by Cara Reagan
"He did, but it was slight. Why do you ask?"
Barbara shrugged. "It's the name. I wondered if he was one of Atlanta Braxton's?"
"Friends of yours?" Jenni asked.
The other woman's laughter rang throughout the shop. "Good heavens, no. I've done quite well for myself and have been able to feather my nest, but I don't run in the same circles as the Braxton family. I really can't think that having all that money is all it's cracked up to be, you know?"
Jenni leaned her head back against the head rest and closed her eyes. Actually, she didn't know what it felt like to be wealthy. Money on its own merit had never held much allure, although right about now she'd love to be able to put her hands on enough cash to fund Jacob's travel to South America.
That aside, her life was good. She was content. Perhaps just a little bit lonely. Having someone to share the good times, as well as the hard times, with would be nice. But it would have to be just the right person. She pushed away the vision of a smiling Micah Braxton that floated in her mind's eye.
She was shaken from her reverie by the sound of bells jingling as the front door opened. She looked up, not expecting to recognize the new arrival, but in fact she did recognize him. It was Bud, holding a vase overflowing with two dozen of the most gorgeous roses she'd ever seen. She smiled as she caught Barbara's eye. "Oh, lucky you. You must have quite the admirer."
"They're actually for you, Ms. Marshall," Bud said as he carefully settled them on the counter. "It would seem that your knight in shining armor has been thinking about you."
***
Between the pounding of the surf and the brightness of the afternoon sun, Micah felt cocooned by nature as he ran along the wet sand. This beat his treadmill workouts by a million light years. He hadn't given much thought to when he would actually leave Mimosa Key but he was going to miss his waterfront runs.
He slowed as the sun glinted off of his silver Jeep, he was back faster than he expected to be. This had to be a record time since his arrival on the island. A rueful smile lifted the corner of his lips. Maybe he was making progress in outrunning his demons.
He lifted his shirt overhead and wiped his brow with it as he made his way back up to where he'd left his towel and backpack. But he stopped short several feet of where he'd left his possessions and stared. His beach towel was gone, and in its place was a purple table cloth. His eyes took in the oversized picnic hamper, three white plates with silverware, and three plastic glasses. A small cup with four Fire and Ice roses sat in the middle of the tablecloth.
He lifted his eyes and turned his head. A red convertible was parked next to his Jeep.
"Surprise," Jacob called out, a wide smile on his face.
Micah grinned in response. "I'll say it is. Good to see you, Jacob." His eyes traveled to the teen's side. He greedily drank in the sight of Jenni Marshall. God, she was every bit as enchanting as he'd remembered. Her dark hair fell in waves around her shoulders. She wore a long, pink sundress, and a shy smile. "Jenni," was all he trusted himself to say.
She gave a little wave. "Hello, Micah. I hope you don't mind that we came to see you."
"I'm delighted." As he stood there, he knew it was a moment in time he'd never forget. Something in his world, something in him, shifted. Whatever it was that was passing between them made it impossible for him to look away.
Jacob's voice broke through the moment. "We brought you food." He gestured toward the hamper and table cloth. "To say thank you for helping us yesterday."
"And also to thank you for the lovely roses," Jenni added. "Micah, you shouldn't have."
"Did you like them?"
"I loved them." She touched her heart. "They're gorgeous."
He held her gaze for a long moment but then looked away. The last thing he wanted was to make Jacob feel uncomfortable. He gestured to the picnic they'd spread out. "This is amazing. I'm touched." If anyone had ever done anything this nice for him before, he couldn't remember. He put his hand over his heart but the feel of bare skin against the palm of his hand reminded him that he was shirtless. He gestured toward his Jeep. "I'm just going to change for dinner." Without waiting for a reply, he ducked behind his vehicle and rummaged through his bag for a clean t-shirt. He poured a handful of water from his bottle into his cupped hands and then splashed his face. He ran his fingers through his hair, hoping he looked presentable.
When he rejoined his guests, he found them setting out food containers. Jenni looked up at him and smiled. "Hungry?"
