Toys and Baby Wishes

by Karen Rose Smith

  "Hey, maybe you could help us out," a man in the row in front of Josh commented. "Got any broken toys? We're fixin' em up to give to kids who won't get any."

  "I sure do. They pile up until inventory when I get rid of them. If you think you can fix them, they're yours."

  "We can fix 'em," came from several places in the crowd.

  "I'll have my stock boy bring them over. Just let me know when you want them."

  Lexa sat back down and so did Josh. She leaned toward him. "You sure know how to make friends and influence people."

  "It comes with age."

  "It comes with wanting to get involved. Look at Clare."

  She was beaming as she gazed at her nephew.

  Lexa could've sworn Josh's cheeks flushed.

  After all the business was discussed and comments noted, the group was invited to socialize and snack on home-made cookies. A man approached Josh about being the store's Santa Claus.

  Josh still managed to keep an eye on Lexa as she spoke with Clare. They mingled separately after that. He tried to discover what he could about this side of his aunt's life. He couldn't believe he'd gotten so out of touch. Business was one thing, enjoying himself on weekends at the shore or going hiking was important too. But his aunt...she deserved more of his time than quick phone calls.

  Josh looked around to find Lexa sitting at a table with an elderly man. Her face was concerned, her pose attentive. She patted the man's hand and let hers rest on his.

  Josh moved closer.

  He heard her say, "I'm sorry, Milt. I hoped for your sake it would work out."

  "There's no fool like an old fool," he quoted disparagingly. "Why did I ever think a woman thirty years younger than me would want me? Me, Milton Finch. She didn't want me. She only said she'd marry me so I'd keep buying her presents."

  "Now, you don't know that," Lexa consoled.

  "Yes, I do. She sure didn't give back the diamond bracelet or the fur coat or the Coach pocketbook."

  "Milt, did you have fun when she was with you?"

  "Havin' that pretty young thing on my arm made me feel like a kid."

  "Then it wasn't all bad, was it?"

  He thought for a while. "No, I guess not. I sure felt great for a few months. But now, I feel so alone again."

  "But nights like this help, don't they?"

  "Yeah. I guess."

  "You know, there are many attractive women around who are closer to your age."

  "I suppose I haven't been lookin' at the right women. When I met Sandy at the grocery store and she seemed to like me, I thought it was meant to be."

  "We all make mistakes."

  "Yeah, but I'm not going to make the same one again. I'm going to look for a nice, down to earth, sixty-year-old woman."

  "You might find her right here. Mrs. Grayson was terribly disappointed when you didn't come around for a few months."

  "Flo Grayson, huh? She's pretty good lookin'."

  Realizing the serious part of their conversation was over, Josh stepped closer to the table. Seeing him, Lexa stood. So did Milt. She introduced Milt to Josh.

  After a handshake, Milt said, "I'm goin' to go get me some of them chocolate chip cookies. Lexa, I'll see you around. Josh, don't be a stranger. You play poker?"

  "Now and then."

  "Some afternoon you got free, you come join us."

  Josh smiled as Milt ambled to the snack table.

  "Have you met Clare's housemates?" Lexa asked.

  "Yes, I have. In fact the three of them are going back to Clare's apartment to discuss decorating plans."

  Lexa smiled at Josh's expression. "That's not one of your interests?"

  He grinned. "Paint shades and stenciling patterns don't turn me on." Lexa's wide eyes seemed to ask him what did. A devil inside him said, You. He grimaced inwardly. At least he hadn't said it out loud.

  Alexandra Kittredge intrigued him and he still wasn't sure why she devoted so much time to helping others. "While Clare and her friends plan, would you like to have a drink with me? There's a quiet pub down the street."

  "Oh, I don't know. I have mounds of paper work at home--"

  "One drink? I'm sure Clare would like us to get to know each other better."

  Lexa glanced at his aunt happily chattering with Edna. "All right. Maybe a cup of coffee."

