by Lara Norman
The drive wasn’t all that long, but he’d managed to put a few last-minute plans into action. A gift sent to the Mosses, one to Reagan and Hudson, and one to Alex and Grant had been arranged earlier in the month, but he felt that something was missing. He’d found a beautiful painting that reminded him of the way Luna described the backyard of her childhood home. He knew he’d have to arrange to have it brought back to the apartment once she moved in, but he hadn’t been able to resist sending it to Vermont by overnight delivery so she’d have it in time for Christmas.
He spotted the housekeeper standing by the front door as Sorensen drove along the massively curved portion of the driveway. Davis hopped out without waiting for the driver to come open the door and jogged up the steps. It was cold, but not any moreso than at home.
“Tabitha, lovely to see you again,” he greeted the woman. She wore a starched gray shirtdress with thick black tights and clunky black sneakers.
“Mister Davis.”
“Tabby, it’s just Davis.” He kissed her cheek and she blushed.
“Mr. Healy doesn’t like me to be so informal.”
“What else is new?”
She opened one of the large front doors and let Davis enter the house before she closed the door behind them.
“And where are the esteemed Mr. and Mrs. Healy?”
She smiled, he could give her credit for that. “In the back sitting room. Shall I show you the way?”
“No, Tabby, you shan’t.” He gave her a wave before heading off in the direction of the back of the house. It was big enough that it took him almost a full minute to traverse the hall.
“Mom, Dad.”
They looked up from their respective chairs. A smile broke out across Sophia’s face as she dropped her book and stood to cross the room.
“There’s my handsome boy. I thought you’d be here sooner.”
She wrapped him up in a hug when she reached him, and he returned her affection. “I left a bit later than I planned.”
Ian had set aside his magazine and stood as well. “Everything all right?”
Davis grinned. “Definitely. I finished up what I was doing in the car on the way here.”
“Did Evan come with you then?” Ian asked, referring to Sorensen.
“Of course. If my calculations are correct, he should be getting spoiled in the kitchen right this minute.” Evan Sorensen had a soft spot for the cook, mostly because she fed him copious amounts of sweets when he stayed there.
Ian chuckled. “Well, sit. Tell us how it’s going.”
They all took seats around the roaring fireplace. “Actually, I would like to talk to you about work.”
“We’re not going to discuss business on our break, are we?” Sophia complained.
“I have to say yes, Mom. I need to speak with you about Tony Holland.”
Ian leaned forward. “Tell me.”
“He’s not exactly been the most welcoming figure at the office, but I pushed that aside and did my job. I wanted to impress you.” Davis held up his hand when Ian looked ready to interrupt him. “I know. You wanted to make sure I could do the job.”
“I’ve seen the numbers, Davis. To say I’m impressed is an understatement.”
Davis grinned at the compliment. “I told you I could do it.”
“And I’ll go ahead and admit I was wrong. After that frustratingly abstract degree you conned out of the university, I didn’t expect you to want to put in an honest day’s work. I thought you were prepared to fool around for a few hours each afternoon to say you’d been at the office and collect a paycheck.”
“And yet.”
“And yet,” Ian conceded. “I should have trusted you when you said you wanted it.”
“Tony Holland treated me as his errand boy, but worse than that, he flat out accused me of being a spy for Garmin because they beat us on one bid. Quite frankly, I believe he enjoyed treating me poorly because he knew I was going to accept it or be shipped back to being an office drone.”
“Davis, I had no idea. He has a pretty good reputation at the company, otherwise, he wouldn’t be VP of your division.” Ian scrubbed his hands over his clean-shaven jaw and cast a glance at Sophia. She did not look happy.
“Don’t you think he told me daily he was Vice President and Brokerage Manager of the Corporate Real Estate division while I, son of the almighty Ian Healy, was basically his personal assistant, just with my own office?”
“Ian, you’ll have to do something about this. This type of disrespect can’t stand.”
“I know, Soph. Look, Davis, you should have told me immediately. There are going to be employees that would love nothing more than to see me fail, and you are my proxy. I wanted you to gain knowledge in an entry level position, not be spit upon.”
“I’ll take the blame for not coming to you sooner.” Davis smiled at his mother. “You are well-loved in our department.”
Sophia laughed. “I spoil them when I come, so that makes sense.”
“With expensive office equipment.” He winked at her.
“Do you think Tony needs reprimanding or firing, Davis?”
Davis sighed. “He brought Barbara and Peter into my office when he accused me of the Garmin thing. He belittled me every chance he had. But once I stood up to him, he backed off. He hasn’t bothered me in a few weeks, not since I reminded him who I am and that I could get him fired.”
