Christmas in Eternity Springs (23 page)

“I was out of line last night. I'm sorry I gave Ms. Branham a hard time.”

“You owe her the apology.”

“I know,” Brian said with a wince. “I intend to see to that before we leave town.”

“Good.”

Brian stuck his hands into his pants pockets and rocked back on his heels, his expression earnest. “I want this to be a good visit, Jax. Can we start over?”

Brian Hardcastle was treating Jax with a deference he'd never shown before, and Jax didn't quite know what to make of it. “Sure. We'd better catch up with Nicholas and Linda or the kid will eat our share of coffee cake. He's been a bottomless pit lately.”

Up on the verandah, Nicholas chattered on like a magpie while downing two and a half pieces of coffee cake. Jax didn't miss the fact that the Hardcastles asked probing questions of the boy, but he honestly didn't mind. If they'd traveled to Colorado thinking they'd find their grandson unhappy and more emotionally troubled than before, the best way to prove them wrong was to let Nicholas ramble.

Nicholas was telling them about the haunted house Brick Callahan was putting together out at Hummingbird Lake for Halloween. “It's gonna be a haunted pirate ship. My friends Meg and Cari say it's going to be really, really cool. I can't wait.”

“A haunted house?” Linda repeated. To Jax, she asked, “Do you think that's something he should be doing?”

Annoyance rolled through Jax's gut. “I think I'm going to take my cues from Nicholas.”

“But—”

“There's Captain!” Nicholas said, his voice filled with gleeful excitement. “I've gotta go.”

He waited long enough to shovel one last bite of coffee cake into his mouth, then he scrambled from his chair and darted toward the staircase.

“Don't run in the house,” Jax called after him.

“Well,” Linda said, a bittersweet smile on her face. “He certainly seems to have settled in well here. It also appears he's conquered his cynophobia.”

“I think we can pretty much call him cured in that respect,” Jax agreed. “He's trying to convince me that he should have a dog of his own.”

“That's amazing,” Brian said.

Jax met his gaze directly and said, “Eternity Springs is amazing. He's made some progress with regard to Christmas, too.”

“Is it the psychologist he's seeing? The one from the camp?”

“Dr. McDermott. Actually, Nicholas hasn't been able to meet with him yet because Dr. McDermott has been on an extended vacation with his wife. He's due back around Thanksgiving. Nicholas has an appointment then.”

“So who is he seeing in the meantime?” Brian asked.

“No one,” Jax responded, his chin lifted and a defiant gleam in his eyes.

Brian and Linda shared a look, but to Jax's surprise, they didn't attack. So he told them about Claire's reading program and Nicholas's positive response to it. “She owns a Christmas shop in town, and she's having a big event there next week. Nicholas wants to go.”

Linda brought her hand to her chest. “To a Christmas shop? Is that advisable, Jax?”

“Nicholas is the one steering the boat here. I take all my cues from him. So far, it seems to be working.”

“The change is amazing,” Brian said. “And after all the things we tried to do to improve the situation in Seattle. To think that all it took was a small town.”

“It took
this
small town,” Jax corrected. “And these people.”

“Hey, Mimi and Pops!” Nicholas called from below. “Look. This is Captain! Come down and meet him.”

Brian signed the tab and the adults went down to join Nicholas. Outside, Jax spied Mac Timberlake speaking to Celeste, and he veered toward them while the Hardcastles joined his son.

“I loaded Captain's bed and some food in the back of your truck, Lancaster.”

“Thanks. How's everything going at your place?”

“So far, so good. Chase is Mr. Cool today.”

“Good for him.”

Jax heard Nicholas call his name. “We're going for a walk, Dad. I'm gonna show Mimi and Pops my school and the park where I play soccer. Want to come?”

“Sure.”

Nicholas answered his grandmother's questions about his teacher and his classmates as they strolled toward the footbridge that crossed Angel Creek. They continued down Sixth Street to the school and then on to Davenport Park. After that, Nicholas wanted to show his grandparents the library and Galen's dad's glass studio. “It's really cool, Pops. Mr. Cicero has these ovens and they're superhot and the glass is all melted and he puts it on a stick and shapes it. He's working on a big project right now, but when he's finished he's going to let me and Galen make something.”

