Her light jacket seemed heavier, the temperature in the store higher. "No thanks are necessary."
"You did most of the work. Gillian's mother couldn't stop raving about your pumpkin pies."
"She was being polite."
"Yeah, so were me and Nathan when we almost ate a whole one ourselves."
Heat crawled up her cheeks. Thanksgiving Day had gone well. There had been laughter and hugs and wishes on the wishbone. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Gillian's mom and Aunt El got along great. They're going to have lunch together next week. Did you notice how good Christopher was with Matthew?"
Jake's eyes narrowed and he leaned away.
"I just mean I think he misses being with other children. I'd like to look around for a preschool a few hours a week if you don't mind."
Jake picked up the car at her feet and returned it to the display. "In Wasco, I guess you put him in the same day care center where you worked."
"It was an ideal situation. I could be around him and work at the same time."
His brows hiked up. "Ideal?"
"You know what I mean, Jake. At least when I went to work, I didn't have to leave him with a stranger. I took him with me, and I knew the women who were taking care of him."
"And you think he misses being with other kids?" In a lower voice, almost to himself, he added, "Sometimes kids aren't good for each other."
She knew he was thinking of the gangs of kids who got into trouble. "Christopher is three. He needs other children to learn how to share, to learn how to make friends, to learn how to win and lose at games."
Jake's stance became more relaxed. "You do always think about what's best for him, don't you?"
"I hope so."
Jake added one of the remote control cars to the basket. "All right. Tell me the truth. Did I go overboard here?"
Sara put her finger thoughtfully to her chin and carefully sorted through the merchandise in their cart. "I think you've made good choices. If we can get out of the store without adding anything else, you did just fine." The golden lights in Jake's eyes warmed Sara and encouraged her. Thanksgiving and tonight had brought them closer together.
As Jake pushed the cart into the aisle, he said, "I forgot to tell you. I found Harv's high school sweetheart."
"You did? Where?"
"The real estate records led us to her. She'd bought a cottage at Nags Head after her husband died. No landline. She has one of those untraceable buy-as-you-go phones. Not much contact with anyone. But Harv flew out before Thanksgiving. He called this morning to tell me he was bringing her back with him."
"What do you think will happen?"
"That's anybody's guess. They both might have changed a lot in all these years."
"Or maybe not so much."
Jake's sideways glance told her he was thinking about the two of them, not Harv and his sweetheart. She and Jake hadn't changed, not in the ways that mattered. Now all she had to do was convince him.
#
Sunday morning after breakfast, Sara carefully lifted an ornament from the carton and examined it. The tiny wooden rocking horse barely covered her palm.
Jake turned from the tree where he'd attached strings of lights. "That should do it."
"Can we put stuff on?" Christopher asked.
"Sure can." Jake peeked over Sara's shoulder. "That looks like an old one."
Jake's aftershave teased her, his long, tall body in back of her sent awareness of him through every fiber of her being.
"Most of them are. Christopher and I had started our own collection, but these are Mom's." She handed the rocking horse to her son. "Hang it wherever you'd like."
"Whatever you're baking smells good," Jake commented, his breath fanning her ear.
"Cranberry bread," she managed.
He reached around her and took an ornament from the box. When he hung it on the tree, she watched the play of muscles under his T-shirt. Trying to concentrate on decorating for Christmas rather than Jake's attributes, she reached for the felt-wrapped item. "Look what I found, Christopher." She unfolded the green fabric. "It's our Christmas angel."
"Lemme see."
Sara held up the gold metallic angel with the slim chimes dangling from her gown.
"Where are we gonna put her?"
"I think the back porch might be best."
"So she can see Santa coming," Christopher added.
"Santa?" Jake asked with a grin.
"Um hm. We hang her outside and whenever Santa is in the area, she chimes."
Jake's grin broadened. "I see. I'll find a hammer and nail and we'll see if we can find the right spot."
Sara and Christopher waited for Jake on the back porch while he found what he needed in the shed.
