Daddy by Christmas (9 page)

“Well, a judge stepped in and said otherwise.” Jarrett raised a hand. “So I have another idea that might work even better.”

Jarrett opened the folder and presented a sketch of the factory structure. “There's enough land to move the location of the new factory to the back of the property, and
put the parking lot in front, leaving the existing apartment buildings.”

“And why would I want to do that?” Fulton asked.

“Well, there's a couple of reasons,” Jarrett began. “For one thing, it's a better location, a little further from town. So it won't be a traffic nightmare at rush hour.”

“It would also cost more for extra materials for laying the utilities,” Neil argued.

Jarrett pushed on, hoping his idea would work. “But if you use one of the existing apartment buildings for your corporate offices, you'll save on construction costs.”

Neil's brow wrinkled in thought. “You can't be suggesting I use those dilapidated buildings?”

“Use
one
of the buildings,” Jarrett corrected. “Why not? They're solidly built. They might have been neglected, but a remodel is a hell of a lot more cost-efficient than brand-new construction, even if you gut it entirely. You'd be recycling and it's better for the environment. And best of all, the building is already vacant. You could start the inside remodel after the holidays. No delay waiting for the ground to thaw.”

Jarrett pulled out another drawing. “I had a structural engineer check out the building. It has the fifties retro look, but that can be changed, too. The main thing is it's large enough to house the plant's executive offices. Overall, you'll save money on this project. The shareholders will have to be happy about that.”

Fulton didn't say anything for a while as he went over the new plans, then he looked at Jarrett. “There's no way you can remove the tenants?”

Jarrett shook his head. “I can't and won't. The majority are seniors on fixed income and two are disabled. I promised them they could stay until the spring.” Then he said
something that he never thought he would. “If possible, I'd like them to stay in their apartments for good.”

Fulton leaned back in his chair. “You know that there are other locations the board of directors are looking at for this project, don't you?”

Jarrett's gut tightened as he nodded, seeing everything he'd worked for going down the drain. “Yes, I do. But you know this is the best location.”

Fulton arched an eyebrow. “These people mean this much to you?”

Jarrett sat back. He hadn't thought about it until now, but these people been more accepting of him than his own father had. Truth was, they were starting to matter to him. Too much. He thought of Mia and BJ.

He eyed Neil Fulton's expectant look and shrugged. “Hey, I'm just trying to stay out of jail.”

 

Later that evening, when Jarrett returned to the apartment building, he was exhausted. Fulton wouldn't give him an answer, but he had promised to talk it over with the board. Jarrett couldn't ask for any more.

He walked up the sidewalk toward the double doors. If Fulton went along with the new plan it meant Jarrett would keep the apartment building open. Of course, he'd have to put more money into the place, starting with paint. A lot of paint.

He shook his head. It was too soon to get excited. In these economic times nothing was a sure thing.

So Jarrett was in limbo. He thought about last night. Mia Saunders had stormed into his life and begun messing up his perfect plans. He'd liked things his way. Most of his life he'd been able to get what he wanted, until everything started to change, thanks to a blue-eyed do-gooder and her merry band of followers.

Hell, he'd never been a follower, and now look at him. Even worse, he was anxious to see her.

He pulled open the entry door and walked in, surprised to hear the sound of singing. A group of about two dozen tenants stood around an upright piano singing Christmas carols.

Standing back, he watched the people he'd come to know over the past few weeks sharing the joy of the holiday. This was hard for him. He couldn't remember when Christmas had been a happy time. Not since he was a small boy.

Then he spotted Mia across the room and felt a familiar stirring in his gut. She looked pretty, dressed in a blue sweater and her usual black stretch pants. Her dark hair was pulled back and adorned with a red ribbon. Smiling, she waved at him.

Maybe it would be a happy holiday after all.

M
IA
caught sight of Jarrett when he walked into the open lobby. It was hard not to notice the man. In a charcoal business suit with a crisp white shirt and a striped tie, covered by a dark trench coat, he looked more Wall Street than small-town Colorado.

