The Christmas Bouquet (9 page)

* * *

Noah took refuge in Sally’s Café, sipping coffee and staring out at the kids playing across the street on the town green. He knew that sooner or later Cait would find him here once she was ready to talk.

He’d just about decided to go ahead and order lunch and was studying the menu when he looked up and saw her at the window, regarding him with a serious expression. He gave her a tentative smile, then watched with relief as she headed for the door and came inside. She slipped into the booth opposite him.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

She nodded. “Better than before. You can relax. I’ve stopped being furious with you.”

“Good to know. Mind if I ask what calmed you down? I might need to know the secret for next time.”

She smiled at that. “Are you anticipating a lot of fights?”

“We’re both strong-willed,” he said with a shrug. “Disagreements are going to come along.”

“But hopefully I won’t be as irrational as I was earlier,” she said. “I’d like to blame pregnancy hormones for that.”

“So this newfound serenity I sense in you is just another mood swing?” he suggested cautiously.

“No, the truth is that the minute Bree, Shanna and Heather started lumping you in with Grandpa Mick and the rest as part of the big conspiracy, I suddenly knew better. Setting up a practice here really was your idea, wasn’t it?”

Noah nodded. “I’ll confess that I hadn’t considered the idea before we found out about the baby, but once I knew you were pregnant, I started seeing the future a little differently. I knew I’d want our child to grow up surrounded by family. Since yours is a lot more convenient to Baltimore, it seemed to make sense.”

“You do have family of your own,” she reminded him.

“Chicago’s definitely not an option,” he said at once. “It’s too far away from where you’ll be, for one thing. For another, I have zero desire to go back there. It hardly qualifies as a small, intimate community.”

She regarded him curiously. “You never say much about growing up there or about your family.”

“Let’s just say I was anxious to leave it all behind. My parents tried, but it was hardly an idyllic life, not like the one you lived. And the area we lived in was dangerous. It was no place for a child to grow up. I doubt you can imagine what it’s like for a kid in those circumstances. I was scared all the time. I had friends who died. They were just kids and they never had a chance to see their dreams come true. Some of them didn’t even dare to dream.”

“Noah, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s just the way it was. I was one of the lucky ones. My parents might not have had much, but they did keep me focused on my studies. They told me that was the way out, an option neither of them had had.”

“Your mom must be so proud of you,” she said softly.

“She is. You know that my dad died a couple of years ago. He had a heart attack when someone robbed the store where he was working. He might have made it if the ambulance hadn’t taken so long to respond, another fact of life in that neighborhood.” He forced a smile to counteract the grim reality of the life he’d left behind. “I’d love to make a home in a place like this, give my mom a better life. The thought of our child growing up here in a community that’s safe, surrounded by a huge family...” He met her gaze. “It’s even better than I ever imagined.”

Caitlyn reached for his hand and clung tightly to it. “Thank you for telling me this. I wish you had sooner.”

“I don’t like to dwell on the past.”

“I can understand that, but it did shape who you are. I think I understand you so much better now.”

“Then you can see why Chesapeake Shores seems so amazing to me?”

She nodded.

“Even before I came down to meet you for dinner at Mick’s, I was fascinated by all your stories about the town and your family. I started doing a little research online. Then when I drove into town that day, I just knew that this was where we should be raising our family.”

He gestured toward the town green. “Look out there, Cait. How often do we see kids playing in the parks where we are, at least without their parents hovering a couple of feet away.”

“There are parents out there, too,” she said. “Nobody is going to let their kids roam free at that age, not even in Chesapeake Shores.”

“I suppose not,” he said. “It just seems more serene somehow, more the way I always imagined small-town life would be.”

“It is idyllic in many ways,” she agreed. “But it’s not perfect.”

He shrugged, not giving up. “Close enough.”

“And you really see this as someplace you could be happy practicing medicine?”

He heard the skepticism in her voice. “It’s not in the middle of nowhere, but yes,” he said. “The town needs its own doctor, somebody to deal with the everyday sniffles and the flu, somebody to do blood pressure monitoring and preventative medicine. Why should they have to drive to the next town or all the way to Baltimore or Annapolis for basic care?”

