Their Christmas Angel

by Tracy Madison

  In typical Erin fashion, she rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t have said so if I didn’t mean it, silly. Want to go upstairs and practice now? You can read all your lines to me, if you want. And you can listen to my lines, too. We’ll practice every night!”

  Megan vaulted off Parker’s lap, already running upstairs to their bedroom. Before Erin followed, she kissed him on his cheek. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said. “I was just really mad.”

  “I think you were more sad than mad,” he said. “And I accept your apology, but when you go upstairs, you should probably let your sister know you’re sorry. She was hurt, too.”

  “I will. Megan was really nice, trying to give me her part, huh?”

  “She was.”

  “I’ll tell her thank you for that,” she said. “Because it was nicer than I deserved.”

  And right there was another lesson to be learned. “Why do you think that is?”

  “Um. Because after I explained, she understood why I was so upset,” Erin said, chewing on her bottom lip. “And that made her want to help me feel better. And that is why—” a grin wreathed across her face “—we never forget that we’re family, and that we love each other.”

  “Perfect answer, kiddo. I give you an A-plus.”

  Erin kissed his cheek again and, for a second, rested her head on his shoulder. Someday, he knew, he’d think back to moments like this and miss them. Oh, not the fireworks or the tears, but the quiet, sweet father-and-daughter moments when the entire world became peaceful.

  It ended too quickly, this particular moment. She raced up the stairs without a backward glance, intent on helping her sister and on being the best Fairy Godmother she could. Exhausted, Parker closed his eyes. Sighed. Breathed out the leftover tension from the emotional scene.

  He’d had a hectic day, even before the Snow White catastrophe, and the rest of the week promised more of the same. Many of his clients wanted to finalize their marketing plans for the new year before Christmas, and daily, it seemed, he had potential new clients reaching out.

  More business was always a good state of affairs, but with the holidays approaching, the start of the Christmas play rehearsals, considering Reid’s request and, of course, spending time with Nicole, he expected there would be plenty of scheduling snafus on the horizon. It wasn’t easy, being a single parent. Worthwhile? Without doubt. And his girls were his life.

  He just wouldn’t have chosen this path if he’d had any say in it at all. Two active and involved parents were better than one, especially when time and energy were at a premium. If he got sick or was in another accident, his daughters didn’t have a spare parent to count on, lean on, be there for them. They would be alone. And that possibility—well, it haunted him.

  Day in and day out.

  * * *

  Sunday morning dawned bright and cold, with a few snow flurries decorating Steamboat Springs. Nicole looked through her kitchen window into her fenced backyard, enjoying the sight of Roscoe romping in the snow. That dog had to be part moose, she decided, because he’d been out there for an hour already with no signs of getting cold, slowing down or wanting to come in.

  Yawning, she retreated from the window to pour another cup of coffee. She’d slept plenty long enough last night and shouldn’t be this tired, but life was gaining momentum, and her days were becoming packed, from sunup to sundown. With the play rehearsals officially starting this past week, her normal teaching schedule and several unexpected but wondrous outings with Parker, each day had been full. The best parts of her day involved Parker.

  They’d taken to sharing their lunch break, eating in the school playground or as they walked the same path they had that first night, when they were searching for Roscoe. She’d shared dinner with the Lennox team at Fosters Pub and Grill on Wednesday night, and they’d all come here for pizza on Friday. Pepperoni and mushroom, without a sardine to be seen.

  Yesterday, Parker had invited her to his sister’s house for the twins’ birthdays, and she’d planned on attending. But she’d woken with a headache and, worried she was coming down with a cold or the flu or some other bug, had chosen to stay home and rest, rather than possibly pass on her germs at a family celebration.

  Parker had checked in several times, just to see how she was doing. Nice to be cared about, to have someone other than her parents or brother reach out in genuine compassion and concern for her well-being. Fortunately, her headache had passed without any other signs of illness, and today, other than her lethargy, she was back to her normal self.

