Home for Christmas: Return to Promise / Can This Be Christmas?

“I’ll phone often,” Jane said after he kissed her.

“Do.” Saying goodbye to his family was even more difficult than Cal had anticipated.

The four of them moved toward the jetway, slowed down by the children’s pace and Jane’s carry-on luggage.

“I’m going to miss you,” he murmured as they reached the airline representative who collected the boarding passes.

“Two weeks will go quickly.”

“Right,” Cal agreed, but at the moment those weeks loomed before him in all their emptiness.

Juggling two bags and clutching both children, Jane disappeared into the jetway. Had it been anyone else, Cal would have left then, his duty completed, but he stood at the window and waited until the plane had taxied toward the runway. The feeling of emptiness stayed with him, growing. Deep in his gut, he recognized that he’d let his wife down. He should have gone with her; it was what she’d wanted, what she’d asked of him, but he’d refused. He shook his head miserably. This wasn’t the first time he’d disappointed Jane.

As he turned toward the parking garage, Cal couldn’t shake his reaction to seeing his wife leave. He didn’t want to go to California, and yet he regretted not being on that plane with his family.

“You heard about Jane, didn’t you?” Dovie Hennessey asked her husband. Frank had just come home from the golf course, where he’d played eighteen holes with Phil Patterson, Cal’s father.

Frank, who’d retired three years earlier from his position as sheriff, nodded and made straight for the refrigerator. “According to Phil, Cal drove Jane and the kids to the airport yesterday morning.”

“I give him a week.”

Frank turned around, a pitcher of iced tea in his hand. “A week before what?”

“Before Cal heads into town.”

“Why?”

Exasperated, Dovie rolled her eyes. “Company. He’s going to rattle around that house like a lost soul.”

“Cal? No way!” Frank argued, pouring himself a tall glass of tea. “You seem to forget he was a confirmed bachelor before he met Jane. I was as surprised as anyone when he decided to marry her. Don’t get me wrong. I think it was the smartest thing he ever did….”

“But?” Dovie said.

“Cal isn’t any stranger to living alone,” Frank continued, sitting down at the kitchen table with his tea and the newspaper. “He did it for years. Now, I know he loves Jane and the kids, but my guess is he’s looking forward to two weeks of peace and quiet.”

Dovie couldn’t help herself. Peace and quiet? Frank made it sound as though Cal would welcome a vacation from his own family. She planted her hands on her hips and glared at her husband. “Frank Hennessey, what a rotten thing to say.”

He glanced up from his paper, a puzzled expression on his face. “What was so terrible about that?”

“Jane and the children are not a nuisance in Cal’s life,” she said in a firm voice. “Don’t you realize that?”

“Now, Dovie—”

“Furthermore, you seem to imply that he’s going to enjoy having them gone.”

“I said no such thing,” Frank insisted. “Cal’s going to miss Jane…of course he is. The children, too. What I was trying to say is that spending a couple of weeks without his wife might not be all that bad.” Flustered and avoiding her gaze, Frank rubbed his face. “That didn’t come out right, either.”

Dovie suppressed a smile. They’d been married long enough for her to know what he meant, but she liked giving him a hard time once in a while—partly because he made it so easy. He’d remained a bachelor for the first sixty years of his life. Like Cal, he’d grown accustomed to his own company. He and Dovie had been involved for more than ten years, but Frank had resisted marriage until Pastor Wade McMillen had offered a viable solution. They became husband and wife but kept their own residences. In the beginning, that had worked beautifully, but as time passed, Frank ended up spending more and more nights with her, until it seemed wasteful to maintain two homes. Since he’d retired, Dovie, who owned an antique store, had reduced her hours, as well. They were traveling frequently now, and with Frank taking a role in local politics and becoming active in the senior citizens’ center, why, there just weren’t enough hours in a day.

Patting her husband’s arm as she passed, Dovie said, “I thought I’d make Cal one of my chicken pot pies and we could take it out to him later this week.”

Frank nodded, apparently eager to move away from the subject. “Good idea.” Reaching for his paper, he claimed the recliner and stretched out his legs. Almost immediately, Buttons, the small black poodle they’d recently acquired, leaped into Frank’s lap and circled a couple of times before settling into a comfortable position.

“Nap time?” Dovie asked with a grin.

