Caitlyn's Christmas Wish

by Laura L. Walker

  Ridge asked her, “You’re sure Brody is on the mend?”

  “Pretty sure.”

  “All right,” he agreed reluctantly. He clapped Grant on the shoulder. “Thanks, brother. No hard feelings?”

  “None.”

  They even hugged in a macho sort of way. Caitlyn’s heart swelled from witnessing this truce. She wasn’t about to waste this opportunity to be with the man she loved. “Will you give me a few minutes to prepare?”

  The light shining from Ridge’s topaz eyes was as warm and endearing as his smile. “For you, I’d wait forever.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I had a fabulous time tonight. Thank you, Ridge,” Caitlyn said softly as he held open the car door for her. They’d ridden around town in the horse-drawn carriage to see the various light displays, including the more elaborate ones put on every year by hard-wired Christmas enthusiasts who lived on the outskirts of town. Aside from the lattes they bought at a local café, their dates hadn’t cost much money at all but provided a chance to relax and spend more one-on-one time together.

  Now, as they walked up the porch steps, Ridge stopped and turned to her. “You’re welcome.” He gently cupped her shoulders and kissed her in the way she’d been hoping for since the time they left. His hands left her shoulders and came around her back, enveloping her in a warm cocoon against the cold winter air. Caitlyn didn’t want this moment to end.

  But, of course, it had to. “Caitlyn.” Ridge gave a low growl when they reluctantly pulled apart. “You make me want things that I never thought I’d want again. Like love and—a family.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that,” she whispered.

  “I don’t deserve another family when I wasn’t there for my first.”

  “I didn’t realize you were still grieving over Amelia and Hannah.”

  “I manage to put them out of my mind most of the time. But their memory pops up at strange times. Tonight, Grant had to go and bring them up.”

  Caitlyn shook her head in frustration. And here she’d thought Grant was turning a new leaf. Would he always stand in their way? “He’s hard to ignore. I don’t care for the way he suddenly changed his tune tonight after asking me out to lunch tomorrow.”

  “I hope you turned him away.”

  “I did. And that’s exactly what you need to do. Turn his taunts away. You know you gave your best to your marriage. You would’ve gone to that hospital had you known how serious the situation was.” Caitlyn lifted one hand to his cheek and let it trail down to his beard. “You’re a good man, Ridge Reel.”

  “Oh, Caitlyn.” Ridge pressed his mouth to hers again. A long, wonderful moment later, they parted. “Would you consider dating a regular guy like me? I don’t have much to offer in comparison to what you have.”

  “Ridge,” Caitlyn cut in, placing a finger on his lips, “you have more to offer than you realize. I don’t want or need those other things. What I want is a man who is honest and hard-working, a man who loves Brody and me, a man who takes care of his family. You are that kind of man. And I want to be that kind of woman. For you.”

  Ridge bent to kiss her again when Brody’s cries sounded from inside the upstairs window. “I guess our time is up for now,” he said ruefully.

  They entered the house to see Grant heading down the stairs with Brody. “He just woke up. I think he’s hungry.”

  “I’ll change his diaper and fix him a bottle.”

  Ridge asked, “Will he be awake all night?”

  “I hope not,” she said. “I’m still tired from last night. But he’s still off his schedule so we’ll see.”

  “Here. I’ll change his diaper. You get his bottle ready.” Stunned by Ridge’s offer, Caitlyn could only nod. She quickly prepared the bottle and settled down in the rocking chair. He brought Brody to her clean and dry and sank onto the sofa opposite from her, reminding her of the way they’d danced around each other when she first arrived and Brody had been hungry. Amazing how a few days could make such a difference.

  ***

  Ridge watched Caitlyn rhythmically pat Brody’s back, who had already fallen asleep again. “Poor little guy is probably exhausted after putting up such a fight over the past few days.”

  “Let’s put him back to bed,” she suggested.

  He gently took the baby and followed her up the stairs before laying Brody down on his mattress. Covering him with a blanket, Caitlyn stroked his baby soft cheeks and silky tendrils of hair. Ridge’s hand circled her back. “He’s perfect, Caitlyn. Just like you.”

