A Riverwalk Christmas: Four-in-One Collection

by Elizabeth Goddard, Martha Rogers, Lynette Sowell

  Back at her apartment, Ecko held the door for him as he helped her lug packages into the living room. She’d offered to wrap the presents for Marcy’s granddaughter. Stepping through the door to leave, he stood under the mistletoe she’d hung, his breath coming in white puffs—surprising for San Antonio.

  Ecko stood on the porch and closed the door behind her to keep the cold out of her apartment. She clung to the hope that she could restore the magic she’d felt all day. “Any chance I can be with you when you take the gifts?”

  Hands tucked in his black leather jacket, he smiled. “I’d like that. I have to find out when it’s convenient though, so I’ll call you.” He stared down at her, the shadows preventing Ecko from reading his expression.

  She wished she could read his mind. Because they’d shared a small kiss earlier, she didn’t believe he needed the mistletoe for a hint now. But she allowed her gaze to drift up until she saw the greenery above.

  Joshua tugged her to him and planted his lips on hers. He lingered this time. She breathed in the scent of him, wishing they could remain like this forever, but too soon the cold nipped, and she allowed herself to ease away.

  “Good night, Eliza Connors.” Joshua winked then made his way down the steps.

  When he disappeared around the corner, Ecko released a content sigh.

  Oh, Daddy. If this is anything like what you feel for Laura, how can I blame you for wanting to be with her always?

  Later that evening, Ecko sat on the floor writing out Christmas cards at the coffee table while she watched It’s a Wonderful Life. She’d finished wrapping the gifts. Only eleven more days until Christmas. She was beginning to worry that she didn’t get the job she’d interviewed for, after all. In the meantime, she’d sent out quite a few résumés and contacted people she knew in the business to no avail.

  The holidays weren’t exactly the best time to be job hunting. Oh, she felt confident she could land a position somewhere—but it might not be in San Antonio. And if that happened, she wouldn’t be closer to Daddy. Of course, he would soon be a newlywed and wouldn’t even miss her. Why should he? She hadn’t even told him of her plans.

  Then there was Joshua. What had distracted him during their shopping? Ecko sighed and rested her head in her palms, watching the movie. If she had to leave San Antonio, she would never find out what could have been between them.

  She groaned inside. Who was she kidding? She was worrying about something that hadn’t happened yet.

  The next morning, her cell rang at seven thirty.

  Lord, please let this be the call I need.

  One look at the caller ID and, though it wasn’t Chris Barnett with a job offer, her heart leaped. “Joshua?”

  “Good morning. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

  “Not at all. I’m researching potential employers, considering I haven’t heard back from the other.”

  “I made arrangements to take the gifts to Marcy this afternoon. It should only take an hour or so and then I have to get back to work. I can’t believe that with only ten days left, we have at least twenty new customers wanting lights.”

  Ecko heard both excitement and distress in his words. “Oh, Joshua. That’s wonderful!”

  “Can you be ready at twelve thirty?”

  “Of course.” After he ended the call, Ecko stared at her cell, marveling at the miracle of their whirlwind relationship.

  She could hear Daddy now, repeating to her the very same words she’d said to him. Isn’t that fast?

  By early afternoon, Eliza rode next to Joshua as he drove through a neighborhood of older homes. She held several gifts in her lap, while others were stashed in the backseat of his truck. While he drove, he answered her questions about his business. The tone in his voice told her everything—he loved his work. But it went deeper than that—Joshua Sheppard was for real.

  He pulled up to the curb in front of a small frame house in need of another coat of white paint. “This is it,” he said, flashing her a grin.

  Her heart lurched. That he would go to such great lengths to help a stranger in need!

  By now, of course, Marcy and her granddaughter had become more than strangers to Joshua. The way he spoke of them, they sounded like family. As he assisted Ecko from the truck, holding the gifts, she gave him a side glance.

  Funny. He never talked about his real family. But then, she hadn’t told him about Daddy, either. Ecko frowned. The decision to withhold her real name hadn’t been the right one no matter how much difficulty her breakup with Brennan had caused. Keeping the truth from Joshua had been the wrong choice. But how would she tell him?

