“Glad to hear it.”
“It’s exactly the kind of move I’d been hoping to make eventually.”
“Well, sooner’s better than later, don’t you think? This strikes me as a nice little town, but all the real action is in a city.”
That was precisely what Tom had always thought. Of course, just because Dwight Mitchell was here to test the waters didn’t mean he’d get the job. Still, he owed it to himself—and to Jeanette and their future—to explore the possibility of moving into a position that could really take him one more rung up the ladder to the kind of job he eventually wanted as manager of a major city. He winced as he realized he was trying to mentally justify moving forward on something that was bound to upset her.
“Tell me something, though,” he said, suddenly struck by a thought. “Does my father have anything to do with this?”
“Not a thing,” Dwight assured him. “I doubt he even knows I’m on the search committee. We’ve been pretty low-key up till now. John Davis isn’t leaving the job until February, so we have a little time to get all the right candidates lined up. You’d be at the top of my list.”
“I appreciate that,” Tom said. “And, yes, I’d definitely like to be considered.”
“Then we’ll schedule an interview. What about day after tomorrow? Can you get over to Charleston? I realize that this time of year schedules are crazy, but I don’t want to wait until after the holidays.”
Tom glanced at his calendar and saw that was the day that Jeanette’s parents would be arriving, and only two days before Christmas. She’d asked him to join them for dinner, but he could probably make it back in time for that.
“What time?” he asked.
“Let’s say two o’clock,” Dwight said. “You’ll be the first person we’ve talked with, so if you make the kind of impression I’m expecting you to, we can wrap this up right then and there. That would give you time to give people here plenty of notice that you’re leaving.”
Two o’clock would be cutting it close, but Tom figured the interview wouldn’t last more than an hour, two at the outside. That would still give him enough time to make it back for dinner. If things went well, he could sit down with Jeanette afterward and fill her in. They could make the final decision together. No need to worry her before that.
“I’ll be there,” he told Dwight. “And thanks again for thinking of me.”
As soon as he’d walked Dwight to his car, he considered calling Jeanette and discussing the potential job right then, but something held him back. Perhaps it was the hundred percent certainty that she wasn’t going to be nearly as happy about this as he was. She was all caught up in her plans for her open house. Why bring her down when there was a chance this would come to nothing?
Poor excuse, and he knew it. But the truth was he needed time, time to come up with an overwhelmingly sound argument to convince her that his getting this job was all good for both of them.
He sighed. He was lying to himself. She was going to be mad as hell, and also hurt that he hadn’t discussed it with her immediately.
Oh, come on, the cowardly side of him countered. He wasn’t talking about postponing the conversation indefinitely. It was a couple of days. He’d have all the facts then. And maybe by then his powers of persuasion would kick into high gear and he’d find all the words he needed to win her over.
Jeanette was a nervous wreck as she watched out the window for the arrival of her parents. That they’d agreed to come was as much of a Christmas miracle as she’d dared to hope for. That she couldn’t share this moment with Tom was a disappointment, but it only cast a slight pall over her anticipation. He would be here later for dinner, for the open house tomorrow night and for Christmas dinner at Sullivan’s.
She glanced around her house one more time to reassure herself that there wasn’t a speck of dust on anything, that every light on the tree was sparkling brightly, that the stray cat she’d taken in a few days ago hadn’t knocked any more ornaments to the floor. The orange tabby—she’d named him Marmalade—glanced up at her as if to reproach her for even thinking he’d do something so uncivilized. In fact, his meow radiated indignation.
“Okay, okay, you’re on your best behavior,” Jeanette said. “I’m just nervous.”
This time the meow was more sympathetic. Limping on his injured paw, the cat rubbed up against Jeanette, then gave her hand a scratchy lick. After that, Marmalade settled down on the bright green Christmas pillow on the sofa as if it had been meant for him. His contented purr made Jeanette smile. For years she’d wanted a pet, but her lifestyle hadn’t permitted it. Marmalade’s arrival a few days before Christmas seemed like yet another sign that her life was coming together exactly as she’d always wanted it to. Still anxious, she went into the kitchen to check on the coffee she was brewing for her dad and the kettle she’d filled with water to make tea for herself and her mom. She filled a plate with Christmas cookies she’d baked using her mother’s favorite recipe. Though she’d done most of her baking a few days ago, she’d made one last batch this morning just to fill the house with the scent of warm cookies.
Back in the living room, she peered out the window just in time to see her parents turn into the driveway. Opening the door, she ran out to greet them.
