Almost a Christmas Bride

by Susan Crosby

  Just as the movie started, her cell phone rang.

  “Hey, honey, it’s Aggie.”

  “You sound like you’re at a ballgame.”

  “You could call it a game. I’m at the Stompin’ Grounds.”

  Questions popped into Shana’s head. She didn’t ask even one. “I hope you’re having a good time.”

  “I am. It’s also been highly entertaining.”

  Shana knew Aggie was just drawing out the suspense. “How nice for you. Who’d you go with?”

  “Doc Saxon,” she answered, sounding distracted. “But that’s—”

  “You and Doc are dating?”

  “No, we’re not dating. I corralled him to come with me so I could watch Kincaid.”

  “Tsk, tsk, Aggie. Now you’re spying?”

  “Aren’t you interested?” Aggie asked, frustrated.

  More than you’ll ever know. “Should I be? He’s my boss. I probably shouldn’t know too much about his personal life.” Now Shana was having fun, because she knew Aggie would tell her, no matter what she said.

  “You live with him! You’re going to know everything about his personal life.”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot.”

  Aggie finally laughed. “You’re pulling my leg. I get it now. Anyway, it’s all been fascinating here.”

  “In what way?”

  “Kincaid brought this woman, kind of pretty, but older than him and looks like a lady who’s the boss of something. In charge, you know?”

  Did they hold hands? Dance close? Kiss?

  “So, this woman, Jess, she starts a flirtation with Big Dave over a game of pool, then they dance, all slathered up against each other, and Kincaid’s at the pool table himself, so mad he scratches his next shot. Then as soon as the dance is over, Jess moseys on up to Kincaid and whispers in his ear, and they leave. Not holding hands or anything, either. So, I followed them out to the parking lot.”

  “Against my pleading,” Doc called out in the background. “Nosy woman.”

  “How else could I find out anything? Anyway,” Aggie went on, “they stood out there talking for a minute, then she got in her fancy little blue Mercedes Benz convertible, but she didn’t go anywhere. Kincaid got in his truck and took off. Pretty soon, Big Dave comes out and she follows him down the road!”

  Shana was stuck between being happy that the date didn’t go well and sympathy for Kincaid. No one wanted to be rejected in public.

  And he’d done it because she’d made him. Guilt settled around her.

  “Have you been dancing with Doc?” Shana asked, not wanting to know if there was more.

  After a couple of beats, Aggie said, “He’s light on his feet.”

  “Have you got white-coat syndrome, Aggie?”

  “What’s that?”

  “When your blood pressure rises upon seeing the doctor.”

  Aggie cackled. “Maybe. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a night out with anyone other than family,” she said more seriously.

  “Well, you go, girlfriend. Enjoy it. And him.”

  They ended the call. Shana tried to snuggle in and watch the movie but she found herself waiting for the sound of Kincaid’s truck. It was a ten-minute drive from the bar to his house. He must’ve gone somewhere else, although nothing was open this time of night other than the diner, at least in town.

  An hour passed. The movie didn’t grab her interest, but she left it running so that if he came home, it would look as if she’d had a perfectly nice evening. Finally the sound of his truck reached her. She tucked her blanket around her a little more and picked up the half-full bowl of popcorn she’d set on the coffee table. It was only ten o’clock, early to be home from a Saturday night date by anyone’s measure.

  She waited until he came into the house before she paused the movie.

  “Hi,” she said cheerfully, refraining from asking how his night was.

  “Hey.” He hung up his jacket on the coatrack, then went to the fireplace. “No fire?” he asked.

  “I was never a Boy Scout.”

  He nodded. “I’ll teach you. It’s one of the pleasures of this house, I think. What’re you watching?”

  “The original Rambo.”

  “I wouldn’t have guessed that was something you’d choose.”

  “Your choice of DVDs is action and more action. Anyway, the movie came out when I was a baby. I hadn’t seen it.”

  He patiently got the fire going. The silence in the room seemed loud, a hum of discomfort permeating the space.

