Baby Blue Christmas

by Kristy Tate

  He frowned at her. “No, it should be snugger. You don’t want to lean too far forward like that. It’s not good for your alignment.”

  “My alignment?”

  He nodded. “The spinal column runs down the middle of your back and contains the spinal cord, which is like a superhighway of nerves that connect your brain to every tissue in your body. Needless to say, the health of your spine is of paramount importance. You don’t want to throw off your alignment.”

  She sighed and her smile dimmed. “Right. I need to stay aligned.”

  He nodded as if she’d said something incredibly profound and worked on the crutch. She eased on to the sofa and propped her foot up beside Atticus. The puppy wiggled onto her lap.

  “How are you going to try these out if you’re sitting down?” Aidan asked.

  “Right,” she repeated, and climbed back to her feet…or foot, and leaned onto the crutches. “How’s that?” she asked.

  Aidan frowned. “I could ask Clyne at the hardware store if he could drill another hole in them…”

  “No. Don’t be silly. My alignment can be out of whack for a few days.”

  “Maintaining good posture is probably the most important thing you can do for the health of your spine.”

  “At the moment, I’m not worried about my spine! I just want my ankle to get better.”

  “I understand that, but I think you’re being way too casual about your health.” He pressed his lips together. “Just look at how you’re sitting.”

  “What’s wrong with how I’m sitting? Oh never mind.” The last thing she wanted was a lecture on the proper way to sit on a sofa. She pulled herself to her feet and put her arms around Aidan. He felt stiff, skinny, and cold. She leaned against him, hoping he’d relax or…something.

  He patted her back.

  She drew away. “Thanks for bringing the crutches and taking care of Atticus. Really, you’re very sweet.”

  “Am I interrupting?” Luke stood in the kitchen doorway with a sleeping Jamison in his arms.

  “Aidan brought me some crutches,” Sophie said.

  “I can see that.” Luke narrowed his eyes at Aidan.

  A thick and awkward silence filled the room.

  “Well, thanks, Aidan,” Sophie finally said.

  “I guess I better get back to work,” Aidan said. He glanced at his watch. “I have a dog who needs his teeth pulled.”

  “I’m sure he didn’t mean for himself,” Sophie said as soon as Aidan left.

  “How can you be sure?” Luke asked with twitching lips before he turned and climbed the stairs that led to Jamison’s room. He returned moments later. “I picked up some lunch at Bill’s Barbeque. Would you like some?”

  She nodded.

  “Let me help you up,” he said, grabbing her elbows and pulling her to a standing position.

  She inhaled a deep breath as her nerves did their jittery thing. Pheromones, she told herself. To further the experiment, she leaned into him. He felt warm and solid and smelled of leather and something else she couldn’t identify.

  “You okay?” he asked, rubbing his hands up and down her arms and sending her pulse racing.

  “Yes,” she said, but she thought, no, I’m in trouble.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Their days fell into a pattern. Every morning before he left to work on his barn, Luke made Sophie an incredible breakfast. He showed up every evening to another fantastic meal. They spent the hours before bedtime playing with Jamison, watching TV, and reading.

  Sophie lay in bed every night hyper-aware of Luke. She listened for a return of his nightmare, but it never happened. By Thursday, she was able to put weight on her foot and by Friday, her shoes fit again. On Saturday, Luke moved back to his barn.

  He left a great gaping hole in her life. She desperately missed him and Jamison seemed extra fussy with him gone. Even Atticus moped around the house. On Sunday, Sophie invited him to dinner after church.

  “It’s the least I can do,” she said, “after all the great meals you made for me.”

  “I would love to come, but Mia and her friend Paige are here for the weekend.” They stood in the church parking lot. A stiff wind blew between them. The easy comradery they’d enjoyed during his brief stay had disappeared. Sophie missed it almost as much as she missed him, and she wondered what she could do to win it back.

  “Oh, well. Bring them, too!”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. In fact, do you think the lot of you would like to help me pick out a tree?”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “I have seven acres full of trees, you would think one of them could be a Christmas tree.”

