Baby Under the Christmas Tree

by Teresa Carpenter

  He laughed. “You don’t even know what you just said.”

  “I do,” she assured him. “And you do, too.”

  “So tell me, what do you know about me that the other women don’t? What makes me so terrible?”

  “I don’t think this conversation is a good idea.” She offered Troy a sip from his cup of water.

  “Why not? Do you think you’ll hurt my feelings?” He shrugged off the notion. “Don’t worry. I’m The Beast. I can take it.”

  “Exactly.” She crossed her arms on the table, the posture plumping her bust up so a nice hint of cleavage came into view in the V of her white blouse. “You’re a beast. You’re selfish, bad-tempered and arrogant. Your puck bunnies see a bad-boy athlete, a celebrity. I see a jerk.”

  “Jerk,” Troy echoed and laughed.

  “Hey.” Max tugged on the boy’s earlobe. “That’s Daddy to you.”

  “Jerk Daddy.”

  Max’s gaze shifted to Elle. “Thanks for that.”

  She shrugged. “I told you we shouldn’t have this conversation. Or is it that you really can’t take the truth?”

  “Ellie, Ellie, we both know if it weren’t for the rules, you’d have a whole different opinion.”

  She lifted one dark-russet eyebrow. “If it helps your ego to blame the rules, you go right ahead.”

  “I get the feeling you’re big on rules.”

  “I like order, and rules help keep order. So yeah, I’m big on rules.” She wasn’t defensive, simply stating a fact. “Your whole career revolves around rules. I’d think you’d understand.” Then she rolled her eyes. “What am I saying? I forgot I was talking to the team’s biggest rule-breaker.”

  “If you want to win, you have to be willing to go to the boards every time.”

  “A sentiment the team appreciates.”

  “Oh, no. Don’t do that. Don’t get political on me now.”

  “Fool. Ah, lunch.”

  A visual feast filled the table as the spicy aroma of grilling meat and vegetables sizzling on a hot skillet tantalized his appetite. Max rubbed his hands together, ready to dig in.

  The sound of Elle’s laughter caught his attention. He looked up to find the waiter flirting with her over her fish tacos. A hard-eyed glare sent the man on his way.

  They may not be involved but the waiter didn’t know that, and Max would be damned if he’d let another man chat up his woman right in front of him. And with the taste of her still in his head he was perverse enough not to want to see another man paying her attention.

  “I don’t know why you call me selfish.” He placed a plate with a small amount of rice and refried beans on Troy’s tray and handed the boy a spoon. “I’m a generous guy.”

  “You’re not stingy or cheap.” She licked a smudge of guacamole from her finger, making Max’s mind fog for a moment. “That’s not the same thing.”

  “It’s mostly the same.”

  She cocked her head and considered him. “No. Tell me, besides spending time in the penalty box, the last time you did something you didn’t want to do.”

  He frowned. Jaden’s birthday party came to mind. But no, he liked spending time with his teammates on occasion. The whole bar scene was what was getting old. He enjoyed a good barbecue or pickup game of football or hoops more these days.

  “Nobody likes doing things they don’t want to do.”

  “True. But they do them anyway, either out of duty because it’s expected of them, or because someone they care about wants them to. You don’t put yourself out for anyone.”

  “No? Then why have I been jumping through hoops all day?”

  She inclined her head. “I guess you have me there.” She glanced at Troy, who was covered in rice and beans. Max grimaced and reached for a napkin as she taunted with a touch of glee. “And today’s just the beginning.”

  “Stop, Daddy.” Troy fought Max’s efforts to clean him up. “No.”

  “I’ll admit I’m going to need help.” He played humble. “So how about it, Ellie, will you help me out with the shopping?”

  “You don’t fool me.” She narrowed her brown eyes at him. “And call me Ellie one more time and you’ll be on your own.”

  He grinned for real, flashing his dimple. “We both know you won’t desert me. You’re too ambitious and Ray is retiring next year. I suspect you have your eye on advancement.”

  “Maybe. But I have my limits, so don’t push me.”

  “We worked well together today.” Surprisingly. “You were helpful with Candi. She didn’t want to give a statement against Amber, and she was suspicious of me and Harold.”

  The attorney had insisted on accompanying them to get the statement. He wanted fresh details and to hear the information for himself. His participation would hold weight when he passed the statement on to his friend at Child Protective Services who would get the statement on record.

  “It helped to have another woman there,” she agreed. “But you’re the one who made her see Troy was the one suffering for Amber’s behavior. You were gentle, charming and sincere. That’s what made the difference.”

  “I have my moments. So it’s agreed, you’ll help me out.” He made it a statement.

  “Right,” she scoffed. “I take care of all your pesky little jobs and what do you do for me?”

  Acknowledging she was no dummy, he inclined his head. “You do a good job on this and I’ll put in a good word for you with the powers that be.”

