“Look, Mama. There’s the mall Santa. I remember him from last year.” Bree points to a large gazebo decorated with pine boughs and holly. “I hope he remembers me.”
“Of course, he will,” I reassure her. After all, Ella and Sawyer had hunted him down and brought him to my mother’s apartment for Christmas to present Bree with her gift.
“The Santa at the tree farm didn’t know me.” Bree’s eyebrows lower. “I wonder if we get a different present from each Santa.”
What can I say? She’s almost at the age when she figures the gig out. All it takes is one schoolmate to burst her bubble.
I park the stroller at the end of the line and take Arman out, so he can look at the train. He laughs and points to a man dressed as a candy cane who makes faces at him and waves.
“There’s Matt.” Bree waves, bouncing on her feet. “He’s later than us. Does that mean I’m an eager girl?”
“No, don’t mention it.” I wave them over. “We held a place in line for you.”
“Traffic was horrendous,” Sheryl says. “But thanks.”
We watch as Matt and Bree greet each other.
“I know the Santa of the mall,” Bree brags to him. “He came to my house special last year.”
“Oh yeah? My grandpa is a Santa, too,” Matt brags back. “And he gives us motorcycle rides every Christmas.”
“Will your grandpa be at the wedding?” Bree slips her hand into his. “Can I also get a ride with him?”
“Only if you’re my girlfriend.” He leans over and kisses Bree on the cheek.
“Okay, I’ll be your girlfriend,” Bree says.
“Matt,” Sheryl interrupts. “What did I say about touching and kissing?”
“But Mom, she wants me to kiss her because she’s my girlfriend,” Matt argues back.
“Bree, you’re too young to be anyone’s girlfriend.” I shoot daggers at my daughter. “Let go of his hand.”
Thankfully, she obeys me, and Matt obeys his mother. He rubs the back of his neck and points at the candy cane man. “Mom, can I buy some candy?”
“Sure,” Sheryl says, not suspecting an ounce why he’s asking to buy candy. She hands him money, and he skips out of line.
I try to catch Bree’s eye, but she turns her back on me. She’s testing me to see if I’ll let her receive a candy cane from Matt.
I’m made of tougher stuff than she thinks, and I’ve already told her in the car she was not to accept gifts from boys.
“How old is your baby?” Sheryl asks. “I bet this is his first Christmas.”
“It actually isn’t,” I reply. “He was born two days before Christmas last year, although he spent it in the hospital because he was premature.”
“Oh, I bet he’s excited to see Santa.” She tickles Arman’s cheek. “Aren’t you?”
Arman gurgles and smiles. He’s a sociable baby and not the least bit afraid of strangers. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Matt approach with two giant candy canes. He’s looking at my daughter like he’s back from a successful hunting or fishing trip, and Bree has her hands clasped in front of her chest, ready to receive the gift.
“Mom, can I give Bree a candy cane?” Matt surprises me by asking his mother for permission.
Sheryl turns to me. “Is it okay with you? I taught my son to ask permission first.”
Both children’s eyes are on me, blinking and appealing—so sweet. What can I do? Be the heavy?
“Only if I pay for Matt’s train ticket,” I answer, to alleviate Bree owing Matt anything.
“Deal,” Sheryl says. “I’m so happy our children can be friends.”
We watch as Matt lets Bree choose between the red and white striped cane and the green and red striped one. She picks the red and white one.
“Thank you, Matt,” she says in a sweet voice. “Will you sit next to me on the train?”
“Only if you tell me what you want for Christmas,” Matt teases.
“I can’t tell you.” Bree’s cheeks turn red. “It’s private.”
“Okay, but you can still sit next to me.”
The two of them banter and flirt while the line winds around the gazebo.
I might as well make good use of my time and find out more about Matt and Sheryl. “Have you lived in San Francisco your entire life?”
“Yes, grew up right on the peninsula in Redwood City,” Sheryl says. “How about you?”
