A Family Under the Christmas Tree

by Terri Reed

  David.

  His identity registered in the split second before her feet slipped out from beneath her.

  Her arms cartwheeled. The camera bounced against her ribs. The world tilted. She brought her elbows in and curled around the camera protectively, bracing herself for a fall.

  But strong arms snaked around her, catching her and drawing her close. Her nose was buried in the wet folds of his weatherproof jacket. Her feet dangled in the air for a moment before he set her down.

  “Whoa. Are you okay?” he asked.

  She gripped the lapels of his coat and leaned back to look up into his anxious face. “Yes. Sorry. I didn’t mean to slam into you.”

  “No, my bad. I didn’t see you until the last second.” He stepped back. He held a child’s rain slicker in his hands. Worry darkened his eyes. “Have you seen Troy?”

  Concern flooded her. “No. What happened?”

  David threaded the fingers of his free hand through his dark, wet hair. “We had an argument and he ran out the door. I was hoping to find him at the playground but he’s not there.”

  Sophie looked around, as if he might be nearby. “I haven’t seen him,” she said.

  David pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe I let this happen.”

  “Hey now. He’s a kid. It’s not your fault.”

  But David just shook his head. “I’m horrible at this parent thing. They should never have picked me to be Troy’s guardian.” He drew in a deep breath, trying to pull himself together. “I have to find him.”

  Filled with anxiety, Sophie offered, “I’ll help you search.”

  “I’d appreciate it, thanks.” David pointed to the women’s restroom. “Can you check in there? I’ll get the men’s room.”

  Riggs reappeared from the tree line, drawing their attention with a series of barks. Then he whirled away to once again disappear into the trees. Crazy dog.

  “What’s he doing?” David asked as he moved toward the men’s restroom.

  “I have no clue. He let himself out of the dog park and ran into the trees,” she explained. She hurried to the women’s restroom and checked the stalls. Empty.

  She met David in front of the building. She shook her head to let him know she hadn’t found Troy.

  “Where could he have gone?” David pulled out his cell phone. “I have to call the police.”

  Riggs returned to the same spot and barked again. This time the pitch intensified, became more insistent.

  “Riggs, come,” Sophie called, a good dose of frustration lacing her tone.

  The dog dashed forward and then backed up, all the while barking frantically.

  “I think he’s trying to get us to follow him,” David said. “Maybe he found Troy.” He rushed to trail after the dog.

  “Now, that would be a Christmas miracle.” Sophie hurried to catch up to David. Please, Lord, let us find Troy safe and sound.

  Riggs’s barking led them through the trees to the far corner of the park. The dog paced in front of a large evergreen bush until he noticed them. He raced over to them.

  Sophie made a grab for Riggs’s collar. The dog dodged her attempt to control him and ran back to the bush. He pawed at the ground, sticking his nose into the branches, and then gave her a look that made her feel like she was missing something.

  Sophie met David’s confused and worried gaze. “Troy?”

  “Troy!” David called out.

  Riggs cocked his head, then lay down to shuffle beneath the bush until all that was visible was his back end. Unable to resist, she brought the camera lens into focus and snapped off several shots.

  “Troy must be under there,” Sophie whispered to David. Riggs had heard or smelled Troy, or maybe both, and had somehow understood the boy was in trouble and needed help. Smart dog.

  David knelt down and army-crawled under the bush next to Riggs. Sophie pressed her lips together to keep a giggle from escaping. The situation wasn’t in the least funny. Troy had run away from David and hidden under the bush. He was safe, but he’d scared them something fierce.

  But the image of the dog and man buried to the waist beneath the leafy branches was too comical for her not to smile. She took a number of shots. She could hear the velvety tenor of David’s voice as he talked with Troy, who refused to come out of his hiding spot.

  She approached the space and squatted down beside David. Though she could see only the whites of Troy’s eyes in the murky depths of the shrub, she said, “Hey, Troy, if you’ll come out, you can help walk Riggs home.”

