Second Chance Christmas--A Clean Romance

by Rula Sinara

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  DAMON CARRIED THREE boxes of pastries up the front steps of The Turtleback Bed-and-Breakfast. It was more than Melanie had ordered from the bakery, but he couldn’t resist adding in some of his favorites, just in case Caden liked them, too. He had offered to deliver the order, since he had planned on showing up for breakfast at the B and B. He hoped the extra sugar would help win Caden over. A peace offering of sorts. He also hadn’t forgotten that Zuri had a powerful sweet tooth and couldn’t say no to anything that involved strawberries.

  He balanced the boxes in one hand and rapped at the door before letting himself in.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  Melanie was setting up for breakfast with Sara’s help. He almost thought Zuri and Caden had slept in—maybe to avoid him—but she stepped out from behind the wall that separated the kitchen from the rest of the living space. Melanie shifted her gaze between them but didn’t say a word.

  “Hi.” Her tone was flat. “Caden’s still upstairs.”

  “Okay.”

  He was second-guessing the breakfast strategy. Had she told Melanie what the relationship was between them? Because he hadn’t. He did explain it to the sheriff, but Carlos Ryker wasn’t a talker. Carlos and the town veterinarian, Grayson Zale, were two of his closest friends. Carlos had served in the air force and Gray had completed vet school through the army, though he’d also worked in the navy’s marine mammal program before ending up in witness protection. If Carlos had been able to keep Gray’s identity a secret until the threat on his life had been neutralized, then he could be trusted with Damon’s recent paternity news.

  “You brought my favorite! Thanks, Mr. Woods,” Sara said, opening the first box full of almond croissants.

  “I can’t take credit. Your grandma ordered those. I take it, just for you.” Sara skipped over to her grandmother and planted a kiss on her cheek. “This box here has what I picked out,” Damon said.

  He set the box on the table where Melanie was putting everything on antique china. She claimed that if she ever served guests out of boxes, her late husband would roll in his grave. Zuri’s lips parted when she peered into the box.

  “Strawberry shortcakes?” She narrowed her eyes at him. He smiled.

  “Darla actually calls them Strawberry Seacakes. Most of her items at the bakery are given ocean-related names. Like “Crab Claws” instead of “Bear Claws.” It’s part of her marketing.”

  The stairs creaked and Caden appeared. He was walking differently or something. Did he look taller? Older? Overnight?

  “Good morning,” Damon said.

  “Yeah. Whatever.” Caden shrugged without making eye contact.

  “Hungry?” Zuri asked. Damon noticed she didn’t call the boy out on rudeness. At least she understood the boy probably needed food the way she needed coffee first thing. What teenager didn’t wake up famished?

  “Hey. You’ve gotta try these,” Sara said.

  The corner of Caden’s mouth lifted and he was at the table in seconds. Right by Sara’s side. So that’s how it is. He took the piece of almond croissant Sara had ripped off of hers and held out and he popped it in his mouth, nodding in approval. But then he reached for a Crab Claw pastry. Damon’s favorite. Something akin to pride and awe, or maybe it was validation, filled his chest.

  Damon stepped behind the chair where Zuri sat, closing her eyes with every bite of Strawberry Seacake, and grabbed a Crab Claw for himself. He took a bite and wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand—freezing for a second when he noticed Caden doing the same thing at the same time. Even Zuri paused midbite when she caught them in the act. It had to be a coincidence. Granted, he’d read about behavioral genetics and all, but really? Zuri wiped her lips with a napkin.

  “This is so good. Thank you,” she said, taking a sip of the fresh coffee Melanie had just poured in her cup.

  “I’m going to need your help later, Caden. If you don’t mind and if it’s okay with your aunt,” Damon said.

  The boy frowned and stopped chewing.

  “Why?” he asked, before swallowing.

  “It’s Duck. I couldn’t get her to leave the house this morning for a jog on the beach. I think it’s her way of insisting that she’d rather play fetch with you.”

  Okay, so it was a white lie. Duck would live in the wet sand if she could and it had taken some effort to get her back inside after a quick potty break, instead of resuming their usual morning routine of a run and some training. He never had trouble getting her outside. Inside was another matter. But the fact was, she loved kids as much as Gray’s rough collie, Laddie, who helped with story time at Castaway Books, the town’s used bookshop. “She needs a lot of exercise or she’ll start acting like a bear on sugar and caffeine.”

  Caden rolled his eyes at him.

  “You can’t tri—”

  “I’ll go with you,” Sara chimed in.

  “—trick a smart dog into walking if she doesn’t want to. But, okay. Sure. I’ll try.” Caden gave Sara a side-glance.

  Smooth save, kid. Damon cleared his throat to mask a chuckle. The power of a girl and dog. Understanding psychology was something he’d learned through his military training, not that Caden was an adversary, but he did want to get through to the boy.

  “Can I, Gram? If I help clean up?” Sara asked.

  “Of course,” Mrs. Biddle said. “If it’s all right with Mr. Woods.”

  “Absolutely,” Damon said.

