Once Upon a Christmas (6 page)

Back in the living room she handed Amie the blankie and received a glare in return as if she’d been the one hiding the treasure all the time. So much for good deeds.

Within an hour and a half they were back at the condo, where Thane called the manager to ask for help getting the new furniture up into his home. Besides the chest of drawers and a toy box, they had a bookshelf and a play table with two small chairs, all painted white.

While the men moved the office furniture, Blythe made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for herself and Amie, then emptied the boxes into their proper places. She set the toddler to putting together a puzzle on the table, making sure that Matty didn’t get into the act again, and put the living room and kitchen back to rights.

“Thanks, John.” Thane waved the moving helper out the door and took a deep breath. “Thank you, it looks like I have my home back again. Are you a genius or what?”

Blythe finished a last swipe of the kitchen counter. “You’re welcome. Now I need to get home and get to work.”

“And leave me alone with—with them?”

“Them?”

“Matty, Amie, you know.”

“Sorry, but I’ve got work to do. You said you were taking time off.”

“I am. I’ve got to find some kind of day care. You wouldn’t…”

“Nope, but you can call my sister. She knows about things like that.” Blythe rattled off the phone number. How come a man who can run a company of his own and save all these companies’ computer systems panics with something as simple as this? And yet, he’d never looked more endearing. Blythe blew him a kiss as she left.

C
all her now, she needs a break.

Thane almost hated to destroy the hard-earned peace and quiet by speaking aloud. Amie had finally fallen asleep, Matty’s snores at his feet didn’t count as noise, only one more piece of the peace and quiet. He stared at the Gary Larson calendar on his desk, a gift from his sister. She’d always tried to get him to lighten up, take time to smell the marigolds. He never had liked the fragrance of marigolds.

Call her.
When his inside voice became so insistent, he usually heeded it. Red hair. Why had she dyed her hair red? What was wrong with blond? But then, what was her natural color? And did it matter?

He shook his head and punched the keys. Ten-thirty, surely she wasn’t asleep yet. Not with all the work she’d had to do, and she’d taken out several valuable hours to help him. He well understood deadlines and fighting to keep one’s head above water when building a company of your own.

“Come on, answer, don’t let it go to the answering machine.” Screening her calls, was she? Surely no clients called her at this time of night. “Pick up.”

“Blythe’s Graphics, I am away from the phone right now…” He listened to her message, fingers drumming a tattoo on his leather desk pad.

“Hey, Blythe, sorry to not catch you, just wanted…”

“Don’t hang up. I’ll turn the machine off.”

Even the sound of her voice made him smile. She sounded breathless.

“Sorry about that. I had my head in the oven.”

“Blythe, surely you’re not…I mean, is it a gas range?” I knew she was feeling overwhelmed, but surely she isn’t depressed to that point.

Her chuckle warmed him clear to his toes. And relaxed his shoulders.

“It’s electric and self-cleaning, but I was wiping out the ashes from running the clean cycle. Did you think I…?” Her laugh trilled.

“Just being cautious. And now that I’ve given you your laugh for the evening—I wanted to thank you for all your help today.”

“You did look on the verge of panic. Be right back, Harley wants in.”

He closed his eyes while he waited, the better to picture her. She wasn’t the type he usually dated, as if there’d been any “usually” for more than the last year.

“Sorry for the interruption.”

“Dogs don’t wait. Nor do little girls.” He sighed.

“Hard day?”

“You were here, but let me tell you, it is easier with two people.”

“I can guess.”

“I think I owe you an apology.” He cleared his throat. “You know when we met in the park?”

“Yes.”

“You were pretty frosty at first. I got to thinking later that perhaps you were upset that I disappeared for four days without calling.”

“Five.”

“Ah, yeah. Well, I got caught in a hurricane named LynnEllen. She’s my sister and ever since Mom and Dad died, has been either drunk or high most of the time. Fortunately she’d been clean and sober for several months before she conceived Amie, so we don’t have a fetal alcohol baby on top of the rest. She called last week to invite me down to San Diego for Christmas, said the last rehab was working and she wanted Amie to know that she does have a family.” He leaned back and propped his feet up on the desk. “Then last Sunday night I got a call from her again. She’d been picked up, violated her parole and was back in the slammer. Could I come down and get Amie? LynnEllen swears the crack found in her car wasn’t hers, but she’s been a liar for so long, I can’t believe her. She’ll be in for life due to the three strikes law if she is convicted. So I hired a moving van to take her things to storage for now, packed up Amie and brought her here. You know the story from there.”

