“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. My admirer is growing bolder.” She waved the card in the air like a fan.
“What did he say?”
She studied his profile. It had to be him. Stephen was the only person with access to her belongings. Surely he expected she’d figured out he was her admirer—at least she hoped he was because if not, someone who didn’t belong there had been in the house. But that didn’t explain Spencer delivering the flowers. Hmm. “It says, I think you’re nice and pretty too.” Okay, so it was a little amateurish, but he was a man. Not all men were poets.
“That’s it?” His brow furrowed.
She flipped the card to the back. Had he added something there? “It appears so. I guess my admirer is a man of few words. What are you and the kids doing this evening?” She tucked the card into her coat pocket.
“I have no idea. Suggestions?” He pulled out of the driveway and pointed the car in the direction of Three Rivers Elementary.
At least it was a weekday and there wasn’t much traffic. Weekend tourists going to and from Sunriver and Mount Bachelor slowed traffic. “How about takeout and a Christmas movie? Or if you don’t mind stopping at the grocery store, I could cook. Or we could go out.”
She wasn’t sure how well behaved Collin was in public, so didn’t want to risk a meal out with the seven-year-old. “I’m happy to cook.”
“No. You’re busy enough. Takeout is fine.” He made a right at the light and a few minutes later they parked at the elementary school. “Lead the way. I have no idea where to go.”
“Another reason you needed me along,” She tossed over her shoulder as she strode ahead of him across the parking lot. Nicole was probably getting annoyed by now. Bailey would be if put in the same situation. They didn’t have far to go. Nicole stood on the front porch of the school and waved. “The kids ran inside to use the restroom right before you got here.”
Stephen stepped forward. “I’m really sorry about this. I was supposed to pick them up today, and I lost track of time.”
Bailey rested a hand on his arm. “Stephen is watching his niece and nephew while their parents are away. I should have paid more attention to the time too. I’m really sorry, Nicole. But I promise to make it up to you.”
“How?” She crossed her arms, but her eyes softened.
She had to think fast. “No matter what, I will be at your wedding.”
Nicole’s face split into a grin. “This was totally worth missing the cake in the teachers’ lounge for. You promise you’ll be there?”
“Absolutely!” Now she had to break the news to her parents. She would miss Christmas Eve. Hopefully they’d understand.
The drive to Sunriver Village was quiet. The kids sat sullenly, each looking out the side windows of the backseat still clearly upset they’d been forgotten. Even though it was only twenty degrees outside, ice cream was in order.
“I have an idea.” She turned in her seat to face Collin and Lacy who sat with their arms crossed. “What if we get burgers and shakes?”
Collin caught his breath. “Really? Mom never lets us eat like that.”
Stephen glanced her way. “It’s a little early for dinner.”
“I’m hungry enough to eat now,” Collin said.
Lacy giggled. “We should do it. It’ll be fun. Plus, when I’m drinking a chocolate shake I might forget how late you were.”
“She’s good,” Bailey said softly.
Stephen cranked the wheel to the left and pulled into a parking spot. “An early dinner it is.” They all piled out.
Bailey couldn’t help smiling. This little girl had her uncle wrapped around her finger.
Lacy and Collin walked between them as they made their way to the Village Bar and Grill. Which was more like a family restaurant than a bar.
Stephen held the door open for them as they paraded inside. Warm air and the scent of burgers and fries enveloped them. Her stomach growled, reminding her she’d skipped lunch. Since the place wasn’t busy this time of day, they were served quickly.
Collin bit into his cheeseburger. His eyes widened as he chewed. “This is de-lish! Thank you, Uncle Stephen.”
“Yeah. Thanks!” Lacy reached for her milkshake and took a long draw from the straw. “I wish our mom and dad would bring us here.”
“You’ve never been?” Bailey asked.
“We almost never go out to eat. Mom has a cook.”
“Now why didn’t I know that?” Stephen asked. “We could have used your cook.”
Lacy shook her head. “Mom gave her time off.”
“Oh. Our loss.”
“Nah-uh,” Collin said with a mouthful. “This is yummier. Our cook only makes vegetables and beans and tofu.” He stuck a finger in his mouth like he was gagging himself.
Bailey chuckled. It sounded like Judy was a health nut. Thanksgiving must have been a letdown if they were accustomed to a professional chef and a vegetarian diet. Although, maybe the health kick was new since they all had quite the sweet tooth.
The kids gobbled down their meals, and she enjoyed her cheeseburger and fries as well. Bailey dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “That was so good.”
Stephen nodded. “I agree.” He leaned close to Bailey’s ear. “Wanna go ice skating?”
Her heart kicked into double time. The last time she went ice-skating she’d broken her arm.
Stephen chuckled as Bailey gripped his arm. “You’ve skated before haven’t you?”
“Once. And it didn’t end well,” Bailey said through gritted teeth.
“Sounds like a good story.” He patted the hand that held tight to his arm. “I’m sure whatever happened was character building.” That had not come out in the playful way he’d hoped. If only he could snatch the words back.
