“But remember you promised not to look until I put it all back together again. Remember?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“And no cheating when you go back home.”
“No cheating.” She pulled up to Caleb’s shop just as he came out the door carrying a red plastic box.
“Hey, you’re right on time,” he said as Jackson hopped out.
“Reporting for duty.” Jackson made a mock salute.
“Take this.” Caleb handed him the box, then leaned in the still-opened door. “Are you sticking around or—”
“No way.” She held up her paint-splotched hands. “I have to go home and finish a project, but I can pick him—”
“Why not just let Jackson stay until five? We’ll meet you at the town square.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Thanks.”
“Mom, will you bring Oliver?” Jackson called over Caleb’s shoulder. “Please!”
“Oliver?” Caleb looked confused—or maybe concerned.
“Jackson’s dog,” she told him. “Remember?”
He chuckled. “Oh, yeah.” He turned to Jackson. “I’d like to meet this guy.”
“Is it okay to bring him for the celebration?” Jackson asked hopefully.
“Sure, lots of people bring their dogs. Seaside is a very dog-friendly town. Well, as long as the dogs are people-friendly.”
“Oliver is really friendly,” Jackson assured him.
“Then you should definitely bring him.” Caleb grinned at Wendy.
Knowing she was stuck, Wendy reluctantly agreed.
“Thanks!” Jackson’s whole face lit up.
“See you at five.” She tried to hide her annoyance at being shanghaied by the two of them as she waved and drove away. On one hand, it was sort of sweet. But on the other hand, it was only going to make it harder when she eventually told Jackson that Oliver had to find a new home. But maybe Caleb wanted a dog.
It took her about an hour to finish up the kitchen cabinets, and as she stepped back to take in the whole thing, she couldn’t help but smile. Sure, it might not be for everyone, but she felt it was turning into a very pretty kitchen. Even the old white laminate countertop looked better next to the freshly painted cabinets. And with some careful staging with the Fiestaware dishes and a few charming beach items, it would be absolutely perfect.
As she cleaned herself up, Wendy felt more hopeful than she’d been in a long time. Things were getting done and lining up—maybe after the past few years of heartache and disappointment, she and Jackson were finally about to get ahead in life. Maybe even by Christmas. It felt like God was finally smiling down upon them—like there was a light at the end of their long, dark tunnel. Sure, maybe the glow wasn’t shining here in Seaside . . . but it was out there somewhere.
eleven
WENDY DUG AROUND in the pile of clothes that she still hadn’t hung back in her closet after painting her bedroom. She wanted something festive and fun to wear to tonight’s celebration, but knowing it was getting pretty chilly out, she decided to go for warmth. Remembering the old sweater she’d salvaged from a pile of clothes in the storage room, she decided to give it a try. She suspected the fisherman knit cardigan had been Poppa’s since it looked too big for her petite grandmother. Slipping it on, she immediately loved the oversized garment, which had softened with age. And it actually looked rather stylish with her best jeans and favorite pair of dark brown boots. To dress it up, she added a red plaid scarf around her neck, as well as some silver earrings. Nothing fancy, but suitable, she felt, for Seaside. And instead of her usual no-nonsense ponytail, she brushed out her long dark hair and let it hang loose.
She was about to leave when she remembered her promise to Jackson regarding Oliver. She’d found a bag of old red and blue bandanas, which she planned to recycle into curtains and accents in Jackson’s room, and decided to utilize one now. Oliver didn’t even mind as she tied a red one around his neck, then hooked up his new red leash. “Aren’t you a pretty boy?” she said as he leaped up into the back of the car. She continued to talk to him as she drove to town. “You’ll probably be the life of the party,” she said as she let him out. “Well, as long as you mind your manners. If you don’t, I’ll bring you straight back to the car.”
But Oliver didn’t look the least concerned as she led him down Main Street. He walked right next to her as if he’d been trained. And with his jaunty red bandana and tail held high, Wendy couldn’t help but smile as they got closer to the city square where people were gathered for the tree-lighting ceremony.
