“See how easy it is?” he said.
“You certainly made quick work of it,” she said.
“And the cars go together like this,” he told her, putting them onto the track, then showing her the battery-operated on-off switch. He sat back on his heels.
“You can do it,” he said.
She accepted the offer for the honor he clearly meant it to be and flipped the switch, watching as the small train began to chug around the track under the tree. In that instant, with an expression of innocent delight on her brother’s face, Jenny’s holiday spirit stirred.
Sean gazed up at her. “It’s great, huh?”
“It’s fantastic!” she agreed.
But what was most fantastic of all was sharing this moment with her little brother.
* * *
“You will be in that theater tonight if I have to drag you there myself,” Bree said, her gaze on Jenny unrelenting.
Jenny hadn’t left the house for days, despite repeated invitations from various family members trying to coax her out. Instead, she’d sat on her new sofa, hot chocolate in hand, and stared at the lights on her tree. Sean’s little train had chugged around the track so many times, she’d had to change the batteries.
Now it appeared that Bree didn’t intend to take no for an answer. That didn’t mean Jenny was going to give in without a fight. She was comfortable in her isolation, happy to be away from the prying eyes and the worried frowns.
“Not a chance,” she told Bree emphatically. “If Christmas weren’t three days away and my mom not counting on my being here, my bags would be packed and I’d be loading up my car right this second.”
“Well, Christmas is three days away, your mom is counting on you, and so am I. Producers from New York are going to be here and they’re going to want to meet the lyricist. And you deserve to bask in all the accolades. Your songs have made this production into something special. Thanks to you and Caleb, this has become a big deal, Jenny. It’s putting my theater on the map.”
Jenny noticed that Bree was no longer insisting that she be onstage. Once she’d learned about what had really brought Caleb to town, she’d been as indignant as Jenny. And while Jenny personally didn’t care about any praise her work might garner, she knew she owed it to Bree to be there to help her celebrate this success. She understood that family loyalty demanded that much of an effort. She also knew that if she didn’t give in now, Bree would be only the first in a long line of people pestering her today. The possibility that Caleb himself might be one of them was most worrisome of all.
“I’m not setting foot backstage,” she said eventually, accepting the inevitable.
“Fine.”
“Or onstage,” she added, just to be clear.
“Not a problem. Believe me, I understand. Though I do expect you to attend the after-party at the inn. You don’t have to stay long, just put in an appearance, meet a few people.”
Jenny stilled at the idea of being in the same room with Caleb, even if the crowds of people invited were likely to provide a halfway decent buffer. “Don’t push your luck,” she warned. “The last thing you need is a scene, and I can’t promise I won’t cause one.”
“I know you better than that. Besides, you need to greet the potential backers,” Bree insisted. “We’ll all do our best to keep you and Caleb apart.” She gave her a questioning look. “If that’s what you really want.”
“It’s what I want,” Jenny told her emphatically.
“Okay, then. I’ll enlist the rest of the family and we’ll make it happen,” Bree promised.
“Thank you,” Jenny said. “As for tonight, I’ll sit in the audience, in the back, preferably beside total strangers, not anyone in the family.” She didn’t want anyone watching her to see how she was handling Caleb being onstage. If her expression turned wistful for even a second, they’d catch it and make way too much of it.
Bree grinned, obviously delighted to have gotten her way. “I already have the seat reserved.”
Jenny shook her head. “If I didn’t love you so much, I’d hate you for being so blasted sure of yourself.”
Bree’s grin merely spread. “Your uncle’s not the only one in the family with excellent powers of persuasion. Besides, I had a secret weapon.”
“What’s that?”
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away. Deep down, tonight means as much to you as it does to me.”
Sadly, Bree was exactly right. Jenny wanted to see how people responded to the play, to her music. And, she thought with a sigh, to Caleb. As badly as a part of her wanted everyone to hate him on sight, she knew with absolute certainty that, just like her, they were going to fall in love with him.
* * *
Caleb had only one chance to get things right with Jenny, to convince her that she was the most important thing in his life. After tonight there’d be no more excuses to see her, no more support from the one ally he had left in her family.
Somehow he’d managed to convince Bree of his total sincerity when it came to his feelings for Jenny. She was taking a huge chance on him. She was putting her whole play on the line by making a few changes to accommodate his determination to get through to Jenny. She’d even hired extra security to be sure no obvious paparazzi slipped into the theater. One camera flash could ruin everything.
The Chesapeake Shores Playhouse was packed for tonight’s performance. Clearly it was a friendly audience, with the entire O’Brien clan in attendance. While that might work in Bree’s favor, it could be a hostile crowd for Caleb if he didn’t pull this off.
Jenny had missed most of the final rehearsals, so she had no idea about the adaptations that Bree had made. He exited the stage after performing his second song, walked outside, then came into the theater’s lobby and waited just outside the door for his cue.