“I've heard of Cicero,” Linda said. “He's a very talented artist.”

“He has long hair like a girl. But I like him. I like Galen's mom, Dr. Rose, too. She made really good pancakes.”

Jax tagged along, not really offering much of anything to the conversation, giving Nicholas free rein to wander where he liked. It was a perfect day for a stroll. Eternity Springs buzzed with energy, the streets and shops bustling with visitors in town for the wedding. “Based on the notices in the shop windows, this place is shutting down at noon,” Brian observed.

“The wedding is at two,” Jax said. “I think they've invited every local resident.”

“Miss Claire is closing at noon.” Nicholas looked at his father. “I think we should go there now. Mimi and Pops need to meet Miss Claire.”

Jax couldn't hide his surprise. “You want to take your grandparents to Forever Christmas?”

Nicholas nodded. “Captain and I can wait outside.”

Jax placed his hand on his son's shoulder. “Hot Rod, you might not know this because we never go down that block of Cottonwood. Miss Claire has Christmas trees in pots outside on the sidewalk.”

Nicholas sucked in a breath, and for the first time that morning, his tone sounded subdued as he said, “Oh. I didn't know that.”

“We can visit your Miss Claire another time,” Linda suggested.

“No.” Nicholas lifted his chin and he courageously met Jax's gaze. “I can walk down the street.”

Jax had a flashback of the last time he'd seen the boy lying in a hospital bed, and he had to bite back a ferocious “No!”

Instead, he reminded himself to take his cues from his son. “All right. We can give it a try. If you change your mind, no harm, no foul.”

Brian Hardcastle opened his mouth, but at a sharp look from Jax, shut it without comment. Linda didn't take the hint. “Jax, I don't think—”

“Linda!” Brian interrupted. “Remember…”

She listened to her husband, zipped her lips, and followed Nicholas.

The closer they drew to the intersection of Third and Cottonwood, the slower Nicholas walked and the quieter he became. When he fell back to walk beside his father, Jax rested his hand on the boy's shoulder.

The big pots with lighted evergreens that sat on either side of Forever Christmas's front door came into view on the opposite side of the street. Nicholas saw them and stopped. Linda Hardcastle reached for her husband's hand. Jax gave Nicholas's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “No harm, no foul, buddy.”

Nicholas shoved his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, took a deep breath, and said, “It's okay, Dad. I can do this. They are just trees. I can do it.”

And darned if he didn't do exactly that.

Nicholas and Captain walked right up to the street lamp across from the Christmas shop, and while Captain sniffed around the base of it, Nicholas's gaze darted toward the big glass display windows where lights twinkled and angels flew and a snowman bowed his top hat. The kid didn't flinch. “Take Mimi and Pops inside, Dad. Captain and I will hang here. I doubt Miss Claire would want Captain running around her shop. He's pretty big.”

Grinning, Jax nodded. “I think you're right. Want me to tell Miss Claire you said hi?”

“That'd be good.”

“Stay out of the street.” Jax motioned toward the Hardcastles. “Shall we?”

As the three adults crossed the street, Brian said, “He's a different boy.”

Jax held the door for Linda and as the chimes rang “Jingle Bells,” he said, “He's healing. He's getting back to being the boy he used to be.”

Claire's welcoming smile upon seeing Jax faded somewhat when she spied who arrived with him. Brian kept his word by rolling out an apology that sounded sincere, and graciously, Claire accepted it before excusing herself to answer another shopper's question. While Jax positioned himself in the book section near a window where he could keep an eye on Nicholas, Linda said, “If we have a few more minutes, I think I'll look around a bit. It truly is a fabulous store.”

Brian nodded. “Go ahead. I'll take this opportunity to speak with Jax.”

What now? Jax wondered as Brian perused the shelves. “This is quite an excellent selection of books. I'm impressed. Looks like she needs to restock
The Christmas Angel Waiting Room,
though.”

Jax shook his head. “Do me a favor and don't bring that up. What is it you want to talk to me about, Brian?”

The older man sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, first thing I'll say is that it's obvious that this trip to Colorado has been good for the boy. In all honesty, it's not what we expected. You were right and I was wrong.”

