A Christmas Prayer: An Autistic Child, a Father's Love, a Woman's Heart (Christmas Romance)

by Rondeau, Linda Wood

  “Gib doesn’t want to live with you.”

  “He said that?”

  “Not in those words.” Her body shook with rage. “He said he wants to stay with me.”

  “Not possible, though, is it?”

  “Apparently not, especially after this latest episode. There’s no way the court will reconsider. In their eyes, I’ve only proven I’m unfit to manage him. Heck, even I think Gib’s safer with you.”

  “Really? Are we friends again?”

  “Only in matters related to Gib.”

  “Alexis, I’ve been thinking.”

  “Don’t Ethan. Don’t think. Whatever happens Thursday, we’ll deal with it.”

  “Alexis … I—”

  Alexis heard a car pull into the driveway and checked through the window. Jasper Police. Probably Kyle. “Have to go. Kyle’s here. Maybe there’s news.”

  * * *

  She had disconnected before he’d had a chance to “come clean” as she’d said, intending to disclose his relationship to Gib, judge’s order or not.

  He called Kyle. “I already know you’re at Alexis’s. Any luck?”

  “No.”

  “Need help?”

  “Not yet. I stopped by to see if Alexis had any other ideas where Gib might have gone. I know you think highly of the kid, but stay where you are. Can’t get you a detail and look for Gib, too.”

  For the first time, he realized his presence in Jasper Falls had inconvenienced many, and he had not been the help he’d intended to be. “Doesn’t the kid have a GPS tracker? I hear they’re becoming more popular for disabled children.”

  “Alexis tried a few different ones. Gib ditched all of them.”

  “You’ll call me if you find him?”

  “Third on my list of notifications.”

  “Third?”

  “Alexis and my chief before you.”

  Awareness bruised. As far as Jasper Falls was concerned, Ethan Jacobs, a rising star of Country Music, was not their king. He was subject to the rule of law here as anywhere. He had thought that perhaps he could return, throw his money around, and the town would honor him as their favorite son. Respect must be earned, not bought.

  He loved Gib, perhaps more from duty, though the more he knew of him, the larger his love became. Alexis showed more love through locked cabinets than Ethan did with a roomful of Tony Lama boots.

  When he first learned about Gib, he was an issue, a problem, something Ethan’s Christian nature told him to fix. How? What was God’s plan? Had the Lord given him an opportunity to correct the mistake he’d made long ago? He told Jan MacKendrick he’d be happy to slow his career down, write more songs, and be on the road less. Hardly a sacrifice. He’d never liked being a roadie.

  Ethan returned to his band. “Danny, can I borrow your rental?”

  His bass guitarist looked up with questioning eyes. “If you smash it, you pay the penalty.”

  “Of course.”

  Danny tossed him the keys.

  “You guys keep rehearsing without me. Make sure you break for lunch. On me.”

  “Where to in such a hurry?”

  “Have a hunch where the kid is.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ethan remembered his old hiding place, a quarter mile behind the Duncan Mansion, beyond the encircling thickets and forestry. He wondered if the trail still led to the small, secluded pond that dropped fifteen feet below the steep embankment in most places. Sometimes, he’d go there with a liquor bottle and a girl. Only the serious hikers and those seeking refuge from the tumult knew of its existence. Those who did made it their special place, secreted from most of Jasper Falls.

  Over the last few days, Ethan had grown acutely aware of Gib’s ability to disappear underneath the noses of the Gideon staff, something Ethan had also excelled at in his youth. Gib found hiding places known only to the architects and the extremely curious. Not so unlikely for him to know about the pond and its only access point.

  Ethan combed his hair forward, slipping on sunglasses and a cap he kept in his jacket for those times he didn’t want to be recognized. If memory served him right, the dirt access road would take him most of the way through the forest. He’d have to hike the rest of the way. He trudged through the snow, carefully marking the trees so he could find his way back.

