Not Just For Christmas_A Holiday Romance Read online

  ‘The story?’

  ‘Sure. What’s going on with you? Tell me about yourself.’

  She shrugged. ‘Oh, you know. Not a lot. This and that.’

  ‘Mysterious.’

  ‘Not really. There’s just not all that much to say.’

  ‘Well, you’re a dog owner?’

  She shook her head. ‘Afraid not.’

  ‘He’s not yours?’

  ‘Nope.’

  Molly’s face shot up out of her cake, her concentration suddenly fixed on her father. ‘Dad, can we keep him? Dad? Please?’

  ‘Molly.’

  ‘What? She said he’s not hers…’

  David turned back to Jo. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘She’s very… well, she’s been pestering me to get a dog for ages now. We’re about two steps away from a Pet Sematary situation at this point.’

  ‘What’s Pet Sematary, Dad?’

  ‘I’ll tell you when you’re older. It just means you really want a dog.’

  ‘Because dogs are great,’ Molly said.

  ‘Dogs are great. But they’re a lot of work, and you’re enough of a handful as it is.’

  Jo couldn’t quite hide a smile. ‘He’s not mine,’ she said. ‘He belongs to my neighbour. Sorry, Molly. I’m just watching him over Christmas.’

  ‘Lucky,’ she mumbled under her breath.

  ‘Do you live around here?’ David asked.

  Jo nodded. ‘Originally, yeah. My folks are Riverton born and raised. I don’t think they’ve ever set foot out of New England. I live over in Freemont now. As far as they’re concerned, I might as well have announced I was moving to China.’

  ‘Nice place?’

  ‘Sure, once you get past the whole Great Wall thing.’

  He grinned. ‘I meant Freemont. I drive past it sometimes when I’m on a call. It always seems a bit…’

  ‘Bland?’

  ‘Well, I didn’t want to say.’

  ‘It’s nice enough, I guess. Quiet.’ Boring. The word sprang into the forefront of her mind; she couldn’t tell whether it was referring to the town, or to herself. ‘I’m just in town for a couple of weeks over Christmas. Honestly, at this point it’s nice to just be somewhere that isn’t my childhood bedroom. I feel like I’m about twelve again.’

  ‘You’re staying with your folks?’

  ‘Well, I agreed to watch Baxter for my neighbour, and I’ve only got a little apartment over in Freemont – one bedroom, that sort of thing – and I was going to be here for a while anyway, so…’ She shrugged. ‘It just seemed easier that way.’

  ‘It sounds nice,’ he said. ‘It’s good to be close with your family. As long as you get along with them, anyway.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s a whole tradition. My mom goes all-out every year. I mean, not quite as you do, with the lights and all, but Christmas is still a really big deal to her. We all come in from wherever we are, and–’

  ‘We?’ he asked.

  ‘Oh. Me and my sisters. I’ve got three.’

  From the corner of the table, there was the sound of cutlery hitting ceramic. ‘Three sisters?’ Molly said. Her eyes were wide with surprise. ‘You’ve got three sisters?’

  ‘Yep,’ Jo said. ‘I’m the oldest, then there’s Amy, then there’s Beth, and then Megan’s the littlest.’

  ‘How little?’ Molly asked. ‘Like me?’

  ‘She’s a bit older than you, I’m afraid. Nineteen, I think.’

  ‘Oh.’ Molly could barely hide her disappointment; her eyes dropped, and she began to poke and prod at her cake again with her spoon.

  ‘Sorry,’ David said. ‘It’s an only child thing, I think. She wants a little sister almost as much as she wants a dog. Isn’t that right?’

  She shrugged. ‘Not that much.’

  ‘She gets it from me,’ he said. ‘I’m one of six boys.’

  ‘Six?’

  He grinned. ‘You sound just like Molly. Yes, six.’

  ‘God, your poor mother.’ She paused. ‘Did you and your wife not want more than one kid?’

  As soon as she’d said it, Jo felt an icy silence fill the room, as if someone had left a door open and a cold wind had rushed in. It was one thing to know about his wife, about the happy little trio he had once been part of, but to ask about it, and so bluntly…

  Stupid. It was a perfectly nice evening, and you ruined it. You and your big mouth.

  ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘I didn’t…’

  ‘No, it’s OK,’ he said quietly. ‘Well, I mean, yes. We’d planned a big family, but… well, these things happen. We had Molly, and then Laurie got sick, and…’

  And that was that. No more needed to be said. Based on the look on his face, no more could be said.

  ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.’

  ‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘It was a long time ago. And me and this little lump get along pretty well, don’t we?’

  ‘Yep!’ Molly said. Her lips had been dyed brown with chocolate, but her smile was wide and honest. She had none of the sadness in her eyes that her father seemed to carry. I wonder if that’ll last, Jo thought. Her mind went back to her own mother, and the relationship they had had when she was Molly’s age – and when she was a little older. She would have hated not to have that.

  ‘What about you?’ David asked. ‘Have you ever…?’

  ‘Been married? Yeah.’ As soon as she said it, she regretted it. Jesus, Jo, she thought. At least try and be cool. ‘Divorced, I mean,’ she said. ‘Last year. So, you know… it’s still kind of a fresh-start sort of situation. As far as your question goes, I’m not sure what my deal is at the moment.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that. About your divorce, I mean.’

  She shrugged. ‘It is what it is.’

  ‘Still… every cloud, and all that.’ He reached across the table and picked up his glass of milk, raising it up in a toast. ‘To fresh starts?’

  She clinked her glass against his. ‘To fresh starts.’

  Fresh starts and wishful thinking, she thought. Wouldn’t that just be a Christmas miracle?

  ~~~

  Jo’s hand lingered on the latch as she watched Baxter, and Baxter watched her back. It was almost as though he knew what she was thinking, sometimes. Positively eerie, when you thought about it. Behind that dopey, lopsided, tongue-lolling grin, there seemed to be a shrewd sort of recognition, of intelligence.

  He’d be fine, if she did it. He’d probably run right back to David and Molly.

  Probably.

  It was only three streets away, she told herself; he’d make it there OK. He’d been fine the last two times he’d run away, hadn’t he? Both times he’d made it somewhere safe. Besides, she could follow him at a distance to make sure he didn’t run off anywhere he wasn’t supposed to. Yes, that could work. Hell, if it came down to it she could just let him loose on their street, make sure he was taken in, and then half an hour later…

  For God’s sake, Josephine, she thought. You’re being ridiculous.

  Was she really so desperate to see him again? Was she so desperate to get out of the house that she felt the need to lie to a perfect stranger about a missing dog?

  She cycled through the contacts on her phone. He had put himself in as DAVID&MOLLY. Just in case, he had said. You know, just in case your dog runs away again – but really, what were the odds of that happening by chance? What kind of person would you have to be to lose your dog three times in one week? It was almost like he was trying to make sure she wouldn’t call him… but if she didn’t want her to call him, why would she have given her his number?

  No, that wouldn’t work. He’d see through that in an instant, and then he really would think she was crazy. No coming back from that. Her first two first-impressions hadn’t exactly been great; it really was a case of third time being a charm. It had to be.

  Just do it, she told herself. Call him. Put it out there. And if you get shot down – when you get shot down – then you can do the adult thing and pretend it never h
appened and he doesn’t exist.

  Had making the first move always been so hard? God, it was no wonder so many men took their sweet time.

  She pressed the CALL button before she could talk herself out of it.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Hey,’ she said. ‘I don’t know if you remember me, but…’

  ‘Jo, right?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s Jo. How are you?’

  ‘Not bad. Is everything OK?’

  ‘Everything’s good. Cool.’ Dork. ‘Fine. Everything’s fine. I just–’

  ‘Is Baxter missing again?’ he asked. ‘Because he’s not here this time.’ There was genuine concern in his voice, as though with a moment’s notice he’d be ready to put down whatever he was doing and jump into action to help her look for him. Who even does that? she thought. Especially for a complete stranger. It was strange: the more she got to know David, the less she felt as though she understood him.

  ‘No, no,’ she said. ‘He’s fine. I was just…’ She paused. He was probably busy. What was it that he had said the other day? That he didn’t get much time to go out? That he had a full schedule? Certainly too full for whatever this is. There’s no way you’re not going to seem like a total nutbar. Is there some other reason you could be calling? Did you leave something there? Maybe you just –

  ‘Jo?’ he asked. ‘Are you OK?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Now or never. ‘I was just about to go and walk Baxter, and I was wondering if you wanted to join me. You and Molly, I mean. Because she seemed to enjoy playing with him so much last time, and I figured…’ You’re rambling, Jo. Bring it in. Stick the landing. She took a deep breath. ‘I just thought it might be nice, that’s all. For Molly and Baxter both.’

  Oh, sure, she chided herself. You’re doing it for the dog and the little girl, that’s the only reason. Not because you’re looking for an excuse to spend time with him or anything. That would be crazy.

  He probably already thought she was crazy, for God’s sake. Who loses a dog twice? Only someone careless, irresponsible, and –

  ‘Sure thing,’ he said. ‘See you in half an hour? Is that OK?’

  Jo couldn’t stop herself from smiling. ‘Sounds good.’

  When she put the phone down, she noticed her hands were trembling slightly. Whether it was excitement or the cold, she wasn’t quite sure.

  Almost as if he could sense that something was wrong, Baxter padded over to her across the snow and sat down at her side. She patted his head gently, and he gave out a low, appreciative grumble.

  Well done, he seemed to be saying. Good girl.