“Mom, Dad, I’m so glad you came,” she said, hugging them both. “Let’s get your things inside so you can rest a bit.”
Her father shook his head. “We haven’t been traveling for days, you know. It’s only a two-hour drive, at least the way your mother insisted we go. Could have made it in ninety minutes if we’d taken the interstate.” Even as he spoke, though, he gave her mom’s hand an affectionate squeeze.
“I’m surprised you let Mom get behind the wheel,”
Jeanette said.
“My leg’s still bothering me some,” he admitted. “I’m starting to like being chauffeured around.”
“Well, don’t get too used to it, old man,” her mother teased. “The service ends as soon as you get back on your feet a hundred percent.”
“Seems like a good incentive to take my time,” he said, chuckling.
Jeanette listened to the exchange with amazement. It sounded exactly like the kind of cheerful banter that had gone on in their house years ago. It was wonderful to see. Inside, they made a fuss over the house, even the navy blue guest room.
“Now, this is the kind of room a man can feel comfortable in,” her father said. “Doesn’t have all that frilly stuff your mama likes.”
“Tom picked the color,” Jeanette admitted. “I had my doubts, but it does look good.”
Her father eyed her curiously. “Just how serious is this thing between you two? If you’re letting him decide on paint colors in your house, it sounds as if he’s fairly important. Do I need to ask his intentions?”
“Heavens, no!” Jeanette said. “But things are good between us right now. He’ll be here later for dinner. I’m glad you’re going to get to spend some time with him.”
She showed them where they could find extra towels, then left them to unpack. “Come on into the kitchen whenever you’re ready. I have tea, coffee and cookies.”
“Your mama’s sugar cookies, smells like,” her dad said.
“That’s right.”
Her mother gave him a resigned look. “I imagine that means I’ll be unpacking on my own. Your daddy never could resist my sugar cookies, especially when they’re fresh out of the oven.”
He chuckled again. “I’ll be with Jeanette in the kitchen if you need me.”
As soon as they were alone and Jeanette had poured his coffee, she met his gaze. “Dad, I can’t tell you how glad I am that you came.”
“We should have done this a long time ago,” he said, regarding her with real regret. “We’ve let too much time pass without taking an interest in your life.”
She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
He took a bite of a cookie, then smiled. “You might have gotten your brains from me, but you got your mama’s knack for baking.”
Jeanette laughed. “Don’t let her hear you say that. She’s every bit as smart as you.”
“So she is,” he agreed, sobering. “And I thank my lucky stars every day that she’s stuck by me all these years. It can’t have been easy for her, or for you.”
“We both love you,” Jeanette told him simply. And in the end, that was all that mattered.
* * *
At six o’clock, when Jeanette took the roast out of the oven, there was still no sign of Tom. Nor had he called. She was torn between worry and exasperation. Trying not to let on just how upset she was, she put the rest of the meal on the table and plastered a bright smile on her face.
“I think we should go ahead and eat,” she told her parents. “Tom’s obviously been held up.”
“We can wait a while longer if you want to,” her mother said, studying her worriedly.
“No,” Jeanette said more sharply than she’d intended.
“The food will be ruined if we wait.”
Her mother gave her a sympathetic look. “Sweetie, nothing’s going to be ruined. The roast will be okay for a little while in the oven, if you set it on warm. Everything else can be heated up in the microwave.”
“No,” Jeanette said stubbornly. “He knew what time we were eating. He should be here.”
“You could call him,” her mother suggested. “He has a cell phone, doesn’t he?”
Jeanette debated with herself about calling, then decided it was ridiculous not to. She started with his office, even though it was past closing time. Even so, Teresa answered.
“Teresa, it’s Jeanette. I’m looking for Tom. Is he still there?”
“He hasn’t been here all afternoon,” Teresa told her. “He had some kind of meeting over in Charleston.”
“Charleston?” Jeanette echoed, letting her shock show.
“He didn’t tell you?”
“No, he didn’t mention a thing,” she said, a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. “Thanks, though. I’ll try him on his cell phone.”
“I’ll leave a message on his desk that you called in case he stops in here,” Teresa promised.
“Thanks.”
She hung up, then dialed Tom’s cell number. When he picked up, there was so much noise on the other end she could hardly hear him.
“Tom, it’s me. Where are you?”
He muttered an expletive, then asked, “What time is it?”
“After six,” she said tightly. “Where are you?”
“I had a meeting in Charleston. It ran longer than I expected and then we went out for a quick drink. Time got away from me.”
