* * *
Linc made certain to be standing in the hallway outside Jayden’s door when Harper emerged after tucking him in.
She shut the door and turned to him. Her beautiful face had I’ve got to get out of here written all over it. “I think I should probably—”
“Stay.”
She leaned in close and lowered her voice to a near whisper. “Your mother—”
“—is jet-lagged. She’s gone to her room for the night. She won’t be bothering us.”
“Linc, come on. She doesn’t like me. I just need a little space, that’s all.”
As far as he knew, Alicia had been civil, at least. But maybe she’d crossed the line at some point while his back was turned. If she had, he would get her a hotel room—tonight, if possible. “What did she say to you?”
That plump mouth twisted into a tight frown. “Look. It’s not any particular thing that she said. It’s just very clear to me that she doesn’t want me here.”
“She’s messed up. She took a position as wronged and wounded when my father divorced her—and she was, on both counts. He was having an affair with his assistant at Stryker Marine while he and my mother were still married. Then he divorced my mother and married the woman he’d cheated on her with. She was deeply and understandably hurt by his betrayal, and also by the humiliation of being traded in on a younger model. But since then, she hasn’t moved on. It’s like she got stuck there, being the injured party.”
“I just don’t want to be in the middle of it.”
“Harper, you have to see that my mother’s issues are not your fault. Please don’t let her chase you away.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow. But for tonight, I think it would be easier if I went home.”
“What it would be is giving in. And giving in to my messed-up mother solves nothing.”
She sagged against the wall by Jayden’s bedroom door. “She came all this way to see you and the kids...”
He moved in closer, wanting to soothe her, needing to convince her to stay. “No, she didn’t.” The words were out before he stopped to think that they would require an explanation—and that explaining the real reason Alicia had shown up on his doorstep would not make Harper any more willing to stay.
“If she didn’t come to see her son and her grandchildren, then why...?” The sentence met an untimely death as she put it together. “Omigod. Imogen. Is she here to talk you into getting back with your fiancée?”
“Ex-fiancée.” And wait. Had he just admitted that Harper was right? He wanted to slap a strip of duct tape on his own damn mouth—but then again, she would have figured it out eventually, anyway. And she would not have been pleased that he’d put off telling her. He captured her hand before she could take off down the stairs. “Let’s go to my room. We’ll talk about this. Please.”
She didn’t look happy, but she did let him lead her along the hallway and into the master suite. Once he had her in his private space, he shut the door and turned the lock. She headed straight for the sitting area. Dropping to the sofa, she grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it to her chest as though to shield herself from whatever difficult truth he might be about to throw at her next.
At least she toed off her chukka boots and gathered her feet up to sit cross-legged on the cushions. “Okay. I’m here. What’s going on?”
He made himself lay it out there. “I’ve ended my relationship with my mother’s longtime best friend’s daughter, and now my mother is determined I’m not going to do to Imogen what my father did to her.”
“But the two situations are not the same.”
“Exactly. But as I’ve said before, my mother is screwed up.”
She gave him a long, unhappy look and then said, “What does your mother know about you and me?”
He didn’t quite dare to sit next to her, so he took the club chair across the low table. “What do you mean, ‘what does she know’?”
“Really, Linc? I have to ask all the individual questions?” She tossed the pillow to the sofa—and then picked it right back up and hugged it again. “Will you please just explain to me what the heck is going on here?”
“I, erm, implied to my mother that we’re together.”
“You implied?”
“I didn’t know how far to go. You’ve been pretty damn clear that we’re not rushing into anything. I said that you mean a lot to me and she’d better treat you with respect.”
A rush of color flooded up her neck and over her cheeks. “You threatened her—you threatened your mother?”
Adrenaline burned through him. Why was he the bad guy in this? “I said she couldn’t stay here if she wasn’t going to be civil to you and that I expected her to accept that Imogen and I are through. I said if she couldn’t agree to those two conditions, I would find a hotel for her to stay in.”
Slim shoulders slumped. “You threatened her. No wonder she hates me.”
“She doesn’t hate you.”
“Oh, please. I’ve spent most of the evening in proximity to her. If her looks could kill, I would not be breathing.”
“Harper...”
Her back snapped up straight again. “Does she know I’m the temporary Christmas nanny?”
“Harper—”
“Please answer the question.”
“No, she doesn’t know.”
At that, Harper slapped the pillow against her face and groaned into it. He knew he was just about to lose her. But then she put the pillow down and groaned again—a softer groan this time. “Now I don’t know what to do. I can’t figure out which is worse, her thinking I’m the help—which is true, actually—or her thinking I’m some gold-digging local yokel chasing a rich potential sugar daddy, watching the kids and hanging around here all the time trying to worm my way into your good graces.”
“Stop. You are much more than the help, and we both know it. And you know damn well you don’t have to knock yourself out to get near me. The two of us can’t get close enough, as far as I’m concerned. I mean it. You can’t buy into her garbage.”