“Born and raised in Massachusetts, then lived in New York before coming here a little more than two years ago. My sister went to Berkeley so I spent some time here before Bree was born.”
I neglect to mention that it was to visit a fertility clinic, and that I needed her to go with me for moral support. There’s nothing quite as lonely as deciding to have a child by donor sperm, thinking that no real man would ever want to make a life with me.
“You must have liked Christmas in New York,” Sheryl says. It’s so nice she and I have decided to be friendly with each other. Maybe we don’t have to be at each other’s throats any longer, especially since Matt and Bree are now friends.
“Yes, it was seasonably cold.” I’m not going to mention my last Christmas in New York was spent in a prison.
“I’d love to go to New York for Christmas some day …” she says, wistfully, as if it’s something out of her means, although she’s a lawyer and Ford’s a doctor.
Maybe they’re too busy to travel, or someone’s afraid of flying.
“You should take the entire family. There’s Rockefeller Center and the giant tree, Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes, ice skating, and if you go upstate, you might get a white Christmas.”
“Someday we will.” She blinks and dabs at the corner of her eye.
I wonder if I triggered a sad memory. It seems she’s very close to her father, but there’s no mention of her mother.
Again, I feel guilty for pulling her family apart by having Matt be in my wedding.
“Are you sure it’s okay for Matt to be the ring bearer?”
“Absolutely.” She forces a smile. “If you don’t mind, can my father come to the wedding? It’s Matt’s first time being in one.”
“Of course. Text me his name and address and I’ll get an invitation sent to him.”
The rest of the evening is pleasant as the children sit together on the train and play in the winter wonderland play area. Sheryl and I take pictures of them and talk about school, extracurricular activities and the neighborhood.
It is almost normal, except Sheryl has a bad habit of checking her phone all the time. She’s an attorney, so I understand, to some extent.
But something about the way she hides the phone from me and creases her brow makes me wonder why she’s spending time with me when she’s obviously so busy.
17
~ Tyler ~
Tyler finished walking Brownie and refilled his dogfood dish. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a leftover casserole. Kelly had texted him that she’d taken Bree and Arman to the mall to see Santa.
He would have liked to go, too, but it seemed Kelly was so used to taking the kids places by herself, it didn’t cross her mind to ask him.
Once they were married, he’d make sure to insert himself more often into his family. He didn’t want to be the kind of absentee father who missed out on all of his children’s milestones. At least he’d taken them to the tree farm.
Tyler heated up a portion of lasagna and cleared a space for himself on the dining table. Kelly had left piles of goodie bags, as well as place cards for the rehearsal dinner.
He flipped through them while eating.
Kirk Kennedy, her half-brother and a professional baseball player.
Jeanine Jewell, his fiancée.
Matthew Kennedy, Kelly’s other half-brother was also attending.
Peggy Kennedy, Kelly’s mother, would be seated at the head table with Kelly, Tyler, and Ella, but the cards for Mr. Philip Kennedy, Kelly’s father, and Mrs. Victoria Kennedy, the wicked stepmother, di
d not have a table number marked.
Tyler crosschecked a list of guests who had confirmed and noted these two people had question marks next to their names. A slow anger burned through him as he finished the lasagna.
Whether they were good to Kelly or not, she’d wanted them at her wedding, despite the fact her father had been married to two women at the same time. It wasn’t right for them to keep her hanging.
He put his plate away and opened Kelly’s laptop, looking for her contacts list. A minute later, he was on the phone with Kelly’s father.
“What can I do for you?” her father asked after Tyler introduced himself.
“I need to know whether you’re coming to our wedding or not. Kelly is finishing up the preparations, and it would be nice if we were sure of your participation.”
“It’s difficult for me to get away around Christmastime. You know how it is, family and all that,” the sleazebag said.
“As I understand, your son and his fiancée are coming to our wedding. Your son Matthew is also coming. And need I remind you, Kelly and Ella, your two daughters are here as well as Bree and Arman, your only grandchildren. We’d really like you to be here.”
