The Patricia Kiyono Christmas Collection
Page 10
No one spoke or moved for several seconds. Sophie didn’t even dare breathe. Her heart ached for the pain Mitch and Angie must feel.
Rita broke the silence when she took a deep breath. “Well, I think the living room is ready for its second coat of paint.” She strode out of the kitchen, Deana and Becky following close behind.
Chapter Sixteen
Sophie flopped down on the sofa, relieved to find it unoccupied. The house was blissfully quiet. Thanksgiving dinner had gone well, and now most of the people who remained in Joanie’s house were napping. Mom had arrived early in the morning to help with the cooking. Sam and his family came later with his wife Jackie’s prize winning apple pie and a salad. Chairs were brought in from every corner of the house, and it had been good to hear all the laughter.
She’d kept busy all day. If she kept busy, she wouldn’t have time to think about leaving all this behind. She’d done it before, when she’d left for college, and again when she'd gone to New York to try culinary school, but those goodbyes had been different. As a student, she'd known she’d be home for holidays and vacations. Now she planned to leave again. If things worked out, this would be a permanent move. The thought was exhilarating, yet melancholy.
Especially when she thought about a certain rugged photographer and his angelic daughter.
She hadn’t seen either of them since the horrible scene with his in-laws on Monday. The Wednesday night rehearsal at church had been cancelled so that people could prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday. She wondered how Mitch’s holiday was going with his family. And how the Billingsworths had celebrated. Had they celebrated at all?
“Hey, little sis. How’s it going?” Sam settled on the sofa next to her. “Joanie says you worked really hard this week. She says she couldn’t have pulled off the family holiday without you. In fact, she says she wouldn’t have survived the pregnancy if you hadn’t been here. She’s lucky you were available.”
“It was lucky for both of us. I needed a place to regroup and earn money for my next move.”
Sam nodded. “Gonna go to California and do the screenwriting thing, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I think the cooking thing was just a rebellion. Or a reaction from Nate going off without me.”
“Yeah, that was kinda puny of him. Never did like the guy. He was way too full of himself. I really wasn’t surprised when he took off.” As if just realizing who he was talking to, he stopped his rant. “Well, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. You’re not going out there to chase after him, are ya?” He waited until Sophie shook her head. “Okay then. Go for it. I’ll look forward to seeing your name on the credits at the ends of the shows.”
He got up and retrieved his toddler daughter, who was eating a plant.
Sam wasn’t known for heart-to-heart talks, but Sophie thought about their conversation as she dished out desserts. What was the real reason she wanted to go to Los Angeles? She’d never thought about going until she and Nate had made their plans to take Hollywood by storm. She’d always liked to write, and her teachers had always praised her work, but it hadn’t been a passion. She’d written little stories, even published a few. But could she really make it as a screenwriter? More importantly, did she really want to?
Or did she want to stay and see if there was anything to the chemistry between her and a certain photographer?
Enough of these doubts. She didn’t want to waste any more of her life in her hometown. It was time to make some of her dreams come true. She had a handful of scripts for her portfolio. Now she needed to get them into the hands of people who would read them. The first thing on tomorrow’s to-do list: submit scripts to more agents.
~~~~
Mitch picked up a towel and dried dishes as his sister rinsed and stacked them in the drying rack. He’d eaten more food in four hours than he normally consumed in several days, and he needed to get up and do something constructive. The rest of his family watched a football game in the living room, and Angie and her cousins played in her room.
“So you’ve survived hosting the fam for Thanksgiving dinner,” Becky began. “And you’re holding up well. All you have to do is get through dessert, and we’ll all be gone until the next time it’s your turn.”
“Yeah. It’s been quite a week. But I guess it’s worth it. It’s been nice having everyone here at my place for a change. And the house does look better after you and Deana and Mom did all that painting and decorating.”
“It was fun.”
“Angie’s thrilled. She wants to have friends here for a sleepover.” He shuddered. “I’m not looking forward to that.”
“You’ll be fine. I can come over to help, or Mom. Or maybe the girl who helped Angie with her room.” She turned toward him, her sharp eyes trained on him for any hint of a reaction.
Mitch knew his sister was fishing for information, but chose to ignore her line of questioning. He’d definitely thought about asking Sophie for help, but it probably wouldn’t be seen as proper in this conservative town for a single female to spend the night at his house – even with a half dozen young girls present.
“Yeah, I suppose Mom would enjoy that.” His hands stopped and he watched her as he delivered his comeback. “She always looked forward to your sleepovers, didn’t she?” He smirked when Becky’s cheeks darkened.
“So, uh, have you heard from your in-laws lately?”
“Yes, I have.”
Becky’s hands froze. “They came over again? After that scene on Monday?”
“No, they haven’t been here. I called Geoffrey.”
“Sarah’s dad? He always seemed nice. I could see that. He seemed pretty upset by what his wife did.”
“Yes, and he’s always been good to Angie. So Angie asked me—”
“Mitch, you have a guest.” Rita Carson poked her head in the kitchen, a strained expression on her face. Mitch set the towel down, took a deep breath, and followed his mother out to the living room.
