Her Christmas Wish ; Designed by Love

by Sherelle Green

  His father smiled. “Nice to meet you, Serita.”

  Mrs. Hunter’s eyes widened and she threw her arms around Serita. “Oh, my goodness. I’ve been waiting to meet you, Serita.”

  She didn’t know what she had expected—a handshake or polite nod maybe—but not the crushing, albeit warm, embrace. Again she pondered what Jeremy had told his family about her, about them.

  “Jeremy will have to bring you over for dinner, so we can get to know you.” She turned to Jeremy. “I’m so happy for you.”

  Jeremy chuckled. “Me, too, Mom.” He gave Serita’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

  On the heels of the introduction more people entered the room and another round of greetings ensued. Serita met his cousin Lorenzo, Lorenzo’s sister, Alisha, along with her husband, Jabari, and three children.

  “Uncle Jeremy!”

  Jeremy reached down and swung the little girl, who looked to be about five years old, up into his arms and kissed her cheek. “Hi, Lia. How’s my big girl?”

  “I’m good.”

  He ruffled the head of an older boy. “Hey, Corey. I think you’ve gotten taller since I saw you last month. How’s school?”

  “It’s fine. I have to do a paper on what I want to be when I grow up. I think I want to build robots like you or go into the Air Force like my dad.”

  “Those are some great choices. You can do both.”

  Corey’s eyes lit up. “I can?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Cool!”

  Serita watched Jeremy interact with the children. He was a natural. Someday he would make a great father.

  “Uncle Jeremy, is Miss Serita your girlfriend?” Lia asked.

  Every eye turned Serita’s way and she felt her cheeks warm.

  Jeremy didn’t hesitate. “She sure is.”

  Lia giggled. “She’s pretty.”

  “That she is.” The way he stared at Serita made her heart skip a beat.

  “I like your glasses, Miss Serita.”

  “Thank you, Lia.”

  Alisha came over and took Lia from Jeremy’s arms. “Serita, I apologize for my nosy daughter.” She tickled the little girl and Lia doubled over in a fit of giggles.

  “She got it honest,” Lorenzo said with a chuckle.

  “Mom, Ced said you can pop in.” Jeremy told her where to go and she rushed off.

  Everyone took seats and soon the room was filled with lively conversation. Serita contributed when someone asked her a question, but was content to sit back and listen. They seemed to be nice and she could tell they were a close-knit family, as evidenced by them all showing up at the hospital. However, being an only child, it was a tad bit overwhelming. Her reserved personality didn’t help.

  Jeremy went over to the baby carrier, picked up Alisha’s baby daughter and brought her back to where he’d been sitting next to Serita. “This little beauty is Kali and my goddaughter.”

  She touched the baby’s hand. “Hi, Kali.” The pride in his voice was evident, as was the love and adoration in his eyes. A vision of him holding their baby popped into her head. She had no idea where it had come from and immediately dismissed it. She needed some space. Now. “I’m going to find the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” Serita hopped up and made a hasty exit. After searching for a couple of minutes and not finding one, she asked one of the nurses.

  Serita poked her head inside and, thankfully, it was empty. She leaned against the wall, took a few deep breaths and let them out slowly. Feeling her control return, she chalked up the wayward thought to the impending birth and being surrounded by the children. Serita allowed herself another moment of silence, then headed back. Jeremy was waiting when she opened the door. “Did something happen?”

  “No. I came to see about you.” He gave her a gentle kiss. “Are you alright?”

  “Yes. Just needed a minute. You have a big family.”

  “I keep forgetting you’re an only child and it can get kind of loud when we’re together. My mom came back and said Randi is at seven centimeters dilated, and that it could be a few more hours or a few minutes. But we can go pick up my car and I’ll come back.”

  She could see that he was torn between leaving and staying. “You don’t have to do that. Besides, you told Cedric that you would be the point of contact for your family, and you can’t do that if you’re gone.”

