Caleb wiggled to be set down. “I gotta tell Bradley. His family is going to the mountains, but we’re going someplace better.”
The word family echoed in Jake’s head. He used to believe the term would never apply to him, but lately, he’d started to feel a lot like a father. And, even though she still professed doubts about her fitness as a parent, Allison was very much a mother. Together, they had a son. The only thing missing from the equation was love. Which shouldn’t surprise him, since it had always been in short supply in his life.
“In some ways, Jake’s a better businessman than Kenny was,” Richard Marques told Allison the next morning at Rydell Motors. She’d planned to give half an hour of her time to the canned food drive, then head to town to sort out the mess in her accounts receivable ledger. “Look at how he works the crowd. Shaking hands, greeting strangers. Kenny once told me that dealing with people was the hardest part of the job.”
Allison didn’t try to dispute that. She’d spent enough time with Kenny to know that he’d been basically very shy, which she’d found ironic considering he’d once toured with a rock band.
“So how has business been?” she asked, more to make conversation than out of any real curiosity. Allison knew that Jake had been working with an accountant and a real estate attorney to complete the sale of the business.
“Pretty darned amazing,” Richard said. “Some sympathy and goodwill after the funeral helped, but we also have a dynamite sales staff and a great product. How’s your Subie doing? Or are you driving Pam’s SUV?”
Something about his tone gave Allison the impression that he thought she might be benefiting from her friend’s death. Allison wrestled with guilt every day— she was alive and Pam wasn’t. She was enjoying Caleb’s childhood and Pam never would. Richard’s subtle innuendo—if that’s what it was—made her immediately defensive.
“I only drive the Explorer when I need to transport Caleb. My car gets better mileage and feels more solid on the road.”
Kenny’s cousin beamed. “We like those kinds of testimonials. Maybe you could post something on our Web site.” He puffed up slightly. “I’d suggested it to Kenny about a month before he died, but he didn’t do anything computer-wise without your approval.”
“Hey, Ally, what are we doing with checks and cash donations?” Jake asked, walking up to join her and Richard. Caleb, she noticed, was sitting on the parts counter flirting with two adoring secretaries. His mouth was glossy from the giant candy cane someone had given him. “Perhaps a quick trip to Tahiti?” he joked.
“Sorry, Charlie, that money buys turkeys.”
“Ah, shucks, I was really looking forward to a piña colada.”
She patted his arm as she might comfort Caleb. “How ’bout if I buy you one tomorrow in Monterey? Not tropical, but there should be sun.”
Jake grinned. “I can’t wait.” He extended a hand to Richard. “You’ve done a great job, Rich. Kenny and Pam would be pleased.”
Richard beamed. “Thank you. We couldn’t have pulled it off without Allison. She contacted the newspaper and radio stations, plus she handled the arrangements with the local food bank.”
Both men looked her way, and Allison felt her face heat up. She wondered if her complexion clashed with the glitzy red sweater she’d borrowed from Pam’s closet. She’d felt guilty about doing so, but she hadn’t had time to restock her wardrobe from home and she’d wanted something festive for the day. Fortunately, Caleb hadn’t seemed to notice.
“It was no big deal,” she said. “I just tried to remember what Pam did last year. She complained about it often enough, how could I forget?” Realizing that her statement cast a disparaging light on her friend, she added, “Not complain exactly. Pam loved supporting this cause, but Kenny wasn’t much help a lot of the time.” Her blush intensified.
Jake cuffed her shoulder lightly. “Hey, I understand. Kenny was a great guy, but he hated this kind of touchy-feely thing. I’m sure he ducked out any time he could get under his wife’s radar.”
Richard laughed. “That’s true. Ken stayed in the background as much as possible while Pam worked the crowd. Kinda the reverse of you two,” he noted. “’Cept you and Allison make a better team.”
Allison quickly said her goodbyes. As she drove down into the valley, Richard’s comment came back to her. A better team. Teammates. Mates.