  “You ready?” Joshua held her hand as she climbed from his truck, clinging to two gifts—one the Madame Alexander doll. He would come back for the rest after letting Marcy know they’d arrived.

  He smiled, thinking about how much Eliza loved the doll. He could imagine her as a little girl. Instead of short hair, long golden curls would have hugged her face.

  Together, they strolled up the sidewalk to the little house. He’d see to painting once spring arrived. Though the house was small and run-down, Joshua was jealous of the warmth and love he’d felt inside upon his initial visit with Marcy—a far cry from the home he grew up in, though he knew his mother loved him.

  Joshua had only lifted his hand to knock when the door swung open. Marcy beamed at him then turned her smile on Eliza. “Come in, come in. I’m so glad you were able to come. A neighbor is willing to watch Maria this evening, and I’m going back to work.”

  Eliza walked into the home ahead of Joshua.

  “That’s wonderful news. Please, let me know if there’s anything else I can do,” he said.

  “Mr. Joshua, you’ve done more than enough.” Marcy appeared embarrassed. “I only allow your help”—her eyes teared up—“for my granddaughter’s sake.”

  “I’m so glad you did, Marcy,” Eliza said. “I picked something out that I hope she’ll love as much as I did when I was a little girl.”

  Marcy smiled at her behind moisture-rimmed eyes. She took both Eliza’s hands in hers and gazed at Joshua as though giving him her approval. He and Marcy hadn’t known each other long, but she could read him well. In fact, he thought she might even love him like a son. Maybe one day he would take her to meet his mother.

  Suddenly, all eyes turned to Maria—a frail little creature with long black hair—standing in the doorway. “Abuela?”

  Marcy rushed to her. “You remember Mr. Joshua? He’s brought a special friend. They’ve brought you presents.”

  “Would it be all right if Maria opened at least the one present before Christmas? I would so love to see.” Eliza’s soft, pleading eyes would easily persuade Marcy, Joshua thought.

  With a smile, Marcy nodded her agreement and guided the little girl to a chair. Eliza handed the gift to Maria, whose eyes filled with wonder. Appearing to have difficulty opening the package, Eliza gently helped her rip at the tape and folds until the paper finally gave way. She held the box up so that Maria could see the doll inside.

  Maria took the box, her face lighting up. “A doll, Abuela!”

  “I thought you might like it,” Eliza said. “Here, let me remove it from the box for you.”

  After freeing the doll, Eliza handed it to Maria. Tugging the doll gently to her, Maria cradled its head in the crook of her neck. “She’s beautiful just like you. I’ll keep her forever and ever because she’ll remind me of you. I want to name her after you. What is your name again?”

  Eliza appeared startled at the question, and her smile melted into a slight frown. She glanced up at Joshua, an unreadable emotion in her eyes.

  Before Ecko could think of how to answer the precious little girl, her cell phone rang. A glance at the caller ID sent her heart soaring.

  “Yes!” She bolted upright almost too fast. “I’m sorry for the interruption, but this is the call I’ve been waiting for.”

  She sent an apologetic look Joshua’s way, believing he would
understand, and saw warmth in his eyes. Stepping outside, she answered, “Eliza Connors.”

  “Miss Connors. We’ve made a decision. The job is yours if you can complete our test assignment satisfactorily.”

  Chapter 6

  Back at her apartment, Ecko stared at the e-mail explaining her test assignment. To think that she’d traveled from Kansas City to San Antonio for an interview with this publication. She’d wanted this job. And now, she needed this job.

  But as she read through the assignment, her spirits sagged. Her hopes slowly bled out her feet. They wanted her to write what appeared to be nothing more than a smear campaign. If she didn’t take this assignment, she wouldn’t get this job. Her dreams of living in San Antonio near Daddy would die, and now she had a new dream—to be near Joshua Sheppard.

  “It’s just a stepping-stone, after all. I can always work up to something better,” she murmured.

