A Christmas Homecoming (19 page)

She grinned wide. “Thanks! I really didn’t think you’d go for it.”

“I’m full of surprises.”

“That you are.” The look in her eyes revealed something he hadn’t noticed before. Bailey had a playful side to her. A side he wanted to explore. If only his family wasn’t an issue. He didn’t want to do anything that would put a permanent divide between him and Rick or his mom.

Chapter Fourteen

Friday afternoon, Bailey walked through the woods toward Stephen’s cabin. The talk in Nicole’s class could not have gone better. She wanted to celebrate, and Stephen was the closest person around since she’d given Sierra the afternoon off.

Squeals of delight met her ears as she neared the cabin. She grinned. It sounded like Lacy and Collin were visiting again. She’d sure seen a lot more of the children now that Stephen was home. Over the past six months or so, she had brought them back to the house several times when Judy was detained, but Judy seemed to be busy a lot more than usual lately. The strange thing was, when they did come face-to-face, Judy was cool toward her. Had she done or said something to offend Judy?

A snowball whizzed past Bailey’s shoulder. She jumped and caught her breath. Before she could run for cover, another one smacked her thigh. She looked around for the culprit. Her insides leapt at the look of mischief on Stephen’s face. “Was that you?” she called out.

“Don’t you wish you knew?” He winked then ducked behind a wall of snow.

Smack.

She got hit from behind this time. Whirling around, she spotted Lacy run behind a pine tree. Bailey charged across the open space toward a juniper tree. She’d wandered into a war field. She ducked and formed several balls. The unusually wet snow soaked through her mittens as she packed it tight. A snowball broke near her feet. She stepped from behind the bush and pelted one toward Stephen. The snowball splattered on impact as it hit the wall of snow.

“That’s the best you have?” Stephen hollered.

More giggling erupted. Suddenly the kids burst from their hiding places and high stepped it to where she crouched. “We can get him.” Collin quickly made several snowballs then pelted one toward Stephen. “Take that!”

Bailey laughed. “I’m glad you’re on my side.”

Lacy giggled. “Uncle Stephen is the best!” She sneezed.

Bailey rested a hand on the child’s shoulder. “Maybe you should take a break and go warm up inside.”

“I’m fine.” Lacy sneezed again. “Actually, hot chocolate does sound good.” She stood and waved her arms. “I surrender. I’m not playing anymore.” She tromped toward the cabin as best she could in the knee-high snow.

“I want hot chocolate too!” Collin went after his sister, sinking to his thighs in spots, but kept trudging along as fast as he could.

Bailey stood and came out from behind the juniper. “Looks like the game is over. The kids want to warm up inside.” She hiked through the open expanse between the woods and the cabin.

Stephen met her in the middle. “You look like you could use a warm up as well.”

Her teeth chattered. “I think you’re right.” She hadn’t dressed in enough layers to be playing in the snow. She’d only planned to walk the semi-short distance between the two houses.

He draped an arm across her shoulder and pulled her closer as they walked side-by-side the rest of the way. “What brings you by?” he asked as they climbed the steps to his porch. He pushed the door open.

Warmth wrapped its soothing arms around her as she stepped inside. “I wanted to celebrate how well it went at the school today.”

He grinned as he tugged off his gloves then shrugged out of his ski jacket. “That was actually fun. To be honest, I thought it could turn out to be a disaster, but the kids really responded well with good questions.”

“I agree.” She slid out of her boots and hung her coat on the closet doorknob, then dropped her wet mittens near the fireplace. Hopefully they’d dry quickly. “I know kids change their minds many times about what they want to be when they grow up, but one little girl told me she planned to be an interior designer.” Bailey hadn’t expected to have such a positive response to her talk. “Who knows, maybe someday she’ll be my competition.”

“It’s possible.” He sauntered toward the kitchen.

She followed on his heels. The kids were standing at the microwave heating water for hot chocolate.

“Do you have marshmallows, Uncle Stephen?” Collin asked.

“Do
I
have marshmallows?” He pulled open a cupboard and brought out two bags—one filled with mini, the other regular sized. “What’s your pleasure?”

Collin pointed to the minis.

Thirty minutes later, a sharp rap on the door interrupted a game of Uno. The door swung open, and Rick stepped inside. His eyes widened when they met Bailey’s. “This looks cozy.”

“Daddy!” The kids shouted in unison and charged to their dad.

Bailey had the distinct impression that Rick’s comment was not meant to be complimentary. He shot Stephen a look that seemed to be filled with disapproval. But what could Rick disapprove of? The kids were happy, safe and well cared for. The man should be saying thank you rather than whatever it was he was doing.

She stood and picked up her mittens from the floor. They were still wet, but at least they had dried some. “I should be going too.”

Stephen eased from his seat and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t go yet.” He stared squarely at his brother.

What was going on here? She felt like she was standing in the middle of a draw in an old western. Rick had always been great to work with, and she liked him. Why was he sending a vibe of disapproval her way?

“Get your things, kids. Mom is waiting in the car.”

Lacy and Collin donned their winter wear then shrugged on their backpacks. “Goodbye, Uncle Stephen, ’bye Bailey,” Lacy said.

Rick nodded at them then followed after his kids.

“What was
that
about?” Bailey stepped away from Stephen and crossed her arms.

