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

Naturally he could always invite himself to his brother’s house for dinner. Glen and Ellie would gladly set an extra plate at their table. He’d do that when he got desperate, but he wasn’t, at least not yet. For that matter, he could call his father. Phil would welcome the company, but by the time Cal was finished with his chores on the ranch and showered, dinner had already been served at the seniors’ center.

Actually, now that he thought about it, he was in the mood for Mexican food, and no place served it better than Promise’s own Mexican Lindo. Already his mouth was watering for his favorite enchiladas, dripping with melted cheese. He could almost taste them. Needing no other incentive, he set the soup, pan and all directly inside the refrigerator and grabbed his hat.

If he hurried, he decided, he’d be back in time for Jane’s phone call. Her spirits had seemed better these past few days. Her father was improving, and today she’d met a couple of high-school friends for lunch.

Soon Harry would be released from the hospital, and once his father-in-law was home, Jane and the children would return to Texas. Cal sincerely wished Jane’s father a speedy recovery—and his good wishes weren’t entirely selfish. He liked Harry Dickinson, despite their arguments and despite his father-in-law’s reservations about Jane’s choice in a husband. He’d never come right out and said anything, but Cal knew. It was impossible not to. Still, Harry’s attitude had gotten a bit friendlier, especially after the children were born.

Promise was bustling when Cal drove up Main Street. All the activity surprised him, although it shouldn’t have. It was a Thursday night, after all, and there’d been strong economic growth in the past few years. New businesses abounded, an area on the outskirts of town had been made into a golf course, and the city park had added a year-round swimming pool. Ellie’s feed store had been remodeled, but it remained the friendly place it’d always been. She’d kept the wooden rockers out front and his own father was among the retired men who met there to talk politics or play a game of chess. The tall white steeple of the church showed prominently in the distance. Cal reflected that it’d been a long time since he’d attended services. Life just seemed to get in the way. Too bad, because he genuinely enjoyed Wade McMillen’s sermons.

The familiar tantalizing aroma of Texas barbecue from the Chili Pepper teased his nostrils, and for a moment Cal hesitated. He could do with a thick barbecue sandwich just as easily as his favorite enchiladas, but in the end he stuck with his original decision.

When he walked into the stucco-walled restaurant, he was immediately led to a booth. He’d barely had time to remove his hat before the waitress brought him a bowl of corn chips and a dish of extra-hot salsa. His mouth was full when Nicole Nelson stepped into the room, eyed him boldly and smiled. After only the slightest pause, she approached his table.

“Hello, Cal.” Her voice was low and throaty.

Cal quickly swallowed the chip, almost choking as he did so. The attractive woman standing there wasn’t the kid he’d known all those years ago. Her jeans fit her like a second skin, and unless he missed his guess, her blouse was one of those designer numbers that cost more than he took to the bank in an average month. If her tastes ran to expensive clothes like that, Cal couldn’t imagine how she intended to live on the amount of money Annie Porter could afford to pay her.

“Nicole,” he managed. “Uh, hi. How’re you doing?”

“Great, thanks.” She peered over her shoulder as though expecting to meet someone. “Do you have a couple of minutes?”

“Uh…sure.” He glanced around, grateful no one was watching.

Before he realized what she intended, Nicole slid into the booth opposite him. Her smile was bright enough to make him blink.

“I can’t tell you how good it is to see you again,” she said, sounding genuine.

“You, too,” he muttered, although if he’d passed her in the street, he probably wouldn’t have recognized her.

“I imagine you’re surprised I’m back in Promise.”

“Yeah,” he said. “What brings you to town?” He already knew she’d made the move without having a job lined up.

She reached for a chip, then shrugged. “A number of reasons. The year I lived in Promise was one of the best of my life. I really did grow to love this town. Jennifer and I got transferred here around the same time, but she never felt about Promise the way I did.”

“Jennifer,” he said aloud. Cal couldn’t help wondering what had become of his ex-fiancée. “Are you still in touch with her?”

“Oh, sure. We were best friends for a lot of years.”

“How is she?”

“Good,” Nicole told him, offering no details.

“Did she ever marry?” He was a fool for asking, but he wanted to know.