  “Really?” His little voice was followed by a hiccup.

  “Yes, really.”

  Soon both Riggs and David wiggled back out from beneath the thick plant, along with Troy. All three were soaked and layered with mud. Through the lens of her camera she captured the expression of relief on David’s handsome face. She caught Troy’s tear-streaked cheeks and Riggs’s proud countenance. These shots would add so much character and life to her portfolio.

  David put the coat around Troy’s shoulders before lifting the boy into his arms to hug him close. She took another picture, capturing the tender moment.

  There was something so precious about the man and boy. A lump formed in Sophie’s throat and she quickly leashed Riggs, mostly to give her something to do to cover the emotion that welled up uncontrollably inside her.

  “You scared me,” David said to Troy.

  “Sorry, Uncle David,” the boy said, hanging his head. He lifted his deep blue gaze to Sophie. “Can I walk Riggs now?”

  Sophie gave David a questioning look, not wanting to usurp his authority with the child. The relief and love on his face softened her heart even more. He nodded and set Troy on his feet.

  Sophie held out the loop of the leash. “We’ll both hold the loop,” she told him. She was afraid the puppy would drag the slight child.

  As they walked back through the neighborhood, Sophie and Troy walked ahead of David. She glanced back several times and wondered at his pensive expression. Was he berating himself again? She felt bad for him. He was in a difficult situation, but he was doing the best he could, wasn’t he? She respected that he was trying. How many single men in their early thirties would give up their freedom to raise a child alone?

  At the walkway to David and Troy’s house, David stopped. “Time to let go of the leash, Troy. We’re home.”

  “Noooo,” Troy protested. “I want to walk Riggs all the way to his house.”

  David’s jaw tightened for a second. He probably had a million things to do. The guy had to have a job of some sort. At the very least, his patience had to be at its limit. But instead of saying no, he sighed. “All right. If Sophie doesn’t mind.”

  “Not at all,” she was quick to assure them both. She wasn’t sure giving into Troy’s demands was the correct path to take, but the pair had been through enough today. No doubt David wanted to avoid another tantrum.

  Over Troy’s head, David said, “Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate your help.”

  “I didn’t do much,” she remarked. “Riggs found him. He’s a smart dog.”

  David smiled but she could see the residual fear and exhaustion in his eyes. The incident in the park had taken a toll on him. “Yes, he is.” He held her gaze. She liked the way the gray light filtering through the overcast sky touched the silver threads in his eyes. “Still, I don’t know if I’d have been able to get Troy to come out from beneath the bush without chopping the thing down if you hadn’t been there. You were amazing.”

  Warm pleasure shot through her. Crazy how his simple compliment made her feel so special. “You’re welcome.”

  When they reached Grandma’s yard, Sophie unhooked the leash from Riggs’s collar. The dog let out a happy yelp and raced around the yard, with Troy close on his heels.

  She sat on the porch steps to watch them play. David sat next to her. He was a hot mess, covered in mud, with debris clinging to his hair and clothes. But he was still so handsome.
She had to resist the urge to wipe away a streak of mud from his chin.

  She was cold from the rain, and mud soaked into her jeans and boots. She really should go inside to warm up, but she was content to sit next to David and watch Troy and Riggs play. This was not how she’d expected this day to go at all.

  “What do you do?” she finally asked, giving in to her curiosity. “Workwise.”

  “I’m in I.T.”

  Information technology. A computer geek. “Does that mean if my computer has a glitch or crashes, you’re the guy I call?”

  He chuckled. “Something like that.”

  “Not that I’ve turned my computer on since I arrived.”

  “No?”

  “Nope. I really only use it to upload my photos or send files. I use my phone for everything else.” She took her phone from the pocket of her jacket. The home screen had three notifications. “Ooops. I missed a call from my agent and my dad.” Odd. Dad rarely called. She hoped everything was okay. He’d have left a message if there was a problem, right?

