All I Want for Christmas

by Gina Wilkins

  “Nick, thank you. I’ve been so worried about them.”

  “I know you didn’t want the authorities notified, but I couldn’t let you get slapped with a kidnapping charge. But, Ryan, if their aunts haven’t shown up in a week or two, you’re going to have to turn them over to the social workers. You understand that, don’t you?”

  “I’m sure Juliana will find something before then,” Ryan insisted, trying not to think that far ahead. “In the meantime, at least I’ll know the children have a safe place to stay.”

  “What about your job? This has to be a busy time of year for a doll shop.”

  Ryan told him about hiring Cathy full-time, and about Lynn’s generous offer to help.

  “And I’ll probably hire someone to watch the kids in the evenings,” she added. “I can’t keep them here at the shop every night. Not only would they be bored to tears, but Kelsey needs to be in bed earlier than that. I’m thinking about asking my neighbor. She’s a newlywed and her husband works nights, so she’s at loose ends right now. She loves children, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind the extra money.”

  “I’ll pay her.”

  “That isn’t necessary. You haven’t even met the children.”

  “I know. But I want to help. Call it my good deed this Christmas, okay?”

  “Nick—”

  “Ryan,” he interrupted, “it’s settled. You talk to your neighbor. I’ll pay her.”

  She sighed, then smiled. Her older brother had always been a softie beneath his sometimes-impatient exterior. “Thanks, Nick.”

  “Yeah, well, I keep thinking that Pip and Kelsey are about the same difference in age as we were. We were lucky to have two parents who loved us and were around to take care of us when we were little.”

  Ryan knew that if anything had ever happened to their parents, Nick would have watched out for her as carefully as Pip was taking care of Kelsey. Maybe Nick had thought of that, as well. “You’ll have to come by and meet them,” she told him. “They’re really cute kids.”

  “I’ll do that. Er—have you heard anything from Juliana?”

  “No. Max was supposed to call her and let me know if she’d found anything.”

  “Maybe I’ll give her a ring myself. Just to check on her progress, of course.”

  Ryan smiled and cocked her head. “Do I hear a note of personal interest in your voice?”

  “She is attractive,” Nick admitted, a smile in his voice. “You’re sure she and Max aren’t—”

  “They’re friends. A brother-and-sister relationship, apparently.”

  “Yeah, that’s the impression I got. In fact, it seemed to me that Max was most definitely interested in you.”

  “The only thing between Max and me is that we both accidentally became involved with Pip and Kelsey,” Ryan lied. “Once they’re settled, he’ll be off on another of his exciting adventures.”

  That part, she thought grimly, was true.

  “Hmm…”

  “Call Juliana, Nick,” Ryan said abruptly. “You’d make a cute couple. Now I have to get back to work.”

  RYAN DIDN’T HAVE a chance to eat lunch that day. Business was steady, and even with Cathy there to help out it got hectic at times. She made sure both Lynn and Cathy took lunch breaks, but she used her own time catching up on the paperwork she would usually have done after business hours.

  She took a quick break with the children when they arrived after school. They went down to the food court for cookies and juice.

  The Christmas-village display was nearby as well as the usual long lines of children waiting for to ride on the train and to talk to Santa. Kelsey waved to the bearded man as she sat down at the table Ryan had selected. “I like his eyes,” she said. “They twinkle.”

  Pip grinned conspiratorially at Ryan. “They’re supposed to twinkle, aren’t they, Ryan?”

  “Of course,” she agreed. “He wouldn’t be Santa Claus without twinkly eyes.”

  “I sure hope he gets me what I want for Christmas,” Kelsey murmured, gazing at him wistfully.

  Wondering if Kelsey had asked for the doll she’d named Annie, Ryan bit her lip. She had been trying all day to locate another one like it. So far she’d had no luck at all.

  THE CHILDREN WATCHED television in the office and then played with a board game Ryan bought them on the way back to the shop. She checked on them whenever she had a minute, but they seemed to be getting along just fine.