Nicole dipped the chip in his salsa and laughed lightly. “She’s been married twice.”

“Twice?” Cal could believe it. “Last I heard she was living with a computer salesman in Houston.” He’d heard that from Glen, who’d heard it from Ellie, who’d heard it from Janice at the bank.

“She married him first, but they’ve been divorced longer than they were ever married.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He wasn’t really, but it seemed like something he should say.

“Then she met Mick. It wasn’t his real name, but she called him that because he was from Australia.”

“Why Mick?”

“Mick Dundee.”

“Oh,” he said, and remembered that was a character in a popular movie from the 1980s.

“Jennifer thought Mick was hot stuff,” Nicole continued. “They had a whirlwind courtship, married in Vegas and divorced a year later.”

“I imagine she was upset about that,” Cal said, mainly because he didn’t know how else to comment.

“With Jennifer it’s hard to tell,” Nicole said, leaning forward.

The waitress approached the table and Nicole declined a menu, but asked for a strawberry margarita. “Actually I’m meeting someone later, but I saw you and I thought this was a good opportunity to catch up on old times.”

“Sure.” Not that they’d had any “old times.” Then, because he wasn’t sure she realized he was married, he added, “I could use the company. My wife and kids are in California with her family for the next week or so.”

“Oh…”

He might have been wrong, but Cal thought he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. Surely she’d known he was married. Annie must have said something. But then again, perhaps not.

“My boy is three and my daughter’s eighteen months.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Cal said, feeling a bit self-conscious about dragging Jane and his kids into the conversation. But it was the right thing to do—and it wouldn’t hurt his ego if the information got back to Jennifer, either.

Nicole helped herself to another chip. “The last time Jennifer and I spoke, she said something that might interest you.” Nicole loaded the chip with salsa and took a discreet nibble. Looking up, she widened her eyes. “Jen said she’s always wondered what would’ve happened if she’d stayed in Promise and you two had gotten married.”

Cal laughed. He knew the answer, even if Nicole and Jennifer didn’t. “I simply would’ve been husband number one. Eventually she would have moved on.” In retrospect, it was easy to see Jennifer’s faults and appreciate anew the fact that they weren’t married.

“I don’t agree,” Nicole said, surprising him. “I think it might have been a different story if she’d stayed with you.”

The waitress brought her drink and Nicole smiled her thanks. She took a sip, sliding her tongue along the salty edge of the glass. “Jennifer might be my best friend,” she went on, “but when it comes to men she’s not very smart. Take you, for example. I couldn’t believe it when she told me she was calling off the wedding. Time has proved me right, too.”

Cal enjoyed hearing it, but wanted to know her reasoning. “Why’s that?”

“Well, it’s obvious, don’t you think? You were the only man strong enough to deal with her personality. I’m very fond of Jennifer, don’t get me wrong, but she likes things her own way and that includes relationships. She was an idiot to break it off with you.”

“Actually it was fortunate for both of us that she did.”

“Fortunate for you, you mean,” Nicole said with a deep sigh. “Like I said, Jennifer was a fool, and if she doesn’t realize it, I do.” After another sip, she leaned toward him, her tone confiding. “I doubt she’d admit it, but ever since she left Promise, Jennifer’s been looking for a man just like you.”

“You think so?” Her remark was a boost to his ego and superficial though that was, Cal couldn’t restrain a smile.

The waitress returned with his order, and Nicole drank more of her margarita, then said, “I’ll leave you now and let you have your dinner.”

She started to slip out of the booth, but Cal stopped her. “There’s no need to rush off.” He wasn’t in any hurry, and he had to admit he liked hearing what she had to say about Jennifer. If he missed Jane’s call, he could always phone her back.

Nicole smiled. “I wanted to thank you, too,” she murmured.

“For what?” He cut into an enchilada with his fork and glanced up.

“For giving me a recommendation at Tumbleweed Books.”

“Hey,” he said, grinning at her. “No problem.”

“Annie called me this morning and said I have the job.”

“That’s great.”

“I’m thrilled. I’ve always loved books and I look forward to working with Annie.”

He should probably mention that the bookstore owner was Jane’s best friend, and would have, but he was too busy chewing and swallowing—and after that, it was too late.