  ~~~

  One walk soon became two; two walks became three, and three became a regular invitation to dinner. ‘Honestly,’ her mother had said. ‘You’re spending more time with your new fancyman than you are at home.’

  ‘He’s not my new…’ she paused. ‘What the hell is a fancyman, anyway?’

  ‘You know what I mean, dear. Your new friend.’

  ‘And his daughter. It’s not like we’re going out on dates or anything.’

  ‘Hmm.’

  ‘We’re not!’ But really… would it be that bad if we were? Christ, I’ve been divorced for almost two years by now. Would it be so terrible for me to start seeing someone again? Jo shook the idea away. David was just a friend, that was all; he hadn’t shown the least bit of interest in her beyond that. As far as he was concerned, the walks they took were just an excuse for Molly to spend some time playing with the dog.

  ‘You still seem to be getting a little close to him,’ Patricia said. ‘You know. If he’s just a friend.’

  ‘Which he is.’

  ‘Then what’s that?’ Her mother gestured down to the half-wrapped package in Jo’s hands.

  ‘It’s a gift. A Christmas present. It’s for Molly, Mom.’

  Patricia raised an eyebrow that said just about everything it needed to.

  ‘What? It’s not a big deal. I was in town, I walked past a store, I saw it, I thought she’d get a kick out of it. No big deal.’

  ‘If you say so, honey.’

  ‘It’s not. I’m just being nice, that’s all. Because we’re friends.’ Jo stuck the last flap of wrapping paper down a little more firmly than was needed; her thumb went right through it, into the toy beneath. Jo sucked in a hard breath of air. Great, she thought. Just great. She pushed the gift away from her, and stood up. Maybe it was a dumb idea after all. Maybe it was weird for her to get a present for the daughter of a man who she had known for less than two weeks.

  ‘Everything OK?’ Patricia asked.

  ‘Fine, Mom. I just need to go, that’s all. I’m already late.’

  ‘Late for what?’

  ‘I’m…’ Meeting David and Molly. ‘I’m just going out. Seeing a friend.’