“Wow,” Jax drawled. “I feel like we need a plaque or something to mark this moment.”

“I deserve that.” Brian exhaled loudly, then added, “I might as well eat the whole crow. Linda and I were wrong to try to take the parenting decisions out of your hands.”

At that, Jax's suspicions went on high alert. “What's your game, here, Brian? What do you want from me?”

Hardcastle's gaze shifted toward the window, and Jax watched him watch Nicholas. The older man cleared his throat and said, “We miss him. We came out here hoping to convince you to come home to Seattle.”

“Seattle is not my home.”

“It can be. I come bearing a job offer.”

As Brian reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, Jax shook his head. “I'm not a bookseller, in any way, shape, or form.”

“It's not from Hardcastle Books.”

He handed over a sealed envelope. Jax recognized the logo in the upper left-hand corner. Boeing.

His breath whooshed from his lungs. He pulled out his pocketknife and slit the envelope open. Removing the three-page offer, he scanned the contents and his heart began to thud. A dream job—in his field. A dream salary. Hell. It was three steps higher than the job he'd originally applied for.

“How did you manage this?”

“I play golf with the CEO.”

Jax's mind spun. His pride would prefer that he got a job as a result of his own efforts, but there was truth in the old saying that it wasn't what you knew, but who you knew. The man couldn't have pulled this particular string back in July? Nevertheless, it didn't matter. “I promised Nicholas we would stay here through the end of the school year. I'm not going back on my word.”

“Fair enough. It's obvious he's happy here. Believe it or not, Linda and I wouldn't want to do anything to change that. Coming here … seeing him … seeing the progress he's made … we don't want to upset that applecart. Check the offer dates, Jax. You have some time.”

He scanned the letter once again and located the date on the third page. “July Fourth? It's good to July Fourth?”

“My golf buddy is a patriot. He supports the military. Supports veterans. And, he knew Lara when she was a little girl. He cares about her son.”

Wow. As Jax rubbed his hand across his stubbled jaw, his gaze sought and found Claire. Beautiful, sexy, and sweet Miss Christmas.

Miss Eternity Springs.

Damn. He couldn't be a handyman the rest of his life. “I don't know what to say, Brian.”

“You don't have to say anything. It's something to have in your back pocket.”

“And in return?”

“Nothing. No strings attached. Linda and I recognize that we could have … we should have … handled the situation better. Like I said, we miss Nicholas. We hope you'll allow us to be part of our grandson's life.”

“It's not my intention to keep him from you. I think—”

He broke off when Claire and Linda approached. “Mrs. Hardcastle said you have a surprise for me?”

“I do. Actually, though, it's Nicholas who has the surprise. Take a look.” Jax motioned toward the window and Claire's face lit up. Seeing that Nicholas was looking their way, she waved. The boy waved back. “He wanted his grandparents to meet you.”

“He's looking into the shop, Jax.”

“I know. Isn't it great? I think I've figured out what this is about. He's working up to attend the big event next week. I'll bet you money.”

“The Dog Room,” Claire said. “That does make sense. He's asked a lot of questions about it.”

At Linda's quizzical look, Claire explained about the Twelve Dogs of Christmas ornaments and described the special display of all things pet-and-Christmas-related that she planned to unveil during a reception the following week. “I want to go out and say hi to him. Jax, would you watch the shop for a few minutes for me?”

“Sure.”

The Hardcastles accompanied Claire, and Jax watched through the window as his son began speaking animatedly to his grandparents and Claire. Idly, he reached out and ran his finger along the wing made of feathers on an angel ornament hanging on the Christmas tree decorating the window. He recognized that he needed to readjust his thinking where his former in-laws were concerned.

They'd done him a solid when they stepped up and cared for Nicholas when Jax couldn't get free of his contract to the navy. He didn't often think about it from their point of view. It couldn't have been easy for them. Healthy six-year-olds were a lot of work. A child like Nicholas who suffered nightmares and panic attacks and instances of inconsolable crying had been exponentially more work. But Brian and Linda never hesitated. They'd stepped up and given him a home and loved him—even in the depths of their grief over the loss of their beloved only daughter.