New Beginnings (5 page)

“Too true,” Kirstie said. “Say, I saw an interesting recipe for a cranberry relish that looked good. I thought I’d bring some to Christmas dinner. I’ll bring muffins too, of course.”

“The relish sounds perfect. It will go with both the ham and turkey. Remember to bring enough for ten. Evan is bringing Maureen and her two children. Ainslee, Doug, and little Lindsay Belle, of course. Plus you and Mark. I’m so excited the whole family and then some are going to be here this year.” Anabelle desperately wanted to see her children happily married and raising more grandchildren for her.

“That’s something I wanted to mention, Mother.”

Anabelle heard a slight hesitation in her daughter’s voice and frowned. “What is it, dear?”

“About Mark. He won’t be coming to Christmas dinner.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. We’ll miss him. Is he going to be with his family for the holidays?” Couples so often had to choose between one set of parents or the other.

“I think so. But the fact is, Mark and I broke up. We’re not seeing each other anymore.”

That knocked the breath out of Anabelle’s chest. “Did you two have a fight? I’m sure you’ll be able to work things out.”

“Not a fight, Mother. More like a difference in what we want in our own lives.”

“But aren’t you upset?”

“A little. He’s a nice guy, but he’s not the one. So this is for the best.”

Disappointment coiled a knot in Anabelle’s chest, and she wanted to tell Kirstie not to give up on her relationship with a young man as nice as Mark. But she’d learned her lesson about interfering in her children’s lives. At least she hoped she had.

“I’m sure you know what you’re doing, Kirstie. Whatever happens, you’ll be fine.”

“I think so too. I just wanted to check with you on the relish in case you’d planned something else.”

“No, that’ll be fine.”

After they said good-bye, Anabelle sat on the bed thinking. Whatever could Kirstie have meant, saying that she and Mark wanted different things for their lives? The couple had seemed so compatible: Kirstie, a third-grade teacher; Mark, a husky blond who taught at Deerford High School.

The road of love was often filled with potholes. Evidently, the couple had stumbled into one and decided not to climb out together.

Anabelle was ever so grateful she and Cam had skirted whatever potholes they’d encountered in the past forty-plus years and stayed on that road together.

“Hey, Dad.” Gideon hustled into the kitchen for dinner, pulled out his chair at the table, and sat down. “Can I borrow the van Friday night?”

James caught Fern’s eye across the table and saw her frown.

“Think we could say grace before dealing with that, Son?” he asked.

Momentarily taken aback, Gideon shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”

James bowed his head. “Thank You, Lord, for our family and for our two polite and thoughtful sons.” He heard Nelson snort at that comment but didn’t raise his head. “We’re grateful for all the blessings You give us, particularly our good health. Bless this food to Thy service. Amen.”

James turned to Gideon. “Why the van? Is something wrong with your car?”

“Gideon has a date with Jenni and they’re double-dating with another couple,” Nelson announced. “That’s why he wants the van.”

Fern said, “It would be better if you let your brother speak for himself.” She ladled a serving of turkey casserole onto her plate and pushed the hot dish toward Gideon.

“There’s a movie playing in Princeton she wants to see. Josh and his girl want to go along too. He’s too big to fit in the Honda’s backseat.” Serving himself a much larger portion than Fern, he piled up the turkey on his plate.

“What movie?” Nelson asked, still prodding his older brother. “A chick flick, I bet. You know, love is in the air,” he crooned.

“What does it matter to you?” Gideon countered, his cheeks coloring. “You’re not going with us.”

James held up his hand. “Time-out, boys. No fighting at the dinner table, okay?” He turned to Gideon. “Yes, if the roads are clear of snow Friday night, you may use the van. But you have to be back home by midnight.”

“Aw, Dad, none of the guys have to be home that early on a weekend.”

“The roads have been pretty icy these days, particularly late at night and in the predawn hours, even when we haven’t had snow. There’ve been some nasty accidents lately.”

“But, Dad, Jenni will think I’m a wimp.”

“You heard your father,” Fern said. “Jenni’s parents will appreciate how cautious you’re being with their daughter’s life.”

His expression rebellious, the boy forked a big bite of turkey into his mouth. “It’s not fair. Jenni doesn’t have to be home ‘til one,” he mumbled.

