I'll Be Home for Christmas

by Lori Wilde

  After several long minutes, she wiped her face and blew her nose.

  “What are you going to do about it?” he asked.

  “I’m driving to Tulsa tomorrow.” Her mother and stepfather were living in Tulsa. To his knowledge, she hadn’t seen her mother since she’d moved to Vegas to be with him. “That’s why I need you to look after Casey.”

  Joe’s blood cooled. Confronting the stepfather who raped her was a huge deal. He suspected it was at the heart of Tatum’s emotional issues. If she could get past that, maybe she stood a fighting chance at redeeming her life.

  “You shouldn’t go alone,” he said. “But I can’t come with you.”

  “I wasn’t going to ask,” she replied, and that surprised him too. “My aunt and her husband have told me before that if I ever wanted to confront him they’d go with me. That’s why I can’t leave Casey with them.”

  “I’ll keep her.” He nodded. “For as long as you need. Get healthy, Tatum. She needs a mother she can respect.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “I really do appreciate it.”

  “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight. I’ll get you some covers.” He retrieved extra pillows and blankets and brought them back to her. Once she was settled, he turned off the lights and headed toward his bedroom.

  “Joe,” she said.

  He stopped, bracing himself in case she asked something inappropriate. It was hard to pet a dog that had bitten you numerous times before. “What is it?”

  “She … Gabi, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Gabi …” Tatum cleared her throat as if it was hard for her to say Gabi’s name. “… looks at you the same way.”

  Gabi woke up that Sunday morning eager to follow through with her mission to tell Joe she’d changed her mind. She didn’t care how complicated his life was, she wanted to be with him, even it was for only thirteen more days.

  Thirteen days was better than nothing.

  She took extra care with her makeup, putting it on before she went to feed the animals. Her plan was to head across the road after she tended the livestock, and let him know she was available for wherever and whatever the day might hold.

  A jittery thrill pumped through her bloodstream as she envisioned a sexual-oriented breakfast in bed.

  Underneath her sweater and jeans, she wore her best lingerie—matching black panties and bra patterned with red roses. Giggling, she put on her coat and went outside. The sun was peeping over the horizon, casting the world in a soft, purple-orange glow.

  Spotlighting Tatum’s heap of a car parked in Joe’s yard.

  Gabi stopped in mid-stride as it dawned on her what had happened.

  His ex-wife had spent the night.

  After Tatum said her good-byes to her daughter, Casey sat at the kitchen table eating cereal while Joe walked Tatum to her car.

  The second he stepped out onto his front porch, he looked over and spied Gabi standing in the middle of her yard, obviously on her way over to see him.

  Their eyes met.

  She spun abruptly and hurried back to the yurt.

  Ah shit. From her point of view, this couldn’t look good.

  Quickly, he put his ex-wife in her car, gave her a pep talk, assured her he’d take good care of Casey, and waved her out of the driveway. Heart thumping erratically, he rushed over to the yurt.

  Gabi answered on the second knock, smiling her usual upbeat smile, but she wasn’t fooling him, not for a second. “Hey,” she said brightly.

  “Can I come in?” He hooked his gaze on to hers.

  She peered around his arm. To see if Tatum was gone, or simply to avoid looking at him? “Where’s Casey?”

  “Eating breakfast in my kitchen. I can’t stay long.”

  “What do you need?” she asked, still not opening the door for him to come in.

  You. I need you.

  “Tatum spent the night,” he said.

  “I saw.”

  “It’s not what you think. I didn’t sleep with her.”

  “I didn’t think you did.” She said it simply, without any tinge of hurt or anger.

  “Oh.”

  “Don’t look so surprised. Do you have so little faith in me?”

  “Um … um … most women would be hurt or mad.”

  “I make it a policy not to jump to conclusions. I assumed that whatever made Tatum late to pick Casey up had something to do with the reason her car was parked in your driveway.”

  Looking at her easygoing smile sent a rush of admiration over him so strong that he could hardly catch his breath. “There was, she—”

  Gabi held up a stop-sign palm. “Shh, don’t gossip about Tatum’s issues. It’s none of my business.”