Geoffrey Billingsworth stood on the mat at the front door, his hat in his hands. The Carson family surrounded him, but no one uttered a word of welcome.
Mitch stepped forward, holding out his hand. “Glad you could make it, Geoffrey. Hope the roads around the lake didn’t cause a problem.”
Though the trip from Chicago to West Michigan took a few hours in good weather, the highway’s proximity to Lake Michigan caused it to freeze over, often becoming treacherous during the holidays.
Geoffrey took Mitch’s hand and shook it. “No problems at all, Mitch. Actually, I never went back to Chicago. I’ve been in Grand Rapids since — since Monday.”
He stopped when Angie and her cousins entered the living room. Seeing the new arrival, Angie ran to Geoffrey, her arms outstretched. “Poppy, you came! Daddy said you didn’t have any company for Thanksgiving so I told him to invite you here. We have lotsa company.” She waved her hand, indicating her aunts and uncles.
Geoffrey reached down and picked up his granddaughter. “Pumpkin, I’m glad I came, too. Thank you so much for inviting me.” He squeezed her tight, and there was no mistaking the love in his heart. He looked around at Mitch’s family, his eyes pleading for understanding.
“I know I’m probably the last person you folks want to see right now, but I promise you — I had absolutely no knowledge of the things Melinda had done. She took Sarah’s death hard — we all did — but trying to replace her daughter with Angie was inexcusable, especially when it compromised our granddaughter’s safety. When I think about what might have happened if that secretary hadn’t had the good sense to check her records before sending her off with that man…” He shuddered and squeezed Angie even tighter.
With a sigh, he put Angie down and continued. “I’m done with Melinda. We haven’t been close in a long time, and now… I’m just through with her highbrow, back-stabbing ways. I paid the private investigator a visit and encouraged him to name Melinda as his client. She needs to learn she’s not above the law.”
Mitch’s brother brought an extra chair in from the dining room, and generous slices of Rita’s homemade pumpkin pie were distributed. Soon, the Carson home was once again filled with laughter and a closeness shared only by family.
Mitch sat back in his chair, relieved his holiday hosting obligations were nearly finished. Things had gone surprisingly well, other than the confrontation with Melinda earlier in the week. He enjoyed being with his mother and siblings. But something inside him wished a certain green-eyed blonde could be part of the family celebration.
Chapter Seventeen
Sophie gunned the car into the parking spot before anyone else could take it. She’d known the mall would be busy the week after Thanksgiving, but she was prepared for the crowds. Tonight, in addition to the shoppers, there would be hundreds of kids, all coming to the annual Santa’s Workshop. From Black Friday until Christmas Eve, children could watch as elves put together small toys and wrapped them in the workshop set up in the center of the mall. For a price, students could take home one of the wrapped packages.
Joanie had caught a terrible cold, and Dave was needed to care for both her and the baby, so Sophie had offered to take Joey to the mall. She had some shopping she wanted to do herself and was glad for the excuse to drive into Grand Rapids. Since it was a school night, they left as soon as Joey got out of school and planned to eat supper at the mall’s food court.
Joey skipped along beside her. “What do you think I’ll get from Santa’s Workshop, Aunt Sophie?”
“I have no idea, Joey. We’ll find out on Christmas morning.”
The boy stopped in his tracks. “Do you think Mom will really make me wait that long to open it?”
Sophie laughed. “I don’t know. But if we don’t go inside and get in line, you won’t have a present to open!”
Christmas shopping always put Sophie in a cheerful frame of mind. She wasn’t sure if it was the colorful decorations, the music, or the message of hope and joy, but her step became lighter as she passed through the mall doors. Knowing how eager Joey was, they went straight to the Workshop in the center of the mall before doing any shopping. They heard Santa’s booming “Ho, ho, ho!” long before they saw any sign of the elves.
“Come on, Aunt Sophie!” Joey cried as he hurried to the edge of the platform where an elf dressed little teddy bears in various outfits. Frowning in distaste, he moved on to the next elf and watched him paint wooden trains. The next elf put together toy drums, and the next put together some little cars. Joey walked slowly along the sides, taking it all in. Santa strolled among the elves, barking out directions in his jolly voice and overseeing their workmanship.
They finally made their way toward the end of the platform where wrapped gifts were stacked high. Sophie handed her money to the elf at the register.
“Do you need a boy gift or a girl gift?”
“Boy gift, please.”
The elf handed her a blue voucher. “Here you go. Show that to the Elf at the very end.”
“Thank you.” They got in another line for the presents. The tall elf handing out the gifts reminded Sophie of someone… but it couldn’t be. That high-pitched, nasal voice didn’t belong to—
“Sophie?” The elf’s hands paused as he held a package out to Joey.
“Nate?” Familiar blue eyes stared back at her. Eyes that had held hers as he’d promised they would work together to make their dreams come true. Eyes she hadn’t seen in seven years.
The elf blinked, and the moment was gone, though she noticed the ears beneath their points had started to turn red.
“Here you go, young man,” he said in his squeaky elf voice. “Have a Merry Christmas.” He looked up at Sophie. “And if you’re good to your mommy, you’ll probably get more good presents.”
