Squaring his shoulders, he signaled Jennie to ring the doorbell.
Almost instantly the door opened and Claire stood before him, her coat on. Josh stood at her side, also dressed to go out in the cold.
"Hi, Nor—" She stopped in the middle of Nora's name, clearly surprised to see Alex.
"Hi," he said. "Have we caught you at a bad time?"
"No. Not at all. I thought you were Nora. I must say," she said, as a welcoming smile appeared on her face, "this is quite a treat. I'd pictured you both at home, hard at work."
She'd been thinking of them. A good sign, in Alex's opinion.
"We were," Jennie broke in, "but it didn't seem right for Joshua to miss out on the fun. We brought something special for him."
Alex cleared his throat and sent her a pointed look. She looked sheepish, but didn't say another word.
"Oh. That was nice of you." Claire stepped aside, snatching Joshua out of the way at the same time. "Please, come in."
"If you're leaving, we wouldn't want you to be late because of us," Alex mentioned.
A pink tinge crawled across her face. "Actually, we were on our way to your house."
"Well, well," he said in his most satisfied tone. "I'm sorry I spoilt my own surprise."
"I decided to do it for Joshua."
"Good. Then you won't be angry when you see what we've brought."
Alex reached for the small Christmas pine and gave it one last shake to dislodge the loose needles before he held it in front of the door for Claire to see.
Her jaw dropped. She tried to speak and couldn't, until at last an "Oh, my" came out of her mouth.
"Awesome, isn't it?" he asked.
"I already have a tree."
"Not like this one."
"You shouldn't have."
Her own words became his defense. "We did it for Joshua."
"It was my idea," Jennie piped up.
"How nice." Claire wasn't smiling. "You shouldn't have," she said again. "You really shouldn't have."
Alex knew he'd have to be his most persuasive. He'd won debate awards in high school, so he could surely convince Claire to accept one small gift. OK, it wasn't so small, but it was a gift.
"But we did, so may we come in?"
As he'd anticipated, her manners were too well ingrained to keep them standing in the cold. She stepped aside and, pressing his momentary advantage, he carried the tree into the foyer.
"Daddy said you might be upset, but you're not, are you?" Jennie peered at her. "If you are, please, don't get mad at him. This was my idea."
"I see." Claire regarded him with apparent suspicion.
Alex shrugged his shoulders and flashed his most brilliant smile. "It was," he said. "In fact, I wish I'd thought of it."
"Look, Alex—" she began.
"Jennie?" He turned to his daughter. "Why don't you and Josh go into the other room while Claire and I discuss this?"
Without further urging, she grabbed Joshua's hand. "Let's play."
Joshua didn't require a second invitation and the two disappeared into the living room.
"All right, Alex. What are you doing?"
"I'm delivering a Christmas tree at my daughter's request."
"You know how I feel about...this." She motioned to the pine.
"Yes, but did you or did you not say that you were on your way to my place?"
"That's different," she snapped.
It struck him how beautiful she was when she was angry. The fire in her eyes was a perfect match to the fiery highlights in her hair. "Not really," he said.
"It is. Really."
"You were going to let Josh help us decorate ours. Can't you allow him to enjoy his own? One that he can look at every day, all day, whenever he wants to?" he wheedled.
Her shoulders slumped and moisture brimmed in her eyes, effectively dousing the fire he'd seen before. Anger he could handle, but not tears.
Remorse filled him and he stepped forward to wrap his arms around her. "I'm sorry. We only wanted to bring you and Josh a piece of Christmas. I didn't intend to push so hard or upset you."
She buried her face in his coat and nodded. He assumed she'd accepted his apology.
He stood there for a minute, inhaling the scent of her hair and enjoying the way she felt in his arms with her head tucked under his chin.
Several weeks ago, his mother had asked what he wanted for Christmas, but he hadn't known at the time. Now, although she couldn't possibly fulfill his heart's desire, he knew what he wanted as well as he knew his own name.
