“What?” Kara laughed.
“Which logically means he’s also spending more time with you. I’m so happy for you.”
Kara balled her napkin and threw it across the table at Marie. “Stop it! Like I said, there’s a line there and I am not stepping over it. So, you can stop with all the innuendo and the handsome Dr. Hunter talk.”
“For now.” Marie smirked and glanced at her watch before grabbing her purse off the table. “I’ve got to go. Clients to see. Reports to write. I’ll catch up soon.” Marie blew an air kiss while Kara remained at the table, watching her cousin’s back disappear through the crowd. She did not need Marie to add more fuel to her already inflamed thoughts about Caleb. She was the nanny first and foremost. Nothing more. As long as she kept telling herself that, she would be fine.
Chapter 10
“Daddy! Daddy!” Molly bounded into the kitchen, her blonde curls bouncing wildly on her head. “Can we go Christmas shopping?”
Kara glanced up from slicing some carrots and eyed Caleb, who was sitting at the counter reading an article in a medical journal.
“Christmas shopping?” He turned to Molly.
“Yes! Oh, please?” She pleaded, her face beaming with excitement.
Caleb rubbed a hand over his face. He hadn’t given much thought to Christmas. But according to Miriam, and now Molly, it was fast approaching.
In previous years, Grace had done the shopping and the decorating. It was his least favorite time of year, as he’d lost Camille only a week before Christmas. He’d been too busy with funeral arrangements and dealing with a newborn, that Christmas had passed by in a fog of grief and despair. Since then, the holiday season triggered too many sad memories. He’d managed to endure each Christmas since, but had never been truly present. It was always a painful reminder of what he’d lost.
“I can take them, if you’d like.” Kara’s soft words broke through his gloom.
“You don’t have to do that.” He held her gaze and something in her eyes squeezed his heart. Empathy. Compassion. Kindness.
She scraped the carrots into a pile. “I’d really like to. It would be fun. I’ve never been in New York City for Christmas. I’d like to see the decorations too.”
“Well, if you’re sure …”
“I am.” She smiled warmly; his heart drummed an eager beat against his ribs. Her enthusiasm and willingness to embrace his family warmed him to the core.
He tried to brush aside the unfamiliar twinges of awareness as he pulled a credit card from his wallet and slid it across the counter. “Go tomorrow. Take all the time you need.”
“Thank you, Daddy!” Molly threw her arms around his waist. Closing his eyes, he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled the sweet scent of strawberry shampoo. Warmth infused him as he held Molly tight. He’d missed this sense of family. This sense of … home.
He’d missed so much over the years. His darling children, growing quickly before his eyes, and yet he’d been too busy with work and self-pity to appreciate them.
His eyes burned and he squeezed them tight to trap any errant tears that might escape. Not wanting Kara to see him suddenly overcome by emotion, he cleared his throat and unhooked Molly’s arms from around his waist.
“Excuse me,” his voice croaked as he stood. “I’ll be back in time for dinner.”
Without a backward glance, he strode to the office and closed and locked the door. Collapsing into the leather chair, he buried his head in his hands and allowed the tears to fall. Years of pent up emotion rained down his cheeks. His shoulders shook as grief poured out and memories swirled through his mind.
He mourned the loss of Camille, his precious wife who’d been taken all too soon. He mourned the fact he’d missed out on seeing his children grow and spending time with them. And he mourned the loss of joy from his home.
When had he become so cold and distant? When had he lost his spark, his zest for life? He didn’t want to get to the end of his life having worked himself to death.
Camille’s lifeless body flashed before his eyes, but was quickly replaced by the smiling faces of Lucas and Molly. The spark in their eyes. The dimples in their cheeks. He may not have been able to save Camille, but he would do everything in his power to save the family he had now.
Chapter 11
Kara ran a coat of pale pink gloss over lips and smacked them together. She loosely braided her hair and wrapped a scarf around her neck. Grabbing her purse, she jogged down the stairs to find Lucas and Molly waiting for her in the living room.
“You look pretty, Kara.”
“Thank you, Molly. And so do you.” In her jeans, pink boots and matching pink jacket, Molly looked adorable.
“Nice scarf.” Caleb’s deep voice drew her attention to the armchair in the corner of the room. Distracted by Molly’s comment, she hadn’t noticed him when she walked in.
“Uh, thanks.” Her fingers flew to the pale blue woolen scarf knotted around her neck. She held back a smile at the flush of color creeping up Caleb’s neck. Surely he hadn’t meant to comment on her scarf. Poor man was obviously embarrassed.
“Are you ready to go shopping?” Kara asked, quickly trying to divert attention away from the awkwardness descending over the room.
“Yes!” Lucas and Molly announced in unison.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” She held out her hands and the children held one each. “We’ll be back later. Is there anything you need?”
Caleb’s gaze intensified for a moment before he blinked. “No, I’m fine. You lot go and have fun. I’m on call today, so I may or may not be here when you come home.”
With their goodbyes said, Kara bundled Molly and Lucas outside.
* * *
“This is so beautiful,” Molly gasped, her eyes wide in wonder as she peered up at the decorations adorning the street poles. They’d caught the subway downtown and had spent the morning walking through the various malls and admiring the glittery decorations in the shop windows.
