His Last-Chance Christmas Family

by Michelle Major

  It was a little strange that her two friends had fallen in love with men Brynn had known since elementary school. Finn and Parker also happened to be Nick’s two best friends, which made get-togethers with everyone sort of awkward. Good thing Brynn had become accustomed to awkward over the years.

  For most of her adult life, Brynn handled things on her own. Daniel hadn’t wanted to be bothered with mundane details and she’d had no desire to give her mom any more reason to judge her for the mistakes she’d made. Even after Daniel’s death, she’d soldiered on, refusing to admit, even to herself, how his lies and callous treatment of her had worn away at her confidence until she was a shell of the woman she wanted to be. She’d become friends with Mara and Kaitlin over the summer, during an ill-fated stint as a coffee barista at Perk. The job hadn’t been a fit, but she treasured her two friends and the unwavering support they gave her.

  As she considered what to do next, Brynn broke off a piece of muffin. The sweet and tangy blueberries burst on her tongue, a tiny reminder that as numb as she felt, she was still capable of recognizing the good in life, even if it came in the simple form of a perfect muffin.

  “Do you really believe Daniel was planning to leave you for Francesca and the baby?” Mara sniffed. “Your late husband was the worst kind of jerk, but I can’t imagine even him leaving behind one family to commit to a new one.”

  “I don’t know,” Brynn answered honestly. “I turned a blind eye to rumors of Daniel’s infidelity, and that’s on me. But the story Francesca told, the way she seemed to love him, I’m not sure what to think at this point.”

  “You don’t know her,” Mara commented. “You don’t know for certain she and Daniel were exclusive. I hate to say it, but without a DNA test, it’s impossible to know whether Remi—”

  “She’s his.” Brynn unbuckled the baby and lifted her out of the carrier. “She looks like him and almost exactly like Tyler did as a baby.”

  “That isn’t a guarantee.”

  Brynn shrugged. “I’m not sure I can explain it to you, but there’s not a shred of doubt in my mind this little girl is Tyler’s sister.”

  “She’s certainly a cutie.” Mara’s frown morphed into a smile as Remi gave her a wide grin. The pacifier dropped from her mouth, and Brynn reached out to catch it before it hit the floor. “I know this is a difficult situation, but it will work out. Once Francesca’s parental rights are terminated, a wonderful family will come forward to adopt her. Or maybe there’s someone in her family who—”

  “I’m keeping her,” Brynn whispered, then bit down on her lower lip. The thought had been ricocheting around her brain since she’d seen Tyler holding his sister. This baby was her son’s family, and if her mother couldn’t take care of her, Brynn would step in to be the mother she needed.

  “You can’t mean that.” Mara blew out an unsteady breath. “Come on, Brynn. I know you have a huge heart, but it wouldn’t be right.”

  Resolve made Brynn’s shoulders stiffen. “Why not?”

  “She’s the baby of your late husband’s mistress. A different woman than the one who was in the car when he died. How are you going to explain it?”

  “I can’t explain most of what I’ve experienced since the night of the accident.”

  Remi let out a small cry of distress, and Brynn loosened her hold on the baby. “Great. I’m starting out by squeezing her too tight. That will look amazing in my home study. Not.” She patted Remi’s back and cooed softly to her.

  “Home study,” Mara repeated, sounding dazed. “Have you thought about this?”

  “I don’t need to think. I know it’s the right thing.” She touched two fingers to her chest. “In here.” The baby rested her head against Brynn’s shoulder, and she took it as a sign. “I can do this. Tyler and Remi are siblings. It might be unorthodox, but I can give her a good life for as long as she needs me.”

  Mara shook her head. “I’m still not convinced, but you know I’ll support you in whatever you need.”

  Glancing at her watch, Brynn let out a soft yelp. “Right now I need to get to the meeting about the wish list shopping event with the retail shop owners. I owe them an update on the marketing efforts.”