  “You haven’t asked how my evening was,” he said, poking at the logs, but it seemed to be just a reason to keep his back to her and his hands busy.

  “I didn’t want to intrude.”

  He laughed, a little harshly, she thought.

  “As if I don’t know that Aggie hasn’t already called you,” he said. “I saw her lurking in the shadows in the parking lot.”

  Shana sighed. “I didn’t ask her to file a report with me, but—” she shrugged “—you know Aggie.”

  “I won’t do that again, Shana.”

  “Do what?”

  “Take a woman out as a ruse. If I take someone out, it’ll be because it’s what I want to do. I don’t care what people think about us. Tonight wasn’t worth it.”

  “I’m sorry. I truly am. I just didn’t want there to be talk about us.”

  “I know.” He sat at the other end of the sofa. “There’ll be talk, regardless. All we can do is ignore it.”

  “And show them it isn’t true.”

  “Right.” He stared at the fire. “So, how was your evening?”

  “It was nice. Emma and I played and read books. She loved the bath toys you put in her tub for her.” The man was killing her with kindness. “Thank you.”

  “Kids need toys.”

  “You seem to have spent the week preparing for us to arrive. You gave it a lot of thought.”

  “I’m a planner,” he said.

  “I’ve become one, too.”

  “I know.” He smiled a little. “Maybe we’ve always butted heads because we’re too much alike.”

  “Maybe.” If it had been anyone else, she would’ve chalked it up to unresolved sexual attraction. But this was Kincaid. She couldn’t afford the attraction. “And then there’s Aggie and Doc Saxon, who are opposites. That was a surprise to hear they were together.”

  He eyed her thoughtfully. “I’m pretty sure that was just a ploy so that she had an excuse to take a look at my date.”

  “Still, isn’t it fun to think about? Aggie’s been alone a long time. Who knows what might happen?” She passed him the bowl of popcorn. “Want to watch the rest of the movie? There’s about fifteen minutes left.”

  “Sure.”

  She started the movie again, aware of him at the other end of the couch, eating popcorn, as if they were an old married couple. He got up once to stoke the fire. When he sat down, he tugged her blanket over her feet, wrapping them up.

  She felt as if he’d hugged her.

  What might seem to be a small gesture to him mattered a lot to her. He didn’t want her to get cold. It’d been so long since anyone had cared like that.

  Dangerous thinking, she realized. And she was jumping to conclusions. He’d been kind to Emma, too.

  The movie ended.

  “Do you have plans for tomorrow?” he asked as he ejected the DVD and put it away.

  “I’m going to drive to Sacramento to do a little shopping. I want to personalize Emma’s and my rooms a little.”

  “Want company?”

  She couldn’t hide her shock. “Why would you do that?”

  “I’m thinking you need a new car. You could pick out what you want.”

  The silence returned, louder than ever. “You’re buying me a car?” she asked finally.

  “A company car, but yours to use as long as you’re working for me.”

  “Mine will do just fine,” she said, standing and bunching up the blanket to take wi
th her, not taking time to fold it.

  He stood, too. “Your car is junkyard material.”

  “It’s been getting me to work and back just fine for a year.”

  “Has it? I heard you borrowed Dixie’s car several times.”

  “She asked me to. She didn’t want it to sit idle the whole time they were gone.” Which was the truth, but Shana had only borrowed it when she was having trouble with her own car.

  Kincaid crossed his arms. “I need you to have a reliable car so I know you’ll get to appointments on time. A lot of these jobs are out of town. Some are as far away as Lake Tahoe. We’re coming into winter. There’ll be rain and snow to contend with.”

  She was being foolish not to accept his offer. She prided herself on her punctuality and reliability, but more than that, having a decent car to haul Emma around mattered more than anything.

  “There’s no need to get me a new car,” she said, giving in but on her own terms. “Used would be fine.”

  “You can choose the car, but since I’m paying for it, it’ll be new because that’s my preference. Quit being stubborn.”

