Saving Alyssa (Mills & Boon Heartwarming) (20 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

A
LIGHT
 
SNOW
 
was falling, and Alyssa stood, nose pressed to the window, watching.

“Do you think we'll have a white Christmas, Daddy?”

“Anything is possible,” he said, stepping up beside her.

“Do you think it'll snow enough to make a snowman?”

It wasn't likely, but why burst the kid's bubble? “You never know. You could wake up in the morning and find a foot of the stuff on the ground.”

She wrapped her arms around him, and he winced. The stitches from that second surgery to find the source of the infection were healing nicely, but the site was still tender to the touch. Thankfully, she didn't see him flinch; it would have upset her, because she'd been especially protective of him since his release from the hospital.

“I can't wait for it to get dark. I haven't seen our decorations with all the lights off.”

“I'll bet the place will look gorgeous.”

She and Billie had strung lighted garlands around the banister leading down to the shop, and strung twinkle lights from the valances. They'd rearranged the living room to make space for the tree, and hung a hundred colorful ornaments from the branches. Jillian used to say she'd rather have no tree at all than put one of those fake things in her house. Noah wondered what she'd say about this one, draped with graceful folds of white gauze and guarded by a satin-gowned angel that held a tiny candle in each porcelain hand. A deep red cloth covered the dining room table; in its center, a three-tiered stand held an assortment of homemade cookies, brownies and small pies. Three battery-operated flameless candles, positioned amid artfully arranged evergreen branches, stood in shallow wooden bowls on the end tables, and there were doilies—
doilies!
—on top of the TV and stereo.

For the first time in a long time, he looked forward to Christmas.

And Billie Landon was solely responsible for that.

“And wait until you see what we did downstairs,” Alyssa said.

“In the bike shop?”

“Oh, yes! Billie says your customers will
love
it.”

“Maybe after supper you can show me around.”

“Can we call Billie? I bet she'd love to see if you like it.”

“Sure. Then I can thank her in person for helping you make the whole place look so pretty.”

Alyssa clapped her hands, grabbed the phone and hit the autodial button. He'd programmed Ike's Bikes in the number one position for those rare days when she stayed home sick and he couldn't shut down the shop. Max got the number two spot because, well, because she was Max. And now this. He wondered if Billie knew what an honor it was to come in third.

“Did you program that, all by yourself?”

“Billie showed me how.”

Alyssa spent the next minute or so chattering happily with Billie about the snow, then invited her to join them for what she termed “Light Up the Night!” Next thing Noah knew, he was making popcorn and hot chocolate, and setting the table with dessert plates...pale blue with snowflake decals.

“Where did these come from?”

“Billie made them,” Alyssa said, “when she was only ten years old.” She picked one up and showed him the underside. “See? She signed her name and wrote the date.”

Sure enough, thick black curlicue letters spelled out BILLIE. He tried to picture her at age ten, hunched over the unfired, unglazed ceramic, tongue between her teeth and brow furrowed as she concentrated on dotting her
I
's with tiny black hearts. A strange warmth fluttered in his chest, and he quickly pushed it away. He couldn't afford to let his feelings deepen. Even if he hadn't decided that he and Alyssa should leave town after the first of the year, it wouldn't have been fair to any of them—or safe.

“She said she's going to walk, because it's faster than driving.”

Thick red mittens muffled the sound of her knock, he found, when he'd limped to the door to let her in. When he saw her, a hand on either side of her face to block the glare of the porch light, the flutter returned. He needed to get back to his hammers and screwdrivers and pneumatic lug wrench, because all this sitting around, reading and watching romantic comedies on TV was making him think a lot about love and romance.

“Well that didn't take long,” he said, opening the door.

Billie shook snow from her Orioles cap. “Took me less time to walk here than it took you to open the door!” she teased.

“Oh. Yeah. Left my cane in the kitchen,” he explained.

“I wasn't talking about how long it took to
get
to the door. I meant...” Laughing, she hung her coat on the hook nearby. “Do I smell popcorn?”

“Alyssa thought it would be nice to have a little something to commemorate Light Up the Night.”

It wasn't quite dark enough yet to get the full effect of the decorations, so the threesome had their snack before, rather than after, their celebration. When the hot chocolate and popcorn were gone, they turned on the Christmas lights, switched off everything else and stood in the middle of the living room to admire the sight.

