by M. Malone
“Are you hungry, honey? I saved you a place right next to Eli.” Julia looked up from her carving and smiled brightly at them.
Kay’s mouth fell open. “I thought you would have already eaten dinner. It’s so late.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I held dinner when Eli went out to look for you.”
Now she just felt completely self-conscious as everyone turned to look at them. “Oh no, I ruined your Christmas dinner. I’m so sorry—”
“Nonsense!” Julia interrupted. “You didn’t ruin anything. We’re all here now and ready to enjoy a nice dinner with family and friends. None of us could have thought about eating if we didn’t know you were safe.” She walked around the table and handed the carving tools to her husband. “Now, you two sit down. I’ll just take this little angel so you can eat.”
Kay watched, befuddled, as Julia plucked the baby from her arms and sat down with Hope in her lap. Eli nudged her gently toward the left side of the table. There were only two seats left. She sank down gratefully, Eli next to her.
Dinner was a raucous affair with eleven adults and four children all taking up space in the dining room. Mark and Julia sat at opposite ends of the main table. Jackson, Ridley, and Bennett sat on one side while Eli, Kay, Matt, and Penny sat on the other. She was sitting so close to Eli that their thighs brushed every time she moved.
Jackson and Ridley’s two kids were seated at a smaller table. Nick and Raina sat with them, cutting up their meat and trying to keep them from knocking over their cups.
The babies were passed around until they ended up on someone’s lap. Everyone talked at the same time, and Kay could barely keep up with who was saying what. Dishes were passed across the table and there were second and even third helpings dished out. When Eli saw her eyeing the mashed-potato bowl, he picked it up and put a huge serving on her plate.
“I’m sure I don’t need that much,” Kay lamented. At home, she’d get an earful from her mother if she ate this much, but she couldn’t help it. Everything was so delicious and she needed comfort food after the day she’d had.
Eli gave her an appraising look. “Eat. You’ve got to be starving. Isn’t nursing a baby hard work? Raina’s always telling us how she’s still got to eat for two since she’s nursing Jada.”
“Well, I don’t look like Raina,” she mumbled. Eli’s sister-in-law was a bona fide supermodel and stick thin. She could probably eat everything on this table and still fit her whole body in one of Kay’s pant legs.
“I’m glad you don’t. Now eat.”
Eli’s voice was commanding and Kay shoveled a mouthful of potatoes into her mouth automatically, all while her mind raced over his words.
He was glad she didn’t look like Raina? What the hell did he mean by that?
Kay looked up to see Eli still watching her. His dark, intense gaze didn’t leave hers until she swallowed and took another bite. Kay shivered when he finally turned away. On her other side, Eli’s father asked her a question about her upcoming album. She tried to focus on the conversation, but for the rest of the meal, her mind was on that one sentence.
I’m glad you don’t.
CHAPTER FOUR
KAYLEE HAD ALWAYS secretly wondered how Elliott’s mother had dealt with four children. There were days when she was completely overwhelmed taking care of Hope and she didn’t even have any other children to worry about. But as she stood back and watched Mrs. Alexander turn down the bed and set up the spare playpen she kept for her granddaughter, she suddenly understood how she’d done it.
Julia Alexander was obviously a superhero.
“Thank you so much for setting this all up. I wasn’t sure where I was going to put Hope tonight.”
Julia waved away her thanks with an amiable smile. “It’s nothing, sweetie. I always keep an extra playpen here just in case Nick forgets to bring one for Jada. It’s just a simple model. No bells and whistles, but it gets the job done.” She moved around the room, snapping her wrists briskly to open the clean sheets she carried under her arm.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” By the time Kay got the words out, Julia had already spread the clean fitted sheet on the bed and was shaking out the flat sheet.
“Wow. You’ve got everything set up and it would’ve probably taken me twice as long to get things right.”
Julia patted her on the arm. “Years of experience, dear. Now, let me know if you need anything else. Or if you need any help with the baby.” She tickled Hope under the chin and the baby let out a gurgle of delight. “I really don’t mind rocking her if she wakes up in the middle of the night.”
