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A Very Special Christmas

Page 5

by Jessica Matthews


  Joshua's eyes widened at the sound and his eyes lit up with curiosity. He was smart enough to associate the tune with a visitor and, being a gregarious sort, he immediately clambered to his feet and waited for her to do the same.

  "Door?" he asked.

  "Someone's at the door," Claire agreed. "Stay here."

  He stared at her with eyes glowing with eagerness and she knew he wouldn't obey. To him, the doorbell usually signaled someone new to play with and he didn't intend to delay his opportunity.

  "Bell." His tone was urgent as he scurried out of the room.

  Claire caught up with him in the living room, swept him onto one hip and hurried to greet her visitors.

  "You're right on time," she told Jennie and Alex as she welcomed them inside, already noticing how small the foyer seemed with Alex standing in the middle of it.

  "Daddy hates to be late," Jennie said.

  "I know. May I take your coats?"

  Joshua tugged on her sweatshirt. "Play?"

  "No, we're not going to play," Claire told him firmly, tugging her neckline out of his grip. "We're going to work in Mommy's sewing room."

  "Sew?" he asked.

  "I should have called before we came, because we have a problem," Alex interrupted. "Her teacher said to make an angel costume, but didn't give any other instructions. I know you need fabric, but when we went to the store, Jennie and I disagreed on what would make a good costume. So we decided to get your opinion before we bought the wrong thing."

  Claire suddenly noticed their empty hands. "You need a pattern and white material, probably cotton."

  "There's cotton, cotton blends, muslin and fabric I haven't heard of," he confessed. "I was definitely out of my element and, to be honest, I didn't think it would be this difficult."

  She gave him brownie points for braving this domain in the first place and tallied an extra one for admitting his inadequacy.

  "Did you ask one of the clerks?" she asked. "They're usually very helpful."

  "We were going to," Jennie piped up, "but she had a lot of customers. We waited in line for a long time and Daddy got impatient."

  Claire grinned, imagining a frustrated Alex surrounded by a horde of women who had probably been tossing ideas back and forth about their sewing projects. She knew, because she'd done the same thing on many occasions.

  "He finally gave up and said we should ask you," Jennie finished. "So can you help us?''

  Claire hadn't expected this development, although from the way her luck seemed to be running she should have. "I'm going later this weekend," she offered, mentally reviewing her own list of depleted household essentials. "I'll buy what we need then."

  Jennie's lip quivered. "Then I won't get to pick out anything?"

  Claire wanted to point out that her choice was between white cotton and white cotton, but it was obviously important to Jennie to be involved from start to finish. "You're right. Choosing fabric is a difficult job. We'll go on Saturday."

  Jennie shook her head. "Tomorrow won't work. We're getting our house ready for Christmas this afternoon and I'm helping Dad with our outside stuff on Saturday. Now's our only chance."

  "Today's the biggest shopping day of the year," Claire told Alex. "Are you certain you want to brave the crowd?"

  Alex shrugged. "Like Jennie said, if we don't do it now, I don't know when we will."

  "I suppose not." Although Claire wanted to join the rest of the holiday bargain-hunters as much as she wanted a migraine, she knew when she'd lost the fight. "If you'll give me a few minutes to find Joshua's coat, we'll go."

  "Great." Alex seemed pleased.

  She motioned toward her sofa. "Make yourself comfortable. We'll be back shortly."

  Alex thought about waiting in the foyer where they were, but curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to see Claire in her element, to catch a glimpse of the woman behind the uniform. Without further urging, he accepted her invitation and sat on an overstuffed chair.

  The room possessed the same restful quality he associated with Claire. It wasn't cluttered with furnishings, but what she owned was good quality. A soft fleece blanket was tossed over the back of an overstuffed chair and a pile of oversized pillows suggested a lot of time spent on the floor.

  The fireplace was actually a natural gas heater, which was great considering how one could create the mood of a cozy fire without the mess of ashes or the problem of finding wood.

  "Hey, Dad," Jennie whispered.

  Alec smiled at her. "What?"