  “Those trees that look like they’re a reasonable size outside will be huge inside your house.”

  “Well, that’s another good reason to bring you. You’ll make a much better measuring stick than me.”

  “It’s nice to know I’m good for something.”

  “Oh, you’re good for plenty of things. In fact, I think you’ll be especially useful in tree transportation. But I don’t want you to feel like you’re being used, because, really, you’ve done so much for me already.”

  “And what does tree transportation involve?”

  “Let’s just say that you’ll be glad there’ll be four of us.”

  #

  While Jamison napped, Sophie went to the attic and found her grandmother’s Christmas ornaments and decorations. Her heart twisted and she had to blink back tears as she carried the boxes to the living room. Her grandmother had been gone for nearly a decade, but this would be the first year without her sister. In her entire life, she’d never once imagined a world without her sister—until she had to. She had thought about calling her dad and offering to fly up with Jamison, and maybe she would still do that, but…

  The truth was she didn’t feel comfortable around her stepmother, and she knew the feeling was mutual. And her dad didn’t do a thing to ease the tension. So, would she rather spend Christmas alone—or would she rather be uncomfortable with her dad and stepmother?

  The teapot let out a high squeal, letting Sophie know that the cocoa was ready. She chose the reindeer mugs her grandmother had always used and filled four of them with the steaming cocoa. She topped each with a dollop of whipped cream and added chocolate sprinkles.

  Luke’s SUV swung down the driveway. Maybe, she thought as she watched him climb from the car, there’s another option. The door slammed after Mia and Paige got out. Paige, dressed in a long black coat, dark jeans and knee-high leather boots, frowned at the house and wrinkled her nose as if she didn’t like what she smelled.

  Sophie hurried back into the kitchen to check on her lasagna. It was her grandmother Morelli’s recipe and she’d made everything—even the noodles—from scratch, just as her nonna had.

  She loaded up the tray with the cocoa mugs, carried it into the living room, and set it down on the coffee table before opening the door.

  Luke came in and gave her a swift hug before turning to Mia and Paige. “I hope you don’t mind, but they insisted on bringing a salad.”

  “Only it’s not made yet,” Mia said, nodding at the grocery bag in her arms.

  “That’s great,” Sophie said. “Come on into the kitchen. If you can’t find anything, Luke can show you around while I set the table.” She motioned to the mugs on the coffee table. “I made some cocoa.”

  Paige slipped off her coat and laid it over the back of the sofa. “Do you have any sugar-free?”

  “Huh, no. Sorry.”

  Paige sniffed. “How about tea?”

  “Sure.”

  Paige wrinkled her nose, screwed up her face, and sneezed so loudly Sophie worried she’d wake Jamison.

  “Is there a…dog…in…this…place?” Paige asked right before she sneezed again.

  Sophie pointed her mug at Atticus sleeping on his quilt in front of the fire.

  Mia dropped to her knees beside the puppy. “Oh, he’s the cut
est thing! What is he?”

  “I have no idea,” Sophie told her.

  “He has to go!” Paige said. “Either that, or I do!”

  That seemed like an easy to decision to Sophie, but after a quick look at Luke’s face, she gathered the puppy into her arms. “Come on, Atticus,” she muttered into his fur. “We know when we’re not wanted.” Inside the mudroom, she put a towel on the floor and placed him on it. He blinked at her with sad, tired eyes. “You’ll be fine in here for a few hours,” she said while petting him.

  Back in the living room, she found Paige rummaging through her purse while Luke and Mia sipped their cocoa.

  “What sort of name is Atticus?” Paige asked as she pulled a small pill bottle from her purse.

  “You know, like Atticus Fitch from To Kill a Mockingbird.”

  “To Kill a Mockingbird? You mean that movie with Jack Nicholson? I don’t remember any dogs in that film,” Paige said.

  Luke bit back a laugh. “You’re thinking of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

  Paige sneezed again. “Do you mind if we open the windows and doors?” she asked moments before she did so. A cold breeze blew into the room.

