Her Wish Before Christmas (Holiday Hearts) (3 page)

“Oh, Dr. O’Rourke. I’m so sorry. I burned the chicken.” She scraped the pan into the garbage can.

“That’s okay, Ellen. We’re fine with a sandwich.”

“Is peanut butter and jelly okay? I didn’t make it to the store.”

“I think we can manage. Did you pick up the dry cleaning and mail that package today?”

At her cringe, he knew she had forgotten. She was a sweet woman, and Jake adored her, but he needed real help.

“I need to go. My daughter’s picking me up, and we’re going to see my grandson perform in
A Christmas Carol
. I bought tickets for every showing this week.”

“Tell Richard to break a leg for me. Wait. Not every night this week. I need you tomorrow night. I have an important meeting at the hospital.

“Oh no. I’m sorry. I will see if my niece can babysit.” She grabbed her coat out of the hall closet.

At Jake’s look of panic, he declined Ellen’s offer to have her niece Matilda sit for him and assisted her with her coat.

“I’ll handle it. Good night, Ellen.”

“Let me know if you change your mind,” she said on her way out.

Connor walked back into the kitchen, a little less smoky and a lot chillier with the door open.

“If I can’t find anyone else, I’ll have to ask Matilda.”

“She’s mean. I don’t like her, and she just watches TV all night. I want a fun babysitter.”

“I bet.” Connor took off his suit jacket and laid it over a chair. “Well, buddy, I guess dinner’s PB and J for us tonight.”

“I want cereal.”

“How much did Ellen let you have today already?”

“One bowl, I promise.”

“Okay.”

“Yay, cereal.” Jake skipped to the pantry and returned with a box of his favorite cinnamon squares. “Are we going Christmas-tree shopping tomorrow?” Jake followed Connor to the fridge for the milk and back to the counter. “You promised we’d get a real tree this year.”

“Yes, and I’m glad I have you to make sure I remember saying that.” Connor picked him up and sat him on the counter while he prepared their food.

“I’m your right-hand man. Right, Dad?”

“Right. I’d never keep everything straight without you.” Duplicates of his hazel eyes stared up at him with such an earnest expression. Ever since they decided to return to Laurel Cove, there’d been a subtle change in Jake. A quiet confidence he hadn’t seen while living in Boston.

Connor’s cell chimed in his jacket.

“I’ll get it for you, Daddy.” Jake jumped down and fished through the pockets for the phone.

“Thank you.” He finished prepping dinner with one hand while responding to a text with the other.

“Good news, bud. We don’t need Matilda or any sitter for tomorrow night. Meeting’s been moved to the afternoon. We’ll have just enough time to pick a tree before dark.”

“What’s this, Daddy?” Jake held up a leather necklace holding a small rose-colored glass vial.

“Hmmm, that’s not mine. Must have fallen in my pocket by accident.”

Jake passed him the necklace. “Looks like a girl toy. But there’s something inside.”

Connor tried to pop the top off but the stopper held tight. Close to the light, he could just make out the edge of a tightly rolled piece of paper.

“I know who can tell me what this is. She’s also the person this belongs to, so put it back and I’ll return it tomorrow.”

Jake shrugged, dropped the necklace in the coat pocket, and dug into the cereal waiting for him.

“Have you decided on your Christmas wish yet?” Jake asked between bites.

“Not yet. What’s yours?”

“I can’t tell you, and you can’t tell me, but you have to have one. It’s a rule.”

“Yes, definitely. I promise to have a Christmas wish ready to go Christmas Eve right on time. And what about your list for Santa? Add anything today?” He sat down at the table with Jake.

“Uh-huh, Ellen took me to the toy store, and I picked out a lot more things to make sure Santa knows about. I forgot how much I love Spider-Man. And trains. And there’s this really big dinosaur that runs on batteries and makes a really cool noise like this.” Jake stood up in his chair to demonstrate with a hands-to-mouth, “Rawr.”

“Holy smokes, that’s an impressive dino yell. What about this one?” Connor mimicked his motions with a roar of his own that had Jake squealing with laughter. A competition of growls and yells, one louder than the next, commenced before they settled into eating their dinner.

