The Christmas Proposition (13 page)

“Just so you know there won’t be many single women at the party.” She tried to keep the relief from her voice.

He trailed one finger slowly down her cheek. “Don’t you know by now that there’s only one woman I want with me under the mistletoe?”

Rachel’s lips began to tingle. She moistened them with her tongue and gazed at him through lowered lashes. “I say…who needs mistletoe?”

Mickie let out a war whoop and dropped the front window shade back into place.

She’d noticed the way Derek had smiled at Rachel during breakfast. Then, on the way home, he’d held her hand. It wasn’t much, but Mickie had taken those as
very
encouraging signs.

Now they were kissing. And not just the peck-on-the-cheek type of kiss Rachel gave her every night before bed. From what Mickie had been able to see, this was one of those kisses that you saw in the movies. The kind that made you wonder if they were ever going to take a breath. A Barbie-loves-Ken type of kiss.

If Fred wasn’t so big she’d pick him up and dance around the room. Instead, Mickie settled for giving him an enthusiastic hug. Then with a glad cry, she began to twirl.

D
erek hopped out of the shower and dived for the phone. He should already be on his way to pick up Rachel and Mickie for this evening’s performance at the high school. But he’d decided to work out first. And then he’d had to clean up. Although the show didn’t start for over an hour, because there was no assigned seating, Rachel had told him they should try to get there early.

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“I hardly think so—” his mother chuckled “—considering I’m still in Florida.”

“Mom.” He swiped a towel from the counter and wrapped it around him. “I thought you were someone else.”

“Obviously,” she said with a little laugh. “Who is she?”

Derek sat on the edge of the bed. “What makes you think it’s a she I’m meeting?”

“If it were a man, you wouldn’t be concerned about being late.”

“Actually I’m going out with a whole group of friends,” Derek said, then wondered why he’d felt the need to keep the truth from his mother. “The local high school is performing
A Christmas Carol
and one of the guys got some free tickets.”

“That sounds fun.” His mother paused. “Is the young lady who didn’t want to see you anymore going to be there?”

“Her name is Rachel,” Derek said. “And yes, she’s part of this group.”

“Derek.” Somehow his mom managed to infuse a world of disappointment into his name.

“Trust me, Mom, you’ll love her,” Derek said. “She’s incredibly smart and fun and a genuinely nice person. Did I tell you that she’s a nurse? And that she takes in foster kids?”

“Honey—”

“Wait.” Derek knew what was coming, but he also knew it didn’t apply to his feelings for Rachel. “I know you’re thinking this is a huge mistake, but the fact is, I love
her.
More than I ever thought possible.”

There, he’d said it. Spoke from the heart. Laid it on the table.

“Well, then, honey, I’m happy for you,” she said finally.

Derek could tell by her tone that she was still skeptical, but was keeping an open mind.

“I want you to meet her,” Derek said. “You have so much in common. Remember how you wore your wed
ding rings after Dad died? She did the same thing after her husband died. She—”

“Is she wearing the rings now?”

“Yes, but—”

“She’s not over him.”

The words were a knife to his heart. When they were out, he barely noticed the diamond on her finger.
Probably because she usually wore gloves.
But when they’d made love, he
had
noticed.

That meant nothing, he told himself. He had certifiable proof Rachel was over Tom. She’d waited all this time, saved herself even, for just the right man. And that man was him.

“She was married for four or five years.” Derek kept his tone even. “He was murdered. Does anyone ever get over a loss like that?”

“You say you love her,” his mother said, not answering the question. “I’d like to know if she loves you.”

Although Rachel hadn’t said the words, he sensed she did. “Yes. Yes, she does.”

Across two thousand miles he heard his mother expel the breath she must have been holding. “Then I’m happy for you. Though I’m not going to pretend that her still wearing those rings doesn’t bother me.”

“Isn’t that hypocritical?” Derek asked. “Because you did the same thing?”

“I took mine off when I was ready to move on.”

“Maybe Rachel doesn’t want to forget Tom.” God, he hated even saying the name.

“I haven’t forgotten your father, Derek. I never will. He has a permanent place in my heart. Taking off the
rings was my way of saying to myself and to the world that I was open to loving again.” She paused.

Even though she couldn’t see him, Derek nodded.

“You won’t be happy being second in any woman’s life,” his mother continued. “You experienced that with Heather. I hope that this isn’t the same—”

“Mother, stop.” Derek jerked to his feet and stalked across the room to the window, his emotions in a tailspin. “I’m fully capable of handling my own love life.”

