When Megan unwrapped the adorable stuffed hedgehog, she laughed out loud.
Will winked at her. “Merry Christmas, Prickly. Oh, and I almost forgot...” He fished a smaller, professionally wrapped box out of the bag and stood to give it to her.
Inside was a beautiful silver bracelet with three charms depicting a daisy, a lily and an iris. Tears pricked her eyes. “This is gorgeous. Help me put it on?” With a couple of tries, she could’ve managed it herself, but she ached for the physical contact. He fastened the delicate chain around her wrist, then surreptitiously pressed a kiss to her palm while the girls were distracted “introducing” their new stuffed animals to each other. Afterward, Megan made Tommy a bottle to take with them while Will and the girls snacked on licorice and cookies. There was a lot of giggling and chattering as everyone climbed into the van, full of sugar and holiday spirit.
The parking lot of the church was packed, and by the time they dropped off the girls and Tommy in their age-respective nursery rooms, Megan could hear the strains of music that signaled service was starting. She walked faster toward the staircase that led up to the sanctuary.
“Rats,” she muttered, “we’re late.”
Will took her hand. “Don’t worry, Kate and Cole are saving us seats. And since we’re late already...” He surprised her by lightly pressing her against the wall and stealing a brief but thorough kiss.
When he released her, she was breathless. “I’m not sure you’re supposed to do that here.”
“I thank God for bringing you into my life, and I’d like to think He wouldn’t mind my expressing appreciation.” He gave her a boyish grin. “Now, come on, slowpoke, or we won’t make it before the final hymn.”
Fingers laced together, both wearing matching smiles, they hurried up the steps. He slipped into the sanctuary while the congregation was standing to sing “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” The Trent family all squished closer together to make room for Megan and Will in the pew. Kate flashed her a smile that was both welcoming and perceptive, as if she somehow knew about the stolen kiss. Megan darted a glance toward Will to make sure none of her lipstick was on him. Last Christmas, she’d been the mother of two-year-olds, packing to move into a new house. She’d been so tired she barely had the energy to wrap gifts, simply shoving toys into red and green bags. But now here she was, in a new town and a new life, happier than she would’ve believed possible.
Life felt almost too good to be true, which made the cautious divorcée in her nervous.
“Everything okay?” Will whispered.
She blinked. Everyone around her was standing for fellowship greeting, shaking hands and exchanging hugs. Megan hadn’t even realized it was time to rise. Belatedly, she stood. “Fine.” After that, she forced herself to push away her doubts and focus on the adorable Nativity pageant being performed by five-, six-and seven-year-olds. One of Cole’s daughters was an angel, the other was a sheep who kept baa-ing with gusto. Finally, service concluded with every member of the congregation lighting a candle and singing an a cappella version of “Silent Night.” The simple beauty of the moment made Megan feel weepy.
Rather than rush immediately for the exit once service was finished, Will’s family waited for the crowd to thin out. Megan took the opportunity to say hello to each of the Trents, since she’d come in too late to chat with them before church started.
Will’s father surprised her with a large bear hug. “Wish you could join us tomorrow. Your presence would be an added touch of class.”
Gayle raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I don’t keep a dignified home?”
He laughed. “I’m saying we need all the help we can get to counterbalance Jace.”
“Hey!” Will’s younger brother objected.
Cole gave him a reproving look. “You once tried to burp ‘Deck the Halls.’”
“I was a teenager.”
“It was a week before your twentieth birthday.”
“Nineteen is a teenager.”
Megan chuckled at their brotherly gibing. Christmas at the Trent house sounded, if possible, even more lively than Christmas with the triplets. Speaking of which... “I’d better hurry to the nursery.” Now that other parents were starting to pick up their kids, her daughters were probably getting antsy to go home and put out cookies for Santa.
Will told his family he would see them all the next day, then headed for a side door. It wasn’t easy to keep up with his long-legged stride.