  If Lexa was as friendly as she seemed to be and willing to talk to him, what could she have to hide? His heart felt lighter.

  Josh took Lexa's coat from the table and held it. As she slipped her arms into the sleeves, his thumbs brushed her neck. He felt her start in response. So soft. So touchable. Her eyes met his. There were golden sparks in her gaze that said passion lurked not far below the surface. The thought excited him.

  He reached out and straightened her lapel. When she wore high heels, her eyes were almost the same level as his.

  He smiled and motioned toward the door. "Shall we go?"

  After their good-byes to Clare and her friends, they walked the short block to the pub. The fall breeze tossed Lexa's curls. The street light flickered through them making the blondest strands glow.

  Her high heels clicked on the pavement.

  "Have you lived in Chambersburg all your life?" he asked casually, needing to start somewhere.

  "No. I came here with a friend one year on spring break. I liked its size and the people."

  "How did you know your business would work here?"

  "Research. I put surveys in restaurants and at the YMCA. I talked to local business owners."

  She was thorough and inventive. "Starting a business isn't easy."

  She stuffed her hands in her pockets. The night air was getting colder. "I know. Especially when the only credit rating I had was my good standing on my car loan."

  "You couldn't get help from your family?"

  "I didn't want help from my family."

  "You have problems with them?"

  She glanced at him. "Doesn't everybody?"

  "That's a side-step if I ever heard one."

  She met his gaze for a moment. "My father and I don't see eye to eye."

  "And your mom?"

  "She died when I was ten."

  They had something in common. "I'm sorry. That's a rough break for a child."

  "Clare told me you lost both your parents."

  "When I was twelve. Thank God I had Clare."

  "She means a lot to you."

  "More than I can say."

  When they reached the pub, Josh opened the heavy steel door and let Lexa precede him inside. He waited until his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, then found them a table in the back. There were a few patrons sitting at the bar, but only two of the ten barrel-like tables were occupied.

  After Josh hung Lexa's coat on the rack, he pulled out her chair. She looked surprised as she sat and murmured, "Thank you."

  He picked up the menus and handed her one. "Their sandwiches are good."

  "A cup of coffee will be fine."

  The lights from the globed candle on the table glimmered in her eyes. "I didn't take time for supper. Did you?"

  She shrugged. "Yogurt."

  He couldn't prevent his gaze from lingering on her rose sweater dress. It showed every curve to perfection. He smiled. "Hasn't Clare lectured you about eating balanced meals?"

  She laughed. "All the time. You, too?"

  "All the time."

  The waitress approached and asked for their order.

  Lexa decided on a bowl of corn chowder and a cup of coffee. Josh ordered the roast beef club.

  He enjoyed Lexa's company, but he wasn't here for that. He was here to find out more about her. "You really care about the people you work with, don't you?"

  "I enjoy what I do. I like helping people."

  "It's more than that. I was listening when you were talking to Milt."

  She shrugged. "There are so many people, especially older people, who don't have anyone to listen to them. It only takes a few minutes and it makes them
feel better."

  He wanted to know what made her so fiercely compassionate. "And who listens to you?"

  "What?"

  "Everybody needs somebody. Who do you talk to?"

  "Lots of people."

  Josh gave her a considering look, not believing her. It seemed to him she was fairly independent. If she wouldn't even take help from her family to start her business...

  Their waitress brought their food. Josh's sandwich was enormous, at least two inches thick. Potato chips were piled high in the middle.

  He offered her a wedge. "Go ahead. I don't want my jeans to get any tighter."

  The amusement in his voice brought a pink blush to her cheeks. "I'm sorry about some of the things I said."

  "Which ones?"

  "About you thinking only of yourself. I don't know you well enough to judge. Your relationship with Clare is your business."

  "But you'd fight like a tigress to see her happy. Why?" The question he'd been wanting to ask. Yet it came out differently than he'd expected.

  "Clare's the type of person I'd imagine my mother to be if she'd lived."

