by Nicole Ellis
She peeked into the living room to catch another glimpse of Jake, asleep on the couch. Her breath caught. His legs hung off the cushions and he’d kicked the blankets off the couch, leaving only a pair of gym shorts covering his lower half. His face was smooth and expressionless in sleep, his profile silhouetted by the soft glow from the streetlight outside. Behind him rose the Christmas tree and three stockings hanging on the mantel. She’d hastily found another stocking last night so he’d have one too.
This morning, the stockings bulged with goodies from Santa. She happened to know the adult stockings held mainly candy, but Alex’s also contained toys. Presents were stacked underneath the Christmas tree, brightly wrapped and ready to be torn open.
She smiled. Christmas was her favorite holiday. There was something magical about how it brought family and friends together to spend special times.
Her gaze returned to the man on her couch. He was both family and friend, and she suspected he would be a big part of her future. He looked like an angel sleeping there—an angel with a muscular chest and a six-pack of abs. She blushed, but couldn’t tear her eyes away.
They’d been up late the night before, talking after Alex went to bed. He’d been through so much in his military career and had shared fascinating stories about the people and places he’d encountered over the years. It was a far cry from the life she lived in Candle Beach. But although she’d committed to live a nomadic life with Brian in support of his military career, a big part of her had always wanted to raise her children in her hometown. Jake opened one eye and caught her peeping at him. He smiled lazily and she blushed even more before scurrying into the kitchen.
He must think she was crazy, ogling him like that in his sleep. She heard him rise and dress as she busied herself in the kitchen.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He came up behind her and kissed her on the neck. She smiled and felt herself melt against him.
“Good morning to you too.” She kissed him lightly on the mouth and handed him a cup of coffee.
“Thanks, I needed this.” He leaned against the wall and sipped the coffee. “We really pulled an all-nighter last night. I don’t think I’ve been up that late since I was a newly minted Private.”
“Sorry, it’s been a while since I had another adult to talk to.” She hung her head and hid behind her coffee cup.
“Don’t apologize.” He grinned. “I liked it. Made me feel young again.”
“Oh yeah, the old geezer, pushing forty.” She laughed and he tapped her on her shoulder with his knuckles.
“Hey, I resemble that,” he quipped.
“Who’s an old geezer?” a child’s voice asked. Alex’s dark hair stuck out in all directions as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.
“Uncle Jake.” Maggie hugged her son. “Merry Christmas, sweetie. Are you ready to see what Santa brought you?”
Alex nodded vigorously and skipped over to the tree. He picked up a present and read the tag. “This one’s for you, Mom.” He handed it to her. He picked up another and gave it to Jake. Then his face lit up when he read the tag on a tall present Maggie hadn’t seen before. “And this one’s for me!” He ripped into it.
They watched as he tore off the Frosty the Snowman wrapping paper to reveal a large Batman Lego set.
“Cool!” he shouted. His eyes were wide with excitement.
Jake helped him remove the remaining paper. “I found this for you last time I was in Portland. I thought you might like it.”
“I love it!”
Maggie had to stop Alex from opening the package. “Let’s wait until later so we don’t lose the pieces in all this wrapping paper.”
“Okay,” he said. “Thanks, Uncle Jake! We can build it tonight.”
She smiled at them. Jake looked as excited as Alex about the prospect of building the Lego set, and she felt a rush of love for him.
Then Jake’s phone rang, and he answered it. “Hello?” His smile faltered. “Sure, I can come in later. No problem.”
“What’s wrong?” Maggie asked.
“The department wants me to come in for a short shift later today. Our office support called in sick and they need someone on dispatch.” He shrugged. “I’m the lowest man on the totem pole, so I get the job.”
Maggie’s good mood faded at the reminder of Jake’s job. She and Alex were getting rather attached to him. Could she handle it again if something happened to Jake? She’d been devastated after losing Brian and it had taken years to get over the trauma of his sudden death. Now she was involved with another man in a dangerous job.
“Mags?” She felt him search her face. “You okay? There are more presents to open.”
She forced her lips into a smile for Alex’s sake. “Of course. Let’s get them opened.”
Alex passed Jake the gift she’d bought him. She’d found a Seahawks jersey in Haven Shores for him after he’d mentioned feeling left out at the bar when everyone else was dressed in local sports garb.
“Do you like it?” She peered at him anxiously.
He hugged her. “I love it. I’ll wear it for Sunday’s game.”
She relaxed her shoulders. Gift giving wasn’t her forte and it had been a while since she’d picked something out for a man other than her father.
They finished unwrapping everything under the tree. She was disappointed to see he hadn’t bought her a gift, but tried to tell herself it didn’t matter. She was just happy to have him sharing in their family holiday.
She pulled the cinnamon rolls out of the oven where they’d been warming and set them on a plate.
Alex tried to grab one and she swatted his hand away.
“Not yet, I need to ice them.” She spread cream cheese frosting over the tops of the baked goods, making sure to leave a little extra in the bowl, which she gave to Alex to lick.
“Yum.” He cleaned up the bowl with his finger and she wrinkled her nose.
“Use a spoon!”
