Abby considered him for a minute. “Why don’t we go and talk to her?” Then she stopped and shook her head. “Sorry. Totally not my place. You go and talk to her and I’ll get this room cleaned up so we can go.”
She turned to walk away but Dean grabbed her hand and pulled her back. “I kind of liked your first suggestion,” he said quietly. “I’m not always good with stuff like this. It would be great if you could sit with us and sort of...smooth things over if I screw it up.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Please.”
And together they walked over and sat down with Maya. She gave them each a quick glance before going back to her coloring. Dean looked at Abby for some sort of help on whether she wanted to speak or if he should go first.
“You got a lot done on that,” Abby said and Dean was happy that she took the lead.
Maya shrugged.
“So listen, I know you said that you didn’t want to have a sleep over at my house but I think your uncle has something far more exciting that you might be interested in.”
Maya looked up at Dean with mild curiosity. “What?”
Dean smiled broadly – he knew the key was in the delivery. “When I got here a little while ago, I stopped and said hello to Kathy Jones. She’s Jenny’s mom.”
Clearly that was the wrong thing to say because Maya began to furiously color again.
“She said there’s a slumber party tomorrow night but she wasn’t sure if you wanted to go,” Dean said quickly.
That got his niece’s attention. She looked up at him. “Why did she think that?”
“Well,” he started carefully, “she knows that you’re new to the town and the school and she thought that maybe you weren’t ready to go to a slumber party yet. She asked me about it.”
“Did you tell her that I always wanted to go to a slumber party?” Maya asked, jumping to her feet.
Dean couldn’t help but smile at the instant change in her demeanor. “Of course I did!”
Quite possibly for the first time ever, she seemed uncertain of what she was supposed to do. “So...” She looked at Dean and then Abby and then back to Dean. “Does this mean I can go? I’m invited to the slumber party?”
Dean nodded. “It sure does!”
“Yeah!” She flung herself into his arms and hugged him tight. His own arms banded around her. After a minute, she squirmed out of them. “I don’t have a sleeping bag! Or...or...a suitcase to bring with me! We have to go and get a present and...and...Jenny really likes dolls just like me, so can we get her a doll? Or maybe something else?” She turned to Abby. “What do you think we should get her? Will you go to the store with us and help me pick something and then help me wrap it really pretty for Jenny?”
Abby laughed and said, “Of course I will. Why don’t we go ask Jenny’s mom what she thinks Jenny would like?”
“Okay!” Without waiting, Maya ran from the room and Dean could already hear her calling out “I get to go to the slumber party!”
Waiting until he knew Maya was out of the room, Dean turned and moved in close to Abby. “So...”
She grinned and placed a hand on his chest. “So...”
“I was thinking that maybe you and I could go out tomorrow. We could go to dinner and just eat a grown-up meal and have grown-up conversation. What do you think?”
Her smile grew. “I think I like that idea a lot.” She paused. “Are you okay with this?”
Dean looked at her oddly. “With what? Having dinner out? Absolutely. I know everyone in town thinks I’m reclusive but...”
She chuckled and stopped him. “No, no, no...sorry. That wasn’t what I meant. I meant to ask if you are okay with Maya sleeping out. This is kind of a big deal.”
“Is it?” Seriously, was it?
“Well, maybe more for her than for you but still. I know she’s excited and it all sounds great...”
“But...”
“But,” she continued, “a first sleepover can be scary and you need to be prepared that she might get homesick and want to come home.”
Dean shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“When she lived back in Pennsylvania, she used to sleep at the babysitter’s house, so I know she’s okay with sleeping out. And this is something she’s been talking about – like some sort of big dream of hers – so I think she’s going to be fine.”
Abby looked at him skeptically. “If you say so.”
“Are you trying to get out of going out on a date with me?” he teased, his voice low and gruff.
She closed the distance between them. “Not a chance. If anything, I was thinking about us having a grown-up sleepover – you know, to go along with that grown-up dinner and conversation you were talking about.”
He laughed out loud and gave her a quick kiss before taking a step back. “I better get out there and talk with Kathy and get all the details confirmed. Want to come to the mall to get all of the supplies with us?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
As Dean walked out of the classroom and toward the information desk, he had a little pep in his step and realized he had a lot to look forward to.
His niece was making friends and settling in better than he’d expected.
Thanksgiving was going to be spent making some new traditions with Abby and Maya.
Saturday afternoon couldn’t get here quickly enough.
****
“Pink sleeping bag?”
“Check.”
“Princess pillow?”
“Check.”
“Superbly wrapped holiday ballerina doll?”
Maya giggled and held up the wrapped present. “Check!”
“Pink deluxe suitcase filled with princess pajamas, slippers, clean clothes, underwear, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush and...favorite stuffed bear?”
Maya skipped across the room and stood next to her brand new suitcase. “Check, check, check, check...” She stopped and sighed. “Ugh...like a million checks! Can we go now? Please?”
