The Christmas Bouquet

by Sherryl Woods

  Her grandmother smiled. “You really want your grandfather to say yes to this, don’t you?”

  “Of course,” she admitted at once. “But only if it won’t upset you. I know how hard the two of you have worked to make your marriage stronger this time. Long separations weren’t part of the deal.”

  “No, but perhaps I could go along with him now, at least occasionally,” her grandmother said, her expression thoughtful. “It wouldn’t be like it was all those years ago with me being left behind to raise five children practically on my own. Would there be things I could do in these villages?”

  “Absolutely,” Caitlyn told her, instantly seizing the opening. “They’re in desperate need of help of all kinds. You could assist the doctors or teach the kids to read, help them to learn English. Even just cuddling a baby or teaching the moms about nutrition would be a huge help. It’s so rewarding, Grandma Megan. It’s an experience you’d never forget.”

  Her grandmother reached for her hand. “You’ve certainly not forgotten it, have you? You’re eager to go back.”

  “I need to go back,” Caitlyn told her, then sighed. “But I’m beginning to think I won’t be able to.”

  “Perhaps not right away as you’d planned,” her grandmother agreed. “But just look what you’ve been able to accomplish for the cause by coming here today. I’d say you’re making a worthwhile contribution even now.”

  Caitlyn thought about it and realized she was right. If her grandfather agreed to do this, she’d played a role in helping a lot of doctors and a lot of families in a lot of villages. It might not be the same as a hands-on contribution, but in some ways it was even more important. That was a lesson Dr. Davis had learned and tried to impart just the other day.

  “Thank you for reminding me that there’s more than one way to make a difference,” she said.

  She still wasn’t quite ready to give up on her dream entirely or to plunge into a marriage that she hadn’t anticipated, but she felt more at peace than she had since she’d first discovered she was pregnant. Now, with her state of mind improved, she just needed to find Noah and tell him she was at least a little less angry that he’d been making his own plans for the future behind her back.

  * * *

  Noah took refuge in Sally’s Café, sipping coffee and staring out at the kids playing across the street on the town green. He knew that sooner or later Cait would find him here once she was ready to talk.

  He’d just about decided to go ahead and order lunch and was studying the menu when he looked up and saw her at the window, regarding him with a serious expression. He gave her a tentative smile, then watched with relief as she headed for the door and came inside. She slipped into the booth opposite him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

  She nodded. “Better than before. You can relax. I’ve stopped being furious with you.”

  “Good to know. Mind if I ask what calmed you down? I might need to know the secret for next time.”

  She smiled at that. “Are you anticipating a lot of fights?”

  “We’re both strong-willed,” he said with a shrug. “Disagreements are going to come along.”

  “But hopefully I won’t be as irrational as I was earlier,” she said. “I’d like to blame pregnancy hormones for that.”

  “So this newfound serenity I sense in you is just another mood swing?” he suggested cautiously.

  “No, the truth is that the minute Bree, Shanna and Heather started lumping you in with Grandpa Mick and the rest as part of the big conspiracy, I suddenly knew better. Setting up a practice here really was your idea, wasn’t it?”

  Noah nodded. “I’ll confess that I hadn’t considered the idea before we found out about the baby, but once I knew you were pregnant, I started seeing the future a little differently. I knew I’d want our child to grow up surrounded by family. Since yours is a lot more convenient to Baltimore, it seemed to make sense.”

  “You do have family of your own,” she reminded him.

  “Chicago’s definitely not an option,” he said at once. “It’s too far away from where you’ll be, for one thing. For another, I have zero desire to go back there. It hardly qualifies as a small, intimate community.”

  She regarded him curiously. “You never say much about growing up there or about your family.”

  “Let’s just say I was anxious to leave it all behind. My parents tried, but it was hardly an idyllic life, not like the one you lived. And the area we lived in was dangerous. It was no place for a child to grow up. I doubt you can imagine what it’s like for a kid in those circumstances. I was scared all the time. I had friends who died. They were just kids and they never had a chance to see their dreams come true. Some of them didn’t even dare to dream.”

  “Noah, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

  “Don’t be sorry. It’s just the way it was. I was one of the lucky ones. My parents might not have had much, but they did keep me focused on my studies. They told me that was the way out, an option neither of them had had.”

  “Your mom must be so proud of you,” she said softly.

  “She is. You know that my dad died a couple of years ago. He had a heart attack when someone robbed the store where he was working. He might have made it if the ambulance hadn’t taken so long to respond, another fact of life in that neighborhood.” He forced a smile to counteract the grim reality of the life he’d left behind. “I’d love to make a home in a place like this, give my mom a better life. The thought of our child growing up here in a community that’s safe, surrounded by a huge family...” He met her gaze. “It’s even better than I ever imagined.”

  Caitlyn reached for his hand and clung tightly to it. “Thank you for telling me this. I wish you had sooner.”

  “I don’t like to dwell on the past.”