  “Let me watch Remi for you.” Mara held out her hands. “I have some time before I need to get back downtown. I’ll start calling people who might be able to help with baby supplies.”

  “I don’t want to put you out,” Brynn protested.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I love babies.”

  Brynn chuckled.

  “Okay, the only baby I’ve loved so far in my life is Evie, but I can handle this little one.”

  “Thank you.” Brynn transferred Remi to Mara’s arms. “Things are going great with the holiday campaign, so hopefully I won’t be long. There are diapers and formula in the bag if she needs anything.”

  “Go,” Mara urged, as she scrunched up her nose. “So you can get back soon.”

  Brynn took a deep breath as she grabbed a notebook and headed out of her office toward the banquet space at the end of the hall that also served as a meeting room. She glanced at her phone when it dinged to see a reminder pop up for the date she had tomorrow night. A date she’d no doubt cancel at this point.

  If her dating profile had been pathetic before, this morning’s turn of events pretty much sealed the deal on the coffin of her love life. Single working mom of a ten-year-old boy in a job she desperately wanted to be good at but felt underqualified for and overwhelmed by most days, plus an orphaned baby added to the mix.

  Oh, yes. She was quite the catch. One most men in their right mind would throw back without a moment’s hesitation thanks to all of the baggage that came with her.

  * * *

  “You can’t be serious.”

  Nick’s glare only intensified when Brynn shoved a microfiber rag and bottle of furniture polish into his hands.

  “Be a friend and dust the bookshelves. The social worker will be here in a few minutes. I want her to see this place shine.” Brynn glanced around the rarely used formal living room and grimaced. “Or at least I want it to smell shiny.”

  She’d always had plans to turn this cramped room into something besides the place where her mother’s cast-off furniture went to die. The rest of the house reflected her tastes, but this room had been a forgotten item on her to-do list. At least now she had someplace to talk with the caseworker assigned to Remi that was out of earshot of Tyler.

  The first thing her son had done when he arrived home from school that afternoon was place a gentle kiss on the baby’s forehead. The gesture strengthened Brynn’s resolve to become Remi’s adoptive mother. She still hadn’t told Tyler about his connection to the babe. She had no reason to believe she wouldn’t qualify as a potential parent, but until it was more certain, she didn’t want to say anything too revealing to her son.

  “Your house is fine,” Nick told her through clenched teeth. “It’s your brain that’s out of whack.”

  “Don’t be rude.”

  “You can’t adopt Daniel’s mistress’s baby.” He shook his head. “Listen to how that sounds, Brynn.”

  She turned to him, hands on hips. “What do I care at this point?” After darting a glance toward the back of the house to make sure Tyler was still engrossed in his video game, she took a step closer to the police chief, who hadn’t taken her announcement about her plans to make Remi part of their lives permanently half as well as Mara had.

  “Do you know how many awful, pathetic stories around town of wasted potential and stupid choices involve me?” She lifted her hand to tick off her list. “The dumb girl who got knocked up her first time and forced unfortunate, noble Daniel Hale into marriage. Brynn, the pathetic young mom who spent every late night for years scrubbing toilets just to have enough money for her kid’s birthday parties and new clothes at the beginning of each school year. Brynn Hale, the
wife whose cheating husband was the worst-kept secret in all of Starlight.” She leaned in, narrowing her eyes. “And there are heaps of badly kept secrets in this town.”

  “No one thought poorly of you,” Nick insisted.

  “Your right eyebrow is twitching.”

  He lifted a finger to his face. “What does that mean?”

  “It’s your tell, Nick. It always has been. When you lie, you get twitchy.”

  They were standing only inches apart, so close Brynn could see the flecks of gold in his brown eyes. His breath smelled like cinnamon gum, and it was like they were swapping childhood secrets all over again.

  “I’m not lying.” His strong jaw was set as if that could keep the rest of his face in line. “No one who means anything thought less of you because of Tyler.”

