The Christmas Catch (10 page)

John decided to open the champagne, thinking he might as
well have a glass. There were so many emotions churning inside him, it was
almost like he didn’t know where to turn.
Man’s
best friend
had denied him, and it appeared his own heart had betrayed him
too. He’d not even understood what he’d been feeling until now. And now, it was
too late. The truth was that his promotion put him in a different place. Yes,
he’d be working harder, but he’d also be making more money.
A lot more money,
he thought, popping
the cork. It sprang forth in an arc as bubbles gurgled from the bottle. John
picked up a cloth to wipe it, reaching forward for the cork on the floor. His
fingers made contact with something else set back a little farther under the
coffee table. What in Hades was that? John pinched the wooly fabric between his
fingers,
then
slowly withdrew a bright red object from
its stowaway perch.

Mason stood, turning toward him.

“Well, what do you know…?” John said aloud.

Ellen melted in Carlos’s rapturous embrace at the airport.
It was January first and her vacation had ended.
 
“I’m not going to ask when I’m going to
see you again,” she said sadly.

Carlos pressed his forehead to hers. “Now you’re hurting my
feelings.”

Ellen stared into warm brown eyes knowing she couldn’t stand
to say good-bye forever. “When’s the last time you came to Chicago?”

“Nineteen seventy-nine.”

“Then you’re overdue!”

“I have a problem with that,” Carlos said, pulling back.

“Oh?”

“My old college chum, the one I used to stay with . . .” he
began seriously, “has moved away.”

She knew what he was getting at, but couldn’t resist teasing
him. “I know some good hotels in the area.”

Carlos feigned shock. “You wouldn’t toss an old man out in
the snow?”

Ellen kissed him soundly his bristly beard tickling.

“Call me,” she said, breaking away.

Carlos beamed as she picked up her luggage and set it on the
conveyor belt. He withdrew his cell from his pocket and waved it in her
direction. “I’ve got your number!”

Chapter Fifteen

Christine sat at her drafting table intent on her sketch
while classical music played in the background. All the Christmas decorations
were tucked away, leaving her apartment with a neat array of modern furniture
and clean open spaces. This drawing was whimsical and fun, with a family of
snowmen tobogganing down a pine-studded hill. While there was computer software
for graphic design, Christine preferred importing her hand-drawn illustrations
into her layout program by using a scanner. This gave her the ability to create
high-tech products with down-home appeal. It would take at least five years on
her current income to save up enough to start her own company. In the meantime,
she was determined to build a preliminary catalogue.

She took a sip of coffee as sunlight streamed through the
windows. It was still windy outdoors, but the mid-January snow had abated
despite the freezing temperatures. A vague sound buzzed upstairs and she heard
something thumping down the steps. Christine looked up to see Tyler headed
downstairs, his tiny cell in one hand, dog-eared Jasper in the other. “Good
morning, Sunshine!” she called happily from her stool.

“Do I have school today?” he asked sleepily.

“Yes baby, you do. But first,” she said, standing, “you’re
in for a treat.”

“Huh?” he asked warily.

“I made homemade blueberry muffins.”

He squinted his eyes. “You’re cooking before dinner?”

Christine spurted a laugh and set a hand on her hip. “Your
mom’s a pretty capable woman.”

He studied her for a prolonged beat. “I thought so, but
wasn’t sure.”

He had such a way to fill her with confidence, Christine
thought jovially. She was happy inside, happier than she’d been in a long time.
Maybe she didn’t need a college professor to make her feel it, but it likely
had helped that he’d pointed the way. Until Christine went to Vermont, it was
like a part of her lay dormant, just waiting to be reawakened. Though her
initial parting from John had left a bitter taste in her mouth, Christine
realized after a while that she was the type who used lemons to make lemonade.
Perhaps knowing John had been bittersweet, but being with him while reconnecting
with Tyler would pay dividends for months to come. She not only got along
better with her son, she’d gained additional confidence in herself. Confidence
that she could do anything she put her mind to, given enough time.
The future is long indeed,
she thought
with a melancholy smile.