“Oh, Thane, how awful.”

“I was so angry at her, at the whole mess she’s made
of her life, I couldn’t lay that on anyone, least of all you. And as you can see, Amie takes up all the time I have. I get furious all over again every time she cries for her mommy. And on top of that, she and Matty are not hitting it off. She’s afraid of dogs, she’s afraid of the dark, she screams if I leave the room.”

“It’s called separation anxiety. Harley had a bad case of it when I first got him.”

“Working on a computer with a child sitting on your knee just doesn’t work.” He sighed again. This seemed to be a night for sighing.

“Did you call my sister?”

“Not yet. I will in the morning. I made an appointment with a Realtor to go looking at houses.”

“You were serious.”

“Of course, there’s no yard for her to play in here and if I decide to find a nanny, I’ll need a bedroom for her, too.” He glanced over to his inviting bed. “Having my office in my bedroom reminds me of my college days.”

“Where did you go to school?”

“Stanford. Got my MBA at Berkeley. What about you?”

“California College of the Arts at the city campus.”

“In San Francisco?”

“Yes. I loved it there. My wild and free days.” Blythe drove her fingers through her hair, now gelled to stand upright.

“I can’t picture you wild. Free, yes, because you are.”

“You think I’m free?” Her laugh made him smile in return.

“Free enough to change your hair color. That was a bit of a shock.”

“Not to those who know me well.”

I want to be one of those. I want to know you better than anyone does. “I’m learning.”

“Yeah, you are.” The tone of her voice made him smile. He stroked his chin with one forefinger.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“And?”

“And I need to make sure Amie has a good Christmas but I have nothing here to even start with. You think you could find time to help me?”

“But I’m not doing Christmas this year.”

“Neither was I.” He waited, giving her time to think about it.
Please agree to help me, please.

“You’re not going to move before Christmas are you?”

“No, even if I were to find something tomorrow, closing takes longer than a week.” He eyed the calendar. “Unless…”

“If you want me to help, you have to promise no moving before Christmas.”

“I promise.” He raised his hand. “Scout’s honor.”

“Uh, Thane, I think there is something I should tell you…”

Amie screamed, the sound raising the hair on the back of his neck. “Gotta go. Amie. Bye.”

Matty barked and howled from her crate, banging against the door, as upset as he was.

“I’m coming, baby. Hang on.” Heart pounding, he entered the room lit by a Pooh Bear nightlight and picked up
the screaming child. “Easy, sweetheart, easy.” He held her to his shoulder and slowly paced the room. “What woke you up?”

She hiccuped, wrapping both arms around his neck. “Bad things.”

“Nightmares?”

“Mommy coming?”

“No, but Uncle Thane is here.” He strolled down the hall, patting her back and crooning in her sweaty ear. “Easy, Amie, all is well now.”

Sometime later with both of his charges settled down again, he sank into his favorite chair and stared out the window to see the lights of Martinez and the black stretch that was the river.
Lord, I thought I was on the right track, with my company and my time. But You really threw in a clinker here. This is more than I can handle.
He rubbed his hands through his hair and nodded. Good point, eh? How long had it been since he’d opened his Bible? Attended church regularly. Prayed more than brief bursts for help, or of thanks.

“It’s not like I have a lot of time.” What a lame excuse. He blew out a sigh. Often when he felt like this, he’d go running, it didn’t matter what time of day or night, he’d just go. But now, now he was stuck and it was all Linnie’s fault.

Somehow he couldn’t generate the rage he’d felt while in San Diego and driving home. While he might feel confined, she was in prison. “Linnie, how could you be so stupid? You knew better!” He thumped his hand on the arm of his chair.
Here I am with your child.

“And you are all alone.” He whispered the words.

“What they said they found—that’s not my stash.” She’d said the words so firmly, her eyes locked on his, no blinking, no turning away. “I have not gone back on my word, I’ve been clean and sober for three months now.”

Talking on a phone through bulletproof glass, her voice had sounded tinny. But she never wavered. And yet, they had found a stash of crack in her car, under the front seat. How had that gotten there?

Around and around, thoughts in a maze, finding no answers, only more questions, he finally pushed himself upright and went to bed. At least Blythe would help him. Surely they could pull off Christmas in two weeks. Now if he could only find a good sitter. You didn’t shop for presents with Amie along.

