“You don’t need to,” Bailey said. “Molly and Dylan went to bed a few minutes ago.”
“On their own?” Most nights, Emma had to read the twins a long bedtime story before they closed their eyes.
Bailey smiled. “They weren’t exactly on their own. The kittens were with them.”
“I was the same when my family adopted a kitten,” Kylie said. “Once the novelty wears off, life will go back to normal.”
“I don’t mind,” said Emma. “Looking after the kittens is teaching them to be patient and kind.” She checked her watch. In another few minutes, she would make sure they were okay. “I can’t believe the twins are starting first grade tomorrow.”
“Before you know it, they’ll be at college.” Kylie grinned. “And we’ll still be meeting to talk about fundraising ideas for the church.”
“Talking about fundraising ideas…” Bailey opened the project plan for the Christmas carol competition. “I made a list of the local choirs. Did you know Sapphire Bay has eight singing groups?”
“There are a lot more in Polson,” Kylie added. “It could be a big event.”
Emma opened another document on her laptop. “I’ve made a folder of the emails John has received from singing groups in Montana. They’ve all been asking about the competition.”
Bailey’s eyes widened. “I thought there would only be six or seven choirs.”
“There’ll be a few more than that,” Kylie said. “But don’t worry. By the time the competition starts, Emma, John, and I will be able to give you a hand.”
“And possibly Mabel, Willow, and Jack,” Emma added.
“How is Jack?” Kylie asked. “I haven’t seen him for a while.”
Emma couldn’t hide her smile. “He’s busy working on a complicated case, but he’s still in Sapphire Bay. We’re taking the twins to school tomorrow.”
Kylie sighed. “When a man goes to the first day of school with your children, it’s serious.”
Emma leaned her elbows on the table, wanting to share how she was feeling with her friends. “After Mark left, I was determined to stand on my own two feet. I didn’t want to rely on anyone again. But sharing our lives with Jack feels so right.”
Bailey grinned. “It sounds like Cupid has struck again.”
With a sigh, Emma studied her laptop. “You’re right, but thinking about Cupid won’t help us with the carol competition. Do you want to talk about what’s happening on the day of the event?”
Bailey pulled out a folder. “I’ve been working on a timetable. I can alter it to fit the number of entries we have.”
Emma and Kylie moved around the table to look at the spreadsheet.
“This is great,” Emma murmured. “You’ve thought of everything.”
“I don’t know about everything, but it’s a start.”
As Bailey went through the event, line by line, a deep sense of pride filled Emma. After spending a lot of time putting together the entire Christmas program, everything was finally coming together.
After they were finished, the tiny home village would get a much-needed injection of cash and a lot of people would be happy. And that, more than anything, was why Emma was volunteering so much of her time.
Jack parked his truck in Emma’s driveway and checked the time. It was only seven-thirty in the morning, but Molly and Dylan needed to be at school in an hour. At least this way they’d know he hadn’t forgotten about them.
He could still remember when he started first grade. He’d filled his backpack with a new Spiderman lunch box and drink bottle. When he arrived in the classroom, everything had seemed so big and intimidating. If it weren’t for Noah being at the same school, he didn’t know how he would have survived the day.
As he stepped out of the truck, the front door of Emma’s house swung open.
Molly rushed onto the veranda. “Jack!”
A white blur of fur ran after her.
Molly stopped suddenly, gathered Snowflake into her arms and grinned at Jack.
“You’ve lost another tooth!”
“It fell out when I was eating breakfast. Dylan said I’m going to be rich.”
Jack didn’t know about rich, but she was definitely cute. “It was good that it fell out this morning and not while you were at school.”
“That’s what Mommy said. Do kittens lose their teeth?”
“I don’t know. We’ll have to look on the Internet.”
“If they do have wobbly teeth, there might be a tooth fairy just for kittens.”
Jack smiled and stroked the top of Snowflake’s head. “Did the kittens keep you awake last night?”