John waited in Ellen’s office with Mason, hoping he wasn’t
being an egregious fool. But, the more he’d thought about it, the more right
this step seemed. John wasn’t a reckless man. He weighed everything carefully,
considered all the angles. And every way he posed the
question,
the answer came up the same. His semester started on Tuesday and he’d put off
coming here until the last minute, needing to ensure everything was in place.

John twisted Christine’s red Christmas scarf in his hands,
wishing with all his might that she’d be glad to see him. Both Ellen and Carlos
had assured him she would. Then again, those two were turning out to be
incurable romantics. He’d been pleasantly surprised by Carlos’s sudden
attachment to vivacious Ellen. He’d never seen the old boy fall quite so fast,
or so hard. Of course, she seemed fairly well smitten with Carlos too. What
serendipity that Ellen had joined Christine in Vermont at the last minute.
Sometimes the fates really knew what they were doing.

John felt a rash of heat at his neck, realizing that this
was the big time. He was more nervous now than when he’d defended his
dissertation. He hoped he could turn that fear into a focused delivery. Yeah,
he’d been a total jerk, and he knew it. He was fully prepared to apologize for
it. Hell, even grovel. If that’s what it took for Christine to give him half a
chance.

Christine dropped Tyler at preschool and headed for the
office. It was a little unusual for Ellen to call a personal meeting at nine
o’clock. Generally her friend reserved individual conferences for after lunch.
Mornings were good for settling in, answering phone calls and e-mails, and
meeting with the general staff. Ellen also liked to give her people a few extra
hours to polish any mock-ups they were working on before discussing them
one-on-one. The funny thing was, as far as she knew, Christine didn’t have
anything specific to talk to Ellen about. Her projects were humming along fine
and she’d kept her personal ambitions separate. Ellen didn’t know she was
planning to go out on her own, and keeping things to
herself
seemed the best policy right now. Given that Christine wouldn’t be leaving the
company tomorrow, there was no point in upsetting any applecarts with distant
future plans.

Christine breezed into the lobby of her skyscraper building,
her coat collar turned up against the cold. For the life of her, she wished she
could recall where she’d left her favorite scarf, but she’d given up looking,
thinking she must have forgotten it on the plane. She pressed the elevator
button with a gloved hand, mentally going through a checklist of all she had to
do today. The schedule was so tight, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to make time
for lunch. It was a good thing she and Tyler had shared a healthy breakfast. It
had been great sitting in the kitchen with her little man and making cordial
early morning conversation. Christine didn’t know where that grumpy other
person she’d been had gone, but she didn’t want her returning any time soon.

When Christine reached the tenth floor, she was surprised to
see Ellen standing outside her office door chatting with the secretary.
Normally Ellen was nose-to-the-grindstone hard at work by eight o’clock and
didn’t take a breather until noon.

“Hi, Ellen. Good morning, Sarah,” Christine said to the
secretary, who gave her a dopey smile. Though she was acting a bit loopy,
Christine cut her slack. She was only nineteen and had probably picked up a new
boyfriend. This girl traded boyfriends like some people exchanged hasty
purchases. Christine used to find it fitting that Sarah was Ellen’s secretary,
given Ellen’s similar penchant for variety. Now, however, it appeared Ellen’s
shopping days
were
done.

“Let me just drop my things in my office and I’ll be right
there,” Christine told Ellen as she passed her by.

“Take your time,” Ellen said, shooting Sarah a sly smile.
“Just don’t take too long.”

Christine wrinkled her nose, thinking Ellen was acting strange.
Did she smell something going on, or was she just imagining it? She dumped her
purse, coat, and gloves on the loveseat in her office, and headed back the
other way. Sometimes you just didn’t know with Ellen. She could be the most
wonderful person in the world. But she had a sneaky side, too. Like when she’d
broadsided Christine with that vacation in Vermont.

She approached Ellen’s office,
then
suddenly stopped. Both Ellen and Sarah studied her weirdly. Christine turned a
suspicious eye on Ellen, and then on Sarah.

“Is something going on?”

“No,” Ellen said, a bit too emphatically.

“Not at all!” Sarah chimed in, focusing on her computer.

