He hung up and she did the same.
This was good, she told herself. She and Chloe would go to church and be back in time for an early lunch before her daughter headed out on her own adventure. Bailey and Kenny would go to Sacramento and buy furniture. It would be nice. Pleasant. Friends hanging out together. Nothing more. No matter how much she wanted a little “more” in her life.
* * *
DIAMONDS AND PURLS, a yarn and bead shop close to Brew-haha, had been open all of two hours and was already packed. Bailey sipped her cup of complimentary hot cocoa as she studied the bins filled with what seemed like hundreds of types of yarn. There were different weights and textures, dozens of colors. Yarn that was impossibly soft and yarn that glittered.
On the other side of the store were the beads. Millions of beads, she thought with a grin. Inventory in this place would be complicated.
“I love it,” Isabel said, coming up next to her and linking arms. “Doesn’t this place make you want to be creative?”
Bailey smiled at her friend. “Are you saying you’re going to take a class?”
The tall blonde shook her head. “No. I’m going to think about taking a class. There’s a difference.”
“A big one,” Bailey told her. “Chloe and I already talked about taking a beginner’s knitting class together.”
Isabel tried not to look horrified. “I’m sure it will be fun.”
Noelle Boylan, owner of The Christmas Attic, joined them. She, too, was a pretty blonde. Her usually slim physique had a little more curve to it these days, along with a definite baby bump.
“Great store,” she said, then sipped her hot chocolate. “I miss coffee. And wine.”
“How are you feeling?” Bailey asked.
“Better. Almost four months to the day, like you said.”
Noelle had spent the first three months of her pregnancy feeling nauseous. Bailey had gone through the same thing. By the fourth month, everything calmed down.
Noelle grinned. “Gabriel is going crazy, though. I think it’s harder for him because he’s a doctor. He has just enough training to make him totally freak out every single day.”
“But it’s nice, right?” Isabel said, eyeing Noelle’s stomach. “Having him hover.”
“Most of the time. Except when I want to smother him with a pillow.”
They laughed. Bailey joined in, even though her feelings were bittersweet. She’d spent much of her pregnancy alone. Will had been deployed. He’d arrived back in time for the birth, but hadn’t been with her through her pregnancy. He hadn’t seen her as she’d gotten bigger or felt the baby move for the first time.
Thinking about the past made her wonder if things would have been different if he’d been home more. Or would they still have grown apart?
It was a question she could never answer, she reminded herself. Will was gone and she and Chloe were making a life without him.
“The decorating is starting,” Noelle said. “For the town’s window display contest.”
“You’ve had your plan figured out for weeks,” Isabel teased. “What’s the big deal about winning this year?”
Noelle’s gaze intensified. “Seriously? You have to ask? If I’m entering, I’m entering to win.”
“There’s the spirit of Christmas,” Isabel teased.
Noelle ignored her and turned to Bailey. “One of the windows is going to be a fantasy winter wonderland, but with a twist. All the decorations are funny and quirky. Like a pickle dressed up as Santa.”
“Chloe and I can’t wait to see it.”
“Good.” She glanced around the store. “I want to go introduce myself to the owner. Her name is Lora, right?”
Bailey nodded. “Yes. I’ve met her a couple of times and she’s really nice. I’m so glad she and her family moved to Fool’s Gold.”
Isabel sighed. “You’re an annoyingly pleasant person, Bailey Voss.”
Bailey grinned. “Why, thank you.”
* * *
KENNY DROPPED OFF the toys and carefully secured the lock on the trailer. Each of the collection bins he’d visited had been overflowing. He had a feeling the trailer would be full long before their deadline. From what he could see, the people in Fool’s Gold had a way of coming through for a cause.
He drove to Bailey’s apartment and walked upstairs to her unit. Anticipation burned hot inside, but he ignored the sensation. He’d deliberately made his position clear with her. As much out of self-defense as because it was the right thing to do. Even though he found Bailey funny, sweet and sexy, he couldn’t take the chance. Not now, not ever.
She opened her door, her coat in her hand.
“You’re right on time,” she said with a smile. “It must be all that sports training. Having to be at practice or games when they said.”
He nodded because the punch to his gut made it impossible to speak.
There should have been nothing amazing about her. She wore jeans and a green sweater that matched her eyes. She had on some makeup and her hair tumbled past her shoulders in loose curls. Nice but not mind-shattering.
Except she was. The curves alone would drive a stronger man to his knees and Kenny was willing to admit that when it came to Bailey he was as weak as a kitten. Then there was the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. A mouth he wanted to cover with his own, explore, tease, nibble and lick. He wanted to taste her, hold her, strip her naked and—
He sucked in a breath and steered his wayward mind back to reality. Naked wasn’t going to happen. Bailey was his friend. He should think of her as someone like a grandmother. A lovely woman and nothing more.
“The bins were full,” he said as they went down the stairs. “At this rate, it’s not going to take long to fill up the trailer.”
“I’m glad. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to activate the phone tree and make an appeal.”
He held open the passenger side door for her. “There’s a phone tree?”
