by Leanne Banks
“Hello, hello,” she called cheerily. “Now don’t worry over the bruise,” she said. “I may be a little scraped up, but not enough to stop me.”
Ericka felt a trickle of relief at the sight of the woman although she wondered if Nanny had rushed returning to work. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, truly fine. Thank you, ma’am,” Nanny said, then studied Ericka’s face. “But you’re looking a bit out of sorts. Are you feeling ill?”
Devastated was more accurate. “I’m not feeling all that well,” she admitted, biting the inside of her lip to keep from bursting into tears.
“Well, let me take our sweet boy and you go take a little rest. It’ll do you good,” she said, opening her arms to hold him. “And don’t you worry about a thing. I can take the night shift, too. You don’t want to get worn down,” she said, then made a clucking sound. “Off to bed with you, ma’am.”
Following Nanny’s encouragement, she went to her room and closed the door. She looked at the bed and all she could think about was the night she’d just shared with Treat. She wanted to run and hide, but he was everywhere. Ericka sank onto the bed and sobbed into her pillow.
* * *
Feeling like the emotionally walking dead, she went through the motions of her life. Leo still made her smile, but otherwise she felt joyless during this most joyful of all seasons. She avoided Nanny’s worried glances. She shopped online for gifts for her family and visited a local store for toys for Leo and her nieces and nephews.
Just because she felt hollow didn’t mean she was going to wallow in it. She bought a few gifts for the Tarisse sisters. Unfortunately, there’d been no sightings of their brother, Alex.
As Leo did his tummy time, Ericka wrapped packages, tossing the cat a shiny ribbon. Sam had been more affectionate lately, as if he knew she was grieving. She scratched the kitty behind the ears then glanced at Leo. He’d turned over and looked a bit disoriented from the experience.
“Look at you,” she said, touching his chest and raving over him. “You rolled over. You’re so strong,” she told him, smiling down into his precious face.
Leo smiled and giggled in return. Ericka felt tears well in her eyes. She wished Treat could have been her for this. He would have been over the moon.
Ericka shook herself for thinking that way. Treat was gone and he wasn’t coming back. She needed to face that fact. Her phone rang and she noticed the call was from her sister Pippa.
“Hello, Pippa. How are you?”
“I’m at the hospital,” Pippa said breathlessly. “Bridget is in labor. When can you get here?”
“Oh, my goodness,” Ericka said, feeling a rush of excitement for her sister. “Nanny’s taking a break watching a television show. How far along is she?”
“Well, you never know with Bridget. She’s such a drama queen, but I will say she came in huffing and puffing and she wasn’t wearing a drop of make-up,” Pippa said.
“That’s serious,” Ericka said. Bridget refused to be seen in public without her cosmetics perfectly applied. “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”
Ericka took Leo to stay with Nanny while she watched her television show then rushed to the hospital with her new dour security detail sitting in the passenger seat. He hated when she drove, but he moved too slowly for her. Especially in this case.
Arriving at the hospital, she joined Pippa and Eve in a private waiting room. “I wonder how long it will take,” Eve said. “I always get a little nervous when the Devereaux women go into labor.”
Ericka nodded. “Valentina gave us a scare, but thank God everything turned out.”
Eve continued to chatter, filling the time with conversation about Christmas. The door to the waiting room opened and Bridget’s husband appeared, beaming.
“What a healthy mother and healthy baby girl! The boys have taken their turn to meet the baby. Would you like to visit?”
“Of course,” Eve said. The three women were led to the birthing room where Bridget was sitting up in bed, her face make-up free, but her hair brushed into place.
She looked up and smiled. “Look what I have.”
Pippa took her turn first and cooed over the baby. She kissed Bridget on the cheek. “You look entirely too composed for a woman who just gave birth,” she said.
“I agree,” Eve said, moving closer to get a better look at the baby. “Oh, she has a lovely pink complexion and that little spray of hair. A beauty,” she said. “You did well.”
Ericka peeked at the baby and agreed with Eve’s assessment. “She truly is a beautiful newborn,” Ericka said. “No lopsided head or scrunchy face.” She kissed Bridget on the cheek. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, all of you,” Bridget said, growing suddenly teary. “I didn’t want to let on how frightened I was when the doctor limited my activities. I’m so relieved she’s here, safe and sound.”
“That’s our brave Bridget,” her husband said, tenderly stroking Bridget’s cheek.
The love between Bridget and her husband was so big it seemed to fill the room. Ericka was happy for her sister, but at that moment, she couldn’t help thinking of Treat. She swallowed her bitter twist of loss and lifted her lips in a determined smile.
“We’ve gotten our peek. Let’s give Mom and baby time to rest up,” Eve said, and the three of them left the birthing room. “Beautiful,” she said. “And Bridget didn’t look a bit ragged. I could complain, but her pregnancy wasn’t the easiest. I’ll see you and yours on Christmas Eve,” she said, giving a quick hug to Pippa and Ericka. “We have so much to celebrate.”