“You brought him!” Jackson exclaimed as he and Caleb joined her. “And you even dressed him up.” He hugged her then took the leash. “Thanks, Mom!”
“Nice-looking dog you got there.” Caleb grinned at her. “And you’re not so bad either.”
“Thanks . . . I think.” A warm rush ran through her at his offhanded compliment.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand. “I’ve got a place saved over there. You can see everything.” He led her, Jackson, and Oliver to a concrete retaining wall where a tartan blanket was spread out. “Have a seat.” He handed her a paper cup. “Hot cocoa to warm your hands and your tummy.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m going back for another cookie,” Jackson told Wendy. “You guys want some? They have ginger cookies, Mom.”
“That sounds great!”
“I’ll take one too,” Caleb said.
With cocoa in hand, Wendy sat on the blanket, then turned to Caleb. “Thanks for telling us about this. It’s really fun.”
“Small-town life can grow on you.” He sat next to her. “There was a time when I thought I needed the big city, but it didn’t take too long before I figured out there was no place like home.”
She smiled. “So you clicked your heels together?”
“Something like that.” He nodded to the stage where musicians were starting to play “Deck the Halls.” “That’s the Seaside High band. Not very big, but the band director is pretty talented. He gets the best out of these kids.”
“They sound good.”
“The dance team will do a number and then, after some speeches and hoopla, Santa will show up and push the magical button that will light up the tree.” He pointed to the tall evergreen next to the stage.
“How exciting!” she said with mock enthusiasm.
“Shortly after that happens, I have to make a sprint back to my store and get ready to turn on my Christmas lights. Santa will introduce the Sugar Plum Fairy, and when that dance is over, Santa will push another magic button and the whole town will light up at exactly 5:30. Or thereabouts. Not everyone’s watches are perfectly synchronized.”
“Amazing.” She grinned.
“Yes, it’s all rather magical.” He took a sip of cocoa. “Same thing every year, but the crowd loves it. After everything is all lit up, we sing carols and eat cookies for a while. And that’s it.” He glanced up at the sky. “Sometimes it’s freezing cold or snowing and we don’t last too long. But tonight’s not so bad.” He touched her sweater sleeve. “Hope that’s as warm as it looks.”
“It is.” She explained how she found it. “I think it was my grandpa’s.”
“Well, it looks great on you.”
Jackson was coming back with Oliver as well as Taylor and a smaller girl in tow. As Jackson doled out their cookies, Taylor introduced them to her little sister, Tessa. “Mom dropped us off before she went to work,” she explained. “I told her that maybe we could get a ride home with Jackson.” Her smile was a mixture of hope and mischief.
“Of course, we’ll give you girls a ride,” Wendy assured her. “No problem.”
“Great.” Taylor grinned. “And can Tessa stay with you guys while Jackson and I go over there to talk to our friends?”
Wendy wasn’t sure what to say, but seeing that the little girl was shivering, she agreed. “You look cold,” she told Tessa. “Let’s get you up here.” She bent down to help, but before she could, Caleb swooped the lit
tle girl up, setting her between them on the retaining wall.
“We’ll all snuggle up next to you,” he told Tessa. “That should keep you warm.”
“Have you been to the lighting celebration before?” Wendy asked Tessa, lifting up the back of the blanket like a shawl on the little girl’s back.
“No.” Tessa shook her head.
“Did you know that Santa’s supposed to show up here tonight?” Caleb asked.
“Really?” Tessa’s eyes grew wide.
“He’s the one who makes everything light up,” Caleb told her.
“Can I talk to him?” Tessa asked hopefully.
Wendy looked over her head to Caleb. “Can she?” she mouthed.
“For sure. All the kids are invited to visit with Santa afterward,” he assured Tessa. “The smart kids get in line before the celebration is over.”
“Can I do that too?” she asked.
“You bet,” Wendy told her. The music grew louder, and then, just like clockwork, the program unfolded pretty much as Caleb had described. After the tree burst into light, amid cheers and applause, Caleb slipped away. The Sugar Plum Fairy did her dance and Santa pushed the next “magic button.” Everyone watched as the whole darkened town lit up—from the gas station clear down to the docks—with thousands of lights. It was so beautiful that it literally took Wendy’s breath away. She was tempted to pull out her phone and attempt some photos, but she didn’t want to spoil the moment with electronics. Better to just enjoy it for what it was. Who knew if she’d ever see it again?