“Are you trying to ditch me?” she teased.
He immediately slowed, flashing her an apologetic grin. “Hey, you’re the one who said we needed to hurry.”
“I meant more of a moderate hurry. Less emergency building evacuation, more spirited amble.”
He laughed as they rounded the corner to the three-year-old nursery room. Lily, coloring a picture just inside the door, glanced up at the sound. A huge grin spread across her face, her expression as bright as Christmas morning. “Mistah Will!” Her crayon fell to the floor as she ran toward him, arms outstretched and hair bow crooked.
He automatically knelt down to catch her, wrapping her in his strong arms. Suddenly, Megan couldn’t breathe past the lump in her throat. Noticing the commotion, Daisy and Iris came running, too. Will folded them all into a group hug. Even though Lily was already squirming away to retrieve her stuffed dog and her picture, the fact remained that Megan’s reserved daughter had sprinted toward Will with the kind of unrestrained adoration she’d only shown for a handful of people in her life. The triplets loved him.
And so do I.
Maybe, under much different circumstances, she would’ve felt joy at the revelation. But all of her emotional resources were currently tied up trying to stave off blind panic. Will Trent was a wonderful man, perhaps even the best one she’d ever met. But he wanted his bachelor freedom, had talked about dodging the bullet of serious commitment. She already had a failed marriage behind her in which she’d been more invested in the relationship than the man who’d sworn to love her; she wouldn’t set herself up for that kind of hurt again.
Worse, she wasn’t the only one who stood to get hurt. Her mother’s warnings echoed in her ears. Megan had daughters to look after, to shield from pain. They were already so attached to him, more excited about Will’s visits than seeing their own father tomorrow. How devastated would they be when Megan scared Will off by getting too serious, too fast?
I’m supposed to protect them.
She should have done a better job protecting her heart. Instead, whether he knew it or not, she’d handed it over to Will, just as heedlessly as Lily had barreled into his arms.
* * *
WILL EXCHANGED NODS with people he’d known all his life, seeing the amusement on some of their faces at the sight of him carrying a baby and surrounded by preschoolers. If anyone had told me a month ago, I never would’ve believed them. Even now he suspected that the reason he didn’t feel more self-conscious was because the situation was temporary. He cared a lot about Tommy, would be willing to risk his own life to save the baby’s, but that didn’t mean he was ready to have a baby.
Still, the thought of someday building a family no longer seemed as far-fetched as it had in recent months.
Once they reached the parking lot, Megan handed him the keys. “Do you mind driving? I...have a bit of a headache.”
That explained how preoccupied she’d seemed during the church service and the pained expression on her face as they exited the building. With the girls chattering, it was easy to miss how quiet Megan had become, but he’d started to wonder if something was bothering her.
“Of course I’ll drive.” Maybe when they got back to her place, he could make her a cup of tea or help her get the girls ready for bed.
He’d always liked the triplets; they reminded him of his beloved nieces. But for a moment back there, when li
ttle Lily had tackle-hugged him, his usual affection had amplified into something even more powerful and poignant. He suddenly realized that even though he’d brought their Christmas presents over tonight, his holiday tomorrow wouldn’t feel complete if he didn’t see them.
That’s you being selfish. The girls almost never got to spend time with their father, and Will didn’t have any right to interrupt their family holiday. But Megan had mentioned that Spencer was staying in a hotel, so maybe if Will waited until—
“You aren’t expecting your ex tonight, are you?” Will squinted at the car parked in their driveway. It was difficult to tell in the dark, but he didn’t think it belonged to anyone he knew.
“Definitely not.” Megan straightened in her seat, her expression alarmed, as if she couldn’t bear the thought of dealing with Spencer right now. “That doesn’t look like his car. Although I suppose it could be Bonnie’s.”
As Will turned into the driveway, he spotted a figure on his front porch. He did a double take, not believing his eyes at first. “It’s Amy.”