  She shook her head, light flowing from the nearby window flickering like flame in her dark red tresses. “My work will stand on its own merits, thank you very much, especially if it gets as ugly as everyone keeps saying it will. No,” she chided him, her smile both challenging and a little smug, “you can do better than that.”

  He leaned back in his chair. As a competitor he did enjoy her pep. Bossy with a touch of feistiness.

  “What did you have in mind? A bonus? That can be arranged.”

  “I don’t want your money, Max. I want your cooperation.”

  Okay, that raised the hair on the back of his neck. The woman was in the process of rearranging his whole life. What more could she want from him?

  “Chip! Chip!” Troy demanded loudly and hit his tray to add emphasis to his need.

  After a glance at Max, Elle responded with a quiet request for the toddler to lower his voice and ask nicely.

  He got louder and made a grab for the chip basket.

  “Troy,” Max said in warning.

  “Chip, Daddy.” Troy began to cry.

  He didn’t relent. “Stop that crying now. What did I tell you?”

  He pointedly moved the chips out of Troy’s reach. He didn’t reward bad behavior.

  But Troy saw him move the chips away and began to shriek at the top of his lungs. Every head in the restaurant turned in their direction.

  Only years of controlling his emotions kept Max from cringing. He gritted his teeth instead. From past experience he knew he’d lost the upper hand; any attempt at discipline now would only make the scene worse. But Elle hadn’t learned yet and she turned censuring eyes on him.

  “Aren’t you going to do anything?” she challenged.

  He was about to take the boy outside but decided to see what she’d do. He shook his head. “He’ll stop in a minute.” Well, he hoped. Sometimes the jags went on for a while.

  “If you don’t handle it, I will.”

  Max waved his hand, inviting her to try. If she had a magic
trick to stop these fits, he wanted to know about it.

  She leaned close to Troy and spoke quietly to him. The boy shook his head and shrieked louder. Elle didn’t hesitate; she stood up and lifted Troy from the high chair and then the two disappeared outside, Troy’s wails fading in their wake.

  Ten minutes later she walked in with a subdued Troy. She tucked him back in his chair and then slid into her seat.

  “Do you want a chip?” she asked him.

  “’Ess pease.” The boy nodded.

  She placed a couple of chips on his tray and gave him a pretty smile. “Good boy.”

  Her brown eyes flicked up to Max’s, encouraging him to acknowledge the good behavior. Hoping for a smile of his own—maybe that was her magic—he ruffled Troy’s hair.

  “That’s my good boy.”

  Troy grinned at him around a bite of chip. “Jerk Daddy.”

  Max glanced at Elle, and yeah, there it was: a smile of approval. Something in his chest tightened. The silent praise and joint sense of accomplishment warmed him in some odd way.

  Yep, powerful magic.

  To hide his reaction he lifted a brow at her, challenging her over the moniker his son had given him. Her smile blossomed into a grin.

  She lifted a shoulder and let it drop in a one-sided shrug. “It’s a work in progress.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “SO TELL ME, ELLIE,” Max drawled as they stood in line at the stroller kiosk at the zoo, “is this really your idea of fun?”

  “Not this part, no.” She let the “Ellie” slide this time. She’d decided the more she protested, the more he’d use the nickname to torment her. “A stroller is on your shopping list.”

  When he simply shrugged she nudged his arm with her shoulder. “Quit being a spoilsport. It’s seventy-five degrees on a sunny afternoon in December. You’re going to be strolling around the world’s greatest zoo. Give it a chance.”

  “I’ve never been around animals much,” he said dismissively.

  “No pets as a kid?” she asked before she remembered he’d grown up in foster care.

  “None that belonged to me.”

  That was telling. “And you never wanted a dog?”

  “As a kid it was easier not to want what you couldn’t have.”

  “Of course. A stroller, please,” she told the teenage girl behind the counter. Max tossed down his credit card. “And now you have custody of Troy. In a few years you can get him a dog.”

  “Maybe. Someday. It doesn’t really make sense with all the traveling I do.” He took control of the stroller the teenager indicated.

  “Excuse me,” the young blonde addressed Max, her eyes starstruck, “we’re not supposed to ask, but can I have your autograph?”

  “Sure.” Max winked at the girl and scrawled his name across a brochure. “I won’t tell.”

  She cradled the pamphlet. “Thank you.”

  “Okay, that was a good start.” Elle applauded his interaction with the teen. “You’ve been recognized.”

  “Great. Which way to the Scouts?”

  She rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t work that way. Now we wander around, check out the animals and have fun. My nephews love this place. I’ve been thinking of getting an annual pass.”

  Max just shoved his hands into his shorts pockets.

  “Well, Troy and I will have fun. Look, he’s excited to be here.”

  The two-year-old sat forward in the stroller and pointed at the monkeys in the enclosure. His eyes lit with joy, he pointed and yammered excitedly. His words were totally incoherent, but his animation spoke volumes.

  “Yeah, he is.” Max crouched down next to Troy. “Hey, short stuff, that’s a capuchin monkey. Cute, huh?”