Noah didn't know which glittered more, the mini bulbs and candles or Billie's big, beautiful eyes.

Alyssa decided it was the perfect occasion to watch
Miracle on 34th Street.
Noah prepared more cocoa, Billie made more popcorn and Alyssa set up the DVD player and put cookies on plates. They sat side by side on the sofa, with Alyssa between the adults, holding the big bowl on her lap.

An hour into the movie, Noah's right arm stiffened up. He stretched it across the back of the sofa, and when he did, Alyssa leaned into him...and Billie leaned into her. His hand was going numb, so he worked out the kinks—open, closed, open—until Billie stilled his flexing by slipping her right hand into his.

He worried that his heart might leap from his chest. Could she hear it, hammering against his ribs? If not, surely she could feel the pulse pounding through his fingertips. Alyssa was asleep. He could tell by her soft, steady breaths.

Billie gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. “My very favorite part of the movie is coming up,” she whispered.

By Noah's calculations, there were two, maybe three minutes remaining. “You didn't like the rest of the movie?”

“Yes, but...” She pointed, and right on cue, John Payne wrapped Maureen O'Hara in a fierce hug and kissed her, long and hard, right there in the lovely, empty house that would one day be theirs.

Noah looked at Billie. Watched the action on the screen flicker light and dark across her face.

She looked at him, too. If there had been any doubt about how she felt about him before now, that affectionate glow emanating from her eyes removed it. If he'd given it a moment's thought...if he'd considered the consequences of his actions...

Gently, he brought her closer, closer, until he could feel her soft, quick breaths puffing against his chin. Noah tipped his head and this time,
this
time, nothing stood in the way.

So he kissed her.

And she returned it.

Oh, he was in trouble, because since that near miss beside the campfire, he'd wondered what it might feel like. Now that he knew, now that he'd tasted these cocoa-sweet and popcorn-salty lips, he'd never forget it. Already his heart was breaking, and he hadn't even talked to Max about leaving yet.

“Daddy?”

He pulled back, only slightly, and it surprised him a little to see that Billie had lingered, eyes closed, a dreamy expression on her pretty face. He would have kissed her again if Alyssa hadn't wriggled, stretched, then looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

“I'll tuck her in,” Billie said, her voice thick with emotion.

He couldn't let her do that. If he did, they'd be alone once Alyssa was out for the night, and he didn't think he'd have the willpower to avoid a repeat performance.

“Nah,” he said. “I'll do it.”

Billie looked a little confused, a little hurt, so he added, “I missed a lot of nights, tucking her in, while I was lying in that hospital bed.”

“Oh, of course.” She smiled, making him glad he'd tacked on that little qualifier.

“I should have known better. You go ahead and get her settled, and I'll clean up here...”

You're a genius,
he thought. Because he'd created a stalemate...with himself.

“...and then I'll head home.”

Noah nodded and held out his hand to Alyssa. “C'mon, cupcake. Daddy can't carry you just yet.”

His daughter padded toward her room without taking his hand. “I'll brush my teeth and get into my pajamas,” she said, “while you kiss Billie goodbye.”

Billie inhaled a tiny gasp, then quickly began stacking popcorn bowls and cookie plates, and disappeared into the kitchen.

The bathroom door began to swing closed, and just before the latch would have clicked, Alyssa stuck her little face in the opening. “Well,” she said, “are you going to kiss her again or not?”

“It's already way past your bedtime, kiddo. Get those teeth brushed while I turn down your blankets.”

He snapped the blinds shut and tossed back the quilt. When he glanced toward the door, there stood Billie, hair tucked under her baseball cap, snugging her jacket around her.

“My folks are coming down for our annual Christmas Eve dinner. Todd and Dani, too. And of course, Troy will be there.” She tugged the cap lower on her forehead. “If you and Alyssa don't already have other plans, dinner is at six.”

Noah watched her walk toward the back door. Watched as she let herself out. At the window, he separated the blinds and watched as she ran down the stairs. Then she turned the corner and stepped out of sight, leaving nothing but tiny boot prints in the snow.