She turned down the heater and opened the window to let in the brisk, moist air. Her mind had been wandering down strange paths lately. At odd moments, she’d find herself in the middle of daydreams that didn’t belong in a rational brain. This attention deficit had created all kinds of havoc in her business, which is why she needed to redo the recent statements. Somehow, she’d neglected to include service hours in the invoices.
Good thing I’m too exhausted at night to dream or I’d probably screw that up, too.
“I’m home. And I have pizza.”
Allison’s cheerful greeting made Jake want to crawl under the table. She’d been working in Fresno all day while he and Caleb had delivered canned goods, done a little Christmas shopping and taken a nap. Now, instead of giving his partner some much-needed down time, he was leaving her alone to care for a rowdy little rascal who refused to bathe.
“Ummm, pizza,” Caleb cheered, racing past Jake to meet her at the back door. “I want pizza. I want pizza.”
Jake hurried after him. Even though he felt guilty about leaving, Jake rationalized that this outing wasn’t entirely his fault. He’d been coerced by Richard, who wanted to introduce Jake to the volunteer firemen. The group planned to honor Kenny at a memorial next month and needed Jake’s input.
“Let me help,” Jake said, hurrying to relieve Allison of a plastic bag obviously filled with a six-pack of cans.
“Thanks,” she said. “The handle was cutting off circulation to my fingers.” She shook her hand then walked to the kitchen counter where she placed a large cardboard box and a paper sack.
“So how did we do today?” she asked, stealing a piece of pepperoni off the pie. “Cans galore?” she asked.
“We topped last year’s total by how much, Caleb?”
“Six million,” the little boy said, taking the paper plates and napkins out of the sack.
“Six hundred,” Jake corrected, trying not to laugh.
“Wow,” Allison exclaimed. She hung up her coat and washed her hands. “That’s impressive. How ’bout money-wise?”
“Eight trillion dollars,” Caleb said his eyes aglitter.
Jake loved to see his godson joke. This was the child he remembered from summer. Jake extended his arms in an impression of Frankenstein and ambled toward the little boy. “How much?” he roared.
“Eight thousand,” Caleb squealed, dodging left when Jake lurched right. Napkins flew into the air. Allison tried to catch them and wound up tripping over Jake’s foot. His only recourse to prevent her from falling was to snatch her into his outstretched arms, which curled backwards without conscious thought.
“Oh,” Allison said, with a small exhale. Her face was close to Jake's. Her breath carried the tangy scent of pepperoni.
“Eiou,” Caleb cried, ducking behind the paper plates he still held. “Kissing. Just like Mommy and Daddy.”
Allison righted herself almost immediately and stepped back. “Sorry.”
“No apology needed. It was my fault.”
Caleb yanked on Jake’s pocket. “You didn’t kiss her.”
“Well, no...I...um.” Jake felt his face heat up. He was rarely speechless, but this was definitely one of those times.
“Shall we eat?” Allison asked, her voice wobbly. “I’m starved.”
Caleb tugged again and motioned Jake to bend down for a private chat. In a loud whisper, the child said, “You have to kiss her. Girls like kisses. We can’t lose another mom, Jake.”
Jake’s breath left him. He put his hand to his face and squeezed the bridge of his nose to keep his tears at bay.
Suddenly, he sensed Al
lison's presence. She picked up Caleb and put her free arm around Jake’s back to pull him into a hug. “Everybody likes kisses,” she said softly. She pressed her lips to his cheek, and then did the same to Caleb.
The child hugged her fiercely then wiggled free. “Can I have chocolate milk with my pizza?”
Allison smiled. “Sure. There’s a carton in the door of the fridge.”
Her arm was still touching him. Her warmth enveloped him. Her scent made his mouth water. Girls weren’t the only ones who liked kisses. He lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. She gave a startled peep but didn’t move away. He kissed her again, his tongue teasing her lips that parted hesitantly.
The whooshing sound of the refrigerator door closing made her jump back. Her expression was unreadable, but her blush told him she was embarrassed and regretted the kiss. Jake wished he did, but in all honesty, he wanted more.
“We’d better start eating before the pizza gets cold,” Allison said, turning toward the counter.