  “You sure? I don’t mind, and Lorenzo can do it.”

  “I’m positive.”

  Jeremy kissed her again. “Thanks. I can’t tell you how much it means to have you here with me.”

  “By the way, what did you tell your family about me?”

  “Just that I enjoy being with you and how much you’re coming to mean to me. That I’m—”

  He had such a serious look on his face. When he didn’t continue, she asked, “You’re what?”

  “I’ll tell you later. Come on. Jabari is going to pick up some food and you can tell him what you want.”

  She didn’t want food. She wanted him to tell her what he planned to say...now. That was the second time he’d alluded to his feelings. Did she dare hope that this time would turn out different than her past relationships?

  * * *

  Between all the overtime hours to get the console back on schedule and Jeremy visiting with his new niece—who had finally come home after having to remain in the hospital an extra three days, until her temperature regulated—Serita hadn’t seen much of him outside of work. She was looking forward to spending the entire Saturday with him. They hadn’t made any concrete plans outside of her accompanying him to his science class. He’d mentioned some of the lesson might take place outdoors and that she might want to pack an extra set of casual clothes just in case. She took a bag and placed it on the living room sofa, then went into the kitchen to fix a light breakfast of a boiled egg and a bowl of fruit. “Morning, Gabby.”

  Gabby was seated at the table reading a magazine, eating a bagel and drinking coffee. “Morning. I guess things are really heating up between you and Jeremy. You’ve met his family and now you’re helping teach his class. Next, you’ll be moving in with him.”

  “First, I’m not helping teach his class. He has a few female students, and he thought it might boost their self-confidence to see someone who looks like them. Second, I will not be moving in with anyone, unless there’s an ‘I do’ beforehand.”

  “I can see that happening.” She took a sip of her coffee and started humming the “Wedding March.”

  Deciding to ignore her friend, Serita brought her food to the table, then went back for a glass of orange juice. “So when are you going to take that stroll down the aisle, Miss Gabriella?”

  “As soon as I find someone worthy of my heart.”

  She conceded her that point and agreed wholeheartedly. They both had kissed enough frogs to last two lifetimes. Halfway through her meal, her phone buzzed. She dug it out of the back pocket of her jeans and read the text from Jeremy: Bring your book so we can discuss. Oh, and I have a few other things up my sleeve. Smiling, she let him know she would. She had only gotten halfway through the book, so she wasn’t sure how much they’d be able to discuss. And she was very curious about what other things he had in store.

  Gabby toasted her with her bagel. “Yeah, you’re going down, sis. Goofy smile all the time, drifting off into space, giggling at those texts.”

  “I am not,” she said with mock outrage. Yet, she couldn’t stop the grin spreading across her face.

  “Mmm-hmm. Whatever, girl.”

  Serita finished her breakfast, rinsed the dishes and stacked them in the dishwasher. She went to get the book and stuck it in her tote. “What are you doing today?” she asked Gabby when she came back to the kitchen.

  “I told my mom I’d stop by and go with her to pick out some new bedding, towels and other stuff for the master bedroom a
nd bathroom. Apparently, they painted and nothing matches now. It’s going to be hard getting her to spend more than twenty dollars. She is the discount queen, but I’m not letting her get anything that’ll unravel before they wake up the next morning.”

  She laughed. “Good luck with that.”

  “I’m going to need more than luck—more like divine intervention.”

  The buzzer let them know someone was at the front gate. Still chucking, Serita said, “I’ll get it.” It was Jeremy, and she hit the button to let him in. Minutes later, he appeared at the front door.

  Jeremy gave her his full, dimpled smile. “Morning, beautiful.”

  “Good morning.” She came up on tiptoe to kiss him. “I’m ready.”

  “Hey, Jeremy,” Gabby called, passing by the living room on her way down the hall. “Y’all have fun and don’t get into too much trouble.”