“I’m just worried that you’re making this compromise because you think it will satisfy me, get me to go along with setting up a practice with you once I’ve completed my residency. What if I don’t see myself in Chesapeake Shores, surrounded by family? They haven’t driven you crazy yet, but I’ve had a lifetime of their meddling.”

“And their support,” he said quietly. “And their love. Is that really such a bad thing?”

“Not when you put it that way, no,” she replied, then sighed. “And maybe this would be the right place for me and a family...someday.”

“Just not yet,” he concluded. “But the family’s coming now, Cait. Or in a few months. Even if you leave me out of the equation, there will be a baby to consider.”

“I’m not likely to forget that,” she said. “It’s all I think about. And just now Shanna pointed out all the built-in child care I’d have available if we lived here. It’s hard to argue with that.”

Since her family seemed to be making his case for him, Noah nodded and backed off...for now. “Well, we’re not going to decide anything right this minute and I’m starved. You must be, too.”

She looked momentarily startled by the unexpected reprieve, but then seized on it. “A tuna melt,” she said at once. “With fries.” She paused, then added, “And apple pie for dessert.”

He smiled. “Are you sure that’s all?”

She frowned at his amusement. “Ice cream on the pie,” she added with a touch of defiance.

“Done,” he said, and beckoned for the waitress, an older woman who’d been hovering nearby for a while now. He realized they were the only customers left in the place.

“Sally!” Caitlyn said, looking up with delight. “How are you?”

“I’m good. You’re certainly a sight for sore eyes.” She winked at Noah. “She and her sister were two of my best customers when they were teenagers. And where they went, the boys trailed along. I think they were singlehandedly responsible for paying for my last car.”

“Stop it,” Caitlyn protested, then confided, “This is my second visit today. I was in earlier for a raspberry croissant.”

Sally laughed. “I sure hope you’re sticking around. I could use a new wardrobe for summer.”

“Afraid not,” Caitlyn told her. “But Noah’s a good tipper. Maybe that’ll help.”

“Let me go put your order in before the cook takes off on his break. I heard what you want.” She turned to Noah. “How about you?”

“A crab cake sandwich,” he said at once. “With slaw and fries.”

“Got it.” She headed for the kitchen.

“She seems nice,” he said when she’d gone.

“She’s as much of an institution in this town as Ethel, who owns the gift shop down the block.”

“Ah, the one who sells penny candy.”

Cait nodded. “Of course, none of it costs a penny anymore, but we always called it that. Carrie and I were her best customers, too.” A grin spread across her face. “You know, it occurs to me that given all the candy she sells, Chesapeake Shores probably needs a full-time dentist more than a doctor.”

“I can’t help with that,” Noah said. He clasped her hand again. “I love you.”

“Just keep reminding me of that,” she told him.

“Do you think if I do you’ll eventually stop viewing me as the enemy who got us into this fix?”

Dismay washed over her face. “I’ve never thought of you that way, not once.”

“How could you not?”

“Because I always take responsibility for my own actions. We were in that bed together, Noah. We made this baby together. And we’re going to figure out what comes next together, too.”

For the first time in recent days, Noah felt reassured that he might not be fighting a losing battle.

9

C
aitlyn’s cell phone rang just as she and Noah were finishing their late lunch at Sally’s. She looked at the caller ID and sighed.

“My grandfather,” she told Noah, then connected the call. “Hey, Grandpa Mick.”

“I heard from Ma that you were at the house earlier looking for me. You still in town?”

“Noah and I are at Sally’s. Are you at the house now?”

“Just got here. I’m about to take a shower. I’ll be cleaned up by the time you all get here.” He hesitated, then said, “You here because you have news?”

She grinned at the hopeful note in his voice. “Probably not the news you’ve been waiting for, so don’t bother rallying the troops for a celebration. We’ll see you soon.”

“Stubborn kids,” he grumbled, then disconnected the call.