And he missed her already.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“T
HE
 
TABLE
 
LOOKS
beautiful, honey. I love that centerpiece!”

“She made one just like it for our table,” Alyssa said. “Only ours has sugar cookies and brownies and little pies on it. All sitting on paper doilies.”

Ellen sighed. “Oh, Billie and her paper doilies. Do you know that when she was your age, she made a thousand things out of paper doilies?”

Billie lit the candles on the mantel, and the ones on the buffet, too. The past six years or so, it seemed her mom designed Christmas dinner around a theme, and God help the poor soul at the center of it. Last year, it was the Troy Had Lots of Girlfriends theme, which didn't sit well with Victoria. The year before that, Frank the Golf Addict took the heat. Todd and Dani bore the brunt of things the year they'd earned The Couple Who Won't Have Children title. If it was her turn this year, Billie supposed it could be a whole lot worse than 101 Uses for Paper Doilies.

“Did you hear from Troy?” she asked.

“He and Todd and Dani should be here any minute now. And your tree is lovely, too,” Ellen said from the doorway. “Wherever did you get the idea to wrap clear mini lights in white toile?”

Clearly, a rhetorical question, because her mom had already joined Noah and her husband in the living room.

Billie was cracking ice into a plastic tub when Alyssa stepped up beside her.

“When I was little, we had a refrigerator that dropped weird-shaped little ice cubes right into people's glasses.” She picked up a loose ice chip and popped it into her mouth. “Mommy liked it.”

That day in the hospital, when Noah had bared his soul, he'd said “love you” and “so much.” At the time, Billie hadn't been sure if he meant her or Jillian or the nurse who swapped his green Jell-O for tapioca pudding. Lately—especially after that kiss the other night—she'd begun to think maybe he
had
been talking to her, and that he'd meant every word. But Noah had loved Jillian first, and Billie wasn't at all sure he'd ever love anyone as much.

“Did you know chewing ice is against the dentist's rules?” Alyssa asked.

Billie walked around the table, dropping ice into stemmed water glasses. “You know, I think I did hear about that one.”

“What kind of things did you make from the doilies, Billie?”

“Let's see...there were butterflies and ballerinas, birds, clothes for my Barbies....”

“You played with Barbies? Like me?”

Nodding, Billie said, “I sure did. And nothing was too good for
my
dolls. They had a van, and a Corvette, and a town house with an elevator.”

Ellen came back into the kitchen, laughing. “And little suitcases filled with clothes and shoes and accessories...not counting the doily outfits she made for them.”

“I think I would have liked being your friend when you were a little girl. It sounds like you were nice and fun then, too.”

Nice and fun. If only Chuck could hear that!

The doorbell rang, and Alyssa said, “I bet that's Troy. Can I answer it?”

On the way to the foyer, Billie remembered Noah's fevered confession. “That's okay, sweetie. You've worked hard enough for one day.” It wasn't like O'Malley would come calling on Christmas Eve, she thought, opening the door, but she wasn't taking any chances where Noah's little girl was concerned.

“Bud,” she said, “you have a key.”

“I know, but then I wouldn't get to play with this weird little doorbell of yours.” He gave it a crank, then stepped inside.

“Merry Christmas,” she teased, hugging him. “Dad and Noah are in the living room. Make yourself at home.”

Troy, Todd and Dani arrived right behind him. And after them, Max.

Troy joined her in the kitchen. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Thanks, but everything is ready.”

“Noah's looking well, don't you think? I mean, except for that limp, he's almost good as new.”

It was good to see her brother looking healthy
and
happy, and she knew Noah's recovery had a lot to do with it.

“And determined as he is, I doubt he'll need that cane much longer, either.”

He took a step closer and whispered conspiratorially, “You two—or should I say three—have been spending a lot of time together lately. You planning to make an announcement today?”

“Announcement?” She transferred mashed potatoes from the saucepan to a serving bowl. “What kind of announcement?”

“You know...” He looked left, right, and eyes closed, he puckered up.

Billie dabbed a fingerful of potatoes onto his lips. And handing him the biscuit basket, she said, “Carry that to the table for me, you big nut, and tell everyone dinner's ready.”