Nicole checked her watch. “I’d better be going. Like I said, I’m meeting a…friend. If you don’t mind, I’d like to buy your dinner.”

Her words took him by surprise. He couldn’t imagine what had prompted the offer.

“As a thank-you for the job reference,” she explained.

He brushed aside her offer. “It was nothing—I was glad to do it. I’ll get my own meal. But let me pay for your drink.”

She agreed, they chatted a few more minutes, and then Nicole left. She hadn’t said whom she was meeting, and although he was mildly curious, Cal didn’t ask.

He sauntered out of the restaurant not long after Nicole. He’d been dragging when he arrived, but with his belly full and his spirits high, he felt almost cocky as he walked toward his parked truck. He supposed he was sorry to hear about Jennifer’s marital troubles—but not very sorry.

As it happened, Cal did miss Jane’s phone call, but was quick to reach her once he got home and had listened to her message. She sounded disappointed, anxious, emotionally drained.

“Where were you?” she asked curtly when he returned her call.

Cal cleared his throat. “I drove into town for dinner. Is everything okay?”

“Mexican Lindo, right?” she asked, answering one question and avoiding the other.

“Right.”

“Did you eat alone?”

“Of course.” There was Nicole Nelson, but she hadn’t joined him, not technically. Not for dinner, at any rate. He’d bought her drink, but he didn’t want to go into lengthy explanations that could only lead to misunderstanding. Perhaps it was wrong not to say something about her being there, but he didn’t want to waste these precious minutes answering irrelevant questions. Jane was sure to feel slighted or suspicious, and she had no reason. At any rate, Annie would probably mention that she’d hired Nicole on his recommendation. He could deal with that later. Right now, he wanted to know why she felt upset.

“You’d better tell me what’s wrong,” Cal urged softly, dismissing the thought of Nicole as easily as if he’d never seen her. Their twenty minutes together had been trivial, essentially meaningless. Not a man-woman thing at all but a pandering to his ego. Jane was his wife, the person who mattered to him.

“Dad didn’t have a good day,” Jane said after a moment. “He’s in a lot of pain and he’s cranky with me and Mom. A few tests came back and, well, it’s too early to say, but I didn’t like what I saw.”

“He’ll be home soon?”

“I don’t know—I’d thought, no, I’d hoped…” She let the rest fade.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Take as long as you need. I’ll manage.” It wasn’t easy to make the offer, but Cal could see that his wife needed his support. These weeks apart were as hard on her as they were on him. This was the only way he could think to help.

“You want me to stay longer?” Jane demanded.

“No,” he returned emphatically. “I thought I was being noble and wonderful.”

The tension eased with her laugh. “You seem to be getting along far too well without me.”

“That isn’t true! I miss you something fierce.”

“I miss you, too,” Jane said with a deep sigh.

“How did lunch go with your friends?” he asked, thinking it might be a good idea to change the subject.

“All right,” she said with no real enthusiasm.

“You didn’t enjoy yourself?”

Jane didn’t answer immediately. “Not really. We used to be close, but that seems so long ago now. We’ve grown apart. Julie’s into this beauty-pageant thing for her daughter, and it was all she talked about. Every weekend she travels from one state to another, following the pageants.”

“Does her daughter like it?”

“I don’t know. It’s certainly not something I’d ever impose on my daughter.” She sighed again. “I don’t mean to sound judgmental, but we have so little in common anymore.”

“What about Megan?”

“She came with her twelve-year-old daughter and is terribly bitter about her divorce. At every opportunity she dragged her husband’s name into the conversation with the preface, ‘that bum I was married to.’”

“In front of her kid?” Cal was shocked that any mother could be so insensitive to her child.

“Repeatedly,” Jane murmured. “I have to admit I felt depressed after seeing them.” She paused, took a deep breath. “I can only imagine what they thought of me.”

“That concerns you?” Cal asked, thinking she was being ridiculous if it did.

“Not in the least,” Jane was quick to tell him. “Today was a vivid reminder that my home’s not in California anymore. It’s in Promise with you.“

Chapter Three

“I hate to trouble you,” Nicole said to Annie. She sat in front of the computer screen in the bookstore office, feeling flustered and impatient with herself. “But I can’t seem to find this title under the author’s name.”