  "She doesn't have hardly any Christmas stuff set out."

  He'd noticed. A strand of lights lined the mantel and a small stocking with Joshua's name sewn in script hung from a peg set off to one side. A tiny tree that was best described as a twig stood on an end table in the corner.

  "Poor Joshua," Jennie mourned.

  "Why do you say that?"

  "He needs more than this." She waved her arms.

  He thought so, too, but he wasn't making the decisions. "Claire obviously doesn't agree."

  "Can we invite them over to our house so Joshua can see our tree when it's finished?"

  Alec managed to hide his surprise. His daughter, who'd made a habit of treating his rare dates with cool disdain, had just suggested that he bring another woman into their home. From day one he'd worked hard to make up for his ex-wife's rejection of their daughter, but Jennie's reluctance to meet the few women he'd taken out over the years had made him equally reluctant to press the issue.

  Maybe times were changing. Maybe Claire had struck a chord with Jennie that no one else had. He could hope. His attraction to Claire was making it harder and harder to ignore his own need for adult feminine companionship.

  "What a great idea," he said. "We'll do it."

  She grinned. "It'll be so exciting to see his face."

  In the next instant he heard the distinct patter of small running feet and Claire calling Joshua's name.

  He ran into the room all giggles with his dark blue coat zipped to his neck, his stocking cap tied under his chin and his mittens hanging from .his sleeves. He headed straight for the sofa and hurled "himself into Alex's lap. Then, as if surprised to see this strange person in his place on the sofa, he rose on his knees to stare at Alex.

  Alex placed a hand on Joshua's back to keep him from tumbling over backward as he shifted position to move the youngster's knee out of his groin. It had been a while since Jennie had been this small and Alex was reminded of how fun—and demanding—a child this age was.

  "Off," Joshua demanded, tugging on his cap.

  Claire arrived just then, her coat unbuttoned. "Oh, Joshua." Her tone sounded exasperated. "I'm sorry, Alex. He's started this game of running away and jumping on the sofa before we leave."

  "I don't mind," he said, eyeing the little boy who stared at him, then at Jennie, with unabashed interest. "Next time I'll wear a suit of armor."

  Her gaze traveled to his lap and a becoming pink hue spread across her cheekbones. "I'm so sorry."

  "I'm OK," he assured her.

  "As for you, young man," she told Joshua firmly, "climb down and come here."

  Once again, he pulled on the knit cap. "Off."

  "Leave your hat on," she said. "We're going bye-bye."

  "Bye-bye?"

  Alex smiled at the youngster and noticed how the shape of his nose and mouth were carbon copies of Claire's. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

  Joshua bobbed his head. "Go."

  "We'd better put on your mittens first," Alex said, reaching for the one dangling on the right.

  Now co-operative, Joshua held out his hand. "Mitt."

  While Alex slipped it over Joshua's hand, Claire did the same with the left. It was a thoroughly domesticated scene, Alex thought, inhaling Claire's berry scent as she bent over the two of them. Sadly, he couldn't remember one similar when Jennie had been little. Donna had left their lives before Jennie's first winter and on her rare visits after that, she'd been happy to let Alex han
dle all the parenting.

  "OK, Buster Brown," she said as she held out her hands. "Come here."

  Joshua slid off Alex's lap, unconcerned about which body part his small feet used as leverage. Instead of going to Claire, he stood by Jennie. "Play."

  Jennie grinned at him. "When we come back."

  "Come back." Joshua nodded as if apparently satisfied by her promise. He held out his hand as if he expected her to take it and she did.

  "He's a friendly fellow," Alex said as he brought up the rear on their way to the front door.

  "He doesn't know a stranger," Claire said. "I suppose it's because he's used to going to a babysitter's. He loves being with the older kids, like Jennie."

  Outside, she gathered Joshua in her arms and started down the steps toward the detached garage.

  "We'll take my vehicle," he said, motioning to the bronze Oldsmobile Bravada parked at the curb.

  "He needs a car seat," she said.