“That's one good-looking man.”

Mia glanced at Nola who was holding BJ. “Both the McKane men are handsome.”

Her friend smiled. “But you're only interested in the older brother.” She nudged Mia. “Now, go talk to him before someone else lays claim to your man.”

She glared. “He's not mine.”

“And he won't be if you keep ignoring him.”

Nola gave her another gentle push, sending her off in Jarrett's direction.

Mia hadn't seen much of him, so there hadn't been a chance to invite him to the impromptu party. She couldn't blame him for keeping his distance. He was probably tired of taking care of her.

Besides, why would a man like Jarrett McKane be interested in her? Why would he want to take on a woman with a baby? Yet he'd done so many things for her. He'd been there when she'd needed him the most. How could she not care about a man like that?

Mia discreetly moved around the back of the crowd as Nola watched over BJ. Heart pounding in her ears, she walked up behind him. “You're expected to sing along,” she managed to say.

Jarrett turned around to face her. Immediately, she caught the sadness in his eyes before he could mask it. “Everyone will be sorry if I do. My voice is so bad I don't even sing in the shower.”

“I can't imagine you doing anything badly.” Great. She was acting like an infatuated teenager, and she had never been any good at flirting.

“You'd be surprised at all the things I've messed up.” His dark gaze held hers. “Did you get enough sleep last night?”

“Yes, thanks to you,” she said, wondering if he'd thought about their kiss. Her gaze went to his mouth, then she quickly glanced away. “And thank you for not bringing up my meltdown.”

Jarrett couldn't stop looking at Mia. Blue was definitely her color, bringing out the richness of her eyes.

“What meltdown?” he said, trying hard to focus on what she was saying. “You were just exhausted from lack of sleep and worried about your baby.”

He couldn't help but remember how, during the night, he'd kept going in to watch her sleep. How strange was that? “I hope you got enough rest.”

She nodded. “Plenty. And you're a good neighbor for coming to my rescue.”

He tensed. Neighbor?
What neighbor kisses you like I did?
“That's me, just the full-service landlord,” he said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. He started to leave, but she put her hand on his arm.

“Jarrett, what I meant was you went beyond helping me.” Her eyes searched his face. “I've asked far too much
of you. BJ and I weren't part of the deal when you were ordered to move in here.”

“Did you hear me complain?”

She shook her head. “You should. I feel like I've taken advantage.”

“Like I said, I haven't minded.”

“And I'm grateful for everything—”

Grasping her hand on his arm, Jarrett leaned forward. The memory of last night's kiss had him aching for another.

“I didn't do it for your gratitude, Mia.”

He watched her swallow quickly, but before she could speak, the singing stopped and someone called to him.

“Unca Jay! Unca Jay!” Jenna came running toward him.

“You're here.”

He swung the child up in his arms. She had on a pretty sweater with snowflakes and dark pants.

“I have to go to work,” he told her. “What are you doing here?”

“It's a Christmas party, silly. We got invited to come and sing.” Her big blue eyes rounded. “You know what else?”

He played along. “No, what else?”

“It's only two more days 'til Christmas, and Mommy and Daddy asked everybody to come to our house for Christmas dinner. Even Mia and her new baby, BJ. And I got to hold him.”

Jarrett looked across the room and saw his brother and Kira walking toward them. “How nice.”

He got a hug from Kira and a handshake from Trace. “So, the festivities are at your house?”

Trace nodded. “Same as every year, but with Jody and Nathan gone, Kira's a little lonely. So why not have a big crowd?”

Jarrett looked at his sister-in-law.

“I love to cook,” Kira said. “Besides, Nola and the others are bringing food, too. It's not much different than the group we had at your house on Thanksgiving.”

“And now we have baby BJ,” Jenna added as she patted her own chest and looked at Jarrett. “Unca Jay, did you know that BJ drinks milk from Mia's breasts?”

“Jenna…” her mother said with a warning look.