She rushed down to meet them, seeming to vibrate with nervous energy as she waited for him to open his door. She looked as if she’d gained a few healthy pounds in the last few weeks, no longer gaunt. Her expression was anxious, but her gaze was bright and alert. He hadn’t realized until just then how accustomed he’d become to the glazed look of defeat in her eyes.
Happy for her and for the progress she’d made, he enveloped her in a heartfelt hug. “Welcome back! I wish I’d known you were coming. I would’ve left you a key, instead of you sitting out in the cold.”
“I barely felt it. I was too excited about seeing Tommy again.” Her voice broke a little as she said her son’s name. “I know I still have work to do in rehab, but I just could not miss his first Christmas.”
The girls were piling out of the van now, demanding to know who Amy was.
“This is Tommy’s mama,” Megan explained, “and we should go inside so that she and Mr. Will can talk.”
Amy rounded the car to hug Megan, too. “Will said you helped take care of my son. Thank you.” Tears were starting to spill, and Will tried to catch Megan’s eye, to signal that she should stay. He wasn’t great with crying females.
Case in point, last time he’d had a crying woman in his house, she’d fled, leaving him with a baby for three weeks.
“Don’t mention it,” Megan said gently. “He’s a sweetie pie.”
Will had reached into the car to unbuckle Tommy from his seat. Should he tell Amy that the baby was crawling now, or just let her see for herself? They should also talk about Dr. Ingram adding cereal to Tommy’s diet. “Here.” He turned to Amy. “There’s someone who I’m sure would very much like to see you.”
Cradling her son against her, Amy burst into full-fledged sobs.
Casting a sympathetic glance in the younger woman’s direction, Megan told Will, “Take that girl inside and get her a glass of water and a box of tissues. Maybe some hot chocolate, if you have any.”
He nodded. “I’m so glad she’s back.” If she had missed her son’s first Christmas, he doubted she ever would have forgiven herself, even if Tommy was too young to remember it later.
“I’ll bet. Your life is finally yours again.”
He grinned at that, pleased by the prospect of not being covered in cereal or having to change diapers at four in the morning. “Just in the nick of time.” His place was barely baby-proofed enough for crawling; he couldn’t imagine how much trickier parenting would become once Tommy attempted to walk.
Megan’s expression was pained, and his relief at Amy’s return momentarily took a backseat to concern. Her headache was obviously getting worse. “Are you going to be okay? I can come over after Amy leaves if you need—”
“I can take care of myself.”
It was the prickliest she’d sounded in weeks, and he couldn’t help wondering if her crankiness was due solely to a throbbing skull. He’d almost detected...anger?
“Megan, did I do something wrong?”
“No.” She shook her head sadly. “No, you are not the problem. Now go, get that girl inside. The two of you have a lot to discuss.”
He pressed a light kiss to her forehead and turned to do as she suggested. But as he ushered Amy into the house, he couldn’t help wondering if there was also a conversation he and Megan needed to have.
* * *
AFTER THE INITIAL waterworks had passed, Amy pulled herself together pretty quickly. At first they talked at the kitchen table, where this had all started, and she told him about her rehabilitation program and how wonderful her aunt Nadine had been. But they soon moved to the living room floor, where Tommy could crawl around on the carpet with fewer obstacles.
Amy sniffed. “I can’t believe I wasn’t here when he started crawling.”
“It’s good that you got yourself off a self-destructive path. If you’d continued down that road, you might’ve missed so many more milestones. You still have a lot to look forward to—first steps, first words.” He gave her an evil grin. “Potty training.”
She laughed. “I missed him so much that, right now, even that sounds good.”
“Maybe there are ways to reduce your work hours so that you don’t miss so many moments. I was serious when I said my mother is willing to help you investigate new job possibilities.”
