The Fireman's Christmas

by Meg Lacey

  Danny stopped scanning the crowd of shoppers surging past the food court and glanced down at Kyle, who squirmed impatiently.

  "Probably she's just combin' her hair or somethin'." Across the table, Kevin aimed a packet of ketchup at his brother and smashed it with his fist. Fortunately, the packet remained intact.

  Danny intercepted the ketchup before his son could try again. "What makes you say that, Kev?"

  "That's why Alison's always late."

  "Nope, I don't think she's comin' at all," Kyle repeated slyly. "I bet she changed her mind just like all those other babysitters. She took one look at that big zit on Alison's forehead and ran screamin' for the hills."

  "Little creep," Alison muttered, slouching in a chair at an adjoining table in a vain attempt to pretend she was an only child.

  "Daddy, is that true?" Emma's eyes widened solemnly. "Did Tessa change her mind?"

  "No, honey." Danny patted Emma's head with one hand and lightly cuffed Kyle with the other. "She's just a little late, that's all."

  "Well, I wish she'd hurry. I'm starvin'!"

  Danny silently agreed with his son, though not for the same reason. The thought of seeing Tessa again made his pulse pound just a little faster than usual, not to mention the fact that keeping all four kids gathered in one spot wasn't easy. Lifting his head, he peered toward the mall entrance.

  "I think I see them," he said a few moments later after spotting a woman Tessa's size as she angled through a cluster of teenagers loitering in front of the music store. "Wait here. Alison, keep an eye on these guys, please."

  Danny covered the length of the food court in long strides, dodging a couple of boys as they raced toward the arcade. Halfway across, Tessa looked up. Her smile deepened, sending a shock wave through Danny's gut.

  "Sorry I'm late." She stopped directly in front of him, allowing a group of ambling shoppers to move around them. A bright-eyed little girl skipped behind her. Tessa indicated a dark-haired boy, who followed more slowly. "I forgot that Eric had a baseball meeting."

  Danny smiled back at Eric, who was all arms and legs. "You play baseball?"

  "Sort of. I'm not very good."

  Tessa put her arm around his shoulder. "You will be. I just need to find more time to practice with you, that's all."

  Eric rolled his eyes and shrugged her arm away. "No offense, Mom, but you stink worse than me."

  "Nobody stinks worse than you, Eric," his sister said in a matter-of-fact tone as she skipped just beyond her brother's reach.

  "Josie, don't be rude."

  "Motormouth," Eric countered.

  "Hey, you two, put a lid on it." Both kids pouted, but they obeyed. Hands on her hips, Tessa sighed dramatically. "Well, here they are."

  Josie butted her head around her mom to peer up at Danny. "Hi, I'm Josie."

  "Hi, yourself. You can call me Danny." He leaned down to squeeze her hand. She was a miniature Tessa, from her honey-colored hair to the sun-kissed freckles dusting her cheeks.

  Josie pointed past him. "Are those kids yours?"

  Danny glanced over at his children, who were, remarkably, watching from the same place he'd left them. "Yep. Wanna meet them?" He was speaking to the air, however, because Josie was already skipping her way over to the table.

  Tessa shook her head. "My extrovert. Now Eric, on the other hand…"

  "Mom, don't talk about me like I'm not here."

  "Sorry."

  Danny watched the boy blush, then reached out for a handshake. "You know, Eric, I played some baseball in college. Maybe I could give you some pointers or something."

  "That'd be great," Tessa answered. "Wouldn't it, Eric?"

  Eric sent his mother a sidelong glance. "Maybe."

  "Why not—"

  Danny stopped Tessa with a hand to her shoulder. He'd been a boy once, and knew what it was to be embarrassed about something and wanting a girl to stay out of it. Especially his mother. "It's no big deal. If you're ever interested, just let me know, okay? Let's go meet the troops."

  "Okay," Eric mumbled, looking relieved.

  Danny led Tessa and Eric back to the table, where Josie was already engaged in conversation with Emma and Alison. Eric took a seat to one side, but the twins were not about to let him keep to himself. The noise level gradually increased. After allowing them a few minutes to get acquainted, Danny had to whistle to gain their attention. "Who wants what to eat?"

  "Pizza!" the twins shouted in unison.

