Flying Home

by T. R. McClure

  Becky climbed up onto Colleen’s lap and thrust her face close to Matt’s. “Who are all these presents for?”

  Matt chuckled. “Would you help me hand them out, little lady?”

  Her face lit with a smile, Becky clapped her chubby hands together and looked up at her aunt. “Can I, Aunt Colleen?”

  “Of course, Becky.” Colleen’s gaze met Matt’s.

  Matt handed packages to the little girl who skipped around the kitchen, delighted to be part of the excitement.

  After opening his gift, Mick blinked. “Marzipan! I love this stuff.” He popped a piece in his mouth. “I haven’t had this in years.”

  “I got it from one of our customers in Germany.” Matt nodded at the round package in Maggie’s hands. “That’s from closer to home.”

  Maggie slid her finger under the tape, exposing a green can. “Fresh almonds. I eat these every day. Matt, how thoughtful.”

  With a smile, Matt handed a stuffed horse to Becky. “I figured all little girls like horses,” he said with a wink at Colleen. Becky carried a black stuffed dog, which looked remarkably like Tiny, to Ryan, and boxes of chocolate-covered almonds to Bobbi and Colleen—milk chocolate for Bobbi and dark for Colleen. To Wendy and Rob, he gave each a bottle of wine. “The wine is from a neighboring ranch, the Marino Vineyard.”

  Wendy eyed the label and glanced toward the kitchen clock. “Is it too early to open this?”

  “It’s five o’clock somewhere,” Mick sang out.

  “Dad!” “Mick!” Colleen, Wendy, and Bobbi exclaimed simultaneously.

  Colleen tugged at his sleeve until she had Matt’s attention. “Thank you, this was…nice.” Heat rose to her cheeks. “I don’t have anything for you.”

  Matt looked around the room at the family, still engrossed in their gifts. His gaze started at the hem of Colleen’s robe and traveled to the top of her towel-wrapped head. He lowered his voice. “You’re the only present I want, Colleen.”

  Suddenly dizzy, Colleen gripped the edge of the counter. Breathe, woman, breathe! She tore her gaze from Matt’s dark eyes and took a deep breath.

  Bobbi’s soft voice interrupted her thoughts. “Matt, thank you. How thoughtful.”

  “The gifts are from Dad and Mom, too.” He patted Becky’s head. One chubby arm was wrapped around his leg while the other clutched the stuffed horse. “I’ve got to go. Mom’s waiting for shortening so she can make one more batch of cookies. Jane’s kids have almost cleaned us out.”

  He waved and disappeared down the hall as the family shouted their thanks.

  “Look, he forgot his car keys.” Wendy tossed the rattling keys to Colleen. “Maybe you can catch him before he goes out the door.”

  Still short of breath, Colleen grabbed the keys out of the air and ran down the hall, to find Matt’s hand poised on the doorknob. She wiggled the keys in the air. “Forget something, Professor?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did.” Matt plucked the keys from her fingers and then wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tight against his body. “I forgot to give you your other present.” He leaned down, his lips inches from hers.

  “No,” Colleen whispered as alarm bells went off. Her gaze flicked down to his lips then up to the green mistletoe tied with a red bow hanging in the doorway. The alarm bells faded.

  “Yes,” she breathed, “for old time’s sake.” She threw her arms around Matt’s neck and melted into his embrace. His lips met hers in a soft, probing kiss. Strong arms held her tightly against his body. Colleen’s heart raced at the sensations coursing through her body. When they finally broke apart, Colleen took a deep breath and forced herself to meet Matt’s gaze. “I owe you an apology. I should have—”

  Matt pressed his fingers against her lips. “Stop. You don’t owe me anything.” A slow smile spread across his face as he removed his hand, glanced up at the mistletoe, and leaned toward her. “Except another Christmas kiss.” He leaned back for a second and scrutinized her. “Has anybody said you look just like a Christmas present today?”

  Colleen giggled and watched, fascinated, as he leaned toward her, a glint in his dark brown eyes.

  One heart-stopping, heat-producing minute later, he reached for the door and with a sexy wink, Matt was gone.

  Leaning breathlessly against the door, Colleen’s toes curled inside her fluffy slippers. She pressed her fingers to lips still warm from Matt’s kisses.