“Look at the nutcracker soldiers, Lucas,” Kara pointed to the display of soldiers in the shop front. With their rosy red cheeks and bright colored jackets, they kept guard over a ballerina twirling in a silver gown.
“They’re so cool!” Lucas exclaimed, tugging on her hand and leading them to another display where a train was winding its way through a snowy mountain range.
The decorations were magical, and Kara felt like a child in a candy store, completely overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of everything Christmas. New York City at Christmas was a sight to behold.
The trio window-shopped for hours, stopping to refuel with hot chocolates and slices of apple pie.
“My tummy is so full,” Molly groaned as she leaned against the seat and patted her stomach.
“Mine too.” Kara laughed. “But it was so delicious.” They would only need a light meal for dinner, although she’d have to make something a little more substantial for Caleb. She wondered what he’d like … Roast beef? A stew? A seafood platter? Her mind drifted until someone interrupted her daydreaming and asked if they were leaving soon. Kara nodded, gathered their belongings and shuffled the children towards the exit.
“Hey, Kara. Can we get a Christmas tree?” Lucas asked as they walked out of the café.
Kara stopped, glancing down at him. Shoppers bustled by, laden with colorful bags from nearby department stores. Someone jostled into the back of her, and she moved the children out of the way to stand under the awning of a store.
“Of course we can get a Christmas tree. Do you have one at home?”
Lucas tucked his hands into the pocket of his jacket and shook his head.
What? No Christmas tree?
“We had a small one that Grace put out.”
“But not a big tree full of baubles and tinsel?”
Lucas shook his head, scuffing the toe of his shoe across the pavement. “We don’t have many decorations. Grace made paper chains with us.”
“And angels,” Molly chimed in.
“Come on, you two. Let’s go shopping.”
The next two hours were spent oohing and aahing over Christmas decorations, swiping Caleb’s credit card and Kara splurging on a few purchases of her own.
They chose a centerpiece for the coffee table in the living room – a Christmas village complete with ice rink and carousel. Lucas wanted to buy a train set to wind around the Christmas tree, and Molly wanted to buy a snow globe for Caleb. They purchased some other decorations for the house and a nativity set for the mantel above the fireplace.
With aching legs, and laden with shopping bags full of delightful Christmas ornaments, they finally made their way to the subway.
Once on the train, Kara stretched her legs in front of her. With the shopping bags resting at their feet, Molly yawned and snuggled into her side. A small smile touched Kara’s lips at the trusting gesture from the little girl.
Placing her arm around Molly’s shoulders, her fingers mindlessly stroked the curls around her ear. Something welled in her chest. She was growing to love these children.
Chapter 12
“My feet hurt,” Lucas moaned as Kara unlocked the front door and they trudged through the entryway.
“Mine too,” Kara replied, slipping off her flats with a sigh. She hoisted the shopping bags onto the dining table and rolled her shoulders to ease the ache that had set in throughout the day.
“Molly, go and hide your father’s present in your room. We don’t want him finding it.” She handed Molly the bag with Caleb’s present and watched as she skipped away.
“Can we get a tree now?” Lucas flopped into a chair while Kara unpacked the bags.
“Not …” The last thing she wanted to do was go out again. She longed for a hot bubble bath to soak her weary limbs. And perhaps to curl up with a good book and a glass of wine. But knowing what she did about the children not having a proper tree, she couldn’t let them go another day without one.
“Sure. Give me a few minutes and we’ll drive out to the tree farm, and you and Molly can choose the best one there.”
“Yay!” Lucas jumped up from the chair and ran out of the room. “Molly!” he called at the top of his lungs. “We’re going to find a tree. Hurry up!”
Kara chuckled and rubbed her temples, hoping the beginnings of a headache would soon fade. She was exhausted from a full morning of shopping, but she wasn’t about to disappoint Lucas and Molly. Goodness knew they’d suffered enough disappointment in their short lives.
“I want that one!” Molly raced ahead through the row of evergreens. “No, that one!”
Kara’s laugh misted on the air as she kept her eye on the blonde curls bouncing ahead of her. How Molly still had so much energy after a full day of walking, she didn’t know. “So many choices!”
Lucas and Kara caught up with Molly at the end of the row. “Just remember, Molly, it has to fit inside the house. Some of these trees are pretty big.”
“We have a big house.” Molly stretched her arms apart to gesture just how big.
“You do,” Kara replied, clasping Molly’s hand in hers. “But some of these trees are even bigger than your house.”
The smell of fresh pine filled the air and their feet crunched over fallen pine needles as they walked around looking at the trees. After they narrowed down their choices, Kara finally decided on a medium sized tree with full branches.
As the owner of the farm tied their chosen tree to the roof of her car, Kara hoped Caleb wouldn’t be mad. She still couldn’t read him well. Over the past few weeks, he’d shed most of his uptight façade and had been home most nights to enjoy dinner with the children, read them a story and put them to bed. But she still didn’t know him. He kept his walls in place and didn’t give much away.
