The Surprise Holiday Dad

by Jacqueline Diamond

  * * *

  WITH NO PATIENTS close to delivering, Adrienne was able to leave at the scheduled end of her shift. On the way home she rehearsed what to say to Wade. First she’d take him aside out of Reggie’s hearing. Next— Well, she wasn’t sure.

  It occurred to me that since we have two extra bedrooms, it’s a waste of money for you to rent a place.

  That sounded as if she were taking pity on a pauper.

  You’ve been so helpful. I don’t know why I didn’t simply ask you to move in last night.

  Too pathetically grateful, as if she were the charity case.

  How would you feel about staying here for a while?

  Over-the-top casual, as if he were a weekend guest.

  She was too tired to think properly. Still, they should have this discussion as soon as possible.

  At home Adrienne immediately noticed the silence. It was a little past eight. Could they both still be in bed?

  In the kitchen, Wade’s black handwriting dominated her scratch pad. “Gone to eat & run errands.”

  Gone.

  With that single word, how empty the house became. No high eager voice punctuated by a deeper one, no footsteps on the stairs, no expectation of rounding a corner and seeing Wade’s face.

  Oh, heavens, she had it bad. Adrienne sank down at the table and wondered if she ought to rethink this whole idea.

  * * *

  BEHIND PHIL’S FRONT counter, a teenage girl glanced up from the tabloid she’d been reading. On closer inspection, Wade realized she was much too young for this job, which meant she was most likely Phil’s twelve-year-old niece filling in for the regular clerk on a holiday weekend. The girl lived with her uncle and grandmother, Daryl had said.

  “You must be Kelli.” Wade introduced himself. After a glance outside to confirm that Reggie was still in the coupe, he asked, “Any sign of my father?”

  “Nope. You could call him.”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “You guys aren’t speaking, huh?” she asked with interest, flicking back long brown hair laced with pink-and-blue strands.

  “We email,” Wade told her. “That’s close enough.” His father refused to text, contending his big fingers always hit the wrong letters.

  “Well, he’s not here, but he left this stuff for you.” She produced a small bag from behind the counter.

  Inside Wade found the camera and other items he’d requested. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  Through an open door to the garage bays, he saw Phil working on a pickup truck. Sure enough, no Daryl. “Did you see him when he came by? I wondered what condition he was in.”

  “The bag was here this morning when Uncle Phil and I arrived,” Kelli explained.

  “My father has a key?” That showed a remarkable amount of trust.

  She shook her head. “He left it outside the door with your name on it.”

  “That camera cost... Never mind.” Wade scowled.

  “You want some advice?” the girl asked.

  A twelve-year-old offering to counsel him? Now, that was funny. All the same, Wade assumed a somber expression. “I’ll take what I can get.”

  “My dad died in Iraq,” she said. “Spend time with your father while you’ve got him.”

  Those were wise words, regardless of her age. “Good advice.”

  “Oh, who’s the little cutie?”

  Wade turned to see Reggie peering inside. “Hi, guy.” No sense scolding him, especially since this conversation had taken longer than expected.

  The boy scuffed his shoe. “Is Grandpa here?”

  “Not today.” After introductions, Wade steered his son out of the office. “Dad left my stuff, so we’re done here.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Hearing Reggie’s disappointment made Wade even angrier at his father. But the kid was lucky. If Daryl had been there, hungover, there was no telling what unpleasant things he might have said.

  In the car, Wade took out his cell. “Let me call the Harbor Suites and find out if the manager can show us one of the units.”

  * * *

  BUSY SIGNAL. ADRIENNE scowled at the phone. And Reggie wasn’t answering his, which probably meant he’d put it on vibrate and couldn’t feel it over the movements of the car. He set it that way at school and often neglected to change it.

  If she didn’t reach Wade soon, he was likely to rent a suite for the next week or two. While that didn’t preclude his joining them later, an inner urgency pushed her to settle the matter now.

