The Surprise Holiday Dad (14 page)

“Yay!” And with that unqualified endorsement, off they went to the kitchen.

* * *

T
HIS
TIME
,
SOMEONE
had locked the gate at Bruce’s condo complex. Wade buzzed his grandfather, who promptly let him onto the grounds.

Good start. Expecting to encounter hostility, Wade wouldn’t have been surprised had Bruce kept him standing there like a fool.

As he strode between buildings, the wreaths and lights already glimmering in the late afternoon reminded him of what he was missing at Adrienne’s house. In Pine Tree, Wade had volunteered for holiday shifts and served at charity kitchens to avoid the loneliness of his silent apartment. This year, sharing the small ritual of decorating the tree had soothed his spirit.

No decorations enlivened Bruce’s door. However, scarcely had the bell rung before it opened.

Bruce stood erect, his crisp cotton shirt and slacks tailored to his thin frame. Giving Wade a taut nod, the elderly man stepped aside to admit him.

Wade kept his expression blank as he entered the living room. He’d have shaken hands, but his grandfather didn’t offer one.

He hired you to do a job, nothing more. Don’t treat this as personal.

Bruce eyed him sternly. “I presume you realize this business is between you and me and no one else.”

“Except my employer.” Wade remained standing since he hadn’t been invited to sit.

Grandpa acknowledged the comment with a tilt of the head. He coughed and then continued, “Here’s the thing. I’m not the sort of man to put up with a woman who cheats, you understand?”

Startled, Wade registered that the case concerned the mysterious girlfriend. “I do.”

“I’d drop her in a minute if I figured she was like that, but it seems out of character.” Bruce scowled. “She claims to love me, but she turns off her phone and doesn’t return my calls for hours. Won’t tell me where she’s been. You see the problem.”

The problem is that you’re in love with her, or you’d already have said sayonara.
Wade took out his pad and pen. “What’s her name?”

“Renée Green.”

That sounded familiar. Hoping the connection would surface, Wade went on asking questions and jotting information. Address. Age, height, approximate weight and where she worked.

She was retired and volunteered at the hospital. Since hospitals restricted the use of cell phones, that might explain why she wasn’t always available by phone, although not why she kept her whereabouts secret.

They’d met about six months earlier at a summer concert at City Hall Park, where Bruce had offered Renée his folding chair, Wade learned. The next weekend, they’d attended an Angels baseball game, and since then they’d spent several evenings a week together.

However, Bruce hadn’t met her friends, and she hadn’t met his. Each paid separately for meals and tickets, except when she cooked a special dinner or Bruce treated her to a movie. If the woman had secrets, Bruce hadn’t been able to find any clues on the internet. He’d also checked her credit rating, which was sterling. A widow, she owned her home.

She didn’t strike Wade as a gold digger. Nor did she cancel dates, make hysterical middle-of-the-night phone calls or otherwise act unstable.

The photo his grandfather provided revealed a woman in her mid-sixties with strong features, a rectangular face and graying brown hair. Nothing overtly flirtatious marked her appearance, and kindness shone from her eyes.

“Does she have children?” Wade inquired.

Bruce hesitated before answering. “One married son. And a grandson.”

“Her son’s name and address?” An even longer pause followed. As Wade waited, he remembered where he’d heard her name before. No wonder his grandfather had gone to such lengths to keep the matter secret from the other detectives. “It’s Lock Vaughn, isn’t it?” Mike’s partner had said his birth mother volunteered at the hospital.

“Yeah. Don’t raise a fuss about it,” Bruce grumbled.

Although he’d done no such thing, Wade refrained from correcting the client. This was understandably a sensitive subject.

“Let’s discuss indications that she might be cheating,” Wade said. “Has her behavior toward you changed recently?”

“She’s grumpier than usual,” Bruce muttered.

“Less affectionate?”

“Not once she’s warmed up.”

That might be more information than Wade cared to know. However, he was there in a professional capacity. “Does she accuse you of cheating?” That was a common tactic used by unfaithful partners.