He nodded. He was, but his physical hunger paled in comparison to his desire for the company of people who genuinely wanted to be with him. With a man they only knew as Micah Braxton. Not Micah Braxton Reynolds, son of a billionaire. He dropped to his knees and sat beside Jenni. "You look beautiful."
When she turned and looked up at him, a gentle smile on her lips, Micah knew he was in trouble. In love. With a woman he barely knew. His only choice, he realized, was to either leave Mimosa Key, which would mean not seeing Jenni or her son again. Or, he could stay and make the effort to learn more about the woman who'd touched his heart in the way that no woman ever had. He glanced from Jenni, to her son, and then over his shoulder at the late afternoon sun hanging low in the sky. He reached toward the flowers in the center of the blanket and handed one of the roses to Jenni.
Decision made.
Chapter Six
The sun hovered over the water's edge as if it were desperate to disappear into tomorrow but Jenni was loathe to move from where she sat. She cocked her head to the side, delighting in the soft breeze. She stretched out her legs and leaned back with her palms in the sand behind her. There was still enough light for her to see the outline of Jacob and Micah playing a game of Frisbee. As lovely as the breeze and scenery were, Jenni knew the true reason that she didn't want to move had nothing to do with the temperate Florida weather, and everything to do with Micah Braxton.
Not only had he not seemed to mind that they'd shown up unannounced, but he'd made it clear that he was delighted to see them. They'd all shared a leisurely meal, chatting about a variety of topics as easily as if they'd known each other for years instead of days. She'd especially appreciated it that Micah had so effortlessly drawn Jacob into the conversation. Micah's consideration confirmed what she already suspected. The man might well be a mystery, but he had a good heart.
The sound of Jacob's laughter wafting over the breeze brought a smile to her face. Clearly, her son felt comfortable with Micah. Comfortable enough that he'd been completely upfront about the reason for their impromptu trip to Florida while they ate.
"My Dad bailed on me, and Mom's torn up about it," he'd confided to Micah. When she'd tried to object, he'd merely shrugged. "I feel bad enough about letting my team down, Mom, but I feel even worse when I see you looking so guilty. It's not your fault, I get that. I know you'd send me if you could. This is on Dad. Not you."
As if Micah somehow had sensed her unease, he'd gently guided the conversation away from Jacob's disappointment and back onto their life back in Maine, for which she'd been most grateful. Even though Jacob was a good kid, he was still a typical teenager in many ways. Some days were trickier to navigate than others. She'd been single so long that she'd forgotten how nice back up could be.
As the guys made their way back to her, she could see how happy Jacob looked. But he didn't plop down beside her as she expected him too. Instead he held up an unfamiliar key ring.
"Whoa, where do you think you're going?"
Jacob made a face. "I'm just going to check out the stereo in Micah's Jeep. He said it's okay if I do."
She waved her hand toward the vehicle. "Ten minutes." When Micah sat beside her, she turned her head toward him. "Thank you. I love seeing my son so carefree."
"He's a great kid, Jenni. You're obviously doing an amazing job."
His kind words pleased her. Micah Braxton was an easy man to like.
"Shall I carry your picnic basket to your car?" he asked. He nodded tow
ard the hamper she'd packed up while they'd been playing Frisbee.
Jenni sat up straight and brushed the sand off of her hands. "No, we want you to keep the food. I'm not sure how long it will stay good, but we have a double insulated Styrofoam chest and more ice in the backseat. That might buy you a little time."
His eyebrows rose.
Jenni bit the inside of her lip, afraid she'd handled that less than delicately. But homelessness wasn't exactly the easiest of subjects to broach. "Jacob and I want to do something to help you." She drew her knees up and hugged them to her chest. She pulled her hair over one shoulder so she could watch his face more clearly. "How long have you been here?"
"How long have I been here?" he repeated slowly, almost as if the words didn't make sense to him.
She fought the urge to cover up the awkward silence with more words. But what could she say that would be better than listening? She watched as several emotions flitted over his face.
