The Fireman's Christmas

by Meg Lacey

  "Yeah, perfect," Tessa muttered, eyeing the tray of cheesecakes another waiter carried past their table.

  "You didn't think of it because you didn't know about my aunt's surgery until I ran into you at the E.R. last week," Danny pointed out. "But Tessa's not sure she even needs child care."

  "What are you talking about, Tessa?" Rhonda flapped a napkin open on her lap. She picked at the parsley garnish which was almost the only thing left on the antipasto plate and turned to Danny, jerking a thumb in Tessa's direction. "She told me she wished Eric and Josie didn't have to go with her to work because they're bored to tears, but they'd be worse off stuck in her dinky condo all day. She told me she'd give anything if they could go someplace where they had room to play and other kids to play with."

  A scowling Tessa pointed a finger at herself. "Sitting right over here, guys."

  "What else did Tessa tell you?" Danny asked solemnly. Only the humorous glint in his eyes and the twitch on one side of his mouth gave him away.

  "She said she wanted them to be safe." Rhonda turned to Tessa. "How much safer can they be than with a fireman? He's a trained EMT, for God's sake!"

  "Oh!" Tessa gave an exaggerated jump. "Sorry, were you talking to me?"

  "Did Tessa tell you how much she loves kids?" Rhonda asked, pointing at Danny with a piece of celery. "She used to be a den mother, and a volunteer at Josie's preschool a few years ago. She's great at organizing games and outings so that everyone's happy. When you said you were looking for a new babysitter, the whole thing just clicked in my head. And now that you've met, everything's settled, right?"

  Her unhampered, unflagging optimism was one of the things Tessa loved about her friend. It was also one of Rhonda's most annoying traits, depending on the day. Today it was annoying.

  "It's not as easy as that," Tessa replied. "I have to—"

  "Think it over, right?" Danny said.

  His voice sent another shudder through Tessa's midsection. No man deserved to be so sexy. This could definitely be a problem, she thought.

  "So what's the problem?" Rhonda asked, as if she'd read Tessa's mind.

  Danny looked at her in silence.

  "There's no problem," Tessa insisted. She felt her cheeks warming beneath the double scrutiny. "I said I'd think it over and I will, but I'm not sure this is what's right for my kids just now. Look, Rhonda, I appreciate your concern and the trouble you went to, but I am an adult and would appreciate it if you didn't try to order my life or push me into anything. I've had enough of that, thank you very much. My ex-husband saw to that."

  For the second time that evening Tessa reached for her purse. She knew she was acting like a total idiot, rushing out like this, but she didn't like being pressured into things too fast, because she always felt she made bad decisions when she did—and Rhonda knew that.

  Tessa opened her wallet and tossed a couple of twenty-dollar bills on the table to cover her share of the meal. Then she stood. "Look, my kids are waiting at home. It was good to meet you, Danny. I'll let you know what I decide."

  Danny stood politely as she backed away from the table. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes. They glittered like polished stones, only warmer and softer. His head tilted slightly to one side, his expression a mixture of curiosity, appeal and unabashed interest.

  She thought he might try once more to convince her, and braced herself. But only a little. With a jolt, she realized she wanted to be convinced.

  Instead he only flashed her a grin. "It was nice meeting you, too, Tessa. Rhonda has my number in case you're interested."

  Tessa smiled back, because she couldn't help herself. He had that kind of smile.

  "You can't leave yet," Rhonda said, throwing up her hands in disgust.

  "I'll call you tomorrow, Rhonda." Tessa marched toward the exit, excruciatingly aware that Danny was watching her retreat. Rhonda's incredulous voice followed her as she escaped through the door.

  "I don't believe this! She left without even having dessert."

  Chapter Three

  Tessa pulled to the curb and sat for a moment trying to get her nerves under control. Though there'd been little traffic on the streets at this hour, her heart raced as if she'd just maneuvered through an obstacle course and her cheeks felt warmer than the early-morning temperature warranted. She gripped the steering wheel to stop the slight trembling in her hands.

