Meet Me Under The Mistletoe (O'Rourke Family 5)

by Julianna Morris

  He pulled into the drive and regarded the side by side condos. Shannon’s side glowed with warmth and welcome in the early twilight of the Washington winter day. His house seemed cold and aloof.

  “Stop that,” Alex ordered beneath his breath.

  He wasn’t a fanciful person. Buildings weren’t endowed with anything more than brick and wood and plaster.

  Shannon opened the door before he could knock and she put her finger to her lips. “Jeremy’s asleep,” she said softly. “I think he has a slight fever, but it doesn’t seem bad.”

  “You mean he’s really sick?”

  He practically pushed Shannon to one side. It was only when he saw his son sleeping on a large pillow that his breathing slowed. One of Jeremy’s arms was around Mr. Tibbles, and the other was stretched out to touch the controls of the toy train.

  “God,” Alex muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in an attempt to ease tense muscles. “He’s been complaining of tummy aches and stuff every few days, asking to go home. The day-care center thought he was just crying wolf again.”

  Shannon sat next to Jeremy and stroked the hair from his forehead. It was such a naturally caring gesture that Alex’s chest tightened. She seemed able to reach Jeremy when everyone else had failed. He didn’t understand why—she was so different from Jeremy’s mother.

  “He might be getting a cold,” she said softly. “But I doubt it’s serious.” Her auburn hair fell over her shoulders, spilling across a fuzzy white sweater. She looked like an angel, and Alex forced himself to look away, fixing his gaze on Jeremy.

  There was nothing angelic about Shannon O’Rourke. Angels did not twist a man’s guts into knots.

  Seeming unaware of his scrutiny, she smiled and rose. “Would you like some soda, or maybe some wine? You look like you could use a drink.”

  “Cola, if you have it.”

  “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  She disappeared into the kitchen and he heard the clinking of ice against glass. Still concerned, he knelt and felt his son’s forehead for himself. Warmer than normal, but nothing serious.

  Slumping down on the couch, Alex rubbed his face and tried to release the tension gripping him. Everything was all right. In a few days Jeremy probably wouldn’t even remember it was Shannon who’d come to the rescue instead of his daddy.

  Kids were resilient.

  How many times had he heard that?

  Doctors, child psychologists, pastors, well-meaning acquaintances—people felt they had to say something when they learned about Kim’s death. Everyone had a support group they thought he should join, or a counselor to see…or a single female relative he should call, who was reputed to be a good listener.

  He didn’t need a good listener; he just needed to take care of his son and make sure nothing ever hurt Jeremy again.

  Alex swallowed.

  It was hard to escape the feeling that if he’d been home in Minnesota more often, Kim might have been diagnosed earlier. Another few weeks of treatment might have made the difference in her recovery. But he hadn’t been there, and all the guilt in the world wouldn’t change things now.

  “Alex?” Shannon had emerged from the kitchen and was holding out a glass. He didn’t know how long she’d waited to catch his attention, but a faint frown creased her forehead.

  “Thanks. I appreciate you picking Jeremy up.”

  She shrugged one shoulder. “I told you I’d be happy to help out.”

  She astonished him. His parents had shown him that most people needed or wanted something; they didn’t offer to help someone out of the goodness of their hearts. And a woman like Shannon, whom every wealthy bachelor in Washington must be chasing, certainly couldn’t need or want a widower with a young son who wouldn’t let go of his toy rabbit.

  Alex cleared his throat. He could go nuts trying to figure out Shannon and her motives; she was far too complicated.

  He accepted the glass, took a sip of the cola, then put the drink down on a polished wood coaster. It would be best if he made an excuse, took his son and left as soon as possible.

  “So you think Jeremy has been trying to get attention by pretending to be sick?” she asked in a low tone.

  “Yeah.” Alex grabbed the cola again. “At least I did, but now I don’t know what to believe. If he’s really ill…it’s enough to make me crazy. I can’t lose him.”

