A Son For Christmas (West Coast Christmas Secrets Book 1)

by Tina Cambria

  “Nancy.” Kendra nodded. “I’ll try not to be so formal.” Then the thought came into her head that they’d need to figure out what Matt would call his grandmother. “What would you like Matt to call you? Grandmom? Mom-Mom? Nana?”

  “Hmm, let me think about that.” Looking around, Mrs. McCarthy gestured to an unoccupied table nestled among lush ferns in a secluded part of the atrium. “Do you have a minute to talk, dear?”

  “Sure thing,” Kendra said, taking a seat at the table Mrs. McCarthy had indicated.

  With all the work waiting on her desk in the back of her mind, she hoped she wasn’t in store for a long conversation on the merits of being called Grandma versus Mee-Maw or something along those lines. But the woman’s only seen her grandson once in over six years, she told herself. Mrs. McCarthy certainly deserved a few minutes of her time to talk about Matt.

  Yet when they sat down, it wasn’t Matt that Mrs. McCarthy wanted to discuss. “I wanted to ask you to please be patient with my son,” she said.

  “What do you mean?” Kendra wasn’t sure what kind of impatience she was guilty of. At least not that Shane’s mother would know about.

  “Finding out he has a six-year-old son has been hard on him.” Mrs. McCarthy fidgeted with the straps of her handbag. “It’d be hard for anyone. But I think it’s especially hard for Shane because of what happened to his father.”

  “I know his father isn’t around, but I’m sorry I don’t know any of the details.” Should she apologize more profusely for never even asking him exactly what had happened to his father? It suddenly stung that she’d never bothered to find out if he wanted to talk about it back when they’d first met, and he’d revealed his father was no longer part of the family.

  “He doesn’t talk about it much.” Mrs. McCarthy shot her a quick glance. “His father died in a car accident when Shane was only nine years old.”

  The sting bore deep into Kendra’s insides.

  The death of a parent. But at a much younger age than Kendra was when she lost her mother. It must have been even more traumatic. “I–I’m so sorry,” she stammered. “How awful.”

  “Thank you.” Mrs. McCarthy kept her gaze fixed on Kendra. “Shane understands what it’s like to grow up without a father. So, this is especially hard for him to know his son had the same experience for his first six years.”

  The expression on Shane’s mother’s face made it obvious that her son wasn’t the only one feeling emotional pain. “I think he’s feeling guilty. And angry.”

  Kendra was sure she was the target of Shane’s anger. And maybe rightfully so. “I guess we’re all having a hard time adjusting,” was all she could say. Any guilt she already felt had been multiplied by the reminder that she’d been insensitive in not giving Shane the opportunity to open up about his father’s death if he’d wanted to discuss it.

  Giving Kendra’s shoulders a quick squeeze, Mrs. McCarthy thanked her again for the invitation to Christmas dinner and then headed toward the door that led to the outside.

  Kendra strode toward the elevator to return to her office and then heard someone calling out, “Ms. Stevens!” from behind her. Turning around, she saw a woman who worked in the sandwich shop hurrying across the atrium, waving something in her hand.

  “I’m glad I caught up to you. You left your wallet on the counter in the sandwich shop.” The woman’s name tag identified her as Rita. She held out the wallet, and her tone turned apologetic. “I hope you don’t mind I looked inside to see who it belonged to when I spotted it.”

  “Not at all.” She thanked Rita and gave her a quick hug. “You saved me a giant headache.”

  Rita smiled and seemed pleased that she had been a Good Samaritan. She glanced toward the exit to the street and said, “That lady you were talking to was waiting for you for quite a while, wasn’t she?”

  “Was she? I don’t know.” Kendra was totally confused as to how the woman from the sandwich shop would know anything about Mrs. McCarthy.

  Her eyes gleaming, Rita continued, “Oh, she stopped in the shop at least three times this morning. First, she bought a magazine. Then came back for a bottle of water.” Rita nodded her head. “Finally, a pack of mints.”

