A Christmas Message

by Debbie Macomber

  Wanting to leave before Max decided to drop by, she hurried out the door and stopped at the French Café for a mocha and bran muffin. If ever she’d deserved one, it was now. At the rate her life was going, there wouldn’t be enough peppermint mochas in the world to see her through another day like yesterday.

  Rather than linger as she normally did, K.O. took her drink and muffin to go and enjoyed a leisurely stroll down Blossom Street. A walk would give her exercise and clear her mind, and just then clarity was what she needed. She admired the evergreen boughs and garlands decorating the storefronts, and the inventive variations on Christmas themes in every window. The weather remained unseasonably cold with a chance of snow flurries. In December Seattle was usually in the grip of gloomy winter rains, but that hadn’t happened yet this year. The sky was already a clear blue with puffy clouds scattered about.

  By the time she’d finished her peppermint mocha, K.O. had walked a good mile and felt refreshed in both body and mind. When she entered her building, LaVonne—wearing a housecoat—was stepping out of her condo to grab the morning paper. Her eyes were red and puffy and it looked as if she hadn’t slept all night. She bent over to retrieve her paper.

  “LaVonne,” K.O. called out.

  Her friend slowly straightened. “I thought I should see if there’s a report in the police blotter about Tom scratching that...that man,” she spat out.

  “I doubt it.”

  “Is he...back from the hospital?”

  “Max Jeffries is alive and well. He sustained a few scratches, but it isn’t nearly as bad as we all feared.” Wynn’s father seemed to be under the delusion that he’d narrowly escaped with his life, but she didn’t feel the need to mention that. Nor did K.O. care to enlighten LaVonne regarding Max’s supposed amnesia.

  “I’m so glad.” LaVonne sounded tired and sad.

  “Is there anything I can get you?” K.O. asked, feeling partially to blame.

  “Thanks for asking, but I’m fine.” She gave a shuddering sob. “Except for poor Tom being in jail...”

  “Call if you need me,” K.O. said before she returned to her own apartment.

  The rest of the morning passed quickly. She worked for a solid two hours and accomplished more in that brief time than she normally did in four. She finished a medical report, sent off some résumés by email and drafted a Christmas letter for a woman in Zach’s office who’d made a last-minute request. Then, deciding she should check on Max Jeffries, she went up for a quick visit. At twelve-thirty, she grabbed her coat and headed out the door again. With her hands buried deep in her red wool coat and a candy-cane striped scarf doubled around her neck, she walked to Wynn’s office.

  This was her first visit there, and she wasn’t sure what to expect. When she stepped inside, she found a comfortable waiting room and thought it looked like any doctor’s office.

  A middle-aged receptionist glanced up and smiled warmly. “You must be Katherine,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Lois Church, Dr. Jeffries’s assistant.”

  “Hello,” K.O. said, returning her smile.

  “Come on back. Doctor is waiting for you.” Lois led her to a large room, lined with bookshelves and framed degrees. A big desk dominated one end, and there was a sitting area on the other side, complete with a miniature table and chairs and a number of toys.

  Wynn stood in front of the bookcase, and when K.O. entered the room, he closed the volume he’d been reading and put it back in place.

  Lois slipped quietly out of the room and shut the door.

  “Hi,” K.O. said tentatively, wondering at his mood.

  He smiled. “I see you received my note.”

  “Yes,” she said with a nod. She remained standing just inside his office.

  “I asked you to come here to talk about my father. I’m afraid he’s going a little overboard with all of this.”

  “I got that impression myself.”

  Wynn arched his brows. “You’ve spoken to him?”

  She nodded again. “I stopped by to see how he’s doing. He didn’t seem to remember me right away. He says he’s suffering from memory loss.”

  Wynn groaned.

  “I hate to say this, but I assumed that hypochondria’s what he’s really suffering from.” She paused. “Either that or he’s faking it,” she said boldly.

  Wynn gave a dismissive shrug. “I believe your second diagnosis is correct. It’s a recurring condition of his,” he said with a wry smile.

