A Christmas Homecoming

by Johnson, Kimberly Rose

A few miles down the road he signaled and turned into the craft store’s parking lot. The silver car kept going. His shoulders relaxed. Whew! Bailey’s paranoia had rubbed off on him. He parked and escorted her inside.

  With Bailey’s expertise, they made quick work of buying supplies to decorate his tree then headed home. “Have you made any progress on finding an assistant?”

  A frown drew her brows together.

  “No, and I’m worried. What if no one sends me their resume?”

  “Then expand the search. Advertise outside the area.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks.” She cleared her throat. “I have a confession to make.” She laced her fingers together in her lap. “I could use help decorating Mona’s tree. Any chance you’ll be free tomorrow?”

  His stomach flopped. “I am. I could get a couple of the guys to come over too.” Now why had he said that? He held his breath half hoping she’d turn down the offer. He’d much rather have her to himself—It would make getting to know her easier. And maybe he’d get to the bottom of why she thought she was being followed.

  “Oh, no,” she said. “Between the two of us we’ll get the job done. How’s your mom doing? I stopped by the hospital yesterday, and they told me only family was allowed to visit, and the nurse wouldn’t give me any information.”

  “She’s about the same. The antibiotics are helping the infection, but the blood clot is still a concern.”

  “I’d like to send flowers. Would that be okay?”

  He glanced her way, finding it difficult to believe how nice she was. His mother treated her like dirt, yet she was nothing but kind. Why? Maybe she actually lived out her faith in the Lord. He shook his head. “She has a roomful. Save your money.”

  “Oh. When you put it like that, I suppose more flowers would only get in the way.” She sat beside him without uttering another word.

  Twenty minutes later, he pulled to a stop in front of his mom’s house. “I had fun. Who would have thought buying a tree from a lot could be enjoyable?” Although being with her had more to do with his enjoyment than anything.

  She shook her head. “I know you prefer to cut a tree yourself, but there’s something to be said for the convenience of a tree lot.”

  “True enough.” He reached into the back seat for her bags at the same moment as she did. Their gazes locked. Her cheeks bloomed a sweet pink, and her warm breath tickled his cheek. “You have the most amazing hazel eyes,” he whispered. “I’ve never seen flecks of gold like yours.” Her full lips parted and drew him in. He froze. What was he doing? He couldn’t kiss Bailey!

  She blinked and jerked back as if burned. She took her bags from him. “See you tomorrow.” She bolted from the car and fled into the house.

  Did I offend her? Maybe he should apologize. But no, he’d not said or done anything wrong. Did she realize he’d almost kissed her? An envelope with Bailey’s name on it lay on the passenger side floor and grabbed his attention. She must have dropped it.

  Bailey dropped the bags to the floor and rested her head against the closed door. Her heart raced. What had happened out there? It almost seemed as though Stephen had wanted to kiss her, but that wasn’t possible. No man ever paid her any attention, at least not like that.

  She caught her reflection in the entryway mirror and sighed. The same boring reflection stared back at her. Large rimmed glasses that seemed to swallow her eyes, a nose too-big, a pointy chin, and protruding cheekbones—ugly, since the day she was born, according to her cousin and her cousin’s friends.

  She’d give anything not to have overheard that conversation all those years ago or lived through the years of teasing and torture that followed. The cruel nickname the kids started to call her at school, and the mean notes about how ugly she was, were old fashioned bullying at its finest. The memory was still clear, even though she’d been in the third grade at the time of the sleepover. She closed her eyes as the scene replayed for the billionth time.

  “Bailey is so ugly, her parents should have sent her back.” Laughter rang out in her cousin’s bedroom as she stood on the other side of the closed door. Horrified, she froze, listening to what they really thought about her. The worst part had been that her favorite cousin had agreed with them and even came up with a quip of her own. “Bailey’s face belongs in a zoo. I know. Let’s call her ape girl.” Bailey shook away the memory and startled as liquid dripped onto her hand, and she realized tears slid down her cheeks. She reached for a tissue and dragged it across her face. A sob caught in her throat. She wanted to be pretty and accepted, but instead she was the ugly duckling—the invisible woman in the room.