  Why were things always so complicated? Chocolate was in order. She unwrapped several pieces of candy until she had had her fill. Decision time.

  Ecko drew in a breath then replied to the e-mail, agreeing to the assignment. Once she agreed, Chris would e-mail the final details. Apparently, he wasn’t about to share any news or gossip tidbits with her until receiving confirmation from her.

  Within a few minutes, she received his answer. He’d heard a rumor that Giselle Honors would soon marry, and, though the ex-model had hoped to keep things quiet, the San Antonio Sun would expose everything.

  For what seemed like several minutes, Ecko sat in stunned silence. Oh, Daddy. What have you gotten yourself into?

  Ecko rested her head in her arms on the table and sobbed. Once the tears subsided, she went to the bathroom and tugged several tissues from the box to wipe her nose and eyes.

  “Lord, please show me what to do here. I have no direction. Help Daddy, too. I’m scared for him.”

  Sitting at the table, she faced her laptop again. Ecko had never for an instant considered what marrying a celebrity, even one from days gone by, could do to a person’s private life. In fact, her own life could be under scrutiny once Daddy was married. Of course, Ecko would refuse to complete the assignment, given the circumstances, but now that she’d accepted it, she wasn’t certain of the repercussions for declining after the fact.

  She admitted, too, that she probably couldn’t regard herself as much of a human interest journalist since she’d not done any research on Daddy’s fiancée. While she considered how best to decline the assignment, she utilized a search engine to find out more about Giselle Honors.

  After several pages, she found only one small reference to Laura Kimball, which was surprising. It wouldn’t be long before the media dragged out her real name. Another name caught her attention.

  This time, Ecko stood from the chair and backed away.

  No … This can’t be.

  Joshua Sheppard is Giselle Honor’s son?

  Sitting on the sofa with swollen eyes, Ecko stared numbly at the television game show. She’d lost her job before she had even begun. The time had come for her to be up front with Daddy. But explaining would be difficult because a good part of her story involved his fiancée.

  Again, she wondered if his decision was the right one. But then, it wasn’t really hers to make.

  There was the matter of Joshua, whom she’d fallen in love with. She knew that now beyond a doubt. Otherwise, why did she hurt so much? Joshua hadn’t been up front with her about who he really was. He’d seen the bottle of Giselle—could have told her then. She recalled his reaction and knew now that the perfume had put him into the dark mood. Were he and his mother estranged?

  She squeezed a pillow to her face and screamed, then slid over until she lay on her side. How could she blame him when she’d been equally dishonest? What a mess.

  Ecko prayed silently for answers and drifted to sleep.

  The familiar ring of her cell pulled her awake. It was Daddy. Though she wasn’t prepared to talk to him, she answered anyway.

  “Baby, so glad I caught you. I know this is last-minute, but can you join me? I want to introduce you to Laura. We’ve just been so busy lately; I’m sorry I couldn’t get you two together sooner.”

  “Oh, Daddy. Something’s come up.”

  Daddy’s breath caught. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  Ecko thought about how best to share her disappointing news. News that involved Daddy’s fiancée and their wedding plans. In a public setting, Ecko could better keep her emotions in check. “Can you meet me somewhere?”

  Daddy hesitated. Ecko hadn’t ever known him to do that.

  “Can you tell me on the phone?”

  “Remember when you knew it was best to tell me in person? This is one of those times.”

  “Okay, I’ll have to give Laura an excuse. You’re the most important woman in my life. La Paloma at seven?”

  “Oh, Daddy, Laura will soon be your wife. I’m not so insecure that you can’t admit how important she is to you. I’ll see you at seven.”

  “I love you. You know that will never change,” he said.

  Joshua’s pulse hammered in his neck.

  Finally. Standing just outside the den, he’d once again stumbled upon Tom expressing his affections for another woman. The man didn’t even have the brains to keep his indiscretions private.

  “I’ll have to give Laura an excuse. You’re the most important woman in my life. La Paloma at seven?”—a pause for what Joshua presumed was the woman’s response, then—“I love you. You know that will never change.”