Claire. He wanted Claire.
As much as he hated to admit that her tears were his fault, he was fighting for this small victory. The battle wasn't about Joshua, although he played a key role. It was about him and his need to know that Claire was completely free to love again. She'd taken several big steps to move on with her life—relocating to Pleasant Valley had been one—but until she worked through her aversion to this winter holiday, her first husband would always have an unrelenting grip on her.
Perhaps he wouldn't care-about that state of affairs if he was only interested in an occasional evening with her. The fact was, he wanted to be Claire's second husband, and he wanted to enjoy every season of the year with her, including Christmas.
He continued to hold her, gradually realizing that winning the war meant more than winning this particular skirmish. If he had to retreat today, then he would.
"If you don't want the tree, I'll get rid of it."
She raised her head off his coat and avoided his gaze as she backed out of his embrace. With shaky fingers, she wiped her cheeks. "No. It's here and we'll—I'll—make the best of it."
He reached out and brushed away a tear lingering in the corner of her eye. "Good girl. And speaking of being good, where's your sling?"
"It was in my way. I couldn't do anything while I wore it."
"That's the idea."
"I know, but for me it's not practical. Like the tree."
"It's not supposed to be practical. It's supposed to be fun. A break in the monotony."
"Maybe so, but I still can't believe you bought it for us."
"I'm a little surprised myself," he admitted. "Now that you've decided to keep our gift, where would you like it?"
The mischief appearing in her eyes warned him that she'd recovered from her shock and had a specific location in mind—an anatomically impossible location.
"The living room, dining room or kitchen?" he added.
"The living room. We'll move the table out of the corner and set the tree there."
He was quick to relocate furniture to her instructions. While she laid plastic on the floor to protect the carpeting, he carried in the pine, placed it in its temporary place of honor, then stepped back for the view.
A bare spot faced him, so he repositioned the evergreen. "What a perfect place for a Christmas tree," he said.
"Do you like our surprise?" Jennie asked Claire.
"It was thoughtful of you," she answered. "Joshua will enjoy it, I'm sure."
Jennie leaned over and hugged the little boy. "This is so exciting," she chattered to him. "You have a real, live tree."
"I'll reimburse you for the cost," Claire murmured to Alex.
"This is Jennie's gift to Josh," he said firmly, feeling quite cheerful over how well the situation had turned out. "It was the runt of the litter, so to speak, and they gave us a good deal."
"I'm afraid it will stay rather bare," she said wryly. "Our ornaments are stored in the garage and I can't get to them without a lot of reshuffling.''
He guessed they were stashed in a relatively inaccessible area, like the rafters. Little did she know that he was quite handy with a ladder, but he'd save that quest for another day. "Not a problem. Jennie?" he asked, looking around. "Where are the lights?"
Jennie popped up from her place on Joshua's rug and rustled the plastic bag that she'd sneaked past Claire.
"Right here. We didn't bring anything else in case
you had ornaments, but if you don't have those, we'll give you some of ours. We always have plenty, right, Dad?''
"We have more than enough to go around." He turned to Claire. "I'll check these if you could bring water to keep the trunk from drying out."
It seemed strange to take charge in Claire's home, but she obviously was too overcome or too surprised to think of the necessities. "Water. Of course I'll bring water," she said before she hurried away.
Alex tightened the screws holding the tree upright in its stand, watching Joshua as he did so. The youngster had knelt on his toy rug, his little feet crossed behind him, as he pondered the scene in undisguised curiosity. Later, after Alex had plugged the cord in the electrical socket and the multicolored lights began to twinkle, delight covered Joshua's face.
If Alex had harbored any doubts about his decision, Josh's excitement made them magically disappear.
He wanted Claire to see his expression for herself, and a minute later fate granted his wish. Claire stopped in the doorway and stared at her son. The lines on her face softened until a smile tugged at her mouth.
He'd done the right thing.