  “Then those same people won’t find any fault with my decision about Remi.”

  “Point taken.” His gaze stayed on hers as he reached out and touched the tip of one finger to the back of her hand. The touch was featherlight, but Brynn felt it like a missile had been launched within her body. He spoke the next words in hushed tones. “You’ve been through a lot this year.”

  “So has Tyler,” she reminded him, trying to ignore his effect on her. “Do you know what having a sister would mean to him?”

  “I’m thinking more about what it might do to you. I’m worried about you.”

  “That’s not your job.” She took a step away, but he grabbed her hand.

  “We’re friends. I care about you. I’m going to worry.”

  Her gaze dropped to their linked fingers. It felt strange—and somehow right—for Nick to be holding her hand. It felt good to be touched by a man, his calloused palm both rough and gentle against her skin.

  She looked at him again, only to find his gaze trained on her mouth. The look in his eyes—longing if she had to guess—terrified and thrilled her.

  Then the doorbell rang.

  The social worker who stood on the other side, Jennifer Ryan, appeared to be in her midforties, a no-nonsense woman with a blunt bob and sharp features. She greeted Nick warmly and then he moved to the far side of the room to give Brynn some privacy with her.

  Nerves fluttered through Brynn as she answered the woman’s questions about Francesca and her late husband, as well as her current life as a single mom. The baby dozed in her arms, her grounding weight and the warmth of her small body a comfort to Brynn’s frazzled nerves. When Brynn explained that she wanted to adopt Remi if Francesca didn’t return in order for her to grow up with her half brother, the social worker blinked several times before answering.

  “This is a unique situation, but I appreciate your willingness to step in. At this point, you’re not approved as a foster parent.” Jennifer flipped through the file she held on her lap. “We can begin the application paperwork, but it will take a couple of weeks for everything to be processed. Maybe longer at this time of year.”

  “But I can keep her in the meantime?” Brynn asked. A thread of panic snaked through her and she hugged Remi more closely. “You can talk to anyone in town about me or go through my closets. Whatever you need to do to put your mind at ease.”

  “I’m sure Nick would give you a reference, but it’s not quite so simple.” Jennifer’s voice was gentle but firm. “The child must be placed with an approved foster parent. We’d like to keep her in this county, but the closest family available is in Pullman.”

  “No.” Brynn swallowed back her emotions as she looked from the woman sitting across from her to Nick, who had moved to the edge of the sofa. “That’s an hour away. We need Remi here with us. With me.” Brynn couldn’t explain her connection to the baby. She understood it made no sense, but much of her life hadn’t since Daniel’s death. All she knew was her heart told her keeping this child close was the right thing to do. For all of them.

  Nick looked at her with a tortured expression, as if he could feel her pain. “There has to be another way,” she said, as much to him as to the social worker.

  “I’m sorry.” The woman shook her head. “Unless there’s an approved—”

  “I’ll take her.” Nick massaged two fingers against his right temple. “I’m a licensed foster parent. Everything is up-to-date.”

  “Well, then.” Jennifer gave a small smile. “Thank you, Chief Dunlap. I’ll get the paperwork started and—”

  “No.” The word escaped Brynn’s lips before she could stop it.

  Both Nick and the social worker stared at her. “You have an objection to the police chief?”

  Wasn’t that question more loaded than a dirty diaper? Brynn shook her head. “Not to Nick but...” She turned to him. “You don’t want to do this.”

  Although tension lines bracketed his mouth, he flashed a smile. “I told you I’d do anything to help you.” He took the baby from her arms, balancing her far more naturally than Brynn would have guessed. “Remi and I will manage for a few weeks until you’re approved.” He leaned in. “No twitching at the moment, you’ll notice. I want this, Brynn.”

  “Mrs. Hale?”

  Brynn turned to the social worker, her mind dazed by a turn of events that she couldn’t have expected even in the midst of so much emotional chaos.

