The Christmas Catch

by Ginny Baird

  She took a sip of coffee as sunlight streamed through the windows. It was still windy outdoors, but the mid-January snow had abated despite the freezing temperatures. A vague sound buzzed upstairs and she heard something thumping down the steps. Christine looked up to see Tyler headed downstairs, his tiny cell in one hand, dog-eared Jasper in the other. “Good morning, Sunshine!” she called happily from her stool.

  “Do I have school today?” he asked sleepily.

  “Yes baby, you do. But first,” she said, standing, “you’re in for a treat.”

  “Huh?” he asked warily.

  “I made homemade blueberry muffins.”

  He squinted his eyes. “You’re cooking before dinner?”

  Christine spurted a laugh and set a hand on her hip. “Your mom’s a pretty capable woman.”

  He studied her for a prolonged beat. “I thought so, but wasn’t sure.”

  He had such a way to fill her with confidence, Christine thought jovially. She was happy inside, happier than she’d been in a long time. Maybe she didn’t need a college professor to make her feel it, but it likely had helped that he’d pointed the way. Until Christine went to Vermont, it was like a part of her lay dormant, just waiting to be reawakened. Though her initial parting from John had left a bitter taste in her mouth, Christine realized after a while that she was the type who used lemons to make lemonade. Perhaps knowing John had been bittersweet, but being with him while reconnecting with Tyler would pay dividends for months to come. She not only got along better with her son, she’d gained additional confidence in herself. Confidence that she could do anything she put her mind to, given enough time. The future is long indeed, she thought with a melancholy smile.

  John waited in Ellen’s office with Mason, hoping he wasn’t being an egregious fool. But, the more he’d thought about it, the more right this step seemed. John wasn’t a reckless man. He weighed everything carefully, considered all the angles. And every way he posed the question, the answer came up the same. His semester started on Tuesday and he’d put off coming here until the last minute, needing to ensure everything was in place.

  John twisted Christine’s red Christmas scarf in his hands, wishing with all his might that she’d be glad to see him. Both Ellen and Carlos had assured him she would. Then again, those two were turning out to be incurable romantics. He’d been pleasantly surprised by Carlos’s sudden attachment to vivacious Ellen. He’d never seen the old boy fall quite so fast, or so hard. Of course, she seemed fairly well smitten with Carlos too. What serendipity that Ellen had joined Christine in Vermont at the last minute. Sometimes the fates really knew what they were doing.

  John felt a rash of heat at his neck, realizing that this was the big time. He was more nervous now than when he’d defended his dissertation. He hoped he could turn that fear into a focused delivery. Yeah, he’d been a total jerk, and he knew it. He was fully prepared to apologize for it. Hell, even grovel. If that’s what it took for Christine to give him half a chance.

  Christine dropped Tyler at preschool and headed for the office. It was a little unusual for Ellen to call a personal meeting at nine o’clock. Generally her friend reserved individual conferences for after lunch. Mornings were good for settling in, answering phone calls and e-mails, and meeting with the general staff. Ellen also liked to give her people a few extra hours to polish any mock-ups they were working on before discussing them one-on-one. The funny thing was, as far as she knew, Christine didn’t have anything specific to talk to Ellen about. Her projects were humming along fine and she’d kept her personal ambitions separate. Ellen didn’t know she was planning to go out on her own, and keeping things to herself seemed the best policy right now. Given that Christine wouldn’t be leaving the company tomorrow, there was no point in upsetting any applecarts with distant future plans.

  Christine breezed into the lobby of her skyscraper building, her coat collar turned up against the cold. For the life of her, she wished she could recall where she’d left her favorite scarf, but she’d given up looking, thinking she must have forgotten it on the plane. She pressed the elevator button with a gloved hand, mentally going through a checklist of all she had to do today. The schedule was so tight, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to make time for lunch. It was a good thing she and Tyler had shared a healthy breakfast. It had been great sitting in the kitchen with her little man and making cordial early morning conversation. Christine didn’t know where that grumpy other person she’d been had gone, but she didn’t want her returning any time soon.

  When Christine reached the tenth floor, she was surprised to see Ellen standing outside her office door chatting with the secretary. Normally Ellen was nose-to-the-grindstone hard at work by eight o’clock and didn’t take a breather until noon.

  “Hi, Ellen. Good morning, Sarah,” Christine said to the secretary, who gave her a dopey smile. Though she was acting a bit loopy, Christine cut her slack. She was only nineteen and had probably picked up a new boyfriend. This girl traded boyfriends like some people exchanged hasty purchases. Christine used to find it fitting that Sarah was Ellen’s secretary, given Ellen’s similar penchant for variety. Now, however, it appeared Ellen’s shopping days were done.