  She’d noted that they rarely quarreled, which seemed unusual for siblings their ages. And then she thought that perhaps they got along so well because it had been so long since they’d had anyone but each other to turn to. The thought made her sad.

  At just after six, Lynn and Cathy cornered Ryan.

  “Take the children and go home,” Lynn said, her tone brooking no argument. “Spend the evening with them. They need you.”

  She hesitated. “It’s going to be busy tonight. Are you sure you can manage everything without me?”

  “Hard as this may be for you to believe, we’ll get along just fine,” Lynn assured her with a smile. “Those kids need your attention this evening.”

  “I don’t know what I would do without you,” Ryan said, touched by their consideration.

  “Neither do we,” Lynn quipped. “Now go.”

  KELSEY AND PIP SEEMED pleased with the idea of spending the evening with Ryan. She stopped at a supermarket on the way home to buy supplies for dinner and asked them if they wanted anything special for either dinner or breakfast. They seemed surprised to be consulted. Both assured her that anything would be fine.

  Again Ryan was struck by their reticence in asking for anything. Other children in the market were begging their mothers for particularly well-advertised brands of cereal or candy from the temptingly located displays at the checkout lanes. Pip and Kelsey, she mused, were so accustomed to not having special treats that they never even considered asking.

  Dinner was almost ready when Ryan’s doorbell rang. The children were washing up, so Ryan wiped her hands on a dish towel and went to answer the door. She had to clear her throat before she spoke, suspecting the identity of the person on the other side. “Who is it?”

  She was right. “It’s Max.”

  Her mouth went dry. She had to draw a deep breath before opening the door.

  Max stood in the hallway, his arms loaded with packages. His expression was almost grim. “Your friend at the store told me you were spending the evening at home. Where are the kids?”

  “Washing up for dinner. Why?”

  He looked around quickly, as though checking to make sure the children weren’t within hearing range. “Juliana called. There’s a chance Opal Coleman has been found.”

  “Found? Where?”

  “Southern Utah. But it isn’t confirmed yet.”

  Something in the set of his jaw made her stomach clench. “What do you mean by confirmed?”

  His eyes met hers squarely. “We’re waiting on dental records.”

  Ryan closed her eyes. This was one possibility she hadn’t considered.

  How would they tell the children?

  “Max! Have you come to have dinner with us?” Kelsey squealed from behind them.

  Ryan whirled. She was relieved to see that Kelsey’s expression held nothing but surprised pleasure. Obviously, the child hadn’t overheard anything to concern her.

  Max smiled. “Hi, Kelsey. I brought you and Pip some things.”

  Ryan suddenly realized that she’d kept him standing in the doorway. She flushed and motioned for him to come in.

  As he passed her, he murmured, “I’ll tell you everything later, okay?”

  She nodded and managed a weak smile. “We were just about to eat. You’ll join us, won’t you?”

  “I’d like that,” he said. “If you have enough, of course.”

  “I made plenty,” she assured him.

  He nodded and their gazes locked. Ryan saw the memories reflected in his eyes—memories of the las
t time he’d been here. She shivered as similar thoughts filled her mind.

  Kelsey was eyeing the packages in Max’s hands. She shifted from one foot to the other, obviously wanting to ask about them, but trying to be polite about it.

  Pip joined them then. He seemed even more delighted to see Max than his sister had been. Ryan realized that Pip must be hungry for male attention, especially if his aunt’s boyfriend had been distant and disapproving.

  What would happen to these children if their aunt was really dead? Would their other aunt, if she could be found, be willing to take them in? Could she provide a good home for them and the security they so obviously longed for?

  “I have some things for you both,” Max told the children, dumping the stack of packages on the couch. “A friend of mine works in a children’s store and she has a sales quota to meet, so I thought I’d help her out.”

  Her, Ryan thought wryly. Just how many “friends” did Max have, anyway?

  Not that it was any of her business, of course, she reminded herself hastily. No matter what had passed between them, she and Max certainly weren’t a couple. They’d made no commitments to each other, nor did she expect any.