She grimaced. “Not so much. I ended up breaking my arm.”
“Ouch. Sorry.” Apparently she had some fear of the ice to deal with. “And now you’re afraid you’ll fall and break your arm again?” He eased them forward, and they glided side-by-side.
“Pretty much.” Suddenly her feet slipped forward. She grabbed his arm with both hands and steadied herself.
His heart raced. “You okay?”
“I’m still standing.” She offered him a wobbly smile.
“Way to be positive.” He grinned. “I happen to be an expert skater. I’ll have you skating on your own in no time.” That is, he would, if her ankles were strong enough. “You’re going to have to let go of me for a second, so I can move to face you.”
Her fingers plied off one by one until he could slide in front of her. He reached his arms forward and skated backward. Her ankles wobbled a little, but not too bad. “You’re doing a good job, Bailey. I won’t let you break your arm again.”
“Promise?”
He chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”
Collin and Lacy glided past them, giggling the whole way.
What were those two up to? He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the way was clear as he guided Bailey around the small open-air-but-covered rink. “You having fun yet?”
She shook her head, even though a small smile tugged at her lips. “It’s not so bad actually. I can do this.”
“Good for you. But I think I’ll stay close anyway.” He released her hands and continued to skate backward watching her. Though a little wobbly, she was doing all right.
A boy jetted by clipping her skate. “Oh—” Her arms shot out, and she whirled around. There was nothing he could do to help. One foot crossed over the other as if in a slow motion axel. She screamed as her feet came out from under her, and she landed on her back. Her head smacked the ice.
His heart thundered as he crouched beside her. “Are you okay?”
Chapter Eleven
Stephen handed Bailey an ice pack. “How are you feeling?” He sat beside her at the kitchen table.
“Like a klutz.” She held the ice pack to the back of her head. “I’m sorry for ruining things for you and the k
ids.”
His heart melted. “Your wipeout wasn’t entirely your fault. You had a little help. A kid clipped your skates when he was dodging someone else.”
She winced. “I remember.”
“I never should have encouraged you to skate after you said you couldn’t.” Come to think of it, she didn’t ski either. Her ankle strength wasn’t really the issue like he’d thought at first. She simply didn’t have a good center of gravity when it came to slippery surfaces or people throwing her off balance. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. The doctor who was at the rink with his family even confirmed it. Stop worrying.”
Not true. “He said you have a mild concussion.” When she landed on her back smacking her head into the ice, his heart had nearly stopped.
The kids had been solemn on the ride home too, obviously concerned. They now silently looked at books in the other room. He didn’t want to leave Bailey since the doctor had discretely told him to keep an eye on his wife. His heart had constricted at the doctor’s words, but he hadn’t corrected him.
It was an understandable mistake, especially since his niece and nephew strongly resembled the Belafonte side of the family. The faux pas that would have been gut-wrenching a year ago now only made him wince.
A hand on his arm brought him from his musings. His eyes met Bailey’s. “What’s wrong?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
He covered her hand with his, gave it a light squeeze, and stood. “I’m going to run the kids to John’s.”
“I thought they were camping out at your place tonight.”
“Change of plans.”
“I hope it’s not on my account.”
The sad look in her eyes made him want to pull her close and tell her everything would be okay, but that was crazy thinking—they barely knew one another. One would think he’d bumped his head too. Then again, they’d been spending a lot of time together. He stood and walked toward the passage that led to the living room. “I’ll be back a little later to see how you’re doing. I plan to use my key to let myself in.”
“I guess that’s fair warning, but I really am fine. You don’t need to change any plans for me.”
He shrugged. “This will make me feel better.” He turned and marched into the living room. Maybe sending the kids to his brother’s wasn’t such a good idea after all. He lived in a studio apartment that was not fit for children. Maybe John could stay over at his place. It’d probably feel like a castle.
He made the call and was pleased when his brother agreed, although John was more than a little surprised to learn that Rick and Judy had left the kids with him. Didn’t Rick tell John anything? Stephen was close to both his brothers, but John and Rick rarely saw eye to eye. Considering Stephen had been out of the country for so long, he’d expected his brothers would have bonded by now.
“Uncle John is coming to camp out with you kids tonight. He’ll be at my house soon, so let’s get over there.”
Lacy and Collin looked at him with puppy dog eyes.
“What?”
“What about Bailey?” Lacy asked. “What if her head starts to hurt worse, and there is no one here to take care of her. Can she come too?”
He only had the one guest room, but it would be easy enough to work out sleeping arrangements. “I’ll ask her.”
“Ask me what?”
“The kids want you to join us at my place tonight.”
She shook her head then winced. “I don’t think so.”
“Please,” Collin and Lacy said in unison.
“All my stuff is here.”
Stephen snapped his fingers in an ah-ha moment. “We’ll stay here. There are plenty of rooms.”