She grinned. “Really? You have to ask?”
She was standing close enough that he could breathe in a sweet scent. A little floral with a hint of vanilla. He would bet her skin was soft and warm and for a second he allowed himself to wonder if she was quiet when she made love or if she moaned. Because he liked it best when a woman moaned.
“By the way, Chloe doesn’t know,” she told him.
He blinked, trying to find his way back to the conversation.
“About the furniture?” he asked, the pieces falling into place.
She nodded and slid onto the seat. “I told her we were shopping for furniture, but she thinks we’re getting a new coffee table. I want it to be a surprise.”
He closed her door and walked around to his side. “I won’t say anything,” he promised as he settled next to her.
They headed out of town and got onto the freeway toward Sacramento. There was a sign on the side of the road announcing the opening of the Lucky Lady Casino seasonal ice-skating rink.
“We should do that,” Bailey said. “I mean Chloe and me. Go ice skating. I haven’t in years. Not since I was a teenager. Do you think I’ll remember how?”
“Sure. I skate. I’ll take the two of you, if you’d like. I can catch you if you fall.”
Bailey glanced at him, then away. “I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself,” she murmured.
“Not possible. I’m athletic.”
She laughed. “I’ve heard that somewhere. You used to play sports of some kind?”
“Very funny.”
She grinned. “I can be.” The smile faded. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m nervous about buying furniture. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I’ve never bought this kind of stuff before. Not new, I mean. I’ve always had hand-me-downs or something from the thrift store. When Will and I were first married, we didn’t have any money. And later, we moved around a lot. When Chloe came along, plenty of friends had cribs and changing tables.”
“How did you and Will meet?” he asked.
She glanced at him. “In high school. He was a little nerdy and funny and crazy about me. We were friends more than boyfriend-girlfriend. I was focused on saving enough money to go to college.”
“Was that your dream?”
She nodded. “I grew up in small town in Ohio. My mom took off when I was a baby and my grandmother raised me. She was a good woman, but she’d been through some tough times. I knew from an early age that I was expected to be on my own when I turned eighteen.”
He couldn’t imagine that. He knew that if he told his parents he wanted to move back now, they would welcome him with open arms. Not that it was ever going to happen.
“I had a couple of jobs all through high school. I figured I’d work for two years, save enough to get through community college. Will always told me I could do it. He had a different path. He wanted to join the army.”
“A different way out.”
“Exactly.” She shifted in her seat. “The night we graduated, Will proposed. I was stunned. I said no and he left for boot camp. A couple of weeks later, I realized I had stronger feelings for him than I thought. I drove down to where he was and we talked for a long time. By the end of the weekend, we were engaged. After we got married, I went to community college and worked and he was deployed.”
“Then Chloe came along.”
She smiled. “Yeah. She was a surprise, but a good one.”
“Did you get your degree?”
“Not completely. I have my AA, but not my bachelor’s. My plan is to start taking night classes next fall. Chloe will be a little older and we’ll be settled in our house.”
“You’ll get there,” he said. “You have a plan.”
She laughed. “Yes, it’s all about having the right plan. I’ve learned that over the years. Partly I want to do for myself, but also for Chloe. I want her to see me working hard and succeeding. I think it’s a good lesson for her.”
Everything about Bailey was a good lesson for her daughter, he thought. She was impressive, how she’d kept it all together. He supposed that was one of the reasons he liked her so much.
They drove into Sacramento and found the furniture store. As they walked inside, Bailey pulled a small notebook out of her bag.
“I did some online looking,” she told him. “I thought it would make this go faster. I didn’t want to be overwhelmed by choices.”
“It’s kids’ furniture. How many choices could there be?”
Her expression turned pitying. “And here I thought you were a man of the world.”
He held open the door. “I am.”
“We’ll see.”
Fifteen minutes later, he had to admit he was in over his head. There was a whole floor of kids’ furniture. Fortunately they could avoid the section for babies, but still. There was plenty from which to choose.
One entire corner was devoted to princess beds. Some had canopies and others had scrollwork on the head and footboards. There was white furniture and gilded furniture and padded chairs in the shape of high-heeled shoes.
Bailey stared at all the fantasy setups, with gauzy bedding and fluffy pillows. “I so want to get her this,” she murmured. “But it’s silly. I need to find something she can use until she goes to college. In a few years, she’ll hate her princess bed.”
Kenny wanted to tell her to go for it, but he knew that wasn’t practical. Bailey worked for the city. It wasn’t as if she was going to suddenly double her salary in the next few years, and furniture cost money.
“Bedding isn’t that expensive,” he said. “What about getting a more sensible setup, then buying a fun princess comforter. That wouldn’t cost much to replace in a couple of years.”
She nodded slowly. “I could do that. Add some pillows.” She smiled at him. “How do you know about bedding making a difference in a room?”
“I have sisters and a mom.”
“They’ll be so pleased to know some of what they said got through.”
Her gentle teasing made him want to pull her close. It made him want to kiss her and maybe buy whatever she thought Chloe would like...his treat. Instead he stuffed his hands into his pockets and jerked his head toward the rest of the floor.