Shortly after Caleb returned, while they were singing carols, Wendy noticed some of the smaller children already lining up near Santa’s sled. “Let’s go,” she whispered to Tessa. “Time to see Santa.” As they waited in line, Wendy spotted Jackson and Taylor, along with several other kids their age. Oliver, looking dapper in his red bandana, appeared to be the center of attention. It was fun seeing Jackson smiling and socializing—having a good time. In fact, the scene was so sweet and wholesome that it nearly brought tears to Wendy’s eyes. She understood why Jackson loved this place. If only . . .
“Jackson probably didn’t get a chance to tell you that he accepted my invitation for dinner,” Caleb told her while Tessa climbed onto Santa’s lap.
She blinked. “You’re taking Jackson to dinner?”
“He accepted for both of you.” Caleb grinned. “He mentioned your kitchen was a mess and that cooking might be a challenge tonight.”
“Maybe, but I think we can work it out.” She nodded toward Tessa. “Besides I promised to give the girls a ride and—”
“Go ahead and take them home. Then you and Jackson can swing over to my place. It’s not too far from where you live.”
“You know where I live?”
“Seaside is a small world, Wendy.” He winked. “Besides Jackson told me.”
“Sounds like my son told you a lot.”
“As a matter of fact, he did. He also told me that you like seafood.”
“That’s true.” It was also true that, since she’d only had an apple for lunch, she was ravenous. Not that she planned to admit to it. Instead, she thanked him, accepting the invite. He told her where he lived, less than a mile from the cottage, just as Tessa’s Santa visit wrapped up. Wendy was imagining prawns and oysters and salmon as she delivered Tessa and Taylor home, but by the time she stopped at the cottage to drop off the dog, Jackson pulled the plug on her daydream.
“I really don’t want to leave Oliver home alone,” he informed her. They were on the front porch, waiting for the dog to do his “business” in the yard. “And I doubt the restaurant allows dogs.”
“He’ll be just fine on his own,” she assured him.
“I don’t know, Mom. I mean he’s still getting used to us. He might feel left out. Like Taylor says, he’s probably got some abandonment issues.”
She tried not to laugh. “Just feed him, tell him you love him, and that you’ll be home before long. Trust me, he’ll probably sleep the whole time we’re gone.”
“Maybe . . . But that’s not all. I need to put my room back together. My bed and my stuff are still piled at the top of the stairs. I’d rather just stay home.”
Wendy envisioned her delicious seafood dinner going up in a puff of smoke. “Then I better call Caleb and tell him we can’t make—”
“No—you should go, Mom. Caleb will be disappointed if we both bail on him.”
“But you need some dinner and—”
“I’ll fix myself something to eat. And Caleb will understand. I’ll feel guilty if you don’t go because of me.”
“But I don’t—”
“Please, Mom. Just go have some dinner with him. I’ll feel better if you do.”
“Well, I won’t promise anything, but since I don’t have his phone number, I better at least go tell him what’s up.” She opened the front door, reminding Jackson to lock up. As she drove the short distance to Caleb’s house, she was determined to beg out on dinner tonight. But when she found his place, one of the older beach cabins and similar to hers, Caleb opened the door with a wide smile.
“Dinner is almost ready.”
She felt confused. “What do you mean?”
“Chef Caleb at your service.” He led her inside, where the smell of something delicious wafted toward her. “I got lobster, crab, mussels, and shrimp down at the dock this morning. I’m making a big pot of seafood stew.” He peered out the door. “Where’s Jackson?”
She explained about Jackson’s concern for Oliver. “So I was going to ask for a rain check.” She sniffed the air. “But that smells so good . . . I don’t know.”
“Jackson can bring Oliver over here.” Caleb waved a hand toward the spacious great room. “This place is dog-friendly. Call him and insist that he come.”
