Maitland Maternity Christmas

by Judy Christenberry; Muriel Jensen; TINA LEONARD

  She wondered if she'd ever see him again - and felt a little sad as she realized the answer was likely no.

  Touching the pink-and-gilt scarf at her neck that he'd admired, a hesitant thought popped into her mind. He'd said he wanted one for his mother, but they were sold out everywhere.

  What would it hurt to give in just a little? It had been a long time since she'd allowed herself even a date, dreading the complications that inevitably arose when a man wanted more time and commitment than she could give. Yet Doug hadn't seemed an over eager bachelor to her. No doubt he was still grieving....

  And she was being silly. "I've got one sample of this scarf left. I think I'll give it to Doug since he wanted one for his mother's Christmas present."

  Diane looked at her, as did Whitney.

  Suzanne blinked. "What? What did I say?"

  Diane and Whitney glanced at each other before Diane shook her head. "I'm surprised, is all."

  "Why?" Suzanne asked wryly.

  "Well, because you've made yourself go without a man for so long you've nearly turned into one of those mannequins you accessorize." She struck a silly, stiff-doll pose, with one hand out as if to ward off an approaching male, and Suzanne had to laugh, even if the truth stung the tiniest bit.

  "I can't help it. Things get messy when I do try to date. I hate messes."

  "I know. We all do. Doug will appreciate you doing that, I'm sure."

  "I'll muster up my courage to go tomorrow."

  Diane grinned at her. "I hope he's very appreciative."

  "It's a scarf, Diane, not a marriage towel to bind our wrists together," Suzanne reminded her. But she wanted to see him again, and to discover if the attraction she'd felt today - in spite of herself - would be the same.

  She was almost hoping the answer would be yes.

  CHAPTER TWO

  In the end, Suzanne merely left the gaily wrapped package with the middle-aged receptionist, who took it with a smile. "I can let Doug know you're here," she offered.

  But the waiting room was full, and clearly the administrative staff was busy finding files and helping with insurance matters. Suzanne shook her head. "Thank you, but no. Perhaps some other time when the office isn't so hectic." She smiled and left, somehow relieved, and yet disappointed.

  The receptionist handed the package to Doug's nurse. "Glenda, can you give this to the doctor?"

  "Sure. What is it?"

  "Don't know. But a real attractive lady just left it for him."

  "Oh. Now that's interesting." Glenda's eyes glowed. "Was she a drug rep?"

  "No. Don't think so. Seemed too shy for that."

  "Hmm." Glenda walked back to Doug's office, where he was looking over some notes between seeing patients. "Package for you, Doctor."

  "Thanks." He stretched out a hand without looking up.

  She laid the holly-paper-wrapped box in his hand, and grinned when he glanced at it. "The receptionist said an attractive woman brought you a gift. You'll have to let me know when you open it, of course."

  Doug was well used to his nurse's interest in his life. "A present?" He shook it beside his ear. "Smaller than a breadbasket, yet light as a feather...I guess Calvin Klein jockeys. A really racy pair, with mistletoe on them."

  "Yeah, right." Glenda gestured. "Hurry. I've got your patients to prep, and I'm losing my own patience."

  He smiled at the oft-repeated play on words. "No card?"

  "What you see is what you got."

  "Well, it's never too soon to open mystery Christmas gifts, I always say." He tore the paper, opening the box and sweeping the piece of gold tissue aside to reveal the scarf. A tingle of surprise went through him.

  "Ew," Glenda said, peering into the box. "Suppose she got her gifts mixed up? I don't think that's going to look fashionable on you."

  He smiled, replacing the box lid. "She didn't get her gifts mixed up. I wanted one of these for Mom."

  "Oh, I see...."

  "No, it's not that clear." He frowned, delighted with the gift and yet trying to figure out if there had been an invitation behind Suzanne Blake's generosity. "I suspect this is merely a kind gesture devoid of man hunting intent. It's from a woman who doesn't want kids. Doesn't seem too fond of them. She's pretty, but she struck me as somewhat uptight. Uptight is not in my personality range, you know. I'd get on her nerves."