He laughed and joined Jake at the table.
Maggie looked at her men sitting at their tiny kitchen table. Somehow, the kitchen seemed warmer and fuller with Jake and Alex there, waiting for her to join them.
Jake patted the seat between them. “Sit down. I’ll get you some coffee.”
She shrugged and sat down. She could get used to being waited on.
Later, Alex disappeared into his bedroom to start building his new Lego creation and the adults settled on the couch with another cup of coffee.
Jake checked his watch. “I’ve got to get to work, but I have something for you first.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small velvet-covered box.
“Maggie, I never realized how much I wanted a family until I was lucky enough to spend time with you and Alex. These last few weeks have been the greatest in my life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your family.”
He stared into her eyes and her heart beat faster. What was in that box? He couldn’t be proposing now, could he? Things had moved fast with them because of their long history, and while she could see herself marrying him in the future, she wasn’t ready yet. What if something happened to him? She couldn’t lose another husband.
She gulped and leapt off the couch. “I don’t feel so good,” she muttered incoherently. Tears streamed down her face as she ran away from the living room, intent on hiding in her bedroom.
A knock sounded on her closed bedroom door a few minutes later.
“Maggie? Are you okay? I didn’t get a chance to give you your Christmas present.”
She could hear him hovering on the other side of her door. “I’m fine.”
“Can I come in? Are you sick?”
Why was she acting like this? Every time she let him get close, she ended up pushing him away again. But, she couldn’t face him right now…not like this. “I’m fine. I’ll call you later, okay?” she said through the closed door.
He sighed. “I have to get to work, but I’ll stop by afterwards. I hope you feel better later.”
She pulled back the curtain on her bedroom window and watched as he backed out of the driveway. Then she dried her tears and opened the door. He’d left the black velvet box on the coffee table.
For the next few hours, she furiously cleaned the apartment, doing her best to forget about his gift. Her parents would be over in the evening to exchange gifts and she wanted it to look nice. Alex popped his head out a few times for food, but was wrapped up in his new toys.
Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore. She stared at the present for a few minutes. It was a box. Why was she so afraid of it? Gingerly, she picked up the clamshell box and opened it.
Inside was a beautiful piece of diamond jewelry—not a ring, but a simple drop pendant. She loved it immediately. She let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding and tried it on. She should have known it wasn’t an engagement ring. That was silly to have thought it would be. But a bigger part of her than she would have thought felt saddened by her discovery. Had she wanted it to be a ring? Was she ready for it?
A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her Jake would be off his half shift by now. He hadn’t called or stopped by on his way home, probably because she’d scared him off. She grabbed the velvet box and shouted to Alex to get ready to leave. He poked his head out of his room.
“What? Why are we going somewhere?” He wore a puzzled expression.
“I need to talk to Uncle Jake. Hurry up, get your shoes on. You can bring one of your new toys.”
He shrugged and for once did what she asked.
At the B&B, Maggie stood on Jake’s doorstep, rubbing her fingers on the etching of the necklace he had given her. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but was afraid if she waited any longer, she’d lose her nerve.
She knocked, but he didn’t answer the door. His car was in the driveway in front of his room and the door wasn’t completely latched. She pushed it open a bit, but hesitated when she heard his voice. He must have been on the phone and hadn’t heard her knock. She felt like she was intruding a bit on his privacy since he didn’t know she was there, but she didn’t think he’d mind.
“I think she’s coming to visit you later this week, Mom.” She smiled. He was on the phone with his mother. She was about to alert him to her presence when she heard him say, “I don’t know what I did wrong. I think she’s mad at me for something. I gave her a Christmas gift and she ran away.” He sighed and his voice sounded weary. “You know, I came up here because I’d promised Brian I’d take care of her if anything ever happened to him. But this is more than I expected.”
Her eyes widened and she backed away from the door, closing it softly. She edged blindly back to her car and shut the door. Was Jake only interested in her out of a sense of duty to his brother? Was that all she and Alex were to him?
Alex piped up from the back seat. “Mom? Are we going in to visit Uncle Jake?”
“No.” She buckled her seatbelt and backed out of the driveway. “He wasn’t home.”
“But his car was there.” Alex shot her a puzzled look.
“He wasn’t there,” she said, with more force than she would have liked.
Alex shrunk back against his car seat. “Okay,” he said sullenly and went back to his game.
She drove back to their apartment in a haze. How was this possible? She’d allowed herself to fall in love again and it had all been a charade.
When Jake called her twenty minutes later, she didn’t answer. After several more unanswered calls, a knock sounded on her front door. She didn’t answer and he knocked again.
“Maggie? Are you in there?”
Luckily, Alex was engrossed in his Lego building project in his room and didn’t hear the knocking. Maggie sat on the couch, staring at the door. She knew she should open it and allow him to explain the conversation with his mother that she’d overheard, but she didn’t think she could handle hearing him confirm what she already knew. The only reason he was interested in her was to fulfill a commitment he’d made to his brother.
19
Jake lifted his mug of beer and drained half of it in one long gulp.