She came forward, carrying a small pitcher. As soon as Joshua noticed her, he pointed to the corner. "Twee."
"A Christmas tree," Jennie corrected. "And we're going to make it be-ooo-tiful."
"Boo-ful," Joshua echoed.
While Alex began installing the lights, Claire knelt down, pushed a few branches out of the way and carefully added the water to the base.
A few minutes later, his job was done and he stepped back to view his handiwork. The lights flashed on and off against the dark green boughs. "If you want more—"
"No, it looks great the way it is. I can tell you've done this before," Claire teased.
"Once or twice," he admitted.
Jennie clapped her hands. "Isn't it pretty?"
Not to be outdone, Joshua clapped, too.
"I'd say we're finished here," Alex said. "Next stop, our house." He looked at Claire and raised one eyebrow. "You're still coming, aren't you?"
He held his breath, hoping that she wouldn't change her mind.
She nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm looking forward to it."
"So am I," he said, fervently. "So am I."
Alex's house was a sprawling brick home that was much larger and clearly more expensive than hers. Oak furnishings matched the oak woodwork, and deep, masculine colors of navy, burgundy and forest green created a restful atmosphere.
At the moment, the state of his living room was in the exact condition Claire had pictured. Decorations were draped over the sides of several large cartons and tissue paper was strewn across the floor. At first Joshua was content sitting on her lap as he watched Jennie and Alex add strings of gold beads and garlands to the tree that towered above him. Then Jennie gave him a candy cane to hang, and after that he wasn't content with his former spectator status.
"Me," he demanded, holding out his hand for something else to suspend from the tree. Naturally, he placed his ornaments in a bunch on the bottom branch, but when he wasn't looking, Jennie swiftly spread them around. If Joshua wondered where his pretty baubles went, he didn't appear to care.
Every now and then, he would help himself to the bite-sized cheese crackers that Alex had provided but, after eating a few, he was always ready to resume his decorating duties.
Claire sipped mulled cider and simply enjoyed watching the others work. On more than one occasion, she blinked back a tear as Alex hoisted Joshua in the air so he could place an ornament near the top.
Joshua screamed with delight.
He might not remember this particular day in the years ahead, but Claire would always carry this sight with her.
Maybe Ray wasn't the man who'd share these times with his son, but she couldn't have asked for a better man than Alex to take his place.
Soon, Alex declared the boxes empty. "That's it. We're done."
Joshua peered over the edge of the carton to see for himself. "Done?"
"All done," Alex echoed.
"I'm going to take Joshua to my room," Jennie announced as she held out her hand to him. "I want to read some of my books to him."
"Watch the steps," Alex admonished.
"I will. Come, Joshie."
Claire helped restore Alex's living room, then settled against the sofa cushions with her refilled mug. "Thanks for the afternoon. Joshua really enjoyed it."
"I'm glad. And did Joshua's mother enjoy herself, too?"
More than she probably should have, although Nora and Claire's family would disagree. "Yes,'.' she said simply.
He grinned. "Good, because the clinic is next."
Although she'd slept reasonably well last night at the hospital, she knew she'd need a nap, too, if Alex was determined to tackle that project as well.
"Shouldn't we save some of the fun for tomorrow?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Nope. We're on a roll. Didn't your mother tell you not to put off until tomorrow what you can do today?"
"Yes, but Christmas decorating didn't fall in that category."
He shrugged. "Maybe not, but there's a law at work at our house. The number of medical emergencies I have is directly proportional to the number of jobs waiting at home. So I do what I can when I can."
"Is that why a man who's been divorced for seven years spends his Saturday evenings alone? So he can catch up on his chores?"
"I'm not alone," he protested mildly. "I have you, and Joshua, and Jennie."
"Tonight you do, but what about other Saturdays? You've surely kicked up your heels. All work and no play makes Alex a dull boy."