  A relief, for more than one reason. Parker and the girls would be here soon. She was joining them at the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival, which was apparently the place to be this weekend and, from what Parker said, an experience not to be missed.

  And if she wanted to be ready when they arrived, she needed to get moving. For the moment, she left Roscoe outside playing and took a quick shower, blow-dried her hair and opened the medicine cabinet to get her toothbrush. There they were, the two boxes of pregnancy tests. She reached for a box, ready to know one way or the other, and then stopped.

  No. She do as she’d promised herself and wait out the two more days until Tuesday, which put her a full three weeks after the procedure. It should be more than enough time to trust in the results, and frankly, she didn’t think she’d be able to push herself into waiting any longer.

  She’d waited long enough. For so many things.

  Parker. He was there, as well, solidly in the mix of her wants and desires, hopes and goals. He deserved to know about her baby plan, but until she had a positive or negative pregnancy test she could count on, it didn’t seem logical to put any of this on the table.

  Tucking her concerns into the corner, she finished with her hair and makeup, threw on a pair of jeans and a long, heavy sweater and coerced Roscoe to finally come inside. She filled both his food and water bowls, in case she was home later than expected, and had just put on her boots when the peal of the doorbell rang through the house. They were here.

  Parker stole a quick kiss before they went to the car, where the girls were waiting. And Nicole quickly discovered that the Winter Carnival was Erin’s and Megan’s favorite local event of the entire year. The car ride was filled with chatter about everything they would do and see, what they wanted to eat and drink, and one question after another volleyed at Nicole.

  Would she go ice-skating with them? Yes. Of course. Would she watch the dogsled race with them? Sure, that sounded fun. Had she ever tried ice sculpting? Nope, she hadn’t, but she wouldn’t mind learning how someday. Who would she root for at the kids’ ice fishing contest, Erin or Megan? That one left her tongue-tied for a second, before she told them she’d root for them both, because she didn’t have favorites, and the fun was in trying.

  Honestly, she didn’t think they really bought into her response, but they had arrived at the carnival by then, and with Parker and Nicole walking directly behind them, the girls let the matter drop in their excitement to wander. The snow still fell, though lightly, and Christmas music was piped into the air. There were food booths set up throughout, along with signs directing people to one event or another. And wow, there were people everywhere.

  It seemed as if the entire population of Steamboat Springs was in attendance.

  “Ready for this?” Parker reached for her hand, giving it a light squeeze. “And you’re sure you’re feeling better? No headache or any signs of illness today?”

  “No headache.” She breathed in the cold air, the appetizing scents emanating from the food booths. “And of course I’m ready for this. We’ll have a good day.”

  “We will. The girls will keep us on our toes, but I expect they’ll tire out before we do.”

  “Ha. I sort of doubt that,” she said, nodding toward Erin and Megan. They would run forward a few feet. Stop, pivot to wait for the adults
to catch up and then run ahead again. “Kids have endless buckets of energy, and look at them. They’re almost jumping out of their skin.”

  “That’s only because we just got here. They’ll calm down soon enough.”

  “Hmm. I sense a strong amount of wishful thinking in that statement.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” he said, casting her a sidelong grin. And oh, what that smile did to her. She finally understood the true meaning of going weak in the knees. “I’m finding that where you’re concerned, I have a lot of wishful thinking going on.”

  “Oh yeah?” Make that the both of them. “Tell me more.”

  “I’m not sure this is the proper time or place to let you in on all of my wishes,” Parker teased. “But several of them involve getting you alone, with zero interruptions.”

  Warmth spread from her cheeks to her neck. She liked that idea. Blinking, deciding a change in topic would best serve them both, she said, “Are we heading anywhere specific, or just trailing the girls until a miracle happens and they tire out?”

  “Somewhere specific,” Parker answered. “We have an order of events we follow every year. Right now, they’re headed toward the kids’ ice fishing contest.”