  The smile she offered in return made him lean over and kiss her forehead. “As much as I would like to stay, I need to get back over to the community center to help Mom and Dad and their crew clean up from the festival.”

  “Okay. I’m sure they’re ready to have this over with.”

  “During the photo session, they looked like they were ready to drop.”

  “Maybe you’d better wait to talk to your parents about Grant until later.”

  Ridge considered her words then shook his head. “His situation is serious enough that I think they need to know now. I’d better go.” With one last quick kiss, he was out the door.

  ***

  “Christmas Eve is not the time to start a family feud,” Charles told Ridge flatly, planting his hands on his hips.

  Ridge blew out a frustrated breath as he helped his father dismantle Santa’s sleigh, carefully stacking several large pieces of painted plywood on a big trailer that would haul the bulk of the decorations to the town hall. “You’re right. But Grant is obviously up to something.”

  “What exactly are you accusing him of?” Charles asked pointedly, his breath coming out in white puffs in the frosty night air.

  “That’s the problem. I don’t know.”

  They were leaving the tree up, of course, and all the lights. But tradition dictated that by the Sunday before Christmas, the town square exhibited a more reflective atmosphere of the Christchild’s birth. The older Ridge became, the more he appreciated various denominations coming together to celebrate Christmas in this way to make it special for everyone. This was truly a wonderful, collaborative community.

  When they finally had all of the painted wooden reindeer and pieces to the sleigh loaded up, including a small bench for Santa to sit on, Charles stood and stretched his back. “Are you worried about him trying something on Caitlyn, Ridge?”

  He thought for a moment. “I think he did. But he turned a one-eighty tonight and begged off from winning her affections again. Grant has always been a little wishy-washy, but this seems extreme, even for him. And he’s paying a lot more attention to Brody lately.” Which Ridge still didn’t like but he couldn’t understand why.

  “Shouldn’t he be paying more attention to his son?”

  “Yeah, but . . .”

  “What is it, son?”

  “Something just doesn’t feel right about it. And another thing I’ve been meaning to talk to you and Mom about is the rumor that’s going around about Grant being broke.”

  Charles flinched. “What rumor?”

  Ridge looked around. There were plenty of volunteers out here pitching in. “Let’s go inside where we can talk to Mom. She needs to hear this too.”

  “Okay.”

  Minutes later, they found Jacinda inside the community center putting the finishing touches on the large stable background that had been erected earlier. A shipment of hay from a local farmer gave it a more authentic look and a small wooden cradle sat in the middle of the display. Ridge stared up at the large painted cardboard star strung atop the stable before fixing his gaze across the room at a painted mural of sheep gently grazing in a field. Apparently, the visitors would progress as the shepherds had and listen to the brief summary of the events as were told in the Bible verses.

  “You will be here,” Jacinda instructed, “as will Caitlyn and Brody. However, visitors will meet outside and go caroling to a few homes we’ve designated in the neighborhood for a
short time before they reach you. We hope to do this in stages and run several groups through during the course of the night. Although the event is free, we have a sign-up sheet outside so that we can prevent each group from getting too large.”

  Interesting and different from the nativity displays that had been done in the past. “And all I have to do is stand there and watch Caitlyn?” To Ridge, it sounded like the best job in the world.

  Jacinda smiled. “Yes.”

  “Jacinda,” Charles cut in. “Ridge and I have something to discuss with you.”

  “Oh? What is it?”

  Ridge sighed and said starkly, “He’s in trouble.”

  “I wondered if he was.”

  “This time, I think he’s in way over his head.”

  Her eyes got progressively larger while she listened to Charles explain everything. “How does a millionaire bury himself in debt?” She shook her head in disbelief.

  “I can hardly believe it myself, sweetheart,” Charles said with a heavy sigh.

  Jacinda was quiet for a time. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked from her husband to Ridge and back. “What should we do? It’s not like we can bail him out.”