  When he reached the drop-off, he called out for Gib. No response—only his own echo. A deer grazing on the other side caught his attention. There it was, the clearing and graduated slope where he had run away to so many times in his youth. He followed the treacherous rock ledges along the embankment until he reached the clearing.

  He remembered the series of large boulders at the pond’s edge. He looked behind the largest one first. There was Gib, fast asleep, his small head peeking up from a mound of pines. Ethan crouched next to Gib and gently shook his coverings.

  Gib’s eyes shot open. “How did you find me?”

  “I used to come here when I was a kid.” Ethan left out the reasons. “Better question is how did you know about this place?”

  “My father used to fish here with a friend of his. One day he brought me along. He said it was a secret place and not to tell anyone. And I never did.”

  Ethan helped Gib climb out of the shelter, a slightly recognizable lean-to against the boulder. Ethan took off his leather jacket and handed it to Gib. “Did you make this lean-to?”

  “I found it. Like how I redesigned it into a bed?”

  “Very clever. What did you use to cut the branches with?”

  Gib pointed to a shrub on the right side of the clearing. “I buried a Swiss army knife by that shrub last time I was here.”

  “When was that?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “Fair enough. You know you can’t stay here, Gib.”

  “Why not?”

  “How will you find food?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Are you hungry now?”

  “A little.”

  Ethan searched his pockets. “I have half a granola bar.”

  “I don’t like granola bars.”

  “Will you tell me why you ran away?”

  “I don’t have anywhere to live.”

  Ethan handed his cap to Gib. “Sure you do. You can live with me.”

  Gib kicked the boulder. “Do I have to?”

  “Would you at least try staying at my place? I promise it won’t be as bad as it seems.”

  “Can I have a puppy?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “What about my cars and comics?”

  “Bring them with you.”

  “Can Alexis come, too?”

  How much he’d like it if she did. But even if she could, she wouldn’t. She’d sooner swallow a rattlesnake. “No, Gib. I won’t lie to you.”

  “I want to stay with Alexis.”

  “You know, she’s really worried about you. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll talk about what you want. Maybe I’ll stop and get some fried chicken on the way to your house.”

  “I like fried chicken.”

  “Let’s go, then.”

  “Okay. If they make me go live with you, I’ll run away again.”

  “You don’t like me?”

  “Sure I do. I like Alexis more.”

  Ethan scratched his head as small flakes of snow began to fall. No offense taken. How arrogant to think he could win Gib’s love with things. Impaired cognitive functioning or not, Gib sensed how much Alexis loved him. No matter how many people Ethan hired to shadow Gib, the truth remained. He belonged with Alexis.

  * * *

  Jasmine brought Alexis another cup of tea and half a baloney sandwich. “Don’t you keep any luncheon meat for yoursel
f?”

  She pushed the tea and plate aside. “I’ve learned to like baloney.”

  “You have to eat girl. You need your energy if you’re going to find Gib.”

  “I can’t find him sitting here, can I? He ran off without a coat and the temps are dropping. It’s supposed to snow tonight.”

  A car pulled into the drive … one Alexis didn’t recognize.

  A tall, lanky man emerged. Something seemed familiar although he wore sunglasses on a cloudy December day, a doubly odd combination with a thin denim shirt. Alexis caught the leaf design on his expensive boots. Ethan without his bodyguards?

  He went to the other side of the car and Gib crawled out wearing a baseball cap and a man’s leather jacket, the sleeves hanging below his arms and the waistband around his knees.

  She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. As she expected, he wriggled free from her embrace. “Don’t!”

  “Where did you find him?”

  “At the pond behind the Duncan Mansion.”

  “Kyle and a group of volunteers have been searching the property in case Gib crawled into an undiscovered closet or crawled underneath a cedar bush. No one thought to go beyond the stone wall though. It’s pretty high.”

  Gib laughed. “I climbed the wall like Spiderman, like only a spidy can!”

  Alexis cocked her head. “Gib?”

