His Last-Chance Christmas Family

by Michelle Major

  “Thanks for bringing her,” she said, her heart filling as she gazed down at Remi, who was sucking on her pacifier. Nick had covered her with a blanket and put a knit cap on her head so only her face was visible. “How was today?”

  “Mom said she slept and ate like a champ. She really is an easy baby.”

  “You better knock on wood,” she told him with a laugh. “Tyler is getting dessert with friends. Let’s bring her to my office until the show starts. I told him I’d meet him in front of the stage. He’s curious as to what Remi’s favorite song will be.”

  “Can a five-month-old baby have that kind of preference?”

  She flashed a smile, still aware of the myriad of gazes on them. “I have no idea.”

  “Everyone is watching,” Nick murmured, his thick brows drawing together. “I know you don’t like to be scrutinized. I’d like to tell them to—”

  “It’s okay.” She placed a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. “I’m learning not to care what other people think. It’s a lesson I wish I’d mastered a long time ago.”

  He looked like he wanted to say something more but only nodded and followed her as she made her way through the people gathered.

  “Stop glaring,” she commanded, glancing over her shoulder. “People are starting to look more afraid than curious.”

  “Good,” he muttered. “Maybe that will stop them from asking stupid questions.”

  Brynn appreciated the sentiment even if she knew he couldn’t stop the curiosity. She unlocked the door that led to the mill’s private rooms. At the moment, Josh was basing his construction business out of the location, so in addition to her small office, there were several rooms dedicated to his general contracting company.

  Wanting the spirit of the holidays to permeate every inch of the mill, she’d decorated with fresh wreaths and more bows and greenery, so the sweet smell of pine filled the air.

  She led Nick into her office and flipped on the light. He set the infant carrier on the ground, and she immediately bent to unbuckle the baby.

  “Hello, sweet girl,” she said, kissing Remi’s soft forehead. “I missed you today. What a pretty outfit.” She’d dropped off the red velvet dress to Nick’s mom, along with a dozen other pieces of clothing she’d bought. She knew Francesca could return, and nothing was certain, but Brynn already felt like the baby belonged to her. “I want to hear all about your adventures.”

  Remi gurgled in response, then grinned as the pacifier dropped into her lap. “Did you really? And then what did she say?” Brynn asked, lifting the girl into her arms.

  “Um...did you actually understand her babbling?” Nick asked, sounding astonished.

  Brynn shook her head as she held the baby close. “I used to talk to Tyler the same way. For some reason, it felt like asking him questions made him more vocal.”

  “You’re a regular Dr. Spock,” Nick murmured.

  She chuckled. “What do you know about Dr. Spock?”

  “My mom left the book on my nightstand. I’m not sure she took into consideration that between my normal work schedule, the extra shifts I volunteer for the weeks leading up to Christmas and taking care of a baby, my only choice might be winging it.”

  “I’m sorry,” Brynn said automatically. “I know this is a lot for you and you volunteered because—”

  “Because I wanted to help.” He reached out a finger and pressed it to her lips. She felt the touch all the way to her toes. “There’s nothing you need to apologize for, Brynn. Ever.”

  “I’m not perfect, Nick.”

  “Damn close,” he whispered, then looked genuinely surprised when she narrowed her eyes. “Um...that was a compliment.”

  “I’ve made mistakes,” she said, shifting the baby to her other arm and popping the pacifier into Remi’s mouth. “I can be selfish and petty. A lot of times I make decisions based on avoiding conflict instead of taking a stand. My marriage was a perfect example of that.”

  “You can’t blame yourself for anything that happened with Daniel.”

  “I can blame myself for being a doormat,” she countered, then raised a hand when he would have protested. “I don’t want to be on anyone’s pedestal, either.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw as he stepped closer. “What do you want?”

  You, her body screamed. If only she had a roll of duct tape, she’d use it on her traitorous lady parts. Where the heck was a self-preservation instinct when she needed it?

  “I want to be seen for who I am, flaws and all.”

  Before he could answer, she stepped around him.

  “I need to get back out there before Tyler starts looking for me. Thank you, Nick. Thank you for everything.”

  Chapter Nine

  If ever Brynn needed a reminder that her life had turned out exactly how it was meant to, the holiday concert served that purpose.

  Not only had she been surrounded by friends the moment she and Remi walked back into the throng of people, but Mara and Kaitlin had stayed at her side the entire night. They were like two sentry guards, ready to attack if anyone dared come forward to give her grief for wanting to take in the baby her late husband had fathered with one of his mistresses.

  Tyler had bounced up to her before the start of the concert, seemingly unaware people might have a reason to frown on her decision to keep Remi. He’d proudly introduced his two best friends to his new sister.

  To Brynn’s surprise, several parents she knew from the elementary school also approached to coo and fuss over the baby. Remi preened under the attention, offering charming baby smiles, then tucking her head against Brynn’s shoulder when she felt shy. By the time the music started with “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town,” she felt far more relaxed than she had in a long time.

  She purposely didn’t look around to make eye contact with anyone who might not approve of her decision. Instead, the knowledge that she had a core group of people to support her bolstered her confidence. In addition to Mara and Kaitlin, Parker and Finn stayed close. She could feel Nick behind her even though she didn’t turn around.