  In her life, she had accomplished a lot of difficult tasks; Warrior Week in basic training, qualifying with an M-16, traveling in foreign, not-always-friendly countries.

  Resisting the attraction for Professor Matthew Berk was proving to be one of the most difficult things she had ever done.

  Chapter Eight

  Christmas morning a large pile of packages appeared as if by magic in the Roberts’ living room. Colleen couldn’t believe how quickly the morning disappeared in a blizzard of wrapping paper and ribbons. The afternoon vanished just as quickly, consumed by the production and destruction of the holiday meal. By evening, the family sprawled in the living room, too exhausted for anything but It’s a Wonderful Life on TV.

  The next morning, the entire family went out to breakfast, then to a train exhibit at the children’s museum. Each day of the week between the holidays was taken up by visits to local attractions and dinners out, courtesy of Mick and Maggie. Colleen wiggled out of a blind date offer from Bobbi’s neighbor and politely refused an offer to go out with Wendy. On New Year’s Eve, she watched the ball drop with a sleeping Ryan and a wide-awake Becky. At Becky’s insistence, they toasted the New Year with milk in Bobbi’s extra wine glasses.

  A few days later, Colleen’s parents flew home. Rob returned to work and the household returned to normalcy, or what passed for normalcy with a newborn.

  Colleen pulled a load of baby clothes from the dryer and carried the basket into the living room, where Bobbi nursed Ryan and watched the soaps. Becky napped in her room. “Don’t you get tired of being in the house all the time?” She perched on the edge of the coach and folded a blue onesie.

  “Actually, I’m glad I don’t have to go out in this.” Bobbi peered out the window at the dreary day and propped the baby over her shoulder. A minute later, a loud burp sounded.

  “I don’t know how a man-sized burp can come out of that baby’s little body,” Colleen chuckled, holding up a tiny blue sock.

  “He gets that from his dad.” Bobbi’s eyes widened. “Or maybe our dad!” she added with a laugh. “You know, Rob mentioned showing you around the office. You should take him up on that. It would get you out of the house.”

  Colleen piled the folded clothes back into the wicker basket. “I just might…not that I don’t like hanging out with you and the little guy,” she hastened to add. She observed her sister fussing with the baby and wondered once again whether she would have the patience for a newborn. Twenty-five years of constant activity was a hard habit to break.

  Even more reason to break off things with the handsome Professor Berk. Now where did that thought come from. It had been at least, oh, an hour, since she had thought of Matthew Berk and his passionate kisses. Kisses on couches, in barns, under the mistletoe… She hadn’t seen him since the “mistletoe affair” and hadn’t heard from him since he called on New Year’s Day to wish them well. Yes, a tour of Rob’s law office might be just what she needed.

  Two problems arose—the first being Rob was in court for another week and a half, the second when Colleen discovered her wardrobe consisted of jeans, workout clothes, and the red dress.

  A few days later, Colleen stationed herself in Bobbi’s walk-in closet and surveyed her options. “Don’t you have any solid color suits?”

  Bobbi’s voice drifted in from the bedroom. “I don’t usually wear suits. What about my little black dress?”

  Colleen caught a glimpse of a black skirt sticking out in the back. She pulled it out of the closet and held it out in front of her body. “Looks like Ryan got to it.” A crusty mate
rial clung to one shoulder.

  “Oh darn. I forgot about that. And that was Becky, by the way.”

  Colleen nodded as she stuck the dress back on the crowded rod. “Of course,” she mouthed. She drifted into the bedroom, resigned to the fact she needed a quick shopping trip.

  Wendy bounced into the room, a gray suit pressed against her body with one hand. “Here you go. My company just came out with a line of office wear. They say gray is the new black this season.” She propped one hand on her hip and posed. The short skirt, a slit up one side, hung barely two inches below the jacket, cut in a deep V.

  “Your company is coming out with clothes for the office?” Colleen bit her tongue when Wendy’s smile turned into a frown. “That thing’s short on you, sis. On me it will look like…” She tossed her hands in the air. “And gray is the new black…what does that mean, anyway?” Colleen surveyed her sisters. “How about a quick shopping trip downtown?”

  “I know just the place.” Bobbi propped the baby on her shoulder and patted his back. “There’s a new place just for professional women. It’s a couple doors down from the coffee shop.”