On the porch, he tapped a nail into the edge of the eave and held out his hand for the angel. Sara gave her to him, and Jake slipped the ring onto the nail.
"All set. Just waiting for some Christmas magic." He leaned close to Sara and whispered in her ear. "Or the wind."
She swatted his shoulder playfully.
Jake tweaked the tip of her nose. "You let me know when you hear Santa. I'd like to get a glimpse of him."
"Me, too," Christopher agreed.
Sara planted her hands on her hips. "You don't have to see him to know he's around. When you hear the Christmas angel, you only have to believe."
The timer went off in the kitchen. "Now that's a sound I do believe in," Jake remarked. "Something good is coming out of the oven. C'mon, sport. Let's get back to decorating that tree while your mom gets the bread."
Jake took his son's hand and led him inside.
Sara wanted Jake to believe in the Christmas angel because everyone deserved a touch of magic in his life--especially Jake. She remembered the smile on his face as he tweaked her nose. They were growing closer. Someday soon he'd trust her again and then their marriage could really begin.
#
On the nineteenth of December, the trays of sandwich delicacies, cheeses, and vegetables filled the bottom shelves of Jake's refrigerator. He put two liters of soda on the top shelf. He and Christopher had just made a trip to the grocery store to pick up everything.
"Balloons now?"
Once Jake had told his son they were going to decorate with balloons for his mom's birthday, Christopher had thought of nothing else. "Okay, buddy. I'll blow them up. You can help put them where they look good."
The doorbell rang. Jake frowned. He'd cancelled his appointments for the afternoon. Fortunately, Gillian had convinced Sara to go shopping. Eloise wasn't due with the cake until five.
Pushing the pack of balloons in front of his son, Jake said, "Pick out the colors you like and we'll start with them."
Christopher grinned and reached for a red one.
As Jake walked through the living room, the scent of pine, the nativity set on the corner table, the pillar candles, boughs and shiny balls on the mantel, made him smile. Sara sure had a knack for decorating. She had a knack for a lot of things--making his house feel like a home among them.
When Jake opened the door, a delivery boy stood there with a floral arrangement. "Delivery, sir, for Sara Donovan."
A card stood on a holder higher than the flowers. Jake gave the boy a tip and took the arrangement. He didn't hesitate to look at the card.
"Happy birthday, kiddo. Enjoy. Love, Mark."
Mark. The friend from Wasco. The friend Sara had dated. Why the hell had he signed the card "Love?"
Close friends do that, the logical voice in Jake's mind told him.
The not-so-logical voice worried, How close? Doesn't he know she's married? Did Sara tell him?
Maybe she didn't. Maybe the guy still carried a torch. He obviously remembered details of her life like her birthday.
Sara hadn't mentioned her birthday. Not once. Well, if Eloise hadn't reminded Jake, these flowers sure would have, and he'd have felt like a fool. Even now... He read the card again and looked at the arrangement.
Carnatio
ns and evergreens. How ordinary. Sara deserved roses and gardenias and orchids and... Jake set the flowers in his office and called, "Christopher. Come here. We have to go out again."
The little boy came running. "Why?"
Jake stooped down and smiled at his son. "Because we're going to find your mom a whole bunch of flowers. And balloons that fly. What do you think?"
Christopher grinned and took Jake's hand. "Now."
"Yes, now. We might have to go to more than one flower shop." He scooped his son up in his arms. "We're going to give your mom a birthday she won't forget."
#
Sara stood on the porch with Gillian before she opened the door. "I really enjoyed this. I haven't been shopping with a friend for a long time." She lifted the large shopping bag filled with packages. "I'm just afraid I splurged."
"You bought a dress for Christmas that Jake's bound to like and a few accessories. That is not splurging. Besides, that white dress was designed with you in mind. Your coloring is perfect for white. I'd fade in with the dress."
The white silk with the delicate gold braid around the collar and cuffs was special. Other than her wedding dress, it was the prettiest garment she'd ever purchased. Maybe she'd given in to the impulse because today was her birthday and only her Aunt El knew about it. She hadn't told Jake because she didn't want him to feel obligated to buy a gift.
