A Christmas Rendezvous

by Karen Booth

  “Of course.”

  With that, she’d shut the door, and Jeremy was left much like he’d been before Isabel had arrived on his doorstep—alone. It stayed like that for the rest of the day. And the night. And for all of that morning.

  In his closet, he was choosing a suit to wear for his meeting with Mr. Summers when he heard one of the kittens mewing. In all of the commotion of yesterday, he’d frankly forgotten that they were there. The two orange kittens were nursing, but the other one was wandering around the box, bumping into the sides. Cat would nudge at her with her nose occasionally, but the kitten, quite frankly, seemed lost. Jeremy was unsure of what to do, but something told him he had to help the poor thing, so he reached in, picked it up and placed her next to her siblings, mouth near Cat’s belly. He watched as she rooted around and latched on to nurse. There was some consolation in that one silly achievement—today wouldn’t have to be a total loss.

  After dressing, he went into his office to gather his things. That was when Isabel appeared at his door. She was just as beautiful as always, but he could tell that there was something on her mind. She wasn’t her normal lively self, and the dread that prompted in him made him sick to his stomach.

  “Do you have a minute?” she asked. “I have two things I need to talk to you about.”

  “Sure. I have to leave soon, but I’ll always make time for you.”

  “First off, you should know that your dad tried to get one of the tabloids to run a smear piece on me. The reporter called me late last night for comment and after I spoke to the editor, they agreed not to run it.”

  Jeremy looked up at the ceiling, furious with his father for attempting to sabotage her while also relieved that he hadn’t been successful. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

  She waved it off. “Don’t worry. I’ve had worse things happen to me. And I’m sure that whatever they wanted to print would probably be true. I’ve represented some people who aren’t great. But I’ve always acted in accordance with the law. I don’t have anything I’m ashamed of.”

  “Well, good. I’m glad.”

  “I simply don’t want to be a part of any of this anymore. I can’t deal with the mudslinging and the backstabbing and everyone trying so hard to disparage each other. I’m hoping we can wrap up the case, but if we can’t, I think I will likely step away from it. I’ve had my fill of it. I love the Eden sisters and care about them deeply, but I also need my sanity.”

  “I can’t say that I blame you. If my dad wasn’t in the middle of it, I might be tempted to bail on Summers. None of this has been very fun, has it?”

  She shrugged and a slight smile crossed her lips. It was like stepping into the sunlight for the first time—that small glimmer of happiness from her made everything better. “I don’t know about that. I had fun with you. I had more than fun.”

  A grin that he was sure was quite goofy broke out on his face. “Me, too. I don’t regret that part.”

  “Me, either. Which brings me to the other thing I have to tell you. There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to come out with it. I’m pregnant and you’re the father.”

  Of the many things Jeremy had thought Isabel might tell him, that one piece of information had never occurred to him. Not even for a second. “The night we met?”

  “Yes.”

  “But you...”

  “I know. I thought there was no chance. I was wrong.”

  “I, uh... I don’t even know what to say.”

  “I know. It’s okay. You don’t need to say anything. This is all very sudden and it’s a lot to deal with, especially given everything else that’s going on.” Now that she was talking, she was picking up speed, as if she had a long list of things she’d been dying to say. “I realize that the timing couldn’t possibly be any worse. And we don’t really know each other that well, so I understand that you would be wanting to distance yourself from me, and I can appreciate why. It’s okay. I will be completely fine on my own. I don’t want you to worry.”

  He got up from his desk and went to her, taking her hands. “Hey. Hey. Slow down a minute. Take a breath.”

  She dropped her head for a moment and when she looked up at him, there were tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’ve wanted a baby for so long, Jeremy. I’ve always wanted to be a mom. But this isn’t the way I wanted it to happen. And I hate putting you on the spot. You’re a good man. I know that. You’re sweet and generous and you don’t deserve to be in this situation.”

  Jeremy wasn’t sure what to think about any of this. He’d wanted a family for a long time. He’d wanted a woman like Isabel for a long time. But this was traveling on a preposterous timeline. He wanted to put the entire world on pause, if only for a day so he could have time and space to think. A baby? With Isabel? How would this work? Would it be yet another negotiation? That was the last thing he wanted. And what if things didn’t work out? He didn’t want to be an absentee father, around every other weekend and select holidays. That wasn’t what he wanted for himself at all. It wasn’t what he wanted for Isabel, either.

  His phone beeped—the reminder that he had to leave for his meeting. “Shoot. I’m going to be late to meet with Summers. He’s such a stickler for punctuality. I can’t afford to make him angry.”

  “I understand. It’s okay. Just forget what I said. We can talk about it after everything with the case is over.”

  Jeremy grabbed his briefcase from his desk, then returned to her. “Hey. Will you stop trying to let me off the hook? I’m not like that guy who burned you. I don’t turn my back on people who need me, okay? So just give me a chance to meet with Summers, and talk to my dad, and, and...” He looked at her, certain he couldn’t possibly be in a bigger state of disbelief. “Then we’ll talk about the baby.”