  “Mia, help me set the table,” Luke said.

  Paige followed Sophie into the kitchen. “I’m allergic to dogs.”

  “I sort of got that,” Sophie said.

  Paige sniffed and popped open her pill bottle. “Where’s the tea?”

  Sophie opened the cupboard where Chloe had left a large collection of teas. Paige sniffed again, selected a bag, and made a small sound that might have been a thank you when Sophie handed her a teacup.

  Sophie pulled the lasagna from the oven. The cheese on top had turned a crispy, golden brown, just the way she liked it. The French bread would soon be done as well.

  Paige removed a head of Romaine lettuce, a box of croutons, and a bottle of dried Parmesan cheese from the grocery bag and put it all down on the table.

  “Do you have a bowl?” Paige asked.

  “Um, sure.” Sophie retrieved the bowl, a cutting board and knife, and a colander.

  Paige eyed the colander. “What’s that for?”

  “I thought you’d want to wash the lettuce.”

  “No. I bought this at Whole Foods.”

  “Still—”

  “Everything there is organic.”

  Sophie bit her lower lip and took another peek at her French bread.

  “I know what you’re doing,” Paige said as she whacked the lettuce into bite-size pieces.

  “You do? That’s great, because sometimes I feel like I don’t.”

  “You’re pretending to play house with Luke.”

  Sophie laughed, because, yes, that was exactly how she felt.

  “Well, it won’t work. He can’t be domesticated.” She waved her hand at the mudroom door. “He’s not like a puppy you can housebreak.”

  Sophie raised her eyebrows when Luke came in. He froze in the doorway.

  “Are you talking about me?” Luke asked.

  Paige froze like a statue.

  Sophie fought for something to say to break the tension. “You know, maybe we should go and pick out a tree before it gets dark.”

  “But your ankle,” Luke said.

  “It’s feeling better. A walk could do me good.”

  “Why walk?” Mia chipped in. “Why not take the ATVs?”

  “I’d forgotten all about those,” Sophie said, only she didn’t know how she could since they took up so much room in the barn. “I’m not even sure they still run.”

  “Why wouldn’t they?” Mia asked.

  “They might need gas,” Sophie said.

  “Are you scared of the ATVs?” Luke asked.

  “No.” Sort of.

  “Well, I’m not going,” Paige said.

  “That’s great,” Luke said. “Then you can stay here with Jamie.”

  Panic filled Paige’s face. “But what if he wakes up?”

  Luke pulled his phone from his pocket. “Then you’ll call me and we’ll come right back.”

  Paige shot Mia a death stare.

  “If you guys want to go, I can stay here with Jamie,” Sophie said.

  “What? It’s your tree!” Luke put his arm around Sophie’s waist and steered her toward the mudroom. “Let’s get your coat.”

  He opened the mudroom door and Atticus shot out.

  Paige screamed and jumped onto the ottoman as Atticus tore through the kitchen and circled the living room. Luke went after him. Mia tried to tackle the dog, but landed face-first on the carpet. Sophie sank onto the sofa, laughing. Atticus jumped onto her lap.

  Jamison began to cry.

  Paige huffed, stalked from the room, and banged through the front door.

  Sophie, still trying not to laugh, tucked Atticus under her arm, and climbed the stairs to get Jamison.

  #

  Luke trailed after Sophie.

  “It’ll take me a few minutes to get him ready, so you guys should go ahead without me,” Sophie said over her shoulder.

  “I don’t mind waiting,” Luke said.

  “But I don’t really feel comfortable taking him on the ATVs. We’ll just walk.”

  Luke opened his mouth to argue, but when he saw the firm set of her shoulders, he let it go.

  “You guys should go out on the ATVs, though. It would be fun.” She clapped her hands when she pushed open the door and greeted Jamie.

  The baby grabbed onto the crib rail and jumped up and down, his face lit with laughter and delight.

  “Did you have a good nap?” Sophie asked Jamie.

