Santa, Bring My Baby Back

by Cheryl Harper

  Charlie leaned back in his chair. It was about to get real. “Two words. Gold. Digger. What are you thinking?”

  “You just never learn, do you?” She shook her head. “I like her a lot, so I wonder if I’m doing her a disservice. At least, I did warn her. Keeping your dates is a good idea, even if I have the feeling they’ll look more like job interviews. Might give you a little perspective. I bet they’re just female Charlies, but if that makes you happy, then that’s enough for me.”

  Her narrowed eyes and pursed lips told a different story. Still, he was surprised to hear his romantic mother even pretend that she thought he might be able to choose better for himself than she ever would. Unfortunately, now the idea of sitting across from a perfectly suitable-on-paper woman for an inoffensive dinner filled him with dread and the slight simmer of annoyance.

  Charlie rubbed his face with his hands.

  “Just two days ago, you were excited about those dates. What changed?”

  He could ask himself the same question. Now he looked forward to those dates like he would an audit. While he’d worked at Willodean’s desk on the budget, he’d pulled out his phone at least three times to text a cancellation. But he hadn’t. He had a plan. He wasn’t ready to scrap it yet.

  “You do know that I married Mason Holloway because he was rich man who could take care of us, right? The only difference between me and Grace is that she’s not very good at the follow through.” They were quiet for a minute. “Charlie, what is it that you want? What would make you happy? That’s all I want. Do you even know?”

  Ouch. Charlie rubbed a hand across his chest to ease the sting of her question. “I want things between us to be like they used to be. I want you to be happy and safe. I want to find a wife because it’s time. I have the house, the freedom, and I’m ready to build a nice, stable home with a kid or two to keep things interesting.” He shrugged. “Is that so much to ask?”

  Willodean chuckled. “Seems like you’re missing a couple of important things. First, things won’t ever be the way they were, but we can make ’em better. I’m already happy and safe. And, while I’m not sure why now’s the time exactly, you could easily kill two birds with one Grace-shaped stone if all you want is any wife. She’s right here, after all. And I know that you want to execute your plan efficiently so you can get back home and start drafting the next one.”

  Charlie leaned back in his chair. “Marry Grace?” He’d been sure running her off was the right decision, even if he could never make himself do it, but if he looked at it logically, by the numbers, his mother had a point. A good one. And that was enough to confuse him for a minute.

  “Well, she wanted a fair prenup. You’d insist on it. She wanted a rich guy. You insist on that too.” She shook her head sadly. “It’s really too bad there’s no way she’d say yes at this point.”

  “Why do you think that? I mean, maybe she’d have to work a little harder to spend money in Newport, but there’s always catalogs and websites. She might be overjoyed at the opportunity.” If he hadn’t treated her like a thief after the family heirlooms or walked away like an offended maiden when she’d told him the truth.

  He really needed to learn from his mistakes instead of repeating them enough to alienate everyone in his path.

  Willodean shook her head as she unveiled the dessert, a peach cobbler with crumble crust that oozed sweetness and had his mouth watering. “Charlie, you don’t even mean what you’re saying.”

  “Maybe not.”

  She dumped a big pile on his plate and handed him a fork. “Eat up. You’re too skinny.”

  He laughed reluctantly. “You haven’t said that to me in a long time. You used to tell me that every night when I was in the break room of the Stardust Lounge while you waited tables and you brought me a hot fudge sundae on your breaks.”

  “You were the weirdest little kid. Thank God.” Willodean smiled as she took a bite of her cobbler. “Any other little boy would have whined about spending every night on a lumpy couch rolling change while I waited tables. You looked like it was a big imposition to be taken away from your job to eat ice cream. And I loved you so much, Charlie, even as I was scared to death.”

  Charlie wiped his mouth. “Scared to death? Of what?”

  “Failing mostly. I mean, after your daddy died, we were on the edge. I was lucky to have such understanding bosses that would let me stash a kid in the back while I worked. And I was lucky that the kid wanted a job to do. You always wanted a job to do. And you looked so serious. It killed me to think about what you were missing. But there was no other way. I had to work. I barely made the bills every month and the idea of you going hungry…” She took a bite of her pie and didn’t finish the thought.

