Christmas in Eternity Springs (11 page)

Nicholas rolled his eyes. “Dad hates to be late ever.”

“I do, too. I'll tell you a shortcut to the clinic from here.” She pointed toward an alley halfway up the street. “Cut through that alley to Cottonwood. The clinic will be there on your right.”

“Thanks,” Jax said. “See you tonight, Claire.”

“We'll be there with bells on.”

“Bells?” Nicholas asked, worry clouding his tone. “Like ‘Jingle Bells'?”

Claire's expression went soft. In a gentle voice, she explained. “No, we won't be wearing bells. That's just an expression. It means we will be happy to be there.”

“Oh. Okay. That's good. I thought … well … you're the Christmas lady.”

She lifted her hand, and for a moment, Jax thought she might tousle Nicholas's hair—something he hated strangers to do. Instead, she rested it briefly on his shoulder. “Nope. I'm not the jingle-bell-wearing type.”

“Come on, Nicholas,” Jax said, giving the boy's shirt a tug, then Claire one more wave. As they entered the alley, Nicholas began to chatter, as animated as he'd been about anything in a very long time.

Jax understood the boy's enthusiasm. He was plenty excited, himself. He had a dinner date with a beautiful woman.

Except, it wasn't a date. Not a “date” date. He'd have his kid along and she would have her dog and there wouldn't be a good-night kiss involved, much less sex. It was not a date.

Wonder if I'll have time to wash a shirt?

*   *   *

“It's not a date,” Claire told the pup, who lay plopped in the middle of her bedroom floor, chewing on the dog toy that was part of the welcome-to-pet-ownership kit that Lori had dropped off earlier. “That's a good thing, too. Dreaming about Mr. Flesh-and-Blood is one thing, but acting on it is something else entirely. I don't need to bite off more than I can chew. I'm better off approaching this fresh start with puppy steps. Romance is the very last thing I need in my life right now!!!”

If she said it with enough exclamation points, maybe she'd actually mean it.

She couldn't believe the star of her fantasy life had moved to town. Claire was dying to know why. Surely she'd find out at least part of the story tonight.

Celeste probably knew. Celeste seemed to know everything that happened around town. Curious, though, that she hadn't mentioned new residents to Claire this morning. That's the sort of news that interested everyone in town.

Bet the reason he's back had something to do with Nicholas. That poor little guy. She'd thought about him often, too. She'd even snooped around a bit, trying to learn more details about his situation. The last time Cat Davenport had shopped at Forever Christmas, Claire had brought up Nicholas Lancaster.

“I can't disclose anything from his file,” Cat had told her. “However, much of it is public information. A reporter interviewed Nicholas's grandmother shortly after the tragedy. If you're curious, Google ‘Hardcastle Books heiress.'”

Claire had heard of Hardcastle Books, of course. That night after closing up the shop, she'd indulged her curiosity. The news articles written about the tragedy had been plentiful and heartbreaking. What Claire learned was enough to give
her
nightmares—much less a six-year-old boy.

None of them did more than mention in passing that the woman's ex-husband served in the navy.

The puppy gave out a little yelp, and Claire looked away from her closet to check into what her new pet was doing. “Hey, little girl,” she said as she scooped the puppy up and set her on the floor away from the bed. Handing her a different chew toy, she scolded, “Don't chew on the furniture!”

She turned her attention back to her closet. What should she wear? Something casual, certainly. She didn't want to dress as if this were a date. Because it wasn't a date. She'd let him buy dinner, but she'd spring for a welcome-to-town brew. She was being neighborly. That's what people did here in Eternity Springs.

She'd wear a sweater and jeans. “That says after-work casual, right?”

The puppy didn't pause in her mauling of the rubber toy. Grinning, Claire realized that when she wrote in her positive-thoughts journal tonight, she needed to include the fact that she'd no longer need to feel bad about her habit of talking to herself. From here on out, she'd be talking to the dog. “It's the little things in life that can make your day brighter, right? And talking to you will be even easier once you have a name.”