When the doorbell rang at 8:30 a.m., he was just taking Amie out of the tub. The laundry was piling up, Matty needed a potty run and he couldn’t leave Amie alone so he had to bundle her up to go out. He wrapped her in a thick navy bathsheet and, with one end trailing, answered the door.

“Mr. Davidson?” The smiling man behind the noble fir looked vaguely familiar.

“Yes.”

“Blythe, my daughter, said I should deliver the Christmas tree we cut for her here instead of her place. I’m Arne Stensrude.”

“Ah, ah, good, come right on in. We can put it out on the balcony for now.” He stepped back to make room, ac
cidentally stepping on Matty’s foot. She yipped, he jumped away. If this was the way the day was going to go, all he wanted to do was go back to bed. If he ever needed a triple-strength latte, it was now.

“H
ey, little sister, how’s the love life?”

Blythe sighed. Leave it to Suzanne. “Nothing like getting right to the point. What happened to ‘hi, how you doing?’ Or something like that.” She wished she hadn’t answered. Or that she had one of those machines that showed who the caller was. Or let her machine pick it up like she’d been doing for the last week.

“Your fault, you haven’t returned my calls.”

“Sorry. I got busy and forgot.”

“So, you got your decorations up?”

No, I told you. I’m not doing Christmas. Remember?

“Dad said he took the tree over to Thane’s. Did you know he called me about day care?”

“I gave him your number. I sure don’t know anything about it.” And don’t plan to learn.

“Far as I know there’s nothing available until after the New Year. Is he going to adopt Amie?”

“I don’t know.”

“I agreed that his idea of a nanny is the most possible, so he’s putting an ad in the paper.”

“Good.”

“Something wrong?”

“Nothing that ten more hours a day wouldn’t fix.” Blythe eyed the stacks of projects on the table. Working bits of time here and there just wasn’t effective. She needed long stretches so her brain could calm down and lock into the ideas. Thane had missed their walk again this morning. He said getting Amie ready that early was nearly impossible. Understanding and acceptance didn’t have even a nodding acquaintance for her, nor for Harley, either. She was beginning to think the man was taking too much of her time, at least thoughts of him were. Maybe she should back away.

“Not to change the subject or anything, have you decided what to get Mom and Dad?”

“I’m thinking of tickets for a cruise. You want to go in with me?”

“That would be pretty spendy.” Suzanne paused and Blythe knew she was figuring out the possibilities. “Sorry, sis, I don’t see how I can do that much. What about a weekend in a B and B up in the Gold Country.”

“That sounds good. You want to look into it or me?”

“You’re better on the computer than I am.”

Blythe knew her sister was up to her eyebrows with the kids’ activities and church and the singing Christmas tree. She let out a sigh. “All right.” Sometime between midnight and dawn I’ll do it.

When they hung up, Blythe rested her head in her hands.
Harley put his front feet up on her thigh and nosed at her near hand. When she ignored him, he nosed harder and whined.

“Ouch, your toenails are digging in.” She pushed him away but when he dropped to the floor and gave her his most sad and dejected look, she shook her head. Leaning down, she rubbed his ears and head, enjoying as always the silky feel of his soft hair. “You need a bath. You want to go to the groomers? I just do not have time to give you a bath.”

Quickly, before anything else could interfere, she called Doggy Palace and booked a grooming for him on Monday. Unlike her, they weren’t open on Sundays.

She checked her messages and clicked off the phone ringer in her office. The machine would have to do its job. Several hours later, deep in the design for a booklet for a local charity, she floated up to hear, “Blythe, pick up. I know you’re there.” The voice sounded impatient and very male. Thane, didn’t you get the point? But his insistence on getting her attention made a smile come out to play.

She hit “voice” so she could have her hands free. “I’m working.”

“I could tell. But you need a break.”

“No, I don’t need a break.” Harley heard her talking and barked at the back door.

“Harley says you do. Thanks for the tree. It is a beauty.”

“Mom and Dad always cut beautiful trees.”
I don’t have time to chitchat.
And yet she found herself leaning back in her chair and smiling for no reason. “Do you have a stand for it?”

“No. But I’ll get one.”

“Decorations?”

“Nope, but listen, I looked at several houses and there are three that I would like you to look at.”

“Why? I’m not buying the house.”

“Just because you have excellent design sense and know more about kids than I do.”