She frowned at Noah. “Anything we say now is going to disappoint him.”

“Not everything,” Noah said. “I’m ninety-nine percent certain I’m going to buy that house, unless you vehemently object.”

“How can I after what you told me?” she said. “And if I’m finishing up my internship and residency in Baltimore, it makes sense for you to be close by. I just wish I weren’t so worried that you’re choosing this because of the baby, and not because it’s the right situation for you.”

Noah chuckled. “You almost sounded enthusiastic for a second there. Then you had to go and ruin it.”

“Do you want me to pretend I don’t see the obvious pitfalls?” She regarded him intently. “Noah, what if one of those opportunities you dreamed about presents itself? Are you going to resent me?”

“Never!” he said so adamantly that she had to believe him.

“Okay, then,” she said, accepting his decision. “I suppose we ought to get to Grandpa Mick’s.”

“Don’t you want to let your grandmother know we’re heading over there? From what you told me about her reaction earlier, she should be there to voice her concerns.”

“I honestly think she was warming to the idea,” Caitlyn said.

“Then she can say that. Don’t leave her out, Cait. Not when this affects their life together.”

She nodded. “You’re right. I guess I was just hoping I could make Grandpa Mick see all the positives before she chimed in.”

Noah smiled. “Exactly why she needs to be there to play devil’s advocate, if she so chooses.”

“That’s why you have such a reputation for being fair-minded,” she grumbled. “In my family, we learned to divide and conquer.”

“In other words, you and Carrie could wind your stepfather around your little fingers and he’d do your dirty work in convincing your mom to let you have your way.”

“Hey, it was very effective,” she said, then sighed. “At least till Trace caught on. Sadly, it didn’t take him that long.”

“How are you going to feel when our child tries the same tactic with us?”

She laughed. “We’ll be on to him or her from the beginning,” she said. “It’s Grandpa Mick we’ll need to worry about. He’s an easy mark for his grandchildren. I imagine he’ll be even worse with his first great-grandchild.”

As confused as she was most of the time these days, the thought of seeing her grandfather with her child brought a surprising smile to her lips. Maybe she was finally starting to see the bright side of this pregnancy, after all.

* * *

Noah figured he could learn a thing or two about compromising to make a marriage work by keeping a close eye on Mick and Megan O’Brien as Cait presented her grandfather with Naomi Davis’s idea for those medical facilities overseas.

Mick’s eyes brightened with interest as Caitlyn described the importance of the contribution he could make with his expertise and commitment of company resources. When she’d finished, he turned to his wife.

“Okay, Meggie, tell the truth,” he said, regarding her solemnly. “How do you feel about this?”

“It’s a worthwhile cause,” she told him with surprisingly little hesitation. It seemed she’d had time to warm to the idea. “And it would be wrong for you to turn your back on it,” she added, startling all of them.

Mick looked the most surprised. He seemed reluctant, though, to take her words at face value. “You really mean that? When we remarried, we agreed that my travel would be limited. It’s been working out okay.”

Megan smiled. “You’ve been tolerating it,” she corrected. “And I appreciate that, but Caitlyn and I have talked about this. I’m thinking I could go along, at least some of the time.”

Mick finally allowed his own delight to show. “You’d be willing to do that?” he asked eagerly.

“Somebody will need to keep you from overdoing it,” Megan said. “And maybe I could make an important contribution myself. This is something that would mean a lot to both you and our granddaughter. How could I not want to be a part of it? You’re the one who advised me to hire someone who could run the gallery so we could travel. I might as well start trusting her to do that.”

“And after you oversaw the construction of one or two facilities, I thought maybe you could send Matthew, Jaime or one of the others from your company to oversee the rest,” Caitlyn suggested.

Mick chuckled. “So, now you’re running my company for me, too?”

“Not running it,” she said at once. “Just pointing out that a win-win is possible all around. Dedicating some of your company’s resources might pave the way for other companies to follow suit. You’d be setting an example. Eventually, if things go well, the whole project would need someone to oversee and expand it. That could be done from right here.”