  Too much caffeine, she lied silently.

  In order to calm down, she forced herself to study her surroundings—not a difficult task at all. She loved these old neighborhoods with their fake Tudors, and soaring Victorian monstrosities. The yards were large by any standard—an acre or more each—and the trees were massive. Old neighborhoods were definitely the best, she thought, exiting her van. Even when they were rather shabby.

  Spotting the address Danny Santori had given her on the phone last night, Tessa walked up the path that led to a huge, wraparound porch with a welcoming double leaded-glass door set in the exact center. She stopped and stared.

  Shaded by a pair of oak trees that allowed the sunlight to spill onto the yard in dappled diamonds, the Victorian home in front of her possessed that effortless aura of dignity and authority that upstart modern homes would never have. The paint had faded to a soft, uneven blue and the white window frames were flaking a bit, but that didn't detract from the enchanting two-story bay tower that anchored one side of the house. Several high peaks on the roof looked made for a pair of mischievous squirrels to slide down on a frosty day.

  "Oh, my," Tessa breathed, delighted by the warmth emanating from the home. This was the kind of house she'd always wanted her kids to have. Forgetting some of the hesitation she'd felt earlier, she stepped forward, taking care not to trip over the weeds growing between the cracks in the walk. She stopped for a closer look, brushing her hand over the small green leaves nestled happily between two flagstones. Not a weed after all. She closed her eyes at the fragrance. Thyme. The herb had spread from the plants that bordered the sidewalk on each side.

  She plucked a sprig and tucked it into her pocket before continuing toward the broad white steps of the porch. Glancing to either side, she was dismayed at the overgrown and neglected landscaping. Someone had once started to make a difference here, then allowed it to slide into a jungle. Her fingers practically itched to sort through the perennials. But first things first.

  Tessa climbed the steps, her gaze wandering from the old-fashioned swing occupying one corner of the porch to the newer white wicker chairs and round table hugging the tower in the other corner. She reached for the dull brass knocker on one of the doors and lifted it, letting it fall with a ringing thud. The sound was so lovely, she tried it again.

  The door jerked open beneath her hand.

  Danny Santori stood before her, but she hardly recognized him as the same man she'd dined with the other night. His eyes were heavy lidded and his black hair stood off his head in tufts.

  "Who…? Oh! What are you doing here?" He shoved one hand through his hair, making it stick up even more.

  Tessa frowned, not so much at his abrupt greeting as to suppress her own reaction to his rumpled—but oh, so sexy—appearance. "You invited me, remember? When I called last night."

  "You said you'd stop by in the morning."

  "Right." Tessa pointed to her watch. "That's now."

  Danny grabbed her arm and peered at her wrist. "It's only seven-thirty, for God's sake. I expected you at some civilized hour, like ten, maybe."

  Tessa pulled her arm away, giving him the once-over. He must have rolled out of bed only a few minutes before. His face was shadowed with black stubble and his eyes were still at half-mast. A T-shirt was partially tucked into low-riding jeans so old and faded they seemed to be part of him. His bare feet hugged the floorboards.

  Despite herself, she couldn't resist a smug grin. "You're not a morning person, are you?"

  Danny rubbed a hand over his face. "What makes you think that?"

  "Wild gues
s."

  He smiled then, a lopsided twist of his lips that made Tessa's own lips automatically tingle. Maybe it was the dimple. Really, the guy could make money off that smile. How else could she explain her reaction?

  "Uh…may I come in?"

  Danny backed up, waving her inside. "Oh, yeah…sorry."

  Tessa stepped into a foyer that fulfilled all the house's promise of welcome. Huge pocket sliding doors lined the ample rooms to the right and left. A grand staircase arched up to the next floor. Tessa eyed its sweeping lines, picturing a Victorian lady descending in flowing satin. She stepped forward to stroke the wide banister.

  "It's so smooth."

  Danny chuckled. "Not from polishing. More likely from the bottoms of all the kids who've slid down it over the years."

  Tessa considered the curve. "You're right. It has the perfect width and slope."