  The words burned in his mind, just as they had before. He squeezed his fists, wanting nothing more than to march into the den and pummel Tom Lewis.

  “Joshua, what a pleasant surprise,” his mother said as she descended the ornate staircase. “What brings you here today?”

  He’d come to speak with her about Marcy, but with his temper raging, now wasn’t the time. “I’m sorry. I’ve just been called away.” He pecked her lightly on the cheek. “I’ll be in touch.”

  His mother’s brow creased, and she opened her mouth to object, but he was out the door before she could speak. Speeding away toward the Riverwalk, Joshua planned to be there in time to witness Tom with the other woman. Confront him. Despite his fury, the corner of his mouth curved when he remembered the last time he’d tried to catch Tom.

  He’d collided with Eliza—journalist extraordinaire. He was so proud of her for landing her dream job. It would mean, too, that she could stay in San Antonio. An answer to his prayers.

  For that, he supposed he could thank Tom and his indiscretions—an irony, really. Eliza was the woman of his dreams.

  As he parked near the Rivercenter Mall to begin his surveillance, memories of shopping with Eliza flooded his mind. He recalled little Maria’s expression when she saw the doll Eliza had chosen for her.

  A pang squeezed his chest. In his kindness toward Marcy and her granddaughter, Joshua knew he was merely exhibiting his Christianity, but not in his treatment of Tom. Still …

  Lord, I must protect my mother.

  Once inside La Paloma restaurant, he produced a large bill, allowing him to choose a table in a dark corner. From his perch, he could easily watch Tom Lewis. It was only six thirty, so he ordered a coffee and waited, the smells of Tex-Mex taunting him. He refused to give in, instead focusing on his task.

  With less than two weeks until the wedding, this would most likely be his last opportunity. In fact, once he confronted Tom, catching him meeting with the other woman, perhaps Joshua could reason with the man to gently back out of his engagement, sparing Joshua’s mother from the hurt and embarrassment of yet another failed engagement.

  The media would have a feeding frenzy. Of that, he had no doubt. The crowd began to grow, pleasing Joshua because the throng would better hide him. Still, he tugged his cap lower and sipped his coffee.

  Then he saw Tom. Joshua’s pulsed raced. Tom strode between the tables, the hostess leading him to one at the
opposite end of the large dining room. Good. Joshua remained out of Tom’s line of sight, but he would still be able to see Tom.

  He watched Tom order. The man left his menu on the table and kept glancing at the restaurant entrance, expecting to see his mistress.

  Watching Tom, Joshua clenched his coffee cup.

  His waitress approached. “Sir, can I get you something else?”

  The look on her face told him she wasn’t pleased at having to give up a table for a customer only wanting coffee. She stood in Joshua’s view, and when she moved, he spotted Tom standing to greet someone. She was wearing a hooded coat—pretty, like something Eliza would wear—and had her back to Joshua so he couldn’t make out the woman. But it didn’t matter.

  He bolted from the corner and marched toward Tom, maneuvering between the tables. He’d reached the middle of the room when he saw the woman remove her hood and coat then slide into the booth to face Tom.

  Almost mid-stride, Joshua froze. Cold shock slammed his gut.

  He might as well have been thrown into the river again.

  “Eliza?”

  But she hadn’t heard his heart’s cry over the multitude of patrons. Joshua fled the restaurant.

  Chapter 7

  Ecko wasn’t sure when she’d been so relieved to see Daddy. Just being in his presence comforted her, giving her a sense of security. And yet, she still had to share the horrible news.

  “Ecko, what’s wrong?” He reached over the table and gripped her hands.

  Don’t, cry. Don’t cry. Feeling the tears behind her eyes, she couldn’t meet his gaze. “I don’t know where to start.”

  “I can’t remember when I’ve seen you so upset. What could be so bad?”

  Ecko knew exactly when Daddy had seen her this upset—when she and Brennan broke off their engagement. She made the decision. Ecko had waited until the day before the wedding, and Brennan was furious. His pride shattered and reputation ruined—at least from his point of view. Ecko wasn’t sure she’d recovered from the aftermath.