  She let her breath out in a huff and strode into the kitchen for a glass of water. Being sorry for herself only made her feel horrible, and she did not want to feel that way.

  The spotless kitchen lifted her spirits. There was nothing like a clean and organized room to help her breathe a little easier. The black quartz countertops sparkled. She grabbed a glass off the open shelf and flicked on the faucet. Cold water filled the glass. She took a sip and set it on the counter with a frown. This big house needed to be filled with a family. It was too quiet.

  Tapping on the glass framed door in the kitchen made her jump. She whipped her head around and spotted Stephen. Her stomach sank. She did not want to see him right now, but pretending she hadn’t seen him wouldn’t work.

  She flipped the lock and pulled the door open. Cold air rushed in. “What’s wrong? And why didn’t you go to the front door?” At least then she could have pretended not to hear him knock.

  “I tried, but you didn’t answer. I started to leave then noticed the light on in the kitchen so I came here instead.” He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “Are you okay?” He ducked his head as if to get on the same eye level. “I didn’t upset you did I?”

  “Of course not.” Bailey kept her shoulder angled toward him and her eyes averted, certain they were red-rimmed. “I’m fine.” She cleared her throat. “Did you need something?”

  “You dropped this.” He held out an envelope with her name on it.

  “Thanks, but I’ve never seen this before.” She flipped it over, slid her finger under the flap and across the top, then pulled out a card. She looked at the card with a teddy bear that said Thinking of You across the top.

  “Who’s it from?”

  “Good question.” She opened the card and looked inside. “From someone who admires you.” Her eyes met Stephen’s. Could he have pretended to have found this to make her think someone else had left it? Or had someone jimmied his locks and placed it in his car while they were out today? The silver car had been at the tree lot. She tossed the card onto the countertop as if it’d burned her.

  He rubbed his chin and frowned.

  “What’s wrong?” She knew why she was upset, but he couldn’t possibly be thinking the same thing.

  “I’m trying to figure out how that got in my car, if you didn’t put it there.”

  Maybe Spencer? She shrugged. “It’s hard to say. I suppose it could have happened at the tree lot.”

  “That’s where we ran into your friend of a friend.”

  She nodded.

  “Interesting coincidence. Are you sure you can trust him? It’s kind of creepy.”

  She agreed, but having him say it made her all the more freaked out. “Spencer is a cop. I don’t think I need to worry about him.” She still didn’t believe he’d lie to her. It wasn’t who he was.

  “Okay, but be careful. Oh, I forgot to tell you the Christmas tree will be delivered at eight tomorrow morning. I know it’s Sunday, so if that’s a problem let me know, and I’ll make sure I’m here. I paid extra to have them come in and set it up.”

  “Tomorrow morning is fine for the tree delivery. I attend the late service at my church, so it won’t be a problem. Thanks for letting me know. Is that all?” In emotional overload, she desperately needed time alone to clear her head. She chanced a look his way and nearly burst into tea
rs at the concern on his face. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t a weepy person.

  “Before I go, I know you said I didn’t upset you, yet I’m the only person you’ve been with for the past several hours, so regardless of what you say, I feel responsible for the red-rimmed eyes I spotted earlier.”

  Her cheeks burned. “You didn’t do anything. It’s me. I let an old wound stir up a memory best left in the past.”

  Relief shown in his eyes as he nodded. “Being alone when your thoughts are haunting you isn’t healthy.”

  Don’t I know it. “I’m fine. Really. But I need to get it out of my head.” She moved away from the door and grabbed her glass.

  He stepped in further. “I’d rather not spend the evening alone in my cabin. Maybe we could keep each other company. There’s a good Christmas movie on tonight. How about we make popcorn and watch it together?”

  “I don’t know.” Did he really not want to be alone, or was he saying this for her benefit?

  “It’s a great movie. One of my favorites—Elf.”

