Their Unexpected Christmas Gift (The Stone Gap Inn Book 3)

by Shirley Jump

  Nick couldn’t imagine his suit-wearing, stern father as a kid, sitting outside a baseball stadium, an eager fan seeing his heroes. “But you went into law instead.”

  “Yeah.” His father sighed. He pushed the box aside and picked up the letter again. “My mother, God bless her, thought she was doing the right thing.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My dad died when I was seventeen. I had a chance that summer to play for a travel team, sort of a year-round thing for the best players. Matty was going, and I’d been selected to be the shortstop. Everyone knew that college and major league scouts came by to watch this particular team because they only picked kids who’d had pretty knockout high school careers. That’s how Matty ended up getting signed later. A scout saw him, and offered him a major league position. Matty’s dad insisted he get a couple years of college first, but then he went to the big leagues.”

  “And you didn’t.”

  “I didn’t because I didn’t go with the team. I turned down the opportunity.” His father let out a long breath. “I haven’t thought about any of this in a long damned time. And didn’t want to. But after you called the other day, I started wondering what my mother could possibly have held onto all these years and I realized it had to be my baseball stuff. I guess this is her way of apologizing.”

  “Apologizing? For what?” The grandmother he remembered had been kind and loving, and probably the best person Nick had ever met.

  “For talking me out of going with the team. I stayed home that summer to help my mother. She was a wreck after my dad died. She could barely function. To help make ends meet, I went to work in a law office, as a gofer of sorts, and she told me I should bet on the sure thing and let the rest go. So I did.”

  Nick thought of his own career. How he’d worked for so long in a career he hated because it was a sure thing. If his life hadn’t imploded, he never would have come here and taken the chef job. Security. It was what Sammie had been seeking for her daughter, what Vivian retreated to whenever she got scared and what he had banked on for a lot of unhappy years.

  “I watched Matty’s career take off as the years passed, and I was angry. Resentful. Jealous. I blamed my mom for my choice to give up the career I wanted, so I guess I thought I was punishing her by staying away and being the most successful lawyer I could be. Turns out—” his father let out a long breath “—I was punishing myself. I could barely stand in that funeral home that day. I felt like such a terrible son for not being here. For her. For you.”

  Vivian had been right. His father had been overcome by his regrets, and so sure he couldn’t earn forgiveness. Richard had been harsh and cold to his boys—there was no disputing that—but he had also been a man in pain for a long, long time. A man who could argue for hours in a courtroom but couldn’t bring himself to say anything that came from his heart.

  “I didn’t stop talking to you because I hated you, Nick. None of that crap I said about you being a disappointment was true. I stopped talking because...” His stoic, pressed, severe father’s face began to crumple. “I didn’t know how to say what I needed to say. That I was envious that you took the risks I was afraid to take. That you went after what you wanted, what you were passionate about. While I sat in my office day after day, making a paycheck and counting my regrets.”

  The kitchen clocked ticked past the hour. A tree rattled against the windows. The scent of the glove oil hung in the air. Here was the moment Nick had wanted. A chance to tell his father what he thought of all those years of silence. The missed father-son opportunities. The resentments that had built and built.

  Instead, Nick opened his heart and let all that go. What was the point, really? They’d each made their own mistakes to get to this point.

  Nick reached in the box and pulled out a worn baseball, the leather cover grayed by age and years of use. It sat smooth and heavy in his palm. He tossed it up and down a couple times. “Dad, now that you’re here, why don’t you finally teach me how to catch?”

  Richard got to his feet, grabbed Nick and hauled his son to his chest. The two of them stood there for a long, long time. Then they went into the yard and tossed the ball back and forth until the sun began to go down. Anyone going by wouldn’t have seen two grown men working out decades of issues. They’d have heard and seen exactly what it was—a father and son bonding.