Jake couldn’t postpone telling her. “I can’t stay,” he said. Her eyes went wide with alarm until he added, “I let myself get talked into attending the local volunteer firefighter’s Christmas party. I should have called and told you so you didn’t buy such a large pizza.”
She transferred a slice to Caleb’s plate. “No problem. Leftovers never seem to go to waste around here. We could wrap it up for tomorrow.” She looked at Jake. “We are still going to the ocean, aren’t we?”
“Absolutely. Caleb and I have everything packed— a blanket, warm jackets, sand pails and shovels. Right, buddy?”
Mouth full, the child nodded. “Beach,” he mumbled.
“Chew, don’t talk,” Allison cautioned. “One of my employees had a close call the other night when her little girl choked on a piece of meat. It suddenly occurred to me that I don’t know CPR. Do you?” she asked Jake.
“For adults. My gym was sponsoring classes so I got certified, but I’ve never tried it on a child.”
Allison’s serious look had returned. “I’ll add that to my to-do list.”
Jake thought about Allison’s list as he drove to the firehouse. Did it include falling for your godson’s other godparent?
He knew the answer. Undoubtedly not. Granted, the idea held a certain appeal, but proximity and need didn’t constitute the basis for a healthy long-term relationship. Did it?
That was the problem. Of Jake’s many friends and acquaintances, only one, Kenny, had been involved in a happy, loving relationship of ten years or better. Now, Jake was up to his eyeballs in his best friend’s life—sleeping in his bed, raising his child, lusting after Caleb’s new mother. But he wasn’t Kenny.
Allison used the remote control to lower the sound on the television. Caleb was asleep. Finally. Sprawled on the sofa, his cheek resting on a pillow near her thigh. She knew she should get up and carry him to bed, but she needed a few minutes to recoup.
They’d had a difficult night. Whether that was due to Jake’s absence or because Caleb was upset from seeing her and Jake kiss, she wasn’t sure. She’d tried playing games with him, but Candyland had turned into I-hate-you-land when he didn’t win—even though Allison had tried her best to lose. A foray into the world of Lego blocks had nearly reduced her to tears when he scattered a hundred little pieces in every direction in a fit of temper.
Finally, after a messy, contentious bath, he’d agreed to watch a movie, although Charlotte's Web wasn’t the title Allison would have picked. She loved the story but always cried when Charlotte died and her children flew away. Ally was tired of crying.
Then, to top off the night, her mother had called while Caleb was in the tub. They didn’t talk often— partly because Allison was so busy and partly because of the past. Her relationship with her parents had changed after her abortion. Pam had scolded Allison for being too hard on them. “Cut your mom some slack, Ally. A mother will do anything to protect the life of her child.” Allison understood that on an intellectual level, but, emotionally, she couldn’t forgive them completely.
Their chat included an update on Allison’s father’s health—better, her sister’s pregnancy, still problematic—and a heads-up on a package her mother had mailed for Caleb. Allison knew her parents worried about her. But after a day like today, she was too tired to care.
Allison let her head sink into the plush cushion. She’d just closed her eyes when she heard the sound of the garage door opening. She glanced at her watch. Nine-thirty? Jake was home early.
She still hadn’t mustered the energy to move when Jake walked in. He locked the kitchen door then headed straight to the couch where she and Caleb were sprawled. “God, that looks comfortable. I wish I’d stayed home and watched a movie with you two.”
Allison could tell he meant it. “No fun?”
“Not bad. They’re a great bunch of guys, but the night was nonstop Kenny stories. I gotta tell you. I loved the guy, but he wasn’t a saint.”
“Revisionist history,” she said, stifling a yawn. “I can’t keep my eyes open. Would you help me with Caleb?”
Jake moved to pick up the sleeping child but hesitated. Bent over he looked at her and said, “I feel like I should apologize for earlier. Are you okay with what happened?”
Okay? Maybe not okay. Her body wanted a heck of a lot more than just a kiss, but her mind knew that was a very bad idea. “Yeah. Sure. It was just a kiss,” she forced herself to say.