  She chuckled. “Well, that changes things. Okay. I need to run to my room for a minute. You could pop the corn, and I’ll be right back.” She darted up the stairs and into the bathroom. One look in the mirror confirmed her fear. Good thing her glasses kept him from having a clear view of her eyes. She took them off and splashed cool water onto her face then touched up her barely-there makeup to get rid of the shine. Good enough.

  After a quick detour to her bedroom for the red and white striped slippers she’d won at a white elephant gift exchange last Christmas, she dashed downstairs, following the aroma of fresh popped corn and found Stephen in the great room, the TV tuned in to the movie.

  He held out a bowl for her. “Nice slippers.” A teasing grin covered his face.

  “Thanks.” She snuggled into the far corner of the couch unable to stop the grin that spread across her face. She could get used to evenings like this with Stephen. She liked his marshmallow side. She giggled at the thought of him having a marshmallow side. The man was trim and fit—no fluff anywhere.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.” She tossed a cushion at him. “Shh. I don’t want to miss any.”

  He popped popcorn into his mouth.

  Bailey focused on the television doing her best to ignore the handsome man at the opposite end of the couch. He had a nice laugh, and he had a habit of leaning toward the TV during quieter scenes. She enjoyed watching Stephen almost as much as the movie, which happened to be on her top ten list, right behind A White Christmas.

  An hour-and-a-half later the credits played across the screen. Bailey frowned. “Did you notice there were no commercials? Not that I enjoy commercials, but that was weird.”

  “As a matter of fact . . .” He pressed a button, and the Blu-ray player spat out a disk.

  “You said it was on tonight!” The sneak.

  “True, but I never said it was on TV. It’s part of my mom’s Christmas movie collection.”

  “Hmm. I see how you are.”

  He chuckled. “I hope you don’t mind my deception.”

  “No. This movie was exactly what I needed. Thank you.” There was nothing like a comedy to get her out of a funk—especially this one. The main character Buddy was an inspiration really. He never lost hope, well maybe for a short time, but he was a shining light in a world of too many Grinches. “I loved the decorations Buddy put up too.”

  “You don’t think they were over the top?”

  She shook her head. “Maybe the ones in his dad’s bedroom were a bit much, but I really liked his creativity and the white color scheme. Someday I hope to be hired to do a white themed Christmas. I have so many ideas. I’d planned to do it at my condo this year, but . . .”

  “But my mom changed your plans. If you’d like to go home, it’s okay. I didn’t even think when I asked you to stay here. I’m sure you have a life you need to get back to.”

  “It’s okay for now. I like it here. Even if this place is too big for one person. Or even two for that matter.” If he only knew what she had waiting for her, he never would have made that offer. An empty condo, frozen dinners, and loud neighbors. Staying in this mansion was a dream she’d never imagined possible. “Besides, it’s much easier to run the design business from here. No commute.” She grinned.

  Relief shone in his eyes. “Good. It’s settled. See you in the morning, Bailey.” He put the Blu-ray away and slipped out the door.

  Bailey tilted her head to the side. “Hmm.” There was more to that man than she’d realized, and it might be fun peeling back all the layers.

  Could Stephen be her secret admirer? He certainly had opportunity since it was his car, but that didn’t explain why Spencer had brought the flowers the first time, or why Spencer showed up at the tree lot today. Maybe Nicole would know.

  Chapter Eight

  Bailey startled awake and checked her alarm clock. Eight o’clock. “Yikes.” She kicked off the sheets and darted for her closet.

  Ding dong!

  “I’m coming.” She grabbed her cuddly, blue bathrobe and charged down the stairs, missing the bottom step again and landing on all fours. “Oomph.” Smart, Bailey. Too bad Stephen wasn’t here to catch her this time. She scampered to the door and yanked it open. “I’m so sorry. I hope you weren’t waiting long.” A man wearing a Santa hat and a teen boy each held one end of the Noble Fir she’d chosen at the lot.