  “But why do you think she was waiting for me?”

  “Well, I just assumed,” Rita said. “I noticed her sitting out here in the atrium, glancing around like she was waiting for someone. And she kept coming into the gift shop for little things.” She shrugged her shoulders. “When I saw her talking to you, I figured you were the one she was looking for.”

  Kendra stopped herself before replying that Mrs. McCarthy had actually been at QJV to have lunch with her son. No need to give out so much information. “Well, thank you again for returning my wallet,” she said to Rita.

  Back in her office, she reached for her tote bag to safely stash her wallet. Losing it would have been a colossal mess. Replacing credit cards and her driver’s license—what a headache that might have been. She took a quick glance at Matt’s photo before stowing her wallet in the tote bag and promised herself she wouldn’t let his world get turned upside down like hers was.

  Turning back to her e-mails, she was surprised to see an out-of-office automatic reply to a message she’d sent to the executive team before going downstairs for her sandwich. The message said that Shane McCarthy would be out of the office on business all day and would return messages as soon as possible.

  “So why would he make plans to meet his mother here for lunch if he’s not even on-site?” she asked aloud, shaking her head in confusion. Or why in the world had Mrs. McCarthy told her she was supposed to meet Shane if it might not even be true?

  Was Rita from the sandwich shop right after all? Maybe Shane’s mother had been hanging around all morning in hopes she’d pass by. What was it she’d said when they’d sat at the secluded table? Being patient with her son was what Kendra remembered.

  If it was so important that Shane’s mother would spend her whole morning hanging around a building lobby on the chance that Kendra would pass by, she decided she should do what Mrs. McCarthy asked. Yes, she could try to be patient for a little longer.

  The truth?

  Kendra realized she’d been patiently waiting for Shane to reappear in her life for over six years. Now that he was back, she supposed she could give him some time to change his mind about her.

  But she couldn’t help wishing there was some way to speed up that process—a way to wash away all of his anger at her and turn it into a completely opposite emotion. Her mother used to repeat an old saying that time heals all wounds. Her mother’s advice had usually been good, but what Kendra really wanted was a heavy dose of fast-acting medicine.

  * * *

  By lunchtime the next day, Kendra’s patience had worn thin, and she wondered how much time Shane’s mother expected her to give him before he made a stab at getting over his guilt and anger.

  When Shane’s number popped up on her cell phone display a few minutes later, she immediately clicked on the icon to accept the call. “Hello,” she said expectantly.

  “Hey, I have a big favor to ask you,” he announced without any exchange of pleasantries.

  Not sure what to expect, her heart pounded. “What is it?”

  “Would you be available on Friday after work to help me shop for my mother’s Christmas gift?”

  Christmas shopping for his mother’s gift? That was the big deal that caused him to break his forty-eight hours of radio silence?

  “Sure.” What did she have to lose by going shopping with him?

  “You’re a lifesaver,” he said. “My mom called me up yesterday and said she’d love a peplum blouse and a shrug for Christmas.”

  “She made it easy for you.”

  “I don’t even know what they are.”

  Not many men do.

  Unless they’re fashion designers or distributors of women’s clothing. A gift card to a nice spa would probably be more up Mrs. McCarthy’s alley, but what the
heck? If Shane’s mother was so specific about what she wanted, she must have a reason.

  “Oh, I can help you with that,” Kendra said.

  “How about if we meet by the first-floor escalator at Macy’s downtown at six on Friday night?” He hesitated for a moment. She wondered if the connection had dropped until he haltingly continued, “Want to have dinner too? I know we need to talk.”

  “Sure, that’d be great,” she said, feeling a tiny spark of hope working its way up from her toes and beginning to fill her up. He wanted to have dinner too. So, the evening wasn’t solely for crossing an item off his Christmas shopping list.

  After they’d discussed the possibility that he would stop over on Saturday afternoon to spend some time with Matt, she hung up feeling like a black cloud had floated away and been replaced by healing rays of sunshine. Maybe Friday night would be the beginning of a healing phase in their relationship.