  Pip and Kelsey moved closer to Max. Ryan stationed herself nearby, almost as curious as the children about what the packages held.

  With the flourish of a magician producing small furry animals from a hat, Max began to open the packages. He pulled out clothing—sturdy jeans, colorful sweaters, trendy screen-printed sweatshirts. Warm pajamas. Socks and underwear. A red dress with a white lace collar for Kelsey.

  “We had to guess the sizes,” he said. Glancing at the children’s grubby sneakers, he added, “My friend said there was no way to guess about shoe sizes, though. You’ll have to try them on. We’ll go tomorrow and find you some new shoes.”

  “But, Max,” Pip said, looking rather longingly at the clothing. “This stuff is really expensive.”

  Kelsey touched the red dress with a look of awe. “They’re beautiful,” she whispered. “I’ve never had so many new clothes all at one time.”

  “Let me do this, Pip,” Max said, meeting the boy’s eyes with a man-to-man air. “I really want to.”

  Pip bit his lip. “Aunt Opal said we don’t take charity.”

  “It isn’t charity. It’s a gift. From a friend.”

  Pip hesitated another moment, then glanced at Kelsey, who was watching him anxiously. He made a rueful face and shrugged. It was an oddly grown-up gesture. “Thank you,” he said gravely.

  “You’re welcome,” Max replied, just as seriously.

  For some reason, Ryan felt a lump form in her throat.

  Max had one more bag. From it, he pulled a handheld video game with several game cartridges for Pip, and an electronic first-computer game for Kelsey. “It talks,” he explained to her. “It has a lot of games loaded into it.”

  Kelsey stared at the toy with huge eyes. “Thank you,” she said. “It’s really cool.”

  Max smiled. “We’ll figure out how to work it after dinner, okay?”

  “Why don’t you take your things to your room now while I get the food on the table,” Ryan suggested. “Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes.”

  “I’ll help you,” Max offered.

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  Alone in the kitchen, she turned to him. “You were very generous.”

  “I wanted to help out,” he said with a shrug. “It’s easy enough to buy things for them. You’re the one who’s taken them in, sacrificing your valuable time for them.”

  “I don’t consider it a sacrifice,” she said. “Tell me what Juliana found out.”

  He exhaled. “A car was found at the bottom of a ravine on a long stretch of highway in southern Utah. Authorities estimate that it had been there for at least a week before it was discovered. It must have gone off the road at night, when no one was around. It exploded and burned.”

  Ryan’s fingers tightened compulsively around the dish she’d picked up. “And no one saw it for a week?”

  “Apparently not. At least, no one who bothered to report it. As I said, the area was very isolated, and there was heavy brush at the bottom of the ravine. In addition to that, there have been heavy rains there during the past week.”

  Ryan drew a deep breath. “Opal Coleman was in the car?”

  “She and her boyfriend, apparently. As I said, they’re waiting on dental records to be sure. The Utah authorities have been trying to identify the bodies for several days.”

  Ryan set the bowl down and leaned heavily against the counter. “What happens now?”

  “We intensify the search for Essie Smith. Juliana has a couple of leads. She’ll pursue them tomorrow.”

  “Should we tell the children?”

  He winced and shook his head. “I wouldn’t,” he said. “Not until we know something for sure. They’re already uncertain enough about their future. This could only worry them more.”

  “I think you’re right.” Ryan explained Nick’s arrangement for her to keep the children until relatives had been found. “I talked to my neighbor this afternoon. She’s willing to watch them in the evenings until I get home from work. At least we’ll know they’re being well cared for until permanent arrangements can be made.”

  “From everything Juliana’s found out about Essie Smith so far, she isn’t a very stable person.” Max sounded grim again. “And now she’s out of a job, as far as we know. The future doesn’t look very promising for the kids, I’m afraid.”

  Ryan pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Maybe she’ll give them up for adoption,” she mused aloud.