Her cheeks puffed out with a hard breath. “She’s your mother. I don’t want her to hate me.”
He got up and went to her. Sweet relief loosened the knots in his belly when she didn’t pull away. Instead, she made room for him, shifting and tucking her legs to the side so that he could sit next to her. Better still, she didn’t object when he pulled her into his arms. “Please don’t get torn down about her.”
“Oh, Linc...” She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. “This is awful.”
He pressed his cheek to the crown of her head and breathed in the lemony scent of her hair. “She’s completely unreasonable. I don’t know what to do with her. I think the best move is that tomorrow, I’ll just tell her she can’t stay here.”
Harper tipped her head back to meet his eyes. “No. That would be wrong. I think we have to be gentle and direct with her.”
He gave a pained chuckle. “Like we are with Maya and Jayden?”
“Yeah, pretty much. And we have to just tell her that we’re a couple.”
We’re a couple.
Hallelujah! She’d actually said it.
Suddenly, in spite of everything, the world was a beautiful place. “Say that again.” He couldn’t keep the giant smile from stretching across his face.
“Well, I mean, we’re not putting labels on what we have, but we are together.” She looked so sweet and earnest. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to make love to her. Most of all, he wanted to keep her. Forever, if possible.
Somehow, in less than four short weeks, he couldn’t picture his life without her in it. Not anymore. Never again.
“Right?” she prompted.
He nodded for all he was worth. “Yes. No doubt. We are together.”
“We have to say it, though. We
have to tell your mother that we’re together and that you’re paying me to help you look after the kids until you go back to Portland. I think we need to just put it all out on the table, let her make whatever she wants to make of it. Hiding stuff from her is only going to come back to haunt us later.”
“I love it when you say ‘us.’” He closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath. “However, given the way she’s been behaving, it just feels like anything we say about our relationship will only be handing her more ammunition, giving her more opportunities to wreak havoc.”
Harper pulled away. “What’s she going to do—tell Imogen?”
“Yes—or she’ll tell her BFF, Sarah, who happens to be Imogen’s mother, and then Sarah will tell Imogen.”
“But, Linc, is there a reason we should care that Imogen knows about you and me?”
If Imogen scares you away? Absolutely, he thought. He said, “God, no. We should not care. I don’t care.”
“Well, okay then. Can we agree that we have a plan? That we’ll treat your mother with kindness. We’ll tell her exactly what we are to each other and refuse to be intimidated by her bad behavior because we are doing nothing wrong.”
“Agreed.” But he had to say it. “Though I’m afraid she’s still going to do everything in her power to make you want to run away screaming.”
“Yeah. That won’t be fun. But family matters, Linc. It’s important that you do your best to get along with her.”
He wasn’t so sure. “I understand why you believe that. I’ve met your family. They’re worth knocking yourself out for.”
“All families are.” Now those big eyes had turned pleading. “Linc. She’s your mother. I couldn’t stand to be the reason you aren’t speaking to her.”
“You are not and will never be the reason.” He stroked a hand down the vibrant silk of her hair, wanting to soothe her, to get her to see that sometimes everything is not going to come out right. “She’s impossible. I’ll try to make it work with her, for your sake. But I’m only going to take so much of her bad behavior. Sometimes, even with family, a guy’s got to draw the line.”
* * *
As usual, Harper left around midnight.
The next morning, Alicia slept late.
Linc got up bright and early with Jayden and Maya. His mother had yet to emerge from the guest room upstairs when Linc’s dad called.
“That invitation still open?” Warren asked. “Shelby and I were thinking of flying out there tomorrow. We’ll charter a jet and fly into that little airport right outside town. We won’t stay long, just overnight, arriving in the afternoon tomorrow and taking off around lunchtime Wednesday. I’m thinking I need to see Jayden and Maya, and I want to put something under the tree for each of them.”
Linc hesitated. He couldn’t help but be torn between how pleased he was that his father was making an effort—and how his mother would take being under the same roof with her cheating ex and his third wife.
“The silence on your end is deafening, son.” Warren sounded vaguely amused.
“Sorry. I do want you to come. Full disclosure, though. Mom’s here.”
A beat, then starkly, “You’re not serious.”
“Yes, I am.” Linc glanced across the living room, where Maya lay on the floor cuddling her stuffie, Pebble, and staring contentedly up at the Christmas tree. Jayden was up in his own room, where he couldn’t overhear this conversation. Linc lowered his voice, anyway. “Mom’s on the warpath over my breakup with Imogen.”
Warren said something under his breath. “You also realize I’m not on her good side.”
As if that was news. “I assumed as much.”
“Are you sure you still want us to come?”
“I’m sure. Just as long as you know it probably won’t be all that pleasant dealing with her.”
“No it won’t. And I have to update Shelby on this development before we confirm.”
“I get that.”
“Hang on?”
“I’ll be here.”
Two minutes later, Warren was back. “All right. You asked for it. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“That’s great, Dad.” He realized he meant it. “I’m glad you’re coming.”
