One Big Happy Family

Chapter 11

11

By three, Dana was feeling restless. The snow had stopped that morning, and the sun was making a weak appearance before setting for the night. She headed downstairs, thinking a walk might do her good, what with all the weight she had to lose. She found Tiffany sitting by herself in the living room.

“Hey,” Dana said, offering a smile.

Tiffany looked up. Her face was blotchy and her eyes swollen. She’d obviously been crying.

“Hi.” She managed a wobbly smile.

“You okay?”

“Sure.” The tone was false, but bright.

Dana pointed to the window. “We’ve got about an hour before it gets dark. Want to take a walk?”

Tiffany only hesitated for a second before standing. “That’s a good idea. I could use the exercise.”

They went into the mudroom and stepped into snow boots before piling on layers. Once outside, Dana sucked in the cold air. The temperature was in the midtwenties, she thought, and would drop to close to zero that night.

“It’s freezing,” Tiffany said with a laugh.

“Think of it as bracing.”

They walked along the shoveled sidewalks. In the distance, kids pulled sleds and toboggans up a low hill, their parents keeping watch. The trees were still frosted with the night’s snow.

“It’s pretty here,” Dana said, thinking how lucky she was to be able to come here every Christmas. She had so many memories and would continue to make more. Yes, she was missing her dad, but she was glad she’d come. “It’s like we’re in a snow globe.”

“I guess.” Tiffany sighed. “Sorry. It is pretty.”

“But it’s not the Bahamas. He’s a jerk.”

“He is, but you don’t know him, so you’re guessing.”

“He dumped you a week before Christmas. He has to be a jerk. You deserve better.”

“Thanks. I know you’re right, but it still hurts.” She shook her head. “I’m such a fool. I shouldn’t have given my heart so easily.”

Something Dana could relate to. If only she’d been able to resist Axel, she thought. She might have met someone else—someone who wouldn’t leave her every time things got good.

“I know about loving the jerky guy,” she said, then added, “Not that he’s a jerk, exactly. He’s more...confusing.”

“Did he dump you before Christmas?”

“No. A few days after. Then he stayed with me after my dad died, only to disappear again.”

Tiffany groaned. “And you can’t forget him?”

“Not really. I guess it’s a chemistry thing. He works for my mom. She owns a towing company. A few weeks after she hired him, I went over there to have lunch with her. Our eyes met and I was a goner.”

“That sounds romantic.”

“Excluding the broken heart, it is. The worst part for me is he tells me he loves me, but that he’s not good enough. Then he dumps me.”

“Does he cheat?” Tiffany asked.

“Not that I know of. I have no sense of him being with someone else.” She blinked back tears. “I guess he just doesn’t want to be with me.”

“I know how that feels.”

Dana looked at her. “Sorry. I was trying to bond, not make you feel bad.”

“I felt bad before. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Tiffany looked around at the houses with their snowy roofs. “You’re right. It is pretty here, and I do appreciate not being alone. Your family is very generous.” She paused.

Dana grinned. “You’re thinking ‘except for Gwen.’”

“I heard part of the fight. Did she really ignore her own daughter for years?”

“I guess. She lost a baby at three weeks, which would break anyone, but Blair was only four. She needed her mom.” Dana sighed. “I can’t see Gwen’s side in this. I can’t.”

“Me, either. I mean, I never had the postpartum depression thing, but come on. After a few weeks, you have to get back to taking care of your living kid.” Tiffany looked at Dana. “I’m being judgy and the depression thing is real, so I shouldn’t be. But at some point, don’t you have to think about someone other than yourself and here I am being judgy again. Grief is complicated, and we don’t get to say when it should be over. Only it seemed like with Gwen it was never over.”

“I guess without experiencing what she went through, we can’t understand. But she doesn’t help the situation by being so difficult. The only ones she’s nice to are your kids.”

“She’s great with them.”

They turned around and started back toward the house.

“I really appreciate your mom inviting me for Christmas,” Tiffany said. “I hope it’s not too awkward for everyone.”

Dana laughed. “If she can deal with her boyfriend’s ex-wife, then who are the rest of us to be bothered?” She deliberately softened her voice. “I’m glad you came. You’ll be more distracted here and less in your head. That always helps me.”