  “Morning, Gabby. No promises on staying out of trouble.”

  She paused, divided a glance between Jeremy and Serita. “Yeah, probably not. Well, if you’re gonna do it, make it count.”

  Staring into Serita’s eyes, he said, “I plan to do just that.”

  Serita’s pulse skipped. “Um, we should get going.” She picked up her bag from the sofa and Jeremy eased it from her hand.

  “After you.”

  She led the way to his car. En route to the school, she shifted in her seat to face him. “So, what kind of surprises do you have up your sleeve?”

  He slanted her an amused glance. “If I tell you, they won’t be surprises. However, I’ll make sure each one is worth every second.”

  She had never encountered a man like him, someone who could seduce her with a simple sentence. I’m working hard to please you. Every time she thought about that evening in his office, how he had pleased her, she knew he would make good on his promise and each second would be more than worth it. When they arrived at the school, she helped him carry in the supplies that the students would use to start building their robots.

  “This session, we’ll be building a robotic arm, and the students can choose which function they want it to perform—drawing or picking up items.”

  “Sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun...and hard work.”

  “It is, but most of the students are really plugged in and come in ready. I’ve only had two students in the two years that I’ve been doing this that I had to put out of the class.” Jeremy shook his head as he positioned the parts on the long table. “Both were very bright, but saw this as a way to blow off time and I wasn’t having it. I don’t think they believed I was serious when I warned them what would happen. But after two weeks of them goofing off and using some of the parts for everything but the intended purpose, when their parents came to pick them up I told them they were no longer welcome.”

  “What did the parents say?”

  “They tried to tell me that I couldn’t kick their kids out of the class because they’d paid their money. I calmly reminded them of the guidelines that they signed, which stated specifically what would happen if the rules were broken. And they forfeited the fee.”

  His tone had hardened and Serita didn’t know what to say. He seemed so easygoing most of the time, but she totally understood his viewpoint. The memory of him snapping at her that morning Wade screwed up rose in her mind. No, Jeremy did not play. The students drifted in one by one and Jeremy started the class precisely at ten. She marveled at his patience and willingness to answer each and every question, and just like with his nieces and nephews, he had a great rapport with the students.

  “Okay, everyone. I’d like to introduce Dr. Edwards. She’s a robotics engineer and will be hanging out with us today. Let’s welcome her.”

  More than a few eyes widened at his pronouncement, but they all greeted Serita with enthusiasm and her heart swelled. She told them a little about herself, her teaching at a college and some of the projects she’d worked on. “Does anyone know what a prosthetic arm is?” Only two hands went up. She pointed to a young man sitting in the back.

  “It’s something they use when a person’s arm gets cut off.”

  “Right. Years ago, the hands and arms didn’t do much, but now we’re able to build them so a person can do some of the things they used to, like bending each finger, picking up objects and tying shoes. And they feel almost like real skin.” Several hands shot up. She smiled over at Jeremy and he returned one of his own. “I don’t have time to answer questions right now because you have a lot of work to do, but you can talk to me afterward. How does that sound?” The students nodded in affirmation and Serita turned the class back over to Jeremy. She thoroughly enjoyed herself and had no problems sitting on the floor of the multipurpose room to assist the students. More than once, she glanced up to find Jeremy watching her with an expression that made her heart race. Serita was falling and couldn’t do a thing about it. She wasn’t sure if she even wanted to.

  Chapter 12

  Jeremy placed the bag holding their lunch from a nearby deli on his kitchen counter. He still couldn’t get over the way Serita had interacted with the students. He wanted her as his partner in this and everything else, but he still sensed that she was a little skittish. They hadn’t talked about it, but last week at the hospital when she’d bolted, he knew it had to do with more than his large family. Even though the way they all embraced her as if she was already part of the family might have been scary enough. Every one of them could tell how he felt about her—he didn’t try to hide it. And something told him that Serita knew, as well, and it scared her. More than once, he wondered about the men in her past. Had someone hurt her and made her wary of relationships? He suspected that might be the case, but he planned to do everything in his power to let her know not all men were that way. He wasn’t that way.