  Despite her reservations, Adrienne had concluded that inviting him to live there made sense. These were the holidays, a period when she missed her family more than ever and when the lack of grandparents was especially painful for Reggie. Having his father around would be comforting as well as convenient.

  Once she got this conversation over with, she’d stop worrying about it. To pass the time while waiting to redial, Adrienne jotted notes about how to organize meals and schedules.

  She had no idea how long the arrangement would last or how they’d adjust if—no, when—Wade began dating. She’d simply have to be flexible.

  She tried his number again. It still went to voice mail.

  * * *

  ALTHOUGH NO ONE answered Wade’s repeated calls, he stopped by the motel anyway and spotted the manager on a ladder, stringing Christmas lights across the one-story front unit. The grizzled fellow finished hooking the end of the strand before descending to greet Wade and Reggie.

  “I usually forward calls to my cell,” explained the man, who gave his name as Mr. Lopez. “The darn thing rings pretty loud, though, and I don’t care to risk tumbling off a ladder.”

  “I can show you how to put it on vibrate,” Reggie piped up.

  “Can you, squirt?” Mr. Lopez’s grin revealed a silver tooth. “I never feel the vibrations, though.”

  “Me, neither,” the boy admitted.

  “We’d appreciate your showing us a suite,” Wade put in, to move things along.

  “When were you planning to...? I wonder who that is.” The man squinted at a blue sedan stopping at the curb. “Always perks up my day to see a pretty lady.”

  “It’s my aunt!” Reggie cried. Sure enough, that was Adrienne at the wheel. The little boy trotted over.

  “Hi, sweetie,” she said to her nephew. As she approached, hand in hand with Reggie, her skin glowed in the mild winter sunlight. The brightness in her expression touched Wade; he could hardly believe she’d worked all night. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

  “Mr. Lopez was about to show us a suite.” Puzzled, Wade awaited an explanation for her unexpected appearance. She tilted her head toward the manager, indicating she’d rather not speak in front of him.

  Mr. Lopez, apparently not noticing her gesture, motioned them toward the courtyard. “Right this way.”

  After a brief hesitation, Adrienne followed him. Wade set aside his curiosity. Since this didn’t appear to be an emergency, he’d find out soon enough why she was there.

  * * *

  THE SUITE HAD a plainly furnished front room, a kitchenette and a bedroom that Adrienne didn’t bother to examine. There was nothing terribly wrong with it. And nothing very right, either.

  Close to her, Reggie whispered, “Where will I sleep?”

  “We’ll discuss that later,” she answered.

  Wade’s face betrayed little, but by now she knew him well enough to note his lack of enthusiasm. “A few holiday decorations might spruce it up.”

  “Oh, this unit is spoken for.” The manager regarded them apologetically. “I was about to tell you—the folks are arriving this afternoon. We don’t have a suite available till next week. We do have single rooms, though.”

  He
re’s your cue. “That settles it,” Adrienne announced. “You should stay with Reg and me.”

  Wade gave a start. “Seriously?”

  “Why not? We have two empty bedrooms.” Did that sound ungracious? Still, in front of the manager, she chose to keep this impersonal. In a way, she was grateful that his lack of a vacancy had provided an opening for her suggestion.

  Hopping with eagerness, Reggie chimed in, “Say yes, Dad!”

  Wade didn’t answer right away. Surely he wasn’t keen to stay at this depressing motel; he wouldn’t have been even had a suite been available.

  “I suppose it will be hard to find an apartment during the holidays,” he said slowly. “Sure, that would be great. Sorry we wasted your time, Mr. Lopez.”

  “It wasn’t wasted.” He kept an appreciative gaze on Adrienne. “I’m always happy to show such nice people around.”

  In the parking lot, after tucking Reggie into the coupe, Wade accompanied Adrienne to her car a few spaces away. “What’s this about?”