Abby stood up and surveyed the pile of things they’d just gone over. “I sure hope we have enough room in the car for all this stuff,” she said dramatically. “I would hate to have to take two cars over to Jenny’s or to have to leave you here.”
“Abby,” Maya giggled. “Uncle Dean has lots of room in his car! We fit a whole bunch of stuff in it when I had to move here!”
“I think there was a trailer too...” Abby teased.
That just made Maya laugh harder. “That was for the big stuff. This isn’t big!”
“But there is a lot of it,” Abby commented.
Dean walked into the room and looked at the two of them and then at the pile of stuff. “You all ready to go?”
Maya nodded furiously. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Walking across the room, Abby smiled at him. “I think someone’s a little excited about the slumber party.”
“She’s not the only one,” he murmured.
Oh my...
Who was she kidding? Abby knew she was definitely looking forward to their night out too. They’d talked about it and decided that they’d take Maya to Jenny’s together and then they were going to go do the Thanksgiving shopping – her idea – and bring it back to her house before heading to the city for dinner. And then...
“Come on, you guys!” Maya yelled from the front door. “It’s time! We gotta go! I don’t want the slumber party to start without me!”
Abby scooped up the gift and the pillow while Dean grabbed Maya’s suitcase and sleeping bag. They walked out to the living room to see Maya bouncing on her toes. “Let’s go!” Dean said.
The chatter was non-stop the whole drive over and even though it seemed like Dean was having a hard time keeping up, Abby couldn’t help but feel pleased – happy, really – that he and Maya were making such great strides in their relationship. She thought back to that first day and could easily picture the stress on his face, his rigid pos
ture and the uncertainty in everything he said just as easily as she remembered a less boisterous version of Maya. Look at them now!
Jenny only lived a couple of blocks away from Dean, so the drive over was blessedly short. Maya ran from the car as soon as she was out of her booster seat and made her way to the front door. Jenny was equally anxious because she was already waiting there with the door open.
Within minutes they had Maya’s belongings inside and were talking to Kathy about the plans for the night and they all exchanged phone numbers in case of an emergency. Dean made Kathy promise to call or text if Maya seemed even remotely uncomfortable about staying over and even though she agreed, she told him she couldn’t imagine that happening.
More of the girls started to arrive and Abby gave Maya a quick kiss on the cheek and wished her a fun night before stepping back and letting Dean kiss her goodbye too. It wasn’t until they were heading back to the truck that she noticed he looked...pensive.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He shrugged as they climbed back into the car. “I know she’s excited and that it’s going to be a lot of fun but...I don’t know. When I said goodbye to her, suddenly she looked so small. Obviously she’s not too young for this because all of the girls here are the same age but it just felt weird. I didn’t...I never thought I’d feel like this.”
Abby reached over and squeezed his hand, unsure of what she could possibly say to that. She had no idea what he must be feeling. It was one thing to love a relative, but now Maya was more than a niece to him. He was a father figure – a father, period – and from what Dean just shared, it would seem that the transition of those feelings had already begun.
What an amazing thing to be able to witness, she thought to herself and smiled.
They drove across town in silence and when he pulled into the grocery store parking lot, she had to admit that this seemed a little odd. Dean parked and then sat there for a moment. Abby turned in her seat and faced him.
“Let’s not do this.”
Dean’s head whipped around toward her. “What?”
She waved toward the store. “The food shopping. Let’s not do it today. I can totally do it on my own tomorrow. Let’s go and find something else to do.”
“But...I was kind of looking forward to this.”
“Seriously?” she deadpanned. “It’s grocery shopping. Nothing exciting about it.”
Her hand was still holding his and he twisted them around slightly until their fingers were twined together. “It’s not about the food,” he said with a hint of shyness. “It’s just about spending time with you.” His gaze met hers. “I can’t even begin to describe it but...I just really enjoy being with you. Spending time with you. For the first time in I don’t even know how long, I’m actually looking forward to Thanksgiving. And...you know...Christmas.”
Her heart squeezed happily in her chest. He was thinking ahead – about the holidays and her.
What more could she possibly ask for?
With a hopeful look on his face, Abby knew she should just go with it and get the shopping out of the way. It was probably going to be fun. With an exaggerated sigh, she grabbed her purse. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
If it were possible, she’d say that he reminded her of Maya as he got out of the car. He was clearly excited about this and happy and...completely and utterly adorable. He met her on the passenger side of the car and gave her a loud, smacking kiss on the lips.
“This is gonna be great!” he said enthusiastically. “We’re going to make some great food and desserts! Can we bake a pie? Do you know how to bake pies? I’ve never done that before but I always thought a homemade apple pie was the best dessert after the Thanksgiving dinner!”
Yup. She could totally see the family resemblance now.
And while walking up and down the aisles of the store, she saw it even more. He had her laughing almost the entire time and Abby found herself telling him to put stuff back on the shelves because they didn’t need it for their meal. And like a typical kid, he would pout when she vetoed one of his choices.