  “They really enter the ice fishing contest?” Somehow, she didn’t see either Erin or Megan being this excited over fishing of any kind. From what she’d noticed, they weren’t girlie girls, but they weren’t tomboys, either. “I thought they were joking with that question.”

  “Yes, they really enter, and nope, they weren’t joking.” Parker’s voice held pride. “They love anything outdoors. Always have. Camping, bicycling, swimming. Horseback riding, too, though Megan isn’t as comfortable being on a horse as Erin. She’ll get there.”

  “That’s wonderful. Guessing they take after you in that department?”

  “Started there, but Reid’s sister, Haley, runs a camp for foster kids with her husband,” Parker explained. “In the summer, the girls spend a lot of their time with Gavin and Haley, camping and fishing, horseback riding and hiking. They really enjoy it.”

  “We camped every now and then when I was a kid. I loved it. But we went on more ski outings than anything else,” she said, thinking back to those summer nights of toasting marshmallows over a campfire and her brother telling ghost stories. “Do the girls ski?”

  “Ah. Well, they know the basics, but we don’t ski anymore.”

  “How come?”

  “We just don’t,” Parker said, his sharp tone surprising Nicole. She heard him let out a breath, and then, “I’m sorry. That was rude. It’s just that a few years back now, I took a bad fall while skiing. Put me in the hospital for months. It’s not something I generally talk about.”

  Well, she understood that. And she now knew why Daisy had returned to Steamboat Springs to care for the girls. “No apologies necessary, Parker. I’ll never expect you to talk about anything you don’t want to. I’m sure you won’t do that to me, either.”

  “Expect you to? No. Never,” he said. “Hope you will, if you need to? Yes.”

  “I think that is how it should be.”

  They rounded the bend of the carnival, and up ahead, kids and their parents were gathered around the edge of a frozen lake. Erin looked over her shoulder at her father. “Can we go now, Daddy? It’s right there! And I see Uncle Cole waiting for us!”

  “Go ahead,” Parker said. “But straight to Cole, and we’ll be right behind you.”

  Another Foster. Nicole remembered the name Cole, knew she’d met him at her brother’s wedding, but didn’t have any true recollection of what he looked like. “The Fosters are everywhere, it seems,” she said. “That’s great, that they’re so willing to help out with the girls.”

  “We’re family,” Parker said simply. “And the girls will be entered into different categories, due to their ages. Cole will help Erin and I’ll go with Megan. None of the kids are allowed on the ice without an adult, for obvious reasons.”

  “Makes sense,” Nicole said, grinning as she realized she’d given the completely right answer to the who-would-she-root-for question. She could root for them both. Separate divisions meant both could actually win. Wouldn’t that be something? “Where do I go?”

  “I wish you could go with Megan and me, but only one adult per child.” Parker put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward a grouping of picnic tables and chairs. “You can sit there and watch, grab a cup of hot chocolate if you want. This usually goes pretty fast.”

  Disappointment settled, even though she understood that rules were rules. She would’ve liked to have been part of the action. She sent the useless emotion scurrying into the shadows. She had the entire day to spend with Parker and the girls. Maybe longer—much longer, even—if this relationship kept heading in the right direction. The direction she wanted.

  Smiling, she said, “I will grab some hot chocolate and root for both girls to win.”

  He kissed her then. Quickly, gently, but in those few seconds their lips touched, heat exploded into being. Would she ever get used to that? The instantaneous response he pulled from her body? She didn’t know, but she hoped not. She loved how this man could do that to her, so easily, so effortlessly. She also hoped, fervently so, that she did the same to him.

  For him.

  Nicole got her hot chocolate, chose a seat where she could see fairly well and watched with interest as the contest began. They started with the youngest kids, taking them onto the lake and to marked-off areas where a circular chunk of ice was seemingly magically removed, leaving a hole for the child to cast their line. The first, second and third child to reel in a fish won prizes, but there were other winners, too. Prizes were given to those with the smallest fish, the largest fish, the best-looking fish and, yes, even the ugliest fish.

