Unforgettable Christmas - Gifts of Love (The Unforgettables Book 3)

by Mimi Barbour

  Yeah, he still worried about these kids and their mother. Somehow, in just a few weeks, they'd bonded with the other, insecurities and all.

  For some reason tonight, everything fell out of place. The future seemed uncertain and odd. “I think I'm going to go home. I'm sorry for coming here like this and saying what I did. I don't know where we go from here, but I do know our kids have a mutual thing in common- Frenzy. So let's cool off and approach this subject tomorrow, or even the day after. I do know I like you a lot, Cara.”

  She pursed her lips. He could tell she struggled with what to say. Lance stifled a sigh. “I'm sorry I planted those thoughts in your head about your husband.”

  Cara shook her head. “It's not even about that. Not all of it. I don't know what to make of this whole thing right now.”

  “I think if somehow we let go of our fears, there might be a future.” Or at least a shot to try for one.

  She didn't say anything more. The TV in the background was the only noise in the room. Lance wanted to continue the conversation, but Cara ended up in a fit of coughs. Her face reddened and she covered her mouth. She sounded horrible. He rushed to his feet. “Cara-”

  “I've got it from here.” Shelly ran in from the other room. “You should probably go.” Anger laced her voice.

  He'd messed up. He'd talked to Cara about what Shelly told him in confidence, not even thinking about it and now he angered her, too.

  “Feel better. For what it's worth, I'm sorry.” He left the house, kicking himself mentally for being so dumb about this. He'd gone about it the wrong way.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Why didn't you ever come to me with this information?” Cara asked her daughter an hour later. She'd eaten two bowls of soup and realized Lance never asked for the pot back before leaving. Shelly stuck by her side to take care of her. The cough had subsided after hot food and a strong dose of medicine. Her fatigue continued, and her mind raced with questions.

  “I don't know.” Shelly's voice was sullen. “I didn't expect Lance to throw it out there like that, either. But I had no idea about his life. I guess it was me who put those thoughts in his head.”

  “Don't take the blame for his thoughts, Shel. Lance did that, not you.” Cara closed her eyes, shivering. So the fever hadn't subsided all the way. What was the thermostat at? Eighty? Not that it was cold outside, either.

  “Even with what happened tonight, I like him. We know Alex doesn't warm up to many people, but he's comfortable around Lance. You know Alex's diagnosis doesn't change our family. I still love you. I didn't know a mom could have so many doubts and insecurities. I always thought you were fearless and brave.”

  Cara's eyelids fluttered open, totally stunned by Shelly's admission. “Oh, I have many. You wouldn't believe. I just don't like showing them because I'm supposed to be strong for you kids.”

  “You don't have to be anything but who you are,” Shelly insisted.

  “Shel? When in the world did you get so grown up?” Cara had a hard time believing the words were coming from her twelve year old right now.

  Her daughter shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe when everyone around us acted differently once we found out about Alex. It's like, they act as if he's a disease. Friends and classmates at school tell me that maybe one day he'll grow out of it. People are so mean!”

  “Yeah. They can be, and that's why I get so nervous. I love the both of you so much, and all I want is for you to have the best life possible. But I guess I can't protect you from the bad, even when I want to. Life is hard, people are cruel, and it's going to hurt us all.”

  Get some sleep, Mom. We'll make it through. We always have, and always will.” Shelly kissed her forehead, then turned off the light. “By the way, I'm sorry you went through what you did growing up. I had no idea about that, either.”

  Cara fell asleep feeling like the luckiest mom on the planet.

  *****

  A week went by with no word from Cara. Lance sighed as he helped Tamara wrap up her gifts for her grandparents. She added way too much tape, but the proud smile on her face was worth it.

  “Grandma and Gramps are gonna love these!” Tamara squealed. She flashed a gap-toothed smile.

  They had spent all day searching for the perfect gifts. Now, after hot chocolate and a snack, they were putting the final touches on wrapping gifts.

