A Christmas Homecoming (5 page)

She turned at the sound of Judy’s voice. Rick’s wife didn’t usually come to the job sites. “This is a surprise.”

“I’ll bet.” Judy raised her chin and narrowed her eyes. “I was about to say the same to you. What are you doing here?”

“Rick needed me for something.” Unease gripped her. What was up with Judy? She looked ready to attack. “I need to order pies for Thanksgiving. I’ll see you Thursday.”

“Right. You sure that’s the only reason you’re here?” Judy asked.

“I think so. There was some vandalism, and Rick had a design question. Oh, and to get a list of the kind of pies your family likes.”

Judy smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Aren’t you the sweetest? You’d better get a move on if you’re going to get the order placed. I came to visit my husband.”

“Okay then. See you.” Bailey went outside. A knot formed in her stomach. Judy seemed to be suggesting she was up to no good, but that didn’t make sense. They’d always gotten along fine.

Bailey looked around for the silver car and breathed a little easier when she couldn’t find it. She was being paranoid and probably imagined the tension with Judy. Sunshine made her squint, and she wished she’d remembered her sunglasses. At least the sun had decided to come out. She’d missed it the past few days. A car parked across the street grabbed her attention. She shielded her eyes and a tingle shot through her. What was Stephen doing here?

He stepped out and waved. “Glad I caught you.” He strode over to her.

“What’s up? I ran into Judy a moment ago, too.”

He frowned. “Really? I didn’t think she liked to come around the job sites. She’s always said they’re too dusty and dirty.”

So that’s why she’d never seen the woman visiting her husband before. What had changed? Why had she come today? “Hmm. I hope everything is okay.”

He frowned. “You think something’s wrong?”

“I didn’t say that. But it is strange that she’d be here.”

“I agree. I’ll ask my brother about it later.”

“Why not ask Judy?”

“We’ve never been close, and somehow I don’t think she’d appreciate me questioning her.”

His explanation made sense. Judy wasn’t the friendliest woman. “What brings you here?”

“I wanted to see what Rick’s working on. Plus . . .” He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket “My Mom asked me to make sure you got this.” He held it out to her.

“What is it?” She took the paper he handed her.

“A recipe for cranberry relish.” He looked at her with uncertainty on his face. “I know my mom can be demanding, but I hope you don’t mind using her recipe.”

“Not at all. Thanks for bringing it by. It’s helpful. I should be going. I have several stops to make before I head back to Sunriver.” She hesitated. “Who’s with Mona?”

“No one. Why?”

“You left her alone?” Her voice hitched. “She can’t be alone, Stephen. What if she has a problem, or the house catches fire, or any other number of things? She’s weak from getting very little exercise.”

“She can walk, can’t she?”

Bailey nodded. “Technically, yes, but not well and not far. I thought you understood your mother’s situation.”

“Apparently not well enough. I’d hoped to visit with my brother and take care of a few things while I was out, but I’ll go back there right now. Run your errands.” Sincerity filled his eyes. “I’m sorry about this. It won’t happen again.”

She nodded, more than a little surprised he was willing to alter his plans. Then again, Mona was his mother, and she thought the world of him. He must pamper her, because Mona only adored people who catered to her.

Bailey left the house more curious than ever about the youngest Belafonte brother. There was so much she didn’t know about Stephen, but one thing she did know—sadness seemed to surround him. She wanted to help, but there was only so much she could do. Mona was her top priority, at least until they found a companion. She probably shouldn’t worry about either of them, since she had a strong feeling Mona was trying to find her replacement and using Stephen to help her, but she couldn’t help herself.

She frowned as she pulled into the grocery store parking lot. In spite of whatever was going on behind the scenes, she refused to disappoint the Belafonte children. Rick’s kids were sweet, and for them, she’d stick it out and do her best to prepare a fantastic Thanksgiving meal.

Chapter Four

Early Thanksgiving morning, Bailey stood at the mirror in her bedroom and pulled her hair into a ponytail. The house was still quiet and peaceful, exactly the way she liked it. Hopefully Mona would sleep a couple more hours. It would be nice to hide out in the kitchen for a while uninterrupted. Once she had the turkey in the oven, she’d feel a lot better.

She needed a cup of coffee and a muffin to settle her nervous stomach. Her mother would reprimand her for drinking coffee instead of tea when her stomach was a bundle of nerves, but Mom didn’t understand that the scent of coffee was calming for her.

She’d be sure to give her parents a call while she ate breakfast. Giving herself a once over in the mirror, she frowned. Her dark wash jeans and new purple, cashmere blend sweater were a gift from her mom. She wanted to look nice today but didn’t want to ruin her new clothes while cooking, either. Oh well, she’d throw an apron over it and call it good.

She slipped into her most comfortable black boots, then headed downstairs. Soft Christmas music greeted her as she entered the kitchen. Stephen stood bent over, sliding something into the oven. “Good morning.”

He straightened. “Hi. I learned to cook in France. I hope you don’t mind that I prepared the turkey.” He wiped his hands on the black apron wrapped around his waist and shot a grin her direction.

She caught her breath.
He cooks
? Why did he have to look so good, even wearing an apron? “Not at all.” She spotted the box of muffins she’d picked up at the bakery on the countertop beside the fridge, exactly where she’d left it the evening before. “Would you like to join me for coffee and muffins? These muffins are so perfectly sweet, you’d think you were eating dessert.”

His brow furrowed. “Isn’t it a little early for that?”