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I don’t remember any of that. I remember sitting on the couch with the black-and-white television, lots of money, and a sundae for payment. I don’t think I was scarred for life.”

  “And it’s not like you don’t have a solid love for money and spending time on your own either, right?” Her teasing smile slipped away, and the worried frown was back.

  Charlie shrugged. She had a point. “I guess maybe I understand a little better about you and Mason getting married, even if I didn’t know we were poor and needed him then.”

  “You hated it. I know it. I knew it then, but it was so good for you, Charlie. The schools you went to were so much better, and I never had to worry about the grocery bills or what you might see or hear or worse in the back of a hotel lounge.” She shook her head. “I just… I did what was best.”

  “You did.” He folded his napkin. “But I guess… I loved what we had. I mean, I missed Dad. I knew you did too, but I liked it best when it was just you and me.”

  “You know what Grace said when I warned her about you? She said she believed in the journey, like wherever she ended up was where she was meant to be. And I think I know exactly what she means.”

  “You warned her? About me?” Charlie couldn’t wrap his mind around it. He was so upstanding and predictable he couldn’t imagine what sort of scene it would be that he was a danger.

  “I’m not sure she’s had a whole lot of people looking out for her. I’ve been where she is. And if it makes you feel any better, she wasn’t surprised by anything I said. In fact, she was downright offended, told me I should be standing up for you.” She patted his hand. “Even while she was trying to warn me about her, she was defending you.” Her smile slipped as she added, “But the thing is that I think she’s one of the ones meant to be here, Charlie, even if you aren’t. You both may be absolutely right about my matchmaking this time.”

  Charlie nodded. “I’ve never loved this place the way that you do, but maybe you’re right. Maybe Grace fits here.”

  “I know this place is a lot, Charlie. Just because I like a lot doesn’t mean you have to.”

  He appreciated that she wouldn’t push, but the way he felt about this hotel was about more than just the noise and the over-the-top décor. So he was going to give it one try while he was still under the influence of all the favorites Sal had provided for dinner. “This hotel changed everything.” She nodded and the smile on her face said she believed it was all for the better. “And I liked things the way they were. I liked our small, old house. I liked my public school. I liked hanging out while you worked.”

  Willodean frowned. “But you loved Mason. And he loved you like you were his too.”

  “I looked up to Mason. Every day I’m thankful he was the one you picked because every day I use what he taught me. But this hotel… he brought that too. And all I know is that when the hotel was born, I had this stupid feeling that… I don’t know. It was like you just disappeared. Things changed. And then when Mason died, you didn’t do anything but build and decorate and promote and host and whatever it took to make this place thrive. And I missed you. And I’m such a… I don’t know, a stick in the mud that I could never compete.”

  Willodean rubbed her forehead. “Son, you… you
don’t… I have to tell you this. It wasn’t a stupid feeling and you are no stick in the mud. You are the best thing I ever did and don’t you ever doubt that.” She blinked. “I’m sorry. I thought Travis was the only time I put myself ahead of you, but you’re absolutely right. I did it with Mason, and I did it with this hotel.”

  And now, maybe he’d gotten something off his chest, but his mother looked devastated, which made him feel awful. Worse. And he wished he’d just eaten and left. But he’d been doing that for a long time.

  Charlie sighed. “As much as you do to make this world better, no one in his right mind would hold any of those things against you, not even marrying Travis. Please, I just wanted to… I don’t know, explain how I feel about this place.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ve missed you. Remember that Thanksgiving we spent raking and raking and raking leaves the year before you married Mason? Our house was so small, but that yard was huge. I remember how much fun we had. You twirled around and made a bigger mess than we started with and all I could do was laugh.”

  He hadn’t ever told her how much he loved that place. Maybe it was time. “You know I bought it. As soon as I had enough money to feel comfortable doing something so silly just for the… sentimentality of it, I bought that house.”