  Ethan smiled. “Not impossible to climb … got over that wall more than once when I was a kid.”

  “How did you know to look there?”

  “A hunch.”

  Gib and Ethan exchanged a high-five. “A good one, eh, Ethan?”

  “Why is Gib in such a good mood?”

  Ethan opened the car’s back door and pulled out a bucket of fried chicken.

  “Did you remember the banana cream pie?” Alexis asked.

  Ethan took out the second package. “Right here.”

  “Glad you found him. Getting bitter cold out there.”

  Ethan and Gib exchanged glances. Apparently, they had made the first secret between them.

  Ethan shivered. “Better go inside before the food gets cold.”

  “Of course. You’ll stay and share it with us?”

  “I need to get back to rehearsal.” Ethan paused when Gib’s face drooped. “But a few more minutes won’t matter.”

  “It’s time for Avatar,” Gib said. “Will you watch it with me, Ethan?”

  “You have half an hour yet. Why don’t you eat first? Go ahead and start it. We’ll join you later.”

  “Are you going to tell Alexis what we talked about?”

  “Some of it … not the part you asked me to keep secret.”

  “Okay.”

  She’d hoped to make this last night with Gib special. Perhaps add some popcorn into the mix. “I need to call Kyle—”

  “Already did.”

  “What about the Mayor’s Dinner tonight?”

  “As long as I get there before the presentation.”

  “Jasmine’s doing the honors tonight …”

  Gib scowled. “You should go, Alexis.”

  Ethan nodded in agreement. “He’s right.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll explain after we eat,” Ethan said. “I’m hungry.”

  Jasmine had already put paper plates on the table. Ethan said grace and everyone dug in. Gib finished first. “Can I watch Avatar now?”

  “Sure,” Alexis said, always amazed at the contradiction—how Gib’s unpredictable mind craved the predictable.

  Ethan, Jasmine and Alexis cleared the table, and Ethan took Alexis aside. “Here’s the thing. I know you hate me right now—”

  “Hate’s a pretty strong word—”

  “Don’t edit my speech.”

  “Okay … spit it out.”

  “Gib and I talked and he’s agreed to move in with me for a week and see if he likes it.”

  “A week? I suppose, though in Gib’s mind, that’s a long time.”

  “I think Gib needs to know you’ll be okay if he moves out. Which is why I think you should go to the Mayor’s Dinner tonight.”

  She hadn’t realized how visibly she’d worn her heartbreak over current troubles. She recalled the counselor’s statement during one of their sessions. “Autistic children can sense negative emotions in the home. The fact they don’t express their feelings doesn’t preclude the fact they are as much emotional creatures as we are.”

  “Ethan, I hate it when you’re right.”

  “There’s something else I need to tell you … very privately. Jasmine, do you mind watching Gib while I take Alexis for a drive?”

  Alexis hesitated. Did she really want to be alone with Ethan Jacobs right now? “I don’t think I should rely on Jasmine so much.”

  Jasmine laughed. “If you feel guilty, Ethan can buy me a pair of Tony Lama boots, too.”

  He pulled Jasmine into a hug. “Consider it done. And when the dust settles, I want you to meet my manager, Max. You two would like each other, I’m sure of it.”

  “If he’s half as cute as you, I know I’ll be charmed. Get out of here you two.”

  * * *

  A gentle snow fell as Ethan guided Alexis to the pond. “I wanted to show you where Gib took off to in case he tries to hide there again.”

  When they reached the pond, Alexis gasped at the beauty. “My father mentioned a place nearby, so beautiful it literally took your breath away. This must be it.” She sat on a boulder and pulled up the collar on her parka. “I’ll remember, but tomorrow he becomes your responsibility. I plan on going back to Los Angeles. Jasmine thinks that me being in town while you have Gib might be too confusing for him.”

  Would life go on without Alexis Jennings in it? Probably. But he didn’t want it to. “Before you make any hasty decisions, there’s something you need to know.”