“We do,” Pippa said as Eve walked away. She turned to Ericka and took her hand. “We need to talk. You look miserable.”
Ericka demurred. “I’m fine. Just busy due to the holiday season.”
“That’s not what I heard. Let’s go back to the private waiting room. There was a teapot. We weren’t in there long enough to take any,” she said, tugging Ericka to the waiting room where she poured tea for both of them.
“I should get back home,” Ericka said. “I left a mess of wrapping paper on the floor. Who knows what the cat will do with it?”
“The mess can wait. I’m told your American security man abruptly resigned,” she said. “There are rumors that you were romantically involved with him.”
Ericka took a sip of tea, but it stuck in her throat. She coughed and set down the cup and the truth just spilled out. “It was a disaster from the start, but he surprised me. He was so kind to me and to Leo. It caught me off guard. I knew I shouldn’t get involved, but I just couldn’t resist. He was able to resist in the beginning, but the pull between us was so intense.”
“He left because something happened with your ex,” she said.
“Treat punched Jean Claude,” she said. “Jean Claude visited and demanded I share custody and money. He was so insulting. Honestly, he wasn’t like that when we first got married. I don’t know when he turned into such a horrid person. Treat was horrified that he had behaved unprofessionally and he left,” she said. “End of story.”
“Is it?” Pippa asked.
“What do you mean?” Ericka asked.
“I must tell you that I see myself in your eyes right now. The misery and loss,” she said.
“But you’re not miserable,” Ericka said. “You’re glowing. You’re happily married.”
“I am now, but only because I went after the man I loved with all my heart. Did you ever tell Treat that you loved him?”
Ericka bit her lip and shook her head. “It happened so fast. I was afraid I would scare him away.”
Pippa took Ericka’s hands in hers. “How can you truly know what Treat wants if you don’t tell him your feelings? You’re not a teenager anymore. You’re a woman with a child. You’ve been banged around a bit in t
he relationship department, but I think you know what you want. Do you think you’ll ever meet another man like him?”
Ericka shook her head, feeling her chest tighten with grief again. “No. But I’ve lost him.”
“You could tell him your feelings,” Pippa suggested.
“But he’s all the way in Texas,” she said. “This isn’t the kind of thing one sends in an email.”
“We have jets leaving for the United States every day from Chantaine,” Pippa said.
Overwhelmed by the prospect, Ericka stood and paced the small area. “I couldn’t dare. It’s almost Christmas. What would I do with Leo?”
“I would gladly take care of him for you,” Pippa said.
Ericka’s heart hammered in her throat. “I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I have the courage. What if he turns me away?”
“There’s only one way to find out. Let me know when you want to drop off Leo,” she said, rising and giving Ericka a tight hug.
Ericka returned home, trying to digest Pippa’s challenge to her. She couldn’t believe her shy sister had become such a tiger. Ericka took care of Leo after she arrived home, but thoughts of Treat consumed her. She barely slept all night. The next morning, she awakened and decided to accept Pippa’s challenge. She was going to Texas to see Treat and she was taking Leo with her.
Packing took little time and before she knew it, she and Leo were flying across the Atlantic. Her baby did surprising well on the flight, taking lots of naps and doing sign language lessons with her on her tablet. Nearby passengers looked at her curiously.
“You’re teaching your baby sign language?” the woman from across the aisle asked. “Isn’t he a bit young?”
“He is, but he’s profoundly deaf, so there’s no such thing as starting too soon,” she said.
“I’m so sorry,” the woman said.
“Oh, don’t be. He’s the joy of my life,” Ericka said, and felt another weight lifted from her chest. One less secret to keep.
* * *
Treat sat behind the desk in his cluttered office space and stared at his laptop. Now that he’d messed up the job for the Devereaux family, he was chasing new leads for his business. It was a wonder his partner hadn’t ditched him, but Andrew had seemed to sense his misery and chosen not to add to it.
Determined to make up for his failing, he was spending twelve hours a day at the office then falling into bed at night, but rarely sleeping. Visions of Ericka and Leo danced in his head. He didn’t know which was worse—thinking about her when he was awake or dreaming about her during his rare moments of sleep.
He slurped down a cup of coffee that resembled tar and added another lead to his list. Unfortunately, with the exception of retail stores, most people didn’t have security on the brain. He really should straighten up this office, he thought, looking around at the boxes of files.
A knock sounded at the door and then it flew open. Ericka and Leo swept inside the room. Treat stared at her in shock and shook his head. Oh, no, he had gone over the edge. He was seeing things. That was it. Time to check himself into the loony bin.
“Sorry. This isn’t how I wanted to start our conversation, but we have a bad diaper situation,” she said, and dug a blanket out of the gigantic bag slung across her shoulder. Struggling to hold squirmy Leo in place, she cleaned him, changed his diaper and put him on the blanket.
Leo immediately rolled over.
“He’s rolling,” he said.
“Yes,” she said, smiling and sighing at the same time. “Now that he knows how to do it, he doesn’t want to stop.”
“Are you really here? Or am I just imagining this?” Treat asked, his heart starting to stretch and fill up at the sight of her.