  “Our first house in Memphis?” His mother tilted her head. “To do what with?”

  He shook his head. “God knows what I thought I’d do. Mostly I toss the key ring around when I’m sitting at my desk worrying about whatever it is that I can’t let go of.”

  He rolled his shoulders and tried to relax again, but he wanted to get it right. He always wanted to get everything exactly right. “You do so much for so many. Someone should do nice things for you. And I can help here more than I do.” He shook his head. “I still don’t know what you were thinking with Grace, though. She can’t stay, and I can’t change.”

  Willodean gripped his arm and gave it a little shake. “Now, I don’t believe either one of those things is true.” She tilted her head down and stared up at him. “Here’s what I know. Just because you haven’t changed, doesn’t mean you can’t. And that’s true for you, for me, for her, and most everybody I ever met. When you come up on a powerful enough incentive, you can do anything you set your mind to. I think that’s just human nature, but you, my boy, you have a stronger strain than most. McMinns are some of the stubbornest cusses I ever ran across, and your daddy had a pretty good dose.”

  It was nice to hear her talk about his dad. They didn’t do it often, but the summer he’d spent suffering on his grandfather’s farm outside of Newport had shown him that both the McMinn family and his mother’s family, the Longs, had their shares of obstinate perseverance.

  “Right, Mom, it’s a good thing you’re so easygoing and laid back. Otherwise, I might have been really hard to deal with.” He winked at her when she laughed.

  “Maybe I know whereof I speak, Charlie, that’s all. You don’t give up on something you want. You got enough stubbornness, from one side or the other, to keep going.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and he took a deep, calming breath. The scent of hairspray and lavender would always remind him of his mother and home.

  “I don’t care what brings you back. If you want to do more here at the hotel, I want you here. But if you don’t, please don’t think that’s the only thing that would make me happy. You are the best thing I ever did—” Her voice broke and Charlie had to sniff in a manly way to hold back a tear. “This hotel, helping people who need it, I love those things, but I want everything for you, Charlie, so you figure out what’ll make you happy and you go for it. If it’s Grace, you can count on my help. And if it’s some boring accountant with a portfolio, I’ll learn to love her too.”

  She expected him to say it was Grace. Definitely. But he just didn’t know. He had to laugh at the way she said it, like any other option than Grace would cause her no minor annoyance. When Misty lumbered off of the couch and came to rest her head on his knee, he said, “What do you think, sis? Should I try to find some mistletoe and hang it over Grace’s office door?”

  Misty tilted her head up and seemed to nod. Charlie ruffled her ears and listened to the bells around her neck jingle. “That’s solid advice, Misty.”

  His mother laughed, and he was happy to see the twinkle back.

  “Do you ever wish you’d gotten a Mister like you planned when Howard took you to visit the breeder, Mom?” Charlie looked down into Misty’s soulful eyes and couldn’t imagine how anyone would wish for a different dog.

  “No, I do appreciate his insistence that I needed a mister in my life, but she was a nice surprise. Besides, I just had no idea how much fun it was to have a dog that accessorized, you know? Howard Jackson was one smart man.”

  Charlie nodded. He had been. Kind too. “I’ll always be grateful that Howard never met an argument he couldn’t settle.”

  Misty heaved what sounded like an exhausted sigh and went back to climb on the couch.

  “I know exactly what she means. It’s hard to lounge around a hotel all day.” Charlie smiled at his mother. “Oh, and I know you don’t care much, but today I bought you a nice share of a company that manufactures environmentally friendly children’s toys. I expect to see a pretty good return on investment within two years.”

  Willodean patted his shoulder. “Good job, Charlie.”

  Then they both laughed. She was happy to let him invest in whatever he wanted with her money, even if he tried to tell her what to do with the profits afterwards. She trusted him.

  “And I’ve been thinking about your Christmas gift. I was going to tell you to match-make with everything you’ve got, but now… maybe not. Got any other suggestions?”