  She didn’t blame him for wondering. “Having you move in with us... Well, I decided to go with the flow. Your phone was busy and I was afraid you might put down a deposit.”

  She couldn’t read much in the emotions flickering across his face. Finally, he said, “It’ll be fun for Reg, for the holidays. I won’t take advantage of your hospitality any longer than necessary.”

  “It’s okay.” Her chest felt tight. Although he’d accepted, his guardedness wasn’t encouraging.

  Wade tapped her door lightly, as if marking an end to the conversation, and strode back to his son. She’d done the right thing, Adrienne was convinced. She’d also been correct to assume he didn’t want a relationship beyond the collegial one they’d established.

  Stop trying to control the future.

  Together they’d create a memorable holiday for Reggie. And then, whether she liked it or not, Wade would be on his way.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Wade had never lived in a big house like Adrienne’s. And he didn’t exactly live there now, even though he’d moved his stuff into the spare bedroom. As a temporary resident, he still felt like a hotel guest—a nonpaying one.

  Perhaps that explained why, during the two weeks since arriving, he’d done his best to maintain a low-key presence, putting away every dish and smoothing the couch after watching TV. Aside from leaving a few personal articles in the bathroom he shared with Reggie, he confined his possessions to his own room.

  Also, while they’d agreed on ground rules about noise, meals and schedules, he kept stumbling across things he hadn’t considered. Adrienne forgot to warn him that she employed a cleaning service twice a month, and Wade narrowly escaped major embarrassment that morning when he darted from the bathroom to retrieve the clothes he’d left in the bedroom. Wrapped in a towel, he nearly mowed down a lady wielding a dust cloth.

  “Sorry,” he said, whipping into his room. He’d believed he was alone in the house.

  She merely stood there openmouthed. After he came out, he introduced himself, and they both pretended not to notice each other’s red faces. Thank goodness he’d thrown on the towel by instinct.

  Someday he’d like to have a home like this. Even better, he’d like to share it with his son. Yet Adrienne’s willingness to let him move in, even temporarily, showed a huge amount of acceptance on her part.

  He was grateful to have this chance to get to know them both better. Being a father involved a major learning curve, and the role, he was beginning to understand, would evolve as his son grew.

  At the office, Wade’s change of address drew a few raised eyebrows. Sue Carrera went around all day grinning, no doubt anticipating another staff romance.

  She couldn’t have been further off base. Adrienne was polite, friendly, but distant. Her moments of sadness reminded Wade that her sister had died nearly a year ago. He had his own painful memories connected with this season, but he hoped that as Christmas drew closer, they’d both rally for Reggie’s sake.

  For the upcoming weekend, she suggested bringing down the artificial tree from the attic. That, he hoped, would mark the start of festivities and a renewal of the closeness he’d experienced during the wedding. Wade could hardly wait.

  That Friday he was called into Mike Aaron’s office. Wade remained standing in front of the broad desk until his boss finished reading something on his laptop. Glancing up, Mike removed his glasses and closed the computer. “Have a seat.”

  Since he’d been expecting a performance review after a month on the job, Wade sat rather stiffly in one of the chairs. While he’d completed each project and had his reports approved with only minor corrections, he took nothing for granted.

  “I have a rather unusual assignment for you.” Mike scratched his thick thatch of hair.

  “Unusual?” This might be a test, Wade considered.

  “The client requested you specifically.” His boss leaned back, stretching his long legs under the desk. “Not only that, but he refuses to discuss the details with anyone else.”

  Who might put in such a request? “Did he explain how he knows me?”

  “That wasn’t necessary.” Mike seemed in no hurry to provide more information. He had a gift for turning small issues into power trips.

  “I see.” But of course, Wade didn’t.

  “The client is Bruce Hunter.”

  What? Wade swallowed, aware that his astonishment showed despite his attempt to match his boss’s self-control. “My grandfather is hiring me? He didn’t even want me to work here.”