  K.O. didn’t know quite what to say.

  “He’s exaggerating, looking for attention.” Wynn motioned for her to sit down, which she did, sinking into the luxurious leather sofa. Wynn took the chair next to it. “I don’t mean to sound unsympathetic, but for all his easygoing hippie ways, Moon Puppy—Max—can be quite the manipulator.”

  “Well, it’s not like LaVonne did it on purpose or anything.”

  There was a moment’s silence. “In light of what happened yesterday, do you still want me to accompany you to your sister’s?” he asked.

  K.O. would be terribly disappointed if he’d experienced a change of heart. “I hoped you would, but if you need to bow out because of your father, I understand.”

  “No,” he said decisively. “I want to do this. It’s important for us both, for our relationship.”

  K.O. felt the same way.

  “I’ve already told my father that I have a business appointment this weekend, so he knows I’ll be away.”

  That made K.O. smile. This was business. Sort of.

  “I’d prefer that Max not know the two of us will be together. He’ll want to join us and, frankly, dealing with him will be more work than taking care of the kids.”

  “All right.” Despite a bit of residual guilt, K.O. was certainly willing to abide by his wishes. She was convinced that once Wynn spent time with Zoe and Zara, he’d know for himself that his theories didn’t work. The twins and their outrageous behavior would speak more eloquently than she ever could.

  “I’m afraid we might not have an opportunity to get together for the rest of the week.”

  She was unhappy about it but understood. With his injuries and need for attention, Max would dominate Wynn’s time.

  “Are you sure your father will be well enough by Friday for you to leave?” she asked.

  “He’d better be,” Wynn said firmly, “because I’m going. He’ll survive. In case you hadn’t already figured this out, he’s a little...immature.”

  “Really?” she asked, feigning surprise. Then she laughed out loud.

  Wynn smiled, too. “I’m going to miss you, Katherine,” he said with a sigh. “I wish I could see you every day this week, but between work and Max...”

  “I’ll miss you, too.”

  Wynn checked his watch and K.O. realized that was her signal to go. Wynn had appointments.

  They both stood.

  “Before I forget,” he said casually. “A friend of mine told me his company’s looking for a publicist. It’s a small publisher, Apple Blossom Books, right in the downtown area, not far from here.”

  “They are?” K.O.’s heart raced with excitement. A small publishing company would be ideal. “Really?”

  “I mentioned your name, and Larry asked if you’d be willing to send in a résumé.” Wynn picked up a business card from his desk and handed it to her. “You can email it directly to him.”

  “Oh, Wynn, thank you.” In her excitement, she hugged him.

  That seemed to be all the encouragement he needed to keep her in his arms and kiss her. She responded with equal fervor, and it made her wonder how she could possibly go another three days until she saw him again.

  They smiled at each other. Wynn threaded his fingers through her hair and brought his mouth to hers for another, deeper kiss.

  A polite knock at the door was followed by the
sound of it opening.

  Abruptly Wynn released her, taking a step back. “Yes, Lois,” he said, still looking at K.O.

  “Your one-thirty appointment has arrived.”

  “I’ll be ready in just a minute,” he said. As soon as the door was shut, he leaned close, touching his forehead to hers. “I’d better get back to work.”

  “Me, too.” But it was with real reluctance that they drew apart.

  As K.O. left, glancing at the surly teen being ushered into his office, she felt that Friday couldn’t come soon enough.

  Chapter Fourteen

  On Thursday afternoon, LaVonne invited K.O. for afternoon tea, complete with a plate of sliced fruitcake. “I’m feeling much better,” her neighbor said as she poured tea into mugs decorated with cats in Santa costumes. “I’ve been allowed to visit Tom, and he’s doing so well. In a couple of days, he’ll be back home where he belongs.” She frowned as if remembering Wynn’s father. “No thanks to that dreadful man who had Tom taken away from me.”