  She tapped a red nail against a red lip. “Hmm, well… let’s see, last year you got me an electric blanket. Gonna be awful hard to top that.” Her face was expressionless as she said it but then she raised an eyebrow and he got the feeling she hadn’t been all that impressed. What did he get the woman who had everything, including her own hotel decorated top to bottom in Elvis? “Least we got an idea what you can do for next year.”

  Charlie picked up the dirty dishes and slid them onto the tray in the corner. “What’s that?”

  Willodean chortled. “You’re easy. I can tell your mind ain’t really in the conversation, Charlie. You just walked right into this…” She clasped her hands in front of her. “Next year for Christmas, there’s only one thing that will do. A grandbaby!”

  “Oh, good Lord.” He hadn’t found the bride yet, much less… well, meeting his mother’s timeline would be next to impossible. “How about a nice gift certificate somewhere then? Or maybe a trip to the moon?” Willodean shook her head. “I mean, the moon might be easier.”

  “I’ve already told you the most efficient way to get on with your plan. Grace is right here. We could make it work.” Willodean hummed part of the “Wedding March” under her breath before she sipped her ginger ale.

  “Mom…” She turned and waited, curiosity clear on her face. And he almost waved it off.

  “Don’t you want to tell me ‘I told you so’? Now’s a great time and, boy, do I have it coming.”

  His mother bumped his shoulder with hers. “Listen, Charlie, I don’t know where you get it, but… you got to learn to let go of things, you know? I worry. I knew you were a kid when you told me Travis wanted nothing more than my money. You believed it passionately and couldn’t let it stay unsaid because you love me. That’s easy to forgive, son. And since then, even after Howard forced us to clear the air about Travis, his plans on my riches, and how the divorce had not much to do with you at all, every time we’re together, I see you pull back. I can see you beating yourself up. We’ll both be happier if you can figure out a way to let it go. Mistakes happen. I ain’t going to remind you because you and I both know I made a few hundred of my own. Travis and I were adults. We split up, but that’s our thing, not yours.”

  Remembering how out of control
he’d been that summer afternoon embarrassed Charlie every single time. “I called him a gold digger. To his face and yours. I refused to stay here and went to live with Henry for the summer. I don’t think I could have made my contempt any clearer, and even after the divorce, I didn’t apologize like I should have.”

  Willodean patted his leg. “Two things. First, spending that summer with my father was a worse revenge than I ever could’ve dreamed up on my own. And second, you come from a long line of people who are always right.” She held a hand up to her chest. “Not that I know what that’s like, of course.” She smiled up at him. “Just… let it go. No matter what, I only want you to be happy. Everything I’ve done, with the spectacular exception of marrying Travis Luttrell, has been for us, for you and me.”

  Except for Travis and this hotel. The words rattled around in his head, but he didn’t let them out.

  “But a gold digger? Shouldn’t you be warning me away?” Even after all that they’d been through, he would. He would still caution his mother.

  “Well, now, I’d say she ain’t a very good one, is she?”

  “That’s pretty much the same thing I said when she told me.” Charlie had to consider that for a minute. “So that makes it less… what? I don’t understand.”

  “She’s pretty, she’s smart, and she’s not afraid to do hard work. Seems she ought to be married and living the high life in Atlanta by now because marrying a man just really isn’t all that hard.” She shrugged. “I guess I’m saying if she failed, it was probably because her heart wasn’t in it. I don’t believe you’d face the same challenge with her if you put your mind to it.”

  “What about love, Mom? Isn’t that something you think I should be looking for?”

  Willodean blinked up at him. “Love? Now that is unexpected coming from you. But here’s what I think. I loved Mason Holloway until the day he died. It started with gratitude for everything he gave us, but he made me love him in a million different ways. I’ll never forget the day you ran in to tell me he’d opened up a trading account all for you.” She shook her head. “Never saw a boy so excited about stock trading. It’s almost unnatural. And I remember every time y’all celebrated a good money day over dinner and how proud he was of you when he talked about you. And I’ll tell you, even if you don’t love a man going in, you see him fall in love with your son that way, and you can’t even help it, you know?”