  Zuri took another bite of her pastry and closed her eyes. She took another, then caught him watching her. She wiped the whipped cream off her upper lip and took another sip of coffee, pretending to ignore him. She was making up for not eating much dinner last night. Watching her brought a flood of memories from when she’d insisted he needed extra help with science outside of the school homework clinic and he would sneak snacks into the public library where they’d meet. It really made her nervous about breaking rules when he did that, but she never could resist a sweet treat. He sat down in a chair right next to her at the table.

  “I know a bribe when I see one. It’s not working, but thank you for remembering about strawberries,” she whispered, when Melanie went into the kitchen and Sara and Caden took their breakfast out on the deck, while talking about some new television series.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He finished off his claw and reached for a blueberry muffin. “I think we should try dinner at my place again. Tonight.”

  He knew it sounded like he was asking her out, but he meant for Caden. She took another bite.

  “No way. Have you forgotten his reaction last night? It’s too soon. And he wants me to take him home, so I don’t even know how long I can hold out.”

  “Tonight’s a whole day away. You saw how he agreed to walk the dog and he seems to have made a friend. I bet he’ll change his mind.”

  “I don’t doubt it. He changes it every hour about everything. But dinner with you again is a whole different matter.”

  “I have a plan and I’m betting he won’t want to leave so fast.”

  “What is it?” She folded her arms and lowered her chin.

  “You don’t trust me?”

  She raised one brow at him and gave a look that he’d only ever seen from his mother and a few teachers. It wasn’t really a question, so much as a statement, but she was making it clear that she didn’t. She was just waiting for him to mess up.

  “Never mind. But I think my place tonight is a good idea. I already have the Crock-Pot going. Pot roast.”

  “I don’t know. I’ll think about it. Let’s see how your Duck trick works first and how the rest of the day goes.”

  “Fine. Dinner will be waiting. Oh, and I ordered a strawberry cheesecake for dessert. I hope that’s okay.”

  “You’re evil. Downright dangerous.”

  �
�Guess that depends on perception and whose side you’re on. If I recall correctly, you didn’t mind my willingness to take risks when it meant cookies and candy bars in the library.”

  Her cheeks turned beet red. She was still easy to fluster. Only he used to be too immature to understand how mean it was to flirt with her when they were teens. Mean, yes, but on some level that he had refused to acknowledge and tried to hide, it had been genuine. He had needed her in his life. His other friends had hung around him because they knew his family was well-off and he could afford to pay their way whenever they wanted to go to the theater or out to eat or any other entertainment. When he had cut himself off from family for a year or so, trying to figure life out, those friends had disappeared.

  Real friends didn’t care if you were popular or had money. Real friends were the ones who supported you and stuck with you when the going got tough. Like his SEAL mates. Like Carlos and Gray and his other friends in Turtleback Beach. Like Zuri back in high school when his family struggles had caused his grades to plummet and threaten his position on the school’s cross-country team.

  And here she was right back in his life doing what she thought was right. He didn’t deserve to have her in his life. He didn’t have a right to fluster or tease her. But he loved seeing her blush. She’d always been the kind of girl who was pretty but didn’t know it. It was refreshing. He was just trying to reminisce. He wasn’t trying to be mean or misleading.

  “Some things were a little too scary, even for big brave guys like you,” she quipped. He nodded and couldn’t hide his smile. Wow, she really had changed. Timid Zuri Woods had it in her after all. Standing up for herself like that. Confidence looked good on her. And she was right. He had been scared to death of falling for a girl like her back then. Of commitment.

  He leaned in.

  “Fear is a primal emotion that works like a survival instinct. It keeps us safe. Warns us to protect ourselves.”

  Something shifted in her face. She brushed her hands clean of crumbs and scooted her chair back. He took the hint and gave her space. He regretted what had happened in high school. He regretted making her mad right now. He wasn’t perfect, but he wanted her to understand where he was coming from. That he was being sincere. That he’d learned a thing or two in life, just as she had. They weren’t kids anymore.

  “Self-preservation. Spoken like a man who understands science.”

  “I understand a lot of things.”

  She glanced up at Caden and Sara as they came back inside to refill their plates, then head back out.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  She got up and followed her nephew out onto the deck. Self-preservation. It took an exorbitant amount of trust and courage to overcome fear. He knew that trust was almost impossible to earn once broken. Chances were that Zuri would never trust him again. He wasn’t even sure if he’d ever earn his son’s trust. However, he had faced worse odds. The kind where he had been one hundred percent certain he wouldn’t come out of a mission alive. Yet he was still living and breathing. The only sure way to fail at something was to give up without trying. He had to at least try to make things right—make up for the past—for the kid’s sake. The boy didn’t need to put up with a father and aunt who didn’t get along. Damon knew family arguments could really take their toll.

  “I like her,” Melanie said, as if Damon needed a second opinion. He shrugged noncommittally.

  “Sara seems glad to have someone her age around,” Damon said.

  Melanie refilled his coffee mug and sat at the table next to him.

  “She does. As much as I hate to admit it, hanging with Granny twenty-four-seven can’t be all that fun. I bet that boy is just as happy as Sara to have a friend around. It takes some burden off Zuri, too. It can’t be easy raising a tween boy on her own.”