  "Be my guest."

  She chuckled. "Maybe when I know you better."

  "That was the first thing my wife Laurie did when we bought this place."

  Tessa wasn't sure what to say, so she said nothing. His voice held no bitterness—only a hint of amusement laced with tender longing. The moment passed quickly. He touched her elbow, indicating the dining room through the archway to the left.

  "Sorry. Coffee, I've gotta have coffee. Want some?"

  Tessa preceded him into the dining room and took a seat at the scarred oak table. "I'm not sure I should have another cup. I've already had two."

  Danny paused before the sideboard with a mug in one hand and the coffeepot in the other. "Really? When did you have the time?"

  "I usually get up at five."

  "Good God," Danny sputtered, nearly dropping his mug. "Why? I can't even move much before eight."

  "That's my time to think. Time to plan the day and get myself geared up to tackle it. But I don't understand. You said you work twenty-four-hour shifts. How can you do that if you can't get yourself going in the morning?"

  He shrugged. "That's different. That's work." He took a sip of coffee. "So does this mean you've changed your mind?"

  Tessa blinked and realized she'd been staring at him. "About what?"

  Danny gave her a strange look. "Are you sure you didn't get up too early? After all, you called me."

  "Oh, right." Tessa fought to keep from squirming. "I guess I'm willing to talk more about this arrangement, provided the kids are all okay with it and we can work out the specifics."

  "The specifics?"

  Tessa nodded. "I have several questions."

  "Okay." Danny took a long swig of his coffee, then rolled his shoulders as if to loosen up. "Fire away."

  Tessa pulled a short list from her hip pocket. "First, I'll need to know exactly which days you work so I can schedule my jobs around them."

  "No problem. I'll give you my calendar. There could be a few things that fall outside what's listed there, but we can work it out. What else?"

  "Second, we work out a food budget. You shouldn't have to pay for all the meals that my kids and I eat here."

  "We don't have to—"

  "Yes, we do." Tessa lifted her chin a notch. She thought she detected a smile hidden behind his coffee mug, but accepted Danny's nod of acquiescence.

  "Third, we agree to give fair notice if either of us wants to change the arrangement. Say, two weeks?"

  Danny swallowed and lowered his mug. "I have no intention of backing out on you."

  "I didn't think you would, but you did say you're hoping for a job change. Who knows what might happen then?"

  "That's true," he admitted. "I'm hoping for that to come about when two of the guys in the department are offered an early-retirement package, though I'm not sure of the timing." His mouth twitched. "Are you going to back out on me?"

  "Of course not," Tessa protested, tracing a swirl in the oak tabletop with one finger. "I just think we should understand each other, that's all."

  Danny lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, I think I understand. But I'll agree with all your rules. Anything else?"

  "One more thing." Tessa pretended to study her list while she avoided his eyes. "What are your plans for sleeping arrangements?"

  He smiled. "Did you have something specific in mind?"

  Tessa sent him a narrow look. "Are you flirting with me? There's no flirting—that's part of the ground rules."

  "Flirting? Of course not. I just figured that because you seemed so prepared…" He indicated her list.

  "Hmm." The glint in Danny's eyes left Tessa wondering.

  "Sleeping arrangements. Well, I've got one extra bedroom fixed up that you can use. Your kids can either sleep in the loft on the third floor or in with my kids if they want. I hope that's okay. There are two more bedrooms that I use for storage, but they need some fixing."

  "Good…that's fine. I mean, I guess that answers all my questions." Tessa nodded. Risking a glance at him, she half expected to see that roguish grin she'd encountered at the restaurant, and was surprised to see a solemn expression. It was almost a disappointment.

  Before she could examine that unexpected thought, a small figure bounced in through the doorway leading from the kitchen, tattered blanket trailing.

  "Hi, Daddy."

  "Mornin', punkin. You've already been into the peanut butter, I see."

  Tessa hid a smile as the adorable little girl in her peanut-butter-streaked nightie hugged Danny's knees.