  As the popular holiday songs and carols continued, she could sense the audience was totally enamored with the performance. Although the show was free, they were accepting donations to go toward a spring break trip for the honor choir. After three songs, Martin paused to introduce the soloists and give background on the choir, including a plug for donations.

  Then Josh took the makeshift stage to thank everyone for coming and for the support of Dennison Mill. As Brynn had worked out with the business owners, he announced a calendar of daily discounts for the different shops and explained that the mill would be donating to various local charities as a thank-you to each group performing throughout the holiday season, including five-hundred dollars toward the choir’s spring break trip.

  Brynn smiled as the students on stage cheered and the crowd applauded. This was exactly the reaction she’d wanted. Part of her plan to make the Dennison Mill project a success was positioning them as a community partner.

  “I’d also like to give a special shout-out to the person whose tireless work has made all of this holiday hoopla possible.”

  “Oh, no,” Brynn whispered, starting to take a step away.

  “You can’t run away,” Nick said, his breath warm against her ear. He placed a steadying hand on her lower back. “You’ve earned this.”

  Blood pounded in her head as Brynn listened to Josh’s praise. She knew she was doing a good job, or at least trying her best. But Brynn wasn’t used to being singled out in this manner.

  If people weren’t looking at her before, she was the center of attention now. Tyler stepped closer and even Remi seemed to notice, pausing as she sucked on her pacifier.

  When Josh finished, the thunderous round of applause had tears pricking the backs of her eyes. Yet, she could also imagine the comments and quest
ions that would come as she stood there holding a baby who didn’t yet belong to her.

  “Keep smiling,” Mara told her, as if sensing her nerves.

  Kaitlin wrapped an arm around Brynn’s shoulder. “We’re all so proud of you.”

  Brynn mouthed a thank-you to Josh and then the concert continued. She felt both proud and overwhelmed.

  “Let me take her for a minute,” Nick said when Remi began to squirm. Mara was watching as Parker danced with Evie and Anna, and Finn had wrapped his arms around Kaitlin, gently swaying to a holiday classic.

  She forced herself to meet his gaze as he lifted the baby from her arms. “Everyone is going to be talking about me.”

  “Because you kicked butt here tonight.”

  “That’s not the reason, and we both know it.”

  His gaze gentled and he quickly squeezed her fingers. Subtly, so no one watching would notice. “I thought you were done caring about what other people thought about you.”

  “I was at the moment we discussed it.” She rolled her eyes. “I wish it were so easy to stay strong.”

  “I know,” he said quietly, and the understanding in his tone was a bigger comfort than she could have guessed. “I also know you’re not perfect. Remember, I was the one who watched you fling boogers across the room while we played video games.”

  “Oh. My. God. I never flung boogers.” Brynn shoved him, but it was like trying to move a mountain. His strength reminded her he’d changed as much as she had over the years.

  “If only we’d had camera phones back in the day.”

  At that moment, the choir began a rousing rendition of “All I Want for Christmas.” Remi let out a squeal of delight, pumping her arms and legs.

  Tyler grinned at the baby. “Is this one your favorite, Remi?” he asked in a singsong voice.

  More squealing and toothless grins came from the girl.

  Tyler smiled at Brynn. “I knew she’d tell us her favorite.”

  “Wow.” Brynn placed a hand on her son’s head. “You know her well, bud.” She shared a look with Nick, who appeared as flabbergasted as she felt that Remi indeed seemed to have an opinion on a favorite Christmas song.

  The baby giggled as Nick began to sing along with the choir, sliding back and forth as he danced with her.

  Tyler and his friends sang, too, along with Anna and Evie.

  Brynn’s breath caught because she was happy in a way she hadn’t been for as long as she could remember. She knew things wouldn’t always feel as easy as they did at this moment. The push and pull of disappointment and joy were familiar companions to her, both of them a comfort in their own way.

  But she’d also been through enough to grasp on to pure happiness when it offered itself up like the bloom of a Christmas cactus, a wonderful surprise after so many months of lying dormant. Instead of worrying about what tomorrow might bring, she began to sing along, letting the words of the song remind her of the magic of the season.

  * * *

  The clock on the nightstand read 4:30 a.m. when Nick woke Monday morning to the sound of his cell phone’s insistent ringing.

  Groggy with sleep, he picked up the device, his gut clenching when he read the name of the incoming caller.

  “Barrett,” he said, as he accepted the call from Starlight’s fire chief. “What happened?”

  “She’s okay,” Kellen Barrett answered, then coughed as if he’d inhaled smoke. “They’re both okay, Nick.”

  Nick’s mind raced with the possibilities of what the other man wasn’t telling him. “Who?” he demanded. “What the hell is going on, Chief?”

  “There was a fire at Brynn Hale’s house tonight. We think it started when a faulty strand of lights overloaded an electrical socket.”

  Nick let out a stream of curses so colorful it would have made a hardened sailor blush.

  “I’m going to need you to keep it together,” Kel said on a sigh. “You two are close—or whatever you’d call it—so I thought you’d want to know.”