  K.O. sat on the sofa and held her mug in one hand and a slice of fruitcake in the other. “I’m so pleased to hear Tom will be home soon.” Her conscience had been bothering her, and for the sake of their friendship, K.O. felt the need to confess what she’d done.

  “The best part is I haven’t seen that maniac all week,” LaVonne was saying.

  K.O. gave her neighbor a tentative smile and lowered her gaze. She hadn’t seen Max, either. Or Wynn, except for that brief visit to his office, although they’d emailed each other a couple of times. He’d kept her updated on his father and the so-called memory loss, from which Max had apparently made a sudden recovery. In fact, he now remembered a little too much, according to Wynn. But the wounds on his arm appeared to be healing nicely and Max seemed to enjoy the extra attention Wynn paid him. Wynn, meanwhile, was looking forward to the reprieve offered by their visit to Zelda’s.

  “I owe you an apology,” K.O. said to LaVonne.

  “Nonsense. You had no way of knowing how Tom would react to Mr. Jeffries.”

  “True, but...” She swallowed hard. “You should know...” She started again. “I didn’t really have a psychic experience.”

  LaVonne set down her mug and stared at K.O. “You didn’t actually see a man for me in the soup? You mean to say there wasn’t any message in the cracker crumbs?”

  “No,” K.O. admitted.

  “Oh.”

  “It might seem like I was making fun of you and your psychic abilities, but I wasn’t, LaVonne, I truly wasn’t. I thought that if you believed a man was coming into your life, you’d be looking for one, and if you were expecting to meet a man, then you just might, and I hoped that man would be Wynn’s father, but clearly it wasn’t...isn’t.” This was said without pausing for breath.

  A short silence ensued, followed by a disappointed, “Oh.”

  “Forgive me if I offended you.”

  LaVonne took a moment to think this through. “You didn’t,” she said after a while. “I’ve more or less reached the same conclusion about my psychic abilities. But—” she smiled brightly “—guess what? I’ve signed up for another class in January.” She reached for a second slice of fruitcake and smiled as Martin brought K.O. the catnip mouse Wynn had given Tom that ill-fated evening.

  “Another one at the community college?” K.O. asked.

  LaVonne shook her head. “No, I walked across the street into A Good Yarn and decided I’d learn how to knit.”

  “That sounds good.”

  “Want to come, too?” LaVonne asked.

  Every time her friend enrolled in a new course, she urged K.O. to take it with her. Because of finances and her job search, K.O. had always declined. This time, however, she felt she might be able to swing it. Not to mention the fact that she owed LaVonne... “I’ll see.”

  “Really?” Even this little bit of enthusiasm seemed to delight LaVonne. “That’s wonderful.”

  “I had a job interview on Wednesday,” K.O. told her, squelching the desire to pin all her hopes on this one interview. Apple Blossom Books, the publisher Wynn had recommended, had called her in almost immediately. She’d met with the president and the marketing manager, and they’d promised to get back to her before Christmas. For the first time in a long while, K.O. felt optimistic. A publishing company, even a small one, would be ideal.

  “And?” LaVonne prompted.

  “And...” K.O. said, smiling. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”

  “That’s just great! I know you’ve been looking for ages.”

  “The Christmas letters are going well, too,” she added. “I wrote another one this week for a woman in Zach’s office. She kept thinking she had time and then realized she didn’t, so it was a rush job.”

  “You might really be on to something, you know. A little sideline business every Christmas.”

  “You aren’t upset with me about what I did, are you?” K.O. asked, returning to her apology. “You’ve been such a good friend, and I wouldn’t do anything in the world to hurt you.”

  “Nah,” LaVonne assured her, petting Phillip, who’d jumped into her lap. “If anyone’s to blame it’s that horrible man. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a fruitcake.” That said, she took another bite of the slice she’d been enjoying.

  * * *

  Wynn had devised a rather complicated plan of escape. On Friday afternoon he would leave his office at three-thirty and pick K.O. up on the corner of Blossom Street and Port Avenue. Because he didn’t want to risk going inside and being seen by his father, she’d agreed to wait on the curb with her overnight bag.