  “Sounds perfect. Who’s coming with?” Colleen eyed first Bobbi, busy inspecting a stain on her shirt, then Wendy.

  “I’ll pass.” Bobbi pointed to her stretch pants and baggy T-shirt. “Quick isn’t in my vocabulary any more.”

  “That leaves you, sis.” Colleen grabbed Wendy by the arm and propelled her toward the door.

  An hour later, Colleen walked out of the dress shop with a black business suit. “Perfect. That didn’t take long at all.” She hung it on the hook in the backseat of the minivan and reached for the driver’s side door.

  Wendy waited on the sidewalk.

  “What?” Irritation stiffened her muscles.

  Wendy cast a glance at the entrance of the nearby coffee shop. “I’m in the mood for a cappuccino.”

  Evaluating how long they’d been in town, Colleen squinted at her watch. Bobbi and the baby napped in the afternoon. “Sure, why not.” She followed Wendy into the store and found a table near the window.

  “Oh, I forgot something.” Wendy grabbed her purse off the table and turned to leave. “I’ll be right back.”

  Colleen opened her mouth to ask what she had forgotten but Wendy was already out the door. She caught the eye of the barista at the bar. “Two cappuccinos.” She sank down on the little red chair.

  Five minutes later, she sipped the frothy hot drink from the white mug. Wendy’s drink will soon be too cold to drink, and wondered again where her sister had gone.

  “Is this seat taken?”

  At the sound of the familiar deep voice, Colleen’s hand jerked and she set down her cup with a clatter. “Matt! What are you doing here?”

  Matt sat across from her and leaned his arms on the table. “Just returning a Christmas gift for Mom.” He smiled.

  Colleen grinned back, unexplainably happy to see him.

  He tapped the saucer of the cup in front of him. “Is somebody sitting here?”

  “My sister was, but she’s disappeared.” Could she afford to sit with him? “If you like cappuccino, help yourself. It’ll be cold by the time she gets back.” Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a mature woman, certainly capable of having a friendly chat with a man.

  “Don’t mind if I do.” He picked up the cup and took a sip. “I usually just drink black coffee, but every once in a while, I like a cappuccino for something different.”

  Colleen nodded. “Me, too.” She wrapped her fingers around her cup. “So how are your parents?”

  “They’re great.”

  “How’s Tiny?”

  “He’s great…misses you…sends his regards.”

  Colleen’s heart fluttered at the lopsided grin he gave her. Friendly, keep it friendly. She coughed to return her heart to a normal beat. “And your holidays?” She pressed the other hand against her belly. Where had the butterflies come from? Not good, not good.

  “Christmas got a little wild. My sister Jane and her husband and two kids came down from Seattle. They tend to liven up the old homestead.” He grinned. “I spent New Year’s with Tiny watching the ball drop.” He shook his head and grimaced. “You know, Tiny’s not as much fun as he used to be…getting old, I guess.”

  Colleen couldn’t resist a smile at the picture of Matt and Tiny sprawled on the couch in the study, which reminded her of their kisses on the couch. She shivered and looked down at her cup, mustering her courage. “I never asked you how your date went with my sister.”

  “She didn’t tell you?”

  Dipping a spoon into the foamy cappuccino, Colleen struggled to keep her voice even. “No.”

  “Your sister is a bit of a live wire.” Matt hesitated, glancing from under his brows. “Did she tell you we went to the Irish pub on the other side of town?”

  Colleen’s head shot up as she stared at Matt in shock. “What? No! You took her to an Irish pub?”

  “Let’s just say she took me to an Irish pub.”

  Feeling the tiniest bit relieved, Colleen managed a chuckle. “I can believe that. How did you like it?”

  Matt studied his spoon. “Well, I was fine until the karaoke started.”

  Colleen burst out laughing. “Oh no, there was karaoke? My sister loves karaoke.”

  “I know,” Matt said as one blond eyebrow rose.

  “So…” Colleen traced a design on her paper napkin with her finger. “Are you two going out again?” She knew she couldn’t hide the longing in her eyes. When there was no answer, she willed herself to look blank and glanced at Matt. “Well?”