Kay smiled at the hopeful tone in Julia’s voice. Eli had warned her that his mom had baby fever and that she’d probably offer to help out with Hope. What he didn’t understand was that she didn’t mind at all. It had been ages since she’d slept soundly. She was more than happy to take any help she could get.
“I would love that.”
Julia’s face brightened and she squeezed Kay’s arm gently. “Excellent. Well, once she’s asleep come on out to the family room. It was an Alexander tradition when the boys were growing up to take a peek into our stockings on Christmas Eve. Since my boys are still boys”—she rolled her eyes affectionately—“they still do it to this day.”
Kay grinned at the image of Elliott as a little boy taking a peek at his Christmas gifts. “That sounds like fun. I’ll just rock Hope for a while and then I’ll be out. She usually goes to sleep pretty quickly if I sing to her.”
“Sounds good. I’ll wait a few minutes before I put the hot cocoa on.”
After Julia left, Kay bounced Hope on her hip gently, humming softly under her breath. Hope fidgeted for a while, then rested her head on Kay’s shoulder. As Kay sang the familiar words of her favorite church hymn, the baby let out a wide yawn. When Kay looked down at her, she was fast asleep.
She continued walking and singing softly until she was sure Hope wouldn’t wake up, then placed her carefully in the playpen. The plastic unicorn was already in there, so she placed it near the baby’s clenched fist and then covered her with her blankie. Kay backed out of the room and closed the door quietly behind her.
“Is she asleep?”
Kay jumped and then let out a breath when she noticed Eli waiting for her in the darkened hallway. “You scared me. Yes, she just nodded off. She’s had a long day.”
Eli walked closer, coming out of the shadows. “So have you.”
“Yeah, it’s not every day I crash into a ditch. Thank God for that.”
He grunted and took her arm gently. “That’s why you need to sit down.”
His words were gruff, but a small rush of pleasure made Kay shiver. Even when he seemed so remote and cold, he was still looking out for her well-being. Taking care of her.
“Your mom said something about hot cocoa?”
“There’ll be plenty of that along with cider, eggnog, espresso, cookies, cakes, brownies, you name it. In case you hadn’t figured this out yet, the Alexanders love a good party. Food is a big part of that.”
They entered the family room, and Kay took a seat on the edge of the room. Julia brought them steaming mugs of cocoa filled to the brim with fluffy marshmallows. Plates of cookies were passed around, and after trying valiantly to ignore the delicious smell, Kay gave up on having willpower and took one. Warm chocolate melted on her tongue and she finally began to relax.
It was so surreal to watch Jackson and Nick fighting over the candy dish and to have a supermodel sitting on the couch talking about an acting role she’d been offered. This time last year she’d been pregnant and terrified, wondering how in the world she was going to take care of a baby by herself. Her own mother hadn’t even been speaking to her at the time. Their dinner had been a tense, silent affair.
If things had gone to plan, this year wouldn’t have been much better. She’d be shivering in her cold, empty apartment, worried about how to keep her daughter warm. Instead, Hope was safe and happy while she was sitting next
to her secret crush and drinking cocoa. They were both safely tucked away in the warm interior of the Alexanders’ living room, surrounded by happiness.
Everything was perfect.
* * * * *
“COME ON, EVERYONE. It’s time to peek in the stockings.” Julia herded all her children and grandchildren closer to the tree. Across the fireplace mantel, six stockings hung in a row, each one lovingly hand-knit by their Grandma Alexander, Mark’s mother.
Ridley took a seat on the couch. Jackson sat next to her as Chris and Jase made a beeline for the Christmas tree. At Mark’s suggestion, they’d started allowing the kids to open one present on Christmas Eve while the adults looked in their stockings. They usually hid candy and treats for the kids amongst the boughs of the Christmas tree as well.
It was a lovely tradition, one that Ridley looked forward to continuing for years to come.