  “I didn’t know photographers had agents.”

  “Most talent industries do.”

  “Do you need to call your agent back? Maybe they have a big job for you?”

  “She left a voice message and a text message.” She swiped the screen and read the text. It asked her to check her email. She opened the email program and found the message from Larissa. She felt a smile creep across her face as she read.

  “Good news?”

  “Yes. I’m doing a big shoot in January with a national-brand skiwear company.” She hugged the phone to her chest. “They’re confirming my availability.” She shivered with delight.

  “Skiwear, huh? Where will they send you?”

  “The Alps. All that lovely snow.” She giggled. “The best excuse to buy new cold weather clothes.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Let’s hope so. Just because they put me on hold, meaning they have first dibs on my time, doesn’t mean they will actually use me. It could fall through. But this is still huge. I’ve been trying to get in with them for years. It’s the kind of job every commercial and fashion photographer hopes for. If I get it, it will mean lots more work down the road. Larissa says she’ll have firm travel details from them by Christmas.”

  “When would you leave?”

  She glanced at the email details. “I’m guessing right after New Year’s. This is perfect timing.” Everything was falling into place. She sent up a silent prayer that nothing would derail her plans.

  CHAPTER

  3

  Sitting there on Louise’s front porch, wet and cold from chasing Troy, David’s mind kept going back to the fear he’d felt when he thought he’d lost the child. To the joy of finding him. To how very grateful he was for Sophie and Riggs.

  He slanted an appreciative glance at the woman seated next to him. Her rain hat was askew, and her clothes were wet and splattered with mud. Her cheeks were flushed and her blue eyes were bright like a summer day as she met his gaze.

  Daniel would have said that God had sent David his own private miracle in the form of a beautiful woman and an uncannily intelligent dog. David wasn’t too sure he trusted God or anyone else to care about him that much. Faith had been Daniel’s thing.

  David’s gaze dropped to Sophie’s mouth. Her lush lips curved in a soft smile. The longing to lean close and kiss her gripped him in a tight vise. His mouth went dry and he jerked his gaze away.

  Not going there.

  He didn’t want or need any additional complications in his life. He had more than enough to deal with, and adding an attraction to his neighbor’s granddaughter wasn’t an option.

  “I should take Troy home and get him cleaned up,” David said, breaking the silence. He needed some distance.

  “Right.” She scrambled to her feet. “Me, too. I mean, not the go with you part, but I should get Riggs cleaned up. And myself.”

  She was cute all flustered. Maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling the pull of attraction here. That was a dangerous thought. Yet, his ego didn’t mind too much.

  The front door opened and Louise rolled out in her wheelchair. “I thought I heard voices out here.” She looked David up and down. “Oh, my. Did you fall in a mud puddle?”

  He glanced down at himself. His jeans were filthy and stained brown. The front of his jacket was crusted with dirt. He didn’t even want to think about the mud in his hair and plastered to his face. He did look like he’d fallen in a mud puddle. Great. He hadn’t felt this uncomfortable and self-conscious since high school. Definitely time to go.

  “Something like that,” he said. “Troy, let’s go home.”

  “Awww, Uncle David! Not yet.” Troy doggedly hung on to a tree branch while Riggs held the other end between his teeth and backed up, nearly dragging Troy off balance.

  Sensing another scene coming on, David braced himself. “Troy, please.”

  “Oh, my,” Louise said as she caught sight of Troy. She laughed. “It seems you all took a bath in the mud.”

  “Troy ran away,” Sophie said softly, so Troy wouldn’t hear. “We found him hiding under a bush in the park. David and Riggs went in after him.”

  Concern drew Louise’s eyebrows together. “Why would he do that?”

  “I’d promised him we’d go to the park, but I had work to get done first. He didn’t want to wait.” David rubbed a hand over his chin. Flakes of dried mud fell away into his palm. He dropped his hand. “I don’t know how to make him understand that I have responsibilities to my staff and my company.”