"Would you like to have supper with us? Or is Nathan expecting you?"
"Nathan's always expecting me." Gillian's eyes twinkled. "But I'll see him soon enough. Come on. You can model the dress for Jake."
"Oh, no. I think I'd rather surprise him on Christmas." Sara opened the door and stepped inside.
Several voices called, "Surprise!"
Christopher came running to her. "Su-pise, Mommy. Happy Birfday!"
Sara dropped her bag and hugged her son. The scent of flowers was strong in the living room. As she looked around at Nathan, Aunt El, and Gillian's Mom, she realized every available surface held a bouquet or basket of flowers. When she saw the vase of yellow roses, tears welled up in her eyes. Besides the roses there were day lilies, poinsettias, mums, even some exotic-looking flowers she'd never seen. Helium balloons flew in bunches toward the ceiling in the corners of the room. She stooped over to hug Christopher again and tried to compose herself.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she straightened. Jake's brown gaze held hers. "Happy Birthday, Sara."
The tears rolled down her cheeks and she couldn't manage a word.
Gently, Jake brushed the tears away from her cheeks. "C'mon now. You've got to say something or Christopher will think we didn't do a good enough job."
"Did you do this?"
"I had some help. Wait until you see the cake Eloise baked."
"The flowers are lovely, especially the yellow roses."
He took her hand. "I'm glad you like them."
Sara gazed down at their entwined fingers and loved the feeling of her hand in his. He tugged. "You have presents to open. Come see what everyone has brought you."
Sara had dreaded today. Without her mother, she would have skipped another birthday. Then Gillian had asked her to go shopping. Now this... The tears resurfaced.
Jake lowered himself beside her on the sofa as everyone found a seat, commenting on Sara's surprise. The couch was plenty long, but his hip lodged next to hers, his jeans brushed the fabric of her slacks. Her breaths came faster as Jake picked up a package from the coffee table and laid it on her lap. "This is from Christopher."
Sara removed the blue, stick-on bow from the shoebox. Jake had probably found the box for Christopher and from the way the bow was positioned, her son had attached it. She lifted the lid.
One of her son's prize stones sat in one corner. It was shiny and black, about as large as a golf ball. Taking it out of the box, she set it in her palm. "Thank you, honey. I'll put it on Nana's vanity so I can look at it often."
Christopher pointed to the folded piece of paper in the bottom of the box. "Open that."
Sara lifted the paper and opened it. The picture was a fingerpainting, mostly blue and green with a blob of yellow. "How pretty!"
Christopher explained, "It's the sky, an' grass, an' the sun."
Sara gave her son a huge hug. "I like it very much. We can hang it on the refrigerator."
As Gillian took Matthew from Nathan, she said, "Open the pink one next."
Sara tore the paper from the large gift box. Inside, she found a tooled leather pocketbook. "Oh, my, Gillian. It's beautiful!"
"Actually, I narrowed the choice down to two, and Nathan made the final decision."
Sara turned toward Jake's friend. "You have excellent taste."
He grinned and his cheeks flushed. "Gillian taught me everything I know. At least about shopping," he added with a wink for his wife.
Gillian's mom handed Sara a basket filled with different types of teas. "Gillian told me you enjoy unusual flavors."
Sara was touched by the woman's thoughtfulness. "I'll try one at breakfast. Thank you."
Next, Sara unwrapped a box from her aunt. It was a powder blue jogging suit, the type of outfit she liked to wear to lounge in for the evening. Sara went to her aunt, hugged her and kissed her. "You're so good to me," she murmured.
Eloise whispered in her ear, "I promised your mom I'd watch over you. You're the daughter I never had."
Settled once again on the sofa, Sara brushed the wetness from her cheek.
Jake leaned forward and carefully lifted a large, flat box, placing it on Sara's lap. "This is from me."