  Wow, okay. The women he’d dated before would have been tearing him limb from limb, demanding an explanation. He didn’t have to do that with her because she trusted him. Fresh warmth hit the last wave of feeling and this was a helluva lot more than admiration. She made him feel believed, understood, calmed, appreciated, and appreciative.

  “You looked like you were on your way across the road. Did you have something to tell me?”

  It was the first time since she opened the door that he saw anything in her eyes other than acceptance. Embarrassment. Her cheeks tinged pink. “I came to tell you something, but …” She waved a hand. “Never mind.”

  “What?”

  “It’s not important.”

  He stepped closer. The tips of their shoes were almost touching. The open door eased partially closed against his back. “It is to me.”

  “Casey is waiting for you.”

  “Gabi.” He lowered his voice. “What is it?”

  She chuffed out a quick breath, air puffing her cheeks, making her look adorable. She was wearing a lot of makeup for early morning, and he sneaked a peek down the V-neck of her sweater, spied a racy black and red push-up bra. “I … um … didn’t know Casey was still there.”

  Joe grinned. “Why, Gabi Preston, did you come over to seduce me?”

  “Doesn’t matter now.”

  “The hell it doesn’t.” He growled and lowered his head until their lips were inches apart. Her breath smelled sweet, minty. It stirred him. A lot. “You decided to overlook my complications. You wore that sexy bra just for me.”

  She splayed a hand over her cleavage. “Apparently, that decision was premature.”

  God! How he wanted to kiss her. “Hold that thought, sweetheart. I’m looking after Casey for a few days, but once her mother gets back, I’m all yours.”

  “Tatum’s out of town?”

  “She’s gone to Tulsa,” he said. “To face down her stepfather.”

  “Oh.” Gabi fingered her lips. The lips he wanted desperately to kiss. “Heavy-duty.”

  “Yeah, but I think it’s a positive step in the right direction.”

  “Did she go by herself? She shouldn’t go by herself—”

  “Don’t worry, her aunt and uncle are going with her.”

  “Good. It’s going to turn ugly.”

  “I love that you’re such a sweet person you’re worried about Tatum, but spare a little pity for me.”

  “Because you have to go without sex?”

  “Well, that.” He laughed. “But also because I have to entertain an eight-year-old girl.”

  “I can help,” she said. “That is, if you want me to.”

  “Want you to? I thought you’d never offer.” And with that, he stole a kiss, leaving her with a promise of things to come, before strolling back across the street, counting the seconds until they could be alone together again.

  CHAPTER 23

  Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.

  —Peg Bracken

  For the next four days, Gabi spent every spare moment with Joe and Casey. In the mornings, after she tended her animals, she went over to help him with the duties of Christmas tree farming. She and Casey assisted the customers who dropped by to cut their own
trees, while Joe and his hand, Lee Loper, prepared trees for home deliveries.

  At noon, they’d break for lunch. Gabi would make sandwiches or they’d go to Froggy’s. Casey loved the communal line dancing and they ended up on the floor wriggling to the “Chicken Dance,” hopping to “Y.M.C.A.,” or scooting the “Electric Slide.”

  On Sunday evening they went to the Twilight Playhouse to see A Christmas Carol and afterward got hot chocolate at Perks. Christine Borden and her husband, Eli, were there with their twins, Abel and Abbey, who were near Casey’s age. The three children hit it off, so they all decided to go together to see Santa in his workshop on the town square.

  While they were waiting in line, Joe leaned in, his big body warm against hers, and whispered into her ear, “You look so beautiful with the glow of Christmas light in your eyes.”

  And then he smiled.

  Her heart unspooled. She would always remember that smile, how handsome it was, deeply dimpled and devastatingly potent. How it jolted her stomach in a wonderfully jittery way. How it made her feel cherished and welcomed and admired. She’d never felt anything quite like this before.

  Belonging.