“My wife is planning to vacation at our home in the Bahamas,” Mr. Kennedy explained.
“But surely, you’d like to walk your daughter down the aisle for her wedding. I know I would when it comes to my turn.” Tyler glanced at the picture of Bree sitting on the desk in front of him.
“I wasn’t sure she wanted me to walk her down the aisle,” Kelly’s father said.
“She wouldn’t have invited you otherwise. Do this for Kelly. Your wife is invited, too. Her name’s on a place card. I’m sure you can put your differences aside for one day, at least.”
“I’ll have to check with my wife and get back to you,” Kelly’s father said.
Tyler clenched his jaw and his stomach rumbled. “You’re lucky you have a family. My parents are deceased, and I’m an only child. All I have is one cousin and his son. I would love for Kelly’s family to be complete at her wedding. It’s very important for her.”
The line was silent for a long moment, and Tyler waited for the end-call beep. Kelly’s stepmother was a witch, even to her own sons. It was obvious she wanted to ruin Kelly’s big day by keeping her father away.
Finally, Kelly’s father cleared his throat. “I’ll come to the wedding and the rehearsal. See you Christmas Eve.”
“Thanks, Mr. Kennedy. You don’t know how much it means to your daughter.” Tyler put a check mark next to Philip Kennedy’s name. “Will your wife be present?”
“It’s better if she isn’t,” Kelly’s father said. “She runs with a certain social circle and nothing against you or Kelly, but she has her own crowd. I’m going to be in the doghouse for skipping out on her planned events.”
Tyler crossed out the evil stepmother’s name on the guest list. “I understand.”
Although truthfully, what was so interesting about Victoria Kennedy other than her family’s old money? Too bad Kelly’s father was little more than an indentured servant to that snotty woman.
“Thanks for calling and reminding me of my duty,” Philip said. “You must really love my daughter.”
“Of course I do,” Tyler said. “She has my entire heart. One hundred percent. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“I’ll be there and look forward to meeting my grandchildren. Bye and thanks for calling.”
“Bye.” Tyler hung up and rubbed his chin. Hopefully he’d done the right thing. Kelly deserved the perfect wedding with all the pieces in place.
All he needed now was the best man, and the wedding party would be complete.
As for the honeymoon, it was going to be a big surprise. Kelly and the kids would enjoy what he’d planned. Smiling to himself, Tyler finalized all the arrangements and ordered the winter clothing they’d need.
The doorbell rang, and Brownie let out a low bark. He was good that way, a guard dog instinctively. His tail wagging signified the person was known to him and deemed friendly.
Tyler opened the door, and his heart clenched at the sight of Zulu. She had a bruise across her cheek and a black eye.
“What happened to you?” He stepped back to let her in.
“I hope I’m not bothering you.” Her eyes darted around. “But you said I could come by for dinner.”
He closed the door behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Who did this to you?”
“Nobody important.” She sidestepped him. “Is your girlfriend around?”
“She’s out with the kids, but I’m sure she’ll be happy you’ve come. Here, have some leftover lasagna.” Tyler led his friend to the kitchen, followed by Brownie.
He served Zulu a large portion from the casserole and fixed her a salad.
“Is it true Sawyer’s going back to Afghanistan?” Zulu asked. “I’d like to help him with the search.”
“He’s gone already. Caught the transport last night.” Tyler poured Zulu a large glass of milk. “You need to get healthier before going back there.”
“You think I can’t handle it?” Zulu’s eyes narrowed, the black one looking even more swollen.
“Of course you can,” Tyler said. He grabbed a bag of frozen peas from the freezer and handed it to her. “But first, I want you to get off the streets and go into counseling.”
“How do you expect me to do that? No money. No place to live. You’re sitting here in this nice house. You have no clue what I’m going through.”
Tyler straddled a chair backwards and leaned over his elbows, staring into her eyes. “I was in your shoes two years ago. So was Sawyer. We were both homeless.”
“You aren’t a woman. It’s easier for you.” She winced as she put the bag of frozen peas over her swollen eye.