  “You aren’t going to lose him,” Shannon said softly. “Children get colds and tummy aches. It’s rarely serious.” She’d called her mom an hour earlier and been assured of that fact. “And children make up stories to get attention. It’s part of being a kid.”

  Alex cocked his head. Weary lines bracketed his mouth and she wished she could smooth them away.

  “Do you speak from experience?”

  “Of course.” She smiled. “My youngest sister put on ‘dying diva’ performances worthy of an Oscar. Fortunately my mother was less gullible than the rest of us.”

  “What, no award-winning performances from you?”

  “Nope. I was the perfect child.”

  He chuckled, casting a quick glance toward the Christmas tree where Jeremy lay, still soundly asleep. “No way. Didn’t we establish that you were pretty wild? You probably gave your mother premature gray hair and an ulcer to boot.”

  Shannon felt her smile become fixed and she nearly tossed out a smart remark, agreeing to Alex’s assessment. But he needed to be reassured that Jeremy would be all right.

  “The truth is that after my father…when we lost him, I kept things bottled up.” She rubbed the back of her neck, searching for an explanation she’d never voiced aloud. “We all reacted in our own way, and I decided to be the one who didn’t cause trouble.”

  “Shannon, please. You don’t have to talk about it.”

  “I don’t mind.” She grinned wryly. “Actually, I do mind, but that’s okay. Dad was killed in an accident working for a lumber company. After it happened, I never let anyone know how I felt, or how much I hurt…about anything. I’d say something clever or tease or make a joke, but I wouldn’t cry or make anyone sad. That was my idea of not making trouble.”

  “That meant you were all alone.”

  Startled, Shannon gazed quickly at Alex. He sounded appalled, but he also understood. In a house filled with her mother and brothers and sisters, she’d been alone.

  She shivered and drew back. She hadn’t intended to strip her soul bare, but that was how she felt.

  “It wasn’t so bad,” she said in instinctive denial. “The point is, I got through it, and I didn’t turn out to be such a horrible person, did I?”

  “Not horrible at all.”

  “And with some time and a lot of love, I’m sure Jeremy will be all right, too.”

  Alex swirled the cola in his glass. Shannon hadn’t said anything new, but it meant more coming from her. She’d been there, gone through what Jeremy was going through, and she had seen her brothers and sisters go through it as well.

  “Then you’re saying I shouldn’t worry.”

  She gave him a quick smile. “Of course you’re going to worry. You’re his daddy. My mom says worry is in a parent’s job description.”

  He liked the way she said daddy. Not father or parent, but daddy. Any man could father a child; not all of them were daddies. His own father was the perfect example—a man with so many personal problems, he didn’t have energy to think about the kids he’d helped create.

  “I’m no expert,” Shannon murmured, “but I called my mother and talked to her after picking up Jeremy. I know you’ve been concerned, and thought she might have some advice. After all, she raised nine children and we all lived to tell about it.”

  “I don’t think I could handle nine. Just having one has me overwhelmed.”

  “You might surprise yourself. Mom says it doesn’t get easier with each child, but you become more shock-resistant.”

  “She sounds smart. Maybe she can tell me how to help a pregnant sixteen-year-old prodigy,�
� he muttered, his mind unable to erase the memory of the fear in his young student’s face, and the knowledge that something had irrevocably changed her life. No matter what Rita decided to do about her baby, it was something she’d live with forever.

  “Sixteen?”

  “Yes. That’s why I asked if you’d pick up Jeremy. A member of the football team seduced her as part of an initiation challenge. She told me after class. She’d been crying… I couldn’t leave without doing something.”

  “I’ll kill him.” Shannon’s eyes flashed furiously.

  “Get in line.”

  “I mean it, Alex. What’s his name?”

  “I mean it, too, but she wouldn’t tell me his name.” Alex gazed at Shannon’s passionate expression, fascinated. He’d reacted to the situation as an intellectual, coolly, professionally, though he’d been outraged; Shannon’s reaction was purely from the heart.

  The philosophical concepts of yin and yang, opposites that complemented each other, crept into his mind.

  No.

  He surged to his feet.