“Golf tires me out,” Frank said.

“You promised to drive me to the grocery store,” she reminded him, although she was perfectly capable of making the trip on her own. It was the small things they did together that she enjoyed most. The small domestic chores that were part of any marriage.

“In a while,” Frank said sleepily, lowering the newspaper to the floor.

True to his word, an hour later Frank sought her out, apparently ready to tackle a trip to the supermarket. Once they arrived, he found a convenient parking spot, mentioned her offer to make a meal for Cal and grabbed a cart. Dovie marched toward the produce aisle, with Frank close behind.

“Do you have any idea what Cal would enjoy with the pot pie?” she asked.

“I know what I’d enjoy,” Frank teased, and playfully swatted her backside.

“Frank Hennessey,” Dovie protested, but not too loudly; that would only encourage him. She didn’t really mind, though. Frank was openly affectionate, unlike her first husband. Marvin had loved her, she never doubted that, but had displayed his feelings in less obvious ways.

“Who’s that?” Frank asked, his attention on a tall brunette who stood by the oranges, examining them closely.

It took Dovie a moment to remember. “Why, that’s Nicole Nelson.”

“Nicole Nelson,” Frank repeated slowly, as though testing the name. “She’s from Promise?”

“She lived here a few years back,” Dovie said, taking a plastic bag and choosing the freshest-looking bunch of celery.

“How do I know her?” Frank asked, speaking into her ear.

Which told Dovie that Nicole had never crossed the law. Frank had perfect recall of everyone he’d encountered in his work as sheriff.

“She was a teller at the bank.”

“When?”

“Oh, my.” Dovie had to think about that one. “A number of years ago now…nine, maybe ten. She was roommates with Jennifer Healy.”

“Healy. Healy. Why is that name familiar?”

Dovie whirled around, sighing loudly. “Frank, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten Jennifer Healy!”

He stared back at her, his expression blank.

“She’s the one who dumped Cal two days before their wedding. It nearly destroyed the poor boy. I still remember how upset Mary was having to call everyone and tell them the wedding had been canceled.” She shook her head. “Nicole was supposed to be her maid of honor.”

Frank’s gaze followed the other woman as she pushed her cart toward the vegetables. “When Jennifer left town, did Nicole go with her?”

Dovie didn’t know, but it seemed to her the two girls had moved around the same time.

“Cal was pretty broken up when Jennifer dumped him,” Frank said. “Good thing she left Promise. Wonder why this one came back…”

“Mary was worried sick about Cal,” Dovie murmured, missing her dearest friend more than ever. Cal’s mother had died almost three years ago, and not a day passed that Dovie didn’t think of her in one way or another.

“I know it was painful at the time, but Jennifer’s leaving was probably a lucky break.”

Dovie agreed with him. “I’m sure Jane thinks so, too.”

Frank generally didn’t pay much attention to other women. His noticing Nicole was unusual enough, but it was the intensity of his focus that perturbed her.

She studied Nicole. Dovie had to admit that the years had been good to Jennifer’s friend. Nicole had been lovely before, but immature. Time had seasoned her beauty and given her an air of casual sophistication. Even the way she dressed had changed. Her hair, too.

“She’s a real looker,” Frank commented.

Dovie saw that her husband wasn’t the only man with his eye on this woman; half the men in the store noticed her—and Nicole was well aware of it.

“I’ll admit she looks attractive,” Dovie said with a certain reluctance.

Frank turned back to her. She didn’t realize right away that he was frowning. “What is it?” she asked.

“What she looks like to me,” he said, ushering her down the aisle, “is trouble.“

Chapter Two

Cal had lived in this ranch house his entire life, and the place had never seemed as big or as empty as it did now. Jane hadn’t been gone a week and already the silence was driving him to wander aimlessly from room to room. Exhausted from a day that had started before dawn, he’d come home and once again experienced a sharp pang of loneliness.

Normally when Cal got back to the house, Paul rushed outside to greet him. The little boy always launched himself off the porch steps into his father’s waiting arms as if he’d waited for this moment the entire day. Later, after Cal had showered and Jane dealt with getting dinner on the table, he spent time with his daughter. As young as Mary Ann was, she already had a dynamic personality and persuasive powers to match. Cal knew she was going to be a beauty when she grew up—and he’d be warding off boys. Mary Ann was like her mother in her loveliness, energy…and her stubborn nature.