  "It's built in," he told her. "I'll have it ready in a minute." Then, because they were approaching a patch of ice on the sidewalk, he grabbed Claire's arm. "Be careful," he cautioned.

  "Thanks."

  Even after they'd navigated the icy spot, he found himself unwilling to let go. All he could think about was how he could do this again, but without the benefit of a coat between them.

  A mental picture of her wearing the slinky party gowns common to the clinic Christmas party filled his mind's eye. He didn't need a glittery formal to appreciate her feminine attributes, but he ached with a desire to see her in something other than a uniform or a sweatshirt. Still, he couldn't complain too loudly. Her snug jeans revealed a shapelier form than he'd first imagined. When Joshua had pulled on her shirt and unveiled her creamy shoulder, a sweet shudder of desire flashed through him.

  He'd definitely been alone for too long.

  Ten minutes later, everyone was buckled in and they were headed to the local discount store, which sold everything from hardware to housewares.

  As Claire had warned and he'd expected, the parking lot was filled to capacity.

  "I wonder if anyone's at home," she joked.

  "Probably not." He pulled into an empty stall at the far end of the property. "I'm afraid we can't park any closer."

  "I don't mind walking," she said.

  As Alex ushered their group toward the building, he noticed the wet pavement. Before he could determine if it was simply wet or a condition of black ice, Claire lost her footing. Without thinking, he hauled her up against him and held her securely. For a few seconds he couldn't breathe because the caress of her warm breath against his chin was quite arousing.

  "Oh, my." Her voice came out in breathless gasps. "I'd better pay attention to where I'm going."

  He found it difficult, if not impossible to release her. "I'll carry Josh."

  She smiled as she shook her head. "I can manage."

  "I'm sure you can," he said blandly, "but I'd rather not ran the risk of broken bones." He let go, wondering if she noticed his reluctance, but retained his grip on one arm. "Jennie, hold my hand. We'll take it nice and easy."

  The air was cold and by the time they reached the safety of the store's entrance, Joshua's and Jennie's cheeks were rosy.

  Alex commandeered the last available cart and waited patiently for Claire to fit Joshua in the child's seat and remove his stocking cap. Alex's gaze followed her long fingers as they stroked Josh's static-charged wisps of hair and realized his ache was simply a craving for her touch.

  This was definitely a sad state of affairs.

  "Off to the fabric," Claire said as she smiled at his daughter.

  Her comment was a trumpet call to reality. "I'll occupy Josh while you girls do your thing," he said.

  An uncertain look crossed Claire's face as she unzipped her hip-length parka. "Are you sure?"

  "We'll be within yelling distance," he promised.

  Claire and Jennie threaded a path through the shopping-crowd obstacle course. Intent on keeping up with them for Josh's peace of mind, he trained his gaze on Claire and received an unexpected bonus in the process.

  He had the nicest view of her trim behind and enjoyed every inch of it. The gentle sway of her hips parched his mouth and made swallowing difficult.

  "You have a very pretty mommy," he murmured to Joshua.

  Joshua grinned and wiggled his entire body. "Go."

  "I'm going."

  Claire glanced over her shoulder a few times, prepared to step in if Joshua didn't co-operate with the new person in his life, but it soon became obvious how unfounded her worries were. Joshua was listening to Alex in rapt wonder, as if Alex's deeper, tenor tone was far more interesting than the women's and children's voices he normally heard.

  With luck, they'd leave the store long before Joshua decided he was hungry, although she carried a small container of bite-sized snacks in her oversized purse for emergencies.

  "First stop, the patterns," Claire said cheerfully.

  With the design and yardage information in hand, they hunted through the stacks of fabric for the right material until they found a bolt of white cotton flannel that was used for infant sleepwear. It was soft and would hang in graceful folds, which seemed appropriate for her character.

  "Too bad I have to be a white angel," Jennie mourned as she fingered a gauzy gold piece in the clearance bin.

  "We could use that for the wings," Claire said, "or are you supposed to wear them?"

  "Mrs Vincent didn't say."

  "Every angel needs a set. We'll take it."