“Let’s go be practical.”
A little while later, they stood in front of what looked to be the perfect compromise.
“Are you sure?” Bailey asked, then nibbled on her bottom lip.
“Positive.” Kenny pushed a few more buttons on his phone, then turned the screen toward her. “Look. There are all kinds of hardware available.” He pointed to a bright daisy knob. “These are eight dollars apiece but you only need seven or eight of them. You could change them out if you needed to.”
She nodded slowly, as if working through the problem. “I like the natural a lot. It’s a pretty color and a nice, neutral backdrop for her room. She wants it painted lavender.”
The bedroom set was both whimsical and practical, he thought, studying the design. A unique bunk-bed set. The bottom was a full-sized bed with a small night table tucked next to it. On the left side were stairs leading to a twin upper bunk that went across the top of the full, so the beds formed a T. The best part was the storage. Each stair was a drawer and there was a big drawer under the full-sized mattress.
“It’s more than I had planned to spend,” she murmured. “But with the free financing for a year, I could make it work. I just think this one is perfect.”
He moved next to her and put his hand on her arm. For a second he allowed himself to get lost in the feel of her warm skin. Then he shook off the guy moment and focused on the problem at hand.
“Don’t shoot the messenger,” he began. “Taryn wants to get you a housewarming present and she put me in charge.”
Bailey stared at him. “I don’t know if I should laugh or be afraid.”
“That was my reaction, too. I know she would really like to get Chloe a great princess bedding set. Like that one we saw by the stairs.”
They’d seen it on the way in. It was all ruffles and lace, done in various shades of pink, blue or purple. There were matching pillows and a great lamp.
Bailey surprised him by turning away. “Did Taryn really say that?” she asked, before holding up her hand. “Never mind. I know the answer. She is so nice to me.”
She turned back and he saw tears in her eyes.
She drew in a breath. “If it was for me, I would have told her no, but for Chloe, I accept. I’m going to get this one. She’ll love it and it will last her through college and she can have friends over.”
He couldn’t help himself. He put his arm around her and drew her close. “You’re a good mom, Bailey.”
“I think I’m like most moms out there. We love our kids and want the best for them.”
For a second, she leaned into him. He felt the weight of her body and wanted to pull her even closer. He wanted... Well, he was clear on that and how he couldn’t risk it. Not just for himself, but for Bailey, too. She was the kind of woman a man got serious about, and he knew the danger of that.
“Let’s go talk to the sales guy,” he said, steering her in that direction. “While you’re filling out the paperwork, I’m going to check online for some princess-worthy drawer pulls.”
CHAPTER SIX
KENNY WAVED JACK into the office. His business partner sat down and waited until Kenny hung up the phone.
“You make your calls?” he asked.
Jack nodded. “They mostly don’t care. For some reason they think you can do as good a job. Idiots.”
“You’d be happier if they were threatening to leave the company?” Kenny asked with a grin.
“You know it.”
Jack was leaving Score at the end of the year. Although he’d been a founding partner with Taryn, he’d been offered a coaching job at Cal U Fool’s Gold. And not just any coaching job. He was going to start the football program, from the ground up. A challenging project, but one Jack would see to the end. Kenny was confident the Cal UFG Warriors would
have a winning season within three years of their first game.
In the meantime, Jack was contacting all their clients and letting them know he was moving on. Kenny followed up to assure them that he was committed to staying with Score. So far no one had minded about the change.
“It’s going to be strange not to be here anymore,” Jack told him. “But I’m excited about what’s ahead of me.”
“Let me know if you need any help.”
“You want to coach?”
“No,” Kenny said with a laugh. “But I’m happy to listen and offer advice.”
“Sam said the same thing,” Jack admitted. “You’re good men.”
Kenny held up a hand. “You’re not going to turn into a woman, are you? And start talking about your feelings?”
“No. Sam and Dellina and Larissa and I are thinking of going up to Henri’s for a fancy dinner.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Larissa says they decorate the whole resort and she wants to see it. Dellina agrees. Sam and I are going along because we love our women. You two want to join us?”
Kenny frowned at his friend. You two? As in...
“You and Bailey,” Jack clarified. “Before she left, Taryn mentioned the two of you were working on the toy drive together. She’s fun, right?” He shook his head. “Or is it a problem because of Chloe?”
Because Jack knew about Kenny’s past and how he avoided single mothers.
“We’re friends,” Kenny said. “I could ask her if she’d like to go.”
“It’s up to you. You could fly in one of your models. Of course the dinner would be wasted. Doesn’t it bother you how they only fake eat? No actual food passes their lips.”
“Just because you’re engaged to a regular woman now, don’t pretend you didn’t date models in your day.”
Jack’s smile turned smug. “I dated everyone in my day. I’ve matured and I know better now. I have the best woman on the planet and I’m going to do everything in my power to make her happy for the rest of her life. That and win a national football championship.”
“As long as you have your priorities,” Kenny said. “I’ll talk to Bailey and let you know what she says.”
“Good.”
Jack rose and left.
Yours for Christmas Page 5