  “I can understand that, but it did shape who you are. I think I understand you so much better now.”

  “Then you can see why Chesapeake Shores seems so amazing to me?”

  She nodded.

  “Even before I came down to meet you for dinner at Mick’s, I was fascinated by all your stories about the town and your family. I started doing a little research online. Then when I drove into town that day, I just knew that this was where we should be raising our family.”

  He gestured toward the town green. “Look out there, Cait. How often do we see kids playing in the parks where we are, at least without their parents hovering a couple of feet away.”

  “There are parents out there, too,” she said. “Nobody is going to let their kids roam free at that age, not even in Chesapeake Shores.”

  “I suppose not,” he said. “It just seems more serene somehow, more the way I always imagined small-town life would be.”

  “It is idyllic in many ways,” she agreed. “But it’s not perfect.”

  He shrugged, not giving up. “Close enough.”

  “And you really see this as someplace you could be happy practicing medicine?”

  He heard the skepticism in her voice. “It’s not in the middle of nowhere, but yes,” he said. “The town needs its own doctor, somebody to deal with the everyday sniffles and the flu, somebody to do blood pressure monitoring and preventative medicine. Why should they have to drive to the next town or all the way to Baltimore or Annapolis for basic care?”

  “I’m just worried that you’re making this compromise because you think it will satisfy me, get me to go along with setting up a practice with you once I’ve completed my residency. What if I don’t see myself in Chesapeake Shores, surrounded by family? They haven’t driven you crazy yet, but I’ve had a lifetime of their meddling.”

  “And their support,” he said quietly. “And their love. Is that really such a bad thing?”

  “Not when you put it that way, no,” she replied, then sighed. “A
nd maybe this would be the right place for me and a family...someday.”

  “Just not yet,” he concluded. “But the family’s coming now, Cait. Or in a few months. Even if you leave me out of the equation, there will be a baby to consider.”

  “I’m not likely to forget that,” she said. “It’s all I think about. And just now Shanna pointed out all the built-in child care I’d have available if we lived here. It’s hard to argue with that.”

  Since her family seemed to be making his case for him, Noah nodded and backed off...for now. “Well, we’re not going to decide anything right this minute and I’m starved. You must be, too.”

  She looked momentarily startled by the unexpected reprieve, but then seized on it. “A tuna melt,” she said at once. “With fries.” She paused, then added, “And apple pie for dessert.”

  He smiled. “Are you sure that’s all?”

  She frowned at his amusement. “Ice cream on the pie,” she added with a touch of defiance.

  “Done,” he said, and beckoned for the waitress, an older woman who’d been hovering nearby for a while now. He realized they were the only customers left in the place.

  “Sally!” Caitlyn said, looking up with delight. “How are you?”

  “I’m good. You’re certainly a sight for sore eyes.” She winked at Noah. “She and her sister were two of my best customers when they were teenagers. And where they went, the boys trailed along. I think they were singlehandedly responsible for paying for my last car.”

  “Stop it,” Caitlyn protested, then confided, “This is my second visit today. I was in earlier for a raspberry croissant.”

  Sally laughed. “I sure hope you’re sticking around. I could use a new wardrobe for summer.”

  “Afraid not,” Caitlyn told her. “But Noah’s a good tipper. Maybe that’ll help.”

  “Let me go put your order in before the cook takes off on his break. I heard what you want.” She turned to Noah. “How about you?”

  “A crab cake sandwich,” he said at once. “With slaw and fries.”

  “Got it.” She headed for the kitchen.

  “She seems nice,” he said when she’d gone.

  “She’s as much of an institution in this town as Ethel, who owns the gift shop down the block.”

  “Ah, the one who sells penny candy.”

  Cait nodded. “Of course, none of it costs a penny anymore, but we always called it that. Carrie and I were her best customers, too.” A grin spread across her face. “You know, it occurs to me that given all the candy she sells, Chesapeake Shores probably needs a full-time dentist more than a doctor.”

  “I can’t help with that,” Noah said. He clasped her hand again. “I love you.”

  “Just keep reminding me of that,” she told him.

  “Do you think if I do you’ll eventually stop viewing me as the enemy who got us into this fix?”

  Dismay washed over her face. “I’ve never thought of you that way, not once.”

  “How could you not?”

  “Because I always take responsibility for my own actions. We were in that bed together, Noah. We made this baby together. And we’re going to figure out what comes next together, too.”

  For the first time in recent days, Noah felt reassured that he might not be fighting a losing battle.

  9

  Caitlyn’s cell phone rang just as she and Noah were finishing their late lunch at Sally’s. She looked at the caller ID and sighed.

  “My grandfather,” she told Noah, then connected the call. “Hey, Grandpa Mick.”

  “I heard from Ma that you were at the house earlier looking for me. You still in town?”

  “Noah and I are at Sally’s. Are you at the house now?”

  “Just got here. I’m about to take a shower. I’ll be cleaned up by the time you all get here.” He hesitated, then said, “You here because you have news?”