  What the hell could he say to that? Could he doubt the brightness of Lexa's eyes, the sincerity in her voice? What could she possibly have to gain by befriending his aunt?

  Lexa ate the wedge of sandwich. She couldn't believe she'd told him that. She never disclosed personal information indiscriminately. But something about the directness of Josh's blue eyes had gotten through her defenses. She looked down at her pink-tipped nails.

  She had seen male interest off and on in his gaze tonight. She wasn't immune. When he'd helped her with her coat and his fingers brushed her neck, the ripple of electricity had sent heat from her head to her toes.

  But none of that mattered. Her life was in transition. She couldn't get involved with anyone now even if she wanted to. And Richard's rejection had hurt her deeply. It had also opened her eyes. If a man wanted a family, she couldn't get involved with him.

  Lexa crossed her legs under the table. Her knee brushed Josh's. The look in his eyes made her search for a safe subject to discuss.

  "Do you and Clare always have such a...volatile relationship?"

  "If we can't talk things out, we shout them out." His grin spread across his lips. "It's always been that way."

  She and her father hadn't had a meaningful conversation in years and they'd certainly never shouted at each other. Maybe the Flannigans' Irish temperaments had something to do with it.

  "Why did you open a job counseling service?" Josh asked nonchalantly.

  Lexa could see through his questions. He still wasn't sure about her relationship with Clare. Maybe if she answered them, she could put his mind at ease. "When I was in college, I worked as a girl Friday in a social services office. The system is overloaded, overworked, bogged down in red tape. But what I had learned for myself was reinforced--work gives dignity and pride."

  "That's not merely a theory to you, is it?"

  His eyes caught hers, trapped them and compelled her to answer. "No. My dad wouldn't let me work when I was in high school. I felt he was denying me a right."

  "Why didn't he want you to work?"

  "I don't know. He said he worked hard to provide for us, and we should take advantage of it...enjoy being young. But I wanted a job. Anything. The summer after freshman year at college, I took a waitressing job."

  "How did your father react?" Josh's interest seemed genuine.

  "He couldn't or wouldn't understand my motivation. He couldn't understand why I didn't want to spend the summer at the country club swimming and playing tennis like Dani–my sister. But I didn't want to do that."

  "Is your sister older or younger?"

  "Younger." And she'd always been a handful. Lexa had seen her through more crises than she wanted to count.

  The strains of a popular ballad spilled from the speaker over her head.

  Josh wiped his mouth with his napkin and pushed his plate away. Then he leaned back and asked, "Would you like to dance?"

  Lexa considered for a moment. Dancing with Joshua Flannigan could be very risky business. Should she take the risk?

  CHAPTER THREE

  Josh was taking a risk and he knew it. He was attracted to Lexa though he still didn't understand what she was all about. But she touched him. He wanted to hold her in his arms. So this was an experiment. Possibly a dangerous one, but an experiment nonetheless.

  She started to shake her head. "I really should get home."

  He stood and held out his hand. "One dance."

  Lexa took Josh's hand, stood, and let him guide her away from the table.

  He surrounded her with his arm while he tucked her hand into his chest. His cheek brushed her hair and he caught his breath. She was soft, perfumed, feminine. So feminine his senses reeled. It had been a long while since he'd held a woman like this, wanting to keep her in his arms for more than a minute. Somehow the past few years, finding a long loving relationship hadn't seemed worth the trouble.

  His body tightened. Uh-oh. This experiment was turning serious. He released her slightly and leaned back to look into her incredibly brown eyes. "Do you do this often?"

  "What? Dance with a strange man in a bar?"

  He grinned. "I beg your pardon. This is not a bar, it's a pub. And I'm certainly not a strange man, though you'd better not ask Clare her opinion. If I were strange, I'm sure you wouldn't be dancing with me."

  As his thighs brushed against hers and his chest grazed her breasts, he saw her swallow hard. She asked, "Is dancing what we're doing?"

  He dipped her back until she almost lost her balance and then pulled her up. "Yep. That's what we're doing--dancing. Relax and enjoy the music."

