by Nicole Ellis
“I understand your concern. But I have family here, and after spending half of my life devoted to the Army, I want to settle down and spend time with them. This town is great. I’ve met so many new people in the small amount of time I’ve been here, and everyone is so friendly.” With a start, he realized how much he wanted to stay in town. He’d gone back down to Portland for his Border Patrol interview the Tuesday after he first arrived in Candle Beach and then turned right back around the next day for his second interview with the Candle Beach Police Department. Driving down Main Street that morning had been like coming home.
The police chief smiled at him. “That’s how I ended up here. I used to work in the city, but I came to the beach for a vacation with my family, and the wife and I never wanted to leave.” He pushed his chair away from the desk and stood, then walked over to Jake and extended his hand. Jake rose and shook it firmly.
“After our Human Resources Manager met with you on Friday afternoon, she highly recommended you for the position,” the Chief continued. “But the final decision is mine, and you’ve given me a lot to think about. I’ll be in touch.” He held the door open for Jake. The sugary smell of donuts wafted through the room.
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”
Jake left the interview with a bounce in his step. Was he really doing this? Thinking about staying in Candle Beach? A job with a small-town police department would be very different than working for the Border Patrol—if the federal government even called him back about the position he’d interviewed for. Candle Beach had its own allure though. Alex was here and he’d grown attached to him in the short time they’d spent together. And then there was Maggie. He’d promised his brother that he’d look after them, and now that he was free to make his own career decisions he planned to make good on that promise.
Maggie had to laugh at her son’s antics. He hadn’t stopped moving since she’d told him Jake would be there in ten minutes.
“When is he coming over?” Alex bounced on his toes on their thick living room carpet. “I want to show him how good I’m getting at Mario Kart.”
“He’ll be here soon.” Alex had insisted on having Jake over for dinner. He’d gone back to Portland for a few days, but had come back to stay in Candle Beach for the next week. She wondered again if she should have invited him to stay at their apartment instead of in a B&B. Probably better to not let him get closer though. It would be hard enough for Alex when his uncle moved up north for his new job with the Border Patrol.
An image of Jake sitting on the couch, laughing at a joke in the movie, came to mind. She’d miss him too, although the more time she spent with him, the stronger the physical attraction became. His easy banter had turned to flirting and it seemed like he felt it too. With him leaving though, there was no way she was going to act on anything. Given their family dynamics, that was probably for the best.
Someone knocked on the door and Alex ran to it, flinging it open.
“Alex!” Maggie admonished him. “You can’t just open the door without finding out who it is first.”
“But it’s Uncle Jake. I knew it would be,” he said, certain of his choice in his six-year-old logic.
She sighed. “Right, but you didn’t know it was him for sure.”
“But it was.” He dismissed her concerns and wrapped his arms around his uncle’s waist.
Maggie gave up and looked at the new arrival. She sucked in her breath. Jake hadn’t been around for a few days and if anything, his spell on her was even stronger. He wore a tight-fitting knit shirt that hugged his biceps and she had a hard time taking her eyes off him. He carried a yellow bag from the Lego store, a bottle of wine and a small bouquet of flowers.
“Hey, Alex. This is for you. I went shopping while I was in Portland and I thought you’d like it.” Jake gently disentangled his nephew from his waist so he could walk through the door, and handed him the Lego bag.
“Hey, Maggie. These are for you.” He held out the flowers and his eyes met hers. “I wanted to thank you for welcoming me into your home over the past week.” His easy smile seemed to reach inside her and melt her heart. She took the flowers from him and sniffed a red rose in the mixed bouquet. She loved roses, but didn’t usually buy them for herself because of the expense.
“Uh, thank you. They’re beautiful.” She turned and called over her shoulder, “I’m going to put these in some water.” Alone in the kitchen she sat down on the floor in front of the sink to reach into the cabinet where she kept vases. What was happening? Was the attraction due to his resemblance to Brian? Or maybe because she was finally opening herself up to dating again? Whatever it was, nothing could happen between them.
The oven timer beeped, so she grabbed the first vase she found and stuffed the flowers in it. At the sink, she filled the vase with water and set it on the counter before pulling a steaming pan of lasagna out of the oven and tossing the salad.
“Food’s ready, guys.”
They piled into the kitchen, Alex talking a mile a minute about the new Lego set his uncle had bought him. Jake devoured the pasta dish and complimented her on her cooking. It was nice to have someone to cook for, as her son was often a picky eater.
After Alex was in bed, they sat around the kitchen table drinking the wine that Jake had brought.
“So, I have some news.” He set his wine glass down on the Formica-topped vintage table she’d found at a swap meet.
“What?” Her heart beat faster. Was this it? Had the Border Patrol called him for the job? She knew he’d be leaving soon, but had hoped for Alex’s sake that he could stay a bit longer. “Are you leaving Candle Beach?”
“No. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk with you about.” He scanned her face. “How would you feel about me staying in town?”
“You mean for another couple of weeks? Or what?”
“Chief Lee offered me a position with the Candle Beach Police Department. The town is growing and they had an entry-level opening.”