  * * *

  That fresh start Isabel had wanted so badly? It felt like she was watching it crumble to dust in her hands. How could she possibly save Eden’s now? How could Jeremy salvage this situation for Mr. Summers? Even more important, how could the two of them reach an understanding about impending parenthood? They’d hardly had enough time to fall in love.

  The scene in the guest bath at Jeremy’s house was still rolling around in her mind. She’d paced back and forth across the white marble floor, arms wrapped around her middle like she was giving herself a hug. She’d been unable to escape how lonely it felt to be doing that on her own, for the second time. It had played out like that when she found out she was pregnant with Garrett’s baby all those years ago—Isabel enduring the painfully slow ticks of the clock while she waited for news that could change her whole life.

  The timer on Isabel’s phone had gone off, echoing in the bathroom. She’d closed her eyes for a moment to steel herself for the news, unable to decide what result she hoped for, although she’d known that there was no reason to reach a solid conclusion. Her heart would tell her with its own reaction.

  She’d opened her eyes and grabbed the test from the counter. Two blue lines. Positive. She’d stumbled back into the bathroom wall, steadying herself with her hand. Positive. A baby. Her heart did the inexplicable, even when her stomach wobbled—it began to flutter in her chest. However imperfect her situation, a baby was something she wanted more than anything. She’d been waiting years for another chance.

  She had to admit to herself that Jeremy had handled the news far better than expected. She’d been prepared for the absolute worst, and he’d kept everything on an even keel. He’d been a rock. She hoped and prayed that this wasn’t another of his acting jobs. She didn’t think she could take it if he wasn’t at least going to play some role in this baby’s life. She couldn’t handle it if he was going to turn his back on her as Garrett had done.

  In the car on the way to Eden’s to meet with Sam, Mindy, Sophie and Emma, her heart was heavy. Perhaps her first mistake had been taking this job—she’d only agreed out
of loyalty to Sam. But now she was so much closer to Mindy, Sophie and Emma than she’d ever imagined she could be, and it was all on her that they could lose the store. Isabel the fixer had not only failed to fix anything, she’d allowed it to get worse. She should have had the sense to take the letters into her possession that day at Victoria Eden’s apartment. She never should have trusted her clients to keep them out of public view.

  Arriving at Eden’s, she waved to Duane the security guard and marched right back to the elevator, prepared to unleash a few unpleasant things on the Eden sisters if necessary. If they’d gotten themselves into this mess, she wasn’t sure she could get them out. She strode into the lobby feeling determined, but the instant she saw Sam, she burst into tears. He rushed over to her and gathered her up in his arms.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Are you that upset about the case?”

  She sank against his chest, unable to speak. As much as Eden’s had weighed on her as recently as a few minutes ago, that was definitely not what was on her mind.

  Mindy appeared in the reception area. “Is everything okay?” She stepped closer, but kept her distance. “Sorry. I’d hug you, but I’m still getting over this cold.”

  “Is Summers going to go after the store?” Sam asked.

  “I still haven’t talked to Sophie, but it has to be her,” Mindy said. “I don’t completely remember our conversation over the weekend, but I’m pretty sure I told her about the letters. Leave it to her to go to our grandmother’s apartment, find them and leak them to the press.”

  Mindy’s explanation was of little consolation. Isabel still felt as though she had let down her new friends. She’d let down their entire family. She’d let down Sam’s wife-to-be. She’d failed in every way imaginable, at least when it came to her legal responsibilities. “I’m so sorry. I really wish I had better news. Summers is just out for revenge. I’m not sure we ever had a chance.”

  Sam placed his hands on Isabel’s shoulders. “I know you did your best. Some of this has to be his lawyer. I didn’t like Sharp from the very first meeting. He seems like a real weasel.”

  Isabel froze, looking up into her brother’s eyes. Sam’s opinion mattered. It mattered a lot. And she couldn’t allow him to think of Jeremy that way. She also couldn’t keep him in the dark any longer about the full scope of her relationship with him, especially now that it had become infinitely more complicated. “Jeremy’s a good man. He’s caught in an impossible situation. Summers is unreasonable.”

  “You have Stockholm syndrome. You were stuck negotiating with that guy. You’ve convinced yourself he’s not that bad.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Mindy said.

  Sam turned to her. “Don’t you agree?” he asked.

  “For Isabel’s sake, I can’t. If she says he’s a good guy, I believe her.”

  “Why? This guy is about to destroy your entire family.”

  “He’s not going to destroy our family. He might end up being part and parcel of ending our business, but it’s not the same.”

  “Wait a minute. Why do I have the feeling you two have talked about him before?” Sam asked. “Am I missing something?”

  “We did talk about him. The day we rummaged around in Gram’s apartment.”

  Isabel had fond memories of that day, despite the things they’d discovered. She felt closer to Mindy afterward. She felt as though she was becoming part of the Eden family. “We talked about a lot that day.” Isabel loved her brother deeply, and it was time to tell him and Mindy everything. “I need to tell you both something. There’s more going on than just the negotiations breaking down. Jeremy and I are involved,” Isabel whispered.

  It wasn’t easy to take Sam by surprise, but he noticeably reared back his head. “Are you serious? Why would you do that? That’s so unprofessional.”