  “If I’m going to the Mayor’s Dinner, I need to be getting back.”

  “In a few minutes. Hear me out. You’re right, Gib doesn’t want to live with me.”

  “I don’t know why he wouldn’t. There’s nothing you wouldn’t give him. I still don’t understand why you want him to live with you. This whole thing makes me shiver with anger. It’s not fair. Money talks, I guess. Is this a publicity thing or something more?”

  “Your intuition is spot on, Alexis. I’m under court order not to tell anyone, especially you.” Did he dare cross that line? He must. “I’m Gib’s father.”

  Alexis’s face reddened, the heat of her accusation burned into his conscience. “If that’s true, where have you been all these years? Why are you showing yourself now?”

  “Try to understand. I didn’t know about Gib. I left town before he was born and his mother never told me. A few days before last Christmas, she wrote me a letter. Said I had a son she gave up for adoption at birth and how your parents’ accident upset his life. She also mentioned a sister had moved in to take care of him. She asked me to leave well enough alone, but wanted me to know about Gib in case he needed anything.”

  “Your money might make life easier for Gib. But what he truly needs, money can’t buy.”

  “I had to try. I hired a private detective and verified everything Nancy said in her letter. DNA testing confirms I’m Gib’s father. I didn’t want to show up drunk. Finding out I had a son pulled me out of the dark hole of alcoholism. I wrote A Christmas Prayer for the son I had yet to meet.”

  “I should have been told. I am his legal guardian, at least until tomorrow. Who else knows?”

  “Only Judge Richards, Jan MacKendrick, my lawyers, and the private detective. Gib’s biological mother, Nancy Morgan, is at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility and will be for a long time.”

  Alexis took deep breaths as if wil
ling herself to calm. “I’m still angry and probably will be for a long time. I’m sorry it all comes out at you.”

  “I’m sorry, too. I’d like it if you’d like me a little.”

  “I don’t know how I feel about you. I think I do like you a little … okay … a lot. I know I don’t hate you.”

  He wanted to kiss her and knew she’d let him. Instead, he took her hand into his.

  Alexis met his gaze. “You see, I prayed, too, and asked God, if I couldn’t have Gib, to find him a home where he’d be loved. Looks like He answered both our prayers. Frankly, I don’t understand why you’d want to be saddled with a kid, any kid, let alone a kid with special needs. You could still walk away. No one would know. Your secret’s safe with me.”

  “There’s so much about Gib to love, isn’t there? The reason you fight to keep him? It’s more than duty for you. Can’t you believe my motives are as pure as yours?”

  “When it comes to autistic kids, nobility wears thin. Are you sure you can go the distance? You might have abundant resources; the job is still tougher than you could imagine. Do you love him enough?”

  Did he? Gib had imprinted a permanent place in Ethan’s heart in the matter of a few days; and Ethan Jacobs would never be the same, no longer living his life for his own pleasure. Still, his love had not reached the same plane as Alexis’s. “Not like you. You’re willing to risk his wrath to keep him safe. I want him to like me.”

  “Many days I’d give anything to see Gib smile at me the same way he does at Jasmine, Kyle, or you.”

  Ethan put an arm around Alexis and led her back toward the car. “One thing I’ve learned in the short time I’ve been here, kids like Gib need constancy. Gib knows he can always count on you to be there when the world he desperately tries to control crumbles. You’re a far better parent than I could ever dream of being.”

  “What are you saying, Ethan?”

  “What I’m saying is I think there’s an alternative no one has considered.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  While Judge Richards sat at her bench peering over Gib’s thick case file, Alexis gazed around the courtroom. When she had first moved to Herkimer County, she thought the area far too provincial to connect with. At least until she did a series of articles on area history, including the Chester Gillette trial, the stuff of novels and movies, held in this same court house, as imposing now as it must have seemed to Chester as he sat on the witness stand arguing his innocence.