  Eric shrugged. "That's all right with me."

  "Me, too," Josie chimed in.

  "Me, too," Emma repeated imitating Josie.

  Danny turned to Tessa after Alison had also nodded in agreement. "We'd better get the pizza before they change their minds. Why don't you help me play waiter?"

  They left the chattering group and weaved their way toward the pizza counter. Danny glanced back once, but none of the kids seemed to notice they'd gone. "That's funny. Emma's usually shy, but she's talking away to Josie."

  "As if she'd get a word in edgewise." Tessa laughed. "Eric is shy, too, but he seems okay with Kevin and Kyle. It's a good thing they're not all shrinking violets."

  "You might wish they were in a few days," Danny commented. "My house gets pretty noisy with my four around. But six might raise the roof. By the way, do your kids eat like you do?"

  Tessa punched his arm playfully. "Not quite. You're not changing your mind now, are you?"

  "No…just wanted to know how many pizzas we need—eight or nine."

  "Two large pepperoni pizzas, please," Tessa said to the waiting clerk with a smile. "I can always eat something when I get home."

  "Make that three large pizzas, then." He grinned at Tessa. "I don't want you to go home hungry."

  After placing their order, Danny watched Tessa gather napkins and straws onto a tray with quick, efficient movements. She moved with such easy grace and innate confidence that he found it hard to believe she was as unsure of herself—and as vulnerable—as Rhonda had implied. "Not worried anymore about handling six kids?"

  "A little. Aren't you?"

  Danny shrugged. "I told you, it'll be a piece of cake."

  "A piece of cake? Oh, you naive man."

  "Okay, a piece of very messy cake." At Tessa's chuckle, he added, "I hope you'll give this arrangement a try. I think we'll make a good tag team."

  Tessa gave him a quizzical look as the clerk slid three large boxes across the counter. Danny scooped up the pizzas while Tessa followed with the drink tray. They were met with a cheer. "Better stand back," he added to Tessa as he placed the boxes in the middle of the table and flipped open the lids. "Here you go, troops. Dig in."

  "Talk about a feeding frenzy." Tessa shook her head. "I didn't realize they were all so hungry." She slid into a chair near Emma and reached to help the little girl separate a piece from the rest without losing all her cheese.

  "I like macaroni," Emma piped up.

  "That's pepperoni, dummy," Kevin said.

  Alison moved her chair close enough to grab her own slice. "Look who's the dummy. You just got sauce all over your shirt."

  Tessa helped Josie to a serving, then looked around the table. "Everyone else all right?"

  "Dad needs some," Alison pointed out. However, when Tessa reached for a plate, the girl snatched one up and put two pieces on it. "I'll do it. Here, Dad. These are the two biggest."

  Danny sighed. "Thanks." He had wondered if Alison would begin defining her territory, as she had before with his occasional female friends. She'd already fired the first shot when she met Tessa at the house. He'd have to explain to his daughter that this was not a date. Just because Tessa was forty years younger than his last sitter was no reason for anyone to forget that this was strictly a business relationship. Especially him. The problem was every time he saw Tessa he found himself wanting to forget it.

  He glanced over at Tessa, who, after a wry look, obviously chose to ignore Alison's possessive behavior. Her usual sunny smile was in place
as she lifted a piece of pizza to her lips.

  Mesmerized, Danny watched as she closed her eyes to inhale the spicy aroma. After a few tentative nibbles, she opened her mouth wider for a bigger bite. Her pink tongue darted out to lick a bit of tomato sauce from her lips.

  Suddenly Danny's collar felt too tight. Good lord! If she made eating a pizza look like a sensuous experience, he wondered what making love to her would be like.

  "Is that okay, Dad?"

  "Is it?"

  Dragging his attention away from Tessa, Danny looked over toward his twin sons. "Huh?"

  "Eric said he'll show us how to beat Blasterman. He knows all about that computer stuff." Kyle gave the older boy an admiring look.

  Danny could scarcely nod his approval. He was still trying to figure out how he'd nearly drifted off into a sexual daydream in the middle of the mall, surrounded by six kids. He reached into his pocket for a handful of change and passed it over. "Don't leave the arcade. And stay together," he added as the three boys raced off.