  * * *

  The day before Christmas, Vivian sat in the conference room at the office and faced the man who she had taken on pro bono almost a year ago. She’d been home for two weeks and poured herself into her work, sometimes sleeping at the office. Winter was definitely in the North Carolina air, and most of her office had already left for the holidays.

  But here she was, on a Sunday, working, as she had last Sunday and all the ones before that. Ellie sat in her car seat beside Vivian’s chair, content and recently fed. When she stirred, Vivian reached in and picked her up. The baby sat on Vivian’s lap and watched her tiny hands press into the wood table. Sammie was supposed to drop by soon, to pick up Ellie on her way home from work and give Vivian some time to stay late at work.

  Ellie had become a frequent companion at the office. Vivian couldn’t spend all day here with the baby because it threw Ellie off her schedule, but a couple hours a day worked out pretty well and meshed with Sammie’s flexible waitressing schedule. Still, a part of Vivian ached every time she saw her niece. Sammie had her life together now, more or less. She had found a better paying job, but was still struggling financially, so Vivian had offered to let her and Ellie move in with her now that the apartment renovations had been completed. For the first time since Vivian had moved into the building, the apartment felt like a home. Not because of the new granite countertops or hardwood floors, but because of the stuffed animals on the floor and baby bottles in the sink. At the same time, every one of those things reminded Vivian of Nick. She found her mind wandering during the day, pondering what he was doing.

  The hole in Vivian’s life only widened when day after day went by without a word from Nick. A part of her had thought he’d chase after her in some grand romantic gesture. But there’d been nothing, not a word. Maybe he’d accepted the same facts that she had—they wanted different lives. Or maybe her bailing on him had made him give up.

  Jerry sat at the huge mahogany table, flanked by his wife, who gave Ellie a little wave and a smile. The papers Vivian had drawn up sat in front of the couple. Legally, she was compelled to present the settlement offer to her client, even if she thought it was a paltry sum that was far less than he deserved. For a long moment, no one said a word.

  “This is quite a sizable offer,” Jerry said. His right arm rested on the table, a little smaller and weaker than his left. Long steel rods had replaced the shattered bones, and months of physical therapy had brought him back to 80 percent. He’d never be 100 percent again, and never go back to his assembly job. “It will help out a lot. And they offered an apology and are recalling the rest of those machines.”

  “I think we can fight for more,” Vivian said. “I have enough documentation here to prove that this equipment manufacturer has a long list of shop violations, and shoddy workmanship with their machinery. You won’t be able to work the same job again, and you still have years of therapy ahead of you. For all that, you deserve at least three times that in compensation.”

  “How long will a lawsuit like that take?”

  “If they refuse to make a new offer and insist on a trial, it could be three, four years. Unfortunately, these kinds of cases drag out. The lawyers for the other side will file everything they can, and ask for extensions at every step of the process. They want to drag it out so that hopefully you’ll give up. But I’m here to fight for all of you. I know what this has done to your family and your life.” She nodded toward Jerry. “You’ve lost your home and your car, and had to depend on your family members for charity when you were out of work for six months
, recuperating. But if you can just hold on a little—”

  “No.” Jerry glanced at his wife. She took his hand and gave him a slight nod. “Me and the wife, we talked this morning. And we decided that no matter what the offer was, we were going to take it.”

  “But you could have so much more—”

  “No offense, Ms. Winthrop, but I don’t think you know what it’s like to get up in the morning and look in your wife’s eyes or your kids’ and see their fear and disappointment because you lost their home. It takes a toll on a man, on a family. This might not be as much money as we could have if we held out, but the wife and I don’t care about that. This will be enough money to pay the medical bills and get us back on our feet and under our own roof.” He pulled out a pen and clicked the top.

  “Wait, before you sign.” Vivian bounced Ellie on her lap. The baby clutched at Vivian’s shirt. “Is there nothing I can do to convince you to pursue this further? I have a strong case and no doubt that we will prevail.”