  "Probably." Glenda patted him on the back. "Still, if she brought a scarf for your mom, clearly she's not too put off by your brood. Maybe you met her on her off day."

  "We had a quick lunch yesterday, less than thirty minutes. I didn't mention my children, since there seemed no reason to do so."

  "Women have been known to change their minds, sometimes as much as a few times a day."

  "She seemed fairly set on this issue. So there didn't seem to be a reason to pursue an actual date. Not that I was looking for one, I guess. So I don't know why I was disappointed."

  Glenda patted him on the back, like a mother patting a son. "Because you're a romantic at heart."

  "Maybe. It isn't going to be as easy as it was with Martha," he said softly, his wife's name only a breath in the room."We just clicked. We wanted the same things, we enjoyed the same things. Women today seem so...so businesslike. So unromantic. I overheard Suzanne tell her sister that she doesn't have time for Christmas! Try telling that to three little girls." He shook his head. "No, I'll write Suzanne a thank-you note. I'm sure that's appropriate, under the circumstances." Shaking the box one last time as he turned it over, he looked up at Glenda. "You did say there was no card?"

  "No card. I believe she had hoped to see you, and then realized the waiting room was full."

  "That reminds me. Let's get to our patients."

  Glenda glanced over her shoulder at him as he put the box into a desk drawer before following her. "Could be you misunderstood her. She didn't realize what you were measuring her for, you know."

  He shook his head. "Trust me, this woman was beautiful, and she was nice, but she didn't like kids or have time for holidays. Therefore, two of the a-b-c building blocks for success-with-Doug were missing."

  "What's the third building block?" Glenda asked as they paused by a hallway sink.

  "It's either easy camaraderie or great sex, and I'm not sure which I value most right now."

  "Did she say she didn't like easy camaraderie or great sex?"

  "Didn't ask." He scrubbed his hands.

  "Did you go by this three-building-blocks theory when you went out with the other women?''

  He sighed."Debbie had Christmas spirit. Enormous Christmas spirit. On our second date, she mentioned that finding a diamond in her stocking would put her in the Christmas spirit, but that didn't seem like the kind of spirited fun I was looking for. Now, Christie liked my kids - or so I had thought. On our third date, in a romantic Italian restaurant, she thoughtfully told me she'd looked up a girls' boarding school in Dallas where the girls could get a great education and still be somewhat close to home. I was taken aback. That's not quite the mothering touch my family needs. Christie was a great kisser, but there's got to be more to a woman than a great set of lips. So you see why I'm torn between the easy camaraderie or great sex issue. I haven't been getting either."

  Glenda preceded him into the examining room where the patient waited.

  For a man who really wanted the companionship of a good woman it almost seemed ironic that there wasn't one out there for him. His three-building-blocks approach might be too difficult - and yet, how else was a solid relationship built but on common ground?

  "How are you, Mrs. Mcafly?"

  "I'm fine, Doctor McKay. And yourself?"

  "Doing pretty well. Any concerns you want to mention during this routine exam?''

  "No." She beamed at him. "I took your advice, though, and cut back on my smoking."

  He snapped her folder closed to stare at her. "Did you really?"

  She grinned, her advanced-fifty years melting from her face. "I'm down to a cigarette
after meals only. And even that might be about history, as a Christmas gift to myself."

  "I am so proud of you! How did you do it?"

  "Thought about what you said, about being healthy for my grandkids. Decided it was time to see if I could - so I took the grandkids for a week and sent my son and his wife on a trip to the Mediterranean."

  "Minding four grandkids for a week helped you quit smoking?" Glenda asked incredulously.

  "Have to set a good example. And, as Doctor McKay said, they are the reasons Earl and I want to be healthy. He's quitting, too."

  Doug sat on the round swivel stool. "Well, I couldn't be happier, Doris. That's quite a Christmas gift to me, too, you know. I won't have to worry about you as much now."

  She winked at him. "I overheard the conversation you were having in the hallway."

  Doug looked askance at her. "Oh?"

  "I vote for great sex."

  He laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

  "It leads to easy camaraderie later, as long as you've given the relationship time to ripen enough for the sex to get good."