  “Let me just drop my things in my office and I’ll be right there,” Christine told Ellen as she passed her by.

  “Take your time,” Ellen said, shooting Sarah a sly smile. “Just don’t take too long.”

  Christine wrinkled her nose, thinking Ellen was acting strange. Did she smell something going on, or was she just imagining it? She dumped her purse, coat, and gloves on the loveseat in her office, and headed back the other way. Sometimes you just didn’t know with Ellen. She could be the most wonderful person in the world. But she had a sneaky side, too. Like when she’d broadsided Christine with that vacation in Vermont.

  She approached Ellen’s office, then suddenly stopped. Both Ellen and Sarah studied her weirdly. Christine turned a suspicious eye on Ellen, and then on Sarah.

  “Is something going on?”

  “No,” Ellen said, a bit too emphatically.

  “Not at all!” Sarah chimed in, focusing on her computer.

  Just then Christine heard a strange yelp. For the life of her, it sounded like a barking dog. She stared at Ellen, but Ellen just shrugged.

  “I don’t know,” she said mysteriously. “Maybe you should look and see?”

  Christine felt her face flash hot. She couldn’t possibly mean…?

  “Well, go on,” Ellen prodded. “Daylight’s burning.”

  Christine laid her hand on the doorknob, every ounce of her tingling from her head to her toes. She shot a quick glance at Ellen, then pressed forward, her heart pounding. It was a vision so surreal she had to blink hard to ensure it wouldn’t fade away.

  “I must be some kind of absentminded professor,” John said, sitting in Ellen’s desk chair, Mason perched in his lap. “Because sometimes I forget things. You know, fail to get the details right.”

  Mason bounded to the floor and happily swaggered over to where Christine stood, dumbstruck. The dog sat expectantly by her side and looked up, wagging his tail. Christine patted his head and stared agape as John rose and walked forward.

  “Details?” she asked, her head reeling.

  “Like when I put together that business plan.”

  Christine felt as if she might faint, but was determined that she wouldn’t. She had to learn what John was doing here, and why he’d come all this way. It couldn’t really be about the paperwork, could it?

  “This is about the business plan?” she asked, confused.

  John stepped toward her. “I left something pretty important out.”

  “No, wait,” she said, collecting her presence of mind. “John, it was good. I actually read it. And you were right. It’s a way to get from A to Z…” She’d nearly forgotten how brilliant his eyes were, their gorgeous blue color offsetting his striking dark hair and handsome face. “Maybe not this year,” she continued, �
�or even the next. In fact, I’ve figured out that it will take at least five—”

  “And naturally, you’ll need a nanny.”

  “A nanny?” she asked as if she hadn’t considered it.

  “Starting a new business can be very intense. There’s no guarantee childcare hours could cover it.”

  “Well no, maybe not. I haven’t thought that far a—”

  “Perhaps you’d consider a tag-team approach?”

  “Tag team?”

  “Sure, you know. People do it all the time.”

  Christine thought quickly, but there was no one around here she could trust to watch Tyler after hours. There was only Ellen and she had her own life, after all. “I don’t think Ellen would be willing… What I mean is, that’s a lot to ask.”

  John’s lips turned up at the corners as he gave her a longing look. “I wasn’t talking about Ellen.” He amazed her by pulling her bright red Christmas scarf from behind his back. He now stood just inches away. Christine swallowed hard, her pulse racing. She felt hot, then cold, then warm all over.

  “You left this back in Vermont,” he said, his voice husky.

  “You came all the way to Chicago to return it?”

  “For that and something else.”

  She stared at him, her tender heart daring to hope.

  “Christine,” he said. “It wasn’t until after you’d gone that I realized what an idiot I’d been… what a terrible mess I’d made of everything.”

  “But I thought you said—”

  “Just one more minute. Please hear me out.” He shot her a pleading look that sent wild butterflies fluttering inside her. She felt like a child on Christmas morning about to get everything she’d wished for. “I never in a million years expected to meet a woman like you. I mean, I had women friends, sure. But somehow we never… clicked. Then one day this beautiful woman from Chicago nearly ran me off the road. Practically killed me, really.”

  “Hey!” she protested, but John pressed on.

  “But that was nothing next to the near-death I’ve experienced these past few weeks. I know we have distances to conquer and careers to plan for. But somehow when we’re together, everything fits. We’re good together, you and I. You, me—and Tyler.” Mason barked and John shot him a glance. “And uh, yeah, Mason, too.”