  “Apparently he’s changed his mind.” Having obtained maximum shock value, Mike moved on. “He’d like you to stop by his condo so he can fill you in. Anything he tells you is strictly confidential.”

  “He does realize that you’ll be reading the report, right?” Wade asked.

  “Yes, but he specified that we’re not to mention it to anyone else at the agency.”

  This must concern Daryl. But if Grandpa had questions, why not just ask Wade straight-out? Or did Bruce suspect Dad of being up to something suspicious? If he was, Wade had seen no sign of it while staying with his father.

  He accepted the slim folder Mike handed him, which contained Bruce’s address and background information. As if he needed it. “I’ll start right away.”

  Mike waited until he was halfway to the door before asking, “Aren’t you interested in your performance review?”

  Wade turned sheepishly. “I was wondering.”

  His boss didn’t drag things out. “Flying colors. You’ll see a slight raise in your next paycheck. I wish it were larger, but we’re still getting this business off the ground.”

  “Much appreciated.”

  “Glad to have you here.”

  In the report-writing room, Wade called his grandfather. Bruce answered on the second ring.

  Wade identified himself, repressing the urge to add, “Reporting for duty, sir.” This was a real case, and despite the positive feedback from Mike, one positive performance review didn’t make him immune to criticism. “Is this a good time for me to stop by?”

  “No,” said the gruff, familiar voice. “Tomorrow.”

  That was inconvenient for Wade, since he’d planned to spend the morning with Reggie and had promised to help Adrienne with holiday decorations after lunch. If he refused, though, he could imagine Bruce’s belittling response. Real detectives worked on weekends or whenever else they had to.

  He took the initiative. “Three o’clock would work for my schedule.”

  Loud throat clearing preceded Bruce’s reply. “I guess if you’re tied up till then, that will do.” A harrumph was followed by, “What do you hear from your father?”

  “Not much.” Since their argument Wade and Daryl had exchanged only a few brief messages on pra
ctical matters. “Why are you asking me? I thought you two were on good terms.”

  “I can’t stand listening to his slurred speech when we talk and his lies about taking cough medicine,” Grandpa said.

  “He and I don’t get along so well, either,” Wade admitted.

  “We’re just one big happy family, aren’t we?”

  That didn’t bear commenting on. “I’ll see you tomorrow at three.” Unsure how to address his grandfather in this situation, Wade avoided using any name.

  “Done.” With that terse conclusion, Bruce hung up.

  As he pocketed his phone, Wade realized what the conversation signified. His grandfather wasn’t hiring him to snoop on Daryl. If so, why had Bruce asked about him on the phone?

  Whatever the old guy was up to, Wade would have to wait to find out.

  * * *

  ON SATURDAY MORNING as she was leaving the hospital, Adrienne noted a text message from an unfamiliar account. The subject line read “THX From Judi.”

  That was the young woman whose daughter she’d delivered two weeks ago, to whom she’d given her cell number. “My parents will help me raise her,” Judi wrote. “Her name’s Merrie, for Xmas. She’s so sweet. Look!” Attached was an image of a darling baby in a pink onesie, cuddled against her mother’s cheek.

  Adrienne’s eyes burned with tears as she replied. She felt happy for Judi, glad for the chance to help and a deep yearning for what could never be.

  Stay in the moment. This month she’d had to fight her impulses since Wade had moved in. It was hard not to touch him, not to join in playful tussling with him and Reggie, not to show how much she yearned for him.

  But she’d managed. And she would keep right on managing, Adrienne resolved, and headed for her reserved parking spot.

  Already the new routine felt familiar. She arrived home to find the laundry running and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast without having to worry about Reggie’s supervision for the day. After touching base with Wade, she went to bed and slept soundly.

  As usual, she awoke at lunchtime. Although that didn’t give her a full night’s sleep, she’d napped for several hours in the on-call room, and she had a couple days off to catch up.