  “Do you want to eat in here or out in the sunroom?” He preferred his deck, but with the considerable temperature drop, the season had definitely changed from summer to fall.

  “The sunroom.”

  “Okay. It’s a little chilly, so I’ll turn on the fireplace.”

  “That would be great. I forgot how fast the weather changes here. Last week, it was almost eighty. Now, it’s barely reaching the seventies and they’re talking rain.”

  He carried the bag outside and set it down, then turned on the gas fireplace. “Isn’t it colder this time of year in Reno?”

  Serita followed with their drinks, took the food out of the bag and placed it on the table, along with the napkins. She sat. “Yes, but it’s not the drastic ten-degree change like here.”

  Jeremy took the chair across from her. He unwrapped his turkey sandwich and took a bite.

  “You’re really great with those kids, Jeremy.”

  “So are you. Would you consider teaching with me? At least for the rest of this session. They were blown away by you, especially Briana. She’s a little shy.” He angled his head thoughtfully. “Actually, she reminds me a lot of you. Brilliant, yet reserved.”

  She dropped her head and stuffed the lettuce back into the sandwich. “I don’t know about brilliant, but I will confess to being somewhat of an introvert.”

  “I can tell. Especially last week at the hospital. But I hope you’ll think about what I said.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  As they ate, he continued to study her and toyed with telling her that he was falling in love with her—more accurately in love with her—but decided to hold off awhile longer. “Do you see yourself settling down and maybe having kids?”

  Serita took a sip of her soda before answering. “Sometimes, but only if I find a guy who likes me the way I am. I don’t like a lot of hoopla, I’m not into partying all the time and I like my glasses.”

  Her defensive stance confirmed that she had been hurt before. “There are men who appreciate all of that.” He covered her hand with his. “I’m one of them. I like every
thing about you, Serita, and I think you already know what those glasses do to me. There isn’t one thing I want you to change.” Except maybe your last name.

  “That means a lot, Jeremy, and maybe that’s why I enjoy being with you so much. Most people think that I’m teetering on the brink of boring, but you let me be me.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Boring? I don’t think you’re boring at all. You’re pretty exciting in my book.”

  “Obviously, you don’t get out much.”

  Laughter spilled from Jeremy’s lips. “I get out plenty. Baby, you’re a woman after my own heart.”

  She gasped slightly.

  Their eyes locked. Yes, he had meant that literally, and she would find out soon enough. Smiling, he went back to his food. When they finished, he cleaned up, took everything inside and dumped the remnants into the trash. “Grab your book and we can get comfortable in the library.”

  “Okay, but I’m not done reading it yet.”

  “I’m not, either. So we can either talk about the first part or just read for a while.”

  “How about we do a little of both?” Serita said, taking her book out of her tote.

  “Works for me.” Jeremy led the way upstairs. “Have a seat and I’ll be right back.” He went to his bedroom, took out his contacts and put on his glasses. Then he removed his shoes. Grabbing his book off the nightstand, he went to the library. He found her stretched out on the oversize chaise lounge with her shoes off.

  “You wear glasses?”

  “Yep. They’re not as sexy as yours, but they’ve got a little style.” The titanium rimless frame curved at the top, leaving the outer edges of the lens free. It twisted at the joint and reminded him of a robot arm.

  Serita patted the space next to her. “I beg to differ. They’re very sexy. And so are you,” she added softly.

  He sat next to her, covered their legs with the blanket that was draped over the back and slung an arm around her shoulder. They chatted for a few minutes about their favorite parts so far and who they thought the killer might be, then read silently. Serita rested her head against his shoulder, filling Jeremy with a contentment he had never experienced with any other woman. He had to have this woman in his life. No other one would do.