  "You were talking to the lady, so I had to do it myself."

  He patted her tousled golden hair. "Why didn't you eat some cereal?"

  "'Cause Kevin wanted peanut butter sammiches for the camp."

  "What camp?" Danny pried his daughter from his legs. "Are your brothers up in those trees again, after I told them not to?"

  "They're not." The little girl shook her head so fiercely, her lopsided ponytails—which looked left over from the night before—bounced. She put her finger in her mouth and stared at Tessa.

  "Tessa, this is Emma. This is Mrs. Doherty…."

  "Tessa's fine."

  He smoothed Emma's sticky hair. "She might bring her kids over and be your babysitter while I'm working. Can you say hello?"

  Emma removed her finger from her mouth with a pop. "Hi. Where are your kids?"

  Tessa smiled at the sweet round face. "They're home eating their breakfast now." She glanced up at Danny. "Eric's at that age where he thinks he's old enough to stay home alone. I've started leaving them for short periods once in a while. But I should get going soon."

  Danny nodded. "Alison doesn't think she needs a babysitter, either, but I can't see leaving her with all this responsibility yet. She's not even fourteen."

  "I will be in a few weeks, Dad," proclaimed a sulky voice from behind Tessa. "You keep forgetting that."

  Tessa turned to watch the teenager round the newel post on the staircase. Alison had the same golden sweetness as her younger sister, though her curves were beginning to show up in other places. She plopped onto a chair near her father and swung her long coltish legs over the arm. She fixed a suspicious glance on Tessa, obviously questioning her reason for being there.

  "Dad thinks I'm still a child! But I'm not."

  "All fathers think that," Tessa admitted, exchanging a warm smile with Danny before bringing her gaze back to Alison. "Mine does, even now."

  "I don't need a babysitter. And we don't need a babysitter for anyone else, either," she said with a pointed expression as she glanced at her dad and then back to Tessa.

  "Alison…" Danny's voice sounded a low warning, but Tessa headed him off, recognizing the sense of ownership in the teenager's eyes. She knew she'd have to tread carefully with her.

  "That's good to know. I was worried about whether six kids would be too many to handle. Five sounds a little better, and I could sure use your help."

  Alison hunched a shoulder and appealed to Danny again. "Dad, really, I think we should talk about this."

  Danny had picked up a paper napkin and was wiping peanut butter from Emma's
face. Instead of answering he changed the subject. "Alison, will you get your sister some breakfast? I'll round up the boys so you can meet them before you leave, Tessa. But how about dinner tonight with the whole gang? We can talk more then."

  With a friendly smile at Alison, which was met with a perfunctory nod, Tessa stood. "Sounds good to me. Where?"

  "McDonald's," Emma chirped.

  "But I'm supposed to meet Bethany at the mall tonight," Alison complained.

  At that moment the room erupted as two boys burst through the kitchen door. "Hey, don't we get a choice? We want pizza!"

  Astonished, Tessa could only stare at them. They were as boisterous and identical as two blackbirds fighting over a crust of bread. They'd already been out in the dirt, she could see. And both had the strangest haircuts…. Tessa looked back at Danny and smiled. "They look like you."

  "I have more hair at the moment," Danny muttered. Then he corralled the pair and made quick introductions. "So Kevin and Kyle want pizza, Emma wants burgers—what do your kids like?"

  "That depends on what day it is," Tessa replied. She glanced down at Alison, whose mouth was pursed in a sulky pout. "How about the food court at the mall? That way everyone can eat what they want and then play in the arcade afterward."

  "Yippeee!" The boys didn't wait around for further discussion. Emma clapped her hands gleefully, and even Alison appeared happy with the decision as she led her younger sister into the kitchen.

  "The mall it is." Danny escorted Tessa to the front door. "Six o'clock?"

  She stepped out onto the porch, turning back just in time to see Danny struggling to hide a yawn. She couldn't resist teasing him. "Six is fine…if you think you'll be completely awake by then."

  * * *

  "MAYBE SHE CHANGED her mind."