“So I gather,” she said. “And if you’ve been drinking, then you shouldn’t be driving, so perhaps you ought to consider staying at your folks’ place tonight.”
“But your parents—”
“Forget it,” she said. “You’ll see them tomorrow, that is if you can tear yourself away from whatever’s going on in Charleston.”
“But I want to tell you about all this,” he said. “Just wait until you hear what’s happened.”
She fell silent and did exactly that—waited.
“Jeanette, you still there?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been offered a job. It’s exactly what I was hoping for. I just wasn’t expecting it to happen this fast. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.”
“You’ve been offered a job,” she echoed dully. “In Charleston?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ve accepted? Without even discussing it with me?”
“Not formally. I was going to talk to you about it tonight, then give them my answer. It’s the opportunity I’ve always wanted.”
Jeanette could read between the lines. He was going to say yes.
“Congratulations,” she said, barely managing to choke out the word. Everything she’d feared was coming true. He’d chosen something else over her. “By the way, don’t bother rushing back tomorrow. There’s no need for you to waste your time being here for my open house.”
“Hey, hold on a minute. Are you uninviting me?” he asked incredulously.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing. I don’t want you here.”
“It’s because of the job, isn’t it? Dammit, I knew I shouldn’t have blurted the news out like this.”
“How intuitive,” she said sarcastically. “I can see why they’re desperate to hire you.”
The background noise faded as he apparently moved to someplace quieter. “Come on, Jeanette. At least listen to what I have to say. This is going to be a great thing for both of us.”
“No, thanks,” she said. “If you’d mentioned any of this before you went to Charleston, we might have had something to discuss. Since you didn’t, I can only assume that my opinion doesn’t count. You’ve known all along how I felt about taking a backseat in anyone’s life. I thought you got it.”
“I did. I do. Come on, you know I value your opinion. I wanted all the details before we talked about this.”
“It will hardly be much of a discussion if you’ve already made your decision, will it? Trust me, Tom, I do wish you well, but I’m done.”
She hung up before he could reply. Then, despite the ringing of the phone, she put dinner back on the table and managed to choke it down without once bursting into tears in front of her parents. To their credit, neither of them mentioned Tom’s absence, and when the meal ended, her mother shooed her away.
“Let me clean up in here for you,” she told Jeanette.
“Maybe then you’ll finally answer that phone that’s been ringing off and on all evening.”
“Not a chance,” Jeanette said, then gave her a hug.
“Thanks for not asking a lot of questions, though.”
“It’s not me you need to worry about. If your daddy crosses paths with Tom anytime soon, you can bet there will be questions.”
Jeanette’s lips twitched slightly. “Tell Daddy he can slug him if he wants to.”
Her mother feigned dismay. “Please, I am not going to give him any ideas. He’d like nothing better than to slug a man who’s hurt you.”
“I’m not hurt,” Jeanette said. “I’m furious.”
Her mother patted her hand. “Sometimes it’s real hard to tell the difference.”
Tom walked into Sullivan’s on Christmas Day, not sure what to expect. Dana Sue had called to repeat the invitation, she’d even included his parents, but there was no question that Jeanette would be here. There was also no question that she still wasn’t speaking to him. The one time she’d actually picked up the phone in the past two days, she’d hung up as soon as she heard his voice. He knew he’d made a mess of things by not telling her in advance about the job interview. Warning bells had gone off in his head, but he’d ignored them. He wondered if they’d be able to make peace or if she really was through with him. He had a ring in his pocket that he hoped would persuade her to give him another chance. If that didn’t work, he was counting on the arrival of the big guns—his parents—to do the trick. He’d finally gotten through to them that Jeanette meant everything to him. He hoped their promise to come and share in today’s celebration would be enough to convince Jeanette that he was serious about their future and that his parents wouldn’t be a roadblock to their happiness.
Of course, the real issue was the job in Charleston, and he had a feeling there was nothing he could say about that that would appease her. Turning it down might do the trick, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to do that. He was holding off on that to use it as a last resort, a way to prove that she mattered more to him than any job, even an ideal one.
“What are you doing here?”
The icy question was spoken behind him. Apparently she hadn’t mellowed.
“Dana Sue insisted I come,” he said, drinking in the sight of her. Though she still looked angry, the dark circles under her eyes suggested she’d been sleeping no better than he had.
“Yet another person making decisions that affect me without discussing them,” she said bitterly. “I would have told her I didn’t want you here.”
“Apparently Dana Sue has a more generous spirit.”