  K.O. was packed and ready long before the time they’d arranged. At three, her phone rang. Without checking caller ID, she knew it had to be her sister.

  “I can’t believe Dr. Wynn Jeffries is actually coming to the house,” she said and gave a shrill cry of excitement. “You can’t imagine how jealous my friends are.”

  “No one’s supposed to know about this,” K.O. reminded her.

  “No one knows exactly when he’ll be here, but I did mention it to a few close friends.”

  “Zelda! You promised.”

  “I know, I know. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t keep this to myself. You just don’t understand what an honor it is to have Dr. Jeffries in my home.”

  “But...”

  “Don’t worry, no one knows it’s this weekend,” Zelda told her.

  “You’re sure?”

  “I swear, all right?”

  It would be a nightmare if a few dozen of Zelda’s closest friends just happened to drop by the house unannounced. Unfortunately, K.O. didn’t have any choice but to believe her.

  “How are the girls?” K.O. asked, hoping the twins were up to their usual antics. She didn’t want Zoe and Zara to be on their best behavior. That would ruin all her plans.

  “They’re fine. Well, mostly fine. Healthwise, they’re both getting over ear infections.”

  Oh, dear. “You might’ve told me this before!” K.O. cried. Her mind shifted into overdrive. If the girls were sick, it would throw everything off. Wynn would insist their behavior was affected by how they were feeling.

  “They’ve been on antibiotics for the last two weeks,” Zelda said, breaking into her thoughts. “The doctor explained how important it is to finish the medicine, and they only have a couple of doses left. I wrote it all down for you and Dr. Jeffries, so there’s no need to worry.”

  “Fine,” K.O. said, relieved. “Anything else you’re not telling me?”

  Her sister went silent for a moment. “I can’t think of anything. I’ve got a list of instructions for you and the phone numbers where we can be reached. I do appreciate this, you know.”

  K.O. in turn appreciated the opportunity to spend this time with the twins—and to share the experience with Wynn. At least they’d be able to stop tiptoei
ng around the subject of the Free Child movement.

  “We have a Christmas tree,” Zelda murmured as if she were admitting to a weakness of character. “Zach felt we needed one, and when I spoke to Dr. Jeffries last Monday he didn’t discourage it. So I gave in, although I’m still not sure it’s such a good idea.”

  “You made the right choice,” K.O. told her.

  “I hope so.”

  K.O. noticed the clock on her microwave and was shocked to see that it was time to meet Wynn. “Oh, my goodness, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you in about thirty minutes.”

  K.O. hung up the phone and hurried to put on her long wool coat, hat and scarf. Grabbing her purse and overnight bag, she rushed outside. Traffic was heavy, and it was already getting dark. She’d planned to be waiting at the curb so when Wynn pulled up, she could quickly hop inside his car. Then they’d be on their way, with no one the wiser.

  No sooner had she stepped out of the building than she saw Max Jeffries walking toward her. His cheeks were ruddy, as if he’d been out for a long stroll.

  “Well, hello there, Katherine,” he said cheerfully. “How are you this fine cold day?”

  “Ah...” She glanced furtively around. “I’m going to my sister’s tonight,” she said when he looked pointedly at her small suitcase.

  “Wynn’s away himself.”

  “Pure coincidence,” she told him and realized how guilty she sounded.

  Max chuckled. “Business trip, he said.”

  She nodded, moving slowly toward the nearby corner of Blossom and Port. She kept her gaze focused on the street, fearing she was about to give everything away.

  “I’m healing well,” Max told her conversationally. “I had a couple of rough days, but the pain is much better now.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “Yes, me, too. I never want to see that crazy cat woman again as long as I live.”

  It demanded restraint not to immediately defend her friend, but K.O. managed. “I see your memory’s back,” she said instead, all the while keeping a lookout for Wynn.

  “Oh, yes, it returned within a day or two. In some ways,” he sighed, “I wished it hadn’t. Because now all I can think about is how that vicious feline latched on to my arm.”