“No.” The firm tone in her voice said it was a closed subject. He couldn’t blame her. Having all of them here would create a lot of extra work for her, and according to the doctor, she was supposed to take it easy.
“You heard her. Let’s scoot.” He ushered the kids to the door then turned and mouthed I’ll be back. He chuckled when she wrinkled her nose at him. The woman had no idea how cute she was. Cute or not, she was getting under his skin, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
Relief washed over Bailey when she finally had the house to herself. Nothing against Stephen and the kids, but her head hurt, and all she wanted was a hot shower and comfy clothes. Thirty minutes later, she sank onto the couch with her laptop and started making a list of the things she wanted Sierra to take over.
A rap sounded on the door and then the deadbolt turned over, clueing her in to Stephen’s return. “In here,” she called out.
A moment later he eased into the chair closest to her. “What a day!”
“Tell me about it. I’m glad we found my assistant. I’m working on a list of her duties.”
“I heard once that you’re not supposed to use a computer when you have a concussion.”
“I’m fine.”
He shook his head and gently removed the computer from her lap then placed it on the desk and brought her back a pen and pad of paper. “Please do it the old fashioned way for a few days. Let your head heal.”
Touched by his concern, she nodded.
“Today has been so long, it feels like we hired Sierra days ago.” He yawned. “John is staying over tonight. I thought I might crash in my old bedroom.”
She grinned. “That’s not necessary. Other than a slight headache, I have no repercussions from the ice show.”
He laughed. “And what a show it was.”
She tossed a pillow at him. “Be nice.”
“I thought I was.”
She rested the side of her head against the seat cushions. When she first met Stephen, she never imagined being relaxed in his company, but over the past several weeks they’d spent a lot of time together, and they had found an easy camaraderie. “Now that I have the design part of the business in hand, what are you going to do?” She studied his reaction through the slits in her eyes.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Do you have everything under control? I had the impression you were feeling insecure about taking over.”
“I suppose I was at first. But now that I’ve had time to think about it, I know I can take Mona’s place and train someone to take mine.”
A sad look settled on his face.
“I’m sorry, Stephen. That was incredibly insensitive of me.”
“It is what it is. My mom’s future is uncertain, and even if she was healthy, she should be able to relax and enjoy life, not spend her days working. It’s time she handed the reins over to someone else. I’ll oversee Belafonte Designs from here forward, but you’re the face of the company. We’ll plan to meet at least once a week to discuss what you are working on, or to just keep me apprised of how things are going.”
“Okay.” A tingle zipped through her. It was funny how in a matter of weeks she’d gone from being uncertain about Stephen to wanting to spend as much time as possible with him. What would happen once Sierra started? Would they still get to see one another? She sure hoped so.
“I’ll be your assistant until Sierra starts.”
Yes! But wouldn’t it be weird for both of them? “That’s not necessary.” But oh so appreciated. And here she was worried about not seeing him enough.
“I think it is. There is too much work for one person. Especially a person with a slight concussion.”
“But you can’t be my assistant.” He was the boss. How could he even consider being a lowly assistant?
“What? I’m not good enough for you?” A twinkle lit his eye.
“No. You’re too good to work with me.”
He frowned. “I know you must be teasing, but I’ve always been of the opinion even when someone teasingly says something they believe there is a degree of truth to the matter. Otherwise, they never would have thought of it.”
She shrugged and stood. “Perhaps. I’ll see you in the morning.” She brushed past him.
<
br /> Stephen reached out, taking Bailey’s hand as she passed him. “Who hurt you?”
She stopped and faced him. “What are you talking about?” Confusion showed in her eyes.
He stood to be closer to her eye level. “Who told you that you aren’t good enough? I’m right, aren’t I? That’s why you always make cracks about yourself.”
Her face paled. “My head hurts. I’m going to sleep. Goodnight.” She turned and marched up the stairs. A moment later, the sound of a door firmly shutting filled the quiet house.
Well, he’d done it now. Hopefully he hadn’t alienated her. One thing was for certain, whether she’d admit it or not—someone had hurt Bailey and so badly that she clung to it like a badge.
Lord please heal her pain. He headed to his old bedroom and softly closed the door behind him. Tomorrow was a new day, and as Bailey’s assistant, he would have plenty of time to try and figure her out.
Who was he kidding?
Figuring out a woman could take a lifetime!
Chapter Twelve
The next day Bailey walked into Mona’s house and headed up the stairs. Stephen had stuck to her like glue today, and she needed time alone. It seemed the only place she’d have solitude was her bedroom.
The front door opened and closed behind her. “I can whip up some dinner,” Stephen said.
She paused on the stairs, took a deep breath and let it out slowly before turning to face him. “That does not fall within your job description.”
“It seems to me you do a lot of things that don’t as well.” He smiled smugly. “I’m going to fix dinner. I plan to eat in thirty minutes. If you’re hungry, there will be enough for you to join me.” He sauntered in the direction of the kitchen.
A Christmas Homecoming Page 11