  “Yeah.” Nick was out of the bed and pulling on a pair of jeans. “I’ll get over there as soon as I can. You’re sure Brynn and Tyler—”

  “Shell-shocked but fine. The fire spread to the kitchen before we could contain it, so the main floor of the house is a mess, but no one was hurt.”

  “Thanks for the call, Kel,” Nick said. “I’m on my way.”

  He grabbed a sweatshirt from the chair next to his dresser and was halfway down the hall when he realized he couldn’t go anywhere without Remi.

  He blew out a shaky breath and thumped his fist against his forehead. In his panic over Brynn, he’d almost forgotten the baby in his care.

  What kind of an idiot forgot a baby?

  Brynn would have his head if he disturbed the girl’s sleep, so he punched in Finn’s number. He and Kaitlin lived closer to town than Parker, so they could be at Nick’s house sooner.

  His friend picked up on the third ring, sounding as sleepy as Nick had felt a few minutes earlier. Like Nick, Finn woke up immediately as he explained the situation in succinct sentences. They disconnected, and Nick paced the length of his first floor, imagining the fear that Brynn and Tyler must have felt to wake up to their house in flames. His heart twisted as a thousand horrible might-have-beens raced through his mind.

  He tried calling her twice, but both times it went straight to voice mail. For all he knew, her phone was still inside the house. Kel wouldn’t lie about her being fine, but Nick would only feel secure when he saw her for himself.

  It felt like hours before he heard Finn’s car pull up to his house, but in reality only eight minutes had passed.

  Finn and Kaitlin rushed toward the front of the house as Nick opened the door. “I’ll try to be back before she wakes up. In case I’m not, there’s formula in the fridge, and I put the dry rice cereal she has for breakfast in a bowl on the counter. Just add water to that and heat the bottle—”

  “I’ve got it,” Kaitlin interrupted, placing a hand on Nick’s arm. “Go.”

  With a terse nod, he headed for the garage.

  “Give us any updates you can,” Finn called after him.

  “Take care of her,” Kaitlin added.

  With my life, he promised silently.

  The few minutes it took to get to her house felt like an eternity. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and glanced at his phone every few seconds. Maybe a text would come through. Another call. He needed to hear her voice.

  As he drove through Starlight’s darkened streets, Nick noticed how many houses had left their lights on overnight. Plastic holiday figures still glowed in the night, and he could see a number of Christmas trees shining from front windows. He’d need to talk to Kel about posting to the town’s social media accounts about holiday-decorating safety.

  As he rounded the corner to the block on Maple Lane where Brynn lived, the glow of a fire truck’s lights flashed ahead of him. His heart stuttered at the sight of an ambulance parked at the curb. He parked directly behind the emergency vehicle, then jumped out of the truck.

  “Sir?” A young man, who Nick didn’t recognize, wearing a firefighter’s uniform approached him. “You can’t be—”

  “It’s fine, Jacob. Chief Dunlap belongs here.”

  The firefighter enthusiastically nodded. “Sorry, Chief.”

  Nick nodded to the young man and then turned his attention to Kel. “Where is she?”

  “Tyler wanted to check out the control panel on the ladder truck. They’re on the far side.”

  Nick stared at the house as he moved past the two firefighters. It looked normal from the exterior, other than the firefighters moving in and out.

  He walked around the front of the fire truck, his heart hammering, then stopped in his tracks. Brynn stood next to the truck with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was
tucked behind her ears and she had a gray smudge of soot across one cheek. And she was smiling. Not a fake stiff grin like she was struggling to hold it together.

  He took another step forward and saw Tyler flipping instrument levers while two firefighters stood nearby.

  “Brynn.”

  She turned at the sound of his voice and for a brief instant the emotion that appeared in her gaze overwhelmed him. He saw fear and vulnerability and she swiped at the corner of one eye even as she forced a smile back into place.

  “I’m okay,” she whispered.

  He walked forward, laughing that he’d thought it would be enough to see that she was fine and hear her voice. He needed more. He needed to—

  She met him halfway. The blanket fell to the ground as he gathered her close. Once again, she fit perfectly in his arms.

  “You’re okay,” he said into her hair, which smelled like smoke.

  “I just said that,” she told him with a shaky laugh.

  He leaned back, cupping her hand between his palms. “Don’t scare me again.”

  He saw her throat work as she swallowed. “I woke up and smelled smoke. It was heavy, Nick, like sand in the air. The smoke alarms went off a moment later. I don’t know what took so long. Tyler was still asleep. I had to pull him from the bed.”

  “You did a good job, honey.”

  She shook her head. “The flames were everywhere. Or at least that’s what it seemed like. There was heat and smoke, and I didn’t know if we’d make it out.” Her body went stiff in his arms. “Maybe I’m exaggerating, but that’s what it felt like to me. It felt so hot, Nick. And I’d done it.”

  “You didn’t set fire to your house, Brynn. You can’t blame yourself.”

  “Of course I can.” Her eyes went even wider. “I was the one who left the lights on and plugged so many of them into one outlet. Lights that shouldn’t have been strung up in the first place.”