Home for Christmas. Debbie Macomber
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were born.
Promise was bustling when Cal drove up Main Street. All the activity surprised him, although it shouldn’t have. It was a Thursday night, after all, and there’d been strong economic growth in the past few years. New businesses abounded, an area on the outskirts of town had been made into a golf course, and the city park had added a year-round swimming pool. Ellie’s feed store had been remodeled, but it remained the friendly place it’d always been. She’d kept the wooden rockers out front and his own father was among the retired men who met there to talk politics or play a game of chess. The tall white steeple of the church showed prominently in the distance. Cal reflected that it’d been a long time since he’d attended services. Life just seemed to get in the way. Too bad, because he genuinely enjoyed Wade McMillen’s sermons.
The familiar tantalizing aroma of Texas barbecue from the Chili Pepper teased his nostrils, and for a moment Cal hesitated. He could do with a thick barbecue sandwich just as easily as his favorite enchiladas, but in the end he stuck with his original decision.
When he walked into the stucco-walled restaurant, he was immediately led to a booth. He’d barely had time to remove his hat before the waitress brought him a bowl of corn chips and a dish of extra-hot salsa. His mouth was full when Nicole Nelson stepped into the room, eyed him boldly and smiled. After only the slightest pause, she approached his table.
“Hello, Cal.” Her voice was low and throaty.
Cal quickly swallowed the chip, almost choking as he did so. The attractive woman standing there wasn’t the kid he’d known all those years ago. Her jeans fit her like a second skin, and unless he missed his guess, her blouse was one of those designer numbers that cost more than he took to the bank in an average month. If her tastes ran to expensive clothes like that, Cal couldn’t imagine how she intended to live on the amount of money Annie Porter could afford to pay her.
“Nicole,” he managed. “Uh, hi. How’re you doing?”
“Great, thanks.” She peered over her shoulder as though expecting to meet someone. “Do you have a couple of minutes?”
“Uh…sure.” He glanced around, grateful no one was watching.
Before he realized what she intended, Nicole slid into the booth opposite him. Her smile was bright enough to make him blink.
“I can’t tell you how good it is to see you again,” she said, sounding genuine.
“You, too,” he muttered, although if he’d passed her in the street, he probably wouldn’t have recognized her.
“I imagine you’re surprised I’m back in Promise.”
“Yeah,” he said. “What brings you to town?” He already knew she’d made the move without having a job lined up.
She reached for a chip, then shrugged. “A number of reasons. The year I lived in Promise was one of the best of my life. I really did grow to love this town. Jennifer and I got transferred here around the same time, but she never felt about Promise the way I did.”
“Jennifer,” he said aloud. Cal couldn’t help wondering what had become of his ex-fiancée. “Are you still in touch with her?”
“Oh, sure. We were best friends for a lot of years.”
“How is she?”
“Good,” Nicole told him, offering no details.
“Did she ever marry?” He was a fool for asking, but he wanted to know.
Nicole dipped the chip in his salsa and laughed lightly. “She’s been married twice.”
“Twice?” Cal could believe it. “Last I heard she was living with a computer salesman in Houston.” He’d heard that from Glen, who’d heard it from Ellie, who’d heard it from Janice at the bank.
“She married him first, but they’ve been divorced longer than they were ever married.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He wasn’t really, but it seemed like something he should say.
“Then she met Mick. It wasn’t his real name, but she called him that because he was from Australia.”
“Why Mick?”
“Mick Dundee.”
“Oh,” he said, and remembered that was a character in a popular movie from the 1980s.
“Jennifer thought Mick was hot stuff,” Nicole continued. “They had a whirlwind courtship, married in Vegas and divorced a year later.”
“I imagine she was upset about that,” Cal said, mainly because he didn’t know how else to comment.
“With Jennifer it’s hard to tell,” Nicole said, leaning forward.
The waitress approached the table and Nicole declined a menu, but asked for a strawberry margarita. “Actually I’m meeting someone later, but I saw you and I thought this was a good opportunity to catch up on old times.”
“Sure.” Not that they’d had any “old times.” Then, because he wasn’t sure she realized he was married, he added, “I could use the company. My wife and kids are in California with her family for the next week or so.”
“Oh…”
He might have been wrong, but Cal thought he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. Surely she’d known he was married. Annie must have said something. But then again, perhaps not.
“My boy is three and my daughter’s eighteen months.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” Cal said, feeling a bit self-conscious about dragging Jane and his kids into the conversation. But it was the right thing to do—and it wouldn’t hurt his ego if the information got back to Jennifer, either.
Nicole helped herself to another chip. “The last time Jennifer and I spoke, she said something that might interest you.” Nicole loaded the chip with salsa and took a discreet nibble. Looking up, she widened her eyes. “Jen said she’s always wondered what would’ve happened if she’d stayed in Promise and you two had gotten married.”
Cal laughed. He knew the answer, even if Nicole and Jennifer didn’t. “I simply would’ve been husband number one. Eventually she would have moved on.” In retrospect, it was easy to see Jennifer’s faults and appreciate anew the fact that they weren’t married.
“I don’t agree,” Nicole said, surprising him. “I think it might have been a different story if she’d stayed with you.”
The waitress brought her drink and Nicole smiled her thanks. She took a sip, sliding her tongue along the salty edge of the glass. “Jennifer might be my best friend,” she went on, “but when it comes to men she’s not very smart. Take you, for example. I couldn’t believe it when she told me she was calling off the wedding. Time has proved me right, too.”
Cal enjoyed hearing it, but wanted to know her reasoning. “Why’s that?”
“Well, it’s obvious, don’t you think? You were the only man strong enough to deal with her personality. I’m very fond of Jennifer, don’t get me wrong, but she likes things her own way and that includes relationships. She was an idiot to break it off with you.”
“Actually it was fortunate for both of us that she did.”
“Fortunate for you, you mean,” Nicole said with a deep sigh. “Like I said, Jennifer was a fool, and if she doesn’t realize it, I do.” After another sip, she leaned toward him, her tone confiding. “I doubt she’d admit it, but ever since she left Promise, Jennifer’s been looking for a man just like you.”
“You think so?” Her remark was a boost to his ego and superficial though that was, Cal couldn’t restrain a smile.
The waitress returned with his order, and Nicole drank more of her margarita, then said, “I’ll