  “They definitely are.” Lance held the crumpled paper together for her to tape the last piece. She loved her independence and after the accident, he wanted to give her as much of that as possible. The best gift of all was having his daughter alive and well and home for the holidays.

  “Will you find Frenzy so I can go to sleep?” Tamara handed him her finished product. “He wasn't in his cage earlier.”

  Oops. Once again, he forgot to put him there. “Tired already? It's still early!” Lance gasped in mock horror. “Is that your way of getting out of clean up duty?” He surveyed the massive pile of wrapping paper scraps strewn all around the area.

  “Noooooo!” She giggled. “But I'm sleepy.”

  “Well...” Lance pretended to think. “I guess I can clean up. But that means no presents for you,” he teased. Her tiny jaw dropped. “Just kidding! Come on, let's get you ready for bed and we'll find Frenzy. I bet he's hiding again.”

  “Hey Daddy? How come Miss Cara and Alex don't come to visit any more? Doesn't he still like Frenzy?” Tamara asked ten minutes later after she'd brushed her teeth.

  “Of course he does. They've been busy.” He'd debated on calling or dropping by, but the last thing he wanted was to invade her space, especially after the bombshell he'd dropped. Oh, his mother had a field day with that one after Lance told her what happened. The disappointment on her face still haunted his mind. He'd messed up. Just because Cara's late husband's name started with an E didn't mean he'd had an affair with Lauren.

  That was the insecure feeling talking, and it should have stayed locked up.

  “Okay, bug. I'm going to find Frenzy. Hang tight.” Lance kissed her forehead and searched the house. He hadn't seen Frenzy all afternoon, and that was rather unusual. Usually he stuck close to Tamara, especially after she came home from the hospital.

  “Frenzy!” Lance called, searching each room carefully. Where in the world was he? Worry seeped in. Had he gotten out? Lance had been in and out today, bringing in bags and boxes of gifts. The ferret could have easily slipped out at some point. Crap. If he didn't find him, Tamara was going to be pretty upset.

  After searching through all of the house, he still didn't come across Frenzy. He double checked again, as many of the colors in the house matched Frenzy's brown, long body. He could easily be in plain sight. Nope. No Frenzy.

  Lance hurried back to Tamara's room, debating on what to say to her when he returned empty handed. To his relief, she'd already fallen asleep. That bought him more time to find Frenzy. He turned off Tamara's light and made his way to the backyard, calling Frenzy's name. A light drizzle fell. No ferret in the backyard. Next, he went out front and called again.

  Nothing.

  Not good.

  Where had he run off to this time?

  *****

  “So you have nothing to worry about during Christmas break,” Tess promised Cara. “Alex and Shelly can hang out with us. But you already knew that.”

  Cara sipped her tea. “I know, and I appreciate it.” Alex hadn't been doing well the past week. He wanted to see Frenzy, and he made it known. His attitude was pretty bad. But how did she break down and call Lance when she had no rights to the ferret? Frenzy belonged to Tamara and Lance. Somehow, she had to get her son through this.

  Defeat sagged her shoulders.

  “He's still pretty upset about the ferret, huh?” Tess asked softly.

  “Yeah. I thought we were having a breakthrough, and this whole thing created a set back.”

  “But Lance is into you, isn't he?”

  She thought about him. “He says he cares about us, and from his actions, I know
it's true.”

  “You're afraid.”

  “I am.” And then some.

  “If Lance wants to be around, maybe you should try to put aside your worries. Obviously, he went out of his way for Alex, which is what led you to spend more time together,” Tess pointed out.

  Her friend was right, damn it. “I don't know if I can handle any more disappointments. And that whole thing about him wondering if his wife had an affair with Ethan? I mean, come on!” If he hadn't dropped that bombshell that night, Cara probably would have called him already.

  “Like you, he has his own doubts. You're not letting go of your past, either.” Tess checked the clock. “I hate to cut this conversation short, but I have to get home.”

  Cara walked her friend to the door. “Thanks for everything tonight.” Tess had come to keep her company after Alex had another meltdown. A burst of chilly air whooshed in when she opened the door and as Tess stepped out, a blur of brown ran inside.