“I’m really here,” she said as she put her arms around him. “Don’t I feel real?”
Treat squeezed her tight. “I don’t know how or why, but—”
She backed away slightly. “Well, I’m going to tell you,” she said, meeting his gaze. “I love you and I want you in my life. No secrets. I know I’ll never meet another man like you.”
“But I’m not royalty. I came up dirt poor,” he said. “I’ll never be as polished as most of the guys who’ve tried to win you.”
“Do you have a prejudice against royalty?” she asked.
“No.”
“Because you bring it up a lot. Haven’t you figured out that part of the reason I fell in love with you was because I could be myself with you? You even seemed to like it when I was myself. You helped me become stronger and more confident. You took my heart by surprise and I’m just now catching up. Say you’ll give us a chance.”
Treat closed his eyes, feeling his heart nearly burst with joy. He couldn’t turn down her offer. He had fallen for her like a brick and he knew there was no recovering from his feelings for her. “I love you,” he told her. “Tell me what you want and I’ll do my best to give it to you.”
“Come home with me for Christmas,” she said.
* * *
Five days later, the Deveraux family gathered for Christmas Eve. During Ericka’s growing up years, she remembered the gathering as stiff and dignified. With all the babies, toddlers and love abounding, it was rollicking good craziness. Bridget’s new baby girl was passed around from one adult to the other. Bridget’s twin boys couldn’t stop kissing the poor baby’s pink cheeks. The rest of the children scampered around the room with parents preventing spills and upsets when possible.
Pippa held Leo on her lap and practiced some sign language she’d learned. The sight of her sister adapting to communicate to her son almost brought Ericka to tears. She couldn’t remember feeling such love and support.
“Hey, princess, will you skip out to the garden with me?” Treat asked her.
She shot him a chiding look. “Princess?”
“Your Highness?” he said, teasing her.
Ericka asked Pippa to watch Leo for a few moments and walked into the garden with Treat.
He took her hand and loosened his tie at the same time. “Madness and mayhem in there. You Devereauxs sure know how to party,” he said.
She chuckled. “Complete with diapers and sippy cups.” She looked into his gaze. “Thank you for coming back to Chantaine with me.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, and led her to a bench among the carefully tended blooms and shrubs. “In fact, I have a question for you...” He knelt down on one knee.
Ericka looked at him in surprise. She was even more surprised when he pulled a jeweler’s box from his pocket.
“Fredericka Devereaux, I love you and Leo more than life itself. I never dreamed a woman like you could exist. Your strength, your humor, your passion. Will you marry me?”
Ericka was so overwhelmed she could hardly speak. “Oh, Treat. I—I—”
“Don’t leave me hanging here too long,” he said
“Yes,” she managed breathlessly and urged him up from his knees. “I love you so very much. I don’t ever want to live without you. Wherever we may go, I want to be with you. Forever,” she said
“Will you wear this ring?” he asked and opened the box to reveal a brilliant ruby surrounded by diamonds.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “Of course I will.” Her hands trembled as he placed the ring on her finger. “The ring is beautiful,” she said. “But the man who gave it to me is my true treasure.”
Epilogue
Four months later, so many changes had taken place. The conference had been a smashing success. Ericka and Treat had married. Most harrowing of all, Leo had received his surgery.
Today, Ericka sat with Treat, Leo and the specialty audiologist in a small office in Italy. Both nervous and excited, she bounced Leo on her knee. Today the audiologist would activate the external device. T
his visit wasn’t the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It was just the beginning. Leo would need to be trained how to best use the device.
“Okay?” Treat asked, covering her hand with his.
She took a deep breath. “A little nervous.”
“It’s gonna work out,” he said, and offered Leo a ring of plastic donuts.
Leo grabbed the first one then tossed it several feet.
“He throws everything these days. It’s all that football you let him watch,” she whispered.
“Hey, the kid’s got a good arm,” he said as he gave Leo another donut.
Leo tossed that one on the floor, too.
The audiologist smiled. “I’m going to activate the volume levels on Leo’s device now. I’ll do it gradually, but as I told you, he may cry when he first hears noise because it can be confusing for the little ones. Here we go.”
Ericka held her breath, carefully watching Leo’s face. During the first few tests, he showed no response. Suddenly, though he stopped and his eyes widened.
“We may have something here,” the audiologist said. “Say hello to your son,” she told Ericka.
“Hi, Leo,” she said. “Hello, beautiful boy. I love you so much.”
Leo looked up at her and put his fingers against her mouth.
She gasped then laughed. “Can you hear me? You can hear, Leo. You can hear, can’t you?”
Leo laughed in return and wiggled his head as if he would need to get used to the new sensation.
“That’s what we call a late Christmas gift,” the woman said.
Ericka looked into Treat’s gaze and her eyes filled with tears. He’d been with her through all the upheaval and challenges of the past few months, and she knew in her heart that he would be there for her and Leo forever.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from A VERY MAVERICK CHRISTMAS by Rachel Lee.