  She grinned at the hopeful note in his voice. “Probably not the news you’ve been waiting for, so don’t bother rallying the troops for a celebration. We’ll see you soon.”

  “Stubborn kids,” he grumbled, then disconnected the call.

  She frowned at Noah. “Anything we say now is going to disappoint him.”

  “Not everything,” Noah said. “I’m ninety-nine percent certain I’m going to buy that house, unless you vehemently object.”

  “How can I after what you told me?” she said. “And if I’m finishing up my internship and residency in Baltimore, it makes sense for you to be close by. I just wish I weren’t so worried that you’re choosing this because of the baby, and not because it’s the right situation for you.”

  Noah chuckled. “You almost sounded enthusiastic for a second there. Then you had to go and ruin it.”

  “Do you want me to pretend I don’t see the obvious pitfalls?” She regarded him intently. “Noah, what if one of those opportunities you dreamed about presents itself? Are you going to resent me?”

  “Never!” he said so adamantly that she had to believe him.

  “Okay, then,” she said, accepting his decision. “I suppose we ought to get to Grandpa Mick’s.”

  “Don’t you want to let your grandmother know we’re heading over there? From what you told me about her reaction earlier, she should be there to voice her concerns.”

  “I honestly think she was warming to the idea,” Caitlyn said.

  “Then she can say that. Don’t leave her out, Cait. Not when this affects their life together.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. I guess I was just hoping I could make Grandpa Mick see all the positives before she chimed in.”

  Noah smiled. “Exactly why she needs to be there to play devil’s advocate, if she so chooses.”

  “That’s why you have such a reputation for being fair-minded,” she grumbled. “In my family, we learned to divide and conquer.”

  “In other words, you and Carrie could wind your stepfather around your little fingers and he’d do your dirty work in convincing your mom to let you have your way.”

  “Hey, it was very effective,” she said, then sighed. “At least till Trace caught on. Sadly, it didn’t take him that long.”

  “How are you going to feel when our child tries the same tactic with us?”

  She laughed. “We’ll be on to him or her from the beginning,” she said. “It’s Grandpa Mick we’ll need to worry about. He’s an easy mark for his grandchildren. I imagine he’ll be even worse with his first great-grandchild.”

  As confused as she was most of the time these days, the thought of seeing her grandfather with her child brought a surprising smile to her lips. Maybe she was finally starting to see the bright side of this pregnancy, after all.

  * * *

  Noah figured he could learn a thing or two about compromising to make a marriage work by keeping a close eye on Mick and Megan O’Brien as Cait presented her grandfather with Naomi Davis’s idea for those medical facilities overseas.

  Mick’s eyes brightened with interest as Caitlyn described the importance of the contribution he could make with his expertise and commitment of company resources. When she’d finished, he turned to his wife.

  “Okay, Meggie, tell the truth,” he said, regarding her solemnly. “How do you feel about this?”

  “It’s a worthwhile cause,” she told him with surprisingly little hesitation. It seemed she’d had time to warm to the idea. “And it would be wrong for you to turn your back on it,” she added, startling all of them.

  Mick looked the most surprised. He seemed reluctant, though, to take her words at face value. “You really mean that? When we remarried, we agreed that my travel would be limited. It’s been working out okay.”

  Megan smiled. “You’ve been tolerating it,” she corrected. “And I appreciate tha
t, but Caitlyn and I have talked about this. I’m thinking I could go along, at least some of the time.”

  Mick finally allowed his own delight to show. “You’d be willing to do that?” he asked eagerly.

  “Somebody will need to keep you from overdoing it,” Megan said. “And maybe I could make an important contribution myself. This is something that would mean a lot to both you and our granddaughter. How could I not want to be a part of it? You’re the one who advised me to hire someone who could run the gallery so we could travel. I might as well start trusting her to do that.”

  “And after you oversaw the construction of one or two facilities, I thought maybe you could send Matthew, Jaime or one of the others from your company to oversee the rest,” Caitlyn suggested.

  Mick chuckled. “So, now you’re running my company for me, too?”

  “Not running it,” she said at once. “Just pointing out that a win-win is possible all around. Dedicating some of your company’s resources might pave the way for other companies to follow suit. You’d be setting an example. Eventually, if things go well, the whole project would need someone to oversee and expand it. That could be done from right here.”

  Mick turned to Noah. “Now it’s not just my company, but the entire world. Watch out for this one. She knows how to get her way.”

  “So I’m discovering,” Noah said.

  “I wonder where she learned that,” Megan commented wryly.

  “Nothing wrong with going after things you believe in,” Mick responded with a pointed look in Noah’s direction. “Okay, enough about this. I’ll give it some more thought, Caitlyn, but I think you could safely tell Dr. Davis that I’m interested in talking some more to her. I’ll want her to fill me in on the sort of facilities she’s envisioning, what sort of work force I might find there, whether building supplies are available, that sort of thing.”