“Hey, Mom, why don’t you go first?” Jackson called out. He squeezed her hand and winked at her. He seemed just as anxious for her mother-in-law to find their surprise as she was.
“I would love to.” Julia unhooked the stocking labeled “MOM” and rooted around in the bottom. The first thing she pulled out was a slim jewelry case. She turned to Mark, who was reclining in his favorite comfy leather chair near the fireplace.
“Mark, you didn’t?” She popped open the case and let out a small sigh. “Would you look at that?” Her eyes were bright as she lifted the delicate bracelet out of the box.
“You always wanted one of those charm bracelets when we first got married,” Mark grumbled. He looked abashed at all the attention.
“But we couldn’t afford it back then,” Julia whispered. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she walked over and draped herself across his lap. “It’s never too late. Thank you, honey.” She kissed him tenderly while her two grandsons made gagging noises.
“Ew, they’re kissing again,” Chris whispered. Laughter broke out as his loud whisper broke the silence.
“You’ll understand one day.” Nick pulled Chris into a hug. “I promise.”
“Okay, enough of that,” Jackson called out to his parents who were still snuggling. “What else have you got?”
“What more do I need?” Julia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and then reached into the stocking again. She pulled out a small piece of blue fabric. Her brow furrowed as she stared at it. “It’s a baby’s hat. How did this get in my stocking?”
She glanced over at Nick and Raina who both looked just as puzzled as she did. Then she swung around to look at Jackson and Ridley.
“Oh! Oh! Does this mean what I think it means?” Julia jumped up and held out her arms to Ridley.
Ridley nodded shyly. Julia let out a whoop that startled both of the babies. Jada let out a disgruntled cry until Nick picked her up and rocked her.
“It’s okay, baby girl. Grandma is just excited. And you’re getting another cousin.” He turned to Jackson and offered a hand. “Congratulations, little brother. I can’t wait to meet the newest addition.”
As Jackson accepted handshakes and backslapping from Matt, Eli, and Bennett, Ridley sat back down on the couch. She already could feel the changes in her body and she was only about four months along. Along with crying at everything from cute pictures of kittens on the Internet to Jase’s drawings, she was also exhausted all the time.
“We’re getting a baby?”
Ridley looked up when Chris sat on the couch next to her. He bit his lip as he glanced at her stomach. “Yes, we’re getting a baby. Do you remember when Auntie Raina carried baby Jada in her tummy?”
He nodded. “Jada kicked my hand when I touched Auntie Raina’s belly.”
“Yeah, she did.” She pulled him close and kissed the top of his tight curls. He sat quietly for a moment and Ridley didn’t push him. Chris liked to talk and ask questions, but she figured he needed time to process. They’d debated telling the kids first, but they’d been worried the boys would announce it as soon as they arrived.
Jase walked over to them. “RiRi, you’ve got a baby on your belly!”
The whole room laughed.
“Well, there’s a baby in my belly. But that’s close enough, sweetie.”
Jase looked offended that everyone was still chuckling at his expense. Ridley pulled him onto her lap. He put his small hands on her cheeks.
“You’re going to be the mommy.” Since his own mother had died not long after he was born, Jase had long been fascinated by the concept of “mommies.” She was sure he’d have many questions over the next few months.
Chris looked up then. “If the baby is going to call you mommy, can we call you mommy, too? Our first mommy is in heaven now, so maybe she won’t mind.” He looked down at his sneakers and then back up at her. The hope in his eyes made her feel like a big fist was wrapped around her heart.
Ridley glanced up to see Jackson watching them with a soft, indulgent smile. Tears sprang to her eyes. “Of course you can. I would love that. I love you both so much.”
Chris grinned then. She realized that he’d been worried she’d say no. She held open her arms and hugged them both. After a few moments, Jase squirmed until she let him down.
“Okay. Bye, Mommy!” he chirped before running off. Chris jumped up to follow him. He turned at the last minute and whispered, “Bye, Mommy,” before rushing off after his little brother.