Mick turned to Noah. “Now it’s not just my company, but the entire world. Watch out for this one. She knows how to get her way.”

“So I’m discovering,” Noah said.

“I wonder where she learned that,” Megan commented wryly.

“Nothing wrong with going after things you believe in,” Mick responded with a pointed look in Noah’s direction. “Okay, enough about this. I’ll give it some more thought, Caitlyn, but I think you could safely tell Dr. Davis that I’m interested in talking some more to her. I’ll want her to fill me in on the sort of facilities she’s envisioning, what sort of work force I might find there, whether building supplies are available, that sort of thing.”

Caitlyn rushed across the room to envelop him in a hug. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” he said, holding her in place and giving her a direct look. “Now tell me what you and Noah have decided.”

Cait glanced in Noah’s direction.

“I’m going to make an offer on that house,” Noah told him.

“And establish your medical practice here?” Mick said, his satisfaction evident.

Noah nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking.”

Megan gave Cait a worried look. “Are you okay with that? You didn’t seem so enthused earlier.”

“Of course she is,” Mick said. “No reason not to be.”

“Mick!” Megan kept her gaze on Cait. “Sweetheart, how do you feel about it?”

“I’m convinced it’s what Noah wants, so I’m fine with it,” she said. “I just felt completely blindsided when I saw Noah looking at a house. I needed to be sure he wasn’t doing it to pacify Grandpa Mick or to back me into a corner. He swears it’s the right situation for him.”

To Noah’s relief, she said it without any hint of reservation.

“All right!” Mick said with enthusiasm. “Now we can start planning that wedding.”

“Hold on,” Cait said. “Nobody said anything about a wedding. This decision is about what’s best for Noah and maybe even for the baby. That’s the only thing anybody’s committing to right now.”

A frown settled on Mick’s face. Noah had the sense he was about to launch into a tirade that would only defeat his purpose, so he quickly stepped in. “That’s enough for now, Mick.”

“Exactly,” Megan chimed in. “Leave them be, Mick. They have to reach their own conclusions.”

“They’re having a baby,” Mick protested. “This is no time to be dillydallying.”

“And it’s no time to be piling on the pressure,” Megan told him firmly. “Haven’t you always said that Caitlyn is incredibly smart? Now trust her to make a wise decision when it comes to what’s best for her life.”

“Please,” Caitlyn implored, adding her voice to her grandmother’s.

Noah almost felt sorry for the older man, who obviously just wanted things to go well for his beloved granddaughter. “It will work out,” he assured Mick. “I promise you that.”

“Just not on your timetable or in the way you might envision,” Cait told him. “Be patient with us, okay?”

“Looks as if I don’t have much of a choice,” Mick grumbled, then added with frustration, “I can’t say I understand why Abby and Trace aren’t all over this.”

Megan laughed. “Because they’re both smart enough to see that pushing usually backfires with O’Briens.”

Noah was glad he’d figured that out all on his own.

* * *

Caitlyn went back to work at the hospital after the quick trip to Chesapeake Shores, satisfied with the outcome of her visit with her grandfather. She’d also reached a new understanding of Noah’s priorities, one that had left her at peace with his decision. Now if only she could be as certain about what needed to come next for her.

She was on a break when she noticed that she’d missed a call from her sister during rounds. She quickly hit speed dial to return the call.

“You’re having a baby!” Carrie squealed when she answered. “How on earth did that happen?”

“The usual way,” Caitlyn replied.

“Oh, I know that, but for heaven’s sake, Caitlyn, you’ve never expressed even the slightest interest in dating, much less hopping into some man’s bed. This man must be something extraordinary.”

Caitlyn laughed. “He is pretty special. I can’t wait for you to meet him. When will that be? And where are you now?”

“At the airport on my way home,” Carrie said, her tone sobering. “I quit my job.”

“But you loved that job,” Caitlyn said, not even trying to hide her shock. “Or was it Marc Reynolds that you loved?”