  “You’ve been terrific, but if Jeremy’s really coming down with something, then we’re exposing you to his germs unnecessarily. I’d better get him home.”

  Her eyebrows shot upward. “What about your student?”

  “She’s with the counselors at the school health center. They’re going to work with her. I shouldn’t have said anything, but I wanted you to know there was a good reason I asked for your help,” he said quickly.

  It was a lie.

  He’d told her because he’d needed to talk about the situation with someone else. It was odd, but the school counselors had frustrated him with their guarded responses. He was a careful man himself—a man who avoided emotion—yet he’d wanted to hear someone explode in outrage on Rita’s behalf.

  He leaned over his son. “It’s time to go,” he murmured.

  Jeremy snuggled deeper into the pillow, so Alex lifted him in his arms.

  “No, Daddy,” came a sleepy murmur. “Wanna stay with Shannon.”

  Considering the magical toy train and marvelous Christmas tree, he wasn’t surprised by Jeremy’s response, yet a piercing ache went through Alex. He’d tried to get Jeremy interested in buying a tree, but his son had just sighed and said it wouldn’t be like Shannon’s. How a child could fall madly in love with someone in such a short time was beyond comprehension.

  Shannon followed them to the door with Jeremy’s jacket, and when Alex turned to say goodnight, he caught the faint scent of her perfume.

  God, she smelled good.

  He stared into her green eyes and felt unwelcome sensations, sensations that reminded him he was still alive, even if his wife was gone.

  “Er…thanks again. For everything,” he muttered, taking the jacket and tucking it around his son.

  Without another word he opened the door and left before he could do something he’d regret.

  Chapter Five

  “I don’t wanna babysitter,” Jeremy declared, his small chin setting stubbornly.

  Alex sighed. “We need someone for a few days. You can’t go to day-care until we’re sure you don’t have strep throat.”

  “Not going back there, either. I want Shannon.”

  Blast.

  Alex rubbed at his temples. He’d sat at Jeremy’s bedside most of the night, watching him breathe, gauging how sick he was getting. He’d enjoyed few restful nights since losing Kim, but it was his child’s health that robbed him of sleep now.

  He’d do anything for his son.

  Did “anything” include Shannon O’Rourke?

  Alex had cashed in her offer of help once already, but she handled Jeremy so well. By contrast, Jeremy was still convinced the day-care center meant Mr. Tibbles harm by trying to “poke” the rabbit with a needle.

  “Pleeeze, Daddy. Mr. Tibbles likes Shannon.”

  The heartfelt plea was more than Alex could withstand. “All right, I’ll talk to her,” he said.

  Feeling as if he was caught in a quagmire that was pulling him down no matter how hard he tried to escape it, Alex stepped outside and knocked on Shannon’s door. He’d heard a few sounds from her side of their shared wall earlier that morning, so he figured she was awake.

  When the door opened and he saw her, looking bright and beautiful as a new penny, he felt old and tired in comparison. For nearly a year he’d struggled, trying to make sense of his life and figure out how to be a father to a withdrawn, grieving child. Now Shannon had dropped into the picture, and she was like a forbidden Christmas ornament dangling from a branch, just beyond reach.

  She represented a sweet escape from the struggle, but escape wasn’t possible. He could only endure.

  “Is Jeremy all right?” Shannon asked.

  “Yeah. He’s sniffling and has a sore throat, but it seems to be just a cold like you thought. The thing is, there’s a lot of strep throat going around, and the day-care center wants me to wait a couple of days to rule it out before bringing him back. I do have a babysitter I could call, but Jeremy’s being difficult and I—”

  “If you want to know if I’ll take care of him, the answer is yes,” she said.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind? Watching a sick kid is a lousy way to use a vacation day. And there’s more chance you’ll catch his bug.”

  “I’m sure. Besides, I never get sick,” Shannon said, at the same minute her brain was screaming in pure panic. Taking care of a little boy for a whole day was a much bigger step than watching him for a couple of hours.

  “That’s great.” Alex sounded as if he wasn’t actually sure it was great, but he was saying so because he didn’t have a choice.