Molly shook her head. “They were real quiet until Mommy woke up. Then they pounced all over us until we got out of bed.”
Dylan met them on the garden path. “Hi, Jack. Did Molly show you the hole where her tooth used to be?”
“She did. Have you got any wobbly teeth?”
“No,” he said sadly. “But Molly said she’ll buy me something special with her tooth fairy money.”
“We’re going to Sweet Treats after school. I’m buying lots and lots of candy.”
Jack followed the twins into their home. “It sounds as though you’ve got an exciting day ahead of you.” When they were in the living room, he took two small gifts out of the bag he was carrying. “If you’ve got one of these for school, you could keep this gift at home.”
Molly looked to see if the front door was closed before placing her kitten on the floor. “I like the wrapping paper.”
Jack had hunted through the supply of paper at the general store. Right at the back of the shelf was a sheet of purple gift-wrapping paper with pictures of cats across it.
Dylan carefully pulled the last piece of tape off his present. Lying between sheets of tissue paper was a purple pencil case with stars and planets printed on the fabric.
Molly’s pencil case had a pink and purple cat design. “You got us colored pencils, too,” she said excitedly. “They’re just like the ones we saw in town.”
Dylan wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist. “Thank you.”
“That’s okay, buddy. You and Molly will have a great day at school.”
“I want to stay here with Patch.”
“He’ll still be here when you get home,” Emma said from the doorway.
Jack turned and smiled. It didn’t matter what time of the day or night he saw her, Emma took his breath away. “Good morning. I hope I’m not too early.”
“Your timing couldn’t be better. Would you like a cup of coffee before we drive into town?”
“I’d love one.”
“Look what Jack bought us,” Molly said. “Can we take these pencil cases to school instead of our other ones?”
Emma nodded. “While you’re changing over the pencil cases, you can put your lunch boxes in your bags, too.”
While the twins raced around the house getting everything ready, Jack walked into the kitchen with Emma. He smelled the sweet scent of cinnamon and sighed. “Your kitchen always reminds me of my grandparents’ house. Grandma always seemed to have a tray of cookies baking in the oven.”
“I baked something nice for Dylan and Molly to put in their lunch boxes. But I had to be careful what I made.”
“Because of allergies?”
Emma nodded. “And also because the school has a healthy eating policy. The cranberry and apricot bars have almost no added sugar, no chocolate, and they’re gluten and dairy free.” She took a container out of the pantry. “You can try a piece, if you like.”
“I’d love some. I’ll make the coffee.”
Emma took two plates out of the cupboard. “Did your staff find the missing person you told me about?”
“Not yet, but we have a few more leads than we did last week.” A fifty-two-year-old businessman had disappeared without a trace. Jack still wasn’t sure if he’d deliberately left his family and career behind or if something more sinister had happened. “The police are investigating a
couple of sightings of him but, more often than not, they don’t lead to anything.”
“It’s not easy finding someone when they don’t want to be found.”
Jack poured two cups of coffee and sat at the kitchen counter. “Have you heard from Mark?”
“He called the twins last night to wish them all the best for today.” Emma cradled her cup of coffee in her hands. “I wish he hadn’t stayed out of Molly and Dylan’s lives for so long.”
“At least he wants to get to know them now.”
“I suppose so.”
Jack frowned. “Are you worried about him contacting the twins?”
“I worry about everything to do with my children.” She sighed. “Mark isn’t the same person I married. I guess I’m a little uneasy about what the future holds.”
“I imagine that’s normal. Are your parents happy he’s back?”
Emma looked over her shoulder at the kitchen door. She was probably making sure the twins weren’t around. “Mom and Dad have never forgiven him for leaving so suddenly. They’re the reason I contacted my lawyer so quickly after Mark visited us. Otherwise, I’d be even more worried about him wanting custody of the twins.”
“Has he signed the parenting agreement?”