Cal’s life had changed forever the day he married Jane. Marriage was more than the smartest move of his life; it was the most comfortable. Being temporarily on his own made him appreciate what he had. He’d gotten used to a great many things, most of which he hadn’t stopped to consider for a long time: shared passion, the gentle companionship of the woman he loved, a family that gave him a sense of purpose and belonging. In addition, Jane ran their household with efficiency and competence, and he’d grown used to the work she did for her family—meals, laundry, cleaning. He sighed. To say he missed Jane and the kids was an understatement.

He showered, changed clothes and dragged himself into the kitchen. His lunch had been skimpy and his stomach felt hollow, but he wasn’t in the mood to cook. Had there been time before she left, Jane would have filled the freezer with precooked dinners he could pop into the microwave. When they heard he was a temporary bachelor, Frank and Dovie had dropped off a meal, but that was long gone. The cupboards were full, the refrigerator, too, but nothing seemed easy or appealing. Because he didn’t want to bother with anything more complicated, he reached for a bag of microwave popcorn. That would take the edge off his hunger, he decided. Maybe later he’d feel like putting together a proper meal.

The scent of popped corn enticed him, but just as he was about to start eating it, the phone rang. Cal grabbed the receiver instantly, thinking it might be Jane.

“Pattersons’,” he said eagerly.

“Cal, it’s Annie.”

Annie. Cal couldn’t squelch the letdown feeling that settled over him. Annie Porter was his wife’s best friend and a woman he liked very much. She’d moved to Promise a few years back and had quickly become part of the community. The town had needed a bookstore and Annie had needed Promise. It wasn’t long before she’d married the local vet. Cal vaguely recalled Jane asking him to phone Annie. He’d forgotten.

“I just heard about Jane’s dad. What happened? Dovie was in and mentioned that Jane went to stay with her parents—she assumed I knew. I wish someone had told me.”

“That’s my fault,” Cal said. “I’m sorry, Annie. On the way to the airport, Jane asked me to call…” He let his words drift off.

“What happened?” Annie asked again, clearly upset. Cal knew she was close to Jane’s parents and considered them a second family.

Cal told her everything he could and apologized a second time for not contacting her earlier. He hoped Annie would see that the slight hadn’t been intentional; the fact was, he hated to make phone calls. Always had.

“I can’t imagine why Jane hasn’t called me herself,” she said in a worried voice.

Cal had assumed she would, too, which only went to show how hectic Jane’s days must be with her parents and the children.

“Jane will be home in a week,” Cal said, trying to sound hopeful and reassuring—although a week seemed like an eternity. He pushed the thought from his mind and forced himself to focus on their reunion. “Why don’t you give her a call?” he suggested, knowing Annie was going to want more details. “She’d love to hear from you, I’m sure.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Great… Well, it’s been good talking to you,” he said, anxious to get off the phone.

“Before we hang up, I want to ask you about Nicole Nelson.”

“Who?” Cal had no idea who she was talking about.

“You don’t know Nicole? She came into the bookstore this afternoon and applied for a job. She put you and the bank down as references.”

“Nicole Nelson,” he repeated. The name sounded vaguely familiar.

“I saw you talking to her at the rodeo,” Annie said, obviously surprised that he didn’t remember the other woman.

“Oh, yeah—her,” he said, finally recalling the incident. Then he realized how he knew Nicole. She’d been a good friend of Jennifer’s. In fact, they’d been roommates at the time he and Jennifer were engaged. “She put my name down as a job reference?” He found that hard to believe.

“She said she’s known you for a number of years,” Annie added.

“Really?” To be fair, Cal’s problem hadn’t been with Nicole but with Jennifer, who’d played him for a fool. He’d been too blinded by his first encounter with love to notice the kind of woman she was.

“Nicole said if I had any questions I should ask you.”

“It’s been years since I saw her—other than at the rodeo last week.” He did remember talking to her briefly. She’d said something about how good it was to be back in Promise, how nice to see him, that sort of thing. At the time Cal had been distracted. He’d been more interested in watching the rodeo and cheering on his friends than in having a conversation with a woman he’d had trouble recognizing. Besides, Jane was upset with him and appeasing her had been paramount. He’d barely noticed Nicole.