She leaned against the side of the sofa, her expression one of bewilderment. “I can’t get over how kind everyone in your family is. The world would be a different place if more people were like the Trents. But as much as I truly appreciate the offer, I don’t think I’m ready to come home to Cupid’s Bow just yet. Aunt Nadine is staying at the hotel out by the hospital—that’s her car I’m driving. She said mine wasn’t roadworthy.”
“She’s right,” Will said, recalling the junk heap Amy had been driving last time he saw her.
“Anyway, she and I are going to spend tomorrow with my mother, since it’s Christmas. Then I think Tommy and I will stay with Nadine for a few months. I didn’t see her very often when I was younger, because of her drug problems, but now that she’s cleaned up, she is a bona fide godsend. If I’d realized a month ago how wonderful she is, I probably would’ve taken Tommy with me and spared you all the hassle. I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.” He wasn’t just saying that to make Amy feel better, either. If Tommy hadn’t been here, if Will hadn’t so desperately needed help, he never would’ve knocked on his neighbor’s door. How would he and Megan have gotten to know each other? Or would they have remained strangers? That was a horrible thought. In a matter of weeks, she’d become one of the most important people in his life.
Without knowing it, by leaving Tommy here, Amy had given him an amazing Christmas gift—Megan Rivers and her adorable triplets.
Amy’s phone chirped a text alert, and she glanced down at the screen. She had pulled the phone out of her pocket earlier, and by Will’s count, she’d taken nine thousand pictures of Tommy since stepping into the house. “Aunt Nadine is worried about me. I guess it is starting to get late.”
“Are you okay to drive?” He knew it had been an emotional night for her.
“Will, I am the best I have been in months.”
He believed her. “If you give me the keys to your car, I’ll go set up Tommy’s seat and you can have a few more minutes to play with him.”
“And change his diaper.” She grimaced. “He smells a little ripe.”
“I will sincerely miss the little guy—you’d better visit me—but I will not miss diaper duty. Ever.”
* * *
EVEN THOUGH SOME of Tommy’s stuff was still there—Amy had said either she or her aunt would pick up the rest of it after Christmas—Will’s house felt bizarrely empty after she drove away. A couple of hours ago, he’d been in a noisy van with five other pe
ople. Now he was alone.
As the quiet settled around him, his thoughts turned back to Megan. Actually, that wasn’t quite true. She’d stayed on his mind all night, even as he’d been listening to Amy. Selfishly, he wanted to talk to Megan, see her. But what if she was asleep? Going to bed would probably be the best remedy for her headache.
Then again, it was Christmas Eve. According to his older brother, this was the night thousands of parents stayed awake to assemble presents and curse toy manufacturers. One of Cole’s more entertaining tall tales was the dramatic reenactment he did of the hours it had taken to cut free a baby doll stroller from its insane packaging and put it together.
Maybe Megan could use a hand. Maybe she would enjoy some company.
He knew he couldn’t stay the night, not with the girls as witnesses, but he’d love to be with her when Christmas Day officially arrived. Locking the door behind him, he stepped out on his front porch and texted Megan. You awake?
When three dots immediately appeared to show she was typing a response, he hit the call button.
“I was just texting you back,” she said as she answered.
“I know. But hearing your voice is even better.” There was a long pause that halted him midway across her yard. “Megan? How’s your headache?”
“Now that the girls are asleep, it’s manageable.”
“Good. Amy’s gone. I truly believe she and Tommy are going to be okay.”
“I’m relieved to hear that. She’s lucky to have you in her life.”
“And I’m lucky to have you. I couldn’t have taken care of him by myself. These last few weeks have put me in awe of single parents. I don’t know how you do it, Megan.”
“One day at a time.” She sounded sad.
Whatever the problem was, he desperately wanted to fix it. “My brother Cole has told stories about the woes of assembling last-minute toys on Christmas Eve. I thought maybe I could come over and help.”
“Thanks, but luckily they wanted a lot of art supplies. Not too much assembling required. I was just curled up on the sofa watching the end of a Bing Crosby movie.”
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