Christmas in Silver Springs

by Brenda Novak

  “Mom!” He gave her a sharp look. “Can we forget prison, too? Please?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You mentioned it first.”

  “When I said it’s been seventeen years since—never mind,” he said. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”

  “I was going to go to Maddox and Jada’s. But I’m not sure I should spend the gas money, not when you’re here now. Is there any way I could just ride back with you tonight?”

  Tobias’s fork dangled halfway between his plate and his mouth. “Where would you stay? At my place, you mean?”

  “Why not? You have a couch, don’t you?”

  He’d never put her on the couch, but he supposed he could sleep there. “How would you get home?”

  “Your brother can drive me back tomorrow night.”

  “Maddox has a family now, Mom.”

  “So? They can ride with us, too.”

  “It’ll take four hours, at least. That might not be how they want to spend their Christmas.”

  “Then you can bring me back.”

  When he hesitated, she said, “Seriously? You won’t do that for me?”

  He shoved his food into his mouth. He didn’t want to drive her to Silver Springs and back—not after driving four hours to come see her today. But she was his mother. And it wasn’t as though she was asking for the moon. “Okay,” he said. “Sure.”

  She smiled. “I’ve got my eye on something I’m going to get for you as soon as I get my paycheck.”

  She’d had a Christmas card for him at her place when he’d given her a new coat. “You don’t have to get me anything.” He’d be happy if she could just get her life under control.

  “I want to,” she insisted.

  “Okay,” he relented. Chances were slim it would ever materialize, anyway. She was famous for empty promises.

  “I’m going to get the same thing for Maddox.”

  “I’m sure he’ll be happy about that.”

  Tobias tried to enjoy himself as they finished eating, but he knew the next twenty-four hours weren’t going to be easy. He figured he’d get up early and go on another hike—to prepare his mind and body for the difficulty of the rest of the day. Then he’d make his mother some breakfast before taking her over to Maddox’s. After she was entertained there for a few hours, he’d drive her home and Christmas would be over, his duties as a son complete.

  He could do that, he decided. There was no reason not to spend his Christmas that way. Chances were slim he’d get to see Harper, anyway. She’d told him to let her deal with her family until Axel left.

  So he was surprised when, almost as soon as he returned to Silver Springs with his mother, he received a text from her.

  Axel just took my Range Rover to the motel so he’ll be able to drive over early in the morning before the kids get up to see what Santa’s brought them. But my sister said I could use her car to come by and wish you a merry Christmas. I won’t be able to stay long—only a few minutes—but I was hoping to see you. Are you home? Would that be okay?

  26

  Axel saw the taillights of Karoline’s Jaguar go on as soon as the garage door rolled up and knew who was behind the wheel without having to see the driver. Where would Karoline be going at eleven o’clock at night, after all? Especially on Christmas Eve, when everything was closed?

  Harper was heading to Tobias Richardson’s house, just as he’d suspected she would when she’d been so eager to say goodbye to him the moment they’d finished setting up Santa’s presents for their girls.

  “Damn it.” The sight sickened him. Was she really that eager to rush into another man’s arms? He’d never dreamed he’d be in this position, but he’d let the success of his music go to his head—and that might’ve cost him the best thing that ever happened to him. As many women as he’d been with in the past year, he’d met no one quite as sweet or devoted as Harper. He was beginning to realize that people like her weren’t around every corner.

  But it wasn’t over between them quite yet, he reminded himself. They had children together. They should try to make things work for their girls’ sake, and he knew Harper agreed with him there. So her relationship with this guy wouldn’t last. She was on the rebound; that was all. They’d both been through a stressful and upsetting year, and this affair with Tobias gave her something new to focus on instead of all the painful and disappointing things she’d faced since he filed for divorce.

  He could see why she might be doing what she was doing. But she’d always loved him. He doubted that had really changed. He just needed to remind her why. He hadn’t done nearly enough of that in the past few years.

  Putting the Range Rover in gear, he pulled away from the curb, where he’d been waiting, and followed Karoline’s Jaguar at a distance so Harper wouldn’t notice him in her rearview mirror. If Tobias was his competition, he figured he should learn everything he could about him—where he lived, who he was, what his situation was like. Anything Harper might perceive as negative would only help Axel’s bid, after all. And it wasn’t as though there’d be much of a chance to check the guy out from Europe, so he needed to do what he could while he was in town.

  His phone buzzed in the passenger seat beside him. It was most likely Matt. His bandmates had been calling and texting him incessantly, and so had the band’s manager. They could tell his mind wasn’t on music, and they were worried.

  Axel felt bad for what he was putting them through, suddenly bugging out and coming to the States right in the middle of the tour. He was usually the hardest worker among them—the most driven member of the band. But it was Christmas, for God’s sake. And his family was falling apart. Of the four people who made up Pulse, only Gary was married, and Sophie, his wife, was traveling with them.