  There were four age groups altogether. Megan and Parker were in the second group, while Erin and Cole were in the third. When all was said and done, neither Lennox girl won a prize, but both had actually caught a fish. That seemed enough to put huge smiles on their faces.

  “Did you see, Miss Bradshaw?” Megan asked, running to her side. “I got a fish! Last year, I didn’t, but this year, I did. He wasn’t that pretty or ugly, though. Just average.”

  “I did see, and you know what?” Nicole tousled Megan’s blond hair. “I think when we’re not in school, you and Erin should start calling me Nicole.”

  “That seems weird,” Megan said, scrunching her face. “I don’t know if I’ll remember.”

  “Remember what?” Erin asked as she joined them. Cole and Parker were with her, coming up from behind. “And what seems weird, Megan?”

  “Calling Miss Bradshaw ‘Nicole’ when we’re not in school.”

  “That isn’t hard. It’s her name, and Daddy calls her that all the time.”

  “Listen, girls, feel free to call me either,” Nicole said. “We’re spending so much time together now, I just thought it made sense. But you need to be comfortable.”

  “Just don’t call her late for dinner,” Cole interjected. “Isn’t that the line?”

  “I’m never late for dinner. Or dessert. Or...well, anything that has to do with food.”

  Cole’s jaw dropped open. Looking at Parker, he said, “You met a woman who isn’t a Foster, who loves to eat and has no problem admitting so? Don’t let this one go, Parker.”

  “I have zero intention of letting her go.” Oh. Just, oh. He came to her and held out his hand, which she accepted. He gently pulled her to her feet. “Cole is taking the girls to see the ice sculpting contest. We can join them or, if you’re a trusting soul, I have another plan in mind.”

  “Another plan, huh?” The corners of her lips twitched and her green eyes darkened a shade. He could look into those eyes all day. All night. “Well, so far, I’ve liked all your plans,” she said, “but I don’t k
now about missing out on the ice sculpting contest.”

  “Go with Daddy, Miss... Oh. Um. Nicole.” Megan smiled when she got the name right. Parker almost laughed at her delighted expression. “He told me the surprise and it’s a really good one. You’ll like it a whole lot more than ice sculpting!”

  “Well, then. I will take your advice, Miss Lennox,” Nicole said with a wink.

  Lord, this woman made him happy. Just by the simplicity of who she was, how she behaved with his kids, what made her smile and laugh. How she made him feel. And he hoped she liked his surprise as much as he thought she would. A romantic moment, for just the two of them, before they returned to the girls and a day of family fun.

  Was it good or bad that he was already thinking of Nicole as part of his family? He didn’t know. Didn’t need to determine that just yet, either. Wouldn’t even try to until he’d worked all the rest out. One day at a time, he reminded himself.

  Focusing on Cole, he said, “Thanks for this. We’ll catch up to you in an hour or so.”

  “Ah, no thanks necessary,” Cole said to Parker. “We’ll have a great time. Right, girls?”

  “Right, Uncle Cole,” Erin said. “Will Rachel be there, too?”

  “That she will. In fact,” Cole said, checking his watch, “she is probably there now, waiting on us. We should get going.” Then, with a quick nod in Nicole and Parker’s direction, he and the girls wandered off toward where the ice sculpting contest was being held.

  As they walked away, Parker heard his eldest daughter say, “Tell me what Daddy’s surprise for Nicole is, Megan. You can’t keep it a secret from me.”

  Before Megan’s response made it to Nicole’s ears, he crooked his arm through hers, so they could walk together, saying, “So. Here’s something you should know. I could barely pay attention out there on the ice, thinking about stealing a bit of time for us to have to ourselves. I’m beginning to realize it will be rough, finding that time, because of the girls.”

  “Oh, I think we’re doing okay,” Nicole said easily. “I adore Erin and Megan, and they’re as much a part of this as we are. I mean, in a different way, but just as important.”