Across from him at the booth at the Rusty Anchor, Dahlia’s eyes widened. She exchanged glances with Garrett next to her.
“Whoa, bud, slow down.” Garrett took a small sip of his own beer. “This is craft beer, you’re not supposed to down it like it’s a Coors Light.”
Jake hung his head. “I don’t know what’s going on with Maggie. She won’t talk to me at all.” He looked hopefully at Dahlia. “Has she said anything to you?”
She smiled sadly. “Sorry. Maggie plays things pretty close to her chest. If something’s wrong, it takes a while to pry it out of her.”
His spirits plummeted even further and he drank the rest of the beer and held out his empty glass to the passing waitress. She nodded and dropped off a refill of the local craft beer he’d been drinking.
The frosty glass felt cold in his hands, further enhancing the numb feeling. He’d thought they really had something going. Sheesh, he’d even had dreams of marrying Maggie, not that he’d admit that to her friends. He felt Dahlia and Garrett’s eyes on him.
He’d checked in at To Be Read the morning after Christmas to see if Dahlia had any clue about what was going on with Maggie. She’d invited him for drinks with her new husband that evening, and he’d accepted because he hadn’t really wanted to be alone. Now, watching Dahlia and Garrett sitting close together on the bench seat across from him, practically finishing each other’s sentences, he wondered if he’d made a mistake. It hurt seeing how happy they were together.
“Oh,” Dahlia said, and then pressed her lips together in a firm line.
“What?” He leaned forward and set his drink on the table. “What is it? Did you think of something that could be bothering her?”
She squirmed on the seat and even Garrett gave her an odd look.
“Well, I remember last year around this time, she was acting strange. The week before Christmas was her and Brian’s wedding anniversary and then spending Christmas without him really affected her. She once told me that although she loved the holidays, this time of year was extra hard for her. Could that be why she’s acting oddly?” Her eyes met his.
“I don’t know.” He set his glass on the table.
He wasn’t sure whether to be glad there was an explanation for her behavior or for it to further fuel his concern that Maggie wasn’t over his brother’s death yet. If she wasn’t over Brian, he understood, but he needed to know if she wanted to explore a relationship with him. For the sake of his heart and hers, they couldn’t keep going like this.
“You should talk to her, man,” Garrett said. “I know Dahlia and I had some misunderstandings that threatened our relationship. We wasted so much time worrying about stupid things that we could have spent together.”
“I would if I could.” He left his unfinished beer on the table and pulled some cash out of his wallet. “I’ll try again. Thanks, guys.”
They nodded and he felt their eyes on him as he threw on his jacket and exited the building. Outside, he looked up the hill toward the Bluebonnet Café. Was she there right now?
He checked the lobby of the café to see if Maggie was working the hostess desk. She wasn’t there. At this time of the evening, very few customers were present in the restaurant. He poked his head into the back kitchen area and a crabby-looking septuagenarian glared at him.
“You’re not supposed to be back here.”
“Sorry.” He gave her what he hoped was a smile that would charm an elderly woman. “I was looking for Maggie. Is she in?”
Apparently he was off his game, because the woman just scowled at him in response.
Everyone in the kitchen looked tired. It was quiet as the staff cleaned and the space lacked the usual energetic vibe he’d encountered when he’d been there in the past with Maggie. A younger woman beckoned for him to enter the kitchen. She was rolling dough on the counter, but smiled to let him
know he was welcome. Was this the famous Angel? He couldn’t tell what color her hair was because it was wrapped up in a hair net, but she was friendlier than the older woman.
“Hi. Are you Jake?”
He nodded.
She removed her gloves and walked over to him, sticking out her hand. “I’m Angel. That’s Velma over there.” She motioned to the older woman. “I just started here last week. Maggie talks about you all the time though.”
A humph sound came from Velma’s direction. He ignored her and shook Angel’s hand.
“Nice to meet you. I wondered when I’d have a chance to meet Maggie’s lifesaving baker.”
She blushed and retreated behind the counter.
He looked around the kitchen. “Is Maggie here? I’ve been looking all over for her.”
Angel’s lips turned downward. “Sorry, she left to go home already. She’ll be back in the morning though. I’m just finishing up here myself. Maggie wants us to meet at five tomorrow morning for a marathon baking session. She’s such a slave driver.” She smiled to show she was joking.
“She left already?” Now what? He’d hoped to catch her at the café where she couldn’t avoid him so easily. If she was at home, she probably wouldn’t answer the door. He was starting to feel like a stalker, but he needed to get some answers from her.
“Yes,” Velma interjected. “She needed to go home to her son.” She shook her head. “That woman is always leaving at the most inopportune times.” She motioned around the room. “Look how messy it is. She was supposed to stay until closing time. Now we’re stuck with that incompetent assistant manager. Humph. Well, at least she’s home with her son where she belongs. Why, when I had a young child at home, you wouldn’t find me working somewhere out of the home. All these career women nowadays. They think they can have everything.”
Angel stared at her as though she’d grown wings. Jake’s jaw dropped open, but he quickly recovered. He may not be high on Maggie’s list of favorite people right now, but he wasn’t going to let anyone talk badly about her.