging by the incredulous look on Jenni's face as they followed the glowing luminaries down the path to the beach, he'd succeeded.
"Wow, this is massively cool. Like epic cool," Jacob said as he stood and took it all in.
Micah looked down at Jenni and lifted an eyebrow. "Epic cool?"
"That's a good thing." She slipped her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "A very good thing. But I don't understand what all this is? Is someone having a party here tonight?"
"We are."
She turned to stare up at Micah, her eyes wide. "All of this is for us?"
"I invited you to dinner." Micah held his breath while he waited for Jenni to speak again. He found that he desperately wanted her approval, but he could tell by her expression that something wasn't right.
He ran his thumb lightly over her hand that he still held. "What's wrong?"
She turned to look up at him, her eyes troubled. "I don't know how you managed this, but we can't let you do this."
"Do this? I don't understand." He looked to Jacob for clarification.
The teen shrugged. "Mom doesn't know how you're going to pay for this."
"What?"
"She doesn't want you spending what little money you have on us. Right, Mom?"
Happiness exploded in Micah's heart like Fourth of July fireworks but he struggled to maintain his composure. The concept of a woman caring about him in this way was new to him. New and very welcome. "I promise you that I didn't spend my last dollar."
Jenni's concern was etched on her face. "Micah, you don't have to pretend with me. You don't need to try to impress me, either. It's you that I wanted to be with, not all of this." She reached out and rested her hand gently on his chest. "I know about you, about your situation."
He blew out a long breath. It was past time he tackled this misunderstanding head on. "Jenni, let me explain-"
She held up her hand, her eyes alight with compassion. "Please let me finish. We have something to help you. It's our Christmas present to you."
His eyebrows rose. "Christmas present?"
She nodded, a tiny smile replacing her worried expression. "Jacob and I have arranged a job interview for you at Bud's Buds the day after tomorrow."
A job. The words rattled through his mind as he led Jenni toward the table and held out a chair for her. He sat beside her, motioning for Jacob to sit as well. "You got me a job?" He looked from mother to son. "Why?"
Jenni answered first. "Because you need to pay bills? Find a place to live?"
"Uh, Mom, something tells me that we're way off base," Jacob said. He turned to Micah. "Are you homeless?"
Micah stared, not sure that he'd heard right. "Homeless?" He looked at Jenni. "You thought I was homeless?"
"Aren't you?"
He shook his head. "No." Be he didn't elaborate, too humbled to admit that he owned four properties between New York and California, as well as one in Hawaii.
"But you said you lived at the beach," Jenni protested.
Micah's mind raced back over their conversation the day they met. He was sure he hadn't told her that he was destitute and living on a strip of public beach, but he had been vague about himself. "Jenni, listen, I didn't mean to mislead you. Honestly, I didn't. But I am guilty of being less than upfront about who I am."
"We googled you," Jacob interjected. "But we didn't find anything. It's like Micah Braxton doesn't exist. What's up with that?"
"Micah Braxton is only part of my name. My full name is Micah Thomas Braxton Reynolds."
Jacob pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "Let me google that."
Jenni held up a hand. "Wait Jacob, I want to hear this from Micah himself. Why are you here in Mimosa Key? Are you hiding out from something?"
"No. Not from the law or anything like that." He ran a hand through his hair. This wasn't going at all the way he'd hoped, but then Jenni's theory had pulled the rug out from under him. "I'm taking a sabbatical, of sorts."
"A sabbatical from what?"
Micah blew out a long breath, he needed to choose his words carefully. If ever there was something he didn't want to blow, it was this moment. "I'm an attorney from Atlanta. I've had more than my share of success, but in the last few years I've grown weary of the rat race. I want more from life than what I had. So, I left it all behind. I did some research looking for an out of the way place and hit on Mimosa Key."
"What exactly did you leave behind?" Jenni asked, but before he could answer she waved her hands. "Actually, I don't care what you left behind. But I want to know who you left behind."