  “We appreciate how hard you’ve worked on this, but you gotta understand something.” Jerry cleared his throat. “The morning after we lost our home, I woke up in the basement of my cousin’s house, all four of us cramped in one sofa bed, with our belongings stacked up around us like a wall. I spent fifteen years saving for the down payment on that house, another five years fixing it up and making it into the kind of place where Marie and I could raise our kids. And just like that, it was gone. I should have been depressed. Should have been mad as hell, or something. But instead, I was...and you’re going to think I’m crazy for saying this, but I was happy.”

  Vivian stared at him. This man, who had undergone three surgeries, months of painful rehabilitation and suffered devastating losses had been happy? “How is that possible after all you and your family went through?”

  “I had what mattered with me. My wife under my arm, my son under the other arm and our fierce and stubborn little girl sleeping on the end of the bed.” Jerry chuckled. “She’s the kind of kid who goes left when you say right. Drives me crazy, but I wouldn’t trade her for all the kids in the world. Anyway, I looked at all of them, and yes, I felt like I had let them down, but I was also grateful as hell to have the only thing that would break me if I lost it—my family. This is enough money to let me take care of them the way I should—to get our lives back on track, and for me, that’s good enough.”

  “I’m...surprised. I don’t think I’ve ever had a client who said they didn’t want to fight for more money.” She was used to being the lawyer who dug in her heels, who fought—and won—against impossible odds.

  “It’s Christmas,” Jerry said. “I just want to go home and enjoy the holiday and hug my kids.” His wife nodded. “And I’m sure you’d rather be anywhere but in this office this time of year, especially since it’s that little one’s first holiday. So go home and enjoy the people you love. We’re very grateful to you for taking on our case, Ms. Winthrop. But if it’s okay with you, I’m just going to sign this and go. I promised the kids I’d help decorate the tree tonight.” He swooped his signature across the settlement offer, then slid the paper across the table.

  Vivian stared at them both, stunned. “When I met you that night, you were so broke, Jerry. All I wanted to do was change your life.”

  “You did.” Jerry smiled. “And what’s better, because those machines are being recalled, you’re saving other people the pain we went through. I’d say that’s enough of a Christmas present for everyone.” He rose and handed her the document. “Go home to your family, Ms. Winthrop. Me and mine will be just fine. Merry Christmas.”

  * * *

  Nick stood in the glass-and-marble foyer, and wondered if he was a fool. He’d shown up here without calling, without texting, without even checking to see if Vivian would talk to him. It was a crazy idea.

  He’d spent two miserable weeks in Stone Gap, a misery compounded by several meals at the inn going awry because Nick’s mind was here in Durham, and not in the kitchen. It got so bad that Mavis pulled him aside and told him to either go get that girl, or go back to culinary school.

  So here he was, on Christmas Eve, in the lobby of the towering building that housed the Veritas Law firm. He’d taken a chance coming here on a weekend before a holiday. He almost turned around, then saw Vivian’s car in the parking lot. Only a handful of cars sat in the lot, which made hers stick out even more. He wasn’t surprised to find her here, even on Christmas Eve.

  He scanned the sign mounted beside the elevator. Veritas Law took up four floors in the building. No indication of which floor held Vivian’s office. He picked a number at random and pushed the button. The screen above the car counted down the elevator’s approach to the lobby: 12, 11, 10.

  A few seconds later, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Nick moved forward, putting out a hand to stop the doors from closing. As he did, Vivian stepped out and into the foyer. For a solid five seconds, he couldn’t think. She was holding Ellie against her chest and had a diaper bag over one shoulder. “Nick. What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for you.” Now that Vivian was standing before him, all those pretty words he’d composed in his head on the trip up here disappeared. Damn, she looked good. A dark blue dress hugged her curves. Black heels showed off those incredible legs. The long hair he loved was pinned up. And Ellie—she looked like she’d grown three inches. Her big blue eyes stared at him and as recognition dawned, they lit up and she reached for him.