  Jennie's face lit up. "Really? But what if I'm the only kid who's got 'em?"

  "Then you'll be extra-special, like Gabriel." Claire glanced at Alex and Joshua and smiled as her serious-minded boss rubbed the pieces of faux fur against her son's face, eliciting a childish giggle.

  She'd been right. Alex was different when he was away from the practice, and yet he wasn't. The qualities that made him a good physician showed through in the man, but it was more likely a case of his inherent good qualities turning him into a highly recommended and sought-after physician.

  "What are you looking at?"

  "Just checking on Joshua," she answered as she turned her attention back to fabric. "I think we should add some gold trim to match your gold wings."

  "Wow. I'm going to be the most spectacular angel there."

  "I wouldn't be surprised if you are."

  Jennie fingered a roll of sheer blue ribbon liberally dotted with flecks of silver and silver snowflakes. "Isn't this pretty?"

  "Yes, it is, but I don't think it would look right on your costume," Claire said gently, hoping the youngster wouldn't want to add it.

  "Oh, I wasn't thinking about my outfit. Wouldn't it look nice on our snowflake and icicle tree?''

  "Hmmm, let's see." Claire unrolled a length of the ribbon. "You know, this might be just the thing we needed. We could drape it on the branches or turn it into bows."

  "And no one else would have anything like it," Jennie exclaimed. "Our tree would be one of a kind."

  "We'll buy it," Claire decided.

  In the end, they took two entire rolls. "Because we aren't sure of how much we'll need," Claire explained to Alex. "If the cost is over our limit, though, we'll—"

  "We're not over budget," he assured her. "We could even afford to buy a few more frills. Not many. Just a few."

  His warning to his daughter came through quite plainly. "This is all we need, right, Jennie?"

  The little girl beamed. "Right."

  Checkout lines were long, and between Joshua's fast-approaching lunchtime and boredom with sitting in the cart, he fussed.

  "I think he's hungry," Jennie said.

  "He is." Claire pulled out her plastic snack container. Sensing that Jennie was growing bored with the wait, she gave her a job. "Would you give him a few of these at a time?"

  Jennie eagerly took over.

  Alex leaned closer. "You must have been a Girl Scout."

&n
bsp; "No, why?"

  He motioned to the snack. "You're prepared."

  Claire laughed. "Oh, no. I learned that the hard way."

  Finally, it was their turn. Claire took Jennie and Joshua to look at the display of outdoor Christmas decorations near the front of the store while Alex paid for their purchases. Before the three of them reached the inner set of plate-glass windows, she heard a loud crash, and then everything seemed to happen at once. A whoosh of cold air, the crunch of glass, the groan of twisting metal, and screams that seemed to echo.

  Instinctively, Claire closed her eyes and bent her head to protect her face from flying debris, at the same time turning to shield the children. Something hit her left shoulder so hard that the force drove her feet out from under her.

  She was too stunned to imagine or figure out what had happened. She only knew that her shoulder hurt and her ears rang from the cries for help, but those things faded into the background as one thought ran through her mind without stopping.

  Were Joshua and Jennie safe?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Alex had never known fear like he did at that moment. Seeing Claire and the children in the middle of such a horrifying scene was the stuff of nightmares.

  And it had happened before his eyes.

  Because he'd kept his gaze intent on the last spot where he'd seen Claire, he'd found her first and with relatively little difficulty. An elderly gentleman lay across her legs, a mangled shopping cart next to her. Fortunately, they were on the edge of the disaster, rather than in the thick of things. He didn't want to think about what he'd find there.

  "Claire," he urged hoarsely, running his hands over her head to check for injuries. "Can you hear me?"

  She opened her eyes and he was relieved to see a flash of recognition. "Alex?"

  "I need to move you where it's safe."

  "You have to look for the children. They were next to me when it happened and now they're not. You have to find them."

  "Don't panic. I will," he promised gently, before he stood up and raised his voice. "Everyone, just lie still. We'll get you out, but give us time."

  The store manager obviously heard the authority in Alex's voice, because he joined him. "I've called 911."

 

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