  Thoughts of Shane kept straying from the back of her mind to the forefront all afternoon, making it challenging to focus on her work. When she picked up Matt from his after-school program later that day, he could barely contain his excitement after hearing his dad would probably stop by on Saturday afternoon.

  Glancing at her son in the car’s rear-view mirror, she smiled and said, “Honey, would you like to spend the night at Aunt Alicia’s on Friday if I can arrange it with her?”

  May as well keep her options open.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Friday morning arrived accompanied by rain and chilly temperatures. Kendra surveyed her closet and decided to pass over the sensible navy pants suit that seemed most appropriate for the day’s weather. Instead, she pulled out a gray pencil skirt and a silky red blouse. The bright blouse would be much more in tune with after-work Christmas shopping followed by dinner with Shane.

  After work, she drove to the Union Square area, parked in a conveniently-located garage, and entered Macy’s a few minutes before six. Shane was already waiting for her at the base of the escalator and greeted her with a friendly kiss on the cheek.

  “I really appreciate your help tonight,” he said. “I don’t know why my mother was so specific about what she wanted for Christmas this year. It’s totally out of character for her.”

  “I hope I’ll get to know your mother better,” she said. “She must be truly special. Raising you alone after your father passed away.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, she hasn’t had the easiest life. She’s been selling residential real estate since I was a little kid. Keeping a roof over our head and all that stuff. A lot for a woman to shoulder by herself.”

  “She seems special.”

  “She is.” Glancing over at Kendra, he said, “Sorry. I just realized I could almost be talking about you. Raising a kid on your own…”

  “I’m sorry too.” Noting the puzzled expression on his face, she continued, “I don’t think I was as sympathetic as I could have been back in college when you told me you’d grown up without your father. I should’ve let you talk about your feelings.”

  “I wouldn’t have wanted to talk about any of that. But I appreciate the thought.”

  “Well, let’s go to the women’s clothing department and see if we can find what your mother wants.” The thought entered her head that Shane’s mother probably couldn’t care less if she received a peplum blouse, a shrug, or even a pair of slippers from her son for Christmas.

  Between the lunch date with her son that was never actually scheduled but resulted in a “chance” meeting with Kendra and the super-specific gift requests, she suspected that Mrs. McCarthy had tried to orchestrate this shopping expedition. And whatever else it might lead to.

  Orchestrate away, she felt like saying as they searched through the racks of women’s blouses and tops. If Christmas shopping provided a non-threatening way for the two of them to spend some time together, she wouldn’t complain.

  When she pulled out a royal blue fitted blouse with a gathered overskirt and held it up for his approval, he said, “It doesn’t really remind me of something my mother usually wears.” He looked from the blouse to her and continued, “What do you think?”

  “I think if this is what your mother asked for, she had a reason. Why don’t you give her what she wants?” Of course, she now presumed that Mrs. McCarthy’s reason had little to do with an article of clothing she hoped to see in her closet but was more about her son’s happiness. And making sure her grandson found a comfortable place in her family.

  “Whatever Mom wants for Christmas, I’ll make sure she gets.”

  “You are the perfect son,” she declared with a giggle.

  “Thank you, but I was actually thinking that you are the mother of the perfect son.”

  “How could he not be perfect, with you as his father?”

  “This is getting kind of deep…”

  “Right. Let’s find that shrug,” she said.

  “And exactly what would that be?”

  “A little cardigan that only goes about half-way down the torso, instead of all the way to the waist.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he said. “I wouldn’t have figured that out in a million years.”

  Probably what his mother was thinking too.

  Of course, he could have easily googled to find out what the items were. He’d conveniently played along with his mother’s plan. Or maybe he’d actually done some googling but kept the information to himself. Who knows? Maybe he appreciated the chance to spend some time with her.

  While he paid for his purchases, she tried to take stock of how things were going so far with him.

