A Boy's Christmas Wish

Luke turned his attention back to his meal. Dan had known this day would come, but somehow, he’d thought he’d be more prepared for it.

Lana could be unpredictable, and that freaked him out. When he’d told Beth about his son and his ex-girlfriend’s demand that he take over with him, Beth had asked to talk to Lana after she’d dropped off Luke. That had seemed very levelheaded of Beth, and perhaps he should have seen what was coming then, but he’d been optimistic. So he’d given Beth Lana’s phone number, and it was only later—when Beth dumped him—that she told him that Lana had promised to be in the middle of their life from that moment on. She wanted her due.

Lana had managed to intimidate Beth rather effectively. But he couldn’t blame Lana, because in some ways she’d been right—the full weight of raising their child shouldn’t have been on her shoulders. Dan had a responsibility, too—both financially and emotionally. Except Beth hadn’t known about that when she agreed to marry him, and when she’d weighed it out in her heart, she decided that the headache Lana promised to be wasn’t worth it.

Lana had never come through on that threat. She’d talked Beth into a corner, and perhaps enjoyed it. Then she’d gone away. Lana wasn’t predictable in the least.

And neither was Beth... He’d honestly believed that they’d get through it all together. He couldn’t have been more wrong. And while Lana had disappeared to Vancouver, Beth had returned. He hadn’t seen that one coming, either.

Seeing Beth again had reminded Dan about how detrimental her stepmother’s rejection had been, and he wouldn’t allow Luke to go through the same thing again with his own mother. The world was a hard place, and Luke was too young to face the ugliness.

CHAPTER FOUR (#u750d6c2b-e25e-5145-b9d4-ed36750f2710)

BETH RUBBED A hand over her belly, feeling that strange, rolling motion of the baby moving inside her. She still wasn’t used to this, but she never got tired of feeling those wriggles. Riley didn’t have much more room in there, and Beth felt every stretch and jab. She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked down at the ripples of the baby’s foot moving across the top of her stomach.

“Hi, you...” Beth said softly. She stood in the kitchen, a mug of herbal tea steaming in front of her on the counter. She was thinking that she’d much rather have a doughnut right about now. Or cake. Chocolate cake. Black forest cake—that was it! The closest she could find to her craving in the cupboards were some crackers and hazelnut spread. It would have to do.

These winter mornings were cold, and the house wasn’t as well insulated as it could have been, so a draft wafted through the room and curled around her legs. Outside a bluebird was at the bird feeder hanging from a tree branch, and a squirrel hung back, seeming to sense it was outgunned by the bigger, meaner bird. It would do well to back off, Beth thought ruefully.

Her cell phone buzzed, and she looked down to see a text from her friend Abby.

Are you busy? Feel up to some company?

Beth smiled and typed back: Not busy. Where are you?

In front of your house.

Beth chuckled and headed through the living room, where Granny sat watching TV. Beth pulled open the front door and poked her head out. A red hatchback was parked in their drive, and Abby got out with a wave.

Abayomi, or Abby as everyone called her, was short and plump with dark skin that glowed with health and hair done in a sleek bob. She was of Nigerian descent—both of her parents were doctors who settled in North Fork when she was a young girl. North Fork, being quite far north in Alberta, suffered from a lack of medical professionals, and when Abby’s family arrived, the entire town was filled with relief to have two full-time doctors setting up right here in town. Abby’s mother was an ob-gyn, and her father had been a surgeon in Nigeria but established himself as a family doctor in Canada.

“Oh. My. Goodness!” Abby’s hand flew to her face, and she slammed her door and headed toward the front steps. “Look at you, girl! I knew about the pregnancy, but I had to see this for myself.”

“In all my glory.” Beth rolled her eyes. “Hurry up and get in here. It’s cold.”

Abby picked up her pace, and after hugs and the removal of boots and her coat, Abby stood back to look at Beth.

“You’re ready to pop!” Abby exclaimed, putting a hand on Beth’s belly. “So how come you didn’t call me when you got back?”