  Ignoring the call, he rolled through the first of the three stoplights in town. He just needed to get through Christmas, finish up the tour and get back home to Colorado, where he could focus on repairing what he’d destroyed. Once Harper saw that he was committed and willing to rebuild their relationship, everything would improve. He’d tell her he was willing to see a counselor, if that was what she wanted. He should’ve agreed to go with her long ago. But he’d known what the counselor would say. She wasn’t the problem; it was him.

  The brake lights of the car Harper was driving went on ahead of him, so he slowed, too, and watched as she turned in to a place about ten minutes outside town.

  As he got closer, he could see a sign that read Honey Hollow Tangerine Orchard.

  Tobias owned property? That was a little disheartening. Axel had been hoping to find that he didn’t have a penny to his name. But so many people in this artsy community were wealthy. He should’ve known.

  So...was Tobias a farmer? Or something more?

  Axel had thought he might be a model, given the guy’s looks.

  With a sigh, he pulled over and waited for several minutes so he wouldn’t give his presence away. Then he turned off his engine, quietly opened his door and crept closer to the house that faced the highway.

  He’d assumed Harper had gone there, but all the lights were off. He stood in confusion for several minutes, looking around and wondering what could’ve happened to her. But then he heard voices, coming from farther down the drive near a second house that was tucked away in the back.

  “Your mother’s here?”

  That was Harper. It was easy to recognize her voice.

  “Yeah. She didn’t want to drive over herself. I brought her back with me so she can see Maddox, Jada and Maya tomorrow.”

  The deeper voice belonged to Tobias. Axel recognized it, too.

  “Of course,” Harper said. “That’s great. Is she...doing okay?”

  “About the same.”

  “I see. I’m sorry. Still, I’d like to meet her someday.”

  “I’d introduce you tonight, but...she’s alr
eady in bed.”

  “No problem. It’s late. I just... I had to see you for a few minutes.”

  Axel crept closer—until he could make out two figures silhouetted in the porch light that glowed on the second house. This house was much smaller than the one facing the street. Was that where Tobias was living? If so, it didn’t look as though he owned the orchard.

  Could it be that he only worked here?

  The possibility gave Axel a bit of hope that Tobias wasn’t well-off. Axel would definitely have more to offer there.

  “I’m glad you came,” he heard Tobias say as, using the trees of the orchard to remain hidden, he moved closer. “I have something for you.”

  “For me?”

  “It’s nothing big. Just a little something I thought you might like for Christmas. Which reminds me, you left your necklace here. I’ll go get it—”

  “No, don’t bother,” Harper said, stopping him. “I’ll get it next time. And you didn’t have to buy me anything. That isn’t why I got you the watch.”

  She’d bought him a watch? Axel felt his stomach muscles tense. This was more serious than he’d thought it was.

  “I know,” Tobias said. “But I wanted to do this.”

  As Axel watched, Tobias reached up to take a small gift from where it had been sitting on the banister, which he gave to her.

  “Oh, my gosh!” she exclaimed when she’d unwrapped it. “A charm bracelet! I love it.”

  “It’s not the chain kind of charm bracelet. I was actually looking for that, but the jeweler said this kind is more popular right now. He thought you’d like it better.”

  “I do. Thank you. It’s beautiful.” She held it up to the light, obviously trying to see it clearly. “And the charm that’s on it is...a rose?”

  “Yeah. To represent the night we met.”

  “It’s perfect!” she cried and threw her arms around him.

  They kissed, so hot and heavy that Axel was afraid he was about to see far more than he had the stomach for, especially when Tobias moaned and lifted her off her feet, and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

  “I wish I could stay,” Axel heard Harper say.

  “It would be a lot more fun to spend the night with you than my mom,” Tobias joked. “I would’ve let you come in, but even if she hadn’t just gone to bed, she’s drunk. I’d rather you not meet her when she’s like this.”

  His mother didn’t sound particularly impressive...

  “You know I don’t care about your mother’s, er...problems,” Harper said. “You can’t control what she does. But meeting her can wait. Axel will be gone soon. Then we won’t have to tiptoe around because there’ll be no one to upset.”

  “What about Karoline?”

  “She knows I’m seeing you. She’s fine with it.”

  “How long will we have? How long will you be staying in Silver Springs?”

  “The girls are happy here, so... I’m going to put off returning to Colorado for a few weeks, maybe even a month.”

  Their foreheads came together as they talked, as if any space between them was too much, and Axel felt as though someone was driving a dagger through his heart.

  “That makes me happy,” he heard Tobias say.

  “I can’t wait until the holidays are over and things can get back to normal.”

  “I wanted to get the girls something for Christmas, too,” Tobias said. “But I didn’t want to step on Axel’s toes. If he saw the gifts or the girls mentioned them to him... I’m not trying to make things more difficult for you—or him. I like his music as much as anyone.”

  The fact that Tobias would be generous enough to say that only made Axel fear him more.

  “To be honest, it’s probably better that you didn’t get the girls anything,” Harper said. “They aren’t expecting it, and...well, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s just... They’re part of you, so it was hard to ignore that they’d probably enjoy a present, too.”

  “I love everything about you,” she said. “And I’m so sorry about what happened in the restaurant.”