“Thane, I’ve never had children, either.” And I don’t plan to, the risk is too great. I’m not to be trusted alone with babies and small children.

“Not plural. One is more than I can handle. But right now she is cuddled in my lap, looking at a book.”

The picture of them flashed through her mind, bringing a clench to her middle. If Amie was sitting on his lap, she must be calming down. Blythe glanced over to her painting corner. What a study they would make. She jerked her concentration back to the conversation.

“You want me to what?”

“I said, how about if we go look at those houses in an hour or so since I have to make a bid on one or the other before they are sold.”

“You can’t decide on a house that fast. You have to look around and compare.”

“Not in this market. It’s buy or be gone. Then we could go buy some ornaments and decorate the tree. Amie can help us. Please?”

“Thane, it’s not manly to wheedle.”

“If it works…”

She laughed in spite of herself. “Oh, all right.” After all, it is for Christmas and a little child.
So much for sticking to your guns, what a marshmallow you are.

She finished the part she was working on, closed down the program and heard Harley barking. Good thing it’s nice out, I forgot all about him. If the neighbors are home I’m going to hear about it. She let him in, poured his dry dog food in his dish, added the bit of canned and set it down. “I know it’s early but I might be late and then you’d eat the house.”

She dug the Christmas boxes out of the storage room next to her office and lugged them up to the car, making sure she had the tree stand that held plenty of water. A quick check in the mirror had her pull a purple cotton knit sweater over her tailored shirt. Her jeans were fine, she just added earrings and a gold chain, and touched up her makeup.

“You behave now, Harley. I’ll be home later.”

He stared at her, ears down, tail down, eyes pleading to go with her.

“Sorry, if that child screams at Matty, what will she do with two of you? Maybe next time.” She found him a chew and threw it down the hall.

Once at Thane’s building she hauled out the tree stand and took the elevator to his floor. The other doors all sported wreaths or decorations of some kind—perhaps they could pick up a fresh swag at Navlets, a local garden shop. She rang the doorbell, actually humming a carol she’d heard at the grocery store.

Amie seemed to have become an appendage on his right arm but at least she wasn’t screaming. Matty yipped her pleasure at seeing Blythe, then looked around as if asking where her buddy was.

“Come in.” Thane stepped back. “We’ve even picked up our toys for company.”

Is that the royal we or has he already fallen into the parent trap? “So, does that mean you picked up the toys and she supervised?” Blythe smiled at the little girl. “Hi, Amie.”

Amie turned her face into Thane’s shoulder.

So much for remembering me. Figured. Blythe held out the stand. “I brought this up but there are more boxes in the car.”

“Boxes?”

“Of decorations. I wasn’t going to use them so I thought perhaps it would save a shopping trip.”

“You are to be called a woman among the blessed.” He shrugged. “Well, I messed that verse up, but you get the point.” He set Amie down and checked out the stand. “I thought to put the tree in front of the doors to the balcony. Cooler there and I can block off that heat vent.” He cocked an eyebrow, waiting for her response.

“Ah, great.” Don’t look at me like that. For some insane reason, she felt an urge to stroke his cheek. What would a real kiss feel like? The quick brush of his earlier one had created all kinds of sensations.

“Unca Dane, juice please?” Amie tugged at his pant leg.

“Sure, sweetheart, let me see how this is going to fit.” He eyeballed the stand before stepping out on the balcony to do the same with the tree trunk.

“Unca Dane, now.” A whine joined up with a quivering bottom lip.

This child knows how to work the system. Blythe bit back a smile. “I’ll get you some juice.”

“No. Unca Dane.”

“Amie, let Blythe get your juice. There’s a carton in the refrigerator.”

The whine picked up force, like a tropical storm being upgraded to hurricane status. One tear slipped down her cheek, before that innocent little mouth opened up and a cry loud enough to wake the neighbors burst forth.

Matty headed for her crate. Thane set the tree very precisely back against the wall and closed the door behind him. The glint in his eye and the set of his head told Blythe for sure there was something to dread.

“Amie, you cannot have juice when you are crying.” His voice slowed and deepened.

The little one cranked up the volume.

“Okay, kiddo, time out.” He picked her up, crossed the room to the corner and sat her on a chair. “Now, stay there until I tell you to move.”

She immediately flipped her little self over and slid off the chair, the look over her shoulder daring him to do it again.