Nelson smirked until James shook his head in disapproval. While his sons loved and stood up for each other when outsiders were involved, and even cooperated at times, the sibling rivalry at home could give a father a bad case of heartburn.

Just another quiet evening with his family, James thought with a hidden smile.

Rafael shot up from the couch in the living room where he’d been reading a book to Izzy and gaped at Elena. “You’re not coming back until the eighth of January?”

“That’s right.” Preparing dinner in the kitchen, Elena had been thinking about schedules and clothes to buy for the trip, hotels and flamenco lessons, getting to and from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The thoughts had been racing through her head since Cesar had presented her with their tickets to Spain. “Your father thought coming back on a Sunday would make it easier for you to pick us up at the airport.”

“But that means you’ll be gone the week of January first. I start the Sheriff’s Academy on the second.”

“Yes, I know, dear. I’m very excited for you. So’s your father.” She rubbed some additional seasoning on the whole chicken she was going to roast.

“I’m excited for my daddy too.” Izzy sat on her knees looking over the back of the couch at Elena.

Elena flashed her granddaughter a smile. “I know, sweetie.”

“Mom, how am I going to take care of Izzy when I’m at the academy? I’m only allowed to come home on weekends.”

Her hands came to a halt on the back of the spice-covered chicken, and she tried to process what Rafael had just said.

“Oh.” A sinking feeling dropped her high spirits to the bottom of her stomach. “I don’t think your dad thought about that.”

“Oh boy,” he said. “I really can’t afford child care, Mama.”

Elena washed her hands under the tap, dried them, and placed the chicken in the oven. She removed the apron she’d been wearing and tossed it over the back of a kitchen chair.

“My mommy could babysit me! She could stay here!” Izzy piped up.

Both Elena and Rafael swiveled their heads toward Izzy.

“Sarah works all day,
bonita
,” Rafael said. “She can’t take care of you full-time.”

Elena had a thought. “Well, she probably doesn’t have to. Izzy will be back in school that week. If Sarah can change her hours a bit, the school offers child care before and after hours; and Sarah would be able to pick her up when she gets off work.”

“
Yay!
” Jumping up and down on the couch, Izzy clapped her hands. “My mommy gets to babysit me.”

“Don’t jump on the furniture, Izzy,” Elena reminded her, and turned to go down the hallway to her bedroom to change her clothes. It seemed to her that Sarah’s staying here would provide the perfect answer to who would take care of Izzy—assuming Sarah was willing.

Elena was sure she would be.

And after seeing Rafael and Sarah teasing and so affectionate lately, she didn’t think Rafael would mind either.

O
N FRIDAY AFTERNOON, TEENAGERS SWARMED THE
sidewalks and blocked crosswalks in downtown Deerford.

As James drove through town on his way home, he realized this was the last day of school before the holiday break. It looked as though the entire student population had decided to go shopping. Or more likely, hang out with their buddies.

As was the town’s tradition, garlands of faux holly spanned Main Street, with huge wreaths in the center. Painted store windows displayed Christmas themes, from Santa Claus and elves to Nativity scenes and trumpeting angels.

James smiled, remembering how he and Fern had brought the boys downtown when they were young to admire the decorations. They strolled along the sidewalk, admiring the window decorations and listening to Christmas carols piped outside by many of the merchants.

Christmas was a season made for youngsters to enjoy. When they became teenagers, some of the excitement faded. Or his boys tried to make it seem that they were totally nonchalant about the whole thing.

He pulled into the driveway and parked in the garage. The one thing missing this season was snow. It had been a month since any had fallen. Just one of those years that’s dryer than normal, he supposed.

Inside he found Gideon slumped in the recliner in the family room, Sapphire, their silvery-gray Maine coon cat, in his lap.

James shrugged out of his jacket. “You’re home early.”

Gideon grunted in response.

“Where’s your mother?”

“Taking a nap.”

James nodded in understanding, although he needn’t have bothered. Gideon’s attention appeared fixated on the dark TV screen.

“How ‘bout Nelson?”

Gideon shrugged. “Don’t know.”

Apparently Gideon was in a noncommunicative mood.