“You’re right. Plus, I’m with my kids for Christmas. I’m not complaining about any of it.”

“And with a little luck, Ryan will get a killer sunburn and maybe a rash.”

“I’d like him to get a rash,” Tiffany admitted. “A really big one.”

“Here’s hoping.”

Dinner was an awkward affair with everyone trying too hard to act normal. Gwen and Blair sat at opposite ends of the large table, avoiding looking at each other. Julie had to admit she was surprised that Gwen hadn’t insisted on being taken back to Seattle, but she’d stuck it out, even helping with dinner prep without complaining about the meal.

Fortunately, the two bottles of wine passed among the adults helped ease the tension, and the kids, who knew nothing of the fight, acted as an additional distraction. By the time the plates were cleared and dessert was served, conversation was pretty much back to normal.

After kitchen cleanup, Gwen and Tiffany stayed upstairs with the kids for an evening of board games while the other adults went downstairs to watch a college bowl game on the big TV. When it was time for Madeline and Wyatt to go to bed, Julie expected the adults to scatter, but Paul walked up to the main level, two decks of cards in his hands.

“We should play poker,” he announced. “Five-card draw.”

“I’ve never played poker,” Tiffany admitted. “But I’d like to learn.”

“This is the easiest version of it.” Paul was moving toward the dining room table. “Blair, grab that jar of pennies from the bookcase over there.”

Julie looked at Heath, who grinned.

“I’m in,” he said.

“Me, too.” Dana walked to the table and took a seat. “Are we buying in with our own money?”

“We’ll just share from the jar,” Paul said. “Winner gets to pick what we’re having for dessert tomorrow night.”

“Only if they’re willing to help me fix it,” Julie said with a laugh. “If Nick wins, he’s going to want German chocolate cake, and that’s a lot of work.”

“Then it’s time to let out your inner card shark,” Heath teased.

Blair sat next to Nick. Tiffany settled by Dana. Soon, only Gwen was left standing.

“I don’t really gamble,” she said, avoiding everyone’s gaze.

“No one’s surprised to hear that.” Paul looked at her. “Gwen, have a seat.”

“But I—”

He pointed to a chair. “Have a seat.”

There was something in his voice, something determined. For once Gwen didn’t argue or run away. She sat down and primly folded her hands together on the table.

“Five-card draw,” he said. “You get five cards. You can exchange up to three of them when it’s your turn. Jokers are wild.”

“What about twos?” Tiffany asked with a grin. “Can twos be wild, as well?”

Paul winked at her. “Next time.”

He grabbed a handful of pennies from the big jar. “Count out forty. That’s your stake. When you’re out of money, you’re out of the game.”

While everyone counted out their pennies, he explained the rules. Julie listened attentively, thinking the second deck was going to make play interesting.

The first round went quickly, with Heath and Nick the final two players and Heath’s full house beating Nick’s three queens.

“You’ve played before,” Julie said, watching him stack his pennies.

“Some.”

“Heath used to play poker with his friends. It was an every-Friday-night thing when we met,” Tiffany explained.

Julie smiled. “Really? What happened to the regular games?”

Heath shrugged. “Life got in the way. Kids and family take priority.” His gaze met hers. “Now if I have a free Friday night, I have other plans.”

Julie felt a little flicker of heat at his comment but did her best not to react. Tiffany laughed at something Dana said and Paul started to deal again.

“How long have you two been divorced?” Gwen asked unexpectedly.

Tiffany glanced at Heath, who shrugged.

“Two years,” she said. “Give or take.”

He nodded in agreement. “We were separated for nearly six months before we filed.”

“You get along very well for a divorced couple,” Gwen observed. “It’s surprising.”

“There’s no reason to fight.” Tiffany took two cards and studied her hand. “We have the kids, and it’s not like we hated each other.”

“What happened?” Dana asked. “Or is that too personal?”

“I wasn’t ready.” Tiffany looked at Heath, who watched her without speaking. “For marriage. I wanted to be a mom, but the whole marriage thing was just too much for me. Too confining, I guess. It’s better now.”