Just then Christine heard a strange yelp. For the life of
her, it sounded like a barking dog. She stared at Ellen, but Ellen just
shrugged.

“I don’t know,” she said mysteriously. “Maybe you should
look and see?”

Christine felt her face flash hot. She couldn’t possibly
mean…?

“Well, go on,” Ellen prodded. “
Daylight’s
burning.”

Christine laid her hand on the doorknob, every ounce of her
tingling from her head to her toes. She shot a quick glance at Ellen,
then
pressed forward, her heart pounding. It was a vision so
surreal she had to blink hard to ensure it wouldn’t fade away.

“I must be some kind of absentminded professor,” John said,
sitting in Ellen’s desk chair, Mason perched in his lap. “Because sometimes I
forget things. You know, fail to get the details right.”

Mason bounded to the floor and happily swaggered over to
where Christine stood, dumbstruck. The dog sat expectantly by her side and
looked up, wagging his tail. Christine patted his head and stared agape as John
rose and walked forward.

“Details?” she asked, her head reeling.

“Like when I put together that business plan.”

Christine felt as if she might faint, but was determined
that she wouldn’t. She had to learn what John was doing here, and why he’d come
all this way. It couldn’t really be about the paperwork, could it?

“This is about the business plan?” she asked, confused.

John stepped toward her. “I left something pretty important
out.”

“No, wait,” she said, collecting her presence of mind.
“John, it was good. I actually read it. And you were right. It’s a way to get
from A to Z…” She’d nearly forgotten how brilliant his eyes were, their gorgeous
blue color offsetting his striking dark hair and handsome face. “Maybe not this
year,” she continued, “or even the next. In fact, I’ve figured out that it will
take at least five—”

“And naturally, you’ll need a nanny.”

“A nanny?” she asked as if she hadn’t considered it.

“Starting a new business can be very intense. There’s no guarantee
childcare hours could cover it.”

“Well no, maybe not. I haven’t thought that far a—”

“Perhaps you’d consider a tag-team approach?”

“Tag team?”

“Sure, you know. People do it all the time.”

Christine thought quickly, but there was no one around here she
could trust to watch Tyler after hours. There was only Ellen and she had her
own life, after all. “I don’t think Ellen would be willing… What I mean is,
that’s a lot to ask.”

John’s lips turned up at the corners as he gave her a
longing look. “I wasn’t talking about Ellen.” He amazed her by pulling her
bright red Christmas scarf from behind his back. He now stood just inches away.
Christine swallowed hard, her pulse racing. She felt hot, then cold,
then
warm all over.

“You left this back in Vermont,” he said, his voice husky.

“You came all the way to Chicago to return it?”

“For that and something else.”

She stared at him, her tender heart daring to hope.

“Christine,” he said. “It wasn’t until after you’d gone that
I realized what an idiot I’d been… what a terrible mess I’d made of
everything.”

“But I thought you said—”

“Just one more minute. Please hear me out.” He shot her a
pleading look that sent wild butterflies fluttering inside her. She felt like a
child on Christmas morning about to get everything she’d wished for. “I never
in a million years expected to meet a woman like you. I mean
,
I had women friends, sure. But somehow we never… clicked. Then one day this
beautiful woman from Chicago nearly ran me off the road. Practically killed me,
really.”

“Hey!” she protested, but John pressed on.

“But that was nothing next to the near-death I’ve
experienced these past few weeks. I know we have distances to conquer and
careers to plan for. But somehow when we’re together, everything fits. We’re
good together, you and I. You, me—and Tyler.” Mason barked and John shot
him a glance. “And uh, yeah, Mason, too.”

Her spirit leapt with joy. She’d tried so hard to push all
thoughts of a life with John out of her mind that she hadn’t realized how
deeply she’d dreamt of one until now.

He draped the scarf around her neck. “Christine, you made me
happy too, more happy than I’ve ever been with anyone. I know I was a jerk in
not telling you earlier, and I’m sorry. It just took me time to realize it
myself. I had other things that I thought stood in the way, but I was wrong
about that too. Please tell me there’s still a way to make things right?”