  It was the first time she ever felt like she truly belonged with someone.

  Did he feel it too with the same weight and heft and heat as she?

  “C’mon.” Casey tugged on Gabi’s hand and pulled her toward Santa. “We’re next.”

  On Monday, they went skating at the ice rink, along with Sam and Emma and their children. Casey was unsteady on her feet, so she and Joe held her hands and skated with the girl between them. By the end of the night, she was lapping the rink alone, while Joe and Gabi waited on the sidelines.

  “Your daughter is a fast learner,” said a woman who was sitting on the bleachers beside them.

  “Thank you,” Joe said.

  Gabi liked how he didn’t try to explain the complicated relationship. In his mind, Casey was his daughter. How could she not admire a man like that?

  On Tuesday, they stayed home. Gabi made lasagna from scratch—her first attempt—because Casey said it was her favorite food, and it turned out delicious. Casey proclaimed it the best lasagna ever. Gabi proclaimed herself lucky.

  After dinner, they went to the hobby store and bought supplies to make snow globes. Joe made a Christmas tree farm. Casey put a family of three carolers in her globe—a mother, father, and daughter all singing joyfully. Gabi went with a nativity scene. When they finished, they shook the globes, set them side by side, and watched it snow.

  “Let’s make more,” Casey said.

  And so they did until they had a whole village of snow globes sitting on the kitchen table.

  On Wednesday, they pitched in for the toy drive, participating in the present wrapping relay race to get the hundreds of donated gifts wrapped in a timely manner. The three of them ended up on a team with Shannon and Nate Deavers. Nate teased Gabi about how much she’d changed from the day she’d first driven into town. It seemed a lifetime ago and yet it was all moving too fast. She had little over a week left to enjoy Christmas in Twilight.

  Afterward, they went for pizza, and ended the evening by strolling through Sweetheart Park packed with visitors. Casey stopped to look at the Sweetheart Tree and read off all the names. She stopped when she came to Joe and Tatum’s names.

  She looked up at Joe. “You don’t love Mom anymore, do you?”

  Joe squatted in front of her. “I’ll always care for your mother.”

  “But you don’t want to be married to her?” Casey clasped her arms together and twisted them behind her back.

  “We’re better off when we’re not together.”

  The forlorn expression on Casey’s face broke Gabi’s heart.

  Joe cupped Casey’s cheek in his palm. “But we both love you very, very much.”

  Casey bobbed her head and hopped away. “Look,” she said in an overly bright voice. “A mailbox for letters to Santa.” She opened the mailbox, peeked inside, then skipped over to the swing set and started swinging.

  Joe stood up and met Gabi’s eyes. “That was tough.”

  “Breaking the news to children about real life often is.”

  “This parenting stuff isn’t for sissies.”

  Gabi thought of her parents and she had an impulse to call them, but she squelched it. Her mother had encouraged her to wait until she got home before they had a conversation. Considering the long, hard talk they needed to have, it was better to wait for a face-to-face meeting.

  “Have you heard from Tatum?” Gabi asked. “Should she be home by now?”

  “She called me on Tuesday after it was over and told me she needed some time to herself to work through what had happened. She didn’t say much about it, but I gather it went pretty badly.”

  “I can’t imagine.” Gabi shuddered.

  “Be glad of it,” he said staunchly.

  “Do you think she’s serious about changing?”

  “I think she’s ready to change,” he said. “I don’t know if she has the strength of will to follow through.”

  “What are you going to do about Casey if her mother doesn’t change?”

  “Take your advice,” he said. “And consult a lawyer.”

  Gabi didn’t say anything else, although a million words piled up behind her tongue. This was Joe’s problem to solve. No matter how much she might want to help, it wasn’t her place to offer him anything more than moral support unless he asked for it. She was good at holding her tongue. She’d been complimented on the trait many times.

  “Don’t ask Gabi to solve a problem for you,” her best friend, Bailey, would advise people. “She’s Switzerland, but she’d be great at helping you figure out what it is you think and feel.”