And she didn’t care how much he protested, they did not need to bake a chocolate lava cake or a cookies and cream pie or peanut butter marshmallow cookies on top of the apple pie for them to have for dessert. There was only the three of them!
“You’re a spoilsport,” Dean murmured as he made his way down the frozen food aisle. “Can we at least get ice cream to go with the apple pie?”
She rolled her eyes. “Look, if you want to make all of those desserts and bring them with you on Thanksgiving Day, then that’s fine. But I’m not going to have time to make them – and I still think it’s overkill. Maya will be bouncing off the walls and I have a feeling you will be too.”
He chuckled. “You may be right. I guess I never gave much thought to the meal before.” He shrugged. “We all always met at Karen’s because she had Maya and it was harder for her to travel. My parents were always there and my mom did the cooking. It was a traditional meal, never changed. I just thought it could be fun to change things up a bit.”
It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was doing. Dean was trying to guilt her a little bit so he could get his way.
“You’d think for someone whose been reading all these parenting books and websites that you’d recognize this pattern of behavior,” she said lightly, grabbing a container of strawberry ice cream from the freezer case.
“What do you mean?” he asked innocently.
“Oh, please. The whole guilt trip thing. You’ve mentioned – more than once, might I add – that Maya’s tried using it on you to get her way and here you are trying to use it on me!” Unable to help herself, she burst out laughing.
He didn’t even try to look innocent. “What can I say? I know I tend to cave when Maya does it so I thought I’d give it a try.”
Playfully, Abby punched him in the arm. “Baby steps,” she said. “We’re making enough food for a small army. We’ll re-think the desserts for Christmas. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Yeah. She really liked that he was thinking ahead.
Six
It had been the perfect day.
And a perfect date.
Now as they were driving back through Silver Bell Falls, Dean suddenly wasn’t so sure about the rest of the night. He knew what he wanted – had been fantasizing about it ever since...well...for a while now – but now that it was here, he wasn’t so sure. After all, this was technically their first date. With a silent sigh, he turned onto her street – resigned to be satisfied with kissing her goodnight at the door and heading home alone.
They were both quiet as he pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. For a moment, he simply sat there – willing himself not to be disappointed.
Or at least not to let that disappointment show.
Easier said than done.
Climbing from the car, he walked around to the passenger side as Abby was getting out. The air was cool and when she smiled at him and let out a small breath, it was visible. He took her by the hand and led her to the front door, unwilling to keep her out in the cold any longer than was necessary.
“I had a great time today,” Abby said softly, unlocking the door. She stepped inside and motioned for Dean to follow.
“I did too,” he replied, but didn’t move.
She tilted her head as she studied him. “Aren’t you coming in?”
God yes, was what he really wanted to say. More than anything. “It’s late,” he said instead and it even sounded lame to his own ears.
Abby looked over her shoulder and then back at Dean. “It’s nine-thirty.”
Yeah. Lame. He was about to explain himself when Abby spoke up again.
“Well...I guess it has been a long day. I’m sure Maya gets up early and all that.” She sighed softly. “I really did have a great time today, Dean. I can’t remember the last time I just went out and had a dinner that wasn’t at the diner or some sort of fast food so...t
hank you.”
Her smile was soft and sweet and...damn. Why was this so hard? Why was he making such a big deal out of it? They had talked about it and at the time she’d been on board but...
“What time do you have to pick her up tomorrow?” Abby asked, once again interrupting his inner dialogue.
“Um...after lunch. Kathy said some of the girls were leaving early but she said Maya could stay until after lunch.”
Nodding, Abby smiled and just...looked at him.
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy having your house to yourself and to have some peace and quiet. I know that had to be a hard adjustment for you to make.”
He nodded.
This is ridiculous, he mentally chided himself. All of the heat was coming out of her house because he was being an idiot and refusing to go inside. Just because he accepted her invitation to go in didn’t mean he had to stay the night. He could just go in and maybe hang out for a bit. Watch a little TV. Or maybe...
“Dean?”
“Hmm?”
Before he could even blink, Abby reached out, pulled him by his wool scarf into the house and shut the door. The house was dark and – thanks to him – a little cool, but he was able to see the look of amusement on Abby’s face as she moved in close. One of her delicate hands rested on his chest while the other raked up into his hair.
He really liked when she did that.
“Let me ask you something,” she began quietly – her voice going slightly sultry. “Do you want to go home?”
Unable to speak, he simply shook his head.
“Okay.” She gave him a curt nod before moving in even closer. They were practically touching from head to toe. Those big green eyes looked up at him and he knew he’d been fighting with himself over nothing.
“I kind of felt like I was being presumptuous,” he admitted. “We had a great day together and...well...this was our first real date. I didn’t want you to feel like I was pressuring you or pushing you into something you didn’t want.”
“We’d already talked about it,” she said simply. “Hell, I almost skipped dessert because I was really looking forward to coming back here and finally being alone with you.”
Christmas On Pointe (A Silver Bell Falls Holiday Novella) Page 8