  "Great sex is not an option yet," he said. "You have four grandkids and two children, Mrs. Mcafly. What do you think about a woman who has no spirit for fun and who doesn't like kids?"

  "I think that if you liked her enough, you could convince her differently. You got me to quit smoking, you know, and I never thought I'd do that."

  "More food for thought. Thanks." He patted her hand, then pushed the thought of Suzanne and her considerate gift out of his mind.

  "You're watching the door every second," Jimmy Johnston complained, "and jumping when the phone rings as if there are springs in your seat."

  Suzanne blushed. "I didn't realize I was. Sorry."

  Her assistant smiled at her. "Is there someone special I should be screening calls for?"

  "No."

  "Come on, you can tell your buddy Jimmy."

  "How do you know I'm not simply waiting for an order, or a delivery of material I want?"

  "Because you're dressed to kill, Suzanne. You always look good, but today - " He kissed his fingers into the air. "Bellissima.''

  "Thanks. I think." He had seen through her attention to detail today - she hadn't wanted to admit that she was dressing up for Doug, but it was obvious she was. Then, like the chicken she was, she'd let her faint heart steer her from his office into her car.

  "Tell Jimmy," her assistant coaxed.

  Sighing, she said, “I met a man - briefly. And I dropped something off at his office today. I didn't get to see him, so I overdressed for nothing. I don't even know why I dressed up."

  Jimmy raised a brow at Suzanne's red wool skirt and jacket, and the pretty patterned blouse beneath. "So the extra high heels are for my benefit?"

  She had to smile at that. "Don't ask to borrow them. They pinch."

  He grimaced. "I'd say that you may not think you like this man, but something caused you to don the red and heels. I gotta meet the man who could make you bring out the high heels."

  "Jimmy!"

  Shaking his head, he said, "I've been working for you for three years. Never have I seen you this dolled up. You're always professional, but today, you're beautiful. Really, Suzanne."

  She rolled her eyes at him."Thanks. Now answer the phone."

  He turned, snatching up the phone which was on the second ring."Blake Accessories. How may I help you?"

  Listening, he turned at his desk so that Suzanne could see his face. "Suzanne Blake? May I ask who's calling? Doug McKay. Mr. McKay, may I take a message? Suzanne is - "

  She waved her hand madly.

  "Oh, wait, she just returned, Mr. McKay. I'll transfer the call. Thank you."

  Putting the call on hold, he turned to look at Suzanne. "He sounds nice."

  "It's a fabric rep," Suzanne said, gesturing to him to hurry with the transfer.

  "My eye it is," Jimmy said, sniffing. He put the line on her phone, coming to hover in the doorway as Suzanne answered.

  "Hello?" She pointed to Jimmy to close the door, and he did after pretending to walk through it on high heels. "Hi, Doug," she said, as calmly as possibly, though her heart was beating faster than normal.

  "Thank you for the scarf, Suzanne. I appreciate it, and Mom will love it."

  "You're welcome." And then she went blank. Couldn't think of one sensible, charming or even stupid thing to say.

  He cleared his throat. "I'd like to take you to dinner as a way to say thanks. Would you care to join me?"

  "Yes," she said immediately, the only word she wanted to say coming easily to her. "That would be nice."

  "Tonight?"

  "Sounds good to me."

  "I'll pick you up at six, if that's all right."

  "If you can, pick me up here, it's closer to your office." She was already dressed, after all.

  "I have to make it an early dinner because - ''

  "That's fine," she said. "I'm dressed for just about anywhere." "I'll see you then."

  "I'm looking forward to it," she said, meaning it.

  They said goodbye and hung up, and Jimmy nearly fell inside the door. "I can't believe you have a date," he told Suzanne. "A real date."

  "It's not really a date," she demurred.

  "Well, a fact-finding mission, then."

  "That sounds horrible!" But she laughed. "Maybe that's what it is. I only just met Doug, so I don't know anything about him. Nor does he know anything about me. So it is a fact-finding mission, I guess."

  "The wonder of it is that you're letting someone find out some facts about you." Jimmy winked and returned to his desk.