  “Did she say how much time she needed?” Gabi asked.

  Joe grinned at her, a grin so soft and slow and sexy it melted her toes into her boots. “Getting antsy to get me alone?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  “Trouble.” His eyes held her pinned to the spot. “You have no idea just how much.”

  “Maybe she’ll be back tomorrow.”

  “I’ll call her if she’s not.”

  “Joe.” She reached out a hand to touch his chest.

  “Gabi.”

  There was no need to say anything else, the sound of the names, the look in their eyes said it all. I want you. I need you. Whenever we finally get together again it’s going to be worth the wait.

  Thursday, December 17, was Gabi’s day for volunteering at the free clinic. She arrived to find the parking lot overflowing and had to park on a side street. She went in through the back entrance, hung up her coat, and peeked out around the reception desk at the waiting room.

  “Wow, it’s really crowded today,” she said to the nurse’s aide who was different from the one who had been there the previous Thursday.

  She was a fiftyish woman with black hair and gray eyebrows. It was a startling combo. She wore a tiny diamond in her nose and a red Ganesha tattoo on her left arm.

  “Holidays are rough. You’re standing in for Katie?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Wanda.”

  “Gabi.”

  “Welcome aboard, such as it is.”

  Gabi stood on her tiptoes, taking in the miserable-looking folks packed into the waiting area. “There are twice as many as last week.”

  “Closer it gets to Christmas, the worse it gets.”

  “I feel ill equipped.”

  “Join the club, honey, we all are.”

  “I count twenty-six. There are not enough chairs. One young woman is sitting on another woman’s lap.”

  “That’s twenty-seven. Someone is in the bathroom.”

  “Should I get more chairs?”

  “If you can find them.”

  “Any ideas where to search?”

  “You’re the go-getter.”

  “I just want them to be comfortable. They’re going through tough times.”

&nbs
p; “You can pass out tissues.” Wanda reached for a box of Kleenex, looked alarmed. “Oops no. Last one.” She plucked the singular tissue from the box, stuffed it into her pocket. “This is mine. Cedar allergies. Righteous bad time of year.”

  Gabi puffed out her cheeks, let out an expanded breath. Well okay. Clearly she was on her own. She rolled up her sleeves, picked up the clipboard with the patient information forms, and headed for the waiting area.

  “Sink or swim.” Wanda gave an eager thumbs-up. “My money’s on you.”

  Gabi did as she had the previous week, getting details of the patients’ complaints and writing them on the form with their other information before turning them over to Wanda, who took the patients into the exam rooms.

  “Who was first?” Gabi asked when she walked into the waiting area.

  Simultaneously, six hands shot up.

  “Closest to me wins,” she said, crouching in front of a weary-faced woman wearing a thin cotton house dress, worn-out Donald Duck slippers, and a man’s down coat.

  “Hi,” she said. “I’m Gabi. What brought you to the clinic today?”

  “A car,” the woman said, and burst out laughing. “I’m just pulling your leg. It was a pickup.”

  Gabi tried a different tactic. “What’s your complaint?”

  “You mean besides my husband, Stewie? Although”—the woman lowered her voice—“it’s a common law thang but we’ve been together long enough that if he leaves, I get half his stuff.” She guffawed at that. “But seriously, Stewie gets liquored up every Christmas, goes outside, and shoots his pistol into the air to celebrate the birth of Jesus.”

  “That sounds …” Gabi didn’t want to be judgy, but it sounded dangerous.

  “Tell me about it. Last year a ricochet bullet hit the cistern right beside where my granny was sittin’ drinkin’ cold duck.”

  Gabi had no idea what a cistern or cold duck was. “My goodness.”

  “Yeah, an inch to the right and Granny woulda been—” The woman made a noise like an expired timer, closed her eyes, and let her head flop back.

  “How alarming!”

  “Here’s the deal. I wanna know how to nip this in the bud so it doesn’t happen again. Granny lives with us and it would be a shame to lose her. You know this time if the bullet goes wild and …” The woman made the noise and did the gesture again.