Perhaps that’s the way it was supposed to be, though. He was still her boss, after all. But she couldn’t help the way her heart picked up pace whenever he was near. The way her skin would ignite when he accidentally brushed her hand. Or the way her mouth suddenly became dry when he walked into a room. But she wouldn’t allow her thoughts to go there. She couldn’t go there. She wouldn’t jeopardize her relationship with the children or the security of her job for the sake of a silly infatuation.
A short time later, Kara pulled her hatchback into the driveway. “It’s so big.” Molly gaped as Kara untied the ropes around the tree, allowing them to drop to the ground.
“It is.” Kara brushed off her hands and eyed the evergreen wrapped in plastic, wondering how on earth she was going to cart it inside.
“I can ask Mr. Donovan next door if he can help us.” Lucas walked around the car.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Lucas.” Kara patted his shoulder before he ran across the lawn and over to the neighbor’s house. She rolled up the ropes and placed them in the trunk of her car.
“Need a hand?” A middle-aged man soon appeared wearing jeans and a green sweater. He looked like Father Christmas in the flesh with his white beard and ruddy cheeks.
“Yes, please. I wasn’t thinking too far ahead when I bought it.” Kara gestured to the roof of the car. “I thought it would be a nice thing, but I can’t carry it on my own.”
“Piece of cake.” Bob Donovan pulled the tree off the roof and gestured with his head. “You take the front and lead the way.”
Kara wrapped her arms around the narrow end of the tree and navigated inside the house. After much shuffling, bumping the walls and losing some pine needles along the way, the pair managed to right the tree and place it in a stand in the corner of the living room.
“Thank you.” Kara wiped a hand across her brow and removed the plastic wrap. Branches sprung out and Molly squealed with delight as the tree came to life before their eyes.
“Awesome!” Lucas said as he stood back with his hands on his hips. With his button-up shirt and his hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans, he was a mini Caleb. Even his hair curled over his right eye in the same way as his father’s.
“Thanks so much, Bob. I think I would have pulled a muscle or two trying to lug that in alone.”
“She’s a beauty, that’s for sure. Enjoy decorating.” He nodded as Kara walked him to the entry and pulled the front door closed.
Kara returned to the living room with a box of silver baubles. Molly came in carrying another box, followed by Lucas with a box of fairy lights. Soon, the living room was a mess of pine needles, baubles and tinsel. Kara set her phone to a Christmas playlist, and the trio sang as she strung the lights around the tree.
A small hand tugged on the bottom of her shirt.
“This is fun.” Strands of silver tinsel clung to Molly’s hair. Her cheeks glowed and her eyes sparkled in delight.
“I’m glad you think so, sweetheart.” She knelt beside Molly, placing one hand on her back as they looked at the tree together. “It’s going to look amazing when it’s finished.”
“Daddy will like it.”
“Oh, I hope so. I think it’s just the thing he needs.” After singing along to Jingle Bells, and having a loud rendition of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Kara stepped back to admire the finished product. Silver and gold baubles hung from the branches, along with other decorations – bells, silver birds, and of course, the angel at the very top of the tree.
“Close the curtains, please, Lucas.” He darted over and drew the curtains, enveloping the room in darkness.
“One, two, three!” Kara flicked the power switch and hundreds of tiny fairy lights lit up the tree.
“Wow!” Molly gasped and reached for Kara’s hand. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Do you think Santa will come this year?” Lucas stood with his arms folded staring at the branches.
“Has he … not
come before?” Bewildered, Kara glanced at Lucas.
“Not really. Dad said that Santa was too sad to visit our house since Mom died. And because we haven’t had a big tree, he said Santa had nowhere to leave his presents.”
“Oh.” It was all Kara could manage as her heart broke for the two precious children standing beside her. Her arms stretched out, pulling Lucas and Molly to her side. “Well, now you have a big tree, and I’m pretty sure Santa would love to stop by and leave some presents for you.”
“So am I.” Caleb’s deep voice startled Kara. How much of their conversation had he heard? She glanced over her shoulder as he stepped into the room and stood beside Molly. It was difficult to see his expression clearly, but she didn’t miss the way his eyes sparkled, reflecting the lights on the tree, as his gaze flicked to hers. Nor did she miss the soft shadows around his mouth as his lips twitched with the beginning of a smile.
“This looks lovely. You all did such a wonderful job.”
Kara darted a glance his way as his voice cracked. She held her breath, waiting for him to be mad. If she was to believe what the children had told her, there had been no sign of Christmas in the house since Camille passed away.
Thank you, he mouthed, before running a hand over Molly’s head and striding out of the room.
Squeezing the children’s shoulders, Kara frowned. What had gotten under his skin? He said it was lovely, and he’d thanked her. So why had he left in such a hurry?
“It looks absolutely beautiful,” she whispered, trying to reassure the children and herself against Caleb’s abrupt departure. At least the children would be able to enjoy the festive season.
* * *
Caleb splashed cold water over his face and hoped to high heaven the redness around his eyes would ease. He didn’t want Kara or the children to know he’d spent the past half-hour crying. But seeing the three of them standing in front of the stunningly decorated tree had taken his breath away.
A Heart For Christmas (Heartwarming Romance) Page 5