  Well, it wasn't really a wonder, Suzanne told herself. There was no reason to date every single man she met just to stay in the singles game. She wouldn't enjoy it, because her heart wouldn't be in it. This was the first time she'd felt curious about a man. Curious, and attracted, and maybe even slightly hopeful.

  And suddenly very nervous.

  When Doug came into Blake Accessories to pick her up, Jimmy raised his brow at Suzanne.

  "I'll let you lock up. Good night, Doug. It was nice to meet you."

  He left her alone with a very handsome man. Doug was virile, tall, sexy, things her subconscious had noted yesterday even while she was trying so hard not to notice.

  "You look very nice," he said, and Suzanne felt a trembling in her body.

  "You do, too." Now what? Jump into the car, have dinner, then go home, and call it a date? Is that the best I can do?

  "I couldn't accept the scarf without taking you out to dinner to thank you," Doug said, and she relaxed instantly. Oh. It wasn't so much a fact-finding opportunity for him than it was a thank-you between acquaintances. Nothing to get overly ruffled about.

  She swept her gaze along his dark tweed sport coat, wool trousers and black shoes, thinking that sooner or later, she could edge her way up to looking at his lips without his guessing that's what she was wondering about.

  When had she become so ill at ease with the opposite sex? "You didn't have to take me out," she murmured. "I wanted you to have a scarf for your mom."

  "I'm thrilled with it."

  She managed a smile. "I'm glad."

  "But I've given you the wrong impression," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Taking you to dinner as a means of saying thank you is only one of my motivations. It was the best excuse I could think of to get a certain busy, no-nonsense lady to clear her calendar for me."

  Looking at him wryly, she said, "As opposed to...?"

  "As opposed to just simply saying, 'You're beautiful, and I'd love to spend an evening getting to know you better.'"

  Uh-oh. The butterflies in her stomach returned. Fortunately, Doug spoke into the lapse of her conversation.

  "We're going to Accordion's, and I must apologize in advance for having to cut the evening short."

  It might be best, if she couldn't think of anything more exciting to say. "It's fine."

  He helped her put her coat on, and the warmth
of his fingers touching hers unexpectedly made her jump.

  "Shall we go?"

  Putting his hand out, he waited until Suzanne preceded him through the office door. She locked up, and they walked briskly to his car. After helping her in, Doug walked around to the driver's side and got in.

  She glanced at him as he turned the car on and switched the heater up a notch. What should she say? What topic held common ground for both of them? "So, you've met my sister, Diane, and I've got a brother, Tom. Do you have brothers and sisters?"

  "One long-lost brother." Doug laughed. "Actually, he's kind of independent, so I shouldn't call him long-lost. He saw no need to tie himself down to med school, or much of anything for that matter."

  "A free spirit?"

  "Very much. Right now, he's climbing Mount Everest."

  Suzanne shivered. "That's not for me. I like sunshine and warm beaches."

  "Me, too. Although skiing's great every once in a while."

  "Yes, but there's always the cozy cabin or condo to return to, and other comforts." "I agree."

  A light rain began to fall, and Suzanne found herself comforted by the even swishing of the windshield wipers and the warmth of the taupe Jaguar. The radio was turned to a soft jazz station, currently playing a slow, mellow rendition of a love song. Suzanne found herself relaxing until Doug's voice broke the silence.

  "Uh-oh. My pager." He unclipped it from his waist where it had been hidden under his sport coat, looking at the message as he braked the car at a stop sign.

  "Duty calls?" She laughed lightly.

  He shook his head slowly, looking off into the distance as he seemed to be thinking through something. "It wasn't in my plans, but would you mind terribly if we made an unscheduled stop at my house?"

  "Certainly not," Suzanne said, so comfortably lulled that this minor bump in the evening was nothing.

  "Thank you. There's a small matter I must attend to."

  They made small talk until they reached his home, a large, Tudor-style residence. Rain splashed on the slate-colored brick stones paving the circular driveway as he pulled up. Suzanne noticed that as they approached the house, Doug became quieter, but clearly he had something important on his mind. She didn't wait for him to come around to get her out of the car, not wanting him to get any more wet than necessary.