Christmas Babies. Ellen James
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her usual offerings of sweet-potato casserole and mushroom-sage stuffing. Her mother swung open the door and gave her a hug that almost upended the sweet potatoes. If nothing else, Danni could count on an enthusiastic greeting. She knew she was the success story of the family, the one who had fulfilled all her parents’ expectations. They didn’t even mind that she was thirty and still unmarried. Plenty of time for that later, they always told her. Solidify your career before slowing yourself down with a family.
Leah ushered Danni inside. “Thank goodness you’re finally here. When I found out Kristine and Ted couldn’t make it—”
“Kristine isn’t here?”
“Darling, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. Apparently they’ve had some sort of…altercation. Ted flew out to be with his family in Sacramento, and Kristine simply refused to say where she’d be.”
Danni felt a letdown. No matter how angry she got at her sister, she always counted on Kristine to be at family functions. It was the one thing that made these occasions bearable.
Now Danni went with her mother to the kitchen, and set down both casserole dishes.
“Are you all right?” her mother asked with a worried frown. “You don’t seem very chipper.”
At times her mother could be quite observant although her quaint terms often irritated Danni. This time, however, Danni had to admit she did not feel chipper. Ever since those few days ago, when she’d learned that Bryan never wanted to see her again…it had put a damper on her enthusiasm. Regret and sadness would wash over her at the most inconvenient times.
“I’m fine, Mom,” she said with an effort.
“Everything going okay at work?”
Danni had a wild urge to lie—to say that she’d walked out on her advertising job and that she’d decided to become a full-time carpenter. She didn’t say anything, though. She just busied herself at the sink, rinsing the lettuce for the salad. Her mother gave her a sharp look, but then hurried out to the living room to try entertaining her guests.
Two hours later, it was painfully clear that the guests refused to be entertained. Danni glanced around the dining room table. She sat among a few of her mother’s law partners, several more of her father’s management associates, two of the neighbors from down the street. It was not a congenial group. Conversations proceeded in fits and starts, then faded to nonexistence. The turkey was dry, the cranberry sauce tart, the pumpkin pie bland. Danni saw the look of chagrin on her mother’s face, but also knew that she would refuse to give up. Leah was no doubt already calculating a brand-new guest list for Christmas.
Danni picked at her mincemeat pie, only to set down her fork at last. She saw the elderly man on her left give a rather desperate peek at his watch. She knew she should be trying to liven the party; she owed her parents that much. But all she could think about was Bryan. She tried to remind herself that they’d only been casual acquaintances until Kristine had stepped in and distorted everything. But the sense of loss continued to assault her.
Fool, a voice mocked in her head. Maybe it’s true. Maybe you only care about men your sister wants.
She clenched her hands in her lap. She didn’t want to care about Bryan McKay. She scarcely knew him.
“Danni, are you sure you’re all right?” Leah asked. “You’ve hardly touched your food.”
“Yes…I’m fine.”
“She works too hard,” Leah confided to someone across the table. There was a note of pride in her voice. Leah herself had worked hard all her life, the first one in her family to get a college degree. No wonder she took her career so seriously, and expected Danni to do the same. If only Danni’s career could provide all the answers…if only it could make her stop thinking about a man she couldn’t have….
She stood abruptly. “Mom, Dad—I’m sorry, but I have to leave.”
The gentleman to her left stole another glance at his watch. “Sorry, but I have to be on my way, too,” he said. There were other relieved murmurs and rustlings around the table.
Danni knew she was responsible for breaking up the party even earlier than usual. Her mother sent her an accusing glare, and she felt guilty. But she just had to get out of here.
Somehow she had to outrun her thoughts of Bryan McKay.
IT HAD BEEN a bad day for Elizabeth. She’d insisted on trying to make Thanksgiving dinner—only to overexert herself, and ending up huddled on the sofa with her famous cornbread dressing and her pumpkin pies only half-done. Bryan had been grateful for the nursing service he’d hired against all her protests. This afternoon, the nurse on duty had come to the rescue—finishing up the dinner, making Elizabeth as comfortable as possible. But Bryan still blamed himself. He shouldn’t have let his mother do all that work. Never mind that she’d been looking forward to it for days. It was up to him to make certain she didn’t overdo it.
Night had fallen, and he’d finally left his mother asleep in her apartment, the nurse still in charge. Now he climbed out of his car and went up the walk to his own apartment. A shape emerged from the darkness next to his door. Danni. He couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather see. After the way she’d hung up the phone on him the other night, this was an unexpected pleasure. Before she could protest, he put his arms around her.
“You smell good,” he said. His hands moved over her back.
“Bryan, I shouldn’t be here,” she answered. “It’s a mistake. But somehow…somehow I can’t help myself.”
“I’ve missed you,” he said. He unlocked the door and drew her inside. When he turned on the hall lamp, light spilled over her blond hair. Her face had an unhappy look, but he intended to do something about that. He held her close again, kissing her, and he could sense the tension begin to leave her body.
“Bryan…I’ve wanted this….”
“Me, too,” he murmured against her throat. He was impeded by some long, silky scarf she had draped around her neck. She was all dressed up, but he liked her better when she wore jeans. Not to mention her tool belt. He went on holding her…he went on touching her.
She tensed all over again and pulled away.
“Bryan, this isn’t supposed to happen. I just thought if I could see you again…if only for a moment…if I could ask you…”
Clearly she was in turmoil, and Bryan tried to help her. “Ask me anything,” he said.
She took a deep breath. “Bryan, do you find me…desirable?”
“You know I do.”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t. Not really.”
“I’ll show you.” He brought her into his arms again. And he proceeded to show her. It was a very long while before she broke away again. Her face was flushed.
“No,” she whispered. “I can’t do this! It’s not right.”
He didn’t agree. As far as he was concerned, nothing had ever seemed more right.
“I want to make love to you, Danni,” he said. “I think it’s time.”
She took in a deep, quavering breath. “Oh, Bryan…”
It was several kisses later when he began un-buttoning her dress. Too bad they were very small buttons, and there were so many of them. Meanwhile, the scarf thing kept getting in his way.
“We have to stop,” she said, placing her hands over his. “This isn’t right.”
“It’s right,” he said. “Trust me.” He finally got rid of the scarf. It drifted to the floor, allowing him much better access. He kissed the places he’d managed to expose, and was rewarded with a sigh from Danni. She curled her fingers in his hair.
“Bryan, if you knew what it meant to me…to have a man