“Wade, I was a detective before you were born,” Bruce snapped. “I know all this crap.”

Hang on to your temper.
“How often is she unavailable?”

“More than she ought to be.”

This seemed to mark the end of the interview. “I’d appreciate your giving me an idea of her usual activities and schedule,” Wade said. “I’ll start surveilling her right away.”

“Tonight,” his grandfather said. It wasn’t a question.

“That would be fine.”

While his grandfather wrote down the requested information, Wade ran a background check on Renée using a web service to which the agency subscribed. Aside from filling in a few details, it added little to what he’d already gathered.

Saturday evening did seem like a prime time for the amorously inclined to entertain company, Wade acknowledged as he departed. After calling Adrienne to tell her not to save his meal and grabbing some food at a drive-through, he located the target’s house in a residential area a few blocks from the medical center. With its gingerbread trim and multipaned windows, the cottage resembled a fairy-tale illustration. A lit nativity scene on the lawn showed restraint compared to the overblown displays of Santas, reindeer and cartoon characters on neighbors’ lawns.

Wade parked across the street and a few doors down. Scrunching in his seat, he kept an eye on the place while staying alert for dog walkers and other potentially snoopy folks.

As twilight fell, lights came on inside the cottage, revealing a cheerful room lined by china cabinets. Occasionally, he caught a glimpse of a woman moving about inside. As far as he could tell, she was alone.

After a couple hours, Wade’s limbs had stiffened and his back hurt. Stretching, he was about to call Adrienne just to talk when a faded sedan halted in front of the house.

Might be a neighbor. Or not.

A man emerged from the driver’s side. Middle-aged, perhaps ten years younger than Renée, he wore a thin jacket and seemed nervous. The guy stood on the street, studying the house—too bad Wade couldn’t see his face from this angle—before approaching. Admiring the decor? Preparing to greet his lover? Planning a heist?

Wade readied his camera.

A flash of light from the doorway revealed the sturdy frame and unmistakable face of Renée Green. Wade started snapping pictures, on alert for an embrace.

Bending down inside the doorway, the woman lifted something from the floor and handed it to the man. It was a grocery bag, a canned ham visible above the rim.

The passenger-side car door slammed and a tiny girl pelted up to the porch. Wade photographed Renée bending for a hug. Then, toting a sack labeled The Bear and Doll Boutique, she accompanied her visitors to their car.

Wade ducked lower.

Through his partly open window, he heard the rumble of the man’s voice and caught a few words of Renée’s response. “I’m glad your wife’s recovering.”

She must have met these people at the hospital and decided to brighten their holiday. Wade wondered what his surly grandfather had done to deserve such a saint. But generosity didn’t preclude the possibility that Renée had a dark side he just hadn’t stumbled across yet.

The visitors drove off. Once his target returned indoors, Wade headed out. It was cold and he preferred not to remain in one place too long.

Despite what he’d witnessed, he was far from concluding that Renée had nothing to hide. She was dodging Bruce while continuing to claim she cared about him. If Wade couldn’t find an explanation for her behavior, he’d be failing his grandfather.

Worse, Wade would be letting down his boss. And that he did not intend to do.

Chapter Fourteen

“You bought him a sweater?” Stacy sat up on the examining table, her amber eyes dancing with mischief. “A sweater, for the man you’re living with? I never took you for a romantic, Adrienne, but seriously!”

We shouldn’t be discussing personal matters during office visits.
That wasn’t Adrienne’s real problem, though. It was that despite her insistence that she and Wade remained nothing more than housemates, her friend refused to believe it. So did half the hospital staff, according to the gossip she’d overheard.

“What’s wrong with a sweater?” inquired Cole, who’d accompanied his wife to her checkup. Since Adrienne saw private patients from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. three nights a week, he hadn’t had to rearrange his own schedule.

“There’s nothing wrong with a sweater.” Hearing the sharp note in her voice, Adrienne switched topics. “Stacy, you’re doing very well. It’s impressive that you’ve carried the triplets to within six weeks of your due date. They’re growing well, your blood work came back normal and your weight gain is within the desirable range.”