  It was going very well, if she had to say it. But she didn’t dare utter that opinion out loud. Would he ever be willing to consider a future with her? Or would her jealousy bubble up again and make him unwilling to let go of his anger over her keeping Matt a secret for so long?

  If only they could start fresh. Yet she knew there was no wiping the slate clean of everything that had happened since they’d first met. That might happen in fairy tales but not in the real world.

  Even so, maybe tonight was a step in the right direction.

  “Getting hungry?” He glanced over and smiled as they headed down the escalator.

  “I am.” She looked around at the holiday decorations bringing the main floor of the store to life. “You know, all these lights and decorations perk up my mood. I didn’t even realize I was hungry until you mentioned it.”

  “Say, if you want to see some beautiful holiday lights, why don’t we have dinner at the restaurant at my hotel?” His eyes lit up nearly as brightly as the twinkling lights in the store. “You won’t believe how the hotel atrium is decorated for the holidays. And there’s a restaurant on the second level that overlooks the atrium. I won’t tell you how it’s decorated—I’ll let it be a surprise.”

  Since Shane had taken a taxi from the office, they headed to the garage where her car was parked. He stepped off the elevator on the third level and said, “Do you want me to drive? I know the best route to the hotel.”

  “Sure,” she agreed. “There it is. See my white Honda at the end of the row?” She handed him her keys and laughed. “I could get used to having a chauffeur.”

  About twenty minutes later, after parking her car in the hotel garage, Shane led her into the hotel atrium. Kendra was literally speechless as she took in the magnificent evergreen tree covered with sparkling multi-colored lights and oversized Christmas balls soaring upward into the ten-story atrium. Strings of white lights cascaded from the glass roof. On the main floor of the lobby, small groups of carolers and musicians circulated among the hotel guests.

  “This is unbelievable,” she exclaimed after getting her breath back.

  “I knew you’d love it,” he said. “C’mon, let’s take the escalator up to the restaurant. Hopefully, we can snag a table without too long of a wait.”

  After the restaurant hostess assured Shane a table would be ready within fifteen minutes, he spotted two e
mpty stools at the end of the bar and ushered Kendra across the room. While he ordered drinks, she gazed behind the bartender to the glass wall with several shelves of bottles containing various spirits. Beyond the glass, she could see through the atrium wall to the lights of the city.

  “I can’t believe this view,” she said. “I never knew there was anything like this here.” She paused for a moment to fully take in the twinkling cityscape. “I’m lucky to work in the city, but I guess I’m a small-town girl at heart. The commute across the bay every day can be rough, but I like the easy-going feel where I live.”

  “You obviously don’t get out enough,” he said with a laugh.

  He’d gotten that right. Her lifestyle didn’t provide many opportunities to have drinks at an upscale bar. Their eyes met as he turned in his bar stool to face her, and she sensed that he realized he’d touched on a sensitive subject.

  He quickly continued, “Of course, I’m sure that’s one of the many challenges of being a single mom. By the way, where is our son tonight?”

  “Um, my sister is keeping him overnight.”

  There, it was out. No beating around the bush. Whatever it was that Shane’s mother had wanted to orchestrate, Kendra was doing her part not to let it veer off track. Now he knew that she was available for…whatever…until the morning.

  “I wanted to talk to you about Matt’s Christmas gift,” he said. “You know how he said he wanted a dog?”

  “Yes, but my work schedule wouldn’t be fair to a dog.” She shrugged apologetically.

  “I know. So, I spoke to your father that day when I picked Matt up at his house. You know, after you and I went to the park.”

  “What’s my father got to do with it?”

  “I talked to him about how Matt wants a dog of his own,” he explained. “Your dad said if we can adopt a dog that gets along with Duke, he’ll let the dog stay at his place on work days, so the two dogs will have each other for company.”

  “Pop agreed to that?”

  “Yeah. And he said he usually gets home before five, so he could feed both dogs at the same time.” He shot her a thumbs-up gesture. “Your pop knows how much Matt loves dogs and thinks it would be great if he had his very own dog.”