When it came, he stepped into the aisle, knelt down beside the seat Bree had reserved for Jenny and began to strum his guitar. The spotlight found him and the audience turned their way. He heard the collective gasp when the O’Briens especially realized where he was and to whom he was about to sing. Jenny’s eyes had filled with alarm, but there was no escape, not without causing a scene. He was counting on her innate sense of decorum, or perhaps her fear of another tabloid frenzy to keep her in her seat at least long enough to hear him out.
The words he sang then weren’t those of the song she’d written to close the first act, but those of the song she’d given to Ricky, the one filled with heartache and longing. He knew that singing it was a risk, a huge one, but he needed her to understand just how deeply those words had touched him, why he’d wanted so badly to sing them. He put every ounce of emotion he could summon into the lyrics, needing her to hear him, not as a singer, but as a man who’d loved and lost and wanted desperately to have a second chance.
Tears welled up in her eyes as he poured heart and soul into the song. When he’d sung the final note, the audience, sensing there was much more than a performance going on, went wild with cheers and applause, but Caleb was oblivious to everything except Jenny. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but the look of abject misery was gone from her eyes.
Her hand shook as she touched his cheek. “You were right,” she whispered. “You were meant to sing that song.”
“That’s not important,” he insisted. “This is the one and only time I intend to sing it. Ricky’s already in the studio recording it.”
Surprise flashed in her eyes. “What?”
“You gave it to him. Ken Davis believes it will launch his career and make him a star. He deserves that chance. The only chance I want is to get back with you. Will you give me that second chance, Jenny? The way we talked about a few days ago?”
She gave him a look filled with what he hoped was feigned exasperation.
“You won over an entire audience, including my o
wn family,” she said. “Isn’t that enough for you?”
“It will never be enough until I have you.” Knowing that his pride and his future were at stake, he pulled a ring from his pocket. “What do you say, Jenny? From here on out we’re a team. Even if you never write another song for me, that’s okay. It’s you I need. Only you.”
Her smile broke then, wobbled a bit, but her eyes were shining. “Don’t think for a minute I’m letting anyone else write for you,” she scolded. “You have a bad habit of falling for songwriters.”
“Only for one,” he said, standing and pulling her into his arms. “Only one.”
As he sealed his mouth over hers, the lights dimmed and the audience went into a frenzy. Over the shouts, he could have sworn he heard Mick O’Brien declare loudly, “And Merry Christmas to all!”
Emerging from the kiss, Jenny met his gaze and laughed. “Bree’s second act is going to have a heck of a time trying to top that.”
“Which is why you’re coming onstage with me so we can sing the finale together,” he said. “That ought to send everyone out of here smiling.”
Jenny looked into his eyes. “You and Bree definitely share a sense of the dramatic.”
“And we both love you,” Caleb declared.
Eyes shining, Jenny whispered, “It really is going to be a merry Christmas, isn’t it?”
“The absolute merriest I’ve ever had, that’s for sure.”
He couldn’t recall ever being more certain that not only this Christmas, but every holiday to come would be perfect as long as he had Jenny by his side.
Epilogue
One year later
The curtain fell on Act II of A Seaside Christmas on its opening night on Broadway, and the audience was on its feet. Sure, it was a smaller, older theater, but it was Broadway! Bree’s dream had come true. Caleb couldn’t have been happier for her, though he did have his own big plans for the night.
“I think we have a major holiday hit on our hands,” Bree exclaimed to Jenny and Caleb, her eyes bright with excitement. “I can’t thank the two of you enough for working with me on this.”
Caleb looked down at Jenny. “I don’t know about you, but I have someplace I need to be.”
She smiled up at him. “Right beside you,” she said.
Bree regarded them with confusion. “You’re not coming to the after-party?”
“There’s been a slight change of plans,” Jenny admitted.
“Not that we wanted to steal your thunder, but we figured nobody would be paying much attention to the traditional after-party on opening night,” Caleb explained.
“And everyone we love will be there,” Jenny added.
Bree frowned. “Meaning?”
“We thought we’d get married, that is if you don’t mind,” Caleb said.
“We were going to elope,” Jenny added quickly. “But we figured somebody would spot us and that would be the end of that. Where better to pull off a secret ceremony than at a party that’s already planned and closed to the media?”
Caleb watched Bree’s expression closely to see if she minded sharing the spotlight. A smile spread across her face.
“I love it,” Bree exclaimed delightedly. “Does anyone else know?”
“Mom does,” Jenny told her. “I knew she’d go nuts if she wasn’t wearing the absolutely perfect dress for a wedding. She had her hair done and a mani-pedi. I think she’s going to look better than I do.”
“Nobody can hold a candle to you,” Caleb assured her.
“Spoken like a man who wants to get married as quickly as possible,” Bree said. “So let’s do it.” A frown crossed her face. “Does the hotel know? Will there be a wedding cake? You can’t get married without a cake. And what about flowers? I wanted to do the flowers for your wedding. I’ve been thinking about that ever since you two got back together.”
“Which is why I had them deliver the flowers to the hotel without assembling them into a bouquet,” Jenny said. “I worked with you enough to know exactly what you’d need. Just a bouquet, Bree. Everything else is done. Will you do it?”