“Really? I feel like the side of a barn.” Stacy had been suitably distracted, thank goodness. “My sister claims she never gained more than twenty pounds with any of her four children.”

“Who were singletons,” Adrienne pointed out. “Are you staying off your feet as much as possible?” She didn’t press for complete bed rest, once a common recommendation in multiple pregnancies, because it hadn’t been proved to prevent preterm labor.

“Yes,” Stacy said.

“No,” her husband responded.

“I am, too!”

“We closed escrow on our house last week,” Cole told Adrienne. “She’s been packing.”

“While sitting down!”

“Scheduling the cleaning crew, the movers....”

“On the phone,” his wife insisted.

“Try to cut back,” Adrienne advised her patient. “Also, be sure to wear compression stockings and elevate those swollen ankles.”

“Okay, okay. They’ll go down as soon as I deliver anyway.”

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing,” Adrienne replied. “Just because you’re a nurse doesn’t mean you’re immune to complications.”

“That’s what I keep telling her, but she won’t listen,” Cole complained. “When she was my surgical nurse, she used to treat my observations with more respect.” He appeared more puzzled than offended.

“You’ve been demoted from Lord High Surgeon to husband. But that’s also a promotion,” Adrienne explained.

He looked mystified. “Is there a point at which all this will make sense to me?”

“Unlikely.”

She and Cole were assisting Stacy to her feet when her friend reverted to her earlier theme. “I’m still amazed that Wade turned out to be the opposite of what Vicki used to tell us. He’s such a doting dad! At the wedding, when Una let him touch her bulge and the babies moved, he practically levitated.”

“She let him touch her abdomen?” Cole asked. “Where was her husband?”

“Sitting right there, in a fog.”

“I’d never allow that,” he muttered.

“You’d never notice,” she teased.

Usually, Adrienne enjoyed her friends’ exchanges. Tonight she was glad when they left. The reminder that Wade would want more children kept her keenly aware of the knife’s-edge balance in their relationship.

The sweater she’d bought him was thick and soft, a shade of blue-gray that would complement his eyes. Before wrapping it, she’d stroked the texture and imagined it fitting over his broad shoulders. Absorbing his scent. Becoming part of him.

Then she’d folded it into a box and said goodbye to it. Well, not entirely. Since she had Christmas Eve and the next night off work, she’d be there to open presents no matter what time they chose. But after that... Well, she had to stop thinking of Wade as belonging to her.

She’d hardly seen him the past week since he’d been busy at work. While he’d managed to buy replacement holiday lights, he hadn’t yet strung them on the porch. He’d promised to do that by tomorrow night—Saturday—and suggested the three of them handle the task together.

“I’ll need someone to steady the ladder,” he’d told her with a teasing smile.

“Of course,” she’d said. “Reggie’s too small to do that.”

“Right.” He’d seemed almost disappointed, as if he’d expected her to flirt a little. “That reminds me, I’d better go wrap my presents before he decides to explore my closet. Have a nice evening.”

“You, too.”

Now Adrienne shook off the memory. She had more patients to see before her overnight shift.

Presents to wrap...
Had he bought her anything? And if so...

If so, it must be something practical. Just like what she’d bought for him.

* * *

D
ESCENDING
THE
LADDER
, Wade checked to be sure Reg was standing at a safe distance. In his concern not to accidentally bump his son, he missed a step and hit the ground hard.

Instead of ducking aside to protect herself, Adrienne grabbed him. “Are you all right?”

“Hurt my ankle a little.” Embarrassed by his mistake, Wade hesitated to let her support him. But when he leaned on her, it felt good.

“We should go ice that joint,” she said.

He’d rather stand there, relishing her softness and the freshly shampooed fragrance of her hair. “I’ll be fine.”

“I can put the ice on it,” offered Reggie.

“You know how to do that?”