“Wait, what?” Maggie gulped from her wine glass. What was he talking about? He’d never mentioned any interest in being a policeman. Was this what his secretive meeting on Friday had been about?
“Well, you know I was an MP in the Army. I have a degree in Criminal Justice and this seemed like a perfect fit. After spending time with you and Alex, I’ve realized I want to be with family, not up north working at the border.”
She stared at him and poured another glass of wine.
“So what do you think?” he asked.
“I think it seems very sudden,” she said honestly. He’d only been in town for a little over a week and now he was making a huge decision based on her and her son.
“I’ve spent my whole life doing what the Army wanted me to do. This is something I feel certain about. I’ll start out as a rookie and they’re sending me to training near Seattle in January. Until then, I’ll mainly be working the desk and learning the ropes.”
“Wow. So you’re moving here.” She gulped down more wine. “That’s great.”
“You don’t seem too happy about it.” He placed his hand on her arm. Her skin burned pleasantly where his fingers touched her, sending an electric shock throughout her body. She moved her arm off the table, away from his touch, and brushed her hair back.
“Of course I’m happy. Alex will love having you here. I’m just surprised. You never seemed like the type of person who would be happy in a small town.”
He looked at her. “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
She met his gaze and her pulse quickened. “Maybe you’re right.”
“I’d like to be a part of Alex’s life.” He sighed. “I miss my brother. I wish he could have seen what a wonderful kid he had.”
Maggie’s eyes turned unbidden to their wedding portrait on the end table near the kitchen and tears welled in her eyes. “I miss him too.” She got up and placed her wine glass carefully in the sink. “I’ve got to turn in soon. I have an early shi
ft at the café tomorrow.”
He followed suit. “I should get home too. I promised Chief Lee I’d be there at eight o’clock sharp tomorrow morning.”
She walked him to the door. “Congratulations on the new job.” She gave him a quick hug, determined not to let those pesky feelings of attraction stop her from how she’d normally react to good news.
He smiled at her. “Thanks. I’ll see you soon.”
She watched him go, unsure of how she was feeling. Now that he was staying in Candle Beach, should she say something to him about her growing attraction to him? Or was that a recipe for disaster? She didn’t want to jeopardize Alex’s relationship with his uncle. It was too important. With Dahlia’s wedding and Christmas right around the corner, she had enough on her plate. No need to add relationship drama to the mix.
8
Maggie leaned forward in her desk chair with her hands threaded through her hair at the temples and her elbows resting on the wooden desk surface. She eyed the closed door to her office and allowed herself to scream silently. Aaahh. She was about ready to tear her hair out. It was a little over a week until Dahlia’s wedding and her friend kept changing the final attendee count. She’d expected there to be some issues when catering a wedding, but not this many. She took a deep breath and shuffled through the wedding reception paperwork until she found the menu that Garrett and Dahlia had decided on.
With the current food order, she’d need to rework some of the entrees and make the buffet portions slightly smaller to accommodate the last-minute changes. There was a slight chance that her supplier might be able to get her extra food on short notice so she wouldn’t have to decrease the portion sizes. She fired off an e-mail to the supplier and crossed her fingers.
Her cell phone lit up and vibrated across the desk.
“Hello?” she asked without viewing the caller.
“Hi, honey!”
Her mother sounded more excited than Maggie had heard her in years. “What’s up?” She used a pen to circle some of the dinner selections on the menu, only half listening to her mother’s babbles.
“So we leave tomorrow for our big adventure,” she said gleefully.
She had Maggie’s full attention now.
“I’m sorry, did you say you were going somewhere? Tomorrow?” She usually babysat Alex when Maggie worked nights. Where would she find another babysitter on such short notice?
“Yes. We’re finally taking a cruise. Mary Ellen Schultz, you know, my friend from church? Well, she found a fantastic last-minute deal on a cruise to the Caribbean and your dad and I are going to join them. We fly out to Florida tomorrow and the ship leaves on Saturday.”
Maggie pulled the phone away from her face and stared at it for a moment before pressing it back to her ear.
“Oh, but don’t worry. I worked it out with the neighbor’s girl. She’s on winter break from college already and she’s happy to babysit Alex when you need her. I know this is kind of last minute, so we’ll cover the cost of hiring her.”
Maggie didn’t know what to say. Her parents were incredibly generous to help so much with Alex and they did need a vacation. They hadn’t been anywhere in years, and a Caribbean vacation sounded amazing. But what did they know about this girl from next door? She hadn’t left Alex alone with a stranger before.
“Have you known the babysitter for long? I’m just not sure about leaving Alex with someone I’ve never met.” She chewed on the end of her pen.
“I’ve known Stacey and her family for years. She used to babysit all the little kids in the neighborhood before she went away to college. Do you want to come over and meet her tonight?”
She checked her schedule. She could fit in a meeting when she picked up Alex from her parents’ house that night. “Sure, I can interview her when I get Alex from you. Can you check if that’s okay with her?”
“Of course. Honey, you know we wouldn’t leave Alex with just anyone. Stacey’s a good girl.” Her mother squealed. “And we’re so excited about this trip. Can you imagine getting out of this dreary weather and sunbathing in December? I can’t wait.”