His tone was sharper than he’d intended, but damn it, she didn’t know Rachel. She hadn’t seen the way Rachel’s eyes lit up when he walked into a room. And Rachel had been the one who’d kissed him, who’d emailed him, who’d asked
him
to be a part of
her
life with that simple text.

She’d even been the one to suggest they have sex. He grinned. Of course he hadn’t been that hard to convince.

Still, he hadn’t pursued her, she’d pursued
him.
As far as he was concerned, that said Rachel was ready to move on. Ring or no ring.

“I’m sorry, honey.” His mother’s tone turned conciliatory. “You’re a smart man. You don’t need me second guessing your decisions. I’m excited to meet your Rachel. I assume I’ll get that chance at the awards ceremony next month?”

Derek had forgotten all about the program the second week in January. His award for broadcast excellence had thrilled the network execs. Now that he thought about it, this would be the perfect opportunity for Rachel—and Mickie—to meet his family.

“We haven’t nailed that down yet,” he said, realizing
suddenly that the month was almost over and there wasn’t much time left. Not much time at all.

Rachel glanced at the clock on her mantel. “If Mr. Rossi doesn’t get here soon, we’re going to be late for the performance.”

“He’ll be here,” Mickie said.

Rachel smiled at the confidence in the girl’s tone. Derek need look no further than Mickie to find his number-one fan. And tonight, dressed in a plaid skirt and tights topped with a kelly-green sweater, Mickie looked more like a young lady than a child.

Despite knowing the performance was at a high school auditorium, Rachel had dressed up. The cherry-red cashmere wrap dress was a new purchase. Soft against her skin, the garment made her feel festive yet sexy.

When she’d put it on, Rachel couldn’t help thinking how easy it would be for Derek to take it off…

Of course he wouldn’t be taking anything off tonight. There would be no making love. Not with Mickie in the house.

Making love.

They hadn’t made love. She and Tom had made love. Many, many, many times. Because they were in love. While Tom might not have been the most adventurous lover, she’d always been satisfied. More than satisfied.

Rachel slanted a glance to the side table where her wedding picture sat, suddenly needing to see his face.

Her breath caught. “Where is it?”

Mickie looked up from the sofa where she’d been working with Fred on his tricks. “Where’s what?”

“My wedding picture.” Her frantic gaze slid to the mantel. Her heart rose to her throat. “The one taken on our honeymoon is missing, too.”

“They’re not missing,” Mickie said in a matter-of-fact tone, lifting Fred’s paw and shaking it. “I put them away.”

“You
what?
” Rachel’s voice rose despite her best efforts to control it. “Why would you do something like that?”

Mickie patted the bloodhound on the head, stood and smoothed her skirt. “Because if I were Mr. Rossi, seeing all those pictures of another man would make me uncomfortable.”

Rachel took a deep breath and let it out slowly, keeping a tight grip on her anger. “This is my house, Mickie. I can have pictures of my husband in every room if I want.”

“He’s not your husband.” Mickie met her gaze with a belligerence that set Rachel’s teeth on edge. “He was your husband. But he’s not now. He’s dead.”

“Put them back,” Rachel ground out the order between clenched teeth, her entire body trembling with emotion. “Put them back
now.
”

When Mickie’s chin lifted in a stubborn tilt, words—harsh and angry—pushed at Rachel’s lips, but she clamped her mouth shut. She took a deep breath and counted to ten. Then she began to count again. She’d made it to seven when her phone rang. She pulled it from her purse, glancing at the readout. “Derek. Hello.”

“You sound funny. Everything okay?”

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Mickie jerk open a rarely used kitchen drawer and pull out two
frames. “Fine.” Her voice sounded tight even to her own ears. “Where are you?”

“Five minutes away,” he said. “I’m looking forward to tonight. It should be great.”

Mickie muttered as she slammed the photos back in place.

“Shrine” was all Rachel heard.

“Rachel? Are you there?”

“I’m here,” she said. “You’re right. We’re going to have so much fun.”

She hoped that saying it aloud would make it true. Unfortunately the sullen look on Mickie’s face told her the odds weren’t good.

Once Derek arrived at Rachel’s home, it didn’t take long to conclude that something was definitely wrong. Although both Rachel and Mickie put up a polite front, the tension between the two continued on the ride to the high school. Oh, they both talked. To him. Not to each other.

Once they reached the auditorium, Mickie attached herself to Addie like a drowning sailor to a life raft.