“Nope.” She pulled it from the counter and raised the lid on the box. “Jenna makes the best melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon streusel muffins I’ve ever had. I bought three. One for each of us, and I make a great pot of coffee. I get my beans from Brewed Awakenings in Sunriver, in case you want to get some for your place.” She’d set the timer on the coffee machine the night before, and it suddenly clicked into brew mode. Good, she was more than ready for a caffeine fix.

Although she’d looked forward to a quiet time visiting with her parents on the phone, spending a little time with Stephen was a good idea too. She sensed he could be a good ally where Mona was concerned.

“Sure, why not. If you can’t have dessert for breakfast on Thanksgiving, then when can you?”

“Right.” She placed two white mugs on the counter and filled them with the rich brew, then grabbed the box and sat at the island. “How are you feeling? Any lingering effects from your accident?”

“I’m mostly doing better. The soreness is about gone, and as you can see, my eye is almost healed.”

She noted the bruise had pretty much faded. “So what are your plans for the day?”

“Mom’s nurse will be here in about an hour to help her get cleaned up and ready for the festivities today. Once she leaves, I guess I’m on Mom duty since I haven’t found a suitable companion for her yet.”

“You’ve only been looking for a couple of weeks. The right person will turn up.” Bailey added creamer to her coffee and drew in a deep breath, savoring the rich scent. “Mmm.” She grinned and imagined what it would be like to begin every day like this. Especially considering all she had to do today. “Mona seems happier now that you’re here. I’m sure it will help her improve.” Although as feisty as ever, her boss had softened since Stephen’s arrival, and anything that put Mona in a good mood, Bailey supported.

“Really? I think she’s been somewhat cantankerous.”

Bailey chuckled. “That’s her normal demeanor. But I’ve heard that happy people get better faster.”

He wrapped his hands around his coffee mug and stared at the brew. “She wasn’t always like that. Sure, she was a bit on the stuffy side, but she was fun too—sarcastic and hilarious. Rebecca and my mom were quite the pair.” He shook his head, and the merriment left his eyes.

“I’m sorry about your wife.”

He nodded and finished his muffin and coffee in silence. “I’ll check the turkey from time to time, but otherwise I’ll stay out of the way.” He stood and rinsed his dishes before loading them in the dishwasher. “Thanks for breakfast.” He winked and strode from the room.

“Hmm.” Bailey rested her elbows on the countertop and tapped her chin. Stephen was a difficult man to figure out. Was he still mourning his wife or had something else changed his demeanor? Too bad she couldn’t read minds! She glanced at the wall clock and pulled her phone out. She still had time to call home. She tapped her parents’ number on speed dial, and her mom answered after only two rings. “Happy Thanksgiving!”

“Bailey, it’s so good to hear your voice,” Mom said. “How are you?”

“A little nervous about preparing today’s menu, but the hardest part has already been taken care of. Stephen, Mona’s son who’s been away in France, already had the turkey in the oven when I got to the kitchen this morning.”

“Now that sounds like a handy man to have around. Your dad would never dream of helping in the kitchen, as you know.”

“Speaking of Dad, what’s he up to?”

“Chopping wood out back. I can get him for you.”

“No. We can talk later. I don’t want to interrupt.”

“Okay. We’ll miss you today.”

“Thanks. What are you and Dad going to do?”

“Since our
only
child isn’t here, we thought we’d go out. There’s no sense making a big meal for the two of us.”

“Really?” Mom had always invited friends from church or extended family over. She never dreamed her not being there would create such a change. “I’m sorry to have messed up tradition.”

“Don’t worry. You did me a favor. I’ve always wanted to let someone else do the cooking.”

Bailey heard the truth in her voice, and her guilt eased. “Okay. Enjoy yourselves.”

“We will. Have a lovely day, dear.” Mom’s voice caught.

They both finally said a teary goodbye.

With a sigh, Bailey stood and donned an apron. It shouldn’t take too long to throw together finger food and side dishes. An hour later she had fruit and veggie platters sitting in the refrigerator, then began work on the cranberry relish Mona requested.

Stephen popped into the kitchen. “The nurse is with Mother now and will be for at least an hour. I thought it’d be a good time to set the table, before I head back to my place.”

Bailey smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. “I totally forgot about the table.” How could she have done that? Design was her profession.

“No worries. You’ve been otherwise occupied. Don’t think your hard work is going unnoticed.”

She stilled. “Thanks, Stephen. That’s nice of you.”

He chuckled. “I’m a nice guy when I’m not jetlagged and injured.”

“Duly noted. I’ll have time as soon as I finish this relish. I can at least help carry the dishes to the dining room.”

He waved her off. “I’ve got this. Put your feet up when you’re finished.”

She added the final touches to the relish and grabbed a fork to taste test it. She forked a small amount into her mouth—not bad. Hopefully it would meet Mona’s expectations. Stephen sang along to the Christmas music. He had a nice voice. Between his skills in the kitchen, his melodious voice and kind heart, it was a wonder that he hadn’t been snatched up while in France. Having Stephen here was proving to be a much better thing than she’d expected.

Stephen stood with one hand on the mantle in his cabin and the other holding a picture of Rebecca. “Things here are so weird without you, Rebecca.” One minute he felt as if everything was as it once had been, then the next he felt like the bachelor that he was years ago. Like when he’d winked at Bailey. He’d done it without thinking, but the look of surprise on her face was branded into his mind.