“Just one more thing you really should know...”
“Sure.”
“You’re going to have a baby sister. Shelby’s pregnant. We’re seven months along.”
* * *
Alicia came out of her room at a little after eleven. She went straight to the coffee maker in the kitchen. Linc considered following her in there to give her a heads-up on Warren and Shelby’s visit and to let her know that Harper was his girlfriend and the temporary nanny.
But then he thought better of that. Alicia was just too likely to behave badly when he laid the news on her. The kids didn’t need to witness their grandmother in a meltdown.
He would have a talk with her this afternoon when Harper would be here to look after Maya and Jayden. Or maybe tonight, after the children were safely tucked in their beds.
Alicia fixed herself a late breakfast and returned to her room. When Harper arrived at one, Linc was sprawled on the sofa across from Jayden, who sat cross-legged on the floor, hard at work on another Christmas work of art, using the coffee table as his workspace.
“Look, Harper.” He held up his creation for her approval as she entered the room. “It’s Santa by the tree.”
She went right to him. “I love it.”
“I do, too,” he agreed, and then put the paper down on the coffee table again, grabbed a red crayon and bent to his work.
Maya toddled over to her from her favorite spot beside the tree. “Up, Hawp!”
Harper scooped his niece into her arms and turned to Linc with a smile that made everything better. She asked, “Where’s your mother?”
“Upstairs in her room.” She hadn’t come down since she went up there after her late breakfast.
“Kiss,” commanded Maya and stuck her stuffie in Harper’s face.
Harper laughed, kissed Pebble and then asked, “Did you get a chance to talk to her?”
“I thought I would wait until you were here to keep an eye on the kids.”
She nodded. “Good idea.”
“There’s more. My dad and his wife are coming tomorrow, just for overnight. Shelby’s pregnant.”
Harper grinned. “Go, Warren!”
And then both of them were laughing. It was all just too weird, like they were living in a soap opera.
Maya asked, “Funny?”
When both Harper and Linc nodded, she laughed, too.
Harper said, “I think I’ll take the kids back to my cottage. We’ll work on our homemade Christmas presents.”
“Pwesents!” crowed Maya. She was a big fan of those.
Harper added the unfun part. “You can talk to her while we’re gone.”
Twenty minutes later, Harper and his niece and nephew set out for the Bravo cottage. Linc climbed the stairs in dread.
“Come in,” his mother answered, so polite, cold as ice, when he tapped on her door.
He pushed it open and found her sitting in the corner chair, reading glasses perched on her nose and a book open in her lap. “Got a minute?” he asked.
“Certainly.” She marked her place and set the book aside.
He crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him. “Just a few things I think you ought to know...”
She gave him a half-hearted smile that came off more as a grimace. “All right.”
He had no clue of the right way to begin, so he just started talking. In five sentences, he got out everything he’d come upstairs to say to her. Lamely, he finished with, “So that’s about it.”
The look she gave him probably should have sliced him in half, but all it did was make him feel weary to t
he core. “All right, then. To recap. Your father is coming. His third wife, the child bride, is pregnant, and this Harper person, who is not your fiancée and whom you are paying to look after my daughter’s children, just happens to be your girlfriend.” Acid burned each word as it fell from her lips.
Get the hell out.
He wanted to say it so bad he could taste it.
But again he reminded himself that Harper wanted him to try to get along with her. “That’s about the size of it,” he said flatly.
“This is outrageous.”
And that about did it for him. “I’m done with your crap, Mom. I’m sorry your life didn’t pan out the way you wanted it to. But that’s just not my fault—nor is it Harper’s fault.”
“That girl is—”
“Amazing and warm and wonderful and the best thing that ever happened to me—and, did I mention, my sister’s children adore her? I’m going to do everything in my power to convince her to keep seeing me after Christmas is over. And I’ve got to tell you, Mom. You are not helping. You show up here without letting me know that you’re coming and all you do is stir up trouble. I’ve had enough of your seething looks and your unacceptable attitude and your complete lack of interest in your dead daughter’s wonderful children. I’m not putting up with any more of it. I want you to leave.”
She rose. He waited for her to refuse to go and wondered what the hell he was going to do then.
But it didn’t come to that. She merely shrugged. “Have it your way, Lincoln. I’ll be out of here within the hour.”
Chapter Eleven
“I notice the Lexus is no longer out front,” Harper said mildly when she and the kids came back from the other cottage.
Linc stuck his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. We had a little talk. My mother decided it was time to go.”
Jayden hooked his coat on a low peg by the door and turned to Linc, frowning. “Grandma Alicia left?”
“Yes,” Linc replied. “She said to tell you goodbye and she hoped to see you soon.” Alicia had said no such thing and he shouldn’t be lying to his nephew. On the other hand, why the hell did an innocent five-year-old have to feel as bad as Linc did right now?
A Temporary Christmas Arrangement Page 16