As she pulled the bow from the box, her fingers trembled. Jake helped her push the paper from the box. Lifting the lid, she stared at ten different poses of Christopher in various shapes and sizes. It was a montage of their son swinging in the back yard, getting a drink from a water fountain, running in a nearby park, licking an ice cream cone. One picture after another of a happy little boy.
Sara could only think of one thing to show her appreciation. She threw her arms around Jake's neck and gave him a sweetly tender kiss. She didn't expect his arms to go around her, but they did. She didn't expect his hold to tighten, but it did. She didn't expect his lips to part, or the depth of the kiss, or the heat curling in her womb as he kissed her long and hard in front of the guests gathered to celebrate her birthday. When he finally broke away, he looked a little dazed himself.
She suddenly felt awkward with everyone looking on, smiling broadly. "Thank you," she murmured. "I love it."
"Daddy took lots of pictures," Christopher supplied.
Jake cleared his throat. "I have files of shots I didn't use in the frame. I can make put them on CD's."
With her heart still thudding in her ears, she wasn't sure what to say or do next.
Eloise stepped into the silence. "Time to eat. Everything is ready in the kitchen. And don't be shy. Jake bought enough for three birthday parties."
Nathan stood first. "I'll try to make a dent."
The others laughed and followed him to the kitchen, Christopher holding little Matthew's hand and guiding him in the right direction.
Jake stood and offered Sara his hand. She took it and smiled. Jake smiled back. Her heart took an excited leap and she felt truly happy.
#
Two hours later, Nathan and his family left. Eloise cleared one of the trays, packing leftovers into a plastic container. Sara snitched a pickle from one of the trays. "Jake thought of everything, didn't he?" she asked her aunt, still amazed he'd gone to so much trouble.
"I offered to help him plan, but once I reminded him of your birthday, all he wanted me to do was bake the cake."
He hadn't remembered on his own. That wasn't so surprising. Yet once her aunt had reminded him, had he felt obligated to throw her a party? Jake took his obligations seriously.
Christopher ran into the kitchen and stopped at the table, chocolate cake crumbs decorating his upper lip. Jake came in after him. "I told Christopher he could have one more pretzel,
then it's time for bed."
Jake's gaze found Sara's. He crooked his finger at her and his expression was serious. "I want to show you something."
Sara followed him to his office where he switched on the light and motioned to the flower arrangement on the desk."
"Jake, you already bought me a roomful of flowers."
"These aren't from me."
His deep voice sent shivers down her spine. She flipped open the card and read it. Jake was watching her closely.
"Does he buy you flowers often?"
There was no point evading Jake. She had nothing to hide. "Usually on my birthday. Sometimes on Valentine's Day."
"You're married now."
"I know. Mark knows. I emailed him, telling him about our marriage, thanking him for sending the boxes I couldn't fit into the car. Jake, I told you before that Mark and I are friends. Just as you and Gillian are friends." She laid the card on the desk.
His smile was wry. "Somehow, it doesn't seem the same." Stepping closer to her, he asked, "Will you email him again?"
Her pulse raced, the room got hot, and every nerve in her body came alive with Jake so close. "That would be the polite thing to do." Trying for a light tone, she teased, "I could email you, too."
He tipped up her chin. "I'd rather have the kind of thank you you gave me after you opened your presents."
The pad of his thumb traced her upper lip so gently, so sensuously, she trembled. He murmured, "Happy Birthday, Sara," a moment before his lips sought hers.
It was a possession, a branding, a desire to change this marriage of convenience into something more. She surrendered to the possession, gave to it, encouraging it, encouraging Jake to take more, want more, trust more. She responded to each stroke of his tongue, as her body melted into his.
"Sara, do you want me to freeze some of the cake? I can...Oh. Sorry."
Jake broke away, and Sara opened her eyes in time to see her aunt scurrying out of the room. But this time, when she gazed into Jake's eyes, he didn't move away. In fact, his hand still rested on the small of her back.
"We have to put Christopher to bed." His voice was husky with the desire they'd shared.
"Jake, thank you for the flowers, the present, the party."
Jake's Bride (Search For Love) Page 12