“Did she list any other personal references?” he asked.

“No, I told her you and the bank were the only ones I needed,” Annie continued. “So you do remember her?”

“Sure. It’s just that it was a long time ago.”

“You went out with her?”

Leave it to Annie to ask a question like that. “No, with her best friend. We almost got married.” No need to go into details. Jennifer had taught him one of the most valuable lessons of his life. The worth of that experience could be measured in the pain and embarrassment that resulted when she’d callously canceled the wedding. He could’ve lived with her breaking their engagement—but why did she have to wait till they were practically at the altar?

“I talked with Janice over at Promise First National about her job history,” Annie said, interrupting his thoughts. “She doesn’t have anything negative to say about Nicole, but if you’re uncomfortable giving her a recommendation…”

“Oh, I’m sure Nicole will do a great job for you.”

The length of Annie’s hesitation told him he hadn’t been very convincing.

“Nicole’s fine, really,” he added. He didn’t actually remember that much about her. She always seemed to be there whenever he picked up Jennifer, but he couldn’t say he knew her. Years ago she’d been a sweet kid, but that was the extent of his recollection. He couldn’t dredge up anything that would prevent her from selling books. He’d never heard that she was dishonest or rude to customers, and those were things that would definitely have stuck in his mind. It was difficult enough to attract good employees; Cal didn’t want to be responsible for Annie’s not hiring someone simply because he had negative feelings about that person’s friends.

“I was thinking of hiring her for the bookstore.”

“Do,” Cal urged.

“She seems friendly and helpful.”

“I’m sure she is,” Cal said, and glanced longingly toward the popcorn.

“Thanks, Cal, I appreciate the input.”

“No problem.” He didn’t know what it was about women and the telephone. Even Jane, who had a sensible approach to everything and hated wasting time, could spend hours chatting with her friends. Just thinking about his wife produced a powerful yearning. Nothing seemed right without her.

“I’ll give Jane a call later,” Annie was saying.

“Good plan.” He checked his watch, wondering how much longer this would take.

“Thanks again.”

“Give Nicole my best,” he said, thinking this was how to signal that he was ready to get off the phone.

“I will,” Annie promised. “Bye, now.”

Ah, success. Cal replaced the receiver, then frowned as he attempted to picture Nicole Nelson. Brown hair—or blond? He hadn’t paid much attention to her at the rodeo. And he couldn’t imagine what would bring her back to Promise. Not that she needed to justify the move, at least to him. His one hope was that he didn’t give Annie reason to regret hiring her.

Mary Ann’s squeal of delight woke Jane from a deep sleep. She rolled over and looked bleary-eyed at the clock radio and gasped. Ten o’clock. She hadn’t slept that late since she was in high school. Tossing aside the covers, she reached for her robe and headed out of the bedroom, yawning as she went.

“Mom!” she called.

“In here, sweetheart,” her mother said from the kitchen.

Jane found the children and her mother busily playing on the tile floor. Mary Ann toddled gleefully, chasing a beach ball, intent on getting to it before her brother. Because he loved his little sister, Paul was letting her reach it first, then clapping and encouraging her to throw it to him.

“You should have woken me up,” Jane said.

“Why? The children are fine.”

“But, Mom, I’m supposed to be here to help you,” she protested. The last week had been hectic. Taking Paul and Mary Ann away from home and the comfort of their normal routine had made both children difficult and irritable. That first night, Mary Ann hadn’t slept more than a few hours, then whined all the next day. Paul had grown quiet and refused to talk to either grandparent. The children had required several days to adjust to the time change, and with the stress of her father’s condition, Jane was completely exhausted.

“You needed the sleep,” her mother said.

Jane couldn’t argue with that. “But I didn’t come all this way to spend the whole morning in bed.”

“Stop fussing. Paul, Mary Ann and I are having a wonderful time. If you intend to spoil it, then I suggest you go back to bed.”

“Mother!”

“I’m the only grandma they have. Now, why don’t you let us play and get yourself some breakfast?”

“But—”

“You heard me.” Stephanie crawled toward the lower cupboards, then held on to the counter, using that as leverage to get up off the floor. “I’m not as limber as I once was,” she joked.