"I haven't been a total hermit," he protested. "I've gone out on a number of occasions. Jennie never seemed to strike a chord with the women I dated, so they simply faded away. They were great ladies, but I wasn't interested enough in them to force the issue."
"Jennie's very protective of you. She told me some time ago that she doesn't need a mother."
"So she says. I've bent over backward to compensate for both her physical problems and for Donna walking out on her. I may have done us both a disservice."
"I wouldn't worry. She seems like a healthy, wholesome little girl to me. I hope I raise Joshua as well. By the way, I'm really amazed at how patient Jennie is with him."
"Jennie likes preschool children. Probably because they'll do what she tells them." He grinned.
Joshua's sudden howl brought Claire to the edge of her seat. Before she could stand, Joshua tottered in, tugging on his ear lobe.
Jennie followed, clearly worried. "He didn't hurt his ear, honest. We were playing and all of a sudden he looked around and started crying."
Joshua ran into Claire's outstretched arms and she wiped away the two trails of tears on his rosy cheeks. "He's OK, Jennie," she told her. "When he's tired, he pulls on his ear. He'll be fine after he sleeps for a few hours. Alex, I'm sorry, but decorating the clinic will have to wait."
Without asking, Alex fetched their coats and helped her with hers. His gentlemanly courtesy was unexpected but appreciated as he stood close enough behind her for his breath to caress her neck. She sensed that, if not for their audience, he might have pulled her against him as he had earlier.
She wouldn't have objected in the least.
Slowly, hesitantly, she moved away, certain that she'd seen the same reluctance in his dark eyes.
"Drive carefully," he said as he handed over Joshua's coat and hat.
"We're only going a few blocks," she reminded him. It had been a long time since someone, other than Nora or her brother, had expressed concern over her well-being. "And it's still daylight."
"You never know," he said.
Claire said her goodbyes, Joshua waved his, and they soon headed for home.
Alex didn't close the door until Claire had pulled out of his driveway. "That was fun," he said to Jennie.
"It was," she agreed. "It would be nice to have a little brother like Joshua."
; Alex was surprised to hear Jennie broach the subject. She'd never asked for a sibling before. "Do you think so?"
"Yeah. It's fun, teaching him things."
He decided to test the waters."You can't have a brother or a sister without having a mother."
"But I don't want a mother."
"Why not?"
"We have Mrs Rowe. And I'm eight. I don't need a mom like Joshua does."
He shrugged as if the subject was insignificant when to him it was anything but. Until Claire had arrived, he hadn't realized how his days had passed by in a haze of sameness. Now he felt alive, awakened, and he didn't want to regress.
"Someday you may change your mind," he said, mentally crossing his fingers that she would. Perhaps the time spent with Claire would convince her.
As for himself, after a dry spell of five long years since his last semi-serious date, he didn't want to be alone. He'd do whatever it took for Claire to end up in his Christmas stocking.
CHAPTER SEVEN
"I just walked past the waiting room and once I did, I simply had to talk to you," Nora said early on Monday morning. "Our tree looks fantastic!"
Claire looked up from her task of restocking drawers with their pap smear supplies to smile at her friend. "Thanks. I think so, too."
"That ribbon with the snowflakes is an absolute inspiration. And who would have thought to drape blue and silver curling ribbon over the branches?" Nora shook her head. "If we don't win a prize of some sort, I'll be surprised. This is so unusual."
"Do you think so?"
"Without a doubt. Your plan was an absolute stroke of genius."
"What plan?"
"Didn't you know that each department decorates their trees on Wednesday and then, before everyone leaves, they scope out the others? Of course, they're not allowed to look until their Own is finished because once they do, they can't work on theirs again."
"I didn't know that." What a stroke of luck that she hadn't walked through the clinic last Wednesday evening but, then, she'd been too stressed to care what everyone else had done.
"Anyway, I'm sure if the rest of the staff saw ours, they would have gotten overconfident. I don't mind telling you, it looked a little plain when I left, but now? Our tree could be on the cover of a magazine."
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