It was times like this Connor didn’t want to miss anymore. They could skip the peanut butter and jelly, but he would have dinner with his son every day possible.

He reached over and brushed sandy-brown hair off Jake’s forehead and gave his shoulder a squeeze. The answering lopsided grin squeezed his heart in return.
How will Genny react to meeting Jake
? Was she as amazing with kids as he thought?

None of the few friends he still had in Laurel Cove had bothered to mention Ms. Camilla had passed away. Jake would have loved her. Connor had felt welcome in her home when his had been so cold. He remembered her as full of laughter and mischief and always warm and loving. He’d wanted a grandmother like her so much, he’d been jealous of the Ridgeway girls.

They’d had the kind of family he’d hoped to give his children one day. Yet, here he was, a single dad with a single kid, no other family around, and few friends. He would change that. His Jake was not going to grow up alone. And he knew the person to help him. Geneva Ridgeway was the right one twelve years ago but he had been too scared to have her and go after his big dreams. If he’d failed, she would have been stuck with him and his fear that their marriage would turn as empty as his parents’. Held together by nothing but regrets, resentments, and broken promises.

She hadn’t understood why he’d broken up with her. How could he explain that he couldn’t have taken the risks he’d needed to get out if he’d worried about her happiness? Genny had accused him of being selfish, but at the time, she wasn’t going after what she wanted in life. She followed him. Her mother’s direct request to leave her and let her build a life of her own had been confirmation of his fear. That he wasn’t good enough for her.
Too bad
. No more taking advice from mothers. His or Genny’s. He was going to do what he wanted. And he wanted her back.

This new Genny intrigued him. She looked him in the eye with a confidence she hadn’t had before. Time had filled her out in all the right places, softening the more angular features of youth into an invitingly lush woman. Her sensuous mouth would haunt his dreams.

But he saw the old wound and anger, mixed with the surprise at seeing him. Did he dare hope that underneath the hurt was a sliver of what she used to feel for him? He would do everything he could to get her to give him one more chance.

“What are you smiling about, Daddy?”

“I think I finally decided on my Christmas wish.”

***

Connor walked through the door to Camilla’s and into one of the biggest girl fights he’d ever seen. Genny, Lena, Cilla, and Jacqui were each talking over the other, competing for their voices to be heard. The silver bells on the door didn’t make a dent in the noise level and certainly didn’t give any of the women pause in whatever they were arguing about.

He cleared his throat, hoping to catch someone’s attention. Not one of them looked his way. He stepped closer, but not too close. There’d been enough
Real Housewives
playing in the doctor’s lounge at Boston Medical to know when to stand back.

“He’s a jerk, Lena.” He zeroed in on Genny’s clear voice as he tried to make sense of the argument. Her skin was flushed a pretty pink and the flecks of amber in her eyes sparkled. She was fascinating to watch; not that he planned to make her mad just to see what would happen.

“You can do better,” Cilla added. Genny and she were clearly on the same side. They even stood next to each other, facing off against their cousins.

“We’re having fun.” Lena crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground.

“She’s having a fling.” Jacqui mirrored Lena’s stance, shoulder to shoulder.

“Ladies, perhaps I can be of help here.” He pitched his words into the mix.

“Eavesdropping’s not cool, O’Rourke.” Genny didn’t try to hide her exasperation at his interruption, though the others quieted.

“It’s not eavesdropping when I can hear you out on the street.”

Four red faces turned his way. Four sets of eyes blazing with female ire settled on him. Innate male instinct told him to get the hell out of there or he would be crucified for whatever one of his gender had done. And he had bumbled in with both feet—joking was not the right response. He backpedaled a pace and stopped himself from holding up his hands in a plea for mercy.

“I just needed to speak with Genny. I can wait.”

She blew out a breath and motioned for him to move to a quieter corner. The women dispersed, but not too far. Cilla hovered around the office door, and Jacqui and Lena fiddled with the trays of samples on the front counter. Apparently, eavesdropping was okay when they were the ones doing the listening.

“Thanks for your help last night, Connor.”

Surprised at her thank you, he inclined his head as a quick you’re welcome, tongue-tied at her openness.

“How’s the foot?” he asked, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt.

“Won’t be in heels for a few days, but fine.”