  "I have to go to the bathroom," Emma said, tugging on his elbow.

  "I want to play skeeball," Josie insisted.

  Before Danny could respond, Tessa slipped Emma's hand into hers. "I'll take your sister to the bathroom if you'll help Josie with skeeball," she said to Alison. "I'm not very good at it."

  "Good idea. Alison's an expert at skeeball. Just until your friend shows up, okay, Ali?" Danny hoped to head off any impending protest. He forked over another bill. "Use the change machine."

  He leaned back to watch Tessa walk away with Emma, enjoying the view nearly as much as when she'd first approached. Her shapely backside swayed provocatively, and even in the artificial light of the mall her hair shone golden as she leaned closer to Emma.

  Realizing what he was doing, Danny turned his attention toward cleaning up the table. He busied himself with throwing away the empty pizza boxes and then checked on the boys before sitting back down to wait for Tessa. Of their own accord, his thoughts centered on her mouth, and how much he wanted to see if her lips were as soft as they looked.

  Hold on there, you jerk.

  He mentally shook himself, wiping furiously at a spot of pizza sauce on the table. If he wasn't careful, he'd wind up scaring her off for sure. She'd said she didn't want a relationship. Neither did he, but in the past few days he'd thought more about his love life—or lack of one—than he had in years. Maybe it was time for him to start dating again.

  "My daddy doesn't sleep in his underwear 'cause he says he's too big." Emma's high-pitched voice penetrated the din of the mall, bringing Danny's head around to meet Tessa's surprised look as they neared the table.

  She was struggling to control her expression, but a huge grin won out. "Because he's too grown-up, don't you mean?"

  Emma shook her head. "No, too big."

  Danny groaned. Kids were so literal. He racked his brain to remember what else he might have said that Emma could repeat.

  "Do you wear your underwear to bed?"

  Now that Emma's interest had shifted, so did Danny's. He watched a blush rise from Tessa's collar to her cheeks.

  "Well…not exactly."

  "'Cause Daddy says you're gonna sleep with him at our house."

  Danny rolled his eyes and stood up to face Tessa. "I didn't say it quite like that."

  Tessa laughed. "Don't worry. Josie was three once, too. And she's still way too inquisitive for her own good."

  Danny grinned back and lifted Emma and threw her over his shoulder. "Okay, punkin, we've had enough questions for one night. Let's go ride the merry-go-round. Coming?"

  They crossed the mall quickly. Once Emma was safely strapped onto the ride, Danny stepped back to Tessa's side. "The kids seem to be getting along." He hesitated, not wanting to seem pushy. "And I hope you can tell by now I'm no serial killer."

  "I'm not sure what you are, but I do believe I can trust you with my kids." Tessa brushed a wisp of hair from her cheek and smiled up at him. "I guess we can give it a try."

  Relief washed through Danny, along with a few other emotions he refused to acknowledge. "That's great. There's only one thing, though. I had every intention of taking the first turn just to show you I'm a stand-up guy, but that was a few days ago. My schedule was changed and a few duties added that we have to talk about, but the problem is that my next shift starts tomorrow morning at six. If you want to wait, I'll understand, but…"

  "But you'll be up a creek without a paddle." Tessa nodded. "That's okay. I'll start first."

  "Thanks. You're a doll."

  "I feel more like a guinea pig." She gestured toward the three boys in the distance, hunched conspiratorially in front of a video game. "Or more appropriately, a sacrificial lamb."

  She was kidding, of course, but as Tessa watched Danny wave to his youngest daughter, she couldn't help but wonder at the funny feeling in her stomach every time she looked at him. Or thought about him.

  The last few years of her life with Colin had been enough to turn her off men, no matter how sexy and appealing they were. But being around Danny made her feel exhilarated. Excited. Hopeful.

  And that's what scared the hell out of her.

  Chapter Four

  The next day at exactly 5:20 a.m. Tessa walked down the uneven walk to Danny's house. She adjusted her backpack stuffed with overnight clothes and hiked a bag of groceries higher as she tried to avoid catching her toe in the cracked concrete, plus keep two half-awake children in tow.

  "Jeez, Mom, it's the middle of the night," Eric grumbled as he fiddled with his MP3 player.