  “If there are no issues, I’m going to head out. I’ll need you to come into the office for fingerprints. A background check is standard, as well as an official home visit.”

  Issues. Yes. She had a million of them, but how could she give voice to a coherent thought when her mind refused to stop spinning?

  “Fine,” Brynn murmured.

  “Thanks for stepping up, Nick.” Jennifer stood and patted the baby’s back. “I’ll email the insurance information to you so you can schedule a routine checkup with a local pediatrician. You have my cell number if there are any problems.”

  “Appreciate it,” Nick replied. “Say hi to your husband for me. I owe him a day of fishing come spring.”

  “He’ll take you up on that.”

  Nick saw the social worker to the front door while Brynn stood rooted to the spot in the formal living room. She was afraid to move for fear she’d crumble to the ground.

  As the door closed, Nick turned to face her again. “That went better than expected.”

  “Are you joking?” She felt her jaw drop and snapped it shut again.

  “We can do this.” He bounced the baby in his arms. “It will mean a lot of time together over the holidays, but that’s not the worst thing in the world.”

  She continued to stare. Spending the next few weeks in close proximity to Nick might not be the worst thing, but it might take her down all the same.

  Chapter Six

  “She’s precious, but are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  Nick took a long pull off the beer he’d just opened.

  “I have no idea what I’m doing, Mom. That’s why I called you.”

  Alice Dunlap frowned, her thin brows pulling together as she glanced around the open-concept living area of his craftsman-style house. “The place will need to be babyproofed,” she told him.

  “She’s five months old. I think the outlets are safe for now.”

  Alice sniffed. “Better to be safe than sorry.”

  The overarching mantra of his mother’s life had been choosing safe over sorry. But Nick had so many regrets from his choices, and not only the ones that concerned Brynn.

  Top on the list was his brother’s death eight years ago from a roadside bomb during his first tour in Afghanistan. Two years older, Jack had been serious and studious as a kid. Nothing like Nick who, much to the consternation of his physician father and town matron mother, hadn’t taken anything seriously. Jack had gone off to Georgetown for college but dropped out after his junior year to enlist in the army. It hadn’t made sense to anyone back in Starlight, but his brother had claimed that being in D
C made him want to do his duty for the country.

  Jack had been a true hero and look where that had gotten him. The opposite of safe and leaving everyone sorry in the wake of his death.

  Nick had left college to return to Starlight six months later, when a heart attack stole his father’s life. All desire to mess around had been obliterated in the wake of the pain he’d caused Brynn followed by the sorrow he felt after losing Jack. He knew he was at best a sloppy second for the role of good son, but he tried. All he could do was try.

  “Right.” Nick placed the beer on the counter. No sense finishing even one when he had no idea what the rest of the night would bring. “Thanks for rallying your knitting group to gather baby supplies.” He gave his mom a genuine smile. “If those ladies were in charge of the world, it would be a much more efficiently run planet.”

  He’d called his mother from Brynn’s house, without giving many details other than he would be fostering a baby girl and needed any type of clothing or furniture items she could round up. His relationship with his mom might not be the closest, but he knew he could depend on her and her network within the community.

  “They were happy to help their favorite police chief,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Although I’m going to hear about my lie of omission when the truth finally comes out about that baby.”

  “I appreciate that, as well.” He moved toward the table and took the seat across from his mom. Teddy, snored softly on the dog bed situated under the window. “It’s not exactly a secret, but I want to give Brynn the chance to tell Tyler the details before it hits the town phone tree.”

  His mother chuckled. “We text now or use the Starlight Facebook page.”

  “Even scarier,” Nick muttered.

  “Brynn is sure about adopting the baby?”

  “As sure as I’ve ever seen her.”

  “That girl has always been stronger than people give her credit for. She’s special.”

  “Are we talking people in general or someone in particular?”

  Alice tapped a finger on the table. “The two of you were so close growing up. I can remember all the time she spent at our house with you. She followed you around like you walked on water.”