  She was fascinated by how his jaw twitched when he was annoyed. She almost reached out to run her fingers along his skin to soothe him. “You’re the boss.”

  “Yes, I am.”

  She almost laughed. He thought she was stubborn? Ha.

  “On that note, I’ll say good-night.” She climbed the stairs, knowing he was staring after her, probably wondering what she was up to, not arguing back. She figured he’d had enough upset for one night at her expense.

  Tomorrow, however, was another day.

  Chapter Six

  Watching Kincaid negotiate a deal for the car reminded Shana how much of a businessman he was. She usually thought about him in terms of his construction work, taking on a variety of jobs, always working hard physically. But he also hired subcontractors, and priced and bid contracts, which required exceptional estimating skills or he risked losing money. He bought, remodeled and sold houses.

  She felt a little wheeled and dealed herself as she drove back to Chance City in her brand-new SUV. He’d said she could pick out what car she wanted, then he’d talked her into something bigger and sturdier.

  She’d never owned a new car before. “That’s new-car smell,” she said to Emma in the backseat.

  “Pretty,” Emma said.

  Shana grinned. She still couldn’t believe her luck. She’d kept her nose to the grindstone for a whole year, and it had paid off. No one had even one smidge of gossip about her to spread. Not that it had changed her father’s mind. He still didn’t want to spend time with her, although he was aware that her mother came to visit.

  Shana wondered if they argued about that. Had her mother finally stood up to him about something? She sure hadn’t stood up for Shana, which had contributed to her rebelling well beyond the normal teenage amount. Now, when she wanted her parents’ forgiveness, she hadn’t gotten it, even after a year of good behavior.

  Maybe she never would. Maybe she needed to resign herself to that. “I guess it’s true that you can’t go home again,” she said with a sigh. She’d changed too much. Starting anew was her only option. The problem was she was starting new in the same old town.

  “Go home,” Emma said emphatically.

  “We’re almost there, peapod. Are you hungry?” They’d eaten lunch at a restaurant near the auto dealership while the SUV was being detailed, but that was several hours and a bed, bath and toy shopping trip ago.

  “Mmm.”

  “That’s a yes, I take it?” Shana asked as she took the exit toward home, Kincaid right behind her. “Can you say yes?”

  “No!”

  Shana waved at people she knew as they drove through the charming downtown. Friends stopped and stared then recognized her and waved back, or gave a thumbs-up or shouted hello. Within ten minutes everyone would know she had a new car, a fancy one with four-wheel drive, a killer sound system, satellite telephone and whatever other luxury features it came with. Since her old car hadn’t even had working air conditioning, she would’ve been happy just with that.

  She pulled into the driveway. Kincaid carried their purchases into the house.

  “How’d it run?” he asked.

  “Terrible.” She set Emma down just inside the door. “Like a tank.”

  “Are you serious?” He didn’t shut the door, but stared at the vehicle. “Give me your keys.”

  “Why?”

  “I want to drive it. If I’m going to take it back—”

  “I’m kidding, Kincaid. It’s smooth and powerful, even going uphill. I had to be really careful to stick to the speed limit.”

  He gave her a look she couldn’t decipher. Tolerant, maybe, of her joke? Then he shut the door and headed upstairs. “I’ll put your stuff in your room.”

  She realized they had the whole evening ahead of them. He hadn’t said anything about going out, anyway.

  “Mama, eat,” Emma said, patting her stomach.

  Shana had settled Emma in her high chair with her favorite finger foods when Kincaid returned. He’d been upstairs for about ten minutes.

  “I got a call from Tom Orwell,” he said. “There’s a problem at his house with the kitchen job. Someone broke in and spray painted graffiti on the new cabinets. I’m going to check it out. Dylan’s meeting me there.”

  Emma gave him a serious look as he swiped some grated cheese off her tray. “Kinky no.”

  He ruffled her hair. “Sorry, Miss Emma. I was hungry.”

  She went back to eating but eyed him the whole time.