  Max’s eyes widened. “Surely you aren’t thinking of—”

  “No, of course not. I didn’t mean me, ” she said, startled that he’d jumped to that conclusion. “I meant to a good home, where they’d have two parents and a stable environment.”

  “Oh.” He nodded. “That would certainly be best for them. I’ve heard, though, that most adoptive couples want younger children.”

  “Anyone who’d take the time to meet Pip and Kelsey would have to realize how adorable they are,” Ryan said wistfully. “Surely anyone who wants children would love to have those two.”

  The conversation was interrupted at that point when the children rejoined them. Ryan hastily set the table with an extra plate for Max, and they sat down to eat.

  Max seemed determined to keep them all entertained during dinner. Kelsey giggled frequently, and even Pip laughed aloud a time or two.

  No one seemed to notice that Ryan was a bit quiet.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about Max’s assumption that she’d been talking about adopting the children herself. It was a crazy idea. Too implausible to even consider.

  Wasn’t it?

  AFTER DINNER, Ryan popped corn and the four of them settled in the living room to watch Christmas specials on television.

  Max seemed in no hurry to leave. Ryan couldn’t help wondering if he was bored. Watching “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” hardly compared to climbing mountains and swimming with sharks.

  But if he was bored, he certainly didn’t show it. In fact, he startled her and delighted the children by quoting several lines from both the specials, which he claimed to have seen every Christmas since he was just a kid himself.

  Afterward, Max stayed to help Ryan tuck the children into bed. He kissed Kelsey and ruffled Pip’s hair, assuring them both he would see them again soon.

  Ryan kissed and hugged Kelsey, then brushed her lips across Pip’s cheek.

  “Good night,” she told them both from the doorway. “Sleep well.”

  “’Night, Ryan,” Pip said.

  “This has been nice,” Kelsey said, as she had the night before. Only this time she added, “Like a real fam’ly.”

  Ryan tried to ignore the sudden hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach as she ushered Max out of the room.

  “Would you like some coffee befo
re you leave?” she asked. Her voice sounded a bit too loud in the silence now that the children were in bed.

  “Before I leave?” he repeated. “Does that mean you’re ready for me to go?”

  “You’re welcome to stay awhile longer, of course. But—well, the children are here,” she explained needlessly.

  He frowned. “I’m aware of that. I didn’t expect…” He let the sentence trail off.

  She smoothed her slacks with her hands. “So do you want coffee?”

  He hesitated, then shook his head. “I’d better go. You have to be up early to get the kids ready for school. I’ll call you tomorrow, after I talk to Juliana.”

  “All right.” She walked him to the door. “Good night, Max.”

  He put out his hand and tipped her chin upward, so that she was gazing up at him. He seemed to be studying her eyes, looking for—what? Whatever it was, she couldn’t tell whether he found it.

  He brushed his mouth lightly across hers. He didn’t linger long enough for her to respond. “When the children are settled somewhere, we need to talk,” he murmured.

  She almost asked what he wanted to talk about, but she changed her mind at the last minute.

  “Good night, Max,” she said again, a bit huskily.

  “Good night, Ryan.” He left without further delay.

  She closed the door behind him, then stood for a long, motionless moment with her forehead pressed against the cool wood.

  MAX PACED THE LENGTH of his apartment again. He didn’t even pretend to work this time.

  He could still feel her mouth beneath his, though he’d kissed her only lightly this evening. He hadn’t trusted himself to do more.

  What was it about Ryan Clark, he wondered, that he couldn’t stop thinking about her? He tried to figure it out. Tried to dissect his interest in her with cool detachment.

  Her large, dark eyes. Her smooth, oval face. Her kissable mouth. Her lush dark hair. Her slim, supple body…

  He cleared his throat, shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and moved on to the next point.

  He’d only known her a week. Then again, he’d become involved with other women on such brief acquaintance. Instant attraction. Carefree passion. A short time of mutual pleasure with no strings, no regrets afterward. Granted, it had been years since he’d indulged in such behavior. But it had happened.