After hanging up his jacket in the closet, James returned to the family room. Gideon hadn’t budged an inch. Nor had Sapphire. Something seemed off. From Gideon’s glum expression, it looked as though he’d just been told he’d have to repeat his entire junior year of high school.

“Is something wrong?” James asked.

Gideon exhaled a sigh that sounded like the last breath of a dying man. “Jenni dumped me.”

Stunned by the news, James took a seat on the couch and studied his son for a moment. Leaning forward, James rested his arms on his thighs. No wonder Gideon looked so down. It’s tough for a guy to weather being dumped by a girl.

“What happened?”

Another noncommittal shrug.

“Did you two have a fight?”

“No.”

“Did you upset her in some way?”

“It wasn’t my fault, Dad. She met me at my locker after school and told me that she didn’t want to go out with me anymore.” With the heels of his hands, he rubbed his eyes.

“Did she tell you why?”

“She said she wanted to date other guys. That I’d be gone for four years at the Naval Academy, hardly ever home, and she didn’t want to sit around watching TV every Saturday night while everybody else was out having fun.”

Ouch! “She’s known all along that you had your heart set on Annapolis. In fact, I thought she was excited about it. Why did she break it off now? It’s another year and a half before you’ll be going to the academy.”

Gideon ran his hand over Sapphire and scratched her between the ears. “Tad Bishop asked her out.” He mumbled the words as though he had a bad taste in his mouth.

Frowning, James asked, “Who’s Tad Bishop?”

“Only the biggest jock in school. Captain of the basketball team. Star receiver in football. And he’s getting a full-ride baseball scholarship to the U of Illinois.”

Tough competition. “Since Jenni is hoping to go to Wheaton College, that means he’d be a lot closer to her than you would be in Maryland. Right?”

“Yeah.” Dumping the cat from his lap, Gideon got up and paced across the room. His old green sweater had stretched out and hung loosely on him. “It isn’t fair, Dad. It just isn’t fair!”

“I know, Son. Not much about love—or war—is really fair.” James had a girl break it off with him in high school. It hadn’t bothered him much. He knew he wasn’t ready for a permanent commitment, and she seemed to want that. So no heartbreak for him.

“I mean, I was going to take her to the movies tonight, buy her popcorn and everything. I even bought her a necklace for Christmas. But Tad invited her to some dumb ol’ party, and she said she’d go with him. So she up and dumped me and broke our date.”

Sympathizing with his son’s problem, James leaned back on the couch. “I have to say I’m surprised Jenni would do that to you. But look at it this way: Maybe she’ll find out Tad isn’t all that good a catch after all. In a day or two she may call you up full of apologies and ask to get back together with you.”

Gideon seemed to brighten at the thought. “You think so?”

“I don’t know. It could happen.” Or not. James wouldn’t want to make any promises about what a young woman would or wouldn’t do. Despite twenty-plus years of marriage, Fern could still surprise him.

Having been patient as long as she could, Sapphire jumped back up on the recliner. She circled the seat twice and then curled herself into a ball.

“Maybe that’s what will happen.” Gideon tucked his fingertips in his pockets. “Tad’s had a lot of girlfriends. Maybe he’ll decide Jenni isn’t so great and he won’t ask her out again. She’d come back to me then, wouldn’t she?”

“No way of telling for sure. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. You might want to hang onto the receipt for that necklace, though, in case you decide to return it.”

A scowl furrowed Gideon’s brow again.

James got up to give his son a hug and a pat on the back. A guy’s first love was always a tough one to handle if the relationship went south. He was pretty confident Gideon would survive the blow, but it might take a while for him to recover.

And he’d probably never forget it.

James went into the bedroom to check on Fern. He found her on the bed, the quilt pulled lightly over her. She was awake.

“Hi, honey, I thought I heard you talking to Gideon,” she said.

Bending over, he gave her a kiss. “Yep. Poor guy is bummed out. Jenni broke up with him.”

“What?” Fern rose up on one elbow.

James sat down beside Fern and briefly told her what had happened.

“My goodness. That doesn’t sound like Jenni at all. She’s such a nice girl. And she has a lovely family. I simply can’t imagine—”

“Neither, apparently, can Gideon. He’s hoping she’ll come to her senses and come back to him. I’m not so sure.”