  Damon cradled his mug and stared outside. Melanie didn’t know the half of it. Vera had been a single mom. He took a swig of coffee but it suddenly tasted bitter. The anger he’d felt earlier bubbled up in his chest.

  “No, I guess it’s not.”

  The fact that Vera had been a single mother with no financial support from him—a fact he would remedy as soon as possible—and news of her passing were devastating. And he was furious that Zuri, who used to be the one person he could count on when homelife during his high school years had been so unstable, hadn’t told him the truth all these years. But he did understand sister loyalty and he had to give her credit for being here now. For telling him the truth. Yes, he had regrets about the past and Vera, but he had a son for it and he wasn’t going to let anyone take him out of his life again...even if he wasn’t sure how to let anyone into a life that revolved around a secret he’d worked so hard to keep. All he knew right now was that he was a father and if it weren’t for Caden, who knew if he’d have ever seen Zuri again. Maybe Caden wasn’t the only person here he needed to get through to. There was Zuri, standing next to his son in the morning light, looking more serious and beautiful than he remembered. If what she said was true that everything in life was supposed to happen for a reason, then maybe...just maybe...he was being handed a second chance.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  ZURI HATED LEAVING all her research and grant applications on hold, but she couldn’t be two places at once and her nephew had to come first. She had explained her situation to the university’s chemistry department head more than once and had cleared her vacation time, yet here he was sending her emails reiterating grant deadlines and the department’s upcoming considerations for tenure track—a department that was notoriously male-dominated. In fact, the two other candidates were guys. She was the only female professor whose research had her being considered for tenure track and, as politically correct as the department head, Dr. Farthan, always was, the sexist undercurrent, as well as racial microaggressions, were always there.

  Having grown up with mixed Jordanian-Mexican heritage, she was used to it—a fact that said a lot about how things that were so wrong in life could become wrongfully normalized. She hated it, along with the fact that, although Caden didn’t have to deal with the sexist part, she’d witnessed his mom having to caution him because he was a minority.

  Vera had never mentioned to him that he had African American heritage as well, though, a choice Zuri had disagreed with and had implored her to change her mind about, but Vera had been afraid he’d start narrowing down people from town or photos in yearbooks. As far as Zuri was concerned, it was wrong. Caden deserved to know. He needed to know, so that he could embrace his heritage from both sides. She knew it went against Vera’s wishes, but Zuri wanted him to feel empowered and proud and to understand why the recent Black Lives Matter movement he was seeing on the news was so important. The bottom line was that no kid should have to be careful or fearful because of their DNA. It was sick. Not right. She wanted a better world for Caden. All kids deserved better.

  And adults did, as well. Dealing with work politics and dynamics was exhausting but necessary.

  Zuri’s mother had always said that it was up to her to stake her claim on who she was and who she wanted to be in life and how she wanted to be perceived, before anyone decided for her or labeled her. She had to demand respect in this world. That’s why success and this tenure path were so important to her. It was why her parents had been driven to earn the utmost respect in their medical fields and why they’d always insisted that their daughters put their education first. They had been torn apart when they had learned about their eldest’s pregnancy, but Zuri had to give them credit for coming to terms with it quickly and for supporting Vera all the way.

  They’d all helped with Caden after he was born, so that Vera could earn her degree in special education. They’d all stepped in when illness had ended her career. Zuri had done whatever she could to help. Their parents, unable to be there in person, still assisted financially and came to visit when they could. That’s what family was about.
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  She couldn’t let herself get pressured into scrambling her priorities. She slapped her laptop shut. Forget emailing Farthan back. She grabbed her cell and hit his contact number. One thing she’d learned was that Dr. Farthan tended to be annoyingly bolder in emails, but when he was put on the spot, either verbally or face-to-face, he tended to pull back.

  “Hello. Zuri?” Clearly he had her in his contacts, too.

  “Hi, Dr. Farthan. Sor—” She almost apologized for bothering him but cut herself off. Why did women do that? Feel the need to say sorry all the time? Zuri used to be awful about it. Not that she was rude now. There was a time for politeness, but not with a man who had proven time and time again that he took it as a sign of weakness. Be bold. Stand your ground. “I got your email.”

  “Ah, yes. I wanted to be sure you hadn’t forgotten dates and that we’re good on the schedule. I didn’t mean to intrude on your family time. I didn’t call because I knew email could be set aside for your convenience.”

  The backing off. The semi-sincere consideration. Ugh. It was a good thing he couldn’t see the look on her face. It had only been a couple of days since she got off work...giving herself extra time to pack and travel.

  “Yes, I’m fully aware. It was made clear in our last meeting and in my written request for time off, as well as in your first email of the last three. I assure you, it’s on my calendar and in my cell phone ‘reminders.’ That’s why I’m calling instead of replying to your mail. I wanted to be sure there wasn’t any misunderstanding over my time off for family. I will be back at work as planned.”

  “Good. Good. I figure it doesn’t hurt to confirm.”

  Seriously? Why did it feel like he was setting things up so that he’d look like he’d given her extra chances and wasn’t playing favorites if a man ended up getting the position?