“Thank you,” Joey replied. “Come on, Aunt Sophie.” He stepped away from the platform and another child hopped up. Sophie followed her nephew in a daze. Had Nathaniel Vosman, AKA Nate Vos, really returned? Was the great thespian really working as an elf in Santa’s Workshop? Her mind spun.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn’t hear her name being called until Joey tugged on her arm.
“Aunt Sophie, There’s Angie Carson and her dad.”
Sophie blinked and focused on a bundle of energy hurtling toward her.
“Miss Sophie!” Angie called, dragging her dad behind her. “Are you shopping for clothes, too?”
“Well no, not really. I brought Joey to Santa’s workshop.” She noticed the identically wrapped bundle under Mitch’s arm. “I see you’ve been there, too.”
“Yeah, it was fun,” Angie agreed. “But now I need a new dress for the Christmas pageant, and Daddy doesn’t know how to look for them. Can you help us?”
“Sweetie, Miss Sophie’s probably busy—”
“But Daddy, Sophie’s a girl. She knows where to find dresses that don’t cost a-a arm and a leg, like the ones in that store we went to. Maybe if Joey needs something for a boy, we can trade.”
“I don’t know—” Sophie began.
“Hey, that’s a good idea,” Joey interrupted. “Aunt Sophie, you can go look for a dress with Angie, and Mr. Carson can take me to the arcade.” He leaned toward Mitch and added in a stage whisper, “Aunt Sophie doesn’t know much about the arcade games.”
“Please, Miss Sophie? Daddy will take care of Joey if you shop with me.”
“Well, I suppose I could do that. Do you need shoes and tights and a dress coat?”
“I’m not sure my budget could handle a new coat right now, but if you could get her set with a dress and whatever she needs to go with it, I’d be in your debt.” He named a budget and suggested that they meet in the food court. “Here’s my cell phone number. Call me when you’re ready.”
Sophie took Angie to a department store she knew carried children’s clothing at reasonable prices. Within an hour, they found a dress and all the accessories she needed. She learned Angie was a savvy shopper who knew exactly what she liked and what she didn’t like. And she’d been ingrained with a sense of style. She must have inherited that from her mother and grandmother. Sarah Lester had always looked polished when appearing on the news, and Melinda was a fashion paragon. Nana Billingsworth might not approve of the outfit Angie had picked out, but she would certainly fit in with the other little girls in the Zutphen Community Church.
She called Mitch to let them know they were finished, and the four of them met in the food court for a light supper before making the drive home. Joey happily shared the news that he had beat Mitch in his favorite arcade game, and Angie proudly showed off her dress to her father. Sophie produced the receipts for Angie’s purchases, and insisted Mitch subtract what he spent for Joey’s arcade games.
We’re just like a little family, Sophie mused.
The mall’s food court boasted a large carousel, and the music enticed children to come and ride. Angie and Joey both wanted a turn, so they moved to a table next to the carousel where Sophie and Mitch could watch closely. Tickets were purchased, and the kids eagerly chose their mounts. Joey rode on a large green frog, while Angie climbed aboard a white pony.
“This is a nice mall,” Mitch said as they watched the kids ride. “I’m sure Angie will want to make this a regular visit. Thanks again for helping her find just the right dress. I had no idea where to look.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Sophie insisted. “She pretty much knew what she wanted, and I got a chance to find some little girl things for Joanie’s baby. It was fun. And thanks for taking Joey to the arcade. I get pretty bored there.”
“Joey’s no problem. He behaves much better than a lot of the kids in that place.”
“His parents would have his hide if he didn’t!” Sophie laughed. “Joanie and Dave are quite strict about his manners.”
“Good for them. Sarah was that way with Angie. I can’t take much credit for the way she’s turned out.”
Sophie gasped and stared. “Of course you can! In addition to being well-behaved, she’s one of the most loving and caring children I’ve met. She wouldn’t be that way unless she’d experienced that kind of love. Anyone can see that the two of you adore each other. She feels safe and secure because of you.”
He cast her a dubious look. “You really think so?”
“I know so. While we were shopping, she’d find something she liked. And then she’d speculate about whether or not she thought you’d like it. Your approval means a lot to her. Sarah might have taught her manners, but if you show her how much you appreciate her good behaviors, she’ll continue to use them.”
Mitch nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” He wrapped his arm around her and hugged her to his side. “Hope the same goes for you. I appreciate having you here, Sophie, helping me with Angie, being there for moral support, and making me realize that moving here was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Sophie was speechless. The gesture was totally unexpected, but to her surprise it felt natural. The warmth of his embrace set off sparks she’d never experienced with Nate. She reached around him and squeezed back.
The ride ended, and the kids got off. Since Angie and Mitch had parked on opposite sides of the mall, they parted ways.
“See you on Wednesday, Miss Sophie,” Angie called.
Their path to the parking lot took them past the Santa’s Workshop again. Even though she told herself not to, she peeked at the tall elf on the end. She might as well have called his name aloud. Nate looked up and his gaze connected with hers. He gave her a small wave and made a “call me” sign with his thumb and pinkie. She nodded, but wondered — should she call him?