"Jenni," he reached out and gently laid a hand on her arm. "I think you might have the wrong idea."
She tried to ignore the effect his touch was having on her but it was far from easy. "Micah, you don't have to pretend. Not with me."
He shook his head. "No, Jenni, you don't understand."
And there it was, proof that she'd overstepped. Which hadn't been her intention. "No, of course not. You're right, I don't get it. I'm sorry."
"That's not what I meant." He turned so that he was directly facing her. "This isn't my life." He waved his hand around the deserted strip of beach. "I don't live here. I'm just hanging out here while I get myself together."
Jenni was saved from having to decide how to respond by her son's reappearance.
"That Jeep is beyond chill." He handed the keys to Micah. "Thanks for letting me check it out."
Micah got to his feet. "Anytime, Jacob. Hey, your mom said there was a cooler in the back of your car. Can you grab it for us?" As soon as the teen left, Micah reached out a hand to help her to her feet.
Jenni's heart beat triple time as Micah leaned over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The feel of his hand as it gently brushed her cheek sent a shiver down her spine.
"Forgive me if I overstepped," she forced herself to say, although her voice came out as a throaty whisper that barely sounded like it belonged to her. "You were just so kind to us, and I wanted you to know that your generosity touched me."
Instead of answering, Micah ran a finger along her cheekbone as he lowered his eyes to her lips. "My sweet Jenni, you are the generous one."
Her breath caught in her throat as he took a step toward her. He took her hand in his and laid it over his chest. She could feel his steady heart beat. "Micah, I-" but the sound of Jacob whistling as he approached broke the moment. She pulled back.
Micah dropped her hand. For the first time in well over twenty years, Jenni blushed like a school girl. Thankfully, her son didn't appear to notice what he'd almost interrupted when he joined them.
"Thanks, buddy." Micah took the cooler and laid it next to the hamper before turning back to face them both. "Listen, it's getting dark and I know you need to go. But tomorrow's Christmas Eve and, if you don't have any other plans, I'd love to spend it with you both." He looked between them. "Unless you have other plans?"
"Sounds great, doesn't it, Mom?"
Even with what little natural light there was left, Jenni could see that Jacob approved of the idea. Which only complicated matters far more than it should. She sighed.
"Jenni, I didn't mean to put you on the spot." Micah's tone was contrite. "I know Christmas is a family holiday-"
She didn't even let him finish his sentence. "We'd love to."
His face broke out in a grin. "Perfect."
But when he didn't suggest just where they should meet, Jenni and Jacob exchanged knowing glances. She was loathe to say anything that would come across as tactless. Perhaps tomorrow they'd be able to finish their conversation about his situation, but now wasn't the time. "We could meet in town," she offered. "Or did you have someplace else in mind?"
He nodded. "How about if I pick you up at your resort at five o'clock?"
Jenni readily agreed. As Micah walked them back to the convertible, the seed of an idea of how to help Micah Braxton turn his luck around planted itself in her mind.
Maybe, if she had any luck tomorrow morning, she could manage to pull off a Christmas miracle.
Chapter Seven
"Any luck?" Jacob plopped down on the bench beside her.
Jenni smiled. "Absolutely, look at this." She handed him her list. "The residents of Mimosa Key are nothing if not generous."
"Wow." Her son handed her a water bottle, a pleased expression on his face. "I give you major props for finding Micah a job and an apartment. It couldn't have been easy to try and sell him as a prospective employee when you don't really know him, or much about his circumstances."
"I don't care about his circumstances."
"But you do care about him," Jacob persisted. "Admit it, Mom. I can see what's happening here."
She glanced sideways at him. "Since when did you become an expert on relationships?"
Jacob shrugged. "I'm not an expert but I know you. I can see how you reacted the first time we met Micah. You could barely string a sentence together."
Jenni cringed. "Embarrassing, huh?"
"It was kinda cute, actually." Jacob's expression was amused. "So, what are you going to do about it?"