  “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault, but I couldn’t believe it when I saw you sitting there.” He laughed ruefully, and she laughed, too.

  “I just about had a heart attack.”

  “Is Axel trying to get you back?” Tobias asked, sobering.

  “I guess. He thinks he wants me back. But I doubt he’s really committed to it. He’ll return to the tour, be confronted with the next beautiful woman screaming out his name in the mosh pit and forget all about me.”

  Although Axel winced at that assessment, he couldn’t claim it was baseless. Since he’d become famous, the many women who propositioned him were so damn tempting. Only lately was he beginning to realize that he’d been trading real gold for fool’s gold ever since he started cheating on Harper.

  “Then he’s crazy, doesn’t know what he’s leaving behind,” Tobias said.

  Except Axel did know. Or, at least, he was beginning to figure it out. That was why, as soon as he watched Harper kiss Tobias again and hug him and thank him for her bracelet—and then do it another time before she finally drove off—he got in the Range Rover and, before starting the engine, called Rory.

  “There you are, man! How’s it going? When are you coming back?”

  It was Christmas, and Axel was losing his family, and all Rory could ask was when he’d be returning to the tour? Was that how Harper had felt when she’d been trying to get his attention so they could save their marriage before it was too late?

  “I’m not,” he said. “I’m staying right here until I’ve straightened out my life.”

  “What?” Rory cried. “You can’t stay. It’ll kill all of our careers!”

  “It won’t kill them. We’re big enough now that we can weather it. We’ll be fine.”

  “But people are counting on us! Please. I don’t want to let them down.”

  “We only have two shows left. I can’t fly back for those when there’s so much shit hitting the fan here.”

  “Axel, we have more than the two shows. What about the publicity gigs the label lined up for us? The reason we agreed to stay an extra two weeks?”

  “I’ll explain what’s happening to the label. You just break the news to Matt.” Matt wouldn’t like it, of course, but he worked for them. Axel wasn’t going to let their manager call all the shots, not when it came to something like this.

  “Oh, God. He’s going to shit a brick. Our biggest show is on New Year’s Eve!”

  “Oh, well. If he wants to continue as our manager, he’ll understand that I have some personal problems that I need to take care of. Maybe everyone should celebrate the new year with their families,” he said and hit the end button. He couldn’t take any more upset and emotionality from his band, not after seeing and hearing what he’d just seen and heard. In his desire to succeed, in his pursuit of his dreams, he’d lost Harper.

  But maybe if he acted fast, showed his commitment to her and their children by remaining in Silver Springs and driving them back to Colorado, they’d be able to put everything back together—one piece at a time.

  * * *

  Christmas morning dawned crisp and cold, but there was no fog or rain. Tobias went on a short hike, much shorter and less laborious than Hines Peak. He’d just needed to get his heart pumping and stretch his legs, do something to remind himself that he could climb a mountain if he wanted to—that he was no longer in a cage like an animal, living by someone else’s leave, as he’d been last Christmas and twelve Christmases before that. This also gave him a chance to once again use his new watch, which he liked.

  He didn’t stay gone long. He returned and made bacon and eggs for his mother before taking her over to Maddox’s house for a late lunch—once he’d made sure they’d had a chance to have some time alone on Christm
as as a family.

  “How’d it go last night?” Maddox asked as soon as Tobias walked through the door.

  Tobias turned to glance behind him at their mother, who was wearing sunglasses despite the fact that it was overcast outside, and moving a bit gingerly due to a hangover. “We had some Chinese food, came back and watched a movie.” He lowered his voice. “And then she passed out.”

  His brother chuckled ruefully. “She drank that much?”

  “Like a fish,” Tobias replied. “I had a bottle of wine up in the cupboard. She insisted I bust that out and drank the whole thing.”

  “Some things never change.” Maddox, too, kept his voice low, but Jill wasn’t paying attention to them, anyway. She was too busy greeting Jada and Maya.

  After a final searching glance and a quick “Thanks for taking care of her last night,” Maddox turned his attention to Jill. “Hi, Mom. Merry Christmas.”

  Tobias smiled as Maya came over to hug him. At the last second, however, she grabbed his wrist instead. “Wow! Look at that watch! Did you get that for Christmas?”

  Tobias hadn’t realized he’d forgotten to take it off. “Yeah, it was a gift.”

  “From who?” she asked.

  Maya’s surprise had drawn the attention of the others, so he found everyone looking at him. “A friend.”

  “Let me see.” Maddox whistled as he admired it. “That’s nice. I’d like one of those myself.”

  “For what?” Tobias joked. “You hardly ever hike.”

  “It’s not just for hiking. It does all kinds of things, right? But I’ve been thinking. I’ve decided to train with you—for this summer with Atticus.”

  “What does that mean?” Tobias asked.

  “It’ll be a lot easier if we take turns carrying him,” Maddox said.

  Tobias exchanged a glance with the pregnant Jada, who smiled proudly, and felt a huge sense of relief. He’d been worried about his ability to carry a grown man so far. But if he had his brother as backup, there was no question he could make it. They’d all make it. “That’s awesome. I love it. Thank you.”