“Nothing.”

“That was way more than nothing. Rick looked annoyed. What’s going on?”

“Don’t worry about my brother. Remember I told you that he and Judy are going through a rough patch?”

She nodded. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Rick was put out that she’d been at Stephen’s, which made no sense. But what else could be the problem? It couldn’t be the children.

“Unfortunately, he and I are going through a rough patch as well. Don’t let him get to you.”

“Oh.” Maybe she’d misread the situation. Although she was happy the man wasn’t upset with her, she felt bad he was unhappy with Stephen. “Is there anything I can do to help? I know there’ve been some issues at the current house he’s building. Maybe I should—”

He held up a hand. “Relax, Bailey. You keep doing your job, and don’t worry about my brother. I’ll deal with him.”

“Well . . .” She frowned. “I guess if you say so, I’ll have to trust you.”

A tender look covered his face, and he reached for her hand. “Thank you. I know things have been out of sorts for a while with my family, and I appreciate you sticking by us.”

“Of course.” Why did she have the feeling that he meant more than what he was saying?

Stephen had all he could do to keep from pulling Bailey into his arms. The confusion in her eyes followed by complete trust endeared her to him more than he imagined possible. But he needed to tread carefully. His family didn’t approve, and he didn’t want to hurt Bailey. Too much was at stake—first and foremost their hearts. What he needed was an ally, and he knew the perfect person for the job—John.

Bailey slipped her hand free. “Are you okay? You looked far away a moment ago.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. I’m fine. My thoughts wandered. Sorry about that. Do you have any plans for this evening?”

“Nothing important. Why?”

He shrugged. “Thought we could hang out. Dinner. A movie. I have several Christmas movies in my collection, and I always keep a couple of pizzas in the freezer.”

“How can I pass that up?” She grinned.

A jolt shot through him. “Great. I’ll turn on the oven.” While he was in the kitchen, he sent John a text asking to meet up with him the next day.

Bailey wandered into the kitchen holding several Blu-rays. “What are you in the mood for—comedy, classics, or a cartoon?”

“How about all three.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
is in there somewhere.”

She pulled it from the stack. “Yep. That sounds like a winner to me.”

They chatted for a while until the timer for the pizza buzzed. Stephen placed the pizza on a platter between them on the couch, then handed Bailey a plate. “
Bon appétit
.” He downed a couple of slices then draped an arm across the back of the couch. Bailey sat at the other end with her feet tucked to the side and leaned against the arm of the couch. She looked so cuddly. He wished she’d sat closer to him. He’d been tempted to plop down beside her, but instead followed her lead and left space between them. Would she welcome his attention in that way, or would it make things awkward? His kiss had chased her away, but she’d come back, so maybe . . .

He would need to tread carefully. The business needed her, and he was beginning to realize that he did too. But why did his mom and Rick disapprove of her so strongly?

Maybe it was time he spoke with his mother regarding Bailey and get to the bottom of things before he drove himself mad trying to read his family’s minds.

He glanced toward Bailey and froze. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

She reached for the remote that sat between them in the middle of the couch and pressed pause. “You had such a faraway look on your face—you seemed very sad or perplexed. I can’t decide which. Are you okay?”

His heartbeat accelerated. “I’m fine. Just lost in thought.”

“About what?”

He opened his mouth. Hesitated. He couldn’t—not yet. “Family stuff.”

“If you need someone to talk to, I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

“Nice to know, but I’m good. Thanks.”

Her brows dipped. “Okay.” She yawned and stretched like a cat. “Since you’re not into this, I think I’ll head to the house. I have a full day tomorrow and should get to sleep early.”

“It’s Friday night. What are you doing tomorrow?”

“For your information, I often work on Saturdays. But Sarah is throwing Nicole a bridal shower tomorrow, and I’m helping her.”

He nodded, stood, and offered her his hand. “I’ll walk with you.”

“No need.” She took it and allowed him to pull her to standing. “Thanks.”

They stood so close. He should take a step back but instead gazed at the gold flecks twinkling in her hazel eyes.

She lowered her lashes and stepped to the side. “I’m not looking forward to the brisk walk. There’s no need for you to get cold again. Why not stay here, and I’ll text you when I get inside.”

He shook his head. “No. I’ll come. I need to stretch my legs anyway.” Her suggestion made the most sense, but he didn’t feel like being logical. He slid into his jacket and slipped a small flashlight into his pocket, just in case.

Bailey suited up for the cold too. “You really don’t need to walk with me.”

“I know.” Didn’t she want his company? Or was this her insecurity talking again? He pulled the door open for her and closed it behind them. Before she could get a step ahead of him, he grasped her bare hand with his. “Where are your mittens?”

“My pocket. They’re still wet.”

“No worries. I’ll keep this hand warm.”

A perplexed look crossed her face, but she remained silent as they strolled through the woods.

If only he could explain how he felt about her and why he’d backed off a little, but until he understood completely himself, he’d have to stay quiet. They came to the kitchen door and stopped. A light inside shone through the window, illumining the porch. “The kids had fun earlier,” Stephen said.

She chuckled. “I think their uncle did as well. I know I did.” Small snowflakes fell around them. She looked to the sky. “It’s snowing again.” One landed on the tip of her nose and another on her eyelash.