  “Your sister is a sweet girl, Colleen, but she reminds me a lot of the coeds on campus.” His head shook. “None of them really know what to do with their lives, they have no life experience, they’ve never been anywhere and they don’t know what it means to have responsibility.”

  “Wow. Tell me what you really think.”

  “Seriously.” Matt banged his spoon on the table. “We’ve raised a generation with helicopter parents who do everything for them.”

  She waited, sure he was leading up to asking her out again, but was strangely disappointed when Matt pushed away his cup and made to go. “Speaking of responsibility, I have to get some tractor parts back to Manuel.” He stood and pushed in his chair. “Nice bumping into you, Colleen.”

  Heat rushed to Colleen’s cheeks as she glanced up. “Me, too. I mean, I’m glad we bumped into each other, too. You take care. Say hi to your parents.”

  Matt backed away.

  “And Tiny!” She waved.

  Matt disappeared out the door.

  Through the window, she watched as he crossed the street and got into a black pickup. Again, she patted her belly to calm the butterflies. Convinced the infatuation had faded, she stared after the ranch truck in disbelief. If the fluttering butterflies and irregular heartbeat were any indication, she had a long way to go. She dropped the spoon into her empty cup with a clatter.

  “Hey, what happened to my cappuccino?” Wendy stood at the table, arms akimbo.

  Colleen leaned back in her chair and smiled at her youngest sister, who for some odd reason, didn’t seem too perturbed her cappuccino was gone. “You snooze, you lose.”

  ****

  Rob pushed the button for the fourth floor. His trial over, he invited Colleen to the office the following week. “Our office takes up the entire fourth floor.” With a quick tug, he tightened the knot of his blue and yellow striped tie. “We just had it remodeled last year.” He glanced over at her as they entered the elevator. “By the way, you look great, sis-in-law.”

  Colleen smoothed the front of the business suit and tucked in the beige silk shell. “Thank you, sir. I never had to worry about clothes before. I always wore my dress blues, which saves a lot of time in the morning, for sure.”

  They exited into the foyer of the law offices. Muted gray carpeting with accents of pale rose and green lent the area a sedate air.

&
nbsp; Rob nodded at the middle-aged receptionist as they walked by. “The vacancy is for the assistant to the finance attorney.” He led the way to a back office.

  “As long as it’s not in estates and wills.” Colleen shuddered at the thought of working for Mitchell Collins.

  “No worries there.” Rob laughed then unlocked the last door on the left at the end of the hall. The room was small, with just enough room for a desk and a straight-back chair.

  Rob pointed at the office directly across. “The finance attorney’s office is through there. Sorry about no windows but every other office is taken. Usually when somebody moves on there’s a lot of shuffling about. We could probably get you an office with windows the next time somebody leaves.”

  Colleen stood in the hall and surveyed the layout. “There’s a window here at the end. That’s close enough.” She wandered over to the window and looked out. The downtown business area stretched in front of them. “What’s the wooded area over there?”

  Glancing out the window, Rob pointed to the rounded top of a tower, just visible above the trees. “That’s the bell tower in the middle of campus.” He stepped inside the finance attorney’s office.

  Colleen stared at the young men sitting on the stone wall that lined the edge of the campus. Their heads swiveled back and forth as groups of coeds strolled by. She pictured Matt teaching classes, compiling research, surrounded by the young students. He fit right in. What did she expect? He was only thirty-two years old. With a sigh, she leaned her head against the window frame. The image of Matt at his desk that first night popped into her head.

  Rob stuck his head out of the door. “Hey, Colleen, I thought you were right behind me. I want you to meet this attorney.”

  With one last look at the campus, she dragged away her gaze and peered into the tiny office. He’s better off without me…really. She needed to get on with her life. Sitting around her sister’s house was driving her absolutely crazy.

  ****

  Colleen pulled on her sneakers in the ladies locker room and contemplated the job offer from the manager of the gym. With all her free time since the holidays, she visited the gym almost daily. Within a week, she knew all of the staff and most of the clients. She tied her laces and went over to the mirror to pull her hair into a pony tail then addressed the woman in the mirror. “You, madam, are not a woman without options. You can do paralegal work with your brother-in-law, civilian work on the base in San Diego, or teach kick-boxing here in Almendra.” She ran her thumbs around the elastic waist of her shorts. “What to do, what to do?”