She'd surprised herself with her offer to Nicholas, but the moment she'd asked the question, she'd known it was the right thing to do. He was such a sad little boy, full of yearning and fear. She sensed he might have suffered a setback of some sort in the weeks since he'd left Eternity Springs.

Maybe that's why the Lancasters had returned. Maybe they were looking for some more of that Eternity Springs magic.

“If so, then we need to do our best to give it to them,” she informed the dog.

Claire believed in the magic of her adopted town. Of course, she'd believed in Santa Claus until she was eight, too, so go figure. Still, hadn't she come a long way herself since moving to Eternity Springs? Tonight was a prime example. A year ago, she'd no sooner have accepted a not-a-date with a drop-dead-gorgeous fantasy man than she would have gone out and bought a copy of that damned book. She might not be ready to trot herself into the cineplex in Gunnison, throw down money for buttered popcorn, and settle down to watch the most popular children's movie in America, but she darn well was ready to manage a nondate with Jax Lancaster!

Except, she wasn't ready. She was standing in front of her closet in her bra and panties. “Better get moving. You know the man will be punctual.”

She debated between two V-necked cashmere sweaters, one red, one brown. The red one flattered her skin tone and hair color—she was one of those redheads who could wear red. The brown sweater matched her eyes and fit a little looser. “What do you think?”

The puppy just looked at her. Wonder if she could train the little dear to bark when she asked a question?

“The brown is probably a better choice. Not as datey.”

Ten minutes later, she went downstairs carrying her new pup and wearing the red sweater, jeans, and her favorite red leather cowboy boots. She arrived precisely at seven and found Jax and Nicholas already there, hanging up their jackets on the coat pegs on the wall beside the door. Both males turned when she opened the door. Both smiled identical smiles when they identified her as the new arrival.

It did Claire's heart good.

Of course, Nicholas wasn't really grinning at her. He was grinning at the puppy. That made Claire's heart happy, too. “Hello, you two.”

“Hi, Claire.”

“Hi, Miss Claire. How is she doing?”

“She's great. We had a fun afternoon.”

Nicholas frowned. “She's wearing a pink collar.”

Unfortunately, that was true. Claire stocked dog collars at Forever Christmas, but they were all Christmas themed. Under the circumstances, she wouldn't have put one of those on her dog. She'd had to pick one up at Lori's, and sadly, her choice had been pink or pink. “It's temporary. I'm going to order one that suits her better once we've figured out her name.”

Nicholas nodded sagely.

It took them a good five minutes to make their way out to the patio because the patrons of Murphy's Pub all wanted to see the puppy. In keeping with her plan, Claire declared the first round on her as a welcome to Eternity Springs. Jax carried the beers outside when they finally made it to their picnic bench.

Claire put down the dog and offered Nicholas the leash. “Would you like to be in charge of this?”

“Yes, please.”

She ceremoniously handed over the leash and a bag of toys to a tentative Nicholas. The two adults didn't speak as they watched the boy and puppy grow accustomed to one another. When within just a few minutes, Nicholas got down on the floor to play with the puppy, Claire and Jax shared a happy smile. He lifted his pint in toast. “Thank you, Claire.”

She clinked glasses with him. “You are very welcome, Jax.”

“Pretty risky thing for you to do, you know. What if he chooses a name you hate?”

“I don't think that will be a problem. I'm pretty open-minded, and Nicholas doesn't strike me as someone who'd set his heart on something unfortunate. Besides, I'm an excellent negotiator. I feel certain that if necessary, I'll be able to talk him around to my way of thinking.”

Jax snorted. “Don't have much experience with eight-year-olds, do you?”

“Is that a warning?”

“Let's just say you'd better bring your A game.”

A giggle from the floor caught their attention, and Claire turned toward the sound. Nicholas sat cross-legged on the ground, his glasses askew, and his arms full of puppy. She was up on her haunches, licking his face.

“I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to see this. It's as if a thousand-pound burden has been lifted from my shoulders.”

“Something happened since July?”

He hesitated, giving her the impression that he was deciding just how much to say.