  Tessa cast a glance at the headphones that adorned his ears. She could swear the kid slept in them. "Not too early for music, though, unless that's a lullaby playing in your ears."

  Eric stopped dead and sent her such a horrified look that she was tempted to give him a big kiss. There he stood all bones and angles except for the sweet curve of his jaw that reminded her of the fluffy bear he used to sleep with. His dark eyes were still drooping with sleep, and his hair stuck up like a porcupine. She suddenly felt such an overwhelming rush of love for him that she wanted to cry.

  Eric scowled at her. "Do I have toothpaste on my nose or something?"

  "No." She shifted the weight of her groceries and hugged him quickly, ignoring his pull to get away. "You look like a skinny teddy bear this morning."

  "Ewww, gross!"

  Josie hugged her pillow and leaned against Tessa for a moment. "How come we had to come so early?"

  "Because Danny's a fireman and he has to go to work." Tessa stroked Josie's soft hair, dropped a kiss on her forehead and then started them moving toward the front doors once again.

  Tessa grimaced when an overgrown weed still covered with cool morning dew slapped across the top of her foot. She stepped closer to the porch and cast a professional eye over the hydrangea bushes. They were too leggy and left like that they wouldn't bloom anymore, which would be a crime, as they'd probably been there forever. It would be a shame to lose them through neglect. She couldn't stand it. Right then and there she decided to weed and prune this afternoon.

  She glanced behind her as she climbed the steps. "All right, you guys, hurry up. I think Danny needs be at work by six, not leave at six. We might need to come earlier next time."

  Tessa ignored her children's groans and turned at the door to thrust the grocery bag into Eric's arms. She pulled the backpack off her shoulder and thrust her hand inside the pouch to find the key Danny had given her. She inserted it into the keyhole and turned the knob. Bumping the glass with her hip, she held it open and gestured Eric and Josie inside. Tessa quickly followed them and felt her breath catch in her throat. The inside looked delightful, as if the house was throwing out a welcome for its visitors. Early-morning light streamed through a small leaded and stained glass window on the stairwell, falling in refracted patterns of color on the parquet floor. The staircase gleamed, the light covering its rich mahogany patina like a soft blanket.

  But the be
st was yet to come. Danny appeared at the top of the stairs and slowly descended, still tucking in his shirt.

  Tessa caught her breath. This was yet another version of Danny. Stronger, more purposeful, his clean-cut jaw firm with decision, his strong arms set off by short sleeves, his blue eyes enhanced by the deep dark shirt, the pants falling snugly from his trim waist, hugging his hard thighs.

  There was something about a guy in a uniform!

  Danny stopped as he noticed them standing in the hallway. Caught by her intense stare, he instinctively responded by dropping his gaze to check his zipper. Tessa swallowed a chuckle as he looked up and with a rueful grin said, "Hi."

  "Good morning. I hope we're not too late."

  He checked his watch and continued down the steps, his composure restored. "Nope. Right on time."

  "I've never seen you in uniform before. Very impressive."

  His eyes gleamed. "You think?"

  A tingle raced down her spine as she met his gaze. She found that rather alarming, so she turned to drop her backpack onto a table in the foyer, then said in a light tone, "Sure. Now I know why little boys want to be firemen when they grow up."

  "I don't want to be a fireman," Eric muttered, slipping his headphones down around his neck.

  Danny descended the rest of the stairs. "Any other ideas, Eric?"

  Eric grinned. "How about a baseball player?"

  Danny gave Eric a teasing punch on the arm. "From what you told me, you'd better think again."

  Josie piped up. "I'm hungry."

  Danny grabbed his hat from the hall tree and then turned to cup Josie's chin in his palm. "You were so quiet, I thought you'd lost your voice."

  Josie wrinkled her nose. "I don't talk all the time."

  Eric rolled his eyes. "Yes, you do."

  Josie propped one fist on her hip, clutching her pillow with the other. "Do not."

  Tessa caught Danny's gaze and pursed her lips. "I think these two just woke up."

  Danny indicated the staircase. "Mine are up but strangely quiet, which is probably my cue to leave."

  Tessa nodded. "Maybe I can get another cup of coffee under my belt before I have to deal with six kids at once."