I can see this is going to be a fun evening. Talk about two strong-willed people.
Blythe opened the door. “I’ll go get the boxes. Perhaps your manager has a dolly.” Before he could say anything, she shut the door behind her.

By the time she’d hauled the three boxes up to the condo, Amie, red-eyed but subdued, sat sipping juice from a sippy cup. Thane had the tree in the stand and waited for her to hold it while he tightened the screws.

“I did it by myself but nearly knocked the thing over, so…”

Blythe eyeballed the tree straight and held it while he finished securing the tree.

She stepped back. “It is a lovely tree, even without decorations.”

“It is.” He turned to Amie. “Get your coat and hat.”

“Go get Mommy?”

He shook his head. “I have the backpack in the car. Marlo is meeting us, I’ll call her from the cell.”

Amie dragged out her pink fleece blankie.

“I said your jacket and hat.”

“Gone.”

“You can’t find it?”

“Uh-huh.”

Thane marched to her room and returned with jacket and hat, plus her bear. He held it for her to put her arms in, then zipped the front. Hat on, she looked like a pixie out for a dance. He bussed her cheek when he picked her up, making her giggle, the first giggle Blythe had heard from the little girl. As she’d figured, Unca Dane was indeed a wonder. At least with those of the feminine persuasion.

They drove out Alhambra Valley Road where the big homes were. Thane introduced her to Marlo, a woman Blythe recognized from the Chamber of Commerce meetings she seldom attended any longer. All the places had five bedrooms and acreage, along with vaulted ceilings, the latest in gadgets and hefty price tags. One was brand-new, the others a couple of years old and their landscaping finished.

“So, what do you think?” Thane asked when they completed the last tour.

“They’re all beautiful. The one with the attic above the garage would be good for a nanny’s apartment.” Blythe thought a moment. “Do you want unlived in or…?”

“Doesn’t matter, although I’m not much for yard work. The one with the room above the garage also had the best pool design and the pool house could make a nice office.” He jiggled Amie in the backpack.

Blythe walked over and looked out the window of the house they were in, giving him a chance to talk with the Realtor. Such space both inside and out. Fenced yard for both dog and girl. Not that she could see the need for so much house, but then he is probably planning for a family someday. Although he has a family already, even though they weren’t daddy and daughter.

Did she know any women to introduce him to? What about Marlo, she sure was turning on the charm? And she wasn’t wearing a wedding band. For some strange reason that thought made her want to leave—now.

“Okay, I’ll call you either later this evening or tomorrow morning.”

“Fine. I’ll look forward to hearing from you. Just don’t wait too long and be prepared for a bidding war.”

Yeah, you hope so. But Blythe smiled politely and let Thane help her up into the Land Rover after settling Amie in her car seat.

“So, which do you like the best?”

“Thane, that’s not important, which do you like the best?”

“I love the view from the one higher up, but the land around that first one is more useable.”

“Useable for what?”

“Oh, a barn if Amie wants a pony some day. Another garage if I take up a hobby.”

“What kind of hobby would you like?”

“I don’t know, haven’t had time to think about it. But many people take up hobbies, I run now, but I know I don’t want to play golf. There’s room there for a volleyball court.”

“You play volleyball?”

“Just for fun. I used to, in college.”

The things she was learning.

They discussed the three houses, narrowed it down to two and bought a pizza to take back to his house. Blythe looked back to see Amie sound asleep in her car seat, bear tucked in her arm.

Thane carried her up and laid her on her bed, all without waking her. “She’s one tired little girl. Here I thought she would help us decorate the tree.” He removed her jacket and shoes and pulled the covers over her.

“No nightie?”

“Nope. Not tonight. Come on, let’s eat.”

Blythe paused by the bed to smile down at the soundly sleeping child. Amazing how such a determined little girl could look so peaceful in her sleep. But remember, motherhood is not for you, your careless act those years ago proved that, so lock away those maternal instincts that are trying to sneak out and go eat pizza.

Together they checked out the strings of lights, re
placed a couple of the tiny white bulbs and, starting at the top, at Blythe’s insistence, wrapped the tree from the inside out in twinkle lights.

“We have to do every branch?” His tone tended just the slightest to an adult male whine.

“Now you sound like Amie.” Blythe wrapped the lights around the branches of the third layer from the top. “You want it to look nice, don’t you?”

“I think I remember why I don’t like putting up Christmas trees. I suppose you hang every piece of tinsel one strand at a time, too.”