“But you’re a single mother.” Gwen sounded outraged. “You don’t have anyone to help. Isn’t that worse?”

“Not for me. The kids are great, and Heath and I have worked out a parenting plan that makes sense. I thought I was finally ready to be with someone.” She swallowed and looked at her cards. “Anyway, that’s me.”

Her voice broke a little, but they all pretended not to notice. Play continued. After a few seconds, Tiffany cleared her throat.

“Blair, how did you and Nick meet?”

“On a blind date,” Nick said with a grin.

“We didn’t have a blind date.” Blair smiled at him. “We were a quirk of fate.”

“Yes, we were.”

Blair turned to Tiffany. “I work at a retirement community. One of my residents set me up with his grandson. I don’t usually believe in blind dates, but he sounded great and we met for drinks. Ten minutes in, we both knew it wasn’t going to work out. He suggested I meet his friend Nick, who would be a much better match. He texted him, and thirty minutes later, Nick showed up.”

Nick took her hand and lightly kissed her knuckles. “From the first second I saw you, I was lost.”

Tiffany sighed. “That’s so sweet. So what happened?”

“We talked for hours.” Blair sighed heavily. “Then my IBS kicked in, and I had to race to the bathroom, where I spent the next twenty minutes.”

Julie winced in sympathy. “Poor you.”

“Thanks.” Blair smiled at her husband. “Nick waited. Most guys would have run into the night, but he waited.”

“That’s both weird and romantic,” Dana admitted.

Blair and Nick laughed, then gazed at each other.

“When you find the one, you wait,” he said.

Julie felt the love between them. It warmed her heart to see her son so happy. Part of her wanted to snap at Gwen, pointing out they were an obvious love match, but to do so would mean explaining what Gwen had said about Nick, and why go there?

Tiffany turned to Julie. “How did you meet Heath?”

“He was my roofer.”

Heath took one of her hands in his. “Gary was out sick, so I took the sales call to give her an estimate.” He glanced at Nick. “It was one of those ‘you know in an instant’ moments for me, too.”

“What?” Julie stared at him. “You never told me that.” He couldn’t be telling the truth. How silly.

“What did you think was happening? I was flirting like crazy the whole time.”

“I thought you were being friendly.”

“No one’s that friendly.” He chuckled at the memory. “She was all business and didn’t find me charming at all.”

“That’s not true. I just didn’t know what was happening.” He’d been attractive, of course, but so young. It had never occurred to her he was interested.

“Once they started the work, he kept coming to the tow yard to give me updates, which I didn’t understand. I told him I could see what they’d done every day when I got home.”

Dana shook her head. “Mom, I’m shocked. You’re usually better than that.”

“I know.” Julie laughed. “I have no excuse.”

“I finally had to tell her I wanted to go out with her,” Heath told them. “She said no.”

“What?” Tiffany’s voice was a shriek.

Dana stared wide-eyed. “Mom, seriously?”

Even Gwen seemed confused. “But you liked him.”

“I did, but the age difference bothered me. I wasn’t sure what to do.”

“Say yes,” Dana muttered.

Heath winked at her. “She did.”

“I’m glad,” Tiffany said, pushing three pennies into the center of the table. “You guys are a good couple.”

Julie looked at her. “That’s very strange to hear from you and thank you.”

Tiffany laughed. “You’re welcome.”

Julie’s cell phone rang at 5:03 in the morning. She was out of bed and on her feet before the second ring, clicking on the table lamp even as she pressed the talk button without bothering to look at the screen.

“Julie Parker.”

“It’s me.”

“Huxley? What’s wrong? Why are you calling so early? Are you all right? Do you need help?”

A thousand horrible possibilities passed through her mind, each worse than the one before. Heath sat up but didn’t speak.

“I’m fine. A little too old for these predawn calls, but fine.” He hesitated. “It’s Axel. He’s been shot.”

Julie collapsed back on the bed, her chest tight, her mind blank.

“Axel’s been shot,” she whispered to Heath before returning her attention to the call. “When? Last night? Is he all right?”

“I got the call a couple of hours ago. I’m at the hospital. He’s going to have surgery around seven. It’s a through and through in his thigh. He’ll limp for a while, but he’ll be fine.”