"It?" she hedged. When had their relationship gotten so adult that they were discussing her love life? Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?
Instead of answering her question, Jacob glanced at his watch. "Let's not dance around this, Mom. All I'm saying is that I can see you're interested in him in that way. And I'm telling you that you have my approval. I like Micah. He's a good guy."
Jenni reached over and patted her son's leg. "You're a good kid to be so worried about your old mom."
"I think you and Micah could be happy." He gave her a pointed look. "If you give him a fair chance, that is."
He said it like it was so easy. She sighed. She envied Jacob his youthful belief that anything was possible.
He got to his feet. "Let's go, Mom."
She stood, a sudden resolve filling her heart. Jacob was right. Micah was one of the good guys, and if she could help get back on his feet, then that's what mattered most.
***
"Have you ever considered a career as a florist?"
Micah blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"
The owner of Bud's Buds shrugged. "You've got good taste in flowers. Your lady is going to love these lilies." He placed the last flower in the vase and stood back to assess the arrangement. "Just consider it a standing offer if you decide to stay on our island and seek employment. After all, a man's gotta work to eat."
"Okay, thanks," Micah said, unsure of what else to say in the face of an unsolicited offer of employment. So this was what it was like when people didn't recognize your name or your face as being from one of the most prominent families in the entire south. It was a new experience. But wasn't this what he'd wanted? Yes, it was. He'd come to Mimosa Key for anonymity, privacy, solitude. He'd been able to find all three on the island.
But then Jenni had come along. Jenni with her sweet demeanor and gorgeous smile. Everything about her, including her obvious devotion to her son, especially her devotion to her son, appealed to him. The way she gestured with her hands when she spoke, the way she tilted her head thoughtfully as she listened to him, the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed...he loved it all.
Loved. The truth of it hit him squarely in his heart. He loved Jenni. He wanted to be with her. Forever.
"Are you okay?"
The florist's words broke through Micah's thoughts. He stared at the other man for a full moment while he mentally made his way back to the present. "Have you ever been in love?"
Bud didn't miss a beat. "Yes. I've been a lucky man in the love
department," he said as if this was normal talk in his flower shop. "And mind you, I'm using the word 'lucky' intentionally. Not everyone is fortunate enough to know true love."
Micah nodded. "I believe that." He ran a hand over his face. "I just don't want to mess this up, you know?"
Bud nodded solemnly. "You're wise to want to protect something as precious as newfound love." He gestured toward the flowers. "You've made a wise choice of flowers. The Stargazer Lily represents fulfillment of a dream."
A slow smile spread across Micah's face. "Perfect." A woman like Jenni was the fulfillment of a dream that he had thought would never come true. He looked up and met the florist's gaze. "Now, I just have to hope that the lady who's captured my heart feels the same way I do."
***
Jenni and Jacob waited outside of the Casa Blanca Resort's lobby for Micah. Jenni had finally chosen to wear a cream colored maxi dress with gold sandals. She'd endured more than a bit of teasing from her son for changing her outfit three times, but his jests had been kind in nature. More than a few times during the afternoon, she'd brought up the subject of his feelings about her interest in Micah but Jacob had held fast to his insistence that he wasn't bothered by it.
"Flash news, Mom, you get to have a life too," he'd said.
A gentle smile lifted her lips. Flash news, indeed.
"Pardon me, Ms. Marshall?" Tonya, from the reception desk, held out an envelope. "I was asked to give this to you."
Jenni's eyebrows rose as she accepted it but she hesitated before opening it.
"See what it is, Mom," Jacob urged her after Tonya left them. "Open it."
Jenni did as he bid. She pulled a card out and scanned the handwritten words.
"Is it from Micah?"
Instead of answering, Jenni handed him the card. "Read it."
Jacob took it and read aloud, "Merry almost Christmas to two of my favorite people. Join me for a holiday dinner by following the Santas in the trees." He looked up, his expression puzzled. "Santas in the trees?"
Jenni shrugged. "I don't know any more than you do but we might as well play along."