  “Have you thought about hiring a nanny?” Sophie asked.

  “He’s in school most of the time, so it’s not such an issue. He’s off for two weeks for the holidays, and that’s what’s been difficult.”

  “But surely you could get someone to help out until he goes back to school.”

  He hesitated. “The grief counselor I met with advised against bringing a stranger into the house while Troy’s still in a fragile stage of the grieving process. But I’ll have to hire one come summertime.”

  “He’s welcome to come over here,” Louise said. “Sophie and I are going to bake cookies this afternoon. Why don’t you take him home, get him bathed, and then bring him back for a couple of hours.”

  “Grandma, are you sure you’re up to it?” Sophie’s voice hitched up an octave. Clearly she didn’t think it was a good idea.

  “Sophie, dear, David needs some help.” She smiled. “Besides, it will be fun.”

  David could see Sophie’s reluctance and really wanted to let her off the hook. He owed her big time already for coaxing Troy out from beneath the bush. Letting Troy walk Riggs was an inspired idea. How had she known that would be the right thing to make him want to come out of his hiding spot?

  An anxious little quiver struck a chord within his chest. He didn’t like owing anyone anything. He prided himself on his ability to accomplish what he had in life without the help of anyone he didn’t employ.

  Growing up poor had instilled in him the need for financial security and independence. It was a feat he was close to achieving. He’d had his fill of charity. Been there, done that. He didn’t want to be on the receiving end of “good works” ever again.

  A little whisper of doubt snaked through him. He knew nothing in life was guaranteed. Certainly not with today’s economy. But he’d followed all the steps, taken all the precautions he could to secure his future. His gaze strayed to where Troy and Riggs continued to play tug-of-war with a branch.

  It was a future that now included Troy.

  But that future would be in jeopardy if David didn’t get back to work.

  Still, imposing any more on Sophie and Louise rankled. “That’s okay. We’ll manage.”

  “Nonsense.” Louise leveled a determined look at him.

  He drew in his chin. He made a mental note not to get on her bad side.

  “You bring him over for some cookie baking.” Louise took Soph
ie’s hand. “We insist.”

  He met Sophie’s troubled gaze. “I don’t want to intrude on your time with your grandma.”

  The hesitation in her eyes cleared and her expression softened. “He’s more than welcome to join us.”

  Relief eased the tension in his shoulders. “Thank you. We’ll be back in a little bit.” He hurried down the stairs and across the yard. Troy saw him coming and began shaking his head. “Sophie and Louise have invited you to help them make Christmas cookies. Would you like that?”

  A grin broke out on Troy’s face. “Whooppeeee! Cookies!”

  David snaked an arm around Troy’s waist as he attempted to slip past him. “Whoa! First, bath time.”

  “Awww, Uncle David!”

  “Grandma Louise’s orders,” David stated as he carried him away.

  “Oh, okay then.”

  David laughed and wished every argument went so smoothly.

  After bathing Riggs and herself, Sophie tried her dad’s cell and her parents’ house phone, but only got the answering machines. She left a message so they’d know she’d returned the call.

  She plopped down on a bar stool to wait for David to bring Troy over. She had to admit that at first the idea had scared her. What did she know about kids? But then she’d looked into David’s eyes and saw how much he needed a break, and all her reservations went out the proverbial window.

  “It won’t work, you know.” Sophie rested her elbow on the counter, her chin in her palm, and watched Grandma wheeling herself around the kitchen. She was gathering baking supplies and piling them on the dining room table.

  “What won’t?”

  “You trying to fix me up with David.”

  The affronted look on Grandma’s face was almost believable. “Why ever would you think I was trying to do that?”

  She snickered. “It’s not like you’re being very subtle.”

  “Bah.” Grandma took a set of measuring spoons out of a drawer and set them on the counter. “What’s wrong with hoping you’ll find a nice young man and settle down?”

  She arched an eyebrow. “I don’t want to settle down.”