  Who was he to tell her to relax? Josh thought. He must be crazy. With his body pressed against hers, her breath quickening, the intoxicating experience of having a soft, lovely woman in his arms, how could he relax?

  He closed his eyes for a moment, simply enjoying the sensation he knew he'd have to soon bring to an end. She was a career woman, a busy woman. He wanted scads of children and a wife who would enjoy taking care of them. He was beginning to believe that elusive lady was a figment of his imagination.

  Their bodies melded magically, moved smoothly, became acquainted. He rubbed his chin along her ear. "You're a very sexy lady."

  She raised her head and there were doubts in her eyes.

  "You are."

  They seemed to be frozen in time. Her eyes flickered with emotion and he saw indecision. He sensed that she could put a man off with a look if she wanted to. She was responding to him and he wanted to keep her responding. He wanted to kiss that beautiful, curvy pink mouth...

  Damn! What was he doing? He didn't know her. She didn't know him. This could only lead one place and though that might be satisfactory for one night, he suddenly realized it wasn't what he was searching for.

  She must have sensed his change in mood. Raising her head, her gaze asked what he wanted.

  Hell if he knew.

  She pulled her hand from his and stepped away. "I really have to go."

  He didn't disagree. But he also felt drawn to spend more time with Lexa. He took her coat from the hanger and held it for her. Like before. Only this time he didn't touch her. "You'll have to let me give you a tour of The Toy Tank some time."

  "Sure." She looked as if she wasn't certain it was a good idea.

  Josh left money on their table for their bill and tip and escorted Lexa to the door. There was an awkwardness between them that hadn't been there before. He didn't like it.

  As they walked back to the senior center, he said, "I saw Clare's property today."

  "You mean Friendship House?"

  Josh chuckled. "So they've named it."

  "What did you think?"

  The contractor had informed him the structure was sound, the insulation was adequate, the siding provided an almost maintenance-free exterior. The roof should last another ten years. "It's big. Four b
edrooms."

  "But there are three people. They'll fill it. You're still not sold on the idea, are you?"

  "It's a huge decision. And with the economy the way it is, Clare might not be able to sell her share if she wants out."

  "She might never want to sell it."

  That was true. Clare could live out the rest of her life happy and content in the old house. He was beginning to think about that possibility.

  At Lexa's car, Josh waited for her to unlock her door. "Remember, you have a free pass to tour The Toy Tank anytime."

  She smiled. "I'll remember."

  Josh shut the door for her once she was inside. Waiting until she turned the key in the ignition, he stepped away. Then he watched as she drove out of the parking lot.

  Would he see her again?

  ***

  Lexa pushed Josh's doorbell for the second time. Maybe she should just leave. The store manager had explained she'd just missed Josh. He'd left for the day. But Clare had told Lexa he lived in the apartment above the store.

  Lexa had thought about Josh for the past four days. She'd fully intended not to see him again. He could only make her life more complicated. But she'd intended to visit The Toy Tank anyway to see what she could use for the baby. And it would have been rude not to stop and say hello, wouldn't it?

  Lexa jabbed the doorbell a third time. Maybe he'd already left. She sighed with relief and turned away, ready to descend the steps.

  The door swung open and she stared in amazement.

  Josh stood in front of her, hair sopping wet. Droplets of water dotted his broad bare shoulders, caught in swirls of black hair on his chest. His hand clutched a blue towel low on his hips. It didn't begin to cover his powerful thighs.

  "Lexa!"

  His hand went to the end of the towel tucked at his waist. "Come on in." When she hesitated, he took a few steps back. "Come on. You can make yourself comfortable. I just have to rinse off the rest of the soap. Give me five minutes."

  She stepped over the threshold having a difficult time dragging her eyes from his bare chest.

  Waving to the open area that consisted of an expansive living room with comfortable early furniture, a dining room and kitchen taking up a portion of the space, Josh repeated, "Five minutes."