Rachel’s mood seemed to improve during the performance. Although he laid his arm across the back of her seat, he didn’t take her hand. The rigid set of her shoulders said she wouldn’t welcome the touch.

“Like it?” he whispered when Scrooge had his epiphany.

“I love it.” Her eyes shone in the dim light and Derek’s spirits lifted.

Yet after the performance, when Mary Karen invited everyone over to her house for hot chocolate, Rachel
declined. Mickie cast a resentful look in the direction of her foster mom, but Rachel appeared not to notice.

By the time Derek pulled into Rachel’s driveway, he’d had enough. Enough of the tension. Enough of the phony politeness. Enough of feeling caught in the middle. And he knew if the two of them didn’t settle this—and settle it fast—Christmas would be ruined.

And Mickie needed to experience a merry Christmas.

So did Rachel.

Derek shut off the engine and turned in his seat. “Who’s gonna tell me what’s going on?”

“Nothing is going on.” The glare Mickie shot Rachel was at odds with her cheery tone. “Everything is fine.”

“Mickie and I had a disagreement right before you came over,” Rachel said. “But we’re over it. Right, Mick?”

“Yeah,” Mickie grumbled. “Whatever.”

Derek had been a team captain many times during his high school and college days. Even during his pro career, he’d often been pulled into a leadership role. He’d lost track of the number of times he’d helped players settle their differences for the sake of team harmony. “Have you considered talking about it, airing your feelings?”

“She ordered me around like I was some slave.” Mickie’s eyes flashed green fire. “Didn’t really listen to what I had to say. Didn’t care about my opinion.”

“And
you
didn’t care about
my
feelings,” Rachel shot back before clamping her mouth shut.

“You two need to talk this out in a calm, rational manner.” Derek shifted his gaze from Rachel to Mickie.

“I tried to explain,” Mickie said. “She interrupted me. She didn’t even try to listen—”

Derek held up a hand stilling the girl’s diatribe. “Ground rules. First, you must be completely honest about your feelings. Second, you let the other one talk without interrupting. Third, and most importantly, before you start the discussion you have to hug.”

The last rule was a technique his mother had employed during his sister’s tumultuous teenage years. It must have worked because his mom and Sarah were very close now.

Rachel reached for the handle but didn’t pull the door open. “I’m willing to give it a try.”

“Me, too,” Mickie said, though her chin was still lifted. She turned to Derek. “Are you coming in?”

“Not tonight,” he said. The child looked so distressed that he gave her a reassuring smile. “Tomorrow. Or Tuesday for sure when we go skiing.”

“Promise?”

He lifted his hand and tossed up fingers in a long-forgotten salute. “Scout’s honor.”

Seemingly appeased, the child turned to Rachel. The smile on her lips didn’t reach her eyes. “May I have the keys, please, so I can let Fred out?”

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that.” Rachel dug in her purse for a second, pulled out the keys, then dropped them onto Mickie’s outstretched palm.

Mickie didn’t meet Rachel’s gaze and couldn’t seem to get out of the vehicle fast enough.

Rachel waited until she was out of earshot to speak. “I want you to know that I am capable of dealing with Mickie on my own.”

“I realize that.” He tugged her to him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her loosely. “I didn’t mean to overstep—”

“You didn’t. I should never have gotten so angry with her.” She rested her forehead against his coat and he planted a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m just sorry we didn’t have time to get these issues resolved before you arrived. You didn’t deserve to suffer our drama.”

“Never mind that. I had a great time.” He brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “I always do when I’m with you.”

She lifted her head. “Me, too.”

Was that a sigh he heard?

“Call me later,” he urged. “Let me know how things go with Mickie.”

“I will.” Rachel reached for her door handle, but before she pushed it open, she turned back. “You know, it’s kind of nice.”

“What is?”

“Having a man around.”

“How did it go?” Derek relaxed his back against the pillow. Instead of sticking his phone on the charger, he’d brought it to bed with him, determined not to miss Rachel’s call. He’d been ready to turn out the lights when it rang.

“Good.” Her tone had a lilt to it. The strain that had been in her voice earlier had vanished. “By the way, doing the hug was a very good idea.”

“Were you able to see her side?”

“Yes,” Rachel said. “And I think she understands my feelings better, too.”

Derek was curious about the issue that had polarized them, but she didn’t volunteer the information and he didn’t ask. “Glad to hear it.”

“It may sound crazy, but this experience made me realize just how much I want to be a mom.”

“It’s not crazy at all.” Derek smiled into the phone. “I can easily see you with a half-dozen kids playing at your feet.”