  Luke felt like an outsider. Logic told him he had as much of a right to be a part of Jamie’s world as Sophie, but his heart told him he hadn’t yet earned his place. He had to do that. And to do that, he also had to win over Sophie’s trust.

  And love.

  Because watching her with Jamie, he suddenly realized that a world without Jamie wouldn’t be complete if Sophie didn’t have a place in it. The revelation stunned him and left him weak in the knees. He leaned against the doorjamb for support.

  “You okay?” Sophie asked, turning to him.

  He wasn’t in love with her. It was too soon for that, but he knew he soon would be. Was he ready?

  Was she?

  “I’m fine,” he said, a few beats too late.

  She narrowed her eyes, as if trying to read him.

  He tried to make his expression blank—a skill he’d learned on the force. “We’ll go slowly,” he said. “On the ATVs,” he clarified. “Jamie will be perfectly safe.”

  Sophie put Jamie on the changing table and grabbed a clean diaper. “We’re not ready for that,” she told him without meeting his eye.

  “Okay, you can call the shots.” For now. He promised himself he’d win her over.

  Luke grabbed his jacket from the back of a kitchen chair. It seemed almost like a desecration to leave the kitchen without eating the lasagna, but Sophie wanted to pick out a tree before dark. The slate blue sky told him little.

  Mia followed him outside to the barn that served as the garage.

  “What happened to Paige?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Mia said. “Do you think I should look for her?”

  “You can do that just as well on an ATV.”

  Mia grinned. “True that!” Her expression turned somber. “Something’s up with Paige. She’s not fun anymore.”

  “What do you think is going on?”

  Mia shrugged. “She broke up with her loser boyfriend, so you’d think she’d be happier. I don’t think she misses him. That relationship had turned pretty toxic.”

  “Is it school?” Luke followed the driveway to the barn. Tire ruts too small to be made by the car cut through the field, showing him the path his brother and Chloe used to take. He wondered if Sophie had ever gone with them.

  “I don’t think so. She’s almost done and only had a few classes to take this semester. Simon and Briggs—the accountin
g firm she interned with last summer—has a job for her when she graduates in the spring. Everything should be dandy for her…”

  “But it’s not?” Luke pushed open the barn door. There, beside Sophie’s Lexus, stood the two ATVs. Their red paint gleamed through a layer of mud. They promised a good time—but he had to admit, they’d be a lot more fun if he had Sophie sitting behind him with her arms around his waist.

  “She sure doesn’t act like it.”

  Luke nodded at the ATVs. “Well, maybe a ride on these bad boys will change her mind.”

  “Maybe,” Mia said doubtfully.

  “Let’s see if they still work!” Luke said.

  With Jamison tucked into a backpack, Sophie headed into the cold winter air. Barren trees spread their branches over her as she entered the woods behind the house. This had been her childhood playground. Here she and Chloe had scaled the trees, built forts around the fallen stumps, and played countless hours of hide and go seek. She couldn’t wait to share her love of the outdoors with Jamison. But Jamison would never have a sister or a brother. She blinked back tears and tried not to think of his lonely childhood. They would have each other. That would be enough.

  While Jamison grabbed handfuls of her hair and babbled, Sophie headed to where the blue firs grew. She stopped when she heard someone gagging.

  “Hello?” she called.

  Silence answered.

  Sophie turned to where she thought the sound had come from and found Paige braced against the tree. With tears streaming down her face, Paige leaned over and vomited all over a knee-high fern.

  “Paige—you’re sick!”

  Paige straightened and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’ll be okay,” she said.

  “You don’t look okay.”

  Paige closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree. “I’ll be fine in about seven months.”

  “You’re pregnant?” Sophie didn’t know why she was whispering since there wasn’t anyone around. In the distance, the ATVs’ engines roared, letting her know that Luke and Mia would never be able to hear them talking.

  Paige nodded and slid down until she sat with her back braced against the tee. She sniffed. “I came here this weekend hoping I could get Luke to sleep with me.” Holding up her hand, she stopped Sophie’s interruption. “I know it was wrong, but I also knew he would marry me if I told I was expecting his child.”