“You don’t have to sound so smug,” Carrie said, bristling. “You told me I was trailing all over the world after him for all the wrong reasons. I thought eventually, if I worked my backside off, he’d notice me.”

“If noticing you is a euphemism for sleeping with you, I thought he had noticed you,” Caitlyn said.

“Sure. Turns out I was handy and a whole lot easier than dealing with some demanding, temperamental model like Patrina.”

“That’s who he’s hooked up with?” Caitlyn said. The supermodel had been on the cover of at least three magazines in the past few months, to say nothing of quite a few tabloid editions. Her romantic exploits were almost as notorious as her ability to sell the dozens of fashion and cosmetic brands with which she was associated.

“Seems Marc is like most men. He only wants what’s unattainable. I finally realized I was just convenient and doubly handy because I worked harder than anyone else on his staff.”

“Oh, sweetie, I am so sorry.”

“Hey, lesson learned,” Carrie said. “At least I got some invaluable experience in the fashion world. I’ve already put out a few feelers. I’ll have another job in no time.”

“Maybe you should spend a little time in Chesapeake Shores and get your feet back under you and your priorities straight before you dive right back in,” Caitlyn suggested, then added, “It would be nice to have my twin close by for a while, especially now.”

“If that’s true, why didn’t you call me yourself to fill me in? Why did I have to hear your news from Mom?”

“Because you were working,” Caitlyn said candidly. “And you were a hundred percent absorbed in that. Last time we spoke, I barely got a word in edgewise.”

“You could have told me to shut up and listen,” Carrie argued.

Caitlyn laughed. “Last time I tried that, you got offended and hung up on me.”

“Okay, I can be a little self-absorbed,” Carrie conceded. “But I do love you and I want to hear all about Noah and this baby you’re expecting the minute I get home. Maybe I can stay at your place for a couple of days before I brave Chesapeake Shores. Would that be okay or will I be in the way?”

“You could never be in the way,” Caitlyn told her. “And if you’re asking because of Noah, we both work so much we rarely even cross paths. He still has his own place, in fact.”

“Well, you must have found time to do something,” Carrie joked. “I have to admit, it makes me very happy that I’m not the twin in the family headlines for the moment. Quitting a job nobody in the family respected can’t possibly compete with having a baby. And, just so you know, as soon as you know the sex of the baby, I’m going to call in a lot of favors in the fashion world to ensure your baby is the best-dressed kid ever.”

“Just what I need, a tiny fashionista,” Caitlyn protested.

“Maybe you’ll learn something,” Carrie teased. “Your wardrobe is seriously lacking in style.” She fell silent for a full half second, then said excitedly, “We can go shopping for maternity clothes when I get there. That will be so much fun.”

“That will be torture,” Caitlyn told her. “Besides, white coats are very in at the hospital. And just so you know, it was never your job we didn’t like. It was the way we all thought Marc was taking advantage of you. Count your blessings that Grandpa Mick didn’t fully grasp what was going on or he’d have been in Paris dragging you home himself.”

“Mom says he’s taking your news surprisingly well,” Carrie said.

“That’s because he likes Noah and is convinced I’ll fall into line and marry the man.”

“You don’t want to get married?” Carrie asked, sounding stunned. “You’re the ultimate traditional woman, at least compared to me.”

“I don’t want to be
pushed
into getting married,” Caitlyn corrected. “Not if it’s for all the wrong reasons.”

“But you love this man, right?”

“I do.”

“And he loves you?”

“Yes.”

“Then I really don’t get it,” Carrie said. “You should be jumping at the chance to marry him. I certainly would be.”

“Let me ask you this,” Caitlyn said quietly. “If your dream job in Paris was waiting for you, would you be jumping to get married if it would keep you from accepting it?”

“So this is about going back to Africa,” Carrie concluded. “Oh, sweetie, I know that’s been your goal, but I’m here to tell you that even the best job in the world can’t compete with being in a relationship with the right man. Trust me on that. I may have been delusional where Marc was concerned, but I believe I was meant to be married with a bunch of kids underfoot.”