Daddy by Christmas / Christmas Magic on the Mountain: Daddy by Christmas / Christmas Magic on the Mountain

The doctor patted her arm. “It’s understandable. Are you ready to know the sex?”

Mia looked at Jarrett. He shrugged, trying to handle his own emotions. “I say it’s a boy.”

Mia gave a slight nod and the doctor scanned in for a closer look. He saw all the proof he needed. “Well, hello, BJ.”

Mia gave him a questioning look.

“I take it you’re naming this little guy after your brother,” he said. “Bradley Junior.”

During the ride home from Grand Junction, Mia had zoned out, not noticing much of the trip until Jarrett stopped in front of the apartment building.

“We’re home,” he said, but didn’t move to get out of the car. “Mia, are you all right?”

No! she wanted to scream. She hadn’t been okay since the day her brother had died. She looked at Jarrett, seeing his concern. “Seeing the baby today made it seem so real.” Her voice grew softer, more hoarse. “A boy. How can I raise a boy?” Tears filled her eyes, but she couldn’t cry any more. “A boy needs a father. Brad should be here.”

He reached across the console and took her hand. Even with the heater going, her hands were still cold. “Hey, this kid’s got the next best thing. You.”

She wasn’t the best. “You don’t know that. I’ve done things, made bad choices.”

“I can’t believe that, or your brother wouldn’t have chosen you to carry this baby.”

“But not to raise his son.” She sighed. “Besides, I’ve always had Brad to help me, to guide me in life. Now, I’m on my own. What if I make mistakes again?”

He frowned. “Everyone makes mistakes, Mia, but you can’t just give up.”

Jarrett had never been the optimistic type, but he was a good salesman. “Don’t forget, you have friends to help you. Is there any other family around?”

Mia shook her head. “No. There’s no one else.” She wiped her eyes. “God, I hate this. I never cry.”

“I hear it’s normal,” he consoled her, hating that he kept getting more and more involved in her life. Not to mention the lives of the other tenants, too.

Once he got off house arrest and they all found other places to live, this time would just be a fleeting memory. They wouldn’t be his problem then. They’d move on, and he’d move on. But could he? He thought back to being beside Mia and seeing her baby on the ultrasound.

Damn. He needed to get this apartment building in shape and get the hell out of here. “We’d better get inside and out of the cold so you can rest.”

She grumbled. “That’s all I’ve been doing.”

“From what Kira tells me you won’t get much sleep after the baby comes, so enjoy it now.” He started to climb out of the car when she stopped him with a soft touch on his arm.

She nodded in agreement. “Thank you,” she said softly. “Thank you for being there with me today.”

He caught her pretty blue eyes still glistening with tears and something tightened in his chest. Dear Lord. He was in big trouble.

Chapter Seven

BY the next week, Jarrett had accomplished several things. He’d finally gotten one of the elevators repaired and a plumber had replaced the rusted pipes in the community room. Somehow, he’d even been talked into helping put up some Christmas decorations. Joe convinced him that since this would be Mia’s baby’s first Christmas, they should celebrate it.

The major thing he’d wanted to do was keep his distance from Mia. He’d gotten too involved with the expectant mother.

Thanks to Nola, Jarrett knew how Mia was doing, whether he wanted to or not. By afternoon, he’d seen several women going into his neighbor’s apartment carrying presents for a baby shower.

Kira and Jenna stopped by his place afterward to see him and tell him all about the gifts Mia had gotten for the baby. His niece also had several things to say about the condition of his temporary home. None were good.

“Unca Jay, I like your other house better.”

“I still have my other house, sweetie. I’ll move back there soon.”

She smiled, then looked thoughtful. “But you have to take care of Mia until she has her baby. Promise you will.”

What was going on? “Okay, I promise as long as I live here I’ll watch out for Mia and the baby.”

That seemed to satisfy the three-year-old and she smiled. “Then you can come see her at the ranch. She’s going to move in with the new baby.” She turned to her mother and was practically jumping up and down. “I can’t wait. I get to hold the baby, too.”

Jarrett looked at his sister-in-law. “So, it’s definite?”

Kira nodded. “I’m pretty sure I have her convinced it’s best for her and the child.”

“Isn’t that neat, Unca Jay, she’s gonna be in our family? It’s almost going to be our baby, too.”

“That’s great,” he said.

The girl’s eyes lit up more. “Maybe if you ask, Mia will share her baby with you, too.”

Jarrett looked at Kira for help, hoping she didn’t read anything more into his relationship with his neighbor. “Where does she get this stuff?”

Kira only smiled. “Sounds like a pretty good idea to me.”

The next day Jarrett drove to his office, McKane Properties, and started two of his staff working on finding affordable apartments for some of the tenants. He needed to get this over and done with.

He needed everyone to move on, but if Mia and the baby moved out to the ranch, he’d still see her. Would that be so bad? With Kira and Trace looking out for her, at least he wouldn’t worry about her so much.

That way he could go back to business as usual and a life without Mia in it. He turned his thoughts to the day at the doctor’s office and seeing the ultrasound. He’d had no business sharing that with her. Just as he’d had no business kissing her Thanksgiving Day.

He had to stay away.

There were other things he needed to think about, like the Fulton plant project. It had been a big cause of his loss of sleep. He’d been working on some changes, changes to the factory site that might help everyone.

For him to survive financially, Jarrett knew he had to finalize this deal, or he might be living in the Mountain View Apartments permanently.

A few days later Jarrett was awakened in the middle of the night by his ringing phone. He grabbed it off the bedside table.

“Hello,” he groaned.

“Jarrett,” a familiar voice said. “I’m sorry to bother you, but could you come over?”

“Sure.” He hung up, got out of bed, pulled on jeans and shirt along with boots. He crossed the hall, but before he could knock she opened the door.

At 3:00 a.m. in the morning, she looked fresh and dressed for the day. Her dark hair lay in waves around her shoulders and she even had on makeup. “I take it the call wasn’t for a donut run?” he joked.