The little boy’s face scrunched in concentration. “Kind of,” he said. “Can we use ice cream?”

“Afraid not, sport. Besides, why waste it?”

“I’ll apply the ice,” Adrienne said. “And then I have a selection of Ace bandages.”

Wade refused to act like an invalid. “Here’s a better idea. Now that we’ve contributed to the major energy drain on the western United States, let’s drive around and look at other people’s lights.”

“We used to do that when I was a kid,” Adrienne said wistfully. “It isn’t dark enough yet, though. And if you’re in pain, don’t try to be a hero.”

“I’m fine.” Wade preferred to move on to the fun stuff. “Where did you stop to eat when you were a kid?”

“The Cake Castle!” cried Reggie.

Both adults stared at him. “That’s a bakery, not a restaurant,” his aunt remarked.

“Mommy used to take me there for lunch.”

Wade winced.
Only when she was out of control, I’ll bet.

“There’s Krazy Kids Pizza.” Adrienne’s tone lacked enthusiasm.

“Can we, Daddy?” Reg asked.

Wade had a better idea—and a good excuse. “They’re carryout and delivery only,” he said. “But while we’re on the subject of Italian food, let’s hit Papa Giovanni’s.”

No one argued. The restaurant was famous for its hearty and delicious Italian cuisine, ranging from pizza to gourmet specialties.

Although it was scarcely half past four, they were hungry, and with no other tables occupied, they got fast service. Wade supposed that from keeping such odd schedules, he and Adrienne were both accustomed to snatching meals when they could.

After downing pasta and salad, they piled back into the sports car. Wade drove toward the harbor, which had seemed magical to him as a child. From Harbor View Road, they caught a breathtaking glimpse of lights sparkling around the curve of water, from houses on both sides as well as from yachts and smaller boats at anchor. On the inland bluffs, lights flashed and twinkled on the mansions.

“It’s so elegant,” Adrienne breathed.

“Beautiful,” Wade agreed.

“Like stars fell to the ground,” Reggie piped in from the backseat.

Poetic, Wade mused. And true. “Now for a change of pace.”

“What do you mean?” Adrienne asked.

“You’ll see.”

In Renée’s cozy neighborhood, people didn’t try to impress anyone with their subtlety. Many crammed their lawns, roofs and porches with gaudy animated figures and riotous blinking messages of goodwill.

Wade knew the best spots because he’d put in many hours around there. So far, he’d found no sign of a secret lover and no explanation for Renée’s continuing to keep her distance from Bruce except when on a date...or, in one instance, spending the night. He hoped he’d discover the explanation soon, because Bruce was running out of his limited stock of patience.

Within a few minutes, they were cruising between bright lights. Wade glided to a stop in front of one house with a blinding display and a sign instructing them to tune the radio to a special channel.

“Here goes.” Wade followed the instructions.

Another car stopped nearby. Then a van slotted into place in front of them.

“What’s going on?” Adrienne studied the sign. “These people put on a light-and-sound show?”

“Cool!” Reggie cried happily. “Like the videos.”

“Which videos have you been watching?” Since the little boy wasn’t allowed to surf the web, Adrienne sounded understandably wary.

“We watched them together,” Wade explained. “They’re strictly G-rated.”

“Oh. That’s fine, then.”

“Here we go,” he said, and turned up the volume.

Over the radio boomed a rock version of a Christmas carol. The lights began flashing in time, transitioning between minilights on the bushes, a tree covered in white, a panel of lights on the roof and lit plastic sculptures of reindeer and Santa on the lawn. The pulsing beat was so irresistible that soon the three of them were bouncing hard enough to rock the car.

Adrienne laughed, her joy contagious. Reggie squealed with glee. As for Wade, he wished he could capture this moment to savor forever.

When it ended, Reggie shouted, “More!”

“Too much of a good thing quickly wears thin.” Wade suspected the experience would lose its magic if repeated too soon.

“Let’s go home,” Adrienne concurred. “This was fun, though.”