She cared about the who, not the what. Which proved she was a woman in a million.
"Micah?"
"I left behind a law practice, complete with partners who can handle everything that needs handling. That's it."
"No wife? No children?"
He shook his head. "No. I've never been married, and I don't have any children."
"Why not?" she queried, her voice so low that he had to lean in to hear her.
"A family is something I want more than anything. But I had to wait for the right woman," he smiled in Jacob's direction, "the right make family, to find me."
Jenni's relief was palpable, and it gave him the confidence to continue.
He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I have material possessions, steady employment, savings, good prospects for the future, an extended family, and friends. But something was missing, and now I know what it is." He took her hand in his and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. "It's you I was waiting for. You and Jacob."
The tears glistening in Jenni's eyes were clear to see as she looked
at her son. "Jacob?"
"I meant what I said, Mom. I want you to be happy." Jacob looked between the adults. "I think Micah's the guy for you."
Micah felt a rush of affection for the teen. Jacob was the kind of son he'd be proud to call his own. "Thanks, buddy."
"So, while you two dance around getting together, can I go up to my room and catch a movie?" Jacob asked.
"Wait, I haven't given you your Christmas present yet." Micah looked to Jenni for permission, and was pleased when she nodded her agreement. He reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a folded sheet of paper, and handed it to the teen. "Merry Christmas, Jacob."
He watched as Jacob's eyes skimmed the document twice. "No way." He jumped to his feet and came around the table with his arms outstretched. "Seriously, man, no way you did this."
Surprised and delighted by the teen's reaction, Micah stood and returned Jacob's hug. "I'm glad you're happy, but we still need to check with your Mom."
Jenni held out her hand for the paper and then skimmed it as her son had just done. She handed it back to Jacob and closed her eyes.
Micah knelt beside her chair. "Jenni, talk to me. What's wrong?" He silently cursed himself. "I didn't intend to upset you-"
Jenni leaned toward him and silenced him by pressing her lips to his before drawing back. "Micah, you shouldn't have. It's too much." She pulled back to look at him, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill down her face. "I don't know what to say."
"Try 'thank you', Mom." Jacob hugged the paper to his chest. "You're gonna let me go, right?"
Instead of answering, Jenni turned to Micah and searched his eyes. He held his breath, hoping and wishing that she'd find the answer that he wanted her to. Her gaze left him feeling exposed, as if she were seeing straight through to his heart and soul.
"We can't go to Argentina." She reached out and touched Micah's cheek with her fingertips. "Not unless you come with us."
"Yes!" Jacob's delighted shout matched the joy in Micah's heart.
"Mom, you have to let me go back to the room and call my teammates. I want them to know I'm going to be able to go on the trip." His pleading expression would put any Spaniel to shame. "The reception's better up in the room. Besides, don't you two want some time alone?"
"Be back here for dinner in one hour," Jenni agreed.
After Jacob thanked and hugged them both again, he tore up the path to the resort. Once he was out of sight, Micah held out a hand to Jenni. "I'm so glad that worked out. He seems happy."
Jenni grinned. "You think?" But then her face sobered. "Micah, there's something you need to know about me." She bit her lip, suddenly looking uncertain.
"Tell me."
"I don't know what your true financial situation is, although obviously it's quite different than I thought. For Jacob and myself, I want a simple life. I want love, laughter, and to spend my life making happy memories with the ones I love. That's it. Does that dovetail with what you want?"
He pulled her close, loving how she felt in his arms. "Perfectly. I want a simple life too, a life spent with my own family." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "I want you, Jenni. Say you'll give us a chance so we can see where this will lead. I want you and Jacob to come celebrate the New Year with me in Atlanta."
"We'd love to." Her smile was the answer he so wanted, needed, from her. "I've never felt this way before, Micah. It's like there's magic here in Mimosa Key."
Micah lowered his head and kissed her. He was in complete agreement. Jenni had used the perfect word to describe what had happened between them.
Happiness like this was magic.
Pure Christmas magic.