  Her spirit leapt with joy. She’d tried so hard to push all thoughts of a life with John out of her mind that she hadn’t realized how deeply she’d dreamt of one until now.

  He draped the scarf around her neck. “Christine, you made me happy too, more happy than I’ve ever been with anyone. I know I was a jerk in not telling you earlier, and I’m sorry. It just took me time to realize it myself. I had other things that I thought stood in the way, but I was wrong about that too. Please tell me there’s still a way to make things right?”

  Christine battled the heat in her eyes and forced out the words. “Just what are you saying?”

  “That I can’t imagine a life without you. I don’t want to envision my life without you. I believe there’s something good here. Something worth fighting for. I think that we stand a chance, Christine, of being together forever. I’m willing to give it my all, if you are. But here’s the thing…” He withdrew a small box from his pocket. “I need you with me, you and Tyler both, twenty-four-seven. Day in and day out. Long-distance won’t do.” John opened the box, exposing a glorious two-carat solitaire. Christine gasped with surprise and met his gaze, her eyes moist.

  “I know I haven’t done this exactly right,” he said, “but I hope you understand my intentions are sincere.”

  Christine spoke past the lump in her throat. “Yes, yes, I believe you.”

  He plucked the ring from the box and dropped to one knee as he took her hand.

  “I love you desperately, Christine, more desperately than I thought a man could love a woman. Come away with me to Vermont where we can be a family. Where we can build our dreams… But first, tell me you’ll be my bride.” He slid the ring on her finger and met her eyes with a hopeful gaze. “Say we have a future?”

  Christine fought for the words as tears streamed down her face. John was intelligent, loving, and kind. He was just the sort of man she’d always hoped would come and carry her away. Her, and her precious boy too. “The future is long,” she said with a shaky smile.

  John stood and asked tentatively. “Does that mean yes?”

  She nodded and he scooped her into his arms.

  “Oh John, I love you too.”

  “Whoohoo!” he said with a kiss.

  Epilogue

  Two years later, John set Tyler on his shoulders to crown their Christmas tree with a glistening star. A tiny toboggan ornament sat on a high branch nearby. Christine sighed contentedly, massaging her blooming belly. Last Christmas, they’d shared an intimate mistletoe wedding at Winterhaven. Next year, there’d be another stocking hanging from the mantel and Tyler would have a baby brother or sister. Christine couldn’t have imagined a better existence for herself. John was the perfect husband and father, and—with his support—she’d been able to launch her business early. With the New England countryside providing ample inspiration, she’d come up with a number of award-winning designs and her Internet company had taken off, profits skyrocketing. And to think, she owed it all to her pushy best friend who’d insisted she get away to pull her life together.

  Christine smiled at Ellen and Carlos, sipping their eggnogs by the fire.

  “I’m happy to see you finally broke down and got a Christmas tree,” Ellen quipped.

  “I had a little help,” Christine said, gazing lovingly at John.

  “Yeah, and Carlos has offered to help me take it down!”

  “I what?” Carlos sputtered, as the rest of the group burst out laughing.

  “You lazy old goat,” John said, ribbing. “Nobody can get you to do anything at Christmas but eat.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that’s exactly true,” Ellen said with a mysterious grin.

  Christine turned to her, her cheeks flushed with delight. “Ellen?”

  Ellen stretched out her left hand and a gemstone glistened on her ring finger.

  “Does this mean what I think?” Christine asked with pleased surprise.

  Ellen nodded triumphantly.

  John put Tyler down and patted Carlos’s shoulder. “Way to go, old man!”

  “He’s not so old,” Ellen said, her voice low and sexy.

  Carlos turned the color of Santa’s suit as Tyler looked cheerily around the room. This was just the Christmas card Christine wanted, she thought as John took her hand. The best part was she got to live it all year through. Tyler hugged Mason and the dog licked his face.

  “Merry Christmas, everybody!” the boy said, his cheeks aglow.

  Mason barked twice.

  The End

  A Note from the Author

  Thanks for reading The Christmas Catch. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please help other people find this book.

  1. This book is lendable, so send it to a friend who you think might like it so that she (or he) can discover me, too.

  2. Help other people find this book: write a review.

  3. Sign up for my newsletter so that that you can learn about the next book as soon as it’s available. Write to GinnyBairdRomance@gmail.com with “newsletter” in the subject heading.

  4. Come like my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/GinnyBairdRomance.

  5. Comment on my blog at: The Story Behind the Story.

  6. Visit my website: http://www.ginnybairdromance.com for details on other books available at multiple outlets now.

  Table of Contents

  Start

 

 

 
ilter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share