  His behavior irritated her. She wished she understood more about single fathers. Then she might know why Alex’s face and posture said one thing, while his voice said another. If he really didn’t want her to take care of Jeremy, why had he knocked on her door in the first place?

  “I’m happy to spend the day with him,” she said firmly.

  “If he was worse, I’d stay home, only with finals next week it isn’t a good time to miss class,” he said.

  Alex removed a key from his key ring and handed it to her, along with a business card. “Here’s a key to my condo so you can spend the day there if you want. Feel free to use whatever you need. My office and cell phone numbers are on the card. I usually turn off the cell in class, but I’ll leave it on today.”

  She glanced at the key and had a sudden burning urge to see the inside of the McKenzie household. Would it be neat? Disorganized? Would it still reflect the influence of Jeremy’s mother, who had been the homebody sort who made everything nice? A vision of lace doilies and crocheted toilet-paper-roll covers went through her head—a dizzying image in the face of Alex’s rugged masculinity.

  “Er… I’ll let Jeremy take the lead,” she murmured.

  Suddenly, Jeremy appeared under Alex’s elbow and smiled up tremulously. “Is it okay, Daddy?”

  “Yes. Go back inside, son, where it’s warm.”

  “No. Go to Shannon’s now.”

  Quick as a monkey, he scooted past his daddy, and Shannon instinctively crouched to catch him in a hug.

  Oh…goodness.

  A warm, fuzzy sensation curled in her tummy.

  She glanced up at Alex and tingles of electricity gave her a different kind of warmth. Barefoot despite the cold, clad in faded jeans and a University of Washington sweatshirt, he had just the right blend of unconscious confidence and sex appeal to make a woman weak in the knees.

  “You—” Her voice cracked and she cleared it.

  Alex might be yummier than a chocolate sundae, but she wasn’t interested.

  Liar, screamed her conscience.

  Why else would she keep from confessing that she couldn’t boil water and didn’t have a clue about kids?

  Not for the first time she reminded herself that a relationship between them was doomed. He was a family man who loved primitive countries, and sh
e was a city woman. Her idea of survival skills was knowing how to get rid of the containers that came with take-out food.

  Straightening, she plastered a polite smile on her face. “Go ahead and get ready for work. Jeremy is fine here.”

  “Thanks.” Alex’s blue eyes darkened and a spasm of emotion crossed his face as he looked down at his son. He still hadn’t shaved, but his shadow of a beard and rumpled appearance made him look even sexier. “I shouldn’t be too late.”

  He turned and crossed their side-by-side driveways, then disappeared inside his condo.

  Shannon breathed a sigh of relief and directed Jeremy into her house. The less time she spent with his daddy, the better for all of them.

  After lunchtime had come and gone, Shannon was exhausted. But it wasn’t a bad exhausted. A local store had agreed to deliver groceries—including their “homemade chicken noodle soup,” guaranteed to cure colds “just like Mom’s did.” She’d only boiled a little over in the microwave while reheating it, so nothing disastrous had happened.

  Afterward, Jeremy had talked her through making instant cocoa, before delightedly playing with the train again.

  The doorbell rang, breaking into her thoughts, and she hurried into the other room, smiling at Jeremy who was curled up on the couch with a blanket.

  He blinked sleepily at her. “S’Daddy,” he predicted.

  Sure enough, Alex McKenzie waited on the step with an anxious expression in his eyes. “Is Jeremy all right?”

  “He’s fine. I would have called if there was a problem.”

  Part of Alex’s mind registered the annoyed tone in Shannon’s voice, but the other part appreciated the dark green dress she wore. It was made of a soft fabric that clung like a second skin, and he itched to see how it might peel away. Was she wearing underwear? There weren’t any obvious lines that—

  Damn.

  His thoughts were going in directions he’d sworn he wouldn’t allow them to go. Shannon was a neighbor—nothing more. It was natural that after a year of being celibate certain feelings would return. And if he felt as if he was being unfaithful to Kim, then that was something he’d have to resolve within himself.