  Mindy grabbed both of their arms. “You two. In my office. We can’t have this conversation out here.”

  As soon as they were behind a closed door, Isabel confronted Sam. “You’re going to lecture me about professionalism? Seriously? I didn’t even want this job to begin with.”

  “Wait. You didn’t?” Mindy asked, incredulous. “I thought you did. Sam, you told me she wanted to help us.”

  “She took the job. That was all you needed to know.”

  Mindy let out a frustrated grumble. “You can’t keep things like this from me. Isabel is going to be my sister-in-law. We’ve been getting along great and now I find out that the foundation of that is all a lie.”

  Isabel reached for Mindy’s arm. “It’s not a lie. As soon as we spent that afternoon together, I knew I was doing the right thing. I wanted to help you and your sisters. I wanted us to be close. That’s why I told you about my thing with Jer...” Isabel stopped herself, but it was too late.

  “Whoa. Hold on a minute. You were involved with Jeremy before? I’m so confused. And Min, you knew about this?”

  Isabel couldn’t allow Mindy to take heat for this, so she explained that she and Jeremy had a one-night stand before they were involved in the case. Then she told him about the broken condom.

  Sam shook his head, holding up both hands. “Enough. I don’t need to hear about that.” He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “So when we met him in his office that day, you guys had already slept together? And you didn’t say a thing to any of us.”

  “What was I supposed to do? He had his client and I had mine and none of that was going to change the fact that there was this case standing between us.”

  “And now what? Where do you two stand?” Sam asked.

  Isabel knew she had to come clean. About everything. “I got pregnant that first night. With Jeremy’s baby. I found out this morning.”

  Sam walked over and sat on the couch, but Mindy went straight to Isabel.

  “Oh my God. Are you okay?” she asked.

  Isabel had to take a moment to reflect. Was she okay? “I am. I mean, I’ve wanted to have a baby for a long time now. Ever since...” There were far too many details of her life she had kept from Sam. Perhaps it had been Isabel’s way of protecting him. With both of their parents gone and Isabel being two years older, she certainly felt responsible for him.

  “Ever since what?” Sam asked, seeming desperate. “Just tell me what’s going on, Isabel. I feel like I am completely in the dark, which is not a good feeling when it comes to my own sister.”

  Apparently that day was for nothing but revelations and admissions. So she finally told Sam about the heartache of losing her first pregnancy, and how she so desperately wanted this child.

  “What are you going to do?” he asked when she’d told him everything.

  “Right now, all I can do is my best for me and the baby. I have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen with any of it. The deal or Jeremy.”

  Fourteen

  Jeremy left his meeting with Mr. Summers feeling as though he’d been hit by a truck. The man’s ability to hold on to a grudge and to allow every perceived slight to fester...well, it was unparalleled.

  Nothing had been resolved, but Mr. Summers promised him a phone call in an hour with an answer. Either he would accept the terms from the Eden’s team or it would be all-out war. Which left Jeremy with one more thing to deal with—his dad. No matter what happened with the case, he was done.

  He headed straight to the office and didn’t even stop to drop off his things. “I need to speak to my father,” he said to his dad’s admin, striding right past her desk and opening the door. “I heard that your plan to smear Ms. Blackwell didn’t work. I guess I should be thankful you failed.”

  Jeremy’s dad was on a call. “I’m gong to have to call you back,” he said into the receiver before hanging up. “I can still make it happen. I just need to dig up more dirt on her.”

  “Just don’t. Just stop all of this. You’re as bad as Mr.
Summers. There is no winning when you play the game like this. It’s just a race to the bottom and I’m tired of it.”

  “You’re complaining about your boss and your biggest client. Apparently you don’t know who signs your paychecks.”

  “Don’t posture with me, Dad. You know that the other lawyers and I are the ones who keep the lights on. You’re just the head of the dragon, spitting fire and still trying to prove yourself because you know that no matter how hard you try, you will never be as good as your own dad.”

  “That’s not true. The success of this firm begins and ends with me. It’s my legacy.”

  That word didn’t sit right with Jeremy. “I’m your son. Am I not your real legacy? The firm could go under tomorrow and I would still be here, trying to find a way to make you happy. Trying to find a way to get through to you.”

  Just then, the door to his father’s office opened and in walked the last person he expected to see—his mother. “Jeremy. I thought it was strange that you weren’t at your desk.”

  “Mom. What are you doing here?”

  “Trying to get your father to go Christmas shopping with me.”

  “I’m in the middle of something,” his dad said. “I can’t drop everything and go shopping.”

  “Why not?” Jeremy asked. “Everything is under control here. The other lawyers and I have everything in hand.”

  “The Summers case isn’t resolved.”

  “No, it isn’t. But it will be. And I’ll see it through.”

  “Then what?” his dad asked. “You’ll get another client I have to bother you about?”

  “You never had to bother me about this one. If you trusted me to do my job, it would get done. Grandpa trusted you. I don’t know why you can’t place that same faith in me.” Jeremy stuffed his hands into his pants pockets, frustrated.

  His mother turned to him. “Your grandfather never trusted him. Your dad was proving himself until the day his father died. He never had a chance to win his confidence.”