“It’s...” Beth shot her friend an apologetic look. “I’m overwhelmed. There’s a lot on my plate right now, and—”

And Abby was happily married. After Abby’s wedding, their friendship had grown more distanced because Abby was busy with her husband and Beth was, frankly, a little jealous. Abby’s happiness reminded her of the wedding she’d walked away from, so it was easier to focus on friends who didn’t know her history.

Abby squeezed Beth’s hand. “Forgiven. Just don’t repeat it. I’m here for you.”

“Abayomi,” Granny said, pushing herself up from her recliner. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. Come over here and give me a hug.”

Abby gave Granny a hug, and after some pleasantries, Granny resettled in front of the TV, and Beth and Abby went into the kitchen to chat.

“So how are you?” Beth asked. “How is married life treating you?”

“The honeymoon is over and we drive each other nuts,” Abby said with a short laugh. “But Clint is worth it.”

“How long did you date, again?” Beth asked. It had been fast, and there hadn’t been a wedding for anyone to attend. Beth had bought her friend a present online and had it shipped. That had been four years ago now, near enough to her own canceled wedding to sting.

“Oh, we were crazy. We dated for six months, then he popped the question and we eloped.” Abby glanced around. “So does this mean that you and Collin are back together, or...”

“No, still very much broken up,” Beth said with a tight smile.

“And he left you pregnant.” Abby shook her head in disgust. “I hope you’re going for a pound of flesh over that. You know that Clint’s a lawyer—”

“No, no. I wasn’t pregnant when we broke up.” Beth licked her lips. “This was...a different mistake.”

“Oh.” Abby paused. “Okay...”

“For once, Abby, I did something spontaneous.” She shot her friend a pleading look. She didn’t need judgment right now. She needed a little sympathy. “The father is some guy from a bar. It only took four drinks and being dumped...and it was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

“No, I get it,” Abby replied. “I always thought Collin was a bit dry. I only saw him those few times, but I didn’t think he was a great match for you. Not a bad guy, just...unimpressive, I guess.”

Beth smiled ruefully. “I think I settled in a lot of ways with Collin. He was good on paper, you know? He was—ironically, he was the kind of guy Linda approved of! But after Danny, I was tired of risk. I just wanted someone stable and safe.” She sighed.

Danny had made her feel things she’d never felt since. No guy could match the way he made her heart pound. He’d been romantic and sweet...but it was more than romantic gestures. It was the way her heart lurched when he looked into her eyes or the butterflies she felt when he held her hand. She’d loved him, but when she found out how much he’d hidden, her confidence had been severely shaken. How could she trust him with the rest of her life if he couldn’t trust her with his personal history?

Besides, she’d seen the way Danny had fallen in love with his boy. As he should—it was only right. But she didn’t share his tenderness—she’d still been in shock! And she’d suddenly seen herself in a role she’d never imagined before: stepmother. She’d be in Linda’s position, taking a back seat to his child...

“Have you seen Danny yet?” Abby asked.

“Yeah, he bought my dad’s store,” she said. “So I’ve been going over there to get some of the things we want to keep for memories.”

“And what did he think about your pregnancy?” Abby asked with a grin. “Because you are adorable. You have to know that. You’re all out front.”

“He yelled at me when I tried to climb a stepladder.” Beth chuckled. Was it wrong to feel a bit satisfied at having gotten a rise out of him? Even if it hadn’t been intentional, and if he’d ended up being right.

“Danny hollered at you?” Abby laughed. “He’s normally so...stoic.”

“Apparently, I can still annoy him like no one else,” Beth replied drily. “I’ve still got that, at least.”

“He’s single right now,” Abby added. “He has Luke, you’re expecting your baby...”

“Abby, he lied to me.” Beth shook her head. “Having a kid is heart-level stuff. He should have told me. If he could hold back his son, what else did he hold back?”

“I know.” Abby sighed. “He was wrong.”

“He was more than wrong,” Beth said. “He wasn’t the man I thought he was.”

Abby nodded. “I get it. I don’t know what I’d have done in the same situation.” She paused. “So, what’s the plan here? Are you back for good?”

“I think so,” Beth replied. “I’ll have to find a job, and I’ll raise my daughter. I don’t have a lot of choice right now.”