“We’ll play it by ear, then. I’ll come in January and take a look at his own reports, the ones he keeps track of internally.” He paused and looked up as Tabitha stepped into the doorway.
“Mr. Healy, would you like refreshments served now?”
“Yes, please, Tabitha. Thank you.”
“What are we having?” Davis asked his mother.
“I asked her to set up the coffee cart. There should be a few treats on there somewhere.”
Their cook made croissants and biscotti from scratch, among other goodies. “Sounds great.”
“Davis, on the phone you said you were seeing someone,” Sophia prompted as Tabitha pushed the rolling cart into the room.
“I am.”
He allowed them all to be served their first cup before he said anything else. It was chocolate chip biscotti on the cart, his favorite.
“And I’m happy. She’s everything to me, and she agreed to move in with me after the holidays. We’ve already discussed marriage.”
He watched their expressions carefully. His father seemed open to whatever he was about to say next, while his mother hid her mouth behind her cup.
“Son, I was under the impression that the only woman you’ve ever truly loved didn’t return your feelings. Has that changed for either of you?”
“The only reason Luna didn’t want to date me was because she thought you both disapproved.” He dunked his biscotti and didn’t say anything else. He knew how to work a room, considering who raised him.
“Davis, I don’t believe I ever gave her that impression,” Ian said. “You must have reassured her that she was mistaken?”
“I’ve tried. Repeatedly. She was afraid to ruin things, as she put it. She didn’t want to come between us. One of our friends is estranged from his parents because they don’t approve of the woman he’s going to marry. Luna won’t do the same because she believes my relationship with you is more important.” He looked at his mother.
“She’s a lovely girl.” Sophia took another sip of her coffee.
“She’s gorgeous,” he corrected.
Ian shifted forward and set his coffee down on the table. “So, then, who is it you’re going to be living with?”
“Luna Moss.”
There was silence, too long for Davis to believe it was a coincidence.
“You finally convinced her, then. That’s good for you,” Ian said.
“We only want you to be happy, dear,” his mother said.
He didn’t know if he could take that at face value. “Well, I sent her a painting I found of a lovely backyar
d setting with white tables and chairs set up under an arbor of flowers. She mentioned having thoughts about our wedding, and since she’s very sensitive toward our wealth, she described her parents’ backyard for the venue.”
“How lovely.”
He shot a look at his mother. “Yes, it suits her.”
“Mm.”
“Luna wouldn’t dream of asking me to pay for the wedding, though I would do it in a heartbeat. I would give her the most lavish display anyone has ever seen, enough to rival every A list celebrity for the last century. It’s not what she wants. She has pride, and the father of the bride is meant to pay for the wedding. I’ll marry her wearing a brown paper bag if that’s what it takes.” Because he sensed where the level of dissent resided, he leveled a hard stare at his mother, who wouldn’t meet his eye. “She means everything to me, and I’d hate to have to make the choice she thinks I might.”
“Of course not, son,” Ian said. “I would pitch in if she’d allow it, if her father would concede, but I won’t push it. Whatever she wants is what she should get. She’s going to be the bride, after all.”
“Exactly what I was thinking.”
“Oh, Davis. That means you’re ready for the ring.” Ian was clearly excited, but Sophia remained very still and quiet on the couch.
The ring. The one that had been passed down for too many generations to count. Sophia currently wore the ring, but Healy tradition was that the mother of the eldest child picked out a new ring when it was time to pass down the antique.
It was a fortunate thing his ancestors couldn’t afford anything extravagant. Luna would never wear something as large as the Hope Diamond on her finger, so it was lucky it was much more tasteful than that.
“I’ve been ready for the ring for years. You’re in luck, Mom. Now, Dad has to take you shopping for a new one.”
Sophia merely nodded.
Chapter 22
Luna woke to a quiet house on the twenty-fifth. She didn’t want to wake her father or mother—her pregnant mother—so she crept down the stairs with a book to read on the couch. She stacked a few logs in the fireplace and felt satisfaction with the flames that caught. She may live in the city now, but she was still a master at building a fire. Davis had given her a small box before she left and asked her not to open it until Christmas morning. She thought about opening it right then, but she couldn’t decide if she should wait until the official present opening time with her parents.
In the end, she went to the tree and bent to find it among the other gifts. Her mother favored brown paper she could reuse tied with different colored yarn. Her father liked to use newspaper and saved it all throughout the year for that purpose. The one she searched for was wrapped in glossy gold paper and adorned with a shiny red bow.