“Oh, Mom…” Watching her, Jane felt guilty. She gathered Mary Ann into her arms, although the child immediately wanted down. Paul looked up at her, disgruntled by the interruption.

“Your father’s resting comfortably,” her mother informed her. “He wants us to take the day for ourselves.”

“Dad said that?” He’d been demanding and impatient ever since Jane had arrived.

“He did indeed, and I intend to take him up on his offer. I promised the kids lunch at McDonald’s.”

“Dad must be feeling better.”

“He is,” her mother said. “By the way, Annie phoned earlier.”

“Annie?” Jane echoed. “Is everything all right at home?”

“Everything’s just fine. She wanted to know how your father’s doing. Apparently no one told her—”

“I asked Cal to let her know. I meant to phone her myself, but…you know how crazy it’s been this last week.”

“I explained it all, so don’t you worry. She’d already talked to Cal, who apologized profusely. She sounds well and has some news herself.”

Jane paused, waiting, although she had her suspicions.

“Annie’s pregnant again. Apparently they’re all thrilled—Annie, Lucas and the children. She’s reducing her hours at work, hiring extra help. It was great to chat with her.”

“A baby. That’s wonderful.” Annie was such a good mother, patient and intuitive. And such a good friend. Her move to Texas had been a real blessing to Jane.

Just thinking about Promise made Jane’s heart hunger for home. A smile came as she recalled how out of place she’d once felt in the small Texas town. She’d accepted a job in the medical clinic soon after she’d qualified. It wasn’t where she’d hoped to settle, and she’d only taken the assignment as a means of paying off a portion of her huge college loans. The first few months had been dreadful—until she’d become friends with Dovie, who’d introduced her to Ellie.

This was networking at its finest. Soon afterward, Ellie and Glen had arranged Jane’s first date with Cal. What a disaster that had been! Cal wasn’t the least bit interested in a blind date. Things had quickly changed, however, when Cal and his brother and Ellie had started to teach her how to think and act like a real Texan. When she’d decided to take riding lessons, Cal had volunteered to be her teacher.

Jane had never meant to fall in love with him. But they were a good match, bringing out the best in each other, and they’d both recognized that. Because of Cal, she was a better person, even a better physician, and he reminded her often how her love had enriched his life. They were married within the year.

After the children arrived, Jane felt it necessary to make her career less of a priority, but she didn’t begrudge a moment of this new experience. In fact, she enjoyed being a full-time wife and mother—for a while—and managed to keep up her medical skills with part-time work.

Annie, too, had found love and happiness in their small town. The news of this pregnancy pleased Jane.

“Have you connected with Julie and Megan yet?” her mother asked.

Along with Annie, Julie and Megan had been Jane’s best friends all through high school. Julie was married and lived just ten minutes away. Megan was a divorced single mother. Jane hadn’t seen either woman in three years—make that four. How quickly time got away from her.

“Not yet,” Jane told her.

“I want you to have lunch with your friends while you’re home.”

“Mom, that isn’t necessary. I’m not here to be entertained.”

“I don’t want you to argue with me, either.”

Jane grinned, sorely tempted to follow her mother’s suggestion. Why not? she decided. She’d love to see her friends. “I’ll try to set something up with Julie this week.”

“Good.” Her mother gently stroked Jane’s cheek. “You’re pale and exhausted.”

The comment brought tears to her eyes. She wasn’t the one suffering pain and trauma, like her father, who’d broken his hip, or her mother who’d been left to deal with the paramedics, the hospital, the surgeon and all the stress.

“I came here to help you,” Jane reiterated.

“You have, don’t you see?” Her mother hugged Paul. “It’s time with my precious grandbabies that’s helping me deal with all this. I don’t see nearly enough of them. Having the grandkids with me is a rare treat, and I fully intend to take advantage of it.”

Jane headed for the shower, looking forward to visiting with her friends. She missed Cal and Promise, but it was good to be in California, too.

The metallic whine of the can opener made Cal grit his teeth. This was the third night in a row that he’d eaten soup and crackers for dinner. The one night he’d fried himself a steak, he’d overcooked it. A few years back he’d been a pretty decent cook, but his skills had gotten rusty since his marriage. He dumped the ready-to-heat soup into the pan and stared at it, finding it utterly unappetizing.