“It sounds lovely.” She gazed out the window. The skies were gray and rain drizzled onto the pavement in the café’s back parking lot. “I’d love to go somewhere warm.”
“Your father even said he’d buy a new bathing suit. He hasn’t bought any new clothes in a decade.”
Maggie smiled. Her father was a cheapskate and always insisted his clothes were fine. He must be really excited if he was buying something new. “I hope you have a wonderful time. Do you need me to feed your cats or anything?”
“Yes, I was hoping you could take care of them and bring in the mail. Maybe you could come in the morning and evening to feed them?”
“I can do that. I’ll make sure everything is good at your house. Just have fun.” An e-mail popped up on her screen. “Mom, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you in a few hours, okay?”
“See you later,” her mother sang out.
Some of her mother’s excitement carried over to Maggie and she felt her lips spread into a joyful smile. It was good to hear her mother so happy. She clicked on the new e-mail. Yes! Her supplier said the changes were no problem. Now she wouldn’t have to cut the portion sizes or disappoint her friend. She opened her office door to the kitchen and listened for a moment. The normal sounds of her staff cooking for the lunch rush were the only thing she heard. The smell of meatloaf wafted into the small space, making her stomach rumble. Everything seemed to be running smoothly today at the café. Things were looking up.
Her phone rang again—probably her mother with more cruise details. With a smile on her face, she picked up the phone and answered it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mrs. Price. This is Sue from the office at Bluebonnet Lake Elementary.”
Maggie’s heart dropped to her knees. Why was someone from Alex’s school calling her?
“Is Alex okay? What happened?”
“Oh, I’m sorry to have worried you. Alex is fine.” Sue paused. “I’m actually calling because he has been having some behavioral issues on the playground. He’s been rather aggressive with some of his friends. Today, I had to separate him from some of the other boys because he tackled them during what was supposed to be a friendly flag football game.”
“Oh.” Her mind raced. What was going on with him?
“You don’t need to come and pick him up today, but if this behavior continues, we may need to discuss a behavioral discipline plan.”
“Of course,” Maggie said automatically. “And I’ll be sure to discuss it with him this evening.”
“I’m sure it will all work out fine. Please let us know if you have any questions or if we can be of help.”
“Thank you.” She hung up the phone. Her feeling of elation over the supplier’s e-mail had been replaced with dread. She managed to hang on for the rest of her shift, but couldn’t help worrying about Alex for the rest of the day.
That evening, she let herself into her parents’ house and almost tripped over three suitcases lined up by the door. Her mother met her in the entrance hall and she relayed what the school had told her.
“He’s getting into trouble at school?” Her mom looked puzzled. “That doesn’t sound like Alex.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on. I’m going to talk with him when we get home.”
“Well, good luck.” Alex ran past her, out the door, and her mom raised her eyebrows and shrugged. “He was fine earlier.”
When they got home, Maggie asked Alex to sit down on the couch. “So I got a call from school today.” She eyed her son.
Alex squirmed on his seat cushion and played with his shirt to avoid looking at her.
“Do you want to tell me why you tackled your friend?” Maggie searched his face.
He sighed. “Max teased me about not having a dad, so I pushed him. I didn’t want to tell Ms. Sue the real reason, so I said it was because we were playing touch football and I
got too rough.” A tear slipped out the corner of his eye.
Maggie moved to sit next to Alex and wrapped her arm around him. “Sweetie, I’m so sorry that boy teased you. That wasn’t right of him to do that. You know, you do have a dad, and he’d have given anything to be here with you right now. He loved you so much.” She kissed the top of his head. “But next time someone says something like that, either walk away or tell the teacher instead of pushing him, okay?”
He nodded and she sent him off to get ready for bed. When he had brushed his teeth and put his pajamas on, she read a chapter with him of the novel they were reading and kissed him on the forehead. “Goodnight, sweetie.”
He closed his eyes. She waited outside his door until she heard him softly snoring.
Alex had never complained too much about not having a dad, but she’d known it would come up at some point. Now she had to figure out how to make things better for him. He needed a man in his life. Having Jake around was a good start, but she still didn’t think she could count on him to stick around.
The next day, things seemed better with Alex. Of course, he’d only been at school for part of a day since then, but still—there hadn’t been any more phone calls from the administrative staff. Chalk that up in the win column. Her parents had left already to catch a plane from Seattle to Miami to board their cruise on Saturday, so this would be the first evening that Alex spent with a babysitter.
She’d met Stacey, and had actually liked her. Things were going her way.
That was, until Stacey called to say she’d caught the flu and wouldn’t be able to babysit that night.
“I’m really sorry, Mrs. Price.” She coughed. “I’ve never been this sick in my life. It hit me like a freight train this morning. I must have caught something on the airplane coming home from college.”
What was she supposed to say to that? Stacey obviously felt bad. “It’s okay, I’ll figure something out. I hope you feel better. Get some rest.”
School would be dismissed in a few hours and she was out a babysitter. She didn’t want to bother Jake. He’d started his new job the day before and probably had a lot going on. She called everyone she could think of first and then reluctantly dialed her brother-in-law when she ran out of other options.