There was so much he wanted to tell her, but it wasn’t the time or place. He needed to get her to talk to him.
How much has she changed? Does she still like the same things? Only one way to find out
.

“So, I was thinking, maybe I could take you to lunch? Lola’s?” He crossed his fingers she still loved the pizza at what used to be their favorite hangout.

“I don’t know….”

“Oh go on, Genny. Lena can help with the rest of the decorations now that Jacqui’s here for a while,” Cilla said.

Genny threw her sister a look he couldn’t miss. He mouthed
thank you
over her head before she turned back to him.

“Yeah, okay, lunch. I haven’t had Lola’s in forever. Do they still have the meatball mushroom?”

“We’ll find out.” His shoulders relaxed at the tentative smile lighting her face. He felt seventeen again, asking her out for their first date. There was interest in her eyes behind the caution. Whatever it took, he would take the hurt and wariness away.

“Okay then.”

Neither moved. He and Genny, making a date amongst the sights and smells he remembered so well, brought a rush of homesickness he hadn’t experienced in years. He was content to simply be in her presence. Her gaze roamed over him. What did she see? Was she comparing how he’d looked when they were dating? All hair and torn jeans under a black leather jacket he thought was the coolest around. She always wore his senior ring on a cheap gold chain he had bought her for her birthday one year. Did she still have it?

“Oh, I forgot, I have something of yours.” He reached into his jacket pocket, feeling for her necklace. The jingle of the door chimes broke the spell, and she took a step back.

“Daddy!” A flash of panic at hearing his son’s unexpected voice gave way to curiosity as the excitement in his shouted word resonated through the store. He turned to Jake, who raced to him in his all-out fashion. Ellen rushed in the store behind him. He’d wondered how Genny would react to meeting his son, but he hadn’t counted on introducing them before he’d had a chance to tell her. Insecurity gripped him, slowing his movements, as he knelt to embrace him.

“What a surprise, buddy.” More apprehensive than he thought possible, Connor picked him up and turned to Genny.

“Genny, this is my son, Jake.” Eyes widened over flushed cheeks and her mouth worked without a sound coming out. “Jake, this is Genny.” Jake shifted and squirmed in his arms until he faced her.

“Hi. Are you the gypsy lady?” Jake asked. Connor gave him a quick squeeze and set him down, trying not to be embarrassed at the honesty of youth.

“Oh, have you heard stories of the Ridgeway women?” A strange note echoed beneath her question.

“My dad says your grandma was a real live gypsy and could tell fortunes.”

She knelt, eye to eye with Jake. “My nona came from a long line of gypsies. Your daddy had his fortune told more than once.”

“She sounds cool. Are you a gypsy, too?” Eagerness for something magical rang in his voice.

“Of course I am.” Genny smiled. “My nona would have spoiled you like crazy, handsome guy that you are.”

Ellen stepped up beside Connor, clearing her throat. Red tinged her usually clear eyes, and her fingers gripped a handkerchief, working it into a rumpled wad.

“Is everything okay, Ellen?” he asked.

“I’m so sorry, Dr. O’Rourke. Your office told me where to find you. My sister fell and broke her hip. I have to go to New Jersey tonight. I’m sorry to leave without any warning.” She sniffed and held the piece of light blue cotton to her nose.

“I get to stay with you, Daddy,” Jake said and raced to Lena who was holding out the trays of cookie samples, tempting him with the call of sweets.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“No, no. She has an excellent doctor. But, her husband…he can’t really take care of her. I need to go for a few weeks. I need to make arrangements with my family and pack—is it okay to leave Jake with you now?”

“Uh. Of course.” He’d figure something out. Jake had moved from the sample display to sitting on a stool behind the checkout desk munching cookies, giggling at something Lena whispered to him.

“’Bye, Ellen. I hope your sister’s hip isn’t broke for long,” he called to her from his perch as Connor walked her to the door.

“Matilda can help you in the evening, if you need her,” she said, rushing out onto the sidewalk.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll be fine. I hope she makes a quick recovery.”

He returned to the knot of women surrounding his little boy.

“I don’t suppose any of you know of a nanny I can hire on short notice?”

A son. He has a son.