She settled on the couch with it and pulled her legs up. She balanced the box on her knees, staring at it for several seconds before deciding to just open it. It wasn’t going to bite her finger, after all. She pulled at the tape and slid the paper off, setting it aside. She was sentimental enough that she would keep it. The white box inside was completely nondescript, but Luna’s heart thudded painfully in her chest. Surely, it wasn’t a ring when they were so many miles apart, but maybe some other type of jewelry.
With her lip caught between her teeth, she pried off the lid. There was a piece of paper folded on top of snowy white padding. She lifted the note and found a rectangular plastic card that looked like a duplicate of the one Davis used to gain access to his building. She looked at the note.
Luna,
Please wait for me.
Davis
She stared down at the note so long her vision blurred, realizing too late that it was because she was crying. A tear plopped down on the note and she carefully blotted it away with the edge of her flannel nightgown. Davis had mentioned that he would be at his parents’ house longer than she would be at hers. He wanted her to be at his apartment when he got home. Their apartment, she corrected herself. It would be theirs once they both returned from the winter holidays.
Luna got up and placed the entirety of the gift and wrapping paper in her purse on the hall table. She knew Davis had sent something for her parents, but this was the perfect gift for her. She didn’t need him to spend money on her, she just needed him to be thoughtful. She settled back on the couch with a blanket and the book, but she didn’t have it in her to read. Sighing, she went back upstairs to retrieve her phone and then to the kitchen to make tea. She chose the marigold that she realized they wouldn’t be having together for some time; it wasn’t safe for her mother to risk having while pregnant. While the kettle heated, Luna pulled up Davis’s number on her phone and sent him a text.
He replied quickly, surprising her. She didn’t think he’d be up that early when he didn’t have to go to work. He was pleased that she liked the gift and had understood the message, but then he told her to expect something else to arrive that day.
She almost rolled her eyes at the comment that he hadn’t been able to help himself. She knew he would end up spending some stupid amount of money on a frivolous gift. He really couldn’t help himself. Feeling more settled, she poured the water in her mug and headed back to the living room. The scent of pine from the fresh tree was enticing, as was the fire that crackled. She cozied up with a blanket, the tea, and her book.
She was still reading when her parents came down an hour later. They looked content with life, Luna realized. It was what made it easier to live in the city, knowing they were exactly where they were the happiest.
“Good morning,” she said as she stood.
Chester gave her a hug. “Merry Christmas, Lulu.”
“Merry Christmas.”
“The fire is a nice touch,” Iris said as she hugged Luna.
“Morning, Mom. It seemed like a good idea.”
“I think I’ll make some breakfast,” Chester announced.
“There are plenty of pastries in the house,” Iris said. “Don’t worry yourself too much with cooking.”
He grinned at her and kissed the tip of her nose. “You’ve been baking every recipe you’ve ever owned,” he teased.
She swatted his behind as he walked away, and Luna chuckled. “You two are the same as ever.”
“I hope so.” Iris sat next to Luna on the couch and watched the lights on the tree.
“Mom, are you worried about doing this so late in life?”
“Having another baby?” she clarified. Luna nodded. “Well, at first, sure. I didn’t think it was possible, so it came as a bit of a shock to the system. But I’m very healthy. I even went to an obstetrician.”
Luna widened her eyes. “Wow.”
Iris nodded. “I know. I didn’t think it would be fair at my age to assume I could do it all without any medical intervention. Everything is great, but it’s early still.”
Luna picked up her mother’s hand. It was soft, yet strong. Just like her mother. “I love you, Mom. I’m happy for you.”
“I’m happy for you.” Iris nudged Luna’s shoulder. “You’re finally choosing to be with the one you love, and that makes me feel like my job is done.”
“What? No. Your job is never done.” The very idea horrified Luna.
“You don’t need me as much, and that’s how it should be. I never thought our empty nest years would be interrupted by a baby, but here we are.”
“You’ll do great. I have faith in you.” Luna squeezed the hand she held.
“I must say, I did a near-perfect job of it with you, so my record speaks for itself.”
Luna chuckled.
“Next year, you’ll bring Davis with you. We’ll have a big Christmas for once, instead of the quiet ones we’re so used to.”
“I’ll bring him. He wanted to be together this year, but I didn’t want to see his parents yet.” Or ever.
Iris hummed. “I can see why, but you’ll have to face them sooner or later.”
“Preferably later.” Luna stared out the back window at the s
now that hadn’t stopped falling since she’d arrived.
“You should speak to his mother and tell her that while you respect her as his mother, she won’t be telling you how to live your life.”
Luna shuddered. “I’d rather stick a fork in my eye.”
Iris tsked. “You’re like your father in that. But if you plan to be happy with the son, you have to make peace with the mother.”