He looked unconvinced, but he let out a sigh that sounded almost as tired as Allison felt. “Good. Then tomorrow should be a breeze.”
Three hours on the road with a four-year-old and the man she found too sexy for her own good? Yep, just what Santa ordered.
Once she was free of Caleb’s weight, she sat up and stretched. Taking a deep breath, she rose and looked around to find the stuffed alligator Caleb had begun insisting he needed in bed with him. It was wedged between the cushions of the couch, but after a brief tussle, she pulled it free.
When she turned around, Jake was still standing there, watching her. They looked at each other a moment—an exchange that seemed familiar, yet more intense. Then she handed him the stuffed animal and hurried away.
Allison could no longer pretend she wasn’t attracted to Jake. Post-traumatic shock seemed as good an excuse as any. Her non-traumatized self would never fall for Jake-the-Rake. She was too smart for that. Pam had told her so many times.
“If Jake weren’t Jake and you weren’t you, the two of you would make a great couple,” Pam had said as recently as September.
The family had just returned from their vacation in Florida, tanned and relaxed. Allison had been lamenting the fact that she’d missed out on yet another great trip with the fabulous Jake Westin.
“Don’t get me wrong, Ally. Jake’s an amazing guy. And you’re the best person I know. But somehow I can’t picture the two of you together.”
Allison hadn’t bothered asking why not. Long-distance relationships never worked out, and she was locked into a long-term lease with her business. Maybe if she were the type of woman who could handle a fling, she’d have asked more questions. But she wasn’t.
Since Jake intended to leave once Cordelia returned home, Allison had to make dam sure he didn’t take her heart with him.
Chapter 10
The fog parted as if a giant hand had pulled aside a thick gray cloak revealing sky so blue Allison, in the seat beside him, commented, “I’d practically forgotten what that color looked like.”
Jake reached for the visor, where he usually kept his sunglasses when he wasn’t wearing them. They weren’t there.
“Oh, nuts. I think I left my shades at home.”
“Do you want mine?”
“No, thanks. Too girlish. Although they look very nice on you,” he hastily tacked on.
A low chuckle made him glance her way. “Good save,” she said with a wink.
“I can afford to be generous,” he returned, keeping his tone light. “Someone let me
sleep in this morning.”
Allison turned sideways in the tan leather seat. Instead of jeans, she wore black slacks made of a stretchy material that fit sinfully well. A purplish-blue cardigan sweater was tossed in the back seat beside Caleb. Her starched white shirt with cuffs was unbuttoned low enough for Jake to see the scalloped lace of her body-shaping tank top.
“It says a lot about a person when they consider 6:00 a.m. late."
Jake had always thought of himself as a night owl. Since he’d moved into the Rydell home, he’d found himself retiring earlier and earlier. Even last night, after a few hours of male companionship, he’d been anxious to return home. And when he thought about it, as he had that whole first hour of tossing and turning, he realized he didn’t miss his old habits.
As if reading his mind, Allison asked, “How are you holding up? From what Pam used to tell me, this schedule has to be quite a change for you.”
Jake glanced in the rearview mirror to check on Caleb who’d fallen asleep just past Casa de Fruta. “True,” he admitted. “And I expected to miss my former lifestyle, but I don’t.”
“Not even the bikini-clad beauties in Rollerblades?”
Her tone was light, but the question irked him. Ignoring the implication, he said, “I’ll tell you what I miss—the food.”
“You mean pizza three nights a week isn’t your normal fare?”
Jake sighed. “I live in walking distance of five-star restaurants. The last night I was there, I ate rosemary salmon in parchment, roasted red potatoes served with yellow pepper aioli sauce and caramel apple soufflé.”
“Amazing you stayed in such great shape. If I ate that kind of rich food, I’d blow up like a puffer fish.”
Jake laughed, pleased to know that she’d noticed his body. He’d had to work a little bit harder to stay in shape since he arrived in California, but fortunately, the home gym in Kenny’s office helped.
Caleb's Christmas Wish Page 16