As she retrieved her phone, Wendy surveyed the attractive room. Gleaming wood floors, open-beam ceilings, a big stone fireplace, large leather sectional, and several pieces of handcrafted wood furnishings. “What a gorgeous room.”
“Thank you.”
“Looks like you’ve done some major remodeling.” She pushed speed dial. “From the outside it looks similar to my cottage, but inside . . . well, it’s completely different. Really beautiful.”
“Yeah, I took out some walls to open it up.”
Jackson answered and she quickly relayed Caleb’s invitation for Oliver. “I can come get you and—”
“I just made a big turkey sandwich and—”
“But you could save it for—”
“You stay and eat with Caleb, Mom. Oliver and I are fine at home. Besides, I’m kinda tired. I might go to bed early, you know, after I get my room together.”
She persisted a bit more, but knew by his tone that his mind was made up. As she put away her phone, she grew suspicious. Was this simply a ploy? Had Jackson schemed for her to have dinner alone with Caleb? Since when did he want to go to bed early? She wondered if Caleb was involved.
“Jackson wants to stay home,” she said as she joined Caleb in the kitchen. “And now I’m starting to think that something is fishy.”
Caleb laughed. “You mean besides my stew?”
She studied his expression as she unbuttoned her heavy cardigan. “It feels almost like a setup. Did you have anything to do with it?”
Caleb looked innocently at her. “Moi?”
She frowned, but decided not to obsess as she studied his updated kitchen. Concrete countertops, gorgeous wood cabinets, and appliances that were state-of-the-art. “Are you a serious cook?” she asked.
“Serious?” He shrugged. “I like good food. As a bachelor, I don’t like eating out all the time. So I taught myself to cook.” He pointed to the big pot where all the wonderful smells were coming from. “This is Nana’s seafood stew recipe, been in the family for generations.” He held up a loaf of artisan bread and a bottle of sparkling cider. “You add these ingredients and you have a simple but delicious meal.”
She glanced over to t
he dining area, relieved to see that three place settings were already on the beautiful live-edge table. “I guess we won’t need this.” She picked up one of the settings, placing it on the counter. “So maybe you and Jackson didn’t scheme after all.” She smiled. “Forgive my suspicions.”
Caleb chuckled as he sliced the bread. “Well, it was a natural assumption. And I’m probably not above a bit of manipulation when it comes to getting a date with you.”
“So this is a date?”
He laughed. “Call it whatever you like, Wendy. But the stew is ready. Want to bring those bowls over here?”
Before long they were enjoying what was probably the best meal she’d had in years. Whether it was the good food or the good company, she could tell her guard was going down. But the more they visited, the more she realized that Caleb knew more about her than she knew of him.
“Sounds like you’ve been doing your research,” she said as he set a second bowl of fisherman’s stew before her.
“Jackson’s a good conversationalist.”
“But it puts me at a disadvantage. Or maybe I should interrogate my son about you.”
“I’m pretty much an open book. If you want to know anything—just ask away.”
“I do have one question . . . How is it that a guy like you—a superb cook who lives in a gorgeous home—has not been snatched up by now?” She studied him closely.
He shrugged. “Well, it’s not that I haven’t had opportunity.”
“Obviously. I mean, I’ve seen Crystal.”
He wrinkled his nose. “She’s not my type.”
“What is your type?”
His eyes twinkled. “What do you think?”
She felt her cheeks grow warm. “I think the rumors I’ve heard are true.”
“What rumors?”
“That you’re a confirmed bachelor.”
He laughed. “Maybe so.”
“So are you saying you’ve never met a woman who was your type?”
“No, I’m not saying that.” He took another piece of bread. “There was someone.”
“Aha.” She nodded. “Tell me more.”
“Maggie Stewart.” His tone grew wistful. “She was a local girl. Very sweet and pretty. The kind of person who could light up a room when she entered. To be honest, she was my first love, but I was pretty shy back then. And Maggie Stewart was so popular and so sure of herself . . . well, I knew she was out of my league—so I sort of worshiped her from afar.”
A Christmas by the Sea Page 10