Tears slid down her cheeks as she raised her hand to wave after him. “Bye, my sweet baby.”
Jackson sat on the couch and pulled her into his lap. “Oh, to be as resilient as a four-year-old. Nothing fazes that kid.” He squeezed her gently. “Go ahead and cry. I almost cried myself.”
Ridley did just that, then buried her face in his shirt and smiled like a fool.
As Jackson laid a gentle hand on her still-flat stomach, Ridley whispered, “I never knew I could be this happy.”
He tilted his head to one side, regarding Ridley silently for a moment. “You deserve to be happy. I’m going to do everything I can to keep you that way.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
Ridley shrugged. It wasn’t something she could really explain. Even though she hadn’t been that close to her own mother prior to her death, she’d felt the loss keenly every year since. There were so many holidays tied to family traditions. She and Raina had gotten used to doing things on their own. Then she’d met Jackson and everything had changed. Now they were a part of this amazing family and they would never be on their own again.
“For loving me. That’s all.”
* * * * *
AS EVERYONE CROWDED around Ridley, Eli edged closer to Kaylee. She sat on the floor near the door, obviously feeling a little left out.
She smiled slightly when Eli sat next to her. “Aren’t you supposed to be right in the thick of things? You know, peeking into your stocking?”
He wasn’t sure if she was kidding but just the mental image of him “peeking” into anything was a little too silly to be believed.
“Peeking is for little girls. If I wanted to know what was in there, I’d just dump the stuff out.” He shot her a sardonic look. “Unless my mother was looking.”
She laughed, just like he’d hoped she would. He didn’t like how lonely and lost she’d looked sitting off to the side by herself.
“Besides, I already know what’s in there. It’s always a piece of candy, a silly card that made my mom laugh in the store, and a new pair of gloves or a hat.” Even Eli could hear the affection in his voice. It was hard not to adore his mother when she so obviously adored each and every one of them.
“Sounds like you know your mom pretty well.”
“I do. She’s an amazing woman.” He fidgeted, the small box in his pocket getting heavier and heavier by the minute. Finally, he gave up on trying to think of a smooth way to give it to her and just dropped it in her lap. “This is for you.”
“You got me a gift?” Kay sat stunned, staring at the big bow on top of t
he box. Then she smiled, a genuine smile this time, her delight obvious in the way she attacked the wrapping paper.
He knew she hadn’t expected anything. It had become clear to him in the time he’d spent watching over her that she didn’t expect much from anyone. Far less than she deserved. It was foolish and a dangerous thing, but he just wanted her to know how much she deserved.
How valuable she was.
“It’s not much.” He was suddenly embarrassed that he’d purchased her something so personal. He’d been in the store trying to decide if he should get her a scarf or a sweater. He’d called Nick to ask for advice. Of course his brother the playboy had assumed the gift was for a girlfriend and had suggested jewelry.
Now when Kay was looking at him with her big, innocent brown eyes, it seemed inappropriate and a little pervy that he’d gotten her a necklace. What if her boyfriend had gotten her something similar?
That’s what he got for taking advice from Nick. He should have gotten her the stupid scarf.
“It’s beautiful, Eli.” She lifted it out of the box and held it up to the light.
“It’s a mother’s pendant. That’s Hope’s birthstone, isn’t it? I hope I got it right.”
“It’s a garnet, right? You got it right.” She looked so happy with the gift that Eli relaxed a little.
“I hope I’m not stepping on any toes.” When her brow furrowed quizzically, he added, “I’m hoping your boyfriend didn’t already get you one.”
“Boyfriend? If you’re talking about Craig, we broke up at the end of the summer.” She fumbled with the clasp of the necklace. “I hope I can get it on without breaking the clasp. Can you hook it?”
Eli just stared stupidly for a moment. His brain was still stuck on processing her words. He hadn’t liked the slimy, girly-voiced singer she’d been dating over the summer, but he would never wish for her to be hurt.