“Here, let me show you how it works,” Annie said, sitting down next to Nicole.

Nicole was grateful for Annie Porter’s patience. Working in a bookstore was a whole new experience for her. She was tired of banking, tired of working in a field dominated by women but managed by men. Her last job had left her with a bitter taste—not least because she’d had an ill-advised affair with her boss—and she was eager to move on to something completely new. Thus far, she liked the bookstore and the challenge of learning new systems and skills.

Annie carefully reviewed the instructions again. It took Nicole a couple of tries to get it right. “This shouldn’t be so difficult,” she mumbled. “I mean, I’ve worked with lots of computer programs before.”

“You’re doing great,” Annie said, patting Nicole’s back.

“I hope so.”

“Hey, I can already see you’re going to be an asset to the business,” Annie said cheerfully, taking the packing slip out of a shipment of books. “Since you came on board, we’ve increased our business among young single men by two hundred percent.”

Nicole laughed and wished that was true. She’d dated a handful of times since her return to Promise, but no one interested her as much as Cal Patterson. And he was married, she reminded herself. Married, married, married.

She should have known he wouldn’t stay single long. She’d always found Cal attractive, even when he was engaged to Jennifer. However, the reason she’d given him for moving back to Promise was the truth. She had fallen in love with the town. She’d never found anywhere else that felt as comfortable. During a brief stint with the Promise bank, she’d made friends within the community. She loved the down-home feel of Frasier Feed store and the delights of Dovie’s Antiques. The bowling alley had been a kick, with the midnight Rock-and-Bowl blast every Saturday night.

Jennifer Healy had never appreciated the town or the people. Her ex-roommate had once joked that living in Promise was one step up from Mayberry RFD. The comment had angered Nicole. These people were sincere, pleasant and kind. She preferred life in a town where people cared about each other, even if Jen didn’t.

Only it wasn’t just the town that had brought her back. Everything she felt about Promise was genuine, but she had another reason. She’d returned because of Cal Patterson.

Almost ten years ago, she’d been infatuated with him, but since her best friend was engaged to him, she couldn’t very well do anything about it. Jennifer had dumped him and that would have been the perfect time to stick around and comfort him. Instead, she’d waited—and then she’d been transferred again, to a different branch in another town. Shortly after she’d left Promise, she’d had her first affair, and since then had drifted from one dead-end relationship to another. That was all about to change. This time she fully intended to claim the prize—Cal Patterson.

At the Mexican restaurant the other night, Nicole had told Cal that since breaking their engagement, Jennifer compared every man she met to him, the one she’d deserted. Nicole hadn’t a clue if that was the case or not. She was the one who’d done the comparing. In all these years she hadn’t been able to get Cal Patterson out of her mind.

So he was married. She’d guessed as much when she made the decision to return to Promise, but dating a married man wasn’t exactly unfamiliar to her. She would have preferred if he was single, but she had to admit it—his being married wasn’t a deterrent. It only made things more…interesting. More of a challenge. Almost always, the married man ended up staying with his wife, and Nicole was the one who got hurt. This was something she knew far too well, but she’d also discovered that there were ways of undermining a marriage without her having to do much of anything. And when a marriage was shaken, opportunities might present themselves….

“Nicole?”

Nicole realized Annie was staring at her. “Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts.”

“It’s time for a break.” Annie led the way into the back room. Once inside, she reached for the coffeepot and gestured toward one of two overstuffed chairs. “Sit down and relax. If Louise needs any help, she can call us.”

Nicole didn’t have to be asked twice. She’d been waiting for a chance to learn more about Cal, and she couldn’t think of a better source than Annie Porter.

Annie handed her a coffee in a thick ceramic mug, and Nicole added a teaspoon of sugar, letting it slowly dissolve as she stirred. “How do you know Cal?” she asked, deciding this was the best place to start.

“His wife. You haven’t met Jane, have you?”

Nicole shook her head. “Not yet,” she said as though she was eager to make the other woman’s acquaintance.

“We’ve been friends nearly our entire lives. Jane’s the reason I moved to Promise.”