  Patricia said nothing.

  ~~~

  ‘Have you got everything?’

  ‘For the eighth time, yes.’ David smiled. ‘Relax, would you? We’ll be fine.’

  It was Christmas Eve, and they were standing in the hallway of David’s house, Baxter at her feet – and a day bag filled with toys and treats next to him. He sniffed at it eagerly, but he seemed to know that it was in his own interests to be on his best behaviour. Even Molly was doing her best to hide her excitement; she had bunched her little hands up into fists, just waiting for Jo to leave so she could begin going hog-wild with her favourite playmate all evening, but David had obviously told her that she needed to keep it together at least until Jo was out of earshot.

  ‘And you’re sure you don’t mind?’ she asked.

  ‘Mind? Have you met my daughter? You’ll be lucky if she gives him back once your concert is over. I’m half-expecting her to make a run for the border.’

  ‘I know. I just feel guilty, that’s all.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I don’t know. Foisting him on you, I guess. I just didn’t really have any other option, and…’

  David put his hands on her arms and squeezed gently. ‘Jo, relax. I offered, remember? You need a dogsitter. I happen to have the best under-ten dogsitter in the country at my disposal. You go and enjoy your concert. Everything will be fine.’

  You’re being dumb, she told herself. He’s fine with it. He’s a nice guy like that. Just… relax, OK?

  ‘OK. If you say so. I’ll be back about ten?’

  ‘Take your time.’

  ‘Call if you need me?’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  ‘You’re sure it’s fine?’

  He laughed. ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’d grown kind of attached to him over the past couple of weeks. Just go, would you?’

  She went.

  It wasn’t that she was reluctant to go to the concert, not at all. If anything, the North Riverton Brass Band Concert and Carol Service at St. Anselm’s Church was one of the highlights of her Christmas; her younger sister Beth was usually front-and-centre in the production, and so the family had always made a big deal about going to see the show as a sort of Christmas tradition – but she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering back to David.

  How long could she possibly keep this up? It was Christmas Eve, after all. In a couple of days the holidays would be officially over and her excuse for being so local would be gone; no matter what her father had said, she couldn’t really justify staying for much longer than that. That meant heading back home – or at least, to what passed for home – and everything that involved.

  Unless.

  Unless, unless, unless.

  Well, what did she have keeping her in Freemont, really? Not a lot, not now Richard was out of the picture. He had skipped town almost immediately once the divorce came through and the assets were divided, despite the fact that it had been his idea to move there in the first place. No, he couldn’t get out quickly enough. His moving truck had practically left streaks of flame in its wake. She was the one who had decided to stay, figuring that it would be easier to rebuild what was left of her life in familiar surroundings. The
truth was, the protective cocoon she had tried to keep for herself had long since begun to feel like more of a prison.

  The band in front of her wrapped up what seemed to be a gospel rendition of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) to a muted round of applause. Jo barely noticed.

  She could move back to North Riverton. She could. She could stay with her parents, find herself a nice little apartment… and hell, she had been happy growing up in a small town. She loved the security of it, the joy of knowing pretty much everyone on the street. She loved the feeling of solidarity. She loved the community festivities, kitsch as they were. And she loved…

  No. No, she didn’t. She loved being around David. That was a different thing altogether. She loved the fact that someone seemed to genuinely enjoy her company. She loved their walks. She loved seeing Molly’s face light up whenever she saw Baxter. She loved the fact that she could bring joy to someone – because really, how long had it been since someone seemed genuinely happy to see her?

  Yes, she could move back. But for what, exactly? For a friend? No, that would be crazy. She’d make new friends in Freemont if she ever bothered to leave the house and reach out to them. If she’d managed it with David, surely it couldn’t be that hard?

  Then again, if it was that easy, she would have done it already. No, the only thing waiting for her back in Freemont was an empty apartment. Even Baxter wouldn’t be around to keep her company once Mrs. Rodriguez got back home. That would be her life: hours and hours of staring at blank walls, just waiting for the next day to come.

  Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself. You had a life back there. It wasn’t all that bad. No, it wasn’t; that much was true. It had seemed perfectly satisfactory before she came back here. Well… relatively satisfactory. Not so bad that it needed changing, anyway. But now…

  Well, how could she go back to that?

  She sighed heavily, and the woman sitting next to her gave her a harsh shush of disapproval. Whatever was going on in the rest of her life, she at least tried to focus on the rest of the concert.

  It didn’t do much good. By the time it all wrapped up, Jo’s mind was a spiral of indecision. All she wanted to do was find an excuse to head back home, out of the cold and drafty church hall, but the situation had other plans. Beth had brought her new boyfriend to meet the family, and so the necessary introductions had to be made – not that that helped her mood; she might have been happy for her, but there was something faintly grating about seeing her younger sister with her life so together – and it wasn’t until her phone rang in her pocket that she had almost completely managed to lose track of time.