“I’d be honored,” Bree assured her.
Fifteen minutes later, they’d made their way to the hotel just up the street where the entire extended O’Brien family was waiting. Caleb followed Bree to the private room that had been reserved for the party, while Jenny disappeared to meet her mother.
“Don’t take too long,” he pleaded, kissing her cheek. “It’s been too long already.”
He watched her go, his heart in his throat. He might have stood there forever, but Bree touched his arm.
“Let’s go and make things pretty for the bride,” she said.
“No matter what we do, she’ll outshine it all,” he said.
Bree laughed. “There’s that charm I’ve grown to love. Are you sure you’re not a little bit Irish?”
Caleb laughed. “No, but the O’Briens are definitely rubbing off on me.”
* * *
The party was in full swing when Jenny came back downstairs with her mother. She could hear the music, a sound track from the play, the minute they exited the elevator.
“Sounds good, doesn’t it?” Connie said. “I am so proud of you.” She studied her daughter with a worried look. “Are you sure you want to get married here tonight? I always dreamed of you walking down the aisle at church back home.”
Jenny shook her head. “This is perfect,” she said. “It’s private. My family is here. And as long as Caleb and I get to say our vows in front of the people who matter, I’m happy.”
Connie kissed her cheek. “Then I’m happy, too. He’s a good man, sweetie.”
“He’s flawed,” Jenny corrected. “Which makes him human.” A smile spread across her face. “But he’s the perfect man for me.”
When she and her mom walked into the room, it was Mick who caught sight of her first. Though she’d chosen a simple white dress, there was no mistaking that she was dressed for a wedding.
Mick hurried over with Thomas right behind him, a questioning look in his eyes.
“Seems we’re having a wedding,” Connie told them, linking her arm through Thomas’s.
“So that’s why Caleb’s been looking so nervous,” Mick said. “I thought he was worried about the reviews.”
Caleb crossed the room, never taking his eyes off Jenny. “You ready to do this?” he asked quietly as he handed her the bouquet that Bree had created with yellow roses and baby’s breath and white satin ribbons. A few forget-me-nots had been tucked in as well.
Jenny turned to Thomas. “I don’t have the right to ask this, but would you consider walking me down the aisle?”
“Shouldn’t Jake be doing that?” he asked.
“I think he’ll understand,” Jenny told him. “I want this to be a fresh start, not just for me and Caleb, but my whole family.”
There was no mistaking the sheen in Thomas’s eyes as he nodded. “It would be my pleasure.”
It took only moments for most of the other guests to figure out what was going on. And when the wedding march replaced the sound track from the play, the rest glanced around, then gasped.
“You’re getting married?” Carrie asked, rushing over, her eyes bright with excitement.
“We thought we would,” Jenny confirmed.
“This is totally awesome,” Carrie said. “Wait till my friends hear that I was at Caleb Green’s wedding.”
Jenny gave her a stern look. “They can hear about it,” she said, then warned, “But no pictures, not a one.”
For an instant disappointment flashed in Carrie’s eyes, but then understanding apparently dawned. “Got it. If there’s a leak, it won’t be from me.”
“Thank you,” Caleb said, kissing her cheek.
For a minute, Jenny thought the teen might pass out, but then she rallied and rushed off to find her twin.
Seconds later Jenny and Caleb were standing in front of a minister, repeating the vows they’d written themselves, vows that acknowledged all they’d been through and all they hoped for in the future.
“No matter how I falter, I will always be certain of this one thing: that I will always love you above all else,” Caleb said. “I want you to carry that promise in your heart every single day.”
Jenny smiled at him through her tears. “And I promise you that I will always try to be the best wife I can be, that my love will be unconditional and that each day will be blessed because we’re facing it together.”
As soon as the minister declared them to be husband and wife, Caleb swept her into his arms and kissed her until she came close to forgetting her own name...the old one or this new one she’d agreed to take today: Mrs. Caleb Green.
Then toasts were being made, a late supper was served and the cake was brought in, a towering confection that could have served ten times the number of people in attendance.
Jenny saw Sean’s eyes widen.
“Wow! Is that all for us?” he asked excitedly.
“One piece of it is for you,” Connie told him firmly.
Jenny leaned down to whisper in his ear. “I’ll make sure there’s some for you to take back home.”
He grinned and slapped her hand in a high five. “Awesome!”
Caleb pulled her aside. “I know it’s traditional to hang out a little longer, but I’d really like to be alone with you.”
She gave him an impish look. “You’re expecting a honeymoon?”
“I’m expecting a wedding night,” he corrected. “The honeymoon comes later, once the holidays are over and the play closes for the season. I’m going to sneak you off to a private beach somewhere. For now, I have this lovely suite of rooms with a very large bed that’s calling our names. What do you think?”
“I think we’re wasting time,” she told him.
He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the door. Jenny made him wait while she said a quick goodnight to her mother and thanked Bree for sharing this special night with her. She and Caleb had almost made their escape when Carrie stopped them.
Chesapeake 10 - A Seaside Christmas Page 20