Finally, in a tone low enough that the boy couldn't overhear, he confided, “Nicholas's therapist tried a new direction in his treatment that backfired. His grandparents and I disagree about his care, and the power struggle between us wasn't helpful for my son.” His mouth flattened in a grim smile and he added, “At all.”

“But you're his father. You get to make decisions about your son.”

“Absolutely. But in their defense, they took care of him and made those decisions for more than a year while I was trying to get out of the navy. I understand how they found it difficult to let go, but it reached a point where I had to say ‘enough.'”

She studied him over the top of her beer. “Let me guess. They didn't take your decision well.”

He snorted. “Not by a long shot. Remaining in Seattle became untenable, and Nicholas thought Eternity Springs would be a great place to go to third grade, so we decided we are going to take a bit of a breather here and figure out what is the best thing for our little family of two.”

So it wasn't a permanent move. Okay. That was even better for her. She didn't have to wrestle with the question of whether or not her own heart had healed enough to venture out into relationship waters again. Knowing that Jax's stay in town was temporary made it possible for her to dip her toes back into the water, so to speak, should he ask her on a date.

Because this was not a date.

Never mind the fact that she'd spent nearly half an hour deciding what to wear. And it did appear that he had shaved since their collision earlier that afternoon.

“Enough of my woes. Let's order dinner, shall we? Then you can tell me what's been happening in your world since July.”

They all ordered the Murphy's special burger. Claire subbed a side salad for fries, and Jax requested another beer. “So, Claire, beyond a new puppy, what's new?”

Just then Nicholas let out another laugh. She shared another grin with Jax, then said, “The biggest news is that I'm expanding Forever Christmas.”

She told him about her storage problem and the solution Celeste had suggested. That led to discussion about Celeste's angel collection and other general town gossip. Jax mentioned he had a meeting with the owner of the lumberyard the following morning.

“I need work while we're living here,” Jax said. “Since I doubt there's much of a market for nuclear engineers in Eternity Springs, I'm going to try to get on with a construction crew.”

“Oh? Have you done that type of work in the past?”

“Yes. My father was a contractor, and I grew up working in construction. I can do a little of everything. I like working with my hands.” He shrugged. “Frankly, the idea of doing this type of work for the next ten months appeals to me. I'm hoping Larry will give me the inside scoop on who to approach.”

Just then the door between the pub and the patio swung open and the Callahan twins ran outside. Eight-year-old Meg and Cari had their strawberry-blond hair pulled up into ponytails, and they carried big fat sticks of sidewalk chalk in their hands, their focus on the section of concrete floor set aside for outdoor games. Upon seeing Nicholas with the puppy, they came to an abrupt halt.

“Puppy!” Meg squealed.

Cari pivoted toward Nicholas. “Can I hold her?”

“She's not my dog,” Nicholas replied, holding the pup protectively.

Claire knew a prime opportunity when she saw one. Tomorrow, these three children would be in the same class. The Callahan girls were live wires, but they had kind hearts. Nicholas's introduction to a new school would go just a little bit easier if he made friends with them today. Standing, she said, “It's okay, Nicholas. I know these girls. Their mother is a veterinarian like Miss Lori. They are always kind to animals.”

“Is this your puppy, Miss Claire?”

“She is.”

“What's her name?”

“Nicholas and I are working on that. He's going to help me name the puppy. Girls, I want you to meet Nicholas. He'll be joining your class at school tomorrow. Nicholas, this is Meg and Cari.”

“You look just alike,” he said, his gaze shifting from one girl to the other. “Except your freckles are different.”

Cari nodded twice. “We're identical. You're the first kid who noticed our freckles. Our daddy says that's how he tells us apart.”

“My mom called freckles ‘angel kisses,'” Nicholas said.

Cari grinned at him. “Miss Celeste says that, too. Can I hold the puppy?”

Nicholas hesitated only a moment before handing the dog over.

“Whew,” Jax said in a near whisper. “I was worried about that for a minute. Eight-year-olds aren't always great about sharing.”