Home? The evening didn’t feel over. Suddenly Wade realized why. “Let’s buy a Christmas tree.”

“We have one,” Adrienne pointed out.

“Let’s buy a real one,” he said. “The kind that smells wonderful, sheds needles and has to be carted out to the curb afterward.” To address another potential argument, he added, “We can leave the old one in the den and put the new one in the hall.”

“Two Christmas trees?” she murmured.

“There’s no law against it.”

“Please, Aunt Addie?” Reggie pleaded. “That would be so cool.”

Wade held his breath, waiting. This meant more to him than he’d expected.

A smile broke through Adrienne’s reserve. “Let’s do it.”

While a cheer went up from the backseat, Wade put the car into gear. He’d seen a tree lot in the northern part of town, near the freeway, and there they went.

This close to the holiday, the selection proved thin but adequate. They chose a small well-shaped tree, along with a stand and a box of multicolored glass balls.

The pine scent infusing the lot carried Wade back to childhood Christmases, until an old pain hit him like a blow. He recoiled and strained to put it out of his mind. He’d rather replace old memories with new.

After all, this was his first holiday with his son, who skipped happily between the trees, scooping up handfuls of pine needles and tossing them. Then Adrienne slipped her hand into his as they walked to the counter to pay for their purchases.

It was like having a family again.

At home they stabilized the tree in the hall and hung the ornaments. Reggie began yawning, and despite his grumbling, they ushered him off to bed. Wade had barely begun reading a favorite book when Reg fell asleep.

“He’s exhausted,” his aunt observed as they went out.

“He’ll be bouncing off the walls tomorrow all over again.” Wade had learned that much about his little guy.

In the hallway, Adrienne said in a low voice, “Thank you. This was a special evening.”

“For me, too.”

She indicated his leg. “How’s the ankle?”

“Better.” Except for a few twinges while tromping around the tree lot, it hadn’t troubled him.

“It might stiffen overnight,” she warned. “Let’s put an Ace bandage on it just in case.”

“Sure thing, Doc.” Wade hoped she’d do the honors.

Adrienne disappeared into the hall bathroom but reappeared empty-handed. “I guess they’re in the master bath.”

“I’m not used to having someone take care of me,” Wade admitted as he followed her.

Reaching the entrance to her bedroom, she regarded him teasingly. “I can’t understand why not. You’re kind of cute.”

“Cute?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Well, you must have been a cute kid once,” she amended, and ducked inside. Since she left the door open, Wade took that as an invitation.

Her personality colored the generous-size room, from the orange-red poppies on the curtains to the matching quilt on the queen bed. Adrienne’s light fragrance filled Wade with a sense of belonging and intimacy. He yearned for more.

In her bathroom, Adrienne rummaged through a drawer before producing an assortment of compression bandages, each tucked into its original box. “Here’s one for the wrist...elbow...aha! Ankle.”

“Why so many?” Wade asked.

“My mother and sister had a tendency to trip and fall,” she said ruefully. “Of course, Reggie takes the occasional tumble, too. And I get my share of strains. Delivering babies is a physical business.”

“Police work is, too,” Wade noted. “But I tend to push through the pain.”

“Macho.”

“And proud of it.”

“Well, unless you plan to balance on one foot while I do this, Mr. Machismo, you’d better take a load off.”

On her vanity table, an array of bottles sparkled like jewels. In front of them, Wade perched on a chair covered with delicate golden fabric and, half-afraid the fragile thing might break beneath his weight, leaned down to unlace his shoe. “This is great.”

Kneeling with the wrap, Adrienne regarded him curiously. “What is?”

“The way the light... This whole...” His heart squeezing, Wade stopped. The memories he’d tried to banish flooded in, sharp and dangerous. “Damn.”

“Your ankle’s throbbing?”

“Not that.” He’d guarded his darkness for so long he could barely imagine revealing it. But if he didn’t, he’d have to maintain a wall around himself and keep her at a distance. He wanted to move beyond that point. “Being here reminds me of before my mother left. Before all the brightness went out of my life.”