  “Monkey.” Troy giggled when one of the creatures came right down to the front of the enclosure and sat in the corner. Troy waved and the monkey’s paw went up. Then the animal gave a shriek and scurried and swung himself up to a tree limb next to his buddies, high up in the enclosed space.

  Max, Elle and Troy weaved their way through the monkey exhibits. Halfway along Max lifted Troy out of the stroller and let him run free, the two bonding as they laughed over the animals’ antics.

  The boy just drank in his father’s attention. It was good to see them having fun together.

  They were both so needy. Her heart broke for them, especially for Troy. But she couldn’t, wouldn’t, let her emotions engage. Once she helped Max get a plan set, her role in Troy’s life ended. If she let him get attached to her, he’d only suffer again when she disappeared from his life.

  For both their sakes, she needed to maintain her detachment.

  “Okay, this is cool,” Max conceded as they moved on to the gorillas.

  “Yeah, it is. How did the two of you do last night? What do you think of the sitter the agency sent over? Do you think she might work out long-term?”

  “Not in the slightest. It was a total disaster. I had to rush home from practice because he had a screaming fit.” He met her gaze, an unlikely plea in the back of his blue eyes. “Would you watch him during tonight’s game? He’s been through a lot the last couple of days. We’d both feel a lot better if he was with someone familiar.”

  She really should say no; spending more time with these two was a bad idea. But the thought of a distraught Troy screaming for hours twisted her gut into knots. Softy, she chided herself as she nodded.

  “Elle, you are a peach.” He gave her ponytail a tug and then turned back to the trail.

  He’d called her Elle. Ah, progress. She smiled and tagged along with the mismatched pair.

  Occasionally she joined in the fun and laughter but mostly she let them have this time together. Watching them play she felt better about them as a team.

  The Scouts found them near the pandas and Max graciously signed everything thrust at him, yet he made a point of making Troy a part of the process.

  She’d already texted her friend in the zoo’s PR department and nodded when he waved to indicate he’d gotten all the pictures he needed. People were getting pictures from all over and she snapped a few, too, for the team. Mission accomplished.

  “Where to next?” Max asked when the latest group of Scouts scampered off.

  “It’s three-thirty. We need to head out if you’re going to make it to the arena on time.”

  “But we haven’t seen the lions, the tigers or the bears.”

  “Pandas are bears.”

  “Doesn’t count. They’re cuddly.”

  She laughed and turned the stroller in the direction of the exit. “You had a good time.”

  “I did,” he readily agreed, his reluctance to leave evident in the longing glance he sent toward the sign indicating the bears were in the opposite direction. “You were right about this place.”

  “You’ll have to come back when you have more time.”

  “I will.” He pulled a cap out of Troy’s backpack and put it on, instantly becoming less recognizable. “Troy had a ball. He even liked the Scouts, so it wasn’t so bad doing the autograph thing. The kids really seemed to get a kick out of it.”

  “Are you kidding? You made their day. Most PR events are lighthearted and fun, even when we’re helping to promote something more serious. I don’t understand why you’re so averse to participating.”

  “Because I feel like a fraud.”

  “A fraud,” she repeated, mystified by his comment. “I don’t understand.”

&nbs
p; “I’m just a guy who plays hockey. I don’t know what all the hoopla is about.”

  “How about the fact you have some of the most impressive stats in the NHL.” She never would have guessed he held this streak of modesty. His ego and confidence levels were off the charts and well earned; the stats didn’t lie.

  “Yeah, but the whole celebrity thing isn’t my gig.” He took over pushing the stroller as they started up a short incline. “I’m no more special than the person asking for the autograph.”

  “To them you are. You represent the American dream, the best of the best. Half of them want to be you, the other half want to date you.”

  “You just made it worse.”

  She eyed his profile suspiciously. It was his lack of expression that tipped her off. “You don’t fool me. You know all this.”

  The corner of his mouth rolled up in a half grin and he inclined his head. “Doesn’t change how I feel.”

  She hooked her arm through his, ignored the damage his dimple did to her knees and sent him a sideways glance. “You need more practice. And I’m just the girl to help you with that.”

  * * *

  Troy fell asleep on the walk out of the zoo but Max still took the time to stop and buy annual passes.

  Elle used the opportunity to check her messages. She was only through the sixth one when he joined her.

  “You know, don’t bother taking us home,” she said. She’d met him at his place for their trip to the zoo. “I’ve decided to go with you to the arena. We have an office there and I can get some work done while he’s sleeping.”

  “Okay,” he agreed as he strapped Troy into his seat. “But he probably won’t nap for long.”

  “I’ll take what time I can get.”

  At the arena Max carried Troy as Elle led the way into the empty director’s office on the press level. Jenna would be in the outer office covering the game later so Elle could focus on getting some work done while Troy slept.

  She moved ahead of Max into the room and pushed together two armchairs to make a bed for the sleeping boy. Max carefully laid him down. Troy stirred, blinked and then turned over and sank back into sleep.