Emma nodded.
“Then you’re safer than you were five weeks ago.”
“You’re right.” Emma looked at the clock on the oven. “We’ll need to leave soon and I still need to get my laptop ready. Will you be okay while I—”
“Dad’s here,” Molly yelled from the living room. “Dylan! Dad’s here.”
Emma’s mouth dropped open. “It can’t be Mark. He told me he was too busy at the lake to go anywhere.” She walked into the living room and, even from where Jack stood, he could see her shoulders stiffen.
“What are you doing here?”
Emma sounded more surprised than annoyed. Jack wasn’t sure he would have been quite so forgiving.
Mark untangled Molly and Dylan’s arms from around his neck. “I hope you don’t mind. I’ve missed a lot in the twin’s lives and I didn’t want to…”
Jack moved farther into the room.
Mark’s eyes widened. “Jack?”
“Hi. You must have left before sunrise to be in Sapphire Bay at this time of the morning.”
“I caught an early United flight. I didn’t realize you’d be here.”
That much was obvious. “Molly and Dylan asked if I’d come to school with them.”
Mark didn’t look impressed.
“And we’re ready,” Molly said excitedly. “What about Snowflake and Patch? Where will they go?”
Emma looked at the kittens. “We’ll leave them in the laundry room with their blanket, some toys, and a bowl of water. They’ll be okay until I come home.”
“We changed their litter box this morning,” Dylan said. “So that’s nice and clean.”
“Well done.” Emma picked up the two wriggling kittens. “I’ll put these two away and then it’s time to leave.”
Jack wondered if Emma’s hurried exit had more to do with Mark being here than with taking the kittens to the laundry room. Fortunately, Dylan and Molly were too busy talking to their dad to feel the uncomfortable undercurrents in the air.
For Emma’s sake, he hoped the parenting agreement covered unexpected visits. Otherwise, the rest of her life could be filled with a whole lot of surprises.
Emma knew she should have been more charitable, but she couldn’t help the thoughts racing through her mind. Mark said he was in Sapphire Bay to see the twins start first grade. But, so far, he’d seemed more interested in studying Emma and Jack than being part of his children’s morning.
As soon they arrived at the school, the twins were caught up in the excitement of talking with their friends and discovering their new classroom.
Dylan had confidently introduced them to Fred, his teacher’s hairy black spider. Molly stayed far away, preferring the comfort of the reading corner to the company of the spider.
While Jack sat beside Molly, admiring the books she’d found on the reading table, Mark knelt beside Dylan, discussing Fred’s eating habits.
Emma stood halfway between everyone, wanting to give each of her children a chance to show Jack and Mark what they liked about their classroom.
“It’s a big day, isn’t it?”
Emma pulled her gaze back to Bernadette, the twins’ new teacher. “It is. Molly and Dylan haven’t stopped talking about coming to school.”
“I’ve got a feeling they’ll be very happy here. Molly said you posted the message on Facebook about Sapphire Bay’s Christmas events.”
“That’s right.”
“One of the people who replied to your post asked Santa for a steamboat ride on Flathead Lake. My grandparents used to take me on the lake all the time and talk about the old steamboats. Grandma and Granddad died a long time ago, but there’s a really good tour people can take that tells you about the history of steamboats in this area. Can I donate a family pass for the tour to the person who left the message?”
“That’s really generous of you, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to find them.”
“Can you check? It would mean a great deal to me.”
Emma nodded. “We made a list of all the Christmas wishes and ideas people sent us. I’ll do my best to find them.”
“That’s wonderful, thank you. I’m sending my contact details home with each of the children. You’re more than welcome to call me if you find the person.”
Molly joined Emma and Bernadette. “Hi, Ms. Oliver. I’ve been looking at the new books.”
“If you find a story you like, you could take it home with you this afternoon.”
“Like a library?”