Everyone bit back a chuckle while Jarrett exchanged a look with Mia that felt far too intimate. Oh, yeah, he knew that.

His niece drew his attention back to her. “Look, Unca Jay.” She pointed up to the sprig of greenery hanging overhead in the doorway. “Mistletoe.”

Great. “It sure is.” He leaned forward and placed a noisy kiss on the girl's cheek.

That wasn't the end of it; Jenna wiggled to be put down. “Now, you gotta kiss Mia.”

Jarrett looked at a blushing Mia. “Sure.” He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. Their eyes met as he pulled back.

“No, not like that,” Jenna insisted. “Like Mommy and Daddy do it. Put your arms around her and you have to touch lips for a long time.”

Jarrett eyed his brother as Trace shrugged, trying not to smile. He got no help as he turned back to Mia. Without giving her a chance to protest, he reached for her and pulled her into his arms. His gaze locked onto her mesmerizing eyes, and, once his mouth closed over hers, everything and everyone else in the room faded away. It was all Mia and how she made him feel. How she tasted, how her scent drifted around him, how he was barely keeping himself in control.

Finally cheers broke out, and he tore his mouth away. “Did I do it okay?” he asked his niece.

A smiling Jenna nodded her head. He turned back to the woman in his arms. “Suddenly, I'm getting into the Christmas spirit.”

 

Mia glanced at her kitchen clock and debated whether to attend the services tonight. For the first time in ten years, it wouldn't be Reverend Bradley Saunders standing at the pulpit delivering her Christmas Eve sermon. The last three years he'd been the pastor here in Winchester Ridge.

Mia had only been nineteen when Bradley had rescued her from self-destruction and got her on the road to recovery. From then on she'd sat in the front pew, grateful she had the love of family, and a future.

She glanced down at her son in the carrier. BJ would have the same; she would make sure of that.

“It's just us now, kid.” She smiled as BJ, dressed in his dark-green holiday outfit, reacted to her voice with a cooing sound. “I might be new at this mother stuff, but no one could love you more.” She wished she could give him a traditional family. Every kid deserved a mother and a father.

“I guess we'd better get going, or we'll be late.”

She checked her own Christmas outfit, her standard black stretch pants and a long red sweater she'd found in a drawer.

After putting on her coat and BJ's cap and tucking a blanket around him, she picked up the carrier and walked out. She glanced across the hall to Jarrett's apartment.

As much as she tried not to, she'd thought about Jarrett a lot over the last few days. Okay, so it had been from the day he'd moved in. Not that she'd wanted him in her life; he'd just sort of barged into it.

At first, she'd even tried to compare Jarrett to her father, but she quickly realized they were nothing alike. Preston
Saunders would never open his home to a bunch of strangers for Thanksgiving dinner. Nor would he give up his time to help paint a room for her baby son, or even stay and play coach as she gave birth.

Mia touched her lips thinking about the shared kisses. Even though Jarrett had been goaded into the one under the mistletoe, he hadn't acted as if he minded at all. Yet he hadn't exactly shown up at her door the past thirty-six hours wanting to continue what had been started either.

Suddenly the elevator doors opened and Jarrett got off. He immediately smiled. “Hello, Mia.”

“Jarrett,” she said, trying to act casual. He looked too good in his jeans and sweater with a sheepskin jacket hanging open and his cowboy hat cocked just a little. “Merry Christmas.”

He raised his arm to check his watch and she noticed the big shopping bags. “Is it that time already?” He eyed her closely. “I guess I'd better finish up my wrapping.” He glanced at BJ. “Where are you two headed?”

“To the Christmas service at the church.”

His smile faded. “Give me a second and I'll drive you.”

“Jarrett, no. I can't let you do that. I can drive myself. We're not going that far.”

“There's a lot of snow still on the roads, and your tires aren't in that great a shape.”

He was right, but she hadn't had a chance to replace them. “It's only a few miles.”

“And you have precious cargo.” He nodded at her son and pulled out his keys. “Then at least take my SUV. It's four-wheel drive.”