Nicole took a cookie and nibbled daintily. Cal mentioned he has children.”

“Two.”

“That’s what he said.” The perfect little family, a boy and a girl. Except that wifey seemed to be staying away far too long. If the marriage was as wonderful as everyone suggested, she would’ve expected Cal’s wife to be home by now.

“This separation has been hard on them.”

“They’re separated?” Nicole asked, trying to sound sympathetic.

She was forced to squelch a surge of hope when Annie explained, “Oh, no, not that way. Just by distance. Jane’s father has been ill.”

“Yes, Cal had mentioned that she was in California with her family,” Nicole nodded earnestly. “She’s a doctor, right?”

“A very capable one. And the fact that she’s with her parents seems to reassure them both.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s a big help.”

“I talked to her mom the other day, who’s so glad she’s there. I talked to Jane, too—I wanted to let her know about the baby and find out about her dad. She’s looking forward to getting home.”

“I know I’d want to be with my husband,” Nicole said, thinking if she was married to Cal, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to leave him for weeks at a time. If Jane Patterson was going to abandon her husband, then she deserved what she got.

“The problem is, her father’s not doing well,” Annie said, then sipped her coffee. She, too, reached for a cookie.

“That’s too bad.”

Annie sighed. “I’m not sure how soon Jane will to be able to come home.” She shook her head. “Cal seems at loose ends without his family.”

“Poor guy probably doesn’t know what to do with himself.” Nicole would love to show him, but she’d wait for the right moment.

“Do you like children?” Annie asked her.

“Very much. I hope to have a family one day.” Nicole knew her employer was pregnant, so she said what she figured Annie would want to hear. In reality, she herself didn’t plan to have children. Nicole was well aware that, unlike Annie, she wouldn’t make a good mother. If she was lucky enough to find a man who suited her, she’d make damn sure he didn’t have any time on his hands to think about kids—or to be lured away by another woman. Really, it was usually the wife’s own fault for not giving her husband the attention he craved.

“I understand you’re seeing Brian Longstreet,” Annie murmured.

Nicole had to pause to remember when and where she’d last seen Brian. “We had dinner the other night.” The evening hadn’t been especially memorable. It was Brian’s misfortune to meet her after she’d run into Cal at the Mexican Lindo. Afterward, Cal was all Nicole could think about.

“Do you like him?”

Nicole shrugged. “Brian’s okay.”

“A little on the dull side?”

“A little.” She’d already decided not to date the manager of the grocery store again. He was engaging enough and not unattractive, but he lacked the presence she was looking for. The strength of character. His biggest fault, Nicole readily admitted, was that he wasn’t Cal Patterson.

“What about Lane Moser?”

Nicole had dated him the first week she’d returned. She’d known him from her days at the bank. “Too old,” she muttered. She didn’t mind a few years’ difference, but Lane was eighteen years her senior and divorced. Besides, if he did any checking on her, he might learn a few things best left undiscovered. And he was just the type to check. “I’m picky,” she joked.

“You have a right to be.”

“I never seem to go for the guys who happen to be available. I don’t know what my problem is,” Nicole said, and even as she spoke she recognized this for a bald-faced lie. Her problem was easily defined. Repeatedly she fell for married men; actually she preferred them. It was the challenge, the chase, the contest. Single guys stumbled all over themselves to make an impression, whereas with married men, she was the one who had to lure them, had to work to attract their attention.

Over the years she’d gotten smart, and this time it wouldn’t be the wife who won. It would be her.

“Don’t give up,” Annie said, breaking into her thoughts.

“Give up?”

“On finding the right man. He’s out there. I was divorced when I met Lucas and I had no intention of ever marrying again. It’s all too easy to let negative experiences sour your perspective. Don’t let that happen to you.”

“I won’t,” Nicole promised, and struggled to hide a smile. “I’m sure there’s someone out there for me—only he doesn’t know it yet.” But Cal would find out soon enough.

“We’d better get back,” Annie said, glancing at her watch.

Nicole set aside her mug and stood. Cal had been on his own for nearly two weeks now, if her calculations were correct. A man could get lonely after that much time without a woman.