  “Nor should we,” Charles said. “This is of his own making. He’s going to have to deal with it.”

  “I wonder if that’s why he’s pushed so hard to get back together with Caitlyn.” Once the words left Ridge’s mouth, he instinctively knew they were true.

  “No. It’s a coincidence that they’re both spending Christmas here.” The men’s silence prodded Jacinda to add, “Isn’t it?”

  “But then he suddenly dropped his pursuit of her,” Ridge persisted. “Why?”

  Charles shrugged. “Maybe he found a different—and better—solution.”

  Maybe. But if so, why didn’t the knot in his stomach subside?

  Chapter Sixteen

  This is the day! Seize it! Grant stepped out of his hotel room Sunday morning dressed sharply in an off-white suit with a light blue shirt and jazzy guitar-printed tie. He could hardly wait to meet with the photographer, Torrie Davidson. He’d admonished her to wait for him outside the church during services. Grant had always been one to cash in on opportune moments, though his impulsiveness had a tendency to get in the way sometimes. He could be patient and wait for the right one to come this time. He hoped he would recognize it when it did.

  But first he had to sit through the same long-winded sermon he’d listened to every year while growing up on the Sunday before Christmas. Everyone knew the story of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem to pay their taxes. While they were there, Mary went into labor but they could find no room to birth the baby. The only space available to them was a lowly stable.

  Sitting inside the church among a packed congregation and hearing the preacher actually mention such humble circumstances for Mary and Joseph for the first time since Caitlyn gave birth to their son, however, sent a prickling of conscience—just a tiny one—through Grant’s heart. Knowing Caitlyn’s penchant for doing things the natural way, it seemed logical that Brody had been born in her home. Yet she hadn’t been physically strong when they broke up. Had it been difficult for her, more so than most labors? Not that he knew much about that kind of thing. The television version of labor and birth couldn’t be too far from the truth, though. Right?

  Grant impatiently shook himself from his trance. Why become so melancholy over something that happened eight months ago? She’d obviously gotten through it all right.

  But he should have been there for her. Grant squirmed in his seat at the condemning thought.

  He almost missed his opportunity. Eying Ridge and Caitlyn who sat three seats down from him, he noticed Brody getting fussy. Caitlyn propped him against her shoulder. He apparently didn’t care for that position and fussed again. She turned him around and sat him up on her lap. He threw his head back and whammed her in the chest. She grimaced in pain.

  “Here.” Grant reached over. “I’ll take him out and see if I can settle him down.”

  Caitlyn eyed him warily before nodding. “Just until he has calmed down,” she cautioned.

  Grant took his son, along with the blanket Caitlyn had brought on this cold winter day, into the lobby and paced back and forth a few times. Then, with a covert glance into the sanctuary to make sure his family members and Caitlyn’s attentions were focused on the choir’s singing, he wrapped the blanket more securely around Brody and headed out the door to his junky car. Earlier this morning, he spent the last of his cash on a car seat and painstakingly installed the blasted thing, cursing the stupid instruction manual. Another miserable lesson in fatherhood. But he wasn’t about to put the kid’s life in danger, even if Torrie’s studio was only six blocks away.

  Thirty minutes later, feeling good about the great poses they’d gotten from Brody thanks to Torrie’s baby-friendly props, Grant was walking back up to the doors of the church when he saw his parents, Ridge, and Caitlyn talking animatedly to a policeman. Uh-oh. He stopped. His stomach clenched. They were supposed to sit through the entire meeting without noticing them gone.

  The second Caitlyn’s eyes landed on him, he knew he was in trouble. Breaking through the small crowd, she ran toward him. Ran—even in her tight skirt and three-inch heels. The angry grimace she wore bore nothing to her horrific growl. “Where have you been?”

  ***

  From the moment Caitlyn placed her son in Grant’s arms and watched him walk away, she knew she’d made the wrong decision. Her feet tapped an uneven rhythm on the floor. She craned her neck to watch her ex-husband alternately pacing and rocking Brody in a way that demonstrated his inexperience. With difficulty, she turned her attention to the pulpit once more. As much as she loved the story of Mary and Jesus, she found herself looking toward the entryway again.