Fifteen minutes later, Billie sat back and looked around the dining room. She'd often wondered why her mom made such a big deal about family get-togethers, but now she understood. Days of cleaning, shopping, cooking and baking were forgotten as steaming sides made the rounds amid laughter and amiable chatter.

She'd never understood the need for a seating chart, either, so it surprised her, once everyone settled where Ellen put them, how
right
it felt, looking across at Noah. He'd just taken a big bite of ham, and caught her staring. Eyebrows raised, he stopped chewing as a slow smile slanted his mouth.

“Now that everyone has a full plate,” Ellen said, “it's time to initiate my favorite part of a Landon Christmas Eve dinner. And since some of you don't have a clue what I'm talking about...Frank? Will you do the honors?”

Billie's dad put down his fork and cleared his throat. “My Christmas wish,” he began, “is to have the time and good weather for at least one round of golf every week.” He looked at Dani, who sat on his other side. In her typically shy and quiet way, Billie's sister-in-law wished for good health for everyone, all through the year. Todd looked forward to another profitable year for his accounting firm, and all Troy wanted was to make Jeff glad he'd taken a chance on him.

Max wanted a promotion, and when the family asked what she did for a living, she said, “Next!”

As it happened, that was Bud, who wished Inky would stop darting out of the house every chance he got. “And I wish people would stop parking on the sidewalk in front of my house. Folks have to walk in the street to get around them, and one of these days...” He punched his right fist into his left palm, startling Alyssa, who almost jumped in her chair.

“Why don't you tell us how you
really
feel, Bud,” Billie teased. “But I guess it's my turn, isn't it?”

Todd chuckled. “You don't think just because you organized this shindig you get a pass, do you?”

No, she didn't. Soon after it was decided she'd host this dinner, Billie had started thinking about what she'd say. Not the truth—that she wished peace of mind and safety for Noah and Alyssa—because that would expose them to the exact opposite. She couldn't wish that what he'd said that day in the hospital really
was
intended for her, because then she'd have to decide whether to tell him what she knew.

“I wish...” If she looked at Noah, even for a second, she might lose her nerve. “I wish everyone's wishes come true this year...the ones you've shared and the ones you're holding close to your heart.”

“Oh, honey,” Ellen said, “that's so sweet!”

While her brothers groaned, Billie chanced a peek at Noah, whose expression told her that he got the message hidden in her wish.

“Alyssa, dear,” Ellen said, “you're next!”

Giggling, she hid behind her hand and said, “I wish I could open all my presents right after dessert instead of waiting until tomorrow morning!”

When the “Awws” and “Isn't she cutes” ended, she said, “I'm just kidding. That isn't my real wish.” She looked at Billie. “My real wish is...that Billie could be my mom.”

Following a drawn-out, uncomfortable pause, Ellen said, “And
my
wish is...” she leaned forward to look around her husband “...that someone around here will decide to make me a grandmother!”

Relieved laughter lightened the mood...for everyone but Alyssa, who sat quietly staring into her lap.

Billie thought she understood how the poor kid felt. She'd bared her soul, and probably expected everyone to agree. If not everyone, at least
Billie.
Noah had recognized her disappointment, too, as evidenced by his pained expression. It touched her deeply that his father's heart ached for his little girl.

He cleared his throat, pressed his forearms to the tabletop and said, “Alyssa, I think Billie will be a great mom...when she's ready. And speaking of ready, are you ready to go?” He softened the blow by adding, “The sooner you get to sleep, the sooner Santa will come with your presents.”

Alyssa's shoulders sagged and she sank lower in the chair. “Can I have dessert first? I promise to eat fast....”

“Speaking of fast,” Bud injected, “you might
think
you got away with pulling a fast one, Noah, using your innocent little girl to get out of sharing your wish, but you're wrong.”

Todd, Troy and Frank voiced their agreement, and put the pressure on to coax Noah's cooperation.

He nodded, then shook his head, and smiling, said, “My Christmas wish is that no matter where we go or what we do, we'll never forget each other.”

Billie didn't hear any of the comments that followed, because as Noah's gaze fused to hers, she read the unspoken message in his heartfelt little speech: he was thinking about leaving Ellicott City. Something dreadful must have happened to make him consider uprooting Alyssa again. Billie didn't need to hear details or reasons. Only one thing could raise that kind of desperation.

O'Malley.