  “Whoa!” Tess shrieked. “What in the world?”

  Cara ran after the intruder when he darted behind her Christmas tree. Curled up in the corner, she discovered a familiar face. “Frenzy!” she exclaimed. “I bet your owner is looking for you.” He squeaked in response, almost as if trying to tell her something.

  “There you go. A reason to put it all behind you. Call Lance and make up.” Tess wagged her finger. “That's what I want for Christmas from you.”

  Cara rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hold back a laugh. “You're weird. I'll call him, of course, but no guarantees on the rest.”

  “Do it!” Tess wiggled her fingers, then closed the door behind her.

  With Shelly and Alex already asleep, she'd avoid the questions and chaos if she called Lance now. Or maybe she should flag Tess down and have her stay with the kids so she could bring Frenzy to his house.

  Her hand already wrapped around her phone, Cara pulled it from her pocket. With shaky fingers, she searched for his name in her contacts list and hit dial.

  “Cara?” Lance's surprised voice came over the line.

  “Hi, Lance. I...” Where to start? “Frenzy just ran inside my house. You might want to come get him as quickly as you can.”

  “He's there with you? Oh, I've been looking for over two hours for him! My brother is here, so I'll come right over to get him!” He sounded breathless.

  Cara hung up a minute later and gathered her wits. She wanted to see Lance again, but what did she say? After the way they ended the other night, she had no idea what to do. As she settled in the chair by the tree, Frenzy climbed up and curled in her lap. His tongue darted out and he made a funny noise before resting on her. “You're a little sneak, aren't you?” Cara said softly, hoping Alex wouldn't wake up and see him here. “How in the world did you make it all the way over here?”

  The doorbell rang fifteen minutes later. Frenzy scurried off down the hall. Good thing Cara had all the doors closed so it wouldn't be easy for him to run in one of the rooms. She rushed to the front door. “Come on in,” she gestured. He held the carrier in his left hand and stepped inside. “Tess left a little while ago, and Frenzy just ran past her to come inside.”

  “Tamara asked for him before bed, and I couldn't find him anywhere. I don't even know when he got out. How in the world did he know to come all the way over here? Why did he- I don't even...” He shook his head. His flabbergasted response matched her own. Cara closed the door to keep the cold out and Frenzy in.

  An awkward hush fell between them.

  “How are you?” they asked in unison, then laughed.

  “There's the little bugger.” Lance stooped and beckoned Frenzy over. A flash of brown darted their way, and he picked him up. “What's with you and running, huh?” he asked softly before putting him in the carrier. Cara noted how much more comfortable the action was. So Lance had finally forgiven Frenzy for the accident. Good for him. Lance straightened to his full height and locked gazes with Cara. Her stomach fluttered. “I think he missed you as much as I did.”

  “Your pot. I should get your pot, too.” Cara's mind spun. She headed for the kitchen to find it. She realized halfway there that she hadn't even given his statement a response. Cara had definitely missed him.

  Lance followed. “Cara. About that night. I'm sorry I said what I did.”

  “Lance...”

  He stepped closer. Where did he put Frenzy? Intense blue eyes studied her. “I've had a lot of time to think about things. I can't blame you for having your doubts and fears, because I've done the same thing. You're struggling with the recent news of your son's diagnosis, as I'm struggling with the revelation that Lauren had an affair. My mind went to places it shouldn't have.”

  “I don't like being this person in a shell,” Cara admitted. “I can't help it half the time. It's natural for me to hide, I guess. But Alex is comfortable around you, and that's unusual. I still get wary with him around other new people. I had such an amazing time at your parents' that night and kept thinking about how they must feel after Alex's meltdown.”

  “Do you know what they felt?” Lance asked, taking her hand. “They couldn't stop talking about how courageous you are for doing what you do. It's not easy to raise kids alone. It's not easy to divide equal time between two very different children with needs. My mother raves about you. It's a little weird.” He squeezed her hand. “But she's right. I admire your strength. I think Frenzy took after Ma's matchmaking plans, which is why he ran over here tonight. Or maybe it's a little Christmas wishing.” Stepping closer, Lance set his heated gaze on her. “Please spend Christmas with me and my family. Let's put down our walls and see where things go. What do you say?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Christmas Day

  “We wish you a ferret Christmas. We wish you...”