“Look, you can stay or go, that’s up to you, but don’t stay on my account and don’t stay if you’re going to ruin it for everyone.”
“That’s definitely not my intention,” he said. “In fact, I was hoping to grab a minute alone with you.”
“Why?” she asked, her tone still unyielding.
“I have a gift for you,” he said.
For just an instant, she looked nonplussed. “I didn’t get you anything. Well, I did, but I returned it yesterday.”
“Actually you’ve already given me a gift,” he told her.
“You brought something into my life I never expected. Look, I know I’ve really botched this up, but I swear to you that I had every intention of discussing the whole job thing with you as soon as I got home that night. I thought I could make you see that it was a great offer.”
“Yeah, I got that part. You might not have accepted, but it was plain you intended to.”
“I wanted to,” he corrected. “There’s a difference. Please tell me you know I think that you’re more important to me than any job,” he said.
She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m not getting that. Words are easy. Your actions speak volumes.”
“What about this action?” he asked, reaching in his pocket for a foil-wrapped package with bright red ribbon.
“Will this convince you?”
She backed up a step, even as her eyes stayed glued to the package. “Tom?”
“Yes, Jeanette,” he said solemnly.
“What does that mean?”
He chuckled. “I think if you open it, the meaning will be clear.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Do you still want the job in Charleston?”
“I do, but it’s negotiable.”
She blinked at that. “Really?”
“You’re more important to me than any job. Look, I know I screwed up. I should have told you before I went to the interview, discussed what it might mean with you, but it all happened so fast. I’m sorry.”
“So, instead I got blindsided,” she said.
“Again, sorry.”
“If we’re going to be together, we have to talk things through, make big decisions together.”
“I know that. And if you will hear me out about the job and you still disapprove and think we can’t make it work, I’ll tell them I’m not taking it.”
“But you want it,” she said, sounding resigned. “That’s the truth, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Then how can I be the one to ruin it for you?”
“Because you matter more.” He tucked his finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. “I mean that, Jeanette. You matter more!”
She seemed startled by his vehemence. “Okay, so say we can work through that, what about your parents? We’ve made some progress…”
“They’ll be here shortly to make a little more progress.”
Her eyes widened. “Your parents are coming here?”
He glanced at his watch. “In about fifteen minutes.”
“Does Dana Sue know you invited them?”
“Her idea,” he admitted. “I wasn’t clever enough or brave enough to think of it.”
“I see.”
“Do you really? We can make this work, Jeanette. I believe that with everything in me.”
She still looked doubtful. “I won’t leave Serenity,” she said.
“Did I ask you to?”
“This job you want is in Charleston. A move is implied.”
“But not absolutely necessary. I can commute. Or we can arrange our hours so we can split our time between both places. We already have the guesthouse at my parents’ place in Charleston and we can keep your house here.”
“You really have given this a lot of thought, haven’t you?”
He nodded. “Looking at things from every angle is one of my skills as a manager.”
“It may turn out to be a bit annoying in a prospective husband,” she noted.
“I’ll change,” he offered. “I’ll be obnoxiously singleminded, if that’s what you want.”
“Hardly.”
“Then tell me what you do want.”
“I want it all,” she admitted. “You, Serenity, my house and you doing what makes you happy.”
“You make me happy.”
“But you need to do work that’s satisfying, too,” she conceded, then sighed. “I suppose we can talk about commuting.”
“Thank you. Anything else we need to negotiate before you accept my proposal?”
She considered the question, her expression thoughtful.
“You won’t grumble about Christmas ever again?”
“Never,” he said, then amended, “Well, other than having to deal with Howard if you volunteer me to help with the festival.”
“Acceptable,” she said.
“Ready to open your present yet?” he inquired hopefully. She gave him an impish look. “Not just yet. My dad’s around here somewhere. I think you two should have a talk.”
“You want me to ask for your father’s blessing?”
“No, I want you to talk to a man who’s just rediscovered the meaning of Christmas. He’s the one in the Santa suit.”
“But I thought—”
She grinned. “I know. He wasn’t too wild about the idea, either, but then Howard decided to take Mary Vaughn, Rory Sue and Sonny to Aspen to celebrate the fact that Sonny and Mary Vaughn are on their way to a reconciliation. Somebody had to fill in.”
“And you convinced your dad to do it?”
She shook her head. “I called in some help.”
“Oh?”
“Maddie, Dana Sue and Helen. They ganged up on him the second he came in the door. They told him how disappointed the kids would be if there was no Santa to hand out presents.”