A pain knifed through Tyler’s gut at the fact that predators would hurt vulnerable women like Zulu. “What happened to you? Who did this?”
“A drug dealer. He cheated me, then robbed me. Even took the coat off my back.” Zulu buried her face in her hands.
Every muscle in Tyler’s body tightened and his heart ground in his belly at his failure to protect Zulu. “You point him out to me, and I’ll take care of it.”
“No. I can’t get you involved. I’m going back to Afghanistan.”
“Not until you get well,” Tyler said. “Tell me. What are the drugs for? Are you having flashbacks? Bad dreams?”
“All the time.” Her shoulders shook as a sob escaped her. “It keeps coming back. If I knew for sure I wasn’t going to hell, I’d end it all, but with my luck, I’d be stuck in an endless loop of rapes and beatings. Over and over and over again. That would be my hell.”
Tyler got off his chair and pulled her up, embracing and rocking her. “No. No. You can get better. Believe me. I used to be there, replaying the war, over and over.”
“It’ll never be over.” With an anguished wail, she rubbed her face on his shoulder and wept hysterically.
Tyler held her tight, giving her the security of his strength. He closed his eyes and prayed for her, for him, for Sawyer, and for her sister. Every day, about twenty odd veterans committed suicide.
He begged God not to let Zulu become a statistic. She needed intervention immediately, and her welfare was the most important thing right now, even more so than the wedding.
“It will be over,” he reassured her. “I will personally be with you until the sun rises over your soul, and you can look in the mirror and know the type of peace I have. I promise.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes and blinked at him. “It’s easier if you shoot me.”
“Yes, but we Army grunts never take the easy way out. We fight and we live to fight again.” He wiped the back of his knuckles over her tear-streaked cheek. “I have a proposal for you. I’ll pay you fifty dollars a night to stay at Sawyer’s place. In return, you’ll get therapy and counseling.”
“Why are you so good to me?” She studied his fa
ce.
“I care about you, very much, and I never leave a soldier behind.” He kissed the top of her forehead. “Deal?”
“Deal.” A thin smile slinked across her face.
“Great. Let me take you to Sawyer’s place. Tomorrow morning, you’re coming with me to the VA to apply for benefits and get a physical checkup.” Tyler dug for his wallet and counted out fifty dollars.
“Thanks, Captain.” Zulu reached up and kissed him on the lips.
Whoa. Wait. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Tyler drew back and turned his face.
“Dada,” Arman said, squirming in Kelly’s arms, while Kelly and Bree stood at the kitchen door, eyes wide and mouth gaped open.
18
~ Kelly ~
“What’s going on here?” I hold onto Bree’s hand as I watch Tyler back away from Zulu. I’m pretty sure I saw them kissing. “Bree, do you want to go play with Brownie?”
I turn her away from the kitchen, but she doesn’t move. Instead, Brownie pads around us and goes to Tyler’s side.
“It’s not what it looks like,” Tyler says. He takes Arman from me and bounces him in his arms. “Zulu agreed to go to counseling and therapy, and I’m taking her to Sawyer’s place. She kind of got carried away.”
My gaze shifts to Zulu, who’s covering her mouth and looking at the floor. Her eye is swollen, and she has bruises on her face. Something must have happened to her, and she came to Tyler for help.
I don’t want to make a big deal out of this, but I’m about to marry Tyler. If he still has feelings for another woman, I need to know about it.
But at the same time, I need to keep my composure in front of Zulu. I turn to address her.
“Zulu, I’m glad you’re going to get help. I want to be your friend, but I’m not sure what I walked in on.”
“It’s nothing. I should be going.” She shuffles past the dog and tries to get around me to leave.
“Wait,” Tyler says, striding after her. “I’ll drop you off at Sawyer’s place. Kelly, can she borrow a coat or jacket? She got robbed and beat up.”
A Wedding for Christmas (Sweet Holiday Romance) (A Veteran's Christmas Book 3) Page 10