  “Cara! Your son taught my daughter this song and now it's in my head!” Lance called from the living room.

  “Feel like debuting a new duet?” she teased, wiping her hands on her pants after setting a hot dish on the dining room table. In the living room, Shelly, Alex, Tamara, and Lance were scattered about, still rummaging through the opened Christmas presents.

  Ever since Frenzy ran to her house, she and Lance had spent every night together. Sometimes at her house, many at his, and a few with his parents. She learned to put her trust in this man and his family, and found out quickly that they were supportive people. They took the time to learn about Alex and what he needed. No judging. No blaming. She'd almost call it too good to be true, but the past week had really proven a point.

  Three nights ago, Lance's mother convinced her to let Alex and Shelly stay with her for an evening so that Lance could take her out on a date. Cara had almost said no, but decided to give it a shot.

  The night had been amazing! She loved spending it with Lance and learning more about him. How many times had she worried about Alex? Plenty, but his mother sent texts every hour to update her and he'd been perfectly fine the entire night.

  “If we find one that isn't their little rendition of a Christmas song.” He shook his head, climbing to his feet. Stepping over piles of boxes and wrapping paper, Lance leaned in for a quick kiss.

  “So you don't think that's a cool Christmas tradition to start? Come on, imagine what kind of fun it would be to make that an entire song.” She tilted her head, shooting him her best smile. Alex's rendition was kind of growing on her.

  He grumbled. “I do have to hand it to Frenzy... he kept bringing us together.”

  “Does that mean you don't blame him any more?” she asked softly.

  “I don't,” he replied with a low voice. “How can I? My daughter's happy, and I have a woman in my life who I enjoy spending my nights with.”

  “Are you going to kiss her or what?” Lance's mother put a hand on her hip. She moved her other hand in a wild gesture.

  Both Cara and Lance looked up. They stood in the entryway of the hall. “Mother, when did you put that up?” Lance asked suspiciously.”

&nb
sp; She shrugged, playing coy. “I think your brother keeps moving it.”

  “Don't blame me!” Jamie walked in from the kitchen, holding his girlfriend's hand. “I know you're playing double matchmaker today. This was not where I saw the mistletoe last.”

  Cara chuckled. She enjoyed this family so much and couldn't be happier that they included the three of them in their festivities with welcome arms. She wrapped an arm around Lance and kissed him gently.

  “Oh, Cara. I have pictures of Lance you just have to see!” His mother tugged on her hand, a mischievous smile on her face.

  Lance groaned while Jamie snorted out a laugh.

  “You come too, Ellen. Jamie has some pretty embarrassing moments I can share.”

  “Ma!” Both men wailed at the same time.

  “Oh hush. It's Christmas! I love going through Christmas memories!” Their mother scolded them.

  The entire day, Cara marveled at the family time. Everyone was included in games and activities. They laughed and made new memories.

  Cara watched her kids with happy smiles on their faces. Alex had been comfortable all day, despite his normal routine being thrown out of whack. Frenzy entertained the kids often while the adults sat around the table playing cards and enjoying each other's company. For the next hour, she sifted through photos and memories, learning more about the man who had a place in her heart.

  That night, he dropped the three of them off. Lance walked them to the door, carried a sack of presents in, and set them down. “Merry Christmas, Cara,” he whispered after gathering her in his arms. “I have something to say, and this is the last time I'll bring it up. I found out who the E is in Lauren's letters. It wasn't Ethan. From here on out, I'm going to put the past where it belongs- behind me.”

  She trailed a finger along his jaw. “I am too. I'm also going to learn not to care as much of what other people think. They're going to stare and point, but I have to teach my kids that they don't need to be so afraid of what everyone says. It won't be easy, but I'll do my best every day.”