  “Kincaid,” Shana said before he reached the kitchen door.

  He turned just in time to catch the keys she tossed him. “Take it for a test run.”

  He grinned. “Thanks.”

  “You own it,” she said to herself after he left. She didn’t want to start thinking it was hers, since she would have to return it when she left his employ.

  She’d just put Emma down for a nap when her cell phone rang. She took a steadying breath when she saw who was calling, then said hello.

  “Are you avoiding me?” her mother asked.

  “Not on purpose. I’ve been busy, Mom.”

  “So I hear. You’ve got a new place to live. And a fancy new car.”

  “That’s right.” Shana made her way down the staircase to sit on the bottom step. “Would you like to come see the house?”

  A long pause ensued, then, “When?”

  Shana wanted to prove she had nothing to hide, no relationship to keep secret. “Right now, if you want.” She took a chance then. “Bring Dad. Kincaid’s not here.”

  “I’ll ask him,” she said hesitantly. “But you know…”

  “I do know, Mom.”

  “Okay. See you in a few.”

  Shana raced upstairs to brush her hair and change from her T-shirt to a nice blouse. She filled a kettle to make a pot of peppermint tea, her mother’s favorite, then set a few snicker doodle cookies on a small plate.

  If only Dixie were here. She’d keep the conversation flowing. She knew how to handle their mother. Shana had made a kind of peace with her mom during the past year, an unspoken agreement that they wouldn’t talk about where and how Shana had spent the years she’d been gone. They only briefly discussed what had happened to Emma’s father.

  Maybe this was the time to open up?

  She’d just poured the hot water into the teapot when the doorbell rang. Shana pressed her hands to her stomach as she walked to the front door.

  You came alone.

  Shana tamped down her disappointment. She wanted her father to see how well she was doing, not just hear it from her mother.

  “Hi, Mom!” Shana gave her a big hug, probably surprising her. There’d never been much physical affection in their family. Shana never knew families hugged a lot until she’d gotten to know Aggie McCoy and the rest of her clan well.

  “Kincaid’s truck is the only one outside,” her m
other said as a greeting.

  “He’s driving mine at the moment. Come in.”

  “Where’s Emma?”

  Her mother wore her hair in a bun on top of her head, as usual, hairpins visible here and there. It was her green eyes that all three of her children had inherited. She was sturdy, but fading a little each year, hunching a little, too.

  “Emma is napping. I’d just put her down before you called, so there’s a chance she’ll wake up while you’re here.”

  “This is some house. Like everyone else, I watched it being built. Kincaid’s been a customer at the store for a lot of years, orders a lot of his supplies from us.” She came inside, taking it all in, much like Shana had her first time. “It’s a far cry from where you grew up, isn’t it?”

  No kidding. “I don’t own it. I’m just working here.”

  “Is that really the truth?” Beatrice Callahan took off her jacket and passed it to Shana, who noticed, not for the first time, how aged her mother’s hands looked. She should be retired by now, but until their hardware store found a buyer, her father wouldn’t stop working, so her mom was stuck, too. The store had been on the market for over a year without a single offer.

  “Yes, Mom. Really. I’m Kincaid’s housekeeper, but he’s also employed me for other aspects of his work.” She gestured toward the sofa. “I made a pot of tea, and I’ve got cookies.”

  “You know people are talking, don’t you?” Bea asked as she sat.

  “It wouldn’t be Chance City without the grapevine.” Shana smiled as she poured two cups of tea, as if she wasn’t worried about the same thing. “It’s strictly business, Mom. I won’t have to commute to Sacramento anymore, and Kincaid’s going to help me get my design business off the ground. He’s making it possible for me to have a real future. And what’s good for me is good for Emma.”

  Bea frowned. “I thought those decorating jobs you did were favors. You know, your hobby.”

  Shana figured everyone else probably thought the same thing. “I got paid for those jobs, Mom. It’s what I’d like to do as a career. Maybe I’ve only had three clients so far, but they were thrilled with my work.”