  “Seems like she remembers you.” Vivian laughed, gave Ellie a kiss on her cheek, then handed the baby to Nick in one fluid movement. Vivian’s ease with the baby surprised him almost as much as finding her behind the elevator doors.

  “Did Sammie leave again?” Nick gave Ellie a grin, then nuzzled her cheek. In answer, she grabbed his shirt. Damn, she smelled of freshness and hope, and he hadn’t realized until just now how much he’d missed this little booger.

  “No. She’ll be here in a minute to get Ellie. She’s just getting off work now.”

  As if on cue, there was a beep behind him. He turned and watched Sammie pull into the lot and park her beat-up Toyota. Vivian headed out to the lot and greeted her sister with a hug. Nick trailed along behind, surprised as hell. “I just fed her. But I think her diaper will need to be changed,” Vivian said. “I think she’s teething so don’t forget to put the teething ring in the freezer for a few minutes.”

  Nick stared at Vivian as if she was speaking a foreign language.

  “Thanks.” Sammie turned to Nick. Vivian’s sister looked happier and brighter than the last time he’d seen her. “Hi, Nick.”

  “Hi, Sammie.” He didn’t know what else to do or say so he handed Ellie over. His arms felt too empty already. “Uh, Merry Christmas.”

  Sammie just grinned. She slipped the diaper bag off Vivian’s arm and onto her own. “Did you tell him yet?”

  “No.”

  “Okay. Well, I’ll meet you there. See you soon, Nick!” Sammie grinned again, then turned on her heel and hurried to her car. A few minutes later, she was gone.

  Meet her there? See him soon?

  “What was that about?” Nick asked.

  “Nothing.” A breeze kicked up, scattering leaves across the tarred lot. Vivian drew her coat tighter.

  He swallowed his disappointment. What had he expected? That she’d jump into his arms and they’d have some kind of Nicholas Sparks ending? He’d shown up unannounced, without much of a plan. “I was hoping we could talk.”

  “Okay,” she said. “I know it’s a little chilly out, but what do you say to a walk?”

  Considering how much he’d moped around the rooms at the inn, being outside would probably do him some good. Although half of him was convinced she was just going to tell him to give up already. “Sure.”

  When she slipped into place beside him, the scent of her perfume teased him. Reminded him of
that single night they’d shared. Damn. What kind of glutton for punishment was he, anyway?

  “Are you sure you want to walk?” he asked. “You have on heels.”

  “Where I want to go isn’t very far away.” She reached for his hand, and led him through the parking lot to a paved path that circled the back of the building.

  Okay, so she was holding his hand. He’d take that as a good sign. A sign of what, he still wasn’t sure.

  “How are you?” he asked, then rolled his eyes. That’s what he came up with after all those miles, all this time? Small talk for the win.

  “I’m fine. Busy, of course. I’ve been working a lot.”

  She didn’t say “miserable without you,” or “sobbing into my coffee cup every morning.” Maybe coming up here had been a mistake. “That’s good.”

  She stopped walking and stared at him. “No, it’s not.”

  “You’re right, it’s not.” It meant she was still the same woman who had bailed on him and Ellie to work over and over again. The same woman who had escaped into emails and phone calls when she didn’t want to face her fears. “I was just being polite.”

  “I should have more of a life. I should have hours in my day where I hang out with my girlfriends or go on a date or just go shopping. Instead, I have this office.” She waved at the behemoth of a building behind them. “And I decided, well, cemented my decision after the meeting I just had, that... I don’t want to go home to an empty house anymore.”

  Go on a date. Empty house. Sounded like she wanted to move on. Except she was holding his hand and looking into his eyes, and he was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

  “What are you saying, Vivian? Because I didn’t come here to hear that you want to date someone else.”

  A smile he couldn’t read curved across her face. “Just walk with me, a little longer. Please?”