As Dana’s mother, Julie had no problem with Axel being shot twenty times over, but as his boss, she was heartsick.

“I’m on my way.”

“There you go, acting all impulsive. I got this covered. He’s already talked to the cops, and they’ve filed their reports. He’ll have surgery shortly, and they’ll throw him out in a couple of days. I’ll be here to take him home, then I’ll join you up at the cabin. There’s nothing for you to do here except get in the way.”

“I could get things organized.”

“What things? You want to tell the surgeon what order to do his work? I called because I knew you’d want to know what was what. It’s the business. Bad things happen. Axel’s been lucky for a long time, and he still is. He could have been hurt a whole lot worse.”

“I swear, when this contract is up, we’re done with repos,” she said. “I should be there. He’s my responsibility.” And maybe because she was worried about him.

“Because he’s so comfortable around you after what happened with Dana?”

“I never wanted him to get shot.”

Huxley gave a little chuckle. “That’s true, unless you were doing it yourself. He’ll be fine. Once he goes into surgery, I’ll head into the office. I’ll check on him tonight and report in. Once I get him settled at his place, I’ll head up the mountain to join you for Christmas.”

“I feel like I should be there.”

“There’s nothing to do here. Stay up there with your family. I’ve got this.”

She wasn’t comfortable just leaving Axel to his fate, but knew Huxley was right. She would only be in the way.

“Tell him I’m thinking of him.” She paused. “I mean that in a good way.”

“I’m sure that’ll make him feel all warm inside.”

She ignored the sarcasm. “If something bad happens, I want to know. No, wait. Call me after the surgery, no matter what.”

“I will. I’m hanging up now, boss.”

She tossed her phone on the bed. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Heath put his arm around her. “What happened?”

“I don’t have any details yet. Huxley said he was shot doing a repo. It’s his leg, but he should be fine. The surgery is in a few hours. Huxley will let me know what happens.”

She pressed a hand to her belly. “This is on me.”

“How do you figure?”

“It’s my company. Axel works for me.”

“He knew what he was doing when he took the work.”

“No one expects to die on the job.”

Heath touched her chin so she was looking at him. “Axel didn’t die.”

“This time.”

“You said you were done with repos.”

“I am. It’s just...”

She flung herself at him, not sure what she wanted to say. There were too many feelings and nowhere to put them. Guilt, for sure, and worry. Also confusion.

“I should go back to Seattle.”

“And do what?”

“You sound like Huxley. I could sit with Axel this afternoon.”

“That would be comfortable. Do you think he wants you there?”

She thought about her uneasy relationship with the other man. “Not really. He knows I’m pissed.”

“Then let him heal in peace. Are you going to tell Dana?”

Something else Julie didn’t have an answer for.

“I don’t know. Part of me says she has the right to know. But if I do, then he’s not just the guy who dumped her fifty times, he’s the injured guy who dumped her fifty times. The man was shot. Hearing that would do something to her. She’d rush to his side, and then who knows what would happen. But if I don’t tell her, then I’m keeping secrets, and I feel that’s already happening too much in this house.” She looked at him. “What do you think?”

“That she’s an adult and deserves to know the truth.”

Sensible, she thought. “I’m not going to tell her.”

Heath laughed. “You never disappoint.”

“I’m ignoring that. It’s Christmas and he’s hurt. If she finds out, she’ll get sucked back into his world and he’ll break her heart again.”

“Not your decision to make.”

“But it is because I know what happened and she doesn’t. She never has to know.”

“You don’t think at some point she’s going to find out he was shot and you didn’t tell her? And you don’t think that’s going to be a problem?”

He had a point. “I’ll tell her after the holidays.”

“I can’t tell you what to do, but I think you need to come clean with Dana and let her figure it out on her own.”

“She’ll go running to him.”

“She’s an adult. That’s her decision to make.”

“It’s easy to be rational when it’s not your kids.”

He lightly kissed her. “That I know to be true. I’ll do whatever you decide.”

“I’m not going to say anything. Later, if it turns out I’m wrong, you get to say you told me so.”