  “Only a couple of minutes. We were about ready to give up though,” the guy wearing the Santa hat said. “Do you have the tree stand set up and in place?”

  “Umm . . .” She glanced toward the great room where the tree would go and spotted the stand. “Looks like it.” Stephen must have set it up last night when he was getting the movie ready.

  “Morning!” Stephen, fresh-faced and all smiles strode onto the porch. He raised a brow at Bailey and grinned. “Rough night?”

  Bailey’s face heated. “I stayed up late baking and forgot to set my alarm. Since you’re here, I’ll let you take over.” She spun around and darted up the stairs.

  It seemed the man was destined to see her at her worst. Last night during her pity party, and now all rumpled—not that it really mattered. A handsome man like Stephen probably thought of her more like a sister than a woman he could have feelings for. She pulled jeans and a red, long sleeve Henley top from her closet then fingered her hair into a ponytail to keep it out of her way. She’d change into church clothes later that would be comfortable enough for Christmas shopping with her friends after church.

  After slipping on her glasses, she crept down the stairs. Maybe Stephen wouldn’t notice her, and she could make a pot of coffee and clear the cobwebs from her head.

  Silence filled the house. Had he gone back to his cabin already? Disappointment hit her—silly. But she had to admit she enjoyed his company. She hadn’t expected him to come over this morning, so maybe he’d only stopped by to make sure the tree had been delivered. It stood tall in the great room, and a crackling fire burned in the fireplace.

  Soft Christmas music along with the scent of coffee floated toward her from the kitchen. “Hello? Stephen, are you here?” She walked into the large space and stopped. Stephen had coffee brewing, and he stood at the stove with a slab of bacon in hand poised over the pan.

  He looked her way. “I hope you like bacon and eggs.”

  “I love bacon, but you don’t need to cook for me.”

  “I overslept too and didn’t have time to eat. It’s as easy to cook for two as one. I forgot to mention, I called off the companion search for my mom. At least for now.”

  “Understandable.” But what would she do once Mona came home? His mother would need care that she wouldn’t know how to give. She’d have to trust that Stephen and his brothers would plan accordingly.

  “I’ll have this cooked in no time. There’s coffee if you want a cup.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll wait. I think I’ll take the boxes into the great r
oom while you finish.”

  “Oh no, you don’t. I want a hand in decorating the tree from beginning to end.”

  “Suit yourself.” She poured herself a mug of coffee, added hazelnut creamer and sat at the bar. “Why do you want to help so much?” Her dad had never enjoyed the task, so she assumed most men didn’t.

  “I’ve always loved Christmas, and I used to help my mom and brothers decorate the tree when we were kids. I know it’s not the same, but I want to do this for her.”

  Talk about a nice guy. She didn’t know men like him existed—at least she hadn’t met one with such a tender heart. She was drawn to Stephen like a butterfly to flowers.

  He slid a plate piled with bacon, eggs, and toast her direction. “Eat up.”

  She breathed in deeply. “This smells so good. I wish I could wake up to this every day.” She snapped her mouth shut, suddenly realizing how forward she sounded.

  He winked. “Bon appétit.”

  After eating, they headed for the basement where the boxes were stored and made quick work of carrying several plastic ornament storage boxes into the great room.

  “Where do we start?” He looked like a lost boy in the clothing department.

  “Lights.” She pried the lid off a box.

  He groaned. “Not my favorite part.”

  “Mine either, but it’s the most important step in decorating a tree.” An hour later, white light lit the tree. She stood back and grinned. “Perfect.”

  “Not bad if I do say so myself. Now we can do what I consider the best part. Ornaments!” Without waiting for instructions, he pulled open the ornament box closest to him with the excitement of a kid ripping into a present.

  “Hold on. Your mom has a special way of doing this.”

  “No she doesn’t. We put the ornaments wherever we want.” He reached for a Star Wars Jedi ornament.

  She shook her head. “Not anymore. She likes only bulbs, and only the oversized ones.”

  The grin slid off his face. “But what about these? My dad had the whole collection.”