“Just like a library.” Bernadette checked her watch and smiled. “I’d better remind everyone that school starts in five minutes. Otherwise, your moms and dads will be staying to learn the alphabet.”
“That’s okay,” Molly said as she held Emma’s hand. “Mommy has been showing Dylan and me how to read. She could help someone else, too.”
Emma gently squeezed Molly’s hand. “I’m leaving soon, but bring one of the books home. We can read it together.”
“Okay. If you want to go now, I’ll be all right. I can play with my friend Dorothea.”
Emma was so proud of her little girl. She gave Molly a big hug. “Have a wonderful day. I’ll be here after school when the bell rings.”
“Bye, Mommy.”
Taking a deep breath, Emma walked across to Dylan. Mark and Jack were sitting beside him, listening to something another little boy was saying.
She didn’t think it would be this hard to leave the twins, but this was the beginning of a new part of their lives. Before she knew it, they’d be going to college, spreading their wings even farther than Sapphire Bay. Was it irrational to miss them already?
When Dylan saw her, he leapt to his feet. “Guess what?”
“You’re going to make a Lego spider when you get home?”
“Nope. Dad’s going to spend more time with us.”
Emma’s gaze shot to Mark. “That’s nice.”
“He’s going to take me and Molly fishing and stuff. You could come, too.” Dylan’s eyes shone with excitement.
She tried to be happy for him, she really did. But it would take a long time for her to fully trust her ex-husband. And the last thing she wanted was for Dylan and Molly to be hurt by promises Mark couldn’t keep.
She hugged her son tight. “Fishing sounds like fun, but it’s time for us to go.”
Dylan’s face dropped. If he started crying, Emma’s eyes would fill will tears. Then Molly would start crying and everyone would be upset. “You’ll have an amazing day. I’ll be here when school ends.”
Dylan sighed. “Okay.” Turning to his dad, he gave him a hug, then wrapped his arms around Jack. “Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it,” Jack said with a smile. “Enjoy the day with you
r friends.”
Dylan’s solemn nod tore at Emma’s heart. She gave him another quick hug, checked that Molly was happy, then glanced at Jack and Mark.
Without saying anything, Jack stood and held Emma’s hand. “Bye, Dylan.”
“Bye.”
Silently, Emma left the classroom.
“They’ll be okay,” Jack reassured her.
“I know they will. But they’re growing up so fast.”
“Your mom and dad probably felt the same way when you started first grade.”
“And look at me now.” Emma sighed.
When they reached the parking lot, Mark took his keys out of his pocket. “Can we talk?”
“Sure. If you want to come back to my house, we could talk there. But we’ll need to be finished by ten o’clock.”
“It shouldn’t take too long. I’ll meet you there. Bye, Jack.”
Jack nodded and watched Mark walk to his rental. “Will you be all right?”
She didn’t need to ask what Jack meant. He was as worried about her as she was about the twins. “I’ll be fine. I wanted to speak to Mark, anyway.”
“Did you have any idea he was coming to Sapphire Bay?”
Emma shook her head. “What I don’t understand is why he didn’t call. I want him to be a part of Dylan and Molly’s lives, but we’d agreed on how we would do it. Turning up out of nowhere wasn’t part of our plan.”
As they walked toward her truck, Emma hoped her parents weren’t right. They’d warned her to be careful what she wished for.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t listened.
Emma sat at the kitchen table with her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee. “We have an agreement, Mark. If you weren’t happy with what we decided, you should have said something.”
Mark didn’t seem worried. “You said you wanted me to spend more time with Molly and Dylan, so here I am.”
“You should have called to make sure it was okay.”
“And given you an opportunity to say no? I wanted to see Dylan and Molly start first grade.”
Emma took a deep breath. She’d forgotten how stubborn Mark could be. Or maybe she’d changed more than she thought. “I wouldn’t have told you not to come to Sapphire Bay. But I could have let the twins know you’d be here and how long you were staying.”
Christmas On Main Street Page 15