He was letting her drive his car? She looked at him, telling herself not to read anything into it. It was for her ten-day-old son. She decided to test him.

“Okay, I'll let you drive us, but only if you stay for the service.”

He frowned. “You're kidding, right?”

She shook her head.

“It's been a long time since I've been inside a church.”

“It's not going to crumble down around you. C'mon, you can handle it. You're a big strong guy,” she challenged him.

He hesitated and finally relented. “Okay, just let me drop these presents off in the apartment.”

She hadn't really thought he'd come, but suddenly she was glad she didn't have to face this night alone. Nor did she mind spending Christmas Eve with this man.

 

Nearly two hours later, Jarrett stood in the back of the church, watching as the parishioners fussed over BJ. Mia was enjoying showing off her son. She'd put up a brave front, but he knew it had been hard for her to come back here without her brother, her family.

He glanced around the ornate stone building with the stained-glass windows and high ceilings. He remembered another church across town where his stepmother had insisted they go to services weekly. And the Sunday school teacher who swore that a young Jarrett's bad attitude would send him straight to hell.

That hadn't been a good time in Jarrett's life. His mother had died suddenly when he was barely six, and within a few months his father had another wife. The following year his baby brother, Trace, had been born. And the struggle between the McKane brothers had begun. The father he'd so badly needed after the loss of his mother, turned away and found another family. Jarrett had been told he had to carry more weight and help out. Suddenly there wasn't any
time to be a kid, or time to be with the father he'd needed so desperately.

He quickly pushed aside the bad memories. Tomorrow was Christmas, and, thanks to Kira, he and Trace were finally working on liking each other.

Family wasn't the only thing that gave him trouble; he was still hoping to hear from Fulton.

He'd closed the office early today, but Neil had his cell phone number. If the land deal crashed,
no one
would have a happy holiday. He might even end up being a permanent resident in the Mountain View Apartments.

He glanced across at Mia. Not that he would mind being her neighbor. If he was honest, he was happy that he got to spend time with her tonight. He tried to tell himself it was only because he felt protective of the new mother. But he was attracted to her, big-time. As much as he'd tried to stay away, she kept drawing him back into her life. He sure as hell wasn't putting up much resistance, either.

Mia walked over to him. “I'm sorry I kept you waiting. Everyone wanted to see BJ.”

“Well he's a cute kid, and you should be a proud mama. It's okay if you want to stay.”

She shook her head as she pulled the carrier hood up and covered the baby. “I really need to feed BJ. Could we go home?”

“Sounds good.” He took the carrier from her and escorted her through the doors. Once outside they were greeted by a strong wind and snow flurries. He pulled Mia close against his side, trying to shield her from the biting cold.

At the SUV, he helped Mia get in and quickly latched BJ's safety seat in the back, then he climbed in the driver's seat and started the engine.

Glancing out the window, he waited for the cab to warm up. “I was afraid of this.”

She was shivering. “I'm sorry. I didn't think the weather would turn bad. It's supposed to be clear tomorrow.”

Her coat wasn't heavy enough to keep her warm. He flipped the heater on high and took a blanket from the back seat to drape over her legs. “We're lucky it's not a big storm, just the tail end of it. But I'll feel better when we're back at the apartment.”

Jarrett pulled out of the parking lot cautiously. He glanced at the baby in the back seat; he was starting to fuss.

“Hang on, BJ. We'll be home soon.”

Jarrett turned off the main street onto a back road, thinking he could shave off some time. First mistake—the road was deserted. Secondly, it hadn't been cleared of snow. Even with four-wheel drive, traction was nonexistent.

“Sorry, this was a bad idea. I'll turn back.”

BJ began to cry louder.

Jarrett found a wide spot in the road and slowed more as he began to turn the wheel. He cursed when the back of the vehicle began to slide. “Hang on,” he called to Mia. He gripped the wheel tighter, turning into the slide, but he couldn't gain control. When he got the car stopped they were off the side of the road.