  Ridge leaned over to whisper, “What’s wrong?”

  She whispered back, “Shouldn’t Grant and Brody have been back by now? Surely Brody fell asleep. I know he’s tired.”

  “He may have taken Brody down the hallway so they wouldn’t disrupt the services.”

  Caitlyn reluctantly accepted Ridge’s explanation until a nagging premonition made her tug on Ridge’s sleeve. “Would you mind checking on them, please? Just to make sure everything is all right?”

  “Sure.” Ridge stood and made his way out. Caitlyn’s heartbeat calmed a little from knowing Ridge was protecting her once again. However, the calm feeling didn’t last long as Ridge reappeared shortly, wearing a frown. He leaned over and whispered, “They’re not in the church building.”

  “Are you sure?” she said more loudly than she intended. Several heads turned in silent reproach.

  “I’ve walked down the hallway and searched the classrooms. I didn’t see them anywhere.”

  “Let’s go.” Caitlyn clutched her bag and followed Ridge out of the sanctuary. “Where could they be?” she screeched, rushing outside to look for his ugly battered car. They circled the building, scanning the parking lot. It wasn’t there.

  Caitlyn started to shake. “He took my son. I can’t believe it. My ex has taken my son!”

  “Caitlyn.” Ridge grabbed her by the arms to steady her. “I’m sure he didn’t go far. Let’s call the police.”

  “Yes! Please do!”

  Ridge pulled out his phone and dialed 911. After relaying their suspicions to the operator, he ended the call. “They’ll be here soon.”

  Not soon enough, Caitlyn thought rashly, tears forming in her eyes. Just then, she felt a hand on her back. She turned to see Jacinda’s and Charles’s worried faces. “Caitlyn, dear, what’s happened?”

  “Grant’s taken Brody and we don’t know where.”

  Jacinda gasped. “Oh, dear. I’m so sorry. Caitlyn, please believe us when we tell you that we didn’t raise him this way.” The two women shared a long and meaningful hug. Caitlyn took strength from Jacinda’s presence.

  Soon an officer arrived and took their statements. Caitlyn was in the middle of answer
ing a question when she looked up and gasped. There, walking toward them, was Grant in his resplendent suit, his hair suavely combed, holding her baby boy. A tremendous feeling of relief flooded through her just before an intense anger took over. Something inside of her snapped. She broke through the crowd and stormed up to him, gritting her teeth. “Where have you been?”

  Grant’s face went white. “Uh,” he stuttered, “out for a drive. I figured the little guy might like the motion of a car over being rocked in my arms.”

  How convenient that he possessed a car seat. She reached over and took Brody into her arms. “You didn’t have permission to take him off the premises, Grant.”

  “She’s absolutely right, Mr. Reel,” the officer intervened. “I’m told that Ms. Drevier has sole custody of your son. That so?”

  “That’s correct, officer,” Grant said, an edge entering his voice.

  “Grant, where did you go?” Jacinda asked.

  “I think I know where,” a woman said from behind. They turned to look at Sierra, whose normally open face appeared tight and drawn by comparison. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she approached. “You were with Torrie Davidson, weren’t you, Grant?”

  “What?” He stepped back. “No, I was—that is, um, yeah. I was.” He stared at them with the longest face Caitlyn had ever seen.

  “Couldn’t you wait to take her on a date at a more appropriate time, Grant?” his mother scolded.

  “No, it wasn’t like that,” he snapped.

  “It wasn’t?”

  “No,” Sierra interrupted, “I think he actually had something different in mind this time. Like taking pictures of Brody. Right, Grant? I saw your face when that television ad for the cutest baby contest came on the screen. You were totally mesmerized. At first, I didn’t know what it meant. But now, it makes more sense.”

  Grant opened his mouth but no sound came out. Ridge clamped his fists and shouted, “You were trying to make money off Brody to pay your debts? You’re slime.”